cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Paget-Schroetter syndrome therapy: failure of intravenous stents.

Abstract Background The purpose of this study is to show that intravenous stents (IS) are contraindicated in patients with thrombosis of the axillary-subclavian vein (Paget-Schroetter syndrome). Methods Twenty-two patients had IS placed after balloon dilatation of the venous compression in the thoracic outlet. Each of the patients receiving IS had the diagnosis made less than 6 weeks after vein occlusion, previous thrombolytic therapy, and poststent anticoagulants. (All were performed in outside hospitals. In no case was surgical decompression of the "externally constricted venous tunnel" performed.) The 22 patients receiving IS were compared with a similar group of 384 patients seen less than 6 weeks after thrombosis who were treated with "optimal therapy," ie, thrombolysis and prompt transaxillary resection of the first rib with venous tunnel decompression. Results All 22 patients with IS reoccluded their axillary-subclavian vein from 1 day to 6 weeks after insertion. All were retreated with thrombolytic therapy and first rib resection. Ten remained patent and 7 remained occluded but developed adequate collateral circulation. All 17 were asymptomatic. Five remained occluded with minimal collateral circulation. Attempts were made to reopen them a third time. All 5 are receiving long-term anticoagulants. In contrast the 384 patients managed with optimal therapy were significantly improved without retreatment or anticoagulants. Conclusions From our study, there is no indication for use of IS in patients with Paget-Schroetter syndrome; in fact, from our experience it is contraindicated when compared with the optimal therapy group. Other authors corroborate this conclusion in recent review articles.
Retinoic acid receptor β2 inhibition of metastasis in mouse mammary gland xenografts

The retinoic acid receptor β2 (RARβ2) protein is a putative tumor suppressor that inhibits proliferation and can induce apoptosis when introduced into breast, cervical, lung, and pancreatic cancer cell lines. To determine if RARβ2 suppresses proliferation of mammary-derived cancer cells in vivo, we transduced MDA-MB-435 breast cancer cells with the LXSN retroviral vector containing RARβ2 and implanted LXSN vector- or RARβ2-transduced cells into the mammary fat pads of nude and severe combined immune deficiency (SCID) mice. We analyzed the xenografts for several tumor parameters, including tumor size, inflammation, vascularity, mitoses, tumor recurrence at the primary site following resection, and metastases. We found that 19 of 52 mice inoculated with vector-transduced cells developed metastases in multiple organs while only one of 55 mice receiving RARβ2-transduced cells displayed evidence of metastases (p < 0.000001, combined experiments, two-tailed Fisher's exact test). Moreover, RARβ2-tumor cell recipient mice had a lower incidence of post-resection tumor recurrence (8/55 vs. 25/52, p = 0.0004), 34% less necrosis (in three of four experiments, p = 0.001), and 39% fewer mitoses in tumor tissue (p < 0.000001). Our findings suggest that RARβ2 may play a role in inhibiting the metastatic cascade in a mouse mammary gland xenograft tumor model and is a potential candidate for therapeutic intervention in human breast cancer.
Conduction block of monkey dorsal rootlets by water and hypertonic saline solutions

Abstract In an attempt to develop an animal model to study chronic pain blockade by intrathecal injection of hypertonic saline, various solutions were applied in vitro to the dorsal rootlets of monkeys, and conduction of A and C fibers was studied by a collision method previously used in the cat. Application of distilled water for 5 min, followed by isotonic saline solution for 5 min, gave a differential block of C fibers with respect to A fibers, as in the cat. Hypertonic saline solution of 1000 mosmole/l. gave similar results. However, at saline osmolalities above 1250 mosmole/l. in contrast to the cat, the differential block was reversed, with the A fibers being blocked more than the C fibers. When infusion of these solutions in intact monkeys was attempted, no persistent effect on conduction of either A or C fibers was found. However, if, in the same animals, distilled water was dripped onto the intact dorsal rootlets with the dura open, then a small differential block, similar to that seen in vitro, was observed. We concluded that, with respect to distilled water, the results in cat and monkey are similar enough to suggest that distilled water might cause a similar differential block in man. On the other hand, the results with hypertonic saline solution varied sufficiently at high osmolalities to prevent us from predicting which animal model would most closely represent conditions prevailing in human subjects during intrathecal injection of hypertonic solutions.
On the difficulty of tetrahedralizing 3-dimensional non-convex polyhedra

A number of different polyhedral decomposition problems have previously been studied, most notably the problem of triangulating a simple polygon. We are concerned with the tetrahedralization problem: decomposing a 3-dimensional polyhedron into a set of non-overlapping tetrahedra whose vertices are chosen from the vertices of the polyhedron. It has previously been shown that some polyhedra cannot be tetrahedralized in this fashion. We show that the problem of deciding whether a given polyhedron can be tetrahedralized is NP-complete, and hence likely to be computationally intractable. The problem remains NP-complete when restricted to the case of star-shaped polyhedra. Various versions of the question of how many Steiner points are needed to tetrahedralize a polyhedron also turn out to be NP-complete.
Hyperfine spectra of trapped bosons in optical lattices

We calculate the interaction induced inhomogeneous broadening of spectral lines in a trapped Bose gas as a function of the depth of a three-dimensional cubic optical lattice. As observed in recent experiments, we find that the terraced ``wedding-cake'' structure of Mott plateaus splits the spectrum into a series of discrete peaks. The spectra are extremely sensitive to density corrugations and trap anharmonicities. For example, even when the majority of the cloud is superfluid the spectrum displays discrete peaks.
Effects of inflammation products on immune systems. Lysophosphatidylcholine stimulates macrophages.

