cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Acute type a dissection: impact of antegrade cerebral perfusion under moderate hypothermia.

Background The optimal method of arterial cannulation and circulation management for acute type A aortic dissection (type A) remains debated. Moderate hypothermic circulatory arrest (MHCA) and unilateral selective antegrade cerebral perfusion (uSACP) is effective in the elective setting. In this study, the impact of MHCA and uSACP on outcomes for type A repair was evaluated. Methods A retrospective review identified 346 patients who underwent type A repair under circulatory arrest, including 193 patients who had MHCA/uSACP. Measured outcomes included operative mortality, permanent neurologic deficit (PND) and temporary neurologic deficit, renal failure, and tracheostomy. Propensity-adjusted, multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to model adverse outcomes. Results The mean age of MHCA/uSACP patients was 56 years. The mean temperature during MHCA was 26.9 ± 2.0°C. Operative mortality for MHCA/SACP patients was 9.8% compared with 20.3% for the non-MHCA/SACP group (p Conclusions Emergent type A repair can be accomplished with respectable operative risk using MHCA/uSACP. Cross-clamping the dissected aorta before MHCA increases the incidence of PND. These data suggest that MHCA/uSACP represents an effective circulation management strategy for patients undergoing repair of type A and obviates the need for deep hypothermic circulatory arrest.
What matters in cellular transplantation for spinal cord injury: the cells, the rehabilitation, or the best mix?

Lima and colleagues recently reported the results on 20 patients with chronic sensorimotor or motor complete spinal cord injury (SCI) after they performed partial scar removal and implantation of a mix of neural stem and olfactory ensheathing cells (OECs) derived from mucosal autografts1. In this uncontrolled but well-planned phase 2 study2,3, the subjects also received, immediately prior to the cellular intervention, a median of 400 hours of lower extremity step training either over ground or with a Lokomat electromechanical device. These therapies were restarted and continued for at least a year after surgery. Thus, an intensive, task-related rehabilitation program for walking was built into the trial to try to produce further recovery4. Preoperatively, they sought a stable baseline, reducing the likelihood that latent function might improve from physical therapies alone. Then, they hoped the therapies would maximize contributions from the cells. Remarkably, new signs of motor control were found from 1 to 3 years later. For example, 75% of subjects developed electromyographic activity below their lesions, and the American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale of motor strength improved by 4 to 8 points in 5 subjects and by 14 to 20 in another 4. The Walking Index for SCI scores of assisted walking improved in relation to greater motor control5,6. The increase in voluntary movement was found, however, only in the patients at the 2 sites that provided assisted overground stance and step training but not at the site that offered only the robotic stepper. The implication, then, is that the cells had a biological effect that depended on the type of practice. In this case, the 2 rehabilitation strategies differed in that overground training may enable greater incorporation of feedback and more trial and error to successfully approximate components of movements, compared with the rather inflexible kinematics with training on the robotic device. This potential confounder for the utility of electromechanical assists has been noted in randomized clinical trials of upper and lower extremity devices, in which the robotics were no better, or worse than, hands-on therapy of the same intensity and duration7-11.
Methyldopa in treatment of neurogenic bladder disorders

Fifty patients with neurogenic bladder dysfunction were treated with methyldopa (Aldomet). The preliminary results that are presented suggest a beneficial action in patients with upper neuron lesions. The probable mechanism of the drug's action is discussed.
Judging Physical Attractiveness: Effects of Judges' Own Attractiveness

Judges rated the physical attractiveness of others from pho tographs and were themselves photographed and rated on phy sical attractiveness. Male and female judges gave similar ratings to attractive targets, but when rating unattractive targets, male judges showed assimilation effects and female judges showed contrast effects. Assimilation produces a pos itive correlation between judge's own attractiveness and at tractiveness ratings assigned to others; contrast produces a negative correlation between judges' own attractiveness and attractiveness ratings assigned to others. Sex of the per sons being rated had no effect. Data were graphically pre sented as 3-dimensional surfaces generated by a computer mapping program.
Evidence for the Existence of Distinct Central Appetite, Energy Expenditure, and Ghrelin Stimulation Pathways as Revealed by Hypothalamic Site-Specific Leptin Gene Therapy

To identify the specific hypothalamic sites in which leptin acts to decrease energy intake and/or increase energy expenditure, recombinant adeno-associated virus vector-encoding leptin was microinjected bilaterally into one of four hypothalamic sites in female rats. Leptin transgene expression in the ventromedial nucleus and paraventricular nucleus induced comparable decreases in daily food intake (FI; 18-20%) and body weight (BW; 26-29%), accompanied by drastic reductions in serum leptin (81-97%), insulin (92-93%), free fatty acids (35-36%), and normoglycemia. Leptin transgene expression in the arcuate nucleus (ARC) decreased BW gain (21%) and FI (11%) to a lesser range, but the metabolic hormones were suppressed to the same extent. Leptin transgene expression in the medial preoptic area (MPOA) decreased BW and metabolic hormones without decreasing FI. Finally, leptin transgene expression in all four sites augmented serum ghrelin and thermogenic energy expenditure, as shown by uncoupling protein-1 mRNA expression in brown adipose tissue. Proopiomelanocortin gene expression in the ARC was up-regulated by leptin expression in all four sites, but neuropeptide Y gene expression in the ARC was suppressed by leptin transgene expression in the ARC but not in the MPOA. Thus, whereas leptin expression in the paraventricular nucleus, ventromedial nucleus, or ARC suppresses adiposity and insulin by decreasing energy intake and increasing energy expenditure, in the MPOA it suppresses these variables by increasing energy expenditure alone.
Irrigation Rain Sensors Accuracy

