cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Further studies in modified mitosis

In a paper published by the author in 1931 there was described a process of cell division called ‘modified mitosis.’ The present report adds quantitative studies of the process and a general evaluation of it and its role in the development of the embryo. Cell counts were made in various stages of chick embryos and the mitotic indices determined. In no cases can these mitotic indices account for the growth which the cell counts indicate. Periodicity in cell division in the chick cannot be established. Modified mitosis appears after careful study to be fundamentally mitotic in nature. Actual division of chromatin, nucleus, and cytoplasm occurs. Modified mitosis is not amitotic in character, but it is probable that it is what has been reported in the past as amitosis. It is very doubtful whether amitosis is found in the chick or in any of the vertebrates. Modified mitosis is part of the active phase of cell division and cannot be explained away as merely resting stages containing one or two nucleoli. It is probable that the division of chromatin nucleoli cannot be accounted for on any other basis than that of modified mitosis. In modified mitosis we undoubtedly see irreversible cell differentiation. The genetic implications of this process are not yet clear. If present interpretations of modified mitosis are in error a complete revision of our ideas of typical mitosis is in order.
Contrasting social climates of small peer-run versus a larger staff-run substance abuse recovery setting.

This study compared the social climate of peer-run homes for recovering substance abusers called Oxford House (OH) to that of a staffed residential therapeutic community (TC). Residents of OHs (N = 70) and the TC (N = 62) completed the Community Oriented Programs Environment Scales. OHs structurally differ on two primary dimensions from TCs in that they tend to be smaller and are self-run rather than professionally run. Findings indicated significantly higher Involvement, Support, Practical Orientation, Spontaneity, Autonomy, Order and Organization, and Program Clarity scores among the OH compared to TC residents. Additional analyses found the OH condition was higher Support, Personal Problem Orientation, and Order and Organization scores among women compared to men residents. These results suggested that these smaller OH self-run environments created a more involving and supportive social milieu than a larger staff-run TC. These findings are interpreted within Moos' (2007) four theoretical ingredients (i.e., social control, social learning, behavioral economics, and stress and coping), which help account for effective substance abuse treatment environments.
Oligomerization reactions of ribonucleotides: the reaction of the 5'-phosphorimidazolide of nucleosides on montmorillonite and other minerals.

The reaction of ImpA in the presence of Na+-montmorillonite 22A or Na+-Volclay in aqueous, pH 8 solution gives a 50–60% yield of dimers and trimers (pA)2 and (pA)3. The ratio of 3′,5′-phosphodiester bond formation is twice as great as 2′,5′-bond formation. The reaction requires the presence of Mg2+ and is inhibited by 0.4 M imidazole. N-methylimidazole enhances the rate of the reaction but does not cause major changes in yield or product composition. Higher yields were obtained when Li+- or Ca2+-montmorillonites were used in place of Na+-montmorillonite. Little or no phosphodiester bond formation was observed with Mg2+- or Al3+-montmorillonite. Montmorillonites other than 22A and Volclay exhibited little or no catalysis. In addition, little or no catalysis was exhibited in ferrugenous smectite, nontronite, allophane, imogolite or sepiolite. Oligomers were also formed by the reaction of ImpG, 2-methylImpG, ImpC and ImpU in the presence of Na+-montmorillonite. The pyrimidine nucleotides gave significantly lower yields of oligomers.
Induced Volitional Spawning and Larval Rearing of Pinfish

Abstract Aquaculture of marine baitfish is still in its infancy. Induced spawning of marine baitfish species has the potential to supplement this seasonal capture fishery and offer a consistent supply to anglers. The pinfish Lagodon rhomboides has been identified as a species with potential for commercial production, yet few studies have focused on the induced spawning and larval rearing of this baitfish. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of using Ovaprim, composed of a salmon gonadotropin-releasing hormone analog (sGnRHa) and a dopamine antagonist (domperidone), to induce volitional spawning in pinfish. Additionally, a preliminary larval feeding regime was investigated, and growth and development of pinfish larvae were documented. A single dose of 0.50 mL of Ovaprim per kilogram of fish (sGnRHa: 20 μg/mL; domperidone: 10 mg/mL) was sufficient to induce volitional spawning 36–48 h after intraperitoneal injection of female pinfish. Observed fecundity was 2,565 eggs/female (13.1 eggs/g)...
The role of electrical conduction of macromolecules in certain biomedical problems

Abstract The electrical properties of selected macromolecules are reviewed in terms of their physico-chemical structures, and these properties are related to interactions with blood. It is suggested that the electrical conduction and semiconduction properties of some natural and synthetic macromolecules may be involved, among other factors, in preventing the initiation of adverse effects on blood components, such as loss of compatibility.
FcγRIIIa role in rituximab efficacy

In this issue of Blood, Hatjiharissi and colleagues demonstrate that variability in NK-cell activity among individuals expressing different FcγRIIIa polymorphisms may result from variability in levels of receptor expression and not strictly from differences in receptor affinity, as was previously thought. These results have important implications for our ability to predict patient response to antibody-based therapeutics, as well as for our ability to design strategies to improve these drugs.
The Alkylation of Ketone Enolates in the Presence of Triethanolamineborate. Control of Polyalkylation

