cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
RGS proteins reconstitute the rapid gating kinetics of Gβγ-activated inwardly rectifying K+ channels

G protein-gated inward rectifier K+ (GIRK) channels mediate hyperpolarizing postsynaptic potentials in the nervous system and in the heart during activation of Gα(i/o)-coupled receptors. In neurons and cardiac atrial cells the time course for receptor-mediated GIRK current deactivation is 20–40 times faster than that observed in heterologous systems expressing cloned receptors and GIRK channels, suggesting that an additional component(s) is required to confer the rapid kinetic properties of the native transduction pathway. We report here that heterologous expression of “regulators of G protein signaling” (RGS proteins), along with cloned G protein-coupled receptors and GIRK channels, reconstitutes the temporal properties of the native receptor → GIRK signal transduction pathway. GIRK current waveforms evoked by agonist activation of muscarinic m2 receptors or serotonin 1A receptors were dramatically accelerated by coexpression of either RGS1, RGS3, or RGS4, but not RGS2. For the brain-expressed RGS4 isoform, neither the current amplitude nor the steady-state agonist dose-response relationship was significantly affected by RGS expression, although the agonist-independent “basal” GIRK current was suppressed by ≈40%. Because GIRK activation and deactivation kinetics are the limiting rates for the onset and termination of “slow” postsynaptic inhibitory currents in neurons and atrial cells, RGS proteins may play crucial roles in the timing of information transfer within the brain and to peripheral tissues.
Principles of Allosteric Interactions in Cell Signaling

Linking cell signaling events to the fundamental physicochemical basis of the conformational behavior of single molecules and ultimately to cellular function is a key challenge facing the life sciences. Here we outline the emerging principles of allosteric interactions in cell signaling, with emphasis on the following points. (1) Allosteric efficacy is not a function of the chemical composition of the allosteric pocket but reflects the extent of the population shift between the inactive and active states. That is, the allosteric effect is determined by the extent of preferred binding, not by the overall binding affinity. (2) Coupling between the allosteric and active sites does not decide the allosteric effect; however, it does define the propagation pathways, the allosteric binding sites, and key on-path residues. (3) Atoms of allosteric effectors can act as "driver" or "anchor" and create attractive "pulling" or repulsive "pushing" interactions. Deciphering, quantifying, and integrating the multiple co-occurring events present daunting challenges to our scientific community.
Waldenström Macroglobulinemia: 2012 update on diagnosis, risk stratification, and management

Disease Overview: Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia (WM) is a lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma with immunoglobulin M (IgM) monoclonal protein. Clinical features include anemia, thrombocytopenia, hepatosplenomegaly, and lymphadenopathy. Diagnosis: Presence of IgM monoclonal protein associated with ≥10% clonal lymphoplasmacytic cells in bone marrow confirms the diagnosis. Risk Stratification: Age, hemoglobin level, platelet count, β2 microglobulin, and monoclonal IgM concentrations are characteristics required for prognosis. Risk-Adapted Therapy: Not all patients who fulfill WM criteria require therapy; these patients can be observed until symptoms develop. Rituximab-based therapy is used in virtually all US patients with WM and can be combined with alkylating agent or purine nucleoside analog (or both). The preferred Mayo Clinic nonstudy therapeutic induction is rituximab, cyclophosphamide, and dexamethasone. Future stem-cell transplantation should be considered in induction therapy selection. Management of Refractory Disease: Bortezomib, thalidomide, lenalidomide, and bendamustine have all been shown to have activity in WM. Given WM's natural history, reduction of complications will be a priority for future treatment trials. Am. J. Hematol. 503–510, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The effects of vasoactive drugs on pulse pressure and stroke volume variation in postoperative ventilated patients

Abstract Introduction Although pulse pressure variation (PPV) and stroke volume variation (SVV) during mechanical ventilation have been shown to predict preload responsiveness, the effect of vasoactive therapy on PPV and SVV is unknown. Methods Pulse pressure variation and SVV were measured continuously in 15 cardiac surgery patients for the first 4 postoperative hours. Pulse pressure variation was directly measured from the arterial pressure waveform, and both PPV and SVV were also calculated by LiDCO Plus (LiDCO Ltd, Cambridge, United Kingdom) before and after volume challenges or changes in vasoactive drug infusions done to sustain cardiovascular stability. Results Seventy-one paired events were studied (38 vasodilator, 10 vasoconstrictor, 14 inotropes, and 9 volume challenges). The difference between the measured and LiDCO-calculated PPV was 1% ± 7% (1.96 SD, 95% confidence interval, r 2 = 0.8). Volume challenge decreased both PPV and SVV (15% to 10%, P P = .09, respectively). Vasodilator therapy increased PPV and SVV (13% to 17% and 9% to 15%, respectively, P Conclusion Volume loading decreased PPV and SVV; and vasodilators increased both, consistent with their known cardiovascular effects. Thus, SVV and PPV can be used to drive fluid resuscitation algorithms in the setting of changing vasoactive drug therapy.
Gas phase chemical reactions of fission products with ethylene using the gas jet technique