Microbial infection causes inflammation which stimulates macrophage functions. One of the inflammatory products, lysophosphatidylcholine (lyso-Pc), can stimulate macrophage activities. Treatment of mice with lyso-Pc enhanced spreading and ingestion activities of peritoneal macrophages. In vitro treatment of macrophages with lyso-Pc greatly enhanced spreading but not ingestion activities. However, incubation of a mixture of adherent and nonadherent cells with lyso-Pc produced a markedly enhanced ingestion activity of macrophages, implying the contribution of nonadherent cells to the stimulation of macrophages. Time course studies of the stimulation of these macrophages showed that spreading activity is stimulated immediately, even 30 min, after their contact with lyso-Pc while induction of ingestion activity requires a latent period of about 5 h. When the specificity of the macrophage receptors for ingestion was analyzed using defined immunoglobulins (i.e., IgG and IgM) with or without complement, lyso-Pc-activated macrophages efficiently ingested IgG-coated sheep erythrocytes independent of complement. However, macrophages of the same lyso-Pc-treated mice did not ingest erythrocytes coated with IgM and complement. These observations suggest that lyso-Pc-stimulated macrophages ingest the targets via Fc-receptors but not C3b receptors.
Genetic diversity in thelytokous oribatid mites (Acari; Acariformes : Desmonomata)

Abstract The oribatid mite taxon Desmonomata contains the largest known grouping of animals which reproduce by thelytokous parthenogenesis. Considering long-standing views on the fate of thelytokous lineages, their apparent radiation is a paradox, made even more interesting by a general lack of life-history characteristics normally ascribed to thelytokous animals. In addition, existing hypotheses suggest that at least one large sexual mite taxon, the Astigmata, had its origins in this asexual radiation. Electrophoretic data imply that there is no meiotic recombination in most of the species studied, and that rare males are nonfunctional. Compared with one of the sexual species, there is relatively low genetic diversity among the thelytokes, but no case was a population comprised of only one clone. Unlike most other uniparental species, these mites have no close sexual relatives, which means that asexuality is not recent and genetic variability may have arisen since the loss of sex.
Civilizing nature: national parks in global historical perspective

Civilizing nature: national parks in global historical perspective, edited by Bernhard Gissibl, Sabine Hohler and Patrick Kupper, New York, Berghahn Books, 2012, x + 294 pp., US$95.00 (hardback), ISBN 978-0-8574-5525-3 From Banff to Blue Mountain, Chitwan to Swiss, Triglav to Tongariro to, of course, Yellowstone, the term "national park" imbues places with special significance and prestige. What makes natural features "national," though, and what exactly was and is the purpose of a "park"? The admirable if eclectic volume Civilizing Nature: National Parks in Global Historical Perspective brings together an appealing array of scholars to describe and discuss how the term "national park" has been perceived and used worldwide. While taking readers on a whirlwind tour of places--20-odd parks in more than 16 countries in 13 chapters--it explores ideas of "territorialization," "nationalism," and "globalization" in an ecological milieu and, in turn, puts "wilderness," "nature," and "preservation" in much-needed political and cultural context. Although it does not claim to be comprehensive (South America is barely mentioned), it does, as the subtitle promises, provide a thorough grounding in political history and the history of conservation worldwide. Contributions are loosely divided into three parts. In the first--"Parks and Empires"--protected areas are presented as settings within which issues of colonialism, postcolonialism, and national identity play out in North America, Europe, Oceania, Southeast Asia, and North and East Africa; nature and wilderness are appropriated, reappropriated, seen, and re-envisioned as acts of dominance and symbolism. Chapters in the second part--"Organizations and Networks"--discuss international efforts to define the term "park" and transnational developments in environmental sciences and conservation. The last section, in which authors analyze motivations behind the creation of parks in Mexico, the Netherlands, India, and Slovenia, nicely exemplifies the themes of "Nations and Natures." Stylistically, writing flows well from chapter to chapter and does not rely on too much specialized jargon or place-specific terminology, making the book appropriate for undergraduate- and graduate-level college courses as well as research libraries. Some researchers and instructors interested in political geography, historical geography, environmental ethics, land management, wildlife biology, landscape ecology, and human-environment relations, in general, may be tempted to pick and choose particular readings (interested in Malaysia or the Maori? Part I. …
Sixearch.org 2.0 peer application for collaborative web search

