cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Shoulder injuries during alpine skiing

We retrospectively reviewed alpine skiing injuries at a destination ski resort during three seasons to characterize the incidence and types of shoulder injuries. A total of 3451 injuries in 3247 patients were reviewed. The overall injury rate was 4.44 injuries per 1000 skier-days. Injuries to the upper extremity represented 29.1% (N = 1004) of all alpine ski injuries. Injuries involving the shoulder complex (393 injuries in 350 patients) accounted for 39.1% of upper extremity injuries and 11.4% of all alpine skiing injuries. The rate of shoulder injury was 0.51 injuries per 1000 skier-days. Patients with shoulder injuries had a mean age of 35.4 years, and the male-to-female ratio of these patients was 3:1. Falls represented the most common mechanism of shoulder injury (93.9%) in addition to collisions with skiers (2.8%), pole planning (2.3%), and collisions with trees (1%). The most common shoulder injuries were rotator cuff strains (24.2%), anterior glenohumeral dislocations or subluxations (21.6%), acromioclavicular separations (19.6%), and clavicle fractures (10.9%). Less common shoulder injuries included greater tuberosity fractures (6.9%), trapezius muscle strains (6.4%), proximal humeral fractures (3.3%), biceps tendon strains (2.3%), glenoid fractures (1.5%), scapular fractures (1%), humeral head fractures (1%), sternoclavicular separations (0.5%), an acromial fracture (0.3%), a posterior glenohumeral dislocation (0.3%), and a biceps tendon dislocation (0.3%).
Toward knowledge-rich data mining

This position paper proposes knowledge-rich data mining as a focus of research, and describes initial steps in pursuing it.
PHOSPHOLIPIDS OF UNHOPPED WORT

Unhopped wort was prepared from malt plus corn and lyophylized. The chloroform methanol extractables of the dried wort were subjected to column chromatography on silicic acid to yield a neutral and a polar fraction. When the two fractions were subjected to both one- and two-dimensional thin layer chromatography, the presence of lecithin and lysolecithin could not be demonstrated.
Examining posttraumatic growth among Japanese university students

To determine the underlying factor structure of the Japanese version of the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI-J), a principal components analysis was performed on data from 312 Japanese undergraduate students who reported growth due to their most traumatic event within the last 5 years. Results showed the PTGI-J has high internal consistency and, of the original five factors reported by Tedeschi and Calhoun (1996), three were replicated: Relating to Others, New Possibilities, Personal Strength, and a fourth factor integrating Spiritual Change and Appreciation of Life emerged. There were neither gender differences nor relationships with time since trauma. PTGI-J scores were positively associated with posttraumatic symptoms and correlated with type of traumatic event experienced. These results and future directions are discussed from a cross-cultural viewpoint.
Micron-scale positioning of features influences the rate of polymorphonuclear leukocyte migration.

Microfabrication technology was used to create regular arrays of micron-size holes (2 m 2 m 210 nm) on fused quartz and photosensitive polyimide surfaces. The patterned surfaces, which possessed a basic structural element of a three-dimensional (3-D) network (i.e., spatially separated mechanical edges), were used as a model system for studying the effect of substrate microgeometry on neutrophil migration. The edge-to-edge spacing between features was systemat- ically varied from 6 mt o 14m with an increment of 2 m. In addition, collagen was used to coat the patterned quartz surfaces in an attempt to change the adhesive properties of the surfaces. A radial flow detachment assay revealed that cell adhesion was the strongest on the quartz surface (50% cell attached), whereas it was relatively weaker on polyimide and collagen-coated quartz (25% cell attached). Cell adhesion to each substrate was not affected either by the presence of holes or by the spacing between holes. A direct visualization assay showed that neutrophil migration on each patterned surface could be characterized as a persistent random walk; the dependence of the random motility coefficient ( )a s a function of spacing was biphasic with the optimal spacing at 10 m on each substrate. The presence of evenly distributed holes at the optimal spacing of 10 m enhanced by a factor of 2 on polyimide, a factor of 2.5 on collagen-coated quartz, and a factor of 10 on uncoated quartz. The biphasic dependence on the mechanical edges of neutrophil migration on 2-D patterned substrate was strikingly similar to that previously observed during neutrophil migration within 3-D networks, suggesting that microfabricated materials provide relevant models of 3-D structures with precisely defined physical charac- teristics. In addition, our results demonstrate that the microgeometry of a substrate, when considered separately from adhesion, can play a significant role in cell migration.
A statistical similarity measure for non-rigid multi-modal image registration

We present a novel variational framework for deformable multi-modal image registration. Our approach is based on Renyi's statistical dependence measure of two random variables with the use of reproducing kernel Hilbert spaces associated with Gaussian kernels to simplify the computation. The popularly used method of maximizing mutual information based optimization algorithms are complex and sensitive to the quantization of the intensities, because it requires the estimation of continuous joint probability density function (pdf). The proposed model does not deal with joint pdf but instead observed independent samples. Experimental results are provided to show the effectiveness of the model.
Liquid intake monitoring through breathing signal using machine learning

