cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A stabilized volume-averaging finite element method for flow in porous media and binary alloy solidification processes

A stabilized equal-order velocity-pressure finite element algorithm is presented for the analysis of flow in porous media and in the solidification of binary alloys. The adopted governing macroscopic conservation equations of momentum, energy and species transport are derived from their microscopic counterparts using the volume-averaging method. The analysis is performed in a single domain with a fixed numerical grid. The fluid flow scheme developed includes SUPG (streamline-upwind/Petrov-Galerkin), PSPG (pressure stabilizing/Petrov-Galerkin) and DSPG (Darcy stabilizing/Petrov-Galerkin) stabilization terms in a variable porosity medium. For the energy and species equations a classical SUPG-based finite element method is employed. The developed algorithms were tested extensively with bilinear elements and were shown to perform stably and with nearly quadratic convergence in high Rayleigh number flows in varying porosity media. Examples are shown in natural and double diffusive convection in porous media and in the directional solidification of a binary-alloy.
Dynamic software adaptation for service-oriented product lines

This paper describes a dynamic software adaptation approach and environment for service-oriented product lines. The approach uses a dynamic feature model and product line architecture for a family of service-oriented architectures (SOA), in which a member of the SOA can be dynamically adapted to a different member of the family at run-time. The approach integrates software product line and feature modeling concepts with SOA and dynamic software adaptation concepts. The approach is validated using a case study of a dynamic service-oriented product line.
Pediatric cardiology and adult congenital heart disease.

In the new Congenital Heart Disease and Pediatric Cardiology subsection, 186 abstracts were submitted to the Program Committee of the 55th Annual Scientific Session, with 60 accepted and presented during 8 abstract sessions. In addition, there were 17 structured sessions at ACC.06. Altogether, 50
Circular Polymerase Extension Cloning of Complex Gene Libraries and Pathways

High-throughput genomics and the emerging field of synthetic biology demand ever more convenient, economical, and efficient technologies to assemble and clone genes, gene libraries and synthetic pathways. Here, we describe the development of a novel and extremely simple cloning method, circular polymerase extension cloning (CPEC). This method uses a single polymerase to assemble and clone multiple inserts with any vector in a one-step reaction in vitro. No restriction digestion, ligation, or single-stranded homologous recombination is required. In this study, we elucidate the CPEC reaction mechanism and demonstrate its usage in demanding synthetic biology applications such as one-step assembly and cloning of complex combinatorial libraries and multi-component pathways.
Exact solution to an approximate sine-Gordon equation in (n+1)-dimensional space ☆

Abstract In this Letter, using the qualitative theory of ordinary differential equations, we give a qualitative analysis to a two-dimensional plane autonomous system which is equivalent to an approximate sine-Gordon equation. Then using the first integral method, exact solutions to the approximate sine-Gordon equation in ( n +1)-dimensional space are expressed explicitly.
Transboundary relations and acid rain: New York's memoranda of understanding with Quebec and Ontario

The role of subnational jurisdictions such as states in the United States and provinces in Canada in foreign policy-making has grown in recent years. A number of political scientists are analyzing subnational governments and their diplomatic activities (often referred to as paradiplomacy), the underlying causes and the effect such subnational transnational activities might have on the politics between the respective national governments (Duchacek 1986a, Soldatos 1986). This article will explore the subnational policy-making objectives of New York State with the Canadian provinces of Quebec and Ontario with regard to acid rain. The focus will be an examination and comparison of the various Memoranda of Understanding signed by these parties bilaterally since 1982 (i.e., Quebec and New York and Ontario and New York). After a brief review of some of the conceptual work done by two political scientists in the area of transnational subnational politics, an overview of the politics of acid rain will be presented. An analysis of the acid rain agreements and current developments will follow. The article will conclude with a discussion of how these subnational activities between New York and Quebec and New York and Ontario shed light on the theoretical work and what questions might be pursued in the future.
Conversion of lithocholic acid to 3-keto-5β-cholanoic and 3α,6β-dihydroxy-5β-cholanoic acids by adult rat brain cell-free homogenates

Abstract Two new enzymatic activities were demonstrated in adult rat brain following incubation of lithocholic-24-14C acid in crude cell-free homogenates fortified with NADP. Formation of 30–50% of less polar metabolite, identified as 3-keto-5β-cholanoic acid, indicated the presence of a NADP dependent 3α-hydroxy steroid dehydrogenase enzyme activity. Formation of 1–5% of a more polar metabolite, identified as 3α,6β-dihydroxy-5β-cholanoic acid indicated the presence of a 6β-hydroxylase enzyme system in adult rat brain. Identification of 3-keto-5β-cholanoic and 3α,6β-dihydroxy-5β-cholanoic acids was made using thin layer chromatography, gas liquid chromatography combined with a radioactive monitoring system and by cocrystallization to constant specific activity after isotopic dilution.
Identification of conjugated estrogen metabolites in dog plasma following administration of estriol-2,4,6,7-3H.

