cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Radio-frequency ablation electrode displacement elastography: A phantom study

This article describes the evaluation of a novel method of tissue displacement for use in the elastographic visualization of radio-frequency (rf) ablation-induced lesions. The method involves use of the radio-frequency ablation electrode as a displacement device, which provides localized compression in the region of interest. This displacement mechanism offers the advantage of easy in vivo implementation since problems such as excessive lateral and elevational displacements present when using external compression are reduced with this approach. The method was tested on a single-inclusion tissue-mimicking phantom containing a radio-frequency ablation electrode rigidly attached to the inclusion center. Full-frame rf echo signals were acquired from the phantom before and after electrode displacements ranging from 0.05 to 0.2 mm. One-dimensional cross-correlation analysis between pre- and postcompression signals was used to measure tissue displacements, and strains were determined by computing the gradient of the displacement. The strain contrast, contrast-to-noise ratio, and signal-to-noise ratio were estimated from the resulting strain images. Comparisons are drawn between the elastographically measured dimensions and those known a priori for the single-inclusion phantom. Electrode displacement elastography was found to slightly underestimate the inclusion dimensions. The method was also tested on a second tissue-mimicking phantom and on in vitro rf-ablated lesions in canine liver tissue. The results validate previous in vivo findings that electrode displacement elastography is an effective method for monitoring rf ablation.
Prediction of asymmetric vortical flows around slender bodies using Navier-Stokes equations

Steady and unsteady asymmetric vortical flows around slender bodies at high angles of attack are solved using the unsteady, compressible, this-layer Navier-Stokes equations. An implicit, upwind-biased, flux-difference splitting, finite-volume scheme is used for the numerical computations. For supersonic flows past point cones, the locally conical flow assumption has been used for efficient computational studies of this phenomenon. Asymmetric flows past a 5° semiapex-angle circular cone at different angles of attack, free-stream Mach numbers, and Reynolds numbers has been studied in responses to different sources of disturbances. The effects of grid fineness and computational domain size have also been investigated. Next, the responses of three-dimensional supersonic asymmetric flow around a 5° circular cone at different angles of attack and Reynolds numbers to short-duration sideslip disturbances are presented. The results show that flow asymmetry becomes stronger as the Reynolds number and angles of attack are increased. The asymmetric solutions show spatial vortex shedding which is qualitatively similar to the temporal vortex shedding of the unsteady locally conical flow. A cylindrical afterbody is also added to the same cone to study the effect of a cylindrical part on the flow asymmetry. One of the cases of flow over a cone-cylinder configuration is validated fairly well by experimental data.
Modernism, Joyce, and Portuguese Literature

Carlos Ceia, in his article, "Modernism, Joyce, and Portuguese Literature," discusses parallels between James Joyce's work and texts by modernist and contemporary Portuguese novelists such as Antunes, Brandao, Negreiros, Pessoa, Saramago, Sa-Carneiro, Silva Ramos, and Velho da Costa. In his analysis, Ceia focuses on the role of myth, the notion of the (anti-)hero, the solipsism of interior consciousness, narrative techniques, and linguistic experimentation. Ceia argues that while it is impossible to detect direct influence by Joyce on Portuguese writers, it is in the context of the parallel paradigms of modernism we are able to discover the Joycean impact on both modernist and contemporary Portuguese literature. For example, in Velho da Costas novel Casas Pardas, the author's fictionalization of the stream-of-consciousness mode of narrative is innovative because it goes beyond Ulysses's Molly Bloom's exemplary discourse and the modernist pattern for self-reflexivity. The post-modern novelist is obsessed with the mastering of fictional discourse and with the fictional discourses of his/her literary heritage and thus, in order to achieve this, the novel has turned into metafiction, metafiction has turned into discontinuities, and textuality has turned into intertextual relations with well-known works of art of the past. Joyce and his experimental novels opened up new possibilities and vistas to literature and Ceia argues that it is in this sense and context we should understand the impact/influence of Joyce's work and of modernism in modern and contemporary Portuguese literature. Carlos Ceia, "Modernism, Joyce, and Portuguese Literature" page 2 of 13 CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture 8.1 (2006):
Comparisons of [14C]urea and [3H]mannitol as lung vascular permeability indicators in awake sheep: evidence against red cell urea trapping.

Abstract To see whether or not lung vascular urea permeability-surface area (PS) products calculated from multiple single-pass indicator dilution curves were inaccurate due to red cell urea trapping, we compared lung PS for [ 14 C]urea with that for [ 3 H]mannitol (which is excluded from red cells) in unanesthetized, chronically instrumented sheep under baseline conditions and during steady-state increased vascular pressure. We put a balloon catheter in the left atrium and catheters in the left atrium, pulmonary artery, thoracic aorta, and right atrium. After sheep recovered from surgery, we did experiments by injecting a mixture of 51 Cr-labeled erythrocytes, 125 I-labeled albumin, [ 14 C]urea, and [ 3 H]mannitol in the right atrium and by sampling blood from the aorta. We did 10 studies under baseline conditions and 10 studies during steady-state increased pressure produced by inflating the left atrial balloon. At baseline, [ 14 C]urea PS averaged 15.0 ± 1.2 SE. ml/sec and [ 3 H]mannitol PS averaged 5.2 ± 0.6. Neither value changed with increased pressure. The ratio of PS mannitol/PS urea averaged 0.37, less than the mannitol/urea free diffusion coefficient ratio (0.49). We calculated the PS ratio predicted from a theoretical equivalent pore model of sheep lung microvessels: The value was 0.32, very similar to the experimental ratio. Urea PS did not correlate with hematocrit. We conclude that red cell transport does not have a major effect on sheep lung vascular urea PS and that [ 14 C]urea may be a good permeability indicator in the lung circulation.
Molecular simulations suggest protein salt bridges are uniquely suited to life at high temperatures.

