cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The redox-state in relation to ethanol metabolism by rat and guinea pig liver in vitro.

Abstract Effect of hepatic redox-state on the rate of ethanol metabolism and citric acid cycle activity has been studied in rat and guinea pig liver. Cytoplasmic (NADH) (NAD) ratio in guinea pig liver is about 8-fold higher than in rat liver. Although, hepatic alcohol dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.1) activity is similar in the two species, ethanol metabolism by rat liver in vitro, is about 3 times greater than by guinea pig liver. Addition of ethanol results in a 3-fold increase in the hepatic redox-state in the rat but causes a small increase in the guinea pig. Ethanol-induced increase in hepatic (NADH) (NAD) ratio, results in a 40–60% inhibition of 14CO2 formation from various radioactive substrates in the rat. However, in guinea pig liver where this ratio is high, 14CO2 formation is already lower by 30–50% than in rat liver and ethanol addition does not result in a further decrease. The inhibitory effect of ethanol on 14CO2 formation is also observed in rat kidney cortex slices. However, this effect can be abolished by the addition of methylene blue or pyrazole. This study shows that in normal liver cytoplasmic redox-state regulates the rate of ethanol metabolism and that the activity of hepatic alcohol dehydrogenase is not a rate-limiting factor. Furthermore, the inhibitory effect of ethanol on CO2 production and therefore on citric acid cycle activity is a consequence of increased (NADH) (NAD) ratio in liver.
Relationship between anorexia and loss of serotonin uptake sites in brain of mice and rats receiving d-norfenfluramine or d-fenfluramine

Previously, we have shown that repeated administration of d-fenfluramine (D-F) to rats is associated with development of tolerance to the initial anorexia, but that in mice no such tolerance seems to occur. In the first study, we show that chronic administration of neither d-norfenfluramine (D-NF; the principal metabolite of D-F) nor the serotonin (5-HT) 2C receptor agonist m-chlorophenyl-piperazine (mCPP) is associated with the development of anorectic tolerance tested using a dessert protocol. However, compared with mice receiving these drugs for the first time, both of these chronic treatments were associated with a significant attenuation of Fos immunoreactivity (Fos-ir) in several brain regions, including bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, paraventricular hypothalamus, and central nucleus of amygdala. This attenuation is similar to that described previously in rats. Because loss of efficacy of these agents could be related to loss of 5-HT transporter (5-HTT) sites, their presumptive primary mode of action, in the final study we determined the effect of various, low-dose regimens of D-F and D-NF on 5-HT uptake in frontal cortex of mice and rats. We show in mice that D-F causes a greater loss of 5-HT uptake than D-NF, and that at the lowest dose regimen used uptake was unaffected in rats but was reduced in mice. The data are discussed in terms of the species difference in behavioral tolerance and differences in neurochemical profile of D-F and D-NF.
Field evaluations of Cytozyme for improving crop yield and nutrient content

Abstract Three materials manufactured by Cytozyme Laboratories, Inc.1 (Soil+, Seed+, and Crop+) of Salt Lake City, Utah were field evaluated in Wisconsin for a total of 14 site‐years. In general, these materials claim to improve crop growth, yield, and quality by enhancing biochemical reactions within the soil and the plant. Cytozyme materials were applied to corn (Zea mays L.) and soybean (Glycine max. (L.) Merrill) at label recommendations as various combinations of each product with and without recommended fertilizers. No consistent significant yield increase or improvement in plant nutrient content was observed where the various Cytozyme materials were used alone or in combination with fertilizers.
Power conservation over frequency transformation in Doubly Fed Asynchronous Generator

With a steep rise in wind farms around the world, Doubly Fed Asynchronous Generator (DFAG) has emerged as a popular machine. Also known as Type 3 wind turbine generator (WTG), this machine employs the well-known principle of injection and control of slip-frequency voltage into the rotor circuit to achieve performance over a large range of speed. Though extensive literature is available related to analysis of this machine, the balance of real and reactive power over frequency transformation has not been clearly addressed. This paper explains how real and reactive powers are preserved over transformation of frequency in the equivalent circuit of DFAG. Theoretical derivations are verified against PSCAD/EMTDC® simulation of DFAG.
The palpation technique for determination of metatarsal formula: a study of validity

Abstract Clinical palpation technique is commonly used to identify the position of the metatarsal heads. However, the validity of this technique is uncertain. This study investigated the validity of clinical palpation in the identification of relative metatarsal position. A comparison was made between results obtained using clinical palpation and X-rays. Statistical analysis was carried out using the Wilcoxon matched pairs signed rank test. No statistically significant difference was found between the two sets of data.
Minimal incision parathyroidectomy : Cure, cosmesis, and cost

