cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Carcinoembryonic antigen in patients with neuroblastoma.

Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) was studied in the plasma of 17 patients (2 months to 18 years old) with neuroblastoma by means of a radioimmunoassay that detects an antigenic site in the CEA molecule at low ionic strengths. Elevated levels (greater than 2.5 nanograms per ml) of CEA were observed in plasma specimens from 8 or 9 patients with active neuroblastoma. Following successful therapy in 2 patients, CEA returned to normal in both. Disease remained active in 5 patients; their serial titers showed continued elevation. Seven of 8 patients with no evidence of active disease had CEA levels within the normal range. Ten children with nonneoplastic disease (2 to 10 years old) had normal levels of antigen (0-2.0 ng). This observation indicates that neuroblastoma may also possess the CEA previously detected in patients with other ectodermally derived cancers. The antigen appears to correlate with clinical activity of the neuroblastoma and may be helpful in assessment of the efficacy of therapy and prognosis in these patients.
Dynamic modeling of a lean NO/sub x/ trap for lean burn engine control

A control oriented dynamic model of the lean NO/sub x/ trap (LNT) behavior has been developed in SIMULINK/sup TM/. The model simulates the trapping and purging phenomena and includes the important parameters which affect the LNT behavior. These include the trap temperature, trapping and purging duration, air/fuel ratios and the mass flow rates of the exhaust gases. Engine dynamometer test data have been used to identify the model parameters and to validate the model structure. There is good agreement between the simulation results and test data. The model is suitable for control and fuel/emission tradeoff analysis.
Implementations of the GMRES method

Abstract We discuss general and specific implementations of the GMRES method for solving large nonsymmetric linear systems. Particular attention is given to issues of numerical reliability and efficiency. Computational results are reviewed.
Src-family tyrosine kinase activities are essential for differentiation of human embryonic stem cells

Embryonic stem (ES) cells are characterized by pluripotency, defined as the developmental potential to generate cell lineages derived from all three primary germ layers. In the past decade, great progress has been made on the cell culture conditions, transcription factor programs and intracellular signaling pathways that control both murine and human ES cell fates. ES cells of mouse vs. human origin have distinct culture conditions, responding to some tyrosine kinase signaling pathways in opposite ways. Previous work has implicated the Src family of non-receptor protein-tyrosine kinases in mouse ES cell self-renewal and differentiation. Seven members of the Src kinase family are expressed in mouse ES cells, and individual family members appear to play distinct roles in regulating their developmental fate. Both Hck and c-Yes are important in self-renewal, while c-Src activity alone is sufficient to induce differentiation. While these findings implicate Src-family kinase signaling in mouse ES cell renewal and differentiation, the role of this kinase family in human ES cells is largely unknown. Here, we explored Src-family kinase expression patterns and signaling in human ES cells during self-renewal and differentiation. Of the eleven Src-related kinases in the human genome, Fyn, c-Yes, c-Src, Lyn, Lck and Hck were expressed in H1, H7 and H9 hES cells, while Fgr, Blk, Srm, Brk, and Frk transcripts were not detected. Of these, c-Yes, Lyn, and Hck transcript levels remained constant in self-renewing human ES cells vs. differentiated EBs, while c-Src and Fyn showed a modest increase in expression as a function of differentiation. In contrast, Lck expression levels dropped dramatically as a function of EB differentiation. To assess the role of overall Src-family kinase activity in human ES cell differentiation, cultures were treated with inhibitors specific for the Src kinase family. Remarkably, human ES cells maintained in the presence of the potent Src-family kinase inhibitor A-419259 retained the morphology of domed, pluripotent colonies and continued to express the self-renewal marker TRA-1-60 despite culture under differentiation conditions. Taken together, these observations support a role for Src-family kinase signaling in the regulation of human ES cell fate, and suggest that the activities of individual Src-family members are required for the initiation of the differentiation program.
Substance abuse in bipolar disorder.

Background: High rates of substance abuse have been reported in the general population, with males more often affected than females. Although high rates of substance abuse have also been reported in bipolar patients, the relationship between substance abuse and bipolar disorder has not been well characterized. Methods: Substance abuse histories were obtained in 392 patients hospitalized for manic or mixed episodes of bipolar disorder and rates of current and lifetime abuse calculated. Analyses comparing sex, subtype (manic vs. mixed) and clinical history variables were conducted. Results: Rates of lifetime substance abuse were high for both alcohol (48.5%) and drugs (43.9%). Nearly 60% of the cohort had a history of some lifetime substance abuse. Males had higher rates of abuse than females, but no differences in substance abuse were observed between subjects in manic and mixed bipolar states. Rates of active substance abuse were lower in older age cohorts. Subjects with a comorbid diagnosis of lifetime substance abuse had more psychiatric hospitalizations. Conclusions: Substance abuse is a major comorbidity in bipolar patients. Although rates decrease in older age groups, substance abuse is still present at clinically important rates in the elderly. Bipolar patients with comorbid substance abuse may have a more severe course. These data underscore the significance of recognition and treatment of substance abuse in bipolar disorder patients.
Parental Feeding in Ring Doves (Streptopelia roseogrisea): Innate or Learned?

