cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Donations of Expensive Equipment for Resident Training.

Because the choice of surgical equipment has long-term consequences for patients and trainees, physicians who are deciding whether to accept donations of it should consider whether the donated equipment is what they would buy if they had the money to buy the best.
Prolonged defects of interleukin-2 production, responsiveness, and receptor expression in patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia

The proliferative responsiveness to, production of, and the expression of cell-surface receptors for interleukin-2 (IL-2) were examined in 14 children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in remission and receiving maintenance chemotherapy for 6 to 35 months; in 19 children with ALL in remission and off all therapy for 2 to 138 months; and 15 control subjects. Short-term concanavalin A (Con A)-activated, purified T lymphocytes from patients on, as well as patients off, therapy had a significantly decreased proliferative responsiveness to a saturating amount of exogenous, recombinant IL-2 as compared to control subjects (P less than 0.005 and less than 0.05, respectively). Phytohemagglutinin (PHA)-stimulated IL-2 production by peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) was also substantially decreased in both patient groups with the median values of IL-2 produced being 2.2, 2.1, and 8.1 U/mL in the on therapy, off therapy, and control groups, respectively. In addition, PHA-induced expression of cell-surface receptors for IL-2 on PBMC was significantly decreased in both patient groups as compared to control subjects (P less than 0.01). Lymphocyte proliferation to mitogens (PHA, Con A, and pokeweed mitogen) was similar in all three groups studied. These results demonstrate that substantial quantitative and qualitative abnormalities of the IL-2-T lymphocyte system are present in the majority of treated patients with ALL, not only during maintenance therapy, but also for a prolonged period after the cessation of all chemotherapy. These long-lasting defects of the IL-2 system are most likely a late effect of chemotherapy and may result in increased complications in some long- term survivors of ALL.
On f-Vectors and Relative Homology

We find strong necessary conditions on the f-vectors, Betti sequences, and relative Betti sequence of a pair of simplicial complexes. We also present an example showing that these conditions are not sufficient. If only the difference between two Betti sequences is specified, and not the individual Betti sequences, then the characterization is complete, and the characterization of all pairs of simplicial complexes matches the characterization of pairs of near-cones. Our necessary conditions rely upon a combinatorial decomposition of pairs of simplicial complexes that reflects the homology and relative homology of the complexes.
Validating Word-Oriented Processors for Bit and Multi-word Operations

We examine secure computing paradigms to identify any new architectural challenges for future general-purpose processors. Some essential security functions can be provided by different classes of cryptography algorithms. We identify two categories of operations in these algorithms that are not common in previous general-purpose workloads: bit operations within a word and multi-word operations. Both challenge the basic word orientation of processors. We show how very complex bit-level operations, namely arbitrary bit permutations within a word, can be achieved in O(1) cycles, rather than O(n) cycles as in existing RISC processors. We describe two solutions: one using only microarchitecture changes, and another with Instruction Set Architecture (ISA) support. We generalize our solutions to define datarich execution with MOMR (Multi-word Operands Multi-word Result) functional units. This can address both challenges, leveraging available resources in typical processors with minimal additional cost. Thus we validate the basic word-orientation of processor architectures, since they can also provide superior performance for both bit and multi-word operations needed by cryptographic processing.
Mass spectrometric phosphoproteome analysis of HIV-infected brain reveals novel phosphorylation sites and differential phosphorylation patterns.

Purpose To map the phosphoproteome and identify changes in the phosphorylation patterns in the HIV-infected and uninfected brain. Experimental design Parietal cortex from individuals with and without HIV infection were lysed and trypsinized. The peptides were labeled with iTRAQ reagents, combined, phospho-enriched by titanium dioxide chromatography, and analyzed by LC-MS/MS with high resolution. Results Our phosphoproteomic workflow resulted in the identification of 112 phosphorylated proteins and 17 novel phosphorylation sites in all the samples that were analyzed. The phosphopeptide sequences were searched for kinase substrate motifs, which revealed potential kinases involved in important signaling pathways. The site-specific phosphopeptide quantification showed that peptides from neurofilament medium polypeptide, myelin basic protein, and 2′-3′-cyclic nucleotide-3′ phosphodiesterase have relatively higher phosphorylation levels during HIV infection. Conclusions and clinical relevance This study has enriched the global phosphoproteome knowledge of the human brain by detecting novel phosphorylation sites on neuronal proteins and identifying differentially phosphorylated brain proteins during HIV infection. Kinases that lead to unusual phosphorylations could be therapeutic targets for the treatment of HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders.
Analysis of a microsensor automatic gain control loop

We present the analysis of a nonlinear control system that is used to excite and maintain a specified amplitude of a lightly damped degree of freedom in the Jet Propulsion Laboratory microgyroscope. One- and two-degree-of-freedom models are considered. The analysis suggests that the perturbing effect of an additional weakly coupled degree of freedom does not quantitatively effect the operation of the automatic gain control.
Effects of ultrasound and convection cooking to different end point temperatures on cooking characteristics, shear force and sensory properties, composition, and microscopic morphology of beef longissimus and pectoralis muscles.

