cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Renal Nerves and Catecholamine Regulation of Renal Function

There is considerable evidence that the renal nerves play an important role in the control of the renal circulation, tubular solute and water transport, and renin secretion. The purpose of this chapter is to review the physiology and pharmacology of the neural control of these aspects of renal function and to elaborate on how these mechanisms are altered during various pathophysiological states such as hypertension and edema forming disorders. This topic has been recently reviewed (1) and, due to space limitations, work published subsequent to that review (1) will be preferentially referenced.
The Information Superhighway: Will This Change the Way That Consumers Are Being Serviced?

Abstract We have heard this new concept referred to as many different things: the information superhighway, the electronic superhighway, the interactive superhighway, etc. This Information Superhighway will be used to provide many different kinds of services-including links with wireless services. But its principal value will be to greatly expand what you can do with your television sets. But it is not just around the corner. It will be several years before this phenomenon will not only become commonplace but accepted by the consumer. Staying focused on excellent customer service is most important. Service will always be more important than the medium of communication.
Nervous network for lower urinary tract function

Traditionally, sensory signaling in the urinary bladder has been largely attributed to direct activation of bladder afferents. There is substantive evidence that sensory systems can be influenced by non-neuronal cells, such as the urothelium, which are able to respond to various types of stimuli that can include physiological, psychological and disease-related factors. The corresponding release of chemical mediators (through activation of a number of receptors/ion channels) can initiate signaling mechanisms between and within urothelial cells, as well as other cell types within the bladder wall including bladder nerves. However, the mechanisms underlying how various cell types in the bladder wall respond to normal filling and emptying, and are challenged by a variety of stressors (physical and chemical) are still not well understood. Alterations or defects in signaling mechanisms are likely to contribute to the pathophysiology of bladder disease with symptoms including urinary urgency, increased voiding frequency and pain. This review will discuss some of the components involved in control of lower urinary tract function, with an emphasis on the sensor and transducer roles of the urothelium.
Religious and Legal Particularism and Universality

Assuming that law and religion are present in all human societies and that in all human societies law and religion are deeply intertwined and interdependent, this essay uses Isaac Bashevis Singer’s account of his father’s rabbinical court in interwar Poland to explore the particularity, universality, and multiply inter-related nature of these two ubiquitous cultural forms. Singer’s father’s court is at once singularly the product of a distinctive modern iteration of Jewish rabbinic law and Hasidic pietism and a synecdoche for law and religion writ large; Singer’s elegiac tales celebrate the specificity of this time and place while offering the cultural coherence and flexibility of the law enacted there as a model for human justice.
Cross-regulation between G-protein-mediated pathways. Acute activation of the inhibitory pathway of adenylylcyclase reduces beta 2-adrenergic receptor phosphorylation and increases beta-adrenergic responsiveness.

Abstract Cross-regulation from the stimulatory to the inhibitory adenylylcyclase pathways has been described (Hadcock, J. R., Ros, M., Watkins, D. C., and Malbon, C. C. (1990) J. Biol. Chem. 265, 14784-14790). More recently, persistent activation (48 h) of the inhibitory adenylylcyclase pathway has been shown to cross-regulate the stimulatory pathway (i) enhancing the maximal response of beta-adrenergic agonits, (ii) increasing the expression of beta-adrenergic receptor, and (iii) reducing the ED50 for the isoproterenol-stimulated response by 50-fold (Hadcock, J. R., Port, J. D., and Malbon, C. C. (1991) J. Biol. Chem. 266, 11915-11922). Here, we report that short term activation (60 min) of the inhibitory adenylylcyclase pathway of hamster smooth muscle DDT1MF-2 cells with the A1-adenosine receptor agonist N6-phenylisopropyladenosine (PIA) likewise enhances the stimulatory adenylylcyclase response to the beta-adrenergic agonist isoproterenol. The PIA effect was exerted at the level of the receptor, i.e., the beta-adrenergic receptor-mediated response was enhanced, whereas the guanosine 5'-O-(thiotriphosphate)- and forskolin-stimulated adenylylcyclase activities were largely unaffected. In contrast to longer term persistent activation of the inhibitory pathway, receptor number and affinity for 125I-labeled cyanopindolol were unaffected. Metabolic labeling of cells with [32P]orthophosphate and immuneprecipitation of beta-adrenergic receptors detected phosphorylation of the receptor in unstimulated cells and marked phosphorylation in cells challenged with epinephrine. When cells were challenged short term with PIA, the basal state of beta-adrenergic receptor phosphorylation was reduced by 75%. Treating cells with PIA in combination with the cAMP analog 8-(4-chlorophenylthio)adenosine cyclic AMP attenuated the enhanced receptor-mediated adenylylcyclase response observed in cells treated with PIA alone. These data suggest that short term cross-regulation from the inhibitory to stimulatory adenylylcyclase pathways results in the following: (i) decreased intracellular cAMP levels and protein kinase A activity, (ii) reduced phosphorylation of the beta 2-adrenergic receptor in the "basal" (i.e. unstimulated) state, and (iii) enhanced receptor-mediated activation of Gs.
Fatty acids with certain structural characteristics are potent inhibitors of germination and inducers of cell death of powdery mildew spores

