cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Long-Term Outcomes and Late Complications of Laparoscopic Nephrectomy With Renal Autotransplantation

Purpose: We report long-term outcomes and late complications after laparoscopic nephrectomy with autotransplantation.Materials and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed clinical data on all patients who underwent laparoscopic nephrectomy with autotransplantation between July 2000 and March 2007. Late complications, ie greater than 6 months, that required surgical intervention were analyzed. Clinical outcomes in patients with primary ureteral stricture disease and oncological outcomes in patients with renal tumors were examined.Results: Indications for autotransplantation included complex ureteral stricture disease in 15 patients and renal malignancy in 4. Median age at surgery was 48 years (range 25 to 68). Median followup was 29 months. Of the 17 patients with greater than 6 months of followup late complications requiring surgical intervention occurred in 4. Transplant nephrectomy was required in 2 patients in the stricture group. Indications for nephrectomy were nonfunction complicated by pseudoaneurysm ...
The Stepped Approach to Patient Education

Patient educators need an approach to patient education that balances the constraints of time and expertise with the most effective approaches to behavior change. The stepped approach to patient education involves three steps: (1) use of interpersonal skills, (2) teaching, and (3) overcoming obstacles to behavior change. This paper provides techniques and examples of how to implement the stepped approach to diabetes care.
3-Methyl-1,2-BN-cyclopentane: a promising H2 storage material?

We provide detailed characterization of properties for 3-methyl-1,2-BN-cyclopentane 1 that are relevant to H2 storage applications such as viscosity, thermal stability, H2 gas stream purity, and polarity. The viscosity of 1 at room temperature is 25 ± 5 cP, about one fourth the viscosity of olive oil. TGA/MS analysis indicates that liquid carrier 1 is thermally stable at 30 °C but decomposes slowly at 50 °C. RGA data suggest that the H2 desorption from 1 is a clean process, producing relatively pure H2 gas. Compound 1 is a polar zwitterionic-type liquid consistent with theoretical predictions and solvatochromic studies.
Problems in, and strategies for, evaluating preschool programs

Abstract Discusses the difficulty of documenting the effectiveness of preschool programs and relates this to the measuring instruments used and the type of design selected. The limitations of using standardized intelligence tests and the value of using cirterion-referenced tests are reviewed. A variety of methods are provided to assist psychologists and educators who are called upon to evaluate preschool programs. Three studies of preschool programs using different designs which involve published criterion-referenced tests are presented.
Mouse growth-hormone-releasing hormone: precursor structure and expression in brain and placenta.

To pursue questions concerning the regulation of somatic growth in a species amenable to both genetics and germ-line manipulation, we have isolated and characterized a full-length cDNA clone encoding mouse GH-releasing hormone (mGHRH). A GHRH cDNA clone isolated from a mouse placental library contains an open-reading frame of 309 basepairs that predicts a 103 amino acid mouse GHRH precursor protein. The mature mouse GHRH is predicted to be 42 amino acids with a free carboxyl-terminus. Although the mGHRH precursor sequence is clearly related to those determined for rat and human, the mature mGHRH peptide differs at seven of its 42 positions from all previously characterized GHRH peptides. RNA blot analysis of mouse tissues indicates that the mature 750 nucleotide mGHRH mRNA is found in hypothalamus and placenta, while testis contains a larger GHRH-related transcript. In situ hybridization analysis of GHRH gene expression in the mouse brain indicates that GHRH mRNA is localized predominantly to the arcuate ...
WAVE3 promotes cell motility and invasion through the regulation of MMP-1, MMP-3, and MMP-9 expression

WAVE3 is a member of the WASP/WAVE family of proteins, which play a critical role in the regulation of actin polymerization, cytoskeleton organization, and cell motility. We show here that knockdown of the WAVE3 protein, using RNA interference in MDA-MB-231 cells, decreases phospho-p38 MAPK levels, but not those of phospho-AKT, phospho-ERK, or phospho-JNK. Knockdown of WAVE3 expression also inhibited the expression levels of MMP-1, MMP-3, and MMP-9, but not MMP-2. MMP production could be restored by PMA treatment, without affecting siRNA-mediated WAVE3 knockdown. The WAVE3-mediated downregulation of p38 activity and MMP production is independent of the presence of both WAVE1 and WAVE2, whose expression levels were not affected by loss of WAVE3. We also show that the downstream effect of the WAVE3 knockdown is the inhibition of cell motility and invasion, coupled with increased actin stress fiber formation, as well as reorganization of focal adhesion complexes. These findings suggest that WAVE3 regulates actin cytoskeleton, cell motility, and invasion through the p38 MAPK pathway and MMP production.
On an Inequality of Mean Curvature

where denotes the scalar product in E, cn the area of the unit rc-sphere, and dV the volume element of M. The equality sign of (1) holds when and only when M" is imbedded as a hypersphere in an («+ l)-dimensional subspace of E (Chen [3], [4]; see also Chen [1] and Willmore [6], [7]). It is very interesting to know whether the inequality (1) can be improved for some special submanifolds in E. Recently, Willmore [8] proved that if M = SxS, m — 3 and x(M) is generated by carrying a small circle around a closed curve such that the centre moves along the curve and the plane of the circle is in the plane normal to the curve at each point, then the inequality (1) for n = 2 can be improved as follows:
Reflex sympathetic firing in response to electrical stimulation of the carotid sinus nerve in the cat.