Longissimus and pectoralis muscles were removed from 10 steer carcasses at 4 d postmortem, aged for 14 d at 2°C, then assigned to either ultrasound or convection cooking to either 62°C or 70°C internal end point temperature. During cooking, time-temperature profiles and energy consumption were monitored. Ultrasound cooking resulted in greater (P <.05) cooking speed, greater (P <.05) moisture retention and less (P <.05) cooking loss, greater ( P <.05) efficiency of energy consumption, a more uniform cooking environment, and less ( P <.05) instrumental peak-force work to shear muscle samples than convection cooking. The ultrasound treatment also resulted in a reduction (P <.05) in soluble collagen content and superior (P <.05) myofibrillar tenderness, as determined by a trained sensory panel, than convection cooking. Electron micrographs indicated that ultrasound-cooked muscles had longer sarcomeres, larger diameter fibers, and more myofibrillar disruption and shattering. Longissimus muscles cooked faster (P <.05) and more (P <.05) energetically efficient, had less (P <.05) total collagen, and were superior (P <.05) in instrumental evaluated texture and sensory tenderness than pectoralis muscles. Cooking to 70°C caused greater ( P < .05) moisture and cooking losses, required more ( P < .05) time and energy input to cook, and negatively ( P <.05) affected instrumental textural and sensory tenderness characteristics. Electron micrographs indicated a shortening of sarcomeres, more deterioration of the banding structure, reduction in fiber diameter, and breakdown of endomysial and perimysial connective tissue at an internal temperature of 70°C vs 62°C. This research identifies ultrasound cooking as a new, rapid, energy-efficient method that may improve some meat textural attributes.
NO x Formation and Models

The principal nitrogen oxides emitted from spark ignition and diesel engines are nitric oxide (NO), nitrogen dioxide (NO2 ), collectively referred to as NOx , and nitrous oxide (N2O). Accurate prediction of nitrogen oxide emissions from these engines requires knowledge of the important gas-phase reaction pathways involving nitrogen species and the rate parameters for these pathways. In this chapter, the current state of understanding of the gas-phase reaction mechanisms for nitrogen oxide chemistry in combustion, including the mechanisms for NO formation from molecular nitrogen in the air and from nitrogen present in fuel additives and the mechanism for NO removal via a gas-phase reaction process termed reburning is discussed. In many combustion processes, these formation and removal pathways are coupled. In addition, the reaction mechanisms for the formation and removal of NO2 and N2O are described. The relative importance of the different NO formation and removal pathways in different combustion environments is presented. Keywords: air pollution; nitrogen oxides; thermal NO ; prompt NO ; fuel NO ; NO reburning
The 5α-androstanedione pathway to dihydrotestosterone in castration-resistant prostate cancer

The survival and progression of prostate cancer are generally dependent on expression of the androgen receptor (AR), as well as the availability of endogenous AR agonists. Originating from the gonads, testosterone is released into circulation and is converted by steroid-5α-reductase in prostate cancer to 5α-dihydrotestosterone (DHT), potently activating AR and driving tumor progression. Advanced prostate cancer is initially treated with gonadal testosterone depletion, which suppresses this cascade of events and typically leads to a treatment response. Eventually, resistance to testosterone deprivation occurs with "castration-resistant" prostate cancer (CRPC) and is driven by the intratumoral synthesis of DHT. The generation of DHT occurs in large part from adrenal 19-carbon precursor steroids, which are dependent on expression of CYP17A1. Although the path from adrenal precursor steroids to DHT was generally thought to require 5α-reduction of testosterone, recent data suggest that it instead involves conversion from Δ-androstenedione by steroid-5α-reductase isoenzyme-1 to 5α-androstanedione, followed by subsequent conversion to DHT. The 5α-androstanedione pathway to DHT therefore bypasses testosterone entirely. Abiraterone acetate effectively inhibits CYP17A1, blocks the synthesis of androgens, and extends the survival of men with CRPC. Further progress in the hormonal treatment of CRPC is dependent on an understanding of the mechanisms that underlie CRPC and resistance to abiraterone acetate.
Characterization of Communication Patterns in Message-Passing Parallel Scientific Application Programs

This paper examines the communication patterns of parallel scientific programs, including some of the NAS benchmarks and the Miami Isopycnic Coordinate Ocean Model (MICOM), that use explicit message-passing. Communication locality, including communication event locality, message destination locality, and message size locality, is proposed and studied in addition to the widely accepted metrics of message size, destination, and generation distributions. We find that the locality metrics are relatively insensitive to system and problem size variations making them robust metrics for characterizing the communication patterns of parallel applications. We observe that the communication patterns of the benchmark programs are consistent with those of the actual application. The results of this study will be useful for understanding parallel applications' communication behavior and for designing more realistic synthetic benchmarks.
Stability of transcription complexes on class II genes

Abstract Commitment of a TATA box-driven class II gene to transcription requires binding of only one transcription factor, TFIID. Additional factors (TFIIB, TFIIE, and RNA polymerase II) do not remain associated with the TFIID-promoter complex during the course of transcription. This indicates that there are two intermediates along the transcription reaction pathway which may be potential targets for the regulation of gene expression.
Impaired ILK Function Is Associated with Deficits in Hippocampal Based Memory and Synaptic Plasticity in a FASD Rat Model