This paper presents the design, system structure and performance for a wireless and wearable diet monitoring system. Food and drink intake can be detected by the way of detecting a person’s swallow events. The system works based on the key observation that a person’s otherwise continuous breathing process is interrupted by a short apnea when she or he swallows as a part of solid or liquid intake process. We detect the swallows through the difference between normal breathing cycle and breathing cycle with swallows using a wearable chest-belt. Three popular machine learning algorithms have been applied on both time and frequency domain features. Discrimination power of features is then analyzed for applications where only small number of features is allowed. It is shown that high detection performance can be achieved with only few features.
A TECHNIQUE FOR CONSTRUCTING HIGHLY-AVAILABLE SERVICES

This paper describes a general method for constructing a highly available service for use in a distributed system. It gives a specific implementation of the method and proves the implementation correct. The service consists of replicas that reside at several different locations in a network. It presents its clients with a consistent view of its state, but the view may contain old information. Clients can indicate how recent the information must be. The method can be used in applications satisfying certain semantic constraints. For applications that can use it, the method performs better than other replication techniques.
Fine structural morphometry on biopsy specimens of human lung. 2. Diffuse idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

Stereologic techniques were applied to an electronmicroscopic study of random samples from nine normal human lungs and nine with diffuse idiopathic interstitial pulmonary fibrosis. Relative fractional volumes of lung components, alveolar and capillary surface areas, and arithmetic and harmonic mean thickness of alveolar-capillary membranes were compared in the two groups to enable a more precise assessment of the changes responsible for the diffusion abnormalities present in this disease. Arithmetic mean thickness of the alveolar-capillary membranes in diseased lungs was increased to 2.1 times the normal mean value and harmonic mean thickness to 1.7 times normal. This increase by itself appears insufficient to account for the associated abnormalities of gas transfer and is incompatible with the traditional concept of alveolar-capillary block. When compared with normal lung, there was a threefold increase in mean volumetric fraction of septal intercapillary tissue and a decrease to one third the anticipated values of mean surface areas of alveoli and capillaries. Although uniformity of distribution of these changes cannot be determined by this method, our study suggests that abnormalities of gas transfer between alveolar air and capillary blood in diffuse idiopathic interstitial pulmonary fibrosis result primarily from a decrease in the surface areas available for diffusion. Increase in membrane thickness then becomes important only insofar as abnormalities of other diffusion factors make this parameter critical.
Male versus female leaders: A comparison of empirical studies

One of the popular reasons given for differential treatment of women in management stems from stereotyping females as ineffective leaders. Thirty-two female leadership studies were reviewed. Trait, style, and contingency leadership theories were used as a framework to analyze the studies. The trait studies consistently supported the traditional attitude that women lack adequate leadership characteristics. Both style and contingency studies were split as to whether women were effective or ineffective leaders. Most student studies supported the commonly held beliefs about women's leadership style and effectiveness. On the other hand, managerial studies did not support the typical female stereotyping; this suggests the possibility of a socializing process modifying practicing managers' attitudes towards women, and it also raises a question about the validity of stereotyping as a discriminatory causal factor in managerial environments. Before more conclusive statements can be made, further sex-related leadership research controlling for subjects and methodology is suggested.
Mortality in a cohort of chronically fatigued patients.

BACKGROUND: Comprehensive studies of mortality among patients with chronic fatigue (CF) and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) have not been published, but several sources suggest that CFS is associated with an elevated risk for suicide. METHOD: Data on 1201 chronically fatigued patients followed in a university-affiliated tertiary-care clinic for up to 14 years were submitted to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) National Death Index (NDI) to evaluate all-cause and suicide-caused death rates against standardized mortality rates (SMRs). We used Life Table Analysis to examine the influence of sex and diagnoses of CFS and depression. RESULTS: All-cause mortality in chronically fatigued patients was no higher than expected, but suicide-caused death rates were more than eight times higher than in the US general population. The significant elevation in the SMR of suicide was restricted to those who did not meet criteria for CFS SMR(CF)=14.2, 95% confidence interval (CI) 5.7-29.3 versus SMR(CFS)=3.6, 95% CI 0.4-12.9. Among chronically fatigued patients who did not meet CFS criteria, those with a lifetime history of major depression (MD) had higher suicide-caused death rates than among their non-depressed counterparts (SMR(MD)=19.1, 95% CI 7.0-41.5 versus SMR(NMD)=5.6, 95% CI 0.1-31.4), although the difference was not significant. CONCLUSIONS: CFS does not appear to be associated with increased all-cause mortality or suicide rates. Clinicians, however, should carefully evaluate patients with CF for depression and suicidality. Language: en
Managing production level in new product diffusion: an agent-based simulation approach

