cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mechanical properties of resin composites with filler particles aligned by an electric field

Abstract Objectives. To explore possible enhancement of the mechanical properties of resin composites by aligning the filler particles. Methods. The resin for the composites consisted of urethane dimethacrylate (UDMA) and 1,6-hexanediol dimethacrylate (HDDMA) mixed in the ratio of 90 to 10; the filler was silica–zirconia in two particle sizes, 1.7 μm (P50), which was mixed with the resin in the volume fractions of 29 and 48 vol%, and 0.7 μm (Z100), which was mixed with the resin in the volume fractions of 37 and 57 vol%. Particle alignment was obtained by applying a 60 Hz AC electric field across the composite before the resin was photopolymerized. The stress–strain behavior and the elastic modulus of the hardened composite were measured along the alignment axis in compression. Results. The elastic moduli of the aligned composites increased by as much as 20%, and the maximum stress sustainable in compression before significant deformation occurred was elevated. An electric field strength of the order of 1 kV mm−1 was required to obtain sufficient alignment. Significance. Besides conferring a structure to resin composites that is more like that of the natural tooth, particle alignment increased some of the mechanical properties and may have improved durability.
Growth and maintenance respiration in leaves of bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) exposed to ozone in open-top chambers in the field

SUMMARY Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L. CV. pinto) plants were grown in pots in open-top chambers in the field and exposed to three ozone (O3) regimes at a rural site in northwestern New York state: (1) charcoal-filtered air with O3 concentrations during the day of about 40–50% ambient (CF), (2) charcoal-filtered air with O3 added to attain approximately ambient concentrations in real time (1 ×), and (3) charcoal-filtered air with O3 added to attain approximately twice ambient concentrations in real time (2×). Unifoliate leaf blade relative growth rate (RGR) and specific dark respiration rate were measured on 214 plants 12- to 17-d-old. For a given plant age, RGR was significantly reduced by increasing O3 dose, and for a given RGR, specific respiration rate was significantly increased. When the specific respiration rate was mathematically partitioned into growth and maintenance components, it was found that the growth coefficient was unaffected by O3 but the maintenance coefficient was significantly increased by increasing O3 dose: 7.3% between the CF and 1×treatments, and 25% between the 1×and 2×treatments. These results corroborate earlier findings with plants grown in high light conditions in chambers and exposed to 10 or 90 nl O31−1, and suggest that ambient levels of O3 inhibit plant growth in part by diverting respiratory substrate from growth to maintenance and repair processes.
Heterologous expression and nonsense suppression provide insights into agonist behavior at α6β2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors.

The α6-containing subtypes of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) are localized to presynaptic terminals of the dopaminergic pathways of the central nervous system. Selective ligands for these nAChRs are potentially useful in both Parkinson's disease and addiction. For these and other goals, it is important to distinguish the binding behavior of agonists at the α6-β2 binding site versus other subtypes. To study this problem, we apply nonsense suppression-based non-canonical amino acid mutagenesis. We report a combination of four mutations in α6β2 that yield high-level heterologous expression in Xenopus oocytes. By varying mRNA injection ratios, two populations were observed with unique characteristics, likely due to differing stoichiometries. Responses to nine known nAChR agonists were analyzed at the receptor, and their corresponding EC50 values and efficacies are reported. The system is compatible with nonsense suppression, allowing structure–function studies between Trp149 – a conserved residue on loop B found to make a cation-π interaction at several nAChR subtypes – and several agonists. These studies reveal that acetylcholine forms a strong cation-π interaction with the conserved tryptophan, while nicotine and TC299423 do not, suggesting a unique pharmacology for the α6β2 nAChR.
Generation of "soft x-rays" by using the free electron laser as a proposed means of diagnosing and treating breast cancer.

The diagnosis and treatment of breast lesions may be markedly enhanced by the use of a unique new source of near-monochromatic x-rays. Concentric beams of near-monochromatic x-ray photons may be generated by collision of the free electron laser (FEL) electron beam with the optical beam in an interaction zone that delivers the x-rays to a shirtsleeve environment. The absence of Compton scatter and the photoelectric interaction within tissues improves conspicuity of lesions by two to six times. Increased attenuation of x-rays in malignant vs. normal tissues makes tumors more obvious. K-edge subtraction allows chemical analysis of tumors in vivo—all at radiation doses that are one-tenth to one-fiftieth that delivered by the lowest-dose mammographic x-ray technique available. This allows for an increased sensitivity and specificity and permits prediction of histology, negating necessity for biopsies. Selective bond-breaking at depth in tissues as well as x-ray-activated photodynamic therapy are also being explored.
The time course of cortical vesicle fusion in sea urchin eggs observed as membrane capacitance changes

Abstract The addition of cortical vesicle membrane to the plasma membrane during the first 2 min after insemination in Strongylocentrotus purpuratus eggs was monitored continuously by measuring the resulting capacitance increase with AC current (400 Hz), using intracellular electrodes. The capacitance increase was first detected at 30 to 45 sec after the rise of the activation potential, thus allowing a more precise determination of the “latent period.” The time interval from a 10 to 50% change in capacitance was always less than that from the 50 to 90% level, suggesting that the traveling wave of cortical vesicle fusion slows down as it propagates.
Nonprotein sulfhydryl alterations in F-344 rats following acute methyl chloride inhalation.

