cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Regulation of Epidermal Growth Factor-induced Connexin 43 Gap Junction Communication by Big Mitogen-activated Protein Kinase 1/ERK5 but Not ERK1/2 Kinase Activation

The gap junction protein, Cx43, plays a pivotal role in coupling cells electrically and metabolically, and the putative phosphorylation sites that modulate its function are reflected as changes in gap junction communication. Growth factor stimulation has been correlated with a decrease in gap junction communication and a parallel activation of ERK1/2; the inhibition of epidermal growth factor (EGF)-induced Cx43 gap junction uncoupling was observed by using the MEK1/2 inhibitor, PD98059. Because 1) BMK1/ERK5, another MAPK family member also activated by growth factors, possesses a phosphorylation motif similar to ERK1/2, and 2) it has been reported that PD98059 can inhibit not only MEK1/2-ERK1/2 but also MEK5-BMK1 activation, we investigated whether BMK1 can regulate EGF-induced Cx43 gap junction uncoupling and phosphorylation, comparing this to the role of ERK1/2 on Cx43 function and phosphorylation induced by EGF. Selective activation or inactivation of ERK1/2 by using a constitutively active form or a dominant negative form of MEK1 did not regulate Cx43 gap junction coupling. In contrast, we found that BMK1, selectively activated by constitutively active MEK5α, induced gap junction uncoupling, and the inhibition of BMK1 activation by transfection of dominant negative BMK1 prevented EGF-induced gap junction uncoupling. Activated BMK1 selectively phosphorylates Cx43 on Ser-255 in vitro and in vivo, but not on S279/S282, which are reported as the consensus phosphorylation sites for MAPK. Furthermore, by co-immunoprecipitation, we found that BMK1 directly associates with Cx43 in vivo. These data indicate that BMK1 is more important than ERK1/2 in EGF-mediated Cx43 gap junction uncoupling by association and Cx43 Ser- 255 phosphorylation.
Electronic Structure and the Properties of Metals. I. Formulation

A method is formulated for the calculation from first principles of a variety of electronic and atomic properties of metals. The method depends upon three approximations: (1) the self-consistent-field approximation; (2) the assumption that the core states are the same as in the free atom; and (3) a perturbation solution, carried to second order, of the Hamiltonian matrix based upon orthogonalized plane waves. Only the last approximation distinguishes the method from more traditional band calculations; it is regarded as appropriate for the treatment of most polyvalent metals. The only experimental parameters which enter for a given metal are the atomic number and the atomic volume.It is found that many electronic properties, including the Fermi surface and scattering by defects or phonons, may be calculated as for free electrons with an effective perturbing potential. The matrix elements of this potential may be written as the product of a structure factor, depending only on the ion positions, and a form factor depending only on the Hartree-Fock field of the ion and upon the atomic volume. The form factor is found to be a function only of the magnitude of the change in wave number.It is found that for a given ion density the energy of the system may be written in terms of a central-force, two-body interaction between ions or in terms of a sum over wave number space of the Fourier transform of this interaction (the energy-wave number characteristic). The procedure for computing these functions from the Hartree-Fock field of the corresponding ion is given.
Neurotensin and bombesin: differential effects on body temperature of mice after intracisternal administration

Abstract Intracisternal administration of neurotensin or bombesin produces a significant hypothermic response in rodents in an ambient temperature of 23°C or below; bombesin has been reported to produce a significant hyperthermic response in rats at 36°C, but no change in colonic temperature at ambient temperatures between 31 and 33°C. In this study we compared the effects of the two neuropeptides on colonic temperature of mice exposed to different ambient temperatures to determine whether neurotensin also produces a poikilothermic state. From a series of experiments conducted at ambient temperatures of 4, 23, 26, 30, 34 and 38°C, in which mice received an intracisternal injection of an equimolar dose (0.6 nmol) of neurotensin or bombesin (or vehicle), we noted that the two neuropeptides produce different effects on colonic temperature. At ambient temperatures of 26°C and below, both neurotensin and bombesin produce a significant hypothermic response; however, at higher temperatures bombesin has no effect (30°C) or produces hyperthermia (34°C). In contrast, neurotensin produces hypothermia at 30°C and no significant effect at 34 and 38°C. In addition, a wide range of doses of neurotensin failed to produce the poikilothermic effects characteristic of centrally administered bombesin.
Punished: Policing the Lives of Black and Latino Boys. By Victor M. Rios. New York: New York University Press, 2011. 218 pp. $20.00 paper.

