cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Monoclonal remyelination-promoting natural autoantibody SCH 94.03: pharmacokinetics and in vivo targets within demyelinated spinal cord in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis.

Abstract Chronic inflammatory demyelination of the central nervous system is usually incompletely repaired. However, we previously reported that in vivo treatment with monoclonal antibody SCH 94.03 (produced using spinal cord homogenate as an immunogen) increased myelin repair 4-fold in the Theiler's virus mouse model of chronic progressive multiple sclerosis ( Miller et al., 1994 ; J. Neurosci. 14: 6230–6238). A major issue regarding site and mechanism of action of this antibody is whether SCH 94.03 enters demyelinated CNS lesions and reacts with oligodendrocytes and myelin. To address this question, we radiolabeled SCH 94.03 and studied its distribution into tissues, pharmacokinetics, and binding to cells within demyelinating spinal cord lesions in vivo. SCH 94.03 distributed widely into extracellular water following intraperitoneal injection and was eliminated with a terminal half-life of 3–4.5 days. Only a portion of the total dose (0.4%) entered brain and spinal cord. SCH 94.03 accumulated 1.5–2.0-fold in brain between 1 and 7 days after injection, but its pharmacokinetics were otherwise similar to those of an isotype control IgMκ antibody. Oligodendrocytes, myelin sheaths and, less frequently, axons were labeled within demyelinating lesions as detected by light and electron microscopic autoradiography. These findings suggest that remyelination-promoting autoantibodies could act within the demyelinating lesion of the central nervous system by binding to the oligodendrocyte, myelin, or axon.
Regulation of striatonigral prodynorphin peptides by dopaminergic agents.

Abstract The primary purpose of this study was to examine the regulation of prodynorphin peptides by dopaminergic agents in the central nervous system. The indirectly acting catecholamine agonist d -amphetamine sulfate (AMPH) and the dopamine receptor antagonist haloperidol (HAL) were administered to rats across a variety of treatment schedules and drug doses. The striatum, substantia nigra and hippocampus were dissected and examined by radioimmunoassay for 5 different prodynorphin peptides, covering all 3 opioid domains in the prodynorphin precursor: dynorphin A(1–8) and dynorphin A(1–17) of the dynorphin A domain, dynorphin B(1–13) of the dynorphin B domain, and α-neo-endorphin and s-neo-endorphin of the neo-endorphin domain. In addition, the proenkephalin peptide Met-enkephalin-arg 6 -gly 7 -leu 8 (MERGL) was examined in the striatum. AMPH administered one hour prior to sacrifice caused a dose-dependent depletion of prodynorphin peptides in both the striatum and substantia nigra. In animals treated with AMPH once each day for 7 days and sacrificed 24 h later, a dramatic dose-dependent increase in prodynorphin peptides was observed in these brain regions. Animals treated with AMPH once each day for 7 days and sacrificed one hour after the final injections showed no changes in prodynorphin peptides. In addition to changes in individual prodynorphin peptides, AMPH treatment caused alterations in the relationships between intermediate peptides (dynorphin A(1–17) and α-neo-endorphin) and their immediate products (dynorphin A(1–8) and s-neo-endorphin). AMPH caused no consistent changes in prodynorphin peptides in the hippocampus, or in MERGL in the striatum. Taken together these data suggest that acute dopaminergic activation causes depletion of dynorphins from striatonigral prodynorphin neurons, presumably due to dopamine-dependent release of these peptides; repeated activation causes repeated release, with a rebound increase in biosynthesis. HAL, in contrast to AMPH caused relatively subtle changes in striatonigral prodynorphin peptides. Although no significant changes in individual prodynorphin peptides were observed, HAL treatment caused a change in the relationship between dynorphin A(1–17) and dynorphin A(1–8), a change in direction to that observed with AMPH treatment. As has been previously reported, repeated HAL administration caused a dose-dependent increase in the proenkephalin peptide MERGL. The relatively subtle effects of HAL on prodynorphin peptides suggests that tonic dopamine activity is not important in the regulation of striatonigral prodynorphin neurons. The potential functional and behavioral significance of the present results are discussed.
A time-predictable VLIW processor and its compiler support

Time predictability is an important requirement for real-time embedded application domains such as automotive, air transportation, and multimedia processing. However, the architectural design of modern microprocessors mainly concentrates on improving the average-case performance, which can significantly compromise the time predictability and can make accurate worst-case performance analysis extremely difficult if not impossible. This paper studies the time predictability of VLIW (Very Long Instruction Word) processors and its compiler support. We analyze the impediments to time predictability for VLIW processors and propose compiler-based techniques to address these problems with minimal disturbance on the VLIW hardware design. The VLIW compiler is enhanced to support full if conversion, hyperblock scheduling, and intra-block nop insertion to enable efficient WCET (Worst Case Execution Time) analysis for VLIW processors. Our experiments indicate that the time-predictability of VLIW processor can be improved significantly.
Impact of chemical elicitor applications on greenhouse tomato plants and population growth of the green peach aphid, Myzus persicae

