cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Genomic Flux: Genome Evolution by Gene Loss and Acquisition

This chapter describes methods for assessing the frequency of successful gene acquisition and the fraction of modern genomes that has been acquired by horizontal transfer of useful phenotypic information. Although both loss and acquisition strongly influence genome evolution, the authors suggest that the two processes are synergistic due to the limits on genome expansion. To assess the contribution of genomic flux to genome evolution and speciation, one must measure rates of gene loss and acquisition. All novel phenotypes were conferred by horizontally transferred genes. Therefore, genes for the diverse metabolic pathways have formed slowly at earlier times and not during the course of competitive invasion of novel ecological niches. Regardless of the relative rates of these two processes, it is clear that gene loss and acquisition have facilitated exploration of novel environments and allowed more rapid divergence of bacterial types in competitive situations. The authors propose that the prevalence of gene clusters stands as evidence that genomic flux has historically been a primary contributor to genome evolution. They have outlined a model for the evolution of bacterial genomes through the synergistic processes of gene acquisition and gene loss. The organization of genes into operons reflects the important role in bacterial evolution and speciation played by genomic flux—the development of bacterial genomes by gene loss and gene acquisition.
Existence and uniqueness of optimal matrix scalings

The authors show that the set of diagonal similarity scalings that minimize the scaled singular value of a matrix is nonempty and bounded if and only if the matrix that is being scaled is irreducible. For an irreducible matrix, they derive a sufficient condition for the uniqueness of the optimal scaling. >
Empirical analysis of case-based reasoning and other prediction methods in a social science domain: repeat criminal victimization

Case-Based Reasoning (CBR) has been used successfully in many practical applications. In this paper, we present the value of Case-Based Reasoning for researchers in a novel task domain, criminology. In particular, some criminologists are interested in studying crime victims who are victims of multiple crime incidents. However, research progress has been slow, in part due to limitations in the statistical methods generally used in the field. We show that CBR provides a useful alternative, allowing better prediction than via other methods, and generating hypotheses as to what features are important predictors of repeat victimization. This paper details a systematic sequence of experiments with variations on CBR and comparisons to other related, competing methods. The research uses data from the United States' National Crime Victimization Survey. CBR, with advance filtering of variables, was the best predictor in comparison to other machine learning methods. This approach may provide a fruitful new direction of research, particularly for criminology, but also for other academic research areas.
C4-Alkylthiols with activity against Moraxella catarrhalis and Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Antimicrobial resistance represents a global threat to healthcare. The ability to adequately treat infectious diseases is increasingly under siege due to the emergence of drug-resistant microorganisms. New approaches to drug development are especially needed to target organisms that exhibit broad antibiotic resistance due to expression of β-lactamases which is the most common mechanism by which bacteria become resistant to β-lactam antibiotics. We designed and synthesized 20 novel monocyclic β-lactams with alkyl- and aryl-thio moieties at C4, and subsequently tested these for antibacterial activity. These compounds demonstrated intrinsic activity against serine β-lactamase producing Mycobacterium tuberculosis wild type strain (Mtb) and multiple (n=6) β-lactamase producing Moraxella catarrhalis clinical isolates.
Pars plana lensectomy by ultrasonic fragmentation. I. Versatile and simple technique for cataract removal.

Abstract A comparison has been made between pars plana lensectomy and intracapsular cataract extraction. Pars plana lensectomy has been shown to have many advantages. It is applicable to any age, while intracapsular cataract extraction is restricted to patients over 30 years old. It can be used in any type of cataract, whereas intracapsular cataract extraction is restricted to senile cataracts. It requires less patient preparation, less instrumentation, and less surgical dexterity than does intracapsular cataract extraction. It allows intraocular examination at the time of surgery. It can be combined with other surgical procedures (intraocular lens implantation, vitrectomy, cryoretinopexy, scleral buckle, etc.). It leaves the eyes in better condition postoperatively with fewer postoperative complications, and it gives good or better visual results than intracapsular cataract extraction. It is now unnecessary to learn (and teach) multiple techniques to handle different ages and types of cataracts since pars plana lensectomy manages them all with fewer complications.
An inhalational anesthetic binding domain in the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor

To determine inhalational anesthetic binding domains on a ligand-gated ion channel, I used halothane direct photoaffinity labeling of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) in native Torpedo membranes. [14C]Halothane photoaffinity labeling of both the native Torpedo membranes and the isolated nAChR was saturable, with Kd values within the clinically relevant range. All phospholipids were labeled, with greater than 95% of the label in the acyl chain region. Electrophoresis of labeled nAChR demonstrated no significant subunit selectivity for halothane incorporation. Within the alpha-subunit, greater than 90% of label was found in the endoprotease Glu-C digestion fragments which contain the four transmembrane regions, and the pattern was different from that reported for photoactivatable phospholipid binding to the nAChR. Unlabeled halothane reduced labeling more than did isoflurane, suggesting differences in the binding domains for inhalational anesthetics in the nAChR. These data suggest multiple similar binding domains for halothane in the transmembrane region of the nAChR.
Murine mast cells attach to and migrate on laminin‐, fibronectin‐, and matrigel‐coated surfaces in response to FcεRI‐mediated signals

