cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Integrated Mechanisms of Cardiovascular Response and Control During Exercise in the Normal Human

P HYSICAL exercise is one of the most stressful conditions imposed on the cardiovascular system of man. Full participation and adaptability of the various neural, humoral, and hydraulic components of the circulation are of paramount importance in enabling man to meet the demands for oxygen and substrate delivery, in addition to carbon dioxide and metabolite removal. In heavy physical exercise, the cardiac output may reach six to eight times the resting value, and in the accomplished marathon runner, may be maintained above 85% of these values in excess of 2 hr. With the background of the current interest in exercise as a preventive regimen for coronary heart disease, in the use of the exercise stress test for the early diagnosis of acquired coronary heart disease, and in the possibility of exercise as a therapeutic adjunct in the treatment of coronary heart disease, an adequate understanding of normal circulatory function during exercise is essential. Several excellent reviews have recently appeared addressed to problems of cardiovascular adjustment to exercise.rm3 It is not the purpose of this paper to duplicate these reviews. Rather, we hope to develop a coherent and workable concept of the over-all dynamics and regulation of the circulation during exercise. Discrete functions of individual segments of the circulation in exercise will be discussed in other articles of this series. While the responses of the cardiovascular system during exercise involve virtually every circulatory
Constitutive Cdc25B tyrosine phosphatase activity in adult brain neurons with M phase-type alterations in Alzheimer’s disease

The Cdc2/cyclin B kinase is a critical regulator of mitosis that is normally absent from terminally differentiated neurons of adult brain. However, unscheduled expression and activation of Cdc2/cyclin B has been seen in neurons undergoing degeneration in Alzheimer's disease. The presence of this mitotic kinase correlates with accumulation of mitotic phosphoepitopes in protein components of the hallmark neurofibrillary tangles. Of importance to the pathogenic mechanism of Alzheimer's disease is the striking appearance of Cdc2/cyclin B and mitotic phosphoepitopes prior to neurofibrillary tangle formation, which has suggested that a misappropriate mitotic cascade initiates and mediates the neurodegenerative process. To explain the atypical activation of Cdc2/cyclin B in degenerating neurons we have investigated the enzyme responsible for Cdc2/cyclin B activation in mitotic cells, i.e. the Cdc25B tyrosine phosphatase, in Alzheimer's disease brain. Although the enzyme appeared abundant in affected neurons, it was also evident in unaffected neurons of Alzheimer's disease and control brain. Thus, we have found, surprisingly, that Cdc25B is a normal constituent of adult brain neurons, with detectable basal levels of activity. In Alzheimer's disease the levels and activity of the enzyme are elevated, and the active enzyme predominates in the cytoplasmic compartment of neurons. Consistent with these M phase-type changes, Cdc25B displays increased immunoreactivity towards the MPM-2 mitotic phosphoepitope antibody. We propose that aberrant expression of Cdc2/cyclin B in Alzheimer's disease leads to potentiation of mitotic activation mediated by constitutive neuronal Cdc25B activity. As a result, various downstream indices of mitotic events are generated, eventually culminating in neurodegeneration. Our data also suggest that Cdc25B is functional in normal post-mitotic neurons lacking the mitotic Cdc2/cyclin B, but it does not appear to influence the activity of Cdk5, a Cdc2-like kinase that is particularly enriched in brain.
Specific, homologous radioimmunoassay (RIA) of highly purified subunits of human pituitary follicle stimulating hormone (hFSH).

ABSTRACT hFSH subunit isolation was discerned with RIA's for hLHα and hFSH. Subunits recombined to 70% of hFSH bio-potency and 100% of hFSH RIA potency. hFSHβ RIA was unreactive to other glycoproteins and their subunits, except for Intact hFSH. In hFSHα RIA, hFSHα, hLHα, hTSHα and hCGα were equally reactive.
Seismicity anomaly prior to a moderate rock burst: A case study

Abstract A moderate rock burst whose Richter magnitude was lessthan M1.5 occurred on the 7500 level of the Star mine, Burke, Idaho, at 10.09 a.m. (18:09, UTC) on 3 September 1975. The burst was preceded by a rapid increase of seismic activity that was followed by a distinct decrease prior to the burst. Miners were evacuated from 7500-9 West stope, located in the immediate vicinity of the seismicity build-up, prior to the burst. Examination of the pre- and post-burst seismic data shows that the time duration, τ d , during which the seismicity increased was 188 s. This increase was associated with the formation of an elliptically shaped zone of area, A i , equal to approx 7.86 × 10 6 cmtcm 2 in the hypocentral region of the burst. This increase was then followed by a seismicity decrease lasting approx 65 m . During this time interval, seismicity was concentrated outside this zone and primarily outside the aftershock region of the burst. A slight increase of seismicity developed in the hypocentral region approx 10 m prior to the burst. The time interval, τ, between the seismicity increase and the burst was 68.5 m . The burst was followed by 22 aftershocks that defined an elliptically shaped zone of area, A , equal to approx 1.74 × 107 cm 2 . Previous theoretical and experimental studies by the Bureau of Mines have shown that the functional relationship of τ d and τ to the areas A i and A are τ d = 2.43 × 10 −4 A i and τ = 2.43 × 10 −4 A , respectively, where both τ d and τ are measured in seconds and no changes are assumed to occur in the far-field boundary conditions during the time duration of τ d and τ. Studies by the Bureau of Mines at the Galena mine, Wallace, Idaho, have shown that a lower limit to the ratio τ/τ d is 12.5. Consequently, once τ d is known, a minimum predicted time to the burst is possible. The predicted time to the 3 September burst is 40 m , as compared with the observed value of 68.5 m . However, based upon the observed areas A i and A 0 , the “predicted” times τ d0 and τ 0 are 191 s and 70.3 m , respectively, in good agreement with the observed times of 188 s and 68.5 m . Thus, not only was this burst predicted, but the analysis admits a more realistic estimate of the ratio τ/τ d (=21.8) required for future accurate prediction times.
LAPAROSCOPIC INTRACORPOREALLY CONSTRUCTED ILEAL CONDUIT AFTER PORCINE CYSTOPROSTATECTOMY

