cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Inhibition of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 morphogenesis in T cells by alpha interferon.

Abstract Some murine retroviruses exhibit altered release of virus when cells are treated with alpha interferon (IFN-alpha), resulting in the accumulation of intracellular virions in cytoplasmic vacuoles. In studies of the inhibitory effect of IFN-alpha (Wellferon) on acute human immunodeficiency virus type 1 infection of human T-cell lines, we found that in C3 cells, the 50% effective concentration was 9 U/ml and the 90% effective concentration was 310 U/ml. There was no apparent accumulation of intracellular particles detected by p24 antigen levels or by processing the cells for electron microscopy. Extracellular reverse transcriptase activity and p24 levels decreased in parallel with increasing IFN, whereas the intracellular viral proteins decreased only slightly. By electron microscopy, cells treated with higher concentrations of IFN (512 U/ml) disclosed very few particles budding into extracellular spaces; no intracellular particles could be seen, despite nearly normal levels of intracellular viral protein detected by the p24 antigen assay and correct processing detected by Western blot (immunoblot) analysis. Thus in human immunodeficiency virus-infected cells, the major block produced by IFN-alpha appeared to be late in the viral cycle at the morphogenesis stage of virion production. Chronically infected Jurkat cells treated with IFN appeared to be inhibited in growth rate, as virus production decreased proportionally with cell number.
Effect of carbachol on radiosodium uptake by dispersed pancreatic acinar cells

The effects of carbachol on uptake of22Na by enzymatically dispersed rat pancreatic acinar cells were determined. Carbachol caused a slight but significant increase in uptake of22Na by the cells in the presence or absence of ouabain (10−3 M). A maximal response was obtained with 10−6 M carbachol. The effects of carbachol were blocked by 10−5 M atropine. Caerulein (10−7 M) also stimulated22Na uptake, while epinephrine (10−4 M) and substance P (10−7 M) did not. Carbachol did not stimulate22Na uptake in the absence of extracellular Ca, although Ca omission significantly clevated basal22Na uptake. The divalent cationophore A-23187 caused Ca-dependent22Na uptake at 20 μM concentration but not at 0.3 μM. These results, when considered with earlier reports by others, suggest that muscarinic receptor activation leads to an increase in permeability of the acinar cell membrane to Na, and that Ca may be second messenger for this effect.
Immediate impotence after penetrating perineal trauma: Restoration of erections with penile artery revascularization, corpus cavernosum aneurysm repair, and deep penile venous l1gation

Erectile dysfunction can result from blunt or penetrating pelvic or perineal trauma. Rupture of the corpora cavernosa leading to loss of the veno-occlusive mechanism and penile artery occlusion have been found in these patients. We present a case of immediate loss of erectile function after penetrating perineal trauma resulting in corpus cavernosum rupture and traumatic occlusion of multiple arteries in the hypogastric-cavernous bed. Conservative management of the corpus injury resulted in post-traumatic aneurysmal dilation at the site of injury with venous leakage from aberrant veins. Penile arterial revascularization and aneurysm repair with deep penile venous ligation resulted in near-complete return of normal erectile function.
Genetics of complex human diseases: genome screening, association studies and fine mapping

Positional cloning has been applied successfully to many Mendelian disorders. Because of the public health significance, there is strong interest in mapping susceptibility genes for common disorders, such as asthma and allergy, that have a genetic component. Genome-wide screening has been very useful in detecting regions of the genome likely to contain susceptibility genes. There are multiple chromosomal regions implicated in asthma and now the difficult process of finding the genes and relevant mutations is underway. Two approaches that are being utilized are those of association studies in candidate genes, and haplotype sharing or identical by descent (IBD) mapping. Although these are useful approaches, it is important to realize the strengths and limitations of each. The level of significance needed for an initial study or a replication study should be considered in light of the prior evidence for studying a specific gene polymorphism. Haplotype-sharing approaches, although difficult to use in outbred heterogeneous populations, may provide important insight into fine mapping and gene localization.
Uncomplicated Diverticulitis, More Complicated than We Thought

The classification of complicated and uncomplicated diverticulitis has been used for many years. We note variations in the course of uncomplicated diverticulitis. We propose and describe three categories of uncomplicated diverticulitis. A review was performed on 907 patients who underwent sigmoid resection for diverticulitis between January 1, 2005 and December 30, 2009 at Mayo Clinic, Rochester. Overall, 223 individuals were excluded as they were not uncomplicated diverticulitis. The remaining 684 patients were divided into three classifications as follows: 54 (7.9 %) atypical, 66 (9.6 %) chronic/smoldering, and 564 (82 %) acute resolving. Data elements abstracted included demographics, preoperative symptoms, imaging and endoscopy, operative and pathologic findings, postoperative complications, and resolution of symptoms. The 30-day complication rate of the atypical, chronic/smoldering, and acute groups was 26 %, 22 %, and 35 %, respectively. Resolution of symptoms for the atypical and chronic/smoldering groups was 93 % and 89 %, respectively. Only two patients in the acute resolving group required an operation for recurrence. A spectrum of clinical presentation for uncomplicated diverticulitis may require different approaches. A select group of patients with chronic/smoldering and atypical disease will continue to be burdened by symptoms. The success of surgical intervention was greater than 89 % in both groups with acceptable morbidity, and should remain an option.
Capital mobility and the relationship between saving and investment rates in OECD countries

