cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Variability of coronary vein anatomy: A CMR study

Introduction:Pre-procedural knowledgeof coronary vein anatomy would be desirable for patients with heart failure (HF) referred for cardiac resynchronisation therapy (CRT) as amajor difficulty for transvenous lead placement is the limited number and accessibility of coronary veins adjacent to appropriate potential LV wall pacing sites. Methods: A cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) coronary vein imaging sequence, analogous to that used for coronary artery imaging, was developed on a 1.5T system (Achieva, Philips Medical Systems). A magnetisation transfer contrast method was applied for blood-myocardium contrast enhancement with initial optimisation performed on healthy subjects. To characterise the variability in coronary vein anatomy, we then studied 14 HF patients referred for CRT with 11 subjects completing satisfactory coronary vein assessment. Six of these subjects had BiVICD implantation and five had venograms during the procedure. Results: A lateral coronary vein was identified in 9 of 11 HF subjects. Two patients had no lateral veins. The take-off angle for the coronary vein was highly variable ( p
Revision of the Hoplolaiminae (Nematoda) V. Rotylenchus Filipjev, 19361)

The genus Rotylenchus Filipjev, 1936 is diagnosed. Rotylenchus robustus (de Man, 1876) Filipjev, 1936 [Syn. Rotylenchus uniformis (Thorne, 1949) Loof & Oostenbrink, 1958] is considered the type species. Seven nominal species are redescribed, six new species and one nomen novum are proposed.
Interactions of trazodone with serotonin neurons and receptors

Trazodone, 2-[3-[4-(m-chlorophenyl)-1-piperazinyl]propyl]-s- triazolo[4,3-a]pyridin-3(2H)one, was evaluated as an inhibitor of uptake into serotonin neurons in vivo in the brains of mice and rats by determining its ability to antagonize the depletion of brain serotonin by p-chloroamphetamine. In mice, trazodone was inactive under conditions in which many antidepressant drugs and other inhibitors of uptake are potent antagonists of the depletion of serotonin in brain induced by p-chloroamphetamine. Weak inhibition of uptake into serotonin-containing neurons in brain in vivo was demonstrated early after the injection of trazodone in rats, especially when the dose of p-chloroamphetamine was reduced to facilitate competitive inhibition of its effects. However, the effects of trazodone were short-lasting. Trazodone did not potentiate the elevation of serum corticosterone by L-5-hydroxytryptophan, in contrast to the effect of fluoxetine, a potent and selective inhibitor of the uptake of serotonin. Instead, trazodone antagonized a response mediated by a serotonin receptor, i.e. elevation of serum corticosterone by a serotonin agonist, quipazine, in rats. Trazodone also antagonized the serotonin-induced contraction of the rat jugular vein in vitro (a response mediated by 5-HT2 receptors), the pA2 being 8.79. These findings agree with previous reports that trazodone is a potent antagonist of serotonergic function. These data, together with earlier evidence, suggest it is unlikely that the inhibition of uptake of serotonin contributes to the clinical antidepressant effects of trazodone.
CAP1, an Adenylate Cyclase-Associated Protein Gene, Regulates Bud-Hypha Transitions, Filamentous Growth, and Cyclic AMP Levels and Is Required for Virulence of Candida albicans

In response to a wide variety of environmental stimuli, the opportunistic fungal pathogen Candida albicans exits the budding cycle, producing germ tubes and hyphae concomitant with expression of virulence genes, such as that encoding hyphal wall protein 1 (HWP1). Biochemical studies implicate cyclic AMP (cAMP) increases in promoting bud-hypha transitions, but genetic evidence relating genes that control cAMP levels to bud-hypha transitions has not been reported. Adenylate cyclase-associated proteins (CAPs) of nonpathogenic fungi interact with Ras and adenylate cyclase to increase cAMP levels under specific environmental conditions. To initiate studies on the relationship between cAMP signaling and bud-hypha transitions in C. albicans, we identified, cloned, characterized, and disrupted the C. albicans CAP1 gene. C. albicans strains with inactivated CAP1 budded in conditions that led to germ tube formation in isogenic strains with CAP1. The addition of 10 mM cAMP and dibutyryl cAMP promoted bud-hypha transitions and filamentous growth in the cap1/cap1 mutant in liquid and solid media, respectively, showing clearly that cAMP promotes hypha formation in C. albicans. Increases in cytoplasmic cAMP preceding germ tube emergence in strains having CAP1 were markedly diminished in the budding cap1/cap1 mutant. C. albicans strains with deletions of both alleles of CAP1 were avirulent in a mouse model of systemic candidiasis. The avirulence of a germ tube-deficient cap1/cap1 mutant coupled with the role of Cap1 in regulating cAMP levels shows that the Cap1-mediated cAMP signaling pathway is required for bud-hypha transitions, filamentous growth, and the pathogenesis of candidiasis.
A Spatial Backoff Algorithm Using the Joint Control of Carrier Sense Threshold and Transmission Rate