Purpose: We present our technique of laparoscopic ileal conduit creation after cystoprostatectomy in a porcine model performed in a completely intracorporeal manner.Methods and Methods: After developing the technique in 5 acute animals laparoscopic cystoprostatectomy with intracorporeally performed ileal conduit urinary diversion was performed in 10 surviving male pigs. A 5-port transperitoneal technique was used. All steps of the technique applied during open surgery were duplicated intracorporeally. Specifically cystectomy, isolation of an ileal conduit, restoration of bowel continuity and mucosa-to-mucosa stented bilateral ileoureteral anastomosis formation were performed by exclusively intracorporeal laparoscopic techniques.Results: Surgery was successful in all 10 study animals without intraoperative or immediate postoperative complications. Blood loss was minimal and average operative time was 200 minutes. Stenosis of the end ileal stoma specifically at the skin level was noted in 6 animals. Three d...
GPU-accelerated Classical Trajectory Calculation Direct Simulation Monte Carlo applied to shock waves

Abstract In this work we outline a Classical Trajectory Calculation Direct Simulation Monte Carlo (CTC-DSMC) implementation that uses the no-time-counter scheme with a cross-section determined by the interatomic potential energy surface (PES). CTC-DSMC solutions for translational and rotational relaxation in one-dimensional shock waves are compared directly to pure Molecular Dynamics simulations employing an identical PES, where exact agreement is demonstrated for all cases. For the flows considered, long-lived collisions occur within the simulations and their implications for multi-body collisions as well as algorithm implications for the CTC-DSMC method are discussed. A parallelization technique for CTC-DSMC simulations using a heterogeneous multicore CPU/GPU system is demonstrated. Our approach shows good scaling as long as a sufficiently large number of collisions are calculated simultaneously per GPU (∼100,000) at each DSMC iteration. We achieve a maximum speedup of 140× on a 4 GPU/CPU system vs. the performance on one CPU core in serial for a diatomic nitrogen shock. The parallelization approach presented here significantly reduces the cost of CTC-DSMC simulations and has the potential to scale to large CPU/GPU clusters, which could enable future application to 3D flows in strong thermochemical nonequilibrium.
People, predators and place: rodenticide impacts in a wildland-urban interface

Human development near protected areas may pose challenges for carnivore conservation. In southern California, residential use of anticoagulant rodenticides is linked to non-target impacts on wild felids. We use an interdisciplinary policy sciences meta-framework and mixed methods to investigate landscape, social and policy factors affecting secondary rodenticide impacts on bobcats (Lynx rufus). Results suggest that landscape features, such as fruit trees and irrigation ditches are common locations for deploying anticoagulants. Residents construct a wildland-urban interface discourse that influences residential rodent control behaviour. Interviews with pest control operators and wildlife managers reveal a “scientized” management paradigm masking third-party residential anticoagulant use, which may have greater impacts on wild felids than residential use alone. The US Environmental Protection Agency may have reason to refocus anticoagulant use regulations to increase effectiveness in mitigating impacts on ...
Incorporation of 32P in Seeds at Low Water Potentials Evaluation of Microbiological Contamination

The effectiveness of thiram (tetramethylthiuram disulfide) in preventing growth of microorganisms and 32p labeling of phosphate esters by microorganisms was tested by using living and dead seeds of crested wheatgrass (Agropyron'desertorum [Fisch. ex Link] Schult). The experiments included four treatments: dead seeds with no thiram treatment, dead seeds treated with thiram, living seeds with no thiram, and living seeds treated with thiram. Half of the seeds were moistened, killed by autoclaving at 100 C for 30 min, air-dried, and intentionally inoculated with microorganisms by enclosing them in a screen bag and shaking them with a large sample of the original seeds that had not been autoclaved. Seed samples (4 g dry weight) were treated with 200 pc of 32P-labeled NaH2PO4 dissolved in 2 ml of absolute ethanol, anp dried in an air stream. Thiram powder (20 mg/g dry weight of seeds) was stirred with seeds until they appeared uniformly coated. Seeds were incubated on potato dextrose-yeast extract agar for 5 days at 23 C to identify microorganisms on seed surfaces and to test the effectiveness of thiram in preventing growth of microorganisms. Effectiveness of thiram in preventing 32p labeling of phosphate esters by microorganisms was tested by incubating seeds in controlled humidity chambers for 6 days at 23 C (9). Constant relative humidities, corresponding to water potentials of -40, -100, -130, and -190 atm, were maintained over saturated solutions of K2SO4, Na2SO4, Na tartrate, and BaCl2, respectively
Revolutionizing the Nonprofit Sector Through Social Entrepreneurship

