cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The role of resource limitation in restoration of sagebrush ecosystems dominated by cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum).

Success of invasive annual grasses is often linked to increases in resources, and restoration ecologists have suggested that decreasing nitrogen (N) availability and restoring more conservative N cycles with lower N turnover should decrease the competitive advantage of these invaders and facilitate establishment of native perennials. We developed a multivariate conceptual model of the likely effects of environmental factors (precipitation and temperature) and potential management treatments (repeated burning, litter manipulation, and seeding an annual competitor) on soil N availability and success of cheatgrass, the most widespread invader in the western United States. We examined effects of the treatments in a five year field study in a cold desert shrubland. We used generalized linear mixed-effects models to examine differences among treatments over time, and structural equation modeling (SEM) to evaluate component hypotheses of the conceptual model. We hypothesized that burning would result in a pulse in soil available N due to heat-induced soil organic matter denaturation, but that subsequent fires would volatilize soil and biomass N resulting in progressive N deficiency. However, soil available N in burned plots was never lower than pre-burn levels, likely because burn temperatures were too cool to volatilize N from soils or aboveground biomass. Repeated burning decreased litter biomass, but there were generally no differences in soil available N between litter intact and litter removed plots. Litter removal had a negative effect on cheatgrass success likely due to effects on seed entrapment and plant establishment rather than N mineralization. Plots seeded with wheat generally had the lowest cheatgrass success, but available N was similar to other treatments, and decreased cheatgrass success was likely due to competition for other soil nutrients or water and reduced litter. In this semi-arid shrubland, long-term trends in available soil N and cheatgrass success were most strongly associated with precipitation and winter minimum temperatures. Treatments did not result in longer-term decreases in soil N, but indicated that integrated restoration approaches that reduce litter and seed banks and increase competitive interactions may be effective at reducing cheatgrass success and facilitating establishment of natives.
Scales of disequilibrium and rates of equilibration during metamorphism

Mounting evidence suggests that partial disequilibrium—meaning disequilibrium for some elements, but not for others—may be a common but rarely detected phenomenon during metamorphic mineral growth, even in ordinary prograde reactions that progress to completion. Detailed examination of compositional variations in garnet crystals over a range of metamorphic grade suggests distinctly different scales of equilibration for common elements, with strong temperature dependence. Under lower greenschist-facies conditions, Fe and Mg may equilibrate at hand-sample scale, whereas Mn and Ca may not equilibrate even at millimeter-scale. Although Mn may achieve hand-sample-scale equilibration under upper greenschist-facies conditions, Ca and many trivalent cations (e.g., REEs) may not do so until temperatures exceed those of the middle amphibolite facies. Even in the lower granulite facies, some elements (e.g., Y, Yb) show indications of disequilibrium at sub-centimeter-scales during garnet growth. Analysis and numerical modeling of undisputed disequilibrium textures demonstrate that the most common impediment to equilibration during metamorphism is the sluggishness of intergranular diffusion, the same mechanism known to govern porphyroblast crystallization in many metamorphic environments. Despite this importance to petrology, few quantitative determinations exist of inter-granular diffusion rates under metamorphic conditions. Using numerical simulations of coupled intergranular and intracrystalline diffusion processes in coronal textures around partially resorbed garnet crystals from the Llano Uplift, U.S.A., a very precise and relatively accurate estimate is obtained for the rate of intergranular diffusion of Al in fluid-undersaturated systems. This result and an earlier estimate for fluid-saturated systems provide bracketing values for Al diffusivity during metamorphism.
Premicellar accelerated decarboxylation of 6-nitrobenzisoxazole-3-carboxylate ion and its 5-tetradecyloxy derivative

Didodecyldialkylammonium chloride and bromide (alkyl = Me, Et, n-Pr, n-Bu) accelerate the spontaneous decarboxylation of 6-nitrobenzisoxazole-3-carboxylate ion, 1,H, and its 5-tetradecyloxy derivative, 1,OTD. With most of these surfactants, first-order rate constants, kobs, go through maxima in very dilute surfactant and then decrease and go through minima as association colloids form. These phenomena are not explicable in terms of substrate-induced micellization. However, kobs increases in the N-alkyl sequence Me < Et < n-Pr < n-Bu, as is typical of decarboxylations in association colloids of single-chain surfactants. Reaction in premicelles is accelerated by an initial increase in 1,H. The factors that control relative rates of spontaneous reactions in premicelles and in the association colloids, in particular, depletion of water at the reaction center and association of substrate and quaternary ammonium centers, are discussed with respect to the roles of substrate and surfactant hydrophobicities.
Antipain, but not cycloheximide, suppresses radiation transformation when present for only one day at five days post-irradiation

It has previously been observed that protease inhibitors suppress radiation transformation in vitro. In the experiments reported here, it was observed that a 24 h treatment with the protease inhibitor antipain at five days post-irradiation was sufficient to significantly suppress radiation transformation. Comparable experiments performed with cycloheximide, an inhibitor of protein synthesis, showed that this metabolic inhibitor could suppress radiation transformation when present immediately following the X-ray exposure but not when present for one day at five days post-irradiation. These results suggest that antipain is suppressing an ongoing cellular process occurring in response to X-irradiation.
Comparison of efficacy of thrombolysin, streptokinase, and urokinase in a femoral vein clot model in rats

A venous clot model in rats was used to compare the ability of locally infused thrombolytic agents to lyse clots. Urokinase and a combination of streptokinase and human plasminogen (Thrombolysin) proved to be equally effective in lysing clots. In comparison, streptokinase alone was not as effective a thrombolytic agent in this model.
Interstitial docetaxel (taxotere), carmustine and combined interstitial therapy: a novel treatment for experimental malignant glioma.