Traditional medium access control (MAC) protocols utilize temporal mechanisms such as access probability or backoff interval adaptation for contention resolution. Temporal contention resolution aims to separate transmissions from different nodes in time to achieve successful transmissions. We explore an alternative approach for wireless networks - named "spatial backoff - that adapts the "space" occupied by the transmissions. By adapting the space occupied by transmissions, the set of "locally" competing nodes, and thus, the channel contention level, can be adjusted to reach a suitable level. There are different ways to realize spatial backoff. In this paper, we propose a dynamic spatial backoff algorithm using the joint control of carrier sense threshold and transmission rate. Our results suggest that spatial backoff is promising to improve the channel utilization.
Microvascular casting of the lung: Effects of various fixation protocols

Although techniques for preparing specimens for light and electron microscopy are well established, few studies have sought to establish methods for corrosion casting of the microscopic vessels of the lung. The effects of two concentrations of glutaraldehyde, formaldehyde, and no fixative (saline control) on the filling and structure of the microvascular casts of the lung were studied. All fixatives were infused 5 minutes before casting. Formaldehyde's fixation effects were intermediate between those of glutaraldehyde and no fixation. Leakage of casting material was increased in the animals that were fixed less. Digestion time was prolonged and more undigested tissue was found in the group receiving the concentrated glutaraldehyde, although the difference in neither of these features alone reached statistical significance. Circumferential bands occurred more frequently in the large vessel casts of the less fixed animals, which may account for the less filling microvasculature in these lungs. However, good quality casts were obtained with each method.
Effects of dietary phytase on body weight gain, body composition and bone strength in growing rats fed a low-zinc diet

Phytic acid, a major phosphorous storage compound found in foodstuffs, is known to form insoluble complexes with nutritionally essential minerals, including zinc (Zn). Phytases are enzymes that catalyze the removal of these minerals from phytic acid, improving their bioavailability. The objective of the present study was to determine the ability of dietary phytase to affect body weight, body composition, and bone strength in growing rats fed a high phytic acid, low Zn diet. Rats (n = 20) were fed either a control (AIN-93) or phytase supplemented (Natuphos, BASF, 1,500 phytase units (FTU)/kg) diet for a period of 8 weeks. Phytase supplementation resulted in increased (P<.05) bone and plasma Zn, but no change in plasma inorganic phosphorous or bone levels of Ca, Fe, or Mg. The addition of phytase to the diets resulted in a 22.4% increase (P<.05) in body weight at the end of the study as compared with rats fed a control diet. Dual x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) revealed that phytase supplementation resulted in increase lean body mass (LBM, P<.001) and increased bone mineral content (BMC, P<.001) as compared with feeding the control diet. Bone studies indicated that femurs and tibias from phytase supplemented rats had greater mass (P<.05) and were stronger (P<.05) than rats fed the control diet. This data suggest that the addition of phytase to low Zn diets results in improved Zn status, which may be responsible for beneficial effects on growth, body composition, and bone strength.
The use of Forane anesthesia for surface-induced deep hypothermia.

Abstract The effects of Forane anesthesia for deep surface hypothermia with 30 minutes of total circulatory occlusion were evaluated. With 100% O 2 6 of 7 dogs developed motor disorders postoperatively, while 3 of 5 with 98% O 2 /2% CO 2 and none with 95% O 2 /5% CO 2 developed motor disorders. Cooling was uneventful except for 1 episode of ventricular fibrillation in the 5% CO 2 group at 23°C. Resuscitation was easy, but the early rewarming period was characterized by repeated episodes of ventricular fibrillation and delayed recovery of cardiac function, especially in the 100% O 2 group. Blood lactate levels remained low during cooling and gradually increased during rewarming in all groups, with the highest levels in the 100% O 2 group and the lowest in the 5% CO 2 group. It is concluded that Forane can be used for surface hypothermia with 30 minutes' circulatory occlusion when administered in 95% O 2 /5% CO 2 . A comparison of these results with previously reported series indicates that Forane is inferior to ether but may be superior to halothane for surface hypothermia.
Direct time-resolved infrared measurement of electron injection in dye-sensitized titanium dioxide films

Time-resolved infrared (IR) spectroscopy in the 6 μm region was employed to study the excited-state properties of [Ru(4,4‘-(COOCH2CH3)2-2,2‘-bipyridine)(2,2‘-bipyridine)2]+2 and [Ru(4,4‘-(COOCH2CH3)2-2,2‘-bipyridine)(4,4‘-(CH3)2-2,2‘-bipyridine)2]+2 in solution and anchored to nanostructured thin films of TiO2 and ZrO2. Excited-state spectra reveal a shift in the ν(CO) of the ester groups for the free molecules in solution as well as attached to insulating ZrO2 substrates. For these molecules attached to TiO2 semiconductor films, a transient absorption appears that is attributed to electrons injected into TiO2. This absorption appears within the instrumental time resolution (ca. 30 ps) yielding an approximate 20 ps upper limit time constant for electron transfer from the sensitizer excited state to TiO2.
The Additivity of Traces in Triangulated Categories

Abstract We explain a fundamental additivity theorem for Euler characteristics and generalized trace maps in triangulated categories. The proof depends on a refined axiomatization of symmetric monoidal categories with a compatible triangulation. The refinement consists of several new axioms relating products and distinguished triangles. The axioms hold in the examples and shed light on generalized homology and cohomology theories.
Synaptic organization and ionic basis of on and off channels in mudpuppy retina: II. Chloride-dependent ganglion cell mechanisms