Abstract Methods for the separation and identification of estrogen sulfates and glucosiduronates in blood plasma are described. The estrogen conjugates were separated by DEAE-Sephadex, Florisil elution, Celite partition and thin-layer chromatography. The identities of individual conjugates were confirmed by specific activity determinations after chromatography in several different solvent systems, enzyme hydrolysis and chromatography of the free aglycones and its derivatives. Conjugated metabolites of radioactive estrone in dog plasma were separated and identified using the methods described. Estrone glucosiduronate was identified as a major metabolite. Small amounts of estradiol-17β-3-glucosiduronate and estrone sulfate as well as trace amounts of estradiol-17β-17-glucosiduronate were also identified.
Al-Qaeda and Anarchism: A Historian's Reply to Terrorology: Response to Commentaries

I would like to thank the editors of Terrorism and Political Violence for opening up the pages of their journal for this exchange, particularly because it enables me to engage with those I would no...
Crossed and uncrossed projections to cat sacrocaudal spinal cord: II. Axons from muscle spindle primary endings.

The terminal fields of primary afferent fibers from tail muscle spindle primary endings were mapped within cat sacrocaudal spinal cord (S3-Ca7), using intra-axonal recording and horseradish peroxidase staining techniques. We sought to determine the ipsilateral and contralateral projection patterns and to relate these to the fibers' muscles of origin. Fifty-three group Ia fibers were successfully stained. Segmental collaterals originated from either the ascending or descending branch within the dorsal columns. Collaterals coursed rostromedially within the dorsal columns and traversed the medial aspect of the dorsal horn. Ipsilateral terminations were similar for all fibers. Within the ventral horn, boutons were consistently observed in the medial or central portions of lamina VII. In lamina VIII, a variable number of boutons was seen on fine branches emerging from larger fibers coursing ventrally. Clusters of terminals were plentiful in the regions of motoneurons, i.e., lamina IX and the nucleus commissuralis. Terminals were found in the adjacent white matter. In addition to ipsilateral terminations, some group Ia fibers (20 of 53) had collateral branches that crossed ventrally to the central canal, terminating within the midline ventral gray commissure and/or the contralateral ventral horn. Crossed projections always originated in medial (dorsal or ventral), but not lateral, muscles of the tail. These data suggest that ipsilateral projections of group Ia fibers make connections on sacrocaudal motoneurons, on neurons mediating segmental reflex functions and on neurons conveying ascending information. It is speculated that crossed and uncrossed connections between group Ia fibers from medial muscles and bilateral dendritic trees of motoneurons subserve synchronized co-contraction of synergistic muscles located on the two sides of the body, such as with dorsal or ventral flexion of the tail. Group Ia projections from lateral muscles, that are entirely ipsilateral, would be involved with lateral movements of the tail.
A Reappraisal of William Tyndale's Debt to Martin Luther

The colorful and powerful figure of Martin Luther dominates all study of the early years of the Reformation. Inevitably the first pages of the history of the Reformation in any region will begin with an effort by the author to trace the manner in which Luther's influence reached that area. In the study of the English Reformation one of the common ways of showing Luther's influence is to point to the work of the Bible translator William Tyndale. Numerous books on the English Reformation, on the history of the English Bible, and on Tyndale himself, have made of him a follower and an interpreter of Luther who played a major role in introducing the thought of the great reformer into England. A careful study of Tyndale's works, however, will show that his debt to Luther, and the “Lutheranism” of his views, has been over-stated. Tyndale, like many early sixteenth century religious reformers, made much use of Luther's name, fame, and works but without becoming a follower of those distinctive ideas of the German reformer which set him off from the other advocates of reform at the time. Tyndale's greatest debt was first to Christian humanism and then to the German-Swiss reformers of Zurich and Basel.
Expected and actual improvement of symptoms with carpal tunnel release.

Purpose This study tested the null hypothesis that there is no difference between expected improvement and actual improvement of symptoms with carpal tunnel release (CTR). Secondary analyses addressed factors associated with both expected relief and actual relief of symptoms with carpal tunnel syndrome surgical release, predictors of arm-specific disability, and satisfaction with surgery. Methods Sixty-six employed, English-speaking adult patients requesting limited-incision open CTR for electrodiagnostically confirmed carpal tunnel syndrome completed questionnaires before and after surgery. Before surgery, patients completed a survey regarding demographic data, expected improvement of symptoms with surgery, expected return to work after surgery, and validated questionnaires assessing arm-specific disability, job burnout, depressive symptoms, catastrophic thinking, and pain anxiety. An average of 6 5 months (range, 40 d to 19 mo) after surgery, participants completed questionnaires regarding actual improvement of symptoms with surgery, actual return to work, satisfaction with surgery, and arm-specific disability. Results Patients’ actual and expected improvements with CTR were similar, with the exception of sleep disturbance, which was an average 0.3 points better than patients expected on a 5-point Likert scale. Lower postoperative disability was associated with men, less catastrophic thinking, and greater actual improvement of weakness with CTR. Fifty-three percent of the variation in satisfaction with treatment was associated with single status, more education, and relief of pain, sleep disturbance, and tingling. Conclusions Actual relief of symptoms with CTR matched patients’ expectations in an employed population. Satisfaction with treatment correlated with relief of symptoms. (J Hand Surg 2012;37A:1324‐1329. Copyright © 2012 by the American Society for Surgery of the Hand. All rights reserved.)
Verapamil is a competitive inhibitor of γ-aminobutyric acid and calcium uptakes by mouse brain subcellular particles