We have examined the possibility that mouse bone marrow-derived cultured mast cells (BMCMC) have the capacity to attach to and migrate on extracellular matrix components in vitro through the use of time lapse videography. Unactivated mast cells did not display significant interaction with slide flasks coated with either 3% BSA or collagen IV, and Fc epsilon RI-mediated activation of BMCMC did not appreciably increase their attachment and migratory characteristics. Both activated and unactivated BMCMC adhered to surfaces coated with a synthetic IKVAV laminin polypeptide, but this association resulted in the immobilization of the cells to the substrate. BMCMC did not adhere to surfaces coated with laminin, fibronectin or matrigel until Fc epsilon RI-mediated activation, after which they displayed rapid, random movement on these surfaces. Cells continually interacted with laminin, fibronectin or matrigel by flattening, interspaced by periods of movement as rounded cells with small pseudopodia. The mean velocity of BMCMC on laminin, fibronectin or matrigel was similar and averaged approximately 180 microns/hr. The mean velocity of BMCMC on these three substrates was not significantly different from the mean velocity of monocytes on laminin. The movement of BMCMC on these substrates demonstrated a directional tendency. In summary, these results demonstrate that mast cells activated through Fc epsilon RI are capable of attachment to and motion on components of extracellular matrix, and demonstrate one mechanism by which mast cells may migrate to areas of inflammation and wound repair.
A Transactional Conception of Fieldwork

The process of doing fieldwork - observing, interviewing and applying data-gathering instruments firsthand - is of obvious importance at some stage of nearly all social scientific endeavors. Our understanding of just what constitutes or contributes to this process is, however, limited. In this note I wish to offer one scheme which seems to hold some promise for increasing our understanding of the research process in the field - a scheme in which the relationship between researcher and informant is viewed as a transaction or exchange.
Ambient Noise Classification in the Gulf of Mexico

Long-term omni-directional ambient noise was collected in the Gulf of Mexico during 2004 and 2005. The data were recorded continuously and have a bandwidth of 10-1000 Hz. Two-minute averages of Short Time Fourier Transforms (STFT) of the data were computed. The processed data contain wind and wave noise, distant shipping, nearby shipping and storm passage noise with amplitude variation spanning multiple time scales. These contributions to the overall noise level are additive in producing the total measured noise level at any time. An heuristic scheme based on determining the local mean noise level over a period of several hours is used to determine the positive and negative peak values of the data relative to the local mean. The statistics of the negative peaks are used to eliminate large positive peaks (outliers) resulting from nearby shipping. The final local mean is used to characterize long period processes resulting from frontal passages or storms. The removed peak data are used to characterize shipping, and the data with the peaks removed are used to characterize long period ambient noise from wind, waves and precipitation about the local mean. The results of the analysis of the data from January 2005 will be presented.
The cosmological problem

Abstract Cosmology is the study of the large scale structure of the universe, its content, its motion, and its geometry. Observations coming to a head over the past 30 years have shown that to the eye and to the photographic plate the content is dominated by galaxies and clusters of galaxies. The space itself appears to be in a state of general expansion as shown by the redshifts in the spectra of galaxies which mark the space. And as we shall see, the expansion can be used as a subtle gauge to measure the intrinsic geometry of space. It is this latter problem—the determination of the general metric of an idealized universe—which forms the subject of the present report.
Incidental Moderate Mitral Regurgitation in Patients Undergoing Aortic Valve Replacement for Aortic Stenosis: Review of Guidelines and Current Evidence

Recent evidence has shown that moderate mitral regurgitation is common and clinically relevant in patients presenting for surgical and transcatheter aortic valve replacement for aortic stenosis. Prospective multicenter clinical trials are now indicated to resolve the clinical equipoise about whether or not mitral valve intervention also is indicated at the time of aortic valve intervention. Advances in three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography, transcatheter mitral interventions, and surgical aortic valve replacement, including the advent of sutureless valves, likely will expand the therapeutic possibilities for moderate mitral regurgitation in the setting of aortic valve interventions for severe aortic stenosis.
The neural correlates of placebo effects: a disruption account

The neurocognitive pathways by which placebo effects operate are poorly understood. Positron emission tomography (PET) imaging was used to assess the brain response of patients with chronic abdominal pain (irritable bowel syndrome; IBS) to induced intestinal discomfort both before and after a 3-week placebo regimen. A daily symptom diary was used to measure symptom improvement. Increases in right ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (RVLPFC) activity from pre- to post-placebo predicted self-reported symptom improvement, and this relationship was mediated by changes in dorsal anterior cingulate (dACC), typically associated with pain unpleasantness. These results are consistent with disruption theory [Lieberman, M.D., 2003. Reflective and reflexive judgment processes: a social cognitive neuroscience approach. In: Forgas, J.P., Williams, K.R., von Hippel, W. (Eds.), Social Judgments: Explicit and Implicit Processes. Cambridge Univ. Press, New York, pp. 44-67], which proposes that activation of prefrontal regions associated with thinking about negative affect can diminish dACC and amygdala reactivity to negative affect stimuli. This is the first study to identify a neural pathway from a region of the brain associated with placebos and affective thought to a region closely linked to the placebo-related outcome of diminished pain unpleasantness.
The kinetics of normal and prosthetic wrists

