cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
On helical flows of polymer fluids

Isothermal and non-isothermal steady helical flows are theoretically investigated under the assumption that the flow is fully developed in both the thermal and hydrodynamic senses. It is well known that the basic gross characteristics of steady isothermal helical flows of non-Newtonian liquids can be found relatively easily if the flow curve (or non-Newtonian viscosity) in simple shearing is known. Nevertheless, evaluation of more detailed viscoelastic properties in this type of flow is also sometimes desirable. These properties are shown to be exactly determined in both the isothermal and non-isothermal cases as soon as a nonlinear viscoelatic constitutive equation is specified. Shear thinning due to fluid rotation and strong temperature dependence of Newtonian viscosity highly increase dissipative heat. This can produce significant non-isothermal effects in intense helical flows, even when the wall temperature is kept uniform and constant. It is shown that the energy consumption in isothermal and non-isothermal helical flows is always higher than in respective annular flows with the same flow rate. Comparisons between our calculations and available experimental data are also discussed.
A comparison of approaches for modeling prosodic features in speaker recognition

Prosodic information has been successfully used for speaker recognition for more than a decade. The best-performing prosodic system to date has been one based on features extracted over syllables obtained automatically from speech recognition output. The features are then transformed using a Fisher kernel, and speaker models are trained using support vector machines (SVMs). Recently, a simpler version of these features, based on pseudo-syllables was shown to perform well when modeled using joint factor analysis (JFA). In this work, we study the two modeling techniques for the simpler set of features. We show that, for these features, a combination of JFA systems for different sequence lengths greatly outperforms both original modeling methods. Furthermore, we show that the combination of both methods gives significant improvements over the best single system. Overall, a performance improvement of 30% in the detection cost function (DCF) with respect to the two previously published methods is achieved using very simple strategies.
Creating Research Questions from Strategies and Perspectives of Contemporary Art

AbstractThis essay considers how strategies and perspectives from contemporary art can suggest new questions for educational research. Although arts-based research has become more prominent lately, the concern of this paper is that the arts have become used primarily as decorative features to educational research (to further illuminate, depict, and explain the ambiguities and complexities of educational practices, see Donmoyer 1997), rather than deeply moving or disorientating perspectives on education. Another stimulant for looking into contemporary art is the concern that education must focus more on the edges of what is understood, rather than on the centers (see, for example, Fox 1995). The essay uses examples to demonstrate how a number of themes from contemporary art can be interpreted to redirect our curiosity about educational practices, policies, and theories. The paper concludes that further consideration of contemporary art can move researchers to ask more varied questions, especially about the...
Location decisions under uncertainty and the urban model

Abstract This letter uses a simple urban model to analyze the impact of random transportation costs on residential location decisions of households. It is shown that such uncertainty steepens the fall of land prices with distance from the CBD and can, in a specific example, cause an increase in optimal city size.
Anti-corruption campaigns in thirteenth-century Europe

The thirteenth century in France saw the initiation of a series of reforms intended to define, identify and root out corruption in government. The principal architect of the campaign was King Louis IX (1226–70), ably supported by a coterie of special officials. Inspired in part by his desire to purify his kingdom in the long preparation for the crusade of 1270, he also drew on longstanding precedents in French administrative history. The campaign on the whole was quite successful. What is also remarkable is that, generated partly from the unique circumstances of individual polities and partly from circumstances, like crusading fervour, which were widely shared, other anti-corruption campaigns were mounted, also with some success. The slogans and practices of anti-corruption campaigns came to be identified intimately with good government, indeed, with the very right to exercise political authority and power. The thirteenth century thus appears to be a foundational moment in the constitution of the ideology...
Lactate Dehydrogenase Isozymes: Dissociation and Denaturation by Dilution

The tetrameric enzyme lactate dehydrogenase dissociates into its constituent monomeric subunits in a high ion to protein concentration ratio, in certain ionic environments when frozen, and at extreme dilution. Dissociation by dilution involves changes in tertiary conformation which inactivate the enzyme. The dissociation is strongly inhibited by homologous native proteins, but only slightly by denatured or unrelated proteins.
Synthesis, radiolabeling and tissue distribution of 11β-fluoroalkyl- and 11β-fluoroalkoxy-substituted estrogens: Target tissue uptake selectivity and defluorination of a homologous series of fluorine-18-labeled estrogens