Docetaxel (Taxotere) is a hemisynthetic, anti-cancer compound with good preclinical and clinical activity in a variety of systemic neoplasms. We tested its activity against malignant gliomas using local delivery methods. Antitumor activity was assessed in vitro against human (U87 and U80 glioma) and rat brain-tumor (9L gliosarcoma and F98 glioma) cell lines. For in vivo evaluation, we incorporated docetaxel into a biodegradable polymer matrix, determined associated toxicity in the rat brain, and measured efficacy at extending survival in a rat model of malignant glioma. Also, we examined the combined local delivery of docetaxel with carmustine (BCNU) against the experimental intracranial glioma. Rats bearing intracranial 9L gliosarcomas were treated 5 days after tumor implantation with various polymers (placebo, 5% docetaxel, 3.8% BCNU, or 5% docetaxel and 3.8% BCNU combination). Animals receiving docetaxel polymers (n = 15, median survival 39.1 days) had significantly improved survival over control animals (n = 12, median survival 22.5 days, P = 0.01). Similarly, animals receiving BCNU polymers (n = 15, median survival 39.3 days, 13.3% long-term survivors) demonstrated an increase in survival compared to the controls (P = 0.04). Animals receiving the combination polymers demonstrated a modest increase in survival compared to either chemotherapeutic agent alone (n = 14, median survival 54.9 days, 28.6% long-term survivors) with markedly improved survival over controls (P = 0.003). We conclude that locally delivered docetaxel shows promise as a novel anti-glioma therapy and that the combination of drug regimens via biodegradable polymers may be a great therapeutic benefit to patients with malignant glioma.
Effects of Electronic Monitoring on Hand Hygiene Adherence and Healthcare-Associated Infections

Project: The project goal was to implement clinical processes that result in SSI rates in the THA/TKA implant population (;120 annually) at the 10th percentile or less (zero SSIs) (NHSN, CDC, 2009). To accomplish this goal, a collaborativemultidisciplinary teamwas formedand these surgerieswere not performed for nearly 3months, allowing the team to conduct a thorough investigation and develop a plan to meet the project goal. The investigation included:
A simplified approach to pinch equilibrium

An integral formulation of pinch equilibrium gives kinetic pressure profiles for plasmas with cylindrical symmetry. This simplified method offers an alternative to solving the Grad-Shafranov equation and leads to closed-form expressions obtained analytically. Results include the explicit dependence of equilibrium on the externally-generated field B0, and field reversal appears as an intrinsic feature of screw-pinches. Basic insight into Z-pinches, screw-pinches, and (F, theta ) relations comes from the same formalism.
Differential effects of maturation on nicotinic- and muscarinic receptor-induced ion secretion in guinea pig distal colon.

. The incidence of constipation increases with age. This has been linked to age-related changes in the structure and function of myenteric neurons regulating intestinal motility; however, the role of submucous neurons is unknown. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of maturation on cholinergic receptor–induced ion secretion in guinea pig colon. Changes in the short-circuit current (Isc) and tissue conductance were monitored in muscle-stripped colonic segments from young (3–4-month-old) and mature (12–15-month-old) male guinea pigs. Thirty-one percent of colonic segments from young guinea pigs exhibited ongoing neural activity, which was absent in mature animals. Baseline Isc was significantly higher only in young guinea pig tissues with ongoing activity. Tissue conductance was similar in all tissues. Electrical field stimulation caused a biphasic increase in the Isc. At 15 V/10 Hz, only Peak 1 was attenuated, whereas both peaks were reduced in mature guinea pigs at 10 V/5Hz. 1,1,dimethyl-4-phenyl-piperazinium(DMPP)–induced ion secretion was blunted in mature guinea pigs. Atropine reduced the 1,1,dimethyl-4-phenyl-piperazinium response only in young guinea pigs. Carbachol-induced ion secretion was similar in tissues from both age groups. In conclusion, nicotinic receptor–induced secretion mediated by both cholinergic and noncholinergic secretomotor neurons was blunted; however, epithelial muscarinic receptor activity was unaltered during maturation.
Gradual demise of a thin southern Laurentide ice sheet recorded by Mississippi drainage

