cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Short-range Mechanical Properties Simulated With A Mathematical Model Incorporating Multiple Half-sarcomeres

When an activated skeletal muscle fiber is stretched, force rises rapidly until the muscle reaches its ‘elastic limit’. This ‘short-range’ response probably reflects the effects of interfilamentary movement on the dynamic behavior of cycling cross-bridges. Most mathematical models of the response predict that the cross-bridge force will plateau during the latter stages of the stretch. There are however some experimental preparations (including rabbit psoas fibers) in which force continues to rise at a gradual rate beyond the elastic limit. One explanation for this behavior is that titin filaments have calcium dependent mechanical properties. Another possibility is that the slow increase in tension beyond the elastic limit reflects dynamic interactions between inhomogeneous half-sarcomeres. A mathematical model of 40 half-sarcomeres arranged in series was developed to test this hypothesis. The solid line in the figure shows the simulated response when half-sarcomeres at the ends of the model had fewer cross-bridges than half-sarcomeres in the middle. The dashed line shows the simulated response when all the half-sarcomeres were identical. These simulations suggest that the gradual rise in tension beyond the elastic limit observed in some preparations may reflect interactions between inhomogeneous half-sarcomeres.View Large Image | View Hi-Res Image | Download PowerPoint Slide
Structural mechanisms underlying near-zero thermal expansion in β-eucryptite: A combined synchrotron x-ray and neutron Rietveld analysis

The structures of ordered and disordered β-eucryptite have been determined from Rietveld analysis of powder synchrotron x-ray and neutron diffraction data over a temperature range of 20 to 873 K. On heating, both materials show an expansion within the (001) plane and a contraction along the c axis. However, the anisotropic character of the thermal behavior of ordered β-eucryptite is much more pronounced than that of the disordered compound; the linear expansion coefficients of the ordered and disordered phases are αa = 7.26 × 10−6 K−1; αc = −16.35 × 10−6 K−1, and αa = 5.98 × 10−6 K−1; αc = −3.82 × 10−6 K−1, respectively. The thermal behavior of β-eucryptite can be attributed to three interdependent processes that all cause an increase in a but a decrease in c with increasing temperature: (i) Si/Al tetrahedral deformation, (ii) Li positional disordering, and (iii) tetrahedral tilting. Because disordered β-eucryptite does not exhibit tetrahedral tilting, the absolute values of its axial thermal coefficients are smaller than those for the ordered sample. At low temperatures, both ordered and disordered β-eucryptite exhibit a continuous expansion parallel to the c axis with decreasing temperature, whereas a remains approximately unchanged. Our difference Fourier synthesis reveals localization of Li ions below room temperature, and we suggest that repulsion between Li and Al/Si inhibits contraction along the a axes.
A tested semantics for getters, setters, and eval in JavaScript

We present S5, a semantics for the strict mode of the ECMAScript 5.1 (JavaScript) programming language. S5 shrinks the large source language into a manageable core through an implemented transformation. The resulting specification has been tested against real-world conformance suites for the language. This paper focuses on two aspects of S5: accessors (getters and setters) and eval. Since these features are complex and subtle in JavaScript, they warrant special study. Variations on both features are found in several other programming languages, so their study is likely to have broad applicability.
Pheresis with the IBM 2997.

We have used the NCI-IBM 2997 cell separator in 85 leukapheresis and 34 plateletpheresis procedures. Using hydroxyethyl starch (HES)and steroid pretreatment, our mean granulocyte yield was 19.3 billion cells in a mean product volume of 270.5 ml, containing 10.6 ml of red blood cells. The mean platelet yield during leukapheresis was 18.5 × 1010, as compared with 37.2 × 1010 when plateletpheresis alone was performed. There was a strong correlation between the mean level of granulocytes in the blood before leukapheresis and the granulocyte yield in the product. Other variables well-correlated with granulocyte yield were the red blood cells in the product, the total blood volume processed, and the product volume. Platelets obtained during plateletpheresis were significantly correlated with the total blood volume processed and with the volume of red blood cells in the product. Donor reactions were no more frequent with the IBM 2997 than with other pheresis systems. This appears to be the system that can provide the best granulocyte yields at the present time.
Modelling adaptive, spatially aware, and mobile agents: Elk migration in Yellowstone

The potential utility of agent‐based models of adaptive, spatially aware, and mobile entities in geographic and ecological research is considerable. Developing this potential, however, presents significant challenges to geographic information science. Modelling the spatio‐temporal behaviour of individuals requires new representational forms that capture how organisms store and use spatial information. New procedures must be developed that simulate how individuals produce bounded knowledge of geographical space through experiential learning, adapt this knowledge to continually changing environments, and apply it to spatial decision‐making processes. In this paper, we present a framework for the representation of adaptive, spatially aware, and mobile agents. To provide context to this research, a multiagent model is constructed to simulate the migratory behaviour of elk (Cervus elaphus) on Yellowstone's northern range. In this simulated environment, intelligent agents learn in ways that enable them to mimic...
On multiple user channels with state information at the transmitters

We extend Shannon's result on the capacity of channels with state information to multiple user channels. More specifically, we characterize the capacity (region) of degraded broadcast channels and physically degraded relay channels where the channel state information is causally available at the transmitters. We also obtain inner and outer bounds on the capacity region for multiple access channels with causal state information at the transmitters
The effect of experimental presentation of thin media images on body satisfaction: a meta-analytic review.

