cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Apoptosis Occurs in a New Model of Thermal Brain Injury

Apoptosis has been implicated recently as a prominent response of the brain to a variety of insults, such as ischemia and trauma. In this study, we demonstrate that apoptosis is a prominent part of the brain's response to a thermal insult. To examine the brain's response to a thermal insult, a new model of thermal brain injury in the laboratory rat was developed. Water heated to 60°C was passed over an area of thinned calvarium for 1 min. This resulted in an actual brain temperature of 47–48°C. A uniform area of 2,3,5-triphenyl-tetrazolium chloride pallor was demonstrated and pyknotic neurons were seen in the area of injury by hematoxylin-eosin staining. Apoptosis was demonstrated by the characteristic DNA fragmentation seen by agarose gel electrophoresis, ApopTag in situ staining and electron microscopy. The findings of apoptosis were localized to the area of thermal injury and were time dependent, starting 6 h after the insult and peaking approximately 18 h after the insult. This represents one of the first demonstrations that apoptosis occurs in the brain in response to a thermal injury.
BD-CATS: big data clustering at trillion particle scale

Modern cosmology and plasma physics codes are now capable of simulating trillions of particles on petascale systems. Each timestep output from such simulations is on the order of 10s of TBs. Summarizing and analyzing raw particle data is challenging, and scientists often focus on density structures, whether in the real 3D space, or a high-dimensional phase space. In this work, we develop a highly scalable version of the clustering algorithm D bscan , and apply it to the largest datasets produced by state-of-the-art codes. Our system, called B d -C ats , is the first one capable of performing end-to-end analysis at trillion particle scale (including: loading the data, geometric partitioning, computing kd-trees, performing clustering analysis, and storing the results). We show analysis of 1.4 trillion particles from a plasma physics simulation, and a 10,2403 particle cosmological simulation, utilizing ~100,000 cores in 30 minutes. B d -C ats is helping infer mechanisms behind particle acceleration in plasma physics and holds promise for qualitatively superior clustering in cosmology. Both of these results were previously intractable at the trillion particle scale.
Individual differences in ego depletion: The role of sociotropy-autonomy

In his cognitive theory of depression, Beck (1987) suggested that highly sociotropic individuals have a strong need for social acceptance whereas highly autonomous individuals have an excessive need for achievement. Research by Baumeister (2000) has suggested that a phenomenon known as ego depletion, the weakening of performance on tasks following active self-control, occurs because it depletes a limited inner resource. The present study examined whether individuals who are highly sociotropic or autonomous would respond differently when faced with tasks requiring self-control. Participants completed the Sociotropy-Autonomy Scale (Clark et al. 1995) and engaged in two active self-control tasks. The results revealed that sociotropy levels were negatively correlated with persistence on tasks that require self-control whereas autonomy was positively correlated to persistence on the same task. In addition, the results suggested that, following a task requiring self-control, highly sociotropic individuals expend less effort, whereas highly autonomous individuals expend more effort on subsequent tasks requiring self-control.
The conjugate of a product of operators

Let X, Y, Z be Banach spaces, let A be a densel+defined closed linear operator from X to Y and let B be a densely-defined linear operator from Y to 2. If the range R(A) of A is closed in Y and has finite codimension, then (BA)’ = A’B’, where E’ denotes the conjugate of an operator E.
Assessment of papillary muscle function using myocardial velocity gradient derived from tissue Doppler echocardiography

Papillary muscle (PM) function is vital to mitral valve competence. However, quantitative assessment of the function is difficult due to the complexity of the mitral apparatus. We hypothesized that myocardial velocity gradient (MVG) could be applied to assess PM function. We studied MVG-PM in 123 patients with left ventricular dysfunction (ejection fraction <40%) and 123 normal subjects throughout a systolic phase. MVG-PM in normal subjects was significantly higher than in patients with left ventricular dysfunction (3.6/s vs 1.4/s, p <0.001). MVG-PM reached its peak at early systole and correlated well with PM thickening (r = 0.89). MVG-PM in patients with left ventricular dysfunction correlated with the severity of apical tenting of the mitral valve (y = 0.8x - 0.07, r = 0.72). Patients with lower MVG-PM tended to have less severe mitral regurgitation (y = 0.03x + 0.3, r = 0.83). PM contractility can be quantitatively assessed by calculating the MVG derived from tissue Doppler imaging. PM dysfunction, indicated by lower MVG-PM, decreased mitral leaflet tethering, thus paradoxically decreasing mitral regurgitation severity. MVG is a useful tool in determining the role of PM in functional mitral regurgitation.
Frozen flux in a superconducting film

We consider a new class of composite superconducting films with embedded magnetic nanorods (stripes). These nanomagnets can create a thermodynamically stable, frozen, dense flux line network. We examine conditions under which the magnetic nanorods (stripes) capture flux and discuss the phase diagram of the frozen flux state. The ground state of this system contains spontaneous current in violation with the time-reversal symmetry.
Sulfurylation of estrogens by the human fetus.

