cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pulmonary Hypertension in Sickle Cell Disease: Cardiopulmonary Evaluation and Response to Chronic Phosphodiesterase 5 Inhibitor Therapy.

Abstract Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a risk factor for mortality in Sickle Cell Disease, but it is unclear whether pulmonary hypertension is a marker or a direct cause of mortality. To better understand the pathophysiology of pulmonary hypertension in patients with sickle cell disease we performed evaluations of cardiopulmonary function in sickle cell disease patients with pulmonary hypertension (n= 15, mean age = 41 ± 2.4 years, males = 7, HbSS = 15, mean Hb = 8.3 ± 0.2 g/dl, mean tricuspid regurgitant jet velocity = 3.2 ± 0.11 m/s) compared to matched controls with sickle cell disease without pulmonary hypertension (n=11, mean age=40.2 ± 2.5 years, males=4, HbSS=11, mean Hb=8.5 ± 0.3 g/dl, mean tricuspid regurgitant jet velocity = 2.28 ± 0.07 m/s). To evaluate if specific therapy for pulmonary hypertension has any impact on systolic pulmonary artery pressure (PAP), estimated by tricuspid regurgitant jet velocity (TRJ), and functional capacity, measured by six-minute walk test (a well validated surrogate of functional capacity and response to therapy in patients with other causes of pulmonary hypertension), we treated 14 patients with sickle cell disease and pulmonary hypertension (mean age = 40 ± 2.5 years, males = 3, HbSS = 14, mean Hb = 8.8 ± 0.6 g/dl, mean TRJ = 3.4 ± 0.1 m/s) with sildenafil for at least three months. When compared to controls pulmonary hypertension patients had lower maximal oxygen consumption (VO2 max (% predicted), +PH: 44 ± 4, −PH: 55 ± 4; P=0.41), walked shorter six-minute walk distance (meters, +PH: 308.5 ± 53.8, −PH: 427.1 ± 44.6; P=0.03), demonstrated greater degree of interstitial lung disease by chest CT (P In conclusion, we find that in patients with sickle cell disease, 1) pulmonary hypertension, though relatively mild, is associated with severe impairments in cardiopulmonary function, 2) traditional markers of functional capacity such as six-minute walk test can be utilized in this population as a therapeutic endpoint for clinical trials, 3) and therapy with sildenafil seems to have a favorable impact on pulmonary pressures and functional capacity.
In Defense of Penalizing (but not Punishing) Civil Disobedience

While many contemporary political philosophers agree that citizens of a legitimate state enjoy a moral right to civil disobedience, they differ over both the grounds of that right and its content. This essay defends the view that the moral right to civil disobedience derives from (or is a facet of) a general right to political participation, and the characterization of that right as precluding the state from punishing, but not from penalizing, those who exercise it. The argument proceeds by way of rebuttals to criticisms of both claims recently advanced by Kimberley Brownlee. While in some cases those criticisms fail on their merits, in other cases the responses offered here reveal that the dispute over the ground and content of a moral right to civil disobedience reflects deeper disagreements regarding two foundational issues: first, whether moral rights are best conceived of as defeasible evaluative principles or conclusive normative ones, and second, whether principles of justice should be theorized on the basis of full or partial compliance.
Man at Play. By Hugo Rahner

(1974). Man at Play. By Hugo Rahner. Journal of Leisure Research: Vol. 6, No. 3, pp. 268-269.
A Discussion of the Regulatory Properties of Aspartate Transcarbamylase from Escherichia coli

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the regulatory properties of aspartate transcarbamylase (ATCase) from Esterichia coli. Early circumstantial evidence for regulation in the pyrimidine biosynthetic pathway at the level of enzyme activity came in 1952 from the isotope competition studies of Bolton et al., in which they found that nonradioactive uracil or uridine added in small amounts to the nutrient medium of growing Escherichia coli immediately and extensively suppresses the endogenous bacterial synthesis of pyrimidines from 14C-labeled CO2. When uracil becomes exhausted, the mutant begins producing carbamyl aspartate in large quantities, up to one-half its dry weight in 4 hours, reflecting the derepression and uncontrolled activity of ATCase. When uracil is again provided to the mutant, the formation of carbamyl aspartate ceases within minutes, indicating the inhibition of ATCase activity.
Alpha Message Scheduling for Optimizing Communication Latency in Distributed Systems

Abstract Evaluation of interconnect performance generally focuses on fixed-size packet latency as a function of traffic load. To an application, however, it is the latency of variable-length messages, rather than the individual packets, that is important. We discuss how scheduling the packets of messages according to various strategies can lead to effective performance differences of more than a factor of three. We present a new scheduling technique, called alpha scheduling , that combines the bandwidth-fairness of round robin scheduling with close to the optimal performance of shortest-first scheduling. We demonstrate our results with a simple simulation model.
Hormonal Stimulation of the Mouse Mammary Gland

The intent of this chapter is to illustrate the use of a pituitary isograft to provide hormonal stimulation of the mammary gland. This chapter describes the procedure for implanting the pituitary gland under the kidney capsule and the consequences of the grafted pituitary for normal development of the mammary gland and for facilitating neoplastic transformation induced by chemical carcinogens.
Can’t We Just Disregard Fake News? The Consequences of Exposure to Inaccurate Information:

People routinely encounter inaccurate information, from fake news designed to confuse audiences, to communications with inadvertent mistakes, to stories made up to entertain readers. The hope is th...
Correction: The Chemoprevention of Ovarian Cancer: the Need and the Options.

