cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Atropine aggravates signs and symptoms of Takotsubo cardiomyopathy

We present a novel case of Takotsubo cardiomyopathy, associated with worsening chest pain and T-wave inversions on electrocardiogram after atropine use. Our patient was an 82-year-old woman who complained of substernal chest discomfort of 5 hours duration. Atropine 0.5 mg was administered intravenously by the emergency medical service for symptomatic bradycardia. The patient subsequently complained of worsening chest pain and developed new T-wave inversions on the electrocardiogram. Cardiac catheterization was diagnostic and revealed normal coronary arteries but akinesis of the apical segment. Although the pathogenesis of Takotsubo cardiomyopathy is not completely understood, catecholamine-mediated myocardial stunning due to enhanced sympathetic activity is the most widely accepted underlying mechanism. The withdrawal of parasympathetic drive in such cases should exacerbate sympathetic activity, leading to the genesis or worsening of disease activity. The role of atropine in relation to Takotsubo cardiomyopathy has been questioned before. However, it was always in the setting of general anesthesia induction, at which time atropine had been used for reversal of symptomatic bradycardia; consequently, determining the exact role of atropine in the disease process was difficult. Our patient received only atropine and therefore illustrated its capacity to worsen signs and symptoms of Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy. Because patients with Takotsubo cardiomyopathy may present with recurrent chest pain, we would recommend caution against the use of atropine for symptomatic bradycardia in such patients in the emergency department. Transcutaneous pacemaker should be preferred.
Sensor Networks under Regulatory Power Constraints

Power constraints are often motivated by the physical limitations of the transmitting device (battery power etc.). However, a different source of power constraints is the regulatory framework imposed by authorities such as the United States FCC. Specifically, if a frequency band is to be reused on a tight spatial schedule, then the interference created by each system must be constrained. For sensor networks, such constraints could become the bottleneck in the scenario where the number of sensors becomes very large. In this paper, we discuss the impact of this shift in perspective on the fundamental performance bounds
Agmatine : An endogenous ligand at imidazoline receptors may be a novel neurotransmitter in brain

Agmatine, which in other life forms serves as a metabolic intermediate for polyamine biosynthesis, appears to have properties in mammals consistent with its actions as a neurotransmitter/neuromodulator. Thus, agmatine is synthesized unequally in brain by arginine decarboxylase (ADC); is stored in neurons and axon terminals with a heterogeneous distribution; is released from synaptosomes by depolarization; is enzymatically converted by agmatinase to putrescine; interacts not only with alpha2-adrenergic and I-receptors in the CNS, but also may selectively block NMDA receptor channels; and, when administered centrally, has several potent biological actions. Clarification of its role in normal brain function, however, has not yet been fully established, in part because of the absence of agents that selectively affect its biosynthesis or degradation.
Control of large scale computing systems

The rapidly increasing scale of computing systems means that it is vitally important to address the scaling challenges in the control of computing systems. We introduce a framework for describing the control problems for large scale computing systems that expand along two dimensions: the scale of the target system and the scale of the policy. Using this framework, we present control architectures that span a range from centralized schemes to distributed solutions. We further identify several research challenges related to issues such as target systems latencies and policy decomposition.
The effects of sampling artifacts on cosmic dust flux estimates: a reevaluation of nonvolatile tracers (Os, Ir)

We reevaluate the effects of sampling artifacts on estimates of the flux of cosmic dust to Earth by modeling the population of extraterrestrial particles as a function of surface–area and time–interval sampled. Results from a Monte Carlo simulation for nonvolatile tracers such as Os and Ir indicate that samples corresponding to ≥2.5 m2a adequately sample the incoming extraterrestrial particle population. This applies to nearly all extraterrestrial flux estimates based on Os isotope data for marine sediments. New and revised flux estimates based on Os isotopes in marine sediments constrain the flux of extraterrestrial matter to the sea floor to 30,000 ± 15,000 metric tons per year, within error identical to estimates of the flux of extraterrestrial matter to the top of Earth’s atmosphere. Care must be taken in the interpretation of iridium data for ice and snow samples because such samples are often too small to adequately sample the extraterrestrial particle population. The effects of systematic bias include large scatter in the data and underestimating the extraterrestrial matter flux.
A SIMPLE POWER-LAW APPROXIMATION FOR THE SOLVATION TIME CORRELATION FUNCTION

Abstract In previous work we developed a new class of molecular theories of solvation, the “surrogate Hamiltonian” (SH) theories, to elucidate the structural, energetic, and dynamical aspects of the solvation process relevant to ultrafast time-domain spectroscopy and charge transfer reactions in solution. In these theories we represent both the solute and the solvent molecules by interaction site models of the sort already used in many computer simulation studies of solutions. Of special interest to the characterization of the nonequilibrium solvation process is the solvation time correlation function Z(t), that can be obtained in time-dependent fluorescence Stokes shift experiments. The experimental and theoretical studies of Z(t) in polar solvents have revealed an important dependence of the solvation time correlation function on the nature of the solute, especially with respect to the multipolar order of the charge jump. Here we investigate a simplified version of our theory of solvation dynamics, which is based on the straightforward application of a method previously developed by our group, the reference frequency modulation approximation (RFMA). In the earlier paper we showed that when applied to the solvation tcf, the RFMA leads to a simple interpretation of the power law equation for Z(t)found empirically by Maroncelli and coworkers. Here we propose a new power-law approximation to the solvation time correlation function that retains the dependence of Z(t) on the features of the solute. More specifically, the new application of the RFMA discussed here enables us to express the solvation tcf Zy(t) of solute Y in terms of the solvation tcf ZR(t) of another solute R in the same solvent. The solutes R and Y may differ in size, shape, and charge distribution. The consistency of Z(t) calculated with more accurate methods and the simpler RFMA theory is quite satisfactory.
Decomposition of time-frequency distributions using scaled-window spectrograms