Abstract We have synthesized six estrogens substituted at the 11β-position with a fluoroalkyl or fluoroalkoxy substituent. These compounds bind to the estrogen receptor with moderate to high affinity, with the fluoroalkyl analogs being higher affinity binders than the fluoroalkoxy ones. All of these fluorine-substituted estrogens were prepared in fluorine-18-labeled form, with high radiochemical purity and at effective specific activities (15.4–50.4 TBq/mmol; 415–1362 Ci/mmol) adequate for biodistribution studies. In immature female rats, five of the six fluoroestrogens showed selective uptake by the uterus, with uterine uptake as a percent of the injected dose per gram being 4–9% at 1 h, and uterus-to-blood or uterus-to-muscle ratios being 10–40. Selective uterine uptake was eliminated by co-administration of a blocking dose of unlabeled estradiol. The only compound that did not show selective uterine uptake was 11β-fluoropropoxyl estradiol; its rapid metabolism and its low affinity for the estrogen receptor, particularly at 25 °C, may account for its lack of specific uptake. The level of bone activity, an index of metabolic defluorination, shows that the defluorination rates of these six estrogens are a complex function of structure and functionality. Least prone to defluorination is 11β-(2-fluoroethoxy)estradiol and most prone is 11β-(2-fluoroethyl)estradiol. The extent of defluorination of the remaining compounds shows weak evidence for the protective effect of a heteroatom-substituted beta to the site of metabolism (the CH bonds on the fluorine-bearing carbon atom). The binding affinity, tissue distribution and metabolism of these 11β-fluoroalkyl- and fluoroalkoxy-substituted estrogens further our understanding of the behavior of fluorine-18-labeled estrogens as potential imaging agents for estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer.
Reforming Government Agencies Internationally: Is There a Role for the Balanced Scorecard?

Abstract According to its proponents, the Balanced Scorecard has the ability to improve performance and enhance accountability. After discussing domestic and foreign use of the Balanced Scorecard in government agencies in developed countries, this article explores the applicability of the model to government organizations in developing countries. Although an advanced method such as the BSC may be able to facilitate improvement, implementation of the method by countries facing so many concurrent challenges would be difficult due to a lack of resources, politicization of public administration, and corruption.
AN INDICATION FOR CONJOINT TREATMENT: AN APPLICATION BASED ON AN ASSESSMENT OF INDIVIDUAL PSYCHOPATHOLOGY

Conjoint treatment is advocated as the treatment of choice for a particular class of patients who do not seem able, at least initially, to benefit from individual exploratory psychotherapy. These people identify a person or persons, usually a spouse, as the primary cause of their difficulty. They show no initial capacity for self-observation. Their needs are childlike, and they show limitations in skills and a striking inability to sustain mutually gratifying relationships. The conjoint situation seems capable of initiating self-observation by confronting them with the reality of the person about which they are making claims. As a therapy, it also initiates an improvement in their marital relationship, thereby helping them potentially to gain that which they crave so desperately, but had been unable to realize except in compromise form, that is, in fantasy or in a relationship with a therapist.
Studies of Insulin Resistance in the Streptozotocin Diabetic and BB Rat: Activation of Low Km cAMP Phosphodiesterase by Insulin

The streptozotocin diabetic rat (STZ-DM) has been the best animal model for the study of insulin-deficient diabetes. A spontaneous diabetic BB Wistar Rat (SDR) has now been evaluated as a model for insulin-dependent diabetes that more closely reflects this disease in humans. The authors assessed the ability of insulin to stimulate the Vmax of a low Km cAMP phosphodiesterase (PDE) in adipose tissue of control, streptozotocin diabetic (STZ-DM) rats, and spontaneous diabetic BB rats (SDR). In addition, the authors examined the effect of streptozotocin on the nondiabetic littermates of the SDR animal, the NDR rat. Insulin stimulated Vmax of low Km cAMP PDE in control rat adipose tissue by 20% at 5 minutes. Insulin also stimulated Vmax of both SDR and NDR by 50% at 5 minutes. In contrast to control and both subgroups of the BB rat (SDR and NDR), insulin stimulated adipose tissue from STZ-DM less than 10% at 5 minutes. NDR animals rendered diabetic with streptozotocin were more responsive to insulin. The data demonstrate some similarities and differences between streptozotocin-induced diabetes and spontaneous diabetes in the BB rat. Reduced responsiveness to insulin appears to be more a part characteristic of streptozotocin diabetes than diabetes in the BB rat. The absence of significant insulin resistance in the spontaneous diabetic BB rat also is more consistent with the pathophysiological mechanisms usually seen both in other insulin-dependent diabetic rat models and insulin-dependent diabetes in man. However, both animal models of diabetes, ie, STZ-DM and BB, like man, respond to insulin therapy.
Tracking of vessel diameter fluctuations using digital image analysis

ABSTRACTAn automatic digital image processing technique for vasomotion analysis in peripheral microcirculation atmultiple sites simultaneously and in real time, is presented. The algorithm utilizes either fluorescent or bright field microimages of the vasculature as input. The video images are digitized and analyzed on-line by an IBM RT PC. Usingdigital filtering and edge detection, the technique allows simultaneous diameter measurement at more than one site. Thesampling frequency is higher than 5Hz when only one site is tracked. The performance of the algorithm is tested in thehamster cutaneous microcirculation. 1. INTRODUCTIONThe microvasculature is a network of vessels (arteries, arterioles, veins, venules and capillaries) of differentsizes and branching order. Arterioles and sometimes venules are observed to possess spontaneous quasi-periodicrhythmic contractile movement (vasomotion) which may be involved in the regulation of blood flow, microvascular pressure, and/or the perfusion state of the peripheral tissue. In order to understand the mechanism and the physiological
Generalization of delayed identity matching in retarded children.

