cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
PACS software testing

A PACS in clinical use must provide a high degree of reliability in terms of uptime and data integrity. For a number of reasons, this is difficult to achieve. There may exist, on a PACS network, a multitude of imaging and display sub-systems each with its own interface peculiarities and requirements. Because a PACS is usually a multi-vendor system, the interface problems are complex. Furthermore, once a PACS is in clinical use, the nature of the process level interactions are complicated and random. To improve overall system reliability requires not only rigorous component testing but also a complete system evaluation. A testing methodology for the evaluation of a multi-vendor PACS is being developed at our institution. Key features of this methodology include the design of component and system stress tests, and system boundary tests that stimulate the depletion of critical resources. Preliminary results from running such tests at the University of Pennsylvania Medical Center are presented.© (1992) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
An online framework for publishing privacy-sensitive location traces

This paper studies the problem of protecting individual privacy when continuously publishing a stream of location trace data collected from a population of users. Fundamentally, this leads to the new challenge of anonymizing data that evolves in predictable ways over time. Our main technical contribution is a novel formal framework for reasoning about privacy in this setting. We articulate a new privacy principle called temporal unlinkability. Then, by incorporating a probabilistic model of data change (in this case, user motion), we are able to quantify the risk of privacy violations. Within this framework, we develop an initial set of algorithms for continuous privacy-preserving publishing. Finally, our experiments demonstrate the shortcomings of previous publishing techniques that do not account for inference based on predictable data change, and they demonstrate the feasibility of the new approach.
Therapeutic efficacy of superactive charcoal in rats exposed to oral lethal doses of T-2 toxin.

Superactive charcoal, a compound known to complex with many toxins, was evaluated in this study for its effectiveness in preventing death in rats given an oral lethal dose of 8 mg/kg body weight of T-2 toxin. The median effective dose of oral superactive charcoal in preventing deaths in rats was 0.175 g/kg body weight. Concurrent use of cathartics, such as sorbitol, magnesium sulfate and sodium sulfate, to facilitate removal of the superactive charcoal: T-2 toxin complex formed in vivo did not enhance the survival rates of rats. One gram per kilogram body weight oral superactive charcoal enhanced survival times and survival rates in rats given 8 mg/kg of T-2 toxin as late as 3 hr after the T-2 toxin was administered. Some benefit in survival rate may be derived from giving the superactive charcoal as late as 5 hr after the T-2 toxin.
Gas phase analytical separation techniques applicable to problems in clinical chemistry

Abstract Two problems dealing with gas phase separation techniques have been studied. The preparation of derivatives for the analysis of human urinary steroids was investigated from the point of view that all hydroxyl groups should be converted to trimethylsuyl ether (TMSi) groups, and that all reactive ketone groups should also be derivatized. A method based upon the conversion of reactive ketone groups to benzyloxime (BO) groups was developed, and combined with a procedure which converts all hydroxyl groups to TMSi derivatives; when applied to human urinary steroids a mixture of TMSi and BO-TMSi derivatives are obtained. Metabolic profile separations were accomplished with a 1% Dexsil column. An experimental gas Chromatograph has been constructed for the purpose of studying methods for the transfer of samples in the gas phase from a low resolution, high capacity column to a higher resolution, low capacity analytical column. The function of the first column is to remove solvents and reagents and to provide an analytical sample is then transferred to an analytical column.
A survey analysis program for small computers

This program (GARYI.BA) was designed for use on all types of surveys requiring tabulation of raw data. The basic function of the program is to count the occurrences of specific pieces of information contained within the records of the data, where each record represents one questionnaire, one patient, etc. For example, suppose one wished to determine the frequency of occurrence of pathology with respect to sex. By inputting needed information, the program prints in a cross-tabulation the number of females with pathology A, the number of females with pathology B, etc., and the number of males with pathology A, the number of males with pathology B, etc. The program allows for up to two selections to eliminate certain records from the count. (In the above example, one may wish to tabulate pathology by sex for only those individuals over 65 years of age.) The program also allows for grouping some of the data, for example, age of the individuals, say, 0-19 years as Group I, 20-39 years as Group 2, etc. Besides a record count, the program can output percentages of the counts, including percentages across, down, and of the grand total count. Sample runs are included in this paper to demonstrate the use of the program. The Data. All data are created on one file and stored on tape prior to running the program. The data consist of a series of records where each patient questionnaire represents one record. Each record contains a fixed number of fields, where each field represents one piece of information about that individual (e.g., age, sex, etc.). Each field can be encoded using any letters or numbers. No more than four characters are allowed in anyone field. The data may be in one of two forms: One uses a delimiter; the other form does not. With a delimiter, each field is separated by a unique character (e.g., a comma or a space) and up to three lines of data per record are allowed. When no delimiter is used, the data is in one continuous line and only one line per record is allowed. Since there is no separation between fields, the first run of the program requires that the end of each field be specified. (The procedure is explained later under Field Specification File.) The maximum number of fields allowed per record is limited by the number of lines of data per record (i.e., one or three, depending on the form of the data)
The associated maximization problem for separable games

Two-person zero-sum games with separable payoff functions are examined using the geometric concept of dual cones. It is shown that the value of such games may be found by solving an associated maximization problem. Some numerical implications, particularly the application of linear programming to finding approximate solutions, are discussed. With the value known, optimal mixed strategies may, in principle, be readily determined.
The Learning of Verbal Strings as a Function of Connective Form Class.