In recent years, an increasing number of municipalities throughout the country have implemented mandates, rebates and/or cost-saving programs for the use of rain sensors (RSs). The objectives of this research were to evaluate two expanding disk RS types, Mini-Click (MC) and Wireless Rain-Click (WL), with respect to: a) the accuracy of their set point with respect to rainfall depth, b) the number of times in irrigation bypass mode, and c) the duration in irrigation bypass mode. For the MC treatments, rainfall set points of 3, 6, and 13 mm were established. Rain sensor models were monitored from 1 January 2006 to 31 July 2007, except for MC set at 6 mm which was monitored starting on 13 September 2006. The 576-day experimental period had rainfall frequency and cumulative amount below a historical year. The number of times that replicate units within a treatment switched to bypass mode tended to behave the same through time, for treatments WL and 3-MC, which ranged from 64 to 78 events and from 57 to 68 events, respectively. Treatment 6-MC was the most consistent between replicates, where three units switched to bypass mode on 39 occasions, and one unit did it on 34 times. Replicates from treatment 13-MC showed the most variable behavior, shutting off between 50 to 29 times. On average, treatment WL shut off after 2.8 mm of rain. Because this model does not have a specific set point, accuracy could not be calculated. Accuracies for the other treatments resulted in 73% for 3-MC, 30% for 6-MC, and 58% for 13-MC. Treatments WL, 3-MC, 6-MC, and 13-MC, remained in bypass mode 82, 80, 64, and 83% of the time, respectively, for less than 24 h.
A DNA element between At4g28630 and At4g28640 confers companion-cell specific expression following the sink-to-source transition in mature minor vein phloem

The collection phloem in minor veins is distinct from other vein classes in that the minor veins mature during the sink to source transition and are the primary sites of phloem loading. After maturation, minor vein phloem maintains its character in part through minor-vein specific regulatory cascades; however despite its physiological significance, little of these developmental programs is understood. From an Arabidopsis enhancer trap screen, we identified MATURE MINOR VEIN ELEMENT1 (MMVE1) in the intergenic region between two oppositely oriented genes, the ABC transporter ATM1 (At4g28630) and IAA11 (At4g28640). MMVE1 promotes reporter gene activity in minor vein phloem in a pattern resembling the sink to source transition. Promoter truncation experiments and phylogenetic footprinting demonstrate sequences proximal to ATM1 promote minor vein expression whereas sequences closer to IAA11 repress it. Both orientations of the promoter were used to drive expression of CONSTANS to generate a phloem mobile signal conferring early flowering under non-inductive conditions. Tandem copies of MMVE1 increase minor vein expression strength and specificity. MMVE1 is the first minor vein enhancer characterized from a species that loads from the apoplast, and supports the presence of unique regulatory cascades operating in minor vein phloem.
On the consistency of the MLE for Ornstein–Uhlenbeck and other selfdecomposable processes

In this paper we give easy to verify conditions for the strong consistency of the maximum likelihood estimator (MLE) in the case when data is sampled from a parametric family of selfdecomposable distributions. The difficulty arises from the fact that standard conditions for the consistency of the MLE are based on the pdf, which, for most selfdecomposable distributions, is not available in a closed form. Instead, our conditions are based on properties of the Levy triplet (i.e. the Levy measure, the Gaussian part, and the shift) of the distribution. Further, we extend out results to certain selfdecomposable stochastic processes, and, in particular, we give conditions in the case when the data is sampled from a Levy or an Ornstein–Uhlenbeck process.
Comprehensive geriatic assessment in the outpatient setting: Population characteristics and factors influencing outcome

Abstract The chronic diseases of old age reduce the “active life expectancy” of older persons and result in significant health care expenditures. Yet, among disabled persons, the degree of disability does not explain who actually accesses long-term care (LTC) services. Comprehensive geriatic assessment (CGA) has been proposed as the technology of geriatic medicine which will reduce both excess disability and health care costs. Outpatient CGA programs may be the ideal setting in which to study older disabled persons who are at risk for increasing their use of LTC services. A prospective study of our CGA population suggests that understanding the factors which influence outcome will be critical to designing interventions and improving outcome for this population. CGA patients suffer from a limited number of functionally disabling problems, each of which has a broad array of etiologies. Use of LTC services seems most closely tied to social factors, including the feelings of burden experienced by caregivers. Caregiver burden is a better predictor of service use than any measure of the older person's mental or physical health or functional abilities. Reducing health care costs including nursing facility placement will likely require interventions which reduce caregiver burden. Further definition of the problems seen in the CGA population and delineation of the factors influencing outcome will identify interventions to achieve the desired health care outcomes.
An analysis of three-dimensional reconstructive echocardiography