Objective The effect of experimental manipulations of the thin beauty ideal, as portrayed in the mass media, on female body image was evaluated using meta-analysis. Method Data from 25 studies (43 effect sizes) were used to examine the main effect of mass media images of the slender ideal, as well as the moderating effects of pre-existing body image problems, the age of the participants, the number of stimulus presentations, and the type of research design. Results Body image was significantly more negative after viewing thin media images than after viewing images of either average size models, plus size models, or inanimate objects. This effect was stronger for between-subjects designs, participants less than 19 years of age, and for participants who are vulnerable to activation of a thinness schema. Conclusion Results support the sociocultural perspective that mass media promulgate a slender ideal that elicits body dissatisfaction. Implications for prevention and research on social comparison processes are considered. © 2002 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Eat Disord 31: 1–16, 2002.
Chiral synthesis via organoboranes. 45. Asymmetric hydroboration of 1-cyclopentenol derivatives using diisopinocampheylborane. Synthesis of optically active cyclopentane-1,2-diol derivatives of high optical purity☆

The asymmetric hydroboration of 1-cyclopentenol derivatives, such as ethers, acetate, silyl ether and borinate, was investigated using diisopinocampheylborane, dIpc2BH. The product trialkylboranes were treated with excess of acetaldehyde to give the corresponding diethyl boronate esters. These boronate esters on oxidation using alkaline hydrogen peroxide gave optically active trans-cyclopentane-1,2-diol derivatives in 50–85% enantiomeric excess and up to 95% overall yield. Some of the optically active trans-2-alkoxycyclopentanols were converted by ether cleavage to optically active trans-(1R,2R)-cyclopentane-1,2-diol. The asymmetric hydroboration-oxidation of 3-methoxy-2,5-dihydrofuran gave trans-(3R,4R)-4-methoxytetrahydrofuran-3-ol of 75% ee in 70% overall yield.
Shapes of α-particle spectra from energetic heavy-ion fusion reactions

Abstract The shapes of α-particle spectra from energetic heavy-ion fusion reactions are analyzed within the framework of a statistical model. Contrary to claims made in a number of earlier papers, good agreement is obtained between calculated and experimental spectra without the need to lower the evaporation barriers relative to the respective absorption barriers.
Gamete intrafallopian transfer (GIFT): historic perspective.

To establish the parenthood of a new technique is admittedly a difficult task, involving the evaluation of the relative merits of the original concept description and subsequent modifications. These are expectedly quite numerous in a fast-advancing area such as assisted reproductive technology, making any later attempt to assign priority for any new approach even more complex.
Adaptation in bacterial chemotaxis: CheB-dependent modification permits additional methylations of sensory transducer proteins

Abstract Sensory transduction in E. coli consists of two phases, excitation and adaptation, both of which involve the methyl-accepting chemotaxis proteins (MCPs). These molecules relay transmembrane signals and are reversibly methylated during adaptation of E. coli to environmental stimuli. Each MCP contains multiple sites of methylation, and we identified six of these sites in MCPI. Recently, a second covalent modification of MCPs has been identified, which is not methylation. This modification, designated CheB-dependent modification, is stimulated by repellents and causes a net increase in the negative charge of MCPI and MCPII by one or two charges. We demonstrate that one CheB modification occurs on the methyl-accepting methionineand lysine-containing tryptic peptide in MCPI and MCPII, and the second CheB modification is on an arginine-containing tryptic peptide. The CheB modification allows three additional methyl groups to be incorporated into the methyl-accepting methioninelysine peptide, while not actually creating all of these methylation sites. The two CheB modifications occur sequentially. A possible mechanism by which CheB modification permits additional methylations and the role of CheB modification in bacterial chemotaxis are discussed.
Patient Choice Cesarean—The Maine Experience

: Background: Patient choice cesarean refers to elective primary cesarean in the absence of a medical or obstetrical indication. The purpose of this study was to determine obstetricians’ attitudes and practices with respect to patient choice cesarean in Maine, United States. Methods: A questionnaire was sent to all Maine Fellows of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists actively practicing obstetrics, after receiving institutional review exemption. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Fisher exact, or chi-square tests. Results: Seventy-eight of 110 (70.9%) obstetricians responded. Of these, 60 of 71 (84.5%) respondents performed or were willing to perform patient choice cesarean. However, 15 of 71 (21.1%) preferred a cesarean delivery for themselves (women) or partners (men). Indications included urinary continence (53.3%), adverse previous birth experience (41.7%), anal continence (35.0%), concern for fetal death or injury (33.3%), and fear of childbirth, preservation of sexual function, or pelvic organ prolapse (26.7% each). Less frequent were pain (11.7%), convenience (8.3%), and provider availability (10.0%). In addition, 82.1 percent believed medical evidence and 85.9 percent believed ethical issues sometimes or always supported patient choice cesarean. Responses were similar by gender, age, and time interval from training completion with two exceptions. Women under age 35 years were more likely to opt for a cesarean delivery themselves (p = 0.04), and 42.9 percent of respondents under age 35 years interpreted the medical literature as supporting cesarean in all cases versus 4.2 percent of older colleagues (p = 0.008). Sixty-four of 78 (82.1%) respondents would find a randomized trial of planned vaginal versus planned cesarean delivery helpful in addressing the issue of patient choice cesarean. Conclusions: Although Maine obstetricians were willing to perform patient choice cesarean, few preferred this delivery mode for themselves or their partners. A randomized trial of planned vaginal versus planned cesarean delivery is highly desired.
Atypical Caudate Anatomy in Children Who Stutter

