cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Enhancement by glucocorticoid deficiency of the increase in cycloleucine accumulation induced in rat thymocytes by triiodothyronine

In previous studies, we have demonstrated that3,5,3′-triiodothyronine (T3), either added to suspended media in vitro or injected acutely in vivo, increases the in vitro accumulation of the non-metabolized amino acid cycloleucine (CLE) by thymocytes harvested from weanling rats. We now report that this response is greatly enhanced by prior adrenalectomy of the donor rat. In vitro, a significant increase in CLE accumulation in thymocytes from adrenalectomized rats was induced by T3 at a concentration of 1 × 10−10 M, while a concentration of 1 × 10−6M was required to produce a similar and significant effect in thymocytes from intact animals. In adrenalectomized animals, a single iv dose of T3 (0.5 μg/100 g bw) significantly increased the in vitro accumulation of CLE in thymocytes harvested two hours later. In contrast, ten-times that dose was ineffective in control animals. Increased sensitivity to T3 was abolished by physiological replacement doses of hydrocortisone. The data are consistent with the well-known opposing effects of physiological levels of thyroid and glucocorticoid hormones on the growth and function of lymphoid tissue in vivo and, together with other findings, suggest that thyroid hormones modulate the cellular accumulation of amino acids in the intact animal.
Conserved mammalian gonadotropin-releasing hormone receptor carboxyl terminal amino acids regulate ligand binding, effector coupling and internalization.

Abstract The mammalian gonadotropin-releasing hormone receptor (GnRHR), with 327 amino acids, is among the smallest G protein coupled receptors identified. Absent from this receptor is the cytoplasmic tail, characteristic of other members of this superfamily, which frequently mediates desensitization and down-regulation. The fifteen carboxyl terminal residues in the mammalian GnRHR are absolutely conserved, suggesting important roles for these residues. In the current study, mutations of the mammalian GnRHR were made to study the carboxyl terminus. The receptor mutant GnRHR(Ser 326 Ala) was reduced in ligand affinity (117% reduction compared to wild type (wt)), while receptor numbers and internalization remained unchanged. GnRHR(Ser 326 Tyr) was decreased in effector coupling, while ligand affinity remained unchanged compared to wt. These studies also show that, while mutation of Ser 326 caused a change in ligand binding and effector coupling, truncation at this residue (GnRHR[des 326–327 ]) had no measurable effect on GnRHR ligand binding, effector coupling or internalization, functions which appear to require different structural determinants than expression and routing. Removal of all three carboxyl terminal residues (Phe 325 , Ser 326 and Leu 327 ) or mutation of the receptor (GnRHR[Phe 325 Ala]) caused a complete loss of measurable ligand binding and effector coupling, clearly suggesting an unexplained role for Phe 325 .
A theoretical investigation of indole tautomers

Abstract Ab initio Hartree–Fock and density functional theory calculations were carried out to investigate the structures, energies, and vibrational spectra of indole and two of its hydrogen migration tautomers. The calculated results of indole are in good agreement with experiments. Rotational constants and infrared spectral features of 2H -indole and 3H -indole are predicted to assist future experimental identification of the two tautomers. Transition states of unimolecular isomerization among the three tautomers are also optimized and activation barriers of the isomerization reactions evaluated. The results indicate that unimolecular indole→ 3H -indole proceeds via 2H -indole with an activation barrier of 51 kcal/mol.
Challenging weak-scale supersymmetry at colliders.

Experimental searches for supersymmetry are entering a new era. As future experiments explore the mass range above the current lower bounds on superpartner masses, a failure to observe signals of superpartner production will begin to erode the central motivation for supersymmetry at the weak scale. In this article we present a detailed examination of which regions of supersymmetric parameter space are most natural and the extent to which weak-scale supersymmetry becomes unnatural if no superpartners are observed at CERN LEP II, the Fermilab Tevatron, possible upgrades of these machines, and the CERN LHC. {copyright} {ital 1996 The American Physical Society.}
Viennese kaleidics: Why it’s liberty more than policy that calms turbulence

The idea of a kaleidic economy or society is strongly associated with George Shackle and his vision of Keynesian kaleidics. This essay asserts that the central thrust of the Austrian tradition in economic analysis can be described by the term Viennese kaleidics. In either version of kaleidics, the analytical stress is placed on treating time seriously and not just notionally. Either version of kaleidics leads to recognition that economic processes are better treated as turbulent than as equilibrated. While that turbulence is a natural feature of the unavoidable incompleteness of intertemporal coordination, it is subject to mitigation. This essay explains how it is that individual liberty and private ordering is generally superior to state policy and public ordering in calming the turbulence that naturally characterizes a kaleidic economy.
Community Attitudes Toward Physician Assisted Suicide

Attitudes toward physician-assisted suicide (PAS) were assessed in a sample of 400 community adults, stratified as to gender and socioeconomic class, using a 12-item psychometric scale rather than ...
Effects of Cognitive Flexibility Theory‐based instruction on Korean high school history teaching

