cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Meckel's diverticulum causing simultaneous hemoperitoneum and hematochezia

Abstract In this report, a case is presented in which a Meckel's Diverticulum causes simultaneous bright red, rectal bleeding and intraperitoneal bleeding. The first manifestation is typical; the second is highly unusual. A general discussion of Meckel diverticulum follows this case presentation, emphasizing the variety and heterogeneity of this anomaly.
High power, widely tunable, and beam steerable mid-infrared quantum cascade lasers

After more than 20 years of development, quantum cascade lasers (QCLs) have become the leading laser source emitting in the mid-infrared spectrum region between 3 and 12μm, where CBRN and explosives have strong absorption signatures. The Center for Quantum Devices at Northwestern University currently holds the record for both the highest room temperature continuous wave output power of 5.1 W and the most efficient QCL of 53% wall plug efficiency operating at cryogenic temperature. This book chapter presents our latest development results on mid-infrared QCLs with wavelength tuning and high power beam steering capabilities, which significantly enhances QCL’s suitability for remote spectroscopy and sensing applications.
Chromatin remodeling subunit BRM and valine regulate hematopoietic stem/progenitor cell function and self-renewal via intrinsic and extrinsic effects.

Little is known of hematopoietic stem (HSC) and progenitor (HPC) cell self-renewal. The role of Brahma (BRM), a chromatin remodeler, in HSC function is unknown. Bone marrow (BM) from Brm−/− mice manifested increased numbers of long- and short-term HSCs, GMPs, and increased numbers and cycling of functional HPCs. However, increased Brm−/− BM HSC numbers had decreased secondary and tertiary engraftment, suggesting BRM enhances HSC self-renewal. Valine was elevated in lineage negative Brm−/− BM cells, linking intracellular valine with Brm expression. Valine enhanced HPC colony formation, replating of human cord blood (CB) HPC-derived colonies, mouse BM and human CB HPC survival in vitro, and ex vivo expansion of normal mouse BM HSCs and HPCs. Valine increased oxygen consumption rates of WT cells. BRM through CD98 was linked to regulated import of branched chain amino acids, such as valine, in HPCs. Brm−/− LSK cells exhibited upregulated interferon response/cell cycle gene programs. Effects of BRM depletion are less apparent on isolated HSCs compared to HSCs in the presence of HPCs, suggesting cell extrinsic effects on HSCs. Thus, intracellular valine is regulated by BRM expression in HPCs, and the BRM/valine axis regulates HSC and HPC self-renewal, proliferation, and possibly differentiation fate decisions.
Protease-Activated Receptor Antagonist for Reducing Cardiovascular Events - A Review on Vorapaxar.

Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS) is a term that describes pathologies related to myocardial ischemia, and is comprised of unstable angina, non-ST elevation myocardial infarction, and ST elevation myocardial infarction. Urgent management of ACS is typically necessary to prevent future morbidity and mortality. Current medical recommendations of ACS management involve use of dual antiplatelet therapy, typically with aspirin and clopidogrel. However, newer therapies are being designed and researched to improve outcomes for patients with ACS. Vorapaxar is a novel antiplatelet therapy that inhibits thrombin-mediated platelet aggregation to prevent recurrence of ischemic events. It has been FDA approved for reduction of thrombotic cardiovascular events in patients with a history of MI or PAD with concomitant use of clopidogrel and/or aspirin, based upon the findings of the TRA 2°P-TIMI 50 trial. However, Vorapaxar was also found to have a significantly increased risk of bleeding, which must be considered when administering this drug. Based upon further subgroup analysis of both the TRA 2°P-TIMI 50 trial and TRACER trial, Vorapaxar was found to be potentially beneficial in patients with peripheral artery disease, coronary artery bypass grafting, and ischemic stroke. There are current trials in progress that are further evaluating the use of Vorapaxar in those conditions, and future research and trials are necessary to fully determine the utility of this drug.
Segmented array reconstructions for tomographic imaging of large objects: Theory and an application to neutron computed tomography

many nondestructive testing applications, high resolution images are desired of large engineering superstructures, such as aircraft. Traditionally, this is done by sequentially imaging small segments of the objects using small area detectors. Recently, we have developed a position sensitive neutron detector system using a LiF-ZnS scintillator screen and a cooled charge coupled device (CCD) camera. Large arrays of these individual detectors can be assembled to image large areas simultaneously at high resolution. For tomography, radiographs are obtained from multiple viewing angles with the large area detector. Tomographic reconstruction of large arrays is prohibitively time consuming and has several associated practical problems. By using the inherent segmentation of the detector, the reconstruction problem can be reduced to one of several small area reconstructions performed in parallel. A parallel tomographic reconstruction scheme based on segmented arrays is presented. It is shown that the parallel algorithm produces images that are identical to images produced without segmentation, however, using smaller individual arrays. The intrinsically parallel segmented array reconstruction provides a means of rapidly reconstructing images of any dimension using small, tractable arrays. An N x N two-dimensional tomographic reconstruction can be performed with m individual detector segments and m2 processors each reconstructing 2N/m x 2 x N/m image segments. This approach is demonstrated for neutron tomography; however, it is applicable to any tomographic imaging problem.
Evidence for a Bilayer Structure in Gram-Negative Lipopolysaccharide: Relationship to Toxicity

