cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The effect of dipyridamole on the adenosine triphosphate level of stored human blood.

The addition of dipyridamole, a synthetic deaminase inhibitor at a concentration of 1 × 10−4 M to human Heparin-ACD blood fortified with adenosine, results in an increase in ATP above control levels during storage at 4 C, rising to a maximum of 130 per cent at five days and falling to 20 per cent at 30 days. Aliquots of the same blood fortified with adenine, adenosine or both incubated at 37 C for 30 hours showed levels at or slightly above the upper limit of +2 SD of normal. The addition of dipyridamole at a concentration of 1 × 10−4 M to similar aliquots showed significant increases in ATP above normal, rising to a maximum of 300, 350 and 400 per cent in the aliquots fortified with adenine, adenosine and both respectively. Whereas the presence of adenine, adenosine or both in Heparin-ACD blood did not significantly alter the rise in whole blood inorganic phosphate during incubation at 37 C for 30 hours, the addition of dipyridamole to similar aliquots depressed the level by from 20 to 30 per cent of control values. The possible beneficial role of a deaminase inhibitor in the preservation of human red cells is discussed.
Assessing personal exposure to traffic-related air pollution using individual travel-activity diary data and an on-road source air dispersion model.

Abstract Assessing personal exposure to traffic-related air pollution poses challenges due to the limited availability of human movement data and the complexity of modeling air pollution attributable to traffic. This study develops a method for reconstructing individuals’ movement trajectories from travel-activity diaries and assesses exposure by integrating the trajectories with PM2.5 concentrations that are derived from on-road source air dispersion modeling. It finds that everyone has a unique exposure profile due to a unique combination of movement patterns and concentrations and that being in transit contributes 7.8% of the daily exposure although the amount of time spent in transit is minimal.
Towards a Background Independent Quantum Theory of Gravity

Any canonical quantum theory can be understood to arise from the compatibility of the statistical geometry of distinguishable observations with the canonical Poisson structure of Hamiltonian dynamics. This geometric perspective offers a novel, background independent non-perturbative formulation of quantum gravity. We invoke a quantum version of the equivalence principle, which requires both the statistical and symplectic geometries of canonical quantum theory to be fully dynamical quantities. Our approach sheds new light on such basic issues of quantum gravity as the nature of observables, the problem of time, and the physics of the vacuum. In particular, the observed numerical smallness of the cosmological constant can be rationalized in this approach.
Feasibility and Limitations of Proning Protocol for Nonintubated Patients With COVID-19

Proning awake patients with COVID-19 is associated with lower mortality and intubation rates. However, these studies also demonstrate low participation rates and tolerance of awake proning. In this study, we attempt to understand barriers to proning. Medical and dental students surveyed nonintubated patients to understand factors affecting adherence to a proning protocol. Only patients who discussed proning with their medical team attempted the practice. Eight of nine patients who were informed about benefits of proning attempted the maneuver. Discomfort was the primary reason patients stopped proning. Addressing discomfort and implementing systematic patient education may increase adherence to proning.
Heterozygous CTLA4 splice site mutation c.458-1G > C presenting with immunodeficiency and variable degree of immune dysregulation in three generation kindred of Caribbean descent.

Cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4 (CTLA4) is an immune checkpoint, which downregulates T cell activation and T regulatory cell function. CTLA4 haploinsufficiency (CTLA4 HI) leads to T cel...
Compromise and Colonize

When, at the end of almost three months of agitation over the Fugitive Slave Law, it appeared that the country was no closer to reconciliation, Elisha Whittlesey, the first comptroller of the Treasury in the Fillmore administration and the person responsible for covering the cost of the rendition of fugitive slaves, suggested a possible solution to what seemed like an increasingly intractable problem. He knew of what he spoke. His was a conservative Whig solution. It included a declaration of opposition to slavery; a condemnation of abolitionist agitation; recognition that, in the end, slavery's future depended entirely on those who owned slaves; and, finally, the removal of free blacks and freed slaves from the country. Although he was opposed to slavery, it answered no “good purpose,” as he quaintly put it to a friend, to interfere in “the domestic relations” of slaveholders. There were thousands, if not “tens of thousands” of slave owners, he estimated, who would “liberate their slaves” if people in the Free States would cease “interfering with the institution of slavery.” The fact that abolitionists did little to help escaping slaves to settle permanently among them struck Whittlesey as utterly perverse. Under the circumstances, the only option available, the one that would ensure the ultimate emancipation of the slaves and the peace of the country, was to cease agitation, allow slaveholders the time and freedom to do with their slaves as they saw fit and, when they did decide on a policy of manumission, provide them with a place where they could send the emancipated. The obvious location was Africa and the colony of Liberia, now thirty years old, a place where, because of its climate, whites could not live, a place set aside by nature and Providence for the black man. The void created by the removal of former slaves would be filled, he predicted, by the starving “lower classes” of Europe who would be invited to come to America as laborers. In that way, over time, Whittlesey reasoned, America would rid itself of slavery and become both prosperous and wholly white. At the time, Whittlesey was riding a wave of resurgent colonizationism, which peaked in the years after Liberian independence in 1847 and the Compromise of 1850, with its promise of sectional reconciliation.
A Guide to Plane Algebraic Curves