The article The Chemoprevention of Ovarian Cancer: the Need and the Options, written by Rishil J. Kathawala, Andrzej Kudelka and Basil Rigas, was originally published electronically on the publisher’s internet portal (currently SpringerLink) on 2 May 2018 without open access.
Motor Imagery Practice and Increased Tongue Strength: A Case Series Feasibility Report

Purpose The aim of the study was to determine the effects of a 6-week progressive resistance tongue exercise protocol in mental practice form on tongue strength. Investigation begins in typically aging adults, a population susceptible to reduced tongue strength and dysphagia secondary to age-related changes in the swallowing mechanism. It was hypothesized that typically aging adults who perform a 6-week progressive resistance tongue exercise protocol in mental practice form would increase tongue strength. Method A prospective, case series intervention study was used. Six healthy women aged 53-78 years completed a 6-week mental practice tongue resistance exercise program utilizing motor imagery to imagine completion of tongue exercises. The main outcome was mean isometric maximum tongue pressures (tongue strength), which were collected at baseline and Weeks 2, 4, and 6 using the Iowa Oral Performance Instrument ( IOPI Medical, 2013 ). Results By Week 6 of the study, all participants had significantly increased their tongue strength compared to baseline. Conclusions The findings indicate that mental practice using motor imagery for tongue exercise may improve tongue strength in healthy individuals at risk for dysphagia and may thus represent a promising direction warranting further investigation in typically aging individuals and patients with dysphagia and decreased tongue strength.
Importance of Actual Measured Excitation System Model and Parameters to Calculation of the Stability Limit of Power System

The accuracy of generator excitation system model and its parameters impact the calculation result of stability limits in power grid greatly. The typical model and parameters are generally applied in case of no available practical model and parameters, which will result in an error between the calculation values and the real stability limits. The model and its parameters of an excitation system in a power plant are actually measured. The stability limits are calculated bused on the typical model parameters and the measured ones respectively. The comparisons for the results show the importance of actual measurement for the parameters.
Whole-Plant Response of Selected Woody Landscape Species to Uniconazole

Abstract Uniconazole was applied as a foliar spray or medium drench to six woody landscape species: ‘Sunglow’ azalea; flame azalea; ‘Spectabilis’ forsythia; ‘Compacta’ holly; ‘Nellie R. Stevens’ ho...
Introduction to the Special Issue on Nonconscious Mimicry: History, Applications, and Theoretical and Methodological Innovations

The study of mimicry has a rich history of investigation in nonverbal communication research, although the area has struggled with inconsistent operationalizations of the construct. The Special Issue on Nonconscious Mimicry includes empirical, methodological and theoretical innovations, and provides guidance about future directions. This introduction highlights a number of emerging themes in this Special Issue, and places these themes in historical context.
Abstract 6226: Sapanisertib interferes with the NRF2-mediated stress response to synergize with Obatoclax and extend AT/RT survival

Atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumors (AT/RT) are the most common malignant brain tumors of infancy, highly resistant to all therapies, and responsible for one of the greatest numbers of life years lost due to cancer. We have previously demonstrated that Sapanisertib combines synergistically with cisplatin to extend survival in AT/RT. To understand the mechanisms underlying this synergy and to identify further novel combination therapies to improve AT/RT survival, we performed RNASeq on AT/RT cell models 4 hours after Sapanisertib treatment. Pathway analysis revealed that Sapanisertib disrupts the NRF2-mediated stress response and apoptotic signaling pathway leading to a pro-death phenotype. Activating mutations in the NRF2 coding gene, NFE2L2, have been identified as a possible biomarker predicting Sapanisertib efficacy in lung cancer clinical trials. Short hairpin knockdown of NRF2 led to decreased expression of the anti-apoptotic proteins MCL-1, BCL-2, and BCL-xL suggesting that interfering with NRF2 may drive this pro-death phenotype in AT/RT. Obatoclax is a synthetic small molecule inhibitor of the BCL-2 family of proteins that was well tolerated in phase II clinical trials and readily crosses the blood brain barrier. Obatoclax treatment of NRF2 knockdown AT/RT cell models slows cell growth, induces high rates of apoptosis, and leads to increased oxidative stress compared to short hairpin scramble controls (cell viability assay, t-test p Citation Format: Ashlyn Parkhurst, Sabrina Wang, Harpreet Kaur, Antje Arnold, Charles Eberhart, Eric Raabe, Jeffrey Rubens. Sapanisertib interferes with the NRF2-mediated stress response to synergize with Obatoclax and extend AT/RT survival [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research 2020; 2020 Apr 27-28 and Jun 22-24. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(16 Suppl):Abstract nr 6226.
Spin Dynamics of Single Er3+ Ions coupled to a Nanoscale Optical Cavity

We demonstrate single-shot readout of the spin of a single Er3+ ion in a silicon nanophotonic cavity, leveraging cavity-enhanced cyclicity.
The Streets of Europe: the sights, sounds, and smells that shaped its Great Cities

Brian Ladd, author of previous books on Berlin and the automobile, offers us a rich (though not always sweet-smelling) profusion of material about the experience of the modern European city. Focusi...
Intracavernosal pressure monitoring in mice: responses to electrical stimulation of the cavernous nerve and to intracavernosal drug administration.