Abstract This study examined the effect of acute methyl chloride (MeCl) inhalation on F-344 rat tissue nonprotein sulfhydryl (NPSH), largely reduced glutathione. Rats were exposed to MeCl concentrations of 1500, 500, or 100 ppm. A 6-hr exposure to 1500 ppm of MeCl decreased the NPSH content of liver, kidney, and lungs to 17, 27, and 30% of control values, respectively, while 500 ppm MeCl lowered the liver, kidney, and lung NPSH to 41, 59, and 55% of control values, respectively, demonstrating a concentration-related effect. Blood NPSH did not differ from controls in either of these groups. No statistically significant changes from controls in tissue or blood NPSH were observed following a 100-ppm MeCl exposure. The extent of tissue NPSH loss was dependent on exposure duration. Liver and kidney NPSH returned to control NPSH concentrations within 8 hr following exposure of 1500 ppm MeCl. Pretreatment of rats with Aroclor-1254 or SKF-525A did not alter the MeCl-induced decrease in tissue NPSH. These data indicate that MeCl reacts extensively with tissue NPSH in vivo in a concentration-related fashion following acute inhalation exposure. The most likely NPSH constituent with which MeCl reacts is reduced glutathione. The finding that blood NPSH was not affected, in contrast to liver, kidney, or lung NPSH, indicates a tissue-specific reaction between MeCl and sulfhydryl groups, a reaction in which the tissue enzyme glutathione- S -alkyltransferase may play a role.
Human Herpesvirus 8 Interleukin-6 Contributes to Primary Effusion Lymphoma Cell Viability via Suppression of Proapoptotic Cathepsin D, a Cointeraction Partner of Vitamin K Epoxide Reductase Complex Subunit 1 Variant 2

Human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8) interleukin-6 (vIL-6) promotes cell proliferation and survival and is proangiogenic, implicating it as a contributor to virus-associated Kaposi's sarcoma, primary effusion lymphoma (PEL), and multicentric Castleman's disease. Although predominantly lytically expressed, vIL-6 is also produced at low, functional levels during latency in PEL cells. Unlike other IL-6 cytokines, vIL-6 is secreted very inefficiently and localizes in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). ER-localized vIL-6 supports PEL cell proliferation and survival, mediated in part through its interaction with the largely uncharacterized ER-resident protein vitamin K epoxide reductase complex subunit 1 variant 2 (VKORC1v2). Here, we report that the ER-transiting and functionally mitogenic secreted proenzyme (pCatD) form of cathepsin D (mature CatD), a proapoptotic lysosomal aspartate protease, is an interaction partner of VKORC1v2 and that vIL-6 promotes this interaction. Depletion of vIL-6 in PEL cells increased levels of the catalytically active, proteolytically cleaved form of CatD, corresponding with decreased PEL cell viability. Ectopic expression of CatD in PEL cells induced apoptosis, suggesting that CatD suppression by vIL-6 is biologically significant. In the context of high-density culture or reactivation of HHV-8 lytic replication in PEL cells, CatD depletion substantially reduced stress-induced apoptosis and increased virus production. In contrast, CatD overexpression, vIL-6 depletion, and peptide-mediated disruption of vIL-6–VKORC1v2 interaction inhibited replication and cell survival. Combined, our data identify pCatD as an interaction partner of VKORC1v2, demonstrate a role of vIL-6 in CatD suppression via VKORC1v2 in PEL cells, and identify a biologically significant mechanism of vIL-6 prosurvival and proreplication activities via VKORC1v2.
A dynamic programming algorithm for multiple-choice constraints

Abstract This report concerns a discrete mathematical programming problem in which the variables are binary or integer, the objective function separable or factorable, and the constraints are in either of two classes: linear or multiple-choice constraints. The problem is solved using a dynamic programming approach with fathoming by bounds and by infeasibility.
Phylogenetic invariants for the general Markov model of sequence mutation.

Abstract A phylogenetic invariant for a model of biological sequence evolution along a phylogenetic tree is a polynomial that vanishes on the expected frequencies of base patterns at the terminal taxa. While the use of these invariants for phylogenetic inference has long been of interest, explicitly constructing such invariants has been problematic. We construct invariants for the general Markov model of κ -base sequence evolution on an n -taxon tree, for any κ and n . The method depends primarily on the observation that certain matrices defined in terms of expected pattern frequencies must commute, and yields many invariants of degree κ +1, regardless of the value of n . We define strong and parameter-strong sets of invariants, and prove several theorems indicating that the set of invariants produced here has these properties on certain sets of possible pattern frequencies. Thus our invariants may be sufficient for phylogenetic applications.
Myocardial infarction in the perinatal period