Extracellular ganglion cell recordings in the perfused mudpuppy eyecup show that a chloride-free (c-f) perfusate abolishes the center and surround excitation of on-center cells, the surround excitation of off-center cells, and the on discharge of on-off cells. These changes in ganglion cell receptive field organization are anticipated in view of the effects of a c-f environment on the neurons which are presynaptic to the ganglion cells. However, chloride-dependent inhibitory postsynaptic (IPS) responses have been observed in on-off ganglion cells. These inhibitory postsynaptic potentials (IPSP's) are preceeded by (ESPS's) exitatory postsynaptic potentials and are apparently mediated by amacrine cells. The light-activated hyperpolarization of off cells is not the result of a chloride-dependent IPSP and probably results from disfacilitation.
Role of Angiotensin II Type 1 Receptor Antagonists in the Treatment of Hypertension in Patients Aged ≥65 Years

Systolic blood pressure (SBP) increases with age, and hypertension affects approximately two-thirds of adults in the US aged >60 years. Blood pressure (BP) increases as a consequence of age-related structural changes in large arteries, which lead to loss of elasticity and reduced vascular compliance. Increased pulse wave velocity augments SBP, resulting in a high prevalence of isolated systolic hypertension. Because age itself elevates cardiovascular risk, effective treatment of hypertension in an older (aged >or=65 years) patient population prevents many more events per 1000 patients treated than treatment of younger hypertensive patients. Recommendations for treating hypertension are similar in older patients compared with the general population. The Seventh Report of the Joint National Committee on Detection, Prevention, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure recommends target BP goals of <140/90 mmHg for patients with uncomplicated hypertension, and <130/80 mmHg for those with diabetes mellitus or renal disease. Recent guidelines and position papers have extended these aggressive treatment goals to include patients with coronary artery disease, other types of vascular disease and heart failure. Randomized clinical trials have demonstrated the efficacy of calcium channel antagonists (calcium channel blockers [CCBs]), low-dose diuretics, ACE inhibitors and angiotensin II type 1 receptor antagonists (angiotensin receptor blockers [ARBs]) in reducing the risk of stroke and other adverse cardiovascular outcomes in older patients; beta-adrenoceptor antagonists are less effective in terms of endpoint reduction. The majority of older patients require two or more drugs to achieve BP goals. Despite active treatment, half of these patients do not achieve target BP, in part because of the reluctance of physicians to intensify treatment, a phenomenon referred to as 'clinical inertia'. ARBs are effective antihypertensive agents in older patients and have been shown to reduce cardiovascular endpoints in patients with hypertension, diabetic nephropathy, cerebrovascular disease and heart failure. ARBs produce additive BP reduction when combined with diuretics or CCBs. They also have the advantage of placebo-like tolerability, and this contributes favourably to patient compliance with long-term treatment, which is a prerequisite for reducing morbidity and mortality.
Physicochemical and sensory characteristics of low fat meatballs with added wheat bran

Wheat bran was used as a fat substitute in the production of meatballs. The effect of wheat bran addition on the fatty acid composition, trans fatty acids, total fat, some physicochemical, weight losses and sensory properties of the samples was studied. Meatballs were produced with four different formulations including 5%, 10%, 15% and 20% wheat bran addition. Control samples were formulated with 10% fat addition. Meatballs containing wheat bran had lower concentrations of total fat and total trans fatty acids than the control samples. Meatballs made with addition of 20% wheat bran had the highest ash, protein contents, L value (lightness), b value (yellowness), and the lowest moisture, salt content and weight losses and a value (redness). There was significant difference among the meatball samples in respect to sensory properties and control samples had higher acceptability than the other meatball samples.
Exact solution of a triangular ising model in a nonzero magnetic field

A closed-form expression is obtained for the free energy per site of the Ising model on the triangular lattice in a nonzero magnetic field and with two- and three-site interactions. The solution is valid along a trajectory in the parameter space, and is derived using a method of exact decimation. A criterion determining the validity of the decimation method is also established.
Are You With the FBI?: Fieldwork Challenges in a Post 9/11 Muslim American Community

This article is based on my experiences as an ethnographer and criminologist conducting sixteen months of field research among a Muslim American community in central Florida studying the impact of the USA PATRIOT Act. It highlights the unique challenges and obstacles facing researchers conducting participant observation within Muslim communities in the United States in the aftermath of 9/11. Establishing and maintaining trust and credibility with research participants has always been the foundation upon which fieldwork is built. Ethnographers engaged in research in Muslim American communities today must overcome various hurdles, including a deep sense of mistrust, alienation, fear, and potential issues of national security.
Patterns of 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase/Δ5−4isomerase activity in the rhesus monkey placenta and fetal adrenal