The goals of operative treatment of primary hyperparathyroidism are (1) cure; (2) minimal invasion; and (3) cost-effectiveness. The optimal strategy is controversial. Retrospective review of was undertaken 66 previously unoperated patients having minimal-incision, full-neck exploration by one surgeon over 29 months. A group of 51 women and 15 men had open full neck exploration under general anesthesia through a small (25–40 mm) incision using specifically selected instruments; patients remained hospitalized overnight. Preoperative sestamibi scans were obtained before referral for 17 patients: 11 had localized disease, and 6 did not (65% sensitivity). Four parathyroid glands were identified in 98% of patients; intraoperative frozen section was used selectively on a median of one gland per patient. About 76% of patients had single-gland disease, 6% had two-gland disease, and 18% had four-gland hyperplasia. One patient had four normal cervical parathyroid glands and an aortopulmonary window parathyroid adenoma resected at thoracotomy 1 week later; preoperative sestamibi scans failed to localize his disease. There were no nerve injuries and a 98% cure rate after initial cervical exploration. Excluding the cost of the sestamibi scans, there was no difference between those who had preoperative localization and those who did not; 60% of hospital costs were operating room time-related. Minimal-incision parathyroidectomy is effective for curing hyperparathyroidism and has excellent cosmetic results with negligible scar. Preoperative sestamibi scanning had no impact on cure or treatment costs. Strategies to improve cost-effectiveness must address the substantial costs of anesthesia and operating room services.
TEX output from MACSYMA-like systems

Programs have been written to combine MACSYMA-like algebraic manipulation programs with the TEX typesetting system. This allows a user who has computed a complex expression to easily generate commands for typesetting it accurately.
Synthesis and structural and magnetic characterization of the dimeric complex bis[dibromobis(4-methyloxazole)copper(II)]

Abstract The crystal and molecular structure of the copper(II) complex bis[dibromobis(4-methyloxazole)copper(II)], [CuBr2(C4H5NO)2]2, has been determined from three-dimensional X-ray counter data. The complex crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P21/n with two dimeric formula units in a cell of dimensions a = 8.546(4), b = 13.062(5), c = 11.049(6) A, and β = 96.88(4)°. The observed and calculated densities are 2.07 and 2.113 g cm−3, respectively. The structure has been refined by least-squares methods to a final value of the weighted R-factor (on F) of 0.037 based on 1579 independent data with I ⩾3σ(I). The complex is dimeric, with severely distorted tetragonal pyramidal geometry at each copper center. The four ligands in the base plane are two trans nitrogen atoms from the 4-methyloxazole ligands and two bromide ligands, one of which is apical to the other copper atom, while the apical ligand is a bridging ion. The out-of-plane CuBr distance is 2.710(1) A an the CuCu distance is 3.626(1) A, leading to a bridging CuBrCu angle of 87.00(3)°. The geometric distortion in the complex is evidenced by the in-plane Br(1)CuBr(2) angle of only 157.15(4)°. The magnetic susceptibility of the complex has been measured as a function of temperature, and the data have been fitted to both the Van Vleck expression and (equally well) to a magnetization expression yielding g = 2.087 and a singlet-triplet separation of approximately 15.15 cm−1 with the singlet as the ground state. This relatively large singlet-triplet splitting is discussed in the light of the observed structure.
Reducing the risk of stroke in diabetes: what have we learned that is new?

Summary Given the significant public health impact of stroke and the identification of nonmodifiable (age, gender, race/ethnicity) and modifiable (blood pressure, diabetes, lipid profile, and lifestyle) risk factors, early prevention strategies should be initiated. When a patient suffers a stroke, the focus of care becomes prevention of future events. For the patient with diabetes, comprehensive medical management of ischaemic stroke (primary or secondary prevention) includes antihypertensive and lipid-lowering therapy, as well as antiplatelet therapy. Despite the cerebrovascular risk reduction with these modalities, clearly new agents are needed. The Heart Outcomes Prevention Evaluation (HOPE) study provides compelling evidence that treatment with the angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor, ramipril, can further reduce the risk of stroke in high-risk patients by mechanisms other than lowering blood pressure. In HOPE, patients were normotensive at baseline. Therefore, for the first time, in a patient population without left ventricular dysfunction, the effects of an ACE inhibitor ramipril on reducing stroke risk were demonstrated. Ramipril 10 mg achieved a significant 33% reduction in stroke among patients with diabetes. Based on the HOPE study, the recently published American Heart Association guidelines for the primary prevention of stroke recommend ramipril to prevent stroke in high-risk patients and in patients with diabetes and hypertension. Wide-scale adherence to these guideline recommendations for the prevention of primary and secondary stroke would significantly benefit the public health.
Small, dense low-density lipoprotein: risk or myth?