Recent advances in the understanding of plant signaling pathways have opened the way for using elicitor-induced plant resistance as a tactic for protecting plants against arthropod pests. Four common elicitors of induced responses in tomato, Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. (Solanaceae), were evaluated with regard to phytotoxicity, induction of plant defensive proteins, and effects on population growth and fecundity of a common pest, the green peach aphid, Myzus persicae (Sulzer) (Homoptera: Aphididae). Ethephon and methyl jasmonate (MJ) treatments caused varying degrees of phytotoxicity. Ethephon caused pronounced changes in plant growth form and severe, dose-dependent negative impacts on plant growth and flowering. Effects with MJ were milder, but still caused temporary inhibition of development, leading to smaller plants and delayed flowering. The commercial elicitors benzothiadiazole (BTH) and harpin did not cause detectable phytotoxicity. The highest doses of ethephon and MJ significantly increased leaf peroxidase (POD) levels but only MJ treatments significantly increased polyphenol oxidase (PPO) levels. BTH and harpin had no detectable effects on POD and PPO. Populations of green peach aphids grew significantly more slowly on plants treated with BTH or MJ than on control plants or plants treated with harpin or ethephon. Slowed aphid population growth on BTH-treated plants was due to significant reductions in aphid fecundity, although this was independent of changes in time to onset of reproduction or time to death. Aphid fecundity was also reduced on MJ-treated plants relative to controls, but this difference was not statistically significant, suggesting that other mechanisms are involved in slowing aphid population growth on MJ-treated plants. Growth of aphid populations on plants treated with a MJ-BTH mixture was reduced almost as much as with treatments of MJ alone, suggesting that antagonism between JA-dependant and SA-dependent plant signaling pathways is only mild with regard to induced defenses against aphids.
Skin absorption of hexafluoroacetone: teratogenic and lethal effects in the rat fetus.

Abstract Hexafluoroacetone trihydrate (HFA) was applied to the skin of pregnant rats from Day 6 through 16 of gestation. All rats were killed on Day 21 with uterine weights, fetal survival, number of resorptions, live fetal weights plus crown-rump lengths, and gross abnormalities by external examination determined at necropsy. The fetuses were processed for examination of visceral/neural anomalies and skeletal abnormalities. In a range-finding study, doses were from 2.3 to 90 mg/kg/day. At 90 mg/kg/day signs of maternal toxicity were observed. At 40 mg/kg/day and above, all but one of 36 fetuses were resorbed. At all doses nonlethal to fetuses, teratogenic effects were suggested. Based on maternal toxicity and embryolethality observed in the range-finding study, doses of either 1, 5, or 25 mg/kg/day were used in the main study. Fetal toxicity, measured by number of resorptions and live fetuses per litter, was evident at 25 mg/kg/day. At 5 and 25 mg/kg/day the mean fetal weights and crown-rump lengths were significantly lower than those of the controls and maternal weight gain was adversely affected. Teratogenic effects consisting of gross external, internal soft-tissue, and skeletal abnormalities were observed at 5 and 25 mg/kg/day. At 1 mg/kg/day a possible treatment-related increase in fetal gross external and internal soft-tissue abnormalities was observed.
Stretched laminar flamelet modeling of a turbulent jet diffusion flame

Abstract —A turbulent combustion model for a CO/H2/N2-air turbulent jet diffusion flame has been developed by combining a velocity-composition joint pdf turbulence closure, a Monte Carlo solution algorithm, and a two-scalar stretched laminar f1amelet chemistry approach. In the flamelet model, it is assumed that the structure of the turbulent diffusion flame is locally that of a laminar diffusion flame at the same instantaneous value of the mixture fraction (ξ) and scalar dissipation (X). A library of stretched laminar flamelets (density, temperature, and species concentrations vs, ξ and X) is generated for a laminar opposed-flow configuration including 15 chemical species, 32 reactions, and differential diffusion. A modeled transport equation for the joint probability density function of the velocities, ξ, and X is then solved numerically by a Monte Carlo method. Calculated profiles of mean mixture fraction, temperature, and species concentrations are compared both with experimental data and with earlier ...
Neonatal damage to the rat's infraorbital nerve upregulates both galanin and neuropeptide Y in individual vibrissae-related primary afferent axons.