Abstract This paper considers tests that use data on saving and investment rates to determine the degree of international capital mobility. Two types of evidence are presented to show that a high correlation between saving and investment rates across OECD countries can be consistent with a high degree of capital mobility. This evidence qualifies the conclusions of previous studies and casts doubt on the usefulness of testing hypotheses about capital mobility with data on saving and investment rates.
Insights into leukocyte adhesion deficiency type 2 from a novel mutation in the GDP-fucose transporter gene

Leukocyte adhesion deficiency type 2 (LADII) is characterized by defective selectin ligand formation, recurrent infection, and mental retardation. This rare syndrome has only been described in 2 kindreds of Middle Eastern descent who have differentially responded to exogenous fucose treatment. The molecular defect was recently ascribed to single and distinct missense mutations in a putative Golgi guanosine diphosphate (GDP)–fucose transporter. Here, we describe a patient of Brazilian origin with features of LADII. Sequencing of the GDP-fucose transporter revealed a novel single nucleotide deletion producing a shift in the open-reading frame and severe truncation of the polypeptide. Overexpression of the mutant protein in the patient's fibroblasts did not rescue fucosylation, suggesting that the deletion ablated the activity of the transporter. Administration of oral L-fucose to the patient produced molecular and clinical responses, as measured by the appearance of selectin ligands, normalization of neutrophil counts, and prevention of infectious recurrence. The lower neutrophil counts paralleled improved neutrophil interactions with activated endothelium in cremasteric venules of nonobese diabetic/severe combined immunodeficiency (NOD/SCID) mice. However, fucose supplementation induced autoimmune neutropenia and the appearance of H antigen on erythrocytes, albeit without evidence of intravascular hemolysis. The robust response to fucose despite a severely truncated transporter suggests alternative means to transport GDP-fucose into the Golgi complex.
Aryl hydrocarbon receptor nuclear translocator (ARNT) gene as a positional and functional candidate for type 2 diabetes and prediabetic intermediate traits: Mutation detection, case-control studies, and gene expression analysis.

Background ARNT, a member of the basic helix-loop-helix family of transcription factors, is located on human chromosome 1q21–q24, a region which showed well replicated linkage to type 2 diabetes. We hypothesized that common polymorphisms in the ARNT gene might increase the susceptibility to type 2 diabetes through impaired glucose-stimulated insulin secretion.
Die Rolle des Acetylcholins in den Elementarvorgängen der Nervenleitung

Das Nervensystem vermittelt Nachrichten zwischen der Ausenwelt und dem Organismus und zwischen den verschiedenen Stellen und Organen des Korpers. Viele der wichtigsten Funktionen unterstehen der Kontrolle des Nervensystems. Das Gehirn ist der Sitz des Denkens, des menschlichen Intellekts. Im Hinblick auf diese uberragende Bedeutung des Nervensystems ist es leicht verstandlich, das Galvanis Ideen uber Elektrizitat im Nerven mit groser Leidenschaft nicht nur von der wissenschaftlichen Welt, sondern von allen Gebildeten aufgenommen wurden. Die Kritik seiner Auslegungen durch seinen Landsmann Volta war zwar berechtigt. Nichtsdestoweniger stellte es sich heraus, das Nerventatigkeit tatsachlich mit elektrischen Stromen verknupft ist. Es dauerte allerdings ein halbes Jahrhundert, bis diese Tatsache durch die Beobachtungen von Matteuci aus Pisa und vor allem durch die klassischen Arbeiten von DuBois-Reymond eindeutig festgestellt wurde. Seitdem, d. h. ungefahr ein Jahrhundert lang, waren fast alle Anstrengungen der Nervenphysiologie mehr oder weniger dem Studium dieser elektrischen Erscheinungen gewidmet. Die Verfugbarkeit hochempfindlicher Mesapparate begunstigte einen schnellen Fortschritt auf diesem Gebiete; besonders durch die Einfuhrung des Kathodenstrahlenoscillographen durch Erlanger und Gasser vor etwa 30 Jahren wurde ein hoher Grad von Vollkommenheit der elektrophysiologischen Mesmethoden erreicht.
Bortezomib and flavopiridol interact synergistically to induce apoptosis in chronic myeloid leukemia cells resistant to imatinib mesylate through both Bcr/Abl-dependent and -independent mechanisms