In an extension of prior research, four retarded children were trained under an identity matching-to-sample procedure containing features previously shown to produce controlled generalization to novel stimuli. They first were taught to relate a particular handsign to the sample shape, then to maintain the handsign over a delay interval, and then to select from an array the comparison shape that permitted the handsign to be maintained (i.e., the shape identical to the sample). An initial test revealed little generalization of matching to novel stimuli, but after handsigns were trained to these stimuli, accurate generalized matching appeared immediately. The results replicated prior findings and demonstrated particular features of stimulus control sufficient to enable generalized matching. A behavioral account of relational matching was supported. The technique used in this study was shown to be effective in teaching abstract relations to nonverbal retarded children.
Effectiveness of Substituting Ultrasonic Testing for Radiographic Testing for Repair/Replacement

Technical justifications and demonstrations are needed by utilities to substitute ultrasonic examinations for radiographic examinations during repair/replacement activities. This paper provides technical justification and demonstration results for using this alternative inspection method. It also provides a potential demonstration process that could be acceptable to regulators and authorized nuclear in-service inspector agencies.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
Acceleration of electrons by interplanetary shocks

Ion acceleration is a well known phenomenon at both interplanetary shocks, while there have been only a few reports concerning an acceleration of electrons at interplanetary shocks. The considered investigation reports that electron acceleration occurs at many shocks. The instrumentation used is discussed, taking into account the ISEE 3 (International Sun Earth Explorer) spacecraft and the electrostatic analyzer employed for the measurement of electrons. Changes in the electron distribution function caused by shocks are found to be quite varied. Some events show a simple step to a higher flux level, some show fluctuations as the flux rises, and some have one or more pulses at the time of the shock. Attention is given to data obtained on July 26, 1979, December 25, 1978, and November 12, 1978. A calculation of shock geometries is also reported.
Smell and Taste Function in Subjects with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: Effect of Long-term Oxygen via Nasal Cannulas

It was hypothesized that subjects with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) receiving long-term oxygen via nasal cannulas have an impaired sense of smell and/or taste. To objectively evaluate the sense of smell and taste, this study used the University of Pennsylvania Identification Test (UPSIT), a 40-item "scratch-n-sniff" test and a 20-item taste test using the four basic taste sensations of sweet, salt, sour, and bitter. Twenty subjects (15 male, 5 female) with severe COPD receiving long-term oxygen therapy (group 1), and an equal number of age- and sex-matched subjects with COPD not receiving oxygen therapy (group 2), and a healthy control group (group 3) were studied. Twelve subjects (seven male, five female) from group 1 subsequently underwent transtracheal oxygen catheter installation. Mean +/- SD for the basic smell test was significantly greater in group 3 (35.35 +/- 3.58) as compared with group 1 (27.70 +/- 6.07) or group 2 (31.10 +/- 4.95) (p less than 0.005). The difference between group 1 and 2 was not significant (p = 0.066). However, when adjusted for pack years of smoking, there were no significant differences between the three groups. Mean +/- SD correct responses for the basic taste test were significantly greater in group 3 (15.75 +/- 1.81) as compared with group 2 (12.8 +/- 2.78) (p less than 0.005) and group 1 (14.00 +/- 2.33) (p less than 0.05). There was no significant difference between group 1 and 2. The corrected data for taste, adjusted for years since quitting smoking, did not alter the basic differences between the groups. Mean smell and taste test scores were essentially unchanged in 12 subjects after six months of transtracheal oxygen therapy. Long-term oxygen use via nasal cannulas in this group of subjects with COPD did not appear to impair their sense of smell and taste. Smoking had a significant but variable effect on the sense of smell and taste.
Acute Pseudomonas challenge in cystic fibrosis mice causes prolonged nuclear factor-κB activation, cytokine secretion, and persistent lung inflammation

Background Cystic fibrosis (CF) is characterized by an excessive and prolonged inflammatory response to Pseudomonas aeruginosa in the lung. There are high levels of cytokines and chemokines and an exaggerated PMN influx causing significant morbidity and mortality. Objective To compare the kinetics of the inflammatory response with the kinetics of clearance of acute bacterial challenge in the lungs of CF and wild-type (WT) mice. Methods We challenged CF knockout (KO) and WT mice intratracheally with P aeruginosa in suspension and evaluated bacteria counts, nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB), and inhibitor of NF-κB alpha protein (I-κBα) in lung tissue, cytokines, and PMN in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL). Results Both groups of mice cleared the infection with the same kinetics. CF-KO mice had more PMN in BAL than WT mice. CF-KO mice had high concentrations of proinflammatory cytokines in BAL on days 2 and 4, whereas cytokines in BAL from WT mice were only slightly elevated. CF-KO mice failed to regenerate I-κBα once it was degraded, and consequently had prolonged and excessive activation of NF-κB for the entire 6-day duration of the study. In contrast, WT mice showed only slight NF-κB activation, which plateaued at day 4. Conclusion These data suggest that NF-κB is dysregulated in CF lung infection and could be a good target for therapy. Prolonged responses to initial acute infections may contribute to the eventual establishment of chronic persistent inflammation. Clinical implications Dysregulation of the I-κB/NF-κB pathway in cystic fibrosis leads to prolonged cytokine secretion and persistent inflammation in response to acute challenges and may be important in the development of chronic lung inflammation and infection.
A Multilinear Schur Test and Multiplier Operators

Abstract A multilinear version of Schur's test is obtained for products of L p spaces and is used to derive boundedness for multilinear multiplier operators acting on Sobolev and Besov spaces.
Novel delivery methods for treatment of viral hepatitis: an update.