Three-dimensional reconstructive echocardiography provides the necessary data for a complete description of cardiac structure and function. It is implemented using an inexpensive position locating device, a sector scanner, and a general purpose computer with attached image and graphics processors. Its application to the three-dimensional reconstruction of the endocardial surface yields a graphics display of a multiple tomographic slice ensemble. Quantitative applications include a more accurate Simpson's Rule volume calculation and centroid computations for wall motion and shape analysis.
The optimal position for arthrodesis of the metacarpophalangeal joint of the thumb: A clinical study

Arthrodesis of the metacarpophalangeal joint of the thumb is a well-accepted procedure. Recommendations for position of fusion have varied from 0 to 30 degrees of flexion. Two hundred of these joints in normal subjects were measured in thirteen positions of function for different tasks. The mean of all thirteen measured positions was considered to be the "optimal functional position". Based on this study, we recommend the metacarpophalangeal joint of males be fused in approximately 25 degrees of flexion and females in 20 degrees of flexion.
The significance of ferritin in cancer: Anti-oxidation, inflammation and tumorigenesis

Abstract The iron storage protein ferritin has been continuously studied for over 70 years and its function as the primary iron storage protein in cells is well established. Although the intracellular functions of ferritin are for the most part well-characterized, the significance of serum (extracellular) ferritin in human biology is poorly understood. Recently, several lines of evidence have demonstrated that ferritin is a multi-functional protein with possible roles in proliferation, angiogenesis, immunosuppression, and iron delivery. In the context of cancer, ferritin is detected at higher levels in the sera of many cancer patients, and the higher levels correlate with aggressive disease and poor clinical outcome. Furthermore, ferritin is highly expressed in tumor-associated macrophages which have been recently recognized as having critical roles in tumor progression and therapy resistance. These characteristics suggest ferritin could be an attractive target for cancer therapy because its down-regulation could disrupt the supportive tumor microenvironment, kill cancer cells, and increase sensitivity to chemotherapy. In this review, we provide an overview of the current knowledge on the function and regulation of ferritin. Moreover, we examine the literature on ferritin's contributions to tumor progression and therapy resistance, in addition to its therapeutic potential.
Phase transitions at n-alkane/solid interfaces.

The phase transition and molecular arrangement of various n-alkane/Al 2 O 3 interfaces were studied using sum frequency generation spectroscopy. It was shown that a solid substrate, as opposed to air or vacuum, does not change the transition temperatures of n-alkanes from their bulk values. Two main phase transitions were observed. Solid n-alkanes, in both interface phases, lie on a substrate in a multilayer geometry with the C-C axis parallel to the interface and the molecular plane perpendicular to the substrate normal. This arrangement is different than that for monolayer systems or n-alkane/air interfaces.
Cai in geology

Abstract Computer-assisted instruction (CAI) is being used successfully, albeit limited, in several fields of geology. CAI allows increased efficiency in teaching and provides for increased individual instruction to the student. In general, students enjoy and benefit from the approach which should be employed as a compliment to normal teaching methods. Several sophisticated automated instructional systems are available presently and will have increasing application as geology students are introduced to quantitative methods and computers earlier in their education.
Increased biosynthesis of glycosaminoglycans by scleroderma fibroblasts in culture

Fibroblasts from normal and scleroderma skin, grown in culture, were incubated with radioactive glucosamine to study the biosynthesis of glycosaminoglycans (GAG). Incorporation of 3H-glucosamine and GAG biosynthesis was increased in 6 of 9 scleroderma fibroblast cultures examined. This increase ranged from 26 to 96% over normal values and was reproducible. Over 70% of the 3H-glucosamine incorporated was found in the medium of the cultures, and this fraction was used to isolate GAG. Characterization of media GAG from normal and control cultures showed that about 80% of the radioactive GAG could be degraded by a specific fungal hyaluronidase; therefore, it represented hyaluronic acid. Our findings indicate that the majority of scleroderma dermal fibroblasts display increased biosynthesis of GAG in culture and that this increase is mostly in the hyaluronic acid fraction.
Honey bee (Apis mellifera L) response to simulated onion nectars containing variable sugar and potassium concentrations

Determination de la concentration en potassium de 6 especes de cultivars d'oignon. Evaluation de l'influence de la concentration de potassium sur la prise alimentaire de A. mellifera en fonction du contenu en glucose, en fructose et en sucrose de nectars artificiels
Metal cluster—rare gas van der Waals complexes: NbnArm and FenKrm

Abstract Van der Waals complexes of niobium clusters with argon atoms and iron clusters with krypton atoms have been produced in a supersonic expansion using a laser vaporization cluster source cooled to 77 K. Laser photoionization time-of-flight mass spectra reveal significant nonmonotonic cluster size dependence in the extent of formation for both Nb n Ar m and Fe n Kr species. Photoionization efficiency (PIE) spectra have been recorded for selected Nb n Ar m species for n ⩽20. For a given n , ionization potentials (IPs) assigned from PIE threshold behavior decrease with increasing m , as predicted by a simple charge-induced dipole electrostatic model.
Retinopathy risk factor regression after laser panretinal photocoagulation for proliferative diabetic retinopathy.

