cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Use of sideholes for diagnostic coronary arteriography by judkins technique in patients with ostial coronary stenosis

Patients with ostial left main coronary artery stenosis are at increased risk from diagnostic cardiac catheterization. In order to reduce this risk a modified Judkins coronary catheter with a sidehole 1.5-2 cm from the tip has been used in 6 patients in whom pressure damping was observed after initial use of a standard end-hole Judkins left coronary catheter. This eliminates damping and allows forceful hand injection with good proximal and distal vessel opacification. It also allows the acquisition of multiple views without the need for catheter removal after each injection, thereby reducing the risk involved in multiple cannulations of a vessel with a potentially unstable lesion at its origin. The technique has also been used for ostial lesions in a right coronary artery and a vein graft.
Unexpected synthesis of a naphthylsilole

The reaction of 1,4-dilithiotetraphenylbutadiene (2) with 1,1′-dichloro-2,3,4,5-tetraphenyl-1-silole (3) leads to 2,3,4,5-tetraphenyl-1-(1,2,3-triphenylnaphthalen-4-yl)-1H-silole (5) instead of the expected octaphenyl-1,1′-spirobisilole (1). The reaction of 2 with SiC14 in dioxane produced 1 in low yield, confirming results reported earlier.
Genetic and Environmental Influences on Rumination, Distraction, and Depressed Mood in Adolescence:

Rumination is an established cognitive vulnerability for depression. Despite substantial work on the environmental origins of rumination, the heritability of rumination has not been examined and it is not known whether rumination accounts for some of the genetic vulnerability associated with depression. 756 adolescent twins ages 12-14 years completed the Response Styles Questionnaire and multiple measures of depressive symptoms. Brooding correlated positively and distraction correlated negatively with concurrent depressive symptoms. Estimated heritabilites were 54% for depression, 21% for brooding, 37% for reflection, and 30% for distraction. Bivariate genetic analyses suggested that (1) individual differences in distraction share both genetic and environmental sources of variation with depression; and (2) although the heritable influences on brooding are small, these heritable influences account for the majority of the relationship between brooding and depression (h2 = .62).
Can Coronary Artery Involvement in Kawasaki Disease be Predicted

Background: Coronary artery involvement is seen in approximately 15–20% of children with Kawasaki disease. There is conflicting literature regarding the clinical and laboratory findings associated with coronary artery involvement. In this retrospective study, we attempt identification of predictive factors for coronary artery involvement at our institute and review the existing literature. Methods and results: A review of 203 patients (65% males) with Kawasaki disease was performed, of whom 33 (16.3%) had coronary artery involvement. High erythrocyte sedimentation rate, high platelet count, low hematocrit, low albumin levels, and refractory Kawasaki disease showed significant association with coronary artery involvement. High erythrocyte sedimentation rate and refractory Kawasaki disease were found to be independent predictors of coronary artery involvement. Review of literature suggested a wide range of coronary involvement ( 60%), and highly conflicting clinical and laboratory associations. Conclusion: It remains difficult to accurately determine risk of coronary artery involvement, although some laboratory markers may provide information that is helpful for parental counseling and clinical follow up. Future identification of novel biomarkers and host predispositions may further our understanding of coronary artery risks and help personalize therapy for Kawasaki disease.
MIMO-OFDM Over An Underwater Acoustic Channel

Multicarrier modulation in the form of OFDM facilitates high-rate transmission over long dispersive channels, while multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) techniques increase the system capacity. In this paper, we report on the design of a MIMO-OFDM with two transmitters and test it using experimental data recorded during the AUV Fest, Panama City, FL, June 2007. Nearly error-free performance is observed with low-density parity-check (LDPC) coding. With a 12 kHz bandwidth, the overall data rate is 12.18 kbps after rate 1/2 coding.
Sperm concentration influences recovery of progressively motile spermatozoa and number of inseminations shipped in conventional containers

Summary Three ejaculates from each of 4 stallions were split into aliquots and diluted with skim milk-glucose extender to final concentrations of 25, 50, 100, 150, or 200 million progressively motile spermatozoa/ml. One aliquot per dilution was evaluated for the percentage progressive motility (PMS) and rate of forward movement (RFM) after 15 and 45 minutes of culture at 37°C. One aliquot was stored at 5°C for 24 hours and another for 48 hours at 5°C. The aliquots stored at 5°C were evaluated for PMS and RFM at 15 and 45 minutes of warming (37°C). For spermatozoa stored at 37°C following collection, concentration did not (P 6 progressively motile spermatozoa/ml provided higher (P 6 progressively motile spermatozoa/ml. However, in order to minimize insemination volume and maximize the number of inseminations available per shipment, a concentration of 100 x 10 6 progressively motile spermatozoa may be more appropriate than lower concentrations.
Separation and detection of multiple pathogens in a food matrix by magnetic SERS nanoprobes.

