cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Methyl isobutyl amiloride alters regional brain reperfusion after resuscitation from cardiac arrest in rats

In a rat model of cardiac arrest and resuscitation, [(14)C]-iodoantipyrene (IAP) autoradiography was used to measure the regional variations in cerebral blood flow 15 and 60 min after reperfusion. The purpose of this study was to investigate the hypothesis that the inhibition of the Na+/H+ antiporter with methyl isobutyl amiloride (MIA) would decrease postischemic pericapillary cytotoxic edema and, therefore, improve vascular perfusion dynamics. Vehicle-treated rats responded to cardiac arrest and resuscitation as expected with initial hyperemia after 15 min of reperfusion, except for thalamic and midbrain structures which were hypoperfused. All brain structures were perfused at half the baseline blood flow at 60 min after resuscitation, and the residual blood flow in each region was proportional to the baseline flow of each region. MIA treatment was associated with decreased blood flow in every region examined at both 15 min and 60 min of reperfusion. No hyperemia was observed at 15 min in any region after MIA treatment. Sixty minutes after resuscitation in MIA-treated rats, all structures were hypoperfused (to 25+/-7% of baseline, 48+/-8% of vehicle-treated rats). These effects are unlikely to be due to prevention of cytotoxic edema, but may be due to MIA protection of capillary endothelium by prevention of neutrophil activation.
Effect of lactofen application timing on yield and isoflavone concentration in soybean seed

Postemergence application of the herbicide lactofen is known to increase phenolic compounds such as isoflavones in soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] plants. We hypothesized that lactofen increases isoflavone levels in seed when applied at the R1 and R5 stages of development. Field research evaluated the effect of lactofen application timing and cultivar ('Garst 3712', glyphosate-resistant; 'Big Bubba', high-protein; and 'Envy', edamame) on crop response and seed isoflavone concentration. Lactofen at 70 g a.i. ha -1 injured soybean 7 to 15% when compared with the untreated control 7 d after treatment. Lactofen applied to Big Bubba at the R5 stage of development increased concentration of genistein 78 μg g -1 (11%), daidzein 82 μg g -1 (9%), and total isoflavones 169 μg g -1 (10%) compared with the non-treated control. Lactofen applied to Garst 3712 at the R5 stage of development increased daidzein concentration 52 μg g -1 (7%). There was no effect of lactofen on isoflavone concentration in Envy seed. Seed yield averaged across the three cultivars was reduced by 290 kg ha -1 when lactofen was applied at the R1 stage in 2002 and by 330 kg ha -1 when lactofen was applied at the R5 stage in 2004. Results suggest a late application of lactofen may increase isoflavone concentration in seed of high-protein soybean cultivars, but this effect may be accompanied by a reduction in seed yield.
Life-cycles, dynasties, saving : implications for closed and small, open economies

This paper examines the macroeconomic implications of life-cycle and dynastic saving behavior for closed and small, open economies. Using an extended version of Blanchard`s overlapping agents model, the analytical framework nests these two competing views, treating agents as either dynastic households or disconnected generations. Calibrating the life-cycle variant using empirical age-earnings profiles, the analysis compares the long-run effects of fiscal policy shocks under both perspectives. The results quantify the implications of life-cycle considerations for the effects of deficit finance on real interest rates and the capital stock or net foreign assets.
On the Nature of hERG Inactivation using KcsA, Shaker and Kv1.2 as Structural and Functional Models

In K+ channels, C-type inactivation locks the selectivity filter in a non-conductive state. The prokaryotic proton-gated potassium channel KcsA undergoes a time dependent inactivation process. The interaction between Glu71 and Asp80 is one of the key driving forces that promote filter instability and inactivation. This interaction promotes a compression of the selectivity filter parallel to the permeation pathway, which biases it towards the inactivated conformation. Since KcsA represents a structural model for the pore domain of K+ channels, it is obvious that a detailed understanding of the molecular basis of inactivation is not limited to this prokaryotic channel, but offers new directions into how inactivation gating might proceed in other K+ channels. Here, using patch clamp experiments, EPR spectroscopy, functional assays, molecular dynamics, and X-ray crystallography we show that interactions involving residues Trp67, Tyr78, and Asp80 in KcsA, conserved in most potassium channels, also constitute critical contacts between the selectivity filter and its adjacent pore helix which determines the rate and extent of C-type inactivation in Shaker, Kv1.2, and hERG. Substitution of a tryptophan or tyrosine at the pore helix to phenylalanine in these channels decreases the rate and extent of inactivation, pointing this position as key modulator of gating. Furthermore, by substituting equivalent amino acids critical for hERG inactivation in KcsA we were able to create a non-conducting KcsA mutant with normal pH activated lower gate. These results suggest commonalities in inactivation gating mechanism of eukaryotic channels, and provide evidence that the hydrogen bond network and Van der Waals interactions between the pore helix, selectivity filter, and external vestibule serve as the basis for C-type inactivation in the K+ channel family.
Unusual structure of the chicken embryonic alpha-globin gene, pi'

