cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Angiotensin II: A Multimodal Approach to Vasoplegia in a Cardiac Setting

Patients experiencing vasoplegia, a type of distributive shock, have limited options when conventional vasopressors are not appropriate or sufficient. This is especially true for patients with cardiac dysfunction, whether after heart transplant or ventricular assist device (VAD) implantation. Angiotensin II has been used in various clinical settings for distributive shock; however, its role in patients after orthotopic heart transplant or VAD implantation is not well studied. We present two cases where angiotensin II played a vital role in correcting vasoplegia for critical cardiac patients.
Tiefe Beinvenenthrombosen bei Intensivpatienten mit COVID-19-Infektion – Einfluss eines standardisierten Therapieregimes

Hintergrund und Fragestellung Die erhohte Inzidenz tiefer Beinvenenthrombosen (TVT) bei Intensivpatienten mit COVID-19-Infektion ist mehrfach beschrieben worden. Kann das Thromboserisiko bei diesen Patienten durch standardisierte Systemtherapie gesenkt werden? Material und Methoden Nach Etablierung eines Therapiestandards mit Vollantikoagulation, Gabe von Dexamethason und Rekonvaleszentenplasma wurden 20 Patienten mit COVID-19-Pneumonie auf das Vorliegen einer TVT mittels Kompressionssonografie gescreent. Als Vergleichsgruppe dienten 20 COVID-Infizierte mit noch uneinheitlicher Therapie, die wir wahrend der 1. Erkrankungswelle auf das Vorliegen einer Thrombose untersucht haben. Ergebnisse In der aktuellen Studienpopulation mit standardisiertem Therapieregime konnten wir keine Thrombose detektieren, wohingegen im COVID-Kollektiv unserer Voruntersuchung 20% der Erkrankten (n=4) eine TVT entwickelten. Lungenembolien traten in beiden Gruppen auf; 1 in der 1., 2 in der 2. Kohorte. Diskussion Durch Vollantikoagulation, Steroidgabe und Verabreichen von Rekonvaleszentenplasma konnte das TVT-Risiko gesenkt werden. Die dezidierte Bedeutung der einzelnen Komponenten ist nicht geklart. Da Blutungen bei SARS-CoV-2-Infektion bisher nur selten beobachtet wurden, scheint eine groszugige Indikation zur Antikoagulation gerechtfertigt.
Mixed Adenoneuroendocrine Carcinoma of the Pancreas

Among the “mixed” carcinomas of the pancreas, mixed adenoneuroendocrine carcinomas (MANECs) are the least common. These extremely rare epithelial neoplasms are said to account for less than 2 % of all gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine (NE) tumors and are characterized by an intimate mixture of malignant ductal (glandular) and neuroendocrine tumor cells, both of which show variable degrees of differentiation (well– poorly differentiated) and have individually distinctive immunoprofiles. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that at least 30 % of either component be present in order for tumors to qualify as MANEC. In the vast majority of cases, the NE component is poorly differentiated/high grade (small or large cell type). Occasionally well-differentiated NE tumor (2010 WHO/ENETS grade 1 or 2) may be encountered in combination with adenocarcinoma. Patients with pancreatic MANEC range in age from 21 to 84 years (mean of 68 years) and males and females are equally affected. Tumors often arise in the head, followed by the tail and body, are often circumscribed, and range from 2 to 12 cm (mean, 5.6 cm). MANECs are often metastatic to lymphatics, regional lymph nodes, and perineural spaces with positive resection margins at diagnosis. Histologic differentials that should be excluded include peri-isletic invasion by pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, ductulo-insular neuroendocrine tumors (with entrapped or proliferating benign ductules), and pancreatoblastomas with predominant ductal and neuroendocrine differentiation. The optimal management of MANECs remains unclear, but for tumors with a poorly differentiated neuroendocrine carcinoma component, platinum-based regimens may be preferable. Not surprisingly, MANECs are highly aggressive tumors with a prognosis akin to and perhaps only slightly better than that of poorly differentiated neuroendocrine carcinoma.
A TRAILER, A SHOTGUN, AND A THEOREM OF PYTHAGORAS

Counselor: Please tell the Court your name. Expert Witness: My name is Will Kazez Counselor: No, no, no! Your name is... This is not a good start. I am not naturally a nervous person. I have survived teaching calculus to a large class that included the entire freshman football team of the University of Pennsylvania, but I've never been an Expert Witness. Even though I'm confident of the mathematics, I'm not sure I like the idea of being cross-examined. But still, I'm just rehearsing my testimony with the lawyer, and even if I've got my own name a little wrong, what's the worry? At any rate, lawyers do not like being interrupted. Counselor: No, no, no! Your name is DOCTOR William H. Kazez. Expert Witness: O.K. My name is DOCTOR William H. Kazez. Counselor: And how are you currently employed, Dr.~Kazez? Expert Witness: I am a Lecturer in the Department of Mathematics at Cornell University. Counselor: And tell the Court, Dr. Kazez, are you familiar with the theorem of Pythagoras? Expert Witness: Well your Honor, I don't mean to brag, but yes, I am familiar with the theorem of Pythagoras. Now this is good! I have rehearsed the last line in my mind many times, and I say bring it on. I'm ready for any cross-examination by any lawyer or judge. Let them take their best shot. But first, maybe I should tell you about the case? My next-door neighbor at the time was Barry Strom, Director of Cornell's Legal Services. He had a client come to him for help with a problem in elementary geometry. The client was living in a trailer that he kept parked next to one of the boundary lines of his property. One night, his neighbor approached him, with shotgun in hand, and told him to move the trailer, because, in the neighbor's humble opinion, it was parked over the boundary line. We mathematicians like to
All-screen-printed Dopant Paste Interdigitated Back Contact Solar Cell

