cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN THE UNDERSTANDING OF X CHROMOSOME INACTIVATION

X chromosome inactivation is a developmentally regulated process, present, in all mammals, which has presumably evolved to achieve dosage compensation between males and females in somatic cells. This phenomenon has been under study for more than thirty years in efforts to gain a better understanding of the control of gene expression, the pathogenesis of various X-linked diseases and sex chromosome aneuploidies, and to assess cell lineage and clonality in studies of tumor origins. X chromosome inactivation requires a mechanism for assessing the X/autosome ratio, a process for initiating the cis inactivation of genes on a single X, and a means of stably maintaining a pattern of inactivation once established. Over the past few years, it has become apparent that not all genes on the X chromosome are subject to inactivation. We have been trying to identify as many such genes as possible as they may provide insight into the mechanisms which produce abnormal phenotypes in the sex chromosome aneuploidies. We have characterized several of these genes, studied the signals which control their expression and investigated their location and biology on the mouse X chromosome. A gene studied by several investigators, XIST, has been of particular interest as it is expressed only from an otherwise inactive X chromosome. We have found that XIST is also expressed from the single X chromosome in the testis during meiosis supporting the old theory that X inactivation is required for functional spermatogenesis.
Steps toward accurate reconstructions of phylogenies from gene-order data

We report on our progress in reconstructing phylogenies from gene-order data. We have developed polynomial-time methods for estimating genomic distances that greatly improve the accuracy of trees obtained using the popular neighbor-joining method; we have also further improved the running time of our GRAPPA software suite through a combination of tighter bounding and better use of the bounds. We present new experimental results (that extend those we presented at ISMB'01 and WABI'01) that demonstrate the accuracy and robustness of our distance estimators under a wide range of model conditions. Moreover, using the best of our distance estimators (EDE) in our GRAPPA software suite, along with more sophisticated bounding techniques, produced spectacular improvements in the already huge speedup: whereas our earlier experiments showed a one-million-fold speedup (when run on a 512-processor cluster), our latest experiments demonstrate a speedup of one hundred million. The combination of these various advances enabled us to conduct new phylogenetic analyses of a subset of the Campanulaceae family, confirming various conjectures about the relationships among members of the subset and confirming that inversion can be viewed as the principal mechanism of evolution for their chloroplast genome. We give representative results of the extensive experimentation we conducted on both real and simulated datasets in order to validate and characterize our approaches.
Torsion Ballistocardiography: With Special Reference to Patterns in Surgically Amenable Cardiovascular Diseases

The recoil forces generated in the circulatory system were converted into a momentum (torque) by using a table supported by a single steel bar in its center. With such a torsion ballistocardiograph, information can be obtained on the site of origin of the forces and on their direction, because the amplitude of the table is proportional to the product force times lever arm (distance from the center of rotation), and the latter can be varied by placing the subject in various positions relative to the center of rotation. The limitations of ballistocardiography in general arise mainly from the complexity of the system of three oscillators (heart, body, table) in which the elastic and damping properties of the body are presently unknown. These limitations are discussed.
Dual agonist-antagonist effects of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) in the guinea pig ileum: Evidence for a selective receptor desensitization effect

Abstract The application of 5-HT to strips of whole ileum or the longitudinal muscle-myenteric plexus preparation from guinea pigs caused dose-dependent muscle contractions that were followed by relaxation to baseline tension without washing off the drug (fade). The contractile effect of a subsequent addition of 5-HT, 4 min after a priming dose of 5-HT, was markedly reduced. Increasing priming doses of 5-HT caused proportional increases in the 5-HT Emax 50 , up to a priming dose that completely abolished the contractile effects caused by further additions of 5-HT. The auto-blockade of the 5-HT responses was selective to drugs acting on serotonergic receptors. 5-HT did not antagonize the effects of acetylcholine, dimethylphenylpiperazinium, nicotine, histamine, prostaglandin E 2 , substance P or angiotensin II. N-methyl-5-HT was the most potent analogue in mimicking the effects of 5-HT to produce auto-blockade and fade to the contractile responses. Other structural analogues of 5-HT that shared the 5-HT blocking effect were 5-methoxytryptamine, 5,6-dihydroxytryptamine, and N,N-dimethyltryptamine although these compounds were considerably less potent than 5-HT as blockers or as agonists. Results suggest that fade and the auto-blockade are part of a common effect and are discussed in relation to a model of drug-induced selective receptor desensitization.
Fabrication of Bi-material MEMS detector arrays for THz imaging

Recently, there has been a significant interest in Terahertz (THz) technology, primarily for its potential applications in detection of concealed objects as well as in medical imaging for non-invasive diagnostics. This region of the spectrum has not been fully utilized due to lack of compact and efficient THz sources and detectors. However, there are several reports recently on real-time THz imaging using uncooled microbolometer camera and quantum cascade laser (QCL) operating as a THz illuminator. The cameras used in these studies are optimized for infrared wavelengths and do not provide optimal sensitivity in the THz spectral range. The fabrication of microbolometer focal plane arrays (FPAs) is relatively complex due to the required monolithic integration of readout electronics with the MEMS pixels. The recent developments in bi-material based infrared FPAs, utilizing optical readout, substantially simplifies the FPA fabrication process by decoupling readout and sensing. In this paper, design and fabrication of a bi-material based FPAs, optimized for the THz wavelengths, as well as design and integration of the readout optical system for real-time imaging will be described.
Thermospray ionization liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry and chemical ionization gas chromatography- mass spectrometry of hexazinone metabolites in soil and vegetation extracts