Abstract Electrical stimulation of myelinated afferents (Aγσ) in the carotid sinus nerve (CSN) elicited reflex firing in sympathetic preganglionic neurons in the T1—T3 segments of the spinal cord and evoked discharges on sympathetic preganglionic and post-ganglionic nerves at various levels of the thoraco-lumbar outflow. The average latencies for reflexes at the upper thoracic and lumbar levels was 60 msec and 114 msec, respectively. From measurements of the central delay for evoked reflex activity at two levels of the spinal cord, the conduction velocity in the bulbospinal limb of the CSN-sympathetic reflex was wstimated. Conduction velociteis in different experiments ranged from 2.8 to 5.5 m/sec (mean 4.4 m/sec). The intensity of CSN stimulation required to evoke sympathetic reflexes was identical to the threshold stimulus for eliciting pressor responses and hypernea. Recording of CSN afferent volleys indicated that the fibers responsible for these reflex effects had conduction velocities between 3–18 m/sec. C-fibers in the CSN did not appear to contribute to the evoked sympathetic responses. On the contrary, stimulus intensities above the C-fiber threshold elicited depressor effects and inhibited sympathetic activity. Stimulation of myelinated CSN afferents evoked short latency (3–7 msec) evoked antidromic firing on the CSN and reflex firing on sympathetic efferent pathways. These findinds suggest that chemoreceptor afferents terminate in the NTS. Sympathetic reflex firing similar to that evoked by CSN stimulation was also elicited by activation of small myelinated afferents in the aortic depressor nerve. It is concluded that the CSN-sympathetic reflex was elicited by myelinated chemoreceptor afferents originating in the carotid body and terminating in the caudal medulla, possibly the nucleus tractus solitarius. The reflex resembled supraspinal reflexes elicited by other visceral and somatic afferents. It was sensitiveto baroreceptor inhibition, failed at relatively low frequencies of stimulation (3–10 c/sec), was mediated by a slow-conducting bulbospinal pathway, and was followed by a prolonged postexcitatory depression (‘silent period’).
Allergic Bronchopulmonary Penicilliosis

A case of allergic bronchopulmonary disease caused by the fungus Penicillium with intermittent airways obstruction, transient pulmonary infiltrate, blood and sputum eosinophilia, positive dual skin tests (type I and III) and precipitating antibodies in the serum is described. An Arthus skin reaction was elicited and supported by histologic and immunofluorescence studies. Bronchial hygiene alone was effective in treatment. The possibility of other airborne fungal spores causing a similar disease is emphasized.
Pediatric Patients With Dyspepsia Have Chronic Symptoms, Anxiety, and Lower Quality of Life as Adolescents and Adults

Background & Aims Little is known about long-term health outcomes of children with dyspeptic symptoms. We studied the natural history of pediatric patients with dyspeptic symptoms, with and without histologic reflux, compared with healthy controls. Methods We performed a prospective study of consecutive new patients, ages 8–16 years, who underwent evaluation for dyspepsia, including upper endoscopy. Patients were assigned to groups with histologic evidence of reflux esophagitis (n = 50), or normal histology results (n = 53). Healthy children were followed up as controls (n = 143). Patients and controls were evaluated 5–15 years later. They provided self-reports on severity of dyspeptic symptoms, use of acid suppression, quality of life, anxiety, and depression. Results When the study began, the groups with histologic evidence of esophagitis and normal histologies did not differ in severity of dyspeptic symptoms, functional disability, or depression. After a mean 7.6-year follow-up period, each group had significantly lower quality-of-life scores and more severe dyspeptic symptoms and functional disability than controls, but did not differ significantly from each other; both groups were significantly more likely than controls to meet criteria for an anxiety disorder. At time of follow-up evaluation, use of acid-suppression medication was significantly greater in the group with histologic evidence for esophagitis, compared with patients who had normal histology findings when the study began. Conclusions Among pediatric patients with dyspepsia evaluated by endoscopy and biopsy, those with histologic evidence for esophagitis or normal histology findings are at increased risk for chronic dyspeptic symptoms, anxiety disorder, and reduced quality of life in adolescence and young adulthood.
From Juvenile Court to Safe Haven The Lessons of Juvenile Justice History and the 2008 Nebraska Safe Haven Law

The history of juvenile justice helps explain American families’ unexpected use of the 2008 Nebraska safe haven law. This article uses journalistic sources both to recreate the unfolding drama and ...
Patterns of Total Ecosystem Carbon Storage with Changes in Soil Temperature in Boreal Black Spruce Forests