Interactions between the cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) inhibitor flavopiridol and the proteasome inhibitor bortezomib were examined in Bcr/Abl(+) human leukemia cells. Coexposure of K562 or LAMA84 cells to subtoxic concentration of flavopiridol (150-200 nM) and bortezomib (5-8 nM) resulted in a synergistic increase in mitochondrial dysfunction and apoptosis. These events were associated with a marked diminution in nuclear factor kappaB (NF-kappaB)/DNA binding activity; enhanced phosphorylation of SEK1/MKK4 (stress-activated protein kinase/extracellular signal-related kinase 1/mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 4), c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK); down-regulation of Bcr/Abl; and a marked reduction in signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) and STAT5 activity. In imatinib mesylate-resistant K562 cells displaying increased Bcr/Abl expression, bortezomib/flavopiridol treatment markedly increased apoptosis in association with down-regulation of Bcr/Abl and BclxL, and diminished phosphorylation of Lyn, Hck, CrkL, and Akt. Parallel studies were performed in imatinib mesylate-resistant LAMA84 cells exhibiting reduced expression of Bcr/Abl but a marked increase in expression/activation of Lyn and Hck. Flavopiridol/bortezomib effectively induced apoptosis in these cells in association with Lyn and Hck inactivation. The capacity of flavopiridol to promote bortezomib-mediated Bcr/Abl down-regulation and apoptosis was mimicked by the positive transcription elongation factor-b (P-TEFb) inhibitor DRB (5,6-dichloro 1-beta-d-ribofuranosylbenzinida-sole). Finally, the bortezomib/flavopiridol regimen also potently induced apoptosis in Bcr/Abl(-) human leukemia cells. Collectively, these findings suggest that a strategy combining flavopiridol and bortezomib warrants further examination in chronic myelogenous leukemia and related hematologic malignancies.
Integration of Nonempirical Shale Permeability Model in a Dual-Continuum Reservoir Simulator

Physics of fluid flow in shale reservoirs cannot be predicted from standard flow and mass transfer models due to presence of nanopores (1-100s of nanometer) in shales. Recently, few models have been developed to account for Slip-flow and Knudsen diffusion due to nanopores in apparent permeability. The limitation with all of these models is that they employ use of some form of empirical coefficient and its value form the basis of accuracy of their models. Additionally, to date, there is no reliable empirical data available for shales due to complexity of the system, i.e., different organic materials and mineral types as well as different gas components in gas shales. In this paper a new analytical model for permeability of an ultra-tight porous media, consisting of tortuous micro/nano-pores, which is free of any empirical coefficients is incorporated in a dualcontinuum reservoir simulator. We use an implicit compositional single phase dual-continuum reservoir simulator capable of modeling gas recovery from naturally fractured, or fissure rich hydraulically fractured, tight to ultra-tight reservoir. A field scale case study is used to validate the accuracy of the nonempirical permeability model by comparing our predicted results with the results reported by other empirical models. The simulation results obtained with nonempirical permeability model closely match the simulation results reported by other authors with their case study. The nonempirical model shows that the pore-surface roughness and mineralogy has negligible influence on gas flow rate in the complete range of reservoir operating conditions. Finally, apparent permeability for ultratight reservoir (r < 100 nm) is a dynamic parameter and should be adjusted with other reservoir conditions, specifically, reservoir pressure. The model is valid throughout the operating conditions of a reservoir i.e. from the beginning of production until the limit of economic production.
Experimental Study on the Catalytic Oxidation of SO2 by V2O5

In order to achieve the catalytic oxidation of the low concentration SO2 flue gas in SNOX process, screen out the appropriate type of V2O5 catalyst for high-efficient transformation of the low concentration SO2. In order to provide foundation for reaction progression design, calculate the reaction depth of the process condition through the reaction thermodynamics analysis. According to the technological factors of affecting the effect of catalytic oxidation, investigate the reaction temperature, the space velocity and the mole ratio between O 2and SO2 on the SO2 transformation. Based on the experimental results, we did the reaction kinetics calculation. Above theoretical and experimental results provide the necessary technical parameters for designing catalystic oxidation of the low concentration SO2 in SNOX process.
Thyroid status influences in vitro thyrotropin and growth hormone responses to thyrotropin-releasing hormone by pituitary glands of hatchling slider turtles (Pseudemys scripta elegans)

The effects of thyroidal feedback on thyrotropin (TSH), growth hormone (GH) and prolactin (PRL) secretion by pituitary glands, and on TSH responsiveness of thyroids in hatchling turtles, Pseudemys scripta elegans, were investigated by in vitro techniques. Pituitaries were stimulated in culture with 0, 1, 10, or 100 ng/ml thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) at intervals up to 36 hr; hormones were estimated by RIA. TSH release was elevated by all doses of TRH during the first 2 hr of stimulation (1.8 to 3.6-fold) and secretion rates increased further during the following 4 hr, with a dose response between 1 and 10 ng/ml TRH. TSH release then returned to initial basal levels and showed the same response to TRH on the second day. GH secretion was also elevated by all doses of TRH tested. A progressive increase in basal GH secretion over time in vitro suggested that GH might normally be under inhibitory control. Medium concentrations of PRL were nondetectable at all times and thus were not measured in subsequent experiments. In vitro thyroxine (T4) secretion by thyroids from these same turtles showed a dose response when stimulated with 5–20 ng/ml purified sea turtle TSH for 8 or 20 hr. Treatment of turtles in vivo with 0.5 μg T4 at 2 hr or daily for up to 2 wk prior to sacrifice greatly reduced in vitro basal TSH secretion and the response to 10 ng/ml TRH. In contrast, several of the T4treatments significantly elevated basal GH secretion. Plasma TSH was markedly elevated after 4 wk treatment with a goitrogen, methimazole, and this was accompanied by increased basal TSH secretion and responsiveness to TRH by pituitaries in vitro; basal GH secretion was reduced but the response of GH to TRH was unaffected. The response of in vitro thyroidal T4 output to TSH was augmented in hyperthyroid animals (⩾ 1 wk T4) and was abolished by methimazole treatment. These data demonstrate a clear thyroidal feedback in the regulation of chelonian TSH secretion and are consistent with an involvement of TRH in the control of pituitary TSH and GH. While the site(s) of the inhibitory actions of T4 are unknown, changes in the functional properties of the pituitary thyrotropes are involved; the somatotropes appear to be less dependent on T4.
Kinetic Model for the Chiral Symmetry Breaking Transition in the Growth Front of a Conglomerate Crystal Phase