The metabolism of estrone-16-C14 was studied in 3 human fetuses of 3 to 5 months gestation. About one-third was converted to water-soluble metabolites. By enzymatic hydrolysis and paper chromatography these were shown to be virtually all estrogen sulfates. A small amount of the estrone was converted to estradiol-17β but no estriol was detected. Estrone-16-C14 was sulfurylated efficiently in the 105,000 ×g supernatant fraction of guinea pig placenta, but not in term human placenta.
Thermophysical property measurements by electromagnetic levitation melting technique under microgravity.

: The purpose of this paper is to review the advances in electromagnetic levitation techniques as tools for determination of the thermophysical properties of molten metals under standard gravity and microgravity conditions. We show that a combination of containerless processing and microgravity offers the exclusive possibility to measure critical thermophysical properties of molten metals, both above and below their melting points, over a wide temperature range, and with high accuracy.
Stereospecific Sulfur-Mediated Cleavage of a Spirocyclobutanone: Synthesis of a Fully Functional Precursor to the CP Compounds.

A reaction sequence made up of a Sakurai reaction, ketene cyclization, sulfur-directed Baeyer–Villiger reaction, and tandem lactone cleavage/isomerization provided the fully functionalized core of the CP compounds. Key steps were the methanolysis of 1, which leads via 2 to the CP precursor 3.
Simultaneous determination of oxysterols, cholesterol and 25-hydroxy-vitamin D3 in human plasma by LC-UV-MS.

Background Oxysterols are promising biomarkers of neurodegenerative diseases that are linked with cholesterol and vitamin D metabolism. There is an unmet need for methods capable of sensitive, and simultaneous quantitation of multiple oxysterols, vitamin D and cholesterol pathway biomarkers. Methods A method for simultaneous determination of 5 major oxysterols, 25-hydroxy vitamin D3 and cholesterol in human plasma was developed. Total oxysterols were prepared by room temperature saponification followed by solid phase extraction from plasma spiked with deuterated internal standards. Oxysterols were resolved by reverse phase HPLC using a methanol/water/0.1% formic acid gradient. Oxysterols and 25-hydroxy vitamin D3 were detected with atmospheric pressure chemical ionization mass spectrometry in positive ion mode; in-series photodiode array detection at 204nm was used for cholesterol. Method validation studies were performed. Oxysterol levels in 220 plasma samples from healthy control subjects, multiple sclerosis and other neurological disorders patients were quantitated. Results Our method quantitated 5 oxysterols, cholesterol and 25-hydroxy vitamin D3 from 200 μL plasma in 35 minutes. Recoveries were >85% for all analytes and internal standards. The limits of detection were 3-10 ng/mL for oxysterols and 25-hydroxy vitamin D3 and 1 μg/mL for simultaneous detection of cholesterol. Analytical imprecision was <10 %CV for 24(S)-, 25-, 27-, 7α-hydroxycholesterol (HC) and cholesterol and ≤15 % for 7-keto-cholesterol. Multiple Sclerosis and other neurological disorder patients had lower 27-hydroxycholesterol levels compared to controls whereas 7α-hydroxycholesterol was lower specifically in Multiple Sclerosis. Conclusion The method is suitable for measuring plasma oxysterols levels in human health and disease. Analysis of human plasma indicates that the oxysterol, bile acid precursors 7α-hydroxycholesterol and 27-hydroxycholesterol are lower in Multiple Sclerosis and may serve as potential biomarkers of disease.
At-Risk Students' Perspectives on Motivation

(1997). At-Risk Students' Perspectives on Motivation. Kappa Delta Pi Record: Vol. 33, No. 4, pp. 135-137.
The Poor Growth of Rhodospirillum rubrum Mutants Lacking RubisCO Is Due to the Accumulation of Ribulose-1,5-Bisphosphate

Ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (RubisCO) catalyzes the first step of CO(2) fixation in the Calvin-Benson-Bassham (CBB) cycle. Besides its function in fixing CO(2) to support photoautotrophic growth, the CBB cycle is also important under photoheterotrophic growth conditions in purple nonsulfur photosynthetic bacteria. It has been assumed that the poor photoheterotrophic growth of RubisCO-deficient strains was due to the accumulation of excess intracellular reductant, which implied that the CBB cycle is important for maintaining the redox balance under these conditions. However, we present analyses of cbbM mutants in Rhodospirillum rubrum that indicate that toxicity is the result of an elevated intracellular pool of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate (RuBP). There is a redox effect on growth, but it is apparently an indirect effect on the accumulation of RuBP, perhaps by the regulation of the activities of enzymes involved in RuBP regeneration. Our studies also show that the CBB cycle is not essential for R. rubrum to grow under photoheterotrophic conditions and that its role in controlling the redox balance needs to be further elucidated. Finally, we also show that CbbR is a positive transcriptional regulator of the cbb operon (cbbEFPT) in R. rubrum, as seen with related organisms, and define the transcriptional organization of the cbb genes.
Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 Induction of Persistent NF-κB Nuclear Translocation Increases the Efficiency of Virus Replication