Abstract Fatty acids with certain structural characteristics inhibited the germination of Erysiphe polygoni spores. Inhibition of germination was associated with disruption of cellular organization, which included rupture of vacuoles, loss of structural order and condensation of cellular contents and finally considerable shrinkage of the spores. These events could be invoked at a low concentration, i.e. 20 μ M , of the fatty acids and were irreversible after 15 min. Cellular disorganization was detected in a relatively short time, approx. 1 h. In examining a group of fatty acids with different structural characteristics, it was found that the presence of a cis double bond was important for the inhibitory activities. Saturated and trans -monounsaturated fatty acids were ineffective. Also, at 20 μ M , polyunsaturated fatty acids had marginal activities and not all cis -monounsaturated fatty acids were inhibitory. It was noted that the fatty acids with the highest activities shared a common feature,. i.e. a double bond 6 or 7 carbons from either end of the carbon chain. The results suggest that the presence of a Δ6, Δ7, ω6, or ω7 double bond by the cis -monounsaturated fatty acids is an important characteristic for the potent inhibitory activity. In contrast, the presence of an acid group was apparently not a critical requirement for activity, because two cis -monounsaturated fatty alcohols tested also exhibited similar potent inhibitory and disruptive effects. Palmitoleic acid-induced spore shrinkage could be partially prevented by BaCl 2 and fully prevented by spermine. These are compounds known to block certain K + channels, suggesting the involvement of K + channels in palmitoleic acid effects. Also, when the spores were stained with the K + binding ratiometric dye, tetra (acetoxymethyl) ester benzofuran isophthalate (PBFI-AM), disappearance of fluorescence at 340 nm was observed in spores treated with palmitoleic acid, indicating a loss of K + in these spores.
A novel method to estimate the maximum power for a photovoltaic inverter system

This paper describes a novel method to approximate the maximum power for a photovoltaic inverter system for solar distributed generation. It is designed for power systems applications and utilities. The proposed method takes in consideration the interaction between solar panels, photovoltaic inverter, maximum power point tracking (MPPT) control, solar panel DC side dynamic model and the effective intensity of light over the solar panel. The new method has the advantage to provide a new simple way to approximate the optimal voltage or rated voltage (V/sub op/), the optimal or rated current (l/sub op/) and maximum power rating (P/sub max/) produced by a solar panel and the photovoltaic inverter. Furthermore, this straightforward method will be named linear reoriented coordinates method (LRCM) with the advantage that P/sub max/ and V/sub op/ can be approximated using the same variables as the dynamic model without using complicate approximations or Taylor series. Finally, some simulations results are presented.
Perception and Action

All spatially and temporally coordinated behaviors are organized as action systems involving the coupling of perception and action. Some action systems are present at birth, but most will develop in the months and years to come; all of them will become better coordinated and tuned as a function of both neural development and experience. A number of key principles for explaining how perception and action are coupled are presented with specific examples from infant development, and followed by a discussion of specific change mechanisms responsible for the development of action systems.
Pediatric Musculoskeletal Infection: Trends and Antibiotic Recommendations

AbstractIn the past decade, the incidence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infections in children has increased. This phenomenon has led to a rise in complex, deep infections involving the musculoskeletal system for which a comprehensive approach of evaluation and treatment has become
Gas Storage and Separation in Supramolecular Materials

This chapter provides an overview of gas storage and separation applications using Porous Materials. Due to space constraints, we focused our discussion on Organic, Inorganic and Hybrid materials in other words metal organic frameworks. Keywords: gas storage; separation; porous materials; metal-organic framework
Ontogeny of feeding performance and biomechanics in coyotes

Developing organisms must reconcile conflicts between demands of survival within the current life-history stage, with those of maturation, while negotiating the transitions through succeeding stages. In the case of feeding performance, the parts of the feeding apparatus and their biomechanics must maintain functional integrity to meet the feeding needs of a juvenile even as they develop toward their adult form. We concurrently examine the ontogenetic relationships of feeding performance, dentition and feeding biomechanics, relative to key life-history events, utilizing samples drawn from the same population of known-age coyotes Canis latrans. The development of feeding performance is asynchronous with development of both feeding biomechanics and skull morphology; feeding performance lags during ontogeny despite surprisingly large early mechanical advantage of the temporalis, due in part, to early relative maturity of mandibular shape. Feeding performance and biomechanics, like skull morphology, mature well after weaning at 6 weeks of age. Late maturation of bite strength and feeding performance is mediated by ongoing and continued growth of the temporalis muscles as measured by maximum zygomatic arch breadth (ZAB). Males and females may resolve developmental conflicts differently, as females trade earlier maturity for smaller maximum ZAB, decreased relative bite strength and diminished feeding performance, compared with males. The asynchrony of feeding performance development seen in coyotes, is also characteristic of a highly specialized carnivore, the spotted hyena, but coyotes have a much less protracted development, being handicapped relative to adults for a much shorter time. This developmental asynchrony between feeding performance and morphology suggests that a certain minimum threshold of physical growth and development, together with the associated development of biomechanics, are required to produce effective mastication. The relationships among biomechanics, life-history schedules and ontogeny of feeding performance have obvious implications for fitness.
Training for the 21st Century

