cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
State Policies and Women's Autonomy in China, India, and the Republic of Korea, 1950-2000 : Lessons from Contrasting Experiences

The authors compare changes in gender roles and women's empowerment in China, India, and the Republic of Korea. Around 1950, these newly formed states were largely poor and agrarian, with common cultural factors that placed similar severe constraints on women's autonomy. They adopted very different paths of development, which are well known to have profoundly affected development outcomes. These choices have also had a tremendous impact on gender outcomes, and today these countries show striking differences in the extent of gender equity achieved. China has achieved the most gender equity, the Republic of Korea the least. The authors conclude that: a) States can exert enormous influence over gender equity. They can mitigate cultural constraints on women's autonomy (as in China and India) or slow the pace of change in gender equity despite women's rapid integration into education, formal employment, and urbanization (as in the Republic of Korea). b) The impact of policies to provide opportunities for women's empowerment can be greatly enhanced if accompanied by communication efforts to alter cultural values that place heavy constraints on women's access to those opportunities.
Three‐dimensional fine‐scale genetic structure of the neotropical epiphytic orchid, Laelia rubescens

Epiphytic plants occupy three-dimensional space, which allows more individuals to be closely clustered spatially than is possible for populations occupying two dimensions. The unique characteristics of epiphytes can act in concert to influence the fine-scale genetic structure of their populations which can, in turn, influence mating patterns and other population phenomena. Three large populations of Laelia rubescens (Orchidaceae) in the Costa Rican seasonal dry forest were sampled at two levels of intensity to determine: (i) whether individual clusters contain more than one genotype, and (ii) the spatial distribution and fine-scale genetic structure of genotypes within populations. Samples were assayed for their multilocus allozyme genotypes and spatial autocorrelation analyses were performed. High levels of genetic diversity, high genotypic diversity and low among-population variation were found. In the larger clusters, multiple genets per cluster were common with discrete clusters containing up to nine genotypes. Spatial autocorrelation analyses indicated significant positive genetic structure at distances of ≤ 45 cm. This result is likely due to the formation of discrete clusters by vegetative reproduction, as well as the establishment of sexually derived progeny within and near maternal clusters.
Analysis of the Thermal Stability of Type II Collagen in Various Solvents Used for Reversed-Phase High Performance Chromatography

The thermal stability of type II collagen in various solvents is shown to depend on the ability of the solvent to form hydrogen bonds. Mixtures of water with 1-propanol, 2-propanol, 1,2-propanediol, tetrahydrofuran and acetonitrile effect the stability of the triple helix differently. The temperature of the triple helix coil transition of type II collagen in 50(v/v)% solvent mixture in 0.1% trifluoroacetic acid ranges from 34 degrees C for 1,2-propanediol to 22.5 degrees C for acetonitrile, compared to 38 degrees C in 0.1% trifluoroacetic acid and 41.5 degrees C at neutral pH. There is no correlation between the dielectric constants of the solvents and the decrease in thermal stability, indicating that electrostatic interactions play only a minor role in the stability of the triple helix. Acetonitrile and tetrahydrofuran destabilize the triple helix more than the solvents containing hydroxyl groups. For reversed-phase high performance chromatography 2-propanol is the solvent of choice, but temperature control is very important, because the interaction of the triple helix with the column matrix leads to an additional destabilization of the triple helix beyond the destabilization effect of the solvent. In acetonitrile, a solvent commonly used for reversed-phase high performance chromatography, the triple helix is completely denatured when eluted from a C18 column at room temperature.
Laparoscopic transcystic choledochoscopy

Preoperative prediction of common bile duct stones (CBDS) is imprecise. Cholangiography during laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) is the best method for detection of CBDS. Treatment of most stones detected at LC can be safely accomplished using transcystic choledochoscopy and stone extraction. This technique is applicable in nearly 90% of patients with CBD calculi. It may be preferable to endoscopic sphincterotomy (ES) in younger patients and is probably equivalent to ES in patients over 65 years of age.
Substance P and Stress-Induced Changes in Macrophages

