cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Relationship between shock energy and postdefibrillation ventricular arrhythmias in patients with implantable defibrillators.

Postdefibrillation Ventricular Arrhythmias. Background: The relationship between postdefibrillation ventricular arrhythmias and shock strength is poorly understood in patients with implantable defibrillators. The purpose of this study was to characterize the relationship between postdefibrillation ventricular arrhythmias and shock strength. Methods and Results: Forty-three patients with an implanted defibrillator underwent six separate inductions of ventricular fibrillation (VF) after a step-down defibrillation energy requirement (7.3 ± 4.6 J) was determined. For each of the first three inductions of VF, the first two shocks were low energy and equal to approximately 75 % of the defibrillation energy requirement (5.4 ± 3.3 J), or to the defibrillation energy requirement plus 10 J (17.5 ± 4.3 J). After the first two shocks, subsequent shocks were programmed to the maximum available energy (29.0 ± 2.5 J). The alternate technique was used for the subsequent three inductions of VF. Post defibrillation ventricular arrhythmias were noted. Post defibrillation ventricular arrhythmias with a cycle length ≤ 300 msec were more frequent after a low-energy shock (19%), than after a high-energy shock (1.5 %; P = 0.005). Postdefibrillation ventricular arrhythmias with a cycle length > 300 msec were more frequent after a high-energy shock (32%), than after a low-energy shock (7.1%; P = 0.002). A relationship between the cycle length of the post defibrillation ventricular arrhythmias and the absolute defibrillation energy was observed (P 300 msec were uncommon after shocks ≤ 10 J (P = 0.001). The characteristics of ventricular arrhythmias after maximum-energy shocks were similar to those that occurred after high-energy shocks. Conclusions: Post defibrillation ventricular arrhythmias with a cycle length ≤ 300 msec are more common after shocks of strength associated with a low probability of successful defibrillation. Postdefibrillation ventricular arrhythmias with a cycle length of > 300 msec are more common after high- and maximum-energy shocks, and are directly related to the absolute defibrillation energy.
Flame nanotube synthesis in moderate electric fields : From alignment and growth rate effects to structural variations and branching phenomena

The flame synthesis of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) coupled with application of moderate electric fields is studied experimentally as a means to control CNTs growth rates and morphology. The nanotubes are grown on a conductive metal-based catalytic probe positioned at the fuel side of the opposed flow oxy-flame. The probe was connected to an external voltage source to generate radial electric fields on its surface. At low applied voltages (from 0.3 to 2 V), the effect of the electric field on alignment and growth rate enhancement revealed the generation of vertically aligned carbon nanotube (VACNT) arrays with uniform distribution of CNT diameters. Further increases of the applied voltage resulted in structural modifications of the generated nanotubes. In particular, helically coiled CNTs were observed at applied voltages of ∼3 V. At higher voltages the arrays contained multi-walled CNTs with fascinating modified morphologies such as Y, T, and multi-junction patterns. Analysis of the samples generated at applied voltage of 5 V showed the presence of particle sprouting and early CNT junctions in the form of small bumps extruding from the outer surface of the CNTs. Analysis of material samples synthesized at 12 and 25 V showed the presence of fully branched CNT structures.
Treatment of anchor pixels in the METRIC model for improved estimation of sensible and latent heat fluxes

Abstract Reliable estimation of sensible heat flux (H) is important in energy balance models for quantifying evapotranspiration (ET). This study was conducted to evaluate the value of adding the Priestley-Taylor (PT) equation to the METRIC (Mapping Evapotranspiration at high Resolution with Internalized Calibration) model. METRIC was used to estimate energy fluxes for 10 Landsat images from the 2005, 2006 and 2007 crop growing seasons in south-central Nebraska, USA, where each image owing to recent rainfall exhibited high residual moisture content even at the hot pixel. The METRIC model performed satisfactorily for net radiation (Rn ) and soil heat flux (G) estimation with a root mean square error (RMSE) of 52 and 24 W m-2, respectively. A RMSE of 122 W m-2 for H indicated the limitation of the METRIC model in estimating H for high residual moisture content of the hot pixel (Alfalfa reference ET fraction, ET r F > 0.15). The modified METRIC model (wet METRIC or wMETRIC) incorporating the PT equation was a...
Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of Non‐Hydrolyzable 1,2,3‐Triazole‐Linked Sialic Acid Derivatives as Neuraminidase Inhibitors (Eur. J. Org. Chem. 16/2009)

The cover picture shows the binding of an influenza virus to the surface of a host cell. The hemaglutinin (blue spikes) binds to the sialic acid (green hexagons) residues present on the non-reducing end of the surface glycoprotein to gain entry into the cell. Once the cell is infected, the viral neuraminidases (pink pinwheels) cleave the sialic acids to escape. The 1,2,3-triazole-linked sialic acid derivatives (green spheres) were designed to act as non-hydrolyzable inhibitors to block the virus. Details are discussed in the article by R. J. Linhardt et al. on p. 2611 ff.
AAV9 and Cre: a one-two punch for a quick cardiac knockout