A temporal motor defect in speech preparation and/or planning may contribute to the development of stuttering. This defect may be linked to a dysfunctional cortical-subcortical network at the level of the striatum. To determine whether structural differences exist and whether group differences are associated with stuttering severity or manual laterality, the caudate was measured in 14 children who stutter (CWS) and in a control group of right-handed boys, ages 8-13 years. There was a statistically significant hemisphere by group effect for caudate volume. CWS had reduced right caudate volume and atypical leftward asymmetry compared to controls. Nine of the 13 CWS with atypical caudate asymmetry had atypical manual laterality. These anomalies may represent a vulnerability that perturbs speech planning/preparation and contributes to inefficiencies in action-perception coupling that may be an indicator of stuttering susceptibility. These results suggest that right-handed boys who stutter may have a defect in the feedforward cortico-striato-thalamo-cortical networks.
Patient Specific Computerized Phantoms to Estimate Dose in Pediatric CT

ABSTRACT We create a series of detailed computerized phantoms to esti mate patient organ and effective dose in pediatric CT and investigate techniques for efficiently creating patient-specific phantoms based on imaging data. The initial anatomy of each phantom was previously developed based on manual segmentation of pediatric CT data. Each phantom was extended to include a more detailed anatomy based on morphing an existing adult phantom in our laboratory to match the framework (based on segmentation) defined for the target pediatric model. By morphing a template anatomy to match the patient data in the LDDMM framework, it was possible to create a patient specific phantom with many anatomical structures, some not visible in the CT data. The adult models contain thousands of defined structures that were transformed to define them in each pediatric anatomy. The accuracy of this method, under different conditions, was tested using a known voxelized phantom as the target. Errors were measured in terms of a distance map between the predicted organ surfaces and the known ones. We also compared calculated dose measurements to see the effect of different magnitudes of errors in morphing. Despite some variations in organ geometry, dose measurements from morphing predictions were found to agree with those calculated from the voxelized phantom thus demonstrating the feasibility of our methods. Keywords: Computerized phantoms, pediatric, CT, dose
Mild early life stress enhances prefrontal-dependent response inhibition in monkeys.

Background Severely stressful early experiences have been implicated in the pathophysiology of psychiatric disorders. In contrast, exposure to mild early life stress (i.e., stress inoculation) strengthens emotional and neuroendocrine resistance to subsequent stressors. Herein we extend this research to examine the effects of mild early life stress on cognition. Methods Squirrel monkeys were randomized to a mild intermittent stress (IS; n = 11) or nonstress (NS; n = 9) condition from 17 to 27 weeks postpartum. At 1.5 years of age, monkeys were assessed for response inhibition on a test previously shown to reflect prefrontal-dependent cognitive function. Results IS monkeys demonstrated fewer response inhibition errors compared with NS monkeys. There were no rearing-related differences in aspects of performance that did not require inhibitory control. Compared with NS monkeys, IS monkeys had lower basal plasma pituitary-adrenal stress hormone levels. No rearing-related differences on neuroendocrine measures obtained 15 minutes after testing were found. Conclusions Results from this experiment provide the first evidence that exposure to mildly stressful early experiences improves prefrontal-dependent response inhibition in primates. Combined with our previous data, findings from this animal model suggest that exposure to mild early life stress may enhance the development of brain systems that regulate emotional, neuroendocrine, and cognitive control.
Turning points, tonal targets, and the English L- phrase accent

This study of the alignment of L- in the H* L- H% contour of American English finds the strongest predictor of the location of the retracted phrase-accent “elbow” to be the location of the accent-related F0 peak, rather than one of a set of metrical “attractors” investigated. A strong correlation between peak height and elbow sharpness suggests that the elbow may arise from interaction between peak height and perception-based constraints on the implementation of postnuclear deaccenting: F0 must become low immediately after the Nuclear-Pitch-Accented syllable, to prevent the percept of a pitch accent on a following accentable syllable. Relativised Area Under the Curve (R-AUC), a global measure for characterising F0 contours, distinguishes this H* L- from contrasting contours (e.g., H* L*) more reliably than a turning point-based approach focused on the location/scaling of an F0 elbow. The R-AUC measure is sensitive to perceptually significant, but difficult-to-quantify, changes in contour shape, while avoi...
MDR1 G1199A polymorphism alters permeability of HIV protease inhibitors across P-glycoprotein-expressing epithelial cells

