cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effects of Caffeine on Physical and CognitivePerformance: A Brief Review

Caffeine is one of the most extensively studied and widely used ergogenic aid capable of improving many aspects of sport performance and cognitive abilities [1-12]. Some of the acute effects of caffeine supplementation are increases anaerobic power output and performance, increased muscular strength, endurance, and power, improvements to aerobic endurance, reduced fatigue, decreased RPE and pain, increased voluntary workload, and increased alertness [1-8]. Chronic caffeine consumption has also been shown to have a positive effect on long term memory, locomotor improvements, and overall mood state [9-11]. Some of the positive effects of athletic performance attributed to caffeine ingestion can be explained by its ability to moderate insulin sensitivity, increase plasma free fatty acids (FFAs), and increase plasma epinephrine [12].
Optimal Capital Structure and Bankruptcy Choice: Dynamic Bargaining vs Liquidation

We model a firm’s optimal capital structure decision in a framework in which it may later choose to enter either Chapter 11 reorganization or Chapter 7 liquidation. Creditors anticipate equityholders’ ex-post reorganization incentives and price them into the ex-ante credit spreads. Using a realistic dynamic bargaining model of reorganization, we show that the off-equilibrium threat of costly renegotiation can lead to lower leverage, even with liquidation in equilibrium. If reorganization is less efficient than liquidation, the added option of reorganization can actually make equityholders worse off ex-ante, even when they liquidate on the equilibrium path.
Characteristics of Mental Health Patients Boarding for Longer Than 24 Hours in a Pediatric Emergency Department.

This cohort study identifies characteristics of mental health patients boarding for longer than 24 hours in a pediatric emergency department.
Vitamin D and other differentiation-promoting agents as neoadjuvants for photodynamic therapy of cancer.

The efficacy of photodynamic therapy (PDT) using aminolevulinic acid (ALA), which is preferentially taken up by cancerous cells and converted to protoporphyrin IX (PpIX), can be substantially improved by pretreating the tumor cells with vitamin D (Vit D). Vit D is one of several "differentiation-promoting agents" that can promote the preferential accumulation of PpIX within the mitochondria of neoplastic cells, making them better targets for PDT. This article provides a historical overview of how the concept of using combination agents ("neoadjuvants") for PDT evolved, from initial discoveries about neoadjuvant effects of methotrexate and fluorouracil to later studies to determine how vitamin D and other agents actually work to augment PDT efficacy. While this review focuses mainly on skin cancer, it includes a discussion about how these concepts may be applied more broadly toward improving PDT outcomes in other types of cancer.
Myocardial tissue characterization by gadolinium-enhanced cardiac magnetic resonance imaging for risk stratification of adverse events in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a genetic cardiomyopathy with a wide spectrum of clinical manifestations. Patients can be asymptomatic or suffer major adverse events including sudden cardiac death, ventricular arrhythmias, and heart failure. Identification of individuals with HCM who are at risk for these complications remains challenging. While echocardiography remains the mainstay of diagnostic evaluation, cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) is an important adjunctive diagnostic modality with emerging applications for risk-stratification of adverse events in the HCM population. Although not included in current guidelines for HCM management, there is increasing evidence to support the use of CMR for routine prognostic assessment of HCM patients. In this review we discuss the use of CMR techniques, including late gadolinium enhancement, T1 mapping, and quantification of extracellular volume fraction, for the risk stratification of three major adverse events in HCM: sudden cardiac death, ventricular arrhythmias, and congestive heart failure.
Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) and Firearms in the United States: Will an Epidemic of Suicide Follow?

Since February 2020, as U.S. public health efforts have focused on containing the spread of COVID-19, gun sales in the country have skyrocketed, physical distancing necessary to curb transmission h...
Do traditional axes of exclusion affect labor market outcomes in India

In India, caste and gender have historically been the two axes of stratification responsible for the major inequalities in access - in as diverse areas as education, health, technology, and jobs. Both axes of stratification are supported by a ritual ideology and a complex set of social norms. The aim of this chapter is to understand to what extent these axes have a bearing on employment. It is divided into two parts: Part I addresses why women's labor force participation rates have been falling in an era of rapid economic and educational growth. Part II addresses the issue of exclusion in the labor market based on traditional caste and tribal status and assesses the changes that have taken place over almost two decades. The two papers draw on the sociological literature on caste and the demographic, economic and feminist literature on women's employment. Data for the empirical analysis comes from four rounds of the employment modules of the National Sample Surveys from 1983 to 1999-2000. Using varied sociometric methods, the papers attempt to build a conceptual and analytical framework which adds to the existing body of labor market analysis on gender and caste in India. Results from the analysis in Part I indicate that for women, low opportunity structures are responsible for low labor force participations rates -- consistently under 40 percent. Analysis in Part II suggests that the effects of caste alone, controlling for a number of household, individual and regional characteristics, really plays out in the form of an increased likelihood of Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes being in casual labor and their reduced chances of being in off-farm self-employment.
The role of vaccine exemptions in the resurgence of measles.