Abstract The formation of polyalkylated products is a major source of difficulty in the alkylation of ketone enolates. To some extent, this difficulty can be minimized by the use of lithium rather than sodium or potassium enolates.3 We have observed that triethylboron serves as an effective additive to minimize polyalkylation.4 For example, treatment of a THF solution of the sodium enolate of cyclohexanone with one equivalent of methyl iodide produces major amounts of dimethylated ketones, while the same reaction conducted in the presence
Radioiodinated 1-carboxamidino-4-phenylpiperazine: A potential adrenal and myocardial imaging radiopharmaceutical☆

This report describes the synthesis of radioiodinated 1-carboxamidino-4-phenylpiperazine, an aralkyl-guanidine with good adrenal and myocardial selectivity. As a tertiary aniline, the benzene portion of the molecule readily undergoes direct electrophilic radioiodination under mild reaction conditions to yield a single product with high specific activity which can be rapidly purified by anion exchange. Biodistribution studies in rats show high uptake in both the heart and the adrenals. The activity in the adrenals is retained for a prolonged period, whereas that in the heart declines with a 4-5 h half-life. The high uptake and target tissue-to-blood ratios suggest the potential use of this agent for myocardial and adrenomedullary imaging.
Characterization of the proteins comprising the integral matrix of Strongylocentrotus purpuratus embryonic spicules

In the present study, we enumerate and characterize the proteins that comprise the integral spicule matrix of the Strongylocentrotus purpuratus embryo. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis of [35S]methionine radiolabeled spicule matrix proteins reveals that there are 12 strongly radiolabeled spicule matrix proteins and approximately three dozen less strongly radiolabeled spicule matrix proteins. The majority of the proteins have acidic isoelectric points; however, there are several spicule matrix proteins that have more alkaline isoelectric points. Western blotting analysis indicates that SM50 is the spicule matrix protein with the most alkaline isoelectric point. In addition, two distinct SM30 proteins are identified in embryonic spicules, and they have apparent molecular masses of approximately 43 and 46 kDa. Comparisons between embryonic spicule matrix proteins and adult spine integral matrix proteins suggest that the embryonic 43-kDa SM30 protein is an embryonic isoform of SM30. An adult 49-kDa spine matrix protein is also identified as a possible adult isoform of SM30. Analysis of the SM30 amino acid sequences indicates that a portion of SM30 proteins is very similar to the carbohydrate recognition domain of C-type lectin proteins.
ELEMENTS OF THE SOCRATIC METHOD: IV. DISAVOWAL OF KNOWLEDGE

The Socratic method can be used in combination with most forms of psychotherapy. Previous reports have described the Socratic method as comprised of three basic elements: systematic questioning, inductive reasoning, and universal definitions. The present article describes a disavowal of knowledge as
1995 Deichmann Lecture--p53 tumor suppressor gene: at the crossroads of molecular carcinogenesis, molecular epidemiology and cancer risk assessment.

Carcinogenesis is a multistage process involving activation of protooncogenes, e.g., ras, and inactivation of tumor suppressor genes, e.g., p53 and p16INK4.p53 is a prototype tumor suppressor gene that is well suited for analysis of mutational spectrum in human cancers; it is the most common genetic lesion in human cancers, it is a reasonable size for a molecular target, and it may indicate selection of mutations with pathobiological significance. The p53 mutational spectrum differs among cancers of the colon, lung, esophagus, breast, liver, brain, reticuloendothelial tissues and hemopoietic tissues. Analysis of these mutations can provide clues to the etiology of these diverse tumors and to the function of specific regions of p53. Transitions predominate in colon, brain and lymphoid malignancies. Mutational hotspots at CpG dinucleotides in codons 175, 245, 248, 273 and 282 may reflect endogenous mutagenic mechanisms, e.g., deamination of 5-methylcytosine to thymidine. Oxy-radicals including nitric oxide may enhance the rate of deamination. G:C to T:A transversions are the most frequent substitutions observed in cancers of the lung, breast, esophagus and liver, and are more likely to be due to bulky carcinogen-DNA adducts. G to T transversion is more common in lung cancers from smokers when compared to never smokers. The high frequency of p53 mutations in the nontranscribed DNA strand is a reflection of strand specific repair, p53 mutation and/or accumulation of p53 protein can be preinvasive events in bronchial or esophageal carcinogenesis, p53 mutations also generally indicate a poor prognosis. In geographic areas where hepatitis B virus (HBV) and aflatoxin B1 are cancer risk factors, most mutations are at the third nucleotide pair of codon 249. In geographic areas where hepatitis B and C virus--but not aflatoxin B1--are risk factors, the p53 mutations are distributed in numerous codons. HBV X protein complexes with the p53 protein and inhibits its sequence specific DNA binding, transactivating and apoptotic capacity. The mutation load of 249ser mutant cells in nontumorous liver is positively correlated with dietary aflatoxin B1 exposure. The induction of skin carcinoma by ultraviolet light is indicated by the occurrence of p53 mutations at dipyrimidine sites including CC to TT double base changes. In summary, these differences in mutational frequency and spectrum among human cancer types suggest the etiological contributions in both exogenous and endogenous factors to human carcinogenesis and have implications for human cancer risk assessment.
Composite fermions and Landau-level mixing in the fractional quantum Hall effect