Based on the particle diameter of the major subpopulation of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) in plasma, an individual may be classified either as having phenotype A (desirable phenotype; large, buoyant LDL) or phenotype B (high risk; small, dense LDL). This article reviews the clinical significance of LDL particle diameter determination and proposes a strategy for incorporating this information in the new guidelines of the National Cholesterol Education Program’s Adult Treatment Panel III.
IL-2 Family Cytokines: New Insights into the Complex Roles of IL-2 as a Broad Regulator of T helper Cell Differentiation

Interleukin-2 (IL-2) is a pleiotropic cytokine that drives T-cell growth, augments NK cytolytic activity, induces the differentiation of regulatory T cells, and mediates activation-induced cell death. Along with IL-4, IL-7, IL-9, IL-15, and IL-21, IL-2 shares the common cytokine receptor γ chain, γc, which is mutated in humans with X-linked severe combined immunodeficiency. Herein, we primarily focus on the recently discovered complex roles of IL-2 in broadly modulating T cells for T helper cell differentiation. IL-2 does not specify the type of Th differentiation that occurs; instead, IL-2 modulates expression of receptors for other cytokines and transcription factors, thereby either promoting or inhibiting cytokine cascades that correlate with each Th differentiation state. In this fashion, IL-2 can prime and potentially maintain Th1 and Th2 differentiation as well as expand such populations of cells, whereas it inhibits Th17 differentiation but also can expand Th17 cells.
School, Family, and Peer Factors and Their Association with Substance Use in Hispanic Adolescents.

The purpose of the present study was to examine how relationships among family, school, and peer factors relate to likelihood of substance use in Hispanic adolescents. Results indicated that only perceived peer substance use was directly related to adolescents’ own substance use. A significant interaction was found between parental monitoring and peer use vis-a-vis substance use, which suggests that the relationship between parental monitoring and the adolescents’ own use was significantly stronger among youth who reported that more of their friends used substances. Implications of these results for the design of substance use preventive interventions are discussed. Editors’ Strategic Implications: This research is promising both in terms of the implications for targets of prevention programming and for the application of ecodevelopmental theory, which might guide similar efforts with different cultural groups.
Commercial banks as underwriters: implications for the going public process

Abstract Commercial bank entry into securities underwriting can affect underwriter behavior because, unlike investment houses, banks also lend to firms. This raises several issues. Are banks better certifiers of firms’ securities than investment houses? If banks hold equity in firms rather than debt, does this make certification more credible? Would one type of underwriter drive out the other? This paper provides a model for analyzing such issues, and derives several interesting results. First, banks, as lenders to firms, can actually be better certifiers than investment houses. Second, equity holding can hinder banks’ certification ability. Finally, banks and investment houses can co-exist.
Age, Growth, and Population Dynamics of Threadfin Shad, Dorosoma petenense (Günther), in Central Arizona Reservoirs

Abstract Threadfin shad in the Salt River reservoirs of central Arizona were aged by length-frequencies and scale annuli. The growing season in established populations was from April through August, surprisingly short for the desert southwest. A re-establishing population in Saguaro Lake, however, continued to grow throughout the winter of 1967. In order to determine the growth-limiting variables, comparisons were made between the established populations and the re-establishing one. Extrinsic factors appeared similar in all of the reservoirs in 1967. The most probable limiting factors were related to plankton abundance and population density of the shad, with growth declining as densities increased when young-of-the-year fish gained the adult's limnetic behavior. Year-class strength had variable effects on the rate of growth, and is in need of further study. The first year's growth was remarkably stable regardless of year-class strength, however, with minor fluctuations showing some correlation with sprin...
Achieving and Sustaining Full Employment

Human rights and public health considerations provide strong support for policies that maximize employment. Ample historical and conceptual evidence supports the feasibility of full employment policies. New factors affecting the labor force, the rate of technological change, and the globalization of economic activity require appropriate policies--international as well as national--but do not invalidate the ability of modern states to apply the measures needed. Among these the most important include: (I) systematic reduction in working time with no loss of income, (2) active labor market policies, (3) use of fiscal and monetary measures to sustain the needed level of aggregate demand, (4) restoration of equal bargaining power between labor and capital, (5) social investment in neglected and outmoded infrastructure, (6) accountability of corporations for decisions to shift or reduce capital investment, (7) major reductions in military spending, to be replaced by socially needed and economically productive expenditures, (8) direct public sector job creation, (9) reform of monetary policy to restore emphasis on minimizing unemployment and promoting full employment. None are without precedent in modern economies. The obstacles are ideological and political. To overcome them will require intellectual clarity and effective advocacy.
The inferred referendum — A rule for committee decisions

We present a new method of social choice. The result of our method coincides with that of majority voting when it does not produce an intransitivity among the alternatives under consideration. When majority voting would produce an intransitivity, our method orders the alternatives in the same way as the transitive constituency would whom the committee members are most likely to represent. Analysis of the application of our method to three alternatives shows that (a) the resulting order depends only on the committee members' votes between pairs of alternatives (b) the resulting order is less in conflict with Sen's Property α than the orders provided by other schemes (c) when majority voting provides an intransitivity, the hypothesis that, in fact, the committee's constituency is as we assume it to be is almost as likely as the hypothesis that it precisely mirrors the committee.
Ozone inactivation of a Gymnodinium breve toxin

Abstract Detoxification of a Gymnodinium breve toxin by treatment with ozone gas is discussed. Bioassays with mice and fish show a graded inactivation of the toxin in solution.
Dynamics of Pinned Membranes with Application to Protein Diffusion on the Surface of Red Blood Cells