This editorial refers to ‘Rapid and highly efﬁcient inducible cardiac gene knockout in adult mice using AAV-mediated expression of Cre recombinase’ by S. Werfel et al. , pp. 15–23, this issue. Knockout mice have revolutionized our ability to conduct biomedical research and no area has benefited more than cardiovascular disease. The knockout (or genetic deletion) of (a) specific gene(s) has provided a clearer understanding of the roles a gene plays in development, normal physiology, and in responses to injury, vasomotor regulation, and excitation/contraction coupling to name a few. These advances notwithstanding, the utility of traditional knockout mice can be limited in cases where the gene deletion causes embryonic lethality, or when a tissue-specific knockout is desired to avoid having off-target effects limit the study. The application of Cre-lox technology to transgenesis has provided a powerful tool in helping investigators create tissue-specific knockouts.1 The Cre-lox strategy requires the breeding of two separate lines of genetically manipulated mice: ‘floxed’ mice in which the gene of interest has been flanked by two loxP sites using ‘knock-in’ techniques, and another line of transgenic mice in which a tissue-specific promoter is used to drive the expression of Cre-recombinase. By crossing these two strains, mice are obtained in which tissue-specific expression of Cre results in deletion of the gene of interest due to the action of the Cre-recombinase enzyme that excises the genomic region flanked by the loxP sites. …
THE INFLUENCE OF TIME OF FEEDING ON THE PERIODICITYIN ACTIVITY IN THYROID AND ADRENALGLAND OF NORMAL MALE GUINEA PIGS1

A NUMBER of investigators have noticed cyclic variations in the average numberof mitoses in different tissues of plants and animals corresponding to theL 24 hour daily cycle; in these reports it is assumed that variation in light isthe critical factor determining this periodicity. A number of plants have been studied.Karsten (i) found that in Spirogyra a maximum mitotic activity appeared about midnight; in Allium, Kellicott (2) observed two maxima: a primary one at 11:00 P.M.,and a secondary rise at 1:00 P.M. On the other hand, Stalfelt (3) noted that mitoticactivity in roots of Picum sedaticum occurs at 9 to 11 A.M. Furthermore, Berinsohn(4) found that Allium root tips contain more karyokinetic figures after a period ofexposure to darkness than after a similar exposure to light. Similarly in animals, the reports of several investigators show a marked differenceas to the time at which maximum mitotic activity occurs.
DNA supercoiling promotes formation of a bent repression loop in lac DNA

Titration experiments on supercoiled lac DNA show that one repressor tetramer can bind simultaneously to the primary lac operator and to the very weak lac pseudo-operator, located 93 base-pairs apart. The formation of this complex is accompanied by the appearance of an extreme hypersensitive site in a five base-pair sequence located approximately midway between the operators. This remote sequence is hypersensitive to attack by two different chemical probes, dimethyl sulfate and potassium permanganate, the latter of which is a new probe for distorted DNA. We interpret these results in terms of a complex in which lac repressor holds two remote operators together in a DNA loop. The formation of this bent DNA loop requires negative DNA supercoiling. In vivo, both lac operators bind repressor even though the presence of multiple operator copies has forced the two operators to compete for a limited amount of repressor. This suggests that the operator and pseudo-operator have similar affinities for repressor in vivo. Such similar affinities were observed in vitro only when DNA supercoiling forced formation of a repression loop.
Clinical outcome of deep brain stimulation for dystonia: constant‐current or constant‐voltage stimulation? A non‐randomized study

Background and purpose Bilateral globus pallidus deep brain stimulation (GPi-DBS) represents an effective and relatively safe therapy for different forms of refractory dystonia. The aim of this study was to assess, retrospectively, the effect of two different stimulation settings during GPi-DBS in 22 patients affected by primary generalized or multi-segmental dystonia. Methods Thirteen patients were stimulated using a voltage-controlled setting whilst in the other nine patients a current-controlled setting was used. Clinical features were evaluated for each patient at baseline, 6 months and 12 months after surgery by means of the Burke−Fahn−Marsden Dystonia Rating Scale. Results Globus pallidus deep brain stimulation was effective in all patients. However, comparing constant-current and constant-voltage stimulation, a better outcome was found in the current-controlled group during the last 6 months of follow-up. Conclusions Current-controlled stimulation is effective during GPi-DBS for primary dystonia and it could be a better choice than voltage-controlled stimulation over long-term follow-up.
Polarizable Empirical Force Field for Aromatic Compounds Based on the Classical Drude Oscillator

The polarizable empirical CHARMM force field based on the classical Drude oscillator has been extended to the aromatic compounds benzene and toluene. Parameters were optimized for benzene and then transferred directly to toluene, with parameters for the methyl moiety of toluene taken from the previously published work on the alkanes. Optimization of all parameters was performed against an extensive set of quantum mechanical and experimental data. Ab initio data was used for determination of the electrostatic parameters, the vibrational analysis, and in the optimization of the relative magnitudes of the Lennard-Jones parameters. The absolute values of the Lennard-Jones parameters were determined by comparing computed and experimental heats of vaporization, molecular volumes, free energies of hydration and dielectric constants. The newly developed parameter set was extensively tested against additional experimental data such as vibrational spectra in the condensed phase, diffusion constants, heat capacities at constant pressure and isothermal compressibilities including data as a function of temperature. Moreover, the structure of liquid benzene, liquid toluene and of solutions of each in water were studied. In the case of benzene, the computed and experimental total distribution function were compared, with the developed model shown to be in excellent agreement with experiment.
Electromagnetic ion-cyclotron wave growth rates and their variation with velocity distribution function shape

