cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Thrombospondin Induces RhoA Inactivation through FAK-dependent Signaling to Stimulate Focal Adhesion Disassembly

Cells utilize dynamic interactions with the extracellular matrix to adapt to changing environmental conditions. Thrombospondin 1 (TSP1) induces focal adhesion disassembly and cell migration through a sequence (hep I) in its heparin-binding domain signaling through the calreticulin-low density lipoprotein receptor-related protein receptor complex. This involves the Gαi-dependent activation of ERK and phosphoinositide (PI) 3-kinase, both of which are required for focal adhesion disassembly. Focal adhesion kinase (FAK) regulates adhesion dynamics, acting in part by modulating RhoA activity, and FAK is implicated in ERK and PI 3-kinase activation. In this work, we sought to determine the role of FAK in TSP1-induced focal adhesion disassembly. TSP1/hep I does not stimulate focal adhesion disassembly in FAK knockout fibroblasts, whereas re-expressing FAK rescues responsiveness. Inhibiting FAK signaling through FRNK or FAK Y397F expression in endothelial cells also abrogates this response. TSP1/hep I stimulates a transient increase in FAK phosphorylation that requires calreticulin and Gαi, but not ERK or PI 3-kinase. Hep I does not activate ERK or PI 3-kinase in FAK knockout fibroblasts, suggesting activation occurs downstream of FAK. TSP1/hep I stimulates RhoA inactivation with kinetics corresponding to focal adhesion disassembly in a FAK, ERK, and PI 3-kinase-dependent manner. Furthermore, hep I does not stimulate focal adhesion disassembly in cells expressing constitutively active RhoA, suggesting that RhoA inactivation is required for this response. This is the first work to illustrate a connection between FAK phosphorylation in response to a soluble factor and RhoA inactivation, as well as the first report of PI 3-kinase and ERK in FAK regulation of RhoA activity.
Comorbidity between psychiatric disorders and chronic pain

The term comorbidity refers to the coexistence of an index disease with another clinical entity. Comorbidity between chronic pain and psychiatric pathology as delineated on Axis I and II of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders is reviewed here.The literature indicates that this type of comorbidity is common in chronic pain patients (CPPs).The most common groups of comorbid psychiatric disorders found within CPPs are affective disorders, substance-related disorders, and personality disorders. A number of other psychiatric disorder comorbidities should also be present within CPPs, but these have not yet been researched. Finally, the importance of psychiatric comorbidities to chronic pain treatment is discussed.
MOLECULAR CLONING OF MEI-41, A GENE THAT INFLUENCES BOTH SOMATIC AND GERMLINE CHROMOSOME METABOLISM OF DROSOPHILA MELANOGASTER

The mei-41 gene of Drosophila melanogaster plays an essential role in meiosis, in the maintenance of somatic chromosome stability, in postreplication repair and in DNA double-strand break repair. This gene has been cytogenetically localized to polytene chromosome bands 14C4-6 using available chromosomal aberrations. About 60 kb of DNA sequence has been isolated following a bidirectional chromosomal walk that extends over the cytogenetic interval 14C1-6. The breakpoints of chromosomal aberrations identified within that walk establish that the entire mei-41 gene has been cloned. Two independently derived mei-41 mutants have been shown to carry P insertions within a single 2.2 kb fragment of the walk. Since revertants of those mutants have lost the P element sequences, an essential region of the mei-41 gene is present in that fragment. A 10.5 kb genomic fragment that spans the P insertion sites has been found to restore methyl methanesulfonate resistance and female fertility of the mei-41D3 mutants. The results demonstrate that all the sequences required for the proper expression of the mei-41 gene are present on this genomic fragment. This study provides the foundation for molecular analysis of a function that is essential for chromosome stability in both the germline and somatic cells.
AB INITIO STUDY OF DIBORANE HYDROLYSIS

Ab initio calculations have been applied to the mechanism of diborane hydrolysis in the gas phase. In the first step, water adds to diborane to form a complex which eliminates H2 in a concerted ste...
Database Applications of the FETCH-AND-ADD Instruction

The FETCH-AND-ADD instruction provides for synchronization of multiple processes in a parallel manner. This paper explores the use of FETCH-AND-ADD in the context of database systems. We show how to enqueue locks, detect lock conflicts, and release locks without resorting to critical program sections that require mutual exclusion during execution. The scheme is compatible with a variant of lock management proposed by Rosenkrantz and Stearns. A second approach to parallel lock management is based on a reservation scheme by Milenkovic. This methodology uses FETCH-AND-ADD implementation of a priority queue. An implementation of such a queue originally reported by Gottlieb and Kruskal is used for this purpose, although the storage requirements for queue management may be unacceptably large in specific cases. Both approaches described in the paper suggest that FETCH-AND-ADD is potentially effective for eliminating serial bottlenecks caused by lock conflicts in multiprocessor systems.
Cerebellar maturation in the frog tadpole after excision of the margin of the cerebellar plate.

