cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Evaluation and Management of Aortoenteric Fistula

Aortoenteric fistula is a life-threatening problem presenting either as a primary disease process of the aorta and alimentary tract or as a secondary aortic graft-related complication. A high index of suspicion and diagnostic testing are essential for prompt identification. Nonoperative management carries 100% mortality. Once diagnosis of an aortoenteric fistula has been made, there is no role for conservative medical management, and prompt surgical treatment is mandatory. Even with the most appropriate treatment, the outcome for operative treatment of aortoenteric fistula carries high morbidity and mortality rates.
Is it Immoral to Punish the Heedless and Clueless

Criminal prosecutions for negligent conduct have long been controversial. As a policy matter, there are strong arguments both for and against criminalizing negligence. One obvious drawback of doctrines that insulate negligent conduct from criminal liability is that they reward heedless and clueless behavior. The actor who somehow fails to pay attention to well-know risks (driving while drunk or texting, leaving an infant in the bath unattended) is off the hook, while the actor who has the risks in mind and engages in the risky behavior anyway may be liable. But for some theorists, these policy considerations should never be reached because it is immoral to punish negligent behavior. These theorists argue that negligent actors are simply incapable of acting differently. If a parent forgets that his infant is in the bath and that infants can drown when unsupervised, his behavior is beyond his own control, and beyond the influence of the legal system. This paper critiques the assumption that the negligent actor is impervious to influence or correction, arguing that it is increasingly at odds with evolving knowledge in the fields of cognitive psychology and cognitive neuroscience. The boundary between conscious and unconscious behavior is permeable and dynamic. Unconscious behavior can be shaped and trained, and legal institutions are in a unique position to shape norms that guide unconscious or subconscious behavior.
Iraq and the Bargaining Theory of War

Despite its profound importance, the Iraq War has received little sustained analysis from scholars of international relations. Although there have been many descriptions of how the war occurred, there has been remarkably little insight generated into why it occurred. Drawing on the bargaining theory of war, I offer a causal explanation. Bargaining theory implies and the available evidence confirms that the war was driven primarily by the inability of Iraq to commit credibly not to develop WMD and exacerbated by private information held by Saddam Hussein about his military strategies and capabilities and his incentives not to reveal this information. Bargaining theory not only weaves together the disparate threads in the journalistic accounts, but provides a sufficient explanation of the causes of the Iraq war. Although helpful in explaining why the Iraq War occurred, the bargaining failures central to the conflict were not always those expected by theory. Most important, the information asymmetries central to the war were not the product of intentional misrepresentation by each state’s opponent, but rather were the result of self-delusions in both the United States and Iraq. I outline four new directions for research stimulated by this case: domestic or “special” interests in bargaining, n-player signaling games, postwar governance costs, and decision-making biases.
Identification of Murine Nuclear Proteins that Bind to the Octamer Control Sequence of Immunoglobulin Genes using 5’-Amino-Oligonucleotides

The identification and characterization of proteins that bind to regulatory DNA sequences in the promoters of genes is key to a clear understanding of how their expression is controlled. The octameric sequence ATTTGCAT represents an important regulatory element in the promoter region of immunoglobulin (Ig) genes (Bergman et al 1986; Falkner and Zachau 1984; Foster et al 1985; Mason et al 1985; Grosschedl and Baltimore 1985; Picard and Schaffner 1985; Gopal et al 1985; Dreyfus et al 1987; Ballard and Bothwell 1986). This conserved sequence is found 70 – 90 nucleotides 5′ to the site of transcription initiation of both heavy and light chain variable region genes. Deletion of DNA sequences that encompass the octamer abolishes Ig promoter activity (Bergman et al 1984; Falkner and Zachau 1984; Foster et al 1985; Mason et al 1985; Ballard and Bothwell 1986). Moreover, several studies have demonstrated that the octamer is sufficient to impart B cell specificity to variable-region promoters (Foster et al 1985; Mason et al 1985; Picard and Schaffner 1985; Gopal et al 1985; Dreyfus et al 1987). Interestingly, this sequence also appears to be a transcriptional control element in the promoters of genes which are expressed in other tissues (Perry et al 1985; Ciliberto et al 1985; Mattaj et al 1985; Ares et al 1985; Krol et al 1985; Sive et al 1986; Das et al 1983; Tso et al 1985; Moritz et al 1984). Thus, this sequence may represent a flexible control element that is acted upon by various cell type-specific trans-factors to regulate transcription.
Functional mutants of yeast alcohol dehydrogenase.