Abstract Fifty eyes of patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy were followed at frequent intervals to determine the rapidity and stability of retinopathy risk factor regression after argon laser panretinal photocoagulation. Retinopathy risk factors regress rapidly after laser photocoagulation. The incidence of eyes at high risk for severe visual loss (eyes with 3 or more retinopathy risk factors) decreased from 100% prior to treatment to 28% three weeks after treatment. The early response to treatment was a good prognostic indicator of longer term results. Seventy-two percent of eyes which improved from a high- to a low-risk category by three weeks continued to remain at low risk at six months. Sixty-four percent of eyes which failed to improve to a low-risk category by three weeks continued to remain at high risk at six months. The early response to laser panretinal ablation may be used to predict longer-term results.
Exact tests in crossover designs

In this paper we test the direct treatment effects in crossover designs under various assumptions on errors. We end up getting a battery of independent tests and discuss how to combine them. We illustrate our results using an example with actual data.
Oxidation of carbon/carbon composites—a theoretical analysis

Abstract Theoretical considerations have been used to evaluate some approaches useful for oxidation protection of carbon/carbon composites. Various rate limiting steps have been considered including gas phase diffusion, interface reaction, diffusion through liquid B 2 O 3 , and diffusion through cracks in solid barrier films. The calculated virtual maximum rates for these steps are compared with those acceptable for use to determine the maximum useful temperatures of some of the approaches being considered for carbon protection. Also considered are the conditions in which CO gas bubbles can form beneath a liquid B 2 O 3 film.
Planktonic foraminiferal response to the latest Maastrichtian abrupt warm event: a case study from South Atlantic DSDP Site 525A

Abstract An abrupt global warming of 3–4°C occurred near the end of the Maastrichtian at 65.45–65.10 Ma. The environmental effects of this warm event are here documented based on stable isotopes and quantitative analysis of planktonic foraminifera at the South Atlantic DSDP Site 525A. Stable isotopes of individual species mark a rapid increase in temperature and a reduction in the vertical water mass stratification that is accompanied by a decrease in niche habitats, reduced species diversity and/or abundance, smaller species morphologies or dwarfing, and reduced photosymbiotic activity. During the warm event, the relative abundance of a large number of species decreased, including tropical–subtropical affiliated species, whereas typical mid-latitude species retained high abundances. This indicates that climate warming did not create favorable conditions for all tropical–subtropical species at mid-latitudes and did not cause a massive retreat in the local mid-latitude population. A noticeable exception is the ecological generalist Heterohelix dentata Stenestad that dominated during the cool intervals, but significantly decreased during the warm event. However, dwarfing is the most striking response to the abrupt warming and occurred in various species of different morphologies and lineages (e.g. biserial, trochospiral, keeled globotruncanids). Dwarfing is a typical reaction to environmental stress conditions and was likely the result of increased reproduction rates. Similarly, photosymbiotic activity appears to have been reduced significantly during the maximum warming, as indicated by decreased δ13C values. The foraminiferal response to climate change is thus multifaceted resulting in decreased species diversity, decreased species populations, increased competition due to reduced niche habitats, dwarfing and reduced photosymbiotic activity.
Automating sequence-based detection and genotyping of SNPs from diploid samples

The detection of sequence variation, for which DNA sequencing has emerged as the most sensitive and automated approach, forms the basis of all genetic analysis. Here we describe and illustrate an algorithm that accurately detects and genotypes SNPs from fluorescence-based sequence data. Because the algorithm focuses particularly on detecting SNPs through the identification of heterozygous individuals, it is especially well suited to the detection of SNPs in diploid samples obtained after DNA amplification. It is substantially more accurate than existing approaches and, notably, provides a useful quantitative measure of its confidence in each potential SNP detected and in each genotype called. Calls assigned the highest confidence are sufficiently reliable to remove the need for manual review in several contexts. For example, for sequence data from 47-90 individuals sequenced on both the forward and reverse strands, the highest-confidence calls from our algorithm detected 93% of all SNPs and 100% of high-frequency SNPs, with no false positive SNPs identified and 99.9% genotyping accuracy. This algorithm is implemented in a software package, PolyPhred version 5.0, which is freely available for academic use.
Isolation of Protein Ligands from Large Peptoid Libraries