Sixearch.org is a peer application for social, distributed, adaptive Web search, which integrates the Sixearch.org protocol, a topical crawler, a document indexing system, a retrieval engine, a P2P network communication system, and a contextual learning system. With a single click, the Sixearch.org application will build your personal Web collection. You can search not only your collection, but also other Sixearch peers. When you submit a query, your Sixearch agent will determine which peers are best suited to answer it based on previous interactions. Your agent will also learn from the results it receives, so that it can continuously improve.
MMP-9 increases HER2/neu expression and alters apoptosis levels in human mammary epithelial cells (HMEC)

HER2/neu overexpression leads to poorer prognosis and higher risk of disease reoccurrence in breast cancer patients. The causative factors responsible for increasing HER2/neu expression levels on mammary cells are not known. We investigated whether factors associated with inflammation or metastasis could induce HER2/neu expression on human mammary epithelial cells (HMECs). Human mammary epithelial cells and several human breast cancer cell lines used in our studies were treated with several agents, including estrogen and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9), either alone or in various combinations. Relative expression of HER2/neu on the surface of target cells was assessed using fluorochrome-tagged antibodies and a fluorescence cytometer. HER2/neu gene expression was also determined by Western blot analysis and PCR. Apoptosis levels were also determined. MMP-9, administered either alone or in combination with interleukin-7 and estrogen, caused a significant rise in HER2/neu expression on the surface of HMECs. The induction in HER2/neu protein expression was suppressed using a MMP-9 inhibitor. Similar results were obtained for breast cancer cells treated with the estrogen in combination with MMP-9. MMP-9 treatment significantly decreased apoptotic levels in HMECs. Our results indicate that MMP-9 is a regulator of HER2/neu expression on human mammary epithelial cells and suggest that upregulation of HER2/neu by MMP-9 may be relevant to altering the characteristics of normal mammary cells toward a transformed phenotype.
Purification and characterization of lamb gastric proteases.

Abstract Proteolytic activity resembling cathepsins A, C, and D has been demonstrated in crude lamb gastric extracts. An assay involving proteolytic activity on hemoglobin following inactivation of rennin and pepsin is reported. Following ammonium sulphate fractionation, acetone precipitation, and gel filtration, a fifty-times purification of enzyme with retention of 15% activity was obtained. Purified protease resembling cathepsin D with some cathepsin C activity had a pH optimum at 3.5 and isoelectric point of 5.6.
Response to novelty as a predictor of cocaine sensitization and conditioning in rats: a correlational analysis

An animal's response to novelty has been suggested to be a predictor of its response to drugs of abuse. The possible relationship between an individual's behavioral response to novelty and its subsequent behavioral response to cocaine has not been subjected to a detailed correlational analysis. To use a repeated cocaine treatment protocol to induce cocaine sensitization and conditioned cocaine locomotor stimulant effects and to assess the relationship of these effects to pre-cocaine locomotor behavior in a novel environment. In two separate experiments, rats were given a 20-min test in a novel open-field environment. Subsequently, the rats were given a series of additional tests in conjunction with either saline or cocaine (10 mg/kg) treatments to induce cocaine sensitization and conditioned effects. The repeated cocaine treatments induced cocaine behavioral sensitization and conditioned effects. Correlational analyses showed that the initial 20-min novel environment test proved to be a strong predictor of an animal's subsequent saline activity level but did not predict the rats' behavioral acute and sensitized response to cocaine. When change in activity was used as the dependent variable, initial activity level was reliably negatively correlated with activity changes on cocaine tests as well as cocaine conditioning tests. The negative correlation between initial activity in a novel environment and the change in activity induced by cocaine indicates that low responders to environmental novelty tend to have the strongest response to cocaine. These results appear consistent with the classic initial value and response rate dependent analyses of stimulant drug effects.
Tracking Intron Removal in Real Time

Are all introns spliced cotranscriptionally? In a recent issue of Cell, Vargas et al. (2011) reported single-molecule analyses of pre-mRNA splicing, confirming transcription-coupled splicing of constitutive introns but finding off-site and delayed splicing of alternative introns. The results raise the question of whether kinetics distinguishes constitutive from regulated splicing.
Determination of Temperature-Dependent Henry's Law Constants of Odorous Contaminants and Their Application to Human Perception

A new method was developed to measure Henry's law constants at varying temperatures and from these data determine enthalpies of reactions for volatilization of aqueous compounds. The method was applied to 2-methylisoborneol (2-MIB), geosmin, and trans-2,cis-6-nonadienal, which are three of the major odorous compounds found in natural and drinking water. The method used static headspace equilibrium in standard odor analysis flasks and SPME-GC/MS. Dimensionless Henry's law constants were determined at 20, 25, 32, and 39 degrees C in distilled water. Their values ranged from 0.002 to 0.02 and increased with increasing temperature. The study was continued by determining the effects of different concentrations of fulvic acid added to the aqueous media. Decreases of 5-40% in Henry's law constants were observed when fulvic acid was present; however the decrease was not correlated with the fulvic acid concentration. Fulvic acid at any concentration caused a small decrease in constants for geosmin and 2-MIB, yet a more substantial decrease was obtained for nonadienal. Finally, the gas-phase concentrations were predicted using measured Henry's law constants for known aqueous concentrations of 2-MIB, geosmin, and nonadienal at 25 and 45 degrees C. An increase in the gas-phase concentration was not correlated to an increase in human perception as determined by a trained human panel. It is concluded that, after some point, panelists were not able to perceive an increase in the odorant concentration. This has important implications for controlling nuisance odors in the environment.
The Body's Response to Inadvertent Implants: Respirable Particles in Lung Tissues

