cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Serum testosterone is not a correlate of prostate cancer lymph node involvement, but does predict biochemical failure for lymph node positive disease

Previously we found that serum testosterone (serum-T) correlated with the development of distant metastasis in patients with clinically localized prostate cancer treated with radiotherapy. In this report, the relationship of serum-T to lymph node positivity and to patient outcome for patients with regional lymph node involvement treated with androgen ablation alone was investigated. Serum-T was available in 514 of 854 men with clinically localized prostate cancer who underwent pelvic lymphadenectomy at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center between 1984 and 1993. Pretreatment prostatic acid phosphatase (PAP) and prostate specific antigen (PSA) were assayed in 98% and 95% of patients, respectively. Androgen ablation was achieved via orchiectomy or a luteinizing hormone releasing hormone agonist. Median follow-up was 66 months for the node positive subgroup (n = 92). Serum-T did not correlate with palpable stage, Gleason score, pretreatment PSA, or lymph node involvement. Age ⩽ 60 years and pretreatment PAP > 0.8 mU/ml correlated significantly with higher serum-T. In lymph node positive patients treated with androgen ablation, higher serum-T levels corresponded to both pretreatment PSA > 10 ng/ml and PAP > 0.8 mU/ml. Serum-T predicted for biochemical failure, but not metastatic relapse or overall survival. Actuarial 5-year biochemical failure rate was 73% for serum T > 500 ng/dl and 57% for serum-T ≤ 500 (p = 0.009). Multivariate analysis showed serum-T to be an independent correlate of rising PSA, both as a continuous (p = 0.001) or categorical (p = 0.037) variable. Serum-T did not significantly correlate with lymph node positivity, and therefore is not a marker for regional disease spread. However, serum-T was significantly associated with biochemical failure in node-positive patients treated with androgen ablation alone.
Deep Multistream Diffusion in Ion Implantation

Very deep penetration of ions injected into crystals has been reported in several recent experiments. These "supertails," which extend deeper into the crystals than the normal stopping range or channeling range, have the form ${n}_{s}\ensuremath{\sim}{(x\ensuremath{-}{x}_{0})}^{\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\eta}}$, where ${n}_{s}$ is the number of incident ions per ${\mathrm{cm}}^{3}$, $x$ is the distance from the surface of the crystal, $\ensuremath{\eta}$ is typically \ensuremath{\sim}2-8, and ${x}_{0}$ is \ensuremath{\sim}1 \ensuremath{\mu} or less. Multistream steady-state-diffusion models are developed to explain these supertails. The results agree well with published experimental data. Multistream diffusion may also be involved in other experiments, such as radiation-enhanced diffusion experiments and implantation experiments in which channeling is suppressed, but the measured concentration profiles are within the maximum channeling range.
Genetic Basis for Dosage Sensitivity in Arabidopsis thaliana

Aneuploidy, the relative excess or deficiency of specific chromosome types, results in gene dosage imbalance. Plants can produce viable and fertile aneuploid individuals, while most animal aneuploids are inviable or developmentally abnormal. The swarms of aneuploid progeny produced by Arabidopsis triploids constitute an excellent model to investigate the mechanisms governing dosage sensitivity and aneuploid syndromes. Indeed, genotype alters the frequency of aneuploid types within these swarms. Recombinant inbred lines that were derived from a triploid hybrid segregated into diploid and tetraploid individuals. In these recombinant inbred lines, a single locus, which we call SENSITIVE TO DOSAGE IMBALANCE (SDI), exhibited segregation distortion in the tetraploid subpopulation only. Recent progress in quantitative genotyping now allows molecular karyotyping and genetic analysis of aneuploid populations. In this study, we investigated the causes of the ploidy-specific distortion at SDI. Allele frequency was distorted in the aneuploid swarms produced by the triploid hybrid. We developed a simple quantitative measure for aneuploidy lethality and using this measure demonstrated that distortion was greatest in the aneuploids facing the strongest viability selection. When triploids were crossed to euploids, the progeny, which lack severe aneuploids, exhibited no distortion at SDI. Genetic characterization of SDI in the aneuploid swarm identified a mechanism governing aneuploid survival, perhaps by buffering the effects of dosage imbalance. As such, SDI could increase the likelihood of retaining genomic rearrangements such as segmental duplications. Additionally, in species where triploids are fertile, aneuploid survival would facilitate gene flow between diploid and tetraploid populations via a triploid bridge and prevent polyploid speciation. Our results demonstrate that positional cloning of loci affecting traits in populations containing ploidy and chromosome number variants is now feasible using quantitative genotyping approaches.
A pseudo-likelihood analysis for incomplete warranty data with a time usage rate variable and production counts

The most direct purpose of collecting warranty data is tracking associated costs. However, they are also useful for quantifying a relationship between use rate and product time-to-first-failure and for estimating the distribution of product time-to-first-failure (which is modeled in this article as depending on use rate and a unit potential life length under continuous use). Employing warranty data for such reliability analysis purposes is typically complicated by the fact that some parts of some warranty data records are missing. A pseudo-likelihood methodology is introduced to deal with some kinds of incomplete warranty data (such as that available in a motivating real case from a machine manufacturer). A use rate distribution, the distribution of time to first failure, and the time associated with a cumulative probability of first failure are estimated, based on the proposed approach and available data.
Romeo & Juliet: Star-Crossed Lovers or Sex Offenders?