The purposes of this study were (1) to describe normal wrist kinetics, and (2) to investigate the in-vitro kinetics of four currently available wrist prostheses (Swanson, Meuli, Volz, Hamas). The effective tendon moment arms of the six major wrist muscles were determined through the use of load cells and applied weights. Testing was conducted in a neutral wrist configuration with hand pronation-supination both constrained and unconstrained. The results indicate that each of the muscles studied has a unique set of effective tendon moment arms about the normal wrist as well as about wrists with the implanted prostheses, and that none of the prosthetic wrists studied duplicated normal wrist kinetics.
Suchting on the nature of scientific thought: Are we anchoring curricula in quicksand?

Scientific thought and the nature of science have been perennial concerns of science teachers and science curriculum developers. That is, the development of students' scientific thinking patterns and understandings of science as a way of knowing have been formally identified as desired outcomes of science instruction since the beginning of this century, and arguably earlier (Lederman 1992). Our desire to help students develop scientific thinking skills and an adequate understanding of the nature of science continues to this day, as is evidenced by the various contemporary reforms in science education (AAAS 1993; National Research Council 1994). Wallis Suchting's comprehensive search for a definition of the nature of scientific thought (Suchting 1995) has significant implications for the aforementioned goals of the science education community. Notwithstanding the almost certain disagreements regarding Suchting's analytical methods, his ultimate conclusion that ‘there is no final, ‘ultimate’ answer to the question of the nature of scientific thought’ should receive careful consideration as it has significant implications for science instruction, curriculum development, research in science education, and the content and focus of science education reform. In particular, these implications relate specifically to the science education community's current conceptions of science process, nature of science, and multiculturalism in science.
Optimal control analysis in the chemotherapy of IgG multiple myeloma

This paper uses the Gompertzian model for the growth of a cancer cell population subject to losses due to the action of cycle nonspecific therapy for the determination of a chemotherapy program obtained from optimal control theory. Application of the analysis to control of the bone cancer IgG multiple myeloma is presented. The program obtained from optimal control theory is compared with clinical results.
Update on the Talent aortic stent-graft: a preliminary report from United States phase I and II trials.

Abstract Purpose: Phase I and phase II trials were conducted to determine the safety and efficacy of the Talent aortic stent-graft (Medtronic World Medical, Sunrise, Fla) in the treatment of infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA). This is a preliminary report of the technical results and 30-day clinical outcome of these trials. Methods: Multicenter prospective trials were conducted to test the Talent stent-graft in high-risk and low-risk patient populations with AAA, including phase I feasibility and phase II clinical trials. The low-risk study included concurrent surgical controls. Results: In the phase I trial, deployment success was achieved in 92% (23/25 patients), and initial technical success was 78% (18/23 implants without endoleak). The 30-day technical success rate was 96%, with six endoleaks that resolved spontaneously (without need for further intervention); and the 30-day mortality rate was 12% (3/25 patients). The phase II high-risk trial demonstrated a deployment success of 94% (119/127 patients) and an initial technical success of 86% (102/119 implants). The 30-day technical success rate was 96%, and the 30-day mortality rate was 1.5% (2/127 patients). The phase II low-risk trial included a first-generation and a second-generation Talent stent-graft. Deployment success rates were 97% and 99%, respectively, and technical success rates at 30 days were 97% and 96%, respectively. The 30-day mortality rate was 2% in the phase II low-risk first-generation device trial, and the adverse-event rate was 20%. Corresponding figures for the second-generation device were 0% and 1.8%, respectively. Conclusion: The Talent stent-graft can be deployed successfully and achieves endovascular exclusion in a large proportion of patients with AAA. Morbidity and mortality rates are acceptable. One-year clinical results and the comparison with concurrent surgical control subjects remain to be evaluated. (J Vasc Surg 2001;33:S146-9.)
Response of honelocust (Gleditsia triacanthos L.) to soil solution aluminium

Honeylocust (Gleditsia triacanthos L.) seedlings were grown for 72 days in soil from a BC horizon of a Spodosol altered by adding four levels of AlCl3. Saturated paste extracts from controls to the highest AlCl3 treatment contained, respectively, 85 to 831 μM Al, 834 to 163 μM Ca and 316 to 35 μM Mg and had a pH of 4.4 to 4.0 Leaf, stem, and root concentrations of Al and P increased while those of Mg, Ca, and Zn decreased with increasing levels of Al. Growth decreased as Al, Al/Ca, and Al/Mg ratios in the extract increased. Growth was negatively related to tissue concentrations of Al, P, and Zn and positively related to tissue Mg and Ca. Growth was more closely correlated to elemental concentrations in the saturated paste extracts than in the SrCl2 extracts (1 part 0.01M SrCl2: 1 part moist soil).
Inhibition of coking and CO poisoning of Pt catalysts by the formation of Au/Pt bimetallic surfaces