Objective: To evaluate the impact of the human multidrug resistance gene (MDR1) G1199A polymorphism (amino acid change Ser400Asn) on P-glycoprotein (P-gp)-dependent transepithelial permeability and uptake kinetics of HIV protease inhibitors (PI), by using recombinant epithelial cells expressing wild-type MDR 1 (MDR1 wt ) or the G1199A variant (MDR1 1199A ). Methods: Using a recombinant expression system developed previously, the transepithelial permeability and uptake kinetic parameters of five PI, amprenavir, indinavir, lopinavir, ritonavir, and saquinavir were estimated across polarized epithelial cells. Results: For all PI, the transepithelial permeability ratio (basolateral-to-apical transport divided by apical-to-basolateral transport) was significantly greater in MDR1 1199A cells than MDR1 wt cells: amprenavir (1.7-fold), indinavir (1.8-fold), lopinavir (1.5-fold), ritonavir (2.8-fold), and saquinavir (2.1-fold). However, the impact of G1199A on P-gp activity appeared to primarily influence drug permeability in the apical-to-basolateral direction. Kinetic analysis of ritonavir and saquinavir uptake by MDR1 wt - and MDR1 1199A -expressing cells showed that V max was similar, while uptake K m was significantly higher in cells expressing the G1199A variant suggesting that alterations in P-gp-dependent efflux mediated by G1199A were due to changes in transporter affinity. Conclusions: Alterations in transepithelial permeability of HIV PI due to the G1199A polymorphism may impact oral bioavailability of PI and penetration into cells and tissues of the lymphoid and central nervous systems.
Nonverbal aspects of Black English

Lack of understanding by white Americans of the nonverbal aspects of Black English is often responsible for the recurring breakdowns in communication between members of the races. Little research on the subject has been done, yet an understanding of it is essential if effective interpersonal communication is to occur. This paper seeks to provide some information about the nonverbal aspects of Black English and perhaps will challenge the reader to undertake the much‐needed research.
Identifying the optimal partition in convex quadratic programming

Given an optimal solution for a convex quadratic programming (QP) problem, the optimal partition of the QP can be computed by solving a pair of linear or QP problems for which nearly optimal solutions are known.
Enemies to Allies: The Role of Policy-Design Adaptation in Facilitating a Farmer–Environmentalist Alliance

In the period 1985 to 1996, agricultural conservation policy in the United States underwent a fundamental transition from a focus on policy design elements that emphasized short-term economic returns for farmers and long-term productivity to a focus on design elements that emphasized systemic environmental concerns. Although farmers' concerns with the environment were doubtlessly real, this adaptation of design elements allowed the agriculture policy community to gain the support of the environmental community for programs that offered new ways to channel short-term economic support to farmers. The adaptation of design elements was triggered by the severe economic threat farmers began to experience in the late 1970s. This article investigates the language adaptations that facilitated the changes in agricultural conservation policy by analyzing the five policy-design elements developed by Ingram and Schneider.
Three-Dimensional Classical Groups Acting on Polytopes

Let V be a three-dimensional vector space over a finite field. We show that any irreducible subgroup of GL(V) that arises as the automorphism group of an abstract regular polytope preserves a nondegenerate symmetric bilinear form on V. In particular, the only classical groups on V that arise as automorphisms of such polytopes are the orthogonal groups.
A crystallin gene network in the mouse retina.

The present study was designed to examine the regulation of crystallin genes and protein in the mouse retina using the BXD recombinant inbred (RI) strains. Illumina Sentrix BeadChip Arrays (MouseWG-6v2) were used to analyze mRNA levels in 75 BXD RI strains along with the parental strains (C57Bl/6J and DBA/2J), and the reciprocal crosses in the Hamilton Eye Institute (HEI) Retina Dataset (www.genenetwork.org). Protein levels were investigated using immunoblots to quantify levels of proteins and indirect immunohistochemistry to define the distribution of protein. Algorithms in the Genomatix program were used to identify transcription factor binding sites common to the regulatory sequences in the 5′ regions of co-regulated set of crystallin and other genes as compared to a set of control genes. As subset of genes, including many encoding lens crystallins is part of a tightly co-regulated network that is active in the retina. Expression of this crystallin network appears to be binary in nature, being expressed either at relatively low levels or being highly upregulated. Relative to a control set of genes, the 5′ regulatory sequences of the crystallin network genes show an increased frequency of a set of common transcription factor-binding sites, the most common being those of the Maf family. Chromatin immunoprecipitation of human lens epithelial cells (HLEC) and rat retinal ganglion cells (RGC) confirmed the functionality of these sites, showing that MafA binds the predicted sites of CRYGA and CRYGD in HLE and CRYAB, CRYGA, CRYBA1, and CRYBB3 in RGC cells. In the retina there is a highly correlated group of genes containing many members of the α- β- and γ-crystallin families. These genes can be dramatically upregulated in the retina. One transcription factor that appears to be involved in this coordinated expression is the MAF family transcription of factors associated with both lens and extralenticular expression of crystallin genes.
Policy Choices and Regional Equality among the Soviet Republics