We present a theoretical treatment and simulation algorithm for the dynamics of Helfrich elastic membrane surfaces in the presence of general harmonic perturbations and hydrodynamic coupling to the surrounding solvent. In the limit of localized and strong interactions, this harmonic model can be used to pin the membrane to intracellular/intercellular structures. We consider the case of pinning to the cytoskeleton and use such a model to estimate the macroscopic diffusion constant for band 3 protein on the surface of human erythrocytes. Comparison to experimental results suggests that thermal undulations of the membrane surface should play a significant role in protein mobility on the red blood cell.
Statistical analysis method for prediction of maximum inlet distortion

An analytical method is described that uses inlet total pressure statistical properties and a random number process to predict the most probable maximum pressure distortion and pressure distortion map at the entrance to the gas-turbine engine compression system. The method is demonstrated by comparing predicted maximum distortion levels and pressure distortion maps with measured peak distortion levels and pressure contour maps obtained from analog screening of inlet pressure data.
Active Wave Modulation for Bond Evaluation

Many recent studies have indicated that externally bonded Fiber Reinforced Plastic (FRP) composite sheets can be used effectively to strengthen concrete structures. Composite action suggests that the individual parts of a composite work together as one. Stresses must be transferred from one constituent to the other through some interface. If there is little or no bond at the interface then there is little or no transfer of stress and therefore poor composite action. In this study, we intend to develop a NDE tool for evaluating such interfacial bond conditions. Attention is placed on an innovative active modulation approach, Nonlinear Wave Modulation Spectroscopy. In this procedure, a probe wave will be passed through the system. Simultaneously, a second, modulating wave will be applied to the system to agitate the state of damage in the materials. The resulting frequency modulations will be analyzed, and will be correlated to the presence of the interfacial flaws between a FRP thin sheet and concrete substrate.Copyright © 2002 by ASME
Robust adaptive control for a class of partially known nonlinear systems

An adaptive controller is developed that takes advantage of the structure and any known dynamics of the system in order to increase speed of adaptation and relax the conditions required for convergence. The control design method has two stages. First, the known dynamics are separated out and used to perform a global linearization on the nonlinear system. Second, a model-reference adaptive control, based on the Lyapunov stability criterion, is designed for the remaining unknown portion of the plant. This control scheme is shown to relax several assumptions usually made in applying adaptive control to a manipulator system. For instance, it relaxes the common assumption that the time-varying plant is close to the desired model. >
Experimental tsunami deposits: Linking hydrodynamics to sediment entrainment, advection lengths and downstream fining

Abstract A goal of paleotsunami research is to quantitatively reconstruct wave hydraulics from sediment deposits in order to better understand coastal hazards. Simple models have been proposed to predict wave heights and velocities, based largely on deposit grain size distributions (GSDs). Although seemingly consistent with some recent tsunamis, little independent data exist to test these equations. We conducted laboratory experiments to evaluate inversion assumptions and uncertainties. A computer-controlled lift gate instantaneously released ~ 6.5 m 3 of water into a 32 m flume with shallow ponded water, creating a hydraulic bore that transported sand from an upstream source dune. Differences in initial GSDs and ponded water depths influenced entrainment, transport, and deposition. While the source dune sand was fully suspendable based on size alone, experimental tsunamis produced deposits dominated by bed load sand transport in the upstream ~ 1/3 of the flume and suspension-dominated transport downstream. The suspension deposits exhibited downstream fining and thinning. At 95% confidence, a published advection-settling model predicts time-averaged flow depths to approximately a factor of two, and time-averaged downstream flow velocities to within a factor of 1.5. Finally, reasonable scaling is found between flume and field cases by comparing flow depths, inundation distances, Froude numbers, Rouse numbers and grain size trends in suspension-dominated tsunami deposits, justifying laboratory study of sediment transport and deposition by tsunamis.
Methoxychlor as a Model for Environmental Estrogens

Estrogens can have a variety of physiological effects, especially on the reproductive system. Chemicals with estrogenic activity that are present in the environment may thus be considered potentially hazardous to development and/or reproduction. Methoxychlor is one such chemical, a chlorinated hydrocarbon pesticide with proestrogenic activity. Metabolism of the chemical either in vivo or using liver microsomes produces 2,2-bis(p-hydroxyphenyl)- 1,1,1-trichloroethane (HPTE), the active estrogenic form, and the delineation of this mechanism is reviewed herein. When administered in vivo, methoxychlor has adverse effects on fertility, early pregnancy, and in utero development in females as well as adverse effects on adult males such as altered social behavior following prenatal exposure to methoxychlor. Effects of methoxychlor on the female have been studied extensively, whereas reports on the chemical's effects on males are less common. From the studies reviewed here, the reproductive toxicity of methoxychlor is evident, but the significance of this toxicity with respect to human health remains to be determined.
Effect of Compost on Soil Properties in Dallas, Texas

