cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
New Insights Into the Cardiac Natriuretic Peptides

Cardiac natriuretic peptides contribute importantly to the maintenance of sodium and volume homeostasis in health and disease. The hemodynamic, renal, and endocrinologic effects of these peptides have been the subject of intense basic and clinical investigation for more than 15 years. In particular, the activation of the cardiac natriuretic peptide system in patients with LV dysfunction has generated considerable interest recently, because elevated circulating levels of these substances have important prognostic and therapeutic implications. Unlike the vasoconstrictor neurohormones that are also activated in the setting of LV dysfunction, such as norepinephrine, the renin-angiotensin system, and arginine vasopressin, which play a pathogenetic role in the progression of ventricular dysfunction and development of heart failure, the cardiac natriuretic peptides have beneficial, compensatory actions to promote systemic arterial dilation, natriuresis, diuresis, and renin inhibition. ANP is a 28–amino acid peptide synthesized and secreted by the atria.1 2 3 ANP is stored in the myocyte as a 126–amino acid prohormone. On secretion, the prohormone is split into an N-terminal moiety of 98 amino acids (N-ANP) and the biologically active ANP in equimolar amounts.3 N-ANP is more easily measured; it has a significantly longer half-life in plasma compared with ANP, which is very short lived (half-life, 2.5 minutes2 ) and thus has up to 50 times the plasma concentration of ANP.2 3 4 In addition, N-ANP is more stable under laboratory conditions for measurement.5 It is now well established that circulating ANP levels are increased in patients with chronic congestive heart failure in proportion to the severity of the disease4 6 7 8 and are elevated in patients with asymptomatic LV dysfunction.9 10 Although there is a relation between plasma ANP levels and atrial pressure, it is generally believed that atrial wall stress and stretch, rather than atrial …
Literary Migration: Abraham Cahan's The Imported Bridegroom and the Alternative of American Fiction

The Federation's statement underscores a cherished belief among almost all the Yiddish-speaking socialists who had emigrated from Russia. These intellectuals, many of whom were participants in the Russian revolutionary movement, believed, in Abraham Cahan's words, that there was "a political meaning [to] their journey to America" (Education 204). They were not simply abandoning the Revolution, not "running away like an ordinary immigrant" (Education 204). On the contrary, America offered an end to the Jewish question and an opportunity for a universalist working class
A simplified method for extraction of reduced cytochrome-552 and -556 from Euglena gracilis (Z).

Two spectrally different cytochromes have been isolated by chemical fractionation from Euglena gracilis (Z)1–3. Because of the differences in the absorption spectra of the chemically reduced forms, these cytochromes have been designated as cytochrome-552 and cytochrome-556. Cytochrome-552, in the reduced form, extracted from photosynthesizing green cells has absorption peaks at 552, 523, and 416 mμ, while cytochrome-556, extracted from cells grown in darkness and from Euglena mutants which are non-photosynthetic, has reduced absorption peaks at 556, 525, and 421 mμ.
The azomethine nitrene. II. Photolysis of 3-phenyl- Δ2 -oxadiazol-5-one

Irradiation at 2537 A eliminates carbon dioxide from 3-phenyl- Δ2-oxadiazol-5-one in either methanol or dioxane. A migration of phenyl from carbon to nitrogen leads to phenylcarbodiimide (8) which tautomerizes into phenylcyanamide (10). Benzamidine (11) and the 0-methyl ether (12) of benzamidoxime apparently result from hydrogen abstraction and insertion reactions of an intermediate unrearranged azomethine nitrene (9). More extensive fragmentation produces benzonitrile (7), which is isolated, and presumably phenylcarbene (20) to account for benzyl methyl ether (15). Generation of the carbene is discussed. The formation of 3,5-diphenyltriazole (6), triphenyltriazine (16) and N-cyanobenzamidine (15) remains unexplained.
Classes of Subgroups of Simply Presented Primary Abelian Groups

A class &#x1d4b3; of abelian p-groups is closed under ω1-bijective homomorphisms if whenever f: G → H is a homomorphism with countable kernel and cokernel, then G ∈ &#x1d4b3; iff H ∈ &#x1d4b3;. For an ordinal α, we consider the smallest class with this property containing (a) the p α-bounded simply presented groups; (b) the p α-projective groups; (c) the subgroups of p α-bounded simply presented groups. This builds upon classical results of Nunke from [14] and [15]. Particular attention is paid to the separable groups in these classes.
Correction to “Spatial and temporal distributions of U.S. winds and wind power at 80 m derived from measurements”

[1] In the paper ‘‘Spatial and temporal distributions of U.S. winds and wind power at 80 m derived from measurements’’ by C. L. Archer and M. Z. Jacobson (Journal of Geophysical Research, 108(D9), 4289, doi:10.1029/2002JD002076, 2003), three errors in the methodology introduced have been identified. In addition, since publication of the article, data from an additional 179 stations have become available. The errors found have little effect on the main conclusions of the paper but result in slight modifications of some figures and tables. Below, the corrections and updates are described. [2] The first error was in the equation for the amplitude A of the r function, given in paragraph 26. The correct formula is
Radiative proton capture into 14N