Punished: Policing the Lives of Black and Latino Boys. By Victor M. Rios. New York: New York University Press, 2011. 218 pp. $20.00 paper.Punitive strategies such as "tough on crime" and "zero tolerance" policies that have traditionally been restricted to the field of criminal justice are currently being implemented in mainstream institutions that serve youthful populations, such as schools and civic centers. While examinations of punitive discourses and practices, poverty, and youth crime are widely documented within the current sociological, criminological, and legal literature, studies often fail to take into account the lived experiences of the youth themselves. Through life history interviews and observations, Victor Rios's book, Punished: Policing the Lives of Black and Latino Boys, provides a voice for marginalized young men in Oakland and elucidates the processes through which these young men are shrouded in a culture of punishment that shapes their life experiences and trajectories. Moreover, Rios's work is a timely contribution given the current social and political debates regarding punitive policies.Rios's study demonstrates how criminalization, as a systemic form of punitive social control, is a dominant and omnipresent phenomenon in the lives of young males in Oakland that systematically governs and limits their life choices and trajectories. Within this community, young men of color are marginalized through constant surveillance, harassment, and discipline. Rios refers to this phenomenon as the "youth control complex" in which young people's everyday behaviors are perceived and responded to as criminal by mainstream social actors.Rios argues that while criminalization is often portrayed as a mechanism to protect certain populations, such as increasing prison sentences to seemingly protect victims from violent criminals, its social and political utility becomes visible when examining the consequences of criminalizing young men of color. While many youth reactions to the "youth control complex" in Rios's study are perceived as negative, such as resisting mainstream institutions by establishing youth subcultures and creating hypermasculine behaviors, others are positive. For example, by resisting the system, some young men created a sense of self-respect and empowerment in their own lives that was often denied by institutional authority figures. As a result, some of the boys were capable of engaging in critical analyses of the systematic oppression they encounter within their own communities. Thus, while many acts of resistance by the boys were perceived as illogical by mainstream standards, they often played a functional role in the boys' personal responses to the omnipresent punitive strategies they encountered in their everyday lives. …
Electrode polarization in a yttria-stabilized zirconia solid electrolyte cell

Abstract Anode and cathode polarization were measured in a yttria-stabilized zirconia solid electrolyte cell with sputtered platinum electrodes operated at 980°C in air. Competing electrode reactions associated with the presence of the “three-phase boundary” (air/electrode/electrolyte) found in typical cells were eliminated by the use of non-porous electrodes and a glass coating applied to the sides of the sample. Use of a cylindrical sample, with reference electrodes along its length, allowed the contribution of ionic resistance to be subtracted from total cell voltage. A time decay method was used to measure concentration gradient-induced potential. Data indicate that oxygen transport through the thin (
A comparison of the horizontal and vertical optokinetic reflexes of the rabbit.

The horizontal and vertical monocular optokinetic reflexes of the rabbit were measured under closed-loop and open-loop conditions. A random noise, optokinetic stimulus subtending 70×70 deg was presented to the left eye of rabbits placed in front of a rear projection tangent screen. The position of the right eye (nonstimulated) was measured using an infrared light projection technique. During open-loop optokinetic stimulation the eye position signal was fed back to sum with a time-integrated velocity command signal driving the optokinetic stimulus. The dynamics of eye movements evoked by horizontal and vertical optokinetic stimulation were different. Horizontally evoked eye movements never exceeded a deviation of 15 deg before being interrupted by resetting saccades, which returned the eye past the primary position. By contrast, vertical eye deviations greater than 20 deg were often maintained for intervals exceeding 10 s without resetting. The closed-loop gain of optokinetically evoked horizontal eye movements was higher for monocular posterior-anterior optokinetic stimulation than for anterior-posterior stimulation. The vertical optokinetic gain for up-down stimulation was slightly greater than the gain for down-up stimulation. The vertical up-down, open-loop optokinetic gain was greater than the down-up gain over a range of retinal slip velocities of 0.5–5.0 deg/s. Measurement of the horizontal vestibulo-ocular reflex during simultaneous horizontal optokinetic stimulation demonstrated that visual and vestibular information combine linearly to produce reflex eye movements. These data suggest that the higher gain of the horizontal optokinetic reflex may compensate in part for the reduced gain of the horizontal vestibulo-ocular reflex at lower angular accelerations of the head. An equivalent vertical optokinetic gain would be obviated by the contribution of the utricular otoliths to the vertical vestibulo-ocular reflex at low frequencies of head movement.
Acoustic neuroma or vestibular schwannoma

