cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Local calcium gradients during excitation–contraction coupling and alternans in atrial myocytes

Subcellular Ca2+ signalling during normal excitation-contraction (E-C) coupling and during Ca2+ alternans was studied in atrial myocytes using fast confocal microscopy and measurement of Ca2+ currents (ICa). Ca2+ alternans, a beat-to-beat alternation in the amplitude of the [Ca2+]i transient, causes electromechanical alternans, which has been implicated in the generation of cardiac fibrillation and sudden cardiac death. Cat atrial myocytes lack transverse tubules and contain sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) of the junctional (j-SR) and non-junctional (nj-SR) types, both of which have ryanodine-receptor calcium release channels. During E-C coupling, Ca2+ entering through voltage-gated membrane Ca2+ channels (ICa) triggers Ca2+ release at discrete peripheral j-SR release sites. The discrete Ca2+ spark-like increases of [Ca2+]i then fuse into a peripheral ‘ring’ of elevated [Ca2+]i, followed by propagation (via calcium-induced Ca2+ release, CICR) to the cell centre, resulting in contraction. Interrupting ICa instantaneously terminates j-SR Ca2+ release, whereas nj-SR Ca2+ release continues. Increasing the stimulation frequency or inhibition of glycolysis elicits Ca2+ alternans. The spatiotemporal [Ca2+]i pattern during alternans shows marked subcellular heterogeneities including longitudinal and transverse gradients of [Ca2+]i and neighbouring subcellular regions alternating out of phase. Moreover, focal inhibition of glycolysis causes spatially restricted Ca2+ alternans, further emphasising the local character of this phenomenon. When two adjacent regions within a myocyte alternate out of phase, delayed propagating Ca2+ waves develop at their border. In conclusion, the results demonstrate that (1) during normal E-C coupling the atrial [Ca2+]i transient is the result of the spatiotemporal summation of Ca2+ release from individual release sites of the peripheral j-SR and the central nj-SR, activated in a centripetal fashion by CICR via ICa and Ca2+ release from j-SR, respectively, (2) Ca2+ alternans is caused by subcellular alterations of SR Ca2+ release mediated, at least in part, by local inhibition of energy metabolism, and (3) the generation of arrhythmogenic Ca2+ waves resulting from heterogeneities in subcellular Ca2+ alternans may constitute a novel mechanism for the development of cardiac dysrhythmias.
Management of Malignant Pleural Effusions Using the Pleurx Catheter

Background A malignant pleural effusion can cause significant morbidity to terminal patients. Drainage and control of the fluid can provide great palliation. Improving the quality of life for these patients on an outpatient basis is a worthy goal. Methods We have inserted 231 Pleur x (Cardinal Health Systems, McGaw Park, IL) catheters into 202 patients with symptomatic malignant pleural effusions with the goal of treating the fluid on an outpatient basis. The catheters were drained at home, using vacuum bottles, every other day after an initial week of draining daily. No sclerosing agents were instilled. The catheters were removed when drainage was less than 50 mL/day. Primary tumor sites, irradiation to the hemithorax, and incomplete re-expansion of the lung were studied for their ability to predict prolonged drainage (over 100 days). Results In all cases, evacuation of the fluid with a Pleur x catheter palliated the patient's symptoms. Overall, 134 of 231 (58.0%) catheters were removed after the drainage tapered off. Reaccumulation of the pleural effusion occurred in 5 of 132 (3.8%) patients. The incidence of infection was 5 of 231 (2.2%) and was usually limited to cellulitis at the insertion site. The incidence of blockage was 11 of 231 (4.8%) and was most common in patients with an underlying cancer at sites other than breast and gynecologic primaries. Drainage for more than 100 days was seen most often in patients who had incomplete reexpansion of the underlying lung ( p Conclusions Insertion of Pleur x catheters is an effective way to treat patients with a malignant pleural effusion on an outpatient basis with a high degree of patient compliance and few complications. Overall, almost 60% of the catheters can be removed with a very low chance of reaccumulation, and without the need to instill a sclerosing agent. Even patients with a trapped lung can be palliated and released from hospital, although the likelihood of removing the catheter is small.
An enhanced method for using the IPCC approach to estimate soil organic carbon storage potential on U.S. agricultural soils

Abstract The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) provides a method to estimate soil organic carbon (SOC) stock changes relative to the SOC stock under native vegetation. This manuscript modifies the IPCC approach to use the ending SOC stock from the previous inventory as the SOC stock that is changed by land use and management activities during the next inventory and to track the crop rotation and tillage intensity through three inventories. The approach allows annual rates of change of carbon sequestration from different historic land uses and management to be estimated explicitly for each assessment point based on the effect of previous land use and management. The model generates 3524 unique annual SOC sequestration rates that vary by land use and management history on U.S. agricultural land based on the 30 SOC stock reference values provided by IPCC documentation. An average of 0.33 Mg C ha −1 yr −1 is stored when cropland that was conventionally tilled in two previous inventories is set-aside in the third inventory, but only 0.14 Mg C ha −1 yr −1 when it is conventionally tilled in the first inventory and no-till in the second inventory before it is set aside. Incorporating a winter cover on cropland that was conventionally tilled in the first inventory and no-till in the second and third inventories is estimated to store 0.49 Mg C ha −1 yr −1 , but could store 0.81 Mg C ha −1 yr −1 if it was conventionally tilled in the first two inventories and under no-till in the final inventory. Cropland under conventional tillage in the first two inventories and no-till the final inventory could store an average of 0.34 Mg C ha −1 yr −1 , but cropland under conventional tillage in the first, reduced tillage in the second, and no-till in the third inventory is estimated to store 0.19 Mg C ha −1 yr −1 . The detailed annual rates of SOC stock change estimated using the approach is useful for economic or other analyses and for policymakers.
Revision and removal of stimulating electrodes following long-term therapy with the vagus nerve stimulator