The isolation of ligands for large numbers of proteins is an important goal in proteomics. Whereas peptide libraries are rich sources of protein-binding molecules, native peptides have certain undesirable properties, such as sensitivity to proteases that make them less than ideal for some applications. We report here the construction and characterization of large, chemically diverse combinatorial libraries of peptoids (N-substituted oligoglycines). A protocol for the isolation of specific protein-binding molecules from these libraries is described. These data suggest that peptoid libraries will prove to be inexpensive and convenient sources of protein ligands.
Optimal Kernels to Optimal Solutions: Algorithm and Software Issues in Solver Development

Computer modeling and simulation efforts are most useful when they can provide an optimal solution to a problem. Toward this goal we need a vertical hierarchy of algorithmic capabilities and software tools, all of which must work together to make optimal solutions possible. In this presentation we discuss efforts in the Trilinos project to enable optimal solutions for scientific and engineering applications. We discuss how the goal of optimal solutions drives requirements not only for good optimization algorithms but also ever faster and more robust forward solvers and scalable kernels, as well as an abstraction layer to couple solver components.
Chromosomal localization of amplified esterase genes in insecticide resistant Culex mosquitoes

Abstract The esterase B gene is amplified 32-fold in an organophosphorus insecticide resistant strain, Shinjuku, of Culex pipiens molestus. The amplified gene was revealed to cluster in single extended chromosomal region (ECR) of chromosome 2 by fluorescence in situ hybridization on salivary gland chromosomes. The ECR appeared to be homogeneously non-staining with DAPI, orcein or Giemsa stains. In the F1 heterozygotes between Shinjuku and an insecticide susceptible strain, chromosome 2 showed an apparent asynapsis in the ECR derived from Shinjuku, but otherwise paired well. The results suggest that the process of DNA amplification does not involve large chromosomal rearrangements. Restriction map of the co-amplified sequence with esterase B gene in Shinjuku strain is unique compared to those reported in C. pipiens complex, supporting an independent origin of the DNA amplification.
First-order conditions for isolated locally optimal solutions

There are well-known first-order sufficient conditions for a pointx 0 to be a strict locally optimal solution of a nonlinear programming problem. In this paper, we show that these conditions also guarantee thatx 0 is an isolated stationary point of the considered program provided a constraint qualification holds. This result has an interesting application to finite convergence of algorithms along the lines suggested by Al-Khayyal and Kyparisis.
Estimation and Inference for Linear Models in Which Subsets of the Dependent Variable are Constrained

Abstract Subsets of the dependent variable of a linear model often conform to known constraints; for example, this situation arises with Engel curves and with models which estimate transition probabilities, market shares, or other classes of proportions. These models imply a variety of restrictions on the parameters, explanatory variables and residuals which must be treated explicitly in estimating and testing hypotheses about the parameters. This paper discusses these restrictions and develops an estimating procedure which yields consistent estimates which are asymptotically efficient, unbiased and normal.
Displacement and Suicide Risk for Juvenile Justice-Involved Youth with Mental Health Issues

This article examined the relationship between suicide behaviors and displacement, as defined by out-of-home placement, in a sample of juvenile-justice-involved youth with mental health issues. Participants included boys and girls between the ages of 10 and 18 who were enrolled in a juvenile justice diversion program for children with mental or behavioral health problems. Data collected included youth-reported suicide and self-harm ideation, caregiver reports of previous suicide attempts, and whether the youth had been in an out-of-home placement in the year prior to enrollment in the program. Logistic regression analyses indicated that youth who had recently been in an out-of-home placement reported significantly less suicide ideation and marginally less self-harm ideation than youth who had not been in an out-of-home placement. Out-of-home placement status had no impact on caregiver reports of previous youth suicide attempts.
Influence of protozoan grazing on contaminant biodegradation

The influence of protozoan grazing on biodegradation rates in samples from contaminated aquifer sediment was evaluated under aerobic and anaerobic conditions. Predator–prey biomass ratios suggested that protozoan grazing might be influencing bacterial populations. Experiments under aerobic conditions were conducted with a sediment extract fed with BTEX and treated with protozoan inhibitors (cycloheximide, neutral red, amphotericin-B). After 10 days, BTEX losses were enhanced in the presence of protozoan inhibitors, suggesting that reduced protozoan grazing enhanced the rate of BTEX biodegradation. In tests conducted in macrocosms under anaerobic conditions, treatments included benzaldehyde (carbon substrate), benzaldehyde+cycloheximide, a live control (no carbon), and an abiotic control. In both the benzaldehyde-only and benzaldehyde+cycloheximide treatments, repeated benzaldehyde additions resulted in an increase in the total fermenter population from 103 to 105 cells (g sediment)−1 and in the Fe-reducing population from 101 to 105 cells g−1. However, the protozoan population remained at about 20 cells g−1 in the sediment with no cycloheximide, and there was no difference in benzaldehyde biodegradation in the presence and absence of cycloheximide, suggesting that predation was not a significant control on anaerobic benzaldehyde biotransformation.
Is separating resource competition from allelopathy realistic

Allelopathy and resource competition have often been suggested to explain plant-plant interference. Many studies have attempted to separate these two mechanisms of interference to demonstrate either as a probable cause of an observed growth pattern. We, however, are of the opinion that separating allelopathy from resource competition is essentially impossible in natural systems. Furthermore, any experimental design to separate allelopathy and resource competition will create conditions that will never occur in nature. In this article, the ecological interaction between allelopathy and resource competition in natural systems is discussed.
Vinblastine-enhanced colchicine binding to tubulin in mouse fibroblasts.

