cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The γ Secretase-generated Carboxyl-terminal Domain of the Amyloid Precursor Protein Induces Apoptosis via Tip60 in H4 Cells

The amyloid precursor protein (APP), a large glycoprotein highly expressed in neurons, is cleaved in its intramembranous domain by γ secretase to generate amyloid-β and a free carboxyl-terminal intracellular fragment (APP-CT), which has previously been suggested to interact with the adapter protein Fe65 and the histone acetyltransferase Tip60. An identical γ secretase activity mediates cleavage of Notch, releasing an intracellular signaling domain that translocates to the nucleus. We examined the effect of an ectopically expressed 58-amino acid APP-CT fragment (APP-C58) on human H4 neuroglioma cells. We demonstrate by confocal microscopy and fluorescence resonance energy transfer analysis that APP-C58 translocates to the nucleus and forms a complex in the nucleus with the Tip60, independent of interactions with Fe65. APP-C58 transfected H4 cells undergo apoptosis within 48–72 h, marked by nuclear blebbing, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) staining, and blockade by a caspase inhibitor. When nuclear access of APP-C58 is prevented by fusing with a strong membrane-targeting farnesylation domain, apoptosis is blocked. APP-C58-induced apoptosis was markedly enhanced by co-transfection with wild type Tip60 and decreased by mutant Tip60 lacking histone acetyltransferase activity, suggesting that Tip60 mediates APP-CT-induced cell death. Thus, γ secretase cleavage of APP may contribute to Alzheimer's disease-related neurodegeneration in two ways: release of amyloid-β and liberation of a bioactive carboxyl-terminal domain from membrane-bound APP.
Determination of excited state lifetimes and ionization potentials by dual beam visible lasers

Abstract A two-laser multiphoton ionization (MPI) technique is used to measure the lifetime and ionization potential of the lowest excited Rydberg state of 1,4-diazabicyclo[2,2,2]octane (DABCO). In this method one laser causes a two-photon transition to the excited state, and a second laser, at variable time delays from the first, ionizes only the excited state molecules. Good agreement is found between the fluorescence lifetime of this two-photon state and the lifetime determined from the ionizing pulse delay. By scanning the ionizing laser wavelength at a fixed time delay, the ionization threshold is obtained. The dual-beam MPI threshold is sharper than the onset of the photoelectron spectrum. This is due to the fact that transitions between Rydberg levels and the ionization continuum (which determine the shape of the threshold in this technique) are more Franck-Condon allowed than the transition between the ground state of the molecule and the ground state of the ion (observed in the photoelectron spectrum). This two-year MPI method, which requires neither fluorescence, vacuum UV nor photoelectron equipment, should be applicable to a wide range of molecules. A simple qualitative picture of DABCO MPI dynamics has also been constructed from an analysis of the dependence of the fluorescence intensity and the delayed ion current on the laser light intensity. Single-laser MPI spectroscopy is shown to be limited by competition between ionization and dissociation or other quenching processes in the levels preceding the ionization continuum. The dual-beam MPI technique can be used in such a manner as to bypass dissociative states.
Step-induced magnetic anisotropy in vicinal Ni/Cu(001) and its effect on the spin-reorientation transition

Ultrathin Ni films are grown on stepped Cu(001) in 0 degree sign -10 degree sign range of the vicinal angle. Spin-reorientation transition (SRT) of these films is studied in situ using surface magneto-optical Kerr effect. The SRT thickness is invariant up to 7 degree sign vicinal angle. Adsorption of submonolayer Co at the Ni step edges, however, increases significantly the SRT thickness. The results are quantitatively reproduced by a simple phenomenological model considering the presence of step-induced anisotropy. (c) 2000 The American Physical Society.
Values for Selected Serum Analytes during Experimental Ichthyophthirius multifiliis Infection of Channel Catfish

Abstract Channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus were exposed to a sublethal dose of infectious Ichthyophthirius multifiliis theronts, and eight serum analytes were measured. Sequential serum samples from each fish were collected for serum immediately before exposure, 4 d postexposure (PE), and 11 d PE. All fish developed moderately heavy infections with the parasite as indicated by the development of cutaneous lesions 5 d PE to infective theronts. Small but statistically significant changes in total protein, creatinine, and alkaline phosphatase values occurred after acute infection with I. multifiliis. Serum concentrations of glucose, albumin, urea nitrogen, alanine aminotransferase, and aspartate aminotransferase remained constant, indicating little disturbance of liver or kidney functions detectable by a serum biochemical profile established during an acute infection with I. multifiliis.
The Social Costs of Preempting Intersex Traits

Is it “morally permissible” to use preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD)—genetic profiling of embryos prior to in vitro fertilization (IVF)—to select against intersex traits? Robert Sparrow (2013...
Synthesis and biological evaluation of C-12 triazole and oxadiazole analogs of salvinorin A.