While socioeconomic equality and maximum economic growth have been the proclaimed aims of Soviet leaders, the simultaneous implementation of these goals is difficult. Analysis of budgets reveals that expenditures in economic categories vary significantly across Soviet republics, and decline little over time. The republics are substantially more equal in sociocultural expenditures, and are becoming even more so with time. The level of urbanization accounts for a large share of the variance in the social budget but not the economic one. Policy decisions concerning the latter are likely subject to a process involving a variety of political, military and socioeconomic considerations that transcend both the equality and efficiency criteria. In contrast, the increasing parity among Soviet republics in the sociocultural budget is closely related to the increasing urbanization of the republics at the lower end of the development scale. It appears that increasing regional equality in the Soviet Union may be achieved primarily through improvements in social opportunities, and not by means of direct redistribution of economic resources.
Photonic Integrated Circuits for RF Analog Links, WDM and Other Advanced Applications

We discuss recent advances in photonic integration based on asymmetric twin waveguide technology.
A rare cause of benign ventriculomegaly with associated syringomyelia: BRESEK/BRESHECK syndrome. Case illustration.

We report our experience in the management of an 18-month-old boy, who presented to our institution with failure to thrive and seizures. The infant had a history of congenital ichthyosis, Hirschsprung disease, coarctation of the aorta, and an atrial septal defect. He had alopecia of the scalp, eyebrows, and eyelashes, bilateral microphthalmia, micrognathia, and large low-set ears (Fig. 1). His vision and hearing were grossly normal as were muscle tone and strength throughout the extremities, although his deep tendon reflexes were diminished. His left upper extremity was shortened with a well-formed thumb and only two digits. Height, weight and head circumference measurements were significantly below the 5th percentile. Cytogenetic testing revealed a normal karyotype, 46, XY; fluorescence in situ hybridization revealed no chromosomal abnormality. Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging of the brain showed a prominent ventricular system without evidence of transependymal flow or aqueductal stenosis (Fig. 2). The massa intermedia was prominent, suggestive of fusion. The optic nerves, chiasm, and tracts were all hypoplastic. A cord-expanding intramedullary collection of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) was present from the inferior aspect of C-6 to T-2 (Fig. 2C). There was no evidence of cerebellar ectopia. In 1997, Reish and colleagues1 described the possibility of a new Xlinked syndrome, BRESEK/BRESHECK, named after the acronym that reflects the findings: brain anomalies, retardation of mentality and growth, ectodermal dysplasia, skeletal malformations, Hirschsprung disease, ear deformity and deafness, eye hypoplasia, cleft palate, cryptorchidism, and kidney dysplasia/hypoplasia. Our patient exhibited brain anomalies, mental and growth retardation, ectodermal dysplasia, skeletal malformations, Hirschsprung disease, and eye hypoplasia similar to the findings described by Reish, et al. The presence of an intramedullary CSF collection appears to be yet another manifestation of this syndrome, without apparent clinical significance in early childhood.
Long-term treatment in vivo with NOX-101, a scavenger of nitric oxide, prevents diabetes-induced endothelial dysfunction

Substantial evidence exists that diabetes results in impaired endothelial dysfunction suggesting diminished nitric oxide production from diabetic endothelium. It is not known what factors contribute to the development of this defect. In this study, we tested whether chronic treatment in vivo with NOX-101, a water-soluble nitric oxide scavenger, prevents endothelial dysfunction in diabetes. Sprague-Dawley rats were made diabetic by an intravenous injection of streptozotocin. A subgroup of control or diabetic animals received twice daily subcutaneous injections of 80 mg/kg NOX-101 beginning at 48 h after streptozotocin was injected and throughout 8 weeks of diabetes. Body weights and glucose concentrations were monitored weekly. At the end of 8 weeks, blood glucose and glycosylated haemoglobin was raised in diabetic rats but serum insulin concentrations were reduced. Treatment with NOX-101 did not alter glucose or insulin concentrations in control or diabetic rats; however, total glycosylated haemoglobin was partially reduced compared with untreated rats. In a subgroup of 2-week diabetic and age-matched rats fasted for 24 h, NOX-101 abolished total urinary nitrate plus nitrite (an index of nitric oxide production in vivo). In isolated tissue baths, relaxation to the endothelium-dependent vasodilator, acetylcholine, was impaired in diabetic aortic rings and relaxation to nitroglycerin was unaltered. Treatment of control rats with NOX-101 did not alter maximum relaxation to acetylcholine but shifted the response curve slightly to the right. In contrast in diabetic rats, NOX-101 prevented the impairment in endothelium-dependent relaxation but had no effect on relaxation induced by nitroglycerin. These data suggest the possibility that diabetes-induced endothelial dysfunction in diabetes results, in part, from a paradoxical increase in nitric oxide production during the course of the disease. This suggests a novel pathway of vascular complications.
Metabolism of free and conjugated 17-hydroxycorticosteroids in subjects with thyroid disease.

