cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Nonspecific Esophaheal Motility Disorders in Children 589

Nonspecific esophageal motility disorders (NEMD) comprise up to 50% of manometric diagnoses in adults with non-cardiac chest pain or dysphagia. This study sought to determine the incidence of NEMD in children with upper gastrointestinal tract symptoms, and to evaluate the clinical course of pediatric patients with these abnormalities. Study design: We studied 154 children, 4 to 18 years of age (mean ± sem: 11.6 ± 2.6 years), utilizing 24 hour intraesophageal pH monitoring, esophageal manometry and esophagogastroduodenoscopy. Results: Gastroesophageal reflux (GER) was demonstrated by pH studies in 109 of 154 patients (71%). In subjects with GER, manometric studies demonstrated reduced lower esophageal sphincter pressures and normal esophageal wave propagation; and, in biopsies showed esophagitis in 70 patients. Biopsy-confirmed Helicobacter pylori gastritis was found in 11 of 154 patients (7%). Esophageal manometries were abnormal in 30 of 45 subjects without GER (67%), and these included 13 children with NEMD (mean age: 10.6 ± 2.7 years; M:F = 10:3). Children with NEMD manifested a diverse group of symptoms, including 4 of 13 patients who presented with esophageal food impaction. Over a 36.2 ± 4.3 month follow-up period, no correlation was found between therapeutic intervention and the clinical course in the 13 patients with NEMD. Symptomatic improvement occurred in 6 of 13 patients, including in 3 children for whom no pharmacologic therapy was offered. Conclusions: These data indicate that NEMD represents the most common group of esophageal manometric abnormalities in children with upper gastrointestinal tract symptoms and without GER. Food impaction appears to be a relatively frequent complication, and NEMD should be considered in children presenting with this finding.
Proton-deuteron elastic scattering at 800 MeV

Differential cross sections and polarization analyzing powers for proton-deuteron elastic scattering have been measured at 800 MeV incident proton kinetic energy over the range of center-of-mass angles from 14.1\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} to 153.6\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}. The differential cross sections are described by the Glauber theory of impulse approximation at forward angles ($\ensuremath{-}tl0.5$) and exhibit the exponential dependence on ${cos\ensuremath{\theta}}_{\mathrm{c}.\mathrm{m}.}$ typical for these energies at backward angles (${cos\ensuremath{\theta}}_{\mathrm{c}.\mathrm{m}.}l\ensuremath{-}0.5$). The analyzing power shows considerable structure with strong positive peaks at forward and backward angles and a sharp dip at $t=\ensuremath{-}0.4$ typical at intermediate energies. There is no evidence for correspondence of the angular dependence of the analyzing power with that for the $\mathrm{pp}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}d{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{+}$ reaction. At large momentum transfer the data favor calculations based on multiple scattering with a modified deuteron form factor rather than ${N}^{*}$ exchange.
Understanding the cytochrome bc complexes by what they don't do. The Q-cycle at 30.

The cytochrome (cyt) bc 1 , b 6 f and related complexes are central components of the respiratory and photosynthetic electron transport chains. These complexes carry out an extraordinary sequence of electron and proton transfer reactions that conserve redox energy in the form of a trans-membrane proton motive force for use in synthesizing ATP and other processes. Thirty years ago, Peter Mitchell proposed a general turnover mechanism for these complexes, which he called the Q-cycle. Since that time, many opposing schemes have challenged the Q-cycle but, with the accumulation of large amounts of biochemical, kinetic, thermodynamic and high-resolution structural data, the Q-cycle has triumphed as the accepted model, although some of the intermediate steps are poorly understood and still controversial. One of the major research questions concerning the cyt bc 1 and b 6 f complexes is how these enzymes suppress deleterious and dissipative side reactions. In particular, most Q-cycle models involve reactive semiquinone radical intermediates that can reduce O 2 to superoxide and lead to cellular oxidative stress. Current models to explain the avoidance of side reactions involve unprecedented or unusual enzyme mechanisms, the testing of which will involve new theoretical and experimental approaches.
Characterization of Sex-Related Differences in Valvular Interstitial Cells

