cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Efficiently Locating Objects Using the Hausdorff Distance

The Hausdorff distance is a measure defined between two point sets, here representing a model and an image. The Hausdorff distance is reliable even when the image contains multiple objects, noise, spurious features, and occlusions. In the past, it has been used to search images for instances of a model that has been translated, or translated and scaled, by finding transformations that bring a large number of model features close to image features, and vice versa. In this paper, we apply it to the task of locating an affine transformation of a model in an image; this corresponds to determining the pose of a planar object that has undergone weak-perspective projection. We develop a rasterised approach to the search and a number of techniques that allow us to locate quickly all transformations of the model that satisfy two quality criteria; we can also efficiently locate only the best transformation. We discuss an implementation of this approach, and present some examples of its use.
Linearization techniques for amplifiers using MESFETs fabricated with a self-align/selective ion-implantation process

Linearization techniques for amplifiers are proposed and confirmed by experiments. The key is combining a newly developed low-distortion MESFET (LD-FET) with a high-gain depletion-mode MESFET (D-FET), both of which are simultaneously fabricated by a self-align/selective ion-implantation process. The LD-FET is characterized its unique channel doping profile with buried p-type and double n-type ion-implantations. This realizes more constant behavior in terms of mutual conductance (gm) than conventional MESFETs, which is preferable to build linear amplifiers. The combination of two MESFETs with different characteristics realizes multi-stage amplifiers with maximized intercept point (IP3). The obtained third-order intermodulation (IM3) performance of the MAHC amplifier was 8.7 dB better than that the conventional one at the input signal of n/spl tilde/20 dBm. The result confirms the validity of the proposed techniques.
Single-step transvaginal aspiration and drainage for suspected pelvic abscesses refractory to antibiotic therapy.

Objective For treatment of suspected pelvic abscesses, the use of the trocar technique avoids many of the technical challenges of the Seldinger method. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of sonographically guided transvaginal aspiration or drainage with the trocar technique in suspected pelvic abscesses that were refractory to antibiotic treatment. Methods We retrospectively reviewed 22 patients with suspected pelvic abscesses refractory to antibiotic therapy who underwent single-step transvaginal pelvic aspiration or drainage between 1995 and 2000. Results Transvaginal aspiration or drainage was successful in 19 (86%) of the 22 patients. Of the 3 patients in whom aspiration or drainage failed, all ultimately went on to have surgery despite undergoing repeated drainage procedures. Drainage catheters were placed in 15 (68%) of the 22 patients and left in place an average of 3.7 days. Aspiration alone resulted in a 100% success rate, whereas drainage with catheter placement resulted in an 80% success rate. No complications, including bleeding, bowel perforation, and death, were reported in any of the procedures. Conclusions Transvaginal ultrasonographically guided aspiration or catheter placement with the trocar technique is a safe and effective treatment for suspected pelvic abscesses refractory to antibiotic therapy.
A scanning n-tuple classifier for online recognition of handwritten digits

A scanning n-tuple classifier is applied to the task of recognizing online handwritten isolated digits. Various aspects of preprocessing, feature extraction, training and application of the scanning n-tuple method are examined. These include: distortion transformations of training data, test data perturbations, variations in bitmap generation and scaling, chain code extraction and concatenation, various static and dynamic features, and scanning n-tuple combinations. Results are reported for both the UNIPEN Train-R01/V07 and DevTest-R01/V02 subset la isolated digits databases.
Gender and relationships. A developmental account.

This article argues that behavioral differentiation of the sexes is minimal when children are observed or tested individually. Sex differences emerge primarily in social situations, and their nature varies with the gender composition of dyads and groups. Children find same-sex play partners more compatible, and they segregate themselves into same-sex groups, in which distinctive interaction styles emerge. These styles are described. As children move into adolescence, the patterns they developed in their childhood same-sex groups are carried over into cross-sex encounters in which girls' styles put them at a disadvantage. Patterns of mutual influence can become more symmetrical in intimate male-female dyads, but the distinctive styles of the two sexes can still be seen in such dyads and are subsequently manifested in the roles and relationships of parenthood. The implications of these continuities are considered. Language: en
Automated Interpretation of Protein Subcellular Location Patterns: Implications for Early Cancer Detection and Assessment

: Fluorescence microscopy is a powerful tool for analyzing the subcellular distributions of proteins, but that power has not been fully utilized because most analysis of those distributions has been done by visual examination. This limitation can be overcome using automated pattern recognition methods widely used in other fields. This article summarizes work demonstrating that automated systems can recognize the patterns of major organelles in both two- and three-dimensional images of cultured cells, and that these systems can distinguish similar patterns better than visual examination. The basis for these systems are sets of Subcellular Location Features that capture the essence of subcellular patterns without being sensitive to the extensive variation that occurs in the size, shape, and orientation of cells in microscope images. These features can also be used to make sensitive, statistical comparisons of the distribution of a protein between two conditions, such as in the presence and absence of a drug. The possible use of automated pattern analysis methods for improving detection of abnormal cells in cancerous or precancerous tissues is also discussed.
An A643V Amino Acid Substitution in Upc2p Contributes to Azole Resistance in Well-Characterized Clinical Isolates of Candida albicans

The Candida albicans Upc2p transcription factor regulates ERG11, encoding the target of azole drugs. Gain-of-function mutations that contribute to resistance were recently identified in a series of sequential clinical isolates (N. Dunkel, T. T. Liu, K. S. Barker, R. Homayouni, J. Morschhauser, and P. D. Rogers, Eukaryot. Cell 7:1180-1190, 2008). In the present study, UPC2 was sequenced from a matched set of 17 isolates. An A643V substitution was present in all of the isolates in the series that overexpressed ERG11. Azole susceptibility, ergosterol levels, and expression of ERG genes were elevated in the A643V clinical isolates and in reconstructed strains.
Functional integrity of the oxytocin-releasing reflex in goats: dependence on estrogen.