Managing production level after the launch of a new product is a challenging problem and is critical to the overall profit of manufacturing firms. The problem involves concepts from different fields including production planning, manufacturing flexibility, forecasting, and marketing. In this paper, the gaps in the existing literature are first illustrated. With the goal of addressing the identified research gaps, agent-based modeling and simulation is employed to analyze the performance of different production planning strategies under various levels of volume flexibility and consumer social network structures. The key distinguishing feature of the developed model is the capability of the manufacturing firm to adjust its production level by forecasting the future demand. The analysis of the simulation outputs yields substantial results by challenging some intuitive and traditional understandings of manufacturing systems. The paper also provides a discussion on managerial implications of the results in ord...
Technology to support emergent literacy skills in young children with visual impairments

Developing emergent literacy skills and attitudes within children with visual impairments is critical to cultivating their lifelong ability to construct concepts about the function of symbols and develop tactile acuity. We offer novel HCI research on the factors that impact parents' abilities to create tactile pictures to meet their child's unique needs. The findings presented here are our first steps towards developing technologies and interfaces that support teachers and parents in easily and efficiently creating unique and replicable tactile graphics for children with visual impairments.
Girls' and Boys' Changing Attitudes Toward School:

This study considered children in kindergarten, first grade, and second grade in order to determine whether boys and girls differ from one another in their attitudes toward school when they first b...
Histone H3 K79 methylation states play distinct roles in UV-induced sister chromatid exchange and cell cycle checkpoint arrest in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Histone post-translational modifications have been shown to contribute to DNA damage repair. Prior studies have suggested that specific H3K79 methylation states play distinct roles in the response to UV-induced DNA damage. To evaluate these observations, we examined the effect of altered H3K79 methylation patterns on UV-induced G1/S checkpoint response and sister chromatid exchange (SCE). We found that the di- and trimethylated states both contribute to activation of the G1/S checkpoint to varying degrees, depending on the synchronization method, although methylation is not required for checkpoint in response to high levels of UV damage. In contrast, UV-induced SCE is largely a product of the trimethylated state, which influences the usage of gene conversion versus popout mechanisms. Regulation of H3K79 methylation by H2BK123 ubiquitylation is important for both checkpoint function and SCE. H3K79 methylation is not required for the repair of double-stranded breaks caused by transient HO endonuclease expression, but does play a modest role in survival from continuous exposure. The overall results provide evidence for the participation of H3K79 methylation in UV-induced recombination repair and checkpoint activation, and further indicate that the di- and trimethylation states play distinct roles in these DNA damage response pathways.
Biotic feedbacks in Lake phosphorus cycles

Limnologists are now reconsidering the role of the biota in the phosphorus (P) cycles of lakes. Changes in lake communities can have significant consequences for ecosystem P cycles. At seasonal timescales, the relative importance of nitrogen (N) and Pas limiting factors for primary production depends in part on zooplankton species composition. Phosphorus storage and recycling by fish and zooplankton can be large components of P budgets, and mobile consumers can be important vectors in P transport. Stability, resilience and resistance of lake P cycles may depend heavily on fluxes to and from upper trophic levels.
Pectin esterification is spatially regulated both within cell walls and between developing tissues of root apices

Monoclonal antibodies recognizing un-esterified (JIM5) and methyl-esterified (JIM7) epitopes of pectin have been used to locate these epitopes by indirect immunofluorescence and immunogold electron microscopy in the root apex of carrot (Daucus carota L.). Both antibodies labelled the walls of cells in all tissues of the developing root apex. Immunogold labelling observed at the level of the electron microscope indicated differential location of the pectin epitopes within the cell walls. The un-esterified epitope was located to the inner surface of the primary cell walls adjacent to the plasma membrane, in the middle lamella and abundantly to the outer surface at intercellular spaces. In contrast, the epitope containing methyl-esterified pectin was located evenly throughout the cell wall. In root apices of certain other species the JIM5 and JIM7 epitopes were found to be restricted to distinct tissues of the developing roots. In the root apex of oat (Avena sativa L.), JIM5 was most abundantly reactive with cell walls at the region of intercellular spaces of the cortical cells. JIM7 was reactive with cells of the cortex and the stele. Neither epitope occurred in walls of the epidermal or root-cap cells. These pattern of expression were observed to derive from the very earliest stages of the development of these tissues in the oat root meristem and were maintained in the mature root. In the coleoptile and leaf tissues of oat seedlings, JIM5 labelled all cells abundantly whereas JIM7 was unreactive. Other members of the Gramineae and also the Chenopodiaceae are shown to express similar restricted spatial patterns of distribution of these pectin epitopes in root apices.
Temperament, family environment, and behavior problems in children with new-onset seizures

Children with epilepsy, even those with new-onset seizures, exhibit relatively high rates of behavior problems. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationships among early temperament, family adaptive resources, and behavior problems in children with new-onset seizures. Our major goal was to test whether family adaptive resources moderated the relationship between early temperament dimensions and current behavior problems in 287 children with new-onset seizures. Two of the three temperament dimensions (difficultness and resistance to control) were positively correlated with total, internalizing, and externalizing behavior problems (all p < 0.0001). The third temperament dimension, unadaptability, was positively correlated with total and internalizing problems (p < 0.01). Family adaptive resources moderated the relationships between temperament and internalizing and externalizing behavior problems at school. Children with a difficult early temperament who live in a family environment with low family mastery are at the greatest risk for behavior problems.
Syllable Frequency and Visual Word Recognition in Spanish

