cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Abstract 194: Inhibition of Epigenetic Reader BRD4 Mitigates Intimal Hyperplasia Following Angioplasty in Rat Carotid Arteries

Background: Intimal hyperplasia (IH) causes recurrent lumen narrowing leading to failure of revascularization. BRD4 represents an emerging class of epigenetic “readers” and has recently been shown to play a crucial role in cancer. While blockage of BRD4 activity with a specific inhibitor (JQ1) rescues heart failure in a mouse model, the role of BRD4 in vascular diseases is not known. Hypothesis: BRD4 stimulates IH by promoting a transformation of vascular smooth muscle cells (SMCs) from quiescent to proliferative and migratory phenotypes. Methods and Results: Balloon angioplasty was performed to induce IH in rat carotid arteries. Immunohistochemistry showed that 7 days after balloon injury, 85% of cells in the neointima were BRD4 positive, in contrast this ratio was only 7% in the media of uninjured control (n=3 animals). A pronounced increase of BRD4 was also observed in restenotic versus normal human veins. Blocking BRD4 with periadventitially applied JQ1 (500 μg/rat) reduced IH by 75% and SMC prolifera...
FULL-SCALE EXPERIMENTAL SIMULATION OF PEDESTRIAN-VEHICLE IMPACTS

A series of 10 full-scale experimental simulations of pedestrian-vehicle impact was carried out using cadavers and a 95th percentile anthropomorphic dummy. The test subjects were impacted laterally and frontally at 24, 32 and 40 km/h (15, 20 and 24 mph). Each subject was extensively instrumented with minature accelerometers, up to a maximum of 53 transducers. The nine-accelerometer scheme was used to measure angular acceleration of body segments from which it was possible to compute the head injury criterion (HIC) for cadaver head impact. A full- scale Chevrolet was used as the impacting vehicle. The impact event was three-dimensional in nature during which the body segments executed complex motions. Dummy impacts were more repeatable than cadaver impacts but the response of these test subjects were quite different. The HIC was higher for head-hood impact than for head-ground impact in two of the cases analyzed. The acquired data could be used to validate existing three- dimensional gross motion simulators. /Author/
Activation of Molecular Oxygen by Cytochrome P450

The complex multistep mechanism of oxygen activation in P450 is reviewed as a sequence of the following reactions: Substrate binding, reduction of the heme iron from ferric to the ferrous state, binding of dioxygen, second electron transfer and formation of peroxo-ferric intermediate, two sequential protonation events to give hydroperoxo-ferric intermediate, and finally, after O–O bond scission, the ferryl-oxo intermediate, termed compound I. Details of these processes and the role of interactions with redox partners, as well as substrate variability in the overall efficiency of P450 catalysis, are discussed. In addition, common points and variations between the soluble prokaryotic and membrane-bound eukaryotic cytochromes P450 with respect to the oxygen activation mechanisms are briefly compared.
Learning physics via explanation-based learning of correctness and analogical search control

Abstract : Cascade models humans learning college physics by studying examples and solving problems. It simulates the main qualitative phenomena visible in human protocols of learning, including several strategies for analogical and non-analogical problem solving, and two strategies for studying examples. It learns at the knowledge level by acquiring new physics rules, and it learns search control knowledge. Most importantly, it models a recently observed phenomemon, the self explanation effect, which correlates student's example studying strategies with they amount they learn.
Politics in Biology

The relationship between biology and politics is manifold, ranging from politics within biology and implications of politics for biological research to intrinsic political dimensions of biological insights. Politics within biology plays out in the everyday practice of academic and applied science and has recently reached a new dimension in the context of priority and patent disputes, whereas political interventions in form of regulatory and funding policies have become major factors in shaping biological research. Here we focus on how the results of biology, and specifically modern evolutionary biology and its conceptual extensions, have shaped discussions in economics, medicine and public health and anthropology. We argue that these recent developments in the life sciences have enormous conceptual and practical implications for human society and politics as they contribute to a substantial reevaluation of some deeply entrenched conceptions about human nature and the foundations of society. Key concepts: Politics and biology interact in complex ways that go beyond a simple one directional causal relationship. Biological research is in part driven by internal political motivations and aspirations. The political world affects biological research by multiple means, including through laws and regulations, funding policies and financial incentives such as patents. Biological research often responds to political demands, such as for translational research, especially in the biomedical sciences. Biological insights have, for a long time, influenced conceptions of human nature and also of society. Humans can usefully be characterized as both biological and cultural beings. Evolutionary theory has had a significant impact on our understanding of humanness and society. Today an extended evolutionary theory is rapidly transforming such areas as economics, medicine and public health and anthropology, which, in turn, have substantial political implications for the life sciences themselves. Keywords: evolution; politics; evolutionary psychology; evolutionary medicine; economics; anthropology
Photoaffinity labeling of parathyroid hormone receptors in clonal rat osteosarcoma cells

