cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Towards a new standard for allowing concurrency and ensuring consistency in revision control systems

Version control systems play a very important role in maintaining the revision history of software and facilitating software evolution. As the software development process is gradually taking the form of a collaborative effort among several teams hosted over widely dispersed sites, centralized version control systems are gradually giving way to multi-sited version control systems. Ensuring the integrity and consistency of versioned objects in a environment that supports concurrent access, is a difficult problem. The paradigm of transactions has been successfully used in database systems to ensure integrity of objects. In this paper, we look into the transaction management requirements of version control systems and propose a new transaction model of revision control.
Spatial Variability of Late-Quaternary Paleoclimates in the Western United States

Abstract Paleoclimatic interpretation of proxy data is complicated sometimes by the appearance of heterogeneous patterns of climatic responses across networks of sites. Modern climate analogues for the western United States, similar to those patterns of atmospheric circulation of 18,000 and 9000 yr B.P., were examined in order to explain such patterns of spatial heterogeneity. Modern analogues were defined by comparing modern atmospheric circulation patterns with those simulated by general circulation models. Maps of temperature and precipitation anomalies of the modern analogues reveal patterns of spatial heterogeneity, which resemble the patterns of effective moisture compiled from paleoclimatic data. January 1957 was found to be a reasonable 18,000 yr B.P. analogue, and it features isolated areas of increased wetness in the northern Great Basin and increased dryness in the Northwest interior. Analogues for 9000 yr B.P. from a composite of 11 Augusts display patterns of spatial heterogeneity of effective moisture over most of the mountainous areas. The analogues suggest that spatial heterogeneity of climate is the rule rather than the exception over much of the western United States, with the climatic anomalies at any particular time representing the outcome of the mediation of large-scale atmospheric circulation controls by smaller scale topographic features.
Effects of hyperthermia on avian red blood cells

Our primary goal was to develop a model for studying the effects of heat on terminally differentiated cells. Using nucleated chicken red blood cells (RBC) as the model, heat dose-response and thermotolerance were investigated. A new haemolytic assay was developed to score them. Heating chicken RBC for as long as 3 h at 51.5 degrees C resulted in only small amounts of haemolysis immediately after heating. When haemolysis was scored 1-2 days after heating, heat-induced haemolysis increased with heating temperature and duration. Heat shock of 30-90 min at 42.6 degrees C just before heat challenge of 40 min at 51.5 degrees C, or heat shock of 15 min at 43.1 degrees C with incubation of 0-2 h at 35-37 degrees C prior to the same heat challenge induced thermotolerance, but the levels of heat resistance achieved were different. Similar experiments were performed using potassium leakage as the endpoint. Potassium leakage was measurable immediately after heating, and it increased with heating duration, but there was no correlation between potassium leakage and haemolysis. Potassium leakage was not a suitable criterion for measuring thermotolerance.
Test and Analysis of the Mass Properties for the PRANDTL-D Aircraft

T he main objective of the "PRANDTL-D" project is to obtain the stability and control derivative yawing moment due to aileron deflection, Cnδa. The sign of Cnδa determines whether the "PRANDTL-D" aircraft experienced proverse or adverse yaw during flight. Proverse yaw, the desirable outcome, occurs when the aircraft yaws in the same direction as the turn due to a novel wing twist and bell-shaped lift distribution. Accurate moments of inertia are essential in order to create a dynamic model of the aircraft and compute the stability and control derivatives, including Cnδa. The robustness of the aircraft simulation also depends on the uncertainty of the mass properties. To obtain the moments of inertia, the aircraft will be hung from two filars and rotated in a bifilar pendulum test. A wireless inertial measurement unit will be used to capture the rotation rate data during testing. This data will be used in a bifilar pendulum simulation to analyze the data and obtain the experimental values. For the tests, our team used Pro Engineer to predict the moments of inertia, designed the test structure and specific testing procedures, and created a Simulink model of the bifilar pendulum test.
Training-Induced Changes in Inhibitory Control Network Activity

Despite extensive research on inhibitory control (IC) and its neural systems, the questions of whether IC can be improved with training and how the associated neural systems change are understudied. Behavioral evidence suggests that performance on IC tasks improves with training but that these gains do not transfer to other tasks, and almost nothing is known about how activation in IC-related brain regions changes with training. Human participants were randomly assigned to receive IC training (N = 30) on an adaptive version of the stop-signal task (SST) or an active sham-training (N = 30) during 10 sessions across 3 weeks. Neural activation during the SST before and after training was assessed in both groups using functional magnetic resonance imaging. Performance on the SST improved significantly more in the training group than in the control group. The pattern of neuroimaging results was consistent with a proactive control model such that activity in key parts of the IC network shifted earlier in time within the trial, becoming associated with cues that anticipated the upcoming need for IC. Specifically, activity in the inferior frontal gyrus decreased during the implementation of control (i.e., stopping) and increased during cues that preceded the implementation of IC from pretraining to post-training. Also, steeper behavioral improvement in the training group correlated with activation increases during the cue phase and decreases during implementation in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. These results are the first to uncover the neural pathways for training-related improvements in IC and can explain previous null findings of IC training transfer.
Properties of the passive conductance pathway across in vitro rat jejunum.