Abstract Instillation of respirable glass fibers to rat lungs served as an in vivo model for the detection and evaluation of differential local biological responses to particulate matter in the deep lung. Three compositions of vitreous glass, stonewool, and refractory fiber materials (MMVF 10, HT, and RCF1a) were harvested with surrounding lung tissues and examined both histologically and by physical/chemical assays to correlate the observed differential dissolution events with specific biological responses associated with each material. Specimens at 2-days, 7-days, 30-days and 90-days post-instillation were compared from at least three rats for each condition and for phosphate-buffered-saline controls. HT fiber surface and bulk chemistry uniquely allowed direct histochemical visualization of fiber degradation steps by Prussian Blue staining, while multiple attenuated internal reflection infrared spectroscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray analysis of unfixed, fresh lung lobe slice surfaces revealed the conc...
Cost Containment in Health Care: A Model for Management Research

Cost containment is a dominant problem in the health care field, but it has not been addressed from a comprehensive management perspective. To fill this gap, we have developed an inclusive model of the cost containment process. The model has implications for management research in several areas: cost containment baselines, incentive systems, organization structures, cost/quality trade-offs, and cost containment constraints.
Are Diverse Political Networks Always Bad for Participatory Democracy? Indifference, Alienation, and Political Disagreements

Political discussions within interpersonal networks not only help communicate political information that is otherwise too costly to obtain, but they also expose people to political views that are n...
Short-term price reversals following major price innovations: Additional evidence on market overreaction

Abstract This study examines the behavior of security returns in the period immediately following abrupt changes in value. The uncertain information hypothesis (UIH) predicts that abnormal returns following both positive and negative events should continue to be positive. The overreaction hypothesis predicts negative (positive) abnormal returns following positive (negative) events. After controlling for firm size, overall market volatility, and event direction, the results of this study clearly point to significant negative abnormal returns following positive events and are thus more consistent with short-term market overreaction than with the UIH.
The case for a quartet model of hadrons

Abstract A model of hadrons based on an underlying quartet leads to a more satisfactory picture of weak interactions than one based on a triplet. Hadrons containing the fourth type of quark may be as low as 700 MeV above their uncharmed counterparts. It is argued that charmed hadrons should be searched for in photoproduction and (under certain circumstances) in hadronic formation experiments.
Extent of coverage of mineral surfaces by organic matter in marine sediments

Abstract Organic matter loading in continental margin sediments frequently occurs at a concentration equivalent to a monolayer coating of mineral grains, raising the question of whether adsorbed organic matter is indeed dispersed over all mineral surfaces. A method was developed to address this configurational issue using the energetics of gas adsorption on oxide surfaces. Enthalpies of gas adsorption were assessed using the C constant of the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) equation. Physisorption of nitrogen or argon gas involves higher enthalpies onto naked than onto organically coated oxide surfaces. Studies on model adsorbate-adsorbent systems provided an algorithm relating gas adsorption energetics to the fraction of surface coated with organic matter. Application of this algorithm to marine aluminosilicate sediments shows that those with low to moderate loadings of organic matter ( −2 ) have generally less than 15% of their surfaces coated. Most minerals in these sediments, which account for most sediments in the ocean, therefore present a largely naked aluminosilicate surface to aqueous solutions.
Differences in Thrombotic Risk Factors in Black and White Women with Adverse Pregnancy Outcome

Introduction Black women have an increased risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes and the characteristics of thrombotic risk factors in this population are unknown. The objective of this study was to examine the racial differences in thrombotic risk factors among women with adverse pregnancy outcomes.
Stress Hormones and Human Developmental Plasticity: Lessons From Tadpoles

After completing this article, readers should be able to: 1. Define phenotypic plasticity. 2. Delineate the roles of stress hormones in controlling the timing of life history transitions and phenotypic outcomes. 3. List the long-term phenotypic consequences of exposure to stress early in life. Phenotypic expression depends on the interaction between the genotype (nature) and the environment (nurture). This is true for all living organisms, but the physiologic mechanisms that mediate this interaction remain poorly understood. Very early developmental events generally are regarded as being buffered from environmental effects (ie, they are canalized), but it is now clear that the earliest environment experienced by the embryo can shape developmental outcomes, that is, result in developmental plasticity or prenatal programming. For example, the probability of preterm birth is highly correlated with the experience of stress during the periconceptional period. Thus, fetal development tends to be more variable in timing and possibly more susceptible to environmental influences. The environment influences development by modifying morphology and physiology, thus resulting in specific phenotypic outcomes, and modifying the timing of developmental events. The term “phenotypic plasticity” is used to describe the process by which organisms modify their development, behavior, or physiology in response to changing environments. Phenotypic plasticity has been described in almost every group of plants and animals, and it can have important fitness consequences. For example, it may be adaptive if it leads to increased survival during the embryonic or larval life stage. Yet, there are important tradeoffs associated with phenotypic plasticity. For example, amphibian tadpoles may accelerate metamorphosis in response to a deteriorating larval habitat (eg, a drying pond, high density of predators, low food) and, thus, increase the probability of immediate survival through metamorphosis. However, this accelerated development comes at a cost: decreased growth and smaller body size at transformation that may lead to …
Simulating multiple occupant behaviors in buildings: An agent-based modeling approach

