cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Redox electron-transfer reactions: electrochemically mediated rearrangement, mechanism, and a total synthesis of daucene.

The term “housane” refers to molecules possessing a bicyclo[2.1.0]pentane core. One was designed, synthesized, and used as a precursor of daucene, a member of the carotane class of sesquiterpenes. The total synthesis was completed, thereby marking the first time that housane-derived cation radicals have been used as the key intermediate in the synthesis of a natural product. The transformation used in the construction and featured in the text involves an oxidation to generate the cation radical via either a chemically or an electrochemically mediated electron transfer, the latter process using tris(p-bromophenyl)amine as the mediator. The two methods are compared, and guiding principles are formulated to assist in deciding how best to implement each. Both processes afford an unfavorable equilibrium state that is subsequently drained toward the product by two irreversible events, viz., a 1,2 carbon migration to the site that best stabilizes a positive charge and a second electron transfer, this time being ...
Photon energy dependent branching ratios of the inner valence satellites in the photoemission of solid ethylene

Abstract Measuring the photoelectron branching ratios of the outer and inner valence emission of ethylene as a function of photon energy between 40 and 200 eV, we are able to identify the various photoemission lines. As theory predicts, the single particle picture breaks down for the innermost valence orbital (2a g ). The photoemission from this orbital is spread over two lines which are also degenerate with other excited state configurations of the ion. This leads to interference effects which are indeed observed in the cross section of these lines.
Steroid metabolism by badger (Taxidea taxus) ovarian tissue homogenates.

Tissue homogenates of badger (Taxidea taxus) ovaries and corpora lutea have been incubated with 7α-3H-pregnenolone together with either 4-14C-androstenedione or 4-14C-dehydroepiandrosterone substrates. Ovarian tissue from nonpregnant animals metabolized androstenedione very little, and 95% was recovered unchanged after a 3-hr incubation. Kinetic studies showed that pregnenolone was extensively metabolized via 17α-hydroxypregnenolone and dehydroepiandrosterone to androstenedione and possibly small amounts of testosterone. No detectable 3H-progesterone accumulated in these incubations. After removal of the corpora lutea, ovaries of two pregnant badgers in the pre- and postimplantation stages showed metabolic patterns of 7α-3H-pregnenolone similar to that of ovarian tissue from the nonpregnant badgers. Luteal tissue from the postimplantation animal formed primarily progesterone, 17α-hydroxypregnenolone and androstenedione from 7α-3H-pregnenolone, and testosterone from 14C-androstenedione substrate in 3-hr incubations. Similar tissue from an animal in the preimplantation stage of pregnancy formed less than half the amount of 3H-progesterone and eight times the amount of 17α-hydroxypregnenolone formed by the corpus luteum tissue from the postimplantation ovary. Dehydroepiandrosterone-4-14C was 90% metabolized to androstenedione in the latter incubations. These results demonstrate the predominance of a Δ5-pathway of pregnenolone metabolism to dehydroepiandrosterone and androstenedione in whole ovarian tissue homogenates from nonpregnant badgers and in ovarian tissue from pregnant badgers after the removal of the corpora lutea. The presence of 3β-ol-dehydrogenase, Δ5-isomerase, 17α-hydroxylase, C17–20-desmolase, and 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase enzymatic activities has also been demonstrated in badger corpus luteum tissue. No major qualitative differences were observed in the steroid metabolic patterns of similar tissue from badgers in different reproductive states.
Analysis of post-translational modifications in recombinant monoclonal antibody IgG1 by reversed-phase liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry

Characterization and quantitative analysis of modifications in recombinant monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) plays an important role in biopharmaceutical development. This study demonstrates a new approach to assess variants in mAbs, based on individual analysis of subdomains. These subdomains were generated by dithiothreitol reduction and papain cleavage. A reversed-phase LC-MS method was developed that provides efficient separation of subdomains (light and heavy chains, Fab and Fc) containing several specific modifications such as pyroglutamic acid, deamidation, isomerization and oxidation. The best separation was achieved on Zorbax SB C8 columns using linear water-acetonitrile gradients in 0.1% trifluoroacetic acid. Deconvoluted electrospray ionization mass spectra of these domains revealed the modification profiles of these variants with high accuracy and resolution. This study presents a strategy that offers orthogonal approaches to analyze antibody variants, and provide a qualitative and quantitative assessment of mAb heterogeneity.
Fetal Tissue Transplantation Research and Federal Policy: A Growing Wall of Separation

The federal moratorium on fetal tissue transplantation research is creating an ever growing wall of separation between public and private research. This federal policy is based on undocumented psychological assumptions about what motivates women to have abortions, neglects to consider the suffering that could be prevented by allowing such research, disregards the fact that other forms of fetal research are performed at federal expense, infringes on the scientific freedom of federally employed scientists and compromises the federal government's ability to control the quality of research. Efforts must be made to legally dismantle this wall before it further impedes the goals of medical research.
Beyond emergency surgery: redefining acute care surgery.

