cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Identification of Collagen Chains as a Function of Cyanogen Bromide Peptide Patterns Using Gel Permeation High-Performance Liquid Chromatography

Abstract A gel permeation high-performance liquid chromatography system utilizing commercially-available silica-based gels has been developed for evaluation of the cyanogen bromide cleavage products derived from collagen a chains. The high efficiency and precision of the system permits unequivocal identification of various chains by inspection of the peptide elution pattern following a single run requiring 40 minutes. The system is sufficiently sensitive to permit analyses to be performed with as little 1.0 µg of sample, although the columns utilized may accommodate samples as large as 1.0 mg making the system useful for preparative purposes as well.
Channel incision and patterns of cottonwood stress and mortality along the Mojave River, California

In 1995, mapping and classification of riparian vegetation along the Mojave River in southern California revealed an 8-km reach in which riparian cottonwoods (Populus fremontii Wats.) were stressed or dying. We tested a set of predictions based on the inference that cottonwood decline was an indirect result of lowered water-table levels following flood-related channel incision. Comparisons of topographic cross-sections from 1963 and 1997, indicated a net change in channel elevation between −0·71 and −3·6 m within zones of cottonwood stress and mortality. Ages of young cottonwood and willow stems adjacent to the present channel and radial stem growth of surviving cottonwoods were consistent with the inference that channel incision, associated with sustained flooding in January and February of 1993, lowered channel elevations throughout the affected reach. Well records and soil redoximorphic features indicate that channel incision caused net water-table declines ⩾1·5 m on portions of the adjacent flood plain where cottonwood stand mortality ranged between 58 and 93%. In areas where water-table declines were estimated to be <1·0 m, stand mortality was 7–13%.
Extent and resolution requirements for the residual terrain effect in gravity gradiometry

s from the ASEG-PESA Airborne Gravity 2004 Workshop: Geoscience Australia Record 2004/18, Sydney, Australia, pp. 41–47, ed. Lane, R.J.L., Geoscience Australia, Canberra City, Australia. Turcotte, D.L., 1987. A fractal interpretation of topography and geoid spectra on the Earth, Moon, Venus, and Mars, J. geophys. Res., 92(B4), E597– E601. Tziavos, I.N., Sideris, M.G., Forsberg, R. & Schwarz, K.P., 1988. The effect of the terrain on airborne gravity and gradiometry, J. geophys. Res., 93(B8), 9173–9186. Veryaskin, A., 2003. String gravity gradiometer: noise, error analysis and applications, in Proceedings of the Abstracts: AGU+EGS Conference, Nice, France.
LOYAL FROM DAY ONE: BIODATA, ORGANIZATIONAL IDENTIFICATION, AND TURNOVER AMONG NEWCOMERS

This paper attempts to use biodata to uncover behavioral and experiential antecedents of organizational identification (OID), and to demonstrate one way in which theory can be used in the development and analysis of objective biodata. The biodata correlates of organizational identification were assessed with a sample of 2,535 new U.S. Army recruits. Four biodata factors emerged: activities involving outdoor work or pastimes; a dependable, non-delinquent, lifestyle reflecting socialization to institutional expectations; a general preference for group attachments; and diligent involvement in intellectual pastimes. Results with a subset of 1,082 recruits revealed that both OID and the biodata antecedents predicted subsequent attrition across 6 time periods spanning 6 to 24 months. Results also revealed relatively high OID among the recruits.
Characterization of 26K globular domain of a new basement membrane collagen.

In continuing our earlier studies (Biochem. Biophys. Res. Comm. 130, 1–8. 1985) on a new collagenous component (Type XIII) from lens capsule basement membrane, we report here the isolation and characterization of a 26K protein from the 4.5 M guanidine-HCI extracts of lens capsules. The 26K protein was purified by molecular sieve and DEAE-cellulose chromatography. The protein has been characterized by amino acid composition, NaDodSO4-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and by immunochemical analyses. On rotary shadowing, the 26K protein appears as a globule. The available information suggests its location at the terminal end of the collagenous component. The presented data show clearly that the 26K protein is a distinct new protein, different from the earlier reported NC-I domain of type IV collagen.
Johnson and Soper's method of including deuteron break-up for the calculation of stripping cross sections

Abstract The equations of Johnson and Soper (JS) are re-derived by utilizing an expansion of the deuteron-nucleus wave function in terms of the continuum eigenstates of the neutron-proton Hamiltonian, and are generalized so as to allow for break-up states in which the relative neutronproton angular momenta h l are different from zero. Apart from the ab initio neglect of the break-up energies, the approximation required to establish these equations are found to be acceptable. A numerical application for the case of 21.6 MeV (d, p) reactions on 40 Ca shows that the l = 2 breakup continuum has a small effect on the Δl = 3 and Δl = 1 stripping cross sections. A sum rule, expressing the generalized JS potentials in terms of potentials which depend on the individual break-up momenta, is established. Numerical application to the 21.6 MeV d- 40 Ca example shows that the l = 0 break-up spectrum contains break-up energies at least as large as 10 MeV, and that the 1 = 2 spectrum requires inclusion of break-up energies up to about 40 MeV. It is concluded that the neglect of break-up energies in the derivation of the JS equations requires further investigation.
Reactions at Only One of Two Equivalent Functional Groups