Summary Two cases of myocardial infarction in the neonatal period are presented with autopsy findings. In one of these the cause of death was circulatory insufficiency due to necrosis and probable rupture of a papillary muscle. The second was associated with severe subendocardial fibroelastosis. A review of the pertinent literature is presented. Suggestions are made for further study of the entities discussed.
Change in residential placements for persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities in the USA in the last two decades

(2003). Change in residential placements for persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities in the USA in the last two decades. Journal of Intellectual & Developmental Disability: Vol. 28, No. 2, pp. 205-210.
Conspecific cases as alternative grazing surfaces for larval Glossosoma intermedium (Trichoptera:Glossosomatidae)

AbstractLarval Glossosoma intermedium are dominant benthic grazers that often deplete their food resources (periphyton). We observed G. intermedium grazing periphyton from conspecific cases, a possible result of limited resources on stream cobbles, and we hypothesized that case grazing increases when periphyton resources become scarce. This hypothesis was tested by monitoring frequency of case grazing among G. intermedium in 3 streams in southwest Wisconsin for 1 y, and also in the laboratory using time-lapse video of larvae on tiles with and without periphyton. In situ periphyton biomass was higher on larval cases than on the stream cobbles to which larvae had access, irrespective of density, age, or size structure of G. intermedium. Case grazing was positively related to larval densities at 2 of the 3 streams. In laboratory experiments, larval encounter rates were similar in both tile treatments, although frequency and duration of case grazing increased on tiles lacking periphyton. These results suggest...
Results from a novel EUV mask inspection by 193nm DUV system

The semiconductor industry recently concluded that EUV lithography is the most promising candidate to replace ArF for the 22nm half-pitch node and beyond. Significant progress was made in EUV scanner and source technology and EUV resists have achieved acceptable performance levels as well. But issues related to EUV mask inspection and defectivity remain for the most part unanswered. This gap positions EUV masks as the leading risk to the entire technology, and requires a robust solution during the introduction phase of EUVL. In this paper we present results from a EUV mask inspection system. We demonstrate optimal pattern image formation by using illumination shaping, and consider detection of various defect types that represent realistic mask defectivity scenarios. These results demonstrate that DUV-based patterned mask inspection tool can meet the requirements of the pre-production EUV phase, at 32nm half-pitch, and has adequate room to extend to production at the 22nm node.
Glucose deficiency as a factor in the production of symptoms referable to the cardiovascular system

Abstract Disturbed carbohydrate metabolism may precipitate various manifestations referable to the cardiovascular system. These manifestations can be recognized by their appearance two or more hours after meals, their relief by the ingestion of glucose, and their reproducibility by administering insulin. When the symptoms are present, the blood sugar level is usually within the lower limits of normal, or only slightly subnormal. The disturbance of carbohydrate metabolism which is responsible for these symptoms has, for want of a better term, been designated as “relative hypoglycemia.” Relative hypoglycemia is a common factor in the production of symptoms referable to the circulatory system, and has been found in thirty-one of the last two hundred four of our patients with cardiovascular complaints. Relative hypoglycemia may produce subjective and objective manifestations identical with those commonly observed in patients with cardiac neurosis. The two conditions can be differentiated only after the most thorough study, and they frequently coexist. Relative hypoglycemia may be a “trigger” factor in precipitating various arrhythmias (including paroxysmal tachycardia), as well as attacks of angina pectoris, hypertensive encephalopathy, carotid sinus syncope, and circulatory disturbances associated with the menopause. Relative hypoglycemia frequently is associated with pain in the chest which is nonanginal in character. Occasionally it induces, in patients with typical effort angina, attacks of angina pectoris at rest. Rarely patients without any evidence of structural cardiac disease may have, as the result of glucose deficiency, attacks of severe pain which are identical with seizures of angina pectoris in all respects except for the absence of a relation to muscular effort. The circulatory manifestations of relative hypoglycemia are the same as those observed after the experimental or therapeutic administration of insulin. They appear to be related to two mechanisms: release of epinephrine, and alterations comparable to those which occur in anoxia. The increased venous return, so brought about, causes an augmented cardiac output and the typical signs of the “overactive heart.” The diagnosis of the milder instances of relative hypoglycemia has been discussed, and it is concluded that the attempt to reproduce the symptoms in a given case by insulin administration is, in certain patients, a more valuable method than the glucose tolerance test. Both methods are less important than the history. When relative hypoglycemia is causing symptoms, marked benefit can usually be obtained by the use of a diet which is poor in carbohydrates and rich in protein, with intermediate feedings. Observation of the response to such a diet is therefore at times a helpful diagnostic measure.
Protecting Children and Adolescents in Uruguay: Civil Society's Role in Policy Reform

This article analyzes the advocacy efforts of civil societal actors in Uruguay who have sought to promote the rights of children. I discuss the strategies that members of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) used to achieve a greater presence in debates leading to significant policy changes in the area of child protection. Child advocates achieved relatively high levels of political mobilization and influence throughout the 1990s and early 2000s. The analysis focuses on their multi-year campaign to reform the Children’s Code of 1934, which culminated in the adoption of a new Code of Childhood and Adolescence in 2004. I argue that two variables help explain their participation in policy making: effective issue framing and successful alliance building.
A soil-climate index to predict corn yield☆