In its molten phase, 1,1'-binaphthyl is racemic due to its high racemization rate, but it can crystallize as a conglomerate of R and S crystals. Our experiments have indicated that, under some conditions, the crystal growth front of 1,1'-binaphthyl shows many of the characteristics of an open system in which chiral symmetry is broken; i.e., the growing solid phase becomes predominantly R or S. Here we present a kinetic model to explain the observed chiral symmetry breaking. The model is based on growth due to attachment of R or S growth units to a crystal surface in a supercooled melt. Chiral symmetry breaking occurs due to chirally autocatalytic formation of R or S growth units on the growth surface. Unlike the many models suggested and studied in the 1980s, there is no cross-inhibition between R- and S-enantiomer in the model presented here. In our model, asymmetric and symmetric steady-state solutions that do not intersect were found. Through linear stability analysis, the critical point, at which a symmetric solution becomes unstable and makes a transition to an asymmetric solution, is determined.
Collection and Determination of Lesser Cornstalk Borer (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) Larval Attractant from Peanut Plants

Abstract A lesser cornstalk borer, Elasmopalpus lignosellus (Zeller), larval attractant from peanut (Arachis hypogaea L. variety ‘Florunner’) plants was collected and determined using Tenax collection, cryogenic collection, olfactory bioassay, and infrared gas analyzer. All tests used larvae (third-fifth instar). Samples collected with a Tenax column did not induce significant olfactory responses by the larvae in the doses tested. In a cryogenic collection system using liquid nitrogen, plant volatiles were allowed to simultaneously pass through different treatments (air, water, activated carbon, or KOH) before they were cryogenized. After the airflow carrying volatiles from underground peanut plant parts was passed through water or activated carbon, the attractiveness was not significantly changed compared with the nonadsorption-treated collection. The attractiveness was totally eliminated after the airflow (carrying volatiles) was bubbled through KOH solution, indicating that the active component had bee...
Network Evaluation of Complex Transportation Systems.

Abstract : Transportation is recognized as a critical problem both at the local and the national level. In analyzing the transportation problem and in reviewing the host of relevant research studies that have been conducted in recent years, one begins to comprehend the complexity of entities, variables, parameters, and measurement problems that characterize the field of transportation. While some studies have sacrificed breadth of coverage in favor of a depth of analysis, other studies have attempted to synthesize several methods into a comprehensive examination of transportation problems. Of interest here is a methodology that features both depth and breadth of analysis. (Author)
Seizure detection on/off system using rats' ECoG

We present an enhanced algorithm for seizure onset and offset detection in rats' ECoG. Because a seizure in rats' ECoG evolves much more stereotypically than that in human, analyzing seizure evolution in rats' ECoG is advantageous to understanding the evolution process. The proposed algorithm outperforms a prior automatic seizure detection and termination system in in-vivo rats' ECoG. We improve the algorithm by using relevant frequency bands of 14–22 Hz to onsets and 7–45Hz to offsets; by using spectral power rather than spectral amplitudes for its feature; and by replacing the 2-point moving-average filter for postprocessing with a 2nd order Kalman filter. Not only does the proposed algorithm provide better detection statistics, but it lowers the system's complexity by no longer requiring computation of a fast Fourier transform and by using a single structure with the two different spectral power features for onset and offset detection.
An estimate of the numbers of forest elephants in Gabon

The number of elephants living in the forests of Gabon was estimated by a stratified dung survey. The forest zone was stratified according to the distribution of the human population. The density of dung-piles was estimated for each stratum by the line-transect method. The total number of dung-piles in the forests of Gabon was estimated to be 52.43 × 106 ± 13.25 × 106. This gave an elephant estimate of 61,800 ±20,200. This survey shows Gabon to have one of the largest elephant populations on the continent.
Distributed Java-Based Content Protection

The increasingly sensitive nature of data shared over the Web calls for a new approach to cross-domain content protection. Towards addressing this need, in this paper we introduce a novel Java-based architecture for distributed content protection Java - based Distributed Content Protection (JUICE). JUiCE takes a policy-driven approach that strongly couples data and content protection policies. JUiCE constitutes an effective and practical solution for content protection for a number of reasons. First, both the CPPs and the protection mechanism travel with the content, which is stored in its original form. Second, users do not need to rely on any dedicated management system to specify and apply the CPPs. Further, CPPs do not require any additional cryptographic setup such as passwords or keys to be shared. Through evaluation, we show that our architecture is scalable while being robust against a range of attacks.
Psychological Adjustment to Breast Cancer

