cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Glycine transport in normal and non-ketotic hyperglycinemic human diploid fibroblasts

Uptake, inhibition and kinetic studies in control and non-ketotic hyperglycinemic human fibroblasts show that glycine transport is mediated by the three neutral amino acid carriers A, ASC, and L as described for ascites tumor cells by Oxender & Christensen [5]. NKH fibroblasts lines transported glycine at a reduced rate, and the final intracellular concentration of glycine was less than that of the controls. In both control and NKH lines, transport activity required metabolic energy, SH groups, Na+ and K+ ions. Kinetic data indicated that both control and non-ketotic hyperglycinemic lines had a similar KM but that the Vmax in the NKH cells was always lower suggesting that movement of the carrier and/or the dissociation of the carrier and glycine was depressed in the mutant lines. These data suggest that patients with non-ketotic hyperglycinemia have a defect in glycine transport instead of or in addition to a defective glycine cleavage reaction.
Radiographic assessment of anomalous bile ducts.

We report 5 radiologically documented cases of anomalous bile duct drainage of a segment of the right lobe of the liver and/or the cystic duct. These anomalies may be suspected on preoperative, intraoperative, or postoperative cholangiograms by the lack of visualization of the bile ducts draining a focal portion of the right lobe of the liver (“naked segment”). They may also be diagnosed definitively by direct duct opacification. Radiologic diagnosis prior to cholecystectomy may prevent inadvertent ligation or injury to the aberrant duct.
Adaptive Correlation Regions for Alpha-Beta Tracking Filters

The design of correlation regions for track-while-scan systems is examined, assuming the requirement to maintain a constant probability of successful correlation. Starting with the assumption of independent and Gaussian-distributed range and azimuth errors in the sensor and assuming a constant-coefficient isotropic ?-s tracking filter, it is shown how the correlation region design must include such factors as sensor errors, timing jitter, tracking errors, and the asynchronous operation of the tracking function with respect to the sensor measurements. For a maneuvering target, it is shown that the size of the correlation region must be equal to the sum of the radius used for the straight-line case plus the magnitude of any tracking bias which results from deviation from the straight-line trajectory assumed in the tracking filter. An upper bound is derived for the magnitude of the bias which could reasonably be expected in typical maneuvers. By specifying the size of the correlation region on a constant probability basis, it is possible to obtain better discrimination against false targets and improved detection of maneuvers by sensing the development of tracking biases.
Protease inhibitors and cardiovascular outcomes in patients with HIV-1

Summary Protease inhibitors for treatment of HIV-1 have been linked with increased risk of hyperlipidaemia and hyperglycaemia. In a cohort of 5672 outpatients with HIV-1 seen at nine US HIV clinics between January, 1993, and January, 2002, the frequency of myocardial infarctions increased after the introduction of protease inhibitors in 1996 (test for trend, p=0·0125). We noted that 19 of 3247 patients taking, but only two of 2425 who did not take, protease inhibitors had a myocardial infarction (odds ratio 7·1, 95% Cl 1·6–44·3; Cox proportional hazards model—adjusted for smoking, sex, age, diabetes, hyperlipidaemia, and hypertension—hazard ratio 6·5, 0·9–47·8). Our findings suggest that, although infrequent, use of protease inhibitors is associated with increased risk of myocardial infarction in patients with HIV-1.
The Treatment of Ionic Solutions over the Entire Miscibility Range

Conductance and thermodynamic properties are considered for several ionic systems continuously miscible from the fused salt to dilute solution in water or another polar solvent. Over most of the composition range, the activities of the respective components of the ionic systems show the same patterns of behavior and can be represented by the same equations that were developed for nonelectrolytes. Consideration is also given to ionic systems of large but finite solubility, including mixed electrolytes. The dominant factor in the behavior of these systems is the strength of ion solvation in competition with intermolecular forces in the solvent and direct interionic forces. Strong ion solvation yields negative deviations from ideal solution behavior and vice versa.
Construction of two-dimensional flag-transitive planes

An affine plane is called flag-transitive if it admits a collineation group which acts transitively on the incident point-line pairs. It has been shown that finite flag-transitive planes are necessarily translation planes, and much work has been devoted to this class of translation planes in recent years. All flag-transitive groups of finite affine planes have been determined, and an infinite family of non-Desarguesian flag-transitive planes has been found. In this paper a method is given for constructing all two-dimensional flag-transitive planes of odd order, subsuming the infinite family mentioned above.
Medical student mentorship in radiation oncology at a single academic institution: A 10-year analysis.

