cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Family satisfaction, pain, and quality-of-life in emerging adults with spina bifida: a longitudinal analysis.

Objective This study uses the Life Course Model for Spina Bifida (SB) to advance knowledge of factors associated with change in quality-of-life (QOL) among emerging adults with SB. Design Forty-eight participants (mean [SD], 22.04 [2.16] yrs) completed self-report questionnaires at two time points, 15 mos apart. Four QOL domains (physical health, psychological, social relationships, and environment) were measured using the World Health Organization QOL-BREF version. SB clinical data were collected via chart reviews. Paired t tests and reliable change indices evaluated group- and individual-level QOL change, respectively. Multiple regression analyses tested the contributions of the Life Course variables in explaining change in QOL over time. Results No significant group-level differences in the QOL domains were found between time 1 and time 2, but there was substantial individual variation in QOL over time. SB severity was related to a decline only in psychological QOL (B = -0.68, P = 0.02). Increased pain was associated with reduced physical health (B = -0.29, P = 0.049) and psychological (B = -0.29, P = 0.03) QOL at time 2, whereas greater family satisfaction was related to improved QOL in several domains. Conclusions Clinicians should be aware of the negative impact of pain and the protective influence of family satisfaction on QOL in emerging adults with SB.
Estimating functions for branching processes

Abstract In this paper we consider two-type (discrete time) branching process and one-type branching process with immigration. For the estimation of means and variances of the above processes, with finite sample optimality property, Wei and Winnicki (Ann. Statist. (1990), 18, 1757–1773) suggested the approach of Godambe (Biometrika (1985) 72, 419–428; The Foundations of Finite Sample Estimation in Stochastic Processes-II, Vol 2. V.N.V. Science Press, 49–54). Following Godambe and Durairajan (J. Statist. Plann. Inference (1992), 33, 381–384), we find estimators which possess finite sample optimality property.
Surface layer plastic deformation as a mechanism for UHMWPE wear, and its role in debris size.

Abstract Ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) remains the primary bearing material for use in artificial joints, but the longevity of these implants is still hindered by an osteolytic immune system response initiated by sub-micron sized wear debris released from the UHMWPE bulk component. Studies have shown that the severity of the immune system response is linked to particle size. Current treatments for reducing this effect focus on reducing the total volume of wear, but do not directly address particle size due to a limited understanding of the mechanisms involved in producing such small debris. Directly observing these mechanisms is inherently challenging, but indirect methods, such as debris characterization and wear surface analysis, suggest that multiple mechanisms are present throughout a wear process, including a poorly understood plastic deformation process. In this study, finite element models exhibited areas of plastic deformation that were of the same size scale as the relevant debris, and novel experimental techniques were used to verify these regions of deformation. Using this insight, equations based on surface buckling were derived that accurately describe the characteristic rippling formations found on the surface of the UHMWPE bulk. This information can be used to influence the size and shape of submicron wear debris.
Conjugation enhancement of intramolecular exciton migration in poly(p-phenylene ethynylene)s.

Efficient energy migration in conjugated polymers is critical to their performance in photovoltaic, display, and sensor devices. The ability to precisely control the polymer conformation is a key issue for the experimental investigations and deeper understanding of the nature of this process. We make use of specially designed iptycene-containing poly(p-phenylene ethynylene)s that display chain-extended conformations when dissolved in nematic liquid crystalline solvents. In these solutions, the polymers show a substantial enhancement in the intrachain exciton migration rate, which is attributed to their increased conjugation length and better alignment. The organizational enhancement of the energy transfer efficiency, as determined by site-selective emission from lower energy traps at the polymer termini, is accompanied by a significant increase of the fluorescence quantum yield. The liquid crystalline phase is a necessary requirement for these phenomena to occur, and when the temperature was increased abo...
Flexible Wide Dynamic Range (WDR) processing support in image signal processor (ISP)

Wide Dynamic Range (WDR) enables capturing images with extreme light variations within them. Typically, image sensor manufactures enable WDR using their proprietary techniques consisting of actual physical capture method as well as transmission format. This poses extreme challenge for interfacing Image Signal Processor (ISP) as complexity grows significantly to support customized processing & data flow for each WDR techniques. This paper summarizes various WDR techniques from multiple sensor manufactures from ISP standpoint and proposes a flexible architecture to support WDR data flows & processing using software and hardware. The given solution can be mapped to silicon area savings by a factor of N (number of WDR techniques to be supported) & 33% for rest of ISP with additional external memory bandwidth enabling universal WDR receiver.
ARIEL document delivery: a cost‐effective alternative to fax

