cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Hemodynamic Correlates of Outcome in Patients Undergoing Orthotopic Liver Transplantation: Evidence for Early Postoperative Myocardial Depression

Objective To describe the hemodynamic and oxygen transport patterns in survivors and nonsurvivors following liver transplantation (LT) and to assess their relationship to organ failure and mortality. Design Retrospective cohort. Setting Surgical ICU in a tertiary care university teaching hospital. Patients Consecutive series of 113 adults undergoing LT between 1984 and 1992. Patients were excluded if they died intraoperatively (n=2), required retransplantation (n=8), or their records were incomplete (n=7). Measurements and main results Preoperative severity of illness was assessed by the acute physiology and chronic health evaluation (APACHE) II scoring system. Hemodynamic and oxygen transport variables were recorded immediately preoperatively and sequentially every 12 h during the first 2 postoperative days. Organ failures (pulmonary, renal, cardiovascular, hepatic, and central nervous system) were assessed for patients in the postoperative period. Patients were grouped as survivors (n=82) or nonsurvivors (n=14) with a mortality rate of 15%. Preoperative APACHE II scores were significantly lower in survivors compared with nonsurvivors (7±0 vs 11±2; p=0.029). Both preoperatively and postoperatively, survivors sustained a relatively higher mean arterial pressure, stroke volume index, left ventricular stroke work index, cardiac index, and oxygen delivery as compared with nonsurvivors (p Conclusion Nonsurvivors of LT have less cardiac reserve pretransplant; postoperatively, they demonstrate early myocardial depression and subsequently lower levels of cardiac index and oxygen delivery. Patients who develop these hemodynamic patterns are more prone to organ failure and death.
Responses to the Challenger tragedy: Subtle and significant gender differences

Within two weeks of the explosion of the space shuttle Challenger, 188 subjects rated and ranked questionnaire items, and completed open-ended questions reporting their responses to and concerns arising from the accident. Analysis of open-ended responses showed females focused more on communal, person-centered aspects of the tragedy than did males. Analysis of ratings showed females viewed person-oriented issues as more important than did males. However, males and females did not differ in rankings assigned the items nor in ratings of the importance of the technological issues. Claims about sex differences in moral orientation are discussed in light of the results of this study.
Allogeneic bone marrow cells that facilitate complete chimerism and eliminate tumor cells express both CD8 and T-cell antigen receptor–αβ

Nonmyeloablative host conditioning regimens have been used in clinical allogeneic bone marrow and hematopoietic progenitor transplantation to effectively treat lymphohematopoietic tumors and reduce early toxicity. However, severe graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) remains a major problem. The goal of the current study was to determine whether specific subsets of cells in allogeneic bone marrow transplants can effectively treat the BCL1 B-cell lymphoma in nonmyeloablated BALB/c mouse hosts given a single dose of sublethal (450 cGy) total body irradiation, without inducing severe GVHD. The experimental results show that high doses of whole bone marrow cells from major histocompatiblity complex (MHC)-mismatched donors eliminate both normal and malignant host-type lymphohematopoietic cells without causing injury to nonlymphohematopoietic host tissues. The CD8+T-cell antigen receptor–αβ+(TCRαβ+) T cells within the marrow transplants mediated the killing of the tumor cells via both perforin- and FasL-dependent pathways. Cells present in marrow transplants from either CD8−/− or TCRα−/− donors failed to eliminate malignant and normal host lymphohematopoietic cells. Addition of small numbers of blood mononuclear cells to the marrow inoculum caused lethal GVHD. Thus, the resident allogeneic bone marrow CD8+ TCRαβ+ T cells had the unique capacity to eliminate the host lymphohematopoietic cells without nonlymphohematopoietic tissue injury.
New Developments in Diversification and Portfolio Strategies

The responsibility to secure pension funds in investments which provide safety, income, and growth has been particularly difficult since the late '70s, mainly because of the extreme volatility experienced in the financial markets. New developments in diversification strategies can be separated into three areas: overseas investments, real estate, and the re‐enterprising of American corporations.
Improving Medication Adherence through Graphically Enhanced Interventions in Coronary Heart Disease (IMAGE-CHD): a randomized controlled trial.

Up to 50 % of patients do not take medications as prescribed. Interventions to improve adherence are needed, with an understanding of which patients benefit most. To test the effect of two low-literacy interventions on medication adherence. Randomized controlled trial, 2 × 2 factorial design. Adults with coronary heart disease in an inner-city primary care clinic. For 1 year, patients received usual care, refill reminder postcards, illustrated daily medication schedules, or both interventions. The primary outcome was cardiovascular medication refill adherence, assessed by the cumulative medication gap (CMG). Patients with CMG < 0.20 were considered adherent. We assessed the effect of the interventions overall and, post-hoc, in subgroups of interest. Most of the 435 participants were elderly (mean age = 63.7 years), African-American (91 %), and read below the 9th-grade level (78 %). Among the 420 subjects (97 %) for whom CMG could be calculated, 138 (32.9 %) had CMG < 0.20 during follow-up and were considered adherent. Overall, adherence did not differ significantly across treatments: 31.2 % in usual care, 28.3 % with mailed refill reminders, 34.2 % with illustrated medication schedules, and 36.9 % with both interventions. In post-hoc analyses, illustrated medication schedules led to significantly greater odds of adherence among patients who at baseline had more than eight medications (OR = 2.2; 95 % CI, 1.21 to 4.04) or low self-efficacy for managing medications (OR = 2.15; 95 % CI, 1.11 to 4.16); a trend was present among patients who reported non-adherence at baseline (OR = 1.89; 95 % CI, 0.99 to 3.60). The interventions did not improve adherence overall. Illustrated medication schedules may improve adherence among patients with low self-efficacy, polypharmacy, or baseline non-adherence, though this requires confirmation.
Rapid epigenetic adaptation to uncontrolled heterochromatin spreading