Abstract A common problem encountered by synthetic chemists is to carry out a reaction at just one of two similar functional groups in the substrate molecule. Examples include protection/deprotection of just one hydroxyl group in a diol, addition to only one carbonyl of a diketone, etc. The problem, as depicted below, is to find conditions which maximize formation of the monoproduct (XP) while minimizing the amounts of diproduct (P2) and starting material (X2).
Sex differences in locomotor activity following β-endorphin in the ventrolateral periaqueductal gray

Abstract Both morphine and selective opioid receptor agonists produce typical biphasic effects upon activity in male rats with initial reductions in activity followed by subsequent increases in activity. Sex differences have been observed in a number of opioid-mediated responses, including the observation that microinjection of the opioid peptide, β-endorphin into the ventrolateral periaqueductal gray (vlPAG) produces more pronounced analgesia in male rats relative to female rats. The present study evaluated whether β-endorphin (5.2–26 μg) in the vlPAG produced biphasic activity effects in male and female rats. Both male and female rats displayed initial reductions in total, ambulatory, and stereotypic activity following β-endorphin in the vlPAG. Whereas male rats displayed subsequent (90–120 min) increases in total and ambulatory activity following β-endorphin in the vlpAG, female rats tested during the estrous stage of their estrous cycle failed to display any changes. These sex differences in the opioid modulation in the pattern of activity measures in the vlPAG are discussed in terms of the roles of sex hormones in opioid peptide processing within the vlPAG.
Real-time treatment feedback guidance of Pleural PDT

Pleural photodynamic therapy (PDT) has been used as an adjuvant treatment with lung-sparing surgical treatment for mesothelioma with remarkable results. In the current intrapleural PDT protocol, a moving fiber-based point source is used to deliver the light and the light dose are monitored by 7 detectors placed in the pleural cavity. To improve the delivery of light dose uniformity, an infrared (IR) camera system is used to track the motion of the light sources. A treatment planning system uses feedback from the detectors as well as the IR camera to update light fluence distribution in real-time, which is used to guide the light source motion for uniform light dose distribution. We have improved the GUI of the light dose calculation engine to provide real-time light fluence distribution suitable for guiding the surgery to delivery light more uniformly. A dual-correction method is used in the feedback system, so that fluence calculation can match detector readings using both direct and scatter light models. An improved measurement device is developed to automatically acquire laser position for the point source. Comparison of the effects of the guidance is presented in phantom study.
A study of the use of SIMD instructions for two image processing algorithms

Most image processing algorithms are parallelizable, i.e. the calculation of one pixel does not affect another one. SIMD architectures, including Intel's WMMX and SSE and ARM's NEON, can exploit this fact by processing multiple pixels at a time, which can result in significant speedups. This study investigates the use of NEON SIMD instructions for two image processing algorithms. The latter are altered to process four pixels at a time, for which a theoretical speedup factor of four can be achieved. In addition, parts of the original implementation have been replaced with inline functions or modified at assembly code level. Experimental benchmark data shows the actual execution speed to be between two to three times higher than the original reference. These results prove that SIMD instructions can significantly speedup image processing algorithms through proper code manipulations.
Developmental expression of heme oxygenase-1 (HSP32) in rat brain: an immunocytochemical study.

Abstract Heme oxygenase (HO) is a microsomal enzyme that oxidatively cleaves heme molecules to produce bile pigments, iron and carbon monoxide. In normal adult rat brain, HO-2 is the most abundant isozyme whereas HO-1 is present at very low levels except in select cell populations. Because its promoter region has NF-kB and AP-1 sites, heat-shock and heme-responsive elements, the HO-1 isozyme can be induced by a variety of stimuli. Since the expression and activity of several transcription factors such as NF-kB, Fos/Jun, and CREB show specific changes during development, we postulated that HO-1 expression may show similar developmental regulation. Using immunocytochemistry and Western blotting, this study demonstrates the developmental changes of HO-1 protein expression in normal brain from rats at postnatal day 7 (P7), P14, P21 and adult. Brain HO-1 immunoreactivity was highest at P7 in most brain regions including the white matter in areas of myelinogenesis, cerebral cortex, hippocampus, thalamus and hypothalamus and, in the blood vessel endothelial cells throughout the brain. In most regions, the adult pattern was reached by P21 with HO-1 protein localized almost exclusively to the dentate regions of hippocampus, some thalamic and hypothalamic nuclei, with little or no staining of endothelium, white matter and cortex. In a few select areas such as the substantia nigra, globus pallidus, ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus and the lateral preoptic nuclei area, little or no cellular HO-1 staining was observed at P7 whereas increased staining was found with maturation and adulthood. These results show that HO-1 protein expression is regulated in different cell types of specific regions of the rat brain during development.
Optical transparency using interference between two modes of a cavity

In electromagnetically induced transparency, the scattering rate of a probe beam is greatly reduced due to destructive interference between two dressed atomic states produced by a strong laser beam. Here we show that a similar reduction in the single-photon scattering rate can be achieved by tuning a probe beam to be halfway between the resonant frequencies of two modes of a cavity. This technique is expected to be useful in enhancing two-photon absorption while reducing losses due to single-photon scattering.
Hierarchical upsampling for fast image-based depth estimation