Abstract This paper examines the role of the syllable as a sublexical representational unit during visual word recognition in a shallow language: Spanish. Five experiments were carried out to test the effect of the frequency of the syllables on naming latencies and lexical decision times. The orthographic redundancy hypothesis (Seidenberg, 1987, 1989) claims that the effects of syllabic structure are merely illusory and that they can be explained as effects deriving from the frequency of cooccurrence of letter patterns. The reliable effects of syllabic frequency that we found cannot be accounted by the frequency of cooccurrence of letter patterns. The implications of such findings for the dual route theory and for the PDP model proposed by Seidenberg and McClelland are discussed.
Demonstration of a Network of Simultaneously Operating Digital Noise Radars [Measurements Corner]

Search and rescue following a natural disaster is a difficult problem, exacerbated by the cluttered environment obscuring human victims. It is well known that UHF radar-frequency radiation can penetrate the types of materials typically found in these situations with relatively little loss. This paper discusses the development of a network of digital noise radars, designed to operate in that frequency range to locate and track human movement through walls and rubble. Each individual noise radar works by cross correlating the received signal with a replica of the transmit signal. A high correlation indicates the range to the target. This noise radar design makes use of the software radar concept by converting the analog transmitted and received signals to digital signals. With the signals in digital form, the cross-correlation process can be accomplished in software. A network of three digital noise radars was developed. The three radars operated simultaneously in the same frequency range, without interference, to triangulate the (x, y) position of a target within a room. The results showed that the network of radars was capable of locating and tracking a human through an obscuring wall.
Goszakazy and the Soviet Economic Collapse

This paper examines the impact of perestroika on planned aggregation throughout the Soviet economy between 1988 and 1991. The negative consequences of an increase in aggregation on the mix of output is hypothesized to be a primary contributor to inflationary pressures and shortages that eventually led to the economic collapse of the Soviet economy.
Nonlinear Hydrodynamics and Fractionally Quantized Solitons at the Fractional Quantum Hall Edge

We argue that the dynamics of fractional quantum Hall (FQH) edge states is essentially nonlinear and that it features fractionally quantized solitons with charges -νe propagating along the edge. The observation of solitons would be direct evidence of fractional charges. We show that the nonlinear dynamics of the Laughlin's FQH state is governed by the quantum Benjamin-Ono equation. Nonlinear dynamics of gapless edge states is determined by gapped modes in the bulk of FQH liquid and is traced to the double boundary layer "overshoot" of FQH states. The dipole moment of the layer η=1-ν/4π is obtained in paper. Quantum hydrodynamics of FQH liquid is outlined.
Channel allocation in OFDMA-based wireless ad-hoc networks

Wireless ad hoc networks find great utility in situations where there is no wired base station infrastructure. For large networks wireless channel access needs to be performed in a distributed manner. Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) is an emerging multiple access technique that is used in several new networking technologies. In this paper we study the use of OFDMA for ad hoc networks. Each point-to-point link does not transmit over the entire band and uses a subset of the total number of available subcarriers. This enables flexible network resource management with the ability to vary the output link capacity depending on the traffic load. Specifically, we address the problem of subcarrier allocation for point-to-point links of ad hoc networks. We present a distributed algorithm for subcarrier allocation and compare its performance to a centralized graph-theoretic heuristic. The simulation results also show that our protocol is robust and scalable.
On the convergence of multigrid iteration scheme for mixed finite element equation

We present a multigrid iteration algorithm for mixed finite element equations and a proof of its convergence where the rate of convergence is independent of the mesh size. Whereas techniques such as the “multigrid preconditioning” and “non-nested multigrid schemes” have been recently proposed to solve the indefinite linear system arising from the mixed finite element approximation, our analysis here clearly indicates that the multigrid idea for solving linear systems could be applied directly to mixed finite element subspace. We hope that this fact encourages one to consider multigrid solution for other kinds of non-conforming finite element equations for the elliptic PDEs. To establish our convergence theorem, we derive and apply an energy inequality that is weaker than some norm estimates used by others; in fact, such norm estimates are not applicable to establish our convergence result.
Use of fluorescent quantum dots for studying live cells and organisms (Invited Paper)

Fluorescence imaging is a commonly used approach for sensitive, non-invasive, high resolution imaging of live cells and organisms. The full potential of this approach, however, has not been realized due to restrictions imposed by routinely used organic fluorophores. Use of inorganic fluorescent nanocrystals, quantum dots (QDs), provides an opportunity to better realize the potentials of live cell fluorescent imaging. A prerequisite to the use of QDs for cellular and biomedical imaging, however, is developing approaches for labeling live cells with these reporters and establishing the safety of these reporters for imaging live cells and organisms. Here we present a variety of approaches to efficiently tag molecules and live cells with QDs and have used these methods for the long-term tracking of multiple populations of cells during growth and development. Using these approaches we demonstrate that QD-labeling has no detectable effects on either the physiology of the cells or the organism in which they reside. This establishes QD as a suitable fluorescent probe for both live cells and in vivo imaging.
Lifelong Involvement in Sport as a Leisure Pursuit: Aspects of Role Construction

