cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Does the presence or absence of funneling influence the incidence of preterm birth in women with a short cervical length

OF PRETERM BIRTH IN WOMEN WITH A SHORT CERVICAL LENGTH? VINCENZO BERGHELLA, AMANDA ROMAN, Thomas Jefferson University, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania OBJECTIVE: To estimate if the presence or absence of funneling influence the incidence of spontaneous preterm birth (SPTB) in women with a short cervical length (CL) on transvaginal ultrasound (TVU). STUDY DESIGN: Women identified to have a short CL on TVU between 14 0/7 and 23 6/7 weeks at Thomas Jefferson University were reviewed between 1995 and June 2005. A short CL was defined as !25 mm. Funneling was defined as the ratio of funnel length over funnel length plus functional CL, and considered present if this ratio was O25%. Exclusion criteria were major fetal anomaly, prophylactic cerclage, indicated preterm birth, and multiple gestation. Cases were defined as those women with a short CL with funneling, while controls were women with short CL without funneling. Primary outcome was SPTB !35weeks. RESULTS: Two hundred forty-three women with singleton gestations and a short CL! 25 mm between 14 23 6/7 weeks were identified. Seventy-eight women with funneling were matched and compared to 78 women with no funneling. The two groups were similar in demographics and risk factors, including CL, gestational age (GA) at short CL, and prior SPTB (Table). The outcomes of SPTB ! 35 weeks, SPTB !32 weeks, and PPROM were not different in these two groups (Table). CONCLUSION: Funneling in women with a short CL ! 25 mm between 14 0/7 and 23 6/7 weeks did not increase the incidence of SPTB compared to similar women with no funneling. The risk of SPTB in women with a short CL should therefore be estimated just from the degree of cervical shortening.
Infinitesimal bendings of high orders for homogeneous surfaces with positive curvature and a flat point

For any given n∈Z+ and k∈Z+, infinitesimal bendings of order n and of class Ck are constructed for a class of surfaces in R3. These surfaces are given as graphs of homogeneous polynomials P(x,y) and they have positive curvature except at the origin.
Lyginopteris royalii sp. nov. from the Upper Mississippian of North America

Abstract A new species of the seed fern Lyginopteris is described from a nodule in Upper Mississippian (middle Chesterian-Namurian A) shales of the Fayetteville Formation in northwestern Arkansas. The pyritized stem is 29 cm long and slightly compressed, with a diameter of about 11×5 mm, and shows seven diverging leaf bases. The primary xylem of the specimen is eustelic. Foliar bundles extend through five internodes before entering the rachis bases; they do not divide along their trajectory through the stem. Phyllotaxis of the specimen approaches 2/5. Longitudinally oriented sclerenchyma strands accompany the diverging foliar vascular bundles adaxially in the cortex, and are incorporated in the outer cortex above the level of foliar rachis divergence. In contrast to previously described Lyginopteris species, this species lacks capitate epidermal glands. A Lyginopteris type rachis with a paired vascular bundle is preserved in the same nodule. Coprolites probably produced by oribatid mites are present in different tissues of the stem. The study of the leaf trace divergence necessitated the use of a deformation model to help reconstruct the original position of the cauline bundles in the compressed stele. This occurrence of Lyginopteris confirms earlier reports of the genus from North America and emphasizes that it was not restricted to Western Europe.
Effects of Left and Right Cerebral Lesions on the Naming Process

This experiment tested two major hypotheses: (1) Left hemisphere damage will have a more adverse effect on the naming process than on the ability to read and (2) increments in semantic interference will disrupt the performance of patients with left-hemisphere damage more than that of patients with right-hemisphere damage. Patients with left cerebral lesions consistently performed more poorly than the right-hemisphere-damage patients across all stimulus and response conditions. Aphasic lefts had more difficulty with naming than with reading. Hypothesis 2 was not supported. The findings are discussed with reference to the adequacy of the “verbal-nonverbal” dichotomy for describing functional differences between the left and right cerebral hemispheres.
Improving sensitivity in shotgun proteomics using a peptide-centric database with reduced complexity: protease cleavage and SCX elution rules from data mining of MS/MS spectra.

Correct identification of a peptide sequence from MS/MS data is still a challenging research problem, particularly in proteomic analyses of higher eukaryotes where protein databases are large. The scoring methods of search programs often generate cases where incorrect peptide sequences score higher than correct peptide sequences (referred to as distraction). Because smaller databases yield less distraction and better discrimination between correct and incorrect assignments, we developed a method for editing a peptide-centric database (PC-DB) to remove unlikely sequences and strategies for enabling search programs to utilize this peptide database. Rules for unlikely missed cleavage and nontryptic proteolysis products were identified by data mining 11 849 high-confidence peptide assignments. We also evaluated ion exchange chromatographic behavior as an editing criterion to generate subset databases. When used to search a well-annotated test data set of MS/MS spectra, we found no loss of critical information...
Antibody-mediated internalization of B lymphocyte surface membrane immunoglobulin.

