cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Probable valproate sodium-associated hypotension

Abstract Background: Valproate sodium, a commonly used antiepileptic drug (AED), is effective for the treatment of status epilepticus and is often used as a second-line agent when other AEDs are contraindicated. Some studies have reported that infusion of valproate sodium is generally well tolerated, whereas other studies have reported various degrees of hypotension during infusion. The objective of this case report was to call attention to the potential risk of hypotension after intravenous infusion of valproate sodium. Case summary: This was the case of a 75-year-old Hispanic man (height, 145 cm; weight, 68 kg) who developed hypotension after receiving an intravenous loading dose of valproate sodium. The patient received the loading dose 12 hours after administration of his last dose of phenytoin (300 mg daily), which had been discontinued secondary to a cutaneous drug reaction. The patient's medical history was significant for seizure disorder, a cerebrovascular accident, and controlled type 2 diabetes mellitus. He was taking glyburide 5 mg daily and aspirin 81 mg daily. At baseline, the patient's blood pressure (measured while seated, at rest, using an upper-extremity cuff) was 135/70 mm Hg. The intravenous loading dose of valproate sodium (20 mg/kg) was administered at a rate of 14 mg/min (total dose, 1280 mg over 90 min). Approximately 2.5 hours after completion of the loading dose, the patient's blood pressure decreased to 107/48 mm Hg. Because our standard operating procedure is to measure blood pressure every 4 hours after the baseline measurement, the patient's hypotension was not detected during the infusion. The next morning (22 hours after completion of the valproate sodium infusion), divalproex sodium 1000 mg orally once daily was initiated as maintenance therapy. The patient's blood pressure reached a nadir of 82/44 mm Hg. The hypotension was treated initially with intravenous fluid hydration with normal saline, but the blood pressure correction was transient using this approach. The patient remained hypotensive for 3 days. The hypotension was ultimately found to be self-limited, and the patient was asymptomatic throughout his hospital stay. The patient's Naranjo adverse drug reaction probability scale score was 6, indicating that the relationship between valproate sodium infusion and hypotension was probable. Conclusion: In this case report, infusion of valproate sodium at a rate of 14 mg/min was a probable cause of hypotension in a 75-year-old man.
Conversing with the minority: relations among Christian, Jewish, and Muslim women in the high middle ages

This essay introduces a special issue of the Journal of Medieval History on the topic of ‘Conversing with the minority: relations among Christian, Jewish, and Muslim Women in the High Middle Ages’. Despite the fact that both interfaith relations and women's history are now well established subdisciplines within the field of medieval studies, the question of how medieval women themselves established cross-sectarian relations has rarely been explored. Documenting women's history is almost always problematic because of limited source materials, but this essay suggests that much can be learned by looking at areas where Christian, Jewish, and Muslim women shared certain facets of their lives: either by reason of social relations tied to religion and ethnicity (money-lending being a common bond between Jewish and Christian women, slavery between Christian women and Muslims) or by reason of events that connected them due to their shared sex and gender (childbirth, caring for the dead, even cosmetics). By activel...
Positive Feedback Regulates Switching of Phosphate Transporters in S. cerevisiae

Summary The regulation of transporters by nutrient-responsive signaling pathways allows cells to tailor nutrient uptake to environmental conditions. We investigated the role of feedback generated by transporter regulation in the budding yeast phosphate-responsive signal transduction (PHO) pathway. Cells starved for phosphate activate feedback loops that regulate high- and low-affinity phosphate transport. We determined that positive feedback is generated by PHO pathway-dependent upregulation of Spl2, a negative regulator of low-affinity phosphate uptake. The interplay of positive and negative feedback loops leads to bistability in phosphate transporter usage—individual cells express predominantly either low- or high-affinity transporters, both of which can yield similar phosphate uptake capacity. Cells lacking the high-affinity transporter, and associated negative feedback, exhibit phenotypes that arise from hysteresis due to unopposed positive feedback. In wild-type cells, population heterogeneity generated by feedback loops may provide a strategy for anticipating changes in environmental phosphate levels.
Distributive Justice and the Public Good

Many philosophers and some economists value economic equality on the ground that transfers from the relatively rich to the relatively poor increase the utility of the poor more than they reduce the utility of the rich. These philosophers and economists are assuming the ethical principle that a pattern of economic distribution is justified by maximizing aggregate utility. They are also assuming the truth of an empirical generalization proposed in the eighteenth century by Daniel Bernoulli–that successive equal increments of income produce ever-diminishing increments in an individual's level of utility. In the first part of this essay I will argue against Bernoulli's hypothesis, and suggest an alternative view of the relation between income and utility.
PHENIX results on heavy quarks at low x