The DNA in the nucleus of a cell is wrapped around histone proteins to form a compact structure known as chromatin. Chromatin's structure can control how the genes in DNA are expressed. Loosely packed chromatin contains active genes, whereas densely packed chromatin (also called ‘heterochromatin’) contains silenced genes that are not expressed. The assembly of DNA into heterochromatin needs to be carefully controlled. Otherwise, the DNA next to heterochromatin regions can become densely packed as well (via a process called ‘heterochromatin spreading’), and the genes within this DNA are incorrectly silenced. Incorrect gene silencing is often associated with diseases such as cancer. Cells add chemical groups onto the histone proteins to influence how chromatin is compacted. Densely packed chromatin contains histones with many methyl groups but few acetyl groups. A protein called Epe1, which potentially removes methyl groups, helps to prevent heterochromatin spreading in yeast cells. Wang et al. found that an enzyme called Mst2, which adds acetyl groups onto histones, also limits heterochromatin spreading and prevents extra heterochromatin from assembling at undesirable locations. Wang et al. then generated yeast cells that lacked both Epe1 and Mst2. At first, these cells were sickly and unable to grow, because several essential genes were incorrectly silenced due to rampant heterochromatin spreading. However, the cells quickly overcame this growth defect by gaining an additional mutation. Normally mutations occur through changes in DNA sequences. However, Wang et al. found that the cells acquired this mutation by packing a gene required for heterochromatin assembly into heterochromatin. This in turn stopped more chromatin from becoming packed too densely. Changes to chromatin can also be passed on to the yeast's offspring, and such a change could help the offspring to better cope with changes in heterochromatin levels. Future work could test how often inheritable changes to chromatin modification help organisms adapt to environmental stresses, or if similar changes allow cancer cells to become tolerant to anticancer drugs.
Comparison of free radicals produced by laser and ultrasound ablation of cardiovascular tissue.

— We have used the method of spin trapping and EPR to study the nature of the free radicals produced by laser photoreaction of cardiovascular tissue. The results obtained with argon-ion (cw) and excimer (pulsed) lasers have been compared with radicals produced by ultrasonic disruption of the tissue samples. These comparative studies provide an understanding of the mechanism by which laser light energy effects photoablation of cardiovascular tissue in the pulsed vs cw mode of operation.
Multi-functional protein-QD hybrid substrates for photovoltaics and real-time biosensing

The unique energy transfer interaction between the optical Utilizing the direct energy transfer mechanism existing between semiconductor quantum dots and the hydrogen ion protein pump bacteriorhodopsin, a multi-functional bioelectronics platform is demonstrated. Fluorescence resonance energy transfer coupled QD-bR systems have been proven in both aqueous and dried film states, allowing for the vast QD optical absorbance range to directly contribute energy to the bR proton pumping sequence. A nanoscale deposition technique was employed to construct hybrid QD-bR electrodes capable of harnessing the FRET phenomena and enhancing the bR electrical output by nearly 300%. A biosensing prototype system was created where the target molecule disrupts the QD-bR FRET relationship and is signaled by an altered bR electrical output. With an integrated TiO 2 electron generating substrate, the QD-bR hybrid functions as a sensitizer in a thin film bio solar cell design, which will be presented in more detail at the conference and in the full paper.
Microinjections of dopamine agonists in the nucleus accumbens increase ethanol-reinforced responding.

Abstract Long-Evans rats (N = 3) were trained to lever press on a fixed-ratio 4 (FR 4) schedule with ethanol (10% v/v) presented as the reinforcer. Each rat received a total of six bilateral accumbens microinjections, oner per week. They were tested with one physiological saline control, three 20.0-μg/brain d-amphetamine, and two 6.0-μg/brain quinpirole injections given 10 min prior to operant sessions. Ethanol-reinforced responding terminated after approximately 10 min during control sessions. Microinjections of the D2 agonist quinpirole and the nonspecific dopamine (DA) agonist d-amphetamine increased total responding but produced slowed response rates that continued for 45–60 min. The slowed response rate produced by d-amphetamine resulted in a peak increase in interresponse times (IRTs) between 8–10 s, whereas quinpirole increased IRTs in the 14- to 16-s range, indicating that nonspecific DA activation resulted in higher rates of ethanol-reinforced responding than specific D2 activation although both drugs decreased local response rates. These data indicate that the amount and temporal extent of ethanol-reinforced responding are increased by microinjections of DA agonists in the nucleus accumbens and support the hypothesis that DA activity in this region is involved in the regulation of ethanol-reinforced responding.
EFFECT OF FREEZING AND PACKAGING METHODS ON SURVIVAL AND BIOCHEMICAL ACTIVITY OF SPOILAGE ORGANISMS ON CHICKEN