With the development of transgenic mice to evaluate mechanisms of erectile function, it appears particularly advantageous to develop a standardized mouse model of penile erection. The purpose of the study reported here was to evaluate the novel application of intracavernosal pressure (ICP) monitoring in the mouse during electrophysiologic and pharmacologic induction of penile erection. In anesthetized adult male mice, the cavernous nerves (CN) were isolated unilaterally, and the corpora cavernosa were exposed. A 24-gauge angiocath (intravenous catheter) was inserted into the right corpus cavernosum to monitor the ICP, and a 30.5-gauge needle was inserted into the left corpus cavernosum for intracavernosal drug administration. ICP was recorded during CN-stimulated or pharmacostimulated erections. Electrical stimulation of the CN significantly increased the ICP (from 10.09 +/- 2.01 to 34.62 +/- 2.71 mm Hg, P < .05), which then returned to baseline pressure after termination of the electrical stimulation. Pretreatment with intracavernosal administration of the nitric oxide synthase inhibitor, nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (0.1 mg), inhibited the electrical stimulation-induced changes in ICP (7.17 +/- 1.46 vs 10.38 +/- 2.17 mm Hg, not significant [NS]). Also, intracavernosal administration of papaverine (0.4 mg) produced a significant increase in ICP (from 8.51 +/- 0.69 to 26.37 +/- 5.7 mm Hg, P < .05). We concluded that this technique might be applied to perform quantitative erection physiologic experiments with the mouse as an economical and experimentally advantageous animal model, particularly with the development of transgenic mice to evaluate mechanisms of erectile function.
Liquid chromatographic analysis of vitamin B6 in soy-based infant formula

A liquid chromatographic (LC) method is described for determination of total vitamin B6 in soy-based infant formula. Total vitamin B6 is quantitated by using ion-pair LC after precolumn transformation of phosphorylated and free vitamers into pyridoxol. The limit of detection is 0.3 ng and the limit of quantitation is 1.0 ng on-column (injection volume = 100 μL). Linear response ranged from 39 to 616 ng/mL (r 2 = 0.99986). Analysis of a soy-based infant formula control fortified at 6 different concentration levels gave recoveries that averaged 104%. Assay of SRM 1846 gave results within the certified range (8.6 ± 0.086 mg/kg versus the certified value of 8.4 ± 1.0 mglkg). The method provides a rapid and specific assay for the analysis of total vitamin B 6 in fortified soy-based infant formula.
Arylallenes—III : Triphenylallene and 1-(p-biphenyl)-1,3-diphenylallene

Abstract 1,1,3-Triphenylallene and 1-(p-biphenyl)-1,3-diphenylallene have been prepared by rearrangement of 1,3,3-triphenylpropyne and 3-(p-biphenyl)-1,3-diphenylpropyne on basic alumina. Triphenylallene was also obtained by rearrangement of triphenylpropyne in a hydrocarbon solution with solid sodium hydroxide. Treatment of triphenylallene in glacial acetic acid with hydrogen chloride converted it to the dimer which had been isolated in earlier attempts by others to synthesize the allene.
Phosphorylation of an N-terminal regulatory domain activates the CheB methylesterase in bacterial chemotaxis.

Abstract Two types of reversible protein modification reactions have been identified in bacterial chemotaxis, methylation of membrane receptor-transducer proteins at glutamate side chains and phosphorylation of cytoplasmic signal transduction proteins at histidine and aspartate side chains. CheB is a bifunctional enzyme that is involved in both these modification processes. Its C-terminal domain is a methylesterase that catalyzes the hydrolysis of gamma-carboxyl glutamyl methyl esters in the cytoplasmic domain of chemoreceptor proteins. Its N-terminal domain is a phosphatase that catalyzes the hydrolysis of phospho-CheA, the central response regulator of bacterial chemotaxis. Phospho-CheB, produced as an intermediate in the phosphatase reaction, has dramatically increased methylesterase activity. The interplay between the methylesterase and phosphatase activities of CheB may provide a crucial link between adaptation and excitation in stimulus-response coupling.
Datenverarbeitung in der technisch-gewerblichen und kaufmännischen Berufsausbildung bei IBM

Die ersten Erfahrungen Anfang der 60er Jahre zeigten, das das erworbene DV-Hardware-Wissen schnell veraltete und von neuen Technologien uberholt wurde. Es war deshalb notwendig, ein
Optimization of receptor-G protein coupling by bilayer lipid composition I: kinetics of rhodopsin-transducin binding.