Abstract The form class of a context connective (conjunction vs. verb) has previously been shown to affect the learning of constituent paired nouns. The present experiment was designed to determine whether or not connective form class exerts a similar effect on the learning of entire grammatical strings. Eight conjunction or eight verb strings were presented for a total of three trials to 96 fifth- and sixth-grade children assigned to one or another of four different task conditions. Verb strings produced more efficient learning whether the task was to learn response nouns, strings with stimulus nouns as cues, or entire strings without stimulus cues.
A study of mixture models for collaborative filtering

Collaborative filtering is a general technique for exploiting the preference patterns of a group of users to predict the utility of items for a particular user. Three different components need to be modeled in a collaborative filtering problem: users, items, and ratings. Previous research on applying probabilistic models to collaborative filtering has shown promising results. However, there is a lack of systematic studies of different ways to model each of the three components and their interactions. In this paper, we conduct a broad and systematic study on different mixture models for collaborative filtering. We discuss general issues related to using a mixture model for collaborative filtering, and propose three properties that a graphical model is expected to satisfy. Using these properties, we thoroughly examine five different mixture models, including Bayesian Clustering (BC), Aspect Model (AM), Flexible Mixture Model (FMM), Joint Mixture Model (JMM), and the Decoupled Model (DM). We compare these models both analytically and experimentally. Experiments over two datasets of movie ratings under different configurations show that in general, whether a model satisfies the proposed properties tends to be correlated with its performance. In particular, the Decoupled Model, which satisfies all the three desired properties, outperforms the other mixture models as well as many other existing approaches for collaborative filtering. Our study shows that graphical models are powerful tools for modeling collaborative filtering, but careful design is necessary to achieve good performance.
On the Rich Getting Richer and the Poor Getting Poorer

This paper evaluates the validity of the thesis of 'the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer' (RGR) and finds it wanting. Its implication of increasing polarization of income and wealth distribution is not borne out by observation. There is too much mobility across income strata to be consistent with RGR. The idea of RGR rests on a faulty understanding of the way the market economy works. The fault lies in taking a static view of a dynamic economy and ignoring the dynamo, viz., entrepreneurship. The essence of entrepreneurship is not the ownership of currently valued assets but the discovery of opportunities. Copyright 1999 by WWZ and Helbing & Lichtenhahn Verlag AG
Spectroscopic decay-rate measurements below the laser linewidth

When two levels can be strongly coupled by a pulsed laser, it is possible to measure the decay rate from the upper state by applying sufficient laser power to depletion broaden the transition. The depletion broadening is proportional to the square root of the decay rate times the total energy density of the laser pulse. With sufficient laser power, this technique can be used even if the decay rate is smaller than inhomogeneous broadenings or the laser linewidth. The technique is used here to measure autoionizing rates of some 6P1/2ns states.
Model development of supersonic trough wind with shocks

The time dependent one dimensional hydrodynamic equations describe the evolution of the thermal plasma flow along closed magnetic field lines outside of the plasmasphere. The convection of the supersonic polar wind onto a closed fieldline results in the assumed formation of collisionless plasma shocks. These shocks move earthward as the field line with its frozen-in plasma remains fixed or contracts with time to smaller L coordinates. The high equatorial plasma temperature (of the order of electron volts) produced by the shock process decreases with time if the flow is isothermal but it will increase if the contraction is under adiabatic conditions. Assuming adiabaticity a peak in the temperature forms at the equator in conjunction with a depression in the ion density. After an initial contraction, if the flux tube drifts to higher L coordinates the direction of the shock motion can be reversed so that the supersonic region will expand along the field line towards the state characterizing the supersonic polar wind. A rapid expansion will lower the equatorial density while the temperature decreases with time under adiabatic but not isothermal conditions.
In vitro and in vivo depolarization coupled efflux of ascorbic acid in rat brain preparations.

The depolarization-coupled efflux of endogenous ascorbate is demonstrated using rat synaptosome preparations and a rat cortical cup method. Ascorbate and catecholamines (monitored as a methodological control) were quantitated by high pressure liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection. In vitro potassium ion induces ascorbate efflux in a concentration-dependent, although calcium ion-independent, manner. Veratridine also induces ascorbate efflux and its effect can be blocked by tetrodotoxin. In vivo, ascorbate efflux was likewise stimulated by increased potassium ion and by veratridine. In addition, electrical stimulation of medial lemniscus was accompanied by an increased efflux of ascorbate from somatosensory cortex. These results are intriguing in light of the recent evidence for the interaction of ascorbate with several neurotransmitter systems.
Adipose stem cell-based soft tissue regeneration