Describes ARIEL, a high‐speed, high‐quality, cost‐effective document delivery system that runs on the Internet. Journal articles can be sent from one place to another by scanning the article directly from the journal. Text and graphics are digested into the computer, transmitted over the Internet, and printed on a laser printer at the receiving end. Developed in 1990 by the Research Libraries Group of the Research Libraries Information Network, ARIEL is becoming the document delivery system of choice for a rapidly growing number of users in the USA and abroad. The key advantages which ARIEL has over the fax are: no long‐distance phone charges; high image resolution; original source can be scanned; can send and receive documents at the same time; does not require dedicated equipment; and documents can be stored and forwarded at a later time. ARIEL Version 2.0, released in February 1997, incorporates Multi‐purpose Internet Mail Extensions (MIME) technology which enables documents to be transmitted to the computer screen via e‐mail from one individual to another. Describes the hardware and software requirements, the cost of getting started, and one library’s experience, as part of a pilot project, with the ARIEL document delivery system.
ACCREDITATION OF IONIZING RADIATION PROTECTION PROGRAMS

Abstract Accreditation is a process for evaluating the performance of organizations that provide essential information. The first element in an accreditation program is a written standard that delineates the criteria for judging acceptable performance from such organizations. It is also necessary to have an officially recognized group to administer the program and grant accreditation. Finally, it is necessary to designate a laboratory that will evaluate performance, and to appoint site assessors to audit the organizations seeking accreditation. There are over one million workers in the United States who have the potential to be exposed to ionizing radiation. Therefore, it is necessary to determine accurately the quantity of radiation to which they may have been exposed. This quantity is measured by personnel dosimeters that are carried by individuals requiring radiation monitoring. Accreditation of the organizations that evaluate this quantity provides official recognition of the competence of these organ...
Neuron specific protein (NSP) in neuroblastoma cells: Relation to differentiation

Abstract The spectrum of enalose enzyme forms has been examined in several lines of neuroblastoma cells and compared to those present in whole brain. The neuron specific enolase (NSP) is greatly decreased in the cultured cells as judged by activity profiles and radioimmunoassay. The synthesis of neuronal enolase appears to be extensively depressed in these cells while the total enolase activity is not affected. The non-neuron form of enolase (NNE) apparently compensates for the lack of the neuronal forms in the cultured cells. The preponderance of NNE in cultured neurons suggests that this enzyme is present in immature neurons, and that neurobla cells are not fully differentiated with respect to the enolase function. Dibutyryl cyclic adenosine monophosphate treatment does increase NSP levels in mouse neuroblastoma cells, but not to the levels expected for fully differentiated neurons. The results indicate that NSP is a molecular correlate of fully differentiated neurons.
A student-managed networking laboratory

A major component of undergraduate Information Technology education is hands-on experience in a realistic environment. Attempting to provide an environment that is realistic, however, poses several problems in a university setting. The major problems we have encountered thus far are a shortage of network management personnel, the need for an isolated yet Internet-connected lab, and the lack of financial resources to build a heterogeneous lab. We have addressed these problems through the establishment of a student-managed networking laboratory. This lab is currently supervised by a single faculty member and managed by six undergraduate students. The students provide support for five different courses and have devised solutions to each of the major problems we have encountered, and also have built a firewall-protected network that can be easily subnetted on an ad hoc basis, allowing students from multiple courses to use the lab simultaneously without cross-talk between the courses. Through the use of tools such as VMware Player, Linux, and SNMP we have been able to construct a lab that allows for the incorporation of physical and simulated hardware at a very low cost. The students involved with the lab have also built a suite of custom tools that allow us to re-deploy the lab for different courses in a matter of minutes. With a dedicated staff of students we are able to provide a simulation of a heterogeneous networking environment at a very low cost. The enhanced lab has become a valuable resource, and is the centerpiece of our networking laboratory facilities.
Simultaneous Measurement of Prostaglandins and Ecdysteroids in Insects by High-performance Liquid Chromatography with Fluorescence Labeling

A new method has been developed for the simultaneous measurement of prostaglandins (PGs) and ecdysteroids in insects by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) using fluorescence labeling. PG and ecdysteroid containing fractions were obtained from insects by passing a crude extract through a Sep-pak C18 cartridge then through piperidinohydroxypropyl Sephadex LH-20. The PGs and ecdysteroids were then treated with 1-anthroyl nitrile and measured by HPLC analysis on a C18 column with a fluorescence detector, the limit of detection being 10 pg of injected standard derivatives. This method can be used for PGs and ecdysteroids from an individual organ or from the haemolymph of an individual insect with satisfactory sensitivity.
Schizophrenia in homeless persons: a systematic review of the literature.

Objective: This article systematically reviews studies of prevalence of schizophrenia in homeless persons. Method: Medline and PsychInfo were searched using the key words: homeless person, mental illness, psychosis, and schizophrenia. The bibliographies of identified articles were also reviewed. Results: Study designs varied considerably. The rate of schizophrenia in homeless persons reported in the 33 published reports, representing eight different countries, ranged from 2 to 45%. In the 10 methodologically superior studies, the prevalence range was 4–16% and the weighted average prevalence was 11%. In addition, rates were higher in younger persons, women and the chronically homeless. Slightly less than half of the homeless persons with schizophrenia were not currently receiving treatment. Conclusion: Schizophrenia is much more prevalent among homeless persons than in the population at large. Future research should focus on better ways of meeting the mental health care needs of homeless people with schizophrenia.
The eukaryotic kingdoms