SUMMARY— A study was conducted to determine effects of freezing, thawing, and subsequent holding at about 5°C on survival or growth of aerobic bacteria on chicken packaged with various materials. Production of fluorescent pigment, and extracellular proteinase and lipase activities were used as indices of the ability of the organisms to produce spoilage. Growth of bacteria was determined by colony counts. Assays for proteolysis were made by means of a dye binding method; lipolysis of chicken fat was determined by titration of free fatty acids. Fluorescent pigment formation was evaluated by means of a photofluorometer. The influence of availability of oxygen on proteolytic and lipoytic spoilage of poultry was studied after chicken was packaged with materials having high or low oxygen permeability and by vacuum packaging. Fluorescent pigment production, proteofytic and lipolytic spoilage of chicken stored at 5°C was directly related to the availability of oxygen provided by the packaging procedure. Bacterial numbers paralleled increases in biochemical indices of deterioration. Freezing of chicken at −29°C for 35 days followed by defrosting and refrigerated storage increased the proportion of biochemically active psychrophiles on the surface of the meat. Vacuum packaging generally limited amount of spoilage as measured by the criteria specified. When samples were analyzed after alternate freezing and thawing, total aerobic bacterial counts were only slightly different from those on chicken frozen continuously for 22-25 days.
Glycogen storage disease type I and G6Pase-β deficiency: etiology and therapy

Glycogen storage disease type I (GSD-I) consists of two subtypes: GSD-Ia, a deficiency in glucose-6-phosphatase-α (G6Pase-α) and GSD-Ib, which is characterized by an absence of a glucose-6-phosphate (G6P) transporter (G6PT). A third disorder, G6Pase-β deficiency, shares similarities with this group of diseases. G6Pase-α and G6Pase-β are G6P hydrolases in the membrane of the endoplasmic reticulum, which depend on G6PT to transport G6P from the cytoplasm into the lumen. A functional complex of G6PT and G6Pase-α maintains interprandial glucose homeostasis, whereas G6PT and G6Pase-β act in conjunction to maintain neutrophil function and homeostasis. Patients with GSD-Ia and those with GSD-Ib exhibit a common metabolic phenotype of disturbed glucose homeostasis that is not evident in patients with G6Pase-β deficiency. Patients with a deficiency in G6PT and those lacking G6Pase-β display a common myeloid phenotype that is not shared by patients with GSD-Ia. Previous studies have shown that neutrophils express the complex of G6PT and G6Pase-β to produce endogenous glucose. Inactivation of either G6PT or G6Pase-β increases neutrophil apoptosis, which underlies, at least in part, neutrophil loss (neutropenia) and dysfunction in GSD-Ib and G6Pase-β deficiency. Dietary and/or granulocyte colony-stimulating factor therapies are available; however, many aspects of the diseases are still poorly understood. This Review will address the etiology of GSD-Ia, GSD-Ib and G6Pase-β deficiency and highlight advances in diagnosis and new treatment approaches, including gene therapy.
A comparison between the mini-element and the Petrov-Galerkin formulations for the generalized Stokes problem

Abstract We first derive the statically condensed form of the mini-element formulation for the generalized Stokes equations, then present a Petrov-Galerkin-like formulation for the same problem. We show that the two are closely related.
Quasi-static and dynamic mechanical properties of commercial-purity tungsten processed by ECAE at low temperatures

In this work, we have processed commercial purity tungsten (W) via different routes of equal-channel angular extrusion (ECAE) at temperatures as low as 600 °C. We have systematically evaluated the quasi-static and dynamic compressive behaviors of the processed W. Quasi-static compression tests were performed using an MTS hydro-servo system at room temperature. It is observed that samples ECAE processed at 800 °C show higher yield and flow stresses than those processed at other temperatures; no obvious strain hardening is observed in the quasi-static stress–strain curves. Quasi-static strain rate jump tests show that the strain rate sensitivity of ECAE W is in the range of 0.02 to 0.03, smaller than that of coarse-grained W. Uni-axial dynamic compressive tests were performed using the Kolsky bar (or split-Hopkinson pressure bar, SHPB) system. Post-loading SEM observations revealed that under dynamic compression, the competition between cracking at pre-existing extrinsic surface defects, grain boundaries, and uniform plastic deformation of the individual grains control the overall plastic deformation of the ECAE W. The existence of flow softening under dynamic loading has been established for all of the ECAE W specimens.
Allopurinol Administered after Inducing Hypoxia-Ischemia Reduces Brain Injury in 7-Day-Old Rats

Allopurinol Administered after Inducing Hypoxia-Ischemia Reduces Brain Injury in 7-Day-Old Rats
Thermally Driven Rossby-Mode Dynamo for Solar Magnetic-Field Reversals

There is increasing interest in the possible existence of large eddies or "Rossby waves" in Sun's convection zone and photosphere. It is shown that many flows of this type, driven by an equator-pole temperature diffrence, act as hydromagnetic dynamos to produce magnetic fields that periodically reverse. The periods and field amplitudes agree with solar phenomena within an order of magnitude.
Ryegrass Companion Crops for Alfalfa Establishment: I. Forage Yield and Alfalfa Suppression

Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) is often established with a small grain companion crop in the northcentral USA. Information on alternative companion crop species is limited. This study was conducted to evaluate forage yield and alfalfa establishment when ryegrasses (Lolium spp.) are used as companion crops. Five ryegrass cultivars representing tow species were sown at 215, 430, and 645 seeds m −2 with alfalfa at two locations in Wisconsin in April of 1988, 1989, and 1990. Alfalfa was also established alone or with oat (Avena sativa L. Ensiler'). Three harvest schedules, based on oat maturity at the first harvest, were imposed during the seeding year. The ryegrass-alfalfa mixtures usually had lower forage yields in the seeding year than the oat companion treatment []
A novel procedure for generating both nitric oxide and superoxide in situ from chemical sources at any chosen mole ratio. First application: tyrosine oxidation and a comparison with preformed peroxynitrite.

The first method for generating •NO and O2•- at any known, constant ratio has been developed. Spermine NONOate and di(4-carboxybenzyl)hyponitrite decay with first-order kinetics and exactly equal rate constants (half-lives of 80 min) at 37 °C and pH 7.5 to give 200 and 40 mol % •NO and O2•-, respectively. Tyrosine oxidation to dityrosine and 3-nitrotyrosine (the major and minor products under the conditions used in these experiments) has been studied (mainly in the presence of CO2) using various different ratios of the rates of formation of •NO and O2•- . The •NO/O2•- = 1.0 product profiles are very similar to those of the products derived from equal amounts of •NO and O2•- generated at a •NO/O2•- ratio of 1.0 from SIN-1 but are very different from those derived from preformed peroxynitrite. All the experimental results can be explained in terms of free radical chemistry. The product profiles at all the •NO/O2•- ratios could be satisfactorily simulated provided an important group of reactions which lead t...
Variation of above-threshold ionisation power law behaviour

The authors present a model for above-threshold ionisation (ATI) phenomena that includes an infinite number of continua, in which the continuum-continuum matrix elements decrease with increasing energy. The model leads to a closed-form expression for the mth photopeak amplitude. The multiphoton index k varies with laser intensity from N+m-1 to N-1 for this peak.
Human hepatoma cells synthesize and secrete insulin-like growth factor Ia prohormone under growth hormone control.

Abstract Nucleotide sequencing of cDNAs encoding human insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) predicts the existence of two different prohormone forms of IGF-I. The E peptide regions extend the carboxy-terminus of the 70 amino acid core IGF-I molecule (BCAD domains) by either an additional 35 (IGF-Ia) or 77 (IGF-Ib) amino acids. Employing antiserum directed against a peptide sequence unique to the E peptide region of IGF-Ia prohormone, we have identified EIa immunoreactive material (IR-EIa) in the conditioned medium of a human hepatoma cell line, HepG2. Human growth hormone (GH) had dose-dependent stimulatory effects on IR-EIa secretion; incubation of HepG2 cells with GH at maximal concentrations (1–5 μg/ml) increased specific IR-EIa in 24 h conditioned medium 3-fold. The addition of human placental lactogen, insulin, IGF-I, dexamethasone, β-estradiol, or progesterone had no significant effect. Acid chromatography of HepG2 cell conditioned medium revealed a single elution peak of IR-EIa corresponding to M r = 12,000–20,000 . There was no immunologically detectable 7500 M r IGF-I peptide in acid-chromatographed conditioned medium under either basal or stimulated conditions. Biosynthetic labelling of HepG2 cell products with [35S]Trans label and immunoprecipitation with antisera specific to the E or to the AD regions of the IGF-Ia molecule indicated a single species of approx. 14,000 M r . These data indicate that the E peptide region of IGF-Ia is translated and released as part of the larger molecule in cultured HepG2 cells, and that the levels of this prohormone are regulated by GH.
What Follows? Mind Dependence, Fallibility and Transcendence According to (Strong) Constructionism's Realist and Quasi-Realist Critics

In the June 2001 special issue of this journal devoted to `Social Constructionism and Its Critics', some critics take (strong) constructionism to task for its many problems and internal contradictions-most notably, the failure of its advocates to acknowledge their own (ontological and epistemological) commitments and realism. Other critics attempt to save constructionism from these charges by finding a less strident form of realism-what I will call a `quasi-realism'-within constructionism. After examining Gergen's insistence that we attend not to the truth of any given discourse but rather to the question `what follows?' when we adopt any given discourse, I consider each critic's own view about what epistemology necessarily follows (and does not follow) from the ontological doctrine he or she seeks to defend. I focus my attention on the epistemological consequences, including the potential for fallibility/error, that follow from the investigation of those ontological entities understood to be human kinds,...
Advances In Optical Fiber Sensors