Abstract We have used thermospray LC-MS to confirm three highly polar metabolites (A, B, and G) of the herbicide hexazinone [3-cyclohexyl-6-(dimethylamino)-1-methyl-1,3,5-triazine-2,4(1H,3H)-dione], and chemical ionization GC-MS to confirm two other metabolites (D and E) in extracts of soil and vegetation from a forest in the Central Alabama Piedmont. Selected-ion monitoring (SIM) of the protonated molecular ions of metabolite A [3-(4-hydroxycyclohexyl)-6-(dimethylamino)-1-methyl-1,3,5-triazine-2,4(1H,3H)-dione] at mass-to-charge ratio ( m / z ) 269 and metabolite B [3-cyclohexyl-6-(methylamino)-1-methyl-1,3,5-triazine-2,4(1H,3H)-dione] at m / z 239 gave matrix detection limits (MDLs) of 25 ppb (ng/g) and 50 ppb, respectively, in 10 g vegetation samples. MS quantitation for A and B generally confirmed high-performance liquid chromatography data. SIM of the protonated molecular ion of metabolite G [3-cyclohexyl-6-(methylamino)-1,3,5-triazine-2,4(1H,3H)-dione] at m / z 225 afforded an MDL of 5 ppb in 50 g topsoil samples. Metabolite G was not confirmed above the MDL in any of the soils tested. Chemical ionization GC-MS using methane reagent gas gave strong ion signals for metabolite D [3-cyclohexyl-1-methyl-1,3,5-triazine-2,4,6(1H,3H,5H)-trione] at m / z 226 and 144 and metabolite E [3-(4-hydroxycyclohexyl)-1-methyl-1,3,5-triazine-2,4,6(1H,3H,5H)-trione] at m / z 242, 224, and 144. SIM at these masses afforded MDLs of 50 ppb for D and 400 ppb for E in 10 g vegetation samples.
Introduction to diffusion tensor imaging mathematics: Part III. Tensor calculation, noise, simulations, and optimization

The mathematical aspects of diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging (DTMRI, or DTI), the measurement of the diffusion tensor by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), are discussed in this three-part series. Part III begins with a comparison of different ways to calculate the tensor from diffusion-weighted imaging data. Next, the effects of noise on signal intensities and diffusion tensor measurements are discussed. In MRI signal intensities as well as DTI parameters, noise can introduce a bias (systematic deviation) as well as scatter (random deviation) in the data. Propagation-of-error formulas are explained with examples. Step-by-step procedures for simulating diffusion tensor measurements are presented. Finally, methods for selecting the optimal b factor and number of b = 0 images for measuring several properties of the diffusion tensor, including the trace (or mean diffusivity) and anisotropy, are presented. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Concepts Magn Reson Part A 28A: 155–179, 2006
Temporal relationship of spontaneous and coitus-induced release of luteinizing hormone in the normal cyclic rat.

Changes in plasma luteinizing hormone (LH), as measured by radioimmunoassay, were studied in cyclic unmated and mated female rats maintained on a “modified” lighting schedule (lights on midnight to 2 PM). In unmated animals the "critical period" for LH release occurred 3–5 hr prior to the onset of the dark cycle, a time comparable to that observed in the conventional light—dark cycle (lights on 5 AM to 7 PM). A significant increase in LH concentration was observed in mated animals throughout the major portion of behavioral receptivity. Plasma LH was elevated within 10 min following cessation of mating, reached a maximum at 15–30 min and remained elevated during the next hour. In addition, LH values for the high lordosis group were significantly higher than the values for the control unmated and low lordosis groups. When rats were mated during the time that plasma LH was declining from the proestrus peak, mating prevented the decline in LH which occurred in the controls. The results indicate that coitus ca...
Pressure broadening of ClO by N2 and O2 near 204 and 649 GHz and new frequency measurements between 632 and 725 GHz

The N2 and O2 pressure broadening of the ClO transitions near 204 and 649 GHz have been measured between 200 and 300 K. Oxygen broadening has been measured for the transitions near 278 GHz. The accuracy of the derived air broadening is comparable to that for the air broadening of stable species and is estimated to be within approximately 3% over the entire temperature range. These transitions are currently being used for satellite, balloon, and ground based monitoring of atmospheric ClO, respectively. Some new frequency measurements are reported in the 632 - 725 GHz range. These are in good agreement with previous measurements and predictions.
Stabilization of a Mode-Locked Nd: Glass Laser by Intracavity Second-Harmonic Generation

Abstract A method is described for generating stabilized, intensity-limited pulsetrains from a mode-locked Nd:glass laser with internal second-harmonic generation.
Stereodynamics of metal-ligand assembly: what lies beneath the "simple" spectral signatures of C2-symmetric chiral chelates.