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) is an umbrella term that encompasses a wide range of anatomical and behavioral problems in children who are exposed to alcohol during the prenatal period. There is no effective treatment for FASD, because of lack of complete characterization of the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying this condition. Alcohol has been previously characterized to affect integrins and growth factor signaling receptors. Integrin Linked Kinase (ILK) is an effector of integrin and growth-factor signaling which regulates various signaling processes. In FASD, a downstream effector of ILK, Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3β (GSK3β) remains highly active (reduced Ser9 phosphorylation). GSK3β has been known to modulate glutamate receptor trafficking and channel properties. Therefore, we hypothesize that the cognitive deficits accompanying FASD are associated with impairments in the ILK signaling pathway. Pregnant Sprague Dawley rats consumed a “moderate” amount of alcohol throughout gestation, or a calorie-equivalent sucrose solution. Contextual fear conditioning was used to evaluate memory performance in 32–33-day-old pups. Synaptic plasticity was assessed in the Schaffer Collateral pathway, and hippocampal protein lysates were used to evaluate ILK signaling. Alcohol exposed pups showed impaired contextual fear conditioning, as compared to control pups. This reduced memory performance was consistent with decrease in LTP as compared to controls. Hippocampal ILK activity and GSK3β Ser21/9 phosphorylation were significantly lower in alcohol-exposed pups than controls. Increased synaptic expression of GluR2 AMPA receptors was observed with immunoprecipitation of post-synaptic density protein 95 (PSD95). Furthermore, immunoprecipitation of ILK revealed a decreased interaction with GluR2. The ILK pathway appears to play a significant role in memory and synaptic plasticity impairments in FASD rats. These impairments appear to be mediated by reduced GSK3β regulation and increased synaptic stabilization of the calcium-impermeable GluR2 AMPA receptors.
On the role of the CF3 group in determining the relative stability of E, Z-isomers

Abstract Although base-catalyzed addition of PhSH to PhCCCF, under thermodynamic control gives E-Ph(PhS)CCH(CF3), Z-Ph(PhO)CCH(CF3) is the thermodynamically favored product from similar reaction of PhOH with PhCCCF3. The preference for the cis -configuration of CF3 and PhO on a double bond is rationalized in terms of frontier orbital interactions.
Resonant scattering tensors in spherical and cubic symmetries

The angular and polarization dependence of resonant scattering of X-rays by spherical atoms, and atoms with the symmetry of one of the cubic point groups, is described by formulae derived from an expansion in tensors of order up to four. At this level of approximation, the scattering can be anisotropic for any crystallographic symmetry. The change of scattering amplitude with Bragg angle is different for different polarization states, even for spherical atoms. The polarization dependence of this scattering offers a new method for estimating this θ dependence.
Duality theory of the optimal two-block H ∞ problem

SUMMARY This paper provides the Banach duality theory structure of the optimal two-block H ∞ problem. Alignment conditions are obtained and show that the optimal solution is flat or allpass in general, and is unique in the single-input single-output case. The optimal solution is shown to satisfy an extremal identity, which gives a necessary and sufficient condition for a controller to be optimal. Moreover, nearly optimal control laws are shown to satisfy an approximate allpass condition. It is also proved that under specific conditions a Hankel‐Toeplitz operator achieves its norm on the discrete spectrum, therefore generalizing a similar result obtained formerly for finite-dimensional (rational) systems. The norm of this Hankel‐Toeplitz operator corresponds to the optimal two-block H ∞ performance. The dual description leads naturally to a numerical solution based on convex programming for linear time-invariant (possibly infinite-dimensional) systems. Copyright q 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Moisture effects upon the dimensional stability of an S-glass/epoxy composite

An experimental investigation is described of the effects of moisture and a polar solvent upon the changes in the axial dimensions of composite tubes fabricated with S-glass and an epoxy resin. Test parameters included different axial stress levels, sorption variations, and changes in the short-beam shear strength with moisture variations. Several wetting and drying cycles were used to establish the reproducibility and reversible characteristics of the observed dimensional changes. Test results are compared and discussed with findings reported by other investigators.
Developmental aspects of linguistic and mnestic abilities in normal children

The Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-Revised (PPVT-R), Boston Naming Test (BNT), Paired Associate Learning of the Wechsler Memory Scale (PAL), and verbal fluency tests were administered to 241 normal children aged 6-12 years. Normative data were compiled for the BNT, PAL, and verbal fluency tests. A Principal Components Factor Analysis with Varimax Rotation was conducted to determine whether the tests evaluated similar or differential functions. Three factors emerged, accounting for 67.7% of the variance: Factor 1 contained loadings from two semantic fluency measures (animals and food), Factor 2 contained the PPVT-R and the BNT, and Factor 3 contained two measures from the PAL (easy and hard associations). In children, the BNT relates more to word knowledge than to retrieval or fluency, and verbal memory appears to be relatively independent of these linguistic functions.
The effect of polychlorinated biphenyls on rat reproduction.

