cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Intractable hiccups: treatment by microvascular decompression of the vagus nerve: Case report

Idiopathic hiccups are usually managed with pharyngeal stimulation or a plethora of pharmacological agents. Hiccups that persist and prove intractable to these medical measures are treated by crush or ablation of the phrenic nerve, which denervates the major respiratory muscle. This is the first reported case of nondestructive microvascular decompression of the vagus nerve for the treatment of intractable idiopathic hiccups. The success of microvascular decompression has been documented with other conditions, such as trigeminal neuralgia and hemifacial spasm, that are characterized by hyperactive dysfunctional neurovascular contact. The vagus nerve was separated from the posterior inferior cerebellar artery by inserting a Teflon pledget between the nerve and vessel which eliminated the neurovascular contact. One year after the initial surgery, the hiccups recurred. The Teflon pledget had fallen out of place and the nerve was once again in contact with the artery. Once the contact was eliminated by wrapping the artery with a tuft of Teflon, the hiccups stopped. The patient has remained free of hiccups for 3 years. It is concluded that patients with intractable idiopathic hiccups who fail medical therapy should be considered for microvascular decompression of the vagus nerve.
Multinodular hemangiomatosis of the liver in infancy.

Multinodular hemangiomatosis of the liver (MHL) is characterized pathologically by multiple hemangiomas, primarily in the liver but also in other organs. The hepatic hemangiomas act as small arteriovenous fistulae and their combined effect may result in a massive peripheral arteriovenous shunt and high output congestive cardiac failure. Patients with MHL may be recognized clinically by the classical triad of congestive cardiac failure, hepatomegaly, and cutaneous hemangiomas. All but 2 of 31 cases of MHL herein reviewed had the onset of symptoms prior to 6 months of age. High output cardiac failure were severe and resulted in a 70% mortality. Hepatomegaly was massive and out of proportion to the degree of cardiac failure. Therapy includes intensive treatment of congestive cardiac failure and judicious transfusion in anemic patients. Irradiation of the liver and corticosteroids have been utilized in attempts to speed evolution of the hepatic arteriovenous fistulae. The data are not sufficient to establish the efficacy of either of these treatment modalities.
Macroecology of Microbes - Biogeography of the Glomeromycota

Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi are among the most abundant soil microorganisms, associating with 95% of plant families and occurring on all continents of the globe (Smith and Read 1997; Trappe 1987; Read 1991). All AM fungi are members of the newly created phylum Glomeromycota (Schuβler 2001). They inhabit most latitudes and terrestrial ecosystems worldwide, including both natural and human impacted systems. Despite their prevalence in the environment and importance to plant productivity, much remains unknown about patterns of diversity and the biogeography of Glomeromycotan fungi. Biogeography is defined as the study of the geographic distributions of organisms and the mechanisms that drive these distributions. Traditionally, AM fungal diversity was thought to be locally high and globally low; up to 20 species can associate with an individual plant, but less than 250 species have been described worldwide (Morton et al. 1995; Bever et al. 2001). Furthermore, international germ collections have been established in North America and Europe where researchers from around the world can send soil samples to be cultured and archived. According to these collections, many communities from around the globe appear similar, with the same morphospecies such as Glomus intraradices seeming to occur globally (Morton and Bentivenga 1994). Over the years, the number of morphospecies in international germ collections has remained low while the number of accessions has increased, indicating low global biodiversity for AM fungi. Furthermore, many taxonomic species such as Glomus intraradices and Glomus mosseae have been observed in a variety of geographic locations in drastically different environmental conditions. Together, these observations have contributed to the notion that AM fungal species have global distributions. However, critics claim that much of the biogeographical inferences currently made
Going cellular [manufacturing]

The IBM eServer fulfilment Centre is located on the IBM Technology Campus in Mulhuddart, Dublin. The eServer product portfolio built at the plant includes the full range of IP and zSeries servers. The range of servers built in the facility varies from desk side server to mainframes and all servers are configured, built and tested to customer's exact requirements. The author describes the introduction of cellular manufacturing at the IBM Server Fulfilment Centre in Dublin.
Rates of decline in Alzheimer disease decrease with age.

Age is the strongest risk factor for sporadic Alzheimer disease (AD), yet the effects of age on rates of clinical decline and brain atrophy in AD have been largely unexplored. Here, we examined longitudinal rates of change as a function of baseline age for measures of clinical decline and structural MRI-based regional brain atrophy, in cohorts of AD, mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and cognitively healthy (HC) individuals aged 65 to 90 years (total n = 723). The effect of age was modeled using mixed effects linear regression. There was pronounced reduction in rates of clinical decline and atrophy with age for AD and MCI individuals, whereas HCs showed increased rates of clinical decline and atrophy with age. This resulted in convergence in rates of change for HCs and patients with advancing age for several measures. Baseline cerebrospinal fluid densities of AD-relevant proteins, Aβ1–42, tau, and phospho-tau181p (ptau), showed a similar pattern of convergence with advanced age across cohorts, particularly for ptau. In contrast, baseline clinical measures did not differ by age, indicating uniformity of clinical severity at baseline. These results imply that the phenotypic expression of AD is relatively mild in individuals older than approximately 85 years, and this may affect the ability to distinguish AD from normal aging in the very old. Our findings show that inclusion of older individuals in clinical trials will substantially reduce the power to detect disease-modifying therapeutic effects, leading to dramatic increases in required clinical trial sample sizes with age of study sample.
Surface-Step-Terrace-Induced Anomalous Transport Properties in Highly Epitaxial La0.67Ca0.33MnO3 Thin Films

