cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Is no-no-reflow following PCI in AMI due to distal embolization of plaque and thrombus?

Catheterization and Cardiovascular Interventions 82:210–211 (2013) Editorial Comment Is no-no-reflow following PCI in AMI due to distal embolization of plaque and thrombus? Jonathan Tobis,* MD Director of Interventional Cardiology, Prof. of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, California Of 3400 patients enrolled in the Horizons-AMI (acute myocardial infarction) trial that assessed the use of bivalirudin versus heparin plus routine GP IIb/IIIa inhibition, 402 patients had intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) imaging poststenting, and of these, 43 patients had IVUS imaging before any intervention as well as post stenting. The accompanying paper [1] describes the observations in this final select group of patients. The authors conclude: 1. In addition to the artery lumen enlarging from the stent, there was a decrease in lesion segment plaque volume. The decrease in plaque volume was greater than the shift of plaque longitudinally from the lesion to the proximal and distal references. 2. The decrease in lesion plaque volume was greater in patients with angiographic thrombus compared to those with no angiographic thrombus. 3. The post-intervention CK-MB correlated with the reduction in plaque volume. This article represents a large amount of meticulous work, measurements and analysis, not only on this subset of patients but also for the larger IVUS cohort and for the multicenter Horizons- AMI trial. The authors should be congratulated because it is difficult to obtain these data. Of the 43 patients who had an acute MI and had IVUS imaging prestenting and poststenting, 20 had thrombus identified by angiography and 23 did not. None of the patients with thrombus received thrombectomy. There was more loss of plaque volume in pts with thrombus versus those without thrombus. five patients with thrombus had no-reflow but none of the patients without thrombus had no-reflow. It is a bit difficult to draw emphatic conclusions with such small numbers of patients, but it certainly is consistent with the hypothesis that percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with stenting breaks up thrombus which then heads downstream and causes no-reflow. The periprocedural increase in CK-MB correlated with the reduction in plaque volume which also is suggestive that PCI can release material downstream and cause myocardial necrosis, especially if thrombus is present. So why are there such ambiguous results with thrombectomy in AMI? The authors conclude: “The current findings may also explain why thrombus aspiration or distal protection is not universally beneficial since not all patients with AMI have thrombus,” as documented in this study with IVUS. Perhaps the identification of thrombus would be more sensitive with OCT imaging, but I believe that IVUS is accurate for quantifying a large intralumenal mass of thrombus.
How Large Should Whales Be

The evolution and distribution of species body sizes for terrestrial mammals is well-explained by a macroevolutionary tradeoff between short-term selective advantages and long-term extinction risks from increased species body size, unfolding above the 2 g minimum size induced by thermoregulation in air. Here, we consider whether this same tradeoff, formalized as a constrained convection-reaction-diffusion system, can also explain the sizes of fully aquatic mammals, which have not previously been considered. By replacing the terrestrial minimum with a pelagic one, at roughly 7000 g, the terrestrial mammal tradeoff model accurately predicts, with no tunable parameters, the observed body masses of all extant cetacean species, including the 175,000,000 g Blue Whale. This strong agreement between theory and data suggests that a universal macroevolutionary tradeoff governs body size evolution for all mammals, regardless of their habitat. The dramatic sizes of cetaceans can thus be attributed mainly to the increased convective heat loss is water, which shifts the species size distribution upward and pushes its right tail into ranges inaccessible to terrestrial mammals. Under this macroevolutionary tradeoff, the largest expected species occurs where the rate at which smaller-bodied species move up into large-bodied niches approximately equals the rate at which extinction removes them.
Surface modification of polymer-based microfluidic devices

Abstract We report the chemical modification of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), and poly(carbonate) (PC) surfaces for applications in microfluidic systems. For PMMA, a reaction of the surface methyl ester groups with a monoanion of α,ω-diaminoalkanes (aminolysis reaction) to yield amine-terminated PMMA surfaces will be described. Furthermore, it was found that the amine functionalities were tethered to the PMMA backbone through an alkane bridge to amide bonds formed during the aminolysis of the surface ester functionalities. The electro-osmotic flow (EOF) in aminated-PMMA microchannels was reversed when compared to that in unmodified channels. Finally, the availability of the surface amine groups was further demonstrated by their reaction with n -octadecane–1-isocyanate to form PMMA surfaces terminated with well ordered and highly crystalline octadecane chains, appropriate for performing reverse-phase separations. Examples of reverse-phase separations of ion-paired double-stranded DNAs in electric fields (capillary electrochromatography (CEC)) will be demonstrated using a PMMA-based fluidic chip. For PC, sulfonation of the surface with SO 3 will be described; this sulfonation makes the surface very hydrophilic. EOF studies of the sulfonated-PC surfaces indicated changes in the pH-dependent profile when compared to unmodified PC.
Genetic recombination is directed away from functional genomic elements in mice

