cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Reimbursement for Telephone Care

In today’s health care environment, telephone care is an increasing component of pediatric practice.1,2 Under pressure to limit office and emergency department utilization and with increasing expectations for access by working parents, pediatricians are finding themselves dispensing more and more advice over the telephone, both during and after office hours. Practice surveys have reported that telephone care accounts for at least 20% of all clinical care in a general pediatric practice and as much as 80% of after-hours pediatric care.3–5 Telephone care is not only an issue in primary care. Many pediatric subspecialists who care for children with chronic and special needs, such as diabetes or seizures, face extraordinary burdens in providing telephone-based disease management.6 For others, such as pediatric infectious disease specialists, telephone consultation represents a significant part of their practice, and the issue of reimbursement for telephone care is of paramount importance. The American Medical Association’s Current Procedural Terminology (CPT-4) manual, the standard reference for coding medical encounters with patients, categorizes telephone calls as case management services.7 Telephone calls by physicians for case management (eg, consultation, medical management, coordination of care) are categorized by complexity of medical decision making. Case management telephone calls involving simple, intermediate, or complex decision making are described by CPT codes 99371, 99372, and 99373, respectively (Table 1). If these calls lead to a visit, then they may be included in the preservice component of evaluation and management (E&M) codes. View this table: TABLE 1. CPT Codes and RVUs for Telephone Calls Telephone calls are also included within “Care Plan Oversight Services,” which reflect physician work in the complex and multidisciplinary management of patients being cared for by a home health agency, hospice, or nursing facility, and can be reported using CPT codes 99374, 99375, and 99377 to 99380.7 … Reprint requests to (S.M.M.) Children’s Hospital and Regional Medical Center and the University of Washington School of Medicine, 4800 Sand Point Way NE, Box 5371 (MS: CH-41), Seattle, WA 98105-0371. E-mail: smelze{at}chmc.org
Pathogenic factors in bronchopulmonary dysplasia

Summary: Serum factors related to oxygen exposure were studied in 56 full-term cord blood samples and in 69 newborn infants of varying gestational age (GA). Serum malondialdehyde (MDA), which reflects membrane lipid peroxidation, was elevated during the first 2 d of life and rose to a peak at 3-5 d of life. This peak value was unrelated to GA or to assisted ventilation. The serum antioxidant, vitamin E, showed a significant rise by 6-10 d, and came into the adult range after d 11. Vitamin E levels did not correlate with GA, assisted ventilation, or the development of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD). Serum ceruloplasmin, another antioxidant, was measured both by activity assay and by protein concentration assay. Little activity was found in cord blood. Ceruloplasmin activity increased during the first 48 h of life, and both activity and protein concentration correlated with GA at that time. Infants who subsequently developed BPD had a less active protein than infants on ventilators who did not develop BPD. In addition, activity and protein levels on 3-5 d were lower in infants on ventilators than in those not requiring assisted ventilation. Serum levels of α-l-AP activity and protein concentration were also correlated with GA during the first 48 h of life. The less mature infants had levels of activity and protein which were significantly less than the more mature infants and significantly less than the full-term cord values. The proportion of active protein correlated with GA at 3-5 d, indicating that the less mature infants had a lower proportion of active protein. All infants had activity and protein levels within the normal range for healthy adults by 6-10 d.
Effects of aging and chronic nimodipine on hippocampal binding of [3H]CGS 19755

Previous studies have suggested that aging is associated with impaired behavioral performance and with decrements of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors in the rat hippo-campus. Other studies have indicated that chronic treatment with nimodipine, a Ca2+ channel antagonist, prevents the age-related decline in performance by rats in behavioral tasks. Therefore, we tested whether nimodipine altered binding of [3H]CGS 19755 to hippocampal NMDA receptors in rats whose performance on a 14-unit T maze had been tested previously (14). No significant age difference was observed in [3H]CGS 19755 binding in hippocampi from old Fischer-344 rats (27 months) as compared with mature but not senescent rats (9 months); however, old rats that received chronic treatment with a low dose of nimodipine (20 mg pellets implanted subcutaneously twice during 70 days of treatment) showed higher levels of binding. A high dose of nimodipine (40 mg pellets implanted by the same route and at the same times as the low dose) was without effect on [3H]CGS 19755 binding, although aged rats given this treatment performed better in the maze than rats that received no nimodipine or the low dose. In a second experiment comparing hippocampi of young (4 months) and old (24 months) rats, saturation studies confirmed the lack of an age difference in [3H]CGS 19755 binding. The findings suggest that neither the age-related decline in maze performance nor the enhancement of behavior by nimodipine depend upon changes in hippocampal NMDA receptors.
Effects of Lime and Calcium on Root Development and Nodulation of Clovers