Laws that set an age of consent to engage in sexual behavior are unique in that they are the only laws that can result in a child being both a victim and offender of a crime merely due to age. They...
Dissecting the WRKY Web of Plant Defense Regulators

During the past ten years, a large body of circumstantial evidence has accumulated, implicating WRKY factors in transcriptional reprogramming during plant immune responses [1–3]. Encoded by complex gene families in higher plants [4], these transcription factors share a DNA-binding domain (WRKY domain) comprising approximately 60 amino acids [5]. Additional conserved features of WRKYs are limited to separate subgroups of this family and include putative leucine zippers, nuclear localization signals, calmodulin binding sites, and several domains of unknown function [5–7]. Multiple studies have demonstrated the ability of WRKYs to bind to promoters of defense-associated genes via specific interactions of their WRKY domains with pathogen response elements termed W boxes (TTGACC/T) [8–11]. Both activating and repressing effects of WRKYs and W boxes on transcription have been observed [12–14]. It has also been shown that stable and transient overexpression of several WRKYs in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana (Arabidopsis) conveys enhanced resistance to various bacterial or fungal pathogens [15–17].
All-optical OFDM transmission with coupler-based IFFT/FFT and pulse interleaving

We report a novel design for high-speed all-optical OFDM employing coupler interferometry for IFFT/FFT. 160-Gb/s DQPSK transmission using eight sub-carriers was simulated, while 25-Gb/s DPSK experiment using two sub-carriers was performed using matched delay interferometers.
Antibacterial nature of prostatic fluid.

Human and canine prostatic fluid is bactericidal for a number of Gram negative and Gram positive bacteria. The fraction responsible for this effect is heat stable, of low molecular weight and is inactivated by normal blood serum. This antimicrobial activity may help to explain why men are less susceptible to infections of the urinary tract than are women.
A xenon-based molecular sensor assembled on an MS2 viral capsid scaffold.

In MRI, anatomical structures are most often differentiated by variations in their bulk magnetic properties. Alternatively, exogenous contrast agents can be attached to chemical moieties that confer affinity to molecular targets; the distribution of such contrast agents can be imaged by magnetic resonance. Xenon-based molecular sensors are molecular imaging agents that rely on the reversible exchange of hyperpolarized xenon between the bulk and a specifically targeted host−guest complex. We have incorporated ∼125 xenon sensor molecules in the interior of an MS2 viral capsid, conferring multivalency and other properties of the viral capsid to the sensor molecule. The resulting signal amplification facilitates the detection of sensor at 0.7 pM, the lowest to date for any molecular imaging agent used in magnetic resonance. This amplification promises the detection of chemical targets at much lower concentrations than would be possible without the capsid scaffold.
Osteoprotegerin, the bone protector, is a surprising target for β-catenin signaling

Osteoblasts influence bone mass by the amount of bone they synthesize and by regulating osteoclasts, the cells that degrade bone. In the December issue of Developmental Cell, Kieslinger et al. (2005) show that immature osteoblasts regulate expression of the osteoclast inhibitor, osteoprotegerin, through an early B cell factor and β-catenin signaling.
“Shaking Out the Mat”: Schism and Organizational Transformation at a Mexican Ark of the Virgin

The apocalyptic Marian colony of Nueva Jerusalen, Mexico suffered a violent schism in 1982, marking a turning point in the history of the sect. The rift resulted in a major organizational transformation and helped to establish the centralized system of authority now observable in the colony. This article examines the ideological and structural factors that promoted the schism. A succession crisis, caused by the death of a Marian apparition seer, precipitated schismatic activity as dissidents struggled to block the charismatic leader's attempts to revise the sect's authority structure and identity. At the same time, the prophet escalated tensions by reframing the conflict as a commitment test. Wallis's theory of structural opportunity for schism is used to show how the conflict grew out of long-standing interest groups and ambiguous authority arrangements in the colony.
Immunocytochemical localization of delta opioid receptors in mouse brain

An affinity-purified anti-peptide antibody generated against the carboxy-terminal region of the delta opioid receptor was used to localize delta opioid receptors in mouse brain. delta Opioid receptor immunoreactivity was found in axons and nerve terminals in regions of the olfactory bulb, hippocampal formation, cerebral and cerebellar cortex, midbrain and hindbrain. The immunocytochemical distribution correlated well, though not completely with autoradiographic distribution of delta opioid receptors in mouse brain using either [3H][2-D-penicillamine, 5-D-penicillamine]-enkephalin (DPDPE) or [3H]naltrindole. Confocal microscopy of double-labeled tissue provided direct evidence that delta opioid receptors are principally expressed on GABAergic terminals in the hippocampus. These anatomical findings complement extensive physiological studies to provide a more detailed description of endogenous opioid circuitry.
Hemolytic Plaque Formation to Allogeneic Human Type A and B Red Cells1

Plaque-forming cells can be generated from peripheral blood lymphocytes provided that the lymphocytes are prestimulated by in vitro sensitization in the presence of pokeweed mitogen. Of 91 blood type O persons whose lymphocytes were stimulated with red cell A antigen, 52% responded with plaque formation, whereas of 40 type O persons whose lymphocytes were stimulated with red cell B antigen, only 20% produced plaques. Similarly, reciprocal stimulation of type A and B persons showed higher plaque formation (65%) when 23 type B persons were stimulated with A than when 48 type A persons were stimulated with B red cells (19%). An optimal dilution of sensitizing cells is necessary and maximum time of sensitization was approximately 7 days.
Functional in vivo analyses of the 3' flanking sequences of the Chlamydomonas chloroplast rbcL and psaB genes.