(1979). Lifelong Involvement in Sport as a Leisure Pursuit: Aspects of Role Construction. Quest: Vol. 31, No. 1, pp. 57-70.
Newton's argument for proposition 1 of the Principia

The first proposition of the Principia records two fundamental properties of an orbital motion: the Fixed Plane Property (that the orbit lies in a fixed plane) and the Area Property (that the radius sweeps out equal areas in equal times). Taking at the start the traditional view, that by an orbital motion Newton means a centripetal motion – this is a motion ``continually deflected from the tangent toward a fixed center'' – we describe two serious flaws in the Principia's argument for Proposition 1, an argument based on a polygonal impulse approximation. First, the persuasiveness of the argument depends crucially on the validity of the Impulse Assumption: that every centripetal motion can be represented as a limit of polygonal impulse motions. Yet Newton tacitly takes the Impulse Assumption for granted. The resulting gap in the argument for Proposition 1 is serious, for only a nontrivial analysis, involving the careful estimation of accumulating local errors, verifies the Impulse Assumption. Second, Newton's polygonal approximation scheme has an inherent and ultimately fatal disability: it does not establish nor can it be adapted to establish the Fixed Plane Property. Taking then a different view of what Newton means by an orbital motion – namely that an orbital motion is by definition a limit of polygonal impulse motions – we show in this case that polygonal approximation can be used to establish both the fixed plane and area properties without too much trouble, but that Newton's own argument still has flaws. Moreover, a crucial question, haunted by error accumulation and planarity problems, now arises: How plentiful are these differently defined orbital motions? Returning to the traditional view, that Newton's orbital motions are by definition centripetal motions, we go on to give three proofs of the Area Property which Newton ``could have given'' – two using polygonal approximation and a third using curvature – as well as a proof of the Fixed Plane Property which he ``almost could have given.''
Spectral tuning of conjugated polymer colloid light-emitting diodes.

In recent years, the importance of the polymer light-emitting diode (PLED) has grown immensely, proving very desirable in numerous applications because of very high efficiencies, low power consumption, and ease of fabrication. Typically, these devices have been constructed in a layered, thin-film fashion consisting of either electron- and hole-transport materials doped with a luminescent dye (Hebner, T. R.; Sturm, J. C. Appl. Phys. Lett. 1998, 73, 1775. Jiang, X.; Register, R. A.; Killeen, K. A.; Thompson, M. E.; Pschenitzka, F.; Hebner, T. R.; Sturm, J. C. J. Appl. Phys. 2002, 91, 6717. Yeh, K. M.; Chen, Y. Org. Electron. 2008, 9, 45−50. Oh, G. C.; Yun, J. J.; Park, S. M.; Son, S. H.; Han, E. M.; Gu, H. B.; Jin, S. H.; Yoon, Y. S. Mol. Cryst. Liq. Cryst. 2003, 405, 43−51. Lee, J. I.; Chu, H. Y.; Kim, S. H.; Do, L. M.; Zyung, T.; Hwang, D. H. Opt. Mater. 2003, 21, 205−210. Hwang, D.-H.; Park, M.-J.; Lee, C. Synth. Met. 2005, 152, 205−208) or a conjugated polymer that can be engineered to tune the emission...
Incorporation of tritiated adenosine into mouse ovum RNA

Abstract The total RNA of ovulated mouse ova has been examined by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The amount of RNA present in the two main peaks observed, 28 S and 18 S ribosomal RNA, has been estimated as 0.20 ng. The RNA of ovulated mouse ova was labeled by exposure of growing mouse oocytes to adenosine-8-3H in vivo. For this purpose a small volume of a concentrated solution of the precursor was injected into the ovarian bursa, and ova were collected by superovulation at various subsequent times. The major growth phase of the oocyte is known to lie between 20 and 6 days before ovulation. Significant incorporation into egg RNA was observed when bursal injection was performed between 19 and 7 days, but not between 5 days and 1 day before ovulation. The types of labeled RNA in ova ovulated at five intervals between 19 and 7 days after bursal injection of adenosine-8-3H or uridine-5,6-3H were analyzed by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The distribution of label on the gels demonstrated that the bulk of the label appeared in ribosomal RNA and transfer RNA. In addition labeled heterogeneous RNA was estimated to represent 10–15% of the total incorporation.
Substituent Effects on Keto–Enol Equilibria Using NMR Spectroscopy