Acidic soils can reduce the nodulation of forage legumes. Studies with a Gilpin series silt loam (fine loamy, mixed mesic, Typic Hapludult) from New, WV, were conducted to determine the effects of lime on root development, and to assess effects of soil Ca and pH on nodulation. Liming increased soil pH from 4.8 to 5.3, nodulation, and root growth of white clover (Trifolium repens L., cultivar Huia) 28 d after planting. Seedlings from unlimed soil formed fewer indeterminate and determinate roots. Next, soils were amended with either CaCO 3 or a mixture of CaCO 3 and CaSO 4 to achieve a soil pH of 4.7 to 6.1 and soil Ca of 170 to 680 mg kg -1 soil. There was a strong quadratic relationship between number of nodules per white clover seedling 28 d after planting and soil pH. Another experiment was conducted to determine if these trends were expressed under field conditions. In 1993, field plots were amended with lime or a coal combustion by-product that supplied Ca as CaSO 4 and seeded in 1994 to cool-season grasses. In spring of 1998, plots were drilled with either red (Trifolium pratense, L.) or white clover. The nodules per primary root were determined in May (1998, 1999) and August (1998). Number of nodules per primary root was more closely associated with soil pH than soil Ca. These results indicate that changes in nodulation were more closely associated with changes in soil pH than soil Ca.
Economic comparison of diagnostic approaches for evaluating osteoporosis in older women

Of the technologies available, dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry of the hip or femoral neck (DXA-FN) is the best predictor of hip fractures. Diagnostic approaches utilizing measures of peripheral sites with office-based technology, such as calcaneal quantitative ultrasound (QUS), may reduce costs although clinical and economic outcomes have not been evaluated. The objective was to compare three approaches for diagnosing osteoporosis in older women. The design was a decision-analytic model using diagnostic measures and clinical and economic outcomes from the Study of Osteoporotic Fractures, a prospective cohort of older white women that measured BMD and QUS and assessed fracture outcomes. The setting and patients were a hypothetical cohort of older white women presenting for diagnosis of osteoporosis. For the diagnostic and treatment alternatives, three diagnostic approaches—DXA-FN alone, QUS alone and a sequential approach (first QUS, then DXA-FN for those with low values for QUS)—were compared to no diagnosis. The outcome measures were the number of women identified for treatment, number of hip fractures prevented following diagnosis and subsequent treatment, number of women needed to treat to prevent one hip fracture and total direct medical costs. The sequential approach identified fewer women to treat, prevented more hip fractures and incurred lower total costs than using DXA alone. Diagnosis with QUS alone identified more women to treat and incurred higher total costs than DXA alone under most conditions. Compared to other approaches for diagnosing osteoporosis, sequential use of QUS followed by DXA resulted in fewer women treated and lower total costs.
Reasoning about partial functions with the aid of a computer

Partial functions are ubiquitous in both mathematics and computer science. Therefore, it is imperative that the underlying logical formalism for a general-purpose mechanized mathematics system provide strong support for reasoning about partial functions. Unfortunately, the common logical formalisms — first-order logic, type theory, and set theory — are usually only adequate for reasoning about partial functionsin theory. However, the approach to partial functions traditionally employed by mathematicians is quite adequatein practice. This paper shows how the traditional approach to partial functions can be formalized in a range of formalisms that includes first-order logic, simple type theory, and Von-Neumann—Bernays—Godel set theory. It argues that these new formalisms allow one to directly reason about partial functions; are based on natural, well-understood, familiar principles; and can be effectively implemented in mechanized mathematics systems.
High temperature conductive polymers. II: A new technique for introducing conductivity

Abstract We report on the use of the following in situ reactions: AgNo 3 + RCHO → Ag° + RCOOH and R 3 M → M° + 3R, where M = Au,Pt, to introduce either bulk or surface conductivity in high temperature polymers.
Phosphodiesterase inhibitors: A novel mechanism for receptor-independent antipsychotic medications

Abstract OverviewAll current antipsychotic medications work by binding to Gi-coupled dopamine (DA) D2 receptors. Such medications are thought to affect cellular function primarily by decreasing DA-mediated regulation of intracellular cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP).However, several studies indicate that cAMP signal transduction abnormalities in schizophrenia may not be limited to D2-containing cells. The current study examines the potential of using non-receptor-based agents that modify intracellular signal transduction as potential antipsychotic medications. MethodsThe indirect DA agonist amphetamine has been used to model the auditory sensory processing deficits in schizophrenia. Such pharmacologically induced abnormalities are reversed by current antipsychotic treatments. This study examines the ability of the phosphodiesterase-4 inhibitor, rolipram, to reverse amphetamine-induced abnormalities in auditory-evoked potentials that are characteristic of schizophrenia. ResultsRolipram reverses amphetamine-induced reductions in auditory-evoked potentials. ConclusionThis finding could lead to novel approaches to receptor-independent treatments for schizophrenia.
Endogenous opioids and smoking: A review of progress and problems

