cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Identification of Undecaprenyl Phosphate-β-D-Galactosamine in Francisella novicida and Its Function in Lipid A Modification

Francisella tularensis is a highly infectious pathogen that causes tularemia. Francisella lipid A contains an unusual galactosamine (GalN) unit, attached to its 1-phosphate moiety. Two genes, flmF2 and flmK, are required for the addition of GalN to Francisella lipid A, but the relevant enzymes and the GalN donor substrate have not been characterized. We now report the purification and identification of a novel minor lipid from Francisella novicida that functions as the GalN donor. On the basis of electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI/MS) and NMR spectroscopy, we propose that this compound is undecaprenyl phosphate-beta-d-GalN. Approximately 0.5 mg of pure lipid was obtained from 10 g of F. novicida by chloroform/methanol extraction, followed by DEAE-cellulose chromatography, mild alkaline hydrolysis, and thin-layer chromatography. ESI/MS in the negative mode revealed a molecular ion [M - H](-) at m/z 1006.699, consistent with undecaprenyl phosphate-GalN. (31)P NMR spectroscopy showed a single phosphorus atom in the phosphodiester linkage. Selective inverse decoupling difference spectroscopy demonstrated that the undecaprenyl phosphate group is attached to the anomeric carbon of the sugar. (1)H NMR studies showed the presence of a polyisoprene chain and a sugar consistent with a beta-d-GalN unit. Heteronuclear multiple-quantum coherence (HMQC) analysis confirmed that nitrogen is attached to C-2 of the sugar. Purified undecaprenyl phosphate-beta-d-GalN supports the in vitro modification of lipid IV(A) by membranes of Escherichia coli cells expressing FlmK, an orthologue of E. coli ArnT, the enzyme that transfers 4-amino-4-deoxy-l-arabinose to lipid A in polymyxin-resistant strains. The discovery of undecaprenyl phosphate-beta-d-GalN suggests Francisella modifies lipid A with GalN on the periplasmic surface of the inner membrane.
Convulsive responses in prenatally irradiated rats.

Abstract The effects of prenatal X-irridation were investigated on the functional development of the central nervous system in rats. Experimental animals were offspring of rats exposed to 100 r whole-body X-irradiation at 14 days of gestation. The time (day) of appearance of the maximal seizure pattern and the durations of its components were studied in control and irradiated rats between 1 and 59 days after birth. The full tonic-clonic seizure pattern appeared in 50% of irradiated animals at 16 days after birth, 2 days earlier than in controls. Spinal cord convulsions elicited by direct electrical stimulation of the spinal cord were also studied in control and irradiated rats and the durations of the convulsive components were measured. In both maximal electroshock seizures and spinal cord convulsions, the durations of flexion were generally shorter and the durations of extension generally longer in irradiated animals than in controls. It was concluded that prenatal X-irradiation increases the intensity of seizure activity in rats during development.
Effects of Feeding Time on Nitrogen Capture by Lactating Dairy Cows Grazing Rye Pasture

The objective of this experiment was to determine whether varying times at which a partial mixed ration was fed, either before or after grazing, affected N utilization from rye pasture and thus affected milk yield and components. Sixteen Holstein cows were fed a partial mixed ration (PMR) either at 0700, 0830, or 1100 h. Cows were milked at 0900 h and turned out to graze at 0930 h. Treatments represented feeding times 2.5 h and 1 h before grazing and immediately after grazing. The study was conducted as a 3 x 3 Latin square with three 17-d periods. There were no significant differences among treatments for pasture intake or yield of milk or milk components. Milk yield, fat %, and protein % were 29.4, 29.6, and 29.3 kg, 3.5, 3.5, and 3.4%, and 3.4, 3.5, and 3.4% for treatments, respectively. The milk urea levels were 15.6, 15.1, and 15.5 mg/dl, and were not different among treatments. Blood samples were collected on the last day of each period at 0645, 0845, 1045, 1200, and 1400 h. Blood urea nitrogen (BUN) was measured as an indicator of ruminal N capture. Concentrations were not significantly different among diets before grazing; however, they were significantly different among all treatments approximately 1 h after cows were removed from pasture. Cows fed at 0700 h, 2 h before grazing, maintained lower BUN levels across the 7 h during which the blood samples were collected. Cows that ate the PMR immediately after grazing maintained the highest BUN. Feeding a PMR to cows that graze at different times before and after grazing affected the capture of ruminal N, as indicated by differences in the levels of BUN, but there was no effect on yield of milk or milk components.
Human FRAG1 encodes a novel membrane-spanning protein that localizes to chromosome 11p15.5, a region of frequent loss of heterozygosity in cancer.

