cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Abstract 11831: Geographic Distribution of Cardiac Allograft Vasculopathy Associated With Acute Cellular Rejection: A Serial Three-Dimensional IVUS Study of Heart Transplant Recipients

Background: Cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV) results from cumulative arterial injury induced by a combination of alloimmune responses and non-specific insults in the context of impaired repair mechanisms. This study aimed to characterize early arterial responses and geographic distribution of CAV associated with acute cellular rejection in heart transplant recipients. Methods: We studied 92 heart transplant recipients who underwent baseline (4-6 weeks post-transplant) and 1-year intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) in the first 50 mm of the left anterior descending (LAD) coronary artery. Average intimal thickness and volumetric IVUS indices for vessel and intima were obtained in 3 equally divided subsegments (proximal, middle, and distal), respectively. Paradoxical arterial remodeling over time was defined as [[Unable to Display Character: ∆]]vessel volume / [[Unable to Display Character: ∆]]intimal volume <0. Acute cellular rejection was defined by endomyocardial biopsy as ISHLT Grade ≥2R. Res...
Esophageal A-ring is associated with the severity of gastroesophageal reflux.

BACKGROUND The esophageal A-ring (EAR) is an anatomic finding appreciated on videofluoroscopic esophagram (VFE) at the junction of the tubular esophagus and esophageal vestibule. EARs are appreciated on a small subset (5%) of VFEs. We hypothesize that EARs represent a compensatory mechanism to protect against gastroesophageal reflux (GER). OBJECTIVE To evaluate the association between EAR and GER. STUDY DESIGN Case control study. METHODS All persons having undergone ambulatory pH testing with an EAR identified on VFE between November 1, 2014 and June 30, 2014 were identified. All cases were matched to controls by age, gender, and the presence/absence of hiatal hernia. Subjective dysphagia severity was assessed with the EAT10 and the presence of erosive esophagitis and intestinal metaplasia on esophagoscopy was abstracted. RESULTS The mean (±SD) age of the entire cohort (N = 20) was 63 (±7.7) years. 60% was female. The mean composite DeMeester pH score for persons with and without an EAR was 48.9 (±39.6) and 15.4 (±12.3), respectively (P = .033). The mean total % time of pH < 4 for persons with and without an EAR was 26.4 (±21.9) and 7.7 (±6.8), respectively (P = .034). The prevalence of erosive esophagitis among persons with and without an EAR was 70% and 10%, respectively (P = .019). CONCLUSION There is a significant association between the presence of esophageal A-rings on esophagography and the severity of acid reflux on endoscopy and ambulatory pH testing. The data suggest that the presence of an esophageal A-ring may be either a compensatory mechanism to protect against gastroesophageal reflux and/or an inflammatory consequence of peptic esophagitis. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE 3b Laryngoscope, 130:951-954, 2020.
Parallel Coordinate Descent for L1-Regularized Loss Minimization

We propose Shotgun, a parallel coordinate descent algorithm for minimizing L1-regularized losses. Though coordinate descent seems inherently sequential, we prove convergence bounds for Shotgun which predict linear speedups, up to a problem-dependent limit. We present a comprehensive empirical study of Shotgun for Lasso and sparse logistic regression. Our theoretical predictions on the potential for parallelism closely match behavior on real data. Shotgun outperforms other published solvers on a range of large problems, proving to be one of the most scalable algorithms for L1.
Evaluation of the feasibility of intrapancreatic delivery of drug-loaded microparticles via EUS-guided fine needle injection using a swine model

Background and study aims Patients with pancreatic cancer often have locally advanced or metastatic disease and are not candidates for curative surgery. Polymer-based microparticles (MPs) represent a drug delivery system that offers sustained release of a chemotherapeutic drug after intralesional injection for local tumor management. The aim of this study was to determine the feasibility of endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle injection (EUS-FNI) of drug-loaded MPs tagged with a fluorophore and fiducial markers for locating the injection site. Secondary aims were to determine the tissue-specific effects of MPs. Methods Five pigs underwent EUS with selection of an injection site within the pancreas that was marked by placing fiducial markers prior to the MPs injection. EUS-FNI of either blank microparticles (BMPs), containing no drug, or gemcitabine-loaded microparticles (GMPs) was performed. A saline flush containing Spot Endoscopic Marker was used to expel any residual MPs in the needle shaft and tattoo the injection site. Results A green fluorescent protein flashlight was used to successfully identify the site of MP injection sites in the dissected pancreas. Frozen sections of pig pancreas demonstrated a defined deposit, confirming the delivery of the MPs. Finally, fluorescence microscopy showed activation of caspase-mediated cell death in pancreases of animals that received injections of GMPs. Conclusions This pilot study demonstrated that fiducial marker placement and pancreatic EUS-FNI of MPs was successful in all pigs with no animals demonstrating pancreatitis. Further studies are needed to determine the role for intralesional injection of drug-loaded MPs in borderline resectable or unresectable pancreatic cancer.
Adaptive output-feedback control of torsional vibration in off-shore rotary oil drilling systems