Abstract We report the DNA sequence of the globin locus encoding the chicken embryonic alpha-globin, pi'. The structure differs significantly from that of the two chicken adult alpha-globin genes, alpha A and alpha D, as well as from that of previously studied adult alpha-globin genes in that the introns of the pi' gene are substantially larger than those in adult alpha-globin loci. In contrast, the pi' introns are structurally similar to the only other expressed embryonic alpha-globin gene reported to date, the human zeta gene. While completing the sequence of the pi' gene, we determined that only one chromosomal locus within the chicken genome hybridizes to a pi' central exon probe. These data lead to the conclusion that if the equimolar chicken embryonic alpha-globin polypeptides, called pi and pi', are indeed independently transcribed, then that transcription occurs from alleles of the same gene; however, we favor the possibility that the pi gene does not actually exist. This conclusion is drawn from the observation that the two chromosomal alleles of embryonic alpha-globins (represented by recombinant bacteriophage lambda CaG5 and lambda CaG7) both encode pi'.
Understanding the pathophysiology of the arterial wall: which method should we choose? Intra-vascular ultrasound

Intra-vascular ultrasound (IVUS) is an ideal technology for studying the progression, stabilization and potential regression of coronary atherosclerosis. Unlike angiography, IVUS is able to image atheroma within the vessel wall directly, allowing measurement of atheroma size, distribution and, to some extent, composition. The tomographical orientation of ultrasound enables visualization of the full 360° circumference of the vessel wall, so that lumen dimensions can be directly planimetered on a cross-sectional image. This allows precise assessment of the extent of disease in vessels that are often difficult to assess with angiography. IVUS also allows excellent resolution of structures within the arterial wall. It provides a reproducible, safe and sensitive method for assessing the development and extent of atherosclerosis, particularly in its earlier, pre-symptomatic stages.
Future classes of hepatitis C virus therapeutic agents.

More than 170 million people are infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV), which is responsible for approximately 350,000 deaths per year. [1] Of those infected with HCV, up to 80% develop chronic infection, which frequently progresses to cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma, and death. [2, 3] Cure of HCV, or achievement of sustained virologic response (SVR), defined as an undetectable serum HCV RNA measured 24 weeks after the end of treatment, is associated with reduction in the risk of liver-related complications. [4, 5] For the past two decades, treatment of HCV has centered on the use of pegylated interferon alfa (peginterferon alfa, PEG) in combination with ribavirin (RBV). Therapy with PEG/RBV has produced overall SVR rates of 54%–56%, with a rate of 45%–50% in patients with HCV genotype 1 (GT1, the most common genotype of HCV) and a rate of 80% in patients with HCV genotype 2 or 3. [6–8] Long-term follow-up studies have revealed that a sustained virologic response is maintained indefinitely and corresponds clinically with cure. [9–11] However, HCV treatment is associated with numerous side effects, which have led to lack of adherence and premature treatment discontinuation. More specifically, peginterferon alfa is associated with flulike symptoms, cytopenia, autoimmunity, and depression, and ribavirin causes hemolysis. This multitude of side effects, numerous absolute and relative contraindications, as well as the less than 50% cure rate achieved among among patients with HCV genotype 1, have limited the real-world effectiveness of peginterferon and ribavirin. The vast majority of the 4 million persons in the United States who are infected with HCV have never been treated, let alone cured. For the first time since the discovery of HCV, recent advances in the understanding of the molecular characteristics of the virus have led to the development of novel antiviral therapeutics. Direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) are designed to inhibit viral targets, while host-targeted antivirals block host factors that are utilized by the virus for its own life cycle. In 2011, the first DAAs, telaprevir and boceprevir, were approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) for the treatment of chronic HCV genotype 1 infection, representing an important milestone in HCV therapy. Moreover, the rapid development of agents in multiple classes has led to the promise of shorter therapy duration, an improved side effect profile, and eventually interferon-sparing regimens. In this article, we review novel HCV therapeutics in development, including mechanism of action, efficacy, and adverse effects.
Popliteus tendon tenosynovitis

This series of case suggests that the entity of tenosynovitis of the popliteus tendon is more common than once recognized. A high index of sucpicion and accurate palpation of the lateral aspect of the knee lead one to the diagnosis. Knowledge of this entity may prevent future misdiagnosis of tear of the lateral meniscus and unnecessary meniscectomy as experienced by Helfet, Holden, and myself. There is a definite correlation with activities requiring downhill walking or running. The runners invariably complained of the oneset of symptoms during downhill running rather than uphill running. Back packing enthusiastscomplained of no symptoms for several days after ascending into the mountains, only to experience the symptoms at the end of a long, rapid descent out of the mountains. The pathomechanics of this inflammation of the popliteus tendon is not fully understood. Preliminary analysis of gait movies suggests that in downhill running there is an increased vector to displace the weight-bearing femur forward on the relatively fixed tibia as the knee is increasingly flexed (Fig. 5). Previously mentioned EMG functional studies indicate that the popliteus muscle is active during this weight-bearing phase of gait and may act to retard the femur from forward displacement on the tibia in conjunction with the quadriceps. More specifically, it may help to retard the lateral femoral condyle from rotating forward off the lateral tibial plateau. Downhill running or walking therefore may cause increased stress on the popliteus muscle-tendon unit in an effort to decelerate the body weight against the altered angle of gravitational pull, with resultant tenosynovitis and symptoms. In this series there were no top flight competitive runners. The typical patient was a 31-year-old physician who was jogging 1 to 5 miles and decided to increase his pace and distance, particularly while jogging downhill. The average age of this series of patients (31 years) at the time of onset, coupled with the fact many of these persons were relatively sedentary until stressing the knee by increased activity, suggests that there will be an increasing number of these patients in the future as jogging and running are prescribed for cardiovascular system conditioning.
The Myth of “the” Micro-Macro Divide: Bridging System-Level and Disciplinary Divides:

We clarify that management scholars do not have a shared conceptualization of what the terms micro and macro mean. Therefore, there is not one, but rather there are multiple micro—macro divides within management. Specifically, there are three micro—macro divides that separate scholarship at three levels of the social and economic systems that management scholars study. These system levels include individuals and groups, organizations, and the broader social and economic systems (which contain individuals and organizations—such as industries, labor markets, and societies). Scholarship at these three system levels is often based in different disciplines. For example, scholarship on individuals and groups is often based in psychology whereas scholarship regarding organizations and social and economic systems is often based in economics or sociology. Yet there are fundamental differences in the theoretical assumptions and methodological traditions underlying these disciplines. We call these differences discip...
Mechanisms of C6 glioma cell and fetal astrocyte migration into hydrated collagen I gels

Fetal basal ganglia astrocytes and C6 glioma cells were plated on the surface of 1.5 cm thick hydrated collagen I wafers. Both cell types migrated through the entire thickness of the wafer within 1 day after plating. The collagen in the wafer was digested and the fine collagen I fibrils were clumped into large strands. By 2-3 days, the collagen strands were digested from the wafers and replaced by a mass of fetal astrocytes or C6 cells joined by their processes. The collagen I digestion and cell migration suggested protease production. In a second series of experiments, cultured C6 cells and E14 fetal astrocytes were immunohistochemically stained for the presence of plasminogen activators as an index of protease production. Both tissue (tPA) and urokinase (uPA) types were observed. Fetal astrocytes and C6 cells were also positive for guanidinobenzoatase, a serine protease associated with migrating cells. These data demonstrate that rapid migration of the cells on and through collagen I fibrils is concomitant with expression of plasminogen activators and proteases which can either activate or function as collagenases and release the cells from the substrate.
Ex vivo activity of heparin is not predictive of blood loss after neutralization by protamine.

To study whether the ex vivo activity of heparin and Fraxiparin correlates to and predicts the extent of blood loss induced by the heparins (pre- and post neutralization by protamine), a rat tail transection model and a rabbit ear bleeding model were used. In the rat model heparin (2 mg/kg i.v.) significantly prolonged the bleeding time, while this dose of Fraxiparin had no effect. In the rabbit ear blood loss model, heparin (2 mg/kg i.v.) produced significant increases in blood loss while Fraxiparin (2 mg/kg i.v.) produced approximately 30% of the blood loss induced by heparin. Equigravimetric protamine reduced the heparin-induced blood loss by approximately 50%, however, significant blood loss, thrombin time and Heptest activity remained. Heparin and Fraxiparin (3 mg/kg s.c.) did not cause any increased bleeding. While, all activities of heparin were completely neutralized by protamine, the Heptest activity of Fraxiparin was resistant to neutralization. The ex vivo activity of heparins after neutralization by protamine does not correlate to the extent of blood loss which suggests it may not be necessary to neutralize all ex vivo activities of the heparins to baseline values to be assured that blood loss is reversed.
A concise synthesis of β-sitosterol and other phytosterols

A convenient synthesis of sidechain-modified phytosterols is achieved via a temporary masking of the stigmasterol 5,6-alkene as an epoxide. Following performance of the desired modification, the alkene is regenerated through a mild deoxygenation. The approach is applied to the syntheses of β-sitosterol and campesterol acetate, and suggests a facile route to the (Z)-isomers of Δ22–23 phytosterols.
Electrophysiological and behavioural response of Aedes albopictus to n‐heinecosane, an ovipositional pheromone of Aedes aegypti

Fil: Gonzalez, Paula Valeria. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas. Instituto de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas para la Defensa. Centro de Investigacion de Plagas e Insecticidas; Argentina
Transient Analysis and Simulation of Pitting Corrosion for the Estimation of Noise Resistance

Abstract A new approach for the measurement of noise resistance based on the transient behavior of pitting corrosion is presented. Potential noise and current transients have been recognized as a c...
Variable ATPase composition of human tumor plasma membranes