We have previously identified a chromosomal rearrangement between fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 (FGFR2) and a novel gene, FRAG1, in a rodent model of osteosarcoma. To assess the potential role of FRAG1 in disease further, we have isolated cDNA and genomic clones of human FRAG1. Sequence analysis of the cDNA revealed the presence of an insertion not contained in the original FRAG1 sequence. This insertion in human FRAG1 encoded a region highly homologous to and immediately following the first 55 amino acids of the protein, indicating the presence of a repetitive domain within FRAG1, designated the FRAG1 homology (FH) domain. Analysis of FRAG1 gene structure revealed that the FH domains were encoded by tandem duplicated exons. Database searches identified several transmembrane proteins displaying homology to the FH domain of FRAG1. In addition, hydropathy analysis predicted FRAG1 to encode an integral membrane protein with multiple membrane-spanning segments. FRAG1 mRNA was ubiquitously expressed in human adult tissues and several tumor cell lines at varying levels of abundance. Human FRAG1 was mapped by fluorescence in situ hybridization and radiation hybrid analysis to chromosome 11 at band p15.5, a region implicated in Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome and a region of frequent loss of heterozygosity in multiple tumor types. These results suggest that FRAG1 may be a useful candidate gene for genetic disorders associated with alterations at 11p15.5.
Genetic Deletion of Trb3, the Mammalian Drosophila tribbles Homolog, Displays Normal Hepatic Insulin Signaling and Glucose Homeostasis

Trb3, a mammalian homolog of Drosophila tribbles, was proposed as a suppressor of Akt activity, predominantly in conditions of fasting and diabetes. Given these prior studies, we sought to determine whether Trb3 plays a major role in modulating hepatic insulin sensitivity. To answer this question, we produced mice in which a lacZ reporter was knocked into the locus containing the gene Trib3, resulting in a Trib3 null animal. Trib3 expression analyses demonstrated that the Trib3 is expressed in liver, adipose tissues, heart, kidney, lung, skin, small intestine, stomach, and denervated, but not normal, skeletal muscle. Trib3(-/-) mice are essentially identical to their wild-type littermates in overall appearance and body composition. Phenotypic analysis of Trib3(-/-) mice did not detect any alteration in serum glucose, insulin, or lipid levels; glucose or insulin tolerance; or energy metabolism. Studies in Trib3(-/-) hepatocytes revealed normal Akt and glycogen synthase kinase- 3beta phosphorylation patterns, glycogen levels, and expressions of key regulatory gluconeogenic and glycolytic genes. These data demonstrate that deletion of Trib3 has minimal effect on insulin-induced Akt activation in hepatic tissue, and, as such, they question any nonredundant role for Trb3 in the maintenance of glucose and energy homeostasis in mice.
A Unified View of Models

Abstract This paper proposes a definition of models based on function, yielding a unified view of modeling as an art at work in any discipline.
Physiotherapy for patients with chronic pain: An operant-behavioural approach

The aim of this study was to demonstrate a physiotherapy application of operant-behavioural theoretical principles for patients with chronic pain. The goals of treatment from this theoretical orientation were to decrease pain behaviours and suffering and to improve function. The treatment programme incorporated members from a number of disciplines, including physicians, physiotherapists and psychologists, over the course of 3 weeks. Four female patients with intractable, heterogeneous chronic pain complaints comprised the sample. Each subject was studied in a single-case format, using a multiple-baseline design. Standardised measures of function, exercise tolerance and pain were collected the first, second and third week of treatment for each subject. The data were analysed graphically. Clinically significant reductions in degree of suffering were noted for three subjects; pain intensity either increased or remained constant for all subjects. There were improvements in several of the function and exercise...
Does gastric volume in trauma patients identify a population at risk for developing pneumonia and poor outcomes

Background Trauma patients may have full stomachs or impaired airway reflexes that place them at risk for aspiration and pneumonia. Our hypothesis was that trauma patients with larger gastric volumes as measured by abdominal computed tomography (CT) at admission have higher rates of pneumonia and worse outcomes.
Corticosteroid withdrawal after liver transplantation

Background. Long-term side effects of corticosteroids (CSs) result in >major morbidity for recipients of orthotopic liver transplants (OLT). We instituted a program of CS withdrawal among OLT recipients to quantify the contribution of CS to adverse clinical sequelae and to determine whether long-term CS administration is necessary to avoid rejection. Methods. Recipients who had normal allograft function on CS, cyclosporine, and azathioprine more than 1 year after OLT were offered CS withdrawal during 12 to 22 weeks. Patients underwent routine clinical monitoring and laboratory studies. Continuous variables were compared by paired t test analysis Results. CSs were discontinued in 51 recipients; 45 (88%) of 51 patients remain steroid-free after a mean follow-up of 13.8 months (range, 4 to 36). CS therapy was reinstituted in 6 patients who had abnormal transaminase levels during routine follow-up. Among the patients who remain off CS, there were no significant changes in blood pressure, transaminase, alkaline phosphatase, bilirubin, or glucose levels during the study period. Mean number of blood pressure medications decreased from 0.7±0.1 to 0.4±0.1 (p=0.007). Cholesterol decreased from 217±8 mg/dl on CS to 204±9 mg/dl at 1 month (p=0.0001), 183±10 mg/dl at 3 months (p=0.0001), 198±8 mg/dl at 6 months (p=0.04), 213±11 mg/dl at 12 months (p=0.01), 209 mg/dl ± 16 at 18 months (p=0.02), and 183±19 mg/dl at 24 months (p=0.2) off CS. Weight loss occurred in 88% of patients and averaged 9.5 pounds. Conclusions. CS therapy can be successfully withdrawn without precipitating rejection in liver transplant recipients who have stable graft function 1 year after OLT. The incidence and severity of hypertension and hypercholesterolemia are reduced in patients whose CSs have been withdrawn.
Enabling personalization services on the edge

