cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Excitation of ischemic myocardium: altered properties of conduction, refractoriness, and excitability

Abstract Reentrant ventricular arrhythmias arise in variable epicardium overlying the “transmural” infarction zone in the dog 3 to 9 days after left anterior descending coronary artery ligation. Effects of pacing (90 to 360 beats/minute) from the epicardium in the normal zone and ischemic zone were studied in 18 dogs using standard ECG leads and epicardial recordings. Pacing in the normal zone at any stimulus strength showed no changes in QRS morphology at these heart rates. During pacing at ischemic zone sites, QRS morphology changed with heart rate in association with conduction delays in the ischemic zone. This effect could be reversed by increasing the stimulus strength. Refractoriness in the ischemic zone was tested by programmed pacing. Abnormally short (≤ 130 msec.) and long (≥ 330 msec.) refractoriness coexisted within the ischemic zone. This marked dispersion of refractoriness was related to the occurrence of reentrant ventricular arrhythmia. In 10 dogs a 3 × 4 cm. section of ventricular epicardium was removed which included normal and ischemic zones. Action potentials were recorded during superfusion with Tyrode's solution at 37°C. Rate-dependent reentrant ventricular arrhythmias were initiated in 90% of the tissue studied. At a constant stimulus strength, action potentials recorded close to the stimulation site showed progressively shorter (
The coulometric determination of chemical oxygen demand

The chemical oxygen demand (COD) of solutions containing various organic compounds is calculated from the net faradaic charge (Qnet) estimated for the total electrolytic oxidation of CrIII generated during oxidative degradation of the organic compounds in acidic media containing excess CrVI. Values of Qnet for conversion of CrIII to CrVI are estimated from the linearized chronoamperometric data plotted as In {itat, t} vs. t. This procedure is preferred over determinations of Qnet from the total integrals of itot over the entire electrolysis period because of large errors that can result from uncertainty in the background current (ibkg) for t ∞. The proposed coulometric procedure offers the benefit that reagent solutions can be reused, thereby minimizing the need for disposal of wastes containing toxic CrVI. This procedure was applied in a single digest solution for consecutive determinations of COD. Average COD values for potassium acid phthalate and glucose were 103.8% (s - 6.0, N - 10) and 100.2% (s - 4.2, N - 11), respectively, based on the theoretical degradation to CO2. In comparison for these same samples, an EPA approved method, based on colorimetric determination of CrIII, gave COD values of 101.4% (S - 1.4, N - 5) and 100.1% (s - 1.4, N - 5) of the theoretical. Statistical tests indicate no significant difference in the COD values determined for these compounds using the coulometric and EPA methods.
Urinary Incontinence and Pelvic Organ Prolapse: Diagnosis and Treatment for the Primary Care Physician

This article outlines a simplified approach to diagnosis and treatment of women with urinary incontinence or pelvic organ prolapse that can be used by primary care physicians to identify patients with these conditions and initiate treatment for basic problems.
Use of an antibody to characterize and determine the role of the major Met-tRNAf deacylase from rabbit reticulocyte ribosomes.

Inhibition of polypeptide chain initiation in rabbit reticulocyte lysate by phosphorylation of eukaryotic initiation factor-2(α) results, secondarily, in the enzymatic deacylation of Met-tRNAf on the 48 S initiation complexes that accumulate. We have prepared an antibody to a highly purified preparation of the major Met-tRNAf deacylase activity on rabbit reticulocyte ribosomes, termed deacylase II. Antibody, but not similarly purified normal IgG, completely neutralizes the activity of Met-tRNAf deacylase II and has no effect on Met-tRNAf deacylase I, a separate, minor, reticulocyte activity with the same substrate specificity but very different physical and enzymatic properties, strongly suggesting that deacylase I and II are distinct proteins. We partially purified Met-tRNAf deacylase activities from rabbit liver, myocardium and bone marrow ribosomes and found them to be similar to each other and to reticulocyte deacylase I in their enzymatic properties and insensitivity to anti-deacylase II, suggesting that deacylase I may be a general form of this enzyme, present in many cells, while deacylase II may be induced specifically during erythroid differentiation. Addition of the antibody to reticulocyte lysate incubated in the absence of hemin or presence of hemin plus 0.1 μg/ml poly(I·C) did not reverse the inhibition of protein synthesis but did reduce the rate of turnover/utilization of Met-tRNAf and increase the level of Met-tRNAf bound to 48 S initiation complexes, demonstrating that the deacylase does not directly inhibit protein synthesis under these conditions but does mediate the deacylation, loss, and thus greater than expected turnover of Met-tRNAf in the 48 S complexes that accumulate.
Diffusion of xenon on a platinum surface: the influence of correlated flights

Abstract Xenon diffusion on a Pt(111) surface is modeled using a classical trajectory simulation employing an accurate semi-empirical potential function. Good agreement with experimental results suggests that this system may provide a good empirical test for Hamiltonian transport models. Analysis of the trajectory data indicates that long and correlated flights are centrally important in the diffusion process, although anomalous diffusion is not observed. Evidence is seen for the influence of low order periodic orbits in promoting long flights.
Managing information systems for urban and regional planning in Asian metropolitan regions

