cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of the 6‐Minute Walk Test in Pet Dogs

Pulmonary dysfunction is common in companion animals. In animals with mild to moderate impairment it can be difficult to determine the actual degree of dysfunction. Pulmonary function testing is used to provide an objective assessment of lung function. Common methods of evaluating pulmonary function in dogs include measurement of arterial blood gas tensions, tidal breathing flow-volume loops, measurement of compliance and airway resistance. The 6-minute walk test (6MWT) is used in people as a functional assessment of the cardiopulmonary reserves. It is not designed to evaluate maximal effort, but instead to more closely evaluate the activities of daily living. This test is performed by measuring the distance an individual can walk comfortably in six minutes.1 The 6-Minute Walk Test (6MWT) is used in human medicine as a predictor of morbidity and death from heart or lung disease as well as a method of assessing an objective response to therapeutic interventions.2–8 The 6MWT has also been used in children, and a recent study validated normal ranges in children 4–11 years of age.9 To date, there has been only one published work using the 6MWT in veterinary medicine. This study used a research population of large hound dogs with congestive heart failure induced by rapid ventricular pacing. The results showed a significant decrease in the distance walked from 573± 85.5 m to 526± 99.4 m as heart failure developed.10 Due to its simplicity, validation of the 6MWT would represent a major addition to the armamentarium of clinical veterinary pulmonary function testing for pet dogs. The objectives of this study were to1) To determine the distance walked in 6 minutes (6MWT) in healthy dogs 2) To determine the change in oxygen saturation (SpO2) and heart rate in these same dogs and 3) To conduct a pilot study to evaluate the 6MWT as a method of objectively assessing pulmonary function in dogs with respiratory disease.
An impedance-based coke sensor for methane reforming systems

Abstract A coke sensor designed to detect the early stages of catalyst coking in methane reforming systems has been developed. The sensor is made up of catalytic, non-percolating cermet resistive elements printed using an inkjet printer. As carbon is deposited on the catalytic surface, the electrical conductivity of the catalytic material increases, which results in a change in the continuously monitored bridge output voltage. The sensor has been designed to reduce unwanted gas-phase response and increase coking response in methane reforming environments. Voltage change due to gas-phase composition was reduced by a factor of ten from an SLT (strontium-doped lanthanum titanate)-based sensor by using YSZ (yttria-stabilized zirconia) to print all bridge elements. Steam and dry reforming tests were conducted at 600 °C with low steam-to-carbon and CO 2 -to-carbon feed ratios to promote coking. The sensor showed strong response (on the order of several hundred millivolts) to carbon formation on the surface under both reforming environments studied. Field-emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) imaging showed surface catalyst (Ni) particles encapsulated in films of carbon. Impedance spectroscopy of Ni-YSZ revealed resistive and capacitive behavior, both decreasing with the progression of coking. Sensors were regenerated using steam and then demonstrated similar, but smaller, responses to the same coking conditions. Investigation of regenerated sensor surfaces showed the presence of fewer catalyst sites compared to fresh sensors, indicating that the loss of nickel particles leads to a degradation in the sensor response.
Cyclic nucleotide kinases and tachyzoite-bradyzoite transition in Toxoplasma gondii.

The ability of Toxoplasma gondii to cycle between the tachyzoite and bradyzoite life stages in intermediate hosts is key to parasite survival and the pathogenesis of toxoplasmosis. Studies from a number of laboratories indicate that differentiation in T. gondii is a stress-induced phenomenon. The signalling pathways or molecular mechanisms that control formation of the latent bradyzoite stage are unknown and specific effectors of differentiation have not been identified. We engineered a reporter parasite to facilitate simultaneous comparison of differentiation and replication after various treatments. Chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT), expressed constitutively from the α-tubulin promoter (TUB1), was used to quantitate parasite number. β-galactosidase (β-GAL), expressed from a bradyzoite specific promoter (BAG1), was used as a measure of bradyzoite gene expression. Sodium nitroprusside, a well-known inducer of bradyzoite differentiation, reduced reporter parasite replication and caused bradyzoite differentiation. Stress-induced differentiation in many other pathogens is regulated by cyclic nucleotide kinases. Specific inhibitors of the cAMP dependent protein kinase and apicomplexan cGMP dependent protein kinase inhibited replication and induced differentiation. The β-GAL/CAT reporter parasite provides a method to quantify and compare agents that cause differentiation in T. gondii.
Analysis of x-ray-induced chromosomal translocations in human and marmoset spermatogonial stem cells

ONE of the major classes of genetic damage produced by ionising radiations is heritable reciprocal translocation. In a series of earlier publications, Brewen and Preston1–3 demonstrated that each of several mammalian species had its own unique sensitivity to translocation induction in peripheral leukocytes and that human and marmoset leukocytes, although approximately equal in sensitivity, were twice as sensitive as mouse leukocytes. Brewen and Preston4 also reported that in the Chinese hamster and the mouse, the frequency of the translocation type analysed in the peripheral leukocytes was three to four times as high as the frequency of heritable translocations produced in spermatogonial stem cells and recovered in primary spermatocytes. As the mouse is the mammal currently used as the model for estimating man's genetic risk from mutagenic exposure, Brewen and Preston's earlier observations on germ cells should be extended to include a primate and man if possible. Here we present an extension of the interspecific and somatic against germ cell comparisons.
Role of the aging vasculature and Erb B-2 signaling in epidermal growth factor-dependent intravasion of breast carcinoma cells.