This book can be used in a one semester undergraduate course or senior capstone course, or as a useful companion in studying algebraic geometry at the graduate level. This Guide is a friendly introduction to plane algebraic curves. It emphasizes geometry and intuition, and the presentation is kept concrete. You'll find an abundance of pictures and examples to help develop your intuition about the subject, which is so basic to understanding and asking fruitful questions. Highlights of the elementary theory are covered, which for some could be an end in itself, and for others an invitation to investigate further. Proofs, when given, are mostly sketched, some in more detail, but typically with less. References to texts that provide further discussion are often included. Computer algebra software has made getting around in algebraic geometry much easier. Algebraic curves and geometry are now being applied to areas such as cryptography, complexity and coding theory, robotics, biological networks, and coupled dynamical systems. Algebraic curves were used in Andrew Wiles' proof of Fermat's Last Theorem, and to understand string theory, you need to know some algebraic geometry. There are other areas on the horizon for which the concepts and tools of algebraic curves and geometry hold tantalizing promise. This introduction to algebraic curves will be appropriate for a wide segment of scientists and engineers wanting an entrance to this burgeoning subject.
Proteinase Optical Imaging Tools for Cancer Detection and Response to Therapy

A variety of physiological processes such as wound healing and tissue remodeling are mediated by a plethora of proteinases – enzymes that can hydrolyze peptide bonds – of which as many as 622 have been identified in the human genome. These proteinases are classified into five of the seven clans of peptidases with known catalytic type: S (serine), C (cysteine), A (aspartyl), M (metallo), and T (threonine) [MEROPS, http://merops.sanger.ac.uk; (Rawlings et al. 2008) (Fig. 1)]. In many physiological processes, the proteinases mediate and/or regulate both intercellular signaling, such as in the release and/or processing of chemokines, and intracellular pathways, such as in the apoptotic pathways leading to programmed cell death. Dysregulation of the temporal and/or spatial co-ordination of these intracellular and/or intercellular pathways disrupts the normal physiology and rhythm of life that can be manifest in unregulated growth such as occurs in tumors and their metastatic progeny.
Role of mammalian target of rapamycin in ischemia-reperfusion induced kidney injury (692.11)

mTOR has anti-inflammatory effect and inhibition of mTOR initiates IL-12 and IL-6 production leading to inflammatory response. However; it is not fully known whether mTOR attenuates the inflammatio...
MACS, The Manipulation and Collimation System on the NPD at LANSCE

The practical problems associated with beam collimation and specimen manipulation at a pulsed neutron source are identical to those on a steady state source. However extra constraints result from the limited space available and from the time of flight analysis of the diffracted neutrons. A manipulation and collimation system (MACS) has been designed for the neutron powder diffractometer (NPD) at the Manuel Lujan Jr. Neutron Scattering Centre (LANSCE). It provides specimen motion and aperture positioning with accuracies of better than 0 1mm and is constructed as a rigid unit. For flat sided specimens sampling volumes less than 30mm3 have been obtained demonstrating the viability of making spatially resolved strain measurements at a pulsed neutron source.
Application of digital filtering and pattern recognition techniques to interferogram-based fourier transform infrared qualitative analysis: Investigation of spectral interferences

Abstract Small, G.W. and Barber, A.S., 1992. Application of digital filtering and pattern recognition techniques to interferogram-based Fourier transform infrared qualitative analysis. Investigation of spectral interferences. Chemometrics and Intelligent Laboratory Systems, 15:203–217. Studies are described which evaluate the impact of spectral interferences on interferogram-based Fourier transform infrared qualitative analyses. The analysis of target analytes is accomplished by the implementation of an automated detection algorithm based on the application of digital filtering and pattern recognition techniques to a short interferogram segment. Successful detection algorithms are developed for the test compounds SF6 and Freon 11. Freon 12 is used as an interference in the analysis. Overlapping spectral bands among the compounds allow the detection methodology to be tested for its resistance to the effects of interferences. Interfering species are observed to have an impact on the analyses only if the analyte signal is swamped by the signal due to the interference. The results of these studies indicate that the interferogram-based analysis is compatible with remote sensing applications in which multiple infrared-active species are present.
Dynamic three-dimensional echocardiography: methods and clinical potential.