The role of membrane composition in modulating the rate of G protein-receptor complex formation was examined using rhodopsin and transducin (Gt) as a model system. Metarhodopsin II (MII) and MII-Gt complex formation rates were measured, in the absence of GTP, via flash photolysis for rhodopsin reconstituted in 1-stearoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (18:0,18:1PC) and 1-stearoyl-2-docosahexaenoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (18:0,22:6PC) bilayers, with and without 30 mol% cholesterol. Variation in bilayer lipid composition altered the lifetime of MII-Gt formation to a greater extent than the lifetime of MII. MII-Gt formation was fastest in 18:0,22:6PC and slowest in 18:0,18:1PC/30 mol% cholesterol. At 37 °C and a Gt to photolyzed rhodopsin ratio of 1:1 in 18:0,22:6PC bilayers, MII-Gt formed with a lifetime of 0.6 ± 0.06 ms, which was not significantly different from the lifetime for MII formation. Incorporation of 30 mol% cholesterol slowed the rate of MII-Gt complex formation by about 400% in 18:0,18:1PC, but by less than 25% in 18:0,22:6PC bilayers. In 18:0,22:6PC, with or without cholesterol, MII-Gt formed rapidly after MII formed. In contrast, cholesterol in 18:0,18:1PC induced a considerable lag time in MII-Gt formation after MII formed. These results demonstrate that membrane composition is a critical factor in determining the temporal response of a G protein-coupled signaling system.
Dependence of Si/sub 3/N/sub 4/ film properties on precursor chemistry

Silicon nitride films are used as oxidation barriers, mobile ion barriers, hard masks and capacitor dielectrics in integrated circuit manufacturing. Properties of silicon nitride layers are characterized relative to physical, optical, chemical and electrical aspects that pertain to specific applications. The process integration of silicon nitride within a device structure depends upon uniformity and controllability of the deposition conditions. Precursors used in the silicon nitride deposition reaction will affect stoichiometry and reaction rates. The trisilylamine (TSA) precursor is compared to standard dichlorosilane (DCS) in terms of performance parameters.
The development and scale-up of biodegradable polymeric nanoparticles loaded with ibuprofen

Abstract This study aims to ascertain the influence of variables in the production of blank and ibuprofen-loaded polymeric nanoparticles (IbNPs), as well as to scale up nanoparticle (NP) preparation 30-fold. Blank NP and IbNP with a matrix of poly (lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) were prepared by modified spontaneous emulsion solvent diffusion (SESD). The variables, organic solvent type, surfactant type and concentration, polymer concentration, aqueous phase volume, mixing speed, and manufacturing temperature, were investigated. Particle size, encapsulation efficiency (EE), drug loading and drug release were characterized. The smallest blank NP (175 nm) was obtained using a dimethy sulfoxide (DMSO):ethanol (50:50) organic solvent system with poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA, 0.5% (w/w)) under magnetic stirring. The smallest IbNP obtained was 152 nm. The EE was highest at 30:100, drug:polymer ratio with a drug loading of 17.2%. Key NP characteristics, particle size, EE, drug loading and total drug release time of 30-fold scaled-up batch were not significantly different from lab-scale batch; however, 50% drug release for the scaled-up batch was significantly sooner ( p
Usefulness of Left Atrial Volume Index to Predict Heart Failure Hospitalization and Mortality in Ambulatory Patients With Coronary Heart Disease and Comparison to Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction (from the Heart and Soul Study)

The predictive value of left atrial (LA) dilatation in ambulatory adults with coronary artery disease is not known. It was hypothesized that echocardiographic LA volume index (LAVI) predicts heart failure (HF) hospitalization and mortality with similar statistical power as left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) in ambulatory adults with coronary artery disease. We measured LAVI in 935 adults without atrial fibrillation, atrial flutter, or significant mitral valve disease in the Heart and Soul Study. LAVI was calculated using the biplane method of disks. Outcomes included HF hospitalization and mortality. Logistic regression odds ratios (ORs) were calculated and adjusted for age, demographics, medical history, left ventricular mass, diastolic function, and LVEF. Mean LAVI was 32 ± 11 ml/m 2 , and mean LVEF was 62 ± 10%. Sixty-six patients (7%) had LAVI >50 ml/m 2 . There were 108 HF hospitalizations and 180 deaths at 4.3 years of follow-up. C statistics calculated as the area under the receiver-operator characteristic curve were the same (0.60) for LAVI and LVEF in predicting mortality. The unadjusted OR for HF hospitalization was 4.4 for LAVI >50 ml/m 2 and 5.3 for LVEF 50 ml/m 2 were 5.2 for HF hospitalization (p 50 ml/m 2 was predictive of HF hospitalization (OR 2.4, p = 0.02), and LAVI >40 ml/m 2 was predictive of mortality (OR 1.9, p = 0.005). In conclusion, LAVI had similar predictability as LVEF for HF hospitalization and mortality in ambulatory adults with coronary artery disease.
Clinical immunology in practice, new opportunities

While research provides new opportunities for diagnosing and treating patients with allergic and immunological disorders, there are significant challenges to putting these advances into use in clinical practice. Each new test may require clinicians in private practice to battle with a health insurer's designated clinical laboratory in an effort to get this new test and other accurate immunological laboratory studies. A new test may or may not be covered by some health care plans and may or may not be available from their designated laboratories. Many of these laboratories send time-sensitive samples across the country with risk of time delays and poor specimen handling leading to inaccurate results and/or the need to send repeat specimens. The growing role of managed care in every medical decision has led to frustrations for the patient and physician. This frequently requires a consult at a tertiary care center, where laboratory studies may be more easily accessible with fewer restrictions. Where are the new opportunities? Some are found in the enhanced ability to make intelligent decisions in the diagnosis and treatment of immunological diseases. There is now a greater selection and availability of intravenous γ-globulin (IVIG), that can be matched to individual patient needs. The appropriate selection of these products will decrease adverse reactions and increase safety. There was a major advance in the treatment of moderate and severe asthma with the addition of omalizumab therapy. It provides allergists and immunologists with their first monoclonal humanized anti-IgE antibody.
Concentration independent calibration of β–γ coincidence detector using 131mXe and 133Xe