Abstract— Cladistic analysis of data from ultrastruetural and other cell biological studies indicates that neither the classical two kingdom nor the commonly accepted five kingdom classifications accurately represent the cellular diversity of eukaryotes. The resulting cladogram indicates instead that there are nine major groups of eukaryotes.
Decision Analysis For Infants Presenting At Birth With Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome |[dagger]| 959

Decision making for infants presenting with HLHS is complex and inhibited by an absence of comparative studies. Transplantation has a high success rate and good functional long term outcome, carries the unknown risks of long term immunosuppression and is limited by donor availability. The “Norwood” : procedure has an improving survival rate in experienced hands, but also carries unknown long term risks particularly neurodevelopmental outcome. Decision analysis has been developed as a way of making complex decisions using the best available information and should be ideally suited to this situation. Methods: A literature search for the latest information on survival rates was performed in September 1997. The initial values entered into the model were: survival of stage 1 Norwood, 85%; survival of stage 2, 95%; and of stage 3, 90%. Transplant availability 30% in the first month of life and 40% of the remaining infants in the next 5 months; immediate survival, 85% and 5 y survival, 90% of immediate survivors. Variations in the values assigned to the parameters were examined to determine the effects of improving donor availability or improving surgical results. A combined approach was also evaluated in which infants would be listed for transplant at birth and undergo a stage 1 Norwood procedure at 1 month of age if they have not received a transplant by this time; infants would then remain on the transplant list until 6 months at which time a stage 2 procedure is performed and the infant taken off the transplant list. Results: With the staged surgical repair approach alone the model gave a 5 y survival rate of 52% similar to the best recently reported results of 58% (Bove and Lloyd 1996). For infants placed on a transplant list alone, the model calculates 26% 5 y survival. The combined approach using the same parameters gives an expected 5 y survival of 61%. If donor availability improves, so that 80% of infants could be transplanted before 6 months, the 5 y survival of transplantation improves to 56% and survival rate of the combined approach improves to 67%. Improvements in Norwood results to a feasible maximum 5 y survival of 66% also improved the outcome of infants assigned to the combination protocol to 71% 5 y survival. Discussion. The combined approach performed best in this analysis, a result which was quite robust to changes in the assumptions underlying the model. Such an approach is currently offered in few centers. Long term neurodevelopmental follow up is essential for further improvements in decision making.
A Partially Decentralized State Observer and Its Parallel Computer Implementation

This paper proposes a partially decentralized state observer that can be implemented on network-based parallel computers (multicomputers). The state estimation is decentralized in the sense of processing only local measurements, but is centralized in the sense that the interaction terms are kept in the model simulation. The state estimator is coupled with a fully decentralized state feedback to give rise to the overall model-based controller. The proposed implementation involves parallel simulation of the process model using a Jacobi-like iteration scheme. This is important in reducing the computational effort in model-based control. The proposed scheme is based on partitioning of the overall dynamic system into a number of loosely-coupled interconnected subsystems of smaller dimension and then designing a local observer for each subsystem, taking into account the interaction effects among the subsystems. A new state observer design methodology is addressed that accounts for the parallel nature of the imp...
Plasma membrane Ca2+ transport: stimulation by soluble proteins.

Abstract Inside-out membrane vesicles were prepared from human red blood cells. In the presence of ATP, these vesicles took up 45 Ca 2+ against a chemical gradient. The active transport of Ca 2+ was increased by addition of an activator protein of (Ca 2+ +Mg 2+ )-ATPase isolated from the membrane-free hemolysate of human red blood cells. A closely related protein, the protein modulator of cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase from bovine brain, also increased the rate of active transport of 45 Ca 2+ . Addition of the calcium ionophore A23187 caused a rapid efflux of 45 Ca 2+ from loaded, inside-out vesicles. When La 3+ was added to the system in the presence of activator protein, the uptake of 45 Ca 2+ was inhibited. Results are compatible with the interpretation that activity of the plasma membrane Ca 2+ pump may be modulated by certain cytoplasmic proteins.
The Design of a Semi-Custom Integrated Circuit for the SLAC SLC Timing Control System

A semi-custom (gate array) integrated circuit has been designed for use in the SLAC Linear Collider timing and control system. The design process and SLAC's experiences during the phases of the design cycle are described. Issues concerning the partitioning of the design into semi-custom and standard components are discussed. Functional descriptions of the semi-custom integrated circuit and the timing module in which it is used are given.
p53 checkpoint-defective cells are sensitive to X rays, but not hypoxia.

