cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Use of Nondirected Donor Organs in Living Donor Liver Transplantation: Perspectives and Guidance.

Interest in anonymous non-directed living organ donation is increasing in the United States and a small number of transplantation centers are accumulating an experience regarding non-directed donation in living donor liver transplantation. Herein we review current transplant policy, discuss emerging data, draw parallels from non-directed kidney donation, and examine relevant considerations in non-directed living liver donation. We aim to provide a consensus guidance to ensure safe evaluation and selection of non-directed living liver donors and a schema for just allocation of non-directed grafts.
Free-floating panel intervention by means of Learning by Demonstration★★

Abstract Recent efforts in the field of intervention- autonomous underwater vehicles (I-AUVs) have started to show promising results in simple manipulation tasks. However, there is still a long way to go to reach the complexity of the tasks carried out by ROV pilots. This paper proposes an intervention framework based on Learning by Demonstration (LbD) techniques in order to easily acquire the manipulation skills of a pilot and be able to reproduce similar tasks autonomously. We describe the learning algorithm as well as its interplay with the rest of the modules (navigation, perception, control) that take part in the proposed framework. We show results on a free-floating valve turning task, using Girona 500 AUV equipped with a manipulator, a passive gripper, a force/torque sensor, a camera and a haptic device to perform the demonstrations. Obtained results show the feasibility of the LbD algorithm to perform autonomous intervention even under the presence of perturbations.
Verification of register allocators

A register allocator is difficult to write and debug. The task is to assign hardware registers to as many program variables as possible, assign memory locations to the rest, and avoid memory traffic to the extent possible. A good register allocator can produce code that is 2.5 times faster than code generated by a naive register allocator.
Design Research: Both Theory and Strategy.

Design research is often identified as the developing of theory to support design calculations. This presentation, an opportunity to be philosophical, will emphasize another important aspect to design, the strategy. Five guiding principles are stated: 1) Evolve from simple to complex, 2) use a depth first approach, 3) develop and use approximate criteria either as targets or heuristics to screen among alternatives, 4) use "top down design alternatively with "bottom up design, and 5) all things being equal, be optimistic. While some of these guidelines may be obvious, they are frequently unheeded and seldom taught. Diverse examples will illustrate design strategies consistent with these guidelines. The examples will show how to use the guidelines to design or evaluate computer aids and even to "prove" the value of the guidelines themselves. UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES CARNEGIE-MELLON UNIVERSITY PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA 15213
Biosynthetic Arginine Decarboxylase from Escherichia coli: SUBUNIT INTERACTIONS AND THE ROLE OF MAGNESIUM ION

Abstract Biosynthetic arginine decarboxylase of Escherichia coli undergoes reversible association and dissociation dependent on the buffer conditions. The apoenzyme underwent dissociation which was pH-dependent, with apparent molecular weights of 140,000 at pH 6 and 80,000 at pH 8. At pH 8, in the presence of pyridoxal 5'-phosphate alone, the enzyme remained fully dissociated, while magnesium ion by itself induced association of the enzyme to a form which was indistinguishable from the tetrameric holoenzyme (molecular weight 275,000 to 300,000). The negative effector, putrescine, caused the formation of more rapidly sedimenting species, but somewhat less efficiently than magnesium ion. In the presence of pyridoxal 5'-phosphate, putrescine much more efficiently induced the formation of tetramer. At pH 8, but not at pH 6, magnesium ion was required for the formation of an adduct between pyridoxal 5'-phosphate and arginine decarboxylase which, on the basis of its spectral properties, was interpreted to a Schiff base. At pH 6, the Mg2+ requirement for enzymatic activity was not as stringent as at higher pH values. The requirement of Mg2+ for both Schiff base formation and formation of tetramer was proposed to be directly related to the requirement of this metal ion for the catalytic activity of this enzyme.
Cheeseburgers, race, and paternalism. Los Angeles' ban on fast food restaurants.

A Big Mac, medium fries, and a medium Coke from McDonald's contain an astounding 1,130 calories. 1 A double Whopper, medium fries and Coke from Burger King contain a whopping 1,410 calories. 2 A do...
Optimization methods in massive data sets

We describe the role of generalized support vector machines in separating massive and complex data using arbitrary nonlinear kernels. Feature selection that improves generalization is implemented via an effective procedure that utilizes a polyhedral norm or a concave function minimization. Massive data is separated using a linear programming chunking algorithm as well as a successive overrelaxation algorithm, each of which is capable of processing data with millions of points.
Linearized damage mechanics for states of small damage

In this work, the concept of a linearized damage variable is introduced within the framework of continuum damage mechanics. Instead of considering one single fictitious undamaged configuration, a number n of smaller fictitious undamaged configurations are utilized. Thus, a smaller and linearized damage variable can be defined for each individual fictitious undamaged configuration. Additionally, the equations of damage evolution are formulated with respect to each individual fictitious undamaged configuration. Some interesting and surprising results are obtained. In this regard, a new result is obtained for the strain energies with respect to the n fictitious undamaged configurations. The linearized damage variable can be used for states of damage where the damage is small. The formulation is linear elastic based on linear superposition and should be applicable to many high-cycle fatigue problems.
Few-layered titanium trisulfide (TiS3) field-effect transistors