Summary Some observations on parental feeding in ring doves (Streptopelia roseogrisea) are reported. Lehrman (1955) advances an explanation of the development of parental feeding in ring doves by three experiments, in which the hormone prolactin was injected into ring doves. These birds, and appropriate control groups injected with distilled water, were then presented with seven day old squabs in a test situation. In experiment 1 Lehrman found that prolactin-injected birds fed young, and control birds did not. In experiment 2 he found that inexperienced birds, whether injected with prolactin or distilled water, did not feed seven day old squabs. In experiment 3, in which the crops of 12 birds were anesthetized with efocaine injected into the crop walls, and 12 birds were anesthetized elsewhere in the body, Lehrman found that 8 out of 12 birds whose crops were anesthetized did not feed young, while 2 out of 12 control birds injected elsewhere in the body did not feed the squabs. From these results the conclusion is drawn that the engorged crop of ring doves serves as a drive stimulus for approach behavior to the squabs, and that the squabs, having by trial and error inserted their bills into the parents' mouth elicit vomiting (regurgitation). In this way the parent becomes conditioned to the squab as a tension-reducing stimulus, and will on subsequent occasions voluntarily approach the young to feed them. Incidental observations collected during the course of another study demonstrate that Lehrman's explanation is not tenable. When mourning doves were hatched under ring dove foster parents, squabs were fed with crop milk or a clear watery liquid, irrespective of whether the foster parents had previous breeding experience, or at what stage of the parents' own incubation period these squabs hatched. If no cropmilk is in the foster parents' crops no increased sensitivity due to distension can be assumed; hence, the tension-reducing hypothesis becomes untenable. That regurgitation feeding is not the same as vomiting induced by the irritating bill of the squabs is shown by the observation that mechanical feeding devices used in hand-raising doves never elicit vomiting. The use of seven day old partially feathered squabs as test objects rather than one or two day old down young, which alone may be the appropriate releaser for the feeding response, most likely accounts for the different results in Lehrman's study and the present one. The conclusion is then that parental feeding in inexperienced ring doves is innate, and that an explanation in terms of trial and error learning is not acceptable.
Laser cooling of trapped-ion clusters

We derive, from the microscopic Hamiltonian, a laser-cooling theory for the small vibrations in an arbitrary cluster of trapped ions. If either the interference of light scattered by different ions is ignored or all vibration modes are assumed to retain a common temperature during the cooling, then a collective vibration mode obeys essentially the same cooling theory as a single ion with the same mechanical-oscillation frequency. We also study both analytically and numerically the frequency spectrum of the small vibrations. In a harmonic trap the scale of the spectrum is determined solely by the three oscillation frequencies that a single ion would have in the trap. Ignoring many-particle heating phenomena of real traps, the qualitative conclusion emerges that if a single ion can be cooled in a given trap, then so can an ion cluster.
Orbit determination of geosynchronous satellites by VLBI and differential VLBI

Four approaches to radio interferometric tracking of geosynchronous satellites are analyzed and compared. Quasar-based differential very-long-baseline interferometry, which requires a very sensitive receiver, can achieve meter-level position accuracy with a two-baseline system. Satellite-based differential VLBI gives somewhat lower accuracy with a compact, inexpensive receiver. Nondifferential VLBI, using less precise media and clock calibrations obtained by observing the GPS satellites, still gives 5-10 m position accuracy with two baselines. For a sufficiently inclined orbit, all interferometric approaches can yield six-component satellite state from a single baseline.
Metabolic and monogenic causes of seizures in neonates and young infants.

Abstract Seizures in neonates or young infants present a frequent diagnostic challenge. After exclusion of acquired causes, disturbances of the internal homeostasis and brain malformations, the physician must evaluate for inborn errors of metabolism and for other non-malformative genetic disorders as the cause of seizures. The metabolic causes can be categorized into disorders of neurotransmitter metabolism, disorders of energy production, and synthetic or catabolic disorders associated with brain malformation, dysfunction and degeneration. Other genetic conditions involve channelopathies, and disorders resulting in abnormal growth, differentiation and formation of neuronal populations. These conditions are important given their potential for treatment and the risk for recurrence in the family. In this paper, we will succinctly review the metabolic and genetic non-malformative causes of seizures in neonates and infants less than 6 months of age. We will then provide differential diagnostic clues and a practical paradigm for their evaluation.
Rejoinder to Coady, Stalker, and Levene's Response to Gingerich

To the Editor: In the March-April issue of Families in Society, Coady, Stalker, and Levene (2000) responded to my letter (same issue), in which I suggested that their conclusion that no methodologically sound studies on SFBT have been conducted (Stalker, Levene, & Coady, 1999) was inaccurate. I called their attention to 15 controlled- outcome studies of solution-focused brief therapy (SFBT) that Sheri Eisengart and I had identified in a review of the research (Gingerich & Eisengart, 1999).1 In their response to my letter, Coady and colleagues indicated they made a quick perusal of the 15 SFBT outcome studies but dismissed most of them because they were obviously methodologically unsound. They acknowledged the existence of four studies that they could construe as controlled-outcome studies of any type but indicated that none provide clear support for the effectiveness of SFBT. Their conclusion remained the same: We maintain that there is no empirical evidence of SFBT's superior effectiveness or brevity.
Decreasing Bladed Disk Response With Dampers on a Few Blades: Part II—Nonlinear and Blade-Blade Dampers Applications