Abstract Motivated by an engineering application of torsional vibration suppression of off-shore oil drilling, we design an adaptive output-feedback controller for a one-dimensional wave partial differential equation (PDE) system, where an anti-damping term with an unknown coefficient and a general harmonic disturbance with unknown amplitudes exist in the bit, which is modeled as a second-order-in-time boundary. The control input anti-collocated with this boundary subject to uncertainty, is designed by using the adaptive control method and infinite-dimensional backstepping technique. The asymptotic convergence to zero of the uncontrolled boundary states, i.e., the oscillations of the angular displacement and velocity at the bit, and the boundedness of all states in the closed-loop system, are proved via Lyapunov analysis. The effectiveness of the proposed adaptive controller is verified via numerical simulation. The results also can be applied to other applications, such as vibration control of cable elevators with uncertain cage-guide friction and cage disturbances.
The Association between Placental Histopathology, Fetal Growth Restriction, and Preeclampsia in Twin Pregnancies.

Objective This study aims to estimate the association between abnormal placental histopathology, fetal growth restriction (FGR), and preeclampsia (PEC) in twin pregnancies. Study Design Retrospective cohort study of women with diamniotic twin pregnancies with live births at ≥24 weeks of gestation and available placental pathology. Findings were compared between women with and without FGR, which was defined as a birthweight Results Among 859 patients with diamniotic twins, 806 (93.8%) had placental pathology. A total of 422 (52.4%) women had at least one twin with FGR, using a singleton growth curve. FGR affected 136 (16.9%) pregnancies when a twin growth curve was applied. There was no significant difference in composite outcome between groups, using either growth curve (45.5 vs. 44.8%, p = 0.84; adjusted odds ratio (aOR): 1.06, 95% CI: 0.79–1.40 and 52.2 vs. 43.7%, p = 0.07; aOR: 1.44, 95% CI: 0.90–2.10). A total of 122 of 789 (15.5%) patients developed PEC. There was no significant difference in composite outcome between patients with and without PEC (41.8 vs. 45.4%, p = 0.46; aOR: 0.79, 95% CI: 0.53–1.18). Conclusion In twin pregnancies, FGR and PEC are not associated with abnormal placental histopathology. This suggests that the pathologic placental manifestations of these conditions may differ in twins and include factors other than those commonly described in singletons.
High-Frequency Water Vapor Sorption Cycling Using Fluidization of Metal-Organic Frameworks

Summary The productivity of continuously cycled atmospheric water harvesting methods using metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) has been limited by a lack of scalable designs and robust MOF form factors compatible with rapid heat and mass transport. Explored here is the fluidization of MOF-801 powder in its native particulate form as a water vapor sorption unit. Fluidization results in a very high sorbent-air interface area and small distances over which mass diffusion must occur. This arrangement enables adsorption and desorption cycling with periods of 26 and 36 min at, respectively, 18% and 39% relative humidity (RH) with ∼80% of MOF-801 uptake capacity. This results in dynamic steady-state operation water vapor harvesting rates of 0.33 L/h/kgMOF at 18% RH (40 cycles per day at 22°C) and 0.52 L/h/kgMOF at 39% RH (55 cycles per day at 23.5°C). The measurements may have direct application to water harvesting systems.
Incidence of prescription errors in patients discharged from the emergency department.

Abstract Purpose The Emergency Department (ED) is known for its high rates of medication errors secondary to many characteristics such as unfamiliar patients, lack of continuity of care, increasing patient volumes, reliance on verbal orders, and fewer safety mechanisms. The purpose of this study was to quantify and characterize the medication errors that occur in patients discharged from the ED. Methods Prescriptions for patients discharged from the adult ED at an academic medical center from 2015 to 2018 were reviewed. Errors in discharge medication orders were documented as well as characteristics of these errors including medication class, errors in prescription directions, quantity prescribed, and refills given inappropriately. Results A total of 115,933 prescriptions were reviewed and a total of 20,498 errors were identified within 19,126 prescriptions. Of the errors identified, 4048 (19.7%) involved prescription directions, 6537 (31.9%) were errors in quantity prescribed, and 9913 (48.4%) were prescriptions written with refills. The proportion of errors among different prescriber statuses was significantly different when comparing all prescribers (p Conclusions This review identified a 16.5% error rate among all prescriptions provided to patients upon ED discharge that varied among different subcategories of medications. This is consistent with the limited literature that is currently available on the topic. These results could assist institutions in developing targeted mitigation strategies to limit medication misadventures in patients discharged from the ED.
RNA Secondary Structure Prediction

Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome or AIDS was first recognized in the early 1980s. Within a few years of its discovery, scientists had identified the virus that causes it, called the Human Immunodeficiency Virus or HIV. Through the 1980s and early 1990s, the HIV/AIDS epidemic grew steadily, with the number of affected people and the number of deaths increasing every year. By the late 1990s it was causing millions of deaths per year worldwide, and had a prevalence of more than 20% in the adult population of some countries. An epidemic of this magnitude requires multiple types of response. One approach has been to limit the spread of the disease through education, for example, by encouraging the use of condoms and discouraging drug users from sharing needles. A second approach has been to carry out research into the basic biology of HIV in an effort to develop better treatments or even a vaccine. The programming problems for this section are connected with basic research into HIV. They involve predicting the RNA secondary structure in a single gene from the HIV genome. We’ll talk about secondary structure and its prediction shortly. But first, let’s briefly discuss HIV’s genome and life cycle.
Pain Detection using a Smartphone in Real Time