The present paper further links nervous-endocrine-immune systems by describing influences of SP on the immune system, and more specifically, on macrophage function. We have discussed how macrophages are important to immune responses in that much of cellular and humoral responses depend on macrophage function. Macrophages are sensitive to stress in that cold-water stress causes increased cytokine production, either spontaneously (IL-1), or after induction with LPS (IL-6, TNF alpha). Increased cytokine levels (IL-1, IL-6) may induce acute phase reactants in the liver, which is presumably the mechanism operative in the studies indicating increases in acute phase reactants after certain stressors in animals. SP is a likely candidate to affect immune function. Previous data show that macrophages from various species have receptors for and respond to SP in vitro. SP stimulates phagocytic and chemotactic capacity, as well as increased cytokine, PGE2, and thromboxane B2 production. SP is also involved in neurogenic inflammation and is likely to be involved in the pathogenesis of several inflammatory diseases. Present data indicate SP's involvement in macrophage responses to stress. We have shown that stress induced differential SP receptor binding to peritoneal macrophages, although the precise nature of binding differences has not yet been clearly elucidated. Stress also induces more immunoreactive SP in the peritoneal fluid that bathes the peritoneal macrophages. We hypothesize that the two events, altered SP binding and concomitant increased ligand, are causally related. In addition to other correlational data showing concomitant increased SP binding plus ligand concentrations, there is more direct evidence that SP ligand may induce SP receptor expression since the SP antagonist, CP-96,345, prevents the induction of SP receptor mRNA in the staphylococcal toxin A-induced gastroenteritis (C. Pothoulakis and S. E. Leeman, personal communication). Further supporting our notion for a causal relationship we have found the elimination of SP in vivo (via capsaicin pretreatment) reduced SP binding, as has been previously reported. We have also examined the role of SP on stress-induced altered macrophage function in vitro. SP greatly enhanced the LPS-induced macrophage TNF alpha production from stressed animals; in contrast, it produced relatively little effect on macrophages from control animals. Capsaicin pretreatment diminished the enhanced cytokine production in response to stress, such that levels of TNF alpha and IL-6 approximated those of control mice. Taken together, past and present data suggest that (1) stress may initiate, or at least contribute to, an inflammatory response, and that (2) SP is involved in the macrophage stress response. SP has long been known to be involved in inflammatory processes; our data further suggest its role in mediating stress-induced cytokine alterations.
Solubility and partial miscibility of ethane in certain hydrocarbon liquids

Abstract The solubility of ethane in n-undecane, 1-undecene, trans-decalin, n-pentylbenzene, 1-methylnaphthalene, and 2-methylnaphthalene is experimentally studied at 25 and 45°C. Also reported is the liquid molar volume of these mixtures. Both the methylnaphthalenes are partially miscible with ethane. The liquid—liquid—vapor locus for ethane + 1-methylnaphthalene extends from a quadruple point (solid—liquid—liquid—vapor) at 220.75 K and 4.98 bar to an upper critical end-point (L1−L2 = V) at 311.89 K and 53.57 bar. The same locus for ethane + 2-methylnaphthalene extends from 278.77 K and 26.29 bar to 313.00 K and 54.59 bar. The liquid phase compositions and molar volumes along these loci are reported as well as those along the solid—liquid—vapor locus of the mixture ethane + 2-methylnaphthalene that extends from the triple point of 2-methylnaphthalene (c. 304.15 K) to the quadruple point terminus of the liquid—liquid—vapor locus. The presence of aromatic groups in these hydrocarbons of similar carbon number significantly reduces the ethane solubility at given temperatures and pressures, making aromatic hydrocarbons likely candidates for exhibiting partial miscibility with ethane.
A low cost, reliable method for quantifying coloration in Carcinus maenas (Linnaeus, 1758) (Decapoda, Brachyura)

Green or shore crabs, Carcinus maenas, exhibit a range of coloration from green through orange to red. Crabs turn red when they delay molting. This phenomenon is hypothesized to be part of a strategy in which crabs delay molting in order to allocate resources to reproduction. Thus a more complete understanding of the biology of C. maenas must take coloration into account.In part because of the inconsistency inherent in using subjective descriptions of color, in most studies, crabs which are not clearly "green" or "red" are either ignored or forced into one or the other category. Information about the intermediate individuals is lost. In an attempt to find a reliable, inexpensive, easy-to-use method of quantifying color variation in the field, a color index was developed using paint swatches. The index has been field tested for inter-observer reliability and found to be consistent between both trained and untrained observers, to distinguish quantitatively between subjective color groupings, and to be useful across geographically distinct populations. This kind of index allows, for the first time, a way to quantify color in C. maenas. Le crabe vert ou crabe enrage Carcinus maenas, presente une gamme de couleur du vert au rouge en passant par l'orange. Les crabes deviennent rouges quand ils tardent a muer. Ce phenomene est interprete comme une partie de la strategie par laquelle les crabes retardent leur mue dans le but d'assurer des ressources pour la reproduction. Ainsi, une comprehension plus complete de la biologie de C. maenas doit tenir compte de la couleur.En partie a cause de l'inconsistance inherente a l'usage de descriptions subjectives de la couleur, dans la plupart des etudes, les crabes qui ne sont pas clairement « verts » ou « rouges » sont soit ignores, soit places dans l'une ou l'autre categorie. L'information sur les individus de coloration intermediaire est perdue. Afin de trouver une methode fiable, bon marche et facile a utiliser pour quantifier la variation de couleur sur le terrain, une gamme de couleurs a ete mise au point en utilisant des echantillons de peintures. Cette gamme a ete testee sur le terrain pour evaluer sa fiabilite en fonction des observateurs et a ete trouvee coherente, a la fois chez les observateurs entraines et non-entraines, pour distinguer quantitativement les groupements de couleurs subjectifs, et s'est averee utile pour des populations geographiquement distinctes. Ce genre de gamme permet, pour la premiere fois, de quantifier la couleur chez C. maenas.
Heavy families: Masses and mixings