Possible roles of untranslated sequences at the 3′ ends of chloroplast genes, which include inverted repeat elements, were investigated in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii in vivo. Chlamydomonas chloroplast rbcL or psaB 3′ flanking regions were coupled in various arrangements 3′ to a chimeric gene consisting of a Chlamydomonas chloroplast atpB promoter sequence fused 5′ to the Escherichia coli uidA (GUS) structural gene. These genes were introduced into the Chlamydomonas chloroplast genome at the same location by homologous recombination following microprojectile bombardment. Transformants harboring chimeric GUS genes fused to rbcL or psaB gene 3′ inverted repeat sequences in their normal forward orientations accumulated GUS transcripts of a single size, whereas GUS transcripts of heterogenous sizes accumulated in transformants harboring the same gene lacking an inverted repeat sequence at its 3′ end. Thus, the 3′ flanking regions of the rbcL and psaB genes can define the location of the 3′ terminus of a transcript in vivo. In chloroplast transformants harboring chimeric GUS genes fused to multiple inverted repeat sequences in their normal forward orientations, only GUS transcripts accumulated that were terminated by the first inverted repeat sequence. The latter data suggest that the 3′ ends of these RNAs are the products of either transcription termination or endonucleolytic cleavage. Analyses of GUS transcripts in transformants harboring GUS genes terminated by rbcL or psaB gene 3′ flanking regions in reversed orientations indicate that transcript 3′ end formation in vivo requires nucleotide sequences located outside the inverted repeat elements. Inasmuch as decay rates of GUS transcripts were found to be independent of the presence of a 3′ inverted repeat sequence, RNA stabilization does not appear to be a major in vivo function of these elements in the Chlamydomonas chloroplast transcripts studied.
Excited Doublet States of Electrochemically Generated Aromatic Imide and Diimide Radical Anions

The radical anions of aromatic diimides have been implicated recently in a wide variety of photochemical electron transfer reactions. Photoexcitation of these radical anions produces powerfully reducing species. Yet, the properties of the π* excited doublet states of these organic radical anions remain obscure. The radical anions of three aromatic imides with increasingly larger π systems, N-(2,5-di-tert-butylphenyl)phthalimide, 1, N-(2,5-di-tert-butylphenyl)-1,8-naphthalimide, 2, and N-(2,5-di-tert-butylphenyl)perylene-3,4-dicarboximide, 3, as well as the three corresponding aromatic diimides, N,N‘-bis(2,5-di-tert-butylphenyl)pyromellitimide, 4a, N,N‘-bis(2,5-di-tert-butylphenyl)-naphthalene-1,8:4,5-tetracarboxydiimide, 5a, and N,N‘-bis(2,5-di-tert-butylphenyl)perylene-3,4:9,10-tetracarboxydiimide, 6, were produced by electrochemical reduction of the neutral molecules in an optically transparent thin layer electrochemical cell. The radical anions of these imides and diimides all exhibit intense visible a...
Paradoxical results of adaptive false discovery rate procedures in neuroimaging studies.

Abstract Adaptive false discovery rate (FDR) procedures, which offer greater power than the original FDR procedure of Benjamini and Hochberg, are often applied to statistical maps of the brain. When a large proportion of the null hypotheses are false, as in the case of widespread effects such as cortical thinning throughout much of the brain, adaptive FDR methods can surprisingly reject more null hypotheses than not accounting for multiple testing at all—i.e., using uncorrected p -values. A straightforward mathematical argument is presented to explain why this can occur with the q -value method of Storey and colleagues, and a simulation study shows that it can also occur, to a lesser extent, with a two-stage FDR procedure due to Benjamini and colleagues. We demonstrate the phenomenon with reference to a published data set documenting cortical thinning in attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder. The paper concludes with recommendations for how to proceed when adaptive FDR results of this kind are encountered in practice.
The Hepatic Glucagon Receptor: A Comparative Study of the Regulatory and Structural Properties

Guanine nucleotide and Mg2+ ion regulation of [125I-Tyr10]monoiodoglucagon ([125I]MIG) binding to liver plasma membranes from chicken, rat, and rabbit was studied. It was found that [125I]MIG binding to chicken liver membranes was increased by the addition of Mg2+ ion, while binding to rat and rabbit liver membranes was unaffected. In the chicken liver membranes, the Mg2+ ion induced high affinity binding which was sensitive to guanine nucleotides, while the low affinity binding in the absence of Mg2+ ion was not. Maximal effects of Mg2+ ion were observed at 1 mM. Glucagon binding to rat liver membrane receptors was GTP sensitive regardless of whether Mg2+ ion was added. Glucagon binding to rabbit liver membranes was insensitive to both Mg2+ ions and GTP. This lack of GTP effect was not due to degradation of GTP; no effect of the nonhydrolyzable analog guanyl-5′-yl-imidodiphosphate was observable. Glucagon stimulation of rabbit liver adenylyl cyclase, however, was dependent on GTP, as was the case with al...
EXAMINATION OF PROPOSED OTC STATUS FOR NONSEDATING ANTIHISTAMINES