A series of explicit solvent molecular dynamics simulations has been performed to investigate the temperature dependence of salt bridge interactions between two freely diffusing amino acids. The simulations, performed at 25, 50, 75, and 100 °C, allow a large number of distinct association and dissociation events to be directly observed, without the imposition of additional forces to drive association. Analysis of contact frequencies for atom pairs demonstrates that the number of salt bridge contacts between the two molecules is unaffected by temperature, whereas the numbers of hydrophobic and polar contacts are greatly diminished. A second, independent set of simulationsusing rigid, prototypical molecule typesallows the differing temperature dependences of hydrophobic, polar, and salt bridge interactions to be unambiguously examined. In the prototype molecule simulations, the salt bridge interaction is found to substantially increase in stability at 100 °C relative to 25 °C. This difference in behavior be...
Changes in Diversity Course Student Prejudice and Attitudes toward Heterosexual Privilege and Gay Marriage

This study examined diversity course influence on student prejudice against lesbians and gay men, awareness of heterosexual privilege, and support for gay marriage. The study included heterosexual female students in psychology of women, introduction to women's studies, and nondiversity psychology courses. Students in diversity courses expressed increased heterosexual privilege awareness and support for same-sex marriage across the semester compared with no changes among the nondiversity course students. Although diversity course students also exhibited reduced prejudice against lesbians and gay men, the changes did not differ significantly from students in comparison courses.
The effects of combinations of heavy metals, hypoxia and salinity on ion regulation in Crangon crangon (L.) and Carcinus maenas (L.)

Abstract 1. 1. Blood Na + and Cl −1 levels in Crangon crangon and Carcinus maenas were not significantly affected during Cu/Zn (0.2 5mg·l −1 ) or hypoxic ( p w O 2 = 40 torr) exposure at both 13.5 and 27.0%. However decreases in blood ion levels were evident in heavy metal/hypoxia combinations in low salinity media. 2. 2. In Carcinus blood Ca 2+ regulation was not affected by heavy metal or hypoxic exposure, however, combinations resulted in salinity-dependent increases in blood Ca 2+ levels.
Regulation of expression of a wound-inducible tomato inhibitor I gene in transgenic nightshade plants

A wound-inducible proteinase Inhibitor I gene from tomato containing 725 bp of the 5′ region and 2.5 kbp of the 3′ region was stably incorporated into the genome of black nightshade plants (Solanum nigrum) using an Agrobacterium Ti plasmid-derived vector. Transgenic nightshade plants were selected that expressed the tomato Inhibitor I protein in leaf tissue. The leaves of the plants contained constitutive levels of the inhibitor protein of up to 60 μg/g tissue. These levels increased by a factor of about two in response to severe wounding. Only leaves and petioles exhibited the presence of the inhibitor, indicating that the gene exhibited the same tissue specificity of expression found in situ in wounded tomato leaves. Inhibitor I was extracted from leaves of wounded transformed nightshade plants and was partially purified by affinity chromatography on a chymotrypsin-Sepharose column. The affinity-purified protein was identical to the native tomato Inhibitor I in its immunological reactivity and in its inhibitory activity against chymotrypsin. The protein exhibited the same Mr of 8 kDa as the native tomato Inhibitor I and its N-terminal amino acid sequence was identical to that of the native tomato inhibitor I, indicating that the protein was properly processed in nightshade plants. These expriments are the first report of the expression of a member of the wound-inducible tomato Inhibitor I gene family in transgenic plants. The results demonstrate that the gene contains elements that can be regulated in a wound-inducible, tissuespecific manner in nightshade plants.
Viewing of Self and Nonself Images in a Group of Captive Orangutans (Pongo Pygmaeus Abellii)

Reports on self-recognition in great apes have been mostly derived from experimental studies of mirror behavior (mark test) requiring anesthetization of the animals. We investigated a relatively noninvasive technique to study this behavior. In two experiments with a group of captive orangutans (1 adult male, 3 adult females, 1 juvenile male, and 1 juvenile female), we presented combinations of blank posters, life-size portraits of each individual in the group, a mirror, and videos. Durations of viewing and patterns of viewing were recorded. The prominent features of the viewing were the differences among the individuals in frequency, duration, and pattern of viewing. Some evidence of mirror-based self-referent behavior (behavior in which the activity of the animal with its body was related to the activity of the image in the mirror) was seen in the juvenile female, but more was seen in one adult female. This adult female spent the most time viewing the mirror and was the only animal to view her own portrait more than the other portraits in one session. In addition, she moved from one portrait to another, and back to the first, and to her own portrait and the mirror in a pattern resembling comparison of the two portraits as well as of her portrait and her mirror image. It is suggested that data based on self-referent behavior of the same animal during self-viewing in a mirror and during viewing of its self-portrait and on behavior observed in the mark test are worth further investigation.
An obstructive apnea in the suckling opossum.