Abstract The ultrastructural correlates of antibody-mediated internalization of membrane immunoglobulin determinants has been studied in the guinea pig using a horseradish peroxidase conjugate of rabbit anti-guinea pig immunoglobulin. We have observed that polar flow of ligand-induced micro-aggregated membrane immunoglobulin proceeds by local deformation of the plasma membrane into open-ended endocytic vesicles which in turn accumulate at the Golgi-associated pole prior to completion of endocytosis. ‘Capping’ does not appear to result from simple diffusion of the aggregates within the plane of the membrane. In addition, the question of whether anti-immunoglobulin can induce the formation of uropods on B lymphocytes in the guinea pig was examined. Formation of uropod-like structures on B lymphocytes appears to be factitious and induced by accumulation at the Golgi-associated cell pole of non-internalizable aggregates of membrane immunoglobulin linked to cell debris. These observations are interpreted as supporting the concept that spontaneous uropod formation by lymphocytes in the absence of anti-immunoglobulin reagents is a characteristic of antigen-reactive thymus-derived lymphocytes in the guinea pig.
Towards a positive theory of political rhetoric: Why do politicians lie?

This paper presents a model in which politicians can increase the probability of election by making exaggerated claims about the benefits of their own platform — referred to as positive campaigning — and by exaggerating the undesirable characteristics of their rival — i.e., negative campaigning. Such lies may be detected at some point in the future and thus result in a costly loss in reputation. Thus the politician must tradeoff immediate benefits against potential future costs. Of course this problem is similar to any commercial endeavor — a car maker, for example, is tempted to claim that his car is better and the competition's is worse than it is. But it is shown that the lack of transferable property rights to political office makes lying more likely in political markets. It is also shown that there is a natural tendency for politicians to engage in more negative campaigning.
Thermo-physical processes in cerium nitrate precursor droplets injected into high temperature plasma

Abstract The thermo-physical phenomena inside a droplet during its flight in a thermal plasma flow have been modeled for SPPS processes using cerium nitrate precursor. The different thermo-physical stages encountered during droplets' flight include aerodynamic breakup, rapid vaporization of solvent and precipitation, internal pressurization with shell rupture and rapid heating of volumetrically precipitated ceramic particle. The effects of injection type (transverse versus axial) and initial size of the droplets on the final deposit layer microstructure have been studied. The results show that for axial injection the heating process is very rapid and smaller droplets ( 20 µm) have better chances of getting pyrolized in the case of transverse injection. It was also observed that the angle of trajectory of the droplets after primary (first) precipitation does not have much effect on the final microstructure.
Improved Physical Properties and Rotational Dynamics in a Molecular Gyroscope with an Asymmetric Stator Structure

[structure: see text] A molecular gyroscope consisting of a 1,4-diethynylphenylene rotator linked to trityl and triptycyl groups (3) showed significantly improved physical properties and faster rotational dynamics than analogous symmetric bis(trityl) (1) or bis(triptycyl) (2) structures. An activation energy of 7.9 kcal/mol for 3 was determined by 2H NMR. This is ca. 4-6 kcal/mol lower than that of compound 1. The different dynamics of the three compounds can be qualitatively understood in terms of their different packing coefficients.
Image analysis of particle perimeters

Abstract The results of Quantimet measurements of particle perimeter and cross-sectional area are reported. The objective was to determine whether increasing magnification would reveal enough additional detail to cause a significant increase in the measured perimeter. Measurements on particles having simple and relatively complex shapes were compared. Increased perimeters of both particle types were found with increasing magnification, while cross-sectional area estimates remained constant. These curious results are shown to be analogous to the behavior of certain mathematical curves.
Factors regulating the elongation of palmitic and stearic acid by rat liver microsomes

Abstract Analysis of the rates of overall chain elongation and condensation of malonyl-CoA with palmitoyl-CoA and stearoyl-CoA as primers demonstrated that for each primer, the rate of the overall metabolic process was similar to the initial condensation. The specific activity for condensation with palmitoyl-CoA was eleven times greater than for stearoyl-CoA. The specific activities of both the (β-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrase and 2-trans-enoyl-CoA reductase reactions were much higher than for either condensation or chain elongation, although these rates were somewhat greater with the intermediates required in chain elongating palmitoyl-CoA than for stearoyl-CoA. Both substrates were incorporated into phospholipids at low rates and there was a time-dependent hydrolytic cleavage of the acyl-CoA primers which was partially prevented by bovine serum albumin. These findings demonstrate that there was no selective removal of either primer which could result in specific substrate depletion and an apparent reduction in the rate of condensation. These combined results firmly establish the rate-limiting nature and high degree of substrate specificity exhibited during the initial condensation step in fatty acid elongation.
A role for γ -aminobutyric acid (GABA) in the evolution of delayed neuronal death following ischemia

A series of putative neuroprotective agents was tested to determine their efficacy in preventing the loss of the CA 1 neurons of the hippocampus at 4 days following 5 min of bilateral ischemia in the gerbil. Agents associated with the GABAergic system were determined to be the most effective, but only when given prior to the ischemic episode, suggesting that there was aγ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-related event during ischemia which triggers the delayed neuronal death of these cells. In this report, the unidirectional release of GABA and glutamate from gerbil hippocampal slices was determined under conditions mimicking anoxia and/or ischemia. Pentobarbital, the most effective of the GABAergic agents, had little or no effect on the time-dependent release of glutamate. In contrast, pentobarbital reduced in release of GABA in both anoxia and ischemia, but only after 25 to 30 min of incubation.
Effects of thyrotropin-releasing hormone on plasma thyroxine in the calf: comparison of intraventricular and intravenous injection routes.