Abstract Autoradiographic studies previously revealed that the ependymal cells along the margin of the cerebellar plate in the frog tadpole gave rise to the external granule cells. In the present study, the cerebellar margin was excised surgically in premetamorphic bullfrog tadpoles, and the latter were induced to metamorphose by treatment with thyroxine. Two weeks after surgery, the brains were processed and examined by light microscopy. Two main effects were observed. First, there was a substantial decrease in the thickness of the external granular layer. Second, the Purkinje cells were distributed in a wider band than seen in sham-operated control animals. There appeared to be an inverse relationship between the thickness of the external granular layer and that of the Purkinje cell layer.
Uniqueness for a class of nonlinear initial value problems

Abstract This article is concerned with nonnegative solutions of the nonlinear initial value problem x′ = p(t) xx + q(t), t > 0; x(0) = 0. Here, α is a constant, α ϵ (0, 1); p and q are real-valued functions that are integrable and not identically zero near 0, with p(t)⩾0. The function q may assume positive, as well as negative values. The following result is shown. Let q1 denote the integral of q, q1(t) = ∝01q(s) ds, t⩾0. Let x be a solution of the initial value problem which is positive on (0, T). Then x is unique if (i) q1(t)⩾0 for all t ϵ [0, T] and (ii) there exists a sequence {tj}j ϵ N of points tj ϵ (0, T) which converges to 0, such that q1(tj)>0 for j = 1, 2,….
Dietary Intakes Associated with Successful Weight Loss and Maintenance during the Weight Loss Maintenance Trial

Abstract Background Dietary components effective in weight maintenance efforts have not been adequately identified. Objective To determine the effects of changes in dietary consumption on weight loss and maintenance during the Weight Loss Maintenance clinical trial. Design Weight Loss Maintenance was a randomized controlled trial. Successful weight loss participants who completed Phase I of the trial and lost 4 kg were randomized to one of three maintenance intervention arms in Phase II and followed for an additional 30 months. Participants/setting The multicenter trial was conducted from 2003 through 2007. This substudy included 828 successful weight loss participants. Methods The Block Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) was used to assess nutrient intake levels and food group servings. Carbohydrates, proteins, fats, dietary fiber, fruit/vegetable, and dairy servings were utilized as predictor variables. The FFQ was collected on all participants at study entry (beginning of Phase I). Those randomized to Phase II completed the FFQ at three additional time points: randomization (beginning of Phase II), 12 months, and 30 months. Intervention The main intervention focused on long-term maintenance of weight loss using the Dietary Approaches to Hypertension diet. This substudy examined if changes to specific dietary variables were associated with weight loss and maintenance. Statistical analyses performed Linear regression models that adjusted for change in total energy examined the relationship between changes in dietary intake and weight for each time period. Site, age, race, sex, and a race–sex interaction were included as covariates. Results Participants who substituted protein for fat lost, on average, 0.33 kg per 6 months during Phase I ( P P P P =0.0062), respectively, per 1-serving increase. Substitution of carbohydrates for fat and protein for carbohydrates were associated with weight loss during both phases. Increasing dairy intake was associated with significant weight loss during Phase II (−0.17 kg per 6 months per 1-serving increase, P =0.0002), but not during Phase I. Dietary fiber revealed no significant findings. Conclusions Increasing fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy may help achieve weight loss and maintenance.
An environmental decision support system for spatial assessment and selective remediation

Spatial Analysis and Decision Assistance (SADA) is a Windows freeware program that incorporates spatial assessment tools for effective environmental remediation. The software integrates modules for GIS, visualization, geospatial analysis, statistical analysis, human health and ecological risk assessment, cost/benefit analysis, sampling design, and decision support. SADA began as a simple tool for integrating risk assessment with spatial modeling tools. It has since evolved into a freeware product primarily targeted for spatial site investigation and soil remediation design, though its applications have extended into many diverse environmental disciplines that emphasize the spatial distribution of data. Because of the variety of algorithms incorporated, the user interface is engineered in a consistent and scalable manner to expose additional functionality without a burdensome increase in complexity. The scalable environment permits it to be used for both application and research goals, especially investigating spatial aspects important for estimating environmental exposures and designing efficient remedial designs. The result is a mature infrastructure with considerable environmental decision support capabilities. We provide an overview of SADA's central functions and discuss how the problem of integrating diverse models in a tractable manner was addressed.
The Benefits of Designing a Stratification System for New York City Pediatric Intensive Care Units for Use in Regional Surge Capacity Planning and Management