To understand how carbon (C) pools in boreal ecosystems may change with warming, we measured above- and belowground C pools and C increment along a soil temperature gradient across 16 mature upland black spruce (Picea mariana Mill. [B·S.P]) forests in interior Alaska. Total spruce C stocks (stand and root C) increased from 1.3 to 8.5 kg C m−2 with increasing soil summed degree-days (SDD > 0°C at 10 cm) across sites, whereas soil C stocks decreased from 11.9 to 6.3 kg C m−2 with increasing SDD. Spruce C and organic soil C, which combined represent maximum C accrual since the last fire, increased with soil heat sums until 600 SDD, and then plateaued with increasing SDD across sites (R 2 = 0.61, P = 0.002; second-order polynomial regression). The sum of soil and total spruce C (total ecosystem C, TEC) reached its maximum in the middle-range of soil temperatures measured (approximately 600 SDD), and was lower in the coolest (139 SDD) and the warmest (914 SDD) forests. The opposing trends between above- and belowground pools resulted in C shifting from the soil to spruce biomass with warmer soil temperatures. A shift in C distribution from below- to aboveground pools, as temperature increases, has implications for the vulnerability of C lost in boreal forest wildfires. The strongly negative relationship between surface mineral soil C stocks and increasing temperatures warrants further research into the potential loss of deep mineral soil C stocks with continued warming, especially in forests presently underlain with permafrost.
Electronic and atomic structure of Mn-doped CaF2: An x-ray-absorption near-edge structure and extended x-ray-absorption fine-structure study.

X-ray-absorption near-edge structure (XANES) and extended-x-ray-absorption fine-structure (EXAFS) measurements have been performed on the calcium K edge and manganese K edge of ${\mathrm{CaF}}_{2}$ doped with manganese at molecular concentrations of 0.1--2.5 %. The results are compared to other measurements of the calcium K edge in ${\mathrm{CaF}}_{2}$ and the Mn K edge in various manganese compounds. Major features in the XANES spectra are tentatively identified with transitions to high-symmetry points of the ${\mathrm{CaF}}_{2}$ energy bands in a one-electron picture. Expected deviations from the structure predicted by the one-electron formalism are discussed. The EXAFS analysis shows a reduction in the manganese-fluorine distance of (3.9\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.4)% as compared to the calcium-fluorine separation in the doped or undoped samples. This compares well with previous results obtained by EPR. A significant increase in disorder of the first shell around the Mn dopant ion is observed as compared to the Ca ion. The significance of this shell contraction and disorder is discussed in terms of possible defect structures in the material.
Manifold learning methods for wide-angle SAR ATR

The automatic recognition and characterization of civilian vehicles in urban setting is motivated by an increasingly difficult class of surveillance and security challenges. These new ATR (Automatic Target Recognition) problems are motivated by new data collection capabilities, in which airborne synthetic aperture radar (SAR) systems are able to interrogate a scene, such as a city, persistently and over a large range of aspect angles. Learning and exploiting the additional information provided by wide-aspect signatures is key to developing successful algorithms. In this paper, we study manifold learning methods to learn informative projections of the feature space for ATR algorithm design, which is also amenable to performance prediction and analysis.
Longevity determined by developmental arrest genes in Caenorhabditis elegans

The antagonistic pleiotropy theory of aging proposes that aging takes place because natural selection favors genes that confer benefit early on life at the cost of deterioration later in life. This theory predicts that genes that impact development would play a key role in shaping adult lifespan. To better understand the link between development and adult lifespan, we examined the genes previously known to be essential for development. From a pool of 57 genes that cause developmental arrest after inhibition using RNA interference, we have identified 24 genes that extend lifespan in Caenorhabditis elegans when inactivated during adulthood. Many of these genes are involved in regulation of mRNA translation and mitochondrial functions. Genetic epistasis experiments indicate that the mechanisms of lifespan extension by inactivating the identified genes may be different from those of the insulin/insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) and dietary restriction pathways. Inhibition of many of these genes also results in increased stress resistance and decreased fecundity, suggesting that they may mediate the trade-offs between somatic maintenance and reproduction. We have isolated novel lifespan-extension genes, which may help understand the intrinsic link between organism development and adult lifespan. Key words: developmental arrest; antagonistic pleiotropy; aging; mRNA translation; mitochondria; C. elegans.
Individual differences in AMY1 gene copy number, salivary α-amylase levels, and the perception of oral starch.

Background The digestion of dietary starch in humans is initiated by salivary α-amylase, an endo-enzyme that hydrolyzes starch into maltose, maltotriose and larger oligosaccharides. Salivary amylase accounts for 40 to 50% of protein in human saliva and rapidly alters the physical properties of starch. Importantly, the quantity and enzymatic activity of salivary amylase show significant individual variation. However, linking variation in salivary amylase levels with the oral perception of starch has proven difficult. Furthermore, the relationship between copy number variations (CNVs) in the AMY1 gene, which influence salivary amylase levels, and starch viscosity perception has not been explored.
Dictyostelium discoideum expresses a malaria chloroquine resistance mechanism upon transfection with mutant, but not wild-type, plasmodium falciparum transporter PfCRT