Abstract The present report examines efforts to elucidate the role of opioid mechanisms in the reinforcement of smoking. A number of approaches have been used to evaluate nicotine-opioid interactions. Opiate agonists such as heroin or methadone have been found to increase cigarette smoking reliably in humans, and morphine has been shown to increase the potency and efficacy of nicotine in rats. There is also an extensive literature documenting the nicotine-stimulated release of endogenous opioids in various brain regions involved in the mediation of opiate reinforcement. Blockade studies using opioid antagonists have not been as conclusive. Although animal models have demonstrated commonalities between nicotine withdrawal and the opiate abstinence syndrome, including reversibility by morphine, and although the impact of nicotine on certain response systems such as respiratory reflexes has clearly been shown to involve opioid mediation, attempts to demonstrate opioid modulation for the key indicators of smoking reinforcement—cigarette consumption and nicotine self-administration—have been fraught with difficulty. Resolution of the apparent contradictions will require taking into account: (a) the biphasic properties of nicotine-opioid effects at higher doses and anti-opioid effects at lower doses; (b) the contributions of the opioid receptor populations — mu, kappa, sigma — stimulated at various dose levels; (c) the possibility that endogenous-opioid activity is entrained primarily during the acquisition or re-acquisition of nicotine self-administration; (d) the possibility that the endogenous opioid response does contribute to nicotine reinforcement but only as a delimited component of the neuroregulatory cascade of nicotine; and (e) the possibility that opioids contribute primarily to nicotine reinforcement under special conditions such as stress. Taking these considerations into account should allow studies on endogenous opioid effects to begin to do justice to the complexity of both smoking behavior and the actions of nicotine.
The Design of Buffer Memories for Multi-Channel Neutron Time-of-Flight Analysis

The logical, or system, organization of a buffered data storage system designed expressly for non-stationary randomly arriving data is described. The system makes use of multiple levels of buffering. Simulation on a digital computer is used as a design technique. The system was evaluated for an input arrival distribution expected from Columbia University's Nevis Neutron Velocity Spectrometer. It was shown that the amount of high speed memory required can be reduced by factors of 100, or more, when compared with more conventional single level buffer storage systems.
Measuring cell mechanics by optical alignment compression cytometry

To address the need for a high throughput, non-destructive technique for measuring individual cell mechanical properties, we have developed optical alignment compression (OAC) cytometry. OAC combines hydrodynamic drag in an extensional flow microfluidic device with optical forces created with an inexpensive diode laser to induce measurable deformations between compressed cells. In this, a low-intensity linear optical trap aligns incoming cells with the flow stagnation point allowing hydrodynamic drag to induce deformation during cell–cell interaction. With this novel approach, we measure cell mechanical properties with a throughput that improves significantly on current non-destructive individual cell testing methods.
Loop ileostomy is a safe option for fecal diversion

This study was undertaken to prospectively assess all morbidity and mortality associated with temporary loop ileostomy. Eighty-three consecutive patients of a median age of 45 years required temporary fecal diversion after either ileoanal or low colorectal anastomosis (n=72), for perianal Crohn's disease (n=5), or for other reasons (n=6). All loop ileostomies were supported with a rod, and fecal diversion was maintained for a mean of 10 weeks. To date, 67 patients have had re-establishment of intestinal continuity. Stoma closure was affected through a parastomal incision in 64 patients; in three, a laparotomy was required. The closure was stapled side to side in 49 patients, while a hand-sewn anastomosis was done in the other 18 patients; all skin wounds were left open. The mean length of surgery for ileostomy closure was 56 minutes, and the mean hospital stay was five days. Nine patients (10.8 percent) developed 10 complications, nine of which required hospitalization. Specifically, four patients developed dehydration and electrolyte abnormalities secondary to high stoma output, and two had anastomotic leaks that spontaneously healed following conservative management. One patient developed a superficial wound infection that spontaneously drained itself. One patient developed a partial small bowel obstruction that resolved without surgery after a four-day hospitalization. One stoma retracted after supporting rod removal and prompted premature closure. There was no stomal ischemia, hemorrhage, prolapse, or mortality in this series. Thus, loop ileostomy is a safe way to achieve fecal diversion.
Selenoprotein H is a redox-sensing high mobility group family DNA-binding protein that up-regulates genes involved in glutathione synthesis and phase II detoxification.

Abstract Selenoprotein H is a recently identified member of the selenoprotein family whose function is not fully known. Previous studies from our laboratory and others showed that Drosophila melanogaster selenoprotein H is essential for viability and antioxidant defense. In this study we investigated the function of human selenoprotein H in murine hippocampal HT22 cells engineered to stably overexpress the protein. After treatment of cells with l-buthionine-(S,R)-sulfoximine to deplete glutathione, selenoprotein H-overexpressing cells exhibited higher levels of total glutathione, total antioxidant capacities, and glutathione peroxidase enzymatic activity than did vector control cells. Overexpression of selenoprotein H also up-regulated the mRNA levels of endogenous selenoprotein H, glutamylcysteine synthetase heavy and light chains, and glutathione S-transferases Alpha 2, Alpha 4, and Omega 1. The amino acid sequence of selenoprotein H contains four putative nuclear localization sequences and an AT-hook motif, a small DNA-binding domain first identified in high mobility group proteins. Chromatin immunoprecipitation using a green fluorescent protein-selenoprotein H fusion revealed binding to sequences containing heat shock and/or stress response elements. Thus, selenoprotein H is a redox-responsive DNA-binding protein of the AT-hook family and functions in regulating expression levels of genes involved in de novo glutathione synthesis and phase II detoxification in response to redox status.
Nanoparticle Metal−Semiconductor Charge Transfer in ZnO/PATP/Ag Assemblies by Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy

The ZnO/PATP/Ag sandwich structure and its reverse Ag/PATP/ZnO were fabricated using ZnO nanorods and silver nanoparticles with functional molecules 4-aminothiophenol (PATP) through layer-by-layer selfassembly techniques. Under near-IR excitation (1064 nm, far from the surface plasmon resonance of the Ag nanoparticles in the assemblies), the enhancement of surface-enhanced Raman spectra (SERS) from the chargetransfer mechanism can be readily observed only in the former structure. The considerably larger enhancement of the b2 modes, relative to those of the a1 modes, is ascribed to the charge transfer between the silver nanoparticles and ZnO tunneling through the interconnecting PATP molecules. This is not observed in the second structure. The result demonstrates for the first time that directional charge transfer between nanoscale metal and semiconductor tunneling through the interconnecting molecules may be examined by SERS.
Estimation and comparison of derived preference scores from the SF-36 in lung transplant patients.

The purpose of this study was to estimate and compare preference scores derived from MOS Short Form-36 (SF-36) data for a sample of lung transplant patients using three methodologies: Fryback et al. (Med Decis Making 1997; 17: 1–9), Nichol et al. (Med Decis Making 2001; 21: 105–112) and Brazier et al. (J Health Econ 2002; 21: 271–292). Data were gathered from 99 lung transplant recipients using a mail survey, which included the SF-36 and other health-related quality of life (HRQL) measures. The mean preference score for the sample was 0.643 (range 0.43–0.83), 0.765 (range 0.36–1.0), and 0.697 (range 0.33–1.00) for Fryback, Nichol and Brazier methods, respectively. Correlations between the derived scores and visual analogue ratings of health (0.58–0.68) and pulmonary symptoms (−0.59 to −0.62) were moderate to good and in the expected directions. The mean preferences of patients grouped by levels of dyspnea, depression symptoms, illness burden, and self-rated general health differed significantly with all methods and supported the construct validity of the derived scores as measures of preference. The Nichol and Brazier scores, both derived with standard gamble utilities, were generally higher than Fryback scores, which are not utility-based. Given the popularity of the SF-36, these three methods could be useful where direct elicitation of preferences is not feasible. Researchers must be cognizant of the derivation method used, as absolute preference levels, hence quality adjusted life years (QALYs), will differ by method.
A faster approximation scheme for timing driven minimum cost layer assignment

As VLSI technology moves to the 65nm node and beyond, interconnect delay greatly limits the circuit performance. As a critical component in interconnect synthesis, layer assignment manifests enormous potential in drastically reducing wire delay. This is due the fact that wires on thick metals are much less resistive than those on thin metals. Nevertheless, it is not desired to assign all wires to thick metals and the right strategy is to only use minimal thick-metal routing resources for meeting the timing constraints. This timing driven minimum cost layer assignment problem is NP-Complete, and a fast algorithm with provable approximation bound is highly desired.In this paper, a new fully polynomial time approximation scheme is proposed. It is based on a linear-time dynamic programming algorithm for bounded-cost layer assignment and efficient oracle queries. The proposed algorithm can approximate the optimal layer assignment solution in O(mn2/e) time within a factor of 1+e for any e>0, where n is the tree size and m is the number of routing layers. This significantly improves the previous work. The new algorithm is also highly practical. Our experiments on industrial netlists demonstrate that the new algorithm runs up to 6.5times faster than the optimal dynamic programming with few percent additional wire as guaranteed theoretically. This gives another 2x speedup over the previous work.
Motor cortical modulation of feline red nucleus output: cortico-rubral and cerebellar-mediated responses.

The neocerebellum receives an input from the motor cortex, and its output modulates the activity of rubrospinal and corticospinal tract neurons. In a previous study (Larsen and Yumiya, 1979) we examined the organization of the input from the motor cortex to the cerebellum and found that the discharge of cerebellar nuclear neurons, which were driven by passive movement of a limb segment in one direction, was suppressed by stimulation of cortical sites from which movement was evoked in the opposite direction. The purpose of the present study was to examine the organization of the output from the cerebellum to the red nucleus. Red nucleus neurons were characterized by their sensory input with natural stimulation and their motor output with movements evoked by microstimulation in unanesthetized cats. A receptive field was identified in 152 of 184 neurons, 82 of which were driven by passive movement of one or two limb segments. Microstimulation at the rubral recording sites evoked movements in the direction opposite to the passive movement. The response of rubral neurons to motor cortical microstimulation was examined in post-stimulus time histograms. A short-latency facilitation presumably mediated by the corticorubral projection, was termed the early component of the response. A longer latency response presumably mediated by the cerebellum and termed the late component consisted primarily of suppression. Twenty-eight (70%) of 40 of the tested rubral neurons driven by passive movement of a limb segment in one direction responded (with the early and/or late component) to stimulation of the cortical site from which movement was evoked in the opposite direction. By contrast, only three (17%) of 17 tested neurons responded to stimulation of the cortical site from which movement was evoked in the same direction as the passive movement. Therefore, the cerebellar-mediated suppression was found in rubral neurons, which have a target similar to neurons in the cortical region from which the suppression was evoked. Based on this and other studies, a model is proposed in which the cerebellum mediates negative feedback to the motor cortex.
How phosphorylation activates the protein phosphatase-1 • inhibitor-2 complex.