Accurate assessment of New York City (NYC) pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) resources and the ability to surge them during a disaster has been recognized as an important citywide emergency preparedness activity. However, while NYC hospitals with PICUs may be expected to surge in a disaster, few of them have detailed surge capacity plans. This will likely make it difficult for them to realize their full surge capacity both on individual and regional levels. If the pediatric resources that each NYC PICU hospital has can be identified prior to a disaster, this information can be used to both determine appropriate surge capacity goals for each PICU hospital and the additional resources needed to reach those goals. City agencies can then focus citywide planning efforts on making these resources available and more easily anticipate what a hospital will need during a disaster. Communication of this hospital information both prior to and during a surge situation will be aided by a stratification system familiar to both city planners and hospitals. The goal of this project was to design a NYC PICU surge stratification system that would aid physicians, hospitals and city agencies in regional surge capacity planning for critical pediatric patients. This goal was demonstrated through two objectives. The first identified major factors to consider when designing a stratification system. The second devised a preliminary system of PICU stratification based on clinical criteria and resources.
RADIAL VELOCITIES OF LATE-TYPE FIELD SUBGIANT STARS

High-dispersion coude spectra were observed and measured for 43 field subgiants of the G and K spectral types, with the intent of searching for hitherto undiscovered spectroscopic binaries. Statistical analysis of the measurements revealed no definite but two possible new binaries. We present the data and discuss the statistical analysis used to test for new binaries. Additionally, we discuss the techniques for high precision of radial-velocity measurement, and the systematic errors that interfere with that goal.
Do deep ocean temperature records verify models

[1] Recent papers show that deep ocean temperatures have increased somewhat since 1950, and that the increase is compatible with the predictions of coupled GCMs. The inference presented is that this degree of compatibility constitutes a significant test of the models. The present paper assumes that the measurements and their analysis are correct, and uses a highly simplified coupled model (i.e., an energy balance model with a mixed layer diffusive ocean) to examine whether deep ocean temperature behavior from 1950 to 2000 actually distinguishes between models of radically different sensitivity to doubled CO2. It is found that whenever models are tuned with additional forcing (for example, from aerosols) so as to replicate observed global mean temperature, the warming of the ocean temperature is largely independent of model sensitivity. There is a modest dependence on ocean diffusivity with models' behavior characteristic of large diffusivity while observations are more characteristic of low diffusivity. However, the distinctions appear to lie within observational uncertainty. There is little reason to assume that more realistic models will behave very differently in this regard. Therefore, we conclude that the behavior of deep ocean temperatures is not a test of model sensitivity, but rather a consequence of having the correct global mean surface temperature time history.
FTQLS: Fault-Tolerant Quantum Logic Synthesis

Quantum computation can solve certain problems much faster than classical computation. However, quantum computations are more susceptible to errors than conventional digital computations. Thus, a fault-tolerant (FT) quantum circuit design is required for a practical implementation. Quantum circuits consist of a cascade of quantum gates. These gates are themselves realized using primitive quantum operations that are supported by the quantum physical machine description (PMD). As different quantum systems are associated with different Hamiltonians, they have different PMDs. In addition, the quantum cost for implementing a quantum operation may differ from one PMD to another. Thus, a quantum logic circuit needs to be realized with and optimized for the set of primitive quantum operations supported by the given PMD. In this paper, an FT quantum logic synthesis (FTQLS) methodology and tool is described for six different PMDs. A methodology, such as this, which can be targeted at multiple PMDs, has not been attempted before, to the best of our knowledge. The input to FTQLS is an unoptimized quantum circuit realized using a set of commonly used gates and its output is an optimized FT quantum circuit that only comprises of primitive quantum operations supported by the given PMD. FTQLS does technology mapping for different PMDs and then converts non-FT circuits to FT circuits. For technology mapping, it utilizes an optimized quantum gate library targeted at various PMDs that decomposes gates into primitive operations. Efficient conversion to FT circuits is done by integrating two quantum compilers and an FT cache table into FTQLS. For improving the synthesis results, an FT set of gates that is directly supported by each PMD is proposed. Quantum circuit optimization is done by utilizing quantum identity rules. The performance of FTQLS is evaluated using two cost metrics: number of primitive operations (#ops) and execution cycles on the critical path (#cycles). Experiment results show that the decrease in #ops varies between 58.1% and 87.0% and in #cycles between 42.8% and 76.4%, on an average, depending on the PMD.
Federal Milk Marketing Order Provisions: Effects on Producer Prices and Intermarket Price Relationships

Federal milk marketing orders contain formulas that determine prices received by farmers for milk delivered to bottlers. Different orders contain various combinations of provisions. Cross-section data were used to test the hypothesis that order prices are related to the provisions contained in orders. The hypothesis was accepted. Some 78 percent of the variance in prices is explained by two economic variables: distance of order market from Eau Claire, Wisconsin, and class I utilization ratio. Inclusion of dummy variables to allow for effects of order provisions increased the proportion of explained variance to 94 percent. Covariance analysis found no significant changes between years in the effects of order provisions on prices. Many possible combinations of provisions are not used in any order. Many of these combinations would provide unacceptable prices if they were used. IN RECENT years the problem of maintaining proper milk price relationships among federal order fluid milk markets has become increasingly serious. This is mainly due to three factors: (a) increase in the size and number of orders, (b) improvements in the highway system and developments in longdistance hauling of bulk and of packaged milk, and (c) growth in size of grocery chain stores and bottling plants. The Federal Milk Order Study Committee was concerned with problems of intermarket relationships [2, pp. II-2-1 to 11-2-15, II-4-1 to II-4-56, III-19 to III-923. In 1955 the Agricultural Marketing Service published a study which dealt, in part, with intermarket price relationships [81. Later, Babb [1] analyzed intermarket price relationships. The objective of my study was to test hypotheses concerning effects of federal order provisions on relationships among prices in federal order markets. Dummy variables were used to study effects of order provisions. Covariance analysis was used to test for variation in the effects of these provisions. The hypotheses tested will be presented after a brief discussion of federal order provisions; more complete descriptions can be found in publications
Use of waste from the production of expanded pearlite