To examine the hypothesis that a recent history of exposure to estrogen is essential if vaginal distention stimuli are to effect an increase in the rate of release of oxytocin from the neurohypophysis, the relative responsiveness of this distention reflex was assessed in intact goats and in ovariectomized goats bearing Silastic capsules containing 17β-estradiol. In intact, seasonally responsive animals, vaginal distention increased the level of oxytocin in jugular venous blood from a resting value of 2.6 ± 0.4 to 77.2 ± 15.8 μU/ml plasma (mean it SEM). After ovariectomy, the reflex retained function only if the animals were treated with estradiol from the time of surgery. If not treated, the stimulated increase fell significantly to 33.5 ± 4.9 nμ/ml 10 to 24 days after the operation. Later, the reflex became completely unresponsive and remained so indefinitely in the absence of estradiol therapy. When estradiol therapy was instituted in such cases, responsiveness returned slowly. Only after 3 months of co...
Sex differences in human skeletal muscle fatigue are eliminated under ischemic conditions

Several studies have suggested that women may be more resistant to muscle fatigue than men (Fulco CS, Rock PB, Muza SA, Lammi E, Cymerman A, Butterfield G, Moore, LG, Braun B, and Lewis SF. Acta Physiol Scand 167: 233-239, 1999) possibly because of differences in muscle oxidative metabolism. We evaluated muscle fatigue produced by intermittent, maximal volitional isometric contractions of the dorsiflexor muscles of healthy young (21-34 yr) men (n = 8) and women (n = 8) under two conditions: free-flow (FF) circulation and ischemia. Measures of voluntary and stimulated (10- and 50-Hz) force, central activation ratio (CAR), and compound muscle action potential (CMAP) were collected in each session. The ischemic protocol induced greater fatigue than the FF protocol, in both sexes, and was associated with greater reductions in CAR, CMAP, stimulated force, and the ratio of 10- to 50-Hz force compared with the FF condition. Women fatigued less than men in FF but not during ischemia, and this difference was roughly paralleled by a difference in CAR. No sex effects on the CMAP, tetanic force, and measures of excitation-contraction coupling function were found in the FF condition, suggesting that the primary mechanism behind the difference in fatigue was a relatively greater impairment of central activation in men. The observation that ischemia eliminated the sex differences in fatigue is consistent with a number of studies (Kent-Braun JA, Ng AV, Doyle JW, and Towse TF. J Appl Physiol 93: 1813-1823, 2002) relating fatigue to muscle metabolism and might be the result of sex-based differences in metabolic pathway utilization during muscle contraction.
Down-regulation of DNA polymerase β accompanies somatic hypermutation in human BL2 cell lines

Somatic hypermutation (SHM) is a fundamental process in immunoglobulin gene maturation that results in increased affinity of antibodies toward antigens. In one hypothesis explaining SHM in human B cells, the process is initiated by enzymatic deamination of cytosine to uracil in the immunoglobulin gene V-region and this in turn triggers mutation-prone forms of uracil-DNA base excision repair (BER). Yet, an uncertainty with this model is that BER of uracil-DNA in mammalian cells is generally error-free, wherein DNA polymerase β (pol β) conducts gap-filling synthesis by insertion of bases according to Watson–Crick rules. To evaluate this inconsistency, we examined pol β expression in various SHM proficient human BL2 cell line subclones. We report that expression of pol β in SHM proficient cell lines was strongly down-regulated. In contrast, in other BL2 subclones, we found that SHM was deficient and that pol β expression was much higher than in the SHM proficient subclones. We also found that overexpression of recombinant human pol β in a SHM proficient subclone abrogated its capacity for SHM. These results suggest that down-regulation of the normal BER gap-filling DNA polymerase, pol β, accompanies induced SHM in BL2 cells. This is consistent with the hypothesis that normal error-free BER must be silenced to make way for an error-prone BER process that may be required during somatic hypermutation.
SPONTANEOUS INVOLVEMENT AND SOCIAL LIFE

Throughout his writings, Erving Goffman develops the principle that successful impression management requires an appearance of “spontaneous involvement” as evidence of individuals' sincerity. Goffm...
Impact of Ethnicity on Management and Channel Building in Minority Enterprises