SummaryVarious doses of TRH (12.5, 25, 50, 100, and 200 μg) were injected into the lateral ventricle and jugular vein of unanesthetized calves to examine the possibility of CSF transport of thyrotropin-re-leasing hormone (TRH). At higher doses (100 and 200 μg), there was no major difference in effectiveness of jugular and ventricular TRH to elevate thyroxine levels. Thyroxine levels were significantly elevated as early as 1.5 hr and peaks occurred 6 to 12 hr after 100 μg of TRH. At the lower doses (<100 μg), the effectiveness of TRH to elevate thyroxine levels was clearly route dependent. All TRH doses (<100 μg) by jugular injection were effective, while only the 50-μg intraventricular dose was clearly effective. These observations indirectly indicate that TRH is transferred from CSF to the vascular system. This transfer process, possibly involving cells of the median eminence, may impede the movement of TRH to blood and thus account for the reduced effectiveness of intraventricular TRH.
Self-Assembled Monolayers of Alkylphosphonic Acid on GaN Substrates

In this paper we describe the formation and characterization of self-assembled monolayers of octadecylphosphonic acid (ODPA) on epitaxial (0001) GaN films on sapphire. By immersing the substrate in its toluene solution, ODPA strongly adsorbed onto UV/O3-treated GaN to give a hydrophobic surface. Spectroscopic ellipsometry verified the formation of a well-packed monolayer of ODPA on the GaN substrate. In contrast, adsorption of other primarily substituted hydrocarbons (CnH2n+1X; n = 16−18; X = −COOH, −NH2, −SH, and −OH) offered less hydrophobic surfaces, reflecting their weaker interaction with the GaN substrate surfaces. A UV/O3-treated N-polar GaN had a high affinity to the −COOH group in addition to ODPA, possibly reflecting the basic properties of the surface. These observations suggested that the molecular adsorption was primarily based on hydrogen bond interactions between the surface oxide layer on the GaN substrate and the polar functional groups of the molecules. The as-prepared ODPA monolayers we...
An optimization-based approach to special-events traffic signal timing control

A sudden traffic surge immediately after special events (e.g., conventions, sporting events, concerts) can create substantial traffic congestion in the area where the events are held. One desirable solution is to develop a short-term traffic signal timing adjustment for the high-volume traffic movements associated with special events so that progression is as efficient as possible. In this paper, we present a case study of special-events traffic signal timing control for a small-scale network. A neural network (NN) is used as a signal controller with its weights determined via the Simultaneous Perturbation Stochastic Approximation (SPSA) method. The SPSA optimization is conducted by minimizing a chosen tolerance index as our performance criterion. The timing plans are developed, and the performance evaluations using the existing signal timing and the one generated by the proposed algorithm are also investigated. Our study shows the advantage and potential of using the NN-based SPSA optimization approach to special-events traffic signal timing control. Although this paper presents a case study, the results can be easily modified and applied to large-scale events traffic control.
Use of a Collimated Source of Fast Neutrons to Measure Malignant Tumor Electrolyte Exchange Kinetics

A facility has been designed and installed which makes it possible to measure the rate of exchange of sodium and chlorine from any selected body site. The subject is positioned so that fast neutrons can be directed on the tissue of interest. An eight second irradiation is carried out during which approximately 1 rad of radiation dose is delivered to the tissue. The subject is rapidly transferred (1-2 min.) to another facility where the irradiated volume can be placed between two NaI(T1) crystals for counting. A series of gamma-ray spectra are collected over a period of approximately 1 hour. Sodium and chlorine intensities are obtained from each spectrum by use of a least-square computer fitting program. The intensities are corrected for radioactive decay and then used to compute the tissue electrolyte exchange rates by means of a leastsquare multiple exponential component fitting program. The methodology employed has allowed an early component with 1-10 minute half-time to be obtained in sodium and chlorine tissue exchange for the first time.
602 HYPERKALEMIA IN A CHILD WITH SICKLE CELL ANEMIA AND DIABETES MELLITUS

An 18 year old black girl with sickle cell anemia (SCA) who has diabetes mellitus, a high renal threshold for glucose, and unexplained hyperkalemia is reported. The patient was diagnosed to have SCA at 2-8/12 years of age and diabetes mellitus at 11 years of age. During her recent admissions for painful crises her renal threshold for glucose was found to be increased to 350 mg/dl and on several occasions her serum potassium levels were elevated (5.5-8.5 mEq/liter). Ketones were not found in the blood or urine and her blood gases were normal. In an attempt to explain the hyperkalemia and high renal threshold for glucose, sodium and potassium balance and renal function studies were done, as well as an evaluation of her renin aldosterone axis (RAA). The following results were found: (a) normal plasma renin activity and aldosterone at the time of hyperkalemia and under controlled circumstances, (b) slightly positive sodium balance, (c) positive potassium balance, as long as the hyperglycemia was not well controlled, and (d) glomerular, proximal and distal tubular dysfunction. These results can best be explained by lack of insulin and a mild degree of renal insufficiency. This renal insufficiency is mainly secondary to SCA but is aggravated by her diabetes as shown by renal biopsy.
An acidic modification of the cytoplasmic domain contributes to the charge heterogeneity of the MHC class I antigens