Abstract We use the infrared fixed-point structure of the SU(3) × SU(2) × U(1) renormalization group equations to derive predictions for the masses and mixings of heavy families in perturbatively unifiable grand unified theories. We show that the sum of the squares of all quark (or lepton) masses must be less than (355 GeV) 2 . This implies that theories with N H heavy families must have at least one new quark and one new lepton of mass less than 250/√ N H GeV. We also find that the Cabibbo mixings and isospin splittings of heavy quarks tend to be small.
Full-Lane Coverage Micromilling Pavement-Surface Quality Control Using Emerging 3D Line Laser Imaging Technology

AbstractFacing pavement preservation challenges as a result of funding shortages, the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) has developed an innovative micromilling resurfacing method to cost-effectively preserve its pavements. The cost saving is significant: approximately $60,000 per lane mile. To ensure that a smooth micromilled surface texture provides a good bond and water runoff capability, which is the key in this new method, a new, stringent ridge-to-valley-depth (RVD) specification has been established for quantitatively evaluating micromilled surface quality. This paper explores the possibility of using emerging three-dimensional (3D) line laser imaging technology to develop a full-lane quality control method that can measure RVD, provide quality control covering a full lane, and identify problem areas. A lab test was first conducted to critically assess the accuracy of the proposed method by using an artifact: a wood panel with V-shaped grooves of a known depth to simulate the ridges and v...
974 HUMAN THYMOCYTE CHEMILUMINESCENCE-DEPENDENCE ON MACROPHAGES

Rat thymocytes stimulated with Concanavalin-A (Con-A), in the presence of Luminol respond with a short lived burst of chemiluminescence (CL) associated with H202 production. Macrophage depleted thymocytes are also said to react similarly. 2.5 × 107 to 1 × 108 thymocytes obtained from thymi resected during open heart surgery similarly responded to luminol augmented Con-A stimulation. Addition of latex particles further increased CL 5 to 10 folds. However partial elimination of macrophages by carbonyl-iron ingestion or by adherence to plastic surfaces reduced CL 5 to 7 fold from the initial values. Thymocyte CL may be a function of macrophages contaminating the cell suspension.
Inferring conceptual graphs

This paper investigates the mechanisms a program may use to learn conceptual structures that represent natural language meaning. A computer program named Moran is described that infers conceptual structures from pictorial input data. Moran is presented with “snapshots” of an environment and an English sentence describing the action that takes place between the snapshots. The learning task is to associate each root verb with a conceptual structure that represents the types of objects that participate in the action and the changes the objects undergo during the action. Four learning mechanisms are shown to be adequate to accomplish this learning task. The learning mechanisms are described along with the conditions under which each is invoked and the effect each has on existing memory structures. The conceptual structure Moran inferred for one root verb is shown.
Quantifying the results of wind and rain on ifsar tree height estimation

The horizontal and vertical (3D) structure of Earth's forested ecosystems are of great significance to their ecological functioning and societal uses. An IfSAR approach is one methodology whereby a forest's structure and height in particular can be successfully estimated. Critical to the successful estimation is a high correlation between multiple SAR images. Regardless of a forest's location on the Earth, wind and precipitation can significantly alter a forest's appearance to a SAR system operating in either the L or C bands and so too decrease this necessary correlation. In order to investigate and quantize the decorrelation induced by factors such as wind and rain, we have developed a model for the repeat-pass interferometric SAR response of a forest including the application of a wind field and / or a rain storm. The simulation consists of multiple interconnected parts including the generation of fractal tree geometries, a wind simulator to apply apply variable wind forces to the generated trees, an electromagnetic model to allow us to calculate a Single Look Complex value for the SAR return of the combined target, an image forming technique based on antenna array theory, and an image processing algorithm. Results present polarmetric coherence as a function of platform look angle, wind speed, and moisture content. An important feature of this research is the usage of a physically based realistic wind model that is based on measurements of wind effects on trees as well as realistic models of fluid flow and simple harmonic branch segment resonators. Allowing branches to bend and move out of the plane of the incident wind field enables our model to capture numerous features of a physical tree blowing in the wind. This realistic model is necessary for a realistic simulation of the effects that wind has on a given InSAR imaging system as expressed in this study by the interferometric coherence.
Phylogenetic relationships of Neonectria/ Cylindrocarpon on Fagus in North America

The relationship of two species of Neonectria associated with beech bark canker in North America was evaluated by comparing isolates of these and additional species of the Neonectria coccinea (Pers...
An inherited polymorphism in the human apolipoprotein A-I gene locus related to the development of atherosclerosis