Gamma-ray spectroscopy can be used to identify short-lived fission products in chemical fractions obtained by gas phase transport and liquid–liquid extraction. Volatile compounds of selenium and bromine fission products of 235U were studied using a semi-automatic batch solvent extraction technique. The resulting gamma-ray spectra of the heptane and water phases were consistent with the nuclides of interest (84Se, 85Se, 86Se and 86Br, 87Br, 88Br), activation products, and neutron reactions with the Ge in the detectors. The procedure used to identify these peaks is reported.
Effect of PCR template concentration on the composition and distribution of total community 16S rDNA clone libraries

Total DNA from sediment samples was isolated by a direct lysis technique. Purified DNA was used as template either undiluted or diluted 1:10 prior to polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of 16S rRNA genes. Full-length inserts were analysed for restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLP) with the enzyme Cfo1, and the resulting distribution and abundance of RFLP patterns compared between the undiluted and diluted PCR reactions. Results indicate that for low PCR template concentrations, in the range from a few picograms to tens of picograms DNA, proportional representation of specific RFLP types was not reproducible upon template dilution, confirming that PCR amplification of 16S rDNA cannot be used directly to infer microbial abundance. In particular, only 15-24% of the RFLP types recovered from a sample were present in both the undiluted and diluted extracts. We propose that very low template concentrations in the PCR generate random fluctuations in priming efficiency, which led to the contrast in RFLP types observed in the libraries from the undiluted and diluted extracts.
The low-molecular-weight acid phosphatase from bovine liver: Isolation, amino acid composition, and chemical modification studies

Abstract The smallest of the three molecular weight forms of acid phosphatase from bovine liver was purified to a specific activity of 100 μmol min−1 mg−1 (measured at pH 5.5 and 37 °C with p-nitrophenyl phosphate). Using several chromatographie and electrophoretic methods, no evidence of heterogeneity was detected. The enzyme was characterized with respect to its stability as a function of pH, molecular weight, amino acid composition, steady-state kinetic parameters in the pH range 4–7 and inhibition by common acid phosphatase inhibitors at pH 5.5. The amino acid composition differed somewhat from a previous literature report. The enzyme was stoichiometrically inactivated upon incubation with Hg2+, Ag+, and iodoacetate. Inactivation also occurred upon photoinactivation in the presence of Rose Bengal but no inactivation occurred with diethyl pyrocarbonate. The alkylation of one of five cysteine residues by iodoacetate was shown to cause complete inactivation of the enzyme. This alkylation was prevented by the presence of phosphate ion. A tryptic dipeptide containing this essential cysteine was isolated following inactivation with iodo[2-14C]acetate.
Pattern knowledge and search: the SUPREM architecture

Abstract We present a new problem solving architecture based upon extremely fast search and pattern recognition. This architecture, which we have named SUPREM, has been implemented in the chess machine/program Hitech, and has proven to be very successful. We describe the implementation in Hitech and the reasons for its success, and compare the SUPREM architecture to other well-known problem solving architectures. Certain interesting phenomena have become exposed as the result of our work with Hitech. The most important of these is that: “The further a process can look ahead, the less detailed knowledge it needs.” We have also found that patterns can be formulated for quite complex problems in relatively small pattern recognizers, by eschewing generality and concentrating on likely patterns and their redundancies.
Introduction: What we do and do not know regarding redox processes of thiols in signaling pathways.

Due to their susceptibility towards redox modification, protein thiols represent primary targets for the modulation of protein activity, conformation and oligomerization. Until fairly recently, such modifications were considered “damage” as a result of oxidative stress, before researchers recognized their physiological importance for biologic signaling. This paradigm shift, and the associated necessity to accurately characterize and quantify the various pathways of thiol redox modifications not only for specific proteins, but also within the cellular environment, has enticed researchers to take a close look at the impact of environment and molecular (protein) structure on these reactions. This Special Issue on Redox Biology of Thiols in Signaling Pathways is the result of a workshop organized at the 2013 Annual Meeting of the Society for Free Radical Biology and Medicine in San Antonio, Texas, summarizing the contributions from many of the presenters. It will provide a stimulating synopsis on what is known, and what is not known, about the reaction mechanisms which underlie the role of thiols and oxidative processes in signaling pathways.
A sense inventory for clinical abbreviations and acronyms created using clinical notes and medical dictionary resources