Abstract It is becoming increasingly clear that initial state effects inherent to collisions of nuclei play an important role in the interpretation of data from heavy ion collisions at RHIC and the LHC. Such effects are more apparent in kinematic regions where the gluon density is expected to be significantly modified in the nucleus. The PHENIX experiment has studied these effects through the production of heavy quarks at backwards, middle, and forward rapidity, where partonic interactions in the nucleus and changes in the gluon structure function influence heavy quark production in different ways. Comparisons between these different rapidities in d + Au collisions offer us a window into the dynamics of particle production and transport in the nucleus. In these proceedings, new PHENIX results on heavy quark production at low x values are discussed, in the context of A+A data from RHIC and the LHC.
Relation between phenylalanine hydroxylase genotypes and phenotypic parameters of diagnosis and treatment of hyperphenylalaninaemic disorders

Before the advent of molecular genetics, the question whether a molecular basis for the phenotypic heterogeneity of the hyperphenylalaninaemias (PKU/HPA, McKusick 261600) existed was a long-standing issue (Kaufman 1976). After the delineation of major mutations at the phenylalanine hydroxylase (PAH, EC 1.14.16.1) gene locus and the determination of the residual enzyme activity resulting from these mutations (Eisensmith and Woo 1992), it became possible to correlate the genotypes of the patients with their respective phenotypes
On combining selection and estimation in the search for the largest binomial parameter

Abstract For k ≥2 independent binomial populations, from which X i ∼ B (n i ,θ i ) , i = 1,…, k , have been observed, the problem of selecting the population with the largest θ -value and simultaneously estimating the θ -parameter of the selected population is considered. Under several loss functions, Bayes decision rules are derived and studied for independent Beta-priors. A fixed sample size look ahead procedure is also considered. A numerical example is given to illustrate the performance of the procedures.
From Dewey to Mosaic :considerations in interface design for children

Examines the characteristics of bibliographic information retrieval systems, particularly online public access systems, in terms of the difficulties children have in using them. The specialized focus of library and information science, the highly abstract nature of bibliographic representation, and the evolving cognitive development of children are all contributing factors to these difficulties. Describes recent research and development in interface design, followed by implications for the design of Internet navigators. The new generation of Internet browsers can give students the ability not only to search for information, but also to create and disseminate information using the same medium. Such capacity adds a significant dimension and new meaning to the concept of information retrieval. Concludes that thoughtful and developmentally appropriate interface design is critical to the success of children′s use of this powerful new resource.
Abstract 96: Conformational and thermodynamics analyses of the regulation of trifluoperazine on camodulin binding to Fas: Implications for cancer chemotherapy

Fas-mediated signaling pathway is an important mechanism for apoptosis in a variety of cells, including cholangiocarcinoma and other cancer cells. The formation of death inducing signaling complex (DISC) is a critical step for Fas-mediated signaling. Recent experimental studies showed that calmodulin (CaM) binds to Fas and regulates Fas-mediated DISC formation and the binding of CaM to Fas is inhibited by the CaM antagonist, trifluoperazine (TFP) (J Cell Biochem, 103:788, 2008). The present study sought to determine the structural basis and molecular mechanisms of TFP regulation of Fas-mediated DISC formation. We used a combination of molecular dynamics simulations and binding free energy analyses to investigate the effect of TFP on CaM-Fas binding. We studied the interactions of different number(s) of TFP(s) with CaM and the effect of the resulting conformational changes of CaM on CaM/Fas binding. We found that the binding affinity of one TFP with CaM was affected by the sequential binding of other TFP(s) to CaM, which was consistent with near-UC circular dichroism data (Biochemistry 37:15300, 1998). The number of TFP(s) bound to CaM was shown to affect the conformational and motion changes of CaM, and thus directly affect CaM binding to Fas. Consistent with previous experimental observations that CaM-Fas binding was affected by TFP concentrations (J Biol Chem, 280:29964, 2005), we demonstrated that one TFP bound to CaM inhibited CaM-Fas binding while the subsequent two TFPs or four TFPs bound to CaM resulted in the recovery of CaM-Fas binding (Table 1). Results also showed that conformational and motional changes of Fas by binding to CaM were directly related to the number of TFPs bound to CaM, which could further affect Fas recruitment of FADD to the DISC. This study provides structural and thermodynamics evidence elucidating the role of the CaM antagonist, TFP, in regulating CaM-Fas binding and Fas-mediated DISC formation and apoptosis. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 96.
Tackling the problem of error in diagnostic radiology

This comment refers to the article available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00247-014-3196-5 .
Vertical distribution of sulfur species in benthic algal mats1

Methods are described for measuring the concentration and vertical distribution of sulfide, elemental sulfur, and sulfate in benthic mats consisting of blue-green algae and photosynthetic bacteria. For visualizing microzonation of sulfide production, cores of the mat are placed in ferrous ammonium sulfate agar and incubated for 24 h. Zones of sulfide production are then revealed as black bands of ferrous sulfide of varying thickness. For quantitative measurement, cores are cut into segments, extracted, and assayed by colorimetric methods. Sulfide formation never occurs in the top 3 mm of the mat and occurs mainly in a thick rather diffuse zone between about 3-10 mm, below which extremely thin laminae of sulfide production are seen. The techniques reported should have wider utility and are especially useful in revealing location of reducing conditions within stratified mats.
Provision of personalized genomic diagnostic technologies for breast and colorectal cancer: an analysis of patient needs, expectations and priorities