A rapid and sensitive method was developed here for separation and detection of multiple pathogens in food matrix by magnetic surface-enhanced Raman scatter- ing (SERS) nanoprobes. Silica-coated magnetic probes (MNPs@SiO2 )o f∼100 nm in diameter were first prepared via the reverse microemulsion method using cetyltrimethy- lammonium bromide as a surfactant and tetraethyl orthosi- licate as the silica precursor. The as-prepared MNPs@SiO2 were functionalized with specific pathogen antibodies to first capture threat agents directly from a food matrix followed by detection using an optical approach enabled by SERS. In this scheme, pathogens were first immuno- magnetically captured with MNPs@SiO2, and pathogen- specific SERS probes (gold nanoparticles integrated with a Raman reporter) were functionalized with corresponding antibodies to allow the formation of a sandwich assay to complete the sensor module for the detection of multiple pathogens in selected food matrices, just changing the kinds of Raman reporters on SERS probes. Here, up to two key pathogens, Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium and Staphylococcus aureus, were selected as a model to illustrate the probability of this scheme for multiple pathogens detection. The lowest cell concentration detected in spinach solution was 10 3 CFU/mL. A blind test conducted in peanut butter validated the limit of detection as 10 3 CFU/mL with high specificity, demonstrating the
Social Equities and Inequities in Practice: Street‐Level Workers as Agents and Pragmatists

Street-level workers’ judgments, decisions, and actions touch on questions of social equity, a dominant theme of H. George Frederickson's deep contributions to public administration scholarship. Based on empirical work, the authors question the dominant implementation-control-discretion narrative and suggest an alternative framing based on the concepts of agency and pragmatic improvisation. Street-level workers are often conservers of institutional norms and practices, but their work surfaces tensions between practice and the goals of social equity.
Memory for lateral orientation of slides in picture stories

Three picture stories were constructed by taking slides of people involved in three different activities. Two sequences of these slides were presented. Subjects were asked whether or not each slide in the second sequence was in the same lateral orientation as in the first sequence. Experiment 1 presented the slides in correct or random sequence and in correct or random lateral orientation (2 by 2 design). The two groups who received correct orientation excelled in recognition of orientation in the test series. Experiment 2 replicated the random orientation condition, found that pre-warning of the recognition task had no effect on performance, and suggested that these subjects did not make use of the events in determining laterality. Experiment 3 replicated the correct order and orientation condition and further revealed that new but appropriate slides in the test series were accurately judged as to lateral orientation which fit the context of the original stories.
Creep and fracture of a vitreous-bonded aluminium oxide

Creep and creep-rupture behaviour of a commercial grade of glass-bonded, 96% aluminum oxide was characterized as a function of temperature and applied stress. The creep data were fitted to the classical empirical relation usually used to describe this phenomenon. The apparent activation enthalpy, ΔH = 926 kJ mol−1, and the stress exponent,n = 4.8, lie at the high end of the range reported for two-phase materials, primarily as a result of structural modifications that occur during creep. A stress-modified Monkman-Grant relationship was fitted to the creep-rupture data to give a stress exponent of −4.2. None of the available theories of creep rupture provided a satisfactory description of the present set of data. Analytical electron microscopy was used to characterize the composition and structure of this material. In the as-received material the intergranular phase was a glass of nearly uniform composition. During high-temperature exposure, devitrification of the glass resulted in the formation of various crystalline phases within the intergranular region of the material. Devitrification depended on both the proximity to the surface, where it was most pronounced, and on the state of stress. In this regard, flexural creep samples exhibited extensive crystallization within the tensile region of the flexural specimens, but little crystallization within the compressive cross-section. From the composition of the retained glass, estimates of the viscosity of the glass at the grain boundaries were made and used, in combination with microstructural information, to compare the creep behaviour with available theories of creep. The results of this paper are consistent with percolation and solution precipitation mechanisms of creep deformation. By contrast, cavitation did not seem to play a major role in the creep deformation process.
Group B streptococcal vaginitis in postpubertal adolescent girls.

Abstract Purpose The purpose of this study was to explore the clinical findings, diagnosis, and treatment of group B streptococcal (GBS) vulvovaginitis in a sample of adolescent girls and young women found to have this condition. Methods Descriptive retrospective analysis of charts of 13 adolescent girls and young women found to have GBS vulvovaginitis was performed. Results Of the girls and young women with GBS vulvovaginitis, almost all were found to have a purulent vaginal discharge (n = 12). Three had frank cervicitis and/or vaginitis on examination. Only 1 was diagnosed accurately with GBS vulvovaginitis at the time of the visit and 4 were treated with appropriate antibiotics at the time of the visit. Conclusions GBS vulvovaginitis is a poorly diagnosed disease entity in the adolescent and young adult population. Further study is needed in the epidemiology of GBS vaginitis in postpubertal adolescent girls and women to improve the recognition, pathogenesis, and treatment of GBS vaginitis.
Stereochemistry of photosolvolysis of a chiral, 18O-labeled 1-arylethyl acetate

Abstract The stereochemistry of photosolvolysis of ( R )-(+)-1-(3,5-dimethoxyphenyl)ethyl acetate- ether- 18 O in methanol-water and 2,2,2-trifluoroethanol has been determined. An ion pair intermediate was detected in the latter solvent.
Assimilation of small scale observations with a nested adjoint model