The latent form of the dimeric transcription factor NF-kappa B is sequestered in the cytoplasm by proteins containing ankyrin repeats, such as 1 kappa B alpha and beta, or by the p105 precursor form of the NF-kappa B p50 subunit. Tumor necrosis factor alpha or virus infection can cause targeted destruction of 1 kappa B and nuclear translocation of NF-kappa B. Following translocation, NF-kappa B mediates immune, inflammatory, or anti-apoptotic responses. Here we present evidence that beginning at around 6 h postinfection, herpes simplex virus (HSV) induces a persistent translocation of NF-kappa B into the nucleus of C33 cells, coincident with loss of both 1 kappa B alpha and 1 kappa B beta. Translocation failed to occur when infecting virus was preincubated with neutralizing antibody to viral envelope glycoproteins gD or gH, thus preventing entry, or when cells infected with viruses expressing mutated forms of immediate-early regulatory proteins lCP4 or lCP27. Surprisingly, no increase in the trans-activation function of NF-kappa B, as assayed by transient expression of CAT, was detected following HSV infection. The significance of NF-kappa B nuclear translocation for virus replication was demonstrated by an 80-90% reduction in virus yield following infection of C33 cells expressing a constitutive repressor form of 1 kappa B alpha. Models that reconcile nuclear translocation of NF-kappa B with the inability to detect NF-kappa B-dependent gene expression are discussed.
The black–white test score gap and early home environment

Abstract Based on panel data for three age cohorts of children from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics, we examine how early home environment contributes to black–white achievement gaps at different developmental stages and the extent to which early gaps contribute to later racial achievement gaps. We find large black–white test score differences among children of all ages even before children start formal schooling. Except for the oldest cohort, the gaps for all tests widened when children’s cognitive skills were assessed six years later. Racial achievement gaps in applied problem scores by grade three and letter–word scores by grade six, can be accounted for by child’s characteristics, family socioeconomic background, and mother’s cognitive skills. However, these covariates explain an increasingly smaller proportion of the black–white achievement gap as children advance to higher grades. Gaps in early cognitive skills are highly predictive of gaps at later ages, setting off a trajectory of cumulative disadvantage for black children over time. Our results underscore the key role of early home environment and the intergenerational roots of the persistent black–white achievement gap.
General dispersion relations

A formalism is developed whereby dispersion relations may be obtained for all meson-nucleon scattering processes, including those in which mesons are created or destroyed. A suitable kinematical description of the processes is first given and a new amplitude is defined in terms of it. This amplitude has two important properties. Firstly it coincides with the Feynman amplitude for positive energies of the incoming and outgoing particles. Secondly it satisfies a certain causality condition. These enable one to obtain dispersion relations. The significance of these results in affording a new way of formulating quantum field theory is discussed.
Climatic influences on Holocene variations in soil erosion rates on a small hill in the Mojave Desert

A detailed study of a small hill in NE Mojave Desert in eastern California was conducted to elucidate the effect of climate on the variations in soil erosion rates through Holocene. Field surveys and sampling were carried out to obtain information on topography, geomorphology, soil and vegetation conditions, seismic refraction, sediment deposition, and hillslope processes. Integration of this information allowed reconstruction of the hill topography at the end of the Pleistocene, deduction of the evolution of the hill from the end of the Pleistocene to the present, and estimation of total soil losses resulting from various hillslope processes. The estimates are consistent with the premise that early Holocene climate change resulted in vegetation change, soil destabilization, and topographic roughening. Current, very slow, hillslope transport rates (e.g., 5 mm ky−1 by rodent burrowing, a presently important transport form) appear inconsistent with the inferred total soil loss rate (31 mm ky−1). Packrat midden studies imply that the NE Mojave Desert experienced enhanced monsoonal precipitation in the early Holocene, presumably accentuating soil loss. Water erosion on one slope of the hill was simulated using Water Erosion Prediction Project (WEPP), a process-based erosion model, using 4 and 6 ky of precipitation input compatible with an appropriate monsoonal climate and the present climate, respectively. The WEPP-predicted soil losses for the chosen slope were compatible with inferred soil losses. Identification of two time periods within the Holocene with distinct erosion characteristics may provide new insight into the current state of Mojave Desert landform evolution.
Fostering connections between graduate students and strengthening professional identity through co-mentoring

For counsellors and counsellor educators, developing a sound sense of professional identity is a necessity in preserving and advancing the counselling field. In an effort to promote professional identity development in a group of counsellors in training, a co-mentoring programme was developed that paired master's level and doctoral level counsellors. The participants used letter writing and email to support the development of these mentoring relationships over the course of a semester. This study attempted to measure the effectiveness of the co-mentoring programme using interview data and written artefacts. An open, axial and selective coding process was employed. The participants of the study identified themes of enhanced professional identity development and collegial professional relationships as a result of participating in the co-mentoring relationship. Further research is needed to determine how best to support professional identity development for emerging professionals and the effectiveness of men...
Coverage in visual sensor networks with Pan-Tilt-Zoom cameras: The MaxFoV problem