Introduction: Since their isolation and characterization nearly a decade ago, adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) have become one of the most popular adult stem cell populations for research in soft tissue engineering and regenerative medicine applications. Compared with other stem cell sources, ASCs offer several advantages including an abundant autologous source, minor invasive harvesting (liposuction), significant proliferative capacity in culture and multi-lineage potential. Numerous preclinical studies have been pursued, with early clinical data appearing in the literature. Areas covered: Autologous fat grafting has gained tremendous momentum in clinical practice over the past several years due to its potential applications in trauma and reconstructive surgery. This review focuses on the published clinical and pre-clinical (i.e., animal) data to date using ASCs for soft tissue reconstruction, with particular attention to experimental models and methodologies. Future directions for rendering soft tissue...
A value-added approach for automated guided vehicle task assignment

Abstract Efficient material flow is essential in achieving high productivity levels. Design and control of the material handling system directly affect the efficiency of the material flow. In the case of automated guided vehicle (AGV) systems, this translates to guidepath design, AGV dispatching, scheduling, and routing. The focus of this paper is on vehicle dispatching, or vehicle task assignment, which is defined as the selection of the next load for pickup and delivery. The algorithm developed in this research is inherently a demand-driven strategy (that is, pull), which further prioritizes the loads requiring an AGV according to the value added to them as they go through the manufacturing processes. Benchmarking for several performance factors, such as throughput and flow time, through simulation experiments shows this algorithm to outperform some of the best dispatching rules reported in the literature.
Estuarine foraminifera record Holocene stratigraphic changes and Holocene climate changes in ENSO and the North American monsoon: Baffin Bay, Texas

Abstract During the last Quaternary sea level fall (120– ka), Baffin Bay was formed by the down-cutting of the Los Olmos, San Fernando, and Petronila Creeks of south Texas. When sea level rose, this incised valley was then filled with mixed siliciclastic/carbonate sediments that record coastal environmental change over the past 10 ky. Previous sedimentological and seismic analysis shows that Baffin Bay contains atypical depositional environments as a result of its semi-arid climate setting and isolation from the Gulf of Mexico. Three prominent stratigraphic surfaces can be recognized within the bay deposits, and are chronostratigraphically constrained using radiocarbon dates. The purpose of the present study is to use foraminifera to create a separate account of change and to determine if foraminiferal data corroborate sedimentological evidence for sea level and climate fluctuations. Foraminifera were sampled at 20 cm intervals from a 14.4 m dated core and from surface and subsurface sediments of five cores along a dip transect. Multiple discriminate analysis was used to compare sections of the core by species proportions, and clearly delineates three different foraminiferal communities: deltaic, open-bay, and hypersaline. Breaks between these communities coincide with two of the surfaces observed in the core, one at about 8.0 ky and the other around 5.5 ky. Rapid sea level rise at the 8.0 ky flooding surface corresponds with a shift from a deltaic to an open-bay foraminiferal assemblage, while faunal change across the 5.5 ky surface is due to the formation of a large barrier island (Padre Island) and the onset of more arid climate conditions. Prior to the isolation of Baffin Bay at 5.5 ky, foraminiferal assemblages do not correspond to climate change records, perhaps because open circulation with the Gulf of Mexico tempered regional climate effects on bay salinity. After 5.5 ky, changes in foraminiferal assemblages correspond to independently derived records of the El Nino-Southern Oscillation and North American monsoon. Foraminiferal analysis supports sedimentological interpretations in that assemblages and sediments track climate change.
Mono- and polynuclear Cu(II) coordination compounds that contain diazine ligands

Abstract Cu(OTf)2(2-mepyz)2(H2O)2 (2-mepyz = 2-methylpyrazine; OTf− = CF 3 SO 3 - = triflate), 1, and Cu(OTf)2(H2O)2(pyz) (pyz = pyrazine), 2, consist of monomeric and polymeric structures, respectively. Both compounds contain octahedral Cu(II) metal centers surrounded by trans-coordinated OTf−, H2O, and diazines, either 2-mepyz in the case of 1 or pyz in 2. In 1, O–H⋯O(triflate) hydrogen bonds link CuO4N2 monomers into quasi-1D chains which are joined via O–H⋯N interactions to afford a three-dimensional (3D) network. Pyz ligands in 2 link CuO4N2 octahedra into linear chains similar to Cu(NO3)2(pyz). Magnetically, neither 1 or 2 show indications for long-range magnetic ordering (LRO) above 2 K. Least-squares fits of the magnetic susceptibility data, χ(T), to a Bonner–Fisher uniform chain model gave 2J/kB = −0.005(1) and −6.0(1) K for compounds 1 and 2, respectively, indicative of negligible and moderate antiferromagnetic coupling between spin-1/2 Cu(II) ions. Inter-chain magnetic interactions seem to be negligible for both systems.
Wavelet transforms in a JPEG-like image coder