Abstract Although the pathogenesis of calcific aortic valve disease (CAVD) is not well understood, males have been identified as having a two-fold increased risk for the disease when compared to females. In this study, we examined gene expression profiles in healthy pigs and measured markers of disease in vitro to determine whether the differences in clinical risk between males and females translate into measurable intrinsic differences on the cellular scale. In addition, we also investigated potential sex-related differences in cellular response to TGF-β1, an inflammatory stimulus known to be elevated in calcified human aortic valve explants. mRNA was isolated from three male and three female porcine aortic valves (denuded of endothelial cells) and hybridized to Affymetrix® GeneChip Porcine Genome microarrays. Mean expression values of each probe set in the male samples were compared with those in the female samples and biological processes were analyzed from the dataset for overrepresentation using Gene...
Control of Leading-Edge Vortices with Suction

Abstract : Several control techniques have been applied in order to control leading-edge vortices at high angle of attack. The purpose of these control techniques is to influence the strength and structure of the vortices, to generate rolling moment, and to delay vortex breakdown. Since the vorticity of the leading-edge vortices originates from the separation point along the leading-edge, control of development of the shear layer has been chosen as a control strategy in several investigations: blowing and suction in the tangential direction along a rounded leading-edge.
Pacific Northwest Salmon: Forecasting Their Status in 2100

Throughout the Pacific Northwest (northern California, Oregon, Idaho, Washington, and the Columbia Basin portion of British Columbia), many wild salmon stocks (a group of interbreeding individuals that is roughly equivalent to a “population”) have declined and some have disappeared. Substantial efforts have been made to restore some runs of wild salmon, but few have shown much success. Society's failure to restore wild salmon is a policy conundrum characterized by: (1) claims by a strong majority to be supportive of restoring wild salmon runs; (2) competing societal priorities which are at least partially mutually exclusive; (3) the region's rapidly growing human population and its pressure on all natural resources (including salmon and their habitats); (4) entrenched policy stances in the salmon restoration debate, usually supported by established bureaucracies; (5) society's expectation that experts should be able to solve the salmon problem by using a technological scheme and without massive cultural o...
Maternal predictors of comorbid trajectories of cigarette smoking and marijuana use from early adolescence to adulthood

Abstract This is the first study to examine maternal predictors of comorbid trajectories of cigarette smoking and marijuana use from adolescence to adulthood. Participants (N = 806) are part of an on-going longitudinal psychosocial study of mothers and their children. Mothers were administered structured interviews when participants were adolescents, and participants were interviewed at six time waves, from adolescence to adulthood. Mothers and participants independently reported on their relationships when participants were X ¯ age 14.1 years. At each time wave, participants answered questions about their cigarette and marijuana use from the previous wave to the present. Latent growth mixture modeling determined the participants' membership in trajectory groups of comorbid smoking and marijuana use, from X ¯ ages 14.1 to 36.6 years. Multivariate logistic regression was used to assess the association of maternal factors (when participants were adolescents) with participants' comorbid trajectory group membership. Findings showed that most maternal risk (e.g., mother–child conflict, maternal smoking) and protective (e.g., maternal affection) factors predicted participants' membership in trajectory groups of greater and lesser comorbid substance use, respectively. Clinical implications include the importance of addressing the mother–child relationship in prevention and treatment programs for comorbid cigarette smoking and marijuana use.
Classical conditioning: the new hegemony

Converging data from different disciplines are showing the role of classical conditioning processes in the elaboration of human and animal behavior to be larger than previously supposed. Restricted views of classically conditioned responses as merely secretory, reflexive, or emotional are giving way to a broader conception that includes problem-solving, and other rule-governed behavior thought to be the exclusive province of either operant conditioning or cognitive psychology. These new views have been accompanied by changes in the way conditioning is conducted and evaluated. Data from a number of seemingly unrelated phenomena such as relapse to drug abuse by postaddicts, the placebo effect, and the immune response appear to involve classical conditioning processes. Classical conditioning, moreover, has been found to occur in simpler and simpler organisms and recently even demonstrated in brain slices and in utero. This target article will integrate the several research areas that have used the classical conditioning process as an explanatory model; it will challenge teleological interpretations of the classically conditioned CR and offer some basic principles for testing conditioning in diverse areas.
Triatomic dissociative recombination theory: Jahn?Teller coupling among infinitely many Born?Oppenheimer surfaces