We developed an objective real-time pain detection method using a smartphone and a wrist-worn wearable device to collect electrodermal activity (EDA) signals. Recently, various researchers have developed pain management applications. However, they rely on subjective self-reported pain scores or the video camera of a smartphone to detect pain, but the latter method’s accuracy needs further improvement. In our work, we use a wrist-worn EDA device which transmits data via Bluetooth to a smartphone. A smartphone application was developed to analyze the EDA data so that near real-time processed pain detection information can be displayed. The analysis of EDA is based on estimating time-varying spectral power in the frequency range (0.08-0.24 Hz) associated with the sympathetic nervous system. This time-varying characterization of EDA is termed TVSymp. In this work, we also examined whether removing baseline EDA fluctuations from TVSymp would provide more accurate results. This was carried out by taking the moving average of the EDA response prior to stimulus and subtracting that value from the EDA response post stimulus. This approach is termed modified TVSymp (MTVSymp). Pain stimuli were induced in ten subjects using a thermal grill, which gives intense pain perception without damaging skin tissues. We compared both TVSymp and MTVSymp in detecting pain induced by the thermal grill using machine learning approaches. We found the accuracy of pain detection of TVSymp and MTVSymp to be 80% and 90%, respectively.
Monitoring of Nitrification in Chloraminated Drinking Water Distribution Systems With Microbiome Bioindicators Using Supervised Machine Learning

Many drinking water utilities in the United States using chloramine as disinfectant treatment in their drinking water distribution systems (DWDS) have experienced nitrification episodes, which detrimentally impact the water quality. Identification of potential predictors of nitrification in DWDS may be used to optimize current nitrification monitoring plans and ultimately helps to safeguard drinking water and public health. In this study, we explored the water microbiome from a chloraminated DWDS simulator operated through successive operational schemes of stable and nitrification events and utilized the 16S rRNA gene dataset to generate high-resolution taxonomic profiles for bioindicator discovery. Analysis of the microbiome revealed both an enrichment and depletion of various bacterial populations associated with nitrification. A supervised machine learning approach (naive Bayes classifier) trained with bioindicator profiles (membership and structure) were used to classify water samples. Performance of each model was examined using the area under the curve (AUC) from the receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) and precision-recall (PR) curves. The ROC- and PR-AUC gradually increased to 0.778 and 0.775 when genus-level membership (i.e., presence and absence) was used in the model and increased significantly using structure (i.e., distribution) dataset (AUCs = 1.000, p 0.946 with the addition of NO2 - concentration, which is indicative of nitrification in the DWDS. This research provides evidence of the feasibility of using bioindicators to predict operational failures in the system (e.g., nitrification).
The broken circle method: a novel technique that enhances detection of Hill-Sachs lesions on internal rotation shoulder radiographs.

AIM To describe and test a new method that increases the conspicuity of a Hill–Sachs lesion on internal rotation (IR) radiographs. MATERIALS AND METHODS This study had institutional review board approval. A retrospective search for patients with a prior shoulder dislocation and a Hill–Sachs lesion documented on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed over a 10-year period identifying 256 test patients. In Part 1, the IR radiographs from test cases were randomised with controls, and three readers scored them independently for the defect. The readers were then taught the Broken Circle (BC) method and re-scored the radiographs. In Part 2, 15 cases of Hill–Sachs lesions that were missed by all readers in Part 1 were randomised with controls, and were shown to 25 radiology residents before (pre-test) and after (post-test) learning the BC method. A paired t-test was used to compare the differences in sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV). RESULTS In Part 1, the sensitivity increased 19.7% (54.1%–73.8%; p CONCLUSION The BC method was an effective technique that facilitated detection of a Hill–Sachs lesion at all levels of training, and was useful as a teaching tool.
X-RAY PROPERTIES OF YOUNG EARLY-TYPE GALAXIES. I. X-RAY LUMINOSITY FUNCTION OF LOW-MASS X-RAY BINARIES

We have compared the combined X-ray luminosity function (XLF) of low-mass X-ray binaries (LMXBs) detected in Chandra observations of young, post-merger elliptical galaxies with that of typical old elliptical galaxies. We find that the XLF of the 'young' sample does not present the prominent high-luminosity break at L{sub X} > 5 x 10{sup 38} erg s{sup -1} found in the old elliptical galaxy XLF. The 'young' and 'old' XLFs differ with a 3{sigma} statistical significance (with a probability less than 0.2% that they derive from the same underlying parent distribution). Young elliptical galaxies host a larger fraction of luminous LMXBs (L{sub X} > 5 x 10{sup 38} erg s{sup -1}) than old elliptical galaxies and the XLF of the young galaxy sample is intermediate between that of typical old elliptical galaxies and that of star-forming galaxies. This observational evidence may be related to the last major/minor mergers and the associated star formation.
High-Risk Endometrial Cancer Assessed by Immediate Intraoperative Frozen Sections of Sentinel Lymph Nodes - A Retrospective Study.