Abstract As the number of ethnic minority enterprises continues to grow dramatically in the U.S., these enterprises have become a significant priority for both public policy makers and businesses who wish to target minority markets. Doing business with minority firms and customers is no longer the right thing to do but a business necessity. Given the lack of literature in this area, the present study aims to improve our understanding of selected issues in management of minority firms. It focuses on the marketing decision making and supervisory behaviors of ethnic minority business managers and derives implications for channel building. Specifically, the study examines the impact of ethnic affiliation on personal values, supplier selection and supervisory behaviors of managers from the two largest ethnic groups in the U.S., Hispanics and African-Americans. Using the dominant Anglo-American culture as a benchmark for comparison, the results indicate a significant effect of ethnicity on the dependent variabl...
Determinants of web spider species diversity: Vegetation structural diversity vs. prey availability

The hypotheses that vegetation structural diversity and prey availability determine alpha diversity were examined for scrub- and meadow-inhabiting web spider species assemblages along elevational gradients in Costa Rica and California. Prey availabilities were estimated by sticky trap catches, using only the orders and size classes of insects actually captured by the spiders. The measured component of vegetation structural diversity was the maximum tip height in 20 cm increments from 0 to 2.0 m. Spider species diversity and vegetation tip height diversity were both expressed by the Inverse Simpson Index. Web spider species diversity is highly significantly correlated with vegetation tip height diversity. Prey availability is not a significant predictor of web spider species diversity in these habitats.
Reciprocity between O-GlcNAc and O-phosphate on the carboxyl terminal domain of RNA polymerase II.

The carboxyl terminal domain of RNA polymerase II has multiple essential roles in transcription initiation, promoter clearance, transcript elongation, and the recruitment of the RNA processing machinery. Specific phosporylation events are associated with the spatial and temporal coordination of these different activities. The CTD is also modified by β-O-linked GlcNAc on a subset of RNA Pol II molecules. Using synthetic CTD substrates, we show here that O-GlcNAc and phosphate modification of the CTD are mutually exclusive at the level of the enzymes responsible for their addition. In addition, we show that O-GlcNAc transferase and CTD kinase have different CTD repeat requirements for enzymatic activity. The Km values of the two enzymes for CTD substrates are in a similar range, indicating that neither enzyme has a distinct kinetic advantage. Thus, the in vivo regulation of O-GlcNAc and phosphate modification of the CTD may involve the differential association of these two enzymes with the CTD at specific s...
Thermal conductivity of biological tissues using transient hot-wire technique

In this paper, we present our experimental results on the determination of the thermal conductivity of biological tissues using a transient technique based on the principles of cylindrical hot-wire method. A novel, 1 .45mmdiameter, 50mm long hot wire probe was deployed. Initial measurements were made on sponge, gelatin and Styrofoam insulation to test the accuracy of the probe. Subsequent experiments conducted on sheep collagen in the range of 25°C<T<55°C showed the thermal conductivity to be a linear function of temperature. Further, these changes in the thermal conductivity were found to be reversible. However, when the tissue was heated beyond 55°C, hysteresis effect was observed. Similar experiments were also conducted for determining the thermal conductivity of cow liver. In this case hysteresis was found to set in much later at around 90°C. Below this temperature, in the range of 25°C<T<90°C, the thermal conductivity, as for sheep collagen, varied linearly with temperature. In the second part of our study, in-vivo measurements were taken on the different organs of a living pig. Comparison with reported values for dead tissues shows the thermal conductivities of living organs to be higher, indicating thereby the dominant role played by blood perfusion in enhancing the net heat transfer in living tissues. The degree of enhancement is different in different organs and shows a direct dependence on the blood flow rate.
Brain renin-angiotensin--a new look at an old system.

Abstract The classic renin-angiotensin system (RAS) is described as a circulating hormone system focused on cardiovascular and body water regulation, with angiotensin II as its major effector. Detlef Ganten's discovery some years ago of an independent local brain RAS composed of the necessary functional components (angiotensinogen, peptidases, angiotensins and specific receptor proteins) significantly expanded the possible physiological and pharmacological functions of this system. This review first describes the enzymatic pathways resulting in active angiotensin ligands and their interaction with AT 1 , AT 2 and AT 4 receptor proteins. We discuss the characterization and distribution of the AT 1 and AT 2 receptor subtypes and the current controversy over the identity of the AT 4 receptor subtype. Research findings favoring the candidates insulin-regulated aminopeptidase (IRAP) and the type 1 tyrosine kinase receptor c-Met, are presented. Next, we summarize current research efforts directed at the use of angiotensin analogues in the treatment of clinical disorders such as memory dysfunction, cerebral blood flow and cerebroprotection, stress, depression, alcohol consumption, seizure, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, and diabetes. The use of ACE inhibitors, and AT 1 and/or AT 2 receptor blockers, has shown promise in the treatment of several of these pathologies. The development of blood-brain barrier penetrant AT 4 receptor agonists and antagonists is of major importance regarding the continuing evaluation of the efficacy of new treatment approaches.
Vectorizing the right-hand side assembly in an explicit finite element program

Abstract The major architectural difference between supercomputers and large mainframes is the ability of supercomputers to process large blocks of independent data with only a single instruction. The blocks of independent data are called “vectors,” and supercomputers are sometimes referred to as “vector processors”. Most operations within a finite element program may be vectorized almost trivially [1] with the exception of the assembly of the right-hand side force vector. This technical note demonstrates how this operation may be vectorized and gives benchmark results on a Cray-XMP-48.
The dialectics of giftedness: Gifted intellect and creativity

The many connections between gifted intellect and creativity and Klaus Riegel's Dialectical Psychology are discussed at length. Dialectical Psychology is given a precise formulation in terms of the set‐theoretic operation of symmetric difference, “one or the other but not both,” and the set‐theoretic complement thereof. It is shown how this structure is involved in developmental psychology, memory and learning, gifted intellect, gifted affect, and creativity.
The effects of ethacrynic acid on active transport of sugars and ions and on other metabolic processes in rabbit kidney cortex.