I, as a neuroradiologist and member of the NASBS, attended and enjoyed the recent combined gathering of the 19th Annual Meeting of the North American Skull Base Society and the 5th International Skull Base Congress of the World Federation of Skull Base Societies in Vancouver Canada. I never cease to be amazed by the skill of my surgical colleagues and their grasp of complex anatomy (why can't the various vascular and neuronal structures be color-coded like Netter, rather than a monotonous red tone?). I think it is important for neuroradiologists to attend such meetings to better appreciate the surgical approaches and applied anatomy of skull base neoplasms for improved image interpretation. However, as a former radio host once said, “words do have meaning.” Why then the constant reference to “acoustic neuromas,” when we all know these same tumors are not neuromas at all (neuron, Greek for nerve, and oma, Greek for swelling), but tumors of Schwann cells, and thus schwannomas? Further, less than 5% of schwannomas of the internal auditory canal derive from the acoustic division, but rather overwhelmingly originate from either the superior or inferior vestibular nerves. The exact origin of these lesions, as described in the literature, is confusing, ranging from predominantly superior vestibular schwannomas to predominantly inferior vestibular schwannomas (see a good summary article by Komatsuzaki A and Tsunoda A, J Laryngol Otol, May 2001:376–379). Further, with thin section MR imaging, you can see schwannomas in their early stages arising from the individual divisions of cranial nerve eight. At any rate, you would more often be right than wrong when calling these lesions vestibular schwannomas. The neurosciences are not alone in such confusion of terms. Morton's neuroma of the foot is not a neuroma at all but a fibrous swelling about the interdigital nerves of the foot. Further, Louis Durlacher (a chiropodist to the Queen of England) was the first to describe this condition in 1845, 31 years before the publication of Thomas G. Morton, a physician in Philadelphia who somehow aced out Durlacher. Well, so much for head-to-toe neuroscience. I would appeal to future speakers, as well as publication authors, to embrace the proper terminology. Learning the complex anatomy of the skull base is tough enough for residents and fellows in neurosurgery, otolaryngology, and neuroradiology, without having to deal with confusing nomenclature. Finally, I am sure Theodor Schwann (1810–1882) would be pleased to hear the proper description of these lesions that bear his name.
PHOTOCHEMICAL OXIDATIONS — VI. THE NATURE OF THE DONOR SITE IN THE OXYGEN‐HYDROCARBON CONTACT CHARGE‐TRANSFER COMPLEX

— Two sets of experiments, designed to determine whether the C—C or C—H bonds of hydrocarbons act as the donor site in the contact charge-transfer complex between oxygen and hydrocarbons, were performed. It was found that the rates of oxygen uptake during the photooxidation increase with decreasing ‘s character’ of the C—H bond. Also, the rates of product accumulation during the induction period were shown to increase with basicity of the C—H bond, i.e., tertiary C—H > secondary C—H > primary C—H. The conclusion from these data is that the C—H bond is the donor site.
Abstract 3533: Resistance is useless: Development of the MDR1-selective agent NSC73306

The thiosemicarbazone NSC73306 is one of several agents identified in a screen for agents that selectively kill cells expressing the multidrug resistance transporter P-glycoprotein (MDR1, ABCB1, P-gp). Prolonged exposure of P-gp expressing cells to NSC73306 down-regulates P-gp, re-sensitizing the cells to conventional chemotherapeutics. Given the exciting potential for NSC73306 as a potential therapy for previously intractable multidrug resistant cancer cells, in vitro and in vivo validation is underway. A series of NSC73306 analogs have been synthesized in order to examine the structural requirements for MDR1-selectivity of this family of compounds, and a proposed pharmacophore for MDR1-selectivity has been generated. In parallel, new MDR1-selective chemotypes are being discovered and validated through a number of strategies, including bioinformatic, high throughput screening and drug design approaches. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 3533.
Arrhythmias in Fabry cardiomyopathy

Background: Prior studies suggest that the incidence of ventricular arrhythmias is high in patients with Fabry cardiomyopathy. This study evaluated the incidence of significant arrhythmias in a series of patients with Fabry cardiomyopathy. Hypothesis: Arrhythmias are important causes of morbidity and mortality in Fabry Cardiomyopathy. Methods: This study was a retrospective chart review of 19 patients with known Fabry cardiomyopathy. Device interrogation reports were reviewed for those who had implantable devices. Electrocardiogram, Holter monitor, and event monitors were reviewed in those who did not have implantable devices. Results: Eighteen of nineteen patients were on enzyme replacement therapy (ERT). Nine (47%) out of 19 patients had implantable devices. Implant indications included symptomatic bradycardia, nonsustained ventricular tachycardia, conduction abnormalities, palpitations, and syncope. Mean follow-up in the patients with devices was 50 ± 23 months. Two patients received implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) shocks, 1 of which was inappropriate for atrial fibrillation. Patients were paced in the atrium 71% ± 37% of the time and paced in the ventricle 49% ± 52% of the time. Four patients with devices were paced more than 95% of the time. Patients with an ICD had lower heart rates prior to ICD implant than the group that did not have devices (60 ± 10 vs 78 ± 16, P = 0.03). Of the patients without devices, only 1 had sudden cardiac death. Patients with implanted devices had higher left ventricular (LV) mass indices compared to patients without implanted devices (136 ± 40 g/m2 vs 93 ± 19 g/m2, P = 0.008). Conclusions: Significant ventricular arrhythmias are uncommon in patients with Fabry cardiomyopathy on ERT, but utilization of pacing is high. Sudden cardiac death in Fabry cardiomyopathy may be related to bradycardia. The authors have no funding, financial relationships, or conflicts of interest to disclose.
Evaluation of "unique" aspects of human vertebral bodies and pedicles with a consideration of Australopithecus africanus