Previous studies in adult animals have suggested that the peptides galanin and neuropeptide Y (NPY) may be upregulated in the same primary afferent neurons after peripheral axotomy. The present study was undertaken to determine whether such upregulation occurred in vibrissae-related primary afferent neurons and their axons after damage to the infraorbital nerve [ION; the trigeminal (V) branch that innervates the vibrissae follicles]. Double-labelling experiments demonstrated that approximately 75% of axotomized V ganglion cells and the central arbors of vibrissae-related primary afferents expressed both galanin and NPY after perinatal, but not adult, nerve damage. However, additional experiments demonstrated that the sensitive periods for lesion-induced upregulation of the two peptides and the period over which they were expressed after neonatal ION transection differed substantially. Staining for both peptides was increased after ION damage on P-0 through P-14, but only galanin staining was increased in vibrissae-related primary afferents after lesions on P-21. Galanin expression was elevated in vibrissae-related primary afferents in rats killed 3,8, and 15 days after neonatal ION transection, while increased NPY was observed at only the middle time point. The lesion-induced increases in galanin and NPY in vibrissae-related ION primary afferents suggest that these peptides may modulate central V reorganization after such damage.
Rural‐Urban Migration and Social Mobility in Third World Metropolises: a Cross‐National Study*

Two implicit models have provided the major frameworks for rural-urban migration research in developing societies: one model, the underprivilege model, predicts that rural migrants enter the bottom...
Phase Detection Algorithm

A method is proposed to determine the amplitude and phase fluctuations of a wave front at any particular point. The only information needed is a single output of a detector whose excitation is the integrated incoming and a reference wavefields.
Haemangiosarcoma following irradiation of a Haemangioma of the face

Summary The malignant complications of irradiating benign conditions are well known and fortunately less frequent than in a previous era of widespread use of superficial roentgen therapy. However, because of the long latent period from exposure to irradiation until the development of the tumour, the clinician must continue to be alert. The behaviour and treatment of a haemangiosarcoma occurring 18 years after irradiation of a haemangioma is described.
Photophysics of tryptophan in bacteriophage T4 lysozymes.

Bacteriophage T4 lysozyme contains three tryptophan residues in distinct environments. Ly- sozymes with one or two of these residues replaced by tyrosine are used to characterize the photophysics of tryptophan in these individual sites. The fluorescence spectra, average lifetimes, and quantum yields of these three single-tryptophan variants are understandable in terms of the neighboring residues. The emission spectra and radiative lifetimes are found to be the same for all three species while the quantum yield and decay kinetics are quite distinct. The variation of the average nonradiative rate constant is correlated with neighboring quenching groups. Quenching by I- correlates with exposure of the tryptophan residue based on the crystal structure. Complex behavior is observed for the time dependence of the fluorescence decay in all three cases, including that of the immobile tryptophan-138 residue. The complexity of the fluorescence decay is ascribed to heterogeneity in the nonradiative rate constant among microstates. Energy transfer between tryptophan residues is inferred to occur from comparison of the quantum yields of the two-tryptophan and single-tryptophan proteins and is discussed in terms of the Forster mechanism.
Synthesis of multiphasic inhomogeneous Mo/MoC nanoparticles by pulsed laser ablation

Inhomogeneous nanoparticles were produced by pulsed laser ablation of a Mo foil in ethanol. The suspensions consisted not only of Mo and MoC nanoparticles but also of nanoparticles where Mo and MoC coexisted within the same aggregate. Formation of these unique nanoparticles is likely due to phase separation that occurs when a high-temperature carbide phase cools after the laser pulse terminates.
Characterization of Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption Based on Absorption and Acoustic Monitoring

Conventional methods for studying matrix-assisted desorption-ionization rely on mass spectroscopy. In this study, a 488-nm argon-ion laser beam is deflected by two acoustooptic deflectors to image plumes desorbed at atmospheric pressure via absorption. All species, including neutral molecules, are monitored. Interesting features, e.g., differences between the initial plume and subsequent plumes desorbed from the same spot, or the formation of two plumes from one laser shot, are observed. Total plume absorbance can be correlated with the acoustic signal generated by the desorption event. A model equation for the plume velocity as a function of time is proposed. Optical probing also enables accurate determination of plume velocities at reduced pressures. These results define the optimal conditions for desorbing analytes from matrices, as opposed to achieving a compromise between efficient desorption and efficient ionization as is practiced in mass spectrometry.
For Better or Worse: A Niche for Notch in Parietal Epithelial Cell Activation

Dysfunction and loss of podocytes (glomerular epithelial cells) are the hallmarks of focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS). In recent years, activation and proliferation of parietal epithelial cells (PECs) have been increasingly appreciated in FSGS. The functional role of PECs in FSGS is still a hotly debated issue. Ueno et al. report that Notch signaling plays a role in orchestrating PEC phenotypic changes in FSGS.
Information costs of reduced-effort habitat monitoring in a butterfly recovery program

Habitat monitoring typically requires a large amount of effort and resources. Project managers are likely to consider cost-cutting options but they may not critically review the information costs of implementing those options. An effort recently began in New York State to monitor critical habitat and restoration progress aimed at recovering the federally endangered Karner blue butterfly (Lycaeides melissa samuelis). Specific strategies were proposed to increase efficiency of fieldwork: (1) estimate larval host plant (wild blue lupine, Lupinus perennis) abundance from cover data, (2) area-based standardization of sample size for nectar sampling, (3) use a minimum cover threshold to trigger nectar species counts, (4) use multiple observers. I quantitatively reviewed these time savers for effects on raw data quality, and for potential effects on interpreting habitat quality as part of recovery criteria. Cover-based models of lupine abundance differed between metapopulation recovery areas, area-based sampling was sufficient to detect over 80% of priority nectar species in most sites, nectar information loss was high due to the minimum cover threshold, and overall results from different observers were similar with one exception. Direct lupine stem counting is recommended over cover estimation, statistical interpolation (rarefaction) and extrapolation (asymptotic estimators) is recommended over area-based nectar sampling, use of minimum cover criteria is strongly discouraged, and field crews need botanical expertise and careful instructions. This example highlights why strategies to save time and money with monitoring fieldwork should be ‘put to the test’.
The QCD phase transition with four flavors of light quarks