The reduction of the energy gap due to Landau-level mixing, characterized by the dimensionless parameter \ensuremath{\lambda}=(${\mathit{e}}^{2}$/\ensuremath{\epsilon}${\mathit{l}}_{0}$)/\ensuremath{\Elzxh}${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\omega}}}_{\mathit{c}}$, has been calculated by variational Monte Carlo for the fractional quantum Hall effect at filling fractions \ensuremath{\nu}=1/3 and 1/5 using a modified version of Jain's composite-fermion wave functions. These wave functions exploit the Landau-level mixing already present in composite-fermion wave functions by introducing a partial Landau-level projection operator. Results for the energy gaps are consistent with experimental observations in n-type GaAs, but we conclude that Landau-level mixing alone cannot account for the significantly smaller energy gaps observed in p-type systems.
Reversibility of severe metabolic stress in stored platelets after in vitro plasma rescue or in vivo transfusion: restoration of secretory function and maintenance of platelet survival.

BACKGROUND: Determining reversible aspects of the platelet storage lesion may result in improved function and survival of transfused platelets. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Using a model of high-dose (apheresis-derived) platelet concentrates (PC), functional changes imposed by transient adverse metabolic conditions (pH < 6.0 for 1-2 hr) that could be reversed by autologous plasma rescue followed by standard platelet storage were investigated. Whole-blood-derived PCs were transfused into a small number of normal volunteers to determine platelet recovery and survival. RESULTS: Without rescue, high-dose PCs developed severe in vitro functional derangements at the time of the pH nadir including 1) loss of resting morphology; 2) complete abrogation of osmotic recovery and platelet aggregation and glycoprotein IIb/IIIa up-regulation to agonist; and 3) decreased α-granule release. By contrast, spontaneous and agonist-induced binding of annexin V were unaffected by adverse metabolic conditions. Plasma rescue to an optimal pH improved morphology scores, stabilized osmotic recovery, and completely restored platelet secretory responses, as measured by aggregation, glycoprotein IIb/IIIa up-regulation, and α-granule release. In a limited number of studies, plasma rescue was accompanied by preserved in vivo platelet recovery and survival after autologous transfusion after 5 days of storage. CONCLUSION: Transient derangement of platelet metabolism, which does not increase membrane phosphatidylserine exposure, causes in vitro functional abnormalities that are fully reversed or stabilized by metabolic rescue. Preliminary data suggest that such rescued platelets may have normal posttransfusion recovery and survival.
Spontaneous carditis in the NZB mouse and its hybrids.

The NZB mouse and its NZB/NZW hybrid spontaneously develop carditis as they age. This carditis is characterized by an inflammatory process that includes pancarditis, valvulitis and arteritis. Anitschkow cells are present in many areas of inflammation. In some areas there are discrete lesions similar to Aschoff bodies.
Backscattering decay processes in electron beam--plasma interactions including ion dynamics

Electron plasma waves driven unstable by the electron beam-plasma instability are observed to decay into convectively and absolutely growing ion waves and electron waves propagating in opposite directions. Ion waves excited to large amplitudes further couple with the high-frequency unstable waves to produce nonresonant short-wavelength electron modes. The nonresonant modes are found effective in accelerating electrons and thermalizing the beam.
Inactivation of An Agent of Human Non-A, Non-B Hepatitis by Formalin

Samples of serum (0.1 ml each) containing an agent of human non-A, non-B hepatitis of documented infectivity were incubated with formalin in a concentration of 1:1,000 at 37 C for 96 hr. Three colony-born infant chimpanzees were then inoculated with this formalin-treated serum; one received a single intravenous inoculation, and two received two subcutaneous inoculations one month apart. A fourth uninoculated chimpanzee served as a control. None developed recognizable non-A, non-B hepatitis during seven months of observation, as judged by normal aminotransferase levels in weekly serum samples, normal liver histology in liver biopsy specimens, and the absence of non-A, non-B hepatitis-associated antigen and antibody in their sera. All four chimpanzees were subsequently shown to be susceptible to non-A, non-B hepatitis when challenged with 0.1 ml of the untreated infectious serum 31 weeks after the initial inoculations.
Transnational Activism: What's New, What's Not