Abstract Purified plasma membranes from several transplantable human tumors exhibit very high Mg 2+ -dependent ATPase activities. Three types of Mg 2+ -dependent ATPases can be demonstrated: (1) an ouabain sensitive Na + , K + -ATPase, which is a minor component of the tumor plasma membrane ATPase, (2) a Mg 2+ -activated ATPase, which is a non-specific nucleoside triphosphatase, and (3) an ATPase activity stimulated by Na + (or K + ) alone. In three human melanomas, only the first two activities are found. In an astrocytoma and an oat cell carcinoma, all three activities are found. In the same two tumors, the plasma membrane Mg 2+ -ATPase is also stimulated by Con A. The relationship of these ATPases are discussed.
The effects of analyst forecasts and earnings trends on perceptions of management forecast credibility

We examine whether analyst forecasts influence investors’ perceptions of the credibility of a good news management earnings forecast. We hypothesize that the effect of analyst forecasts will depend on whether the analyst forecast confirms management’s forecast and the extent to which management’s forecast is consistent with the prior earnings trend. Findings indicate that the positive effect of a confirming analyst forecast is greater when the management forecast is trend inconsistent than when it is trend consistent. The negative effect of a disconfirming analyst forecast does not differ based on management forecast trend consistency.
Failure prediction in anisotropic sheet metals under forming operations with consideration of rotating principal stretch directions

Abstract An approximate macroscopic yield criterion for anisotropic porous sheet metals is adopted to develop a failure prediction methodology that can be used to investigate the failure of sheet metals under forming operations. Hill's quadratic anisotropic yield criterion is used to describe the matrix normal anisotropy and planar isotropy. The approximate macroscopic anisotropic yield criterion is a function of the anisotropy parameter R, defined as the ratio of the transverse plastic strain rate to the through-thickness plastic strain rate under in-plane uniaxial loading conditions. The Marciniak–Kuczynski approach is employed here to predict failure/plastic localization by assuming a slightly higher void volume fraction inside randomly oriented imperfection bands in a material element of interest. The effects of the anisotropy parameter R, the material/geometric inhomogeneities, and the potential surface curvature on failure/plastic localization are first investigated. Then, a non-proportional deformation history including relative rotation of principal stretch directions is identified in a critical element of a mild steel sheet under a fender forming operation given as a benchmark problem in the 1993 NUMISHEET conference. Based on the failure prediction methodology, the failure of the critical sheet element is investigated under the non-proportional deformation history. The results show that the gradual rotation of principal stretch directions lowers the failure strains of the critical element under the given non-proportional deformation history.
Paleoecology of the Choctawhatchee Deposits at Jackson Bluff, Florida: ABSTRACT

The Choctawhatchee (late Miocene) deposits exposed at Jackson Bluff, on the Ochlockonee River, are composed of two fossiliferous units separated by a slight erosional disconformity. Comparison of fossil molluscan and foraminiferal assemblages with extant communities in the Gulf of Mexico, western Atlantic, and Caribbean indicates that the Choctawhatchee sediments were deposited in an open-marine near-shore shallow to intermediate shelf zone, at depths of less than 21 fathoms. The lower part of the lower unit ("Ecphora facies") is transgressive over the nonmarine Hawthorne (medial Miocene?), and the deposits representing maximum water depth for the section lie a few feet above the base of this unit. The upper part of the lower unit was deposited under shoaling conditions. The overlying unit ("Cancellaria facies") is transgressive, but was deposited at a depth of less than 8 fathoms. The terms "Ecphora facies" and "Cancellaria facies" as applied to this section, are rejected. Comparison of the Jackson Bluff Choctawhatchee deposits with those at Alum Bluff, Liberty County, Florida, indicates that the lower unit at Jackson Bluff is contemporaneous with Units 2 and 3 ("Ecphora shell bed") and Unit 4 (Aluminous clay) at Alum Bluff, and that the upper unit at Jackson Bluff is contemporaneous with the upper Choctawhatchee sand (Unit 5) at Alum Bluff. End_of_Article - Last_Page 1968------------
Kinetics of N-Ethylmaleimide Inhibition of L-Alanine-Induced Germination of Bacillus cereus Spores

Abstract The kinetics of inhibition of l-alanine-induced germination of Bacillus cereus 7 spores by the sulfhydryl blocking agent, n-ethylmaleimide, were investigated. The germination response of heat-activated spores in 0.1, 0.01, 0.003, 0.002, and 0.001m concentrations of l-alanine (substrate) and 0.001 and 0.003m concentrations of the inhibitor was determined at a constant temperature of 35C. The velocity, fraction of the germination reaction completed, and per cent inhibition of the spore germination were calculated. The velocity and fraction of the germination reaction completed were found to have a direct relationship to the substrate concentration at all inhibitor levels. The inhibition of l-alanine-induced spore germination varied directly with n-ethylmaleimide concentration. The Lineweaver-Burk plot indicated that the inhibition was competitive. The l-alanine concentrations required for B. cereus 7 spores in 0, 0.001, and 0.003m of n-ethylmaleimide were calculated to be 0.303, 0.476, and 2.5m, respectively.
Citrinin mycotoxicosis in beagle dogs.