Selection of petite strains of yeast (that is, strains unable to respire aerobically) on media containing allyl alcohol will result in enrichment for mutants at the ADC1 locus. This locus codes for the constitutive alcohol dehydrogenase, ADH-I, which is primarily responsible for the production of ethanol in yeast. The mutant enzymes are functional, and confer resistance to allyl alcohol on the cell by shifting the NAD-NADH balance in the direction of NADH. These mutants exhibit altered Km’s for cofactor, substrate, or both, and often have altered Vmax’s. In this paper, the methodology for obtaining these mutants and for determining the amino acid substitutions responsible for these changes is presented. Several new mutants have been at least approximately localized, and one, DB-AA3-N15, has been shown to be due to the substitution of an arginine for a tryptophan at position 54. This substitution would be expected, by analogy with the known tertiary structure of the horse liver alcohol dehydrogenase, to decrease the hydrophobic environment of the active site pocket. The substitution has a pronounced effect on the Km for ethanol, but far less on that for acetaldehyde.
Background Material on Analysis in ℝ n and Hilbert Space Theory

In this chapter, we recall some basic definitions and facts concerning integration and Hilbert spaces.
Oligosaccharyltransferase Inhibition Overcomes Therapeutic Resistance to EGFR Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors

Asparagine (N)-linked glycosylation is a posttranslational modification essential for the function of complex transmembrane proteins. However, targeting glycosylation for cancer therapy has not been feasible due to generalized effects on all glycoproteins. Here, we perform sensitivity screening of 94 lung cancer cell lines using NGI-1, a small-molecule inhibitor of the oligosaccharyltransferase (OST) that partially disrupts N-linked glycosylation, and demonstrate a selective loss of tumor cell viability. This screen revealed NGI-1 sensitivity in just 11 of 94 (12%) cell lines, with a significant correlation between OST and EGFR inhibitors. In EGFR-mutant non-small cell lung cancer with EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) resistance (PC9-GR, HCC827-GR, and H1975-OR), OST inhibition maintained its ability to induce cell-cycle arrest and a proliferative block. Addition of NGI-1 to EGFR TKI treatment was synthetic lethal in cells resistant to gefitinib, erlotinib, or osimertinib. OST inhibition invariably disrupted EGFR N-linked glycosylation and reduced activation of receptors either with or without the T790M TKI resistance mutation. OST inhibition also dissociated EGFR signaling from other coexpressed receptors like MET via altered receptor compartmentalization. Translation of this approach to preclinical models was accomplished through synthesis and delivery of NGI-1 nanoparticles, confirmation of in vivo activity through molecular imaging, and demonstration of significant tumor growth delay in TKI-resistant HCC827 and H1975 xenografts. This therapeutic strategy breaks from kinase-targeted approaches and validates N-linked glycosylation as an effective target in tumors driven by glycoprotein signaling.Significance:EGFR-mutant NSCLC is incurable despite the marked sensitivity of these tumors to EGFR TKIs. These findings identify N-linked glycosylation, a posttranslational modification common to EGFR and other oncogenic signaling proteins, as an effective therapeutic target that enhances tumor responses for EGFR-mutant NSCLC. Cancer Res; 78(17); 5094-106. ©2018 AACR.
“The Typical Ghadar Outlook”: Udham Singh, Diaspora Radicalism, and Punjabi Anticolonialism in Britain (1938-1947)

Punjabis in interwar Britain, who had migrated for economic opportunity but had been politicized during successive upheavals at home, admired Ghadar’s radical solidarities with nationalist and anticolonial movements. This article focuses on peripatetic Punjabi radicals, often working as pedlars and sailors, to enhance the current understanding of the vibrant relationship between the Ghadar Party and Punjabis in Britain. This article contextualizes Udham Singh’s martyrdom by examining the uses to which his name and image were put in radical publications. Furthermore, the Indian Workers’ Association, formed in the midst of the Second World War, was integral to articulating a Ghadarite anticolonialism in Britain, which was animated by the trial and memorialization of Udham Singh. Thus, this article argues that labor migration and the global transmission of Ghadar Party publications was integral to the Ghadar movement’s influence on the struggle against imperialism in Britain in the 1930s and 1940s.
Discovery of AAA+ Protease Substrates through Trapping Approaches.

Proteases play essential roles in cellular proteostasis. Mechanisms through which proteases recognize their substrates are often hard to predict and therefore require experimentation. In vivo trapping allows systematic identification of potential substrates of proteases, their adaptors, and chaperones. This combines in vivo genetic modifications of proteolytic systems, stabilized protease–substrate interactions, affinity enrichments of trapped substrates, and mass spectrometry (MS)-based identification. In vitro approaches, in which immobilized protease components are incubated with isolated cellular proteome, complement this in vivo approach. Both approaches can provide information about substrate recognition signals, degrons, and conditional effects. This review summarizes published trapping studies and their biological outcomes, and provides recommendations for substrate trapping of the processive AAA+ Clp, Lon, and FtsH chaperone proteolytic systems.
Anthropology of Education and Educational Research: CAE Presidential Address.

Now I know all about the logic of the classroom, the economies of time, money, and management.... Children have had to be massed together into a schoolroom, just as cotton looms have had to be massed together in a factory. The difference is that, unlike cotton looms, massed children make a social group .... Is it not very curious that we spend so much time on the practice and methods of teaching, and never criticise the very framework itself?
Kinetic and mechanistic insights into hydrogenolysis of lignin to monomers in a continuous flow reactor

Industrial biorefineries remain limited due to inefficient valorization of their lignin streams. Rarely can a lignin depolymerization method be combined with a current polysaccharide-centric biorefinery process. Hydrogenolysis is among the more promising methods for depolymerizing lignin on an industrial scale. We performed reaction kinetics and mechanistic studies on lignin model compounds to understand lignin hydrogenolysis pathways, demonstrating that lignin end-units and internal units react significantly differently. Understanding the reaction mechanism and its sensitivity to variables helped us establish a continuous lignin upgrading process from various fractionated lignins. Near-theoretical yields of lignin platform monomers with >80% overall product selectivity were obtained in a continuous hydrogenolysis process using a Pd/C catalyst.
Determinants of women's dissatisfaction with anaesthesia care in labour and delivery.