ABSTRACTLoratadine, fexofenadine, and cetirizine are orally active H1-receptor antagonists that do not have the sedating side effects of earlier antihistamines like chlorpheniramine. In 1998, Wellpoint Health Networks filed a citizen petition with the FDA to request the reclassification of certain marketed products containing these second generation antihistamines to over-the-counter (OTC) status in the United States. Contrary to common practice, this switch request did not originate from the manufacturers of these drugs. This remarkable departure from conventional practice related to the switch process makes this citizen switch petition unprecedented in nature. The unparalleled nature of this case raises many significant regulatory, safety, and legal issues related to the OTC switch process in the United States. This article aims to present an objective and detailed examination of the regulatory and safety issues related to this OTC switch petition.
Intestinal complications of radiotherapy in gynecologic malignancy — clinical presentation and management

Radiation therapy is an effective treatment modality for various gynecologic malignancies. In spite of advances in radiotherapy equipment and techniques over the years, the gastrointestinal and urinary tracts have remained a considerable problem with radiotherapy of the pelvis and abdomen. Clinical presentation of intestinal complications, current concepts of pathophysiology and principles of medical and surgical management are reviewed.
762-2 Correlation Between the Stress-Velocity Index and the Mean dP/dt During Isovolumetric Contraction, a New Index of Contractility Well Suited for Patients with Congenital Heart Disease

The mean dP/dt during isovolumetric contraction (DP/DTic) is a new, noninvasive index of contractility that has been found to approximate and closely correlate with invasive measurements of peak dP/dt. It can be estimated from the equation: DP/DTic = (Ao diastolic pressure - 10)/isovolumetric contraction time (ICT). The purpose of this study was to compare assessments of contractility derived from estimates of DP/DTic with those obtained from measurements of the stress-velocity index (SVI). an established. load-independent index of contractility. Standard methods were used to measure the SVI. The ICT (the time between mitral valve closure and Ao valve opening) was measured from M-mode echo tracings of the Ao and mitral valves. Ao diastolic pressure was measured with a BP cuff. 21 patients (pts), aged 1-19 years. with symmetric LV systolic function, were studied. DP/DTic correlated well with SVI. r = 0.70. p l 0.001. Furthermore. 7/9 pts with DPIDTic below 800 mmHg/sec had SVI g 2 standard deviations below normal, whereas 8/B pts with DP/DTic g 1000 mmHg/sec had normal or increased SVI. Conclusion 1) DP/DTic provides assessments of contractility that agree well with those provided by SVI. 2) DP/DTic l 800 mmHg/sec strongly suggests abnormally depressed contractility. whereas a DP/DTic g 1000 mmHg/sec indicates normal contractility. 3) DP/DTic is a function only of pressure and time and, in contrast to the SVI, its measurement and interpretation are not confounded by the abnormalities of ventricular anatomy, morphology and segmental wall motion commonly encountered among pts with congenital heart disease. It therefore may be an ideal non-invasive index of contractility in this subset of patients.
Origin of the division of labour and a stochastic mechanism of differentiation

Abstract Nonlinear models are introduced to describe the nonequilibrium dynamics of social evolution. The difference between Western and Oriental culture, and their roles in the origin in the division of labour, are described by a behavioural model in information diffusion and learning competition. It shows a tradeoff between stability and diversity. The stochastic mechanism of social differentiation and the empirical evidence for this is discussed in a stochastic model of multi-staged development. It shows the breakdown of the Gaussian distribution during a transition. Finally, an ideal model of social bifurcation is given.
Influenza Virus Protein PB1-F2 Inhibits the Induction of Type I Interferon by Binding to MAVS and Decreasing Mitochondrial Membrane Potential

PB1-F2 is a small, 87- to 90-amino-acid-long protein encoded by the +1 alternate open reading frame of the PB1 gene of most influenza A virus strains. It has been shown to contribute to viral pathogenicity in a host- and strain-dependent manner, and we have previously discovered that a serine at position 66 (66S) in the PB1-F2 protein increases virulence of the 1918 and H5N1 pandemic viruses. Recently, we have shown that PB1-F2 inhibits the induction of type I interferon (IFN) at the level of the MAVS adaptor protein. However, the molecular mechanism for the IFN antagonist function of PB1-F2 has remained unclear. In the present study, we demonstrated that the C-terminal portion of the PB1-F2 protein binds to MAVS in a region that contains the transmembrane domain. Strikingly, PB1-F2 66S was observed to bind to MAVS more efficiently than PB1-F2 66N. We also tested the effect of PB1-F2 on the IFN antagonist functions of the polymerase proteins PB1, PB2, and PA and observed enhanced IFN inhibition by the PB1 and PB2 proteins in combination with PB1-F2 but not by the PA protein. Using a flow cytometry-based assay, we demonstrate that the PB1-F2 protein inhibits MAVS-mediated IFN synthesis by decreasing the mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP). Interestingly, PB1-F2 66S affected the MMP more efficiently than wild-type PB1-F2. In summary, the results of our study identify the molecular mechanism by which the influenza virus PB1-F2 N66S protein increases virulence.
Conflict of interest and the Society for Vascular Surgery