The coupling of many Rydberg surfaces poses a stringent challenge for theoretical description. Yet simplifications arise because quantum defect ideas can be applied, which circumvents some of the usual difficulties that arise. We describe a theoretical technique capable of handling these complex interactions, which has already been applied with success to the dynamics of H3 Rydberg states. The extensions necessary to treat the other isotopomers H2D+ and HD2+ are then discussed, along with a preliminary application.
Selective, near-total, irreversible inactivation of peripheral pseudocholin-esterase and acetylcholinesterase in cats In vivo

Abstract Tetramonoisopropyl pyrophosphortetramide (Iso-OMPA) was confirmed to be a highly selective inactivator of cat pseudocholinesterase (BuChE) over wide ranges of concentration and temperature in vitro ; intravenous doses of 3.0 or 6.0 μmoles (approximately 1.0 or 2.0 mg)/kg produced nearly total inactivation of peripheral BuChE, with no detectable inactivation of acetylcholinesterase (AChE). Selective inactivation of AChE in vivo was obtained as follows: after a dose of mephentermine, 2.0 to 3.0 mg/kg, i.v., to sustain blood pressure, cats received an intravenous dose of 10-(α-diethylaminopropionyl) phenothiazine HCl (Astra 1397) up to 200 μmoles (73 mg)/kg, which produces selective reversible inhibition of BuChE; they were then given 1.0 μmole (0.332 mg) 2-diethyoxyphosphinylthioethyldimethylamine acid oxalate (217 AO)/kg, which is sufficient when given alone to produce essentially total, irreversible inactivation of AChE and BuChE. Under these conditions, approximately one-third of the autonomic ganglionic BuChE, but none of the AChE, was protected and restored to activity. Quantitative results, obtained by a spectrophotometric method, were confirmed histochemically.
Improved outcomes with combined autologous chondrocyte implantation and patellofemoral osteotomy versus isolated autologous chondrocyte implantation.

Purpose To compare clinical outcomes of patients undergoing isolated patellofemoral autologous chondrocyte implantation (ACI) and ACI combined with patellofemoral realignment. Methods A systematic review was performed by use of PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines/checklist. We searched PubMed, CINAHL (Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature), SportDiscus, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials databases from 1946 through February 2012 to determine whether a difference exists in outcomes of combined ACI and osteotomy versus isolated ACI (minimum 2 years' follow-up). Studies were included only if outcomes were reported separately for both isolated ACI and combined ACI and osteotomy. All ACI generations were eligible for inclusion. Patellofemoral osteotomies eligible for inclusion were anteriorization, medialization, or anteromedialization. All patient-, limb-, and defect-specific characteristics were assessed. All reported clinical scores, radiographic and histologic outcomes, and complications/reoperations were analyzed. Risk of bias was assessed within all studies. Results Eleven studies (10 Level III or IV evidence) (366 subjects) were included. Of the defects treated, 78% were located on the patella and 22% on the trochlea. The mean subject age was 33.3 years. Twenty-three percent of subjects underwent concomitant osteotomy. The mean length of follow-up was 4.2 years. Significant ( P P Conclusions This review showed statistically significant improvements in patients undergoing both isolated ACI and ACI combined with osteotomy for patellofemoral chondral defects in all studies. When individual studies compared these 2 groups (3 studies), significantly greater improvements in multiple clinical outcomes in subjects undergoing ACI combined with osteotomy were observed. There was no significant difference in the rate of total complications between groups. Level of Evidence Level IV, systematic review of studies with minimum Level IV evidence, retrospective case series.
Hanf numbers for omitting types over particular theories

The main result of this paper is the fact that for T a complete extension of either P or ZF + V = L , with no new symbols, there is a type which is omitted in a model of T of power ℵ 1 but which is realized in all models of higher power. Therefore, the “Hanf number” for omitting types over T is greater than ℵ 2 . The present section contains some basic definitions and a discussion of related results. §1 discusses generic relations on models of P and ZFC, and describes a special forcing technique due to Addison. In §2, this technique is used to obtain the main result. The use of forcing is not essential. Those who do not wish to read a forcing argument may skip §1. At the point in §2 where forcing is used, a proof without forcing is sketched. This proof was obtained only after a careful study of the forcing argument. The forcing argument is given because it is simple, and because the technique of forcing makes intuitively clear why this and other similar results should be true. All theories in the paper are assumed to be countable and to have infinite models. Let T be a complete theory in a language L . The Hanf number for omitting types over T , denoted by H ( T ), is the first infinite cardinal κ such that for all L -types, Σ, if T has models omitting Σ in all infinite powers less than κ , then T has models omitting Σ in all infinite powers.
The adherence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa to soft contact lenses.