Abstract We have performed four-flavor, full QCD simulations on 16 3 × N t lattices with N t = 4 and 6 and with quark masses ma = 0.01, 0.025, 0.0375 and 0.05 where a is the lattice spacing. For N t = 4 a first-order transition is seen for all four mass values and the chiral m →0 limit is easily recognized for the two lightest mass values. For N t = 6 we see a weak first-order transition for ma = 0.01 but find that it has disappeared for ma = 0.025 showing that the transition becomes more easily destabilized by the quark mass as the lattice spacing is reduced.
Resting-state functional connectivity imaging of the mouse brain using photoacoustic tomography

Resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) imaging is an emerging neuroimaging approach that aims to identify spontaneous cerebral hemodynamic fluctuations and their associated functional connections. Clinical studies have demonstrated that RSFC is altered in brain disorders such as stroke, Alzheimer’s, autism, and epilepsy. However, conventional neuroimaging modalities cannot easily be applied to mice, the most widely used model species for human brain disease studies. For instance, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) of mice requires a very high magnetic field to obtain a sufficient signal-to-noise ratio and spatial resolution. Functional connectivity mapping with optical intrinsic signal imaging (fcOIS) is an alternative method. Due to the diffusion of light in tissue, the spatial resolution of fcOIS is limited, and experiments have been performed using an exposed skull preparation. In this study, we show for the first time, the use of photoacoustic computed tomography (PACT) to noninvasively image resting-state functional connectivity in the mouse brain, with a large field of view and a high spatial resolution. Bilateral correlations were observed in eight regions, as well as several subregions. These findings agreed well with the Paxinos mouse brain atlas. This study showed that PACT is a promising, non-invasive modality for small-animal functional brain imaging.
Correlation of e Antigen, DNA Polymerase Activity, and Dane Particles in Chronic Benign and Chronic Active Type B Hepatitis Infections

The e determinant of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBS Ag) was found in 23 of 42 patients with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. Presence of e antigen was associated with increases in DNA polymerase activity and in the number of circulating Dane particles. In the group with detectable e antigen, the average DNA polymerase activity was 367+/-78 counts per minute (cpm; mean+/-standard error [SE]), and the average number of Dane particles counted in electron micrographs was 4.4% of the total HBS Ag. In contrast, e antigen-negative patients had an average DNA polymerase activity of 40+/-6.9 cpm (P less than 0.1) and an average Dane particle count equal to 0.6% of the HBS Ag. The e antigen was detected in 68% of patients who were HBS Ag carriers or had persistent viral hepatitis and 40% of those with chronic active type B hepatitis. Thus, the presence of e antigen correlated with both the chronicity and presence of infectious HBV. However, it did not correlate with the type or severity of liver disease after HBV infection, since e antigen was present in both chronic benign and chronic aggressive hepatitis B infections.
Complications associated with outpatient parenteral antibiotic therapy in children.

Background. The authors sought to determine the prevalence, risk factors, and clinical impact of complications associated with outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy (OPAT) in children. Methods. A cohort of patients ≤18 years old with infections, who received OPAT were evaluated retrospectively. Antibiotic-associated complications (AACs), catheter-associated complications (CACs), and unplanned medical care visits were the main outcome measures. Results. Overall, 36 complications (25 CACs and 11 AACs) occurred in 32 of 98 patients. Mean age of patients, race, gender, and infecting organism did not differ between study groups. The use of OPAT for osteomyelitis was associated with complications (odds ratio = 2.69; 95% confidence interval = 0.99-7.35; P = .05). All patients, except for 4 who had complications, clinically improved by the end of OPAT. Unplanned medical visits occurred in 17 patients, 15 of which were because of CACs. Conclusion. Complications occurred commonly in children receiving OPAT an...
Asymmetric space closure

In a vertically slotted 0.022 X 0.028 inch edgewise system, the use of a two-dimensional ribbon arch--0.022 X 0.016 inch from lateral incisor to lateral incisor and 0.016 X 0.022 inch from the canine to the molars--plus an uprighting spring on the canine maintained incisor position while unilaterally protracting a molar-premolar unit by means of sliding mechanics. Five degrees of labial crown torque was placed in the incisor portion of the wire and the uprighting spring exerted a force of 200 to 250 g. The intra-arch force applied to protract the molar--premolar unit was 300 to 350 g.
Predicting behavior of contaminants in aquifers using apparent relative retardation of surrogates