Abstract We report results on the development of a cost-effective all-screen-printed interdigitated back contact (IBC) solar cell process. The rear side interdigitated doping pattern is achieved using screen printed n-type and p-type dopant pastes, and thermal drive-in. Our process provides excellent spatial definition of the doping pattern necessary for fabrication of an IBC solar cell. The doping approach used in this work overcomes limitations associated with conventional pastes, notably poor lateral doping control and reduced bulk lifetime. We demonstrate that wafer lifetime remains high, well above 1.5 msec, at the end of the solar cell process, enabling high cell efficiencies. Contacts are also achieved using screen printed fire-through metal pastes. We present pilot line data for n-type CZ silicon, 156 mm pseudo-square cells achieving just over 21% efficiency.
Synthesis of Triacetic Acid Lactone by the Pigeon Liver Fatty Acid Synthetase Complex

The synthesis of triacetic acid lactone (TAL) is effected by purified soluble pigeon liver fatty acid synthetase. This enzyme system synthesizes TAL from acetyl coenzyme A and malonyl coenzyme A in the absence of TPNH, and synthesizes palmitic acid in the presence of TPNH. The major product of the reaction in the absence of TPNH is TAL, and not free triacetic acid. Presumably triacetic acid, bound as a thioester to the 4′-phosphopantetheine prosthetic group of the fatty acid synthetase, is an intermediate in the formation of TAL. The latter compound is formed from 1 mole of acetyl-CoA and 2 moles of malonyl-CoA in the sequence, acetate-malonate-malonate (proceeding left to right from the methyl end of the molecule). The synthesis of TAL is inhibited by either TPN+ or TPNH. The very strong inhibition by both forms of the nucleotide implies that TAL is not synthesized in vivo by the avian soluble fatty acid synthetase.
Technological Growth and Economic Geography

The literature pioneered by Krugman (1991a) now known as "New economic geography" has developed very insightful models to understand phenomena as the agglomeration of economic activity and the specialization of regions. Nevertheless I think that the emphasis on the process of specialization, has been somewhat misleading both at a theoretical and empirical level. The attention of the literature has been focused on decreasing transport costs as the unique engine of the process. I develop a modified version of such models in which technological knowledge and its growth and spillovers are important forces at work, once agglomeration has taken place. I obtain the interesting result that after the dramatic tendency to specialization, driven by decreasing transport costs, local technological growth generates a tendency towards de-specialization, in the most advanced regions. This pattern fits the stylized facts relative to the last 40 years in the U.S. There, after a strong tendency towards industrial concentration, there has been a tendency, towards de-concentration. A first look at the data for European countries, for the last 30 years also shows a tendency to constant or slightly decreasing concentration of industries and de-concentration of innovative activity.
Content caching and delivery over heterogeneous wireless networks

Emerging heterogeneous wireless architectures consist of a dense deployment of local-coverage wireless access points (APs) with high data rates, along with sparsely-distributed, large-coverage macro-cell base stations (BS). We design a coded caching-and-delivery scheme for such architectures that equips APs with storage, enabling content pre-fetching prior to knowing user demands. Users requesting content are served by connecting to local APs with cached content, as well as by listening to a BS broadcast transmission. For any given content popularity profile, the goal is to design the caching-and-delivery scheme so as to optimally trade off the transmission cost at the BS against the storage cost at the APs and the user cost of connecting to multiple APs. We design a coded caching scheme for non-uniform content popularity that dynamically allocates user access to APs based on requested content. We demonstrate the approximate optimality of our scheme with respect to information-theoretic bounds. We numerically evaluate it on a YouTube dataset and quantify the trade-off between transmission rate, storage, and access cost. Our numerical results also suggest the intriguing possibility that, to gain most of the benefits of coded caching, it suffices to divide the content into a small number of popularity classes.
Influence of handling stress and fasting on estimates of ammonium excretion by tadpoles and fish: recommendations for designing excretion experiments

Excretion rate estimates are important for linking consumers to biogeochemical processes. Short-term incubations in chambers are a common approach for studies. This, however, may result in inaccuracies due to a welldocumented decline in excretion with time, which is often attributed to fasting. An alternative explanation, however, is that excretion slows during recovery from handling stress. Whereas shorter incubations may reduce fasting effects, longer incubations can allow for recovery from handling. Although both views have merit and are not mutually exclusive, attempts to identify optimal incubation times are lacking. We examined effects of handling stress and fasting on NH4+ excretion by omnivorous tadpoles and predatory fish. Fasting did not influence tadpole excretion for at least 6 h. Rather, handling stress appeared to cause initially elevated excretion, and thus longer incubations were appropriate. Fasting and handling stress influenced fish excretion, and intermediate incubations (~30 min) appeared most appropriate. We also found that ammonium measurements were confounded by increasing concentrations of excretory products in longer incubations. We recommend that studies include incubation time trials and correct for potential matrix effects. Effects of handling and fasting likely vary with organism and experimental procedures, and both can be accounted for using the procedures we describe.
LYSIS-FROM-WITHOUT OF STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS STRAINS BY COMBINATIONS OF SPECIFIC PHAGES AND PHAGE-INDUCED LYTIC ENZYMES