We found that verapamil and its methoxy analogue, D600, were relatively potent (micromolar) inhibitors of Na+-dependent GABA uptake by a mouse brain microsomal subfraction (P3). Verapamil was competitive with GABA and uncompetitive with Na+ in the uptake assay with the P3 fraction. These substances were much less effective in inhibiting GABA binding in a receptor-related assay system with synaptosomal membranes. Inhibition by verapamil of Na+-dependent 45Ca++ uptake by the P3 particles was competitive with Ca++. A consideration of our results with those in the literature led to the suggestion that the interaction of verapamil and related substances with GABA and 45Ca uptake processes by the P3 fraction, as well as with many other membrane activities, may be allosteric in nature rather than directly competitive with specific ligands at their binding sites.
Wind‐speed limits in numerically simulated tornadoes with suction vortices

Three-dimensional numerical simulations of tornado-like vortices are presented. Of particular interest is a regime with multiple suction vortices within a larger cyclone. The simulations are designed to assess the magnitude and mechanism by which low pressure is sustained in a suction vortex. The pressure in the transient suction vortices can be nine times that supported by the buoyancy of the ‘storm’. The low pressure is sustained by transient axial flow; the pressure-gradient force along the axis is balanced by the inertia of the axial flow, rather than by buoyancy.
Characterization of insulin binding in the UMR‐106 rat osteoblastic osteosarcoma cell

The correlation of insulin receptor occupancy with classic insulin effects, such as stimulation of glucose uptake, have not been examined in osteoblastlike cells. Accordingly, we characterized insulin binding and examined its relationship to stimulation of glucose analog transport in the UMR-106 rat osteoblastic osteosarcoma cell line. Insulin binding in UMR-106 cells was found to be pH sensitive, temperature dependent, saturable, and specific. Proinsulin was 100-fold less effective than insulin in displacing specific [125I]insulin binding in these cells, whereas IGF-I at concentrations between 0.1 and 10 nM produced no displacement of [125I]insulin but did produce significant displacement of insulin binding at 100 and 1000 nM. Insulin receptor downregulation was observed after exposure to 100 nM insulin for 6 h at 37°C and was temperature dependent. Insulin binding was reversible after 24 h at 4°C. Insulin binding correlated directly with stimulation of 2-deoxyglucose uptake at insulin concentrations between 0.1 and 100 nM, with a half-maximal concentration (ED50) of 0.9 nM for both [125I]insulin binding displacement and stimulation of 2-deoxyglucose uptake. Hence, there was no evidence for spare insulin receptors with regard to stimulation of glucose analog transport. Scatchard analysis of insulin binding kinetics yielded a curvilinear plot, suggesting negative cooperativity. Analysis of insulin binding kinetics using a two-site model yielded a KD of 0.9 nM for the apparent high-affinity binding site and an estimated 80,000 high-affinity binding sites per cell. These findings demonstrate that osteoblastlike cells exhibit a relationship between insulin binding and glucose transport stimulation that is similar to that in liver cells and other insulin-sensitive tissues. The UMR-106 cell line therefore appears to represent a useful system for studies of the regulation of insulin binding and action in an osteoblastic cell.
Effects of zeranol on protein turnover in L6 myotubes

Protein synthesis and degradation were measured in cultures of L6 myotubes to determine the direct anabolic activity of zeranol on muscle. Zeranol, dexamethasone, insulin and zeranol-dexamethasone combination, at various concentrations from 10(-8) to 10(-6) M, were added to cultures at either 18 hr prior to or at the beginning of a 6 hr synthesis or degradation measuring period. Protein synthesis was measured by determining the incorporation of radioactivity into trichloraoacetic acid precipitable cell protein following incubation with [3H] leucine. Protein synthesis was expressed as cpm incorporated in 6 hr per mg protein. Protein degradation was measured by a pulse-chase procedure using [3H] leucine. Protein degradation was expressed as the percent labeled protein degraded in 6 hr. Results from the study indicate that zeranol did not stimulate protein synthesis or inhibit proteolysis (P greater than .01). Stimulation of proteolysis observed with 10(-8) M dexamethasone was 13% and 18% (P less than .01) at the 6 hr and 24 hr incubation period, respectively. Dexamethasone-stimulated protein degradation was not altered appreciably by zeranol. In contrast, 10(-6) M insulin significantly (P less than .01) stimulated protein synthesis (16%) and inhibited protein degradation (15%). These results suggest that the anabolic action of zeranol does not occur by directly regulating muscle protein synthesis or degradation, or by altering the glucocorticoid-induced catabolic response in muscle.
Growth and root system development of white oak and loblolly pine as affected by simulated acidic precipitation and ectomycorrhizal inoculation