In this paper, we describe our work on enabling personalization services on the edge of the Internet. In contrast to traditional approaches, this method offers many advantages. First, content providers can make their content people-aware while the content is delivered to the user. Second, since the personalization work is distributed to an overlay network of edge servers, it greatly improves the scalability and availability of the services. Third, the sufficiency of user data collected in edge servers enables us to build more accurate user models which further enhance the performance of personalization services. We describe the implementation of a prototype system named Avatar and present some experimental result in this paper.
Migraine Therapy: Relationship Between Serotonergic Contractile Receptors in Canine and Rabbit Saphenous Veins to Human Cerebral and Coronary Arteries

Canine and rabbit vascular contractile responses to serotonergic agonists have been used to predict antimigraine efficacy for several antimigraine agents, including sumatriptan. The purpose of the present study was to establish the assumed predictive value of contractile responses in canine and rabbit saphenous veins to contractile efficacy for a series of agonists in human cerebral and coronary arteries and to understand better the receptors mediating such responses. The canine and rabbit saphenous veins contracted similarly (both qualitatively and quantitatively) to a series of structurally diverse serotonergic agonists, suggesting that the receptors mediating serotonin-induced contractility in these tissues were similar. In addition, the contractile potency (estimated as EC50 values) for these structurally diverse serotonergic agonists in either the rabbit or canine saphenous vein significantly correlated with contractile potency for these agonists in human cerebral arteries. Thus, to the extent that contractile responsiveness of human cerebral arteries may predict antimigraine agents, contractile responses of the rabbit and/or canine saphenous vein may be useful surrogates for antimigraine efficacy. In addition, the contractile potency for this series of serotonergic agonists in the rabbit or canine saphenous vein significantly correlated with contractile potency of these agonists in human coronary arteries. These data suggest that the use of the saphenous vein to identify potent vasoconstrictors will also reveal agents capable of contracting human coronary arteries, a liability for using this approach to evaluate promising antimigraine therapies.
Why trees migrate so fast: confronting theory with dispersal biology and the paleorecord.

Abstract Reid's paradox describes the fact that classical models cannot account for the rapid ( \documentclass{aastex} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{bm} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{pifont} \usepackage{stmaryrd} \usepackage{textcomp} \usepackage{portland,xspace} \usepackage{amsmath,amsxtra} \usepackage[OT2,OT1]{fontenc} \newcommand\cyr{ \renewcommand\rmdefault{wncyr} \renewcommand\sfdefault{wncyss} \renewcommand\encodingdefault{OT2} \normalfont \selectfont} \DeclareTextFontCommand{\textcyr}{\cyr} \pagestyle{empty} \DeclareMathSizes{10}{9}{7}{6} \begin{document} \landscape $$10^{2}\,- \,10^{3}\,\mathrm{m\,yr}\,^{- 1}$$ \end{document} ) spread of trees at the end of the Pleistocene. I use field estimates of seed dispersal with an integrodifference equation and simulation models of population growth to show that dispersal data are compatible with rapid spread. Dispersal estimates lay to rest the possibility that rapid spread occurred by diffusion. The integro...
Niche divergence builds the case for ecological speciation in skinks of the Plestiodon skiltonianus species complex

Adaptation to different thermal environments has the potential to cause evolutionary changes that are sufficient to drive ecological speciation. Here, we examine whether climate-based niche divergence in lizards of the Plestiodon skiltonianus species complex is consistent with the outcomes of such a process. Previous work on this group shows that a mechanical sexual barrier has evolved between species that differ mainly in body size and that the barrier may be a by-product of selection for increased body size in lineages that have invaded xeric environments; however, baseline information on niche divergence among members of the group is lacking. We quantified the climatic niche using mechanistic physiological and correlative niche models and then estimated niche differences among species using ordination techniques and tests of niche overlap and equivalency. Our results show that the thermal niches of size-divergent, reproductively isolated morphospecies are significantly differentiated and that precipitation may have been as important as temperature in causing increased shifts in body size in xeric habitats. While these findings alone do not demonstrate thermal adaptation or identify the cause of speciation, their integration with earlier genetic and behavioral studies provides a useful test of phenotype–environment associations that further support the case for ecological speciation in these lizards.
Using hierarchical data mining to characterize performance of wireless system configurations