Ralston, Doris J. (University of California, Berkeley) and Mary McIvor. Lysis-from-without of Staphylococcus aureus strains by combinations of specific phages and phage-induced lytic enzymes. J. Bacteriol. 88:676–681. 1964—Several typing phages, adsorbed in sufficient concentrations to their homologous propagating strains, altered the cell surface so as to render the cells sensitive to rapid and synergistic lysis by extra-cellular additions of wall lysins. Lysis was effected both by lysins induced by the individual phages and by phage K1 virolysin. Phage K1 also rendered cells sensitive to the lysins of the typing phages. With the exception of lysins from PS 53, 70, and 77, none of the lysins nor purified phages tested separately caused significant lysis of living cells. Lysis-from-without in Staphylococcus aureus appears to be a stepwise process: sensitization by phage followed by digestion of the wall by lysin.
Confronting Authority: J.M. Coetzee's Foe and the Remaking of Robinson Crusoe

The process of remaking Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe continues as each successive generation since 1719 has taken the Crusoe myth, reconsidered it, reshaped it, repudiated it—and still we have not finished with this strange man, his island, and his Friday. In this century alone, writers the likes of H.G. Wells, Joseph Conrad, Rose Macauley, Muriel Spark, E.L. Doctorow, William Golding, and Richard Hughes (to name only a few) have grappled with Defoe's creation in an attempt to silence his presence once and for all. As Martin Green has suggested in his recent study, The Robinson Crusoe Story, Crusoe is a towering figure in literature: his tale has been hailed as the first English novel, the first story of psychological realism, the first adventure narrative, and the most compelling myth of Empire. Indeed, so powerful is this father of literature, an entire genre, the Robinsonnade, has been named in his honor. And as this name suggests—Robinsonnade—Crusoe exists in each of these remaking—a trace, a shadow, a subtext. He is always there, in the margins.
Elements of Magneto &#8211;Optics Acting in One Direction

We propose to use elements of beam optics (quads, octupoles, ...) so that they can act in one transverse direction only. For these purposes particles go across the elements, entering them and coming out far from the edges. This one-directional acting can be useful for fine-tuning of storage-rings with wigglers.
Nonlinear analysis of laterally loaded rigid piles in cohesive soil

SUMMARY This article presents a method for the nonlinear analysis of laterally loaded rigid piles in cohesive soil. The method considers the force and the moment equilibrium to derive the system equations for a rigid pile under a lateral eccentric load. The system equations are then solved using an iteration scheme to obtain the response of the pile. The method considers the nonlinear variation of the ultimate lateral soil resistance with depth and uses a new closed-form expression proposed in this article to determine the lateral bearing factor. The method also considers the horizontal shear resistance at the pile base, and a bilinear relationship between the shear resistance and the displacement is used. For simplicity, the modulus of horizontal subgrade reaction is assumed to be constant with depth, which is applicable to piles in overconsolidated clay. The nonlinearity of the modulus of horizontal subgrade reaction with pile displacement at ground surface is also considered. The validity of the developed method is demonstrated by comparing its results with those of 3D finite element analysis. The applications of the developed method to analyze five field test piles also show good agreement between the predictions and the experimental results. The developed method offers an alternative approach for simple and effective analysis of laterally loaded rigid piles in cohesive soil. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
No Differences in Decomposition Rates Observed between Bacillus thuringiensis and Non-Bacillus thuringiensis Corn Residue Incubated in the Field

Recent speculation of slower residue decomposition for Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) corn (Zea mays L.) hybrids compared with non-Bt corn hybrids has prompted investigative study. We evaluated the residue decomposition rates of Bt and non-Bt corn hybrids over a period of 22 mo under field conditions using the litter bag technique. The four corn hybrids used were (i) DKC60-16 (Bt + , CrylAb protein active against the leptidopteran European corn borer, event MON810), (ii) DKC60-12 (Bt+, Cry3Bb1 protein active against the coleopteran corn rootworm, event MON863), (iii) DKC60-14 (stacked Bt ++ , Cry1Ab and Cry3Bbl proteins) and, (iv) DKC60-15 (Bt - , base genetics). The biochemical and physical properties of the corn residues were determined. No differences in the decomposition rates of the residue from the four corn hybrids were detected. Residue decomposition rate constants were approximately 0.25 d -1 for all four hybrids with predicted residue half-lives of about 200 d. No differences in compositional properties, including lignin content, were observed among the four hybrids. Physical compression testing of the chopped residue failed to detect significant differences in mechanical strength properties among the hybrids. This is the first report regarding decomposition ofBt corn residue under field conditions following ambiguous reports from laboratory studies on the relative susceptibility of Bt corn residue to decomposition.
BOUNDS FOR FIXED POINT FREE ELEMENTS IN A TRANSITIVE GROUP AND APPLICATIONS TO CURVES OVER FINITE FIELDS