Specialty medical societies such as Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) are instrumental in the development and dissemination of medical knowledge through scientific presentations, publication of rigorously peer-reviewed writings, awarding competitive research and training grants, and the provision of high-quality continuing medical education (CME). It is vital that in these roles the SVS remain in fact and in perception completely free of all influence and bias from industry. While independence from bias has always been necessary, the increasing focus by governmental agencies, industry organizations, and society has made it important for the SVS to address this issue in a formal way. In June 2010, the SVS Board of Directors approved a set of guidelines specifically designed to address management of conflict of interest among its members and its leaders. These guidelines, included in this article, were based on currently available information and policies put forth by legislative bodies, academic medical centers, industry groups, and other professional medical societies, and were designed to safeguard against abuse while maintaining valuable collaboration between vascular surgeons and their industry partners. The guidelines are included in this article.
Heavy Flavour Physics at CDF

The CDF detector at Fermilab has accumulated more that 3 fb − 1 of data which enables unprecedented studies of heavy flavor hadron properties. We present recent CDF measurements of mass and lifetime of the B c meson as well as lifetime, mixing and CP violation properties of B s mesons.
Protein kinase A, which regulates intracellular transport, forms complexes with molecular motors on organelles.

Abstract Major signaling cascades have been shown to play a role in the regulation of intracellular organelle transport [1, 2]. Aggregation and dispersion of pigment granules in melanophores are regulated by the second messenger cAMP through the protein kinase A (PKA) signaling pathway [3, 4]; however, the exact mechanisms of this regulation are poorly understood. To study the role of signaling molecules in the regulation of pigment transport in melanophores, we have asked the question whether the components of the cAMP-signaling pathway are bound to pigment granules and whether they interact with molecular motors to regulate the granule movement throughout the cytoplasm. We found that purified pigment granules contain PKA and scaffolding proteins and that PKA associates with pigment granules in cells. Furthermore, we found that the PKA regulatory subunit forms two separate complexes, one with cytoplasmic dynein ("aggregation complex") and one with kinesin II and myosin V ("dispersion complex"), and that the removal of PKA from granules causes dissociation of dynein and disruption of dynein-dependent pigment aggregation. We conclude that cytoplasmic organelles contain protein complexes that include motor proteins and signaling molecules involved in different components of intracellular transport. We propose to call such complexes `regulated motor units' (RMU).
Early Surgical Decompression Restores Neurovascular Blood Flow and Ischemic Parameters in an in Vivo Animal Model of Nerve Compression Injury.

Background: Chronic nerve compression neuropathies result in decreased blood flow at the site of compression. Surgical decompression of the nerve often has variable postoperative results. The current study examines whether the timing of surgical intervention is an important variable in reversing the compression-induced ischemia and associated changes in biochemical markers. Methods: An established model of chronic nerve compression injury was created in 100 C57BL/6 mice, and serial electrophysiological examinations were used to confirm the creation of a chronic nerve compression injury. Laser speckle imaging was used to measure neural blood flow. Nerves in the animals that did not undergo decompression were harvested at two, four, and six weeks after injury and analyzed for hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF1α), catalase, superoxide dismutase (SOD), and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) 2 and 9. Surgical decompression in other animals was performed at either an early (two-week) or late (six-week) time point after injury, with specimens harvested at multiple time points after decompression. One-way analysis of variance with Bonferroni correction was performed. Results: Chronic nerve compression injury initially induced hyperemia (1.37 ± 0.50 times that in the contralateral, uninjured nerve) followed by a decline in neural blood flow by four weeks (0.66 ± 0.14, p = 0.0313). In parallel, HIF1α, catalase, and SOD were elevated early after compression, whereas extracellular matrix-altering proteins were elevated later in the disease. Although early decompression yielded a return of blood flow to a hyperemic state (1.35 ± 0.16, p = 0.0057), late decompression did not result in reversal of the abnormal neurovascular flow. With late decompression, an MMP9-mediated structural alteration of the extracellular matrix was seen, producing irreversible changes in blood flow parameters. Although nerve conduction velocity measurements returned to normal two weeks after decompression irrespective of the timing of the surgical intervention, distal latency returned to normal only after early decompression (0.97 ± 0.06 msec compared with 1.22 ± 0.06 msec for late decompression, p = 0.009). Conclusions: Chronic nerve compression injuries decreased neurovascular flow and induced ischemia by upregulating HIF1α, catalase, and MMP9. Early surgical intervention offered better return to normal electrophysiological parameters compared with late intervention. Clinical Relevance: These data present a clinical correlate to the variable functional outcomes seen following surgical release of chronic nerve compression injuries and provide early support for using distal latency as a predictor of outcomes following surgical release.
Elevated atmospheric CO2 differentially affects needle chloroplast ultrastructure and phloem anatomy in Pinus palustris: interactions with soil resource availability