Patient-centred care and factors associated with patient satisfaction with anaesthesia have been widely studied. However, the most important considerations in the setting of obstetric anaesthesia are uncertain. Identification of, and addressing, factors that contribute to patient dissatisfaction may improve quality of care. We sought to identify factors associated with 15 min in providing epidural analgesia and postpartum headache (all p < 0.0001). Pruritus (p = 0.005) also contributed to dissatisfaction after vaginal delivery, whereas non-Hispanic ethnicity was negatively associated with dissatisfaction (p = 0.01). After caesarean delivery, the intensity of postpartum pain (p < 0.0001), headache (p = 0.001) and pruritus (p = 0.001) were linked to dissatisfaction. Hispanic ethnicity also had a negative relationship with dissatisfaction after caesarean delivery (p = 0.005). Thus, inadequate or delayed analgesia and treatment-related side-effects are associated with maternal dissatisfaction with obstetric anaesthesia care. Development of protocols to facilitate identification of ineffective analgesia and provide an appropriate balance between efficacy and side-effects, are important goals to optimise maternal satisfaction.
Therapy Response Imaging in Genitourinary Malignancies

Renal cell carcinoma, bladder cancer, and prostate cancer are each among the top ten causes of cancer death in men in the United States (American Cancer Society, Cancer Facts & Figures 2018, Atlanta: American Cancer Society, 2018). Fortunately, there are multiple therapies approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for each of these common cancers, several of which have been approved recently. In this context, imaging assessment of response to treatment will become increasingly important, as multiple options are available for patients who do not show evidence of response or benefit from a particular agent. Substantial efforts to optimize imaging response assessment in treatment-specific settings have been published in each of these genitourinary malignancies.
Identifying statistically significant chromatin contacts from Hi-C data with FitHiC2.

Fit-Hi-C is a programming application to compute statistical confidence estimates for Hi-C contact maps to identify significant chromatin contacts. By fitting a monotonically non-increasing spline, Fit-Hi-C captures the relationship between genomic distance and contact probability without any parametric assumption. The spline fit together with the correction of contact probabilities with respect to bin- or locus-specific biases accounts for previously characterized covariates impacting Hi-C contact counts. Fit-Hi-C is best applied for the study of mid-range (e.g., 20 kb–2 Mb for human genome) intra-chromosomal contacts; however, with the latest reimplementation, named FitHiC2, it is possible to perform genome-wide analysis for high-resolution Hi-C data, including all intra-chromosomal distances and inter-chromosomal contacts. FitHiC2 also offers a merging filter module, which eliminates indirect/bystander interactions, leading to significant reduction in the number of reported contacts without sacrificing recovery of key loops such as those between convergent CTCF binding sites. Here, we describe how to apply the FitHiC2 protocol to three use cases: (i) 5-kb resolution Hi-C data of chromosome 5 from GM12878 (a human lymphoblastoid cell line), (ii) 40-kb resolution whole-genome Hi-C data from IMR90 (human lung fibroblast), and (iii) budding yeast whole-genome Hi-C data at a single restriction cut site (EcoRI) resolution. The procedure takes ~12 h with preprocessing when all use cases are run sequentially (~4 h when run parallel). With the recent improvements in its implementation, FitHiC2 (8 processors and 16 GB memory) is also scalable to genome-wide analysis of the highest resolution (1 kb) Hi-C data available to date (~48 h with 32 GB peak memory). FitHiC2 is available through Bioconda, GitHub and the Python Package Index. Fit-Hi-C is a computational tool for identifying statistically significant contacts from Hi-C data. This protocol describes how to apply the new version, called FitHiC2, on high-resolution Hi-C data, demonstrating the added functionalities.
On nonlinear energy flows in nonlinearly coupled oscillators with equal mass

Due to the near monopoly held by nonlinear energy sinks in the study of targeted energy transfer, little research has been done on the flow of mechanical energy between oscillators with comparable mass. The goal of the present paper is to investigate the flow of mechanical energy between two nonlinearly coupled oscillators with comparable mass that arise due to the breaking of dynamic reciprocity. The first oscillator represents the prototypical linear oscillator (LO), whereas the second oscillator represents a nonlinear oscillator (NO) that is nonlinearly coupled to the LO only. By breaking dynamic reciprocity, one-way energy propagation is achieved in the system, such that energy can only be irreversibly transferred from the NO to the LO. As such, the NO is isolated from the LO for physically reasonable energies whenever it is not directly excited. Moreover, when the NO is directly excited, there exist regimes where the LO, despite being linear and of comparable mass to the NO, behaves like a nonlinear energy sink and parasitically and irreversibly absorbs energy from the NO. The theoretical portion of this works employs direct numerical simulation of the structure to explore the strongly nonreciprocal dynamics and resulting energy transfers. The theoretical results are then verified through experimental measurements of a comparable structure. The present study promotes a new paradigm for investigating energy transfer in mechanical structures and opens the way for passively controlling the flow of energy in complex mechanical systems.
Double drape tectonic patch with cyanoacrylate glue for surgical repair of corneal defects: 8 cases