The results of an investigation of waste from the production of expanded pearlite with the aim of using it in a household cleaning paste are presented.
Brachytherapy for pediatric soft-tissue sarcoma.

Abstract Purpose: To review the use of brachytherapy (BRT) to treat soft-tissue sarcoma (STS) in pediatric patients at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Methods and Materials: Thirty-one patients, median age 11 years (range 1–21 years) with Pediatric Oncology Group (POG) Grade 2–3 soft-tissue sarcoma (excluding rhabdomyosarcoma and Ewing's sarcoma) were treated with BRT initially ( n = 27) or at the time of recurrence ( n = 4) using I-125 or Ir-192 in a temporary ( n = 29) or permanent implant ( n = 2). Twelve patients were treated with BRT alone and the remaining 19 were treated with a combination of BRT and external beam irradiation (EBRT). The majority of patients had involved margins of resection ( n = 20) and tumors less than 5 cm ( n = 17). Results: Twenty-seven patients were treated with BRT at the time of presentation. Among the 10 patients treated with BRT alone, one patient developed metastases (4 months) and died of metastatic disease (12 months after presentation); there were no local or regional failures among the remaining 9 patients. Among the 17 patients treated with a combination of BRT and EBRT, there was one local (17 months), two regional (both at 8 months), and 3 distant failures (12, 15, 66 months). The median survival for the surviving 25 patients was 34 months. Wound dehiscence, fibrosis/telangectasia, pigment changes, and cellulitis were the most common side effects. Conclusions: BRT is an excellent treatment option for pediatric patients with STS. Disease control may be achieved with a high rate of success when BRT is used alone or in combination with EBRT. BRT should be considered for patients with STS who require radiation therapy with the objective of reducing the dose to normal tissues and shortening the overall treatment time. Limb preservation, functional outcome, and toxicity assessment require careful assessment in a prospective study.
SYNTHESIS AND IDENTIFICATION OF DIMETHYLNITRONAPHTHALENES AND ETHYLNITRONAPHTHALENES TO AID IN THEIR ANALYSIS IN AMBIENT AIR

The electron impact mass spectra and retention indices on a capillary column with a 5% phenylmethylpolysiloxane phase are reported for the 42 dimethylnitronaphthalene (DMNN) and the 14 ethylnitronaphthalene (ENN) isomers. The presence of many of these isomers in an ambient air sample is demonstrated.
Room to move? Threatened shorebird habitat in the path of sea level rise—dynamic beaches, multiple users, and mixed ownership: a case study from Rhode Island, USA

Accelerated sea level rise (slr) is expected to transform vulnerable Atlantic coastal habitats in the United States during this century. Low-elevation sandy beaches, important nesting habitat for the continued recovery of the federally threatened piping plover (Charadrius melodus) in Rhode Island, are especially vulnerable. These beaches, under a mix of private and public ownership, exist in a heterogeneous landscape of dunes, rocky headlands, salt ponds, and heavily developed areas. Understanding the extent to which piping plover nesting beaches can retreat landward under projected slr is important for prioritizing future conservation actions across multiple jurisdictions. This research examines habitat change in response to slr (0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 m) under stationary and migration beach responses and whether development blocks habitat migration for five productive piping plover nesting beaches. We found that under the stationary habitat model, all beaches lose area under all slr scenarios. For the habitat migration model, future habitat availability differs by beach depending on elevation, landward topography, and presence of development. However, across the majority of beach area, piping plover habitat will be able to migrate landward if unconstrained by future development. A coalition of public and private stakeholders already supports management efforts to help ensure plover population recovery in the area. With emerging habitat change prediction tools, these stakeholders and other partners can engage in innovative, local-level planning needed to protect wildlife habitat and commercial, residential, and infrastructure assets from sea level rise.
ON THE DYNAMIC RELATION BETWEEN STOCK PRICES AND EXCHANGE RATES

Abstract In this study we apply recent advances in time-series analysis to examine the intertemporal relation between stock indices and exchange rates for a sample of eight advanced economies. An error correction model (ECM) of the two variables is employed to simultaneously estimate the short-run and long-run dynamics of the variables. The ECM results reveal significant short-run and long-run feedback relations between the two financial markets. Specifically, the results show that an increase in aggregate domestic stock price has a negative short-run effect on domestic currency value. In the long run, however, increases in stock prices have a positive effect on domestic currency value. On the other hand, currency depreciation has a negative short-run and long-run effect on the stock market.
Precursor dependence of acetylcholine release from rat brain in vitro