Abstract Background Considerable debate exists regarding the definition, skill set, and training requirements for the new specialty of acute care surgery (ACS). We hypothesized that a patient subset could be identified that requires a level of care beyond general surgical training and justifies creation of this new specialty. Materials and methods Reviewed patient admissions over 1-y to the only general surgical service at a level I trauma center—staffed by trauma and/or critical care trained physicians. Patients classified as follows: trauma, ACS, emergency general (EGS), or elective surgery. ACS patients are nonelective, nontrauma patients with significantly altered physiology requiring intensive care unit admission and/or specific complex operative interventions. Differences in demographics, hospital course, and outcomes were analyzed. Results In-patient service evaluated approximately 5500 patients, including 3300 trauma patients. A total of 2152 admissions include 37% trauma, 30% elective, 28% EGS, and 4% ACS. ACS and trauma patients were more likely to require multiple operations (ACS relative risk [RR] = 11.5; trauma RR = 5.7, P P P Conclusions ACS and EGS patients represent distinct patient cohorts, as reflected by significant differences in critical care needs, likelihood of multiple operations, and need for postdischarge rehabilitation. The skills required to care for ACS patients, including ability to rescue from complications and provide critical care, differ from those required for EGS patients and supports development of ACS training and regionalization of care.
The association of dorsiflexion flexibility on knee kinematics and kinetics during a drop vertical jump in healthy female athletes

While previous studies have examined the association between ankle dorsiflexion flexibility and deleterious landing postures, it is not currently known how landing kinetics are influenced by ankle dorsiflexion flexibility. The purpose of this study was to examine whether ankle dorsiflexion flexibility was associated with landing kinematics and kinetics that have been shown to increase the risk of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury in female athletes. Twenty-three female collegiate soccer players participated in a preseason screening that included the assessment of ankle dorsiflexion flexibility and lower-body kinematics and kinetics during a drop vertical jump task. The results demonstrated that females with less ankle dorsiflexion flexibility exhibited greater peak knee abduction moments (r = −.442), greater peak knee abduction angles (r = .355), and less peak knee flexion angles (r = .385) during landing. The range of dorsiflexion flexibility for the current study was between 9° and 23° (mean = 15.0°; SD 3.9°). Dorsiflexion flexibility may serve as a useful clinical measure to predict poor landing postures and external forces that have been associated with increased knee injury risk. Rehabilitation specialists can provide interventions aimed at improving dorsiflexion flexibility in order to ameliorate the impact of this modifiable factor on deleterious landing kinematics and kinetics in female athletes. II.
The social register: Directory of America's upper class

This article is a report of research updating the work of E. Digby Baltzell (1953) in which the Social Register was shown to be an index of the social upper class. Baltzell, and later Domhoff (1967) and Broad (1986, 1995), identified several practices used by the upper class to consolidate upper class repute and support class cohesion, using the register. Continuity of register listing and certain naming practices, such as numerical serialization and recombinant appellation, are here examined in the 1977 and 1995 Social Register. The findings conclude that these practices continue to be used, indicating reaffirmation by the social upper class that they remain interested in continuity of lineage.
925-41 Coronary Sinus pH During Dipyridamole Infusion in Patients with Angina and Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

Typical angina pectoris and myocardial scarring suggestive of ischemia are common in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). However, the clinical evaluation of myocardial ischemia in HCM remains problematic as baseline ECG abnormalities are frequent and thallium-201 perfusion abnormalities correlate poorly with anginal symptoms. Similarly, coronary sinus lactate studies are subject to sampling errors. Coronary sinus pH measurement using a catheter mounted pH electrode is a validated, sensitive technique for the detection of myocardial ischemia. The change in coronary sinus pH during i.v. dipyridamole was determined in 10 patients with HCM and typical exertional chest pain (7 male, mean age 35 ± 11 years, range 19–53). Eight patients had ST segment depression of ≥ 1 mm in 2 or more leads of the baseline ECG at rest and 4 had reversible perfusion defects during stress thallium-201 scintigraphy. The pH electrode was introduced into the coronary sinus via the subclavian vein and dipyridamole (0.5 mg/kg) administered by slow i.v. injection. All patients experienced typical chest pain associated with a fall in coronary sinus pH (mean 0.08 ± 0.04, range: 0.020.15 units). Eight patients had changes ≥ 0.04 units. ST depression ( ≥ 1 mm from baseline) occurred in 3 patients. Peak heart rate Imean 95.5 ± 12 bpm, range 80 – 115) correlated with the maximal pH change (r = 0.7, P = 0.02). There was no association between maximum pH change and left ventricular dimensions or outflow tract gradient. Conclusion Chest pain during dipyridamole infusion in patients with HCM is caused by myocardial ischemia. Coronary sinus pH electrodes can be used successfully in the evaluation of myocardial ischemia risk in patients with HCM.
P‐208: Novel Optical Design for Mini‐Projector