Abstract Pressure plethysmographic measurement of ventilation and electromyographic measurement of diaphragm activation in unanesthetized suckling opossums revealed spontaneous episodes of obstructive apnea. To better understand this phenomena, intact animals were tested under different conditions of respiratory drive and during activation of pulmonary reflexes. Results showed that obstructed breaths were usually initiated with the lungs at or near the end-inspiratory level, and they occured more frequently during air or oxygen breathing as compared with inhalation of hypercapnic or asphyxiant test gases. The latter two gas mixtures caused increases in ventilation; but depression of breathing resulting from pentobarbital anesthesia was not accompanied by obstructed breaths. It was initially considered that a reflex laryngeal response with changes in lung volume or lung irritation might trigger obstructive apnea; but pulmonary inflation and deflation as well as ammonia inhalation did not typically produce such an effect. The results indicate that mechanisms for obstructive apnea in the sucking opossum must account for the limited incidence of obstructed breaths during both ventillatory chemostimulations and anesthetic respiratory depression.
Occurrence of rishitin and phytuberin in potato tubers inoculated with Erwinia carotovora var. atroseptica

Abstract The phytoalexins rishitin and phytuberin are produced in potato tubers var. King Edward inoculated with Erwinia carotovora var. atroseptica and incubated in aerobic conditions at 11 °C. Concentrations of up to 1215 μg rishitin and 165 μg phytuberin/g fresh weight of infected tissue were found. Only trace amounts (less than 0·2 μg/g fresh weight) of these compounds were found in uninoculated tissue.
Atomistic theory of mechanical relaxation in fullerene nanotubes

Abstract A discussion of recently developed theoretical basis of the inelastic behavior of fullerene nanotubes is presented. Defect formation by a Stone–Wales bond rotation, its topology, and energy is calculated as a function of nanotube type, and an analytical equation is derived. Inter-defect interaction is analyzed due to its importance in the relaxation process. Strength of the nanotube-bundle is estimated for a broad range of parameters.
Control of human arm movement in machine-human cooperative welding process

Abstract This paper studies accurate control of human arm movement in machine-human cooperative control of GTAW process. An innovative teleoperated virtualized welding platform is utilized to conduct dynamic experiments to correlate the human welder arm movement with the visual signal input. An adaptive ANFIS model is proposed to model the intrinsic nonlinear and time-varying characteristic of the human welder response. A model based predictive control algorithm is then proposed and an analytical solution is derived. Human control experimental results verify that the proposed controller is able to track varying set-points and is robust under measurement and input disturbances.
Wilms' tumor in crossed fused renal ectopia.

Abstract The occurrence of a nephroblastoma in a crossed ectopic kidney has been reported only one previous time. 1 A second patient with these findings is the subject of this report.
Correlations between self-defeating personality and self-esteem.

41 men and 56 women completed Schill's self-defeating personality scale and Coopersmith's self-esteem scale. The total scores from these instruments were significantly negatively correlated (ranges, –.50 to –.77). The inverse relationship between self-defeating personality and self-esteem appears to be higher for men than for women. However, no significant differences were found between the men's and women's scores on self-esteem or self-defeating personality scales. The results indicate the two scales measure similar but inverse orientations of individuals' internalized negative affect.
Repression of Transcription Initiation at 434 PR by 434 Repressor: Effects on Transition of a Closed to an Open Promoter Complex

The lambdoid bacteriophage repressors function both as transcription activators and repressors. Regulation of transcription at the adjacent, but divergent promoters, P(RM) and P(R), determines the phage's choice between the lytic and lysogenic development pathways. Here, we demonstrate that 434 repressor bound at 434 O(R)1 alone is not sufficient to repress transcription from 434 P(R,) but that 434 repressor bound at 434 O(R)2 alone is necessary and sufficient to repress P(R )transcription. This is different from what occurs in the related bacteriophage lambda, in which binding of lambda repressor to either lambdaO(R)1 or lambdaO(R)2 represses transcription from lambdaP(R). The combined results of gel mobility shift and KMnO(4) footprinting assays show that while 434 repressor binding to 434 O(R)2 does not preclude RNA polymerase binding at the P(R) promoter, it does prevent it from forming open complexes at this promoter. The RNA polymerase-P(R) complexes that form in the presence of repressor are heparin-resistant and the DNA is not melted. This observation indicates that 434 repressor bound at 434 O(R)2 inhibits transcription initiation at the P(R) promoter by "locking" the RNA polymerase-P(R) complex into an inactive state instead of "blocking" the access of RNA polymerase to promoter DNA.
Kinetic study of the combustion of organophosphorus compounds

