cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Modeling Sympathetic Hyperactivity in Alzheimer's Related Bone Loss.

BACKGROUND A significant subset of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) exhibit low bone mineral density and are therefore more fracture-prone, relative to their similarly aged neurotypical counterparts. In addition to chronic immune hyperactivity, behavioral dysregulation of effector peripheral sympathetic neurons-which densely innervate bone and potently modulate bone remodeling-is implicated in this pathological bone reformation. OBJECTIVE Thus, there exists a pressing need for a robust in vitro model which allows interrogation of the paracrine interactions between the putative mediators of AD-related osteopenia: sympathetic neurons (SNs) and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). METHODS Toward this end, activated SN-like PC12 cells and bone marrow derived MSCs were cultured in poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA) hydrogels in the presence or absence of the AD-relevant inflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) under mono- and co-culture conditions. RESULTS PC12s and MSCs exposed separately to TNF-α displayed increased expression of pro-inflammatory mediators and decreased osteopontin (OPN), respectively. These data indicate that TNF-α was capable of inducing a dysregulated state in both cell types consistent with AD. Co-culture of TNF-α-activated PC12s and MSCs further exacerbated pathological behaviors in both cell types. Specifically, PC12s displayed increased secretion of interleukin 6 relative to TNF-α stimulated monoculture controls. Similarly, MSCs demonstrated a further reduction in osteogenic capacity relative to TNF-α stimulated monoculture controls, as illustrated by a significant decrease in OPN and collagen type I alpha I chain. CONCLUSION Taken together, these data may indicate that dysregulated sympathetic activity may contribute to AD-related bone loss.
Two-dimensional exactly solvable models. Some remarks

One studies in some detail the Thirring model with internal degrees of freedom and the Schwinger model. By using this analysis it is shown how to construct exact solutions for a large class of two-dimensional models describing the interaction of massless vector and spinor fields.
Equivalences for Fair Kripke Structures

We extend the notion of bisimulation to Kripke structures with fairness. We define equivalences that preserve fairness and are akin to bisimulation. Specifically we define an equivalence and show that it is complete in the sense that it is the coarsest equivalence that preserves the logic CTL* interpreted with respect to the fair paths. We show that the addition of fairness might cause two Kripke structures, which can be distinguished by a CTL* formula, to become indistinguishable by any CTL formula. We also define another weaker equivalence that is the weakest equivalence preserving CTL interpreted on the fair paths. As a consequence of our proof, we also obtain characterizations of states in the fair structure in terms of CTL* and CTL formulae.
Reduced passage of carbon-14-dieldrin to the fetal rat by phenobarbital but not by eight other drugs or dieldrin.

Abstract Pregnant rats were injected intravenously with 14 C-dieldrin on either Day 13, 16, or 21 of gestation. We killed the rats 5 minutes to 24 hours later and assayed fetuses, placentas, and maternal tissues for radioactivity. Radioactivity in the fetus at all three stages of gestation was highest 40 to 60 minutes after the injection. Fetal levels or radioactivity per gram of tissue increased with increasing stage of gestation. Ten drugs and dieldrin itself were screened as potential modifying agents of dieldrin placental transfer. Only phenobarbital pretreatment decreased the amount of dieldrin-related radioactivity in the fetus. The phenobarbital effect was most pronounced 40 minutes and later after dieldrin administration. After the phenobarbital, dieldrin metabolites increased to a greater extent in maternal plasma than in the fetus.
Dynamically polarized target for the g2p and GEp experiments at Jefferson Lab

Recently, two experiments were concluded in Hall A at Jefferson Lab which utilized a newly assembled, solid, polarized hydrogen target. The primary components of the target are a new, high cooling power 4He evaporation refrigerator, and a re-purposed, superconducting split-coil magnet. It has been used to polarize protons in irradiated NH3 at a temperature of 1 K and at fields of 2.5 and 5.0 tesla. Maximum polarizations of 55% and 95% were obtained at those fields, respectively. To satisfy the requirements of both experiments, the magnet had to be routinely rotated between angles of 0°, 6°, and 90° with respect to the incident electron beam.
Andean Logic and Andean Identity