descriptive inference makes eminent sense. This strategy is particularly relevant because the mechanisms and processes identified in The New Transnational Activism are so widely observable. They appear in disparate arenas, from diaspora groups to advocacy movements to terrorist networks; they recur in varied types of international networks, from the most institutionalized to the most informal; and they apply across time, from the Hanseatic period to the Internet age. With its broad historical sweep, The New Transnational Activism reveals significant similarities and differences between past and present transnationalism. Most important and contrary to much of the globalization literature, Tarrow underscores the continuing relevance of states and interstate institutions. In his view, states remain the most powerful actors in the international system. As a particularly useful corrective to conventional wisdom, he notes that the economic, social, and political changes associated with globalization do not themselves cause transnational activism. Rather, states and international institutions create the threats that make transnational mobilization necessary; they also provide many of the political opportunities and resources that make it possible. Tarrow powerfully demonstrates that international institutions need to be at the center of research on contemporary and historical transnationalism. At the same time, Tarrow also indicates what is new today: a widespread, though by no means universal, increase in global awareness; novel forms of communication and organization; and shifting, multi-issue campaigns. The last of these is a particularly interesting feature of contemporary
Charles Bonnet syndrome

Abstract Background Charles Bonnet syndrome (CBS) involves nonthreatening hallucinations in patients who have no neurological and no psychological abnormalities but with significant visual impairment secondary to ocular disease, such as macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy. Because of the fear of a mental illness being diagnosed, patients are often reluctant to discuss these hallucinations. Case Reports Three cases are presented of patients who experienced CBS caused by decreased vision. Each patient had decreased vision and related visual hallucinations that were consistent with CBS. The first patient underwent magnetic resonance imaging and psychological evaluation, which confirmed our suspicion. The other 2 patents were not willing to undergo further testing, so our diagnosis is presumptive. Conclusion Management for these hallucinations includes treatment of the actual ocular disease as well as optimizing vision for the patient using appropriate low vision devices. As the population continues to age, more patients will be seen with reduced vision caused by a myriad of ocular diseases, increasing the likelihood that more patients may present with CBS in the future. It is therefore prudent to become familiar with the syndrome so primary care optometrists can properly identify CBS and help their patients deal with it.
The Duty to Protect: Corporate Complicity, Political Responsibility, and Human Rights Advocacy

Recent years have heralded increasing attention to the role of multinational corporations in regard to human rights violations. The concept of complicity has been of particular interest in this regard. This article explores the conceptual differences between silent complicity in particular and other, more “conventional” forms of complicity. Despite their far-reaching normative implications, these differences are often overlooked. Rather than being connected to specific actions as is the case for other forms of complicity, the concept of silent complicity is tied to the identity, or the moral stature of the accomplice. More specifically, it helps us expose multinational corporations in positions of political authority. Political authority breeds political responsibility. Thus, corporate responsibility in regard to human rights may go beyond “doing no harm” and include a positive obligation to protect. Making sense of this duty leads to a discussion of the scope and limits of legitimate human rights advocacy by corporations.
Comparative analysis of smart bearing sensors

Currently, the Air Force's fleet of aircraft, and helicopters in particular, are aging. These aircraft are nearing the end of their design life, but are being required to continue service well into the next century. In an attempt to help extend the life of these aircraft, the area of health monitoring has received considerable interest. In the case of the MH-53J PAVE LOW, this health monitoring has taken the form of vibration monitoring. The initial effort at health monitoring has consisted of placing accelerometers on the bearing support brackets for the tail rotor drive shaft. The results of this monitoring have provided information that allows the maintainers to replace the bearings only when the bearing is showing signs of wear rather than at a given interval. Additionally, the data has been used to make near real time evaluations of the airworthiness of the aircraft. The result has been a decrease of 50% in the number of missions canceled due to vibration related issues. The Air Force is looking at expanding the present vibration monitoring system to the entire fleet of MH-53J aircraft. In conjunction with this expansion, this paper looks at evaluating a transducer specifically designed for monitoring bearings. A comparison between accelerometer responses and the bearing transducer response is made.
1101. Rapid and Long-Term Protection Against Anthrax Lethal Toxin