Genetic recombination occurs during meiosis, the key developmental programme of gametogenesis. Recombination in mammals has been recently linked to the activity of a histone H3 methyltransferase, PR domain containing 9 (PRDM9), the product of the only known speciation-associated gene in mammals. PRDM9 is thought to determine the preferred recombination sites--recombination hotspots--through sequence-specific binding of its highly polymorphic multi-Zn-finger domain. Nevertheless, Prdm9 knockout mice are proficient at initiating recombination. Here we map and analyse the genome-wide distribution of recombination initiation sites in Prdm9 knockout mice and in two mouse strains with different Prdm9 alleles and their F(1) hybrid. We show that PRDM9 determines the positions of practically all hotspots in the mouse genome, with the exception of the pseudo-autosomal region (PAR)--the only area of the genome that undergoes recombination in 100% of cells. Surprisingly, hotspots are still observed in Prdm9 knockout mice, and as in wild type, these hotspots are found at H3 lysine 4 (H3K4) trimethylation marks. However, in the absence of PRDM9, most recombination is initiated at promoters and at other sites of PRDM9-independent H3K4 trimethylation. Such sites are rarely targeted in wild-type mice, indicating an unexpected role of the PRDM9 protein in sequestering the recombination machinery away from gene-promoter regions and other functional genomic elements.
The Morphology of Blepharisma undulans Stein

SYNOPSIS. Electron-microscope studies have revealed the ciliature and infraciliature of Blepharisma undulans to include tubular filaments about 24 mμ in diameter. As these filaments pass from the kinetosomes into the surrounding cytoplasm they appear to divide into double helical subfilaments, each with a diameter of about 12 mμ. In the somatic region the ciliary rows are composed of series of paired kinetosomes. Connected with the anterior member of a pair are the cilium and transverse filaments, the posterior member giving rise to the posterior kinetodesmal fiber. From between the two kinetosomes arises the anterior kinetodesmal fiber. The kinetodesmal fiber system is associated with the subpellicular fibril system which lines the area just beneath the pellicle of the animal. In the oral region a series of these filaments extends from the proximal portion of the adoral zone of membranelle kinetosomes into the cytoplasm. They traverse the oral area to connect with the undulating membrane on the right margin of the mouth. Also present are fibers comparable to the kinetodesmal fibers and transverse fibers of the somatic region. The functional significance of this system is discussed. The nucleus and nuclear and cytoplasmic inclusions are described, including pigment granules, storage products, the Golgi apparatus, mitochondria and vacuole systems.
An integrated family orientated cancer care program: the report of a pilot project in the socio-emotional management of chronic disease.

Abstract This paper describes a pilot project in the socio-emotional care of chronic disease. The setting and details of the program for cancer patients are described, and the characteristics of the first 37 patients to participate in the program are delineated. Case histories of some of the patients and their families are presented in greater detail to illustrate the program's interventions.
Steps of empowerment evaluation: From California to Cape Town

These basic steps are designed to help program participants internalize evaluation as part of their program planning and management. Each step is illustrated by case examples drawn from work conducted in the School for Transformative Learning at the California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco, the Oakland Public School System in California, and townships around Cape Town in South Africa. In addition, relevant mechanical concerns have been discussed including the role of meetings, facilitation teams, and consensual validation. Ideally, this approach is both liberating—freeing participants from the status quo of evaluation and operation—and illuminating, as participants expand their awareness of what is possible in their own universe.
Acoustic-Reflex Growth and Loudness

Acoustic-reflex growth functions and loudness-balance judgments were obtained for three normal-hearing subjects with normal middle-ear function. The hypothesis that acoustic reflex-activating signa...
The efficiency of electrohydrodynamic pumps in the attraction mode

Abstract An electric field applied normal to the interface between fluids of different conductivities induces charges at the interface. If the electric field moves parallel to the interface, it can pull these charges along, forming an attraction pump. The mechanical output power of this pump is highest when the fluid velocity close to the synchronous speed and the shear stress is also high. Unlike magnetic induction devices, the Joule heating can also be very high near the synchronous speed, so that the efficiency of the pump is low. From the results presented here, it appears that high efficiency can be obtained if the more conducting layer is highly conductive, the more resistive layer is thin, and the charge relaxation rate is slow compared with the frequency of the applied voltage.
Whether to "Strangle the Baby in the Cradle": The United States and the Chinese Nuclear Program, 1960-64

Earlier versions of this article appeared in the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists as “The China Puzzle,” Vol. 53, No. 4 (July/August 1997), and were presented at the 1999 annual meeting of the Society for the Historians of American Foreign Relations. The authors thank Barton Bernstein, William Bundy, Gordon Chang, Lynn Eden, Raymond Garthoff, Robert Johnson, Robert Norris, David Painter, John Prados, David Rosenberg, Walt Rostow, Gen. William Smith (ret'd), J. Samuel Walker, and Paul Wolman for comments, and the W. Alton Jones Foundation for anancial support to the National Security Archive, George Washington University.
Regulation of IL-8 Promoter Activity by Verrucarin A in Human Monocytic THP-1 Cells