The decomposition of time-frequency representations (TFRs) in terms of weighted spectrograms has been recently proposed by several authors. Spectrogram decomposition concepts allow inner products to be used in the computations rather than the more cumbersome outer products usually associated with TFR computations. Kernels are decomposed in terms of eigenvectors in such a manner that a TFR may be represented by a truncated spectrogram series according to the strength of the eigenvalues associated with these eigenvectors. Many TFRs can be represented by relatively few spectrograms due to the small contributions of the remaining spectrograms with eigenvalues below some threshold value. The windows of the spectrograms forming the spectrogram series are the eigenvectors of the decomposition of the kernel of the particular representation. In the present paper it is shown how full TFR representations can be obtained by using a carefully chosen set of scaled cross spectrogram windows, thus avoiding the inherent approximations of the eigenvector approach. Much redundancy can be taken advantage of to permit computation of a small number of short-time Fourier transforms (STFTs). It is not practical to compute the Wigner distribution via the spectrogram decomposition approach due to the fact that the singular values of the decomposition are plus or minus one, precluding truncation of the spectrogram series. The new approach, on the other hand, can represent a Wigner distribution and other TFRs with a small number of STFTs. These STFTs can be used to compute a number of spectrograms and cross-spectrograms which, when appropriately weighted and summed, yield a given TFR, depending on the kernel used in the decomposition.
Clean intermittent catheterization in boys using the LoFric catheter

AbstractPurpose: We compared a recently developed hydrophilic catheter to the standard polyethylene catheter in regard to hematuria, infection and patient satisfaction.Materials and Methods: A hydrophilic LoFric* *Astra Tech, Inc., Molndal, Sweden. or standard Mentor† †Mentor Urology, Santa Barbara, California. catheter was assigned at random to 17 and 16 boys, respectively, who were skilled in intermittent self-catheterization. They were evaluated by weekly urinalysis and a questionnaire.Results: Significantly fewer episodes of microscopic hematuria occurred in the LoFric than Mentor catheter group (9 episodes in 6 subjects versus 19 episodes in 11, p less than 0.05). There were also fewer episodes of bacteriuria in the LoFric group but the difference was not statistically significant. Mean scores plus or minus standard deviation on a visual analogue scale with 0 equal to most and 10 equal to least favorable were LoFric 3.3 plus/minus 2.8 versus Mentor 4.9 plus/minus 2.7 for catheter convenience and 2.7 ...
THE IDEOLOGICAL NATURE OF NUCLEAR DETERRENCE: SOME CAUSES AND CONSEQUENCES*

This paper examines the ideological nature of nuclear deterrence. It does so by analyzing its substantive contents, demonstrating its internal contradictions and discrepancies, and by examining its impact on several aspects of the arms race. The technological condition of mutual assured destruction is seen as an accurate description of the capabilities of the nuclear arsenals of the United States and the Soviet Union. This reality, however, has given rise to an ideology of nuclear deterrence, which is used as a framework for understanding the global order and in turn fuels the arms race. Nuclear deterrence is a militarily and psychologically complex process that is poorly understood by the public, and left vaguely defined by the military-industrial-governmental defense elite. Evidence of the ideological nature of deterrence is contained in its many internal contradictions, and the discrepancies between officials' use of deterrence visA-vis the public and amongst themselves. Further demonstration of its ideological nature resides in the very nature of deterrence itself: it incorporates nonverifiable assertions as cognitive beliefs, and does not permit the questioning of its tenets. The paper concludes with a brief review of some of the consequences of reliance on deterrence in the areas of: our inability to control the arms race, the lack of defensive capabilities, the primacy of the iron triangle, and the seeds of self-destruction inherent in deterrence ideology.
Adjustable grazing incidence x-ray optics: measurement of actuator influence functions and comparison with modeling

The present generation of X-ray telescopes emphasizes either high image quality (e.g. Chandra with sub-arc second resolution) or large effective area (e.g. XMM-Newton ), while future observatories under consideration (e.g. Athena, AXSIO ) aim to greatly enhance the effective area, while maintaining moderate (~10 arc-seconds) image quality. To go beyond the limits of present and planned missions, the use of thin adjustable optics for the control of low-order figure error is needed to obtain the high image quality of precisely figured mirrors along with the large effective area of thin mirrors. The adjustable mirror prototypes under study at Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory are based on two different principles and designs: 1) thin film lead-zirconate-titanate (PZT) piezoelectric actuators directly deposited on the mirror back surface, with the strain direction parallel to the glass surface (for sub-arc-second angular resolution and large effective area), and 2) conventional leadmagnesium- niobate (PMN) electrostrictive actuators with their strain direction perpendicular to the mirror surface (for 3-5 arc second resolution and moderate effective area). We have built and operated flat test mirrors of these adjustable optics. We present the comparison between theoretical influence functions as obtained by finite element analysis and the measured influence functions obtained from the two test configurations.
Distribution and pathology of copperhead (agkistrodon contortrix) venom.