Additional evidence for a bilayer structure in isolated gram-negative lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is demonstrated. Both heating in an electron beam and cleavage of ester-bound fatty acids by alkali were found to split the bilayer structure of LPS into apparent monolayers. The altered structure of LPS resulting from alkaline hydrolysis may explain some of the altered biological activities possessed by the hydrolyzed product.
Between Freedom and Bondage: Race, Party, and Voting Rights in the Antebellum North

1. Introduction: The Beginning of the Story: Black Enfranchisement in the Antebellum Era 2. 'The Mind of Blacks are Not Competent to Vote': Racial Voting Restrictions in New York 3. 'An Asylum for the Oppressed Injured Sons of Europe': Disenfranchisement in Pennsylvania 4. 'Servility is Not Confined to Color': Disenfranchisement and Re-Enfranchisement in Rhode Island 5. 'The Vaunted Superiority of the White Race Imposes Corresponding Duties': Massachusetts and Black Enfranchisement - the "Exception" to the Rule 6. Epilogue: Reconstructing the Two Reconstructions: Race Formation in the Antebellum North and the Nationalization of Party Politics
From ramp discontinuities to segmentation tree

This paper presents a new algorithm for low-level multiscale segmentation of images. The algorithm is designed to detect image regions regardless of their shapes, sizes, and levels of interior homogeneity, by doing a multiscale analysis without assuming any prior models of region geometry. As in previous work, a region is modeled as a homogeneous set of connected pixels surrounded by ramp discontinuities. A new transform, called the ramp transform, is described, which is used to detect ramp discontinuities and seeds for all regions in an image. Region seeds are grown towards the ramp discontinuity areas by utilizing a relaxation labeling procedure. Segmentation is achieved by analyzing the output of this procedure at multiple photometric scales. Finally, all detected regions are organized into a tree data structure based on their recursive containment relations. Experiments on real and synthetic images verify the desired properties of the proposed algorithm.
Increasing Understanding in Children of Depressed Parents: Predictors and Moderators of Intervention Response

We evaluated predictors and moderators of differential response to two family-based depression prevention programs for families with a depressed parent: a clinician-facilitated intervention and a lecture group intervention. Individual and family level variables were examined using regression analyses with generalized estimating equations. For the outcome of child understanding of depression, parental changes in child-related behaviors and attitudes predicted greater child understanding (p < 0.001). For the parent outcome of behavior and attitude change, across intervention conditions, younger parent age (p < 0.05), female parent gender (p < 0.01), more chronic and severe parental depression history (p < 0.05), lower SES (p < 0.05), and single-parent status (p < 0.05) were associated with better outcomes across conditions. Effect sizes were moderate, ranging from 0.4 to 0.7 SD. Family and marital functioning were not found to be predictors of any outcomes. When both parents were depressed at baseline, there was no difference in the clinician- versus lecture-based approach, and when only the father was depressed, families reported more changes with the clinician condition than with the lecture condition (p < 0.05). Findings from this study can help identify intervention strategies that are appropriate for different types of at-risk individuals and families.
Chapter 6 Avian Cardiac Progenitors: Methods for Isolation, Culture, and Analysis of Differentiation

Publisher Summary This chapter describes methods for the isolation of avian cardiac progenitors, culture, and analysis of differentiation. The avian embryo is ideal for studying the early events in heart development for several reasons, including its accessibility, the availability of fate maps, the ability to culture embryos ex ovo , and low cost. To analyze and manipulate cardiac progenitors experimentally, it is essential to be able to locate this population of cells precisely. Using the avian embryo as a model system, it has been possible to localize those cells with heart-forming potential from the early stages of gastrulation throughout organogenesis. With practice, it is possible to remove 12 embyros from their eggs and dissect out the cardiac primordia in less than 2 hr. In addition, whole embyros can be grown in culture from the earliest stages of primitive streak formation through the formation of a beating heart. There are two methods used for removal of embryos up to 72 hr old from their eggs: filter-paper method and the New method. Embryos at early developmental stages can be easily removed from the egg using filter-paper rings.
COLONIAL GARDENS AND THE VALIDATION OF EMPIRE IN IMPERIAL INDIA