An adjoint limited area numerical weather prediction model with multiple nests has been developed. The adjoint modeling system has the capability to pass gradient information from the finer spaced nest to the coarser spaced domain. Therefore, gradients of scalar functions calculated from small scale features can be computed with respect to the large scale model state. Sensitivity experiments were performed to show that the nested adjoint model produces physically meaningful gradients. Results from data assimilation experiments will be presented at the conference. An adjoint model such as the one presented here, could be an important tool for variational assimilation schemes that intend to make use of high resolution remotely sensed data.
The semantics of auxiliary selection in Old Spanish

Old Spanish had a split auxiliary system in the perfect tense, reminiscent of what is found in Modern French and Modern Italian. In this paper, I trace the progress of the displacement of ser ‘be’ by haber ‘have’ with intransitive and reflexive verbs in the history of Spanish. The data support the hypothesis that predicates that have a more patient-like subject are the last ones to lose their ability to select ser, regardless of their syntactic or morphological make-up. This analysis, I argue, adds to the mounting evidence in favor of a universal semantic account of split intransitivity.
Improved inter-area stability using an LQG controller incorporating synchrophasor data

There has been a recent increase in the deployment of phasor measurement units (PMUs) based on the IEEE C37.118 standard. Also referred to as synchrophasors, these have enabled the use of real-time frequency and frequency-rate measurements from generators and substations to be included in load-frequency control applications. This paper presents a method for improving the frequency damping characteristics of a three-area system that experiences 0.5 Hz oscillations. A linear quadratic Gaussian (LQG) controller is developed that includes a Kalman filter for the unmeasured states. An inter-area damping controller is developed using frequency measurements at a sample rate and resolution that would be achieved with IEEE C37.118 compliant synchrophasors in each of the three areas. Simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed controller under realistic circumstances.
Reinforcement learning strategies for clinical trials in nonsmall cell lung cancer.

Typical regimens for advanced metastatic stage IIIB/IV non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) consist of multiple lines of treatment. We present an adaptive reinforcement learning approach to discover optimal individualized treatment regimens from a specially designed clinical trial (a “clinical reinforcement trial”) of an experimental treatment for patients with advanced NSCLC who have not been treated previously with systemic therapy. In addition to the complexity of the problem of selecting optimal compounds for first and second-line treatments based on prognostic factors, another primary goal is to determine the optimal time to initiate second-line therapy, either immediately or delayed after induction therapy, yielding the longest overall survival time. A reinforcement learning method called Q-learning is utilized which involves learning an optimal regimen from patient data generated from the clinical reinforcement trial. Approximating the Q-function with time-indexed parameters can be achieved by using a modification of support vector regression which can utilize censored data. Within this framework, a simulation study shows that the procedure can extract optimal regimens for two lines of treatment directly from clinical data without prior knowledge of the treatment effect mechanism. In addition, we demonstrate that the design reliably selects the best initial time for second-line therapy while taking into account the heterogeneity of NSCLC across patients.
Selection of routes in a flexible manufacturing facility

Abstract Routeing flexibility is defined as the ability to manufacture a product via several alternate routes in the same facility. A route is defined as the set of work centers or machines through which a product is processed, and the processing times at these work centers. Routeing flexibility permits the facility to adjust to changes in the production ratio. Typically, with every change in the production ratio, the FMS scheduler will assign routes to each product, so as to achieve a close to perfect load balance between work centers while minimizing the interference or setups between processing routes. The assigned routes will belong to the set of routes that have been implemented, and hence are available for scheduling. A route is described as implemented when the instructions, skills, tools, handling needs, and other auxiliaries associated with it have been positioned in the facility. The ability to change routes and optimize performance is therefore dependent on the routes which have been implemented. In this paper we assume that several good and feasible routes are generated by the process planner for each product. Since it is economically possible to implement only a few routes per product, the route selection problem is described as identifying the set of routes which should be implemented so as to optimize routeing flexibility related costs. The problem is formulated as a mixed integer program and rules for deriving tight initial solutions are proposed. Tests with sample problems were conducted, and model sensitivity to the scenario change factor and present worth factor were studied.
A generalization of Poincare's theorem for recurrence equations

Abstract A natural generalization to systems of first order equations is given of Poincare's classical theorem on ratio asymptotics of solutions of higher order recurrence equations.
Alterations of Nuclear Thyroid Hormone Receptors in Cerebral Cortex In Vivo