Chloroquine resistance in Plasmodium falciparum malaria results from mutations in PfCRT, a member of a unique family of transporters present in apicomplexan parasites and Dictyostelium discoideum. Mechanisms that have been proposed to explain chloroquine resistance are difficult to evaluate within malaria parasites. Here we report on the targeted expression of wild-type and mutant forms of PfCRT to acidic vesicles in D. discoideum. We show that wild-type PfCRT has minimal effect on the accumulation of chloroquine by D. discoideum, whereas forms of PfCRT carrying a key charge-loss mutation of lysine 76 (e.g. K76T) enable D. discoideum to expel chloroquine. As in P. falciparum, the chloroquine resistance phenotype conferred on transformed D. discoideum can be reversed by the channel-blocking agent verapamil. Although intravesicular pH levels in D. discoideum show small acidic changes with the expression of different forms of PfCRT, these changes would tend to promote intravesicular trapping of chloroquine (a weak base) and do not account for reduced drug accumulation in transformed D. discoideum. Our results instead support outward-directed chloroquine efflux for the mechanism of chloroquine resistance by mutant PfCRT. This mechanism shows structural specificity as D. discoideum transformants that expel chloroquine do not expel piperaquine, a bisquinoline analog of chloroquine used frequently against chloroquine-resistant parasites in Southeast Asia. PfCRT, nevertheless, may have some ability to act on quinine and quinidine. Transformed D. discoideum will be useful for further studies of the chloroquine resistance mechanism and may assist in the development and evaluation of new antimalarial drugs.
Principle component analysis on photoplethysmograms: Blood oxygen saturation estimation and signal segmentation

Most pulse oximeters determine blood oxygen saturation (SpO 2 ) after calculating a coefficient, R, that represents the normalized ratiometric contributions of the pulsatile red and near-infrared photoplethysmograms (PPGs) acquired by the sensor. This paper presents a new approach that uses principle component analysis (PCA) to separate the signal and noise components of unfiltered PPGs and provide the determination of R. Also, rather than use peak-to-valley time intervals to obtain R, this technique uses eigenvalue and eigenvector data obtained during PCA to optimize these time intervals and improve the R calculation. Early analyses on unfiltered PPGs from 16 subjects indicate that these R values compare to those obtained from FFT-based methods and yield SpO 2 values consistent with those reported by a commercial unit. All signal data are considered during the PCA process, so this technique shows promise to precisely segment clean versus noise-corrupted PPGs.
Effect of thyroxine on fatty acid synthesis in vitro.

A study of the effect of thyroxine in vitro on fatty acid synthesis in rat liver supernatant and microsomal preparations has been undertaken. High concentrations of thyroxine inhibit the supernatant de novo synthesis of the major reaction products, myristic and palmitic acids. Similar inhibition using either [14C]—acetyl—CoA or [14C]—malonyl—CoA as substrate indicates that inhibition is beyond the acetyl—CoA carboxylase reaction. The influence of lower concentrations of thyroxine on the aerobic and anaerobic incorporation of [14C]—malonyl—CoA into microsomal lipids was studied separating the reaction products by gas—liquid and thin—layer chromatography. These studies indicate that thyroxine stimulates the microsomal desaturation reactions but has no effect on the chain elongation reactions. The stimulation of microsomal desaturation may be at least partially due to the antioxidant effect of thyroxine. These described in vitro effects of thyroxine are similar to previously described in vivo studies which d...
Control of low Km cyclic adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate-phosphodiesterase in prostate and heart of adult and aged rats.

Abstract The activity of low K m cAMP-phosphodiesterase (PDE) was determined in extracts of prostate and heart of adult (10–12 months old) and aged (32–35 months old) Sprague—Dawley rats; the enzyme's response to endogenous inhibitors extracted from the two organs was analyzed by kinetic studies. Different mechanisms of inhibition, non-competitive in prostate and competitive in heart extracts, indicate organ-specificity of the inhibitor. The decreased PDE activity in organ extracts of aged rats and its continued sensitivity to the endogenous inhibitor suggest an age-associated impairment of the tissues' ability to terminate cAMP-mediated signals.
A Parametrization of the Transverse.Momentum Distribution in Hadron Collisions (

We present an empirical parametrization of particle production data in hadron collisions whereby we account for the limited trasverse-momentum distribution of emitted particles (centered around 0.3 GeV/c) in terms of the uncertainty relation, ΔxTΔpt≥ħ/2. By making a precise, consistent definition of the conjugate spatial co-ordinate, we are able (contrary to an earlier suggestion) to account for the dependence of the center in thepTdistribution of incident momentum and type of projectile in close agreement with experiment.
Atria and Ventricles of Copper-Deficient Rats Exhibit Similar Hypertrophy and Similar Altered Biochemical Characteristics:

AbstractMale Holtzman rats were offered a semipurified low-copper (Cu) diet (0.36 mg Cu/kg) for 5-6 weeks to further characterize cardiac hypertrophy, which accompanies Cu deficiency. Cu-adequate (controls) were given supplemental Cu (20 μg/ml) in their drinking water, and Cu-deficient rats were given deionized water. Cu-deficient rats had lower plasma ceruloplasmin activity, lower hemoglobin levels, higher heart weights, and similar body weights compared with Cu-adequate rats. The relative degree of hypertrophy in the right ventricle of Cu-deficient rats was significantly higher (2.3-fold) than that in the left ventricle and atria (both were 1.9-fold higher than the values in Cu-adequate rats). Edema was not detected. Ventricles and atria of Cudeficient rats had markedly lower Cu and no significant differences in iron concentrations compared with Cu-adequate rats. Heart protein concentrations were not altered consistently by Cu deficiency. Enzyme activities of the cuproenzymes cytochrome-c oxidase (CCO),...
Stability of Spin-Aligned Hydrogen at Low Temperatures and High Magnetic Fields: New Field-Dependent Scattering Resonances and Predissociations

Spin-aligned hydrogen (H \ensuremath{\uparrow}) and deuterium (D \ensuremath{\uparrow}) are generally predicted to be stable for $\frac{\mathcal{H}}{T}\ensuremath{\gtrsim}{10}^{6}$ G/K. Magnetic-field-dependent resonances (inverse to field-induced predissociations of high vibrational-rotational levels of HD and ${\mathrm{D}}_{2}$) provide exceptions to this general rule. Their existence suggests 50 kG (H \ensuremath{\uparrow} + D \ensuremath{\uparrow}) and 19 kG (D \ensuremath{\uparrow} + D \ensuremath{\uparrow}) should be avoided for stable H \ensuremath{\uparrow} and D \ensuremath{\uparrow}. Induced predissociation observations should yield ultraprecise resonance information and dissociation limits.
A model of the temperature-dependent operation of a MOSFET

Nonuniform temperature distributions can greatly affect the operation of semiconductor devices. At present, computer programs using numerical methods can be used to simulate the steady-state or transient response of one- or two-dimensional models of semi conductor devices operating at constant temperature. Recently developed programs allow the steady-state analysis of semiconductor devices under nonisothermal conditions. The transient response, the mode of operation for most high-power semiconductor devices, has not been analyzed for a MOSFET.This paper presents a one-dimensional mathematical model for predicting the nonisothermal behavior of a MOSFET under pulse excitation. Both the transient electrical and temperature responses are shown. Redistribution of voltages and carriers resulting from the differences in the electrical and tempera ture time constants is discussed.
Influence of Free Volume Change on the Relative Permittivity and Refractive Index in Fluoropolyimides

The often observed decrease in relative permittivity (e‘) and refractive index (n) that accompanies fluorine substitution is the result of several effects. Fluorine replacement for hydrogen is known to decrease local electronic polarization and is thought to frequently increase fractional free volume. Both of these effects can independently decrease e‘ and n, and this paper attempts to assign the observed decreases between these mechanisms for a series of hydrogen/fluorine polyimide analogs.
Anti-idiotypic cytotoxic T cells in rats with graft-versus-host disease

Transfer of parental strain T lymphocytes into F1 hybrid rats differing with respect to gene products of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) causes a graft-versus-host (GvH) reaction. This reaction results from recognition of host allogeneic MHC gene products by specific clones of donor T cells1. When given systemically in sufficient numbers, these donor T cells cause a progressive, generally fatal wasting syndrome, an early feature of which includes extensive splenomegaly2,3. A more local, non-fatal GvH reaction, marked by extensive enlargement of the draining lymph nodes, ensues when donor T cells are administered via the footpad4,5. Here, we demonstrate that cells derived from the enlarged draining lymph nodes of A/B F1 animals undergoing local GvH disease caused by donor AT cells contain a subpopulation of host-derived killer T-cell precursors which can be activated to lyse specific blast cells, derived from mixed lymphocyte culture (MLC), reactive to host MHCb alloantigens. These ‘anti-idiotypic’ cytolytic T cells lyse A anti-MHCb MLC blasts, and also, they lyse anti-MHCb MLC blasts from MHC different, third party rat strains.
An Optimized Protocol for First Strand cDNA Synthesis from Laser Capture Microdissected Tissue

An Optimized Protocol for First Strand cDNA Synthesis from Laser Capture Microdissected Tissue
Intra-abdominal fat accumulation is greatest at younger ages in Japanese-American adults.

Aims We evaluated whether changes over 10–11 years in weight, subcutaneous abdominal fat (SQAF), and intra-abdominal fat (IAF) differ by age and contrasted age-related adiposity changes by gender.
IT-Adventures: Turning high school students “ON” to information technology

The IT-Adventures program is dedicated to increasing interest in and awareness of information technology among high school students using inquiry-based learning focused on three content areas: cyber defense, game design programming and robotics. The target audience for this project is high school students, especially those students who previously have not exhibited an interest in studying IT, as well as high school teachers, not necessarily information technology teachers, who would like to enhance their skills and teaching abilities in the IT area. The program combines educational programming, competitive events and service learning projects to accomplish its goals. This paper provides details about the IT-Adventures program, as well as the capstone event for students - the IT-Olympics. Lessons learned and demographic data from the first year are presented. Work being conducted in the second year of the program (the 2008–2009 academic year) is briefly discussed.
Quantification of pentafluorobenzyl oxime derivatives of long chain aldehydes by GC-MS analysis.