The Accreditation Council on Graduate Medical Education's Next Accreditation System aims to move residency evaluations from an episodic to a more continuous process that requires evaluation of a re...
Expected values of parameters associated with the minimum rank of a graph

Abstract We investigate the expected value of various graph parameters associated with the minimum rank of a graph, including minimum rank/maximum nullity and related Colin de Verdiere-type parameters. Let G ( v , p ) denote the usual Erdős-Renyi random graph on v vertices with edge probability p . We obtain bounds for the expected value of the random variables mr ( G ( v , p ) ) , M ( G ( v , p ) ) , ν ( G ( v , p ) ) and ξ ( G ( v , p ) ) , which yield bounds on the average values of these parameters over all labeled graphs of order v .
Systematics of Southern Banner-Tailed Kangaroo Rats of the Dipodomys phillipsii Group

Both nongeographic and geographic variation was assessed in southern banner-tailed kangaroo rats of the nominal species Dipodomys phillipsii and D. ornatus . Univariate and multivariate analyses were employed in consideration of geographic variation. D. ornatus is arranged as a subspecies of D. phillipsii , in which four races ( phillipsii, ornatus, perotensis , and oaxacae ) are recognized. Some observations on natural history also are included.
Computation of viscous flow in planar and axisymmetric ducts by an implicit marching procedure

A streamwise marching procedure, approximately 200 times faster than a full Navier-Stokes procedure with comparable accuracy, is presented for solving problems of compressible viscous subsonic flow. Results are presented and compared with experimental data for the cases of developing turbulent flow in a circular pipe; turbulent flow in a two-dimensional S-duct; and turbulent flow in a typical subsonic diffuser. Prior to each main marching step, a preliminary marching step is taken in which the integral continuity equation and an uncoupled form of the streamwise momentum equation are solved simultaneously to obtain the viscous pressure correction. During the main marching step the equations for continuity, streamwise momentum, cross-flow momentum, and energy are solved simultaneously as a coupled system using an implicit finite-difference method, with the viscous pressure correction treated as a source term. The analysis may be used for flows with both favorable and adverse pressure gradients and to predict the location of flow separation.
The acetate-activating mechanism in Rhodospirillum rubrum.

Abstract Acetate in low concentrations was found to stimulate the exchange reaction between radioactive pyrophosphate and ATP. In higher concentrations acetate inhibited the exchange reaction. Acetate was also found to overcome the inhibitory action of CoA. P-P was found to stimulate the exchange reaction between radioactive acetate and acetyl CoA. The data do not support the view, proposed for the acetate activation process, that AMP combines with the enzyme and is exchanged with CoA. They are in accord with the mechanism in which acetyl adenylate is proposed as the anhydride intermediate.
Combined hepatocellular-cholangiocarcinoma: what the radiologist needs to know about biphenotypic liver carcinoma

Combined hepatocellular-cholangiocarcinoma (CHC), also referred to as primary liver carcinoma (PLC) with biphenotypic differentiation, is an increasingly recognized subtype of malignant PLC encompassing varying morphologic forms thought to arise either from progenitor cell lineage or dedifferentiation of mature liver cells. Tumor cells express both biliary and hepatocellular markers by immunohistochemistry, and may also express progenitor cell and stem cell markers. Due to the relative rarity of this tumor type, little is known about the risk factors, imaging appearance, or prognosis. Few studies have demonstrated risk factors that overlap with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and cholangiocarcinoma (CC), though not all appear to arise in the background of cirrhosis. The imaging appearances of these tumors may overlap with those of HCC and CC and discriminating features such as classic enhancement patterns and biliary ductal dilation are not universally present. Serum tumor markers, such as alpha-fetoprotein and carbohydrate antigen 19-9, may be helpful when they are discordant with imaging or if both are elevated to a significant degree. In regards to management and prognosis, most studies demonstrate worse outcomes compared with HCC or CC. In the United States, the diagnosis of HCC is frequently made with imaging alone, and subsequent management decisions, including organ allocation for transplantation, rely upon the radiological diagnosis. Given the importance of radiological diagnosis, awareness of this tumor type is essential for appropriate management.
Global convergence of Newton's method in the DC analysis of single-transistor networks

Global convergence of Newton's method is proved for the DC equations of a one-transistor network. Sufficient conditions are also given for global convergence in networks of n transistors.
Fracture mechanics and full scale pipe break testing for the Department of Energy's new production reactor-heavy water reactor