Understanding complex conceptual relationships is crucial for Korean high school history learning. The motivating hypothesis for this study is that a Cognitive Flexibility Theory‐based Hypertext instructional module will promote acquisition of advanced knowledge associated with complex conceptual relationships. This study focussed on improving Korean history teaching and learning in terms of these learner characteristics based on Cognitive Flexibility Theory, an influential constructivist approach in the field of educational technology. A referential hypertext program based on Spiro and his colleagues’ (1988, 1990) Cognitive Flexibility Theory (CFT) was developed for this study. Three learning programs were presented: (1) Cognitive Flexibility Theory‐Based Hypertext (CFTH), (2) hierarchical hypertext, similar to CFTH except for its hierarchical node connections, and (3) a textbook representing the typical Korean high school history instruction process. The effects of these three treatments on history achi...
Conceptual and Procedural Knowledge Community College Students Use When Solving Science Problems

Successful science students have mastered their field of study by being able to apply their learned knowledge and problem solving skills on tests. Problem solving skills must be used to figure out the answer to many classes of questions. What this study is trying to determine is how students solve complex science problems in an academic setting in order to inform the development of problem solving skills in the classroom. Students' use of problem solving skills in the form of learned concepts and procedural knowledge was studied as students completed a possible “real-life” science problem.
Membrane Protein Misfolding Enforces the Positive-Inside Rule

Inner membrane proteins have long been known to follow the “positive-inside rule”, where cytoplasmic loops tend to have a greater number of cationic residues than periplasmic or extracellular loops. This effect can be seen dramatically in dual-topology proteins, such as the small multidrug transporter EmrE, where relatively balanced charge between the protein faces leads to mixed insertion in the membrane; some molecules are inserted with a cytoplasmic N-terminus, and some with a periplasmic. Addition or removal of positive charge can bias the orientation of the inserted protein. Surprisingly, this is true even if the mutation does not occur until after the synthesis of several transmembrane helices. Here, we examine how positive charges bring about orientation bias. We use a GFP-based assay to examine both the orientation of the protein as well as rates of misinsertion and degradation. We find a significant pool of degraded or misfolded protein to be present even with wild-type EmrE. In addition to the redistribution of well-folded protein, the amount, type, and orientation of degradation products changes dramatically upon the introduction of mutations that bias EmrE orientation. While early mutations, especially those surrounding the first transmembrane helix, appear capable of biasing the initial orientation, the effects of later mutations can be explained by altering the rate of misfolding events in accordance with the positive-inside rule. Positive charges thus appear to act as folding signals, enhancing proper folding and insertion when positioned in agreement with the positive-inside rule, and enhancing misfolding when placed in violation.
Effect of essential fatty acid deficiency on activity of liver plasma membrane enzymes in the rat.

Liver plasma membranes (LPM) were isolated from rats fed an essential fatty acid-supplemented diet (+EFA) or from rats fed an essential fatty acid-deficient diet (-EFA). The proportions of linoleate and arachidonate in membrane total fatty acids in the −EFA preparations were one-half or less than the values for the +EFA preparations. Basal, F−, or glucagon-stimulated adenylate cyclase activities were significantly lower in EFA-deficient livers than in nondeficient ones. Addition of GTP significantly enhanced glucagon-stimulated adenylate cyclase in both groups, but extent of stimulation above basal was greater in EFA-deficient livers. Portal vein injection of glucagon in vivo resulted in significantly higher cAMP formation in +EFA livers than in −EFA livers. When glucagon was used in vitro at 1–1,000 nM, stimulation of adenylate cyclase remained lower in EFA-deficient membranes, but extent of stimulation above basal activity was larger in −EFA membranes than in +EFA. Total Na+, K+ (Mg2+)-ATPase from EFA-depleted LPM exhibited significantly higher values of apparent Km and Vmax. 5′-Nucleotidase activity, in contrast, was considerably decreased in EFA-deficient rats. These findings show that, in animals, changes in unsaturated fatty acid composition can affect the properties of membrane-bound enzymes. These alterations could be due to changes in membrane physical properties and/or prostaglandin formation.
The use of frequency methods in rotorcraft system identification

A new approach to model structure determination is examined. Flight data from the Rotor Systems Research Aircraft (RSRA) are transformed into the frequency domain and truncated to provide band limiting. The stepwise regression technique is then used to identify a quasistatic state-space model from the transformed data. The data processing requirements for both time domain and frequency domain identification are discussed and the results of the two techniques are compared.
Influence of the helicopter environment on patient care capabilities: flight crew perceptions.