3β-Hydroxysteroid dehydrogenaseΔ5−4isomerase activity (3Δ-HSDH) was examined in the rhesus monkey (Macaca mulatta) placenta and fetal adrenal at 135 and 155–162 days of gestation. Activity was evaluated in microsomes by the conversion of [3H]pregnenolone to [3H]progesterone. There was a 7-fold increase in enzyme activity in the whole adrenal (minus medulla) between the two stages of development. Combining data from both periods, enzyme activity was greater in the outer than in the inner region of the adrenal. No stage-dependent change in placental activity was evident. The temporal patterns in 3β-HSDH activity are consistent with corticoid and progesterone patterns in the circulation. Thus, the level of 3β-HSDH activity may be rate limiting in both the fetal adrenal and placenta. Enzyme activity was assessed in incubations which included unex-tracted, heat-treated, 100,000 g tissue supernatants. In both placental and adrenal incubations, competitive inhibition was noted. Ethyl ether extracts of 100,000 g tissue supernatants also inhibited 3β-HSDH in the respective tissues. GLC analysis of these extracts revealed the presence of putative dehydroepiandrosterone. Hormone levels and the nature of the inhibition that were observed are compatible with the conclusion that dehydroepiandrosterone can inhibit the conversion of pregnenolone to progesterone in vivo. The physiological importance of this remains to be determined.
Vaccinia peptides eluted from HLA-DR1 isolated from virus-infected cells are recognized by CD4+ T cells from a vaccinated donor

Class II MHC proteins bind peptides and present them to CD4+ T cells as part of the immune system’s surveillance of bodily tissues for foreign and pathogenic material. Antigen processing and presentation pathways have been characterized in detail in normal cells, but there is little known about the actual viral peptides that are presented to CD4+ T cells that signal infection. In this study, two-dimensional LC-MS/MS was used to identify vaccinia virus-derived peptides among the hundreds to thousands of peptide antigens bound to the human class II MHC protein HLA-DR1 on the surface of vaccinia virus-infected cells. The peptides, derived from the I6L, D6R, and A10L viral proteins, were 15 residues in length, bound efficiently to HLA-DR1 as synthetic peptides, and were recognized by vaccinia-specific CD4+ T cells obtained from an immunized donor.
Review of the efficacy and tolerability of the diclofenac epolamine topical patch 1.3% in patients with acute pain due to soft tissue injuries.

Abstract Background: The diclofenac epolamine topical patch 1.3% (DETP) was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration in January 2007 for the treatment of soft tissue injuries such as strains, sprains, and contusions, although it has been available for many years in >40 countries worldwide. Objective: The aim of this study was to review the efficacy and tolerability of the DETP in relieving acute pain caused by soft tissue injuries. Methods: The MEDLINE, Derwent Drug File, BIOSIS, and EMBASE databases were searched for literature published between 1984 and October 30, 2009, in any language, using the terms diclofenac epolamine patch, diclofenac hydroxyethylpyrrolidine patch , and FLECTOR Patch . Clinical studies of the efficacy and/or tolerability of the DETP in patients with acute pain due to soft tissue injuries or localized periarticular disorders were included. Efficacy studies that enrolled patients with other medical conditions were excluded, except for reports that focused on tolerability, which were included to supplement tolerability data. The bibliographies of included studies were reviewed manually for relevant articles based on inclusion and exclusion criteria, and the manufacturer was contacted for additional relevant postmarketing surveillance information and presentations from scientific meetings. Results: The search identified 6 placebo-controlled clinical studies, 1 active-comparator-controlled clinical study, and 1 open-label comparator clinical study of the efficacy and tolerability of the DETP in patients with soft tissue injuries. Three studies reported on tolerability. Primary analyses among the 8 studies reported DETP-associated reductions in spontaneous pain from baseline, assessed using a visual analog scale, ranging from 26% to 88% on day 7 and 56% to 61% on day 14. The use of the DETP was associated with significantly greater reductions in pain scores compared with a placebo patch (2 studies) on day 7 (88% vs 74%; P = 0.001) and day 14 (56.5% vs 46.8%; P = 0.001) and compared with diclofenac diethylammonium topical gel (1 study) on day 14 (60.8% vs 40.8%; P P = 0.009). The prevalences of adverse events across the 11 studies were low (3.1%–14.0%) and not significantly different from those with placebo (5.8%–16.0%). The most commonly reported adverse events were cutaneous application-site reactions (pruritus, rash, and dermatitis) and gastrointestinal symptoms (nausea). Conclusion: Based on data from clinical studies and postmarketing experience, the DETP was associated with significant pain relief in patients with soft tissue injuries, with good tolerability.
Incorporating cannibalization models into demand forecasting

Purpose – Quantitative measures are not commonly available to identify and measure product cannibalization resulting from the introduction of new products, and existing forecasting methods such as ARIMA do not explicitly account for the phenomenon. This paper aims to present a methodology to build cannibalization effects into forecasting models as measured through product attributes. It follows on from a paper by the same authors in Vol. 23 No. 4Design/methodology/approach – The contribution of product attributes to cannibalization is tested by a series of hypotheses, then integrated into the proposed cannibalization model. Results are compared with predictions from an ARIMA‐based model and actual historical sales data.Findings – The proposed model improves on the fidelity of ARIMA‐based models, by between 16 and 42 percent.Originality/value – Effective prediction of cannibalization losses will allow marketing planners to make better‐informed decisions with respect to new product introduction.
Acoustic Seabed Classification using Fractional Fourier Transform

