cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Radionuclides: Their Biogeochemical Cycles and the Impacts on the Biosphere

In recent years there has been recognition of radioactivity levels and the fate of radionuclides that could have modified the biogeochemical cycles in the ecological environment. These modifications can disturb a variety of the ecosystems on which human life depends. It is essential to understand the pathways of radionuclides that are transported and deposited in the atmosphere and in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems related to the biogeochemical cycles and their impacts on human life. This article is focused on the discussion of various processes that control the biogeochemical cycles of radionuclides. The global fallout from nuclear weapons tests and the radioecological effects from a nuclear power plant accident at the Chernobyl site in the Ukraine are described. The impact of global fallout from nuclear weapons tests on health and the ecological environment is significant and will continue for years to come, because the baseline of the ambient radiation environment has been disturbed by the radioactive debris containing various radionuclides. The impact has disturbed all of the biogeochemical cycles through multiple media, including air, water, land, and biota on which human life depends. This might well impose a need to conduct a longer-term multiple media examination of the consequence of any specific event, in addition to the shorter-term immediate response that is classically considered.
On the Existence of Symmetric Three Dimensional Finger Solutions

In this note, the existence problem of symmetric 3-dimenensional finger solutions of Mullins-Sekerka equation is studied. The finger solutions are traveling wave solutions whose finger-shaped interfaces are moving along a certain direction at a constant speed within a cylindrical domain. The existence of finger solutions is shown through a fixed point argument of the Hilbert Transformation.
Retrospective evaluation of risk factors and treatment outcome predictors in cats presenting to the emergency room for constipation

ObjectivesConstipation is a common complaint in cats presenting to the emergency room and can become a frustrating recurrent condition. Despite widespread anecdotal reports of risk factors for cons...
Role of tissue plasminogen activator and plasminogen activator inhibitor as potential biomarkers in psychosis.

Abstract The identification of biological markers for psychosis has an impact on its diagnosis, prognosis, and likelihood of treatment response. Tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) is involved in important functions such as synaptic plasticity, long-term potentiation and neurogenesis. Plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI-1) is the most important inhibitor of tPA. Preliminary studies have shown that schizophrenia patients have lower tPA and higher PAI-1 levels than the general population. The association of tPA and PAI-1 abnormalities with psychotic spectrum disorders, however, remains elusive. Our primary objective was to assess the plasma levels of tPA and PAI-1 in patients experiencing acute psychotic episodes as compared to those in healthy controls. In this prospective case-control study, we collected peripheral blood samples from psychiatric inpatients and healthy age, gender and race-matched subjects and determined plasma levels of tPA and PAI-1 by enzyme-linked immune-absorbent assays. Plasma levels of PAI-1 in patients with schizoaffective disorder were significantly lower as compared to those in control subjects (P = 0.03). tPA was lower in cases as compared to controls although it did not reach statistical significance. Asian patients and controls had lower PAI-1 levels. Further, Asian patients with schizoaffective disorder had significantly lower PAI-1 level compared to Asian patients with schizophrenia. Our results indicate that patients with schizoaffective disorder have lower PAI-1 levels than those with schizophrenia, affective psychosis, and healthy controls. Further studies are warranted to explore the potential of PAI-1 as a biomarker for diagnosing schizoaffective disorder.
DNA methylation reprograms cardiac metabolic gene expression in end-stage human heart failure.

The failing heart undergoes profound metabolic changes because of alterations in cardiac gene expression, reactivating glycolytic genes and suppressing oxidative metabolic genes. In the current stu...
Simplicity as Justice

Simplification of the legal system has attracted attention as a means of improving access to justice. A motivation for reform is the perception that laypeople have flooded the courts and generated a “pro se crisis.” Given the expense of advocates’ labor, instead of providing litigants with representatives, a growing number of commentators propose simplifying proceedings. Proponents claim that simplification will decrease the time and expense of adjudication, help litigants overcome technical requirements, and increase litigants’ satisfaction. This essay argues that the objectives of the simplification project are incomplete and carry potential downsides. Prior commentary has highlighted challenges from an individual litigant’s standpoint, such as the risk of substandard services and standardized solutions that will not fit everyone equally. This essay turns instead to the underlying efficiency goals and how they affect the administration of justice broadly defined. Part I critiques the goal of cutting costs. It argues that costs are not always normatively negative and provides examples of how costs can be socially useful. Part II critiques the goal of increasing speed. Slowness may be a necessary byproduct of maintaining individual rights. Moreover, delay is sometimes the only means of imposing vital restraints on the force of powerful actors. Part III situates the drive to simplify poor people’s courts in the context of a broader anti-regulation trend, which favors privatizing adjudication and eschewing formal law for informal arrangements. It urges reformers of the civil justice system to focus their priorities on public law values, namely democratic participation and limiting excesses of power.
Taking a BAT to the Chains of Diabetes

Brown Adipose Tissue and Insulin Resistance What is the effect of brown adipose tissue activity on insulin resistance? And what is the relevance of branched-chain amino acids? The results of a rece...
Regulation of Uptake of Free Amino Acids in Eukaryote Marine Organisms