Abstract Salvinorin A (1), the main active ingredient of Salvia divinorum, is a potent and selective κ-opioid receptor (KOPR) agonist. A series of C-12 triazole analogs and the oxadiazole (4) analog of 1 are synthesized and screened for binding affinity at κ, μ (MOPR), or δ (DOPR). Surprisingly, all triazole analogs have shown negligible binding affinity at opioid receptors and the oxadiazole 4, a reported MOPR and KOPR antagonist, exhibits very low affinities to opioid receptors and no antagonism in our binding assays. These results suggest that electronic factors that may affect either the electron density of hydrogen bond acceptor at C-12 or hydrophobic interactions between C-12 moiety and KOPR are critical to C-12 analog’s affinity for KOPR.
Aortic Aneurysm, Thoracoabdominal Aneurysm, Juxtarenal Aneurysm, Fenestrated Endografts, Branched Endografts, and Endovascular Aneurysm Repair

The development of endovascular devices to treat aneurysms that abut or involve the visceral vessels has occurred in an effort to reduce the significant procedural morbidity and mortality associated with conventional repair. To accomplish this, three systems have been trialed. The first technique was developed to treat juxtarenal aneurysms and involves the placement of customized fenestrations strategically placed within the fabric of the graft. These are aligned with the ostia of the visceral vessels incorporated by the repair and supplemented by the placement of a balloon expandable stent. In a similar fashion, aneurysms that involve the visceral vessels can be treated with a fenestrated graft where the fenestration is reinforced with a nitinol ring. This is then mated with a balloon-expandable stentgraft, allowing the devices to seal at the level of the nitinol ring. An alternative means of incorporating the visceral vessels is to use directional branches where one or more additional limbs (typically 8 mm) are anastomosed to the aortic graft, through which access into the visceral vessel is attained. Mating stentgrafts for the later design can be of a self-expanding or balloon expandable nature. The experience with fenestrated devices is mature and associated with a low perioperative mortality (<2%) without many long-term complications. The treatment of thoracoabdominal aneurysms with branches has provided us with optimism regarding the technique, but results are only short term in nature. Further device development is ongoing and dissemination of this technology is now occurring in Europe, Australia and Canada.
Basic properties of superlattices constructed from ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic films

Abstract We present theoretical studies of the properties of superlattices constructed from alternating layers of ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic films. This paper confines its attention to superlattices in which the antiferromagnet consists of alternating sheets of spins parallel to the interfaces, and the spin alignment within each sheet is ferromagnetic in character. We use localized spin models of each material, and we present studies of the classical ground state of the system, as a function of magnetic field. For the case where the ferromagnetic films each contain an even number of atomic layers, we find a phase diagram which contains four distinctly different phases. We have calculated the spin wave spectrum of each phase, with particular attention directed toward the magnetic resonance spectrum of the superlattice structure. We find a diverse array of spectra, which differ strikingly as microscopic parameters which characterize the superlattice structure as a whole are varied.
CO2 solubility in primitive martian basalts similar to Yamato 980459, the effect of composition on CO2 solubility of basalts, and the evolution of the martian atmosphere

To determine the influence of basalt composition on the CO2 solubility in martian lavas, we investigated experimentally a synthetic melt based on the martian meteorite Yamato 980459 (Y 980459), an olivine-phyric shergottite and a picritic rock (19 wt% MgO) thought to be a near-primary liquid derived from high-temperature (>1540 °C) partial melting of the martian mantle. Experiments were performed in a piston-cylinder apparatus at 1–2 GPa and 1600–1650 °C. CO2 contents in quenched glasses were determined using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and range from 0.45–1.26 wt%. Despite large differences in FeO* and MgO contents, the CO2 solubilities in Y 980459 are similar to that in a less primitive synthetic martian basalt based on the Humphrey rock and to a Hawaiian tholeiite. The lack of enhanced solubility in Fe2+- and Mg2+-rich melts is likely owing to the complex structural role of these cations in silicate melts, acting partly as network formers, rather than network modifiers. The small sensitivity of CO2 solubility to compositional variations among martian and tholeiitic basalts means that the experimentally determined solubilities may be applicable to a wide spectrum of martian magmatic products. Using experimentally determined CO2 solubilities of Y 980459 and Humphrey allows the calibration of the thermodynamic parameters governing dissolution of CO2 vapor as carbonate in martian basalts. This relation facilitates calculation of the CO2 dissolved in magmas derived from graphite-saturated martian basalt source regions as a function of P , T , and f O2. The hot conditions in the source of Y 980459, 1540 ± 10 °C, and 1.2 ± 0.5 GPa, are plausible for plume-related magmas forming the giant Tharsis volcanic complex, which accounts for 50% of martian igneous activity since stabilization of the primordial crust. If oxygen fugacity in the sources of hot Tharsis magmatism were equivalent to that at the iron-wustite buffer (IW) or 1 log unit above (IW+1), respectively, then the entire Tharsis event would outgas 30–300 mbars of CO2 to the martian atmosphere, which is far from the 2 bars required to stabilize an equable climate in the late Noachian and early Hesperian epochs. This mismatch could be reconciled if significant martian igneous activity derived from comparatively oxidized mantle sources (i.e., IW+2) similar to those responsible for the nakhlite meteorites.
Arylene imine macrocycles of C3h and C3 symmetry from reductive imination of nitroformylarenes.