ABSTRACT Measles (rubeola) is a highly contagious, vaccine-preventable illness. Since 2014, a resurging trend has been noted in the incidence of measles, an illness once eliminated. Low vaccination rates contribute to its resurgence. The most compelling reason for low vaccination rates is the availability and prevalence of nonmedical exemptions (NME), which are primarily based on religious and philosophical beliefs. This article reviews the effect of NMEs in measles resurgence and the moral and legal implications of these exemptions. Clinicians should be aware of this trend and be ready to educate and evaluate the validity of NME requests.
Diets of the benthic amphipod Diporeia in southern Lake Michigan before and after the dreissenid invasion

Abstract Diporeia spp. were a key component of the Great Lakes benthos, converting the pelagic algal rain to secondary production, which is critical for Great Lakes fishes. However, Diporeia declines since the 1980s have been rapid and widespread. While there are temporal relationships between Diporeia declines and spread of zebra and quagga mussels, establishing a mechanistic link has been difficult. Diporeia declines may result from competition for food resources with dreissenid mussels; however, conflicting evidence suggests food limitation may not be the direct link. To test food limitation, we analyzed gut contents of Diporeia collected between the 1980s and 2009 from two deep (>100 m) and one nearshore station (~50 m depth) in southern Lake Michigan. We further analyzed sediment cores from the same stations to resolve relationships among food resources, Diporeia diet, and diet selectivity during pre- and post-dreissenid invasion. In spring, pre-dreissenid Diporeia fed selectively and exclusively on large (Stephanodiscus) and filamentous centric diatoms (Aulacoseira). Diporeia diets showed significant shifts during the 2000s to greater proportions of small centric and araphid diatoms, coincident with Diporeia declines and offshore expansion of quagga mussels. Sediment cores recorded declines in Aulacoseira and large Stephanodiscus from 1960 to 2009 and increases in small centrics after dreissenid introduction. Accounting for high selectivity in springtime Diporeia diets, community changes in sediment records are consistent with changes observed in Diporeia diets and suggest Diporeia declines have been exacerbated by a shift from more nutritious and highly preferred diatom species to less nutritious and negatively selected species.
Association of Transcatheter Mitral Valve Repair Availability With Outcomes of Mitral Valve Surgery.

Background Transcatheter mitral valve repair (TMVr) is currently offered at selected centers that meet certain operator and institutional requirements. We sought to explore the hypothesis that the ...
Chapter 5 Cell Attachment Mechanisms in the Flagellate, Colacium (Euglenophyceae)

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses that the general pattern of attachment by cells of Colacium is not unique. The same general steps have been outlined for the association-specific behavior patterns of parasites as well as in part, for zoospore attachment by Characium and the ship-fouling alga, Enteromorpha . The organisms as small as Colacium , have been found to have a very small Reynolds number. They will be affected by hydrodynamic and electrostatic forces at the substrates boundary layer. Presumably, the spiraling behavior and/or the pancake landings of Colacium are both in response to a turbulent boundary layer on the surface of an active substrate organism. The fact that some clones should exhibit two methods of penetrating this layer and other clones have only one cannot be explained with the existing data.
Design, Development, and Test of Shuttle/ Centaur G-Prime Cryogenic Tankage Thermal Protection Systems

The thermal protection systems (TPS) for the Shuttle/Centaur were designed to provide fail-safe thermal protection during prelaunch, launch ascent, and on-orbit operations as well as during potential abort, where the Shuttle and Centaur would return to Earth. The TPS selected used a helium-purged polyimide foam beneath three radiation shields for the liquid-hydrogen (LH2) tank and radiation shields only for the liquid-oxygen (LO2) tank. A double-walled vacuum bulkhead separated the two tanks. The LH2 tank had one 1.9 cm-thick layer of foam on the forward bulkhead and two layers on the larger-area sidewall. Full scale tests of the flight vehicle in a simulated Shuttle cargo bay gave total prelaunch heating rates of 25.9 and 12.9 kW for the LH2 and LO2 tanks, respectively. Calorimeter tests on a representative sample of the LH2 tank sidewall TPS indicated that the measured unit heating rate would rapidly decrease from the prelaunch rate of ≈300 W/m2 to a desired rate of < 4 W/m2 once on-orbit.
Cr/sup 2+/-doped II-VI crystals: new widely-tunable, room-temperature mid-IR lasers

We have demonstrated lasing in a new class of materials, Cr/sup 2+/-doped II-VI compounds. Their tuning ranges should eventually cover at least the 2100-3000 nm region, and efficient pumping with diode lasers is anticipated. This paper concentrates on absorption and emission spectroscopic properties and temperature-dependent emission lifetimes of ZnSe:Cr/sup 2+/.
Registration and integration for fluoroscopy device enhancement

