cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Binding of O-Alkyl Derivatives of Serotonin at Human 5-HT1Dβ Receptors

In humans, 5-HT1D serotonin receptors represent terminal autoreceptors, and there is some evidence that 5-HT1D ligands may be useful in the treatment of migraine. The most widely used 5-HT1D agonist is sumatriptan; however, this agent reportedly displays little selectivity for 5-HT1D versus 5-HT1A receptors. To identify novel serotonergic agents with enhanced 5-HT1D versus 5-HT1A selectivity, we attempted to take advantage of possible differences in the regions of bulk tolerance associated with the 5-position of the 5-HT binding sites for these two populations of receptors. Examination of a series of 5-(alkyloxy)tryptamine derivatives demonstrated that compounds with unbranched alkyl groups of up to eight carbon atoms bind with high affinity at human 5-HT1Dβ receptors (Ki < 5 nM) but demonstrate less than 50-fold selectivity relative to 5-HT1A receptors. Alkyl groups longer than eight carbon atoms impart reduced affinity for 5-HT1A receptors whereas groups longer than nine carbon atoms lead to compounds w...
Identification of cor triatriatum dexter by two-dimensional echocardiography

Abstract Cor triatriatum dexter is an uncommon congenital heart defect that may cause cyanosis in infancy and mimic more complicated forms of congenital heart disease. This lesion occurs when the eustachian valve, or right venous valve of the inferior vena cava, is unusually large and causes obstruction to right ventricular filling. The eustachian valve is frequently seen by 2-dimensional (2-D) echocardiography and is a normal finding if the valve is small.1 This report describes the echocardiographic identification of an obstructive eustachian valve causing cyanosis.
Rapid sea-level rise

Abstract Several global and regional factors contribute to observed sea-level change along any particular coast. Global processes include changes in ocean mass (glacio-eustasy from ice melt), ocean volume (steric effects), viscoelastic land movements (glacioisostatic adjustment GIA), and changes in terrestrial water storage. Regional processes, often connected to steric and glacial changes, include changes in ocean circulation (Meridional Overturning Circulation [MOC]), glacial melting, local GIA, regional subsidence and others. Paleoclimate, instrumental and modeling studies show that combinations of these factors can cause relatively rapid rates of sea-level rise exceeding 3 mm yr −1 over various timescales along particular coasts. This paper discusses patterns and causes of sea-level rise with emphasis on paleoclimatological records. It then addresses the hypothesis of late Holocene (pre-20th century) sea-level stability in light of paleoclimatic evidence, notably from reconstructions of sea-surface temperature and glacial activity, for significant climate and sea-level variability during this time. The practical difficulties of assessing regional sea-level (SL) patterns at submillennial timescales will be discussed using an example from the eastern United States.
The separate effects of H+ and 2,3-DPG on the oxygen equilibrium curve of human blood.

Summary. Addition of non-saturating amounts of 2,3-DPG (2,3-diphosphoglycerate) within the red cell (2,3-DPG/haemoglobin less than I) intially reduces Hill's parameter, n. With increasing 2,3-DPG/haemoglobin, n increases until a maximum is reached at 2,3-DPG/haemoglobin greater than I. Thus, 2,3-DPG influences the shape as well as the position of the whole blood oxygen equilibrium curve (OEC). The importance of this effect on the oxygen carrying capacity of the blood is considered. The effect of 2,3-DPG on the position of the OEC (p50, the pO2 at one-half maximal O2 saturation) is via its allosteric effect on haemoglobin at 2,3-DPG/Haemoglobin less than I. Above that ratio, its effect is to reduce intracellular relative to the extracellular pH.
Accelerated atmospheric corrosion testing of electroplated gold mirror coatings

Gold-coated mirrors are widely used in infrared optics for industrial, space, and military applications. These mirrors are often made of aluminum or beryllium substrates with polished nickel plating. Gold is deposited on the nickel layer by either electroplating or vacuum deposition processes. Atmospheric corrosion of gold-coated electrical connectors and contacts was a well-known problem in the electronic industry and studied extensively. However, there is limited literature data that correlates atmospheric corrosion to the optical properties of gold mirror coatings. In this paper, the atmospheric corrosion of different electroplated gold mirror coatings were investigated with an accelerated mixed flowing gas (MFG) test for up to 50 days. The MFG test utilizes a combination of low-level air pollutants, humidity, and temperatures to achieve a simulated indoor environment. Depending on the gold coating thickness, pore corrosion started to appear on samples after about 10 days of the MFG exposure. The corrosion behavior of the gold mirror coatings demonstrated the porous nature of the electroplated gold coatings as well as the variation of porosity to the coating thickness. The changes of optical properties of the gold mirrors were correlated to the morphology of corrosion features on the mirror surface.
On-line identification design for a flexible beam laboratory adaptive control experiment

Experience with system identification design for a flexible beam laboratory experiment adaptive controller is discussed. Among the limitations faced were the presence of unmodelled high frequency modes and the use of an accelero-meter as the primary motion sensor. These limitations motivated the development of a novel robust identification approach which is applicable to a large class of flexible structures.
Progress on high-efficiency photocathodes for soft x-ray, EUV, and FUV photon detection

We report on progress in the development of high quantum detection efficiency photocathodes for microchannel plate based photon detectors to increase soft X-ray, EUV and FUV response. Initial investigations of NaBr, KI and CsBr opaque photocathodes are discussed. All show QDE's of approximately 40% in the 300 - 1000 angstroms regime, and QDE > 60% at approximately 100 angstroms. KI also shows high QDE, approximately 60%, for soft X-rays (approximately 11 angstroms). Photoelectron energy and number distributions are also presented. Lifetest measurements on KBr and CsBr photocathodes show good long term stability for storage in dry nitrogen. A co-evaporated photocathode is also evaluated.© (1993) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Synthesis and analysis of a fluorinated product analogue as an inhibitor for 1-deoxy-D-xylulose 5-phosphate reductoisomerase.