In this article, we will attempt to review basic requirements for three-dimensional reconstruction, methods of cavity reconstruction, approaches to gray scale tissue-depiction displays, and current clinical experience, and also present some directions for future development. (ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY, Volume 11, May 1994)
Chapter 2 – MALDI-TOF Mass Spectrometry for Microorganism Identification

Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionisation time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) is a rapid, accurate and high-throughput method for microorganism identification. MALDI-TOF MS identification of microorganisms has revolutionised the clinical microbiology laboratory offering species-level identifications in minutes with accuracy that matches and often exceeds that of conventional identification systems. This chapter summarises the performance characteristics of commercially available MALDI-TOF MS systems for the identification of bacteria, yeasts and filamentous fungi. The performance of MALDI-TOF MS for the identification of microorganisms directly from select clinical specimens is also discussed.
A Comparison of Subjective and Objective Sperm Motility Evaluation

A series of semen samples that had been recorded on motion picture film, then evaluated via standard visual techniques by a number of well established fertility clinics (Van Duijn et al (1971)), was analyzed frame-by-frame for sperm motility ratings with the aid of a movie reader-computer image analysis system. Results of the latter analysis were considered an objective norm. Statistical comparison of the subjective and objective sets of data revealed that sperm % motility could be subjectively rated with reasonable accuracy when the percentage of sperm moving progressively at least 30 μm/second−2 was outside the range of 34–57. Within this range, however, there is a better than 93% chance for an erroneous subjective assessment. When the results of the computer method were compared with those of the spectrophotometric method of Atherton (1975), a poor correlation was obtained, indicating that if the latter method is an accurate measure of motility, it does not discriminate progressive motility.
Kairomonal Baits: Effect on Acquisition of a Feeding Indicator by Diabroticite Vectors in Cucurbits

The influence of kairomonal baits, containing cucurbitacins, blossom volatiles, and carbaryl, on Diabroticite adult survivorship and trophic interactions with cucurbits was examined. Enrichment of cantaloupes using rubidium (Rb) was developed for monitoring trophic interactions. A soil-soak method was developed to enrich plant Rb concentrations. Beetle uptake of Rb followed a rectangular hyperbola and elimination after transfer to clean plants followed an exponential decay. Models showed beetle uptake occurred within 1 h and the mark is retained up to 2 wk. Naturally occurring endogenous Rb concentrations in beetles varied with species and sex. Baselines were established to allow determination of the incidence and intensity of beetle feeding on Rb-enriched plants. In field cages, kairomonal baits reduced the probability and intensity of feeding on cucurbits by Diabrotica undecimpunctata howardii (Barber) and Acalymma vittata (F.). In one trial, kairomonal baits totally blocked feeding interactions. In field plots, baits also significantly reduced feeding incidence and intensity in D. u. howardii and D. virgifera virgifera (LeConte), but not in A. vittata. Where the bait reduced feeding, males showed less reduction than females. In D. v. virgifera , there was a higher probability of capturing live males than females regardless of kairomonal treatment. Adult survivorship was reduced by the kairomonal bait in both field and cage experiments. These novel methods allow the monitoring of trophic interactions under field conditions in the presence of behavior-modifying semiochemicals. Hypotheses to explain variation among species and sex and implications of using kairomonal baits to manage vectoring of a pathogen are discussed.
Mass Function and Equipotentiality: A Reanalysis of Lashley's Retention Data:

Detailed analyses of “subgroups” of Ss, defined by lesion size and locus, for Lashley's (1929) retention data suggested that parietal neo-cortical damage resulted in deficits that were relatively independent of total lesion size. It was suggested that Lashley's retention data provided questionable support for the principles of equipotentiality and mass function as he presented them and he did not include enough Ss to assess the validity of these principles for measures of acquisition following brain damage.
Inhibition of APC anticoagulant activity on oxidized phospholipid by anti–β2-glycoprotein I monoclonal antibodies

Activated protein C (APC) anticoagulant activity and the ability to be inhibited by auto-antibodies associated with thrombosis are strongly augmented by the presence of phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) and phospholipid oxidation. β2-glycoprotein I (β2-GPI) is a major antigen for antiphospholipid antibodies present in patients with the antiphospholipid syndrome. We therefore investigated whether anti–β2-GPI monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) could inhibit APC with similar membrane specificity. Five mouse mAbs that reacted with different epitopes on β2-GPI were examined. Each inhibited the PE-, phospholipid oxidation–dependent enhancement of APC anticoagulant activity and required antibody divalency. A chimeric APC that retains anticoagulant activity but is relatively unaffected by protein S, PE, or oxidation was not inhibited by the antibodies. In purified systems, anti–β2-GPI mAb inhibition of factor Va inactivation was greater in the presence of protein S and required β2-GPI. Surprisingly, although the mAbs did increase β2-GPI affinity for membranes, PE and oxidation had little influence on the affinity of the β2-GPI antibody complex for the membrane vesicles. We conclude that antibodies to β2-GPI inhibit APC function specifically and contribute to a hypercoaguable state by disrupting specific protein-protein interactions induced by oxidation of PE-containing membranes.
Tikal, Guatemala, and emergent Maya civilization

It would be extravagant to claim that these pages have outlined meaningfully the early evolution of Tikal. Data have been provided largely for one excavation locus at a site which, for all its importance, merely has symptomatic value. We cannot claim to have, at present, sufficient material to document satisfyingly the conditions and products of community-wide living at any point in these early times. Present knowledge of Eb and Tzec ceramics and of all the usual archeological correlates (architecture and so on) is disturbingly incomplete. While we do have a good many data on residence throughout much of Preclassic time, considerably more information is needed before a solid evaluation of Preclassic Tikal society can be achieved. One can only hope that pending excavation programs will provide it. Yet, experience shows that probably only a tiny percentage of early cultural remains, regardless of their grandeur and importance at the time, would have survived the constant quest for construction fills to satisfy a seemingly interminable need to build and revamp.
Structural alterations of the heme environment of cytochrome P450cam and the Y96F mutant as deduced by resonance Raman spectroscopy.