Abstract Purpose Mentorship has been identified by medical students, residents, and faculty as an important component of specialty selection and research productivity in radiation oncology. This study quantitatively analyzes the impact of a mentorship program in radiation oncology targeted to medical students at our institution. Methods and materials We performed a retrospective review of 76 current or former medical students who were mentored by faculty radiation oncologists at our institution between 2004 and 2013. Data were collected from the medical school's Office of Student Affairs and from internal departmental records. Mentees were organized by mentorship tracks, which included a clinical track and a research track. For each track, data were compiled and analyzed for student specialty selection, and Fisher exact tests were used to determine the relative significance of exposure to clinical, research, or both tracks on student likelihood of pursuing residency in radiation oncology relative to other specialties. We further tracked the research productivity of mentees in the program, as determined by the number publications that were coauthored by mentees and mentors each year. Results The absolute number of mentees has grown each year, with a total of 76 mentees, including 58 alumni, at the end of 2013. Mentees in the program have produced a total of 53 manuscripts, given 75 presentations at national conferences, and received numerous national and internal medical school research awards. Of the 58 alumni, 17 (29.3%) applied to and matched into radiation oncology residencies. Alumni of both the research and the clinical track were 5.76 ( P Conclusions Mentorship in medical school is an important factor in the development of future radiation oncologists. These results demonstrate the positive impact mentorship has on specialty selection and research productivity.
Acute anthracycline cardiotoxicity: Comparative morphologic study of three analogues

Chemotherapeutic use of anthracycline antibiotics is limited by their cardiotoxic effects. A potential solution to this problem is the development of anthracycline analogues retaining antitumor efficacy but without cardiac toxicity. An isolated perfused rabbit heart model was used to compare the nature and extent of early ultrastructural effects on the myocyte of three anthracycline analogues purported to have lesser cardiotoxicity than Adriamycin (doxorubicin). Seventeen rabbit hearts were perfused with oxygenated Krebs-Ringer bicarbonate buffer at 39 degrees C containing either Adriamycin (4 mg/L), daunomycin (10.6 mg/L), aclacinomycin (8 mg/L), or rubidazone (17.6 mg/L). For comparison, three hearts each were exposed to phosphoramide mustard (14.7 mg or 25 mg/L) or 4-hydroperoxy cyclophosphamide (24 mg or 17 mg/L), two active congeners of cyclophosphamide, an agent interacting with DNA differently than the anthracyclines and which is known to be cardiotoxic in high dose. Two hearts were exposed to dactinomycin (0.1 mg or 0.2 mg/L) which intercalates with DNA in a manner similar to the anthracyclines but which is not cardiotoxic. Ten control hearts were perfused with oxygenated buffer solution only. Light microscopic study disclosed no differences between treated and control hearts. Electron microscopic examination showed a striking and distinctive clumping of nuclear chromatin with clearing of chromatin from the nuclear membrane in all anthracycline treated hearts but in no hearts treated with 4-hydroperoxy cyclophosphamide, phosphoramide Mustard, dactinomycin, or control hearts. The nuclear effects of the four anthracycline analogues were indistinguishable. Thus, all anthracycline analogues studied produced acute nuclear alterations which were distinctive from the changes produced by other DNA interactive chemotherapeutic agents. The relationship of the distinctive anthracycline nuclear changes to the late cardiomyopathy requires further definition.
Comparison of arterial intimal clearances of LDL from diabetic and nondiabetic cholesterol-fed rabbits. Differences in intimal clearance explained by size differences.

Arterial intimal clearances of low density lipoproteins (LDL) from diabetic cholesterol-fed rabbits (D-LDL) and LDL from nondiabetic cholesterol-fed rabbits (N-LDL) were compared. In six experiments, D-LDL and N-LDL were isolated from a diabetic and a nondiabetic rabbit, were iodinated with 125I and 131I, respectively, were mixed, and were reinjected into the same two rabbits as well as into a normal rabbit. Fractional catabolic rates for D-LDL and N-LDL in normal rabbits were 0.065 and 0.074 h-1 (p less than 0.05), respectively. For five of the six pairs of LDL, the D-LDL was smaller than N-LDL as determined by gel filtration. The arterial permeability to N-LDL, when normalized for differences in arterial cholesterol content, did not appear to differ between diabetic and nondiabetic rabbits. The relative arterial intimal clearance (D-LDL/N-LDL) in arteries from diabetic and nondiabetic rabbits was inversely related to the relative molecular weight (D-LDL/N-LDL). For example, when the molecular weight of D-LDL was as low as 60% of that of N-LDL (i.e., the diameter of D-LDL was reduced 16%), the intimal clearance of D-LDL was 40% larger than that of N-LDL. When, on the other hand, molecular weights and diameters of the two LDL were similar, the intimal clearance was also quite similar. These results suggest that arterial intimal clearance of LDL from diabetic and nondiabetic cholesterol-fed rabbits is comparable unless the two types of LDL have a different size.
Cloning and analysis of the 5' flanking sequence of the rat N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor 1 (NMDAR1) gene

We cloned and analyzed a 3.8 kb EcoRI fragment of the rat NMDAR1 gene. It contains 3 kb of promoter/enhancer region, exon 1 and a portion of intron 1. Two major transcription start sites were identified at −276 and −238 from the first nucleotide in codon 1. One GSG and two SP1 motifs, but no TATA/CAAT boxes, exist in the region proximal to the transcription start sites. Our results suggest that NMDAR1 has the characteristics of a housekeeping gene and may be regulated by immediate-early genes.
Analysis of notch filtering methods for narrowband interference mitigation