Absolute efficiency calibration of radiometric detectors is frequently difficult and requires careful detector modeling and accurate knowledge of the radioactive source used. In the past we have calibrated the β–γ coincidence detector of the Automated Radioxenon Sampler/Analyzer (ARSA) using a variety of sources and techniques which have proven to be less than desirable (Reeder et al., J Radioanal Nucl Chem, 235, 1989). A superior technique has been developed that uses the conversion-electron (CE) and X-ray coincidence of 131mXe to provide a more accurate absolute gamma efficiency of the detector. The 131mXe is injected directly into the beta cell of the coincident counting system and no knowledge of absolute source strength is required. In addition, 133Xe is used to provide a second independent means to obtain the absolute efficiency calibration. These two data points provide the necessary information for calculating the detector efficiency and can be used in conjunction with other noble gas isotopes to completely characterize and calibrate the ARSA nuclear detector. In this paper we discuss the techniques and results that we have obtained.
Quasi-digital PCR: Enrichment and quantification of rare DNA variants.

Rare variant enrichment and quantification was achieved by allele-specific, competitive blocker, digital PCR for aiming to provide a noninvasive method for detecting rare DNA variants from circulating cells. The allele-specific blocking chemistry improves sensitivity and lowers assay cost over previously described digital PCR methods while the instrumentation allowed for rapid thermal cycling for faster turnaround time. Because the digital counting of the amplified variants occurs in the presence of many wild-type templates in each well, the method is called “quasi-digital PCR”. A spinning disk was used to separate samples into 1000 wells, followed by rapid-cycle, allele-specific amplification in the presence of a molecular beacon that serves as both a blocker and digital indicator. Monte Carlo simulations gave similar results to Poisson distribution statistics for mean number of template molecules and provided an upper and lower bound at a specified confidence level and accounted for input DNA concentration variation. A 111 bp genomic DNA fragment including the BRAF p.V600E mutation (c.T1799A) was amplified with quasi-digital PCR using cycle times of 23 s. Dilution series confirmed that wild-type amplification was suppressed and that the sensitivity for the mutant allele was <0.01 % (43 mutant alleles amongst 500,000 wild-type alleles). The Monte Carlo method presented here is publically available on the internet and can calculate target concentration given digital data or predict digital data given target concentration.
The molecular properties of the positronium negative ion

The dynamics of the positronium negative ion is described in a molecular adiabatic approximation. It is shown, how the classification of the spectrum, propensity rules for radiative and non-radiative transitions and conditions for the occurrence of shape resonances can easily be derived within this approach. Propensity rules for two-photon processes are also derived and used to demonstrate the possibility of an absorption experiment from the ground state to excite a1Se shape resonance, which is unique to Ps−.
Flow field of suspended solids in a stirred tank reactor by Lagrangian tracking

Abstract Solid–liquid stirred tank reactors are widely used in the chemical, biochemical and mineral processing industries. Characterization of solid hydrodynamics in these reactors is essential to optimize the design and operation of such reactors. Although few studies exist of the solid hydrodynamics in dilute suspensions, a systematic investigation with relatively dense systems is still lacking in the open literature. The non-invasive computer automated radioactive particle tracking (CARPT) technique is used in the current work to study the solids flow field in dense solid–liquid suspensions (2.5–19% solids loading) in a stirred tank. CARPT provides Lagrangian description of the solids flow field which is used to obtain the time-averaged velocity fields and the turbulent quantities. The Lagrangian information has also been used to calculate the solid sojourn time distribution at different axial regions in the reactor, which clearly show that the Zwietering's correlation over-predicts the “just-suspension” speed at which incipient suspension of solids is achieved.
Genetic distances estimated from DNA fingerprints in crosses of White Plymouth Rock chickens

Crosses were produced between two lines of White Plymouth Rock chickens, one of which had been selected for low 8-week body weight for 31 generations (L) and the other of which was a bantam population (B). The parental lines, reciprocal F1s, reciprocal F2s and all possible back-crosses to each parental line (total of 16 populations) were available for study. Blood was obtained from 10 females within each population. DNA was extracted from blood mixes (equal amounts of blood from each individual) for each population, and from blood samples of each individual in the two parental lines. Fourteen line-specific DNA fingerprint (DFP) bands (those bands present in one parental population, but not in the other parental population) were analysed (eight from line L and six from line B). Regression analyses were conducted to compare the known proportion of genomic contribution from each parental population with values based on relative band intensity obtained with a scanning densitometer. The resulting regression coefficient of 1.004 demonstrated that DFP analysis of relative band intensity is an effective method of estimating the relative proportion of genome contributed by parental populations.
Ultraviolet And X-Ray Lithography