Objective To create a sense inventory of abbreviations and acronyms from clinical texts. Methods The most frequently occurring abbreviations and acronyms from 352 267 dictated clinical notes were used to create a clinical sense inventory. Senses of each abbreviation and acronym were manually annotated from 500 random instances and lexically matched with long forms within the Unified Medical Language System (UMLS V.2011AB), Another Database of Abbreviations in Medline (ADAM), and Stedman's Dictionary, Medical Abbreviations, Acronyms & Symbols, 4th edition ( Stedman's ). Redundant long forms were merged after they were lexically normalized using Lexical Variant Generation (LVG). Results The clinical sense inventory was found to have skewed sense distributions, practice-specific senses, and incorrect uses. Of 440 abbreviations and acronyms analyzed in this study, 949 long forms were identified in clinical notes. This set was mapped to 17 359, 5233, and 4879 long forms in UMLS, ADAM, and Stedman's , respectively. After merging long forms, only 2.3% matched across all medical resources. The UMLS, ADAM, and Stedman's covered 5.7%, 8.4%, and 11% of the merged clinical long forms, respectively. The sense inventory of clinical abbreviations and acronyms and anonymized datasets generated from this study are available for public use at (‘Sense Inventories’, website). Conclusions Clinical sense inventories of abbreviations and acronyms created using clinical notes and medical dictionary resources demonstrate challenges with term coverage and resource integration. Further work is needed to help with standardizing abbreviations and acronyms in clinical care and biomedicine to facilitate automated processes such as text-mining and information extraction.
Luteinizing hormone secretion as affected by hypophyseal stalk transection and estradiol-17β in ovariectomized gilts

The objectives were to determine hypothalamic regulation of pulsatile luteinizing hormone (LH) secretion in female pigs and the biphasic feedback actions of estradiol-17b (E2-17b). In the first study, the minimum effective dosage of E2-17b that would induce estrus in ovariectomized gilts was determined to be 20mg/kg body weight. In the second study, ovariectomized gilts were assigned randomly on day 0 to treatments: (a) hypophyseal stalk transection (HST), (b) cranial sham-operated control (SOC), and (c) unoperated control (UOC). On day 3, gilts from each group received a single i.m. injection of either E 2-17b (20mg/kg body weight) or sesame oil. Blood was collected from an indwelling jugular cannula at 15 min intervals for 3 h before (day 2) and after treatment (day 2) from HST, SOC and UOC gilts. On day 3, blood was collected at 2 h intervals for 12 h after E2-17b or sesame oil injection and at 4 h intervals thereafter for 108 h. Pulsatile LH secretion in all gilts 2 days after ovariectomy exhibited a frequency of 0:9 0:06 peaks/h, amplitude of 1:3 0:13 ng/ml, baseline of 0:8 0:07. Serum LH concentrations from SOC and UOC gilts
Census 2: isobaric labeling data analysis

Motivation: We introduce Census 2, an update of a mass spectrometry data analysis tool for peptide/protein quantification. New features for analysis of isobaric labeling, such as Tandem Mass Tag (TMT) or Isobaric Tags for Relative and Absolute Quantification (iTRAQ), have been added in this version, including a reporter ion impurity correction, a reporter ion intensity threshold filter and an option for weighted normalization to correct mixing errors. TMT/iTRAQ analysis can be performed on experiments using HCD (High Energy Collision Dissociation) only, CID (Collision Induced Dissociation)/HCD (High Energy Collision Dissociation) dual scans or HCD triple-stage mass spectrometry data. To improve measurement accuracy, we implemented weighted normalization, multiple tandem spectral approach, impurity correction and dynamic intensity threshold features. Availability and implementation: Census 2 supports multiple input file formats including MS1/MS2, DTASelect, mzXML and pepXML. It requires JAVA version 6 or later to run. Free download of Census 2 for academic users is available at http://fields.scripps.edu/census/index.php. Contact: ude.sppircs@setayj Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Molecular mechanics studies on poly(purine) poly(pyrimidine) sequences in DNA: Polymorphism and local variability

Energy minimization has been carried out on three poly(purine). poly(pyrimidine) sequences $d(G)_{10}.d(C)_{10}, d(A)_{10} . d(T)_{10} and d(AG)_{5} . d(CT)_{5} $, using the molecular mechanics program AMBER (Assisted Model Building and Energy Refinement). In order to extensively scan the conformational space avaliable, five different helical models were studied, three of them being right handed helices while the other two were left helical. For all three sequences the right handed A- and B-type helices are energetically slightly preferred over the left helices, but the energy difference between the various right-handed helices is only marginal. A detailed analysis has been carried out to characterize the local structural variability in the refined structures, both in terms of torsion angles as well as other parameters such as base pair tilt, wedge roll, and wedge tilt, etc. All three sequences exhibit similar structural features for a particular form, but both the forms A and B show significyt deviations from fiber models. In particular, the A-form structures have higher unit rise (2.7 A), and lower unit twist (31 Deg) and base-pair tilt (12 Deg), compared to the fiber model, which has corresponding values of 2.56 A, 32.7 Deg, and 20 Deg, respectively. All these changes indicate that the refined models are closer to the A-form structure observed in crystals of oligonucleotides. In the refined B-for models, the helical parameters are close to the fiber B-form, although the torsion angles show considerable variations. None of the three sequences examined, including the $d(A)_n . d(T)_n $, sequence, show any pronounced curvature for the B-form structure.
Predictions of Flow Unsteadiness' Influence on Chemical Oxygen - Iodine Laser Perfor mance