Polypeptide phosphorylation and sialylation of the glycan moieties contribute to the charge heterogeneity of the class I major histocompatibility complex glycoproteins. The present study demonstrates that a unique acidic modification unrelated to phosphorylation or glycosylation also affects the charge heterogeneity of the H2-Kk heavy chain of BW5147 lymphoma cells. In vitro cultivation of BW5147 cells results in changes in charge heterogeneity of the H2-Kk heavy chains due to the unique acidic modification. Sequential papain digestion of the 45 000 Mr H2-Kk glycoprotein yields a 42 500 Mr glycopolypeptide initially, followed by production of a 39 000 Mr glycopolypeptide. Results from experiments designed to localize and characterize the novel acidic modification suggest that the modification resides in the segment of the H2-Kk polypeptide located between the two papain cleavage sites. This portion of the polypeptide consists of the transmembrane region and part of the cytoplasmic domain of the H2-Kk heavy chain. At steady state, 25% of the total cell surface H2-Kk possesses this modification. In addition, the modification is mutually exclusive with the phosphorylation of the H2-Kk heavy chain at Ser-333. The possible biological significance of the novel modification of class I antigens is discussed.
Permeability control of poly(methacrylic acid)–poly(ethylenimine) complex capsule membrane responding to external pH

Previously, permeability of partly crosslinked poly(acrylic acid)–poly(ethylenimine) complex capsule membranes has been shown to be controlled responding to external pH [K. Kono, F. Tabata, and T. Takagishi, J. Membr. Sci., 76, 233 (1993)]. In order to improve pH-dependent permeation behavior of the polyelectrolyte complex capsule membranes, poly(methacrylic acid), which has hydrophobic side groups, was used as a polyanion component instead of poly(acrylic acid). The polyelectrolyte complex capsules composed of poly(methacrylic acid)–poly(ethylenimine) with a diameter of 5.2 mm were prepared. Permeation of phenylethylene glycol, which was used as a permeant, through the capsule membrane was quite limited at pH between 4 and 8. The permeation of the permeant across the capsule membrane in these pH regions was much less than that of poly(acrylic acid)–poly(ethylenimine) complex capsule membrane. However, the permeability constant was drastically increased in the order of 1 or 2 above pH 8 and below pH 4, depending on temperature. The Arrhenius plot for the permeation of phenylethylene glycol through the capsule membrane showed that the activation energy for the permeation is almost constant in the pH region between 4.5 and 8, but greatly decreases below pH 4 and above pH 8.8, suggesting occurrence of a significant change of the capsule membrane structure near these pH regions due to dissociation of polyelectrolyte complex. When environmental pH of the capsule was changed, release rate of phenylethylene glycol from the capsule was altered quickly and reversibly under acidic condition. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
What Voyager cosmic ray data in the outer heliosphere tells us about 10Be production in the Earth's polar atmosphere in the recent past

[1] Voyager measurements of the galactic proton and Helium nuclei spectra beyond the heliospheric termination shock and out to ∼110 AU seem to imply lower interstellar cosmic ray intensities of these nuclei than previously estimated. Using new interstellar spectra that are in much better agreement with these Voyager measurements we have calculated the production of 10Be in the Earth's polar atmosphere. This maximum possible 10Be production is only 1.47 ± 0.05 times the production occurring at recent times of minimum solar 11 year modulation between 1954 and 2009. This implies that the 10Be concentrations measured in polar ice cores at the times of the recent Spoerer and Maunder minima, which were between 1.6–2.0 times those measured recently at the times of minimum solar modulation, are most likely not solely related to changes in solar heliospheric modulation between these time periods, but other effects such as local and regional climate near the measuring sites may play a significant role in the differences in the relative 10Be concentration measurements at the two times.
Epicardial development in the axolotl, ambystoma mexicanum

Recent studies on avian and mammalian embryos have established that the epicardium is derived, not from the early heart tube, but from mesothelial tissue overlying the sinus venosus. We tested the validity of this concept for Amphibia by examining normal and cardiac lethal (c/c) mutant axolotl embryos (stages 35-43) by electron microscopy. In axolotl embryos, the myocardial surface of the heart remains exposed to the pericardial fluid through stage 39. At this stage the transverse septum releases into the pericardial cavity mesothelial cells that subsequently flatten over the adjacent ventricular myocardium. However, mesothelial cells observed on the developing epicardium always appear rounded and may extend a filopodium up to 75 mm. This apparent “substrate-dependent” difference in mesothelial cell shape may promote the extension of the epicardium over the rest of the myocardium. The initial site of epicardial formation persists in the adult as the ventricular pericardial stalk that connects the epicardium to the peritoneal lining of the transverse septum. Cardiac lethal (c/c) mutant embryos, despite the non-contractility of their myocardia, form their epicardia in the same way. This suggests that the c/c mutation does not impair those properties of the myocardium that render it a suitable substrate for epicardial spreading. The abnormal pattern of epicardial coverage of the edematous stage 41 c/c mutant heart could be the result of its abnormally large myocardial surface area, the abnormal proximity of the atrium to the transverse septum, and/or the absence of heart contractions which could aid the dispersion of mesothelial cells within the pericardial cavity. Despite species differences, epicardial development in the axolotl is similar to the general pattern described for higher vertebrate embryos.
A dedicated craniofacial trauma team improves efficiency and reduces cost.