The thermochemistry and kinetics of organophosphorus compounds were studied, with BAC-MP4 method estimations as a basis and PM3 semi-empirical estimations for many new compounds. New group additivity values were proposed for enthalpies of formation at 298 K, and entropies and heat capacities of species involving pentavalent phosphorus bonded to carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, fluorine, nitrogen, and sulfur atoms. The kinetic features of unimolecular elimination were investigated by modeling pyrolysis experiments of dimethyl ethyl phosphonate (DEMP), triethyl phosphate (TEP), and di-isopropyl methyl phosphonate (DIMP). Rate constants were proposed for four- and six-center eliminations. A new combustion mechanism was developed in a systematic and comprehensive way and involved 41 phosphorus compounds in 202 reactions. All possible intermediates were taken into account. This reaction mechanism was applied to the modeling of H2/O2 flames doped with dimethyl methyl phosphonate (DMMP) and trimethyl phosphate (TMP), which are chemical warfare surrogates. The promoting effect of the agent and the species profiles were correctly reproduced. The decomposition reaction channels were studied: they included radical reactions and molecular eliminations. The cause of the increase of the reactivity of the flame was attributed to some radical combination cycles leading to an increase of heat release, which enhances the global reaction rate in spite of the radical concentration drop.
Performance modeling for DFT algorithms in FFTW

Fast Fourier Transform in the West(FFTW) is one of the most successful adaptive Discrete Fourier Transform(DFT) libraries. The high-performance of FFTW mostly derives from its empirical search engine that includes all major DFT algorithms. We propose an adaptive model-driven FT performance prediction technique to replace the empirical search engine in FFTW. Our model achieves over 94% of the DFT performance and uses less than 5% of the search time compared with FFTW Exhaustive search on four test platforms.
Academic research and industrial innovation: An update of empirical findings

In 1991, I published in this journal estimates of the percentage of new products and processes based on recent academic research—that is, academic research occurring within 15 years of the commercialization of whatever innovation is being considered— in the drug and medical product, information processing, chemical, electrical, instruments, metals, and Ž . oil industries in 1975–1985 Mansfield, 1991, 1992 . Because there has been considerable interest in such estimates , I have gathered similar data from a sample of 77 major firms for 1986–1994, the only significant difference in the sample design being that the machinery industry, which is reasonably active in this regard, has been substituted for oil. 3 Table 1 shows that the overall results for 1986– 1994 are very similar to those for 1975–1985, although particular industries sometimes vary substantially, as one might expect. The industry means in
A tissue culture system to study respiratory ciliary epithelial adherence of selected swine mycoplasmas

An in vitro culture system for swine tracheal epithelial cells was developed to study the adherence of swine mycoplasmas. Swine tracheal epithelial cells were isolated by enzymatic digestion and cultured on microporous membranes. Growth medium was placed under the membrane support to create air-liquid interface feeding resulting in the cells growing cilia and microvilli on the apical surface. Two strains of Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae (pathogenic strain 91-3 and non-pathogenic type strain J) and two strains of Mycoplasma flocculare (type strain Ms42 and field isolate 7160T) were used in this study. The morphology of the cultured tracheal cells was evaluated by transmission electron microscopy. Adherence of M. hyopneumoniae and M. flocculare and damage to the cilia were demonstrated using scanning electron microscopy. The pathogenic M. hyopneumoniae strain 91-3 adhered to cilia inducing obvious damage. The non-pathogenic M. hyopneumoniae strain J did not adhere to mature cilia. Both M. flocculare strains Ms42 and 7160T adhered to mature and budding cilia. No obvious ciliary damage was observed with strain Ms42. Minimal damage consisting of a slight tangling of the cilia occurred after adherence by strain 7160T. This model will enable us to further study the role of adherence of mycoplasmas on the pathogenesis of swine pneumonia.
Hyaluronidase and esterase activities of the venom of the poisonous brown recluse spider.

Abstract Venom of Loxosceles reclusa free from impurities was expressed from venom glands collected by microdissection. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of the venom at pH 8.3 demonstrated 7 or 8 major plus 3 or 4 minor components. Upon electrophoresis at pH 4.9 two major components plus 3 or 4 minor components were noted. Monophoretic hyaluronidase prepared by Sephadex gel filtration and electrophoresis at pH 8.3 exhibited optimum activity from pH 5.0 to 6.6. Sodium dodecyl sulfate gel electrophoresis of purified hyaluronidase revealed two components with estimated molecular weights of 33,000 and 63,000. The purified hyaluronidase exhibited activity against chondroitin sulfate, types A, B, and C at approximately 20–30% of that upon hyaluronic acid. The enzyme was inhibited 10–20% by the heavy metal ions, Fe+3 and Cu+2. Rabbit antivenom inhibited the spreading effect of whole venom in vivo and completely inhibited hyaluronidase in vitro. Incorporation of [14C]leucine into the spider venom led to the separation of hyaluronidase from the dermonecrotic activity of the venom. The venom demonstrated activity against carbobenzoxy- l -tyrosine-p-nitrophenyl ester and β-naphthylacetate which was inhibited approximately 65% by 2.5 × 10−3 m levels of EDTA and EGTA but not by 2.5 × 10−4 m o-phenanthroline. The esterase activity resisted concentrations of p-chloromercuribenzoate which totally inactivated papain. The venom appeared devoid of collagenase, dipeptidase, acetylcholinesterase, phosphodiesterase, ribonuclease A, and deoxyribonuclease.
A method for analyzing health behavior in online forums