Deccan gardens in South India during the Islamic period (1206-1756) frequently had an Edenic quality about them. As noted by Flatt (2007), Hanaway (1976), and Inden (2007), among others, the design often represented aspects of the supernatural or paradise, with representations of the pleasures of this life and the forthcoming joys of the afterlife. The garden often served a symbolic function, in that it represented the divine recognition of the temporal authority of the Sultan. British gardens in the Deccan in fact had a similar symbolic purpose. The legitimacy of British rule, as represented by the garden, rested not in divine authority, however, but in the power drawn from the Enlightenment. Reason, in the form of science and technology, increasingly became the proof that the British faced a divine mission as well: to civilize the savage. No place represents this ideal better than the Victoria Gardens in Bombay. While the gardens focused on nature, it was a nature to be understood and classified, not to be enjoyed for pure aesthetics. Under the leadership of Sir George Birdwood, the Victoria Gardens became a museum for British enlightenment and scientific justification for rule. Included in the gardens were the Victoria and Albert Museum, a botanical garden, and a zoo. Plants were imported from around Asia, Africa, and the Americas, not for their beauty, but for cataloguing. The museum, which formed the central focus of the gardens, categorized types of South Asians through tiny models, along with catalogued examples of Indian craftsmanship. In short, in a Linnaean fashion, the gardens were there for colonial study and a superior representation. As one colonial administrator noted, the gardens were “one of the greatest boons which England could have conferred on India” (Nicholson, 2007).
An assessment of the performance of slant-path attenuation prediction methods in tropical and equatorial regions

As the demands for larger capacity and new satellite services increase, so does the importance of the problem of slant-path attenuation prediction at frequencies above 10 GHz. The authors present a comparison between the attenuation predicted by nine of the currently available methods, using point rainfall data measured at four Brazilian locations, and the attenuations actually obtained from concurrently performed radiometric measurements. These results constitute a first step towards the improvement of slant-path attenuation predictions above 10 GHz in tropical and equatorial regions. >
Classification and prognosis of invasive breast cancer: from morphology to molecular taxonomy

For many years, patient age, axillary lymph node status, tumor size, histological features (especially histological grade and lymphovascular invasion), hormone receptor status, and HER2 status have been the major factors used to categorize patients with breast cancer in order to assess prognosis and determine the appropriate therapy. These factors are most often viewed in combination to group patients into various risk categories. Although these risk categories are useful for assessing prognosis and risk in groups of patients with breast cancer, their role in determining prognosis and evaluating risk in an individual patient is more limited. Therefore, better methods are required to help assess prognosis and determine the most appropriate treatment for patients on an individual basis. Recently, various molecular techniques, particular gene expression profiling, have been increasingly used to help refine breast cancer classification and to assess prognosis and response to therapy. Although the precise role of these newer techniques in the daily management of patients with breast cancer continues to evolve, it is clear that they have the potential to provide value above and beyond that provided by the traditional clinical and pathological prognostic and predictive factors.
Modern and ancient geotherms beneath southern Africa

Estimates of subsurface temperatures in the Archean craton of southern Africa during the Archean derived from diamond thermobarometry studies are remarkably similar to temperatures estimated for the same depths today, even though heat production in the earth and the mean global heat flow were probably substantially higher in the Archean. We present multi-dimensional numerical models for the thermal environment of the Archean craton in southern Africa during the Archean in which deep mantle heat is diverted away from the craton toward the surrounding oceanic lithosphere by a lithospheric root beneath the craton. Extrapolation of present-day models to thermal conditions appropriate for the Archean is inadequate to explain the similarity of present-day and Archean temperatures in the cratonic root. Reconciliation of the modern and ancient temperature estimates requires either relaxation of the constraints that the cratonic crustal heat production and/or the earth's mean mantle temperature were higher in the Archean than they are today, or that substantial "erosion" of the lithosphere comprising the cratonic root has occurred since the Archean. The latter possibility could perhaps result from revolatilization of the cratonic root in association with thermal perturbations in the mantle, for which there is evidence in southern Africa in the form of post-Archean tectonic and igneous activity.
Crystal Structures of the Luciferase and Green Fluorescent Protein from Renilla reniformis.

Due to its ability to emit light, the luciferase from Renilla reniformis (RLuc) is widely employed in molecular biology as a reporter gene in cell culture experiments and small animal imaging. To accomplish this bioluminescence, the 37-kDa enzyme catalyzes the degradation of its substrate coelenterazine in the presence of molecular oxygen, resulting in the product coelenteramide, carbon dioxide, and the desired photon of light. We successfully crystallized a stabilized variant of this important protein (RLuc8) and herein present the first structures for any coelenterazine-using luciferase. These structures are based on high-resolution data measured to 1.4 A and demonstrate a classic α/β-hydrolase fold. We also present data of a coelenteramide-bound luciferase and reason that this structure represents a secondary conformational form following shift of the product out of the primary active site. During the course of this work, the structure of the luciferase's accessory green fluorescent protein (RrGFP) was also determined and shown to be highly similar to that of Aequorea victoria GFP.
What Are the Most Clinically Useful Cutoffs for the Alvarado and Pediatric Appendicitis Scores? A Systematic Review