Abstract The effects of ethacrynic acid and several of its chemical analogues on the active transport of sugars and electrolytes, on cell volume, O 2 utilization, and tissue content of ATP were studied in slices of rabbit kidney cortex. 1. 1. Incubation of the tissues in 0.5–3.0 mM ethacrynic acid sharply inhibited both Na + -dependent and Na + -dependent and Na + -independent active transport of sugars and the maintenance of normal tissue electrolyte distribution; water content was inhibited in the same range of concentrations. 2. 2. The magnitudes of the above inhibitory effects were functions of both the time that the tissue was exposed to the inhibitor and the medium concentration of the inhibitor. 3. 3. Incubation of rabbit kidney cortex slices with four chemical analogues of ethacrynic acid, characterized by widely varying sulfhydryl reactivity, in the same concentration ranges revealed qualitatively similar effects on the above-mentioned transport processes. Hence, a structure-function relationship between sulfhydryl-reacting structure and inhibitory effects of ethacrynic acid and its analogues was not observed. 4. 4. Ethacrynic acid and its analogues diminished O 2 uptake of the tissue in both Na + -containing and Na + -free media. The inhibition of O 2 uptake was, therefore, not merely reflective of ethacrynic acid-induced diminished energy requirements for Na + pumping. 5. 5. Rapid diminution of tissue ATP content occurred during tissue incubation with ethacrynic acid. 6. 6. The results presented are interpreted as indicating that ethacrynic acid exerts inhibitory effects on several levels of cell metabolism and thus is not a specific inhibitor of individual active transport processes.
Influence of energetics on the stability of viscoelastic Taylor-Couette flow

Previously reported isothermal linear stability analyses of viscoelastic Taylor–Couette flow have predicted transitions to nonaxisymmetric and time-dependent secondary flows for elasticity numbers E≡De/Re>0.01. In contrast, recent experiments by Baumert and Muller using constant viscosity Boger fluids have shown that the primary flow transition leads to axisymmetric and stationary Taylor-type toroidal vortices. Moreover, experimentally observed onset Deborah number is an order of magnitude lower than that predicted by isothermal linear stability analyses. In this work, we explore the influence of energetics on the stability characteristics of the viscoelastic Taylor–Couette flow. Our analysis is based on a thermodynamically consistent reformulation of the Oldroyd-B constitutive model that takes into account the influence of thermal history on polymeric stress, and an energy equation that takes into account viscous dissipation effects. Our calculations reveal that for experimentally realizable values of Pe...
Inhibition of deoxyribonucleic acid polymerases of human leukemic leukocytes by 2',3'-dideoxythymidine triphosphate.

Abstract The effects of 2',3'-dideoxythymidine 5'-triphosphate (d 2 TTP) on the activities of DNA polymerases α and β isolated from leukocytes of a patient with acute myelogenous leukemia have been examined. DNA polymerase β was more sensitive than DNA polymerase a to d 2 TTP inhibition; the concentration of d 2 TTP required for a 50 per cent inhibition of enzyme activity was 20-fold lower for DNA polymerase β than for DNA polymerase α in assays with activated DNA template. A similar difference in sensitivity was observed also when synthetic primer templates such as (dT) ~ 15 · (dA) n or (dT) ~ 15 · (A) n were used. However, with (dG) ~ 15 · (dC) n primer template, neither DNA polymerase α nor DNA polymerase β activity was inhibited by d 2 TTP. Kinetic analysis with activated DNA template showed that the d 2 TTP inhibition was competitive with dTTP but noncompetitive with dGTP; the values of the K m for dTTP and K m for d 2 TTP for the DNA polymerase α were approximately the same, while for DNA polymerase β the K m was twenty times more than K i . Neither DNA polymerase α nor DNA polymerase β had any exonuclease activity and, therefore, the resistance of DNA polymerase α to d 2 TTP inhibition was not due to exonuclease activity. The extent of d 2 TTP inhibition was not altered significantly by changes in the concentration of either the template or the enzyme. Preincubation of the inhibitor with either the template or the enzyme was not necessary for inhibition. The compound was inhibitory even when added after the initiation of the reaction.
Airborne Remote Sensing Applications in Hydrology And Water Resources

Airborne remote sensing has proven to be a cost-effective tool for monitoring natural and agricultural resources. As digital technology has evolved, airborne systems built around digital cameras have been developed, leading to numerous applications. This paper will describe the evolution of low-cost airborne remote sensing systems and describe applications in hydrology and water resources including evapotranspiration estimates of natural and agricultural vegetation, wetland and riparian corridor monitoring and other water related applications.
Rhodopsin and its thermal intermediates: Fast structural fluctuations in their protein component