Abstract 1-Deoxy- d -xylulose 5-phosphate (DXP) reductoisomerase (DXR) is an NADPH-dependent enzyme catalyzing the rearrangement and reduction of DXP to methyl- d -erythritol 4-phosphate (MEP). Two mechanisms for this enzymatic reaction have been proposed, involving either an α-ketol rearrangement or a retroaldol/aldol rearrangement. In this study, a fluorinated product analogue, FCH 2 -MEP, was synthesized as a possible mechanism-based inactivator for DXR if the retroaldol/aldol mechanism is operative. FCH 2 -MEP was found to be a weak competitive inhibitor, and thus was unable to discriminate between the mechanisms. This result is due to the inability of the targeted enzyme, DXR, to oxidize FCH 2 -MEP to the aldehyde intermediate that is common to both mechanisms. While FCH 2 -MEP failed to act as a mechanism-based inactivator, the insight gained from this study will assist in the future design of inhibitors of DXR.
Role of CA3 and CA1 subregions of the dorsal hippocampus on temporal processing of objects

Previous research in the dorsal CA1 and dorsal CA3 subregions of the hippocampus has been shown to play an important role in mediating temporal order memory for spatial location information. What is not known is whether the dorsal CA3 and dorsal CA1 subregions of the hippocampus are also involved in temporal order for visual object information. Rats with dorsal CA1, dorsal CA3 or control lesions were tested in a temporal order task for visual objects using an exploratory paradigm. The results indicated that the controls and the dorsal CA3 lesioned rats preferred the first rather then the last object they had explored previously, indicating good memory for temporal order of object presentation. In contrast, rats with dorsal CA1 lesions displayed a profound deficit in remembering the order of the visual object presentations in that they preferred the last object rather than the first. All three groups of rats preferred a novel object compared to a previously explored object suggesting normal detection of visual object novelty. The results suggest that only the dorsal CA1, but not dorsal CA3, region is critical for processing temporal information for visual objects without affecting the detection of new visual objects.
Cytoplasmic DNA-binding phosphoproteins of Physarum polycephalum.

Abstract The cytoplasmic DNA-binding proteins of Physarum polycephalum were recovered by chromatography of cytosol extracts on sequential columns of native and denatured calf thymus DNA-cellulose. 5.4% of the total cytosol protein was bound to native DNA-cellulose, while 4.4% was bound to denatured DNA-cellulose. Stepwise salt gradient elution of the columns separated the DNA-binding proteins into 9 fractions which were analysed by acrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate. Several hundred discrete polypeptide bands were identified, with many more high molecular weight polypeptides (greater than 100 000 D) binding to native than to denatured DNA. Continuous in vivo labelling of microplasmodia in KH 2 [ 32 P]O 4 and [ 3 H]leucine was used to determine which of the DNA-binding proteins were phosphorylated, and to approximate their phosphorus content. About 30–40 phosphoproteins were resolved among the DNA-binding proteins. Most phosphoproteins contained less than 3 phosphates per polypeptide, but a small number of low molecular weight phosphoproteins (less than 50 000 D) contained from 5 to 10 phosphates per polypeptide. The majority of high molecular weight DNA-binding phosphoproteins bound to native DNA and were eluted with 0.25 M NaCl. As a group, the DNA-binding proteins were enriched in protein-bound phosphorus when compared with the cytosol proteins which did not bind to DNA. The phosphorus content of the cytoplasmic DNA-binding proteins was similar to that of the acidic nuclear proteins.
Orientation dependence of fracture in copper bicrystals with symmetric tilt boundaries

Abstract Experimental results (Wang and Anderson (1991), Acta Metall. 39, 779–792) show that the fracture behavior of Σ9 copper bicrystals depends on the cracking direction. Near-interface transgranular fracture surfaces were observed in the case of the crack growing in the [ 1 14] direction, with an essentially ductile failure mode, while the case of the crack growing in the [1 14 ] direction showed far less toughness and had an intergranular fracture surface with cleavage tongues. Asymptotic and finite element models for stationary cracks in ideally plastic and strain hardening materials have been used to examine this cracking direction dependency from a small strain continuum mechanics point of view. The tensile stress ahead of the crack tip was found to be essentially identical for the two growth directions, with the brittle orientation resulting in only slightly higher stress values at small distances from the crack tip. However, the strain field was found to be different for the two orientations, with the overall plastic zone size being much larger in the ductile case. Also, the orientations of the zones of concentrated shearing ahead of the crack, observed in the ideally plastic model, suggest two different dislocation shearing mechanisms. In the ductile case, this zone is parallel to the slip plane, resulting in a regular shearing mechanism in which dislocations can be nucleated at the crack tip and glide on the (111) slip plane. In contrast, this zone is perpendicular to the (111) slip plane in the brittle case, resulting in a kinking shear mode in which dislocations from other external sources expand in a dipole mode to produce macroscopically concentrated shearing. Thus, apart from the dislocation nucleation considerations, continuum mechanics does not seem to be able to fully explain this difference in directional dependency of fracture in the Σ9 copper bicrystals.
Training Primary Care Clinicians in Maintenance Care for Moderated Alcohol Use

