cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Human cardiac stem cells

The identification of cardiac progenitor cells in mammals raises the possibility that the human heart contains a population of stem cells capable of generating cardiomyocytes and coronary vessels. The characterization of human cardiac stem cells (hCSCs) would have important clinical implications for the management of the failing heart. We have established the conditions for the isolation and expansion of c-kit-positive hCSCs from small samples of myocardium. Additionally, we have tested whether these cells have the ability to form functionally competent human myocardium after infarction in immunocompromised animals. Here, we report the identification in vitro of a class of human c-kit-positive cardiac cells that possess the fundamental properties of stem cells: they are self-renewing, clonogenic, and multipotent. hCSCs differentiate predominantly into cardiomyocytes and, to a lesser extent, into smooth muscle cells and endothelial cells. When locally injected in the infarcted myocardium of immunodeficient mice and immunosuppressed rats, hCSCs generate a chimeric heart, which contains human myocardium composed of myocytes, coronary resistance arterioles, and capillaries. The human myocardium is structurally and functionally integrated with the rodent myocardium and contributes to the performance of the infarcted heart. Differentiated human cardiac cells possess only one set of human sex chromosomes excluding cell fusion. The lack of cell fusion was confirmed by the Cre-lox strategy. Thus, hCSCs can be isolated and expanded in vitro for subsequent autologous regeneration of dead myocardium in patients affected by heart failure of ischemic and nonischemic origin.
Non-adiabatic interaction and the resonance Raman scattering for a non-totally symmetric mode

Abstract It is shown that the inclusion of the non-adiabatic interaction between two electronic states distorts the mirror symmetry of the excitation spectrum and depolarization dispersion for resonance Raman scattering in the region of the 00 and the 01 band of the resonating excited electronic state.
Probabilistic validation of a stochastic kinematic model for an eight-legged robot

The paper suggests a new method for statistically validating, and selecting the parameters of a model for a miniature eight-legged robot. It is based on a novel adaptation of concepts and techniques originally developed in the context of robust control design using randomized algorithms. The proposed approach is data driven and offers probabilistic guarantees of model fidelity and descriptive capacity, checking models against experimental data. In principle, this method applies to a large class of physical processes, the available models of which may be in a variety of forms including sets of differential equations.
Co-solvent exfoliation and suspension of hexagonal boron nitride

A simple method is presented for exfoliating and suspending hexagonal boron nitride using a co-solvent approach. A 60 w/w% concentration of tert-butanol in water is very effective at exfoliating boron nitride especially when compared to the individual components alone as indicated by UV-vis and transmission electron microscopy. Molecular weight and surface tension are found to play inverse roles in the exfoliation.
A unified perspective on the phase behaviour of petroleum fluids

We present a coherent and unified group of general explanations for the various phase transitions, which may occur in the seven naturally occurring petroleum fluids with emphasis on their heavy organics. The seven petroleum fluids include, in the order of their fluidity, natural gas, near-critical gas-condensate, light crude, intermediate crude, heavy oil, tar sand and oil shale. At first the nature of every petroleum fluid is presented including their constituents and their heavy fractions. Then their main families of constituents are presented. The generalised petroleum fluid phase behaviour is introduced in light of the well-known theory of phase transitions. The effects of variations of composition, temperature and pressure on petroleum fluids phase behaviour are introduced. Their 11 distinct phase-transition points are presented and their relation with state variables and constituents are identified. This report is the basis for development of a unified phase behaviour prediction model of all the petroleum fluids. (Received: September 9, 2008; Accepted: November 15, 2008)
Glucosinolates in rutabaga grown in soil capped over coal fly ash

Nine glucosinolates were measured by HPLC analysis in rutabaga grown on soil capped over a coal fly ash landfill or on normal clay and silt loam soil. Progoitrin (2-hydroxybut-3-enyl glucosinolate) and neoglucobrassicin (1-methoxy-3-indolylmethyl glucosinolate) were the most abundant glucosinolates found. Progoitrin and three other minor glucosinolates were present in the natural soil-grown rutabaga in greater amounts than in that grown in fly-ash soil. However, fly ash grown rutabaga contained comparatively greater levels of glucobrassicin (3-indolylmethyl glucosinolate) and neoglucobrassicin, the major glucosinolate present.
Thioglycolate, competitive inhibitor of urocanase

Abstract Urocanase was inhibited by thioglycolate, 2-mercaptoethanol, dithioerythritol, and 3-mercaptopropionate. Thioglycolate inhibited competitively at low concentrations (Ki, 0.1 mM) and protected the active site from modification by sulfite. The inhibited enzyme was reactivated by dialysis. A difference spectrum peak of 328 nm for the thioglycolate-urocanase complex compared to the 327 nm absorption maximum of the NAD-thioglycolate adduct. Several nucleophiles are known to inhibit urocanase. We conclude that thioglycolate, as a nucleophilic agent, inhibits by forming an adduct with the tightly bound NAD of urocanase. These results provide indirect evidence that NAD may be the locus of substrate binding in urocanase.
Room-temperature operation of MOCVD-grown GaInAs/InP strained-layer multiquantum well lasers in 1.8 mu m range

The first successful room-temperature pulsed operation is reported of InGaAs strained layer multiquantum well (SLMQW) injection lasers grown by MOVPE on InP substrates in the 1.8 μm range. The threshold current density and the external differential quantum efficiency of the 10 μm wide ridge waveguide lasers were 2.5 kA/cm2 (cavity length = 1mm) and 5% (cavity length = 400μm), respectively. Broad-area lasers, 100 μm wide and 1 mm long, had a reverse leakage current of less than 10 μA at − 1V indicating high quality of the epitaxial layers.
Modified perturbation theory for scattering in a laser field.