While sentinel lymph node (SLN) sampling has been established for low-risk endometrial cancer, few data exists on high-risk histologies. This study aims to measure the accuracy of immediate intraoperative SLN biopsy with frozen section in high-risk endometrial cancer. Patients diagnosed with endometrial cancer of high-grade histology (grade 3 endometrioid, clear cell, serous, carcinosarcoma, de- or undifferentiated histology) between 2014 and 2019 at a single institution who underwent SLN mapping, followed by pelvic lymphadenectomy with or without para-aortic lymphadenectomy were included. SLNs were assessed intraoperatively using multiple frozen sections and H&E staining. Lymph node metastases detected by SLN biopsy were compared with complete lymphadenectomy specimens. 35 patients with high-grade endometrial cancer histology underwent SLN mapping followed by lymphadenectomy. In 34 of 35 (97%) of these patients mapping with at least one SLN was successful. Positive SLNs were identified in 7/34 patients (20.6%). There were no patients who had positive lymph nodes on complete lymphadenectomy without a positive SLN, resulting in 100% sensitivity, and 0% false-negative rate. SLN mapping using intraoperative frozen sections in high-risk endometrial cancer demonstrated 100% sensitivity and 0% false-negative rate, provides immediate feedback on successful SLN mapping and valuable intraoperative information on the disease status guiding the intraoperative decision for completion lymphadenectomy. HighlightsO_LIIntraoperative SLN assessment in high-grade endometrial cancer by frozen section. C_LIO_LI100% sensitivity and 0% false-negative rate compared to complete lymphadenectomy. C_LIO_LIProtocol provides immediate intraoperative feedback on successful SLN mapping. C_LIO_LIProtocol helps inform surgeons decision to proceed with complete lymphadenectomy. C_LI
6 Hypoglycaemic Drugs

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses hypoglycaemic agents currently in clinical use. In addition, selected newer research entities that have been discussed in man or that appear to have therapeutic potential have been discussed. Present treatment of diabetes mellitus with oral hypoglycaemic agents partially fulfills the attempt to control blood glucose and the introduction of the high potency sulphonylureas has probably led to nothing more than incremental improvements in diabetic therapy. Newer methods of monitoring blood glucose control, such as measurements of glycosylated haemoglobins, may lead to better utilization of existing hypoglycaemic agents. It is conceivable that newer insights into the etiology of diabetes mellitus, such as the role of viral infections, communicability and hereditary factors, will provide alternative and/or preventative therapies. In addition, direct therapy of chronic complications may be possible—for example, by preventing excessive glycosylation of proteins, by preventing basement membrane thickening, or by preventing the formation of sorbitol with aldose reductase inhibitors.
Quantifying mixed uncertainties in cyber attacker payoffs

Representation and propagation of uncertainty in cyber attacker payoffs is a key aspect of security games. Past research has primarily focused on representing the defender's beliefs about attacker payoffs as point utility estimates. More recently, within the physical security domain, attacker payoff uncertainties have been represented as Uniform and Gaussian probability distributions, and intervals. Within cyber-settings, continuous probability distributions may still be appropriate for addressing statistical (aleatory) uncertainties where the defender may assume that the attacker's payoffs differ over time. However, systematic (epistemic) uncertainties may exist, where the defender may not have sufficient knowledge or there is insufficient information about the attacker's payoff generation mechanism. Such epistemic uncertainties are more suitably represented as probability boxes with intervals. In this study, we explore the mathematical treatment of such mixed payoff uncertainties.
Intense solar near‐relativistic electron events at 0.3 AU

[1] We study the two most intense electron events observed by the MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging (MESSENGER) spacecraft during the rising phase of solar cycle 24. Both events occurred during intense periods of solar activity when sequences of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) emanated from the Sun. The first event occurred on 4 June 2011, when two successive CMEs, spaced by 15 h, were released from the same active region. A possible interpretation for this event is that the first CME, located beyond MESSENGER's heliocentric distance (R = 0.33 AU) at the time of the second CME, acted as a magnetic barrier for solar energetic particles (SEPs) accelerated during the second CME. Elevated electron intensities at MESSENGER resulted from particle confinement between the two CME-driven shocks. This scenario is consistent with that proposed by Kallenrode and Cliver [2001a] to explain intense SEP events. The second event, observed by MESSENGER at R = 0.31 AU on 7 March 2012, belonged to a series of events generated by a single active region. A fast (>1500 km s−1) CME occurred 45 h before the onset of the main electron event. That implies that the prior CME-driven shock was at such a distance that particle reflection from behind that shock might have not been sufficient to account for the initial onset of sunward-directed electrons at MESSENGER, and additional mirroring and/or scattering processes closer to MESSENGER were necessary. Elevated intensities in this event are consistent with strong injection of SEPs from close to the Sun and particle reflection at some point in interplanetary space.
Are Biotech Crops and Conventional Crops Like Products? An Analysis Under GATT

