cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Electroanatomic Mapping to Identify Breakthrough Sites in Recurrent Typical Human Flutter

SRA, J., et al.: Electroanatomic Mapping to Identify Breakthrough Sites in Recurrent Typical Human Flutter. The accuracy of conventional techniques in localizing previous radiofrequency (RF) ablation sites and thus breakthrough sites of recurrent atrial flutter is somewhat limited. We investigated the role of electroanatomic mapping for identifying breakthrough sites or “gaps” at the tricuspid annulus and inferior vena cava (IVC)/eustachian ridge isthmus to help RF ablation in patients with recurrent typical flutter. Twelve patients (8 men, 4 women, age 63 ± 10 years) with recurrent typical atrial flutter were included in the study. An electroanatomic mapping system (CARTO) was used to create a voltage map and activation and propagation patterns in the right atrium. Detailed voltage, activation, and propagation mapping of the tricuspid annulus and IVC/eustachian ridge isthmus allowed precise identification of gaps in all 12 patients at the tricuspid annulus (eight sites), IVC ridges (two sites), mid-isthmus region (one site), and tricuspid annulus and IVC ridges (one site). Radiofrequency energy directed at these sites eliminated atrial flutter in all 12 patients, confirmed by noninducibility of atrial flutter and demonstration of conduction block during atrial pacing on either side of the lesion lines. During a mean follow-up of 14.8 ± 3.5 months (range 8–19 months), paroxysmal atrial flutter recurred in only one patient and was subsequently treated with amiodarone, although this had been ineffective prior to ablation. Electroanatomic mapping can precisely identify gaps in the lesion line responsible for breakthrough of recurrent typical atrial flutter at the tricuspid annulus and at the IVC/eustachian ridge isthmus. These sites can be targeted with RF ablation with a high degree of success.
Thermophysical properties of oil shale minerals

Abstract The thermal diffusivity values of eight minerals that are commonly associated with oil shales of the Green River formation have been measured by the laser flash technique. Data are presented in the temperature range 25–500°C for quartz, dolomite, calcite, plagioclase, analcite, pyrite, potassium feldspar and low albite. A comparison of the thermal conductivities of some of these minerals, calculated from experimentally measured thermal diffusivity and density, with the experimental values reported in the literature reveals good agreement. Trends in the variation of thermal diffusivity with temperature and anisotropic effects in thermophysical parameters are discussed from the point of view of grain boundary effects in these polycrystalline mineral aggregates.
Hierarchically Split Supersymmetry with Fayet-Iliopoulos D-terms in String Theory

Abstract We show that in string theory or supergravity with supersymmetry breaking through combined F-terms and Fayet–Iliopoulos D-terms the masses for charged scalars and fermions can be hierarchically split. The mass scale for the gauginos and higgsinos of the MSSM is controlled by the gravitino mass m 3 / 2 , as usual, while the scalars get extra contributions from the D-terms of extra Abelian U ( 1 ) factors, which can make them much heavier. The vanishing of the vacuum energy requires that their masses lie below m 3 / 2 M Pl , which for m 3 / 2 = O ( TeV ) sets a bound of 10 10 – 13 GeV . Thus, scalars with non-vanishing U ( 1 ) charges typically become heavy, while others remain light, producing a spectrum of scalars with masses proportional to their charges, and therefore non-universal. This is a modification of the split supersymmetry scenario, but with a light gravitino. We discuss how Fayet–Iliopoulos terms of this size can arise in orientifold string compactifications with D-branes. Furthermore, within the frame work of D-term inflation, the same vacuum energy that generates the heavy scalar masses can be responsible for driving cosmological inflation.
Visual Function After Laser Hyperthermia and Chemotherapy for Macular Retinoblastoma

Purpose: To determine whether treatment of macular retinoblastoma with chemotherapy and laser hyperthermia can lead to satisfactory visual acuity. Methods: A child with unilateral macular retinoblastoma was treated with chemotherapy and laser hyperthermia. Visual function was assessed one year after treatment. Results: At age 25 months, the patient had normal visual behavior and a normal spatial-sweep visual-evoked potential. Conclusion: Treatment of macular retinoblastoma with chemotherapy and laser hyperthermia may enable recovery of satisfactory visual acuity.
Nonlinear Meissner effect in a high-temperature superconductor

The lowest nonlinear correction to the penetration depth, i.e., the nonlinear Meissner effect, is calculated and compared to data from high-quality $\mathrm{YB}{\mathrm{a}}_{2}\mathrm{C}{\mathrm{u}}_{3}{\mathrm{O}}_{7\ensuremath{-}\mathit{\ensuremath{\delta}}}$ (YBCO) films. The calculation is based on the Green-function formulation of superconductivity, and the data consist of the intermodulation power as function of temperature and circulating power. At a low power level, the calculated temperature dependence compares very well with the data, including the divergence as ${T}^{\ensuremath{-}2}$ at very low temperatures. The calculated power dependence of the nonlinear penetration depth follows the data semiquantitatively and is enhanced due to the $d$-wave symmetry of the order parameter. These results support the assertion that the origin of nonlinearity in high-quality YBCO films is intrinsic. The analysis also implies that the nonlinear corrections to the penetration depth depend primarily on the total current carried by the strip and thus are insensitive to the edges. The comparison of the present approach with an alternative approach, based on quasiparticle backflow, is discussed.
Design pattern integrated tool

The use of design patterns in the mainstream has been limited due technical restrictions in supporting tools. We developed an integrated tool that supports language and platform independence, and facilitates cross-platform interoperability. The tool also assists in coding and design validating for quality assurance.
Improving performance in prevention.