Flight crew perceptions of the effect of the rotary wing environment on patient care capabilities have not been subject to statistical analysis. We hypothesized that flight crew perceived significant difficulties in performing patient care tasks during air medical transport. A survey instrument was distributed to a convenience sample of flight crew members from twenty flight programs. Respondents were asked to compare the difficulty of performing patient care tasks in rotary wing and standard (emergency department or intensive care unit) settings. Demographic data collected on respondents included years of flight experience, flights per month, crew duty position, and primary aircraft in which the respondent worked. Statistical analysis was performed as appropriate using Student's t-test, type 111 sum of squares, and analysis of variance. Alpha was defined as p is less than or equal to .05. Fifty-five percent of programs (90 individuals) responded. All tasks were rated significantly more difficult in the rotary wing environment. Ratings were not significantly correlated with flight experience, duty position, flights per month, or aircraft used. We conclude that the performance of patient care tasks are perceived by air medical flight crew to be significantly more difficult during rotary wing air medical transport than in hospital settings.
Challenges and opportunities in the treatment of adolescents with substance use disorder and suicidal behavior

Many youth who present for substance abuse treatment report co-occurring suicidality. Therefore, it is important to learn about the characteristics of this population and effective treatment strategies. The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of some of the key issues that arise when treating youth with substance abuse and co-occurring suicidality and to offer recommendations on how to approach these areas. Specifically, we discuss the potential utility of an integrated approach to treatment, and provide an overview of the characteristics of this treatment population, motivational and treatment engagement issues, the clinical management of suicidality in the context of treatment, and the effect of psychiatric comorbidity on treatment needs. We then discuss school, family, and peer issues that may arise as well as special considerations for the use of urine drug screens with this population. We conclude with recommendations for future treatment development research in this very important area.
Analysis of semen parameters in male referrals: impact of reference limits, stratification by fertility categories, predictors of change, and comparison of normal semen parameters in subfertile couples.

Objective To [1] determine the impact of semen reference limits on referrals for male fertility evaluations, [2] analyze the stratification of subjects based on published "normal" thresholds, [3] analyze the odds of changing fertility categories during serial tests and thereby the potential impact of inherent variability of semen parameters on referrals, and [4] determine variable(s) predictive of change. Design Retrospective chart review. Setting Academic referral center for male fertility. Patient(s) New encounters in a male fertility clinic over a 5-year period that straddles the publication of World Health Organization (WHO) 2010 reference values. Intervention(s) None. Main Outcome Measure(s) Demographic and clinical variables, semen values, and fertility categories as follows: BE (below WHO 2010 criteria), BTWN (above WHO 2010 but below WHO 1999 criteria), and N (above WHO 1999 criteria). Result(s) A total of 82.3% of initial semen tests were categorized as BE, and the predominance of this category was unchanged by publication of the WHO 2010 criteria. Men with initial semen analysis categorized as BTWN or N represented 16.2% and 1.5% of the referral population, respectively. Subjects initially categorized as BTWN were more likely to change fertility categories, and overwhelmingly this migration was downward. Analysis of normal individual semen parameters revealed statistically worse mean concentration and motility when at least one other parameter fell below the WHO 2010 criteria. Conclusion(s) Men with semen results above reference criteria are underrepresented, indicating that reference limits influence referral patterns for male fertility evaluations. Normal mean concentration and motility were lower in men with at least one other individual semen parameter below the 2010 criteria, suggesting global dysfunction in spermatogenesis.
Response of pearl millet to grain sorghum environments

Abstract Increasing awareness of drought tolerance in pearl millet [ Pennisetum americanum (L.) Leeke.] has stimulated research into pearl millet as a potential U.S. crop. Objectives of this study were to compare yield and yield components of pearl millet and grain sorghum [ Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] and evaluate pearl millet response to a range of grain sorghum environments. Yield and yield component comparisons were made using 24 millet hybrids and six grain sorghum hybrids at seven Kansas locations, from 1980 to 1982. To compare pearl millet production in grain sorghum environments, millet hybrid mean yields were regressed on sorghum location means. A desirable millet hybrid would have a high yield and a regression coefficient not significantly different from 1.0. Average grain sorghum yields were greater than millet yields in all three years. Millet hybrid yields ranged from 350 to 5400 kg ha −1 . Over all locations and years, millet yield averaged 63% of sorghum yield. In unfavorable environments, pearl millet yield and response to changing environments were not significantly different from those of grain sorghum. As environmental conditions improved, sorghum significantly yielded more than millet. Lower millet yields could be attributed to significantly smaller seed size and head sterility. The small seed also reduced plant establishment; however millet's tillering ability compensated for reduced population.
Kinematic model for the opening of the Sea of Japan and the bending of the Japanese islands

We have analyzed paleomagnetic data from Japan reported over the past 25 years in combination with marine geophysical and on-land geologic data to reconstruct the opening of the Sea of Japan and the bending of Honshu. From these data, we propose that the Sea of Japan opened by a two-stage back-arc spreading event. (1) In the early to middle Tertiary, Japan began to rift off the Asian coast as a single rigid block, rotated clockwise approximately 25°, and formed the Japan Basin. (2) In the Miocene, the Yamato and Tsushima basins opened, and shortly thereafter (19 Ma) the Japan arc collided with another island arc in central Hokkaido. At this stage, Honshu began to behave as two rigid blocks—southwest Honshu and northeast Honshu. Southwest Honshu continued to rotate clockwise approximately 45° as the Yamato and Tsushima basins continued to open. Northeastern Honshu rotated counterclockwise approximately 40° as Hokkaido was held fixed by the arc collision while the Yamato Basin continued to open. These two events—the opening of the Tsushima and Yamato basins and the arc collision in Hokkaido—resulted in the early to middle Miocene bending of the Japan arc observed in the paleomagnetic data. After 12 Ma, back-arc spreading ceased.
An Overview of Daily Operations at the VINSE Core Laboratories