Phosphorylation regulates activity of many proteins; however, atomic level details are known for very few examples. Inhibitor-2 (I2) squelches the ubiquitous protein phosphatase-1 (PP1) enzyme activity by blocking access to the metal-containing active site. I2 Thr74 phosphorylation results in PP1 activation without I2 dissociation from the PP1-I2 complex. The dynamic disordered structure of the 73-residue segment of I2 containing Thr74, prevented visualization by X-ray crystallography of PP1-I2. In this work, I generated structures of this segment using simulated annealing to NMR restraints, fused them to the crystallographic PP1-I2 coordinates, and used molecular dynamics to study the impact of Thr74 phosphorylation on structural alterations leading to PP1 activation. Frequencies of I2 Tyr149 displacement from the PP1 active site, rotation of the phenolic Tyr149 side chain to prevent its reinsertion, and repositioning the I2 inhibitory helix to expose the PP1 active site to solvent and substrates significantly increased upon I2 Thr74 phosphorylation. After these steps, a second metal bound to produce PP1-Mn(2)-I2, which held the phosphorylated form of I2 to its active site less tightly than it held dephosphorylated I2. I2 Thr74 lies on the edge of variable dynamic communities of residues where it forms various allosteric pathways that induce motions at the PP1 active site 20A away. These molecular dynamics simulations show how an unstructured region of I2 can harness enhanced rapid movements around phosphorylated Thr74 to pry I2 residues away from the PP1 active site in early steps of PP1-I2 activation.
Computational and experimental studies of an orthopedic implant: MRI-related heating at 1.5-T/64-MHz and 3-T/128-MHz.

Purpose: To use numerical modeling to predict the worst-case of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-induced heating of an orthopedic implant of different sizes under 1.5-T/64-MHz and 3-T/128-MHz conditions and to apply the experimental test to validate the numerical results for worst-case heating. Materials and Methods: Investigations of specific absorption rate (SAR) and the temperature rise of an orthopedic implant of different sizes within a standard phantom were accomplished by numerical finite-difference time-domain modeling and experimental measurements. MRI-related heating experiments were performed using standardized techniques at 1.5-T/64-MHz and 3-T/128-MHz. Results: The numerical modeling results indicated that the induced energy deposition is almost linearly related to the dimension of the orthopedic implant when it is less than 100 mm for 1.5-T/64-MHz and 3-T/128-MHz conditions. At 3-T/128-MHz, when the dimension is greater than 100 mm, the linear relation does not exist, which suggests a wavelength effect at higher frequency. Higher temperature rises occurred at 1.5-T/64-MHz MRI than at 3-T/128-MHz for both numerical modeling and experimental studies. Conclusion: The numerical technique predicted which device size had maximum heating and its location. Temperature rise data agreed well with thermal simulation results. The presented method proved to be suitable to assess MRI-induced heating of complex medical implants. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2013;37:491–497. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Dopamine-D1 and δ-opioid receptors co-exist in rat striatal neurons

Abstract Cocaine's enhancement of dopaminergic neurotransmission in the mesolimbic pathway plays a critical role in the initial reinforcing properties of this drug. However, other neurotransmitter systems are also integral to the addiction process. A large body of data indicates that opioids and dopamine together mediate emotional and reinforced behaviors. In support of this, cocaine-mediated increases in activation of dopamine D1 receptors (D1R) results in a desensitization of δ-opioid receptor (DOR) signaling through adenylyl cyclase (AC) in striatal neurons. To further define cellular mechanisms underlying this effect, the subcellular distribution of DOR and D1R was examined in the rat dorsolateral striatum. Dual immunoperoxidase/gold-silver detection combined with electron microscopy was used to identify DOR and D1R immunoreactivities in the same section of tissue. Semi-quantitative analysis revealed that a subset of dendritic cellular profiles exhibited both DOR and D1R immunoreactivities. Of 198 randomly sampled D1R immunoreactive profiles, 43% contained DOR. Similarly of 165 DOR-labeled cellular profiles, 52% contained D1R. The present data provide ultrastructural evidence for co-existence between DOR and D1R in striatal neurons, suggesting a possible mechanism whereby D1R modulation may alter DOR function.
Topological properties of the scale of a uniform space