Abstract BACKGROUND A significant concern about vagus nerve stimulation therapy has been the disposition of the spiral stimulating electrodes once treatment is considered ineffective or is no longer desired. Because the electrodes are wrapped around the vagus nerve, there is the potential for nerve injury during their removal. METHODS We attempted removal of the spiral stimulating electrodes from 10 patients who received long-term vagus nerve stimulation therapy for drug-resistant epilepsy. In some patients, replacement with electrodes was also performed for poorly functioning leads. RESULTS The mean duration of electrode implantation was 3.7 ± 2.2 years (range 1.1–7.3 years). In seven patients, the old electrodes were removed completely from the nerve. No adverse events occurred intraoperatively or postoperatively. CONCLUSIONS Our results indicate that the spiral electrodes may be safely removed from the vagus nerve, even after the electrodes have been implanted for several years. The reversibility of lead implantation may enhance the attractiveness of vagus nerve stimulation therapy for patients with medically-intractable epilepsy.
Chemical, biochemical, and cellular properties of copper and iron bleomycins.

Abstract Several equilibrium and kinetic properties of copper bleomycin are described and used as a basis for analyzing the inhibition of the bleomycin-dependent DNA strand scission reaction by Cu2+. Iron(II) bleomycin is shown to be a potent generator of OH· upon reaction with oxygen in the presence and absence of the thiol, glutathione. Finally, both bleomycin and copper bleomycin are defined as active cytotoxic agents in a metal-free assay using Ehrlich ascites tumor cells in culture. However, when fetal calf serum is present in the initial incubation period of cells with drugs, the copper complex retains activity but the free ligand is significantly less effective. Copper bleomycin may be a 2-pronged drug, liberating 2 cytotoxic species in cells, copper and bleomycin.
Control of Sphaeropsis Rot in Stored Apple Fruit Caused by Sphaeropsis pyriputrescens with Postharvest Fungicides

Abstract Sphaeropsis rot caused by Sphaeropsis pyriputrescens is a recently reported postharvest fruit rot disease of apple grown in Washington State. The objective of this study was to develop chemical-based mitigation measures for Sphaeropsis rot in stored apple fruit. To determine in vitro sensitivity of S. pyriputrescens to the three registered postharvest fungicides thiabendazole, fludioxonil, and pyrimethanil, 30 isolates of S. pyriputrescens obtained from various sources were tested for mycelial growth and conidial germination on fungicide-amended media. Golden Delicious apple fruit were inoculated with the pathogen in the orchard at 2 or 5 weeks before harvest. After harvest, fruit were either nontreated or dipped in thiabendazole, fludioxonil, or pyrimethanil solutions, stored at 0°C, and monitored for decay development for up to 9 months after harvest. The mean effective concentration of a fungicide that inhibits mycelial growth or spore germination by 50% relative to the nonamended control (EC5...
From Peasant Favors to Indigenous Rights The Articulation of an Indigenous Identity and Land Struggle in Northwestern Argentina

A travel de la comparacion de dos movilizaciones por la tierra realizadas por un grupo de indigenas Kollas del Noroeste Argentino (la primera en 1946 y la segunda en 1993), este articulo explora las formas cambiantes que estas luchas han asumido en los ultimos 50 anos. La investigacion del papel que las memorias de la marcha de 1946 jugaron durante la mobilizacion de 1993 es seguida por una comparacion del lenguaje de las demandas de ambas marchas y los discursos en que estas han estado insertas. Estas demandas deben situarse en el contexto de eventos politicos y legales dentro y fuera de la Argentina. La articulacion de estos eventos con las micropoliticas locales de la lucha territorial de los Kollas es analizada etnogrdficamente a traves del cambiante significado social del termino "Kolla" y de las experiencias vividas por aquellos que portan este nombre en el Noroeste Argentino. La identidad Kolla no es esencial o estrategica, sino un posicionamiento que es inherentemente inestable y que resulta de la articulacion de cambiantes fuerzas locales, nacionales e internacionales. Este articulo presta particular atencidn al papel que han jugado en estos procesos el gobierno argentino y sus instituciones indigenistas.
Fundamental Detection and Estimation Limits in Spike Sorting

Spike sorting refers to the detection and classification of electric potentials (spikes) from multi-neuron recordings, a difficult but essential pre-processing step before neural data can be analyzed for information content. While several spike sorting algorithms have been proposed, our goal is to determine the ultimate limits of spike classification and to characterize this error, regardless of spike sorting algorithm. We account for the major factors influencing the sorting procedure: SNR, relative amplitude ratio and inter-spike correlation in time and waveform morphology. Using an ideal detection/estimation system we calculate detection probabilities and time delay estimation errors as they vary with these parameters, establishing upper bounds on spike classification in terms of these metrics.
Carbohydrates in transplantation.