Most of the work published concerning transport of free amino acids (FAA) in marine organisms has dealt with the kinetics of transport, specificity of carriers, mechanism(s) of translocation, and the role of various environmental variables in modifying observed influx or net flux rates. A great deal of attention has been devoted to demonstrating the reality of net entry of FAA and identifying the eukaryote under study as the role or predominant agent responsible for removing FAA from the medium. Therefore, preliminary to discussion of regulation of transport of FAA in marine organisms, the following points will be illustrated by citation of selected cases. Net entry of free amino acids (FAA) from dilute solution in seawater has been clearly demonstrated. Such entry can be shown to bee entirely or predominantly the result of eukaryote transport. Neither of these statements can be generalized, but both have been demonstrated in a sufficient range of particular cases to indicate that net uptake of FAA is a real and widespread phenomenon among marine invertebrates and algae.
In the Pursuit of Transformative Justice in the Education of Teacher Educators

While the education of teachers has a longstanding history, only recently have scholars argued the need to educate teacher educators (Cochran-Smith, 2003; Goodwin et al., 2014; Stillman & Anderson,...
Autologous Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation without Transfusion in a Teenage Jehovah's Witness: A Case Report from a Pediatric Transplant Center

Introduction Autologous hematopoietic cell transplantation (AutoHCT) has been shown to improve survival in patients with relapsed Hodgkin lymphoma (HL). This treatment strategy results in temporary cytopenia, routinely requiring hematopoietic transfusion support until marrow recovery. Jehovah's Witnesses (JW) commonly refuse blood product transfusions as part of their religious practice. Several adult transplant centers report success in treating JW using a transfusion-free AutoHCT, with low rates of bleeding and mortality. To our knowledge, there are no reported cases of transfusion-free AutoHCT in a pediatric patient. Case Description A 15 year old Jehovah's Witness presented to our institution with refractory nodular sclerosing HL. The patient received relapse therapy, demonstrated a very good partial response, and was referred for AutoHCT. Given her JW beliefs, AutoHCT needed to be provided using a transfusion-free approach. A multidisciplinary team met to discuss this case and establish a plan to provide transfusion-free AutoHCT, including efforts to optimize blood counts pre-HCT, minimize blood loss and bleeding risk during transplant, and promote engraftment. Prior to transplant she was started on iron supplementation as well as GnRH-analogue to suppress menses. The patient had normal blood counts pre-transplant. To minimize blood loss and bleeding risk during AutoHCT, frequency and volume of laboratory testing were decreased, and the patient received prophylactic vitamin K and an anti-fibrinolytic. The transplant included high-dose chemotherapy using a BeEAM (bendamustine, etoposide, cytarabine, melphalan) regimen, following by infusion of 6 × 106 CD34+ cells/kg. In attempt to promote rapid marrow recovery of all cell lines, the patient received marrow stimulants: EPO agonist, TPO agonist, and GCSF post-transplant. During the nadir of AutoHCT (hemoglobin 6.3 g/dL, platelets 2,000/mm3), the patient experienced symptoms of anemia (fatigue and light-headedness) and had minor mucosal bleeding (GI). Her ANC was >500/mm3 on day +10 and platelets >50,000/mm3 on day +12. Complications of AutoHCT included development of a line associated thrombus (Day +12), treated with low molecular weight heparin. Discussion Treatment of malignancy can be challenging for JW patients due to refusal of blood products, particularly if they require intensified treatment such as AutoHCT. A review of our institutional experience with AutoHCT for HL using BeEAM showed that on average, patients received 2 packed red blood cell and 6 platelet transfusions. Using the strategies above, we safely provided a transfusion-free AutoHCT to a pediatric patient. Transfusion-free transplant in a pediatric patient presents unique challenges that require careful consideration and planning from a multidisciplinary team including leaders in lymphoma, transplant, hematology, and ethics.
A Chebyshev-based rectangular-polar integral solver for scattering by geometries described by non-overlapping patches

This paper introduces a high-order-accurate strategy for integration of singular kernels and edge-singular integral densities that appear in the context of boundary integral equation formulations of the problem of acoustic scattering. In particular, the proposed method is designed for use in conjunction with geometry descriptions given by a set of arbitrary non-overlapping logically-quadrilateral patches---which makes the algorithm particularly well suited for treatment of CAD-generated geometries. Fejer's first quadrature rule is incorporated in the algorithm, to provide a spectrally accurate method for evaluation of contributions from far integration regions, while highly-accurate precomputations of singular and near-singular integrals over certain "surface patches" together with two-dimensional Chebyshev transforms and suitable surface-varying "rectangular-polar" changes of variables, are used to obtain the contributions for singular and near-singular interactions. The overall integration method is then used in conjunction with the linear-algebra solver GMRES to produce solutions for sound-soft open- and closed-surface scattering obstacles, including an application to an aircraft described by means of a CAD representation. The approach is robust, fast, and highly accurate: use of a few points per wavelength suffices for the algorithm to produce far-field accuracies of a fraction of a percent, and slight increases in the discretization densities give rise to significant accuracy improvements.
Classical Conditioning in the Crab