Abstract The reactions 13C(p,γ1,2)14N and 13C(p, p', γ(3.09, 3.68, 3.85))13C have been studied for Ep = 3.0 to 18 MeV, covering the giant dipole resonance in 14N. Below Ep = 7.0 MeV resonances in the γ0 yield were found at Ep = 3.771 MeV (Γc.m.≦ 2keV), 4.53 (115 ± 10), 5.32 (48 ± 7) and 6.2 (1000 ± 150), corresponding to excitation energies of 11.049, 11.74, 12.485 and 13.3 MeV, respectively. From the angular distribution, Jπ = 2+, 3+ was established for the 11.049 MeV state, which is thus a newly found excited state of 14N. In all other cases cross correlations exist with states reported in other reactions. The 13.3 MeV state is thought to be part of the giant dipole resonance. Above 7 MeV bombarding energy the (p, γo) yield shows broad structure and the giant dipole resonance with two peaks at 22.5 and 23.0 MeV excitation energy. All peaks can be related to structure observed in the inverse photonuclear (γ, po) reaction. The inverted (p, γo) cross section exhausts 18 % of the classical dipole sum-rule between 12 and 24 MeV. Angular distributions indicate that most of the GDR up to 24 MeV is related to Jπ = 2− states, in accordance with theoretical predictions. The (p,γ1) yield to the Jπ = 0+, T = 1 state in 14N averages only 1 5 of the γ0 yield and no giant resonance structure is evident up to 24 MeV. The expectations for the T = 0 GDR based on the 2.31 MeV state are discussed. It is suggested that two narrow resonances seen at excitation energies of Ex = 23.7 MeV (Γc.m.≈ 500 keV) and 24.2 MeV (Γc.m.≈ 100 keV) are the lowest Jπ = 1−, T = 2 states in 14N.
Vasodilator Effects of Hydroxylamine in the Isolated Rodent Lung

Hydroxylamine is a natural product of cellular metabolism that possesses vasodilating properties similar to those of endothelium-derived relaxing factor (EDRF). In the rodent pulmonary circulation preconstricted with the endo peroxide analog U-46619, hydroxylamine relaxed the vasculature in a concen tration-dependent manner. Blockade of the hydroxylamine vasodilator response by methylene blue indicated that the mechanism of vasorelaxation is similar to that of EDRF. In this preparation, hydroxylamine is a more potent vasodilator than nitroglycerin.
Determination of basal and stimulated levels of inositol triphosphate in [32P]orthophosphate-labeled platelets

Previous studies indicated that thrombin-stimulation of platelets prelabeled with [3H]inositol or [32P]orthophosphate results in an increase of radioactive inositol triphosphate, a substance thought to modulate the levels of free intracellular calcium. In the present study, we improved the method of resolution of inositol triphosphate from other compounds that are also labeled with [32P]orthophosphate using a combination of enzyme treatment and electrophoresis. We have further demonstrated that the specific activities of metabolic ATP and phosphatidylinositol diphosphate (the precursor of inositol triphosphate) are identical in [32P]orthophosphate-labeled platelets. It follows that the amount of inositol triphosphate is proportional to its radioactivity in the metabolic compartment of the cells. Using this protocol, the concentration of inositol triphosphate in resting and thrombin-stimulated platelets were determined to be 1-4 and 10-30 pmol/10(8) cells, respectively.
Virtual screening of integrase inhibitors by large scale binding free energy calculations: the SAMPL4 challenge

As part of the SAMPL4 blind challenge, filtered AutoDock Vina ligand docking predictions and large scale binding energy distribution analysis method binding free energy calculations have been applied to the virtual screening of a focused library of candidate binders to the LEDGF site of the HIV integrase protein. The computational protocol leveraged docking and high level atomistic models to improve enrichment. The enrichment factor of our blind predictions ranked best among all of the computational submissions, and second best overall. This work represents to our knowledge the first example of the application of an all-atom physics-based binding free energy model to large scale virtual screening. A total of 285 parallel Hamiltonian replica exchange molecular dynamics absolute protein-ligand binding free energy simulations were conducted starting from docked poses. The setup of the simulations was fully automated, calculations were distributed on multiple computing resources and were completed in a 6-weeks period. The accuracy of the docked poses and the inclusion of intramolecular strain and entropic losses in the binding free energy estimates were the major factors behind the success of the method. Lack of sufficient time and computing resources to investigate additional protonation states of the ligands was a major cause of mispredictions. The experiment demonstrated the applicability of binding free energy modeling to improve hit rates in challenging virtual screening of focused ligand libraries during lead optimization.
Scalable analysis of network measurements with Hadoop and Pig

The deployment of ubiquitous distributed monitoring infrastructure such as perfSONAR is greatly increasing the availability and quality of network performance data. Cross-cutting analyses are now possible that can detect anomalies and provide real-time automated alerts to network management services. However, scaling these analyses to the volumes of available data remains a difficult task. Although there is significant research into offline analysis techniques, most of these approaches do not address the systems and scalability issues. This work presents an analysis framework incorporating industry best-practices and tools to perform large-scale analyses. Our framework integrates the expressiveness of Pig, the scalability of Hadoop, and the analysis and visualization capabilities of R to achieve a significant increase in both speed and power of analysis. Evaluation of our framework on a large dataset of real measurements from perfSONAR demonstrate a large speedup and novel statistical capabilities.
A CAMAC System for Remote Data Acquisition