Carbohydrate materials have become increasingly utilized in transplantation and cell/tissue engineering within the past year. This has been well documented in recent applications of immobilized or soluble alpha-galactosyl epitopes (i.e. oligosaccharides with a terminal Galalpha1-3Gal sequence) in preventing hyperacute rejection in pig-to-primate xenotransplantation. In addition, alpha-galactosyl polymers have been shown to exhibit much greater activity (up to 10(4) times) than alpha-galactosyl monomers in inhibiting the binding of anti-galactosyl antibodies to pig kidney epithelial cells and assisting in the prevention of cytotoxicity in human serum.
Studies in stereoencephalotomy. II. A new procedure for exploration and elimination of subcortical structures.

Abstract A method is described for inserting stereotactically directed electrodes into the human brain under local anesthesia. This method is being used for the insertion into the subcortex of recording or stimulating electrodes and for production of subcortical lesions.
Market Equilibrium with Private Knowledge

The effect of asymmetric information between buyers and sellers on product quality was first explored by Akerlof (1970) in his pathbreaking paper on the market for ‘lemons’. He showed that if all purchasers have imperfect information on quality, then a market for the product may not exist, or if it does function it may not be efficient. These results have led to a number of papers concerning insurance and labor markets under different assumptions regarding how agents discriminate between ‘products’ of varying quality [see Pauly (1974), Rothschild and Stiglitz (1976), Wilson (1977), Miyasaki (1977), and Spence (1978)].
SU‐FF‐I‐23: Full‐Scan Versus Half‐Scan in Cone Beam Breast CT ‐ a Quantitative Comparison

Purpose: To evaluate and compare half‐scan and full scan techniques for cone beam breast CT in terms of CT number, radiation dose distribution and CNR.Method and Materials:CT number comparison: A 11 cm diameter breast phantom, made of a stack of glandular and fat tissue, was analytically modeled to evaluate the difference of CT numbers reconstructed from Feldkamp algorithm based half and full scan reconstruction. Radiation dose distribution: An 11 cm diameter cylindrical breast model was constructed to evaluate the dose distribution with Geant4 based Monte Carlo simulation.CNR evaluation: An 11 cm diameter polycarbonate cylinder was imaged to simulate breast imaging. Five holes of the same size (5 mm in diameter) were drilled at different radial distance from the phantom center. The phantom, filled with iodine solution, was imaged with an aSi/CsI flat panel detector based cone beam CT scanner. Iodine CNRs were measured for different half‐scan coverage selection. Results: It has been found that the CT numbers reconstructed from half‐scan were close to those from full‐scan. The radiation doses in the half‐scan coverage can be twice than those out the coverage as the radial distance increasing. The CNRs for different half‐scan coverage were approximately identical. Conclusion: Our results show that the reconstructed data from half‐scan are comparable to that from full‐scan. The radiation doses are low for the positions out the half‐scan coverage. The CNRs vary little with half‐scan coverage. Acknowledgement: This work was supported in part by grants CA104759 and CA124585 from NIH‐NCI, a grant EB00117 from NIH‐NIBIB, and a subcontract from NIST‐ATP.
A Highly Efficient Redundancy Scheme: Self-Purging Redundancy

The goals of this paper are to present an efficient redundancy scheme for highly reliable systems, to give a method to compute the exact reliability of such systems and to compare this scheme with other redundancy schemes. This redundancy scheme is self-purging redundancy, a scheme that uses a threshold voter and that purges the failed modules. Switches for self-purging systems are extremely simple: there is no replacement of the failed modules and module purging is quite simply implemented. Because of switch simplicity, exact reliability calculations re possible. The effects of switch reliability are quantitatively examined. For short mission times, switch reliability is the most important factor: self-purging systems have a probability of failure several times larger than the figure obtained when switches are assumed to be perfect. The influence of the relative frequency of the diverse types of failures (permanent, intermittent, stuck-at, multiple,...) is also investigated. Reliability functions, mission time improvements, and switch efficiency are computed and displayed. Self-purging systems are compared with other redundant systems, like hybrid or NMR, for their relative merits in reliability gain, simplicity, cost, and confidence in the reliability estimation. The high confidence in the reliability evaluation of self-purging systems makes them a standard for the validation of several models that have been proposed to take into account switch reliability. The accuracy of the models using coverage factors can be evaluated in this way.
A new approach to the inhibition of gene expression.