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether training primary care clinicians in maintenance care for patients who have changed their drinking influences practice behavior.
Pulmonary Vein Isolation with a Multi-Electrode Ablation Catheter Using Duly-Cycled Bipolar and Unipolar Radiofrequency Energy

Background: Traditional catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation (AF) requires long procedure times and high level of operator skill. A multielectrode catheter (PVAC, Ablation Frontier) combining circular mapping and duly cycled bipolar and unipolar radiofrequency energy delivery has been developed to map and isolate the pulmonary veins. Aim: To evaluate the efficacy of PVAC for pulmonary vein isolation in paroxysmal AF ablation. Methods: 50 consecutive patients with paroxysmal AF who had failed at least 1 anti-arrhythmic drug and eligible for catheter ablation were included in the study. All 4 pulmonary veins were isolated and confirmed absence of pulmonary vein potentials with PVAC. At 6 and 12 months 48 hours holter monitoring was performed to determine freedom from AF. Results: All patients had structurally normal hearts with mean duration of AF of 4.75±4.52 years. The mean procedure time was 115.88±33.80 minutes. Mean fluoroscopy time was 38.83±13.24 minutes. Mean number of RF applications were 27.79±13.80 minutes. The mean follow up duration was 19.22±6.67 months. 34 patients completed 12 months follow up and 21 (61.8%) were in sinus rhythm without drugs. No procedure related complication was observed. Conclusions: Pulmonary vein isolation using the PVAC has a success rate of about 61.8% at 1 year.
59 EFFECT OF STORAGE DURATION ON POST-THAW PARAMETERS OF BULL SEMEN

It has been proposed that once good-quality sperm are collected, extended, and cryopreserved that the post-thaw quality will remain high regardless of the duration of storage. A previous study has suggested that there is no effect on post-thaw sperm motility of bovine semen stored in liquid nitrogen up to 13 years. However, no studies have reported the effect of extended storage of bovine semen in LN2. In this study, cryopreserved semen from Angus bulls (n = 25) was utilized. Time frames were assigned to each bull based on the year of collection and cryopreservation: time frame 1 (1960–1975), time frame 2 (1976–1991), and time frame 3 (1992–2006). Due to differences in packaging methods across time periods (glass ampules and plastic straws), thawing methods utilized were different and based on the packaging type. Semen packaged in glass ampules (n = 7) were thawed in a 37°C water bath for 80 s, while those in plastic straws (n = 18) were thawed in a 37°C water bath for 30 s. Once thawed all packages were wiped dry and either scribed (glass ampule) or the end cut (plastic straw) and the semen expelled into a 1.5-mL microcentrifuge tube and maintained at 37°C for evaluation. For sperm motility, a 20-µL sample was placed onto a prewarmed microscope slide for analysis. Sperm motility parameters (total motility and progressive motility) were evaluated by 2 experienced technicians and averaged. A hemocytometer was used to determine sperm concentration in a final dilution of 1 : 100. An eosin/nigrosin stain was used to determine sperm morphology. Parameters were analyzed using one-way ANOVA. There was no difference in sperm concentration between time frames 1 and 2 (53 × 106 mL–1 and 59 × 106 mL–1, respectively) or time frames 1 and 3 (53 × 106 mL–1 and 37 × 106 mL–1, respectively). However, time frame 2 exhibited a higher (P < 0.05) sperm concentration compared with time frame 3 (59 × 106 mL–1 v. 37 × 106 mL–1, respectively). There were no differences among time frames 1, 2, or 3 for total (42, 51, and 55%, respectively) and progressive sperm motility (29, 38, and 41%, respectively). Similarly, there were no differences among time frames 1, 2, and 3 for percent normal sperm (80 ± 3.6, 76 ± 5.0, and 71 ± 4.0%, respectively) and abnormal sperm (19 ± 3.6, 23 ± 5.0, and 28 ± 4.0%, respectively). Furthermore, time frames 1, 2, and 3 did not exhibit a difference in primary (9 ± 2.5, 7 ± 2.6, and 6 ± 1.0%, respectively), secondary (2 ± 0.8, 5 ± 1.4, 6 ± 2.0%, respectively), or tertiary abnormalities (7 ± 2.4, 10 ± 2.7, and 16 ± 2.7%, respectively). These data suggest that once good-quality bovine sperm is cryopreserved, the duration of storage (up to 43 years) has no effect on Angus bull post-thaw semen parameters.
Effectiveness of cardenolides as feeding deterrents toPeromyscus mice.