Novel C3-symmetric phenylene imine macrocycles have been synthesized by reductive imination of single nitroformylarenes. Pore size and geometric shape are dictated by the distance between and orientation of the nitro and aldehyde moieties in the precursor backbone. This reaction is facile, requires no purification of the products, and is environmentally friendly.
The reproductive cycle of the bay scallop, Argopecten irradians irradians (Lamarck), in a small coastal embayment on Cape Cod, Massachusetts

The spawning activity of the bay scallop Argopecten irradians irradians (Lamarck) was monitored from May through September in a small embayment on Cape Cod, Massachusetts and compared with changes in hydrographic conditions. Spawning activity of bay scallops began in May and continued through July with some minor activity occurring during August and September. Activity was most closely related to changes in ambient temperature and occurred predominantly before the summer maximum temperature was recorded. As temperatures declined in the late summer and early fall, increased gametogenic activity was evident. A longer period of spawning activity was observed than was previously reported for New England waters.
Barotropic Instability and Optimal Perturbations of Observed Nonzonal Flows

Abstract An eigenvalue analysis of a divergent barotropic model on a sphere is extended to the formulation of a global optimization problem, whose solution selects an initial perturbation that evolves into the most energetic structure at a finite time interval, τ. The evolution of this perturbation is obtained from companion linear and nonlinear global spectral time-dependent models, and the optimization prediction of perturbation size at time τ is verified. Two zonally asymmetric flows defined by time-mean ECMWF global 300-mb analyses during winter 1985/86 are used to illustrate the application and insights provided by the optimization problem. The dependence of the optimal perturbations on the parameter τ is examined. The optimal perturbations become increasingly localized as τ is decreased to periods on the order of three days. The initial growth rates of these perturbations greatly exceed that of the most unstable normal mode, and also exceed the growth rate of a disturbance with maximum projection on...
Angular distribution for the np → dπ0 reaction

Abstract The relative differential cross section for the reaction np → d π 0 has been measured at incident neutron energies of 459, 648 and 802 MeV. The c.m. angular distributions are fitted by the functional form A + cos 2 θ + B cos 4 θ . The values obtained for the parameters A and B are in agreement with those obtained from pp → d π + analyses, consistent with isospin invariance in these reactions.
The Future Force Structure of the Chinese Air Force

T he People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) is in the midst of a major modernization campaign aimed at retiring and replacing obsolete aircraft and building a modern air force. Despite fifteen years of modernization efforts, China’s air force is still in transition between the type of force fielded by the PLAAF over its first fifty years and the development of a “new PLAAF” with modern equipment, doctrine, and capabilities. The thousands of J-6 fighters that once made up the Chinese fighter fleet have been retired; about one thousand older J-7 and J-8 fighters remain in service. The aircraft that will comprise the future PLAAF have begun to enter service, including 32 Russian-built Su-27UBK multi-role fighters and 116 F-11 Chinaassembled Su-27 variants, 73 Russian Su-30MKK fighters, and 62 of the new indigenously produced J-10 multi-role fighter. China is also developing and purchasing force multipliers including advanced transport aircraft, tankers, and early-warning aircraft. The Chinese vision is of a highly-trained modern air force equipped with high-tech aircraft, advanced precision-guided munitions, support aircraft that serve as force multipliers, and networked command-and-control and intelligence capabilities that allow the PLAAF to fight and win a high-tech war under “informationalized” conditions. This force would not only be more capable of carrying out missions such as air defense and support for ground forces against a modern adversary but could also undertake offensive strikes against ground and naval targets farther from China’s borders. The
Unsteady surface signature of a pulsed vortex generator jet

Porous pressure-sensitive paint (PSP) is employed as a visualization technique for unsteady flow features on a low-pressure turbine blade. Recognizing that the measurement of high-frequency pressure fluctuations in unsteady flows—especially in turbomachinery—has proven to be difficult, recent advancements in the development of porous PSP have enabled the high-resolution measurement of pressure fields with frequency content of at least 20 kHz. In this work, PSP is applied to an L1A low-pressure turbine blade section (Re = 20,000 based on axial chord) to visualize the surface dynamics of a vortex generator jet (VGJ) pulsed at 10.6 Hz with nitrogen gas. Intensity-based, time-resolved PSP measurements reveal the development and the surface structure of the VGJ as well as the spanwise variation in the blowing profile.
Mechanism for the Staebler-Wronski effect in a-Si:H

A mechanism is proposed for the Staebler-Wronski effect in a-Si:H. A bridge-bonded H interstitial defect is identified as the annealed state that can form a higher-energy metastable dangling-bond state in the light-soaked state. This defect can account for various features of light-induced degradation. The calculations are based on an a-Si:H model containing 10% hydrogen, bonded as the monohydride species. A Si-H two- and three-body interatomic potential has also been developed for the simulations.
How should diastolic blood pressure be defined during pregnancy