A photoreactive derivative of a sulfur-free bovine parathyroid hormone (PTH) analogue, [Nle8,N-epsilon-(4-azido-2-nitrophenyl)Lys13,Nle18,Tyr34]bovine PTH-(1-34)-NH2 (NAP-NlePTH), was purified from the products of the reaction of [Nle8,Nle18,Tyr34]bovine PTH-(1-34)-NH2 (NlePTH) with 4-fluoro-3-nitro-phenylazide and was used to identify binding components of the PTH receptor in clonal rat osteosarcoma cells (ROS 17/2.8). The purified analogue, NAP-NlePTH, is a fully active agonist in three different ROS 17/2.8 cell bioassays: 1) specific binding to saturable PTH receptors; 2) stimulation of cyclic AMP accumulation; and 3) inhibition of cellular alkaline phosphatase activity; this analogue gave dose response curves parallel to and 25-33% as potent as its parent molecule, NlePTH. Radioiodinated NAP-NlePTH (125I-labeled NAP-NlePTH) retained maximal receptor-binding potency. Radioligand saturation studies in intact cells showed that the Kd of PTH receptors for the photoligand was slightly less than that for 125I-labeled NlePTH (2.8 and 0.8 nM, respectively), but that the Bmax was essentially identical for both radioligands (8 fmol/10(5) cells). Photoaffinity labeling of ROS 17/2.8 cells revealed several 125I-labeled macromolecular components by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. One predominant 125I-labeled band, having an apparent Mr of 80,000 daltons (including Mr = 4,347 ligand; hereafter referred to as the Mr = 80,000 protein), was consistently demonstrated in both reducing and nonreducing conditions. Its labeling was completely inhibited by coincubation with NlePTH (10 nM) at 26-fold molar excess to the photoligand, but not by biologically inactive PTH fragments or unrelated hormone. Labeling of several other macromolecular components persisted in the presence of NlePTH (1 microM). Only the labeling of the Mr = 80,000 protein showed saturation kinetics for photoaffinity labeling; the dose of 125I-labeled NAP-NlePTH (0.8 nM) to half-saturate labeling of the Mr = 80,000 protein was close to the Kd (2.8 nM) of specific binding of the photoligand to receptors in intact ROS 17/2.8 cells. Pretreatment of the cells with NlePTH and dexamethasone led to the predicted proportional decrease or increase, respectively, in labeling of the Mr = 80,000 protein. Our data, using a highly purified photoactive derivative of PTH, having carefully defined chemical and biological properties, show a plasma membrane component of Mr = 80,000 in ROS 17/2.8 cells that possesses the affinity, binding capacity, and physiological characteristics of the PTH receptor.
Excitation of locus coeruleus neurons by vasoactive intestinal peptide: role of a cAMP and protein kinase A.

In accord with previous studies, it was found that vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP), a powerful activator of adenylate cyclase, and cAMP-active agents (i.e., 8-Br-cAMP, forskolin, and Ro20-1724) increased the firing rate of noradrenergic neurons in the locus coeruleus (LC) by inducing an inward current. The response to VIP was usually more rapid and larger in a subpopulation of LC neurons with subthreshold rhythmic oscillations in membrane potential (oscillatory cells) as compared to nonoscillatory cells. In either case, the inward currents elicited by VIP and cAMP-active agents were found to be nonadditive, suggesting the action of VIP, at least in part, is via the same mechanism as that of cAMP-active agents. Intracellular application of a specific protein (or related peptide) inhibitor of cAMP-dependent protein kinase markedly attenuated the activation induced by either cAMP-active agents or VIP, suggesting that cAMP-dependent protein kinase (protein kinase A), presumably through protein phosphorylation, plays a role in the action of VIP. Taken together, the results provide evidence that cAMP and protein kinase A are involved in mediating the electrophysiological actions of VIP on LC neurons.
Staging of acute leukemia and the relationship to CNS involvement. Staging of ALL and CNS disease.

One hundred eighty-two children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), reticulum cell sarcoma (RCS), and lymphocytic lymphosarcoma (LS) were divided into four groups as follows: Group 1—LS or RCS which never undergoes leukemic conversion; Group 2—Gross nodal enlargement either ALL from diagnosis or localized LCS or RCS subsequently converting to ALL; Group 3—ALL with palpable spleen or liver, but no gross nodal enlargement; Group 4—ALL without palpable spleen, liver, or gross nodal enlargement. It was found that Group 4, despite a superior survival (42.5 months), had a reduced incidence (31.8%) of central nervous system leukemia. Leukemic “conversion” of LS or RCS and ALL with gross nodal enlargement (Group 2) had the shortest survival (median 8.5 months) but a relatively high percentage (58.8%) with CNS disease. In non-converting LS or RCS (Group 1) only 20% had CNS involvement. On histologic criteria alone, 14.3% with RCS had CNS disease, whereas 57.9% of those with LS were affected. It is felt that a distinct adverse relationship exists between extra medullary enlargement of spleen, liver, and lymph nodes at diagnosis and the subsequent involvement of the CNS in ALL and transforming LS.
The Off-Grid Zero Emission Building