The sensitivity of electromagnetic ion-cyclotron wave growth rates to the details of the shape of proton velocity distribution functions is explored. For this purpose two different forms of bi-Lorentzian for the proton distribution functions were adopted. The growth rates for the two types of bi-Lorentzians and the biMaxwellians for the beam (hot) protons are compared. Although the growth rates for the three shapes depend on the velocity moments of the different velocity distributions in a similar way, their magnitudes were found to vary considerably.
Generalised Sequence Signatures through symbolic clustering

Traditionally sequence motifs and domains are defined such that insertions, deletions and mismatched regions are small compared with matched regions. We introduce an algorithm for the identification of Generalised Sequence Signatures (GSS) that can be composed of windows distributed throughout the sequence. Our approach is based on clustering analysis of recurring subsequences of a predefined length, to which we refer as symbols. Sequences are grouped so as to maximise the number of shared symbols among them. We show that the utilisation of GSS for deriving sequence annotations yields higher confidence values than the usage of other signature recognition approaches.
Automated detection of diabetic retinopathy: barriers to translation into clinical practice.

Automated identification of diabetic retinopathy (DR), the primary cause of blindness and visual loss for those aged 18–65 years, from color images of the retina has enormous potential to increase the quality, cost–effectiveness and accessibility of preventative care for people with diabetes. Through advanced image analysis techniques, retinal images are analyzed for abnormalities that define and correlate with the severity of DR. Translating automated DR detection into clinical practice will require surmounting scientific and nonscientific barriers. Scientific concerns, such as DR detection limits compared with human experts, can be studied and measured. Ethical, legal and political issues can be addressed, but are difficult or impossible to measure. The primary objective of this review is to survey the methods, potential benefits and limitations of automated detection in order to better manage translation into clinical practice, based on extensive experience with the systems we have developed.
Inhomogeneous structure in hydrogenated tetrahedral amorphous carbon thin films

The structure of hydrogenated tetrahedral amorphous carbon (ta-C:H) thin film was investigated by observing variations in film stress and mass density as a function of the film thickness. Cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy clearly shows an inhomogeneous microstructure that includes a region near the substrate/film interface with a higher density than the remainder of the film. It is postulated that surface charge accumulation of the insulating coating reduces the energy of the incoming ions. Lower-energy ion bombardment results in a ta-C:H film with both reduced stress and mass density. {copyright} {ital 1999} {ital The American Physical Society}
Enhanced near-threshold photoemission from adsorbate-covered Au and Ag films

Abstract We report here the first observation of enhanced photoyields at the surface plasma resonance in silver using molecular adsorbates. Monolayer and sub-monolayer coverings of polar and nonpolar molecules were found to be sufficient to reduce the work function below the energy of the surface plasmon. Different yields were obtained on continuous than on quasi-continuous metal films. Enhancements by factors up to 102 were obtained. Cesium was used as an adsorbate for comparison.
Rate coefficients for the reactions of OH with CF3CH2CH3 (HFC-263fb), CF3CHFCH2F (HFC-245eb), and CHF2CHFCHF2 (HFC-245ea) between 238 and 375 K.

Rate coefficients for reaction of the hydroxyl radical (OH) with three hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) CF3CH2CH3, HFC-263fb, (k1); CF3CHFCH2F, HFC-245eb, (k2); and CHF2CHFCHF2, HFC-245ea, (k3); which are suggested as potential substitutes to chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), were measured using pulsed laser photolysis−laser-induced fluorescence (PLP−LIF) between 235 and 375 K. The Arrhenius expressions obtained are k1(T) = (4.36 ± 0.72) × 10-12 exp[−(1290 ± 40)/T] cm3 molecule-1 s-1; k2(T) = (1.23 ± 0.18) × 10-12 exp[−(1250 ± 40)/T] cm3 molecule-1 s-1; k3(T) = (1.91 ± 0.42) × 10-12 exp[−(1375 ± 100)/T] cm3 molecule-1 s-1. The quoted uncertainties are 95% confidence limits and include estimated systematic errors. The present results are discussed and compared with rate coefficients available in the literature. Our results are also compared with those calculated using structure activity relationships (SAR) for fluorinated compounds. The IR absorption cross-sections at room temperature for these compounds were measured ...
Extracorporeal Stereotactic Radiosurgery for Small Renal Masses

Over the past decade we have witnessed both a grade and stage migration for renal cell carcinoma. This shift in clinicopathology has been met with a paradigm shift in the treatment of these renal mass lesions. This trend has evolved from laparoscopic extirpation to needle-based and now extracorporeal ablation. At the forefront of the extracorporeal, minimally invasive treatment modalities is radiosurgical ablation. Still in its inaugural phase, renal radiosurgery is devoid of any long-term studies; however, short-term studies thus far show enormous potential. Herein we present the current status of radiosurgical ablation of small renal masses.
Management strategy for economic and social development: Part II