: Investigation was conducted under in vivo conditions in the adult male rat to determine the basic characteristics of the nuclear thyroid hormone receptors in the cerebral cortex. Equilibrium with cortical nuclei of an intravenous dose of triiodothyronine (T3) occurred 3 h after injection and showed a t1/2 of 1 h for dissociation. Saturation of receptors occurred at 0.5–0.6 ng/mg DNA. The endogenous level of binding in the normal rat was 0.07–0.1 ng/mg DNA, representing a 15% occupancy of total receptors at a serum concentration of 66 ng/dl. These characteristics were then examined under several pathophysiological conditions. In the hypothyroid rat, an apparent 37% in-crease in total binding sites occurred. Under either fasting conditions or insulin or glucagon administration declines in serum T3 were noted, and the endogenous binding also decreased in parallel. Only glucagon produced a significant reduction in total binding sites. Under the hypoxic condition produced by maintenance under a 7% oxygen atmosphere, a slight increase in apparent total binding sites was found with no change in endogenous binding level. Severe narcosis resulted in no effects on T3 binding parameters. These results demonstrate specific alterations of thyroid hormone receptors that may be important physiologically.
Depth without disparity in random-dot stereograms

Depth can be perceived in random-dot stereograms in which dots are binocularly uncorrelated, in the absence of overall positional disparity (e.g., Julesz, 1960). This phenomenon, which we have calledrivaldepth, persists over a wide range of luminances, stereogram dot densities, and dot sizes. Rivaldepth is also observed with interocular uncorrelation provided by complementation and orthogonal rival contours, and in both static and dynamic random-dot stereograms. Like conventional stereopsis, rivaldepth magnitude grows with increasing viewing distance, but unlike conventional stereopsis its direction does not reverse when half-images are interchanged. In a survey of 52 individuals, about half consistently reported far rivaldepth; they were also more likely to exhibit overconvergence on a test of fixation disparity. The remaining subjects reported near rivaldepth and tended to show underconvergences. A second experiment, however, showed that eye movements measured immediately after offset of rivaldepth stereograms were in the opposite direction (e.g., convergences were associated with near depth). Evidently, once rivaldepth is established, subjects attempt to fuse the “object” projecting the uncorrelated images. Rivaldepth magnitude is similar to depth produced by stereograms with disparities too large to be fused. The pattern of eye movements and rivaldepth magnitude suggest that the binocular visual system treats uncorrelation as a potentially correlated disparity beyond the fusion limit.
Proton magnetic relaxation in aqueous glycerol solutions containing manganese(II) ion.

The proton nuclear magnetic relaxation rate, 1/T1, is reported as a function of d5- glycerol concentration for aqueous manganese(II) ion solutions over a range of magnetic field strengths corresponding to proton Larmor frequencies between 0.01 and 38 MHz. The data are analyzed in terms of the Solomon, Bloembergen, and Morgan equations which are found to be sufficient to account for the relaxation data over the field and concentration ranges studied. These data provide a useful reference for the viscosity dependence of manganese(II)-ion-induced magnetic relaxation in aqueous systems and a useful comparison with macromolecule bound manganese(II)-ion-induced relaxation where the theory is less successful.
Pediatric PACS, Astrid Lindgren Children's Hospital at Karolinska Hospital, Stockholm, technical and practical aspects

We present a filmless pediatric radiology department for the Stockholm area (1.8 million inhabitants) producing 50000 examinations per year. Seventy percent of the examinations are non scheduled, 50% are emergency cases out of office hours. The system is designed for high reliability operating with 99.7% uptime. A large number of daily conferences are held throughout the Children's Hospital at the various specialized departments, distributed through the intranet, with one pediatric radiologist attending. Instant reading is made in the majority of examinations and reports are available with images throughout the hospital including PC's at doctors rooms. The system uses conventional hardware and software with an open systems standard based approach. The system is highly appreciated by clinicians and has improved availability of radiology information.
Expression of the Na+-HCO-3 cotransporter NBC4 in rat kidney and characterization of a novel NBC4 variant.

The purpose of the present studies was to examine the renal distribution and functional properties of Na+-HCO 3 − cotransporter type 4 (NBC4), the latest NBC isoform to be identified. Zonal distrib...
Alkaloid formation by habituated and tumorous cell suspension cultures of Catharanthus roseus

Habituated and tumorous Catharanthus roseus cells grown in the absence of hormones accumulated indole alkaloids. Total alkaloids and alkaloid pattern were the same when cells were cultured in medium without hormones or in alkaloid production medium with and without indole acetic acid. Treatment of cells with Pythium homogenate as elicitor did not increase total alkaloids or change the pattern of alkaloids produced. When either habituated or tumorous cells were grown in 1B5 medium after Gamborg et al (1968) containing 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), their capacity to accumulate alkaloids decreased with time. The levels of tryptophan decarboxylase (TDC) and strictosidine synthase (SS) specific activities were constant throughout growth except when cells were exposed to 2,4-D in 1B5 medium, where enzyme activities declined in step with the decrease in alkaloid accumulation. Neither habituated nor tumorous cell suspension cultures accumulated vindoline, nor could they be induced to produce this alkaloid by any of the given treatments.
Is The National Budget Controllable