In this extension to a classic physical chemistry experiment, students record the proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectra of the β-diketones 2,4-pentanedione, 3-methyl-2,4-pentanedione, and 3-chloro-2,4-pentanedione to investigate the effect of substituents on keto–enol tautomerization equilibria. From the integrated intensities of keto and enol methyl proton peaks, students calculate the equilibrium constant for each 2,4-pentanedione. The students then use the effects of electron-donating and electron-withdrawing substituents to elucidate the nature of keto–enol equilibria.
Endothelin-A Receptor Blockade Prevents and Partially Reverses Neonatal Hypoxic Pulmonary Vascular Remodeling

Hypoxia-induced pulmonary vascular remodeling (HPVR) may lead to persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn or cor pulmonale. Endothelin-1 (ET-1), via endothelin-A (ETA) receptor activation, mediates hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction. Our objectives were to develop a newborn mouse model of HPVR and to test the hypothesis that ETA blockade would prevent and reverse HPVR in this model. C57BL/6 mice (n = 64) were exposed to 12% oxygen (HYP group) or room air (RA group) from birth to 2 wk of age. The mice were injected intraperitoneally daily with either BQ-610 (ETA blocker) or vehicle (cottonseed oil) from birth (prevention study) or from 6 d of age (reversal study). HPVR was assessed histologically by pulmonary vascular morphometry by an examiner masked to study group, and by measurement of the right ventricle to left ventricle (RV/LV) thickness ratio. Hypoxia increased medial wall thickness (%WT) in pulmonary arteries <100 μm in diameter and RV/LV thickness ratio. BQ-610 prevented the hypoxia-induced increase in %WT and RV/LV thickness ratio when given from birth, and later therapy partially reversed the hypoxia-induced increase in %WT but not RV/LV thickness ratio. These data show that in the newborn mouse model, chronic hypoxia leads to HPVR that can be completely prevented and partially reversed by ETA blockade. These results indicate that ET-1, acting via ETA receptors, is a mechanism of pathophysiologic significance underlying neonatal HPVR. Development of this newborn mouse model of HPVR facilitates investigation of mechanisms underlying this important and severe disease entity in human infants.
Travelling waves in the Holling–Tanner model with weak diffusion

For a wide range of parameters, we study travelling waves in a diffusive version of the Holling-Tanner predator-prey model from population dynamics. Fronts are constructed using geometric singular perturbation theory and the theory of rotated vector fields. We focus on the appearance of the fronts in various singular limits. In addition, periodic travelling waves of relaxation oscillation type are constructed using a recent generalization of the entry-exit function.
Folding and activity of mutant cystathionine β-synthase depends on the position and nature of the purification tag: Characterization of the R266K CBS mutant

Cystathionine β-synthase (CBS), a heme-containing pyridoxal-5-phosphate (PLP)-dependent enzyme, catalyzes the condensation of serine and homocysteine to yield cystathionine. Missense mutations in CBS, the most common cause of homocystinuria, often result in misfolded proteins. Arginine 266, where the pathogenic missense mutation R266K was identified, appears to be involved in the communication between heme and the PLP-containing catalytic center. Here, we assessed the effect of a short affinity tag (6xHis) compared to a bulky fusion partner (glutathione S-transferase - GST) on CBS wild type (WT) and R266K mutant enzyme properties. While WT CBS was successfully expressed either in conjunction with a GST or with a 6xHis tag, the mutant R266K CBS had no activity, did not form native tetramers and did not respond to chemical chaperone treatment when expressed with a GST fusion partner. Interestingly, expression of R266K CBS constructs with a 6xHis tag at either end yielded active enzymes. The purified, predominantly tetrameric, R266K CBS with a C-terminal 6xHis tag had ∼82% of the activity of a corresponding WT CBS construct. Results from thermal pre-treatment of the enzyme and the denaturation profile of R266K suggests a lower thermal stability of the mutant enzyme compared to WT, presumably due to a disturbed heme environment.
Proteomics of the nucleolus: more proteins, more functions?

Nucleoli are highly compact domains in the nucleus that represent the sites of ribosome synthesis. The first encyclopedia of nucleolar proteins in a human cell is now available. Many of the 271 nucleolar proteins identified are involved in rRNA synthesis and processing, and in ribosome assembly, but others are indicative of more diverse nucleolar functions. This new work is an important step towards a more comprehensive and coherent understanding of this fascinating region of the nucleus.
PAVE: Program for Assembling and Viewing ESTs.