The tryptophan residues of bovine rhodopsin have been employed as intrinsic fluorescent probes for investigating the dynamics of rhodopsin and of the thermal intermediates of its bleaching at low temperature. A fast depolarization of the fluorescence of the tryptophans on the nanosecond time scale has been observed for all cases. The fluorescence spectra for the various intermediates shift progressively to the red as a function of time following excitation with nanosecond light pulses. It is inferred that rhodopsin possesses flexibility in the vicinity of its tryptophans that permits rapid structural fluctuations to take place.
Body image and risky sexual behaviors: an investigation in a tri-ethnic sample

The impact of negative body image on risky sexual behaviors has not been extensively investigated. The present study examined the relationship between two aspects of body image, appearance shame and appearance investment, and potentially risky behaviors. The study employed a tri-ethnic sample of 1547 women seeking services at two family planning clinics. Logistic regression was utilized to examine the relationship between potential risk behaviors and shame and investment. Results supported that these aspects of body image were significant predictors of inconsistent condom use, having multiple sex partners in the past year, and having sex after drinking alcohol or using drugs, and that demographic variables (e.g., age, marital status, ethnicity) could not fully account for these relationships. The importance of future research investigating the relationships among body image, perceived relationship security, affect-management strategies, and risky sexual behaviors is emphasized.
Effect of Functional Health-Related Quality of Life on Long-Term Survival After Cardiac Surgery

Background— Health-related quality-of-life instruments have become important measures of early health outcomes after cardiac surgery. The relationship between quality of life after recovery from su...
The State in a Blue Uniform

In reconsidering the early national state, no institution seems more in need of a broad reassessment than the United States Army. Despite a widespread fear of standing armies, the military became the largest part of the new state organized under the Constitution; in more than half of the years between 1800 and 1860, military expenditures exceeded half the federal budget.1 The Army used its resources to become the largest public institution in antebellum America promoting economic development.2 Soldiers were at the forefront of efforts to acquire new territory or consolidate control to permit settlement and resource exploitation. Beyond the use of coercive force, the Army engaged in a wide range of non-coercive socioeconomic activities with far-reaching economic consequences: mapping and surveying newly acquired territory so that it could be divided and sold; training soldier-engineers for a society lacking skilled personnel; assigning engineers to help build roads, canals, and railroads; requiring arms makers to adopt new manufacturing technologies; and more.
Determination of ambient aerosol sulfur using a continuous flame photometric detection system. II. The measurement of low-level sulfur concentrations under varying atmospheric conditions

Abstract Principles involved in the measurement of sulfur concentrations using a flame photometric detector (FPD) are described along with factors other than sulfur which affect FPD response. Variations in inlet pressure and sample water vapor concentration are both shown to alter zero air response and instrument calibration to SO2. Daily atmospheric fluctuations in barometric pressure and water partial pressure are found to significantly affect low-level (
Use of Hospitalists and Office-Based Primary Care Physicians’ Productivity

BACKGROUND Growth in the care of hospitalized patients by hospitalists has the potential to increase the productivity of office-based primary care physicians (PCPs) by allowing them to focus on outpatient practice.
Treatment of Bacterial Infections of The Central Nervous System

For optimal treatment of bacterial meningitis, it is desirable that the antibiotic chosen be bactericidal and able to achieve CSF levels in excess of the minimum bactericidal concentration for the causative organism. Combination of antimicrobials are avoided that might be antagonistic to one another relative to the organism that is isolated. For example, chlor-amphenicol antagonizes the bactericidal action of penicillin or ampicillin against Streptococcus pneumoniae and Group B Streptococcus. Chlor-amphenicol also interferes with the bactericidal action of gentamicin against certain Gram-negative enteric rods.
Factors that influence siderophore-mediated iron bioavailability: catalysis of interligand iron(III) transfer from ferrioxamine b to edta by hydroxamic acids

Abstract Deferriferrioxamine B (H3DFB) is a linear trihydroxamic acid siderophore with molecular formula NH2(CH2)5[N(OH)C(O)(CH2)2C(O)NH(CH2)5]2N(OH)C(O)CH3 that forms a kinetically and thermodynamically stable complex with iron(III), ferrioxamine B Under the conditions of our study (pH = 4.30, 25°C), ferrioxamine B, Fe(HDFB)+, is hexacoordinated and the terminal amine group is protonated. Addition of simple hydroxamic acids, R1C(O)N(OH)R2 (R1 = CH3, R2 = H; R1 = C6H5, R2 = H; R1 = R2 = CN3), to an aqueous solution of ferrioxamine B at pH = 4.30, 25.0°C, I = 2.0, results in the formation of ternary complexes Fe(H2DFB)A+ and Fe(H3DFB)A2+, and tris complexes FeA3, where A− represents the bidendate hydroxamate anion R1C(O)N(O)R2−. The addition of a molar excess of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) to an aqueous solution of ferroxamine B at pH 4.30 results in a slow exchange of iron(III) to eventually completely form Fe(EDTA)− and H4DFB+. The addition of a hydroxamic acid, HA, catalyzes the rate of this iron exchange reaction: A four parallel path mechanism is proposed for reaction (1) in which catalysis occurs via transient formation of the ternary and tris complexes Fe(H2DFB) A+, Fe(H3DFB)A2+, and FeA3. Rate and equilibrium constants for the various reaction paths to products were obtained and the influence of hydroxamic acid structure on catalytic efficiency is discussed. The importance of a low energy pathway for iron dissociation from a siderophore complex in influencing mircrobial iron bio-availability is discussed. The system represented by reaction (1) is proposed as a possible model for in vivo catalyzed release of iron from its siderophore complex at the cell wall or intenor, where EDTA represents the intracellular storage depot or membrane-bound earrer and HA represents a low molecular weight hydroxamate-based metabolite capable of catalyzing interligand iron exchange.
Evolution of the hydrofluidic liquid SAS