Two-well recirculating tracer tests can be used not only to determine porosity and dispersivity of aquifers, but also to compare the in situ behavior of different solutes in aquifers, thus avoiding problems of transferring laboratory-scale results to the field scale. At special field sites for the testing and calibration of tracers under carefully controlled conditions, the behavior of certain hazardous target contaminants can be compared to that of harmless surrogate tracers, which in turn, can be injected into other aquifers with minimal environmental risk and analyzed to determine how the hazardous substances would behave during normal groundwater transit and during remediation. The area under the recirculating-test breakthrough curve of each solute is computed and divided by the product of concentration and duration of its original spike to obtain the cumulative relative mass time (CRMT) of each substance for any time span after sampling begins. The apparent relative retardation (ARR{sub d}) factor is obtained as: ARR{sub d} = [CRMT(target)]/[CRMT(surrogate)]. Results of field trials in a fissured carbonate aquifer, using a tritium target and a bromide surrogate, showed how ARR{sub d} varied mostly with pore size. This technique can be used with other binary or higher-order combinations of substances. 3 refs., 6more » figs.« less
Comparing mark-and sweep and stop-and-copy garbage collection

Stop-and-copy garbage collection has been preferred to mark-and-sweep collection in the last decade because its collection time is proportional to the size of reachable data and not to the memory size. This paper compares the CPU overhead and the memory requirements of the two collection algorithms extended with generations, and finds that mark-and-sweep collection requires at most a small amount of additional CPU overhead (3-6%) but, requires an average of 20% (and up to 40%) less memory to achieve the same page fault rate. The comparison is based on results obtained using trace-driven simulation with large Common Lisp programs.
Partisan Foreign Policy: Britain in the Suez Crisis*

Often as foreign policy may be the subject of partisan discussion in modern democracies, important international commitments are usually made only with support, or the expectation of support, from the great bulk of the political community. This has surely been the ordinary American and British pattern, labeled bi-partisan, non-partisan, or extra-partisan. We assume that political support extending well beyond the ranks of the party in office is essential for a successful foreign policy, and especially for a substantial military venture. Even the American decision to defend South Korea, while it was necessarily made by the Democratic administration before any apparent political consensus and while it eventually involved the United States in an unpopular war, was never in itself a partisan policy which Republicans as a group refused to support. The one outstanding recent instance of a truly partisan foreign policy is Britain's Suez action of 1956. As the significant deviant case, it provides useful insights into the process by which an alternative to the usual bi-partisan arrangement is developed and conducted. Specific questions concern the making of the Suez intervention decision, the nature of parliamentary support for this decision, the role of party loyalty in maintaining such support, and the significance of partisan opposition.
Structure of Turbulence Within a Sheared Wake of a Rotor Blade

Stereoscopic PIV measurements examine the flow structure and turbulence within a rotor near wake located within a non-uniform field generated by a row of Inlet Guide Vanes (IGVs). The experiments are performed in a refractive index matched facility that provides unobstructed view of the entire flow field. The data are acquired at 10 closely spaced radial planes located near mid-span, enabling measurements of all the components of the phase averaged velocity and strain rate, as well as the Reynolds stress and the triple correlation tensors. The rotor wake is sheared and bent towards the pressure (inner) side by a non-uniform flow field generated by IGV wake segments that propagate along the suction and pressure sides of the rotor passage with different speeds. The axial velocity fluctuations increase along the suction/outer side of the wake, while the other components decay. On the pressure/inner part of the bent wake the circumferential velocity fluctuations are higher. The Reynolds shear stress has a complex distribution, but is higher on the suction side. The turbulent kinetic energy is also consistently higher on the outer (suction) side of the wake. This trend is fundamentally different from those observed in prior studies of curved wakes where turbulence is enhanced on the inner side of the wake due to the destabilizing effect of curvature. To explain the difference, we examine the contributors to turbulent kinetic energy production rate in a curvilinear coordinate system aligned with the wake-centerline. The contribution of streamwise curvature to the production rate of turbulent kinetic energy, although consistent with expected trends, is overwhelmed by effects of wake shearing. The primary contributor to turbulent kinetic energy production rate is the product of Reynolds shear stress with cross-stream gradients of streamwise (in a frame of reference relative to the rotor blade) velocity in the wake. The location of peak in turbulent kinetic energy is almost aligned with that of production rate. The turbulence diffusion term opposes the production rate peaks, but also has high values along the edge of the wake.Copyright © 2006 by ASME
Kinetic studies of detergency. III. Dependence of the duprȳ mechanism on surface tension

The kinetics of the removal of thin films of pure radioactive tristearin from a stainless steel surface by detergent solutions in a circulation cleaning system were used to study the effect of the surface tension of the detergent solution on the Dupre mechanism and the flow mechanism.
Mixed integer program to schedule loads and charge batteries on space station

Abstract A mixed integer programming model is formulated for allocating electric power to schedule experiments and charge batteries on the NASA space station. During the sunlight portion of an orbit, electric power is generated by photovoltaic arrays. During the eclipse portion electrical energy stored in the battery is delivered to the experiments. An orbit is divided into discrete time periods. Zero/one variables determine which experiments are started in which time periods. Continuous variables determine how much average power is delivered per period by the photovoltaic array to charge the battery. The model is developed using the GAMS programming language. An example problem is solved using a mixed integer programming module linked to GAMS.
Bovine pericardium buttress limits recanalization of the uncut Roux-en-Y in a porcine model.