* Senior Member, AIAA. Introduction. Models for chemical lasers utilize a variety of assumptions and empirical data to provide closure and simplify solution of the governing equations. Among the assumptions that are used for chemical lasers modeling are the assumptions of flow steadiness in the time domain and geometric similarity of the spatial domain. The work discussed here is directed toward exploring the impact of these assumptions upon the predictions of a chemical laser model, and in turn determine if these predictions indicate an impact upon interpretations made by diagnostics for chemical lasers. These efforts in turn are directly linked to efforts improve understanding of the physical processes underlying chemical lasers, as excursions outside the traditional operational parameter space are increasingly necessary.
Real-time 3-D ultrasound imaging using sparse synthetic aperture beamforming

A method for real-time three-dimensional (3-D) ultrasound imaging using a mechanically scanned linear phased array is proposed. The high frame rate necessary for real-time volumetric imaging is achieved using a sparse synthetic aperture beamforming technique utilizing only a few transmit pulses for each image. Grating lobes in the two-way radiation pattern are avoided by adjusting the transmit element spacing and the receive aperture functions to account for the missing transmit elements. The signal loss associated with fewer transmit pulses is minimized by increasing the power delivered to each transmit element and by using multiple transmit elements for each transmit pulse. By mechanically rocking the array, in a way similar to what is done with an annular array, a 3-D set of images can be collected in the time normally required for a single image.
A test for the existence of solutions in ill-conditioned power systems

A complete analytical study of the invariant manifolds for the Newton-Raphson solution of the power flow equations is presented. Based on these results, a new test is developed to reduce the computational effort of finding the solutions to ill-conditioned power systems. A detailed study of some well-known test systems clearly indicates that the new method is at least 50% more efficient than the conventional Newton-Raphson method in finding a pair of close solutions in ill-conditioned power systems. >
The Feasibility of a Genetic-Algorithm-Based Ion Thruster Design Code

In order to use plasma simulation in ion thruster design, a high-speed simulation and high-efficiency optimization method must be applied. In this study, a simple macroscopic plasma-source simulation (SMPS) code coupled with a genetic algorithm (GA) was developed. SMPS is based on a description of the primary electron path and GA which involves a kind of natural (Dawinian) selection was adapted as an optimization method. Since the data obtained using this high-speed code was in good agreement with experimental data for several existing thruster, it is concluded that this simulation will be a useful ion thruster design tool.
Off-line planning for on-line object localization

MIT Artificial Intelligence Laboratory Cambridge, MA 02139 Abstract. Many robot applications require using sensors to locate objects whose initial pose is constrained but not exactly known. Most techniques for object localization as- sume that the object's pose is completely unknown. This paper describes a simple method for localizing known ob- jects in a scene. We describe how an off-line computation that exploits constraints on the object's expected pose can be used to reduce the expected time for the on-line compu- tation to localize the object. The objects treated here are modeled as polyhedra that, in principle, can have up to six degrees of positional freedom relative to the sensors. the object. An important subgoal is that both the on-line and off-line methods should be simple enough to be easily implemented. The method described here can be applied to both two- dimensional and three-dimensional sensing situations. In the two-dimensional case, objects have only three degrees of positional freedom relative to the sensor (two transia- tional and one rotational). In this case, the sensors (and their pre-processors) are assumed to compute edges, that is, line segments in the scene. In the three-dimensional case, objects have up to three translational and three rotational degrees of .freedom. In this case, the sensors (and their pre-processors) are assumed to compute planar patches in the scene. We do not deal with the general case in which only two-dimensional data is available but the object has more than three degrees of freedom. For the sake of brevity, we limit our discussion to the three-dimensional case; the specialization to two-dimensions is straightforward.
Application of reliability test standards to SiC Power MOSFETs

The application of existing reliability test standards, based on Si technology, to SiC power MOSFET reliability qualification can in some cases result in ambiguous test results. Depending on the exact measurement procedure, a given device stress tested under identical conditions may either pass or fail. The large variations observed in I D -V GS characteristics, and accompanying shift in threshold voltage (V T ) and change in leakage current, are likely due to the complex time, temperature, and bias dependent nature of the charging and discharging of significant numbers of near-interfacial oxide traps (and possibly mitigated by the movement of mobile ions) which are not present in Si power devices. The variation in V T following a high temperature gate-bias (HTGB) stress is shown to be dependent on the measurement delay time, sweep direction, and temperature. Negative gate-bias temperature stress results show that device reliability may be limited due to increased drain leakage current in the OFF-state, which is caused by large shifts in V T depending on the gate-bias stress time, bias magnitude, and stress temperature. In addition, positive gate-bias stressing at elevated temperature may increase power dissipation in the ON-state.
Mechanical Signaling and the Cellular Response to Extracellular Matrix in Angiogenesis and Cardiovascular Physiology