A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER of the helicopters presently in the US Army inventory are inherently unstable and use pressurised hydraulic fluid in the hydromechanical flight control system. The development of a hydrofluidic stability‐augmentation system which can be integrated into the helicopter primary control system, offering promise of improved reliability, maintainability, and reduced cost over conventional electromechanical stability augmentation systems, has been accomplished.
Stereocontrolled Total Synthesis of the Potent Anti-inflammatory and Pro-resolving Lipid Mediator Resolvin D3 and its Aspirin-Triggered 17R-Epimer

The first total synthesis of stereochemically pure resolvin D3 and aspirin-triggered resolvin D3 is reported. These enzymatic metabolites of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) have potent anti-inflammatory and pro-resolving actions. The convergent synthetic strategy is based on enantiomerically pure starting materials, and it is highly stereocontrolled.
Non-Abelian Holonomy of BCS and SDW Quasiparticles

Abstract In this work we investigate properties of fermions in the SO (5) theory of high T c superconductivity. We show that the adiabatic time evolution of a SO (5) superspin vector leads to a non-Abelian SU (2) holonomy of the SO (5) spinor states. Physically, this non-trivial holonomy arises from the non-zero overlap between the SDW and BCS quasiparticle states. While the usual Berry's phase of a SO (3) spinor is described by a Dirac magnetic monopole at the degeneracy point, the non-Abelian holonomy of a SO (5) spinor is described by a Yang monopole at the degeneracy point and is deeply related to the existence of the second Hopf map from S 7 to S 4 . We conclude this work by extending the bosonic SO ( 5 ) nonlinear σ model to include the fermionic states around the gap nodes as 4 component Dirac fermions coupled to SU (2) gauge fields in 2+1 dimensions.
Reflections on Leadership: Responsibility and Power in Democratic Organizations

I've been thinking a lot recently about organizational leadership, especially for groups committed to democratic relationships and decision-making that “buck” typically hierarchized institutional p...
Small bowel complication caused by magnetic foreign body ingestion of children: two case reports

Accidental ingestion of foreign bodies is a common pediatric problem. The majority of such cases occur between 6 months and 3 years. When several magnets are ingested, they can be attracted to each other through the intestinal wall, causing necrosis and intestinal perforation or fistula, so they should be removed while they are still in the stomach. The authors experienced 2 cases of unusual small bowel complication caused by the ingestion of magnets. The first case was in a 10-month-old boy with ileal perforation caused by to 2 ingested magnetic beads, and the second case was in a 22-month-old boy with ileo-ileal fistula caused by to 7 ingested magnetic beads.
Erythrocyte aggregation and erythrocyte deformability modify the permeability of erythrocyte enriched fibrin network

Intravascular thrombus formed under low shear conditions consists of red cells enmeshed within a fibrin network. Since red cells reduce the permeability of fibrin network by surface drag and by volume occupancy the significance of red cell aggregability and deformability in network permeability needs examination. In this study networks were developed by the addition of thrombin to washed red cells suspended in platelet free plasma. The effects of the polymers polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) and poloxamer 188 on network permeability were compared to gauge the influence of red cell aggregation. Both polymers increase network permeability by an action on fibrin polymerisation but PVP alone enhances red cell aggregation. PVP was found to increase network permeability significantly both by increasing the permeability of the fibrin component of the network and by increasing red cell aggregation and thus reducing red cell surface drag. In separate experiments red cells were pre-treated with heat, glutaraldehyde, or diamide to reduce cell deformability. Decreased cell deformability caused significant reductions in network permeability. This was ascribed to the reduced aggregability of hardened red cells. Red cell aggregation during coagulation enhances molecular transport through modifying the network. This may have implications for the penetration of fibrinolytic agents.
The vinculin/sarcomeric-alpha-actinin/alpha-actin nexus in cultured cardiac myocytes