Four reconstructions of North American ice-sheet history are tested using oxygen isotope records from the Gulf of Mexico in a water-mixing model; the one based on ice physics is the best match to the isotopic data and to the observed Last Glacial Maximum fall in sea level due to melting of the Laurentide ice sheet. The contribution of the Laurentide ice sheet to sea level changes since the last glacial maximum, at around 21,000 years ago, has remained unclear. In particular, its possible role as a meltwater source for meltwater pulse 1A (MWP-1A), a sharp rise in sea level that occurred about 14,500 years ago, has been much debated. Andrew Wickert and colleagues now use oxygen isotope records from the Gulf of Mexico to evaluate four alternative models of ice-sheet history. They find that the southern Laurentide ice sheet contributed about 5.4 metres to the global sea level rise, but only 0.66 metres to MWP-1A, much less than most previous estimates. Only one ice-sheet reconstruction, a model incorporating realistic ice-sheet physics, is broadly consistent with the oxygen record. At the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), about 21,000 years before present, land-based ice sheets held enough water to reduce global mean sea level by 130 metres1. Yet after decades of study, major uncertainties remain as to the distribution of that ice2. Here we test four reconstructions of North American deglacial ice-sheet history3,4,5,6 by quantitatively connecting them to high-resolution oxygen isotope (δ18O) records from the Gulf of Mexico7,8,9,10,11 using a water mixing model12. For each reconstruction, we route meltwater3,4,5,6 and seasonal runoff13,14,15,16 through the time-evolving Mississippi drainage basin, which co-evolves with ice geometry3,4,5,6 and changing topography as ice loads deform the solid Earth and produce spatially variable sea level in a process known as glacial isostatic adjustment17. The δ18O records show that the Mississippi-drained southern Laurentide ice sheet contributed only 5.4 ± 2.1 metres to global sea level rise, of which 0.66 ± 0.07 metres were released during the meltwater pulse 1A event 14,650–14,310 years before present18, far less water than previously thought5,12,19. In contrast, the three reconstructions based on glacial isostatic adjustment3,4,5 overpredict the δ18O-based post-LGM meltwater volume by a factor of 1.6 to 3.6. The fourth reconstruction6, which is based on ice physics, has a low enough Mississippi-routed meltwater discharge to be consistent with δ18O constraints, but also contains the largest LGM North American ice volume. This suggests that modelling based on ice physics may be the best way of matching isotopic records while also sequestering enough water in the North American ice sheets to match the observed LGM sea level fall1.
Navier-Stokes cascade analysis with a stiff k-epsilon turbulence solver

The two dimensional, compressible, thin layer Navier-Stokes equations with the Baldwin-Lomax turbulence model and the kinetic energy-energy dissipation (k-epsilon) model are solved numerically to simulate the flow through a cascade. The governing equations are solved for the entire flow domain, without the boundary layer assumptions. The stiffness of the k-epsilon equations is discussed. A semi-implicit, Runge-Kutta, time-marching scheme is developed to solve the k-epsilon equations. The impact of the k-epsilon solver on the explicit Runge-Kutta Navier-Stokes solver is discussed. Numerical solutions are presented for two dimensional turbulent flow over a flat plate and a double circular arc cascade and compared with experimental data.
Highly Damped Oscillations in a Peroxidase-like Enzyme Reaction

RHYTHMIC biological processes are known to occur in most living organisms1. Even though these rhythms have been extensively investigated, little is known about their enzymatic or physical basis. Damped oscillations of glycolytic intermediates have been reported to occur in anaerobic yeast2–5. These findings heightened interest in oscillatory phenomena because the basis for these oscillations is more readily examined in this system. Indeed, simulation studies by Higgins6 indicated that an activation of phosphofructokinase by fructose-1,6-diphosphate could produce oscillations similar to those experimentally observed. Another oscillatory system based on an inactive enzyme has been described by Spangler and Snell7.
Classic Holter Manifestation of Wolff-Parkinson-White Pattern

A 27-year-old man without significant past medical history presented to the cardiology outpatient clinic for intermittent palpitations. A 24-hour Holter …
Hierarchical Diagnosis and Prognosis Strategy for Electrical Power Generation and Storage System

This paper presents a hierarchical approach to fault detection and isolation (FDI) of an automotive electrical power generation and storage (EPGS) system. In particular, this work focuses on a fault diagnosis strategy for the alternator and belt of the EPGS system. The proposed approach is able to detect and isolate the faults of the following components: the voltage regulator, the diodes and the belt. Preliminary evaluation results using an EPGS system test bench have shown the effectiveness of the algorithm.© 2008 ASME
Preparation of 1-(azidoaryl)amido- and 1-(azidoaryl)thio-1-deoxy-d-fructose analogs

Synthese d'azido-4 N-β-D-fructopyranosyl hydroxy-2 benzamide, de S-[azido-4 nitro-2 phenyl]-1 thio-1 fructopyranose et de son dimere a partir d'azido-1 desoxy-1 di-«O»-isopropylidene-2,3:4,5 fructopyranose et d'ester. N-hydroxysuccinimide d'acide azido-4 hydroxy-2 benzoique (ou d'azido-1 fluoro-4 nitro-3 benzene) et de potassium thiolacetate
Urban resident attitudes toward rodents, rodent control products, and environmental effects