Study objective The objective of this study is to systematically review the accuracy of the Alvarado score and Pediatric Appendicitis Score and to identify optimal cutoffs for low- and high-risk populations. Methods We performed a systematic review of the literature and identified 26 studies of the accuracy of the Alvarado score and Pediatric Appendicitis Score. Data were abstracted in parallel, and only prospective, cohort studies that avoided verification bias were included. We calculated summary likelihood ratios for low-, moderate-, and high-risk groups, using all possible cutoffs based on available data, even if not reported in the original study. Results The pretest probability of appendicitis was approximately 33% in studies of children and approximately 66% in studies of adults. Likelihood ratios at different cutoffs for the Alvarado score in adults were as follows: 0.03 ( Conclusion For children with a pretest probability of acute appendicitis of 60% or less, an Alvarado score below 4 rules out the diagnosis; this is also true for a score less than 5 if the pretest probability is up to approximately 40%. In adults with a pretest probability greater than or equal to 60%, an Alvarado score of 8 or higher rules in the diagnosis, whereas one of 9 or higher rules in the diagnosis at pretest probabilities greater than or equal to 40%. The Pediatric Appendicitis Score did not identify clinically useful low- or high-risk groups at typical pretest probabilities.
Molecular sizes of lichen ice nucleation sites determined by gamma radiation inactivation analysis

Abstract It has previously been shown that some species of lichen fungi contain proteinaceous ice nuclei which are active at temperatures as warm as −2 °C. This experiment was undertaken to determine the molecular sizes of ice nuclei in the lichen fungus Rhizoplaca chrysoleuca and to compare them to bacterial ice nuclei from Pseudomonas syringae. Gamma radiation inactivation analysis was used to determine molecular weights. Radiation inactivation analysis is based on target theory, which states that the likelihood of a molecule being inactivated by gamma rays increases as its size increases. Three different sources of ice nuclei from the lichen R. chrysoleuca were tested: field-collected lichens, extract of lichen fungus, and a pure culture of the fungus R. chrysoleuca. P. syringae strain Cit7 was used as a source of bacterial ice nuclei. Samples were lyophilized, irradiated with gamma doses ranging from 0 to 10.4 Mrads, and then tested for ice nucleation activity using a droplet-freezing assay. Data for all four types of samples were in rough agreement; sizes of nucleation sites increased logarithmically with increasing temperatures of ice nucleation activity. Molecular weights of nucleation sites active between −3 and −4 °C from the bacteria and from the field-collected lichens were approximately 1.0 × 106 Da. Nuclei from the lichen fungus and in the lichen extract appeared to be slightly smaller but followed the same log-normal pattern with temperature of ice nucleation activity. The data for both the bacterial and lichen ice nuclei are in agreement with ice nucleation theory which states that the size of ice nucleation sites increases logarithmically as the temperature of nucleation increases linearly. This suggests that although some differences exist between bacterial and lichen ice nucleation sites, their molecular sizes are quite similar.
Thermoremanent magnetization III. Theory of multidomain grains

Abstract A theory of thermoremanent magnetization is obtained for a Ferromagnetic material composed of multidomain particles. Relationships are derived between the blocking temperature and coercive force and also between the intensity of thermoremanent magnetization and the strength of the external field. These relationships appear to account rather well for the experimental results reported in an earlier paper. The theory is compared with various other explanations of thermoremanence, especially Neel's theory for single domain particles. The two theories seem to account in a natural way both for the resemblances and the differences between thermoremanent magnetizations in single domain and multi-domain particles.
The effects of irradiation on the normal metal of a composite superconductor: a comparison of copper and aluminum☆

The most economical design of a superconducting magnet for a fusion reactor will depend sensitively on the irradiation-induced changes in magnetoresistance which can be expected during its life. This report presents new data on damage production for aluminum that were obtained in neutron irradiation experiments at 4 K. These data are combined with previously obtained results on saturation effects and magnetoresistivity to yield a projection of total resistivity vs neutron dose (expressed in displacements per atom) for aluminum in service at < 10 K in a magnetic field. The results are compared closely with those obtained previously for copper, using the same method of analysis.
Perforation of the tunnel wall in carbamoyl phosphate synthetase derails the passage of ammonia between sequential active sites.

Carbamoyl phosphate synthetase (CPS) from Escherichia coli consists of a small subunit (∼42 kDa) and a large subunit (∼118 kDa) and catalyzes the biosynthesis of carbamoyl phosphate from MgATP, bicarbonate, and glutamine. The enzyme is able to utilize external ammonia as an alternative nitrogen source when glutamine is absent. CPS contains an internal molecular tunnel, which has been proposed to facilitate the translocation of reaction intermediates from one active site to another. Ammonia, the product from the hydrolysis of glutamine in the small subunit, is apparently transported to the next active site in the large subunit of CPS over a distance of about 45 A. The ammonia tunnel that connects these two active sites provides a direct path for the guided diffusion of ammonia and protection from protonation. Molecular damage to the ammonia tunnel was conducted in an attempt to induce leakage of ammonia directly to the protein exterior by the creation of a perforation in the tunnel wall. A hole in the tunn...
Observation of Quantum-Size Effects at Room Temperature on Metal Surfaces With STM.