Abstract Three trials were completed in which young beagle dogs were either fed a citrinin-containing culture of Penicillium citrinum (Trial I) or were administered pure citrinin either ip (Trial II) or orally (Trial III). Dogs fed the fungal culture and those given 20 or 40 mg pure citrinin/kg body weight developed renal disease. Dogs given 2·5 and 5 mg/kg remained clinically normal and without renal lesions. Clinicopathological evidence of renal damage included a rise in blood urea nitrogen, glucosuria, proteinuria, lowered urinary specific gravity, increased urinary activities of lactic dehydrogenase, glutamic-oxalacetic transaminase and isocitric dehydrogenase and the presence of numerous necrotic renal tubular epithelial cells in the urinary sediment. Emesis and intestinal intussusception occured in the dogs given 20 or 40 mg/kg ip. Renal lesions consisted of degeneration and necrosis of the tubular epithelium, most prominently in the thick segment of Henle and in the distal convoluted tubules.
RF-photonic wideband measurements of energetic pulses on NIF enhanced by compressive sensing algorithms

At the National Ignition Facility (NIF), home of the world’s largest laser, a critical pulse screening process is used to ensure safe operating conditions for amplifiers and target optics. To achieve this, high speed recording instrumentation up to 34 GHz measures pulse shape characteristics throughout a facility the size of three football fields—which can be a time consuming procedure. As NIF transitions to higher power handling and increased wavelength flexibility, this lengthy and extensive process will need to be performed far more frequently. We have developed an accelerated highthroughput pulse screener that can identify nonconforming pulses across 48 locations using a single, real-time 34-GHz oscilloscope. Energetic pulse shapes from anywhere in the facility are imprinted onto telecom wavelengths, multiplexed, and transported over fiber without distortion. The critical pulse-screening process at high-energy laser facilities can be reduced from several hours just seconds—allowing greater operational efficiency, agility to system modifications, higher power handling, and reduced costs. Typically, the sampling noise from the oscilloscope places a limit on the achievable signal-to-noise ratio of the measurement, particularly when highly shaped and/or short duration pulses are required by target physicists. We have developed a sophisticated signal processing algorithm for this application that is based on orthogonal matching pursuit (OMP). This algorithm, developed for recovering signals in a compressive sensing system, enables high fidelity single shot screening even for low signal-to-noise ratio measurements.
Water Behavior in Layered Porous Media with Discrete Flow Channels: Results of a Large-Scale Experiment

A meter-scale experimental system (2-m high by 2-m deep by 3-m wide) was used to investigate the behavior of water in a model system consisting of two unconsolidated sediment layers separated by a layer containing discrete flow channels. Stainless steel tubes were inserted vertically through a clayey matrix to represent the discrete flow-channel layer. The experimental system was well characterized, and results from water infiltration experiments were analyzed. A time series of water arrival at a network of 86 probes located in the unconsolidated sediment layers is presented, as well as water pressure histories at specific locations. Some probes were located at opposite ends of the flow channels to assess water migration through the discrete flow-channel layer. Analyses of the experimental results focused on capillary break phenomenon at the interface between the overlying unconsolidated layer and the underlying discrete flow channels. Dissimilar water pressure histories were measured at probes near the upper boundary of the discrete flow-channel layer, suggesting varied and complex water flow behavior. At some locations, a steady or periodic “leaking” of water through the discrete flow channels appeared to occur, contrary to capillary break theory. The authors advocate larger-scale experiments to advance our understanding and ability to model fluid flow across a wide range of spatial and temporal scales.
Reversible molecular adsorption as a tool to observe freezing and to perform design of heteropolymer gels

Protein folding is one of the most challenging problems in science. How can polymers memorize and fold into unique conformations? How can they recognize molecules, catalyze chemical reactions, transfer molecular information, and create motions! The principle behind these mechanisms lies in the concept of thernodynamically stable phases of heteropolymers. Recent theories predict that the collapsed phase should be further classified into three phases: freely fluctuating like liquid, frozen in degenerate conformations, and frozen in a unique conformation. This yields a clue on how one can attempt creation artificial polymers capable to mimic some of the protein properties and functions. The reversible adsorption of target molecules is suggested as a primary means to achieve this goal. Target molecules with multiple adsorption sites play a twofold role. First, they mediate specific interactions between monomers and thus serve as “gluons”. Second, monitoring the adsorption provides the experimental possibility to test directly on monomer contacts, which is directly related to observation of the order parameter associated with heteropolymer freezing transition. A slight change in the backbone conformation alters the spacial arrangement of the group, allowing for reversible adsorption and release. Polymer gels are developed that can reversibly change their affinity to target molecules by orders of magnitude. The gels are made of copolymers of backbone monomers that can reorganize themselves through thermal volume phase transition and of monomers that can attract the target at multiple contact points. Further the gels “imprinted” with the target showed a marked increase in the affinity, thus mimicing a protein-like ability to memorize and recognize certain target.
Counting absolute numbers of specific leukocyte subpopulations in avian whole blood using a single-step flow cytometric technique : comparison of two inbred lines of chickens