Doing what we all agree we ought to do with every patient we see—and spreading this across all primary care practices—is a strategic challenge for our discipline and our profession. How to do this is a major focus of current research and practice. How does the study of Mold et al[1][1] fit
Rethinking the role of language study in internationalizing higher education

This article critically examines current discourses of internationalizing higher education both inside and outside the humanities and considers whether some contemporary practices and positions taken on by departments of languages, literatures and cultures might actually undermine public perspectives on language study by encouraging conceptually reductive views of language. Three common myths about language study that commonly surface in discussions of internationalization are then identified and analyzed, with the intention of exposing the discursive traps that scholars of languages and literatures often set for themselves and finding new ways of explaining our potential role in institutional efforts to internationalize curricula.
Attention modulates ‘speech-tracking’ at a cocktail party

Recent findings by Mesgarani and Chang demonstrate that signals in auditory cortex can reconstruct the spectrotemporal patterns of attended speech tokens better than those of ignored ones. These results help extend the study of attention into the domain of natural speech, posing numerous questions and challenges for future research.
Cellular localization of guidance cues in the establishment of retinotectal topography

Topographic projections of the nervous system are essential to numerous brain functions. They arise during development as a result of encounters between projecting growth cones and particular target cells. Cellular localization of guidance cues can indicate the sequential processes involved in establishment of such topography. The map formed by retinal ganglion cells on their target nuclei has served widely as a model system to investigate mechanisms underlying the highly precise and stereotypic connectivity of the nervous system. To investigate cellular localization of guidance cues in the developing retinotectal system, a three-compartment chamber was created to delimit areas where cultured embryonic chick retinal ganglion axons and tectal cells encounter one another and guidance behavior could be readily assessed. Whereas explants from nasal retinae extended fibers across their natural target population, fibers from temporal regions of retinae failed to invade areas of growing posterior tectal cells. This preservation of relevant guidance information on living cell populations enabled an evaluation of retinal ganglion cell growth cone behavior after encounter with individual tectal cells. Posterior tectal neurons appeared selectively repulsive for temporal retinal ganglion cell growth cones, causing growth cone collapse and retraction. On the contrary, neuroepithelial cells from all regions of the tectum attenuated retinal ganglion axon extension, without inducing sudden retraction. Nasal growth cones traversed or tracked more often along neuroepithelial cells from their natural target area, potentially indicating a second set of guidance cues possibly localized to posterior glia. Together, these differential interactions suggest that development of retinotectal topography critically depends on cell- specific cues, which are distributed selectively on particular populations of target cells.
OPEN STRINGS AS Z2-ORBIFOLDS OF CLOSED STRINGS

We present a modular invariant formulation of the open string in terms of the closed string. Chan–Paton factors are understood as multiplicities which arise from a factorization of the closed string. This interpretation of the Chan–Paton factors suggests that the SO(2D/2) open string is consistent to all orders of the loop expansion. We show that the open string may be viewed as a Z2-orbifold of the closed string. Relations are found between various string theories which seem to reinforce an earlier suggestion by Freund that all string theories are derivable from the D = 26 orientable closed bosonic string.
Adaptive Lateral Flight Control with Active Flutter Suppression for Aeroservoelastic Aircraft Systems

Flutter and gust disturbances have long been a problem for the practical operation of high performance aircraft. In addition, a new generation of high performance unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are being developed that utilize lightweight and flexible structures in order to increase performance. Such performance enhancements include longer flight times, higher altitude missions and larger payload capability. Because of these emerging technologies, active flutter and gust suppression is rapidly becoming a requirement. This paper presents and active flutter suppression control scheme integrated into the flight dynamics adaptive control. The overall system is able to track aircraft flight trajectories while simultaneously rejecting flutter and gust disturbances. By intelligently integrating the stability analysis, the flutter suppression is designed in such a way that it does not interfere with the flight tracking control.
A diffuse-interface model for electrowetting drops in a Hele-Shaw cell

Electrowetting has recently been explored as a mechanism for moving small amounts of fluids in confined spaces. We propose a diffuse-interface model for drop motion, due to electrowetting, in a Hele-Shaw geometry. In the limit of small interface thickness, asymptotic analysis shows that the model is equivalent to Hele-Shaw flow with a voltage-modified Young–Laplace boundary condition on the free surface. We show that details of the contact angle significantly affect the time scale of motion in the model. We measure receding and advancing contact angles in the experiments and derive their influence through a reduced-order model. These measurements suggest a range of time scales in the Hele-Shaw model which include those observed in the experiment. The shape dynamics and topology changes in the model agree well with the experiment, down to the length scale of the diffuse-interface thickness.
The magic of cinema: time as becoming in Strangers in Good Company