tries undermine indigenous mobilization and plurinational initiatives. Some mention should have been made of indigenous struggles and gains in North America; this is a missed opportunity considering the growing political clout of Canada's First Nations and the plurinational proposals found there. And by omitting any mention of indigenous nations in the United States, the volume gives the impression that everything is all right at home. More emphasis could also have been placed on how indigenous people increasingly transit regional, urban, and national boundaries, discovering new worlds, adopting new technologies, and prosperingwithout sacrificing their cultural identities. But the latter, I would argue, are inextricably linked-by representations in popular media, nationalist doctrine, and scholarship alike-to images of poverty and marginality, the implicit message being that to achieve social mobility, indigenous peoples must renounce their identities. The definitions and images generated by the dominant society allow for little else, viewing their cultures as archaic, static, and part of nature, far removed from the cultural mainstream of the modernizing nation. Such stereotypes also impact international institutions such as the World Bank and Inter-American Development Bank, which list indigenous grievances as "environmental issues." Future work must explore how native peoples are reshaping their images and resignifying the constraining terms "Indian" and "indigenous people." Such work, I believe, will show that the cultural distinctiveness of indigenous peoples is entirely compatible with "modernity," urban spaces, transnational migration, and social mobility. In sum, while real progress has been made, the future of indigenous rights and cultural nationalism is uncertain. On the one hand, as the presence of indigenous senators, reformed constitutions, strategic international alliances, and ethnicity-based federations demonstrates, indigenous people generally have more political clout than ever before. Even in countries such as war-torn Guatemala and Peru, where tens of thousands of indigenous peasants have been murdered in recent years, the authors find hope that the exclusionary creole and ladino political dominance is deteriorating and that politically effective indigenous groups and constitutional provisions are emerging. Yet the legacy of 1492 remains strong, and in countries throughout the Americas, the languages and cultures of "the hemisphere's most marginalized people" (p. 30) are still treated with contempt and excluded from the national mainstream, while assaults on their leaders, territories, and resources continue. Until this changes, indigenous peoples will continue to view the "democracy" found in the Americas as an institutional facade serving the interests of a light-skinned, neocolonial society. I
Expression of the poly(A)-binding protein during development of Xenopus laevis.

Abstract We have isolated and sequenced cDNA clones encoding the poly(A)-binding protein of Xenopus laevis oocytes. Polyclonal antiserum was raised against a fusion protein encoding 185 amino acids of the Xenopus poly(A)-binding protein. This antiserum localizes the poly(A)-binding protein to subcellular sites associated with protein synthesis; in the retina, immunoreactive protein is detected in the synthetically active inner segment of the photoreceptor but not in the transductive outer segment. Transcripts encoding the poly(A)-binding protein are present in oocytes, although no protein is detected on protein blots. In contrast, the levels of both transcripts and protein increase in development, which correlates with the observed increase in total poly(A) during Xenopus embryogenesis (N. Sagata, K. Shiokawa, and K. Yamana, Dev. Biol. 77:431-448, 1980).
Accounting Stakeholders' Perceptions of Accountants' Job Performance and Motivation

Understanding accounting stakeholders', including customers', perceptions of accountant's job performance and motivation is important to improving customer service, understanding the changing nature of accounting work, and, preparing accountants for professional practice. Herein, we compare the perceptions of three highly experienced groups of accounting stakeholders (i.e., 179 accountants, 286 customers, and 150 supervisors) of accountants' job performance and motivation at the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). We also test for the presence of leniency (i.e., over-estimates of self-performance) and extrinsic incentives (EI) (i.e., overestimates of extrinsic and underestimates of intrinsic motivation among customers and supervisors) biases in stakeholders' perceptions. We find no evidence of leniency bias among accountants, no evidence of extrinsic incentives bias among customers, and, little evidence of an extrinsic incentive bias among supervisors. However, accountants' models of their job performance include predictors (i.e., task prestige, extrinsic motivation) that are not significant in other stakeholders' models. In contrast to the prediction of an EI bias, customers perceive accountants as having lower extrinsic motivation than do the participating accountants. We conclude by discussing the limitations and implications of our results and of the increasing customer focus for accounting work.
Genetic Determinants of Rous Sarcoma Virus Particle Size

The Gag proteins of retroviruses are the only viral products required for the release of membrane-enclosed particles by budding from the host cell. Particles released when these proteins are expressed alone are identical to authentic virions in their rates of budding, proteolytic processing, and core morphology, as well as density and size. We have previously mapped three very small, modular regions of the Rous sarcoma virus (RSV) Gag protein that are necessary for budding. These assembly domains constitute only 20% of RSV Gag, and alterations within them block or severely impair particle formation. Regions outside of these domains can be deleted without any effect on the density of the particles that are released. However, since density and size are independent parameters for retroviral particles, we employed rate-zonal gradients and electron microscopy in an exhaustive study of mutants lacking the various dispensable segments of Gag to determine which regions would be required to constrain or define the particle dimensions. The only sequence found to be absolutely critical for determining particle size was that of the initial capsid cleavage product, CA-SP, which contains all of the CA sequence plus the spacer peptides located between CA and NC. Some regions of CA-SP appear to be more important than others. In particular, the major homology region does not contribute to defining particle size. Further evidence for interactions among CA-SP domains was obtained from genetic complementation experiments using mutant ΔNC, which lacks the RNA interaction domains in the NC sequence but retains a complete CA-SP sequence. This mutant produces low-density particles heterogeneous in size. It was rescued into particles of normal size and density, but only when the complementing Gag molecules contained the complete CA-SP sequence. We conclude that CA-SP functions during budding in a manner that is independent of the other assembly domains.
“One-shot” analysis of polybrominated diphenyl ethers and their hydroxylated and methoxylated analogs in human breast milk and serum using gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