Three types of optical designs for mini-projector was demonstrated. Three kinds of LEDs were conducted for these designs. The collimation lens type is the most common way to collimate light into panel which leads to a miniature system, but with lower uniformity. The second type and third type are the types that meet the telecentric condition. These two types can reduce the loss in stop inside the projection lenses and get a better uniformity than the previous one.
Effects of steroid exposure on ligand binding and functional activities of diverse nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subtypes

Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChR) are diverse members of the ligand-gated ion channel superfamily of neurotransmitter receptors and play critical roles in chemical signaling throughout the nervous system. The present study tests whether nAChR are potential targets for steroids. Acute or short-term (5 min) preexposure to steroids such as progesterone (which acts most potently), estradiol, corticosterone, or dexamethasone inhibits function of human muscle-type (alpha 1 beta 1 gamma delta) or ganglionic (alpha 3 beta 4) nAChR measured using 86Rb+ efflux assays in TE671/RD clonal or SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells. Absolute (high nanomolar to intermediate micromolar range) and rank-order potencies for steroid-mediated functional inhibition are similar across nAChR subtypes but differ for some steroid derivatives. At concentrations that produce blockade of nAChR function, steroids do not affect binding of radioligands such as 125I-labeled alpha-bungarotoxin or [3H] acetylcholine to muscle-type or ganglionic nAChR or to neuronal toxin-binding nAChR that contain alpha 7 subunits (alpha 7-nAChR). Steroid-mediated blockade of nAChR function is insurmountable by increasing agonist concentrations, and cell-impermeant progesterone:bovine serum albumin conjugates have full potency as inhibitors of ganglionic or muscle-type nAChR function. Chronic (48 h) exposure to progesterone or estradiol, but not the other steroids, also produces blockade of nAChR function, without significant effects on numbers of nAChR radioligand-binding sites. Collectively, these results suggest that steroids act noncompetitively at extracellular sites to inhibit nAChR function with unique potencies for different steroid-nAChR subtype combinations. Thus, nAChR could be among the targets mediating physiologically relevant effects of steroid action in the nervous system.
Genetic engineering of thylakoid protein complexes by chloroplast transformation in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii.

Chloroplast transformation of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii has developed into a powerful tool for studying the structure, function and assembly of thylakoid protein complexes in a eukaryotic organism. In this article we review the progress that is being made in the development of procedures for efficient chloroplast transformation. This focuses on the development of selectable markers and the use of Chlamydomonas mutants, individually lacking thylakoid protein complexes, as recipients. Chloroplast transformation has now been used to engineer all four major thylakoid protein complexes, photosystem II, photosystem I, cytochrome b6/f and ATP synthase. These results are discussed with an emphasis on new insights into assembly and function of these complexes in chloroplasts as compared with their prokaryotic counterparts.
Bacterial Endocarditis in a Patient with Idiopathic Hypertrophic Subaortic Stenosis

A rare case of subacute bacterial endocarditis, due to a streptococcus viridans organism, is reported in a patient with idiopathic hypertrophic subaortic stenosis (IHSS). Subacute bacterial endocarditis prophylaxis is recommended for patients with IHSS.
Computed tomography of traumatic serosanguineous cysts

Two patients developed traumatic peripelvic serosanguineous cysts, following pelvic fracture. A serosanguineous cyst develops when shearing forces cause separation of the skin and subcutaneous fat from the deep fascia and muscle. The space thus created is filled with serious fluid and blood, and clinically presents as soft cystic masses, appearing usually within a day or so, or rarely, after several weeks or months. Most of these lesions resolve spontaneously, or following aspiration; however, some may persist, necessitating surgical resection. Computed tomography is the modality of choice for detection and, in those cysts requiring surgery, it is helpful in revealing the exact size and location of these lesions.
Submicron particle filtration in monolith filters – A modeling and experimental study

Abstract With over a million micron-sized channels per square centimeter arranged in a regular pattern on a thin film, monolith filters have significant potential for submicron aerosol particle filtration, even though the filtration process with this class of filters has not been well studied. In order to better understand the capture mechanisms and the main factors that affect the capture efficiency, so as to build predictive numerical models and to improve the design of monolith filters, the filtration process in monolith filters was investigated both experimentally and numerically. Using an electrostatic particle classifier (EPC) and a condensation particle counter (CPC), the experimental platform measured the capture efficiency of salt particles with diameters ranging from 50–300 nm on two monolith filter samples. Based on the filtration process and the repeating geometric structure, a single unit model was proposed. The drag force, electrostatic force, and Brownian motion are considered as the major forces affecting particle motion. Published theories underestimated the capture efficiency compared to the experimental results. The Brownian motion model and the capture criterion were then empirically modified to gain better agreement with the experiment.
Controlled DNA “Damage” and Repair in Hypoxic Signaling