La0.67Ca0.33MnO3 thin films were epitaxially grown on miscut MgO(001) substrates by pulsed laser ablation. Electrical transport properties were studied by using an ultra high vacuum, four-probe STM system at different temperatures. Anomalous resistivity behavior and metal-insulator transition temperatures were found, both of which are highly dependent upon the miscut angle (1, 3, and 5°). These phenomena are attributed to the difference in residual strain that results from the difference in terrace widths of the vicinal surfaces.
ENUMERATION OF THERMALLY STRESSED Staphylococcus aureus MF 31

Procedures used to enumerate microorganisms in food should detect all viable organisms present, regardless of their physiological state. Several currently recognized procedures were unable to satisfactorily enumerate thermally stressed cells of Staphylococcus aureus. After heating cells at 52°C in 100 mM potassium phosphate buffer pH 7.2, the cells were enumerated by comparative platings on both selective and nonselective media and by a most probable number technique (MPN). All media produced similar counts of unheated cells. When heated cells were enumerated by plating on selective media, productivity varied with the degree of stress imposed and the particular medium used. Baird-Parker's medium enumerated normal and stressed cells equally well. When stressed cells were inoculated into trypticase soy broth + 10% NaCl the plate count on the nonselective medium decreased and approached that of the selective medium. After an extended lag the counts then increased in a parallel manner.
A reassessment of the mechanisms of antigen-specific T-cell-dependent B-cell activation☆

Abstract B-cell activation has traditionally been divided into two stages-an interaction between surface immunoglobulin and antigen, and a proliferative response to helper T cells. T cell help has been further divided into MHC class II-restricted and factor-mediated (MHC class II-unrestricted) collaboration. As Abul K. Abbas reviews here, recent data suggest that these views are too simplistic.
Determination of stability constants from optical rotatory dispersion measurements. Camphor–phenol system in carbon tetrachloride

A spectropolarimetric method of determining stability constants of complexes formed through hydrogen bonding has been developed and applied to the camphor-phenol system. A variation of the Rossotti and Rossotti method modified to account for formation of complex species containing two molecules of phenol is shown to yield a stability constant in carbon tetrachloride of 12.2 L./mole at 25°.
Satellite estimation of precipitation over land

The availability of satellite-derived rainfall products to hydrologists and other natural scientists has increased enormously in the last five years. The purpose of this paper is to review concisely the current state-of-the-art of satellite precipitation estimation over land and the availability of standard products, and to highlight some of the strengths and limitations of satellite-derived rainfall data for hydrological applications. Methods based on infrared, visible and passive microwave radiation measurements are discussed. Results of several international activities aimed at evaluating the performance of the estimation algorithms are briefly summarized.
Intersubband electron transitions due to electron-electron interactions in quantum-well structures

We have developed a full random-phase approximation formalism, and an efficient computational scheme for calculating the electron-electron scattering rates in quantum wells in nonequilibrium steady state, including the full dynamic screening. We apply our formalism to quantum-well systems studied in two recent experiments, which report different scattering rates for similar structures and similar carrier densities, and obtain quantitative agreement with both experiments. We show that the observed difference in the scattering rates is the result of different excitation levels in these experiments. We have also shown that the temperature dependence of the intersubband electron-electron scattering rate in one of the experiments is dominated by the higher-order, noncollective electron-electron scattering events at low temperature. We propose a scenario that could lead to the dominance of the electron-plasmon (collective) scattering processes. One of the experimental indications of this would be an activated temperature dependency of the intersubband electron-electron scattering rate.
Early Left Ventricular Dysfunction Elicits Activation of Sympathetic Drive and Attenuation of Parasympathetic Tone in the Paced Canine Model of Congestive Heart Failure

Background Although autonomic imbalance is known to be characteristic of patients with clinically overt symptomatic congestive heart failure, it is currently unknown whether this autonomic response arises early in the course of left ventricular dysfunction or is restricted to the later stages of circulatory failure. Methods and Results This investigation utilized the technique of spectral analysis of heart rate variability in a paced canine model of congestive heart failure that permits an examination of autonomic activity at the earliest stages of ventricular dysfunction to determine whether early systolic dysfunction in congestive heart failure is characterized by autonomic imbalance, which may contribute to subsequent myocardial and vascular dysfunction. The results indicate that autonomic imbalance as reflected in an abnormal pattern of heart rate variability evolves early in the course of ventricular systolic dysfunction consisting of both a significant increase in sympathetically influenced low-freq...
Nuclear magnetic resonance analysis of acute myocardial infarction in dogs: the effects of transient coronary ischemia of varying duration and reperfusion on spin lattice relaxation times.