Abstract Resonance Raman spectroscopy at 2.5 cm−1 resolution was used to probe differences in wild-type and Y96F mutant P450cam (CYP101), both with and without bound camphor or styrene substrates. In the substrate-free state, the spin state equilibrium is shifted from 6-coordinate low spin (6CLS) toward more 5-coordinate high spin (5CHS) when tyrosine-96 in the substrate pocket is replaced by phenylalanine. About 25% of substrate-free Y96F mutant is 5CHS as opposed to 8% for substrate-free wild-type P450cam. Spin equilibrium constants calculated from Raman intensities indicate that the driving force for electron transfer from putidaredoxin, the natural redox partner of P450cam, is significantly smaller on styrene binding than for camphor binding. Spectral differences suggest that there is a tilt in camphor toward the pyrrole III ring on Y96F mutation. This finding is consistent with the altered product distribution found for camphor hydroxylation by the Y96F mutant relative to the single enantiomer produced by the wild-type enzyme.
Zr9Co2P4 and Zr9Ni2P4: A New 3D Structure Type, Consisting of Edge- and Vertex-Condensed Zr6 Octahedra

The isostructural title compounds were synthesized by arc-melting of stoichiometric ratios of ZrP, Zr, and Co and Ni, respectively, and subsequent annealing at 1450 °C. Their crystal structure (space group P4/mbm; Zr9Co2P4, a = 12.1200(6) A, c = 3.6158(4) A, V = 531.37(7) A3, Z = 2; Zr9Ni2P4, a = 12.0862(2) A, c = 3.6435(3) A, V = 532.23(5) A3, Z = 2) is derived from a three-dimensional network of Zr6 octahedra. These octahedra are connected via common vertices to form chains parallel to the c axis and via common edges and vertices in the ab plane, resulting in one double chain and one single chain. Both kinds of the interstitial atoms, the iron-group-metal atom and the phosphorus, are situated in trigonal prismatic holes between these chains, forming short M−P and M−M‘ bonds. These octahedra can be described as being of the M6X8 cluster type as is also observed in the chalcogenide Chevrel phases. Due to the electronically nonsaturated character of the Zr octahedra and their three-dimensional connectivity...
Sublingual immunotherapy: what have we learnt from the 'big trials'?

Purpose of reviewRecent systematic reviews support the use of sublingual immunotherapy for allergic rhinoconjunctivitis in adults, whereas data in children have been less convincing. The present review evaluates three recent ‘definitive’ trials in adults and one in children.Recent findingsTwo large
The heterogeneous decomposition of nitric oxide on supported catalysts

Abstract Heterogeneous decomposition rates of nitric oxide in the temperature range from 300 to 800° are determined for a series of supported catalysts containing platinum, or the oxides of copper, chromium, and cobalt. The experiments have been carried out in a conventional integral flow reactor, and complete analyses of the gas compositions obtained by a mass spectrometer. Kinetic parameters such as activation energy and reaction order are given. A comparison is made with published data for similar catalysts, and reasons for disagreement are considered. It is concluded in view of the presently available catalysts that the practical application of catalyzed decomposition is not promising for the removal of NO from automobile exhaust.
Targeting vascular endothelial cell insulin resistance in type 2 diabetes mellitus: is protein kinase cβ the bullseye for reducing vascular risk in diabetes?

More than 25 million Americans, or 8.3% of the population, have diabetes mellitus, of which ≈95% of diagnosed cases are type 2 diabetes mellitus.1 Between 1990 and 2010, the number of new cases of diabetes mellitus has almost tripled in the United States, and the Centers for Disease Control projects that 1 in 3 Americans will have diabetes mellitus by 2050 if this trend continues. The presence of type 2 diabetes mellitus increases the risk of microvascular complications, such as retinopathy and nephropathy, and macrovascular disease, most notably atherosclerotic coronary artery disease. Indeed, coronary artery disease–related death remains the primary cause of mortality in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, even on standard glucose control.1 However, more intensive glucose control is not associated with reduced coronary artery disease risk and may even increase mortality,2 therefore there remains a critical need to determine novel adjunct therapy to standard glycemic control that will reduce vascular risk in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Article see p 86 In 1996, a seminal study by Ishii et al3 demonstrated that selective inhibition of the β isoform of protein kinase C (PKCβ), a serine/threonine protein kinase that becomes activated in nutrient excess states such as hyperglycemia, resulted in significant improvement in retinal and glomerular microvascular function in diabetic rats in the absence of any alterations in glycemia or blood pressure. This study elucidated PKCβ as a potential novel target in diabetes-related vascular complications and identified increased tissue concentrations of diacylglcyerol, likely as a result of excess de novo synthesis in hyperglycemia, as the primary activator of PKCβ in rats. Consistent with this, diacylglcyerol concentration and PKCβ activity are increased in aortas of obese insulin-resistant rats and are associated with reduced insulin-stimulated activation of protein kinase B (Akt).4 Akt is a …
Robustness and statistical analysis of object/image metrics

In previous papers we examined several fundamental problems related to object recognition for the generalized weak perspective model of image formation and offered a complete solution to the problems for configurations of point features. In this paper we convert those theoretical solutions to working algorithms and examine the robustness of the algorithms in the face of various combinations of errors and noise.
Projections of world population and world food supply.