Macrocyclic trichothecenes have been frequently detected in fungi in water-damaged buildings and exhibited higher toxicity than the well-studied trichothecenes; however, the mechanism underlying their toxicity has been poorly understood. In this study, transcriptional regulation of the cytokine interleukin (IL)-8 by a macrocyclic trichothecene, verrucarin A (VA), in human monocytic THP-1 cells is reported. Consistent with previous findings, VA was 100-fold more cytotoxic than deoxynivalenol (DON), while ochratoxin A (OA) was not cytotoxic. In cells transduced with the wild-type IL-8 promoter luciferase construct, VA induced a biphasic dose response composed of an upregulation of luciferase expression at low concentrations of 0.01−1 ng/ml and a downregulation at high levels of 10 ng/ml and higher. In contrast, DON induced a sigmoid-shaped dose response with the EC50 of 11.6 ng/ml, while OA did not markedly affect the IL-8 expression. When cells were transduced with IL-8 promoter with a mutation of transcri...
Administration of bovine superoxide dismutase fails to prevent chronic pulmonary sequelae of neonatal oxygen exposure in the rat

Using a rat model, we assessed the efficacy of varying doses of superoxide dismutase of (SOD) to affect plasma and tissue SOD concentrations and to attenuate dysplastic changes of lung and pulmonary vascular growth, which are chronic sequelae of neonatal oxygen exposure. One hundred forty-three 1-day-old Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into two groups and exposed to hyperoxia (0.96 to 1.0 Fio2) or room air for 8 postnatal days. Each group was subdivided into five treatment groups, which received 6, 20, 100, or 200 mg/kg/d SOD or a placebo, intramuscularly every 12 hours. All rats were then placed in room air; 52 were killed, and lung tissue and blood samples were obtained for measurement of bovine SOD concentration. The remaining rats received routine care until 58 to 60 days of age, when functional and morphologic cardiopulmonary changes were assessed. Bovine SOD concentration of pooled plasma samples increased 26-fold, from 2 to 50 micrograms/mL, between the 6 and 200 mg/kg/d SOD groups, but mean tissue concentration increased only six-fold, from 0.34 to 2.1 micrograms/lung. Cardiovascular and pulmonary changes found in each oxygen group, regardless of SOD dosage, included elevated right ventricular pressure, increased right ventricular weight, decreased number of small pulmonary arteries/mm2, decreased number of alveoli/mm2, and increased volume proportion of lung parenchyma. Thus, high plasma concentrations of bovine SOD failed to prevent the chronic cardiovascular and pulmonary sequelae of neonatal oxygen exposure in the rat, possibly because SOD did not reach the intracellular sites of action.
Gas Foil Bearings: Limits for High-Speed Operation

Commercial oil-free micro turbomachinery relies on gas foil bearings (GFBs) for reliable performance with improved efficiency. However, GFB modeling is still largely empirical, lacking experimental validation. An analysis of simple GFBs operating at large shaft speeds (infinite speed number) follows. The bearing ultimate load and stiffness coefficients are derived from simple algebraic equations for the gas film pressures at the equilibrium journal position and due to small amplitude journal motions, respectively. GFBs without a clearance or with assembly interference are easily modeled. The underlying elastic structure (bump foil strip) determines the ultimate load capacity of a GFB as well as its stiffnesses, along with the limiting journal displacement and structural deformation. Thus, an accurate estimation of the actual minimum film thickness is found prior to performing calculations with a complex computational model, even for the case of large loads that result in a journal eccentricity well exceeding the nominal clearance, if applicable. An initial assembly preload (interference between shaft and foil) increases the GFB static stiffness at both null and infinite rotor speeds. At infinite speed, cross-coupled stiffnesses are nil; and thus, GFBs are impervious to hydrodynamic whirl instability.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
Effectiveness of multi-device testing mobile applications

The paper evaluates methods of selecting mobile devices (i.e., Smartphones and tablets) to test mobile software applications. Due to the number of such devices on the market and the variations in their characteristics, it is hard to guarantee that an application will work properly on all devices. Software faults found only in certain devices are known as device-specific faults. The goal of this research was to determine how many devices must be tested and which methods of device selection are best for revealing these device-specific faults. To collect the experimental data, 15 Android applications were tested on 30 mobile devices using real devices and remote testing services such as Test Object, pCloudy, and others. In total, 24 device-specific faults were detected. Using our data, we analyzed the different methods of selection based on the characteristics of each device. Our research showed that a random selection of 13 devices achieved 100% effectiveness. However, coverage of device characteristics in the selection process enables the achievement of an acceptable 90% level of effectiveness with sets of only five devices. The most successful approach was the coverage of different types of Android operating systems. Our results include recommendations that will help increase the effectiveness and decrease the costs of mobile testing.
An application classification guided cache tuning heuristic for multi-core architectures

Since multi-core architectures are becoming more popular, recent multi-core optimizations focus on energy consumption. We present a level one data cache tuning heuristic for a heterogeneous multi-core system, which classifies applications based on data sharing and cache behavior, and uses this classification to guide cache tuning and reduce the number of cores that need to be tuned. Results reveal average energy savings of 25% for 2-, 4-, 8-, and 16-core systems while searching only 1% of the design space.
Rousseau and the problem of community: Nationalism, civic virtue, totalitarianism