A variation-iteration procedure is described for determining the amplitude for scattering in the presence of a laser field. The essential limitation of the method lies in the requirement that the interaction of the charged projectile with the external field be sufficiently weak, relative to its interaction with the target, to justify use of perturbation theory to account for the effect of the field in intermediate states of the collision process. This still allows for fields which are strong enough to significantly affect the motion of the projectile in initial and final states (leading, for example, to multiphoton transitions) and this strong interaction is treated nonperturbatively. The first two terms in the modified perturbation expansion are analyzed in detail. They are expressed in terms of those matrix elements which describe one- and two-photon free-free transitions in the absence of an external field. The method is not restricted to a consideration of fields of low frequency but the first-order amplitude obtained here does reduce, in that limit, to the known form of low-frequency approximation and the second-order amplitude provides a correction. The theory is described in the context of nonrelativistic potential scattering. A discussion is included of some of the special features of the second-order amplitude associated with potentials having a long-range Coulomb tail.
Gradient Zone Constraints in a Salt-Stratified Solar Pond

An operational condition is defined for a salt-stratified solar pond. A criterion based on empirical evidence is formulated which shows a limit is approached as steady operating conditions are attained. For sodium chloride ponds, the criterion indicates a dependence between salt and temperature gradients during steady-state conditions. At the present time, appropriate data for explaining the physical basis of this relationship are not available. Significant results are found as a result of the gradient zone criterion. First, the gradient zone criterion leads to an explanation for the formation of an upper convecting zone. Results obtained with the gradient zone criterion relate to salt maintenance in a pond. Depending on the temperature operating conditions of a pond, a specific amount of salt must be in the pond. Also, salt concentration levels maintained in the upper and lower convecting zones are shown to significantly affect a pond's thermal energy performance.
Application of the FD-method to the solution of the Sturm-Liouville problem with coefficients of special form

We use the functional-discrete method for the solution of the Strum-Liouville problem with coefficients of a special form and obtain the estimates of accuracy. The numerical experiment is performed by using the Maple-10 software package.
Low-carbohydrate diet for gestational diabetes and poor fetal growth: does a relationship exist?

CONTROL STILL MATTERS BARAK ROSENN, ODED LANGER, LOIS BRUSTMAN, JOSHUA SKORUPSKI, YARIV YOGEV, St. Luke’s Roosevelt Hospital Center, New York, NY OBJECTIVE: A fetal abdominal circumference (AC) 105 mg/dL) glycemic control. Fetal AC was measured sonographically at 25-32 weeks and classified as < 75th or$75th percentile for gestational age. Birthweight$90th% was considered large for gestational age (LGA). Statistical analysis was performed using chi-square. RESULTS: The rate of LGA was 13.0% among women who achieved good control (n = 384) and 22.1% among those who had poor control (n = 190) (P < .005; OR = 1.91, 95% CI = 1.2-2.9). When good control was achieved, there was no association betweenAC andLGA, whether treatment was with diet or with insulin. However, in the presence of poor control, a large AC was associated with a twofold increase in the rate of LGA in both insulinand diet-controlled women. These findings are summarized in the Tables below. CONCLUSION: The association of fetal AC at 25-32 weeks with LGA depends on the quality of maternal glycemic control. Both diet and insulin therapy are effective in preventing LGA regardless of the fetal AC, providing good maternal glycemic control can be achieved.
Resist residue removal using UV ozone treatment

In a conventional lithography process, the resist pattern is removed by dry strip or wet chemical etch. The wet chemical etch includes sulfuric peroxide etch and solvent etch. The wet chemical etch process is always combined with the dry strip process to meet the residue process spec. However, in some applications, only the wet-etch process can be used to avoid substrate damage during the plasma step. However, organic residue can be found from particle surface scan and TGA/DSC after normal solvent strip. In this paper, we investigate polymer residue stripping using only solvent as well as solvent in combination with UV treatment. For solvents only, some solvents different from the conventional PGMEA/PGME mixture in polarity, also exhibited stripping ability but the efficiency is not as good as PGME/PGMEA mixture. When supplemented with UV treatment, the organic residue can be further decomposed and removed completely. The UV we used contains 185nm and 254nm wavelengths. Ozone is generated during UV exposure and acts as oxidant. The organic residue is thus decomposed and removed. It has been proven as an effective method to cleave the C-C bond without damaging the wafer substrate. The organic residue on the wafer surface can be easily stripped away under UV-ozone exposure. Its defect performance is also discussed in this paper.
Plasma macromolecular protein complex: Interaction with fibrin and fibrinolysis