The presence of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and their hydroxylated (OH-BDE) and methoxylated (MeO-BDE) analogs in humans is an area of high interest to scientists and the public due to their neurotoxic and endocrine disrupting effects. Consequently, there is a rise in the investigation of the occurrence of these three classes of compounds together in environmental matrices and in humans in order to understand their bioaccumulation patterns. Analysis of PBDEs, OH-BDEs, and MeO-BDEs using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) can be accomplished simultaneously, but detection limits for PBDEs and MeO-BDEs in LC-MS is insufficient for trace level quantification. Therefore, fractionation steps of the phenolic (OH-BDEs) and neutral (PBDEs and MeO-BDEs) compounds during sample preparation are typically performed so that different analytical techniques can be used to achieve the needed sensitivities. However, this approach involves multiple injections, ultimately increasing analysis time. In this study, an analytical method was developed for a "one-shot" analysis of 12 PBDEs, 12 OH-BDEs, and 13 MeO-BDEs using gas chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS). This overall method includes simultaneous extraction of all analytes via pressurized liquid extraction followed by lipid removal steps to reduce matrix interferences. The OH-BDEs were derivatized using N-(t-butyldimethylsilyl)-N-methyltrifluoroacetamide (TBDMS-MTFA), producing OH-TBDMS derivatives that can be analyzed together with PBDEs and MeO-BDEs by GC-MS/MS in "one shot" within a 25-min run time. The overall recoveries were generally higher than 65%, and the limits of detection ranged from 2 to 14 pg in both breast milk and serum matrices. The applicability of the method was successfully validated on four paired human breast milk and serum samples. The mean concentrations of total PBDEs, OH-BDEs, and MeO-BDEs in breast milk were 59, 2.2, and 0.57 ng g(-1) lipid, respectively. In serum, the mean total concentrations were 79, 38, and 0.96 ng g(-1) lipid, respectively, exhibiting different distribution profiles from the levels detected in breast milk. This "one-shot" GC-MS/MS method will prove useful and cost-effective in large-scale studies needed to further understand the partitioning behavior, and ultimately the adverse health effects, of these important classes of brominated flame retardants in humans.
Analysis of macrodispersion through volume averaging: comparison with stochastic theory

Velocity variability at scales smaller than the size of a solute plume enhances the rate of spreading of the plume around its center of mass. Macroscopically, the rate of spreading can be quantified through macrodispersion coefficients, the determination of which has been the subject of stochastic theories. This work compares the results of a volume-averaging approach with those of the advection dominated large-time small-perturbation theory of Dagan [1982] and Gelhar and Axness [1983]. Consider transport of an ideal tracer in a porous medium with deterministic periodic velocity. Using the Taylor-Aris-Brenner method of moments, it has been previously demonstrated [Kitanidis, 1992] that when the plume spreads over an area much larger than the period, the volume-averaged concentration satisfies the advection-dispersion equation with constant coefficients that can be computed. Here, the volume-averaging analysis is extended to the case of stationary random velocities. Additionally, a perturbation method is applied to obtain explicit solutions for small-fluctuation cases, and the results are compared with those of the stochastic macrodispersion theory. It is shown that the method of moments, which uses spatial averaging, for sufficiently large volumes of averaging yields the same result as the stochastic theory, which is based on ensemble averaging. The result is of theoretical but also practical significance because the volume-averaging approach provides a potentially efficient way to compute macrodispersion coefficients. The method is applied to a simplified representation of the Borden aquifer.
The Practical Utility of Performing Peri-Ictal SPECT in the Evaluation of Children With Partial Epilepsy

Peri-ictal brain single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) is increasingly being established as a useful test in localizing partial epilepsy in adults. However, obtaining an ictal injection and acquiring the SPECT images poses a greater challenge in pediatric patients, and few reports have specifically addressed the practical use of this technique in children. The Mayo Clinic experience of peri-ictal SPECT in the evaluation of children with partial epilepsy is reported here. Peri-ictal SPECT was attempted during 71 admissions involving 59 patients (median age 12 years, range 1 year 6 months-17 years). A peri-ictal SPECT injection was performed on 48 (67.6%) of these admissions in 43 (72.9%) patients, and only two patients could not be scanned. Of the 46 peri-ictal images successfully obtained, 30 (65.2%) were from ictal injection and 16 (34.8%) from post-ictal injections. Forty-two (91.3%) of the successfully obtained SPECT images, in 38 patients (92.3%), were classified as localizing (15 temporal, 24 extratemporal). We conclude that, with the appropriate unit setup and well-trained staff, peri-ictal SPECT scans can be obtained in most pediatric partial epilepsy patients. Moreover, the procedure provides specific localizing information in a high proportion of these patients.
Modeling and validation of hitch loading effects on tractor yaw dynamics