The green crab, Carduus maenas, can be trained in a classical (Pavlovian) conditioning procedure. By pairing vibration on the carapace as a conditioned stimulus (CS) with air-puff to one of the eyes as an unconditioned stimulus (US), it is possible to teach the animals to retract the eye during CS presentations. Controls subjected to unpaired stimuli show lower rates of responding. Crabs can also be trained in a signalled avoidance procedure, but the similarity of acquisition curves to those for classical conditioning suggests that the mechanism may be Pavlovian. Electromyograms recorded from the eye muscles can be used to follow conditioning and show that animals can be conditioned with the eye restrained.
Public engagement with genomic medicine: a summary of town hall discussions.

Engaging with the public for their input about genomic medicine is critical before it is implemented into routine healthcare practice. In order to inform discussion and planning for the introduction of genome sequencing into clinical care in an Eastern Canadian province, we implemented a program of public engagement activities. Here, we report a qualitative summary of two town hall discussions utilizing a hybrid information–consultation approach with 20 residents of the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. Discussion revealed largely positive attitudes towards genomic medicine; however, critical reflection around informed consent models, the return of sequencing findings, and access to qualified healthcare professionals revealed numerous public concerns. Public support will be important to realize the potential benefits of genomics and precision medicine to health outcomes. Our findings highlight public concerns that must be addressed in educational and informed consent documents related to sequencing. Town hall attendees endorsed ongoing public education and awareness-building initiatives which could help foster transparency and trust as genomics is integrated into healthcare systems.
Single-Cell Techniques and Deep Learning in Predicting Drug Response

Rapidly developing single-cell sequencing analyses produce more comprehensive profiles of the genomic, transcriptomic, and epigenomic heterogeneity of tumor subpopulations than do traditional bulk sequencing analyses. Moreover, single-cell techniques allow the response of a tumor to drug exposure to be more thoroughly investigated. Deep learning (DL) models have successfully extracted features from complex bulk sequence data to predict drug responses. We review recent innovations in single-cell technologies and DL-based approaches related to drug sensitivity predictions. We believe that, by using insights from bulk sequence data, deep transfer learning (DTL) can facilitate the use of single-cell data for training superior DL-based drug prediction models.
A Tissue Counterpart to Monoclonal B-Cell Lymphocytosis.

CONTEXT.— B-cell clones discovered in tissue biopsies, without overt lymphoma, may represent a tissue counterpart to peripheral blood monoclonal B-cell lymphocytosis (MBL), herein termed tMBL. OBJECTIVE.— To characterize the clinicopathologic features of tMBL. DESIGN.— During a 10-year period, we retrospectively identified non-bone marrow/peripheral blood cases with monotypic B cells detected by tissue-based flow cytometry but without an identifiable lymphomatous infiltrate on routine histopathology. We excluded cases with prior diagnosis of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL)/small lymphocytic lymphoma or MBL. RESULTS.— Fifty-four cases were identified (35 lymph node, 3 splenic, and 16 soft tissue/viscera). Forty-six cases were CLL-type, 2 were atypical CLL, and 6 were non-CLL. tMBL was detectable by immunohistochemistry in 14 cases (26%, all CLL-type). Concurrent blood flow cytometry, available in 10 cases, showed 4 with low-count MBL (3 CLL-type, 1 with non-CLL-type), 5 with high-count MBL (all CLL-type), and 1 case negative for clonal population. With median follow-up of 51 months, 2 patients had progression of disease (CLL, 68.7 months; and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, 5.9 months). Patients with immunohistochemistry-detectable tMBL had increased monoclonal B cells per total lymphocyte events (P = .01), morphologic evidence of bone marrow involvement (P = .04), higher white blood cell count (P = .02), and increased absolute lymphocyte count (P = .02). CONCLUSIONS.— tMBL spans an immunophenotypic spectrum similar to MBL, is detectable by immunohistochemistry in a minority of cases (often CLL immunophenotype), and is likely systemic in most cases. Development of overt lymphoma is uncommon but may occur, warranting clinical follow-up.
Technology for safe and energy-efficient storage of liquefied petroleum gas at strategic facilities

A technology for safe and energy efficient storage of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) at strategic facilities has been proposed. A strategy for controlling the technological parameters of the process of condensation of LPG vapors and regasification of the liquid phase has been developed. The peculiarity of the technology lies in the use of a vapor compression heat pump as a source of alternative energy with stabilization of temperature regimes, preventing LPG losses and providing a given regasification performance when supplied to the consumer. The compressor of the heat pump allows to provide the required degree of compression in the operating temperature range in the heat pump condenser, and throttling of the refrigerant through the thermostatic valve ensures the stabilization of the required pressure corresponding to the set range of values of the boiling points of the refrigerant in the evaporator. The regulation of these parameters under conditions of random disturbances caused by external factors creates conditions for the complete condensation of LPG vapors of various compositions formed as a result of its self-evaporation, and also maintains the productivity of the regasification process in the range of specified values, regardless of the climatic zone. The proposed automatic control will ensure the accuracy and reliability of control by reducing the spread of controlled parameters, ensuring their variation in a given range, which is a significant reserve for the intensification of thermal processes while reducing the magnitude of the fire risk and increasing the environmental safety of the environment, including through the use of harmless, non-flammable, non-explosive refrigerant. The use of operational information from the control object to regulate the temperature regimes of condensation of vapors of liquefied hydrocarbon gas in the evaporator and its regasification in the condenser of a vapor compression heat pump within the specified values creates optimal conditions for storing and dispensing gas in large-capacity tanks with minimal energy costs.
Antigen-activated T cells induce IL-12p75 production from Dendritic cells in an IFN-γ-independent manner