While many stereo vision algorithms can quickly and robustly estimate sparse geometry from sets of photos, dense reconstruction, where depth estimate is required at per-pixel or sub-pixel level, remains a time-consuming and memory-intensive process. In this work, we propose a fast hierarchical upsampling method for dense image-based depth estimation. The main idea is to start from sparse depth estimates that can be quickly computed using any existing multiview stereopsis tool, then iteratively upsample the depth values to obtain a dense reconstruction consisting of millions of points. Using a GPU-based implementation, the upsampling algorithm can perform up to 15 images per second. The results can be directly used for 3D modeling applications; in addition, they can be used to digitally manipulate the depth-of-field effects in the input images in order to simulate refocusing.
Update on angiogenesis inhibitors.

Purpose of reviewA number of therapeutic agents have been developed which have anti-angiogenic potential. Here we present the most recent data from clinical trials with some of the promising inhibitors of angiogenesis.Recent findingsAgents that target the vascular endothelial growth factor signaling
Blurry boundaries: do epithelial borderline lesions of the breast and ductal carcinoma in situ have similar rates of subsequent invasive cancer?

Background The histology of epithelial “borderline lesions” of the breast, which have features in between atypical ductal hyperplasia (ADH) and ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), is well described, but the clinical behavior is not. This study reports subsequent ipsilateral breast events (IBE) in patients with borderline lesions compared with those with DCIS.
Biochemical changes in the crop, oesophagus and postpharyngeal gland of colony-founding red imported fire ant queens (Solenopsis invicta)

Abstract Chemical analysis of hydrocarbons, triacylglycerols and free fatty acids present in hexane extracts of the crop, oesophagus and postpharyngeal gland of colony-founding queens of Solenopsis invicta Buren illustrates that the oesophagus enlarges into a thoracic crop concomitant with wing muscle histolysis. The flow of material goes from the crop to the oesophagus, but not to the postpharyngeal gland. In the crop and oesophagus triacylglycerols and the dominant chemical class, whereas the postpharyngeal gland contains primarily hydrocarbons. The pattern of postpharyngeal gland hydrocarbons changes between the time of insemination and 25 days after mating.
Comparison of Two Holocene Tidal Flats—Andros Island, Bahamas, and Caicos, British West Indies: ABSTRACT

Minor climatic and physiographic differences have caused dramatic differences in sedimentation between the tidal flats of Andros, northwestern Bahamas, and Caicos in the southeastern Bahama chain. Both tidal flats are leeward of large islands and adjacent to broad, shallow platforms that provide carbonate mud to the flats. Each flat forms a sediment wedge 4 m (13 ft) thick (Andros flats are 200 × 30 km, 125 × 19 mi; Caicos, 60 × 10 km, 37 × 6 mi), and each contains an outer channeled flat and an inner algal marsh. Both flats have cementation and protodolomite forming on channel-margin levees and the inner algal marsh. Differences in rainfall, wind regime and orientation promote important sedimentological differences. Andros receives nearly twice as much rainfall as Caicos; gypsum forms in cemented crusts in Caicos, but not on Andros. Andros receives brief strong pulses of northwest wind following passage of 40 to 60 winter cold fronts per year. The northwest exposure of the margin of the Andros flat thus is flooded several times each year by sediment-laden waters. This flooding focuses on the shore and channel margins, building broad, strongly laminated levees. Caicos flats, in contrast, face south, and neither winter cold fronts nor summer trade winds blow onshore. Levees are poorly developed. Caicos is dominated by brisk easterly trade winds, causing persistent turbidity in nearshore waters. This is dispersed through tidal channels, largely filling interdistributary ponds to a level at which organic-rich intertidal algal mats can flourish. Lower energy conditions on Andros provide insufficient sediment to fill ponds. End_of_Article - Last_Page 537------------
A Simple Polymeric Precursor Strategy for the Syntheses of Complex Zirconium and Hafnium-Based Ultra High-Temperature Silicon-Carbide Composite Ceramics

Pyrolyses of chemical precursor systems composed of zirconium or hafnium powders dispersed into blends of the polymethyl-carbosilane and poly(norbornenyldecaborane) preceramic polymers provide simple efficient routes to new types of ZrB 2 /ZrC/ SiC and HfB 2 /HfC/SiC composites. Further extensions of this method should now allow the syntheses of a wide variety of complex potential ultra high-temperature zirconium- and hafnium-based composite materials with controllable tuning of their compositions, microstructures, and/or stabilities.
Psychophysiological Aspects of Amphetamine-Methamphetamine Abuse

Abuse of amphetamines-methamphetamines has increased worldwide. Profiles of abusers, effects of different methods of administration, and research on amphetamine psychosis are reviewed, along with research on psychophysiological mechanisms, addictive potential, and psychotherapeutic strategies.
Discerning individuals at elevated risk for cutaneous melanoma.

