cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Tension-pCa relations of saponin-skinned rabbit and human heart muscle

We tested if interaction between the thick and thin filaments, as revealed by the rate of cross-bridge cycling or the pattern of calcium activation, influences the relation between tension and free calcium concentration (pCa) of cardiac muscle. Bundles of rabbit ventricular cells which contained either fast-cycling RV1 myosin or slowly-cycling RV3 myosin and bundles of human atrial cells were chemically skinned by exposure to saponin. Skinned bundles were rapidly activated with calcium using the method of Moisescu and Thieleczek (1978). Our results suggest that the relation between pCa and tension is not different for skinned bundles of rabbit ventricular cells that contain either fast or slowly cycling myosin cross-bridges. The pattern of calcium activation, i.e. maximal to submaximal or submaximal to maximal, was also found not to influence the relation between tension and pCa for either rabbit ventricular or human atrial muscle. The tension-pCa relation of cardiac muscle was not altered by conditions that have been shown to alter the tension-pCa relation of skeletal muscle. These results suggest that the mechanisms responsible for regulating force development at the level of the thick and thin filaments that have been reported for skeletal muscle, are absent in cardiac muscle.
Investigation into bake-reversible low-level ESD-induced leakage

Electro-State Discharge (ESD) induced leakage in output transistors is a serious concern in modern CMOS processes. Previous papers have attributed an increase in output leakage after Human Body Model (HBM) ESD testing, to the formation of small silicon melt filaments in the drain of output N-channel transistors. These filaments are apparently caused by current localization and thermal runaway at the drain of the output transistor when driven too far into parasitic bipolar breakdown by an ESD pulse. In this paper, an in depth analysis of the melt filament related leakage characteristics, as well as physical failure analysis utilizing the techniques of Specific Area Cross-section Transmission Electron Microscopy (SAXTEM) was performed. With HBM stressing in the range 500 V to 6000 V, the induced leakage rarely exceeded the maximum specified device leakage current, but was observed to vary widely at a given stress voltage. With this wide leakage distribution it was shown that the measured threshold failure voltage depended on both the failure criteria for leakage during testing, and the sample size tested. This could significantly impact reliability testing and prediction. In addition, the stressed devices were observed to undergo a temperature dependent partial leakage recovery with time. Physical failure analysis was performed on leaking outputs in order to gain more insight into the actual mechanism responsible for the leakage. A Focused Ion Beam tool (FIB) was used to prepare thin cross sections containing the localized damaged regions. TEM analysis revealed silicon melt filaments, less than 100 angstroms thick, at the Si-SiO2 interface above the LDD portion of the drain. Larger regions of heat damaged silicon were evident at both ends of these filaments. This may be the first application of TEM analysis to investigate ESD induced melt filaments in silicon. By using this technique as opposed to more conventional approaches it was possible to clearly image the damaged regions and gain greater insight into the nature of the mechanisms responsible.© (1993) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Some compounds along the pathway to unsymmetrically substituted secopentaprismanes

In the preparation of an unsymmetric, polyfunctional [5]-secoprisrnane hexachlorocyclopentadiene and 5,5-dimethoxy-1,2,3,4-tetrachlorocyclopentadiene were added sequentially to benzoquinone via Diels-Alder reactions. At one point oxidation of the hydroquinone of the diadduct is necessary, and cerium (IV) ammonium nitrate (CAN) is a common oxidizing agent. Oxidation of the diadduct with CAN led to cleavage of the dimethoxy bridge forming a substituted naphthoquinone. The structures of five Diels-Alder adducts and two reaction products of the naphthoquinone are discussed.
Beyond heritability: the future of behavioral genetics.

The field of behavior genetics is thick with statistical studies1. But by discussing genes exclusively in terms of calculated statistics such as heritability (the ratio of the genetic variance of a phenotype to the total phenotypic variance of that phenotype), geneticists can only go so far towards understanding the intricacies of how and way phenotypes develop and evolve. Now, behavioral geneticists working in diverse animal systems are beginning to describe behavioral traits in terms of specific genes. Such advances were the topic of a special symposium on behavioral genetics organized by Christine Boake (University of Tennessee, USA) at the 38th Annual Animal Behavior Society Conference.
Change in body mass accurately and reliably predicts change in body water after endurance exercise

This study tested the hypothesis that the change in body mass (ΔBM) accurately reflects the change in total body water (ΔTBW) after prolonged exercise. Subjects (4 men, 4 women; 22–36 year; 66 ± 10 kg) completed 2 h of interval running (70% VO2max) in the heat (30°C), followed by a run to exhaustion (85% VO2max), and then sat for a 1 h recovery period. During exercise and recovery, subjects drank fluid or no fluid to maintain their BM, increase BM by 2%, or decrease BM by 2 or 4% in separate trials. Pre- and post-experiment TBW were determined using the deuterium oxide (D2O) dilution technique and corrected for D2O lost in urine, sweat, breath vapor, and nonaqueous hydrogen exchange. The average difference between ΔBM and ΔTBW was 0.07 ± 1.07 kg (paired t test, P = 0.29). The slope and intercept of the relation between ΔBM and ΔTBW were not significantly different from 1 and 0, respectively. The intraclass correlation coefficient between ΔBM and ΔTBW was 0.76, which is indicative of excellent reliability between methods. Measuring pre- to post-exercise ΔBM is an accurate and reliable method to assess the ΔTBW.
EDUCATIONAL AND PERSONAL HEALTH