Abstract Reproduction, pathology and acute toxicity were studied in Sherman rats exposed to the polychlorinated biphenyls, Aroclor 1254 and Aroclor 1260. Rats exposed to Aroclor 1254 at dietary levels of 20 ppm or more had fewer pups per litter than the controls in the F 1b and F 2 generations. The 100 ppm exposure level of Aroclor 1254 increased mortality in the F 1b offspring and markedly decreased mating performance of the F 1b adults. The 500 ppm dietary level of Aroclor 1260 reduced litter size and decreased survival in the F 1 litters. Dietary levels of 5 ppm Aroclor 1254 and 100 ppm Aroclor 1260 had no effect on reproduction in rats exposed through two generations. Liver weights were increased in 21-day-old F 1 male weanlings at the 1 ppm level of Aroclor 1254 and in either sex of F 1 and F 2 weanlings at 5 ppm or higher levels of both Aroclor 1254 and 1260. Histological changes in the liver and increased liver weights were observed in adult rats exposed to the higher levels. Pregnant rats given Aroclor 1254 at the rate of 100 mg/kg/day on days 7–15 of gestation produced grossly normal litters, but only 30·1% of the pups survived to weaning. Reproduction and pup survival were not affected at dosage rates of 50 mg. Aroclor 1254/kg/day or 100 mg Aroclor 1260/kg/day. Oral LD 50 values in 3–4-wk-old male rats were 1295 and 1315 mg/kg for Aroclors 1254 and 1260, respectively. The iv LD 50 for Aroclor 1254 in adult females was 358 mg/kg.
Anticoccidial activity of arprinocid and halofuginone

Halofuginone and arprinocid, new anticoccidial drugs, were tested to determine the time of peak activity in the life cycle of Eimeria and whether they were coccidiocidal or coccidiostatic. Halofuginone was completely effective if medication was initiated by Day 3 postinoculation, but only partly effective if given on Days 4-7. Arprinocid was effective if given on Days 2-7 postinoculation, but only partly effective if given on Days 3-7. When medication was started on Day 0 and withdrawn on various subsequent days, good activity was recorded with halofuginone if the drug was given up to Day 1 postinoculation, but arprinocid required feeding up to Day 4 postinoculation. In other studies, medication was given until Days 6 or 7 postinoculation, then discontinued, to allow further development of coccidia that were arrested by the drug. With halofuginone, the oocyst passage was low with E. tenella and E. maxima but moderate with E. mivati. With arprinocid, oocyst passage was low with E. maxima and E. mivati but moderate with E tenella. These results suggest that halofuginone is active over a broader part of the life cycle than arprinocid, but both drugs had a predominantly coccidiocidal action.
Sex Ratio in Rhode Island Red Chicks at Hatching

Abstract Abnormal sex ratios at hatching have been studied with regard to possible inherited factors by Jull (1932), Thornton (1944), and Hazel and Lamoreaux (1946). None of these workers found evidence that the tendency to produce abnormal sex ratios is inherited. Hays (1949 Hays (1950) presented data to indicate that female chicks are more likely to die than male chicks during early embryological development. Ebbell (1949) noted a great excess of male chicks at hatching in the Legbar breed. This tendency was also observed in Leghorns. In recent years a significant excess of males have appeared in the Station flock of Rhode Island Reds that have been bred as a closed flock for high fecundity without close inbreeding. In the spring of 1952, 423 chicks hatched on March 2 were killed and sex determined by an examination of the gonads. A second group hatched April 20 consisting of 370 chicks was also . . .
Closed- to open-system differentiation at Arenal volcano (1968 2003)

Abstract Arenal volcano, located in northern Costa Rica, has been continuously erupting since 1968. Magmas during the first half of the eruption by volume (Stage 1: 1968–1971) were related by largely closed-system crystal fractionation that had produced a compositionally zoned magma chamber prior to 1968. It erupted downward from the most differentiated magma in 1968 to the most mafic by early 1971. In contrast, the second half of the eruption has been dominated by recharge and compositions have become more evolved with time (Stage 2: 1971–current). We base these conclusions on new major and trace element plus Sr–Nd–Hf–Pb isotope analyses of 56 whole rocks from throughout the eruption. Differentiates are enriched in incompatible elements in both stages, but compatible element concentrations drop much more during Stage 1 than 2. Changes during Stage 1 were successfully modeled using least squares and MELTS models despite the mineral complexity of the rocks. About 19% fractional crystallization of phenocryst phases (plagioclase > orthopyroxene > clinopyroxene > magnetite) is required, consistent with crystallization at 4 kb and from 1145 to 1088 °C of a melt initially containing 2.5 wt.% H2O at quite oxidizing conditions (QFM + 2). An implication is that most phenocrysts formed during decompression and degassing. Changes during the second stage were successfully modeled using EC-E′RAχFC with the ratio of recharge to crystallization decreasing from 17 to 5 over ∼ 30 years. Crystallization rates (dFS / dt) increase from 0.05 to 0.4%/a from closed- to open-system behavior and are even faster than inferred from U-series disequilibria. The recharging magma results from a smaller degree of flux melting of a mostly similar source than for the resident magma prior to the eruption, with the two events separated by ∼ 450 years. The most recent compositions have no precedent at Arenal.
Soft matter: A triangular affair