A CAMAC System has been developed at Lawrence Livermore Laboratory to interface with a remotely located computer. The system operating characteristics and several modules developed at LLL are described. These modules are two read-only controllers - one for single crate and one for multiple crate operation, a serial peak detector, three different time interval meters, a serial bit stream generator, a parallel input gate, an A/D converter and its associated modular memory, and a pulse generator. A CAMAC data display which reads a serial bit stream but is not a CAMAC module is also described.
Systems neuroscience: timing is everything.

Interactions among neurons in brain circuits underlie sensory perception and information storage. Work in locusts shows how the timing of different neuronal signals is synchronized to ensure effective communication. Synaptic plasticity — the strengthening or weakening of connections between nerve cells — has been known in vertebrates to depend on whether inputs precede or follow a neuron's spiking, a phenomenon called 'spike timing-dependent plasticity' or STDP. Now Stijn Cassenaer and Gilles Laurent describe STDP for the first time in an invertebrate — the locust. Their in vivo study also shows that STDP is the key to the preservation of neural codes for olfactory information down the neuronal pathway linking sensory organs to memory centres in the brain. This finding sheds new light on the relationships between circuit dynamics, architecture and learning in the insect brain.
Phakomatous Choristoma of the Lower Eyelid with Psammoma Body Formation: A Light and Electron Microscopic Study

Abstract A firm, round tissue mass, measuring approximately 12 mm in diameter, was excised from a 5-month-old boy who had a history of a gradually enlarging swelling in the left lower nasal eyelid since birth. Histologically and ultrastructurally, the lesion appeared benign and was composed of a dense connective tissue stroma in which nests, lobules, tubules, cords, and sheets of large, pale-staining cuboidal and elongated epithelial cells were surrounded by an irregular, thick PAS-positive basement membrane having focal excrescences. The interior of the epithelial islands contained "bladder" cells, cellular debris, granuloamorphous material, and foci of dystrophic calcification; an unusual feature of the lesion was the formation of numerous psammoma bodies. Tumors of lenticular anlage are rare and probably result due to displacement or migration of the inferior lens placode cells; alternatively, it may originate from an additional locus of lens vesicle in the primitive surface ectoderm of the lower lid. The lesion enlarges because of the differentiation of the ectopic lenticular cells in an abortive attempt to form a lens within the extraocular and mesodermal environment of the lid.
Ultrastructural organization of dentin in mice lacking dentin sialo-phosphoprotein

Dentin Sialophosphoprotein (DSPP) is the major non-collagenous protein of dentin and plays a significant role in dentin mineralization. Recently, animal models lacking DSPP have been developed and the DSPP KO phenotype has been characterized at the histological level. Little is known, however, about the DSPP KO dentin at nano- and meso-scale. Dentin is a hierarchical material spanning from nano- to macroscale, hence information on the effects of DSPP deficiency at the submicron scale is essential for understanding of its role in dentin biomineralization. To bridge this gap, we have conducted ultrastructural studies of dentin from DSPP KO animals. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) studies of DSPP KO dentin revealed that although the overall ultrastructural organization was similar to the WT, the mineral particles were less organized. Scanning electron microscopy in the back-scattered mode (BS-SEM) of the DSPP KO dentin revealed that circumpulpal dentin comprises large areas of non-mineralized matrix, with numerous spherulitic mineralized inclusions, while the mantle dentin appeared largely unaffected. Analysis of the mineral distribution in the circumpulpal dentin of the DSPP KO mice suggests a reduction in the number of mineral nucleation sites and an increase in the nucleation barrier in DSPP KO dentin. These preliminary results indicate that in addition to the reduction of mineralized and total dentin volume in DSPP KO animals significant changes in the ultrastructural organization exist. These changes are likely related to the role of DSPP in the regulation of mineral formation and organization in dentin.
SNPing away at sickle cell pathophysiology.

In this issue of Blood , Ashley-Koch and coworkers report that, in sickle cell disease–related pulmonary hypertension, SNPs in several genes of the TGF-β/BMP superfamily are associated with this complication. Sickle cell anemia, a common hemolytic anemia caused by homozygosity for the sickle
Asceticism Imposed: The Desert Theology of Oncology

The author reflects on the similarities between ascetic living and the oncology patient’s experience resulting from disease-directed treatments.
An exploratory study of the effect of social isolation variables on the sexual behaviour of male guinea pigs