To me health, health conservation, and the humanitarianism of lessened human suffering, represent the highest of all values— values toward whose achievement no educational effort can be too great. And this education for health, as I conceive it, would be something different—vastly different—from the sort of education which most of us received. We once called education for health by the name of hygiene, personal hygiene. But the hygiene we knew in school is a failure. I have taught for many years what is generally known as hygiene, and I have gained from the experience a thorough conviction of the inadequacy of the so-called rules of health. I should prefer my students to think logically and broadly and particularly socially on matters of health in these years of faddism, quackery, and the commercial exploitation of the health appeal. I should prefer this rather than that they be able to recite glibly the hygienic dicta of today, many of which will surely become the absurdities of tomorrow just as those of yesterday have become the absurdities of today. The great trouble with rules is, first, in any progressive field the rules change, and second, rules are no sounder than the authority of those who formulate them. The education for personal health—the hygiene if you will—which I should wish to see taught is, to use a trite expression, hygiene with a social significance.
Die-offs of the blue-green alga, Anabaena variabilis, in fish ponds

Dense populations of the blue-green alga, Anabaena variabilis, frequently develop in fish ponds at Auburn, Alabama, during windy weather in March and early April. Massive die-offs of this alga can be expected when it forms surface scums during prolonged periods of calm, clear, warm weather between mid April and mid May. Dissolved oxygen concentrations decline following die-offs and fish kills may result.
The fluorescence spectrum of HCN (A≈1 A′' → X≈1 Σ+) using ArF laser excitation

Abstract The fluorescence spectrum of HCN A≈( 1 A′') → X≈( 1 Σ + ) is reported using a tuned ArF laser as the excitation source. Assignments for the fluorescence spectra from two upper state vibrational levels are given. Franck—Condon factors for the absorption and fluorescence spectra are calculated. A laser-induced fluorescence spectrum is given which agrees with published absorption spectra of HCN.
Theoretical considerations on the extraction of pp cross sections from cosmic ray absorption data

Abstract It has been suggested, based on the application of Glauber theory to proton-air collisions, that a proton-proton total cross section which rises with energy as 1n2s is consistent with cosmic ray data. We show that if instead of a constant width, one uses a pp diffractive width which decreases consistent with present data, the cosmic ray data continue to rule out constant σppT. However, the size of the derived pp cross section is somewhat sensitive to the width, and in the relevant energy range 15% uncertainty in σppT is the maximum consequence of uncertainties in the width. Repetition of these experiments on different nuclei is not a particularly useful way to resolve these width-dependent effects.
Secondary-ion mass spectra and fast-atom-bombardment mass spectra of liquid polymers: alkoxylated pyrazoles and hydrazines

Abstract The positive-ion secondary-ion mass (s.i.m.) spectra of polyalkoxylated hydrazines and pyrazoles contain series of ions that reflect the degree of polymerization of the parent compound, and also suggest the presence of several discrete polymeric series. The spectra of two examples of pyrazoles are interpreted in terms of a series of polymeric (M + H) + ions. Three alkoxylated hydrazines yield particle-bombardment spectra which contain polymeric ion series that extend to the mass limit of the analyzer. Positive-ion fast-atom-bombardment mass spectra are also recorded. These spectra also reflect the polymeric structures of the compounds studied, and are similar in almost every detail to the s.i.m. spectra, despite a difference in primary beam parameters and the use of a sector rather than a quadrupole mass analyzer. The liquid compounds are processed as neat samples on a direct-insertion probe for the production of both secondary-ion and fast-atom-bombardment mass spectra, and provide stable, long-lasting secondary-ion signals even under high fluxes of primary particles.
Adaptive Spectrum Control and Management in Elastic Optical Networks