Objective To describe the use of a double drape tectonic patch with cyanoacrylate glue technique for the treatment of deep or penetrating corneal defects in cats and dogs. Animals studied Eight client-owned animals of which five were cats and three were dogs. Procedure Eight cases: Four with descemetoceles, three with corneal perforations, and one with a deep stromal ulcer were treated with a double layer of plastic drape material adhered to the cornea with a cyanoacrylate (2-octyl or 2-octyl, N-butyl)-based tissue adhesive. The patch was then covered with a third eyelid flap. Results Seven of the eight eyes healed uneventfully with a median time to healing time of 20 days (range 14-28 days). After healing, the glue patch had loosened and was removed. One eye of one cat developed bacterial keratitis with an iris prolapse adjacent to the patch and was subsequently enucleated. Only two of the eight eyes had increased corneal neovascularization. Conclusion Treatment of deep or penetrating corneal defects with a double drape tectonic patch and cyanoacrylate glue is a viable option which may be a faster and less expensive alternative to other globe sparing surgical options.
Becoming Cosmopolitan Citizens Architects: A Reflection on Architectural Education Across the Nordic Baltic Academy of Architecture (NBAA). A Students’ Perspective

This paper presents findings from fourteen qualitative interviews conducted with students of architecture from eleven schools of the Nordic Baltic Academy of Architecture (NBAA). The interviews were analysed using the abbreviated Constructivist Grounded Theory (CGT) method. The findings reveal that students consider a meaningful architectural education one that helps them making ethical design choices. To do so respondents indicate that schools should help students find their inner compass, develop their professional skills, and ethical attitudes to think independently and make a difference in their society and beyond. Three narratives emerge which describe the multiple roles of an architect in our society: the dissident intellectual, the ethical professional, and the storyteller. On the basis of these findings and with the support of the work of Henry Giroux “Critical Theory and Rationality in Citizenship Education” and Martha Nussbaum “Patriotism and Cosmopolitanism”, a framework referred to as “Cosmopolitan Citizenship Architecture Education” is developed.
Natural Monopoly Privatization: Minimizing Regulatory Trade-offs Between Rent-Extraction and Innovation

Privatizations of state-owned enterprises are associated with significant gains in efficiency post-privatization, born from both exposure to product market competition and improved managerial incen...
The French bonds: the little-known bidding war for France's holdings in American debt, 1786–1790

In 1786, the Van Staphorst brothers, America's Dutch investment bank, entered the French office of the Director General of Finance, intent on making an offer for a portion of France's holdings of American bonds. Unknowingly, their offer set off a bidding war that could have ended with poorly capitalized American financial adventurers owing a large portion of bonds which could threaten the fragile health of American credit. At the eleventh hour, the Van Staphorsts conjured up a bold, unprecedented, scheme to persuade the French that it would be unnecessary to sell their American bonds at discounted prices.
Catadromous Eels of the North Atlantic: A Review of Molecular Genetic Findings Relevant to Natural History, Population Structure, Speciation, and Phylogeny

The North Atlantic is home to two recognized species of “freshwatereels” (Fig. 1): Anguilla Rostrata of the Americas, and A. anguilla of Europe and North Africa. Like the approximately 13 other named Anguilla species of the western Indo-Pacific region (Ege 1939; Jellyman 1987; Nelson 1994), Atlanticeels have a catadromous life cycle, spending most of their lives in estuarine or inland waters, but, on reaching sexual maturity, migrating far out to sea for a once-in-a-lifetime (semelparous) spawn (Bertin 1957; Tesch 1977; but see also Tsukamoto et al. 1998). This peculiar life history has raised a number of interesting ecological and evolutionary questions. Does spawning byeels in the open sea occur at random with respect to the coastal localities from which the adults had emigrated? Does the dispersal of larvae back to North America and Europe occur in ways that genetically homogenize continental populations across vast geographic areas? How does speciation occur within the context of this diadromous life cycle? Do different morphological forms of Atlanticeels hybridize? How and when dideels colonize the Atlantic from their probable ancestral homeland in the Indo-Pacific? This review examines how molecular genetic data from polymorphic markers have contributed to a current understanding of the natural history and evolution of Atlanticeels.
Lipid oxidation in biological membranes. I. Lipid oxidation in submitochondrial particles and microsomes induced by chaotropic agents.