Abstract Recent functional studies of human vertebrae have revealed that loads borne by the axial skeleton during bipedal postures and locomotion pass through the pedicles and posterior elements as well as through the bodies and discs. Accordingly, particular morphological attributes of these vertebral elements have been linked exclusively with bipedalism. In order to test the validity of current form-function associations in human vertebral anatomy, this study considers the morphology of human thoracolumbar vertebral bodies and pedicles in the context of a wide comparative primate sample. The last lumbar vertebra of STS 14 (Australopithecus africanus) is also included in the analysis. Results indicate that certain features of human vertebrae previously thought to reflect bipedalism are characteristic of several nonhuman primates, including those whose posture is habitually pronograde. These features include the decrease in vertebral body surface area and the increase in cross-sectional area of the pedicle between the penultimate and last lumbar vertebra. In addition, although humans have relatively large and wide last lumbar pedicles, the enlargement and widening of the pedicle between the penultimate and last lumbar vertebra is not unique to humans. On the other hand, human vertebrae do exhibit several unique adaptations to bipedal posture and locomotion: (1) the vertebral body surface areas of the lower lumbar vertebrae and the cross-sectional areas of the last lumbar pedicles are large relative to body size, and (2) the last lumbar pedicles are wider relative to length and to body size than are those of nonhuman primates. The last lumbar vertebra of STS 14 does not exhibit any of these human-like vertebral features—its pedicles and body surface areas are relatively small, and its pedicles are not relatively wide, but relatively short.
CT and MR Angiography: Comprehensive Vascular Assessment

Geoffrey D. Rubin, MD, and Neil M. Rofsky, MD, eds. 1316 pages. Philadelphia, USA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2009. $275.00. ISBN 0-7817-4525-X CT and MR Angiography: Comprehensive Vascular Assessment is a thorough, up-to-date textbook covering all areas of cross-sectional imaging of vascular disease. Dr Rubin and Dr Rofsky are both leading authorities on cardiovascular imaging, and their intention was to write a textbook that would be equally useful both for practitioners with expertise in cardiovascular anatomy and pathophysiology, and those with expertise in cardiovascular computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), bridging the gap between these 2 knowledge bases. In addition to their direct contributions, they have recruited an impressive array of authors at the forefront of vascular imaging. For such an expansive project, they have succeeded admirably, …
Bayesian inference for poisson process models with censored data.

Bayesian statistical inference for a nonhomogeneous Poisson point process model with censored data is considered. Weighted gamma process priors are founded to be the natural conjugate priors for the cumulative intensity of this model. Upon deflating the prior, the posterior mean of the cumulative intensity becomes a relative of the well-known Nelson-Aalen estimator. Small- and large-sample approximations to the posterior distribution using the Bayesian bootstrap methods are discussed.
EFFECT OF PROLONGED HYPOXIA UPON GRANULARITY OF RENAL JUXTAGLOMERULAR CELLS.

The various experimental models used in previous studies of the juxtaglomerular apparatus do not permit the effect of changes in oxygen tension of the renal parenchyma to be separated from that of changes in distension of the renal arterial bed. To study the isolated effect of prolonged hypoxia, three groups of rats, matched for weight, were kept in low oxygen, room air, and high oxygen environment for two weeks. The animals were pair-fed with the hypoxic rats serving as the determinant group. Supplemental injections of sodium chloride were given daily to avoid the effect of sodium deprivation on the juxtaglomerular cells. It was found that the hematocrits and also the granularity of the juxtaglomerular cells were significantly increased in the hypoxic rats as compared to the other two groups. Blood pressures, serum sodium levels, and urinary excretion of sodium were comparable among the three groups. These findings demonstrate that increased granularity of the renal juxtaglomerular cells can be induced by prolonged hypoxia.
Fluorescence detection of camptothecin anticancer drugs by two-photon excitation

Hycamtin is a camptothecin anticancer analogue containing a dimethylaminomethyl substituent at position 9 and a hydroxy functionality at position 10. Using an excitation wavelength of 800 nm we have compared the two-photon cross sections and excited-state lifetimes from several camptothecins in phosphate buffered saline solution with and without the presence of human serum albumin (HSA). Drug and HSA concentrations of 10 (mu) M and 46 (mu) M were employed in our studies. In phosphate buffered saline solution containing HSA the following excited-state lifetimes (ns) and two- photon cross-sections (10-50 cm4 s/photon), respectively, were determined: hycamtin (4.3 nm, 36); camptothecin (1.3 ns, 1); 7-t-butyldimethylsilyl-10- hydroxycamptothecin (1.7 ns, 3.7); 7-t-butyldimethylsilyl- camptothecin (1.9 ns, 1.9); 7-trimethylsilyl-10- aminocamptothecin (6.3 ns; 35); and 7-trimethylsilyl-10- hydroxycamptothecin (1.8 ns; 2.2). Our results indicate that Hycamtin exhibits a high cross-section relative to the parent camptothecin molecule and represents one of the best camptothecin analogues to detect using two-photon excitation. Hycamtin was detected at concentrations as low as 0.05 (mu) M and 1 (mu) M in plasma and whole blood, respectively. The newly synthesized analogue 7- trimethylsilyl-10-aminocamptothecin was found to display similar lifetime and two-photon cross section values relative to Hycamtin. Thus, fluorescence detection with two- photon excitation may prove to be of advantage in the development of this promising new experimental therapeutic.© (1998) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Children's strategies for maintaining cohesion in their written and oral stories