Vanderbilt University maintains a 1635 sq. ft. class 10,000 cleanroom facility to support the teaching, research and outreach objectives of the Vanderbilt Institute of Nanoscale Science and Engineering (VINSE). Operating since 2004 the facility is a shared, multi-user laboratory space that services the research and training needs of at least 19 independent groups from across the Vanderbilt campus, as well as the middle Tennessee region including Fisk University, Tennessee State University, Middle Tennessee State University, and the University of Tennessee Space Institute in Tullahoma, TN. Since we last reported in 2010 the VINSE facilities have undergone an substantial renovation of infrastructure, and the faculty users have been successful in winning funding to install new instrumentation and additional capabilities in support of our mission of service to the Vanderbilt community and beyond. Nevertheless, as the facility matures we face lingering issues of cost recovery and maintenance of the physical infrastructure at a private University. During this presentation I will discuss various strategies we pursue for successful laboratory management of this multi-user facility, including cost recovery mechanisms, tool specific and chemical safety training, facility staffing and afterhours buddy system access, coursework development, and integration of ongoing outreach efforts in our daily operations. Keywords- cleanroom operations, nanotechnology, nanofabrication, cost recovery, access, training, lab security
Hospitalization for firearm-related injuries in the United States, 1997

Methods: Cross-sectional analysis of the 1997 Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS), a stratified probability sample of 1012 nonfederal community hospitals from 22 states. The database was queried using E codes to identify firearm-related injuries. The SUDAAN software program was used to convert raw counts into weighted counts that represent national estimates and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results: An estimated 35,810 (95% CI, 32,615‐38,947) cases nationwide were identified, of which 86% were male. Assault was the leading cause of firearm-related hospitalization, followed by unintentional injury. The mean length of stay (LOS) for patients with a firearm-related assault was 6 days. Seven percent of all firearm cases died during the hospitalization. The total estimated hospital charges for firearm-related injuries in the United States in 1997 was over $802 million, and 29% of the patients admitted for this condition were uninsured. Conclusions: Firearm-related injuries rank highest among all conditions in the number of uninsured hospital stays, and the average LOS is much longer compared to other medical conditions. National estimates derived from the NIS are consistent with previous estimates, and NIS provides additional information not available from other data sources. (Am J Prev Med 2003;24(1):1‐ 8) © 2003 American Journal of Preventive Medicine
Satellite imagery based adaptive background models and shadow suppression

Accurate segmentation of foreground objects in video scenes is critical for assuring reliable performance of vision systems for object tracking and situational awareness in outdoor scenes. Most existing techniques for background modeling and shadow suppression require that a number of parameters be “hand-tuned” based on environmental conditions. This paper presents two contributions to overcome such limitations. First, we develop and demonstrate a satellite imagery based approach for selecting appropriate background and shadow models. It is shown that the illumination conditions (i.e. cloud cover) of a scene can be reliably inferred from visible satellite images in the local region of the camera. The second contribution presented in the paper is introduction and evaluation of a Hybrid Cone-Cylinder Codebook (HC3) model which combines an adaptive efficient background model with HSV-color space shadow suppression into a single coherent framework. The structure of the HC3 model allows for seamless fusion of the satellite data. We are thereby able to exploit the fact that, for example, shadows are more pronounced on sunny days than cloudy days, allowing for more sensitive detection. The paper presents a set of experiments using day long sequences of videos from an operational surveillance system testbed. Results of these experimental analyses quantitatively illustrate the benefits of using satellite imagery to inform and adaptively adjust background and shadow modeling.
EEG's of prematures: 3-8 year follow-up study.

A classification of apparently normal neonatal EEG's into 4 classes (A-D) on the basis of progressive maturity was devised and applied to 273 EEG's of 117 apparently normal newborns recorded between 24 and 50 weeks conceptional age (CA). Both the order in which the 4 classes of EEG's occurred for subjects upon whom more than 1 EEG was obtained, and the distributions of the ages over which the 4 classes were observed confirmed that the classes do indeed represent a maturational sequence of EEG pattern changes. Of the 81 original premature subjects, 46 underwent comprehensive clinical evaluation between 3 yr 9 months and 8 yr 7 months of age. Various features of their neonatal EEG's were evaluated in the light of clinical outcome. The results do not demonstrate the usefulness of the routine EEG as a prognostic indicator in neonates not displaying specific pathology at birth. They do offer some evidence of a relationship between immaturity of the EEG relative to CA in the neonatal period and the later manifestation of congenital disorders involving the brain, but the tendency, even if confirmed, may not prove strong enough to warrant prognostic decisions in individuals.
Single-Chip Multiprocessors: The Next Wave of Computer Architecture Innovation