This paper considers projections made about world population levels and world food production from 1945 to 1970, attempting to evaluate them in terms of actual levels of 1975. Most underestimated the population explosion of the past two decades; short-term estimates were more reliable than long-term ones; there was little variation in population estimates at any one time; and U. N. figures were generally the most useful. Projections of world food production were less satisfactory than those of population levels, as both data and measures were debatable. The research suggests some of the problems in evaluating the danger of world famine by examining projections of population and food supply mechanically and in isolation from the complex processes which affect these factors.
Computer-Aided Designed/Computer-Assisted Manufactured (CAD/CAM) All-Ceramic Crowns Appear to Perform Better than All-Composite Resin Crowns Following the First 3 Years of Placement

Article Title and Bibliographic Information Computer-aided designed/computer-assisted manufactured composite resin versus ceramic single-tooth restorations: a 3-year clinical study. Vanoorbeek S, Vandamme K, Lijnen I, Naert I. Int J Prosthodont 2010;23(3):223-30. Reviewer J. Robert Kelly, DDS, MS, DMedSc Purpose/Question To ascertain the 3-year success and survival rates of all-composite resin and all-ceramic single-tooth restorations manufactured with a CAD/CAM system Source of Funding GC Corporation Europe and UNI-DENT University Hospitals Dental Laboratories, Leuven, Belgium, provided some support for this study Type of Study/Design Cohort study Level of Evidence Level 2: Limited-quality, patient-oriented evidence Strength of Recommendation Grade Not applicable
Vibrations of rods with general space curvature

In this paper the equations of motion for a rod with arbitrary space curvature and cross-section geometry are re-examined and results showing the effects of curvature, torsion, and cross-section shape on natural frequencies and mode shapes are presented. Expressions for the kinetic and potential energy functions of a curved and twisted rod are formulated in terms of centerline displacements and cross-section rotations. These expressions are first used to derive the equations of motion and natural boundary conditions by using Hamilton's Principle. Next, the kinetic and potential energy functions are used to formulate a Rayleigh-Ritz solution for the mode shapes and natural frequencies of helical rods with fixed-fixed and fixed-free ends. The effects of space curvature and torsion and of cross-section out-of-roundness on frequencies and mode shapes of fixed-free helical rods are examined.
A theory of binding structures and applications to rewriting

Abstract In this paper we present a theory of binding structures, and give examples of its application to rewriting. We define the set of binding structures as an abstract algebra, and define a general notion of parameterized homomorphism. A variety of operations on binding structures are presented as homomorphisms, and a collection of properties useful for developing applications is given. Three applications are presented: a generalized notion of term rewriting: a theory of unification for binding structures; and a set of structures and primitive rules intended to serve as a basis for design of rewriting components for (quantified) first-order reasoning systems.
Observations of Dislocation Structure in AA 7050 by EBSD

During and after plastic deformation of metals, dislocations tend to evolve into generally well-defined structures that may include tangles, bands, cell walls, and various additional features. Observation of these structures by electron backscatter diffraction is only accomplished by analysis of changes in orientation from one position to the next. Excess (or geometrically necessary) dislocation densities can be inferred from 2D measurements or obtained directly from 3D measurements as indicated by Nye’s dislocation density tensor. Evolution of excess dislocation densities was measured for a split channel die specimen of aluminum alloy 7050 in the T7451 temper. Densities evolved by a factor or 1.6 for compressive deformations of 15%.
The inhibition of silica-induced lung inflammation by dexamethasone as measured by bronchoalveolar lavage fluid parameters and peroxynitrite-dependent chemiluminescence.

The inhalation of silica has been shown to produce a dramatic inflammatory and toxic response within the lungs of humans and laboratory animals. Currently, no effective treatment exists for workers who may have been exposed to the inhalation of silica. The objective of this study was to develop an animal model in which we could evaluate the effect that anti-inflammatory steroids have on the acute silica-induced pulmonary inflammatory response. Male Fischer 344 rats were pretreated with either dexamethasone (2 mg/kg) or saline vehicle (i.p.) on days 1, 3, and 5. On day 6, the animals from the two groups were then intratracheally instilled with either silica (20 mg/0.5 ml saline vehicle) or saline vehicle (0.5 ml). Twenty-four hours after the instillations in the non-steroid group, significant increases occurred in total protein, total number of cells, neutrophils, and lymphocytes recovered from the lungs of animals treated with silica compared to saline controls. Silica also caused dramatic increases in the luminol-dependent chemiluminescence (LDCL) of lung tissue and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) cells. The LDCL reaction was markedly decreased by either superoxide dismutase (SOD) or N-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester hydrochloride (L-NAME). SOD is involved in the enzymatic breakdown of superoxide anion, while L-NAME, a nitric oxide (NO) synthase inhibitor, prevents the formation of NO. When the superoxide anion and NO react, they form the highly oxidizing substance peroxynitrite. This study then implicates peroxynitrite as an agent which may be involved in the silica-induced oxidant lung injury.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Inorganic lead complexation in natural seawater determined by UV spectroscopy