This study investigated the use of cohesive referential ties (personals, demonstratives, and comparatives) to maintain textual coherence in the oral and written stories of young children. Overall, a general pattern of usage of cohesive referential ties was maintained regardless of story condition. Oral stories demonstrated more varied cohesive referential ties than did written stories. With increasing age, subjects used significantly more personals and significantly fewer demonstratives (primarily the). Females demonstrated more advanced use of cohesive referential ties than did males. The implications of these findings for facilitating the development of communicative competence among children are discussed.
What a Difference a Label Makes: Positioning and Response in an Afterschool Tutoring Program

In this qualitative case study, we used the framework of positioning to show how college-age tutors and their middle school tutees interact in an afterschool tutoring setting with regard to ability. The authors show how educational tracking and understandings of disability permeated tutoring spaces and influence tutors’ instructional decisions. Even though the tutors’ participation in this program was framed as an act of social justice, the tutors do not feel empowered to use a critical lens when discussing tracking and/or disability because, as the authors posit, the framing of the college students as role models and these middle school students as “needy” prohibits conversations that do not have easy answers.
The museum of Indian culture and Lenape identity

Abstract Founded in 1982, the Museum of Indian Culture in Allentown, Pennsylvania has provided educational programs and exhibits to schools and individuals about the Lenape/Delawares, the indigenous people of Pennsylvania. The museum has served as an anchor point for people claiming Native American ancestry in the state in the absence of a reservation or an on-going community of native people. Claiming native heritage in Pennsylvania is a difficult proposition for many reasons; this in turn has led some to be skeptical that any ‘real’ Native Americans exist in the state. In recent years, the leadership and mission of the museum have changed. In particular, members of the Oklahoma Delaware Tribe have become involved in the management of the museum for the first time. As a result, the museum is now being used as a platform for asserting that people claiming native descent in Pennsylvania are doing so fraudulently. This change in mission raises theoretical and ethical questions about the role of a museum in ...
Positioning and the Discourses of Urban Education: A Latino Student’s University Experience

Based on data collected from a year-and-a-half-long qualitative research project, this case study examines the early college experiences and identity negotiations of one urban-schooled Latino participant as he navigated a predominately White state university in his hometown. Recognizing the university as a figured world, this study highlights two emblematic personal encounters that positioned him in inferior ways. It also offers a counter-example of a rhetoric professor who positioned him in positive ways and contributed to his academic success. Implications are framed in an argument for the inclusion of identity studies and positioning theory in order to better contextualize urban-schooled Latina/os’ early college experiences.
Optimal control of unknown parameter systems

The problem is discussed of finding a cost functional for which an adaptive control law is optimal. The system under consideration is a partially observed linear stochastic system with unknown parameters. It is well known that an optimal finite-dimensional filter for this problem can be derived when the parameters belong to a finite set. Since the optimal filter involves the evaluation of a finite set of a posteriori probabilities for each of the parameter values given the observations, a natural adaptive control scheme is: (i) develop the optimal linear feedback law given each parameter; (ii) use the a posteriori probabilities to form the weighted average (convex combination) of the individual control policies; and (iii) use the weighted average as the control law. A quadratic cost functional is devised for which this strategy is optimal, in a general case, and it is shown that the probing effect identified with dual control problems is inherent in the standard linear-quadratic-Gaussian problem with parameter uncertainty. >
An assessment of the nutritional and health status of an aguaruna jivaro community, amazonas, Peru

An evaluation of the nutritional adequacy of the traditional diet of the Aguaruna Jivaro demonstrates the sufficiency and balance of nutrients. Assessment of health status in terms of anthropometric measurements, as indicators of growth, fat stores and muscle development, and clinical examination for detection of signs of frank nutritional deficiencies demonstrate the relative good health of the population. Follow‐up blood tests confirm the positive health picture. Two unanticipated and significant findings resulted from this study: the prevalence of certain parasite infections is high, and the dietary intake is extremely high in bulk and nutrients. That the parasites are so well tolerated is probably due in large measure to the quality and quantity of the Aguaruna diet.
Effects of morbid obesity and diabetes mellitus on risk of coronary artery bypass grafting.