In this paper we present a time-frequency approach for acoustic seabed classification. Work reported is based on sonar data collected by the Volume Search Sonar (VSS), one of the five sonar systems in the AN/AQS-20. The Volume Search Sonar is a beamformed multibeam sonar system with 27 fore and 27 aft beams, covering almost the entire water volume (from above horizontal, through vertical, back to above horizontal). The processing of a data set of measurement in shallow water is performed using the Fractional Fourier Transform algorithm in order to determine the impulse response of the sediment. The Fractional Fourier transform requires finding the optimum order of the transform that can be estimated based on the properties of the transmitted signal. Singular Value Decomposition and statistical properties of the Wigner and Choi-Williams distributions of the bottom impulse response are employed as features which are, in turn, used for classification. The Wigner distribution can be thought of as a signal energy distribution in joint time-frequency domain. Results of our study show that the proposed technique allows for accurate sediment classification of seafloor bottom data. Experimental results are shown and suggestions for future work are provided.
Task-based evaluation of skin detection for communication and perceptual interfaces

Skin detection is frequently used as the first step for the tasks of face and gesture recognition in perceptual interfaces for human-computer interaction and communication. Thus, it is important for the researchers using skin detection to choose the optimal method for their specific task. In this paper, we propose a novel method of measuring the performance of skin detection for a task. We have created an evaluation framework for the task of hand detection and executed this assessment using a large dataset containing 17 million pixels from 225 images taken under various conditions. The parameter set of the skin detection has been trained extensively. Five colorspace transformations with and without the illuminance component coupled with two color modeling approaches have been evaluated. The results indicate that the best performance is achieved by transforming to SCT colorspace, using the illuminance component, and modeling the distribution with the histogram approach. Some conclusions such as the SCT colorspace being one of the best colorspaces are consistent with our previous work, while findings such as the YUV colorspace performing well in this work when it was one of the worst in our previous work are different. This indicates that the performance measured at the pixel-level might not be the ultimate indicator for the performance at the task-level of hand detection. We believe that the users of skin detection will find our task-based results to be more relevant than the traditional pixel-level results. However, we acknowledge that an evaluation is limited by its specific dataset and evaluation protocols.
The turnover of human plasma very low density lipoprotein protein.

Abstract The plasma decay of three groups of iodinated apoproteins on human very low density lipoproteins were evaluated in two normals, two subjects with endogenous hypertriglyceridemia and another two with dysbetalipoproteinemia. The apo beta decay was more rapid than that of the C apoproteins in all patients. The apo beta decay was more rapid for the normals than for either the subjects with hypertriglyceridemia or dysbetalipoprotenemia. The apo C protein had an irregular decay in the normals but decayed less irregularly for the hypertriglyceridemics. The arginine rich apoprotein had a decay somewhat similar to apo C protein in the normals. The apo beta protein of the α 2 very low density lipoprotein of a dysbetalipoproteinemic was consistent with a precursor relationship to the apo beta of beta very low density lipoprotein of this subject, but the arginine rich apoprotein was not.
Thermodynamics of the binding of ligands by macromolecules

The thermodynamics of the binding of ligands by proteins and other biological macromolecules has been treated by Wyman and others on the basis of the binding polynomial and the binding potential. However, the thermodynamics of the binding of ligands by small molecules and the effects of ligands on the apparent equilibrium constants of biochemical reactions has been developed on the basis of Legendre transformed Gibbs energies of formation. This article brings these seemingly disparate approaches together by considering simple systems and the binding of oxygen by hemoglobin. When the ligand is H+, examples involving small molecules show that the standard transformed Gibbs energy of formation of a reactant at a specified pH is equal to the negative of the binding potential plus a term related to the standard thermodynamic properties of the elements. The standard transformed Gibbs energies of formation of eight forms of deoxygenated and oxygenated hemoglobin are calculated here for a specific set of conditions. This is the most efficient way to store the information from the seven independent apparent equilibrium constants involved. In a second step, a Legendre transform is used to introduce the concentration of molecular oxygen as a natural variable and calculate the apparent equilibrium constant K" for 2TotD = TotT at specified values of [O2], where TotD is the sum of the concentrations of the dimer and its oxygenated forms and TotT is the sum of the concentrations of the tetramer and its oxygenated forms.
The Effect of Population Subdivision on the Rate of Spread of Parasite-Mediated Cytoplasmic Incompatibility

Over 20 species of arthropods are known to harbor an endosymbiotic bacterium, Wolbachia associated with partial reproductive incompatibility. The micro-organism spreads through a random mating population with positive frequency dependence. Many insect populations, however, are subdivided to some degree. In this paper we model the effect of population subdivision on the rate of spread of Wolbachia and show that it slows the rate of spread of the micro-organism but by itself cannot cause a stable polymorphism. The effects of the micro-organism on host fitness, partial incompatibility, and environmental curing are also investigated, both for panmictic and subdivided populations. In all cases, population subdivision slows the rate of spread relative to a panmictic population, but does not produce a stable polymorphism of infection.
Thermodynamic relations in a system of parallel flow tubes

Abstract The entropy creation of a steady-state isothermal flow apparatus is evaluated and shown to be equal to the Gibbs-free-energy difference between inflow and outflow solutions. When flow in a tube is described by p′=–ΩF , the viscous dissipation per unit length is shown to be - p ′ F . For a particular collection of models the energy dissipation is computed and its variation with changes in the parameters of the system studied.
A predictive model for the anticoagulant bivalirudin administered to cardiac surgical patients