Viral hepatitis represents the most common cause of chronic liver disease worldwide. Currently approved therapies for chronic hepatitis B include IFN, an immune modulator, and nucleoside analogues lamivudine and adefovir. For chronic hepatitis C, a combination of pegylated IFN-α and ribavirin represents the standard treatment. However, currently available treatments for both these viruses are effective only in a limited number of patients, are costly, prolonged, associated with significant side effects and require a substantial commitment from the patients and healthcare providers. A number of novel antiviral treatments, together with strategies to enhance the response to current therapies, are being explored at present. For all new therapies, as well as for improving existing treatments, selective delivery of medications into liver cells would be desirable to enhance antiviral activity and avoid systemic side effects. New achievements in the field of drug and gene delivery against chronic hepatitis to th...
Constraints from the Lyα Forest Power Spectrum

We use published measurements of the transmission power spectrum of the Ly? forest to constrain several parameters that describe cosmology and thermal properties of the intergalactic medium (IGM). A six-parameter grid is constructed using particle-mesh dark matter simulations together with scaling relations to make predictions for the gas properties. We fit for all parameters simultaneously and identify several degeneracies. We find that the temperature of the IGM can be well determined from the falloff of the power spectrum at small scales. We find a temperature of around 2 ? 104 K, dependent on the slope of the gas equation of state. We see no evidence for evolution in the IGM temperature. We place constraints on the amplitude of the dark matter fluctuations. However, contrary to previous results, the slope of the dark matter power spectrum is poorly constrained. This is because of uncertainty in the effective Jeans smoothing scale, which depends on the temperature as well as the thermal history of the gas.
On a hierarchical structure for fuzzy modeling and control

The fuzzy logic controller is examined and the basic assumptions inherent in the Mamdani model is described. Distinctions are made between rule firing based upon possibility and certainty qualification. Rules are looked at as a partitioning of the input space. The author discusses the use of certainty qualification in determining the firing level of a rule. Different representations of the rule consequent are discussed. A new structure for the representation of rules in fuzzy systems is introduced that is called the hierarchical prioritized structure (HPS). This new HPS in addition to providing a useful structure for representing knowledge allows for a natural framework for learning rules. >
Impacts of Trout Culture Effluent on Water Quality and Biotic Communities in Virginia Headwater Streams

Abstract Five Virginia trout farms were selected for examination of effluent impacts on downstream water quality, periphyton production, and composition of macroinvertebrate and fish communities during fall 1994 and summer 1995. Annual trout production and feeding rates varied from 18.5 to 59.5 thousand kilograms and 15.6 to 87.6 thousand kilograms, respectively, and were correlated with discharge. Substrate embeddedness increased significantly (P < 0.07) downstream at two farms, but settleable solid concentrations in effluent were always less than 0.1 mL/L. Total ammonia nitrogen, un-ionized ammonia nitrogen, and nitrite nitrogen levels increased significantly (P < 0.001) downstream but were well below recommended thresholds for lethal exposure for aquatic organisms. Dissolved oxygen levels were significantly reduced (P < 0.001) downstream at postfeeding and predawn hours but were typically greater than 7.0 mg/L. Effluent water temperatures, pH, nitrate nitrogen, and total phosphorus concentrations did n...
Altered slow axonal transport and regeneration in a myelin-deficient mutant mouse: the trembler as an in vivo model for Schwann cell-axon interactions

The thickness of the myelin sheath in normal myelinated nerve is proportional to the diameter of the axon. In the demyelinating mutant mouse, Trembler, not only is the thickness of the myelin sheath reduced, but the caliber of associated axons is smaller. This correlation suggests that the interaction between axons and Schwann cells may affect the shape and function of axons as well as properties of myelin. Since axonal diameter depends in part on the cytoskeleton and its movement with slow axonal transport, we have compared the properties of slow transport in the sciatic nerve of control and Trembler mice. Studies of the sciatic nerve of normal mice showed that the rates for proteins moving in slow component a (SCa) and slow component b (SCb) are similar to those previously measured in rat. In Trembler mice, tubulin was transported significantly faster than in control mice, with a rate of 1.73 mm/d for Trembler compared to 1.56 mm/d in the control. In contrast, the rate for neurofilament proteins was significantly slower in the Trembler (1.15 mm/d compared to 1.38 mm/d in the control). The majority of proteins in SCb were also transported slower in Trembler than control: actin and calmodulin were transported at 2.29 mm/d as compared to 2.73 mm/d in control, while spectrin and clathrin were transported at 2.01 and 2.43 mm/d, respectively, as compared to 2.54 mm/d in control. The importance of slow axonal transport in regeneration has been suggested by the clear correlation between the rates of regeneration and the rates of SCb. Therefore, we evaluated regeneration of motor axons in Trembler mice to determine whether the regenerative response was affected by deficient Schwann cells. A slower regeneration rate was found in the Trembler (1.7 mm/d) motor axon when compared to the control (2.29 mm/d), but elongation of fibers in regeneration began after a shorter delay in the Trembler (1.6 d) than in control (2.5 d). Thus, deficient Schwann cells and poor myelination appear to affect both quantitative and qualitative properties of slow axonal transport. These changes lead to alterations in the morphological and physiological properties of affected axons.
On Stock Trading Over a Lattice via Linear Feedback