Titanium trisulfide (TiS3) is a promising layered semiconductor material. Several-mm-long TiS3 whiskers can be conveniently grown by the direct reaction of titanium and sulfur. In this study, we exfoliated these whiskers using the adhesive tape approach and fabricated few-layered TiS3 field-effect transistors (FETs). The TiS3 FETs showed an n-type electronic transport with room-temperature field-effect mobilities of 18–24 cm2 V−1 s−1 and ON/OFF ratios up to 300. We demonstrate that TiS3 is compatible with the conventional atomic layer deposition (ALD) procedure for Al2O3. ALD of alumina on TiS3 FETs resulted in mobility increase up to 43 cm2 V−1 s−1, ON/OFF ratios up to 7000, and much improved subthreshold swing characteristics. This study shows that TiS3 is a competitive electronic material in the family of two-dimensional (2D) transition metal chalcogenides and can be considered for emerging device applications.
A Feminist Approach to Climate Change Governance: Everyday and Intimate Politics

Neoliberal climate governance, which focuses on shifting responsibility for mitigating climate change onto individuals through their consumption of techno-scientific solutions, ignores and obscures the experience of differently situated subjects. This paper examines the consequences of both framing climate change as a problem of science and inducing individual behavior changes as a key point of climate policy. We build on climate governance literature and emerging feminist theorizing about climate change to understand how differently situated bodies become positioned as sites of capital accumulation in climate governance. We use the feminist lens of the “everyday”, which directs attention to embodiment, difference, and inequality. These insights provide points of leverage for feminist scholars of climate science and policy to use to resist and contest the production of neoliberal climate subjects. We argue that a focus on the “everyday” reveals the mundane decision making in climate governance that affect individuals in varying, embodied ways and which allows for climate governance to proceed as an ongoing process of capitalist accumulation.
Isotope-Encoded Carboxyl Group Footprinting for Mass Spectrometry-Based Protein Conformational Studies

We report an isotope-encoding method coupled with carboxyl-group footprinting to monitor protein conformational changes. The carboxyl groups of aspartic/glutamic acids and of the C-terminus of proteins can serve as reporters for protein conformational changes when labeled with glycine ethyl ester (GEE) mediated by carbodiimide. In the new development, isotope-encoded "heavy" and "light" GEE are used to label separately the two states of the orange carotenoid protein (OCP) from cyanobacteria. Two samples are mixed (1:1 ratio) and analyzed by a single LC-MS/MS experiment. The differences in labeling extent between the two states are represented by the ratio of the "heavy" and "light" peptides, providing information about protein conformational changes. Combining isotope-encoded MS quantitative analysis and carboxyl-group footprinting reduces the time of MS analysis and improves the sensitivity of GEE and other footprinting.
The Impact of Opposite-Sex Younger Siblings: A Hypothesis Concerning Gender Differences

The first year of two psychoanalyses (a prelatency boy and a prelatency girl, both with opposite-sex younger siblings) is examined and compared using an approach to the psychoanalytic data similar to grounded theory. For the girl, her envy of her brother's penis seemed to be a response to her sense of abandonment by the mother. For the boy, the birth of his sister seemed to have triggered concern about the integrity of his body, although separation concerns were also present. The findings in these two cases are consistent with Phyllis Tyson's (1989, 1994) conjecture about the difference between boys and girls. Because of boys' body difference from mother, the threat to their body integrity (expressed as castration anxiety) is more common than in girls and begins with separation–individuation. In contrast, girls do not usually experience such concerns with their body integrity because their bodies are like mother. Intense penis envy that may be observed in girls is more reflective of the loss of the mother...
Scattering by periodic achiral-chiral interfaces

A fully vectorial treatment of the problem of scattering by singly periodic interfaces between chiral and achiral media has been presented. By means of an improved T-matrix method of solution, this treatment is able to bypass the restrictions imposed by the Rayleigh hypothesis. In addition, solutions to several other related problems can be obtained by the method presented here. The specific features of the solution procedure allow it to be converted easily for doubly periodic interfaces. The analysis may be useful for developing new surface-relief gratings made using chiral materials.
The Meaning of Direct Measures of Subjective Demand-Ability Fit and the Fallacy of Misfit

Direct measures of subjective demand-ability fit (DMS-DA fit) were traditionally conceptualized as exact correspondence: fit means equal and misfit means unequal, either over-qualification or under...
Electrically Driven Alignment and Crystallization of Unique Anisotropic Polymer Particles

Micrometer-sized monodisperse anisotropic polymer particles, with disk, rod, fenestrated hexagon (hexnut), and boomerang shapes, were synthesized using the particle replication in nonwetting templates (PRINT) process, and investigations were conducted on aqueous suspensions of these particles when subjected to alternating electric fields. A coplanar electrode configuration, with 1 to 2 mm electrode gaps (20−50 V ac, 0.5−5.0 kHz) was used, and the experiments were monitored with fluorescence microscopy. For all particle suspensions, the field brought about significant changes in the packing and orientation. Extensive particle chaining and packing were observed for the disk, rod, and hexnut suspensions. Because of the size and geometry of the boomerang particles, limited chaining was observed; however, the field triggered a change from random to a more ordered packing arrangement.
Social Topography in a Wireless Era: The Negotiation of Public and Private Space