A series of C2-symmetric chiral tetra-dentate ligands were prepared by using [4,5]- or [5,6]-pinene-fused 2,2′-bipyridyl units that are supported across a rigid arylene–ethynylene backbone. These conformationally pre-organised chelates support stable 1:1 metal complexes, which were fully characterised by UV/Vis, fluorescence, circular dichroism (CD), and 1H NMR spectroscopy. A careful inspection of the exciton-coupled circular dichroism (ECCD) and 1H NMR spectra of the reaction mixture in solution, however, revealed the evolution and decay of intermediate species en route to the final 1:1 metal–ligand adduct. Consistent with this model, mass spectrometric analysis revealed the presence of multiple metal complexes in solution at high ligand-to-metal ratios, which were essentially unobservable by UV/Vis or fluorescence spectroscopic techniques. Comparative studies with a bi-dentate model system have fully established the functional role of the π-conjugated ligand skeleton that dramatically enhances the thermodynamic stability of the 1:1 complex. In addition to serving as a useful spectroscopic handle to understand the otherwise “invisible” solution dynamics of this metal–ligand assembly process, temperature-dependent changes in the proton resonances associated with the chiral ligands allowed us to determine the activation barrier (ΔG≠) for the chirality switching between the thermodynamically stable but kinetically labile (P)- and (M)-stereoisomers.
Successful resuscitation of an elderly patient following cardiac arrest: Possible role of reduction of reactive oxygen

The presence of hyperoxia during reperfusion following brain ischemia has been shown in experimental animals to result in increased mortality and increased lipid peroxidation. Although no human studies have been reported, prolonged hyperoxia after resuscitation from cardiac arrest probably would result in increased cerebral injury. We report the case of an 88-year-old man who had a 5- to 6-minute cardiac arrest and then had decerebrate posturing during the post-resuscitation period, indicating that he had suffered a significant ischemic/anoxic insult. Early attention was paid to normalizing the arterial Po2 following resuscitation, which, according to experimental evidence, contributed to his eventual complete recovery of neurologic function, including mental state.
Molecular Determinants of Survival Motor Neuron (SMN) Protein Cleavage by the Calcium-Activated Protease, Calpain

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a leading genetic cause of childhood mortality, caused by reduced levels of survival motor neuron (SMN) protein. SMN functions as part of a large complex in the biogenesis of small nuclear ribonucleoproteins (snRNPs). It is not clear if defects in snRNP biogenesis cause SMA or if loss of some tissue-specific function causes disease. We recently demonstrated that the SMN complex localizes to the Z-discs of skeletal and cardiac muscle sarcomeres, and that SMN is a proteolytic target of calpain. Calpains are implicated in muscle and neurodegenerative disorders, although their relationship to SMA is unclear. Using mass spectrometry, we identified two adjacent calpain cleavage sites in SMN, S192 and F193. Deletion of small motifs in the region surrounding these sites inhibited cleavage. Patient-derived SMA mutations within SMN reduced calpain cleavage. SMN(D44V), reported to impair Gemin2 binding and amino-terminal SMN association, drastically inhibited cleavage, suggesting a role for these interactions in regulating calpain cleavage. Deletion of A188, a residue mutated in SMA type I (A188S), abrogated calpain cleavage, highlighting the importance of this region. Conversely, SMA mutations that interfere with self-oligomerization of SMN, Y272C and SMNΔ7, had no effect on cleavage. Removal of the recently-identified SMN degron (Δ268-294) resulted in increased calpain sensitivity, suggesting that the C-terminus of SMN is important in dictating availability of the cleavage site. Investigation into the spatial determinants of SMN cleavage revealed that endogenous calpains can cleave cytosolic, but not nuclear, SMN. Collectively, the results provide insight into a novel aspect of the post-translation regulation of SMN.
The cardinals below |[ω1]<ω1|

Abstract The results of this paper concern the effective cardinal structure of the subsets of [ ω 1 ] ω 1 , the set of all countable subsets of ω 1 . The main results include dichotomy theorems and theorems which show that the effective cardinal structure is complicated.
Endowments, preferences, technologies and abatement: growth-environment microfoundations

Will economic growth inevitably degrade the environment, throughout development? We present a household-level framework emphasising the trade-off between consumption that causes pollution and pollution-reducing abatement. Our model provides a simple explanation for upward-turning, non-monotonic paths of environmental quality during economic growth. Its innovation yields sufficient conditions that simultaneously address preferences and technologies. With standard preferences, an asymmetric endowment (i.e., at zero income, consumption is also zero but environmental quality is positive) leads low-income households not to abate, and further this condition is sufficient for an environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) for a wide range of abatement technologies. Without such an endowment, however, even strong economies of scale in abatement are, on their own, insufficient for an EKC.
Three types of Ca2+ channel trigger secretion with different efficacies in chromaffin cells