Abstract Individual and interactive effects of simulated acidic rainfall and ectomycorrhizal inoculation on growth of white oak (Quercus alba L.) and loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) were examined. Seedlings of each species inoculated with basidiospores of Pisolithus tinctorius (Pers.) Coker and Couch and uninoculated control seedlings were exposed to two simulated rains per week of pH 4.8, 4.2 or 3.6, for 26 weeks. After the exposures, mycorrhizal quantification of complete root systems revealed that ectomycorrhizal development, whether by P. tinctorius on inoculated seedlings or by naturally occurring fungi on control seedlings, was greater on loblolly pine treated with the most acidic of the simulated development was greatest on loblolly pine treated with the most acidic of the simulated rains, there was no consistent effect of increasing acidity on mycorrhizal development of white oak. Diameter growth of white oak and height and diameter growth of loblolly pine were significantly increased by the P. tinctorius infection. Within both mycorrhizal treatments, exposure to rains of pH 3.6 significantly reduced the diameter growth of white oak, but rainfall acidity had little effect on the growth of loblolly pine. Of the variables examined, the data presented here suggest the primary effect of acid precipitation on white oak seedlings is on shoot diameter, whereas its primary effect on loblolly pine seedlings is on mycorrhizal development.
Studies of metal chelates formed from derivatives of 2-thiophenealdehyde and furfural

Abstract Complexes have been formed from metal halides of the type MX 2 and N-methyl-2-thiophenealdimine, bis(2-thiophenealdehyde)ethylenediimine and bis(furfural)ethylenediimine by nonaqueous reactions. Spectroscopic and conductivity studies have been made leading to some interesting observations relative to bonding and the stereochemistry of the molecules. Spectral studies indicate that the formation of a sulfur-to-metal bond does not effectively block the resonance in the thiophene ring. Absorption associated with the stretching vibration of the conjugate CCCCCN group appears at 1635 cm −1 in bis(2-thiophenealdehyde)ethylenediimine and at 1655 cm −1 and 1644 cm −1 in bis(furfural)ethylenediimine. In the complexes studied, the extent of shift on chelation of the bis(2-thiophenealdehyde)ethylenediimine was of comparable magnitude, and of the order of −20 cm −1 . No loss of resonance (with its increase of CN character) occurs on formation of the NM bond. Spectral shifts on NM bond formation were somewhat greater for the metal halide complexes of bis(furfural)ethylenediimine. Among the addition compounds studied were: the chlorides and bromides of zinc, cobalt and copper, and the chloride of nickel. All of these formed 1:1 complexes with both bis(2-thiophenealdehyde)ethylenediimine and bis(furfural)ethylenediimine, with the exception of the cobalt bromide in which two moles of cobalt bromide coordinated with one mole of ligand. Studies indicate that palladium formed complexes of the type, [bis(2-thiophenealdehyde)-ethylenediimine Pd] [PdCl 4 ] and di-[bis(furfural)ethylenediimine] Pd.
Application of Kirkwood's Theory of the Dielectric Constant to Solutes Hydrogen-Bonded in the Water Network

In a quasi-thermodynamic treatment, the partial molar polarization of a solute in a network liquid is expressed in terms of dipole moments, molalities. Kirkwood's formal correlation factors, and solute-induced changes in the correlation factors. The formal correlation factors are then resolved into explicit terms for solvent-solvent, solvent-solute and solute-solute dipole correlation, which convey specific (though limited) information about the stoichiometry and geometry of the respective hydrogen-bonding. Experimental partial molar polarizations are analyzed for aqueous solutions of p-dioxane, pyrazine, quinoxaline, acetone, pyridine, N,N,N′,N′-tetramethylurea, acetonitrile, and dimethylsulfoxide. The treatment does not yield unique hydrogen-bonded structures but, when combined with other evidence, it greatly limits the possibilities. Water molecules appear to donate hydrogen bonds exhaustively to ether and carbonyl oxygen atoms, and to aza-aromatic nitrogen atoms. Water molecules also appear to donate hydrogen bonds to aza-aromatic π-systems, and to the triple bond in acetonitrile.
Ikenna Nzimiro, Anthropologist, Sociologist and Iconoclast: On the Intellectual Legacies of a Radical Nationalist

Ikenna Nzimiro was politically and intellectually active from 1948 through the next 50 years in the most momentous phase of the African emergence, and from the mid 1960s on to the last burst of intellectual output in his declining years, very much engaged. Nzimiro’s three-phase series of works will come to be seen as a contribution to the intellectual history of post-colonial Africa from a non-Marxist standpoint. Along with Coser’s ‘Men of Ideas’, African radical Leftists in that peasant environment, were more like the ‘French Ideologues’ of the pre-Napoleonic (post-Voltaire) era, than the ‹scientific Marxist-Leninists’ many knew they had to be, to claim the then self-avowed path. Interestingly was Nzimiro’s attack on the ‘Eurocentric notion of class’ – in the process blurring the distinction between class and status. He was much more than a distinguished analyst, taking his calling as a radical public sociologist and Marxist advocate seriously. Yet, shielded by his historic role as an anti colonialist freedom fighter, the power elite considered him, in ironic contradiction, as one of their own. In the end, he was a genuine nationalist in search of a radical, even if less than textbook-revolutionary, revamping of the moribund postcolonial nation his peers ran, and to which he was on principle, very much opposed.
Light quarks and small x physics

The significance of the low k{perpendicular} part of the Lipatov equation for the QCD soft Pomeron is discussed. It is then argued that light quarks are essential for the emergence of confinement and a Pomeron with the right physical properties. The implications for small {times} parton distributions are considered.
Mass spectrometric characterization and glycosylation profile of bovine pancreatic bile salt-activated lipase.

