cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Potential regulatory roles for G protein-coupled receptor kinases and beta-arrestins in gonadotropin-releasing hormone receptor signaling

GnRH stimulates gonadotropin secretion, which desensitizes unless the releasing hormone is secreted or administered in a pulsatile fashion. The mechanism of desensitization is unknown, but as the GnRH receptor is G protein coupled, it might involve G protein-coupled receptor kinases (GRKs). Such kinases phosphorylate the intracellular regions of seven-transmembrane receptors, permitting beta-arrestin to bind, which prevents the receptor from activating G proteins. Here, we tested the effect of GRKs and beta-arrestins on GnRH-induced inositol trisphosphate (IP3) production in COS cells transfected with the GnRH receptor complementary DNA. GRK2, -3, and -6 overexpression inhibited IP3 production by 50-75% during the 30 sec of GnRH treatment. Coexpression of GRK2 and beta-arrestin-2 suppressed GnRH-induced IP3 production more than that of either alone. Immunocytochemical staining of rat anterior pituitary revealed that all cells expressed GRK2, -3, and -6; all cells also expressed the beta-arrestins. Western blots on cytosolic extracts of rat pituitaries revealed the presence of GRK2/3 and beta-arrestin-1 and -2. The expression of GRKs and beta-arrestins by gonadotropes and their inhibition of GnRH-stimulated IP3 production in COS-1 cells expressing the GnRH receptor suggest a potential regulatory role for the GRK/beta arrestin paradigm in GnRH receptor signaling.
Conversion of Solid Waste to Liquid Fuel

A background in the chemistry of cellulose pyrolysis and hydrogenation is provided, and the cellulose liquefaction literature and state of the ait is reviewed. A concept of an ultimate process in which cellulosic solid waste is used both to produce process hydrogen by the water-gas shift reaction and to provide the raw material for conversion to oil is de veloped. The theoretical yield of hydrocarbon oil CnH2n-2 from cellulose is 35.7 weight % or 2.47 bbl/ton at 0.810 specific gravity. An economic process will probably use a reaction medium of cellulosics slurried in oil and will require a catalyst that permits operations at pressures below 1000 psig. The heating value of refuse is approximately 5000 Btu/lb, on an as, is basis and 9000 Btu/lb on a moisture and ash-free basis. At present, pyrolysis processes are capable of produc ing a tar (containing 20 weight % oxygen) with a heating value of 12,000 Btu/lb and an equal yield of char. Hydrogena tion processes have the potential of producing practically ox...
Colonization with vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium: comparison of a long-term-care unit with an acute-care hospital.

Objective To compare the epidemiology of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (VRE) in a long-term-care unit and an acute-care hospital. Design Point-prevalence surveys for VRE rectal colonization of patients were carried out over a 21-month period in patients in a long-term-care unit and an acute-care hospital (medical ward and intensive-care units). The environment and hands of healthcare workers also were sampled for VRE. Contour-clamped homogeneous electric field (CHEF) electrophoresis was used to evaluate possible transmission among roommates and the relatedness of patient strains to those in the environment and on the hands of healthcare workers. Setting A 200-bed Veterans Affairs Medical Center with an attached 90-bed long-term-care unit. Results From December 1994 to January 1996, rectal VRE colonization of patients in the long-term-care unit increased significantly from 9% to 22%. In contrast, patients on the medical ward rarely were colonized after the first survey in December 1994, and only two intensive-care-unit patients were found to be colonized during the four surveys. The environment was contaminated persistently in the long-term-care unit. In the four surveys, carriage of VRE on hands of healthcare workers varied from 13% to 41%; 65% of healthcare workers with VRE found on their hands worked in the long-term-care unit. Seven different strains were identified by CHEF typing. Although the initial survey found only vanA strains, subsequent surveys showed vanB strains also were present. Conclusions Residents of a long-term-care unit frequently were colonized with VRE, but infections were uncommon in this population. The environment of the long-term-care unit was contaminated with VRE, and VRE was found frequently on the hands of healthcare workers in this unit. Both vanA and vanB genotypes were found in this setting.
Core process components in psychotherapy: A synthetic review of P-technique studies

Abstract Twenty-four traditional, 3 transitional, and one dynamic P-technique studies were reviewed to identify core psychotherapeutic processes. These time-series studies analyzed therapeutic processes in nearly 500 clients and 100 therapists, with ratings of over 25,000 units on nearly 1000 variables, accounting for over 61% of the total variance per analysis, with an average Cronbach alpha >.82 per factor. On the basis of variable content, 159 of the 184 traditional P-technique factors were classified in four core client and five core therapist process areas: Client Affect, Therapeutic Work, Relationships, and Information-Giving/Help Seeking; Therapist Interventions, Support, Information Seeking/Questioning, Gives Information/Discusses Therapy Parameters, and Disclosure. Convergence of exchange factors was also notable. Transitional and dynamic factor models revealed similar factors as those found in exploratory applications. Results suggest an empirically supported set of core therapeutic processes an...
Generalizations of the odd degree theorem and applications