Interference, intentional and unintentional, is becoming a major threat for today's GNSS receivers. Several authors have presented notch filtering as an efficient mean to mitigate continuous wave or narrowband interference. Most of those studies, however, have focused only on the amount of signal energy preserved after filtering and limited amount of research has been done in analyzing the distortion of the autocorrelation function caused by the filtering process and its impact on the tracking performance. This study aims to analyze the effect of different notch filters on the autocorrelation function distortion. Research is conducted using simulations with actual PRN codes and for different modulations, namely BPSK(1), BPSK(10), BOC(1,1), and CBOC(6,1). Software simulations are then validated in a GNSS hardware prototype and it is shown that the results from the hardware prototype are consistent with the simulation results. Code and carrier tracking biases and error variance are defined as the key tracking performance indicators. Analysis of the notch filtering methods show that some of the proposed filter structures for filtering interference in GNSS receivers do not work well in practice and a great care should be taken when implementing filtering in the GNSS signal processing chain. In some cases, notch filtering should not be applied even though there is an interference signal present, as it will only degrade the GNSS receiver performance.
The effects of precipitation and river runoff in a coupled ice-ocean model of the Arctic

A coupled ice-ocean model of the Arctic is developed in order to study the effects of precipitation and river runoff on sea ice. A dynamic-thermodynamic sea ice model is coupled to an ocean general circulation model which includes a turbulent closure scheme for vertical mixing. The model is forced by interannually varying atmospheric temperature and pressure data from 1980–1989, and spatially varying mean monthly precipitation and river runoffs. Salinity and fresh water fluxes to the ocean from ice growth, snow melt, rain, and runoffs are computed, with no artificial constraints on the ocean salinity. The modeled ice thickness is similar to the observed pattern, with the thickest ice remaining against the Canadian Archipelago throughout the year. The modeled ice drift reproduces the Beaufort gyre and Transpolar drift exiting through Fram Strait. The stable arctic halocline produced by the vertical mixing scheme isolates the surface from the Atlantic layer and reduces the vertical fluxes of heat and salinity. A sensitivity experiment with zero precipitation results in rapidly decreasing ice thickness, in response to greater ocean heat flux from a weakening of the halocline, while an experiment with doubled precipitation results in a smaller increase in ice thickness. A zero-runoff experiment results in a slower decrease in ice thickness than the zero-precipitation case, due to the decadal time scale of the transport of runoff in the model. The results suggest that decadal trends in both arctic precipitation and river runoffs, caused either by anthropogenic or natural climatic change, have the potential to exert broad-scale impacts on the arctic sea ice regime.
Aspects of a new world development strategy II: Factors affecting the long-term prospects of developing nations

Abstract This paper explores some quantitative dimensions of the interdependence of rich and poor regions in the context of the United Nations World Model. It extends the original work on that model in three ways: (1) by updating some of the key parameters and exogenous variables in the light of recent data; (2) by developing a “control” solution to be used as a point of reference in policy simulations; and (3) by exploring the sensitivities of each of two groups of regions— developed and developing—to changes in one another's growth rates. Goals of closing the income gap between developed and developing regions and of increasing income levels in the latter are discussed.
Hydrodynamic streamlining of Laminaria saccharina Lamour. in response to mechanical stress

Abstract Application of mechanical stress to laboratory-grown Laminaria saccharina Lamour. provided insight into the effects of water motion on natural populations. Plants subjected to constant longitudinal tension had significantly narrower blades and higher rates of blade elongation than plants grown with no stress. Rates of biomass production, however, were similar for the two treatment groups. Mechanical stress imposed by currents and waves, therefore, may enhance hydrodynamic streamlining by influencing thallus morphology without affecting productivity.
An unusual presentation of carcinoid tumor.

A 75-yr-old man presented to the operating room for a right ventricular (RV) mass excision and tricuspid valve (TV) replacement. The patient reported progressive worsening of dyspnea on exertion associated with lower extremity swelling, abdominal distension, diarrhea, and several episodes of hallucinations. The preoperative evaluation and workup revealed the presence of a carcinoid tumor of the mesentery. This was supported by elevated liver function tests and a urine 5hydroxyindole-acetic acid level of 78.9 (normal 0–10 mg/24 h) as well as elevated serum serotonin level of 1050 ng/mL (normal 90–195 ng/mL). Computed tomography of the abdomen and pelvis demonstrated a 3.2 cm × 2.3 cm mesenteric soft tissue mass in the right lower quadrant.
Convection electric fields and the diffusion of trapped magnetospheric radiation.

We explore here the possible importance of time-dependent convection electric fields as an agent for diffusing trapped magnetospheric radiation inward toward the earth. By using a formalism (Birmingham, Northrop, and Falthammar, 1967) based on first principles, and by adopting a simple model for the magnetosphere and its electric field, we succeed in deriving a one-dimensional diffusion equation to describe statistically the loss-free motion of mirroring particles with arbitrary but conserved values of the first two adiabatic invariants M and J. Solution of this equation bears out the fact that reasonable electric field strengths, correlated in time for no longer than the azimuthal drift period of an average particle, move particles toward the earth at a rate at least an order of magnitude faster than electric fields whose source is a fluctuating current on the magnetopause.
Story Narratives of Adults With Closed Head Injury and Non-Brain-Injured Adults

Narratives were elicited in two story tasks, retelling and generation, from two groups of adults, 55 with closed head injury (CHI) and 47 non-brain-injured (NBI), recruited from rehabilitation facilities in three northeastern states. Participants were classified, on the basis of their socioeconomic status (SES), as professional, skilled worker, or unskilled worker. Narratives were analyzed using five discourse measures at the levels of sentence production, intersentential cohesion, and story grammar. Discourse performance was then compared across groups, tasks, and SES levels. Discourse performance of the CHI group was also compared with their scores from the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, a measure of executive functioning. Results indicated that two discourse measures distinguished the groups. The CHI participants produced significantly fewer words per T-unit and fewer T-units within episode structure than did the NBI group, which was attributed to difficulties with content organization. Performance on al...
Nursing research on physical activity: a feminist critique.