Abstract A new simulation methodology using agent-based modeling is presented to simulate multiple, occupant behaviors in a commercial building. The purpose of the agent-based modeling is to mimic a real-world occupant: an autonomous agent that interacts with both its environment and other agents, and makes behavior decisions based on the level of its thermal comfort. First, individual agent behaviors are simulated; second, the results are aggregated to explain the behavioral phenomena of the building as a whole. Using simulation coupling, the behavior impact on the thermal conditions and, energy use can be scrutinized. A simple simulation experiment was conducted to see (1) how an agent considers five behaviors (adjust clothing level, adjust activity level, window use, blind use, and space heater/personal fan use behaviors) to achieve its comfort goal, and (2) how an agent adapts to the dynamic thermal changes in the space to optimize both comfort and energy savings.
Acid and Nonacid Reflux Monitoring

Detection of acid and nonacid reflux using esophageal reflux monitoring, which includes conventional and wireless pH monitoring and pH impedance, can be a valuable diagnostic tool when used appropriately in the assessment of patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease. Reflux monitoring may be especially helpful if a management change is desired, such as when initial or empirical treatment is ineffective. However, each of these methods has its limitations, which need to be accounted for in their clinical use. Indications, test performance, interpretation, and clinical applications of esophageal reflux monitoring, as well as their limitations, are discussed in this review.
Molecular indicators of diagenetic status in marine organic matter

The fluxes of individual carbohydrates, amino acids, lipids and pigments have been determined in net-plankton, particulate matter and sediments from three sites (9°N, 5°N, and 0°N) in the central equatorial Pacific to evaluate sources and reactivities of organic compounds. Although primary production rates vary markedly across this 9° swath, vertical trends in biochemical compositions remained remarkably parallel. Together these one hundred plus biochemicals account for 80% of the total organic carbon (Corg) in net-plankton and particles sinking from the euphotic zone, but represent only 24 and 20% of the organic carbon in deep-water particles and surface sediments, respectively. Scaled profiles of relative abundances, clearly illustrate (a) exponential losses of plankton remains and increases in heterotroph biomarkers throughout the water column, (b) elevated proportions of bacterial markers near the sediment surface, and (c) preservation of selected remains of bacteria, phytoplankton and vascular land plants deeper in the sediments. In spite of one of the most comprehensive analyses of major biochemicals yet applied to marine particulate samples, percentages of molecularly uncharacterized organic carbon increase progressively down the water column to values near 80% in the underlying sediments. The composition, formation pathway and information potential of this uncharatterized fraction are among the most fascinating questions in marine organic geochemistry.
Single and dual purpose nuclear desalination

The use of single purpose water production and dual purpose electricity and water production plants is discussed. An expression for the combined water and electrical production is derived. The total cycle efficiency appears as a sum of the electrical production efficiency and the water production efficiency weighted by the ratio of the absolute heat addition temperature to the water cycle to the absolute heat addition temperature to the electrical cycle.
How to remake a fibroblast into a neural stem cell.

In this issue of Cell Stem Cell and in a recent issue of PNAS, Thier et al. (2012), Han et al. (2012), and Lujan et al. (2012) report the derivation of multipotent neural stem/progenitor cells from cultured mouse fibroblasts using distinct reprograming approaches.
Optimized control of a dynamic, prepatient attenuator

Dynamic attenuators are beam shaping filters that can customize the x-ray illumination field to the clinical task and for each view. These dynamic attenuators replace traditional attenuators (or “bowtie filters”) and decrease radiation dose, dynamic range, and scatter when compared to their static counterparts. We propose a one-dimensional dynamic attenuator that comprises multiple wedges with axially-dependent triangular cross-sections, and which are translated in the axial direction. These wedges together produce a time-varying, piecewise-linear attenuation function. We investigate different control methods for this attenuator and estimate the ability of the dynamic attenuator to reduce dose while maintaining the peak variance of the scan. With knowledge of the patient anatomy, the dynamic attenuator can be controlled by solving a convex optimization problem. This knowledge could be determined from a low dose pre-scan. Absent this information, various heuristics can be used. We simulate the dynamic attenuator on datasets of the thorax, abdomen, and a targeted scan of an abdominal aortic aneurysm. The dose and scatter-to-primary ratio (SPR) are estimated using Monte Carlo simulations, and the noise is calculated analytically. Compared to a system using the standard bowtie with typical mA modulation, dose reductions of 50% are observed. Compared to an optimized, patientspecific mA modulation, the typical dose reduction is 30%. If the dynamic attenuator is controlled with a heuristic, typical dose reductions are also 30%. The gains are larger in the targeted scan. The SPR is also reduced by 20% in the abdomen. We conclude that the dynamic attenuator has significant potential to reduce dose without increasing the peak variance of the scan.
Efficient Complementation by Chimeric Microviridae Internal Scaffolding Proteins Is a Function of the COOH-Terminus of the Encoded Protein