Disks interacting via particular potentials self-organize into triangles that stabilize mosaics with 10-, 12-, 18- and 24-fold symmetry, as revealed by computer simulations. Discoveries of further novel quasicrystals may now be within reach.
Effect of caffeine on urethral pressure

Urethral pressure profiles have been a useful adjunct in the study of continence. Caffeine, a known smooth muscle inhibitor and skeletal muscle stimulator, is shown to decrease the urethral pressure profile in anesthetized dogs. This would lead one to believe that the smooth muscle component of urethral tonus is the determining factor. Discussions follow on the mechanism of caffeine action and the possible effect of caffeinated beverages on stress incontinence.
Specific in vivo expression in type II pneumocytes of the jaagsiekte sheep retrovirus long terminal repeat in transgenic mice

Abstract Jaagsiekte sheep retrovirus (JSRV) is the causative agent of ovine pulmonary adenocarcinoma, a transmissible lung cancer in sheep. Previous experiments in differentiated murine tissue culture cell lines suggested that the disease specificity of JSRV for secretory lung epithelial cells (type II pneumocytes an Clara cells) reflects transcriptional specificity of the viral long terminal repeat (LTR) for these cells. To test this in vivo, transgenic mice carrying the bacterial beta-galactosidase (β-Gal) gene driven by the JSRV LTR were generated. Two transgenic lines showed β-Gal expression in the lungs but not other tissues of F1 animals, although transgene silencing in subsequent generations was a major problem. The cells expressing the transgene were identified by two- and three-color immunofluorescence for marker proteins of type II pneumocytes (surfactant protein C [SPC]) and Clara cells (CC10) as well as for a T7 gene 10 epitope present in the β-Gal reporter. F1 animals from both lines showed transgene expression in type II pneumocytes, but somewhat surprisingly not in Clara cells. Expression was not detected in bronchiolo-alveolar stem cells (BASCs) either. These results indicate that the JSRV LTR is specifically active in type II pneumocytes in the mouse lung, which is consistent with the fact that JSRV-induced OPA tumors in sheep largely have phenotypic markers of type II pneumocytes.
Modeling spatial relationships within a fuzzy framework

In this article, we present a model for defining and representing binary topological and directional relationships between 2-dimensional objects that is used to provide a basis for fuzzy querying capabilities. The definition of the relationships is based on an extension of Allen's temporal relations (Allen, 1983) to the spatial domain. This is done by allowing each of Allen's 13 relations to represent the interaction of 2-dimensional objects in terms of an x and y relationship component. The resulting set of relationships is then used for defining topological and directional relationship terminology. A data structure called an abstract spatial graph (ASG) is defined for the binary relationships that maintains all necessary information regarding topology and direction. Abstract spatial graphs provide the basis for processing of fuzzy topological and directional queries. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Attribution of blame in incest

This study was designed to identify the empirical structure of attitudes relating to attribution of blame in incest. A second purpose was to determine how variables such as gender, physically abused status, and sexually abused status influence the attribution of blame in incest. A sample of 201 male and 211 female college students was administered the Jackson Incest Blame Scale. Four factors emerged from the factor analysis of the total sample supporting the hypothesis that attribution of blame in incest is a multidimensional construct including victim, offender, situational, and societal factors. A difference in the level of victim blame was found between male and female samples. Results are discussed with regard to their implications for further research and training. Other potential uses of the Jackson Incest Blame Scale are suggested.
Real-time magnetic resonance imaging technique for determining left ventricle pressure-volume loops.

Background Rapid determination of the left ventricular (LV) pressure-volume (PV) relationship as loading conditions are varied is the gold standard for assessment of LV function. Cine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) does not have sufficient spatiotemporal resolution to assess beat-to-beat changes of the LV PV relationship required to measure the LV end-systolic elastance (E ES ) or preload-recruitable stroke work (PRSW). Our aim was to investigate real-time MRI and semiautomated LV measurement of LV volume to measure PV relations in large animals under normal and inotropically stressed physiologic conditions. Methods We determined that PV relationships could be accurately measured using an image exposure time T ex less than 100 ms and frame rate T fr less than 50 ms at elevated heart rates (∼140 beats per minute) using a golden angle radial MRI k-space trajectory and active contour segmentation. Results With an optimized exposure time ( T ex = 95 ms and frame rate T fr = 2.8 ms), we found that there was no significant difference between cine and real-time MRI at rest in end-diastolic volume, end-systolic volume, ejection fraction, stroke volume, or cardiac output (n = 5, p ES increased from 1.9 ± 0.7 to 3.1 ± 0.3 mm Hg/mL and PRSW increased from 6.2 ± 1.2 to 9.1 ± 0.9 mm Hg during continuous intravenous dobutamine infusion (n = 5, p Conclusions Real-time MRI can assess LV volumes, E ES, and PRSW at baseline and elevated inotropic states.
Symbolic calculus for positive-definite functions☆