Talking on the phone is usually a private activity, but it becomes a public activity when using a cellphone in certain spaces. Unlike a traditional payphone in public, cellphones do not have privacy booths. Therefore, the ways in which people respond to cellphone calls in public spaces provide markers for social topographical space. In this study I explore how cellphone users negotiate privacy when using cellphones in public space and how those within the proximity of the caller negotiate space in response to these callers. Based on a year-long study involving observation fieldwork and in-depth interviews, I discuss the flexibility with which people constantly negotiate their private and public sense of self when using and responding to cellphones in public spaces.
Diagnosis of breast cancer biopsies using quantitative phase imaging

The standard practice in the histopathology of breast cancers is to examine a hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) stained tissue biopsy under a microscope. The pathologist looks at certain morphological features, visible under the stain, to diagnose whether a tumor is benign or malignant. This determination is made based on qualitative inspection making it subject to investigator bias. Furthermore, since this method requires a microscopic examination by the pathologist it suffers from low throughput. A quantitative, label-free and high throughput method for detection of these morphological features from images of tissue biopsies is, hence, highly desirable as it would assist the pathologist in making a quicker and more accurate diagnosis of cancers. We present here preliminary results showing the potential of using quantitative phase imaging for breast cancer screening and help with differential diagnosis. We generated optical path length maps of unstained breast tissue biopsies using Spatial Light Interference Microscopy (SLIM). As a first step towards diagnosis based on quantitative phase imaging, we carried out a qualitative evaluation of the imaging resolution and contrast of our label-free phase images. These images were shown to two pathologists who marked the tumors present in tissue as either benign or malignant. This diagnosis was then compared against the diagnosis of the two pathologists on H&E stained tissue images and the number of agreements were counted. In our experiment, the agreement between SLIM and H&E based diagnosis was measured to be 88%. Our preliminary results demonstrate the potential and promise of SLIM for a push in the future towards quantitative, label-free and high throughput diagnosis.
Computerization and information assembling process: nursing work and CPOE adoption

This paper presents an ethnographic study investigating how nurses assemble information to start their shift's work. We examined this process before and after the adoption of a Computerized Prescriber Order Entry (CPOE) system in an inpatient unit of a large teaching hospital. Before the CPOE adoption, nurses used several collaboratively-created group working documents to assist in this information assembling process; after the CPOE adoption, they mainly used the CPOE itself for their information needs. We found while computerization facilitated medical data assembling process and improved order handling practice, it also resulted in some information gaps in understanding patients in their larger care context. We analyzed what it means when the computerization of medical information turns local knowledge into more readily available and public information objects, as well as what that means for patients and patient care.
Impurity-induced incommensuration in antiferroelectric La-modified lead zirconate titanate

Lanthanum-modified lead zirconate titanate (PLZT) specimens with La contents x between 0 and 5 at. % and a Zr/Ti ratio of 95/5 (PLZT x/95/5) have been investigated by dielectric spectroscopy, Sawyer-Tower polarization (P-E) measurements, and hot-stage transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The dominate phase of PLZT 0/95/5 was found to be isostructural with that of the high-temperature phase of ${\mathrm{PbZrO}}_{3}$ (\ensuremath{\sim}230 \ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C), which is known to be characterized by the presence of 1/2〈110〉 superlattice reflections. An antiferroelectric state was found to be stabilized as the long-range ferroelectric state was disrupted by a small amount of La substitution on the Pb sites. With increasing La content, the antiferroelectric-paraelectric transformation was found to proceed through an incommensurate region. (1/x)〈110〉 incommensurate reflections were observed in selected area electron diffraction (SAED) patterns on cooling below the temperature of the dielectric maximum (${\mathit{T}}_{\mathrm{max}}$) for PLZT 2/95/5 and 5/95/5. A diffuse incommensurate-commensurate transformation was observed at lower temperatures. It is proposed that incommensuration in antiferroelectric PZT is induced by La impurity content. The incommensuration is believed to arise due to a competition between broken dipolar and antiferroelectric sublattice interactions. A possible transformational sequence is, then, suggested for inhomogeneous antiferroelectrics.
Outsourcing Accounting Information Systems: Evidence from Closed-end Mutual Fund Families

Abstract This study examines the factors associated with the decision of closed-end funds to outsource their accounting information systems. Using data from 2010 and 2011, we find that the outsourcing decision is made by groups of funds with common service providers (called “fund families”), rather than by individual funds. Our results indicate that fund families containing a larger number of funds and older fund families are less likely to outsource their accounting functions. These types of fund families may have greater internal economies of scale, diminishing the potential cost savings from outsourcing. We also find that fund families with more good-faith-valued assets are less likely to outsource accounting information systems than those with more market-valued assets. Valuing these good-faith-valued assets is both an important investment-management process and a key accounting task, reducing the need to outsource accounting to focus managers on their core competency. This study is of potential importance to investors and regulators in evaluating closed-end funds' decisions on outsourcing accounting functions.
Multi-resource routing with flexible tasks: an application in drayage operations