The past 25 years have been a very exciting time for computer architecture. A lot of this excitement was due to new opportunities made available by semiconductor technology: once basic uniprocessor functionality could be implemented on a chip, additional transistor resources could be used for innovative uniprocessor microarchitectures. The net result is that the microarchitecture of a high-performance uniprocessor today barely resembles that of one from 20 years ago. Today we stand at the doorstep of a similar period of excitement for multiprocessors. Semiconductor technology currently allows us to build a small chip multiprocessor. While the microarchitecture of the initial chip multiprocessors differs little from that of a traditional multiprocessor built with multiple chips, advances in semiconductor technology will allow us to rethink the microarchitecture of multiprocessors. Now is the time to start investigating innovative ways of architecting chip multiprocessors. This talk will try to provide some initial directions towards this overall research agenda.
Family relationships of lesbians and gay men.

The family lives of lesbian and gay people have been a source of controversy during the past decade. Despite prejudice and discrimination, lesbians and gay men have often succeeded in creating and sustaining family relationships. Research on same-gender couple relationships, parent-child relationships, and other family relationships is reviewed here. In general, the picture of lesbian and gay relationships emerging from this body of work is one of positive adjustment, even in the face of stressful conditions. Research is also beginning to address questions about individual differences among the family relationships of lesbians and gay men. Future work in this area has the potential to affect lesbian and gay lives, influence developmental and family theory, and inform public policies in the decade ahead.
Interpretation of Blood Glutethimide, Meprobamate, and Methyprylon Concentrations in Nonfatal and Fatal Intoxications Involving a Single Drug

We evaluated blood concentrations of three nonbarbiturate sedative-hypnotics in 19 nonfatal (NF) and five fatal (F) intoxications which were "pure" (i.e. which involved only one drug each): glutethimide, 4 (NF), 3 (F); meprobamate, 9 (NF), 1 (F); and methyprylon, 6 (NF), 1 (F). For each of the 24 cases, both a comprehensive toxicology panel (including blood and urine) and the clinical history established that only a single drug had been ingested. Blood drug concentrations showed statistically significant correlation with the level of consciousness for nonfatal meprobamate intoxication (p less than 0.01) and nonfatal methyprylon intoxication (p less than 0.05). Blood glutethimide concentrations did not show such correlation. Death was associated with a mean blood glutethimide concentration in excess of 4.0 mg/dL, a blood meprobamate concentration of 20.5 mg/dL, and a blood methyprylon concentration of 11.7 mg/dL. Interpretation of blood concentrations of these compounds is discussed, and physical findings and demographic data are presented.
Born to be Alive: A Role for the BCL-2 Family in Melanoma Tumor Cell Survival, Apoptosis, and Treatment

The global incidence of melanoma has dramatically increased during the recent decades, yet the advancement of primary and adjuvant therapies has not kept a similar pace. The development of melanoma is often centered on cellular signaling that hyper-activates survival pathways, while inducing a concomitant blockade to cell death. Aberrations in cell death signaling not only promote tumor survival and enhanced metastatic potential, but also create resistance to anti-tumor strategies. Chemotherapeutic agents target melanoma tumor cells by inducing a form of cell death called apoptosis, which is governed by the BCL-2 family of proteins. The BCL-2 family is comprised of anti-apoptotic proteins (e.g., BCL-2, BCL-xL, and MCL-1) and pro-apoptotic proteins (e.g., BAK, BAX, and BIM), and their coordinated regulation and function are essential for optimal responses to chemotherapeutics. Here we will discuss what is currently known about the mechanisms of BCL-2 family function with a focus on the signaling pathways that maintain melanoma tumor cell survival. Importantly, we will critically evaluate the literature regarding how chemotherapeutic strategies directly impact on BCL-2 family function and offer several suggestions for future regimens to target melanoma and enhance patient survival.
Both NMDA and non-NMDA receptors in the NTS participate in the baroreceptor reflex in rats

In this study, we determined whether either N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors or non-NMDA receptors in the nucleus tractus solitarii (NTS) participate in the baroreceptor reflex in rats. Microinjection of an NMDA receptor antagonist, MK-801, and a non-NMDA receptor antagonist, 6,7-dinitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione, into the NTS decreased the sensitivity of the baroreceptor reflex by 51 and 41%, respectively. Simultaneous administration of both agents further reduced the sensitivity of the baroreceptor reflex to 28% of control. A competitive NMDA receptor antagonist, 2-amino-5-phosphonovaleric acid, also attenuated reflex bradycardia or tachycardia elicited by a single dose of phenylephrine or nitroprusside, respectively. Specificity of each antagonist's effects was supported by selective blockade of depressor responses produced by agonists that act at the NMDA and non-NMDA receptors, respectively. Results of this study indicate that both non-NMDA- and NMDA-sensitive receptors are involved in baroreceptor reflex transmission in the NTS.
Latino Parent and Adolescent Perceptions of Hoped-for and Feared Possible Selves for Adolescents:

The authors examined Latino parent and adolescent reports of hoped-for and feared possible selves for adolescents. Twenty-nine Latino parents (18 mothers, 11 fathers) and their 18 adolescents parti...
Rheologic dissimilarities in female and male blood: potential link to development of cardiovascular diseases.