Abstract This paper considers the stochastic characterization of the returns garnered from the use of linear feedback to trade stocks. For simplicity of presentation, we begin with the simple case of a single stock and assume that the underlying stock price is governed by the classical binomial model of Cox, Ross and Rubinstein (CRR). From this starting point, we derive the resulting probability mass function (PMF) for the discrete-time trading gains and losses. Our use of the CRR model differs from typical applications in that the quantification of the effect of feedback on gains and losses is our focal point rather than option valuation. Our analysis is then generalized to the case of two correlated stock prices governed by a quadrinomial lattice model; i.e., the binomial lattice result can be obtained as a special case of the quadrinomial analysis using two “perfectly” correlated stocks. The technical novelty in this paper is the exploitation of a symmetry property of the trading gains and losses g ( N ) at stage k = N. That is, using the fact that g ( N ) is invariant under permutations of the random single-step returns ρ i ( k ) for each stock, instead of having 2 2 N point masses describing its probability distribution, only ( N + 1) 2 are required. The theory is illustrated via numerical examples and the paper also describes how one might generalize the analysis to a portfolio with n > 2 stocks.
Efficacy of extracorporeal photopheresis in clearance of antibodies to donor-specific and lung-specific antigens in lung transplant recipients.

Background Extracorporeal photopheresis (ECP) has been used to treat chronic rejection after lung transplantation (LTx). We investigated the effect of ECP on several immune parameters that have been associated with poor lung function, including donor-specific antibodies (DSA) to human leukocyte antigen (HLA), antibodies against the lung-associated self-antigens (SAg), Kα1-tubulin (Kα1T), collagen I and V, and circulating levels of pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines. Methods Sera were collected from post-LTx patients diagnosed with bronchiolitis obliterans before and 6 months after initiation of ECP. DSA and cytokine levels were measured by Luminex (Invitrogen, Carlsbad, CA). Changes in lung function over the 6 months preceding and after the initiation of ECP were measured by retrospective analysis of spirometry performed at routine clinic visits. Results ECP was associated with a significant decline in DSA levels as well as antibodies to lung-associated SAg. ECP also reduced circulating levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines and increased levels of anti-inflammatory cytokines. These immunologic changes were associated with a significant 63% reduction in the rate of decline in forced expiratory volume in 1 second over a 1-year period. Though statistically insignificant, a higher rate of clearance of antibodies to lung-associated SAg was strongly associated with better response to ECP. Conclusions ECP is associated with a reduction in the levels of circulating DSA, antibodies to lung-associated SAg (Kα1T, collagen I, and collagen V), and circulating levels of several pro-inflammatory cytokines. We propose that these changes contribute to the beneficial effect of ECP in reducing the decline in lung function.
Contemporary analysis of erectile, voiding, and oncologic outcomes following primary targeted cryoablation of the prostate for clinically localized prostate cancer

PURPOSE: To evaluate erectile function (EF) and voiding function following primary targeted cryoablation of the prostate (TCAP) for clinically localized prostate cancer (CaP) in a contemporary cohort. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed all patients treated between 2/2000-5/2006 with primary TCAP. Variables included age, Gleason sum, pre-TCAP prostate specific antigen (PSA), prostate volume, clinical stage, pre-TCAP hormonal ablation, pre-TCAP EF and American Urologic Association Symptom Score (AUASS). EF was recorded as follows: 1 = potent; 2 = sufficient for intercourse; 3 = partial/insufficient; 4 = minimal/insufficient; 5 = none. Voiding function was analyzed by comparing pre/post-TCAP AUASS. Statistical analysis utilized SAS software with p < 0.05 considered significant. RESULTS: After exclusions, 78 consecutive patients were analyzed with a mean age of 69.2 years and follow-up 39.8 months. Thirty-five (44.9%) men reported pre-TCAP EF level of 1-2. Post-TCAP, 9 of 35 (25.7%) regained EF of level 1-2 while 1 (2.9%) achieved level 3 EF. Median pre-TCAP AUASS was 8.75 versus 7.50 postoperatively (p = 0.39). Six patients (7.7%) experienced post-TCAP urinary incontinence. Lower pre-TCAP PSA (p = 0.008) and higher Gleason sum (p = 0.002) were associated with higher post-TCAP AUASS while prostate volume demonstrated a trend (p = 0.07). Post-TCAP EF and stable AUASS were not associated with increased disease-recurrence (p = 0.24 and p = 0.67, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Stable voiding function was observed post-TCAP, with an overall incontinence rate of 7.7%. Further, though erectile dysfunction is common following TCAP, 25.7% of previously potent patients demonstrated erections suitable for intercourse. While long-term data is requisite, consideration should be made for prospective evaluation of penile rehabilitation following primary TCAP.
In the fluorescent spotlight: global and local conformational changes of small catalytic RNAs.