This paper introduces an application of a Multi-Resource Routing Problem (MRRP) in drayage operations. Drayage involves the movement of loaded and empty equipment between rail yards, shippers, consignees, and equipment yards. The problem of routing and scheduling drayage movements is modeled as an MRRP with flexible tasks, since the origins and destinations of some movements can be chosen from a set of possible nodes. The complexities added by routing choice are studied, along with the impact of these complexities on problem formulation. The solution approach developed to solve this problem includes column generation embedded in a branch-and-bound framework. Using this approach, efficient operating plans are designed to coordinate independent drayage operations in the Chicago region.
Accurate numerical modeling of microstrip junctions and discontinuities

A general numerical solver for analyzing microstrip geometries of rectangular shape is presented in this paper. The analytical foundation of this solver is based on an integral equation approach which we formulate in the spatial domain. The unknown surface current on the microstrip is solved by the method of moments using 2D rectangular pulses as the expansion functions. Transmission-line modeling is then used to parameterize a given microstrip junction or discontinuity. Aided by a graphics interface, this solver can analyze complex structures without incurring additional analytical complexity. We illustrate the accuracy and versatility of our solver by applying it to several different microstrip discontinuities ranging from a single-stub to an interdigitated capacitor.
The Surgical Option for Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease

Gastroesophageal reflux disease is a common condition. Most patients can be managed with medications, but patients with refractory disease, particularly those with an incompetent lower esophageal sphincter, should be referred for surgery. The open Nissen fundoplication cures >90% of patients of their symptoms. The laparoscopic approach was first applied for patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease in 1991, and since then numerous reports evaluating the early experience with this technique have been published with results similar to the open procedure. Over the last 5 years, 595 laparoscopic antireflux procedures have been performed by us. There was 1 mortality due to an unrecognized duodenal perforation. Splenic injury did not occur compared to an incidence of up to 8.5% for the open procedure. A total of 9 patients required conversion to the open procedure for perforation, bleeding, or dissection difficulties. However, in the last 350 cases no conversions have been necessary. Most patients are now being discharged from hospital on the day after surgery with some patients being discharged on the same day as surgery. The overall re-operation rate, both for early postoperative morbidity and for late poor outcome, was 3.9% with follow-up ranging from 2 months to 5 years. The laparoscopic Nissen fundoplication achieves the same short-term outcome as the open procedure with significantly less postoperative morbidity and a shorter hospital stay.
MACACO: modeling and analysis of circuits for approximate computing

Approximate computing, which refers to a class of techniques that relax the requirement of exact equivalence between the specification and implementation of a computing system, has attracted significant interest in recent years. We propose a systematic methodology, called MACACO, for the Modeling and Analysis of Circuits for Approximate Computing. The proposed methodology can be utilized to analyze how an approximate circuit behaves with reference to a conventional correct implementation, by computing metrics such as worst-case error, average-case error, error probability, and error distribution. The methodology applies to both timing-induced approximations such as voltage over-scaling or over-clocking, and functional approximations based on logic complexity reduction. The first step in MACACO is the construction of an equivalent untimed circuit that represents the behavior of the approximate circuit at a given voltage and clock period. Next, we construct a virtual error circuit that represents the error in the approximate circuit's output for any given input or input sequence. Finally, we apply conventional Boolean analysis techniques (SAT solvers, BDDs) and statistical techniques (Monte-Carlo simulation) in order to compute the various metrics of interest. We have applied the proposed methodology to analyze a range of approximate designs for datapath building blocks. Our results show that MACACO can help a designer to systematically evaluate the impact of approximate circuits, and to choose between different approximate implementations, thereby facilitating the adoption of such circuits for approximate computing.
Motivational bases of choice in three-choice decomposed games

Abstract Subjects were presented a series of decomposed games that permitted them to select alternatives that maximize one or more of the following motivational dispositions: (1) own gain (individualism), (2) joint gain (cooperation), (3) relative gain (competition), or (4) minimization of other's gain (aggression). There were two types (cases) of games. Case 1 games permitted the S the same or a greater number of points than the other player across all alternatives; Case 2 games afforded the same or fewer points than the other player across all alternatives. It was found: (1) the motive of minimization of other's gain was negligibly reflected in Ss' choices; (2) the other motives were present and affecting Ss' choices; (3) more competitive and fewer cooperative choices occurred in Case 2 than in Case 1 games; (4) sex of subject affected choice behavior in only one game, where males tended to be more cooperative and females more individualistic; and (5) though information on choice and outcome of others was highly limited, some behavioral imitation occurred within dyads.
Shades of Orange: The Electoral Geography of Ukraine's 2004 Presidential Elections