We investigated a method, motion compensated integration (MCI), for enhancing stent Contrast-to-Noise Ratio (CNR) such that stent deployment may be more easily assessed. MCI registers fluoroscopic frames on the basis of stent motion and performs pixel-wise integration to reduce noise. Registration is based on marker balls, high contrast interventional devices which guide the clinician in stent placement. It is assumed that stent motion is identical to that of the marker balls. Detecting marker balls and identifying their centroids with a high degree of accuracy is a non-trivial task. To address the required registration accuracy, in this work we examine MCI’s visualization benefit as a function of registration error. We employ adaptive forced choice experiments to quantify human discrimination fidelity. Perception results are contrasted with CNR measurements. For each level of registration inaccuracy investigated, MCI conferred a benefit (p<0.05) on stent deployment assessment suggesting the technique is tolerant of modest registration error. We also consider the blurring effect of cardiac motion during the x-ray pulse and select frames for integration as a function of cardiac phase imaged.
Hyaluronic acid-serum hydrogels rapidly restore metabolism of encapsulated stem cells and promote engraftment

Background Cell death due to anoikis, necrosis and cell egress from transplantation sites limits functional benefits of cellular cardiomyoplasty. Cell dissociation and suspension, which are a pre-requisite for most cell transplantation studies, lead to depression of cellular metabolism and anoikis, which contribute to low engraftment.
A decrease of cytosol estrogen receptors in the hypothalamus as a result of treatment of neonatal rats with glutamate.

Experiments were performed to determine whether the neuroendocrine dysfunctions of rats treated neonatally with monosodium glutamate (MSG) could be related to a loss of cytoplasmic estrogen receptors. Female rats treated with MSG as neonates were ovariectomized as adults and killed by decapitation 2 or 3 weeks after ovariectomy. Body, gonadal and anterior pituitary gland weights in MSG-treated rats were depressed when compared to that seen in their littermate controls. Serum prolactin concentration was elevated in the MSG-treated rats. Serum luteinizing hormone (LH) concentration was significantly lower in MSG-treated rats than in controls at 2 weeks, but not at 3 weeks after ovariectomy, suggesting a sluggish postovariectomy rise of serum LH concentration. Serum follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) concentration was not altered by the MSG treatment. The concentration of cytosol estrogen receptors in the anterior pituitary gland was similar to that of controls, but hypothalamic concentration of estrogen receptors decreased as a result of the MSG treatment. After dissection of different hypothalamic regions, it was found that the greatest depletion of the cytosol estrogen receptors occurred in the arcuate-median eminence region. The results raise the possibility that some reproductive impairments of MSG-treated rats could stem from a decrease in cytosol estrogen receptors in the arcuatemedian eminence region.
Joint Source-Channel Adaptation for Perceptually Optimized Scalable Video Transmission

Providing perceptual quality guarantees for video transmission over wireless channels is important for the end-user experience. The paper proposes an algorithm for perceptual quality optimization of scalable H.264 video with temporal and quality scalability. The algorithm supports adaptive unequal error protection so that different video layers are protected according to their relevance to video quality. For each video layer, a target packet error rate (PER) is selected such that a perceptual quality guarantee, measured using the multi-scale structural similarity (MS-SSIM) index, is satisfied. Given the target PER per video layer, the algorithm selects the modulation and coding scheme and the number of temporal and quality layers to transmit adaptively based on the channel state information (CSI) and source rates per video layer. Results show that the algorithm provides immunity against short term channel fluctuations, balances reliability and perceptual quality, reduces playback buffer starvation probability, and provides a convenient buffer management policy.
Assessing Program Needs and Planning Change

Assessments of treatment staff training needs, preferences, and barriers can help guide and improve training activities and transfer evidence-based technologies into clinical practice. The Texas Christian University (TCU) Program Training Needs (PTN) assessment consists of 54 items organized into seven domains: Program Facilities and Climate, Program Computer Resources, Staff Training Needs, Preferences for Training Content, Preferences for Training Strategy, Training Barriers, and Satisfaction With Training. Data collected from 589 counselors representing 194 treatment programs showed that the PTN was psychometrically sound and predictably associated with results from a more comprehensive assessment of organizational functioning. Importantly, fewer barriers to training and greater staff satisfaction with training were reported for programs with higher levels of organizational functioning. In addition to representing an efficient source of staff's perceptions about organizational operations and needs, the PTN empowers staff with a "voice" through which they can contribute to strategic planning and priority setting for organizational actions.
Effect of dietary cholesterol and fat on the expression of hepatic sterol 27-hydroxylase and other hepatic cholesterol-responsive genes in baboons (Papio species)