Breast cancer remains a highly prevalent and extraordinarily stressful experience for hundreds of thousands of women each year in the United States and around the world. Psychological research has provided a picture of the emotional and social impact of breast cancer on patients’ lives, and of factors associated with better versus worse adjustment. Psychosocial interventions have been beneficial in decreasing patients’ distress and enhancing their quality of life. Recent research also suggests that psychological factors may be related to potentially important biological disease-related processes. In addition to providing an understanding of the psychological factors in breast cancer, research in this area has provided a framework for research on adaptation to health-related stress in general.
Selective elimination of potential ring-X as opposed to rod-X in matings of males treated with diepoxybutane (DEB) to repair-deficient st mus302 females of Drosophila melanogaster.

Evidence is presented demonstrating that diepoxybutane (DEB)-induced ring-X loss in sperm/late spermatids of the Drosophila melanogaster male is substantially lower in matings of ring-X males with repair-deficient st mus302 than ordinary females, but the reverse is obtained when rod-X males are so tested. Taken in conjunction with a higher rate of induced (partial) loss of the rod-Y chromosome of the male with the repair-deficient females suggests the possibility of a greater likelihood that DEB-induced prebreak lesions in ring chromosomes as opposed to rod chromosomes will be eliminated (presumably as a dominant lethals) in the presence of the maternal st mus302 genotype.
Generalized population models and the nature of genetic drift.

a b s t r a c t The Wright-Fisher model of allele dynamics forms the basis for most theoretical and applied research in population genetics. Our understanding of genetic drift, and its role in suppressing the deterministic forces of Darwinian selection has relied on the specific form of sampling inherent to the Wright-Fisher model and its diffusion limit. Here we introduce and analyze a broad class of forward-time population models that share the same mean and variance as the Wright-Fisher model, but may otherwise differ. The proposed class unifies and further generalizes a number of population-genetic processes of recent interest, including the Λ and Cannings processes. Even though these models all have the same variance effective population size, they encode a rich diversity of alternative forms of genetic drift, with significant consequences for allele dynamics. We characterize in detail the behavior of standard population-genetic quantities across this family of generalized models. Some quantities, such as heterozygosity, remain unchanged; but others, such as neutral absorption times and fixation probabilities under selection, deviate by orders of magnitude from the Wright-Fisher model. We show that generalized population models can produce startling phenomena that differ qualitatively from classical behavior — such as assured fixation of a new mutant despite the presence of genetic drift. We derive the forward-time continuum limits of the generalized processes, analogous to Kimura's diffusion limit of the Wright-Fisher process, and we discuss their relationships to the Kingman and non-Kingman coalescents. Finally, we demonstrate that some non-diffusive, generalized models are more likely, in certain respects, than the Wright-Fisher model itself, given empirical data from Drosophila populations.
Topics in pediatric plastic surgery.

Great strides have been made in the treatment of numerous congenital and pediatric traumatic defects not only because of the increased scope of plastic surgeons but also because of an intensified effort toward developing better functional and aesthetic results. Furthermore, advances in microsurgery, craniofacial surgery, and genitourinary reconstruction have had significant impact on pediatric plastic surgery but are beyond the scope of this discussion. Instead, pediatric plastic surgical problems often encountered by primary care pediatricians, such as unfavorable scars, tattoos, torn earlobes, and secondary burn deformities, are presented, with emphasis on diagnosis, evaluation, appropriate referral, and current surgical treatment standards and expectations. Cleft lip and palate surgery as well as plastic surgery of the adolescent breast is also summarized.
Mitral annular motion as a surrogate for left ventricular ejection fraction: real-time three-dimensional echocardiography and magnetic resonance imaging studies *

Aims: To validate the accuracy of mitral annular motion assessed by real-time three-dimensional echocardiography (RT3DE) as a surrogate for determination of the left ventricular function in comparison with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Methods and results: Forty-seven patients with a variety of cardiac pathologies underwent both RT3DE and MRI exams. After 3D data sets were transferred to a PC with a custom-made program, nine consecutive rotational apical plane images (20° apart) were displayed. The two mitral leaflet insertion points were manually identified in each plane. The geometry of the mitral annulus was reconstructed from a total of 18 coordinates ( x , y , z ), and the changes in mitral annular area and mitral annular motion along the apical long axis were calculated. The left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) determined by MRI was 41±18%, and 24 patients had LVEF<50%. Mitral annular motion ( y ) obtained by RT3DE was 11 ± 5 mm and correlated moderately well with LVEF ( x ) measured by MRI ( r = 0.84, y = 0.25 x +0.43, p <0.0001). The mitral annular motion < 12 mm was a good threshold for detecting LVEF<50% with 96% sensitivity, 85% specificity, and 91% accuracy. Conclusion: Mitral annular motion determined by RT3DE correlated moderately well with LVEF; and systolic motion, <12 mm, accurately detected LV dysfunction.
Detection of anti-hepatitis C virus antibodies in patients undergoing dialysis by utilizing a hepatitis C virus 3.0 assay : Correlation with hepatitis C virus RNA