The response of forest species to increasing atmospheric CO2, particularly under resource limitations, will require study in order to predict probable changes which may occur at the plant, community and ecosystem levels. Longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill.) seedlings were grown for 20 months at two levels of CO2 (365 and 720 µ mol mol –1 ) in two levels of soil nitrogen (4 and 40 g m –2 ), and with two levels of soil moisture (–0·5 and –1·5 MPa xylem pressure potential). Leaf tissue was collected in the spring (12 months exposure) and autumn (20 months exposure) and examined using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and light microscopy. During early spring, elevated CO2 magnified effects of N and water treatment on starch accumulation and in some cases contributed to altered organization of mesophyll chloroplasts. Disruption of chloroplast integrity was pronounced under elevated CO2, low N and water stress. In autumn, needles contained little starch; however, chloroplasts grown under high CO2 exhibited stress symp­ toms including increased plastoglobuli and shorter grana. A trend for reduced needle phloem cross-sectional area result­ ing from fewer sieve cells was also observed under elevated CO2. These results suggest that, in nature, longleaf pine seedlings may not benefit from a doubling of CO2, espe­ cially when soil resources are limiting.
Formation of catechol estrogen glutathione conjugates and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase-dependent nephrotoxicity of 17beta-estradiol in the golden Syrian hamster.

In an animal model of hormone-mediated carcinogenesis, male golden Syrian hamsters develop renal carcinoma following prolonged exposure to 17beta-estradiol. The basis for the species and tissue specificity is unclear. Detailed information on the disposition of 17beta-estradiol in this model is lacking. Because catechol estrogens have been implicated in this model of carcinogenesis, we investigated the metabolism and nephrotoxicity of 17beta-estradiol in golden Syrian hamsters, with emphasis on the formation of catechol estrogen thioethers. 17beta-Estradiol (50 micromol/kg, i.p.) is a mild nephrotoxicant, causing significant elevations in the urinary excretion of gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (gamma-GT), alkaline phosphatase, glutathione S-transferase (GST) and glucose. Increases in renal protein carbonyls and lipid hydroperoxides, which are markers of oxidative damage, also occur after administration of 17beta-estradiol (50 micromol/kg, i.p.). 17beta-Estradiol-mediated nephrotoxicity is reduced by treating animals with acivicin, an inhibitor of gamma-GT, implying that toxicity is mediated by metabolites requiring metabolism by this enzyme. Following administration of 17beta-[14C]estradiol (100 micromol/kg) to hamsters, 9.7% of the dose is recovered in bile after 5 h, the majority (7.9%) representing aqueous metabolites. Seven catechol estrogen GSH conjugates were identified, 2-hydroxy-1,4-bis-(glutathion-S-yl)-17beta-estradiol, 2-hydroxy-4-(glutathion-S-yl)-17beta-estradiol, 2-hydroxy-4-(glutathion-S-yl)-estrone, 4-hydroxy-1-(glutathion-S-yl)-estrone, 2-hydroxy-1-(glutathion-S-yl)-estrone, 4-hydroxy-1-(glutathion-S-yl)-17beta-estradiol, and 2-hydroxy-1-(glutathion-S-yl)-17beta-estradiol. At 5.4 micromol/kg of 17beta-estradiol, a dose-reflective of daily exposure levels in the hamster model of nephrocarcinogenicity, 12% of the dose is recovered within 5 h as a combination of GSH conjugates of 2- and 4-hydroxy-17beta-estradiol and 2- and 4-hydroxyestrone. In summary, oxidation of catechol estrogens, followed by GSH conjugation, occurs in vivo and 17beta-estradiol is a mild nephrotoxicant in a manner dependent on the activity of gamma-GT.
MECHANICS OF ESCAPE RESPONSES IN CRAYFISH (ORCONECTES VIRILIS)

Measurements of acceleration performance of crayfish (mean mass 0.018 kg) were made during lateral giant mediated tail flips (LG tail flips) and truncated tail flips at 15°C. The LG tail flip power stroke was composed of a lift-off phase, when crayfish accelerated vertically from the substrate, and a free swimming phase. The total duration of the power stroke was 44 ms, followed by a recovery stroke lasting 173 ms. Truncated tail flips were used in acceleration and swimming by crayfish free of the substrate. Power strokes had a mean duration of 36 ms, and recovery strokes 92 ms. Net velocities, acceleration rates, and distances travelled by the centre of mass were similar for both types of tail flips. Thrust was generated almost entirely by the uropods and telson. Velocities and angles of orientation to the horizontal of abdominal segments were similar for both types of tail flip. Angles of attack were large, varying from 30° to 90°. Pressure (drag) forces were considered negligible compared to inertial forces associated with the acceleration of added water mass. Thrust forces, energy and power were determined for exemplary tail flips. Thrust was 0.92 and 0.42 N for LG tail flip lift-off and swimming phases respectively, and 0.29 N for the swimming truncated tail flip. Rates of working were 0.39, 0.19, and 0.18 W respectively. The efficiency of converting muscle power to backward motion was estimated to be 0.5 for power strokes and 0.68 for complete swimming cycles. Comparisons with fish performance suggested fish would be less efficient (0.1-0.2). The low efficiency is attributed to energy lost in lateral recoil movements.
A parallel computing framework for air traffic flow management