Abstract Vinblastine, proportional to its concentration, enhances colchicine binding in 3T3 and SV3T3 cells without changing cell permeability to colchicine. Enhanced binding could not be attributed to de novo synthesis of colchicine binding proteins possibly triggered by an imbalance of the ratio of assembled to free microtubule subunits. Binding increased slowly, was temperature dependent, of high affinity, slowly reversible, and inhibited by podophyllotoxin. Vinblastine could possibly enhance colchicine binding by depolymerizing microtubules into subunits, thereby increasing colchicine binding sites.
Stimulation of tyrosine phosphorylation in human cells by activation of the growth hormone receptor

To investigate the possibility that tyrosine phosphorylation of cellular proteins might play a role in GH receptor signaling, we have studied tyrosine phosphorylation induced by GH and by GH mutants in the human lymphocyte line IM-9, a homologous cell system which is known to respond to GH by increased proliferation. IM-9 cells were treated with physiological concentrations of recombinant human GH (rhGH). Protein lysates from these cells were then analyzed by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, transferred to nitrocellulose, and probed with an antibody specific for phosphotyrosine. rhGH stimulated the tyrosine phosphorylation of two proteins having M(r) of approximately 93,000 and 120,000. Tyrosine phosphorylation of these proteins was time and dose dependent. At 2 nM rhGH tyrosine phosphorylation of these two proteins was evident by 5 min, maximal at 15 min, and decreasing by 45 min of treatment. At doses of 10 and 100 nM rhGH, tyrosine phosphorylation was stimulated by 1 min of GH treatment. IM-9 cells ...
A detailed numerical investigation of Burke-Schumann gaseous and spray flames

The classical Burke-Schumann gaseous diffusion flame, and the effect of introducing fuel in the form of liquid sprays are investigated numerically. The time-dependent two-dimensional, axisymmetric conservation equations are solved for the gas phase. A Lagrangian approach is used for the dispersed phase. The chemical reactions are modeled through the one-step global reaction scheme. The numerical results show that the computed flame structure is significantly different from that given by the analytical solution. The computed flame is about 15 percent longer and 5 percent narrower than the classical Burke-Schumann flame. The predicted flame shape is, however, in better agreement with experimental observations than the Burke-Schumann flame. The effects of introducing liquid sprays is found to produce thinner and longer flames than its counterpart gaseous flame. A detailed comparison of the structures of gaseous and spray flames is made, and the differences are discussed.
Challenges in using a probabilistic safety assessment in a risk informed process (illustrated using risk informed inservice inspection)

Abstract Many of the ongoing and expected uses of Probabilistic Safety Assessment (PSA) 1 create new challenges to ensuring that the resulting conclusions are valid. This paper provides a summary of some of these challenges. Work conducted by the authors on Risk-Informed Inservice Inspection (RI-ISI) is used to illustrate these challenges. Means to address all of the challenges are not provided in detail in this paper. Several earlier papers discuss how these challenges can be addressed. References are provided for the interested reader (Chapman JR et al. In: PSA '95, vol. 1, Seoul, 1995: 177–80; Chapman JR et al. In: ICONE-IV, New Orleans, 1996; Dimitrijevic VB et al. In: Croatian Nuclear Society International Conference, Opatija, 1996: 245–54; Dimitrijevic VB et al. In: Croatian Nuclear Society International Conference, Opatija, 1996: 255–62; Dimitrijevic VB. In: Yugoslav Nuclear Society Conference, Belgrade, 1996: 53–61; O'Regan PJ et al. In: PSA '95, Seoul, vol. 1, 1995: 403–5; O'Regan PJ. In: ICONE-IV, vol. 5, New Orleans, 1996: 277–80).
Role of F-center diffusion in the electron-stimulated desorption of metal atoms from alkali halides.