Levels of free and conjugated 17-hydroxycorticosteroids (17-OHCS) in plasma were measured after intravenous infusions of cortisol, tetrahydrocortisone (Tetra E) and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) in subjects wi h hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism. After administration of cortisol to hyperthyroid patients, the levels of free 17-OHCS decayed more rapidly than normal, while those of conjugated 17-OHCS rose faster and to higher values than in normal subjects. The opposite occurred in hypothyroid patients. Conjugation of administered Tetra E was increased in hyperthyroid patients but was normal in those with hypothyroidism. Plasma concentrations of free 17-OHCS were influenced more by the rate of removal from plasma than by the adrenal response to ACTH in both types of subjects. Accordingly the level of free 17-OHCS after ACTH was a misleading index of adrenocortical function, as the rise was greatest in hypothyroid patients and least in those with hyperthyroidism. The level of conjugated 17-OHCS after in...
Robust and variational fitting: Removing the four-center integrals from center stage in quantum chemistry

Abstract We are interested in developing very fast and very accurate first-principles molecular dynamics. The approach that we are developing is robust and variational fitting. Fitting can be used effectively in quantum chemistry in many ways beyond optimizing and generating molecular orbitals, provided the fits are variational, i.e. compatible with the variational principle. Robust-variational fits, in addition to being variational, correct the target function to first order in the error made due to fitting. Thus robust and variational fits and fitting-basis sets can be generated in the same manner that molecular orbitals and atomic-basis sets are generated. Robust-variational resolution-of-the-identity methods are described as well as methods for analytically treating Kohn–Sham exchange and the case of canted spins in a general treatment of magnetism and with the spin–orbit interaction.
Television Viewing, Fat Stereotyping, Body Shape Standards, and Eating Disorder Symptomatology in Grade School Children

A survey of 303 first- to third-grade children measured relationships between (a) television viewing and interpersonal attraction (IA) to television characters and (b) fat stereotyping, body shape standards, and eating disorder symptomatology. Television viewing predicted an increased tendency among males to stereotype a fat female target and also predicted increased eating disorder symptomatology among participants of both genders. IA to thin television characters was not a consistent predictor of thinness-favoring cognitions and behaviors, but IA to average-weight characters was a significant negative predictor for female participants. Discussion focuses on the need for continued research on the relationship between media exposure, ideal-body stereotype internalization, and eating disorder symptomatology in child populations.
The study of virus structure and function: a personal history

I describe my gradually evolving role as a scientist from my birth in Frankfurt (Germany) to my education in the UK, my post-doc years and my experiences as an independent investigator at Purdue University1. I discuss the significance of my post-doctoral work in Minnesota where I had my first encounter with an electronic computer and subsequently in Cambridge where I participated in the first structure determination of proteins. After six years back in England my family moved to Indiana (USA) where my home remains to this day. At Purdue University I first studied the structure of enzymes and in the process I discovered the organization and slow evolution of protein domains, each with a specific function. With this success I started what had been on my mind already for a long time, namely the structural analysis of viruses. Initially we studied plant viruses but then switched to small RNA animal viruses, discovering that some plant and animal RNA viruses have closely similar structures and therefore presumably had a common evolutionary origin. Next I became interested in somewhat larger viruses that had lipid membrane envelopes. In turn that has led to the study of very large dsDNA viruses as big as small bacteria as well as studies of bacterial viruses that require complex molecular motors for different parts of their life cycle. While developing crystallographic techniques for the study of viruses it has become progressively more apparent that electron microscopy is an important new tool that is likely to eclipse x-ray crystallography in the next decade.
Pharmacological treatment in mental health disorders after trauma

The treatment of psychological trauma depends partially on the type of emotional problem being presented, the time that has passed since the traumatic event(s), and the availability of means. However, it should be stressed that cognitive and behavioural treatment approaches work very well.
Incident ESRD and treatment-resistant hypertension: the reasons for geographic and racial differences in stroke (REGARDS) study.

Background Studies suggest that treatment-resistant hypertension is common and increasing in prevalence among US adults. Although hypertension is a risk factor for end-stage renal disease (ESRD), few data are available for the association between treatment-resistant hypertension and ESRD risk. Study Design Prospective cohort study. Setting & Participants We analyzed data from 9,974 REGARDS (Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke) Study participants treated for hypertension without ESRD at baseline. Predictor Treatment-resistant hypertension was defined as uncontrolled blood pressure (BP) with concurrent use of 3 antihypertensive medication classes including a diuretic or use of 4 or more antihypertensive medication classes including a diuretic regardless of BP. Outcome Incident ESRD was identified by linkage of REGARDS Study participants with the US Renal Data System. Measurements During a baseline in-home study visit, BP was measured twice and classes of antihypertensive medication being taken were determined by pill bottle inspection. Results During a median follow-up of 6.4 years, there were 152 incident cases of ESRD (110 ESRD cases among 2,147 with treatment-resistant hypertension and 42 ESRD cases among 7,827 without treatment-resistant hypertension). The incidence of ESRD per 1,000 person-years for hypertensive participants with and without treatment-resistant hypertension was 8.86 (95% CI, 7.35-10.68) and 0.88 (95% CI, 0.65-1.19), respectively. After multivariable adjustment, the HR for ESRD comparing hypertensive participants with versus without treatment-resistant hypertension was 6.32 (95% CI, 4.30-9.30). Of participants who developed incident ESRD during follow-up, 72% had treatment-resistant hypertension at baseline. Limitations BP, estimated glomerular filtration rate, and albuminuria assessed at a single time. Conclusions Individuals with treatment-resistant hypertension are at increased risk for ESRD. Appropriate clinical management strategies are needed to treat treatment-resistant hypertension in order to preserve kidney function in this high-risk group.
On the presence of valves in the rat cerebral arteries.