AbstractOver the past several years, a new non -communication optical fiber application hasemerged. This application utilizes optical fibers for sensing. Initial interest centeredaround rate rotation sensing. Since that time, however, acoustic, magnetic, and tempera-ture sensing utilizing optical fibers has evolved into a viable research effort with sig-nificant potential payoff. As an example, laboratory fiber optic acoustic sensors nowrival the best sensitivity obtained with piezoelectric ceramics. These sensors possess aunique geometric versatility previously unavailable. In conjunction with the DefenseAdvanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the Navy has begun a Fiber Optic Sensor System(FOSS) program to develop associated technology necessary to realize these sensors.Substantial effort is ongoing at the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) and other Navylaboratories with considerable contractual effort from universities and industry. Thispaper reviews the status of the FOSS program.IntroductionInitial fiber sensor efforts concentrated on rotation rate sensing.' Acoustic,2magnetic,3 and temperature field sensors utilizing optical fibers are now under intenseinvestigation. Threshold detectabilities of laboratory optical- fiber -acoustic sensorsrival the best piezoelectric devices. For magnetic field sensing the potential fordetecting on the order of 10 -11 to 10-12 G appears possible. That detectability rivalsthe best conventional magnetometers. Optical fiber accelerometers with sensitivities inthe sub pg range also appear feasible.4 Thus fiber optic sensors appear to be extremelycompetitive with conventional devices.Fiber interferometerConsider a typical Mach -Zehnder configuration for an optical fiber sensor (Fig. 1).
Moment problem formulation of the Schrödinger equation

We show that it is possible to project out in an exact manner the lowest eigenstate of Schrodinger equations. Taking into account the nodeless property of the lowest eigenstate one can replace the full Schrodinger equation by a moment problem whose measure is the eigenstate itself. The infinite set of positivity inequalities linked to this moment problem provides a framework which allows to compute sequences of upper and lower bounds to the unknown eigenvalue and eigenfunction.
Inhibition of in vitro protein synthesis by subribosomal particles isolated from Blastocladiella emersonii zoospores

Ribosomes and polyribosomes from B. emersonii zoospores are active in the wheat germ in vitro protein-synthesizing system but at reduced levels compared to 80 S ribosomes or polyribosomes isolated from growth-phase plants. A partial explanation for the lower activity in the zoospore preparations is the presence of inhibitor particles that sediment primarily as subribosomal particles. The inhibitor particles block aminoacylation of tRNA by methionine, leucine, or a mixture of amino acids but have little effect on elongation events. Nuclease contamination of subribosomal particle preparations from growth-phase plants precluded any direct demonstration of the presence of these particles during growth stages. The role of these particles in vivo is unclear since the inhibitor particles block aminoacylation of tRNA and the zoospores were found to have little tRNA that was not already charged with amino acid. The inhibitor described in this report appears to be different from the inhibitor previously detected (I. R. Schmoyer and J. S. Lovett, 1969, J. Bacteriol. 100: 854–864) in B. emersonii zoospores.
Effects of Nanoparticle Charge and Shape Anisotropy on Translocation through Cell Membranes

Nanotoxicity is becoming a major concern as the use of nanoparticles in imaging, therapeutics, diagnostics, catalysis, sensing, and energy harvesting continues to grow dramatically. The tunable functionalities of the nanoparticles offer unique chemical interactions in the translocation process through cell membranes. The overall translocation rate of the nanoparticle can vary immensely on the basis of the charge of the surface functionalization along with shape and size. Using advanced molecular dynamics simulation techniques, we compute translocation rate constants of functionalized cone-, cube-, rod-, rice-, pyramid-, and sphere-shaped nanoparticles through lipid membranes. The computed results indicate that depending on the nanoparticle shape and surface functionalization charge, the translocation rates can span 60 orders of magnitude. Unlike isotropic nanoparticles, positively charged, faceted, rice-shaped nanoparticles undergo electrostatics-driven reorientation in the vicinity of the membrane to max...
Calculated patterns for multifragment reduced velocity correlation functions

Abstract We have investigated the utility of multifragment reduced velocity correlation functions as probes for nuclear fragmentation. Within the framework of the microcanonical statistical model, correlation functions for fragment multiplets (three or more fragments) are found to exhibit characteristic signatures which are strongly enhanced compared to those for two-fragment correlation functions. Further, it is demonstrated that a “pure multiplet” contribution can be extracted from high-order reduced velocity correlation functions. It is proposed that these new/enhanced signatures can provide good probes for multifragment disassembly.
In vitro chondrogenesis and cell viability.

Abstract Anterior somites cultured with (NSA) or without (SA) notochord, and posterior somites cultured with (NSP) or without notochord (SP) were compared with respect to changes in their DNA content, their potential to synthesize the active sulfate principle phosphoadenosine phosphosulfate (PAPS), and their ability to accumulate 35 S-sulfate. Chondrogenesis was observed in the NSA, NSP, and SP explants, but was rarely noted in the SA explants. A decrease in DNA content during the initial 48 hr of culture was common to all explants. After this initial decrease, DNA content increased most in those explants forming cartilage. The synthesis of PAPS by cell-free extracts of each type of somite explant also decreased during the initial period of culture. Only extracts of those explants undergoing chondrogenesis showed increases in PAPS synthesis with continued culture. Each type of somite explant accumulated 35 S-sulfate into chondroitin sulfate during the first hours of culture. The non-chondrogenic SA explants accumulated little 35 S-sulfate during the period of culture. At varying times after 24 hr the chondrifying explants (NSA, SP, and NSP) initiated an increased rate of accumulation of 35 S-sulfate. Cartilage nodules, increases in DNA content, PAPS synthesis and 35 S-sulfate accumulation occurred within the same 24 hr period, during the 2nd day in NSP explants, the 3rd day in NSA explants, and between the 3rd and 4th day for SP explants. A hypothesis of in vitro somite chondrogenesis based on differential cell viability is presented.
Earthbound applications for NASA's physician workstation