Abstract Our studies of baboons with low and high responses to dietary cholesterol and fat suggest that low-responding baboons increase the activity of hepatic sterol 27-hydroxylase, an important enzyme of bile acid synthesis, considerably more than do high-responding baboons when challenged with a high-cholesterol, high-fat (HCHF) diet. The present studies were conducted to determine whether hepatic sterol 27-hydroxylase mRNA levels and plasma 27-hydroxycholesterol concentrations also differed with dietary responsiveness. Sixteen adult male baboons with a wide range of VLDL cholesterol plus LDL cholesterol (VLDL+LDL cholesterol) response to an HCHF diet were selected. They were examined first while on a chow diet and then after 1, 3, 6, 10, 18, 26, 36, 52, 72, and 104 weeks on the HCHF diet. Plasma and lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations increased rapidly during the first 3 weeks and stabilized thereafter. On the basis of the response in VLDL+LDL cholesterol, we selected five low-responding, four medium-responding, and five high-responding baboons for more intensive study in more detail. In low responders, the major increase in serum cholesterol concentration was in HDL cholesterol, whereas in medium and high responders it was in both VLDL+LDL and HDL cholesterol. In low and medium responders, serum or VLDL+LDL cholesterol did not change after 3 weeks of consumption of the HCHF diet, whereas in high responders VLDL+LDL cholesterol declined between 78 and 104 weeks. In low and medium responders, plasma 27-hydroxycholesterol concentrations and hepatic sterol 27-hydroxylase mRNA levels increased rapidly during the first 10 weeks, declined thereafter, and stabilized at 26 weeks in low responders and at 40 weeks in medium responders. In high responders, plasma 27-hydroxycholesterol concentration did not increase. The increases in hepatic sterol 27-hydroxylase mRNA and plasma 27-hydroxycholesterol in medium responders were intermediate between those in high- and low-responding baboons. The expression of hepatic mRNA for other cholesterol-responsive genes did not differ between high- and low-responding baboons. Plasma LDL cholesterol concentrations were negatively correlated with plasma 27-hydroxycholesterol concentrations and hepatic sterol 27-hydroxylase mRNA levels when the animals had been on the HCHF diet for 10 weeks. These studies suggest that hepatic sterol 27-hydroxylase may be an important regulator of responsiveness to dietary cholesterol and fat in baboons.
Survey: omnifont-printed character recognition

This paper presents an overview of methods for recognition of omnifont printed Roman alphabet characters with various fonts, sizes and formats (plain, bold, etc.) from OCR system perspectives. First, it summarizes the current needs for optical printed character recognition (OPCR) in general, and then describes its importance for conversion between paper and electronic media. Current status of commercially available software and products for OPCR are briefly reviewed. Analysis indicates that the challenge we face in OPCR is far from being solved, and there is still a great gap between human needs and machine reading capabilities. Second, OPCR systems and algorithms are briefly reviewed and compared from the context of digital document processing for the following four stages: preprocessing of images, segmentation, recognition, and post-processing. Finally, possible research directions to improve the performance of OPCR systems are suggested, such as using an approach based on the combination of template matching and varieties of feature-based algorithms to recognize isolated characters, the use of multilayered architectures for OPCR, and parallel processing- based high-performance architectures.
VACUUM POLARIZATION CORRECTIONS TO HYPERFINE STRUCTURE IN MUONIC ATOMS

Measurement of the hyperfine-structure splitting in muonic atoms would be interesting in view of the discrepancies in electronic atoms. In muonic atoms, nuclear-structure effects are much larger than the uncertainty in the fine-structure constant and may therefore be observed unambiguously. The various corrections are briefly discussed, and the large vacuum-polarization correction is calculated.
Facilitating skill development using student-directed activities and personalized formative feedback

Abstract Objective To describe the process and outcome measures of implementing student-directed activities and faculty formative feedback as methods to develop interviewing, assessment, SOAP note writing, patient presentation, and patient counseling skills. Methods Student-directed activities and personalized formative feedback from faculty were implemented to facilitate skill development in first-year pharmacy students. These processes occurred in three steps in which students (1) obtained foundational knowledge through the completion of independent student-directed learning activities, (2) applied knowledge and development of skills through peer teaching activities and peer/self-assessment, and (3) received personalized formative feedback from faculty during verbal assessments. Outcome measures were determined by students' performance in course evaluations and faculty/student survey data. Results Overall, 70 students and six faculty completed the survey. Based on student survey data, 74% indicated that student-directed activities enhanced learning, 57% indicated that peer feedback facilitated their ability to write SOAP notes, 78% were confident in their interviewing skills in a community site, 76% were confident in their patient presentation skills to a community preceptor, 97% indicated they had developed adequate foundational skills for writing SOAP notes, and 100% valued receiving personalized faculty feedback. The entire faculty was fairly confident in the students' interviewing skills. Conclusion Student-directed activities facilitated the development of skills, which was augmented by peer feedback and self-assessment. Students perceived personalized faculty feedback as beneficial and recommended continuation of such feedback in future classes.
Intercellular fibrillar skeleton in the basal interdigitations of kidney tubular cells

The tubular cells from the thick ascending limb of the loop of Henle in rabbit kidney medulla contain in their basallateral surfaces a complex system of interdigitations. Within these interdigitations, the plasma membranes are separated by extracellular spaces of relatively constant width that contain a previously undescribed fibrillar system. The structural organization and distribution of this intercellular fibrillar skeleton was studied using freeze-fracture etch and then section electron microscopy. The skeleton is comprised of discrete strands with a density of 300 to 400 per μm2 evenly distributed along the entire basal-lateral region. Each strand has the shape of a brace and it is constructed from up to eight finer filaments each having a width of about 2 nm. The filaments are tightly joined together along their shafts for about 30 nm but they separate at both ends for about 10 nm before contacting the external surface of the plasma membrane. We propose that this intercellular fibrillar skeleton is responsible for maintaining the wide (about 50 nm) and uniform plasma membrane separation along the entire length of the basallateral region of the tubular cells of the thick ascending limb.
Evaluating carotid artery disease. The concordance between pulsed Doppler/spectrum analysis and angiography.