Abstract X-ray-induced damage leads to cell-cycle “checkpoint” arrest by p53-dependent induction of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p21 (Waf1/Cip1/Sdi1). Human tumor cells that lack this response fail to arrest after exposure to DNA-damaging agents, undergo multiple rounds of endoreduplicative DNA synthesis, and eventually commit to an apoptotic cell death. Since low oxygen tension can also induce p53 protein accumulation, and can lead to cell-cycle arrest or apoptosis, we examined the expression of p21 in tumor cells under normoxic and hypoxic conditions. In a survey of cells, mRNA for the p21 gene was induced two- to threefold in response to hypoxia in a seemingly p53-independent manner. We therefore examined genetically matched cells that differ in their p21 and p53 status for response to ionizing radiation and hypoxia. We found that both p21-deficient and p53-deficient cells exhibit an increase in chromosome instability, an increased level of apoptosis, and a failure to arrest after exposure to ionizing radiation. However, cells that lack either p21 or p53 exhibit no increase in chromosome instability or elevated apoptosis and still arrest in response to hypoxia. Thus, the mechanism responsible for the differential response to either hypoxia or X rays presumably lies in the control of cell-cycle progression in response to stress and its dependence on p21. Since the loss of a DNA-damage-dependent checkpoint does not sensitize cells to killing by stresses that elicit a DNA-damage-independent checkpoint, targeting the function of p21 pharmacologically will not kill tumor cells in situ in the absence of a DNA damage signal.
Stability analysis of stochastic composite systems

New results for asymptotic stability and exponential stability with probability one of several classes of continuous parameter and discrete parameter stochastic composite systems are established. In all cases the objective is to analyze composite systems in terms of their lower order subsystems and in terms of their interconnecting structure. The results are applied to three specific examples.
Observations on the morphology of the erythrocytes in mediterranean disease—Thalassemia

Summary Hematocrit studies in six cases and cell diameter measurements ineight cases of Mediterranean anemia (type of Cooley) have been made. In all instances the evidence suggested an hypocythemic microcytic and hypochromic anemia. In two cases the combination of decreased cell volume and increasedmean cell diameter, along with decreased thickness of the cell, occurred after removal of the spleen. Distribution curves usually showed wide bases and increased coefficients of variation. The study of wet preparations confirmed the findings of Cooley and Lee that fragmentation of the erythrocytes is very marked. The phenomenon of sickling was not observed.
A question of commitment

This paper addresses certain restrictions on the use of declaratives as questions in English. Declaratives are taken to express commitment by the speaker, even in a questioning use. The analysis traces the restrictions to two distinct contextual factors: (i) a general principle requiring that a commitment have a recognized source, i.e., a discourse agent who plausibly has independent evidence supporting the content committed to; (ii) specific to a questioning interpretation, the need for the context to support the inference that the speaker’s commitment depends upon the addressee’s anticipated confirmation. Rising intonation contributes a very general element of meaning, indicating that the utterance it marks is contingent upon some discourse condition obtaining; the specific conditions required for a questioning interpretation instantiate one such type of contingency. The proposals are modeled via elaboration of standard contextual structures in a possible-worlds framework.
Facile assignment of disulfide bonds in proteins through detection of cystine-containing peptides in peptide maps.

Abstract A new procedure for the facile assignment of the positions of disulfide bonds in proteins of known amino acid sequence is described. Hen egg-white lysozyme was subjected to proteolytic digestion by pepsin and chymotrypsin. A peptide map of the enzymatic hydrolysate was prepared. Seven disulfide-containing peptides were detected after reduction with sodium borohydride and treatment with 5,5′-dithiobis(2-nitrobenzoic acid) [DTNB]. The cystine-containing peptides were eluted, hydrolysed, and subjected to amino acid analysis. By comparison of their amino acid compositions with the known sequence of lysozyme, the positions of all four disulfide bonds could be assigned. The established covalent structure of hen egg-white lysozyme was readily confirmed.
Determination of lead in metallic reference materials by laser ablation combined with laser excited atomic fluorescence

Abstract Concentrations of lead in the range 0.15–750 μg −1 were measured in metallic matrices (copper, brass, steel, and zinc) by laser excited atomic fluorescence combined with UV laser ablation in a low-pressure (130 mbar) argon atmosphere. The mass of material ablated was determined by repetitive weighing of the target prior to and after approximately 10 000 ablating shots. The fluorescence was excited after a 100 μs delay relative to the ablation pulse. A long integration time of 200 s was used to provide a representative determination of bulk concentrations. No matrix effect was observed, providing a universal calibration curve for all samples with relative standard deviations of about 20%. The relative and absolute limits of detection were 72 ng g −1 and 0.5 fg, respectively.
Geochronology and mass transfer in Gulf Coast mudrocks (south-central Texas, U.S.A.): RbSr, SmNd and REE systematics