Top of pageAbstract Any delay in the treatment of anthrax significantly affects the chances of survival, therefore, an ideal vaccine or therapy for Bacillus anthracis would not only provide persistent protection but also act rapidly. We have addressed the requirement for rapid protection with a human adenovirus (Ad)-based vector (Ad|[alpha]|PAscAb) encoding a single chain antibody that neutralizes protective antigen (PA; a critical component of B. anthracis lethal toxin; Kasuya et al. Molecular Therapy 2005; 11:237|[ndash]|244), and the requirement for long-term protective immunity with an Ad-based vector encoding PA (AdsechPA; Tan et al, Hum Gene Ther. 2003; 14:1673). The present study evaluates two strategies for the induction of both short-term and long-term protective immune responses, one combining 2 Ad vectors, and one using an AAV vector. For the combined Ad vector strategy, two Ad-based vectors were co- administered to mice: (1) Ad|[alpha]|PAscAb, encoding a neutralizing anti- PA single chain antibody, to elicit short-term passive immunity; and (2) AdsechPA, encoding PA, to elicit active immunity and thus long- term protective immunity. Mice immunized with Ad|[alpha]|PAscAb alone had detectable serum anti-lethal toxin neutralizing antibodies (NAb) by 3 days post-administration that dropped to the assay limit of detection by day 28, while mice immunized with AdsechPA alone had measurable anti-lethal toxin NAb titers by 14 days post-administration that continued to increase through 6 wk. Co- immunizing with both vectors led to circulating anti-lethal toxin NAb titers from 3 d through 6 wk post-administration. Mice immunized with Ad|[alpha]|PAscAb alone were fully protected (100%) against a lethal toxin challenge at 3 days post-immunization, 20% at day 14, and 0% at 28 days. Mice immunized with AdsechPA alone were completely susceptible to lethal toxin challenge (0% survival) at 3 d post-immunization, but were fully protected (100% survival) at 14 and 28 days post-immunization. Importantly, mice co- immunized with Ad|[alpha]|PAscAb and AdsechPA had rapid and long term protection, with complete protection against a lethal toxin challenge from 3 days through 28 days post-administration (100% survival). The 2nd strategy to induce rapid and protective immunity is based on the delivery of a non-human primate serotype (rh10) adeno-associated virus (AAV) vector encoding a single chain antibody that neutralizes PA (AAV|[alpha]|PAscAb). Animals immunized with AAV|[alpha]|PAscAb had circulating serum anti-lethal toxin NAb from 2 wk through at least 10 wk post-administration. At 11 wk post- administration, 100% of the immunized animals survived a lethal toxin challenge. These data demonstrate that co-administration of Ad vectors inducing passive and active immunity, respectively or an AAV vector coding for inducing passive immunity, will satisfy the requirement for rapid and persistent protective immune responses against B. anthracis, a fundamental requirement for an effective anti-bioterrorism vaccine.
Expansion of Trinucleotide Repeats

This review describes a novel type of genome instability, expansion of trinucleotide repeats. Orig- inally discovered in 1991 upon cloning the gene responsible for the fragile X syndrome, it has proved to be a general phenomenon responsible for a growing number of human neurological disorders. Besides apparent medical importance, the discovery of trinucleotide repeat expansion unraveled a fundamental problem of human genetics: a non-Mendelian type of inheritance called anticipation. Understanding the mechanisms of repeat expansion and the molecular pathways leading from these expansions to human diseases became a for- midable task for modern biology and one of its spectacular achievements. Here we discuss the major break- throughs in this field made during the last decade, with an emphasis on molecular models of repeat expansion.
A handheld mirror simulation

We present the design and construction of a handheld mirror simulation device. The perception of the world reflected through a mirror depends on the viewer's position with respect to the mirror and the 3-D geometry of the world. In order to simulate a real mirror on a computer screen, images of the observed world, consistent with the viewer's position, must be synthesized and displayed in real- time. Our system is build around a LCD screen manipulated by the user, a single camera fixed on the screen, and a tracking device. The continuous input video stream and tracker data is used to synthesize, in real-time, a continuous video stream displayed on the LCD screen. The synthesized video stream is a close approximation of what the user would see on the screen surface if it were a real mirror. Our system provides a generic interface for applications involving rich, first-person interaction, such as the virtual daguerreotype.
A Texture-Polarization Method for Estimating Convective–Stratiform Precipitation Area Coverage from Passive Microwave Radiometer Data

Observational and modeling studies have described the relationships between convective/stratiform rain proportion and the vertical distributions of vertical motion, latent heating, and moistening in mesoscale convective systems. Therefore, remote sensing techniques which can quantify the relative areal proportion of convective and stratiform, rainfall can provide useful information regarding the dynamic and thermodynamic processes in these systems. In the present study, two methods for deducing the convective/stratiform areal extent of precipitation from satellite passive microwave radiometer measurements are combined to yield an improved method. If sufficient microwave scattering by ice-phase precipitating hydrometeors is detected, the method relies mainly on the degree of polarization in oblique-view, 85.5 GHz radiances to estimate the area fraction of convective rain within the radiometer footprint. In situations where ice scattering is minimal, the method draws mostly on texture information in radiometer imagery at lower microwave frequencies to estimate the convective area fraction. Based upon observations of ten convective systems over ocean and nine systems over land, instantaneous 0.5 degree resolution estimates of convective area fraction from the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission Microwave Imager (TRMM TMI) are compared to nearly coincident estimates from the TRMM Precipitation Radar (TRMM PR). The TMI convective area fraction estimates are slightly low-biased with respect to the PR, with TMI-PR correlations of 0.78 and 0.84 over ocean and land backgrounds, respectively. TMI monthly-average convective area percentages in the tropics and subtropics from February 1998 exhibit the greatest values along the ITCZ and in continental regions of the summer (southern) hemisphere. Although convective area percentages. from the TMI are systematically lower than those from the PR, monthly rain patterns derived from the TMI and PR rain algorithms are very similar. TMI rain depths are significantly higher than corresponding rain depths from the PR in the ITCZ, but are similar in magnitude elsewhere.
Small-mammal seed predation limits the recruitment and abundance of two perennial grassland forbs.