The new and rapidly changing environment of development administrators includes (1) the emergence of a world society of interdependent nations, (2) a rapid and confusing technological and scientific revolution, (3) the expansion of “service societies” in industrialized countries, (4) new major alternatives for war, neocolonialism, despotism and materialism, and (5) development problems of ascending complexity and difficulty.
Quality and Acceptability of Brine Pickled Duck Eggs

Abstract Cooked and raw duck eggs were held in saturated salt brine for periods up to four weeks. Fresh egg controls and brine pickled eggs were evaluated for flavor, texture and color by a panel consisting of about equal numbers of American and Thai ethnic origin. Albumen quality, microbial growth and pH were determined. American panel members preferred flavor, texture and color of control eggs and rejected or disliked flavor, texture and color of salt brined eggs. Thai panel members preferred flavor, texture and color of all salt brined eggs, especially those held in brine for four weeks at 21° C. Halophilic bacteria were enumerated in eggs after four weeks in salt brine, followed by four weeks at 3° C. out of brine. No halophilic organisms were detected in control eggs. Counts in uncooked eggs were lower than in those eggs cooked before brine immersion. After four weeks out of brine, counts in raw eggs reached 6.0 × 103, whereas those cooked before brine treatment reached 1.7 × 105.
Optimal Subspaces for n -Widths of Bounded Subsets in Hilbert Spaces

In this article, we consider the problem of proving the optimality of several approximation spaces by means of n-widths. Specifically, they are optimal subspaces for approximating bounded subsets in some Hilbert spaces with mesh-dependent norms. We prove that finite element spaces and newly developed generalized L-spline spaces are optimal subspaces for n-widths.
An analysis of the 6250-Å band system of Cs2

A detailed analysis of the band system of molecular cesium at 6250 A is reported.The system contains band heads degraded to the red and others degraded to the blue but no resolved rotational structure. It is shown that three red-degraded and one blue-degraded head may occur for most of the vibrational transitions. The highly variable shift of the red-degraded heads from the band origin, approximated by the blue-degraded head, allows the determination of certain combinations of rotational constants. If an assumption is made for both B 0 and D 0 of the ground state, a set of rotational and vibrational constants may be derived that represent the frequencies of both the red- and blue-degraded heads to a high accuracy.
from working daughters to working mothers: production and reproduction in an industrial community

This article presents an overview of 1977 research in Rhode Island which examined the lives of immigrant women both in the work place and the family between 1915 and 1977. The major transition in the female labor force during this period is a shift from a work force of predominantly "working daughters" to one that includes a substantial proportion of "working mothers." While the era of working daughters left the allocation of reproductive labor intact the wage work of recent immigrant mothers has had a more profound impact on families by reallocating some of "womens work." Nevertheless many families have continued to maintain an ideology that values the husbands authority emphasizes respect for parents and stresses differences between men and women all of these in the face of considerable changes in actual behavior. In 1915 the French-Canadian and Polish immigrants timing of migration the place of males within the local economy and the developmental cycle of the family all shaped strategies of allocating productive and reproductive labor and womens roles. French-Canadian women were part of a "mature ethnic population" and were often in families composed of middle-aged couples with working-age children. Fathers had a favorable place in the local economy but daughters and sons were important wage earners. In contrast Polish women were part of a newly arrived population and men had a much lower position in the local economy; women either worked in the mills or took in boarders themselves. Only in recent decades as changes in the larger political economy increased womens labor force participation have married women entered wage jobs in large numbers. In 1977 new immigrant families sent wives and mothers into the labor force a strategy that had important consequences for the allocation of reproductive labor. Overall some elements are changing while others continue to be maintained.
Local-environment effects on the density of states and substitutional impurities in random alloys

We study the electronic structure of a binary alloy using the effective-medium approximation (EMA) and we include the local environment by treating the system as a multicomponent alloy with different neighbor compositions. We use a tight-binding model in the nearest-neighbor approximation. On introducing an impurity a spectrum of levels is found. A simplified EMA which includes the local environment is developed which is as easy to evaluate as the coherent-potential approximation. By making a perturbation about the virtual-crystal approximation a simple scheme which models the splitting of impurity levels is found. We extend the EMA to consider the effects of short-range order with nonrandom correlations and find that our approximations reduce to the exact results in the appropriate limits.
A Customization Approach for Design Using Commercially Available Laminated Composite Materials

Composite materials can offer wide range of thermo-mechanical properties when designing load bearing components using them. The wide range of properties can be obtained by varying fiber-matrix volumetric ratio. Another advantage of using composite materials in design is that the directional properties of laminated composite materials can be easily manipulated by varying the angle of orientation with respect to the direction of the load. Theoretically it is possible to design composite laminates with any fiber-matrix ratio, and in any orientation. But in practice, only a selective number of laminates with given fiber volume fraction are produced and sold by the companies depending on their market demands. So, it is necessary for a designer to perform the selection of laminates from a list of available composite laminates to make it commercially viable. The manual selection process of composite laminates can be very cumbersome for the designers when multiple design goals need to be satisfied in the load bearing component that is being designed. This paper presents a new customization approach for design of load bearing components where appropriate unidirectional laminated composites can be selected to satisfy multiple property requirements. In this approach, a laminate customization technique is incorporated with a grammatical method that deals with a shape design technique, and loading analysis for the designed shape. A hip-replacement joint is designed using commercially available composite laminates to illustrate the approach.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
Calculated surface electrostatic potentials of molecular sieve models containing SiO4 AIO4, and PO4 units