While nonprofit organizations serve the community in significant ways, their heavy reliance on philanthropic and government funding is increasingly not sustainable, especially in the wake of economic downturns. The application of social entrepreneurial principles — including social enterprise activities — can improve the sustainability of the business model of nonprofits, while bolstering management capacity and enhancing mission. This paper argues that the current funding model of the nonprofit sector should be disrupted in order to achieve a greater level of financial sustainability and mission-driven success.
Rumen pH as a Factor for Controlling Feed Intake in Ruminants

Abstract Four rumen fistulated steers, in a 4×4 Latin-square design, received intraruminal infusions of a) water, b) phosphoric acid, c) lactic acid, or d) citric acid, to study the effect of rumen pH on daily hay consumption. Steers were fed chopped hay ad libitum for a 6-hr period daily. To lower and maintain the rumen pH at about 6.0, the dilute acid solutions were infused on the day of the experiment with a prime dose 30min before feeding, followed by successive infusions during feeding. Daily air-dry hay intake dropped (P
Marijuana: effects on storage and retrieval of prose material.

In a two phase design, an attempt was made to differentiate the effect of marijuana on the storage and retrieval of prose material. In the first phase, 40 male subjects were administered a single 500 mg marijuana cigarette containing 2.1% Δ9-TCH or a placebo cigarette. Fifteen minutes after smoking, they listened to and at the same time read a narrative passage of approximately 200 words in length. Subsequently, an immediate free recall test was given in which subjects were required to write down as much of the story as they could remember. The second phase was conducted 24 h later. Marijuana and placebo subjects were randomly subdivided into four groups with half of the subjects participating in the same drug condition as occurred on day one while the others switched drug state. Fifteen minutes after smoking, all subjects recalled the passage pressented on day one and then were given 24 questions concerning facts and events in the story which could be answered in a few words. These questions served as retrieval cues. Following this, a new passage was presented in the same manner as occurred on day one. After an immediate free recall test, another cued recall test was administered.
Optimal Windows for Aggregating Ratings in Electronic Marketplaces

Aseller in an online marketplace with an effective reputation mechanism should expect that dishonest behavior results in higher payments now whereas honest behavior results in a better reputation---and thus higher payments---in the future. We study the Window Aggregation Mechanism, a widely used class of mechanisms that shows the average value of the seller's ratings within some fixed window of past transactions. We suggest approaches for choosing the window size that maximizes the range of parameters for which it is optimal for the seller to be truthful. We show that mechanisms that use information from a larger number of past transactions tend to provide incentives for patient sellers to be more truthful but for higher-quality sellers to be less truthful.
NFC based m-Healthcare application focusing on security, privacy and performance

With the increasing demand and popularity in wireless mobile technologies, more and more applications have been developed in the market to use the technologies and to achieve higher work efficiency to facilitate client users to fetch and manage information anytime and anywhere. In this paper, an investigation and analysis report of NFC (Near Field Communication) technology in mHealthcare (mobile healthcare) area focusing on security, privacy and performance is presented. One of the main focuses presented in the paper is to incorporate QR (Quick Response) code into the existing NFC technology in the mHealthcare domain.
Existence and generalized Gevrey regularity of solutions to the Kuramoto–Sivashinsky equation in Rn

Abstract Motivated by the work of Foias and Temam [C. Foias, R. Temam, Gevrey class regularity for the solutions of the Navier–Stokes equations, J. Funct. Anal. 87 (1989) 359–369], we prove the existence and Gevrey regularity of local solutions to the Kuramoto–Sivashinsky equation in R n with initial data in the space of distributions. The control on the Gevrey norm provides an explicit estimate of the analyticity radius in terms of the initial data. In the particular case when n = 1 , our analysis allows for initial data that are less smooth than that considered by Grujic and Kukavica [Z. Grujic, I. Kukavica, Space analyticity for the Navier–Stokes and related equations with initial data in L p , J. Funct. Anal. 152 (1998) 447–466].
An approximate method for calculating the heat flux through a solar collector honeycomb

Abstract An approximate calculation of the radiative-conductive flux of heat from the absorber to the cover plate of a flat plate collector equipped with a convection-suppressing honeycomb is developed, using an exponential kernel approximation to the passage transmittance function of the honeycomb cells. Fluxes predicted by this method are found to be in satisfactory agreement with the results of previously reported calculations and experiments. If a selective absorber plate is used in a collector of this type, heat transport by the air in the collector eliminates the radiation slip between the honeycomb and the absorber plate, so that thermal emission by the walls of the honeycomb in close proximity to the hot absorber may largely cancel out the advantage gained by making the absorber plate selective.
The Roles of Estimation and the Commutativity Principle in the Development of Third Graders' Mental Multiplication ☆ ☆☆ ★