Abstract Rainfall-soil storage (RAINSTOR) equations were developed and refined by fitting various combinations of RAINSTOR against measured corn yield. Separate equations are needed to reflect both water stress (droughty and ponding) conditions. The most limiting value (maximum stress) was used in the calculation of RAINSTOR index values. The RAINSTOR index is a good parameter for predicting corn yield on nearly level soils in the udic moisture regime of New York State. The initial correlation analyses showed a marginal relationship between rainfall and corn yield (r 2 = 0·13). After using the rainfall-soil storage equations, the RAINSTOR versus corn yield relationship dramatically improved (r 2 = 0·80). The RAINSTOR equation was tested at two additional sites and the r 2 was equal to 0·61 and 0·70, respectively.
Auditory comprehension of stutterers on a competing message task

This study investigated auditory processing in ten adult stutterers and ten nonstuttering adults using a competing message task derived from the Revised Token Test (RTT), and the RTT itself. Quantitative and qualitative (pattern analysis) measures of each group's performance were examined across and within listening conditions. Stutterers were found to perform significantly poorer than nonstutterers on the competing message task, but the qualitative performance did not differ across groups. This was interpreted to mean that stutterers process auditory verbal information less efficiently, but not differently, than nonstutterers.
Carbon nanotube sensors integrated inside a microfluidic channel for water quality monitoring

Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) with their unique electrical properties and large surface area are remarkable materials for detecting low concentration of toxic and hazardous chemicals (both from the gaseous and liquid phases). Ionic adsorbates in water will attach on to SWNTs and drastically alter their electrical properties. Several SWNTs based pH and chemical sensors have been demonstrated. However, most of them require external components to test and analyze the response of SWNTs to ions inside the liquid samples. Here, we report a water quality monitoring sensor composed of SWNTs integrated inside microfluidic channels and on-chip testing components with a wireless transmission board. To detect multiple analytes in water requires the functionalization of SWNTs with different chemistries. In addition, microfluidic channels are used to guide liquid samples to individual nanotube sensors in an efficient manner. Furthermore, the microfluidic system enables sample mixing and separation before testing. To realize the nanosensors, first microelectrodes were fabricated on an oxidized silicon substrate. Next, PDMS micro channels were fabricated and bonded on the substrate. These channels can be incorporated with a microfluidic system which can be designed to manipulate different analytes for specific molecule detection. Low temperature, solution based Dielectrophoretic (DEP) assembly was conducted inside this microfluidic system which successfully bridged SWNTs between the microelectrodes. The SWNTs sensors were next characterized with different pH buffer solutions. The resistance of SWNTs had a linearly increase as the pH values ranged from 5 to 8. The nanosensor incorporated within the microfluidic system is a versatile platform and can be utilized to detect numerous water pollutants, including toxic organics and microorganisms down to low concentrations. On-chip processing and wireless transmission enables the realization of a full autonomous system for real time monitoring of water quality.
Expanding the outcomes in clinical trials of heart failure: the quality of life and economic components of EPHESUS (EPlerenone's neuroHormonal Efficacy and SUrvival Study).

Abstract Background Although quantification of the impact of treatment on survival remains the cornerstone of clinical research, the assessment of a broader range of disease outcomes is growing increasingly important. This manuscript provides an overview of the considerations made regarding quantification of a range of clinical and economic outcomes in the EPHESUS (EPlerenone's neuroHormonal Efficacy and SUrvival Study) study, a 6200-patient, randomized, controlled trial of aldosterone blockade in patients with heart failure as a complication of acute myocardial infarction. Methods and Results Relevant clinical outcomes include disease progression (mortality, hospitalization), health status (symptoms, functioning, and quality of life), and costs. The primary hypothesis for the quality of life component of EPHESUS is that eplerenone will improve health status as defined by the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire summary score. In addition to the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire, the Short Form-12, the EuroQOL, the Medical Outcomes Study-Depression Scale and an Anxiety measure will be collected throughout the trial. Health care resource utilization including hospitalizations, emergency room visits, outpatient procedures and tests, and medications will also be collected. Analyses will estimate and describe the effect of aldosterone blockade on costs over time. If both the clinical effect and costs are greater for patients receiving aldosterone blockade, then eplerenone's cost-effectiveness will be estimated. Conclusion The EPHESUS trial has been designed to quantify a wide range of clinical outcomes. This broad range of data will allow a comprehensive assessment of the potential benefits of aldosterone blockade on patient health status and costs. (Am Heart J 2002;143:636-42.)
Surgical treatment of subfoveal choroidal neovascular membranes