Controversy exists concerning the most accurate method for defining diastolic blood pressure in pregnancy. Both disappearance (phase V) and muffling (phase IV) of Korotkoff sounds have been advocated. We previously reported an objective noninvasive method for measuring blood pressure, called K2 analysis, which in nonpregnant subjects was not different from intra-arterial diastolic blood pressure and was more accurate than the auscultatory technique. For determination of the relation of diastolic blood pressure (using K2) in pregnancy with muffling and disappearance of Korotkoff sounds, 58 women (42 hypertensive, 16 normotensive) underwent 556 blood pressure evaluations in the supine position at various stages of pregnancy. K2 analysis was compared with simultaneous auscultation by two observers, A1 (n = 461 observations; 364 hypertensive, 97 normotensive) and A2 (n = 415; 316 hypertensive, 99 normotensive). Overall, muffling was detected by observer A1 52.9% (244/461) and by observer A2 44.3% (184/415) of the time. When evaluated by clinical classification, muffling was found by both observers to be present less often in the hypertensive group (A1: 47.5%; A2: 37.3%) compared with the normotensive group (A1: 73.2%; A2: 66.7%) (P < .0001). When both observers were present (n = 348), they agreed that muffling was present only 112 times. Disappearance of sound was detected by both observers 98.3% (A1: 453/461; A2: 408/415) of the time. Muffling overestimated K2 diastolic pressure by 7 to 10 mm Hg, whereas there was no statistically significant difference between disappearance and K2 diastolic pressure for hypertensive subjects and a 2.5-mm Hg underestimation of K2 diastolic pressure for normotensive subjects.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Evidence-based literacy education and the African American child

The authors review two evidence-based literacy studies conducted with low-income, urban, African American children. The first was a longitudinal study focused on developing prerequisite early literacy skills with preschoolers living at the poverty level. The second study focused on effective literacy practices at the elementary level.
Concurrent Chemoradiotherapy for Salvage in Relapsed Squamous Cell Head and Neck Cancer

The results in 9 patients with unresectable recurrent squamous cell cancer of the head and neck who were treated with aggressive concurrent chemoradiotherapy are reported. Treatment consisted of one or two courses of chemotherapy with 5-fluorouracil 1000 mg/m2/day and cisplatin 20 mg/m2/day, both given as 4-day continuous intravenous infusions, concurrent with radiation therapy. Salvage radiation doses between 30 and 70 Gy were administered. Seven patients had previously undergone an attempt at curative surgery, and 7 had been treated with radiation doses between 52 and 72 Gy. The recurrent disease was locally confined in 3, locoregional in 5, and locoregional with metastases in 1 of the 9 patients. Treatment toxicity was significant and included mucositis, nausea/vomiting, and granulocytopenia, but there were no toxic deaths. Complete tumor clearance was possible in 6 of these 9 patients, and 5 patients remain disease-free at 41+, 43+, 45+, 47+, and 50+ months. Of these 5 patients, 4 had previously been treated with both surgery and radiation, while 1 had only undergone surgery. We conclude that aggressive chemotherapy and concurrent (re)irradiation can be given to patients with unresectable, recurrent, squamous cell cancer of the head and neck. Treatment is tolerable, and disease-free long-term survival is possible. Careful patient selection, however, is required.
Lateral periodic variations in the petrophysical and geochemical properties of dolomite

Mississippian dolowackestones contain periodic oscillations in the lateral distribution of trace-element concentrations, porosity, and permeability. Random variations at #30 cm spacing account for 50%-70% of the total variability. The remainder of the variability occurs in short- and long-range oscillatory patterns with periods of 1.2-7.6 m, which can only be resolved by high-resolution sampling of an ;150 m lateral transect. Possible origins for these patterns are: (1) inheritance from the depositional precursor, (2) for- mation by self-organizing processes during dolomitization, or (3) overprinting by late dia- genesis. These oscillatory patterns have up to now been unrecognized, and addressing their origin and meaning(s) represents a new approach to the study of dolomites. Under- standing the lateral distribution of petrophysical properties can also improve models of fluid flow in dolomite petroleum reservoirs and contaminant transport between matrix and conduits in dolomite aquifers. Further, if 30%-50% of the variability in a geochemical attribute in any bed is due to lateral periodicity, one must ask if that variability is too great to assume a spot sample will be a suitable proxy for ancient geologic processes and conditions.
A review on goat sperm cryopreservation

The ability to cryopreserve spermatozoa from all of the domestic species is challenging. Even though all of the cells must endure similar physical stresses associated with the cryopreservation processes, sperm from the different species are very different in size, shape and lipid composition, all of which affect cryosurvival. Thus, when a cryopreservation protocol has been optimized for sperm of one species, it may not be ideal for sperm of other species. Bovine and caprine sperm-freezing diluents, for example, contain similar ingredients, but interactions between goat seminal plasma and egg yolk are deleterious to the sperm, a situation not observed with bovine seminal plasma and egg yolk. Therefore, a thorough understanding of the specifics of sperm freezing from a particular species will improve the cryosurvival of sperm from that species. This review updates information relating to the cryopreservation of goat semen, with emphasis on the peculiarities specific to the species. The topics discussed include the effects of goat seminal plasma during cryopreservation, sperm dilution and concentration, freezing and thawing methodologies, the components of cryopreservation diluents, and traditional and recently investigated cryoprotectants. In addition, suggestions for creating a standardized freezing protocol for goat semen are also presented.
Defoliation Timing Effects on Spotted Knapweed Seed Production and Viability