We consider the problem of target coverage in visual sensor networks with Pan-Tilt-Zoom (PTZ) cameras. The finely controllable movement in PTZ dimensions creates a large number of possible Field-of-View (FoV) settings, making it pro- hibitively expensive to consider them all in coverage algorithms. However, these FoVs are redundant as each group of targets is generally covered by many FoVs. Thus, an important problem is, how to identify FoVs that cover all maximal subsets of targets (MaxFoV) efficiently? We show that MaxFoV is an instance of generating all maximal cliques, which is NP-hard in general but polynomial if the number of cliques is polynomial. We construct an optimal algorithm to solve the problem with a worst case complexity of O(n 3 ). Simulation and testbed experiments show that the algorithm drastically reduces the number of FoVs allowing multi-camera coverage to scale without sacrificing coverage quality. I. INTRODUCTION Smart camera networks, also called Visual Sensor Net- works (VSNs) (19), are used in a range of applications such as monitoring and surveillance, traffic management and health care (3), (14). Coverage is a key problem in VSNs: how can cameras select their Field-of-Views (FoVs) to increase the amount and quality of information collected by the network? Coverage algorithms require identification of a set of feasible FoVs for each camera. Out of the feasible FoVs, coverage algorithms assign one FoV to each camera. The complexity of coverage algorithms increases significantly as a function of the number of feasible FoVs. Thus, it is critical to reduce the number of feasible FoVs without affecting coverage quality. We focus on the problem of target coverage in VSNs with Pan-Tilt-Zoom (PTZ) cameras (18). PTZ cameras can change their Field-of-View (FoV) in three dimensions: horizontal (pan), vertical (tilt), and depth (zoom). In VSNs, coverage has typically been considered for directional sensors (or pan-only cameras) (7), (10), (21) where each sensor can orient (pan) to cover k different sectors. The coverage problem assigns each camera to one sector to meet the coverage objective; for instance, to maximize the total targets covered (7), (8), (16), or to schedule cameras to allocate their time among different targets (11). While PTZ cameras are able to provide superior coverage to pan-only cameras (or directional sensors), they introduce new challenges. In coverage algorithms for directional sensors (2), (7), (8), (10), (16), (21), all discrete FoVs (sectors corresponding to the pan directions) are considered by coverage algorithms. We
Characterization of user activity and traffic in a commercial nationwide Wi-Fi hotspot network: global and individual metrics

This paper presents the characterization of a commercial nationwide Wi-Fi hotspot network. We examine a 5 month long log of user activity and traffic volume collected by a wireless network service provider operating hotspots in restaurants, serviced apartments, hotels and airports all over Australia. We categorize users based on their account time limits to analyze the impact of account stratification on the overall user behavior. A similarity index is developed to compare two datasets of unknown distributions which we then use to quantitatively compare how similar or different various types of accounts are. The user population of the network is found to be highly fluctuating, hence user specific, population independent metrics are proposed to account for this transience. We also introduce metrics to measure account time and data utilization. Key user and traffic statistics are presented for reference.
O-GlcNAc Transferase Is in a Functional Complex with Protein Phosphatase 1 Catalytic Subunits

A hallmark of signal transduction is the dynamic and inducible post-translational modification of proteins. In addition to the well characterized phosphorylation of proteins, other modifications have been shown to be regulatory, including O-linked β-N-acetylglucosamine (O-GlcNAc). O-GlcNAc modifies serine and threonine residues on a myriad of nuclear and cytosolic proteins, and for several proteins there appears to be a reciprocal relationship between phosphorylation and O-GlcNAc modification. Here we report further evidence of this yin-yang relationship by demonstrating that O-GlcNAc transferase, the enzyme that adds O-GlcNAc to proteins, exists in stable and active complexes with the serine/threonine phosphatases PP1β and PP1γ, enzymes that remove phosphate from proteins. The existence of this complex highlights the importance of understanding the dynamic relationship between O-GlcNAc and phosphate in modulating protein function in many cellular processes and disease states such as Alzheimer's disease and type II diabetes.
Learning from documents: Applying new theories of materiality to journalism

This article briefly reviews theories of materiality emerging in communication technology studies and organizational communication and then suggests three ways that journalism scholars might apply these theories to studies of news production. How journalists work, how journalism is shaped within newsrooms, the ways the news industry is changing, and ultimately, the effects of digital transitions can all benefit from including a focus on the ‘objects of journalism’. First, objects, such as documents, help scholars describe the social settings where objects are found. Second, the objects of journalism help scholars uncover lines of authority, contexts of news routines, and richness and persistence of news practices. Third, studying the objects of journalism can help explain the persistence of so-called residual practices that might otherwise seem dysfunctional in digital news. Materiality theories can help journalism scholars explain the impact of the transition to digital news on the work and practices of ...
Minimum-uncertainty coherent states for certain time-dependent systems

Nieto and Simmons have defined and studied coherent states for arbitrary potentials $V(q)$. We show how to extend their results to certain time-dependent potentials $V(q,t)$. For each $V(q)$ there is a $V(q,t)$, for which we can construct time-dependent coherent states.
Increment threshold spectral sensitivity in anisometropic amblyopia.