Abstract Choroidal neovascularization (CNV) occurs in a variety of ocular conditions and often results in severe central vision loss. Laser photocoagulation has been the accepted treatment for well-defined extra and juxtafoveal choroidal neovascular membranes (CNVM), but provides minimal benefits in the treatment of subfoveal CNVMs. Recently, surgical membrane extraction has been considered as a possible alternative treatment for subfoveal CNVMs. Results of this treatment have been mixed, with significantly better visual recovery in eyes with presumed ocular histoplasmosis than in eyes with age-related macular degeneration. This paper discusses the surgical procedures, visual outcomes, prognostic factors for visual improvement and ocular complications of subfoveal CNVM excision.
Holocaust Views: The Goldhagen Controversy in Retrospect

Holocaust literature is one of the richest devoted to a single event; it is also one of the newest. In the 1950s and '60s one could count on one's fingers the monographs that dealt with the destruction of the Jews. Then came a surge of interest in the 1970s, perhaps due to the arrival on the scene of a European generation innocent of this heinous crime. Since then, the production of books, articles, and films on the subject has continued unabated; in fact, it is growing. Yet the thousands of books and the tens of thousands of articles, many of them not only accurate and scholarly but also beautifully written, have not achieved their purpose. They may have persuaded other scholars but not the public. For when Daniel Goldhagen's Hitler's Willing Executioners: Ordinary Germans and the Holocaust was published, in 1996, with new claims, it was as if the previous literature had never existed.
Comparative PET studies of the distribution of (−)-3,4-methylenedioxy-N-[11C]methamphetamine and (−)-[11C]methamphetamine in a monkey brain

Abstract Carbon-11 labeled (−)-methamphetamine and (−)-3,4-methylenedioxy- N -methamphetamine were synthesized by methylation of the corresponding desmethyl precursors with [ 11 C]H 3 I in 40–60% yield in a synthesis time of 30 min from EOB with a specific activity of 0.5-1.2 Ci/μM. PET studies in a Rhesus monkey revealed that the uptakes of both compounds in different brain regions were similar, and the retention of radioactivity in these brain regions remained constant throughout the study for the former while it was washed out slowly for the latter. The half-life of (−)-3,4-methylenedioxy- N -methamphetamine in monkey brain was approximately 70 min. Analyses of arterial plasma by HPLC revealed that 50% of radioactivity in the plasma remained as (−)-methamphetamine while only 3% remained as (−)-3,4-methylenedioxy- N -methamphetamine at 60 min post-injection. These results suggest that the uptakes of both compounds in monkey brain are probably not receptor mediated. Rather, blood flow, lipophilicity of the compounds or other transport mechanisms may play a role in their uptakes.
Low-Luminosity Active Galactic Nuclei as Analogs of Galactic Black Holes in the Low/Hard State: Evidence from X-Ray Timing of NGC 4258

We present a broadband power spectral density function (PSD) measured from extensive RXTE monitoring data of the low-luminosity active galactic nucleus (LLAGN) NGC 4258, which has an accurate, maser-determined black hole mass of (3.9 ± 0.1) × 107 M☉. We constrain the PSD break timescale to be greater than 4.5 days at >90% confidence, which appears to rule out the possibility that NGC 4258 is an analog of black hole X-ray binaries (BHXRBs) in the high/soft state. In this sense, the PSD of NGC 4258 is different from those of some more luminous Seyfert galaxies, which appear similar to the PSDs of high/soft state X-ray binaries. This result supports previous analogies between LLAGNs and X-ray binaries in the low/hard state based on spectral energy distributions, indicating that the AGN/BHXRB analogy is valid across a broad range of accretion rates.
Predictability of North Atlantic Tropical Cyclone Activity on Intraseasonal Time Scales

Abstract Recent work suggests that there may exist skill in forecasting tropical cyclones (TC) using dynamically based ensemble products, such as those obtained from the ECMWF Monthly Forecast System (ECMFS). The ECMFS features an ensemble of 51 coupled ocean–atmosphere simulations integrated to 32 days once per week. Predicted levels of TC activity in the North Atlantic Ocean with these monthly ensemble forecasts is compared with the observed variability during the months of June–October during 2008 and 2009. Results indicate that the forecast system can capture large-scale regions that have a higher or lower risk of TC activity and that it has skill above climatology for the Gulf of Mexico and the “Main Development Region” on intraseasonal time scales. Regional forecast skill is traced to the model’s ability to capture the large-scale evolution of deep-layer vertical shear, the frequency of easterly waves, and the variance in 850-hPa relative vorticity. The predictability of TC activity, along with the ...
Dissectingd-Cubes into Smallerd-Cubes

In this paper, we explore the following question: Given integersdandk, is it possible to subdivide ad-dimensional cube intoksmallerd-dimensional cubes? In particular, we investigate bounds on the integerc(d) which is the smallest integer for which it is possible to subdivide thed-cube into any numberk?c(d) smallerd-cubes. We derive specific bounds ford?5, and furthermore, we investigate, for givenk, the asymptotic behavior ofc(d) for thosedsuch that gcd(2d?1,kd?1)=1. Specifically, we show that if gcd (2d?1,3d?1) thenc(d)<6dand that if gcd(2d?1,kd?1) thenc(d)=O((2k)d). Finally, we derive the general asymptotic boundc(d)=O((2d)d?1) which improves the currently known bound ofc(d)=O((2d)d).
Influences of variation in force application on tibial displacement and strain in the anterior cruciate ligament during the Lachman test