We investigateV f , the cardinality of the value set of a polynomialf of degreen over a finite field of cardinalityq. It has been shown that iff is not bijective, thenV f ≤q−(q−1)/n. Polynomials do exist which essentially achieve that bound. We do prove that if the degree off is prime to the characteristic andf is not bijective, then asymptoticallyV f ≤(5/6)q. We consider related problems for curves and higher dimensional varieties. This problem is related to the number of fixed point free elements in finite groups, and we prove some results in that setting as well.
Structural basis for the dual coding potential of 8-oxoguanosine by a high-fidelity DNA polymerase.

Accurate DNA replication involves polymerases with high nucleotide selectivity and proofreading activity. We show here why both fidelity mechanisms fail when normally accurate T7 DNA polymerase bypasses the common oxidative lesion 8-oxo-7, 8-dihydro-2′-deoxyguanosine (8oG). The crystal structure of the polymerase with 8oG templating dC insertion shows that the O8 oxygen is tolerated by strong kinking of the DNA template. A model of a corresponding structure with dATP predicts steric and electrostatic clashes that would reduce but not eliminate insertion of dA. The structure of a postinsertional complex shows 8oG(syn)·dA (anti) in a Hoogsteen-like base pair at the 3′ terminus, and polymerase interactions with the minor groove surface of the mismatch that mimic those with undamaged, matched base pairs. This explains why translesion synthesis is permitted without proofreading of an 8oG·dA mismatch, thus providing insight into the high mutagenic potential of 8oG.
Scent Transmutation: A New Way To Teach on Chemical Equilibrium, Distillation, and Dynamic Combinatorial Chemistry

Esters are volatile and pleasantly smelling compounds, commonly used as food additives. Using Ti(OBu)4-catalyzed acyl exchange, we demonstrate a scent transmutation experiment, in which two fragrant esters swap their acyl and alkoxy substituents and are, during the course of a reactive distillation, quantitatively converted into two different esters with distinct fragrance properties. We view this simple and appealing experiment as highly suitable for instructional use, since it can be used to teach the concepts of chemical equilibrium, distillation, transesterification, dynamic combinatorial chemistry, and the industrially relevant process of reactive distillation.
A natural way to cardiovascular health.

The article by Dauchet et al. (Fruits, vegetables and coronary heart disease. Nat. Rev. Cardiol. 6, 599–608; 2009),1 which reviews the available evidence for the cardioprotective potential of fruits and vegetables, highlights the importance of healthy foods and a balanced diet. This topic interests many researchers around the world who have spent time and effort demonstrating the efficacy of fruits and vegetables in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases and many other chronic conditions.
Contemporary climate change in the Amazon

[1] Deforestation of the entire Amazon basin — the catastrophe scenario — is projected to result in regional decreases of precipitation and evaporation, potentially leading to sustained desertification. However, current levels and patterns of Amazon deforestation actually enhance mass and energy transfers between the land and the atmosphere through the creation of thermally driven circulations. The climatological effects of these circulations have long been thought to be inconsequential (e.g., Negri et al., 2004). In contrast, we find here that current deforestation causes a dramatic change in climatological rainfall occurrence patterns; high-resolution satellite precipitation measurements show significantly more rainfall occurrences (p ≤ 0.0001) over deforested areas. Moreover, a 75 year-long rain gauge record shows a long-term shift in the seasonality of precipitation that is concurrent with deforestation. These findings suggest that current deforestation in the Amazon has already altered the regional climate. Such changes have implications for regional ecosystem dynamics, but may also affect global climatic patterns through tropospheric teleconnections.
Development of shear localization in simulated quartz gouge: Effect of cumulative slip and gouge particle size

Frictional sliding experiments were conducted on two types of simulated quartz gouge (with median particle diameters 5 μm and 25 μm, respectively) at confining pressures ranging from 50 MPa to 190 MPa in a conventional triaxial configuration. To investigate the operative micromechanical processes, deformation texture developed in the gouge layer was studied in samples which had accumulated different amounts of frictional slip and undergone different stability modes of sliding. The spatial patterning of shear localization was characterized by a quantitative measurement of the shear band density and orientation. Shear localization in the ultrafine quartz gouge initiated very early before the onset of frictional sliding. Various modes of shear localization were evident, but within the gouge zoneR1-shears were predominant. The density of shear localization increased with cumulative slip, whereas the angle subtended at the rock-gouge interface decreased. Destabilization of the sliding behavior in the ultrafine quartz gouge corresponded to the extension ofR1-shears and formation of boundaryY-shear segments, whereas stabilization with cumulative slip was related to the coalescence ofY-shear segments to form a throughgoing boundary shear. In the coarse quartz gouge, the sliding behavior was relatively stable, probably because shear localization was inhibited by distributed comminution. Two different models were formulated to analyze the stress field within the gouge zone, with fundamentally different predictions on the orientations of the principal stresses. If the rock-gouge interface is assumed to be bonded without any displacement discontinuity, then the maximum principal stress in the gouge zone is predicted to subtend an angle greater than 45° at the interface. If no assumption on displacement or strain continuity is made and if the gouge has yielded as a Coulomb material, then the maximum principal stress in the gouge zone is predicted to subtend an angle less than 45°. If the apparent friction coefficient increases with overall slip (i.e., slip-hardening), then the Riedel shear angle progressively decreases with increasing shear strain within the gouge layer, possibly attaining a zero value which corresponds to a boundaryY-shear. Our quantitative data on shear localization orientation are in reasonable agreement with this second model, which implies the coefficient of internal friction to be about 0.75 for the ultrafine quartz gouge and 0.8 for the coarse gouge. The wide range of orientations for Riedel shear localization observed in natural faults suggests that the orientations of principal stresses vary as much as in an experimental gouge zone.
Prevalence of Intimate Partner Violence Reported by Homeless Youth in Columbus, Ohio