Great advances have been made in the identification of the soluble angiogenic factors, insoluble extracellular matrix (ECM) molecules, and receptor signaling pathways that mediate control of angiogenesis--the growth of blood capillaries. This review focuses on work that explores how endothelial cells integrate these chemical signals with mechanical cues from their local tissue microenvironment so as to produce functional capillary networks that exhibit specialized form as well as function. These studies have revealed that ECM governs whether an endothelial cell will switch between growth, differentiation, motility, or apoptosis programs in response to a soluble stimulus based on its ability to mechanically resist cell tractional forces and thereby produce cell and cytoskeletal distortion. Transmembrane integrin receptors play a key role in this mechanochemical transduction process because they both organize a cytoskeletal signaling complex within the focal adhesion and preferentially focus mechanical forces on this site. Molecular filaments within the internal cytoskeleton--microfilaments, microtubules, and intermediate filaments--also contribute to the cell's structural and functional response to mechanical stress through their role as discrete support elements within a tensegrity-stabilized cytoskeletal array. Importantly, a similar form of mechanical control also has been shown to be involved in the regulation of contractility in vascular smooth muscle cells and cardiac myocytes. Thus, the mechanism by which cells perform mechanochemical transduction and the implications of these findings for morphogenetic control are discussed in the wider context of vascular development and cardiovascular physiology.
Optical properties of fluids for 248 and 193 nm immersion photolithography

We present measured values of the refractive index, thermo-optic coefficient, and absorption coefficient of a number of common organic solvents and aqueous inorganic solutions that may have application in immersion photolithography at 248 or 193 nm wavelengths. The measurements were performed with a laser-based Hilger-Chance refractometer system whose design and operation are described. The optical properties of the sample fluids are compared with those of water, the currently favored immersion medium, and we discuss the potential for finding higher-index fluids that will be suitable for this application.
Shape comparison using perturbing shape registration

Shape registration is often involved in computing statistical differences between groups of shapes, which is a key aspect of morphometric study. The results of shape difference are found to be sensitive to registration, i.e., different registration methods lead to varied results. This raises the question of how to improve the reliability of registration procedures. This paper proposes a perturbation scheme, which perturbs registrations by feeding them with different resampled shape groups, and then aggregates the resulting shape differences. Experiments are conducted using three typical registration algorithms on both synthetic and biomedical shapes, where more reliable inter-group shape differences are found under the proposed scheme.
Modelling fusible CVD glass planarization flow contours

A comparison between experimental and simulated fusible chemical vapor deposition (CVD) glass planarization flow contours is presented. The simulated contours assume Newtonian viscous flow and a hydrostatic pressure gradient caused by the surface tension and the radius of curvature of the contour. At long flow lengths, >or=100 mu m, reasonable agreement between experiment and simulation is obtained. Assuming no change in film surface tension, the flow rate constant increase is directly related to a tenfold decrease in film viscosity at the higher flow temperature. >
Nanocomposite for low stress underfill

Underfill materials have been widely used to improve the reliability of IC packages. Recently there is an increasingly demand for low stress underfill with low CTE, low modulus and good flowablity. In this report, surface modified nanosilica and polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes (POSS) are used as potential CTE reducing fillers. The dispersion of these fillers in epoxy resin was studied by analyzing the optical properties, curing behaviors and glass transition temperature. It is found that compared with modified nanosilica, POSS is more compatible with the epoxy polymer matrix possibly due to molecular level mixing and chemical bonding.
The Conceptual Representation of Prose in Memory

During the past decade cognitive psychologists have explored how prose is represented in memory. Many of the representational theories have been influenced by theoretical advances in other areas in cognitive science. Linguistics and artificial intelligence have been particularly influential. Of course, psychological theories have specific goals that set them apart from the sister sciences.
High-efficiency, class-B, S-band power amplifier

A class-B, high-efficiency, S-band heterojunction bipolar transistor (HBT) amplifier has been developed for potential applications in phased-array radar and mobile communication systems. The amplifier achieves an output power level of 1.1 W with an associated power-added efficiency of 61% and 12.3-dB power gain at 3.0 GHz (10% bandwidth). The amplifier is turned on with the input RF signal and dissipates no DC power when idle even though it is biased at all times. This feature, which is characteristic of true class-B operation, is a significant requirement for high-efficiency T/R module and portable radio systems. >
Tidal-induced net transport effects on the oxygen distribution in the thermosphere

Through a series of numerical experiments performed with the National Center for Atmospheric Research Thermosphere-Ionosphere-Mesosphere-Electrodynamics General Circulation Model, we evaluate a new mechanism by which the dissipation of vertically propagating tides acts to change the O distribution in the thermosphere. Jones et al. (2014) proposed that the tides induced a net transport of constituents themselves, in addition to the transport provided by the mean circulation induced by the dissipation of tides. Through diagnosis of the continuity equation for (O), our results show that the net meridional and vertical transport of O induced by the tides appreciably contributes to (O) changes in the lower thermosphere. Combined with recombination, these transport mechanisms drive a net reduction in (O) of ∼25% that is transmitted to higher altitudes by molecular diffusion. The migrating diurnal tide appears to be the main driver of the (O) variations during September.
Patient Decision Making for Asymptomatic Renal Calculi: Balancing Benefit and Risk