Oxygen Delivery Index (ODI) was introduced as the ratio of red blood cell concentration (hematocrit) to blood viscosity. The ODI can be considered an indirect characterization of oxygen transport to organs and tissues. ODI was obtained for 98 healthy donors (47 pre-menopausal women and 51 age-matched men). In this population ODI levels were found to be significantly lower (p<0.001) in male blood (7.7±0.3 vs.8.4±0.5 in female blood). Average ODI obtained for 15 cardiac patients (all males) was found to be significantly lower than that for healthy men. In red blood cell suspensions with the same hematocrit, ODI was found to decrease when plasma viscosity was increased via an increase in protein concentration. Additionally, it was found that ODI measured for samples of blood over a wide hematocrit range, obtained by dilution with autologous plasma, possessed the highest values at the hematocrit levels 30 to 40%. The decreased oxygen transport might contribute to the significantly higher morbidity and mortality from cardiovascular diseases for men compared to pre-menopausal women. ODI may be a useful parameter for evaluation of risk of development of cardiovascular disorders.
Systemic lupus erythematosus, radiotherapy, and the risk of acute and chronic toxicity: the Mayo Clinic Experience.

Purpose To determine the acute and chronic toxic effects of radiotherapy in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Methods and Materials Medical records of 21 consecutive patients with SLE, who had received 34 courses of external beam radiotherapy and one low-dose-rate prostate implant, were retrospectively reviewed. Patients with discoid lupus erythematosus were excluded. Results Median survival was 2.3 years and median follow-up 5.6 years. Eight (42%) of 19 patients evaluable for acute toxicity during radiotherapy experienced acute toxicity of Grade 1 or greater, and 4 (21%) had acute toxicity of Grade 3 or greater. The 5- and 10-year incidence of chronic toxicity of Grade 1 or greater was 45% (95% confidence interval [CI], 22–72%) and 56% (95% CI, 28–81%), respectively. The 5- and 10-year incidence of chronic toxicity of Grade 3 or greater was 28% (95% CI, 18–60%) and 40% (95% CI, 16–72%), respectively. Univariate analysis showed that chronic toxicity of Grade 1 or greater correlated with SLE renal involvement ( p p p p p Conclusions The risk of acute and chronic toxicity in patients with SLE who received radiotherapy was moderate but was not prohibitive of the use of radiotherapy. Patients with more advanced SLE may be at increased risk for chronic toxicity.
Health Researchers' Ancillary Care Obligations in Low-Resource Settings: How Can We Tell What Is Morally Required?

Health researchers working in low-resource settings often encounter serious unmet health needs among participants. What is the nature and extent of researchers' obligations to respond to such needs? Competing accounts have been proposed, but there is no independent standard by which to assess them or to guide future inquiry. I propose an independent standard and demonstrate its use. In conclusion I recommend two areas of focus for future inquiry: what makes an account of researchers' obligations reasonable from the standpoint of both participants and researchers and how general duties of rescue apply to researchers' resource-allocation decision making in low-resource settings.
The effect of selection on the development of mutational robustness

This paper investigates the role of selection in the acquisition of mutational robustness for two test problems: rONEMAX and SAW. Three different selection methods: tournament, fitness proportionate, and ranking, were implemented in a geerational genetic algorithm and applied to both problems. The effect of altering the selection pressure for the tournament selection method was investigated by varying the tournament size. For the rONEMAX problem the tournament and ranking selection based algorithms found optimal solutions which were significantly more robust to point mutation than those found by either the fitness proportionate selection algorithm or random sampling of the optimal solution space. Altering the selection pressure had no significant effect on the robustness of the solutions located by tournament selection algorithm for the rONEMAX problem. For the SAW problem, however, tournament selection with a tournament size of four found solutions which were significantly more robust than those located by larger tournament sizes. For the majority of the problem variants explored here the tournament and ranking selection methods proved more effective at locating robust optimal solutions than fitness proportionate selection.
Thermodynamic analysis of algal biocrude production

Abstract Although algal biofuels possess great potential, profitable production is quite challenging. Much of this challenge is rooted in the thermodynamic constraints associated with producing fuels with high energy, low entropy, and high exergy from dispersed materials. In this study, a preliminary thermodynamic analysis is presented that calculates the energy, entropy, and exergy of the intermediate products for algal biocrude production. These values are also used in an initial attempt to characterize the thermodynamic efficiency of that system. The production pathway is simplified by assuming ideal solutions throughout. Results for the energy and exergy efficiencies, and the first-order energy and exergy return on investment, of the system are given. The summary finding is that the first-order energy return on investment in the best case considered could be as high as 520, as compared to 1.7 × 10−3 in the experimental unit under development. While this analysis shows that significant improvement may be possible, the ultimate thermodynamic efficiency of algal biofuels likely lies closer to the moderate case examined here, which yielded a first-order energy return on investment of 10. For perspective, the first-order energy return on investment for oil and gas production has been estimated in the literature to be ∼35.
Dollar primacy and American power: What's at stake?