BACKGROUND The risks for developing breast carcinoma and dying from the disease increase with age. Mortality from breast carcinoma usually is due to metastatic disease. Metastatic cells are able to invade into the vascular tissue in a growth factor-dependent manner. Because breast carcinoma mortality increases with age, examination of breast carcinoma interactions with young and aged endothelial cells is essential. METHODS We studied a series of breast epithelial cells (HMT-3522 cells) that exhibited either noninvasive characteristics (S-1 cells) or epidermal growth factor (EGF)-dependent invasive characteristics (T4-2 cells). RESULTS Increased invasion of HMT-3522 cells was observed across an aged rat brain microvascular endothelial cell (BMEC) monolayer that was isolated from aged rats (24 months) compared with young rats (age 1 month). This increased invasion was inhibited by the specific EGF receptor inhibitor, AG1478, and by the Erb B-2-specific inhibitor, AG825. To analyze further the contribution of Erb B-2 to the EGF-dependent invasion of HMT-3522 cells, T4-2 cells were treated with the Erb B-2-specific therapeutic antibody trastuzumab and with the specific inhibitor AG825 and were then assayed for invasion. Both inhibitors led to a significant decrease in EGF-dependent invasion. Erb B-2 expression was found to be elevated in T4-2 cells (≈ 5-fold higher) compared with S-1 cells. However, treatment of T4-2 cells with the specific Erb B-2 inhibitor, AG825, failed to inhibit EGF-mediated signaling to phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase or extracellular-regulated kinases 1 and 2. CONCLUSIONS The current study findings indicate that aging of endothelium may contribute to the invasive phenotype of breast carcinoma cells and that “cross-talk” between Erb B-2 and EGF receptor is required for the intravasion of these cells into the surrounding vasculature. Cancer 2004. © 2004 American Cancer Society.
Translocation of CaM kinase II to synaptic sites in vivo.

The idea that calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) is strategically localized to excitatory synapses to exert its important role in long-term potentiation and other forms of neuronal plasticity1 is supported by the binding of CaMKII to isolated postsynaptic densities (PSD) in biochemical assays2 and by the finding in cultured neurons that PSD clusters of green fluorescent protein (GFP)-tagged CaMKII form in response to glutamate application or direct electrical stimulation3,4. The observation that CaMKII also forms large clusters in response to ischemic insults5, however, questions the physiological relevance of such translocations. Here we show that in intact zebrafish, repeated sensory stimulation resulted in reproducible and reversible translocation of GFP-CaMKII to the PSD in an identified interneuron in a sensorimotor circuit.
Psychiatric Complications of Malaria: A Case Report

This article reviews the psychiatric complications of malaria. A case of malaria infection is described. The diagnoses, treatment, and neuropsychiatric complications of acute and chronic malaria infection are discussed. The treatment of malaria and its complications are summarized.
Alpha lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol in the serum and the risk of coronary heart disease and death.

The Minnesota Prospective Study on coronary heart disease (CHD) in 284 business and professional men began in 1947. In 1953 and 1955 measurements were made of serum alpha-lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol on the men. The mean was 45 . 2 mg/dl, the same as reported for HDL cholesterol in men of that age at Framingham. As with HDL at Framingham and elsewhere, alpha cholesterol was not correlated with age, blood-pressure, total cholesterol, or smoking habit, but was negatively correlated (r=-0.37) with relative body-weight. In the next 25 years 133 men died, 55 from CHD. Mean alpha cholesterol of those who died from CHD was lower than that of men dying from other causes but was not significantly different from the mean of the 120 men alive in 1978. Of all groups classified by 25-year outcome, the 32 men who died from neoplasms had the highest mean alpha cholesterol at entry, differing significantly from survivors. Multivariate analysis did not change the relationships. Consideration of CHD only and follow-up of only a few years may greatly distort evaluation of the overall long-term significance of HDL cholesterol concentration in the plasma.
Fouling-resistant properties of a surface-modified poly(ether sulfone) ultrafiltration membrane grafted with poly(ethylene glycol)-amide binary monomers