Although post-dispersal seed predators are common and often reduce seed density, their influence on plant population abundance remains unclear. On the one hand, increasing evidence suggests that many plant populations are seed limited, implying that seed predators could reduce plant abundance. On the other hand, it is generally uncertain whether the magnitude of seed limitation imposed by granivores is strong enough to overcome density- dependent processes that could compensate for seed loss at later stages. We examined the impact of seed predation by small mammals, primarily deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus), on seedling recruitment and subsequent plant establishment of two perennial grassland forbs in western Montana, USA: Lupinus sericeus (Fabaceae) and Lithospermum ruderale (Boragina- ceae). The experiment combined graded densities of seed addition for each species with a small-mammal exclusion treatment. Seedling recruitment and plant establishment were monitored in the experimental plots for up to three years. For both species, small-mammal exclusion increased the total number of seedlings that emerged, and these effects were still significant three years after seed addition, resulting in greater numbers of established plants inside exclosures than in control plots. We also found evidence of seed limitation, with increasing density of seeds added leading to increased numbers of seedlings. Results from seed addition and small-mammal exclusion experiments in later years also revealed significant impacts of small mammals on seedling emergence. These results suggest that granivores can have potentially important impacts in limiting forb abundance in grasslands communities.
Block scheduling of iterative algorithms and graph-level priority scheduling in a simulated data-flow multiprocessor

Iterative methods for solving linear systems are discussed. Although these methods are inherently highly sequential, it is shown that much parallelism could be exploited in a data-flow system by scheduling the iterative part of the algorithms in blocks and by looking ahead across several iterations. This approach is general and will apply to other iterative and loop-based problems. It is also demonstrated by simulation that relying solely on data-driven scheduling of parallel and unrolled loops results in low resource utilization and poor performance. A graph-level priority scheduling mechanism has been developed that greatly improves resource utilization and yields higher performance. >
Asymptotic Theory of Wave‐Motion in Rods (Longitudinal Wave‐Motion)

A systematic procedure is developed for constructing dynamical theories of rods, plates, and shells, based on full three-dimensional equations. The title problem is chosen to bring out the various difficulties. The method of asymptotic expansion, used till now for static problems, is extended to time-dependent cases. Successive approximations give classical wave equations, the effect of lateral inertia, and the effect of transverse shear. However, two additional objectives are achieved. First, it has been possible to construct a complete and well-posed “inner problem”; this obviates the necessity of “matching” with “boundary layer” solutions at each stage. Second a modified approach is proposed to construct higher approximations; previously known methods have led to solutions where an initial singularity worsens with higher approximations. The procedure herein developed not only avoids it but gives a physically more realistic solution. Auf der Grundlage vollstandiger dreidimensionaler Gleichungen wird ein systematisches Verfahren zur Aufstellung von Theorien fur das dynamische Verhalten von Staben, Platten und Schalen entwickelt. Das im Titel genannte Problem wurde ausgewahlt, um daran die verschiedenen Schwierigkeiten deutlich zu machen. Die bisher auf statische Probleme angewendete Methode der asymptotischen Entwicklung wird auf zeitabhangige Falle ausgedehnt. Die Approximationen liefern der Reihe nach die klassischen Wellengleichungen, die seitlichen Tragheitswirkungen und die Querschubwirkung. Daruber hinaus werden noch zwei weitere Ziele erreicht. Erstens konnte ein vollstandiges „inneres Problem” konstruiert und damit die Notwendigkeit umgangen werden, die Losungen in jedem Schritt den Grenzschichtlosungen anzupassen. Zweitens wird ein modifiziertes Verfahren zur Gewinnung hoherer Approximationen vorgeschlagen. Die von fruher her bekannten Methoden haben zu Losungen gefuhrt, bei denen sich eine anfanglich vorhandene Singularitat mit wachsendem Grad der Annaherung verschlimmert. Das hier entwickelte Verfahren vermeidet dies und liefert eine physikalisch realistischere Losung.
Factors affecting the stability and repeatability of gamma camera calibration for quantitative imaging applications based on a retrospective review of clinical data

Background Absolute quantitative single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) has several important applications including monitoring tumor response after treatment and dose estimation for targeted radionuclide therapy treatment planning. Obtaining quantitative SPECT images in absolute activity units requires the use of a calibration factor, and the repeatability of this directly affects the repeatability of image quantification. This study focused on evaluating the factors affecting the repeatability of a calibration factor measured using a planar image of an in-air calibration source.
Anatomy of a rally effect: George W. Bush and the war on terrorism

The “rally-round-the-flag effect” sparked by the September 11, 2001, attacks on New York and Washington and by President George W. Bush's prompt launching of the War on Terrorism cries out for the kind of timely analysis that political scientists sometimes can provide. A rally effect is the sudden and substantial increase in public approval of the president that occurs in response to certain kinds of dramatic international events involving the United States. The September 11 rally effect is distinctive for at least three reasons. First, of all the recorded rally effects, it is the largest. Bush's approval rating soared in the Gallup Poll from 51% on September 10 to 86% on September 15.The president's approval rating is the percentage of survey respondents who answer “approve” to the question: “Do you approve or disapprove of the job [name] is doing as president?” This 35-point increase nearly doubles the previous record, the 18-point boost triggered by his father's launch of Operation Desert Storm in January 1991. Second, the further increase in Bush's approval rating to 90% on September 22 represents the highest rating ever recorded for a president (Morin 2001). Third, the September 11 rally effect has lasted longer than any in the history of polling. As of November 10, 2002, Bush's approval rating was 68%—22 points below its peak but still much higher than his rating 13 months earlier.
The Role of Adjuvant Radiation Therapy for Stage I Endometrial Cancer: Does Meta-Analysis Reveal the Answer?