Abstract Reasonable data exist to predict which groups of individuals are at elevated risk for the development of cutaneous melanoma and which groups of individuals are at lower-than-average risk. These data derive from numerous case-control studies conducted since 1960. MacKie et al 1 have recently published a mathematical model in which the relative risk for men possessing four identified risk factors was nearly 600-fold higher than that for men with none of these factors; similarly for women, a nearly 200-fold difference was projected. This model is discussed in detail later (see Multifactorial Models). This article reviews the currently identified risk factors (Table 1) with efforts to recognize when risk factors are acting independently and when they are simply acting as proxies for one another. A large group of diverse factors have been reported in single studies that have not been confirmed in other studies or as yet have not been reevaluated. Table 2 lists those factors that on the basis of current evidence are unlikely to be of great importance.
Monocytes TIE(2)d up in murky business

TIE2-expressing monocytes, a specialized population of tumor-infiltrating monocytes committed to promoting angiogenesis, are now found also in human tumors. Tumor-infiltrating myeloid cells have been implicated in tumor progression. Monocyte populations with different immunophenotypes have been
The first γ-carboxyglutamate-containing neuropeptide

A key factor in the characterization of peptide transmitters used in neuronal signaling is the correct elucidation of post-translational modifications, especially as they are often required to confer biological activity. A rare carboxylation modification is described on the D-peptide from the insulin prohormone in the sea slug, Aplysia californica. Using liquid chromatography purification coupled with electrospray ionization and nanoelectrospray ionization-ion trap-mass spectrometry (ESI- and nanoESI-MS), the presence of this D-peptide within Aplysia insulin (AI)-producing neurons is confirmed. Further detailed mass spectrometric analyses demonstrate that the Aplysia insulin D-peptide is carboxylated on the single glutamate residue within the sequence. This γ-carboxy D-peptide, along with other identified AI-related peptides, is secreted from the central nervous system in response to ionophore stimulation, thus suggesting a signaling role within the nervous system. Although carboxylated peptides have been described previously, the Aplysia γ-carboxy D-peptide appears to be the first reported carboxylated neuropeptide.
Bayesian Clinical Trials in Action

Although the frequentist paradigm has been the predominant approach to clinical trial design since the 1940s, it has several notable limitations. Advancements in computational algorithms and computer hardware have greatly enhanced the alternative Bayesian paradigm. Compared with its frequentist counterpart, the Bayesian framework has several unique advantages, and its incorporation into clinical trial design is occurring more frequently. Using an extensive literature review to assess how Bayesian methods are used in clinical trials, we find them most commonly used for dose finding, efficacy monitoring, toxicity monitoring, diagnosis/decision making, and studying pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics. The additional infrastructure required for implementing Bayesian methods in clinical trials may include specialized software programs to run the study design, simulation and analysis, and web-based applications, all of which are particularly useful for timely data entry and analysis. Trial success requires not only the development of proper tools but also timely and accurate execution of data entry, quality control, adaptive randomization, and Bayesian computation. The relative merit of the Bayesian and frequentist approaches continues to be the subject of debate in statistics. However, more evidence can be found showing the convergence of the two camps, at least at the practical level. Ultimately, better clinical trial methods lead to more efficient designs, lower sample sizes, more accurate conclusions, and better outcomes for patients enrolled in the trials. Bayesian methods offer attractive alternatives for better trials. More Bayesian trials should be designed and conducted to refine the approach and demonstrate their real benefit in action.
Mitral valve stiffening in end-stage heart failure : Evidence of an organic contribution to functional mitral regurgitation

Objective Mitral regurgitation is a complication for many patients with congestive heart failure. Although this regurgitation is considered purely functional, we hypothesize that the alterations in cardiac geometry and function induce dysfunctional remodeling of the mitral valve, which can be demonstrated by alterations in the material behavior of the leaflets and chordae. Methods Mitral leaflets and chordae from 23 valves from transplant recipient hearts (11 with dilated and 12 with ischemic cardiomyopathy) and from 21 normal valves (from autopsy) were mechanically tested. Results Radially oriented anterior mitral leaflet strips from failing hearts were 61% stiffer and 23% less viscous on average than those from autopsy control hearts. The mean stiffness of circumferentially oriented anterior leaflet strips was 50% higher than that of control hearts. Leaflet extensibility was reduced 35% overall. Likewise, the failing heart chordae were an average of 16% stiffer (all P ≤ .05). Conclusions Mitral valves in congestive heart failure have significantly altered mechanics that suggest that the tissue is permanently distended and fibrotic and might be unable to stretch sufficiently to cover the valve orifice. These material changes in the valve tissues accompany the biochemical alterations in extracellular matrix composition that we have previously reported. Our finding of leaflet and chordal remodeling suggests that mitral regurgitation in patients experiencing heart failure might not be purely functional and that these mitral valves should not be considered normal. Moreover, there are implications for strategies of mitral valve surgery or percutaneous approaches in this patient population.
Blood Lipids and Human Atherosclerosis