Abstract A novel flow cytometric technique was developed to determine the absolute numbers of leukocytes of specific phenotypes in whole blood from two lines of inbred chickens (line 7 2 and line 6 1 ). This single step method is rapid, accurate, repeatable, can be used in the presence of nucleated erythrocytes and addresses the problems encountered when electronically counting the numbers of leukocytes in specific subpopulations in the blood of non-mammalian species. It is superior to previous methods in that (1) peripheral blood leukocytes (PBL) do not need to be separated by density gradient centrifugation, (2) erythrocyte lysis is not necessary and (3) absolute numbers of specific phenotypes of cells are determined directly. A standard volume of diluted whole blood was added to a standard number of fluorescent beads before incubation with fluorescently-conjugated monoclonal antibodies recognising specific PBL surface antigens. Samples were analysed by flow cytometry and electronic gates were set to count a standard number of beads and the concomitant fluorescently-labelled cells. Absolute numbers of B, CD4 + and CD8 + PBL were determined. Since the bead fluorescence is constant, it was also possible to measure relative MHC class I expression using fluorescence intensity. In both lines of chickens absolute numbers of all of the phenotypes of PBL measured increased with age. Although line 7 2 chickens had greater numbers of B, CD4 + , and CD8 + PBL than line 6 1 chickens, there was no significant difference in the CD4 + :CD8 + PBL ratios, the T:B PBL ratios or relative MHC class I expression between the two lines. Relative MHC class I expression increased with age in both lines.
Nitroprusside in children after cardiopulmonary bypass: A study of thiocyanate toxicity

Thiocyanate levels, an indicator of nitroprusside toxicity, were studied in 22 children after repair of structural heart disease during cardiopulmonary bypass. At the total dose (2.6±2.3 mg/kg) and time (34.4±19 h) ranges of this study, no evidence of toxicity was detected, despite this total dose exceeding recommended maximum in some patients. Nitroprusside infusion, as described, in children with normal hepatic and renal function is safe and may not warrant routine assessment of thiocyanate levels.
Data management: it starts at the bench.

Data management has been neglected but should be made an integral activity in all research laboratories. Chaussabel and colleagues discuss how to implement this at the bench.
Mixed Transcortical Aphasia in Nonfamilial Dysphasic Dementia

The neurolinguistic and cognitive profiles of a patient with mixed transcortical aphasia and non-familial dysphasic dementia associated with progressive, left perisylvian involution are presented. This clinicopathological entity has recently been shown to be an example of a novel class of intrinsic, focal cortical degenerations with sparing of the basal forebrain. The characteristics of the aphasia were unusual. There were occasional literal and verbal paraphasic errors, but no completion phenomenon, embellishment or significant echolalia. Evidence of a generalized lexical disruption was found on detailed analysis of residual abilities in reading, writing and spelling. A newly described form of non-lexical repetition was present, resulting in the patient's inability to correct syntactical and semantic errors. Affective prosodic repetition was intact. A combined paraphasic word-production and semantic anomia was found. These observations combined with evidence of evolving region-specific cognitive impairments suggest that the pathological process resulted in a relative disconnection of integral frontal and parieto-occipital areas from adjacent perisylvian language zones.
Detecting Solid Masses in Phantom Breast Using Mechanical Indentation

Palpation is an economical, safe and effective method to detect breast cancer among other expensive and sometimes limited diagnostic tools such as mammography and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). To understand the mechanics of palpation, a rigid inclusion was embedded in a phantom gel to simulate the lesion. An array of indents using a rigid indenter was made over an assigned area of the phantom surface, while the applied load, F, was measured as a function of instantaneous indentation depth, w. When the local stress field interacted with a sufficiently shallow inclusion, the mechanical response F(w) yielded an augmented apparent stiffness C. A 2-dimensional spatial map of C shows the presence, depth, and geometry of the simulated lesion. A camcorder was used to capture the in-situ movement of the inclusion during indentation, which showed consistency with the finite element (FEA) prediction. Results provide preliminary confirmation that mechanical indentation is a good tool to complement existing imaging techniques and has the potential to guide design and fabrication of an automatic palpation device.
The roles of FPGAs in reprogrammable systems

Reprogrammable systems based on field programmable gate arrays are revolutionizing some forms of computation and digital logic. As a logic emulation system, they provide orders of magnitude faster computation than software simulation. As a custom-computing machine, they achieve the highest performance implementation for many types of applications. As a multimode system, they yield significant hardware savings and provide truly generic hardware. In this paper, we discuss the promise and problems of reprogrammable systems. This includes an overview of the chip and system architectures of reprogrammable systems as well as the applications of these systems. We also discuss the challenges and opportunities of future reprogrammable systems.
Clearing and Settlement During the Crash

This article is a reexamination of the clearing and settlement process in financial markets (particularly the futures market) and its performance during the 1987 stock market crash. It provides both some institutional background and some conceptual perspective on the problems faced by the system during the week of October 19. Much of the discussion is based on the useful analogies that can be drawn between the clearing house and other financial intermediaries, such as banks and insurance companies. A major conclusion is that the Federal Reserve played a vital rob in protecting the integrity of the clearing and settlements system during the crash.
Tight-binding repressors of the lactose operon.