Elastic optical networking (EON) has emerged in recent years as a promising solution for implementing flexible bandwidth channels (flexpaths) that efficiently match the allocated bandwidth with the traffic demand using agile granularities of spectrum allocation. However, the additional flexibility in such networks raises challenges in terms of efficient control and management of spectrum resources. Among them, three important issues are (1) mitigation of spectral fragmentation, (2) implementation of impairment awareness and enhancement of robustness against impairments for potentially large-bandwidth flexpaths, and (3) design of an efficient restoration scheme to combat network failures. This paper presents an adaptive spectrum control and management scheme, which includes: dynamic on-demand spectral defragmentation, adaptive combinational quality of transmission (QoT) restoration (ACQR) and supervisory channel-assisted active restoration, to account for the three issues above. We present scalable networking algorithms and experimental demonstrations that address these issues in an EON testbed. Simulation results show that the defragmentation technique is capable of reducing the provisioning blocking probability by half with only one defragmentation module on each link. Then, we also show that the ACQR can efficiently restore many degraded flexpaths on the same impaired link while reducing the restoration blocking probability by a factor of 10 compared with the conventional rerouting method. At last, we show via simulation the advantages of using supervisory channels to determine restoration path quality and selection in EON restorations. This paper also presents experimental demonstrations to corroborate the effectiveness and feasibility of implementing these capabilities in next generation optical networks.
Continuing Education: Alternative Approaches to Optimizing Antimicrobial Pharmacodynamics in Critically Ill Patients:

Critical illness results in a constellation of physiologic changes that subsequently impact antibiotic pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic parameters. These changes can result in poorly treated inf...
Compensating effects in electromigration kinetics

A diversity of physico-chemical, thermally activated phenomena, whose rates are described in the general form A exp (−QkT), are found to exhibit a compensation effect. For a series of similar processes, when compensation exists, A and Q vary sympathetically; i.e. increases in Q are accompanied by increases in A. Temperature-ramp Resistance Analysis to Characterize Electromigration (TRACE) was applied to a series of aluminum and aluminum-alloy thin film conductors, providing the kinetic parameters for each conductor in one experiment. These data were tested for the possibility of a compensation effect, and a correlation was found between in A and Q. The existence of a compensation effect implies that there is a single temperature (isokinetic temperature) at which the electromigration rate is nearly the same for all the conductors tested. To utilize kinetic parameters determined by TRACE experiments in the comparison of electromigration lifetimes, a “time to failure” for each stripe is calculated at several temperatures spanning the isokinetic temperature. At each temperature, the generated distribution of “times to failure” is log-normal. The standard deviation of the distribution is a function of temperature with a minimum at the isokinetic temperature. The implication of these results with respect to extrapolation of mean time to failure data is discussed.
Evolutionary processes possibly limiting the kinds of amino acids in protein to twenty: a review.

Abstract Only 20 of more than 250 biosynthetic amino acids are common (coded) constituents of contemporary protein. In this paper, several stages of evolution, both prebiotic and biotic, are examined for means by which other (non-proteinous) amino acids may have been selected against. Simulated prebiotic experiments indicate that some non-proteinous amino acids were present prebiotically, that they could be incorporated during the formation of prebiotic protein, and that they would function in such protein. Biotic selection is thus indicated. Non-proteinous amino acids currently are available via biosynthetic pathways for potential incorporation into bioprotein. Codon-anticodon interaction, peptidyl transferases, and elongation and termination factors of protein synthesis do not show the specificity needed to preclude non-proteinous amino acids. Highly specific recognition among amino acids, tRNAs, and activating enzymes is concluded to be why the kinds of amino acids in contemporary protein are limited to twenty. Some of several theories concerning the origin, nature and evolution of the genetic code can readily accommodate non-proteinous amino acids. Some evidence suggests that such amino acids were eventually eliminated from protein because they were less suitable than related proteinous amino acids. However, deterministic or “direct interaction” theories currently lack sufficient experimental support to answer how non-proteinous amino acids were precluded; such theories, being testable, probably have the most potential for providing an answer.
Dynamics of DNA Condensates at the Solid−Liquid Interface by Atomic Force Microscopy

Real-time dynamics of the interaction of two DNA condensates are imaged with atomic force microscopy under fluid. DNA condensates are formed at the solid−liquid interface of aqueous buffer and chemically modified mica. Atomic force microscopy shows that the DNA condensates and the strands that compose these condensates interact and are dynamic in fluid. For the first time, images of two closely spaced condensates show that the strands in one condensate organize commensurately with the nearby strands of the second condensate. The observed structure may be an intermediate for a multi-condensate toroid. The implications of this finding are considered.
Egg's ZP3 structure speaks volumes.

Binding of mammalian sperm to eggs depends in part on ZP3, a glycoprotein in the egg's extracellular coat, the zona pellucida. In this issue, Han et al. (2010) describe the structure of an avian ZP3 homolog, providing insights into ZP3 processing and polymerization and the roles of the ZP3 polypeptide and its carbohydrate in sperm binding.
G-protein-coupled receptor-associated A-kinase anchoring proteins AKAP5 and AKAP12: differential signaling to MAPK and GPCR recycling