This two part paper focuses on the optimum placement of a limited number of dampers, i.e. fewer than the number of blades, on a bladed disk to induce the smallest possible amplitude of blade response with or without involuntary, random mistuning. Intentional mistuning is also considered as an option to reduce the amplitude of blade response and the pattern of two blade types (referred to as A and B blades) is then part of the optimization effort in addition to the location of the dampers on the disk.This second part of the investigation focuses on the application of the optimization algorithms developed in Part I to nonlinear dampers, more specifically friction dampers, as well as to the consideration of blade-blade dampers, linear or nonlinear (underplatform dampers). Additionally, the optimization of blade-only and blade-blade linear dampers will be extended to include uncertainty/variability in the damper properties that arise during the manufacturing and/or inservice. It is found that the optimum achieved without considering such uncertainty/variability is robust with respect to it.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
Primitive polynomials and m-sequences over GF(q/sup m/)

Procedures for obtaining primitive polynomials and m-sequences over GF(q/sup m/) in terms of primitive polynomials and m-sequences over GF(q) are presented. Using a degree mn primitive polynomial g(x) in GF(g, x), an m-sequence over GF(q/sup m/) can be expressed as a vector m-sequence whose component m-sequences are shifted versions of the m-sequence generated by g(x). The degree-n primitive polynomials in GF(q/sup m/,x) with root alpha q/sup i/, that are factors of g(x) with root alpha when g(x) is viewed in GF(q/sup m/,x), are then developed from the m-sequence over GF(q/sup m/). Expressions for the shifts and corresponding primitive polynomial for the m-sequence generated by the uth decimation of the m-sequence generated by the polynomials are also given. Expressions for the shifts and corresponding primitive polynomial factors of g(x) for different bases expressing GF(q/sup m/) over GF(q) are presented. >
Anterolateral Thoracotomy as an Alternative to Repeat Median Sternotomy for Replacement of the Mitral Valve

Median sternotomy is the most common approach for repeat cardiac surgery despite the potential complications of cardiac injury. Right anterolateral thoracotomy has been recommended as an alternative for patients undergoing mitral valve replacement, but data supporting one approach over the other do not exist. To compare these procedures, the records of 43 patients who had had a previous median sternotomy and who underwent mitral valve replacement were reviewed. No statistically significant differences between patients undergoing repeat median sternotomy (33 patients) and those undergoing right anterolateral thoracotomy (10 patients) were demonstrable when compared for age, gender, New York Heart Association Functional Class, other diseased valves, urgency of operation, indication for operation, type of valve removed, type of valve implanted, length of postoperative hospitalization, length of operation, days of ventilatory support, length of intensive care unit stay, and survival (90% for thoracotomy group; 76% for median sternotomy group; p, NS). Significant differences between the two groups, favoring right anterolateral thoracotomy, were apparent when comparisons were made for length of perfusion (means, 94.8 min, thoracotomy group; 121.4 min, sternotomy group; p = .03), incidence of reexploration (0%, thoracotomy group; 13%, sternotomy group; p = .001), and blood transfusion (means, 5.3 units, thoracotomy group; 11.4 units, sternotomy group; p = .003). Right anterolateral thoracotomy is an effective alternative to repeat median sternotomy for replacement of the mitral valve in patients who have had a previous median sternotomy.
Neuromuscular blockade provides no benefit over adequate sedation in ventilated dogs

Purpose: To investigate the effect of pharmacological paralysis on systemic oxygen consumption to determine whether pharmacological paralysis offers a physiological benefit over adequate sedation in ventilated animals. Methods: Nine dogs with normal pulmonary function were mechanically ventilated and sedated with α-chloralose while paralysis was induced with vecuronium. Oxygen consumption was determined via indirect calorimeter in each animal repeatedly in the presence or absence of paralysis with seven paired observations in each animal. Sixty-three pairs of data from nine animals were analyzed by analysis of variance with correction for multiple comparisons. Results: Oxygen consumption was 4.3% higher in the unblocked state compared with the blocked state (5.39 ± 0.32 v 5.16 ± 0.34 mL/kg-min, P < .001). Carbon dioxide production was 3.0% higher in the unblocked state compared with the blocked state (4.92 ± 0.24 v 4.77 ± 0.23 mL/kg-min, P < .01). No other physiological effects were noted. Conclusions: Pharmacological paralysis of mechanically ventilated animals with normal pulmonary function that are sedated and resting comfortably produces a statistically significant reduction in oxygen consumption; however, the magnitude of this change is so small that little genuine clinical benefit would be anticipated.
Colonic carcinoma metastatic to the endometrium: the importance of clinical history in averting misdiagnosis as a primary endometrial carcinoma