The prevalence of online social networks has enabled users to communicate, connect, and share content. Many of these networks serve as the de-facto Internet portal for millions of users. Due to the enormous popularity of these sites, the data about the users and their communications offer an enormous opportunity to analyze human behaviors on a large scale. It is important to analyze patterns within these records in order to more effectively treat individuals. In this paper, a method is presented for identifying these themes and patterns within forum data. This methodology includes automatic extraction of the main themes or patterns in the data, quantify the similarities and differences in the contents of different online forums, and finding similar documents based on user queries. We used data sets from four different forums. In this paper we describe a method that automatically differentiates between online discussion groups related to different behavioral health challenges and identifies the most appropriate discussion forum for a given input. Finally, we evaluated the efficacy of our method by using cross-validation.
Effects of amphetamine, dexfenfluramine, diazepam, and other pharmacological and dietary manipulations on food "seeking" and "taking" behavior in non-human primates.

Rationale: Feeding consists of appetitive or foraging behavior followed by consummatory behavior. Objectives: To determine if pharmacological manipulations can differentially affect appetitive and consummatory aspects of food intake, and to compare these results to those obtained using naturalistic dietary manipulations. Methods: Responding of baboons was studied using a schedule of reinforcement that simulated food "seeking" and food "taking." Responding during the seeking component was reinforced by stimuli paired with food, while responding during the taking component was reinforced with food. The effects of intramuscular amphetamine (AMPH), dexfenfluramine (DFEN), diethylpropion (DEP), phencyclidine (PCP), diazepam (DZP), as well as caloric prefeeding and acute food deprivation were determined. Results: AMPH decreased food taking and increased food seeking, DEP decreased food taking without affecting food seeking, DFEN and PCP decreased both food taking and food seeking, while DZP increased both food taking and food seeking. Caloric prefeeding decreased food taking and increased food seeking, i.e., resembled AMPH, while acute deprivation increased both food taking and food seeking, i.e., resembled DZP. Conclusions: Manipulations that increase dopamine turnover, such as AMPH, increase food seeking, while decreasing food intake. In contrast, manipulations that increase serotonin turnover, such as DFEN, decrease both food seeking and food taking.
Simultaneous determination of azathioprine and 6-mercaptopurine by high-performance liquid chromatography.

A specific, sensitive, single-step solid-phase extraction and reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic method for the simultaneous determination of plasma 6-mercaptopurine and azathioprine concentrations is reported. Following solid-phase extraction, analytes are separated on a C18 column with mobile phase consisting of 0.8% acetonitrile in 1 mM triethylamine, pH 3.2, run on a gradient system. Quantitation limits were 5 ng/ml and 2 ng/ml for azathioprine and 6-mercaptopurine, respectively. Peak heights correlated linearly to known extracted standards for 6-mercaptopurine and azathioprine (r = 0.999) over a range of 2–200 ng/ml. No chromatographic interferences were detected.
Lipomas of the internal auditory canal and cerebellopontine angle

Objective: To evaluate lipomas of the internal auditory canal (IAC) and cerebellopontine angle (CPA). Study Design: Retrospective review. Methods: Review of a multi-institutional series of 17 lipomas of the IAC/CPA, combined with a Medline review of the 67 cases reported in the world literature. Results: This series of 17 IAC/CPA lipomas is the largest reported series to date, bringing the total number of documented cases to 84. There appears to be a nearly 2:1 male to female predominance. Sixty percent were leftsided lesions, and three were bilateral. Hearing loss, dizziness, and tinnitus were the most common presenting symptoms. Surgical resection was performed in 52 (62%) of these lesions; however, total tumor removal was accomplished in only 17 (33%), which is most likely because of the fact that these tumors tend to have a poorly defined matrix and a dense adherence to neurovascular structures. Sixty-eight percent of patients experienced a new deficit postoperatively, 11% were unchanged, and only 19% improved with no new deficit. Only one documented case of tumor growth was identified; however, the reported follow-up was short (average, less than 3 years). Conclusion: With the magnetic resonance imaging techniques now available, lipomas can be reliably differentiated from other masses within the CPA and IAC, so histopathologic diagnosis is rarely necessary. Because of the potential for significant morbidity with resection of these lesions, we believe that conservative follow-up is the best treatment option for patients with these rare lesions. Surgery is indicated only when significant progressive or disabling symptoms are present. Laryngoscope, 108:1459–1469, 1998
Hypothermia for Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy

We are entering an era in which hypothermia will be used in combination with other novel neuroprotective interventions. The targeting of multiple sites in the cascade leading to brain injury may prove to be a more effective treatment strategy after hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy in newborn infants than hypothermia alone.
Molecular Confirmation of HRAS p.G12S in Siblings with Costello Syndrome