Negative ion mass spectrometric techniques, for compounds having good ionization properties, such as pentafluorobenzyl derivatives, are believed to be more sensitive than positive ion methods. Preparation of PFB oximes of fatty aldehydes from crude lipid extracts is problematic due to the release of free aldehydes from plasmalogens during derivatization. Accordingly, in these studies plasmalogens were removed by silicic acid column chromatography prior to pentafluorobenzyl derivatization. This simple purification step to remove plasmalogens is shown to facilitate the quantification of long-chain aldehydes by analysis of their pentafluorobenzyl oxime derivatives utilizing gas chromatography–mass spectrometry in the negative ion chemical ionization mode. The limit of detection for long chain fatty aldehydes using this method is 0.5 pmol and it is linear over two orders of magnitude. Silicic acid column chromatography followed by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry demonstrated that plasmalogens were removed (the detection limit for this analyses was ≤0.3 pmol). Furthermore, we have exploited the utility and sensitivity of this method to identify increases in hexadecanal and octadecanal in 3-amino-1,2,4-triazole treated human neutrophils.
Phytochemical defenses targeting insect behavior

Summary Insect transmitted diseases are responsible for over 1 million deaths annually and cause morbidity in millions more. Personal repellents are the first line of defense against biting insects. However, the safety of certain synthetic repellents has been called into question and research pursuing alternatives has intensified. Since many plants and insects secrete volatile compounds to repel parasites and predators, we look to studies of the chemical ecology of plants and insects seeking to discover new chemistry that can be optimized into non—toxic personal repellents.
Inhibitory effect of external sodium ions on the potassium pump in striated muscle

FROG muscles with elevated sodium and depleted potassium contents recover to their normal low sodium and high potassium state in the presence of external K+ ions1,2. The recovery process involves active Na extrusion, an electrogenic hyperpolarising action of the Na pump and an active inward transport of K+ ions3,4. Frog striated muscle fibres, in common with other cell types, show an increased rate of sodium extrusion when external Na+ ions are removed and are replaced with an inert substance such as Tris or choline5–7.
Activation of class II gene transcription by regulatory factors is potentiated by a novel activity

A novel activity (USA) stimulated activator-dependent transcription in a reconstituted system in conjunction with natural TFIID, resulting in 10- to 50-fold levels of induction by regulatory factors. USA mediated a modest induction by USF in conjunction with either recombinant human TFIID, intact yeast TFIID, or the evolutionarily conserved C-terminal portion of yeast TFIID. Upon further purification, USA was resolved into two components that had opposite effects on core promoter activity and that in combination potentiated activator function. Gel mobility shift experiments indicated physical interactions between the inhibitory activity and TFIID, suggesting that the additional components (cofactors) associate with the preinitiation complex both to reduce promoter activity in the absence and to increase promoter activity in the presence of transcriptional activators.
Synthetic and electrochemical studies of anthraquinone-substituted poly(pyrrole) films

Anthraquinone-containing poly(pyrrole) thin films have been generated by oxidative electropolymerization of a pyrrole-substituted anthraquinone. N-(1-Anthraquinone)-6-(1-pyrrol)hexamide is produced in high yield, following a convenient three-step synthesis. Electrochemically well-behaved thin films on glassy carbon are formed with this monomer. Derivatives where pyrrole or thiophene groups are directly attached to the anthraquinone did not form thin films.
A theory of the valenced other: The intersection of the looking-glass-self and social penetration

This paper considers the relationships between the looking-glass-self (Cooley, 1902) and social penetration (Altman & Taylor, 1973). This theoretical intersection yields a conceptual other whose reflected image of us is both affect and cognition: the valanced other. This theoretical analysis produces a curvilinear relationship which is hypothesised to exist between image accuracy and the penetration level of the reference person. The most accurate images are, in descending order: casual acquaintance, friend, intimate and stranger. The distortion in the intimate's image is due to their emotional involvement rendering them blind to otherwise obvious information. This paper argues that neither the looking-glass-self nor social penetration is complete alone. This resultant unified system gives rise to the valenced other concept.
The Lyric of Narrative: Exile, Poetry, and Story in Saint-John Perse and Elizabeth Bishop

This article examines two lyric rewritings of Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe. Saint-John Perse's Images a Crusoe focuses not on events or characters but on a series of physical objects that played a usually minor role in Defoe's novel. Saint-John Perse transforms Defoe's moral tale into meditations on the emotional turmoil of difference and exile, as the narrative past becomes a lyric present that mourns the loss of an idyllic temporal and geographical space. Bishop's ‘Crusoe in England’ also recasts Defoe's tale in a series of ‘poetic’ tropes that fill in gaps in the novel. Her first-person dramatic monologue – in contrast with Saint-John Perse's prose poems in the second person – highlights the subjective experiences of fear, despair, and homoeroticism in the Crusoe story. Building from an analysis of the way books and texts themselves figure in both Saint-John Perse's and Bishop's poems, I argue that the interaction of lyric and narrative traditions can thus forge a new literary space, namely, narrative prose filtered through the lyric tradition, that allow the experience of exile to be retold.
Enhancement and Extinction in Surface-Enhanced Stimulated Raman Spectroscopy