The unidirectional influxes of several monovalent ions into the epithelium ofin vitro rat jejunum were determined as a function of the transepithelial electrical potential difference using the technique described by Frizzell and Schultz (J. Gen. Physiol. 59:318, 1972). The results indicate that the passive conductance pathway accounts for approximately 80% of the total tissue conductance and is cation-selective. The relative ionic permeabilities of this pathway, which is in all likelihood largely if not entirely extracellular, isP K≧P Rb>P Na≫P Cl. The sequence of relative cation permeabilities corresponds most closely to Eisenman's sequence V suggesting that the route possesses a negative electrical field strength of intermediate intensity. The unidirectional influxes of lysine and tetraethylammonium (TEA) were unaffected over the range of ±50mV. These findings are consistent with the notion that the pasive conductance pathway is impermeable to solutes with an equivalent diameter greater than 8 A; however, the possibility that factors other than ionic size are responsible for the exclusion of TEA and lysine from the shunt pathway cannot be excluded. The diffusional influx of Na closely agrees with the transepithelial serosa-to-mucosa flux of Na suggesting that the latter is largely, if not entirely, mediated by the passive conductance pathway and may circumvent the limiting membranes of the epithelial cells.
Efficient In Vivo Targeting of Epidermal Stem Cells by Early Gestational Intraamniotic Injection of Lentiviral Vector Driven by the Keratin 5 Promoter

At the present time, no efficient in vivo method for gene transfer to skin stem cells exists. In this study, we hypothesized that early in gestation, specific epidermal stem cell populations may be accessible for gene transfer. To test this hypothesis, we injected lentiviral vectors encoding the green fluorescence protein marker gene driven by either the cytomegalovirus promoter or the keratin 5 (K5) promoter into the murine amniotic space at early developmental stages between embryonic days 8 and 12. This resulted in sustained green fluorescent protein (GFP) expression in both basal epidermal stem cells and bulge cells in the hair follicles of the skin. Transduction of stem cell populations was dependent on the developmental stage, and confirmed by the prolonged duration of GFP expression in all skin elements into adulthood. In addition, transduced stem cell populations responded to regenerative signals after wounding and actively participated in wound healing. Finally, we quantified the fraction of epidermal stem cells transduced, and the distribution of transduction related to the promoters utilized, confirming improved efficiency with the K5 promoter. This simple approach has possible biological applications in our study of gene functions in skin, and perhaps future clinical applications for treatment of skin based disorders.
Comment on ‘activated chemisorption of methane and tunneling: A second look’ by T.C. Lo and G. Ehrlich

Abstract We have previously reanalyzed the data of Lo and Ehrlich on the activated chemisorption of CH4 and CD4 on W(211) in terms of a tunneling model. In the Letter cited above, Lo and Ehrlich criticize the tunneling model due to an insensitivity of the model with respect to the mass of the heavier isotope. In this Comment we show why the mass insensitivity is a natural consequence of the smaller tunneling probability for the deuterium isotope, and not a breakdown in the model.
Antiestrogen fulvestrant enhances the antiproliferative effects of epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitors in human non-small-cell lung cancer

Introduction Estrogen receptor (ER) signaling and its interaction with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is a potential therapeutic target in non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). To explore cross-communication between ER and EGFR, we have correlated ER pathway gene and protein expression profiles and examined effects of antiestrogens with or without EGFR inhibitors in preclinical models of human NSCLC. Methods We evaluated 54 NSCLC cell lines for growth inhibition with EGFR inhibitors, antiestrogen treatment, or the combination. Each line was evaluated for baseline ER pathway protein expression. The majority were also evaluated for baseline ER pathway gene expression. Human NSCLC xenografts were evaluated for effects of inhibition of each pathway, either individually, or in combination. Results The specific antiestrogen fulvestrant has modest single agent activity in vitro, but in many lines, fulvestrant adds to effects of EGFR inhibitors, including synergy in the EGFR-mutant, erlotinib-resistant H1975 line. ERα, ERβ, progesterone receptor-A, progesterone receptor-B, and aromatase proteins are expressed in all lines to varying degrees, with trends toward lower aromatase in more sensitive cell lines. Sensitivity to fulvestrant correlates with greater baseline ERα gene expression. Tumor stability is achieved in human tumor xenografts with either fulvestrant or EGFR inhibitors, but tumors regress significantly when both pathways are inhibited. Conclusions These data provide a rationale for further investigation of the antitumor activity of combined therapy with antiestrogen and anti-EGFR agents in the clinic. Future work should also evaluate dual ER and EGFR inhibition in the setting of secondary resistance to EGFR inhibition.
The G-protein-coupled receptor, GPR84, is important for eye development in Xenopus laevis