Abstract Increment threshold spectral sensitivity curves were determined for amblyopic and non-amblyopic eyes with four adapting field intensity levels. The sensitivity of the amblyopic eye compared to the non-amblyopic eye was lower across the entire visible spectrum and did not show the dip in the yellow region of the spectrum that was characteristic of the non-amblyopic eye. The differences in the shapes of the functions between the two eyes can be accounted for by anomalous lateral inhibition between the red and green cones in the retina of the amblyopic eye.
Defect-cluster formation in high-energy-density cascades in gold

Abstract Defect-cluster formation in Au following room-temperature atomic (Bi+) and diatomic (Bi2 +) heavy-ion irradiation at low energies (10 and 20 keV atom−1, respectively) has been investigated by transmission electron microscopy. Both the effect of energy density in individual cascades (‘spike effects’) at low doses (≲1011 cm−2) and the effect of spatial overlap of cascades at high doses (≲1014 cm−2) on defect-cluster formation were investigated by determining cluster parameters such as interstitial or vacancy type, yield Q, size distribution, cascade efficiency and cluster depth distributions. The microscopic analysis showed mainly clustering of vacancies into dislocation loops under all conditions investigated. At low doses the fraction of visible cascade events (Q < 1) increased with increasing energy and energy density. Evaluation of the size distributions indicated a more efficient separation of self-interstitial atoms and vacancies in denser cascades. Cluster depth distributions were compared w...
Modeling agricultural impacts of longwall mine subsidence: A GIS approach

ABSTRACT Coal mining and agriculture are both land-intensive industries that often operate in the same area. Illinois, for example, is both a major agricultural state and one of the leading coal-producing states in the U.S. The future of coal mining in Illinois and in other similar areas is longwall mining. One of the advantages of longwall mining, and the most noticeable consequence, is immediate lowering, or subsidence, of the land above the active mine. Having immediate subsidence is advantageous because it can be dealt with or mitigated soon after it happens. With conventional mining, subsidence is unexpected and therefore if it occurs, it is unpredictable. Mitigation of subsidence effects, including the impact on agriculture, is the responsibility of the mining company. Research has shown that mitigation of agricultural impacts is usually effective, but may not be fully successful in some cases. Minimizing subsidence impact by avoiding sensitive soils in the mine plan is a possibility that should be ...
RNA induced reversal of glucocorticoid receptor activation

Summary The combination of partially purified, activated (nuclear binding) mammary glucocorticoid receptor with a macromolecule present in cytosol converts the receptor to a form with properties of native receptor. After salt activation of native receptor and subsequent purification by DEAE-cellulose chromatography, the activated receptor sediments in sucrose density gradients at 4.0S and binds (80–90%) ATP-agarose. Combination of this partially purified, activated receptor with a factor present in crude cytosol allows the receptor to sediment in the position of native receptor (8.4S). Furthermore, this receptor form, like native receptor, does not interact significantly with ATPagarose. The cytosolic factor responsible for this receptor conversion is macromolecular (MW > 5000) and does not interact with ATP-agarose. It retains its transformation reversal properties after incubation at 100°C for 10–15 minutes in the presence and absence of 8M urea/1% SDS/1mM DTT and is not destroyed by treatment with DNase. However, the receptor transformation reversal factor is inactivated by treatment with RNase. These results demonstrate that glucocorticoid receptor activation is a reversible process and suggest that RNA is involved.
Random waves in a classical nonlinear Grassmann field: I. Boltzmann equation and scalar field coupling

The Boltzmann equations for waves interacting according to a nonlinear Grassmann field theory are derived for a pure Grassmann classical (h = 0) spinor field and for a Grassmann field coupled to a classical commuting scalar field. Aspects of the physical interpretation of a spectral intensity of the Grassmann field are elucidated.
Help on SOS [Ask the Experts]

In this issue of IEEE Control Systems Magazine, Andy Packard and friends respond to a query on determining the region of attraction using sum-of-squares methods.
Identification of Two Amino Acid Residues on the Extracellular Domain of the Lutropin/Choriogonadotropin Receptor Important in Signaling

The lutropin/choriogonadotropin receptor (LH/CG-R) is a G protein-coupled receptor with a relatively large extracellular domain. The cDNAs of LH/CG-R wild type and 15 point and double mutants, which encoded residues of opposite charge to that of wild type, were transiently transfected into COS-7 cells. Human choriogonadotropin (hCG) binding was determined, as was hCG-mediated cAMP production. Most of the replacements resulted in no substantive effect on the binding affinity of hCG to LH/CG-R or on hCG-stimulated cAMP production, although the mutants expressed at a lower level than LH/CG-R wild type. The most interesting observation was noted with two point mutants of LH/CG-R, Glu332→Lys and Asp333→ Lys, which bound hCG but failed to give increased cAMP production. Several of the mutant forms of LH/CG-R that expressed at low levels were further analyzed by soluble binding assays and Western blots. There was no evidence of any significant degree of intracellular trapping of hCG-binding mutant receptors. The expected major (93 kDa) and minor (78 kDa) forms were found for LH/CG-R wild type and several of the mutants. The Lys235→Asp and Asp333→ Lys mutants exhibited primarily the lower Mr form, indicating that receptor processing was impaired or that the mutant higher Mr form was more rapidly degraded than LH/CG-R wild type. These results demonstrate that Glu332 and Asp333, which are located near the first transmembrane helix, are important in receptor activation, while other conserved ionizable residues of LH/CG-R appear important in cell surface expression or stability but not in binding or signaling.
Trends in stroke risk factors in the united states