Abstract Surface electrostatic potentials have been computed at the ab initio HF/STO-5G∗ level for two model systems: a fragment of a zeolite channel wall; and a fragment composed of SiO4, AlO4 and PO4 units. The potential above the SiO4 network is negative everywhere, despite these units commonly being regarded as electrically neutral. In marked contrast, the AlO4 and PO4 units introduce strongly negative and positive regions, respectively, giving rise to a much more heterogeneous surface potential.
New mathematical properties of the Banzhaf value

Abstract A new axiomatic characterization of the Banzhaf value for a cooperative n -person game with transferable utilities is given, by using a new potential function. In the space of all games with a fixed set of players a potential basis has been found, which allows an explicit representation of all games with an apriori given Banzhaf value.
Fouling of Microfiltration and Ultrafiltration Membranes by Natural Waters

Membrane filtration (microfiltration and ultrafiltration) has become an accepted process for drinking water treatment, but membrane fouling remains a significant problem. The objective of this study was to systematically investigate the mechanisms and components in natural waters that contribute to fouling. Natural waters from five sources were filtered in a benchtop filtration system. A sequential filtration process was used in most experiments. The first filtration steps removed specific components from the water, and the latter filtration steps investigated membrane fouling by the remaining components. Particulate matter (larger than 0.45 microm) was relatively unimportant in fouling as compared to dissolved matter. Very small colloids, ranging from about 3-20 nm in diameter, appeared to be important membrane foulants based on this experimental protocol. The colloidal foulants included both inorganic and organic matter, but the greatest fraction of material was organic. When the colloidal fraction of material was removed, the remaining dissolved organic matter (DOM), which was smaller than about 3 nm and included about 85-90% of the total DOM, caused very little fouling. Thus, although other studies have identified DOM as a major foulant during filtration of natural waters, this work shows that a small fraction of DOM may be responsible for fouling. Adsorption was demonstrated to be an important mechanism for fouling by colloids.
Negative ENDOR Study of an X-Ray Irradiated Crystal of Rochelle Salt

The negative ENDOR technique was used to study a C-H radical (center #2) in an X-ray irradiated crystal of ferroelectic Rochelle salt. Within the 8-20 MHz frequency range, signals from at least 11 different types of protons were detected. It was shown that a group which is broken from a tartate molecule upon irradiation is trapped in the immediate vicinity of the damaged molecule. This result suggested that center #2 is an electrically charged paramagenetic species, rather than a simple radical as previously surmised.
Empirical bayes methods for a two-way multiplicative-interaction model

Empirical Bayes methods are used to estimate cell probabi-lities under a multiplicative-Interaction model for a two-way contingency table. The methods assign uniform and normal priors with unknown variances to the main effects and the separable scores. A priori the analysis assumes exchangeability of sets of parameters. The unknown variance components are estimated empirically from the data via the EM algorithm as discussed by Laird (1978)and Dempster, Laird and Rubin (1977). An example Is Included.
Threshold Photoneutron Angular Distribution and Polarization Studies of Nuclei

The photoneutron method was applied to the study of (i) deuteron photodisintegration, (ii) giant magnetic dipole resonances in heavy nuclei, (iii) mechanism of radiative capture in light nuclei and (iv) isospin splitting of the giant dipole resonance in 60Ni. These studies were performed with the pulsed bremsstrahlung beam and high-resolution spectrometer available at the Argonne high-current electron linac. A threshold photoneutron polarization method was developed in order to search for the giant Ml resonance in heavy nuclei. A surprisingly small amount of Ml strength was found in 208Pb. Furthermore, the Ml strength for the 5.08-MeV excitation in 17O, the best example of a single-particle Ml resonance in nuclei, was found to be strongly quenched. In addition, the 17O(?, no) 16O reaction was found to provide an ideal example of the Lane-Lynn theory of radiative capture. The interplay among the three components of the theory, internal, channel and potential capture, were evident from the data. An electron beam transport system was developed which allows the bremsstrahlung to impinge on the photoneutron target on an axis perpendicular to the usual reaction plane. This system provides an accurate method for the measurement of relative angular distributions in (?, n) reactions. This system was applied to a high-accuracy measurement of the relative angular distribution for the D(?, n)H reaction. The question of isospin-splitting of the giant dipole resonance in 60Ni was studied by using the unique "pico-pulse" from the accelerator and the newly installed 25-m, neutron flight paths.
Parkin Blushed by PINK1

Mutations in the PTEN-induced putative kinase 1 (PINK1) are a common cause of autosomal recessive Parkinson's disease. In a recent issue of Nature, two independent reports by Park et al. (2006) and Clark et al. (2006) show that loss of Drosophila PINK1 leads to defects in mitochondrial function resulting in male sterility, apoptotic muscle degeneration, and minor loss of dopamine neurons that is rescued by overexpression of the ubiquitin E3 ligase, parkin. Thus, PINK1 and parkin appear to function in a common pathway suggesting a convergence of the two genes most commonly associated with autosomal recessive PD.
2004 Presidential Address: An evaluation of progress toward goals.