No study to date has reported intimate partner violence (IPV) experiences among homeless youth. This study sought to uncover lifetime prevalence estimates of physical, sexual, and emotional IPV among a nonprobability sample of 180 homeless male and female youth in Columbus, Ohio. To that aim, self-reported IPV and the association between IPV and gender, race, age, and history of childhood abuse were examined. Results showed that physical violence and verbal abuse were the most commonly reported experiences of IPV in the current sample and ranged from 30.0% to 35.4%. Women and those with a history of childhood abuse were more likely to be victimized by their intimate partners. Specifically, multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that women were approximately twice as likely as men to be verbally and physically abused in intimate relationships. Moreover, youth who reported being victims of abuse in childhood were more than twice as likely to experience verbal abuse and physical violence in their rel...
Retroperitoneal hemorrhage: With special reference to the accompanying paralytic ileus

Abstract Nine patients with retroperitoneal hemorrhage are reported. One hemorrhage occurred after an appendectomy, another after a vaginal hysterectomy, and seven as a result of a ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm. Retroperitoneal hemorrhage may be classified into hemorrhage due to nontraumatic and traumatic causes. The signs and symptoms are quite similar in both groups but may vary with the underlying cause of the hemorrhage. The treatment of the retroperitoneal hemorrhage will depend upon the etiology of the condition. At the onset of the hemorrhage there is an abdominal syndrome simulating a generalized peritonitis and is due to a reflex, most likely from an irritation of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. After this acute stage, a paralytic ileus usually develops. The ileus may occur from twenty-four hours to five days after the onset of the hemorrhage. It is probably due to a paralysis of the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems, rather than a reflex irritation of the splanchnic system. The prognosis in patients with retroperitoneal hemorrhage will vary and depend entirely upon the etiology of the condition.
A Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study of Atomoxetine in Young Children With ADHD

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of atomoxetine for the treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in 5- and 6-year-old children.
Reliability Generalization: Moving toward Improved Understanding and Use of Score Reliability:

Reliability generalization (RG) is a measurement meta-analytic method used to explore the variability in score reliability estimates and to characterize the possible sources of this variance. This article briefly summarizes some RG considerations. Included is a description of how reliability confidence intervals might be portrayed graphically. The article includes tabulations across various RG studies, including how frequently authors (a) report score reliabilities for their own data, (b) conduct reliability induction, or (c) do not even mention reliability.
Model Dependence of Corrections to the Fermi Function and ft Values of Some 0 + --> 0 + Super-Allowed β Decays, and the Value of the Vector Coupling Constant

This paper presents a consistent field-theoretic perturbative calculation of the Fermi function and the analytical model dependences of corrections to it. The screening, finite nuclear size, and radiative corrections are considered in a unified treatment. We are able to separate out the point-nucleus Fermi function ${F}_{0}$ from the corrections, and thus only treat the corrections in a power-series expansion. The proper way of incorporating the radiative correction into ${F}_{0}$ is discussed. Detailed analytical results for the model dependence of the finite-nuclear-size and radiative corrections are presented. The most realistic model chosen employs the nuclear charge distributions as given by Hofstadter and the single-particle harmonic-oscillator model for the nuclear matrix elements. The model-dependent results are used to calculate the $\mathrm{ft}$ values of the super-allowed decays of ${\mathrm{O}}^{14}$, ${\mathrm{Al}}^{26}$, ${\mathrm{Cl}}^{34}$, ${\mathrm{Sc}}^{42}$, ${\mathrm{V}}^{46}$, ${\mathrm{Mn}}^{50}$, and ${\mathrm{Co}}^{54}$. The values of the vector coupling constant ${G}_{V}$ are calculated for the above nuclei using the most realistic model, and the variation of the ${G}_{V}$ is discussed in the light of the predictions of the conserved-vector-current theory of weak interactions.
Could maternal autoantibodies against folate receptor-membrane proteins cause spontaneous abortion or congenital heart defects?