Hypoxia, a fundamental stimulus in biology and medicine, uses reactive oxygen species (ROS) as second messengers. A surprising target of hypoxia-generated ROS is specific bases within hypoxic response elements (HREs) of the VEGF and other hypoxia-inducible genes. Oxidative modifications coincide with the onset of mRNA accumulation and are localized to transcriptionally active mono-nucleosomes. The oxidative base modifications are removed by the base excision DNA repair pathway for which one of its components, the bifunctional transcriptional co-activator and DNA endonuclease Ref-1/Ape1, is critical for transcription complex assembly. Mimicking the effect of hypoxia by introducing an abasic site in an oligonucleotide model of the VEGF HRE, altered transcription factor binding, enhanced sequence flexibility, and engendered more robust reporter gene expression. These observations suggest that controlled DNA “damage” and repair, mediated by ROS used as second messengers and critically involving the base excision pathway of DNA repair, respectively, are important for hypoxia-induced transcriptional activation.
Neurofilaments are intrinsic determinants of axonal caliber

Abstract Neurofilaments (NFs) are intrinsic determinants of axonal caliber in large-caliber myelinated nerve fibers. Axonal caliber is influenced by the number of NFs in the axon (axonal NF content) and the spacing between adjacent NFs (interfilament distance). Axonal NF content depends on the level of NF gene expression, the amount of NF protein entering the axon, and the velocity at which NF protein moves within the axon. In this review we discuss possible factors affecting both axonal NF content and interfilament distance; these include the ratio of NF subunits, the level of phosphorylation of these subunits, interactions with target cells, and interactions with ensheathing glial cells.
Do social advergames affect brand attitudes and advocacy

Advergames have been used for some time as a form of branded entertainment designed to engage prospective customers in a branded activity for an extended period of time. Increasingly, advergames are imbued with social qualities related to the rise in popularity of social media, especially social networking. Despite the popularity of social advergames, little is known about the brand benefits of incorporating social features into games. Moreover, while creativity has been studied in the context of more traditional advertising, less is known about its effects on brand development in the context of advergames. Although advertising creativity, as characterized by novelty and relevance, has been shown to impact advertised brands, it is not clear how creativity interacts with advergame socialness to affect brand development. To address these gaps in the literature, this paper reports on three experimental studies that compare the brand effects of advergames that enable social interactions to advergames that are...
Clinical approaches in the treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) using oligonucleotides.

Abstract Duchenne Muscular dystrophy (DMD) is one of the most severe forms of hereditary diseases in muscles. The identification and characterization of dystrophin, the gene responsible for the disease has lead to the development of potential gene therapy treatments for this disorder. The complex structure and size of the dystrophin gene represent a challenge for some gene therapy approaches such as gene replacement mediated by viral vectors. Others, including oligonucleotide-mediated gene therapies have allowed forms of manipulation in the dystrophin gene not possible with other disorders. The use of oligonucleotides to modulate gene expression has shown to be a feasible alternative treatment to DMD. Antisense-mediated technologies have made outstanding progress in the last decade and two phase I clinical trials for exon skipping in DMD are already in progress. Gene correction mediated by oligonucleotides faces much greater obstacles, but the outcome of the approach, permanent correction of the gene defect, represents an ideal treatment to the disease. Gene therapy mediated by antisense oligonucleotides or oligonucleotide mediated gene editing have the potential to have a primary role in gene therapy applications to muscles, but they are still far from representing an effective cure. Factors like safety and sustained beneficial effects in patients will have to be considered in detail before this technology can become applicable to the treatment of muscles disorders. Ultimately the need for production of oligonucleotides in large scale and the cost of treatment for each individual patient will play a big role in the feasibility of these approaches in DMD.
Effects of milrinone on left ventricular remodeling after acute myocardial infarction.

BACKGROUNDLeft ventricular remodeling after an acute myocardial infarction may result in progressive left ventricular dilation that may be associated with increased mortality. We studied the effects of the phosphodiesterase inhibitor milrinone on left ventricular remodeling after acute myocardial infarction.METHODS AND RESULTSRats (n = 90) were randomized to undergo either left coronary artery ligation or sham operation. Three weeks after surgery, rats received either no treatment or milrinone, which was continued until 2 days before the rats were killed. Ninety days after the initial surgery, hemodynamic measurements were made before and after volume loading. The rats were killed, the hearts were removed, and passive pressure-volume curves were obtained. The hearts were fixed at a constant pressure and analyzed morphometrically. Compared with untreated infarcted rats, milrinone-treated infarcted rats had a lower left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (1.7 +/- 0.4 versus 4.3 +/- 1.4 mm Hg, p less than 0....
Hemodynamic effects of angiotensin inhibitors in elderly hypertensives undergoing total knee arthroplasty under regional anesthesia