Abstract Spotted knapweed ( Centaurea stoebe L.), a perennial invasive forb that reproduces largely by seed, often forms new flowers after prescribed sheep grazing or mowing is applied during the bolting or flowering stage. It is unknown if these new flowers produce viable seeds by the end of the growing season. The purpose of this 2-yr study was to determine the appropriate timing (or timings) or combination (or combinations) of timings of defoliation on spotted knapweed to reduce its viable seed production. Spotted knapweed plants on foothill rangeland in west-central Montana were hand-clipped at seven different timings and frequencies of defoliation: June (bolting stage); July (late-bud–early flowering stage); August (full-flowering stage); June + July; June + August; July + August; or June + July + August. Unclipped plants were controls. Plants clipped in the bolting stage were defoliated at 35–40% relative utilization. Plants clipped at all other timings had 100% of their buds and flowers removed, plus 3 cm of each bud or flower stem. Plant response was evaluated from mid-August through September, whenever the seed heads of each treatment’s plants reached maturity but while their seed-head bracts remained tightly closed. Clipping at any timing or combination of timings reduced the number of buds and flower heads per plant ( P P P P
Origin of Precambrian iron-formations in the Lake Superior region

The Precambrian banded, cherty iron-formations in the Lake Superior region were deposited on broad continental shelves, and deposits of the supratidal, intertidal, and subtidal zones can be recognized in the well-known facies of the iron-formations. The supratidal deposits were primarily calcitic, aragonitic, and sideritic muds. Other minerals, in order of decreasing abundance, may have been gypsum, anhydrite, ankerite, dolomite, quartz, apatite, and halite. Intraclasts were produced by desiccation-granulation, and some of this material was redeposited in the intertidal and subtidal zones. The intertidal zone was characterized by the development of extensive algal reefs and digital-sized and larger stromatolitic mounds. Desiccation-granulation and tidal rip of mineralized stromatolites further added to the accumulation of intraclasts. The intertidal zone was the domain of granules that were derived by abrasion and rounding of intraclasts. The original mineralogy of the intertidal deposits was similar to that of the supratidal zone; however, because of photosynthesis, the sea water was oxygenated. Lozenge-shaped grains are considered to be secondary, silicified, and iron-oxide replicates of original gypsum crystals, and, by comparison with recent evaporites, some anhydrite and halite may also have been present. The deposits of the intertidal and subtidal zones are considered to be comparable to the present-day Abu Dhabi complex in the Persian Gulf. Spherical microstructures are abundant and well preserved in the chert of the subtidal deposits. Pyrite, which characterizes these deposits, probably was formed largely by the bacterial reduction of sulfate derived from the intertidal zone. The laminations in the iron-formations resulted from several causes that were controlled by chemical and mechanical processes, such as the rates and localization of the precipitation of calcitic, aragonitic, and sideritic muds and the mechanical breakup and redistribution of these sediments as sand, silt, and mud. These processes resulted in compositional and textural laminations. The diversity of the banded, cherty iron-formations, recognized in the different facies, then, can be explained largely in the diagenetic changes. The large-scale pervasive diagenetic changes were the replacement of calcite and aragonite by chert and the formation of iron silicates by the reactions between ionic silica and siderite and iron-bearing dolomite. Vein-like structures and the development of magnetite along stylolites indicate mobility of iron in late diagenetic stages, and iron-organic chelates are suggested to account for the mobility. Depending on the composition of the laminae and the chemical environment, silicification during diagenesis produced the hematite, magnetite, siderite, pyrite, and mixed-mineral facies.
Clinical predictors of the defibrillation threshold with the unipolar implantable defibrillation system