The transatlantic debate over the use of genetically modified organisms (“GMO”s) as food products, with the US as a proponent on one side, and the European Union (“EU”) as an opponent on the other, is set to take center stage. The US has initiated formal legal action under the World Trade Organization Dispute Settlement System, charging that the EU violates several agreements of international trade law, including Article III of GATT, an anti-protectionist measure which forbids a country from favoring its own products over imported “like products.” The US claims that GMOs and conventional crops are “like products,, and that the EU moratorium on GMOs thus violates Article III. This iBrief assesses the US “like products” claim, most notably in light of Asbestos, a recent WTO case which provides important guidance for determining likeness under four criteria.
Modulation of P-glycoprotein-mediated drug transport by alterations in lipid fluidity of rat liver canalicular membrane vesicles

P-glycoprotein (P-gp) is believed to function as an ATP-dependent efflux pump for natural product anti-cancer drugs in multidrug-resistant (MDR) tumor cells and in certain normal tissues. P-gp has been localized to the apical plasma membrane of the bile canaliculus where it has been shown to transport [3H]daunomycin. In this study, we investigated whether alterations in membrane lipid fluidity of canalicular membrane vesicles (CMV) could modulate the P-gp-mediated accumulation of [3H]daunomycin and [3H]vinblastine. Accumulation of both cytotoxic agents was stimulated by ATP, exhibited temperature dependence and osmotic sensitivity, and followed Michaelis-Menten kinetics. Alterations in CMV lipid fluidity were induced by the known fluidizers, 2-(2-methoxyethoxy)ethyl 8-(cis-2-n-octylcyclopropyl)octanoate (A2C) and benzyl alcohol, and were assessed by fluorescence polarization techniques using the fluorescent probe, 1,6-diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene (DPH). Both A2C (2.5-5.0 microM) and benzyl alcohol (10-20 mM) produced a dose-dependent increase in CMV lipid fluidity. Moreover, both fluidizers, at the above doses, significantly inhibited (p < 0.05) the ATP-dependent accumulation of [3H]daunomycin. [3H]Vinblastine accumulation was also inhibited by A2C (p < 0.05). Lower doses of A2C (0.6 microM) and benzyl alcohol (1 mM) failed to influence either lipid fluidity or P-gp-mediated drug accumulation. Kinetic analysis revealed that A2C (5.0 microM) noncompetitively inhibited [3H]daunomycin accumulation and uncompetitively inhibited [3H]vinblastine accumulation with apparent Ki values of approximately 1.5 and approximately 1.2 microM, respectively. Verapamil competitively inhibited P-gp-mediated accumulation of [3H]daunomycin but failed to alter the fluidity of CMV. Taken together, the present results demonstrate that while increases in membrane fluidity of CMV are not necessarily required to inhibit P-gp-mediated drug accumulation, they can inhibit these processes, at least in CMV. Alterations in the physical state of CMV, therefore, appear to be at least one important modulator of P-gp function.
Inverting the Panopticon: Google Earth, Wonder and Earthly Delights

This essay considers the user experience of Google Earth, comparing the world it presents with other world views including static print maps, medieval mappaemundi, and Hieronymus Bosch’s Garden of Earthly Delights. It also considers the scopic environment of Google Earth in relation to Jeremy Bentham’s Panopticon, a theoretical prison design intended to provide a single guard the ability to view every inmate while remaining unobserved. The Google Earth interface generates wonder and geographic longing, but also empowers the user by granting new and flexible controls that differ from those available to users of print and manuscript maps. Ultimately, Google Earth is not an application that provides great utility, as traditionally defined – it does not help us navigate the physical world. Instead, it does something much more powerful: it gives us a new way to contemplate the world in which we live.
A comparative analysis of cAMP-dependent protein kinase regulatory subunits in sea urchin and rat spermatozoa.

8-Azido cAMP photoaffinity labeling of cAMP-dependent protein kinase regulatory subunits (R1 = 49 K; R2 = 55 K) was done on spermatozoa from species lacking, and species containing an epididymis. Spermatozoa from sea urchin and trout contained only R1, while rat caudaepididymal spermatozoa contained both R1 and R2 subunits. This was established by the Mr value of the 8-azido cAMP photolabeled moieties, and a biochemical analysis based on the known differences of protein-nucleotide interactions of Type I and II cAMP-dependent protein kinases. Sea urchin and trout sperm Ri subunits were similar to mammalian sperm Ri subunits in co-migration on SDS-polyacrylamide gels and in both saturation and specificity of nucleotide binding. Calcium enhanced photoprobe binding to rat R1 and R2 subunits and to sea urchin Ri subunit without revealing a sea urchin R2 subunit. Likewise, phosphodiesterase incubation of sea urchin and trout spermatozoa prior to photolabeling did not reveal R2 subunits. These data suggest that the cAMP regulation of sperm physiology may require Ri subunit in species both with and without an epididymis. Further taxonomic study is necessary to determine whether evolutionary acquisition of the epididymis and internal fertilization may have created unique environments favoring the addition of sperm R2 regulatory subunits of cAMP-dependent protein kinase.
Risk Factors for Revision Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction.