Abstract Fibrin and fibrin-like intravascular deposits are commonly observed in various diseases such as atherosclerosis (1–3) and diabetic nephropaty (4). In all these instances fibrin deposition was associated with increased concentration of plasma fibrinogen (Fbg). It is presently recognized that elevated plasma Fbg is an important factor contributing to thrombosis and atherosclerosis (5). The elevated plasma Fbg level would, however, only marginally increase the rate of intravascular fibrin deposition in the concentration range of about 1 to 4 mg/ml. This suggests that there must be some other factor(s) which contribute to the thrombotic state. In the present paper we describe an unidentified protein from human plasma, termed a macromolecular protein complex (MPC), which is distinct from Fbg by size exclusion chromatography and heat stability at 56°C. A characteristic property of MPC is the ability to become incorporated into a fibrin clot and to inhibit fibrinolysis induced with plasminogen activators. The determination of Fbg concentration in diabetic plasma by functional and immunologic methods revealed significant discrepancies between these two methods. This is explained by the presence of increased levels of MPC in diabetes. The results of this study suggest that MPC may be a new thrombogenic factor contributing to the increased tendency of cardiovascular complications in diabetes mellitus.
Quality of care for Medicare beneficiaries with disabilities under the age of 65 years.

Social Security Disability Insurance provides cash benefits to disabled workers and certain others under the age of 65 years. These individuals become eligible for Medicare 24 months after Social Security Disability Insurance cash benefits start. In 2001, 13.9% of Medicare's approximately 40 million beneficiaries were adults under the age of 65 years with disabilities, and they generated 15% of total program costs. Medicare beneficiaries with disabilities under the age of 65 years are much more likely than elderly beneficiaries to be minority race and ethnicity, impoverished, and to report fair or poor health. They are clinically diverse, with 53.4% reporting mental health conditions. Although Medicare provides essential coverage of acute medical services and selected rehabilitative and long-term care services, by law, Medicare does not reimburse important items and services essential to daily living for many people with disabilities, including mobility aids for use outside the home, physical and occupati...
Solution chemistry of silver-porphyrins—3. Silver(I) porphyrins

Abstract Complex formation reactions of Ag(I) with tetra( p -trimethylammoniumphenyl)porphyrin, (H 2 TAPP), and with tetra(3-N-methylpyridinium)porphyrin, (H 2 TMPyP), were investigated at 25°C and μ = 0.1 M(NaNO 3 ). The composition of the complex was established to be 2:1 (metal:H 2 TMPyP) by spectrophotometric titration. The equilibrium constant, K, was found to be 10 −5.8 . Binding of the first Ag(I) was found to be rate determining with rate constant, k 1 = 2.28 × 10 3 and 4.17 × 10 4 M −1 s −1 for H 2 TMPyP and H 2 TAPP respectively. A plausible mechanism is discussed.
Space perception and the fourth dimension

L'A. se demande si il est possible de voir ou d'imaginer un objet dans sa quatrieme dimension, comme certains mathematiciens ont pretendu le faire apres avoir change leurs habitudes visuelles. Soulignant l'importance de l'informatique dans ce domaine, l'A. revient a une reflexion plus generale sur la perception
Trapped Fermi gases

We study the properties of a spin-polarized Fermi gas in a harmonic trap, using the semiclassical (Thomas-Fermi) approximation. Universal forms for the spatial and momentum distributions are calculated, and the results compared with the corresponding properties of a dilute Bose gas.
Breaking barriers: a GPCR triggers immunity in nematodes

A ligand and G protein–coupled receptor activate antimicrobial gene expression in the Caenorhabditis elegans epidermis, in response to wounding and to infection with a fungal pathogen.
Carbon-enhanced stars in SDSS DR-3

We present new carbon-enhanced stars identified from the third public release of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, SDSS-DR3. We have generated synthetic spectra with varying carbon abundances, and compare them with the SDSS spectra. We have also performed a preliminary analysis of s-process enhancement in several SDSS carbon-enhanced stars. Spectral features that are sensitve to stellar luminosity and temperature have also been explored. These methods will be applied to the large set of public SDSS data, as well as to the forthcoming data from SEGUE, the Sloan Extension for Galactic Understanding and Evolution, in order to study carbon enhancement at different metallicities, the fraction of s-process enhancement that occurs in carbon-enhanced stars, and possibly isotopic carbon abundances and nitrogen abundances.
Integrated microsystems packaging approach with LCP

Within the government communication market there is an increasing push to further miniaturize systems with the use of chip-scale packages, flip-chip bonding, and other advances over traditional packaging techniques. Harris' approach to miniaturization includes these traditional packaging advances, but goes beyond this level of miniaturization by combining the functional and structural elements of a system, thus creating a Multi-Functional Structural Circuit (MFSC). An emerging high-frequency, near hermetic, thermoplastic electronic substrate material, Liquid Crystal Polymer (LCP), is the material that will enable the combination of the electronic circuit and the physical structure of the system. The first embodiment of this vision for Harris is the development of a battlefield acoustic sensor module. This paper will introduce LCP and its advantages for MFSC, present an example of the work that Harris has performed, and speak to LCP MFSCs' potential benefits to miniature communications modules and sensor platforms.
Optimal algorithms for trading large positions