Compost derived from landscape debris was incorporated into seven different soils in the Dallas, Texas area at variable rates. Treatment levels for each of the 3.34 m2 quadrats were compost depths of approximately 0.0, 2.5, 5.0 and 7.5 cm. Composted plots were evaluated for two years to quantify differences in infiltration rate, moisture content, coefficient of linear extensibility (COLE), pH and salinity relative to control plots. Substantial differences in soil properties between sites barred comparison between sites. However, significant site-specific differences between control and treatments were observed. Infiltration rate was more strongly affected by soil texture, soil mineralogy, and climatic effects than by the addition of compost. Compost incorporation may provide a significant reduction in COLE values, but not necessarily to levels below the “very high” shrink/swell class. Soil water content significantly increased with elevated levels of compost in the Austin, Eddy, and Brackett soils. Incorp...
The role of frontal currents in larval fish transport on Georges Bank

Abstract The hydrography and distributions of cod larvae on Georges Bank were surveyed during two research cruises in April and May 1993 in order to relate larval drift between cruises to the vernal intensification of the frontal component of the residual circulation. We observed the transport of two patches of cod larvae. One patch, which had maximum larval cod densities of 45 larvae 100 m −3 in April, appeared to have been advected south about 75 km between surveys, while the other, which had maximum larval cod densities of 20 larvae 100 m −3 in April, appeared to have been advected north-northeast about 25 km. Maximum larval densities in each patch sampled during the second cruise in May were 15 and 18 larvae 100 m −3 , respectively, and mean growth in total length for larvae in the two patches was approximately 5.5 mm and 4.5 mm, respectively, between the two cruises. During the April cruise there was a large volume of anomalous cold, fresh water, of Scotian Shelf origin, which occupied much of the eastern third of Georges Bank. During May, relatively cold, fresh water appeared in a band from the Northeast Peak along the Southern Flank, between Georges Bank water on the top of the Bank, and upper Slope Water offshore. The distribution of cold, fresh water suggests its participation in the general clockwise circulation around the Bank. The transport of cod larvae comprising the first patch appeared to become organized within, and move along, the frontal boundary established by the Scotian Shelf-like water mass, while larvae in the second patch, which we assumed to have moved to the north, may have been transported northward in an on-Bank flow of warmer and saltier upper Slope Water, which may have originated from a Gulf Stream Ring. Based upon observed transport of the first patch of larvae in relation to the frontal boundary, we present a conceptual model of frontal mixing currents on Georges Bank, where current velocities may reach 5 cm s −1 at the depth of the pycnocline. We suggest that this frontal component of the residual circulation, which is in addition to that resulting from tidal rectification, may be important in the transport of fish larvae, and that interannual variability in the degree of intrusion of extrinsic water masses may contribute to variable larval cod drift patterns, to variable larval cod retention on the Bank, and ultimately, to variable larval fish recruitment to the early juvenile stage.
Organizational interventions employing principles of complexity science have improved outcomes for patients with Type II diabetes

Background Despite the development of several models of care delivery for patients with chronic illness, consistent improvements in outcomes have not been achieved. These inconsistent results may be less related to the content of the models themselves, but to their underlying conceptualization of clinical settings as linear, predictable systems. The science of complex adaptive systems (CAS), suggests that clinical settings are non-linear, and increasingly has been used as a framework for describing and understanding clinical systems. The purpose of this study is to broaden the conceptualization by examining the relationship between interventions that leverage CAS characteristics in intervention design and implementation, and effectiveness of reported outcomes for patients with Type II diabetes.
Bioavailability of naphthalene associated with natural and synthetic sorbents

Bacteria differ in their abilities to degrade hydrophobic xenobiotic compounds which are associated with solid sorbents and nonaqueous phase liquids (NAPLs) in the environment. Here, we assess the bioavailability of naphthalene sorbed to forest soils, river sediment, and a variety of synthetic sorbents to two bacterial species studied previously using agricultural soils as sorbents. Using a mineralization kinetics approach, we determined that, for an Alcaligenes sp. (strain NP-Alk), sorbed naphthalene was unavailable for degradation and slow desorption limited the extent of mineralization in all sorbent systems. Pseudomonas putida strain 17484 had direct and immediate access to a portion of the sorbed naphthalene associated with all natural sorbents and facilitated the desorption of additional naphthalene for degradation. Naphthalene associated with forest soils was less available than naphthalene sorbed to agricultural soils or river sediments. Aging soil-naphthalene slurries (up to 3 yr equilibration) progressively diminished both the rate and extent of naphthalene degradation by strain 17484. Exposure of soil interior sorption sites by sonication of 3 yr old slurries increased naphthalene availability to this organism. Differential access to surface-sorbed naphthalene in soil studies, due to the attachment propensities of the two organisms, accounted for the observed bioavailability results. Sorption to granular activated carbon (GAC) virtually precluded naphthalene degradation by either organism, whereas naphthalene sorbed to XAD-2 resin, hexadecyltrimethylammonium (HDTMA)-modified smectite and Tenax was more rapidly desorbed and degraded in studies with strain 17484. The porosities and naphthalene binding characteristics of the sorbents appeared to control bioavailability.
Astrocytes generated from patient induced pluripotent stem cells recapitulate features of Huntington’s disease patient cells