Abstract Rats injected i.p. or i.m. with varying doses of tagged Agkistrodon contortrix venom showed the largest amounts of venom in the kidney and liver at 24 hr, with a slightly different distribution for other organs, and the smallest amounts in the brain and spinal cord. However, the rats injected i.m. showed the highest level at the site of the injection. Edema was seen in both the s.c. and muscle tissues of the rats given the venom i.m., and focal hemorrhage was observed in rats receiving 25 mg/kg or more of venom.
MAP kinases in fungal pathogens.

MAP kinases in eukaryotic cells are well known for transducing a variety of extracellular signals to regulate cell growth and differentiation. Recently, MAP kinases homologous to the yeast Fus3/Kss1 MAP kinases have been identified in several fungal pathogens and found to be important for appressorium formation, invasive hyphal growth, and fungal pathogenesis. This MAP kinase pathway also controls diverse growth or differentiation processes, including conidiation, conidial germination, and female fertility. MAP kinases homologous to yeast Slt2 and Hog1 have also been characterized in Candida albicans and Magnaporthe grisea. Mutants disrupted of the Slt2 homologues have weak cell walls, altered hyphal growth, and reduced virulence. The Hog1 homologues are dispensable for growth but are essential for regulating responses to hyperosmotic stress in C. albicans and M. grisea. Overall, recent studies have indicated that MAP kinase pathways may play important roles in regulating growth, differentiation, survival, and pathogenesis in fungal pathogens.
Residual effects of tracer in sequential double label deoxyglucose studies

The validity of sequential double label deoxyglucose (DG) determinations of local metabolic rate for glucose (IMRglc) was examined by quantifying the degree of trapping of residual first DG tracer during the second experimental period. One sciatic nerve was repetitively stimulated for 25 min, beginning either at the time of the DG injection or 25 min later. IMRglc in the ipsilateral dorsal horn of the lumbar spinal cord was found to be 105% and 56%, respectively, greater than that of the contralateral unstimulated side. Attempts to lower the body burden of radioactive DG by exchange blood transfusion failed to reduce this delayed effect. These data indicate that residual effects of the first tracer could obscure possible differences in IMRglc between two sequential experimental states.
Nuclear shapes of the transitional nuclei 194, 196, 198Pt

Abstract Excitation functions at θ lab = 127.5° have been measured for inelastic scattering of 14–24 MeV α-particles from 194, 196, 198 Pt. Data have been obtained for 0 + , 2 + , and 4 + states in all three targets and also for the 2 + ′ state in 194 Pt. Charge and mass β 2 and β 4 deformations were deduced from coupled-channels analyses of these data. All three targets were found to have moderately large, negative hexadecapole moments. The 2 + ' data for 194 Pt imply that the interference term P 4 = M 02 M 22 M 22′ M 02′ is positive, an unexpected result.
“Subjective” and “Objective” Views of Neighborhood Danger & Well-Being: The Importance of Multiple Perspectives and Mixed Methods

Well-being can be conceptualized and measured in a number of ways and at multiple ecological and ecocultural levels. At the neighborhood or community level, indices of well-being can be constructed using administrative data such as census measures as well as by considering the views of neighborhood residents, both children and adults. In this paper we investigate the congruence, or lack thereof, across aggregated administrative data, children’s views, and parents’ views of neighborhood well-being specifically related to violence and disorder. We argue for obtaining multiple viewpoints to best discern the processes and pathways that link neighborhood conditions with measures of well-being.
A new small (40 kd) keratin filament protein made by some cultured human squamous cell carcinomas