Abstract The surface of Pt catalysts can be deactivated or poisoned during catalytic and electrocatalytic processes because of its strong bonding to hydrocarbon intermediates and carbon monoxide (CO). In the current work we have evaluated whether the formation of an Au/Pt bimetallic surface alloy would improve the resistance to coking and CO poisoning, using a combination of density functional theory (DFT) modeling and temperature-programmed desorption (TPD) experiments. The DFT results indicated that the binding energies of adsorbates, such as atomic hydrogen and oxygen, were much weaker on Au/Pt surfaces in comparison to Pt. The CO desorption TPD revealed that the Au/Pt surface bonded CO more weakly than Pt, indicating that modifying Pt with Au could potentially help reduce CO poisoning. In addition, the decomposition and dehydrogenation of cyclohexene were used as probe reactions to compare the extent of carbon deposition on the Pt and Au–Pt surfaces. TPD results showed that the presence of Au on Pt promoted the selective dehydrogenation of cyclohexene to benzene. In addition, Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) measurements revealed that the Au/Pt bimetallic surfaces inhibited carbon deposition on the surface, suggesting that the Au/Pt bimetallic alloy could be potentially resistant to coking.
Reexamination of mixed handedness in psychosis-prone college students

Abstract The hand preference of psychosis-prone college students was examined in two separate studies using the Annett Handedness Questionnaire. The first sample, subjects who completed the Perceptual Aberration and Magical Ideation scales ( n =895), confirmed Chapman and Chapman's (1987a) report of greater mixed handedness in psychosis-prone college students. The second sample, 214 college students who completed the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire (SPQ), did not support Kim, Raine, Triphon and Green's (1992) findings of a correlation between mixed handedness and certain SPQ scales. The results of the current study are discussed in light of Overby's (1993) failure to replicate Chapman and Chapman's (1987a) study. The possible role of task conditions, skilled vs simple, in the emergence of atypical handedness in psychosis-prone college students is discussed.
Tolerance develops to the haloperidol-induced increase in the efflux of dopamine metabolites from the brains of unanesthetized, freely-moving rats.

Abstract The lateral cerebral ventricles of freely moving rats were perfused by means of chronically implanted push-pull cannulae every second day for 2 weeks. Perfusates were analyzed for metabolites of dopamine [dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOP AC) and homovanillic acid (HV A)] and of 5-hydroxytryptamine [5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5HIAA)] using high performance liquid chromatography and an amperometric detector. Rats received daily subcutaneous injections of haloperidol (1 mg/kg) or its vehicle. After the first injection of haloperidol the concentrations of DOP AC and HV A were markedly increased while that of 5HIAA was unchanged. Complete tolerance developed to the haloperidol-induced increased efflux of dopamine metabolites by day 9, although a higher dose of haloperidol (2 mg/kg) on day 15 was still capable of eliciting a modest increase in the efflux of DOP AC and HV A.
Glycosyltransferase assay system utilizing an acylated glycopeptide acceptor.

Abstract A glycosyltransferase assay system was devised utilizing as acceptor a purified glycopeptide which was acylated at its N-terminus using caprylic (C8) anhydride. The glycopeptide contained five amino acids and an N-linked biantennary oligosaccharide, and it was purified from a pronase digest of bovine fibrinogen. Desialylation and β-galactosidase digestion conditions were developed to produce asialo- and asialo-agalacto glycopeptides. Using fatty acid anhydrides, N-acylation conditions for these glycopeptides were then optimized. The products formed when the appropriate acylated glycopeptide was incubated with either of two N-acetylglucosaminyltransferases and UDP-[3H]N-acetylglucosamine were easily separated from unused sugar nucleotide and breakdown products by exploiting the affinity of the radiolabeled acylated glycopeptide products for pellicular C18 cartridges. The products of the enzymatic reactions bound quantitatively to the cartridges and could be eluted in small amounts of methanol. The Km values for the unacylated and acylated glycopeptide accepters were similar when measured using either N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase V or the N-acetylglycosaminyltransferase which transfers N-acetylglucosamine in β(1,3) linkage to N-acetyllactosamine (or lactose). This assay system can be used to measure many glycosyltransferases and other enzymes which transfer to N-linked biantennary oligosaccharides and is applicable to additional glycosyltransferases that transfer to other oligosaccharides which can be prepared as glycopeptides.
Optimization of neutron activation analyses of 129I in low-level radioactive waste samples

Abstract Determination of 129 I in low-level radioactive waste (LLW) samples from reactors can be a tedious and time consuming procedure often leading to results with large margins of error. This study used an efficient (approx. 2–3 h per sample) and reliable procedure, which could be used for LLW waste samples in various physical forms (solid, liquid, resin). Samples were processed without pretreatment by distillation of the LLW samples, followed by separation using chemical extraction. The extracted 129 I solution was then irradiated for 5 min in a 2 MW research reactor (neutron flux of about 10 13 n/cm 2 -s), and the activation product, 130 I, was analyzed with a high-purity intrinsic germanium detector. A tracer of 127 I was also activated to 128 I to determine radiochemical yield, which was 29 ± 7%. The lower limit of detection of the procedure was about 30 pCi/g for 4 g samples, 29% recovery, and a 1000 s counting time.
Endotoxin effects on capillary transit times of RBC and plasma as measured by indicator dilution.