Two American geographers and noted specialists on the electoral geography of post-Soviet Russia and Ukraine describe and analyze the three rounds of Ukraine's pivotal and highly contested presidential elections in late 2004. In an effort to shed light on the underlying demographic and socio-economic correlates of the vote (e.g., age, income, urban/rural residence, language/ethnicity), the authors pay special attention to changes among the rounds, providing background to widespread allegations of electoral fraud in round two (first runoff). Finally, they summarize results of bivariate and multivariate regression analyses that reveal which among the various correlates contribute most to explaining differences in the vote. Journal of Economic Literature, Classification Numbers: H10, O18, R10. 6 figures, 5 tables, 26 references.
Writing, drawing and praxis in aphasia

Abstract This study describes the results of a battery of writing, praxis and drawing tasks in 40 left hemisphere damaged aphasic patients. The battery included tests of: Writing letters and words to dictation; copying letters, words and nonsense shapes; letter and word repetition; oral spelling; imitation of finger position and limb gestures to imitation and command. In 22 patients, testing could be done in left and right hand. The principal findings were as follows: 1. Limb apraxia is generally more severe in the right than left hand, especially in anterior aphasies. 2. Left-sided apraxia is slightly worse in patients with right hemiplegia than in non-hemiplegic patients. 3. Writing to dictation is comparable in left and right hands in non-hemiplegics. 4. In non-hemiplegics, drawing nonsense shapes is superior with the right hand. 5. In non-hemiplegics, word copy is slightly better with the left hand. 6. No correlation was found between left hand praxis, left hand words to dictation or left hand word copy. These results are discussed in relation to theories on manual asymmetries of praxis and writing in aphasia.
Proper orthogonal decomposition based reduced order modeling of the very high temperature reactor lower plenum hydrodynamics

The feasibility of reduced order modeling for turbulent flows using Proper Orthogonal Decomposition (POD) based Surrogate modeling and Galerkin Projection is demonstrated for use in the hydrodynamic modeling of the Very High Temperature Reactor (VHTR) lower plenum. The lower plenum of the Helium-cooled VHTR consists of vertical cylinder arrays subjected to turbulent jetting and cross-flow. Unsteady Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations are used to acquire an ensemble of possible solution fields for flow around a circular cylinder in an open domain. Numerical results are validated to prior published literature. From the resultant data ensemble are extracted the coherent structures to create an optimal basis. POD is used to extract the coherent structures as this technique has been demonstrated to provide a basis of a chosen dimension such that the average L2-error is minimized for the best approximation of the basis to the data ensemble. The resultant optimal basis is used to construct accurate reduced order models. The computational effectiveness and insights revealed by this reduced order modeling approach are discussed for both the Surrogate modeling approach and Galerkin Projection.Copyright © 2014 by ASME
Antarctica in fiction: imaginative narratives of the far south

Can “the far south begin to claim a history, politics and aesthetics of its own” (16)? How to account for persistent fantasies of a warm polar sea, hollow earths and the lost races and monsters con...
Human sulfotransferase SULT1C1: cDNA cloning, tissue-specific expression, and chromosomal localization

We have isolated and sequenced a cDNA that encodes an apparent human orthologue of a rat sulfotransferase (ST) cDNA that has been referred to as {open_quotes}ST1C1{close_quotes} - although it was recently recommended that sulfotransferase proteins and cDNAs be abbreviated {open_quotes}SULT.{close_quotes} The new human cDNA was cloned from a fetal liver-spleen cDNA library and had an 888-bp open reading frame. The amino acid sequence of the protein encoded by the cDNA was 62% identical with that encoded by the rat ST1C1 cDNA and included signature sequences that are conserved in all cytosolic SULT enzymes. Dot blot analysis of mRNA from 50 human tissues indicated that the cDNA was expressed in adult human stomach, kidney, and thyroid, as well as fetal kidney and liver. Northern blot analyses demonstrated that the major SULT1C1 mRNA in those same tissues was 1.4 kb in length. We next determined the partial human SULT1C1 gene sequence for a portion of the 5{prime}-terminus of one intron. That sequence was used to design SULT1C1 gene-specific primers that were used to perform the PCR with DNA from human/rodent somatic cell hybrids to demonstrate that the gene was located on chromosome 2. PCR amplifications performed with human chromosome 2/rodent hybrid cellmore » DNA as template sublocalized SULT1C1 to a region between bands 2q11.1 and 2q11.2. 14 refs., 2 figs.« less
Problems with average cost pricing in the presence of set-up costs

Abstract Average cost pricing equilibria may not exist if average costs are unbounded as output goes to zero. This is the case with set-up costs. The equilibrium correspondence in these cases is not upper hemicontinuous.
Genomic Contingency and Protein Evolution: Accelerated Divergence of a DNA-Binding Module due to an Adjoining Micro-Satellite Invasion