G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) represent diverse, multifamily groups of cell signaling receptors involved in many cellular processes. We identified Xenopus laevis GPR84 as a member of the A18 subfamily of GPCRs. During development, GPR84 is detected in the embryonic lens placode, differentiating lens fiber cells, retina, and cornea. Anti-sense morpholino oligonucleotide-mediated knockdown and RNA rescue experiments demonstrate GPR84's importance in lens, cornea, and retinal development. Examination of cell proliferation using an antibody against histone H3 S10P reveals significant increases in the lens and retina following GPR84 knockdown. Additionally, there was also an increase in apoptosis in the retina and lens, as revealed by TUNEL assay. Reciprocal transplantation of the presumptive lens ectoderm between uninjected controls and morpholino-injected embryos demonstrates that GPR84 is necessary in the retina for proper development of the retina, as well as other eye tissues including the lens and cornea.
Managing Type 2 Diabetes in the Primary Care Setting: Beyond Glucocentricity

Abstract Successful management of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) requires attention to additional conditions often associated with hyperglycemia including overweight or obesity, dyslipidemia and hypertension, as each has some relationship with microvascular or macrovascular complications. Because control of cardiovascular risk factors is as important as glucose control in T2DM, these risk factors need to be addressed, and it is critical that antidiabetes medications do not exacerbate these risk factors. A patient-centered approach to treatment in which clinicians maximize patient involvement in the selection of antidiabetes therapy may lead to increased adherence and improved clinical outcomes. The incretin hormones, which include glucagon-like peptide–1 (GLP-1), are involved in glucoregulation and have become an important focus of T2DM research and treatment. Incretin-based therapies, such as the glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists and the dipeptidyl peptidase–IV inhibitors, have shown beneficial effects on hyperglycemia, weight, blood pressure and lipids with a low incidence of hypoglycemia.
Immediate and long-term pathophysiologic mechanisms underlying the genesis of sudden cardiac death in patients with congestive heart failure

Congestive heart failure is the most important predisposing factor to the occurrence of sudden death in patients with cardiovascular disease. As left ventricular dysfunction deteriorates and symptoms of heart failure become evident, ambulatory ventricular arrhythmias become increasingly frequent and complex, and sudden cardiac death becomes an increasingly common occurrence. When the left ventricular ejection fraction has declined to less than 30 percent and symptoms of heart failure become refractory to treatment with digitalis and diuretics, 35 to 50 percent of patients will die of a lethal cardiac arrhythmia within three years. A number of factors interact to determine the occurrence of malignant ventricular arrhythmias in patients with congestive heart failure. Myocardial fibrosis and enhanced left ventricular wall stress may alter the electrophysiologic properties of the myocardium, but these factors may not be sufficient to explain the development of lethal rhythm disturbances. Neurohormonal activation may exacerbate the frequency and complexity of ambulatory arrhythmias in these patients, but such activation can persist for long periods without fatal electrophysiologic sequelae. Recent investigations suggest that electrolyte depletion may provide an important immediate precipitating cause for the occurrence of fatal ventricular tachyarrhythmias in the patient with severe left ventricular dysfunction whose susceptibility is markedly heightened by preexisting structural, hemodynamic, or neurohormonal factors. Further work is needed to determine if prophylactic therapy directed at preventing electrolyte depletion can favorably modify the long-term outcome of these severely ill patients.
Data structures and the time complexity of ray tracing

The time complexity of ray tracing is a function of the data structures used for space division. Octree and hierarchical extents have been suggested as effective choices. In this paper, complexity parameters are suggested to characterize images and show that both octrees and hierarchies are appropriate choices if given most favorable images. Also, a unified technique is proposed and shown to be better than previous methods for all images. Octrees and hierarchies are particular cases of the new proposed algorithm.
Predictors of an ischemic electrocardiographic response in patients with exercise-induced myocardial ischemia

The determinants of an ischemic electrocardiographic (ECG) response in patients with exercise-induced ischemia on single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) remain poorly defined. Specifically, it is unknown whether the occurrence of an ischemic ECG response is related to the extent and/or severity of SPECT ischemia. Among 3,294 patients who underwent exercise SPECT using a rest thallium-201/exercise Tc-99m sestamibi protocol, 699 (21%) patients had myocardial ischemia defined as summed difference score (SDS) ≥2. The extent of SPECT ischemia was further defined as the total number of segments with difference score ≥1, and severity of ischemia as the largest difference score among all segments. Patients with ischemic ECG changes (n = 315) were significantly older and had a significantly greater prevalence of hyperlipidemia. SDS (7.4 ± 2.2 vs 4.7 ± 1.9, P < .0001), extent (4.2 ± 2.6 vs 2.9 ± 1.7, P < .0001), and severity (2.8 ± 0.9 vs 2.3 ± 0.8, P < .0001) of SPECT ischemia were greater among patients with ischemic ECG changes. In multivariate analysis, age and SDS (which is a composite of the extent and severity of ischemia) were associated with ischemic ECG. When analyzed in a separate model which did not include SDS, both severity of SPECT ischemia (OR 1.42, CI 1.13-1.79) and extent of SPECT ischemia (OR 1.21, CI 1.10-1.33) were independently associated with ischemic ECG. Among patients with exercise-induced myocardial ischemia by SPECT, age and SDS were associated with ischemic ECG changes. When analyzed separately, the severity and extent of SPECT ischemia were both independent predictors of ischemic ECG changes.
Frame architecture for video servers