In this training experiment, pretesting identified 36 third graders (mean age = 8 years 5 months, SD = 4 months) with negligible mastery of multiplication combinations involving factors from 3 to 9. Participants were randomly assigned to 2 groups, which practiced different subsets of combinations, and were then retested. The results were inconsistent with R. S. Siegler's (1988) proposal that item-specific computational practice is necessary to promote changes in error patterns and combination mastery. The results were consistent with the hypotheses that children devise increasingly flexible and accurate estimation strategies and use relational knowledge such as the commutativity principle to master combinations. Because even fast mental-arithmetic errors and correct responses may be due to strategies other than retrieval, researchers need to craft ways of distinguishing between retrieval and nonretrieval strategies.
Effect of adreno-cortical extracts on bone marrow eosinophiles of mice.

The regulation of the numbers of blood lymphocytes seems to be under pituitary control and is mediated by way of the adrenal cortex (Dougherty and White, 1944). In human patients with intact adrenals under administration of ACTH there is a decrease in circulating eosino-philes, a decrease in lymphocytes, and an increase in neutrophiles (Forsham, 1948). Since the decrease in eosinophiles is approximately twice as great as that of lymphocytes, the eosinophiles are a more sensitive indication of adrenal cortical activity than the lymphocytes (Forsham, 1948). The work of Speirs and Meyer (1949) has established that stresses of various kinds will produce a marked decrease in the number of circulating eosinophiles in animals with intact adrenals and in adrenalectomized animals given adrenal cortical hormones. The response reaches a maximum at four hours after injection or stimulation, followed by a return to normal numbers of cells within eight to twelve hours.
Ruderal communities in English cities

Abstract Urban ruderal (weed) communities are distinct from their rural counterparts and possess a certain internal homogeneity. They may be maintained by the intercity transport of seeds by human agencies and the migration of plants along railway embankments.
Land degradation in drylands: Interactions among hydrologic-aeolian erosion and vegetation dynamics

article i nfo Land degradation in drylands is one of the major environmental issues of the 21st century particularly due to its impact on world food security and environmental quality. Climate change, shifts in vegetation composition, accelerated soil erosion processes, and disturbances have rendered these landscapes susceptible to rapid degradation that has important feedbacks on regional climate and desertification. Even though the role of hydrologic-aeolian erosion and vegetation dynamic processes in accelerating land degradation is well recognized, most studies have concentrated only on the role of one or two of these components, and not on the interactions among all three. Drawing on relevant published studies, here we review recent contributions to the study of biotic and abiotic drivers of dryland degradation and we propose a more holistic perspective of the interactions between wind and water erosion processes in dryland systems, how these processes affect vegetation patterns and how vegetation patterns, in turn, affect these processes. Notably, changing climate and land use have resulted in rapid vegetation shifts, which alter the rates and patterns of soil erosion in dryland systems. With the predicted increase in aridity and an increase in the frequency of droughts in drylands around the world, there could be an increasing dominance of abiotic controls of land degradation, in particular hydrologic and aeolian soil erosion processes. Further, changes in climate may alter the relative importance of wind versus water erosion in dryland ecosystems. Therefore acquiring a more holistic perspective of the interactions among hydrologic-aeolian erosion and vegetation dynamic processes is fundamental to quantifying and modeling land degradation processes in drylands in changing climate, disturbance regimes and management scenarios.
Dihydropyridine-sensitive calcium currents in bipolar cells of salamander retina are inhibited by reductions in extracellular chloride.

Abstract Dihydropyridine-sensitive calcium currents ( I Ca ) in photoreceptors are unusual in that they can be inhibited by reductions in extracellular chloride. The present study examined whether I Ca in retinal bipolar cells, which as in photoreceptors mediates sustained neurotransmission, is also inhibited by reductions in chloride. Nystatin-perforated patch, whole cell recordings were obtained from bipolar cells in a retinal slice preparation of larval tiger salamander. In the presence of Ba 2+ , voltage steps above −40 mV evoked sustained inward currents, which were enhanced by the dihydropyridine, (−)BayK8644, and inhibited by nisoldipine. Similar to photoreceptors, replacing Cl − with gluconate or CH 3 SO 4 inhibited bipolar cell I Ca and produced a negative shift in the current/voltage relationship. Thus, sensitivity to Cl − may be a more general property of L-type Ca 2+ channel subtypes that mediate sustained neurotransmission.
Biological stoichiometry of growth in Drosophila melanogaster