Epidemiological studies have identified elevated low density lipoprotein (LDL) and diminished high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels as risk factors for coronary artery disease. The major protein component of HDL is apoprotein A-I (apo A-I), a polypeptide of 243 amino acids of known primary amino acid sequence. This apoprotein serves as a cofactor for the plasma lecithin-cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT) enzyme responsible for the formation of most cholesteryl esters in plasma, and also promotes cholesterol efflux from cells. The primary translation product of apo A-I contains both a pre and a pro segment, and post-translational processing of apo A-I may be involved in the formation of the functional plasma apo A-I isoproteins. Defective apo A-I processing may be the underlying problem in Tangier disease, in which patients have low plasma HDL and apo A-I levels despite normal apo A-I synthesis. Patients have been reported with conditions distinct from Tangier disease in whom severe deficiency or absence of apo A-I has been associated with very low HDL levels and severe coronary artery disease. We have now examined the apo A-I gene in two such patients and their first degree relatives. These patients have been reported to have skin and tendon xanthomas, corneal clouding and severe premature coronary atherosclerosis associated with very low HDL levels and deficiencies of two apoproteins, apo A-I and apo C-III. We show that both probands are homozygous for a defect in the apo A-I gene locus.
Invited commentary: do anthropometric measures predict risk of prostate cancer?

In this issue of the Journal, Schuurman et al. (1) investigate the association between several anthropometric measures and the risk of prostate cancer among approximately 60,000 male participants of the Netherlands Cohort Study. In many ways, their findings echo the results of most previous cohort and casecontrol studies on this topic in that they are largely inconclusive. As discussed by Schuurman et al., most previous studies of prostate cancer and anthropometric measures (including body mass index, body fat distribution, lean body mass, body mass at a young age, change in body mass, and height) have been null, and significant associations that have emerged in individual studies and for certain subgroups of men have not been seen consistently across studies. In this most recent investigation, cohort members were followed from baseline (September 1986) through 1992; during this period, approximately 700 new cases of prostate cancer were diagnosed. In both age-adjusted and multivariate case-cohort analyses, no associations were apparent between baseline measures of height, body mass index, or estimated lean body mass and prostate cancer risk, regardless of whether the tumors were localized or advanced. A modest positive association was observed for body mass index at age 20 years (body mass index >25 vs. <19, relative risk (RR) = 1.33, 95 percent confidence interval (CI): 0.81, 2.10); this association was stronger for localized prostate tumors than for advanced tumors. In contrast, a small (nonsignificant) inverse association with gain in body mass between age 20 years and age at baseline also was seen. With nearly 700 incident cases, this study represents one of the largest prospective investigations of this topic.
An Examination of Organizational Factors Influencing New Product Success in Internal and Alliance-Based Processes

Abstract New products provide increased sales, profits, and competitive strength for most organizations. However, nearly 50% of the new products that are introduced each year fail. Organizations thus find themselves in a double bind. On the one hand they must innovate consistently to remain competitive, but on the other hand innovation is risky and expensive. Many organizations are forming business alliances to quicken the pace of and reduce risks associated with innovation. Yet by some estimates, 70% of these alliances fail. Many of the prescriptions for successful alliance management clash with recommendations for effective innovation management. The authors develop testable hypotheses by integrating the new products and alliance literature. A construct—cooperative competency—derived from related concepts of mutual adjustment, absorptive capacity, and relational capability is posited as the key factor affecting new product development success, regardless of whether it is an intra- or interfirm endeavor....
Middle cerebral artery transcranial doppler velocity monitoring during orthotopic liver transplantation: Changes at reperfusion—A report of six cases

Abstract Study Objective: To determine the effect of reperfusion of the grafted liver on transcranial Doppler blood flow velocity in the middle cerebral artery in humans during orthotopic liver transplantation. Design: Clinical study. Setting: University hospital. Patients: 6 patients scheduled for orthotopic liver transplantation. Interventions: Middle cerebral artery blood flow velocity (MCAVm) was monitored continuously using a transcranial Doppler (TCD) probe. The TCD measurements were noninvasive. Measurements and Main Results: The EME TC2000S TCD probe (Nicolet, Inc., Memphis, TN) was secured to the head using a strap providing continuous measurement of MCAVm. All other data were recorded by a patient monitoring system and a respiratory gas analyzer. Averaged MCAVm increased significantly in 5 of 6 patients ( p p p p Conclusions: MCAVm increased with reperfusion of the grafted liver. These data suggest that multiple factors—including hypercarbia, lactic acidosis, or multiple vasoactive substances released by the grafted liver—may contribute to the observed increases in MCAVm, Vs, and PI.
Effects of elevated nitrogen and exotic plant invasion on soil seed bank composition in Joshua Tree National Park

We investigated the effects of exotic species invasion and 3 years of nitrogen (N) fertilization on the soil seed bank in Joshua Tree National Park, California, USA at four sites along an N deposition gradient. We compared seed bank composition and density in control (no N added) and fertilized (30 kg N ha−1 year−1) plots to determine if the seed bank would reflect aboveground changes due to N fertilization. Soil samples were collected and germinated in a greenhouse over 2 years. In the field, invasive species cover responded positively to N fertilization. However, we did not observe increased seed density of exotic invasive species in fertilized plots. While no significant differences were detected between treatments within sites, exotic invasive grass seeds overwhelmed the seed bank at all sites. Significant differences between sites were found, which may be due to differences in level of invasion, historic N deposition, and soil surface roughness. Sites experiencing low N deposition had the highest seed bank species richness for both control and fertilized treatments. Aboveground plant density did not correlate well with seed bank density, possibly due to the inherent patchiness of soil seed banks and differential ability of species to form seed banks. This seed bank study provided insight into site-specific impacts on native versus invasive species composition of soil seed banks, as well as magnitude of invasion and restoration potential at invaded sites.
Characterization of a newt tenascin cDNA and localization of tenascin mRNA during newt limb regeneration by in situ hybridization