Abstract The induction of a specific down-regulation in gene expression is an important research tool. Recently, several related processes including post-transcriptional gene silencing (PTGS) and RNA interference (RNAi) have been identified that generate sequence-specific inhibition of gene expression. Although the physiological function of PTGS and RNAi is still being elucidated, these pathways have been used to rapidly determine gene function. The recent observation of RNAi in mammalian cells extends the possible applications of these mechanisms.
Acute-phase proteins in osteoarthritis

The joint destruction of osteoarthritis (OA) comprises loss of articular cartilage resulting from an imbalance of enzyme-catalized cartilage breakdown and regeneration. OA is thought to derive from defective chondrocyte metabolism and thus to inherently lack the large-scale systemic response that is the hallmark of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Because of the apparent absence of systemic inflammation in OA, acute-phase response proteins have not been as extensively studied in OA as they have been in RA. The diagnosis of OA almost always involves radiographic assessment of joint damage, which is useful only after the disease process has been underway for several months. Radiographic evaluation cannot give a good assessment of current disease activity and is a relatively insensitive indicator of prognosis. Cartilage breakdown products can potentially serve as direct surrogate markers of OA disease activity, but have not been extensively used because of their limited sensitivity and the technical difficulties associated with their measurement. Markers of disease activity in RA are indirect and are derived from the acute-phase response, a cycle of temporal changes in cellular and metabolic function. The early part of the acute-phase response involves the local action and production of cytokines such as interleukin-1 (IL-1), tumor necrosis factor (TNF-alpha) and IL-6. In the late acute-phase response, these cytokines can effect many systemic changes, including increased production of acute-phase proteins (APP). Three valuable surrogate markers of disease activity in RA are provided by the acute-phase response: the time-honored erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and the newer APPs C-reactive protein (CRP) and serum amyloid A (SAA). As in RA, the joint destruction of OA involves IL-1, TNF-alpha, and IL-6; however, OA can be viewed as an indolent stimulus of the later (systemic) acute-phase response. Recent studies of the acute-phase response in OA suggest that the concentrations of CRP and SAA are elevated in OA, but to a lesser extent than in RA. In the future, long-term monitoring of CRP concentrations in the blood may permit the earlier detection and more effective treatment of OA.
Combined control-structural optimization

An approach to combined control-structural optimization aimed at enhancing early design trade-offs is outlined and illustrated by numerical examples. The approach employs a homotopic strategy and is capable of generating families of designs that can be used in early trade studies. Analytical results are obtained for classes of structure/control objectives with LQG and LQR costs. For these, it is demonstrated that global optima can be computed for small values of the homotopy parameter.
Multitube turbojet noise‐suppression studies using cross‐correlation techniques

The noise-generating region of a suppressed turbojet exhaust is studied by cross-correlating static pressure fluctuations within the exhaust with far-field sound for Mach numbers up to 0.99, using a 31-tube nozzle having an area ratio of 3.1. Measurements made with an unsuppressed turbojet exhaust having an equivalent area ratio and operating under effectively equal thrust loads serve as the experimental control. Static pressure-level measurements, made with a calibrated high-temperature acoustically damped probe tube, show that noise suppression by multitube nozzles results from reduced turbulence levels. The maximum fluctuating static-pressure level in the unsuppressed turbojet exhaust is typically 5-6 dB higher than static-pressure levels in the suppressed exhaust under conditions of effectively equal static thrust. This suggests that the turbulence intensity in the multitube suppressor flow is reduced in excess of 20% compared with the unsuppressed jet exhaust.
Economic Burden of Respiratory Infections in an Employed Population

Context While respiratory infections are a leading cause of morbidity, there is little information on the costs of medically treating these conditions, or on their workplace impact. Objective The purpose of this study was to estimate the economic burden of respiratory infections from the perspective of an employer. Design, setting, and participants A total of 63,890 patients with at least one diagnosis for a respiratory infection in 1997 were identified in a claims database of a national Fortune 100 company. Outcome measures were compared to those of a 10% random sample of beneficiaries in the overall beneficiary population. Main outcome measures The annual per capita costs for each category of respiratory infections were determined for beneficiaries of this major employer by analyzing all medical, prescription drug, and disability claims in 1997. Results In 1997, the total cost to the employer per patient, as well as medical-service utilization, were higher among patients with respiratory infections than among beneficiaries in the overall beneficiary population. Significant variations exist in costs across the 11 selected respiratory infections. For example, annual per capita employer expenditures for patients with respiratory infections totaled $4,397, while expenditures for patients with pneumonia and patients with acute tonsillitis/pharyngitis were $11,544 and $2,180, respectively, as compared with costs for the average beneficiary, which was $2,368. Conclusions Patients with respiratory infections present an important financial burden to employers. We estimate that the cost to employers of patients with respiratory infections in the United States in 1997 was $112 billion, including costs of medical treatment and time lost from work.
Identification by in Vitro Mutagenesis of the Interaction of Two Segments of C2MstC1, a Chimera of Cytochromes P450 2C2 and P450 2C1