In this paper, we are concerned with the problem of efficiently trading a large position on the market place. If the execution of a large order is not dealt with appropriately this will certainly break the price equilibrium and result in large losses. Thus, we consider a trading strategy that breaks the order into small pieces and execute them over a predetermined period of time so as to minimize the overall execution shortfall while matching or exceeding major execution benchmarks such as the volume-weighted average price (VWAP). The underlying problem is formulated as a discrete-time stochastic optimal control problem with resource constraints. The value function and optimal trading strategies are derived in closed form. Numerical simulations with market data are reported to illustrate the pertinence of these results.
Contribution of molecular biology to bioremediation

Abstract Molecular biology contributions to hazardous waste biodegradation and bioremediation are broad ranging and clearly transcend the issue of genetic engineering of degradative performance. The molecular tools used in recombinant DNA technology can contribute to critical issues in bioprocess monitoring and optimization regardless of whether engineered or indigenous organisms are used in hazardous waste control. The objective of this report is to describe the broader developing applications of molecular biology in hazardous waste biodegradation and bioremediation. These developments and applications can permit the establishment of a new generation of more effective and predictable biotechnology for hazardous waste management.
Evidence for a weak interplate thrust fault along the northern Japan subduction zone and implications for the mechanics of thrust faulting and fluid expulsion

The complex distribution of aftershock focal mechanisms of the 1968 Tokachi-Oki earthquake is consistent with a best-fitting uniform stress tensor in which the minimum principal stress acts approximately perpendicular to the main-shock thrust plane. This implies low resolved shear stresses on the interplate thrust fault as well as low frictional fault strength, which can be explained by elevated pore pressure within a hydraulically sealed fault zone. After great subduction-zone earthquakes, episodic fluid flow may relieve the high fault-zone pore pressures via hydraulic fracturing along the main-shock thrust plane.
Robust position-based routing for wireless ad hoc networks

We consider a wireless ad hoc network composed of a set of wireless nodes distributed in a two dimensional plane. Several routing protocols based on the positions of the mobile hosts have been proposed in the literature. A typical assumption in these protocols is that all wireless nodes have uniform transmission regions modeled by unit disk centered at each wireless node. However, all these protocols are likely to fail if the transmission ranges of the mobile hosts vary due to natural or man-made obstacles or weather conditions. These protocols may fail because either some connections that are used by routing protocols do not exist, which effectively results in disconnecting the network, or the use of some connections causes livelocks. In this paper, we describe a robust routing protocol that tolerates up to roughly 40% of variation in the transmission ranges of the mobile hosts. More precisely, our protocol guarantees message delivery in a connected ad hoc network whenever the ratio of the maximum transmission range to the minimum transmission range is at most 2.
High Speed Grinding of Silicon Nitride With Electroplated Diamond Wheels, Part 1: Wear and Wheel Life

An investigation is reported on high speed grinding of silicon nitride using electroplated single-layer diamond wheels. This article is concerned with wheel wear and wheel life, and a second paper (ASME J. Manuf Sci. Eng., 122, pp. 42-50) deals with wheel topography and grinding mechanisms. It has been suggested that grinding performance may be enhanced at higher wheel speeds due to a reduction in the undeformed chip thickness. Grinding experiments were conducted at wheel speeds of 85 and 149 m/s with the same removal rate. Contrary to expectations, the faster wheel speed gave no improvements in surface finish, grinding ratio, or wheel life. Microscopic observations of the wheel surface revealed dulling of the abrasive grains by attritious wear, thereby causing a progressive increase in the forces and energy until the end of the useful life of the wheel. For all grinding conditions, a single-valued relationship was found between the wheel wear and the accumulated sliding length between the abrasive grains and the workpiece. A longer wheel life and improved grinding performance can be obtained when the operating parameters are selected so as to reduce the abrasive sliding length per unit volume of material removal.
A simple nonparametric approach to low-dimension, shortfall-based portfolio selection

Abstract This paper develops a simple, low-dimension portfolio selection rule based on minimizing the probability of realizing a return below some pre-determined benchmark or target rate. Unlike most shortfall-based methods, which employ approximations to the shortfall probability, this method operates directly on the complementary Heaviside function representation of the in-sample shortfall probability. Thus, no behavioral assumptions, other than the notion of shortfall minimization, enter the portfolio selection process.
Mass spectrometry: Bound in flight

In their natural environment, membrane proteins are surrounded by lipids, but the effect that the lipids have on the proteins is not easy to assess. Now, controlling the extent of delipidation has enabled the study of these interactions.
Collaborative Resource Management: Organizational Benefits and Individual Costs

This article examines some of the key barriers to collaborative resource management: the differential costs and benefits of these approaches for organizations and individuals. Drawing on the U.S. F...
Effects of 3 d subshells on resonance oscillator strengths for the zinc isoelectronic sequence