Abstract Background. In this era of limited medical resources there is ever increasing pressure to lower costs, while preserving high-quality patient care. A dedicated craniofacial and skull base trauma team (SBT) was established at our Level I trauma center in July 1998. Previously, a rotating call panel of multiple private surgical subspecialists consulted on trauma patients with craniofacial or skull base injuries (Pre-SBT). This study was designed to assess the impact a dedicated craniofacial and skull base trauma team has on the cost and quality of patient care. Materials and methods. A retrospective review of the trauma registry and charts was performed including all craniofacial and skull base trauma cases in the 18 months Pre-SBT and 18 months following the establishment of a SBT. Results. During the Pre-SBT period there were 29 craniofacial and skull base operations, whereas 28 such cases were performed by the SBT. The age, sex, injury severity score (ISS), mechanism of injury, and type of craniofacial/skull base injuries were comparable between groups. The SBT group demonstrated a reduction in the number of patients transferred to other institutions for definitive care (7 vs 1, P = 0.05) and statistically significant reduction in the number of subspecialty consultations (2.4 vs 1.3), time to operation (7.5 vs 3.0 days), and length of hospitalization (11.8 vs 6.8, all with P ≤ 0.001). Additionally, hospital charges were markedly reduced in the SBT group ($106,424 vs $58,136, P Conclusions. The addition of a dedicated craniofacial trauma team to a Level I trauma center provides more comprehensive care, improves efficiency, and reduces cost.
906-61 Acoustic Quantification in the Infarcted Ventricle: Comparison with Electron Beam Computed Tomography

Assessment of LV size and function by acoustic quantification (AQ) correlates well with other techniques in patients with normally contracting ventricles. This prospective study examined the correlation between AQ and electron beam computed tomography (EBCT) volume measurements in patients with first anterior Q-wave MI and abnormally contracting ventricles. End-diastolic (EDV) and end-systolic (ESV) volumes by AQ were determined from standard four-chamber (4ch) and two-chamber (2ch) apical windows. The AQ tracings were transformed to volumetric measurements using the area-length (AL) and the modified Simpson's (mod.S) methods. EDV and ESV by EBCT were obtained conventionally by summation of manually traced LV areas on each short axis tomograms using Simpson's rule. Thirteen patients were imaged by both EBCT and echocardiography within 24 hours. EBCT-EDV ranged from 129–234 ml (mean 173 ± 34 ml and ESV from 58–109 ml (mean 82 ± 19 ml). The EDV and ESV by AQ, their correlation to EBCT and the accompanying p values are shown below: EDV-2ch EDV-4ch ESV-2ch ESV-4ch Vol (ml) 88 ± 30 97 ± 30 43 ± 20 50 ± 22 AL r 0.76 0.56 0.58 0.34 p 0.006 0.049 0.061 0.258 Vol (ml) 80 ± 33 90 ± 31 40 ± 21 45 ± 20 mod.S r 0.76 0.70 0.72 0.58 p 0.006 0.008 0.012 0.037 Conclusions [1] AQ underestimates absolute EDV and ESV measured by EBCT. [2] AQ-EDV correlates well with EBCT, particularly using the mod.S method. [3] AQ-ESV correlation to EBCT drops due to the asymmetric contraction pattern of infarcted ventricles. [4] The AL method's accuracy is particularly susceptible to asymmetric contraction in distorted ventricles. [5] Correction factors can be applied to account for the offset of EDV and ESV measurements by AQ.
Coronary vasoconstriction induced by vasopressin. Production of myocardial ischemia in dogs by constriction of nondiseased small vessels.

BACKGROUNDWe studied the effect of intracoronary administration of arginine-8-vasopressin on blood flow in nondiseased coronary arteries and determined whether this vasoconstriction was severe enough to produce ischemia in 30 dogs.METHODS AND RESULTSIn group 1 (n = 6), after vasopressin administration coronary blood flow was decreased by 41% (p less than 0.002) without changes in heart rate or aortic pressure, and left ventricular ejection fraction measured by radionuclide angiocardiography was decreased by 18% (p less than 0.0005). In group 2 (n = 6), ischemia was confirmed by measurement of transmural pH changes. Administration of vasopressin decreased subendocardial pH of the infused zone from 7.40 +/- 0.03 to 7.31 +/- 0.07 (p less than 0.01). The subendocardial pH of the zone not infused with vasopressin did not change. To overcome the intrinsic regulation of blood flow, operating primarily in small coronary arteries, we hypothesized that vasopressin must increase resistance primarily in large rather ...
Variance and covariance of irradiance of a finite beam in extremely strong turbulence