It is shown that if Γ is an infinite discrete abelian group of exponent strictly greater than two, and if F:{z∈C:|z|⩽1}→C is such that F ∘ μ is a Fourier-Stieltjes transform on Γ whenever \gm is positive-definite and \gm(0) ⩽ 1, then F(z) = Σm, n ⩾ 0 amnzmzn for z ϵ int ∪ {\gm(Γ) : \gm positive-definite, \gm(0) ⩽ 1}, and Σ ¦ amn ¦ < ∞. This result is extended to all noncompact LCA groups Γ such that Γ has a compact open subgroup, with ΓΛ of exponent strictly greater than two. The extended result is shown to be sharp, and is used to prove a theorem due to Herz and Rider: If F:{|z|⩽1}→C is such that F ∘ \gm is a continuous positive-definite function on Γ whenever \gm is a continuous positive-definite function on Γ, and Γ is not the product of a finite group with a group of exponent two, then F(z) = Σamnzmzn (¦ z ¦ ⩽ 1), amn ⩾ 0 and Σamn < ∞.
Improving delay estimates derived from least-square algorithms and Padé approximations

Abstract It is shown that an on-line estimate of the unknown delay using the Pade approximation can be improved substantially. Based on an initial on-line estimate, a sequence of the estimates of delay is then constructed, which converges to the true delay.
L1 cell adhesion molecule is neuroprotective of alcohol induced cell death.

L1 cell adhesion molecule (L1), a protein critical for appropriate development of the central nervous system, is a target for ethanol teratogenicity. Ethanol inhibits both L1 mediated cell adhesion as well as L1 mediated neurite outgrowth. L1 has been shown to increase cell survival in cerebellar granule cells while ethanol has been shown to increase cell death. We sought to determine if L1 protected cells from ethanol induced cell death. Cerebellar granule cells from postnatal day 6 rat pups were cultured on either poly L-lysine with or without an L1 substratum. Alcohol was added at 2 hours post plating and cell survival was measured at various times. L1 substratum significantly increased cell survival at 72 and 120 hours. Ethanol significantly reduced cell survival at 48 hours, with no effect at 72 or 120 hours, both in the presence and absence of L1. At 48 hours, L1 significantly increased cell survival in the presence of ethanol. We conclude that ethanol interferes with processes other than L1-L1 interactions in causing cell death, and that ethanol effects would be more severe in the absence of L1.
Yerevan’s Choice: Armenia and its Integration into the Eurasian Customs Union

In the fall of 2013, Armenia made the decision to accede to the Customs Union of Belarus,Kazakhstan and Russia. Prior to this, the country had been involved in negotiations with the European Union regarding Armenian participation in a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement. While many were quick to assert that Armenia’s decision was based primarily on Russian pressure, closer analysis shows that Armenia’s decision to join the Eurasian Customs Union was taken based in large part on considerations such as the direct investment Armenia would receive from Russia, as well as strategic considerations involving Armenia’s neighbours in the South Caucasus and the Middle East. Armenia’s integration into Russia’s economic fold appears to be set for the foreseeable future.
The role of shame in predicting adult anger and depressive symptoms among victims of child psychological maltreatment

Previous research on child maltreatment and adult outcomes has failed to consider affective reactions to the maltreatment, which may play a critical role in victim outcomes. One such affective reaction—shame—may help to explain this relationship. In the context of maltreatment, feelings of shame are seen as a natural extension of the helplessness experienced by many victims of child maltreatment [Finkelhor, D., and Browne, A. (1986). Initial and long-term effects: A conceptual framework. In Finkelhor, D. (ed.), A Sourcebook on Child Sexual Maltreatment, Sage, Newbury Park, CA, pp. 180–198]. The current study examined the moderating role of shame in the relationship between victim reactions to child psychological maltreatment and adult anger and depressive symptoms. Results showed that shame moderated between child psychological maltreatment and adult anger for men but not for women, whereas shame moderated between child psychological maltreatment and depressive symptoms for adult women. Presence of gender-related differences suggests that gender should be considered in the design and development of therapeutic techniques for the treatment and prevention of anger and depression in adult survivors of child psychological maltreatment.
Tips for Telephone and Electronic Medical Consultation

The world is gradually shrinking in terms of time, and communications, while expanding in terms of population and distances. Patients demand and expect telephone and e-mail consultations and medical professionals are only too happy to oblige. However, a telephone consult is never so satisfying for the patients and well as the doctor as a face consult. Besides much essential information, cues and clues to diagnosis may be missed only with an audio input from patients. A telephone consult should be offered only to know the patient, and only after a prior face consult. It should be ensured that the patient can definitely understand, and follow the directions, and manage the disorder at home. While a telephone consultation may be considered convenient and short, there may be several disadvantages of such consultation, a wrong diagnosis and an inappropriate prescription being just two of them. Telephone etiquette should be followed by the staff and the physician. A triage system may be set up to filter calls that need to be necessarily answered by the physician himself. Telephone consults should be charged, and should be followed by a face consult as soon as possible. E-mail consultations are governed essentially by the same principles that govern telephone consultations. There is a slight advantage of e-mail consultation in that reports can be submitted online, including radiological reports. However, confidentiality is an important and uncertain issue in cyber space. A memorandum of understanding maybe signed between the patient and the physician. The information provided on e-mail should be of a general nature and a face consult should precede e-mail consultation. Patients may be referred to web resources for information. Telemedicine is a useful tool to obtain a medical diagnosis and to provide medical advice, and is likely to be used vastly in the near future.
Role of structural organization in the urine concentrating mechanism of an avian kidney