Objective To evaluate which variables affect patients' decisions on the management of asymptomatic renal calculi. Materials and Methods We hypothesized that patients who had experienced greater pain, passed larger or more stones, or passed stones more recently would be more likely to choose surgical intervention (ureteroscopy [URS] or shock wave lithotripsy [ESWL]) instead of observation (OBS). The survey was distributed to 101 patients in our stone clinic. The patients were given a hypothetical scenario of an asymptomatic 8-mm lower pole stone and descriptions for OBS (annual radiography, 40% chance of growth >10 mm within 4 years, 20% chance of passage), ESWL (65% success rate), and URS (90% success rate, with stent placement for 1 week). The patients were also asked whether they would rather defer the decision to their physician. Results Of the patients, 22.8% chose OBS, 29.7% chose URS, and 47.5% chose ESWL. The patients who had passed larger stones ( P = .029) were less likely to choose OBS over surgery. Of the 78 patients who chose intervention, 61.5% preferred ESWL. The patients were more likely to choose URS if they had previously undergone URS ( P = .0064) and stent placement ( P = .048), and the patients were more likely to choose ESWL if they had a previously undergone ESWL ( P = .019). Surgical choice was not affect by size of the largest stone passed ( P = .46), date of last passage ( P = .080), previous pain intensity ( P = .11), previous percutaneous nephrolithotomy ( P = .73), or number of stones passed ( P = .51). Finally, 56.4% of patients deferred the decision of the treatment approach to the physician. Conclusion Previous stone experience and treatment significantly affected treatment choice. Patients rely on their physician to educate them on the alternatives and play an active role in selecting the treatment approach.
Denosumab in Osteoporosis and Oncology

Objective:To review the pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, safety, efficacy, and use of denosumab in osteoporosis, breast cancer, prostate cancer, and multiple myeloma.Data Sources:Studies and abstracts were identified through MEDLINE and International Pharmaceutical Abstracts (1966–July 2009). Key search terms include denosumab, AMG-162, and receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand system. Information available in abstract form was retrieved from major oncology and bone metabolism meetings. Additional data were obtained from the manufacturer.Study Selection and Data Extraction:All available studies in humans were included except for studies in rheumatoid arthritis and giant cell tumor of the bone.Data Synthesis:In patients with osteoporosis, denosumab significantly reduces bone resorption and fractures. Studies of denosumab in the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis have demonstrated significantly increased bone mineral density and reduced bone turnover markers. Studies of denos...
Feasibility of optimizing the dose distribution in lung tumors using fluorine-18-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography and single photon emission computed tomography guided dose prescriptions.

The information provided by functional images may be used to guide radiotherapy planning by identifying regions that require higher radiationdose. In this work we investigate the dosimetric feasibility of delivering dose to lungtumors in proportion to the fluorine-18-fluorodeoxyglucose activity distribution from positron emission tomography (FDG–PET). The rationale for delivering dose in proportion to the tumor FDG–PET activity distribution is based on studies showing that FDG uptake is correlated to tumorcell proliferation rate, which is shown to imply that this dose delivery strategy is theoretically capable of providing the same duration of local control at all voxels in tumor. Target dose delivery was constrained by single photon emission computed tomography(SPECT) maps of normal lung perfusion, which restricted irradiation of highly perfused lung and imposed dose-function constraints. Dose-volume constraints were imposed on all other critical structures. All dose-volume/function constraints were considered to be soft, i.e., critical structure doses corresponding to volume/function constraint levels were minimized while satisfying the target prescription, thus permitting critical structure doses to minimally exceed dose constraint levels. An intensity modulation optimization methodology was developed to deliver this radiation, and applied to two lungcancer patients. Dosimetric feasibility was assessed by comparing spatially normalized dose-volume histograms from the nonuniform dose prescription (FDG–PET proportional) to those from a uniform dose prescription with equivalent tumor integral dose. In both patients, the optimization was capable of delivering the nonuniform target prescription with the same ease as the uniform target prescription, despite SPECT restrictions that effectively diverted dose from high to low perfused normal lung. In one patient, both prescriptions incurred similar critical structure dosages, below dose-volume/function limits. However, in the other patient, critical structure dosage from the nonuniform dose prescription exceeded dose-volume/function limits, and greatly exceeded that from the uniform dose prescription. Strict compliance to dose-volume/function limits would entail reducing dose proportionality to the FDG–PET activity distribution, thereby theoretically reducing the duration of local control. Thus, even though it appears feasible to tailor lungtumordose to the FDG–PET activity distribution, despite SPECT restrictions, strict adherence to dose-volume/function limits could compromise the effectiveness of functional image guided radiotherapy.
Corporate Liquidity And The Significance Of Earnings Versus Cash Flow: An Examination Of Industry Effects