Abstract This paper develops a yaw dynamic model for a farm tractor with a hitched implement, which can be used to understand the effect of tractor handling characteristics for design applications and for new automated steering control systems. Dynamic equations which use a tire-like model to capture the characteristics of the implement are found to adequately describe the tractor implement yaw dynamics. This model is termed the “3-wheeled” Bicycle Model since it uses an additional wheel (from the traditional bicycle model used to capture lateral dynamics of passenger vehicles) to account for the implement forces. The model only includes effects of lateral forces as it neglects differential longitudinal or draft forces between inner and outer sides of the vehicle. Experiments are taken to verify the hitch model using a three-dimensional force dynamometer. This data shows the implement forces are indeed proportional to lateral velocity and that differential draft forces can be neglected as derived in the “3-wheeled” Bicycle Model. Steady state and dynamic steering data are used for implements at varying depths and speeds to quantify the variation in the hitch loading. The dynamic data is used to form empirical transfer function estimates (ETFEs) of the implements and depths in order to determine the coefficients used in the “3-wheeled” Bicycle Model. Changes in a single parameter, called the hitch cornering stiffness, can capture the various implement configurations. Finally, a model that includes front wheel drive forces is derived. Experiments are taken which provide a preliminary look into the effect of four-wheel drive traction forces, and show a difference with two-wheel versus four-wheel drive, on the yaw dynamics of a tractor with the hitched implement.
Course of storms

Tropical Cyclones: Their Evolution, Structure and Effects. By Richard A. Anthes. Pp.208. ISBN 0-933876-8. (American Meteorological Society, Boston: 1982.) $40.
Physical mapping of the early region of bacteriophage T7 DNA

Abstract Heteroduplex mapping of bacteriophage T7 deletions, together with genetic and electrophoretie analysis of T7 RNAs and proteins, has produced a detailed physical map of a substantial segment of T7 DNA, including most of the early region. Position in the T7 molecule is given as percentage of the length of wild type T7 DNA, measured from the left end. The signal that stops transcription by Escherichia coli RNA polymerase at the end of the early region is located near position 20.2. The five early messenger RNAs seem to occupy fully the region between 1.8 and 20.2, with little if any gap between molecules, and the ends of these RNAs have been mapped at positions 1.8, 3.4, 8.0, 15.5, 17.1 and 20.2. When the stop signal is deleted, transcription by host RNA polymerase continues on and the next RNA ends at position 30.1. The positions of some early T7 proteins, as well as one protein to the right of the stop signal, have also been determined. The mapping of the 0.3 and 0.7 proteins is not straightforward, and may indicate that these proteins are somehow processed during or after synthesis. The DNA between positions 2.8 and 8.1, and between positions 15.2 and 23.5, is not essential for growth of the phage, since it can be eliminated by deletions. Genes 0.7 , 1.1 and 1.3 can be deleted entirely, as can the usual origin of replication of T7 DNA, determined by Dressier et al . (1972) to be near position 17. The molecular weights of the early T7 RNAs range between 208,000 and 975,000 and give a convenient spread to use as standards for electrophoresis of RNAs in polyacrylamide gels.
Nonlinear wave propagation in sandstone; a numerical study

Elastic nonlinear effects in rocks are observed widely in laboratory experiments. For example, Toksoz et al. (1976) measured the pressure dependence of wave speed in the rocks. In crystalline rock and sandstone, Johnson et al. (1987) and Johnson and Shankland (1989) have demonstrated the nonlinear generation of elastic waves. The importance of nonlinear effects in seismic waves in the earth in regard to models of the source is given in Johnson and McCall (1994). The evolution of the harmonic spectrum of a single frequency wave propagated in Berea Sandstone was shown in Meegan et al. (1993). The structural defects contained in rock, such as microcracks and grain‐to‐grain contacts, give rise to this strong elastic nonlinearity (e.g., Gist, 1994). A new theoretical model is developed in McCall and Guyer (1994) to describe elastic behavior of hysteretic nonlinear materials, such as rock. In general, the third‐order elastic constants of the rocks have much larger values than ordered solids.
Simultaneous determination of clofibrate and its active metabolite clofibric acid in human plasma by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet absorbance detection.

A reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) using ultraviolet (UV) absorbance detection method for simultaneous determination of clofibrate (I) and its major metabolite clofibric acid (II) in human plasma has been developed to support a clinical study. I, II and internal standard (I.S., III) are isolated from human plasma by 96-well solid-phase extraction (SPE) C(18)z.ccirf;AR plate and quantified by direct injection of the SPE eluent onto the HPLC with UV detection wavelength at 230 nm. Two chromatographic methods, isocratic and step gradient, have been validated from 1.0 to 100.0 microg/ml and successfully applied to plasma sample analysis for a clinical study. The lower limit of quantitation (LLOQ) is 1.0 microg/ml for both I and II when 500 microl plasma sample is processed. Sample collection and preparation is conducted at 5 degrees C to minimize the hydrolysis of I to II in human plasma.
Response Sensitivity for Probabilistic Damage Assessment of Coastal Bridges Under Surge and Wave Loading