Abstract The aim was to investigate the association between continuing angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARB) with postinduction hypotension and vasoactive drug use in elderly orthopedic surgery patients under regional anesthesia. Retrospective design consisted of 114 patients (mean age 66) undergoing elective total knee arthroplasty, including 84 patients with chronic hypertension, and they were divided as group I (n = 37), ACEI/ARB continued; group II (n = 23), ACEI/ARB withdrawn; group III (n = 24), β-blocker/calcium channel blocker continued; and group IV (n = 30), without hypertension (control). Primary end points are systolic blood pressures (SBPs) and mean arterial blood pressures (MAPs) at 0, 30, 60, and 90 minutes postinduction, incidence of hypotension (SBP P = .02) in group I (30%) versus groups II–IV (9%, 13%, 3%). Ephedrine use was increased ( P P = .0045) and group IV (110 vs. 119; P = .0013). Lower mean MAPs were found in group I versus group II (74 vs. 81, P = .001) and group IV (74 vs. 80; P = .001). Group I had an increased odds of receiving ephedrine versus group IV (odds ratio, 16.27; 95% confidence interval, 3.10–85.41; P = .001). No adverse clinical events were recorded. Day of surgery ACEI/ARB use is associated with a high incidence and severity of postinduction hypotension with associated high vasopressor requirements. Associated clinical outcomes merit further study.
Non-Porous Silica Supports for High Performance Liquid Chromatography

Abstract The physical and chromatographic properties of two types of non-porous HPLC support materials were examined. Loading capacities of non-porous supports were about 10 fold less than of wide-pore gels, while their physical strength was much greater, suggesting that non-porous supports could be useful for polymer separations. Such materials appeared to be less suitable for low-molecular-weight solutes, except for fundamental retention studies, where the absence of pore structure offers a less ambiguous support matrix.
A Simple Molecular Model for the Spontaneous Curvature and the Bending Constants of Nonionic Surfactant Monolayers at the Oil/Water Interface†

A simple analytical model for the spontaneous curvature and the bending constants of nonionic surfactant monolayers at an oil/water interface is developed with the goal of allowing correlation and ...
Sex-specific genetic architecture of human disease

Sexual dimorphism in anatomical, physiological and behavioural traits are characteristics of many vertebrate species. In humans, sexual dimorphism is also observed in the prevalence, course and severity of many common diseases, including cardiovascular diseases, autoimmune diseases and asthma. Although sex differences in the endocrine and immune systems probably contribute to these observations, recent studies suggest that sex-specific genetic architecture also influences human phenotypes, including reproductive, physiological and disease traits. It is likely that an underlying mechanism is differential gene regulation in males and females, particularly in sex steroid-responsive genes. Genetic studies that ignore sex-specific effects in their design and interpretation could fail to identify a significant proportion of the genes that contribute to risk for complex diseases.
Clinical Outcomes of cT1 Micropapillary Bladder Cancer

Purpose: While many urologists recommend radical cystectomy for micropapillary bladder cancer invading the lamina propria (cT1), contradictory small reports exist on the efficacy of conservative management with intravesical bacillus Calmette-Guerin for this disease. We report our updated experience in what to our knowledge is the largest series of patients with cT1 micropapillary bladder cancer.Materials and Methods: An institutional review board approved review of our cancer database identified 283 patients with micropapillary bladder cancer, including 72 staged with cT1N0M0 disease at diagnosis and initiation of therapy. Survival analysis was performed using the Kaplan-Meier estimator and compared using the log rank test.Results: In this cohort of 72 patients 40 received primary intravesical bacillus Calmette-Guerin and 26 underwent up-front radical cystectomy. Of patients who received bacillus Calmette-Guerin 75%, 45% and 35% experienced disease recurrence, progression and lymph node metastasis, respec...
TH-C-L100F-04: A Fast Method for Measurement of Modulation Transfer Function (MTF) and Detective Quantum Efficiency (DQE) in Presence of Phantom Scatter in Image Guided Radiotherapy

Purpose: To present an improved bar‐pattern method that allows for fast measurement of modulation transfer function(MTF) and detective quantum efficiency (DQE) in conventional no‐phantom scatter and phantom scatter conditions to characterize spatial resolution of both 2D and 3D imagingsystems for image guided radiation therapy(IGRT) with both kilovoltage and megavoltage x‐ray sources. Method and Materials: X‐ray imaging requires MTFmeasurements under phantom scatter free condition for DQE measurements. While slit/edge MTFmeasurements are laborious, the bar‐pattern method allows for a simplified approach for discrete MTFmeasurement although its implementation for megavoltage x‐ray imaging may lead to errors due to inadequate normalization. We introduce a new bar‐pattern method based on based on improved normalization techniques that provide extremely accurate MTFmeasurement. It is well suited for MTF and DQE measurements under phantom scatter conditions, which more closely mimic patient imaging and cannot be obtained using slit/edge methods. Comparisons of the bar‐pattern method are presented with slit/edge MTFs. We present a methodology to image bar‐patterns placed on a multi‐axial rotation jig that allows measurement of spatial resolution of not only 2D detectors(EPIDs) but also volumetric imagingsystems, i.e. CBCT and MVCT. Results: Comparisons of MTFmeasured with custom tungsten bar‐patterns show good statistical agreement with measurements with the slit and edge for two clinical EPIDsystems. Conclusions: The proposed bar‐pattern method provides fast accurate measurement of discrete MTF and DQE values, and is much simpler and faster to use than traditional slit and edge methods. This method also allows for MTF and DQE measurements under scatter conditions that more closely mimic patient imaging conditions. It can be used for EPID and CBCT/MVCT imaging quality assurance within minutes of imaging time and is therefore well suited for clinical measurements.
Numerical Modeling of Conjugate Heat Transfer on Complex Geometries With Diagonal Cartesian Method, Part I: Methods

In this study, a diagonal Cartesian method for thermal analysis is developed for simulation of conjugate heat transfer over complex boundaries. This method uses diagonal line segments in addition to Cartesian coordinates. The velocity fields are also modeled using the diagonal Cartesian method. The transport equations are discretized with the finite analytic (FA) method. The current work is validated by simulating a rotated lid-driven cavity flow with conjugate heat transfer, and accurate results are obtained.
Some precautions in the use of time-domain dielectric spectroscopy with biological and other lossy dielectrics.