The transport of cholesterol and other lipids of serum is almost wholly in the form of very large molecular complexes of these lipids with variable amounts of protein. The exact components present in the blood of a particular individual may be quantitatively described both as to character and concentration by ultracentrifugal flotation of these components in the analytic ultracentrifuge. With this technic it is possible to demonstrate the presence of certain lipid and lipoprotein components which are related to coronary atherosclerosis, to hypertension and to other diseases associated with atherosclerosis, such as diabetes mellitus, the nephrotic syndrome and hypothyroidism. The blood level of these components may be influenced by dietary means. The blood level of these components is poorly correlated with the analytic serum cholestrol determined by the Schoenheimer-Sperry method.
Cytomegalovirus disease recurrence after ganciclovir treatment in kidney and kidney-pancreas transplant recipients

Background. With the introduction of ganciclovir, the clinical pattern of cytomegalovirus (CMV) disease has changed; CMV disease recurrence after successful treatment of the initial episode has emerged as a more common problem. We studied CMV disease recurrence in kidney transplant (KTx) and simultaneous kidney-pancreas transplant (SPK) recipients, and identified risk factors for recurrence. Methods. Between January 1987 and December 1995, of 1272 KTx and 287 SPK recipients, 332 developed CMV disease and were treated with a 14-day course of i.v. ganciclovir, followed by a 10-week course of oral acyclovir. Among these 332 recipients, 103 (31%) developed CMV disease recurrence more than 30 days after treatment for the initial episode; this group was compared with those recipients who did not develop recurrence (n=229). Risk factors examined were age, presence of diabetes, type of transplant (KTx vs. SPK), donor source (cadaver vs. living donor), treatment for acute rejection, pretransplant CMV serologic status, evidence of tissue-invasive CMV, and treatment of the initial episode with human immune globulin in addition to ganciclovir. Results. Univariate analysis found that patients with recurrence were more likely to be diabetic (70.9% vs. 53.7%; P=0.04), to have undergone an SPK (39.8% vs. 20.5%; P=0.004), to have received a cadaver organ (78.6% vs. 61.6%; P=0.002), and to have received treatment for acute rejection (78.6% vs. 59.8%; P=0.001). Using multivariate analysis, two statistically significant risk factors were found: receiving a cadaver organ (relative risk [RR]=1.90; P=0.03) and treatment for acute rejection (RR=2.02; P=0.008). Diabetes (RR=1.44; P=0.18) and a cadaver SPK transplant (RR=1.55; P=0.12) tended toward increased risk for recurrence, but the difference did not reach statistical significance. The remaining variables were not significant. Interestingly, CMV recurrence did not significantly diminish 5-year graft survival (52.0% vs. 54.4%; P not significant) or patient survival (67.0% vs. 68.3%; P not significant) rates. Conclusions. CMV disease recurs in roughly one-third of KTx and SPK recipients after treatment of the initial episode with ganciclovir. A cadaver organ source and treatment for acute rejection were the most significant clinical risk factors for recurrence. Clinical predictors of recurrence such as these may help to identify those recipients who need more intensive therapeutic and prophylactic regimens.
Mutational Dissection of Imaginal Disc Development in Drosophila melanogaster

The imaginal discs are groups of proliferating cells that are present in larvae of Drosophila melanogaster but which are not essential for larval functions. During metamorphosis these discs evaginate and differentiate giving rise to the external adult structures. We have identified genes which are essential for normal imaginal disc development by isolating lethal mutants with imaginal disc abnormalities. These mutants have been classified according to the kinds of abnormalities which they express and whether they are expressed in all of the discs, some of the discs, or only in a single disc pair. Of 66 mutants only 5 cannot be placed in a single phenotypic class. Most of the mutants (64%) affect all of the discs. Among these are two groups ( discless and small-disc ) which block the proliferative phase of development that normally occurs during larval life. Complementation analysis of those two groups of mutants indicates that a large number of genes can give rise to mutations causing either of these phenotypes. Detailed analyses of five of the small-disc mutants suggest that this phenotype can result not only from changes in imaginal disc specific functions but also from changes in functions common to larval and imaginal cells and even in functions which don't occur in imaginal disc cells. At the same time in development that many genes required for all imaginal cells are functioning, some genes not required by all of the discs are also functioning. One of these has been identified by a heat-sensitive mutation which causes a wide variety of defects. Using heat pulses we have shown that each abnormality characteristic of the mutant has a discrete temperature sensitive period during the larval stage.
Characteristics of steady state fluvial topography above fault‐bend folds

[1] In steady state convergent orogens, erosion balances lateral as well as vertical bedrock motions. For simple geometrical reasons, the difference between the total steady state erosion flux and its vertical component is up to 30% for typical fluvial slopes and bedrock streamline inclinations, suggesting that lateral advection is also likely to be expressed topographically. In order to understand these geomorphologic consequences, we focus on steady state topography developed on active fault-bend folds. First, we derive an analytical solution for the slopes of detachment-limited streams that incorporates lateral advection. Next, we conduct experiments using a numerical two-dimensional landscape evolution model (Channel-Hillslope Integrated Landscape Development model (CHILD)) incorporating linear diffusion on hillslopes and detachment-limited stream channel incision above a fault-bend fold. The concavity and steepness indices of steady state long profiles are functions of bedrock velocity magnitude and direction, streamflow direction, and fluvial erosivity. Asymmetry of mountain range profiles varies as a function of fluvial erosivity or bedrock velocity only if we account for the lateral velocity component. This asymmetry is equally sensitive to this lateral component, fluvial incision, and hillslope diffusion. However, the effect of diffusion on drainage divide position is significant only at high diffusivities, short length scales, low bedrock advection rates, or relatively low fluvial erosivity. Thus in most mountain ranges and fault blocks, drainage divide migration is expected to be dictated by stream channel erosion. Model results are shown to be consistent with topography in the Siwalik Hills, Nepal, which overlie fault-bend folds produced above the frontal fault systems in the Himalayan foreland.
IPO Underpricing: A Meta-Analysis and Research Synthesis