We previously showed that tenascin, a large, extracellular matrix glycoprotein, exhibits a temporally and spatially restricted distribution during urodele limb regeneration. To further investigate the role of tenascin in regeneration, we cloned a newt tenascin cDNA, NvTN.1, that has 70% homology to the chicken tenascin sequence. A deduced amino acid sequence of NvTN.1 showed a modular structure unique to tenascin characterized by epidermal growth factor-like and fibronectin type III repeats. To determine the cellular origin of tenascin protein during limb regeneration, we localized tenascin transcripts by in situ hybridization using a riboprobe synthesized from NvTN.1. Transcripts could not be detected in normal limb tissues but first became detectable in the wound epithelium at 2 days and in the distal mesoderm at 5 days after amputation. These wound epithelial cells are probably the source of tenascin protein found within and immediately underneath the wound epithelium. At preblastema stages, hybridization was seen in cells associated with most of the distal mesodermal tissues but not in dermis. At blastema stages, essentially every mesenchymal cell contained tenascin transcripts. Thus, regardless of origin, blastemal mesenchymal cells may share a common regulatory mechanism that results in tenascin gene transcription. Finally, during redifferentiation stages of regeneration, tenascin gene transcription was associated with both differentiation and growth. The results show that initiation of tenascin gene expression is an early event in regeneration and continued tenascin gene transcription is associated with some of the important processes of regeneration, namely wound epithelial-mesenchymal interactions, dedifferentiation, initiation of cell cycling, blastema outgrowth, and cellular differentiation.
EFFECTS OF MOISTURE CONTENT AND DIFFERENT GELATINIZATION HEATING TEMPERATURES ON RETROGRADATION OF WAXY-TYPE MAIZE STARCHES

Abstract The effect of moisture content on retrogradation of wx, du wx, ae wx, and su2 wx maize starches was studied by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). All starches showed maximum retrogradation enthalpy at an intermediate moisture content, but the precise relationship between moisture content and retrogradation enthalpy varied for each starch. The ae wx starch was least affected by moisture content, showing measurable retrogradation (2–3 J/g) after only 1 day for the 95% moisture sample. Retrogradation of the su2 wx starch was exceptionally slow even at intermediate moisture contents, and the retrogradation enthalpy was particularly sensitive to moisture content. The effect of varied moisture content was also investigated in combination with initial heating to a wide range of temperatures. Retrogradation of wx, du wx, and su2 wx starches, but not ae wx starch, was strongly influenced by both initial heating temperature and moisture content, with development of enthalpy consistently in the order of du wx>wx>su2 wx. The chain length profiles for the four starches were unique. The exceptionally rapid retrogradation and relatively small concentration dependence of ae wx starch may be related to a greater proportion of longer chains, whereas the very slow retrogradation of su2 wx starch may be related to a population of exceptionally short chains. The more rapid retrogradation of du wx starch than wx starch may be related to the high number and concentration of branch points in a cluster.
Transcriptional Elements from the Human SP-C Gene Direct Expression in the Primordial Respiratory Epithelium of Transgenic Mice

Transgenic animals bearing a chimeric gene containing 5'-flanking regions of the human surfactant protein C (SP-C) gene ligated to the bacterial chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) gene were analyzed by in situ hybridization histochemistry to determine the temporal and spatial distribution of transgene expression during organogenesis of the murine lung. Ontogenic expression of the SP-C-CAT gene was compared to that of the endogenous SP-C gene and to the Clara cell CC10 gene. High levels of SP-C-CAT expression were observed as early as Day 10 of gestation in epithelial cells of the primordial lung buds. Low levels of endogenous SP-C mRNA were detected a day later, but only in the more distal epithelial cells of the newly formed, primitive, lobar bronchi. On Gestational Days 13 through 16, transcripts for both the endogenous and chimeric gene were restricted to distal epithelial elements of the branching bronchial tubules and were no longer detected in the more proximal regions of the bronchial tree. Although high levels of SP-C-CAT expression were maintained throughout organogenesis, endogenous SP-C expression increased dramatically on Gestational Day 15, coincident with acinar tubule differentiation at the lung periphery. Low levels of endogenous CC10 expression were detected by Gestational Day 16 in both lobar and segmental bronchi. By the time of birth, CC10 transcripts were expressed at high levels in the trachea and at all levels of the bronchial tree; endogenous SP-C mRNA was restricted to epithelial cells of the terminal alveolar saccules; and SP-C-CAT expression was now detected in both alveolar and bronchiolar epithelial cells. These results indicate that (1) cis-acting regulatory elements of the human SP-C gene can direct high levels of foreign gene expression to epithelial cells of the embryonic mouse lung; (2) expression of the human SP-C-CAT chimeric gene is developmentally regulated, exhibiting a morphogenic expression pattern similar, but not identical, to that of the endogenous murine SP-C gene; (3) the embryonic expression of endogenous SP-C and chimeric SP-C-CAT transcripts identifies progenitor cells of the distal respiratory epithelium; and (4) differentiation of bronchial epithelium is coincident with loss of SP-C expression and subsequent acquisition of CC10 expression in proximal regions of the developing bronchial tubules.
Dicrotic pulse after open heart operation.