Costello syndrome was first reported based on its characteristic phenotype. Its presentation affects multiple organ systems, including severe failure-to-thrive with macrocephaly, characteristic facial features, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, papillomata, malignant tumors, and cognitive impairment. Heterozygous germline mutations in the proto-oncogene HRAS have been recognized to cause Costello syndrome, and its inheritance pattern would thus be autosomal dominant. Here, we report on the identification of an HRAS mutation c.34G>A, predicting a p.G12S amino acid substitution, in the surviving brother of a previously reported sibling pair, and documentation of the same change in autopsy material from his deceased sister. This represents, to our knowledge, the first molecularly confirmed Costello syndrome in siblings. We did not detect the mutation in a heterozygous state or mosaicism in peripheral white blood cell or cheek swab-derived DNA samples from either parent. Using single nucleotide polymorphic markers and allele-specific amplification, we clearly identified the mutation in the surviving sibling to be of maternal origin. While we cannot exclude two independently occurring de novo mutations, the complete sharing of polymorphic markers around the mutation site in both siblings supports maternal germ cell mosaicism. Recurrence risk counseling for families with apparently de novo occurring autosomal dominant conditions includes discussion of germ cell mosaicism, and this report underscores the applicability of this concern to Costello syndrome.
Modeling anterograde and retrograde transport of short mobile microtubules from the site of axonal branch formation

This theoretical research is motivated by a recent model of microtubule (MT) transport put forward by Baas and Mozgova (Cytoskeleton 69:416–425, 2012). According to their model, in an axon all plus-end-distal mobile MTs move anterogradely while all minus-end-distal mobile MTs move retrogradely. Retrograde MT transport thus represents a mechanism by which minus-end-distal MTs are removed from the axon. We suggested equations that implement Baas and Mozgova’s model. We employed these equations to simulate transport of short mobile MTs from a region (such as the site of axonal branch formation) where MT severing activity results in generation of a large number of short MTs of both orientations. We obtained the exact and approximate transient solutions of these equations utilizing the Laplace transform technique. We applied the obtained solutions to calculate the average rates of anterograde and retrograde transport of short MTs.
Glutathione Reductase of Plasmodium Falciparum as an Antimalarial Drug Target of Methylene Blue

Plasmodium falciparum is the cause of human malaria and is one of two malaria parasites known to have drug resistance. Since there are no preventative vaccinations against malaria, the control of this disease is heavily dependent upon the use of antimalarial drugs. Antimalarial drugs, such as methylene blue, are effective therapies against human malaria. At a specific concentration, methylene blue has been shown to be a selective inhibitor of the parasite's glutathione reductase (PfGR).Glutathione reductase is an important target when studying malaria drug resistance because it is a flavoenzyme that regenerates glutathione, which is an essential protein for antioxidant defense against cell damage. Methylene blue is also a substrate that is reduced by gluthathione reductase to produce leucoMB. This is then spontaneously oxidized by molecular oxygen to form methylene blue again. During this process, reactive oxygen species, such as hydrogen peroxide and superoxide form. These act as recycling catalysts against infectious organisms. Due to PfGR's central position in redox control, it is ranked number one as an antimalarial drug target. The goal of this research is to study the interface between methylene blue and the putative protein target, glutathione reductase, in order to understand the drug action mechanism. PfGR was expressed and purified and hydrogen-deuterium exchange (HDX) will be used to map the drug-protein interface. We will present the mass spectrometry data for the solvent exposed peptides after digestion with pepsin when PfGR is complexed with methylene blue, which will allow us to narrow down the active site.
1064 nm Nd:YAG laser intracavity pumped at 946 nm

We present for the first time a Nd:YAG laser emitting at 1064 nm intracavity pumped by a 946 nm diode-pumped Nd:YAG laser. A 885 nm laser diode is used to pump the first Nd:YAG crystal emitting at 946 nm, and the second Nd:YAG laser emitting at 1064 nm intracavity pumped at 946 nm. We achieved an output power of 7.97 W at 1064 nm for an absorbed pump power at 946 nm of 9.55 W, corresponding to an optical efficiency of 83.4%. The beam quality M2 quality factor is about 1.1 at the maximum output power.
Letter detection: A window to unitization and other cognitive processes in reading text.

Experiments are reviewed that use the letter-detection task, in which subjects read text and circle target letters. Evidence is provided that the letter-detection task reveals the processing units used in reading text and is influenced as well by visual, phonetic, and a combination of semantic and syntactic factors. Specifically, it is shown that circling a target letter in a word depends on the familiarity of the word’s visual configuration, the location of the word in the reader’s visual field, the phonetic representation of the letter in the word, and a combination of the word’s meaning and its grammatical function.
Evaluation of orally delivered ST-246 as postexposure prophylactic and antiviral therapeutic in an aerosolized rabbitpox rabbit model.