Surface steps act as confining barriers for electrons in metal-surface states. Thus, narrow terraces and small single-atom—high metal islands act as low-dimensional, electron-confining structures. In sufficiently small structures, quantum-size effects are observable even at room temperature. Scanning tunneling spectroscopy is used to image the probability amplitude distributions and discrete spectra of the confined states. Examination of the electronic structure of the steps provides evidence for electron-density smoothing and the formation of step-edge states. Estimates of the electron-confining barriers are obtained.
Detection of motional heterogeneities in lipid bilayer membranes by dual probe fluorescence correlation spectroscopy.

Abstract We report the detection of heterogeneities in the diffusion of lipid molecules for the three-component mixture dipalmitoyl-PC/dilauroyl-PC/cholesterol, a chemically simple lipid model for the mammalian plasma membrane outer leaflet. Two-color fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) was performed on giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs) using fluorescent probes that have differential lipid phase partition behavior—DiO-C18:2 favors disordered fluid lipid phases, whereas DiI-C20:0 prefers spatially ordered lipid phases. Simultaneously-obtained fluorescence autocorrelation functions from the same excitation volume for each dye showed that, depending on the lipid composition of this ternary mixture, the two dyes exhibited different lateral mobilities in regions of the phase diagram with previously proposed submicroscopic two-phase coexistence. In one-phase regions, both dyes reported identical diffusion coefficients. Two-color FCS thus may be detecting local membrane heterogeneities at size scales below the optical resolution limit, either due to short-range order in a single phase or due to submicroscopic phase separation.
Possible Drug‐Associated Pancreatitis after Paclitaxel‐Cremophor Administration

Paclitaxel, a relatively new antineoplastic agent, is associated with numerous side effects, including two reported cases of pancreatitis. Our patient also developed paclitaxel-associated pancreatitis. Several companion drugs, including steroids, diphenhydramine, histamine2 blockers, serotonin type 3 antagonists, and other chemotherapeutic agents administered with paclitaxel, must be considered as possible causes of pancreatitis. In addition, paclitaxel is a hydrophobic agent that requires a vehicle, cremophor (CrEL), for solubility. Intravenous cyclosporine also requires CrEL and has been associated with pancreatitis. In the cerulein-induced pancreatitis rat model, paclitaxel with dimethyl sulfoxide as a vehicle prevents pancreatitis, suggesting that another causal agent is responsible. Animal studies of CrEL as a single agent may be required to settle this question, but for now, awareness that paclitaxel may be associated with pancreatitis may lead to earlier treatment of this potentially fatal complication.
Scanning structure-activity relationships with structure-activity similarity and related maps: from consensus activity cliffs to selectivity switches.

Systematic description of structure–activity relationships (SARs) of data sets and structure–property relationships (SPRs) is of paramount importance in medicinal chemistry and other research fields. To this end, structure–activity similarity (SAS) maps are one of the first tools proposed to describe SARs using the concept of activity landscape modeling. One of the major goals of the SAS maps is to identify activity cliffs defined as chemical compounds with high similar structure but unexpectedly very different biological activity. Since the first publication of the SAS maps more than ten years ago, these tools have evolved and adapted over the years to analyze various types of compound collections, including structural diverse and combinatorial sets with activity for one or multiple biological end points. The development of SAS maps has led to general concepts that are applicable to other activity landscape methods such as “consensus activity cliffs” (activity cliffs common to a series of representations...
Active sliding between cytoplasmic microtubules

Microtubules are versatile cellular polymers that play a role in cell shape determination and mediate various motile processes such as ciliary and flagellar bending, chromosome movements and organelle transport1. That a sliding microtubule mechanism can generate force has been demonstrated in highly ordered structures such as axonemes2,3, and microtubule-based force generation almost certainly contributes to the function of mitotic and meiotic spindles4,5. Most cytoplasmic microtubule arrays, however, do not exhibit the structural regularity of axonemes and some spindles, and often appear disorganized. Yet many cellular activities (such as shape changes during morphogenesis6–9, axonal extension10,11 and spindle assembly) involve highly coordinated microtubule behaviour and possibly require force generated by an intermi-crotubule sliding mechanism, or perhaps use sliding to move microtubules rapidly into a protrusion for stabilization12. Here we show that active sliding between cytoplasmic microtubules can occur in microtubule bundles of the amoeba Reticulomyxa. A force-producing mechanism of this sort could be used by this organism to facilitate the extension of cell processes and to generate the dynamic movements of the cytoplasmic network.
INITIAL TRAJECTORIES OF SENSORY AXONS TOWARD LAMINAR TARGETS IN THE DEVELOPING MOUSE SPINAL CORD