A palpable dicrotic pulse was observed in 18 patients after open heart operation, usually after prosthetic replacement for aortic regurgitation (14 of 18 patients). Two patients had a ventricular septal defect, one had aortic stenosis, and one, mitral insufficiency. The ages of the patients ranged from 9 to 63 years, but the dicrotic pulse was more prominent and persisted longer in younger patients. The dicrotic pulse usually appeared within 48 hours of operation, persisted 1 to 60 days and was always in a brachiocephalic distribution. Determinants of the dicrotic pulse include the stroke volume, the duration of systole, the distensibility of the arterial system, the peripheral reflection coefficient, and the systemic blood pressure. Impaired cardiac function with a low cardiac output was probably the most significant factor in the occurrence of a dicrotic pulse in this series of patients.
Functional Performance and Biomechanics of Decellularized Human Aortic Valves

Abstract Allograft decellularization based on detergents and/or enzymes to reduce antigenicity has been reported to damage tissue structure. We applied to human aortic valves a non-detergent/non-protease decellularization treatment prior to cryopreservation. To ensure that the method did not negatively impact valve structure, we submitted decellularized and conventional human aortic valves to pulsatile flow characterizations and accelerated wear testing (to 80 million cycles) under both normal and elevated aortic valve flow conditions. The biomechanical properties of decellularized aortic valve tissues were compared to those of non-decellularized aortic valves. Valve performance was assessed using six conventional and six decellularized human aortic valves (internal valve diameter of 21mm±1mm). Valves were placed in accelerated wear testers, at a cycle rate of 200beats/min as specified in ISO 5840. All valves underwent pulsatile flow characterization before testing and at 20 million cycle intervals up to 80 million loading cycles (pressure>100mmHg). Images captured during pulsatile testing at peak systole and diastole were used to evaluate proper valve function, full leaflet coaptation and wear related damage. Tissue biomechanics was evaluated pair-wise using ten bisected valves, half conventionally treated, half decellularized. For each, conduit and leaflet circumferential ultimate tensile strength (UTS), and conduit and myocardium suture retention strength were evaluated. Compared to conventional human aortic heart valves, the decellularized valves showed comparable valve performance based on effective orifice area before accelerated testing (1.57±0.3 vs 1.51±0.2 cm2, decellularized and conventional, respectively) and similar non-significant decrease after reaching an accumulated 80 million cycles (1.40±0.2 vs. 1.45±0.3 cm2). Both populations met the minimum performance requirements specified in ISO 5840 for effective orifice area and regurgitant fraction. There was no significant increase in retrograde flow due to post-wear leakage. Biomechanical testing demonstrated leaflet and conduit circumferential UTS and conduit and myocardium suture retention strength of decellularized valves were equal to or greater than the conventional valves. From these measurements we conclude that there is no quantifiable impact on valve functionality, performance or biomechanics due to the SynerGraft® (non-detergent based) decellularization process.
Culture of mouse prostatic epithelial cells from genetically engineered mice

BACKGROUND The lack of appropriate prostate cancer models is a major problem for prostate cancer research. Progress has been made towards the development of better in vivo rodent genetic models for prostatic disease. However, an in vitro model is often preferred for the elucidation of cellular mechanisms involved in the disease. METHODS We microdissected the four prostatic lobes from young male mice, harvested the epithelial components, and grew epithelial cells from these tissues. We maintained the growth of these cells in long-term and three-dimensional culture. RESULTS We have reproducibly harvested and cultured for extended passages mouse prostatic epithelial cells (MPECs) from a variety of mouse genetic strains. These cells express luminal and basal epithelial markers as well as the androgen receptor. Additionally, MPECs form classic branching structures in a three-dimensional collagen matrix. CONCLUSIONS We have developed a novel culture system to harvest and grow MPECs in long-term culture. These cells will serve as a useful in vitro complement to studies using mouse genetic models for prostatic disease. © 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Complex Langevin simulation of the SU(3) spin model with nonzero chemical potential.