Abstract Objectives. The purpose of this study was to determine the relation between clinical variables and the defibrillation threshold by using a standardized testing protocol and a uniform implantable defibrillator system. Background. Past studies have not revealed useful correlations between clinical variables and the energy required to terminate ventricular fibrillation. Most of these studies did not use a uniform implantable defibrillator system or a standardized protocol to measure the defibrillation threshold and, thus, did not control for the influence of these technical influences. We postulated that defibrillator and defibrillation threshold measurement-based sources of variability overshadowed important clinical predictors. Methods. The defibrillation threshold was measured by using a standardized protocol in 101 consecutive patients. We used a transvenous unipolar pectoral defibrillation system that employed a single endocardial right ventricular defibrillation coil as the anode and the shell of an 80-cm3pulse generator as the cathode to deliver a 65% tilt biphasic pulse. Results. Several clinical variables were found to be significantly associated with the defibrillation threshold: patient gender, height, weight, body surface area, heart rate at rest, QRS and corrected QT (QTc) intervals, left ventricular mass and several measures of heart and chest size by chest roentgenogram. None of these variables had a correlation coefficient >0.45 with the defibrillation threshold. On multivariate analysis, left ventricular mass and heart rate at rest were the only independent predictors of the defibrillation threshold and explained only 25% of the observed variability. Conclusions. Despite the use of a uniform transvenous defibrillation system and a standardized protocol to measure the defibrillation threshold, no clinically relevant correlation was found between clinical variables and the defibrillation threshold. The defibrillation threshold is probably a function of a complex interaction of anatomic, physiologic and cellular variables that are not adequately represented by easily obtainable clinical information. It is probably not possible to predict defibrillation outcome from standard clinical variables.
LspA-independent action of globomycin on Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Objectives: The objective of this study was to investigate the antimicrobial activity and specificity of globomycin, an inhibitor of lipoprotein signal peptidase II (LspA), against Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Methods: The mycobactericidal and mycobacteriostatic activity of globomycin was determined by optical density and cfu plating. The specificity of globomycin was determined by western immunoblotting using anti-MPT83 antibody. Results: Globomycin is mycobactericidal at concentrations � 40 mg/L. However, at 80 mg/L, the processing of the lipoprotein MPT-83 is unaffected and growth-inhibitory effect of globomycin is unchanged in an lspA null mutant (DlspA::lspAmut) lacking the putative drug target.
Hypoglycemia in Critically Ill Children

Background: The practice of glycemic control with intravenous insulin in critically ill patients has brought clinical focus on understanding the effects of hypoglycemia, especially in children. Very little is published on the impact of hypoglycemia in this population. We aimed to review the existing literature on hypoglycemia in critically ill neonates and children. Methods: We performed a systematic review of the literature up to August 2011 using PubMed, Ovid MEDLINE and ISI Web of Science using the search terms “hypoglycemia or hypoglyc*” and “critical care or intensive care or critical illness”. Articles were limited to “all child (0–18 years old)” and “English”. Results: A total of 513 articles were identified and 132 were included for review. Hypoglycemia is a significant concern among pediatric and neonatal intensivists. Its definition is complicated by the use of a biochemical measure (i.e., blood glucose) for a pathophysiologic problem (i.e., neuroglycopenia). Based on associated outcomes, we suggest defining hypoglycemia as <40–45 mg/dl in neonates and <60–65 mg/dl in children. Below the suggested threshold values, hypoglycemia is associated with worse neurological outcomes, increased intensive care unit stay, and increased mortality. Disruptions in carbohydrate metabolism increase the risk of hypoglycemia in critically ill children. Prevention of hypoglycemia, especially in the setting of intravenous insulin use, will be best accomplished by the combination of accurate measuring techniques, frequent or continuous glucose monitoring, and computerized insulin titration protocols. Conclusion: Studies on hypoglycemia in critically ill children have focused on spontaneous hypoglycemia. With the current practice of maintaining blood glucose within a narrow range with intravenous insulin, the risk factors and outcomes associated with insulin-induced hypoglycemia should be rigorously studied to prevent hypoglycemia and potentially improve outcomes of critically ill children.
E60C Electric Locomotives For the Black Mesa and Lake Powell Railroad

A new 50-kV 60-Hz electric locomotive haeen designed to meet American railroad standards and requirements. This new locomotive has been designated the E6OC, with a nominal rating of 6000 equivalent diesel horsepower (4500 kW). Many of the design features of the locomotive are described. In order to operate 125 km (78 mi) from the substation, provisions were made in the locomotive circuits for operation at line voltages as low as 50 percent of nominal.
An RNA:DNA-based growth model for young-of-the-year winter flounder Pseudopleuronectes americanus (Walbaum)

A laboratory calibration experiment was conducted to determine the relationship between nucleic acid-based variables and growth rate in young-of-the-year winter flounder Pseudopleuronectes americanus. Three temperatures and three feeding levels were used to produce a variety of growth rates. Nucleic acid analyses were conducted on white muscle tissue using an ultraviolet absorption assay. RNA concentration (μg mg−1 wet tissue mass) and the ratio of RNA:DNA (RRD) were positively correlated with a mass-based instantaneous growth coefficient (GM) (r = 0·42 and 0·72, respectively). Fifty-one per cent of the variability in growth rate was explained by the simple linear regression GM=−0·02615 + 0·00848RRD (P < 0·001). This model can be used to estimate recent growth rates for early juvenile winter flounder (27–52 mm standard length) at temperatures ranging from 11 to 24° C.
Design, synthesis and biological evaluation of rose bengal analogues as SecA inhibitors.