The formation of laminar-specific projections is a key event in the development of appropriate neuronal connections in many regions of the central nervous system. In order to provide a framework for defining functions of molecules related to spinal laminar targeting of dorsal root ganglion neurons in mice, we have characterized the initial trajectories of sensory axons in relation to the maturation of their target laminae in the spinal cord. We show that morphological and biochemical differentiation of distinct clusters of neurons in the dorsal region of the spinal cord precedes initial collateral branching from sensory axons. Between embryonic day (E)12.5 and E13.5, sensory axons develop swellings (“nodes”) along their entire intraspinal extent and elaborate interstitial collateral branches from these nodes. Collaterals from the different classes of sensory axons then penetrate the gray matter of the spinal cord sequentially. Each class of sensory axons projects directly to its target lamina, never branching into inappropriate laminae en route. Some cutaneous afferents traverse the entire width of the spinal cord to reach superficial laminae on the contralateral side, strictly avoiding both the ventral spinal cord and inappropriate laminae of the deep dorsal horn. The pathways taken by developing sensory afferents are compatible with the idea that cells in inappropriate laminae exert inhibitory influences on sensory axons which regulate their laminar specificity. J. Comp. Neurol. 380:215–229, 1997. © 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Sidewall alkylcarboxylation of carbon nanotubes through reactions of fluoronanotubes with functional free radicals

Addition of carboxyalkyl radicals to carbon nanotube (CNT) graphene surface is a non-destructive to nanotube framework method of sidewall functionalization of CNTs with the carboxylic group terminated moieties. Fluorination activates the CNT surface towards addition reactions due to transformation of the graphene aromatic structure to a more chemically reactive polyene π-system structure of fluoronanotubes. As a result, the sidewall addition reactions to fluoronanotubes are completed in a much shorter time spans than in the case of pristine CNTs. Carboxyalkyl CNT derivatives prepared by this method form stable suspensions in water and polar organic solvents. This enables their applications in biomedical research; for the preparation of water-based paints, inks, and coatings; and for processing and fabrication of nanocomposites.
The eye and the fist: Optimizing search and interdiction

Abstract Interdiction operations involving search, identification, and interception of suspected objects are of great interest and high operational importance to military and naval forces as well as nation’s coast guards and border patrols. The interdiction scenario discussed in this paper includes an area of interest with multiple neutral and hostile objects moving through this area, and an interdiction force, consisting of an airborne sensor and an intercepting surface vessel or ground vehicle, whose objectives are to search, identify, track, and intercept hostile objects within a given time frame. The main contributions of this paper are addressing both airborne sensor and surface vessel simultaneously, developing a stochastic dynamic-programming model for optimizing their employment, and deriving operational insight. In addition, the search and identification process of the airborne sensor addresses both physical (appearance) and behavioral (movement pattern) signatures of a potentially hostile object. As the model is computationally intractable for real-world scenarios, we propose a simple heuristic policy, which is shown, using a bounding technique, to be quite effective. Based on a numerical case study of maritime interdiction operations, which includes several representative scenarios, we show that the expected number of intercepted hostile objects, following the heuristic decision policy, is at least 60% of the number of hostile objects intercepted following an optimal decision policy.
Study of Part Geometric Features and Support Materials in Rapid Freeze Prototyping

Abstract This paper describes the investigation of part geometric features and support materials in the fabrication of ice parts by Rapid Freeze Prototyping (RFP). The achievable geometric features of the ice part including the smallest thickness of a wall and the smallest diameter of a rod are analyzed and expressed as functions of process parameters including water pressure, nozzle diameter, valve open/close frequency and duty cycle, and x-y table moving speed relative to the nozzle. The validity of the predicted results of geometric features from the analysis is verified using our experimental RFP system. In order to realize fabricating ice parts of any complex 3-D geometry, support materials are also studied. The experimental results showed a eutectic mixture of dextrose and water works well as the support material while a eutectic mixture of salt and water does not work satisfactorily.
Mechanism of inhibition of Crithidia fasciculata by adenosine and adenosine analogs

Abstract Both adenosine and 2′-deoxyadenosine are inhibitory to the growth of Crithidia fasciculata . Half-maximal inhibition is caused by 0.3 mM adenosine. Effective reversal of the inhibition is brought about by uridine or cytidine; uracil has little effect. This difference may be attributed to inhibition of 5-phosphoribosyl-1-pyrophosphate (PRPP) synthetase by adenosine nucleotides (especially ADP) formed inside the cell, thus interrupting pyrimidine nucleotide biosynthesis, either de novo or from exogenous uracil. Uridine, on the other hand, is converted to the ribonucleotide by uridine kinase and thus bypasses the block. The adenosine analogs tubercidin and cycloadenosine are the most potent inhibitors of the growth of C. fasciculata so far tested. This inhibition of growth is reversed by pyrimidine nucleosides and with adenosine.
Polarized Raman spectra of oriented films of Α-helical poly( L -alanine) and its N -deuterated analogue

Polarized Raman spectra were obtained on well oriented films of α-helical poly(L-alanine) (α-PLA) and its N-deuterated analogue in order to obtain definitive assignments of the E2-species modes. Such assignments were aided by an analysis of factors that can lead to ‘cross-talk’ between A, E1 and E2 spectra, viz. reflection of the incident beam and non-perfect lateral and axial chain orientation in the sample. The convincing assignment of at least eleven significant E2 modes in α-PLA has led to the refinement of a new empirical force field and a more detailed normal mode analysis. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The salutary effects of diphenyldifluoroketone EF24 in liver of a rat hemorrhagic shock model