It has been a singular honor to serve the American Society of Nephrology (ASN). Since my election to the council in 1988, our society has experienced tremendous growth in critical areas, including expanded involvement by ASN members in different activities of the society, in the breadth of
High-resolution carbohydrate profiling by capillary gel electrophoresis

Capillary gel electrophoresis with laser-induced fluorescent detection has been found to be a powerful separation and characterization tool for fluorescently labelled carbohydrates.
THE COS-HALOS SURVEY: AN EMPIRICAL DESCRIPTION OF METAL-LINE ABSORPTION IN THE LOW-REDSHIFT CIRCUMGALACTIC MEDIUM

We present the equivalent width and column density measurements for low and intermediate ionization states of the circumgalactic medium (CGM) surrounding 44 low-z, L Almost-Equal-To L* galaxies drawn from the COS-Halos survey. These measurements are derived from far-UV transitions observed in HST/COS and Keck/HIRES spectra of background quasars within an impact parameter R 10{sup 9} M {sub Sun }), which likely traces a distinct density and/or temperature regime from the highly ionized CGM traced by O{sup +5} absorption. The large dispersion in absorption strengths (including non-detections) suggests that themore » cool CGM traces a wide range of densities or a mix of local ionizing conditions. Lastly, the kinematics inferred from the metal-line profiles are consistent with the cool CGM being bound to the dark matter halos hosting the galaxies; this gas may serve as fuel for future star formation. Future work will leverage this data set to provide estimates on the mass, metallicity, dynamics, and origin of the cool CGM in low-z, L* galaxies.« less
Invariant chain (CD74) gene regulation: Enhanced expression associated with activation of protein kinase Cδ in a murine B lymphoma cell line

The invariant chain (Ii, CD74) is a transmembrane glycoprotein that is transiently associated with the MHC class II antigens in the endoplasmic reticulum and in endocytic vesicles. An activator of protein kinase C (PKC), 12-O-tetradecanoyl-1,2-phorbol 13-acetate (TPA), was found to enhance expression of Ii mRNA in the murine B lymphoma cell line, A20, 6-48 hr following treatment. In contrast, TPA did not induce the Ii in NIH 3T3 fibroblasts. TPA addition to either cell line activated PKC. Pretreatment of A20 cells with the PKC inhibitors, staurosporine or chelerythrine chloride, for 5 or 20 min prior to addition of TPA, decreased Ii mRNA levels when compared to cells treated with TPA alone. A 20 min preincubation with the highly specific PKC inhibitor, calphostin C, completely blocked the TPA enhanced expression of the Ii suggesting that activation of PKC was responsible for TPA increased Ii mRNA levels. IFN-gamma also blocked the TPA increased Ii mRNA levels. Constitutive expression of Ii mRNA was decreased by treatment with staurosporine but not chelerythrine chloride or calphostin C, suggesting that non-PKC protein kinases may also be important for maintaining high levels of Ii mRNA in these cells. Western blot analysis using PKC isotype specific antibodies showed that A20 cells express PKC delta abundantly whereas NIH 3T3 cells express primarily PKC alpha. These data suggest that a PKC delta mediated signal transduction pathway plays a crucial role in up-regulation of the Ii.
Origins of the Activity of PAL and LAP Enzyme Inhibitors: Toward Ab Initio Binding Affinity Prediction

Interaction energies of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) active site residues with a series of PAL inhibitors have been partitioned into electrostatic, exchange, delocalization, and correlation components and compared with analogous results obtained previously for leucine aminopeptidase (LAP). In the latter metalloenzyme, either of the two charged residues controls entirely relative inhibitor binding energies, while at least four residues are required to determine ligand relative stabilization in neutral PAL. Significant correlation with experimental inhibitory activity was found between the stabilization energy at gradually decreasing levels of theory (MP2, SCF) down to the first-order Heitler−London term. Contrary to the LAP case, where the electrostatic term was sufficient to reproduce experimentally observed trends, in the case of PAL, exchange repulsion effects also have to be considered. Computational protocol presented herein constitutes a promising way to incorporate the first principle calculati...
MATLAB/Simulink analytic radar modeling environment

Analytic radar models are simulations based on abstract representations of the radar, the RF environment that radar signals are propagated, and the reflections produced by targets, clutter and multipath. These models have traditionally been developed in FORTRAN and have evolved over the last 20 years into efficient and well-accepted codes. However, current models are limited in two primary areas. First, by the nature of algorithm based analytical models, they can be difficult to understand by non-programmers and equally difficult to modify or extend. Second, there is strong interest in re-using these models to support higher-level weapon system and mission level simulations. To address these issues, a model development approach has been demonstrated which utilizes the MATLAB/Simulink graphical development environment. Because the MATLAB/Simulink environment graphically represents model algorithms - thus providing visibility into the model - algorithms can be easily analyzed and modified by engineers and analysts with limited software skills. In addition, software tools have been created that provide for the automatic code generation of C++ objects. These objects are created with well-defined interfaces enabling them to be used by modeling architectures external to the MATLAB/Simulink environment. The approach utilized is generic and can be extended to other engineering fields.
Simulation of Yb:YAG thin-disk lasers with stable resonators and with one or two transverse modes