This article examines the ability of cinema to alter our perception and experience of time and ageing by analysing the film, Strangers in Good Company, as an example of what Gilles Deleuze called a time-image film in his philosophy of cinema. By looking at the cinematic representation of time as culturally contingent and open to change, and the boundary between representation and reality as thin, Deleuze’s theorisation of time-image cinema presents us with a way of understanding time as a kind of magic that can free us to live and become rather than as a succession of equally metered, linear moments. The experience of the older women who ’’act’’ in this movie confirms Deleuze’s thinking, when their brief filmic reprieve from the exigencies of chronological and linear time spills over into their ’’real’’ lives, allowing them to move beyond static representations of old age that tie them to deteriorating bodies and negative identities into an open future of becoming.
A parameterized mask model for lithography simulation

We formulate the mask modeling as a parametric model order reduction problem based on the finite element discretization of the Helmholtz equation. By using a new parametric mesh and a machine learning technique called Kernel Method, we convert the nonlinearly parameterized FEM matrices into affine forms. This allows the application of a well-understood parametric reduction technique to generate compact mask model. Since this model is based on the first principle, it naturally includes diffraction and couplings, important effects that are poorly handled by the existing heuristic mask models. Further more, the new mask model offers the capability to make a smooth trade-off between accuracy and speed.
A Closed Community: Fredric Jameson and the Commodification of Political Science

In keeping with the spirit of the 1998 annual meeting of the American Political Science Association, this paper's primary subject is community-specifically, political science as a closed, isolated community. The purpose of this paper is to examine the notion that political science has in the course of its development turned inward upon itself in an attempt to secure a scientific identity and maintain the viability of its own market values and exchanges. In so doing, it has shifted its focus away from the larger political community it once sought to strengthen, educate and improve. In an effort to address these issues, this paper looks briefly at the history of American political science, particularly through the works of David Ricci and Theodore Lowi, and utilizes Ricci's argument that political science's traditional pursuit of democratic norms and ideals and its pursuit of a closed market are incompatible and result in tragedy for the discipline. Moreover, this paper conceives of this tragedy in light of...
Learning and Memory in Transgenic Mice Modeling Alzheimer's Disease

Recent advances in behavioral analyses of transgenic mouse models of Alzheimer's disease (AD) are discussed, and their impact on our understanding of the molecular basis of cognitive impairment in AD is considered. Studies of the relationship between memory and A Beta in transgenic mice expressing the amyloid precursor protein (APP) and its variants suggest that aging promotes the formation of soluble A Beta assemblies mediating negative effects on memory. A significant component of memory loss in APP transgenic mice is apparently caused by soluble A Beta assemblies, but whether and how much of the dementia within individuals afflicted with AD is caused by these A Beta species is unclear. Future studies in composite transgenic mice developing amyloid plaques, neurofibrillary tangles, and other AD pathology may allow for the determination of the relative contribution of A Beta and non-A Beta components to dementia.
Model of the effect of extracellular fields on spike time coherence

Accurate spike timing is emerging as an important concept in the encoding of sensory stimuli. Accurately timed spiking has been recorded in-vivo in the visual and auditory cortex, many layers removed from the primary sensory neurons. This temporal accuracy may be maintained despite noisy synaptic transmission by the simultaneous firing of multiple neurons. Here we show in simulations that a coherent polarization of a population of neurons through extracellular fields can further increase the coherence of the population's firing times. We discuss the potential relevance of such a common input as an external "clock" signal in a spatio-temporal code.
Aquatic Transport of Heavy Metals in the Urban Environment

A study was conducted for the past 2 years on a 4.6 mile stretch of the Saddle River near Lodi, New Jersey. The primary objectives of the study were twofold: initially, the amounts of various heavy metals being contributed to the Saddle River by stormwater runoff, rainfall, and individual tributaries, etc., were investigated to better delineate the distribution of various sources of heavy metals to the aquatic environment. Secondly, a series of benthal deposits from the Saddle River were analyzed to determine the fate of the metals once introduced into the receiving stream. A mass balance analysis of heavy metals in the Saddle River was performed to determine the amount of materials contributed from unrecorded sources. The results of the study seemed to demonstrate the importance of considering the potential scouring of river sediments as a secondary source of metals in determinations of this type. The distribution of metals in precipitation samples collected in the study was found to be similar to that in runoff, with lead and zinc predominating. Relative concentrations of metals in precipitation as compared to those of stormwater were relatively insignificant. Metal concentrations of bottom sediments were found to vary considerably from sample to sample.
Ultrastructural abnormalities in cultured exostosis chondrocytes.