Abstract The purposes of this study were to evaluate the effects of acute myocardial ischemia with reperfusion on T 1 (spin-lattice) nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) relaxation times in a canine model and correlate these changes with bulk myocardial water content (%H 2 O). In 15 dogs the left anterior descending coronary artery was occluded for either 40 minutes (n = 5), 1 hour (n = 5), or 2 hours (n = 5). In 15 additional dogs, matched occlusion periods were followed by 3 hours of reperfusion. T 1 of tissue from normal and ischemic myocardium was measured in vitro with a 2.5 kg NMR spectrometer. In the reperfusion animals, the 2-hour group showed significant increases in %H 2 O and T 1 when the ischemic segment of myocardium was evaluated (both p 2 O or T 1 in the ischemic segment of myocardium when compared to control segments. The mean values from the ischemic myocardium in the 1-hour group were significantly higher than the values from the matched control segment for %H 2 O ( p 1 ( p 2 O nor T 1 changed significantly. In the nonreperfused animals, neither T 1 nor %H 2 O content increased significantly after 40 minutes. Significant increases were seen in the 1-hour ( p p 1 relaxation times and %H 2 O than control ischemic animals. We conclude that acute myocardial ischemia of at least 1 hour in duration followed by reperfusion results in segmental myocardial edema as well as significant increases in T 1 values. Reperfusion after irreversible injury may exacerbate regional edema formation. These findings indicate the potential utility of NMR imaging for monitoring the myocardial edema associated with reperfused myocardial infarctions.
Modulation of atrial contraction by PKA and PKC during the compensated phase of eccentric cardiac hypertrophy

Calcium homeostasis is intimately regulated by protein kinase phosphorylation cascades that are also involved in the induction and maintenance of cardiac hypertrophy. In addition, the development of cardiac hypertrophy has been associated with alteration in the activation of the adrenergic system. Therefore, we investigated the specific role of protein kinase A (PKA) and C (PKC) on cardiac muscle contractile activity in the presence and absence of adrenergic stimulation. Isolated left atrial preparations from sham– and volume overload–induced cardiac hypertrophied rats were superfused with Tyrode and electrically stimulated at 0.75 Hz. Contraction was assessed in the basal and pre–stimulated (norepinephrine, 10–9M) states. Specific inhibitors, KT 5720 for PKA and Ro-32-0432 for PKC, were used. Peak tension development in left atria from sham–operated rats was more sensitive to PKC– than PKA–inhibition, whereas this differential sensitivity was abolished in the hypertrophied hearts. This difference was mainly due to an increase in the role of PKA in the contractile response. Developed peak tension by left atria from shunt rats was higher than that from sham rats, but when expressed to relative tissue mass, hypertrophied muscle showed weaker contraction than that from the sham group. In addition, the left atrial velocity of contraction in the sham is PKA–sensitive, while that of the shunt is PKC–sensitive. Furthermore, the velocity of relaxation shows dependency on both protein kinases, with PKC having a greater effect than PKA in the hypertrophied group. NE increased the PTD and the velocity of contraction (+dT/dt) through PKA and PKC dependent mechanisms, without affecting the velocity of relaxation (–dT/dt) in atrial muscle from sham rats. In contrast, during eccentric hypertrophy NE effectively reduced PTD as well as the –dT/dt through a PKC–dependent mechanism. The present study demonstrates that during early development of moderate eccentric cardiac hypertrophy there is: (1) a reduced specific peak tension developed due to an imbalance in the PKA and PKC activation; (2) a change in the protein kinase dependence of the velocity of contraction and relaxation from PKA to PKC with atrial hypertrophy; and (3) a negative inotropic response to adrenergic receptor stimulation. These functional responses may play a critical role in the cardiac performance during the progression of eccentric cardiac hypertrophy into the decompensated phase and heart failure.
Dynamic Resource Allocation for SATCOM Mobile Terminals in Blockage Environments

To maximize link layer efficiency, future protected military satellite communication networks will be provisioned dynamically as traffic demands and channel conditions vary. As a significant number of terminals supported by the system will be Comm-on-the-Move terminals, which suffer from channel blockage in addition to weather events, dynamic resource allocation requires careful coordination between terminals and the payload. Via an OPNET simulation, protocols that are robust to control message losses yet allow the system to be dynamic and responsive to changes are studied. A transmit-until-acknowledged approach is used for less frequent messages while a periodic-transmit approach is used for more frequent messages. The performance of both constant-rate and TCP-based application traffic in blockage environments over this dynamically allocated network is also evaluated.
Improving TCP performance over wireless networks with collaborative multi-homed mobile hosts