The nationwide air traffic flow control for the National Airspace System is a complicated large-scale optimization problem which is significant to the future development of Air Traffic Management. Based on a Link Transmission Model and dual decomposition method, the large-scale air traffic flow optimization is decomposed into smaller independent optimization subproblems and solved using parallel computing. As the model is solved with a Mixed Integer Linear Programming, searching for an optimal integral solution usually entails longer runtime than Linear Programming. To improve the applicability of this model, a parallel computing framework is developed, which explores the parallelism of the model in order to increase the computational efficiency. Heterogeneous computers are clustered in a Client/Server topology to carry out parallel computing. By further exploring the multithreading capability of multi-core computer, the optimization task is distributed to multiple processors to process in a parallel fashion. Simulation shows that the parallel computing framework decreases the runtime of nationwide air traffic optimization from hours timescale to minutes timescale. Moreover, compared to conventional single thread optimization method, the framework can achieve expected runtime reduction by deploying more computer resources without worrying about the increased complexity of the traffic network, therefore making the near real-time air traffic flow optimization possible.
Curie-point switching in Mn-Bi films

The magnetization within micrometer-size spots on Mn-Bi films was Curie-point switched with a laser in static applied magnetic fields. Such switching was found to be a continuous rather than a binary process, in that the average magnetization within a spot could be switched to any value between +I_{s} and -I_{s} by varying the applied field. The dependence of the magnetization after switching on field was measured quantitatively via the magnetooptic effect. Switched spots were examined under oil-immersion optics to reveal the magnetization distribution responsible for this dependence.
Identifying Communication Barriers between Tax Practitioners and IRS Agents

Improving communication between tax practitioners and IRS agents requires identification of specific barriers that impede effective communication. This study extends prior research on communication barriers to the tax practitioner-IRS agent relationship. Survey responses of 98 experienced national and international tax practitioners revealed that the barriers perceived to be the most serious relate to behavioral and personality concerns, personal conditions, inflexible thinking, physical concerns, technical competence, and closed-minded attitudes. Although these perceptions generally were invariant to gender and age, some differences were observed by the level of work experience of the respondents. The results of this study may be used by the IRS to develop outreach and education programs consistent with Compliance 2000, a philosophy of tax administration that aims to improve communication channels between the practitioner community and IRS agents. In addition, practitioners may use the results to devise ...
The Vienna Ringstrasse as iconography: Socio-political history and Baukunst during the era of Franz Joseph i of Austria

(1986). The Vienna Ringstrasse as iconography: Socio-political history and Baukunst during the era of Franz Joseph i of Austria. History of European Ideas: Vol. 7, No. 4, pp. 377-388.
Rapid combined synchronization/demodulation structures for DS-CDMA systems - part II: finite data-record performance analysis

For pt.I see ibid., vol.51, p.983-94 (2003). We investigate the coarse synchronization performance of blind adaptive linear self-synchronized receivers for asynchronous direct-sequence code-division multiple-access communications under finite data record adaptation. Based on transformation noise modeling techniques, three alternative methods are developed, leading to analytical expressions that approximate the probability of coarse synchronization error of matched-filter-type and minimum-variance distortionless-response-type receivers. The expressions are explicit functions of the data record size and the filter order and reveal the effect of short data-record sample matrix-inversion implementations on the coarse synchronization performance. Besides their theoretical value, the derived expressions provide simple, highly-accurate alternatives to computationally demanding performance evaluation through simulations. The effect of the data record size on the probability of coarse synchronization error is further quantified through the use of a receiver synchronization resolution metric. Numerical and simulation studies examine the accuracy of the theoretical developments and show that the derived expressions approximate closely the actual coarse synchronization performance.
Sex worker incarceration in the People’s Republic of China

Tens of thousands of commercial sex workers in China are administratively detained each year in female re-education through labor (RTL) centres for moral education and vocational training. Recent increases in syphilis and heterosexual HIV make tailored HIV prevention efforts for sex workers increasingly important in many regions of China. However, RTL centres focused on detaining commercial sex workers have not traditionally been linked to sexually transmitted infections (STI)/HIV programmes. The stigma of being incarcerated and selling sex complicates STI/HIV prevention for these women. Incarcerated sex workers represent a particularly marginalised HIV risk group that has been excluded from domestic and international HIV programmes to date. Although several laws and administrative decrees provide a legal mandate for sex worker STI/HIV testing, treatment and rights, there is still substantial variation in how laws are implemented. Creating devoted medical services and legal aid for incarcerated sex workers is important in curbing the spread of heterosexual HIV and other STIs in China. Recent legal and social developments suggest that China’s RTL system will be transformed in the near future, gaining momentum for reform that could improve the sexual and human rights of incarcerated sex workers.
Computer Graphics Display Technique for the Examination of Aircraft Design Data