Abstract We developed a procedure for the large scale isolation of bovine bile salt-activated lipase (BAL) for its crystallization [Wang, X., et al. (1997) Structure 5, 1209–1218] and also carried out a study on the molecule's glycosylation profile for a better deduction of the structure of the enzyme. Mass spectrometric analysis of the CNBr-generated peptides indicated that only one (Asn-361) of the two potential n -glycosylation sites (Asn-187 and Asn-361) with NXT motif is glycosylated. The analysis of the isolated CNBr peptide containing Asn-361 showed that it existed in three glycoforms in a ratio of 1.0:2.8:1.0, with oligosaccharide moieties weighing 1900.1, 2045.2, and 2336.4 Da, respectively. The major oligosaccharide chain contained mannose:galactose:N-acetylglucosamine:fucose:sialic acid in a molar ratio of 2:2:4:2:1. It was also determined that the potential O-glycosylated peptide (CB13) is not O-glycosylated and, in addition, it was found that there was microheterogeneity in the C-terminus of the isolated bovine BAL. The results obtained from this mass spectrometric study combined with the X-ray crystallographic studies provide more precise structural information on BAL. The procedure described here for the mass spectrometric analysis of CNBr-generated peptides also has general applicability for analysis of the glycosylation profile of glycoproteins and the C-terminal peptide structure of proteins.
Cyclic homology and the determinant of the Cartan matrix

Abstract We derive a formula relating the Euler characteristic of the relative cyclic homology of the radical of a graded finite-dimensional algebra to the logarithm of the determinant of its graded Cartan matrix. We also obtain a perturbative series which gives the inverse of the determinant of the graded Cartan matrix.
Flavor retention in pregelatinized and internally flavored starch extrudates

ABSTRACT Corn starch (25% amylose content) was pregelatinized in a twin-screw extruder. The extrudate was ground and reextruded after adjusting moisture content to 9, 13, or 17% (db) and blending with 5% (w/w) of flavor compounds cinnamaldehyde, eugenol, nonanoic acid, or 3-octanone. Initial moisture content significantly influenced radial expansion, specific mechanical energy, and flavor retention. Significantly higher flavor retention was obtained when flavor was injected into the extruder barrel as compared to preblending of flavors in pregelatinized starch. Flavor retention upon extrusion was lower with pregelatinized starch than with raw starch.
Serum and aortic levels of phytosterols in rabbits fed sitosterol or sitostanol ester preparations.

Campesterol is present in all the phytosterol-containing dietary hypocholesterolemic agents in current use. Campesterol is absorbed more efficiently than sitosterol, and the question of its possible atherogenicity has been raised. To test this possibility, rabbits were fed either a semipurified, cholesterol-free diet that has been shown to be atherogenic for this species or the same diet augmented with 0.5 g of phytosterol-rich diet preparations (spreads) containing either sitosterol or sitostanol. The diets contained 295 mg phytosterol per 100 g. After 60 d, serum cholesterol levels in the two phytosterol groups were 78±4 mg/dL (sitosterol) and 76±4 mg/dL (sitostanol), respectively. The serum cholesterol level of rabbits fed the control diet was 105±8 mg/dL. Serum campesterol (μg/mL) levels were higher than sitosterol or sitostanol levels in all groups. Aortic phytosterols were present in nanogram quantities compared to cholesterol, which was present in microgram quantities. The ratio of campesterol/sitosterol/sitostanol in the aortas was: control, 1.00∶0.43∶0.02; sitosterol, 1∶00∶0.32∶0.01; sitostanol, 1∶00∶0.34∶0.11. Aortic campesterol was present at 4% the concentration of aortic cholesterol, sitosterol at 1.4%, and sitostanol at 0.14%. Aortic lesions were not present in any of the animals.
Plant Growth Retardant B-995: A Possible Mode of Action.

Inhibition of shoot elongation in dwarf and tall peas by the 1,1-dimethylhydrazide of succinic acid (B-995) was correlated with the inhibition of the oxidation of tryptamine-2-C14 to indoleacetaldehyde-2-C14 in homogenates prepared from epicotyls of young plants treated with B-995. The growth-retarding action of B-995 is attributed to the formation of 1,1-dimethylhydrazine in vivo. This hydrazine strongly inhibited tryptamine oxidation by pea epicotyl homogenates.
CT-Derived Estimation of Cochlear Morphology and Electrode Array Position in Relation to Word Recognition in Nucleus-22 Recipients