PROTEINS CAUSE SPONTANEOUS ABORTION OR CONGENITAL HEART DEFECTS? ALAN NEUMAN, JOSE HERNANDEZ-ROBLES, SHELDON ROTHENBERG, DIANA HODGE, ALEKSANDRA ROCZEK, LEIGH MATHIAS, JOSE LIZARRALDE, JAMES HUHTA, University of South Florida, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tampa, Florida, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Medicine, New York, New York, University of South Florida, Pediatrics, St. Petersburg, Florida, University of South Florida, College of Public Health, Tampa, Florida OBJECTIVE: Autoantibodies against folate receptor-membrane proteins have been identified in women who had a pregnancy complicated by a neural tube defect by reducing the cellular uptake of folate during the early stages of embryogenesis. Our aim was to determine whether the presence of autoantibodies to folate receptors in mothers after pregnancy is associated with the risk of spontaneous abortion and/or congenital heart defects(CHD). STUDY DESIGN: 277 non-pregnant mothers were recruited to participate in a case-control study from a perinatal cardiology clinic. Data on a prior history of spontaneous abortion or a previous child with CHD was collected and serum from 148 mothers of children with CHD (cases) and 129 mothers of children without CHD (controls) was analyzed for autoantibodies against folate receptors. Women were classified as being positive or negative for autoantibodies against folate receptors. RESULTS: Serum from 15 of the 109 mothers with a history of spontaneous abortion and 9 of the 165 mothers without a history of spontaneous abortion tested positive for the presence of autoantibodies against folate receptors (p = 0.018). Sampled women with a history of spontaneous abortion were 2.8 (CL 1.2-6.6) times as likely to have autoantibodies against folate receptors. Serum from 13 of the 148 mothers of CHD cases and 10 of the 129 mothers of controls tested positive for the presence of autoantibodies against folate receptors (p = 0.756). RBC folic acid and serum homocysteine levels were not significantly different in both the spontaneous abortion and the CHD comparisons. During the study, two antibody positive mothers had children with neural tube defect compared to one in antibody negative mothers. CONCLUSION: The presence of maternal autoanitbodies against folate receptors was correlated with a history of spontaneous abortion. No association was found between autoantibodies against folate receptors and CHD. Further investigation could explore a possible causal relationship between autoantibodies and fetal loss.
Analytic proofs of a network feasibility theorem and a theorem of Fulkerson

Abstract We provide an elementary proff of Fulkerson's theorem which gives the permutation matrices as extreme points of a certain unbounded convex polyhedron. An adaptation of the proof also establishes an analogous feasibility theorem for network flows which has Fulkerson's theorem as a corollary.
Clinical use of lactate testing in shock states

Venous lactate is a valuable diagnostic test for the evaluation of shock and suspected shock states. Lactate level has been found to correlate with poor prognosis in perioperative, intraoperative, SICU, MICU, and Emergency Department patients, even when vital signs are normal. Patients who respond to resuscitative measures with a decrease in lactate level have a better prognosis than those with persistently elevated lactate levels. In interpreting lactate values it is important to be aware of clinical states, especially liver disease and antiretroviral therapy, which can cause elevations of lactate in the absence of hypoperfusion.
InAs nanowire transistors as gas sensor and the response mechanism.

We report a study of the response of InAs nanowire field-effect transistor sensor devices to various gases and alcoholic vapors. It is concluded that the change in conductance of the device in response to chemical vapors is a combined result of both the charge transfer and modified electron mobility effects. In particular, we found that surface adsorption of most chemical molecules can reduce electron density in nanowires from ∼104 to ∼103/μm and enhance the electron mobility greatly (from tens to a few hundred of cm2/(V s)) at the same time. These effects are attributed to the interactions between adsorbed molecules and the electron accumulation layer and rich surface states on the InAs nanowire surface.
Interaction of Mechlorethamine and Isophosphamide with Bovine Serum Albumin and Rat Liver Microsomes

Abstract: The interaction of the alkylating metabolites of isophosphamide and mechlorethamine with microsomal protein and bovine serum albumin was studied. The procedure of freezing and thawing of rat liver microsomal fraction greatly increases the inhibition by mechlorethamine of its ethylmorphine demethylase activity. Microsomal metabolites of isophosphamide bind covalently to microsomal protein and bovine serum albumin. Mechlorethamine interacts with thiol and tyrosyl hydroxyl groups of bovine serum albumin. The use of the mechlorethamine-bovine serum albumin interaction as a model system for the study of the reactions of isophosphamide metabolites with protein is proposed.
Self-Assembly of Block Copolymers in Selective Solvents: Influence of Relative Block Size on Phase Behavior

Two isothermal (25 °C) phase diagrams with the block copolymer (EO)43(PO)16(EO)43 and the block copolymer (EO)5(PO)68(EO)5, respectively, in water and p-xylene are presented (EO is ethylene oxide and PO is propylene oxide). The copolymers have approximately the same molecular weight, albeit are unbalanced in PEO/PPO block ratio. The amounts and relative proportions of the solvents can modulate the resulting microstructures, although the phase sequence observed depends on the relative PEO/PPO block ratio. The copolymer rich in EO forms predominantly normal (oil-in-water) structures while the copolymer rich in PO forms predominantly reverse (water-in-oil) structures.
RA-226 Radioassay of Soil and Tailings