Abstract The discrete wavelet transform is incorporated into the JPEG baseline coder for image coding. The discrete cosinetransform is replaced by an association of two-channel filter banks connected hierarchically. The scanning andquantization schemes are devised and the entropy coder used is exactly the same as used in JPEG. The result isa still image coder that outperforms JPEG while retaining its simplicity and most of its existing building blocks.Objective results and reconstructed images are presented.Keywords: image coding, wavelet transform, JPEG. 1 Introduction The discrete cosine transform (DCT) [1] plays a major role in the popular image data compressors and DCT basedalgorithms are widely available nowadays. In still image compression, the JPEG baseline coder (JPEG) [2] is a "defacto" standard and there are several chips and programs available to perform JPEG compression and decompression.JPEG is based on the DCT, because of the DCT's fast implementation algorithm allied with good performance.
A Survey of Current Professional Concepts and Opinions about the Myofascial Pain-Dysfunction (MPD) Syndrome

Opinions were solicited on the existence of a temporomandibular joint pain-dysfunction syndrome and its etiologic factors, sequelae, and therapy in this survey of six groups of physicians and dentists. In general, the responses to this survey revealed widespread differences of opinion among both physicians and dentists on nearly every aspect of this syndrome. Also, it was found that many professionals still adhere to obsolete concepts of etiology and, therefore, use inappropriate therapies in treating MPD problems.
Abstract 620: Defects of homologous recombination repair in breast cancer: Identification of a novel RAD51-associated protein complex.

Proceedings: AACR 104th Annual Meeting 2013; Apr 6-10, 2013; Washington, DC Cells are continuously challenged by genotoxic agents from endogenous and exogenous sources. Severe DNA lesions, including DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs), have to be appropriately repaired for cell survival. Homologous recombination (HR) is particularly important for the repair of DSBs due to its ability to accurately restore genetic information. “Cancer is a disease of DNA repair”. The breast cancer susceptibility genes BRCA1 and BRCA2 encode DNA repair factors acting in the specific HR repair pathway. Germline mutations in many HR components, including BRCA1, BRCA2 and PALB2, are associated with cancers including breast cancer. Therefore, it is urgent to understand how HR repair is regulated in normal cells and how human cancers are defective in HR mediated repair. The RAD51 recombinase plays a central role in HR. To further study HR process, we performed tandem affinity purification of RAD51. Here, we report the identification of a new RAD51-binding protein FIGNL1 (fidgetin-like 1). Our experiments showed that FIGNL1 specifically interacts with RAD51 via its conserved RAD51-binding domain. Cells depleted of FIGNL1 show defective HR repair and hypersensitivity to Camptothecin and ionizing radiation, common regimens for cancer treatment. However, FIGNL1 is recruited to sites of DNA damage in a manner that is independent of BRCA2, RAD51 and RAD51 paralogs. Conversely, FIGNL1 depletion does not affect the loading of RAD51 onto single-strand DNA. Our experiments also uncovered KIAA0146 as a binding partner of FIGNL1 and established that KIAA0146 acts together with FIGNL1 in HR repair. More interestingly, our further study revealed that FIGNL1 and KIAA0146 protein level is dramatically reduced in some breast cancer cell lines. Altogether, our study reveals a sub-pathway of HR repair with newly identified components FIGNL1 and KIAA0146 and suggests their possible defects in breast cancer, therefore provides new potential directions for cancer diagnosis and therapy. Citation Format: Jingsong Yuan, Junjie Chen. Defects of homologous recombination repair in breast cancer: Identification of a novel RAD51-associated protein complex. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 620. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-620
Identification of headspace volatile compounds from 'Bing'sweet cherry fruit

Abstract Volatile compounds were collected via headspace sampling from commercially mature 'Bing' sweet cherry fruit. Twenty-eight compounds of several chemical classes were identified including aldehydes, alcohols and esters. Of the compounds identified, 2-propanol had the largest concentration followed by ethanol and octanal. Benzaldehyde and hexanal, compounds having high aroma values for sour cherries, were also present in commercially ripe sweet cherries.
Dual roles of tropomyosin as an F‐actin stabilizer and a regulator of muscle contraction in Caenorhabditis elegans body wall muscle

Tropomyosin is a well-characterized regulator of muscle contraction. It also stabilizes actin filaments in a variety of muscle and non-muscle cells. Although these two functions of tropomyosin could have different impacts on actin cytoskeletal organization, their functional relationship has not been studied in the same experimental system. Here, we investigated how tropomyosin stabilizes actin filaments and how this function is influenced by muscle contraction in Caenorhabditis elegans body wall muscle. We confirmed the antagonistic role of tropomyosin against UNC-60B, a muscle-specific ADF/cofilin isoform, in actin filament organization using multiple UNC-60B mutant alleles. Tropomyosin was also antagonistic to UNC-78 (AIP1) in vivo and protected actin filaments from disassembly by UNC-60B and UNC-78 in vitro, suggesting that tropomyosin protects actin filaments from the ADF/cofilin-AIP1 actin disassembly system in muscle cells. A mutation in the myosin heavy chain caused greater reduction in contractility than tropomyosin depletion. However, the myosin mutation showed much weaker suppression of the phenotypes of ADF/cofilin or AIP1 mutants than tropomyosin depletion. These results suggest that muscle contraction has only minor influence on the tropomyosin's protective role against ADF/cofilin and AIP1, and that the two functions of tropomyosin in actin stability and muscle contraction are independent of each other. Cell Motil. Cytoskeleton 2006. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Evidence for the disruption of the bone marrow microenvironment by combined exposures to inhaled benzene and ingested ethanol.