Abstract The results of ultrasonic pulsed Doppler duplex scanning with spectral analysis and computer pattern recognition are compared with the results of contrast arteriography in patients screened for extracranial carotid artery disease. The intraangiographer variability (one radiologist reading the same films twice) and the interangiographer variability (two radiologists reading the same film independently) were also studied. To calculate degrees of agreement corrected for chance, the Kappa statistic was computed for all the evaluation methods employed. At the present time, the concordance between spectral analysis and cerebral contrast angiography reaches a Kappa value of 0.682±0.064. This level of agreement compares favorably with the interangiographer agreement level ( K ) = 0.568 ± 0.058 and the intraangiographer agreement ( K ) = 0.711 ± 0.054. The computer pattern recognition program predicted the degree of stenosis by angiography with an agreement of K = 0.721 ± 0.059. This concordance compares favorably to that observed when the radiologists are compared with themselves and is greater than that reached by two different radiologists. The continuous improvement in precision and accuracy of duplex scanning offers the promise of its usefulness in clinical and epidemiological studies.
Sufficiency and Partitions of the Class of all Possible Discrete Distributions

Abstract For discrete statistical models it is shown that any statistic induces a partition of the set of all possible distributions defined on the sample space. This partition identifies the subsets of the parameter space for which the statistic is sufficient.
Parameters affecting the stress distribution around LTI carbon and aluminum oxide dental implants

Three-dimensional finite element stress analysis was used to study the effects that implant neck geometry and the tissue properties at the implant-bone interface have on the stress distribution around free-standing blade- and post-type LTI carbon and aluminum oxide dental implants. Implants having neck flares of 13 degrees and 26 degrees were studied. In addition, to simulate fibrous encapsulation of the implant as opposed to a direct bone apposition retention mechanism, a soft tissue interposing layer between implant and bone was also modeled. The results of the study indicate that a reduction in neck flare from 26 degrees to 13 degrees was a positive design change for blade- and post-type LTI carbon implants and blade-type aluminum oxide implant but not for post-type aluminum oxide implant. The results of the study indicate the presence of fibrous tissue surrounding the implants may be indicative of a failing system and may be the result of either hypophysiological stress (aluminum oxide implants) or hyperphysiological stress (LTI carbon implants).
Exceptional ASIC: through automatic timing exception generation (ATEG)

The next inclusion in the industrial ASIC design flow is going to be automatic timing exception generation (ATEG). The current manual and reactive approach of identifying timing exceptions and doing timing closure through iterations were addressed. With ATEG tools able to make the design more transparent, the major advantage will be seen on the implementation of complex SoC designs with dozens of third party IP cores with very limited design knowledge on these IP. Add to this automatic constraints generation (ACG) tool, capable of doing automatic clock definition and constraints generation, the design flow matures to an ideal design flow. The paper went through in detail of an experiment for evolving a new design flow for optimal usage of ATEG for better timing closure and quality of result (QoR) with less number of iterations. It first covered the problems faced during inclusion of ATEG in the existing design flow and how they are solved in the new design flow. The design flow shall be robust to accept any ATEG tool and get the maximum advantage. The paper shared the details of an actual design implementation in the ATEG flow and the results compared with that of the existing standard design flow. It ended with suggestions for making a simple and flexible ATEG flow for targeted design implementation goals and also a wish list for upcoming ATEG tools.
KatG is the primary detoxifier of hydrogen peroxide produced by aerobic metabolism in Bradyrhizobium japonicum.

Bacteria are exposed to reactive oxygen species from the environment and from those generated by aerobic metabolism. Catalases are heme proteins that detoxify H2O2, and many bacteria contain more than one catalase enzyme. Also, the nonheme peroxidase alkyl hydroperoxide reductase (Ahp) is the major scavenger of endogenous H2O2 in Escherichia coli. Here, we show that aerobically grown Bradyrhizobium japonicum cells express a single catalase activity. Four genes encoding putative catalases in the B. japonicum genome were identified, including a katG homolog encoding a catalase-peroxidase. Deletion of the katG gene resulted in loss of catalase activity in cell extracts and of exogenous H2O2 consumption by whole cells. The katG strain had a severe aerobic growth phenotype but showed improved growth in the absence of O2. By contrast, a B. japonicum ahpCD mutant grew well aerobically and consumed H2O2 at wild-type rates. A heme-deficient hemA mutant expressed about one-third of the KatG activity as the wild type but grew well aerobically and scavenged low concentrations of exogenous H2O2. However, cells of the hemA strain were deficient in consumption of high concentrations of H2O2 and were very sensitive to killing by short exposure to H2O2. In addition, KatG activity did not decrease as a result of mutation of the gene encoding the transcriptional activator OxyR. We conclude that aerobic metabolism produces toxic levels of H2O2 in B. japonicum, which is detoxified primarily by KatG. Furthermore, the katG level sufficient for detoxification does not require OxyR.
Isolation of cytokinins from tRNA.