An interactive computer graphics technique has been developed for quickly sorting and interpreting large amounts of aerodynamic data. It utilizes a graphic representation rather than numbers. The geometry package represents the vehicle as a set of panels. These panels are ordered in groups of ascending values (e.g., equilibrium temperatures). The groups are then displayed successively on a CRT building up to the complete vehicle. A zoom feature allows for displaying only the panels with values between certain limits. The addition of color allows a one-time display, thus eliminating the need for a display buildup. ODERN aircraft design commonly involves the use of high-speed computers to generate preliminary design data. These rapid calculations have greatly reduced the time needed to reiterate the conceptual design in an effort to maximize performance before beginning the detailed design of a selected configuration. In most cases, early changes to either the configuration geometry or to the preliminary design information are based on the total integrated aerodynamic data over the entire configuration. However, even in preliminary analysis there are areas that require an in-depth examination of the individual nonintegrated values. For example, to initially lay out the structure for high-speed aircraft, a knowledge of the typical load and heating distributions is required. This will be used to make a first cut at the stress levels, select and size the surface material, and lay out the load bearing members. Usually to accomplish this task the designer must sit down and go through stacks of computer output and pick out the necessary details. Owing to the shear mass of theoretical data available, this will not be done at each step in the early design and will, of course, limit the tradeoffs that can be made. Therefore, in response to a need for a quick efficient means of sorting through the data, an interactive computer- generated graphics display method has been developed and will be described in this paper.
Genetic Hearing Loss: A Comprehensive Review

Hearing loss can be attributed to a variety of inherited and environmental noises (medications, infections, etc.). In recent decades, our improved understanding of genetics, molecular biology, and ...
The Pelvic Girdle and Limb Bones of KSD-VP-1/1

The pelvis and limb bones of KSD-VP-1/1 are analyzed with respect to their implications for the history of morphology, gait pattern, and bauplan of Australopithecus afarensis . The pelvis is essentially of modern aspect, and differs little from that of modern humans save in a few minor respects, such as, for example, size of the auricular surface and acetabulum. Its ischial conformation is the direct evidence of a strong history of dynamic running in its immediate ancestors, and its general shape confirms the overall Australopithecus pattern of platypelloidy. The implications with respect to the history of the hominin bauplan are discussed, as are those impacted by recent developments in our understanding of developmental biology. These are reviewed in light of other recent analyses of early hominin morphology and locomotion.
Personality Disorders and Work

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) divides ­psychiatric disorders into two categories, Axis I and Axis II disorders (American Psychiatric Association 2000). Axis I disorders are clinical disorders such as depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder. Axis II disorders are personality disorders (PDs), defined as “pervasive, inflexible, and enduring patterns of inner experiences and behavior that can lead to clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other areas of functioning” and that reflect “inappropriate, ineffective, or painful ways of behaving and interacting” (American Psychiatric Association 2000).
π − -Proton Interactions at 4.5 Bev

The interaction of 5-Bev negative pions with protons has been studied by exposing a 36-atmosphere hydrogen-filled diffusion cloud chamber to pi /sup -/ beams from the Berkeley Bevatron. One hundred and thirty-seven interactions producing charged outgoing particles were observed. Of these, 27 were elastic scattering events, 64 were inelastic collisions having two charged outgoing prongs, 39 had four prongs, 3 had six prongs, and 4 involved the production and visible decay of heavy unstable particles. The total cross section is estimated to be 22.5 plus or minus 2.4 mb. The elastic scattering cross section is 4.7 plus or minus 1.0 mb. The angular distribution of the elastic events is consistent with that expected for diffraction scattering from a sphere with radius (0.9 plus or minus 0.15) x 1O/sup -13/ cm and opacity 0.6. Analysis of the inelastic events shows that multiple, rather than single, pion production is the predominant process occurring at this energy. An average of 2.3 secondary pions were produced in the inelastic events. This average multiplicity can be fitted by the Fermi statistical theory only by increasing the interaction radius occurring in the theory by 20%. The statistical theory, however, fails to account for the rather markedmore » asymmetry found in the c.m. angular distributions of some of the particles emitted in inelastic events. A combination of the four observed strange-particle production events with 11 similar events obtained in exposures to highenergy neutron and proton beams shows that pion emission accompanies strange-particle production in at least 60% of elementary-particle collisions at Bevatron energies. (auth)« less
Charge transfer and polarization for chloride ions bound in ClC transport proteins: natural bond orbital and energy decomposition analyses.

ClC transport proteins show a distinct “broken-helix” architecture, in which certain α-helices are oriented with their N-terminal ends pointed toward the binding sites where the chloride ions are held extensively by the backbone amide nitrogen atoms from the helices. To understand the effectiveness of such binding structures, we carried out natural bond orbital analysis and energy decomposition analysis employing truncated active-site model systems for the bound chloride ions along the translocation pore of the EcClC proteins. Our results indicated that the chloride ions are stabilized in such a binding environment by electrostatic, polarization, and charge-transfer interactions with the backbone and a few side chains. Up to ∼25% of the formal charges of the chloride ions were found smeared out to the surroundings primarily via charge transfer from the chloride’s lone pair n(Cl) orbitals to the protein’s antibonding σ*(N–H) or σ*(O–H) orbitals; those σ* orbitals are localized at the polar N–H and O–H bond...