These experiments were designed to test the extent to which the concentration of extracellular choline affects the synthesis and subsequent release of acetylcholine (ACh) by rat cortex in vitro. We found that the rate of potassium-depolarized ACh release from rat cortical minces was significantly accelerated when choline chloride was added to the incubation medium at concentrations of either 60 or 100 microM. The ACh content of the cortical minces was reduced by prolonged depolarization; this depletion was prevented by incubating minces with choline (100 microM). Raising the extracellular choline concentration of the incubation medium did not elevate the amount of ACh released spontaneously (4.7 mM K+) and had no effect on the accumulation of transmitter that occurs when cortical minces are incubated in physiologic buffer. A single dose of choline chloride administered orally to rats (20 mmol/kg) was without effect on the subsequent release of ACh and choline from cortical minces in vitro. The ACh and choline concentrations of rat cortex in vitro were similarly unaffected by in vivo choline administration. These results indicate that ACh release from rat cortex, in vitro, depends upon the direct availability of extracellular choline under conditions of prolonged neuronal depolarization.
Brief Report: Glutamate Transporter Gene ( SLC1A1) Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (rs301430) and Repetitive Behaviors and Anxiety in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Investigated association of single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs301430 in glutamate transporter gene (SLC1A1) with severity of repetitive behaviors (obsessive–compulsive behaviors, tics) and anxiety in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Mothers and/or teachers completed a validated DSM-IV-referenced rating scale for 67 children with autism spectrum disorder. Although analyses were not significant for repetitive behaviors, youths homozygous for the high expressing C allele had more severe anxiety than carriers of the T allele. Allelic variation in SLC1A1 may be a biomarker for or modifier of anxiety symptom severity in children with ASD, but study findings are best conceptualized as tentative pending replication with larger independent samples.
Volumetric restoration of tuned-aperture computed tomography

Analytic determination of the 3D PSF of a tomosynthetic image volume allows us to solve the ill-posed inverse problem of recovering an image volume from a nonspecific orientation of projection views. To restore these inherently blurred images from tuned-aperture reconstructed volumes, we consider three approaches; direct inversion via 3D Wiener filter restoration, regularized iterative 3D conjugate gradient least squares, and regularized nonlinear iterative 3D modified residual norm steepest descent with nonnegativity constraints. From these tests we infer that all three methods produce adequate restorations, while the nonlinear, nonnegatively constrained iterative algorithm appears to produce especially good restorations for this problem in an efficient and stable way.
Mesolithic Sites and Surveys in Greece: A Case Study from the Southern Argolid

Regional surveys in Greece have only rarely identified Mesolithic sites, which consist typically of small, unobtrusive scatters of microlithic artifacts. Recently, a site location model was used along with targeted surveys to identify Mesolithic sites in the Argolid, Epirus, and the Sporades, and the results suggest that the Mesolithic may have been overlooked in some early surveys because, in part, the characteristic features of Mesolithic assemblages were unknown at the time. Using lithic assemblages from published sites as a guide, a re-study of lithics from a regional survey in the Southern Argolid (1979–83) was undertaken to determine if some small undated lithic sites from that survey were Mesolithic. Seven probable Mesolithic sites were identified, and the spatial distribution of the sites suggests that a logistical land-use foraging strategy was used in the Argolid during the Mesolithic.
CHOLINESTERASE ACTIVITY PER UNIT SURFACE AREA OF CONDUCTING MEMBRANES

According to theory, the action of acetylcholine (ACh) and ACh-esterase is essential for the permeability changes of excitable membranes during activity. It is, therefore, pertinent to know the activity of ACh-esterase per unit axonal surface area instead of per gram nerve, as it has been measured in the past. Such information has now been obtained with the newly developed microgasometric technique using a magnetic diver. (1) The cholinesterase (Ch-esterase) activity per mm2 surface of sensory axons of the walking leg of lobster is 1.2 x 10-3 µM/hr. (σ = ± 0.3 x 10-3; SE = 0.17 x 10-3); the corresponding value for the motor axons isslightly higher: 1.93 x 10-3 µM/hr. (σ = ± 0.41 x 10-3; SE = ± 0.14 x 10-3). Referred to gram nerve, the Ch-esterase activity of the sensory axons is much higher than that of the motor axons: 741 µM/hr. (σ = ± 73.5; SE = ± 32.6) versus 111.6 µM/hr. (σ = ± 28.3; SE = ± 10). (2) The enzyme activity in the small fibers of the stellar nerve of squid is 3.2 x 10-4 µM/mm2/hr. (σ = ± 0.96 x 10-4; SE = ± 0.4 x 10-4). (3) The Ch-esterase activity per mm2 surface of squid giant axon is 9.5 x 10-5 µM/hr. (σ = ± 1.55 x 10-5; SE = ± 0.38 x 10-5). The value was obtained with small pieces of carefully cleaned axons after removal of the axoplasm and exposure to sonic disintegration. Without the latter treatment the figurewas 3.85 x 10-5 µM/mm2/hr. (σ = ± 3.24 x 10-5; SE = ± 0.93 x 10-5). The experiments indicate the existence of permeability barriers in the cell wall surrounding part of the enzyme, since the substrate cannot reach all the enzyme even when small fragments of the cell wall are used without disintegration. (4) On the basis of the data obtained, some tentative approximations are made of the ratio of ACh released to Na ions entering the squid giant axon per cm2 per impulse.
Pathophysiology of Peyronie's disease.