To determine whether the different types of Ca2+ channels present in the same secretory cell contribute equally to secretion, we used chromaffin cells to analyse the coupling between three distinct types of Ca2+ channel and exocytosis. These are omega-conotoxin-GVIA-sensitive N-type channels, omega-agatoxin-IVA-sensitive P-type Ca2+ channels and dihydropyridine-sensitive facilitation Ca2+ channels, which are normally quiescent but are activated by depolarizing pre-pulses, repetitive depolarizations to physiological potentials, or agents that raise cyclic AMP. We have simultaneously monitored changes in capacitance as an assay of catecholamine secretion, and Ca2+ currents. Although all three types of Ca2+ channel trigger secretion individually, facilitation channels produce much greater secretion for a given size of Ca2+ current, indicating that they are coupled more efficiently to exocytosis. These results indicate that facilitation Ca2+ channels may be physically nearer vesicle release sites. They also show that low efficiency P- and N-type channels could trigger mild release and that high-efficiency facilitation channels may underlie the massive catecholamine release that occurs during the 'fight or flight' response.
More evidence that mediated priming does not occur between semantic-phonological associates

An experiment was conducted to test for mediated priming between semantic-phonological associates (e.g., light-damp; the mediator is lamp). Subjects made lexical decisions on single letter strings. Target words (e.g., damp) were immediately preceded by either mediated primes (e.g., light) or by unrelated primes (e.g., queen). Test lists did not contain directly related items (e.g., light- lamp). Consistent with previous findings, there was no evidence of semantic-phonological mediated priming in lexical decisions.
Statin Inhibition of Fc Receptor–Mediated Phagocytosis by Macrophages Is Modulated by Cell Activation and Cholesterol

Objectives—An inflammatory response to altered lipoproteins that accumulate in the arterial wall is a major component of the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. Statins reduce plasma levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and are effective treatments for atherosclerosis. It is hypothesized that they also modulate inflammation. The aim of this study was to examine whether lovastatin inhibits macrophage inflammatory processes and clarify its mechanism of action. Methods and Results—We examined the effects of statins on phagocytosis of antibody-coated red blood cells by cultured human monocytes and mouse peritoneal macrophages. Lovastatin, simvastatin, and zaragozic acid, a squalene synthase inhibitor, blocked Fc receptor–mediated phagocytosis by cultured human monocytes and mouse peritoneal macrophages. The inhibitory effect of lovastatin on Fc receptor–mediated phagocytosis was prevented completely by addition of mevalonate, farnesyl pyrophosphate, LDL, or cholesterol to the culture medium. The inhibitory effect of zaragozic acid was reversed by addition of LDL, but not by the addition of geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate, to the medium. In addition, the effect of lovastatin on phagocytosis is a function of cell activation because treatment of cells with tumor necrosis factor- or lipopolysaccharide prevented inhibition of phagocytosis by lovastatin. Conclusions—The inhibition of Fc receptor–mediated phagocytosis of lovastatin is related to its effect on cholesterol biosynthesis rather than its effect on the formation of isoprenoids. (Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2004; 24:2051-2056.)
Constraints on very-high-β, edge-stabilized tandem-mirror reactors

There are several tandem-mirror schemes which propose a very highβ and edge stabilization for the center-cell plasma (β being the ratio of the plasma pressure to the vacuum magnetic-field pressure). While the exact criteria for the edge stabilization are uncertain, it is possible to analyze the option space in which a very-high-β mirror reactor would operate. The primary physics constraints on such a reactor are the energy balance at ignition, the buildup of He4 ash and the hotα-particleβ(β α hot ), and the need for adiabatic conservation of the hotα-particle gyro-orbits in the axial field gradients at the center-cell ends. There are also engineering constraints on the allowable wall loading and plant size. In this paper, a wall-stabilized tandem-mirror reactor is analyzed and is found to be an attractive device requiring low center-cell vacuum fields (of the order of 2 to 3 tesla). A primary requirement is that the plasma edge have a thermal conductivity near classical values.
Effects of parenteral and oral administration of monosodium l-glutamate (MSG) on somatic growth in rats

Abstract The effects of parenterally and orally administered monosodium l -glutamate (MSG) on somatic growth were studied in rats. Neonatal rats receiving 10 s.c. injections of 4 g/kg body wt. showed hyperphagia only in the postweaning stage: at maturity they were obese, hyperlipidaemic and stunted, with reduced nasoanal and tail length, reduced endocrine and other organ weights and almost complete absence of neurons of the arcuate nucleus (AN). Low blood pressure and high heart rate were recorded in males. Infant rats receiving 10 injections of 4 g/kg of MSG showed milder disturbances. Neonatal or infant rats given repetitive doses of 0.2 or 0.5 g/kg showed parallel weight gains to those of controls. Weanling rats fed a diet containing 5% MSG for 10 days, following earlier intubation, consumed 7 g/kg body wt. per day of MSG without effect, their AN remaining normal. These data indicate that an adverse effect from MSG on somatic growth is not induced in so far as the AN neurons are not injured following any route of administration.
Validation of a short rhythm strip compared to ambulatory ECG monitoring for ventricular ectopy.