Background: A-kinase Anchoring Protein AKAP5 and AKAP12 both dock to the β 2 -adrenergic receptor, the former constitutively, the latter dynamically in response to activation of the receptor with agonist. Results: In the current work we analyze the ability of each AKAP to contribute to two downstream signaling events, the activation of mitogen-activate protein kinase and the resensitization/recycling of the internalized, desensitized β 2 -adrenergic receptor to the cell membrane. Although both AKAP share a large number of docking partners in common (e.g., β 2 - adrenergic receptor, protein kinases A and C, protein phosphatase-2B, and negatively-charged membrane phospholipids), AKAP5 and AKAP12 are shown to segregate with respect to activation of Erk1,2 and to resensitization/recycling of β 2 -adrenergic receptor. A431 cells were found to highly express AKAP12, but little of AKAP5. HEK293 cells, in contrast, were found to highly express AKAP5, but little of AKAP12. Suppression of the expression of AKAP5 in either A431 cells or HEK293 cells leads to loss of the ability of the β 2 -adrenergic receptor to activate Erk1,2. Suppression of the expression of AKAP12 in either cell line leads to loss of the ability of these cells to resensitize the β 2 -adrenergic receptor. Conclusion: Knock-down experiments of endogenous AKAP 5 and AKAP12 in two cell lines used commonly to study β 2 -adrenergic receptor signaling clearly discriminate between the activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase (a downstream read-out solely mediated by AKAP5) and receptor recycling (a downstream read-out solely mediated by AKAP12).
The Feasibility of Intensive Insulin Management in Non-Insulin-dependent Diabetes Mellitus: Implications of the Veterans Affairs Cooperative Study on Glycemic Control and Complications in NIDDM

Objective : To review the results from the Veterans Affairs Cooperative Study on Glycemic Control and Complications in NIDDM (VACSDM) and to discuss the implications of the results from this feasibility trial. Design : A randomized clinical trial comprising 153 men with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) who remained hyperglycemic on usual pharmacologic therapy. Patients were randomized into two groups receiving either standard or intensive insulin therapy and were followed for 27 months. Setting : Five Veterans Affairs medical centers. Patients : 153 men with NIDDM, aged 40 to 69 years, who had hemoglobin A 1c (HbA 1c ) levels of greater than 6.55% while receiving sulfonylurea or insulin therapy. Intervention : Standard insulin therapy was one or two insulin injections daily. Intensive insulin therapy was done using a stepwise approach : 1) evening intermediate or long-acting insulin ; 2) addition of daytime glipizide ; 3) insulin twice daily, with no glipizide ; and 4) insulin three to four times daily, with no glipizide. Measurements : Fasting blood glucose and HbA 1c levels, retinopathy, lipid and urinary albumin levels, cardiovascular events, hypoglycemia, and body mass index. Results : In the intensive group, the HbA 1c level fell 2.07 percentage points ; the mean HbA 1c level was 7.3% from 6 months onward. The standard group experienced little change. These changes occurred without significant weight gain and with a very low rate of severe hypoglycemia. Sixteen patients (20.5%) in the standard group and 24 patients (32%) in the intensive group had cardiovascular events (P = 0.1). Conclusions : It is feasible to achieve excellent glycemic control in men with NIDDM in whom standard pharmacologic therapy has failed. The benefit/risk ratio of intensive insulin management in this patient group is not established and has been made the subject of a long-term prospective clinical trial.
Production of levulinic acid from cellulose by hydrothermal decomposition combined with aqueous phase dehydration with a solid acid catalyst

In this paper we introduce a process to produce levulinic acid from cellulose without the use of a homogeneous acid catalyst. The process consists of 2 reaction steps: (1) non-catalytic hydrothermal decomposition of cellulose at moderate temperatures (190–270 °C) to produce organic water-soluble compounds including glucose and HMF; (2) water-soluble compounds are further reacted with a solid acid catalyst at relatively low temperatures (160 °C) to produce levulinic acid and formic acid. Unreacted cellulose can be recycled back to the first reactor for further decomposition. The cellulose hydrothermally decomposes at high initial cellulose concentrations of 29 wt% while maintaining high selectivity towards water-soluble compounds, which are levulinic acid precursors. The maximum amounts of usable water soluble organics are produced at relatively higher temperatures and shorter residence times (220 °C and 30 min). Amberlyst 70 was used as a solid acid catalyst for conversion of the water soluble organics into HMF, levulinic acid and formic acid. Amberlyst 70 has comparable activity to HCl, with a slightly lower selectivity towards levulinic acid. The maximum obtainable yield of levulinic acid we obtained was 28% of the theoretical. This study lays the grounds for further optimization to produce levulinic acid from cellulose without using homogeneous acid catalysts.
Understanding the limitations of global fit assessment in structural equation modeling

Abstract Barrett’s (2007) article on “adjudging model fit” raises some important issues concerning the use of global fit indices to justify weak structural equation models, and recommends prohibition of future use of such indices. In this commentary, I critique Barrett’s presentation, and show that his recommendations are (a) unnecessarily regressive, and (b) likely to be ignored. Then I suggest a constructive alternative in line with the spirit of his concerns.
Resource Based Optimization for Simultaneous Shield and Repeater Insertion

A new approach for resource based optimization for high performance integrated circuits is presented. The methodology is applied to simultaneous shield and repeater insertion, resulting in minimum coupling noise under power, delay, and area constraints. Design expressions exhibiting parabolic noise behavior are compared with SPICE simulations. Due to the parabolic coupled noise behavior, the minimum noise is established. A design case is compared with only shielding and only repeater insertion techniques, exhibiting enhanced performance for different resources.
Brian Stone Jr. The City and the Coming Climate: Climate Change in the Places We Live (New York: Cambridge University Press, 2012).