Previous scholarly analyses of national spending have shown a penchant for incre-mentalism in interpreting changes. They have also focused almost exclusively on annual national outlays or annual expenditures. This article argues that, in many cases, budget authority figures provide a better basis for analyzing the national budget. The author gathered annual budget authority (BA) figures from fiscal years 1969 to 1993 and used this BA data for an empirical test of budget controllability. If the national budget has or has not been controlled in the recent past, then it should help us to judge whether or not it is controllable now. Five potential major budget interventions from fiscal year 1980 to 1993 were tested using an interrupted time-series and two regression models. Different intervention results are anticipated depending upon whether one has a policy perspective that is incrementalist, international systemic, or domestic political. The analysis provides more support for the domestic political perspective than for incrementalist or international systemic views. Budget authority was found to be superior to outlays for linking budget results to policy decisions. The national budget responded appropriately to policy decisions in the recent past. In this sense, the budget was controlled and we should view it as controllable.
Race, vitamin D–binding protein gene polymorphisms, 25-hydroxyvitamin D, and incident diabetes: the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study

Background: Low 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] is associated with diabetes, but few studies have examined racially diverse populations while also accounting for key vitamin D–binding protein (DBP) gene polymorphisms. Objective: We sought to evaluate whether the association between 25(OH)D and incident diabetes varied by race and important DBP single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Design: We studied 10,222 adults (8120 whites, 2102 blacks) aged 46–70 y at baseline (1990–1992) from the ARIC (Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities) Study with follow-up for incident diabetes ascertained during study visits conducted in 1993–1995 and 1996–1998. Adjusted HRs and their 95% CIs for diabetes were estimated according to 25(OH)D status. Results: During follow-up there were 750 incident cases of diabetes. The association of 25(OH)D with diabetes varied by race (P-interaction = 0.004). Among whites, the adjusted HR for diabetes corresponding to each additional SD higher 25(OH)D concentration (21.3 nmol/L) was 0.95 (95% CI: 0.91, 0.99). No significant association was observed among blacks (HR: 1.06; 95% CI: 0.99, 1.14). There was evidence that the A allele at rs4588 and the T allele at rs7041, which are reported to be associated with high and low DBP concentrations, respectively, modified the association between 25(OH)D and diabetes among whites (P-interaction 0.50 for both). Conclusions: In this large, community-based study, low 25(OH)D concentrations were associated with diabetes among whites but not blacks. Interactions by key DBP SNPs varied between genotypes associated with either high or low DBP concentrations among whites but not blacks. Nevertheless, the findings from this prospective study suggest that there are important differences in the association of 25(OH)D with incident diabetes between white and black adults.
Vasopressin is the only component of serum-free medium that stimulates phosphatidylcholine hydrolysis and accumulation of diacylglycerol in cultured REF52 cells.

Summary Vasopressin stimulates phosphatidylcholine hydrolysis in REF52 cells, and this phosphatidylcholine hydrolysis results in increases in choline containing metabolites in the culture medium (2.3 × control levels) and accumulation of cellular diacylglycerol (6.5 × control levels). Vasopressin is the only component of a 6-component mixture of the serum-free medium for REF52 cells that induces the phosphatidylcholine hydrolysis response. The effect of vasopressin is both time- and concentration-dependent. Maximal levels of both phosphatidylcholine hydrolysis and accumulation of diacylglycerol are observed between 10 and 20 min after treatment with vasopressin. Effects are maximal at vasopressin concentrations of 100 ng/ml; the ED50 for vasopressin-stimulated phosphatidylcholine hydrolysis is ≈0.7 ng/ml. The evolution of diacylglycerol occurs in a time frame that is consistent with the diacylglycerol activating protein kinase C in a “second phase” agonist response.
STRUCTURE AND PROPERTIES OF POINT DEFECTS IN GRAIN BOUNDARIES IN METALS

The atomistic structures of a number of single vacancies and interstitials at a number of sites in the cores of a number of grain boundaries in a number of metals were calculated [1,2] by the method of molecular statics. These point defects were found to exist in all cases as bona fide point defects. In some cases binding energies to the boundaries were also determined. The thermally activated jumping of single vacancies and interstitials in a Σ=5 tilt boundary in BCC iron was also studied by means of molecular dynamics [2,3]. The vacancies executed relatively rapid jumps between a variety of sites in the boundary core to produce diffusive displacements mainly along the tilt axis. The interstitial became tightly bound to a particular site in the boundary and was unable to jump thermally amongst other sites. All of these results were considered along with other information in the literature, and it was concluded [4] that grain boundary self-diffusion in this boundary (and very likely most boundaries in metals) occurs by a vacancy exchange mechanism.
Four decades of old field vegetation development and the role of Celastrus orbiculatus in the northeastern United States