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is endemic in long-term dialysis units. We assessed the performance of a recently developed HCV 3.0 assay for the detection of HCV antibodies in patients undergoing dialysis. The study evaluated 128 patients undergoing long-term maintenance hemodialysis. Anti-HCV was detected by 2.0 and 3.0 enzyme immunoassay (EIA). Results were confirmed with recombinant immunoblot assays (RIBA 2.0 and RIBA 3.0). HCV RNA was detected by using reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Thirty-two patients (25%) were HCV EIA 2.0 positive. Of these, 1 was RIBA 2.0 negative (PCR positive), 3 were indeterminate (3 PCR positive), and 28 were positive (23 PCR positive). Thirty-five (27%) were HCV EIA 3.0 positive. One was RIBA 3.0 negative (PCR positive), 1 was indeterminate (c33c, PCR positive), and 33 were positive (27 PCR positive) by RIBA 3.0. Thus only 1 PCR-positive patient was negative with RIBA 2.0 and 3.0 assays. Two of the 3 RIBA 2.0 indeterminate samples were positive with RIBA 3.0. One remained indeterminate but was HCV RNA positive. In summary, HCV 3.0 EIA detected 4 additional viremic patients but was positive in 6 PCR-negative subjects. A high correlation of the presence of antibody to c33c with HCV RNA (28 of 34, 82%) was found, and it was found in all anti-HCV positive samples and in 1 indeterminate sample. We conclude that the HCV EIA 3.0 test with the supplemental confirmatory RIBA 3.0 test may improve the sensitivity for the detection of anti-HCV. Nevertheless, in potentially immunocompromised patients undergoing dialysis, PCR continues to be the only reliable test for detecting viremia.
Emotion perception, but not affect perception, is impaired with semantic memory loss.

The ability to perceive discrete emotions such as anger, disgust, fear, sadness, etc. in other people is a fundamental part of social life. Without this ability, people lack empathy for loved ones, make poor social judgments in the boardroom and classroom, and have difficulty avoiding those who mean them harm. The dominant paradigm in emotion research for the past 40 years, called the “basic emotion” approach, assumes that humans express and detect in others discrete emotions such as anger (i.e., a scowl), sadness (i.e., a pout), fear (i.e., wide eyes), disgust (i.e., a wrinkled nose), or happiness (i.e., a smile) (Ekman et al., 1987; Izard, 1971; Matsumoto, 1992; Tracy & Robins, 2008). Scientists largely assume that this detection ability is inborn, universal across all cultures, and psychologically primitive (i.e., it cannot be broken down into more basic psychological processes). Concept knowledge about discrete emotion that is represented in language is assumed to be irrelevant to the ability to perceive discrete emotion in faces (Ekman & Cordaro, 2011). This “basic emotion” view is a standard part of the psychology curriculum taught at universities in the Western world, and drives research in a range of disciplines including cognitive neuroscience (Sprengelmeyer et al., 1998), interpersonal communication and conflict negotiation (Kuppens et al., in press) and psychopathology (Fu et al., 2008; Kohler et al., 2010). The US government also relies on this framework to train security personnel to identify the covert intentions of people who pose a threat to its citizens (Burns, 2010; Weinberger, 2010).
Biological changes in auditory function following training in children with autism spectrum disorders

Background: Children with pervasive developmental disorders (PDD), such as children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), often show auditory processing deficits related to their overarching language impairment. Auditory training programs such as Fast ForWord Language may potentially alleviate these deficits through training-induced improvements in auditory processing. Methods: To assess the impact of auditory training on auditory function in children with ASD, brainstem and cortical responses to speech sounds presented in quiet and noise were collected from five children with ASD who completed Fast ForWord training. Results: Relative to six control children with ASD who did not complete Fast ForWord, training-related changes were found in brainstem response timing (three children) and pitch-tracking (one child), and cortical response timing (all five children) after Fast ForWord use. Conclusions: These results provide an objective indication of the benefit of training on auditory function for some children with ASD.
Epidemiology of Pediatric Closed Head Injury: Incidence, Clinical Characteristics, and Risk Factors

This paper reviews the epidemiology of pediatric closed head injury. Incidence rates, etiologic/pathophysiologic correlates, and associated risk factors are discussed. Future research directions include the need to consider the relationships among age, etiology, and pathophysiology in outcome studies as well as inclusion of premorbid measures of personality/intellectual functioning.
Graphical annotation as a visual language for specifying generalization relations

This paper explores how graphical annotation can be used as a visual language for specifying interpretations of user actions in an environment for programming by example. Attaching text labels to graphical elements is a natural visual notation that appears in many kinds of hand drawn diagrams, such as those appearing in user manuals, to indicate part-whole relationships. Programming by example systems have the problem that each user action, such as clicking on a graphical object, is potentially ambiguous. When the domain of the system is extended, the user must communicate to the system what the intended interpretation of newly introduced objects should be. The author presents a technique for allowing an end user to add graphical annotation to a drawing to indicate the meaning of its parts. >
Opaque Attribute Alignment