In Cities and the Coming Climate, Brian Stone skillfully wears several hats. You hear the voice of the climate scientist, the physiologist, and the policy maker, as he comfortably fits insights fro...
High dose methotrexate therapy of solid tumors: observations relating to clinical toxicity

In clinical studies performed during 111 infusions of high dose methotrexate (MTX) we have evolved a clinical and laboratory protocol which permits such therapy without prohibitive risk to the patient. The plasma MTX data obtained indicate that pharmacokinetic disposition is dose related during these infusions and that such data are useful in identifying patients at risk from serious toxicity.
White Eye Color Mutant in Haematobia irritans (Diptera: Muscidae)

The wild-type eye color of the horn fly, Hematobia iritans (L.) (Diptera: Muscidae), is a dark reddish brown. An apparent spontaneous mutation in a single adult colony fly resulted in a white-eyed mutant. A colony of white-eyed horn flies was established from this single individual and has been maintained in the laboratory. Laboratory crosses determined that the white-eyed phenotype is inherited as a simple Mendelian autosomal recessive with complete penetrance. No other differences from the wild-type flies were detected in the external characteristics of the mutant phenotype or in egg viability. However, white-eyed flies had significantly lower amounts of the pigment dihydroxyxanthommatin in their heads, suggesting either the lack of xanthommatin production, or a failure of transport and storage within the head of the mutant phenotype.
Chloroplast DNA intraspecific phylogeography of plants from the Pacific Northwest of North America

Molecular studies of plants from the Pacific Northwest of North America suggest a recurrent pattern of genetic differentiation and geographic structuring. In each of five angiosperms and one fern species representing diverse life histories, cpDNA data indicate two clades of populations that are geographically structured. A northern group comprises populations from Alaska to central or southern Oregon, whereas populations from central Oregon southward to northern California form a southern group. In several of these species, a few populations having southern genotypes may have survived in glacial refugia further north in the Olympic Peninsula, Queen Charlotte Islands, and Prince of Wales Island. Allozyme data reveal a similar pattern of differentiation in several other plants from the Pacific Northwest. North-south partitioning of genotypes has also been reported for several animal species from this region. On a broader geographic scale, northsouth partitioning of genotypes has also been observed in other plants from western North America having a variety of geographic distributions. Some species also display a reduction of genetic variability in the northern portion of their range compared to the south. The data suggest strongly that past glaciation profoundly influenced the genetic architecture of the flora and fauna of the Pacific Northwest. Two alternative hypotheses are advanced to explain the geographic structuring of genotypes. First, past glaciation may have created discontinuities in the geographic distributions of plant species, with populations surviving in several well-isolated northern and southern refugia. Following glaciation, migration of genetically differentiated, once-isolated populations resulted in the formation of a continuous geographic distribution with a major genetic discontinuity. Alternatively, plants survived and subsequently migrated northward from a southern refugium, and a genotype became fixed in one or a few populations at the leading edge of recolonization. Subsequent long-distance dispersal from this leading edge resulted in a relatively uniform northern genotype that differs from the southern genotype(s). Whatever the underlying mechanism, Pleistocence glaciation may have molded the intraspecific genetic architecture of both plants and animals from the Pacific Northwest in a geographically similar manner. Future studies should seek to obtain a comprehensive phylogeography for regions that includes a diversity of both plants and animals.
Conversion of metam sodium and emission of fumigant from soil columns

Metam sodium is the most widely used soil fumigant in the United States. The primary breakdown product of metam sodium in soil is methyl isothiocyanate (MITC), an active pesticidal agent with a high toxicity and a great potential for volatilization. Reducing atmospheric emissions of MITC is therefore critical to maintain air quality. The objective of this study was to examine the rate and efficiency of conversion of metam sodium to MITC in soil and to investigate the potential of using surface water sealing to reduce MITC emissions. The conversion of metam sodium to MITC was a rapid abiotic decomposition process. At typical field application rates, the conversion efficiency depended on the initial content of metam sodium in soil, but was independent of soil moisture, soil type, and soil atmospheric conditions. A soil column system was used to measure the emission and distribution of MITC after subsurface and surface application of metam sodium. Volatilization flux and cumulative emission loss of MITC was substantially reduced with surface water sealing compared to uncovered soil columns after subsurface application of metam sodium. When metam sodium was surface applied in simulated chemigation, surface water sealing was ineffective, suggesting the need for additional emissions reduction practices when metam sodium is broadcast. Overall, the results of the column experiment indicate that surface water sealing with subsurface application of metam sodium may be an effective and economical strategy to reduce MITC emissions while maintaining pest control efficacy.
Some principles of organization of spinal neurons underlying locomotion in zebrafish and their implications