Valves were observed in the muscular cerebral arteries of the rat at the level of the optic chiasm in each of the ten adult animals examined. These paired valves were formed by folds of the intima. They were frequently associated with a branching of the artery. Part of the well formed internal elastic membrane separated the base of the valve from the media, while some very thin elastic fibers spread through the tissue forming the valve. The area of the valve was stained metachromatically by cresyl violet and was sharply differentiated from the remaining non-metachromatic arterial wall. The internal elastic membrane was intensely stained by fuchsin paraldehyde, PAS, orcein and silver diammine.
Late-Holocene vegetation and fire history from Ferry Lake, northwestern Wisconsin, USA

We used charcoal and fossil pollen to investigate how fire, vegetation and climate have interacted over the past 2300 years at Ferry Lake, located on a sand plain in northwestern Wisconsin. Pollen ...
Incorporating Amino Acid Esters into Catalysts for Hydrogen Oxidation: Steric and Electronic Effects and the Role of Water as a Base

Four derivatives of a hydrogen oxidation catalyst, [Ni(PCy2NBn-R2)2]2+ (Cy = cyclohexyl, Bn = benzyl, R = OMe, COOMe, CO-alanine-methyl ester, CO-phenylalanine-methyl ester), have been prepared to investigate steric and electronic effects on catalysis. Each complex was characterized spectroscopically and electrochemically, and thermodynamic data were determined. Crystal structures are also reported for the −OMe and −COOMe derivatives. All four catalysts were found to be active for H2 oxidation. The methyl ester (R = COOMe) and amino acid ester containing complexes (R = CO-alanine-methyl ester or CO-phenylalanine-methyl ester) had rates slower (4 s–1) than that of the parent complex (10 s–1), in which R = H, which is consistent with the lower amine pKa's and less favorable ΔGH2's found for these electron-withdrawing substituents. Dynamic processes for the amino acid ester containing complexes were also investigated and found not to hinder catalysis. The electron-donating methyl ether derivative (R = OMe) w...
A Type 1 Cholecystokinin Receptor Mutant That Mimics the Dysfunction Observed for Wild Type Receptor in a High Cholesterol Environment

Cholecystokinin (CCK) stimulates the type 1 CCK receptor (CCK1R) to elicit satiety after a meal. Agonists with this activity, although potentially useful for treatment of obesity, can also have side effects and toxicities of concern, making the development of an intrinsically inactive positive allosteric modulator quite attractive. Positive allosteric modulators also have the potential to correct the defective receptor-G protein coupling observed in the high membrane cholesterol environment described in metabolic syndrome. Current model systems to study CCK1R in such an environment are unstable and expensive to maintain. We now report that the Y140A mutation within a cholesterol-binding motif and the conserved, class A G protein-coupled receptor-specific (E/D)RY signature sequence results in ligand binding and activity characteristics similar to wild type CCK1R in a high cholesterol environment. This is true for natural CCK, as well as ligands with distinct chemistries and activity profiles. Additionally, the Y140A construct also behaved like CCK1R in high cholesterol in regard to its internalization, sensitivity to a nonhydrolyzable GTP analog, and anisotropy of a bound fluorescent CCK analog. Chimeric CCK1R/CCK2R constructs that systematically changed the residues in the allosteric ligand-binding pocket were studied in the presence of Y140A. This established increased importance of unique residues within TM3 and reduced the importance of TM2 for binding in the presence of this mutation, with the agonist trigger likely pulled away from its Leu356 target on TM7. The distinct conformation of this intramembranous pocket within Y140A CCK1R provides an opportunity to normalize this by using a small molecule allosteric ligand, thereby providing safe and effective correction of the coupling defect in metabolic syndrome.
Experimental demonstration of a photonic phase locked loop

The paper concerns experimental validation of a photonic phase locked loop linear phase demodulator employing a novel attenuating counter propagating in-loop phase modulator (ACP-PPLL). The ACP in-loop phase modulator is free of propagation delay allowing stable operation of the PPLL with large gain. An ACP-PPLL with a bandwidth of 100MHz was implemented for the first time. Highly linear optical phase demodulation was observed. With 550mW optical input, the measured spurious free dynamic range (SFDR) is 134dB·Hz2/3 at 100 MHz. With higher optical input, the SFDR was pushed to 135dB·Hz2/3 at 200 MHz.
1.047GHz, 1.2V, 90nm CMOS, 2-Way VLIW DSP Core Using Saturation Anticipator Circuit