Liver is a target for injury in low flow states and it plays a central role in the progression of systemic failure associated with hemorrhagic shock. Pharmacologic support can help recover liver function even after it has suffered extensive damage during ischemia and reperfusion phases. In this work we assessed the efficacy of a diphenyldifluoroketone EF24, an IKKβ inhibitor, in controlling hepatic inflammatory signaling caused by hemorrhagic shock in a rat model. Sprague Dawley rats were bled to about 50% of blood volume. The hemorrhaged rats were treated with vehicle control or EF24 (0.4 mg/kg) after 1 h of hemorrhage without any accompanying resuscitation. The study was terminated after additional 5 h to excise liver tissue for biochemical analyses and histology. EF24 treatment alleviated hemorrhagic shock-induced histologic injury in the liver and restored serum transaminases to normal levels. Hemorrhagic shock induced the circulating levels of CD163 (a marker for macrophage activation) and CINC (an IL-8 analog), as well as myeloperoxidase activity in liver tissue. These markers of inflammatory injury were reduced by EF24 treatment. EF24 treatment also suppressed the expression of the Toll-like receptor 4, phospho-p65/Rel A, and cyclooxygenase-2 in liver tissues, indicating that it suppressed inflammatory pathway. Moreover, it reduced the hemorrhagic shock-induced increase in the expression of high mobility group box-1 protein. The evidence for apoptosis after hemorrhagic shock was inconclusive. Even in the absence of volume support, EF24 treatment suppresses pro-inflammatory signaling in liver tissue and improves liver functional markers in hemorrhagic shock.
Low-Cost Potato Tissue Culture with Microwave and Bleach Media Preparation and Sterilization

Labor and equipment costs are the main expenses in potato micropropagation. To determine if we could reduce costs associated with media sterilization, a disinfectant, sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl), in combination with microwave heating, were assayed as media sterilants. Incorporating a common 5 % NaOCl household beach at a concentration of 9 ppm (active chlorine) in media sterilized with an autoclave or microwave oven controlled microorganism growth and maintained plantlet growth performance. Non-sterile 473 ml (16 oz.) clear deli containers were selected as an inexpensive replacement for traditional culture vessels and were effectively sterilized with a 50 ppm (active chlorine) NaOCl solution. Reuse of the non-sterile clear deli containers and alternate media water sources were also tested but this decreased plantlet growth performance. Comparison of a controlled growth chamber and ambient laboratory conditions was also investigated. Microorganism growth was significantly less in a controlled growth chamber (5 %) as compared to uncontrolled conditions (26–36 %).
Neurodevelopmental, health, and growth status at age 6 years of children with birth weights less than 1001 grams.

The neurodevelopmental, health, and growth outcomes for 28 six-year-old extremely low birth weight (ELBW) (birth weight p =0.015). Kaufman mental processing scores correlated with head circumference ( p =0.0003). Significantly more of the ELBW children (61%) had mild or moderate to severe neurologic problems compared with control children (23%) ( p =0.003). Three ELBW children had mild spastic diplegia; one was blind. Eighteen (64%) of the ELBW children had required rehospitalization versus five (20%) of the comparison group. The mean Kaufman Mental Processing Composite was lower for the ELBW group, but when the data were analyzed by maternal education, only those children whose mothers had a twelfth-grade education had significantly lower scores ( p =0.0001). A similar pattern of group differences was seen for scores on visual-motor function ( p =0.0045), visual-perceptual abilities ( p =0.003), and attention span ( p =0.0001). No group differences were seen regarding hyperactivity or parenial stress. Overall functional disability among the ELBW children was considered absent in 46%, mild in 36%, and moderate to severe in 18%. There was a significant association ( p =0.029) between classification of handicap at 12 to 34 months and classification at 6 years. No neonatal factors correlated with 6-year outcome. A significant proportion of ELBW children had no severe disabilities, but many had dysfunctions likely to affect learning and behavior in school.
The potential for short-rotation woody crops to reduce U.S. CO2 emissions.

Short-rotation woody crops (SRWC) could potentially displace fossil fuels and thus mitigate CO2 buildup in the atmosphere. To determine how much fossil fuel SRWC might displace in the United States and what the associated fossil carbon savings might be, a series of assumptions must be made. These assumptions concern the net SRWC biomass yields per hectare (after losses); the amount of suitable land dedicated to SRWC production; wood conversion efficiencies to electricity or liquid fuels; the energy substitution properties of various fuels; and the amount of fossil fuel used in growing, harvesting, transporting, and converting SRWC biomass. Assuming the current climate, present production, and conversion technologies and considering a conservative estimate of the U.S. land base available for SRWC (14 × 106 ha), we calculate that SRWC energy could displace 33.2 to 73.1 × 106 Mg of fossil carbon releases, 3–6% of the current annual U.S. emissions. The carbon mitigation potential per unit of land is larger with the substitution of SRWC for coal-based electricity production than for the substitution of SRWC-derived ethanol for gasoline. Assuming current climate, predicted conversion technology advancements, an optimistic estimate of the U.S. land base available for SRWC (28 × 106 ha), and an optimistic average estimate of net SRWC yields (22.4 dry Mg/ha), we calculate that SRWC energy could displace 148 to 242 × 106 Mg of annual fossil fuel carbon releases. Under this scenario, the carbon mitigation potential of SRWC-based electricity production would be equivalent to about 4.4% of current global fossil fuel emissions and 20% of current U.S. fossil fuel emissions.
Effects of anti-fatigue flooring on gait parameters