Theoretical values of the oscillator strengths of the resonance transition of atoms of the zinc isoelectronic sequence are in satisfactory agreement with each other, but differ substantially from the measured values. Recent relativistic random-phase-approximation calculations on this sequence treated the inner-shell electrons as a frozen core. We investigate here the effect of relaxing the core by taking account of the perturbations of the $3d$ electrons and compare the results with the measured values. Inclusion of the $3d$-subshell correlation effects somewhat improves agreement with experiment, but a significant difference remains.
Contribution of the fnr and arcA gene products in coordinate regulation of cytochrome o and d oxidase (cyoABCDE and cydAB) genes in Escherichia coli

The individual and the combined effect of the fnr and arcA regulatory gene products on cytochrome o oxidase and cytochrome d oxidase gene expression in Escherichia coli were evaluated using lacZ reporter fusions to the cyoABCDE and cydAB operons. Fnr repressed cyolacZ and cyd-lacZ expression during anaerobic growth but not during aerobic growth conditions. ArcA functioned as an anaerobic repressor of cyo-lacZ expression while, in contrast, it activated cydAB expression during both aerobic and anaerobic growth. ArcA and Fnr appear to function independently of each other to control cyoABCDE operon expression. In contrast, FNR repression of cydAB expression was dependent on arcA+, as indicated by the inability of fnr+ plasmids to repress cyd-lacZ expression in an arcA strain. Under no conditions tested did Fnr activate cydAB expression. Most, but not all, of the observed aerobic/anaerobic regulation of cyo and cyd was accounted for by the two transcriptional regulators. These data suggest the existence of additional levels of anaerobic gene control in E. coli. Additionally, the expression of the fnr regulatory gene, and regulation of the anaerobic respiratory genes, narGHJI, dmsABC and frdABCD, was found to be independent of ArcA.
Basolateral membrane sodium-independent Cl-/HCO3- exchanger in rat inner medullary collecting duct cell.

Abstract Previous studies have shown that the middle third of the rat inner medullary collecting duct (IMCD-2) secretes protons despite the absence of intercalated cells, the cell thought to secrete protons in other portions of the collecting duct. A new cell, the IMCD cell, is the predominant cell in IMCD-2. The mechanism responsible for base exit in the IMCD cell was characterized by measuring cell pH of isolated perfused tubules with 2',7'-bis(carboxyethyl)-5,6-carboxyfluorescein. Reduction of bath HCO3- caused a significant and reversible decrease in cell pH, whereas a similar change in luminal HCO3- had a significantly smaller effect, indicating that the HCO3-/H+ permeability of the basolateral membrane is much larger than the apical membrane. The rate of cell acidification induced by reduction in bath HCO3-, a measure of basolateral HCO3- transport, was significantly decreased in the absence of bath and lumen Cl. Decreases in bath Cl caused a significant and reversible increase in cell pH, which was not changed significantly by complete removal of Na from perfusate and bath, but was significantly inhibited by basolateral 4',5'-diisothiocyanostilbene-2,2'-disulfonic acid. A chemical voltage clamp did not inhibit the rate of cell alkalinization after bath Cl removal, indicating that Cl-/HCO3- exchange is not via parallel Cl and HCO3- conductances. Cell pH was measured in single cells by low-light-level imaging to show that most cells contain the chloride-dependent HCO3- pathway. We conclude that the rat IMCD cell possesses a basolateral Na-independent CL-/HCO3- exchanger which may serve as the base exit step for transepithelial proton secretion.
Role of the intestinal flora in the metabolism of misonidazole.

Abstract The radiation sensitizer misonidazole is metabolized to its amino derivative [1-(2-aminoimidazol-1-yl)-3-methoxypropan-2-o1] in pure or mixed cultures of the intestinal microflora. This metabolite appears in the excreta of conventional rats but is not detectable in the excreta of germfree rats. Thus. its formation appears to be due to the activity of the intestinal flora in vivo as well as in vitro . CO 2 is liberated from 1(2aminoimidazol1yl)3methoxypropan2o1 by pure and mixed cultures of the In cultures of Clostridium perfringens that lack urease, the release of CO 2 depends on added urease, suggesting that urea is an intermediate in this pathway.
Effects of human and nonhuman stimuli on attention and learning in psychotic children.

Psychodynamically oriented theorists maintain that childhood psychosis is caused by traumatic mother-child relations which result in the child's withdrawal from human interactions. An alternative viewpoint holds that psychotic children suffer from neurological impairments resulting in sensory and cognitive deficits. The present exploratory study attempts to measure the effect of human stimuli on the performance of psychotic children in a visual fixation experiment and a simple discrimination learning task. Comparing small groups of psychotic, younger normal, and older normal children, the psychotics showed attentional deficits and learning difficulties, but they were not influenced by the social versus nonsocial nature of the stimuli. Moreover, the psychotic children showed noteworthy improvement under conditions of positive reward for correct performance. While acknowledging the limitations of this research, the need for empirical studies of psychotic children in diverse treatment settings is emphasized.
Role of prostate-specific antigen velocity in prediction of final pathologic stage in men with localized prostate cancer.