Abstract Poly(ether sulfone) (PES) membrane surfaces were modified by grafting poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate (PEG) with vinylamides including N-vinylformamide (NVF), N-vinylacetamide (NVA) or N-methyl-N-vinylacetamide (MVA) via a photo-induced graft polymerization (PGP) method coupled with a recently developed high throughput platform (HTP) technology. Synergistic fouling reduction by grafting PEG with a vinylamide was observed. Fouling was orchestrated using 1 mg mL −1 bovine serum albumin (BSA) as a model foulant. The optimum composition for grafting each PEG–vinylamide pair in terms of fouling reduction, permeation resistance and protein sieving was sought. Fouling index, ℜ, was used to quantify the intensity of fouling. The degree of grafting (DG) of PEG and vinylamides were analyzed using FTIR–ATR spectroscopy. Lower fouling (reduced ℜ value) was observed with mixed monomer as compared with single monomer grafts. The lowest fouling index (ℜ = − 0.56 ± 0.29) was obtained by grafting 0.06 mol L −1 PEG and 0.14 mol L −1 NVA. This also gave a higher permeability as compared with that before BSA fouling. Using a Hansen solubility analysis with degree of grafting, the data suggests pore-narrowing by grafting during the surface modification process.
Predictors of Thyroid Gland Invasion in Glottic Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Objective: This study examines preoperative clinical and intraoperative histopathologic characteristics that can be used to predict thyroid gland invasion in the setting of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the glottis. Study Design: The study was retrospectively performed using 30 serially sectioned whole-organ total laryngectomy with thyroidectomy specimens with associated preoperative clinical data. Methods: Histopathologic and clinical variables including true vocal cord (TVC) fixation, cricoarytenoid joint invasion, subglottic extension (SGE) of tumor, patterns of laryngeal spread, and prior radiation were examined as univariate and multivariate correlates of thyroid gland invasion. Results: Twenty-three percent of thyroid gland specimens demonstrated SCC invasion. Five were T4 stage, two were T3 stage, and all demonstrated direct extension to the thyroid gland. Of these, all had a fixed ipsilateral TVC (P = .003) and SGE of tumor greater than 15 mm (P = .003). Using multivariate analysis, SGE of tumor and TVC fixation contribute independently as correlates of thyroid gland invasion. Prior radiation of the larynx did not correlate with thyroid gland invasion and did not significantly influence the predictive capacity of these variables. Tumors invading the thyroid gland also invaded the cricothyroid membrane (100%), anterior commissure (100%), laryngeal ventricle (100%), and thyroid cartilage (86%). Conclusion: Preoperative assessment of TVC mobility and extent of SGE are significant correlates of thyroid gland invasion by SCC of the glottis. Distinct patterns of laryngeal spread are associated with thyroid gland invasion. Prophylactic hemithyroidectomy with isthmusectomy is indicated for glottic SCC in the preoperative setting of a fixed TVC and SGE greater than 15 mm. Additional study correlating patterns of laryngeal spread with thyroid gland invasion will add to these data in determining when to selectively perform thyroidectomy in this setting.
Forest management practices in the Bayano region of Panama: Cultural variations

Abstract This paper examines the relationship between cultural variation and forest management practices in the New World tropics by presenting results from a survey conducted in indigenous and colonist communities in a settlement frontier of Panama. Statistical analyses, focused specifically on differences between the economic base, forest use, and management practices of indigenous and colonist households, are presented. The findings reveal that there are no significant differences between the indigenous and colonist households in this respect; furthermore, differences that exist among the sample households appear to be linked to access to market and not to cultural variations.
Lomé to Cotonou conventions: trade policy alternatives for the Senegalese groundnut sector

The signing of the Cotonou Convention in June 2000 established a new trading relationship between the European Union and African, Caribbean, and Pacific States. Negotiations to establish new trading arrangements have already commenced and will lead to the establishment of economic partnership agreements or other viable alternatives. In this study, the economic impact on the Senegalese groundnut sector is assessed for the case in which Senegal enters into an economic partnership agreement with the European Union, or into an enhanced form of the Generalized System of Preferences. The preferred choice depends on whether Senegal's economic status classifies it as a least developed country (LDC) or not, as well as on other external trading arrangements. Findings indicate that as a non-LDC, the best option for Senegal would be to enter into an economic partnership agreement. As a LDC, the best option would be to move to the enhanced generalized system of preferences, thereby allowing Senegal to retain Lome-style trade preferences. Furthermore, increased development funding under the Cotonou Convention could help shield the Senegalese groundnut sector from adverse economic impacts arising from either trading option.
A 3-D lanthanum-organic framework containing double chains: La2[NC5H3(CO2)2]3·3H2O

Abstract A three-dimensional La(III) based metal-organic framework, La2[NC5H3(CO2)2]3·3H2O, was assembled using the aromatic linker 3,5-pyridinedicarboxylate. This new compound was synthesized hydrothermally and is an unusual example of a lanthanum containing metal-organic network. The compound contains two distinct La centers, each adopting a nine-coordinate geometry. The structure is built up from zig-zag chains that link via bridging water molecules into a double chain defining edge-sharing six rings. These double chains are arranged into layers and connect through 3,5-pyridinedicarboxylate ligands to give the extended 3-D coordination framework. The material is thermally stable to ca. 360 °C and transforms to an unknown compound before finally decomposing to phase-pure La2O3 at 800 °C. The synthesis, structure, morphology and properties of the new material are described.
Newspapers' Struggles with Civic Engagement: The U.S. Press and the Rejection of Public Journalism as Propagandistic