This study extended the findings of Ketten et al. [Ann. Otol. Rhinol. Laryngol. Suppl. 175:1–16 (1998)] by estimating the three-dimensional (3D) cochlear lengths, electrode array intracochlear insertion depths, and characteristic frequency ranges for 13 more Nucleus-22 implant recipients based on in vivo computed tomography (CT) scans. Array insertion depths were correlated with NU-6 word scores (obtained one year after SPEAK strategy use) by these patients and the 13 who used the SPEAK strategy from the Ketten et al. study. For these 26 patients, the range of cochlear lengths was 29.1–37.4 mm. Array insertion depth range was 11.9–25.9 mm, and array insertion depth estimated from the surgeon's report was 1.14 mm longer than CT-based estimates. Given the assumption that the human hearing range is fixed (20–20,000 Hz) regardless of cochlear length, characteristic frequencies at the most apical electrode (estimated with Greenwood's equation [Greenwood DD (1990) A cochlear frequency–position function of several species–29 years later. J Acoust. Soc. Am. 33: 1344–1356] and a patient-specific constant as) ranged from 308 to 3674 Hz. Patients' NU-6 word scores were significantly correlated with insertion depth as a percentage of total cochlear length (R = 0.452; r2 = 0.204; p = 0.020), suggesting that part of the variability in word recognition across implant recipients can be accounted for by the position of the electrode array in the cochlea. However, NU-6 scores ranged from 4% to 81% correct for patients with array insertion depths between 47% and 68% of total cochlear length. Lower scores appeared related to low spiral ganglion cell survival (e.g., lues), aberrant current paths that produced facial nerve stimulation by apical electrodes (i.e., otosclerosis), central auditory processing difficulty, below-average verbal abilities, and early Alzheimer's disease. Higher scores appeared related to patients' high-average to above-average verbal abilities. Because most patients' scores increased with SPEAK use, it is hypothesized that they accommodated to the shift in frequency of incoming sound to a higher pitch percept with the implant than would normally be perceived acoustically.
Electronic Books for Biomedical Information

Electronic books and other content have increased in popularity in recent years, partially due to releases of user-friendly electronic readers. Biomedical content lends itself especially well to electronic format. This article will review NetLibrary® and Thieme E-Book Library, two electronic content providers, for their search interface, electronic content usability, and biomedical content.
Increased p22phox/Nox4 Expression Is Involved in Remodeling Through Hydrogen Peroxide Signaling in Experimental Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension of the Newborn

Aim: To determine if the NADPH oxidase isoform Nox4 contributes to increased H2O2 generation in persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN) pulmonary arteries (PA), and to identify downstream signaling targets of Nox4 that contribute to vascular remodeling and vasoconstriction. Results: PPHN was induced in lambs by antenatal ligation of the ductus arteriosus at 128 days gestation. After 9 days, lungs, PA, and PA smooth muscle cells (PASMC) were isolated from control and PPHN lambs. Increased expression of p22phox and Nox4 in PPHN lungs, PA, and PASMC was associated with increased reactive oxygen species in PPHN PA, increased protein thiol oxidation in PPHN PASMC, and a decreased activity of extracellular superoxide dismutase (ecSOD) in the lungs and PASMC. Nox4 small interfering RNA (siRNA) decreased Nox4 expression and thiol oxidation and increased the ecSOD activity in PPHN PASMC. An increased activity of nuclear factor-kappa B (NFκB) and expression of its target gene cyclin D1 were detected in PPHN lungs, PA, and PASMC. Nox4 siRNA and catalase attenuated these increases in PASMC, and catalase decreased cyclin D1 expression in PPHN lungs. Innovation: This study demonstrates for the first time that Nox4 expression is elevated in a lamb model of neonatal pulmonary hypertension. It identifies increased NFκB and cyclin D1 expression and a decreased ecSOD activity as targets of increased Nox4 signaling. Conclusion: PPHN increases p22phox and Nox4 expression and activity resulting in elevated H2O2 levels in PPHN PA. Increased H2O2 induces vasoconstriction via mechanisms involving ecSOD inactivation, and stimulates vascular remodeling via NFκB activation and increased cyclin D1 expression. Approaches that inhibit the pulmonary arterial Nox4 activity may attenuate vasoconstriction and vascular remodeling in PPHN. Antioxid. Redox Signal. 18, 1765–1776.
Association of Antidiabetic Medications Targeting the Glucagon-Like Peptide 1 Pathway and Heart Failure Events in Patients With Diabetes

Abstract Background Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) agonists and dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP-4) inhibitors (GLP-1 agents) may be protective in heart failure (HF). We set out to determine whether GLP-1 agent use is associated with HF risk in diabetics. Methods and Results In this retrospective cohort study of members of a large health system, we identified >19,000 adult diabetics from January 1, 2000, to July 1, 2012. GLP-1 agent users were matched 1:2 to control subjects with the use of propensity matching based on age, race, sex, coronary disease, HF, diabetes duration, and number of antidiabetic medications. The association of GLP-1 agents with time to HF hospitalization was tested with multivariable Cox regression. All-cause hospitalization and mortality were secondary end points. We identified 1,426 users of GLP-1 agents and 2,798 control subjects. Both were similar except for angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors/angiotensin receptor blocker use, number of antidiabetic medications, and age. There were 199 hospitalizations, of which 128 were for HF, and 114 deaths. GLP-1 agents were associated with reduced risk of HF hospitalization (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 0.51, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.34–0.77; P = .002), all-cause hospitalization (aHR 0.54, 95% CI 0.38–0.74; P = .001), and death (aHR 0.31, 95% CI 0.18–0.53; P = .001). Conclusions GLP-1 agents may reduce the risk of HF events in diabetics.
Positive Solutions of Nonlinear m-point Boundary Value Problems on a Measure Chain