RNA is a ubiquitous biopolymer that performs a multitude of essential cellular functions involving the maintenance, transfer, and processing of genetic information. RNA is unique in that it can carry both genetic information and catalytic function. Its secondary structure domains, which fold stably and independently, assemble hierarchically into modular tertiary structures. Studies of these folding events are key to understanding how catalytic RNAs (ribozymes) are able to position reaction components for site-specific chemistry. We have made use of fluorescence techniques to monitor the rates and free energies of folding of the small hairpin and hepatitis delta virus (HDV) ribozymes, found in satellite RNAs of plant and the human hepatitis B viruses, respectively. In particular, fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) has been employed to monitor global conformational changes, and 2-aminopurine fluorescence quenching to probe for local structural rearrangements. In this review we illuminate what we have learned about the reaction pathways of the hairpin and HDV ribozymes, and how our results have complemented other biochemical and biophysical investigations. The structural transitions observed in these two small catalytic RNAs are likely to be found in many other biological RNAs, and the described fluorescence techniques promise to be broadly applicable. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Biopoly (Nucleic Acid Sci) 61: 224 -241, 2002
MicroRNAs responsive to Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans and Porphyromonas gingivalis LPS modulate expression of genes regulating innate immunity in human macrophages

microRNAs (miRNA) are a class of small noncoding RNAs that regulate post-transcriptional expression of their respective target genes and are responsive to various stimuli, including lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Here we examined the early (4h) miRNA responses of THP1-differentiated macrophages challenged with LPS derived from the periodontal pathogens, Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans (Aa), Porphyromonas gingivalis (Pg) or environmentally modified LPS obtained from Pg grown in cigarette smoke extract. Predicted miRNA-gene target interactions for LPS-responsive miR-29b and let-7f were confirmed using dual-luciferase assays and by transfection experiments using miRNA mimics and inhibitors. Convergent and divergent miRNA profiles were observed in treated samples where differences in miRNA levels related to the type, concentration and incubation times of LPS challenge. Dual-luciferase experiments revealed miR-29b targeting of IL-6Rα and IFN-γ inducible protein 30 (IFI30) and let-7f targeting of suppressor of cytokine signaling 4 (SOCS4) and Thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1). Transfection experiments confirmed miR-29b and let-7f modulation of IL-6R and SOCS4 protein expression levels, respectively. Thus, we demonstrate convergent/divergent miRNA responses to wild type and its environmentally-modified LPS and demonstrate miRNA targeting of key genes linked to inflammation and immunity. Our data indicate that these LPS-responsive miRNAs may play a key role in fine-tuning the host response to periodontal pathogens.
Effect of temperature on water and ion transport in soybean and broccoli systems.

Steady-state flow rates and exudate osmotic potentials were measured from complete root systems from warm- (28/23 C) or cold-(17/11 C) grown soybean or broccoli (Brassica oleracea) plants at various pressures or different temperatures.In warm-grown soybean roots systems, a break occurred at 14.7 C in the Arrhenius plot of total flow at constant pressure. When plants were grown at lower temperatures, the break point shifted to 8 C. Broccoli, a chilling-resistant species, showed no break for the temperature range used, but cooler growth temperatures decreased the activation energy for water flow through the root system from 18 kilocalories per mole to 9 kilocalories per mole. In both broccoli and soybean, cold-grown plants had lower exudate potentials and greater flow rates at low hydrostatic pressures than the warm-grown plants.These observations indicate that the rate-limiting site for passive water transport is a membrane which may be modified as the plant acclimates to varying growth temperatures. An additional part of the acclimation process is an increase in activity of root ion pumps.
Normal Values for Single Exhalation Diffusing Capacity and Pulmonary Capillary Blood Flow in Sitting, Supine Positions, and During Mild Exercise*

Previous approaches to the measurements of pulmonary diffusing capacity (Dl) and pulmonary capillary blood flow (Qc) utilized either the rebreathing or the single inhalation technique in conjunction with radioisotope gas and mass spectrometry. In the present study, we utilized a newly developed rapid infrared analyzer in conjunction with the slow single exhalation technique on 100 healthy volunteers to establish normal values for Dl and Qc under sitting, supine, and exercise conditions. The exercise level was determined by a target heart rate: HRex = ([HRmax — HRrest]/3) + HRrest. Prediction equations based on regressions on age, sex, height, or weight were then computed for sitting, supine, and exercise values. We found that mean Dl and Qc increased by approximately 12 percent and 8 percent, respectively, from sitting to supine posture, and by approximately 30 percent and 100 percent, respectively, from sitting (rest) to mild exercise. These results provided a database for further studies in the single exhalation method in various clinical settings.
Are kids having a rough time of it in sports