The sex-determining region of the mammalian Y chromosome encodes an architectural transcription factor containing a conserved sequence-specific high-mobility-group (HMG) box. Designated SRY, transient expression of this gene in the fetal gonadal ridge leads to Sertoli-cell differentiation and in turn testis formation. Mutations in human SRY are associated with 46, XY pure gonadal dysgenesis and somatic sex reversal. We have investigated the evolutionary history of SRY and its protein product SRY among placental mammals as a model for the conservation and divergence of a sequence-specific DNA-binding and DNA-bending module (the HMG box). Remarkably, the rate of divergence among mammalian SRY genes is markedly more rapid in Rodentia than among other Orders of placental mammals. Evidence will be provided that this accelerated evolution is a consequence of the in-frame insertion of a CAG triplet-expansion micro-satellite element, encoding a poly-glutamine or poly-alanine domain with autonomous biochemical properties. A model is proposed wherein relaxation of selective pressure on the HMG box has led to accumulation of deleterious amino-acid substitutions. Thus, a contingency of genomic dynamics (micro-satellite invasion) has led to a change in the pace of the mutational clock governing the evolution of a DNA-binding module.
Effects of long-term therapy with bosentan on the progression of left ventricular dysfunction and remodeling in dogs with heart failure.

Abstract OBJECTIVES In this study, we examined the effects of long-term therapy with bosentan on the progression of LV dysfunction and remodeling in dogs with moderate HF. BACKGROUND Acute intravenous administration of bosentan, a mixed endothelin-1 type A and type B receptor antagonist, was shown to improve left ventricular (LV) function in patients and dogs with heart failure (HF). METHODS Left ventricular dysfunction was induced by multiple, sequential intracoronary microembolizations in 14 dogs. Embolizations were discontinued when LV ejection fraction (EF) was between 30% and 40%. Dogs were randomized to three months of therapy with bosentan (30 mg/kg twice daily, n = 7) or no therapy at all (control, n = 7). RESULTS In untreated dogs, EF decreased from 35 ± 1% before initiating therapy to 29 ± 1% at the end of three months of therapy (p = 0.001), and LV end-diastolic volume (EDV) and end-systolic volume (ESV) increased (EDV: 71 ± 3 vs. 84 ± 8 ml, p = 0.08; ESV: 46 ± 2 vs. 60 ± 6 ml, p = 0.03). By contrast, in dogs treated with bosentan, EF tended to increase from 34 ± 2% before initiating therapy to 39 ± 1% at the end of three months of therapy (p = 0.06), and EDV and ESV decreased (EDV: 75 ± 3 vs. 71 ± 4 ml, p = 0.05; ESV: 48 ± 2 vs. 43 ± 3 ml, p = 0.01). Furthermore, compared with untreated dogs, dogs treated with bosentan showed significantly less LV cardiomyocyte hypertrophy and LV volume fraction of interstitial fibrosis. CONCLUSIONS In dogs with moderate HF, long-term therapy with bosentan prevents the progression of LV dysfunction and attenuates LV chamber remodeling. The findings support the use of mixed endothelin-1 receptor antagonists as adjuncts to the long-term treatment of HF.
Self-consistent phonon spectrum of h.c.p. H2 and D2

A numerical computation of the phonon spectrum, ground-state energy, and nearest-neighbour distance of h.c.p. H2 and D2 is carried out within the framework of self-consistent phonon theory. The calculations employ Lennard-Jones (12-6) potentials, whose parameters approximately fit the second virial coefficient. As is usual in quantum solids the effect of the hard core in the interatomic potential is treated by a short-range Jastrow correlation function. Phonon spectra are compared with a Raman study of the TO modes in h.c.p. ortho- and para-H2 and D2 and a neutron inelastic scattering study of the TO and LO modes in h.c.p. ortho-D2.
Responses to Femoral Gland Secretions by Visually Adept Male and Female Collared Lizards

Although visually transmitted social signals are well documented in many diurnal iguanians, including collared lizards, secretory femoral glands also suggest a role of chemical signals in intraspecific communication. We conducted laboratory trials to test the extent to which male and female collared lizards responded by tongue-flicking femoral gland secretions, neutral (water), and odoriferous (cologne) control substances, males distinguished self-secretions from those produced by unfamiliar rival males, and females distinguish secretions from unfamiliar vs. familiar males. Both males and females spent similar amounts of time in four arena quadrants each with a Petri dish treated with one of the four test compounds. Males gave more tongue flicks/trial to secretions produced by unfamiliar rivals and cologne than they tongue-flicked their own secretions and water. By contrast, the number of tongue flicks by females on control substances and familiar and unfamiliar males was similar. Results support the hypothesis that femoral gland secretions function in intrasexual signaling among male collared lizards, perhaps allowing them to distinguish unfamiliar rivals. Females tongue-flicked secretions from familiar and unfamiliar males with similar frequency that was high relative to that of males, suggesting a possible role of secretions in assessment of males. Ours is the first evidence of a signaling role of femoral gland secretions in collared lizards and adds to a growing body of evidence that chemical signaling has evolved in diurnal lizards that also have highly developed visual-based signaling.
Suspended particulate matter: collection by pressure filtration and elemental analysis by thin-film X-ray fluorescence