Dedicated to Allan Peterson on the occasion of his 60th birthday. We study the following nonlinear m-point boundary value problems on a measure chain &#x1d54b;. Results on the existence of positive solutions are obtained using the fixed point index argument.
Old-Field Succession on a Minnesota Sand Plain

Vegetation and soils were sampled in 22 old fields ranging in age from 1 to 56 yr since abandonment. Soil nitrogen concentration increased significantly with field age. Vegetation cover, total aboveground plant biomass, and litter cover increased significantly with soil nitrogen. Light penetration to the soil surface was negatively correlated with total plant biomass. Field age and soil nitrogen concentration were used as independent variables in simple regression and partial correlation analyses to determine the relative importance of such time-dependent processes as dispersal vs. the availability of a limiting resource (nitrogen) as predictors of patterns in species richness or the abundance of various plant groups. Species richness per field and within-field heterogeneity in species composition increased with field age. Local species richness decreased with increasing soil nitrogen. Cover of annuals and introduced species decreased with field age and nitrogen; however, annuals contributed an important part of total vegetative cover even in 25-yr-old fields. Cover of perennials and woody species increased with soil nitrogen and field age. Although the fields were bordered by woods, woody species contributed <15?/o cover even in the oldest fields. For several plant groups the relationship between cover and soil nitrogen within individual fields was the opposite of that among all fields. These patterns suggest that while soil nitrogen is an important determinant of local species composition and abundance, dispersal and colonization, which are dependent on field age, determine which species are present in a field.
Reverse Phase Isolation of Pyrrolizidine Alkaloids

Abstract A new liquid chromatography method for the isolation of pyrrolizidine alkaloids has been developed. The use of reverse phase high pressure liquid chromatography with a methanol - .01 M KH2 PO4 (pH 6.3) solvent system is discussed. Pyrrolizidine alkaloids from Senecio vulgaris, S. longilobus, and S. jacobaea have been isolated and identified.
Generating data integration mediators that use materialization

This paper presents a framework for data integration that is based on using “Squirrel integration mediators” that use materialization to support integrated views over multiple databases. These mediators generalize techniques from active databases to provide incremental propagation of updates to the materialized views. A framework based on “View Decomposition Plans” for optimizing the support of materialized integrated views is introduced. The paper describes the Squirrel mediator generator currently under development, which can generate the mediators based on high-level specifications.
Effects of Heating on Photoconductive Semiconductor Switches: Simulation and Analysis

A non-linear vertical GaAs photoconductive switch with device dimensions of 27004times630times1 microns and diagonally opposed palladium contacts was used. The primary material used in the photo-switches is Liquid encapsulated Czochralski (LEC) grown GaAs, in which deep donors are compensated by shallow acceptors. The anode was heated to a temperature of 330 K. The devices were analyzed in terms of carrier conduction process during the charging state. It was found that the device showed current controlled negative resistivity behavior at elevated temperature, which would enhance the filamentary conduction process of the device and lead to thermal runaway. As a result, the switch performance will be severely affected leading to the damage of the electronic system.
Solar blind UV region and UV detector development objectives

The vulnerability of aircraft to missile attacks is briefly sketched. Aircraft and helicopter defensive electronic self- protection systems against missile attacks including passive and active radar and IR countermeasures are summarized. Radar and IR missile threat warnings are outlined. The development of UV missile threat warning is recounted. UV missile warning coverage is defined. UV missile plume photon emission is addressed. Solar UV emission and atmospheric transmission is reviewed. An AF atmospheric computer program called PLEXUS is applied to the UV spectral region to obtain the atmospheric transmission along paths extending from the upper atmosphere to the lower atmosphere. These atmospheric transmission numbers are used to evaluate the number of solar photons propagating through the upper atmosphere to lower tactical altitudes and into a UV missile-warning sensor viewing the sun directly. These numerical evaluations are accomplished in one- nanometer wide wavelength bins. The results are presented in a number of figures, which then serve to define the solar blind UV region. Detector spectral development objectives are then presented based on the results shown in the figures.
Community mental health and the State Hospital

Creedmoor State Hospital is the major psychiatric facility for the borough of Queens, a community of 2. 2 million people in the City of New York. The hospital had 5 600 patients on the in-patient roles, when in 1969, it was divided into four sections, three relating to specific geographic areas of the borough and one for chronically and acutely medically ill patients who had been admitted originally for social or psychiatric reasions. Hospital personnel developed a group process approach for in-patients and to a large extent, followed their own patients after discharge. Two years later there were 3 500 patients in the hospital and 3 000 in out-patient clinics for discharged patients and their families, and for other patients in the community. The problems of the state hospital and its historical origins have been described. Emphasis was given to the theoretical approach to the solution utilizing reference group theory, and defining the resocialization of the patients by means of a small group approach was outlined. The small reference group was described as the primary unit of treatment. The geographic unitization of the hospital, its clinical programs, its method of allocating priorities for maintenance of the physical plant, and employee relations were described.
Three-dimensional ocean chlorophyll distributions from underwater serial-sectioned fluorescence images