Abstract The effects of a lethal dose of endotoxin (3 mg/kg) on the microcirculation of exposed mesentery were studied in anesthetised cats (0.7 kg). A femoral artery and vein were cannulated for arterial pressure determination and injections. Successive bolus injections (0.05 ml) of blood containing sulfhemoglobin-RBC (SH-RBC) and fluoroescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-labeled-dextran were made into a mesenteric artery branch. The indicator passage through the microvessels were recorded on videotape. Upon replay, the outputs of an injection signal and two video sampler intensity sensitive windows (placed at each end of the vessel) were monitored for obtaining indicator time-concentration curves. The arteriolar flow velocity was calculated as the distance between windows (mm) ÷ the difference in mean transit time (MTT) of the two curves. Vessel dimensions were determined as the calibrated distance between the windows. During the first hour postendotoxin, the arterial pressure decreased, arteriolar and venular pressures did not change, while arterioles 36 μm and larger and venules increased in diameter. Terminal arteriolar dimensions (20 μm) decreased. Increased venular diameter and unchanged pressure suggest venous pooling. SH-RBC and FITC-dextran velocities decreased by 50%. Arteriolar and venular MTT increased comparably for both indicators as did the arteriolar appearance times for both indicators and FITC-dextran venular appearance time. SH-RBC venular appearance time increased by significantly greater amounts than the other values. Arteriolar curve widths for both indicators and the SH-RBC venular curve width increased comparably, but the FITC-dextran venular curve width increased significantly more than the other values. These data would indicate that terminal arteriolar constriction with larger arteriolar dilation resulted in a reduced number of parallel pathways available to SH-RBC and of lower flow velocity in contrast to plasma pathways.
Applications of time-dependent perturbation theory in computations of theoretical Mössbauer spectra

Abstract Theoretical formulae are derived which describe several types of Mossbauer experiments; they are a) the effect of a fluctuating hyperfine field on the time dependence of Mossbauer transmission, b) the calculation of Mossbauer transmission spectra for static hyperfine fields and c) time reversal invariance tests in a Mossbauer scattering experiment.
Hepatic drug clearance in children with leukemia: Changes in clearance of model substrates during remission‐induction therapy

We administered a “cocktail” of three model substrates for hepatic metabolic processes: antipyrine for oxidation, lorazepam for glucuronidation, and indocyanine green for hepatic blood flow, to children with acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL). The plasma clearance of these substrates was determined before and after remission-induction therapy in 14 children with ALL. We found an improvement in clearance of antipyrine (0.65 to 0.95 ml/min/kg; P < 0.01) and lorazepam (0.93 to 1.20 ml/min/kg; P < 0.05) in 12 of 14 patients, with a mean increase of 67% and 52%, respectively, from before to after remission. There was no significant difference in mean indocyanine green clearance from before to after induction (14.8 vs. 14.4 ml/min/kg). There were no significant differences in liver function test results (SGOT, prothrombin time, or serum bilirubin) from before to after induction. Plasma concentrations of albumin, α1-acid glycoprotein, and apolipoprotein A changed by a mean of +11.1%, -38.2%, and +68.6%, respectively, from before to after remission. However, these changes did not account for the changes in total plasma clearance of lorazepam, because lorazepam free fraction did not change and lorazepam free clearance increased by a mean of 83%. Our hypothesis is that eradication of hepatic leukemic infiltration by ALL remission therapy resulted in an improvement in microsomal metabolism of antipyrine and lorazepam. Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics (1987) 41, 651–660; doi:10.1038/clpt.1987.91
Role of Nitric Oxide Scavenging in Peripheral Vasoconstrictor Response to ββ Cross-Linked Hemoglobin

Transfusion with many crosslinked hemoglobin solutions causes an increase in arterial pressure that may be mediated by scavenging of nitric oxide (NO). If so, we postulated that inhibiting synthesis of NO after hemoglobin transfusion would fail to cause vasoconstriction ordinarily seen with such inhibition. In pentobarbital anesthetized cats, we tested whether administration of the NO synthase inhibitor, NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME), produced peripheral vasoconstriction after isovolemic exchange transfusion with hemoglobin to the same extent as occurs with L-NAME infusion in time controls and in controls matched for reduced hematocrit (17%) with albumin transfusion. Bovine hemoglobin was treated aerobically with bis-(3,5-dibromosalicyl)fumarate to produce beta beta-81 lysine crosslinks. Hemoglobin exchange transfusion increased mean arterial blood pressure and there was no further increase after L-NAME. In contrast, L-NAME increased pressure in the time controls and albumin controls. Hemoglobin transfusion decreased intestinal and renal blood flow, and there was no further decrease after L-NAME. In contrast, L-NAME decreased intestinal and renal blood flow in time controls and albumin controls. With L-NAME pretreatment in a separate group of cats, there was little further increase in arterial pressure or visceral vasoconstriction after hemoglobin transfusion. We conclude that the increase in arterial blood pressure after isovolemic crosslinked hemoglobin transfusion is best explained by scavenging of NO in intestinal and renal vascular beds.
Value stream mapping for improving academic advising

Value stream mapping (VSM) is a popular tool to identify opportunities for improving process efficiency. Originally designed to streamline manufacturing processes, VSM can also be applied to service processes. In this research, VSM is applied to academic advising of undergraduate students in a large department of a major university. Improvements to the advising processes are suggested following a VSM analysis of the current procedures.
Older AML patients: fit for what?