Abstract Chaotropic agents (SCN−, guanidine-HCl, ClO4−, I−, Br−, NO3−, urea) destabilize the native structure of Submitochondrial particles and microsomes and render these systems susceptible to lipid oxidation by molecular oxygen. The initial rate of lipid oxidation varies with the concentration and the potency of the chaotropic agent used. The order of decreasing potency of chaotropic agents in inducing lipid oxidation in submitochondrial particles is essentially the same as given above. In electron-transport particles and complexes I, III, and IV of the respiratory chain, lipid oxidation as induced by chaotropic agents shows a rapid initial rate followed by a slower rate. Preparations with a high cytochrome content are capable of lipid oxidation when incubated at 30 ° in the absence of any chaotropic agent. This uninduced reaction is particularly significant in preparations of cytochrome oxidase, which are capable of oxygen consumption at a capacity of 1.76 μmoles O2/mg of protein. Lipid oxidation in both submitochondrial particles and microsomes results in the production of malondialdehyde. The production of this compound is much greater at the initial phases of lipid oxidation. Substrates impede lipid oxidation in electron-transport particles, and antimycin A inhibits lipid oxidation in complex III. α-Tocopherol, Tiron, and bathophenanthroline sulfonate also inhibit lipid oxidation. Results are discussed in relation to the structure, function, and lipid composition of Submitochondrial particles and microsomes.
Myosin light chain phosphorylation correlates with contractile force in guinea pig gallbladder muscle.

Acetylcholine (ACh) -induced gallbladder smooth muscle contraction involves myosin light chain phosphorylation (MLCP). ACh-induced contraction is dose dependent. Whether MLCP by ACh is also dose dependent and how it correlates with contractile force have not been carefully evaluated. This study investigated the correlation between gallbladder muscle contraction and MLCP. Guinea pig gallbladder muscle strips were studied isometrically and frozen after different doses of ACh (0, 0.1, 5, 100 μM) for different periods of incubation (0.5, 1, 2, 3, 4 min). MLCP was determined using gel electrophoresis. Both contraction and MLCP in response to ACh were concentration dependent. Peak MLCP to ACh 100 μM occurred at 30 sec. There was a high correlation between active force and MLCP (r = 0.991; P = 0.009 at 30 sec stimulation). Nifedipine 1 μM reduced ACh-induced contraction and MLCP by a similar degree (31% and 33%, respectively). In conclusion, gallbladder contractile force significantly correlates with MLCP. This is consistent with the hypothesis that initiation of gallbladder cholinergic contraction is dependent on phosphorylation of myosin light chains.
Pulse width modulated, zero-voltage-switched, full-bridge, current-driven and current coupled converter

A full-bridge, zero-voltage-switched, current driven DC-to-DC converter is modified by adding a fifth switch to achieve constant frequency, pulse width modulated (PWM) control. The analysis of this new converter is presented. It is shown that by using the added switch for PWM control, improved line and load regulation are achieved over the previously implemented variable frequency scheme. To verify the analytical results derived, computer simulations were carried out, and these agreed with the predicted control curves. >
Phacoemulsification and +14 diopter intraocular lens placement in a Saddlebred foal

A 2-month-old, 110-kg Saddlebred filly presented for evaluation of bilateral cataracts. A hypermature cataract in the left eye (OS) and an incipient nuclear cataract in the right eye (OD) were diagnosed. Electroretinography and ocular ultrasound revealed no contraindications for surgical removal of the cataractous lens OS. Phacoemulsification and implantation of a +14 diopter (D) intraocular lens (IOL) OS were performed at 4 months of age without complication, with the exception of a partial iridectomy performed on a small iris section that prolapsed through the corneal incision. Complete ophthalmic examinations, including ocular ultrasound and streak retinoscopy, were performed 1, 2, 6 weeks, 4 months, 1, and 2 years postoperatively. Diffuse corneal edema and a superficial corneal ulcer developed OS during the early postoperative period and resolved without complication. Dyscoria was identified owing to anterior synechia of the dorsomedial iris at the incision site. Two years after surgery, menace response, palpebral reflex, dazzle reflex, and pupillary light reflexes were present in both eyes (OU). The IOL remained centrally positioned within the capsule, with mild anterior tilting of the superior portion of the IOL and mild fibrosis of the lens capsule. The postoperative net refractive error was +0.31 D OS. Based on this report, a +14 D IOL may be the appropriate choice following lens extraction in a foal to achieve refraction near emmetropia at maturity. To our knowledge, this is the first report of phacoemulsification and IOL implantation in a foal with long-term follow-up.
Application of approximate trigonometric expansions to multiresolution signal representation

Signal representation and data coding for multidimensional signals have received considerable attention due to their importance to several modern technologies. Many useful contributions have been reported that employ wavelets and transform methods. Transform techniques have been generally applied for waveform coding, where constrained representation has been widely used. There is tradeoff between transform efficiency and ease of its implementation and the application depends upon the criterion applicable in any particular case. There exists an approximate Fourier expansion (AFE) with theoretically uncorrelated coefficients. Approximate trigonometric expansions have the capability of fast implementation as well as relatively better decorrelation efficiency than the discrete cosine transform. Some properties of these expansions along with their application to images has already been explored. We apply approximate trigonometric expansions to 1-D signals. Signal decomposition of the signal has been widely used with the discrete cosine transform for signal compression. Here, 1-D signals are decomposed using approximate Fourier expansion (AFE) and later these decomposed signals are represented using an approximate cosine expansion (ACE) for purposes of coding. Computer simulation results are presented.
The soleus muscle acts as an agonist for the anterior cruciate ligament. An in vitro experimental study.