Huntington’s Disease (HD) is a devastating neurodegenerative disorder that clinically manifests as motor dysfunction, cognitive impairment and psychiatric symptoms. There is currently no cure for this progressive and fatal disorder. The causative mutation of this hereditary disease is a trinucleotide repeat expansion (CAG) in the Huntingtin gene that results in an expanded polyglutamine tract. Multiple mechanisms have been proposed to explain the preferential striatal and cortical degeneration that occurs with HD, including non-cell-autonomous contribution from astrocytes. Although numerous cell culture and animal models exist, there is a great need for experimental systems that can more accurately replicate the human disease. Human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) are a remarkable new tool to study neurological disorders because this cell type can be derived from patients as a renewable, genetically tractable source for unlimited cells that are difficult to acquire, such as neurons and astrocytes. The development of experimental systems based on iPSC technology could aid in the identification of molecular lesions and therapeutic treatments. We derived iPSCs from a father with adult onset HD and 50 CAG repeats (F-HD-iPSC) and his daughter with juvenile HD and 109 CAG repeats (D-HD-iPSC). These disease-specific iPSC lines were characterized by standard assays to assess the quality of iPSC lines and to demonstrate their pluripotency. HD-iPSCs were capable of producing phenotypically normal, functional neurons in vitro and were able to survive and differentiate into neurons in the adult mouse brain in vivo after transplantation. Surprisingly, when HD-iPSCs were directed to differentiate into an astrocytic lineage, we observed the presence of cytoplasmic, electron clear vacuoles in astrocytes from both F-HD-iPSCs and D-HD-iPSCs, which were significantly more pronounced in D-HD-astrocytes. Remarkably, the vacuolation in diseased astrocytes was observed under basal culture conditions without additional stressors and increased over time. Importantly, similar vacuolation phenotype has also been observed in peripheral blood lymphocytes from individuals with HD. Together, these data suggest that vacuolation may be a phenotype associated with HD. We have generated a unique in vitro system to study HD pathogenesis using patient-specific iPSCs. The astrocytes derived from patient-specific iPSCs exhibit a vacuolation phenotype, a phenomenon previously documented in primary lymphocytes from HD patients. Our studies pave the way for future mechanistic investigations using human iPSCs to model HD and for high-throughput therapeutic screens.
Inaccuracies in power estimation during logic synthesis

This paper studies the confidence with which power can be estimated at various levels of design abstraction. We report the results of experiments designed to identify and evaluate the sources of inaccuracies in gate-level power estimation. In particular, we are interested in power estimation during logic synthesis. Factors that may invalidate or diminish the accuracy of power estimates include optimization, technology mapping, transistor sizing, placement and wiring, and choice of input stimuli.
A Randomized, Double-blind Evaluation of Buprenorphine Taper Duration in Primary Prescription Opioid Abusers

RESULTS Opioid abstinence at the end of phase 1 was greater in the 4-week compared with the 2- and 1-week taper conditions (P = .02), with 63% (n = 14), 29% (n = 7), and 29% (n = 7) of participants abstinent in the 4-, 2-, and 1-week conditions, respectively. Abstinence at the end of phase 2 was also greater in the 4-week compared with the 2- and 1-week conditions (P = .03), with 50% (n = 11), 16% (n = 4), and 20% (n = 5) of participants abstinent in the 4-, 2-, and 1-week conditions, respectively. There were more treatment responders in the 4-week condition (P = .03), with 50% (n = 11), 17% (n = 4), and 21% (n = 5) of participants in the 4-, 2-, and 1-week groups considered responders at the end of treatment, respectively. Retention and naltrexone ingestion also were superior in the 4-week vs briefer tapers (both P = .04). Experimental condition (ie, taper duration) was the strongest predictor of treatment response, followed by buprenorphine stabilization dose. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE This study represents a rigorous experimental evaluation of outpatient buprenorphine stabilization, brief taper, and naltrexone maintenance for treatment of PO dependence. Results suggest that a meaningful subset of PO-dependent outpatients may respond positively to a 4-week taper plus naltrexone maintenance intervention.
One-Step Processing and Bleaching of Mechanically Separated Kenaf Fibers: Effects on Physical and Chemical Properties

Kenaf is an important bast fiber because it is biodegradable and has other ecofriendly characteristics. In this study, chelators, including ethylenediamine tetra acetic acid (EDTA) and citric acid (CA); surfactants, including phosphate ester (Silvatol), alkylaxylsulfonates (Conco), cationic quaternary amine (Atlas), and modified polyglycol ether (Tanapon); and bleaching enhancers, including sodium pyrophosphate, and sodium metasilicate, along with hydrogen peroxide bleaching, are evaluated for their efficiency in processing me chanically separated kenaf fibers. Treatment conditions, such as processing temperature, solution pH, processing time and chemical concentrations, are evaluated based on the resulting fiber strength and appearance. Gas chromatography and infrared spectroscopy are also used to study fiber chemical composition (syringyl and guaiacyl lignins) as affected by processing. The results indicate that the treatments can substantially remove lignin from bast fibers. The best whiteness and stre...
An X- and Ku-Band 8-Element Linear Phased Array Receiver