Summary Several groups of male guinea pigs reared in social isolation for different intervals of time and caged in physically different surroundings were studied in an attempt to examine factors that might influence their sexual performance. Neither the time of isolation from litter mates within a 24-hour period after birth nor illumination of the rearing cage was found to be related to sexual adequacy. The duration of social isolation before the first mating test appeared to be related to the number of males failing to exhibit mounting and intromission. Ss separated from social groups by a wide-mesh screen that permitted sensory and some tactual but no manipulative contact with other Ss performed normally, indicating that the inadequate sexual behaviour of the isolated male guinea pig is not due to lack of practice of mating responses. An analysis of the guinea pig's behaviour was presented and it was suggested that the capacity to perform all of the mating responses is present in the isolated male but are sexually ineffective either because of competing responses or the presence of a relatively high evocation threshold. Evoked or spontaneous movement, in particular play responses, exhibited by prepuberal males in the test situation was considered as a possible factor affecting the probabability of occurrence of mature copulatory responses. The data from the present experiment and other studies were also interpreted as supporting the hypotheses that the mounting and intromission responses were not displayed by some of the isolated males because of a modification in the efficacy of their releasing stimuli.
The Surface Metal Site in Blc. viridis Photosynthetic Bacterial Reaction Centers: Cu 2+ as a Probe of Structure, Location, and Flexibility

Metal ion binding to a surface site on photosynthetic reaction centers (RCs) modulates light-induced electron and proton transfer events in the RC. Whereas many studies have elucidated aspects of metal ion modulation events in Rhodobacter sphaeroides RCs, much less is understood about the surface site in Blastochloris viridis (Blc. viridis) RCs. Interestingly, electron paramagnetic resonance studies revealed two spectroscopically distinct Cu2+ surface site environments in Blc. viridis RCs. Herein, Cu2+ has been used to spectroscopically probe the structure of these Cu2+ site(s) in response to freezing conditions, temperature, and charge separation. One Cu2+ environment in Blc. viridis RCs, termed CuA, exhibits temperature-dependent conformational flexibility. Different conformation states of the Cu A 2+ site are trapped when the RC is frozen in the dark either by fast-freeze or slow-freeze procedure. The second Cu2+ environment, termed CuB, is structurally invariant to different freezing conditions and shows resolved hyperfine coupling to three nitrogen atoms. Cu2+ is most likely binding at the same location on the RC, but in different coordination environments which may reflect two distinct conformational states of the isolated Blc. viridis RC protein.
AC Power Flow Control with a Multiterminal DC System

The scheduling of the power transfers of a multiterminaL dc network to control the power distribution in certain ac lines of an ac-dc system requires coordination. With the new method presented in this paper, the coordination of the dc network's power transfers is simplified considerably to that of solving a linear matrix equation of order one Less than the number of converter terminals. The Losses, as well as the power limits of the converters, in the dc network are considered in the method of coordination. This method of coordination is combined with a standard ac-dc load-fLow, whose purpose is to estabLish the resuLtant operating point of the ac-dc system, to form an algorithm for scheduling the dc network's power transfers to control the power distribution in certain ac lines of an ac-dc system. The tests performed on a 5 dc terminaL, 30 ac bus, sample system showed that the power flows, close to the desired values, in a number of the ac Lines could be simultaneously obtained with just one iteration of the proposed algorithm. The algorithm proved to be efficient and effective in these tests. The algorithm can be used to plan dc network reinforcements to an ac network and is potentially suitable for the on-line application of networK flow control.
Medical oncology manpower supply.

Abstract An explosion in the number of trained medical oncologists has led to concern that an overproduction will occur. A survey of 154 medical oncology training programs revealed 767 current trainees--316 first year, 307 second year, and 144 third year. Seventeen programs contained 301 persons (38.5%). After the 1985 certifying examination, 3,659 oncologists were certified. With approximately 750 eligible candidates for each examination, and assuming a 75% pass rate, by 1989 there will be 4,779 certified medical oncologists. By 1990, there will be no deficiency of clinical medical oncologists, but there appears to be a lack of academic oncologists. In order to assure the quality goals of oncology, and in an attempt to meet an adequate supply of medical oncologists, a position statement has been published by the American Society of Clinical Oncology. To avoid an overproduction of medical oncologists, an ongoing assessment of the number needed is warranted.
Unsupervised learning pattern recognition

This paper constitutes Part II of a series of papers on adaptive pattern recognition and its applications. It pertains to optimal, unsupervised learning, adaptive pattern recognition of "lumped" gaussian signals in white gaussian noise. Specifically, both deterministic decision directed learning as well as random decision directed learning algorithms for continuous data are obtained. It is shown that the supervised learning results [1], in particular the partition theorem are applicable in the directed learning approach to the unsupervised case [2].
Sirtuins: critical regulators at the crossroads between cancer and aging.