Peyronie's disease is an inflammatory condition characterized by the formation of fibrous, noncompliant nodules in the tunica albuginea which can impede tunical expansion during penile erection, leading to deformity and bending. While the cause of this disease is thought to be due to microvascular trauma and abnormal wound healing, other hypotheses include genetic predisposition. In this review the pathophysiology of Peyronie's disease is discussed as well as current hypothese regarding its origin.
Identification of gram‐positive bacteria isolated from initial stages of wound‐initiated discoloration of red maple

Similar gram-positive bacteria in the genera Bacillus and Actinomyces were isolated from sapwood and stage-one discolored wood of red maple. These isolates are unlike those previously reported from red maple wood in advanced decay.
Schizophrenia: a disease of interhemispheric processes at forebrain and brainstem levels?

The evidence is convincing that each human cerebral hemisphere is capable of human mental activity. This being so, every normal human thought and action demands either a consensus between the two hemispheres, or a dominance of one over the other, in any event integrated into a unity of conscious mentation. How this is achieved remains wholly mysterious, but anatomical and behavioral data suggest that the two hemispheres, and their respective bilateral, anatomical-functional components, maintain a dynamic equilibrium through neural competition. While the forebrain commissures must contribute substantially to this competitive process, it is emphasized in this review that the serotonergic raphe nuclei of pons and mesencephalon are also participants in interhemispheric events. Each side of the raphe projects heavily to both sides of the forebrain, and each is in receipt of bilateral input from the forebrain and the habenulo-interpeduncular system. A multifarious loop thus exists between the two hemispheres, comprised of both forebrain commissural and brainstem paths. There are many reasons for believing that perturbation of this loop, by a variety of pathogenic agents or processes, probably including severe mental stress in susceptible individuals, underlies the extraordinarily diverse symptomatology of schizophrenia. Abnormality of features reflecting interhemispheric processes is common in schizophrenic patients; and the 'first rank' symptoms of delusions or hallucinations are prototypical of what might be expected were the two hemispheres unable to integrate their potentially independent thoughts. Furthermore, additional evidence suggests that the disorder lies within, or is focused primarily through, the raphe serotonergic system, that plays such a fundamental role in consciousness, in dreaming, in response to psychotomimetic drugs, and probably in movement, and even the trophic state of the neocortex. This system is also well situated to control the dopaminergic neurons of the ventral tegmental area, thus relating to the prominence of dopaminergic features in schizophrenia; and the lipofuscin loading and intimate relation with blood vessels and ependyma may make neurons of the raphe uniquely vulnerable to deleterious agents.
Heat capacity of α-sodium uranate (α-Na2UO4) from 5 to 350 K. Standard Gibbs energy of formation at 298.15 K☆

Abstract The molar heat capacity of α-Na2UO4 was determined by adiabatic calorimetry from 5 to 350 K. No unusual thermally-related phenomena were observed. The following thermodynamic results were calculated: heat capacity at constant pressure: Cpo(298.15 K) = (146.67 ± 0.29) J K−1 mol−1; standard entropy: So(298.15 K) = (166.02 ± 0.33) J K−1 mol−1; enthalpy increment: {Ho(298.15 K) − Ho(0)} = (26227 ± 52) J mol−1; standard Gibbs energy divided by temperature {G o (298.15 K ) − H o (0)} 298.15 K = −(78.05 ± 0.16) J K −1 mol −1 . The enthalpy of formation of α-Na2UO4 reported by O'Hare and Hoekstra and the entropies of α-Na2UO4, Na, U, and O were used tocalculate the standard Gibbs energy of formation ΔGfo(α-Na2UO4, c, 298.15 K) = −(1745.8 ± 3.6) kJ mol−1.
A perspective on protein profiling of blood.

Protein profiling of blood is going to lead to huge changes in the development of biomarkers and perhaps also in producing targets for the medical treatment of cancer. Experts in this field from Los Angeles have written an outstanding mini-review about this topic. Renal cancer has been an area of interest to all of those involved in urological oncology, particularly from the point of view of adjuvant medical treatment either to prevent metastatic disease or to treat it. Authors from Los Angeles have produced a review of great interest on this subject. There are three other reviews on important issues. Authors from Paris have written about microsatellite instability and TCC of the upper urinary tract, and authors from Bristol have written a mini-review about the options available when considering orthotopic bladder reconstruction. Finally, authors from Dublin have written about a significant problem in renal transplantation, delayed graft function.
Laser Surface Modification of a Crystalline Al‐Co‐Ce Alloy for Enhanced Corrosion Resistance

The surfaces of Al-Co-Ce bulk crystalline alloys have been successfully laser processed resulting in amorphous-like surface layer formation with enhanced corrosion characteristics (see Figure). The material system, A184Co7.5Ce8.5, is one of several next generation alloy compositions scientifically designed to form a metallic glass under the proper processing conditions. This material system exhibits both local composition changes and enhanced corrosion resistance (left to right) in comparison to their native counterparts.
Body checking and avoidance in overweight patients with binge eating disorder.