Abstract Premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) are associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and mortality. Many epidemiologic studies measure a continuous short rhythm strip to ascertain PVCs as a screening tool to identify persons at highest risk. Despite its widespread use in epidemiologic studies, the rhythm strip has not been completely validated. Therefore, a continuous 2-min rhythm strip was measured on 242 consecutive individuals referred for ambulatory ECG monitoring. Prevalence of at least one PVC on the 2-min rhythm strip was compared to a gold standard, the average number of PVCs per hr on ambulatory recording. The prevalence of any PVCs on the 2-min rhythm strip was 19%. As average PVCs per hr increased on the ambulatory ECG recording, sensitivity increased while specificity slowly decreased. Sensitivity ranged from 26–100% and specificity ranged from 81–100% across the distribution of average PVCs per hr on ambulatory monitoring. Area under the receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve of the 2-min rhythm strip compared to 24-hr results was 0.943. Area under ROC curves were not statistically different (P > 0.05) by age, gender, hypertension status, or history of myocardial infarction. In this clinical population, utilizing the 2-min rhythm strip as an indicator of average PVCs per hr had excellent specificity and moderate to low sensitivity across most of the distribution of average PVCs per hr. The use of a short rhythm strip to detect PVCs may be considered useful in epidemiologic investigations of cardiovascular disease and mortality for detecting high frequency PVCs in populations. The use of a short rhythm strip as a screening tool to detect PVCs in clinical practice is not warranted, based on our findings and the existing literature. However, an awareness that PVCs on a 2-min rhythm strip consistently identify high frequency PVCs on 24-hr recordings should be helpful to clinicians.
Identification of injury-induced mitotic cells in adult rat cerebral cortex by neuron-specific markers.

Abstract Adult rat brains were injured by partial decortication. Four days later, the brains were examined for mitotic cells that were immunostained for neuronal markers: the neuron-specific enolase (NSE) and neurofilaments (NF). Of the 30 rats stained for NSE, 15 were found to have NSE-positive cells containing mitotic figures; of the 25 rats stained for NF, 12 possessed NF-positive cells in mitosis. Most of the mitotic neurons were granule cells and small- and medium-size pyramidal cells and were located in cortical layer III within 500 μm from the wound margin. Although a rare phenomenon, mitosis of neurons in the neocortex of mature mammalian brains may reflect neuronal plasticity in response to injury.
Glutamate-Induced Disruption of the Blood-Brain Barrier in Rats Role of Nitric Oxide

Background and Purpose The first goal of this study was to determine the effect of glutamate on permeability and reactivity of the cerebral microcirculation. The second goal of this study was to determine a possible role for nitric oxide in the effects of glutamate on the cerebral microcirculation. Methods We examined the pial microcirculation in rats with intravital microscopy. Permeability of the blood-brain barrier was quantified by the clearance of fluorescent-labeled dextran (molecular weight, 10 000 D; FITC-dextran-10K) before and during application of glutamate (0.1 and 1.0 mmol/L). In addition, we examined the permeability of the blood-brain barrier during application of a nitric oxide donor, S-nitroso-acetyl-penicillamine (SNAP; 10 μmol/L). Diameter of pial arterioles was measured before and during application of glutamate or SNAP. To determine a potential role for nitric oxide in glutamate-induced effects on the cerebral microcirculation, we examined the effects of NG-monomethyl-l-arginine (10 μ...
Porous silicon fuel cells for micro power generation

The objective of this paper is to report the recent progress in the development of porous silicon fuel cells for micro power generation. Previous work has demonstrated that an acid loaded porous silicon membrane could be a suitable proton conducting material that is compatible with silicon microfabrication technology. In this paper, we present recent improvements to our previously published micro fuel cell designs that achieve 94 mW cm−2 at room temperature. In addition, a percolation model is shown to be suitable for understanding the proton transport mechanism in acid loaded porous silicon membranes.
Wavelength measurement and analysis of the Schumann-Runge absorption bands of 18O2 in the region 175–205 nm

Abstract High-resolution absorption spectra of 18 O 2 have been photographed, at 300 and 79 K, throughout the region 175–205 nm, in the first order of a 2400 lines/mm grating in a 6.65-m vacuum spectrograph at a dispersion of 0.06 nm/mm. Precise wavelength measurements and rotational analyses of the Schumann-Runge bands (2, 0)-(19, 0) have been completed. Spectroscopic constants of the B 3 Σ u − state of 18 O 2 for 2≤ v ≤ 18 have been determined. Rotational perturbations are observed in the (18, 0) and (19, 0) bands. Values of the spin-spin and spin-rotation constants have been obtained by interpolation for the levels v = 2−10 and 2−7, 10, respectively, which correspond to bands with unresolved triplet structure.
Bilateral Iliac Vein Filter Deployment in a Patient with Megacava

An 85-year-old-woman presenting with low back pain developed shortness of breath and right-sided chest pain. She was found to have perfusion defects indicative of pulmonary embolus (PE). Heparin was at first employed, but had to be discontinued because of gastrointestinal bleeding. Caval filtration was the obvious course, but it was found on computed tomography (CT) scan that the suprarenal portion of the inferior vena cava was 55 mm in diameter, and the infrarenal portion 44 mm. These measurements were too large for insertion of a Greenfield filter, for which the maximum diameter should be 28 mm. The right common iliac vein was 28 mm in diameter, and the left external iliac vein 25 mm. Two filters were inserted percutaneously in these vessels. The patient was followed for 9 months. No clinical evidence of recurrent PE or venous insufficiency occurred.
An Interview with Suzanne Bell, Administrator of the University of Rochester's New Open Source Institutional Repository, UR Research