Hereditary multiple exostoses (HME) is an autosomal dominant disorder characterized by inappropriate chondrocyte proliferation and bone growth arising at the juxtaepiphyseal region of the long bones. HME is caused by mutations in the EXT 1 and EXT 2 genes, which have glycosyltransferase activity. These genes are responsible for synthesis of heparan sulfate (HS) chains, which are important signaling molecules in chondrocyte differentiation. HME chondrocytes in monolayer culture have been shown by transmission electron and deconvolution microscopy to contain enormous bundles of actin, cross-linked with muscle specific &#102 -actinin. Here additional ultrastructural anomalies in HME chondrocytes are reported, including lobulated nuclei, shortened channels of rER, large numbers of cell processes and podosomes, nontypical junctions, elongated, bulbous-ended mitochondria, and reduced extracellular matrix. Microfilaments are present throughout the cytoplasm, compartmentalizing it, and isolating organelles. The e...
Platelet-rich fibrin matrix for improvement of deep nasolabial folds.

Background Dermal augmentation continues to grow as an aesthetic facial procedure. Many exogenous filler materials rely on an autologous fibrotic response for volume augmentation. Aims To evaluate the efficacy of a single injection of autologous platelet-rich fibrin matrix (PRFM) for the correction of deep nasolabial folds (NLFs). Patients ⁄methods Whole blood was obtained from 15 adults, and an activated autologous PRFM produced using a proprietary system (Selphyl � ; Aesthetic Factors, Inc., Wayne, NJ, USA) was then injected into the dermis and immediate subdermis below the NLFs. Subjects were photographed before and after treatment; NLFs were rated by the treating physician before and after treatment using the Wrinkle Assessment Scale (WAS) and patients rated their appearance at each post-treatment visit using the Global Aesthetic Improvement Scale. Patients were evaluated at 1, 2, 6, and 12 weeks after treatment. Results All patients were treated to maximal (no over-) correction, with a mean reduction in WAS score of 2.12 ± 0.56. At 1 week after treatment, this difference was 0.65 ± 0.68, but rose to 0.97 ± 0.75, 1.08 ± 0.59, and 1.13 ± 0.72 at 2, 6, and 12 weeks after treatment, respectively (P < 0.001). No patient noted any fibrosis, irregularity, hardness, restricted movement, or lumpiness. Conclusions PRFM can provide significant long-term diminution of deep NLFs without the use of foreign materials. PRFM holds significant potential for stimulated dermal augmentation.
Donor Alcohol Abuse Increases the Risk for Graft Dysfunction in Lung Transplant Recipients

Purpose Primary graft dysfunction (PGD) is a form of ischemia reperfusion lung injury that is a major cause of early morbidity and mortality after lung transplantation. Alcohol abuse is known to alter pulmonary immunity, promote alveolar epithelial dysfunction and increase the risk of acute lung injury. The effects of alcohol abuse in donors of lung allografts on transplant outcomes is unknown, and our aim was to examine the incidence of donor alcohol abuse and early effects on graft function following transplantation. Methods and Materials We performed a single center cohort study of lung transplant recipients from 2007-2011, reviewing patient charts for donor information and lung transplant outcome data. Statistical analysis included student’s t-test and Mann-Whitney U test. Results 195 lung transplant recipients were included in the cohort and 20.5% (N=40) of the recipients had donors with significant alcohol use. Recipients of allografts from alcoholic donors spent more time on mechanical ventilation following transplant when compared to recipients whose donors had no reported alcohol abuse, mean 6.9±12.1 days versus 3.9±8.1 days on the ventilator, (p=0.07). Gas exchange, represented as PaO2/FiO2, was significantly worse in recipients of donors with alcohol abuse following transplant compared to recipients with no donor alcohol abuse ( Fig 1 ). Conclusions Lung transplant recipients who received allografts from alcoholic donors had evidence of graft dysfunction following transplant. We speculate that alcoholic donor allografts may be susceptible to damage from formation of reactive oxygen species, which is exaggerated by the ischemia-reperfusion of transplantation, resulting in an increased rate of PGD.
Rethinking Democracy: A Systems Perspective on the Global Unrest†

The paper seeks to make a contribution towards a better understanding of the current global political unrest. It argues that this unrest reflects ongoing tensions between hierarchical and non-hierarchical interactions. It also argues that the opposition between hierarchical and non-hierarchical interactions is not ontological but rather is rooted in the way we approach reality and is, therefore, subject to our control. The tendency to exclude the process of construction from our frame of vision is characteristic for the view of reality that is dominant in our civilization. Contemporary theoretical perspectives that include, but are not limited to, systems theory, complexity theory, theory of self-organization, emergence theory and autopoiesis have much to offer in addressing and resolving this problem. The paper outlines some general organizing principles that should be part of this solution. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Engraftment of rat bone marrow and its role in negative selection of murine T cells in mice conditioned with a modified nonmyeloablative regimen