In contrast to the traditional Roux-en-Y reconstruction, an uncut Roux-en-Y provides biliopancreatic diversion and may preserve myoelectric continuity. Previous iterations of the uncut Roux have been plagued by recanalization of the uncut staple line in the afferent small bowel. Our aim was to determine if bovine pericardium buttress prevents recanalization of the stapled smallbowel partition in a porcine model. Sixteen female pigs (-30 kg) underwent a side-to-side stapled jejunojejunostomy, 20 cm distal to the ligament of Treitz, with placement of a nondivided stapled partition with a single row of 2.5 mm width staples in the intervening jejunal loop. Nine animals in the experimental group had a bovine pericardium buttressed staple line (5 permanent, 4 absorbable), whereas seven animals in the control group had a nonbuttressed staple line. At 6 or 12 weeks, necropsy was performed and the primary outcome, staple line recanalization, was assessed grossly and histologically. Statistical analysis was performed by means of the chi-square test. There were no major complications and all animals gained weight. Overall, eight of nine bovine pericardium buttressed staple lines were grossly and histologically intact at necropsy, whereas all nonbuttressed uncut staple lines had recanalized completely (P < 0.05). At 6 weeks, both permanent (N = 4) and absorbable (N = 3) buttress preparations prevented recanalization. At 12 weeks the permanent buttress remained closed (N = 1), but the absorbable buttress had allowed partial recanalization (N _ 1). The use of bovine pericardium buttress will prevent small bowel recanalization of uncut small bowel staple lines at early follow-up. Pilot data at intermediate follow-up suggest permanent buttress is more durable than absorbable buttress. These results warrant investigation of bovine pericardium for intestinal applications in humans.
Why not chock-full employment?

Needlessly high levels of unemployment are a contributing factor to a wide range of social ills, which would be substantially alleviated by driving unemployment to a low level of about 1.5 percent. This will require substantial increases in government deficits and debt. Recent trends in the ratio of private profit-seeking invested capital to GDP have been steady or slightly downward, while the ratio to GDP of desired private asset holdings has been growing, leaving a gap that must be filled by a growing government debt if GDP is to grow rapidly to a full employment level. The corresponding deficits are the means whereby the flow of income payments is enhanced, market demand increased, full employment is achieved and a corresponding expansion of private investment induced, leaving future generations to enjoy an enhanced heritage of capital in place and a more experienced work force. Meeting debt service payments from a prosperous economy will be less onerous than meeting current debt service requirements from an economy in the doldrums. If inflation becomes a problem, it must be taken care of by methods that do not involve unemployment, such as the use of marketable gross markup warrants.
1H and 13C NMR of PMMA macromonomers and oligomers - end groups and tacticity

1H NMR and 13C NMR have been used to study the end groups and tacticity in PMMA macromonomers and oligomers. These macromonomers are terminated almost exclusively in one vinylidene group per chain. The end group signals from the macromonomers are identified in both the 13C and 1H NMR spectra. The spectra of the purified oligomers (n = 1-4) were used to aid in assignment. The macromonomers are predominantly syndiotactic, and the tacticity measured is consistent with Bernoullian statistics. The tetramer is a mixture of r and m isomers in a 4:1 ratio. It is shown that T1 experiments can provide a useful method of distinguishing resonances due to low molecular weight impurities from those due to stereochemical or isomeric effects in macromonomers. The absence of internal double bonds was confirmed by isomerizing the vinylidene group of several oligomers and of the macromonomer, and verifying the absence of the isomerized signals in the NMR spectra of the original materials.
Enzymatic Synthesis of Glycopeptides and Glycoproteins

Glycosylation is recognized as important in biology, though the discovery of previously unknown functions associated with carbohydrates is ongoing. As the most complex and diverse post-translational modification, determining the structure-function relationships for glycosylation remains difficult due to the heterogeneous expression of glycoproteins as mixtures of glycoforms. Thus the synthesis of glycoproteins and glycopeptides with defined glycan structures is essential for detailed determination of the role of glycosylation. This review describes the use of enzymes for the synthesis of glycopeptides and glycoproteins, including their use as catalysts for glycosidic linkage formation and elaboration, peptide bond formation, and modification.
Weighted state space methods/ESPRIT and spatial smoothing