Video is inherently frame-oriented and most applications such as commercial video processing require to manipulate video in terms of frames. However, typical video servers treat videos as byte streams and perform random access based on approximate byte offsets to be supplied by the client. They do not provide frame or timecode oriented API which is essential for many applications. This paper describes a frame-oriented architecture for video servers. It also describes the implementation in the context of IBM's VideoCharger server. The later part of the paper describes an application that uses the frame architecture and provides fast and slow-motion scanning capabilities to the server.© (1999) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Benzophenone reduction using sulphur-based additives

Pyrite and γ-Fe2S3 are the best of the mineral promotors tried for the CO—H2O reduction of benzophenone to diphenylmethane. A mixture of ferrous sulphide and sulphur matches the promotional effect of iron pyrite, which implies that sulphur plays a role in the reaction. Both elemental sulphur and hydrogen sulphide are shown to promote CO—H2O-induced reductions.
Laser scanning cytometer-based assays for measuring host cell attachment and invasion by the human pathogen Toxoplasma gondii.

Background—Toxoplasma gondii is among the most common protozoan parasites of humans. Both attachment to and invasion of host cells by T.gondii are necessary for infection, yet little is known about the molecular mechanisms underlying these processes. T.gondii’s etiological importance and its role as a model organism for studying invasion in related parasites necessitate a means to quantitatively assay host cell attachment and invasion. Methods— We present here Laser Scanning Cytometer (LSC)-based assays of T.gondii invasion and attachment. The invasion assay involves automated counting of invaded and non-invaded parasites, differentially labeled with distinct fluorochromes. The attachment assay compares the relative binding of differentially labeled parasites. The assays were evaluated using treatments known to decrease invasion or attachment. Results— The LSC-based assays are robust and reproducible, remove operator bias, and significantly increase the sample size that can be feasibly counted compared to other currently available microscope-based methods. In the first application of the new assays, we have shown that parasites attach to fixed and unfixed host cells using different mechanisms. Conclusions— The LSC-based assays represent useful new methods for quantitatively measuring attachment and invasion by T.gondii, and can be readily adapted to study similar processes in other host-pathogen systems.
Micelle-enhanced dissociation of a Ru cation /DNA complex.

Anionic surfactant monomers have a large catalytic effect on the dissociation rate constant of a Ru_2^(4+)−DNA complex, an effect further enhanced upon exceeding the critical micelle concentration. Electrostatic estimates are made of this effect, the effect of salt and temperature on the binding constant, and of the binding constant itself. The effects are compared with the experiment, and the calculated salt effect on the binding constant is compared with condensation theory. The results indicate that the catalytic effect is primarily nonelectrostatic (hydrophobic) in nature.
Quantitative characterization of spatial arrangement of shrinkage and gas (air) pores in cast magnesium alloys

Abstract Pressure die-cast magnesium (Mg) alloys contain both shrinkage and gas (air) microporosity. Characterization of shrinkage and (gas) air microporosity is essential for understanding microstructure–properties correlations in these alloys. In this contribution, a recently reported digital image analysis (DIA) technique has been further developed to separately quantify and characterize the attributes of shrinkage and air microporosity in AM series of cast Mg alloys. The image analysis procedure is utilized to measure the nearest-neighbor distributions of the shrinkage and gas (air) pores, and to quantify the clustering tendency of the pores. A new affinity parameter is defined to characterize the affinity of gas (air) pores to shrinkage pores and vice versa. The affinity parameters are computed from the same image analysis data.
Portfolio Optimization Under a Stressed‐Beta Model

This paper presents a closed-form solution to the portfolio optimization problem where an agent wishes to maximize expected terminal wealth, trading continuously between a risk-free bond and a risky stock following Stressed-Beta dynamics specied in Fouque and Tashman (2010). The agent has a nite horizon and a utility of the Constant Relative Risk Aversion type. The model for stock dynamics is an extension of the Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM); it is expressed in continuous-time, and the slope relating excess stock returns to excess market returns switches between two values. This mechanism reects the fact that the slope may steepen during periods of stress, a feature which has been demonstrated to better model stock dynamics than CAPM. An asymptotic expansion technique is used to write an explicit expression for the agent’s optimal strategy. Lastly, the optimization approach is illustrated with market data, and its outperformance versus the Merton approach is demonstrated.
The Natural History of Idiopathic Unilateral Vocal Fold Paralysis: Evidence and Problems

Objectives/Hypothesis:To identify clinical evidence regarding outcome and duration of unilateral idiopathic vocal fold paralysis (IVFP).Study Design:Literature review.Methods:Medline search using the terms “vocal fold paralysis,” “laryngeal paralysis,” “vagal paralysis,” and “recurrent nerve paralys
Relative effectiveness of methods for immunizing BALB/cwm mice to transplantable myelomonocytic leukemia.