Whole-rock shale and <0.5-μm-sized clay separates from a well spanning 3500 m of burial in south-central Texas have been analyzed for there REE, SmNd and RbSr contents. Clay RbSr and SmNd HCl leachate-residue pairs yield ages which decrease with depth, implying that these samples have not experienced a “punctuated” diagenetic event. RbSr ages from the most deeply buried clay samples are younger than their depositional ages, but SmNd leachate-residue ages are always equal to or greater than depositional age. Leachate Sr appears to be in isotopic equilibrium with present-day sandstone formation waters, implying that pore fluids readily pass between the two lithologies during, and after, diagenesis. The REE are redistributed and fractionated on a local, mineral-grain scale during burial diagenesis. The HCl-soluble REE reservoirs decrease from 20% to 8% in whole rock and from 35% to 7% in <0.5-μm clay, and become progressively enriched in the middle REE relative to the light and heavy REE. Conversely, the HCl-insoluble (silicate) reservoirs become progressively enriched in the light and heavy REE relative to the middle REE. This fractionation, which is more pronounced in the clay than in the whole rock, appears to be a result of authigenic illite and phosphate formation during burial diagenesis. Although the REE are redistributed on a local scale, there is little evidence that the REE are gained or lost by the mudrocks during diagenetic redistribution. Combined Nd and Sr isotopic data show that the whole-rock shale system may be modelled as a three-component system composed of young volcanic-derived and old craton-derived detritus, and a seawater-derived component. These three components are partially homogenized during diagenesis, and as a result the SrNd provenance information originally held in the silicate fraction of whole-rock shale becomes obscured.
Biosynthetic Studies and Genetic Engineering of Pactamycin Analogs with Improved Selectivity toward Malarial Parasites

Summary Pactamycin, one of the most densely functionalized aminocyclitol antibiotics, has pronounced antibacterial, antitumor, antiviral, and antiplasmodial activities, but its development as a clinical drug was hampered by its broad cytotoxicity. Efforts to modulate the biological activity by structural modifications using synthetic organic chemistry have been difficult because of the complexity of its chemical structure. However, through extensive biosynthetic studies and genetic engineering, we were able to produce analogs of pactamycin that show potent antimalarial activity, but lack significant antibacterial activity, and are about 10–30 times less toxic than pactamycin toward mammalian cells. The results suggest that distinct ribosomal binding selectivity or new mechanism(s) of action may be involved in their plasmodial growth inhibition, which may lead to the discovery of new antimalarial drugs and identification of new molecular targets within malarial parasites.
A new role for interleukin‐7 in the induction of LFA‐1 and VLA‐4 adhesion molecules in Phorbol 12myristate 13acetate activated CD4+CD23+ T‐cell subset

Background The low affinity receptor for IgE, CD23, has been described in several pathological conditions. However, the factors involved in the upregulation or downregulation of this receptor are still debated. Methods and Results We studied the effect of interleukin 7 (IL-7) on the expression of CD23 in normal PBT cells stimulated with PMA +Ca 2 . The data indicate that activated PB-T cultured in the presence of IL-7 showed an increased expression of CD23. The induction of IL-7 on CD23 production appears to be independent of IL-2, IL-4, IL-9, IL-15. Indeed, the addition of specific MoAbs anti-IL-2, IL-4, IL-9, IL-15 or anti-IL2R was unable to block the effect of IL-7 on CD23. The addition of IL-7 to a specific subset CD4 + CD23 + was able to augment the adhesiveness of T cells to parenchymal cell monalayers. The use of different cytokine (IL-2, IL-4, IL-9, IL-15) resulted in no increase of adhesiveness. In contrast the addition of IL-7 to a different T-cell subset (i.e. CD4 + CD23 - ) was unable to rescue the lack of adhesiveness observed in these cells. Blocking experiments with MHM6 MoAb were able to drastically reduce the adhesiveness observed in CD4+CD23+ subsets. The presence of LFA- I and VLA-4 adhesion molecules were responsible for the augmented adhesiveness of activated CD4 + CD23 + T cells cultured in the presence of IL-7. Blocking experiments with anti-LFA-1, VLA-4, anti-LFA-1β plus VLA-4α MoAbs or anti-ICAM-1 MoAb added to the monolayers resulted in a complete inhibition of adhesion to parenchymal monolayers. In contrast, the addition of anti-IL-7 or anti-IL-7R MoAbs were able to block the augmented adhesiveness of CD4 + CD23 + cells to monolayers observed in the presence of IL-7. Conclusion Taken together these findings point to the likelihood that IL-7 is responsible for the observed quantitative difference in the level of adhesion molecules and may open a new role of CD23 in the immune regulation.
Physical properties of solar chromospheric plages. II - Chromospheric plage models

We propose chromospheric models of plages to explain profiles of the Ca ii H, K, λl8498, λ8542, and λ8662 lines described in Paper I. These models are consistent with boundary conditions imposed by the photosphere and the Lyman continuum. We find that increasing emission in these lines is consistent with a picture of increasing temperature gradient in the low chromosphere and the resulting increase in pressure and electron density at similar line optical depths. With this picture we suggest how to empirically determine the distribution of chromospheric parameters across the solar disk directly from Ca ii filtergrams. We also propose that the high density aspects of solar activity are produced by steep temperature gradients in the low chromosphere and thus by the enhanced heating mechanisms that steepen these gradients.
Cloning of dopamine, norepinephrine and serotonin transporters from monkey brain: relevance to cocaine sensitivity.