Initial public offerings (IPOs) have been a prominent focus of academic and popular press attention, especially in recent years. Much of this attention can be attributed to the increase in IPO acti...
An interactive slocum glider flight simulator

The Slocum Glider is a commercially available autonomous underwater vehicle used in the sensing of the world's oceans. Its manufacturer-provided simulator uses nearly identical electronics and components as installed in the production glider. The simulator is mainly used to develop and test new hardware and software components in a real-time setting, where for instance, a one-week mission of the glider takes one week to simulate. This limits the types and the complexities of algorithms that can be developed and tested on the vehicle. In this paper, we present our ongoing work on a simulation infrastructure used to fly and operate a Slocum Glider in a virtual ocean environment. We also introduce a new three dimensional companion visualization tool. The effectiveness of the infrastructure and its new visualization tool is illustrated in the context of three applications, namely glider education and training, the replay and analysis of glider missions, and the design and testing of algorithms to be used in future missions.
Testing models for obliquely plunging lineations in transpression: a natural example and theoretical discussion

Theory predicts that stretching lineations in an ideal vertical transpressional zone should be either vertical or horizontal. Many field descriptions of transpressional zones, however, indicate a range of lineation orientations between these extremes. Several theoretical models have been developed to explain such departures from expected lineation orientation, and we discuss these in the context of a field example from the Archean Superior Province in the North American craton. Existing models are insufficient to explain obliquely plunging lineations in this example because: (1) obliquely plunging lineations cannot be accounted for by shear zone boundary effects imposed by a no-slip condition, (2) foliations and lineations vary independently, (3) the vorticity-normal section is subhorizontal, limiting possibilities for inclined simple shear, (4) high vorticity is needed for finite strains and lineations to match previously proposed triclinic models, but vorticity is relatively low, and (5) juxtaposed east and west plunging lineations are unlikely in the previously proposed triclinic models. Because existing theoretical models are not applicable to our field example, we contemplate a new model to explain obliquely plunging lineations within quasi homogeneous transpression.
Arachidonate metabolism by neutrophils.

We demonstrated earlier 6 that prelabeled human neurotrophils released [3H]arachidonic acid ([3H]20:4) from cellular phospholipid when challenged with opsonized zymosan. Prelabeled [l'~C]palmitate ([z'~C] 16:0j was not released nor was it recovered as any degradation product such as lysophospholipids or partial glycerides. In order to determine whether this release was related to the formation of bioactive prostanoids '~ or hydroxylated 20:4 derivatives, a2 we undertook a study to determine the source of the 20:4, the mechanism of its release, and its metabolic fate. Further, we compared the effect of the phagocytic challenge with that of Ca 2 + ionophores A23187 and ionomycin, lonophores were used since Ca z+ influx has been shown to stimulate the metabolism of exogenously added 20:4.
Steam-cooking rapidly destroys and reverses onion-induced antiplatelet activity

Foods in the diet that can aid in the prevention of diseases are of major interest. Onions are key ingredients in many cuisines around the world and moreover, onion demand has trended higher over the past three decades. An important pharmacological aspect of onion is the ability to inhibit platelet aggregation. Raw onions inhibit platelet aggregation; however, when onions are boiled or heated, antiplatelet activity may be abolished. Onion quarters were steamed for 0, 1, 3, 6, 10, and 15 min. The in vitro antiplatelet activity of a yellow hybrid storage onion was examined at these times on the blood of 12 human subjects using in vitro whole blood aggregometry. Contrary to findings reported for boiling, antiplatelet activity was destroyed between 3 and 6 min of steaming, and at 10 min of steaming, cooked onions stimulated platelet activity. Extracts from cooked onion had the potential to reverse the inhibitory effect on blood platelets by 25%. Responses were consistent across all donors. Total polyphenolic concentration and soluble solids were not affected by steaming time. The potential value of cooked onion preparations may result in destruction or reversal of antiplatelet activity, without affecting the polyphenolic concentration.
Influence of renal dysfunction phenotype on mortality in the setting of cardiac dysfunction: analysis of three randomized controlled trials