Objective Repetitive body checking and avoidance are viewed as behavioral manifestations of the core psychopathology of eating disorders (EDs). We examined select body checking and avoidance behaviors in overweight patients with binge eating disorder (BED). Method Three hundred seventy-seven overweight (body mass index [BMI] ≥ 25) treatment-seeking BED patients (80 men and 297 women) were administered measures to assess body checking and avoidance, other key behavioral features of EDs (binge eating, dietary restraint, and disinhibition), and the core psychopathology of EDs (overevaluation of weight and shape). Results The majority of participants reported regularly pinching areas of their body to check for fatness and avoided wearing clothing that made them particularly aware of their body. Significant associations emerged between checking and restraint, and conversely, between avoidance and binge eating. Both checking and avoidance were positively and significantly associated with overevaluation of weight and shape, even after controlling for their unique effects. Discussion These findings offer support to the potential role of checking and avoidance behaviors in the maintenance of BED. © 2005 by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Increasing the efficiency of trial-patient matching: automated clinical trial eligibility Pre-screening for pediatric oncology patients

Manual eligibility screening (ES) for a clinical trial typically requires a labor-intensive review of patient records that utilizes many resources. Leveraging state-of-the-art natural language processing (NLP) and information extraction (IE) technologies, we sought to improve the efficiency of physician decision-making in clinical trial enrollment. In order to markedly reduce the pool of potential candidates for staff screening, we developed an automated ES algorithm to identify patients who meet core eligibility characteristics of an oncology clinical trial. We collected narrative eligibility criteria from ClinicalTrials.gov for 55 clinical trials actively enrolling oncology patients in our institution between 12/01/2009 and 10/31/2011. In parallel, our ES algorithm extracted clinical and demographic information from the Electronic Health Record (EHR) data fields to represent profiles of all 215 oncology patients admitted to cancer treatment during the same period. The automated ES algorithm then matched the trial criteria with the patient profiles to identify potential trial-patient matches. Matching performance was validated on a reference set of 169 historical trial-patient enrollment decisions, and workload, precision, recall, negative predictive value (NPV) and specificity were calculated. Without automation, an oncologist would need to review 163 patients per trial on average to replicate the historical patient enrollment for each trial. This workload is reduced by 85% to 24 patients when using automated ES (precision/recall/NPV/specificity: 12.6%/100.0%/100.0%/89.9%). Without automation, an oncologist would need to review 42 trials per patient on average to replicate the patient-trial matches that occur in the retrospective data set. With automated ES this workload is reduced by 90% to four trials (precision/recall/NPV/specificity: 35.7%/100.0%/100.0%/95.5%). By leveraging NLP and IE technologies, automated ES could dramatically increase the trial screening efficiency of oncologists and enable participation of small practices, which are often left out from trial enrollment. The algorithm has the potential to significantly reduce the effort to execute clinical research at a point in time when new initiatives of the cancer care community intend to greatly expand both the access to trials and the number of available trials.
Multiwell stiffness assay for the study of cell responsiveness to cytotoxic drugs

It is now well understood that the cell microenvironment, including the surrounding matrix, profoundly affects cell fate. This is especially true for solid tumors where, for example, matrix stiffness is believed to be an important factor in tumorogenesis. Our hypothesis is that since matrix stiffness affects cell fate, it may also be important in drug resistance. To test this hypothesis, we designed and built a multiwell polyacrylamide (PA) gel-based stiffness assay, in which the gels were coated with collagen in order to facilitate cell attachment and proliferation. This PA-based assay was used to examine the effect of stiffness on cultured cell responsiveness to cytotoxic drugs. In particular, we tested multiple cancer cell lines and their susceptibility to paclitaxel, a microtubule-targeting agent. By assessing cell proliferation, morphology, and the IC50 of the drug, we were able to establish that the stiffness affects responsiveness to cytotoxic drugs in a cell-dependent manner.
Cutaneous innervation of the medial ankle: an anatomic study of the saphenous, sural, and tibial nerves and their clinical significance.