Abstract We used RT–PCR to clone monoamine transporters from Macaca mulatta , Macaca fasicularis and Saimiri sciureus (dopamine transporter; DAT) and Macaca mulatta (norepinephrine transporter; NET and serotonin transporter; SERT). Monkey DAT, NET and SERT proteins were >98% homologous to human and, when expressed in HEK-293 cells, displayed drug affinities and uptake kinetics that were highly correlated with monkey brain or human monoamine transporters. In contrast to reports of other species, we discovered double (leucine for phenylalanine 143 and arginine for glutamine 509; Variant I) and single (proline for leucine 355; Variant II) amino acid variants of DAT. Variant I displayed dopamine transport kinetics and binding affinities for various DAT blockers (including cocaine) versus [ 3 H] CFT (WIN 35, 428) that were identical to wild-type DAT ( n =7 drugs; r 2 =0.991). However, we detected a six-fold difference in the affinity of cocaine versus [ 3 H] cocaine between Variant I ( IC 50 : 488±102 nM, SEM, n =3) and wild-type DAT ( IC 50 : 79±8.2 nM, n =3, P
Effect of cooking on radionuclide concentrations in waterfowl tissues

Twenty-four commercially raised mallard ducks (Anas platyrhynchos) were released at reactor radioactive leaching ponds in southeastern Idaho and subsequently collected 56 to 188 days later. Liver, gizzard and carcass were analyzed for radionuclide concentrations before and after cooking. Significant decreases (P < 0·05) in 137Cs, 134Cs, 60Co and 110mAg concentrations in carcass and liver samples occurred after cooking. Radionuclide concentrations in gizzard showed no significant change in radionuclide concentrations after cooking. Cesium-134 and 137Cs concentrations decreased by 27% in carcass after cooking and reduced the dose commitment to man by that amount if only the carcass was consumed. No reduction in dose is expected if the carcass and juice were consumed.
Representational explanations of “process” dissociations in recognition: The DRYAD theory of aging and memory judgments.

It is widely assumed that older adults suffer a deficit in the psychological processes that underlie remembering of contextual or source information. This conclusion is based in large part on empirical interactions, including disordinal ones, that reveal differential effects of manipulations of memory strength on recognition in young and old subjects. This article lays out an alternative theory that takes as a starting point the overwhelming evidence from the psychometric literature that the effects of age on memory share a single mediating influence. Thus, the theory assumes no differences between younger and older subjects other than a global difference in memory fidelity--that is, the older subjects are presumed to have less valid representations of events and objects than are young subjects. The theory is articulated through 3 major assumptions and implemented in a computational model, DRYAD, to simulate fundamental results in the literature on aging and recognition, including the very interactions taken to imply selective impairment in older people. The theoretical perspective presented here allows for a critical examination of the widely held belief that aging entails the selective disruption of particular memory processes.
Optimization via simulation: two-stage NP method with inheritance

The nested partitions method is a flexible and effective framework of optimizing large-scale problems with combinatorial structure. In this paper we consider the nested partitions method for simulation optimization and propose a new variant that uses inheritance to speed convergence. The new nested partitions method with inheritance algorithm performs well for when applied to test problems but it also calls for new analysis of convergence.
Hemoptysis after CardioSEAL device embolization of a venous collateral after the Fontan operation.

Transcatheter closure of septal defects and other vascular structures in children is a rapidly evolving field with a growing number of applications for the currently available devices. Despite the widely accepted use of these closure devices for lesions such as atrial septal defects and patent ductus arteriosus, their use in the treatment of other defects is limited. Consequently, little is known about the associated risks and complications. We present here a case of a delayed complication of airway erosion from a CardioSEAL device (NMT Medical, Boston, Mass) used to close a large anomalous systemic to pulmonary venous channel after the Fontan operation.
Pathology-free third molars: assessing the perceived risk of future pathology

Oral pathology: Pathology-free third molars: assessing the perceived risk of future pathology
Techniques of nonsurgical retrieval of latrogenic foreign bodies from the heart

Abstract Methods of retrieving fragments of polyethylene catheters and guide wires from the heart without chest surgery utilize wire snares or endoscopic forceps. The literature concerning these methods is reviewed. Choice of technique depends on the intracardiac site of the fragment, which in turn is determined by its length, its stiffness and whether it enters the heart from the superior or inferior vena cava. Preparation of the snare is detailed and particular emphasis is placed on the methods of freeing the sharp trailing end of the fragment and testing for its encirclement in the snare. The endoscopic forceps technique has limited value. Thrombosis, rather than further migration, necessitates urgent removal of iatrogenic foreign bodies from the heart. Nonsurgical retrieval is simple, rapid and safe.
Mechanisms of Factor Xa-catalyzed Cleavage of the Factor VIIIa A1 Subunit Resulting in Cofactor Inactivation