Studies have been performed to investigate the effects of combined in vivo exposures to inhaled benzene and ingested ethanol on the earliest known murine erythropoietic precursor cells, the Burst Forming Unit — Erythroid (BFU-E) and the Colony Forming Unit — Erythroid (CFU-E). Previously we had determined that murine erythropoietic cell populations were particularly susceptible to combined benzene + ethanol treatments. The most striking example of erythropoietic disruption was the transient appearance of large numbers of nucleated red cells (normoblasts) in the circulating blood. In the present studies, male C57B1/6 mice were exposed to 300 ppm benzene via inhalation for 6 h/d×5 d/wk×9 wks. Groups of mice were also exposed to 5% ethanol in the drinking water 4 d/wk×9 wks. Appropriate controls were also maintained. The hematological assays were performed after 1, 4, and 9 weeks of exposure. After 4 weeks of exposure large numbers of normoblasts appeared in the circulating blood of mice exposed to benzene + ethanol. However, there were no corresponding increases in the numbers of the earliest erythroid progenitor cells in the bone marrow. There were, however, marked increases in the numbers of these cells in the spleen. Previous work in this laboratory had confirmed that the marrow was the source of circulating normoblasts among animals exposed to benzene + ethanol. We conclude, therefore, that circulating normoblasts appear in the peripheral blood because of changes in the bone marrow microenvironment rather than as a consequence of increased erythropoietic proliferation in the marrow.
Brain expression and song regulation of the cholecystokinin gene in the zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata).

The gene encoding cholecystokinin (Cck) is abundantly expressed in the mammalian brain and has been associated with such functions as feeding termination and satiety, locomotion and self-stimulation, the modulation of anxiety-like behaviors, and learning and memory. Here we describe the brain expression and song regulation of Cck in the brain of the adult male zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata), a songbird species. Using in situ hybridization we demonstrate that Cck is highly expressed in several discrete brain regions, most prominently the caudalmost portion of the hippocampal formation, the caudodorsal nidopallial shelf and the caudomedial nidopallium (NCM), the core or shell regions of dorsal thalamic nuclei, dopaminergic cell groups in the mesencephalon and pons, the principal nucleus of the trigeminal nerve, and the dorsal raphe. Cck was largely absent in song control system, a group of nuclei required for vocal learning and song production in songbirds, although sparse labeling was detected throughout the striatum, including song nucleus area X. We also show that levels of Cck mRNA and the number of labeled cells increase in the NCM of males and females following auditory stimulation with conspecific song. Double labeling further reveals that the majority of Cck cells, excluding those in the reticular nucleus of the thalamus, are non-GABAergic. Together, these data provide the first comprehensive characterization of Cck expression in a songbird, and suggest a possible involvement of Cck regulation in important aspects of birdsong biology, such as perceptual processing, auditory memorization, and/or vocal-motor control of song production. J. Comp. Neurol. 519:211-237, 2011. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
STUDIES WITH THE ELECTROCARDIOGRAPH ON THE ACTION OF THE VAGUS NERVE ON THE HUMAN HEART : II. THE EFFECTS OF VAGUS STIMULATION ON THE HEARTS OF CHILDREN WITH CHRONIC VALVULAR DISEASE.

The electrocardiographic records taken during vagus stimulation by pressure from children suffering with chronic heart disease have shown that the stimulation of the vagi in these cases is strikingly effectual. In some of the cases, a definite difference was demonstrated between the action of the right and left vagi. The control of the rate of the heart-beat seemed to predominate usually in the right vagus nerve, while the control of stimulus conduction from auricles to ventricles apparently predominated usually in the left vagus. This difference in the two nerves probably exists on account of the difference in their anatomical distribution, the right vagus going especially to that part of the heart which controls the rate of contraction, the sinus node above the right auricle, and the left vagus going especially to that part in which the conducting mechanism is found. Each nerve, however, has to a lesser degree the function which predominates in the other. The whole heart seems to respond, as a rule, more promptly to right than to left vagus pressure, and fairly constant differences have been seen in the effects which stimulation of each nerve has on the various waves of the electrocardiograms. The stimulation of each vagus may influence directly the contractions of the ventricles, causing great diminution in their force. Right vagus stimulation was followed at times by a complete dissociation of auricles and ventricles. The auricular rhythm was slowed sufficiently at this time to allow the ventricles, whose inherent rhythmicity is apparently unaffected by right vagus stimulation, to take up their own independent rhythm. The heightened ventricular rhythmicity in these cases allowed this to take place after only moderate slowing of the auricles. The independent ventricular rhythm was sometimes established in the region of the node of Tawara, for no disturbance of the ventricular portion of the electrocardiogram occurred. At another time, some other point in the ventricles inaugurated the stimuli of the independent ventricular contractions and an abnormal electrocardiogram resulted. The resemblance of our curves, showing dissociation, to those obtained during right vagus and left accelerator stimulation in dogs is definite. That analogy, the clinical picture, and the form of the electrocardiograms of these cases have led us to the belief that an important feature in the pathological physiology of these cases is hypertonus of the cardiac accelerator nerves. This factor, as a cause of symptoms and as a hindrance to the establishment of cardiac rest, may prove of great importance, against which a new form of cardiac therapeutics must be directed.
The Effects of Competition in Short Product Life-Cycle Markets: The Case of Motion Pictures†