Abstract Objective. The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of Lachman test performance technique on tibial displacement and strain in the anterior cruciate ligament. Design. Model simulation of experimental Lachman test performance by trained clinicians. Background. Differences in clinician hand placement during Lachman test performance have been observed. Methods. A two-dimensional computer sagittal plane model of the knee was designed to simulate experimentally observed Lachman test performance, and determine anterior cruciate ligament strain and tibial translation that occurred during variation in clinician hand placement and force magnitude. Results. Anterior cruciate ligament strain and tibial translation were greater under conditions mimicking clinician hand placement utilizing a more proximal force application on the tibia. Conclusions. Tibial translation and strain behavior of the anterior cruciate ligament during the Lachman test appear to be influenced by clinician hand position used in the application of force to the tibia. Relevance The results of the present study suggest that distal “tibial hand” placement alters tibial translation and anterior cruciate ligament strain during the Lachman test. Clinical evaluation of joint mobility and ligamentous stability would therefore be masked during the Lachman test potentially hindering accuracy of ligament laxity evaluation.
Acceleration of nucleic acid hybridization rate by polyethylene glycol

The addition of polyethylene glycol to filter-bound nucleic acid hybridization greatly increases the hybridization rate. With single-stranded probes, the increase obtained with polyethylene glycol is significantly greater than that obtained with dextran sulfate. Additionally, polyethylene glycol is easier to manipulate and less expensive than dextran sulfate.
Valuing ancient forest ecosystems: An analysis of backcountry hiking in Jasper National Park

Abstract This study examines backcountry visitors' preferences for truly ancient forest ecosystems. We find that visitors consider ancient forests a distinctly different ecosystem than mature, but younger forests dominated by the same tree types, and that the recreational value of forests continues to grow for several hundred years following a crown fire. By employing a random coefficients model of utility the analysis is able to provide measures of the variability in preferences for forest ecosystems across the population of users. The model also shows that site choice probabilities and welfare effects associated with ancient woodlands are sensitive to the mix of dominating tree types, and exhibit substantial fluctuation over trails.
The safeguards mess revisited: the fundamental problem

In the November 2003 issue of this journal, Alan Sykes describes the WTO Safeguards Agreement (SA) as ‘a mess’ (Sykes, 2003). The author sets out to show that the criteria for using safeguards protection under WTO rules, and Appellate Body (AB) decisions related to dispute settlement cases over such protection, are incoherent. Any use of protection under the SA therefore appears doomed to being struck down in a WTO challenge. The author believes that the AB could rectify this situation in the form of guidelines to make safeguards protection operational, assuming that such protection should be used in the first place.
SMI 2012: Full Encoding normal vectors using optimized spherical coordinates

We present a method for encoding unit vectors based on spherical coordinates that out-performs existing encoding methods both in terms of accuracy and encoding/decoding time. Given a tolerance @e, we solve a simple, discrete optimization problem to find a set of points on the unit sphere that can trivially be indexed such that the difference in angle between the encoded vector and the original are no more than @e apart. To encode a unit vector, we simply compute its spherical coordinates and round the result based on the prior optimization solution. We also present a moving frame method that further reduces the amount of data to be encoded when vectors have some coherence. Our method is extremely fast in terms of encoding and decoding both of which take constant time O(1). The accuracy of our encoding is also comparable or better than previous methods for encoding unit vectors.
Ease of Administration of the Cognitive Adaptive Test/Clinical Linguistic and Auditory Milestone Scale (CAT/CLAMS) During Pediatric Well-Child Visits

Barriers to early identification of children with developmental delays include time constraints during well-child visits and lack of easily administered, quantitative measures that can be used by pediatricians. This study assesses the ease of administration of the Cognitive Adaptive Test/Clinical Linguistic and Auditory Milestone Scale (CAT/CLAMS) during well-child visits from 2 to 36 months of age. During a single visit 177 children were assessed by either a developmental pediatrician (n = 121) or a third-year pediatric resident (n = 56). The mean time required to complete the CAT/CLAMS for all subjects was 6 minutes and 10 seconds (SD 2 minutes 44 seconds); less than 10 minutes was required in 92% of children assessed. There were no significant differences in the time required by the 2 examiners at any age level. Its ease of administration and psychometric properties make the CAT/CLAMS an excellent choice for the assessment of early development by primary care pediatricians.
A network biology approach to prostate cancer

Received 1.8.06; accepted 22.12.06 There is a need to identify genetic mediators of solid-tumor cancers, such as prostate cancer, where invasion and distant metastases determine the clinical outcome of the disease. Whole-genome expression profiling offers promise in this regard, but can be complicated by the challenge of identifying the genes affected by a condition from the hundreds to thousands of genes that exhibit changes in expression. Here, we show that reverse-engineered gene networks can be combined with expression profiles to compute the likelihood that genes and associated pathways are mediators of a disease. We apply our method to non-recurrent primary and metastatic prostate cancer data, and identify the androgen receptor gene (AR) among the top genetic mediators and the AR pathway as a highly enriched pathway for metastatic prostate cancer. These results were not obtained on the basis of expression change alone. We further demonstrate that the AR gene, in the context of the network, can be used as a marker to detect the aggressiveness of primary prostate cancers. This work shows that a network biology approach can be used advantageously to identify the genetic mediators and mediating pathways associated with a disease. Molecular Systems Biology 13 February 2007; doi:10.1038/msb4100125 Subject Categories: metabolic and regulatory networks; molecular biology of disease
A secretory kinase complex regulates extracellular protein phosphorylation.