Metastases to endometrium are a rare event. A case of a 53-year-old woman with a previous colon cancer presenting with a dysfunctional uterine bleeding is reported. The curettage specimens consisted of multiple fragments of proliferative endometrial tissue mixed with irregular glands, focally amputated, lined by very cells with elongated, hyperchromatic nuclei and solid sheets of neoplastic cells often filled with necrotic debris and inflammatory cells, resembling endometrioid adenocarcinoma. Neoplastic cells resulted positive at immunohistochemical reaction for CK20, CDX2, p53 and negative for CK7, vimentin, ER, and PR suggesting a metastatic colon adenocarcinoma. Absence of premalignant changes, such as hyperplasia, besides frankly malignant glands in an endometrial curette should be regarded as an alarming feature for a secondary nature mostly from large bowel. In these cases clinical history is crucial and an immunohistochemical panel made up of CK7, CK20, CDX2, p53, vimentin, ER, and PR is useful for the correct diagnosis.
Proper ordered meshing of complex shapes and optimal graph cuts applied to atrial-wall segmentation from DE-MRI

Segmentation of the left atrium wall from delayed enhancement MRI is challenging because of inconsistent contrast combined with noise and high variation in atrial shape and size. This paper presents a method for left-atrium wall segmentation by using a novel sophisticated mesh-generation strategy and graph cuts on a proper ordered graph. The mesh is part of a template/model that has an associated set of learned intensity features. When this mesh is overlaid onto a test image, it produces a set of costs on the graph vertices which eventually leads to an optimal segmentation. The novelty also lies in the construction of proper ordered graphs on complex shapes and for choosing among distinct classes of base shapes/meshes for automatic segmentation. We evaluate the proposed segmentation framework quantitatively on simulated and clinical cardiac MRI.
A TASK-BASED STATISTICAL MODEL OF A WORKER'S EXPOSURE DISTRIBUTION: PART II—APPLICATION TO SAMPLING STRATEGY

A task-based statistical model of a worker's exposure distribution for an airborne chemical toxicant is applied to estimating the long-term average exposure level, µ. The precision in estimation is represented by the variance of the sample estimator, denoted by Var[ {\widehat {\mu}} ]. A traditional sampling strategy consists of integratively measuring the 8-hr time-weighted average exposure level on randomly selected workdays, and computing the sample mean; this strategy is termed “simple one-stage cluster sampling,” where each 8-hr workday is a cluster of thirty-two 15-min periods. Three alternative strategies involving measurements of 15-min TWAs are examined: simple random sampling of 15-min periods, and stratified random sampling of 15-min periods with proportional allocation by task, and with optimum allocation by task. All four survey designs provide unbiased estimates of μ. However, for a fixed cost, the stratified sampling designs may provide a lower Var[ ${\widehat {\mu}}$ ] than simple one-...
Peptides of neuro-intermediate lobe of hog pituitary gland.

Desiccated posterior pituitary tissue, containing between 3 and 4% peptides, was subjected to procedures involving extraction, precipitation by organic solvents, adsorption on charcoal, and dinitrophenylation. Certain of the resulting crude peptide fractions were subsequently resolved by chromatography on celite, silicic acid, cellulose powder, and paper to yield some 30 different DNP-peptides, representing a third of the initial pepetide material. The purity of the new compounds was established by column and paper chromatography and paper electrophoresis, and by the fact that each yielded only one species of fully-substituted DNP-amino acid on hydrolysis. The peptides were individually characterized with respect to qualitative amino acid composition, identity of the N-terminal residue, peptide chain length, and abundance in the original desiccated tissue. Autolytic processes, prior to, or during the initial extraction of the pituitary powder, were not considered adequate to account for the high concentrations and diversity of the peptides found in the protein-free extracts.
Remarks on the Varieties of Prejudice in Hume's Essay on Taste

The last of Hume's five requirements of the ‘true judge in the finer arts’, is that he be ‘cleared of all prejudice…'. I argue here that, lurking in this innocuous-sounding requirement of the true judge, is a complexity that reveals a significant tension in Hume's argument. It is that tension that I want briefly to explore.
Enhanced-performance UWB antenna using stacked EBG surfaces

Circular monopole printed antenna can be designed to cover an ultra wide bandwidth (UWB) of 4:1 ratio with large gain variation over the band. Electromagnetic band gap (EBG) structures/surfaces are used to enhance antenna radiation by generating coherent radiation that adds to the antenna pattern to produce higher gain. A conventional EBG surface has a narrow-band, centered at the resonance frequency that is a function of its dimensions. Stacked EBG structures, on the other hand, can be designed to cover very wide bands that match the operating bandwidths of the UWB antenna. This paper presents the enhanced performance of a UWB circular monopole antenna, achieved through the use of a 3-layer stacked EBG structure. Reflection phase performance of the EBG structure is shown to cover the wideband, and results in higher gain for the monopole over most of the band. The results are compared with a Vivaldi antenna operating at the same wideband to show the higher gain of the lower-profile EBG-enhanced printed circular monopole.
Convolution Lagrangian perturbation theory for biased tracers