Information management is a neglected function of urban and regional planning in Asian metropolitan regions. Although some kind of information systems exist, these are mostly used for general administration and not for urban and regional planning. The critical factors which appear to impede the implementation of information systems are the inability to define the information needs, lack of systematic and disaggregated data, reliance on secondary sources and administrative records, lack of effective data processing devices, shortage of skilled personnel for data analysis, inadequate and defective methods and procedures for monitoring and evaluation, and limited resources for the adoption of information systems and technology. Some international organizations are increasingly committed to assisting the developing countries in practical programmes and pilot demonstration projects geared to the development of information systems for planning.
Prospects for the prevention of colorectal cancer

Cancer research has been productive in developing new knowledge on the role of diet in cancer. It is clear from epidemiologic observations that diet is the principal factor in the cause of colorectal cancer in most people. Therefore, a significant reduction in incidence is possible in countries where the disease is common. The ingestion of excessive amounts of fat appears to be the major factor that promotes cancer development. Animal studies confirm this and have recently shown that the sources of fat vary in the degree of their promotional effect. Fiber is generally considered to inhibit cancer but it is now clear that only some types of fiber are effective. These include whole grain cereals, and fruit and vegetables containing large amounts of uronic acid. In addition to fiber, a number of micronutrients, chemicals, and drugs have been found to be effective inhibitors. It is clear that the basic information concerning dietary changes that can reduce colorectal cancer incidence in this country has been uncovered. Additional information is needed about specific details of dietary guidelines. These include identification of the best mixture of sources of fat and how to incorporate such a mixture in the diet. Substances in foods need to be identified that, when included in the diet, help to lower cancer risk. People at high risk may require an additional supplement of inhibitors. New epidemiologic studies and human intervention trials should provide the necessary information to design dietary guidelines that are more specific than current ones.
Left–right asymmetry and congenital cardiac defects: Getting to the heart of the matter in vertebrate left–right axis determination

Cellular and molecular left-right differences that are present in the mesodermal heart fields suggest that the heart is lateralized from its inception. Left-right asymmetry persists as the heart fields coalesce to form the primary heart tube, and overt, morphological asymmetry first becomes evident when the heart tube undergoes looping morphogenesis. Thereafter, chamber formation, differentiation of the inflow and outflow tracts, and position of the heart relative to the midline are additional features of heart development that exhibit left-right differences. Observations made in human clinical studies and in animal models of laterality disease suggest that all of these features of cardiac development are influenced by the embryonic left-right body axis. When errors in left-right axis determination happen, they almost always are associated with complex congenital heart malformations. The purpose of this review is to highlight what is presently known about cardiac development and upstream processes of left-right axis determination, and to consider how perturbation of the left-right body plan might ultimately result in particular types of congenital heart defects.
Landau's collision term in time-dependent density matrix formalism

Landau's expression for the spreading widths of giant resonances is derived, based on the small-amplitude limit of the time-dependent density-matrix theory. It is pointed out that a consistent treatment of the groundstate correlations is essential to obtain the expression.
A fluorescein-labeled derivative of estradiol with binding affinity towards cellular receptors

Abstract 1,3,5,[10]-Estratriene-3,17β-diol-6-iminooxyacetic acid (I) and fluorescein amine condense in the presence of dicyclohexylcarbodiimide to give a fluorescent derivative of estradiol: 9{p-(1′,3′,5′[10′]-Estratriene-3′,17′β-diol-6′-iminooxyacetylamino) o-carboxyphenyl}-6-hydroxy-3-isoxanthenone (II). (II) can be prepared and isolated on a micro scale by thin layer chromatography. The results show that (II) is useful as a probe for estrogen interaction with cellular receptors and with antibody to estradiol.
LAW OF CONSERVATION OF MUONS

A multiplicative selection rule for mu meson-electron transitions is proposed. A "muon parity" = -1 is considered for the muon and its neutnino, while the "muon parity" for all other particles is +1. The selection mile then states that (-1) exp STAno. of initial (-1) parity particles! = (-1) exp STAno. of final (-1) parity particles!. Several reactions that are forbidden by an additive law but allowed by the multiplicative law are suggested; these reactions include mu + -- s+ + nu /sub mu / + nu /sub e/, e/sup -/ + e- -- mu - + mu - , and muonium -- antimu onium ( mu /sup +/e -- mu /sup -/e/sup +/). An intermediate-boson hypothesis is suggested. (T.F.H.)
Prospective neuraxis MRI surveillance reveals a high risk of leptomeningeal dissemination in diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma.