This paper deals with the Off-Grid Zero Emissions Building (OGZEB), a project undertaken by the Sustainable Energy Science & Engineering Center (SESEC) at Florida State University (FSU). The project involves the design, construction and operation of a completely solar-powered building that achieves LEED-NC (Leadership in Energy and Environment Design-New Construction) platinum certification. The resulting 1000 square foot building will be partitioned such that 750 square feet will be a two bedroom, graduate student style flat with the remaining 250 square feet serving as office space. This arrangement will allow the building to serve as an energy efficient model for campus designers in student living and office space. The building will also serve as a prototype for developing and implementing cutting edge, alternative energy technologies in both residential and commercial settings. For example, hydrogen will be used extensively in meeting the energy needs of the OGZEB. In lieu of high efficiency batteries, the excess electricity produced by the building’s photovoltaic (PV) panels will be used to generate hydrogen via water electrolysis. The hydrogen will be stored on-site until needed for either generating electricity in a Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) fuel cell stack or combusted in natural gas appliances that have been modified for hydrogen use. Although commercial variants already exist, a highly efficient water electrolysis device and innovative PEM fuel cell are currently under development at SESEC and both will be implemented into the OGZEB. The use of hydrogen in modified natural gas appliances, such as an on-demand hot water heater and cook top, is unique to the OGZEB.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
A DESCRIPTIVE STUDY OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MOOD DISORDERS AND HEPATITIS C TREATMENT COMPLIANCE: DOES NURSING PLAY A ROLE?

Chronic hepatitis C is a common and often serious condition. Current treatment uses antiviral therapy based on alpha interferon. Neuropsychiatric side effects are common with interferon therapy, and the management of mood disorders during treatment for hepatitis C is an important part of helping patients maintain compliance, thus improving their chance of having a successful treatment outcome. This descriptive study examined the incidence of mood disorders in 29 treatment naive patients with chronic hepatitis C participating in a clinical trial of various interferon-based therapies. Relationships among mood disorders, use of antidepressants, hepatitis treatment compliance, and sustained treatment response (having undetectable hepatitis C viral load 24 weeks post-treatment) were examined. Eighty-one percent of sustained responders experienced psychiatric events, and it is speculated that comprehensive nursing support and intervention were key components in achieving favorable patient outcomes.
Scale-dependent determinants and consequences of benthic algal heterogeneity

The objectives of this paper were to introduce frameworks for predicting the determinants and consequences of the great heterogeneity in benthic algal assemblages. A hierarchical framework of environmental factors affecting benthic algal spatial heterogeneity is presented with the ultimate determinants (climate, geology, land use, and biogeography) that are important constraints on benthic algal assemblage structure at large spatial scales. These ultimate determinants constrain expression of intermediate and proximate determinants of benthic algal function and structure. A similar framework for temporal heterogeneity distinguishes how assemblages respond to short-term and long-term environmental changes, referred to as disturbances and stresses, respectively. Assemblages recover from punctuated (short-term) environmental change (disturbance) by immigration and reproduction of both persistent and recolonizing species. Assemblages adapt to permanent (longterm) environmental change (stress) by changing speci...
Fuel tank wall response to hydraulic ram during the shock phase.

THIS Note outlines some preliminary work accomplished in a research program at the Naval Postgraduate School to study the effects of hydraulic ram in fuel tanks upon aircraft survivability and vulnerability. The problem of predicting the interaction of a high speed projectile with a liquid filled tank (hydraulic ram) is a complex but necessary study if kill probabilities are to be predicted for this type of event. Furthermore, to design survivable fuel tanks, it is necessary to understand hydraulic ram in detail. The hydraulic ram phenomenon may be divided into two phases: 1) the shock phase where the projectile exchanges some of its energy with the fluid by the production of a strong, nearly hemispherical shock wave originating from the entry wall, and 2) the cavity phase where further energy is imparted to the fluid by the production and collapse of a vapor filled cavity formed by separation of the fluid from the surface of the projectile as it moves through the tank. This Note considers the shock phase and examines the structural response of the entry wall during this phase.
Pyruvate carboxylase deficiency: acute exacerbation after ACTH treatment of infantile spasms

Pyruvate carboxylase deficiency results in congenital lactic acidosis. We report the significant finding in a child with infantile spasms controlled with adrenocorticotrophin hormone (ACTH) but who then developed severe lactic acidosis; pyruvate carboxylase deficiency was subsequently diagnosed. Blood lactate, pyruvate, and alanine levels were elevated, as well as cerebrospinal fluid alanine. Plasma alanine concentration was doubled by ACTH therapy. Fibroblasts contained extremely low pyruvate carboxylase activity. The patient died at 12 weeks of age after recurrent episodes of profound acidosis. At autopsy, the brain manifested cystic degeneration and demyelination. Pyruvate carboxylase deficiency is associated with neonatal onset of acidosis, delayed development, seizures, hypotonia, recurrent profound acidosis, and early death. The dramatic rise in plasma alanine content coincident with ACTH therapy suggest that ACTH played a role in precipitating the catastrophic metabolic acidosis.
M-Adaptation in the mimetic finite difference method