LetV ⊂ ℙℝn be an algebraic variety, such that its complexificationVℂ ⊂ ℙn is irreducible of codimensionm ≥ 1. We use a sufficient condition on a linear spaceL ⊂ ℙℝn of dimensionm + 2r to have a nonempty intersection withV, to show that any six dimensional subspace of 5 × 5 real symmetric matrices contains a nonzero matrix of rank at most 3.
Strategies for Enrollment of African Americans into Cancer Genetic Studies

The enrollment of ethnically diverse populations in genetic and genomic research is vital to the parity of benefits resulting from research with biological specimens. Herein, we discuss strategies that may effectively improve the recruitment of African Americans into genetics studies. Specifically, we show that engaging physicians, genetic counselors, and community members is essential to enrolling participants into genetic studies. We demonstrate the impact of utilizing African American genetic counselors on study enrollment rates and implementing a two-page consent form that improved on a lengthy and inefficient consenting process. Lastly, we provided participants with the option of donating saliva instead of blood for study purposes. Descriptive statistics were used. Using the aforementioned strategies, recruitment goals for the Genetic Basis of Breast Cancer Subtype Study at Howard University (HU) were met. Our overall results yielded 182 participants in 18 months. Recruitment strategies that involve the engagement of physicians, genetic counselors, and community members may help researchers increase the enrollment of ethnically diverse and hard-to-reach participants into genetic studies.
Parental Influence on Eating Behavior: Conception to Adolescence

The first years of life mark a time of rapid development and dietary change, as children transition from an exclusive milk diet to a modified adult diet. During these early years, children's learning about food and eating plays a central role in shaping subsequent food choices, diet quality, and weight status. Parents play a powerful role in children's eating behavior, providing both genes and environment for children. For example, they influence children's developing preferences and eating behaviors by making some foods available rather than others, and by acting as models of eating behavior. In addition, parents use feeding practices, which have evolved over thousands of years, to promote patterns of food intake necessary for children's growth and health. However in current eating environments, characterized by too much inexpensive palatable, energy dense food, these traditional feeding practices can promote overeating and weight gain. To meet the challenge of promoting healthy weight in children in the current eating environment, parents need guidance regarding alternatives to traditional feeding practices.
Characterization of dopamine transport in crude synaptosomes prepared from rat medial prefrontal cortex

Accumulating evidence suggests that dopamine (DA) uptake into mesocortical neurons may be regulated through mechanisms that are markedly different from those observed in nigrostriatal or mesoaccumbens systems. The current studies were conducted to develop a rapid and sensitive DA uptake assay in crude synaptosomes prepared from the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) of a single animal. Uptake of DA into the mPFC was saturable, linear with respect to protein concentration, time dependent, and sensitive to the effects of monoamine transport inhibitors. Saturation analysis revealed the K(m) and V(max) values for DA transport in the mPFC were approximately 60 nM and 6.5 pmol/min mg protein, respectively. A significant amount of DA uptake in the mPFC was more sensitive to inhibition by nisoxetine compared to GBR12909, fluoxetine (FLX), and cocaine (COC), suggesting the norepinephrine transporter (NET) plays an important role in the clearance of DA within this region. The described assay conditions would be useful in examining DA uptake within specific brain regions obtained from a single animal.
Midpoint method and accuracy of variability forecasting

This study develops an alternative variability forecasting method, the midpoint method. This method, along with the interval computing and OLS lower and upper bound methods in the literature, is applied to predict variability in the stock market and mortgage rates. Results suggest that both the midpoint and interval computing methods can generate significantly higher accuracy in variability forecasts than the OLS lower and upper bound method. Nonetheless, the midpoint method requires less asymmetric distribution of input data than the interval computing.
Inductively Coupled Hydrogen Plasma-Assisted Cu ALD on Metallic and Dielectric Surfaces

Plasma-assisted atomic layer deposition (ALD) of Cu, via Cu I I (tmhd) 2 (tmhd = tetramethyl-3,5-heptanedionate) and an inductively coupled hydrogen plasma, is shown on metallic and dielectric surfaces. Nonselective deposition was achieved on SiO 2 , Au, and TaN x in a temperature range between 60 and 400°C. Deposition was self-limiting from ∼90 to 250°C. A novel method to determine self-limiting behavior of the first half-reaction is presented; it is determined by pulsing the precursor once, for a long time, and the resulting growth is measured by Rutherford backscattering spectrometry. Further, saturation curves for plasma-assisted ALD of each half-reaction and as a function of purging time were also determined. In contrast, thermal ALD via Cu I I (tmhd) 2 and H 2 was attempted and was very slow within the self-limiting temperature range. These experiments were undertaken on all the metallic and dielectric surfaces studied here including a plasma-assisted atomic layer deposited Cu seed.
Language development in children and adolescents with Down syndrome