. This paper describes four decades of in situ vegetation change in a post-agricultural site in southern New England where the role of the introduced vine, Celastrus orbiculatus, has drastically modified the course of vegetation development. An initial perennial forb-grassland community was replaced by two strikingly different physiognomic vegetation types-an early hardwood forest and a vine community occupying the same site 40 yr later. This ecological phenomenon was unpredictable since Celastrus was not recorded at the site until the 1970s. Within the young hardwood forest dominated by Prunus serotina and Acer rubrum, a few old field species (five) persist, whereas 17 forest herbs have become established. Typical forest shrubs are rare or absent. The Celastrus-dominated vine community has suppressed or eliminated pre-existing growth to form a relatively stable community where a forest vegetation is the regional vegetation type. Celastrus also appears to be facilitating a native vine (Vitis labrusca) by forming a ‘ladder’ for its advance. Although A. rubrum and Quercus spp. could ultimately dominate the forest community, the contiguous and aggressive nature of Celastrus makes predictions questionable. This long-term study highlights the unpredictable nature of old field succession and the role of an exotic species in threatening the natural vegetation development.
High-symmetry global minimum geometries for small mixed Ar/Xe Lennard-Jones clusters

Abstract We report several new global minima for mixed Ar/Xe Lennard-Jones atomic clusters. The geometries deviate significantly from those predicted by the icosahedral packing which dominates the structure of small homogeneous Lennard-Jones clusters. The structural motif common to all the reported structures is the ArXe 4 square pyramid.
Synergistic activity of the proteasome inhibitor PS-341 with non-myeloablative 153-Sm-EDTMP skeletally targeted radiotherapy in an orthotopic model of multiple myeloma

Multiple myeloma is a highly radiosensitive skeletal malignancy, but bone-seeking radionuclides have not yet found their place in disease management. We previously reported that the proteasome inhibitor PS-341 selectively sensitizes myeloma cells to the lethal effects of ionizing radiation. To extend these observations to an in vivo model, we combined PS-341 with the bone-seeking radionuclide 153-Sm-EDTMP. In vitro clonogenic assays demonstrated synergistic killing of myeloma cells exposed to both PS-341 and 153-Sm-EDTMP. Using the orthotopic, syngeneic 5TGM1 myeloma model, the median survivals of mice treated with saline, 2 doses of PS-341 (0.5 mg/kg), or a single nonmyeloablative dose of 153-Sm-EDTMP (22.5 MBq) were 21, 22, and 28 days, respectively. In contrast, mice treated with combination therapy comprising 2 doses of PS-341 (0.5 mg/kg), 1 day prior to and 1 day following 153-Sm-EDTMP (22.5 MBq) showed a significantly prolonged median survival of 49 days (P < .001). In addition to prolonged survival, this treatment combination yielded reduced clonogenicity of bone marrow-resident 5TGM1 cells, reduced serum myeloma-associated paraprotein levels, and better preservation of bone mineral density. Myelosuppression, determined by peripheral blood cell counts and clonogenicity assays of hematopoietic progenitors, did not differ between animals treated with 153-Sm-EDTMP alone versus those treated with the combination of PS-341 plus 153-Sm-EDTMP. PS-341 is a potent, selective in vivo radiosensitizer that may substantially affect the efficacy of skeletal-targeted radiotherapy in multiple myeloma.
The low scrotal approach to the ectopic or ascended testicle: prevalence of a patent processus vaginalis.

ABSTRACTPurpose: The scrotal approach to undescended testis has been described using a high scrotal incision and including hernia repair. We describe an approach that uses a low scrotal incision with an inguinal incision if a patent processus is identified. We retrospectively reviewed the likelihood of a patent processus in children selected to undergo this technique.Materials and Methods: A total of 56 consecutive patients determined by history and physical examination to have ectopic or ascended testes underwent orchiopexy using an initial scrotal approach for a total of 71 undescended testes. Inguinal surgery had previously been done in 5 testes, which were not included in patent processus analysis. Charts were reviewed for testicular position, need for inguinal incision and demographic data.Results: Of the patients 16 (19 testes) were younger than 2 years, 19 (26 testes) were 2 to 6 years old and 17 (21 testes) were older than 6 years. In 20% of the patients an inguinal incision was made for a patent ...
Nanomedicine: Tiny Particles and Machines Give Huge Gains

Nanomedicine is an emerging field that integrates nanotechnology, biomolecular engineering, life sciences and medicine; it is expected to produce major breakthroughs in medical diagnostics and therapeutics. Nano-scale structures and devices are compatible in size with proteins and nucleic acids in living cells. Therefore, the design, characterization and application of nano-scale probes, carriers and machines may provide unprecedented opportunities for achieving a better control of biological processes, and drastic improvements in disease detection, therapy, and prevention. Recent advances in nanomedicine include the development of nanoparticle (NP)-based probes for molecular imaging, nano-carriers for drug/gene delivery, multifunctional NPs for theranostics, and molecular machines for biological and medical studies. This article provides an overview of the nanomedicine field, with an emphasis on NPs for imaging and therapy, as well as engineered nucleases for genome editing. The challenges in translating nanomedicine approaches to clinical applications are discussed.
Participation of excitatory amino acid receptors in the slow excitatory synaptic transmission in rat spinal dorsal horn.