The dream of a space probe to Mars or an astronaut colony on the moon persists. Despite years of setbacks and delays, NASA continues to lay the foundation for a new frontier in space. The necessity of a self contained health maintenance facility is an integral part of this stellar venture. As a subsystem of this health maintenance facility, the physician or astronaut workstation was envisioned as the vehicle of interface between the computer resources of the space station and the care provider. Our efforts to define and build this interface have resulted in a series of programs which can now be tested and refined using earth-based applications. The modules which have dual-use application from the NASA workstation include: patient scheduling and master patient index, pharmacy, laboratory, medical library, problem list/progress notes, and digital medical records. Our current plan is to develop these tools as objects that can be assembled in a variety of configurations. This will allow the technology to be used by the private sector where each doctor can select the starting point of his outpatient office system and add modules as he makes progress in system integration and training.
MOCVD Growth of Copper and Copper Oxide Films from Bis -β-Diketonate Complexes of Copper. The Role of Carrier Gas on Deposit Composition.

An examination of thermal chemical vapor deposit elemental composition by EDAX has been completed for material films grown from Cu(acac) 2 and Cu(tmhd) 2 (acac = pentane-2,4-dionate; tmhd = 2,2,6,6-tetramethylheptane-3,5-dionate), using both hydrous and anhydrous carrier gas steams each of reducing (H 2 ), inert (H 2 ), and oxidizing (O 2 ) composition.
Equity in Education: Low Priority in the School Reform Movement.

The author argues that the educational reform movements are cyclical and that the present call for excellence can be seen in previous cycles. Noting the absence of a concern for equity in the many recent reports and studies, the author discusses the concepts of equity, equality, and excellence. Alternative reforms are proposed to enhance equity for minority and presently underachieving youth.
Amine Scrubbing for CO2 Capture

Amine scrubbing has been used to separate carbon dioxide (CO2) from natural gas and hydrogen since 1930. It is a robust technology and is ready to be tested and used on a larger scale for CO2 capture from coal-fired power plants. The minimum work requirement to separate CO2 from coal-fired flue gas and compress CO2 to 150 bar is 0.11 megawatt-hours per metric ton of CO2. Process and solvent improvements should reduce the energy consumption to 0.2 megawatt-hour per ton of CO2. Other advanced technologies will not provide energy-efficient or timely solutions to CO2 emission from conventional coal-fired power plants.
Fission Matrix Capability for MCNP Monte Carlo

We describe recent experience and results from implementing a fission matrix capability into the MCNP Monte Carlo code. The fission matrix can be used to provide estimates of the fundamental mode fission distribution, the dominance ratio, the eigenvalue spectrum, and higher mode forward and adjoint eigenfunctions of the fission neutron source distribution. It can also be used to accelerate the convergence of the power method iterations and to provide basis functions for higher-order perturbation theory. The higher-mode fission sources can be used in MCNP to determine higher-mode forward fluxes and tallies, and work is underway to provide higher-mode adjoint-weighted fluxes and tallies. Past difficulties and limitations of the fission matrix approach are overcome with a new sparse representation of the matrix, permitting much larger and more accurate fission matrix representations. The new fission matrix capabilities provide a significant advance in the state-of-the-art for Monte Carlo criticality calculations.
A novel nuclease activity that is activated by Ca(2+) chelated to EGTA.

Most nucleases require a divalent cation as a cofactor, usually Mg2+ or Ca2+, and are inhibited by the chelators EDTA and EGTA. We report the existence of a novel nuclease activity, initially identified in the luminal fluids of the mouse male reproductive tract but subsequently found in other tissues,that requires EGTA chelated to calcium to digest DNA. We refer to this unique enzyme as CEAN (Chelated EGTA Activated Nuclease). Using a fraction of vas deferens luminal fluid, plasmid DNA was degraded in the presence of excess Ca2+ (Ca2+ :EGTA = 16) or excess EGTA (Ca2+ :EGTA = 0.25), but required the presence of both. Higher levels of EGTA (Ca2+ :EGTA = 0.10) prevented activity, suggesting that unchelated EGTA may be a competitive inhibitor. The EGTA-Ca2+ activation of CEAN is reversible as removing EGTA-Ca2+ stops ongoing DNA degradation, but adding EGTA-Ca2+ again reactivates the enzyme. This suggests the possibility that CEAN binds directly to EGTA-Ca2+. CEAN has a greater specificity for the chelator th...
A physician/advertiser ethos

Advertisements via multiple media inundate contemporary society, a reflection of an entrepreneurial competiveness and consumerism. In a recent brief article in The New York Times, R.D. Rice, President, Television Bureau of Advertising, stated that “the health care category (of .advertising) is one of the fastest-growing and most important in local television.” According to Mr. Rice, health care companies spent 125.6 million dollars on television advertising in 1985. In the same article, S. Jacobs, President, Healthware Images, attributed the boom in health care commercials to two sources: judicial decisions that granted professionals the legal right to advertise, and an orientation toward private medical care, both of which had increased marketing consciousness. As Ms. Jacobs commented: “physicians, hospitals, dentists-these are all businesses. They have to approach their audiences the same way that QocaCola does” [I]. Advertisements, as distinguished from other forms of communication, imply an advertiser who pays a media representative to deliver a message; and within that context, certain legal constraints (non-deceptive, unrestricted competitiveness), and standards of advertising practice, the advertiser controls the message. Advertisements are intended to elicit a response desired by the advertiser-to influence, convince, or win the suffrage of others. Advertisements by physicians are intended to promote the sale of his or her services.
An Endogenously Produced Fragment of Cardiac Myosin-Binding Protein C Is Pathogenic and Can Lead to Heart Failure