Abstract Obesity has been identified as an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease 1–4 and the occurrence of complications of coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). 5,6 A study was designed to determine if the risks associated with morbid obesity should alter the indications for CABG, the operative strategy or the postoperative care.
Outcomes of Patients with Peripartum Cardiomyopathy Who Received Mechanical Circulatory Support: Data from the INTERMACS Registry

Purpose Peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCMP) a rare and frequently reversible cause of heart failure (HF) accounts for 5% of all heart transplantation in women. There are no data on the characteristics of PPCMP patients who received durable mechanical circulatory support (MCS); thus, we describe the epidemiological, clinical characteristics and outcomes of this population and compare it with other etiologies of end stage HF in women. Methods and Materials A total of 1258 women older than 14 years who received durable MCS between June 2006 and March 2012 were included in the analysis (INTERMACS registry). Patients were categorized by primary diagnosis: PPCMP (n=99), Non-Ischemic (NICMP, n=771) and Ischemic (ICMP, n=388) and stratified by HF duration: acute ( 1y). Baseline characteristics, implant strategies, hemodynamics , echocardiographic data and outcomes were compared. Results The age (y) for PPCMP, NICMP and ICMP patients were 33±10, 51.8±13.6 and 56.7±11.2 (p Kaplan–Meier survival curves showed significant difference in survival between groups (p=0.04) with the two year survival being 82.7% for PPCMP, 64.7% for NICMP and 64.1% for ICMP. The age of PPCMP patients who presented acutely or subacutely was 25.8±5.9 and 25.9±6.4 respectively, and represented 40% of all MCS implanted in PPCMP patients. Recovery occurred predominantly in these subgroups with a frequency of PPCMP (4%), NICMP (2.5%), ICMP (0.5%). Conclusions Among women who received durable MCS, PPCMP patients have better survival. In PPCMP, recovery occurred only in the acute and subacute patients at similar rates than NICMP patients.
Experiments involving melting of a large ice block towed in sea water

Abstract Sonar performance in arctic regions, protection of arctic oil rigs, transportation of icebergs for fresh water, and iceberg life and track prediction require knowledge of the melting rates of fresh water ice moving in sea water. Melting rates were measured by towing a large ice block at a speed of approximately 1 knot in Monterey Bay, California. Scaling of the ice block as a model for an antarctic tabular iceberg was considered. For an ice block with a length of 16 feet, melting rates ranging from 27.5 in/hour at the bow to 8.1 in/hour at the stern were observed in one test for the following conditions: sea water temperature, 61°F; average tow velocity, 1.5 ft/sec; and a turbulent boundary layer. Ice ripples were observed along the sides of the ice block, and the wavelength is predicted satisfactorily using Re λ = 62000. Temperature was measured in the wake behind a large ice block during the towing; the measurements supported a tandem tow of two large ice blocks. The concept is that the lead ice block is a sacrificial source of cold water to protect the rear ice block. The front ice block melted at a 20 per cent faster rate.
The Effect of Government Advertising Policies on the Market Power of Cigarette Firms

We estimate market power among cigarette manufacturers over 1952–1984, a period of uniform pricing. We apply the Bresnahan approach; adjust it to the firm level; employ a dynamic model with habit persistence; and add an advertising equation, which helps identify the parameters, increase degrees of freedom, and constrain parameters so we can interpret our results at the firm level, despite the fact that the equations conform to what we might see in a market model. We consider effects of government interventions upon demand and market power and find, for instance, that the 1971 broadcast advertising ban decreased market power.
[A] Broad-Beam, High Current, Metal Ion Implantation Facility

Abstract We have developed a high-current metal-ion implantation facility with which high-current beams of virtually all the solid metals of the periodic table can be produced. The facility makes use of a metal-vapor vacuum-arc ion source which is operated in a pulsed mode, with 0.25 ms pulse width and a repetition rate up to 100 pps. Beam extraction voltage is up to 100 kV, corresponding to an ion energy of up to several hundred keV because of the ion charge-state multiplicity; beam current is up to several amperes peak and around 10 mA time-averaged delivered onto target. Implantation is done in a broad-beam mode, with a direct line-of-sight from ion source to target. Here we describe the facility and some of the implants that have been carried out using it, including the “seeding” of silicon wafers prior to CVD with titanium, palladium or tungsten, the formation of buried iridium silicide layers, and actinide (uranium and thorium) doping of III–V compounds.
Preparative separation of demeton isomers with Ito multi-layer coil countercurrent chromatography

Abstract The active constituents of the insecticide Demeton, consisting of isomeric 0, 0-diethyl (O, S)-ethylmercaptoethyl thiophosphates, have been conveniently separated on a preparative scale with an Ito multi-layer coil countercurrent system.
Fluid-Structure Interaction With S-TRAC and KWUROHR Due to Pressure Waves

In the last years we have spent a lot of time to improve our programs and procedures, especially on the field of fluiddynamic investigations in piping systems. To get the best design of piping layout the results of fluiddynamic and structural calculations should be realistic as far as possible. In this connection a very important effect is the fluid-structure interaction (FSI) which we have implemented in S-TRAC in connection with our structural dynamic program KWUROHR. On the basis of different calculations we will show the influence of the coupling on the fluid forces and the piping layout.Copyright © 2003 by ASME
Batch selection, assignment and sequencing in multi-stage multi-product processes

The scheduling of multi-product, multi-stage batch processes is industrially important because it allows us to utilize resources that are shared among competing products in an optimal manner. Previously proposed methods consider problems where the number and size of batches is known a priori. In many instances, however, the selection and sizing (batching) of batches is or should be an optimization decision. To address this class of problems we develop a novel mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) formulation that involves three levels of discrete decisions: selection of batches, assignment of batches to units and sequencing of batches in each unit. Continuous decision variables include sizing and timing of batches. We consider various objective functions: minimization of makespan, earliness, lateness and production cost, as well as maximization of profit, an objective not addressed by previous multi-stage scheduling methods. To enhance the solution of the proposed MILP model we propose symmetry breaking constraints, develop a preprocessing algorithm for the generation of constraints that reduce the number of feasible solutions, and fix sequencing variables based upon time window information. The model enables the optimization of batch selection, assignment and sequencing decisions simultaneously and is shown to yield solutions that are better than those obtained by existing sequential optimization methods.
Elevation of rat plasma insulin by intrathecal pentobarbital.