Bivalirudin is used in patients with heparin-induced thrombocytopenia and is a direct thrombin inhibitor. Since it is a rarely used drug, clinical experience with its dosing is sparse. We develop a model that predicts the effect of bivalirudin, measured by the Partial Thromboplastin Time (PTT), based on its past fusion rates. We learn population-wide model parameters by solving a nonlinear optimization problem that uses a training set of patient data. More interestingly, we devise an adaptive algorithm based on the extended Kalman filter that can adapt model parameters to individual patients. The latter adaptive model emerges as the most promising as it reduces both the mean error and, drastically, the per-patient error variance. The model accuracy we demonstrate on actual patient measurements is sufficient to be useful in guiding optimal therapy.
Ventilatory responses and blood gases in susceptible and resistant rats to high altitude.

Abstract On exposure to a stimulated altitude of 5500 m (18 000 ft), the Hilltop (H) strain of Sprague-Dawley rats develops signs of chronic mountain sickness (CMS) (severe polycythemia, severe pulmonary hypertension and right ventricular hypertrophy) associated with a high mortality rate. In contrast, the Madison (M) strain of Sprague-Dawley rats remains healthy with less severe cardiopulmonary and hematological responses. We tested the hypothesis that hypoventilation in the H rats relative to the M rats, leading to greater alveolar hypoxia or hypoxemia, could account for the different hematological and cardiopulmonary responses between the two strains. Ventilatory responses and blood gases were compared under normoxia and acute and chronic hypoxia in fully awake and unrestrained animals of the two strains. There were no differences in V E , PaO2, PaCO2, pHa, P v O 2 , P v CO 2 and pH v under either acute or chronic hypoxia between the two strains of rats. It is concluded that relative hypoventilation does not contribute to altitude susceptibility in H rats.
Nucleoside kinase activities of Chinese hamster ovary cells.

Abstract Chinese hamster ovay (CHO) cells and appropriate drug-resistant mutants derived from them have been analyzed for nucleoside kinase activities relevant to the phosphorylation of adenosine, deoxyadenosine, deoxyguanosine and deoxycytidine and for resistance to a variety of nucleoside analogs. Fractionation of extracts by DEAE-cellulose chromatography revealed three major peaks of activity. Adenosine kinase (ATP: adenosine 5′-phosphotransferase, EC 2.7.1.20), the first to elute from the column is responsible for the majority of the deoxyadenosine phosphorylation in cell extracts and, according to resistance data, appears to phosphorylate most adenosine analogs tested, including 9-β- D -arabinosyladenine (ara-A). A deoxyguanosine kinase, the second enzyme to elute from the column, was responsible for the majority of deoxyguanosine and deoxyinosine phosphorylation in cell extracts. The function of this enzyme in cell metabolism is unclear. 2-Chlorodeoxyadenosine, on the other hand, appeared from resistance data to be phosphorylated, at least in part, by deoxycytidine kinase (ATP: deoxycytidine 5′-phosphotransferase, EC 2.7.1.74), which in cell extracts could also phosphorylate deoxyguanosine and deoxyadenosine, though much less efficiently than deoxycytidine.
Reversible Inhibition of Cilia Regeneration in Stentor coeruleus by Isopropyl-n-phenyl Carbamate

ISOPROPYL-n-PHENYL carbamate (IPC), a pre-emergent herbicide1, decreases growth of roots, shoots and leaves2 and induces micronuclei. On the ultrastructural level, low concentrations of IPC in dividing Haemanthus endosperm cells disorient microtubules involved in spindle formation3. Shed-regenerating stentors, known to be producing ciliary microtubules (see ref. 4 for discussion of complete band and in situ stentor oral cilia regeneration), are reversibly sensitive to colchicine5. The mechanism of action of IPC is thought to involve inhibition or disorientation of microtubules, so, by analogy with colchicine, IPC should interfere with regenerating cilia. These experiments were designed to compare the effects of IPC on cilia regeneration, growth and macronuclear morphology with the known effects of colchicine on these parameters5,6.
Influence of aeration and carbon source on production of microcin B17 by Escherichia coli ZK650.

Previous studies [Connell et al. (1987) Mol Microbiol 1: 195–201] have shown that expression of the microcin B17 (MccB17) promoter is inversely related to the growth rate of the culture, when slower growth was brought about by limitation of sources of carbon, nitrogen or phosphorus. When we used oxygen limitation to decrease growth in a glucose-based chemically defined medium, we found specific MccB17 production to be positively related to growth rate and extent. On the other hand, when we examined various nutritional variations of media, specific production of MccB17 showed a negative relationship to growth rate and extent, as would be predicted by the findings of Connell et al. (1987). Glucose, glycerol and acetate were found to repress MccB17 production; succinate was not repressive. Succinate is an excellent carbon source for production of MccB17 since high levels can be used with no or little interference in product synthesis.
Maximum Entropy Modelling of Mixture Distributions

Shannon’s entropy is usually defined separately for discrete, and for (absolutely) continuous random variables. However, many random variables encountered in practice have mixed (discrete‐continuous) distributions. A simple expression for the entropy of random variables with mixed (discrete‐continuous) distributions is derived in terms of the usual entropy definitions. In addition, the maximum entropy problem in the general setting of mixture distributions is discussed.
Differential processing of Asn-linked oligosaccharides on pituitary glycoprotein hormones: implications for biologic function.