Background:Although the quadriceps muscles are known antagonists for the anterior cruciate ligament and the hamstring muscles are known agonists, the influence of the calf muscles on knee stability is not well understood.Hypothesis:The soleus muscle acts as an anterior cruciate ligament agonist and the gastrocnemius muscle acts as an anterior cruciate ligament antagonist.Study Design:Controlled laboratory study.Methods:Six cadaveric knees were tested with individual and combined activation of the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles to determine the influence of simulated muscle contraction on tibiofemoral motion.Results:At all flexion angles, applying the soleus muscle force tended to translate the tibia posteriorly, whereas applying the gastrocnemius muscle force tended to translate the tibia anteriorly. Applying the soleus and gastrocnemius muscle forces together also tended to translate the tibia anteriorly. The average anterior and posterior tibial translations were greatest at 50° of flexion.Conclusions...
INHIBITION OF CALCIUM CHANNEL ACTIVATION IN GH3 CELLS BY STATIC MAGNETIC FIELDS

Voltage-activated calcium channel function was examined in cultured GH3 cells using the whole-cell patch clamp technique. Exposure to a 120 mT static magnetic field resulted in a slight reduction in the peak calcium current amplitude and shift in the current-voltage relationship. The most significant change was a slowing of the channel activation rate without any change in the inactivation rate. All changes in channel function were reversible, with return to pre-exposure values within 3 min after the field was turned off. These alterations in channel function were temperature-dependent. The present findings are consistent with a functional disruption of the intramembranous portion of the calcium channel by a magnetically induced membrane deformation.
Echocardiographic particle imaging velocimetry data assimilation with least square finite element methods

Recent developments in the field of echocardiography have introduced various noninvasive methods to image blood flow within the heart chambers. FDA-approved microbubbles can be used for intracardiac blood flow imaging and determining the velocity of the blood based on the displacement of the bubbles and the frame rate of the ultrasound scan. A limitation of this approach is that the velocity field information is only two-dimensional and inevitably contains noise. A weighted least square finite element method (WLSFEM) was developed to assimilate noisy, two-dimensional data from echocardiographic particle imaging velocimetry (echo-PIV) into a three-dimensional NavierStokes numerical model so that additional flow properties such as the stress and pressure gradient can be determined from the full velocity and pressure fields. The flexibility of the WLSFEM framework allows for matching the noisy echo-PIV data weakly and using the weighted least square functional as an indicator of how well the echo-PIV data are satisfying the numerical model. Results from the current framework demonstrate the ability of the approach to more closely match the more accurate echo-PIV data and less closely match the noisy data. The positive impact of assimilating the echo-PIV data is demonstrated: compared to a conventional computational fluid dynamic approach, echo-PIV data assimilation potentially enables a more accurate flow model.
Pacific salmon effects on stream ecosystems: a quantitative synthesis.

Pacific salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.) disturb sediments and fertilize streams with marine-derived nutrients during their annual spawning runs, leading researchers to classify these fish as ecosystem engineers and providers of resource subsidies. While these processes strongly influence the structure and function of salmon streams, the magnitude of salmon influence varies widely across studies. Here, we use meta-analysis to evaluate potential sources of variability among studies in stream ecosystem responses to salmon. Results obtained from 37 publications that collectively included 79 streams revealed positive, but highly inconsistent, overall effects of salmon on dissolved nutrients, sediment biofilm, macroinvertebrates, resident fish, and isotopic enrichment. Variation in these response variables was commonly influenced by salmon biomass, stream discharge, sediment size, and whether studies used artificial carcass treatments or observed a natural spawning run. Dissolved nutrients were positively related to salmon biomass per unit discharge, and the slope of the relationship for natural runs was five to ten times higher than for carcass additions. Mean effects on ammonium and phosphorus were also greater for natural runs than carcass additions, an effect attributable to excretion by live salmon. In contrast, we observed larger positive effects on benthic macroinvertebrates for carcass additions than for natural runs, likely because disturbance by live salmon was absent. Furthermore, benthic macroinvertebrates and biofilm associated with small sediments ( 32 mm) showed a positive response. This comprehensive analysis is the first to quantitatively identify environmental and methodological variables that influence the observed effects of salmon. Identifying sources of variation in salmon–stream interactions is a critical step toward understanding why engineering and subsidy effects vary so dramatically over space and time, and toward developing management strategies that will preserve the ecological integrity of salmon streams.
Inhibitory actions of cyclic adenosine monophosphate and pertussis toxin define two distinct epidermal growth factor-regulated pathways leading to activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase in rat hepatocytes.