Zufuhr von Natriumpentobarbital in den lateralen Ventrikel bei wachen Ratten ergab nach 3 min eine signifikante Erhohung des plasmaimmunoreaktiven Insulins vor jeder Nahrungsaufnahme, im Vergleich mit Kontrollen. Die Resultate deuten an, dass die normalerweise gehemmte neurale Sekretion von Insulin durch ein intraventrikulares Anasthetikum ausgelost wird.
Digital Processing Of Halftone Images

A perspective of a few challenging problems in the digital processing of low resolution halftone images is presented. The topics covered include screen selection, tonal reproduction control, and the scaling and resolution conversion of halftone images. Par-ticular emphasis is placed on a new method of digital scaling and resolution conversion of electronically stored, low-resolution halftone images. Many simulation examples are given.
De novo versus transformed atypical and anaplastic meningiomas: comparisons of clinical course, cytogenetics, cytokinetics, and outcome.

Objective The clinical course of atypical and anaplastic meningiomas is heterogeneous. As malignant gliomas, aggressive meningiomas may arise de novo or transform from a benign tumor. This study aims to compare differences in clinical behavior, cytogenetics, cytokinetics, receptor status, and outcome between de novo malignant meningiomas and meningiomas that progressed to malignancy. Methods Data from 36 patients with atypical or anaplastic meningiomas were selected for retrospective analysis and divided into two subgroups: 1) de novo atypical or anaplastic tumors and 2) tumors that progressed from a lower grade. We analyzed data concerning patients' sex, age, tumor location, number of operations, status of hormone receptors, proliferative indices, cytogenetic findings, additional therapy, and survival. For meningiomas with progression, we calculated the interval between initial diagnosis and tumor progression. Results For atypical meningiomas, the subgroups had significant differences in status of progesterone receptors, proliferative indices, cytogenetics, and patients' outcome. The anaplastic group had similar differences, but they did not reach statistical significance because of the small numbers. There was a loss of part or monosomy of chromosome 10 and an increased monosomy or derivative chromosome 1 combined with monosomy of chromosome 14. These phenomena occurred mainly in patients with malignant transformation who had a worse outcome. Conclusion De novo malignant meningiomas and meningiomas with malignant transformation may represent distinct subgroups of atypical and anaplastic meningiomas.
Weighted boundary matching error concealment for HEVC using block partition decisions

We propose a weighted boundary matching error concealment method for HEVC. It uses block partition decisions to improve a common block matching algorithm that finds blocks with the best matched boundaries from the previous frame to conceal the currently corrupted blocks. The block partition decisions from the co-located block of the corrupted one are exploited. For each partition, a summed boundary weight is computed; the one with the highest weight is chosen to be concealed next. Experimental results show the proposed method performs better than conventional error concealment methods objectively and subjectively.
Role of Alloying Additions on the Dissolution Kinetics of Aluminum Binary Alloys Using Artificial Crevice Electrodes

Abstract Dissolution kinetics of binary Al alloys containing Cu, Zn, and Mg in chloride solution were investigated using the artificial crevice technique. The alloys were potentiostatically held at 0 V vs saturated calomel electrode (SCE) to pass a certain charge density, and the potential was then scanned down to obtain the artificial crevice polarization curve. The addition of alloying elements alters the repassivation potential by altering the dissolution kinetics. The addition of Cu raises the repassivation potential and lowers the dissolution kinetics. Zn addition decreases the repassivation potential and enhances the dissolution kinetics. Mg additions have little or no effect on the repassivation potential and the dissolution kinetics. Dissolution kinetics in the crevice were influenced by both the ohmic drop and surface overpotential. Voltage component calculations indicate that the main role of the alloying elements is to alter the surface overpotential for metal dissolution and thereby shift the ...
European Comparative Literature as Humanism

In his article "European Comparative Literature as Humanism" Bernard Franco presents an epistemological reflection on comparative literature in the context of the evolution of the relationships between different forms of knowledge. Franco argues that in the late nineteenth century the notion of the "humanities" replaced that of the "human sciences," but that we have recently returned to a humanist concept of knowledge linked to ethics. Franco focuses on the origins of this critical reflection about the nature of knowledge and on the debate in the Romantic period between rational and non-rational forms of knowledge. The ideologues (Cabanis, Destutt de Tracy, Fauriel) and Dilthey, Goethe, and Humboldt were at the heart of this epistemological debate, a debate that in early modernity had already been related to the question of humanism in the dialog between Erasmus and Luther. In the mid-twentieth century Zweig and Thomas Mann looked to literature to seek a European spirit and to build a model of cosmopolitanism in which literature becomes a deeper source of knowledge.
An objective theory of statistical testing