The mimetic finite difference method produces a family of schemes with equivalent properties such as the stencil size, stability region, and convergence order. Each member of this family is defined by a set of parameters which can be chosen locally for every mesh element. The number of parameters depends on the geometry of a particular mesh element. M-Adaptation is a new adaptation methodology that identifies a member of this family with additional (superior) properties compared to the other schemes in the family. We analyze the enforcement of the discrete maximum principles for the diffusion equation in the primal and dual forms, the reduction of numerical dispersion and anisotropy for the acoustic wave equation, and the optimization of the performance of multi-grid solvers.
14C Uptake by Schistosoma mansoni from Biomphalaria glabrata exposed to 14C-glucose

Abstract Exposure of Biomphalaria glabrata infected with Schistosoma mansoni to 14 C-glucose results in a greater uptake of original total snail label by the parasitized digestive gland-gonad, site of the developing daughter sporocysts and cercariae, than by the digestive gland-gonad of control animals. As a consequence of this greater uptake by the infected digestive gland-gonad, the albumen gland and remainder of the carcass of parasitized snails receive less label than do those areas in normal snails. Emergence of cercariae from the snail and daughter sporocyst mass account for a diversion of 12.6% of original total label from the infected snail itself. This diversion of label from the snail to the parasite may explain carbohydrate depletion in parasitized snails.
The performance of the Biotest RCS centrifugal air sampler.

Abstract Tests of a commercially available sampler for measuring the microbial content of air show that the results obtained from it must be interpreted with considerable caution. The effective sampling volume falls rapidly for unit density particles less than 5 μm in diameter. Over the range of sizes commonly met with in environmental sampling the effective sampling volume averages about 100 1/min; some 2·5 × the makers figure. This must be realized when making comparison with other results or with any standards. Even with environmental samples the effective sampling volume may vary widely, in accordance with the particle size, and may easily be as little as half or nearly twice the average value given above.
Methodological Comments: McFarlane et al

Does the McFarlane et al study 1 provide a model for practical trials? Unfortunately, not. The methodological problems are here reviewed and used as a springboard to set out methodological criteria that might define such a model.
Paleomagnetism of some Indian kimberlites and lamproites

Abstract Consistent vectors have been isolated by AF demagnetization of 22 cores from two sites in Proterozoic kimberlites in the Wajrakarur district of the Dharwar Craton ( N =2, D =156, I =−71, K =1596, α =6.3, Pole WAJ 45.4°S, 121.5°W), and 12 cores from two sites from the mine at Majhgawan in the Panna district in the Aravalli craton ( N =2, D =34, I =−27, k =53, α =35.4, Pole MAJ, 38.9°N, 216.5°E). Surprisingly, these 1200-1000 Ma poles fall close to roughly coeval points on the APW curve for the Kalahari Craton in a Smith-Hallam Gondwana reconstruction. If the poles and their ages are correct, these data constrain Mesoproterozoic supercontinent reconstructions.
Valuation of Lease Contracts with a Price Adjustment Option: An Application to the Maritime Transport Industry

In volatile lease markets, a fixed rate contract may allow one contract party to gain excessive profits while letting the other party face substantial losses. The flexibility in adjusting the contract rate can help address this issue and maintain a fair long-term relationship. This article models and prices the flexibility using real options and derives the boundary of option exercise to facilitate the optimal decision on the rate adjustment. The proposed method is applied to time charter contracts in the maritime transport industry. Moreover, the level of flexibility can be tailored to meet different budgets for the flexibility.
Petroleum ingestion reduces reproduction in Cassin's Auklets

Sublethal doses of petroleum reduced reproduction in a free-living seabird, Cassin's Auklet (Ptychoramphus aleuticus), nesting on Southeast Farallon Island, California. The proportion of birds laying eggs was reduced 9–13 days after ingestion by gelatin capsule of 300, 600 or 1000 mg bunker C fuel oil, or 1000 mg Prudhoe Bay crude oil. In addition, among those auklets that eventually laid eggs, hatching was reduced by doses of 1000 mg of bunker C but was unaffected by other treatments. Chick development after hatching was unaffected by any treatment. The total time of egg formation from onset of rapid yolk formation to laying was 13 days, and it is early in this period that auklets are vulnerable to petroleum.
Computer‐aided material balancing for prediction of fermentation parameters

Despite the importance of biomass as a parameter in fermentation processes, there are no commercially available sensors suitable for its measurement. An indirect approach for the assessment of biomass concentration can be based on material balances and on the direct monitoring of fermentation parameters for which there are established sensors (e.g., gaseous oxygen and carbon dioxide). As a consequence, this method requires no assumption of cellular yield coefficients or rate constants. This approach is also readily adaptable to general use since it requires only some knowledge of the compositions of the substrate, cells, and noncellular products.
Molecular orbital studies of diatomic molecules