New sequencing technologies are rapidly emerging. Many laboratories are simultaneously working with the traditional Sanger ESTs and experimenting with ESTs generated by the 454 Life Science sequencers. Though Sanger ESTs have been used to generate contigs for many years, no program takes full advantage of the 5' and 3' mate-pair information, hence, many tentative transcripts are assembled into two separate contigs. The new 454 technology has the benefit of high-throughput expression profiling, but introduces time and space problems for assembling large contigs. The PAVE (Program for Assembling and Viewing ESTs) assembler takes advantage of the 5' and 3' mate-pair information by requiring that the mate-pairs be assembled into the same contig and joined by n's if the two sub-contigs do not overlap. It handles the depth of 454 data sets by "burying" similar ESTs during assembly, which retains the expression level information while circumventing time and space problems. PAVE uses MegaBLAST for the clustering step and CAP3 for assembly, however it assembles incrementally to enforce the mate-pair constraint, bury ESTs, and reduce incorrect joins and splits. The PAVE data management system uses a MySQL database to store multiple libraries of ESTs along with their metadata; the management system allows multiple assemblies with variations on libraries and parameters. Analysis routines provide standard annotation for the contigs including a measure of differentially expressed genes across the libraries. A Java viewer program is provided for display and analysis of the results. Our results clearly show the benefit of using the PAVE assembler to explicitly use mate-pair information and bury ESTs for large contigs. The PAVE assembler provides a software package for assembling Sanger and/or 454 ESTs. The assembly software, data management software, Java viewer and user's guide are freely available.
EFFECT OF ALCOHOL ABSTINENCE ON SURVIVAL IN CIRRHOTIC PORTAL HYPERTENSION: Report from the Boston Inter-Hospital Liver Group

Abstract The effect of abstinece on survival in146 patients with alcohol-related cirrhosis and unequivocal œosophagogastric varices was observed for a median period of twenty-nine months (range, one to a hundred and twenty months). The survival of drinking and abstinent groups as determined by the life-table method indicated that survival in patients with nutritional cirrhosis and advanced portal hypertension was not influenced by continued alcohol consumption. These results do not agree with previous observations on alcohol abstinence in milder forms of liver injury.
Intrapsychic and family dynamics in perinatal sibling loss

The effects of perinatal death on surviving and subsequent siblings have been virtually unexplored. Perinatal sibling death is considered an event with impact determined by the interaction of the child's emotiond and cognitive responses with the reactions, distortions, and communications of the parents. The potentially maladaptive aftermath of perinatal sibling death is illustrated by clinical case reports that integrate intrapsychic and family perspectives. In each case, the individual's disturbed response to perinatal sibling death complements parental inability to: (1) resolve their loss; (2) communicate accurate information about the death to their child; and (3) assist their child in dealing with his/her feelings about death.
Proline dehydrogenase and pyrroline-5-carboxylate reductase from pumpkin cotyledons

Abstract Activity of proline dehydrogenase and pyrroline-5-carboxylate reductase was greatest after 5 and 7 days germination in green and etiolated cotyledons respectively of pumpkin ( Cucurbita moschata Poir. cv. Dickinson Field). The ratio of pyrroline-5-carboxylate reductase to proline dehydrogenase activity was constant throughout germination. Both enzymes were purified 30-fold but the ratio pyrroline-5-carboxylate reductase—proline dehydrogenase activity was constant throughout purification. However, this ratio decreased with storage, especially in purified preparations. Both enzymes were stable at high temperature and the ratio pyrroline-5-carboxylate reductase—proline dehydrogenase remained unchanged on heating. Proline dehydrogenase and pyrroline-5-carboxylate reductase were inhibited by sodium bisulfite and cysteine. ATP, ADP and NADP caused inhibition of both enzymes. Proline dehydrogenase utilized NAD but not NADP. Pyrroline-5-carboxylate reductase had a 2.5-fold greater activity with NADH than NADPH. Most of the data presented suggest that proline dehydrogenase and pyrroline-5-carboxylate reductase activities occur on the same protein molecule.
The effects of 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol and phytase on the natural phytate phosphorus utilization by laying hens

Abstract Two experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of supplementing a corn-soybean layer diet with either phytase, 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol [1,25-(OH)2D3], or their combination. The basal diet was formulated to contain 3.00% Ca and 0.33% total P. In Experiment 1, 160, 56-wk-old laying hens were randomly assigned to treatment groups fed either the basal diet alone or diets supplemented with either 600 phytase units (FTU) per kilogram feed, 5 microg 1,25-(OH)2D3/kg feed, or their combination for an experimental period of 9 wk. Experiment 2 had the same design and treatment groups except that laying hens 24 wk of age were used for 8 wk. In both experiments, phytase had a positive effect on BW and increased plasma dialyzable P, tibia bone ash, and phytate P retention. In the first experiment, the addition of phytase, 1,25-(OH)2D3, or their combination prevented a rapid decrease in egg production due to a Mycoplasma gallisepticum infection observed in hens fed the basal diet. However, no benefit in egg production was obtained in the second experiment. No effects on egg weight and egg specific gravity were observed in both experiments. These results clearly indicate that phytase, and to a lesser extent 1,25-(OH)2D3, can be used to increase the utilization of phytate P by laying hens.
Static and dynamic protein phosphorylation in the Vaccinia virion

To the best of our knowledge, two phosphorylation sites have been reported previously, among 11 known Vaccinia virus phosphoproteins. Here, via phosphopeptide mass spectrometry, up to 189 phosphorylation sites were identified among 48 proteins in preparations of purified Vaccinia mature virus (MV). 8.5% of phospho-residues were pTyr. Viral phosphoproteins were found in diverse functional classes, including structural proteins, membrane proteins and RNA polymerase subunits. Among the nine identified membrane phosphoproteins, the sites in just one, namely A14L, were deduced to be internal with respect to the accompanying membrane. Examination of sites in known substrates of the Vaccinia-encoded protein kinase VPK2, indicated VPK2 to be a proline-dependent kinase. The MV phosphoproteome was enriched in potential substrates of cellular kinases belonging to the CDK2/CDK3, CK2, and p38 groups. Quantitative mass spectrometry identified several sites that became phosphorylated during intravirion kinase activation in vitro, each showing one of two distinct pH-dependency profiles.
Synthesis and reactivity of potential toxic metabolites of tamoxifen analogues: droloxifene and toremifene o-quinones.