This review of recent work on language development in children and adolescents with Down syndrome focuses on sentence structure, grammatical words, and vocabulary. Evidence is summarized for a specific expressive language impairment, over and above the cognitive delay associated with the syndrome. A profile of strengths (lexical comprehension) and deficits (lexical and sentence production) is identified. Acquisition of productive syntax is shown to be ongoing in adolescence, without evidence of limits to learning at the onset of adolescence or the advent of complex syntax. Additional difficulties in verb and grammatical morpheme acquisition are identified. Predictors of individual variation in performance and competing explanations of language deficit are discussed briefly. Interventions shown to increase communicative effectiveness are summarized. MRDD Research Reviews 1997;3:307–312. © 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
The poor scholar v. the able debtor: ploughing the rough ground of due process

A seemingly ordinary law case in fifteenth-century Oxford reveals contemporary concerns over issues of due process, jurisdictional disputes and town–gown conflicts. The case concerns an argument over debt between the Peddingtons, a widow and her son, who is a student at Oxford University, and John Otworth, a local official of the city of Oxford. Both plaintiffs and defendant actively employ legal strategies which are influenced by their own social and political status and which they hope will ensure a successful outcome. The final decision at the level of the King's Bench reaffirms the English subject's right to be tried under the common law, but does not substantially affect monarchical support for the University of Oxford or the University's use of Civil law procedures.
A New Generation Multi-object High Throughput Doppler Instrument for a Planet Survey at the SDSS Telescope

We report the design of a new generation multi-object high throughput Doppler instrument and first light results at the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) telescope. This instrument, capable of simultaneously monitoring 60 stars for planet detection, is called the W.M. Keck Exoplanet Tracker (or Keck ET) thanks to the generous gift from the W.M. Keck Foundation. It is designed for a planet survey around hundreds of thousands of stars with V =8-13 for detecting tens of thousands of planets in 2006-2020. The Doppler precision is between 3-25 m/s depending on the star magnitude. We also report a new planet detected with a prototype single object version ET instrument at the KPNO Coude Feed/2.1 m telescopes. The extrasolar planet, ET-1 (HD 102195b), has a minimum mass of 0.49 Jupiter masses and orbits a V = 8.1 G8V star with a 4.1 day period. The planet was identified using the Coude Feed 0.9 meter telescope in spring 2005. This is the first time an extrasolar planet around a star fainter than V=8 magnitude has been discovered with an under 1 meter size astronomical telescope and Doppler instrument. This planet discovery is possible due to the extremely high throughput of the instrument, 49% measured from the fiber output end to the detector.
Acute toxicity from home-brewed gamma hydroxybutyrate.

Gamma hydroxybutyrate (GHB) has become an increasingly dangerous, illicitly marketed substance with numerous potential health hazards. 1-8 GHB was originally developed as an anesthetic but was withdrawn as a result of unwanted side effects.4 Marketed for the treatment of narcolepsy and alcohol withdrawal, it was used illicitly as a growth hormone and fat-burning drug by body builders. It has also been used as a date-rape drug.1,Z,9,10 In 1990 the Food and Drug Administration banned the sale of GHB in the United States. Common street names for gamma hydroxybutyrate include GHB, Liquid E, Liquid X, and Scoop. It is also referred to as gamma hydroxy, 4-hydroxybutyrate, gamma hydroxybutyrate sodium, and sodium oxybate. This drug, reported to stimulate growth hormone release, body building, and weight loss, as well as act as a sleeping potion,I-5 is also associated with a number of serious neurologic, cardiovascular, respiratory, and gastrointestinal side effects.IO-IS We describe a case of GHB abuse from a home-brewed preparation resulting in toxicity, withdrawal symptoms, and rhabdomyolysis. The withdrawal symptoms included insomnia, anxiety, and tremors, which resolved within 9 days.13,16 This case is the first reported describing GHB overdose associated with withdrawal symptoms and rhabdomyolysis. GHB became popular as a drug to help assault women. 1,2,IO Several properties of this drug account for its popularity as an tool in sexual assault. First, although no longer legally accessible, GHB is easily and cheaply manufactured in the home. Second, the drug is colorless, tasteless, and odorless, and it mixes well with all liquid and foods; as a result, it is easy for an unaware person to consume this drug. Third, shortly after consumption of
Compositions, Functions, and Testing of Friction Brake Materials and Their Additives