The susceptibility of coastal bridges to damage during hurricane-induced storm surge has been illustrated along the U.S. Gulf Coast in several hurricane events. This factor poses a significant threat to the safety of nationwide transportation systems, effectiveness of postevent emergency response and recovery activities, and socioeconomic stability further afforded by functioning transportation infrastructure. Nationwide risk and loss assessment packages currently lack any reliable input models of bridge fragility to assess the risk to the transportation infrastructure posed by hurricane-induced storm surge and wave. However, these tools are essential for comparing the vulnerability of different bridge types, conducting regional risk assessment or loss estimates, and supporting decision making on risk mitigation activities. As a first step in the development of probabilistic models of bridge vulnerability subjected to hurricane scenarios, sensitivity studies are conducted to assess the significance of varying hazard and bridge parameters on the dynamic response of coastal bridges. Three-dimensional nonlinear finite element models are used to assess these demands under varying input modeling parameters, and an analysis of variance is conducted to evaluate the significance of each parameter. The sensitivity study reveals that the potential variation in wave parameters has the most statistically significant impact on the response of the bridge. Additionally, a second-level sensitivity study reveals that the most critical structural parameter is the deck mass followed by connection modeling parameters. The results of this study provide insight into modeling parameters that should receive careful treatment in probabilistic analysis of bridge vulnerability.
From Tribal Village to Global Village: Indian Rights and International Relations in Latin America

From Tribal Village to Global Village: Indian Rights and International Relations in Latin America. Alison Brysk. Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2000. ix. 370 pp., tables, references, index.
A neurologic diagnostic model of the human brain

This paper describes an interactive system written in APL designed to diagnose focal lesions of the brain. It uses essentially the same method we teach to medical students. First a patient's signs and symptoms are mapped onto a visual, three-dimensional representation of the brain. Then the selection of the correct diagnosis from the resulting large number of possible sites is obtained by choosing the intersection of the various pathways. The input to the model is a list of signs and symptoms. The output is a drawing of the brain with the resultant lesion indicated by cross-hatching.
Canine hepatitis virus: attempts to find relationship with human hepatitis.

Summary1) Observations on growth and behavior of a strain of canine hepatitis virus in various tissue culture systems of human and animal origins have been described. 2) By testing acute and convalescent phase sera from human hepatitis patients against canine hepatitis virus in neutralization, complement fixation, and hemagglutination inhibitions tests, no antigenic relationship could be demonstrated between this virus and the infectious agent of human hepatitis.
“Miles within Millimeters” and Other Awe–Inspiring Facts about Our “Mortarboard” Human Cortex

Consideration of the amazing organized intricacy of human cortical anatomy entails a deeper appreciation of nature that is fully consistent with a mature religious spirit. A brain seems at first glance to be a mere lump of grayish claylike stuff, but facts of basic neuroanatomy compel us to consider that this particular kind of stuff may really contain all the richly tangible and richly ghostly inner essences of emotion, thought, and behavior. Humans are the “college graduates” of evolution. The human cortex is 3,400 times the volume of, yet only slightly thicker (about 3 millimeters) than, that of the mouse. This remarkable sheet is as thin as a graduation-day “mortarboard” cap, but its 2,600 square centimeter area is four times as large (about 20 × 20 inches if a square; both metric and English units used deliberately). Zooming in, there are about 50 billion cortical neurons; though named after “pyramids,” they are more like tiny “magic trees,” with branches and roots so long and fine that there are 1 or 2 miles of these electrically scintillating fibers within each cubic millimeter of cortex. Cortical neurons communicate intimately: viewed from above, beneath a single square millimeter 100,000 nerve cells intertwine; each such neuron makes 5,000 or more connections with others. These and many additional amazing facts about brain tissue, together with some conjectures about dense connectedness in the mathematics of graph theory, help to bear out the groundwork prepared by such pioneers as Ralph Wendell Burhoe that the spirit and knowledge of science might rejoin that of religion. If it takes enchanted matter to contain consciousness, this is a kind of enchantment that science may well be able to penetrate for eventual thoroughgoing understanding. Inevitable by-products will be greater reverence for nature and greater awe at the mystery of nature's origin.
Micellar delivery of doxorubicin and its paramagnetic analog, ruboxyl, to HL-60 cells: effect of micelle structure and ultrasound on the intracellular drug uptake

Abstract The effect of Pluronic P-105 micelle structure and ultrasound on the uptake of two anthracycline drugs, doxorubicin and its paramagnetic analogue, ruboxyl, by HL-60 cells was investigated. Pluronic micellization was studied over the temperature range of 25–42°C using the EPR and fluorescence spectroscopy. In the presence of Pluronic P-105 at concentrations corresponding to unimers (or loose aggregates), drug uptake by HL-60 cells was enhanced, apparently due to the effect of the polymeric surfactant on cell membrane permeability. At Pluronic concentrations corresponding to the formation of dense micelles with hydrophobic cores, drug uptake was substantially decreased. However, insonation with 70 kHz ultrasound enhanced the intracellular uptake of drugs encapsulated in dense Pluronic micelles. These findings may provide for developing a new technique of drug targeting by encapsulating the drug in micelles to prevent unwanted interactions with healthy cells and focusing ultrasound on a tumor to enhance drug uptake at the tumor site.
Histopathologic Differential Diagnosis of Subepidermal Cutaneous Blisters and Erosions at Autopsy