Aim: Several novel pharmacogenomic diagnostic tests are commercially available for breast and colorectal cancer, and are increasingly being used in clinical practice for improving treatment decisions. However, there is little evidence evaluating the value of these new genomic technologies from the perspective of patients. As part of an ongoing effort to understand the continuum of the process of adoption of genomic diagnostics, our aim in this study was to examine the value of genomic diagnostics to breast and colorectal cancer patients, and their willingness to adopt and use genomic diagnostics. Patients & methods: We conducted six focus groups of breast and colorectal cancer patients from the oncology clinics at The Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX, USA. An adapted Q-sort instrument was also administered to focus group participants. Results: The majority of breast and colorectal cancer patients are interested in using novel genomic diagnostics for deciding about treatment options. Most participants in ou...
Disease and value: A rejection of the value-neutrality thesis

Recent philosophical attention to the language of disease has focused primarily on the question of its value-neutrality or non-neutrality. Proponents of the value-neutrality thesis symbolically combine political and other criticisms of medicine in an attack on what they see as value-infected uses of disease language. The present essay argues against two theses associated with this view: a methodological thesis which tends to divorce the analysis of disease language from the context of the practice of medicine and a substantive thesis which holds that disease language is evaluatively neutral. In particular, the essay critically focuses on the value neutral position adopted by Christopher Boorse, which he terms a functional theory of disease. The argument concerns whether or not one can have value neutral description of disease states or whether disease language essentially involves values.
Nonbinary LDPC-coded modulation for multi-Tb/s optical transport

Nonbinary LDPC codes and their use in multi-Tb/s optical transport networks are discussed. Comparisons are made against prior-art binary LDPC-coded modulation schemes.
Catch comparison between otter and rollerframe trawls: Implications for sampling in seagrass beds

The use of otter trawls as a sampling gear in habitats with shallow, submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) has been criticized due to its variable and low capture efficiency. Moreover, the area swept by otter trawls is dynamic both between and within tows; capture of fauna associated with seagrass can be strongly influenced by gear-induced turbulence, and animals are able to escape under the net that often rides on top of the SAV. We compared catch from the commonly-used otter trawl with that from the rollerframe trawl, which has not been previously evaluated for fishery-independent research purposes. We found that the rollerframe trawls had higher catch rates and caught more species of fauna in seagrass beds across the northeastern Gulf of Mexico. Among the species captured, 72% were more abundant in the rollerframe trawls compared to 11% more abundant in otter trawls (17% of species were captured at equal abundances). These results were consistent across sites and for a wide range of taxa. Additionally, the rollerframe trawls captured 25% more species than the otter trawls. Our findings suggest that rollerframe trawls generally have a higher capture efficiency than otter trawls in seagrass beds. We therefore recommend that the rollerframe trawl be used as an alternative or supplemental gear for ecologists and fisheries scientists working in seagrass beds.
FURTHER EVIDENCE FOR OSMOREGULATION IN EPIDERMAL LEAF CELLS OF SEAGRASSES

A comparison of the epidermal leafcell ultrastructure ofthree seagrasses, Thalassia testudinum (tropical, high salinity), Zostera marina (North temperate, moderate salinity), and Ruppia maritima (North temperate, brackish) provides confirmation for the theory that an invaginated plasmalemma-mitochondrial transport system is developed at least in part as a response to salt concentration. Cytochemical localization of presumed Cl- ion provides further evidence for the presence of a salt secretion or exclusion mechanism. Immature epidermal leaf cells communicate with each other and with mesophyll cells through numerous plasmodesmata, but during cell maturation these cytoplasmic connections are lost and the apoplastic transport system develops to replace the symplastic one. The two North temperate region seagrasses contain cytoplasmic lipids which are absent in the tropical species. Thalassia and Zostera have chloroplasts which lack starch, but stain densely for polysaccharides with thiocarbohydrazide. The polysaccharide staining is essentially negative in the chloroplasts of Ruppia, but mesophyll chloroplasts of this brackish water species contain starch. These and other cytological findings are compared with other seagrasses. IN AN EARLIER PAPER it was proposed that the epidermal leaf cells of the seagrass Thalassia testudinum are osmoregulatory (Jagels, 1973). The evidence presented to support that theory consisted of 1) demonstration of a high membrane potential, and 2) discovery of a convoluted plasmalemma with interdigitated mitochondria, analogous to structures found in other secretory cell systems. In this paper two other lines of evidence are presented in support of osmoregulation. One approach involves the ultrastructural localization of sodium or chloride ions to document salt partitioning. The other approach involves a comparative ultrastructural study, predi
Practical implementation of PN scrambler for PAPR reduction in OFDM systems for range extension and lower power consumption