Abstract Studies on physical activity have rarely included women as research participants, and have been mainly conducted among Western populations. In this paper, nursing research on women’s physical activity is analyzed and critiqued using a feminist perspective that respects and values women’s own experiences and their diversities. An extensive literature search was conducted using computerized data retrieval systems and 47 empirical studies published in nursing literature were selected and analyzed. The critique is presented with three main themes emerged from the analysis: (a) “without considering women’s own experiences”; (b) “implicit androcentric and ethnocentric assumptions”; (c) “without meaningful interactions”. Based on the analysis, future directions for nursing research on physical activity are proposed.
The environmental impact of globalization on Latin America: a prospective approach

CurrentchangesinLatinAmerica includetheabandonment oftheeconomic pattern ofimportsubstitution, a growing opening ofthe nationaleconomies,a continental wave ofpoliticaldemocratization,an apparent economic recoveryfrom the "lost decade" (the1980s),a growing socialpolarization, a worsening ofenvironmental problems,the growing influenceofthe market,and the most intenseurbanization processon the planet.The aim ofthispaper isnot todiscussthe advantages or disadvantagesof the prevailingeconomic pattern,but only to analyze some of thepossibleenvironmental implicationsderived from the way of insertionofthe countriesofthe regioninthe globaleconomy .The regionasa whole isrelatively wellendowed interms ofnaturalresources.With littlemore than 8% ofthe globalpopulation,Latin America has 23% ofthe potentiallyarableland,10% ofthe !-' cultivatedland,17% ofthe pastures,22% ofthe forests(and 52% ofthe tropical `:forests), and 31% ofthe permanently usablefreshwater.Ithas not lessthan 3% of the world reservesoffossilfueland 19% of the technicallyusable hydroelectric rPower.
Seed banks of an Arizona Pinus ponderosa landscape: Responses to environmental gradients and fire cues

We measured soil seed banks in 102 plots within a 110 000 ha Arizona Pinus ponderosa landscape, determined seed-bank responses to fire cues and tree canopy types (open or densely treed patches), co...
Cationic alkylaluminum-complexed zirconocene hydrides as participants in olefin polymerization catalysis.

The alkylaluminum-complexed zirconocene trihydride cation [(SBI)Zr(μ-H)3(AliBu2)2]+, which is obtained by reaction of (SBI)ZrCl2 with [Ph3C][B(C6F5)4] and excess HAliBu2 in toluene solution, catalyzes the formation of isotactic polypropene when exposed to propene at −30 °C. This cation remains the sole observable species in catalyst systems free of AlMe compounds. In the presence of AlMe3, however, exposure to propene causes the trihydride cation to be completely converted, under concurrent consumption of all hydride species by propene hydroalumination, to the doubly Me-bridged cation [(SBI)Zr(μ-Me)2AlMe2]+. The latter then becomes the resting state for further propene polymerization, which produces, by chain transfer to Al, mainly AlMe2-capped isotactic polypropene.
Heliox improves gas exchange during high-frequency ventilation in a pediatric model of acute lung injury.

Because heliox has a lower density as compared with air, we postulated that heliox would improve gas exchange during high-frequency oscillatory ventilation (HFOV) in a model of acute lung injury. In a prospective, cross-over trial, we studied 11 piglets with acute lung injury created by saline lavage. With initial conditions of permissive hypercapnia (PaCO2 55–80 mm Hg), each piglet underwent HFOV with a fixed mean airway pressure, pressure oscillation, and ventilatory frequency. The following gas mixtures were used: oxygen-enriched air (60% O2/40% N2) and heliox (60% O2/ 40% He and 40% O2/60% He). Compared with oxygen-enriched air, the 40% and 60% helium gas mixtures reduced PaCO2 by an average of 10.5 and 20.3 mm Hg, respectively. A modest improvement in oxygenation was seen with the 40% helium mixture. We conclude that heliox significantly improves carbon dioxide elimination and modestly improves oxygenation during HFOV in a model of acute lung injury. On the basis of test lung data and plethysmography...
Misuse of statistical tests in Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology publications

This article reviews the (mis)use of statistical tests in neuropsychology research studies published in the Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology in the years 1990-1992 and 1996-2000, and 2001-2004, prior to, commensurate with the internet-based and paper-based release, and following the release of the American Psychological Association's Task Force on Statistical Inference. The authors focused on four statistical errors: inappropriate use of null hypothesis tests, inappropriate use of P-values, neglect of effect size, and inflation of Type I error rates. Despite the recommendations of the Task Force on Statistical Inference published in 1999, the present study recorded instances of these statistical errors both pre- and post-APA's report, with only the reporting of effect size increasing after the release of the report. Neuropsychologists involved in empirical research should be better aware of the limitations and boundaries of hypothesis testing as well as the theoretical aspects of research methodology.
Differential growth factor retention by platelet-rich plasma composites.