Prognosis of diffuse intrinsic pontine gliomas (DIPGs) remains poor. Failure has been predominantly local, with leptomeningeal dissemination (LD) occurring in 4–33% of patients in pre-MRI era series. Routine craniospinal imaging after initial treatment may reveal other relapse patterns relapse. Sixteen consecutive pediatric patients with DIPG treated between 2006 and 2009 were retrospectively reviewed. Treatment regimens, recurrence patterns, survival, and pathologic diagnosis were recorded. Fourteen patients received involved-field radiotherapy to 54 Gy, and two patients received craniospinal irradiation for LD at presentation. Neuraxis MRI was performed at diagnosis and at 4 month intervals following radiotherapy. Fifteen patients have had progression of disease (median progression-free survival 5.0 ± 1.2 months), and 13 patients have died (median survival 9.0 ± 1.4 months). Local failure occurred in 12 patients (75%). LD occurred in nine patients (56%). LD was present at diagnosis in three patients, after initial staging and treatment in six patients, and during autopsy in two patients. Median overall survival was 12.0 ± 3.3 months without LD and 8.0 ± 2.1 months with LD (P = 0.059, log rank test). Median progression-free survival was 9.5 ± 3.9 months without LD and 3.0 ± 2.1 months with LD (P = 0.012, log rank test). The high incidence of LD probably reflects liberal use of spine MRI surveillance. All patients should undergo routine craniospinal imaging at diagnosis and follow-up. Central nervous system prophylaxis should be considered in future clinical trials.
Depression treatment in individuals with cancer: a comparative analysis with cardio-metabolic conditions

A clear picture of the current state of nationwide depression treatment practices in individuals with cancer and depression does not exist in the United States (US). Therefore, the primary objective of this study was to examine rates of any depression treatment among individuals with cancer and depression in the US. To better understand the relationship between any treatment for depression and presence of cancer, we used a comparison group of individuals with cardio-metabolic conditions owing to the similar challenges faced in management of depression in individuals with these conditions. We used a retrospective cross-sectional design and data from multiple years of the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, a nationally representative household-survey on healthcare utilization and expenditures. Study sample consisted of adults aged 21 or older with self-reported depression and cancer (n=528) or self-reported depression and diabetes, heart disease or hypertension (n=1643). Depression treatment comprised of any use of antidepres- sants and/or any use of mental health counseling services. Treatment rates for depression were 78.0% and 81.7% among individuals with cancer and cardio-metabolic conditions respectively. After controlling for socio-demographic, access-to-care, number of physician-visits, health-status, and lifestyle risk-factors related variables; individuals with cancer were less likely to report any treatment for depression (Adjusted Odds Ratio=0.67; 95% Confidence Interval=0.49, 0.92) compared to individuals with cardio-metabolic conditions (P≤0.01). Our findings highlight the possibility that competing demands may crowd out treatment for depression and that cancer diagnosis may be a barrier to depression treatment.
Energy substrate production in infants born small for gestational age.

Aim: To investigate energy substrate production and its hormonal regulation in infants born small for gestational age. Methods: Eleven infants, aged 24.4 ± 5.3 hour, were studied following a fast o ...
Computational Models of Performance Monitoring and Cognitive Control

The medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) has been the subject of intense interest as a locus of cognitive control. Several computational models have been proposed to account for a range of effects, including error detection, conflict monitoring, error likelihood prediction, and numerous other effects observed with single-unit neurophysiology, fMRI, and lesion studies. Here, we review the state of computational models of cognitive control and offer a new theoretical synthesis of the mPFC as signaling response–outcome predictions. This new synthesis has two interacting components. The first component learns to predict the various possible outcomes of a planned action, and the second component detects discrepancies between the actual and intended responses; the detected discrepancies in turn update the outcome predictions. This single construct is consistent with a wide array of performance monitoring effects in mPFC and suggests a unifying account of the cognitive role of medial PFC in performance monitoring.
Needles in Hay: Chest Pain as the Presenting Symptom in Children with Serious Underlying Cardiac Pathology

Introduction. Chest pain in children is common, but rarely heralds serious underlying cardiac pathology. Despite this, the anxiety of missing a potentially life threatening condition creates a large burden of referrals and diagnostic testing. We evaluated patients diagnosed with 1 of 9 serious cardiac diseases and detailed the clinical signs and symptoms of the patients presenting with chest pain. Methods. Patients diagnosed between the ages of 7 and 21 years from January 2000 to December 2009 at Children’s Hospital Boston (CHB) were identified from a database using diagnostic and billing codes for aortic dissection, coronary anomalies, dilated cardiomyopathy, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, myocarditis, pericarditis, pulmonary embolus, pulmonary hypertension, and Takayasu arteritis. Patients with previously diagnosed congenital or acquired heart disease were excluded. Results. Four hundred eighty-four patients were included and 35% presented with chest pain. Forty-one (24%) of these patients with chest pain were diagnosed in the outpatient cardiology clinic, while the remaining 130 patients (76%) were diagnosed in the emergency department (ED) or inpatient setting. Coronary artery anomalies were the most common diagnosis made in cardiology clinic, and 16 of the 23 (70%) patients with serious coronary anomalies had exercise-induced chest pain. Patients presenting to the ED or inpatient units tended to have other important nonspecific symptoms (35–44%), high-risk past medical histories (12%), physical examination findings (32%), and electrocardiogram (ECG) abnormalities (78%) that heighten clinical suspicion of cardiac disease. Conclusions. Identifying underlying cardiac pathology in the CHB outpatient cardiology department in patients presenting with chest pain is rare, with only 41 cases over a 10-year period. The presence of exertional chest pain was important in identifying patients with coronary artery anomalies. A detailed history and physical examination, along with a critical review of an ECG, seem to identify those patients with rare diseases who need further diagnostic testing.
Is parallelism for you