Prior studies in this journal tested relationships between measures of cash flow, accrual income, and both static and dynamic liquidity. The analysis is extended in this paper to test for industry effects where the relationships are not constant across industry groupings, making it difficult to generalize the findings from a larger sample of firms. The finding in other studies that accrual income has no incremental explanatory power for changes in the cash conversion cycle measure of liquidity can be generalized across industry groupings. But, prior studies find that working capital from operations and cash flow from operations have incremental explanatory power for liquidity measures while we show that this relationship is industry-specific and cannot be generalized across all firms. Also, we find that the incremental explanatory power of accrual income for changes in measures of static liquidity, such as current and quick ratios, is found almost exclusively in the manufacturing industry. Industry effects found in this study suggest the need for more caution in generalizing relationships between accrual income, cash flow, and liquidity measures.
Skeletal adaptations and phylogeny of the oldest mole Eotalpa (Talpidae, Lipotyphla, Mammalia) from the UK Eocene: the beginning of fossoriality in moles

The oldest talpid, Eotalpa, was previously known only from isolated cheek teeth from the European late Middle Eocene to earliest Oligocene. Screenwashing of Late Eocene sediments of the Hampshire Basin, UK, has yielded cranial and postcranial elements: maxilla, dentary, ulna, metacarpals, distal tibia, astragalus, calcaneum, metatarsals and phalanges. In addition to M1–2 myotodonty, typical talpid features are as follows: ulna with long medially curved olecranon and deep abductor fossa and astragalar body with lateral process. However, Eotalpa retains certain soricid-like primitive states (M1 preparacrista, P4 with prominent mesiolingual protocone lobe, strongly angled astragalar neck and calcaneum with no space for a cuboid medial process) not found in modern talpids. Eotalpa is more derived than the most primitive living talpid Uropsilus in having lost the M1–2 talon shelf, developed a convex radial facet on the ulna, an incipient proximal olecranon crest, relatively shorter metapodials and depressed manual unguals. Its astragalus with medial trochlear ridge taller than the lateral one and massive medial plantar process is typical of the Lipotyphla. Eotalpa lacks synostosis of tibia and fibula, found in other Talpidae, Soricidae and Erinaceidae, suggesting that synostosis in these groups has been independently acquired. Cladistic analysis places Eotalpa as stem member of the Talpidae and shows that much homoplasy arose during the early evolution of the family. Ground dwelling in Eotalpa is indicated by the following: astragalus with a medially dipping head, curved in a single plane; calcaneum with distal peroneal process and strongly overlapping ectal and sustentacular facets; and matching sized ectal and sustentacular facets on calcaneum and astragalus. These features would have restricted ankle mobility. Ungual and metatarsal shape and ulnar structure suggest a primitive stage in fossorial evolution and argue against a semiaquatic precursor stage in talpid fossoriality. Shrew-moles may represent a reversal to surface foraging rather than an intermediate stage in fossoriality.
A Numerical Simulation of Cyclic Mesocyclogenesis

Abstract A three-dimensional nonhydrostatic numerical model, the Advanced Regional Prediction System, is used to study the process of cyclic mesocyclogenesis in a classic supercell thunderstorm. During the 4-h simulation, the storm’s mesocyclone undergoes two distinct occlusions, with the beginning of a third indicated at the end of the simulation. The occlusion process exhibits a period of approximately 60 min and is qualitatively similar in each case. Initial midlevel (3–7 km) mesocyclogenesis proceeds according to the “classic” picture, that is, via tilting of streamwise environmental vorticity. The development of an evaporatively driven rear-flank downdraft (RFD) signals the beginning of the occlusion process. The developing RFD wraps cyclonically around the mesocyclone, causing the gust front to surge outward. Simultaneously, the occluding mesocyclone rapidly intensifies near the surface. Trajectory analyses demonstrate that this intensification follows from the tilting and stretching of near-ground ...
Food TNCs, Intellectual Property Investments and Post-Fordist Food Consumption:The Case of Unilever and Nestlé in Turkey

This article is an attempt to analyze the growing predominance and changing investment strategies of food TNCs (transnational corporations) in the context of a peripheral country, Turkey. My general argument is two-folded. On the one hand, I will demonstrate that exploiting intellectual property (intangible assets) by investing in foreign markets has become an important component of the expansion strategies of food TNCs in the past several decades. On the other hand, I will suggest that this process is closely related to changes in food consumption patterns. In other words, my intention is to show that with the growing segmentation of food consumption markets, intellectual property investments have gained even more significance in the production and marketing decisions of food TNCs, especially in the processed food sector. For this purpose, I will first provide a brief review of the literature on the restructuring of the world agro-food industry after the 1970s and the role of TNCs in this process. Secondly, I will highlight the importance of intellectual property investments and changes in food consumption patterns in this period. I will then briefly summarize the transformation of the Turkish agro-food sector since the 1980s. In the last section, I will concentrate on the activities of two major food TNCs in Turkey, namely Unilever and Nestle, and describe how their investment and marketing strategies have changed and responded to transformations in the consumption sphere. Analyses of the current restructuring of the world agro-food industry are heavily dominated by a core-centric approach. My contention is that for the most part these analyses neglect changes in the investment and marketing strategies of food TNCs in the periphery. This is partly because the growth of trade and foreign direct investment and financial integration, have been concentrated within the global triad of North America, Western Europe and East Asia since the 1980s. Therefore sociological accounts of the globalization of agro-food markets usually focus on these regions and ignore what takes place in other parts of the world. I believe that research on food TNCs would benefit from studies dealing with peripheral countries.
Control of Synaptic Connectivity by a Network of Drosophila IgSF Cell Surface Proteins