This paper presents a statistical framework for assessing wireless systems performance using hierarchical data mining techniques. We consider WCDMA (wideband code division multiple access) systems with two-branch STTD (space time transmit diversity) and 1/2 rate convolutional coding (forward error correction codes). Monte Carlo simulation estimates the bit error probability (BEP) of the system across a wide range of signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs). A performance database of simulation runs is collected over a targeted space of system configurations. This database is then mined to obtain regions of the configuration space that exhibit acceptable average performance. The shape of the mined regions illustrates the joint influence of configuration parameters on system performance. The role of data mining in this application is to provide explainable and statistically valid design conclusions. The research issue is to define statistically meaningful aggregation of data in a manner that permits efficient and effective data mining algorithms. We achieve a good compromise between these goals and help establish the applicability of data mining for characterizing wireless systems performance.
Strong Artin-Rees property in rings of dimension one and two

In this note we give a simple proof of the fact that local rings of dimension one have the strong uniform Artin-Rees property. Moreover, we give two examples of rings of dimension two where the property fails.
The Facultative Symbiont Rickettsia Protects an Invasive Whitefly against Entomopathogenic Pseudomonas syringae Strains

Facultative endosymbionts can benefit insect hosts in a variety of ways, including context-dependent roles, such as providing defense against pathogens. The role of some symbionts in defense may be overlooked, however, when pathogen infection is transient, sporadic, or asymptomatic. The facultative endosymbiont Rickettsia increases the fitness of the sweet potato whitefly (Bemisia tabaci) in some populations through mechanisms that are not yet understood. In this study, we investigated the role of Rickettsia in mediating the interaction between the sweet potato whitefly and Pseudomonas syringae, a common environmental bacterium, some strains of which are pathogenic to aphids. Our results show that P. syringae multiplies within whiteflies, leading to host death, and that whiteflies infected with Rickettsia show a decreased rate of death due to P. syringae. Experiments using plants coated with P. syringae confirmed that whiteflies can acquire the bacteria at a low rate while feeding, leading to increased mortality, particularly when the whiteflies are not infected with Rickettsia. These results suggest that P. syringae may affect whitefly populations in nature and that Rickettsia can ameliorate this effect. This study highlights the possible importance of interactions among opportunistic environmental pathogens and endosymbionts of insects.
Holographic Diffraction Image Velocimetry for Measurement of Three-Dimensional Velocity Fields

A new optical nonintrusive method for the gross-field measurement of three-dimensional (3-D) three-component (3-C) flows has been developed and tested. Termed Holographic Diffraction Image Velocimetry (HDIV), it is based on double-exposure dual-reference-beam holographic capture of particle-seeded flow fields and the subsequent processing of time-sequence image data obtained from a single observation direction. The technique uses variable-size transplacing-window cross-correlation (VS-TW-CC) together with an image cross-product (CP) method to extract inand out-of-plane particle displacements from the particle diffraction images. Preliminary experiments have shown that the method can resolve fine in-plane motions limited only by the finite pixel size of the image digitizer and the magnification of the imaging system used. For out-of-plane motions, resolutions measured with a relatively crude setup have been shown to be on the order of two tenths of the illumination wavelength divided by the square of the effective angular aperture of the system, which represents the image decorrelation distance. (Author)
Commissioning and quality assurance for a respiratory training system based on audiovisual biofeedback.

A respiratory training system based on audiovisual biofeedback has been imple­mented at our institution. It is intended to improve patients' respiratory regularity during four-dimensional (4D) computed tomography (CT) image acquisition. The purpose is to help eliminate the artifacts in 4D-CT images caused by irregular breathing, as well as improve delivery efficiency during treatment, where respira­tory irregularity is a concern. This article describes the commissioning and quality assurance (QA) procedures developed for this peripheral respiratory training system, the Stanford Respiratory Training (START) system. Using the Varian real-time position management system for the respiratory signal input, the START software was commissioned and able to acquire sample respiratory traces, create a patient-specific guiding waveform, and generate audiovisual signals for improving respiratory regularity. Routine QA tests that include hardware maintenance, visual guiding-waveform creation, auditory sounds synchronization, and feedback assess­ment, have been developed for the START system. The QA procedures developed here for the START system could be easily adapted to other respiratory training systems based on audiovisual biofeedback.
Effect of SPECT/CT registration on MPI scans