Participation in children’s and youth sports is increasingly popular and widespread in western culture. In the USA, for example, more than 30 million children participate in sports each year.1 Trends over recent decades include increased numbers of participants, particularly girls, increased duration and intensity of training, earlier specialisation and year-round training, and increased difficulty of skills practised. In addition, children and adolescents are increasingly visiting wilderness recreational destinations and participating in a growing number of “extreme sports” such as skate boarding, BMX, mountain biking and rock climbing. Physical activity has important and wide-ranging health benefits. Indeed, no one has disputed it as being the solution to the biggest public health problem of the 21st century.2 In particular, in children physical activity increases physical fitness (both cardiorespiratory fitness and muscular strength), reduces body fatness, improves cardiovascular and metabolic disease risk profiles, enhances bone health and reduces symptoms of depression and anxiety.3 Engaging in sports and recreational activities at a young age also involves a risk of injury.4 Young athletes may be particularly vulnerable to injury due to such growth-related factors as the adolescent growth spurt, susceptibility to growth plate injury, differences in maturity status, longer recovery and differing physiological response after concussion, and non-linearity of growth.5 6 They might also be at risk because of immature or underdeveloped coordination, skills and perception.7 Concern has also been raised regarding the young female athlete who may be at increased risk of non-contact anterior cruciate ligament injuries due to such factors as anatomy, hormones and menstrual cycle, neuromuscular characteristics, muscle strength and flexibility.8 The frequent and intensive training and competition of young athletes now may create conditions under which these potential risk factors can more readily exert their influence. The increased sports and recreational activity of children …
None of us will ever be the same again: reactions of American midlife women to 9/11.

According to terror management theory (TMT), an event that heightens awareness of death produces the need to defend against existential anxiety. The horrifying events of September 11, 2001 (9/11), created an unparalleled opportunity to apply TMT beyond the laboratory. This study examined post-9/11 stress (via perceived stress scale [PSS] scores) and interview responses of a diverse community sample of American midlife women (ages 35–60). Previous studies showed that many women have high stress during midlife, suggesting that 9/11 could have a unique impact on this segment of the U.S. population. Education of the sample ranged from 12 to 23 years. Seventy-five percent had children and 70.6% were married. Data analysis showed that 4 to 6 months after 9/11, 61% of the women were still distressed, exhibiting symptoms of fear, sadness, anger, powerlessness, distrust, and vigilance. Highly stressed women (upper 25% on PSS) differed in several respects from low-stress women (lower 25% on PSS). As predicted by TM...
CHEMICAL and BACTERIOLOGICAL STABILITY of FRANKFURTERS EXTENDED WITH WHEAT GERM, CORN GERM and SOY PROTEINS

Frankfurters extended with wheat germ, soy and corn germ proteins were tested for their storage stability. Water activity, bacteriological quality, total volatile nitrogen (TVN), ammonia nitrogen and thiobarbituric acid (TBA) values of samples stored at 3–4C for 45 days were evaluated. Extenders influenced storage stability of samples. Treatments were not different in their water activity. Total psychrotrophs increased upon storage up to log 5 CFU/g. Overall mean values for TVN of samples containing soy flour were higher while all samples showed an increase in TVN values upon storage. Extenders did not influence ammonia nitrogen content of samples, though an increase was observed upon storage. TBA values of samples were affected by extenders, showing an initial increase and subsequent decrease. In spite of these differences, all samples can be considered acceptable up to 45 days of storage at 3–4C. Samples containing WGPF were satisfactory in their storage stability.
Development Paradigms and Peacebuilding Theories of Change: Analysing Embedded Assumptions in Development and Peacebuilding

Peacebuilding and development professionals typically draw on different theoretical frameworks for developing their programmes. Development professionals reference the paradigms of development whereas peacebuilding professionals reference theories of change. These two different frameworks make it difficult for these professionals to communicate across their disciplines, even though they are increasingly engaging in very similar forms of intervention. This article develops a framework for correlating the respective development paradigms with peacebuilding theories of change. It concludes by examining the implications for three practitioner-level issues: assimilative versus transformative models, the conundrum of practitioner imperialism, and the normative question of which model is correct.
Jesus Huerta de Soto, Book review of The Austrian school: Market order and entrepreneurial creativity