Abstract Activation of factor VIII by factor Xa is followed by proteolytic inactivation resulting from cleavage within the A1 subunit (residues 1–372) of factor VIIIa. Factor Xa attacks two sites in A1, Arg336, which precedes the highly acidic C-terminal region, and a recently identified site at Lys36. By using isolated A1 subunit as substrate for proteolysis, production of the terminal fragment, A137–336, was shown to proceed via two pathways identified by the intermediates A11–336and A137–372 and generated by initial cleavage at Arg336 and Lys36, respectively. Appearance of the terminal product by the former pathway was 7–8-fold slower than the product obtained by the latter pathway. The isolated A1 subunit was cleaved slowly, independent of the presence of phospholipid. The A1/A3-C1-C2 dimer demonstrated an ∼3-fold increased cleavage rate constant, and inclusion of phospholipid further enhanced this value by ∼2-fold. Although association of A1 or A137−372 with A3-C1-C2 enhanced the rate of cleavage at Arg336, inclusion of A3-C1-C2 did not affect the cleavage at Lys36 in A11–336. A synthetic peptide 337–372 blocked the cleavage at Lys36 (IC50 = 230 μm) while showing little if any effect on cleavage at Arg336. Proteolysis at Lys36, and to a lesser extent Arg336, was inhibited in a dose-dependent manner by heparin. These results suggest that inactivating cleavages catalyzed by factor Xa at Lys36 and Arg336 are regulated in part by the A3-C1-C2 subunit. Furthermore, cleavage at Lys36 appears to be selectively modulated by the C-terminal acidic region of A1, a region that may interact with factor Xa via its heparin-binding exosite.
Current and evolving treatment options for limited stage small cell lung cancer.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW About one-third of small cell lung cancer cases are classified as limited stage. Trials have attempted to establish the most effective, least toxic regimen of combined modality treatment. Recently, issues like the role of the positron emission tomography scan, elderly patient management and the timing and delivery of radiotherapy have been addressed. Several targeted agents have also been evaluated. This review will highlight the data that have greatly impacted on the standard of limited stage small cell lung cancer care. RECENT FINDINGS Trials have concluded that small cell lung cancer is fluorodeoxy-D-glucose avid and that positron emission tomography has potential for utility in staging and radiation therapy planning, though it is not recommended. Recent trials confirm no benefit to adding chemotherapeutic agents to standard cisplatin and etoposide. To date, all targeted therapies have failed to show impressive results. Two analyses of outcomes in elderly patients argue that combined modality therapy should be considered, with patients carefully monitored. Two meta-analyses demonstrate thoracic radiotherapy should be delivered, with increased dose and schedule intensity. SUMMARY Current data demonstrate that combined modality therapy with early administration of thoracic radiotherapy remains the care standard in limited stage small cell lung cancer care. Cisplatin and etoposide continue to be the chosen cytotoxic agents. Targeted therapies and advances in the radiotherapy technological aspects represent opportunities for improved outcomes in the future management of this aggressive disease.
Universality in Isomerization Reactions in Polar Solvents

Recently it has been shown by Singh and Robinson (SR) that universality and scaling occur in the van der Zwan−Hynes (ZH) model of dipole isomerization reactions near a critical point. This advance in the understanding of chemical reactions was accomplished through the discovery of an analogy of this critical point with the one in the van der Waals equation of state for an imperfect gas. In the present paper, the experimental data of Onganer et al. on the cis−trans photoisomerization of merocyanine 540 in n-alkyl alcohol and n-alkanenitrile solvents, as a function of the solvent shear viscosity and temperature, is analyzed in terms of the ZH model. This model, based on the Grote−Hynes theory, uses a non-Markovian solvent friction characterized by a reactant−solvent coupling strength parameter β, the solvent inertial response time r, and the solvent frictional or viscous response time x. It is found that the photoisomerization data with alcohol solvents fit the ZH model reasonably well, and the fitted param...
Chlordecone (Kepone) induced ultrastructural and morphometric alterations in the cells of the immature quail oviduct

Abstract Groups of sexually immature Japanese quail females, kept in a reduced photoperiod, received either by intraperitoneal injections of 40 μg estradiol- 17β for 26 days or were fed diets containing 0, 10, 40, 80 or 160 ppm chlordecone for the same duration. Estradiol-17β induced rapid cellular hypertrophy, cytodifferentiation, tubular gland formation, organelle proliferation and secretory granule formation in different cells of the quail oviduct. Higher chlordecone doses mimicked these estradiol-17β actions, but in addition induced atypical cell and organelle morphology, such as protruding or swollen cell apices, increased mitochondrial volume densities and diameters and disorganized Golgi apparati. The possible effects of these chlordecone- induced atypical cell alterations on avian reproduction are discussed.
The Axial Gland Complex

RECENT articles by Millott and Vevers1 and by Burton2 have discussed the haemal system, axial gland, and fluid circulation of echinoids. Our findings concerning the haemal system of Strongylocentrotus purpuratus are still in preparation, but we report here our work which is relevant to the conclusions of these authors.
QTL Mapping for Milling Quality in Elite Western U.S. Rice Germplasm