Abstract An experimental model of transplantable myelomonocytic leukemia (WEHI-3B) was developed in syngeneic BALB/cwm mice to characterize immune mechanisms in this disease. The relative effectiveness of various methods for immunizing mice to transplantable myelomonocytic cells was analyzed. When mice were immunized i.p. once a week for 3 successive weeks with cell preparations (107) inactivated by formalin they died at a faster rate than nonimmunized controls. When complete Freund's adjuvant was used to enhance the protective response immunized mice also died at a faster rate than the controls. If mice were immunized with various ratios of X-irradiated and viable tumor cells survival time was not increased. The most consistent result was accelerated death in the various experimental groups. When mice were immunized once weekly with X-ray inactivated cells (5000 R) for 3, 5 or 8 successive weeks, the survival frequency was approximately the same (70–80%) in all three test groups. However, animals immunized 5 times withstood a higher challenge dose of tumor cells than those immunized 3 times. The spacings between immunizing doses and challenge appeared to significantly affect the efficacy of immunization. The age of mice had a significant effect on the protective response. When mice 6 weeks of age or younger were immunized the survival frequency was
Paraneoplastic encephalomyelitis and seminoma Importance of testicular ultrasonography

We report two patients with paraneoplastic limbic and brainstem encephalitis associated with occult nonmetastatic testicular seminoma. In each patient, the neoplasm was detectable only by testicular ultrasonography. Male patients with this syndrome in whom lung cancer is not found should undergo testicular ultrasonography as part of the search for an extrapulmonary neoplasm. A normal clinical testicular examination is insufficient to exclude an occult seminoma.
Episodes of Acute Heart Failure Syndrome are Associated with Increased Levels of Troponin and Extracellular Matrix Markers

Background— Increased myocyte loss and extracellular matrix (ECM) turnover are central mechanisms that contribute to pathological myocardial remodeling in chronic heart failure (HF). We tested the hypothesis that episodes of acute HF syndrome (AHFS) are associated with transient increases in markers of myocyte injury and ECM turnover beyond those observed in chronic stable HF. Methods and Results— Markers of myocyte injury and ECM turnover were assessed in 80 patients prospectively divided into 3 groups: AHFS (n=39); chronic stable systolic HF (n=21); and control subjects without HF (n=20). Myocyte injury was assessed by measuring plasma troponin I. ECM turnover was assessed by measuring plasma matrix metalloproteinases, tissue inhibitors of matrix metalloproteinases, and procollagen N-terminal type I and procollagen type III N-terminal peptides. In the AHFS group, biomarkers were obtained (1) at the time of hospital admission for an episode of HF decompensation, (2) at the time of hospital discharge, and (3) several weeks after discharge in patients who had returned to a chronic stable compensated state. In patients with stable HF (versus non-HF controls), there was a small increase in troponin I and little or no difference in any marker of ECM turnover. In patients with AHFS, troponin I and 3 markers of ECM turnover (matrix metalloproteinases-2, tissue inhibitors of matrix metalloproteinases-1, and procollagen type III N-terminal peptides) were elevated (versus chronic stable HF), and all fell toward chronic HF levels in patients who returned to a compensated state. Conclusion— Episodes of AHFS are associated with transient increases in markers of myocyte injury and ECM turnover that may reflect an acceleration of pathological myocardial remodeling during AHFS. Received February 11, 2009; accepted September 16, 2009.
Perforation of the colon during barium enema examination

A 42-year-old mother of two teenage children was referred by her gastroenterologist for barium enema examination because of recurrent abdominal pain, blood in the stool, and a long history of Crohn’s disease. During the examination, the patient had acute pain in the left lower quadrant of the abdomen and became diaphoretic. The radiologist completed the examination without observing anything unusual but, then, because of the patient’s complaints, requested that a gastroenterologist come to the radiology department. After seeing the patient, the gastroenterologist discussed the radiographic findings with the radiologist, who interpreted the lower gastrointestinal series as revealing strictures in the proximal transverse and sigmoid colon, consistent with chronic Crohn’s disease (Figs. [A and lB). The images were similar in appearance to images from a study done 1 year earlier (Fig. 1C). The radiologist saw no evidence of perforation or other abnormality. The gastroenterologist had the patient brought to a holding area for observation and, 1 hr later, ordered plain abdominal radiographs. These were interpreted by the radiologist as showing residual barium in the colon without any evidence of extravasation, free air, or other abnormality (Fig. ID). The patient was then discharged and went home. Later that night, the patient was brought by her husband to the hospital’s emergency department with complaints of severe abdominal pain, weakness, and profuse diaphoresis. She was immediately taken to the operating room, where the surgeon found a perforation of the sigmoid colon with large amounts of barium and fluid in the peritoneal cavity. The patient’s medical condition steadily deteriorated after surgery, and she died 3 days later.
The influence of maternal effects on the efficiency of selection; A review

Abstract The experimental evidence concerning the existence and importance of maternal effects in beef cattle, dairy cattle and swine is reviewed. It is clear that maternal effects are important in all three species. Unless management programs and selection methods take maternal effects into consideration, selection efficiency will be reduced. Some suggestions are given for altering management programs to increase production and selection efficiency.
Effect of Surface Treatments on the Structural and Mechanical Properties of Nanostructured Diamond Coatings on Tungsten Carbide Cutting Tools

Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) using hydrogen, methane, and nitrogen feed gases has proven to be useful in depositing well-adhered diamond films on metal substrates. These films have already found a market in the cutting tool industry as coatings on cobalt-cemented tungsten carbide (WC-Co) inserts. The purpose of this investigation is to examine how the thermal and chemical pre-treatments typically used for carbide inserts (to remove the cobalt binder near the surface) affect the structure and interfacial adhesion of the diamond coating. Removal of the cobalt binder phase in various pre-treatment methods has been shown to minimize its catalytic effect of graphite formation during diamond deposition by CVD. The diamond-coated inserts in our study were characterized using x-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, and Rockwell indentation testing. We use an unconventionally high methane concentration in the feedgas in order to saturate the growth surface with carbon, thereby limiting cobalt migration from the bulk to the surface and reducing the dissolution and diffusion of carbon atoms coming from the plasma. Nitrogen is used in the feedgas in order to provide a tough, single-layer nanocrystalline diamond film structure. In addition, a multi-layer (nano-/micro-/nano-crystalline) CVD diamond film was grown by controlling the flow of nitrogen in order to show its characteristics in comparison with the single layer nanocrystalline diamond film. The multilayer film on the thermally-treated insert shows enhanced interfacial adhesion and fracture toughness when compared to other pretreatments and diamond coatings. This was demonstrated by indentation tests using 1470 N load.
A note on the dispersion of a salt‐water boundary moving through saturated sand

Theoretical aspects on this problem are presented referring in particular to a recent work by Day [1956]. The theoretical approach by Day is criticized because it involves a time-dependent dispersion function in a stationary flow. It is pointed out that the dispersion in an isotropic medium should be limited and depend only on the soil material whereas in an anisotropic medium the dispersion is expected to depend also on the length of travel of the front.
Ion beam promoted lithium absorption in glassy polymeric carbon

Abstract Glassy Polymeric Carbon (GPC) samples prepared from a precursor possess accessible pore volume that depends on the heat treatment temperature [G.M. Jenkins and K. Kawamura, Polymeric Carbons - Carbon Fiber, Glass and Char (Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1976) p. 140]. We have shown that lithium percolates without diffusion into the accessible pores of GPC samples immersed in a molten lithium salt bath at 700°C [D. Ila, G.M. Jenkins, L.R. Holland, A.L. Evelyn and H. Jena, Vacuum 45 (1994) 451]. Ion bombardment with 10 MeV Au atoms increases the total pore volume available for lithium occupation even for samples normally impermeable to lithium. The lithium concentration depth profile is measured using Li 7 (p,2α) nuclear reaction analysis. We will report on lithium percolation into GPC prepared at temperatures between 500°C and 1000°C and activated by a 10 MeV gold ion bombardment.
The Roles of Parenting, Church Attendance, and Depression in Adolescent Smoking

The aim of the present study was to identify contextual factors related to smoking among urban African-American and White adolescents. We administered a survey assessing demographic and psychosocial variables to 299 adolescents in an urban pediatric clinic in the Midwest. Results indicated that being female, older age, lower academic performance, depressive symptoms, less frequent church attendance, parental smoking, and parental attitudes toward smoking were related to adolescent smoking. After controlling for demographics, the multivariate model predicting adolescent smoking included depressive symptoms, less frequent church attendance, and parental disapproval of smoking. Given these findings, efforts to decrease adolescent smoking may be enhanced by attending to depressive symptoms demonstrated by adolescents as well as contextual factors including parental attitudes and church attendance.
An evaluation of the difference formulation for photon transport in a two level system

In this paper, we extend the difference formulation for radiation transport to the case of a single atomic line. We examine the accuracy, performance and stability of the difference formulation within the framework of the Symbolic Implicit Monte Carlo method. The difference formulation, introduced for thermal radiation by some of the authors, has the unique property that the transport equation is written in terms that become small for thick systems. We find that the difference formulation has a significant advantage over the standard formulation for a thick system. The correct treatment of the line profile, however, requires that the difference formulation in the core of the line be mixed with the standard formulation in the wings, and this may limit the advantage of the method. We bypass this problem by using the gray approximation. We develop three Monte Carlo solution methods based on different degrees of implicitness for the treatment of the source terms, and we find only conditional stability unless the source terms are treated fully implicitly.
A reconstituted telomerase-immortalized human corneal epithelium in vivo: A pilot study

Purpose: Telomerase-immortalized human corneal epithelial cells have been reported to stratify and differentiate in vitro similar to native tissue. The purpose of this study was to assess the ability of a telomerase-immortalized human corneal epithelial cell line to generate a full thickness epithelium in vivo in athymic mice.Methods: Telomerized corneal epithelial cells were transduced with a retroviral vector encoding the herpes simplex thymidine kinase gene. Efficacy of the thymidine kinase suicide gene was confirmed using a live/dead assay. The epithelium was mechanically removed from athymic nude mice and remaining cells were treated with mitomycin C to prevent re-epithelialization. Telomerized corneal epithelial cells were seeded onto the denuded cornea and allowed to adhere for 4 and 24 hours. Cellular attachment was assessed using a fluorescent cell tracker. Stratification and differentiation were assessed after 7 days using phalloidin and a mouse monoclonal antibody to K3Results: Telomerized corn...
Thermal expansion anisotropy and site occupation of the pseudo-binary molybdenum vanadium silicide Mo5Si3–V5Si3