I imagine that Jesus Huerta de Soto’s new book The Austrian School: Market Order and Entrepreneurial Creativity must have been extremely difficult to write. He explains his goal for the text as: “we shall explain the fundamental principles of the dynamic, Austrian concept of the market, and we will point out the main differences between the Austrian perspective and the neoclassical paradigm” (p. ix). In short, de Soto tries to respond to the popular but pesky question, “what is so special about Austrian economics?” I say that this book must have been difficult to write not because this question is difficult to answer. On the contrary, de Soto does an excellent job surveying the many distinctive features of Austrian economics. Communicating the uniqueness of Austrianism comes easy to de Soto, for he has clearly researched widely in the tradition and mastered its positions. Instead, I imagine that this book was a great challenge to put together because there are so many different ways that the material could be structurally organized and presented. The creative challenge of this book was not a matter of conducting original research or formalizing original theoretical insights. Instead, it was likely a process of synthesizing a broad swath of expertise (for which the reader is lucky to have an author like de Soto) into a clear and compact presentation. When answering, “what exactly is unique about Austrian economics?” one could concentrate on the uniquely aprioristic and methodological foundations of the tradition: deductive reasoning, the analytical compatibility between means and ends, meaningful distinctions through Aristotelian essentialism, and the use of hypothetical constructs and counterfactuals. Or one could emphasize the unique theoretical contributions of Austrian economics: the knowledge and calculative roles of market prices, the impossibility of socialism, Rev Austrian Econ DOI 10.1007/s11138-009-0101-9
Immunoglobulin-degrading enzymes in localized juvenile periodontitis.

Previous reports have indicated the association of periodontal diseases with elevated levels of serum immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies to periodontally relevant bacteria. Recent results from this laboratory suggest that enzymes proteolytic for immunoglobulins are important virulence factors of several periodontal bacteria. Specifically, enzymes from Porphyromonas (Bacteroides) gingivalis culture supernatant fluid (SF) cleaved human IgG (4 subclasses), IgAl and IgA2, IgM, IgD and IgE. Proteolytic enzymes from Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans culture SF cleaved IgG, IgA and IgM. An enriched Ig proteolytic preparation from Capnocytophaga ochracea culture SF was shown to extensively cleave all 4 subclasses of human IgG. Extensive degradation of IgG and IgA in crevicular fluid samples on SDS-PAGE from periodontal disease sites of localized juvenile periodontitis (LJP) patients in comparison to little degradation in healthy sites indicated the potential role the proteolytic enzymes from periodontopathogenic bacteria may play in situ. Treatment of IgG with P. gingivalis, A. actinomycetemcomitans and C. ochracea SF resulted in similar patterns of degradation. LJP patients had significantly higher levels of IgG and IgA proteolytic activity in whole saliva than age, sex, and race-matched periodontal disease-free controls. However, not all of the proteolytic activity could be ascribed to Bacteriol proteases since neutrophils are also present in large numbers at diseased sites. Using similar techniques, lysates of neutrophils from healthy controls cleaved IgG, IgA and IgM. The observation of enhanced Ig cleavage activity in crevicular fluid and saliva in LJP patients suggest a role for Ig proteolytic enzymes in LJP.
Vibration-induced fatigue failures in bonding wires used in stacked chip modules

An instrument recently constructed at Goddard Space Flight Center involved stacked chip memory modules with about six thousand 1 mil gold wires, each between 4.6 mm and 6.1 mm long. Four bond wires fractured during the final box-level random vibration test, which had spectral power to 850 Hz. We determined that these wires have fundamental resonant frequencies in the range from 1.4 kHz to 2.3 kHz, with quality factors up to 300, when the bonds at each end are rigid. However, a nearly severed top bond decreases the lead's fundamental frequency into the range from 600 Hz to 750 Hz. The lowered mode is strongly excited by the box-level vibration test, leading to fatigue-fracture of that already weakened bond during the several minutes of the vibration test. However, such a lowered mode would not be excited by previous shock and vibration tests, since these happened to have no spectral power in the region from 600 Hz to 750 Hz. In separate tests, an unfractured 1 mil gold wire was still intact after 12 days (1.4 billion oscillations) at 1.4 kHz at a root-strain of 0.2%, while several (deliberately) nearly fractured wires failed after less than a minute (less than 41,000 oscillations) at 680 Hz at the same drive stress.
The Life Cycle of the Northern Hemisphere Sudden Stratospheric Warmings

Motivated by recent evidence of strong stratospheric‐tropospheric coupling during the Northern Hemisphere winter, this study examines the evolution of the atmospheric flow and wave fluxes at levels throughout the stratosphere and troposphere during the composite life cycle of a sudden stratospheric warming. The composite comprises 39 major and minor warming events using 44 years of NCEP‐NCAR reanalysis data. The incipient stage of the life cycle is characterized by preconditioning of the stratospheric zonal flow and anomalous, quasistationary wavenumber-1 forcing in both the stratosphere and troposphere. As the life cycle intensifies, planetary wave driving gives rise to weakening of the stratospheric polar vortex and downward propagation of the attendant easterly wind and positive temperature anomalies. When these anomalies reach the tropopause, the life cycle is marked by momentum flux and mean meridional circulation anomalies at tropospheric levels that are consistent with the negative phase of the Northern Hemisphere annular mode. The anomalous momentum fluxes are largest over the Atlantic half of the hemisphere and are associated primarily with waves of wavenumber 3 and higher.
Primitive Functions on Arrays

The primitive monadic scalar functions that we met in Chapter 3 are extended to non-scalar arrays element by element. If f stands for such a function and X is any array, fX means the array formed by applying f to each element of X; fX has the same size as X.