We present an analysis of surface-enhanced stimulated Raman spectroscopy (SESRS) as an extension to surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). Due to the four-wave mixing process, the effects of enhancement and extinction are more profound in SESRS.
Collision and separation of boundary currents

The collision and separation of two opposing boundary currents is investigated with simple inviscid, barotropic and baroclinic models on an f-plane. The underlying hypothesis is that currents originally set in the oceanic interior turn into jets that flow along a coast until they ultimately collide. At the confluence zone both currents turn seaward; our aim is to compute the speed, width and veering angle (i.e. the angle between coast and the axis of offshore jet) of the merged offshore currents. Steady solutions are obtained analytically by considering the conservation of potential vorticity, the Bernoulli integral and the integrated constraints associated with conservation of mass and momentum. In the purely barotropic case the currents turn offshore when they reach the stagnation point, resulting from the collision. It is found that the velocities of the two approaching jets at the coast (y = 0) need to be identical in order for a stationary steady to be reached. When this “balance” condition is not met, the entire system of separated currents drifts along the wall toward the weak current. For the more complicated (and realistic) baroclinic cases, we consider a 112-layer (consisting of one active layer and an infinitely deep inactive layer) and 212-layer system (consisting of two active layers and an infinitely deep inactive layer). For simplicity, one jet is assumed to have zero potential vorticity, whereas for the other jet the potential vorticity is taken to be uniform. The relation between the depth of the approaching jets at the coast and the veering angle is computed for both cases. As in the barotropic case, both baroclinic cases show that stationary steady solutions exist only for specific currents. It is expected that when the particular computed relationship between the two currents does not exist (i.e. the currents are unbalanced) the entire separated system will again drift along the wall. An alternative possibility is that the upstream conditions will somehow be altered until the stationary balance is obtained. These results suggest that separation of the western boundary currents can occur even without the β-effect or a vanishing wind stress curl over the ocean interior. The new separation process discussed above is due to the momentum imparted on the poleward flowing currents by the opposing flows. Possible application of this theory to the western boundary currents system in the South Atlantic is discussed.
Removal of Powdered Activated Carbon from Water by Foam Separation

Abstract Foam separation was investigated as a possible method for removal of powdered activated carbon from aqueous suspension. Results obtained from the operation of a single stage, continuous flow system indicate that powdered carbon can be removed entirely from water using surfactant dosages as low as 30mg/1 with a hydraulic loading rate of about 1 gal/min/ft2. Approximately 1% of the influent flow was lost as foam.
Oxygenated Lipids: A Mode to WiPE Out Inflammation?

The immunologically silent clearance of apoptotic cells is crucial for maintaining self-tolerance. In this issue of Immunity, Uderhardt et al. (2012) reveal a mechanism by which lipid oxidation by tissue resident macrophages could inhibit the engulfment of apoptotic cells by inflammatory monocytes.
Sources of information controlling motor patterns in arthropod local search orientation

Abstract Search orientation is controlled by information that is stored genetically, idiothetically or through learning and that is gained from internal and external sensory systems. Sources of variation in motor patterns could derive from any of the types of information, or could originate during the execution of the instructions derived from orientation information. Local search after resource utilization in the flies Musca demestica and Drosophila melanogaster can be addressed as an initial increase in turning rate and decrease in locomotory rate, followed by a transition in both measures to a lower turning rate and a higher locomotory rate characteristic of ranging. The search tactic of flies promotes accrual of discrete resources in a patch. A forward-moving tendency, combined with a “noisy” looping motor pattern, enhances resource-finding in both linear and non-linear resource patterns. The period before a fly leaves a patch—its giving-up-time—is a function of current resource density and the slope of the transition from local search to ranging: once a fly switches to the relatively straight path characteristic of ranging, the chances of it leaving the patch depends on whether or not another resource is encountered. Duration of local search is dependent on the genotype of an individual, level of starvation or satiation, resource quality (sucrose concentration) and quantity (patch size) and presence of resource-specific sensory information.
Protein synthesis and ecdysteroidogenesis in prothoracic glands of the tobacco hornworm (Manduca sexta): stimulation by big prothoracicotropic hormone.