A hybrid cytochrome P450, C2MstC1, with 306 N-terminal amino acids derived from cytochrome P450 2C2 sequence and 184 C-terminal amino acids from cytochrome P450 2C1 acquires a novel progesterone 21-hydroxylase activity which is absent in the parent enzymes. Extension of the cytochrome P450 2C2 sequence to residue 382 reduced progesterone hydroxylase activity to 5% of that of C2MstC1, while further extension to residue 411 or 462 increased activity back to about 30 or 40%, respectively. In the chimera with cytochrome P450 2C2 sequence to residue 382, substitution of cytochrome P450 2C1 amino acids at positions 368, 369, and 374 increased progesterone hydroxylase activity to a level equivalent to that of C2MstC1. In the chimera with cytochrome P450 2C2 sequence extending to residue 411, substitutions of P450 2C1 amino acids at positions 386 and 388, in addition those at 368, 369, and 374, were required to obtain activities equivalent to that of C2MstC1, which suggests an interaction between these two regions. The lauric acid hydroxylase activities of all chimeras and mutant cytochromes P450 differed by 2-fold or less, demonstrating that the changes in progesterone hydroxylase activity reflected altered interactions with the substrate. Alignment of cytochrome P450 2C1 sequence with cytochromes P450cam, P450BM-3, and P450terp predicts that residues 368/369 and 386/388 are in adjacent antiparallel strands of the same beta-sheet, in agreement with the experimental data suggesting an interaction between these two regions.
Molecular Changes in Membrane Lipids During Cold Stress

This presentation is to review current ideas on the subject of how metabolic changes in membrane lipids can lessen or prevent injury to plants exposed to low temperature. Most work in this area has been done with chilling stress rather than freezing stress to avoid dealing with a number of extra complications associated with the latter process. However, I believe that much of the knowledge gained from chilling studies is directly applicable to the phenomenon of hardening against freezing damage.
Racial Differences in Cancer Risk Among Relatives of Patients With Early Onset Lung Cancer

Background Relatives of patients with early onset lung cancer are at increased risk for lung cancer, and this risk varies by race. This study evaluates whether first-degree relatives of patients with early onset lung cancer are at increased risk for cancer at sites other than lung. Methods Family histories were ascertained from 673 lung cancer patients Results Among case relatives, African Americans were 2.44-fold more likely to have head and neck cancers and 1.86-fold more likely to have any tobacco-related cancer compared to white case relatives (95% CI, 1.04 to 5.69% and 95% CI, 1.25 to 2.76, respectively). African-American case relatives were at increased risk for head and neck cancers (OR, 13.42; 95% CI, 1.65 to 109.01), all tobacco-related cancers (OR, 3.77; 95% CI, 2.16 to 6.55), tobacco-related cancers other than lung (OR, 4.10; 95% CI, 1.56 to 10.79), and cancer at any site (OR, 1.45, 95% CI, 1.04 to 2.02) compared to African-American control relatives. Conclusions These results can be used to counsel family members of patients with early onset lung cancer, and suggest target populations for preventive strategies, including smoking cessation and appropriate screening.
Water dynamics--the effects of ions and nanoconfinement.

Hydrogen bond dynamics of water in highly concentrated NaBr salt solutions and reverse micelles are studied using ultrafast 2D-IR vibrational echo spectroscopy and polarization-selective IR pump−probe experiments performed on the OD hydroxyl stretch of dilute HOD in H2O. The vibrational echo experiments measure spectral diffusion, and the pump−probe experiments measure orientational relaxation. Both experimental observables are directly related to the structural dynamics of water's hydrogen bond network. The measurements performed on NaBr solutions as a function of concentration show that the hydrogen bond dynamics slow as the NaBr concentration increases. The most pronounced change is in the longest time scale dynamics which are related to the global rearrangement of the hydrogen bond structure. Complete hydrogen bond network randomization slows by a factor of ∼3 in ∼6 M NaBr solution compared to that in bulk water. The hydrogen bond dynamics of water in nanoscopically confined environments are studied b...
Photochemistry of molecules adsorbed on alkali ion exchanged zeolites. A “Lebensraum” effect on product formation.

Abstract The products of the photolysis of dibenzyl ketone adsorbed on faujasite zeolites are found to be a strong function of the Si/Al composition of the zeolite and of the exchangeable cations associated with the internal framework.
Navigating protected genomics data with UCSC Genome Browser in a Box.

Summary: Genome Browser in a Box (GBiB) is a small virtual ma- chine version of the popular University of California Santa Cruz (UCSC) Genome Browser that can be run on a researcher's own computer. Once GBiB is installed, a standard web browser is used to access the virtual server and add personal data files from the local hard disk. Annotation data are loaded on demand through the Internet from UCSC or can be downloaded to the local computer for faster access. Availability and Implementation: Software downloads and installa- tion instructions are freely available for non-commercial use at https://genome-store.ucsc.edu/. GBiB requires the installation of open- source software VirtualBox, available for all major operating systems, and the UCSC Genome Browser, which is open source and free for non-commercial use. Commercial use of GBiB and the Genome Browser requires a license (http://genome.ucsc.edu/license/).
Hemodynamics of early experimental renal hypertension in dogs. Normal limb blood flow, elevated limb vascular resistance, and decreased venous compliance.