Recent effort to construct trace metal complexation models in natural media1–8 is a mark of the importance of chemical form in the biogeochemical behaviour of trace metals. Unfortunately such chemical modelling is difficult in many ways. Chemical speciation models of trace metals in complex natural media such as seawater are usually constructed using stability constants determined in simple media. We describe an alternative procedure which can reduce the errors inherent in this approach. Using UV spectroscopy, we have examined lead speciation in seawater. The method is a means of describing metal speciation in seawater quantitatively using stability constants determined exclusively in seawater. Preliminary experiments indicate that the same approach can be used for other metals including copper.
Temperature determination in the frozen region during cryosurgery of rabbit liver using MR image analysis

Abstract Cryosurgery currently is being used clinically to treat tumors in internal organs such as the liver and prostate. Although performed at present under ultrasound monitoring, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-guidance of these procedures not only permits monitoring of the frozen region during cryosurgery but also makes it possible to determine the temperature distribution in the frozen region, which is not possible using ultrasound monitoring. A good estimate of the region of destruction in the tissue can be obtained from correlating the temperature distribution and the time course of the freezing with the image of the frozen region. Unfortunately, MR pulse sequence-based temperature determination techniques such as diffusion, relazation time, and chemical shift cannot be used for measuring the temperature in the frozen region because the T 2 of the frozen region is so short that there is effectively no RF signal from the frozen region. This paper describes a numerical technique for determining the two dimensional temperature distribution in the frozen region during MR image-guided cryosurgery of normal liver in rabbits. The technique involves solving the energy equation numerically in the frozen region to determine the temperature distribution there. The boundary conditions needed to solve the equation are determined from MR images of the frozen tissue during cryosurgery and from the measured temperature of the cryoprobe. The calculated temperature in the frozen region is then correlated with the damaged region (cryolesion) determined from post mortem histologic evaluation.
Expert’s comment concerning Grand Rounds case entitled “Surgical treatment of a 180° thoracolumbar fixed kyphosis in a young achondroplastic patient: a one stage ‘in situ’ combined fusion and spinal cord translocation” (by J. C. Aurégan, T. Odent, M. Zerah, J.-P. Padovani and C. Glorion)

An expert comment is provided for the case of an 18-year-old male achondroplastic patient with a severe thoracolumbar kyphosis and spinal stenosis managed with a five level hemilaminotomy, a decancellation osteotomy of the three apical vertebrae and circumferential fusion. A review incidence, presenting symptoms and treatment options for thoracolumbar kyphosis in adults with achondroplasia, is provided.
Defining SH2 domain and PTP specificity by screening combinatorial peptide libraries.

Abstract Src homology 2 (SH2) domains mediate protein–protein interactions by recognizing short phosphotyrosyl (pY) peptide motifs in their partner proteins. Protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTPs) catalyze the dephosphorylation of pY proteins, counteracting the protein tyrosine kinases. Both types of proteins exhibit primary sequence specificity, which plays at least a partial role in dictating their physiological interacting partners or substrates. A combinatorial peptide library method has been developed to systematically assess the sequence specificity of SH2 domains and PTPs. A “one-bead-one-compound” pY peptide library is synthesized on 90-μm TentaGel beads and screened against an SH2 domain or PTP of interest for binding or catalysis. The beads that carry the tightest binding sequences against the SH2 domain or the most efficient substrates of the PTP are selected by an enzyme-linked assay and individually sequenced by a partial Edman degradation/mass spectrometry technique. The combinatorial method has been applied to determine the sequence specificity of 8 SH2 domains from Src and Csk kinases, adaptor protein Grb2, and phosphatases SHP-1, SHP-2, and SHIP1 and a prototypical PTP, PTP1B.
Prognostic value of resident clinical performance ratings

Background This study investigated the concurrent and predictive validity of end-of-rotation (EOR) clinical performance ratings. Study design Surgeon EOR ratings of residents were collected and compared with end-of-year (EOY) progress decisions and to EOR and EOY confidential judgments of resident ability to provide patient care without direct supervision. Results Eighty percent to 85% of EOR ratings were Excellent or Very Good. Five percent or fewer were Fair or Poor. Almost all residents receiving Excellent or Very Good EOR ratings also received positive EOR judgments about ability to provide patient care without direct supervision. Residents rated Fair or Poor received negative EOR judgments about ability to provide patient care without direct supervision. As the cumulative percent of Good, Fair, and Poor EOR ratings increased, the number of residents promoted without stipulations at the end of the year decreased and the percentage of faculty members who judged the residents capable of providing effective patient care without direct supervision at the end of the year declined. All residents receiving 40% or more EOR ratings below Very Good had stipulations associated with their promotion. Conclusions Despite use of descriptive anchors on the scale, clinical performance ratings have no direct meaning. Their meaning needs to be established in the same manner as is done in setting normal values for diagnostic tests, ie, by establishing the relationship between EOR ratings and practice outcomes.
Children and Adolescents From Poverty and Reading Development: A Research Review