Characteristics of the generation and absorption of ultraviolet radiation and x-rays are examined for their effects on lithographic replication of tine scale features. Direct-write, projection, proximity and contact UV lithography are Drietly reviewed. Emphasis is given to x-ray lithography, especially the wide variety of potentially useful plasma x-ray sources. Reference is also made to other aspects of x-ray lithography, namely masks, resists and alignments, as well as full x-ray exposure systems.
Global Existence and Boundedness of the Solution for a Blood Oxygenation Model

Abstract We provide some results on the global existence and boundeness of the solution of a reaction-diffusion system which consists of the five coupled equations. This system is a generalization of a theoretical model for the rate of blood oxygenation in the human lung. The upper-lower solution method, semigroup theory, and a priori estimates in parabolic systems are used to obtain these results.
Parton rescattering and colour screening in Au+Au collisions at RHIC

Abstract We study the microscopic dynamics of quarks and gluons in relativistic heavy ion collisions in the framework of the Parton Cascade Model. We use lowest order perturbative QCD cross sections with fixed lower momentum cutoff p T min ⁡ . We calculate the time-evolution of the Debye-screening mass μD for Au+Au collisions at √s = 200 GeV per nucleon pair. We also determine the energy density reached through hard and semi-hard processes at RHIC and analyze the extent of perturbative rescattering among partons.
Effect of erbium fluoride doping on the photoluminescence of SiO x films

The photoluminescence of SiO x films deposited on c-Si wafers by the thermal evaporation of SiO in a vacuum and, for the first time, doped with ErF3 by coevaporation is studied. It is shown that, like undoped SiO x films, the unannealed SiO x :ErF3 films passivate the surface of the Si wafers and, thus, increase their edge photoluminescence intensity almost fivefold. A similar increase is observed after annealing of the doped films in air at 750°C. Doping with ErF3 suppresses the photoluminescence of Si nanoclusters, if the films have been subjected to high-temperature annealing (at 750°C). In this case, the PL intensity of the band with a peak at ∼890 nm decreases as well. The ∼890 nm band is observed for the first time and, due to its features, is attributed to transitions in SiO x matrix defects. The experimentally observed effect of ErF3 doping on SiO x film photoluminescence is interpreted. An intense photoluminescence signal from Er3+ ions in the nearinfrared spectral region (the 4 I 11/2 → 4 I 15/2 and 4 I 13/2 → 4 I 15/2 transitions) is observed in the SiO x :ErF3 films annealed in air at 750°C. This finding shows that 1.54 μm luminescent emitters, which are currently in popular demand, can be produced by a simple low-cost method.
DART, a platform for the creation and registration of cone beam digital tomosynthesis datasets

Digital tomosynthesis is an imaging modality that allows for tomographic reconstructions using only a fraction of the images needed for CT reconstruction. Since it offers the advantages of tomographic images with a smaller imaging dose delivered to the patient, the technique offers much promise for use in patient positioning prior to radiation delivery. This paper describes a software environment developed to help in the creation of digital tomosynthesis image sets from digital portal images using three different reconstruction algorithms. The software then allows for use of the tomograms for patient positioning or for dose recalculation if shifts are not applied, possibly as part of an adaptive radiotherapy regimen.
Differential diagnosis of fourth ventricle tumors from brain stem tumors in angiography

1. Normal arteriographic and venographic anatomic landmarks of the posterior fossa are described. 2. Differential diagnostic features between fourth ventricle tumors and brain stem tumors are described with illustrations of actual cases. 3. If angiographic features are inconclusive, air or positive contrast studies may be performed expeditiously for further elucidation of the specific problem.
Internally-coupled build-up cavity for frequency doubling of cw lasers

Replacing the input coupler in a ring build-up cavity with a broadband beamsplitter optimizes frequency doubling of cw laser radiation by allowing for careful control of input coupling by varying the input angle. We describe this simple and novel modification and discuss several other applications.
Quantitative Assessment of Seizure Severity for Clinical Trials : A Review of Approaches to Seizure Components

Quantitative assessment of seizure severity has been approached using a variety of systems. This review describes currently available methods and possible new approaches to seizure assessment for clinical trials. A review of the literature on methods of seizure assessments resulted in tabulation of the seizure rating scales known as VA, Chalfont-National Hospital, Liverpool, Hague, and the Occupational Hazard Scale. Seizures have been evaluated by simply counting all events, counting events by type, by clinician ratings, patient ratings, and combinations. Each of the scales has advantages and disadvantages. Most scales share core components: seizure frequency, seizure type, seizure duration, postictal events, postictal duration, automatisms, seizure clusters, known patterns, warnings, tongue biting, incontinence, injuries, and functional impairment. This review revealed a partial consensus about aspects of seizures that are important markers for severity. However, usefulness of the existing scales is limited by lack of data on responsiveness. New approaches are needed to assess changes in seizure severity as a result of an intervention in a clinical trial.
Association between apolipoprotein E genotype and Alzheimer disease in African American subjects.