ABSTRACT While the demise of the dollar has been predicted in the past, expectations of a fundamental change in the international role of the dollar are increasingly widespread, and eminently plausible. From a situation where the dollar was the undisputed and dominant international currency, one likely scenario is that it will become one of several key currencies that could be characterized as ‘peer competitors’. This raises the question: does it matter? In particular, does it matter for US power? This paper reviews why the dollar's status might change, from that of a ‘top’ to a ‘negotiated’ currency. It then considers the consequences–the loss of economic benefits and structural power, and the costs associated with managing a currency in (relative) decline and eroding international prestige. I conclude that, even as the dollar is likely to remain the world's most widely used international currency, the vulnerability of the greenback presents a potentially significant and underappreciated restraint on con...
Discrete event system specification (DEVS) and StateMate StateCharts equivalence for embedded systems modeling

Recently, modeling has received a lot of attention in the design of embedded computing systems. StateCharts is one of the modeling specifications which has been successfully implemented in a commercially available tool suite. We argue that the DEVS formalism is more expressive than StateCharts and can also be applied to the design of such systems. In this paper we want to show that we can in fact build equivalent StateChart models directly from DEVS models and execute them in the available development environments. The presented mapping of the two system modeling formalisms promises to combine the benefits of formally well-defined models and a sound tool implementation.
Variability explained by strength, body composition and gait impairment in activity and participation measures for children with cerebral palsy: a multicentre study:

Objective:To determine the amount of variability in scores on activity and participation measures used to assess ambulatory individuals with cerebral palsy explained by strength, body composition, gait impairment and participant characteristics.Design:Multicentre prospective cross-sectional study.Setting:Seven paediatric–orthopaedic specialty hospitals.Participants:Three hundred and seventy-seven ambulatory individuals (241 males, 136 females) with cerebral palsy, Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) levels I–III (I = 148, II = 153, III = 76), ages 8–18 years (mean 12 years 9 months, SD 2 years 8 months).Methods:Participants completed assessments of GMFCS level, patient history, lower extremity muscle strength, Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM-66), Pediatric Outcomes Data Collection Instrument (PODCI), instrumented gait analysis, 1 minute walk test, Timed Up-and-Go and body composition. Multiple linear regression and bootstrap analyses were performed for each outcome measure, stratified by...
Level Set-Based Fast Multi-phase Graph Partitioning Active Contours Using Constant Memory

We present multi-phase FastGPAC that extends our dramatic improvement of memory requirements and computational complexity on two-class GPAC, into multi-class image segmentation. Graph partitioning active contours GPAC is a recently introduced approach that elegantly embeds the graph-based image segmentation problem within a continuous level set-based active contour paradigm. However, GPAC similar to many other graph-based approaches has quadratic memory requirements. For example, a 1024x1024 grayscale image requires over one terabyte of working memory. Approximations of GPAC reduce this complexity by trading off accuracy. Our FastGPAC approach implements an exact GPAC segmentation using constant memory requirement of few kilobytes and enables use of GPAC on high throughput and high resolution images. Extension to multi-phase enables segmention of multiple regions of interest with different appearances. We have successfully applied FastGPAC on different types of images, particularly on biomedical images of different modalities. Experiments on the various image types, natural, biomedical etc. show promising segmentation results with substantially reduced computational requirements.
Parameterized tiling revisited

Tiling, a key transformation for optimizing programs, has been widely studied in literature. Parameterized tiled code is important for auto-tuning systems since they often execute a large number of runs with dynamically varied tile sizes. Previous work on tiled code generation has addressed parameterized tiling for the sequential context, and the parallel case with fixed compile-time constants for tile sizes. In this paper, we revisit the problem of generating tiled code using parametric tile sizes. We develop a systematic approach to formulate tiling transformations through manipulation of linear inequalities and develop a novel approach to overcoming the fundamental obstacle faced by previous approaches regarding generation of parallel parameterized tiled code. To the best of our knowledge, the approach proposed in this paper is the first compile-time solution to the problem of parallel parameterized code generation for affine imperfectly nested loops. Experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the implemented system.
Ribozymes as Molecular Biology Reagents