Multi-homed mobile hosts situated in physical proximity may spontaneously team up to run high-bandwidth applications by pooling their low wireless wide-area network (WWAN) bandwidths together for communication with a remote application server and utilizing their high-bandwidth wireless local-area network (WLAN) in ad-hoc mode for aggregation and distribution of application contents among the participating mobile hosts. In this paper, we first describe the need for such a mobile collaborative community, or a community, in which multi-homed mobile hosts exploit the diversity of WWAN connections to improve a user-perceived bandwidth and network utilization. Then, we show that existing one-to-one communication protocols like TCP suffer significant performance degradation due to frequent packet reordering and heterogeneity of WWAN links in the community.To address the above TCP problem, we propose a proxy-based inverse multiplexer, called PRISM, that enables TCP to efficiently utilize the community members' WWAN connections. PRISM runs at a proxy's network layer as a routing component and stripes each TCP flow over multiple WWAN links by exploiting the transport-layer feedback information. Moreover, it masks variety of adverse effects specific to each WWAN link via intelligent ACK-control mechanism. Finally, PRISM includes a sender-side enhancement of congestion control, enabling TCP to respond correctly to dynamically-changing network states.We have evaluated the PRISM protocol using both experimentation and ns-2-based simulation. Our experimental evaluation has shown PRISM to improve TCP's performance by up to 310% even with two collaborative mobile hosts. Our in-depth simulation study also shows that PRISM delivers a near-optimal aggregated bandwidth in the community formed by heterogeneous mobile hosts, and improves network utilization significantly.
Parent concerns in long-term follow-up

Consideration of the long-term follow-up of at-risk infants must take into account the role of parents and family contexts. Cognitive and social-emotional adaptation for a premature low birthweight infant is a product of complex transactions between biological and environmental risk and ameliorative factors that operate within powerful family and cultural contexts. Parental behaviors, psychosocial functioning, and social cognitions are particularly important in order to understand long-term developmental outcomes for infants as well as other family members. Interventions for high-risk infants have shown that these can be effective in reducing anxiety and concerns among parents and optimizing parent-child relationships.
An examination of farm/processor price spreads in catfish markets

Abstract Marketing margins within the catfish market were analysed. A dynamic mark‐up model was used to describe catfish markets for whole fish and fillets. Potential increases in competition are expected to shrink margins over time. However, a simple measure of the number of firms does not appear to affect margins significantly. Findings also indicate that the whole fish prices appear more responsive to changes in farm price than fillet prices, although this difference is not statistically significant. Technology growth also appears to have decreased margins over time.
Physiological and molecular genetic mechanisms regulating hydrolytic enzyme gene expression in cereal grains

In recent years, the analysis of hydrolytic enzyme gene expression in germinating cereals has progressed from a determination of hormone-responsive promoter elements to the cloning of positive and negative promoter-binding proteins and the direct in vivo demonstration of their effects on gene expression. Interesting parallels with animal systems have emerged, particularly with regard to the mediation of gibberellin signal transduction through transcriptional regulators encoded by oncogene homologues, calcium signalling pathways, and (possibly) through the phosphoinositide turnover pathway. New applications of cell microinjection, intracellular fluorescent probes and transient expression with effector reporter expression plasmids have allowed direct examination of the roles of si gnal transduction factors and their ultimate targets of their pathways on hormone- and sugar-responsive gene promoter elements. Arabidopsis hormone response mutants have provided cloned candidates for genes encoding trans-acting regulatory proteins, and these have rapidly led to their counterparts in cereals. The identification of the initial receptor for gibberellin and abscisic acid still proves to be an intractable problem, but candidates have emerged from recent studies. The puzzle of how gibberellin and abscisic acid signal transductions lead to opposing regulatory events at every level proves to be a continuing challenge, but recent studies provide intriguing insights into these complex events. These studies are providing testable models as to how hydrolytic enzyme gene expression in developing and germinating cereal grains is regulated. The following review is constructed to summarize recent physiological, genetic and molecular studies in these areas and, where appropriate, provide correlative information from past studies.
Influence of Medical School Curriculum on Primary Care Specialty Choice: Analysis and Synthesis of the Literature.

There is a growing consensus that the proportion of primary care physicians in the United States is inadequate to meet health care needs. Many graduating medical students continue to choose to subspecialize. The literature on curriculum and specialty choice is fraught with confounders and a lack of
Permutations and Coin-Tossing Sequences.

(2001). Permutations and Coin-Tossing Sequences. Mathematics Magazine: Vol. 74, No. 1, pp. 55-57.
Realizing analogues of color superconductivity with ultracold alkali atoms

A degenerate three-component Fermi gas of atoms with identical attractive interactions is expected to exhibit superfluidity and magnetic order at low temperature and, for sufficiently strong pairwise interactions, become a Fermi liquid of weakly interacting trimers. The phase diagram of this system is analogous to that of quark matter at low temperature, motivating strong interest in its investigation. We describe how a three-component gas below the superfluid critical temperature can be prepared in an optical lattice. To realize an SU(3)-symmetric system, we show how pairwise interactions in the three-component atomic system can be made equal by applying radiofrequency and microwave radiation. Finally, motivated by the aim to make more accurate models of quark matter, which have color, flavor and spin degrees of freedom, we discuss how an atomic system with SU(2)⊗SU(3) symmetry can be achieved by confining a three-component Fermi gas in the p-orbital band of an optical lattice potential.
Membrane pore structure analysis via nmr spinlattice relaxation experiments