Abstract Orthopoxviruses, such as variola and monkeypox viruses, can cause severe disease in humans when delivered by the aerosol route, and thus represent significant threats to both military and civilian populations. Currently, there are no antiviral therapies approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat smallpox or monkeypox infection. In this study, we showed that administration of the antiviral compound ST-246 to rabbits by oral gavage, once daily for 14 days beginning 1 h postexposure (p.e.), resulted in 100% survival in a lethal aerosolized rabbitpox model used as a surrogate for smallpox. Furthermore, efficacy of delayed treatment with ST-246 was evaluated by beginning treatment on days 1, 2, 3, and 4 p.e. Although a limited number of rabbits showed less severe signs of the rabbitpox disease from the day 1 and day 2 p.e. treatment groups, their illness resolved very quickly, and the survival rates for these group of rabbits were 88% and 100%, respectively. But when the treatment was started on days 3 or 4 p.e., survival was 67% and 33%, respectively. This work suggests that ST-246 is a very potent antiviral compound against aerosolized rabbitpox in rabbits and should be investigated for further development for all orthopoxvirus diseases.
Why control the beam geometry in an FTIR spectrometer

FTIR spectrometers generate a beam of finite area and convergence. Appropriately located variable apertures can be used to control both the area and the convergence of the beam. We have used a spectrometer fitted with such apertures to investigate their effect on transmission and reflection spectra. Perhaps the most significant finding is that the relative intensities of bands in an ATR spectrum can be altered by more than 10% simply by varying the beam convergence.
Use of Perceptions of Female Dress as an Indicator of Role Definition

The purpose of this study was to compare 60 male and 59 female responses to social and business female dress. Suits and dresses were selected as stimuli to represent a social-to- business continuum. A semantic differential instrument was adapted for use from a previous study. Use of word pairs was similar in nature for male and female responses, although there was a difference in relative influence. Separation of responses was mostly evaluative in nature. The social-to-business continuum was a key parameter in male-female differences in response. Commonality in female response led to the conclusion that females accepted the business image represented by the stimuli. The male response was more diverse for business and social images.
A variation of reporting center scheme

Location tracking keeps track of the location of mobile users in a mobile network. It involves two basic operations: updating and paging. Accordingly the cost of location tracking consists of two parts: updating cost and paging cost. Efforts have been made to minimize the total tracking cost. One of the strategies is the reporting center scheme which selects some cells as reporting centers. Mobile users will only update their location when they move into a new reporting center, and when a call arrives, the vicinity of the reporting center will be paged to find the specific user. This scheme decreases updating cost while increasing paging cost. Hac and zhou proposed an algorithm to minimize the total cost of the reporting center scheme. This paper presents a variation of the reporting center scheme which clusters the reporting centers based on some specific criteria. Thus updating cost will be further decreased but the paging cost will increase. The paper compares the performance of the variation with the original reporting center scheme and shows that the variation scheme outperforms the original one when the call-to-mobility ratio is lower than some threshold.
Influence of hydrography on phytoplankton distribution in the Amundsen and Ross Seas, Antarctica

The phytoplankton of the Ross Sea have been intensively studied, in contrast to that of the Amundsen Sea. This study focused on understanding the environmental variables that influence the spatial patterns of assemblages during late summer, 2007, and late spring–early summer, 2008 in the Amundsen and Ross Seas. Blooms of the prymnesiophyte Phaeocystis antarctica, and the silicoflagellate Dictyocha speculum occurred in the southwestern to eastern parts of the Ross Sea, respectively, whereas diatoms dominated in southeastern Ross and the Amundsen Sea. Shallow mixed layers supported the growth of diatoms, but were not the only factor required for diatom bloom development. Modified Circumpolar Deep Water intruded into the subsurface waters (< 200 m) in the southwestern Ross Sea during February 2007, and possibly favored the formation of P. antarctica blooms. Photosynthetic quantum yield data suggest that blooms from the southwestern Ross Sea were approaching stress during January 2008, likely due to iron limitation, in contrast to blooms close to the ice edge in the Amundsen Sea, where iron may be more available to the phytoplankton. A detailed comparison between the Amundsen and Ross Seas may allow a greater understanding of the environmental-induced impacts on phytoplankton distribution and regional biogeochemical cycles.
Characterization of BBB permeability in a preclinical model of cryptococcal meningoencephalitis using magnetic resonance imaging

Cryptococcus neoformans meningoencephalitis (CNME) is a leading fungal cause of death among acquired immunodeficiency syndrome patients. Innovative preclinical systems that permit high throughput in vivo evaluation of novel agents are desperately needed. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was evaluated as a tool to develop a rat model of CNME and to quantify noninvasively blood-brain barrier (BBB) disruption secondary to this disease. The aim of this study was to identify MRI changes compared with histopathology and fungal burden measurements as potential biomarkers. A well-characterized strain of C neoformans (CN) var grubii was used to infect rats using intravenous inoculation. An inoculum-finding study was performed by infecting rats with 10(3), 10(5), and 10(7) colony-forming units (CFUs). Animals underwent dynamic MRI on days 4 and 7 after inoculation. An inoculum-confirming study was performed by infecting rats with 10(5), 10(6), and 10(7) CFU and fungal burden was determined in the brain, lung, and spleen. Animals infected with 10(7) CFU of CN developed lesions that appeared hyperintense on T2-weighted images on day 4. The histopathology results correlated well with MRI data. Diffusion weighted and permeability estimates were 1.4 and 6.1-fold higher, respectively, in lesions compared with healthy tissue. Magnetic resonance imaging is a promising preclinical tool to evaluate effects of antifungal and adjunctive agents.
Particle density distribution in the freeboard of a fluidized bed