An analysis of the variance and covariance of irradiance of a finite beam wave in strong turbulence with effects of small residual log-amplitude perturbations of a spherical wave is presented. The method is based upon phenomenological elaboration of the extended Huygens-Fresnel formulation that succeeds quantitatively in reproducing the variance and covariance of observed scintillation irradiance in strong turbulence. It is found that the normalized variance reaches unity and the covariance approaches that of a spherical wave in the limit of very high turbulence.
High resolution X-ray structure of yeast hexokinase, an allosteric protein exhibiting a non-symmetric arrangement of subunits

Abstract The structure determination of yeast hexokinase has been extended to 3.5 A resolution for the dimer and to 2.7 A resolution for the monomer using multiple isomorphous replacement. The electron density maps of both the monomer and dimer crystal forms have been substantially improved by an averaging procedure. From these maps the course of the polypeptide backbone and some aspects of the dimer interaction have been established. The hexokinase subunit arrangement is contrary to a major tenet of the Monod et al. (1965) theory of allosteric proteins which postulated that only symmetric or isologous interactions of subunits would occur in oligomeric proteins. One subunit of the dimer is related to the other by a 156 ° rotation about and a 13.8 A translation along a molecular screw axis. In the hexokinase dimer the set of residues in one subunit that is interacting with the other subunit is different from the set of residues in the second subunit that is interacting with the first subunit. This heterologous or non-symmetric interaction of subunits is associated with some small differences in the structure of the two subunits, particularly at the subunit interface, and accounts for some of this enzyme's non-symmetric interactions with substrates and activators. Indeed, the non-symmetric subunit association may play an important role in the control of this enzyme's activity. The overall structure of hexokinase is considerably different than the known structures of the other enzymes in the glycolytic pathway. Although there is a striking similarity between the domain of hexokinase that binds AMP and the domain of lactate dehydrogenase that binds NAD, the former structure contains both antiparallel and parallel β-pleated strands, while the latter contains only parallel β-structure. In an attempt to assess the significance of this structural similarity, the structure of the nucleotide binding domains of hexokinase and lactate dehydrogenase are compared to a portion of carboxypeptidase A. The observed similarities among these structures suggests that a central β-pleated sheet flanked by α-helices is a common supersecondary structure that probably arose by convergent as well as divergent evolution. Thus, there appears to be no compelling evidence at this time to support the hypothesis that a part of hexokinase has evolved from the same gene as the dinucleotide binding domain of lactate dehydrogenase.
Nutrition attitudes and knowledge in medical students after completion of an integrated nutrition curriculum compared to a dedicated nutrition curriculum: a quasi-experimental study

Background: Nutrition education has presented an ongoing challenge to medical educators. In the 2007-2008 academic year, Harvard Medical School replaced its dedicated Preventive Medicine and Nutrition course with an integrated curriculum. The objective of the current study was to assess the effect of the curriculum change on medical student attitudes and knowledge about nutrition. Methods: A survey was administered in a quasi-experimental design to students in the last class of the dedicated curriculum (n = 131) and the first class of the integrated curriculum (n = 135) two years after each class completed the required nutrition course. Main measures were attitude scores based on modified Nutrition in Patient care Survey and satisfaction ratings, performance on a nutrition knowledge test, and demographic variables. Two-tailed t-tests were performed. Results: Response rates were 50.4% and 42.2%. There were no differences between the groups in attitude scores from the Nutrition in Patient care Survey (p = 0.43) or knowledge scores (p = 0.63). Students with the integrated curriculum were less satisfied with both the quantity (p < 0.0001) and quality (p = 0.008) of their nutrition education, and were more likely to have completed optional online nutrition training modules (p = 0.0089). Conclusions: Medical student attitudes and knowledge about nutrition were not affected by the model of nutrition education they receive, though students in an integrated curriculum may feel their education is inadequate and seek additional training.
A review of whiting formation in the Bahamas and new models

Whitings in the Bahamas have remained a sedimentological enigma for the last 80 years. Their formation has been prescribed to three major schools of thought: (a) resuspension of bottom sediment, (b) direct precipitation from bank water, and (c) biological mediation. This paper reports on field evidence to support the formation of two classes of whitings. The first class of whitings are those that have been reported in the literature extensively for the past 80 years. These whitings occur in deeper bank water (5–15 m) and are formed through the tidal oscillations of bank water through sediment-filled blue holes. The fish suspension model, hypothesized but not demonstrated for whiting occurrences out on the open banks, may apply to near-shore whiting events. Sediment-filled blue hole distributions have also been calculated for the Bahamian platforms and there should be more than 2,500 sediment-filled blue holes on Great and Little Bahama Banks. This large number of sediment-filled blue holes on the Bahamian banks more than adequately accounts for the density of whitings and explains their point source nature and occurrence at the same locations through time.
Coupled acoustic–structural response of optimized ring-stiffened hull for scaled down submerged vehicle subject to underwater explosion