This paper describes a method of molecular orbital calculation for heteronuclear and homonuclear diatomic molecules, in the approximation of a linear combination of spatial configurations, each of which is a product of one-electron functions. The method is applicable to systems in which the one-electron orbitals are not required to be either orthogonal or filled in pairs. A practical procedure is presented for treating permutational symmetry and spin for an arbitrary spatial wave function, and using this procedure we consider simultaneously all the spin configurations associated with the chosen spatial wave function. The wave functions used are parametric expressions in spheroidal coordinates, and include the usual Slater orbitals as special cases. All necessary integrals are evaluated in a manner suitable for machine computation. A computer programme to implement this method of calculation has been prepared. Provision was made to programme the computer to vary the parameters of the wave functions so as t...
Subjective roughness and smoothness for individual judges

Ss judged a sequence of 12 emery cloths with instructions that they judge roughness and smoothness using magnitude estimation procedures. For individual Ss, power functions appropriately described the psychophysical relationships between the subjective estimations and grit numbers, however, the exponents were quite variable and were generally smaller than those reported in previous research. Reciprocality (for judged roughness-smoothness) was observed.
PHOTOCHEMISTRY OF PORPHYRINS: A MODEL FOR THE ORIGIN OF PHOTOSYNTHESIS*

A series of porphyrins and catalysts has been prepared as a model for the origin of photosynthesis on the primordial earth. These compounds have been used to test the hypotheses that (1) the biosynthetic pathway to chlorophyll recapitulates the evolutionary history of photosynthesis, and (2) the proto-photosythetic function of biogenetic porphyrins (biosynthetic chlorophyll precursors) was the oxidation of organic molecules by photoexcited porphyrins with the attendant emission of molecular hydrogen. This paper describes experiments in which photoexcited biogenetic porphyrins oxidize ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA). The concomitant reduction of protons to hydrogen gas occurs in the presence of a colloidal platinum catalyst. The addition of methyl viologen, a one-electron shuttle, increases the amount of molecular hydrogen generated during long irradiations and the quantum yield of hydrogen production. When the porphyrin and catalyst are held in association by molecular complexes, the increased efficiency of electron transfer produces higher yields of hydrogen gas.
On-line coloringk-colorable graphs

We show that for anyk, there exists an on-line algorithm that will color anyk-colorable graph onn vertices withO(n1−1/k!) colors. This improves the previous best upper bound ofO(nlog(2k−3)n/log(2k−4)n) due to Lovasz, Saks, and Trotter. In the special casesk=3 andk=4 we obtain on-line algorithms that useO(n2/3log1/3n) andO(n5/6log1/6n) colors, respectively.
Effects of Cobalt-60 Gamma-Rays on Ge-Se Chalcogenide Glasses and Ag/Ge-Se Test Structures

Solid state electrolytes fabricated with chalcogenide glass (ChG) are considered viable candidates for the next generation of non-volatile memory technologies. These glasses, which are composed of group IV and/or group V elements with those of group VI chalcogens (S, Se, and Te), are excellent metal ion conductors. Because of this property, the resistance across structures composed of ChG films sandwiched between active metal (e.g., Ag) and inert metal (e.g., Ni) electrodes can be switched upon the application of sufficient bias, thereby enabling memristive action. In this paper, the effects of 60Co gamma-ray irradiations on Ag/Ge30Se70 test structures are investigated. The results show that exposure to high-energy photons can trigger the transport of Ag+ & ions from an active Ag top layer into an underlying Ge30Se70 ChG film. Post-irradiation annealing experiments also indicate that this “photo-doping” process is reversible once the radiation stress is removed. Numerical simulations which model the mechanisms of radiation-induced photo-doping and recovery are shown to agree well with the data. The results and analysis presented in this paper suggest the ChG-based memristors may be more susceptible to transient radiation effects than cumulative radiation damage.
Recent advances in the application of real-time computational intelligence to industrial electronics

The field of computational intelligence [CI] has seen advances in both the theoretical knowledge base of these techniques, and in specific applications of these techniques to real-world problems. This work first attempts to summarize the current trends and definitions in the CI branches of fuzzy systems, artificial neural networks [ANNs], and hybrid neuro-fuzzy systems and their variants. These particular branches of CI are selected for their ability to be implemented in real-time problem solving, whether computation and processing is done in software or implemented in hardware. Then, some current applications of these CI technologies for use in industrial electronics are highlighted and summarized.
Inotrope use and outcomes among patients hospitalized for heart failure: impact of systolic blood pressure, cardiac index, and etiology.