Recent studies of the spinal motor system of zebrafish, along with work in other species, are leading to some principles that appear to underlie the organization and recruitment of motor networks in cord: (1) broad neuronal classes defined by a set of transcription factors, key morphological features, and transmitter phenotypes arise in an orderly way from different dorso-ventral zones in spinal cord; (2) motor behaviors and both motoneurons and interneurons differentiate in order from gross, often faster, movements and the neurons driving them to progressively slower movements and their underlying neurons; (3) recruitment order of motoneurons and interneurons is based upon time of differentiation; (4) different locomotor speeds involve some shifts in the set of active interneurons. Here we review these principles and some of their implications for other parts of the brain, other vertebrates, and limbed locomotion.
Ovine herpesvirus 2 replicates initially in the lung of experimentally infected sheep.

Ovine herpesvirus 2 (OvHV-2), a rhadinovirus in the subfamily Gammaherpesvirinae, is the causative agent of sheep-associated malignant catarrhal fever (SA-MCF), a frequently fatal lymphoproliferative disease primarily of ruminants worldwide. Inability to propagate the virus in vitro has made it difficult to study OvHV-2 replication. Aerosol inoculation of sheep with OvHV-2 from nasal secretions collected from naturally infected sheep during shedding episodes results in infection of naive sheep, providing an excellent system to study OvHV-2 initial replication in the natural host. In this study, we showed that OvHV-2 delivered through the nasal route by nebulization resulted in infection in all lambs, but no infection was established in any lambs after intravenous or intraperitoneal injection. In nebulized lambs, while it was not detected initially in any other tissues, OvHV-2 DNA became detectable in the lung at 3 days post-infection (p.i.), increased to about 900 copies per 50 ng DNA at 5 days p.i., reached peak levels (∼7500 copies) at 7 days p.i., and then declined to an average of 800 copies at 9 days p.i. Transcripts of OvHV-2 open reading frame 25 (coding for the capsid protein), an indicator of virus replication, were only detected in lung tissues, and were positively correlated with OvHV-2 DNA levels in the lungs. In addition, selected immune response genes were also highly expressed in the lung at 5 and 7 days p.i. The data indicate that lung is the primary replication site for OvHV-2 during initial infection in sheep and suggest that viral replication is promptly controlled by a host defence mechanism.
Effects of channel morphology and sensor spatial resolution on image-derived depth estimates

The utility of remote sensing in the study of fluvial systems depends upon the extent to which image data can be used to derive quantitative information of sufficient accuracy and precision for specific applications. In this study, we evaluate the effects of channel morphology on depth retrieval by coupling a radiative transfer model to various morphologic scenarios. Upwelling radiance L-u spectra generated for a range of depths (2-150 cm) and benthic cover types (limestone, periphyton, and gravel) were linearly mixed to simulate subpixel bed topography and substrate heterogeneity. For sloping bottoms, solar-streambed geometry modified L-u relative to a level bottom, especially for beds sloping steeply away from the sun. Aggregate pixel scale L-u spectra were compared to a database of simulated spectra to determine the radiance-equivalent depth of a uniform bottom (REDUB). REDUB spectra for hypothetical stepped streambeds indicated underestimation of the actual area-weighted mean depth, but the ln(L-u,L-560/L-u,L-690) REDUB ratio consistently reproduced the pixel-scale mean for beta distributions of depths. Similarly, when both dark periphyton and bright limestone substrates occurred within a pixel, REDUB spectra produced large errors while the ratio proved robust. Along channel banks, pixels will inevitably be mixed, and our simulations indicated that although bank fractions estimated by spectral mixture analysis were highly accurate for vegetated cutbanks, gravel bars were sensitive to the selection of both aquatic and terrestrial end members and subject to relatively large fraction errors. These theoretical results were tested using a ratio-based relative depth map and two-end member mixture models derived from a hyperspectral image of the Lamar River in Yellowstone National Park, which also served to illustrate the importance and applicability of our simulations. The primary conclusions of this study are that 1) the ratio-based algorithm is well-suited to complex river channels; 2) channel morphology and sensor spatial resolution must be considered jointly during data collection and analysis; and 3) the accuracy and precision of depth estimates are influenced by channel morphology and thus vary spatially.
Measuring the subjective response to interior lighting: paired comparisons and semantic differential scaling