The organization of tubules and blood vessels in the quail medullary cone is highly structured. This structural organization may result in preferential interactions among tubules and vessels, interactions that may enhance urine concentrating capability. In this study, we formulate a model framework for the urine concentrating mechanism of the quail kidney. The model simulates preferential interactions among renal tubules by representing two concentric cores and by specifying the fractions of tubules assigned to each of the concentric cores. The model equations are based on standard expressions for transmural transport and on solute and water conservation. Model results suggest that the preferential interactions among tubules enhance the urine concentration capacity of short medullary cones by reducing the diluting effect of the descending limbs on the region of the interstitium where the collecting ducts are located; however, the effects on longer cones are unclear.
The influence of an electric field on the mechanism of combustion synthesis of tungsten silicides

The synthesis of tungsten silicides by self-propagating combustion has been successfully accomplished under the influence of an electric field. Materials with starting composition ranging from 6 to 30 wt. % Si were investigated by the method of field-activated combustion synthesis (FACS). A threshold field value was required to initiate a self-sustaining wave; the threshold value depended on composition. It was shown that the level of the applied field can influence the mechanism of silicide formation. The silicide W 5 Si 3 could be formed only at relatively high field values while WSi 2 can be formed at any field. The effect of the field on the silicide formation is discussed in terms of its role in liquid phase formation.
Marine Natural Products as Inhibitors of Hypoxic Signaling in Tumors

Marine natural products have become a major source of new chemical entities in the discovery of potential anticancer agents that potently suppress various antitumor molecular targets. As a consequence of insufficient vascularization, hypoxic regions form within rapidly growing solid tumor masses. Specific alterations of gene expression in these hypoxic tumor cells help facilitate the survival and metastatic spread of solid tumors. The transcriptional response to cellular hypoxia is primarily mediated by the transcription factor hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1) that regulates the expression of more than 100 genes involved in cellular adaptation and survival under hypoxic stress. Clinical studies in cancer patients indicate that HIF-1 activation is directly correlated with advanced disease stages and treatment resistance. HIF-1 has emerged as an important tumor-selective molecular target for anticancer drug discovery. As a result, natural product-based inhibitors of HIF-1 activation have been identified from plants and microorganisms. Recently, structurally unique natural products from marine sponges, crinoids, and algae have been identified as HIF-1 activation inhibitors. The US National Cancer Institute’s Open Repository of marine invertebrate and algae extracts has proven to be a valuable source of natural product HIF-1 inhibitors. Among the active compounds identified, certain marine natural products have also been shown to suppress the hypoxic induction of HIF-1 target genes such as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Some of these marine HIF-1 inhibitors act by interfering with the generation of mitochondrial signaling molecules in hypoxic cells. However, the precise mechanisms of action for many newly identified marine natural product HIF-1 inhibitors remain unresolved.
Symphony: cooperative packet recovery over the wired backbone in enterprise WLANs

In this paper, we propose Symphony, a packet recovery architecture that encourages collisions among transmitters, and utilizes the unused capacity in the backbone to transmit recovered data packets and coordinate the efficient recovery of collided packets. Symphony improves the wireless throughput while incurring a low overhead on the typically under-utilized wired backbone. In Symphony, upon receiving the collided transmissions, the APs carefully suppress a subset of the transmissions. Realizing this idea in practice entails several challenges including identification of clients that have data to transmit and ensuring that the algorithm works despite imperfect time-synchronization and non-zero latency among APs. We present Symphony that addresses these challenges and show how it leverages Successive Interference Cancellation (SIC) to further increase the network throughput. Experiments performed on an USRP testbed shows that on an average, Symphony provides 43% and 187% higher throughput over Omniscient TDMA and IEEE 802.11, respectively. ns-3 based simulation results show that on an average, Symphony provides a throughput of up to 1.63x compared to omniscient TDMA and 5.6x compared to IEEE 802.11.
Matrices with prescribed Ritz values

Abstract On the way to establishing a commutative analog to the Gelfand–Kirillov theorem in Lie theory, Kostant and Wallach produced a decomposition of M(n) which we will describe in the language of linear algebra. The “Ritz values” of a matrix are the eigenvalues of its leading principal submatrices of order m = 1 , 2 , … , n . There is a unique unit upper Hessenberg matrix H with those eigenvalues. For real symmetric matrices with interlacing Ritz values, we extend their analysis to allow eigenvalues at successive levels to be equal. We also decide whether given Ritz values can come from a tridiagonal matrix.
Gonadal growth and gametogenesis in the sand dollar Mellita quinquiesperforata (Leske, 1778)