Abstract The coefficients of thermal expansion (CTEs) and atomic site occupation factors were measured for the pseudo-binary molybdenum–vanadium silicide Mo 5 Si 3 –V 5 Si 3 . The ratios of the CTEs in the crystallographic c and a directions range from 2.0 for Mo 5 Si 3 to 1.2 for Mo 2 V 3 Si 3 . The metal atoms can occupy chain sites (in the crystallographic c -direction), and non-chain sites. The relatively small V atoms prefer the chain sites in Mo 5 Si 3 , whereas the relatively large Mo atoms prefer the non-chain sites in V 5 Si 3 . These site-occupation characteristics reduce the thermal expansion in the c -direction and thereby the CTE anisotropy. Ab initio calculations for Mo 4 VSi 3 suggest that, energetically, V prefers the chain sites, while the measurements show that V occupies also non-chain sites. Extrapolation of the experimental results assuming the site-occupation used in the calculations agrees with the theoretical result that the thermal expansion of Mo 4 VSi 3 is isotropic.
Exploring the Meaning of Success in Outsourced Product Development

Research on outsourced product development has focused primarily on the motives behind firms’ decisions to outsource, with less attention paid to the outcomes of those decisions. The few existing academic studies have reported high failure rates, but there is little consensus as to what is meant by “project success” and “failure” and some do not define success at all. Such ambiguity makes comparisons difficult and hinders explanation of observed variation in project outcomes. This paper explores the many meanings of project success in outsourced product development, based on in-depth interviews of thirty design consultants and clients. After reviewing the merits and limitations of each metric, we propose that the client’s willingness to recommend the consultant may be a suitable outcome variable for assessing project outcomes and comparing success rates across diverse projects, companies, and industries. We present preliminary data that suggests client willingness to recommend varies widely and is multimodal in distribution. Finally, we identify several commonly encountered failure modes, i.e., sequences of events that generate discrepancies between client expectations and project deliverables, thereby producing client dissatisfaction.Copyright © 2010 by ASME
Inhibition-Induced Theta Resonance in Cortical Circuits

Summary Both circuit and single-cell properties contribute to network rhythms. In vitro, pyramidal cells exhibit theta-band membrane potential (subthreshold) resonance, but whether and how subthreshold resonance translates into spiking resonance in freely behaving animals is unknown. Here, we used optogenetic activation to trigger spiking in pyramidal cells or parvalbumin immunoreactive interneurons (PV) in the hippocampus and neocortex of freely behaving rodents. Individual directly activated pyramidal cells exhibited narrow-band spiking centered on a wide range of frequencies. In contrast, PV photoactivation indirectly induced theta-band-limited, excess postinhibitory spiking in pyramidal cells (resonance). PV-inhibited pyramidal cells and interneurons spiked at PV-inhibition troughs, similar to CA1 cells during spontaneous theta oscillations. Pharmacological blockade of hyperpolarization-activated (I h ) currents abolished theta resonance. Inhibition-induced theta-band spiking was replicated in a pyramidal cell-interneuron model that included I h . Thus, PV interneurons mediate pyramidal cell spiking resonance in intact cortical networks, favoring transmission at theta frequency.
Pieloplastia sin drenaje intrarrenal en pacientes pediátricos

Resumen Objetivos A pesar del avance de cirugias minimamente invasivas, la pieloplastia desmembrada a cielo abierto sigue siendo una cirugia muy utilizada en Pediatria, especialmente en ninos pequenos. El proposito de este trabajo es presentar nuestra experiencia en la realizacion de esta tecnica a traves de una minima incision y sin dejar cateteres intrarrenales transanastomoticos. Materiales y metodos Revision retrospectiva desde julio de 1992 a julio de 2009, tiempo en el que 348 pacientes fueron operados de pieloplastia desmembrada a cielo abierto. Un total de 310 pacientes (89%), 223 ninos y 87 ninas, fueron intervenidos sin dejar cateter intrarrenal. La incision fue de 2 a 2,5 cm en flanco. En todos los pacientes se dejo drenaje perirrenal y sonda vesical, esta ultima las primeras 24 h. Resultados En total se realizaron 319 pieloplastias sin cateteres intrarrenales, 174 (54,5%) del lado izquierdo, 127 (39,8%) del lado derecho y 9 (5,6%) bilaterales. El intervalo de edad fue de 14 dias a 18 anos, siendo el 58% de los ninos menor de 12 meses. Con un seguimiento medio de 6,7 anos (17 anos a 11 meses), 312 pieloplastias (97,8%) fueron realizadas con exito, con persistencia del patron obstructivo en 7 pacientes que precisaron una nueva pieloplastia a cielo abierto (2,2%). Otras complicaciones fueron: drenaje prolongado (6), infeccion de herida (1) y fiebre/infeccion urinaria (2). La estancia media fue de 22 h. Conclusiones La pieloplastia desmembrada a cielo abierto es altamente efectiva en el tratamiento de la estenosis pieloureteral en ninos, y prescindir de los cateteres intrarrenales no perjudica su exito.
Crystal structure of a methyltetrahydrofolate- and corrinoid-dependent methyltransferase.