Abstract The adherence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa to extended-wear soft contact lenses (EWSCLs) may be an important initial step in the pathogenesis of EWSCL-associated infectious keratitis. P. aeruginosa tend to adhere more to worn EWSCLs than unworn EWSCLs ( P P. aeruginosa to unworn EWSCLs often by as much as 300%. The presence of a 1 % solution of sialic acid in the bathing medium significantly reduces the adherence of P. aeruginosa to both unworn and worn lenses. Inhibition of bacterial adherence could also be achieved with the addition of mucin (which contains terminal sialic acid residues in its major sugar chains). Therefore, selective adherence by P. aeruginosa to a specific sugar (sialic acid) may be important in the initial attachment of the bacterium to soft contact lenses.
Effects of ammonium tetrathiomolybdate, an oncolytic/angiolytic drug on the viability and proliferation of endothelial and tumor cells.

Objective: This study examines the target specificity of tetrathiomolybdate (ATM), an anti-angiogenic, anti-tumor agent against the viability / proliferation of arterial, venous, capillary endothelial and tumor cells.
Micro‐level determinants of poverty reduction in Sri Lanka: a multivariate approach

Purpose – The main purpose of this paper is to construct a poverty profile for Sri Lanka, and examine the micro‐level determinants and correlates of poverty.Design/methodology/approach – The study is based on the latest Sri Lanka Integrated Survey commissioned by the World Bank. The unconditional poverty profile was constructed using three different poverty measures (poverty headcount, average poverty gap and squared poverty gap), nested in the Foster‐Greer‐Thorbecke index. The conditional poverty profile was constructed on the basis of a multivariate analysis of poverty correlates. Partial correlates of poverty are computed using two comparable methodologies. First, a logistic regression was estimated, with the probability of a household being in poverty as the dependent variable and a set of economic and demographic variables as correlates. Second, the quantile regression approach was utilized to examine the correlates of per capita consumption at different points on the distribution.Findings – The empi...
Establishing and Maintaining Wireless Communication Coverage Among Multiple Mobile Robots via Fuzzy Control

This paper addresses the critical issue of establishing and maintaining desired wireless communication connectivity in a team of collaborative mobile robots, which is highly demanded for reliable functioning of multi-robot systems but challenging in realistic environments. The signal propagation of wireless communications among mobile robots is affected by not only the transmission power and distance but also obstacles and other environmental conditions as well as robot movement, which result in signal loss, attenuation, multi-path fading and shadowing. Consequently, the communication condition among mobile robots in a physical environment is usually unstable, and it is difficult to accurately predict the actual communication ranges of robots. We propose a decentralized control strategy which, based on perceived link quality, adopts fuzzy control to accommodate the fluctuating communication condition, and approach and maintain desired and reliable communication connections among neighboring robots. The effectiveness of the proposed scheme has been verified in several simulated environments with different signal propagation conditions based on a probabilistic signal propagation model.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
The Spears of Twilight: Life and Death In the Amazon Jungle

The Spears of Twilight: Life and Death In the Amazon Jungle. Phillippe Descola. Janet Lioyd, trans. New York: New Press, 1996. xii. 445 pp., illustrations, maps, glossaries, references, indexes.
Seismic response of bent caps in as-built and retrofitted reinforced concrete box-girder bridges

Abstract Bridges are key components of infrastructure that are vulnerable to earthquakes and many are undergoing retrofit or complete replacement. Rigorous seismic design of new bridges and informed retrofit decisions are indispensable. A specific design issue that is concerned with the structural response of bent cap beams in as-built and retrofitted box-girder bridges under gravity and seismic loads is tackled in this paper. A combined experimental and computational research was undertaken in this study to investigate the bent cap capacity and effective slab width in reinforced concrete box-girder bridges for enhanced seismic capacity design approach. Two large-scale as-built and retrofitted column-bent cap-box-girder subassemblies were developed and tested using bidirectional quasi-static cyclic loading and hybrid simulation approach, respectively. In addition, detailed finite element models were calibrated and further used to complement the experimental programs. The study revisited the effective slab width code values for bent caps and concluded that the slab reinforcement within an effective width, especially in tension, should be included for accurate bent cap capacity estimation. Accordingly, recommendations are suggested for the relevant bridge seismic design codes.
A cost-benefit analysis of water quality protection in the Catawba Basin