We examined the relationship between growth rate, C:N:P stoichiometry, and nucleic acid content in Drosophila melanogaster. The "Growth Rate Hypothesis" predicts that N and P contents per unit body mass will be high during ontogenetic stages characterized by rapid growth, reflecting the large requirement for P-rich ribosomal RNA during these periods. The ratio of RNA:DNA also is predicted to change with changes in growth rate. Growth is rapid in early D. melanogaster larvae, slowing considerably just prior to pupation. As predicted, a positive relationship was found between growth rate and N and P content, but not C. Thus, body C:P and N:P ratios declined with increasing growth rate. The relationship between RNA content and growth rate also was positive. Additionally, the fraction of total body P contributed by ribosomal RNA increased with increasing growth rate.
Restoration of eating behavior in anorexia nervosa through operant conditioning and environmental manipulation

Abstract A token system of reinforcement was employed to increase the rate of eating in a girl with anorexia nervosa. This token system increased eating rate when it was superimposed on the existing reinforcement-laden environment of a residential treatment center for children. In addition, during the entire course of the experiment (baseline R-1 R-2 R-3 R-4), the patient was receiving noncontingent reinforcement in the form of supportive therapy with a psychologist who allowed her to speak about current problems. No attempt was made to explore “dynamics” nor to perform what is often termed probing or depth therapy. In addition, a re-educational program for the parents assisted them in learning the methods being used at the Center and assisted them with the transition between Center and Community.
Continental Shelf Sediment Transport, Northeastern South Carolina: ABSTRACT

Analysis of 128 bottom grab samples, fathometer traces, and published bathymetric charts imply that active sediment transport affecting bottom sediment texture, composition, and bathymetric features is limited to within 4.5 km of the shore along the coast between Myrtle Beach and Georgetown, South Carolina. Five sedimentary provinces were differentiated using a combination of sediment particle size distribution, quartz sand shape analysis, percent carbonate, water depth, and ocean bottom topography. Throughout the area, bottom deposits clearly show a logical facies relation to geomorphic features. Most of the bottom features and sediments appear to be Pleistocene deposits provided by the ancestral Pee Dee River. The area of active sediment transport and deposition has higher percentages of silt, carbonate, and uniform fine-sand size. No relation is seen between these sediments and the ancestral Pee Dee River. The inner-shelf Pleistocene features retain both their physiographic expression and sediment types and are different from present nearshore deposits. It is concluded that sparse bottom sediment transport is currently taking place on the inner continental shelf beyond 4.5 km from shore in the area studied. End_of_Article - Last_Page 292------------
Modular Stores Management System

Advanced Military aircraft operational requirements demand an ever increasing variety and quantity of Stores, coupled with continuous improvement in mission success, safety of operation, aircrew and groundcrew workload, interoperability and ground support facilities. Until now these ever more demanding requirements have been met by costly customized stores management system designs. GEC Avionics has surveyed the potential SMS requirements of a comprehensive range of aircraft and weapon types, in order to define a universal SMS design concept based on system availability, integrity and reliability, operational functions, peripheral interfaces and maintenance/human factors. This advanced concept not only includes provision for all existing weapon types but also has growth potential for the evolving MIL-STD-1760 weapon interfaces. System interface requirements have been rationalized in order to achieve a Modular Stores Management System (MSMS) design based on major factors such as cost, mission requirements and customer specifications. The key work for a successful MSMS design is flexibility and GEC Avionics has evolved a set of standard modules which can be packaged to satisfy specific customer needs. Typically, the standard modules provide over 80% of the hardware in every Stores Management application. The MSM concept features much reduced development costs and timescales, commonality between aircraft types minimizing parts inventory, VLSI technology providing high reliability and a common product support and maintenance philosophy. The MSM design offers a highly cost effective low risk concept for meeting the needs of modernization and new aircraft programs.
Life-style and future health: Evidence from the Alameda County study

Abstract Certain aspects of daily life-style were predictive of future health status among survivors in a 9-year longitudinal study. In a sample of 3,892 white adults under the age of 70, cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption, physical exercise, hours of sleep per night, and weight in relation to height are significantly associated with overall health outcomes 9 years later, controlling for initial level of health. An index of health practices combining these five elements is associated with future health status within subgroups defined by socioeconomic level. These findings do not appear to be due to selective panel attrition or measurement error in the health indicator.
Some features of instantaneous point source diffusion within a turbulent boundary layer

Diffusion of helium gas from an instantaneous point source within a neutral boundary layer has been studied. Concentrations from a simulated point source, located at a fixed height of 8 inches above a smooth surface, were measured for several downstream cross-sections of the diffusing cloud. Separation of the total dispersion into two components, spreading and meandering, is obtained on the basis of Gifford's fluctuating model. The results of this analysis are used to determine the Hay-Pasquill scale parameter which relates the Lagrangian and Eulerian scales of turbulence. Meandering is shown to have a significant effect on the scale parameter. DOI: 10.1111/j.2153-3490.1972.tb01549.x
The diagnosability of hypercubes with arbitrarily missing links

We study the problem of determining diagnosability for incomplete hypercubes that have arbitrarily distributed missing links, under the classic PMC diagnostic model and its variant, the BGM model. Based on the result proved in this paper, for both models, in most cases the diagnosability of an incomplete hypercube can be determined by simply checking the link degree of each node.
Structure-activity relationships of a pigment-dispersing crustacean neurohormone