Abstract Background: Methyltetrahydrofolate, corrinoid iron–sulfur protein methyltransferase (MeTr), catalyzes a key step in the Wood-Ljungdahl pathway of carbon dioxide fixation. It transfers the N 5 -methyl group from methyltetrahydrofolate (CH 3 -H 4 folate) to a cob(I)amide center in another protein, the corrinoid iron–sulfur protein. MeTr is a member of a family of proteins that includes methionine synthase and methanogenic enzymes that activate the methyl group of methyltetra-hydromethano(or-sarcino)pterin. We report the first structure of a protein in this family. Results: We determined the crystal structure of MeTr from Clostridium thermoaceticum at 2.2 A resolution using multiwavelength anomalous diffraction methods. The overall architecture presents a new functional class of the versatile triose phosphate isomerase (TIM) barrel fold. The MeTr tertiary structure is surprisingly similar to the crystal structures of dihydropteroate synthetases despite sharing less than 20% sequence identity. This homology permitted the methyl-H 4 folate binding site to be modeled. The model suggests extensive conservation of the pterin ring binding residues in the polar active sites of the methyltransferases and dihydropteroate synthetases. The most significant structural difference between these enzymes is in a loop structure above the active site. It is quite open in MeTr, where it can be modeled as the cobalamin binding site. Conclusions: The MeTr structure consists of a TIM barrel that embeds methyl-H 4 folate and cobamide. All related methyltransferases are predicted to fold into a similar TIM barrel pattern and have a similar pterin and cobamide binding site. The observed structure is consistent with either a ‘front' (N 5 ) or ‘back' (C 8a ) side protonation of CH 3 -H 4 folate, a key step that enhances the electrophilic character of the methyl group, activating it for nucleophilic attack by Co(I).
Endogenous substrates for cyclic AMP-dependent and calcium-dependent protein phosphorylation in rabbit peritoneal neutrophils

Abstract As in other cells, cAMP-dependent (protein kinase A) and calcium-dependent protein kinases are present in the rabbit peritoneal neutrophil. The major substrates for protein kinase A in the cytosol of rabbit peritoneal neutrophil is a 43 kDa protein which appears to be actin (p I 5.7). The other substrates for protein kinase A in the cytosol are very acidic proteins with molecular weights of 135 000 (p I 4.6) and 130 000 (p I 4.8). Two classes of calcium-dependent protein kinases are present in the rabbit peritoneal neutrophil: one is calcium, calmodulin-dependent, the other is calcium, phosphatidylserine-dependent. Phosphatidylserine appears to be much more effective than calmodulin in stimulting calcium-dependent protein kinase activity. The phospolipid-sensitive, calcium-dependent protein kinase (protein kinase C), present only in the cytosol fraction, exhibits much higher activity than the cAMP-dependent protein kinase from the same source. At least four substrates (M r 130 000 (p I 4.6) 43 000 (p I 4.8), 41 000 (p I 6.3) and 34 000) of the protein kinase C in the cytosol were identified. Trifluoperazine, a compound which inhibits the degranulation, aggregation and stimulated oxygen consumption of rabbit peritoneal neutrophils. (Alobaidi, T., Naccache, P.H. and Sha'afi, R.I. (1981) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 675, 316–321), also inhibits the activity of protein kinase C. The possible role of cAMP-dependent and calcium-dependent phosphorylation system in neutrophil function is discussed.
Idebenone treatment fails to slow cognitive decline in Alzheimer’s disease

Objective: To determine the effect of idebenone on the rate of decline in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Methods: A 1-year, multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized trial was conducted. Subjects were over age 50 with a diagnosis of probable AD and had Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores between 12 and 25. Subjects were treated with idebenone 120, 240, or 360 mg tid, each of which was compared with placebo. Primary outcome measures were the Alzheimer’s Disease Assessment Scale–Cognitive Subcomponent (ADAS-Cog) and a Clinical Global Impression of Change (CGIC). Secondary outcome measures included measurements of activities of daily living, the Behavioral Pathology in Alzheimer’s Disease Rating Scale, and the MMSE. Results: Five hundred thirty-six subjects were enrolled and randomized to the four groups. Except for a slight difference in age, there were no differences in patient characteristics at baseline. For the primary outcome measures, there were no significant overall differences between the treatment groups in the prespecified four-group design. In an exploratory two-group analysis comparing all three treated groups combined with placebo, drug-treated patients performed better on the ADAS-Cog in both the intent-to-treat (ITT) and completers analyses. There were no differences in the CGIC scores for the ITT or completers analyses in either the four-group or the two-group analyses. There were no overall differences on any of the secondary outcome measures in any of the analyses. Conclusion: Idebenone failed to slow cognitive decline in AD that was of sufficient magnitude to be clinically significant.