Abstract Favorable trends in risk factors have contributed to the decline in stroke mortality. Risk factors for stroke include older age, male sex, black race, low socioeconomic status, heart disease, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, certain medications, cigarette smoking, alcohol, and diet. Improvements in economic and living conditions may have contributed to the decline in stroke mortality. However, increasing longevity, growth in population size, and increased survival with coronary heart and other cardiovascular diseases are likely to increase the numbers of strokes in the future. Effective treatment of hypertension is credited with accelerating the decline in stroke death rates since the 1970s. Reductions in cigarette smoking since the 1960s and in alcohol consumption in the 1980s may have contributed to the more recent decline in stroke mortality, especially among men. Dietary changes possibly related to improvements in stroke rates include lower saturated fat and salt intake. Primary prevention through reductions in highly prevalent risk factors is an important strategy for continuing the decline in stroke mortality.
Discrete-time adaptive control for mechanical manipulators having a joint compliance

This paper presents the application of a discrete-time adaptive control scheme to mechanical manipulators having a joint compliance. A control model of such manipulators is derived by linearizing the nonlinear equations about a desired trajectory. This control model is described by multivariable difference equations. The parameters of the model are estimated by parameter adaptation algorithms. Control gains, determined from the control model by using the pole placement technique, are computed on-line with the estimates of the system parameters. Simulation results with a two-link mechanical manipulator are presented to show the effectiveness of the proposed approach.
The Cauchy problem for complex fuzzy differential equations

Abstract We discuss the existence of a solution to the Cauchy problem for fuzzy differential equations that accommodates the notion of fuzzy sets defined by complex-valued membership functions. We first propose definitions of complex fuzzy sets and discuss entailed results which parallel those of regular fuzzy numbers. We then give two existence results relevant to the Cauchy problem for fuzzy differential equations in the case of bounded integral operators. These results require either Holder continuous or Lipschitz continuous response functions.
Determination of aperture phase errors in microwave reflectors

Abstract Using the vector notation of differential geometry, a general expression is obtained for the phase error in an aperture plane of any given reflector when the equation of the incident wavefront is known. This phase error is important because it has a direct bearing on the radiation pattern of a microwave antenna system. Examples are given to illustrate the application of the general formula. For the special case of a point source, the formula can be readily applied to determine the aperture phase distribution for any source location.
Teaching rhetoric: Or why rhetoric isn't just another kind of philosophy or literary criticism

Abstract At the conclusion of the Evanston conference, the groups that had been working on Pedagogy affirmed the position: ‘ “What makes rhetoric rhetoric is its teaching tradition.” The formation of an alliance among the various scholarly societies with a self‐identified interest in rhetoric offers a unique opportunity to advance a collective assertion of what rhetoric scholars study and teach, what binds our several traditions together as a disciplinary practice, what are its disciplinary strengths in the development of our students’ capacity (dunamis) as individuals, and why this mode of education is valuable for a free society. Three pedagogy groups developed far‐reaching proposals for the ways we might reassert rhetoric education's centrality in the modern university. Spanning these was their call for ARS to commission a manifesto recovering the value of rhetoric education as central to civic education.
Critical correlations and the Yvon-Born-Green integral equation

It is suggested that the critical-point behavior of the Yvon-Born-Green integral equation for fluids for dimensions $d\ensuremath{\le}4$ is described by a net correlation function which vanishes faster than any power of $r$ as $r\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\ensuremath{\infty}$, even though the isothermal compressibility ${K}_{T}$ diverges at the critical point.
Colorimetric barbiturate sensing with hybrid spin crossover assemblies

Spin crossover complexes based on either iron(II) or iron(III) give a colorimetric response upon self-assembly with barbituric acids. They can be used as visible sensors for these narcotics, selectively detecting barbiturates in the presence of other biologically-relevant hydrogen bonding species.
New physicians: a natural experiment in market organization

The National Resident Matching Program is a centralized clearinghouse through which new medical graduates in the United States obtain their first positions. The history of this market, from the market failures that the centralized system was designed to address, to the present, is discussed, and a hypothesis about the behavior of such markets is presented. New evidence is then presented from a set of similar centralized markets in the United Kingdom. Because some of these latter markets have failed, while others have succeeded, they provide a natural experiment that permits the hypothesis to be tested. The new evidence also suggests directions in which modifications of existing procedures might be considered.
Maintenance versus Maturation: Constructed Storm-Water Wetland’s Fifth-Year Water Quality and Hydrologic Assessment