Paired comparisons and semantic differential (SD) scales were used as part of a larger study assessing subjective responses to linear fluorescent direct/indirect lighting systems. Two experiments were performed under identical lighting conditions, one with each technique, yielding independent subjective response data sets for the same light settings. This article compares independent multidimensional scaling solutions from the two datasets and describes an intercorrelation analysis of the SD scaling responses. These analyses highlight strengths and weaknesses of the two psychometric techniques. Guidance is offered for applying paired comparisons and SD scales in future lighting research.
Induction of Alzheimer-like β-Amyloid Immunoreactivity in the Brains of Rabbits with Dietary Cholesterol

beta-amyloid and ALZ-50 immunocytochemical reactivity were determined in the brains of rabbits fed either a control or 2% cholesterol diet. Control rabbits demonstrated no accumulation of intracellular immunolabeled beta-amyloid within 3 min after death. In animals fed the experimental diet for 4, 6, and 8 weeks (postmortem interval < 3 min), there was an increasingly mild-to-moderate-to-severe accumulation of intracellular immunolabeled beta-amyloid. Whether or not beta-amyloid is causally linked to processes leading to dementia, it is related in some way to the prime cause of human death; heart disease. Hypercholesterolemic rabbits may provide an animal model to study altered beta-APP metabolism leading to Alzheimer-like beta-amyloid accumulation xe03and extracellular deposition in brain.
Current Controversies on the Use of Magnetic Resonance Imaging in the Management of Breast Cancer

The use of magnetic resonance imaging in the management of unselected female populations with early stage breast cancer has increased markedly over the past decade. Parallel to this trend many have observed an increased use of mastectomy over breast conservation due to concerns raised by the use of MRI. Similar concerns have led to the use of contra-lateral prophylactic mastectomy in patient populations not tested for potential genetic predisposition. These trends are difficult to understand as they divert from well established clinical paradigms which have been the result of widely accepted clinical research trials with more than three decades of clinical follow up. These trials have asserted that breast conserving surgery remains the accepted approach over mastectomy for the care of the patient with sporadic early stage breast cancer.
The use of propofol for its antiemetic effect: a survey of clinical practice in the United States.

Abstract Study Objectives: To investigate the use of propofol by anesthesiologists for its antiemetic effect and to compare our findings with published evidence. Design: Anonymous survey of U.S. anesthesiologists. Setting: American Society of Anesthesiologists' annual meeting. Measurements and Main Results: One hundred fifty anesthesiologists were surveyed on how they use propofol to achieve an antiemetic effect. A large majority (84%) of the anesthesiologists surveyed stated they used propofol for its antiemetic effect: 63% of those used propofol for induction only for cases lasting Conclusions: Many anesthesiologists used propofol for its antiemetic effect. There is strong evidence for its antiemetic efficacy after anesthesia maintained by a propofol infusion and also for its use in the postanesthesia care unit (PACU). However, there is little evidence to support its use purely at induction of anesthesia or as part of a "sandwich" technique in an attempt to reduce postoperative nausea and vomiting. This is especially true in cases lasting longer than a few minutes.
Water hammer dissipation in pneumatic slug tests

[1] We model and measure the dissipation of water hammer induced by well casing and water elasticity with rapid valve opening at the start of a pneumatic slug test. The higher-frequency water hammer can obscure slower, aquifer-controlled, underdamped oscillations of the rigid water column, so a quantitative description of the elastic motion improves the ability of a slug test to calibrate the aquifer permeability k. Internal friction attenuates the water hammer, subject to a known headspace pressure at the air/water interface and equilibrium pressure at the top of the well screen. An analytical elastic solution is presented and matched to an existing rigid motion analysis, with matching predicated on k exceeding 7 × 10−14 m2 and appreciable water hammer dissipation during the first cycle of the slug test. The model is accurately calibrated with data from underdamped slug tests in a PVC monitoring well in the Plymouth-Carver Aquifer. The calibrated casing elasticity value suggests that effective lateral soil stress appreciably stiffened the casing.
Superhydrophobic Silica Thin Films Prepare by Sol-Gel Process for Antistiction of MEMS Devices

Based on the theory of superhydrophobicity for low surface energy coatings, we describe a superhydrophobic antistiction silica coating for MEMS devices. The process uses a novel sol-gel process sequence with a eutectic liquid as a templating agent. The eutectic liquid displays negligible vapor pressure and very low melting point (12degC at ambient conditions) to reduce solvent loss during the high speed spincoating process. After a fluoroalkyl silane treatment, superhydrophobicity is achieved on the as-prepared silica thin film. The solvent can be extracted after the gelation and aging processes. Spin speed effect, eutectic liquid:TEOS ratio in the solution were studied in order to optimize the surface roughness to ensure excellent super-hydrophobicity. Comparison of the silica thin films with silicon pillar surfaces showed that superhydrophobicity for the traditional sol-gel derived silica films demonstrated significant improvement, especially under humid conditions. The AFM force curve obtained with a tipless probe showed that the interaction force is greatly reduced on a rough silica superhydrophobic surface. This result offers great potential to reduce stiction failures in MEMS devices.
Salmon Calcitonin in the Treatment of Postmenopausal Osteoporosis