Abstract Background Inotropes are widely used in hospitalized systolic heart failure (HF) patients, especially those with low systolic blood pressure (SBP) or cardiac index. In addition, inotropes are considered to be harmful in nonischemic HF. Methods and Results We examined the association of in-hospital inotrope use with (1) major events (death, ventricular assist device, or heart transplant) and (2) study days alive and out of hospital during the first 6 months in the Evaluation Study of Congestive Heart Failure and Pulmonary Artery Catheterization Effectiveness, which excluded patients with immediate need for inotropic therapy. Predefined subgroups of interest were baseline SBP −1 m −2 , and ischemic versus nonischemic HF etiology. Inotropes were frequently used in both the P P = .042]; respectively). Risk with inotropes was more pronounced among those with cardiac index ≥1.8 L min −1 m −2 (n = 114; HR 4.65, 95% CI 1.98–10.9; P −1 m −2 (n = 82; HR 1.48, 95% CI 0.61–3.58; P = .39). Event rates were higher with inotropes in both ischemic (n = 215; HR 2.64, 95% CI 1.49–4.68; P = .001) and nonischemic (n = 216; HR 2.19, 95% CI 1.18–4.07; P = .012) patients. Across all subgroups, patients who received inotropes spent fewer study days alive and out of hospital. Conclusions In the absence of cardiogenic shock or end-organ hypoperfusion, inotrope use during hospitalization for HF was associated with unfavorable 6-month outcomes, regardless of admission SBP, cardiac index, or HF etiology.
Polyelectrolyte−Quantum Dot Multilayer Films Fabricated by Combined Layer-by-Layer Assembly and Langmuir−Schaefer Deposition

Stable multilayer thin films, assembled by a combination of layer-by-layer processing of polyelectrolytes and inorganic quantum dot monolayers prepared using the Langmuir−Schaefer deposition proced...
The energy dependence of electron radiation damage in l-valine

Experimental electron diffraction and microscopy results are described regarding the energy dependence of electron radiation damage in the aliphatic amino acid l-valine. The critical exposure, defined as the electron flux necessary to destroy the crystallinity of a material, has been determined over a range of electron energy from 50 keV to 3 MeV. In terms of the electron velocity the results indicate a β3 dependence rather than β2 as predicted from stopping power theory. The results are used to estimate the applicability, especially with respect to potential resolution, of very high voltage electron microscopy in the study of beam-sensitive organic materials and to indicate that a factor of 2 times improvement in resolution can be expected at 1 MeV compared to 100 keV.
Synthesis and biological evaluation of novel cryptophycin analogs with modification in the β-alanine region

Structure modification of the β-alanine region (fragment C) of the potent antimitotic agent cryptophycin was investigated. This includes: (1) introduction of substituents at the previously unsubstituted C7 position of the macrolide ring and (2) replacement of the (2R)-3-amino-2-methyl-propanoic acid (β-alanine) with various (1)-amino acids to give the corresponding 15-membered unnatural cryptophycin analogs.
Formation control of multiple underactuated surface vessels

The formation control of a group of underactuated surface vessels has been considered. With the aid of results from graph theory, cooperative control laws are proposed using the relative information between neighbors. The proposed control laws can make a group of surface vessels converges to a desired stationary formation and have the same orientations. Stability of the closed-loop system with time delay in the controllers is also discussed. Effectiveness of the proposed results is verified by simulation results.
The Effect of Bile Duct Obstruction on the Clearance of Circulating IgA Immune Complexes

The clearance of circulating IgA immune complexes following acute bile duct obstruction was investigated in this study. IgA immune complexes were formed in vitro from MOPC-315, an IgA M-component with anti-dinitrophenyl (DNP) specificity, and 125I-DNP10 bovine serum albumin (BSA). Eighteen hours after laparotomy during which the common bile duct was either identified only or identified and ligated, the IgA immune complexes were injected intravenously. Groups of bile duct-ligated and bile duct-patent rats were also injected intravenously with IgG anti-DNP-125I-DNP10BSA immune complexes and 125I-bovine liver beta-glucuronidase to assess the hepatic clearance of materials not dependent on an intact biliary system. Clearance of IgA immune complexes was delayed after bile duct ligation. Although the clearance of IgA immune complexes was delayed, only 10% of these complexes remained in the circulation at 3 hr. The clearance of IgG immune complexes and beta-glucuronidase was not affected by ligation. These experiments demonstrate the physiologic importance of a patent bile duct in the normal clearance of IgA immune complexes in the rat. The observation that clearance is delayed, but not completely inhibited by bile duct ligation suggests that alternate mechanisms exist for removing IgA immune complexes from the circulation.
A Simple, Highly Efficient Method for Heterologous Expression in Mammalian Primary Neurons Using Cationic Lipid-mediated mRNA Transfection