This article examines how two factors—journalism's professionalized vigilance against co-option and its difficulty differentiating social action communications from propaganda—led to many in the press attacking public journalism as propagandistic. Sociologist Alfred McClung Lee's mid-20th century writings provide fresh explanations for how press critics conflated public journalism with propaganda. Finally, this article maintains that newspapers can improve their pertinence in a new media age by better linking citizen voices into news stories.
Phase and Amplitude Feedback Control System for the los Alamos Free-Electron Laser

Phase and amplitude feedback control systems for the Los Alamos free-electron laser (FEL) are described. Beam-driven voltages are very high in the buncher cavity because the electron gun is pulsed at the fifth subharmonic of the buncher resonant frequency. The high beam loading necessitated a novel feedback and drive configuration for the buncher. A compensation circuit has been added to the gun/driver system to reduce observed drift. Extremely small variations in the accelerator gradients had dramatic effects on the laser output power. These problems and how they were solved are described and plans for improvements in the feedback control system are discussed.
Determination of thermospheric quantities from simple ionospheric observations using numerical simulation

Measured ionospheric electron content and peak electron concentration data are introduced into a numerical simulation of the ionosphere to yield values of induced plasma drifts and exospheric neutral temperatures consistent with the observations. Data collected on 23-24 March 1970 on the East Coast of the U.S.A. are analyzed and the results are in agreement with incoherent radar measurements at Millstone Hill, Massachusetts. Neutral winds and meridional exospheric temperature gradients that give rise to the computed plasma drifts are calculated through the use of a dynamic model of the thermosphere.
Statistical source expansion for question answering

A source expansion algorithm automatically extends a given text corpus with related content from large external sources such as the Web. The expanded corpus is not intended for human consumption but can be used in question answering (QA) and other information retrieval or extraction tasks to find more relevant information and supporting evidence. We propose an algorithm that extends a corpus of seed documents with web content, using a statistical model to select text passages that are both relevant to the topics of the seeds and complement existing information.In an evaluation on 1,500 hand-labeled web pages, our algorithm ranked text passages by relevance with 81% MAP, compared to 43% when relying on web search engine ranks alone and 75% when using a multi-document summarization algorithm. Applied to QA, the proposed method yields consistent and significant performance gains. We evaluated the impact of source expansion on over 6,000 questions from the Jeopardy! quiz show and TREC evaluations using Watson, a state-of-the-art QA system. Accuracy increased from 66% to 71% on Jeopardy! questions and from 59% to 64% on TREC questions.
Low-frequency radio transmission in a circular tunnel containing a wire conductor near the wall

The general theory for transmission in a circular tunnel containing a thin axial conductor is employed to calculate the attenuation rate of the propagating mode. The remarkable property is that the attenuation rate is approximately pro-portional to frequency and it does not depend critically on the wall conductivity for typical conditions.
Identification of normal and leukemic granulocytic cells with merocyanine 540.

After fixation in a modified Bouin's solution, the acid dye merocyanine 540 stained granules in granulocytic cells intensely. In immature granulocytes, such as promyelocytes and myelocytes, granules stained pink to violet. In some leukemic myeloblasts, promyelocytos and monocytes, granules also stained deep pink to violet. In more mature granulocytes, such as metamyelocytes, bands, and neutrophils, granules stained bright red to orange. In eosinophils and basophils, granules stained deep red. Granules of the type described were not visualized in normal plasma cells, lymphocytes, monocytes, or megakaryocytes. In normoblasts, cytoplasm stained diffusely red. Cytoplasmic staining in crythroblasts became darker as the cell matured, probably reflecting hemoglobin content. Used as a single a p t stain, merocyanine 540 may be useful in distinguishing normal and leukemic granulocytic cells from other types of blood cells.
Superconductivity and macroscopic quantum phenomena

Abstract The unique coherence properties displayed by superconductors has often lead to the observation that the entire system behaves like a single quantum particle of mass 2m and charge 2e. In this paper we establish the conditions under which this macroscopic quantum assertion is valid within the framework of the microscopic theory of superconductivity.
Ultrastructural evidence of maintenance of concanavalin A binding sites in enucleated mammalian cells.

Abstract Mouse L cells were enucleated by centrifugation in cytochalasin B. Following enucleation, the enucleated cells were incubated in fresh medium for 30 min, 4, 20, or 24 h before being fixed for electron microscopy. After fixation the cells were incubated in concanavalin A and then horseradish peroxidase was bound to the ConA. Electron microscopy of these enucleates revealed that the concanavalin A-binding sites (CABS) are present on the cell surface of the enucleates even at 24 h after enucleation. Although the method does not detail the number of sites present, the inherent distribution of sites appears similar in normal and enucleated cells. Furthermore, the sites are still functional in that the live enucleated cells are agglutinated by ConA to the same extent as are normal L cells—about 80% agglutination in each instance. The results of this study indicate that surface CABS are maintained in the absence of a nucleus and they are still present even after the Golgi apparatus is morphologically disrupted. Turnover of these sites and their relationship to nuclear function are discussed.
The Function of Laryngeal Muscles in Regulating Fundamental Frequency and Intensity of Phonation

The activity of three intrinsic laryngeal muscles in the regulation of fundamental frequency and intensity of phonation was studied electromyographically in six subjects. The regulatory mechanism o...
Photoinduced reactions of anthraquinone antitumor agents with peptides and nucleic acid bases: an electron spin resonance and spin trapping study.