Luteinizing hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone, and thyroid-stimulating hormone from pituitary and chorionic gonadotropin from placenta are a family of glycoproteins, each consisting of an α and β subunit. Within an animal species, the α subunit of all four hormones contains the identical amino acid sequence, while each β subunit is distinct and confers biologic specificity to the hormone dimer. Despite sharing common α subunits, these hormones bear Asn-linked oligosaccharides which differ in structure. Whereas chorionic gonadotropin contains exclusively neutral and sialylated oligosaccharides, the pituitary hormones bear neutral, sialylated, sulfated, and sialylated/sulfated structures. The sulfated oligosaccharides are unique in structure and are more prevalent on certain pituitary hormones, indicating that the synthesis of these unusual oligosaccharides is tightly regulated. The differences in oligosaccharide structures in conjunction with the highly specific endocrine responses elicited by these hormones, suggest an important functional role for the oligosaccharides, such as metabolic clearance, control of hormone response, modulation of hormone potency, and/or intracellular sorting of hormones into separate secretory granules.
Regulation of Aflatoxin Biosynthesis: Effect of Exogenously Supplied Cyclic Nucleotides

The effects of CAMP, cGMP, AMP, and GMP on aflatoxin accumulation were studied using flask and test tube cultures of Aspergillus parasiticus. The response to cGMP supplementation was variable, depending on the type of culture system employed. Cyclic AMP produced a dose-related increase in aflatoxin production, with 5.0 mM supplementation resulting in as much as an 18-fold increase in toxin accumulation. Stimulation of aflatoxin production by cAMP was not attributable to nutritional effects, and the results suggest that cAMP may be a key regulatory control point governing aflatoxin biosynthesis.
Left Ventricular Finite Element Model Bounded by a Systemic Circulation Model

A series of models were developed in which a circulatory system model was coupled to an existing series of finite element (FE) models of the left ventricle (LV). The circulatory models were used to provide realistic boundary conditions for the LV models. This was developed for the JSim analysis package and was composed of a systemic arterial, capillary, and venous system in a closed loop with a varying elastance LV and left atria to provide the driving pressures and flows matching those of the FE model. Three coupled models were developed, a normal LV under normotensive aortic loading (116/80mm Hg), a mild hypertension (137/89mm Hg) model, and a moderate hypertension model (165/100mm Hg). The initial step in the modeling analysis was that the circulation was optimized to the enddiastolic pressure and volume values of the LV model. The cardiac FE models were then optimized to the systolic pressure/volume characteristics of the steady-state JSim circulatory model solution. Comparison of the stress predictions for the three models indicated that the mild hypertensive case produced a 21% increase in the average fiber stress levels, and the moderate hypertension case had a 36% increase in average stress. The circulatory work increased by 18% and 43% over that of the control for the mild and moderate hypertensive cases, respectively. [DOI: 10.1115/1.4023697]
HIV risk behavior among patients with co-occurring bipolar and substance use disorders: associations with mania and drug abuse.

Background Bipolar and substance use disorders frequently co-occur, and both are associated with impulsivity, impaired judgment, and risk-taking.
Carbon dioxide emissions from switchgrass and cottonwood grown as bioenergy crops in the Lower Mississippi River Alluvial Valley

Abstract Marginal land of the Lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley (LMAV) has the potential to be utilized for substantial production of bioenergy feedstocks. However, resulting ecosystem services associated with dedicated bioenergy crop production, such as soil respiration and carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) emissions, which play an important role in global carbon (C) cycling, are not well understood. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of land use [i.e., switchgrass ( Panicum virgatum ) and eastern cottonwood ( Populus deltoides ) grown as dedicated bioenergy crops and a soybean ( Glycine max )-grain sorghum ( Sorghum bicolor ) agroecosystem rotation] on monthly respiration and estimated annual CO 2 emissions for 2012 and 2013 from a silt -loam soil in east-central Arkansas. Peak monthly fluxes achieved each year differed ( p 2 emissions differed among ecosystems ( p p = 0.45). Cottonwood emitted less CO 2 in both years (7.3 and 7.4 Mg ha −1 for 2012 and 2013, respectively) compared to the other two ecosystems, while emissions from the switchgrass did not differ from those from the soybean in 2012 (10.3 and 9.5 Mg ha −1 , respectively) or grain sorghum in 2013 (9.7 and 9.2 Mg ha −1 , respectively). Results showed established bioenergy feedstock cropping systems do not have greater soil CO 2 emissions compared with a traditional soybean-grain sorghum crop rotation. Results also indicated that different bioenergy feedstocks can produce different quantities of CO 2 emissions, which may be important to consider when converting marginal lands to bioenergy feedstock cropping systems.
Simple, Versatile CAMAC Crate Controller and Interrupt Priority ENC Oding Module