Let ( S. U ) be a uniform space. This space can be embedded in a complete, uniform lattice called the scale of ( S. U ). We prove that the scale is compact if and only if S is finite or U = { S × S }. We prove that this statement remains true if compact is replaced by countably compact, totally bounded. Lindelof, second countable, or separable. In the last section of this paper, we investigate the cardinality of the scale and the retracted scale.
Slippage Between Noncovalently Bound Filaments Of Self-assembling Peptide

Much attention has been given to the rupture of noncovalent chemical bonds in protein dynamics, and Bell's model has become widely used. In many cases, however, unbinding or unfolding requires that multiple energy barriers be overcome in parallel, in coordinated failure events. We examine one such system, slippage between s-sheet filaments of the self-assembling peptide RAD16-II ([RARADADA]2). RAD16-II forms amphiphilic s-sheet filaments, with alanine side chains forming the hydrophobic surface. In an aqueous environment, filaments are found in pairs, with their hydrophobic faces placed together. We examine slippage between two filaments using steered molecular dynamics simulations. We observe that alanine side chains on one s-sheet filament form a rectangular array, and the alanine side chains of the opposing sheet occupy the interstices. For slippage to occur, these methyl groups must jump from one interstice to the next. Since the alanines in one s-sheet are elastically linked, this failure occurs in a cooperative manner. Slippage of a single alanine side chain correlates with slippage of its immediate neighbors, and a dislocation propagates across the bound surface within a few picoseconds. We present a one-dimensional, coarse-grained model based on Langevin dynamics, that incorporates the basic elements of this system: multiple elastically linked particles each residing in an energy well and overcoming an energy barrier under applied force. The coarse-grained model shows good agreement with molecular dynamics results and provides a useful platform for studying coordinated failure events. [Supported by the NHLBI, EB003805.]
Can We "Flip" Non-Major Programming Courses Yet?

Proponents of "flipped" instruction offer a vision of class meetings devoted to active learning, in exchange for students spending time outside of class acquiring basic knowledge from readings or video lectures. The price paid for this vision is the need to create the readings or videos. However, such materials are becoming available as open educational resources, and if they become widely enough available it may be possible to flip classes without requiring each instructor to develop his or her own materials. In the spring of 2014 I flipped an introductory programming course for non-computing majors in an effort to see if freely available video lectures could support it. This paper reports my findings, notably that open resources can support such a course, but just barely.
Aircraft engine blade cooling holes detection and classification from infrared images

In order to inspect sets of cooling holes being properly drilled on an aircraft engine blade, a robotic controlled IR imaging system was designed. The system physically having a robot held the drilled blade at different viewing positions in front of an IR camera where a sequence of images were obtained for analysis and evaluation where a hot-air cool- air heating and cooling cycle was being administered at the base of the blade. An initial teach model was needed to enable the robot to remember the different viewing position of the blade in front of the camera so as to establish a position and orientation reference and sequence of cooling hole inspection. Two data processing algorithms had been achieved in this paper: 1) A position adjustment during the regular operation after the tach-mode so as to made sure that he cooling holes to be inspected matched the reference established by the teaching phase; 2) An image processing method to extract four meaningful features and to drive a pattern recognition system for the determination of cooling hole operating. Blade classification was based on the number of bad cooling holes as being good if all but one hole is determined to be good, unless the bad hole is positioned in one of four critical locations, in which case the blade was classified as bad. A hole is classified as being bad if the hole is blocked in some manner, or if the hole's diameter does not fall within a specified range. Two types of data which were considered to be significant in characterizing the hole were the temperature intensity of the hole as it was heated and cooled, and the change in the intensity as a function of time during the same period. Image data features for the holes were extracted from the images and applied to several classifiers to determine an optimal classification method. Different data sets and/or combinations of features for both training and testing sets were formed and tested. Over 90 percent performances were achieved under different evaluation methods.© (1999) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Making China ‘Perfectly Equal’

Abstract This article focuses on activities undertaken by western powers in Beijing following the relief of the legations in 1900. Beginning with a description of actions specifically directed at the Chinese emperor and designed to bring low a sovereignty that was already in disarray, it then considers ways in which the emperor was reconstituted as a sovereign similar to European kings. Alterations made to Manchu-Chinese imperial court audience in the Boxer protocol of 1901 are reviewed, arguing that this rewriting imposed a representational notion of ceremony over the imperial court's constitutive version of ceremonial practice. The western assault on imperial sovereignty contributed to the demise of Qing Kingship and to a new definition of “China” and the “Chinese”
Thin-layer electrochemistry: steady-state methods of studying rate processes

Abstract Potential applications are considered for twin-electrode thin-layer electrolysis. Determination of diffusion coefficients, electron-transfer rate constants, and concentration of electroactive species are possible using steady-state currents attainable with the twin-electrode technique. The technique is applied to the Fe(II)-Fe(III) and the quinone-hydroquinone systems.
Blessing for a Long Time: The Sacred Pole of the Omaha Tribe