This article offers practical, basic rules of thumb that can help you predict if parallelism might be worthwhile, given your application and the effort you want to invest. The techniques presented for estimating likely performance gains are drawn from the experiences of hundreds of computational scientists and engineers at national labs, universities, and research facilities. The information is more anecdotal than experimental, but it reflects the very real problems that must be overcome if parallel programming is to yield useful benefits.
In vivo control test of histochemical procedures.

In histochemical studies, the control test should be performed in an environment similar to that of the tissue. To simulate actual condition of histochemical testing, substances of known chemical constitution were injected subcutaneously into mice. The skin carrying the known substance was processed and tested exactly as prescribed by the method designed to demonstrate the substance. Experiments were performed to test methods for saccharide, fatty acid, amino acid, vitamin and ketosteroid. The applicability and limitations of this in vivo control test were discussed.
Zeros of discretized continuous systems expressed in the Euler operator-an asymptotic analysis

The structure of the zeros of SISO continuous-time systems, which are discretized via a zero-order hold and expressed in the Euler operator, is studied. In particular, it is shown that when state-space descriptions of linear SISO continuous-time systems with relative degree /spl ges/2 are discretized, then the zero dynamics of the resulting discrete system is singularly perturbed and shows a separation of time scale. The part of the zero dynamics associated with the fast time scale is shown to correspond to the zeros introduced by the sampling process (sampling zeros). An asymptotic formula for this part of the zero dynamics is given, and implications of the result to control design based on pole zero cancellation is discussed. >
User Subscription Dynamics in Communication Markets

In order to understand the competition and interactions between different technologies, it is of fundamental importance to study how users select these technologies operated by different network service providers (NSPs) . In this paper, we study the dynamics of user subscription by users in a wireless communication market that includes a continuum of users. First, we focus on a monopoly market with only one NSP that provides to each user with an unreliable quality-of-service (QoS) subject to the number of subscribers. Users dynamically make their decisions regarding whether or not they subscribe to the NSP. It is shown that there exists a unique equilibrium point in the dynamics and that the dynamics is guaranteed to converge under some sufficient conditions that can be interpreted as that the provided QoS does not vary too rapidly with respect to the change of user subscriptions. Then, we extend the analysis to a duopoly market by adding into the market another NSP that has sufficient resources and thereby provides to each user a constant QoS.
Sperner spaces and first-order logic

51A15, 03B30, 03C75, 03E75We study the class of Sperner spaces, a generalized version of afﬁne spaces, as deﬁned in the language of point-line incidence and line parallelity. We show that, although the class of Sperner spaces is a pseudo-elementaryclass, it is not elementary nor even-axiomatizable. We also axiomatize the ﬁrst-order theory of this class.
Believing in a Purpose of Events: Cross‐Cultural Evidence of Confusions in Core Knowledge

Summary We examined beliefs in the purpose of events in the American population. Previously, separate researchers surveyed these beliefs in the Finnish population. Their methodology was used to assess the beliefs in a dissimilar demographic. Four hypotheses were tested using questionnaire responses (N = 429; 301 women; Mage = 20.46) and analyzed with structural equation modeling. As hypothesized, a positive correlation was found between beliefs in the purpose of events and paranormal beliefs. Confusions of core biological, physical, and psychological knowledge predicted the belief variables—as hypothesized, although model fit was mediocre. Core knowledge confusions were also hypothesized to predict religiousness and purposeful-event beliefs. A close-fitting model displayed weak predictive power and was interpreted as insufficient support for the third hypothesis. Lastly, we hypothesized and found that participants rated events they experienced as more purposeful than events that they did not experience. We provide insight for the findings and make suggestions for future studies. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Spread of plague among black-tailed prairie dogs is associated with colony spatial characteristics†

Sylvatic plague (Yersinia pestis) is an exotic pathogen that is highly virulent in black-tailed prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus) and causes widespread colony losses and individual mortality rates >95%. We investigated colony spatial characteristics that may influence inter-colony transmission of plague at 3 prairie dog colony complexes in the Great Plains. The 4 spatial characteristics we considered include: colony size, Euclidean distance to nearest neighboring colony, colony proximity index, and distance to nearest drainage (dispersal) corridor. We used multi-state mark-recapture models to determine the relationship between these colony characteristics and probability of plague transmission among prairie dog colonies. Annual mapping of colonies and mark-recapture analyses of disease dynamics in natural colonies led to 4 main results: 1) plague outbreaks exhibited high spatial and temporal variation, 2) the site of initiation of epizootic plague may have substantially influenced the subsequent inter-colony spread of plague, 3) the long- term effect of plague on individual colonies differed among sites because of how individuals and colonies were distributed, and 4) colony spatial characteristics were related to the probability of infection at all sites although the relative importance and direction of relationships varied among sites. Our findings suggest that conventional prairie dog conservation management strategies, including promoting large, highly connected colonies, may need to be altered in the presence of plague. 2011 The Wildlife Society.
Is Robert I in hell