Abstract Increased intracellular cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) levels have been shown in some reports to inhibit and in other studies to stimulate growth factor-mediated activation of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAP kinase) pathway, depending on the cell type examined. The relationship between cAMP and MAP kinase in hepatocytes has not been examined. In the current study, stimulation of primary cultures of rat hepatocytes with hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) or epidermal growth factor (EGF) increased Ras, Raf, and MAP kinase activity. Incubation of hepatocytes with cAMP-increasing agents blocked activation of Raf by both HGF and EGF, whereas activation of Ras was unaffected. MAP kinase activation by HGF was completely inhibited, whereas EGF-stimulated MAP kinase activity was only slightly reduced. Incubation of hepatocytes with pertussis toxin slightly blunted MAP kinase activation by EGF but not HGF. Increasing cAMP in hepatocytes preincubated with pertussis toxin completely inhibited the activation of MAP kinase by EGF. In conclusion, HGF activates MAP kinase in hepatocytes exclusively through an Raf-dependent pathway and this activation may be completely blocked by increasing cAMP. In contrast, EGF activates MAP kinase in hepatocytes through both Raf-dependent and Raf-independent pathways: the latter pathway probably involves a pertussis toxin-sensitive G protein. (Hepatology 1996 May;23(5):1167-73)
ON THE USE OF SUPERPOSITION IN THE APPROXIMATE SOLUTION OF HEAT CONDUCTION PROBLEMS

Abstract The use of convolution integrals and of the method of images, applied to approximate basic solutions, is investigated. The value of these techniques in deriving approximate solutions of heat conduction problems is discussed, and their accuracy, relative to both known exact solutions and other approximate ones, is assessed.
Opposing microRNA families regulate self-renewal in mouse embryonic stem cells

When embryonic stem cells (ESCs) differentiate, they must both silence the ESC self-renewal program and activate new tissue-specific programs. In the absence of DGCR8 (Dgcr8(-/-)), a protein required for microRNA (miRNA) biogenesis, mouse ESCs are unable to silence self-renewal. Here we show that the introduction of let-7 miRNAs-a family of miRNAs highly expressed in somatic cells-can suppress self-renewal in Dgcr8(-/-) but not wild-type ESCs. Introduction of ESC cell cycle regulating (ESCC) miRNAs into the Dgcr8(-/-) ESCs blocks the capacity of let-7 to suppress self-renewal. Profiling and bioinformatic analyses show that let-7 inhibits whereas ESCC miRNAs indirectly activate numerous self-renewal genes. Furthermore, inhibition of the let-7 family promotes de-differentiation of somatic cells to induced pluripotent stem cells. Together, these findings show how the ESCC and let-7 miRNAs act through common pathways to alternatively stabilize the self-renewing versus differentiated cell fates.
Regulation of dopamine receptor and neuropeptide expression in the basal ganglia of monkeys treated with MPTP.

Abstract In Parkinson's disease (PD), striatal dopamine deficiency has been associated with complex changes in the functional and neurochemical anatomy of the basal ganglia. In this study, we simultaneously analyzed the regulation of D1 and D2 dopamine receptors and levels of the neuropeptides, substance P, and enkephalin (ENK) in various basal ganglia nuclei following 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine-induced dopaminergic denervation of striatum in nonhuman primates. Both unilateral and bilateral lesioned animals were used for this study. Striatal dopamine deficiency resulted in distinct alterations in D1, D2, substance P, and enkephalin levels and distribution: (1) Both D1 and D2 protein levels were significantly up-regulated in striatum. (2) There was an overall up-regulation of striatal substance P expression following dopamine denervation. (3) Substance P distribution was ‘reversed’ in dopamine depleted striatum: striosomes, which normally express higher levels of substance P, showed decreased expression, whereas substance P expression was up-regulated in the matrix. (4) Substance P expression was up-regulated in the internal segment of the globus pallidus (GPi), but remained unchanged in substantia nigra (SN). (5) Enkephalin levels were increased in striatum and the external segment of the globus pallidus (GPe), but not in substantia nigra. All the changes were more pronounced in the bilateral lesioned monkeys, though the data represent a pooled statistical evaluation of unilateral and bilateral lesioned monkeys. Our studies indicate that D1 and D2 dopamine receptors and substance P and enkephalin undergo regulatory changes in response to nigrostriatal dopamine denervation. Simultaneous study of the alterations in these various components of the ‘direct’ and ‘indirect’ pathways in the same animals will enable better understanding of the pathophysiology of PD and its therapeutic targets.
Idea Generation in Computer-Based Groups: A New Ending to an Old Story

Abstract Previous research on brainstorming and related idea-generating techniques has generally found interacting groups to produce fewer ideas than equivalent numbers of individuals working alone whose ideas are later pooled (i.e., nominal groups). In this paper we report four experiments. The first three contrast groups of various sizes using a computer-based idea generation system to equivalently sized nominal groups. The results of these experiments were consistent; large groups using a computer-based idea generation system outperformed equivalent nominal groups in idea-generating tasks. A fourth experiment is then reported which tests the primary hypothesis as to why groups using the computer-based idea generation system outperformed nominal groups. This study concluded that the elimination of production blocking in the computer-based groups (a problem common in groups that communicate verbally where only one member of the group can speak at a time) accounts for a significant portion of the enhanced productivity for the computer-based groups.
Type II Applications of Technology in Education