Rationale: A stable 40-kDa fragment is produced from cardiac myosin-binding protein C when the heart is stressed using a stimulus, such as ischemia-reperfusion injury. Elevated levels of the fragment can be detected in the diseased mouse and human heart, but its ability to interfere with normal cardiac function in the intact animal is unexplored. Objective: To understand the potential pathogenicity of the 40-kDa fragment in vivo and to investigate the molecular pathways that could be targeted for potential therapeutic intervention. Methods and Results: We generated cardiac myocyte–specific transgenic mice using a Tet-Off inducible system to permit controlled expression of the 40-kDa fragment in cardiomyocytes. When expression of the 40-kDa protein is induced by crossing the responder animals with tetracycline transactivator mice under conditions in which substantial quantities approximating those observed in diseased hearts are reached, the double-transgenic mice subsequently experience development of sarcomere dysgenesis and altered cardiac geometry, and the heart fails between 12 and 17 weeks of age. The induced double-transgenic mice had development of cardiac hypertrophy with myofibrillar disarray and fibrosis, in addition to activation of pathogenic MEK–ERK pathways. Inhibition of MEK–ERK signaling was achieved by injection of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)/ERK inhibitor U0126. The drug effectively improved cardiac function, normalized heart size, and increased probability of survival. Conclusions: These results suggest that the 40-kDa cardiac myosin-binding protein C fragment, which is produced at elevated levels during human cardiac disease, is a pathogenic fragment that is sufficient to cause hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and heart failure.
Synthesis and structural characterization of the neutral indium (III) thiolate species In{(SCH2CH2)3N}

Abstract The neutral indium(III) thiolate species In{(SCH2CH2)3N} was synthesized and structurally characterized.
picoCTF 2013 - Toaster Wars: When interactive storytelling game meets the largest computer security competition

Computer security competitions have become a great resource for students who are interested in computer science as a career. Most of these computer security competitions, commonly known as CTFs (Capture the Flag), are presented in a Jeopardy Board style of gameplay. This type of presentation only displays the problems and lacks a compelling storyline, interaction, or player immersion. A team of five graduate students (dubbed Team Osiris) from Carnegie Mellon University's Entertainment Technology Center worked with Carnegie Mellon's Hacking Club PPP to create `picoCTF,' a computer security competition to encourage U.S. middle school and high school student's interest in computer science. It was Team Osiris responsibility to add gamification to picoCTF; to push the game presentation beyond a static Jeopardy Board. Team Osiris created game design, art, animation, and programming around a fun, interactive story. The result of this effort was Toaster Wars, a CTF game experience. The competition took place from Apr. 26th to May 5th 2013, were almost 10,000 players participated. By adding gamification to picoCTF 2013 or Toaster Wars, players had a more immersive learning and competition experience.
Multiphoton modulation microscopy for high-speed deep biological imaging

We demonstrate a novel line scanning multiphoton microscope with a single element detector, potentially allowing fast imaging deep into scattering tissue. Multiphoton biological imaging of ex vivo rat tendon using this technique is presented.
Harold Black and the negative-feedback amplifier

On August 2, 1927, Harold Black, a young Bell Labs engineer just six years out of college, invented the negative-feedback amplifier. Negative feedback soon allowed the Bell system to reduce overcrowding of lines and extend its long-distance network by means of carrier telephony. It enabled the design of accurate fire-control systems in World War II, and it formed the basis of early operational amplifiers, as well as precise, variable-frequency audio oscillators. The invention, its development, the role it played in the founding of the Hewlett-Packard company, and the themes it illustrates in the history of technology are discussed. >
Family history and serology predict Crohn's disease after ileal pouch-anal anastomosis for ulcerative colitis.