Microviridae morphogenesis is dependent on two scaffolding proteins, an internal and external species. Both structural and genetic analyses suggest that the COOH-terminus of the internal protein is critical for coat protein recognition and specificity. To test this hypothesis, chimeric internal scaffolding genes between Microviridae members fX174, G4, and a3 were constructed and the proteins expressed in vivo. All of the chimeric proteins were functional in complementation assays. However, the efficient complementation was observed only when the viral coat protein and COOH-terminus of internal scaffolding were of the same origin. Genes with 59 deletions of the fX174 internal scaffolding gene were also constructed and expressed in vivo. Proteins lacking the first 10 amino acids, which self-associate across the twofold axes of symmetry in the atomic structure, efficiently complement fX174 am(B) mutants at temperatures above 24°C. These results suggest that internal scaffolding protein self-associations across the twofold axes of symmetry are required only at lower temperatures. © 2000 Academic Press
Pilot scale process for hydrodimerization of dimethyl maleate

A pilot scale process is described for the electrochemical hydrodimerization of dimethyl maleate to tetramethyl butanetetracarboxylate. The reaction is performed in an undivided bipolar cell using graphite electrodes, methanol as the solvent and sodium acetate as the supporting electrolyte. Several hundred kilograms of product were formed. Electrode lifetimes of four hundred hours were achieved with reasonable selectivity (70%) to the desired product. Dimethyl succinate is a major (20+%) byproduct along with minor quantities of dimethyl methoxysuccinate.
The thermodynamics of the LaNi5-H2 system by differential heat flow calorimetry II: The α and β single-phase regions

Abstract Simultaneous pressure-composition isotherms and partial relative molar enthalpies of hydrogen for the single-phase portions of the system LaNi5Hx with 0 ⩽ x ⩽ 6.4 were obtained. In absorption the system exhibits chemisorption for 0 ⩽ x ⩽ 0.05 with ¦Δ H ∞ o ¦ = 80 kJ ( mol H 2 ) −1 , followed by trapping for 0.05 ⩽ x ⩽ 0.23 with ¦ Δ H o ¦ = 59 kJ ( mol H 2 ) −1 at x = 0.05 and then contains an α solid solution to the phase limit at x = 0.42. In desorption this phase limit is at x = 0.34. Both the α−(α + β) and the (α + β)−β phase boundaries exhibit discontinuous changes in Δ H with single-phase ¦ΔH¦ values of 26.5 kJ (mol H2)−1 and 38.5 kJ (mol H2)−1 respectively. The partil relative enthalpy for the β single phase for x > 6.05 decreases slowly with increasingx.
NMR study of self-paired parallel duplex of d(AAAAACCCCC) in solution

The oligonucleotide d(A5C5) in solution forms a parallel self-duplex at neutral and low pH values. H2O NMR spectra at pH 5.1 indicate the presence of five imino resonances at lower temperatures; and the structure is stable up to 60 degrees C. These signals can arise only from the hemiprotonated C+.C pairs [Westhof, E. and Sundaralingham, M. (1980) Biochemistry 77, 1852-1856; Westhof, E. and Sundaralingham, M. (1980) J. Mol. Biol. 142, 331-361] and constitute the first direct observation of C+.C hemiprotonated pairs in solution. The cross peaks from H1's and more than five distinct AH8's in 500 MHz 1H 2D-NOESY spectra indicate that there are two conformationally different and energetically similar A-tracts. There is good qualitative agreement between NOESY data and two theoretically derived structures in which A-tracts are reverse Watson-Crick and reverse Hoogsteen base-paired, respectively.
Attitude formation from product trial: Distinct roles of cognition and affect for hedonic and functional products

Affective and cognitive responses to a product trial are examined in an experiment containing two cells representing two product types: hedonic and functional. The stimulus products were a computer game and grammar-checking software. Forty-two college students comprised the sample for the experiment. The specific affective responses studied are pleasure and arousal, and brand cognitions are represented as the expectancy value from brand attributes (the product of brand beliefs, belief confidence, and attribute evaluations, summed across the attributes (σ biciei)). The relative level and influence of affective and cognitive responses to a product trial were shown to differ significantly, depending on whether the product was hedonic or functional in nature. Specifically, for the hedonic product, felt arousal during the trial was higher than for the functional product, and emotional responses were significant antecedents of subjects' evaluations of the trial experience. Brand cognitions, however, were not significantly related to trial evaluations for the hedonic product. In contrast, for the functional product, brand cognitions and pleasure were significant antecedents of trial evaluations, but arousal was not. The findings of this study demonstrate the importance of considering both the cognitive structure created by a product trial and the consumer's emotional reactions to the trial. For hedonic products, especially, emotional responses to the trial were shown to be powerful antecedents to consumers' evaluations of a trial experience, and subsequently, brand attitude. Marketers and marketing researchers can use these results to predict which category of responses to product trial (affective or cognitive) will be most important for brand evaluation for the particular product in question. This knowledge may also enable marketers to manipulate aspects of a product trial that are most influential on the set of trial responses that this study has shown to significantly affect brand evaluation for that product type. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Reduced-complexity detectors for Multi-h CPM in aeronautical telemetry