Rodent control in urban areas can result in the inadvertent mortality of non-target species (e.g., bobcats). However, there is little detailed information from urban residents about rodent control practices. We evaluated urban rodent control behaviors in two areas of California (southwestern Bakersfield and in proximity to Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (SAMO)) where biologists have observed non-target mortality among carnivores resulting from exposure to anticoagulant rodenticides. Using a mail survey instrument, we asked residents about rodent control practices including products used and application, attitudes toward rodents, and concern about non-target mortality. Forty-one percent of Bakersfield (response rate = 20%) and 59% of SAMO (response rate = 31%) respondents reported rodent or other animal control on their property. Snap traps and anticoagulants were the most commonly used physical and chemical control products, respectively. Many respondents were unsure whether (12% Bakersfield; 17% SAMO) or which (39% Bakersfield; 46% SAMO) chemical products were used on their property. When told of possible non-target effects, a majority of respondents were either very or somewhat concerned. Attitudes toward rodents were relatively negative across all respondents. Respondents who applied control products themselves (as opposed to a third party) were most supportive of ensuring availability of rodent control products. Our results suggest that residents do not readily connect their personal or household activities with larger environmental effects, and highlight potential focal areas for policy evaluation related to wildlife management, such as providing explicit information about potential environmental effects of rodent control products.
Spectral Intensities of Radiation from Non-Harmonic and Aperiodic Systems

In order to find expressions for the spectral intensities and the spatial distribution of radiation from the most general kind of quantum dynamical system, it is necessary to find the matrix components of the components of acceleration of the system.
Ribosome A and P sites revealed by length analysis of ribosome profiling data.

The high-throughput sequencing of nuclease-protected mRNA fragments bound to ribosomes, a technique known as ribosome profiling, quantifies the relative frequencies with which different regions of transcripts are translated. This technique has revealed novel translation initiation sites with unprecedented scope and has furthered investigations into the connections between codon biases and translation rates. Yet the location of the codon being decoded in ribosome footprints is still unknown, and has been complicated by the recent observation of footprints with non-canonical lengths. Here we show how taking into account the variations in ribosome footprint lengths can reveal the ribosome aminoacyl (A) and peptidyl (P) site locations. These location assignments are in agreement with the proposed mechanisms for various ribosome pauses and further enhance the resolution of the profiling data. We also show that GC-rich motifs at the 5′ ends of footprints are found in yeast, calling into question the anti-Shine-Dalgarno effect's role in ribosome pausing.
Isolation of multipotent neural stem or progenitor cells from both the dentate gyrus and subventricular zone of a single adult mouse

In adult mammals, the subventricular zone (SVZ) of the lateral ventricles and the subgranular zone of the dentate gyrus (DG) show ongoing neurogenesis, and multipotent neural stem or progenitor cells (NSCs) in these two regions exhibit different intrinsic properties. However, investigation of the mechanisms underlying such differences has been limited by a lack of efficient methods for isolating NSCs, particularly from the adult DG. Here we describe a protocol that enables us to isolate self-renewing and multipotent NSCs from the SVZ and the DG of the same adult mouse. The protocol involves the microdissection of the SVZ and DG from one adult mouse brain, isolation of NSCs from specific regions and cultivation of NSCs in vitro. The entire procedure takes 2-3 h. As only one mouse is needed for each cell isolation procedure, this protocol will be particularly useful for studies with limited availability of mice, such as mice that contain multiple genetic modifications.
Sidechain conformational dependence of hydrogen exchange in model peptides.

Abstract Peptide hydrogens that are exposed to solvent in protein X-ray structures exhibit a billion-fold range in hydroxide-catalyzed exchange rates, and these rates have previously been shown to be predictable by continuum dielectric methods to within a factor of 7, based on single protein conformations. When using a protein coil library to model the Boltzmann-weighted conformational distribution for the various N-acetyl-[X-Ala]-N-methylamides and N-acetyl-[Ala-Y]-N-methylamides, the acidity of the central amide in the individual conformers of each peptide spans nearly a million-fold range. Nevertheless, population averaging of these conformer acidities predicts the standard sidechain-dependent hydrogen exchange correction factors for nonpolar model peptides to within a factor of 30% (10 0.11 ) with a correlation coefficient r = 0.91. Comparison with the analogous continuum dielectric calculations for the other N-acetyl-[X-Y]-N-methylamides indicates that deviations from the isolated residue hypothesis of classical polymer theory predict appreciable errors in the exchange rates for conformationally disordered peptides when the standard sidechain-dependent hydrogen exchange rate correction factors are assumed to be independently additive. Although electronic polarizability generally dominates the dielectric shielding for the ∼ 10 ps lifetime of peptide ionization, evidence is presented for modest contributions from rapid intrarotamer conformational reorganization of Asn and Gln sidechains.
Current conservation and parallelism in nonlinear sigma models

Abstract We examine the consequences of a restrictive current conservation condition, which figures in the bosonization of certain free fermion theories, when applied to a general bosonic nonlinear sigma model in two dimensions. The condition is shown to lead directly to the existence of parallelizing Killing vector fields on the internal manifold. The current algebra is checked to have the expected Kac-Moody form.
Effect of shear flow on the stability of domains in two-dimensional phase-separating binary fluids