Can one use the most formal and formulaic type of source left us by the early Middle Ages to probe the beliefs and values of a tenth-century leader? An enquiry into Robert of Neustria's ‘deposition’ of Charles the Simple, the importance of Saint-Denis to Robert, and the contemporary meaning of the battle of Soissons.
Synthesis of Fluorophores that Target Small Molecules to the Endoplasmic Reticulum of Living Mammalian Cells

The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) plays critical roles in the processing of secreted and transmembrane proteins. To deliver small molecules to this organelle, we synthesized fluorinated hydrophobic analogues of the fluorophore rhodol. These cell-permeable fluorophores are exceptionally bright, with quantum yields of ~ 0.8, and specifically accumulate in the ER of living HeLa cells, as imaged by confocal laser scanning microscopy. To target a biological pathway controlled by the ER, we linked a fluorinated hydrophobic rhodol to 5-nitrofuran-2-acrylaldehyde. In contrast to an untargeted nitrofuran warhead, delivery of this electrophilic nitrofuran to the ER by the rhodol resulted in cytotoxicity comparable to the ER-targeted cytotoxin eeyarestatin I, and specifically inhibited protein processing by the ubiquitin-proteasome system. Fluorinated hydrophobic rhodols represent outstanding fluorophores that enable delivery of small molecules for targeting of ER-associated proteins and pathways.
Investigating time to void after lower-extremity orthopedic surgery in a pediatric population.

PURPOSE. This study aims to determine the time frame of postoperative bladder volume assessment in order to identify children at risk for urinary retention in a pediatric orthopedic population. DESIGN AND METHODS. This is a descriptive and nonexperimental study. Variables included age, sex, length of anesthesia, type of analgesia, analgesia delivery, bladder volume, and intravenous fluid rate. RESULTS. Twenty-nine percent of the children (n = 38) required straight catheterization. The average length of time to bladder emptying was 5 hr. There were significant correlations (p < .05) between several variables. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS. The standard practice of waiting 8 hr before assessment of voiding was not supported in this study.
Gene-controlled cytosine demethylation in the promoter region of the Ac transposable element in maize

Abstract The transposase product of the Ac transposable element causes demethylation of the BamHI site in the promoter region of Ac. This site remains methylated in Ds9, the deletional derivative of Ac that fails to make an active transposase. In the presence of an active Ac element the BamHI site of Ds9 is demethylated. Transcription of the element is correlated with the demethylation of the promoter region. Evidence is presented that supports the model that the trans-acting protein causes site-specific demethylation by inducing a configuration change in chromatin structure making the site inaccessible to the methylase. A chromosome alteration that involves the insertion of the 4.5-kilobase Ac element results in the methylation of Pvu I target sites about 1 kilobase removed from the point of insertion.
The Metabolic and Ecological Interactions of Oxalate-Degrading Bacteria in the Mammalian Gut

Oxalate-degrading bacteria comprise a functional group of microorganisms, commonly found in the gastrointestinal tract of mammals. Oxalate is a plant secondary compound (PSC) widely produced by all major taxa of plants and as a terminal metabolite by the mammalian liver. As a toxin, oxalate can have a significant impact on the health of mammals, including humans. Mammals do not have the enzymes required to metabolize oxalate and rely on their gut microbiota for this function. Thus, significant metabolic interactions between the mammalian host and a complex gut microbiota maintain the balance of oxalate in the body. Over a dozen species of gut bacteria are now known to degrade oxalate. This review focuses on the host-microbe and microbe-microbe interactions that regulate the degradation of oxalate by the gut microbiota. We discuss the pathways of oxalate throughout the body and the mammalian gut as a series of differentiated ecosystems that facilitate oxalate degradation. We also explore the mechanisms and functions of microbial oxalate degradation along with the implications for the ecological and evolutionary interactions within the microbiota and for mammalian hosts. Throughout, we consider questions that remain, as well as recent technological advances that can be employed to answer them.
The influence of precipitate morphology on microvoid growth and coalescence in tensile fractures

A study of the fine-scale topography of tensile fractures in selected aluminum alloys was made to provide information on the influence of second-phase microconstituents on microvoid initiation, growth, and coalescence. The test materials included three commercial aluminum alloys and three high-purity Al-Cu binary alloys heat-treated to provide a wide range of precipitate morphology. The fracture surfaces of notched-tensile specimens were examined, and the fine-scale topographic features compared with microstructural parameters. The principal observations made were: 1) for a dual precipitate morphology, void initiation first occurs at the larger precipitates, 2) fracture may occur by growth and coalescence of voids initiated at only a small fraction of precipitate sites, 3) void initiation can occur independent of precipitate particles, and 4) intergranular fracture may occur by growth and coalescence of microvoids within the grain-boundary zone. These observations established that the detailed aspects of fracture by microvoid coalescence are intimately related to precipitate morphology, but no simple, uniform correlation of fracture surface topography with precipitate size and distribution was evident.
Dietary formulation with meat and bone meal on a total versus a digestible or bioavailable amino acid basis