Abstract The photoexcitation (λ = 313 ± 10 nm) of adriamycin, daunomycin, and mitoxantrone in the presence of peptides or pyrimidine nucleic acid bases was investigated. In airsaturated and air-free solutions, peptides are decarboxylated by the photoexcited drug molecules. The decarboxylation reactions were shown to occur specifically at the C-terminal amino acid of the peptide. The decarboxylated peptide radicals were spintrapped using 2-methyl-2-nitrosopropane (MNP) and identified by electron spin resonance (ESR). In air-free solutions, nucleic acid bases are oxidized by the photoexcited drug molecules predominantly generating C(5)-carbon-centered radicals in the pyrimidine rings of uracil, cytosine, and thymine. However, spin adducts of MNP and thymine were also obtained at the N(1) or N(3) positions of the pyrimidine ring. In air-saturated adriamycin and daunomycin solutions, the spin adducts of MNP with uracil or thymine are similar to those obtained following hydroxyl radical reactions with these pyrimidines. This suggests that in the presence of oxygen, the photoexcited adriamycin and daunomycin transfer an electron to oxygen generating the superoxide anion radicals ( O⨪2 ), which are precursors of hydroxyl radicals. O⨪2 was also formed when O2-saturated DNA solutions were photoirradiated (λ = 313 ± 10 and 438 ± 10 nm) in the presence of adriamycin and daunomycin, indicating that the photodegradation of DNA in the presence of these drugs caused by hydroxyl radicals is mediated by dissolved Oxygen.
Studies on molybdena catalysts: XI. Oxygen chemisorption on sulfided catalysts

Abstract Catalysts containing Mo or CoMo on various supports were prepared. Oxygen chemisorption on the sulfided catalysts was measured by a flow gravimetric technique. Activities of the catalysts were determined for thiophene hydrodesulfurization (HDS) and hexene hydrogenation in a catalytic microreacter at atmospheric pressure. Oxygen chemisorption increased with adsorption temperature. A definite adsorption was only obtained at −78 °C, adsorption at higher temperatures continuing for over 4 hr. For O2 chemisorption at −78 °C: (i) CoMo versus Mo catalysts showed only marginally higher values; (ii) O2 chemisorption did not correlate with HDS activity; and (iii) O2 chemisorption showed a reasonable correlation with hydrogenation activity. It is probable that O2 chemisorption reflects the general state of dispersion of the active Mo phase rather than specific HDS or hydrogenation sites.
Nonlinear transient dynamic analysis by explicit finite element with iterative consistent mass matrix

SUMMARY Various mass matrices in the explicit finite element analyses of nonlinear transient dynamic problems are investigated. The matrices are obtained as a linear combination of lumped and consistent mass matrices. An iterative procedure to calculate the inverse of the consistent and the mixed mass matrices in the framework of explicit finite element method is presented. The convergence of the iterative procedure is proved. The inverse of the consistent and mixed mass matrices is approximated by the iteration and is used to compare the results from the lumped mass matrix. For the impact of a structural component and a vehicle, some difference in the results by using coarse mesh is observed. For the component using fine mesh, no significant difference is found. Copyright q 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The tradeoff between technology and prescreening intelligence in checked baggage screening for aviation security

The Transportation Security Administration believes selective screening of aviation passengers may result in better security at airports in the United States. Under selective screening, passengers are prescreened using passenger information to determine the degree of risk that each passenger poses). This degree of risk is then used to determine the amount of security resources appropriate for that passenger. How to determine this degree of risk and the information that should be used are controversial topics, as evidenced by the large amounts of discussion concerning CAPPS and Secure Flight. This paper examines selective checked baggage screening systems that use a prescreening system and two types of baggage screening devices, one to screen checked baggage of passengers perceived as lower-risk and the other to screen checked baggage of passengers perceived as higher-risk. This paper reports a cost-benefit analysis of such selective checked baggage screening systems. The analysis is performed for several scenarios that consider various levels of accuracy of prescreening systems in assessing passenger risk. The results indicate that the accuracy of the prescreening system in assessing passenger risk is more important for reducing the number of successful attacks than the effectiveness of the checked baggage screening devices at detecting threats when few passengers are classified as higher-risk. Moreover, several selective screening scenarios are identified that may be preferable to current checked baggage screening strategies.
Effect of human B-endorphin on the binding of different opiates to mouse brain membranes.