A two-index, partial response continuous-phase modulation (CPM) known as ARTM CPM was adopted for use in aeronautical telemetry in the IRIG 106 standard in 2004. This waveform was selected because it achieves approximately three times the spectral efficiency of PCM/FM, the legacy modulation in IRIG-106. However, the optimum receiver requires 128 real-valued matched filters and keeps track of the waveform state with a trellis of 512 states and 2048 branches. Various complexity-reducing techniques are applied and the resulting loss in detection efficiency is quantified. It is shown that the full 512-state trellis is not required to achieve desirable detection efficiency: two different 32-state configurations were found to perform within 0.05 dB of optimal; two different 16-state configurations were found to perform within 0.80 dB of optimal; and an 8-state configuration was found to perform within 1.05 dB of optimal. The analysis and simulation results show that to achieve a given state complexity, proper combination of two or more complexity-reducing techniques generally outperforms the use of a single complexity-reducing technique
Compact high-frequency circuit model for one-dimensional carbon nanostructures

Based on extensive measurements and analysis, we establish that a frequency-independent parallel AC circuit can accurately model the high-frequency electrical conduction in 1-D nanostructures. The methodology is applied to carbon nanofibers and the AC model yields results that are within ± 0.5 dB and ± 5° of measured 5-parameters up to 50 GHz.
On homogenization of elliptic equations with random coefficients

In this paper, we investigate the rate of convergence of the solution $u_\varepsilon$ of the random elliptic partial difference equation $(\nabla^{\varepsilon *} a(x/\varepsilon,\omega)\nabla^\varepsilon+1)u_\varepsilon(x,\omega)=f(x)$ to the corresponding homogenized solution. Here $x\in\varepsilon Z^d$, and $\omega\in\Omega$ represents the randomness. Assuming that $a(x)$'s are independent and uniformly elliptic, we shall obtain an upper bound $\varepsilon^\alpha$ for the rate of convergence, where $\alpha$ is a constant which depends on the dimension $d\ge 2$ and the deviation of $a(x,\omega)$ from the identity matrix. We will also show that the (statistical) average of $u_\varepsilon(x,\omega)$ and its derivatives decay exponentially for large $x$.
Dimensional Analysis and Mechanical Properties Characterization of Carbon Nanofibers under Subzero Temperatures

The ability of carbon nanofibers grown on nanoelectrode chips for ultrafast detection of molecules down to parts per billion (ppb) with a response time in seconds and with a minimal usage of power has attracted the attention of materials researchers and nanotechnology explorers-for example, space research organizations. Application in chemical and biological sensing is being studied extensively. NASA in their report on failure of space missions released in 2008 emphasized on the need for studying extreme environmental behavior of futuristic space materials. Very little work has been done to understand the behavior of the nanofibers operating in low-temperature environments. In this paper, vertically aligned carbon nanofibers (VACNFs) have been characterized for their survival in extreme low-temperature environments using a combination of environmental chamber and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Specifically, this paper characterizes through nanoindentation the mechanical properties and dimensional stability of VACNFs operating in low-temperature environments.
Abstract 3122: Her4 and Her2/neu tyrosine kinase domains dimerize and activate in a reconstitutedin vitrosystem

Proceedings: AACR 101st Annual Meeting 2010‐‐ Apr 17‐21, 2010; Washington, DC Her4 (ErbB-4) and Her2/neu (ErbB-2) are receptor tyrosine kinases belonging to the Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) family. Crystal structures of EGFR and Her4 kinase domains have demonstrated kinase dimerization and activation through an allosteric mechanism. The kinase domains form an asymmetric dimer, where the C-lobe surface of one monomer contacts the N-lobe of the other monomer. In vitro studies of EGFR tyrosine kinase dimerization and activation were previously reported using a nickel-chelating lipid - liposome system, and we now demonstrate this system can be broadly applied to all other members of the EGFR family. Polyhistidine tagged-Her4, Her2/neu, and Her3 kinase domains are bound to these nickel-chelating lipid containing liposomes and are brought to a high local concentration, mimicking what happens to the full-length receptors in vivo following ligand binding. Addition of Nickel-liposomes to Her4 kinase domain results in a 40-fold activation in kinase specific activity and a marked enhancement in C-terminal tail autophosphorylation. Activation of Her4 shows a sigmoidal dependence on kinase concentration, consistent with a cooperative process that requires kinase dimerization. Her2/neu kinase activity is also activated by Nickel-liposomes, and further increases in Her2/neu activity are achieved by heterodimerization with either Her3 or Her4. The ability of Her3 and Her4 to heterodimerize and activate other family members is studied in vitro. Her3 kinase domain readily activates Her2/neu but is a poor activator of Her4, which differs from the prediction made by the asymmetric dimer model, and suggests that the mode of dimerization of Her3 needs to be further studied. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 3122.
Structure and photoinduced electron transfer in exceptionally stable synthetic DNA hairpins with stilbenediether linkers