Abstract Sixteen mutants which produce lactose repressors with enhanced operator affinities have been isolated. By deletion mapping, six of seven mutations mapped fall into a restricted region of the i gene which also is the location of some anomalous i s (super-repressor) and some weak i −d mutations (Pfahl et al. , 1974). In vivo and in vitro characterization of nine of the “tight-binding” repressors indicates that: (1) they cause 1.5- to 6-fold decreases in basal β-galactosidase specific activities relative to the parental Q wild-type repressor, and have up to 30-fold increases in operator affinity in vitro . (2) With a few exceptions, the tight-binding repressors show the same relative decreases in basal β-galactosidase specific activities for a wide range of operator types (o + and o c ). (3) With two exceptions, the tight-binding repressors show normal or nearly normal affinities for the inducer, isopropyl-β- d -thiogalactoside, although the concentrations of inducer needed to release various repressors from the o + operator vary greatly.
Development of a high power piezoelectric characterization system and its application for resonance/antiresonance mode characterization

We developed a new high power piezoelectric characterization system, and report its application for characterizing the resonance and antiresonance vibration performance in this paper. Although the traditional constant voltage measurement was improved by using a constant current measurement method, the conventional technique was still limited to the vicinity of the resonance. In order to identify a full set of high power electromechanical coupling parameters and the loss factors of a piezoelectric, both resonance and antiresonance vibration performance should be precisely measured simultaneously. However, the high power characterization across antiresonance has not been addressed previously in the literature. Our new high power characterization system reported here is capable of measuring the impedance/admittance curves by keeping the following various conditions: (1) constant voltage, (2) constant current, (3) constant vibration velocity of a piezoelectric sample, and (4) constant input power. In addition, the system is equipped with an infrared image sensor to monitor the heat generation distributed in the test sample. We demonstrated the usefulness of the new system in a rectangular piezoelectric plate in the whole frequency range including the resonance and antiresonance frequencies. The results clearly concluded that compared to the resonance mode, the antiresonance mode exhibits a higher mechanical quality factor QM and the same vibration amplitude/velocity under a smaller input electrical power and lower heat generation. This may suggest a superiority of the antiresonance mode usage to the resonance mode from the high power application viewpoint (i.e., ultrasonic motors, transformers).
Improved Rabin's scheme with high efficiency

The letter proposes a modified public-key cryptosystem based on the Rabin scheme. It can provide simultaneously both private encryption and digital signatures for network users. In the cases where it provides only encryption or only digital signatures, the scheme provides that the bit ratio between plaintext and ciphertext is 1:1 , i.e. equivalent to that of the RSA scheme.
Apohorseradish Peroxidase Unfolding and Refolding: Intrinsic Tryptophan Fluorescence Studies

The unfolding and refolding of apohorseradish peroxidase, as a function of guanidinium chloride concentration, were monitored by the intrinsic fluorescence intensity, polarization, and lifetime of the single tryptophan residue. The unfolding was reversible and characterized by at least three distinct stages-the intensity and lifetime data, for example, were both characterized by an initial increase followed by a decrease and then a plateau region. The lifetime data, in the absence and presence of guanidinium chloride, were heterogeneous and fit best to a model consisting of a major Gaussian distribution component and a minor, short discrete component. The observed increase in intensity in the initial stage of the unfolding process is attributed to the conversion of this short component into the longer, distributed component as the guanidinium chloride concentration increases. Our results clarify and amplify previous studies on the unfolding of apohorseradish peroxidase by guanidinium chloride.
Finite-Length Solutions for Rotordynamic Coefficients of Turbulent Annular Seals

A finite-length solution procedure is developed for perturbation equations which are based on Hirs' (1973) turbulent lubrication model. The equations apply to small motions about a centered position and include the influence of swirl and changes in Reynolds number due to perturbations in clearances. Numerical results are presented for a range of L/D ratios, with and without swirl. For zero swirl, changes in the L/D ratios show results which are similar to those obtained by Black and Jenssen (1970), but when L/D = 1, differences of about 15 percent appear. The results including swirl give physically insupportable results at small L/D ratios, such as a negative cross-coupled stiffness coefficient at L/D = 0.2. This result demonstrates that the complete Hirs turbulence model is not suitable for short seals with significant swirling flow.
Platelet-associated IgG in acute and chronic hepatic diseases.

In order to investigate the role of an immune mechanism in the pathogenesis of thrombocytopenia in hepatic patients, we measured platelet associated IgG (PAIgG) in 84 patients with various hepatic diseases. Increased PAIgG levels were found in 84% of patients with chronic active hepatitis (mean 21.32 ± 8.45 fg/platelet) and in 75% of those with cirrhosis with hepatitis (mean 17.3 ± 11.2 fg/platelet). In these patients there was no significant correlation between PAIgG and platelet count. Increased PAIgG amounts were also observed in some patients with inactive cirrhosis (18%). Normal PAIgG values were found in all patients with acute viral hepatitis and chronic persistent hepatitis. An immunologic mechanism may play a role in the pathogenesis of thrombocytopenia in hepatic patients. Furthermore, measurement of PAIgG may have a great usefulness in the differential diagnosis of chronic hepatic diseases.
Rescue leads: a salvage technique for selected patients with a suboptimal response to standard DBS therapy.