We study the effective three-dimensional SU(3) spin model with nonzero chemical potential. This model describes the strong-coupling, large-fermion-mass limit of QCD at finite temperature and baryon density. The results obtained with a complex Langevin algorithm are encouraging for a future simulation of QCD with nonzero chemical potential. The Langevin simulations converge even for large values of the chemical potential, and excellent agreement with exact solutions in the extreme strong-coupling ($\ensuremath{\beta}=0$) limit has been found.
Depth as an organizer of fish assemblages in floodplain lakes

Depth reduction is a natural process in floodplain lakes, but in many basins has been accelerated by anthropogenic disturbances. A diverse set of 42 floodplain lakes in the Yazoo River Basin (Mississippi, USA) was examined to test the hypothesis of whether depth reduction was a key determinant of water quality and fish assemblage structure. Single and multiple variable analyses were applied to 10 commonly monitored water variables and 54 fish species. Results showed strong associations between depth and water characteristics, and between depth and fish assemblages. Deep lakes provided less variable environments, clearer water, and a wider range of microhabitats than shallow lakes. The greater environmental stability was reflected by the dominant species in the assemblages, which included a broader representation of large-body species, species less tolerant of extreme water quality, and more predators. Stability in deep lakes was further reflected by reduced among-lake variability in taxa representation. Fish assemblages in shallow lakes were more variable than deep lakes, and commonly dominated by opportunistic species that have early maturity, extended breeding seasons, small adult size, and short lifespan. Depth is a causal factor that drives many physical and chemical variables that contribute to organizing fish assemblages in floodplain lakes. Thus, correlations between fish and water transparency, temperature, oxygen, trophic state, habitat structure, and other environmental descriptors may ultimately be totally or partly regulated by depth. In basins undergoing rapid anthropogenic modifications, local changes forced by depth reductions may be expected to eliminate species available from the regional pool and could have considerable ecological implications.
Validation of SDL-based architectural design models using communication-based coverage criteria

Context: As the capability to automatically generate code from different models becomes more sophisticated, it is critical that these models be adequately tested for quality assurance prior to code generation. Objective: Although simulation-based black-box testing strategies exist for these models, it is important that we also employ white-box testing strategies similar to those used to test implementation code to further validate the quality of these models. Method: We apply coverage testing to architectural design models represented by SDL, a Specification and Description Language. Our previous study defined a methodology for automatic test generation with respect to two structural-based criteria, all-node and all-edge, for each individual SDL process. In this paper, we present new coverage criteria such as n-step-message-transfer and sender-receiver-round-trip, aiming at the communication between different SDL processes. Results: A test generator using innovative backward tracking and forward validation has been implemented to support these criteria, guiding test generation to detect bugs which could not be revealed by test cases generated only with respect to the all-node and all-edge criteria. Conclusions: The results of our case study support the feasibility of using our test generator to create test cases satisfying the proposed communication-based criteria.
Isolation of Densification Regions During Powder Compression

AbstractAn instrumented single punch tablet press has been used to monitor the deformation behavior of materials. Lubricated excipients were compressed to the same maximum punch penetration in a constant fill volume and the densification process was followed. The densification of the powder to form a tablet and the corresponding pressures generated in the die were monitored by the instrumentation. The sampling rate per channel was one data point every 0.5 millisecond in a 1.02 second event. Plots of the densification, In (1 / porosity) versus upper punch pressure in the die, were generated for each tablet formation. The densification plots have six regions which can be isolated based on the upper punch movement in the die. A material's deformation behavior can be described by the densification and pressure changes occurring in the various regions.
Credibility Logic and Policy Analysis Is There Rationality without Science

The early promise of positivistic-based policy analysis was based on the authority of “science.” A “scientific approach” could bring rationality and rigor to public policy-making. But with all this promise and confidence, the actual utilization of policy analysis by decision makers within the last decade has been dismal. The purpose of this article is to suggest that policy analysts need not cling to scientific pretensions to bring some rationality and rigor to policymaking. This article introduces a “credibility model” in which policy analysts bring to the policymaker insights not available from the fund of ordinary knowledge, experience, and intuition that policymakers themselves contribute.
Solar wind proton temperature-velocity relationship

Helios 1 data are analyzed to find an experimental fit for the temperature-velocity relationship at 1 AU. It is shown that the proton temperature-velocity changes at a velocity of approximately 500 km/s. Interplanetary dynamic processes, i.e., stream interactions, are shown to affect the temperature-velocity relationships less than 22 percent; the functional form of these relationships appears to be preserved throughout the solar cycle. It is pointed out that any comprehensive model of the solar wind will have to address the difference in the temperature-velocity relationship between the low- and high-speed wind, since this is a product of the acceleration and subsequent heating process generating the solar wind.
Protein dynamics via computational microscope

The purpose of this overview is to provide a concise introduction to the methodology and current advances in molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. MD simulations emerged as a powerful and popular tool to study dynamic behavior of proteins and macromolecule complexes at the atomic resolution. This approach can extend static structural data, such as X-ray crystallography, into dynamic domains with realistic timescales (up to millisecond) and high precision, therefore becoming a veritable computational microscope. This perspective covers current advances and methodology in the simulation of protein folding and drug design as illustrated by several important published examples. Overall, recent progress in the simulation field points to the direction that MD will have significant impact on molecular biology and pharmaceutical science.
SYNTHESIS AND STRUCTURE OF PENTAVALENT BISMUTH(V) ALKOXIDES AND LIGAND REDISTRIBUTION EQUILIBRIA IN SOLUTION