Abstract Gonad indices of Mellita quinquiesperforata (Leske), (wet wt gonad/wet wt whole animal) × 100, were highest in January and February (1.9%) and lowest in April and May (0.6%) with smaller animals generally having less gonad/g wet wt than larger animals. The gonad may increase due to proliferation of nutritive material without production of gametes as in summer 1973. Animals attaining sexual maturity at or near one year of age spawn asynchronously. Older individuals tended to spawn synchronously over a period of one to two months. Young oocytes are present during all phases of gametogenesis. Medium size oocytes are phagocytized in later stages. Ripe eggs may be held in the ovary lumen for up to one month. Phagocytosis may terminate gametogenesis prematurely.
Establishment and characterization of a novel human myoepithelial cell line and matrix-producing xenograft from a parotid basal cell adenocarcinoma.

Myoepithelial cells exert important paracrine effects on epithelial morphogenesis and mitogenesis through direct cell-cell interactions and through synthesis of a basement membrane extracellular matrix. To study these effects further, this study established the first immortalized human myoepithelial cell line, HMS-1, and transplantable xenograft, HMS-X, from the rare parotid basal cell adenocarcinoma. The cell line exhibited a fully differentiated myoepithelial phenotype and the xenograft exhibited the rare property of accumulating an abundant extracellular matrix composed of both basement membrane and nonbasement membrane components with the latter predominating. With HMS-1 as a feeder layer, dramatic and specific induction of epithelial morphogenesis (sheroid formation) occurred with selected normal epithelial and primary carcinoma target cells. HMS-1 and HMS-X provide distinct advantages over the conventional murine matrices in existence. They will be invaluable in future studies of human tumor-myoepithelial and matrix interactions important for tumor cell growth, invasion, and metastasis.
Nutritional improvement of the aspartate family of amino acids in edible crop plants

Plants are the primary source of protein for man and livestock, however, not all plants produce proteins which contain a balance of amino acids for the diet to ensure proper growth of livestock and humans. Alteration of the amino acid composition of plants may be accomplished using techniques of molecular biology and genetic engineering. Genes encoding key enzymes regulating the synthesis of lysine and threonine have been cloned from plants andE. coli and are available for modification and transformation into plants. Genes encoding seed storage proteins have been cloned and modified to encode more lysine residues for developing transgenic plants with higher seed lysine. Genes encoding seed storage proteins naturally higher in methionine have been cloned and expressed in transgenic plants, increasing methionine levels of the seed. These and other approaches hold great promise in their application to increasing the content of essential amino acids in plants.
Changes in Orb Webs of Spiders During Growth (Araneus Diadematus Clerck and Neoscona Vertebrata Mc Cook) 1)2)

Photographs of the webs of 14 individuals (Araneus diadematus Cl.) hatched from one egg cocoon and 6 individuals (Neoscona vertebrata McCook) were taken while the spiders grew up in the laboratory. The length of the first legs from femur to claws and the size of the catching area in the webs changed in a similar way: webs increased in size during the first two to three months of the spiders' life as long as legs grew longer; after that both stayed about the same size. Body weight seemed related to mesh size. Light animals built webs with relatively many radii and spiral turns, heavy animals wide meshed webs. An explanation is proposed on the basis of the assumption that heavy animals have to build stronger threads with not more material than light spiders. Consequently they have less total length available for a full sized web. A wide meshed web results.
Nitric oxide production by nurse shark (Ginglymostoma cirratum) and clearnose skate (Raja eglanteria) peripheral blood leucocytes

Abstract Reactive nitrogen intermediates, such as nitric oxide (NO), are important immunomodulators in vertebrate immune systems, but have yet to be identified as mediators of host defence in any member of class Chondrichthyes, the cartilaginous fishes. In the present study, production of NO by nurse shark (Ginglymostoma cirratum) peripheral blood leucocytes (PBL) stimulated with bacterial cell wall lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was investigated. PBL were cultured for 24 to 96 h following stimulation with LPS at concentrations ranging from 0 to 25 μg ml−1, in both serum-supplemented and serum-free culture conditions. Production of NO was measured indirectly using the Griess reaction, with maximal NO production occurring after 72 h using 10% FBS and 10 μg LPS ml−1. Application of these culture conditions to PBL from another cartilaginous fish (clearnose skate, Raja eglanteria) resulted in a similar NO response. Addition of a specific inhibitor of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), l -N6-(1-iminoethyl)lysine ( l -NIL), resulted in a significant decrease in the production of NO by PBL from both species.
Substrate Binding Properties of Mutant and Wild-Type A Proteins of Escherichia coli Tryptophan Synthetase

Most of the mutant A proteins studied appear to be similar to the normal enzyme both in their apparent conformation about the critical cysteine residues and their ability to bind substrate. Two mutant proteins, in which a glutamic acid or arginine residue is substituted for a glycine residue, do appear abnormal suggesting that these primary structural changes radically affect the conformation in regions at or near the site or sites of substrate binding.