2116 Objectives Hybrid imaging with single photon emission tomography and computed tomography (SPECT/CT) is rapidly becoming the modality of choice for myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) due to improved attenuation correction algorithms. This study assesses the effect of misregistration on SPECT/CT myocardial perfusion imaging results. Methods Fourteen randomly selected patients who had undergone SPECT/CT MPI studies were retrospectively evaluated. Normal and abnormal studies were categorized and evaluated separately. Each patient’s original scan was reprocessed twice using a small (10 mm) and a large (15 mm) manually applied SPECT/CT misregistration in both the x and y directions. The misregistered results were then compared to the original physician dictated results. Results Based on the data collected, the small and large misregistrations exhibit altered perfusion wall defects on both the normal and abnormal MPI studies. The misregistrations on the normal studies introduced various wall defects, resulting in a 33% increase in false positive studies. Fifty percent of the abnormal studies demonstrated a change in the wall defects, producing a mix of both false positive and false negative studies. Conclusions SPECT/CT misregistration can have a detrimental effect on the MPI image results, specifically, perfusion wall defects. These defects may lead to misinterpretation by the physician; therefore, careful consideration must be taken when registering SPECT/CTs for MPI studies
Design of optimal quantizers for distributed coding of noisy sources

We investigate the design of optimal quantizers for individual encoding of several noisy observations of an unseen source, which is jointly decoded with the help of side information available at the decoder only. The joint statistics of the source data, the noisy observations and the side information are known, and exploited in the design. A variety of lossless coders for the quantization indices, including ideal Slepian-Wolf coders, are allowed. We present the optimality conditions such quantizers must satisfy, together with an extension of the Lloyd algorithm for a locally optimal design. Experimental results for Wyner-Ziv quantization of noisy Gaussian sources confirm the high-rate quantization theory established in our previous work.
Modulatory effect of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids on osteoblast function and bone metabolism

Abstract Recent investigations indicate that the type and amount of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) influence bone formation in animal models and osteoblastic cell functions in culture. In growing rats, supplementing the diet with omega-3 PUFA results in greater bone formation rates and moderates ex vivo prostaglandin E 2 production in bone organ cultures. A protective effect of omega-3 PUFA on minimizing bone mineral loss in ovariectomized rats has also been reported. The actions of omega-3 fatty acids on bone formation appear to be linked to altering osteoblast functions. Herein we describe experiments with MC3T3-E1 osteoblast-like cells that support findings in vivo where omega-3 PUFA modulated COX-2 protein expression, reduced prostaglandin E 2 production, and increased alkaline phosphatase activity. Other studies indicate that the dietary source of PUFA may affect protein expression of Cbfa1 and nodule formation in fetal rat calvarial cells.
Examining strategies to improve the carbon balance of corn/soybean agriculture using eddy covariance and mass balance techniques

There is much interest in the role that agricultural practices might play in sequestering carbon to help offset rising atmospheric CO2 concentrations. A number of management methods that might increase soil C levels have been suggested, but there are scant available data to properly support recommendations or policy changes. We have used eddy covariance measurements of net ecosystem exchange (NEE) in contrasting management systems to discern the impact of two specific practices, reduced tillage and a spring cover crop in the soybean year, on the biennial C balance of a corn/soybean rotation, the dominant cropping system in much of the midwestern United States. Measurements commenced in fall 2001, immediately following corn harvest and tillage, and continued through a year of soybean and a year of corn. One of the two fields was farmed conventionally (CONV), with fall chisel/disk tillage after each harvest, soybean planting in late May (2002), and corn planting in early May (2003). In the alternative field (ALT), we used reduced tillage (strip till) each fall following harvest, and a spring oats cover crop in the soybean year (2002) that was planted in early April, then killed with a herbicide shortly after soybean planting. Both fields have the same soil type, and were similarly instrumented, with a sonic anemometer and open-path infrared gas analyzer. Reduced tillage resulted in somewhat lower soil respiration rates in both autumns in ALT, relative to CONV. Also, the spring oats cover crop prior to soybean did fix additional C, but it was rapidly respired after the oats were killed, and the surface crop residue slowed the initial development of the subsequent soybean crop. Soybean yields for the two fields were similar, but slightly higher for CONV, a pattern that was more pronounced with corn the following year. Overall, cumulative NEE was larger (more C fixed) in the conventional field, but C removed in yield in the conventional field was larger too, so that the apparent change in soil organic carbon (DSOC), estimated as NEE ‐ harvested C, in the two fields was nearly identical. In both treatments the apparent DSOC was negative (approximately 90 g C m � 2 SOC lost over the biennium, or about 20% of cumulative NEE) but this may be at least partially due to systematic underestimation by eddy covariance rather than an actual loss of SOC. We
Efficacy of first-generation Cavermap to verify location and function of cavernous nerves during radical prostatectomy: a multi-institutional evaluation by experienced surgeons.