This study evaluated the effects of N-terminal sequence deletion and of chemical modifications on the melanophore pigment dispersing activity of a crustacean neuropeptide (DRPH: Asn-Ser-Gly-Met-Ile-Asn-Ser-Ile-Leu-Gly-Ile-Pro-Arg-Val-Met-Thr-Glu-Ala-NH2). Sustained biological activity was not demonstrated by peptides smaller than the tridecapeptide DRPH (6–18). N-terminal extension of this peptide led to a steady increase in activity, with the DRPH (1–18) showing the maximum activity. Carboxyl group modification had no effect, but acetylation, oxidation, cyanogen bromide, and trypsin caused a decrease in activity. Phenylglyoxal modification of Arg-13 in DRPH led to a 14-fold increase in activity. It is concluded that the N-terminus and the methionine residues are important for full activity and that the phenylglyoxal-induced potentiation is due to protection of the peptide from proteolysis in vivo.
Micromachined circuits for Mm-wove applications

A novel transmission line which utilizes micromachining techniques in the development of circuits for millimeter-wave applications is presented. Micromachined circuits incorporate the fabrication of an upper-half shielding environment with the circuit geometry. The circuit development requires the use two silicon wafers where one has cavities that have been etched using anisotropic etching while the other one has the planar circuits which have been printed using standard photolithographic techniques. Afterwards, the two wafers are aligned and secured using bonding techniques to form a circuit that has an upper-half shielded cavity incorporated monolithically. This paper presents a detailed description the fabrication procedure necessary for upper-half shielded (UHS) circuits as well as for completely shielded (CS) circuits. Experimental results of the upper half shielded circuits will be presented as compared to theoretical results and conventional coplanar waveguide circuits of the same type.
Axial plaque redistribution as a mechanism of percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty

Abstract Plaque compression does not appear to be a mechanism of percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty. Lumen enlargement is the result of combined plaque dissection, arterial expansion (presumably, limited by media-adventitial elasticity), and plaque redistribution, just like “footprints in the sand.”
Changes in female anatomy associated with the reproductive moult in Paracerceis sculpta, a semelparous isopod crustacean

Paracerceis sculpta (Holmes) is a sexually dimorphic sphaeromatid isopod crustacean inhabiting intertidal zones in the northern Gulf of California. Adult females in this species undergo a biphasic moult that initiates their sexual receptivity. Coincident with this moult, females experience anatomical changes associated with oviposition and gestation of young within the female marsupium. These modifications restrict female mobility, prevent females from feeding, and ultimately result in obligate female semelparity. In this paper, I describe the external and internal anatomy of premoult, half-moulted and postmoult females collected from breeding aggregations in intertidal sponges. Field-collected premoult females possessed hard, lustrous cuticles, and did not contain sperm. Females in half-moulted condition contained sperm masses in both oviducts. Postmoult females contained developing embryos in internal brood pouches, and possessed cuticles that were pliable, translucent and setose. Embryos completed their development within postmoult females and dispersed from their mothers as mancae. Gestation duration decreased with increasing ambient temperature, from a maximum of 75 days at 12 dGC to a minimum of 13 days at 35 dGC. Female fecundity correlated positively with female body length. Spent females, depleted of lipid stores and muscle mass, died within two weeks of releasing mancae. ‘Female metamorphosis’ is considered a taxonomic character in certain sphaeromatid species descriptions. Anatomical changes in reproductive females similar to those in P. sculpta may occur in these species as well.
Intravenous regional anaesthesia (Bier block): review of 20 years' experience.

Our experience with intravenous regional anaesthesia (IVRA) in 1,906 patients over a period of 20 years has confirmed that this technique is safe and effective. IVRA may be used to provide anaesthesia for surgery involving both the upper and lower extremities. The need for supplemental medication is ordinarily minimal, so the technique is particularly suitable for short procedures in an ambulatory surgery centre. Yet, prolonged surgery may be performed using a “continuous technique.” Although various local anaesthetic agents may be used to induce IVRA no drug has been demonstrated to be superior to lidocaine. The major cause of failure of the technique or serious adverse effects is technical error. A specific protocol for avoiding technical error is presented. Significantly, over a period of 20 years, there has not been any mortality or major morbidity. The incidence of adverse reactions was 1.6 per cent and consisted of minor events such as transient dizziness, tinnitus or mild bradycardia.
A simplified method for analyzing mold filling dynamics† Part I: Theory

A graphical method based on dimensional analysis is presented for estimating the injection pressure and clamp force required for injection molding amorphous polymers to form disk-shaped parts with a constant wall thickness. A procedure is suggested for estimating clamp force when the projected area of the mold cavity is smaller than the surface area of one side of the molded part. The results reported here are based on a numerical simulation of a power-law fluid filling a cold mold at a constant injection rate. The dimensionless bulk temperature and the ratios of the nonisothermal injection pressure (clamp force) to the isothermal injection pressure (clamp force) are given as functions of the dimensionless cooling time τ, the Brinkman number Br which characterizes viscous heating, the power-law exponent n, and a dimensionless temperature β which includes the inlet melt and mold wall temperatures and the temperature coefficient for viscosity.
Parallel processing in power systems