1.047GHz synthesizable 2-way VLIW general purpose DSP core has been developed by 1.2V 90nm CMOS technology. The key technology is to detect saturation from adder's inputs in an ALU and parallelize the saturation check with the adder operation. The proposed saturation anticipator circuit and the logic structure optimization improve DSP's clock frequency by 20.8%. The test chip also runs 0. 10muW/MHz at 0.8V low power operation mode
Prescribed burning and understory composition in a temperate deciduous forest, Ohio, USA

Since the advent of widespread suppression in the mid-20th century, fire has been relatively rare in deciduous forests of the eastern United States. However, widespread prescribed burning has recently been proposed as a management tool to favor oak (Quercus spp.) regeneration. To examine the potential effects of fire introduction on the understory community, we experimentally burned small plots and simulated aspects of fire at a forested site in southeastern Ohio. Treatments included two burn intensities, litter removal, increased soil pH, and a control. Treatments were arranged in a randomized block design in two landscape positions (dry upland and moist lowland) and two canopy conditions (gap, no gap). Postfire vegetation was identified to species, and stems were counted 1, 3, and 14 months after burning. Community composition was more strongly affected by fire in upland plots than in lowlands, but was not affected by canopy openness. Both cool and hot burns reduced post-fire seedling emergence of Acer rubrum, a common overstory tree. Hot burns facilitated germination of Vitis spp., Rhus glabra, and Phytolacca americana, species common in disturbed habitats, and increased graminoid abundance. Cool burns and litter removal facilitated germination of Erechtites hieracifolia and Liriodendron tulipifera suggesting that litter removal is the mechanism by which fire favors colonization. These results suggest that fire applied frequently in the Central Hardwoods Region would cause compositional shifts to graminoids and disturbance-adapted forbs by increasing germination from the seed bank. Fire did not favor species with dormant underground buds, as studies in other ecosystems would suggest. Vegetational responses were noticeably weaker in the second year after burning, indicating that a single fire has only a short-term effect. # 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Immune-deficient mouse models for analysis of human stem cells

The field of murine models of xenotransplantation has grown immensely over the past two decades. The explosive growth in this field is in part due to the fact that good in vitro methods do not exist yet to allow examination of human stem cell homing into the bone marrow compartment versus other tissues, long-term survival of human stem cells, or differentiation into tissues outside of the hematopoietic system. Since these important aspects of human stem cell biology can be examined in vivo using immune-deficient mice, the number of different strains and models is constantly increasing. The current review discusses the merits and drawbacks of each immune-deficient mouse xenograft system as it stands to date and reviews how each immune-deficient mouse model has been used to further our knowledge of human hematopoietic stem cell biology.
Complex AV nodal dynamics during ventricular-triggered atrial pacing in humans.

In vitro experiments have shown that the complexity of atrioventricular nodal (AVN) conduction dynamics increases with heart rate. Although complex AVN dynamics (e.g., alternans) have been observed clinically, human AVN dynamics during rapid pacing have not been systematically investigated. We studied such dynamics during ventricular-triggered atrial pacing in 37 patients with normal AVN function (18 patients with dual AVN pathway physiology and 19 patients without). Alternans, which always resulted from single pathway conduction, occurred in 18 patients. In 16 patients (3 of whom also had alternans), quasisinusoidal AVN conduction oscillations occurred (mean frequency 0.02 Hz); such oscillations have not been previously reported. There were no significant differences in the dynamics for patients with or without dual AVN pathways. To illuminate the governing dynamic mechanism, a second atrial pacing trial was performed on 12 patients after autonomic blockade. Blockade facilitated alternans but inhibited oscillations. This study suggests that rapid AVN excitation in vivo can lead to autonomically mediated AVN conduction oscillations or single pathway alternans that are a function of inherent nonlinear dynamic AVN tissue properties.
Efficacy of azithromycin in the treatment of guinea pigs infected with Legionella pneumophila by aerosol

Azithromycin and erythromycin were compared for efficacy in guinea pigs infected with an aerosol containing Legionella pneumophila. When administered intraperitoneally, azithromycin was very effective in the treatment of experimental Legionnaires' disease. Even at the low dose of 3.6 mg/kg/day it gave 100% survival and eliminated lung infectivity two days following infection. In contrast, erythromycin at a much higher dose (96 mg/kg/day) gave only 83.3% survival and failed to eliminate organisms from the lung six days after infection. The histological findings confirmed the superiority of azithromycin. A single dose of azithromycin given intraperitoneally at 3.6 or 14.4 mg/kg gave survival rates of 83.3 and 100%, respectively. Azithromycin was also found to be superior to erythromycin in eliminating lung infectivity and reducing mortality, when administered orally. However, oral administration of azithromycin was not as effective as intraperitoneal when assessed by lung histopathology, although it was still superior to oral erythromycin treatment.
Line crack subject to antiplane shear

Abstract Field equations of nonlocal elasticity are solved to determine the state of stress in a plate with a line crack subject to a constant anti-plane shear. Contrary to the classical elasticity solution, it is found that no stress singularity is present at the crack tip. By equating the maximum shear stress that occurs at the crack tip to the shear stress that is necessary to break the atomic bonds, the critical value of the applied shear is obtained for the initiation of fracture. If the concept of the surface tension is used, one is able to calculate the cohesive stress for brittle materials.