Abstract In a rat spinal slice preparation the participation of excitatory amino acid (EAA) receptors in the responses of deep dorsal horn neurons to repetitive stimulation of lumbar dorsal roots was investigated using 3 EAA receptor antagonists, kynurenic acid, d -(−)-2-amino-4-phosphonovaleric acid (D-APV) and 6-cyano-2,3-dihydroxy-7-nitroquinoxaline (CNQX) and current-clamp and voltage-clamp techniques. We found that the slow excitatory synaptic response evoked by 10–20 Hz electrical stimulation of primary afferent fibers consisted of two depolarizing components: an initial component lasting 1–5 s and a late one of 1–3 min duration. The initial and late components of the slow excitatory synaptic response can also be distinguished on the basis of their voltage-dependence and sensitivity to Mg 2+ ions, kynurenate, D-APV and CNQX. In the presence of Mg 2+ , the initial component of the slow excitatory synaptic response increased with membrane hyperpolarization, whereas the late component decreased in most of the cells examined. In a zero-Mg 2+ medium, the initial component was potentiated, but the late component was reduced. In both transverse and longitudinal spinal cord slices perfused with 1.2 mM Mg 2+ -containing medium, bath application of kynurenic acid (0.1–0.5 mM), D-APV (0.05–0.1 mM) and CNQX (5–7 μM) caused a reversible reduction of the peak amplitude of the initial slow depolarizing component that was greater in transverse (kynurenic acid: by 92.6 ± 5.0% ; D-APV: by 69.1 ± 7.8% ; CNQX: by 76.6 ± 9.8% ) than in longitudinal slices (kynurenic acid: by 53.3 ± 1.3% ; D-APV: by 31.5 ± 9.1% ; CNQX: by 35.3 ± 11.1% ). In contrast, all 3 antagonists of EAA receptors produced no consistent change in the peak amplitude or half-duration of the late depolarizing component of the slow excitatory synaptic response. Our results obtained with EAA receptor antagonists, at resting membrane potentials, in the absence and presence of Mg 2+ and synaptic inhibition, indicate that the synaptic activation of the NMDA- and non-NMDA-receptor systems of deep spinal dorsal horn neurons by repetitive stimulation of primary afferent fibers may be selectively involved in the mediation of the initial, but not the late depolarizing component of the slow excitatory synaptic response.
On an Improved Model for the Turbulent PBL.

Abstract Cheng, Canuto, and Howard have presented a second-moment closure PBL model that appears to overcome some of the shortcomings of the existing Mellor and Yamada–type closure models. This note demonstrates that with a slight readjustment in the closure constants of the latter, more specifically the Kantha and Clayson closure model, they can be made to yield results very much similar to that of the Cheng et al. model.
Metabolic alkalosis in the larval salamander, Ambystoma tigrinum: Partitioning regulatory responses between the skin and kidneys

Larval Ambystoma tigrinum were non-occlusively cannulated in the truncus arteriosus for blood collection. One group was infused with a single dose of 1 ml of 200 mM NaHCO3 to induce a metabolic alkalosis. This increased pH from 7.79 to 8.22 after 5 minutes. Bicarbonate ion concentration increased from 16.3 mM to 48.6 mM during this time. After 2 h [HCO3−] was still elevated but pH had returned to control as the PCO2 became elevated. A series of infusions of 1 ml of 200 mM NaHCO3 at 40 minute intervals into a second group of animals produced a prolonged alkalosis that persisted 8 hours. During this period C1− influx increased by 130%. There was a similar increase in C1− efflux resulting in no change in net C1− flux. There was no significant change in Na+ influx, however, Na+ efflux increased by almost 150%. Bicarbonate fluxes were measured directly in a third group of serially infused animals whose cloacae were cannulated to permit partitioning of renal and extra renal routes of HCO3− excretion. There was a significant increase in total HCO3− excretion during alkalosis and 95% of it was extrarenal. Although the kidneys can increase base excretion during metabolic alkalosis their capacity is limited with the great majority of base excretion occurring across the skin and/or gills.
On Graphs with Ramsey-Infinite Blocks

If G and H are graphs, the pair ( G, H ) are said to be Ramsey-infinite if there are infinitely many minimal F for which F → ( G, H ); here → is the usual Ramsey arrow. It is shown that if ( G i , H j ) is Ramsey-infinite whenever G i and H j are blocks of G and H , respectively, then so is ( G, H ).
Intercalation, delivery, and expression of the gene encoding green fluorescence protein utilizing nanobiohybrids

Non-viral gene vectors have attracted much attention recently due to setbacks with viral delivery systems. Here a new non-viral delivery system based on nanobiohybrids synthesized by the intercalation of a full gene and promoter encoding Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP) between the layers of an inorganic host is reported. The nanobiohybrids were delivered to 9L glioma cells, JEG3 choriocarcinoma placental cells, and cardiac myocytes. All cells were able to internalize and tolerate the nanobiohybrids. In addition, all cells expressed the gene with some cell lines having up to 90% transfection efficiency. This new, bio-mimetic delivery system shows promise for use in non-viral gene therapy.
Role of subendocardial Purkinje network in triggering torsade de pointes arrhythmia in experimental long QT syndrome