Experiments are described supporting the proposition that the assembly of stress fibers in non-muscle cells and the assembly of myofibrils in cardiac cells share conserved mechanisms. Double staining with a battery of labeled antibodies against membrane-associated proteins, myofibrillar proteins, and stress fiber proteins reveals the following: (a) dissociated, cultured cardiac myocytes reconstitute intercalated discs consisting of adherens junctions (AJs) and desmosomes at sites of cell-cell contact and sub-sarcolemmal adhesion plaques (SAPs) at sites of cell-substrate contact; (b) each AJ or SAP associates proximally with a striated myofibril, and conversely every striated myofibril is capped at either end by an AJ or a SAP; (C) the invariant association between a given myofibril and its SAP is especially prominent at the earliest stages of myofibrillogenesis; nascent myofibrils are capped by oppositely oriented SAPs; (d) the insertion of nascent myofibrils into AJs or into SAPs invariably involves vinculin, alpha-actin, and sarcomeric alpha-actinin (s-alpha-actinin); (e) AJs are positive for A-CAM but negative for talin and integrin; SAPs lack A-CAM but are positive for talin and integrin; (f) in cardiac cells all alpha-actinin-containing structures invariably are positive for the sarcomeric isoform, alpha-actin and related sarcomeric proteins; they lack non-s-alpha-actinin, gamma-actin, and caldesmon; (g) in fibroblasts all alpha-actinin-containing structures are positive for the non-sarcomeric isoform, gamma-actin, and related non-sarcomeric proteins, including caldesmon; and (h) myocytes differ from all other types of adherent cultured cells in that they do not assemble authentic stress fibers; instead they assemble stress fiber-like structures of linearly aligned I-Z-I-like complexes consisting exclusively of sarcomeric proteins.
Anticoagulation in Pregnancy and Neuraxial Blocks

The peripartum management of the anticoagulated parturient represents a significant clinical challenge to both the obstetrician and the anesthesiologist. This review discusses the causes of thrombosis in the pregnant population, the anticoagulants used for prophylaxis, and treatment of these disorders, along with recommendations for neuraxial blockade in parturients who receive peripartum anticoagulation.
Mycophenolic acid activation of p53 requires ribosomal proteins L5 and L11.

Mycophenolate mofetil (MMF), a prodrug of mycophenolic acid (MPA), is widely used as an immunosuppressive agent. MPA selectively inhibits inosine monophosphate dehydrogenase (IMPDH), a rate-limiting enzyme for the de novo synthesis of guanine nucleotides, leading to depletion of the guanine nucleotide pool. Its chemotherapeutic effects have been attributed to its ability to induce cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. MPA treatment has also been shown to induce and activate p53. However, the mechanism underlying the p53 activation pathway is still unclear. Here, we show that MPA treatment results in inhibition of pre-rRNA synthesis and disruption of the nucleolus. This treatment enhances the interaction of MDM2 with L5 and L11. Interestingly, knockdown of endogenous L5 or L11 markedly impairs the induction of p53 and G1 cell cycle arrest induced by MPA. These results suggest that MPA may trigger a nucleolar stress that induces p53 activation via inhibition of MDM2 by ribosomal proteins L5 and L11.
A novel flow reactor for the study of heat-loss effects on turbulent flame propagation

A novel flow reactor is proposed for the study of heat-loss effects on the propagation of turbulent premixed flames. This Taylor-Couette flow reactor allows the stabilization of a premixed flame in a stationary, high-intensity turbulent flow and the examination of the role of heat transfer from the flame (to the walls of the apparatus) on the experimentally observed quenching of the premixed flame at high turbulence intensities. The key advantages and design parameters of the flow reactor are identified and discussed.
Further thoughts about a Frankfurt-style argument

I have presented a Frankfurt-style argument (Pereboom 2000, 2001, 2003) against the requirement of robust alternative possibilities for moral responsibility that features an example, Tax Evasion, in which an agent is intuitively morally responsible for a decision, has no robust alternative possibilities, and is clearly not causally determined to make the decision. Here I revise the criterion for robustness in response to suggestions by Dana Nelkin, Jonathan Vance, and Kevin Timpe, and I respond to objections to the argument by Carlos Moya and David Widerker, in the process of which I refine the Tax Evasion example.
Abnormal brain development and maturation on magnetic resonance imaging in survivors of severe congenital diaphragmatic hernia

Abstract Purpose The aim of the study was to evaluate the incidence of abnormal brain maturation in survivors of severe congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH). Material and Methods Between July 2004 and December 2009, 50 CDH survivors underwent detailed brain magnetic resonance (MR) imaging before discharge. Magnetic resonance images were analyzed to evaluate the presence of structural brain abnormalities and to calculate overall brain maturation using the total maturation score (TMS). Results Thirty-two children (64%) underwent MR imaging between 39 and 43 weeks of gestation, allowing for evaluation of the TMS. Eighteen (36%) underwent MR imaging between 44 and 69 weeks of gestation, allowing for structural analysis of brain maturity only. The mean TMS was 14.1 ± 1.2 and significantly lower than reported age-matched normative data in infants without CDH (15.3 ± 1.0, P = .02). The TMS in 4 patients (12.5%) corresponded to a delay of 1 month in structural brain development. Eight infants (25%) demonstrated a 2-week delay. Periventricular leukomalacia was detected in 9 (18%), incomplete development of the opercula in 7 (14%), various degrees of intracranial hemorrhage in 24 (48%), and prominent extraaxial fluid spaces in 20 (40%) cases. Conclusions Brain maturation in infants with severe CDH appears to be delayed. Long-term neurodevelopmental follow-up is needed to determine the significance of a lower-than-expected TMS and the presence of structural brain abnormalities on functional outcomes in this population.
Three aspects of cognitive development