Orthogonal Frequency Division Modulation (OFDM) is an efficient multi-carrier modulation scheme. It is used in many wireless communication systems due to its robustness towards fading channel behavior and a relative ease of implementation coming from computationally efficient Inverse Fast Fourier Transforms (IFFT). However, the OFDM waveform has a very large Peak-to-Average Power Ratio (PAPR). Therefore, to avoid clipping plus nonlinear distortion, the Power Amplifier (PA) needs to be backed off significantly. This paper proposes a novel implementation and analysis of a Pseudorandom Noise (PN) scrambling technique allowing a significant reduction of the OFDM signalpsilas PAPR. The theoretical basis for the technique is presented, and a particular implementation of the technique for the IEEE 802.11a standard is discussed. Both simulations and measurements demonstrate significant benefits of the proposed technique in longer range wireless communications applications that use OFDM.
Contemporary Genetics for Gender Researchers Not Your Grandma’s Genetics Anymore

Over the past century, much of genetics was deterministic, and feminist researchers framed justified criticisms of genetics research. However, over the past two decades, genetics research has evolved remarkably and has moved far from earlier deterministic approaches. Our article provides a brief primer on modern genetics, emphasizing contemporary evidence for the complex interplay between genes and environment. We focus particularly on the role of gene–environment interactions for gender-imbalanced disorders such as depression. We review research on epigenetics, which is one mechanism by which environment influences gene expression. Modern genetics is not based on a model of genetic determinism; instead, it recognizes the complexity of genetic influences and the nuanced interplay between genes and environment across life span development. Even with the modern genetics approaches, of course, there is still room for criticism and input from gender researchers. We outline methodological and conceptual issues...
Fundamental properties of small molecule models of Fe-only hydrogenase: computations relative to the definition of an entatic state in the active site

Abstract Well-studied organometallic complexes (μ-SRS)Fe2(CO)6 that serve as structural models of the active site of Fe-only hydrogenases have been employed in DFT computational studies with the goal of understanding the fundamental nature of the active site of this biological catalyst. Intramolecular CO site exchange processes, experimentally observable in variable temperature (VT) NMR studies were modeled. The transition state structure of the Fe(CO)3 unit rotation looks very similar to the structure that the active site has adopted in the protein environment. That is, a semi-bridging CO is formed upon Fe(CO)3 rotation partially disrupting the FeFe bonding interaction and leaving an open site trans to this semi-bridging CO. The CN−/CO substitution reaction of these complexes which yields the disubstituted derivatives, (μ-SRS)[Fe(CO)2(CN)]22−, was also examined as experimental results found a complicated, R-dependent, reactivity pattern for the second CN− addition. The connection of the above rotation process to the CN−/CO substitution was supported by the fact that an intermediate with a μ-CO group, like that resulting from the Fe(CO)3 unit rotation, is formed upon CN− attack. The assumption that the Fe(CO)3 rotational barrier is an important contributor to the overall activation energy of CN− attack, explains the experimental observation that generally the second CN− addition finds a lower Fe(CO)3 rotational barrier due to the presence of the already coordinated CN− ligand.
Structural and functional properties of apolipoprotein A-I mutants containing disulfide-linked cysteines at positions 124 or 232.

Abstract Recombinant Cys mutants of apolipoprotein A-I (apoA-I) (A124C and A232C) have been prepared in disulfide-linked forms in order to assess the effects of unnatural covalent constraints on the folding of apoA-I in solution, its ability to bind lipids, form HDL-like particles, activate LCAT, and undergo structural adaptations to changing lipid contents. Both mutants, in dimer form, were shown to fold similarly to plasma apoA-I in solution, but had a slightly decreased α-helix content and no evidence of intermonomer interactions. All forms of the mutants bound to and disrupted dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine (DMPC) liposomes with similar kinetics and efficiency to plasma apoA-I, and formed reconstituted HDL (rHDL) particles with palmitoyloleoylphosphatidylcholine (POPC) in high yields at three different ratios of lipid/protein. While the monomeric mutants produced identical rHDL to plasma apoA-I, the disulfide-linked dimers had distinct particle distributions from each other and from native apoA-I. The A124C-dimer formed rHDL with diameters of 86 and 78 A, while the A232C-dimer predominantly formed 96 A rHDL. These particles, and particles containing plasma apoA-I (96 and 78 A), were purified prior to structural and functional analyses. The structural properties of particles with similar diameters were comparable, as were their reactivities with LCAT; however, their ability to undergo structural rearrangements differed. The larger rHDL particles (96 and 86 A) containing native apoA-I or A124C-dimer, rearranged into smaller 78 A particles, while the 96 A particles containing A232C-dimer were resistant to rearrangement and did not form 78 A particles. From the results, it is concluded that synthetic, random disulfide-linked dimers of apoA-I have many properties analogous to those of the naturally occurring Cys mutants, apoA-I-Milano and apoA-I-Paris, which are thought to have antiatherogenic effects in vivo. Also, the results have implications for current models of rHDL structure.
LADAR recognition challenge problem