Abstract Objectives. To evaluate, using five experienced surgeons, the efficacy of the first-generation Cavermap Surgical Aid to identify the cavernous nerves intraoperatively and to predict the recovery of sexual function. This study was not designed to determine whether this device improves the ability to preserve the nerves or improve outcome. Methods. Fifty men younger than 60 years old (mean age 52.5 years; range 43 to 59) with clinically localized prostate cancer (76% T1c, mean Gleason score 6, prostate-specific antigen level less than 10 ng/mL) underwent nerve-sparing radical prostatectomy (90% bilateral). Intraoperatively, the Cavermap device was used to test for the presence of the cavernous nerves once the neurovascular bundle was identified visually and to determine whether the nerves were intact after the prostate was removed. Erectile function was evaluated using the International Index of Erectile Function; men were considered potent if they were able to achieve unassisted intercourse in at least one half of their attempts. Results. Before the removal of the prostate, the tumescence response to stimulation of the neurovascular bundle was 87.8%; when tissue not containing the neurovascular bundle was stimulated, no tumescence response occurred in 54%. After prostatectomy, a bilateral response to stimulation occurred in 90%, a unilateral response in 5%, and no response in 5%. Postoperatively, 71% of the patients were potent at 12 months. In the patients who demonstrated bilateral stimulation after removal of the prostate, 78% were potent at 12 months. Conclusions. After radical prostatectomy performed by experienced surgeons, patient-reported potency rates in men younger than 60 years of age were high. Cavermap stimulation demonstrated an 87.8% sensitivity and 54% specificity in locating the neurovascular bundle as identified by experienced surgeons. The lack of specificity of this first-generation device limits its application for deciding which structures can be safely preserved or excised. Because virtually all patients demonstrated a positive response after removal of the prostate, the value of stimulation to predict the recovery of sexual function is yet to be determined.
Facing fear: The importance of engaging with fear in development literature

Among the numerous debates and discussions of development, the element of fear is rarely given explicit consideration. In this article, I review current development literature to demonstrate the incomplete treatment of fear, as it is often implicitly incorporated via discussions of security, power, identity, social cohesiveness or resistance. In the second part of this article, I utilize the case study of post-conflict Guatemala to examine how fear shapes, and is shaped by, development at multiple, overlapping scales. By elaborating on the complex interrelations between fear and development, this case study demonstrates the importance of directly engaging with fear in development analyses, particularly in post-conflict settings.
Neuropsychologic effects of continuous oxygen therapy in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Continuous ambulatory oxygen therapy was administered at 2 liters per minute by nasal cannula to a study group of ten hypoxemic patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Prior to therapy, a battery of neuropsychologic and psychologic tests was administered. These were repeated after hypoxemia had been relieved for four weeks. The results were compared to similar testing performed in a less severely hypoxemic comparison group of 12 patients with an equal degree of COPD. The comparison group was tested before and after four weeks, with no change in therapy. The hypoxemic treatment group initially scored significantly lower than the comparison group in five neuropsychologic tests. With oxygen therapy, significant improvement occurred in eight of ten neurophychologic test results and in four psychologic test results. No improvement was noted in the comparison group. After oxygen therapy, the previously noted differences between the treatment and comparison groups were no longer evident. These data suggest that hypoxemia is associated with depression in neuropsychologic and psychologic functioning which can be improved with relief of hypoxemia.
Learning to Achieve Perfect Timesharing: Architectural Implications of Hazeltine, Teague, and Ivry (2002).

E. Hazeltine, D. Teague, and R. B. Ivry have presented data that have been interpreted as evidence against a central bottleneck. This article describes simulations of their Experiments 1 and 4 in the ACT-R cognitive architecture, which does possess a central bottleneck in production execution. The simulation model is capable of accounting for the emergence of near-perfect timesharing in Experiment 1 and the detailed data on the distribution of response times from Experiment 4. With practice, the central bottleneck in ACT-R will be reduced to a maximum of 50 ms (1 production cycle) and can often be much less, depending on timing of stages and variability in their times. The authors also show, with a mathematical analysis of E. Hazeltine et al.'s Experiment 2, that the expected dual costs for these kinds of highly practiced tasks will be small in many circumstances, often under 10 ms.
Input Matters in SLA edited by PISKE, THORSTEN, & MARTHA YOUNG–SCHOLTEN

The article reviews the book "Input Matters in SLA," edited by Thorsten Piske and Martha Young-Scholten.
Regulation of BRCA1 protein stability and its impact on estrogen biosynthesis in ovarian granulosa cells