Abstract A method is described for the isolation of cytokinins from tRNA. The cytokinin active ribosides are recovered from enzymatic hydrolysates of tRNA by extraction with ethyl acetate. The extracts are fractionated by chromatography on Sephadex LH-20 columns in 35% ethanol. The method appears to be quantitative and resolves individual cytokinins such as the ribosides 6-(3-methyl-2-butenylamino)-9-β d -ribofuranosylpurine (2iPA) and 6-(3-methyl-2-butenylamino)-2-methylthio-9-β- d -ribofuranosylpurine (ms2iPA).
Effective Local Government Management: Role Emphases of Public Works Directors:

In this article I examine whether the role orientations of local public works directors mirror the orientations discovered by Wright (1969) among city managers and reexamined by Newell and Ammonds ...
Sulfur and selenium antioxidants: Challenging radical scavenging mechanisms and developing structure–activity relationships based on metal binding

Because sulfur and selenium antioxidants can prevent oxidative damage, numerous animal and clinical trials have investigated the ability of these compounds to prevent the oxidative stress that is an underlying cause of cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer's disease, and cancer, among others. One of the most common sources of oxidative damage is metal-generated hydroxyl radical; however, very little research has focused on determining the metal-binding abilities and structural attributes that affect oxidative damage prevention by sulfur and selenium compounds. In this review, we describe our ongoing investigations into sulfur and selenium antioxidant prevention of iron- and copper-mediated oxidative DNA damage. We determined that many sulfur and selenium compounds inhibit Cu(I)-mediated DNA damage and that DNA damage prevention varies dramatically when Fe(II) is used in place of Cu(I) to generate hydroxyl radical. Oxidation potentials of the sulfur or selenium compounds do not correlate with their ability to prevent DNA damage, highlighting the importance of metal coordination rather than reactive oxygen species scavenging as an antioxidant mechanism. Additional gel electrophoresis, mass spectrometry, and UV-visible studies confirmed sulfur and selenium antioxidant binding to Cu(I) and Fe(II). Ultimately, our studies established that both the hydroxyl-radical-generating metal ion and the chemical environment of the sulfur or selenium significantly affect DNA damage prevention and that metal coordination is an essential mechanism for these antioxidants.
How To Do Things with Art

In this article, I argue that speech act theory can be altered to accommodate art objects as evocative illocutionary speech acts that are aimed toward reaching understanding. To do this, I discuss the example of Zen Buddhism's use of the kōan, an aesthetic object that can be seen as evoking a given experience from its auditors for the purpose of reaching understanding on a point that the teacher wishes to make. I argue that such a reading of art as evocative can be merged with hypothetical intentionalism insofar as it recognizes a certain orientation on the part of the auditor to approach art in a certain way. In the case of kōans and other artworks, the approach is one of considering what claim an author may want to convey through the auditor's experience of the artwork.
A new animal model of controlled coronary artery occlusion in conscious rabbits.

Objective: The aim was to develop a method for installing a pneumatic occluder on the coronary artery of a rabbit, and to see whether repetitive coronary occlusions could induce collateral development as in dogs. Methods: A superficial branch of the left coronary artery was encircled with a balloon occluder, and a catheter was inserted into the left atrial appendage of New Zealand White rabbits, with a survival rate of 89.5%. Baseline collateral flow was measured 5–7 d after surgery with radioactive microspheres while the artery was occluded. According to a predetermined schedule animals were assigned to control and experimental groups. In the latter the balloon was inflated for 2 min once every 15 min for 8 h per d, 5 d per week. Collateral flow measurements were repeated after 100 and 300 occlusions. In control animals repeat flow measurements were made approximately 4 and 14 d after the first determination. Results: Inflation of the balloon occluder reliably resulted in marked S-T segment elevation which quickly resolved after balloon deflation. These changes were nearly identical after two weeks of observation. Average baseline collateral flows in both groups were less than 5% of normal myocardial flow. There was no appreciable change during the two week period of observation in either control rabbits or those receiving at least 300 2 min coronary occlusions. Conclusions: The rabbit tolerates implantation of a pneumatic coronary occluder without noticeable problem and can successfully serve as a small animal model of repetitive or chronic myocardial ischaemia. The surgical preparation is not difficult, and ischaemia can be reproducibly created and relieved for at least three weeks following surgery. Coronary collaterals are sparse in the rabbit, and repetitive occlusions can be instituted without the complication of collateral development. Cardiovascular Research 1994; 28 :61-65
Involvement of apolipoprotein A-IV and cholecystokinin1 receptors in exogenous peptide YY3 36-induced stimulation of intestinal feedback.