I compared the feeding responses of five species ofPeromyscus mice (aztecus, polionotus, melanotis, leucopus, andmaniculatus) to three bitter-tasting cardenolides (ouabain, digoxin, and digitoxin) that differ greatly in lipophilic character.Peromyscus, like other muroid rodents, are unusual in that they can ingest relatively large amounts of cardenolides without adverse physiologic effects. In experiment 1, I determined avoidance thresholds for the three cardenolides with 48 hr, two-choice tests. Mice exhibited large interspecific differences in avoidance threshold, and the interspecific ranking of the thresholds (maniculatus=leucopus >melanotis >polionotus >aztecus) was the same for each of the cardenolides. In experiment 2, I reevaluated the avoidance thresholds, but this time monitored the pattern of intake (i.e., bout lengths) during initial feeding encounters with cardenolidelaced diets. For each cardenolide, mice were subjected to three tests. In test 1, they received a control diet; in test 2, a diet containing the cardenolide at a concentration 1 log, unit below the avoidance threshold (as determined in experiment 1); and in test 3, a diet containing the cardenolide at the avoidance threshold concentration. Results were similar across all species and cardenolide types: Bout lengths in tests 1 and 2 were statistically equal, whereas those in test 3 were significantly shorter than those in test 1. The rapid rejection of cardenolide-laced diets in test 3 is consistent with a preingestive (i.e., gustatory) mechanism underlying the avoidance thresholds. I conclude (1) thatPeromyscus species differ substantially in taste sensitivity to cardenolides and that these differences may influence each species' respective ability to eat cardenolide-laced insects; and (2) that a species' relative taste sensitivity to one cardenolide predicts its sensitivity to other cardenolides.
Defective urinary carnitine transport in heterozygotes for primary carnitine deficiency

Purpose: Primary carnitine deficiency is an autosomal recessive disorder caused by defective carnitine transport and manifests as nonketotic hypoglycemia or skeletal or heart myopathy. Methods: To define the mechanisms producing partially reduced plasma carnitine levels in the parents of affected patients, we examined carnitine transport in vivo and in the fibroblasts of a new patient and his heterozygous parents. Results: Kinetic analysis of carnitine transport in fibroblasts revealed an absence of saturable carnitine transport in the proband's cells and a partially impaired carnitine transport in fibroblasts from both parents, whose cells retained normal Km values toward carnitine (6–9 μM) but reduced Vmax. At steady state, normal fibroblasts accumulated carnitine to a concentration that was up to 80 times the extracellular value (0.5 μM). By contrast, cells from the proband had minimal carnitine accumulation, and cells from both parents had intermediate values of carnitine accumulation. Plasma carnitine levels were slightly below normal in both heterozygous, yet clinically normal, parents and in the paternal grandfather and the maternal grandmother. To define the mechanism producing partially decreased carnitine levels, we studied urinary carnitine losses in heterozygous parents compared with controls. Urinary losses increased linearly (P < 0.05) with plasma carnitine levels in normal controls. When urinary carnitine losses were normalized to plasma carnitine levels, a significant difference was observed between controls and heterozygous individuals (P < 0.01). Conclusions: These results indicate that fibroblasts from heterozygotes for primary carnitine deficiency have a decreased capacity to accumulate carnitine and that heterozygotes have increased urinary losses, which may contribute to their reduced plasma carnitine levels.
Scale-based method for correcting background intensity variation in acquired images

An automatic, acquisition-protocol-independent, entirely image-based strategy for correcting background intensity variation in medical images has been developed. Local scale - a fundamental image property that is derivable entirely from the image and that does not require any prior knowledge about the imaging protocol or object material property distributions - is used to obtain a set of homogeneous regions, no matter what each region is, and to fit a 2nd degree polynomial to the intensity variation within them. This polynomial is used to correct the intensity variation. The above procedure is repeated for the corrected image until the size of segmented homogeneous regions does not change significantly from that in the previous iteration. Intensity scale standardization is effected to make sure that the corrected images are not biased by the fitting strategy. The method has been tested on 1000 3D mathematical phantoms, which include 5 levels each of blurring and noise and 4 types of background variation - additive and multiplicative Gaussian and ramp. It has also been tested on 10 clinical MRI data sets of the brain. These tests, and a comparison with the method of homomorphic filtering, indicate the effectiveness of the method.
Effect of dietary copper on colonic tumor production and aortic integrity in the rat

Gastrointestinal malignancy has been associated with aortic aneurysmal disease in humans, while metabolic derangement of copper has been incriminated as a possible promotor of aneurysmal development of the aorta. An animal model utilizing the carcinogen 1,2-dimethylhydrazine (DMH) was selected to evaluate levels of dietary copper on both colonic tumor production and morphologic changes in the rat aorta. Six groups, each including 10 Sprague-Dawley rats, received 16 weekly doses (20 mg/kg) of DMH beginning at 4 weeks of age. Groups were maintained on either normal (25 ppm), low (0.6 ppm), or high (100 ppm) copper chow during the entire experimental period. After 25 weeks, all animals were sacrificed to assess colonic tumor production and to perform scanning (SEM) and transmission electron microscopic (TEM) studies of the rat aorta. Results showed a significant increase in colonic tumor production (3.14 ± 0.39 tumors per centimeter colon) in rats treated with low-copper chow and DMH when compared with rats on normal chow and DMH (0.74 ± 0.07 tumors per centimeter colon) and animals maintained on high-copper diets and DMH (0.76 ± 0.08 tumors per centimeter colon). In addition, morphologic study showed disruption of the intima and media in rats maintained on low-copper diet alone, and also on low-copper diet plus DMH. The results of this study showed that DMH and low dietary copper significantly increase (P < 0.001) the yield of colonic tumors and produce loss of aortic integrity when studied morphologically. Copper levels may be important in the association of neoplasia and aneurysm formation in the clinical setting.
Nucleon spin structure and quark helicity decomposition.