Catalytic RNA molecules (ribozymes) can catalyze a number of biochemical processes, including tRNA processing, mRNA splicing and regulation, and of course peptide bond formation. While many of these reactions involve phosphodiester bond rearrangement, catalysts selected by directed evolution further expand the range of reactions available to ribozymes to include the formation of carbon–carbon bonds and redox reactions. This chapter reviews the adaptation of ribozymes into unique as well as alternative tools for (1) developing biosensors and reporters, (2) manipulation of target RNA, and (3) biocatalysis of non-phosphoryltransfer reactions.
Deformation fields near a steady fatigue crack with anisotropic plasticity

Abstract In this work, from finite element simulations based on an irreversible, hysteretic cohesive interface model, a steady fatigue crack can be realized if the crack extension exceeds about twice the plastic zone size, and both the crack increment per loading cycle and the crack bridging zone size are smaller than the plastic zone size. The corresponding deformation fields develop a plastic wake behind the crack tip and a compressive residual stress field ahead of the crack tip. In addition, the Hill’s plasticity model is used to study the role of plastic anisotropy on the retardation of fatigue crack growth and the elastic strain fields. It is found that for Mode-I cyclic loading, an enhanced yield stress in directions that are inclined from the crack plane will lead to slower crack growth rate, but this retardation is insignificant for typical degrees of plastic anisotropy. These results provide key inputs for future comparisons to neutron and synchrotron diffraction measurements that provide full-field lattice strain mapping near fracture and fatigue crack tips, especially in textured materials such as wrought or rolled Mg alloys.
Dimerization of glycoprotein Ibα is not sufficient to induce platelet clearance.

UNLABELLED ESSENTIALS: Many anti-glycoprotein (GP)Ibα antibodies induce platelet clearance in a dimer-dependent manner. Characterization of monoclonal antibodies that bind the mechanosensitive domain (MSD) of GPIbα. An anti-MSD antibody binds two copies of GPIbα in platelets but does not induce platelet clearance. The prevailing clustering model of GPIbα signaling is incorrect or needs revision. BACKGROUND The mechanism of platelet clearance is not clear. Many antibodies binding the membrane-distal ligand-binding domain of glycoprotein (GP)Ibα induce rapid clearance of platelets and acute thrombocytopenia, which requires the bifurcated antibody structure. It was thought that binding of these antibodies induced lateral dimerization or clustering of GPIbα in the plasma membrane, which leads to downstream signaling and platelet clearance. However, many antibodies targeting GPIbβ and GPIX, which are associated with GPIbα in the GPIb-IX complex, do not induce platelet clearance, which is in contradiction to the clustering model. OBJECTIVES To test whether dimerization or clustering of GPIbα is sufficient to transmit the signal that leads to platelet clearance. METHODS We have recently raised several mAbs targeting the mechanosensitive domain (MSD) of GPIbα. Binding of these anti-MSD antibodies was characterized with biochemical methods. Their ability to stimulate platelets and induce platelet clearance in mice was assessed. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION Infusion of anti-MSD antibodies does not cause thrombocytopenia in mice. These antibodies show no detectable effects on platelet activation and aggregation in vitro. Further biochemical investigation showed that the anti-MSD antibody 3D1 binds two copies of GPIbα on the platelet surface. Therefore, lateral dimerization of GPIbα induced by antibody binding is not sufficient to initiate GPIb-IX signaling and induce platelet clearance. Our results suggest that a factor other than or in addition to clustering of GPIbα is required to induce platelet clearance.
Agora: Reflections on Zivotofksy v. Kerry: Presidential Signing Statements and Dialogic Constitutionalism

When the Supreme Court held that the executive branch has exclusive authority to recognize foreign sovereigns in the Jerusalem passport case, Zivotojsky v. Kerry (Zivotojsky lI), Jack Goldsmith hailed the decision as a "vindication" of presidential signing statements and executive power. Indeed, in the context of the debate over the treatment of the terror suspects, the New York Times had called such signing statements the "constitutionally ludicrous" work of an overreaching, "imperial presidency." Others in this Symposium and elsewhere have covered what a "bonanza" Zivotojsi II is for foreign relations law, the competing visions of foreign relations at the case's center, the justices' reliance on historical practice in constitutional interpretation, and the ways in which the opinion departs from or reinforces the Roberts Court trend toward "normalizing" foreign relations law.Building on these themes, the focus of this essay is on how Zivotojsi II demonstrates the role that presidential signing statements can play in facilitating inter-branch dialogue, as a means of promoting clarity, cooperation, and compromise in constitutional interpretation. Notwithstanding my earlier criticism of specific signing statements in the context of the treatment of terror suspects -- a position I maintain today based on my disagreement with the substance of those statements -- I am not against signing statements per se.In fact, I agree with Goldsmith that "[s]igning statements are not in themselves cause for concern....Poor interpretations of Article II articulated in a signing statement can be a cause for concern -- especially in the rare signing statement that leads to non-compliance." Criticism of signing statements are often really debates about the proper reach of presidential power. Zivotojsky II provides an opportunity to assess the value of signing statements in a different light and to build on my earlier work on dialogic approaches to the Constitution.