Abstract A brief status report is presented of the emerging computer architectures and their probable influence on power-system computing. Experiences with three groups of computers are reviewed, namely supercomputers, array processors and multiprocessor networks.
Thoracoscopic lobectomy with endoarterial vascular control : An experimental study in swine

Abstract Background . Video-assisted lobectomy lacks vascular control and presents the potential for serious hemorrhage in a closed cavity. The use of a lighted, flow-directed balloon catheter in the pulmonary artery as an endovascular control device was evaluated. Methods . A modified light-bearing Swan-Ganz catheter was placed in the left or right pulmonary artery using fluoroscopy. The lit catheter was identified easily through the arterial wall at thoracoscopy. Its inflation allowed the control of proximal blood flow as required. Fully thoracoscopic lobectomy was carried out by isolating and dividing the lobar branches of the pulmonary artery, the pulmonary vein, and the bronchus in anesthetized swine. Results . Forty-two video-assisted anatomic lobectomies were completed in 30 pigs with balloon catheter control of the pulmonary artery. The balloon effectively controlled experimental hemorrhage caused by puncturing arterial branches ( n = 4). It allowed the transection of unlooped lobar arteries ( n = 42) and the main interlobar pulmonary artery ( n = 3). Catheter displacement back to the heart occurred in 5 animals and balloon catheter technical failures occurred in 3. Conclusions . The lighted, flow-directed balloon catheter was an effective means of avoiding acute hemorrhage and achieving vascular control in a swine lobectomy model.
Solvent denaturation of proteins as observed by resolution-enhanced Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy

Abstract Fourier self-deconvolution of Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra and second derivative FTIR spectroscopy were applied to study solvent-induced conformational changes in globular proteins. For s-lactoglobulin a total of three different denatured forms were identified in alkaline solution and in aqueous methanol-d1 and isopropanol-d1. In isopropanol-d1 solution a new conformation was identified which appears to resemble, but is not identical with, the s-structure of native proteins. This conformation is characterized by absorption bands around 1615–1618 and 1684–1688 cm−1, and is also observed for concanavalin A and chymotrypsinogen A in aqueous isopropanol-d1 solution.
Flux transfer events at the Jovian magnetopause

Recent evidence indicates that magnetic reconnection at the earth's magnetopause may not be a steady process, but rather it is frequently impulsive and limited in spatial extent. These limited reconnection events are called flux transfer events (FTE's). A search has been conducted regarding the magnetic field observations at Jupiter from Pioneer 10 and 11 and Voyager 1 and 2 for evidence of FTE's and 14 possible events were found. The FTE's at Jupiter are associated with northward magnetosheath fields. The electric fields generated by Jovian FTE's are small in comparison with the corotation E field throughout much of the magnetosphere. Thus FTE's are probably not an important source of flow within the Jovian magnetosphere.
Drug safety and salmeterol: the controversy continues.

In this issue, Bateman and colleagues combined patient data from randomized efficacy trials to determine whether incidence of severe asthma-related events differs in persons receiving salmeterol pl...
Regulation of polysome formation in etiolated bean leaves by light.

Abstract The kinetics of formation of cytoplasmic and plastid polysomes following brief illumination of etiolated bean leaves was studied. The OD260 patterns of ribosomes separated on sucrose gradients were analyzed by computer to determine the relative areas under monosome and polysome peaks. A 3-fold increase in cytoplasmic polysomes occurs, starting 2 hr after red illumination and reaching a new steady state at about 10 hr. The specific effects of far-red light depend on the length of the dark period between the original red stimulus and the administration of far red. These effects range from a decrease in the polysomes, a lower maximum level, a lower rate of increase to prevention of any new polysome formation as the dark period decreases. The time required for the manifestation of far-red effects is also 2 hr. Plastid polysomes increase more than the cytoplasmic after a single red illumination, even more after repeated red, but are affected equally by far-red reversal. 32P-labeling of ribosomal RNA showed no measurable increase during the first 2 hr after red illumination. Thus light affects polysome formation without significantly affecting ribosomal RNA synthesis.
Myelodysplastic syndromes: 2011 update on diagnosis, risk-stratification, and management.