The political theory of Jean-Jacques Rousseau exhibits an unmistakable tension between the desire to foster a sense of community and the fear of totalitarian control. This tension is most obvious in Rousseau's ambivalence toward both city life and rural agrarian life. This analysis will explore the dynamics of this tension between the city and the country and its political ramifications in the Social Contract and the Project for the Constitution of Corsica
Electrochemical detection in capillary electrophoresis

Recent advances in the design and application of electrochemical detection (EC) systems in capillary electrophoresis (CE) are reviewed, with the objective of providing the non-electrochemist with a state-of-the-art picture of CEEC instrumentation and an overview of the primary analytes and samples for which the technique is best suited. In particular, instrument innovations designed to aid in decoupling the CE and EC systems electrically and in aligning them physically are described in detail. In addition, CEEC applications are summarized for four specific analyte groups: catecholamines, thiols and disulfides, amino acids, and carbohydrates. On this basis, it is clear that EC techniques have reached a stage where they are already having a significant impact on CE usage in selected areas of analysis. Continued developments with respect to new electrode materials and electrode configurations promise to broaden this impact further.
Influence of rod signals on hue perception: evidence from successive scotopic contrast

In successive scotopic color contrast, a colored adapting field induces a hue into a successively presented, purely rod-detected test field. To determine the rod influence on hue perception, a comparison was made, for both spectral matches and hue names, between photopic and scotopic color contrast hues produced by the same adapting fields adjusted to each of the four unique hues. Rod signals evoked hues reflecting each direction of both red/green and blue/yellow hue dimensions. Rod signals differentially strengthened blue relative to red or green hue components under some conditions but not under others. No other differential rod influences on hue were found.
Learning to Teach Inquiry Science in a Technology-Based Environment: A Case Study

This paper reports on a 2-year study designed to investigate the trajectory of change in an urban 5th grade teacher as she introduces science inquiry using the Web-Based Inquiry Science Environment (WISE). Data for this study included videotapes and transcripts of classroom instruction, and audiotapes and transcripts of interviews conducted with the teacher as she was implementing the curriculum. We also conducted retrospective interviews that enabled us to validate our account of the observational-based changes in the teacher's practices. The results suggest that the teacher's classroom practices shifted over time, from a greater focus on logistics to more of an inquiry orientation. The results further suggest that this shift can be attributed to repeated opportunities to teach a WISE curricular unit. They also show that support from the curriculum and other professionals, allowed the teacher to reflect on how her practices support students' learning.
WAITERING/WAITRESSING: Engendering the Work of Table Servers

Work organizations construct gender relations by two mechanisms. First, they allocate men and women to different positions. Instead of the traditional pattern of firm-specific segregation of waiters and waitresses, quantitative data show that most restaurants in this study have integrated wait staffs. Second, work organizations define job performances in gender terms. Qualitative data from five illustrative restaurants show that male and female servers in integrated staffs “do gender” by performing gendered service styles. Even when men and women are coservers, job titles and dress codes suggest that providing service in a fine dining restaurant is waitering, whereas serving in a coffee shop is waitressing. Focusing on gendered styles of services expands our definition of gender and has serious implications for efforts to achieve occupational integration.
Relatedness and queen number in the Neotropical wasp, Parachartergus colobopterus

Abstract The maintenance of sociality is most difficult to explain under circumstances where non-reproducing helpers are physiologically capable of reproducing and distantly related to the brood they rear. The Neotropical swarm-founding wasps are likely to fulfil these conditions because most taxa lack morphological differences between workers and queens, and they have many queens per nest, which is expected to substantially lower worker to brood relatedness. No morphological differences between workers and queens in Parachartergus colobopterus were detected. Colonies contained an average of 27 queens. However, relatedness among nestmates in P. colobopterus was higher (r=0·31) than would be expected on the basis of queen number alone because the queens themselves are very closely related (r=0·67) and because of large variation in numbers of queens among colonies. This makes the harmonic mean of queen number (five queens), which is the appropriate measure for investigating the impact of queen number on relatedness, much lower than the arithmetic mean. Reproductive dominance of one or a few queens within colonies was not a factor that greatly increased relatedness among workers. Taken together, these results support the cyclical oligogyny hypothesis for the maintenance of sociality in Neotropical social wasps.
Activation of Nitroarenes in the Homogenous Catalytic Carbonylation of Nitroaromatics via an Oxygen-Atom-Transfer Mechanism Induced by Inner-Sphere Electron Transfer†

Kinetic and mechanistic studies on the deoxygenation of nitroarenes by Ru(dppe)(CO)3, where dppe = 1,2-bis(diphenylphosphino)ethane, are described. The products of the reaction included 1 equiv of carbon dioxide and an η2-nitrosoarene ruthenium complex (Ru(dppe)(CO)2[ON(Ar)] for Ar = 4-chloro-2-trifluoromethylphenyl), which was isolated and fully characterized by solution spectroscopic methods and by single crystal X-ray diffraction [monoclinic crystal system, space group P21/c (#14), a = 14.556 (8) A, b = 12.903 (6) A, c = 20.10 (1) A, β = 105.60 (6)°, V = 3636 (8) A3, Z = 4]. The deoxygenation reaction was determined to be first-order with respect to both Ru(dppe)(CO)3 and nitroarene. Electron withdrawing substituents on the nitroarene and polar solvents accelerated the rate, and a substituent study provided a ρ of +3.45 indicating negative charge buildup on the nitroarene in the rate determining step of the reaction. Activation enthalpies for 2-CF3, 4-Cl, 4-H, and 4-CH3 substituted nitroarenes were 9.3...
Equilibrium Flexibility of a Rigid Linear Conjugated Polymer