Abstract: We have recently demonstrated that xenogeneic (rat) bone marrow engraftment and donor-specific tolerance can be induced in mice conditioned with a nonmyeloablative regimen consisting of administration of anti-CD4, -CD8, -Thy-1.2, and -NK1.1 mAbs on days -6 and -1, 3 Gy whole body irradiation (WBI) on day 0, and 7 Gy thymic irradiation on day 0, followed by injection of T cell-depleted (TCD) F344 BMC. We have now investigated the mechanism of tolerance in these mixed xenogeneic chimeras by evaluating the capacity of rat bone marrow-derived cells to induce clonal deletion of mouse T cell subsets. Both Vβ5+ and Vβ11+ murine T cell subsets were markedly depleted in peripheral blood of chimeras but not of normal B1O mice. These results demonstrate that rat molecules contribute to the ligand for negative selection of these Vβ families of mouse T cells, and that rat bone marrow-derived cells participate in negative selection of the murine T cell repertoire, suggesting that clonal deletion is probably a major mechanism of tolerance induction in this model. In addition, based on results in a similar allogeneic BMT model, we hypothesized that, if sufficient quantities of mAbs were administered, thymic irradiation could be eliminated from this regimen without compromising the ability to induce mixed xenogeneic chimerism and tolerance. We now demonstrate induction of comparable multilineage mixed xenogeneic chimerism in animals receiving this conditioning regimen with or without 7 Gy thymic irradiation. Thus, if a similar approach were applied clinically, the potential toxicity of this regimen might be reduced further by the elimination of thymic irradiation.
Research on the role of the ocean in global climate change: The effect of extended jurisdiction

Abstract The 1982 United Nations Treaty on the Law of the Sea grants authority over marine research in adjacent waters to the coastal state. Interpretation and application of this treaty will play a large role in determining the success of scientific investigation into global environmental processes and the significance of human effects on these systems. Currently, climate studies in particular require a much broader knowledge of the world ocean system than is now available. The World Climate Research Program, organized transnationally, has to date been successful in implementing global ocean studies within and across the jurisdictional waters of most states, largely because of a common interest in the research results. However, should the results lead to the prediction of differential regional response to anthropogenic alteration of climate patterns, a greater politicization of research may ensue. A stricter application of treaty provisions covering the granting of consent to do research could impact the...
Cathedral Cave, a rockshelter in Carnarvon Gorge, Queensland

Cathedral Cave is a large rockshelter site in the uplands of southeast central Queensland.Â In 1975 I excavated a sample of the site as part of a study into the regional prehistory of this remote part of Queensland.Â At that time, archaeological data of any kind for the state of Queensland was at a premium.Â At 1,727,000kmÂ², Queensland takes up about as much of the world's surface as do France, Italy, Spain, and Germany combined.Â Yet, by the early 1970's in this northeastern tropical and sub-tropical one-fifth of the Australian continent we had not quite a handful of archaeological studies.Â In 1963 R.V.S. Wright (1971) had broken ground in a rockshelter at Mushroom Rock, near Laura, on the spine of the Cape York Peninsula, and had also determined the human genesis of the massive shell mounds at Albatross Bay in the gulf waters of the west coast of the Peninsula.Â Laila Haglund (1976) had worked for several seasons during the years 1965 through 1968 at the Broadbeach cemetery site in the far southeastern corner of Queensland, and the years of 1960, 1962 and 1964 had seen John Mulvaney's classic excavations in the south-central Queensland highlands (Mulvaney and Joyce 1965).Â It would be a decade, and later, before these pioneering studies would be followed by regional reconnaissance and excavations programs such as those of Geoff Bailey (1977) who in 1972 followed on from Wright's work at Albatross Bay, my own in 1974 through 1977 in the southeastern uplands (Beaton 1977, 1982, 1991 - this volume, Beaton and Walsh 1977), Michael Morwood on the western slopes of the Dividing range (Morwood 1979, 1980, 1981), Jay Hall and associates in the Moreton Bay area (Hall 1982, Hall and Hiscock 1988), and John Campbell (Campbell 1982) in the northeast. Â
CT of the Sella Turcica after Transsphenoidal Resection of Pituitary Adenomas

A retrospective review of 120 patients undergoing transsphenoidal surgery for pituitary adenomas revealed that computed tomography (CT) was less sensitive and less specific than hormonal methods in identifying residual functioning adenomas, However, CT was the only useful method of evaluating nonfunctioning tumors, including pseudoprolactinomas, Enlargement of the pituitary stalk, when seen on preoperative CT, was 100% predictive of “cure” if the enlargement returned to normal size on a remote follow-up scan ( n = 8) and was 100% predictive of residual tumor if the enlargement persisted or evolved ( n = 8), Resolution of stalk displacement was the next most reliable predictor of cure (91%, n = 11), but persistent displacement was less reliable than abnormal intrasellar enhancement in predicting the presence of residual tumor (71%, n = 28, vs. 81%, n = 26). Enhancement in the postoperative sella by other than normal pituitary gland was presumed to be due to inflammation in 19% of patients. Inflammatory enhancement was observed in the presence of autograft and homograft muscle plugs and, unlike enhancement due to untreated tumors, was observed to decrease in size and intensity with time. Intrasellar enhancement was an unreliable criterion of success or failure in cases of microadenoma. All 14 patients with functioning adenomas and preoperative parasellar tumor extension had persistent tumor at postoperative evaluation. Of the 47 patients with resected functioning adenomas who had CT scans showing empty or partly empty sellas after operation, 22 (47%) had hormonally detectable residual tumor.
Sintering Behavior, Permeability and Microstructure of Low Temperature Sintered NiCuZn Ferrites Prepared by Solid Reaction Method