This paper presents a LADAR recognition challenge problem. There are two unique components of this challenge problem: the focus on condence estimates and the explicit model of the recognition output as a function of operating conditions (OCs). To promote the development of exploitation algorithms that map OCs onto condence estimates, a set of synthetic data has been generated that explicitly samples specic OC dimensions: resolution, noise, aspect, obscuration, and library. Submitted algorithms will be evaluated based on their ability to correctly estimate the condence based on OC knowledge. Tools will be provided to generate performance metrics on data sets. Participants will submit their algorithms for evaluation on a sequestered set of data. The resulting performance metrics will be made available online so participants can evaluate their algorithms relative to their peers.
Commercially produced frozen broccoli lacks the ability to form sulforaphane

Abstract Sulforaphane is produced from the hydrolysis of the glucosinolate glucoraphanin in the presence of the endogenous enzyme myrosinase. Sulforaphane has been shown to provide cancer prevention through a number of mechanisms including the upregulation of detoxification enzymes and epigenetic changes. Optimal temperature and pH for sulforaphane formation from broccoli was determined. Sulforaphane formation was measured in three commercially frozen broccoli samples pre- and post-cooking. The results show that in these products, there was very little potential to form sulforaphane prior to cooking and essentially none after the recommended cooking method was performed. Research is needed towards improved processing methods.
“Human Infant Color Vision and Color Perception” reviewed and reassessed: A critique of Werner and Wooten (1979a)

Wemer and Wooten (1979a) review the literature in infant color vision with aims to (1) criticize early studies of infant color perception, (2) review modem studies on spectral sensitivity and tests of chromatic discrimination, (3) assess the idea that "infants and adults perceive hue categorically," and (4) evaluate contemporary knowledge about the development of color vision in infancy. The purposes of this paper are to (I) provide a comprehensive assessment of Werner and Wooten's review, (2) re-evaluate major conclusions of their review, and (3) rectify unwarranted criticism that their review levels against several experiments, particularly my own.
Design of an in-house ambient pressure AP-XPS using a bench-top X-ray source and the surface chemistry of ceria under reaction conditions

A new in-house ambient pressure XPS (AP-XPS) was designed for the study of surfaces of materials under reaction conditions and during catalysis. Unique features of this in-house AP-XPS are the use of monochromated Al Kα and integration of a minimized reaction cell, and working conditions of up to 500 °C in gases of tens of Torr. Generation of oxygen vacancies on ceria and filling them with oxygen atoms were characterized in operando.
Fulminant hepatic failure.

Acute liver failure or fulminant hepatic failure (FHF) is a rare disorder that often leads to devastating consequences. It is characterized by an acute onset of severe hepatic dysfunction in the absence of pre-existent liver disease that results in jaundice, hepatic encephalopathy, and coagulopathy. 155 The loss of hepatic function quickly leads to multiorgan failure that frequently causes death. Before the availability of liver transplantation, the case mortality rate of FHF was widely reported to be more than 80%; however, the advent of liver transplantation in the early 1980s revolutionized the outcome of FHF, and it has since provided the means to rescue critically ill patients. 147 In the United States, among the 2500 adults who receive liver allografts each year, 6% are transplanted for FHF. In the pediatric age group, FHF is the reason for transplantation in 11% of recipients. 12
The selection of sites for paleovegetational studies.

The judicious selection of sites for paleovegetational and paleoclimatic studies permits paleoecologists to answer specific research questions that go beyond primary descriptions of past vegetation. We present a model that describes the relationship between basin size and pollen source area and predicts the proportions of local, extralocal, and regional pollen sampled by lake basins of different size. The distinctive sampling properties of lakes, peats, and small hollows can be exploited to provide details of pattern in paleovegetation so long as attention is given to the limitations and problems of these types of sites. Combinations of site types in a single study most fully exploit the information contained in sediments.
Electrophysiological indices of cerebral specialization and the role of prosody in language acquisition in 3‐month‐old infants

Research suggests that infants may be sensitive to the prosodic structure of their native language at an earlier age than the segmental structure. In adults, the right cerebral hemisphere is more involved than the left in processing certain types of prosodic information. A hypothesis derived from these 2 research findings is that similar right hemisphere specialization for prosodic information would be found in infants. Event‐related potentials (ERPs) recorded to tone probes superimposed on English and Italian passages (languages with different prosodic structure) and on English and Dutch passages (languages with similar prosodic structure) were used to test this hypothesis in 3‐month‐old infants (n = 24). Significant differences in ERP amplitude measures indicated that both left and right cerebral hemispheres were sensitive to differences between English and the 2 foreign languages, and that both play a role in processing speech in the early stages of language acquisition.
Dipyridamole inhibits PDGF- and bFGF-induced vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation

Dipyridamole is the only pharmacologic agent demonstrated to reduce polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) graft occlusion in hemodialysis patients. However, the mechanism of action of dipyridamole in preventing graft occlusion is unknown. The purpose of this study was to examine the direct effects of dipyridamole on both platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF)-induced vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) proliferation. Human aortic smooth muscle cells were grown to confluence in 96 well plates. A total of 5 x 10(-6) molar dipyridamole, PDGF 10 ng/ml, or bFGF 10 ng/ml were added to appropriate wells at the start of each experiment. Cell proliferation at 48 hours was determined using tritiated thymidine uptake. Intracellular cyclic AMP (cAMP) was measured using a competitive enzyme immunoassay. Treatment of VSMC with 5 microM dipyridamole dramatically reduced basal proliferation rates compared to controls [5229 +/- 1131 counts per minute (CPM) versus 387 +/- 68 CPM, P < 0.001]. Treatment with dipyridamole also reduced PDGF-stimulated VSMC proliferation (7311 +/- 1655 CPM vs. 593 +/- 110 CPM, P < 0.001) as well as the response to bFGF (5632 +/- 1270 CPM vs. 310 +/- 31 CPM, P < 0.001). Treatment of VSMC with either 5 or 20 microM dipyridamole did not change intracellular cAMP levels. Furthermore, the addition of dibutyryl cAMP to VSMC demonstrated only a modest inhibitory effect on proliferation. We conclude that dipyridamole inhibits both PDGF- and bFGF-stimulated VSMC proliferation. The effects of dipyridamole on VSMC proliferation do not appear to be entirely mediated by changes in intracellular cAMP concentrations. The direct effect of dipyridamole on VSMC proliferation may account for its efficacy in reducing PTFE graft thrombosis in hemodialysis patients.
High-temperature oxidation behavior of Nb–Si–Cr alloys with Hf additions

Abstract The oxidation behavior of two alloys from the Nb–Si–Cr system containing hafnium has been investigated under isothermal and cyclic conditions. Nb–20Si–20Cr–(5,10)Hf alloys (composition in atomic percent) were exposed to air for 24 and 168 h over a range of temperatures from 700 °C to 1400 °C. A gravimetric method was used to determine the oxidation kinetics; weight gain per unit area as a function of temperature or time. Computed isothermal sections of the quaternary Nb–Si–Cr–Hf phase diagrams were used for alloy selection. XRD, SEM and EDS were used to characterize the phases present in the oxidation products and the alloys. Oxidation experiments revealed extremely good oxidation resistance at 700 °C and 800 °C and above 1200 °C under isothermal conditions for both alloys. Partial pesting was observed when the samples were exposed to 800 °C. Complete oxide formation was observed above 1000 °C for 5Hf and above 900 °C for 10Hf up to 1200 °C. Beneficial effects have been observed with the addition of 10Hf to the alloy compared to 5Hf at 700 °C, 1200 °C and 1300 °C resulting in a reduction of weight gain per unit area.
Binocular Combination of Projected Images

Two color-separation positive transparencies of a scene, one projected with "red" light and the other with tungsten lamp light, were superimposed on a screen. The light was polarized so that an observer wearing an appropriate viewer could either see both images in each eye or the "red" image in one eye and the "white" image in the other. These two situations gave different results, not the same results, as some previous investigators have claimed. Land's major results cannot be "obtained stereoscopically." We conclude that the process by which color is formed could possibly be a process of the retina or the lateral geniculate body, and does not necessarily have to be a process of the cerebral cortex as implied by the binocular experiments which purported to give the fuller gamut of color.
Applications of analytic continuation in the construction of potential energy curves

The representation of potential energy curves by continued fractions is investigated and shown to be a useful method in the extrapolation of data. A generalization of the method is presented that enables one to treat avoided crossing problems. Given data on one curve involved in the avoided crossing, it is possible to obtain a good approximation to the other. Results for various model calculations and for the H$sub 2$(E,F$sup 1$$Sigma$$sup +$/sub g/) and CO ($sup 1$$Sigma$$sup +$) potential curves are presented. (auth)
Construction of unique canonical coefficients for antisymmeterized geminal power states

Coefficients often defined to be canonical for a given geminal may not be unique. In this article we show by carefully examining a theorem by B. Zumino how to construct unique canonical coefficients for a geminal. This result leads to expansions of antisymmeterized geminal power states solely in terms of natural generalized spin orbitals and positive geminal occupation numbers. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2004
Studies on the biosynthesis and characterization of rhinovirus ribonucleic acid.

Abstract The synthesis of rhinovirus type 20 specific RNA in infected HeLa cells was examined in the presence of actinomycin D and uridine-5-3H. The virus induced in the infected cells the synthesis of two major components of RNA sedimenting at 32 S and 18 S, respectively, and a heterogeneous component with a sedimentation coefficient of 24–26 S. Treatment of virus-specific RNA components with ribonuclease resulted in the complete degradation of 32 S and 24–26 S components, while the 18 S component showed partial resistance to ribonuclease. Poliovirus type 1 under identical conditions induced the synthesis of two components of RNA sedimenting at 35 S and 18 S, respectively. Rhinovirus specific RNA in infected HeLa cells was first detectable between 4 and 5 hr postinfection at about the same time that infectivity first appeared intracellularly. The maximal synthesis of virus specific RNA took place between 6 and 7 hr postinfection. The purification of rhinovirus in cesium chloride resulted in the loss of infectivity and appearance of phosphotungstic acid-penetrable virus particles. RNA extracted from the purified virions sedimented with a major peak at 32 S but with a heterogeneous skewed type of sedimentation along the trailing edge.
Synthesis of optical filters using ring resonator arrays