Ontology alignment describes a process of mapping ontological concepts, classes and attributes between different ontologies providing a way to achieve interoperability. While there has been considerable research in this area, most approaches that rely upon the alignment of attributes use labelbased string comparisons of property names. The ability to process opaque or non-interpreted attribute names is a necessary component of attribute alignment. We describe a new attribute alignment approach to support ontology alignment that uses the density estimation as a means for determining alignment among objects. Using the combination of similarity hashing, Kernel Density Estimation (KDE) and Cross entropy, we are able to show promising F-Measure scores using the standard Ontology Alignment Evaluation Initiative (OAEI) 2011 benchmark.
Integrating Perception, Language and Problem Solving in a Cognitive Agent for a Mobile Robot

We are implementing a unified cognitive architecture for a mobile robot. Our goal is to endow a robot agent with the full range of cognitive abilities, including perception, use of natural language, learning and the ability to solve complex problems. The perspective of this work is that an architecture based on a unified theory of robot cognition has the best chance of attaining human-level performance. This agent architecture is an integration of three theories: a theory of cognition embodied in the Soar system, the RS formal model of sensorimotor activity and an algebraic theory of decomposition and reformulation. These three theories share a hierarchical structure that is the basis of their integration. These three component theories have been implemented and tested separately and their integration is currently underway. This paper describes these components and the overall architecture.
Mechanomyographic amplitude and mean power output during maximal, concentric, isokinetic muscle actions.

The purpose of this study was to determine the velocity-related patterns for mechanomyographic (MMG) amplitude, electromyographic (EMG) amplitude, mean power output (MP), and peak torque (PT) of the superficial muscles of the quadriceps femoris (vastus lateralis [VL], rectus femoris [RF], and vastus medialis [VM]) during maximal, concentric, isokinetic leg extensions. Twelve adult women (mean +/- SD: 22 +/- 3 years of age) performed such leg extensions at velocities of 60 degrees, 120 degrees, 180 degrees, 240 degrees, and 300 degrees /s on a Cybex 6000 dynamometer. PT decreased (P 0.05) for the RF, and increased (P < 0.05) to 300 degrees /s for the VM. The results indicated close similarities between the velocity-related patterns for MMG amplitude and MP, but dissociations among EMG amplitude, MMG amplitude, and PT. These findings support the recent hypothesis that MMG amplitude is more closely related to MP than PT during maximal, concentric, isokinetic muscle actions and, therefore, may be useful for monitoring training-induced changes in muscle power.
Transpulmonary Pressure Gradient Verifies Pulmonary Hypertension is Initiated by Increased Arterial Resistance in Broilers

ABSTRACT Previous hemodynamic evaluations demonstrated that pulmonary arterial pressure (PAP) is higher in broilers that are susceptible to pulmonary hypertension syndrome (PHS, ascites) than in broilers that are resistant to PHS. We compared key pulmonary hemodynamic parameters in broilers from PHS-susceptible and PHS-resistant lines (selected for 12 generations under hypobaric hypoxia) and in broilers from a relaxed (control) line. In experiment 1 the PAP was measured in male broilers in which a flow probe positioned on one pulmonary artery permitted the determination of cardiac output and pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR). The PAP and relative PVR were higher in susceptible broilers than in relaxed and resistant broilers, whereas absolute and relative cardiac output did not differ between lines. In experiment 2 male and female broilers from the 3 lines were catheterized to measure pressures in the wing vein, right atrium, right ventricle, pulmonary artery, and pulmonary veins (WP, wedge pressure). The transpulmonary pressure gradient (TPG) was calculated as (PAP-WP), with PAP quantifying precapillary pressure and WP approximating postcapillary pulmonary venous pressure. When compared with resistant and relaxed broilers, PAP values in susceptible broilers were ≥10 mmHg higher, TPG values were ≥8 mmHg higher, and WP values were ≤2 mmHg higher, regardless of sex. The combined hemodynamic criteria (elevated PAP and PVR combined with a proportionally elevated TPG) demonstrate that susceptibility to PHS can be attributed primarily to pulmonary arterial hypertension associated with increased precapillary (arteriole) resistance rather than to pulmonary venous hypertension caused by elevated postcapillary (venous and left atrial) resistance.
Synthesis of hazard-free asynchronous circuits from graphical specifications

The authors propose some syntactic and semantic extensions to a graphical specification called the signal transition graph (STG). They allow controlled-choice places to have fanout transitions of input signals and arbitrary Boolean expressions can be used as edge labels. They also allow one STG marking to represent more than one state. These extensions allow for a more natural and compact specification of asynchronous behavior. It is also shown that syntactic constraints on STGs are not sufficient to guarantee hazard-free implementations, and techniques are presented to synthesize hazard-free SOP, (sum of products) implementations under both SIC (single input change) and MIC (multiple input change) conditions. The synthesized circuits are speed-independent. They are hazard-free, independently of the gate delay variations, assuming that the circuit operates in fundamental mode. >
Calcium signaling in neurodegeneration