Abstract Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) has completed a major task for the US Department of Energy (DOE) in the demonstration that the primary piping of the proposed new production reactor-heavy water reactor (NPR-HWR), with its relatively moderate temperature and pressure, should not suffer an instantaneous double-ended guillotine break (DEGB) under design basis loadings and conditions. The growth of possible small pre-existing defects in the piping wall was estimated over a plant life of 60 years. This worst-case flaw was then evaluated using fracture mechanics methods. It was calculated that this worst-case flaw would increase in size by at least 14 times before pipe instability during a safe shutdown earthquake (SSE) would even begin to be possible. The approach to showing the improbability of an instantaneous DEGB for HWR primary piping required a major facility (pipe impact test facility, PITF) to apply all possible design loads, including an equivalent major earthquake (called the SSE earthquake). The facility was designed and built at ORNL in 6 months. The test article was 6.1 m long, 406 mm diameter, 13 mm thick pipe of stainless steel 316LN material that was fabricated to exacting standards and inspections following the nuclear industry standard practices. A flaw was machined and fatigued into the pipe at a tungsten inert gas (TIG) butt weld (ER316L weld wire) as an initial condition. The flaw-crack was sized to be beyond the worst-case flaw that HWR piping could see in 60 years of service—if all leak detection systems and if all crack inspection systems failed to notice the flaw's existence. Starting October 1991, the first test article was subjected to considerable overloadings. The pipe was impacted 104 times at levels equal to and well beyond the SSE loadings. In addition, over 560 000 fatigue cycles and numerous purposeful static overloads were applied in order to extend the flaw to establish the data necessary to confirm fracture mechanics theories, and more importantly, to demonstrate simply that instantaneous DEGB is highly improbable for the relatively moderate energy system.
Some Confucianist Reflections on the Concept of Autonomous Individual

Apres avoir critique les conceptions classique, atomiste et liberaliste des individus autonomes, Herbert Fingarette (« Confucius - The Secular as Sacred » (1972)) approuve l'idee confucianiste de li (bienseance, convenance) comme une alternative possible. L'A. va au-dela de Fingarette, en rendant explicite l'incoherence de la notion meme d'individus autonomes qui font leur choix dans un contexte libre
A Fast Scaling Algorithm for Minimizing Separable Convex Functions Subject to Chain Constraints

We consider the problem of minimizing ? j?NC j(x j), subject to the following chain constraints x 1 =x 2 = x 3 = �·�·�· = x n, where C j(x j) is a convex function of x j for each j ? N={1,2, ... ,n}. This problem is a generalization of theisotonic regression problems with complete order, an important class of problems in regression analysis that has been examined extensively in the literature. We refer to this problem as thegeneralized isotonic regression problem. In this paper, we focus on developing a fast-scaling algorithm to obtain an integer solution of the generalized isotonic regression problem. LetU denote the difference between an upper bound on an optimal value of x n and a lower bound on an optimal value of x 1. Under the assumption that the evaluation of any function C j (x j) takesO(1) time, we show that the generalized isotonic regression problem can be solved inO(n logU) time. This improves by a factor of n the previous best running time ofO(n 2 logU) to solve the same problem. In addition, when our algorithm is specialized to theisotonic median regression problem (where C j(x j)=c j|x j-a jI) for specified values ofc js anda js, the algorithm obtains a real-valued optimal solution inO(n logn) time. This time bound matches the best available time bound to solve the isotonic median regression problem, but our algorithm uses simpler data structures and may be easier to implement.
Managing economic reform: An alternative perspective on structural adjustment policies

The structural adjustment policies of international development organizations have been undermined in many developing countries by weaknesses in administrative capacity to manage economic reforms. If economic reform policies are to be implemented more effectively in the future, international organizations must take a broader view of the development process and assess more carefully the administrative and political capacity of the state to guide the decisions of public and private organizations toward development goals in four policy arenas. The experience of developing countries that were more successful at economic and social development during the 1970s and early 1980s, indicates the characteristics of development administration that policy analysts must assess in order to determine governments' capacity to implement economic reform policies effectively.
Embryonic rodent brain contains estrogen receptors

Estradiol-binding proteins with the properties of putative estrogen receptors are present in cytosol extracts of embryonic mouse hypothalamus and other brain regions. These embryonic estrogen receptors are adultlike in their high affinity and limited capacity for estradiol, sensitivity to diethylstilbestrol, ability to adhere to DNA, and behavior during DNA-cellulose affinity chromatography. As early as 4 days before birth, mouse hypothalamus has approximately 40 percent of the adult concentration of hypothalamic estrogen receptors with these properties. These observations raise the possibility that embryonic rodent brain has the biochemical potential to respond to sex hormones and that the critical period of brain sexual differentiation could be initiated prenatally.
Mitral Stenosis in an Atypical Case of Gargoylism: A Case Report with Pathologic and Histochemical Studies of the Cardiac Tissues