(2005). Type II Applications of Technology in Education. Computers in the Schools: Vol. 22, No. 1-2, pp. 1-5.
Reassessing landslide deformation in Ganges Chasma, Mars

[1] High-resolution images of landslide aprons in Ganges Chasma show extensive scarps, rock chutes, and talus accumulations on the canyon rim. Below these exists a topographic bench formed of multiple terraces, ridges and scarps. The terrace slopes are talus covered similar to the canyon rim. Small volume lobes and sheets originate from talus accumulations and extend downslope. While previously determined to be the result of large volume catastrophic landslides, the characteristics and dimensions of the terraces forming the topographic bench can be explained by deep-seated gravitational creep of the ancient rock mass. Gravity driven movements over millions of years can also account for the morphology and dimensions of talus lobes thus offering an alternative to catastrophic long-runout landslide mechanisms. The movement of lobes is suggested to be analogous to terrestrial periglacial rock glaciers.
Soil oxygen availability and biogeochemistry along rainfall and topographic gradients in upland wet tropical forest soils

We measured soil oxygen concentrations at 10 and 35 cm depths and indices of biogeochemical cycling in upland forest soils along a rainfall and elevation gradient (3500–5000 mm y−1; 350–1050 masl) and along topographic gradients (ridge to valley, ∼150 m) in the Luquillo Experimental Forest, Puerto Rico. Along the rainfall gradient, soil O2 availability decreased significantly with increasing annual rainfall, and reached very low levels (<3%) in individual chambers for up to 25 consecutive weeks over 82 weeks of study. Along localized topographic gradients, soil O2 concentrations were variable and decreased significantly from ridges to valleys. In the valleys, up to 35% of the observations at 10–35 cm depth were <3% soil O2. Cross correlation analyses showed that soil O2 concentrations were significantly positively correlated along the topographic gradient, and were sensitive to rainfall and hydrologic output. Soil O2 concentrations in valley soils were correlated with rainfall from the previous day, while ridge sites were correlated with cumulative rainfall inputs over 4 weeks. Soils at the wettest point along the rainfall gradient had very high soil methane concentrations (3–24%) indicating a strong influence of anaerobic processes. We measured net methane emission to the atmosphere at the wettest sites of the rainfall gradient, and in the valleys along topographic gradients. Other measures of biogeochemical function such as soil organic matter content and P availability were sensitive to chronic O2 depletion along the rainfall gradient, but less sensitive to the variable soil O2 environment exhibited at lower elevations along topographic gradients.
Modulation of the A1 resonance

Abstract A model is outlined for isolating the effects of final state interactions in an amplitude leading to three final pions. The method accounts for rearrangements among ϵπ and ϱπ states, producing a factor-of-2 fluctuation in the 1 + intensity below the A 1 mass. It follows that this effect should cause a modulation of the A 1 resonance.
Regional variations in human toxics exposure in the USA: an analysis based on the National Human Adipose Tissue Survey.

Regional human exposure was evaluated by examining human tissue chemical concentrations. National Human Adipose Tissue Survey data for 54 toxic substances [pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), semi-volatiles, volatiles, and polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs)], were sorted by United States census divisions.
Ecdysteroid influence on the development of the host Heliothis virescens and its endoparasite Microplitis croceipes

Abstract Ecdysteroid injections into H. virescens larvae parasitized by M. croceipes resulted in an array of effects dependent on the developmental phase of injected larvae. Injections into early 5th instars had little or no effect on either the parasite or the host. Injections into older pre-wandering 5th instars initiated both premature parasite emergence and premature entry of the host into the wandering phase. Injections of ecdysteroid into post-wandering, pre-parasite emergence larvae resulted in both a dose-dependent inhibition of parasite emergence and formation and tanning of host pupal cuticle. Injections into post-wandering, post-parasite-emergence larvae resulted in tanning of the host cuticle. A temperature effect was observed in which effects of the ecdysteroid injections administered at wandering and post-wandering phases were enhanced at the higher rearing temperature of 32°C. RIA of haemolymph from unparasitized larvae showed an early 8-fold increase in ecdysteroid titre 2 days before pupation. This increase was not observed in parasitized larvae of the same age.
Exact travelling wave solutions to seventh-order and ninth-order KdV-like equations

New ansatze that involve hyperbolic functions are introduced to handle seventh-order and ninth-order KdV-like equations. A set of entirely new exact travelling wave solutions is established. The work introduces useful guidance for other related nonlinear evolution equations.
Posterior vitreous detachment and retinal tear after repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation

This case report describes a 60-year-old woman who experienced a posterior vitreous detachment (PVD) and retinal tear after her 11th session of 1 Hz repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) for the treatment of major depression. Although we cannot conclude that rTMS caused her PVD and retinal tear, the temporal association is strong, and we hypothesize a possible pathophysiology of the event. As part of the routine clinical monitoring of rTMS side effects, we encourage attention toward ophthalmologic symptoms, especially in older patients.