The addition of IL-12p75 to naive CD4(+) T cells promotes their differentiation towards a TH1-type cytokine pattern. Dendritic cells stimulated by LPS generate IL-12p75, but only if the environment also contains IFN-γ. Thus, it appears that IFN-γ is needed to start the response that will result in further production of IFN-γ. We previously reported that paradoxically DCs produce IL-12p75 only after engaging primed, but not naive T cells. This study examines the mechanism by which primed T cells trigger IL-12p75 secretion and asks whether this induction is also dependent on the presence of IFN-γ. Here, we show that, in contrast to LPS, primed T cells induce IL-12p75 in an IFN-γ-independent manner. Addition of rIFN-γ to cocultures of naive T cells with DCs did not induce IL-12p75. Moreover, antigen-activated CD4(+) T cells from wild type or IFN-γ-deficient mice both initiated IL-12p75 production from DCs. Surprisingly, we found that synergies between three T-cell-derived factors - CD40 Ligand, IL-4 and GM-CSF - were necessary and sufficient for IL-12p75 production. These results suggest that there are at least two distinct pathways for IL-12p75 production in vivo. Furthermore, the T-cell-dependent pathway of IL-12p75 production employs molecules that are not classically associated with a TH1-type response.
Novel determinants of the neuronal Cl− concentration

It is now a well-accepted view that cation-driven Cl− transporters in neurons are involved in determining the intracellular Cl− concentration. In the present review, we propose that additional factors, which are often overlooked, contribute substantially to the Cl− gradient across neuronal membranes. After briefly discussing the data supporting and opposing the role of cation–chloride cotransporters in regulating Cl−, we examine the participation of the following factors in the formation of the transmembrane Cl− gradient: (i) fixed ‘Donnan’ charges inside and outside the cell; (ii) the properties of water (free vs. bound); and (iii) water transport through the cotransporters. We demonstrate a steep relationship between intracellular Cl− and the concentration of fixed negative charges on macromolecules. We show that in the absence of water transport through the K+–Cl− cotransporter, a large osmotic gradient builds at concentrations below or above a set value of ‘Donnan’ charges, and show that at any value of these fixed charges, the reversal potential for Cl− equates that of K+. When the movement of water across the membrane is a source of free energy, it is sufficient to modify the movement of Cl− through the cotransporter. In this scenario, the reversal potential for Cl− does not closely follow that of K+. Furthermore, our simulations demonstrate that small differences in the availability of freely diffusible water between inside and outside the cell greatly affect the Cl− reversal potential, particularly when osmolar transmembrane gradients are minimized, for example by idiogenic osmoles. We also establish that the presence of extracellular charges has little effect on the chloride reversal potential, but greatly affects the effective inhibitory conductance for Cl−. In conclusion, our theoretical analysis of the presence of fixed anionic charges and water bound on macromolecules inside and outside the cell greatly impacts both Cl− gradient and Cl− conductance across neuronal membranes.
Development of a PC-based clinical information system suitable for a small-group medical practice

A clinical information system appropriate for a group practice at reasonable cost is discussed. Both text and coded (problem, medication, lab data, procedure) information can be rapidly entered and retrieved on screen or printed. The system is strongly problem and procedure based and supports multiple simultaneous users on a single 80386-based microcomputer using the magic-PC database language under the PC-MOS/386 operating system. System details and results from a nine-month test are also included. >
Human Neuropsychiatric Disease Modeling using Conditional Deletion Reveals Synaptic Transmission Defects Caused by Heterozygous Mutations in NRXN1

Heterozygous mutations of the NRXN1 gene, which encodes the presynaptic cell-adhesion molecule neurexin-1, were repeatedly associated with autism and schizophrenia. However, diverse clinical presentations of NRXN1 mutations in patients raise the question of whether heterozygous NRXN1 mutations alone directly impair synaptic function. To address this question under conditions that precisely control for genetic background, we generated human ESCs with different heterozygous conditional NRXN1 mutations and analyzed two different types of isogenic control and NRXN1 mutant neurons derived from these ESCs. Both heterozygous NRXN1 mutations selectively impaired neurotransmitter release in human neurons without changing neuronal differentiation or synapse formation. Moreover, both NRXN1 mutations increased the levels of CASK, a critical synaptic scaffolding protein that binds to neurexin-1. Our results show that, unexpectedly, heterozygous inactivation of NRXN1 directly impairs synaptic function in human neurons, and they illustrate the value of this conditional deletion approach for studying the functional effects of disease-associated mutations.
Gaussian approximations to conditional distributions for multi-Gaussian processes