Abstract We examined the keratin proteins of nine cell lines cultured from human squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs) of the epidermis and oral epithelium. All of these lines contained the four major keratins (46 kd, 50 kd, 56 kd and 58 kd) found in normal keratinocytes cultured from these epithelia. A 40 kd protein was also present in the Triton-insoluble cytoskeletal fraction of three of the lines. The 40 kd protein had an isoelectric point of 5.3, near that of the 46 kd and 50 kd keratins. It was precipitated by an antiserum against total s. corneum keratins, and also by an antiserum against purified 46 kd keratin. An antiserum raised against the purified 40 kd protein had a high titer against the 40 kd protein, detected by immunoprecipitation, and did not crossreact with the 46–58 kd keratins. The anti-40 kd serum stained, by indirect immunofluorescence, a cytoplasmic filament network in cells of the SCC lines that synthesize the 40 kd protein. These filaments were of a pattern indistinguishable from that stained by antiserum against total s. corneum keratins, and the pattern was not altered by pretreatment of the cells with colcemid. The anti-40 kd serum did not stain the SCC lines that do not synthesize the 40 kd protein; normal human newborn foreskin keratinocytes or fibroblasts; or 3T3, HeLa or XB cells. Keratinocytes cultured from uninvolved epidermal or oral tissue of patients whose tumors had given rise to SCC lines that synthesize the 40 kd protein were also not stained by the anti-40 kd serum. Synthesis of the 40 kd protein was greatly reduced in tumors formed by the SCC lines that make this protein in culture. Partial proteolytic digestion maps of the 40 kd protein were unique, but very similar to those of the 46–58 kd keratins. These results constitute strong evidence that the 40 kd protein is a keratin, and is neither a breakdown product nor an incomplete translation product of a gene for one of the larger keratins. It is the smallest epidermal keratin yet to be described. The 40 kd keratin may be the product of a normally unexpressed gene or transcript that often becomes activated during the course of keratinocyte transformation. Like the larger keratins, the level of its expression is regulated and is different in cells growing in vivo and in culture.
Isolation of palladium(lI) quinoline-2-thione (HqnS) and quinoline-2-thiolate (qnS) complexes: crystal structures of Pd(HqnS)(PMe3)Cl2, [Pd(HqnS)2(PMe3)Cl][Cl] and vic-Pd2(μ,N-Sη2-qnS)2(η1-qnS)2(PMe3)2

Abstract Reaction of 2-quinolinethione, HqnS, with [PdCl(PR3)μ-Cl]2 (1) in acetone solution produces Pd(HqnS)(PMe3)Cl2 (2) or under more forcing conditions, [Pd(HqnS)2(PMe3)Cl][Cl] (3). Reaction of 1 with the conjugate anion, quinoline-2-thiolate, qnS, in ethanol gives rise to the unusual N-heterocycle-2-thiolate bridged dipalladium complex, vic-Pd2(μ,N-Sη2-qnS)2(η1-qnS)2(PMe3)2 (4). The crystal and molecular structures of 2, 3·CH2Cl2 and 4 have been determined. Crystallographic data for 2: monoclinic P21/n, Z = 4; a = 11.027(4), b = 11.230(6), c = 12.676(6) A; β = 92.32(3)°; V = 1568.4(1) A3, ϱcalc = 1.756 g/cm3. Crystallographic data for 3: triclinic P 1 , Z = 2; a = 8.902(3), b = 12.858(4), c = 13.303(6) A; α = 89.28(3), β = 71.24(3), γ = 72.54(2)°; V = 1369.4(8) A3, ϱcalc = 1.597 g/cm3. Crystallogrphic data for 4: monoclinic P21/n, Z = 4 a = 8.902(3), b = 12.858(4), c = 13.303(6) A; β = 107.25(3)°; V = 4216(3) A3, ϱcalc = 1.585 g/cm3.
Reaction of antithrombin with proteases. Evidence for a specific reaction with papain

Abstract Experiments were performed to determine if the sulfhydryl protease, papain (EC 3.4.22.2), reacts with the plasma protease inhibitor antithrombin (anti-thrombin III, heparin cofactor) in a specific manner analogous to the reaction of thrombin (EC 3.4.21.5) and other serine with this inhibitor The esterolytic activity of papain is blocked by the addition of anti-thrombin but not by antithrombin-thrombin complex or by protein substrates such as bovine serum albumin. Likewise, in the presence of papain, antithrombin was unable to displace the active site dye proflavine from thrombin or to inhibit thrombin-catalysed hydrolysis of an anilide substrate. The reaction of antithrombin and papain was not accelerated by low concentrations of heparin. Approximately stoichiometric amounts of heaparin completely inhibited the reaction of papain with antithrombin. The mutual inhibition indicates that plasma antithrombin does react with papain but the reaction differs from the interaction with coagulation factors, particularly in the heparin effect.
A complex of p190RhoGAP-A and anillin modulates RhoA-GTP and the cytokinetic furrow in human cells

The cytokinetic furrow is organized by the RhoA GTPase, which recruits actin and myosin II to the furrow and drives contractility. Here, we show that the RhoA GTPase-activting protein (GAP) p190RhoGAP-A (also known as ARHGAP35) has a role in cytokinesis and is involved in regulating levels of RhoA-GTP and contractility. Cells depleted of p190RhoGAP-A accumulate high levels of RhoA-GTP and markers of high RhoA activity in the furrow, resulting in failure of the cytokinetic furrow to progress to abscission. The loss of p190RhoGAP-A can be rescued by a low dose of the myosin II inhibitor blebbistatin, suggesting that cells fail cytokinesis because they have too much myosin activity. p190RhoGAP-A binds the cytokinetic organizer anillin, and mutants of p190RhoGAP-A that are unable to bind anillin or unable to inactivate RhoA fail to rescue cytokinesis defects in p190RhoGAP-A-depleted cells. Taken together, these data demonstrate that a complex of p190RhoGAP-A and anillin modulates RhoA-GTP levels in the cytokinetic furrow to ensure progression of cytokinesis.
Tolerance of a virtual reality intervention for attention remediation in persons with severe TBI.