Time-domain dielectric spectroscopy provides a rapid means of obtainingin vivo dielectric spectra of biological objects whose physiological state may be changing with time. This paper discusses precautions which must be taken in the selection of the measuring-circuit parameters and frequency range to prevent the introduction of artefacts into the resulting spectra. The ratio of the amplifier input resistance to the sample d.c. resistance should be kept below 0·05. The balancing capacitor should equal as closely as possible the high-frequency capacitance of the sample. The spectrum should be terminated at about 0·7f Nyquist.
Impaired calcium-calmodulin-dependent inactivation of Cav1.2 contributes to loss of sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium release refractoriness in mice lacking calsequestrin 2.

Abstract Aims In cardiac muscle, Ca 2 + release from sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) is reduced with successively shorter coupling intervals of premature stimuli, a phenomenon known as SR Ca 2 + release refractoriness. We recently reported that the SR luminal Ca 2 + binding protein calsequestrin 2 (Casq2) contributes to release refractoriness in intact mouse hearts, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Here, we further investigate the mechanisms responsible for physiological release refractoriness. Methods and results Gene-targeted ablation of Casq2 (Casq2 KO) abolished SR Ca 2 + release refractoriness in isolated mouse ventricular myocytes. Surprisingly, impaired Ca 2 + -dependent inactivation of L-type Ca 2 + current (I Ca ), which is responsible for triggering SR Ca 2 + release, significantly contributed to loss of Ca 2 + release refractoriness in Casq2 KO myocytes. Recovery from Ca 2 + -dependent inactivation of I Ca was significantly accelerated in Casq2 KO compared to wild-type (WT) myocytes. In contrast, voltage-dependent inactivation measured by using Ba 2 + as charge carrier was not significantly different between WT and Casq2 KO myocytes. Ca 2 + -dependent inactivation of I Ca was normalized by intracellular dialysis of excess apo-CaM (20 μM), which also partially restored physiological Ca 2 + release refractoriness in Casq2 KO myocytes. Conclusions Our findings reveal that the intra-SR protein Casq2 is largely responsible for the phenomenon of SR Ca 2 + release refractoriness in murine ventricular myocytes. We also report a novel mechanism of impaired Ca 2 + -CaM-dependent inactivation of Ca v 1.2, which contributes to the loss of SR Ca 2 + release refractoriness in the Casq2 KO mouse model and, therefore, may further increase risk for ventricular arrhythmia in vivo .
The spherical dynamics of the heart (myocardial tension, oxygen consumption, coronary blood flow and efficiency).

Abstract Pressure work of the heart has long been known to be more costly in terms of myocardial oxygen consumption and coronary blood flow than an apparently equivalent volume work. This problem was restudied in the dog. Pressure work and volume work were shown to be equivalent when the analysis was carried out from the point of view that the heart behaved like a contracting sphere. Oxygen consumption was then dependent on intramyocardial tension, this being calculated as half the product of the intracardiac radius and pressure. Recalculation of cardiac performance in a number of reports in the literature showed that previously contradictory data could be resolved by this relatively simple relationship. The bases for this type of analysis and a number of physiologic and clinical aspects of cardiac function are discussed.
Article Delivery Services at Penn State and Partner Libraries in the Committee on Institutional Cooperation Consortium

To meet rising patron expectations and to promote library collections and services, libraries are contemplating or implementing article delivery services to same-campus patrons from journal articles held locally. This article describes The Pennsylvania State University Libraries’ electronic delivery of articles from in-house print collections. It also summarizes a survey of the Committee on Institutional Cooperation interlibrary loan directors about the article delivery services at their institutions.
Conditional knockout of fibronectin abrogates mouse mammary gland lobuloalveolar differentiation