Aims Renal neurohormonal activation leading to a reduction in glomerular filtration rate (GFR) has been suggested as a mechanism for renal insufficiency (RI) in the setting of heart failure. We hypothesized that RI occurring in the presence of renal neurohormonal activation may be prognostically more important than RI in the absence of renal neurohormonal activation. Methods and results Subjects in the Evaluation Study of Congestive Heart Failure and Pulmonary Artery Catheterization Effectiveness (ESCAPE) trial (n = 429), Beta-Blocker Evaluation of Survival Trial (BEST) (n = 2691), and Studies Of Left Ventricular Dysfunction (SOLVD) trial (n = 6782) limited datasets were studied. The blood urea nitrogen to creatinine ratio (BUN/Creatinine) was employed as a surrogate for renal neurohormonal activation and the primary outcome was the interaction between BUN/Creatinine and RI associated mortality. Baseline RI (GFR < 60 mL/min/1.73 m²) was associated with mortality in all study populations (P < 0.001). In patients with higher BUN/Creatinine, the risk of mortality was consistently greater in patients with RI [adjusted hazard ratio (HR) ESCAPE = 2.8, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.3–14.3, P = 0.019; BEST = 1.6, 95% CI 1.2–2.2, P = 0.002; SOLVD = 1.6, 95% CI 1.3–2.0, P = 0.001]. However, in patients with lower BUN/Creatinine, the risk of mortality was not elevated in patients with RI (adjusted HR ESCAPE = 0.94, 95% CI 0.35–2.4, P = 0.90, P interaction = 0.005; BEST = 0.97, 95% CI 0.64–1.4, P = 0.90, P interaction = 0.02; SOLVD = 1.0, 95% CI 0.8–1.3, P = 0.71, P interaction = 0.005). Conclusion The association between RI and poor survival observed in heart failure populations appears to be contingent not simply on the presence of a reduced GFR, but possibly on the mechanism by which GFR is reduced.
Electromagnetic bounded States and challenges of plasma spectroscopy

We review the foundations and observational support for a new plasma wave mode that has been proposed to explain emissions stimulated by satellite-born high-power radio-frequency sounders. These sounders, which are designed to derive remote electron density profiles from electromagnetic-wave echoes, stimulate plasma resonances in the local plasma. In addition to stimulating resonances at the electron plasma frequency f/sub pe/, harmonics of electron gyrofrequency f/sub ce/, and at the upper hybrid frequency f/sub uh/, resonances are also stimulated at frequencies below f/sub pe/ between the gyroharmonics. The first such resonance, with frequency between f/sub ce/ and 2f/sub ce/, was discovered by Nelms and Lockwood in 1967 using the topside sounder on Alouette 2. From its appearance, it was called a diffuse resonance (D/sub 1/ in modern notation) and was originally thought to have a frequency of 3/2f/sub ce/. Further observations, and theoretical insights, indicated that f/sub D1/ is dependent on f/sub pe/ and f/sub ce/, namely, f/sub D1/=(3//spl pi/)(f/sub pe/f/sub ce/)/sup 1/2/. The theoretical concepts used to obtain this expression indicated that the D/sub n/ resonances (n=1,2,3,...) are electron eigenmodes (electromagnetic bounded states) and led to equations describing the frequencies of the entire D/sub n/ sequence and their subsidiary resonances D/sub n//sup +/ and D/sub n//sup -/. Such formulas, based on a combined theoretical and empirical approach, describe a /spl radic/n spectrum with the frequency of each mode split by the magnetic field analogous to the Zeeman splitting in quantum mechanics. The /spl radic/n spectrum was first predicted for force-free electromagnetic cylindrical plasma oscillations by Osherovich in 1986. The main theoretical challenge remains to derive the frequency f/sub D1/ from first principles. Although the D/sub n/ resonances have been stimulated in the terrestrial ionosphere for decades by topside sounder satellites such as Alouette 2 and by electron guns on several rocket experiments, and in Jupiter's Io plasma torus by the sounder on the Ulysses space probe, and are currently being stimulated in the terrestrial magnetosphere by the sounder on the IMAGE spacecraft, they have yet to be observed in laboratory experiments.
CYP3A4 GENETIC VARIANT AND DISEASE-FREE SURVIVAL AMONG WHITE AND BLACK MEN AFTER RADICAL PROSTATECTOMY

ABSTRACTPurpose:: Prostate cancer is an androgen sensitive disease. Cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) oxidatively deactivates testosterone by converting it to biologically less active metabolites. Previous studies suggest that a germline genetic variant in the 5′ regulatory region of the gene may interfere with deactivation and increase the risk of clinically advanced prostate cancer. We investigated the impact of this polymorphism on the risk of recurrence after prostatectomy.Materials and Methods:: We assembled clinical data and analyzed specimens from a large series of patients who underwent prostatectomy who were carefully staged at a single institution and had 5 to 10 years of prospective clinical followup. The series included 428 white men and 309 black men.Results:: Stage, Gleason score or preoperative prostate specific antigen strongly predicted progression-free survival (PFS) but were not associated with CYP3A4 genotypes. There was a strong association between race and genotype (p = 0.00002) in that 8...
The informal-intermittent organization: a vehicle for successful citizen protest

This article presents the case history of a local, informal protest group and reasons for its effectiveness and longevity. The Delta Avenue Citizens Organization (DACO), formed to prevent the const...
Hemispheric sex differences in response to apparently moving stimuli as indicated by visual evoked potentials.