Background The association between Alzheimer disease (AD) and genotypes at the apolipoprotein E ( APOE ) locus has been confirmed in numerous populations worldwide, but appears to be inconsistent in African American subjects. Objective To investigate the association between APOE genotypes and AD in elderly African American subjects. Design Clinic-based, multicenter case-control study and a family study. Participants A total of 338 African American probands meeting criteria for probable or definite AD, 301 cognitively healthy, elderly unrelated control subjects (spouses and community volunteers), and 108 siblings of 88 AD probands. Main Outcome Measures Odds of AD according to APOE genotype. Results Compared with individuals with the APOE ϵ 3 /ϵ 3 , the odds of having AD were significantly increased among those with 1 or more copies of the ϵ 4 allele; the odds ratio (OR) for the ϵ 3 /ϵ 4 genotype was 2.6 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.8-3.7), and the OR for the ϵ 4 /ϵ 4 genotype was 10.5 (95% CI, 5.1-21.8). These risks decreased substantially after 68 years of age. The risk for AD was lower among individuals with the ϵ 2 /ϵ 3 genotype (OR, 0.41; 95% CI, 0.22-0.79). The patterns of association were similar in men and women. These results obtained from comparisons of unrelated AD patients and controls were bolstered by results of analysis of family data that showed preferential transmission of the ϵ 4 allele to demented siblings ( P 2 allele to nondemented siblings ( P = .005). Conclusions The presence of 1 or 2 ϵ 4 alleles is a determinant of AD risk in African American subjects. The age-related risk for decline associated with the ϵ 4 allele and the apparent protective effect of the ϵ 2 allele are similar to patterns observed in white subjects.
Two Cretaceous volcanic episodes in the western Pacific Ocean

Stratigraphic analyses of cores recovered by the Deep Sea Drilling Project from the western Pacific Ocean confirm that Cretaceous volcanic activity in that region was common, and that two separate major episodes of activity can be distinguished. The older episode, Aptian to Cenomanian in age, resulted in the formation of most of the oceanic plateaus in the western Pacific. In the younger, Santonian to Maastrichtian episode, several island and seamount chains formed, especially those in the west-central Pacific that trend north-northwest. These volcanic events, among the most extensive in the marine geologic record, covered an area of at least 30 × 10 6 km 2 . Possibly, the older episode was responsible for a Cretaceous sea-level high and concomitant epi-continental transgression. The younger episode of volcanism certainly covered an extensive area, but its effect upon sea level may not have been as great as that of the older event.
The effects of gonadectomy on sex- and age-typical responses to novelty and ethanol-induced social inhibition in adult male and female Sprague-Dawley rats.

Abstract Sex- and age-typical responses to ethanol and novel stimuli tend to emerge postpubertally, suggesting a potential organizational or activational role for pubertal hormones in these behaviors. To test this possibility, male and female rats were gonadectomized (GX) or received sham gonadectomy (SH) either prepubertally on postnatal day (P) 23 (early) or in adulthood on P70 (late). Animals were tested as adults for response to novelty and, on the following day, challenged with either saline or ethanol (1 g/kg) prior to social interaction testing with an unfamiliar partner in a familiar setting under low light conditions. Gonadectomy did not influence ethanol-induced social inhibition in either sex, but instead altered the microstructure of social behavior, with GX animals exhibiting proportionally less time in social investigation and proportionally more time in contact behavior than SH animals, regardless of age of gonadectomy. The early sham surgical manipulation process itself influenced social motivation, with early SH surgery eliminating ethanol-induced decreases in social preference in both sexes. Response to novelty was unaffected by gonadectomy, but was suppressed in early compared to late SH manipulated animals. These results suggest that adult-typical responses to ethanol and novelty-directed behaviors are little influenced by gonadal hormones during puberty or in adulthood. However, the experience of surgical manipulation itself during development exerts behavioral and pharmacological consequences that last into adulthood.
Cycloaddition of ethene on a series of single-walled carbon nanotubes

The binding energy of ethene to several (n,0) and (n,n) single wall carbon nanotubes where n = 5–9 are investigated by B3LYP density functional theory (DFT). The calculated binding energies indicate the cycloaddition reactions to be exothermic for the smaller diameter nanotubes (5,0) and (6,0) and increasingly endothermic as the diameter of the nanotube increases. The binding energy of ethene to the smallest SWCNT of this work, the (5,5) SWCNT, is exothermic and increasingly endothermic as n increases for the remaining (n,n) SWCNTs. Bonding alters the hybridization of the CC bonds of both the ethene and the C atoms of the nanotube to which the ethene is bound. The HOMO and LUMO orbitals include the ethene and are delocalized over the length of the tube.
Walking among older adults

Walking among older adults is the most practical and feasible option for regular leisure-time exercise in the USA and internationally. For older adults, walking represents a beneficial and relatively safe exercise alterative, and may well be the most accessible form of leisure-time physical activity available to seniors. This investigation was designed to identify significant characteristics of regular walkers and variables that predict regular walking among older adults by analysing an existing database from an archived panel study. Independent variables were classified into four groups: demographics, health indicators, health conditions and social interaction indicators. The dependent variable was miles walked per week. The statistical model was significant and seven specific measures in the model were associated with regular walking: gender, smoking, body mass index, functional disability, moderate exercise, allergies/asthma and community involvement. The model was more successful at identifying barrie...
The influence of berries infected with Botrytis cinerea on the enzymic breakdown of sulphited strawberries

SUMMARY Endo-polygalacturonase produced by Botrytis cinerea is rapidly inactivated in infected strawberry tissue both by the naturally occurring fruit phenolics and also by those oxidised compounds formed as a result of polyphenol oxidase activity in the infected tissue. In contrast, the endo-polygalacturonases of Mucor piriformis, Rhizopus sexualis and R. stolonifer are more resistant to inactivation by the fruit phenolics and no polyphenol oxidase was detected in tissue infected by these fungi. The presence of Botrytis-infected berries in sulphited fruit containing tissue infected with Mucor or Rhizopus resulted in more rapid inactivation of the endopolygalacturonases from the latter fungi, and hence reduced the amount of softening and breakdown of the fruit. This inactivation is considered to be due largely to the oxidised phenolics present in Botrytis-infected tissue.
Analyzing autophagy in zebrafish.