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) milling yield is a key export and domestic grain quality trait whose genetic control is poorly understood. To identify genomic regions influencing grain quality, quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping was performed for quality-related traits including head-rice yield (HR) in 205 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) derived from a cross of L-204, a high-HR long-grain cultivar, with 01Y110, a low-HR advanced breeding line with high yield potential in the temperate U.S. rice-growing region. In replicated trials planted in California during 2007–2008, four QTLs carrying the HR-increasing allele from L204 and three from 01Y110 were consistently expressed. Multi-QTL models accounted for 30% of genetic variation for HR and up to 58% for other quality-related traits. Measures of kernel damage, though correlated with HR, were poor predictors of HR. Heading time, kernel dimension, apparent amylose content, and other highly heritable traits showed no correlation with HR. Stable QTLs for HR are likely to be revealed best by multienvironment experiments employing larger population sizes or more direct measurement of kernel structure and development traits involved in kernel breakage.
PWMP, A TAILORED SYSTEMS ENGINEERING APPROACH FOR REQUIREMENTS MANAGEMENT

Because of the urgent schedule imposed on environmental issues, the Pond Waste Management Project (PWMP) implemented a tailored systems engineering (SE) approach for managing, integrating, and documenting its activities and for ensuring that both state and federal requirements for treating and storing low-level radioactive mixed-waste sludge would be met. This tailored approach focused on seven essential activities: system requirements, project plan, SE plan, configuration management plan, risk assessment, best management practices plan, and operational readiness review.
Dental Research: The Past Two Decades

Abstract By highlighting selected areas, the authors show that the National Institute of Dental Research interdisciplinary programs have broadened the base of dental science.
Ca2+/Calmodulin-dependent Protein Kinase II (CaMKII) Regulates Cardiac Sodium Channel NaV1.5 Gating by Multiple Phosphorylation Sites

The cardiac Na+ channel NaV1.5 current (INa) is critical to cardiac excitability, and altered INa gating has been implicated in genetic and acquired arrhythmias. Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) is up-regulated in heart failure and has been shown to cause INa gating changes that mimic those induced by a point mutation in humans that is associated with combined long QT and Brugada syndromes. We sought to identify the site(s) on NaV1.5 that mediate(s) the CaMKII-induced alterations in INa gating. We analyzed both CaMKII binding and CaMKII-dependent phosphorylation of the intracellularly accessible regions of NaV1.5 using a series of GST fusion constructs, immobilized peptide arrays, and soluble peptides. A stable interaction between δC-CaMKII and the intracellular loop between domains 1 and 2 of NaV1.5 was observed. This region was also phosphorylated by δC-CaMKII, specifically at the Ser-516 and Thr-594 sites. Wild-type (WT) and phosphomutant hNaV1.5 were co-expressed with GFP-δC-CaMKII in HEK293 cells, and INa was recorded. As observed in myocytes, CaMKII shifted WT INa availability to a more negative membrane potential and enhanced accumulation of INa into an intermediate inactivated state, but these effects were abolished by mutating either of these sites to non-phosphorylatable Ala residues. Mutation of these sites to phosphomimetic Glu residues negatively shifted INa availability without the need for CaMKII. CaMKII-dependent phosphorylation of NaV1.5 at multiple sites (including Thr-594 and Ser-516) appears to be required to evoke loss-of-function changes in gating that could contribute to acquired Brugada syndrome-like effects in heart failure.
Maternal Perceptions of Competence and Children’s Academic Adjustment: Longitudinal Relations across Early Elementary School

Children’s perceptions of their academic ability play an important role in their academic adjustment, but relatively little research has examined the factors affecting academic self perceptions of young children, especially the role of parents. Seventy-seven children and their mothers were followed longitudinally from kindergarten to fourth grade to assess the association between mothers’ early perceptions of children’s academic abilities in reading and math and children’s later academic adjustment. Mothers’ perceptions of children’s reading ability in kindergarten were associated with children’s later self-perceptions of academic competence and later achievement, above and beyond kindergarten achievement. However, mothers’ perceptions of math ability in kindergarten were not significantly associated with later outcomes. In reading, mothers’ perceptions of children’s natural talent were positively associated with later self-perceptions and mothers’ perceptions of children’s difficulty in school were negatively associated with later self-perceptions. Additionally, mothers’ perceptions of children’s reading competence were positively associated with later reading achievement. This was the youngest sample in which these relations have been examined to date. Longer-term implications for early parental perceptions are discussed.
Facing the Block and False Positives in Mohs Surgery: A Retrospective Study of 2,198 Cases

BACKGROUND“Facing the block” is defined as trimming tissue on a microtome from peripheral or deep surgical margins before sectioning. Facing includes trimming performed intentionally but unnecessarily, accidentally, or out of necessity because of one's choice of embedding and freezing method.OBJECTI
Modulation of conditioned taste aversion by sodium pentobarbital

The effects of pentobarbital on the formation and expression of LiCl induced taste aversion were examined using a two-bottle preference test. Rats adapted to restricted fluid intake were offered a 15% sucrose solution 15 min after a pentobarbital or saline injection but prior to post-CS LiCl or control injections. All animals were tested 3 days later in either the same or opposite drug state, and were returned to the conditioning day drug state for a second test. The results showed that pentobarbital in testing disrupted evidence for taste aversion in a manner not simply accounted for by its dipsogenic effects. It was suggested that the present paradigm may prove to be a simple behavioral assay for screening putative anxiolytic drugs.