It is critically important to understand the relationship between new product launch strategies and their interaction with the competitive environment, which results in the successful introduction of new products. Deciding when to launch new products is among the most significant issues facing managers when formulating new products strategy, especially for products with short product life cycles. However, little extant research has focused on the interaction of product launch timing and the competitive market environment. This study explores the effects of four types of competitive threats on the market performance of short product life-cycle products. Threats from new products and incumbents are possible. Also, products in the same category and those in related product categories exert competitive pressures. In this paper, a framework of competitive threats is developed, and research questions are constructed and empirically tested using the motion pictures industry as the focus of this research. A set of simultaneous equations was estimated using a sample of 2,948 movies introduced in the U.S. market between 1997 and 2004. The results show that all competition types have negative direct, indirect (as mediated by distribution intensity), and total effects on the performance of a new product. For a focal product, incumbent products exert a greater negative impact on performance than new entrants. Surprisingly, products in different, but related, categories are more harmful to the performance of products than products in the same category. The results have important implications for launch timing and new product performance.
A single amino acid change in the binding pocket alters specificity of an anti-integrin antibody AP7.4 as revealed by its crystal structure.

Abstract Monoclonal antibody (mAb) AP7.4 is an anti-integrin antibody recombinantly expressed in Escherichia coli specific to β 3 . It is known that in a variety of RGD-containing molecules, ligand specificity is regulated by structural determinants within the immediate vicinity of the RGD sequence. To better understand the role of the RGD sequence in integrin specificity, we report here the three-dimensional structure of Fab of mAb AP7.4 to a resolution of 2.25 A. The crystals belong to a triclinic space group P1 and the volume of the unit cell is consistent with the presence of two Fab molecules in it. The RGD sequence is located at the tip of a flexible loop in the complementary determining region (CDR-3) of the heavy chain. It has been shown that specific recognition of RGD ligands by their receptors is influenced mainly by the conformation of the tripeptide RGD and the amino acid residues flanking it on either side. Hence, the flexibility of the RGD-carrying loop observed in the crystal structure may stem from the fact that the antibody molecule mimics the function of these cell adhesion molecules.
On creating values of physical properties nonlocally

Can a value of a physical property be created instantaneously by a distant act of measurement? This paper develops an answer to that question by reconciling ideas expressed by Bohr in 1958 with the “standard” Copenhagen interpretation. The point of view thereby obtained is then applied to recently described correlation experiments of various sorts.
N-substituted cyclopropylamines as inhibitors of MAO-A and -B forms.

Abstract Monoamine oxidase (MAO) activity in mouse neuroblastoma homogenates was preferentially inhibited by N[2-(o-chlorophenoxy)-ethyl]cyclopropylamine (L-51641) and a series of structurally related compounds. Two other congeners (L-54761 and L-54748) from this series, however, demonstrated preferential inhibition of MAO in human platelet homogenates. As neuroblastoma and human platelet cells have been identified as possessing apparently exclusive MAO-A and MAO-B characteristics, respectively, L-54761 and L-54748 appear to be preferential MAO-B inhibitors. In keeping with this conclusion, a greater proportional inhibition of phenylethylamine oxidation than serotonin oxidation by these two compounds was found in rat brain homogenates, while contrasting results were obtained with L-51641. Preferential effects of L-54761 and L-51641 on phenylethylamine oxidation and, to a lesser extent, on serotonin oxidation were also observed in vivo.
Symmetric solutions of the modified no-three-in-line problem for even boards

An algorithm for generating symmetric solutions of the modified no-three-in-line problem for the square boards of even size is presented. The correctness of the algorithm for arbitrarily large square boards is established. A computer program in PL/I was written and executed on the UNIVAC 1108 computer to generate the solutions for some boards of even size.
Compute Unified Device Architecture Application Suitability

Graphics processing units (GPUs) can provide excellent speedups on some, but not all, general-purpose workloads. Using a set of computational GPU kernels as examples, the authors show how to adapt kernels to utilize the architectural features of a GeForce 8800 GPU and what finally limits the achievable performance.
Current Status of Percutaneous PFO Closure