Theories of statistical testing may be seen as attempts to provide systematic means for evaluating scientific conjectures on the basis of incomplete or inaccurate observational data. The Neyman-Pearson Theory of Testing (NPT) has purported to provide an objective means for testing statistical hypotheses corresponding to scientific claims. Despite their widespread use in science, methods of NPT have themselves been accused of failing to be objective; and the purported objectivity of scientific claims based upon NPT has been called into question. The purpose of this paper is first to clarify this question by examining the conceptions of (I) the function served by NPT in science, and (II) the requirements of an objective theory of statistics upon which attacks on NPT's objectivity are based. Our grounds for rejecting these conceptions suggest altered conceptions of (I) and (II) that might avoid such attacks. Second, we propose a reformulation of NPT, denoted by NPT*, based on these altered conceptions, and argue that it provides an objective theory of statistics. The crux of our argument is that by being able to objectively control error frequencies NPT* is able to objectively evaluate what has or has not been learned from the result of a statistical test.
Predicting Death in Patients with Acute Type A Aortic Dissection

To the Editor: The study by Mehta et al1 entitled “Predicting Death in Patients With Acute Type A Aortic Dissection” describes a logistic regression model used for death prediction among these patients. Table 4 in that article shows that the abrupt onset of pain at the time of presentation produces an odds ratio of 2.6 (95% confidence interval 1.22 to …
963 IMMUNODEFICIENCY IN A CHILD WITH A HEALTHY ADENOSINE DEAMINASE DEFICIENT MOTHER

We recently studied a 27 year old woman with adenosine deaminase (ADA) deficiency. Red cell lysates exhibited less than 1 μmole/g hgb/hr conversion of either adenosine or deoxyadenosine to inosine. Lysates made from peripheral blood lymphocytes showed less than 0.5 nmoles/min/mg protein utilization of adenosine. Studies employing intact lymphocytes demonstrated conversion of [8-14C]-adenosine to [8-14C] inosine and [8-14C] hypoxanthine proceeded at 10-20% of the rate of normal lymphocytes. Mixing experiments with red cell extracts failed to demonstrate an inhibitor. She has produced 3 children, one of whom expired with ADA deficient severe combined immunodeficiency. This child's disease was somewhat atypical in that she had considerable lymphoid tissue and the gross and microscopic features of the thymus were relatively normal in appearance and cytology at autopsy. Her husband and 2 living children had approximately half normal ADA activity in their red cell lysates. Starch gel electrophoresis of these lysates indicated the presence of the ADA 1 phenotype. No consanguinity could be detected in the family. Although an absolute determination of the genetics of this disease in this family was not possible, the most likely explanation is that the mother is homozygous for a low activity ADA variant while the father is heterozygous for a more common form of ADA deficiency.
Improvement of high brightness AlGaAs/GaAs DH red LED under optimum growth conditions

Abstract A detailed study to improve the brightness of AlGaAs DH red LEDs is presented. The characteristics of 655 nm AlGaAs red LEDs were studied as a function of n-cladding layer thickness, and supercooling and cooling rate used for active layer growth. The AlGaAs red LEDs grown from higher initial growth temperature have thicker n-cladding layers and have higher luminous intensity. The luminous intensity and wavelength uniformity are also significantly improved by using optimum supercooling of 2–3°C and slower cooling rate of 0.2°C/min in the active layer growth. The average luminous intensity of the DH AlGaAs red LEDs operated at 20 mA is about 16 mCd. The highest luminous intensity of unencapsulated LEDs is about 20 mCd.
Who Pays the Ticket Tax

Since 1971, the City of Boulder, Colorado, has imposed a tax of 5% on the price of admission to all public events, including movies, concerts, and theatrical performances. However, the city has recently been sued by theater owners on the grounds that the theater owners bear the burden of the tax and that this burden represents an unconstitutional infringement on the theater owners’ freedom of speech. The claim by owners that they bear the burden of the tax goes directly to the issue of the incidence of the tax; that is, who bears the burden of the ticket tax? In this article, the incidence of the ticket tax under various scenarios is examined. The authors conclude that it is extremely unlikely that the true burden of the ticket tax falls on theater owners. Instead, it is found that consumers are almost certain to bear the burden of the tax. More generally, the authors conclude that most excise taxes should be viewed as falling on consumers despite claims by interested or disinterested parties to the contrary.
Direct innominate artery cannulation in acute type a dissection and severe thoracic aortic atheroma.

Fig 1. Midesophageal long-axis view of the aorta at 113° of rotation in systole. There is an intimal dissection flap evident in the aortic root above the aortic valve leaflets, giving a double aortic valve appearance.