Abstract Institutional repositories are playing a bigger role than ever before in electronic publishing and access at many colleges and universities around the world. In this first part of a two-part series, “From Picas to Pixels” will look at both an open source and a commercially available and proprietary institutional repository. In this first installment, editor Chad Hutchens interviews Suzanne Bell, administrator of the University of Rochester's new open source institutional repository, UR Research. What new functionalities does this new open source application allow? How are faculty using this new institutional repository? How is it changing the way researchers publish and collaborate with each other? What criteria should libraries have when considering an institutional repository application?
Laser Doppler Measurement Of Coronary Blood Flow Velocity

Clinical measurement of coronary flow reserve by means of a fiber-optic laser Doppler catheter requires the measurement of blood flow velocity with minimal interference from the flow disturbance caused by the catheter itself. Study of Doppler scattering in blood by a transport theory approach shows that use of two spatially separated fibers for illumination and collection of light would give greater penetration of the velocity sensing region through the hydrodynamic boundary layer of the catheter. The design of a laser-Doppler velocimeter using dual multimode fibers with frequency shifted heterodyne detection is described. Flow velocity is estimated from the frequency moments of the spectrum, which are determined in realtime by analog signal processing without the use of spectrum analysis. Signal to noise analysis indicates that the output noise of the velocity estimate should be easily adequate to permit measurement of coronary flow reserve and resolution of the phasic characteristics of flow velocity.
The interface between retained roots and dental implants: a histologic study in baboons.

Background: This study is a derivative of another study evaluating implant efficacy in baboons. In the previous study it was noted that some implants were placed near or into retained root tips. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of the inadvertent placement of root form implants into or near retained root fragments. Methods: The baboon has severe dilacerations at the apices of the roots, making extraction very difficult; 120 teeth were extracted from 10 baboons. After the sites had healed, root form implants were placed in each of the sites. Sites were either loaded at various time intervals or left unloaded. Block sections were removed and processed for histologic examination. Results: When the specimens were analyzed, it was noted that several implants were placed through retained root fragments, while others were placed through the periodontal ligament of other root fragments. In a few cases, implants were close to, but not in contact with, either the root or the periodontal ligament...
Trichotillomania and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: A Case Study

ABSTRACT This is a clinical case study of a 45-year-old, Caucasian male, active duty military officer. It demonstrates the short-term efficacy of habit-reversal training on the treatment of trichotillomania (TTM) in three 50-minute sessions, with concomitant, but unanticipated decreases in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and emotional distress as measured by the PTSD Checklist, Form PCL-M and OQ-45, respectively. This study discusses the benefits and limitations of such a short treatment for comorbid TTM and PTSD, while positing the relationship between the two disorders. Finally, it lends support for the classification of TTM as an anxiety disorder rather than an impulse-control disorder.
Automatic evaluation of speaker recognizability of coded speech

This paper proposes a methodology that uses automatic speaker recognition for evaluating the speaker recognizability of processed speech. This methodology provides an efficient measure (an objective one) that is hoped to replace subjective tests which involve human listeners. Preliminary experiments have been conducted using speech processed through the following coders: LPC-10 2400 bps (FS 1015), CELP 4800 bps (FS 1016), and PSELP 2400 pbs.
Aspirational and aversive constitutionalism: The case for studying cross-constitutional influence through negative models

BORROW—1. trans. a. To take (a thing) on pledge or security given for its safe return; b. To take (a thing) on credit, on the understanding of returning it, or giving an equivalent; hence, to obtain or take the temporary use of (a thing recognized as being the property of another, to whom it is returnable) . . . 2. fig. a. . . . More usually of immaterial things: as, to adopt (thoughts, expressions, modes of conduct) from another person, or (words, idioms, customs, etc.) from a foreign language or people; to obtain (a temporary favour) by request; to derive (one’s authority, etc.) from another, as opposed to holding it by inherent right; to draw (a comparison, inference, suggestion) from some source alien to the subject in hand; to adopt (something) for other than its normal purpose. . . .
Delay-limited throughput of ad hoc networks

The delay-limited throughput of an ad hoc wireless network confined to a finite region is investigated. An approximate expression for the achievable throughput as a function of the maximum allowable delay is obtained. It is found that: 1) for moderate values of the delay d, the throughput that can be achieved by taking advantage of the motion increases as d/sup 2/3/ and 2) for a fixed value of d, the dependence of the achievable throughput on the number of nodes n is n/sup -1/3/. A transmission and relaying strategy ensuring continuous information flow is constructed. It is shown that there exists a critical value of the delay such that: 1) for values of the delay d below the critical delay, the throughput does not benefit appreciably from the motion and 2) the dependence of the critical delay on the number of nodes is a very slowly increasing function (n/sup 1/14/). Finally, asymptotic optimality of the proposed strategy in a certain class is shown.
Facilitating Research with Group Support Systems