Calcium is a key signaling ion involved in many different intracellular and extracellular processes ranging from synaptic activity to cell-cell communication and adhesion. The exact definition at the molecular level of the versatility of this ion has made overwhelming progress in the past several years and has been extensively reviewed. In the brain, calcium is fundamental in the control of synaptic activity and memory formation, a process that leads to the activation of specific calcium-dependent signal transduction pathways and implicates key protein effectors, such as CaMKs, MAPK/ERKs, and CREB. Properly controlled homeostasis of calcium signaling not only supports normal brain physiology but also maintains neuronal integrity and long-term cell survival. Emerging knowledge indicates that calcium homeostasis is not only critical for cell physiology and health, but also, when deregulated, can lead to neurodegeneration via complex and diverse mechanisms involved in selective neuronal impairments and death. The identification of several modulators of calcium homeostasis, such as presenilins and CALHM1, as potential factors involved in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease, provides strong support for a role of calcium in neurodegeneration. These observations represent an important step towards understanding the molecular mechanisms of calcium signaling disturbances observed in different brain diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and Huntington's diseases.
Comments on “standard definitions for sound levels in the ocean”

This brief communication relates a generalization to and additional comments on the above editorial*. The present author generally supports the editorial’s recommendations.
Properties of enzymes in hepatocytes that convert 5-HPETE or LTA4 into LTB4.

Rat hepatocyte homogenates convert 5-hydroperoxyeicosatetraenoic acid (5-HPETE) into biologically active leukotriene B4 (LTB4) as well as less active all-trans-LTB4 (i.e., 6-trans-LTB4 and 6-trans-12-epi-LTB4). Here, we present a hypothesis of the reaction mechanism and the minimal structural requirements of the active enzyme based on the following experimental evidence: The ED50 of the inhibitors 5,8,11,14-eicosatetraynoic acid (ETYA) and 5,6-dehydro-eicosatetraenoic acid was approximately 100-fold higher than for 5-lipoxygenase. Propanethiol and O2 were strong inhibitors of LTB4 formation, whereas butylated hydroxytoluene, nordihydroguaiaretic acid, metyrapone, Desferal and CO had no effect. Cytochrome c, catalase, hematin, and a Fe3+/Fe2+ couple, but not iron-free protoporphyrin IX, catalyzed the formation of only all-trans-LTB4. LTB4 formation in hepatocyte homogenates was heat- and trypsin-sensitive whereas all-trans-LTB4 formation was not. We propose that a ferric heme iron forms a ferryl-hydroxo complex upon homolytic scission of the oxygen-oxygen bond in 5-HPETE and the resulting 5,6-trans-epoxide radical is oxidized by the ferryl-hydroxo complex to yield LTA4. A mechanism for hydrolysis of LTA4 is described that results in formation of LTB4 (less than 1% yield) rather than all-trans-LTB4.
Adaptive detection mechanisms in globally statistically nonstationary-oriented noise

Studies have shown that human observers can adapt their detection strategies on the basis of the statistical properties of noisy backgrounds. One common property of such studies is that the backgrounds studied are (or are assumed to be) statistically stationary. Less is known about how humans detect signals in the more complex setting of nonstationary backgrounds. We investigated detection performance in the presence of a globally nonstationary oriented noise background. We controlled for noise-correlation effects by considering a stationary background with a power spectrum matched to the average spectrum of the nonstationary process. Performance of a nonadaptive linear filter that was unable to make use of differences in local statistics yielded constant performance in both the stationary and the nonstationary backgrounds. In contrast, performance of an ideal observer that uses local noise statistics yielded substantially higher (140%) detectability with the nonstationary backgrounds than the stationary ones. Human observers showed significantly higher (33%) detection performance in the nonstationary backgrounds, suggesting that they can adapt their detection mechanisms to the local orientation properties.
Improved measures of stability robustness for linear state space models

In this paper, the aspect of "stability robustness" of linear systems is analyzed in the time domain. A bound on the structured perturbation of an asymptotically stable linear system is obtained to maintain stability using a Lyapunov matrix equation solution. The resulting bound is shown to be an improved bound over the ones recently reported in the literature. Also, special cases of the nominal system matrix are considered, for which the bound is given in terms of the nominal matrix, thereby, avoiding the solution of the Lyapunov matrix equation. Examples given include comparison of the proposed approach with the recently reported results.
Large-Eddy Simulation of a Tornado’s Interaction with the Surface

High-resolution, fully three-dimensional, unsteady simulations of the interaction of a tornado vortex with the surface were performed in an attempt to answer questions about the character of turbulent transport in this unique flow. The authors demonstrate that sufficient resolution was achieved for the particular physical conditions of their example that the time-averaged velocity and pressure distributions showed little sensitivity in the region of maximum velocities to either finer resolution or modified subgrid turbulent model. The time-averaged velocity distributions show the maximum velocity values occurring within 50 m of the surface. The instantaneous velocity distributions show the turbulence dominated by a relatively small number of strong secondary vortices spiralling around the main vortex with the maximum instantaneous velocities typically one-third larger than the maximum time-averaged velocity. These eddies are centered a little inside of the cone of maximum mean swirl velocity and spiral around the mean vortex at velocities less than the average maximum velocity. Statistical analysis of the velocity fluctuations induced by the secondary vortices shows that the turbulent transport of angular momentum is predominantly inward at low levels, allowing the inner recirculating flow to acquire values of angular momentum of up to 30% of that provided by the inflow boundary conditions, thus enhancing the surface intensification of the velocities.