The six new pentavalent Bi(V) alkoxide complexes Ph3Bi(OR)2, 1, Ph3BiBr(OR), 2, and Ph4Bi(OR), 3 (a, R = C6F5; b R = C6Cl5) have been prepared. Ph4Bi(OR) was synthesized by alcoholysis of BiPh5 with ROH. Ph3Bi(OR)2 and Ph3BiBr(OR) were products of the salt elimination reaction between Ph3BiBr2 and NaOR. These compounds were characterized spectroscopically and by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. In the solid state, they possess distorted trigonal bipyramidal coordination geometries. Although the mixed species Ph3BiBr(OR) may be isolated in pure form as crystalline solids, they do not exist as pure compounds in solution owing to the very rapid redistribution equilibrium Ph3Bi(OR)2 + Ph3BiBr2 ⇌ 2Ph3BiBr(OR). The equilibrium constants were measured using VT NMR spectroscopy. For comparison, the equilibrium constants for the previously unreported cross-exchange reactions between the dihalides Ph3BiX2 (X = F, Cl, Br) were also measured at 226 K. Trends observed in the values of Keq correlate with the differenc...
ON BRIDGMAN'S OBSERVATIONAL RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE RATIO a/R AND THE NATURAL STRAIN IN TENSILE TESTS ON STEEL CYLINDERS.

steel cylinder in an ordinary tensile test; the quantity a in this figure is the radius of the minimum section of the neck, the quantity ro is the initial radius of the cylinder, and R is the radius of curvature of the outer profile of the cylindrical section at its point of contact P with the minimum section of the neck. By observations on a large number of cylinders constructed from a variety of steels of different composition and heat treatment, Bridgman' was led to the conclusion that the ratio a/R could be expressed in all cases as a function of the natural strain defined as the logarithm of the quantity Ao/A, where Ao is the area of the initial cross section of the cylinder and A is the area of the minimum section of the neck. Figure 2 shows the graph obtained from samples of tempered martensite (steel
Intraocular and central nervous system lymphoma in a cardiac transplant recipient.

Background: Although B-cell lymphomas are the most frequent cancers that evolve in transplant patients, histopathologic verification of intraocular lymphoma as a result of cyclosporine immunosuppression has not been previously recognized. Methods: A complete autopsy was performed on a 67-year-old woman who died 33 months after orthotopic heart transplantation. Findings: Large cell lymphoma extensively involved the anterior segment of the left eye, as well as the vitreous, retina, subretinal pigment epithelial zone, and optic nerve. Tumor also was found in the ipsilateral orbitofrontal cortex and hypothalamic areas. No systemic lymphoma was present. Conclusion: Ocular and central nervous system lymphoma developed in a heart transplant patient. In addition to opportunistic infections, ophthalmologists should be aware that opportunistic lymphoproliferative disorders involving the eye and brain can occur in these immunosuppressed individuals. Epstein-Barr virus infection has been implicated as playing a major role.
Host-specificity restriction by bromovirus cell-to-cell movement protein occurs after initial cell-to-cell spread of infection in nonhost plants.

Abstract The nonstructural 3a protein of the positive-strand RNA bromovinuses is required for infection spread in plants and is acrucial determinant of host specificity in systemic infection. To determine the paths of wild-type (wt) bromovirus infection spread, the step at which 3a mutants are arrested, and the nature of the host specificity associated with the 3a gene, we used in situ hybridization to examine infection spread by cowpea chlorotic mottle bromovirus (CCMV) and its derivatives at the level of individual cells in cowpea leaf epidermis. From 1 to 3 days post inoculation (dpi), wt CCMV spread from initially infected cells to adjacent cells, creating expanding infection foci whose radii grew by one additional epidermal cell diameter every 5 hr. By 3 to 4 dpi, vascular elements contacting such foci acted as conduits for further infection spread. By contrast, a 3a frameshift derivative multiplied in initially infected epidermal cells but failed to move into neighboring cells even by 4 dpi, showing that the 3a gene is essential for cell-to-cell spread. Most interestingly, a CCMV derivative with the 3a gene replaced by that of a bromovirus not adapted to cowpea, brome mosaic virus (BMV), initially spread from cell to cell in cowpea plants, but stopped spreading between 1 and 2 dpi, when most infection foci encompassed 40–80 epidermal cells. Thus, the host-specificity restriction imposed by BMV 3a protein did not result from an inability to direct the spread of infection out of initially infected cowpea cells, but from a much later block. The apparent absence of any preexisting anatomical boundary at the limit of infection spread and localized tissue changes at the infection foci suggested that induced host responses might have contributed to this block.
The Convergence of Informatics and Lightwave Communications

Information theory and low-cost signal processing are the two pillars of modern communications systems. When properly adapted, many of these techniques can achieve remarkable performance improvements in lightwave systems.