Abstract Object We present four cases where supplementary “rescue” deep brain stimulation (DBS) leads were added for patients who failed to obtain anticipated clinical benefits. Methods Nine patients out of 295 patients who underwent DBS between 2002 and 2009, were identified as rescue lead recipients. Of these nine cases, four cases were evaluated. Two had medication refractory tremor which was incompletely suppressed by Vim (nucleus ventralis intermedius) thalamic DBS, and supplemental rescue leads were implanted in either the VO (ventral oralis) thalamic nucleus or the STN (subthalamic nucleus). The remaining two cases were patients with severe dystonia who were initially treated with bilateral GPi (globus pallidus internus)-DBS, and following suboptimal clinical benefits, a second GPi rescue lead was added in a case, and bilateral STN rescue leads were added in the other case. Outcomes of scores collected included Fahn–Tolosa–Marin Tremor Rating Scale (TRS) for tremor cases and the Unified Dystonia Rating Scale (UDRS) for dystonia cases and the symptom specific patient global impression scales (PGIS; 7 point scale). Results In the tremor cases, the TRS scale improved by 34.1 ± 7.4% and the PGIS following rescue lead was “minimally improved” to “very much improved” (range 1–2). In dystonia cases, the UDRS improved by 50.0 ± 23.6% and the PGIS was “minimally improved” to “very much improved” (range 1–2) after rescue lead surgery. Conclusion This small retrospective case series demonstrated that, in appropriately selected patients with suboptimal results of standard DBS therapy, the addition of rescue lead(s) may provide meaningful clinical benefit.
Convective-diffusive model of two-dimensional root growth and proliferation

Simulations of crop productivity and environmental quality depend strongly on the root activity model used. Flexible, generic root system models are needed that can easily be coupled to various process-based soil models and can easily be modified to test various hypotheses about how roots respond to their environment. In this paper, we develop a convective-diffusive model of root growth and proliferation, and use it to test some of these hypotheses with data on the growth of roots on potted chrysanthemum cuttings. The proliferation of roots is viewed as a result of a diffusion-like gradient-driven propagation in all directions and convection-like propagation downwards caused by geotropism. The finite element method was used to solve the boundary problem for the convective-diffusive equation. To test hypotheses, we wrote modules in a way that caused a test parameter to be zero, should the hypothesis be rejected. These modules were added or removed to test each hypothesis in turn and in various combinations. The model explained 92% of the variation in the experimental data of Chen and Lieth (1993) on root growth of potted chrysanthemum cuttings. For this dataset the following hypotheses were accepted: (1) root diffusivity (colonization of new soil) did not depend on root density, (2) there was no geotropic trend in root development, (3) potential root growth increased linearly with root density, (4) there were (at least) two classes of roots with different rates of growth and proliferation, and (5) potential root growth rate decreased with distance from the plant stem base.
Distributed last call optimization for portable parallel logic programming

A difficult but challenging problem is the efficient exploitation of AND and OR parallelism in logic programs without making any assumptions about the underlying target machine(s). In earlier papers, we described the design of a binding environment for AND and OR parallel execution of logic programs on shared and nonshared memory machines and the performance of a compiler (called ROLOG) using this binding environment on a range of MIMD parallel machines.In this paper, we present an important optimization for portable parallel logic programming, namely distributed last-call optimization, an analog of the tail recursion optimization for sequential Prolog. This scheme has been implemented in the ROLOG compiler, which ports unchanged on several shared memory and nonshared memory machines. We describe the effect of this optimization on several OR, AND/OR and AND parallel benchmark programs.
Quando a família é a principal doença

Introduction: This case study describes multiple signs of family dysfunction detected by a general practitioner (GP) during office visits as well as attention to the context of the patient in primary health care. Case description: The case involves a nuclear family composed of a couple and their 4 year-old daughter. The index patient is a 27 year-old male who was abandoned at birth by his teenage parents. He was raised by his maternal grandparents, who had few economic resources. During his adolescence he had minimal contact with his mother, who was already married with two daughters and living abroad. At the age of 18 he met a paternal uncle, with whom he established a strong relationship. This interaction led to a reunion with his biological father. The patient occasionally lived with him, his stepmother, and his half-sister, seven years younger, with whom he shared a room. They developed an incestuous relationship, which was revealed as a result of the pregnancy of his half-sister who was 15 at the time. They were then evicted from their father's home. Both members of the couple subsequently visited the same GP in independent consultations with nonspecific complaints without a clinical explanation. The multiple consultations aroused suspicion of family dysfunction. A multidisciplinary approach was helpful in promoting family welfare. Comment: This case study draws attention to warning signs of family dysfunction, the role of the GP in assessing recurrent signs and symptoms, and the use of family assessment tools. The importance of multidisciplinary collaboration for integration of care and family counseling to improve family dynamics are noted.