The fine powder of Ni1-a-xZnxCuaFe2-δO4(0.15≤a0.25,0.1≤x≤0.65) ferrites was prepared by solid reaction method. The sintering temperature dependence of initial permeabilityμi , Q value, shrinkage factor η, density d are shown and discussed. The densification and solid reaction are studied with the reduced specific saturation magnetization σsp/σss and shrinkage factor η. The influence of grain size and microstructure on the initial permeability was discussed by SEM photographs. The NiCuZn ferrites prepared by milling oxides were obtained with properties:μi 835±10 %,Q145,tanδ/μi8.4×10-6, α1×10-6/℃, TC: 130℃, ρ 1012?·cm at sintering temperature 870+10 ℃. The μQ product of 12.3×104 is two times that of sample prepared by sol-gel method.
Recurrent Mixed Cryoglobulinemia (MCS): A Case Report and Literature Review

We report a case of recurrent mixed type II cryoglobulinemia with difficult diagnosis and treatment dilemma and uncertain prognosis in view of limited studies. A 60-year-old male with history of essential mixed cryoglobulinemia 12 years ago treated successfully with six months of cyclophosphamide and prednisone presented with bilateral lower extremity pupuric rash and swelling. He was found to have proteinuria, hematuria, RBC casts, low serum complement levels, and acute kidney injury (AKI). Initial therapy with methylprednisone and oral cyclophosphamide was ineffective (patient developed respiratory failure due to alveolar hemorrhage). Additional labs revealed positive type II cryoglobulins, high free Kappa/Lambda, UPEP with minimal urine protein, SPEP with marked hypogammaglobulinemia, and negative tests for HIV, HCV, ANA, and ANCA. More aggressive therapy with daily plasmapheresis and rituximab was instituted with very good clinical response. He achieved clinical remission but developed another flare 8 months later. Kidney biopsy showed membranoproliferatve glomerulonephritis with cryoglobulin deposits. Flow cytometry and biopsy of bone marrow was consistent with lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma. His diagnosis was eventually confirmed and responded clinically to another course of rituximab and plasmapheresis, but prognosis is yet to be seen.
Two-site high-affinity interaction between inhibitory and catalytic subunits of rod cyclic GMP phosphodiesterase.

Abstract Light-activated cyclic GMP-phosphodiesterase (PDE) is the key effector enzyme of vertebrate photoreceptor cells which regulates the level of the internal transmitter cyclic GMP. PDE consists of catalytic P alpha and P beta subunits, and two copies of inhibitory P gamma subunit. The two P gamma subunits block the enzyme's activity in the dark and are removed by the alpha-subunit of transducin (alpha 1) upon light-activation of photoreceptor cells. Here we have examined the role of various regions of P gamma, the N-terminal, the central cationic and the C-terminal regions, in interaction with the catalytic subunits of PDE. N-Terminal truncation of P gamma (12-87-P gamma) did not change the potency of PDE inhibition, and thus we conclude that the P gamma N-terminal region is not critical for P gamma-P alpha beta interaction. The central region, 24-46-P gamma, participates in interaction with the catalytic P alpha beta subunits. A synthetic peptide corresponding to this site inhibited approximately 50% of trypsin-activated PDE (tPDE) (Ki approximately 15 microM) and competed with P gamma for inhibition of tPDE. We demonstrated, by using h.p.l.c. gel filtration, that 125I-Tyr-24-46-P gamma peptide bound with high affinity to tPDE, but not to P alpha beta gamma 2. The C-terminal region of 46-87-P gamma was found to be the major region involved in inhibition of PDE. It fully inhibited tPDE with a Ki of approximately 0.8 microM. It also bound to tPDE, but not P alpha beta gamma 2, in h.p.l.c. gel-filtration experiments. In addition, P gamma was cross-linked by p-phenylenedimaleimide to both P alpha and P beta, as was shown by using subunit-specific anti-P alpha, -P beta and -P gamma antibodies. Cys68 of P gamma, which presumably participates in cross-linking, is located near the P gamma C-terminus. These data provide evidence for two regions of P gamma that interact with, and inhibit, P alpha beta. The central region, 24-46 P gamma, is important in binding, but inhibits PDE only weakly, whereas the C-terminal region is most important for PDE inhibition. These results help to explain the well-known fact that P gamma trypsin-activation and C-terminal truncation both lead to PDE activation. Furthermore, our findings on the mechanism of PDE inhibition of P gamma are relevant for understanding the mechanism of PDE activation by transducin.
Online science classroom collaborations: a comparison of domestic and international learning communities

Students' views of their online collaboration and samples of scientific writing were studied within a principal contrast of U.S. students in domestic or international class partnerships. Results show that U.S. students in international partnerships maintained a higher level of excitement about their partnership and wrote a larger number of accurate scientific claims using more evidence and certain discourse components. Findings from this study have implications for further research and classroom practice.
Orthosteric Drug Antagonism