This paper presents an 8-element linear phased array receiver in 0.18-mum SiGe BiCMOS technology for X-and Ku-band applications. The array receiver adopts RF phase shifting architecture and the active 4-bit phase shifter synthesizes a phase by adding two properly weighted I-and Q-input. With all the digital control circuitry, bandgap reference and ESD protection for all I/O pads, the receiver consumes 170 mA from a 3.3 V supply voltage. The receiver shows about 20 dB of power gain per channel at 12 GHz with a 3-dB gain bandwidth from 8.5 to 14.5 GHz. The rms gain error is less than 0.9 dB and the rms phase error is less than 6deg at 6-18 GHz for all the 4-bit phase states. The minimum NF is 3.85 dB at 10-11 GHz and typical input PldB at 12 GHz is -31 dBm. The overall chip size is 2.2times2.45 mm2. To our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of an RF-based phased array in a silicon chip with the record rms phase and gain errors at 6-18 GHz.
Association of single-stranded transferred DNA from Agrobacterium tumefaciens with tobacco cells.

Abstract During the inception of crown gall tumorigenesis, the transferred DNA (T-DNA) is processed from the Ti (tumor inducing) plasmid of Agrobacterium tumefaciens and is transferred to plant cells. T-DNA processing and transfer require the induction of vir (virulence) genes by phenolic compounds secreted by wounded plant cells. After vir gene induction, both single-stranded (T-strands) and double-stranded forms of processed T-DNA accumulate in the bacteria. Although current models favor the transfer of T-strands to plants, there has yet been no experimental evidence to show this. In this paper, we show that T-strands disappear from acetosyringone-induced A. tumefaciens within 30 min of bacterial cocultivation with tobacco protoplasts. PCR analysis of T-DNA associated with protoplasts indicates that single-stranded, but not double-stranded, T-DNA can be detected in the plant cells within 30 min of bacterial cocultivation. Control experiments show that this T-DNA does not originate from lysed contaminating bacterial cells. T-DNA transfer depends on a functional bacterial virB operon. Protoplast infections using an A. tumefaciens virE mutant result in a low level of accumulation of T-strands in the plant cells.
Pharmacogenetics of human 3'-phosphoadenosine 5'-phosphosulfate synthetase 1 (PAPSS1): gene resequencing, sequence variation, and functional genomics

3'-Phosphoadenosine 5'-phosphosulfate (PAPS) is the high-energy "sulfate donor" for reactions catalyzed by sulfotransferase (SULT) enzymes. The strict requirement of SULTs for PAPS suggests that PAPS synthesis might influence the rate of sulfate conjugation. In humans, PAPS is synthesized from ATP and SO(4)(2-) by two isoforms of PAPS synthetase (PAPSS): PAPSS1 and PAPSS2. As a step toward pharmacogenetic studies, we have resequenced the entire coding sequence of the human PAPSS1 gene, including exon-intron splice junctions, using DNA samples from 60 Caucasian-American and 58 African-American subjects. Twenty-one genetic polymorphisms were observed-1 insertion-deletion event and 20 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs)-including two non-synonymous coding SNPs (cSNPs) that altered the following amino acids: Arg333Cys and Glu531Gln. Twelve pairs of these polymorphisms were tightly linked, and a total of twelve unequivocal haplotypes could be identified-two that were common to both ethnic groups and ten that were ethnic-specific. The Arg333Cys polymorphism, with an allele frequency of 2.5%, was observed only in DNA samples from Caucasian subjects. The Glu531Gln polymorphism was rare, with only a single copy of that allele in a DNA sample from an African-American subject. Transient expression in mammalian cells showed that neither of the non-synonymous cSNPs resulted in a change in the basal level of enzyme activity measured under optimal assay conditions. However, the Glu531Gln polymorphism altered the substrate kinetic properties of the enzyme. The Gln531 variant allozyme had a 5-fold higher K(m) value for SO(4)(2-) than did the wild-type allozyme and displayed monophasic kinetics for Na(2)SO(4). The wild-type allozyme (Glu531) showed biphasic kinetics for that substrate. These observations represent a step toward testing the hypothesis that genetic variation in PAPS synthesis catalyzed by PAPSS1 might alter in vivo sulfate conjugation.
Helical CT for the Evaluation of Acute Pulmonary Embolism

OBJECTIVE. In this article, we review the current role of CT pulmonary angiography and indirect CT venography for the evaluation of pulmonary thromboembolic disease.CONCLUSION. With advances in MDCT technology, evaluation of pulmonary thromboembolic disease can now be performed with combined CT pulmonary angiography and CT venography as a “one-stop-shopping” test. CT pulmonary angiography is cost-effective, is accurate, has high interobserver agreement, and has an added advantage of detecting other life-threatening diseases in the chest that mimic pulmonary embolism.
Electrical Activity of the Diaphragm in a Small Cohort of Term Neonates