Purpose This study evaluates the temporal sequence and growth factor release from platelet-rich plasma (PRP) combined with different bone substitutes (BS), to identify an optimal substrate for extended growth factor retention. Materials and methods PRP was clotted with bovine thrombin or thrombin receptor activator peptide-6 (TRAP). In addition, PRP was clotted using Allogro (Ceramed, Lakewood, CO), BioGlass (Mo-Sci, Rolla, MN), or BioOss (Osteohealth, Shirley, NY). The effects of media exchange and BS on platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) and transforming growth factor-β (TGFβ) release were quantified via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results At day 1, the thrombin group released 36% more PDGF than the TRAP group and 80% more than the BS groups. At 7 days, PDGF release was the greatest for the TRAP group. PDGF release was minimal for all groups at day 14, with BS groups retaining 60% more PDGF than thrombin clots. Similarly, the thrombin group released the greatest amount of TGFβ (81.4% of the total), whereas TRAP and BS groups released significantly less TGFβ at day 1. Compared with thrombin, TRAP retained 39.2% more TGFβ, whereas BS groups retained even greater levels (Allogro, 54.3%; BioOss, 45.8%; BioGlass, 67.0%). No significant difference in TGFβ release was observed among the substitutes after day 1. The BS groups continued to retain TGFβ after 14 days, whereas all TGFβ in the thrombin clots was depleted. Conclusions PRP preparation with thrombin results in a large, immediate release of growth factors that could be lost into the interstitium in vivo. TRAP-BS may prove more efficacious than thrombin in sustaining growth factor levels critical for the cascade of events leading to bone formation.
Long-term skeletal stability after rigid fixation of Le Fort I osteotomies with advancements.

Abstract The purpose of this retrospective study was to evaluate relapse, comparing large and small maxillary advancements with four-plate rigid fixation and without bone grafting. All patients had obstructive sleep apnea, and underwent bimaxillary surgery. Standardized cephalometric analysis by two separate examiners was performed on serial radiographs of 20 patients immediately before surgery, and at 1 week and at least 6 months postoperatively (mean 18.5 months). The group was divided into three subsets to determine whether the magnitude of maxillary advancement correlated with the magnitude of relapse. In group 1 (≤ 6 mm, n = 4), the average advancement was 4.7 ± 0.8 mm, with a mean relapse of 0±0.6 mm. In group 2 (7–9 mm, n = 9), the average advancement was 8.2 mm ±0.9, with a mean relapse of 0.7±1.5 mm. In group 3 (≥10mm, n = 7), the mean advancement was 12.3±2.8 mm, with a mean relapse of 1.9±1.8 mm. There was no statistical difference in the measured relapse among the groups.
Architecture and compilation for data bandwidth improvement in configurable embedded processors

Many commercially available embedded processors are capable of extending their base instruction set for a specific domain of applications. While steady progress has been made in the tools and methodologies of automatic instruction set extension for configurable processors, recent study has shown that the limited data bandwidth available in the core processor (e.g., the number of simultaneous accesses to the register file) becomes a serious performance bottleneck. In this paper, we propose a new low-cost architectural extension and associated compilation techniques to address the data bandwidth problem. Specifically, we embed a single control bit in the instruction op-codes to selectively copy the execution results to a set of hash-mapped shadow registers in the write-back stage. This can efficiently reduce the communication overhead due to data transfers between the core processor and the custom logic. We also present a novel simultaneous global shadow register binding with a hash function generation algorithm to take full advantage of the extension. The application of our approach leads to a nearly-optimal performance speedup (within 2% of the ideal speedup).
Relative Quantities of Catalytically Active CYP 2C9 and 2C19 in Human Liver Microsomes: Application of the Relative Activity Factor Approach