This chapter discusses the blockade of agonist-induced response through interaction with receptors. Antagonism can be classified operationally in terms of the effects of antagonists on agonist dose-response curves and mechanistically in terms of the molecular effects of the antagonist on the receptor protein. The interference of agonist-induced response can take different forms in terms of the effects on agonist dose-response curves. Specifically, concentration-dependent antagonism can be saturable or apparently unsaturable. The antagonism can be surmountable (dextral displacement of the dose-response curve with no diminution of maxima) or insurmountable (depression of the maximal agonist response). Antagonism of receptors can produce many patterns of concentration-response curves for agonists, including concentration-dependent surmountable antagonism, surmountable antagonism that comes to a maximal limit, depression of dose-response curves with no dextral displacement, and dextral displacement before depression of maximal response in systems with a receptor reserve for the agonist. These patterns are recognized as behaviors of antagonists in different systems and not necessarily characteristics of the molecular nature of the antagonism (i.e., more than one molecular mechanism can produce the same behavior of the concentration-response curves). Therefore, it is important to discover the molecular mechanism of the antagonism and not just describe the antagonistic behavior, as the latter can change with experimental conditions. Kinetic factors can cause some antagonists to produce surmountable antagonism in some systems and insurmountable antagonism in others.
Medical Directors of Breastfeeding Programs at Academic Medical Centers: Duties and Challenges

Abstract Introduction: An emerging trend in Academic Medical Centers (AMCs) is to coordinate breastfeeding care, research, and trainee education through “medical director” positions. Little is known about their duties, supports, and challenges. Objective: To determine the duties and challenges of directors of breastfeeding medicine in AMCs. Methods: A survey was distributed four times over a 3-month period to three listservs with a total of 860 members. Physicians directing breastfeeding programs or services at AMCs were included. Participants were asked about details of their employment, time distribution of the position, their role in education, billing practices, and major hurdles. Results: Thirty-two physicians responded to the survey: 25 from the United States, and seven international. Only 22% of respondents had formal job descriptions and only 31% reported being paid for their breastfeeding work. Most positions were created in the past 10 years (75%), were housed in Departments of Pediatrics (75%),...
Successful Use of Rituximab To Treat Central Nervous System Lymphoma in a Patient with B-Cell Post-Transplant Lymphoproliferative Disorder (PTLD).

A 27 year old male with end-stage renal failure secondary to IgA nephropathy received a living related renal transplant in 10/2002, complicated by severe cellular and humoral rejection. Immunosuppression included steroids, OKT3, cyclosporine A, rapamycin, thymoglobulin, antithymocyte globulin, and plasmapheresis. He developed multiple complications including severe pancytopenia, pleural effusions, Pseudomonas sepsis, and Vancomycin resistant enterococcus cystitis. Transplant nephrectomy was required 2/2003 for intractable rejection with blood clots in the urine, revealing large nodules of monomorphous B-cell PTLD throughout the renal parenchyma, along with type 2 acute cellular rejection. The B-cells were CD20 positive, and in situ hybridization for EBER was positive in the majority of the cells. PTLD staging was negative in other sites including brain and bone marrow. All immunosuppression was discontinued shortly following the nephrectomy, and he was placed on acyclovir for 3 months until he developed progressive cytopenias. In 8/2003 he underwent open brain biopsy following 2 grand mal seizures and an MRI showing multiple bilateral nonenhancing cortical and subcortical lesions up to several centimeters, with enhancing right temporal and parietal lesions with surrounding vasogenic edema and regional mass effect. Right temporal lobe biospy showed extensive high grade monomorphous B-cell PTLD with necrosis and vascular involvement. Lymphoma staging including lumbar puncture was otherwise negative and LDH was normal. He received a brief course of steroids and valacyclovir in the perioperative period. His performance status remained extremely poor, on hemodialysis, and thus he was not considered a good candidate for systemic chemotherapy, brain radiotherapy, or intrathecal chemotherapy. We elected to give a total of 8 courses of rituximab at 375 mg/m 2 intravenously weekly. Although systemic rituximab does not generally penetrate the central nervous system very well, it was presumed that the blood brain barrier in this patient was broken down due to extensive lymphomatous cerebral disease. By 9/2003 there was improvement in the brain parenchymal lesions, and since 11/2003 there has been complete stabilization of residual involuted nonenhancing lesions. He remains in complete clinical remission, off rituximab for 22 months. This excellent response suggests that systemic rituximab can be an effective treatment in selected cases of PTLD in which extensive brain disease is present.
Executive Functions, Memory, and Social Cognitive Deficits and Recovery in Chronic Alcoholism: A Critical Review to Inform Future Research