Computer calculations of the beam quality and output power of nearly diffraction-limited thin-disk Yb:YAG lasers are presented. The CW lasers have stable resonators. Our calculations include the simultaneous operation of two transverse modes. The simulated lasers are similar to those for which experimental results have been reported by other researchers but we have not attempted to make a precise comparison. Our calculated results show interesting trends that can be used in designing such lasers.
“He Won't Be My Son”

In the Sunni Muslim world, religious mandates prohibit both adoption and gamete donation as solutions to infertility, including in the aftermath of in vitro fertilization (IVF) failures. However, both of these options are now available in two Middle Eastern countries with significant Shi'ite Muslim populations (Iran and Lebanon). On the basis of fieldwork in multisectarian Lebanon, I examine in this article attitudes toward both adoption and gamete donation among childless Muslim men who are undertaking IVF with their wives. No matter the religious sect, most Muslim men in Lebanon continue to resist both adoption and gamete donation, arguing that such a child “won't be my son.” However, against all odds, some Muslim men are considering and undertaking these alternatives to family formation as ways to preserve their loving marriages, satisfy their fatherhood desires, and challenge religious dictates, which they view as out of step with new developments in science and technology. Thus, in this article I examine the complicated intersections of religion, technology, marriage, and parenthood in a part of the world that is both poorly understood and negatively stereotyped, particularly in the aftermath of September 11, 2001.
Algebraic turbulent energy flux models for hypersonic shear flows

Abstract Algebraic truncation models were derived for the turbulent energy flux for high-speed shear flows with and without thermal and mechanical non-equilibrium effects. To facilitate closure, fluctuating dilatation moments were modeled via conservation of mass truncations and the inhomogeneous terms were neglected. The resulting energy flux model provided significant improvements, up to 20%, in the temperature predictions over the gradient diffusion model for equilibrium flows over a Mach number range of 0.02–11.8. Our experiments showed that vibrational relaxation significantly altered the basic decay rate of grid turbulence. Also, our models indicated that compressibility introduces an explicit pressure gradient dependency. Analyses of a governing parameter indicated that these terms are negligibly small for low speeds, but may be important, or even dominant, for high-speed flows.
Active immunization against vasoactive intestinal peptide prevents photo-induced prolactin secretion in Turkeys

Photostimulation initiates and maintains the rise in circulating prolactin (PRL) observed during the reproductive cycle of the female turkey. Vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) is the principal PRL-releasing factor. This study tested the hypothesis that gonadal stimulatory photoperiods stimulate PRL secretion by releasing hypothalamic VIP. Therefore, an experiment was designed to determine if VIP immunoneutralization altered photo-induced PRL secretion. Reproductively quiescent female turkeys were divided into two groups comprising turkeys actively immunized with synthetic VIP conjugated to keyhole limpet hemocyanin (VIP-KLH; immunized; n = 48) or KLH alone (control; n = 48). The first immunization was administered 6 weeks before photostimulation. Blood samples were collected at frequent intervals prior to and following photostimulation, and plasma PRL concentrations were determined. Vasoactive intestinal peptide antibody titer was estimated from the percentage of 125I-labeled VIP bound to plasma diluted 1:1000. At the onset of photostimulation (Day 0), plasma PRL levels were similar for immunized and control turkeys (9.1 +/- 0.3 versus 8.9 +/- 0.3 ng/ml, respectively). Plasma PRL of control birds increased (P < 0.05) by Day 16 of photostimulation, reaching a peak value of 724.9 +/- 90.1 ng/ml on Day 84. In contrast, plasma PRL remained essentially unchanged in immunized birds. Titer of anti-VIP antibodies expressed as 125I-VIP bound by plasma in immunized birds was 10.9 +/- 1.5% on the day of photostimulation. Incubation behavior was blocked in immunized birds, whereas 75% of controls exhibited incubation behavior. The control group laid 1.83 eggs/ week/hen compared to 3.40 eggs/week/hen in immunized hens. These findings suggest that photoperiodic modulation of PRL secretion in the turkey is influenced by hypothalamic VIP neuronal system.
Prospective evaluation of associations between hearing sensitivity and selected cardiovascular risk factors

The prospective decline of hearing sensitivity was evaluated in an occupational cohort of university blue collar workers in relation to age, gender, occupational and nonoccu-pational noise exposure, smoking, blood pressure, and cholesterol. Each of these were associated with loss of hearing sensitivity univariately. When controlling for age and historical noise exposure in a multiple regression model, systolic blood pressure and cholesterol level were independently associated with decline in auditory sensitivity.
Urearetics: a small molecule screen yields nanomolar potency inhibitors of urea transporter UT-B