Abstract An experimental apparatus to measure the particle density distribution in the freeboard near the surface of a fluidized bed was developed. Experiments were carried out on a scaled model of an atmospheric fluidized bed combustor. The magnitude and duration of gas jets at the bed surface were also measured. The density was found to decrease exponentially with height; the rate of decrease was higher at smaller values of U/U mf . The mean size of the particles in the freeboard did not change for heights up to 36 cm. The variation with density closely followed the variation in heat transfer to horizontal tubes in the freeboard. A particle trajectory model was developed using the in-bed particle size distribution for particles ejected into the freeboard under the action of the gas jet. The predicted rate of change of particle density with height agreed within 20% of the experimental value when the mean values of the measured jet velocity and duration were used in the model. The model was found to be sensitive to the jet characteristics.
Improvement Following Correction of Secondary Mitral Regurgitation in End-Stage Cardiomyopathy With Mitral Annuloplasty

Twenty consecutive patients with severe mitral regurgitation secondary to end-stage dilated cardiomyopathy underwent mitral annuloplasty for refractory symptoms of heart failure. On follow-up 18 +/- 4 months after annuloplasty, 14 patients (70%) were alive, all 14 noted symptomatic improvement, and quantitative echocardiographic/Doppler demonstrated decreases in left ventricular volume and sphericity accompanied by increases in ejection fraction and forward cardiac output.
Active THz metamaterials

In this work, we demonstrate THz metamaterials exhibiting either amplitude control, via carrier injection or depletion in the active semiconductor substrate or frequency control, via photoexcitation of carriers into active semiconducting materials incorporated into the sub-wavelength metamaterial structure.
Evidence for two distinct members of the amylase gene family in the yellow fever mosquito, Aedes aegypti

Abstract Genomic DNA fragments encoding a salivary gland-specific α -amylase gene, Amylase I ( Amy I ), and an additional amylase, Amylase II ( AmyII ) of the yellow fever mosquito, Aedes aegypti , were isolated and characterized. Two independently isolated DNA fragments, G34-F and G34-14A, encode polymorphic alleles of Amy I . A 3.2 kilobase (kb) Eco R I fragment of G34-F, F2, has been sequenced in its entirety and contains 832 base pairs (bp) of the 5′-end, non-coding and putative promoter regions that are adjacent to 2.4 kb of the Amy I coding region. One intron, 59 bp in length, is found towards the 3′-end of the clone. A third genomic clone, 3A, corresponding to Amy II , was sequenced and shown not to contain the primary DNA sequence that encodes the 260 amino acid region that uniquely characterizes the amino terminal end of the Amy I product. Amy I was assigned by restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) mapping to chromosome 2 (23.0 cM) and Amy II to chromosome 1 (44.0 cM). Amy I and Amy II are highly polymorphic and there may be multiple linked copies at each locus. Comparisons between Amy I and Amy II are presented for the putative promoter and conceptual translation products. The identification of two distinct amylase genes and their separate linkage assignments provides evidence for a multigene family of α -amylases in Ae. aegypti .
Research Note: Effects of D-Mannose on Incidence and Levels of Salmonellae in Ceca and Carcass Samples of Market Age Broilers

Two similar trials were conducted to evaluate the effects of 2.5% d-mannose (DM) in the drinking water of broilers for the first 10 days on incidence and levels of salmonellae in the ceca and on the carcass at market age. Controls received drinking water with no DM. Birds were reared on used litter in floor pens and were inoculated via the drinking water with 10(8) cfu/mL Salmonella typhimurium (ATCC 14028) on Day 3. At 49 days, 60 birds per treatment were processed and the ceca contents and prechill carcass were evaluated for salmonellae incidence by the most probable number (MPN) method. Results were inconclusive: level of salmonellae in the ceca contents and carcass rinse was significantly lower in control samples than in DM samples in one of the two trials; the reverse was true in the other trial.
Geographies of Opportunity for Whom? Neighborhood Improvement Programs as Regulators of Neighborhood Activism

Local governments claim that neighborhood improvement programs develop grassroots leadership capacity, raise the importance of neighborhood issues on the citywide political agenda, and empower residents to solve neighborhood-level problems. This article argues that neighborhood improvement programs also jeopardize the geography of opportunity, particularly women's neighborhood activism. Drawing from interviews with neighborhood activists and local government officials from one municipality in Southern California, this study illuminates the ways in which local government efforts regulate and contain neighborhood activism.
Kulturkampf and Unification: German Liberalism and the War Against the Jesuits

In February 1872, little more than a year after the founding of the new Reich, the National Zeitung, a leading National-Liberal newspaper, argued that Germans could no longer accept suppression at the Catholic Church. The German, the paper explained, will not tolerate a spirit that comes from Rome either among his people or in any of his churches. He does not want clerical rule and Volksverdummung. He wants, rather, enlightemnent, honest conscience [ehrlidzes Gewissen], and work.Attaining a new, as yet never achieved level of moral freedom, a morality arising from the people [eine volkstumliche Sittlichkeit] that is shared by Germany's churches and confessions, that is the task for this founding period of the new Reich.