Comment on Knapper et al, page [3262][1], and comment on Frohling et al, page [3280][2] Older adults with acute myeloid leukemia respond poorly to chemotherapy, especially if they have poor-risk cytogenetics or are over age 70. The up-front treatment of such patients with molecularly targeted
Quantitative Measurements of Pressure Dependent Laminar Cribrosa Microstructure in Human Eyes

The lamina cribrosa (LC) is the porous and collagenous tissue where damage to nerve fibers occurs in glaucoma [1]. Bellezza, et al., using a destructive histomorphological technique, studied the deformation of the LC under various intraocular pressures (IOP) in normal and early experimental glaucomatous monkey eyes, and demonstrated that the LC deformed in the early stage of glaucoma [2]. Sigal, et al. conducted computational studies to show that laminar cribrosa presented greatest strains under the effect of elevated IOPs [3]. However, nondestructive quantitative measurements of the microstructural and morphological changes in LC have not yet been extensively reported. The purpose of this study was to develop a protocol to quantify the microstructural changes in the LC, specifically identifying changes in porosity and fiber angle under various IOPs.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
Creating Law from the Ground Up: Land Law in Post-Conflict Cambodia

Since 1990, successive waves of foreign experts have introduced legal transplants into Cambodia dealing with the possession, use, and ownership of land. The Land Law of 2001, sponsored by the World Bank, first created a registration system that made land ownership dependent exclusively on a central cadastral registry. The 2007 Civil Code, sponsored by the Japanese International Cooperation Agency, subsequently cast doubt on the exclusivity of the registry by declaring it only presumptive evidence of ownership. Both laws are based on foreign models that presume economic, technical, and professional resources that Cambodia, as a very poor, post-conflict country, lacks. Despite recent efforts to reconcile the laws, implementation remains uneven and legal ambiguity persists. While it is too early to make conclusive judgments, the Cambodian experience brings into question not only the wisdom of top-down foreign intervention but also the desirability of any form of centralized formal legal construction in a society without the necessary social, political, and institutional prerequisites.
Regular splittings and the discrete Neumann problem

Iterative methods are discussed for approximating a solution to a singular but consistent square linear systemAx=b. The methods are based upon splittingA=M?N withM nonsingular. Monotonicity and the concept of regular splittings, introduced by Varga, are used to determine some necessary and some sufficient conditions in order that the iterationx i+1=M?1Nxi+M?1b converge to a solution to the linear system. Finally, applications are given to solving the discrete Neumann problem by iteration which are based upon the inherent monotonicity in the formulation.
Seeing the Real World: Sharing Protected Data in Real Time

We describe a new capability for "owners" of protected data to quickly and securely share real time data among networked decision-support and real-time control devices with whom the "owners" of the data have explicitly decided to "share the data. The service is based upon implementation of a recent formal definition and mathematical result (James et al. 2009) derived from the decades-old Bell-LaPadula information security result (Bell and LaPadula, 1973). The service provides decision makers a means of securely and automatically sharing critical information across security barriers based upon declaration of sharing policies. The declaration and implementation of information sharing policies based upon a need-to-share has been shown to be compatible with information protection policies based upon a need-to-know. Indeed, the implementation of the need-to-share service is based upon extending the mathematical foundations of need-to-know information security systems (the Bell-LaPadula result of 1973).
Permeability and residual plasma volume of human, Dutch variant, and rat amyloid β-protein 1-40 at the blood-brain barrier