AACR Annual Meeting-- Apr 14-18, 2007; Los Angeles, CA 4535 Germ-line mutations in breast cancer susceptibility gene 1 ( BRCA1 ) predispose women to early onset, familial breast and ovarian cancers. Since its discovery, BRCA1 was found to play important roles in the proper execution of multiple cellular functions such as DNA damage responses, transcriptional regulation, and control of centrosome duplication. Recent work from our laboratory and others has revealed an unexpected role of BRCA1 in the modulation of aromatase expression in both ovarian granulosa cells and adipose stromal cells, which are the major source of estrogen production in premenopausal and postmenopausal women, respectively. Conceivably, by controlling the production of aromatase, the key enzyme in estrogen biogenesis, BRCA1 may help to maintain a proper level of circulating and local estrogen, thus specifically preventing tumorigenesis in breast and ovary tissues. Thus, the combinatory deficiency of BRCA1 functions in both breast/ovarian epithelial and non-epithelial cells may contribute to the tissue-specificity of BRCA1 -associated tumors. In light of this newly discovered function of BRCA1, it is important to determine how BRCA1 expression is regulated in these non-epithelial cells. Here we show that ubiquitin-proteasome degradation pathway plays a significant role in controlling the stability of BRCA1 and its partner BARD1 in ovarian granulosa cells. We find that the amino-terminal RING domain-containing region of BRCA1 is intrinsically unstable and may serve as a degron sequence that triggers degradation of the full-length BRCA1 protein. Furthermore, our study shows that ubiquitination of the same region is required for its degradation via the proteosome-mediated pathway. Interestingly, mutations in RING domain that abolishes the ubiquitin E3 ligase activity of BRCA1 do not affect its own ubiquitination or degradation in ovarian granulosa cells, suggesting the presence of a separate E3 ligase responsible for the ubiquitination and degradation of BRCA1. The proteasome-mediated degradation of BRCA1 and BARD1 also persists during the cAMP-dependent steroidogenic process. These data support the notion that the dynamic change of BRCA1 stability is an integral event associated with steroidogenesis and folliculogenesis. Thus, the cAMP-triggered degradation of BRCA1 in ovarian granulosa cells provides an excellent paradigm for investigating the regulation of this protein complex under a physiological condition.
Mixed-precision block gram Schmidt orthogonalization

The mixed-precision Cholesky QR (CholQR) can orthogonalize the columns of a dense matrix with the minimum communication cost. Moreover, its orthogonality error depends only linearly to the condition number of the input matrix. However, when the desired higher-precision is not supported by the hardware, the software-emulated arithmetics are needed, which could significantly increase its computational cost. When there are a large number of columns to be orthogonalized, this computational overhead can have a dramatic impact on the orthogonalization time, and the mixed-precision CholQR can be much slower than the standard CholQR. In this paper, we examine several block variants of the algorithm, which reduce the computational overhead associated with the software-emulated arithmetics, while maintaining the same orthogonality error bound as the mixed-precision CholQR. Our numerical and performance results on multicore CPUs with a GPU, as well as a hybrid CPU/GPU cluster, demonstrate that compared to the mixed-precision CholQR, such a block variant can obtain speedups of up to 7.1× while maintaining about the same order of the numerical errors.
Autonomy and Paternalism in Health Policy

In the United States the delivery of health care traditionally has been hierarchical and strictly controlled by physicians. Physicians typically provided patients with little information about their diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment plan; patients were expected to follow their physicians’ orders and ask no questions. Beginning in the 1970s, with the widespread adoption of the doctrine of informed consent to treatment, the physician-patient relationship began to be more collaborative, although the extent of the change has been subject to debate. At a minimum, physicians began to give patients more information and asked them to consent to recommended treatment, the therapeutic privilege to withhold information from patients lost support and eventually was repudiated, and physicians embraced – at least in theory – a more patient-centered conception of health care.
Multitissue Molecular, Genomic, and Developmental Effects of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill on Resident Gulf Killifish (Fundulus grandis)

The Deepwater Horizon oil rig disaster resulted in crude oil contamination along the Gulf coast in sensitive estuaries. Toxicity from exposure to crude oil can affect populations of fish that live or breed in oiled habitats as seen following the Exxon Valdez oil spill. In an ongoing study of the effects of Deepwater Horizon crude oil on fish, Gulf killifish (Fundulus grandis) were collected from an oiled site (Grande Terre, LA) and two reference locations (coastal MS and AL) and monitored for measures of exposure to crude oil. Killifish collected from Grande Terre had divergent gene expression in the liver and gill tissue coincident with the arrival of contaminating oil and up-regulation of cytochrome P4501A (CYP1A) protein in gill, liver, intestine, and head kidney for over one year following peak landfall of oil (August 2011) compared to fish collected from reference sites. Furthermore, laboratory exposures of Gulf killifish embryos to field-collected sediments from Grande Terre and Barataria Bay, LA, a...
Subsalt Velocity Analysis By Target-oriented Wavefield Tomography: A 3-D Field-data Example

We apply target-oriented wavefield tomography to a 3-D field data set acquired from the Gulf of Mexico. Instead of using the original surface-recorded data set, we use a new data set synthesized specifically for velocity analysis to update subsalt velocities. The new data set is generated based on an initial unfocused target image and by a novel application of 3-D generalized Born wavefield modeling, which correctly preserves velocity kinematics by modeling non-zero subsurface-offsetdomain images. We show that the target-oriented inversion strategy drastically reduces the data size and the computation domain for 3-D wavefield tomography, greatly improving its efficiency and flexibility. We apply differential semblance optimization (DSO) using the synthesized new data set to optimize subsalt velocities. The updated velocity model significantly improves the continuity of subsalt reflectors and yields flattened angle-domain common-image gathers.
Measuring the Political Salience of Supreme Court Cases