Suppose a multi-Gaussian process is observed at some set of sites, and we wish to obtain the conditional block grade distribution given some observations. We show that this conditional distribution is approximately Gaussian under certain conditions. In particular, given a single observation from a continuous multi-Gaussian process, the conditional distribution under a small change of support is approximately Gaussian unless, roughly speaking, the observed process is twice differentiable and the observation site is at the center of mass of the support region. A Gaussian approximation for the conditional prediction error of the total ore in a fixed region is considered also, although an example demonstrates that a naive analysis can give incorrect limiting conditional means.
Lattice Boltzmann Simulation of Diffusion-Convection Systems with Surface Chemical Reaction

Abstract Chemical reactions on solid surfaces are ubiquitous in natural and industrial processes. In many situations, the reaction is complicated by diffusion and convection of reactants in the surrounding media. The system as a whole is usually highly nonlinear. Theoretical analysis for this complicated phenomenon is difficult if not entirely impossible. It is highly desired to develop efficient computational tools to simulate this process. The lattice Boltzmann method, based on mesoscopic description of fluid systems, is quite suitable for this purpose. This study will present a lattice Boltzmann scheme for simulating the diffusion-convection systems with surface chemical reactions.
Evidence of enhanced iron excretion during systemic phosphorothioate oligodeoxynucleotide treatment.

Background: Phosphorothioate oligonucleotides, in general, possess properties that could be utilized in the development of therapeutic heavy metal chelators. Methods: Iron excretion was measured in 16 patients participating in studies to test the safety of OL(1)p53, a 20-mer phosphorothioate oligonucleotide complementary to p53 mRNA. Patients were given OL(1)p53 at doses of 0.05 to 0.25 mg/kg/h for 10 days by continuous intravenous infusion. Urine was collected during the study and analyzed for iron, copper, cadmium, and zinc. Results: We found that phosphorothioate oligonucleotides have a high affinity for iron as well as several other clinically relevant toxic metals. Analysis of patient urine following administration of OL(1)p53 reveals a 7.5-fold increase in iron excretion at low doses (0.05 mg/kg/h). Conclusions: Phosphorothioate oligonucleotides may have therapeutic potential as heavy metal chelators. Low doses of phosphorothioate oligonucleotide facilitated the excretion of iron. Renal clearance of...
Latent Heat Effects in Thermoelectric Air Conditioners and Heat Pumps Equipped With a Heat Exchanger

The effects of moisture on the performance of thermoelectric air conditioning systems and heat pumps equipped with a heat exchanger were studied. Coefficients of performance and fluid temperature variations were calculated for heat capacity ratios from 1 to 10 and relative humidities ranging from 0 to 100% at the cold fluid inlet. Only the energy effects of the water condensation are considered as it is assumed that the heat transfer coefficients are those of a dry heat exchanger. It was found that different flow arrangements and the energy associated with condensation on the cold fluid side have no strong effects on the variation of the hot fluid temperature. The coefficient of performance decreases and the cold fluid exit temperature increases when condensation occurs. When the moisture content at the cold fluid inlet increases, most of the cases studied show a decrease in the difference between the optimum and uniform current results. The difference among different flow arrangements also becomes smaller as more water vapor condenses in the cold flow.
A New Look at the Summer Arctic Frontal Zone

AbstractA notable characteristic of the summertime Arctic is the existence of a narrow band of strong horizontal temperature gradients spanning the coastlines of Siberia, Alaska, and western Canada that extends through a considerable depth of the troposphere. Past research has associated this summer Arctic Frontal Zone (AFZ) with contrasts in atmospheric heating between the Arctic Ocean and snow-free land, with its regional strength strongly influenced by topography; however, little is known about its variability. In this study, output from the latest generation of global atmospheric reanalyses is used to better constrain and define the summer AFZ, including its spatial and seasonal characteristics. The relative importance of different factors linked to its variability is then evaluated. The AFZ is best expressed in July and is manifested aloft as a separate Arctic jet feature at about 250 hPa. It is clearly associated with differential atmospheric heating, as evidenced by the sharp difference in surface ...
CdS thin film deposition by CW Nd:YAG laser

Abstract We report cumulative results on CW Nd:YAG laser deposition of CdS thin films. Films are characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray analysis, transmission electron microscopy, ultraviolet through visible light transmission, and Raman measurements. Films deposited at 400 °C or higher manifest a pure hexagonal CdS phase, and films deposited at 200 °C or lower contain both cubic and hexagonal phases.
Voluntary changes in surgery career paths: a survey of the program directors in surgery.