Abstract The competition of human B-endorphin (B-EP) for dihydromorphine (DHM) and D-Ala 2 -D-Leu 5 -enkephalin (DADLE) binding sites has been studied at three temperatures, 0°, 25°, and 37°C. B-EP is more effective in inhibiting μ and δ binding at 0° and 25° than at 37°C. This difference does not seem related to a temperature-dependent degradation of the peptide. DHM and DADLE high affinity binding sites are clearly distinguished by B-EP. The high affinity site for DHM and the low of DADLE are the more easily displaced by B-EP, but with different affinities. These sites are different in binding capacities, although distinct stoichiometric ratios of binding or the existence of isoreceptors could account for their identity.
Thermodynamic properties of the benzene and cyclopentane system

Abstract Total vapour pressure data have been obtained for the system benzene + cyclopentane at 25, 35 and 45°C. These data, along with volumetric data for the pure liquids and calculations of gas-phase properties for the mixtures, were reduced to excess free energies of mixing using the method of Barker. The excess free energies of this system are nearly symmetrical in mole fraction; at 35°C the excess free energy of the equimolar mixture is 65·0 cal/g mole. However, this system does not form regular solutions; the product of the temperature and the excess entropy of mixing at constant pressure is 64·3 cal/g mole for the equimolar mixture at 35°C. Calculations of the excess functions at constant volume were made using the equations of Scatchard and the excess volume data of Klapproth. These calculations show that, contrary to the refined Hildebrand theory of solutions of nonpolar molecules, the excess entropy is far from negligible even if corrections are made for the observed volumetric expansion which accompanies the solution process.
Molecular beam epitaxy of CdTe and HgCdTe on large-area Si(100)

The current status of molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) of CdTe and HgCdTe on Si(100) is reviewed. CdTe and HgCdTe grow in the (111)B orientation on Si(100); monocrystalline films with two domains are obtained on most nominal Si(100) substrates, single domain films are grown on misoriented substrates and on nominal Si(100) preheated to 900-950 degree(s)C. Double-crystal x-ray rocking curves (DCRCs) with full-width at half-maximum (FWHM) as low as 110 arcsec are reported for HgCdTe on silicon; these layers are n-type, and electron mobilities higher than 5 X 104 cm2V-2s-1 are measured at 23 K for x equals 0.26. Excellent thickness and composition uniformity is obtained: standard deviation of the CdTe thickness 0.4% of the average thickness on 2-in. and 2.3% on 5-in., standard deviation of the Cd concentration in the HgCdTe layers 0.6% of the average concentration on 3-in. and 2.4% on 5-in. First results regarding growth of CdTe on patterned Si substrates are also reported.© (1991) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Post-proline-cleaving enzyme in normal and dystrophic human muscle

Post-proline-cleaving enzyme, a proline-specific endopeptidase was first described in human uterus [I]. The enzyme has later been shown to be widely distributed in mammalian tissues including skeletal muscle of the rat [2]. A somewhat similar enzymatic activity has recently been demonstrated in rabbit brain and other tissues and in these tissues it has been termed prolyl endopeptidase [3]. Post-proline-cleaving enzyme has been purified to homogeneity from lamb kidney and characterized as the first known endopeptidase with a high specificity for cleaving-Pro-X-peptide bond ]4,51. During our search for new proteolytic enzymes using specific chromogenic substrates we have found that human muscle homogenates catalyze the hydrolysis of benzyloxycarbonyl-glycyl-proline-2-naphthylamide (Z-Gly-Pro-NNap), a specific substrate for post-proline-cleaving enzyme [2]. This led us to explore whether the activity of this endopeptidase shows any alterations in human muscular dystrophies and other neuromuscular diseases, when compared to its level in normal human muscle.
Hydrophobic IgG-Containing Immune Complexes in the Plasma of Autoimmune MRL/lpr Mice, Lactate Dehydrogenase-Elevating Virus-Infected Mice, and Pigs: Association with Transforming Growth Factor-β and pH-Dependent Amplification

Persistent infection of mice with lactate dehydrogenase-elevating virus (LDV) is associated with polyclonal B cell activation, autoimmunity, and circulating hydrophobic IgG-containing immune comple...
The cellular specificity of leptin-mediated actions in the infarcted heart

This editorial refers to ‘Cardiac-specific leptin receptor deletion exacerbates ischaemic heart failure in mice’ by Kenneth R. McGaffin et al. , doi:10.1093/cvr/cvq288. As a consequence of advances in invasive and pharmacological treatment, significantly more patients survive an acute myocardial infarction and enter the chronic phase of infarct healing. Unfortunately, their convalescence is complicated by the development of adverse myocardial remodelling, a pathophysiological condition characterized by dilation and increased sphericity of the infarcted ventricle and by hypertrophy of the non-infarcted myocardium. Post-infarction remodelling is a strong predictor of mortality and arrhythmias and leads to the development of heart failure.1 The pathogenesis of remodelling in the infarcted heart is intertwined with the responses involved in cardiac repair. Loss of cardiomyocytes following infarction initiates an inflammatory reaction that leads to clearance of the wound from dead cells and debris, but also activates pro-apoptotic and matrix-degrading pathways that may exacerbate injury and enhance chamber dilation. Mobilization of fibroblasts provides the cellular substrate necessary to form a supportive scar, but also results in matrix deposition and active interstitial remodelling in the perimysium of the viable myocardium, increasing dysfunction. Deposition and cross-linking of collagen worsens diastolic function, whereas loss of endogenous matrix-derived survival signals, due to active turnover of extracellular matrix proteins and persistent …
VRMDS: an intuitive virtual environment for supporting the conceptual design of mechanisms