This research was designed to determine whether visual event related potentials (ERPs) recorded from over the two occipital hemispheres would indicate differential processing of apparently moving and stationary stimuli. Previous findings in the literature led us to consider a male-female comparison as part of our experimental design.Nine male and nine female subjects were screened for right-handedness and visual abilities (acuity, depth and phoria). Each participated in three experimental sessions over a three day period in which ERPs were recorded from O1 and O2 in response to stimuli presented in left, central and right visual fields.The main finding was that, for female subjects, right hemispheric derived ERPs were larger in amplitude than left hemisphere recordings for apparently moving stimuli presented centrally. Males showed no hemispheric amplitude differences. However, for male subjects, the left hemisphere ERP latencies to motion were longer than those recorded from over O2 with central visual f...
Benzodiazepines and the risk of urinary incontinence in frail older persons living in the community.

Objective Urinary incontinence is a common problem among older persons living in different community settings. The multifactorial origin of urinary incontinence has been largely addressed, and many previous studies have identified several reversible factors associated with incontinence. The aim of this study was to estimate the risk of urinary incontinence associated with the use of oxidative or nonoxidative benzodiazepines. Methods We analyzed data from a large collaborative observational study group, the Italian Silver Network Home Care project, which collected data on patients admitted to home care programs (N = 4583). A total of 22 home health agencies participated in the project, which evaluated the implementation of the Minimum Data Set for Home Care instrument. The main outcomes measure was the prevalence of urinary incontinence and the association with benzodiazepine use. Results A total of 1475 individuals (21% of patients aged 60-74 years and 38% aged ≥75 years) reported urinary incontinence. Users of benzodiazepines had an increased risk of urinary incontinence of nearly 45% (odds ratio [OR], 1.44; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.12-1.83). The risk seemed to be of greater magnitude for exposure to oxidative agents (adjusted OR, 1.47; 95% CI, 1.09-1.99) than to nonoxidative benzodiazepines (adjusted OR, 1.35; 95% CI, 0.93-1.96). Among the oxidative benzodiazepines, the effect mainly resulted from agents with a long elimination half-life (adjusted OR, 1.75; 95% CI, 1.13–2.72). Conclusions The metabolic pathway of the benzodiazepines is a good predictor of urinary incontinence. In frail elderly patients, oxidative benzodiazepines are potentially more harmful than nonoxidative agents. Among oxidative benzodiazepines, the best ones seem to be those with a short elimination half-life. Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics (2002) 72, 729–734; doi: 10.1067/mcp.2002.129318
The Effects of Negative Political Campaigns: A Meta‐Analytic Reassessment

The conventional wisdom about negative political campaigning holds that it works, i.e., it has the consequences its practitioners intend. Many observers also fear that negative campaigning has unintended but detrimental effects on the political system itself. An earlier meta-analytic assessment of the relevant literature found no reliable evidence for these claims, but since then the research literature has more than doubled in size and has greatly improved in quality. We reexamine this literature and find that the major conclusions from the earlier meta-analysis still hold. All told, the research literature does not bear out the idea that negative campaigning is an effective means of winning votes, even though it tends to be more memorable and stimulate knowledge about the campaign. Nor is there any reliable evidence that negative campaigning depresses voter turnout, though it does slightly lower feelings of political efficacy, trust in government, and possibly overall public mood.
Calculating capillary pressures in frozen and ice-free soils below the melting temperature

Approaches to calculating capillary pressure in frozen and ice-free soils below the melting temperature are surveyed. Three methods for calculating capillary pressure in frozen porous media are presented and compared. Except at very low temperatures all give comparable results. The effect of changes in the ice–melt interfacial tension on the soil freezing curves are expected to be trivial since the relative decrease in ice–melt interfacial tension becomes appreciable only at temperatures at which unfrozen water contents become vanishingly small. The thermodynamic relationships and formulas are presented to estimate the capillary pressure for unfrozen water in ice-free soils.
Measuring the Influence of the BKCa β1 Subunit on Ca2+ Binding to the BKCa Channel

The large-conductance Ca2+-activated potassium (BKCa) channel of smooth muscle is unusually sensitive to Ca2+ as compared with the BKCa channels of brain and skeletal muscle. This is due to the tissue-specific expression of the BKCa auxiliary subunit β1, whose presence dramatically increases both the potency and efficacy of Ca2+ in promoting channel opening. β1 contains no Ca2+ binding sites of its own, and thus the mechanism by which it increases the BKCa channel's Ca2+ sensitivity has been of some interest. Previously, we demonstrated that β1 stabilizes voltage sensor activation, such that activation occurs at more negative voltages with β1 present. This decreases the work that Ca2+ must do to open the channel and thereby increases the channel's apparent Ca2+ affinity without altering the real affinities of the channel's Ca2+ binding sites. To explain the full effect of β1 on the channel's Ca2+ sensitivity, however, we also proposed that there must be effects of β1 on Ca2+ binding. Here, to test this hypothesis, we have used high-resolution Ca2+ dose–response curves together with binding site–specific mutations to measure the effects of β1 on Ca2+ binding. We find that coexpression of β1 alters Ca2+ binding at both of the BKCa channel's two types of high-affinity Ca2+ binding sites, primarily increasing the affinity of the RCK1 sites when the channel is open and decreasing the affinity of the Ca2+ bowl sites when the channel is closed. Both of these modifications increase the difference in affinity between open and closed, such that Ca2+ binding at either site has a larger effect on channel opening when β1 is present.