Abstract Objectives Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) velocity prior to radical retropubic prostatectomy was evaluated to determine if men with a faster rate of rise in PSA have locally more extensive prostate cancer. Methods Of 368 men who underwent radical retropubic prostatectomy, 82 had two to seven PSA measurements between 1.3 and 6.7 years before prostate biopsy for evaluation of PSA velocity. PSA velocity and the pretreatment parameters of PSA, Gleason score, and T stage were evaluated as predictive parameters of pathologic stage. Results In men with pathologically organ-confined disease, PSA velocity was 1.12 ng/mL/yr; in non-organconfined cases, it was 1.88 ng/mL/yr. There was a statistically significant relationship between a Gleason score of 7 and above and the pathologic extent of disease. There was no statistically significant relationship between T stage, the PSA at diagnosis, and PSA velocity with respect to final pathologic stage. Conclusions PSA velocity is not a strong predictor of pathologic stage in men with localized prostate cancer.
Partial Gonadal Dysgenesis in a Patient With a Marker Y Chromosome

We evaluated a patient with partial gonadal dysgenesis including a right dysgenetic testis and a left streak gonad with rudimentary fallopian tube and uterus. She had ambiguous external genitalia and was raised female. Although her height is normal (25th centile at age
A low power 3D integrated FFT engine using hypercube memory division

In this paper we demonstrate a floating point FFT processor that leverages both 3D integration and a hypercube memory division scheme to reduce the power consumption of a 1024 point FFT down to 4.227 μJ. The hypercube memory division scheme lowers the energy per memory access by 59.2% while only increasing the total area required by 16.8%, while using 3D integration reduces the logic power by 5.2%. For comparison, we analyze the amount of power and wire length reduction that can be expected from 3D integration for normal digital logic circuits.
Planning and conducting federally funded scientific research in Nigeria

During the past two decades Nigeria has invested heavily in scientific research, by developing country standards. Yet these investments at best have had only marginal impacts on the activities of the production and service sectors even though there are many priority development activities which could benefit from inputs from Nigerian researchers. At the national level efforts to direct or even co-ordinate the planning and budgeting of research have been seriously hampered by frequent changes in organizational responsibilities and by repeated budget cuts. Historically, the activities of the federal research institutes have been poorly tuned to the interests and capabilities of the potential users of their research products. Neither these institutes nor the universities with research activities are in a position to develop products or processes which can compete with imported technologies that are saturating the economy. However, the research institutes, and to a lesser extent the universities, should make greater contributions in applying science to improved use of the nation's natural resource endowments, although significant changes in research management at the project level are needed if this objective is to be realized. The Government should provide incentives to the multinational companies operating in Nigeria to develop joint programmes with the research institutes and universities as one mechanism for diffusing the administrative and technical capabilities of the companies. Meanwhile, selected public sector enterprises should be encouraged to expand technological innovation efforts which could be directly applied to their production activities.
Linking perception research, visual simulations and dynamic modeling within a GIS framework: The ball state experience

Abstract The explosion of information technology (and especially in the areas of GIS and Remote Sensing development) is having a significant impact on the quality and effectiveness of natural resource analysis and planning. Incorporated into the information technology boom are new and exciting ways to realistically capture and manipulate digital data to enhance our visual understanding of various resource planning and design decisions. Work undertaken in university environments is assisting in the research and development aspects of applying GIS technology and image capture capabilities to the visualization and management of natural resources, and Ball State University is no exception. This paper provides a comprehensive summary of research work undertaken in Ball State University's Computer Graphics Laboratory that not only incorporates public values in the planning process but also develops innovative technologically based methods to assist planners in analyzing, assessing and simulating landscape scenery.
Factors Involved in the Antinatriuretic Effects of Acute Constriction of the Thoracic and Abdominal Inferior Vena Cava

Study of the antinatriuretic effect of acute thoracic inferior vena cava (TIVC) constriction in the absence of alterations in renal perfusion pressure. A comparison is made of the effects of equivalent degrees of TIVC and abdominal inferior vena cava constriction on arterial pressure, renal hemodynamics, and electrolyte excretion.
Fast Reconnection in Low-density Hydrogen and Pair Plasmas

Magnetic reconnection without a guide field in low-background-density plasmas has been studied by means of two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations, and results in hydrogen and electron-positron (pair) plasmas have been compared. Reconnection is impulsive, and maximum reconnection rates of the order of one (measured in units of the Alfven speed) have been observed in both types of plasmas when the background density in the Harris sheets is 1% of the current sheet density. This impulsive, strong reconnection electric field is important for particle acceleration. As the system evolves in time, the electron diffusion region extends in both inflow and outflow directions. Because of the broadening of the diffusion region, the aspect ratio of the diffusion region remains small, so that fast reconnection is sustained. In pair plasmas, the inertial term in the generalized Ohm's law becomes the most dominant term to balance the reconnection electric field before the maximum reconnection rate is attained, which contrasts with hydrogen plasmas where the most dominant term is the pressure tensor term.
An experimental and computational study of methyl ester decomposition pathways using shock tubes