Abstract The work described in this paper demonstrates the applicability of a new pore sizing technique to membranes, that of NMR spin-lattice relaxation measurements. Relaxation of the fluid magnetization in a saturated membrane is related to pore size. This is due to different surface and bulk fluid relaxation rates being coupled with fast diffusional exchange between the regions. This NMR technique is not pore shape dependent in the pore size range of interest for membranes, and avoids many of the problems inherent in traditional techniques. Advantages of this approach include: (1) a wide range of pore sizes can be analysed (0.5 nm to > 1 μm), (2) the method is non-destructive, (3) it is immune to network/percolation effects, and (4) it can be used with wet materials. The average pore size and pore volume distributions of five Millipore mixed esters of cellulose membranes (nominal radii 12.5-2500 nm) were determined via NMR and the results compared with those from mercury porosimetry, nitrogen adsorption/condensation, and flow permeability/bubble point. The NMR technique was seen to compare favorably with the other methods.
Teaching self-feeding skills to profound retardates using reinforcement and fading procedures

Fourteen institutionalized profoundly retarded boys who had never spoon-fed themselves were selected for a behavior modification program focusing on self-feeding. The boys ranged in chronological age from 9 to 17 years and possessed Vineland Social Ages from 1.3 to 1.7 years. The self-feeding task was divided into seven discrete steps, with each succeeding step requiring the child to perform more of the self-feeding process. On the first step the aide, while holding the child's hand with his spoon in his hand, made the entire feeding cycle for the child. With each of the succeeding six steps the aide faded out a portion of her help, until the child was making the entire self-feeding movement without any help from the aide. All 14 boys learned to perform the self-feeding task within periods ranging from 2 to 60 days and 10 of the 14 boys were still feeding themselves 41 months later. Implications for treatment of retardates are discussed.
ENRICHED FRACTIONS OF ALPHA‐LACTALBUMIN (α‐LA) AND BETA‐LACTOGLOBULIN (β‐LG) FROM WHEY PROTEIN CONCENTRATE USING CARBON DIOXIDE. FUNCTIONAL PROPERTIES IN AQUEOUS SOLUTION1

Seven percent solutions (w/w) prepared from a low-fat whey protein concentrate (WPC) containing approximately 80% protein were treated with CO2 to prepare α-lactalbumin (α-LA) and β-lactoglobulin (β-LG) enriched fractions. Compositional data, solubility, foam stability, % overrun, viscosity, emulsion stability index and emulsion stability of the fractions were determined and compared to that of a reference WPC. The α-LA fraction was soluble at pH > 5, while the, β-LG fraction and reference WPC were soluble over the entire pH range studied. In most cases, the functional properties of the fractions were significantly different from that of the WPC feed. The β-LG fraction showed enhanced emulsion stability, emulsion activity, viscosity, and gelling properties relative to the WPC reference.
898 HYPERINSULINISM(HI)IN INFANCY: EFFECT OF SOMATOSTATIN (SS) ADMINISTRATION AND ALTERATIONS IN INSULIN BINDING (IB) TO MONOCYTES

SS, an inhibitor of insulin (I) secretion, has been reported to reduce glucose requirements and thus facilitate the treatment of hypoglycemia associated with HI in infancy. In addition,while I levels have been shown to affect IB and IB is an important determinant of I action, the effect of HI on IB in infants has not been determined. We therefore examined the effect of varying doses of SS on glucose regulation and IB before and after chronic I suppression in a 15 mo. old boy with HI. Low dose SS (2 μg/kg/min) promptly reduced plasma I (30-35%) and increased plasma glucose (22 to 80 mg%) but failed to maintain euglycemia without glucose administration. When SS was increased (8 μg/kg/min), normal plasma glucose was maintained despite withdrawal of exogenous glucose. IB to monocytes was determined before and 4 wks following suppression of excessive I secretion with diazoxide. Pre-Rx IB was markedly reduced (1.2%) as compared to normal control children (7.0 ± 0.3%,N=6). Post-Rx IB increased 300% in association with a reduction of basal I from 38 to 7 μU/ml. These data provide further evidence for the potential therapeutic efficacy of SS in HI but emphasizes the need for individualization of dosage. Furthermore, IB was inversely related to I levels in our patient as seen in other hyperinsulinemic states in adults. These changes in IB may serve as a protective compensatory response and could prove useful in the diagnosis of HI.
A pharmacological study of calcium flux mechanisms in the tannin vacuoles ofMimosa pudica L. motor cells