Peptide YY (PYY)3–36, released by intestinal lipid elicits functional effects that comprise the intestinal feedback response to luminal nutrients, but the pathway of action is not fully characterized. The aim of the present study was to determine the role of the apolipoprotein (apo) A-IV-cholecystokinin (CCK)1 receptor (CCK1R) pathway in exogenous PYY3–36-induced activation of the gut-brain axis and inhibition of gastric emptying and food intake. PYY3–36 (5 μg/100 g ip) significantly inhibited gastric emptying of a chow meal in wild-type but not A-IV−/− mice andCCK1R receptor blockade with devazepide (10 μg/100 g), abolished PYY3–36-induced inhibition of gastric emptying. PYY3–36-induced inhibition of food intake in both ad libitum-fed and 16-h fasted mice was unaltered in A-IV−/− mice, compared with wild-type controls, or by CCK1R receptor blockade with devazepide. PYY3–36 activated neurons in the midregion of the nucleus of the solitary tract (bregma −7.32 to −7.76 mm) in A-IV+/+ mice; this was measured...
Simultaneous emission absorption measurements in toluene-fueled pool flames: Mean and RMS Properties☆

Abstract Local measurements of mean and RMS emission intensities, transmittances, emission temperatures, and soot volume fractions based on emission and absorption in toluence flames burning in a pool configuration are reported. Radial profiles of these quantities at six axial stations within the flame are selected for discussion. The results show large fluctuations in temperatures and soot volume fractions at all locations including those near the liquid surface. Differences between the soot volume fractions based on emission and those based on absorption indicate the presence of large quantities of relatively cold soot at all positions.
Ordered Mesoporous Silicas with 2,5-Dimercapto-1,3,4-Thiadiazole Ligand: High Capacity Adsorbents for Mercury Ions

This work reports two-step synthesis of novel ordered mesoporous silicas (OMS), which contain mercury-specific multifunctional ligand and have high surface area and well-developed porosity. One pot co-condensation synthesis was employed to introduce chloropropyl functionality on the mesopore walls of hexagonally ordered silica. In the next step, 2,5-dimercapto-1,3,4-thiadiazole was reacted with chloropropyl groups during template-displacement process, which resulted in high affinity adsorbent towards mercury ions. The maximum adsorption capacity of this adsorbent for mercury ions from aqueous solutions was as high as 1.7 g/g, which is about three times higher than the concentration of surface ligand. This study shows that the surface properties of OMS can be tailored by proper choice of chemical modification method, which affects the ligand bonding density and determines the adsorbent capacity and affinity towards heavy metal ions. Three methods, one-pot synthesis, template-displacement and post-synthesis modification, were used for the introduction of surface ligands into MCM41 and SBA15 mesostructures to prepare mercury-specific adsorbents. In addition, adsorption properties of these adsorbents as well as their effectiveness for mercury removal from aqueous solutions were comparatively studied.
Alternatives to death: Understanding androgen-independent prostate cancer

Decreased levels of caveolin promote sensitivity to androgen withdrawal in prostate cancer cells, suggesting another therapeutic target for the treatment of prostate cancer ( pages 1062–1064 ).
Prognostic features and treatment of endocervical adenocarcinoma of the cervix

Adenocarcinoma of the cervix represents an increasing percentage of cervical cancers as well as a controversial clinical problem. One hundred seventy-two cases of adenocarcinoma were treated at The University of Michigan Medical Center from 1970 to 1984, representing 16.8% of cervical cancers. Of this group 84 patients were diagnosed with endocervical columnar cell type and form the study population for this report. Survival was influenced by stage, grade, and nodal metastases. Age did not influence survival. Survival in stage I disease was not influenced by treatment modality. Radical surgery or radiation therapy provided equal survival and ovarian conservation did not adversely influence survival. Radical surgery can be considered a primary means of therapy in young women and offers the same advantages over radiation therapy as those offered for squamous cell disease.
Centroid-moment tensor solutions for April-June, 1997

Abstract Centroid-moment tensor solutions are presented for 220 earthquakes that occurred during the second quarter of 1997. The solutions are obtained using corrections for aspherical earth structure represented by a whole mantle shear velocity model SH8/U4L8 of Dziewonski and Woodward [Dziewonski, A.M., Woodward, R.L., 1992. Acoustic imaging at the planetary scale. In: Emert, H., Harjes, H.-P. (Eds.), Acoustical Imaging. Plenum Press, Vol. 19, pp. 785–797]. A new model of anelastic attenuation of Durek and Ekstrom [Durek, J.J., Ekstrom, G., 1996. A radial model of anelasticity consistent with long-period surface wave attenuation, Bull. Seism. Soc. Am., 86, 144–158] is used to predict the decay of the waveforms.
Measurement of Unsteady Pressure Data on a Large HSCT Semispan Wing and Comparison with Analysis