Abstract An attempt was made to characterize and explain developmental differences in children's thinking, specifically in their understanding of balance scale problems. Such differences were sought in three domains: existing knowledge about the problems, ability to acquire new information about them, and process-level differences underlying developmental changes in the first two areas. In Experiment 1, four models of rules that might govern children's performance on balance scale problems were proposed. The rules proved to accurately describe individual performance and also to accurately predict developmental trends on different types of balance scale problems. Experiment 2 examined responsiveness to experience; it was found that older and younger children, equated for initial performance on balance scale problems, derived different benefits from identical experience. Experiment 3 examined a potential cause of this discrepancy, that younger children might be less able than older ones to benefit from experience because their encoding of stimuli was less adequate. Independent assessment procedures revealed that the predicted differences in older and younger children's encoding were present; it was also found that these differences were not artifactual and that reducing them also reduced the previously observed differences in responsiveness to experience. It was concluded, therefore, that the encoding hypothesis explained a large part of the developmental difference in ability to acquire new information.
Seismic anisotropy of South African upper mantle xenoliths

Abstract Seismic properties of six upper mantle xenoliths from South Africa were determined both by laboratory measurements at elevated pressure and numerical calculations from petrofabric analyses, in order to provide constraints on the structural interpretation of the field seismic data obtained in recent years. The samples studied include harzburgite, garnet harzburgite, mica harzburgite, lherzolite and garnet lherzolite. Average anisotropies calculated from petrofabrics are 5.4% for V p and 4.4% for V s . Ultrasonic measured anisotropies from xenolith rock cores are approximately 1% lower than calculated values. This difference is likely due to simplifications in modal mineralogy used in the calculations and small amounts of alteration in the samples used in the velocity measurements. Comparison of laboratory data with the SKS and P n data yields possible structural orientations in the upper mantle beneath the South Africa continent. Our results suggest that foliation in the upper mantle is likely horizontal, and the stretching lineation (olivine a -axis) is oriented N30°E, which coincides with the absolute plate motion (APM) of the South African continent. It is apparent from our data that the fast S-wave polarization depends on the propagation direction with respect to petrofabric orientations and does not always indicate the stretching lineation.
The dopamine D1 receptor antagonist SCH 23390 can exert D1 agonist-like effects on rat nucleus accumbens neurons

Interactions between the selective dopamine D1-class receptor antagonist SCH 23390 and the dopamine D2-class receptor agonist quinpirole on nucleus accumbens neurons were investigated with extracellular single cell recording and microiontophoresis. Because dopamine D1 receptor stimulation enables many dopamine D2 receptor-mediated effects, SCH 23390 was expected to antagonize quinpirole-induced inhibition of activity. Although concurrent iontophoretic administration of SCH 23390 attenuated the inhibitory effects of quinpirole on most neurons, the antagonist further suppressed the firing of most neurons during attempts to reverse quinpirole-induced inhibition. SCH 23390 also reinstated (enabled) quinpirole-induced inhibition in rats acutely depleted of dopamine. These findings suggest that under certain conditions, SCH 23390 may exert dopamine D1 agonist-like effects.
Genome-level homology and phylogeny of Shewanella (Gammaproteobacteria: lteromonadales: Shewanellaceae)

The explosion in availability of whole genome data provides the opportunity to build phylogenetic hypotheses based on these data as well as the ability to learn more about the genomes themselves. The biological history of genes and genomes can be investigated based on the taxomonic history provided by the phylogeny. A phylogenetic hypothesis based on complete genome data is presented for the genus Shewanella (Gammaproteobacteria: Alteromonadales: Shewanellaceae). Nineteen taxa from Shewanella (16 species and 3 additional strains of one species) as well as three outgroup species representing the genera Aeromonas (Gammaproteobacteria: Aeromonadales: Aeromonadaceae), Alteromonas (Gammaproteobacteria: Alteromonadales: Alteromonadaceae) and Colwellia (Gammaproteobacteria: Alteromonadales: Colwelliaceae) are included for a total of 22 taxa. Putatively homologous regions were found across unannotated genomes and tested with a phylogenetic analysis. Two genome-wide data-sets are considered, one including only those genomic regions for which all taxa are represented, which included 3,361,015 aligned nucleotide base-pairs (bp) and a second that additionally includes those regions present in only subsets of taxa, which totaled 12,456,624 aligned bp. Alignment columns in these large data-sets were then randomly sampled to create smaller data-sets. After the phylogenetic hypothesis was generated, genome annotations were projected onto the DNA sequence alignment to compare the historical hypothesis generated by the phylogeny with the functional hypothesis posited by annotation. Individual phylogenetic analyses of the 243 locally co-linear genome regions all failed to recover the genome topology, but the smaller data-sets that were random samplings of the large concatenated alignments all produced the genome topology. It is shown that there is not a single orthologous copy of 16S rRNA across the taxon sampling included in this study and that the relationships among the multiple copies are consistent with 16S rRNA undergoing concerted evolution. Unannotated whole genome data can provide excellent raw material for generating hypotheses of historical homology, which can be tested with phylogenetic analysis and compared with hypotheses of gene function.