This paper presents Virtual Reality Mechanism Design Studio (VRMDS), an intuitive virtual environment for supporting the interactive design and simulation of mechanisms. The studio allows users to build spatial or planar mechanisms through intuitive operations and subsequently simulate their dynamic motion. Written in Python script language, VRMDS provides 3D stereoscopic immersive visualization, haptic enabled interaction, head and hand tracking and a user-friendly graphical user interface. A data model for organizing the data structure of links and commonly used mechanical joints is designed and implemented upon the basis of the Vizard Virtual Reality (VR) library. Within the virtual environment, the user can create links and assemble them into a mechanism by defining joints between links. Simultaneously, a corresponding MATLAB’s SimMechanics model is automatically created at run time. The dynamics simulation of mechanisms is enabled by interfacing with the dynamics solver built-in SimMechanics. The user may choose to run the system in an immersive VR environment or a desktop environment. The result is a versatile mechanism design tool that is beneficial to the early stages of the design process. A case study of a spatial mechanism is provided to demonstrate the usefulness of this system in mechanism design.
Electrophysiological evidence reveals affective evaluation deficits early in stimulus processing in patients with panic disorder.

Cognitive and neurobiological accounts of clinical anxiety and depression were examined via eventrelated brain potentials (ERPs) recorded from patients with panic disorder and healthy controls as they performed an old/new recognition memory task with emotionally negative and neutral words. The emotive connotation of words systematically influenced control subjects’— but not patients’—ERP effects at prefrontal sites in a latency range (300 –500 ms) generally assumed to reflect greater contribution of automatic than controlled memory processes. This provides evidence for dysfunctional inhibitory modulation of affective information processing in panic disorder. The ERP effects after 700 ms, however, suggest that some patients may adopt conscious strategies to minimize the impact of these early processing abnormalities on overt behaviors.
Systematic review of arthroscopic versus open repair for recurrent anterior shoulder dislocations.

The shoulder is the most commonly dislocated major joint, with a reported incidence of 1.7%.28 Symptomatic instability following dislocation is common, especially in young, active people.33 Recurrent instability, occurring in 50% to 96% of patients who first dislocate under the age of 20 years and in 40% to 74% of patients between the ages of 20 and 40 years, limits range of movement of the joint, requires multiple hospital and emergency department admissions for treatment, and often calls for surgical procedures to prevent further dislocation.6,7,34,46,48-50,60 Prior to arthroscopy, recurrent dislocations were managed by open repair, and the results of this approach, with only a 4% failure rate, were initially published by Dickson and Devas in 1957.13 There have been many studies documenting low recurrence rates ranging from 0% to 11% after open Bankart stabilization.§ The development of arthroscopic stabilization for recurrent anterior instability has undergone significant changes in the past 20 years. Possible benefits of arthroscopic stabilization include decreased length of hospital or outpatient surgery center stay, decreased postoperative pain, and improved range of motion (ROM). Initial arthroscopic fixation was performed by staple capsulorrhaphy, which resulted in recurrent instability in 16% to 33% of patients.11,24,35,40 Additional methods of arthroscopic stabilization have included transglenoid suturing, with a failure rate ranging from 0% to 49%,2,19,29,53 and bioabsorbable tack fixation, with a failure rate ranging from 9% to 23%.14,19,31,36,45 Newer techniques for arthroscopic stabilization have been developed, including suture anchor fixation and capsular plication, with failure rates ranging from 8% to 11%.|| There are several reasons this systematic review is reasonable. Despite the proponents for both methods, it is unclear whether arthroscopic techniques equal the success of open techniques for the treatment of recurrent instability. There are a number of published reports directly comparing arthroscopic and open shoulder stabilization repairs.¶ Several meta-analyses and reviews of this topic have been conducted.19,26,37,42 However, each of these reviews included studies classified as level III evidence or lower. In contrast, this systematic review examines only level I and II trials. The high incidence of recurrent dislocation has implications for the individual and for society because chronic instability of the joint may prevent the individual from gaining employment or working at his or her potential. Moreover, with the growth in the number of orthopaedic surgeons specializing in shoulder surgery and sports injuries, as well as the advancement in arthroscopic techniques and sports medicine devices, there has been heightened interest in minimally invasive shoulder surgery for recurrent anterior instability. Thus, the comparison of arthroscopic versus open surgery for recurrent anterior shoulder instability is an area necessitating scrupulous review.
A new paradigm shift in antithrombotic therapy.