The permeability of normal human, the human Dutch variant, and the rat A beta 1-40 proteins at the blood-brain barrier (BBB) was determined in the normal adult rat by quantifying the permeability coefficient-surface area (PS) product for each protein after correction for the residual plasma volume (Vp) occupied by the protein in the blood vessels of different brain regions. The PS for normal and Dutch A beta ranged from 13 x 10(-6) to 22 x 10(-6) ml/g/s in different brain regions, which is 130 to 220 times greater than albumin. These high PS values compare to that of insulin, whose uptake is decidedly by a receptor-mediated transport process, and suggest a similar mechanism for A beta. Remarkably, the PS for rat A beta was 4 times higher and ranged from 54 x 10(-6) to 82 x 10(-6) ml/g/s for different brain regions, suggesting a distinctive species specificity. While the Vp values of human and rat A beta were comparable, the Dutch variant was 2 to 3 times higher, indicating adherence to the vessel walls in different brain regions, consistent with the heavy A beta deposition that has been described in intracerebral vessel walls with this variant. The high PS values observed for A beta at the BBB suggest that sources outside the nervous system could contribute, at least in part, to the cerebral A beta deposits seen in Alzheimer's disease. SDS-PAGE of 125I-labeled human A beta after 60 min of uptake revealed intact protein in plasma and in different brain regions. In addition, 125I-labeled human A beta binding to a protein of 67,000 in both plasma and brain tissue regions was observed with SDS-PAGE. This protein was tentatively identified as albumin, and it was not detectable in the brain regions of animals that had undergone intracardiac perfusion; hence, a portion of A beta binds tightly to and is likely transported by albumin in plasma. The absence of this A beta-albumin complex in brain regions after perfusion and the low permeability of albumin at the BBB imply that A beta itself is efficiently transported at the BBB to account for the high PS values, although presentation of A beta to the capillary endothelial cell by albumin or other plasma proteins cannot be excluded.
Phalaris arundinacea L. (Reed canary grass—Gramineae) as a hydrophyte in Essex, Connecticut, USA

After the June 1982 floods in Essex, Connecticut, USA, reseeding for stabilization of exposed pond bottoms and subsequent rebuilding of a dam on the Mill Pond, Essex, CT resulted in rooted, floating aquatic mats ofPhalaris arundinacea L. This required that the site be weed harvested to restore open water. It is suggested that the species not be used to temporarily stabilize pond bottom soils because of its great and unexpected adaptability to aquatic situations.
Multicomponent reactive transport in an in situ zero-valent iron cell

Data collected from a field study of in situ zero-valent iron treatment for TCE were analyzed in the context of coupled transport and reaction processes. The focus of this analysis was to understand the behavior of chemical components, including contaminants, in groundwater transported through the iron cell of a pilot-scale funnel and gate treatment system. A multicomponent reactive transport simulator was used to simultaneously model mobile and nonmobile components undergoing equilibrium and kinetic reactions including TCE degradation, parallel iron dissolution reactions, precipitation of secondary minerals, and complexation reactions. The resulting mechanistic model of coupled processes reproduced solution chemistry behavior observed in the iron cell with a minimum of calibration. These observations included the destruction of TCE and cis-1,2-DCE; increases in pH and hydrocarbons; and decreases in EH, alkalinity, dissolved O2 and CO2, and major ions (i.e., Ca, Mg, Cl, sulfate, nitrate). Mineral precipit...
Comparison of the acoustic and neural distortion product at 2f1-f2 in normal-hearing adults.

Input/output functions of the simultaneously recorded acoustic distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAE) and neural frequency following-response distortion products (FFR-DP) at 2f1-f2 were evaluated to determine if these two representations of cochlear nonlinearity exhibit similar response behavior, which would suggest shared cochlear generators. Responses were recorded from normal-hearing adults for a tone burst stimulus pair (F1: 500 Hz; F2: 612 Hz) at 40–70 dB nHL. DPOAE responses were recorded from the ear canal, and FFR responses were recorded differentially from scalp electrodes, representing a vertical configuration. The input/output function for FFR-DP revealed a compressive saturating nonlinearity, whereas the DPOAE input/output function exhibited a linear growth at higher intensities following a compressive behavior at moderate levels. Results appear to suggest that cochlear generators may be contributing differentially to the acoustic and the neural distortion products. Also, FFR-DP resp...
Speech-rhythm characteristics of client-centered, gestalt, and rational-emotive therapy interviews

Abstract The aim of this study was to discover whether client-centered, Gestalt, and rational-emotive psychotherapy interviews could be described and differentiated on the basis of quantitative measurement of their speech rhythms. These measures were taken from the sound portion of a film showing interviews by Carl Rogers, Frederick Perls, and Albert Ellis. The variables used were total session and percentage of speaking times, speaking turns, vocalizations, interruptions, inside and switching pauses, and speaking rates. The three types of interview had very distinctive patterns of speech-rhythm variables. These patterns suggested that Rogers's Client-centered therapy interview was patient dominated, that Ellis's rational-emotive therapy interview was therapist dominated, and that Perl's Gestalt therapy interview was neither therapist nor patient dominated.
The Contributions of Arterial and Venous Volumes to Increased Cutaneous Blood Flow during Leg Compression