We present a new formulation of Lagrangian perturbation theory which allows accurate predictions of the real- and redshift-space correlation funct ions of the mass field and dark matter halos. Our formulation involves a non-perturbative resummation of Lagrangian perturbation theory and indeed can be viewed as a partial resummation of the formalism of Matsubara (2008a,b) in which we keep exponentiated all of the terms which tend to a constant at large separation. One of the key features of our method is that we naturally recover the Zel’dovich approximation as the lowest order of our expansion for the matter correlation function. We compare our results against a suite of N-body simulations and obtain good agreement for the correlation functions in real-space and for the monopole co rrelation function in redshift space. The agreement becomes worse for higher multipole moments of the redshift-space, halo correlation function. Our formalism naturally includes non-l inear bias and explains the strong bias-dependence of the multipole moments of the redshift-space correlation function seen in N-body simulations.
Instrument validation for investigating a model of employment arrangement fit for IT professionals

A model of employment arrangement fit for IT professionals in traditional (e.g., permanent, full-time employee) and contractor positions has been proposed by Enns, Ferratt, and Prasad (2002). Employment arrangement fit is based on differences between an IT professional's preferred employment arrangement and the employment arrangement provided by an employer. The dimensions of the employment arrangement on which these differences are calculated include length, depth, specificity of performance requirements, economic benefits, risk, career development opportunities, work discretion, and work location discretion. This research-in-progress presents the results of pilot studies to conduct initial investigations of the validity of an instrument to measure employment arrangement fit. These results include the instrument's psychometric properties and its ability to reflect the nomological network of relationships in the model for traditional and contract IT professionals.
How accurate is the phenotype? – An analysis of developmental noise in a cotton aphid clone

Background The accuracy by which phenotype can be reproduced by genotype potentially is important in determining the stability, environmental sensitivity, and evolvability of morphology and other phenotypic traits. Because two sides of an individual represent independent development of the phenotype under identical genetic and environmental conditions, average body asymmetry (or "fluctuating asymmetry") can estimate the developmental instability of the population. The component of developmental instability not explained by intrapopulational differences in gene or environment (or their interaction) can be further defined as internal developmental noise. Surprisingly, developmental noise remains largely unexplored despite its potential influence on our interpretations of developmental stability, canalization, and evolvability. Proponents of fluctuating asymmetry as a bioindicator of environmental or genetic stress, often make the assumption that developmental noise is minimal and, therefore, that phenotype can respond sensitively to the environment. However, biologists still have not measured whether developmental noise actually comprises a significant fraction of the overall environmental response of fluctuating asymmetry observed within a population.
The cycle of development, publication, and implementation of clinical practice guidelines for CKD

Implementation of clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) leads to better outcomes. The first K/DOQI guideline for chronic kidney disease (CKD) recommended the use of estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) to assess kidney function, minimizing 24–h urine collections for the measurement of creatinine clearance. Kagoma et al. demonstrate that automatic reporting of eGFR with clinical decision support was required for implementation of this recommendation. The second cycle of development, publication, and implementation of CPGs for CKD is under way.
Estrogen increases the bradycardia elicited by central administration of the serotonin1A agonist 8-OH-DPAT in conscious rats

Abstract Studies determined if estradiol modulates cardiovascular responses evoked by administration of 8-hydroxy-2-(di- n -propylamino) tetralin (8-OH-DPAT), a 5-HT 1A receptor agonist, into the lateral cerebral ventricle. 8-OH-DPAT (100 nmol) produced equivalent decreases in blood pressure in male and ovariectomized female (OVX) rats with or without estradiol replacement. By contrast, the bradycardia elicited by 8-OH-DPAT (3–100 nmol) was greatest in OVX rats with estradiol. Estradiol did not alter the bradycardia produced by electrical stimulation of the vagus nerve. In summary, estradiol selectively enhanced the bradycardia elicited by 8-OH-DPAT suggesting that estrogen modulates the function of central 5-HT 1A receptors regulating heart rate.
Infrared land surface remote sensing using high spectral resolution aircraft observations

Abstract A method for emissivity–temperature separation using high spectral resolution infrared observations is presented. An additional constraint is available with high spectral resolution observations that allow for the determination of an effective surface temperature and effective surface emissivity spectrum appropriate for advanced atmospheric temperature and water vapor sounders. The method is illustrated using observations from a high altitude aircraft over a ground truth site in North Central Oklahoma, USA.
Consequences of carbon offset payments for the global forest sector

Abstract Long-term effects of policies to induce carbon storage in forests were projected with the Global Forest Products Model. Offset payments for carbon sequestered in forest biomass of $15–$50/t CO 2 e applied in all countries increased CO 2 sequestration in world forests by 5–14 billion tons from 2009 to 2030. Limiting implementation to developed countries exported environmental damage from North to South, as developing countries harvested more, decreasing their stored CO 2 e. Substantially more CO 2 e was sequestered by allocating a given budget to all countries rather than to developed countries only. As offset payments increased wood prices relatively more than they decreased production, timber revenues generally increased. In the few countries with timber revenues losses they were more than compensated by the offset payments.
Inhibition of Glycogen Synthase Kinase-3β Improves Tolerance to Ischemia in Hypertrophied Hearts