The clinical significance of persistent patent foramen ovale (PFO) is not well defined. Empirically, PFO has been associated with many clinical conditions. In cryptogenic stroke, migraine, and orthodeoxia/platypnea, a plausible biologic mechanism exists to support PFO closure as a possible treatment. Although transcatheter closure of PFO has been available for over 2 decades, it has remained controversial due to a paucity of evidence to guide patient and device selection. Contemporary studies investigating PFO closure as treatment for patients with these conditions have been published recently and longitudinal data regarding the safety and efficacy of the devices is now available. In this review, we aim to describe the potential clinical significance of a patent foramen in the adult, appraise the newest additions to the body of evidence, and discuss the safety, benefit, patient selection, and future of transcatheter treatment of PFO.
Linear polybenzyls. III. Sterically assisted linear polymerization of 2,5-dimethylbenzyl chloride and α-methylbenzyl chloride

The low-temperature Friedel-Crafts step-growth polymerization reactions of 2,5-dimethylbenzyl chloride with TiCl4—(C2H5)2AlCl catalyst, and of α-methylbenzyl chloride with AlCl3 catalyst were investigated for the effect of reaction conditions on polymer molecular weight, linearity, glass transition temperature, and crystalline properties. Premature precipitation of highly crystalline poly(2,5-dimethylbenzyl) prevented the preparation of high molecular weight products from this monomer, while most likely an indanyl-type termination reaction limited the molecular weight of poly(α-methylbenzyl). Model reactions indicated that, under proper conditions, the latter could be prepared with 99% para substitution, and these polymers were crystalline.
Speed dependent rolling resistance evaluation of a twin roller chassis dynamometer for heavy-duty vehicles

The current interest in quantifying real-world emissions from heavy-duty vehicles has led to a far more extensive use of chassis dynamometers than ever before. Depending upon the objectives of chassis dynamometer testing, a range of different driving schedules could be employed to operate vehicles on the dynamometer. This paper addresses the losses associated with tyre-roller interaction on a chassis dynamometer. In this paper, a theoretical analysis has been conducted to evaluate the rolling resistance, as a function of vehicle speed, experienced by heavy-duty vehicle tyres on a twin-roller chassis dynamometer. This study focuses on the constant torque method to more accurately evaluate the parasitic losses of the dynamometer. Thus, a more accurate dynamometer control scheme could be implemented to simulate the road load for better assessment of a vehicles performance and exhaust gas emissions measurements.
Nuclear anapole moments

Nuclear anapole moments are parity-odd, time-reversal-even E1 moments of the electromagnetic current operator. Although the existence of this moment was recognized theoretically soon after the discovery of parity nonconservation (PNC), its experimental isolation was achieved only recently, when a new level of precision was reached in a measurement of the hyperfine dependence of atomic PNC in 133Cs. An important anapole moment bound in 205Tl also exists. In this paper, we present the details of the first calculation of these anapole moments in the framework commonly used in other studies of hadronic PNC, a meson-exchange potential that includes long-range pion exchange and enough degrees of freedom to describe the five independent S-P amplitudes induced by short-range interactions. The resulting contributions of π, ρ, and ω exchange to the single-nucleon anapole moment, to parity admixtures in the nuclear ground state, and to PNC exchange currents are evaluated, using configuration-mixed shell-model wave functions. The experimental anapole moment constraints on the PNC meson-nucleon coupling constants are derived and compared with those from other tests of the hadronic weak interaction. While the bounds obtained from the anapole moment results are consistent with the broad “reasonable ranges” defined by theory, they are not in good agreement with the constraints from the other experiments. We explore possible explanations for the discrepancy and comment on the potential importance of new experiments.
Genetic analysis of the cytoplasmic domain of the PfRh2b merozoite invasion protein of Plasmodium falciparum

Apicomplexan parasites employ multiple adhesive ligands for recognition and entry into host cells. The Duffy binding-like (DBL) and the reticulocyte binding protein-like (RBL) families are central to the invasion of erythrocytes by the malaria parasite. These type-1 transmembrane proteins are composed of large ectodomains and small conserved cytoplasmic tail domains. The cytoplasmic tail domain of the micronemal DBL protein EBA-175 is required for a functional ligand-receptor interaction, but not for correct trafficking and localisation. Here we focus on the cytoplasmic tail domain of the rhoptry-localised Plasmodium falciparum RBL PfRh2b. We have identified a conserved sequence of six amino acids, enriched in acidic residues, in the cytoplasmic tail domains of RBL proteins from Plasmodium spp. Genetic analyses reveal that the entire cytoplasmic tail and the conserved motif within the cytoplasmic tail are indispensable for invasion P. falciparum. Site-directed mutagenesis of the conserved moiety reveals that changes in the order of the amino acids of the conserved moiety, but not the charge of the sequence, can be tolerated. Shuffling of the motif has no effect on either invasion phenotype or PfRh2b expression and trafficking. Although the PfRh2b gene can be readily disrupted, our results suggest that modification of the PfRh2b cytoplasmic tail results in strong dominant negative activity, highlighting important differences between the PfRh2b and EBA-175 invasion ligands.
Blimp-1 represses CD8 T cell expression of PD-1 using a feed-forward transcriptional circuit during acute viral infection

Programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) is an inhibitory immune receptor that regulates T cell function, yet the molecular events that control its expression are largely unknown. We show here that B lymphocyte–induced maturation protein 1 (Blimp-1)–deficient CD8 T cells fail to repress PD-1 during the early stages of CD8 T cell differentiation after acute infection with lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) strain Armstrong. Blimp-1 represses PD-1 through a feed-forward repressive circuit by regulating PD-1 directly and by repressing NFATc1 expression, an activator of PD-1 expression. Blimp-1 binding induces a repressive chromatin structure at the PD-1 locus, leading to the eviction of NFATc1 from its site. These data place Blimp-1 at an important phase of the CD8 T cell effector response and provide a molecular mechanism for its repression of PD-1.
Rhodococcus equi pericarditis in a patient living with HIV/AIDS.

Introduction:Rhodococcus equi, previously called Corynebacterium equi, is known to cause pneumonia in foals and swine. Although it was known to cause infection rarely in humans, R equi infection in humans has increased with the advent of HIV and increased use of immunosuppressants.Case:We report a case of a 48-year-old male patient with newly diagnosed HIV/AIDS presenting with recurrent R equi bacteremia, pericardial effusion, and pericardial cyst. The infection was treated with drainage of the pericardial effusion and cyst and 2 weeks of intravenous vancomycin and 6 months of oral azithromycin and levofloxacin.Discussion:Rhodococcus equi causes pericarditis and pericardial effusion. It can be effectively treated with debridement, drainage, and a prolonged course of antibiotics. In vitro antibiotic susceptibility should be checked as resistance to antibiotics can develop, especially if drainage is inadequate.
Estimates of diffuse phosphorus sources in surface waters of the United States using a spatially referenced watershed model

The statistical watershed model SPARROW (SPAtially Referenced Regression On Watershed attributes) was used to estimate the sources and transport of total phosphorus (TP) in surface waters of the United States. We calibrated the model using stream measurements of TP from 336 watersheds of mixed land use and spatial data on topography, soils, stream hydrography, and land use (agriculture, forest, shrub/grass, urban). The model explained 87% of the spatial variability in log transformed stream TP flux (kg yr -1 ). Predictions of stream yield (kg ha -1 yr -1 ) were typically within 45% of the observed values at the monitoring sites. The model identified appreciable effects of soils, streams, and reservoirs on TP transport. The estimated aquatic rates of phosphorus removal declined with increasing stream size and rates of water flushing in reservoirs (i.e. areal hydraulic loads). A phosphorus budget for the 2.9 million km2 Mississippi River Basin provides a detailed accounting of TP delivery to streams, the removal of TP in surface waters, and the stream export of TP from major interior watersheds for sources associated with each land-use type.
Pulmonary Hypertension, Right Ventricular Failure, and Kidney: Different from Left Ventricular Failure?

In this article, the pathophysiology of left ventricular failure is reviewed. By contrast, the paucity of information about pulmonary arterial hypertension and right ventricular failure is acknowledged. The potential mechanisms whereby renal sodium and water retention in right ventricular failure secondary to pulmonary arterial hypertension can occur, despite normal left ventricular function, are discussed. With right ventricular failure as the primary cause of death in patients with pulmonary hypertension, more information about the mechanisms of renal sodium and water retention in these patients is direly needed. Specifically, studies to examine the activation of the neurohumoral axis at various stages of pulmonary arterial hypertension and right ventricular failure, including inhibition of mineralocorticoid and V2 vasopressin receptors, are indicated.
Purification of Turkey Gonadotropins

Turkey pituitaries, like mammalian pituitaries, were found to contain two gonadotropic factors. Highly purified LH was prepared and partially characterized. A potent turkey FSH was also prepared. Both gonadotropins were found to be similar to mammalian, turtle, and frog gonadotropins in terms of chromatographic behavior and the presence of carbohydrate. The turkey LH was found to be similar to ovine LH in amino acid composition but to contain significantly less carbohydrate than ovine LH. The sedimentation behavior of the turkey LH in neutral and acidic solutions suggested that this material is composed of subunits. Turkey gonadotropins appear to be more potent when assayed in non-mammalian systems than when tested in standard mammalian bioassays for LH and FSH. Study of the comparative endocrinology of pituitary gonadotropins requires the availability of purified hormones to obtain direct evidence on the number of gonadotropins and the nature of their physiological actions within each species, as well as the evolution of the gonadotropin molecule and the specilicities of hormone actions between species. There is considerable information on mammalian gonadotropins, but at present, information on purified non-mammalian gonadotropins is very limited. Reports have appeared on the purification of gonadotropins
Effects of reinforcement on response alternation

The alternation between two lever-pressing responses, maintained by sucrose solution reinforcement, was observed in hooded rats under conditions of no differential reinforcement of alternation (baseline condition) and under conditions where differential reinforcement of alternation was in effect (experimental condition). Exposure to the experimental condition produced both immediate and cumulative increases in relative frequency of alternation.