: The primary objective of this study was to perform a cost-benefit analysis of maintaining the current level of water quality in the Catawba River basin. Economic benefits were estimated using a stated preference survey method designed to value respondents' willingness to pay for a management plan to protect water quality in the Catawba basin over time. From the surveys conducted with 1,085 area residents, we calculated an annual mean willingness to pay of $139 for the management plan, or more than $75.4 million for all taxpayers in the area. Over the five-year time horizon in which respondents were asked to pay for the management plan, this resulted in a total economic benefit of $340.1 million. The Watershed Analysis Risk Management Framework model was used to estimate the amount of management activities needed to protect the current level of water quality in the basin over time. Based on the model results, the total cost of the management plan was calculated to be $244.8 million over a ten-year period. The resulting cost-benefit analysis indicated that the potential benefits of this management plan would outweigh the costs by more than $95 million.
Utilizing kinematics and selective sweeping in reinforcement learning-based routing algorithms for underwater networks

Effective utilization of mobile ad hoc underwater distributed networks is challenging due to high system costs and the harsh environment characterized by low bandwidth, large latency, high energy consumption, and node mobility. This work addresses the routing issue, which is critical in successfully establishing and utilizing an underwater network. In particular, it focuses on reinforcement learning (RL)-based routing algorithms, which possess the ability to explore the network environment and adapt routing decisions to the constantly changing topology of the network due to node mobility and energy usage. This paper presents a routing algorithm based on Q-learning, one of the RL approaches, with additional Kinematic and Sweeping features, therefore referred to as QKS. These two additional features are introduced to address the potential slow convergence associated with pure RL algorithms. The results of a detailed packet-level simulation have been obtained using the NS-2 open-source network simulator with underwater modeling additions. The energy efficiency, convergence, and delivery performance of QKS are compared with two other routing protocols for underwater networks, a basic flooding approach (ICRP (Liang, 2007)) and a basic Q-learning implementation (QELAR (Hu, 2010)), using simulations of networks with both fixed and mobile nodes.
Building factual knowledge about the U.S. presidents via pictorial mnemonic strategies

Abstract In individually administered treatment sessions, tenth-grade students first learned the number (chronological order) of several randomly selected U.S. presidents by employing either mnemonic (memory-enhancing) illustrations or their own preferred method of study. Subsequently, mnemonic-illustration, mnemonicimagery, or no-strategy control materials were provided for the task of additionally learning some biographical information about each of the same presidents. All types of second-phase mnemonic instruction greatly facilitated students' recall of the biographical information, and neither positive nor negative transfer effects associated with the initial number-learning task were detected. Considered in the discussion is the educational utility of mnemonic techniques for enabling students to acquire large amounts of factual material efficiently.
Environmental water-quality zones for streams: a regional classification scheme.

Various approaches have been used to classify large geographical areas into smaller regions of similar water quality or extrapolate water-quality data from a few streams to other unmonitored streams. A combination of some of the strengths of existing techniques is used to develop a new approach for these purposes. In this new approach, referred to here as SPARTA (SPAtial Regression-Tree Analysis), environmental characteristics for each monitored stream are first quantified using a Geographic Information System (GIS) and then regression-tree analysis is used to determine which characteristics are most statistically important in describing the distribution of a specific water-quality constituent. GIS coverages of only the most statistically significant environmental characteristics are then used to subdivide the area of interest into relatively homogeneous environmental water-quality zones. Results from the regression-tree analysis not only define the most important environmental characteristics, but also describe how to subdivide the coverage of the specific characteristic (for example, areas with <26% or ≥26% soil clay content). The resulting regionalization scheme is customized for each water-quality constituent based on the environmental characteristics most statistically related to that constituent. SPARTA was used to delineate areas of similar phosphorus, nitrogen, and sediment concentrations (by including land-use characteristics) and areas of similar potential water quality (by excluding land-use characteristics). The SPARTA approach reduced the variability in water-quality concentrations (phosphorus, total nitrogen, Kjeldahl nitrogen, and suspended sediment) within similarly classified zones from that obtained using the US Environmental Protection Agency's nutrient ecoregions.
Self-amplified optical pattern-recognition technique