Blessing for. Long Time: The Sacred Pole of the Omaha Tribe. Robin Ridington and Dennis Hastings. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1997. xxvi. 259 pp., illustrations, bibliography, index.
Comparative studies of enzymes related to serine metabolism in fetal and adult liver

Abstract 1. 1. The levels of activity of D -glycerate dehydrogenase ( D -glycerate: NAD(P)+ oxidoreductase) and phosphoglycerate dehydrogenase ( D -3-phosphoglycerate: NAD+ oxidoreductase) have been determined in adult and fetal liver from rabbit, dog, ox, pig, cut, guinea pig, and human, as well as in chicken liver during development of the chick embryo. 2. 2. In all animals investigated, with the exception of the cat, the activity of phosphoglycerate dehydrogenase was higher than that of D -glycerate dehydrogenase in fetal liver. This relationship does not hold in adult liver where, depending on the species, marked differences in the relative activities of the two enzymes are found. 3. 3. The over-all conversion of D -glycerate to serine and of D -3-phosphoglycerate to phosphoserine was compared in extracts of fetal and adult dog liver. The extent to which the phosphorylated and nonphosphorylated pathways function is comparable to the relative activities of D -glycerate and phosphoglycerate dehydrogenases in the two tissies. 4. 4. Hydroxypyruvate: L -alanine transaminase ( L -serine: pyruvate aminotransferase) and phosphohydroxypyruvate: L -glutamate transaminase ( O- phospho - L - serine : 2-oxoglutarate aminotransferase) were measured in adult and fetal liver of dog and man. 5. 5. The data suggest that serine biosynthesis occurs primarily via the phosphorylated pathway in fetal liver whereas in adult liver either or both pathways may be functional.
On finite element formulations for large elastic-plastic deformations

Abstract Some issues arising in the formulation of finite strain plasticity problems are discussed. One issue concerns the formulation of finite deformation elastic-plastic constitutive relations for use in this class of problems. Here, a formulation is outlined with particular attention on the role of elasticity in setting the form of the stress rate-strain rate relation. The dependence of solutions to problems involving large plastic deformations on the plastic flow rule is illustrated by reviewing results on finite pure bending of a plane strain strip. The response of elastic-plastic solids is contrasted with that of a nonlinear elastic solid.
A New Look at Women's Work in the Caribbean

Carla Freeman. High Tech and High Heels in the Global Economy—Women, Work and Pink-Collar Identities in the Caribbean. Durham: Duke University Press, 2000. xiii. 334 pp.
Trading away what kind of jobs? Globalization, trade and tasks in the US economy

Economists and other social scientists are calling for a reassessment of the impact of international trade on labor markets in developed and developing countries. Classical models of globalization and trade, based upon the international exchange of finished goods, fail to capture the fragmentation of much commodity production and the geographical separation of individual production tasks. This fragmentation, captured in the growing volume of intra-industry trade, prompts investigation of the effects of trade within, rather than between, sectors of the economy. In this paper we examine the relationship between international trade and the task structure of US employment. We link disaggregate US trade data from 1972 to 2006, the NBER manufacturing database, the Decennial Census, and occupational and task data from the Dictionary of Occupational Titles. Within-industry shifts in task characteristics are linked to import competition and technological change. Our results suggest that trade has played a major role in the growth in relative demand for nonroutine tasks, particularly those requiring high levels of interpersonal interaction.
Function curve of the membranes that regulate amniotic fluid volume in sheep.

Seven singleton 120-day fetal lambs were prepared with a shunt from the lung to the gastric end of the esophagus, a bladder catheter, and multiple amniotic fluid and vascular catheters. The urachus...
Promiscuity in Rab–SNARE Interactions

Fusion of post-Golgi secretory vesicles with the plasma membrane in yeast requires the function of a Rab protein, Sec4p, and a set of v- and t-SNAREs, the Snc, Sso, and Sec9 proteins. We have tested the hypothesis that a selective interaction between Sec4p and the exocytic SNAREs is responsible for ensuring that secretory vesicles fuse with the plasma membrane but not with intracellular organelles. Assembly of Sncp and Ssop into a SNARE complex is defective in a sec4-8 mutant strain. However, Snc2p binds in vivo to many other syntaxin-like t-SNAREs, and binding of Sncp to the endosomal/Golgi t-SNARE Tlg2p is also reduced in sec4-8 cells. In addition, binding of Sncp to Ssop is reduced by mutations in two other Rab genes and four non-Rab genes that block the secretory pathway before the formation of secretory vesicles. In an alternate approach to look for selective Rab–SNARE interactions, we report that the nucleotide-free form of Sec4p coimmunoprecipitates with Ssop. However, Rab–SNARE binding is nonselective, because the nucleotide-free forms of six Rab proteins bind with similar low efficiency to three SNARE proteins, Ssop, Pep12p, and Sncp. We conclude that Rabs and SNAREs do not cooperate to specify the target membrane.
Using spectral-shape parameters to improve linear spectral mixture analysis