This article reviews the relationship between poverty and reading achievement in America's schools. It then discusses how to advance the reading proficiencies of students from economically impoverished homes. It gives particular emphasis to school–home partnerships and sociocultural literacy practices.
Decoding algebraic-geometric codes beyond the error-correction bound

The past few years have witnessed exciting discoveries in different areas of coding theory and computational number theory. The present monograph, which exhibits the author's "Habilitationsschrift," is a collection of five different topics dealing with these two important fields. We will start with a purely coding theoretic question and finish with a discussion of some problems from computational number theory. Along the way, we will gradually change our focus from coding theory to number theory. Our emphasis is almost entirely on the development of fast and practical algorithms for the problems involved. In many cases it turns out that having a view for both number theory and coding theory is a clear advantage. This is best demonstrated by Chapters 2 and 3, where we encounter most of the interrelations between coding and number theory
Surface water hydrography of the Kuroshio Extension during the Pliocene–Pleistocene climate transition

Abstract The Pliocene–Pleistocene climate transition offers an opportunity to study the effect of glaciation on the ocean–climate system. We present a Globigerinoides ruber δ18O record from Ocean Drilling Program Site 1208 (Kuroshio Current Extension; KCE). This exclusively (sub)tropical foraminifer, a summer/fall mixed-layer dweller at the KCE, affords the first long (3.0 Ma to 1.8 Ma) orbital-scale (2.5-kyr time step) account of the sea surface in this area. The section's temperature-corrected benthic foraminiferal δ18O record constrains global changes in ice volume, yielding a Δδ18O record that primarily reflects summer/fall KCE hydrography (temperature and salinity). A 0.3‰ decrease in Δδ18O values at 2.7 Ma coincides with the onset of Northern Hemisphere glaciation, indicating as much as 1.5 °C warming during the summer/fall to suggest that the subtropical North Pacific sea surface provided heat and moisture for expanding ice sheets. On the orbital scale, the 41-kyr cycle that dominates high-latitude climate is absent from the Δδ18O record, indicating a stable surface water hydrographic regime on this time scale. Rather, the Δδ18O record varies at and is coherent with the 19-kyr precessional component of the regional insolation curve, supporting a direct response to subtropical insolation and insensitivity to extra-regional forcing factors, such as ice sheets.
Abstract A29: Notch-dependent modulation of microRNAs in rhabdomyosarcoma

Abstract Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is a pediatric tumor that originates from skeletal muscle precursors. Therapeutic strategies aimed at restoring the differentiation potential of RMS tumor cells are accepted as anti-cancer approaches. Therefore, pathways involved in skeletal muscle determination are good potential targets. We have recently demonstrated that Notch3 signaling is over-activated in RMS cell lines of both embryonal and alveolar subtype. Down-regulation of Notch3 expression resulted in cell cycle inhibition of RMS alveolar and embryonal cell lines that showed the appearance of multinucleated structures indicative of skeletal muscle-like myotubes in vitro. Moreover, Notch3 knockdown impaired tumor growth in vivo. Here we expand this study evaluating, through microarrays profiling, the expression of microRNAs 48 hours after Notch3 siRNA treatment compared to that of control siRNA. Several up- or down-regulated microRNAs were detected in both RH30 alveolar and RD embryonal cells. The up-regulation of muscle-specific microRNAs such as miR-1, miR-133 and miR-206 was confirmed 24 and 48 hours post-Notch3 depletion by RT-qPCR. Moreover, non-muscle-specific microRNAs such as miR-26a and miR-214 that cooperate to myogenesis were up-regulated as well. Altogether, these preliminary results indicate that Notch3 prevents the differentiation of RMS cells also through down-regulation of pro-myogenic microRNAs. More deep studies are in course to dissect the Notch3-dependent modulation of these small non-coding RNAs in this soft tissue sarcoma. Citation Format: Rossella Rota, Sr., Roberta Ciarapica, Jr., Letizia Da Sacco, Jr., Maria De Salvo, Jr., Andrea Masotti, Sr., Lucio Miele, Sr., Franco Locatelli, Sr. Notch-dependent modulation of microRNAs in rhabdomyosarcoma [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Noncoding RNAs and Cancer; 2012 Jan 8-11; Miami Beach, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(2 Suppl):Abstract nr A29.
Tensile and bond strength of putty-wash elastomeric impression materials