The purpose of this report is to present a survey of commercial brake materials and additives, and to indicate their typical properties and functions, especially as regards their use in heavy trucks. Most truck pad and shoe materials described here were designed to wear against cast iron. Brake material test methods are also briefly described. This report does not address issues associated with the fabrication and manufacturing of brake materials. Since there are literally thousands of brake material additives, and their combinations are nearly limitless, it is impractical to list them all here. Rather, an attempt has been made to capture the primary constituents and their functions. An Appendix contains thermo-physical properties of some current and potential brake materials.
Renal Relevant Radiology: Use of Ultrasound in Kidney Disease and Nephrology Procedures

Ultrasound is commonly used in nephrology for diagnostic studies of the kidneys and lower urinary tract and to guide percutaneous procedures, such as insertion of hemodialysis catheters and kidney biopsy. Nephrologists must, therefore, have a thorough understanding of renal anatomy and the sonographic appearance of normal kidneys and lower urinary tract, and they must be able to recognize common abnormalities. Proper interpretation requires correlation with the clinical scenario. With the advent of affordable, portable scanners, sonography has become a procedure that can be performed by nephrologists, and both training and certification in renal ultrasonography are available.
Community Health Education Literature from the Seventies: A Faculty Survey

Faculty teaching in accredited graduate programs of community health education in U.S. universities were surveyed by mail to determine which articles published during the 1970's they would recommend that their colleagues read. The suggested readings were collected and abstracted and are presented herewith in annotated bibliographic form. The second phase of the study, a comparable survey of field practitioners, is being analyzed for a future issue of the journal.
Surgical research publication in a selection of research and surgical speciality journals

Background A prior study revealed a paucity of surgical research in the 5 top-rated general surgery journals for 1998. The hypothesis of the current study was that a large amount of surgical research was published in other journals. Methods In all, 15 research journals and 9 surgery specialty journals were reviewed for basic research, funded clinical studies, randomized clinical trials, and drug trials. The funding sources and the surgeon's role were recorded. The findings were compared with research published in the previously studied 5 journals in 1998 and 2005. Results Of 6,016 papers in the research and surgery specialty journals, 19% were research, of which 76% were basic research. Funding from 1,101 sources was provided to 825 studies (70%). Seventy-four percent of funded studies were basic research. Government was the source for 46% of grants, private for 41%, and industry for 13%. A surgeon was the sole or senior author in 72% of studies. A total of 1,172 research articles were published in the research and surgery specialty journals in 1998. In comparison, 369 research papers were published in the general surgery journals in 1998 and 306 papers were published in 2005. With respect to the type of research, there were 896 basic research papers in the research and specialty journals in 1998, 200 such papers in the general surgery journals in 1998, and 164 in 2005. There were 87 randomized trials in the research and the surgery specialty journals in 1998, 46 such papers in the general surgery journals in 1998, and 29 in 2005. Conclusion A 3-fold greater volume of surgical research and more than a 4-fold greater volume of basic research was found in the research and the surgical specialty journals than in the general surgical journals in 1998, and this margin is increased when compared with the data for 2005. Consideration of only the general surgical journals greatly underestimates the surgical research being conducted.
Formal requirements-based programming for complex systems

Computer science as a field has not yet produced a general method to mechanically transform complex computer system requirements into a provably equivalent implementation. Such a method would be one major step towards dealing with complexity in computing, yet it remains the elusive "holy grail" of system development. Currently available tools and methods that start with a formal model of a system and mechanically produce a provably equivalent implementation are valuable but not sufficient. The "gap" that such tools and methods leave unfilled is that the formal models cannot be proven to be equivalent to the system requirements as originated by the customer. For the classes of complex systems whose behavior can be described as a finite (but significant) set of scenarios, we offer a method for mechanically transforming requirements (expressed in restricted natural language, or appropriate graphical notations) into a provably equivalent formal model that can be used as the basis for code generation and other transformations. While other techniques are available, this method is unique in offering full mathematical tractability while using notations and techniques that are well known and well trusted. We illustrate the application of the method to an example procedure from the Hubble Robotic Servicing Mission currently under study and preliminary formulation at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center.
Photocarcinogenesis in hairless mice: dose-response and the influence of dose-delivery.

— Albino hairless (Skh:HR) mice were exposed to a series of daily (5 days/wk) doses of ultraviolet radiation (UVR) from a bank of fluorescent sun lamps (type FS40T12); the 24 animals in each group were examined weekly and skin changes, including tumor locations and sizes, were recorded. Primary endpoints were time to reach a specified proportion of mice bearing one or more tumors, (incidence) and time to reach a specified number of tumors per survivor (tumor yield). By these criteria, the effectiveness of the treatment increased over the range in which the skin could tolerate exposures without exhibiting overt damage (e.g. ulceration). For the 6 tolerated daily dose levels, corresponding tumor median latent periods (time to 50% incidence) described a linear relationship with log dose. A second study tested the effect of dose-delivery (time-dose reciprocity). Three groups of animals were treated with a weekly dose, delivered entirely either on 1 day, or one-third on each of 3 days, or one-fifth on each of 5 days, chosen so that the 1-day exposure did not produce overt damage. This weekly dose coincided with the 4th of the 6 dose levels in the first experiment. Effectiveness of treatment increased directly with the number of fractions per week. The basis for this dose reciprocity failure is not known, but we expect to investigate the ratio of sublethal to lethal damage in epidermal cells, and to evaluate tumor growth promotion by single vs fractionated exposures.
A POSSIBLE SEISMOMAGNETIC OBSERVATION ON THE GARLOCK FAULT, CALIFORNIA