The relative catalytic activities of CYP2C9 and CYP2C19 in human liver microsomes has been determined using the approach of relative activity factors (RAFs). Tolbutamide methylhydroxylation and S-mephenytoin 4'-hydroxylation were used as measures of CYP2C9 and CYP2C19 activity, respectively. The kinetics of these reactions were studied in human liver microsomes, in microsomes from human lymphoblastoid cells, and in insect cells expressing CYP2C9 and CYP2C19. RAFs were calculated as the ratio of Vmax (reaction velocity at saturating substrate concentrations) in human liver microsomes of the isoform-specific index reaction divided by the Vmax of the reaction catalyzed by the cDNA expressed isoform. RAFs were also determined for SUPERMIX, a commercially available mixture of cDNA expressed human drug metabolizing CYPs formulated to achieve a balance of enzyme activities similar to that found in human liver microsomes. Lymphoblast RAF2C9 in human liver microsomes ranged from 54 to 145 pmol CYP/mg protein (mean value: 87), while a value of 251 pmol CYP/mg protein was obtained for SUPERMIX. Insect cell RAF2C9 in human liver microsomes ranged from 1.6 to 143 pmol CYP/mg protein (mean value: 49), while a value of 201 pmol CYP/mg protein was obtained for SUPERMIX. Both lymphoblast and insect cell RAF2C19 in human liver microsomes ranged from 4 to 45 pmol CYP/mg protein (mean values: 29 and 28, respectively), while a value of 29 pmol CYP/mg protein was obtained for SUPERMIX. The nature of the cDNA expression system used had no effect on the kinetic parameters of CYP2C9 as a tolbutamide methylhydroxylase, or of CYP2C19 as a S-mephenytoin hydroxylase. However insect cell expressed CYP2C19 (which includes oxidoreductase) had substantially greater activity as a tolbutamide methylhydroxylase when compared to lymphoblast expressed CYP2C19. The ratio of mean lymphoblast-determined RAF2C9 to RAF2C19 in human livers was 3.0 (range 1.6-17.9; n = 10), while this ratio for SUPERMIX was 8.6. The ratio of mean insect cell-determined RAF2C9 to RAF2C19 in human livers was 1.7 (range 0.04-16.2; n = 10), while this ratio for SUPERMIX was 7.0. Neither ratio is in agreement with the 20:1 ratio of immunoquantified levels of CYP2C9 and 2C19 in human liver microsomes reported in previous studies. SUPERMIX may contain catalytically active CYP2C9 in levels higher than those in human liver microsomes.
On the energy capture of ultrawide bandwidth signals in dense multipath environments

A quasi-analytical experimental analysis is described in this paper to quantify the tradeoff between energy capture and diversity level in a RAKE receiver using measured received waveforms obtained from ultrawide bandwidth signal propagation experiments.
Modeling of Wideband Antennas by Frequency-Dependent Hertzian Dipoles

It has been found that a set of Hertzian dipoles can be optimized to model the radiation characteristics of an antenna. However, the existing models are normally for narrowband antennas and invalid for a wideband antenna. In addition, it is difficult to combine several such models at different frequencies into a wideband model because the interpolation of dipole parameters is not applicable. This paper presents a procedure to optimize a Hertzian dipole model for a wideband antenna, where each dipole parameter is a polynomial in the phase constant. The tangential electric field on a surface enclosing the antenna is first obtained by full wave analysis at multiple frequencies. An optimization method is then applied to determine the polynomial coefficients for each dipole parameter, by minimizing the error between the exact field and the field due to the dipoles. As an example, a wideband stacked dielectric resonator antenna (DRA) is modeled by four electric and three magnetic Hertzian dipoles. The dipole model is used to efficiently study the radiation characteristics of the DRA mounted on a circular ground plane. Moreover, it is pointed out that the dipole model is resistant to Gaussian noise added to the near-field data, and is frequency scalable.
Sulfate-sulfur metabolism in the rat fetus as indicated by sulfur-35.

Twenty-four hours after the intraperitoneal injection of sodium sulfate-S35 into pregnant rats, sulfur-35 was found in the embryos. The amount of the sulfur-35 retained by the embryos was directly related to their degree of development in utero. A large fraction of the sulfur-35 found in the embryos was insoluble in 5 per cent trichloroacetic acid. At the 9th to 10th day of development, about 40 per cent of the sulfur-35 was present in this fraction. In 20-day-old embryos this fraction accounted for nearly 90 per cent of the total. Radioautographs of sections of embryos fixed in a solution of formaldehyde revealed that the sulfur-35 was most highly concentrated in the cartilaginous portion of the skeleton. All other tissues gave much weaker autographic reactions, comparable with the over-all reaction obtained when sections from embryos fixed in a solution of formaldehyde saturated with barium hydroxide were used. By analysis for the sulfur-35 content of individual tissues the concentration of the sulfur-35 in humeri from 20-day-old embryos was found to be about 30 times that in the maternal sternum. The concentration of the isotope in the skeletal muscle, brain, heart, and skin of the same embryos was also higher than in the corresponding maternal tissues. On the other hand, the concentration of the sulfur-35 in the maternal gastrointestinal tract plus contents was higher than in the gastrointestinal tract and contents of the embryos.
Extracellular Matrix Assembly in Diatoms (Bacillariophyceae) (I. A Model of Adhesives Based on Chemical Characterization and Localization of Polysaccharides from the Marine Diatom Achnanthes longipes and Other Diatoms)