Approximately 5 to 10 percent of patients undergoing ileal pouch-anal anastomosis with a diagnosis of ulcerative colitis are subsequently diagnosed with Crohn’s disease. Preoperative predictors for Crohn’s disease post-ileal pouch-anal anastomosis have not been prospectively defined. A total of 238 consecutive patients with ulcerative colitis or indeterminate colitis undergoing ileal pouch-anal anastomosis were prospectively enrolled into a longitudinal database. Clinical factors were assessed perioperatively. Serum drawn preoperatively was assayed for anti-Saccharomyces cerevisiae, antiouter membrane porin-C, anti-CBir1, and perinuclear antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Crohn’s disease was defined by small bowel inflammation proximal to the ileal pouch or a perianal fistula identified at least three months after ileostomy closure. Predictors were assessed in a multivariate Cox proportional hazards model to predict the rate of Crohn’s disease after ileostomy closure. Sixteen patients (7 percent) were diagnosed with Crohn’s disease; median time to Crohn’s disease was 19 (range, 1–41) months. Significant factors for postoperative Crohn’s disease after ileal pouch-anal anastomosis included family history of Crohn’s disease (hazard ratio, 8.4; 95 percent confidence interval, 2.96–24.1; P < 0.0001) and anti-Saccharomyces cerevisiae immunoglobulin-A seropositivity (hazard ratio, 3.14; 95 percent confidence interval, 1.1–9.81; P = 0.04). Crohn’s disease developed in only 8 of 198 patients (4 percent) without these predictors vs. 8 of 40 patients (20 percent) in those with at least one of these factors (P = 0.002). The cumulative risk of Crohn’s disease among patients with two risk factors (67 percent) was higher than in patients with either risk factor (18 percent) or neither risk factor (4 percent, P < 0.001). Patients with ulcerative colitis and indeterminate colitis with a family history of Crohn’s disease or preoperative anti-Saccharomyces cerevisiae immunoglobulin-A seropositivity are more likely to be diagnosed with Crohn’s disease after ileal pouch-anal anastomosis.
Oral magnesium oxide prophylaxis of frequent migrainous headache in children: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial

Objective.—To assess whether, in children, oral magnesium oxide reduces migrainous headache frequency, severity, and associated features compared to placebo. Background.—There is no single, safe, widely well-tolerated, and effective prophylactic treatment for all children and adolescents with frequent migrainous headache. Design.—Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group trial. Methods.—This study was conducted between June 1997 and January 2000 using 7 selected Northern California Kaiser Permanente sites. We recruited children of ages 3 to 17 years who reported a 4-week history of at least weekly, moderate-to-severe headache with a throbbing or pulsatile quality, associated anorexia/nausea, vomiting, photophobia, sonophobia, or relief with sleep, but no fever or evidence of infection. Subjects were randomly assigned to receive either magnesium oxide (9 mg/kg per day by mouth divided 3 times a day with food) (n = 58) or matching placebo (n = 60) for 16 weeks. The number of headache days (days with at least one headache) during each of eight 2-week intervals was chosen to be the primary outcome variable. Results.—Of those enrolled, 86 (73%) completed the study (42 received magnesium oxide and 44 placebo); 74 of 192 eligible subjects declined to participate. Baseline information on demographic factors, health status, and headache history was similar comparing the 2 groups. By intention-to-treat analysis, we found a statistically significant decrease over time in headache frequency in the magnesium oxide group (P = .0037) but not in the placebo group (P = .086), although the slopes of these 2 lines were not statistically significantly different from each other (P = .88). The group treated with magnesium oxide had significantly lower headache severity (P = .0029) relative to the placebo group. Conclusions.—This study does not unequivocally determine whether oral magnesium oxide is or is not superior to placebo in preventing frequent migrainous headache in children, but treatment with the active agent did lead to a significant reduction in headache days. Larger trials involving this safe, appealing complementary therapy are needed.
5-Hydroxytryptamine uptake by lungs of hamsters with pulmonary emphysema.

Elastase-induced emphysema in hamsters was used as a model to determine whether this type of chronic lung injury affected the metabolic function of pulmonary endothelium. 5-Hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) uptake was studied in isolated perfused lungs of hamsters from a control group and from those with emphysema of various severity. After measuring 5-HT uptake. we determined the mean linear intercept and internal surface area for each lung. The concentration of 5-HT used in the perfusate ranged from the level in the resting hamster to supraphysiologic levels. The results reveal that elastase-induced emphysema does not affect 5-HT uptake by the isolated perfused hamster lung despite significant loss of alveolar surface area.
Vegetation responses to stand structure and prescribed fire in an interior ponderosa pine ecosystemThis article is one of a selection of papers from the Special Forum on Ecological Studies in Interior Ponderosa Pine — First Findings from Blacks Mountain Interdisciplinary Research.

A large-scale interior ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa Dougl. ex P. & C. Laws.) study was conducted at the Blacks Mountain Experimental Forest in northeastern California. The primary purpose of the...
A survey of current information center practices in southern California

Current information center (IC) practices are compared with practices prescribed in the literature. This has been accomplished by surveying several southern California ICs using semistructured questionnaires during onsite interviews. Preliminary findings based on data from three sites are reported. The results were mixed, showing both convergence and divergence with prescriptions in the literature. >
SEEING AND SAYING: A RESPONSE TO “INCONGRUOUS IMAGES”

In responding to an essay by Marianne Hirsch and Leo Spitzer about photographs taken in the streets of Chernivitsi (Czernowitz) in the 1940s, and thus in the midst of the Holocaust, this paper seeks to link their concerns to a broader consideration of photography as a modern phenomenon. In the process, the paper provides a brief history of street photography, a genre virtually ignored in standard histories of the photographic medium. The author suggests that Hirsch and Spitzer's paper bravely reminds us that our fascination with photographs is based not on truth, but on a combination of desire (our own desire to transcend death) and faith (in photography's ability to deliver this end, in the face of all the evidence to the contrary). Their account of street photography in Czernowitz thereby amounts to an interpretation of photographs as dynamic modes of apprehension rather than as static objects from the past that veridically represent it. It is precisely this aspect of photographs that makes them such unusually complicated, ambiguous, and incongruous historical objects.