Sirtuins (SIRTs 1−7), or class III histone deacetylases (HDACs), are protein deacetylases/ADP ribosyltransferases that target a wide range of cellular proteins in the nucleus, cytoplasm, and mitochondria for post-translational modification by acetylation (SIRT1, -2, -3 and -5) or ADP ribosylation (SIRT4 and -6). The orthologs of sirtuins in lower organisms play a critical role in regulating lifespan. As cancer is a disease of aging, we discuss the growing implications of the sirtuins in protecting against cancer development. Sirtuins regulate the cellular responses to stress and ensure that damaged DNA is not propagated and that mutations do not accumulate. SIRT1 also promotes replicative senescence under conditions of chronic stress. By participating in the stress response to genomic insults, sirtuins are thought to protect against cancer, but they are also emerging as direct participants in the growth of some cancers. Here, we review the growing implications of sirtuins both in cancer prevention and as specific and novel cancer therapeutic targets.
Safety and durability of mitral valve repair for anterior leaflet perforation

Objective We sought to evaluate mitral valve repair for anterior leaflet perforation. Methods Between October 1987 and October 2006, 26 patients with mitral valve anterior leaflet perforation underwent mitral valve repair (median age, 54 years; 18 [69%] were male). Results The indication for operation was severe mitral regurgitation only in 14 patients, both aortic regurgitation and mitral regurgitation in 11, and ventricular septal defect repair in 1. Twenty-four (92%) patients had endocarditis and 13 (50%) had at least mild aortic regurgitation preoperatively. Left atriotomy was performed in 17 (65%) and aortotomy in 8 (31%). Six (23%) patients had visible vegetations at the time of repair. For anterior leaflet repair, a patch was used in 11 (42%) patients and primary suture closure in 15 (58%). Eighteen patients underwent concomitant cardiac surgical procedures. Postoperative follow-up (mean, 6 years) was available for 25 (96%) patients. There was 1 early death from multiorgan failure and 2 late deaths. Patient survival was 95% at 1 year and 90% at 5 years. Left ventricular end-diastolic dimension improved significantly after mitral valve repair at dismissal (n = 16; −9.4 mm; P Conclusions Mitral valve anterior leaflet perforation may be safely repaired with good midterm survival and durability.
Laser clad nickel based superalloys: MICROSTRUCTURE evolution and high temperature oxidation studies

Application of alloy coatings with superior oxidation resistance at elevated temperatures (1200°C) on superalloy components is of interest at present. There is a general consensus that the addition of rare earths such as hafnium (Hf) to these alloys has a pronounced effect on their performance. An in situ laser cladding technique was used to produce Ni-Al-Cr-Hf alloys on a nickel alloy substrate. Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM), and Scanning Transmission Electron Microscope (STEM) attached with Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDX) analyzers were employed for microstructural evolution studies of alloys produced during the laser cladding process. The microstructure of these alloys mainly consists of dendrites of Y' of the Ni3Al type with about 11-14 wt% Hf and an interdendritic eutectic phase. Electron microscopy in the dendritic zones reveals ordered domains whose morphology depends on laser cladding process parameters. Variation in these parameters produced only subtle changes in the composition and cell spacing of the dendritic phase. The eutectic constituent consists of a Hf-rich phase and a Hf-lean phase in an alternating lamellar structure. Convergent beam diffraction and x-ray spectroscopy techniques were used to characterize the constituents. A possible phase transformation sequence has been suggested. Differential Thermal Analysis (DTA) work indicates that the Y' dissolution temperature for the claddings is at least as high as the substrate material (Rene 80). Single cycle oxidation tests of eight hours at 1200°C in slowly flowing air reveal that the claddings have a lower weight gain rate than the substrate itself. Microchemistry and microstructure of the oxidized samples are examined using SEM attached with EDX and Auger Electron Spectroscopic (AES) techniques. The improvement in the oxidation resistance is believed to be at least partially due to the mechanical pegging between alumina coated hafnia protrusions and the unoxidized metal matrix.
PGI15: COMPUTERIZED ASSESSMENT OF COMPLICATIONS FOLLOWING COLORECTAL SURGERY

OBJECTIVES: Historically, complication rates following colorectal surgery were stratified by disease process, type of operation, or anesthesia risk derived after an intensive review of the medical record. Newer computer applications purport to shorten this process and predict the probability of postoperative complications by distinguishing them from comorbidities that are co-mingled on uniform discharge codes. We analyzed CaduCIS software (CareScience, Inc., Philadelphia, PA) which uses discharge codes to see if its predictions of comorbidity and complications accurately track the medical record. METHODS: Two-hundred and seventy patients were analyzed using principal and secondary diagnoses coded on discharge. Coding inaccuracies of clinical occurrences were identified by physician review of each medical record. The actual incidences of 17 common preoperative comorbidities and 11 postoperative complications were compared to computerized predictions by applying standard statistical tests. RESULTS: The overall incidence of complications obtained by physician (actual) review was 47%, compared to 46% by computer. The computerized predicted distribution of comorbidities was similar to the actual occurrences in 15 of 17 categories. Analysis showed a statistical difference between the computer-predicted and “actual” complication rates in 5 of the 11 categories; however these differences (underestimates) were due to charting and coding inaccuracies, not to computerized errors. The most common preoperative comorbidities and complications were cardiopulmonary (47% and 28%, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: The computer-system's accurate measurement of the overall complication rate supports the claim that aggregate complication estimates derived from readily available administrative data are sufficient for across-the-board comparisons among hospitals. The computerized system can generate such measurements in a fraction of the time is takes to manually review the medical records. As uniform discharge coding of co-mingled comorbidity and complications are increasingly used to rapidly compute surgical outcomes, colon and rectal surgeons need to ensure compatibility of the actual and coded medical record.
The Baltimore Experience Corps Trial: Enhancing Generativity via Intergenerational Activity Engagement in Later Life