The digestibility and bioavailability of amino acids (AA) in meat and bone meals (MBM) may vary greatly due to different processing conditions. In the present study, two experiments were conducted to evaluate formulation of diets containing high or low quality MBM on a total AA basis vs a digestible or bioavailable AA basis compared to a corn-soybean meal control diet. Lysine, methionine, and cystine digestibilities (precision-fed cecectomized rooster assay) were 92, 91, and 71%, respectively, for high quality MBM and were 71, 83, and 31%, respectively, for the low quality MBM. Bioavailability values (slope-ratio chick growth assay) for TSAA in the two MBM were approximately 15 percentage units lower than the digestibility values. Male crossbred chicks were fed a 20% CP corn-SBM diet or corn-SBM diets containing 10 or 20% high or low quality MBM that were formulated to be equal in total, digestible, or bioavailable AA to the corn-SBM diet. All diets contained 3,200 kcal of TMEn/kg, 1.4% Ca, and 0.7% nonphytate P and were fed to chicks from 8 to 22 d posthatching. Growth performance of chicks fed 10 or 20% high or low quality MBM on a total AA basis was lower (P < 0.05) than that of chicks fed the corn-SBM diet. Growth of chicks fed 10% low quality MBM or 10 or 20% high quality MBM on a digestible or bioavailable basis was equivalent to that of chicks fed the corn-SBM diet; however, dietary inclusion of 20% low quality MBM depressed growth (P < 0.05) even on a digestible or bioavailable AA basis. Further supplementation of the latter diet with additional AA yielded growth that was similar to the corn-SBM control diet. The results indicated that formulation of diets containing MBM on a digestible or bioavailable AA basis is superior to formulation on a total AA basis. However, feeding high levels of a low quality MBM may require additional AA supplementation to obtain maximum chick growth.
Pregnancy in the brown Norway rat: a model for investigating the genetics of placentation.

The placenta facilitates the exchange of nutrients and wastes in an effort to promote fetal development. Disruptions in the establishment of the placenta and its interactions with the maternal uterus are potential causes of pregnancy failure. In this study we investigated the pregnancy phenotype of two inbred rat strains: the Dahl Salt Sensitive (DSS) strain and the Brown Norway (BN) strain. The DSS strain is reported to have large litters, whereas the BN strain has small litters. Pregnant female rats of each strain were killed on various days of gestation. At the time of killing, the number of viable versus dead and/or resorbing conceptuses was determined. Placental tissues from viable conceptuses were collected and processed for biochemical and histologic analyses. The number of viable conceptuses at Days 8.5 and 18.5 of gestation was significantly greater in DSS versus BN rats. Additionally, the number of resorbing and/or dying conceptuses was significantly greater in the BN strain than in the DSS strain. Maternal responses to pregnancy and elements of placental and fetal development in DSS and BN rats differed. Immunohistologic analysis of placentation and gene expression profiles revealed that trophoblast cell invasion into the uterine mesometrial compartment was significantly less in the BN strain versus the DSS strain. In contrast, the uterine natural killer cell population was reciprocally expanded in the BN strain. The impairment in trophoblast cell invasion in BN rats was associated with a smaller junctional zone compartment of the chorioallantoic placenta. Collectively, the data indicate that BN rats exhibit a unique form of placentation and may represent an excellent model for investigating the genetics of placental development. natural killer cells, placenta, pregnancy, pregnancy invasive trophoblast, prolactinlike proteins, trophoblast
Why short-term crustal shortening leads to mountain building in the Andes, but not in Cascadia?

[1] Subduction-induced crustal shortening, now measured by the GPS across many subduction zones, has led to mountain building in the Andes but not in Cascadia and some other Andean-type convergent plate boundaries. Here we use a two-dimensional viscoelastoplastic finite element model to explore how the GPS-measured short-term strain relates to long-term mountain building. We show that previously proposed causative factors of mountain building can be represented by two model parameters: the strength of mechanical coupling on the plate interface, and the yield strength of the overriding plate. The critical condition for producing permanent (plastic) crustal shortening, hence mountain building, is for the plastic yield strength of the plate interface to be higher than that of the overriding plate. Strong trench coupling and a weak lithosphere explain the Andean mountain building, whereas weak trench coupling in Cascadia allows short-term crustal shortening to be restored periodically by trench earthquakes and aseismic slips.
Surface Temperature Observations from AVHRR in FIFE