We perform a linear stability analysis of extended domains in phase-separating fluids of equal viscosity in two dimensions. Using the coupled Cahn-Hilliard and Stokes equations, we derive analytically the stability eigenvalues for long wavelength fluctuations. In the quiescent state we find an unstable varicose mode that corresponds to an instability towards coarsening. This mode is stabilized when an external shear flow is imposed on the fluid. The effect of the shear is seen to be qualitatively similar to that found in experiments. {copyright} {ital 1997} {ital The American Physical Society}
An increase in expression of the lipocalin 24p3 is found in mouse uterus coincident with birth

Abstract OBJECTIVE: To provide novel insights into the molecular events associated with parturition, a differential screen was made of a mouse uterine complementary deoxyribonucleic acid library to identify selectively expressed genes in late pregnancy. STUDY DESIGN: A differential hybridization was used to screen a mouse complementary deoxyribonucleic acid library prepared from late pregnancy uterus. A 1 kb clone was isolated that was subsequently identified as 24p3, a member of the lipocalin family. By use of radiolabeled complementary deoxyribonucleic acid probes prepared from this clone Northern hybridization were conducted against total ribonucleic acid purified from mouse uterus collected during late pregnancy and the first week after birth and a variety of other mouse tissues to determine whether this gene is selectively expressed in the uterus coincident with parturition. RESULTS: Low levels of message for the 24p3 gene could be detected in uterine ribonucleic acid, but there was a massive increase in the level of message for this gene on the days surrounding birth. Northern hybridizations conducted against additional tissues collected from both pregnant and nonpregnant mice did not detect message to a similar degree as found in the uterus. CONCLUSIONS : The uterus constitutes a major site of expression of this gene, particularly near birth. The expression of this gene coincident with birth suggests a potential physiologic role of the neutrophil with the induction of labor.
Correlation between in vitro aggregation and thromboxane A2 production in fresh, liquid-preserved, and cryopreserved human platelets: effect of agonists, pH, and plasma and saline resuspension.

BACKGROUND: Some of the tests used to assess the quality of fresh and preserved platelets (PLTs) include PLT number, PLT morphology, pH of the PLT medium, PLT response to hypotonic stress, and PLT aggregation to agonists. This study was performed to assess the function of fresh and preserved PLTs by their response to aggregation and their production of thromboxane A2 after in vitro stimulation with agonists. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: PLTs isolated by apheresis procedures were stored at 22°C for as long as 5 days and then frozen with 6 percent dimethyl sulfoxide, stored at −80°C, thawed, washed, and resuspended in medium. The effects of agonists and the pH and composition of the medium on PLT aggregation and PLT production of thromboxane A2 after stimulation were measured. RESULTS: The agonists and the pH and composition of the medium affected both the aggregation response and the production of thromboxane A2 by the fresh and preserved PLTs. PLT aggregation response to arachidonic acid (AA) and adenosine diphosphate (ADP) was significantly lower in the cryopreserved PLTs than in the fresh and preserved PLTs. After stimulation with AA and ADP, the cryopreserved PLTs produced more thromboxane than did the fresh and liquid-preserved PLTs. CONCLUSIONS: The agonists and the pH and composition of the medium affected the response to aggregate and produce thromboxane in vitro in both the fresh and the liquid-preserved PLTs. PLT thromboxane A2 production may be a better in vitro test than PLT aggregation to assess PLT function in vivo.
Behavioural responses to season and adult sex ratio in the fantail darter Etheostoma flabellare

Social behaviours such as competition for mates, which can indicate the strength and direction of sexual selection, may change either directly or indirectly in response to the operational sex ratio (OSR). Field studies indicate flexibility in social behaviours in response to a changing OSR, in particular as the OSR changes across the breeding season. Remaining unclear, however, is the degree to which these behavioural changes are a direct response to an unpredictably varying OSR, or are seasonal, developing in response to seasonal cues. In this experiment, we collected cohorts of male and female fantail darters at regular intervals over the course of two full breeding seasons and placed them in artificial streams in high, moderate and low adult sex ratios (ASRs). We observed streams for 5-day periods, during which we tallied aggressive and sexually solicitous behaviours. Both male and female intrasexual aggression responded to ASR manipulations as predicted, with males increasing and females tending to decrease intrasexual aggression in response to higher male numbers. Changes in intersexual aggression rates were not correlated with changes in intrasexual rates, indicating that these two classes of behaviour varied independently of one another. Male solicitations towards females increased at moderate ASRs, but decreased when the ratio of males to females exceeded the observed natural range. Contrary to predictions, female solicitations towards males increased with increasing male numbers. Male density and hence encounter rate was a confounding factor for interpreting male-directed (but not female-directed) behaviours in response to the ASR, and furthermore negatively affected overall reproductive success. We found no evidence that competitive or solicitous behaviour responds directly to seasonal cues in Etheostoma flabellare; rather, competition over mates and solicitation of mates appear to respond directly to changes in the ASR.
Fatty Acid and Glucose Metabolism in the Perfused Heart