BACKGROUND: Electrical activity of the diaphragm (Edi) has been proposed as a parameter to evaluate respiratory function. Normative values of electrical activity of the diaphragm in full-term neonates are not known. This is a small case series to establish preliminary values of Edi in term neonates and to determine how these values vary while awake and asleep and during feeding states. METHODS: Three term neonates in room air and nippling feeds at the time of the study were observed for 4 hours. Edi was measured by electrodes within a nasogastric tube positioned at the level of the diaphragm. Respiratory rate and heart rate were also recorded. Time while awake and asleep were noted. Feeding states included feeding, 30 min pre-prandial, and 30 min post-prandial. Statistics were analysis of variance and t tests, with P RESULTS: Mean Edi peak was 11 ± 5 μV. Mean Edi minimum was 3 ± 2 μV. Edi peak and minimum were higher while awake. Edi peak was lower post-prandial. Respiratory rate was higher post-prandial. CONCLUSIONS: These are the first preliminary values for Edi in neonates. Higher Edi peak while awake may reflect larger tidal volume to meet increased metabolic requirements when awake and active. Post-prandial lower Edi peak and higher respiratory rate may indicate compensation for decreased tidal volume from increased intra-abdominal pressure. These data may be useful in identifying respiratory pathology in neonates and monitoring progression toward respiratory health.
Splatting of curvilinear volumes

The paper presents a splatting algorithm for volume rendering of curvilinear grids. A stochastic sampling technique called Poisson sphere/ellipsoid sampling is employed to adaptively resample a curvilinear grid with a set of randomly distributed points whose energy support extents are well approximated by spheres and ellipsoids. Filter kernels corresponding to these spheres and ellipsoids are used to generate the volume rendered image of the curvilinear grid with a conventional footprint evaluation algorithm. Experimental results show that our approach can be regarded as an alternative to existing fast volume rendering techniques of curvilinear grids.
Composition studies: Dappled discipline

Over the last two decades, the development of graduate programs in composition has provoked a number of questions: Is this study a genuine discipline? What are its origins, its domain of investigation, its modes of inquiry and methods of evaluation? To some it seems a newcomer to academia even though part of its work reinstates and reorients the written branch of rhetoric, one of the most ancient disciplines of higher education. To others its character is puzzling because its scholarship has a highly multidisciplinary cast. These attitudes manifest themselves in many circumstances. A panel at the last meeting of the Modern Language Association raised questions about criteria for assessing composition research. A recent article in College English by Scott and Castner implied this puzzlement by offering some bibliographic starting places for those wishing to enter the field.' Such questions are normal and appropriate for a developing field, which must define itself. This essay does not attempt to offer definitive answers to these questions but rather some preliminary reflections on the nature of composition studies as a discipline, first delineating some of its distinctive features and then discussing advantages and dangers associated with these features.
Endovascular coil embolization of a pancreatic pseudoaneurysm in a child with pancreatitis

Pancreatic pseudoaneurysm is a rare but potentially fatal complication in pancreatitis; however, the incidence in children is not well established. Surgery has been the mainstay of treatment; however, we report a case of PSA associated with pancreatitis in a 6-year-old boy, which was successfully managed endovascularly.
Kinetic study of Pd-catalyzed hydrogenation of N-benzyl-4-fluoroaniline

Abstract In multi-step organic syntheses, the protection of functional groups such as amines, alcohols, and carbonyl groups is frequently necessary to avoid undesired side reactions. For example, amines can be protected by benzyl groups, which form toluene after removal by hydrogenation. In the present study, the kinetics of Pd-catalyzed hydrogenation of N-benzyl-4-fluoroaniline, NB4FA, a compound that can undergo both debenzylation and defluorination, were investigated in a semi-batch reactor. The effects of various operating parameters (temperature, H 2 pressure, solvent type, buffer) were examined to identify factors that influence the reaction pathways. Mechanistic Langmuir–Hinshelwood models were evaluated by regressing the experimental data to determine the appropriate reaction expression for NB4FA debenzylation. Separate experiments to determine the hydrogenation kinetics of the main product, 4-fluoroaniline, 4FA, were also conducted. Finally, the complete transient reaction behavior of NB4FA hydrogenation was predicted well by combining the kinetics of NB4FA debenzylation and of 4FA hydrogenation to aniline, which was observed to be the main by-product.
Effects of Arginine-Free Diet on Ureagenesis in Young and Adult Ferrets

The major function of arginine is to protect mammals against ammonia intoxication via urea synthesis. In addition, arginine has several other important functions. Arginine is used by mammals for the synthesis of tissue proteins. It is the only amino acid that provides the amidino group for synthesis of creatine, a major source of high energy phosphate in muscle. Arginine is also a precursor for the synthesis of polyamines, which play an important role in cell division, tissue growth and differentiation.