Falls among industrial workers are the leading cause of work related injuries. Nowadays, many industries are opting for anti-fatigue cushioned flooring to reduce fall-related socio-economic cost. The goal of this study is to test SATECH's anti-fatigue flooring for stable gait. A pilot test with five healthy subjects (25–35 years old) has been conducted with six motion capture cameras and two force platforms embedded in a walkway to obtain kinematics and kinetics of whole body gait on two different floors. In conditions where the same floor material was used on the whole walkway, the anti-fatigue floor had smaller values of step length (p<0.01) associated with walking and lower values of required coefficient of friction (RCOF) (p<0.05). Toe clearance, heel contact velocity, whole body center of mass (COM) velocity, single foot stance, and double foot stance did not show significant differences between conditions. The results of this study suggest that subjects were to follow a more stable gait on the SATEC...
Bar fracture modeling in progressive collapse analysis of reinforced concrete structures

Reliable evaluation of progressive collapse resistance of structures requires substantiated methods and techniques for analyzing the response of critical elements subjected to large deformations. Steel bar fracture is a significant event that can lead to progressive collapse of reinforced concrete (RC) structures. Given the sudden discontinuity associated with bar fracture, modeling of such an event in a continuum domain analysis is challenging. In this paper a method is proposed for finite element modeling and analysis of RC elements that accounts for bar fracture. It is demonstrated that such a modeling technique is capable of developing catenary action. Analytical results based on the proposed method show good agreement with experimental data. The underlying cause for a drop in beam vertical resisting force following the peak force is identified and explained.
Social Context–Induced Song Variation Affects Female Behavior and Gene Expression

Social cues modulate the performance of communicative behaviors in a range of species, including humans, and such changes can make the communication signal more salient. In songbirds, males use song to attract females, and song organization can differ depending on the audience to which a male sings. For example, male zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) change their songs in subtle ways when singing to a female (directed song) compared with when they sing in isolation (undirected song), and some of these changes depend on altered neural activity from a specialized forebrain-basal ganglia circuit, the anterior forebrain pathway (AFP). In particular, variable activity in the AFP during undirected song is thought to actively enable syllable variability, whereas the lower and less-variable AFP firing during directed singing is associated with more stereotyped song. Consequently, directed song has been suggested to reflect a "performance" state, and undirected song a form of vocal motor "exploration." However, this hypothesis predicts that directed-undirected song differences, despite their subtlety, should matter to female zebra finches, which is a question that has not been investigated. We tested female preferences for this natural variation in song in a behavioral approach assay, and we found that both mated and socially naive females could discriminate between directed and undirected song-and strongly preferred directed song. These preferences, which appeared to reflect attention especially to aspects of song variability controlled by the AFP, were enhanced by experience, as they were strongest for mated females responding to their mate's directed songs. We then measured neural activity using expression of the immediate early gene product ZENK, and found that social context and song familiarity differentially modulated the number of ZENK-expressing cells in telencephalic auditory areas. Specifically, the number of ZENK-expressing cells in the caudomedial mesopallium (CMM) was most affected by whether a song was directed or undirected, whereas the caudomedial nidopallium (NCM) was most affected by whether a song was familiar or unfamiliar. Together these data demonstrate that females detect and prefer the features of directed song and suggest that high-level auditory areas including the CMM are involved in this social perception.
White matter integrity and pictorial reasoning in high-functioning children with autism.

Abstract The current study investigated the neurobiological role of white matter in visuospatial versus linguistic processing abilities in autism using diffusion tensor imaging. We examined differences in white matter integrity between high-functioning children with autism (HFA) and typically developing controls (CTRL), in relation to the groups’ response times (RT) on a pictorial reasoning task under three conditions: visuospatial, V, semantic, S, and V + S, a hybrid condition allowing language use to facilitate visuospatial transformations. Diffusion-weighted images were collected from HFA and CTRL participants, matched on age and IQ, and significance maps were computed for group differences in fractional anisotropy (FA) and in RT–FA association for each condition. Typically developing children showed increased FA within frontal white matter and the superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF). HFA showed increased FA within peripheral white matter, including the ventral temporal lobe. Additionally, RT–FA relationships in the semantic condition (S) implicated white matter near the STG and in the SLF within the temporal and frontal lobes to a greater extent in CTRL. Performance in visuospatial reasoning (V, V + S), in comparison, was related to peripheral parietal and superior precentral white matter in HFA, but to the SLF, callosal, and frontal white matter in CTRL. Our results appear to support a preferential use of linguistically-mediated pathways in reasoning by typically developing children, whereas autistic cognition may rely more on visuospatial processing networks.