Measurements of the time history of ground-state neutral-lithium desorption from LiF during pulsed electron irradiation have resulted in a new model for the lithium desorption mechanism. We show that the slow diffusion to the surface of bulk F centers created by the electron beam is the rate-controlling factor responsible for most of the time history of the lithium desorption rather than the thermal evaporation of the metal from the surface. Comparison between theoretical and experimental time dependences yields values for the F-center diffusion constant and its activation energy for diffusion.
Analysis and generalization of a median adaptive filter

A class of gradient based adaptive algorithms is presented which employs order-statistical transformations of the gradient estimates over a short window. These algorithms, called order-statistical least mean squares (OSLMS), are designed to facilitate adaptive filter performance close to the least-squares optimum in impulsive and other non-Gaussian input environments. Three specific OSLMS filters are defined: the median LMS, the averaged LMS, and the trimmed-mean LMS. For the median LMS some simple convergence results are given. Simulations of all three algorithms, conducted using a generalized exponential density, are presented. >
A comparison of algal, macroinvertebrate, and fish assemblage indices for assessing low-level nutrient enrichment in wadeable Ozark streams

Biotic indices for algae, macroinvertebrates, and fish assemblages can be effective for monitoring stream enrichment, but little is known regarding the value of the three assemblages for detecting perturbance as a consequence of low-level nutrient enrichment. In the summer of 2006, we collected nutrient and biotic samples from 30 wadeable Ozark streams that spanned a nutrient-concentration gradient from reference to moderately enriched conditions. Seventy-three algal metrics, 62 macroinvertebrate metrics, and 60 fish metrics were evaluated for each of the three biotic indices. After a group of candidate metrics had been identified with multivariate analysis, correlation procedures and scatter plots were used to identify the four metrics having strongest relations to a nutrient index calculated from log transformed and normalized total nitrogen and total phosphorus concentrations. The four metrics selected for each of the three biotic indices were: algae—the relative abundance of most tolerant diatoms, the combined relative abundance of three species of Cymbella, mesosaprobic algae percent taxa richness, and the relative abundance of diatoms that are obligate nitrogen heterotrophs; macroinvertebrate—the relative abundance of intolerant organisms, Baetidae relative abundance, moderately tolerant taxa richness, and insect biomass; fish—herbivore and detritivore taxa richness, pool species relative abundance, fish catch per unit effort, and black bass (Micropterus spp.) relative abundance. All three biotic indices were negatively correlated to nutrient concentrations but the algal index had a higher correlation (rho = 0.89) than did the macroinvertebrate and fish indices (rho = 0.63 and 0.58, respectively). Biotic index scores were lowest and nutrient concentrations were highest for streams with basins having the highest poultry and cattle production. Because of the availability of litter for fertilizer and associated increases in grass and hay production, cattle feeding capacity increases with poultry production. Studies are needed that address the synergistic effect of poultry and cattle production on Ozark streams in high production areas before ecological risks can be adequately addressed.
Stability of a matrix polynomial in continuous systems

Two sufficient conditions under which the roots of the determinant of a given ( m \times m ) matrix polynomial of n th order lie in the open left-half plane have been obtained. The first condition is given in terms of the positive definiteness of an ( mn \times mn ) symmetric matrix, while the second condition is given in terms of the positive definiteness of an ( m \times m ) matrix that is a function of s , Re s \leq 0 . These conditions are represented in terms of rational functions of the coefficient matrices of the given matrix polynomial. Therefore, the explicit computation of the determinant polynomial is not required.
Optimality of pure strategies in stochastic decision processes

Discrete-time, infinite-horizon stochastic decision processes with various reward criteria are addressed. Sufficient conditions are obtained for the value of a class of strategies to be equal to the value of the subclass of nonrandomized strategies from this class. Two different methods for proving that nonrandomized strategies are as good as arbitrary ones are considered. The first method is based on the fact that a strategic measure for any strategy may be represented as a linear combination (or a linear operator) of strategic measures generated by nonrandomized strategies and the same initial distribution. This method is applicable to various criteria and classes of strategies. The second method is applicable to Markov decision processes with the expected total reward criterion. It is based on linearity properties of optimality equations, on the approximation of dynamic programming models by negative dynamic programming models, and on the replacement of the initial model by another one whose states represent information about the past in the initial model. >
The Costs of Family Contributions to the Care of Persons With Dementia

This study focuses on the costs of dementia care incurred by families. Cost components operationalized include: costs of unpaid caregiver labor services, paid and unpaid family labor, paid and unpaid services of nonfamily persons, and cash outlays for equipment and services. Among 182 families of dementia patients, average care costs for a 3-month period amount to $4,564. Cash expenditures average only 29% of total care costs, with unpaid labor accounting for 71% of the family care costs. Total care costs rise by $1,158 for each additional dependency in an activity of daily living (ADL), while reliance on paid services is 5% higher for each additional $10,000 household income and drops by 25% if the patient lives in the caregiver's household.
Supervisors' Upward Influence Tactics in Same-Sex and Cross-Sex Dyads

The paper describes 162 male and female superiors' self-reported tactics in successful influence attempts with their male and female managers. Analysis indicated that female supervisors used inspirational appeals and allurement tactics with female and male managers. Male supervisors used pressure, allurement, and rationality tactics with female managers. Contrary to gender-role expectancy, male superiors used inspirational appeals, ingratiation, and liking tactics with male managers. These results were discussed in terms of expectancy theory, which suggests that people develop normative expectations about appropriateness of influence behavior that differ for men and women.
Availability-impact analysis of project management trends: Perspectives from allied disciplines