Intermittent lower extremity compression increases cutaneous blood flow. The source of this increased perfusion and, the influence of physical activity on stimulated foot skin perfusion has not been elucidated. The purpose of this study is to determine the arterial and venous contributions to augmented cutaneous blood flow during foot and leg compression, and to evaluate whether physical activity influenced the response to compression. Fifty limbs from 29 normal volunteers were studied in the sitting position. Their daily physical activity was categorized as active if they exercised > or =3 days/week or sedentary if they exercised < or =3 days/week. Inflatable foot and calf compression cuffs attached to a timed-pressure pump (Art-assist AA 1000, ACI, Inc., San Marcos, CA) were applied to the subject's leg and set to deliver 120 mmHg pressure with a 10-sec deflation cycle. Skin perfusion of the great toe was recorded by a laser Doppler (Laserflo Model BPM 403, TSI, Inc., St. Paul, MN). Total perfusion with compression (A), retrograde venous perfusion (B), and compression artifact (C) was recorded. Mean values for A, B, and C and the differences between the two groups were analyzed using multivariate multiple comparison statistical method. The mean baseline skin perfusion was 3.96 +/- 0.91, and mean total stimulated skin perfusion (A) was 9.23 +/- 2.13. With arterial inflow obliterated and compression applied, mean skin perfusion (B) was 1.96 +/- 0.44. The sedentary group had a mean resting perfusion of 1.64 +/- 0.28 and mean stimulated value (A) of 2.29 +/- 0.37 ml/min/100 gm tissue. The active group had a mean resting perfusion of 28.26 +/- 0.91, and stimulated value (A) of 32.65 +/- 4.47 ml/min/100 gm tissue. These differences in the mean skin perfusion between the two groups were significant. It is concluded that in normals, the majority of increased perfusion is from increased arterial inflow. There is a larger resting foot skin perfusion in active individuals and they have quantitatively greater stimulated inflow compared to sedentary individuals.
Teaching English for “A Better America”

Pedagogical materials from the early twentieth-century Americanization movement functioned rhetorically as responses to public discourse, which was highly critical of immigrants' language practices. In teachers' journals and language textbooks, educators engaged in a dialogue with the public, seeking to establish themselves as proponents of social progress and cultural stability. They framed English instruction as a tool for a refashioning of the nation and embraced monolingualism as a unifying force within that nation. As educators sought to engage native-born Americans and immigrants alike in the creation of this ideal nation, assumptions about national identity became embedded into pedagogical practices.
Cloning and characterization of the zebrafish (Danio rerio) aryl hydrocarbon receptor.

Abstract The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) mediates the toxicity of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) and related compounds in vertebrates. To further establish zebrafish as a vertebrate model to study the molecular mechanism of TCDD toxicity, we have isolated and characterized the cDNA encoding the zebrafish aryl hydrocarbon receptor (zfAhR2). Analysis of the deduced protein sequence revealed the 1027 amino acid protein is approximately 200 amino acids longer than previously isolated receptors. zfAhR2 is homologous to previously cloned PAS proteins within the basic helix-loop-helix and PAS domains. The C-terminal domain of zfAhR2 diverges from the mammalian AhR at position 420, and does not contain a Q-rich domain. zfAhR2 mRNA is first detected by Northern blot analysis at 24 h post fertilization, and expression increases throughout early development. Treatment of zebrafish embryos and zebrafish liver cells with graded doses of TCDD results in a dose-dependent increase in zfAhR2 mRNA. The time course for zfAhR2 and cytochrome P4501A mRNA induction by TCDD are similar. In vitro produced zfAhR2 protein dimerizes with the rainbow trout aryl hydrocarbon receptor nuclear translocator (rtARNTb) and binds dioxin response elements derived from the rainbow trout CYP1A gene. Finally, transient coexpression of zfAhR2 and rtARNTb in COS-7 cells results in a TCDD dose-related increase in transcription driven by the rainbow trout CYP1A promoter and enhancer.
Synthetic antigens as immunogens: Part IV. Specificity of antisera developed to Gal beta 1-3(GlcNAc beta 1-6)GalNAc and GlcNAc beta 1-6GalNAc.

Antisera to the chemically synthesized trisaccharide, Gal β1-3(GlcNAc β1-6)GalNAc, and disaccharide, GlcNAc β1-6GalNAc, were developed using the diazophenyl bovine serum albumin derivatives. The binding specificity of the antisera were analyzed by enzyme immunoassays with structurally related, chemically synthesized oligosaccharides. The anti-trisaccharide antibody showed no reactivity to T antigenic structures which bear the Gal pl-3GalNAc moiety. The immunodominant area of the Gral β1-3(GlcNAc β 1-6)GalNAc was contained in the GlcNAc β1-6GalNAc region of the molecule. The reactivity pattern of the anti-trisaccharide antibody, although directed to the disaccharide, did not exactly duplicate the reactivity pattern of the anti-disaccharide.
BRCA1 R71K missense mutation contributes to cancer predisposition by increasing alternative transcript levels

Mutation screening of the breast and ovarian cancer predisposition genes BRCA1 and BRCA2 is becoming an increasingly important part of clinical practice. Classification of rare non-truncating sequence variants in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes is problematic because it is not known whether these subtle changes alter function sufficiently to predispose cells to cancer development. The BRCA1 331G > A substitution mutation, which occurs at the last nucleotide of exon 5, results in an Arg-to-Lys change at codon 71 (R71K). cDNA analysis indicated that the R71K mutation significantly increases the level of a transcript, characterized by a 22 bp deletion in exon 5, which putatively produces a truncated BRCA1 protein of 63 amino acids. The mutation completely abolishes normal splicing as the mutant allele does not generate any normal transcript. Analysis of a tumor specimen indicates loss of heterozygosity. These results support the conclusion that BRCA1 331G > A (R71K) is a deleterious mutation.