Abstract The 28-kDa size variant of prothoracicotropic hormone (big PTTH) stimulates ecdysteroidogenesis by prothoracic glands of Manduca sexta . In the present studies, big PTTH stimulated in vitro incorporation of [ 35 S]methionine into proteins of prothoracic glands from Day 7 last instar larvae. In 2-hr incubations, big PTTH elicited an ∼2-fold increase in total protein-specific activity. The effect appeared to be tissue specific, as big PTTH had no effect on incorporation of label into proteins of control tissue (fat body). Electrophoretic separation of tissue homogenates, followed by autoradiography and densitometric analysis, revealed increased incorporation of radiolabel into numerous glandular proteins. The result suggested that the effect of big PTTH was a general stimulation of protein synthesis, not specific stimulation of a subset of glandular proteins. Big PTTH-stimulated ecdysteroidogenesis was inhibited by cyclobeximide, indicating that the increase in protein synthesis is a requisite for enhanced hormone production. Analysis of gland incubation media revealed numerous radiolabeled proteins. The effect of big PTTH on incorporation of [ 35 Smethionine into media proteins was considerably more variable than the effect of big PTTH on tissue incorporation. The result is consistent with the hypothesis that prothoracic glands may release proteins in addition to ecdysteroids.
AIDS knowledge and high risk behaviors in the chronic mentally ill.

Chronic mentally ill adults are a high risk group for AIDS. In the present study, we used a questionnaire to assess AIDS knowledge, attitudes, and risk behaviors in 54 men and women who were clients at a “drop in” center for mentally ill adults. Most of the subjects were suffering from schizophrenia and about one-third of them had co-existing drug problems. Results showed widespread misunderstandings about AIDS transmission, high risk groups, and practices. Many of the subjects had been treated for STDs such as syphilis and gonorrhea and were engaging in behaviors that increased their vulnerability to AIDS. These include casual sex, anal sex, sex with an IV drug user, or sex in exchange for money, drugs, or a place to sleep. Subjects expressed a moderately high level of concern about acquiring AIDS/HIV, and 15% of those tested (5/33) said they already had the illness. We observed a significant correlation between misinformation about AIDS and the frequency of high risk behaviors. We also detected ambivalence about using condoms and IV drugs. Although males and females did not differ in AIDS knowledge or risk behaviors, the AIDS knowledge of both groups was significantly lower than a comparison sample of public high school students. Taken together, the results underscore the immediate need for comprehensive AIDS assessment, education, and prevention in this segment of the population.
Extending Halstead's software science for a more precise measure of APL

Software engineering is a growing part of computer science. Software engineering attempts to put measurements and metrics into the area of software programming. One of these metrics, Halstead's software science [1], measures a program's difficulty, a language level, and in turn, a programmer's productivity. Software science uses an extensive measure as opposed to the intensive measure of most other software engineering techniques. This is accomplished by counting functions and operands, and applying several formulae modified from thermodynamics. Even though software science attempts to place an objective measurement on these parameters, it is not meant to be a definitive decision tool, but rather a general guideline. This paper will explore the possible extension of Halstead's theory to include operators, as defined in APL, in the counting methodology and software science formulae.
Advanced super-resolution image enhancement process

An advanced SRIE (super-resolution image enhancement) process has been developed for improving image resolution, for enhancing image signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and contrast, as well as for correcting image blur and distortion caused by atmospheric turbulence. The SRIE process is composed of five sub-processes: 1) over-sampling process, 2) image registration process, 3) image averaging process, 4) high-pass filtering process, and 5) histogram-equalization process. These five sub-processes are discussed in detail in this paper. Performance of SRIE process was tested using a long wave infrared (LWIR) imagery and charge-coupled device (CCD) camera video imagery.
Powersplit Hybrid Electric Vehicle Control With Data Dependent Systems Forecasting

The focus of this paper is on the implementation of Data Dependent Systems (DDS) forecasting in to the control algorithm of the 2001 Michigan Tech Future Truck. The 2001 MTU Future Truck is a 2000 model year Chevrolet Suburban and utilizes a powersplit transmission, which is similar to the Toyota Prius, for its hybrid conversion. The main source of propulsion comes from a General Motors, all aluminum block, 3.5L V-6. In the Future Truck, the accessory current is not directly measured, so it must be calculated from the measured motor current, generator current and battery current. Accessory current is defined as the current used by all of the high voltage components such as the power steering and AC compressor, except the primary drive motor. In order for the vehicle to be charge sustaining, the generator must produce the same amount of power consumed by the accessories and the drive motor. This calculation will only indicate what the accessory load was at the previous sample time and not what the accessory load will be at the current sample time. When it comes to control of the vehicle, this creates a lag, and the controls will undershoot or overshoot the desired accessory current, which creates inefficiencies due to excessive power flow into and out of the battery pack. In order to better understand the accessory load, Data Dependent Systems (DDS) modeling was done on accessory current data collected from the test vehicle, and an AR(26) model was concluded to be adequate, based on the residual sum of squares (RSS) and unified auto-correlations. The DDS modeling of the accessory current also led to the forecasting of the accessory loads. This helps keep battery use to a minimum by allowing the generator to create the correct amount of power, at that time step, to operate the accessories. Accessory draw from the batteries and generator overshoot going into the batteries is minimized and therefore the overall efficiency of the vehicle goes up. The vehicle was tested on a 50-mile circuit including city and highway driving and elevation changes. The results from the test vehicle showed a power savings of 892 kJ/hour which improved the fuel economy by 3 mpg over stock. The charge sustainability of the vehicle was also achieved which means the range of the vehicle is only limited by the fuel mileage, similar to a conventional vehicle.Copyright © 2003 by ASME