Objective: To evaluate the feasibility of applying virtual reality and robotics technology to improve attention in patients with severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) in the early stages of recovery. Methods: A sample of TBI patients (n ¼ 18, aged 19–73) who were receiving acute inpatient rehabilitation completed threedimensional cancellation exercises over two consecutive days in an interactive virtual environment that minimized distractions and that integrated both visual and haptic (tactile) stimuli. Observations of behaviour during the intervention and of the instructions needed to encourage compliance were recorded. Performance data were compiled to assess improvement across three different treatment conditions. Outcomes: Fifteen of the 18 patients demonstrated tolerance of the virtual environment by completing the entire treatment protocol. Within-subjects comparisons of target acquisition time during treatment showed that a treatment condition that included haptic cues produced improved performance compared to a condition in which such cues were not provided. Separating out participants who were in post-traumatic amnesia showed that this group also demonstrated improvement in performance across trials despite their memory impairment. Conclusions: It is proposed that attention exercises using virtual environments are well-tolerated and engaging and that they could be beneficial for inpatients with severe TBI.
On the assessment of statistical significance of three-dimensional colocalization of sets of genomic elements

A growing body of experimental evidence supports the hypothesis that the 3D structure of chromatin in the nucleus is closely linked to important functional processes, including DNA replication and gene regulation. In support of this hypothesis, several research groups have examined sets of functionally associated genomic loci, with the aim of determining whether those loci are statistically significantly colocalized. This work presents a critical assessment of two previously reported analyses, both of which used genome-wide DNA–DNA interaction data from the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and both of which rely upon a simple notion of the statistical significance of colocalization. We show that these previous analyses rely upon a faulty assumption, and we propose a correct non-parametric resampling approach to the same problem. Applying this approach to the same data set does not support the hypothesis that transcriptionally coregulated genes tend to colocalize, but strongly supports the colocalization of centromeres, and provides some evidence of colocalization of origins of early DNA replication, chromosomal breakpoints and transfer RNAs.
Nonlinear control of a reusable rocket engine for life extension

This paper presents the conceptual development of a life-extending control system where the objective is to achieve high performance and structural durability of the plant. A life-extending controller is designed for a reusable rocket engine via damage mitigation in both the fuel (H/sub 2/) and oxidizer (O/sub 2/) turbines while achieving high performance for transient responses of the combustion chamber pressure and the O/sub 2//H/sub 2/ mixture ratio. The design procedure makes use of a combination of linear and nonlinear controller synthesis techniques and also allows adaptation of the life-extending controller module to augment a conventional performance controller of the rocket engine. The nonlinear aspect of the design is achieved using nonlinear parameter optimization of a prescribed control structure. Fatigue damage in fuel and oxidizer turbine blades is primarily caused by stress cycling during start-up, shutdown, and transient operations of a rocket engine. Fatigue damage in the turbine blades is one of the most serious causes for engine failure.
Diagenesis of late Cenozoic diatomaceous deposits and formation of the bottom simulating reflector in the southern Bering Sea

Diatom ooze and diatomaceous mudstone overlie terrigenous mudstone beds at Leg 19 Deep Sea Drilling Project sites. The diatomaceous units are 300-725 m thick but most commonly are about 600 m. Diagenesis of diatom frustules follows a predictable series of physical and chemical changes that are related primarily to temperature (depth of burial and local geothermal gradient). During the first 300-400 m of burial frustules are fragmented and undergo mild dissolution. By 600 m dissolution of opal-A (biogenic silica) is widespread. Silica reprecipitates abundantly as inorganic opal-A between 600 and 700 m sub-bottom depth. Inorganic opal-A is rapidly transformed by crystal growth to opal-CT. The result is formation of silica cemented mudstone and porcelanite beds. A regional acoustic reflector (called the bottom-simulating reflector, or BSR) occurs near 600 m depth in the sections. This acoustic event marks the upper surface where silicification (cementation) is active. In Bering Sea deposits, opal-A is transformed to opal-CT at temperatures between 35° and 50°C. This temperature range corresponds to a sub-bottom depth of about 600 m and is the area where silicification is most active. Thus, the BSR represents an isothermal surface; the temperature it records is that required to transform opal-A to opal-CT. Deposition of at least 500 m of diatomaceous sediment was required before the temperature at the base of the diatomaceous section was appropriate (35°-50°C) for silica diagenesis to occur. Accordingly, silica diagenesis did not begin until Pleistocene time. Once silicification began, in response to sediment accumulation during the Quaternary, the diagenetic front (the BSR) moved upsection in pace with the upward migrating thermal boundary. X-ray diffractograms and SEM photographs show three silica phases, biogenic opal-A, inorganic opal-A’, and opal-CT. These have crystallite sizes of 11-16 A, 20-27 A, and 40-81 A, respectively, normal to 101. The d(101) reflection of opal-CT decreases with depth of burial at DSDP Site 192. This occurs by solid-state ordering and requires at least 700 m of burial. Most clinoptilolite in Leg 19 cores forms from the diagenesis of siliceous debris rather than from the alteration of volcanic debris as is commonly reported.
Operative repair of enlarging hilar renal artery aneurysm : A case report and review of the literature