A self-amplified optical pattern-recognition technique that utilizes a photorefractive crystal as a real-time volume holographic filter with recording accomplished by means of laser beams of proper polarization and geometric configuration is described. After the holographic filter is recorded, it can be addressed with extremely weak object beams and an even weaker reference beam to obtain a pattern-recognition signal. Because of beam-coupling energy transfer from the input object beam to the diffracted beam, the recognition signal is greatly amplified. Experimental results of this technique using BaTiO3 crystal show that 5 orders of magnitude of amplification of a recognition signal can be obtained.
Dual-chamber intracardiac arrhythmia analysis.

The need for implantable devices to classify potentially pace-terminable rhythms from those requiring immediate defibrillation has become a necessity in newer generation devices with tiered-therapy protocols. Reports of acceleration of slower tachycardias into faster, more lethal forms upon delivery of initial pacing therapy further emphasizes the need for more critical analysis of the originating tachycardia. Single-chamber analysis employing ventricular electrodes is standard, but this unfortunately ignores concomitant atria1 information. This remains the case despite gains in pacing technology over the past two decades, which has led, inevitably, to two-chamber pacemaker implementation. Our hypothesis is that two-channel analysis is requisite for accurate arrhythmia classification. Moreover, our recent studies have demonstrated that morphological evaluation of the signal can provide improved specificity over rate-based systems. We propose here the first comprehensive rate and morphological classification of two-channel (atria1 and
Measurement of Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction by Videodensitometric Analysis of Digital Subtraction Angiograms

Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) was calculated from 25 first-pass digital subtraction angiograms using a densitometric analysis. Digital subtraction angiograms are obtained in a computerized format; therefore, they can be readily analyzed with computer software to measure the density of the iodine signal within the image. The video signals from the image intensifier were logarithmically amplified so that there was a linear correlation between the video signal intensity and the depth of the iodine contrast material represented by that video signal. LVEF was also calculated by the area-length method from the same digital subtraction angiograms. There was close correlation between these two techniques (r = 0.94, standard error of the estimate = 5.04%). The videodensitometric EF technique is simple to perform, it correlates well with the standard area-length method, and is not dependent on geometric assumptions of LV geometry.
Effect of Diethylenetriamine-pentaacetic Acid and Polypropylenoglycolethylene Oxide Polymer on Excretion of Inhaled 239 PuO 2 in Dogs

THE harmful effects of inhaled plutonium have been demonstrated in numerous experiments with animals1–4. These investigations emphasized the need for methods of removing plutonium in the event that it is deposited in the respiratory tract of human beings. This reports the results of tests with ‘Pluronics F68’ (polypropylenoglycolethylene oxide polymer) (Wyandotte Chemical Co., Wyandotte, Michigan) and DTPA (diethylenetriamine-pentaacetic acid) (provided by Geigy Research Laboratories, Yonkers, New York) in dogs to determine their effectiveness in removing plutonium following inhalation of 239PuO2. ‘Pluronics F68’ is a surface active agent and is relatively non-toxic. According to the manufacturer the LD50 dose for acute oral toxicity is 15 g/kg, and no toxic symptoms occur in dogs given 0.1 g/kg intravenously. DTPA is a chelating agent which has been shown to increase the excretion of intravenously administered plutonium in rats5. It has also been shown to increase the excretion of plutonium by human beings6. However, since the route of entry, the body burden, and the chemical form of the plutonium were not known in the case of the human exposures, the effectiveness of DTPA in removing inhaled plutonium has not been specifically evaluated.
Expression of functional human monoamine oxidase A and B cDNAs in mammalian cells.