To investigate the hemodynamics of early experimental renal hypertension, skin and muscle blood flows and intravascular pressures were measured in the isolated, innervated, naturally perfused forelimbs of 44 male mongrel dogs under pentobarbital (35 mg/kg) anesthesia. In addition, venous pressure-volume relationships were studied in temporarily isolated segments of femoral and jugular veins. In 10 dogs (group H-1) one kidney was wrapped in silk 8 days before study; in 12 (H-2) one kidney was wrapped 4 weeks, and a contralateral nephrectomy was done 2 weeks, before study; 22 were prepared as appropriate normotensive controls. A significant rise in mean arterial pressure occurred in groups H-1 and H-2. Compared to corresponding control groups, (1) muscle and skin blood flows in both hypertensive groups were unchanged (P>0.1); (2) muscle and skin resistances/100 g limb weight were increased in group H-2 (P<0.05); and (3) femoral venous pressure-volume curves were shifted toward the pressure axis (P<0.02). Th...
Slip on shallow-dipping normal faults

Figure 1. Horizontal effective stress (σ3 – P), normalized to overburden (ρgz) as a function of fault dip for frictional failure, after Abers (2001). Coeffi cients of friction µ vary with line color (legend); solid lines show the case of hydrostatic pore pressure (λ = P/ρgz = 0.4) and dotted lines show near-lithostatic case (λ = 0.9). Faults can only slip for effective horizontal stress greater than the tensile strength, T, of the overlying rock, otherwise the hanging wall will fail by hydrofracture.
Design and Initial Implementation of an Inductive Signature-Based Real-Time Traffic Performance Measurement System

The need for accurate, comprehensive and timely traffic surveillance information is critical to ensure optimal traffic operations and management for advanced traffic management systems (ATMS). This paper describes an on-going study that involves the design and implementation of the section-based freeway real-time traffic performance measurement system (RTPMS)-an advanced surveillance system based on inductive vehicle signature technologies. Unlike traffic performance measurement systems that depend on point measures, RTPMS provides section-based travel time measures via matching of inductive vehicle signatures obtained at two adjacent detector station locations. Hence, the performance measures account for traffic conditions spanning an entire section, not just at a local detector station. In addition, each re-identified vehicle is also classified in RTPMS, yielding detailed section-based performance measures of different vehicle classes. This gives the ability to obtain more accurate travel statistics and vehicle exposure rates, such as those of commercial vehicles.
Tendon-associated bone features of the masticatory system in Neandertals

Masticatory or paramasticatory activities are often considered to have produced elevated stresses important in the evolution of the Neandertal face. Yet Neandertals were geometrically ill-equipped to produce absolutely great anterior bite forces due to their relatively long bite-force lever arms. To consider whether Neandertals might have had structurally different masticatory muscles capable of producing more force than modern human muscles, this study examines the form and frequency of bone features known to be associated with internal tendons (structure) of the masticatory musculature in four species of macaques (n=85), three geographically distinct samples of modern humans (n=111), and Neandertals (n=27). Neandertals present a mosaic of tendon-associated bone features compared with macaques and humans. The Neandertal deep masseter and anterior temporalis are inferred to be better defined and perhaps larger than in modern humans based on their better developed deep masseter fossae and presence of a postorbital ridge. Medial pterygoid bone features were not qualitatively different from those in some modern humans although the medial pterygoid tubercle is larger, on average, in Neandertals. These results imply the presence of moderately stronger masticatory muscles in Neandertals than in modern humans. A moderate increase in masticatory muscle strength is considered necessary in Neandertals to offset their relatively prognathic face. However, the differences are small enough that it remains unlikely that Neandertals could produce absolutely great anterior bite forces.
A condition for simplifying the forcing term in boundary element solutions of the diffusion equation

On montre que si la fonction de forcage dans l'equation de diffusion satisfait l'equation de Laplace, avec le temps considere comme parametre, alors l'integrale de volume associee dans les solutions element limite peut se transformer en une integrale de surface
Passivity-based feedback stabilization for Bernoulli jump nonlinear systems

We study feedback stabilization of a Bernoulli jump nonlinear system. First, the relationship between stochastic passivity and stochastic stability is established. Then, by using passivity-based tools, a state feedback controller design method that stabilizes a wide class of Bernoulli jump nonlinear systems is proposed. Specifically, the class of Bernoulli jump nonlinear systems considered includes nonlinear dynamics that may not be affine in the control input.
The effects of cell phone and text message conversations on simulated street crossing

OBJECTIVE: A fully immersive, high-fidelity street-crossing simulator was used to examine the effects of texting on pedestrian street-crossing performance. BACKGROUND: Research suggests that street-crossing performance is impaired when pedestrians engage in cell phone conversations. Less is known about the impact of texting on street-crossing performance. METHOD: Thirty-two young adults completed three distraction conditions in a simulated street-crossing task: no distraction, phone conversation, and texting. A hands-free headset and a mounted tablet were used to conduct the phone and texting conversations, respectively. Participants moved through the virtual environment via a manual treadmill, allowing them to select crossing gaps and change their gait. RESULTS: During the phone conversation and texting conditions, participants had fewer successful crossings and took longer to initiate crossing. Furthermore, in the texting condition, smaller percentage of time with head orientation toward the tablet, fewer number of head orientations toward the tablet, and greater percentage of total characters typed before initiating crossing predicted greater crossing success. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that (a) texting is as unsafe as phone conversations for street-crossing performance and (b) when subjects completed most of the texting task before initiating crossing, they were more likely to make it safely across the street. APPLICATION: Sending and receiving text messages negatively impact a range of real-world behaviors. These results may inform personal and policy decisions. Keywords: Driver distraction; Language: en
A TEST OF THE FORAGING FUNCTION OF WING-FLASHING IN NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRDS

Abstract Wing-flashing in northern mockingbirds (Mimus polyglottos) has been studied frequently, but its function remains unclear. I studied wing-flashing associated with northern mockingbird foraging during March–April 1998 in Alabama. Rate of prey attack was negatively related to wing-flashing rate, and wing-flashing rate was not significantly related to ambient temperature. Wing flashing was more likely during mid-day than during morning or evening periods, but was independent of cloud cover, lighting conditions (shaded versus open), and substrate type. Use of wing-flashing to simply flush or illuminate prey appeared unlikely. Wing-flashing may improve foraging efficiency by allowing northern mockingbirds to assess prey mobility or defensive ability.
Morphology and electrophysiology of guinea pig gastric mucosal repair in vitro

Guinea pig gastric mucosae stripped of their outer muscle layers were studied in Ussing chambers for up to 14 h. Ten minutes after the mucosae were mounted in the chamber, the electrical parameters were low but continued to rise over 90 min until steady-state potential difference (PD), resistance (R), and short-circuit current (Isc) were recorded. Morphological analysis during the first 10 min of the tissue in the chamber revealed gaps in the epithelium due to damaged cells. However, tissues examined after 20 min in the chamber showed little evidence of epithelial discontinuity. Thereafter, the initial rise in the electrical parameters was noted. After steady-state attainment, the lumen was exposed to 1.25 M NaCl for 5 min and then changed back to 150 mM NaCl. Ten minutes after washout and return to control solutions, the PD, R, and Isc had fallen to low values. At 30 min after washout of the NaCl, the PD, R, and Isc began to increase and after 2 h were back to control values. Morphological analysis of mucosae fixed up to 10 min after exposure to 1.25 M NaCl showed extensive damage and exfoliation of surface cells. However, by 30 min the epithelium was restored and had very few discontinuities, which was then followed by the return of the electrical parameters. The conclusions from these studies are 1) guinea pig gastric mucosae exposed to hypertonic NaCl on the luminal side will primarily result in surface epithelial cell destruction with an immediate drop in the transepithelial electrical values; 2) after return to isotonic saline the damaged mucosa can repair itself within minutes, which then allows the reestablishment of the transepithelial electrical parameters by 2 h; and 3) the good viability and reproducibility of this preparation present a suitable mammalian model system for the study of factors of mucosal repair.
Potent Inhibitors of Acetyltransferase Eis Overcome Kanamycin Resistance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis

A major cause of tuberculosis (TB) resistance to the aminoglycoside kanamycin (KAN) is the Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) acetyltransferase Eis. Upregulation of this enzyme is responsible for inactivation of KAN through acetylation of its amino groups. A 123 000-compound high-throughput screen (HTS) yielded several small-molecule Eis inhibitors that share an isothiazole S,S-dioxide heterocyclic core. These were investigated for their structure–activity relationships. Crystal structures of Eis in complex with two potent inhibitors show that these molecules are bound in the conformationally adaptable aminoglycoside binding site of the enzyme, thereby obstructing binding of KAN for acetylation. Importantly, we demonstrate that several Eis inhibitors, when used in combination with KAN against resistant Mtb, efficiently overcome KAN resistance. This approach paves the way toward development of novel combination therapies against aminoglycoside-resistant TB.
Effects of sodium removal on acid secretion by the frog gastric mucosa.

SummaryRemoval of sodium from the frog gastric mucosa results in an inhibition of H+ secretion and PD, short circuit current, Cl- flux with a rise in the resistance. Choline sulfate experiments show an inverted PD with low hydrogen ion rates or 0 PD with 0 hydrogen ion rates. In some experiments in choline chloride acid secretion occurred in the presence of a 0 PD and this secretion appears likely to be by a unitary mechanism.
Making the Connection: A "Lived History" Assignment in an Upper-Division German Course