PREVIOUS work on intact animals in which arteriovenous differences across the myocardium were measured1,2 have suggested that fatty acids are an important metabolite for the heart. No work has been reported on the isolated heart with radioisotopes which allow a separation of the uptake and fate of a particular substrate. This communication gives an account of the uptake and certain metabolic fates of fatty acid and glucose in the isolated, perfused heart. The results indicate the readiness with which the myocardium utilizes both glucose and fatty acids, and suggest that fatty acids are preferentially oxidized. The latter observation provides a possible explanation for the puzzling increase in cardiac glycogen known to occur with fasting or with untreated diabetes.
Angiographic features help predict outcome after stereotactic radiosurgery for the treatment of pediatric arteriovenous malformations

Arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) are a frequent cause of hemorrhagic stroke in children. Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) is an established treatment for these lesions, particularly those that are surgically inaccessible. Because only complete AVM obliteration is believed to protect against the future risk of hemorrhage, identifying lesion characteristics that predict response to therapy is an important objective. The goal of this study is to evaluate the influence of angiographic features of AVMs on the rate of obliteration following treatment with SRS. This is a retrospective cohort study of pediatric patients (age ≤18 years) treated with Gamma Knife SRS for cerebral AVMs between 2000 and 2012. Detailed angiographic data at the time of initial angiographic evaluation were prospectively recorded by experienced neurointerventional radiologists. The primary outcome was the rate of obliteration on a 3-year follow-up angiogram. We identified 42 pediatric patients treated with SRS for cerebral AVMs. Twenty-seven patients completed 3-year angiographic follow-ups. Complete obliteration was seen in 30 %, partial response in 67 %, and no response in 4 %. Higher SRS dose was associated with complete obliteration. Larger AVM diameter, presence of multiple draining veins, and presence of multiple draining veins reaching a sinus were associated with partial response. In this small cohort, diffuse AVM borders, presence of aneurysm, and pre-SRS embolization were not associated with obliteration. Our study identifies AVMs in the pediatric population with a nidus diameter of <2.5 cm and a solitary draining vein as the most likely to undergo complete obliteration after SRS treatment.
Rotational diffusion of a spheroidal Brownian particle

Abstract The rotational Brownian motion of a large particle is considered in terms of mode-mode coupling theory. A modified Debye law for the rotational diffusion coefficient is obtained.
Fractures of the mandible: A review of 580 cases

The anatomic distribution of fractures in this study showed more fractures of the condylar and parasymphysis/symphysis regions, with correspondingly fewer body and angle fractures, than in other reported studies. The site of fracture is related to the type of trauma involved. Altercations, in which most force is directed in a single blow to the lateral aspect of the jaw, tend to result more frequently in angle and body fractures and less often in condylar, symphysis, and alveolar fractures. Automobile accidents, which more frequently involve trauma to the anterior mandible, result in more fractures of the symphysis region, alveolus and condyle. Motorcycle accidents produce many more alveolar fractures, suggesting that the traumatic force in this kind of accident is often directed to the alveolus. As might be expected, those individuals involved in motor vehicle accidents had the highest incidence of other injuries in addition to the mandibular fractures. Injuries to the head and neck were most common, but a wide variety of other injuries occurred. Complications are more common in the patient who has sustained multiple trauma. Most fractures were treated by closed reduction. When open reduction was necessary, the most common sites were the angle, body, and symphysis regions.
Effects of Implant Healing Time on Crestal Bone Loss of a Controlled-load Dental Implant

The universally accepted concept of delay-loaded dental implants has recently been challenged. This study hypothesizes that early loading (decreased implant healing time) leads to increased bone formation and decreased crestal bone loss. We used 17 minipigs to study implants under a controlled load, with non-loaded implants for comparison. Radiographic and histological assessments were made of the osseointegrated bone changes for 3 healing times (between implant insertion and loading), following 5 months of loading. The effect of loading on crestal bone loss depended on the healing time. Early loading preserved the most crestal bone. Delayed loading had significantly more crestal bone loss compared with the non-loaded controls (2.4 mm vs. 0.64 mm; P < 0.05). The histological assessment and biomechanical analyses of the healing bone suggested that loading and bioactivities of osteoblasts exert a synergistic effect on osseointegration that is likely to support the hypothesis that early loading produces more favorable osseointegration.
Racial/Ethnic Group Attitudes Toward Environmental Protection in California: Is “Environmentalism” Still a White Phenomenon?

One view of minority opinion on environmental issues suggests that minority voters are focused on less esoteric concerns such as education, jobs, and crime. An alternative argument is that minoriti...
Apatite fission-track analysis of Oligocene strata in South Texas, U.S.A.: Testing annealing models