SecA, a key component of bacterial Sec-dependent secretion pathway, is an attractive target for exploring novel antimicrobials. Rose bengal (RB), a polyhalogenated fluorescein derivative, was found from our previous study as a potent SecA inhibitor. Here we describe the synthesis and structure-activity relationships (SAR) of 23 RB analogues that were designed by systematical dissection of RB. Evaluation of these analogues allowed us to establish an initial SAR in SecA inhibition. The antimicrobial effects of these SecA inhibitors are confirmed in experiments using E. coli and B. subtilis.
Adaptive Polarization Contrast Techniques for Through-Wall Microwave Imaging Applications

In this paper, we describe and utilize polarization contrast techniques of the adaptive polarization difference imaging algorithm and its transient modification for through-wall microwave imaging (TWMI) applications. Originally developed for optical imaging and sensing of polarization information in nature, this algorithm is modified to serve for target detection purposes in a through-wall environment. The proposed techniques exploit the polarization statistics of the observed scene for the detection and identification of changes within the scene and are not only capable of mitigating and substantially removing the wall effects but also useful in detecting motion, when conventional Doppler techniques are not applicable. Applications of the techniques to several TWMI scenarios including both homogeneous and periodic wall cases are presented.
Altered glucose metabolism in adriamycin-induced heart failure.

Abstract Spontaneously hypertensive rats recieved 1 mg/kg of Adriamycin intravenously once a week for up to 12 weeks; their hearts were excised and perfused with buffer containing 4 mM [1-13C]glucose. Histological evidence of Adriamycin cardiotoxicity was evident after 8 and 12 weeks of treatment and was accompanied by a significant decrease in cardiac function. There were only minor changes in the 31P-NMR spectra in hearts following treatment; however, 13C-NMR spectra revealed decreased incorporation of label into the lactate, alanine and glutamate pools in hearts with severe tissue damage to hearts from untreated animals.
Surface macrofabric of boulder dominated desert mountain slopes, California, USA

Rhyolite domes formed over a million year continuum in eastern California are used to study boulder dominated slopes. Slopes in this study are steep (∼25° to ∼35°) and are made of coarse boulder sized blocks. These slopes include well varnished vertically oriented colluvial deposits that have been likened to relict periglacial stone stripes, or as indicated in this study, are the result of ongoing desert slope processes. The deposits are common throughout the arid southwestern US, but their morphometric character, fabric, and rates of formation have not been assessed systematically. Results indicate that boulder deposits examined here are remnant from the original surface formed during volcanic eruption and that these boulder slope deposits evolve slowly. Grain size, grain shape and grain angularity do not change significantly from genesis to ∼0.6 Ma; trends in the data change markedly after that time. Mean eigenvectors indicate a fabric oriented downhill, parallel to the slope, consistent with the visual impression that long thin to plate-like rocks orient themselves similarly; however, fabric is actually randomly dispersed, similar to that at slope genesis, as indicated by the eigenvalue analysis resultants ofC andK. Interestingly, grains remain or become more angular over the million-year time scale of the study as they decrease in size, indicating active in situ weathering processes on individual grains; this result is counter to the common assumption that as grains weather they become more rounded over time.
Experimental Tribo-Analysis of Rail/Wheel Interface

Usage of modern experimental techniques and instruments can significantly enhance the understanding of wheel-rail rolling-sliding phenomena. Two novel experimental techniques are described. The first technique utilizes a long distance microscope to directly observe the wheel or rail surfaces in the field. The second technique involves an accurate replication of macro- and microscopic features of worn surfaces and permits their examination by a variety of laboratory instruments. A short pitch rail corrugation study is used to demonstrate the general usefulness of both techniques.
Republican principles in international law

Two hundred years ago, in the wake of the modern world’s first great republican revolutions in France and the United States of America, Immanuel Kant endorsed a federation of independent republics as the only valid basis of international law.1 Kant’s proposed republican federation echoed the new federal Constitution of the United States, which guaranteed a “republican form of government” to every state in the Union.2 Enlightened scholars supposed that if ever some powerful people could form a republic, republican principles would become the basis of a just world order.3 So republican ideas permeated and inspired the developing ius gentium,4 and several new states emerged to embrace the republican form of government. Republicanism, liberalism, and modern international law emerged together from Europe’s belated turn to reason as the basis of law and authority, and share the same enlightened premisses of liberty, equality and popular sovereignty that justified the eighteenth-century revolutions. These principles remain the actual basis and only justifiable foundation of international law today. International law depends on republican principles for its content and moral validity, and supposed international laws and institutions bind and should influence republican governments only to the extent that they reflect republican procedures of politics and legislation.5
Collision of Empires: Italy’s Invasion of Ethiopia and its International Impact

These thirteen essays investigate how the Ethiopian crisis presented an irresolvable tension between new international norms about protecting the sovereignty of members of the League of Nations and...
The effect of process parameters on volatile release for a benzoxazine–epoxy RTM resin