Repair of distal renal artery aneurysms poses a significant threat to kidney salvage despite improved operative techniques described over the past decades. The authors describe the case of a seventy-one-year-old woman who presented with an enlarging right renal artery aneurysm located at the renal hilum involving the lobar arteries. Operative repair was accomplished by excision of the saccular posterior wall and reconstruction with a saphenous vein patch. The ischemia time was thirty-three minutes and her postoperative course was uneventful. She was discharged home on the fifth postoperative day with normal renal function, and the renal arteriogram demonstrated a technically successful operation. They review the current literature, and this case is put into perspective with the natural history, clinical course, and present treatment of renal artery aneurysms.
Passive remote sensing of solar-induced fluorescence spectra of crude oil

The solar-induced fluorescence SIF of a simulated oil slick is remotely retrieved from the infilling of the solar Fraunhofer lines of its radiance spectrum acquired by means of a sub-nanometric spectral resolution fluorescence lidar operated in passive mode i.e. as a spectroradiometer. SIF data, retrieved from the infilling of several Fraunhofer lines selected in the 390–660 nm range, were exploited to reconstruct the oil fluorescence spectrum. This spectrum was finally compared with laser-induced fluorescence spectra acquired on the same oil slick by using the fluorescence lidar. The results open new prospects for the remote sensing of oils and their classification.
Experimental implications of finite-width and P T effects in W-boson radiative production

It has been proposed that the magnetic moment of the W boson can be measured by studying the amplitude zeros which occur in certain angular distributions in the reaction pp-bar..--> gamma..lnu-barX. We consider in detail the effect of the width and transverse motion of the W boson on variables which have been proposed in the literature to exhibit the amplitude zeros. We find that the distribution in the angle between the photon and the charged lepton can be used to estimate the magnetic moment of the W. Realistic angular distributions and event rates are presented for future experiments.
An Improved Power-Added Efficiency 19-dBm Hybrid Envelope Elimination and Restoration Power Amplifier for 802.11g WLAN Applications

A comparison of envelope elimination and restoration (EER) and envelope tracking (ET) is discussed and a "hybrid" wideband EER power amplifier (PA) for the WLAN 802.11g system is proposed. A 60% efficiency (the output envelope signal power/input dc power) DC-20-MHz wideband envelope amplifier is designed for wideband EER and wideband ET (WBET) applications. A design method is developed to optimize the efficiency of the envelope amplifier for a given peak-to-average ratio and average slew rate of the envelope signal. An experimental "hybrid" Class-E EER system shows an overall efficiency (modulated RF output power/envelope amplifier dc input power) of 36% and power-added efficiency (the modulated RF output power/envelope amplifier dc input power plus RF input power) of 28% for a WLAN 802.11g signal at 19-dBm (80 mW) output power at 2.4 GHz. Digital predistortion, time alignment, and memory effect mitigation are implemented. The measured 3% error vector magnitude exceeds the 802.11g specification for 5% for a 54-Mb/s modulation signal
The effects of 28 hours of sleep deprivation on respiratory sinus arrhythmia during tasks with low and high controlled attention demands

Task performance while sleep deprived may be moderated by the controlled attention required by the task (Pilcher, Band, Odle-Dusseau, & Muth, 2007). This study examined the effects of 28 h of sleep deprivation on respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) during tasks with low and high controlled attention demands. The results showed that RSA increased throughout the night for both task types, but was consistently reduced during the low compared to high controlled attention tasks. The increase in RSA was linear for the high controlled attention tasks but curvilinear for the low ones. Hence, RSA followed a circadian pattern during the low controlled attention tasks but not the high ones. These results suggest that the effects of sleep deprivation on task performance may be moderated by parasympathetic activity and task type, and this has implications for task assignment during sustained operations that cause sleep deprivation.
Observations on Long‐Term Group Therapy with Suicidal and Depressed Persons

: A long-term, open-ended group for depressed and suicidal individuals who had made suicide attempts is described. Two hundred persons participated in the sample groups over a 46-month period, with only 10 suicide attempts and 1 suicide occurring in this high risk group during the period of the study. Our observations corroborated some findings and differed with others reported of experiences with groups of individuals who have manifested suicidal behavior. The paper includes recommendations for starting groups of suicidal persons and emphasizes that this method of therapy appears to be an effective mode of suicide prevention.
Metal reduction kinetics in Shewanella