Severe alterations of cardiac tissue occur in association with complete and incomplete forms of gargoylism. It is the purpose of this paper to record the clinical, pathologic, and histochemical findings in the cardiovascular system of a child with an atypical form of gargoylism and mitral stenosis.
To Collaborate or Not: That Is the Question

On April 7, 1980, 22 years ago, an episode of the television series Yes Minister was about government and industry collaboration. In this episode, the minister’s private secretary reminds him that the main theme for his BBC recording is that “private projects are more socially responsible with government money, and government projects are more effi cient with private investment.” Even today, this quotation resonates with the theme of John D. Donahue and Richard J. Zeckhauser’s book Collaborative Governance: Private Roles for Public Goals in Turbulent Times—that the public and private sectors are better off working together than separately.
Shell Mix in the Compressed Core of Spherical Implosions

The Rayleigh-Taylor instability in its highly nonlinear, turbulent stage causes atomic-scale mixing of the shell material with the fuel in the compressed core of inertial-confinement fusion targets. The density of shell material mixed into the outer core of direct-drive plastic-shell spherical-target implosions on the 60-beam, OMEGA laser system is estimated to be 3.4(+/-1.2) g/cm(3) from time-resolved x-ray spectroscopy, charged-particle spectroscopy, and core x-ray images. The estimated fuel density, 3.6(+/-1) g/cm(3), accounts for only approximately 50% of the neutron-burn-averaged electron density, n(e)=2.2(+/-0.4)x10(24) cm(-3).
Effects of Viewing the Television Program Between the Lions on the Emergent Literacy Skills of Young Children

Does viewing Between the Lions, an educational television series featuring literacy instruction, improve the emergent literacy skills of kindergarten and first-grade children? Do improvements vary as a function of the child’s initial reading risk status? In this study, higher word recognition and standardized reading test scores were noted for all viewers compared with nonviewers. In addition, significantly higher means and accelerated slopes for phonemic awareness and letter–sound tasks were found for viewers compared with nonviewers. Even so, improvements in literacy skills (i.e., speech to print, word building, concepts of print) varied, mostly favoring moderately at-risk to not-at-risk kindergarten children who viewed the program. Kindergarten children at great risk and first graders did not benefit as much from the program.
Mixing time and long paths in graphs

We prove that regular graphs with large degree and small mixing time contain long paths and some other families of graphs as subgraphs. We present then an efficient algorithm for finding long paths. We apply the results to size Ramsey numbers and self-avoiding walks in graphs.
Reinstatement of early experiences and later learning: an animal analogue for human development.

Previous research has indicated a relative impermanence of early experience effects when humans are used as subjects. As suggested earlier, the concept of reinstatement, as developed by Campbell, might be a useful one for understanding this pattern of findings. Unfortunately, previous studies of reinstatement have utilized specific early experiences, as opposed to the nonspecific early experiences received by human infants. The present project was an attempt, using rats, to determine if the reinstatement paradigm is valid when nonspecific experiences were utilized. The results indicate that the reinstatement of nonspecific experiences enhances later learning as effectively as the reinstatement of specific experiences.
Inhibition of aromatase and NADPH cytochrome c reductase activities in human endometrium by the human placental NADPH cytochrome c reductase antiserum.

Abstract The cross-reactivity of human placental microsomal NADPH-cytochrome c reductase antiserum, REDFBIV, against the endometrial reductase alone and as a component of the endometrial aromatase was investigated. Human endometrial paniculate fractions were incubated with various amounts of REDFBIV for 1 h at 4°C and both enzyme activities were measured at the end of incubation. The extent of inhibition of these endometrial enzymes was compared with the ability of this antiserum to inhibit the placental microsomal reductase and aromatase activities. The antiserum effectively inhibited the activities of both enzymes in both tissues in a dose dependent manner with aromatase activity inhibited to a greater extent than reductase activity. These results indicate the antiserum to the placental microsomal NADPH-cytochrome c reductase component of aromatase recognizes the reductase component of the aromatase enzyme system in endometrium.
FOSTERING RESILIENCE IN THE AFTERMATH OF DIVORCE: The Role of Evidence-Based Programs for Children

The negative impact of divorce is a concern with far-reaching ramifications for children's well-being. This article reviews divorce-related risks and protective factors that provide an empirical guide for the content of effective programs for children. The promising potential of child-focused interventions is highlighted, including examples of programs with evidence of effectiveness. The Children of Divorce Intervention Program is described in greater detail as an example of a preventive program with six controlled studies documenting multiple benefits to children, including reductions in anxiety, behavior problems, somatic symptoms, and increases in their healthy adjustment at home and at school. A vision for future research and practice is discussed, including best practices for adapting children's programs to court-connected services and a paradigm shift involving systematic preventive outreach to all separating parents with minor children, before difficulties become rooted and chronic.
Shining light on transition-metal oxides: unveiling the hidden Fermi liquid.