Using the results for the first moments of the proton and deuteron spin structure functions {ital g}{sub 1}{sup {ital p},{ital d}} measured at the SLAC experiment E143, we compare the conventional method of obtaining from those moments the quark helicity contributions to the proton spin assuming SU(3){sub flavor} symmetry (which implies a strange quark sea helicity {Delta}{ital s}{ne}0) to the results obtained assuming {Delta}{ital s}=0. We conclude that current experimental uncertainties cannot rule out the latter. Using {Delta}{ital s}=0 we extract the SU(3){sub flavor} {ital F} and {ital D} terms directly from the first moments, which give an estimate of possible symmetry breaking. {copyright} {ital 1996 The American Physical Society.}
Engaging undergraduate students in research activities: Are research universities doing a better job?

Engaging undergraduate students in research activities has been advocated as an innovative strategy to improve American higher education (Boyer Commission, Reinventing undergraduate education: A blueprint for America’s research universities. The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, Stony Brook, NY, 1998). This study compared the frequency of undergraduate student research experiences at different types of colleges and universities from the early 1990s through 2004. The results indicate that the frequency of student research experiences increased since 1998 at all types of institutions and that students at research universities were not more likely than their counterparts elsewhere to have such experiences. The findings were consistent across major fields. To live up to their claims, research universities must find additional ways to involve undergraduates in research with faculty members.
Theory And Applications Of The White Light Speckle Method For Strain Analysis

The basic principle of the white light speckle method for strain analysis is reviewed with a theoretical analysis of the recording and reconstruction processes of specklegrams including the effect of defocus. Ways to increase the sensitivity are proposed. The method's a-plicability to measuring inplane displacement, out-of-plane displacement, surface strain on a curved object, interior strain in a 3-D object, and large deformation is exemplified.
Human infant color vision and color perception

Major issues in research on the human infant's sensory and perceptual coding of wavelength information are discussed. It is firmly established that two-month-old infants are at least dichromatic, but there are no clear data on whether they are trichromatic. There is some evidence to suggest that the basic sensory capacities required for color processing are different for infants than for adults, but specifics on the ontogenetic course are as yet unknown. Despite the recent increase in publications in this area, a critical review of the experimental literature yields few firm conclusions. Methodological considerations barring conclusions from the older literature persist to the present. In terms of perceptual processing, doubt is cast on recently advanced ideas that infants and adults perceive hue categorically.
Genetic deletion of NOS3 increases lethal cardiac dysfunction following mouse cardiac arrest.

Abstract Study aims Cardiac arrest mortality is significantly affected by failure to obtain return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) despite cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Severe myocardial dysfunction and cardiovascular collapse further affects mortality within hours of initial ROSC. Recent work suggests that enhancement of nitric oxide (NO) signaling within minutes of CPR can improve myocardial function and survival. We studied the role of NO signaling on cardiovascular outcomes following cardiac arrest and resuscitation using endothelial NO synthase knockout (NOS3 −/− ) mice. Methods Adult female wild-type (WT) and NOS3 −/− mice were anesthetized, intubated, and instrumented with left-ventricular pressure-volume catheters. Cardiac arrest was induced with intravenous potassium chloride. CPR was performed after 8 min of untreated arrest. ROSC rate, cardiac function, whole-blood nitrosylhemoglobin (HbNO) concentrations, heart NOS3 content and phosphorylation (p-NOS3), cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP), and phospho-troponin I (p-TnI) were measured. Results Despite equal quality CPR, NOS3 −/− mice displayed lower rates of ROSC compared to WT (47.6% [10/21] vs. 82.4% [14/17], p −/− vs. WT mice exhibited increased left-ventricular dysfunction and 120 min mortality. Prior to ROSC, myocardial effectors of NO signaling including cGMP and p-TnI were decreased in NOS3 −/− vs. WT mice ( p p Conclusions Genetic deletion of NOS3 decreases ROSC rate and worsens post-ROSC left-ventricular function. Poor cardiovascular outcomes are associated with differences in NOS3-dependent myocardial cGMP signaling and circulating NO metabolites.
ALDH1 expression correlates with favorable prognosis in ovarian cancers