n dimensional instability of elastomeric impression materials has been the subject of numerous reports.‘” The instability of these materials is a function of a number of variables, including evaporation of byproducts formed during polymerization, ability to bond to a custom tray, thickness of material within the tray, rigidity of the tray, polymerization shrinkage, and viscosity of the elastomer (light body versus heavy body). When these materials are bonded to an acrylic resin custom tray, their dimensional stability has been shown to be increased significantly.4 Usually, low-viscosity elastomers (light body, syringe, or wash material) are polymerized against high-viscosity elastomers (heavy body or tray materials), which are bonded with adhesive to acrylic resin custom trays. Cherim-AmkieS showed that lowviscosity elastomers shrink less when polymerized against high-viscosity elastomers bonded to a polymethyl methacrylate substrate-a custom tray. Davis et a1.6 found the clinical effectiveness of tray adhesives to be related to their drying time and elastomer type. Polyether elastomers were found to exhibit the greatest bond strength to trays, and polysulfide elastomers adhered better than silicone elastomers. To simulate custom trays, high-viscosity elastomers (putty materials) are used in stock trays, usually without an adhesive. An internal coating of lowviscosity material provides detail. Putty materials typically exhibit good dimensional stability because of a low polymer-to-filler ratio. Their dimensional stability is related to high polymer concentration, particularly in regard to by-product formation and polymerization shrinkage. Therefore, these materials shrink less than lower viscosity materials. The dimensional stability of the putty-wash combination materials would be expected to be related to the factors described as well as to the quality of the bond
The Determinants of Wheat Variety Selection in Kansas, 1974 to 1993

In 1993, over one-third of Kansas wheat acres were seeded to varieties with milling and baking qualities ranked “less desirable,” stimulating interest in the determinants of wheat variety selection. Regression analysis is used to quantify the relationship between planted varieties and wheat characteristics relating to production and end-use qualities. Results indicate that Kansas wheat producers consider end-use qualities, production characteristics, relative yields, yield stability, and past production decisions when selecting wheat varieties. Simulation results reveal potential tradeoffs facing wheat breeders and seed dealers. Time paths of adoption are projected for potential improvements in wheat yields and quality characteristics.
The invivo effect of benzamide and phenobarbital on liver enzymes: Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase, cytochrome P-450, styrene oxide hydrolase, cholesterol oxide hydrolase, glutathione S-transferase and UDP-glucuronyl transferase

Summary Rats fed a synthetic diet containing 0.25% benzamide, 0.1% phenobarbital, separately or in combination, for two weeks showed a significant augmentation in the activity of nuclear poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase as well as changes in various nuclear, microsomal and cytosolic liver enzymes involved in the metabolism of xenobiotics. A selective depression of microsomal styrene oxide hydrolase activity by benzamide feeding, and a contrasting augmentation by phenobarbital, were confirmed by immunological titration of the enzyme-protein content suggesting actual enzyme repression and induction. The NAD content of these livers is not altered significantly as a result of benzamide and phenobarbital feeding, indicating that the changes in enzymes are not a result of non-specific toxic effects.
Rare-earth doped selenide glasses and fibers for active applications in the near and mid-IR

Abstract Glasses based on the composition Ge 16.5 As 18.5 Ga 0.5 Se 64.5 doped with Pr 3+ and Dy 3+ were investigated for active applications in the near and mid-IR. Pr 3+ has been investigated and mid-IR emission in the 3–5 μm region has been observed. Dynamic distillation and sublimation were performed on Se and As respectively to reduce the oxide and hydrogen related impurities in the glass. These techniques resulted in the elimination of oxide impurities and resulted in about a 10-fold reduction in hydrogen related impurities compared to the as-received chemicals. Spectroscopy performed on Dy 3+ resulted in a measured quantum efficiency for the 6 F 11/2 / 6 H 9/2 level of 94% with a branching ratio of 90% for the 1.3 μm transition and a calculated emission cross section ( σ e ) for this transition of 2.7 × 10 −20 cm 2 . Core only glass doped with 400 ppm Dy 3+ has been fiberized. The losses were 0.8 dB/m at 6 μm and 1.5 dB/m at 2.5 μm as measured by a cutback technique. Single mode Dy 3+ doped fiber has been drawn via double crucible techniques. The fiber had a 4 μm core with a 110 μm clad and had a core loss of 3 dB/m measured at 1.55 μm.
Work social supports, role stressors, and work–family conflict: The moderating effect of age

Abstract The current study examined whether important distinctions are masked if participant age is ignored when modeling relationships among constructs associated with the work–family interface. An initial omnibus model of social support, work role stressors, and work–family conflict was tested. Multiple groups analyses were then conducted to investigate possible age differences in the patterns of relationships among these constructs for three age groups (28 and under, 29–45, and 46 and older). Several constructs in the model, including role stressors, social support, and work–family conflict, demonstrated mean level differences across the three age groups. Of greater significance, the relationships of some sources of social support and work–family conflict with other constructs in the model differed as a function of age group. Results suggest that conclusions drawn from the omnibus model take on a slightly different and more complicated meaning in the multiple groups analysis. These results have implications for how future research on the work–family interface should be conducted.