Studies of inactive uranium tailings piles have shown that tailings sands containing Ra-226 and other radionuclides may be dispersed by wind and water erosion, causing contamination of adjacent areas. To conduct an effective cleanup operation, it is necessary that boundaries of contamination be well defined. To accomplish this, data from surface gamma-ray surveys made under the Measurement Monitoring Program of the US DOE's Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action Project (UMTRAP) are first used to delineate a general outline of the contaminated area. Then, data from portable scintillometer surveys and from sealed-can gamma-ray analyses of soil samples are used to more precisely define the perimeter of Ra-226 contamination. These field measurements are supported by radiochemical analyses of randomly selected samples. Because of its adaptability to the widely varying chemical composition of the material in these samples, the complexing agent EDTA is used in a complexometric leaching procedure to analyze Ra-226. By this procedure, natural concentrations of Ra-226 in soil (approx. 1 pCi/g) can be measured routinely. The potential limit of detection is in the 0.1 to 0.5 pCi/g range. Details of the method, which includes leaching of radium followed by radon de-emanation, are described. Comparative data for various soil and tailingsmore » samples are presented.« less
Epinastine hydrochloride for atopic disease

Atopic conditions include allergic rhinitis, atopic eczema, allergic conjunctivitis and asthma. Doctors and patients can choose from a variety of antiallergy medications, testifying that no one medication will suffice to treat all symptoms and that each has a different side-effect profile. Antiallergy medications target histamine receptors, as histamine release contributes to the unpleasant symptoms of itching, tearing, runny nose and skin urticaria. The ideal antihistamine would control the symptoms of atopic disease but cause very few side effects. Traditionally, unwanted effects include drowsiness and somnolence due to CNS depression, and digestive tract problems such as loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting and constipation or diarrhea. Some antihistamines also have anticholinergic effects that are mediated by muscarinic receptors. These atropine-like actions, which can affect the cardiovascular system, are sufficiently prominent in some drugs to be manifest during clinical usage. Epinastine hydrochloride minimally penetrates the blood/brain barrier and has almost no effect on the muscarinic receptors. This drug is marketed as having very few CNS-depressant side effects, few drug interactions and gastrointestinal side effects, and a low risk of cardiotoxicity.
Validity of the Writing Apprehension Test: Two Studies:

The predictive validity of the Writing Apprehension Test developed by J. A. Daly and M. D. Miller was examined. Study 1 indicated that the test is a meaningful predictor of students' American College Test scores in general and particulatly of English scores. This predictive power remained after removing variance attributable to test anxiety. Study 2 showed that apprehension about writing significantly predicted quality of message while test anxiety did not. Students scoring high reported more state anxiety about writing than those with moderate or low apprehension about writing. These studies support the predictive validity of the Writing Apprehension Test, but raise a question concerning its construct validity.
Finite element analysis of cone indentation

An elastoplastic analysis of axisymmetric conical indentation has been made using the finite element method. Studies of the shapes of plastic zones and the effects of shear modulus, bulk modulus and indenter angle on the hardness of hard and soft materials have been made. The results show that the shapes of the plastic zones depend strongly on both indenter angle and the ratio of Young's modulus to yield strength (E σy). It is also found that the bulk and shear moduli have large effects on the hardness of hard and soft materials, respectively.
Three-dimensional P wave velocity model for the San Francisco Bay region, California

[1] A new three-dimensional P wave velocity model for the greater San Francisco Bay region has been derived using the double-difference seismic tomography method, using data from about 5,500 chemical explosions or air gun blasts and approximately 6,000 earthquakes. The model region covers 140 km NE-SW by 240 km NW-SE, extending from 20 km south of Monterey to Santa Rosa and reaching from the Pacific coast to the edge of the Great Valley. Our model provides the first regional view of a number of basement highs that are imaged in the uppermost few kilometers of the model, and images a number of velocity anomaly lows associated with known Mesozoic and Cenozoic basins in the study area. High velocity (Vp > 6.5 km/s) features at ∼15-km depth beneath part of the edge of the Great Valley and along the San Francisco peninsula are interpreted as ophiolite bodies. The relocated earthquakes provide a clear picture of the geometry of the major faults in the region, illuminating fault dips that are generally consistent with previous studies. Ninety-five percent of the earthquakes have depths between 2.3 and 15.2 km, and the corresponding seismic velocities at the hypocenters range from 4.8 km/s (presumably corresponding to Franciscan basement or Mesozoic sedimentary rocks of the Great Valley Sequence) to 6.8 km/s. The top of the seismogenic zone is thus largely controlled by basement depth, but the base of the seismogenic zone is not restricted to seismic velocities of ≤6.3 km/s in this region, as had been previously proposed.
The posterior transtriceps approach for elbow arthrography: a forgotten technique?