The goal of this research was to analyze current and future trends of the allied management disciplines that influence project management. We asked academicians and practitioners about the availability of knowledge and the potential impact of allied disciplines on project management. We were able to assess where the allied disciplines currently stand in terms of availability and impact as well as make predictions about the future. The thoughts and visions collected from this research provide valuable insights for identifying trends in the allied disciplines and their impact on the future of project management, as well as opportunities, challenges, and obstacles.
An associative memory approach to isolated-utterance speech recognition

A method for achieving isolated-utterance speech recognition using an associative recall algorithm is presented. The feature analysis methods used, as well as the implementation of the associative memory scheme, are highlighted. Preliminary experimental results have proved this method to be quite robust in the recognition aspect. Most of the experiments were performed with speaker-dependent tests and proved to be quite successful with a very limited vocabulary.
STATISTICAL APPROACHES TO SEISMIC DISCRIMINATION

Conventional methods for discriminating between earthquakes and explosions at regional distances have concentrated on extracting specific features from the waveforms of the two arrival phases seen on the seismic record, denoted in this paper by P and S. The specific features usually considered are amplitude ratios, measures of waveform complexity or various kinds of spectral ratios, suggesting that the main characterization of the differences between earthquakes and explosions can be reduced to comparing differences between the amplitude ratios or the spectral ratios of the two arrival phases. For purposes of discussion, we will term this approach the feature extraction approach. The variations on the above theme seem to change depending on the author and on the general region within which the discrimination study is done. The features may then combined using an optimal statistical procedure that assumes multivariate normality for the extracted feature vector and maximizes the probability of detecting an explosion for a fixed specified rate of false alarms.
Size correction: comparing morphological traits among populations and environments

Morphological relationships change with overall body size and body size often varies among populations. Therefore, quantitative analyses of individual traits from organisms in different populations or environments (e.g., in studies of phenotypic plasticity) often adjust for differences in body size to isolate changes in allometry. Most studies of among population variation in morphology either (1) use analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) with a univariate measure of body size as the covariate, or (2) compare residuals from ordinary least squares regression of each trait against body size or the first principal component of the pooled data (shearing). However, both approaches are problematic. ANCOVA depends on assumptions (small variance in the covariate) that are frequently violated in this context. Residuals analysis assumes that scaling relationships within groups are equal, but this assumption is rarely tested. Furthermore, scaling relationships obtained from pooled data typically mischaracterize within-group scaling relationships. We discuss potential biases imposed by the application of ANCOVA and residuals analysis for quantifying morphological differences, and elaborate and demonstrate a more effective alternative: common principal components analysis combined with Burnaby's back-projection method.
Pharmacokinetics/Pharmacodynamics of Antiarrhythmic Drugs

This article describes the pharmacology of antiarrhythmic medications. Although these medications are broadly considered in terms of their blockade of either sodium or potassium channels, they act by a variety of pharmacodynamic mechanisms. Elimination may be via hepatic metabolism or renal mechanisms, or a combination. In particular, interactions between antiarrhythmic medications and other drugs that interfere with hepatic metabolism by P450 enzymes is a source for toxicity.
Phosphorylase b kinase deficiency in man: a review.

Phosphorylase b kinase is involved in the activation of glycogen phosphorylase and is thus involved in the breakdown of glycogen. The enzyme exists as several tissue specific isoenzymes of which the muscle enzyme (rabbit) has been most characterized. It is a multimeric protein composed of four subunits, α, β, γ and δ The four subunits are coded on different chromosomes, the α, β and γ subunit genes being on the X, 16 and 17 chromosomes respectively. The δ subunit is a calmodulin and confers calcium sensitivity on phosphorylase b kinase. Tissue specificity of the enzyme is conferred, at least in some cases, by variation in the γ subunit.
Diagnosing the vertical structure of the eddy diffusivity in real and idealized atmospheres

The Earth's extratropical troposphere is equilibrated by turbulent eddy fluxes of potential temperature and momentum. The equilibrated state has the remarkable characteristic that isentropic slopes leaving the surface in the subtropics reach the tropopause near the Poles. It has been speculated that turbulent eddy fluxes maintain this state for a wide range of radiative forcing and planetary parameters. In a previous study, the authors showed that this state needs to be associated with an eddy diffusivity of Ertel potential vorticity that is largest at the surface and decays through the troposphere to approximately zero at the tropopause. This result is confirmed in this study using atmospheric reanalysis and idealized numerical simulations. However, it is also shown that the vertical profile of the eddy diffusivity can change, resulting in different isentropic slopes and climates. This is illustrated with a series of idealized numerical simulations with varying planetary scales and rotation rates.
Toward a national strategic plan for quality assurance and utilization review education.

This article discusses the need for a national plan for quality assurance and utilization review (QA/UR) education. Six points are addressed: the rationale for planning; the developments in quality assurance urg ing plan creation; external pressures on the QA field; internal interests in educational program develop ment ; a beginning vision of an educational future; and strategies for realizing the future. Additional planning and policy tasks are defined.