Extracellular adhesives from the diatoms Achnanthes longipes, Amphora coffeaeformis, Cymbella cistula, and Cymbella mexicana were characterized by monosaccharide and methylation analysis, lectin-fluorescein isothiocyanate localization, and cytochemical staining. Polysaccharide was the major component of adhesives formed during cell motility, synthesis of a basal pad, and/or production of a highly organized shaft. Hot water-insoluble/hot 0.5 M NaHCO3-soluble anionic polysaccharides from A. longipes and A. coffeaeformis adhesives were primarily composed of galactosyl (64-70%) and fucosyl (32-42%) residues. In A. longipes polymers, 2,3-, t-, 3-, and 4-linked/substituted galactosyl, t-, 3-, 4-, and 2-linked fucosyl, and t- and 2-linked glucuronic acid residues predominated. Adhesive polysaccharides from C. cistula were EDTA-soluble, sulfated, consisted of 83% galactosyl (4-, 4,6-, and 3,4-linked/substituted) and 13% xylosyl (t-, 4f/5p-, and 3p-linked/substituted) residues, and contained no uronosyl residues. Ulex europaeus agglutinin uniformly localized [alpha](1,2)-L-fucose units in C. cistula and Achnanthes adhesives formed during motility and in the pads of A. longipes. D-Galactose residues were localized throughout the shafts of C. cistula and capsules of A. coffeaeformis. D-Mannose and/or D-glucose, D-galactose, and [alpha](t)-L-fucose residues were uniformly localized in the outer layers of A. longipes shafts by Cancavalia ensiformis, Abrus precatorius, and Lotus tetragonolobus agglutinin, respectively. A model for diatom cell adhesive structure was developed from chemical characterization, localization, and microscopic observation of extracellular adhesive components formed during the diatom cell-attachment process.
The State and Economic Involution: Russia Through a China Lens

Abstract Why has the Russian economy declined at the rate the Chinese economy has grown? In China the party-state has made possible the decentralization of property relations and the hardening of budget constraints whereas in Russia the disintegration of the party-state has led to privatization and soft budget constraints. Whereas the former combination entailed accumulation, the latter combination entailed “involution,” that is, an economy that eats away at its own foundations by funnelling resources from production to exchange. Russia's involution has proceeded in a combined mode, that is, through a series of phases in which government policies try to rectify the unintended consequences of previous policies. Involution is also uneven as different industries adopt different strategies. Some rapidly exited from the old order and then disintegrated while others voiced their demands to the state and declined more slowly.
Bayesian analysis of Douglas-fir hydraulic architecture at multiple scales

We used a Bayesian hierarchical model to analyze the variation in xylem anatomy, hydraulic properties, and the relationship between anatomy and properties within Douglas-fir trees. The hierarchical scales in our study included fertilization treatments (fertilized and unfertilized), trees within the treatments, and positions within the trees. We measured tracheid diameter, tracheid length, percent latewood, number of pits per cell, density, and specific conductivity (K s) on seven positions in each of 16 fertilized and 16 unfertilized trees: the trunk at cambial age 52 (breast height), 25, and 5; a branch at cambial age 20 and 7; and a root at cambial age 42 and 22. Vulnerability to embolism was also measured on the oldest trunk, branch, and root positions. For any measurement, there was little variation between treatments, however, there was great variation among positions. Tracheid diameter, tracheid length, number of pits per cell, K s, and vulnerability to embolism decreased vertically from the roots to the branches. Correlations were evident between some positions for tracheid diameter, percent earlywood, pits per cell, and vulnerability to embolism, mostly in the fertilized treatment. We found evidence for large-scale relationships (among all observations from all trees) between density and tracheid diameter, K s and diameter, vulnerability and diameter, K s and pits per cell, and vulnerability and pits per cell. At a smaller scale of within position, however, usually only the branches and roots maintained the relationship.
DEMOGRAPHIC AND POPULATION RESPONSES OF CAPE MAY WARBLERS WINTERING IN MULTIPLE HABITATS

Wintering Cape May Warblers (Dendroica tigrina) were studied in three habitats along an altitudinal gradient in the Dominican Republic. Results of this study are some of the first to link both population responses and individual condition of nonbreeding birds to prevailing ecological conditions across divergent habitats. Our data suggest that Cape May Warblers are habitat generalists and generally unspecialized resource opportunists, but that differences in food resources result in competitive interactions, sex and age class segregation, and differences in site fidelity and physiological condition among habitats. Diet of the Cape May Warbler varied between habitats: in desert, Cape Mays were primarily insectivores; in dry forest, they foraged primarily on homopteran honeydew; in pine forest, they were principally frugivores. Abundance of warblers as measured by mist-net captures was highest in pine forest sites. Males were more common than females in pine habitat, whereas there was a female-biased sex ratio in other sites. Adult birds were more common in the desert and the pine forest, but there was a bias toward immature birds in dry forest habitat. Overwinter site persistence was 76% in pine, but only 28% and 33% in dry forest and desert, respectively. Annual return rate averaged 57% and did not vary significantly among habitats. Adjusted body mass of site-persistent birds was highest in pine and dry forest and lowest in desert. Pectoral muscle mass scores increased in the pine forest throughout the sampling period, whereas muscle mass scores decreased in the desert. These data suggest that, among the habitats sampled, pine was preferred. It is likely that stability and predictability of resources, particularly fruiting Trema trees and nectar sources, attracted dominant Cape May Warblers to pine forests and kept them as site-persistent individuals in good body condition. In contrast, dry forest may have been suboptimal, unless an individual was able to hold and defend a tree with honeydew-producing homopteran scale insects. Desert thorn scrub was seemingly suboptimal because resources were consistently scarce, and conditions became increasingly difficult during the late-winter dry period.
Securely Querying Sensor Enabled RFID Virtual Databases (SERVDs)