Multiple micro-optical four-port resonators, such as ring resonators, can be combined to obtain response functions not attainable with a single element. A matrix propagator method for analysis of multi-element filters is presented which takes into account bidirectional coupling among elements of a linear resonator array. Examples of filters attaining flat-top passbands, desirable for all-optical wavelength-division-multiplexed networks, are given.
The 2.5D FDTD and Fourier PSTD methods and applications

In this work, 2.5-dimensional finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) and pseudospectral time-domain (PSTD) algorithms are developed for electromagnetic waves in media that are invariant in one spatial dimension. Both algorithms use Berenger's perfect matched layer (PML) as an absorbing boundary condition. The FDTD method is an extension of Yee's 3D algorithm to 2.5D. The PSTD algorithm uses the fast Fourier transform to approximate spatial derivatives, and gives a much higher accuracy than the FDTD method. Numerical results have been validated by comparing them with analytical solutions. The methods have been applied to ground-penetrating-radar and dielectric-waveguide problems. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 36: 430–436, 2003; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.10783
Identification of reliable spike templates in multi-unit extracellular recordings using fuzzy clustering

A method for extracting single-unit spike trains from extracellular recordings containing the activity of several simultaneously active cells is presented. The technique is particularly effective when spikes overlap temporally. It is capable of identifying the exact number of neurons contributing to a recording and of creating reliable spike templates. The procedure is based on fuzzy clustering and its performance is controlled by minimizing a cluster-validity index which optimizes the compactness and separation of the identified clusters. Application examples with synthetic spike trains generated from real spikes and segments of background noise show the advantage of the fuzzy method over conventional template-creation approaches in a wide range of signal-to-noise ratios.
Gastrointestinal gas production in rats fed raw and heated navy beans with or without added antibiotics.

SummaryGas producing efficiency of raw and heated navy beans with or without antibiotic supplementation was evaluated and compared with that of casein diet. Raw navy beans produced 4 to 6 times as much gas as that produced by casein. On the other hand heated navy beans produced only one and one-half to 2 times more gas than that obtained on casein diet. Addition of antibiotics to the raw navy bean diet significantly reduced the flatus production in adapted rats but was without effect in unadapted rats fed raw or heated beans. The possible mechanism of increased gas production in the animals fed raw navy beans and the beneficial effect of supplementary antibiotics in reducing the gas production have been discussed.
The uneven geographies of transnational advocacy: The case of the Talo Dam

The Talo Dam was built in 2006 on the Bani River, a tributary of the Niger River in Mali. The path towards the completion of the project has been complex and controversial. This paper offers a case-study of the advocacy efforts initially opposed to, and later in support of the building of the Talo Dam. Several international institutions have been key decision-makers regarding the building of the Talo Dam, but the geographical and culture distance of the decision-making institutions to on-the-ground reality presents a serious obstacle to goals of participatory development and illustrates some inherent challenges of transnational environmental advocacy and management. Several typologies of transnational campaigns are analyzed to demonstrate the range of participation and accountability that a transnational campaign can pursue. Finally, I encourage the use of qualitative research methods by advocacy organizations as a useful methodological approach to counter otherwise inherent challenges to local inclusion and participation.
12-lipoxygenase metabolite 12(S)-HETE stimulates human pancreatic cancer cell proliferation via protein tyrosine phosphorylation and ERK activation

We previously reported that inhibition of the 12-lipoxygenase pathway abolished proliferation and induced apoptosis in several pancreatic cancer cell lines. Furthermore, the 12-lipoxygenase product 12(S)-HETE stimulated pancreatic cancer cell proliferation and reversed 12-lipoxygenase inhibitor–induced growth inhibition. We investigated the underlying mechanism for 12(S)-HETE–induced pancreatic cancer cell proliferation, using 2 human pancreatic cancer cell lines, PANC-1 and HPAF. Cell proliferation was monitored by both thymidine incorporation and cell number. Western blotting was used to investigate the effect of 12(S)-HETE on cellular protein tyrosine phosphorylation as well as ERK, P38 MAPK and JNK/SAPK phosphorylation. 12(S)-HETE markedly stimulated proliferation of pancreatic cancer cells in a time- and concentration-dependent manner. In parallel, 12(S)-HETE induced tyrosine phosphorylation of multiple cellular proteins, while inhibition of tyrosine kinase by genestein abolished 12(S)-HETE–induced proliferation, indicating that intracellular protein tyrosine kinase activation is involved in the mitogenic effects of 12(S)-HETE. Following treatment with 12(S)-HETE, both ERK and P38 MAPK, but not JNK/SAPK, were phosphorylated. The specific MEK inhibitors PD098059 and U0126, which in turn suppress ERK, abolished 12(S)-HETE–stimulated proliferation. In contrast, inhibition of P38 MAPK with SB203580 did not affect 12(S)-HETE–stimulated pancreatic cancer cell proliferation. Furthermore, 12(S)-HETE–stimulated ERK phosphorylation was inhibited by genestein, indicating that tyrosine phosphorylation is essential for ERK activation. These findings suggest that both ERK and cellular protein tyrosine kinase activation are involved in 12(S)-HETE–induced pancreatic cancer cell proliferation but P38 and JNK/SAPK are not involved in this mitogenic effect. © 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Theoretical Study of the Role of Boron−Nitrogen Dative Bonds in the Physiological Action of Boronated Compounds