Abstract One of the major problems confronted by the designer of submersibles is to minimize the weight of the pressure hull for increasing the payload of a crew and necessary equipment and to simultaneously enhance the strength of the pressure hull for withstanding hydrostatical pressure, underwater explosive loading and other environmental loading. Hence, this paper presents the optimal design of a small-scale midget submersible vehicle (MSV) pressure hull with a ring-stiffened cylinder and two hemispherical ends subjected to hydrostatic pressure, using a powerful optimization procedure combined the extended interior penalty function method (EIPF) with the Davidon-Fletcher-Powell (DFP) method. According to the above optimum design results, we built up midget submersible vehicle finite element model. Then, the coupled acoustic–structural arithmetic from the widely used calculation program of the finite element – ABAQUS, was used to simulate and analyze the transient dynamic response of a midget submersible vehicle pressure hull that experiences loading by an acoustic pressure shock wave resulting from an underwater explosion (UNDEX). The analytical results are presented which will be used in designing stiffened optimum submersible vehicle so as to enhance resistance to underwater shock damage.
Postoperative Radiotherapy in Early Stage Carcinoma of the Uterine Cervix: Treatment Results and Prognostic Factors☆

Abstract Purpose. The objective was to investigate the effect of pathologic parameters and other variables on treatment outcome for patients with International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage IB, IIA cervical carcinoma, as well as to assess the morbidities attributable to radical surgery combined with postoperative radiotherapy. Materials and methods. Between January 1980 and June 1994, 179 women with FIGO stage IB, IIA carcinoma of the uterine cervix were treated with radical hysterectomy and postoperative irradiation. The median follow-up of alive patients was 6.8 years. All patients received 44–60 Gy external irradiation. One hundred fifty-nine patients received 3–10 Gy intracavitary brachytherapy. The data were analyzed for overall survival, disease-free survival, pelvic control, and treatment-related complications. Results. The 5-year overall survival rate, disease-free survival rate, and pelvic control rate for the 179 patients were 72, 74, and 90%, respectively. The 5-year overall survival rate was 81% for patients without pelvic lymphadenopathy and 53% for those with pelvic lymphadenopathy ( P = 0.0000). Other independent prognostic factors for overall survival included tumor differentiation and the interval between operation and initiation of radiotherapy. For the endpoint of disease-free survival, pelvic lymph node status, tumor differentiation, the duration of interruption of radiotherapy, and the interval between operation and radiotherapy were of independent prognostic significance. As pelvic control was concerned, the 5-year pelvic control rate was 90% and only the duration of interruption of radiotherapy was noted as an independent predictor of pelvic control. Distant metastases were noted in 43 patients (24%); the most common sites were lung (10%), liver (6%), and bone (6%). The overall 5-year intestinal and urinary complication-free rate was 66 and 82%, respectively. The overall incidence of grade 3 or above late rectal and urinary sequelae was 10%. For patients sustaining leg lymphedema after radiotherapy, there was higher incidence of severe leg cellulitis which warranted antibiotics treatment. Conclusion. These prognostic factors should be considered in patient counseling and treatment planning. Based on these factors, a more aggressive treatment to improve survival in these subsets of high-risk patients might be justified. New therapeutic regimens and modalities aimed to overcome treatment failure should be investigated.
Acute Assessment and Management of Burn Injuries

Burns are ubiquitous injuries in modern society, with virtually all adults having sustained a burn at some point in their lives. The skin is the largest organ of the body, basically functioning to protect self from non-self. Burn injury to the skin is painful, resource-intensive, and often associated with scarring, contracture formation, and long-term disability. Larger burns are associated with morbidity and mortality disproportionate to their initial appearance. Electrical and chemical burns are less common injuries but are often associated with significant morbidity.
Correspondence regarding 'Clouded leopards, the secretive top-carnivore of South-East Asian rainforests: their distribution, status and conservation needs in Sabah, Malaysia'.

Correspondence regarding Wilting A, Fischer F, Bakar SA, Linsenmair KE: Clouded leopards, the secretive top-carnivore of South-East Asian rainforests: their distribution, status and conservation needs in Sabah, Malaysia. BMC Ecol 2006, 6:16.
On the red algal genera Grallatoria Howe and Callithamniella Feldmann-Mazoyer (Ceramiales)

Grallatoria Howe (1920) (Ceramiaceae, Rhodophyta), with a single species, G. reptans, was described from the Bahamas and has not been reported upon again. Recent collections of fertile material from St Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, show that the genus is identical with and its name antedates Callithamniella Feldmann-Mazoyer (1938). The two described species of Callithamniella, C. tingitana (Schousboe ex Bornet) Feldmann-Mazoyer and C. flexilis Baardseth (1941) are transferred to Grallatoria. Grallatoria is distinguished by a dorsiventral construction where nearly every cell of a decumbent axis bears conspicuous coloured haptera on the ventral surface, and opposite these on the dorsal surface one branch of determinate and one of indeterminate growth. Tetrasporangia, either cruciately or tetrahedrally divided, were known in the described species of Callithamniella and in G. reptans, and spermatangia were known only in C. flexilis. Cystocarps are described here for the first time. The reproductive and vegetati...
Wigner optics for design

Phase-space optics, and in particular the Wigner distribution function are applied to a variety of design problems in optics. Special emphasis is given to the design of Talbot array illuminators. Preliminary results on using phase-space optics to optimize the system response in the Fraunhofer diffraction regime are presented as well.
NB rat bladder cancer model: evaluation of the subrenal capsular assay system.