Some proteins must be modified in order to work effectively. One common modification is to add a phosphate group to the protein, which is performed by enzymes called protein kinases. Although most of the protein kinases work on proteins inside the cell, it was discovered recently that a small group of kinases work within the ‘secretory pathway’ and modify proteins that are released (or secreted) out of cells. One such secretory pathway kinase—called Fam20C—phosphorylates a wide range of secreted proteins and helps to ensure the proper development of bones and teeth. Specifically, Fam20C and a closely related protein called Fam20A are important for forming enamel, the hardest substance in human body, which makes up the outer surface of teeth. However, the exact role of Fam20A is unknown. Cui et al. now show that Fam20A binds to Fam20C, and this increases the ability of Fam20C to phosphorylate the proteins that form the ‘matrix’ that guides the deposition of the enamel minerals. Furthermore, mutations in Fam20A lead to the inefficient phosphorylation of enamel matrix proteins by Fam20C, and prevent proper enamel formation. The results raise the possibility that similar mechanisms of secretory kinase activation may also be important in other biological processes where many secreted proteins need to be phosphorylated rapidly.
Race, segregation, and physicians' participation in medicaid.

Many studies have explored the extent to which physicians' characteristics and Medicaid program factors influence physicians' decisions to accept Medicaid patients. In this article, we turn to patient race/ethnicity and residential segregation as potential influences. Using the 2000/2001 Community Tracking Study and other sources we show that physicians are significantly less likely to participate in Medicaid in areas where the poor are nonwhite and in areas that are racially segregated. Surprisingly—and contrary to the prevailing Medicaid participation theory—we find no link between poverty segregation and Medicaid participation when controlling for these racial factors. Accordingly, this study contributes to an accumulating body of circumstantial evidence that patient race influences physicians' choices, which in turn may contribute to racial disparities in access to health care.
Dynamics of a Driven Single Flux Line in Superconductors

We study the low-temperature dynamics of a single flux line in a bulk type-II superconductor, driven by a surface current, both near and above the onset of an instability which sets in at a critical driving. We found that above the critical driving, the velocity profile of the flux line develops a discontinuity.
Chordin forms a self-organizing morphogen gradient in the extracellular space between ectoderm and mesoderm in the Xenopus embryo

The vertebrate body plan follows stereotypical dorsal-ventral (D-V) tissue differentiation controlled by bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) and secreted BMP antagonists, such as Chordin. The three germ layers--ectoderm, mesoderm, and endoderm--are affected coordinately by the Chordin-BMP morphogen system. However, extracellular morphogen gradients of endogenous proteins have not been directly visualized in vertebrate embryos to date. In this study, we improved immunolocalization methods in Xenopus embryos and analyzed the distribution of endogenous Chordin using a specific antibody. Chordin protein secreted by the dorsal Spemann organizer was found to diffuse along a narrow region that separates the ectoderm from the anterior endoderm and mesoderm. This Fibronectin-rich extracellular matrix is called "Brachet's cleft" in the Xenopus gastrula and is present in all vertebrate embryos. Chordin protein formed a smooth gradient that encircled the embryo, reaching the ventral-most Brachet cleft. Depletion with morpholino oligos showed that this extracellular gradient was regulated by the Chordin protease Tolloid and its inhibitor Sizzled. The Chordin gradient, as well as the BMP signaling gradient, was self-regulating and, importantly, was able to rescale in dorsal half-embryos. Transplantation of Spemann organizer tissue showed that Chordin diffused over long distances along this signaling highway between the ectoderm and mesoderm. Chordin protein must reach very high concentrations in this narrow region. We suggest that as ectoderm and mesoderm undergo morphogenetic movements during gastrulation, cells in both germ layers read their positional information coordinately from a single morphogen gradient located in Brachet's cleft.
Shared human T cell receptor V beta usage to immunodominant regions of myelin basic protein

Multiple sclerosis (MS) may be an autoimmune disease mediated by T cells specific for a myelin protein. Investigations have demonstrated myelin basic protein (MBP)-reactive T cells that were activated in vivo in MS patients, suggesting that MBP may be a target antigen in MS. The variable (V) region of the T cell receptor (TCR) beta chain was examined among 83 T cell lines from both MS patients and healthy subjects that were reactive with the immunodominant region of human MBP (residues 84 to 102) or with a second immunodominant region of MBP (143 to 168). V beta 17 and to a lesser extent V beta 12 were frequently used in recognition of MBP(84-102) among different individuals. In contrast, V beta 17 was very infrequent among lines reactive with MBP (143-168). These data demonstrate shared TCR V beta gene usage for the recognition of immunodominant regions of the human autoantigen MBP. Such TCR structures may be used as targets for specific immunotherapy in MS.
Incoherent Optical Processing