Abstract Background This article attempts to quantify the current scope of attrition, identify the reasons why categorical residents are leaving general surgery residency programs voluntarily, and correlate the program directors' and residents' perspectives. Study design A questionnaire asked the Program Directors of general surgery residency programs how many categorical residents left voluntarily in the 2000–2001 academic year, their postgraduate (PGY) levels, why they left, and where they went. Another questionnaire asked the residents why they entered surgery and why they left. The surveys' responses were compared. Results A total of 206 programs (81%) responded. One hundred ten programs (53%) reported voluntarily attrition of 167 categorical residents (mean: 0.8 residents per program for all responders and 1.5 residents per program for programs that reported attrition). Seventy-three programs (66%) lost one resident; 23 programs (21%), 2 residents; 9 programs (8%), 3 residents; 4 programs (4%), 4 residents; and 1 program ( Conclusions Most surgery programs that responded were affected by attrition in 2000–2001, with approximately one-third losing more than one resident. Attrition tends to occur early in training. Most residents enter other specialties, primarily for quality-of-life reasons. But many stay in general surgery.
The effects of locomotion on the structural characteristics of avian limb bones

Despite the wide range of locomotor adaptations in birds, little detailed attention has been given to the relationships between the quantitative structural characteristics of avian limb bones and bird behaviour. Possible differences in forelimb relative to hindlimb strength across species have been especially neglected. We generated cross-sectional, geometric data from peripheral quantitative computed tomography scans of the humerus and femur of 127 avian skeletons, representing 15 species of extant birds in 13 families. The sample includes terrestrial runners, arboreal perchers, hindlimb-propelled divers, forelimb-propelled divers and dynamic soarers. The hindlimb-propelled diving class includes a recently flightless island form. Our results demonstrate that locomotor dynamics can be differentiated in most cases based on cross-sectional properties, and that structural proportions are often more informative than bone length proportions for determining behaviour and locomotion. Recently flightless forms, for example, are more easily distinguished using structural ratios than using length ratios. A proper phylogenetic context is important for correctly interpreting structural characteristics, especially for recently flightless forms. Some of the most extreme adaptations to mechanical loading are seen in aquatic forms. Penguins have forelimbs adapted to very high loads. Aquatic species differ from non-aquatic species on the basis of relative cortical thickness. The combination of bone structural strength and relative cortical area of the humerus successfully differentiates all of our locomotor groups. The methods used in this study are highly applicable to fossil taxa, for which morphology is known but behaviour is not. The use of bone structural characteristics is particularly useful in palaeontology not only because it generates strong signals for many locomotor guilds, but also because analysing such traits does not require knowledge of body mass, which can be difficult to estimate reliably for fossil taxa. © 2008 The Linnean Society of London, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2008, 153, 601‐624.
Na is essential for activation of the inseminated sea urchin egg.

The presence of at least 2.5 mM Na during the first several min after insemination is requied for the activation of sea urchin eggs. Of those chemical species examined that exist entirely as cations, and which did not activate the unfertilized egg, only Li substitutes for Na. Ammonium and other amines, with pKa values between 9 and 10.8, in the complete absence of Na (a) can induce nuclear activation of unfertilized eggs, and (b) permit the development of the early fertilized egg through the stage that normally requires Na.
COLLECTIVE INERTIA IN PAIRED SYSTEMS

Abstract Two definitions of the collective inertia are examined. One of them was recently proposed and applied in a calculation of exotic radioactivity. The other expression is the Inglis cranking formula. It is shown that the new formula corresponds to rapid collective motion while the cranking corresponds to slow collective motion. It is also seen that the two forms of the inertia differ only in the choice of the collective momentum.
Construction of multivalent sialyl Lex from the type Ia group B Streptococcus capsular polysaccharide

The type Ia group B Streptococcus (GBSIa) capsular polysaccharide was specifically degraded by partial Smith oxidation of 2,3-diol of the Glc in the backbone to fragments representing asialo core repeating units. Sialylation of these oligomers furnished GBSIa multiple repeating units. One, two and three repeating units of GBSIa were obtained pure, and the higher oligomers were obtained as mixtures. After enzymatic fucosylation oligosaccharides carrying bivalent, trivalent and other multivalent sialyl Le(x) epitopes presented as appendages on an oligolactoside scaffold were obtained.
Commutator-finite orthomodular lattices

The class \(\mathfrak{C}\) of orthomodular lattices which have only finitely many commutators is investigated. The following theorems are proved: \(\mathfrak{C}\) contains the block-finite orthomodular lattices. Every irreducible element of \(\mathfrak{C}\) is simple. Every element of \(\mathfrak{C}\) is a direct product of a Boolean algebra and finitely many simple orthomodular lattices. The irreducible elements of \(\mathfrak{C}\) which are modular, or are M-symmetric with at least one atom, have height two or less.
A computer architecture for highly parallel signal processing

A computer of unusual architecture is described that achieves highly parallel operation through use of a data-flow program representation. The machine is especially suited for signal processing computations such as waveform generation, modulation, and filtering, in which a group of operations must be performed once for each sample of the signals being processed. The difficulties of processor switching and memory/processor interconnection arising in attempts to adapt Von Neuman type computers for parallel operation are avoided by an organization in which sections of the machine communicate through transmission of information packets, and delays in packet transmission do not compromise effective utilization of the hardware. The design concept is especially suited to implementation using asynchronous logic and large-scale integrated circuits. Application of the concepts to generalized data-flow program languages is under study.
Amino-terminal analysis of tryptophan hydroxylase: protein kinase phosphorylation occurs at serine-58.