The transparency, external development and simple drug administration of zebrafish embryos makes them a useful model for studying autophagy during embryonic development in vivo. Cloning of zebrafish lc3 and generation of a transgenic GFP-Lc3 fish line provide excellent tools to monitor autophagy in this organism.1 This protocol discusses several convenient autophagy assays in zebrafish, including immunoblotting of Lc3 lipidation, microscopy imaging of GFP-Lc3 and lysosomal staining.
Evidence-based psychosocial treatments for adult ADHD: A review

It is well established that most children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) will continue to experience clinically significant problems in adulthood. Moreover, many individuals exhibiting symptoms of ADHD during childhood and adolescence may not experience impairments necessitating assessment and intervention until they face difficulties fulfilling adult responsibilities. Although pharmacotherapy is the most effective treatment option for ADHD, in many cases adjunctive psychosocial treatment is necessary to address the wide-ranging functional impairments and emotional issues faced by adults with ADHD. This article reviews the published clinical outcome literature on psychosocial treatments for adult ADHD. Topics include impairments associated with adult ADHD that are a target of treatment, clinical outcome research on psychosocial treatments for adult ADHD, directions for research, and the side effects of psychosocial treatments.
ScaleUPC: a UPC compiler for multi-core systems

Since multi-core computers began to dominate the market, enormous efforts have been spent on developing parallel programming languages and/or their compilers to target this architecture. Although Unified Parallel C (UPC), a parallel extension to ANSI C, was originally designed for large scale parallel computers and cluster environments, its partitioned global address space programming model makes it a natural choice for a single multi-core machine, where the main memory is physically shared. This paper builds a case for UPC as a feasible language for multi-core programming by providing an optimizing compiler, called ScaleUPC, which outperforms other UPC compilers targeting SMPs.As the communication cost for remote accesses is removed because all accesses are physically local in a multi-core, we find that the overhead of pointer arithmetic on shared data accesses becomes a prominent bottleneck. The reason is that directly mapping the UPC logical memory layout to physical memory, as used in most of the existing UPC compilers, incurs prohibitive address calculation overhead. This paper presents an alternative memory layout, which effectively eliminates the overhead without sacrificing the UPC memory semantics. Our research also reveals that the compiler for multi-core systems needs to pay special attention to the memory system. We demonstrate how the compiler can enforce static process/thread binding to improve cache performance.
Amino Acid and Purine Release in Rat Brain Following Temporary Middle Cerebral Artery Occlusion

Excitatory amino acid release and neurotoxicity in the ischemic brain may be reduced by endogenously released adenosine which can modulate both glutamate or aspartate release and depress neuronal excitability. The present study reports on the patterns of release of glutamate and aspartate; the inhibitory amino acids GABA and glycine; and of the purine catabolites adenosine and inosine from the rat parietal cerebral cortex during 20 and 60 min periods of middle cerebral artery (MCA) occlusion followed by reperfusion. Aspartate and glutamate efflux into cortical superfusates rose steadily during the period of ischemia and tended to increase even further during the subsequent 40 min of reperfusion. GABA release rose during ischemia and declined during reperfusion, whereas glycine efflux was relatively unchanged during both ischemia and reperfusion. Adenosine levels in cortical superfusates rose rapidly at the onset of ischemia and then declined even though MCA occlusion was continued. Recovery to pre-occulusion levels was rapid following reperfusion. Inosine efflux also increased rapidly, but its decline during reperfusion was slower than that of adenosine.
Electronic Structure and Spectroscopy of [Ru(tpy)2]2+, [Ru(tpy)(bpy)(H2O)]2+, and [Ru(tpy)(bpy)(Cl)]+

We use a combined, theoretical and experimental, approach to investigate the spectroscopic properties and electronic structure of three ruthenium polypyridyl complexes, [Ru(tpy)2]2+, [Ru(tpy)(bpy)(H2O)]2+, and [Ru(tpy)(bpy)(Cl)]+ (tpy = 2,2′:6′,2′′-terpyridine and bpy = 2,2′-bipyridine) in acetone, dichloromethane, and water. All three complexes display strong absorption bands in the visible region corresponding to a metal-to-ligand-charge-transfer (MLCT) transition, as well as the emission bands arising from the lowest lying 3MLCT state. [Ru(tpy)(bpy)(Cl)]+ undergoes substitution of the Cl− ligand by H2O in the presence of water. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations demonstrate that the triplet potential energy surfaces of these molecules are complicated, with several metal-centered (3MC) and 3MLCT states very close in energy. Solvent effects are included in the calculations via the polarizable continuum model as well as explicitly, and it is shown that they are critical for proper characterizati...