Expression of heterologous proteins in adult mammalian neurons is a valuable technique for the study of neuronal function. The postmitotic nature of mature neurons prevents effective DNA transfection using simple, cationic lipid-based methods. Adequate heterologous protein expression is often only achievable using complex techniques that, in many cases, are associated with substantial toxicity. Here, a simple method for high efficiency transfection of mammalian primary neurons using in vitro-transcribed mRNA and the cationic lipid transfection reagent Lipofectamine 2000 is described. Optimal transfection conditions were established in adult mouse dissociated dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons using a 96-well based luciferase activity assay. Using these conditions, a transfection efficiency of 25% was achieved in DRG neurons transfected with EGFP mRNA. High transfection efficiencies were also obtained in dissociated rat superior cervical ganglion (SCG) neurons and mouse cortical and hippocampal cultures. Endogenous Ca2+ currents in EGFP mRNA-transfected SCG neurons were not significantly different from untransfected neurons, which suggested that this technique is well suited for heterologous expression in patch clamp recording experiments. Functional expression of a cannabinoid receptor (CB1R), a G protein inwardly-rectifying K+ channel (GIRK4) and a dominant-negative G protein α-subunit mutant (GoA G203T) indicate that the levels of heterologous protein expression attainable using mRNA transfection are suitable for most functional protein studies. This study demonstrates that mRNA transfection is a straightforward and effective method for heterologous expression in neurons and is likely to have many applications in neuroscience research.
Frequency tracking and doppler shift compensation in response to an artificial CF/FM echolocation sound in the CF/FM bat, Noctilio albiventris

Bats of the speciesNoctilio albiventris emit short-constant frequency/frequency modulated (short-CF/FM) pulses with a CF component frequency at about 75 kHz. Bats sitting on a stationary platform were trained to discriminate target distance by means of echolocation. Loud, free-running artificial pulses, simulating the bat's natural CF/FM echolocation sounds or with systematic modifications in the frequency of the sounds, were presented to the bats during the discrimination trials. When the CF component of the artificial CF/FM sound was between 72 and 77 kHz, the bats shifted the frequency of the CF component of their own echolocation sounds toward that of the artificial pulse, tracking the frequency of the artificial CF component.
Inhibition of synaptosomal enzymes by local anesthetics.

The effects of tertiary amine local anesthetics (procaine, lidocaine, tetracaine and dibucaine) and chlorpromazine were investigated for three enzyme activities associated with rat brain synaptosomal membranes, i.e., (Na+ + K+)-ATPase (ouabain-sensitive), Mg2+-ATPase (ouabain-insensitive) and acetylcholinesterase. Approximately the same concentrations of each agent gave 50% inhibition of both ATPases, for example 7.9 and 10 mM tetracaine for Mg2+-ATPase and (Na+ + K+)-ATPase, respectively; these concentrations are 10-fold higher than required for inhibition of mitochondrial F1-ATPase. The relative inhibitory potency of the several agents was proportional to their octanol/water partition coefficients. Acetylcholinesterase was inhibited by all agents tested, but the ester anesthetics (procaine and tetracaine) were considerably more potent than the others after correction for partition coefficient differences. For tetracaine, 0.18 mM gave 50% inhibition and showed competitive inhibition on a Lineweaver-Burk plot, but for dibucaine a mixed type of inhibition was observed, and 0.63 mM was required for 50% inhibition. Tetracaine evidently binds at the active site, and dibucaine at the peripheral or modulator site, on this enzyme.
Direct etching of SiO2 and Al2O3 by 900-keV gold ions

We report the direct etching of Al2O3 and SiO2 using 900-keV Au+ ions. 2000-mesh Cu grids were employed as masks using two different configurations: (1) the Cu mesh was placed on top of each insulator separately and independent irradiations were performed, and (2) the Al2O3 and SiO2 substrates were positioned in an edge-to-edge configuration with a single Cu grid providing a common mask to both insulators. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis revealed quite different patterns resulting from the two irradiation configurations. While the irradiation using individual masks resulted in mirror-image patterns of the Cu mask in the substrates, the use of a common mask led to single line structures approximately normal to the edges of the substrates. The role of charge buildup and sputtering in relation to relative dielectric properties of the substrates and close proximity of the samples during irradiation is discussed.
Development of the T0 reference temperature from precracked Charpy specimens

Abstract The master curve approach specified within the new ASTM E1921 Test Standard is a significant advance in defining an indexing temperature, T0, the median fracture toughness, and associated failure probability bounds for ferritic steels in the ductile-to-brittle transition regime. An objective in developing this standard test procedure has been that it should, if possible, allow the use of precracked Charpy-size specimens to measure T0 and the associated fracture performance. However, the supporting technical basis document for E1921 [NUREG/CR-5504, US Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC, November 1998] presents no experimental evidence which demonstrates the accuracy of T0 estimates from precracked Charpy specimens. There was also little independent experimental verification presented [NUREG/CR-5504, US Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC, November 1998] to support the limiting deformation criterion (M=30) contained in the standard. Computational and analytical support [NUREG/CR-5504, US Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC, November 1998] of the deformation criterion for precracked Charpy specimens is also lacking. The most applicable recent computational work by Ruggieri and Dodds [Engng. Frac. Mech. 60 (1) (1998) 19] supports a deformation criterion that is almost twice as stringent as the E1921 standard to ensure that constraint loss does not occur. Historically, constraint loss has been evaluated for individual specimens, while E1921 implicitly only requires that constraint loss does not significantly alter the median toughness. This work experimentally evaluates the use of precracked Charpy specimens to estimate T0 by comparing results obtained on both precracked Charpy and 1T (or larger) fracture toughness measurements. The data demonstrate that the Charpy-size specimens tend to have a non-conservative bias, even when the data fall within the allowable E1921 deformation criterion. This effect may be a function of the degree of crack tip constraint loss, which strongly depends on the material flow properties. An attempt is made to correct for any constraint loss in the Charpy-size specimen and remove any bias in the measured T0 using a simple constant stressed volume cleavage failure criterion [Int. J. Frac. 74 (1995) 131]. While this method does decrease the difference between T0 values measured using Charpy and conventional 1T specimens, more detailed cleavage initiation models which can be independently calibrated will be required to rigorously account for any constraint differences between Charpy and larger specimens.
The effect of w/c ratio and curing temperature on the permeability of hardened cement paste