When treated with various calcium-active agents, the volume changes in the tannin vacuoles of the abaxial (lower) motor cells in the sensitiveMimosa pudica L. correspond to the movement of the primary pulvinus. The calcium pump inhibitors, sodium metavanadate and erythrosin B, significantly inhibited the rate of recovery in both the in vivo and in vitro examinations, while the calcium channel blocker, verapamil, inhibited the closing response. Bay-K 8644 enhanced the in vivo effect and induced the in vitro effect, therefore appearing to be an agonist of the voltage regulated calcium channels in the tannin vacuoles. These observations support the hypothesis that calcium channels in the tannin vacuole membrane underly the thigmonastic response and pumps in the tannin vacuole membrane are involved in the mechanisms underlying recovery.
ORIGEN-ARP, A Fast and Easy-to-Use Source Term Generation Tool

ORIGEN-ARP is a new SCALE analytical sequence for spent fuel characterization and source term generation that serves as a faster alternative to the SAS2H sequence by using the Automatic Rapid Processing (ARP) methodology for generating problem-dependent ORIGEN-S cross-section libraries. ORIGEN-ARP provides an easy-to-use menu-driven input processor. This new sequence is two orders of magnitude faster than SAS2H while conserving the rigor and accuracy of the SAS2H methodology. ORIGEN-ARP has been validated against pressurized water reactor (PWR) and boiling water reactor (BWR) spent fuel chemical assay data.
Imprinting evolution and human health

Genomic imprinting results in parent-of-origin-dependent, monoallelic expression of genes. The functional haploid state of these genes has far-reaching consequences. Not only has imprinting been implicated in accelerating mammalian speciation, there is growing evidence that it is also involved in the pathogenesis of several human conditions, particularly cancer and neurological disorders. Epigenetic regulatory mechanisms govern the parental allele-specific silencing of imprinted genes, and many theories have attempted to explain the driving force for the evolution of this unique form of gene control. This review discusses the evolution of imprinting in Therian mammals, and the importance of imprinted genes in human health and disease.
Narrow-band radiation from long-pulse free-electron lasers

A perturbative theoretical analysis of the operation of a long-pulse free-electron laser (FEL) is presented. This analysis was prompted by the remarkable property of the FEL at the University of California at Santa Barbara of generating radiation with a very small fractional bandwidth of the order of 10/sup -8/. To third order in the radiation field, the transverse current driving the FEL contains large crossed-saturation terms between resonator modes. Through the strong crossed saturation the dominant mode depresses the effective gain of other modes to the point of extinction, resulting in single-mode operation. These conclusions hold as long as the long-pulse FEL is operating in a low-gain, homogeneously broadened regime, outside the deep saturation region. The perturbation expansion, nonlinear single-mode, and two-mode problems are discussed in detail.
Evaluation of pedotransfer and measurement approaches to avoid soil compaction

Abstract On-farm approaches are needed to help farmers avoid soil compaction. It is the purpose of this paper to document the experience of using the Horn and Fleige [Horn, R., Fleige, H., 2003. A method for assessing the impact of load on mechanical stability and on physical properties of soils. Soil Till. Res. 73, 89–99] procedures to develop improved guidance to help farmers avoid compaction in agricultural operations in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, USA. A soil characterization database for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, USA, was used to provide input to the Horn and Fleige [Horn, R., Fleige, H., 2003. A method for assessing the impact of load on mechanical stability and on physical properties of soils. Soil Till. Res. 73, 89–99] approach to estimate the pre-consolidation stress and the maximum depth of compaction for 29 agricultural soils in Pennsylvania. The Horn and Fleige [Horn, R., Fleige, H., 2003. A method for assessing the impact of load on mechanical stability and on physical properties of soils. Soil Till. Res. 73, 89–99] approach was tentatively validated using previously measured pre-consolidation stress or penetration resistance values measured on five of the 29 soils. The estimated maximum depth of compaction indicated that an 89-kN (10-ton) axle load was excessive in almost all cases for soils at matric potentials of −33 and −6 kPa for both tillage and no-till management. A 53-kN (6-ton) axle load was acceptable for most cases when tillage was planned to a 0.20-m depth, but was excessive in most cases for no-till management at a matric potential of −6 kPa while mostly acceptable for no-till management at a matric potential of −33 kPa. Penetration resistance measurements are recommended to decide when a load is excessive.
MO-D-204C-01: Imaging Tumor Vasculature and Angiogenesis: Biology, MR Imaging, and Anti-Angiogenic Therapies