Group Support Systems (GSS) and their effects on group processes and outcomes have been an object of intense study for 10 years. This article takes a different perspective on the involvement of GSS in research. The authors address how GSS tools canfacilitate the process of developing and implementing research. A generic model of the research process is used to describe specific suggestions and examples-including three scenarios-for improving researcher efficiency and effectiveness. GSS can provide a variety of benefits to researchers, including basic meeting support for multiple researchers in developing elements of a research project; electronic recording of data from subjects; data analysis; and integration of information and data across the entire research process. Benefits of using GSS to facilitate/support the research process, the limitations of this approach, and the use of GSS to extend the research process beyond its current boundaries are reviewed.
Notice of Violation of IEEE Publication Principles Trends in broadcast receiver integration: SoC versus SiP

The aim of this paper is to explore existing process, radio architecture and system partition choices for modern broadcast receivers and describe the recent developments and future trends in their integration path. Design challenges and circuit/system solutions are presented for both SoC and SiP receivers.
A mechanistic evaluation of photosynthetic acclimation at elevated CO2

Plants grown at elevated pCO2 often fail to sustain the initial stimulation of net CO2 uptake rate (A). This reduced, acclimated, stimulation of A often occurs concomitantly with a reduction in the maximum carboxylation velocity (Vc,max) of Rubisco. To investigate this relationship we used the Farquhar model of C3 photosynthesis to predict the minimum Vc,max capable of supporting the acclimated stimulation in A observed at elevated pCO2. For a wide range of species grown at elevated pCO2 under contrasting conditions we found a strong correlation between observed and predicted values of Vc,max. This exercise mechanistically and quantitatively demonstrated that the observed acclimated stimulation of A and the simultaneous decrease in Vc,max observed at elevated pCO2 is mechanistically consistent. With the exception of plants grown at a high elevated pCO2 (> 90 Pa), which show evidence of an excess investment in Rubisco, the failure to maintain the initial stimulation of A is almost entirely attributable to the decrease in Vc,max and investment in Rubisco is coupled to requirements. Abbreviations: A, net CO2 uptake (mmol m ‐2 s ‐1 ); Atm, theoretical maximum A for given conditions of I, Tleaf, elevated pCO2 and the Vc,max and Jmax observed at current pCO2 (mmol m ‐2 s ‐1 ); ca ambient CO2 concentration (mmol mol ‐1 ); ci, CO2 concentration in the substomatal cavity (mmol mol ‐1 ); I, photosynthetic quantum flux density (mmol m ‐2 s ‐1 ); Jmax, maximum in vivo rate of electron transport (mmol m ‐2 s ‐1 ); pCO2, partial pressure of CO2; m, gradient of a correlation; Tleaf, leaf temperature (∞C); Vc,max, maximum in vivo rate of ribulose 1,5 bisphosphate-saturated carboxylation (mmol m ‐2 s ‐1 ); WIMOVAC, Windows Intuitive Model of
CD56+/CD4+ Lymphomas and Leukemias Are Morphologically, Immunophenotypically, Cytogenetically, and Clinically Diverse

CD56, a neural adhesion molecule, is a marker of natural killer (NK) lymphocytes as well as a subgroup of CD8+ T cells. Normal lymphocytes with a CD56/CD4 phenotype are scarce. Physiologic increases may occur in patients with immunosuppression, chronic inflammation, and autoimmune disorders. We report 4 cases of lymphomas/leukemias with the unusual CD56/CD4 phenotype. Two were of T-cell and 2 of true NK-cell origin. The T-cell lymphomas had large granular lymphocyte morphologic features and splenomegaly. One patients had a benign course; the other died within months of the leukemia diagnosis. The 2 NK cell lymphomas had blastic morphologic features, initially involved skin, and had a very aggressive clinical course; 1 patient died of acute leukemia, and 1 had recurrence after bone marrow transplantation. Cytogenetic analyses did not show a consistent pattern of abnormalities. The NK lymphoma with acute leukemia had a t(2;5) but was CD30- and anaplastic lymphoma kinase negative. Although CD56+/CD4+ lymphomas/leukemias are a heterogeneous group, there may be a distinct subgroup of NK lymphoblastoid lymphomas of the skin, judging from our cases, as well as those previously reported.
Effect of Agrobacterium rhizogenes on phenolic content of Mentha pulegium elite clonal line for phytoremediation applications

Abstract Mentha pulegium elite clonal line MPH-4 is known to contain high levels of endogenous phenolic compounds. These compounds are secondary metabolites of the phenylpropanoid pathway that aid in several metabolic processes, including stress response and hormone production. Agrobacterium rhizogenes is a soil bacterium utilized for its ability to transfer its Rol genes via the Ri plasmid on t-DNA. A. rhizogenes is also known to increase secondary metabolites in several plant varieties. In this study, MPH-4 and A. rhizogenes were used to demonstrate how secondary metabolite production can be effected. Total plant phenolics and GPX activity were enhanced by inoculation of tissue culture explants with A. rhizogenes . Enhancement of phenolic production by A. rhizogenes was more apparent when explants were also treated with polymeric dye R-478. The response of MPH-4 to A. rhizogenes and polydye R-478 are useful to determine the use of this clonal line in phytoremediation.
Semantic multimodal compression for wearable sensing systems