Simultaneous measurements of geomagnetic fields have been made at pairs of sites approximately 12 km apart along the Garlock fault. On June 9 and 10, 1974, several minor earthquakes (M = 2.6 to 4.3) occurred near one of these sites 3 weeks after the first measurements were made. Two repeated data sets were taken 2 weeks and 3 months after the earthquakes. The differenced data indicate that, relative to pre-earthquake values, the local magnetic field at this site had increased by about 23,. A piezomagnetic source for this change implies a stress change that would exceed 10 bars. After 3 months the same form of anomaly still remained although larger in spatial scale. This might indicate dispersion of the stress discontinuities produced by the earthquake.
Different paths to the public: European women, educational opportunity, and expertise, 1890–1930

This article describes a comparison of two groups of women, one German and one French, who were able to use the expanding educational opportunities for women during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries to forge a new path to public influence. The comparison highlights the different socio-political and institutional contexts of Imperial Germany and Third Republic France, in order to explain the very different career patterns of women with similar research interests: national economists who trained in Berlin and lawyers who trained in Paris. Although the greater emphasis is on the German case, I explore the possibilities for (and limitations to) women's claims to public influence in both contexts.
Searching for coherence in a correspondence world

In this paper, I trace the evolution of the aircraft cockpit as an example of the transformation of a probabilistic environment into an ecological hybrid, that is, an environment characterized by both probabilistic and deterministic features and elements. In the hybrid ecology, the relationships among correspondence and coherence strategies and goals and cognitive tactics on the continuum from intuition to analysis become critically important. Intuitive tactics used to achieve correspondence in the physical world do not work in the electronic world. Rather, I make the case that judgment and decision making in a hybrid ecology requires coherence as the primary strategy to achieve correspondence, and that this process requires a shift in tactics from intuition toward analysis.
COX-2 selective inhibitors: analysis of the renal effects

COX-2 selective inhibitors provide analgesia and blunt inflammation while also sparing the gastrointestinal tract from classic NSAID toxicity. Therapeutic effects are thought to result from inhibition of the inflammatory COX-2 isoform. Organ sparing is considered the result of preservation of homeostatic COX-1 enzyme function. Similar roles of the COX isoforms in the kidney would reduce NSAID-associated nephrotoxicity. However, human kidney tissue expresses COX-2 enzyme, suggesting a role for this isoform in maintenance of physiological renal processes. Available clinical data on the renal effects of COX-2 selective inhibitors in humans also demonstrate nephrotoxic potential.
State variable analysis of dc-dc converters

In spacecraft power systems, different voltage and current levels must be available for different loads. In addition, the source for the spacecraft power system may generate low voltage and high current which must be converted to high voltage and low cur rent for transmission to the loads. Therefore, dc-dc converters are an integral part of dc spacecraft power systems. The power requirements for future spacecraft power systems are such that dc-dc converters may need to be connected in series and parallel to supply the load. To simulate such converter systems, a modular dc-dc converter model is developed using state variable tech niques. The state model for each converter in the system is solved using the state transition matrix method. A test system consisting of two boost converters connected in series supplying a resistive load is simulated and compared to a SPICE simulation.
Forging a new simulation technology at the ICT

At USC's Institute for Creative Technologies, computer scientists, US Army personnel, and entertainment professionals are developing the foundation for an experiential learning system called MRE (Mission Rehearsal Exercise). The MRE project seeks to create a virtual reality training environment in which soldiers will confront dilemmas that force them to make decisions in real time under stressful and conflicting circumstances. By allowing soldiers to see the consequences of their actions and decision-making skills in a simulator, the US Army expects to better prepare its troops for dealing with similar dilemmas in the real world.
Use of a Urine Color Chart to Monitor Hydration Status in Nursing Home Residents

To determine whether urine color, as measured by a color chart, might be a valid indicator of hydration status in frail nursing home residents, this study tested the associations between urine color and urine specific gravity. This is a descriptive correlational study set in seven nursing homes in eastern Iowa. Ninety-eight nursing home residents 65 years of age participated. Exclusion criteria for the study included: unstable congestive heart failure or diabetes, documented renal disease, hyponatremia (serum sodium < 135 meq/L), terminal illness, acutely confused/delirious or urinary tract infection at baseline, and gastrostomy-tube dependence. Weekly urine specimens were collected. Ucol was measured first, using a urine color chart. Usg was determined using the Chemstrip Mini UA Urine Analyzer. Week-by-week Spearman rank order correlations between urine color and specific gravity for the total sample (n = 98) ranged from rs= 0.3 - 0.7, p < .01; the PROC mixed model was significant, p < .01. In subgroup ...
PLACUNOPSIS BIOHERMS: THE FIRST METAZOAN BUILDUPS FOLLOWING THE END-PERMIAN MASS EXTINCTION