In this chapter we have analyzed the basic characteristics of incoherent optical processing, considering three major classes of systems: (1) systems that rely on diffraction; (2) systems that rely on plane-to-plane imaging in the geometrical optics sense; and (3) systems that rely on diffractionless geometrical optics “shadow casting” for their operation. Incoherent systems are often characterized by a redundancy and immunity to noise not associated with coherent optical systems. However, the non-negative real nature of the information-bearing irradiance distributions precludes direct implementation of incoherent systems in many signal processing applications, and various tricks must be employed. Dynamic range limitations with incoherent systems are an area of active study, and the relative advantages of incoherent systems over coherent systems are not known conclusively.
Novel factor-loaded polyphosphazene matrices: potential for driving angiogenesis.

Currently employed bone tissue engineered scaffolds often lack the potential for vascularization, which may be enhanced through the incorporation of and regulated release of angiogenic factors. For this reason, the objective here was to fabricate and characterize protein-loaded amino acid ester polyphosphazene (Pphos)-based scaffolds and evaluate the novel sintering method used for protein incorporation, a method which will ultimately allow for the incorporation of proangiogenic agents. To test the hypothesis, Pphos and their composite microspheres with nanocrystalline hydroxyapatite (Pphos-HAp) were fabricated via the emulsion solvent evaporation method. Next, bovine serum albumin (BSA)-containing microsphere matrices were created using a novel solvent–non-solvent approach for protein loading. The resulting protein (BSA) loaded circular porous microsphere based scaffolds were characterized for morphology, porosity, protein structure, protein distribution and subsequent protein release pattern. Scanning e...
Earthquakes generated from bedding plane-parallel reverse faults above an active wedge thrust, Seattle fault zone

A key question in earthquake hazard analysis is whether individual faults within fault zones represent independent seismic sources. For the Seattle fault zone, an upper plate structure within the Cascadia convergent margin, evaluating seismic hazard requires understanding how north-side-up, bedding-plane reverse faults, which generate late Holocene fault scarps, interact with the north-vergent master-ramp thrust and overlying backthrust of the fault zone. A regional uplift at A.D. 900–930 involved an earthquake that nucleated at depth and included slip on both the master-ramp thrust and the backthrust. This earthquake also included slip on some of the <6-km-deep north-side-up, bedding-plane reverse faults. At locales where the north-side-up reverse faults intersect the Puget Sound coast, an earthquake a few centuries earlier than the A.D. 900–930 regional uplift only uplifted areas within hundreds of meters north of the reverse faults. We infer that the bedding-plane reverse faults are seismogenic because shore platforms near the reverse faults have been abruptly uplifted during earthquakes when other shorelines in the Seattle fault zone were unaffected. Faults of the Seattle fault zone therefore can both produce regional uplift earthquakes, with or without surface displacement on the reverse faults, and produce earthquakes that rupture the bedding-plane reverse faults causing fault scarps and uplift localized to hundreds of meters north of these faults. This latter type of earthquake has occurred at least twice and perhaps three times in the late Holocene, and all these earthquakes preceded the regional coseismic uplift of A.D. 900–930. To account for the paleoseismic observations, we propose that the Seattle fault zone is a wedge thrust, with the leading edge being a fault-bend, wedge thrust fold. The active axial surface of the wedge thrust fold is pinned at the tip of the wedge, and a steeply north-dipping sequence of Tertiary sediment forms the south limb of the wedge thrust fold. Some of these steeply north-dipping, bedding-plane surfaces are seismogenic reverse faults that produce scarps. Earthquakes on the wedge thrust produce the regional coseismic uplift events, and earthquakes within the faultbend fold cause the local uplift earthquakes. Thus, bedding-plane faults can rupture during earthquakes when the wedge thrust does not rupture but instead continues to accumulate seismic energy.
Cell lines established by a temperature-sensitive simian virus 40 large-T-antigen gene are growth restricted at the nonpermissive temperature.

Abstract The thermolabile large T antigen, encoded by the simian virus 40 early-region mutant tsA58, was used to establish clonal cell lines derived from rat embryo fibroblasts. These cell lines grew continuously at the permissive temperature but upon shift-up to the nonpermissive temperature showed rapidly arrested growth. The growth arrest occurred in either the G1 or G2 phase of the cell cycle. After growth arrest, the cells remained metabolically active as assayed by general protein synthesis and the ability to exclude trypan blue. The inability of these cell lines to divide at the nonpermissive temperature was not readily complemented by the exogenous introduction of other nuclear oncogenes. This finding suggests that either these genes establish cells via different pathways or that immortalization by one oncogene results in a finely balanced cellular state which cannot be adequately complemented by another establishment gene.