Fibronectin (Fn) plays an important part in the branching morphogenesis of salivary gland, lung, and kidney. Here, we examine the effect of the conditional knockout of Fn in the mammary epithelium [Fn(MEp-/-)] on postnatal mammary gland development, using Cre-loxP-mediated gene knockout technology. Our data show that Fn deletion causes a moderate retardation in outgrowth and branching of the ductal tree in 5-week-old mice. These defects are partially compensated in virgin 16-week-old mice. However, mammary glands consisting of Fn-deficient epithelial cells fail to undergo normal lobuloalveolar differentiation during pregnancy. The severity of lobuloalveolar impairment ranged from lobular hypoplasia to aplasia in some cases and was associated with the amount of Fn protein recovered from these glands. Decreased rates of mammary epithelial cell proliferation accounted for delayed ductal outgrowth in virgin and lack of alveologenesis in pregnant Fn(MEp-/-) mice. Concomitant decreased expression of integrin beta(1) (Itgb1) and lack of autophosphorylation of focal adhesion kinase (Fak) suggest that this pathology might, at least in part, be mediated by disruption of the Fn/Itgb1/Fak signaling pathway.
Maintenance of a minimum spanning forest in a dynamic plane graph

Abstract We give an efficient algorithm for maintaining a minimum spanning forest of a plane graph subject to on-line modifications. The modifications supported include changes in the edge weights and insertion and deletion of edges and vertices which are consistent with the given embedding. To implement the algorithms, we develop a data structure called an edge-ordered dynamic tree, which is a variant of the dynamic tree data structure of Sleator and Tarjan. Using this data structure, our algorithm runs in O(log n) time per operation and O(n) space. The algorithm can be used to maintain the connected components of a dynamic planar graph in O(logn) time per operation. We also show that any algorithm will need Ω( log n) amortized time per operation, given a set of machine operations that is fairly general.
Gastric Cancer in Hawaii Japanese: A Family Study

Gastric cancer incidence and mortality rates have declined throughout western Europe over the past 50 years [1]. The rates in Japan remain high, but appear to be falling. Stomach cancer rates among Hawaii Japanese are now midway between those of the U.S. whites and Japan [2]. These events appear to result from the influence of causal and protective environmental events on stomach cancer risk [3–5]. Familial gastric cancer [6–9] could be heritable or due to a shared environment. The following observations hint at a genetic influence: 1) Pernicious anaemia, a gastric cancer precursor, follows a pattern of autosomal Mendelian transmission [10]; 2) Blood type A predominates in patients with diffuse gastric cancer [11], contrasting with the intestinal type predominating in high-risk populations [12]; 3) Antral gastritis in Colombia has shown Mendelian transmission of a recessive autosomal gene [13]; 4) Some strains of rats are resistant to experimental gastric carcinogens [14].
Materials Development for Core I Fuel Assemblies for the Experimental Gas-Cooled Reactor

An extensive experimental program was conducted on the fuel and cladding for the EGCR fuel elements to establish the adequacy of the design. Methods of inspecting the components and manufacturing t...
A Two-Party Wisconsin?

I N ANGLO-AMERICAN politics it is commonly assumed that democracy is best served by two-party competition. British parties may be organized and defined with more clarity than American, but in both cases the norm is conceived in terms of affording the voter a choice between the "ins" of one party and the "outs" of the other. Whether the preferred Anglo-American system is suitable for export to continental Europe is now often doubted,' but political scientists are generally convinced that in Britain and the United States two-party competition should be welcomed, maintained, and extended. For the United States this desire generally amounts to a preference for the two-party system over the one-party system. Practically speaking, the multi-party pattern is rarely an alternative. However, the one-party situation does prevail, in varying degrees, in many states at the same time as there is genuine two-party competition for control of Congress and the Presidency. On this score, it is the South which naturally attracts most attention, and political scientists have devoted considerable effort to explaining the reasons for the South's deviation from the two-party pattern, to deploring some of the consequences, and to searching for signs of change.2 Among the deplorable consequences, students have emphasized that southern politics, conducted without the benefit of inter-party rivalry, often become chaotically factional and thus fail to provide the voter with a clear-cut choice between recognizable organizations and policies. Less systematic attention has been given to non-southern deviations from the two-party system. Partly this is because such
Political Participation Among Latinos in the United States: The Effect of Group Identity and Consciousness*

Objective. How do group identity and consciousness affect Latinos' political participation in the United States? Recent studies that examine this relationship generally focus on a single ethnic group, for example, Mexicans, or the panethnic group, Latino/Hispanic, which limits the scope of their results. This study investigates how group identity and consciousness affect the political participation of differently identified Latinos. Methods. Using the unique 2007 Latino National Survey (LNS), a telephone survey of 8,500 Latino respondents, I investigate how group identity and consciousness affect political participation, as measured by electoral and nonelectoral activities. Results. Findings suggest that Latinos who self-identify as American are more likely to engage in political action; however, a sense of group consciousness among ethnic, panethnic, and racial-identified Latinos alters this effect. Conclusion. The type of and extent to which Latinos engage in political action is contingent on primary self-identity and specific aspects of group consciousness.
Fixing Variables and Generating Classical Cutting Planes when using an Interior Point Branch and Cut Method to solve Integer Programming Problems