We use low energy optical spectroscopy and first principles local density approximation plus dynamical mean field theory calculations to test the hypothesis that the anomalous transport properties of strongly correlated metals originate in the strong temperature dependence of their underlying resilient quasiparticles. We express the resistivity in terms of an effective plasma frequency ${\ensuremath{\omega}}_{p}^{*}$ and an effective scattering rate $1/{\ensuremath{\tau}}_{\mathrm{tr}}^{*}$. We show that in the archetypal correlated material ${\mathrm{V}}_{2}{\mathrm{O}}_{3}$, ${\ensuremath{\omega}}_{p}^{*}$ increases with increasing temperature, while the plasma frequency from the partial sum rule exhibits the opposite trend. $1/{\ensuremath{\tau}}_{\mathrm{tr}}^{*}$ has a more pronounced temperature dependence than the scattering rate obtained from the extended Drude analysis. The theoretical calculations of these quantities are in quantitative agreement with experiment. We conjecture that these are robust properties of all strongly correlated metals, and test the conjecture by carrying out a similar analysis on thin film ${\mathrm{NdNiO}}_{3}$ on a ${\mathrm{LaAlO}}_{3}$ substrate.
High frequency of alternative first exons in erythroid genes suggests a critical role in regulating gene function

The human genome uses alternative pre-mRNA splicing as an important mechanism to encode a complex proteome from a relatively small number of genes. An unknown number of these genes also possess multiple transcriptional promoters and alternative first exons that contribute another layer of complexity to gene expression mechanisms. Using a collection of more than 100 erythroid-expressed genes as a test group, we used genome browser tools and genetic databases to assess the frequency of alternative first exons in the genome. Remarkably, 35% of these erythroid genes show evidence of alternative first exons. The majority of the candidate first exons are situated upstream of the coding exons, whereas a few are located internally within the gene. Computational analyses predict transcriptional promoters closely associated with many of the candidate first exons, supporting their authenticity. Importantly, the frequent presence of consensus translation initiation sites among the alternative first exons suggests that many proteins have alternative N-terminal structures whose expression can be coupled to promoter choice. These findings indicate that alternative promoters and first exons are more widespread in the human genome than previously appreciated and that they may play a major role in regulating expression of selected protein isoforms in a tissue-specific manner. (Blood. 2006;107: 2557-2561)
Analysis of ultrasonically induced free radicals in the emulsion polymerization system by GC–MS

A specially designed gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) analytical method has been developed and applied to identify the source of free radicals that served as initiators in a new ultrasonically induced emulsion polymerization system with monomer methyl mathacrylate (MMA), surfactant sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS) and water. The results showed the radicals came from the dissociation of SDS under ultrasonic irradiation. A quantitative determination procedure has been also developed and utilized to investigate the effects of the polymerization parameters, such as the surfactant concentration, the acoustic intensity of ultrasound, and the argon flow rate on the concentration of the generated free radicals in the emulsion system under ultrasonic irradiation. The results were helpful to understand the mechanism and kinetics of the system. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Sustainable by Design?: Insights From U.S. LEED-ND Pilot Projects

Problem: The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design for Neighborhood Development (LEED-ND) rating system is gaining popularity and may become ingrained in municipal regulations as an approac...
Displacement ranks of matrices and linear equations

Abstract It takes of the order of N3 operations to solve a set of N linear equations in N unknowns or to invert the corresponding coefficient matrix. When the underlying physical problem has some time- or shift-invariance properties, the coefficient matrix is of Toeplitz (or difference or convolution) type and it is known that it can be inverted with O(N2) operations. However non-Toeplitz matrices often arise even in problems with some underlying time-invariance, e.g., as inverses or products or sums of products of possibly rectangular Toeplitz matrices. These non-Toeplitz matrices should be invertible with a complexity between O(N2) and O(N3). In this paper we provide some content for this feeling by introducing the concept of displacement ranks, which serve as a measure of how ‘close’ to Toeplitz a given matrix is.
INSULIN-LIKE GROWTH FACTOR-II (IGF-II) RECEPTORS IN RAT NEUROBLASTOMA CELLS

The presence of high concentrations of IGF-II in cerebrospinal fluid and brain, as well as the prominence of receptors in cortical tissues, make the CNS an attractive site for the study of IGF-II binding and action. B-104 is a transformed rat neuroblastoma cell line whose neuronal qualities include neurotransmitter synthesis and the ability to project axodendritic processes. We observed steady-state binding of 125-I-IGF-II to B-104 membranes between 1.5 and 4 hrs at optimal conditions of 25*C, pH 7-8. Specific binding averaged 12.2±4.0% per 100 ug/ml membrane protein, compared with 125-I-IGF-I binding of 10.1±2.9%. 125-I-IGF-II binding was minimally inhibited (<20%) by insulin concentrations as high as 100 ug/ml. In the presence of unlabeled IGF-II (0.5-5ng/ml), 125-I-IGF-II binding was increased by as much as 50% over baseline; at higher concentrations, 125-I-IGF-II binding was inhibited, with 50% displacement at 50 ng/ml. We observed a similar increase in 125-I-IGF-II binding in the presence of unlabeled IGF-I at concentrations ranging from 1-400 ng/ml. When 125-I-IGF-II was cross-linked to membranes, solubilized, and immunoprecipitated with a specific antibody for the rat IGF-II receptor, a classical type II receptor (Mr∼240K) was visualized upon electrophoresis. These results demonstrate the presence in B-104 cells of a specific high affinity type II receptor, as well as a membrane-bound binding protein, whose existence in conditioned medium was confirmed by activated charcoal assay. B-104 should serve as an appropriate and intriguing in vitro model for future study of IGF receptors and action in the CNS.
Measuring unmet needs and services among persons with traumatic brain injury.