Abstract Outcrops of the Lower Triassic (Spathian) Virgin Limestone Member (Moenkopi Formation) in the southwestern United States contain the oldest known metazoan bioherms formed in the aftermath of the end-Permian mass extinction. These small buildups, up to 1.0 m in diameter and 0.2 m high, were constructed by cementing bivalves. The bivalve bioherms accreted in a shallow, subtidal environment above storm wave base atop an oolitic hardground on a carbonate ramp. Similarities in shell microstructure and bioherm morphology between the Lower Triassic buildups reported here and previously described Middle Triassic occurrences suggest that the Lower Triassic bioherms were likely built by a bivalve assignable to Placunopsis. Although taxonomic assignment of the bivalve remains uncertain, the presence of cemented bivalve bioherms in Lower Triassic sections of the southwestern United States demonstrates that cementing bivalves were geographically widespread, even early in their Mesozoic evolutionary history. D...
Detection of Ureteral Stones With Transvaginal Sonography

Transabdominal sonography has proved to be an efficacious imaging technology to diagnose urolithiaisis. However, the location of the calculus may cause a sonographic examination to be limited. Sinc...
Lung transplantation in children with idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension: An 18-year experience

Background The natural history of idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (IPAH) in patients of all ages is one of relentless progression. For those who fail medical therapy, lung transplantation remains the ultimate palliation. In the USA, IPAH is the second leading indication for lung transplantation in children and first for children 1 to 5 years of age. In this study, we report our 18-year experience with lung transplantation in children with IPAH. Methods We performed a retrospective chart review of children with IPAH listed for lung transplant at our center between 1991 and 2009. Our data reflect a total of 26 children ranging in age from 1.6 to 18.9 years. Nineteen were transplanted and 7 died while waiting (27%). The impact of a number of pre-transplant variables on survival was evaluated. Results Median survival for those transplanted was 5.8 years, with 1- and 5-year survival rates of 95% and 61%, respectively. Survival was independent of pre-transplant considerations such as age, weight, need for intravenous (IV) inotropes, use of IV pulmonary vasodilators, year of transplant and severity of right-sided cardiac pressures. There was 1 hospital death. Compared with the transplanted group, children who died waiting had a significantly higher incidence of supra-systemic right heart pressures ( p = 0.02) and hemoptysis ( p = 0.01). Conclusions Our study is the largest to date to look at outcomes for lung transplantation in children with IPAH. Their median survival compares favorably with that of all pediatric lung transplant recipients, 5.8 years vs 4.5 years, respectively. We did not identify any pre-transplant variables that presaged a poorer outcome. Thus, survival seemed more related to factors that influence long-term outcomes in all transplant recipients such as rejection and infection. Lung transplantation remains a viable option for children with IPAH, especially for those with supra-systemic right heart pressures despite maximal medical therapy.
Globularity and protein function.

The forces that direct protein folding lead naturally to native proteins and protein domains that are typically, to a first approximation, globular—spherical and compact, with a relatively clear di...
All that remains: identifying the victims of the Srebrenica Massacre.

Late in the afternoon of July 11, 1995, the Bosnian Serb army, under the command of General Ratko Mladic, seized the northeastern Bosnia town of Srebrenica. Declared a “safe area” by the United Nations two years earlier, the predominately Muslim community had swollen from a prewar population of 9,000 to over 40,000, many of whom had been “cleansed” from elsewhere in Bosnia. As Mladic's troops swarmed over the town, the women, children, elderly, and many of the men took refuge two kilometers away in the United Nations's Srebrenica headquarters, staffed by a Dutch battalion, in the village of Potocari. Meanwhile, the remaining Srebrenica men and boys—some 10,000 to 15,000—fled through the woods on foot, trying to reach Muslim-controlled territory, nearly 40 miles away.
Generating simulation models from natural language specifications

A prototype system for the automatic generation of VHDL simulation models from requirements expressed in natural language is described. Requirements are parsed and analyzed semantically to produce knowledge representations called conceptual graphs. Multiple references (coreferences) to objects (values and devices) are detected among the graphs so they can be integrated into a single graph representing the given requirements. The graph is then searched for behavioral concepts (actions, events and states) and objects (values, devices and carriers) which are translated into VHDL processes and signals or data values. Causal dependencies represented in the graph are used to organize the behavioral information into if-statements. The resulting collection of processes and signal definitions are then formatted into a VHDL entity for simulation. A designer will first need to define any types left unspecified in the requirements. A simple example for a multi-function register is given, and results of experiments ge...
Versatility from a Single Song: The Case of the Nightingale Wren