Abstract Branch and cut methods for integer programming problems solve a sequence of linear programming problems. Traditionally, these linear programming relaxations have been solved using the simplex method. The reduced costs available at the optimal solution to a relaxation may make it possible to fix variables at zero or one. If the solution to a relaxation is fractional, additional constraints can be generated which cut off the solution to the relaxation, but donot cut off any feasible integer points. Gomory cutting planes and other classes of cutting planes are generated from the final tableau. In this paper, we consider using an interior point method to solve the linear programming relaxations. We show that it is still possible to generate Gomory cuts and other cuts without having to recreate a tableau, and we also show how variables can be fixed without using the optimal reduced costs. The procedures we develop do not require that the current relaxation be solved to optimality; this is useful for an interior point method because early termination of the current relaxation results in an improved starting point for the next relaxation.
GRASP: Guided Reference-based Assembly of Short Peptides

Protein sequences predicted from metagenomic datasets are annotated by identifying their homologs via sequence comparisons with reference or curated proteins. However, a majority of metagenomic protein sequences are partial-length, arising as a result of identifying genes on sequencing reads or on assembled nucleotide contigs, which themselves are often very fragmented. The fragmented nature of metagenomic protein predictions adversely impacts homology detection and, therefore, the quality of the overall annotation of the dataset. Here we present a novel algorithm called GRASP that accurately identifies the homologs of a given reference protein sequence from a database consisting of partial-length metagenomic proteins. Our homology detection strategy is guided by the reference sequence, and involves the simultaneous search and assembly of overlapping database sequences. GRASP was compared to three commonly used protein sequence search programs (BLASTP, PSI-BLAST and FASTM). Our evaluations using several simulated and real datasets show that GRASP has a significantly higher sensitivity than these programs while maintaining a very high specificity. GRASP can be a very useful program for detecting and quantifying taxonomic and protein family abundances in metagenomic datasets. GRASP is implemented in GNU C++, and is freely available at http://sourceforge.net/projects/grasp-release.
Glass transition, crystallization, and morphology relationships in miscible poly(aryl ether ketones) and poly(ether imide) blends

The relationships among glass transition, crystallization, melting, and crystal morphology of poly(aryl ether ketone) (PAEK)/poly(other imide) (PEI) blends was studied by thermal, optical and small-angle x-ray scattering (SAXS) methods. Two types of PAEK were chosen for this work: poly(aryl ether ether ketone), PEEK, and poly(aryl ether ketone ketone), PEKK, which have distinctly different crystallization rates. Both PAEKs show complete miscibility with PEI in the amorphous phase. As PAEK crystallizes, the noncrystallizable PEI component is rejected from the crystalline region, resulting in a broad amorphous population, which was indicated by the broadening and the increase of Tg over that of the purely amorphous mixture. The presence of the PEI component significantly decreases the bulk crystallization and crystal growth rate of PAEK, but the equilibrium melting temperature and crystal surface free energies are not affected. The morphology of the PEI segregation was investigated by SAXS measurements. The results indicated that the inter(lamellar-bundle) PEI trapping morphology was dominant in the PEEK/PEI blends under rapid crystallization conditions, whereas the interspherulitic morphology was dominant in the slow crystallizing PEKK/PEI blends. These morphologies were qualitatively explained by the expression δ=D/G, where G was the crystal growth rate and D was the mutual diffusion coefficient. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Simultaneous generation of stereoscopic views

Currently almost all computer graphic stereoscopic images are generated by doubling the work required to create a single image. In this paper we derive and analyze algorithms for simultaneous generation of the two views necessary for a stereoscopic image. We begin with a discussion of the similarities of the two perspective views of a stereo pair. Following this, several graphics algorithms that have been optimized from known single-view methods are described and performance results obtained from testing the new stereo algorithms against the originals are presented.
Successful operation of continuous reactors at short retention times results in high-density, fast-rate Dehalococcoides dechlorinating cultures

The discovery of Dehalococcoides mccartyi reducing perchloroethene and trichloroethene (TCE) to ethene was a key landmark for bioremediation applications at contaminated sites. D. mccartyi-containing cultures are typically grown in batch-fed reactors. On the other hand, continuous cultivation of these microorganisms has been described only at long hydraulic retention times (HRTs). We report the cultivation of a representative D. mccartyi-containing culture in continuous stirred-tank reactors (CSTRs) at a short, 3-d HRT, using TCE as the electron acceptor. We successfully operated 3-d HRT CSTRs for up to 120 days and observed sustained dechlorination of TCE at influent concentrations of 1 and 2 mM TCE to ≥ 97 % ethene, coupled to the production of 10(12) D. mccartyi cells Lculture (-1). These outcomes were possible in part by using a medium with low bicarbonate concentrations (5 mM) to minimize the excessive proliferation of microorganisms that use bicarbonate as an electron acceptor and compete with D. mccartyi for H2. The maximum conversion rates for the CSTR-produced culture were 0.13 ± 0.016, 0.06 ± 0.018, and 0.02 ± 0.007 mmol Cl(-) Lculture (-1) h(-1), respectively, for TCE, cis-dichloroethene, and vinyl chloride. The CSTR operation described here provides the fastest laboratory cultivation rate of high-cell density Dehalococcoides cultures reported in the literature to date. This cultivation method provides a fundamental scientific platform for potential future operations of such a system at larger scales.