Motivation: Metal reduction kinetics have been studied in cultures of dissimilatory metal reducing bacteria which include the Shewanella oneidensis strain MR-1. Estimation of system parameters from time-series data faces obstructions in the implementation depending on the choice of the mathematical model that captures the observed dynamics. The modeling of metal reduction is often based on Michaelis–Menten equations. These models are often developed using initial in vitro reaction rates and seldom match with in vivo reduction profiles. Results: For metal reduction studies, we propose a model that is based on the power law representation that is effectively applied to the kinetics of metal reduction. The method yields reasonable parameter estimates and is illustrated with the analysis of time-series data that describes the dynamics of metal reduction in S.oneidensis strain MR-1. In addition, mixed metal studies involving the reduction of Uranyl (U(VI)) to the relatively insoluble tetravalent form (U(IV)) by S.alga strain (BR-Y) were studied in the presence of environmentally relevant iron hydrous oxides. For mixed metals, parameter estimation and curve fitting are accomplished with a generalized least squares formulation that handles systems of ordinary differential equations and is implemented in Matlab. It consists of an optimization algorithm (Levenberg–Marquardt, LSQCURVEFIT) and a numerical ODE solver. Simulation with the estimated parameters indicates that the model captures the experimental data quite well. The model uses the estimated parameters to predict the reduction rates of metals and mixed metals at varying concentrations. Contact: rl8q@cms.mail.virginia.edu Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Three-dimensional automated segmentation of coronary wall and plaque from intravascular ultrasound pullback sequences

An automated method for segmentation of intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) pullback image sequences is reported. The method uses contextual information about positioning of coronary borders in the previous frames of the sequence to estimate the region of interest in which the internal and external elastic laminae and plaque borders are determined using a graph searching approach. The method was applied to IVUS pullback image sequences acquired in vivo. Systolic and mid-diastalic EGG-gated sequences were derived from each pullback and automatically analyzed in both directions. The method successfully identified the borders in all 20 image sequences. A good correlation was obtained between computer-detected and observer-defined original lumen and plaque areas (r=0.98, y=1.0x+11.51; r=0.94, y=1.06x-0.09; respectively). Border positions were quite accurate with a root-mean-square border positioning error of 0.15/spl plusmn/0.07 mm. The authors' results demonstrate the feasibility of automated border detection in EGG-gated IVUS pullback image sequences.
Dissolution of Mercury from Dental Amalgam at Different pH Values

Dissolution of mercury from dental amalgam has been shown to be diminished by the formation of a tin oxide film on the surface of the mercury-rich gamma 1 phase (Marek, 1990b). Since tin oxides dissolve at low pH values (Deltombe et al., 1974), acidic conditions in the oral cavity may cause an increase in the mercury release. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of acidity in the range of pH 1 to pH 8 on the rate of mercury dissolution in synthetic saliva from tin-free and tin-containing gamma 1 phase and two commercial dental amalgams. The tested hypothesis was that pH affects mercury dissolution only when a protective oxide film dissolves in an acidic environment. After exposures of the specimens for 2 hr or 24 hr in sealed glass bottles, the solutions were analyzed by flameless atomic absorption spectrophotometry for mercury and silver. The results have shown pH-independent mercury dissolution in the range of pH 3 to 8, and a much faster dissolution at pH 1. At all pH values, more mercury dissolved from the tin-free phase than from the tin-containing phase, and the rate of dissolution was lowest for the dental amalgams. The results were affected by the length of the test exposure. The pH independence in a wide range of pH values has been attributed to the atomic mechanism of mercury dissolution. The low rate of mercury dissolution from specimens containing tin has been explained by the formation of a barrier tin oxide film, which dissolved only at the lowest pH. Dissolution of silver at low pH values is believed to have accelerated dissolution of mercury from the tin-free gamma 1 phase. Variation of the dissolution rate with concentration of the dissolved species and kinetics of oxide film dissolution caused the effect of the exposure period.
Transcription Factor Snail Modulates Hormone Expression in Established Endocrine Pancreatic Cell Lines

The development of differentiated cells from undifferentiated progenitor cells is one of the central tenets of developmental biology. However, under conditions of tissue morphogenesis, regeneration, and cancer, this process of development is reversed and fully differentiated cells transition to an undifferentiated phenotype. Here we present evidence that the zinc-finger transcription factor Snail modulates this transition in differentiated pancreatic endocrine cell lines. During passage and growth of these cell lines, Snail expression is induced in a subset of cells within the culture, concomitant with a decrease in insulin and/or glucagon expression. As the cells cluster and exit the cell division cycle, nuclear levels of Snail are reduced and hormone expression is resumed. Snail represses proinsulin and proglucagon gene transcription, and reduction of Snail levels by small interfering RNA treatment increases proinsulin gene expression. We propose that Snail modulates the dynamic balance between differen...
Isolation from Rat Diaphragm of a Calcium-Protein Complex Involved in Excitation-Contraction Coupling

Rat diaphragms depleted of calcium involved in excitation-contraction (E-C calcium) coupling were tagged with 45Ca Seventy percent of the 45Ca was extracted by a 25 mM NaHCO3-50% glycerol solution. Treatment of the muscles with caffeine, shown previously to release E-C calcium, decreased extractable 45Ca to about one-fourth of that of control muscles, indicating that a large fraction of the extracted 45Ca is involved in E-C coupling. On gel filtration, only 10% of the extracted 45Ca was bound to protein. This figure increased to 30% when procaine (which stabilizes E-C calcium) was present in the extraction solution; total extracted 45Ca remained unchanged. The results suggest that E-C calcium is extracted from the muscle as a calcium-protein complex and is readily dissociated from the protein unless prevented in part by procaine. Cadmium-115, which is shown to replace 45Ca at the sites involved in E-C coupling, binds more strongly than 45Ca When 115Cd muscles were extracted with glycerol solution containi...
Treatment of the Wrist and Hand in Cerebral Palsy