Abstract Heinemann AW, Sokol K, Garvin L, Bode RK. Measuring unmet needs and services among persons with traumatic brain injury. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 2002;83:1052-9. Objectives: (1) To develop a comprehensive list of needs and services appropriate for persons with traumatic brain injury (TBI); (2) to determine whether these needs and services formed unidimensional hierarchies from least common to most common; (3) to describe the relationship between unmet needs and services received; and (4) to estimate the extent to which a variety of demographic, injury, and service characteristics predict unmet needs. Design: Statewide mailed survey. Setting: Illinois communities. Participants: A total of 895 persons who had had a TBI recruited from Brain Injury Association members and rehabilitation service recipients. The median time post-TBI was 7 years; the median age was 37 years. Interventions: Not applicable. Main Outcome Measures: A 27-item instrument assessing service needs and utilization of services, and equal-interval measures of needs and services derived with Rasch analysis. Results: The most prevalent unmet needs were improving memory or problem-solving skills (51.9%), increasing income (50.5%), and improving job skills (46.3%). The instrument defined unidimensional and reliable constructs of needs and services. Persons with greater unmet needs tended to receive fewer services; to report lower life satisfaction and worse medical health and psychologic well-being since injury; to be younger, single, black, dependent in 1 or more daily activities; and to have more recent injuries. Conclusions: The results show the common pattern of unmet needs and services and emphasize the importance of comprehensive, statewide assessment of services and needs in developing policies. © 2002 by the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine and the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
A WD-domain protein that is associated with and phosphorylated by the type II TGF-β receptor

TRANSFORMING growth factor-β (TGF-β) is the prototype for a family of extracellular polypeptides that affect cell proliferation and differentiation, and tissue morphogenesis1. TGF-β signalling is mediated by two types of serine/threonine kinase receptors, the type I and II receptors, which are able to form a heteromeric complex2. No cytoplasmic proteins that associate with these receptors in vivo, or are their kinase targets, have yet been described. We have now identified a WD-domain-containing protein, TRIP-1, which specifically associates with the type II TGF-β receptor in a kinase-dependent way. TRIP-1 does not interact with the type II activin or type I receptors, but associates with the heteromeric TGF-β receptor complex. TRIP-1 is phosphorylated on serine and threonine by the receptor kinase, strongly suggesting that it has a role in TGF-β signalling. This is supported by coexpression of TRIP-1 and type II receptor during development. The existence of TRIP-1 homologues in plant and yeast suggests a conserved function in all eukaryotes.
Second malignancies in early stage laryngeal carcinoma patients treated with radiotherapy

A retrospective review of 240 patients with T1/T2 squamous cell carcinomas of the larynx was performed. Seventy-two per cent had glottic primaries, 27 per cent had supraglottic tumours and one per cent had subglottic disease. Sixty-nine per cent presented with T1 disease and 31 per cent had T2 staged tumours. All patients were treated with definitive radiotherapy between 1973 and 1997. With a median follow-up of 68 months, 68 patients (28 per cent) have developed 72 other cancers. Ten of 68 presented with synchronous primaries (15 per cent). Thirty per cent of glottic patients and 25 per cent of the supraglottic/subglottic patients developed second cancers. The most frequent second malignancy was lung cancer: 28/72 (39 per cent). Fifteen patients developed second head and neck cancers (21 per cent). Other second primary sites included oesophagus (eight), prostate (six), colorectal (five), breast (two) and others (eight). The median time from radiotherapy until the development of a second cancer was 31 months. The Kaplan-Meier survival estimate at five years was significantly less for those patients developing second cancers (55 per cent) compared to those not developing second malignancies (70 per cent), (p<0.05). The median survival from the development of a second cancer was 14 months. More died as a result of a second cancer (41 patients) than their primary laryngeal cancer (40 patients). Second cancers are common and deadly in patients with early stage laryngeal carcinoma.
Managers' reactions to implementing layoffs: Relationship to health problems and withdrawal behaviors

In the present study, we investigate several outcome differences among 410 managers who either had or had not implemented layoffs (i.e., handing out warn notices) during one or more years between 2000 and 2003. Using survey data, our findings show that issuing warn notices significantly predicts increased self-reported health problems, seeking treatment for those health problems, sleep problems, feelings of depersonalization, and intent to quit. Emotional exhaustion fully mediates the relationship between issuing warn notices and health problems, depersonalization, and intent to quit, whereas it partially mediates the relationship to seeking treatment and sleep problems. A similar pattern was found for the mediating variable of job security. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Atmospheric modeling with the intent of training a neural net wavefront sensor