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Compliance and Aging

It is well-documented that arterial stiffness increases with age (Roy, 1880; Hallock and Benson, 1937; Hass, 1942; Butcher and Newton, 1958; Roach and Burton, 1959; Learoyd and Taylor, 1966; Bader, 1967; Nakashima and Tanikawa, 1971; Mozersky et al., 1973; Gozna et al., 1974; Mirsky and Janz, 1976; Cox, 1977; Newman and Lallemand, 1978; Langewouters, 1982; Yin, Spurgeon and Kallman, 1983). Richter and Mittermayer (1984) reported that the volume of the postmortem human aorta is 35 ml at age 20 years, while at 70 years the volume increases to an average of 111 ml. With age the vessel becomes dilated and stiffens (Learoyd and Taylor, 1966; Nichols et al., 1985). There seems to be little doubt that arteriosclerosis, a frequent complicating aspect of the aging process in modern life, results in severe stiffening of the thoracic aorta, as well as other, more peripheral, vessels. The role that atherosclerosis plays in arterial stiffening has not been well defined.
Impact of omalizumab therapy on medication requirements for chronic rhinosinusitis.

Background Omalizumab is indicated for treatment of patients with moderate to severe allergic asthma. Previous studies have shown 70% of these patients also have chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS). The present series examines the impact of omalizumab on medication use for CRS in a cohort of asthmatic CRS patients who received this therapy. Methods The sample included 25 patients with adequate prescription data preinitiation and postinitiation of therapy. Data was available for a full 12 months both preinitiation and postinitiation of therapy in 20 of 25 patients and for 4 to 8 months in the remaining 5 of 25. Average antibiotic use (# of unique prescriptions per month) and systemic steroid dose (mg/month) were tabulated for each patient and compared before and after initiation of therapy. Results Mean antibiotic prescriptions/month decreased by 37%, and this was statistically significant (p = 0.013). Antibiotic use decreased in 15 of 25 (60%), was the same in 7 of 25 (28%), and increased in 3 of 25 (12%) patients. Chronic steroid administration was required in 19 of 25 patients, and dosing was highly variable. Mean monthly steroid dose decreased substantially in 8 of 19 (42%) patients, with reduction ranging from 40% to 100% from pretreatment levels. A modest decrease of 17% to 30% was observed in 4 of 19 (21%) patients. Steroid use was essentially unchanged in 4 of 19 (21%), but dramatically increased (71% to 366% above pretreatment dose) in 3 of 19 (15%) patients. Conclusion Omalizumab therapy is associated with a decrease in overall antibiotic use for CRS. A subset of patients also experience significant reduction in steroid dependence. Further study is necessary to determine factors predictive of response.
Misonidazole Enhancement of Radiation-induced Growth Delay in Rat Rhabdomyosarcoma Tumours Exposed to Accelerated Carbon and Neon Ions

SummaryThe response of a rat rhabdomyosarcoma tumour was assessed by measurements of radiation-induced growth delay resulting from administration of the hypoxic cell sensitizer misonidazole in combination with single and fractionated doses of X-rays and charged-particle radiation. Enhancement ratios of 1·8–2·1 were obtained following single doses of misonidazole (500 mg/kg i.p.) and 225 kV X-rays. Single doses of misonidazole with either carbon-ion or neon-ion radiation in the 4 cm extended-peak ionization region led to enhancement ratios of 1·2–1·3. When combined misonidazole (300 mg/kg i.p.) and X-ray treatments were given in four daily fractions, the enhancement ratios decreased to 1·2–1·5. However, a four-fraction schedule using either carbon-ion or neon-ion radiation in combination with misonidazole gave enhancement ratios of 1·1–1·3, which are similar to the values obtained for single-dose schedules with the sensitizer and charged-particle radiation.
Christian philosophy At the cradle of a Christian philosophy, B.J. van der Walt : book review

I understand and truly appreciate B.J. van der Walt's stated desire in this book to help keep reformational philosophy alive and relevant by acquainting the younger generation(s) with a tradition that goes back to John Calvin in the 16th century. This tradition was reinvigorated by Abraham Kuyper in the late 19th century, and it blossomed in the 20th century under the leadership of Dirk Vollenhoven, Herman Dooyeweerd, and Hendrik Stoker. Van der Walt's opening chapter on John Calvin is excellent. It also illustrates what a 'loving critique, but critique nevertheless' (which he recommends in chapter 2), looks like. I very much appreciate his methodic presentation of Calvin's philosophia Christiana. By explaining the difference between cultural context, religious direction, and ontological structure, Van der Walt sets the stage for a discussion of the main contours of Calvin's worldview or thought that is both incisive and provocative.
Protocol Evaluation in Multihop Wireless Networks with Controllable Node Sparsity or Density (Extended Abstract)