Tumor angiogenesis is the important biological process whereby new blood vessels are formed to supply nutrients and oxygen and to remove waste products for growing tumors. Angiogenesis plays key roles in forming and regulating the tumor micro‐environment, enabling metastatic disease, and greatly affects the delivery and response of targeted therapeutic agents. Targeting the tumor vasculature may represent a promising strategy to inhibit tumor growth and progression. Thus, this key biological process is being vigorously studied with the goal of impacting human clinical care. Physical approaches to understanding tumor angiogenesis include magnetic resonance imaging(MRI), which through various dynamic techniques can assess blood flow and other bioanatomic parameters relevant to angiogenesis. These advanced imaging techniques can be used in both pre‐clinical animal models as well as humans. Importantly, anti‐angiogenic therapies include pharmacologic and biologic agents that target tumor vascular through various biomolecular mechanisms, and tumor response can be monitored using advanced MRimaging. For the benefit of the medical physicist who may be involved with angiogenesis research using MRI, targeted biochemical agents, and/or ionizing radiation, this symposium will review the biology of tumor angiogenesis, advanced MRimaging techniques, and translational efforts, including clinical trials and angiogenesis research challenges. Specific objectives of the symposium are to: 1. Provide a primer on the biology of tumor angiogenesis and the tumor microenvironment 2. Review the important role of angiogenesis for the formation of metastases 3. Discuss biological mechanisms for the interruption of angiogenesis that would lead to a therapeutic result 4. Describe pre‐clinical and clinical magnetic resonance imaging techniques and applications for tumor vascular imaging 5. Review techniques and research challenges for quantitative MRimaging of angiogenesis, including national initiatives 6. Describe promising anti‐angiogenic therapies with targeted biochemical agents and ionizing radiation 7. Describe angiogenesis clinical trials, challenges in translating angiogenesis research to the clinic, and roles for medical physicists in angiogenesis imaging and therapeutics.
Solvable covers of the boolean variety of unital ℓ -groups

The varieties of solvable lattice-ordered groups covering the abelian variety were shown independently by Gurchenkov, Reilly, and Darnel to be the Scrimger varieties of l-groups and the three Medvedev representable covers. In this article, the authors give a parallel characterization of varieties of solvable unital l-groups which cover the minimal nontrivial variety of boolean unital l-groups.
Response to combination therapy after relapse in childhood acute lymphocytic leukemia.

The objective of this study was to determine in children with acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) whether prolonged remission could be attained following relapse from prior chemotherapy. Multiple agent chemotherapy and central nervous system radiotherapy were administered to 16 children who had had one or more relapses. With prednisone, vincristine, and daunomycin, 14 of 16 patients attained complete remission in a median time of 31 days. The median duration of complete remission for the 14 children was 12 months. Drug toxicity and morbidity secondary to therapy included pancytopenia, oral ulcerations, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and potentially fatal infections. Five of the 14 who achieved remission developed Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia. Patients who had relapsed during prior unmaintained remission had superior responses to therapy. After 46 to 50 months in this study, three patients remain in continuous complete remission and two others remain in continuous hematologic remission. Therapy was stopped in four children after 36 months of continuous hematologic remission. These results suggest that children with ALL who experience relapse have an opportunity for a prolonged subsequent remission.
Late-onset Alzheimer’s risk variants in memory decline, incident mild cognitive impairment, and Alzheimer’s disease

Abstract We tested association of nine late-onset Alzheimer’s disease (LOAD) risk variants from genome-wide association studies (GWAS) with memory and progression to mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or LOAD (MCI/LOAD) in older Caucasians, cognitively normal at baseline and longitudinally evaluated at Mayo Clinic Rochester and Jacksonville (n>2000). Each variant was tested both individually and collectively using a weighted risk score. APOE-e4 associated with worse baseline memory and increased decline with highly significant overall effect on memory. CLU-rs11136000-G associated with worse baseline memory and incident MCI/LOAD. MS4A6A-rs610932-C associated with increased incident MCI/LOAD and suggestively with lower baseline memory. ABCA7-rs3764650-C and EPHA1-rs11767557-A associated with increased rates of memory decline in subjects with a final diagnosis of MCI/LOAD. PICALM-rs3851179-G had an unexpected protective effect on incident MCI/LOAD. Only APOE-inclusive risk scores associated with worse memory and incident MCI/LOAD. The collective influence of the nine top LOAD GWAS variants on memory decline and progression to MCI/LOAD appears limited. Discovery of biologically functional variants at these loci may uncover stronger effects on memory and incident disease.
Cutaneous hemangiomas, vascular stains and malformations, and associated syndromes

Vascular birthmarks are a relatively common problem seen frequently by dermatologists. Although interventional measures were not available for many years, the development of new strategies such as embolization, laser therapy, and α-interferon injections has altered our approach to these disorders. Because we now have the means to provide effective treatment for some of these lesions, it is important to distinguish proliferative but self-limited lesions from morphogenetic errors that are permanent defects. This monograph provides an overview of pediatric vascular lesions using the nomenclature devised by Dr. John Mulliken. In this schema, vascular birthmarks are classified as either hemangiomas, tumors with both a growth and an involutional phase, or vascular malformations, permanent structural anomalies composed of capillaries, veins, arteries, or lymphatic vessels. Also reviewed are several syndromes that have vascular lesions as a cardinal feature. An attempt has been made to properly classify the vascular component of these disorders, as some vascular malformations have erroneously been labeled hemangiomas in the existing literature. These errors have caused considerable confusion and sometimes inappropriate management. Unfortunately, space constraints permit discussion of only those vascular malformation syndromes that are associated with structural anomalies of the capillaries (vascular stains). Finally, the various therapeutic modalities available for these patients are reviewed.
PHONETIC MEDIATION IN A-B, A-B' TRANSFER WITH YOUNG CHILDREN