Objectives Being and feeling generative, defined as exhibiting concern and behavior to benefit others, is an important developmental goal of midlife and beyond. Although a growing body of evidence suggests mental and physical health benefits of feeling generative in later life, little information exists as to the modifiability of generativity perceptions. The present study examines whether participation in the intergenerational civic engagement program, Experience Corps (EC), benefits older adults' self-perceptions of generativity. Method Levels of generativity were compared in older adults randomized to serve as EC volunteers or controls (usual volunteer opportunities) in the Baltimore Experience Corps Trial at 4-, 12-, and 24-month evaluation points over the 2-year trial. Analyses utilized intention-to-treat and complier average causal effects (CACE) analyses which incorporate degree of intervention exposure in analytic models. Results Participants randomized to the EC group had significantly higher levels of generative desire and perceptions of generative achievement than controls at each follow-up point; CACE analyses indicate a dose-response effect with a greater magnitude of intervention effect with greater exposure to the EC program. Discussion Results provide the first-ever, large-scale experimental demonstration that participation in an intergenerational civic engagement program can positively alter self-perceptions of generativity in older adulthood.
Determination of Effective Ply-level Properties of Filament Wound Composite Tubes Loaded in Compression

Flexible matrix composites are a class of fiber-reinforced polymers characterized by a low modulus of elasticity and high ultimate strain of the matrix material. Such composites are attractive for power transmission shafts, which are commonly made via processes that cause undulation (waviness) along the path of the reinforcement fibers, such as filament winding and braiding. Fiber undulations can be expected to reduce the in situ modulus and strength of the composite material in the fiber direction. The reported investigation proposes and evaluates a method for determining the effective in situ properties of the plies in filament wound tubes so that classical lamination theory (CLT) can be used to calculate effective ply-level stresses and to predict the overall modulus and strength of tubes loaded in axial compression. An experimental method is proposed to back-calculate the undulation-influenced ply properties from representative filament wound tubes using CLT together with other required ply properties determined via simpler conventional tests. This approach, along with an interactive failure criterion proposed to predict fiber microbuckling in the presence of combined compression and shear on the fibers, is able to accurately predict the axial compressive modulus and strength of a variety of tubes made with different winding angles and matrix moduli. In general, the fiber-direction compressive strength of the composites increased with increasing matrix modulus and decreased in the presence of undulation. The reduction in strength due to undulation was more apparent with increasing matrix modulus. The fiber-direction modulus of elasticity was not very sensitive to matrix modulus in undulated composites. Undulation reduced the fiber-direction modulus significantly relative to unidirectional composites, although the percent reduction could not be correlated with matrix modulus.
Theory and simulation of resonant inelastic X-ray scattering in s–p bonded systems: graphite, hexagonal boron nitride, diamond, and cubic boron nitride

Abstract This work discusses the theory of resonant inelastic X-ray scattering (RIXS) in the s–p bonded solids, graphite, hexagonal boron nitride (hBN), diamond, and cubic boron nitride (cBN). In RIXS, core electrons are resonantly excited to unoccupied states, and X-ray emission (because of radiative core hole–valence electron recombination) is studied. In particular, evolution of the emission spectrum with increasing incident photon energy is of interest. This work begins with the independent-electron approach originally set forth by Ma and co-workers, which is based on the Kramers–Heisenberg formula for light scattering. However, simulations presented also examine effects of the inclusion of the attraction between the promoted electron and core hole in intermediate states. The results suggest that, while RIXS emission spectra can be influenced by that attraction, many features of the independent-electron picture are essentially preserved. The interplay between electron interactions, band-structure effects, and the effects being omitted is discussed.
Nursing caries syndrome: A critical educational challenge for pediatric health personnel

Abstract Nursing caries syndrome (NCS) is a serious dental health problem affecting infants and young children. While multifactorial in origin, NCS appears to be most closely related to feeding practices, especially the prolonged use of feeding bottles containing cariogenic liquids. This paper reviews the facts concerning the etiology and pathogenesis of NCS, and summarizes the important educational and counseling responsibilities of physicians and other health personnel when working with prospective and new parents.
Antibodies produced in plants

Transgenic plant systems for the expression of mammalian antibodies offer opportunities for the study of plant metabolism and development. Agricultural production could provide virtually unlimited quantities of any antibody.
The importance of “big” science research in oceanography

It has been my privilege to have been associated with oceanography for the past 35 years. I hadn't realized how long it's been until I started thinking about this talk. At the beginning of my career, in conjunction with my graduate training, I did some research, mostly applied. Since 1958, however, I've been involved in research administration, the first 12 years with the Office of Naval Research [ONR], the next 8 years with the National Science Foundation [NSF], and most recently, with Texas A&M's Sea Grant Program.
MOLECULAR DETERMINATION OF SURGICAL MARGINS USING FOSSA BIOPSIES AT RADICAL PROSTATECTOMY