Wearable sensing systems (WSS's) are emerging as an important class of distributed embedded systems in application domains ranging from medical to military. Such systems can be expensive and power hungry due to their multi-sensor implementations that require constant use, yet by nature they demand low-cost and low-power implementations. Semantic multimodal compression (SMC) mitigates these metrics in terms of data size by leveraging the natural tendency of signals in many types of embedded sensing systems to be composed of phases. In our driving example of a medical shoe with an insole lined with pressure sensors, we find that the natural airborne, landing, and take-off segments have sharply different and repetitive properties. SMC models and compresses each segment independently, selecting the best compression scheme for each segment and thus reducing total transmission energy.
Data-WISE: Efficient management of data-intensive workflows in scheduled grid environments

The execution of data-intensive workflow applications in scientific and enterprise grids has gained popularity in recent times. Such applications process large and dynamic data sets, and often present scope for optimized data handling that can be exploited for performance. Traditionally, core grid middleware technologies of scheduling and orchestration, have treated data management as a background activity - decoupled from job management and handled at the storage and/or network protocol level. We believe that an important requirement for building data-aware grid technologies lies in managing data flows at the application level, in conjunction with their computation counterparts. To this end, we present Data-WISE, an end-to-end framework for management of data-intensive workflows as first class citizens, that addresses aspects of data flow orchestration, co-scheduling and runtime management. The optimizations are focused on exploiting application structure for use of data parallelism, replication, and runtime adaptations. We implement data-WISE on a real testbed and demonstrate significant improvements in terms of application response time, resource utilization, and adaptability to varying resource conditions. The proposed framework acts as an important step towards making distributed execution of data-intensive workflows a reality.
NDE for prognostic structural characterisation

Probing material for damage can be achieved using in-situ and hybrid non-contact ultrasonic sensing including laser and air-coupled transduction. The technology is based on guided waves (Lamb waves or Rayleigh waves) for direct material interrogation including geometrically complex components. Signal processing such as Wavelet analysis enables assessments of the material condition. Experimental results demonstrate that such techniques can perform the inspection from only one side of the structure and have potential to estimate elastic modulai of the material. Such ultrasonic configurations enable non-destructive assessment of material integrity and life service inspections of metal, bonded or composite based structures.
Iodine-125 radioprobing of intramolecular quadruplex conformation of human telomeric DNA in the presence of cationic porphyrin TMPyP4.

Purpose: A repeated, non-coding, DNA sequence d(TTAGGG)n is present in the telomeric ends of all human chromosomes. These repeats can adopt multiple inter- and intra-molecular non-B-DNA conformations that may play an important role in biological processes. We applied 125I -radioprobing to assess the conformation of the human telomeric DNA fragment in a complex with the quadruplex-specific drug – cationic porphyrin TMPyP4.Material and methods: Synthetic DNA oligonucleotides containing the telomeric sequence were labeled with 125I. The probability of DNA breaks caused by decay of 125I is inversely related to the distance between the radionuclide and the sugar unit of the DNA backbone; hence, the conformation of the DNA backbone can be deduced from the distribution of breaks.Results: The obtained data indicate that the telomeric oligonucleotides predominantly fold into an intramolecular quadruplex conformation in the presence of TMPyP4. We propose a mixed-type (3 + 1) conformation of telomeric quadruplex in ...
On Synchronization of Kuramoto Oscillators

Synchronization is a key concept to the under-standing of self-organization phenomena occurring in coupled oscillators of the dissipative type. In this paper we study one of the most representative models of coupled phase oscillators, the Kuramoto model. The traditional Kuramoto model (all-to-all connectivity) is said to synchronize if the angular frequencies of all oscillators converge to the mean frequency of the group and the oscillators get phase locked. Recently, Jadbabaie et. al. calculated a lower bound on the coupling gain which is necessary for the onset of synchronization in the traditional Kuramoto model. It was also shown that there exists a large enough coupling gain so that the phase differences are locally asymptotically stable. Furthermore, the authors demonstrated that the convergence is exponential when all oscillators have the same natural frequency. In this paper we assume that the natural frequencies of all oscillators are arbitrarily chosen from the set of reals. We develop a tighter lower bound on the coupling gain, as compared to the one proposed by Jadbabaie et. al., which is necessary for the onset of synchronization in the traditional Kuramoto model. Our main result says that it is possible to find a coupling gain such that the angular frequencies of all oscillators locally exponentially synchronize to the mean frequency of the group. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first result which demonstrates that in the traditional Kuramoto model, with all-to-all coupling and different natural frequencies, the oscillators locally exponentially synchronize.
Self‐regulated learning in virtual communities

This paper investigates self‐regulated learning (SRL) in a virtual learning community of adults interacting through asynchronous textual communication. The investigation method chosen is interaction analysis, a qualitative/quantitative approach allowing a systematic study of the contents of the messages exchanged within online communities. The results of this study consist of data on SRL‐related events that took place during two subsequent learning activities, aiming to understand if any facet of SRL was privileged over the others. These events were coded according to an original taxonomy of SRL indicators distinguishing between the three cyclical phases of SRL (planning, monitoring and evaluation), between cognitive and metacognitive versus motivational and emotional aspects, as well as between actions carried out at individual or social level. This approach provides data which reflect the evolution in time of the investigated aspects.