The unusual electronic and optical properties of many electroluminescent and conducting polymers arise from extended conjugation along the polymer backbone, which can also lead to insolubility, aggregation, and gelation. Synthetic efforts to produce an optimal structure require a balance between the persistence length and the effective conjugation length for the successful implementation of these materials in photonic and electronic devices. In this study, we have investigated the solution properties of a group of poly(phenyleneethynylenes) using a variety of light scattering techniques, including polarized and depolarized intensity measurements, dynamic light scattering, and size exclusion chromatography with a multiangle light scattering detector (SEC/LS). Interpretation of light scattering in the presence of absorption, fluorescence, and optical anisotropy is discussed. The molecular weights determined by light scattering encompassed the range from 10 105 to 5 106, with the root-mean-square radius of gyration as high as 250 nm. The results may be interpreted with a wormlike chain model to yield a persistence length of about 15 nm, so that these high-M polymers are coil-like in solution, rather than "rigid rods". This persistence length is still expected to be several times larger than the effective conjugation length.
Palifermin in a hematopoietic stem cell transplant patient with osteonecrosis of the jaw

This case report describes the use of palifermin in a multiple myeloma patient with a history of osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ) for the prevention of high-dose chemotherapy-induced mucositis. Following the day of autologous stem cell infusion, palifermin was discontinued secondary to adverse events. Specifically, palifermin-associated macroglossia seemed to exacerbate the pain localized in the oral cavity area affected by ONJ, necessitating escalated doses of narcotic analgesics. When contemplating palifermin as a mucosal protectant in a hematopoietic stem cell transplant patient with ONJ, a careful benefit-to-risk assessment is in order to ensure optimal effectiveness without undue harm.
Misalignment-free signal propagation in nanomagnet arrays and logic gates with 45°-clocking field

A key obstacle for the application of Magnetic Quantum-dot Cellular Automata (MQCA) is the misalignment of clocking field, which results in low stability for both signal propagations within nanomagnet array and logic operation in majority gates. Here, we demonstrate that a reversal clocking field applied at 45° off the hard axis, with progressively reduced amplitude, applied to a shape-tuned nanomagnet array fabricated by e-beam lithography, helps intrinsically eliminate the misalignment sensitivity of the elements and results in correct signal propagation. Further, least reversal steps and reduced field amplitude was required owing to the 45°-clocking field. This clocking field was also tested for majority gates (OR function) and characterized by Magnetic Force Microscopy demonstrating correct output. This novel design provides high stability for signal propagation and logic operation of MQCA and potentially paves way for its application.
A Conceptual Basis for Inconsistency Management in Model-based Systems Engineering☆

Abstract A crucial issue in system architecting is the need to study systems from different viewpoints. These viewpoints are defined by a variety of factors, including the concerns of interest, level of abstraction, observers and context. Views conforming to these viewpoints are highly interrelated due to the concerns addressed overlapping. These interrelations and overlaps can lead to inconsistencies. The challenge is to identify and resolve - that is, manage - such inconsistencies. This paper introduces an approach to managing inconsistencies within the context of Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE). In current practice, the management of inconsistencies relies on ad-hoc methods and infrequently conducted activities such as reviews. The result of this practice is that decisions are often made based on inconsistent information, which can lead to costly rework or even mission failure. Therefore, assisting humans by means of a computational method that can continuously identify and aid in resolving inconsistencies adds significant value. In the paper, the hypothesis that pattern matching can serve as a generic means of identifying inconsistencies is investigated. It is shown that graph patterns can be used as a means to capture conditions for and formally reason about the existence of inconsistencies, and to specify resolution alternatives. The paper concludes that using patterns to manage inconsistencies can be very effective and accurate, but it may also incur additional costs that must be carefully balanced with the benefits gained.
Development of a DNA probe using barium strontium titanate

In this paper we report on the development of an electronic DNA sensor probe assembly using barium strontium titanate (BST) applied by pulsed laser deposition in conjunction with optical spectroscopy and impedance spectroscopy methods. To verify the binding of the probe to the BST, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and attenuated total reflectance (ATR) techniques were employed. FTIR and ATR were employed to verify the hybridization of the probe to an oligonucleotide target. In addition to the FTIR technique, direct capacitance and impedance spectroscopy measurements were used to verify the ability of the probe binding to the ceramic substrate and also the hybridization of the target DNA strand to the probe DNA strand. The proposed design has the advantages of label-free detection and large detectable capacitance changes upon hybridization, and does not require the application of a gold electrode layer.
Subdivisions of the interpeduncular nucleus: A proposed nomenclature