AbstractConstructed storm-water wetlands (CSWs) have become popular storm water control measures (SCMs) in low-lying coastal environments, offering a hybrid between larger detention practices (wet ponds) and newer green infrastructure technologies. However, it is relatively rare that CSWs are monitored once the practice has aged 4 years, causing some concern among stakeholders about the long-term performance of CSWs. The specific objective of this research was to investigate the effects that wetland maturation and lack of maintenance have on the ability of a 5-year-old CSW to mitigate hydrology and improve water quality. A CSW was monitored from 2012–2013 that had not been maintained since construction in the spring of 2007. Since then, it has established as a diverse and healthy ecosystem. The monitoring results were compared with the results of a study conducted at the same site for a 1-year period immediately following construction (2007–2008). In 2007–2008, runoff volumes were reduced 54% and peak dis...
Isotopes and geology

Handbook of Environmental Isotope Geochemistry. Vol.1, The Terrestrial Environment, A. Edited by P. Fritz and J.Ch. Fontes. Pp.532. ISBN 0-444-41780-X. (Elsevier Scientific: 1980.) Dfl.185, $90.25.
Antibodies to plasminogen activator inhibit human tumor metastasis

The human carcinoma HEp3 grows on the chorioallantoic membrane and metastasizes to the chicken embryo with kinetics that are quantitatively predictable. We have used this experimental system to test whether plasminogen activator produced by the tumor is required for metastasis. Rabbit antibodies were raised against human urinary urokinase; these cross-reacted with and blocked the catalytic activity of HEp3-PA but did not inhibit chicken PA. When administered intravenously to embryos that had received an inoculum of HEp3 cells, the anti-urokinase antibodies did not inhibit tumor growth at the site of primary inoculation on the chorioallantoic membrane, but they either prevented or strongly inhibited metastasis to the embryo lung. Antibody treatment delayed the onset of pulmonary metastasis, indicating that plasminogen activator is required during early stages of the process.
Thermodynamic Analysis of Conserved Loop−Stem Interactions in P1−P2 Frameshifting RNA Pseudoknots from Plant Luteoviridae†

The RNA genomes of plant luteovirids beet western yellows virus (BWYV), potato leaf roll virus (PLRV), and pea enation mosaic virus (PEMV RNA1; PEMV-1) contain a short mRNA pseudoknotted motif overlapping the P1 and P2 open reading frames required for programmed -1 mRNA ribosomal frameshifting. The relationship between structure, stability, and function is poorly understood in these RNA systems. A m(5)-C(8)-substituted BWYV RNA is employed to establish that the BWYV P1-P2 pseudoknot is protonated at cytidine 8 in loop L1 (delta(N(3)H)+ = 12.98 ppm), which stabilizes a C(+.)(G-C) major groove base triple by Delta(DeltaG(37))(protonation) = 3.1 (+/-0.4) kcal mol(-1). The stabilities of both the PLRV and PEMV-1 P1-P2 pseudoknots are also strongly pH-dependent, with Delta(DeltaG(37))(protonation) = 2.1 (+/-0.2) kcal mol(-1) for the PEMV-1 pseudoknot despite a distinct structural context. As previously found for the BWYV pseudoknot [Nixon and Giedroc (2000) J. Mol. Biol. 296, 659], both the PLRV and PEMV-1 RNAs are stabilized by DeltaH > or = 30 kcal mol(-)(1) in excess of secondary structure predictions, attributed to loop L2-stem S1 minor groove triplex interactions. BWYV RNAs containing single 2'-deoxy or A --> G substitutions that disrupt L2-S1 hydrogen bonding are strongly destabilized with Delta(DeltaG(37))(folding) (pH = 7.0) ranging from approximately 1.8 (+/-0.3) to > or =4.0 kcal mol(-1), relative to the wild-type BWYV RNA. These findings suggest that each member of this family of pseudoknots adopts a tightly folded structure that maximizes the cooperativity and complementarity of L1-S2 and L2-S1 loop-stem interactions required in part to offset the low intrinsic stability of the short three base pair pseudoknot stem S2.
Characterizing vortex ring behavior during ventricular filling with Doppler echocardiography: an in vitro study.

Doppler ultrasound color M-mode imaging (CMM) has been proposed as a noninvasive means of quantifying diastolic function by measuring flow propagation into the left ventricle. However, the relationship between CMM-derived parameters and underlying fluid dynamics is still unclear. The purpose of this study was to couple high-resolution velocimetry measurements with ultrasound Doppler and CMM measurements in order to shed light on the relationship between CMM flow propagation and inflow dynamics using a simple yet highly reproducible in vitro model of left ventricular inflow.Two Reynolds number conditions were analyzed: 4000 and 6000. Both conditions produced starting jets that formed vortex rings. Average (N=5) CMM centerline velocities were in agreement with DPIV centerline velocities, although large uncertainty in CMM data was present (uncertainty ±10 cm s−1). Two flow propagation parameters were extracted from the CMM data: the first utilized an isovelocity as the marker of flow propagation; the second used local peak velocity as the marker. The isovelocity technique followed the flow proximal to the vortex (wavefront) while the peak velocity method followed peak vorticity, and therefore vortex propagation, closely. We conclude that CMM imaging, while limited in measuring absolute velocities, can be utilized to assess inflow vortex ring properties, and thereby provide useful information on diastolic function.
Performance analysis of local communication loops