The histopathologic differential diagnosis of subepidermal blisters is broad and most commonly includes primary dermatologic diseases (i.e. bullous pemphigoid), secondary blistering conditions (i.e. bullous lichen planus), and drug reactions (i.e. toxic epidermal necrolysis); however, when examining blister specimens taken during autopsy, several other entities need to be added to the differential diagnosis. For one year, we biopsied cutaneous blisters and erosions found during autopsies performed at the Dallas County Medical Examiner’s Office and examined them histologically. The objective of this study was to determine the primary cause of blisters and erosions seen at autopsy, characterize them histologically in order to allow differentiation from other blistering conditions, and emphasize causes of subepidermal blisters that are often not considered in the differential diagnosis. We present eight representative cases in order to illustrate the following points. The majority of blisters and erosions examined were subepidermal and secondary to physical causes, such as burns, defibrillation, submersion, fetal maceration, and decomposition. Although primary skin conditions need to be considered when examining blisters and erosions at autopsy, the most common entities are secondary to physical causes, and these need to be included in the differential diagnosis in order to obtain an accurate diagnosis.
A Novel Monte Carlo Algorithm for Simulating Strongly Associating Fluids: Applications to Water, Hydrogen Fluoride, and Acetic Acid

A novel aggregation-volume-bias Monte Carlo (AVBMC) algorithm is presented which greatly enhances the efficiency of sampling the phase space of fluid systems consisting of strongly associating molecules. The algorithm is compared to the bond-bias Monte Carlo algorithm by Tsangaris and de Pablo (J. Chem. Phys. 1994, 101, 1477) and the monomer-addition-subtraction algorithm by Visco and Kofke (J. Chem. Phys. 1999, 110, 5493). The AVBMC algorithm is easy to implement, generally applicable, and robust. Its efficiency is demonstrated for a large variety of processes and systems, including the vaporization of a liquid methane droplet or a water cluster, an investigation of the temperature- and pressure-dependent properties of superheated hydrogen fluoride vapor, and the vapor−liquid coexistence curve of acetic acid.
Structure/function analysis of the Ala116 ← Lys121 region of endonuclease V by random targeted mutagenesis

Endonuclease V is the product of the denV gene of bacteriophage T4 and is responsible for the recognition and repair of pyrimidine dimers due to UV irradiation of DNA. This is accomplished by a two-step mechanism involving incision at the site of the lesion followed by cleavage of the phosphate backbone. In order to better understand this molecule, and to validate our new mutagenesis procedure, we have constructed a series of random mutations within the region Ala116-->Lys121 using a random targeted mutagenesis procedure developed for this study. The results presented here suggest an important role for this region in the stabilization of the thymine dimer-containing substrate. These mutants also confirm a direct correlation between survival and both DNA binding and pyrimidine dimer-DNA glycosylase activity. No such correlation exists between survival and AP lyase activity. The results are consistent with the recently published X-ray crystal structure.
A semi-empirical estimate of the scattering cross section and mobility of excess electrons in liquid hydrocarbons

Abstract The scattering cross sections and intrinsic mobility of electrons in liquid hydrocarbons have been calculated from measurements of the quasi-free electron energy. By incorporating the mobility temperature dependence the calculated mobilities satisfactorily explain the tenfold difference of mobilities in n-hexane and neopentane.
Modifying Surface Reactivity by Carbide Formation: Reaction Pathways of Cyclohexene over Clean and Carbide-Modified W(111)†

The decomposition and dehydrogenation of cyclohexene (c-C6H10) are used as probe reactions to compare the surface reactivities of clean and carbide-modified W(111). The reaction mechanisms have been studied using temperature-programmed desorption (TPD), Auger electron spectroscopy (AES), low-energy electron diffraction (LEED), high-resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy (HREELS), and near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS). On the clean W(111) surface, cyclohexene molecules decompose to produce hydrogen, atomic carbon and cyclohexane. In contrast, on the carbide-modified W(111) surface, cyclohexene undergoes primarily dehydrogenation to form benzene and hydrogen. The selectivity to the production of gas-phase benzene on C/W(111) is similar to that observed on the Pt(111) surface.
Proximal Row Carpectomy and a Modification for Dorsal Capsular Interposition

Proximal row carpectomy is a time tested management technique for wrist arthritis. This review article describes the surgical technique for proximal row carpectomy as well as the indications and post-operative protocol. Alternative methods of treatment are contrasted with proximal row carpectomy. A modification of the standard technique using a dorsal capsular interposition is also described that may be used to extend the indications for the procedure to those not traditionally considered good candidates for proximal row carpectomy. A review of the literature presents the results of the procedure and its modification.
Gravitational collapse and higher-order gravitational lagrangians

Abstract A general form of higher-order contributions (in Rij) to the Einstein field equations is displayed. The additional terms may either stabilize or destabilize self-gravitating objects in gravitational collapse depending on the sign of the coefficient introducing the quadratic term. If the quadratic term is stabilizing, intertial mass can be converted to radiation with an efficiency approaching 100%, and arbitrarily large masses can be stabilized. On the other hand, the resultant field equations are pathological in that they admit gravitons with negative mass-squared (i.e., tachyons). A nonsingular class of vacuum solutions exist in general for the quadratic case (“grey dimples”).
Differential inhibition of mammalian aminopropyltransferase activities.