A compromise terminology for subdivisions is proposed which integrates the two previous standard and two recent and more detailed subnuclear schemes. The unpaired median subnuclei are called rostral, central and apical. The paired subnuclei are called rostral lateral, dorsal lateral, intermediate and lateral. A plea is made for attention to these consistent subdivisions, and for uniformity of terminology regardless of the parameters studied.
Estimates of uridine diphosphate hexoses inerythrocytes: Implications for galactosemia

Impurities in a reagent dehydrogenase caused overestimates of erythrocytic uridine diphosphate glucose and accounted for clinically important differences in results between those of one group of investigators using enzymatic methods and those of two other groups using enzymatic methods, high-performance liquid chromatography, and nuclear magnetic resonance. These data have relevance for the current debate regarding the pathophysiologic changes in galactosemia.
Carbonic anhydrase, carbondioxide levels and growth of Nitrosomonas

The ammonia oxidizing bacterium Nitrosomonas europaea was grown either (a) with added bicarbonate in the absence of added CO2 (bubbled through the culture), (b) with added bicarbonate plus low added CO2 (0.03% v/v), or (c) without added bicarbonate with high added CO2 (1% v/v). Cell doubling times of 12 h were observed in 1% cultures; doubling times of 2 to 3-fold longer wre found with 0.03% CO2 and/or bicarbonate grown cultures. The specific activity of carbonic anhydrase was 40–80% lower in cultures grown on 1% CO2. These results are compared with those in heterotrophic and photosynthetic microorganisms.
Excitation and emission spectra of the 2A″2 ↽ → 2E″1 system of the gas-phase cyclopentadienyl radical

Abstract Laser-induced fluorescence excitation and resolved emission spectra of the gas-phase cyclopentadienyl radical are reported. Emission spectra following single vibronic level excitation of prominent absorption features from 338.0 to 325.6 nm are recorded and catalogued. The collision-free fluorescence lifetime is in the range of 12–20 ns. Efficient vibrational relaxation of the 2A″2 state by SF6 is reported. Based upon analysis of the excitation and emission spectra it is concluded that there are two or more Jahn-Teller active modes in C5H5. The measured spectra and our analyses agree qualitatively with recent calculations on C5H5 that assume three active modes with Jahn-Teller coupling parameters, λ2 of 0.6–1.9.
Differential glutathione depletion by l-buthionine-S, R-sulfoximine in rat embryo versus visceral yolk sac in vivo and in vitro

l-Buthionine-S,R-sulfoxine (l-BSO), a selective of glutathione synthesis, exhibited the capacity to deplete embryonic and visceral yolk sac glutathione (GSH) after administration in vivo and also after addition of l-BSO to a whole embryo culture system. Administration of l-BSO to pregnant dams at 2.5 or 18 hr prior to the explantation of day 10 conceptuses resulted in greater than 55% GSH depletion relative to control values in both the yolk sac and the embryo proper. The levels of GSH returned to normal in all embryos and in the corresponding visceral yolk sacs pretreated at 2.5 hr (but not at 18 hr) after culturing for 24 hr in l-BSO-free medium. GSH content was significantly lower in yolk sacs but not in embryos of conceptuses cultured for 24 hr in medium containing 1 mM l-BSO. This treatment, however, significantly increased the amount of protein and DNA in the embryo. The differential sensitivity of the yolk sac versus embryo and the demonstration of the ability to modulate tissue levels of GSH during organogenesis promise to provide important new tools for the study of embryonic protective mechanisms in chemical teratogenesis.
Noise-resistant adaptive scale using stabilized diffusion

Semi-locally adaptive models have appeared in medical imaging literature in the past years. In particular, generalized scale models (or g-scale for short) have been introduced to effectively overcome the shape, size, or anisotropic constraints imposed by previous local morphometric scale models. The g-scale models have shown interesting theoretical properties and an ability to drive improved image processing as shown in previous works. In this paper, we present a noise-resistant variant for g-scale set formation, which we refer to as stabilized scale (s-scale) because of its stabilized diffusive properties. This is a modified diffusion process wherein a well-conditioned and stable behavior in the vicinity of boundaries is defined. Yet, s-scale includes an intensity-merging dynamics behavior in the same manner as that found in the switching control of a nonlinear system. Basically we introduce, in the evolution of the diffusive model, a behavior state to drive neighboring voxel intensities to larger and larger iso-intensity regions. In other words, we drive our diffusion process to a coarser and coarser piecewise-constant approximation of the original scene. This strategy reveals a well-known behavior in control theory, called sliding modes. Evaluations on a mathematical phantom, the Brainweb, MR and CT data sets were conducted. The s-scale has shown better performance than the original g-scale under moderate to high noise levels.
Financial analysis of Chir pine plantations for carbon offsets, timber and resin in Nepal

A financial analysis was done for Chir pine (Pinus roxburghii) plantations that produce carbon offset payments, timber and resin in a community forest context in Nepal. Results indicate that the inclusion of carbon offset payments increases rotation age and land expectation value. The optimal rotation age is approximately 35 years without including carbon offset payments, while the rotation age can increase beyond 75 years with the inclusion of carbon offset payments. The substantial change in optimal rotation age also suggests that carbon offset payments will likely change the product mix produced from Chir pine plantations. Likewise, land expectation value increases significantly with carbon offset payments indicating that local communities could benefit from such payments. The results also indicate that different assumptions about the quantity of long term carbon storage (i.e. pickling rate) have a significant impact on rotation age and land expectation value. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/banko.v22i2.9193 Banko Janakari : A Journal of Forestry Information for Nepal Vol. 22, No. 2, 2012 November Page: 3-10 Uploaded date : 12/1/2013
Synthesis, characterization and biodistribution studies of a neutral-lipophilic Tc-99m N3S2 chelate.