Simulation is the most widely used tool for evaluating network protocols in multihop wireless networks, yet this has so far been limited due to a lack of models for creating a wide range of scenarios of mobile nodes moving about. For example, for evaluating multihop routing protocols, the frequently used Random Waypoint model can only effectively be used in scenarios with relatively high node density, as sparser configurations (e.g., The same nodes in a larger area) result in frequently or always partitioned networks, with no possible multihop path between many different pairs of nodes. In this extended abstract, we summarize the design and evaluation of the Random Controlled Sparse (RCS) mobility model, a new dynamic mobility model that can be controlled for a wide range of scenarios with varying levels of node sparsity or density while avoiding network partitions. Our goal is to be able to create mobile scenarios that expose previously unexplored areas of wireless protocol performance, particularly for multihop routing protocols. We evaluate the performance of the model in generating scenarios and demonstrate the sometimes surprising performance results that different degrees of node density have on example multihop wireless routing protocols.
Photophysics and light-activated biocidal activity of visible-light-absorbing conjugated oligomers.

The photophysical properties of three cationic π-conjugated oligomers were correlated with their visible light activated biocidal activity vs S. aureus. The oligomers contain three arylene units (terthiophene, 4a; thiophene-benzotriazole-thiophene, 4b; thiophene-benzothiadiazole-thiophene, 4c) capped on each end by cationic −(CH2)3NMe3+ groups. The oligomers absorb in the visible region due to their donor–acceptor–donor electronic structure. Oligomers 4a and 4b have high intersystem crossing and singlet oxygen sensitization efficiency, but 4c has a very low intersystem crossing efficiency and it does not sensitize singlet oxygen. The biocidal activity of the oligomers under visible light varies in the order 4a > 4b ≈ 4c.
Task and Representation Interactions in Temporal Reasoning

Displays used to support tasks involving temporal reasoning often represent temporal information in a format reasonable for computers, but cumbersome for humans. Study participants compared sentences describing relationships between time intervals to either an alpha-numeric or graphical display and responded true/false. Two categories of relationships were examined: relative (before, after) and contained (during, contains). The graphical display allowed faster rejection of instances of categorical mismatch based on perceptual differences and evaluation of truth-conditions at a higher level of abstraction between the two types of relationships.
Direct measurement of Dirac point energy at the graphene/oxide interface.

We report the direct measurement of the Dirac point, the Fermi level, and the work function of graphene by performing internal photoemission measurements on a graphene/SiO2/Si structure with a unique optical-cavity enhanced test structure. A complete electronic band alignment at the graphene/SiO2/Si interfaces is accurately established. The observation of enhanced photoemission from a one-atom thick graphene layer was possible by taking advantage of the constructive optical interference in the SiO2 cavity. The photoemission yield was found to follow the well-known linear density-of-states dispersion in the vicinity of the Dirac point. At the flat band condition, the Fermi level was extracted and found to reside 3.3 eV ± 0.05 eV below the bottom of the SiO2 conduction band. When combined with the shift of the Fermi level from the Dirac point, we are able to ascertain the position of the Dirac point at 3.6 eV ± 0.05 eV with respect to the bottom of the SiO2 conduction band edge, yielding a work function of 4.5 eV ± 0.05 eV which is in an excellent agreement with theory. The accurate determination of the work function of graphene is of significant importance to the engineering of graphene-based devices, and the measurement technique we have advanced in this Letter will have significant impact on numerous applications for emerging graphene-like 2-dimensional material systems.
The Effects of Thermal Processing on Interfacial Microstructure for Thin Multilayered Metal Ohmic Contacts to p+-AlGaAs

Interfacial microstructure and phase composition of PtTiGePd ohmic contacts to heavily C doped AlGaAs were investigated as a function of annealing temperature. Results of the material analyses were used to explain the specific contact resistances measured for each thermal treatment. Evidence of interdiffusion and compound formation between AIGaAs and Pd was visible in a Ga rich Pd-Ga-As reaction zone prior to heat treatment. This phase is critical for the formation of Ga vacancies, which upon heating are occupied by in-diffusing Ge. As the annealing temperature was elevated, from 530 - 600°C, As began to out-diffuse. This As out-diffusion, which is critical to the formation of good p-type ohmic contacts, contributed to the creation and development of the two phase TiAs/Pd 12 Ga 2 Ge 5 interfacial region overlying the AlGaAs substrate. In response to the enhanced As out-diffusion at 600°C, the interfacial region became laterally continuous, compositionally uniform, and the specific contact resistance achieved its minimum value. Athigher annealing temperatures, ∼650°C, the electrical measurements degraded in response to intensive chemical diffusion and development of a broad, non-uniform multi-phased interfacial region.