Abstract Rat ventral prostate spermine synthetase was inhibited by 5′-methylthioadenosine and by S-adenosylhomocysteine at concentrations which did not inhibit spermidine synthetase from the same tissue. S-Adenosylethionine inhibited both enzymes to an equal extent. These aminopropyltransferases were also inhibited by diamines not normally present in mammalian cells. All the α,ω-diamines with 3 to 12 C atoms had inhibitory activity, but 1,3-diaminopropane and 1,5-diaminopentane were most active. Spermine synthetase was more sensitive than spermidine synthetase to the effects of these diamines. These results suggest that the relative rates of spermidine and spermine formation in , vivo might be affected by the intracellular concentration of nucleosides such as S-adenosylhomocysteine. They also raise the possibility that these rates of synthesis could be selectively affected by administration of one or the other of these inhibitors.
Transport properties of a new dialysis membrane

The dialysis and flow properties of a selected copolymer system, consisting of polyethylene terephthalate and polyoxyethylene glycol, have been studied in some detail. Such transport information should serve as a guideline to future development of improved, synthetic, hemodialysis membrane materials. By varying the size of the polyoxyethylene glycol segment, the transport properties of this copolymer have been examined as a function of the chemical and physical properties of the system. Membrane transport has been described by three flow parameters: the filtration, reflection, and solute permeability coefficients. Data for three copolyether-ester compositions and several aqueous solutes are discussed and compared with data on cuprophane, the cellulose material currently used in the Kiil hemodialyser.
Effect of parallel refraction on magnetospheric upper hybrid waves

Large amplitude (not less than 10 mV/m) electrostatic plasma waves near the upper hybrid (UH) frequency have been observed from 0 to 50 deg magnetic latitude (MLAT) during satellite plasma-pause crossings. A three-dimensional numerical ray-tracing calculation, based on an electron distribution measured during a GEOS 1 dayside intense upper-hybrid wave event, suggests how UH waves might achieve such large amplitudes away from the geomagnetic equator. Refractive effects largely control the wave amplification and, in particular, the unavoidable refraction due to parallel geomagnetic field gradients restricts growth to levels below those observed. However, a cold electron density gradient parallel to the field can lead to upper hybrid wave growth that can account for the observed emission levels.
Are social aggregation and temporary immigration driving high rates of increase in some Southern Hemisphere humpback whale populations

Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) in the Southern Hemisphere were heavily exploited by commercial whaling. Today, their recovery is variable: Humpbacks remain surprisingly scarce in some formerly populous areas (e.g., New Zealand, Fiji), while in other regions (such as eastern Australia), they appear to be rebounding at or even above the maximum plausible rate of annual increase. Here, we propose that this phenomenon cannot be explained solely in demographic terms. Through simulation, we test the hypothesis that reported high rates of increase represent a combination of true intrinsic growth rates and temporary immigration, driven by a strong tendency to aggregate for mating. We introduce the idea that overexploitation diminished density at major breeding grounds such that these were no longer viable; then, during subsequent population recovery, a critical mass was attained in certain areas which drew in whales that formerly bred elsewhere. The simulations show that, to maintain high increase rates, the contribution to that rate by temporary immigration from a second, “source” population would have to represent a larger and larger proportion of the source stock and would require relatively high (but quite plausible) intrinsic rates of increase for each population. In the modeling scenarios, the demand for immigrants would eventually exceed the supply and exhaust the source population, but the simulations demonstrated that high increase rates can be sustained over periods of more than 20 years. This hypothesis, if correct, would not only explain excessively high rates of increase in current “hotspots” such as eastern Australia, but also imply that formerly important areas (e.g., Fiji) host few whales today not necessarily because of a failure to recover, but because the species’ mating system leads the whales concerned to migrate to higher-density breeding grounds elsewhere. Overall, we caution that assessments of depleted animal populations that do not consider the social behavior of a species are missing a potentially vital component of the picture.
A Reliability Approach to Inverse Simulation under Uncertainty

Inverse simulation is an inverse process of a direct simulation. During the process, the simulation input variables are identified for a given set of simulation output variables. Uncertainties such as random parameters may exist in engineering applications of inverse simulation. A reliability method is developed in this work to estimate the probability distributions of unknown simulation input. The First Order Reliability Method is employed and modified so that the inverse simulation is embedded within the reliability analysis algorithm. This treatment avoids the separate executions of reliability analysis and inverse simulation and consequently maintains high efficiency. In addition, the means and standard deviations of unknown input variables can also be obtained. A particle impact problem is presented to demonstrate the proposed method for inverse simulation under uncertainty.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
Observation of the decay instability of a beam plasma wave