Analysis of apatite fission-track data from forty-seven surface and subsurface samples of fine-grained sandstone to pebbly conglomerate from the Oligocene Catahoula (Gueydan), Frio and Vicksburg Formations documents the response of fission-track ages and track-length distributions to simple post-depositional thermal histories characterized by monotonic heating. Data from outcrop samples document that the apatite component was derived from source areas characterized by rapid cooling through the temperature range from ∼ 120° to 50°C during the early Tertiary. The apatite population is characterized by a log-normal chlorine distribution (mean = 0.3 wt%, σ = 0.3 wt%) consisting predominantly of low-Cl apatites (80% is ⩽ 0.5 wt%). Mean track lengths from core samples decrease systematically with increasing depth and temperature. The decrease in apatite fission-track ages with increasing depth and temperature is less systematic due to the scatter in inherited ages at the time of deposition. No tracks were observed in apatite from samples at temperatures above 130°C. Mean track-lengths for the South Texas data agree well with those for a similar data set from the Otway Basin, southeastern Australia, for present-day temperatures of < 70°C). At higher temperatures, mean lengths are 1 to 9 μm longer than those observed from the Otway Basin. This discrepancy is interpreted to reflect up to 40-Ma-longer residence times at maximum burial temperatures for the Otway Basin samples. Standard deviations about mean lengths are also lower than observed in the Otway Basin study, consistent with the wider variation of Cl contents (mean = 0.8 wt%, σ = 0.7 wt%) that characterize apatite from the Otway Basin. Recently published apatite fission-track annealing models predict significantly different mean track length vs. present-day temperature profiles for thermal histories believed to be representative of those experienced by sampled South Texas strata. Because of the large uncertainties attributed to present-day temperatures (± 10°C), the predicted mean length vs. temperature trends for these models essentially fall within or on the uncertainty envelope for the observed trend. Residuals of predicted minus observed mean lengths suggest that the previously published Carlson composite parameter model. using an initial mean length of 15.8 μm instead of 16.5 μm, or the Crowley et al. model for track-length reduction down to ∼ 11 μm, provide the best estimates of mean track-length reduction over geologic time scales for near end-member F-apatite populations.
On Fast Integration for Time Variant Structural Reliability

In evaluating structural reliability under stochastic loadings, the system parameters such as stiffness, damping, strength, excitation frequency content and duration, etc., are usually assumed given. In reality, however, these quantities are seldom perfectly known. Their uncertainties may play a major role as far as the overall structural reliability is concerned. This paper reviews currently available methods to include this parameter uncertainties and a new method is also proposed. The accuracy and analytical and numerical efforts required are compared. Through numerical examples on systems under dynamic excitation, collapse of ductile or brittle redundant systems, the advantages of the proposed method are demonstrated.
Tensile behavior of irradiated manganese-stabilized stainless steels

Abstract Seven experimental high-manganese reduced-activation austenitic stainless steels and type 316 stainless steel in the solution-annealed and 20% cold-worked condition were irradiated in the fast flux test facility up to ca. 44 dpa at 420, 520 and 600°C. Tensile tests were conducted at the irradiation temperature. The experimental alloys included an Fe20Mn12Cr0.25C (in wt%) base composition and this composition with combinations of Ti, W, V, P and B. In the solution-annealed condition, the steels hardened at all three temperatures, but hardening occurred at only 420°C in the 20% cold-worked condition. Hardening caused a decrease in ductility. The steel with a combination of all the alloying elements showed the greatest resistance to irradiation-induced hardening and loss of ductility.
The blood‐testis barrier and its formation relative to spermatocyte maturation in the adult rat: A lanthanum tracer study

An electron-opaque substance, lanthanum, was utilized to determine when germ cells of the rat first cross the blood-testis barrier in adult spermatogenesis. Intravascularly perfused lanthanum was shown to surround all spermatogonia. Intravascularly perfused lanthanum was shown to surround all spermatogonia, preleptotene spermatocytes and early leptotene spermatocytes of Stage IX in the adult rat testis. Lanthanum was excluded from the spaces around more mature cells by newly-formed tight junctions between adjoining Sertoli processes. These processes had previously intervened between the leptotene cells and the basal lamina. The results are in close agreement with those of a previous study (Russell, '77a) which indicated that leptotene cells are the first cells of adult spermatogenesis to enter the intermediate compartment and to reside beyond a permeability barrier.
Making Connections: Higher Education Meets Social Media

There is a slow but steadily growing acceptance that social media effectively amplifies institutional communications. Michael Stoner, 2012 Six years ago, philosophy instructor Darien Ripple decided...
Characterization of active Lentinula edodes glucoamylase expressed and secreted by Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

The gene encoding Lentinula edodes glucoamylase (GLA) was cloned into Saccharomyces cerevisiae, expressed constitutively and secreted in an active form. The enzyme was purified to homogeneity by (NH4)2SO4 fractionation, anion exchange and affinity chromatography. The protein had a correct N-terminal sequence of WAQSSVIDAYVAS, indicating that the signal peptide was efficiently cleaved. The recombinant enzyme was glycosylated with a 2.4% carbohydrate content. It had a pH optimum of 4.6 and a pH 3.4–6.4 stability range. The temperature optimum was 50°C with stability ≤50°C. The enzyme showed considerable loss of activity when incubated with glucose (44%), glucosamine (68%), galactose (22%), and xylose (64%). The addition of Mn++ activated the enzyme by 45%, while Li+, Zn++, Mg++, Cu+, Ca++, and EDTA had no effect. The enzyme hydrolyzed amylopectin at rates 1.5 and 8.0 times that of soluble starch and amylose, respectively. Soluble starch was hydrolyzed 16 and 29 times faster than wheat and corn starch granules, respectively, with the hydrolysis of starch granules using 10× the amount of GLA. Apparent Km and Vmax for soluble starch were estimated to be 3.0 mg/ml and 0.13 mg/ml/min (40°C, pH 5.3), with an apparent kcat of 2.9×105 min−1.
SELECTING AND ALLOCATING REPACKAGING TECHNOLOGY FOR UNIT-DOSE MEDICATIONS IN HOSPITAL PHARMACIES