AbstractPurpose: Status of the surgical margins after radical prostatectomy is a key factor for predicting postoperative outcome. Current methods used to determine margin status are tedious, costly and vary among institutions. Sensitive and inexpensive detection of prostate cells in the circulation of patients with prostate cancer has been achieved using reverse transcriptase (RT) polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for prostate specific antigen and prostate specific membrane antigen. Therefore, we designed and tested a novel and objective molecular assay for assessing surgical margins at radical prostatectomy based on the detection of prostate specific markers using RT-PCR. We also compared this assay to standard pathological examination.Materials and Methods: A total of 30 consecutive patients with local prostate cancer underwent radical prostatectomy. At the completion of gland excision 5 biopsies of the prostatic fossa were obtained for histopathological and molecular analysis. We performed RT-PCR analysi...
Incorporation of exogenous pyrene-labeled histone into Physarum chromatin: a system for studying changes in nucleosomes assembled in vivo

Treatment of Physarum histone with iodoacetoxypyrene selectively derivatizes a single H3 cysteine with acetoxypyrene. Microplasmodia can incorporate this AP-H3 into nucleosomes. The distinction between blue monomeric pyrene fluorescence and green excimer pyrene fluorescence allows detection of changes in distance between the closely positioned H3 cysteines in nucleosomes. Fluorescence of nucleosomes labeled in vivo with AP-H3 is almost exclusively of the excimer form, indicating that H3 cysteines are within a few angstroms of each other in the nucleosome core. In histones recovered from these nucleosomes all detectable pyrene is covalently bound to H3. When Physarum is exposed sequentially to labeled followed by unlabeled histone, there is a rapid appearance of green excimer emission in nucleosomes after addition of labeled histone and no apparent switch from excimer to monomer fluorescence after several replications of the genome in the presence of unlabeled histone. These experiments provide evidence in favor of a model for conservative distribution of nucleosomal histones during chromatin replication.
Cross-link optimized cascaded volume hologram array with energy-equalized one-to-many surface-normal fan-outs

Achieving a uniform fan-out energy distribution is critical to the successful applications of substrate guided-wave optical interconnects. Using Dupont photopolymer film HRF-600X001-20, we investigated the optimum recording beam intensity for obtaining a large dynamic region of diffraction efficiency relative to exposure dosage. Based on the experimental diffraction efficiency curve, 1-to-5 and 1-to-9 surface-normal fan-out devices were fabricated that operated at a wavelength of 850 nm, and output nonuniformities of ±4% and ±10% were obtained for the two devices.
BLOOD CAROTENOIDS OF THE ROSEATE SPOONBILL.

Abstract 1. 1.Blood plasma samples from afult roseate spoonbills ( Ajaia ajaja ) contained carotenoids in amounts of 0·88–1·4 mg/100 ml. Major proportions of canthaxanthin ( ca. 62 per cent of total carotenoids) and secondary amounts of unesterified astaxanthin ( ca . 35 per cent) were accompanied by possible traces of other xanthophylls and by a minor fraction of an epiphasic carotene-like compound ( ca. 3 per cent). 2. 2. Canthaxanthin and astaxanthin were present also in the solid parts (not the cytoplasm) of the red corpuscles, in relative proportions rather similar to those in the plasma, but in total concentrations of only about 20 per cent of those in the latter. 3. 3. The carotenoids are dissolved in or associated with the plasma lipoproteins. The high-density lipoprotein fraction carried 83 per cent of the total plasma carotenoids, the remainder being associated with the low-density fraction. 4. 4. Both the neutral and the acidogenic fractions were demonstrable in the high density lipoproteins, but only the neutral component could be discerned in the low-density lipoproteins. 5. 5. The cholesterol content of plasma was measured at 200 mg/100 ml, and showed a fourfold greater concentration in the high- than in the low-density lipoproteins, beingh thus parallel with the carotenoids in distribution.
A global model of neuronal command-control systems.

In learning of the death of Lars Onsager, friend and great scholar, it seemed appropriate to us, as a small tribute to his memory and his interests, to present some ,of our speculations regarding the organization of the nervous system. We hope that this essay may provide useful insights into such organization. We offer it in full awareness that it represents an oversimplification of the problem at hand and that its global extent is much too broad to be considered critical. We write it, nevertheless, because we consider that on certain occasions a use of metaphors about the intrinsic processes in a complex system may offer more to human discourse and understanding than the more precise but often cryptic language of the specialist. A recent paper of ours (Iberall and Llinas, in press) presented a cybernetic view of command-control in complex living systems and offered some central ideas reached after a number of years of collaborative discourse. New advances in our biological and physical understanding, and further discussion, have led to the development of the following set of hypothetical theses for command-control in living systems, including memory. These theses are cast as a global model at the level of single cells. However, elaboration to the level of a brain, even a human brain, seems to us to be considerably simplified when the dynamic topology of the theses considered here are
Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes — Ionic Polymer Electroactive Hybrid Transducers