Experimental data from wind-tunnel tests of the Rigid Semispan Model (RSM) performed at NASA Langley's Transonic Dynamics Tunnel (TDT) are presented. The primary focus of the paper is on data obtained from testing of the RSM on the Oscillating Turntable (OTT). The OTT is capable of oscillating models in pitch at various amplitudes and frequencies about mean angles of attack. Steady and unsteady pressure data obtained during testing of the RSM on the OTT is presented and compared to data obtained from previous tests of the RSM on a load balance and on a Pitch and Plunge Apparatus (PAPA). Testing of the RSM on the PAPA resulted in utter boundaries that were strongly dependent on angle of attack across the Mach number range. Pressure data from all three tests indicates the existence of vortical flows at moderate angles of attack. The correlation between the vortical flows and the unusual utter boundaries from the RSM/PAPA test is discussed. Comparisons of experimental data with analyses using the CFL3Dv6 computational fluid dynamics code are presented.
The number of negative pelvic lymph nodes removed does not affect the risk of biochemical failure after radical prostatectomy.

Study Type – Therapy (case series) Level of Evidence 4 OBJECTIVES To assess patients who had radical prostatectomy (RP) and pelvic lymph node dissection (PLND) for pT2–4 N0M0 prostate cancer, to determine if LN yield affects the risk of biochemical failure (BCF), as the extent of PLND at the time of RP has become increasingly uncertain with the decreasing trend in tumour stage. PATIENTS AND METHODS We reviewed the Columbia University Urologic Oncology Database for patients with pT2–4 N0M0 prostate cancer treated with RP from 1990 to 2005. Exclusion criteria included <12 months of follow-up, incomplete clinical and pathological data, and neoadjuvant androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT) or immediate adjuvant ADT or external beam radiotherapy. Unadjusted and adjusted models were used to determine the ability of clinical and pathological variables to predict BCF. RESULTS The final dataset included 964 patients, with a mean age of 60.5 years and median preoperative prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level of 6.2 ng/mL. The median (range) LN yield was 7 (1–42) and the median follow-up 59 (12–190) months. In the unadjusted and adjusted models, preoperative PSA, pathological Gleason score, pathological stage, surgical margin status and year of surgery were significant predictors of BCF. The LN group was not a significant predictor of BCF in both the unadjusted and adjusted model (P = 0.759 and 0.408, respectively). When patients were stratified into high- and low-risk groups, LN yield remained an insignificant predictor of BCF. CONCLUSION A higher LN yield at the time of RP does not increase the chance of cure for patients with pT2–4N0M0 prostate cancer. This lack of a survival advantage holds true for patients with high-risk disease.
CTH12-6: Analysis Techniques for Coded Modulation Based Cooperation Protocols

Recently, a coded modulation (CM) protocol was proposed for user cooperation diversity in wireless networks. The protocol was based on jointly encoding the data from all cooperating users into one code sequence. In this paper, further results relating to CM protocols are provided, including code analysis techniques. It is shown that tighter bounds are possible by merging a few successive trellis stages into a single bigger trellis with parallel transitions. Cooperation protocols depend critically on the performance over the channel between the cooperating users. Two adaptations of the CM protocol are shown that ensure robustness of the protocol for errors on the channel between the users. The single CM code is used in place of error correction codes anyway used by each user. So, CM based cooperation does not involve further constellation expansion. Hence, it is suitable for high spectral efficiencies also.
Expression of Non-Phosphorylatable Paxillin Mutants in Canine Tracheal Smooth Muscle Inhibits Tension Development

The adapter protein paxillin has been implicated in the regulation of cytoskeletal organization and cell motility. Paxillin undergoes tyrosine phosphorylation in response to the contractile stimulation of smooth muscle, and the depletion of paxillin by antisense inhibits smooth muscle contraction. In the present study, acetylcholine (ACh)-stimulation of tracheal smooth muscle tissues increased paxillin phosphorylation at tyr-31 and tyr-118 by three- to fourfold. The role of tyr-31 and tyr-118 phosphorylation of paxillin in smooth muscle was evaluated by introducing plasmids encoding wild type paxillin or paxillin mutants F31, F118 or F31/118 (phenylalanine substitution at tyrosine sites 31, 118) into tracheal smooth muscle strips by reversible permeabilization, and incubating the tissues for 2 days. The expression of recombinant proteins was confirmed by immunoblot and immunofluorescence analysis. Expression of the paxillin mutants F31, F118 or F31/118 inhibited the contractile response to ACh stimulation but did not inhibit the increase in myosin light chain phosphorylation. The expression of wild type paxillin had no significant affect on force or myosin light chain phosphorylation. ACh stimulation reduced G-actin/F-actin ratio in tissues expressing wild type paxillin; whereas the agonist-induced decrease in G-actin/F-actin was inhibited in strips expressing paxillin mutant F31/118. The paxillin mutant F31/118 showed a marked decrease in their interaction with the SH2/SH3 adaptor protein CrkII but not with vinculin or focal adhesion kinase. We conclude that paxillin phosphorylation at tyr-31 and tyr-118 regulates active tension development during contractile stimulation. Paxillin phosphorylation at these two sites may be important in regulating actin filament dynamics and organization during smooth muscle contraction.