Abstract The high-temperature decomposition of three simple methyl esters: methyl acetate, methyl propionate and methyl butanoate, were studied behind reflected shock waves using tunable diode laser absorption of CO 2 near 2.7 μm. CO 2 yield measurements were made over the range of temperatures 1260–1653 K, pressures of 1.4–1.7 atm and reactant concentrations of 2–3%, with the balance Ar. The CO 2 absorption strengths near 2.7 μm are approximately 50 to 1000 times stronger than the bands near 2.0 and 1.55 μm, respectively, and offer opportunities for significantly more sensitive and accurate combustion measurements than previous absorption work using CO 2 bands at shorter wavelength. The experiments provide the first laser-based time-history measurements of the CO 2 yields during pyrolysis of these bio-diesel surrogate fuels in a shock tube. Model predictions for CO 2 yields during methyl butanoate pyrolysis at high temperatures, using the detailed reaction mechanisms of [E. M. Fisher, W. J. Pitz, H. J. Curran, C. K. Westbrook, Proc. Combust. Inst. 28 (2000) 1579-1586.] and others, are significantly lower than those measured in this study. However, an improved methyl butanoate model which extends the recent theoretical work of [L.K. Huynh, A. Violi, J. Org. Chem. 73 (2008) 94–101.] provides substantially improved predictions of CO 2 yields during methyl butanoate pyrolysis. As earlier mechanisms predicted low yields of CO 2 from methyl butanoate decomposition, these new findings imply that existing bio-diesel fuel models, which rely on the rapid formation of two oxygenate radicals from methyl esters (rather than a single non-reactive CO 2 molecule) to account for the tendency for soot reduction, may have to be revisited.
Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation: Historical Perspectives, Physiology, and Future Directions

Purpose: To review the historical evolution and rationale for the development of new techniques of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Data Sources: English-language studies published after 1960 were identified by computer and manual search using MEDLINE and Index Medicus . Historical references were obtained through a HISTLINE search. Additional information was acquired from personal files and bibliographies of existing literature. Study Selection: Critical review with emphasis on study size, methods, and reproducibility of results. Results: Survival after in-hospital cardiac arrest and institution of CPR is approximately 10% to 15%. Investigation of the physiology of blood flow during CPR has led to the conclusion that flow may occur because of direct cardiac compression or thoracic pump forces. Based on these observations, several new techniques of CPR have been introduced. Interposed abdominal compression, pneumatic vest, and active compression-decompression resuscitation have been shown to improve cardiopulmonary hemodynamics in animal models and humans after cardiac arrest. Only interposed abdominal compression CPR has been shown to improve long-term survival in human subjects after in-hospital cardiac arrest. Although these techniques have shown promising results in animal studies and a limited number of clinical trials, none has gained widespread use. Conclusions: Improved methods of CPR are now available. Selective use of CPR in the hospital and community training in the use of these new adjunctive techniques should have the greatest impact on improved survival after sudden cardiac arrest. (Arch Intern Med. 1994;154:2141-2150)
Histological features do not define NSAID-induced gastritis

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) use is a common cause of peptic ulcer. This study investigated the nature, frequency, and topographic distribution of histological abnormalities of the gastric mucosa associated with chronic NSAID use. A set of 3 to 11 mapped gastric biopsy specimens were obtained from 108 chronic users of NSAIDs and 61 controls. Each specimen was graded from 0 to 3 for each of the following features: foveolar hyperplasia, smooth muscle fibers, edema, neutrophils, intestinal metaplasia, eosinophils, mononuclear cells, mucosal hemorrhage, atrophy, and Helicobacter pylori. We found that foveolar hyperplasia, considered one of the characteristic features of chemical gastropathy, was absent in 66% of NSAID users. Foveolar hyperplasia was present in 37 NSAID users (34%) and in 10 controls (18%); prominent smooth muscle fibers were found in 51 NSAID users (47%) and 10 of the controls (16%). Concurrent H pylori gastritis obscured the histopathologic changes of NSAID use. All other parameters, including H pylori infection rate (57% v 51%) were similar in NSAID users and controls. We conclude that the histological features characteristic of NSAID users were present only in a subset of patients. No single histological feature can be used to characterize or diagnose chemical gastropathy and no simple set of diagnostic criteria can be applied for this purpose.
The effect of nitroglycerin on the systemic and coronary circulation in man and dogs: myocardial blood flow measured with xenon.