A simple, versatile crate controller has been in use in CAMAC installations at SLAC for several years. Its design is based upon the criteria of minimum circuitry to connect seven CAMAC crates together on a "SLAC branch". A priority encoding module to rapidly identify interrupt sources has been designed to work in conjunction with this crate controller for high rate interrupt environments. The concept is applicable to the standard branch as well.
Magnetic annealing of NiFe films that possess a stable structure

The magnitude of the anisotropy field, HK, has been measured during magnetic annealing of vapor-deposited NiFe films that possess an axis of uniaxial anisotropy. In order to achieve a stable structure, and thereby eliminate contributions from simultaneous metallurgical processes, the films were recrystallized at a temperature higher than any of the subsequent annealing temperatures. It was observed that one fundamental process dominated the annealing, characterized by an average activation energy of 2.4 eV. This activation energy agrees well with the activation energy for self-diffusion in NiFe alloys. The composition dependence of the activation energy for magnetic annealing reveals a minimum near Ni3Fe. Since the diffusion of Ni, but not Fe, in NiFe alloys exhibits a similar minimum, it appears that the diffusion of Ni is the rate-controlling process. The magnitude of the maximum values of HK obtainable by magnetic annealing are also presented. Die Anisotropiefeldstarke HK wurde wahrend des Temperns im Magnetfeld an NiFe-Aufdampfschichten gemessen, die eine einachsige magnetische Anisotropie besasen. Vor den Messungen wurden die Proben Warmebehandlungen bei Temperaturen unterworfen, die hoher als die darauffolgenden Anlastemperaturen waren, so das durch die Bildung von Gleichgewichtsstrukturen Anderungen wahrend des Temperns vermieden wurden. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, das ein einzelner Vorgang mit einer Aktivierungsenergie von 2,4 eV vorherrscht. Diese Zahl entspricht der Aktivierungsenergie der Selbstdiffusion in NiFe-Legierungen. Die Konzentrationsabhangigkeit der Aktivierungsenergie ergibt beim Tempern im Magnetfeld ein Minimum in der Nahe der Zusammensetzung Ni3Fe. Da die Diffusion von Ni – jedoch nicht die von Fe – in NiFe-Legierungen ein ahnliches Minimum aufweist, scheint die Diffusion von Ni der geschwindigkeitsbestimmende Vorgang zu sein. Die Maximalwerte von HK beim Tempern im Magnetfeld werden ebenfalls mitgeteilt.
Association between early postnatal weight loss and death or BPD in small and appropriate for gestational age extremely low-birth-weight infants.

To examine the association between weight loss during the first 10 days of life and the incidence of death or bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) in small for gestational age (SGA) and appropriate for gestational age (AGA) extremely low-birth-weight infants. This is a retrospective analysis of a cohort of ELBW (birth weight <1000 g) infants from the NICHD Neonatal Research Network's database. The cohort consisted of 9461 ELBW infants with gestational age of 24–29 weeks, admitted to Network's participating centers during calendar years 1994–2002 and surviving at least 72 h after birth. The cohort was divided into two groups, 1248 SGA (with birth weight below 10th percentile for gestational age) and 8213 AGA (with birth weight between 10th and 90th percentile) infants. We identified infants with or without weight loss during the first 10 days of life, which we termed as ‘early postnatal weight loss’ (EPWL). Univariate analyses were used to predict whether EPWL was related to the primary outcome, death or BPD, within each birth weight/gestation category (SGA or AGA). BPD and death were also analyzed separately in relation to EPWL. Logistic regression analysis was done to evaluate the risk of death or BPD in SGA and AGA groups, controlling for maternal and neonatal demographic and clinical factors found to be significant by univariate analysis. SGA ELBW infants had a lower prevalence of EPWL as compared with AGA ELBW infants (81.2 vs 93.7%, respectively, P<0.001). In AGA infants, univariate analysis showed that death or BPD rate was lower in the group of infants with EPWL compared with infants without EPWL (53.4 vs 74.3%, respectively, P<0.001). The BPD (47.2 vs 64%, P<0.001) and death (13.8 vs 32.9%, P<0.001) rate were similarly lower in the EPWL group. The risk-adjusted odds ratios (ORs) showed that EPWL was associated with lower rate of death or BPD (OR 0.47, 95% CI: 0.37–0.60). In SGA infants, on univariate analysis, a similar association between EPWL and outcomes was seen as shown in AGA infants: death or BPD (55.9 vs 75.2%, P<0.001), BPD rate (48.3 vs 62.1%, P=0.002) and rate death (19 vs 40.8%, P<0.001) for those with or without EPWL, respectively. Multiple logistic regression showed that as in AGA ELBW infants, EPWL was associated with lower risk for death or BPD (OR 0.60, 95% CI: 0.41–0.89) among SGA infants. SGA infants experienced less EPWL when compared with their AGA counterparts. EPWL was associated with a lower risk of death or BPD in both ELBW AGA and SGA infants. These data suggest that clinicians who consider the association between EPWL and risk of death or BPD should do so independent of gestation/birth weight status.
Muon reconstruction in large rectangular detectors

Abstract An element-directed pattern recognition program has been developed as part of an integrated data acquisition, analysis, and modeling system for large rectangular neutrino and muon detectors. The system's performance on an existing muon detector and a proposed neutrino and muon detector is presented.