Abstract The spontaneous decay of a beam plasma wave into an ion acoustic and an electron plasma wave has been observed during the interaction of a monoenergetic electron beam with a helium and a neon plasma.
The borel law of normal numbers, the borel zero-one law, and the work of Van Vleck

Abstract A discussion is given of a 1908 paper by the American E. Van Vleck. It is argued that Van Vleck proved the first Zero-One law, anticipating the Zero-One law of Borel and, more strikingly, that of Kolmogorov. A brief description of the evolution of the link between measure theory and probability theory is given. By following Van Vleck's own steps in deriving consequences of his Zero-One Law, a result (“the Extended Van Vleck Theorem”) is given which is directly comparable to Borel's Law of Normal Numbers. Finally, it is shown that the Van Vleck Zero-One Law, which in generality falls between that of Borel and that of Kolmogorov, is further distinguished in that it provides the key step in establishing what may be the earliest example in Ergodic Theory of a metrically transitive transformation.
Virus production in microsphere-induced aggregate culture of animal cells

Green monkey kidney cells (Vero) were cultivated on microspheres with a median diameter of 23 μm. Aggregates were formed two days after inoculation and eventually reached a few hundred micrometers in diameter. Cells in these aggregates remained viable throughout the cultivation period and were successfully used for the production of vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV).
The Na+/I− symporter (NIS) mediates electroneutral active transport of the environmental pollutant perchlorate

The Na+/I− symporter (NIS) is a key plasma membrane protein that mediates active I− uptake in the thyroid, lactating breast, and other tissues with an electrogenic stoichiometry of 2 Na+ per I−. In the thyroid, NIS-mediated I− uptake is the first step in the biosynthesis of the iodine-containing thyroid hormones, which are essential early in life for proper CNS development. In the lactating breast, NIS mediates the translocation of I− to the milk, thus supplying this essential anion to the nursing newborn. Perchlorate (ClO4−) is a well known competitive inhibitor of NIS. Exposure to food and water contaminated with ClO4− is common in the U.S. population, and the public health impact of such exposure is currently being debated. To date, it is still uncertain whether ClO4− is a NIS blocker or a transported substrate of NIS. Here we show in vitro and in vivo that NIS actively transports ClO4−, including ClO4− translocation to the milk. A simple mathematical fluxes model accurately predicts the effect of ClO4− transport on the rate and extent of I− accumulation. Strikingly, the Na+/ ClO4− transport stoichiometry is electroneutral, uncovering that NIS translocates different substrates with different stoichiometries. That NIS actively concentrates ClO4− in maternal milk suggests that exposure of newborns to high levels of ClO4− may pose a greater health risk than previously acknowledged because ClO4− would thus directly inhibit the newborns' thyroidal I− uptake.
Biomechanics: Barefoot running strikes back

Detailed analyses of foot kinematics and kinetics in barefoot and shod runners offer a refined understanding of bipedalism in human evolution. This research will also prompt fresh studies of running injuries.
Subsequent pregnancy outcome with prior uterine rupture

MICHAEL MAHONEY, JULIE MOLDENHAUER, MARJORIE TREADWELL, Wayne State University, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Detroit, Michigan, University of Chicago, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Chicago, Illinois OBJECTIVE: Very little information is available regarding subsequent pregnancy outcomes after a woman has had a uterine rupture in a prior pregnancy. The aim of this study was to review subsequent pregnancy outcomes after uterine rupture. STUDY DESIGN: Patients with a uterine rupture at the time of delivery were identified by ICD-9 codes. Retrospective chart review was performed to confirm the diagnosis of uterine rupture, characterize the rupture, and to abstract the data of subsequent pregnancy outcomes. Pregnancies that had reached a viable gestational age at the time of initial uterine rupture were included. RESULTS: From 1995-2005, 56 cases of uterine rupture were identified. Of those cases, 6 patients were found to have 8 subsequent pregnancies. The uterine rupture in each case was documented as ranging in size from 4 mm to 5 cm. Uterine surgeries prior to rupture were documented as low transverse cesarean section in 2 cases and undocumented in 4 of the cases. The median interval from rupture to subsequent pregnancy was 20 months (range 14-79 months). Of the 8 subsequent pregnancies, 1 resulted in first trimester intrauterine demise and 7 resulted in delivery of a viable neonate, including 6 singletons and 1 twin delivery. Each delivery occurred at a gestational age of 35 weeks or more and the median birthweight was 2760 grams (range 22403300 grams). All viable pregnancies were delivered by cesarean section, with an intraoperative median estimated blood loss of 800 mL (range 500-1200 mL). The patient presented in spontaneous labor in four of seven deliveries. There were no subsequent uterine ruptures diagnosed, nor were any cesarean hysterectomies performed. CONCLUSION: Women with a prior uterine rupture should be adequately counseled regarding maternal/fetal risks in subsequent pregnancies. Although the results of this small series are reassuring for patients desiring to carry another pregnancy after uterine rupture, further studies are necessary.