Modeling atmospheric turbulence which plays a critical role in the training of neural network wavefront sensors is discussed in the framework of an adaptive optics program for the multiple mirror telescope. It is concluded that the accuracy of the wavefront correction possible with a neural network directly depends on the similarity of the training images to those seen in the telescope. The image simulations used in the training of neural network wavefront sensors are based on a random mid-point displacement (RMD) algorithm and sine wave summation algorithms. The RMD algorithm is considered to be an extremely fast method of wavefront generation used for very large arrays and image sequences without time evolution. Multiple turbulent layer atmospheric models based on the sine wave summation algorithm create image sequences with temporal structure functions that closely match real structure function data.
Recruitment strategies of methamphetamine-using men who have sex with men into an online survey

Recruiting hidden populations into online research remains challenging. In this manuscript, we report lessons learned from our efforts to recruit methamphetamine-using men who have sex with men. Between July and October 2012, we implemented a four-phase recruitment strategy to enroll a total of 343 methamphetamine-using MSM into an online survey about recent substance use, sexual behavior, and various psychosocial measures. The four phases were implemented sequentially. During phase one, we placed advertisements on mobile applications, and during phase two, we placed advertisements on traditional websites formatted for browsers. During phase three, we used e-mail to initiate snowball recruitment, and during phase four, we used social media for snowball recruitment. Advertisements on mobile devices and websites formatted for browsers proved to be expensive options and resulted in few eligible participants. Our attempts to initiate a snowball through e-mail also proved unsuccessful. The majority (n=320) of observations in our final dataset came from our use of social media. However, participant fraud was a concern, requiring us to implement a strong participant verification protocol. For maximum recruitment and cost-effectiveness, researchers should use social media for recruitment provided they employ strong participant verification protocols.
Impact of Federal Primary Health Care Policy in Rural Areas: Empirical Evidence from the Literature*

This review examines the equity, efficiency and effectiveness of federal rural primary care policy as documented by the existing literature. The focus is on the Community Health Center and National Health Service Corps programs which have constituted the major components of the policy. The literature relating to the policy is limited in the number of studies available and in the quality of the research. The available evidence indicates that the policy is associated with an improvement in the distribution of health resources between rural and urban areas,and among rural areas. There is also partial evidence that the policy has been cost-efficient. For federally subsidized practices,the cost of delivering a similar quality of health care is shown to be up to 50 percent less in rural than in urban areas. Rural private practitioners, though, may be more cost-efficient than federally subsidized rural practitioners, at least under certain conditions which have yet to be fully delineated. Program effectiveness is the least well documented, but the literature does suggest that the policy has had a positive effect on the health status of rural populations. Substantially more research on the efficiency, and particular the effectiveness, of federal rural primary care policy is required for the development of a rational basis for the policy.
Hydroxypropyl cellulose as an adsorptive coating sieving matrix for DNA separations: artificial neural network optimization for microchip analysis

Effective DNA separations in microelectrophoretic systems are complicated by the need to passivate the surface dynamically or covalently. We describe the optimization and utilization of a novel buffer system for fast DNA separations by capillary and microchip electrophoresis without the need for any surface modification or conditioning prior to separation. At concentrations as high as 5%, hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC) has a relatively low viscosity, allowing for microchip channel filling to be performed with ease. A MES/TRIS buffer system at pH 6.1 eliminates the need for surface preconditioning procedures due to the promotion of hydrogen bonding of HPC with the wall. An additional benefit with this buffer system is the low current observed at high fields when compared to other common DNA separation buffers. An artificial neural network (ANN) was used to model the data and to predict the optimum conditions. Utility of the ANN-optimized system for molecular diagnostic testing was demonstrated by performing microchip separations on DNA samples from patients suspected of having genetic mutations associated with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). Microchip analysis easily allowed for the patient samples positive for DMD mutations to be distinguished from patient samples negative for the disease.
Polymer-Attached Functional Inorganic-Organic Hybrid Nano-Composite Aerogels

Novel materials in which modified inorganic-organic hybrid silica aerogels are attached to polymer chains have been synthesized. The aerogels are based on chitosan, a bioderived polymer from chitin, and they contain silica. The first stage of the modifications includes attachment of isocyanate, amine onto the chitosan chains embedded within the aerogel. These groups are employed in the second stage to develop the reactions required to “string” aerogel particles along functionalized linear polymers or to employ these polymers to crosslink the composite aerogels. The initial chitosan-silica aerogel particles have an ultimate size of about 2nm, and their functionally modified forms were reacted at sizes up to 1 m. These aerogels can take up and hold dyes and water-soluble drugs. The chemistry to synthesize polyamino-siloxane based aerogel composite was discussed. In addition, two approaches to synthesize PHEMA aerogel hybrid were studied.