Alcoholism is a complex and dynamic disease, punctuated by periods of abstinence and relapse, and influenced by a multitude of vulnerability factors. Chronic excessive alcohol consumption is associated with cognitive deficits, ranging from mild to severe, in executive functions, memory, and metacognitive abilities, with associated impairment in emotional processes and social cognition. These deficits can compromise efforts in initiating and sustaining abstinence by hampering efficacy of clinical treatment and can obstruct efforts in enabling good decision making success in interpersonal/social interactions, and awareness of cognitive and behavioral dysfunctions. Despite evidence for differences in recovery levels of selective cognitive processes, certain deficits can persist even with prolonged sobriety. Herein is presented a review of alcohol-related cognitive impairments affecting component processes of executive functioning, memory, and the recently investigated cognitive domains of metamemory, social cognition, and emotional processing; also considered are trajectories of cognitive recovery with abstinence. Finally, in the spirit of critical review, limitations of current knowledge are noted and avenues for new research efforts are proposed that focus on (i) the interaction among emotion-cognition processes and identification of vulnerability factors contributing to the development of emotional and social processing deficits and (ii) the time line of cognitive recovery by tracking alcoholism's dynamic course of sobriety and relapse. Knowledge about the heterochronicity of cognitive recovery in alcoholism has the potential of indicating at which points during recovery intervention may be most beneficial.
Synthetic and Biological Multifunctional Smart Materials Applications to Lower Extremity Gait Systems

This chapter presents a review of ongoing research and development on multifunctional “smart” materials and artificial muscles that may be used for lower extremity gait devices, orthotics, prostheses, and systems. Discussions are presented on fibrous contractile chemomechanical polymeric artificial muscles, polyacrylonitrile (PAN) contractile artificial muscles which are also electrochemically controllable. A brief discussion is also presented on the applications of soft artificial muscles made with ionic biopolymers such as chitosan.
Autism and Anxiety in School

Children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) spend a considerable amount of time throughout their development in school settings. As such, educational environments and professionals play a seminal role in the assessment and treatment of this population. Beyond the diagnostic features, anxiety is recognized as a common problem affecting students with ASD. The presence of comorbid anxiety is often difficult to assess due to a range of cognitive, communication, and emotion-recognition deficits that characterize ASD. The treatment of anxiety in this population is equally challenging, given significant heterogeneity in symptom presentation and functional levels. Given the substantial increase in the number of students with ASD, educational professionals are being increasingly called upon to assess and treat the full range of symptoms including anxiety. This chapter describes anxiety in ASD in school settings and the assessment and treatment considerations confronted by educators and school-based clinicians. Given the lack of evidence-based school intervention models for anxiety in ASD, a number of techniques applicable to a school environment are proposed. These techniques are proposed based on their potential utility for students with ASD of varying functional levels.
Alternaria alternata challenge at the nasal mucosa results in eosinophilic inflammation and increased susceptibility to influenza virus infection.

BACKGROUND Eosinophils in the nasal mucosa are an elemental feature of allergic rhinitis. OBJECTIVE Our objective was to explore eosinophilic inflammation and its impact on respiratory virus infection at the nasal mucosa. METHODS Inflammation in the nasal mucosae of mice was evaluated in response to repetitive stimulation with strict intranasal volumes of a filtrate of Alternaria alternata. Mice were then challenged with influenza virus. RESULTS Repetitive stimulation with A. alternata resulted in eosinophil recruitment to the nasal passages in association with elevated levels of IL-5, IL-13 and eotaxin-1; eosinophil recruitment was diminished in eotaxin-1-/- mice, and abolished in Rag1-/- mice. A. alternata also resulted in elevated levels of nasal wash IgA in both wild-type and eosinophil-deficient ∆dblGATA mice. Interestingly, A. alternata-treated mice responded to an influenza virus infection with profound weight loss and mortality compared to mice that received diluent alone (0% vs 100% survival, ***P < .001); the lethal response was blunted when A. alternata was heat-inactivated. Minimal differences in virus titre were detected, and eosinophils present in the nasal passages at the time of virus inoculation provided no protection against the lethal sequelae. Interestingly, nasal wash fluids from mice treated with A. alternata included more neutrophils and higher levels of pro-inflammatory mediators in response to virus challenge, among these, IL-6, a biomarker for disease severity in human influenza. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Repetitive administration of A. alternata resulted in inflammation of the nasal mucosae and unanticipated morbidity and mortality in response to subsequent challenge with influenza virus. Interestingly, and in contrast to findings in the lower airways, eosinophils recruited to the nasal passages provided no protection against lethal infection. As increased susceptibility to influenza virus among individuals with rhinitis has been the subject of several clinical reports, this model may be used for further exploration of these observations.
Constructive Controversy: The Value of Intellectual Conflict

Conflict is inherent in decision making and learning situations. It is a procedure for ensuring that effective decision in which all alternatives are given serious consideration and critically analyzed before deciding on which alternative to implement. It is also a procedure for maximizing learning in training and learning situations. In well structured controversies, participants make an initial judgment, present their conclusions to other group members, are challenged with opposing views, become uncertain about the correctness of their views, actively search for new information and understanding, incorporate others' perspectives and reasoning into their thinking, and reach a new set of conclusions. This process results in significant increases in the quality of decision making and problem solving (including higher-levels of cognitive and moral reasoning, perspective taking, creativity, and attitude change about the issue), motivation to learn more about the issue, positive attitudes toward the controversy and decision making processes, the quality of relationships, and self-esteem. A recent meta-analysis summarizes these results. Practical procedures for decision making and learning groups exist based on a foundation of theory and research.