We have defined a network of interacting Drosophila cell surface proteins in which a 21-member IgSF subfamily, the Dprs, binds to a nine-member subfamily, the DIPs. The structural basis of the Dpr-DIP interaction code appears to be dictated by shape complementarity within the Dpr-DIP binding interface. Each of the six dpr and DIP genes examined here is expressed by a unique subset of larval and pupal neurons. In the neuromuscular system, interactions between Dpr11 and DIP-γ affect presynaptic terminal development, trophic factor responses, and neurotransmission. In the visual system, dpr11 is selectively expressed by R7 photoreceptors that use Rh4 opsin (yR7s). Their primary synaptic targets, Dm8 amacrine neurons, express DIP-γ. In dpr11 or DIP-γ mutants, yR7 terminals extend beyond their normal termination zones in layer M6 of the medulla. DIP-γ is also required for Dm8 survival or differentiation. Our findings suggest that Dpr-DIP interactions are important determinants of synaptic connectivity.
The Largest Pyramid Scheme of All Time: The Effect of Allowing Unregulated Credit Default Swaps

This research develops an analytical model of the incentives created by allowing credit default swaps to be contracted with virtually no regulation. The incredible growth in the volume of those financial contracts since they were deregulated in 2000, as well as the credit bubble and subsequent financial crisis that developed as a result, becomes clear within that explanatory framework.
N-Docosahexaenoylethanolamine ameliorates ethanol-induced impairment of neural stem cell neurogenic differentiation

Previous studies demonstrated that prenatal exposure to ethanol interferes with embryonic and fetal development, and causes abnormal neurodevelopment. Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), an omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid highly enriched in the brain, was shown to be essential for proper brain development and function. Recently, we found that N-docosahexenoyethanolamine (synaptamide), an endogenous metabolite of DHA, is a potent PKA-dependent neurogenic factor for neural stem cell (NSC) differentiation. In this study, we demonstrate that ethanol at pharmacologically relevant concentrations downregulates cAMP signaling in NSC and impairs neurogenic differentiation. In contrast, synaptamide reverses ethanol-impaired NSC neurogenic differentiation through counter-acting on the cAMP production system. NSC exposure to ethanol (25-50 mM) for 4 days dose-dependently decreased the number of Tuj-1 positive neurons and PKA/CREB phosphorylation with a concomitant reduction of cellular cAMP. Ethanol-induced cAMP reduction was accompanied by the inhibition of G-protein activation and expression of adenylyl cyclase (AC) 7 and AC8, as well as PDE4 upregulation. In contrast to ethanol, synaptamide increased cAMP production, GTPγS binding, and expression of AC7 and AC8 isoforms in a cAMP-dependent manner, offsetting the ethanol-induced impairment in neurogenic differentiation. These results indicate that synaptamide can reduce ethanol-induced impairment of neuronal differentiation by counter-affecting shared targets in G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR)/cAMP signaling. The synaptamide-mediated mechanism observed in this study may offer a possible avenue for ameliorating the adverse impact of fetal alcohol exposure on neurodevelopment.
Enhancement of computer science introductory courses with Mentored Pair Programming

In this paper, a new instructional strategy to enhance computer science introductory courses, called Mentored Pair Programming, or MPP in short, is proposed. The pair programming and peer-led team learning approaches have demonstrated their effectiveness in many campuses. However, in some other campuses with a majority of underrepresented and full-time working students such as our campus, both pair programming approach and peer-led team learning approach may not work well each individually because students either lack motivation in the labs or don't have extra time after class. MPP attempts to incorporate both pair programming and peer-led team learning approaches into closed laboratories. The background of MPP is discussed, the goal and objectives of MPP are presented, the MPP structure is proposed, and the process in implementing MPP is developed.
2012 Joseph Trachtman Memorial Lecture

In late 2011, the American Law Institute published the third and final volume of the Restatement (Third) of Property: Wills and Other Donative Transfers. In March 2012, the Restatement’s Reporter, Lawrence Waggoner, and its Associate Reporter, John Langbein, presented the Joseph Trachtman Memorial Lecture at the annual meeting of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel in Miami Beach. In separate but coordinated talks, Professors Waggoner and Langbein discussed some of the main themes of the new Restatement and of related Uniform Law Commission initiatives. Both articles are posted here, back to back. Both articles are presented under the broad theme of “Restating and Renewing the Law of Donative Transfers.”
Firm Characteristics and International Sales in U.S. High Technology Companies

The relationship between firm characteristics and international sales in high technology companies is investigated. Whereas previous research examines the impact of firm characteristics on the propensity to export or propensity to engage in international business, no research to date examines the relationship between firm characteristics and the level of international sales. Using data from 16,916 U.S. high technology companies with international sales, significant differences in the level of international sales are identified based on type of ownership, number of employees and years in business.