Diaminedithiols (DADT) are known to form neutral-lipophilic complexes with 99mTc in aqueous solutions, where they are readily formed in high yields and demonstrate excellent stability. A new triaminedithiol (TADT) ligand was synthesized, characterized and shown to form a neutral-lipophilic 99mTc-chelate. The biodistribution of this 99mTc chelate in rats showed that its uptake in brain or heart following i.v. injection of the 99mTc chelate was low, but activity taken up was retained over a long period of time. The in vivo and in vitro properties of this chelate indicate the possibility that chemical modification of this TADT ligand may produce ligand systems that form 99mTc chelates with suitable diagnostic properties.
Growth-promoting activity of lactoflavin administered orally and parenterally.

ConclusionsThe growth-promoting effect of lactoflavin or of lactoflavin-5-phosphoric acid is independent of the way in which it is administered, that is, whether orally or parenterally. There are no biological differences, as shown by growth tests, between lactoflavin and lactoflavin-5-phosphoric acid, the rat-day dose for both being about 7 to 10 γ. It can therefore safely be assumed that the phosphorylation of lactoflavin is not only an intestinal but also a general cellular reaction.
Characterization of coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) islet somatostatins

Abstract Three different somatostatins have been isolated from the pancreatic islet tissue of the coho salmon ( Oncorhynchus kisutch ) by gel filtration and HPLC. Two of these peptides contain 14 amino acids and the larger third peptide consists of 25 amino acids. The sequence of the salmon SST-25 is Ser-Val-Asp-Asn-Leu-Pro-Pro-Arg-Glu-Arg-Lys-Ala-Gly-Cys-Lys-Asn-Phe-Tyr-Trp-Lys-Gly-Phe-Thr-Ser-Cys. The sequence of the salmon SST-14-I is Ala-Gly-Cys-Lys-Asn-Phe-Phe-Trp-Lys-Thr-Phe-Thr-Ser-Cys. The other small somatostatin (SST-14-II) which was not sequenced has an amino acid composition identical to the C-terminal 14 amino acids of the SST-25 and it is probably derived from this larger form. Evidence for low levels of a somatostatin containing 28 amino acids is also presented. This SST-28 appears to be an N-terminal extended precursor of SST-25 or a peptide derived via alternative processing of a common preprosomatostatin. Injected into juvenile salmon, SST-25 caused a decline in circulating levels of plasma insulin, depletion of liver glycogen, and activation of lipolytic pathways. Juvenile salmon treated with anti-SST-25 serum revealed elevated levels of plasma insulin as well as an increase of the glycogen content of the liver.
Patronage and Representation at the Huviska Vihāra a Kusāna-Period Monastery in Mathurā

Art and inscriptions from the Jamālpur site in the southern section of Mathurā city help characterize an early Buddhist monastic community and its relationship with lay patrons of non-royal backgrounds. Although named after Huviska, a powerful ruler of the Kusāna dynasty in the mid–second century CE, the monastery at this site was supported by monks, local administrators and members of professional groups such as actors. Monks specialized in textual interpretations, recitations and meditative practices, but were also successful fund raisers who actively influenced Buddhist imagery. Figures of lay worshippers carved in a naturalistic style are privileged in sculptures from this monastery. Visiting monks were instrumental in introducing elements of Kusāna royal symbolism into local art production. The role of this monastery was primarily to help local political elite to gain legitimation through their association with the Kusāna name and royal symbols on the one hand, and on the other, with a local nāga cul...
An integrated quantitative basin analysis study of the northern part of the Arctic national Wildlife Refuge, Northeastern Alaska

Abstract An integrated basin analysis was conducted using one- and two-dimensional quantitative dynamic models (1-D and 2-D) in the northern part of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR), Northeastern Alaska. Exploratory well data have been used in the reconstructions of: (1) geohistory including basement subsidence, sediment deposition, change of porosity and compaction, permeability, fluid pressure and fluid flow with time and depth; (2) thermal history including heat flux evolution with time, temperature change with time and depth, and thermal maturation history; and (3) hydrocarbon generation history including the change in the amount of hydrocarbons generated with time and depth, and determining the time and depth of peak hydrocarbon generation. 1-D and 2-D basin modeling codes were used with selected wells, and also with a 18 km section, west of ANWR, with five well controls. It is concluded that: (1) the main source rock west of ANWR area matured first about 40-30 Ma ago in the south and gradually to the north about 10-8 Ma ago on the coastal plain; (2) the modeled erosion thickness at Beli Unit-1 location, northeastern Brooks Range, was 1500–3000 m and at least 3000 m at Canning River Unit B-1; and (3) an overpressure zone within the Hue shale and the lowest part of the Canning Formation caused by rapid Tertiary deposition retained porosity, increased the temperature and speeded hydrocarbon generation in the lower part of the coastal plain.
The effect of clysed and topical epinephrine on intraoperative catecholamine levels.