Excerpt Postmenopausal osteoporosis is a common disorder and a major public health problem (1). It is hoped that appropriate intervention will reduce morbidity and mortality resulting from vertebra...
Risk factors accelerating cerebral degenerative changes, cognitive decline and dementia

Objectives Factors accelerating cerebral degenerative changes represent potentially modifiable risks for cognitive decline. Putative risk factors accelerating subtle cognitive decline and dementia were correlated with repeated measures of cerebral atrophy, CT densitometry, perfusions and cognitive testing among neurologically and cognitively normative ageing volunteers. Methods Two hundred and twenty-four normative subjects at increased risk for cognitive decline were admitted to the study. Mean entry age was 59.5±15.8 years. Mean follow-up is 4.3±3.1 years. At follow-up, 22 developed subtle cognitive decline (δCCSE≥−3), 19 became demented, eight with vascular type (VAD) and 11 with Alzheimer's type (DAT) and 183 remain cognitively unchanged. Standardized questionnaires, medical, neuropsychological, neurological and blood work examinations were obtained. Cerebral atrophy, tissue densities and perfusions were measured by xenon-enhanced CT. Results After age 60, cerebral atrophy, ventricular enlargement, polio- and leuko-araiosis geometrically increased as perfusions declined. Risk factors accelerating perfusional decline, cerebral atrophy, polio-araiosis and leuko-araiosis (thinning of grey–white matter densities) were: transient ischaemic attacks (TIAs), hypertension, smoking, hyperlipidemia, male gender. At age 71.5±11.9, subtle cognitive decline began, accelerated by TIAs, hypertension and heart disease. Leuko-araiosis began before cognitive decline. TIAs, hypertension and hyperlipidemia correlated with VAD. Excessive cortical perfusional decreases and cerebral atrophy correlated with cognitive decline. Family history of neurodegenerative disease correlated with DAT. Conclusion TIAs, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, smoking and male gender accelerate cerebral degenerative changes, cognitive decline and dementia. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Involvement of human decidual cell-expressed tissue factor in uterine hemostasis and abruption

Vascular injury increases access and binding of plasma-derived factor VII to perivascular cell membrane-bound tissue factor (TF). The resulting TF/VIIa complex promotes hemostasis by cleaving pro-thrombin to thrombin leading to the fibrin clot. In human pregnancy, decidual cell-expressed TF prevents decidual hemorrhage (abruption). During placentation, trophoblasts remodel decidual spiral arteries into high conductance vessels. Shallow trophoblast invasion impedes decidual vascular conversion, producing an inadequate uteroplacental blood flow that elicits abruption-related placental ischemia. Thrombin induces several biological effects via cell surface protease activated receptors. In first trimester human DCs thrombin increases synthesis of sFlt-1, which elicits placental ischemia by impeding angiogenesis-related decidual vascular remodeling. During pregnacy, the fibrillar collagen-rich amnion and choriodecidua extracellular matrix (ECM) provides greater than additive tensile strength and structural integrity. Thrombin acts as an autocrine/paracrine mediator that degrades these ECMs by augmenting decidual cell expression of: 1) matrix metalloproteinases and 2) interleukin-8, a key mediator of abruption-associated decidual infiltration of neutrophils, which express several ECM degrading proteases. Among the cell types at the maternal fetal interface at term, TF expression is highest in decidual cells indicating that this TF meets the hemostatic demands of labor and delivery. TF expression in cultured term decidual cells is enhanced by progestin and thrombin suggesting that the maintenance of elevated circulating progesterone provides hemostatic protection and that abruption-generated thrombin acts in an autocrine/paracrine fashion on decidual cells to promote hemostasis via enhanced TF expression.
Three approaches to reliability analysis

It is noted that current reliability analysis tools differ not only in their solution techniques, but also in their approach to model abstraction. The analyst must be satisfied with the constraints that are intrinsic to any combination of solution technique and model abstraction. To get a better idea of the nature of these constraints, three reliability analysis tools (HARP, ASSIST/SURE, and CAME) were used to model portions of the Integrated Airframe/Propulsion Control System architecture. When presented with the example problem, all three tools failed to produce correct results. In all cases, either the tool or the model had to be modified. It is suggested that most of the difficulty is rooted in the large model size and long computational times which are characteristic of Markov model solutions. >
Homeless young people's experiences with information systems: life and work in a community technology center

This paper explores how homeless young people, aged 13-25, make use of information systems in daily life. Observed in a community technology center, four different examples of uses are described: i) Using digital tools to find employment, ii) Telling stories with representations of the built world, iii) Portraying life on the street with video, and iv) Constructing online identities. From these examples and a discussion of this community, a framework of ecological considerations is proposed. This framework distinguishes between elements of 'life' on the street (Self-Reliance, Vulnerability, and Basic Needs) and 'work' in the community technology center (Conformity, Youth-Adult Relationships, and Goals). Any information system for homeless young people must engage the tensions and opportunities that arise from these two different perspectives of homelessness.