Decades after the introduction of oral anti-coagulants namely the vitamin K antagonist Warfarin and antiplatelet agents such as Aspirin and Plavix, new classes of direct, small molecule, novel oral anti-coagulant medications and antiplatelet P2Y12 receptor inhibitors have recently become available. For the novel oral anticoagulants, these agents can be separated by direct thrombin inhibitors such as Dabigatran and direct Factor Xa inhibitors such as Rivaroxaban and Apixaban. For next generation antiplatelet agents such as Ticagrelor and Prasugrel, these new P2Y12 receptor inhibitors form the cornerstone of therapy for patients with acute coronary syndrome or undergoing percutaneous interventions. These novel oral antithrombotics are revolutionizing the field of stroke prevention, atrial fibrillation, the management of venous thromboembolism and treatment of acute coronary syndrome. This article reviews the current research developed in order to identify therapeutic effects and establish net clinical benefits of these new oral antithrombotics.
Combined Use of Vegetation Density, Friction Velocity, and Solar Elevation to Parameterize the Scalar Roughness for Sensible Heat

Abstract Monin-Obukhov similarity was used to calculate sensible heat fluxes (Hc) at an array of up to 20 surface flux measurement sites on five days in 1987 and 1989 during the First ISLSCP (International Satellite Land Surface Climatology Project) Field Experiment by means of spatially distributed radiometric surface temperatures from an airborne platform and ground-based data. To use Monin-Obukhov similarity, a parameterization for the scalar roughness, as a function of spatially varying leaf area index (LAI) and friction velocity (u∗), was developed from a previous, simpler parameterization. LAI was found to be significant, but the range of u∗ was too small to ascertain its significance. The parameterization was found to produce sensible heat flux values that had correlations around 0.8 with the spatially distributed sensible heat flux measurements on four of the days, but on a day with high, uniform soil moisture content, the correlation was only 0.226. It is argued that the high soil moisture values...
Spike and slab gene selection for multigroup microarray data

DNA microarrays can provide insight into genetic changes that characterize different stages of a disease process. Accurate identification of these changes has significant therapeutic and diagnostic implications. Statistical analysis for multistage (multigroup) data is challenging, however. ANOVA-based extensions of two-sample Z-tests, a popular method for detecting differentially expressed genes in two groups, do not work well in multigroup settings. False detection rates are high because of variability of the ordinary least squares estimators and because of regression to the mean induced by correlated parameter estimates. We develop a Bayesian rescaled spike and slab hierarchical model specifically designed for the multigroup gene detection problem. Data preprocessing steps are introduced to deal with unique features of microarray data and to enhance selection performance. We show theoretically that spike and slab models naturally encourage sparse solutions through a process called selective shrinkage. T...
Quality Management Practices in Manufacturing and Service Corporations: How are they Different?

This study examines the relative perceptions of manufacturing and service quality executives about the use and benefits of quality management programs. In particular, survey responses from 358 of the largest U.S.manufacturing and service corporations were used to assess the impact of quality program practices, training,support, and results. This exploratory research suggests that quality management systems have been morethoroughly developed by manufacturing firms relative toservice companies. Many quality management practices have resulted in greater perceived competitive results in the manufacturing environment. The greater success ofthose quality practices in manufacturing firms may be related to the increased training in these programs and higher levels of management and employee support. The greater success of some quality management practices may also provide important insights to manufacturing and service organizations on gaining competitive advantage, especially in terms of customer relationships.
Effects of injection of 3-acetylpyridine on the levels of taurine in the cerebellum and medulla of the rat: a reappraisal.

Values for taurine in a 5% TCA extract of whole rat medulla were decreased by 19% after acid hydrolysis of samples. Values for taurine in a similar extract of rat cerebellum were unaffected by hydrolysis. The values for taurine were lower in the medulla and cerebellum of 3-acetylpyridine treated rat (65 mg/kg i.p.) when the unhydrolyzed TCA extract was assayed. However, when the hydrolyzed TCA extract was assayed, the level of taurine in the medulla was not lower in the 3-AP treatment rat but it was reduced in the cerebella of the drug-treated group. 3-Acetylpyridine appeared to reduce the levels in the medulla of acid-labile compounds which can interfere with the estimation of taurine.
When physics rules robotics

We consider some fundamental issues that arise as we move in the directions of robots that are much larger or much smaller than everyday human scale. In some interesting cases both much larger and much smaller prevail simultaneously, e.g., large networks of small devices. Much of the discussion focuses on scaling issues that were first recognized in biological versus technological domains; these are corresponding discussed from the biological perspective, under the assumption that the reader will find it natural to transpose the underlying principles to technological domains in general, and to the robotics domain specifically. After a brief discussion of mechanical scaling issues – all in principle well known to robot designers – we examine energy and power related issues, focusing primarily on the inevitable range and running time limitations of microand nano-robots.
Heterogeneity in the cellular protein profiles ofClostridium botulinum types A and B

Profiles of cellular proteins from 11 type A and 9 type B strains ofClostridium botulinum were examined by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Cellular protein profiles exhibited considerable heterogeneity among strains of the same biotype, as well as among strains of different biotypes. This study also demonstrated the reliability and usefulness of this rapid and inexpensive procedure to determine the variation which may occur amongC. botulinum and related species.
A zero-sum theorem

We determine the smallest integer n for which the following holds: if G is a nontrivial abelian group of order m, then every coloring of the integer set {1,2, ..., n} by the elements of G, results a zero-sum solution to x1 + x2 + ... + xm-1 < xm. It turns out that n depends only on the order of G and is equal to m(m - 1) + 1. If G is cyclic, then we get an Erdos-Ginzburg-Ziv type generalization of a known result concerning a monochromatic solution of the above inequality in a 2-coloring of the positive integers.