Linear spectral mixture analysis (LSMA) has been frequently used to derive sub-pixel information from moderate-resolution satellite images. This letter proposes a new method to improve LSMA using spectral-shape parameters. A Mann–Whitney U test, Wilcoxon W test statistical analysis and root mean square error (RMSE) were used to compare the fractions estimated from satellite images using traditional LSMA with a ‘shade’ endmember (LSMAWS), the normalized spectral mixture by mean ratio (NSMMR), the proposed spectral-shape-based LSMA (SSLSMA) and the ‘actual’ fractions generated from an ortho-image quarter quadrangle. These statistical analyses suggest that the accuracy was significantly improved using the spectral-shape-based LSMA model in identifying landscape classes at the sub-pixel level.
Low-level vagus nerve stimulation upregulates small conductance calcium-activated potassium channels in the stellate ganglion

Background Small conductance calcium-activated potassium (SK) channels are responsible for afterhyperpolarization that suppresses nerve discharges. Objectives To test the hypothesis that low-level vagus nerve stimulation (LL-VNS) leads to the upregulation of SK2 proteins in the left stellate ganglion. Methods Six dogs (group 1) underwent 1-week LL-VNS of the left cervical vagus nerve. Five normal dogs (group 2) were used as controls. SK2 protein levels were examined by using Western blotting. The ratio between SK2 and glyceraldehydes-3-phosphate-dehydrogenase levels was used as an arbitrary unit (AU). Results We found higher SK2 expression in group 1 (0.124±0.049 AU) than in group 2 (0.085±0.031 AU; P 2 /mm 2 ) than in group 2 (5321±3164 μm 2 /mm 2 ; P P P = .10). Immunofluorescence confocal microscopy revealed a significant decrease in the SK2 staining in the cytosol but an increase in the SK2 staining on the membrane of the ganglion cells in group 1 compared to group 2. Conclusions Left LL-VNS results in the upregulation of SK2 proteins, increased SK2 protein expression in the cell membrane, and increased TH-negative (mostly choline acetyltransferase-positive) ganglion cells in the left stellate ganglion. These changes may underlie the antiarrhythmic efficacy of LL-VNS in ambulatory dogs.
β-endorphin and neurotensin stimulate in vitro clonal growth of human SCLC cells

Les petites cellules de carcinome de poumon (SCLC) produisent des neuropeptides qui sont capables de reguler leur propre croissance comme cela a deja ete demontre avec la bomberine. L'experience realisee sur des lignees de SCLC montre que des petites doses de neurotensine et β endorphine, dont on a identifie les recepteurs a la surface des cellules, sont aussi capable de stimuler la croissance clonale de SCLC. D'autre part, de faibles doses de Naloxone inhibent la croissance des SCLC malgre la liberation de β endorphine, ce qui suggere que cette derniere agit par des recepteurs sensibles aux opiaces
A method for transplantation of luteinizing granulosa cells: evidence for progesterone secretion.

A method is described to enable the investigation of luteal tissue that is formed in the absence of ovarian theca lutein cells. Immature rats were given a s.c. injection of pregnant mare's serum gonadotropin (PMSG) followed 48 h later by an i.v. injection of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). Both ovaries were removed 8 to 10 h after the injection of hCG, the preovulatory follicles punctured, and the granulosa cells expressed into medium using gentle pressure with a dissecting scalpel. The cells were centrifuged at low speed (50 X g) for 5 min, resuspended and recentrifuged. The cells were aspirated into PE 90 polyethylene tubing, the tubing sealed at one end and then placed into a microcapillary hematocrit tube. The cells were packed by centrifugation in a microhematocrit centrifuge for 2 min, after which they were autotransplanted by injecting them beneath the kidney capsule. Progesterone, determined in blood samples obtained 4 through 12 days after transplantation, was elevated on most days compared to ovariectomized controls without cell transplants. In a second experiment, serum progesterone in ovariectomized-adrenalectomized rats with autotransplants was also elevated (4 to 6 ng/ml) compared to controls without cell transplants in which progesterone was about 0.1 ng/ml. Morphology of transplants revealed luteal cells with considerable vascularity and with the typical appearance of cells observed in in situ corpora lutea. This procedure, with modifications to include homotransplants in inbred strains, holds promise for investigation of the endocrine characteristics of granulosa lutein cells devoid of cells of thecal origin.
Reengineering the United States Army's tactical command and control operational architecture for information operations

During the past few years, the Army has undertaken a major effort to integrate computer, information, and communication technologies throughout the force. These technologies have made a profound impact on the Army's tactical command and control (C/sup 2/) processes, especially at division and below. This paper presents a computer simulation model to support the reengineering of the United States Army's staff organization at division and below for information operations. The simulation model under development will provide force planners with a tool for methodically conducting comparative analyses of specific alternatives for reengineering tactical level Army staffs to improve efficiency and effectiveness of staff work related to information operations.