Background Hypertrophied myocardium is more susceptible to ischemia/reperfusion injury, in part owing to impaired insulin-mediated glucose uptake. Glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β) is a key regulatory enzyme in glucose metabolism that, when activated, phosphorylates/inactivates target enzymes of the insulin signaling pathway. Glycogen synthase kinase-3β is regulated upstream by Akt-1. We sought to determine whether GSK-3β is activated in ischemic hypertrophied myocardium owing to impaired Akt-1 function, and whether inhibition with lithium (Li) or indirubin-3′-monoxime,5-iodo- (IMI), a specific inhibitor, improves post-ischemic myocardial recovery by improving glucose metabolism. Methods Pressure-overload hypertrophy was achieved by aortic banding in neonatal rabbits. At 6 weeks, isolated hypertrophied hearts underwent 30 minutes of normothermic ischemia and reperfusion with or without a GSK-3β inhibitor (0.1 mM Li; 1 μM IMI) as cardioplegic additives. Cardiac function was measured before and after ischemia. Expression, activity of Akt-1 and GSK-3β, and lactate were determined at end-ischemia. Results Contractile function after ischemia was better preserved in hypertrophied hearts treated with GSK-3β inhibitors. Activity of Akt-1 was significantly impaired in hypertrophied myocardium at end-ischemia. Glycogen synthase kinase-3β enzymatic activity at end-ischemia was increased in hypertrophied hearts and was blocked by Li or IMI concomitant with significantly increased lactate production, indicating increased glycolysis. Conclusions Regulatory inhibition of GSK-3β by Akt-1 in hypertrophied hearts is impaired, leading to activation during ischemia. Inhibition of GSK-3β by Li or IMI improves tolerance to ischemia/reperfusion injury in hypertrophied myocardium. The likely protective mechanism is an increase in insulin-mediated glucose uptake, resulting in greater substrate availability for glycolysis during ischemia and early reperfusion.
Hemispherical scatter instrument for reflectance function measurement based on the discrete-ordinates method

We present a new portable infrared-based hemispherical scatterometer to rapidly and accurately determine out of plane reflectance function (BRDF) of homogeneous surfaces. The position of the 12 detectors has been selected based on angular distribution scheme of the S4 quadrature of the discrete-ordinates method. The reflectance data obtained from this device can be directly applied to radiation transport schemes for problems involving highly accurate surface characterization. With this instrument infrared energy scattering can be performed in multiple directions and sequences at the same time. With measurements for a variety of fire barrier materials used in non-bearing walls we demonstrated the usefulness of this apparatus over a limited range of scattering directions. Verification of the measurements is done by comparing theoretical and experimental data of radiative intensity distribution in fire blanket insulation when impinged by a collimated flux and using an opaque reflector with arbitrary properties but previously determined reflectance function as a radiative boundary. The same equipment can be used to measure other radiative properties for different materials and it has been envisioned as a portable tool for rapid property and surface defects estimation in manufacturing processes.
Competence and performance factors in word order awareness and early reading

Abstract Previous research has yielded contradictory estimates of the age at which children develop word order awareness, yet has shown that word order awareness predicts beginning reading. In Study 1, forty-five 6-year-olds and forty-three 5-year-olds were given a word order awareness task which used three different sets of instructions, increasing in explicitness. Five months later, they were given the word order task, along with vocabulary, reading readiness (for the 5-year-olds), or reading achievement tests. In Study 2, eighty-nine 6-year-olds were twice given a word order task and a reading achievement test (3 months apart): and ninety-one 5-year-olds were given the word order task and a test of reading readiness. Most older children at Time 2 passed the word order task, whereas many of the younger children could not do so even with explicit instructions. Children who demonstrated word order awareness without explicit instructions were advanced in reading, vocabulary, and readiness. Children requiring further instructions to detect word order were average in reading ability, and those who completely lacked competence in word order awareness were below average in readiness and achievement. Word order awareness may be related to the spontaneous use of syntactic strategies in reading or to other types of linguistic awareness which are useful for beginning readers.
Infrared characterization of biocidal nylon

Attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectrometry has been employed to assess the degree of chlorination of hydantoin moieties which are covalently linked to the surface of the polyamide, Nylon 66. The N-chlorinated hydantoin functional groups are active in producing biocidal activity against pathogenic microorganisms upon direct contact with the surface molecules of the fabric. Chlorination of the treated Nylon 66 causes a blue shift of the hydantoin amide bands which can be conveniently monitored as a quality control procedure in the production of the biocidal fabric.
Preterm Premature Rupture of the Membranes: Current Approaches to Evaluation and Management