An underwater optical serial-sectioning technique is developed to measure in situ three-dimensional distributions of biological particles. The technique involves scanning of a thin plane of laser light through a range of distances parallel to the imaging plane of a digital CCD camera. Images of induced fluorescence in the sequentially illuminated planes are recorded. An inverse method is then used to reconstruct three-dimensional chlorophyll a distributions from the plane images. Computer simulations of the image formation and reconstruction process indicate that the underwater optical serialsectioning technique is practical for in situ determination and analysis of chlorophyll a microstructures for concentrations as low as 0.1 mg of chlorophyll a per cubic meter in 1--m(3) water volumes.
Technology and Education . . . What If

Whether we like it or not, we now live in a “knowledge-based” economy where workers span several generations and change is the norm. Information is being created at a staggering pace, and corporations have to be ready to adapt in a moment’s notice. If you take a high-growth industry, such as home care and hospice, you see an industry that must continually train workers and create and maintain information storage and distribution. How can home care agencies deal with the challenges of increasing knowledge, high growth, and high turnover?
Hypoxia regulates glutamate receptor trafficking through an HIF‐independent mechanism

Oxygen influences behaviour in many organisms, with low levels (hypoxia) having devastating consequences for neuron survival. How neurons respond physiologically to counter the effects of hypoxia is not fully understood. Here, we show that hypoxia regulates the trafficking of the glutamate receptor GLR-1 in C. elegans neurons. Either hypoxia or mutations in egl-9, a prolyl hydroxylase cellular oxygen sensor, result in the internalization of GLR-1, the reduction of glutamate-activated currents, and the depression of GLR-1-mediated behaviours. Surprisingly, hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1, the canonical substrate of EGL-9, is not required for this effect. Instead, EGL-9 interacts with the Mint orthologue LIN-10, a mediator of GLR-1 membrane recycling, to promote LIN-10 subcellular localization in an oxygen-dependent manner. The observed effects of hypoxia and egl-9 mutations require the activity of the proline-directed CDK-5 kinase and the CDK-5 phosphorylation sites on LIN-10, suggesting that EGL-9 and CDK-5 compete in an oxygen-dependent manner to regulate LIN-10 activity and thus GLR-1 trafficking. Our findings demonstrate a novel mechanism by which neurons sense and respond to hypoxia.
Direct observation of genomic heterogeneity through local haplotyping analysis

It has been an abiding belief among geneticists that multicellular organisms’ genomes can be analyzed under the assumption that a single individual has a uniform genome in all its cells. Despite some evidence to the contrary, this belief has been used as an axiomatic assumption in most genome analysis software packages. In this paper we present observations in human whole genome data, human whole exome data and in mouse whole genome data to challenge this assumption. We show that heterogeneity is in fact ubiquitous and readily observable in ordinary Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) data. Starting with the assumption that a single NGS read (or read pair) must come from one haplotype, we built a procedure for directly observing haplotypes at a local level by examining 2 or 3 adjacent single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) which are close enough on the genome to be spanned by individual reads. We applied this procedure to NGS data from three different sources: whole genome of a Central European trio from the 1000 genomes project, whole genome data from laboratory-bred strains of mouse, and whole exome data from a set of patients of head and neck tumors. Thousands of loci were found in each genome where reads spanning 2 or 3 SNPs displayed more than two haplotypes, indicating that the locus is heterogeneous. We show that such loci are ubiquitous in the genome and cannot be explained by segmental duplications. We explain them on the basis of cellular heterogeneity at the genomic level. Such heterogeneous loci were found in all normal and tumor genomes examined. Our results highlight the need for new methods to analyze genomic variation because existing ones do not systematically consider local haplotypes. Identification of cancer somatic mutations is complicated because of tumor heterogeneity. It is further complicated if, as we show, normal tissues are also heterogeneous. Methods for biomarker discovery must consider contextual haplotype information rather than just whether a variant “is present”.
Associative memory model for searching an image database by image snippet

This paper presents an associative memory called an multidimensional holographic associative computing (MHAC), which can be potentially used to perform feature based image database query using image snippet. MHAC has the unique capability to selectively focus on specific segments of a query frame during associative retrieval. As a result, this model can perform search on the basis of featural significance described by a subset of the snippet pixels. This capability is critical for visual query in image database because quite often the cognitive index features in the snippet are statistically weak. Unlike, the conventional artificial associative memories, MHAC uses a two level representation and incorporates additional meta-knowledge about the reliability status of segments of information it receives and forwards. In this paper we present the analysis of focus characteristics of MHAC.© (1994) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Risks of Colonoscopy and Polypectomy

Colonoscopy with polypectomy is widely accepted as the optimal means for screening and surveillance for colorectal cancer and for the management of pre-cancerous polyps. The procedure is generally safe and well tolerated. The major risks directly related to colonoscopy with polypectomy are bleeding, perforation, and post-polypectomy burn syndrome. This article details strategies to minimize the risk and enhance the management of complications associated with colonoscopic polypectomy.