A comprehensive review of cerebral palsy is presented as it pertains to the examination and treatment for patients with wrist, hand, and finger deformities. Care is taken to provide several treatment options as they relate to specific deformities.
Using substitution probabilities to improve position-specific scoring matrices

Each column of amino acids in a multiple alignment of protein sequences can be represented as a vector of 20 amino acid counts. For alignment and searching applications, the count vector is an imperfect representation of a position, because the observed sequences are an incomplete sample of the full set of related sequences. One general solution to this problem is to model unobserved sequences by adding artificial 'pseudo-counts' to the observed counts. We introduce a simple method for computing pseudo-counts that combines the diversity observed in each alignment position with amino acid substitution probabilities. In extensive empirical tests, this position-based method out-performed other pseudo-count methods and was a substantial improvement over the traditional average score method used for constructing profiles.
TRANSIT: specifying protocols with concolic snippets

With the maturing of technology for model checking and constraint solving, there is an emerging opportunity to develop programming tools that can transform the way systems are specified. In this paper, we propose a new way to program distributed protocols using concolic snippets. Concolic snippets are sample execution fragments that contain both concrete and symbolic values. The proposed approach allows the programmer to describe the desired system partially using the traditional model of communicating extended finite-state-machines (EFSM), along with high-level invariants and concrete execution fragments. Our synthesis engine completes an EFSM skeleton by inferring guards and updates from the given fragments which is then automatically analyzed using a model checker with respect to the desired invariants. The counterexamples produced by the model checker can then be used by the programmer to add new concrete execution fragments that describe the correct behavior in the specific scenario corresponding to the counterexample.We describe TRANSIT, a language and prototype implementation of the proposed specification methodology for distributed protocols. Experimental evaluations of TRANSIT to specify cache coherence protocols show that (1) the algorithm for expression inference from concolic snippets can synthesize expressions of size 15 involving typical operators over commonly occurring types, (2) for a classical directory-based protocol, TRANSIT automatically generates, in a few seconds, a complete implementation from a specification consisting of the EFSM structure and a few concrete examples for every transition, and (3) a published partial description of the SGI Origin cache coherence protocol maps directly to symbolic examples and leads to a complete implementation in a few iterations, with the programmer correcting counterexamples resulting from underspecified transitions by adding concrete examples in each iteration.
Inhibition of Staphyloxanthin Virulence Factor Biosynthesis in Staphylococcus aureus: In Vitro, in Vivo, and Crystallographic Results†

The gold color of Staphylococcus aureus is derived from the carotenoid staphyloxanthin, a virulence factor for the organism. Here, we report the synthesis and activity of a broad variety of staphyloxanthin biosynthesis inhibitors that inhibit the first committed step in its biosynthesis, condensation of two farnesyl diphosphate (FPP) molecules to dehydrosqualene, catalyzed by the enzyme dehydrosqualene synthase (CrtM). The most active compounds are phosphonoacetamides that have low nanomolar Ki values for CrtM inhibition and are active in whole bacterial cells and in mice, where they inhibit S. aureus disease progression. We also report the X-ray crystallographic structure of the most active compound, N-3-(3-phenoxyphenyl)propylphosphonoacetamide (IC50 = 8 nM, in cells), bound to CrtM. The structure exhibits a complex network of hydrogen bonds between the polar headgroup and the protein, while the 3-phenoxyphenyl side chain is located in a hydrophobic pocket previously reported to bind farnesyl thiodiphosphate (FsPP), as well as biphenyl phosphonosulfonate inhibitors. Given the good enzymatic, whole cell, and in vivo pharmacologic activities, these results should help guide the further development of novel antivirulence factor-based therapies for S. aureus infections.
Three-Dimensional Endoscope-Assisted Surgical Approach to the Foramen Magnum and Craniovertebral Junction: Minimizing Bone Resection with the Aid of the Endoscope

Objective To evaluate objectively the anatomic areas of the cranial base exposed by a three-dimensional (3D) endoscope–assisted far lateral approach. Methods A series of far lateral approaches with only condyle resection, with only jugular tubercle resection, with both partial condyle and total jugular tubercle resection, and without occipital condyle and jugular tubercle resection were performed on 10 cadaveric heads (20 sides). To assess properly the exposure of major anatomic and neurovascular structures, the intradural anatomy of the exposed craniocervical junction was divided into 8 compartments, including 3 superior cranial compartments, 3 inferior cranial compartments, and 2 spinal compartments. Results The anteromedial compartments toward the midline were difficult to explore using the microscope and required the aid of the endoscope. The 3D endoscope provided general circumferential visualization of the anatomic structures, even without resection of the jugular tubercle, and afforded good visualization of the more lateral compartments. Safe and optimal surgical corridors for insertion of the endoscope were also identified. Conclusions Use of a 3D endoscope allows for minimal resection of the condyle and jugular tubercle, better visualization of the surgical compartments toward the midline, and better in-depth surgical exploration of each intradural compartment. However, the 3D probe is still too large and restricts surgical maneuverability.