Preterm premature rupture of the membranes (PROM) complicates 3% of pregnancies and is responsible for approximately one third of all preterm births. Because preterm PROM presents a clinical situation where early delivery is to be anticipated and prenatal and neonatal complications are common, the physician caring for women with this common obstetric complication has an opportunity to intervene in a manner that can improve perinatal outcome. This article addresses clinically relevant questions regarding the evaluation and management of preterm PROM.
Beyond “Model Minority,” “Superwoman,” and “Endangered Species”: Theorizing Intersectional Coalitions among Black Immigrants, African American Women, and African American Men

This essay brings an intersectional framework to the academic and popular discourse regarding relations of power among African American men, African American women, and Black immigrants. I demonstrate that African American women and Black immigrants are not necessarily and always more successful than African American men. Instead, all three groups share an experience of gendered and ethnicized racism that situates them differently in the labor force, the classroom, and beyond. Most importantly, African American men, African American women, and Black immigrants can forge feminist, anti-racist, and anti-nativist coalitions if and when they recognize that what it means to experience gendered and ethnicized racism is the result of rather than the reason for their politics.
Blow-up in parabolic problems under Robin boundary conditions

By means of a first-order differential inequality technique, sufficient conditions are determined which imply that blow-up of the solution does occur or does not occur for the semilinear heat equation under Robin boundary conditions. In addition, a lower bound on blow-up time is obtained when blow-up does occur.
Cueing and test time in free recall and recognition

The purposes of the present experiment were to further examine the processes underlying recall and recognition performance, and to investigate an implicit assumption of the generation-recognition model of item retrieval. The basic design was a 2 by 2 by 2 factorial, manipulating type of test (free recall, recognition), test time (2 min, unlimited), and cueing (cues, no cues). There were 40 Ss in each of the eight independent groups. Each S learned one of two equivalent lists; each list consisted of 40 words selected from eight conceptual categories. List items were blocked during input with the category names provided. Significant main effects for type of test and for cueing were obtained. Results are interpreted as providing support for a one-process theory of recall and recognition and for the generation-recognition model.
Cost-sensitive feature acquisition and classification

There are many sensing challenges for which one must balance the effectiveness of a given measurement with the associated sensing cost. For example, when performing a diagnosis a doctor must balance the cost and benefit of a given test (measurement), and the decision to stop sensing (stop performing tests) must account for the risk to the patient and doctor (malpractice) for a given diagnosis based on observed data. This motivates a cost-sensitive classification problem in which the features (sensing results) are not given a priori; the algorithm determines which features to acquire next, as well as when to stop sensing and make a classification decision based on previous observations (accounting for the costs of various types of errors, as well as the rewards of being correct). We formally define the cost-sensitive classification problem and solve it via a partially observable Markov decision process (POMDP). While the POMDP constitutes an intuitively appealing formulation, the intrinsic properties of classification tasks resist application of it to this problem. We circumvent the difficulties of the POMDP via a myopic approach, with an adaptive stopping criterion linked to the standard POMDP. The myopic algorithm is computationally feasible, easily handles continuous features, and seamlessly avoids repeated actions. Experiments with several benchmark data sets show that the proposed method yields state-of-the-art performance, and importantly our method uses only a small fraction of the features that are generally used in competitive approaches.
Privacy-preserving semantic interoperation and access control of heterogeneous databases

Today, many applications require users from one organization to access data belonging to organizations. While traditional solutions offered for the federated and mediated databases facilitate this by sharing metadata, this may not be acceptable for certain organizations due to privacy concerns. In this paper, we propose a novel solution -- Privacy-preserving Access Control Toolkit (PACT) -- that enables privacy-preserving secure semantic access control and allows sharing of data among heterogeneous databases without having to share metadata. PACT uses encrypted ontologies, encrypted ontology-mapping tables and conversion functions, encrypted role hierarchies and encrypted queries. The encrypted results of queries are sent directly from the responding system to the requesting system, bypassing the mediator to further improve the security of the system. PACT provides semantic access control using ontologies and semantically expanded authorization tables at the mediator. One of the distinguishing features of the PACT is that it requires very little changes to underlying databases. Despite using encrypted queries and encrypted mediation, we demonstrate that PACT provides acceptable performance.
Review of: “ Introduction to Plastics and Composites Mechanical Properties and Engineering Applications ” Edited by Edward Miller

(1996). Review of: “ Introduction to Plastics and Composites Mechanical Properties and Engineering Applications ” Edited by Edward Miller. Materials and Manufacturing Processes: Vol. 11, No. 5, pp. 891-892.
A theory for the limiting conductivity of polyhedral foam at low density

Abstract A theory is developed for the electrical conductivity of a polyhedral foam of sufficiently low bulk density as to conduct effectively only through a random lattice of very narrow Plateau borders. This theory yields a value of 3.0 for the ratio of the bulk (volumetric) density to the bulk electrical conductivity ratio. This result is compared with extrapolations of published experiments.
Edge-related nest predation in clearcut and groupcut stands.