annual death rate from uterine cancer is much less than that from ovarian cancer and only modestly higher than that from cervical cancer, suggesting that high-risk endometrial cancer is actually a relatively rare disease (4). In Northern Europe, where most of the randomized trials were conducted, racial and other demographic characteristics differ from those in the United States, and highrisk endometrial cancer may be even less common. For example, in the Netherlands, home of the PORTEC trials, the annual death rate from endometrial cancer is about 3 per 100 000 women, compared with an annual rate of 5 per 100 000 women in the United States (4,5). We know from these data and from numerous clinical-pathologic analyses that uterine cancer has a heterogeneous presentation and that most of the recurrence (and death) risk, particularly for patients with stage I disease, resides in a relatively small subset of patients whose tumors exhibit multiple risk factors. Ideally, clinical trials would focus on these higher-risk patients for whom the margin for improvement is substantial. However, the desire to assure rapid accrual often leads investigators to broaden inclusion criteria. In fact, this has been one of the primary weaknesses of the endometrial cancer trials. Studies have tended to include large numbers of patients with low-grade or minimally invasive cancers—patients whose baseline risk of recurrence may be less than 5% to 10%. For these patients, even relatively minor side effects from radiation therapy (or lymphadenectomy or chemotherapy) will outweigh the most optimistic level of benefit from that treatment. If the proportion of patients with low-grade or minimally invasive cancers in a trial is large, treatment-related morbidity experienced by patients with low-risk tumors can easily obscure real benefits experienced by the smaller number of patients who have a greater margin for improvement. This phenomenon was well described by Kent and Haywood in their discussion of the potential pitfalls of summary statistics (6). The phenomenon is also clearly illustrated in the results of the GOG-99 trial (7). In that trial, subset analysis of a high-intermediate-risk subgroup suggested a fairly large potential benefit that was completely obscured when the entire group of patients, which on average was a relatively low-risk group, was
Priapism in Sickle Cell Disease: A Hematologist's Perspective

ABSTRACT Introduction Priapism is a familiar problem to hematologists, well known for its association with sickle‐cell disease (SCD). It also occurs in a variety of other hematological illnesses, nearly all forms of congenital hemolytic anemia, including other hemoglobinopathies and red blood cell membranopathies and enzymopathies. Aim Provide urologists with a comprehensive review of priapism in SCD, with an emphasis on the perspective of a practicing hematologist. Methods Medline searches through July 2010 were conducted using the terms priapism, erectile dysfunction, and sickle cell. Main Outcome Measures Expert opinion was based on review of the medical literature related to this subject matter. Results In men with SCD, large epidemiological studies have linked the risk of priapism to clinical markers of the severity of intravascular hemolysis. Extracellular hemoglobin and arginase released during hemolysis has been implicated in reducing nitric oxide bioavailability, although the relevance of hemolysis to vascular dysfunction has been challenged by some scientists. Consistent with the role of impairment of the nitric oxide axis, mice genetically deficient in nitric oxide production have also been shown to develop priapic activity. Provocative new data indicate that hemolysis‐linked dysregulation of adenosine signaling in the penis contributes to priapism in sickle cell mice. Serious questions have arisen regarding the efficacy of mainstays of textbook dogma for treatment of acute severe priapism, including intravenous fluids, alkalinization, and exchange transfusion, and there is increasing acceptance for early aspiration and irrigation of the corpus cavernosum. Conclusion For patients with sickle cell with recurrent priapism, there is very limited evidence for a medical prophylaxis role for hydroxyurea, etilefrine, pseudoephedrine, leuprolide, sildenafil, and other agents. Recent publications have highlighted nitric oxide and adenosine signal transduction pathways as worthy of additional research. Research and clinical management of sickle‐cell priapism is strengthened by multidisciplinary collaboration between hematologists and urologists. Kato GJ. Priapism in sickle‐cell disease: A hematologist's perspective. J Sex Med 2012;9:70–78.
Ivy: Interest-based Data Delivery in VANET through Neighbor Caching

In this paper, we study the problem of interest-based data delivery in Vehicular Ad Hoc Networks (VANETs), which is to efficiently forward data to a vehicle that owns the given interest without knowing its ID beforehand. Such problem is generally challenging in large-scale distributed networks, because it usually requires to query a huge number of nodes in the network to find a node of interest out of them, which is costly. To tackle the problem, we design an interest-based data delivery (Ivy) scheme through neighbor caching to boost the efficiency in querying information of the vehicle with given interest. We let each vehicle cache the information of all the neighbor vehicles it meets during driving, such that by just querying a few vehicles, a vehicle can retrieve the information of a large amount of vehicles, which greatly reduces the message overhead. To further reduce the message cost in route establishment, we calculate an estimated current location of the interested vehicle and forward data towards the calculated location, which avoids broadcasting blindly to search for the vehicle. Simulation result shows Ivy is both efficient and effective, and outperforms existing data delivery schemes with higher delivery ratio, lower delay and smaller message overhead.
The snake in the grass revisited: an experimental comparison of threat detection paradigms.