In her book Risking Who One Is, Susan Rubin Suleiman asks, “Why ... write? Why tell the tale?” and reflects further that “although the double bind of ‘having to tell, having to fail’ belongs most excruciatingly to those whose [stories] are the most painful, the most unrepresentable, perhaps it is inherent in all autobiographical writing. No one will ever experience my life as I have, no one will ever fully understand my story. Will I ever fully understand my story?” (212-213). Suleiman relates at the same time the explicit impulse to write her story, brought on by reading autobiographical texts: “Reading other people’s war memories,” she says, “has become indissociable, for me, from the desire (and recently, the act) of writing my own” (199). Suleiman’s reflections convey the importance of lived history—the personal perspective within historical, cultural, political changes and social movements—and provided the impetus for an upper-division course I designed for the spring semester 2003 at the University of Minnesota. Taught in German and intended for students who had taken at least one introductory literature class,1 the course concept reflected my sense of the inextricable connections between personal and political perspectives involved in narrating one’s experience, connections I hoped to bring out both in the course texts themselves as well as in the students’ writing assignments. Here I will discuss the design of the course and my rationale for the incorporation of a creative non-fiction writing assignment, the outcomes of the project and the challenges I faced in facilitating it, and finally will suggest how foreign language teaching, particularly at the upper levels, could benefit from a reflective engagement with the body of scholarship on college-level writing generated by the nation-wide Writing Across the Curriculum movement.2 Titling the course “Life Stories/Lived History,” I chose personal narratives that covered the post-1945 period in German-speaking countries. Ranging from a Nobel Prize winner’s autobiography to a controversial work of undercover journalism, from interviews exploring women’s lives in East Germany to a memoir of an Afro-German activist from the west, the course texts confronted us with powerful stories of individual lives.3 As we explored the clearly personal dimension and the wider social significance of each text, I
Ubiquitin Ligases and Deubiquitinating Enzymes in CD4+ T Cell Effector Fate Choice and Function

The human body is exposed to potentially pathogenic microorganisms at barrier sites such as the skin, lungs, and gastrointestinal tract. To mount an effective response against these pathogens, the immune system must recruit the right cells with effector responses that are appropriate for the task at hand. Several types of CD4(+) T cells can be recruited, including Th cells (Th1, Th2, and Th17), T follicular helper cells, and regulatory T cells. These cells help to maintain normal immune homeostasis in the face of constantly changing microbes in the environment. Because these cells differentiate from a common progenitor, the composition of their intracellular milieu of proteins changes to appropriately guide their effector function. One underappreciated process that impacts the levels and functions of effector fate-determining factors is ubiquitylation. This review details our current understanding of how ubiquitylation regulates CD4(+) T cell effector identity and function.
Analysis of avian influenza among occupational exposure crowd in Ningxia from 2011 to 2013

Objective To learn the H5N1 avian influenza virus antibody level in occupational exposure crowd and avian influenza virus distribution in environment in Ningxia,so as to provide scientific basis for prevention and control of avian influenza. Methods Hemagglutination inhibition test was used to detect the A( H5N1) hemagglutinin antibody in occupational exposure crowd,while real-time RT-PCR was employed to detect H5,H7,H9 avian influenza virus nucleic acid in environmental samples. From April 2013,H7N9 nucleic acid was detected in environmental samples. Results All the 812 serum H5N1 antibodies from occupational exposure population were negative,while the positive rate of avian influenza A virus in 760 environmental specimens was 5. 13%. Except Yuanzhou,avian influenza A virus nucleic acid was positive in all of the other monitoring regions. Monitoring results of workplace environmental samples showed that the highest positive rate of avian influenza virus nucleic acid was found in live poultry markets of urban and rural areas. Avian influenza virus nucleic acid test results of different environment samples showed that the highest positive rate was found on surface of chopping board for placing poultry meat. Conclusion Antibody of A( H5N1) avian influenza virus was not found in occupational exposure crowd in Ningxia. In environment samples,avian influenza virus H5 and H9 were positive,but H7N9 was not detected. Live poultry markets in urban and rural areas is an important distribution center for avian influenza virus.
Crystal structure of poly[[[μ4-5-(9H-carbazol-9-yl)isophthalato][μ3-5-(9H-carbazol-9-yl)isophthalato]bis-(di-methyl-formamide)(methanol)dizinc] di-methyl-formamide monosolvate].

The structure of the polymeric title compound, {[Zn2(C20H11NO4)2(C3H7NO)2(CH3OH)]·C3H7NO}n, comprises carbazolylisophthalate moieties connecting dimetallic tetra­carboxyl­ate zinc secondary building units (SBUs) parallel to [100] and [010], leading to a layer-like arrangement parallel to (001). Each SBU consists of two Zn atoms in slightly distorted tetra­hedral and octa­hedral coordination environments [Zn⋯Zn = 3.5953 (6) A]. Three carboxyl­ate groups bridge the two Zn atoms in a μ2-O:O′ mode, whereas the fourth coordinates through a single carboxyl­ate O atom (μ1-O). The O atoms of two di­methyl­formamide (DMF) and one methanol mol­ecule complete the Zn coordination spheres. The methanol ligand inter­acts with the noncoordinating DMF mol­ecule via an O—H⋯O hydrogen bond of medium strength. Carbazoles between the layers inter­digitate through weak C—H⋯.π inter­actions to form a laminar solid stacked along [010]. Two kinds of C—H⋯π inter­actions are present, both with a distance of 2.64 A, between the H atoms and the centroids, and a third C—H⋯π inter­action, where the aromatic H atom is located above the carbazole N-atom lone pair (H⋯N = 2.89 A). Several C—H⋯O inter­actions occur between the coordinating DMF mol­ecule, the DMF solvent mol­ecule, and ligating carboxyl­ate O atoms.