Purpose The purpose of this study was to identify risk factors for revision surgery following primary anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction. Methods A retrospective analysis of 2,965 patients who underwent a primary ACL reconstruction were separated into two groups: those who returned to our center for revision of their reconstruction (n = 67) and those who did not return to our center for revision of their reconstruction (n = 2,898). Patient characteristics assessed at the time of primary reconstruction include age, gender, graft type, graft source, meniscal and/or chondral injury, sport, side of effected extremity, level of competition, and surgeon. Multivariable analyses were performed to identify significant, independent associations with the need for revision. Results The portion of patients who returned for revision reconstruction after primary ACL reconstruction was 2.3% (67/2,965). Age (p < 0.001), sport type (p = 0.007), and level of participation (p < 0.001) were significantly different between the nonrevision and revision patients. Graft type preferences varied among surgeons (p < 0.001). Accounting for sport type or level of competition, age (p = 0.014) and surgeon (p = 0.041) were independently associated with revision. Gender, extremity (R vs. L), meniscal or chondral injury, and graft characteristics were not associated with revision. Conclusion Revision of primary ACL reconstructions is independently associated with age and choice of surgeon at the time of primary reconstruction.
Pollen as atmospheric cloud condensation nuclei

Anemophilous (wind-dispersed) pollen grains are emitted in large quantities by vegetation in the midlatitudes for reproduction. Pollen grains are coarse particles (5–150 µm) that can rupture when wet to form submicron subpollen particles (SPP) that may have a climatic role. Laboratory CCN experiments of six fresh pollen samples show that SPP activate as CCN at a range of sizes, requiring supersaturations from 0.81 (± 0.07)% for 50 nm particles, 0.26 (± 0.03)% for 100 nm particles, and 0.12 (± 0.00)% for 200 nm particles. Compositional analyses indicate that SPP contain carbohydrates and proteins. The SPP contribution to global CCN is uncertain but could be important depending on pollen concentrations outside the surface layer and the number of SPP generated from a single pollen grain. The production of hygroscopic SPP from pollen represents a novel, biologically driven cloud formation pathway that may influence cloud optical properties and lifetimes, thereby influencing climate.
MODE III AND MIXED MODE I-II CRACK KINKING UNDER STRESS-WAVE LOADING

Abstract A stress jump is incident on a line crack in an elastic solid. At the instant that the crack tip is struck, the crack starts to propagate with a constant velocity c f in the forward direction, but under an angle ππ with the plane of the original crack. In the time interval before signals from the other crack tip arrive, approximate expressions have been obtained for the elastodynamic stress intensity factors of the kinked crack. The approximation is based on the assumption that the near-tip field for a kinked crack can be approximated by the field for a crack propagating in its own plane, provided that the new crack faces are subjected to appropriate surface tractions. For the Mode-III case the approximation of the elasto-dynamic stress intensity factor for the kinked crack can be checked by comparisons with exact results. The range of kinking angles and crack-tip speeds for which the approximation gives good results turns out to be surprisingly large. For the Mixed Mode I–II case comparisons with numerical results have been carried out, and satisfactory agreement has been obtained. The elastodynamic stress intensity factors have been used to compute the corresponding fluxes of energy into the propagating crack tip. For a specified angle of incidence the energy flux into the crack tip shows a distinct maximum at a specified combination of crack-kinking angle and crack-tip speed.
Control of Mitotic Spindle Position by the Saccharomyces cerevisiae Formin Bni1p

Alignment of the mitotic spindle with the axis of cell division is an essential process in Saccharomyces cerevisiae that is mediated by interactions between cytoplasmic microtubules and the cell cortex. We found that a cortical protein, the yeast formin Bni1p, was required for spindle orientation. Two striking abnormalities were observed in bni1Δ cells. First, the initial movement of the spindle pole body (SPB) toward the emerging bud was defective. This phenotype is similar to that previously observed in cells lacking the kinesin Kip3p and, in fact, BNI1 and KIP3 were found to be in the same genetic pathway. Second, abnormal pulling interactions between microtubules and the cortex appeared to cause preanaphase spindles in bni1Δ cells to transit back and forth between the mother and the bud. We therefore propose that Bni1p may localize or alter the function of cortical microtubule-binding sites in the bud. Additionally, we present evidence that other bipolar bud site determinants together with cortical actin are also required for spindle orientation.
Aminoacyl‐tRNA synthetase mutants degrade protein at a normal rate

The stability of both rapidly and slowly degraded proteins in wild type CHO cells is similar to that in three ts aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase mutants at both permissive and non-permissive temperatures, although the degree of tRNA charging in the synthetase mutants differs considerably with temperature. These results indicate that the altered rate of protein breakdown seen under a variety of physiological conditions in eukaryotic systems is not mediated by uncharged tRNA.
Development and Testing of a More Realistic Pelvis for the Hybrid III 6-Year-Old ATD