AbstractWhile Supreme Court cases are generally salient or important, some are many degrees more important than others. A wide range of theoretical and empirical work throughout the study of judicial politics implicates this varying salience. Some work considers salience a variable to be explained, perhaps with judicial behavior the explanatory factor. The currently dominant measure of salience is the existence of newspaper coverage of a decision, but decisions themselves are an act of judicial politics. Because this coverage measure is affected only after a decision is announced, using it limits the types of inferences we can draw about salience. We develop a measure of latent salience, one that builds on existing work, but that also explicitly incorporates and models predecision information. This measure has the potential to ameliorate concerns of causal inference, put research findings on sounder footing, and add to our understanding of judicial behavior.
Megalourethra: Surgical Technique for Correction of an Unusual Variant

AbstractWe report a case of an unusual variant of megalourethra associated with urethral duplication. The surgical technique for an enlarged and massively deformed phallus is described.
Effective Mathematics Teaching Methodologies to Overcome Challenges and Increase Achievement in Mathematics

Young people represent 25% of the population at large. More than 40% of those classified as low income (U.S. Department of Education, 2002). Most of the children and youth classified as low income are African American (43%) or Hispanic (40%) and most live in large urban areas (31%). Poverty has clear effects on children both before they enter school and during their tenure in school. Poverty presents many challenges such as Physical environment challenges, social environment challenges, school and classroom environmental challenges, etc. that effect learning mathematics for the students even at the college level. The achievement gap between black and white students for 17-year-olds is 26 points in math, which is roughly equivalent to two or three school years' worth of learning. Recent research confirmed that girls score less than their counterpart males in SAT (math) and the achievement gap is due to culture rather than gender in USA. Research also indicated that geographic factors have contributed to achievement in mathematics. The speaker will present methods and strategies on educating mathematics students addressing inequity and achievement gaps due to gender, race, economic, and geographic factors. The presentation includes teaching strategies to raise expectations and provide strong support for all students in order to achieve measurable improvements. These strategies are student centered, research based such as enquiry based learning, cooperative learning, proper questioning, teaching logical, and spatial thinking.
Case report of the use of videolaryngoscopy in thyroid goiter masses: An airway challenge

Introduction The use of videolaryngoscopy continues to play a larger role in the approach to patients with airway pathology. Looking specifically at patients with potential difficulty in ventilation and intubation due to thyroid goiter, video laryngoscopy may provide a faster and easier technique to secure the airway compared to direct laryngoscopy.
Simulations of 10 μm filaments in a realistically modeled atmosphere

We numerically study the formation and propagation dynamics of 10 μm filaments in the atmosphere. We investigate filament formation of multi-Joule 100 fs and 1 ps duration pulses over propagation lengths of 100 m and find that the carrier self-steepening regularization mechanism predicted for 4 μm wavelengths still holds. In our study we include multiple physical effects ignored in the past, such as rotational Raman and avalanche ionization. In addition we incorporate in our simulations the most detailed dispersive model available for atmospheric air, which includes multiple species, such as O2, N2, Ar, CO2, CO, and CH4, for a variety of humidity levels. Results presented here are expected to have a significant impact in the wider field of nonlinear optics where the use of mid-infrared lasers is rapidly growing.
The area and latency tradeoffs of binary bit-parallel BCH decoders for prospective nanoelectronic memories

We have investigated the area and latency tradeoffs with respect to error correcting capability of fast bit-parallel binary BCH ECC decoders. In particular, we show that for a primitive BCH code of length n over GF(2m) with a Hamming distance of at least 2t+1 the area and latency scale approximately as nm2t and mt, respectively. The results presented in this paper might be very useful, e.g., for assessing the performance overheads due to the ECC decoders in the future random access nanoelectronic memories, which are expected to have a significantly larger number of defects as compared to that of today's CMOS memories.
Molecular dynamics simulations reveal the conformational dynamics of Arabidopsis thaliana BRI1 and BAK1 receptor-like kinases

The structural motifs responsible for activation and regulation of eukaryotic protein kinases in animals have been studied extensively in recent years, and a coherent picture of their activation mechanisms has begun to emerge. In contrast, non-animal eukaryotic protein kinases are not as well understood from a structural perspective, representing a large knowledge gap. To this end, we investigated the conformational dynamics of two key Arabidopsis thaliana receptor-like kinases, brassinosteroid-insensitive 1 (BRI1) and BRI1-associated kinase 1 (BAK1), through extensive molecular dynamics simulations of their fully phosphorylated kinase domains. Molecular dynamics simulations calculate the motion of each atom in a protein based on classical approximations of interatomic forces, giving researchers insight into protein function at unparalleled spatial and temporal resolutions. We found that in an otherwise "active" BAK1 the αC helix is highly disordered, a hallmark of deactivation, whereas the BRI1 αC helix is moderately disordered and displays swinging behavior similar to numerous animal kinases. An analysis of all known sequences in the A. thaliana kinome found that αC helix disorder may be a common feature of plant kinases.