Abstract Observations of the surface radiometric temperature by the AVHRR sensor on board the NOAA-9 satellite during the First ISLSCP (International Satellite Land Surface Climatology Project) Field Experiment conducted in central Kansas during 1987 are presented. The satellite observations were corrected for atmospheric effects using a path radiance model (MODTRAN3) and radiosonde measurements. Problems with this approach include the nonsimultaneity of the soundings with the overpass and errors involved in profile measurements. For the former, soundings before and after the overpass were interpolated to the time of the overpass. For the latter, some of the errors arise from the ±0.5°C uncertainty in the dry- and wet-bulb temperatures, which can produce up to a ±14% relative uncertainty in the water vapor. To overcome this uncertainty, the water vapor profiles were adjusted until the channel 4 and 5 temperature differences over a large reservoir were reduced to zero. This adjusted profile was then used o...
EFFECTS OF CONCURRENT INFECTIONS ON HYMENOLEPIS DIMINUTA (CESTODA) AND MONILIFORMIS DUBIUS (ACANTHOCEPHALA). I. GENERAL EFFECTS AND COMPARISON WITH CROWDING

The ecology of intestinal helminths has been extensively studied in the past few years, but one aspect of their ecology, the influence of other parasites, has received scant attention. Such attention as has been paid to this influence has generally been directed to cross-immune responses of the host. The possibility of interspecific competition between parasites, which might be important as a factor in the regulation of their distribution and abundance, has been generally overlooked, or, indeed, denied (Baer, 1952, p. 213). Read and Phifer (1959) described the results of a series of experiments in which they studied the interactions between individual Hymenolepis diminutaand H. citelli in hamsters under conditions of ample and limited carbohydrate (starch). Both tapeworms were reduced in weight in the concurrent infections, but the extent of this reduction, and the relative effect on the two species, were markedly affected by the quantity of available carbohydrate. Competition for the available carbohydrate seems to be a likely explanation of their results. Cross (1934) reported an inverse relationship between the numbers of Proteocephalus exigus(sic) parasitizing ciscoes and the numbers of an acanthocephalan of the genus Neoicanthorinchus (sic) in the same host. Beck (1951), in a study on the effects of various factors on the egg production of single-worm infections of Hymenolepis diminuta, encountered several cases of accidental dual infections with Moniliformis dubius. He concluded that there was little evidence of toxicity of the acanthocephalan toward the tapeworm, although there might be some effect due to crowding or to competition. These two studies indicated that the relationship between acanthocephalans and tapeworms might profitably be studied. The experiments reported below are an attempt to determine the effects of concurrent infections on Hymenolepis diminuta and Moniliformis dubius. MATERIALS AND METHODS
Energy Flows in an Orifice Pulse Tube Refrigerator

A technique which allows for the instantaneous measurements of mass flow rate and temperature in an orifice pulse tube refrigerator (OPTR) during actual operation has been developed recently. This paper presents the values of enthalpy, entropy, and work fluxes at the cold end of the pulse tube evaluated from these measurements. They are thermodynamically self consistent within 1%. An analytical model describing the operation of an OPTR was developed at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in the late 1980’s. This model assumes adiabatic performance of the pulse tube and purely sinusoidal mass flow rates, temperature, and pressure oscillations in the OPTR. The experimentally measured enthalpy flux varies from 60% to 85% of that predicted by the adiabatic model. The experimental work reported, here also gives values for various phase relationships that are needed for some calculations with the analytical model.
Property Focused Structure-Based Optimization of Small Molecule Inhibitors of the Protein-Protein Interaction between Menin and Mixed Lineage Leukemia (MLL)

Development of potent small molecule inhibitors of protein-protein interactions with optimized druglike properties represents a challenging task in lead optimization process. Here, we report synthesis and structure-based optimization of new thienopyrimidine class of compounds, which block the protein-protein interaction between menin and MLL fusion proteins that plays an important role in acute leukemias with MLL translocations. We performed simultaneous optimization of both activity and druglike properties through systematic exploration of substituents introduced to the indole ring of lead compound 1 (MI-136) to identify compounds suitable for in vivo studies in mice. This work resulted in the identification of compound 27 (MI-538), which showed significantly increased activity, selectivity, polarity, and pharmacokinetic profile over 1 and demonstrated a pronounced effect in a mouse model of MLL leukemia. This study, which reports detailed structure-activity and structure-property relationships for the menin-MLL inhibitors, demonstrates challenges in optimizing inhibitors of protein-protein interactions for potential therapeutic applications.
Dispute Resolution Under MERCOSUR from 1991 to 1996: Implications for the Formation of a Free Trade Area of the Americas

MERCOSUR, which includes the nations of Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay, is South America's dominant trading bloc and the chief rival to NAFTA in the Western Hemisphere. This article opens by describing MERCOSUR's dispute settlement processes and institutions and contrasting those structures to NAFTA's dispute resolution systems. Professor Lopez then identifies and analyzes, for the first time, all trade-related disputes that arose between the MERCOSUR parties from 1991 to 1996. He draws from this experience several key distinctions between the way South Americans approach trade dispute resolution and the way North Americans have approached the resolution of such conflicts under NAFTA. Based on these findings, Professor Lopez concludes that the government officials negotiating a Free Trade Area of the Americas ought to construct a phased-in dispute resolution system that initially relies nearly exclusively on high-level consultations and then, after time, makes available the use of multinational institutions and formal adversarial proceedings for the resolution of trade disputes.
Targeted immunotherapy for pediatric solid tumors