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) systems employ pervasive, low-cost devices to identify physical objects and track item movements. The integration of sensors into RFID tags has recently generated a lot of interest among the RFID community. Integrating automatic identification and sensors at the RFID tag hardware level not only provides an identity to an object but also provides information regarding the conditions of the object carrying the tag. With the capacity of collecting real-time tag data as empowered by the tags, an RFID system can be viewed as a virtual database. Users can query this virtual database for the data they need just as they are interacting with any traditional persistent database. In this paper, we present a framework to virtualize an RFID system as a database and provide mechanisms to implement the high-level user queries. We discuss both the data model and system model of the virtual database. As security and privacy are the main concerns for RFID systems, our framework also ensures data confidentiality and integrity in user queries.
Enhancing Language Skills Through Music

Researchers and practitioners recognize that musical activities reinforce many aspects of language development. Chanting and rhythmic speaking, singing, and listening are all experiences that suppo...
Renaissance Representations of Islamic Science: Bernardino Baldi and His Lives of Mathematicians

During the later European Renaissance, some scholars began to write about the history of scientific disciplines. Some of the issues and problems they faced in constructing their narratives have had long-term effects on the history of science. One of these issues was how to relate scholars from the Islamic traditions of scientific scholarship to those of antiquity and of postclassical Europe. Recent historians of science have rejected a once-common Western opinion that the contribution of these Islamic scientists had lain mainly in their preservation of ancient texts that were then handed over to Western scholars, who mastered them and then moved beyond them as part of the scientific revolution. This article examines the first effort to write a history of mathematics, the Lives of the Mathematicians by Bernardino Baldi (1553–1617), to determine how he treated this issue in his work. Baldi's efforts are especially important here because he was also an early European scholar of Arabic.An examination of the work shows that Baldi did not share the negative views held by later Europeans about these non-European scientists. However, despite his knowledge of Arabic he had no active contacts with ongoing mathematical scholarship in Arabic. As a consequence, his narrative does follow the chronology of those later Europeans who would limit consideration of these mathematicians to approximately the ninth to the fourteenth centuries. In Baldi's writings, then, we can see the later narrative shape used by Western historians of science until recent years, but not the subsidiary role accorded to non-European scholars.
Development of a human milk protein standard

ABSTRACT. Accurate quantitation of the protein content of human milk (HM) is clinically important for both determining protein and energy intakes of HM-fed infants. Protein can be determined by Kjeldahl analysis or colorimetric assays. Colorimetric assays are rapid and convenient, but usually overestimate the protein content when compared to Kjeldahl protein (KP). In this study a protein standard based on human milk protein (HMPS) was isolated by size exclusion column chromatography. Purity and composition of the standard was determined by gel electrophoresis, Kjeldahl and amino acid analyses. The protein content of 20 mature milk samples was determined by the Lowry, BCA and BioRad colorimetric assays, using bovine serum albumin, human serum albumin/IgG, and HMPS as standards. These results were compared with KP results using Student's f-test. All colorimetric assays overestimated milk protein content; however, the Lowry assay gave the lowest protein levels, with our protein standard yielding values closest to the KP value.
Re-evaluation of B lymphocyte lineage differentiation schemes.

Differentiation models for hematopoietic stem cells are to experimental hematologists what metabolic pathway charts are to biochemists. It has been extremely useful to consider the results of gene targeting and other experiments within the context of diagrams predicting key steps in B and T lymphopoiesis. Comparable schemes for human cells allow assignment of malignant cells to particular differentiation stages and interpretation of immunodeficiencies. Practical advances in multi-parameter flow cytometry and commercially available monoclonal antibodies further account for the popularity of differentiation schemes depicted on the walls of most laboratories. However, there is reason to believe that these models are not accurate or sufficiently complete in all respects. We will briefly recount how our recent studies forced re-evaluation of some widely accepted milestones for murine B lineage differentiation.
Isoform-specific effects of ApoE on neurite outgrowth in Olfactory Epithelium culture

Background: The apolipoprotein E4 (apoE4) genotype is a major risk factor for developing late-onset Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Inheritance of apoE4 is also associated with impairments in olfactory function in early stages of AD. In this project we examined the effects of the three common isoforms of human apoE (apoE2, apoE3, and apoE4) on neuronal differentiation and neurite outgrowth in explant cultures of mouse olfactory epithelium (OE). Results: The OE cultures derived from apoE-deficient/knockout (KO) mice have significantly fewer neurons with shorter neurite outgrowth than cultures from wild-type (WT) mice. Treatment of the apoE KO culture with either purified human apoE2 or with human apoE3 significantly increased neurite outgrowth. In contrast, treatment with apoE4 did not have an effect on neurite outgrowth. The differential effects of human apoE isoforms on neurite outgrowth were abolished by blocking the low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein (LRP) with lactoferrin and receptor-associated protein (RAP). Conclusion: ApoE2 and apoE3 stimulate neurite outgrowth in OE cultures by interacting with the lipoprotein receptor, LRP. ApoE4, the isoform associated with AD, failed to promote neurite outgrowth, suggesting a potential mechanism whereby apoE4 may lead to olfactory dysfunction in AD patients.