The effect of spatial smoothing on direction of arrival (DOA) estimates obtained using weighted eigen-based state space methods/ESPRIT is analyzed. Expressions for the asymptotic mean-squared error in the estimates of the signal zeros and the DOA estimates, along with some general properties of the estimates are derived. It is shown that proper choice of the subarray length can improve the performance of the method significantly. Based on the asymptotic expressions, an optimum weighting matrix minimizing the mean-squared error in one of the DOA is derived. >
The internationalization of T/sub E/X with special reference to Arabic

The importance of generating readable screen display in languages other than English and the use of T/sub E/X for that purpose are discussed. The features added to T/sub E/X, which in its first two forms was unmistakably an English language system, are described. The particular features of Arabic script and the requirement imposed by its graphic characters are examined. >
Impact of detector design on imaging performance of a long axial field-of-view, whole-body PET scanner

Current generation of commercial time-of-flight (TOF) PET scanners utilize 20–25 mm thick LSO or LYSO crystals and have an axial FOV (AFOV) in the range of 16–22 mm. Longer AFOV scanners would provide increased intrinsic sensitivity and require fewer bed positions for whole-body imaging. Recent simulation work has investigated the sensitivity gains that can be achieved with these long AFOV scanners, and has motivated new areas of investigation such as imaging with a very low dose of injected activity as well as providing whole-body dynamic imaging capability in one bed position. In this simulation work we model a 72 cm long scanner and prioritize the detector design choices in terms of timing resolution, crystal size (spatial resolution), crystal thickness (detector sensitivity), and depth-of-interaction (DOI) measurement capability. The generated list data are reconstructed with a list-mode OSEM algorithm using a Gaussian TOF kernel that depends on the timing resolution and blob basis functions for regularization. We use lesion phantoms and clinically relevant metrics for lesion detectability and contrast measurement. The scan time was fixed at 10 min for imaging a 100 cm long object assuming a 50% overlap between adjacent bed positions. Results show that a 72 cm long scanner can provide a factor of ten reduction in injected activity compared to an identical 18 cm long scanner to get equivalent lesion detectability. While improved timing resolution leads to further gains, using 3 mm (as opposed to 4 mm) wide crystals does not show any significant benefits for lesion detectability. A detector providing 2-level DOI information with equal crystal thickness also does not show significant gains. Finally, a 15 mm thick crystal leads to lower lesion detectability than a 20 mm thick crystal when keeping all other detector parameters (crystal width, timing resolution, and DOI capability) the same. However, improved timing performance with 15 mm thick crystals can provide similar or better performance than that achieved by a detector using 20 mm thick crystals.
Interbasin Pennsylvanian Correlations, Illinois and Iowa

A joint field conference by representatives of the Illinois and Iowa geological surveys has examined a 350-foot Pennsylvanian section in adjacent parts of these states extending from the so-called Seahorne sandstone of Illinois (middle Cherokee) to the Trivoli-Hertha limestone (lower Missouri) and agrees upon the correlation of most of the important intermediate strata. Additional field studies by others now make possible the precise correlation of an important part of the Pennsylvanian system from Illinois to Kansas. New names are proposed for two cyclothems recognized in Illinois and Iowa.
Ability of governments to take actions to confront incursions of diseases – a case study: citrus canker in Florida

When governments take actions under their police powers to prevent incursions of diseases, they may damage or destroy private property and a question arises of who should pay for property losses. A court in Florida concluded that the state needed to pay for property destroyed under a citrus canker eradication programme. Because this interpretation of the Florida Constitution’s Just Compensation Clause makes it more difficult to administer a successful eradication programme, governments and scientists, working with industry, may want to develop a more comprehensive accounting of scientific data and procedures that justify an eradication programme’s actions. This paper identifies three problems regarding Florida’s efforts to eradicate citrus canker so that scientists, affected industries, and governments can employ an objective reassessment mechanism to support their actions without legal interference.
Ant Colony Optimization directed program abstraction for software bounded model checking

The increasing complexity and size of software designs has made scalability a major bottleneck in software verification. Program abstraction has shown potential in alleviating this problem through selective search space reduction. In this paper, we propose an Ant Colony Optimization (ACO)-directed program structure construction to formulate a novel under-approximation based program abstraction (UAPA). By taking advantage of the resulting abstraction, a new software bounded model checking framework is built with the aim of improving the performance of property checking, especially for property falsification. Experimental results on various programs showed that the proposed ACO-directed program abstraction can dramatically improve the performance of software bounded model checking with significant speedups.
Constructing parallels: Brazilian expertise and the commodification of land, labour and money in Mozambique

AbstractAs part of a larger push for so-called South–South development, Brazil is supporting projects in a growing number of countries across Latin America and sub-Saharan Africa. In this paper, we investigate the agricultural project ProSAVANA in Mozambique. We draw on research conducted in Brazil and Mozambique and argue that the attempt to replicate Brazil's successes in agro-industrial commodity production discounts the importance of nationally specific relationships between the state, land, labour and capital.
Detectable Inhibition of Heparin-Binding Growth Factor Activity in Sera From Patients Treated With Pentosan Polysulfate