Metastatic and refractory pediatric solid tumor malignancies continue to have a poor outcome despite the > 80% cure rates appreciated in many pediatric cancers. Targeted immunotherapy is impacting treatment and survival in these aggressive tumors. We review current promising immunotherapeutic approaches in the pediatric oncology solid tumor setting.
Conceptual Design of a Small UAV for Continuous Flight Over the Ocean

Dynamic soaring is a technique for extracting energy from atmospheric wind gradients and is proposed as a strategy for signicantly extending the range of small UAVs on specic missions. Enabling sensing technologies that make dynamic soaring feasible are reviewed. The combination of solar power and dynamic soaring is explored as a means primarily for storing energy in a battery that can be used to power onboard systems and provide a secondary means of propulsion if necessary. Conceptual vehicle design trade studies are presented as guides to preliminary sizing of a dynamic soaring UAV.
Anomalous serum bactericidal activity.

The in vitro assay of serum bactericidal activity in several recent patients with severe infection has shown an unexpected prozone effect. That is, the undiluted, or minimally diluted serum from a patient receiving antibiotic therapy with cephalothin showed growth of a microbial inoculum, whereas more dilute specimens inhibited growth. The effect was sufficiently extensive to lead to confusion in clinical interpretation. Replication of this effect with human serum albumin plus stock organisms and antibiotic has led to a possible explanation of this phenomenon based on differential protein binding.
Effect of chemical crosslinking on the free-strain recovery characteristics of amorphous shape-memory polymers

The goal of this study is to investigate the fundamental relationship between the extent of crosslinking and shape-memory behavior of amorphous, (meth)acrylate-based polymer networks. The polymer networks were produced by copolymerization of tert-butyl acrylate (tBA) and poly(ethylene glycol) dimethacrylates of differing molecular weights (PEGDMA). Polymer compositions were tailored via the amount (weight percent (wt%)) and molecular weight of the PEGDMA crosslinking agents added to produce four materials with varying levels of crosslinking (0, 2, 10, and 40 wt% crosslinking agent corresponding to 0, 0.6, 3.2, and 16.6 mole%) and nearly equal glass transition temperatures (Tg) The effect of crosslinking on deformation limits and free-strain recovery is evaluated. Near complete strain recovery was demonstrated by all materials; however, absolute recovery strain decreased with increasing crosslinking due to a corresponding decrease in strain-to-failure. The results provide insights regarding the link between polymer structure, deformation limits, and strain-recovery capabilities of this class of shape-memory polymers. An improved understanding of this relationship is pivotal for optimizing system response for a wide range of shape-memory applications.
Transition Prediction for 2D Flows Based on Coupling RANS Equation and Boundary Layer Equation

A Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes solver coupled Boundary layer equation method with a transition prediction based on eN method has been developed.The computed wall pressure from the Navier-Stokes solution is used as an input for boundary-layer calculation.Because of the singular behavior of the boundary-layer at separation,an inverse method is used.The acceptable eN method is used to prediction the transition position.A transition region is used to avoid or reduce the strength of the numerical perturbation because of the point transition.NACA0012 is investigated.The coupled Navier-Stokes and boundary layer equation are shown to produce converged results and the results are in good agreement with measured result.
WATER MODEL STUDY OF REMOVAL MECHANISM OF INCLUSION IN CONTINUOUS CASTING TUNDISH

The effects of flow control device,casting speed of liquid steel and inclusion size on inclusion removal in continuous casting tundish were investigated by water model,in which emulsion drops were chosen as inclusions.The results show that the removal efficiency of inclusion in tundish with weir and dams is relatively high due to the collision and aggregation of inclusions in high turbulence region and the improvement of flow field in tundish.Although the fluid flow has some change in pouring region with turbulence inhibitor in tundish,it has not much effect on the removal efficiency of inclusion.It seems to be difficult to improve the removal efficiency of inclusion only by optimizing the flow control devices in tundish as using high casting speed of liquid steel.
Physiological functions of GABA-induced depolarizations in the developing rat spinal cord

Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is one of the principle inhibitory neurotransmitters in the mature spinal cord. It effectively suppresses synaptic transmission by mechanisms of postsynaptic and presynaptic inhibition. The function of GABA is less well understood early in spinal cord development, when the amino acid is transiently expressed in most neurons, and it depolarizes instead of hyperpolarizes neurons. This article reviews the possible physiological roles of GABA in modulating synaptic transmission, promoting neuronal development, and regulating neuronal pH during early stages of spinal cord differentiation. It is proposed that despite its depolarizing action, GABA acts as an inhibitory neurotransmitter that may also function as a neurotrophic agent.