Summary.-60 4-, 5- and 6-yr.-old children learned two 3-item pairedassociate lists. A mixed-list design was used. List 2 contained pairs representing A-B, C-D, A-B, A-B', and A-B, A-C transfer paradigms. Terms B and B' were related via rhyme. In second-list learning, more correct responses in the first two anticipation trials occurred on A-B' pairs than on A-C pairs and more correct responses on C-D pairs than on A-B' pairs. Age differences were nonsignificant. Conditions under which children might successfully utilize mediational rhyme strategies in paired-associate learning were suggested. Adult subjects can utilize mediational rhyme strategies to facilitate pairedassociate learning (Keppel & Zavortink, 1969) and serial learning (Bugelski, 1968; Bugelski, Kidd, & Segrnen, 1968). In the study of paired-associate learning (Keppel & Zavortink, 1969), stimulus terms were single digits and response terms were words. The rhyme strategy involved forming imaginal mediators in which response terms were associated with words that rhymed with digit stimuli. In the study of serial learning (Bugelski, 1968), the strategy involved forming images in which each word in the serial list was associated with another word that rhymed with the number that designated the ordinal position of that word in the serial list. In both paired-associate and serial learning, adult subjects instructed to use these rhyme strategies learned lists faster than subjects not instructed to do so. Although adult subjects successfully utilize these rhyme strategies, it is uncertain whether children can. Minnigerode ( 1971 ) attempted to demonstrate mediated facilitation of second-list learning in A-B, A-B' transfer with 6-, 8-, and 10-yr.-old children. All stimulus terms were single letters. Response terms were single digits in the first list and common words in the second list. List-1 response terms (B) rhymed with List-2 response terms (B'). Instructions to use a mediational rhyme strategy failed to facilitate second-list performance relative to performance in either of two control conditions, A-B, C-D, and A-B, C-B'. Several studies suggest that young children use rhyme as a mediational strategy. Locke (1971b) found that 4-yr.-old children recalled more pictures whose labels rhymed than control pictures whose labels did not rhyme; however, Locke and Locke ( 1971 ) were unable to obtain the same effect with 3-yr.-old children. Locke (1971a) also demonstrated that 4-yr.-old children who showed superior recall of pictures with rhyming labels were more accurate in identifying rhymes than children who showed comparable retall of pictures with rhyming and nonrhyming labels.
A partial phase diagram for a mixture of polystyrene with a low molecular weight styrene-dimethylsiloxane block copolymer

Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) was used to examine the miscibility of polystyrene (PS), mol. wt. 105, with a phase-separated styrene-dimethylsiloxane (S-DMS) diblock copolymer, Mn = 3800, 86 wt% S. Mixtures whose S content varied from 4 to 96 wt% PS were examined at a 10 K min−1 heating rate following a 200 K min−1 cooling rate from temperatures varying from 403 to 573 K. At some compositions, two glass transition temperatures, Tgs, corresponding to PS transitions were observed; at others only a single Tg was observed. When it was assumed that the 200 K min−1 cooling rate corresponded to quenching from the starting temperature, and when the heat capacity changes at the S glass transitions were used to calculate the percentage of S repeat units undergoing each glass transition, it was possible to calculate an approximate partial phase diagram for this mixture. At 96 wt% PS, there was evidence for a small amount of mixed S phase, possibly block copolymer micelles, in equilibrium with PS; from about 60 to 90 wt% PS, the S repeat units from the block copolymer appeared to be completely mixed with the PS. At lower wt% PS, unmixed block copolymer was in equilibrium with block copolymer whose S segments were mixed with the PS. The phase diagram appeared to vary only slightly with temperature.
Redox-active tetrahydrosalen (salan) complexes of titanium

A diarylamino-substituted N-methyl tetrahydrosalen (salan) ligand, An2NLH2, is prepared in four steps and overall 53% yield from 5-bromosalicylaldehyde, with the key step a palladium-catalysed Hartwig–Buchwald amination of the tert-butyldimethylsilyl-protected 5-bromo-N-methylsalan ligand. Reaction of An2NLH2 or its bromo analogue with Ti(OiPr)4 or TiF4 results in metalation of the ligand. The isopropoxide groups are readily exchanged with α- or β-hydroxyacids to form chelated complexes. X-ray crystallography and NMR spectroscopy indicate that the salan ligands are quite flexible, with An2NLTiF2, for example, showing four stereoisomers in its 19F NMR spectrum. The major stereoisomer of (salan)Ti(X)(Y) depends principally on the trans influence of the X and Y groups. Complexes of An2NL show two reversible, closely spaced redox couples at approximately + 0.1 V vs.ferrocene/ferrocenium, and a second set of two closely spaced redox couples at ∼ + 0.8 V vs. Fc/Fc+.
Stability of Creeping Flows of Maxwell Fluids

We derive rigorous criteria for the linear stability of viscoelastic flows under periodic boundary conditions. The results are based on recent work of R. Shvydkoy (Commun Math Phys 265:507–545, 2006).