Aims The present study addresses the controversy regarding the ‘primary’ role of the subendocardial Purkinje network in triggering torsade de pointes (TdP) ventricular tachyarrhythmia (VAs) in the long QT syndrome (LQTS). Methods and results We investigated the well-established canine anthopleurin-A (AP-A) surrogate model of LQT3 to study the role of the subendocardial Purkinje network in triggering VAs. Three-dimensional activation and repolarization patterns were analysed from unipolar extracellular electrograms utilizing 64 plunge needle electrodes. In 6 dogs, the animals were placed on cardiopulmonary bypass and chemical ablation of the endocardial Purkinje network was obtained using Lugol’s solution. Spontaneous VAs consistently developed in response to AP-A infusion and were triggered by a subendocardial focal activity acting on a substrate of spatial three-dimensional dispersion of repolarization. Endocardial ablation was considered successful by the development of complete atrioventricular block in the absence of ventricular escape rhythm. Following endocardial ablation spontaneous VAs were no longer observed. However, an appropriately coupled premature stimulus consistently induced re-entrant VAs. Conclusion The present study strongly suggests that in the LQTS, focal activity generated in subendocardial Purkinje tissue is the primary, if not the only, trigger for TdP VAs by acting on a substrate of three-dimensional dispersion of myocardial repolarization to induce re-entrant excitation.
Magnetic circular dichroism studies—XXXI. Thioketones

Abstract The magnetic circular dichroism associated with the n -π* transition of several thioketones is reported and evidence is presented that the lowest energy band is of singlet-triplet origin.
FORMATION OF SLOW-REACTING SUBSTANCE OF ANAPHYLAXIS IN HUMAN LUNG TISSUE AND CELLS BEFORE RELEASE

The capacity to extract slow-reacting substance of anaphylaxis (SRS-A) from human lung tissue or cells after immunologic activation, together with the measurement of SRS-A in both the extract and the surrounding fluid, permits study of total SRS-A generation. That the material extracted is SRS-A was established by both differential bioassay and purification. SRS-A accumulation was entirely intracellular after limited IgE-dependent direct or reversed anaphylactic activation. Intracellular accumulation also generally preceded release, with generation of SRS-A continuing well beyond a plateau in the cellular SRS-A level and the release of preformed mediators. The quantity of SRS-A generated after immunologic activation was modulated by the introduction of exogenous cyclic nucleotides, revealing a site of cyclic nucleotide action distinct from that on mediator release. The capacity to determine not only the release of preformed mediators but also the generation of a newly formed mediator, the sum of SRS-A in cells and supernate, adds an additional dimension to the analysis of the cellular events of immediate hypersensitivity.
Effects of polarization-mode dispersion on cross-phase modulation in dispersion-managed wavelength-division-multiplexed systems

This paper develops a vector theory of cross-phase modulation (XPM) in optical fibers and use it to investigate the impact of polarization-mode dispersion (PMD) on the crosstalk induced by XPM in wavelength-division multiplexed lightwave systems. Under certain reasonable approximations, the theory permits us to obtain an analytic expression for the amplitude of probe fluctuations induced by a copropagating pump channel through XPM. We use this expression to calculate the average level of XPM-induced crosstalk together with its variance for several dispersion maps. We show that PMD not only reduces the crosstalk on average, but also impacts the efficiency of a commonly used polarization-interleaving technique.
Quiescence: early evolutionary origins and universality do not imply uniformity

Cell cycle investigations have focused on relentless exponential proliferation of cells, an unsustainable situation in nature. Proliferation of cells, whether microbial or metazoan, is interrupted by periods of quiescence. The vast majority of cells in an adult metazoan lie quiescent. As disruptions in this quiescence are at the foundation of cancer, it will be important for the field to turn its attention to the mechanisms regulating quiescence. While often presented as a single topic, there are multiple forms of quiescence each with complex inputs, some of which are tied to conceptually challenging aspects of metazoan regulation such as size control. In an effort to expose the enormity of the challenge, I describe the differing biological purposes of quiescence, and the coupling of quiescence in metazoans to growth and to the structuring of tissues during development. I emphasize studies in the organism rather than in tissue culture, because these expose the diversity of regulation. While quiescence is likely to be a primitive biological process, it appears that in adapting quiescence to its many distinct biological settings, evolution has diversified it. Consideration of quiescence in different models gives us an overview of this diversity.
General modeling and performance analysis for location management in wireless mobile networks

Location management plays a significant role in current and future wireless mobile networks in effectively delivering services to the mobile users on the move. Many schemes have been proposed and investigated extensively in the last decade. However, most performance analyses were carried out either under simplistic assumptions on some time variables or via simulations. In this paper, we present a new analytical approach to investigate the tradeoff (cost) analysis for location management schemes under fairly general assumption. For two specific location management schemes, Pointer Forwarding Scheme (PFS) and Two-Location Algorithm (TLA), we present analytical formulae to compute the total costs. These formulae are easy to compute. Numerical results show that the traditional exponential model approximation may lead to a wrong decision in the tradeoff analysis. However, our analytical results can be easily used to find the appropriate parameters in PFS and TLA.