Tamoxifen remains the endocrine therapy of choice in the treatment of all stages of hormone-dependent breast cancer. However, tamoxifen has been shown to increase the risk of endometrial cancer which has stimulated research for new effective antiestrogens, such as droloxifene and toremifene. In this study, the potential for these compounds to cause cytotoxic effects was investigated. One potential cytotoxic mechanism could involve metabolism of droloxifene and toremifene to catechols, followed by oxidation to reactive o-quinones. Another cytotoxic pathway could involve the oxidation of 4-hydroxytoremifene to an electrophilic quinone methide. Comparison of the amounts of GSH conjugates formed from 4-hydroxytamoxifen, droloxifene, and 4-hydroxytoremifene suggested that 4-hydroxytoremifene is more effective at formation of a quinone methide. However, all three substrates formed similar amounts of o-quinones. Both the tamoxifen-o-quinone and toremifene-o-quinone reacted with deoxynucleosides to give correspon...
Antenatal magnesium sulfate exposure and acute cardiorespiratory events in preterm infants

Objective Antenatal magnesium (anteMg) is used for various obstetric indications including fetal neuroprotection. Infants exposed to anteMg may be at risk for respiratory depression and delivery room (DR) resuscitation. The study objective was to compare the risk of acute cardiorespiratory events among preterm infants who were and were not exposed to anteMg. Study Design This was a retrospective analysis of prospective data collected in the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Neonatal Research Network's Generic Database from April 1, 2011, through March 31, 2012. The primary outcome was DR intubation or respiratory support at birth or on day 1 of life. Secondary outcomes were invasive mechanical ventilation, hypotension treatment, neonatal morbidities, and mortality. Logistic regression analysis evaluated the risk of primary outcome after adjustment for covariates. Results We evaluated 1544 infants P Conclusion Among preterm infants age
Equiatomic ternary compounds of uranium and aluminium with group viii transition elements

Abstract The vertical section between UAl2 and UFe2 in the U-Al-Fe ternary system has been investigated by onventional techniques. The component C15-type Laves phases were found to have a substantial solubility in one another and are separated by two ternary phases. One of these is the U(AlFe)2 phase which has the C14-type structure as reported in earlier investigations. The other phase has a well defined composition corresponding to the stoichiometric formula UAIFe, is stable below 700° C, and can be indexed as having hexagonal symmetry. Other isostructural equiatomic compounds were found to exist in the ternary systems of uranium and aluminium with Group VIII transition elements. Certain interesting parallels are noted between this group of equiatomic ternary phases and the E phases.
A Review of Approaches to Empirical Research on the Resource-Based View of the Firm†:

This study reviews empirical studies of the resource-based view (RBV) and examines methodological issues and new directions that will help to clarify the value and boundaries of the RBV. Through our comprehensive review of the research design and operationalization of resource-based constructs used in 125 empirical studies, we (1) discuss key empirical issues particularly important to RBV research, (2) illustrate how researchers have or have not overcome some of these challenges, and (3) highlight two important approaches that offer promise for sharpening the boundary conditions of the RBV: an integrative framework for RBV research and utilization of nonsignificant results.
Properties of proteases from milk somatic cells and blood leukocytes

Proteolytic activity of proteases associated with somatic cells isolated from high SCC milk and proteases associated with leukocytes isolated from bovine blood was assayed at pH 6.6 and 5.2 in a model system consisting of a beta-casein (.96%) substrate in Jenness/Koops buffer. Intact beta-casein and casein proteolysis products were measured by densitometric analysis of SDS-PAGE gels. Relative proteolytic activity was expressed as percentage degradation of beta-casein after 24 h at 37 degrees C per 1 x 10(6) cells/ml. Proteolytic activity associated with somatic cells isolated from bovine milk was 27.5 and 13.6% at pH 6.6 and 5.2, respectively. Proteolytic activity associated with leukocytes isolated from bovine blood was 16.0 and 8.4% at pH 6.6 and 5.2, respectively. Proteolytic activity at pH 6.6 was significantly higher for the somatic cells isolated from milk than for leukocytes isolated from blood. The reason for the difference in proteolytic activity of leukocytes isolated from blood of a healthy cow versus somatic cells isolated from milk produced by a cow with mastitis is not known. Further work is needed to determine whether the difference may be caused by a higher proportion of activated macrophages in somatic cells isolated from milk produced by cows with mastitis than in the leukocytes isolated from blood of healthy cows.