The pharmacodynamics of nitroglycerin have been studied in dogs and man. In dogs, intravenous nitroglycerin (TNG) caused a decrease in left ventricular work, myocardial blood flow (MFB), and myocardial oxygen consumption, and no significant change in coronary vascular resistance. Intracoronary artery TNG in dogs caused an immediate increase in MBF and a decrease in coronary vascular resistance that persisted until arterial pressure fell. In man, sublingual TNG (0.4 mg.) caused a decrease in left ventricular work, MBF, and myocardial oxygen consumption, and no significant decrease in coronary vascular resistance in patients with and without arteriographically proven coronary artery disease. The injection of doses of 0.1 to 0.2 mg. of TNG directly into the coronary artery in man caused an immediate increase in MBF and a decrease in coronary vascular resistance in patients with and without arteriographically proven coronary artery disease. The hypothesis proposed for the mechanism of action of TNG in the relief of angina pectoris is first, a decrease in coronary vascular resistance due to its effect on the coronary circulation, and, secondly, a decrease in cardiac work due to its effect on the systemic circulation.
Metabolism of 1-14C-methyl linoleate hydroperoxide in the rabbit

The metabolism of 1-14C-methyl linoleate hydroperoxide (1-14C-MLHP) by the rabbit was investigated. Administration of 1.1–1.9 mg of 1-14C-MLHP by ear vein injection proved lethal to four of the nine experimental animals. After 2 hr the lungs and liver contained 3.3% and 7.2%, respectively, of the dose. This radioactivity was found to be associated primarily with intact 1-14C-MLHP. The triglycerides from these tissues also contained14C-trienoic and14C-dienoic fatty acids. Of the dose, 68% was recovered as14CO2 in 2 hr compared to 39% after 1-14C-methyl linoleate injection. The triglycerides from kidney adipose tissue contained a small amount of14C-hydroxy fatty acid, providing confirmation of previous evidence for the presence of a fatty acid hydroperoxide reductase in animal tissues.
Indirect electrochemical sensing of DNA hybridization based on the catalytic oxidation of cobalt (II).

A new electrochemical approach for detecting target DNA is described. The scheme involves the catalytic oxidation of a cobalt bipyridine “reporter molecule” in solution. Probe/target DNA duplexes (ds-DNA), bound on an ITO electrode, selectively recruit redox catalyst molecules from solution. This surface-bound catalyst “turns on” the redox chemistry of the reporter molecule which is otherwise kinetically inert to oxidation on ITO. The mode of selective catalyst binding is intercalation between base pairs of ds-DNA. With this approach, we demonstrate detection of a 20-mer DNA target oligonucleotide at picomolar concentrations with outstanding signal-to-noise.
Targeting of the mitochondrial membrane proteins to the cell surface for functional studies

Studying mitochondrial membrane proteins for ion or substrate transport is technically difficult, as the organelles are hidden within the cell interior and thus inaccessible to many conventional nondisruptive techniques. This technical barrier can potentially be overcome if the mitochondrial membrane proteins are targeted to the cell surface, where they can be more readily studied. We undertook experiments presented here to target two related mitochondrial membrane proteins, mitochondrial ATP-binding cassette-1 and -2 protein (mABC1 and mABC2, respectively) to the cell surface for functional studies. These two proteins have an N-terminal mitochondrial targeting signal (MTS), and we hypothesized that removal of this sequence or addition of a cell surface targeting signal would lead to cell membrane targeting of these proteins. When the MTS was removed from mABC1, it localized to intracellular secretory compartments as well as the plasma membrane. However, truncated mABC2 lacking the MTS aggregated inside the cell. Addition of a cell membrane signal sequence or the transmembrane domain from CD8 to the N-terminus of mABC1 or mABC2 resulted in similar subcellular localizations. We then performed patch clamp on cells expressing mABC1 on their surface. These cells exhibited nonselective transport of K(+) and Na(+) ions and resulted in the loss of membrane potential. Our findings open new ways to study mitochondrial membrane proteins in established cell culture systems by targeting them to the cell surface, where they can more reliably be studied using various molecular and cellular techniques.
Family Planning Targets and Quality of Services: Workers' Perspectives and Dilemmas

This paper uses data from in-depth group interviews with family planning workers in Bangladesh to demonstrate both the dysfunctional influence of family planning targets on quality of care as well as the strong connection between targets and the manage ment system. The findings show that the presence of targets influenced the advice and information workers provided, pushing them towards long-term methods such as steril isation and the IUD rather than helping clients select methods most suited to their needs. The paper then shows the connection between the target system and the struc ture of official and unofficial incentives, the pattern of supervision, the system of accountability and a hierarchically organised and gender-biased organisational cul ture. The authors argue that unless these underlying managerial determinants of qual ity of care are addressed, the hope for reaching the goals of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) will remain illusory.
Desulfurization of Digester Gas on Industrial-Sludge-Derived Adsorbents

Waste sludges from heavy industry (shipyard) consisting of metals and waste oil were pyrolyzed either alone or as the 50:50 weight percent mixtures at 500, 650, and 950 °C. Resulting adsorbents were used as H2S removal media from a simulated mixture of dry digester gas. The breakthrough capacity was measured at dynamic conditions. The initial and exhausted materials after the breakthrough tests were characterized using sorption of nitrogen, thermal analysis, and surface pH measurements. The results obtained demonstrate the complex dependence of the capacity on the surface chemistry, porosity (volume and sizes of pores), and water content. In all cases, elemental sulfur is the predominant product of surface reactions. Generally speaking, an exposure of adsorbents to water enhances the H2S removal capacity, especially for materials obtained at low temperature. This is the result of their chemical instability and surface reactivity. This reactivity is linked to the presence of calcium, magnesium, and iron, w...