The current investigation compares the results of two commonly used visual detection paradigms-the standard adult button-press detection paradigm used in Ohman, Flykt, and Esteves (2001), and the new child-friendly touch-screen detection paradigm used in LoBue and DeLoache (2008)-within the same samples of adult participants. Results suggest that both paradigms produce the same pattern of findings with regard to detection latency for threat-relevant versus threat-irrelevant stimuli: Adults detected threat-relevant targets more quickly than threat-irrelevant targets across the varying procedures. However, results with respect to automaticity of detection as suggested by Ohman et al. (2001) were only replicated with the classic button-press paradigm. The findings validate the touch-screen visual search procedure and have important implications for choosing an appropriate methodology for studying threat detection.
Foreign Expansion as an “Institutional Necessity” for U.S. Corporate Capitalism: The Search for a Radical Model

Is foreign economic expansion in some sense an “institutional necessity” for corporate capitalism in the United States? Is there something inherent in the internal dynamics of American capitalism that creates such strong pressures for foreign private investment that the U.S. Government must consider the creation and preservation of an international system that facilitates such expansion to be among our most vital national interests? What yardstick can measure the opportunities, the needs, die necessity of investing abroad, or tie cost and risk if tiie option of foreign private investment is threatened
Random On-Off Accumulative Transmission for Asynchronous Wireless Sensor Networks

In this paper, a random on-off accumulative transmission (R-OOAT) scheme is proposed to achieve collision-tolerant (CT) media access control (MAC) for asynchronous wireless sensor networks. Unlike conventional MAC schemes that discard packages with collisions at receivers, the CT-MAC extracts the salient information from the colliding signals by using the R-OOAT scheme in the physical layer. Nodes employing the R-OOAT deliver information to a base station through asynchronous on-off transmission of multiple identical sub-symbols at random positions. The R-OOAT improves the deterministic OOAT (D-OOAT) proposed in [1], where sub-symbols are transmitted at deterministic positions. Compared to the D-OOAT, the R-OOAT scheme achieves a smaller collision probability and supports more simultaneous users, while it inherits all the advantages of the D-OOAT. Design guidelines of the R-OOAT system are presented for given parameters, such as the probability of collisions and the maximum number of supported users. It is demonstrated by simulation results that the new CT-MAC with R-OOAT scheme can operate at the presence of severe signal collision.
Thermal stress in blood vessels during cryopreservation processes

A crucial problem in the cryopreservation of human blood vessels is fracture in the frozen tissue caused by thermal stress. A finite element model of human blood vessel was developed to investigate heat transfer and the thermal stress in blood vessels during the cooling process. Results from computer simulation indicates that the magnitude and distribution of the thermal stress in blood vessels are greatly affected by cooling rate and the nature of the constitutive law of the frozen biomaterial. A low cooling rate generates much lower thermal stress than a high cooling rate, and hence should be used in the cryopreservation.
Ultrasound Imaging in an Animal Model of Vascular Inflammation Following Balloon Injury

Abstract Cardiovascular disease is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in the world and better prevention and treatment strategies are needed. Studies from this laboratory have shown that perfluorocarbon exposed sonicated dextrose albumin (PESDA) microbubbles bind to inflamed vasculature through interactions with scavenger receptors (SR). This current study details the use of PESDA as a tool for accessing and quantifying the extent of vascular inflammation. Angioplastied rat aortas were evaluated with low mechanical index microbubble imaging techniques contrast pulse sequencing (CPS); Siemens Acuson Sequoia 15L8, 7–15 MHz ultrasound probe with a mechanical index of 0.09 to detect microbubble binding. Real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis of angioplastied aortas demonstrated a significantly ( p
USAP: a unifying dynamic distributed multichannel TDMA slot assignment protocol

USAP is a distributed TDMA slot assignment protocol for mobile multi-hop broadcast packet radio networks. It allows a transmitter to choose one or more slots from the pool of unassigned slots in its neighborhood, coordinate the announcement and confirmation of the assignment with the neighboring nodes up to two hops away, and detect and resolve conflicting assignments that result from unfortunate timing and the mobility of the nodes. It can form the foundation of many types of dynamic TDMA architectures by providing common support for different higher level heuristics, hence the term "unifying". The TDMA schedule established by USAP is contention-free, all conflicts are detected and resolved, and no livelock can occur.
RN Continuity in Home Health: Does It Make a Difference?

Continuity of care in home health is valued but poorly understood. This article is about the delivery of nursing care to elderly home health patients and to determine if visits provided by the same...