Aldehyde dehydrogenase 1 (ALDH1), a detoxifying enzyme responsible for the oxidation of intracellular aldehydes, was shown to have a function in the early differentiation of stem cells, through its function in oxidizing retinol to retinoic acid. It has been shown that ALDH1 is a predictor of poor clinical outcome in breast cancer. The authors hypothesized that the level of ALDH1 expression may be correlated with the clinical outcome of patients with ovarian cancer. Immunohistochemical staining of ALDH1 expression was analyzed in 442 primary ovarian carcinomas using tissue microarray. The associations between the expression of the ALDH1 and clinical factors (diagnosis, tumor grade, stage, and clinical response to chemotherapy), as well as overall and disease-free survival, were analyzed. Expression of ALDH1 was found in 48.9% of the samples. Fisher's exact test suggested that high expression of ALDH1 was significantly associated with endometrioid adenocarcinoma (P<0.0001), early-stage disease (P=0.006), complete response to chemotherapy (P<0.05), and a low serum level of CA125 (P=0.02). High percentage of cells expressing ALDH1 was associated with a longer overall survival time (P=0.01) and disease-free survival time (P=0.006) by log-rank test. In contrast to its function in breast cancer, ALDH1 was a favorable prognostic factor in ovarian carcinoma. ALDH1 therefore may have a different function in ovarian cancer than it does in breast cancer.
2'-deoxyadenosine-3'-monophosphate: A naturally occurring inhibitor of adenylate cyclase in amphibian and mammalian cells

Abstract A naturally occurring inhibitor of adenylate cyclase has been found in various rat tissues and toad erythrocytes. The compound containing this inhibitory activity has been isolated from several cell types. Physical, chemical, and enzymatic analyses define this inhibitor as 2'-deoxyadenosine-3'-monophosphate (2'-deoxy-3'-AMP). Measurements of the effect of various nucleoside monophosphates on adenylate cyclase activity reveal that the inhibitory activity is specific for 2'-deoxy-3'-AMP. In addition, the metabolism of this inhibitor may be relatively specific since only aminophylline and cAMP appear to inhibit the breakdown of 2'-dexy-3'-AMP by liver microsomes. The presence of this inhibitor suggests the possibility that deoxynucleotides may play an important role in the action of hormones and the regulation of intracellular metabolism.
Glutamate, GABA, and other cortical metabolite concentrations during early abstinence from alcohol and their associations with neurocognitive changes.

Abstract Background Little is known about the effects of alcohol dependence on cortical concentrations of glutamate (Glu) or gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA). We used proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) to study cross-sectionally and longitudinally the concentrations of these in alcohol dependent individuals (ALC) during early abstinence from alcohol. Methods Twenty ALC were studied at about one week of abstinence from alcohol (baseline) and 36 ALC at five weeks of abstinence and compared to 16 light/non-drinking controls (LD). Eleven ALC were studied twice during abstinence. Participants underwent clinical interviewing, blood work, neuropsychological testing, structural imaging and single-volume proton MRS at 4 Tesla. Absolute concentrations of Glu, GABA and those of other 1 H MRS-detectable metabolites were measured in the anterior cingulate (ACC), parieto-occipital cortex (POC) and dorso-lateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). Relationships of metabolite levels to drinking severity and neurocognition were also assessed. Results ALC at baseline had lower concentrations of Glu, N-acetylaspartate (NAA), choline- (Cho) and creatine-containing metabolites (Cr) than LD in the ACC, but had normal GABA and myo-inositol (mI) levels. At five weeks of abstinence, metabolite concentrations were not significantly different between groups. Between one and five weeks of abstinence, Glu, NAA and Cho levels in the ACC increased significantly. Higher cortical mI concentrations in ALC related to worse neurocognitive outcome. Conclusion These MRS data suggest compromised and regionally specific bioenergetics/metabolism in one-week-abstinent ALC that largely normalizes over four weeks of sustained abstinence. The correlation between mI levels and neurocognition affirms the functional relevance of this putative astrocyte marker.
Cholera toxin potentiates IgE-coupled inositol phospholipid hydrolysis and mediator secretion by RBL-2H3 cells

Abstract Binding of polyvalent antigens to IgE present in Fc epsilon receptors on the surface of mast cells and the RBL-2H3 cell line triggers the exocytotic release of allergic mediators. Preincubation of RBL-2H3 cells with cholera toxin (CT) was found to potentiate greater than or equal to 2- to 3-fold the rate and final amount of antigen-induced secretion of [3H]serotonin and N-acetyl beta-D-glucosaminidase. This was accompanied by a more variable increase in the initial rate of antigen-triggered formation of inositol phosphates. The holotoxin was required for potentiation, as neither the A nor the B subunit was effective when added separately. Four observations indicate that cAMP was not the primary effector of the augmentation of secretion caused by CT: (i) culture conditions were found in which CT caused large increases in secretion but very modest (or no) increases in cAMP; (ii) under other conditions, progressive increase in [CT] caused a maximum 2.5- to 3-fold increase in cAMP followed by a return to basal levels, whereas the secretory response saturated and remained stable; (iii) permeant cAMP analogs consistently enhanced secretion at low doses and inhibited at higher doses, but the peak enhancement was always much less than that achieved by an optimal dose of CT; (iv) the selective phosphodiesterase inhibitor Ro 20-1724 exhibited similar biphasic dose-response curves, the maximum enhancement again being small compared to that caused by CT itself. Both in vitro and in vivo, CT catalyzed transfer of ADP-ribose from NAD to two membrane proteins that comigrated on NaDodSO4/polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis with two CT substrates in other cell types, and these were identified by immunoblotting as Gs alpha. These results suggest that ADP-ribosylation of a cholera toxin substrate potentiates IgE-mediated secretion from RBL-2H3 cells by a largely cAMP-independent route.
Of mackerel and menhaden: A public policy perspective on fishery conflict