Since 1978 this laboratory unit has evaluated the Nb rat prostate adenocarcinoma model. More recently, over a 15-month period we have studied the Nb rat number one bladder tumor, a spontaneously appearing tumor in an aged female noble rat. Initial chemotherapeutic experiments have been carried out, revealing activity of this tumor to cyclophosphamide. Herein we report the feasibility of utilizing the subrenal capsular assay in this model. The advantage of this system is that one is able to determine the effect of chemotherapy in a very short time, i.e., 7 days. This method may save considerable expense and may serve as a useful projector for potential future chemotherapeutic trials of bladder cancer. In this assay system, cyclophosphamide, adriamycin, and cis-platinum and methotrexate did result in a significant decrease in tumor volume change. This change paralleled the results that we had seen in the past from the use of chemotherapy with cyclophosphamide alone in treatment of subcutaneous tumor nodules of bladder carcinoma. Further exploration of this method is warranted from a time efficiency as well as from a cost standpoint.
Resource-holding power asymmetries, the prior residence effect, and reproductive payoffs in male northern elephant seal fights

The effect of resource-holding power (RHP) and prior residency asymmetries on fight outcome and subsequent seasonal copulatory success was analyzed for fights between marked male northern elephant seals (Mirounga angustirostris). RHP asymmetries were measured as differences in estimated mass and prior residency asymmetries were measured as differences in beach tenure prior to the fight. The principal results were: (a) Neither differences in mass nor differences in beach tenure had any effect on fight outcome as separate factors. (b) Mass and tenure differences had an interactive effect on fight outcome; fight winners were either heavier males present for shorter periods (intruders) or lighter males present for longer periods (prior residents). (c) Winners of fights copulated more often than losers after a fight throughout the breeding season; this difference was smallest for low-ranking males, larger for high-ranking males in short fights, and greatest for high-ranking males in long fights. (d) Prior resident males who won long fights obtained significantly more copulations after a fight than the males they defeated, but this was not true for intruder males who won long fights. These results suggest that male northern elephant seals will incur greater contest costs (i.e., fight for longer periods and/or against heavier males) for higher reproductive payoffs. They also imply that, at least for males in long fights, differences in prior residence represent payoff asymmetries, with higher reproductive payoffs for winning prior residents than for winning intruders.
Selective experimental chelation of calcium in the sinus node.

Abstract Experiments were conducted in 20 anesthetized dogs (sodium pentobarbital 30 mg/kg) to examine the electrophysiological effects of selective chelation of calcium within the sinus node. Chelation was produced by direct perfusion of disodium EDTA through the cannulated nutrient artery of the sinus node, and maximal effect occurred with a concentration of 10 mg/ml. Calcium EDTA had no significant effect. The response to disodium EDTA had four phases: an immediate acceleration of sinus rhythm within a single cardiac cycle to maximal rate, then a period of rapid gross irregularity which gradually slowed, then a rate (usually irregular but in eight dogs a regular escape AV junctional rhythm) considerably slower than control, and finally progressive recovery back to a stable sinus rhythm. Both the acceleration and the slowing occurred in dogs pre-treated with reserpine or propranolol or atropine in the same way as in other dogs. Since it is known that disodium EDTA causes separation of myocardial cells except at the gap junction component, and since the cells probably responsible for normal automaticity in the sinus node have conspicuously rare and small gap junctions, it is postulated that the electrophysiological consequences from chelation of calcium ion in the sinus node are at least in part attributable to the effect on junctions between those cells. Much of the acceleration and irregularity may be caused by the marked rapid decrease in extracellular calcium, but this would be compounded by a concomitant electrotonic uncoupling of automatic cells. Atrial fibrillation did not occur despite enhanced multifocal automaticity. Possible clinical counterparts to these observations are considered.
Altruism and Religiosity

Religiosity and altruism as measured by self-report questionnaires were not associated in a sample of 41 undergraduate students.
Oxidation of eugenol by purified human term placental peroxidase.

The oxidation of eugenol by purified human term placental peroxidase (HTPP) was examined. Spectral analyses indicated that, similar to horseradish peroxidase, HTPP is capable of catalyzing the oxidation of eugenol. The accumulated stable product in the reaction medium due to eugenol oxidation by HTPP was tentatively identified as quinone methide of eugenol (EQM). The EQM formation exhibited a pH optimum of 8.0 and was dependent on incubation time, amount of HTPP and the concentration of both eugenol and hydrogen peroxide. The specific activity of approx 2.8 μmoles of EQM/min/mg protein was observed with different preparations of HTPP. The EQM formation was significantly suppressed by glutathione and ascorbic acid. The classical peroxidase inhibitors viz. potassium cyanide and sodium azide blocked the reaction in a concentration manner. Collectively, the results suggest that eugenol may undergo peroxidative metabolism in human placenta.