Ionic electroactive polymers, sometimes referred to as artificial muscles, have the ability to generate large bending strain and moderate stress at low applied voltages. Typical types of ionic electroactive polymer transducers include ionic polymers, conducting polymers, and carbon nanotubes. Preliminary research combining multiple types of materials proved to enhance certain transduction properties. Bennett and Leo (Materials Research Society Symposium Proceedings, vol. 785, 2003b) showed that the speed of response, maximum strain, and quasi-static actuation are improved by adding a layer of conducting polymer on an ionic polymer transducer. In this work, a recently developed fabrication method called the direct assembly process (DAP) plating is used to build SWNT/RuO2 hybrid transducers. The DAP consists of mixing a conducting powder with an ionomer solution. This technique has demonstrated improved response time and strain output as compared to previous methods. Electrodes applied using this new techni...
Global optimization of masks, including film stack design to restore TM contrast in high NA TCC's

We provide an expanded description of the global algorithm for mask optimization introduced in our earlier papers, and discuss auxiliary optimizations that can be carried out in the problem constraints and film stack. Mask optimization tends inherently to be a problem with non-convex quadratic constraints, but for small problems we can mitigate this difficulty by exploiting specialized knowledge that applies in the lithography context. If exposure latitude is approximated as maximization of edge slope between image regions whose intensities must print with opposite polarity, we show that the solution space can be approximately divided into regions that contain at most one local minimum. Though the survey of parameter space to identify these regions requires an exhaustive grid search, this search can be accelerated using heuristics, and is not the rate-limiting step at SRAM scale or below. We recover a degree of generality by using a less simplified objective function when we actually assess the local minima. The quasi-binary specialization of lithographic targets is further exploited by searching only in the subspace formed by the dominant joint eigenvectors for dark region intensity and bright region intensity, typically reducing problem dimensionality to less than half that of the full set of frequency-domain variables (i.e. collected diffraction orders). Contrast in this subspace across the bright/dark edge will approximately reflect exposure latitude when we apply the standard fixed edge-placement constraints of lithography. However, during an exploratory stage of optimization we can define preliminary tolerances which more explicitly reflect constraints on devices, e.g. as is done with compactor codes for design migration. Our algorithm can handle vector imaging in a general way, but for the special case of unpolarized illumination and a lens having radial symmetry (but arbitrary source shape) we show that the bilinear function which describes vector interference within the film stack can be expressed in terms of three generic radial functions, enabling rapid numerical evaluation of the Hopkins kernel. By inspection these functions show that one can in principle recover classical scalar-like imaging even at high NA by exposing a very thin layer spaced above a reflective substack. The reflected image largely restores destructive interference in TM polarized fringes, if proper phasing is achieved. With an ideal reflector, the first-order azimuthal contrast loss term vanishes in all TCC components, and complete equivalence to scalar imaging is obtained in classical two-beam imaging.
Export Instability and Contracyclical Fiscal Policy in Underdeveloped Export Economies: A Case Study of Ceylon Since 1948

T HE FACT THAT INSTABILITY in the export markets of underdeveloped countries poses grave economic and social problems for these countries is now widely recognized. Each primary producing country can do little, individually, to influence its export and import prices expressed in foreign currencies. However, it is generally maintained that each country can adopt domestic contracyclical monetary and fiscal policies to insulate, to a large extent, its economy from the adverse effects of such instability. In view of the importance of government transactions in the total economic activity of most underdeveloped countries, and because of the lack of well-organized and integrated monetary systems, the responsibility for formulating and implementing public contracyclical policies will rest primarily on the fiscal authorities. The problems and limitations of monetary policy in underdeveloped countries have been discussed widely, but little attention has been given to the difficulties which are likely to arise in the application of contracyclical fiscal policy. The objective of this paper is to analyze the role of such policy in underdeveloped export economies, and to use the budgetary experience of Ceylon in the period from 1948 to 1957 to illustrate some of the difficulties which may be encountered in its adoption and operation.
Hypomagnesemia in 188 Dogs: A Hospital Population‐Based Prevalence Study

Magnesium is a divalent cation involved in more than 300 metabolic processes. Magnesium acts as an intracellular regulator of most energy-demanding pathways. Clinical investigation in the human medical field has determined risk factors for hypomagnesemia and its relationship to a number of disease processes. Experimental studies have established the effects of hypomagnesemia in dogs, but little is known of its prevalence, risk factors, or clinical associations in a hospital population of dogs. To study the prevalence, risk factors, and clinical associations of hypomagnesemia in dogs, a retrospective cross-sectional study of dogs admitted to the University of Minnesota Veterinary Teaching Hospital over a 2.5-year period was undertaken. The prevalence of hypomagnesemia in the study population was 6.1% (188 of 3,102 dogs). Using both categorical and continuous variables in a univariate analysis, significant associations with hypomagnesemia were identified and used to construct a multivariate analysis of the relative risk of hypomagnesemia. Results from evaluation of 3,102 dogs indicate that the most significant predictors of hypomagnesemia were albumin (P < or = .0001; odds ratio [OR] = 0.2), potassium (P < or = .0001; OR = 0.5), total CO2 (P < or = .05; OR = 0.9), and blood urea nitrogen concentrations (P < .0001; OR = 0.9), a diagnosis of cardiovascular disease (P < .02; OR = 1.9); and being a Collie (P < .02; OR = 3.9) or German Shepherd Dog (P < .002; OR = 2.2). These results can be used to better understand and predict hypomagnesemia in dogs.