The communication loops analyzed here provide an economical way of attaching many different terminals to a IBM 4331 host processor which may be several kilometers away.As a first step of the investigation protocol overhead is derived. It consists of request and transmission headers and the associated acknowledgements as defined by the System Network Architecture. Additional overhead is due to the physical layer protocols of the Synchronous Data Link Control including lower level confirmation frames.The next step is to describe the performance characteristics of the loop attachment hardware, primarily consisting of the external loop station adapters for local and teleprocessing connections and the loop adapter processor.
A strategy for the identification of the culturally different gifted/talented child

Many critics of gifted/talented education programs in America have argued that they are elitist in nature for containing highly skewed percentages of wealthy white children, the author argues that other identification procedures must be utilized if school districts are to include a proper proportion of low income participants and children of color in such educational undertakings. A procedure for identification using a modified quota system, is discussed.
Residents’ Practices and Perceptions About Do Not Resuscitate Orders and Pronouncing Death: An Opportunity for Clinical Training

Background: Although ‘‘Do not resuscitate’’ (DNR) orders are among the most commonly discussed patient preference treatment measures, few studies have assessed internal medicine residents’ views on this complex topic. Our objective was to assess resident practices in establishing code status. We also examined resident training and experiences in pronouncing death. Methods: An 18-question survey addressing DNR discussions and pronouncing death was emailed to internal medicine residents in the state of Illinois. Each question had multiple-choice options. Results: A total of 175 residents completed the questionnaire (22% response rate). Seventy-eight percent of the residents had discussed DNR status with patients or their families at least 9 times. However, only one third of the residents felt very comfortable in such discussions. Only 26% of the residents had been observed by a faculty member during a code status discussion and fewer (16%) while pronouncing death. Do not resuscitate discussions rarely occur...
Manganese—A Public Health Concern: Its Relevance for Occupational Health and Safety Policy and Regulation in South Africa

Concerns about the effects of low-level manganese exposures on human health arise at a time when South Africa finds itself in competition with newcomers to the market economy, China and the CIS. This case study illustrates how decisions about occupational health and safety and the environment are influenced by incompleteness of scientific knowledge, competing interests, differences over what is fair or just, and the compartmentalization of public policy. In addition, an assessment is made of the ability of the occupational health and safety system in South Africa in its current form to address the challenges posed by manganese-related issues. The importance of tracking developments abroad, strengthening participatory processes, developing national policy, linking economic policy and OHS policy, and establishing appropriate trade agreements is stressed.
Imaging of postpartum complications: a multimodality review.

OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this article is to review common and uncommon complications of postpartum and posttermination patients and their imaging findings. A variety of imaging modalities, including ultrasound, CT, MRI, and angiography, will be presented. Knowledge of the spectrum of normal and abnormal imaging findings as well as recognition of the common and uncommon complications are essential for accurate diagnosis. CONCLUSION. Obstetric complications are a common source of morbidity and mortality for women of reproductive age. Imaging, particularly with ultrasound, is often supplementary to the clinical history and examination in assessing and treating women during the postpartum period. Radiologists should be familiar with the common abnormalities that present in this period and their imaging findings, as well as the wide range of normal appearances the postpartum uterus can assume.
Transvaginal nephrectomy with a multichannel laparoscopic port: a cadaver study.

OBJECTIVE To determine whether a novel port (QuadPort, Advanced Surgical Concepts, Wicklow, Ireland) can facilitate transvaginal nephrectomy (TN), a natural orifice transluminal surgery (NOTES) procedure, using standard and articulating laparoscopic instruments. MATERIALS AND METHODS Four fresh female cadavers were used in this feasibility study with a plan to perform two right-sided and two left-sided TN. Exclusion criteria were a history of nephrectomy and a height of >1.82 m. The cadaver was placed in the lithotomy position with the target side up 30–45°. A three-channel R-port (Advanced Surgical Concepts) was placed in the umbilicus to monitor the transvaginal procedure. The four-channel QuadPort was placed through the posterior fornix into the peritoneal cavity. Regular laparoscopic instruments were used transvaginally to mobilize the colon, dissect the ureter, identify and divide the renal artery between clips, and divide the renal vein with a laparoscopic stapler. Remaining attachments of the kidney were divided and the specimen entrapped in a plastic bag before transvaginal extraction. RESULTS Three (two right- and one left-sided) TNs were performed successfully; one left-sided TN was aborted in the last cadaver due to dense pelvic adhesions from previous pelvic surgery. In the first two cadavers we required assistance from the umbilical port only to divide the attachments between the upper pole of the kidney and the diaphragm supero-posteriorly. In the third case we were able to perform this dissection completely transvaginally using a flexible gastroscope. CONCLUSIONS A completely NOTES-based TN in humans is challenging. Robust laparoscopic instruments have the requisite tensile strength when deployed through a large calibre, secure, multichannel transvaginal port. Extra-long laparoscopic instruments are helpful. The cephalad aspect of the hilum and the upper pole attachments are difficult areas. Novel and robust flexible instruments still need to be developed.