Some boronated molecules have shown surprising physiological action; however, the mode of action of these compounds is not understood. Our hypothesis is that the boron moiety is attracted to Lewis base sites on an enzyme and the resulting interaction causes an inhibition of the physiological pathway. To study this problem, quantum mechanical calculations of boron−nitrogen bond dissociation energies for 12 molecules have been calculated and compared with physiological activities including anti-hyperlipidemic and anti-neoplastic behavior. Results of linear correlation analysis between bond dissociation energy and physiological action have shown evidence that our hypothesis has merit. Possible locations of enzyme inhibition by boronated compounds are inferred. In addition, structural and energetic features of boronated molecules, including intramolecular electrostatic interactions and Lewis acidity, are discussed.
Quantum Entanglement: a Vanishing Resource

Summary form only given. Experts have said: "...it seems fair to say that the study of entanglement is in its infancy, ... it is not entirely clear what ... can be expected as a result of the study of quantitative measures of entanglement." In an ideal world, entanglement of small and isolated quantum systems would be stable and uncorrupted. But in reality no physical system can be isolated completely. We will discuss the qualitatively and quantitatively surprising effects that weak noise can have on entangled pairs of quantum objects, even when they relax individually very slowly.
Defective monocyte function in acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS): Evidence from a monocyte-dependent T-cell proliferative system

T-cell proliferative responses to the mitogenic monoclonal antibody anti-Leu 4 were assessed in healthy controls, lymphadenopathy syndrome (LAS) patients, and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) patients. While 19% of the control group showed low anti-Leu 4 responses (<12,000 cpm), 60% of the LAS patients, 71% of the AIDS-opportunistic infection patients, and 50% of the AIDS-Kaposi's sarcoma patients showed low responses. T-cell responsiveness in healthy low responders was greatly enhanced by the addition of monocytes from an anti-Leu 4 high responder (responder monocytes). We therefore sought to determine if the low-responder state in LAS and AIDS patients was also mediated by monocytes and, thus, correctable by the addition of responder monocytes. In the LAS low-responder group, the level of enhancement by healthy responder monocytes was similar to that observed for the healthy low-responder group. In the AIDS low-responder group, however, the level of enhancement was significantly lower than that observed in the healthy low-responder and LAS low-responder groups. These findings suggest that impaired proliferation to anti-Leu 4 in LAS patients may be due to a monocyte defect similar to the monocyte defect responsible for low anti-Leu 4 responses in healthy controls. AIDS patients, however, show additional defects in anti-Leu 4-induced proliferation that are not fully corrected by the addition of responder monocytes.
A new approach for JPEG resize and image splicing detection

Today's ubiquitous digital media are easily tampered by, e.g., removing or adding objects from or into images without leaving any obvious clues. JPEG is a most widely used standard in digital images and it can be easily doctored. It is therefore necessary to have reliable methods to detect forgery in JPEG images for applications in law enforcement, forensics, etc. In this paper, based on the correlation of neighboring Discrete Cosine Transform (DCT) coefficients, we propose a method to detect resized JPEG images and spliced images, which are widely used in image forgery. In detail, the neighboring joint density features of the DCT coefficients are extracted; then Support Vector Machines (SVM) are applied to the features for detection. To improve the evaluation of JPEG resized detection, we utilize the shape parameter of generalized Gaussian distribution (GGD) of DCT coefficients to measure the image complexity.The study shows that our method is highly effective in detecting JPEG images resizing and splicing forgery. In the detection of resized JPEG image, the performance is related to both image complexity and resize scale factor. At the same scale factor, the detection performance in high image complexity is, as can be expected, lower than that in low image complexity.
Surface-Initiated Radical Polymerization on Porous Silica

A novel chemical reaction to minimize termination reactions in radical polymerization is applied for the first time to the growth of thin polymer films on silica. A living polyacrylamide thin film is grown from a self-assembled benzyl chloride monolayer on silica gel using Cu(bpy)2Cl to control the radical population. The polymerization is sufficiently well controlled that films grown on nanoporous silica leave the pores intact, as shown by its ability to separate proteins by size exclusion. The living polyacrylamide film covers the silica surface uniformly, as shown by the highly efficient elution of lysozme, a strongly basic protein, at pH 4.7. The new chemistry for film growth enables polymers to be used to make new stationary phases on porous silica gel.