The distribution and variability of the nerves innervating the skin overlying the medial ankle were determined in 22 human anatomic specimens using × 3.5 loupe magnification for dissection. Five di...
The Decentralization of Business in Britain

This paper investigates business interest representation in Britain. It examines the nature of direct firm contact with government in comparison to group-mediated contact and in doing so helps fill the general information gap about business political activities. Robert Salisbury's distinction between institutional and group representation and the macro-economic implications Mancur Olson draws from the relative "encompassingness" of interest representation contribute the theoretical context. An analysis of survey data reveals that business interest representation is decentralized to institutions rather than groups, with only a relatively limited role for the Confederation of British Industry--the most encompassing of groups.
Canonical variables in relatilistic quantum theory

A simple general method is presented for the explicit determination of the operator corresponding to « position » in any relativistic one-particle theory. It works in all the well known cases.
A multisensory illusion with haptic interaction to treat phantom limb pain

Phantom limb pain (PLP) is a chronic, intractable condition that affects over 2 million Americans. PLP has been treated by pharmaceuticals, and interventional treatments, as well as psychological strategies including sensory illusions. This work develops a theoretical framework to characterize prior instantiations of sensory illusions. Each instantiation is a particular treatment protocol that consists of three design elements: stimulus modality, volitional movement, and multisensory interaction. Utilizing this framework, we custom-built a haptics-enabled mirror visual feedback (MVF) sensory illusion. The device provides its amputee user with tactile and proprioceptive feedback, specifically the capability to interact with a 1 DOF haptic slider bar. In this way, we sought to incorporate additional sensory modalities into the illusion. In a case study with lower limb amputees (N=3), the realism of the device's seven illusions was evaluated. Preliminary results are that: 1) interaction with the haptic slider bar increased the amputee's sense of presence of the amputated limb, 2) one subject with intractable chronic PLP experienced relief that persisted during use of the device and reported tactile and proprioceptive sensation in the phantom limb, 3) forceful pressure against the slider bar produced asymmetric proprioceptive forces that interrupted the illusion, 4) the specific amputation site affected which illusions were most believable. These preliminary findings indicate that multi-sensory illusions may augment and enhance MVF instantiations, potentially improving the therapeutic value for a wider range of amputation cases.
Detection of Functional Oxytocin Receptors on Endometrium of Pigs

Oxytocin (OT) stimulates phosphoinositide (PI) hydrolysis and prostaglandin (PG) F2 alpha secretion from the endometrium of cyclic pigs, but the presence of specific endometrial receptors for OT has not been demonstrated in this species. Two experiments were performed to detect the presence of functional OT receptors on endometrium collected 15 days post estrus from cyclic gilts. OT receptor density and Kd were determined by receptor assay and Scatchard analysis. Hydrolysis of PI (i.e., incorporation of [3H]inositol into total inositol phosphates) and PGF2 alpha secretion were studied with use of incubations of endometrial explants. Concentrations of PGF2 alpha were log-transformed for analysis of variance and are expressed as means +/- standard error of log-transformed data. In experiment 1, mean density and mean Kd of OT receptors on endometrium of gilts were 29.2 +/- 5.54 fmol/mg protein and 1.59 +/- 0.23 nM, respectively. OT receptor density was significantly correlated with the ability of 100 nM OT to stimulate PI hydrolysis (r = 0.83, p < 0.05) and PGF2 alpha secretion (r = 0.87, p < 0.10), but was not highly correlated with receptor Kd (r = -0.08, p = 0.85). In contrast, OT receptor Kd was not highly correlated with OT-stimulated PI hydrolysis (r = -0.19, p = 0.68) or OT-stimulated PGF2 alpha secretion (r = 0.14, p = 0.86). OT-stimulated PI hydrolysis was also significantly correlated (r = 0.80, p < 0.05) with OT-stimulated PGF2 alpha secretion.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Cross-correlation weighted migration: towards high-resolution mapping of mantle heterogeneities

SUMMARY We present a new type of Born migration scheme to obtain a high-resolution image of smallscale scatterers in the mantle. Seismic migration is a technique that projects scattered energy back to its origin by shifting and stacking seismograms using theoretical traveltimes. Migration methods in global seismology, because of the limited distribution of sources and receivers, tend to suffer from considerable smearing owing to isochronal artefacts. This type of artefacts is caused by migration grids that have the set of theoretical traveltimes (from a given source to all receivers) similar to that for a true scattering point. Previously, the information of slowness and backazimuth was explicitly explored to reduce such migration artefacts. Here we propose a simpler and more computationally efficient method but with similar effects, in which the coherency of shifted seismograms measured by cross-correlation is exploited to suppress isochronal artefacts. The new migration scheme makes it possible to compute a large number of migrated images efficiently and thus evaluate the robustness of observed scattering objects by statistical approaches such as bootstrap resampling.
Surgical management of thyroid carcinoma invading the trachea

Airway invasion by thyroid carcinoma is an uncommon but important clinical problem. The surgical management of airway invasion is somewhat controversial, with some studies suggesting that conservative shave procedures might be adequate; however, the standardization and safety of techniques of airway resection and reconstruction have made en bloc surgery a reasonable approach for the management of such carcinomas. Tracheal resection and reconstruction for thyroid carcinomas with airway invasion might provide long-lasting palliation and might even be curative in a significant number of patients suffering from this disease.