Objective: Design and test a new pelvis for the Hybrid III 6-year-old (6YO) anthropometric test device (ATD) with a more humanlike bone structure, flesh contour, and flesh stiffness intended to provide more realistic interaction with belt restraints. Methods: Target geometry for the new pelvis bone was based on a 3D model of the skeletal pelvis derived from statistical analysis of pediatric computed tomography (CT) scans. The current pelvis bone was reshaped to better match the target geometry, with a particular emphasis on the contour in the areas of belt interaction. The prominence representing the anterior–superior iliac spine (ASIS) was lowered by 15 mm. The pelvis flesh was molded using softer vinyl while maintaining a 10-mm flesh margin over the ASIS. A series of 20 sled tests was conducted to compare the performance of the modified pelvis with the current Hybrid III pelvis. Results: In a series of sled tests using a range of belt anchorage locations, a dummy equipped with the new pelvis did not sub...
blurred boundaries: the discourse of corruption, the culture of politics, and the imagined state

In this article I attempt to do an ethnography of the state by examining the discourses of corruption in contemporary India. I focus on the practices of lower levels of the bureaucracy in a small north Indian town as well as on representations of the state in the mass media. Research on translocal institutions such as “the state” enables us to reflect on the limitations of participant-observation as a technique of fieldwork. The analysis leads me to question Eurocentric distinctions between state and civil society and offers a critique of the conceptualization of “the state” as a monolithic and unitary entity. [the state, public culture, fieldwork, discourse, corruption, India]
Phonon and elastic instabilities in MoC and MoN

We present several results related to the instability of MoC and MoN in the B1 ~sodium chloride! structure. These compounds were proposed as potential superconductors with moderately high transition temperatures. We show that the elastic instability in B1-structure MoN, demonstrated several years ago, persists at elevated pressures, thus offering little hope of stabilizing this material without chemical doping. For MoC, another material for which stoichiometric fabrication in the B1 structure has not proven possible, we find that all of the cubic elastic constants are positive, indicating elastic stability. Instead, we find X-point phonon instabilities in MoC ~and in MoN as well!, further illustrating the rich behavior of carbo-nitride materials. The early transition metal carbides and nitrides represent a technologically important series of materials, often revealing an interplay between their interesting properties and the incipient instabilities that seem to drive those properties. 1 The important features of these materials include extreme hardness and high melting temperatures, as well as superconductivity in many cases. In some of these materials, the atomistic properties ~e.g., bonding properties! that drive particular macroscopic behaviors can also lead to instabilities that inhibit the stoichiometric B1 ~sodium chloride! structure from forming. MoC and MoN are good examples of this circumstance. In this paper, we report theoretical results related to the stability of B1 MoC and MoN. We show that the elastic instability in MoN is not mitigated, but rather enhanced, by the application of pressure, and that the difficulty in fabricating B1 MoC is due to a phonon instability at the X point in the Brillouin zone ~BZ!. All the calculations reported here were performed with the linear-augmented
Assessing the Impacts of US-Japan Bilateral Trade Agreements, 1980–1995

The paper presents three different viewpoints on the effects of US-Japan bilateral trade agreements and finds some evidence to support each one using trade data from 1980–1995. For most of the 25 industry-agreement cases, the data do not support a conclusion of significant positive impacts of the agreements on Japan's imports of targeted manufactured products from either the US or non-US sources. In at least one high-profile case involving autos, I find evidence suggesting positive impacts on imports from the US, but in this case the data suggests trade diversion benefiting US0based producers at the expense of European ones. I also find a few cases where the agreements may have produced positive effects on Japan's imports from non-US sources.
A method for communication efficient work distributions in stencil operation based applications on heterogeneous clusters

In recent years, the use of accelerators in conjunction with CPUs, known as heterogeneous computing, has brought about significant performance increases for scientific applications. One of the best examples of this is Lattice Quantum Chromo-Dynamics (QCD), a stencil operation based simulation. These simulations have a large memory footprint necessitating the use of many graphics processing units (GPUs) in parallel. This requires the use of a heterogeneous cluster with one or more GPUs per node. In order to obtain optimal performance, it is necessary to determine an efficient communication pattern between GPUs on the same node and between nodes. In this paper we present a performance model based method for minimizing the communication time of applications with stencil operations, such as Lattice QCD, on heterogeneous computing systems with a non-blocking Infiniband interconnection network. The proposed method is able to increase the performance of the most computationally intensive kernel of Lattice QCD by 25 percent due to improved overlapping of communication and computation.
Redox-regulated Signaling by Lactosylceramide in the Proliferation of Human Aortic Smooth Muscle Cells