Disease overview: The myelodysplastic (MDS) are a very heterogeneous group of myeloid disorders characterized by peripheral blood cytopenias and increased risk of transformation to acute myelogenous leukemia (AML). MDS occurs more frequently in older male and in individuals with prior exposure to cytotoxic therapy. Diagnosis: Diagnosis of MDS is based on morphological evidence of dysplasia upon visual examination of a bone marrow aspirate and biopsy. Information obtained from additional studies such as karyotype, flow cytometry, or molecular genetics is complementary but not diagnostic. Risk-stratification: Prognosis of patients with MDS can be calculated using a number of scoring systems. In general, all these scoring systems include analysis of peripheral cytopenias, percentage of blasts in the bone marrow, and cytogenetic characteristics. The most commonly used system is the International Prognostic Scoring System. This score divides patients into a lower risk subset (low and intermediate-1) and a higher risk subset (int-2 and high). Other more modern systems have been developed that allow more precise risk calculation. Risk-adapted therapy: Therapy is selected based on risk, transfusion needs, percent of bone marrow blasts and more recently cytogenetic profile. Goals of therapy are different in lower risk patients than in higher risk. In lower risk, the goal is to decrease transfusion needs and transformation to higher risk disease or AML. In higher risk, the goal is to prolong survival. Current available therapies include growth factor support, lenalidomide, hypomethylating agents, intensive chemotherapy, and allogeneic stem cell transplantation. The use of lenalidomide has significant clinical activity in patients with lower risk disease, anemia, and a chromosome 5 alteration. 5-azacitidine and decitabine have activity in higher risk MDS. 5-azacitidine has been shown to improve survival in higher risk MDS. Additional supportive care measures may include the use of prophylactic antibiotics and iron chelation. Management of progressive or refractory disease: At the present time, there are no approved interventions for patients with progressive or refractory disease particularly after hypomethylating based therapy. Options include cytarabine-based therapy, transplantation, and participation on a clinical trial. Am. J. Hematol. 86:491–498, 2011. © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Race, IQ, and the search for statistical signals associated with so-called “X”-factors: environments, racism, and the “hereditarian hypothesis”

Some authors defending the “hereditarian” hypothesis with respect to differences in average IQ scores between populations have argued that the sorts of environmental variation hypothesized by some researchers rejecting the hereditarian position should leave discoverable statistical traces, namely changes in the overall variance of scores or in variance–covariance matrices relating scores to other variables. In this paper, I argue that the claims regarding the discoverability of such statistical signals are broadly mistaken—there is no good reason to suspect that the hypothesized environmental causes would leave detectable traces of the sorts suggested. As there remains no way to gather evidence that would permit the direct refutation of the environmental hypotheses, and no direct evidence for the hereditarian position, it remains the case, I argue, that the hereditarian position is unsupported by current evidence.
Efficient generation of Raman echo and time-domain optical data storage by electromagnetically induced transparency

We have observed excitation of spin echoes and spin free induction decay (FID) by electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) in an optically dense solid sample. The experiments are done in a double-lambda system of 605.7 nm 3H4 - 1D2 transition of Pr3+:Y2SiO5, where the 10.2 MHz ground state spin coherence is excited by low-power resonant Raman pulses. It has been shown that the spin coherence, including spin echo, is equivalent to the transparent state of EIT, and therefore a high efficiency is expected for such resonant Raman-excited spin echo. The observed efficiency of spin echo is as high as 75% of the FID signal at 5K. A background-free detection scheme is used based on EIT and enhanced nondegenerate four-wave mixing. The technique is applied in the frequency-selective time-domain optical data storage, that utilizes the spin as well as the optical inhomogeneous spectral widths. The data storage scheme is analogous to the stimulated spin echo with resonant Raman excitation of the spin coherence. We verify that the write window is determined by the spin T2 which is much longer than the optical T2, especially at higher temperature. We find that the spin dephasing time T2 is almost constant at approximately 500 microseconds in the range of 2 to approximately 6 K, whereas the optical T2 decreases rapidly, by a factor of approximately 50, above 4 K. These results will be useful in the development of high capacity time-domain optical data storage operating at higher temperature.© (1998) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Performance of GaAs smart pixel components before and after monolithic integration of InGaP LEDs using Epitaxy-on-Electronics technology

Smart pixel technology provides the ability to integrate complex electronic circuitry with optoelectronic devices to produce signal processing capabilities previously unattainable with a single technology. Epitaxy-on-Electronics (EoE) is a process by which optoelectronic devices are monolithically integrated with electronic circuitry in a common semiconductor material. Here, InGaP LEDs are integrated with GaAs electronic circuitry to produce smart pixel arrays. In this paper, the architecture and experimental characterization of the optical devices of a novel smart pixel implementation of an neural network are presented. Measured performance characteristics are presented for the detectors and LEDs, before and after the EoE process. The experimental results demonstrate limitations in the performance of the detectors and LEDs for use in a full-scale implementation, however, current ongoing improvements in the EoE technology show promise to eliminate these limitations.
Impact of cancer therapy on survival.

Survival rates improved significantly for 28,036 lymphoma and leukemia patients studied between 1950 and 1973. Nine cancers reviewed demonstrated increased one, three and five year survival rates. Greatest improvement was acute lymphocytic leukemia survival. Least improvement was for chronic granulocytic leukemia. Analyses of age-specific trends in U.S. cancer mortality since 1960 indicates death rates decreased 20% for all ages up to 45 years. This included 70% of the population, but less than 10% of all cancer deaths. Age groups over 55 experienced an 8% increase in cancer mortality. Accurate determination of national cancer incidence trends is not presently possible. Available data, representing approximately 15 million population, indicate that cancer incidence rates increased between 1960 and 1973. Age-specific trend analyses indicate unusual divergences. For the group 15 to 29-years-old, incidence increased 28% in 13 years and there was a concomitant decrease of 20% in mortality.