Abstract Thin-film X-ray fluorescence, using an energy dispersive system, allows for the determination of the major rock-forming elements (Na, Mg, Al, Si, K, Ca, Ti, Mn, Fe) in suspended phases of marine particulate matter. The method is rapid, non-destructive, entails no pre-analysis treatment of the sample, and requires as little as 25 to 50 μg of sample. Particulate samples for this and other analyses are filtered quickly and without post-collection transfer of the water sample by a simple pressure filtration technique employing standard plastic sampling bottles.
Exceptions to the rule: new hydrogen-bonded networks from an old reliable

The syntheses and crystal structures of lamellar solids constructed from 3,5-pyrazole dicarboxylic acid and amines are described. While in the past this combination has resulted in one, recurring layer motif, we report here that sterically demanding groups impose different hydrogen-bonding connectivity.
Strangeness condensation and cooling of neutron stars

Possible effects of strangeness condensation, which has been estimated to occur in dense neutron matter at densities of 2.3--3.0 times nuclear matter density, are calculated with special reference to the cooling of the neutron star probably formed in SN1987A. Although the center of the neutron star will cool much faster in the presence of strangeness condensation than through conventional mechanisms, down to Tapprox.2 x 10/sup 8/ K at the present time, the heat conductivity of the neutron star is such that it will take at least a few tens of years for effects of this drop in temperature to reach the surface of the neutron star and be observable.
Improving throughput and reliability in mobile wireless networks via transport layer bandwidth aggregation

Currently, most battlefield mobile communication devices are equipped with multiple wireless interfaces. The main target of the multiple interfaces is to increase the communication reliability between the soldiers in the battlefield and the command center, so that if one of the interfaces fails, the other interfaces can still provide a communication path. In this case each application data stream is limited to use only one communication channel. Due to the limited and variable bandwidth of the wireless channels, as well as their lossy and break-prone nature, the performance of mobile applications can be greatly hurt. In this paper, we present a transport layer solution for aggregating the bandwidth of the available interfaces. Our solution is based on extending Stream Control Transmission Protocol (SCTP). Our choice to extend SCTP for bandwidth aggregation was motivated by its inherent support for multi-homing. The extended SCTP, which we refer to as Load Sharing-SCTP (LS-SCTP), is able to aggregate the bandwidth of all the active transmission paths between the communicating endpoints. In addition, LS-SCTP dynamically adds/drops communication paths to the aggregated paths bundle. To ensure that the aggregate connection will not stall due to the high loss rate or continuous failure of individual paths, LS-SCTP includes path monitoring and packet assignment mechanisms that distribute the packets on the paths according to their current condition. Simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of our proposed mechanism in providing throughput and reliability to mobile applications under battlefield conditions.
Regulation of hepatic stearoyl-CoA desaturase gene 1 by vitamin A.

Abstract The effect of vitamin A supplementation on stearoyl-CoA desaturase gene 1 expression in mouse liver was characterized. Normal BALB/c mice were fed 0.01% and 0.1% retinol palmitate as components of nonpurified diets. This treatment resulted in a 3-fold and a 7-fold induction of SCD1 mRNA levels, respectively, as determined by RNase protection analysis. Vitamin A-deficient animals were also fed diets containing 0.01% and 0.1% retinol palmitate, resulting in a similar pattern of SCD1 mRNA induction. Fatty acid synthase and β-actin mRNA levels did not respond consistently or significantly to retinoic acid treatment. Dietary and hormonal studies were carried out to investigate the role of the retinoid X receptor in the regulation of SCD1 by type II steroid hormones. A receptor-saturating dose of thyroid hormone, triiodothyronine, repressed vitamin A-elevated SCD1 mRNA levels in vivo. Peroxisome proliferator-elevated SCD1 mRNA levels were unaffected by administration of thyroid hormone. This suggests that the retinoic acid receptor transcriptionally regulates SCD1 through a traditional mechanism of heterodimerization with the retinoid X receptor.
Herpes simplex encephalitis: a great clinical challenge.

Excerpt Herpes simplex encephalitis is a much more important disease than its prevalence would otherwise indicate (1, 2). It carries a 70% to 80% mortality in the first 30 days and a 90% mortality ...
Replicative enzymes, DNA polymerase alpha (pol α), and in vitro ageing

Abstract Normal cells in culture are used to investigate the underlying mechanisms of DNA synthesis because they retain regulatory characteristics of the in vivo replication machinery. During the last few years new studies have identified a number of genetic changes that occur during in vitro ageing, providing insight into the progressive decline in biological function that occurs during ageing. Maintaining genomic integrity in eukaryotic organisms requires precisely coordinated replication of the genome during mitosis, which is the most fundamental aspect of living cells. To achieve this coordinated replication, eukaryotic cells employ an ordered series of steps to form several key protein assemblies at origins of replication. Major progress has recently been made in identifying the enzymes, and other proteins, of DNA replication that are recruited to origin sites and the order in which they are recruited during the process of replication. More than 20 proteins, including DNA polymerases, have been identified as essential components that must be preassembled at replication origins for the initiation of DNA synthesis. Of the polymerases, DNA polymerase alpha-primase (pol α) is of particular importance since its function is fundamental to understanding the initiation mechanism of eukaryotic DNA replication. DNA must be replicated with high fidelity to ensure the accurate transfer of genetic information to progeny cells, and decreases in DNA pol α activity and fidelity, which are coordinated with cell cycle progression, have been shown to be important facets of a probable intrinsic cause of genetic alterations during in vitro ageing. This has led to the proposal that pol α activity and function is one of the crucial determinants in ageing. In this review we summarize the current state of knowledge of DNA pol α function in the regulation of DNA replication and focus in particular on its interactive tasks with other proteins during in vitro ageing.
Assessing confounding, effect modification, and thresholds in the association between ambient particles and daily deaths.