Abstract Since at least the turn of the century fisheries in the United States have been managed through formal public policy processes at the state level and above, as opposed to indigenous or local management. These processes have grown more complex over time, and have come to include activities in many sectors other than fisheries themselves. Using a case study of competition and conflict that occurred in the State of North Carolina, this paper examines the legislative, administrative and socio-economic processes that underlie current fisheries management and policy, and suggests that information-sharing and interpretation, compatible structure and defined jurisdiction in the management process and clear value orientations are critical to effective policy and management.
Importance of Gynecologic Evaluation in Patients with Perineal Fistula

Background: It is highly likely that most gynecologists will treat girls with an anorectal malformation (ARM), as they constitute a significant proportion of congenital conditions. An increased incidence of associated uterovaginal anomalies has been described in patients with anorectal malformations, including rectovestibular fistula and cloaca. Failure to recognize uterovaginal anomalies puts female patients at risk for gynecologic complications. In this study, we will define the risk of concurrent gynecologic anomalies in patients with imperforate anus and recto-perineal fistula (perineal fistula). Methods: Institutional Review Board approval was obtained (#2008-1011). We performed a retrospective review of 104 patients who underwent surgical management for a perineal fistula by members of our surgical team from 1980 e 2009. The data reviewed focused on the evaluation of the internal and external genitalia, including outpatient clinic notes and operative reports. Results: All females had a complete examination of the external genitalia during the definitive surgery. Thirty of the 104 patients (29%) underwent vaginoscopy to determine the uterovaginal anatomy. 74 patients (71%) did not have evaluation of the internal uterovaginal anatomy. Seven (6.7%) patients were found to have a gynecologic anomaly. Of those, 2 patients had a septate hymen, 4 patients had a longitudinal vaginal septum (all with duplicated cervices indicative of uterine didelphys), and 1 patient had segmental vaginal atresia with a normal uterus. Two of the seven patients diagnosed with a gynecologic anomaly (29%) remained unrecognized until presentation with an obstructive complication requiring reoperation. Conclusions: There is a 23% incidence of gynecologic anomalies in patients who underwent uterovaginal evaluation. If we assume those who were not evaluated had normal reproductive anatomy, the incidence remains significant at 6.7%. An opportunity to diagnose and treat such anomalies may be missed at the definitive surgery, unless the surgical team is aware of this association. Given the risk of gynecologic anomalies, supported by this data regarding perineal fistulas, we recommend patients undergo a complete evaluation of the external and internal genitalia, including vaginoscopy. This is irrespective of the decision for medical or surgical management of the anorectal malformation. With the knowledge of the associated anomalies and long term sequelae, gynecologists can provide better care for girls and important counseling for parents.
CHEMICAL EFFECTS ON THE DEPOSITION OF NON-BROWNIAN PARTICLES

Abstract In this work, the effects of changes in solution chemistry on the deposition of non-Brownian latex particles in beds of glass bead porous media are examined. Experimental results are presented for the effect of varying [Ca 2+ ] at pH 7 on the zeta potential and initial deposition of 4 μm diameter polystyrene particles in packed columns of 0.4 mm diameter glass beads. The experimental results show that initial removal efficiencies can be reduced by approximately two orders of magnitude under unfavorable chemical conditions, i.e., in the presence of repulsive electric double layer (EDL) interactions. As conditions become more unfavorable, deposition is gradually decreased. The effects of chemistry on deposition are modelled by coupling surface chemistry, surface interaction force, and particle transport theories. Particle deposition is modelled using trajectory calculations with Happel's sphere-in-cell porous media model. Chemical effects are incorporated by including EDL interaction forces in the trajectory model. The EDL interaction force is calculated from experimentally-derived zeta potentials, assuming that these represent the potential at the onset of the diffuse layer. A comparison of model predictions and experimental results reveals quantitative agreement for favorable chemical conditions. However, the usual failure of deposition models that include EDL interaction effects to correctly predict the efects of unfavorable chemical conditions on deposition is observed. The model predicts an abrupt decrease to zero removal at a critical repulsive force while the results illustrate a gradual decrease in deposition as the conditions become more unfavorable. An analysis of some of the possible explanations for the failure of the ‘chemical model’ is presented. The effects of a stochastic distribution of particle and collector zeta potentials does not account for the discrepancy between theory and experiment. The effects of surface roughness, heterogeneous surface chemistry properties, salvation forces, hydrophobic effects, and dynamic aspects of EDL interactions may explain the observations. Estimates of the importance of some of these effects for the experimental system studied are presented. Using the trajectory model, characteristic times for the interaction of EDLs as a particle is transported towards a collector are calculated. These times can be compared to estimates of characteristic times for the relaxation of diffuse layers, charge transfer in fixed layers, and fluctuations in repulsive interaction energy barriers in examinations of theories to describe the observed effects of chemistry on particle deposition.
Dielectric Relaxations of a Side Chain Liquid Crystal Homopolymer and Copolymer

The dielectric loss spectrum of a side chain liquid crystal polymer (SCLCP) has been measured from 10 Hz to 100 kHz in the smectic phase. Three liquid crystalline siloxane polymers are examined, a ...
Temporal changes in posterior capsulotomy dimensions following neodymium:YAG laser discission.