Abstract The importance of concrete permeability is discussed relative to its effect on durability. Experimental studies were made of the effect of water/cement ratio and curing temperature on the porosity, pore size distribution and permeability of cement pastes. Although total porosities of samples cured at 60°C are smaller than in those cured at 27°C, the pore volume larger than 750A radius is greater in the 60°C samples and is related to higher permeabilities also in the latter.
Effects of Population Increase on Cui‐ui Growth and Maturation

Abstract Cui-ui Chasmistes cujus is endemic to Pyramid Lake, Nevada. The cui-ui population declined during much of the 20th century as a result of water diversion and the formation of a shallow and virtually impassable delta at the mouth of the Truckee River, its spawning habitat. The population increased more than 10-fold to more than 1 million adults after access to the river was restored, creating a period of relatively higher density. This change presented the opportunity to test intraspecific density effects on cui-ui age and length at maturity and on growth. We also compared the year-class structure of the adult population before and after improved access. At low density, cui-ui mean age at maturation was 9.2 years for males and 9.6 for females; at high density, it was significantly higher: 11.8 years for males and 12.0 for females. There was no significant change in mean fork length at maturity related to population increase. Growth patterns differed between high and low density, the low-density fi...
Evaluating Air Traffic Flow Management in a Collaborative Decision-Making Environment

The collaborative decision-making (CDM) framework introduced into ground delay programs in the late 1990s is an integral component of FAA's traffic flow management (TFM) procedures. CDM allows FAA to act as a mediator when managing TFM programs, transferring as much decision making as possible to the individual airlines. Although this approach has been highly successful in practice, it creates a new question for the research community: How should proposed enhancements to TFM be evaluated in a CDM environment? A sequential evaluation procedure, developed in this paper, addresses this question. The procedure includes airline disruption responses and a quasi-compression operation, attempting to mimic the three-stage CDM process. To model airline disruption responses, an integer optimization model was developed to balance operational and passenger considerations in determining which flights to cancel, swap, or delay. The value of this procedure is demonstrated by analyzing an optimization-based TFM approach i...
Formulation substitution and other pharmacokinetic variability: underappreciated variables affecting antiarrhythmic efficacy and safety in clinical practice.

The process of treating a patient with an antiarrhythmic drug only begins when a physician chooses the drug to be employed. In the given patient, not only must the drug be chosen, but so must the dose, the formulation, and the method of follow-up. Choosing the proper dose requires an understanding of clinical trial efficacy and safety data for the agent chosen in a population of patients resembling the individual to be treated. It also requires a detailed understanding of pharmacologic principles of drug kinetics (e.g., absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion) that might affect the dose needed for the specific patient. The physician must be familiar with subsequent changes in clinical circumstances that might indicate a need for a change in dose or drug. Many circumstances determining drug pharmacokinetics are not under the immediate control of physicians, such as genetic patterns, organ function, and disease circumstances. One, however, is-or should always be-the selection of the drug formulation used. Although generic versions of innovator drugs exist for many agents and often are clinically acceptable, most physicians are unaware of the meager degree of testing that is necessary for the release of a generic drug, and the wide range of attained serum levels that are called bioequivalent by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) when one formulation is compared with another. In patients with cardiac arrhythmias, arrhythmia recurrence, proarrhythmia, and death have been reported in association with antiarrhythmic drug formulation substitution. Despite their reported bioequivalence, the generic agents involved were clearly not therapeutically equivalent. Accordingly, this article was written to educate physicians further about the above-noted important pharmacokinetic variables that can affect a patient's outcome when an antiarrhythmic drug is employed, and to provide information on the generic drug approval process and guidelines for the use of formulation substitution.
Tuning endothelial monolayer adhesion: a neutron reflectivity study

Endothelial cells, master gatekeepers of the cardiovascular system, line its inner boundary from the heart to distant capillaries constantly exposed to blood flow. Interendothelial signaling and the monolayers adhesion to the underlying collagen-rich basal lamina are key in physiology and disease. Using neutron scattering, we report the first ever interfacial structure of endothelial monolayers under dynamic flow conditions mimicking the cardiovascular system. Endothelial adhesion (defined as the separation distance l between the basal cell membrane and solid boundary) is explained using developed interfacial potentials and intramembrane segregation of specific adhesion proteins. Our method provides a powerful tool for the biophysical study of cellular layer adhesion strength in living tissues.