I examined the relationship between daily deaths and airborne particles in 10 U.S. cities with varying climatic conditions and seasons in which particle concentrations were high. Airborne particles were associated with significant increases in daily deaths [0.67% increase for a 10 microg/m(3) increase in particles; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.52-0.81%]. This association was the same in summer and winter. To examine potential confounding by other pollutants, I regressed city- and season-specific effect sizes against the relationship between airborne particles and other pollutants. Controlling for other pollutants did not substantially (or significantly) change the estimated effect of airborne particles. Socioeconomic differences between cities likewise did not modify the effect. The increase in daily deaths that occurred out of hospitals (0.89% per 10 microg/m(3); CI, 0.67-1.10%) was substantially greater than the increase in deaths in hospitals (0. 49%; CI, 0.31-0.68%). This is consistent with results previously reported in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and suggests that the particle-associated deaths are not just being brought forward by a few days. It is also consistent with recent animal and human studies of the mechanisms of particle toxicity.
Characteristics of the catecholamine and histamine receptor sites mediating accumulation of cyclic adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate in guinea pig brain.

—Five areas of guinea pig brain were examined to determine the properties of the receptor sites mediating increases in [3H]adenosine 3′,5′-monophosphate (cyclic AMP). Both epinephrine and histamine were effective in causing increases in cyclic AMP in slices derived from cerebral cortex, hippocampus or amygdala, but not in diencephalon or brainstem. Stimulation of slices of cerebral cortex by either epinephrine or histamine resulted in a small, but reproducible, decrease in specific radioactivity of the [3H]-cyclic AMP produced, as did stimulation of the hippocampus by epinephrine. The catecholamine receptor was an α-adrenergic receptor in all three areas where epinephrine was effective; α-adrenergic stimulation, but not β-adrenergic stimulation, increased levels of [3H]-cyclic AMP. Furthermore, α-, but not β-adrenergic blocking agents, prevented the epinephrine- induced increase of both [3H]- and total cyclic AMP in cerebral cortex and hippocampus. Only antihistaminic agents were capable of antagonizing the histamine-induced increase of both [3H]- and total cyclic AMP in these two brain areas. The catecholamine receptor in the amygdala also appeared to be an α-adrenergic receptor. The effects of histamine and epinephrine together were far greater than the sum of effects of either hormone alone in both cerebral cortex and hippocampus.
BIOCHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF FRACTIONS OBTAINED FROM RAT ANTERIOR PITUITARY GLANDS BY DIFFERENTIAL CENTRIFUGATION1

THE biochemistry of the nuclear, mitochondrial, microsomal and supernatant fractions isolated by differential centrifugation from rat and mouse liver has been studied extensively during the past few years. Particular attention has been given to the distribution of the oxidative enzymes and nucleic acids among these fractions. Respiratory enzymes such as cytochrome oxidase and the succinoxidase system have been found to be associated with the mitochondrial fraction (Schneider, 1946; Hogeboom et al., 1946 and 1948). The microsomalfraction contains few enzymes but as much as 50% of the pentosenucleic acid of liver tissue (Hogeboom et al., 1948; Schneider et al., 1950.) The results of studies of this nature have been summarized by Schneider and Hogeboom (1951). Little attention has been given to the biochemical and hormonal properties of fractions of endocrine tissues isolated by differential centrifugation. Approximately 60% of the succinoxidase activity of rat anterior pituitary glands, however, has been re...
Framing strategies and non‐conflict in multi‐ethnic Kazakhstan

With the Soviet collapse, many feared acute conflict between Russians and titular Kazakhs in Kazakhstan. Conflict was avoided. Like other states, Kazakhstan combined strategies of accommodation to negotiate ethnic divisions and coercion to intimidate would‐be ethnic entrepreneurs. ‘Carrots’ and ‘sticks’ help to explain whether ethnic divisions turn conflictual, but they are insufficient in determining outcomes. This article highlights elite framing strategies, arguing that authorities deployed a discursive frame that might be called ‘internationalism with an ethnic face’ to gloss contradictory practices vis‐a‐vis a multi‐ethnic population. The use of this frame, itself a product of the Soviet period, appealed to diverse constituencies in the domestic and international arenas and served to assuage tensions at a moment of profound uncertainty.
Effect of Mental Stress on Heart Rate Variability: Validation of Simulated Operating and Delivery Room Training Modules

Effect of Mental Stress on Heart Rate Variability: Validation of Simulated Operating and Delivery Room Training Modules