Edge-related increases in nest predation rates have been reported in forest adjacent to clearcuts. Group selection is an uneven-age silvicultural technique that may provide an alternative to clearcutting, but group selection creates more edge per unit area cut than does clearcutting. Thus, if edge-related increases in nest predation exist in forest adjacent to groupcuts, group selection may potentially result in higher rates of edge-related nest predation than does clearcutting. To test this, we deployed 80 artificial shrub nests baited with Zebra Finch (Poephila guttata) eggs in edge areas (0–5 m from edges) and interior areas (45–50 m from edges) adjacent to clearcuts and groupcuts. The probability of a nest being depredated was higher in edge areas than interior areas (p = 0.02) and was independent of nest concealment, nest height, or whether the nest was adjacent to a clearcut or a groupcut (p = 0.18). Thus, we conclude that forest edges created by groupcutting are associated with increased levels of nest predation in adjacent forest, that the magnitude of this edge effect is similar to increases in nest predation in forest adjacent to clearcuts, and therefore that the abandonment of clearcutting in favor of group selection cannot be justified on the basis of concerns about the welfare of mature, forest-dwelling birds. Depredacion de Nidos Relacionados con Bordes en Areas Taladas por Clareo y Tala en Grupo Se ha reportado un incremento en la tasa de depredacion de nidos en relacion con bordes adyacentes de areas taladas por clareo. La seleccion de grupo es una tecnica silvicultural con desbalance de edades que podria proveer una alternativa al clareo; sin embargo, la seleccion de grupos crea mas borde por unidad de area cortada que el clareo. Por lo tanto, el incremento en la depredacion de nidos con relacion a bordes existe en bosques adyacentes a zonas de corte en grupos. La seleccion de grupos podria resultar potencialmente en tasas mas altas de depredacion de nidos relacionados con bordes que las zonas taladas por clareo. Para probar esto, distribuimos 80 nidos artificiales cebados con huevos de Pinzon cebra (Pheophila guttata) en areas de borde (0–5 m del borde) e interiores (45–50 m del borde) adyacentes a areas clareadas y taladas en grupo. La probabilidad de depredacion de nidos fue mayor en areas de borde que en los interiores (p = 0.02) y fue independiente del ocultamiento de los nidos, altura del nido, o si el nido estaba adyacente a un clareo o a un corte de grupo. (p = 0.18). Concluimos que los bordes en el bosque creados por corte en grupos estan asociados con incrementos en los niveles de depredacion de nidos en bosques adyacentes, que la magnitud del efecto de borde es similar a incrementos en depredacion de nidos en bordes adyacentes a clareos y por lo tanto, que el abandono de corte por clareos en favor del corte por seleccion de grupos no puede ser justificado en base a las preocupaciones relacionadas con el bienestar de las aves que habitan bosques maduros.
Solvatochromic shifts of uracil and cytosine using a combined multireference configuration interaction/molecular dynamics approach and the fragment molecular orbital method.

A recently developed combined quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics (QM/MM) approach has been applied to the calculation of solvatochromic shifts of the excited states of the pyrimidine nucleobases uracil and cytosine in aqueous solution. In this procedure the quantum mechanical solute is described using a multireference configuration interaction method while molecular dynamics simulations are used to obtain the structure of the solvent around the solute. The fragment molecular orbital multiconfiguration self-consistent field (FMO-MCSCF) method of Fedorov and Kitaura is also used and compared with the QM/MM results. The two methods give similar results. The solvatochromic shifts in uracil are found to be +0.41 (+0.44) eV for the S1 excited state and −0.05 (−0.19) eV for the S2 state at the QM/MM (FMO-MCSCF) level. Solvatochromic shifts in cytosine are calculated to be +0.25 (+0.19), +0.56 (+0.62), and +0.83 (+0.83) eV for the S1, S2, and S3 states, respectively, at the QM/MM (FMO-MCSCF) level.
Changes in Intracellular pH Affect Calcium Currents in Paramecium caudatum

The relation between intracellular pH and membrane excitability was studied in the holotrich ciliate Paramecium caudatum. Intracellular pH (pH$_{\text{i}}$) was measured with recessed-tip ion-sensitive microelectrodes (Thomas 1974) and electrical properties were examined by current stimulation and conventional two-electrode voltage clamp. Under normal conditions the resting pH$_{\text{i}}$ of Paramecium was 6.80 $\pm $ 0.05. Intracellular alkalinization enhanced the early Ca current, while internal acidification depressed the Ca current. Both effects occurred in a voltage-independent manner. The late outward current was relatively unaffected by these alterations. Results obtained with replacement of extracellular Ca$^{2+}$ by Ba$^{2+}$ also support a direct effect of pH$_{\text{i}}$ on current through the Ca channel. Intracellular alkalinization to pH 7.15 converted graded, quasi-regenerative Ca responses elicited by injected current pulses into all-or-none action potentials. This change to all-or-none behaviour is presumed to be due to the increase in Ca current and a consequent change in the balance of inward and outward currents. Extracellular pH changes had little effect on pH$_{\text{i}}$, resting membrane potential or the current-voltage relations. The intracellular pH was also independent of shifts in membrane potential. The results are consistent with a model in which Ca channel permeability is blocked by intracellular protonation of a single titratable site having an apparent dissociation constant of 6.2.