BACKGROUND Previous studies indicate that the heparinoid pentosan polysulfate (PPS) can inhibit heparin-binding growth factors (HBGFs) released from tumor cells and thus block tumor growth in animal models. However, because of its heparin-like activity, the major toxic effect expected for PPS is its inhibition of coagulation. PURPOSE Our purpose was to determine if anti-HBGF activity could be achieved in patients without causing complications from anticoagulation. METHODS We initiated a phase I trial in cancer patients and developed a cell proliferation assay to detect PPS in human serum based on its antigrowth factor activity. Blood samples from six healthy volunteers were collected in tubes containing different concentrations of PPS (FIBREZYM; concentration range, 0-10 micrograms/mL). Additional samples were obtained from four patients in the phase I trial before and after subcutaneous treatment with 15 mg/m2 of PPS. The activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT), which is associated with coagulation, was measured in all blood samples. Serum prepared from the blood samples was heat inactivated and then incubated for 4-5 days with proliferating SW-13 cells, allowing determination of antigrowth factor activity. RESULTS PPS added to blood samples increased aPTT only at concentrations above 1 microgram/mL, whereas HBGF-dependent proliferation was inhibited at less than 0.1 microgram/mL. Sera obtained from patients up to 4 hours after PPS treatment specifically inhibited HBGF-dependent cell proliferation by more than 65% even at a 1:10 dilution. At the same time, the aPTT was not altered in these patients, indicating no significant effect on coagulation by this dose of the heparinoid. CONCLUSIONS HBGF-inhibitory concentrations of PPS can be achieved in patients' sera without significant effects on coagulation. IMPLICATION The assay presented here could be useful to determine doses and scheduling of treatment in studies evaluating PPS as an antitumor agent.
Interaction of Maturity and Curing Temperature on Descriptive Flavor of Peanuts

Windrow dried peanuts were separated into five, pod-mescarp color-based maturity classes and mechanically cured with three temperature regimes. Temperature treatments used in the commercial drying operation were ambient air (maximum 35°C), ambient + 8.4°C increase, and ambient +16.8°C increase. A panel trained in peanut flavor descriptive analysis evaluated peanuts of similar size and roast color from each maturity stage. Intensity ratings of descriptors roasted peanutty and sweet aromatic were lowest and ratings for fruity fermented, painty, sour, and bitter were highest for immature peanuts cured at the higher temperatures.
Shepherding the crowd: managing and providing feedback to crowd workers

Micro-task platforms provide a marketplace for hiring people to do short-term work for small payments. Requesters often struggle to obtain high-quality results, especially on content-creation tasks, because work cannot be easily verified and workers can move to other tasks without consequence. Such platforms provide little opportunity for workers to reflect and improve their task performance. Timely and task-specific feedback can help crowd workers learn, persist, and produce better results. We analyze the design space for crowd feedback and introduce Shepherd, a prototype system for visualizing crowd work, providing feedback, and promoting workers into shepherding roles. This paper describes our current progress and our plans for system development and evaluation.
Measuring fluxes of trace gases and energy between ecosystems and the atmosphere - the state and future of the eddy covariance method.

The application of the eddy covariance flux method to measure fluxes of trace gas and energy between ecosystems and the atmosphere has exploded over the past 25 years. This opinion paper provides a perspective on the contributions and future opportunities of the eddy covariance method. First, the paper discusses the pros and cons of this method relative to other methods used to measure the exchange of trace gases between ecosystems and the atmosphere. Second, it discusses how the use of eddy covariance method has grown and evolved. Today, more than 400 flux measurement sites are operating world-wide and the duration of the time series exceed a decade at dozens of sites. Networks of tower sites now enable scientists to ask scientific questions related to climatic and ecological gradients, disturbance, changes in land use, and management. The paper ends with discussions on where the field of flux measurement is heading. Topics discussed include role of open access data sharing and data mining, in this new era of big data, and opportunities new sensors that measure a variety of trace gases, like volatile organic carbon compounds, methane and nitrous oxide, and aerosols, may yield.
Experiments in robotic sensorimotor control during grasp

A series of experiments is presented, using a robot manipulator, which attempts to reproduce human sensorimotor control during grasping. The work utilizes a multifingered, dextrous robot hand equipped with a fingertip force sensor to explore dynamic grasp force adjustment during manipulation. The work is primarily concerned with the relationship between the weight of an object and the grasp force required to lift it. Too weak a grasp is unstable and the object will slip from the hand. Too strong a grasp may damage the object and/or the manipulator. An algorithm is presented which reproduces observed human behavior during grasp-and-lift tasks. The algorithm uses tactile information from the sensor to dynamically adjust the grasp force during lift. It is assumed that there is no a priori knowledge about the object to be manipulated. The effects of different arm/hand postures and object surfaces is explored. Finally, the use of sensory data to detect unexpected object motion and to signal transitions between manipulation phases-with the coincident triggering of new motor programs-is investigated. >