We prospectively evaluated 20 eyes of 19 consecutive patients to determine the nature of temporal changes in posterior capsulotomy size, shape, and contour six weeks following neodymium:YAG laser posterior capsular disruption. Mean capsulotomy area increased by 32% (range 0 to 134%, P less than .05, Student t-test), although mean capsulotomy perimeter did not change appreciably. Capsular enlargement tended toward sphericity over time, with smoothing of edge contour from capsular tag retraction. Remodeling of opening size, shape, and contour was most likely to occur with preoperative evidence of capsular traction, and highly irregular capsulotomy borders immediately post-discission.
Lupus anticoagulant inhibition of in Vitro prostacyclin release is associated with a thrombosis-prone subset of patients

Abstract purpose: The effect of lupus anticoagulantcontaining sera on endothelial prostacyclin generation (both basal and after thrombin stimulation) was determined. Subsets of patients who had experienced arterial, venous, or no thrombosis were compared with respect to the quantitation of antiphospholipid antibody and effects on prostacyclin production. patients and methods: Serum antiphospholipid antibodies were detected in 26 patients by immunologic (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) and kinetic (anticoagulant) assays. Cultured human endothelial cells were exposed to patient or normal serum, and the release of prostacyclin was determined by radioimmunoassay of supernatants. Release was determined in the absence and presence of the secretogogue, thrombin (1 U/mL), corrected for interassay variation, and correlated with other clinical and laboratory variables. results: The normal prostacyclin response was a 2.5-fold increase after thrombin (1 U/mL) compared to basal production. Patients with a history of arterial thrombosis (Group 1, n=10) had the highest IgG anticardiolipin antibody titers (449 ± 115 [OD × 1,000]), most prolonged kaolin clotting times (140 ± 15 seconds), and the least prostacyclin response to thrombin (1.36fold). Patients with venous thrombosis (Group 2, n=6) had lower titers (329 ± 120), intermediate clotting times (125 ± 19 seconds), and slightly impaired prostacyclin responses (2.18-fold). Patients with no history of thrombosis (Group 3, n=10) had low antibody titers (220 ± 20), mildly prolonged clotting times (108 ± 6 seconds), and normal prostacyclin responses (2.33-fold). Patient serum did not alter basal or arachidonate-induced prostacyclin production. Group 1 had significantly lower platelet counts (99 ± 19) compared to Group 2 (167 ± 35) or Group 3 (167 ± 34), but were similar in age and associated diagnoses. conclusions: Inhibition of prostacyclin responses is commonly found in serum from patients with lupus anticoagulants, and is likely to be present in patients with high IgG anticardiolipin antibodies, strong lupus anticoagulants, low platelet counts, and a recent arterial thrombosis.
Divergent effects of extracellular oxygen on the growth, morphology, and function of human skin microvascular endothelial cells.

Partial pressure of extracellular oxygen influences a number of major cellular functions. The purpose of this study was to determine if the proliferation, morphology, and synthesis of proteins important in the function of skin microvascular endothelial cells were significantly altered by an extracellular oxygen tension used to culture endothelial cells. Microvascular endothelial cells were isolated from the dermis of neonatal foreskins and were studied at a venous capillary oxygen level (5% O2, 38 mm Hg) and at an atmospheric oxygen level (20.8% O2, 158 mm Hg). At all time points studied and at all passage numbers, a significant inhibition of proliferation was observed at 20.8% O2 compared to identical cultures grown and subcultured at 5% O2. Two morphologically distinct endothelial cell populations were observed at 5% O2. When mediators of angiogenesis and inflammation—such as basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), phorbol myristate acetate (PMA), and interleukin-1β (IL-1β)—were studied, additional differences in proliferation were observed. Atmospheric O2 inhibited the synthesis of a major basement membrane protein (Type IV collagen), a major surface protein (PECAM-1), and increased the synthesis of von Willebrand factor (vWf). The rate of vascular channel formation induced by collagen gels was decreased at 5% O2. These results demonstrate that an increase in extracellular oxygen tension from 5 to 20.8% can significantly alter the cellular physiology of human skin microvascular endothelial cells. J. Cell. Physiol. 182:134–140, 2000. © 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
What You Hear and What You Say: Language Performance in Spanish English Bilinguals

PURPOSE: This study assesses the factors that contribute to Spanish and English language development in bilingual children. METHOD: 757 Hispanic Pre-kindergarten and kindergarten age children completed screening tests of semantic and morphosyntactic development in Spanish and English. Parents provided information about their occupation and education as well as their children's English and Spanish exposure. Data were analyzed using zero-inflated regression models (comprising a logistic regression component and a negative binomial or Poisson component) to explore factors that contributed to children initiating L1 and L2 performance and factors that contributed to building children's knowledge. RESULTS: Factors that were positively associated with initiating L1 and L2 performance were language input/output, free and reduced lunch, and age. Factors associated with building knowledge included age, parent education, input/output, free and reduced lunch and school district. CONCLUSION: Amount of language input is important as children begin to use a language, and amount of language output is important for adding knowledge to their language. Semantic development seemed to be driven more by input while morphosyntax development relied on both input and output. Clinicians who assess bilingual children should examine children's language output in their second language to better understand their levels of performance.