Previously, our laboratory reported that lactosylceramide (LacCer) stimulated human aortic smooth muscle cell proliferation via specific activation of p44 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) in the p21(ras)/Raf-1/MEK2 pathway and induced expression of the transcription factor c-fos downstream to the p44 MAPK signaling cascade (Bhunia A. K., Han, H., Snowden, A., and Chatterjee S. (1996) J. Biol. Chem. 271, 10660-10666). In the present study, we explored the role of free oxygen radicals in LacCer-mediated induction of cell proliferation. Superoxide levels were measured by the lucigenin chemiluminescence method, MAPK activity was measured by immunocomplex kinase assays, and Western blot analysis and c-fos expression were measured by Northern blot assay. We found that LacCer (10 microM) stimulates endogenous superoxide production (7-fold compared with control) in human aortic smooth muscle cells specifically by activating membrane-associated NADPH oxidase, but not NADH or xanthine oxidase. This process was inhibited by an inhibitor of NADPH oxidase, diphenylene iodonium (DPI), and by antioxidants, N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC) or pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate. NAC and DPI both abrogated individual steps in the signaling pathway leading to cell proliferation. For example, the p21(ras).GTP loading, p44 MAPK activity, and induction of transcription factor c-fos all were inhibited by NAC and DPI as well as an antioxidant pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate or reduced glutathione (GSH). In contrast, depletion of GSH by L-buthionine (S, R)-sulfoximine up-regulated the above described signaling cascade. In sum, LacCer, by virtue of activating NADPH oxidase, produces superoxide (a redox stress signaling molecule), which mediates cell proliferation via activation of the kinase cascade. Our findings may explain the potential role of LacCer in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis involving the proliferation of aortic smooth muscle cells.
The rapid anterograde transport of horseradish peroxidase.

Abstract Intravitreal injections of horseradish peroxidase in the rat consistently resulted in the labelling of contralateral and ipsilateral efferents of the retina. Simultaneous intravitreal injections of horseradish peroxidase and tritiated amino acids yielded identical projection patterns. Intravitreal injections of colchicine and pentobarbital reversibly blocked this transport of horseradish peroxidase from the eye to the brain. Furthermore, silver impregnation procedures indicated that this transport occurs in the absence of significant neurol damage. The anterograde transport of horseradish peroxidase along the optic pathways occurs at a rate between 288 and 432 mm per day. These observations show that the anterograde migration of horseradish peroxidase is subserved by fast axonal transport and that its occurrence does not depend on neurol injury or passive diffusion. The anterograde transport of horseradish peroxidase thus offers a valid and reliable anatomical method for tracing efferent connections in the nervous system.
Schur aggregation for linear systems and determinants

We apply our recent preconditioning techniques to the solution of linear systems of equations and computing determinants. We combine these techniques with the Sherman-Morrison-Woodbury formula, its new variations, aggregation, iterative refinement, and advanced algorithms that rapidly compute sums and products either error-free or with the desired high accuracy. Our theoretical and experimental study shows the power of this approach.
Regulation of translation initiation by amino acids in eukaryotic cells.

Deprivation of anyone of the essential amino acids results in a reduction in the rate of protein synthesis in a variety of cell types. Because amino acids serve as precursors in the synthesis of protein, it might logically be expected that lack of essential amino acids would restrict protein synthesis through a decrease in the rate of translation elongation. Such an expectation is based on the assumption that deprivation of a single essential amino acid, other than methionine, would cause a fall in the amount of the immediate precursor of protein synthesis, aminoacyl-tRNA, that in turn would result in a decline in the rate at which the growing peptide chain is elongated. However, instead of a restriction at the elongation step, the initiation phase of mRNA translation has been shown to be rate controlling under conditions of amino acid limitation. The goal of the present report is to review the mechanisms that are responsible for the inhibition of translation initiation caused by amino acid deprivation and examine possible sensors through which the deprivation is detected and transduced to the translational apparatus
Free expansion of hydrogen in helium at low temperatures.

Abstract In order to understand the formation of clusters of molecular hydrogen in helium we evaluated isentropic-expansion paths on the pressure-temperature phase diagrams. The optimal initial conditions are derived. The prospect of detecting the resulting clusters using infrared absorption spectroscopy and light scattering optical is discussed, the ultimate goal being that of observing supercooled liquid hydrogen. Preliminary results will be discussed.
Chronic granulomatous disease—Pieces of a cellular and molecular puzzle

Abstract Chronic granulomatous disease (CGD) is an inherited disorder in which phagocytes are unable to manufacture microbicidal oxidants. The disorder may be classified into subtypes depending upon the mode of transmission (X-linked or autosomal recessive) and the presence or absence of a heme protein designated ‘cytochrome b 558 ' (see below). Patients with CGD suffer recurrent deep-seated bacterial infections that respond poorly to therapy, slowly destroy affected tissues and eventually claim the patients' lives. Clinical deterioration is slowed, though not stopped, by the current practice of placing CGD patients on prophylactic antibiotics. Microbicidal oxidant production fails in CGD because of a defect in the enzyme responsible for the production of superoxide (O 2 − ), the single precursor from which all the microbicidal oxidants ultimately arise. This enzyme, the respiratory burst oxidase , is a membrane-bound oxidase that catalyses the one-electron reduction of oxygen to O 2 − at the expense of NADPH. The oxidase is dormant in resting phagocytes, but comes to life when the phagocytes are exposed to bacteria or other appropriate stimuli. Components related to the respiratory burst oxidase include cytochrome b 558 (one of those subunits has recently been shown to be encoded by a gene that is defective in the most common form of CGD), a flavoprotein that participates directly in O 2 − production, a cytosolic factor needed for the activation of the oxidase, and a group of 48K phosphoproteins. How these components relate to each other and to the O 2 − -forming activity of the oxidase is currently under active investigation.