Background: Epinephrine administration for hemostasis during burn wound excision may produce potential anesthetic risks. Two patient groups were studied to determine the absorption of either topical concentrated epinephrine or exogenously injected dilute epinephrine. Methods: For the topical group (10 patients, 10 procedures), excision of wounds under tourniquet was performed, followed by epinephrine ( 1 mg/10 mL) gauze with pressure wrapping. For the clysis group (9 patients, 12 procedures), donor sites were injected with 0.5 mg epinephrine/1,000 mL lactated Ringer's solution before harvest. Nine intraoperative serum samples were collected and frozen during each procedure for epinephrine and norepinephrine assay. Results: Concentrated epinephrine (67 mL) was topically applied to excise 1,362 cm 2 . Dilute epinephrine (1,350 mL) was clysed to obtain 1,950 cm 2 autograft. No significant increases in the serum catecholamines or changes in the cardiovascular profiles occurred. Conclusion: The administration of either topical or clysed epinephrine during acute burn excision does not cause any side effects for safe anesthetic management; there were no detectable increased plasma levels of epinephrine or norepinephrine. Epinephrine provides the burn surgeon with two safe methods for controlling intraoperative blood loss.
Optical interference for multiplexed, label-free, and dynamic biosensing: Protein, DNA and single virus detection

Direct monitoring of primary molecular binding interactions without the need for secondary reactants would markedly simplify and expand applications of high-throughput label-free detection methods. We have developed the Interferometric Reflectance Imaging Sensor (IRIS) for label-free, high throughput, high sensitivity and dynamic detection of molecular binding on a solid surface. IRIS has demonstrated protein-protein binding and DNA-protein binding in real time, label-free, and in a high-throughput format with exquisite sensitivity (∼10 pg/mm2) and reproducibility [1,2] as well as label-free measurements of DNA hybridization kinetics [3] and viral detection [4].
Strain-Specific Regulatory Role of Eukaryote-Like Serine/Threonine Phosphatase in Pneumococcal Adherence

Streptococcus pneumoniae exploits a battery of virulence factors to colonize the host. Although the eukaryote-like Ser/Thr kinase of S. pneumoniae (StkP) has been implicated in physiology and virulence, the role of its cotranscribing phosphatase (PhpP) has remained elusive. The construction of nonpolar markerless phpP knockout mutants (ΔphpP) in two pathogenic strains, D39 (type 2) and 6A-EF3114 (type 6A), indicated that PhpP is not indispensable for pneumococcal survival. Further, PhpP also participates in the regulation of cell wall biosynthesis/division, adherence, and biofilm formation in a strain-specific manner. Additionally, we provide hitherto-unknown in vitro and in vivo evidence of a physiologically relevant biochemical link between the StkP/PhpP-mediated cognate regulation and the two-component regulatory system TCS06 (RR06/HK06) that regulates the expression of the gene encoding an important pneumococcal surface adhesin, CbpA, which was found to be significantly upregulated in ΔphpP mutants. In particular, StkP (threonine)-phosphorylated RR06 bound to the cbpA promoter with high efficiency even in the absence of the HK06-responsive and catalytically active aspartate 51 residue. Together, our findings unravel the significant contributions of PhpP in pneumococcal physiology and adherence.
Unavoidable topological minors of infinite graphs

A graph G is loosely-c-connected, or @?-c-connected, if there exists a number d depending on G such that the deletion of fewer than c vertices from G leaves precisely one infinite component and a graph containing at most d vertices. In this paper, we give the structure of a set of @?-c-connected infinite graphs that form an unavoidable set among the topological minors of @?-c-connected infinite graphs. Corresponding results for minors and parallel minors are also obtained.
A comparison of linear respiratory system models based on parameter estimates from PRN forced oscillation data

The forced oscillation technique offers some advantages over spirometry for assessing pulmonary function. It requires only passive patient cooperation; it also provides data in a form, frequency-dependent impedance, which is very amenable to engineering analysis. In particular, the data can be used to obtain parameter estimates for electric circuit-based models of the respiratory system, which can in turn aid the detection and diagnosis of various diseases/pathologies. In this study, we compare the least-squares error performance of the RIC, extended RIC, augmented RIC, augmented RIC+I p , DuBois, Nagels and Mead models in fitting 3 sets of impedance data. These data were obtained by pseudorandom noise forced oscillation of healthy subjects, mild asthmatics and more severe asthmatics. We found that the aRIC+Ip and DuBois models yielded the lowest fitting errors (for the healthy subjects group and the 2 asthmatic patient groups, respectively) without also producing unphysiologically large component estimates.