To increase patient safety and support bedside-point-of-care medication administration, millions of unit-dose medications are dispensed in hospitals and health systems daily. Because not all medications are available in unit-dose form directly from the manufacturer, hospitals must repackage medications in unit-dose form themselves. We develop a mathematical model that simultaneously determines which level of technology is warranted and how each medication that is not delivered to the pharmacy in unit-dose form should be repackaged subject to multiple constraints. This model has been integrated into a free Excel-based tool available to pharmacy directors. We test our model with data based on small, medium, and large hospitals and conduct sensitivity analyses to gain further insight. We illustrate how the results from our model can aid in incorporating qualitative aspects into technology selection. Our results show that a semi-automated repackaging system is the most economical technology alternative for most hospital pharmacy in-house repackaging operations. This result, however, is sensitive to the number of unit-dose medications to repackage and the available labor.
Reversible depression of transcription during hibernation.

Mammalian hibernators downregulate processes of energy production and consumption while maintaining cellular homeostasis. Energetic costs of transcription must be balanced with demands for gene products. Data from nuclear run-on assays indicate transcriptional initiation is reduced two fold in torpid golden-mantled ground squirrels (Spermophilus lateralis) as compared to euthermic animals between bouts of torpor. In addition, elongation rates across the temperature range experienced by hibernators indicate a virtual arrest of transcription at the low body temperatures of torpor. Finally, there is no seasonal compensation or species-specific adaptation for increased elongational capacity in the cold. Thus, it appears that hibernators are not specifically adapted to continue transcription during torpor. Taken together, these data indicate that transcription arrests during torpor because of a moderate depression of initiation and a more severe inhibition of elongation, largely due to temperature effects. Restoration of euthermic body temperatures during the interbout arousals reverses this transcriptional depression and permits gene expression.
A critical period for auditory thalamocortical connectivity

The authors isolated the refinement of auditory thalamocortical connectivity by in vivo recordings and day-by-day voltage-sensitive dye imaging in an acute brain slice preparation. They find that postnatal connectivity between thalamus and cortex determines a critical period for plasticity in the auditory system. Neural circuits are shaped by experience during periods of heightened brain plasticity in early postnatal life. Exposure to acoustic features produces age-dependent changes through largely unresolved cellular mechanisms and sites of origin. We isolated the refinement of auditory thalamocortical connectivity by in vivo recordings and day-by-day voltage-sensitive dye imaging in an acute brain slice preparation. Passive tone-rearing modified response strength and topography in mouse primary auditory cortex (A1) during a brief, 3-d window, but did not alter tonotopic maps in the thalamus. Gene-targeted deletion of a forebrain-specific cell-adhesion molecule (Icam5) accelerated plasticity in this critical period. Consistent with its normal role of slowing spinogenesis, loss of Icam5 induced precocious stubby spine maturation on pyramidal cell dendrites in neocortical layer 4 (L4), identifying a primary locus of change for the tonotopic plasticity. The evolving postnatal connectivity between thalamus and cortex in the days following hearing onset may therefore determine a critical period for auditory processing.
In Memoriam Tribute to Dusan Z. Kocovic, MD

Dr Dusan Kocovic died on September 26, 2014 at the Lankenau Medical Center at the age of 56, after a long and heroic battle with metastatic colon cancer. Dr Kocovic attended the Belgrade University Medical School from 1976 to 1982 in Yugoslavia and completed his general medicine residency at the University Clinical Center, Belgrade. He developed an interest in the study of cardiac arrhythmias early in his career and took time during his residency training to pursue research fellowships at the Hospital Jean Rostand Electrophysiology Laboratory in Paris, and the San Antonius Hospital Electrophysiology Laboratory in the Netherlands. In 1991, Dr Kocovic came to the United States where he completed his cardiology and cardiac electrophysiology training at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. Dusan regarded his time with Dr …
Mythbusters: event stream processing versus complex event processing

There has been significant event processing controversy in the use of the terms event stream processing (ESP) and complex event processing (CEP). CEP was originally envisioned as a technology to extract new information from message-based systems; while ESP was designed to extract new information from database-oriented systems. One school of thought is that ESP is analogous to signal processing and CEP is more aligned with higher level situational inferencing. Another school of thought is that CEP and ESP are one in the same!This talk explores the relationship between CEP and ESP in the context of event processing, and in particular to an event processing reference architecture derived from earlier distributed blackboard computing models. After introducing the model, we explore where ESP and CEP "fit" by applying ESP and CEP concepts to practical use cases for event processing, drawing from signal processing, decision theory, control theory, and stochastic processing. The basis of the talk is derived from established thinking in the domain of multi-sensor data fusion, applying traditional concepts to today's commercial view of event processing. The talk will be controversial and provocative, stimulating discussion and thought on areas for further research and development.