Bis(oligonucleotide) conjugates with synthetic linkers connecting short complementary oligonucleotides are known to form synthetic DNA or RNA hairpins which are, in some cases, more stable than natural hairpins which possess oligonucleotide linkers. The authors report here that conjugates possessing stilbenediether (SE) linkers form exceptionally stable (poly)dT-SE-(poly)dA hairpins. The crystal structure of a Se-bridged hairpin confirms that it adopts a B-form structure in which the stilbene is {pi}-stacked with the adjacent base pair. The stilbenediether also mediates novel lattice interactions that are distinct from those normally found in DNA crystals. The singlet excited state of the stilbenediether is a strong electron donor which is rapidly quenched by either neighboring dT-dA or dC-dG base pairs which function as electron acceptors. This behavior is complementary to that of conjugates possessing a stilbenedicarboxamide linker (SA, Chart 1), which serves as an electron acceptor.
The reverse transfer student: A growing factor in higher education

Study purposes were (a) to identify factors associated with academic performance of students enrolled at a four-year university and a two-year community college; and (b) to determine if students who (1) dropped out of a four-year university, (2) entered a two-year community college, and then (3) returned to the same four-year institution improved in academic performance. The 195 undergraduate subjects began their college careers at a large university and subsequently transferred to a community college, a type of student mobility referred to as “reverse transfer student.” Following a poor academic performance at the university, the students achieved satisfactorily at the two-year college. Students who later returned to the university improved their grades with each quarter's course work. Factors associated with academic performance at the two institutions were identified.
Nitric oxide and nitrogen dioxide concentrations during in vitro high-frequency oscillatory ventilation.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to measure nitric oxide (NO) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) concentrations, at various ventilatory settings and sampling sites, during in vitro inhaled NO and high-frequency oscillatory ventilation therapy [iNO-HFOV]. Materials and Methods: We used a high-frequency oscillatory ventilator (model 3100A, SensorMedics, Yorba Linda, CA), a test lung (model VT-2A Ventilator Tester, Bio-Tek Instruments, Inc., Winooski, VT), nitric oxide delivery and NO/NO2 monitoring (Pulmonox II, Pulmonox, Tofield, Canada), and scavenging systems in this study. The ventilator frequency, amplitude, and inspired oxygen concentration were systematically changed at a fixed flow of NO. The concentrations of NO and NO2, sampled at four sites, were determined by an electrochemical method (Pulmonox II). The NO and NO2 concentrations were measured at the proximal part of the inspiratory limb (site 1), near the Y-piece (site 2), the carina of the test lung (site 3), and the bellows of the test lung (site 4). Results: The concentration of NO decreased significantly (P < .001) from the proximal port (site 1) of the inspiratory circuit (86.16 ± 0.38 ppm) through the lung bellows (site 4) (70.08 ± 0.23 ppm). The concentration of NO2 increased significantly (P < .001) from site 1 (3.25 ± 0.04 ppm) through site 4 (19.4 ± 0.19 ppm). However, the total concentration of NO + NO2 (NOx) remained unchanged at both site 1 and site 4. Increasing the frequency and amplitude of the ventilator significantly altered NO and NO2 concentrations. The NO2 concentration increased significantly (P < .0001) from 5.6 ppm to 18.1 ppm at site 4 when the fraction of inspired oxygen was increased from 0.25 to 0.93. The NO2 concentration also increased significantly (P < .0001) from 0.6 ppm to 18.7 when NO concentrations were independently increased from 12 ppm to 80 ppm. Conclusions: During HFOV, the concentrations of NO and NO2 vary between sampling sites and also are influenced by the frequency, amplitude, and inspired oxygen concentration. NO2 concentrations in the lung were significantly increased above commonly accepted toxic concentrations during ventilation with high concentrations of NO (80 ppm) and high fractional concentrations of oxygen. The excessive increase in NO2 concentration at the “alveolar” level in our test lung model warrants confirmation in an in vivo model.
Reaction of trimethyl- and triphenyl-antimony dibromide with phosphinic acids exhibiting PH bonding

Abstract Treatment of (CH3)3SbBr2 with C6H5P(O)(H)OH or C6H5CHCHP(O)(H)OH gave (CH3)3Sb[OP(O)(H)C6H5]2, and (CH3)3Sb[OP(O)(H)CHCHC6H5]2, respectively. Similarly, treatment of (C6H5)3SbBr2 with the same phosphinic acids gave (C6H5)3Sb[OP(O)(H)C6H5]2, and (C6H5)3Sb[OP(O)(H)CHCHC6H5]2. These compounds were found to have SbOP linkages rather than SbP bonds.