Functional studies in knockout mice indicate a critical role for urea transporters (UTs) in the urinary concentrating mechanism and in renal urea clearance. However, potent and specific urea transport blockers have not been available. Here, we used high-throughput screening to discover high-affinity, small molecule inhibitors of the UT-B urea transporter. A collection of 50,000 diverse, drug-like compounds was screened using a human erythrocyte lysis assay based on UT-B-facilitated acetamide transport. Primary screening yielded approximately 30 UT-B inhibitors belonging to the phenylsulfoxyoxazole, benzenesulfonanilide, phthalazinamine, and aminobenzimidazole chemical classes. Screening of approximately 700 structurally similar analogs gave many active compounds, the most potent of which inhibited UT-B urea transport with an EC50 of approximately 10 nM, and approximately 100% inhibition at higher concentrations. Phenylsulfoxyoxazoles and phthalazinamines also blocked rodent UT-B and had good UT-B vs. UT-A specificity. The UT-B inhibitors did not reduce aquaporin-1 (AQP1)-facilitated water transport. In AQP1-null erythrocytes, "chemical UT-B knockout" by UT-B inhibitors reduced by approximately 3-fold UT-B-mediated water transport, supporting an aqueous pore pathway through UT-B. UT-B inhibitors represent a new class of diuretics, "urearetics," which are predicted to increase renal water and solute clearance in water-retaining states.
Forest Restoration in Abandoned Agricultural Land: a Case Study from East Africa

Millions of hectares of tropical forests have been converted to agricultural land and abandoned, so it is important that we understand the process of forest recovery and comprehend how pathways are modified by different types of disturbance in different geographic regions. In a 4-year case study, we quantified the pattern of forest recovery following clearing and 3 years of cultivation of a moist-evergreen forest in Uganda. Long-term observation (746 hours) of frugivore visitation to the regenerating area demonstrated that birds were frequent visitors (5.8 birds/hour), whereas large mammalian frugivores rarely used the area. Frugivore visitation rates facilitated seedling recruitment that averaged 0.51 seedlings/m 2 from 22 tree species by the end of the study. Re- cruitment included species with large seeds, despite the fact that seed-eating rodents were almost twice as abun- dant in the regenerating area than in mature forest. By the end of the study, however, only 20 trees were $ 0.5 m tall, and no trees were $ 2 m tall. This slow recruitment reflected high seedling mortality and dominance of the area by elephant grass ( Pennisetum purpureum ) and the herb Acanthus pubescens . After 4 years, trees $ 0.5 m tall attained a biomass of only 8.92 kg/ha, whereas the biomass of P. purpureum and A. pubescens had reached 35,500 kg/ha and 18,100 kg/ha respectively. We provide an initial assessment of two programs designed to en- hance restoration of abandoned agricultural lands: planting of cuttings to act as dispersal foci and sowing of seeds. Our results showed that density of seedlings growing in the management plot where we sowed seeds (0.35 seedlings/m 2 ) and in the plot where we established cuttings (0.30 seedling/m 2 ) was lower than in the control plot (0.51 seedlings/m 2 ). This East African site was only lightly disturbed, yet tree recovery was occurring slower than in heavily degraded sites described from South America. The rate of recovery seemed to be strongly deter- mined by interactions between tree seedlings and P. purpureum and A. pubescens .
Atmospheric Mixed Layers over the South China Sea during SCSMEX

Sounding data from the South China Sea Monsoon Experiment (SCSMEX) have provided a unique opportunity to document the variability of atmospheric mixed layers over the South China Sea (SCS) during the onset of the monsoon in this region. Six-hourly sounding data from two research vessels, deployed over the northern and southern SCS, are used to determine the mixedlayer depth and its thermodynamic properties. Results from the southern ship show the presence of mixed layers 83% of the time with a mean depth of 459 m, similar to other tropical oceanic locations. On the other hand, the northern ship exhibited mixed layers 48% of the time with a mean depth of 342 m, considerably less frequent and shallower than other tropical regions. This anomalous behavior, which was particularly evident after the monsoon onset, is likely due to northward advection of low-level warm, moist air over cooler waters, which results in very small or negative buoyancy fluxes over the northern SCS, and thus weak upward mixing of heat and moisture from the surface.
Phosphotyrosine-Dependent Interaction of SHC and Insulin Receptor Substrate 1 with the NPEY Motif of the Insulin Receptor via a Novel Non-SH2 Domain

The SHC proteins have been implicated in insulin receptor (IR) signaling. In this study, we used the sensitive two-hybrid assay of protein-protein interaction to demonstrate that SHC interacts directly with the IR. The interaction is mediated by SHC amino acids 1 to 238 and is therefore independent of the Src homology 2 domain. The interaction is dependent upon IR autophosphorylation, since the interaction is eliminated by mutation of the IR ATP-binding site. In addition, mutational analysis of the Asn-Pro-Glu-Tyr (NPEY) motif within the juxtamembrane domain of the IR showed the importance of the Asn, Pro, and Tyr residues to both SHC and IR substrate 1 (IRS-1) binding. We conclude that SHC interacts directly with the IR and that phosphorylation of Tyr-960 within the IR juxtamembrane domain is necessary for efficient interaction. This interaction is highly reminiscent of that of IRS-1 with the IR, and we show that the SHC IR-binding domain can substitute for that of IRS-1 in yeast and COS cells. We identify a homologous region within the IR-binding domains of SHC and IRS-1, which we term the SAIN (SHC and IRS-1 NPXY-binding) domain, which may explain the basis of these interactions. The SAIN domain appears to represent a novel motif which is able to interact with autophosphorylated receptors such as the IR.