Objective To evaluate the technical feasibility of performing elbow MR arthrography via a posterior approach through the triceps.
Fluxes and behavior of radium isotopes, barium, and uranium in seven Southeastern US rivers and estuaries

Abstract This paper demonstrates the importance of advective transport of water through permeable estuarine and salt marsh sediments. This transport delivers significant quantities of radium and barium to the coastal ocean; and, in some cases may remove significant quantities of uranium. These conclusions are based on repeated analyses of seven river–estuarine systems from North Carolina to Florida. Fluxes of radium and barium from these river systems are shown to be inadequate to balance the dissolved inventories of these elements in the South Atlantic Bight. The strong interactions that occur between surface and subsurface waters as these rivers encounter coastal marshes lead us to consider these river mouths as marsh-dominated in terms of their chemical fluxes to the ocean. Such interactions between the river and coastal marsh must be considered when estimating fluxes of material between the land and ocean.
Parallel Overlap Assembly for the Construction of Computational DNA Libraries

Algorithms for computing with DNA currently require the construction of pools of molecules in which each distinct molecule represents a different starting point for the calculation. We have begun building such pools using the technique of parallel overlap assembly that is already used for the generation of diversity in biologically useful combinatorial search techniques such as gene shuffling. Unlike these applications, a pool in a molecular computer must be complete, containing all possible strands, and ordered, having minimal contamination from incorrectly assembled DNA. We present an experiment in which parallel overlap assembly is used to construct a computational pool and an experiment in which this pool is used to solve the NP-complete maximal-clique problem.
Designing scaffolds to enhance transplanted myoblast survival and migration.

Myoblast transplantation is currently limited by poor survival and integration of these cells into host musculature. Transplantation systems that enhance the viability of the cells and induce their...
Direct spectroscopic and kinetic evidence for the involvement of a peroxodiferric intermediate during the ferroxidase reaction in fast ferritin mineralization

Rapid freeze-quench (RFQ) Mossbauer and stopped-flow absorption spectroscopy were used to monitor the ferritin ferroxidase reaction using recombinant (apo) frog M ferritin; the initial transient ferric species could be trapped by the RFQ method using low iron loading (36 Fe2+/ferritin molecule). Biphasic kinetics of ferroxidation were observed and measured directly by the Mossbauer method; a majority (85%) of the ferrous ions was oxidized at a fast rate of approximately 80 s-1 and the remainder at a much slower rate of approximately 1.7 s-1. In parallel with the fast phase oxidation of the Fe2+ ions, a single transient iron species is formed which exhibits magnetic properties (diamagnetic ground state) and Mossbauer parameters (DeltaEQ = 1.08 +/- 0.03 mm/s and delta = 0.62 +/- 0.02 mm/s) indicative of an antiferromagnetically coupled peroxodiferric complex. The formation and decay rates of this transient diiron species measured by the RFQ Mossbauer method match those of a transient blue species (lambdamax = 650 nm) determined by the stopped-flow absorbance measurement. Thus, the transient colored species is assigned to the same peroxodiferric intermediate. Similar transient colored species have been detected by other investigators in several other fast ferritins (H and M subunit types), such as the human H ferritin and the Escherichia coli ferritin, suggesting a similar mechanism for the ferritin ferroxidase step in all fast ferritins. Peroxodiferric complexes are also formed as early intermediates in the reaction of O2 with the catalytic diiron centers in the hydroxylase component of soluble methane monooxygenase (MMOH) and in the D84E mutant of the R2 subunit of E. coli ribonucleotide reductase. The proposal that a single protein site, with a structure homologous to the diiron centers in MMOH and R2, is involved in the ferritin ferroxidation step is confirmed by the observed kinetics, spectroscopic properties, and purity of the initial peroxodiferric species formed in the frog M ferritin.
Anesthesia inhibits interferon-induced natural killer cell cytotoxicity via induction of CD8+ suppressor cells.

Abstract Anesthesia (Avertin, halothane, isoflorane, ether, or ketamine/xylazan) of mice inhibits subsequent stimulation of splenic natural killer cell (NK) cytotoxicity by interferon (IFN) treatment either in vitro and in vivo . The current data demonstrate (a) in vitro depletion of CD8 + cells from mononuclear splenocytes of anesthetized mice restored the ability of NK cells to respond in vitro to IFN stimulation and (b) coincubation of CD8 + splenocytes from anesthetized mice with CD8 - splenocytes of naive mice resulted in a significant reduction of the IFN-induced stimulation of NK activity in the coculture. These results suggest that anesthesia induces CD8+ cells that suppress stimulation of NK cytotoxicity by IFN.
Inflammation-activated protein kinases as targets for drug development.

Given the prevalence and debilitating nature of chronic inflammatory diseases, there is a never-ending quest to identify novel targets for the rational development of antiinflammatory drugs. The major signaling pathway that controls inflammation-associated gene expression is the one which leads to activation of transcription factor nuclear factor-κB. Therefore, inhibitors of the kinase responsible for nuclear factor-κB activation, IκB kinase, are expected to have potent antiinflammatory activity. Indeed, our results with cell type−specific inactivation of the β-catalytic subunit of IκB kinase are by and large consistent with this assertion. In addition to IκB kinase and nuclear factor-κB, the expression of certain proinflammatory cytokines, such as interleukin-1 and tumor necrosis factor-α, is dependent on mitogen-activated protein kinases. Therefore, considerable attention has also been given to mitogen-activated protein kinases as likely targets for the development of novel antiinflammatory therapeutics. Preliminary preclinical data suggest that inhibitors that target all these pathways exhibit antiinflammatory activity. This review focuses on the possible mechanisms through which such inhibitors may interfere with inflammation and some of the complications that may be associated with their use.