Tryptophan hydroxylase (TPH) catalyzes the rate-limiting and committed step in serotonin biosynthesis. Within this enzyme, two distinct domains have been hypothesized to exist, an amino-terminal regulatory domain and a carboxyl-terminal catalytic domain. In the present experiments, the functional boundary between the putative domains was defined using deletion mutagenesis. A full-length cDNA clone for rabbit TPH was engineered for expression in bacteria. Five amino-terminal deletions were constructed using PCR, i.e., Ndelta50, Ndelta60, Ndelta90, Ndelta106, and Ndelta116 (referring to the number of amino acids deleted from the amino terminus). Enzymatic activity was determined for each mutant after expression in bacteria. Whereas deletion of 116 amino acids (Ndelta116) abolished enzyme activity, all of the other amino-terminal deletions exhibited increased specific activity relative to the recombinant wild-type TPH. The ability of the cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) to phosphorylate members of the deletion series was also examined. Deletion of the first 60 amino-terminal residues abolished the ability of the enzyme to serve as a substrate for PKA, yet the native and Ndelta50 enzymes were phosphorylated. Moreover, a serine-58 point mutant (S58A) was not phosphorylated by PKA. In conclusion, the first 106 amino acids comprise a regulatory domain that is phosphorylated by PKA at serine-58. In addition, the boundary between regulatory and catalytic domains is analogous to the domain structure observed for the related enzyme tyrosine hydroxylase.
Management of Molecular Simulation Database

Large amount of molecular simulations (MS) data produced in scientific studies is stored in computer flat files. Any information requested by the users (or program) is handled by operating system. Often, the same files are accessed multiples times when different information is requested or different analytical query is executed. Multiple users accessing same file would result in multiple access of the file. The I/O bandwidth requirement is huge and multiple accesses delay requests that arrive in sequence. Therefore, there is need for managing the MS data effectively so that access to it is efficient.In this work, we propose the idea of storing MS data in a database management system (DBMS) and develop novel indexing strategies to help optimize the process of a wide range of queries. The query-plan generation feature of DBMS minimizes number of accesses to the file system. Multiple functions (queries) accessing same simulation file can share single access request made to the file system.We also propose a website to host such a DBMS that can facilitate researchers to upload their data and perform analysis efficiently. Users can analyze their data using efficient functions implemented to access the data. Index structures are generated to store all results of analysis that may be interesting to other users, so that the results of analysis are readily available without the need to duplicate the analysis. The data upload feature can be made available through application program interfaces (APIs). Users can upload their data using the APIs. The DBMS takes care of generating indexes, storing results of analysis and retrieving efficiently, whenever users run analysis query or request information.
Endogenous fibrinolytic function and risks of future myocardial infarction and stroke: observations from the Physicians' Health Study

Summary Employing plasma and DNA samples collected at baseline among 14,916 participants in the Physicians' Health Study who were free of reported vascular disease at study initiation and were then followed prospectively for the occurrence of myocardial infarction, stroke, and venous thrombosis, we have found that baseline evaluations of endogenous tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA:ag) as well as cross linked fibrin degradation products (D-dimer) are highly predictive of risk of future coronary and cerebral thrombosis, but not venous thrombosis. We have also found that levels of tPA:ag directly correlate with body mass index and cigarette consumption and inversely correlate with alcohol consumption and HDL cholesterol. In contrast, we have found no association between Lp(a) and risk of future myocardial infarction or stroke. Despite strong associations between plasma levels of tPA:ag and thrombotic risk, we have not found significant relationships between specific genetic polymorphisms associated with PAI-1 or tPA production to be predictive of risk. Thus, environmental and behavioural factors are likely to be critical in determining the net fibrinolytic balance on a systemic and local basis. Data from the Physicians' Health Study, taken in context with other important prospective evaluations of fibrinolytic potential, strongly support the hypothesis that hemostatic and thrombotic risk factors for vascular disease can be detected reliably on a population basis, and raise the possibility that assessment of novel risk factors may prove valuable in the detection and prevention of cardiovascular disease.
Dissociation dynamics of D2 on Ni13 clusters: structural dependence

Abstract We present initial results from a theoretical study of the dissociation of D 2 on the three most stable high symmetry isomers of Ni 13 . The cluster's nearest neighbor distance (NND) was determined by energy minimization using the corrected effective medium theory. The critical D 2 /Ni 13 multidimensional reactive potential energy surface used the form and parameters found in the study of H 2 + Ni ( klm )→2H (a) + Ni( klm ) with ( klm ) = (100), (110) and (111), differing only in geometrical arrangement of the atoms. Rate constants for the dissociation of D 2 are sensitive to isomer, even though all clusters have 12 exterior atoms and about the same NND.
Acquired cutaneous smooth muscle hamartoma