Volatile release during cure is a potential cause of void formation during the resin transfer molding of complex thermosetting resins. In this study, a blended benzoxazine–epoxy resin system is analyzed to determine the rate at which volatiles are evolved, as well as the dependence of that rate on process parameters. The evolution of thermophysical and thermochemical resin properties is characterized using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The identity and rate of evolution of the gaseous byproducts released during cure are determined at ambient pressure using a Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FTIR) linked to a reaction cell. The results show that gas release during cure can be reduced but not eliminated by degassing at elevated temperature. Furthermore, the results indicate that the nature and rate of volatile release can be modified by judicious selection of cure cycle, as shown by a preliminary analysis of manufactured neat resin panels.
AVASCULAR NECROSIS OF CARPAL BONES

MR imaging is extremely well suited to detection of early phases of avascular necrosis, permitting diagnosis before collapse of the carpal bones has occurred. The sensitivity of this imaging modality allows differentiation of subtle changes in the bone marrow signal. This is used as criteria for a new stage classification of Kienbock's disease based on MR imaging appearance. The prognosis of scaphoid fractures and estimation of likelihood of avascular necrosis of the proximal fragment can be inferred by using gadolinium enhancement to evaluate the bone marrow vascularity. Language: en
Numerical Analysis of Suction Measures Obtained During Tests Performed on a Physical Model of Slope

This technical report illustrates the first result obtained carrying out a numerical analysis on the suction data measured during a test performed with a physical model of slope. The analysis consists of an interpolation of the measures along a bidimensional domain which corresponds to a vertical cross section of the soil sample. Along each section N. 10 Soil Moisture small tip tensiometers have been placed to suction at three different depths.The main results of this analysis are aimed at identifying how the seepage process takes place inside the soil sample and how it characterizes the sample saturation before failure occurs.The numerical analysis is carried out using the commercial software Surfer. This software is suitable to make interpolation of data inside a bidimensional or tridimensional domains by means of different mathematical relationships. In this case the method used is the Inverse Distance Weighting (IDW); it is a mode for multivariate interpolation, which assigns values to unknown points by using values from scattered set of known points.The first result are here discussed.
Hearing conservation in acoustic tumor surgery: pro's and con's.

This article presents an overview of the points to be made both for and against the consideration of hearing conservation in acoustic tumor surgery based on current available data in the literature. Age, general health, tumor size, and hearing-in the tumor ear and in the contralateral ear as well as the interaural relationship-are the presurgical factors discussed. Either the middle fossa or posterior fossa approach may be utilized for hearing conservation. The technical factors relating to surgical anatomy, specific risks, and the probability that hearing may be preserved by these approaches have been abstracted from a review of the literature. Finally, the patient's considerations and his need for the conservation of his hearing are presented, including realistic alternatives to surgical conservation.
Volatile Hypertension Following Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion: A Case Report.

Case: A sixty-one-year-old man underwent anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) from C4 to C7 for the treatment of cervical spondylosis. Postoperatively, the patient experienced paroxysmal surges in blood pressure with associated diaphoresis and anxiety that were difficult to control. He had additional episodes after discharge, requiring a second hospital admission. He was ultimately diagnosed with baroreflex failure syndrome and was managed with a three-drug regimen. He gradually improved and was symptom-free at seven months. Conclusion: Baroreflex failure syndrome should be considered in the setting of volatile hypertension following ACDF. Prompt recognition of this condition can lead to early referral to a specialist and may reduce patient morbidity.
Tissue catecholamine content of cold-acclimated rats.

SummaryExposure of female rats to temperatures of 5-7°C for 3-5 weeks resulted in hypertrophy of the liver, heart and kidney. In these rats the catecholamine content of the brain was unchanged, while that of the heart was reduced and the adrenal increased.
Current imaging techniques for the diagnosis of pituitary adenoma

ABSTRACTStepwise improvements in the imaging of pituitary adenomas in the last 100 years have had a tremendous impact on patient care. Pituitary tumors are now diagnosed earlier in the time course of the disease, improving chances of endocrine and visual recovery. There is improved pre-surgical planning due to a better understanding of the investment of the tumor around important surrounding parasellar structures. Approaches to tumors are now safer due to stereotactic navigation and residual disease can be radiographically followed for a lifetime and treated prior to irreversible neurological damage. Furthermore, adjuvant radiotherapy can be more precisely delivered to the tumor bed with the aid of higher resolution images. Thanks to these incremental improvements previously formidable macroadenomas, which carried a high risk for morbidity and residual disease, can now be treated safely and effectively. Here, we review modern imaging modalities used to diagnose pituitary adenomas, and identify areas for f...
Styrene-Butadiene Rubber Filled with Fluorinated Carbon Black

Abstract A comparison is made of the properties of an SBR 1502 containing twenty volume percent of conventional furnace black, or one of three fluorinated blacks. Fluorination slows the rate at which the filler incorporates and disperses into the rubber. Final mixing torque decreases as the degree of fluorination increases, apparently due to a reduction in surface energy of the filler. Compositions with fluorinated blacks have reduced scorch times and decreased cure rates relative to compositions with normal furnace black. This is attributed to acidity of the fluorinated blacks. Scorch time increases in a linear fashion with pH of the filler. Tensile strengths of samples containing fluorinated blacks are about seven times that of a gum composition, but about 30% less than vulcanizates with regular furnace black.