A 35-year-old white man had an indurated, indistinct plaque on the anterior aspect of the neck for 10 years. Results of biopsy specimens showed an excess of smooth muscle bundles scattered throughout the dermis. Unlike previously reported cases of acquired smooth muscle hamartomas, it did not occur in association with a Becker nevus.
P-1212 - High prevalence of diabetes mellitus, obesity and metabolic syndrome in schizophrenic patients

Aim To study the rate of Diabetes, obesity, and metabolic syndrome and associated factors in schizophrenic patients in comparison to a healthy control group. Design Matched case-control. Setting Hamad General Hospital and PHC Centres in Qatar Subjects: 233 schizophrenic with diabetes and metabolic syndrome and in comparison to 613 healthy subjects matched age/gender. Methods Questionnaire covering socio-demographic characteristics, life-style habits, genetic, biochemistry values and diagnostic screening questionnaire and confirmed using DSM-IV criteria. Results The study revealed statistically significant differences between cases and controls regarding ethnicity (p Conclusion The study confirmed that DM, obesity and metabolic syndrome are common among patients with schizophrenia, and it may be far more common than in general population.
Highly discretized dynamics

Abstract The efforts in the last ten years or so to find a particle dynamics, wherein, the spatial coordinates are confined to lattice positions and the velocity coordinates to a few speeds, have unfortunately failed. It was hoped to duplicate the success of the Ising model, which would have allowed, if not for an analytic treatment, at least much more efficient computational methods to deal with hydrodynamic transport phenomena, particularly turbulence. The next course of action, in view of this failure, will be discussed after the reasons for the failure are outlined.
An artifact in measurement of S phase initiation and its implication for the kinetics of S phase-specific enzyme activities.

Abstract It is shown that the different onset of S phase as measured by autoradiography vs cumulative thymidine uptake is an artifact. We consequently propose that S phase-specific enzyme activities may accumulate a few hours prior to the actual initiation of DNA synthesis. A “pre-S” DNA synthesis that can be readily detected only by autoradiography has been proposed. Published data show that DNA synthesis in cultured animal cells is initiated approx. 2 h later when measured by cumulative incorporation of [ 3 H ]thymidine ([ 3 H ]TdR) as compared with autoradiography. We show here that the difference is in reality an artifact, owing to not taking into account both gradual, asynchronous entry of cells into S phase, as well as time-dependent accumulation of radioactivity into each cell after it has entered S phase. Combination of these two factors leads to the conclusion that [ 3 H ]TdR should be incorporated approximately as the square of time following entry of the first cell into S. Taking this into account, the two methods then are in agreement, as predicted. This argument also applies to the enzyme activities shown to increase with DNA synthesis in synchronized cultures. Such an enzyme accumulation really could begin some time earlier than indicated by conventional plots of cumulative enzyme activity vs time and may, in fact, precede the onset of S by a few hours.
SURFACE MEMBRANE BIOTINYLATION EFFICIENTLY MEDIATES THE ENDOCYTOSIS OF AVIDIN BIOCONJUGATES INTO NUCLEATED CELLS

Here we demonstrate that biotin covalently attached to cell surface obligates existing receptors to endocytose avidin bioconjugates into nucleated cells. Incubation of fluorescein-labeled avidin with biotinylated cell lines resulted in uniform and rapid surface attachment and endocytosis compared with no detectable association of the avidin-conjugated dye with unbiotinylated cells. Uptake was detected within minutes with efficiencies approaching 100% in cell lines and freshly obtained peripheral blood mononuclear cells. After 24 h, avidin was barely detectable on the surface of the nucleated cells. In marked contrast, fluorescent avidin remained exclusively on the external membrane of erythrocytes after 24 h. To investigate biotin-mediated endocytosis for the delivery of DNA, we prepared polyethylenimine-avidin (PEI-avidin) conjugates. Surface biotinylation significantly increased the transfection efficiencies of PEI-avidin condensed plasmid DNA coding green fluorescent protein (GFP) to the level of transferrin-receptor targeted gene delivery (15-20% GFP positive cells in culture after 48 h). The increase in transfection efficiency was blocked by the addition of free avidin or biotin to the culture medium. Biotin covalently bound to cell surface membrane proteins efficiently mediates the entry of avidin bioconjugates into nucleated cells.
Infra-red and Raman spectra of several metallic hypophosphites☆

Abstract Infra-red absorption measurements were made on the hypophosphites of UO2(II), Th(IV) Sm(III), Tm(III), Yb(III) and La(III) in the region of 4000-250 cm−1, and Raman spectra were obtained for Th(IV), Sm(III) and Yb(III) hypophosphites. It was found that these substances displayed characteristic bands similar to those reported for hypophosphites of univalent and divalent cations. The infra-red band in the 460 cm−1 region, and the Raman band in the 930 cm−1 region, previously reported only for hypophosphites of univalent cations, are suggested as corroborating frequencies to be used with the bands at 2300–2400 cm−1 for characterizing the hypophosphite group.