: Monoamine oxidase (MAO) A and B are important enzymes that metabolize biogenic amines throughout the body. Previous studies had suggested that both MAO A and B consist of two subunits of molecular masses of 63 and 60 kilodaltons, respectively. The cDNAs encoding one subunit of human liver MAO A and B have been expressed in mammalian cells by transfection of the individual clones. The proteins expressed from these cDNAs are shown to be catalytically active. Similar to the endogenous enzymes, the expressed MAO A prefers serotonin as a substrate and is sensitive to the inhibitor clorgyline. In contrast, the expressed MAO B prefers phenylethyl-amine as a substrate and is sensitive to the inhibitor deprenyl. These results suggest that a single polypeptide of MAO A (or B), existing as either a monomer or homodimer, is enzymatically active. The ability to obtain functional MAO A and B from their respective cDNA clones allows us to study further the structure and function relationships of these important enzymes.
SU-E-T-285: Revisiting the Nomogram for Intra-Operative Planning Based Pd-103 Brachytherapy

Purpose: The seed implant technique at our institution involves using a published nomogram for seed ordering based on CT based volume studies of the prostate. Ultrasound volume studies are subsequently used in the operating room for planning a modified peripheral loading with urethra sparing seed implant. The purpose of this study is to determine the appropriate modality for prostate volume measurement and creating an updated nomogram for intra-operative planning specific to our technique for pd-103 brachytherapy for efficient seed ordering. Methods: Prostate volumes based on pre-implant CT (Pre-CT), intra-operative ultrasound (TRUS), and post-implant CT (post-CT) studies as well as the total airkerma strength (AKS) of the implants were analyzed for 135 seed implant cases (69 monotherapy, 66 boost). Regression analysis was performed to derive the relationship between the total AKS and pre-CT and TRUS volumes. The correlation between TRUS and pre-CT volumes and TRUS and post-CT volumes were also studied. Results: Ultrasound based prostate volume exhibited a stronger correlation with total AKS than the pre-implant CT volume (R{sup 2} = 0.97 vs 0.88 for monotherapy and 0.96 vs 0.89 for boost). In general the pre-CT overestimated the prostate volume leading to ordering of a larger number of seeds and thusmore » leading to higher number of unused/wasted seeds. Newly derived TRUS based nomogram was better suited for our technique than the published data. The post-implant CT volume closely followed the ultrasound volume (R{sup 2} = 0.88) as compared to pre-implant CT volumes (R{sup 2} = 0.57). Conclusion: In an era of costconscious health care where waste reduction is of utmost importance, an updated technique-specific nomogram is useful for ordering optimal number of seeds resulting in significant cost savings. In addition, our study shows that ultrasound based prostate volume is a better predictor for seed ordering for intra-operative planning than pre-implant CT.« less
Bicriteria network flow problems: Continuous case

Abstract An algorithm for bicriteria network flow problems is developed. It deals with a broader class of minimum cost network flow problems which include transportation, maximum flow, assignment, shortest path, and transshipment problems rather than a specific one. The algorithm integrates bicriteria mathematical programming theory with the out-of-kilter method.
A novel role for the floral homeotic gene APETALA2 during Arabidopsis fruit development

The majority of the Arabidopsis fruit comprises an ovary with three primary tissue types: the valves, the replum and the valve margins. The valves, which are derived from the ovary walls, are separated along their entire length by the replum. The valve margin, which consists of a separation layer and a lignified layer, forms as a narrow stripe of cells at the valve-replum boundaries. The valve margin identity genes are expressed at the valve-replum boundary and are negatively regulated by FUL and RPL in the valves and replum, respectively. In ful rpl double mutants, the valve margin identity genes become ectopically expressed, and, as a result, the entire outer surface of the ovary takes on valve margin identity. We carried out a genetic screen in this sensitized genetic background and identified a suppressor mutation that restored replum development. Surprisingly, we found that the corresponding suppressor gene was AP2, a gene that is well known for its role in floral organ identity, but whose role in Arabidopsis fruit development had not been previously described. We found that AP2 acts to prevent replum overgrowth by negatively regulating BP and RPL, two genes that normally act to promote replum formation. We also determined that AP2 acts to prevent overgrowth of the valve margin by repressing valve margin identity gene expression. We have incorporated AP2 into the current genetic network controlling fruit development in Arabidopsis.
Strategies for Doctoral Students Who Desire to Become Higher Education Faculty Members at Top-ranked Programs

This study investigated what strategies doctoral students could employ to ensure their competitiveness in higher education graduate program faculty searches. A total of 39 program coordinators, department heads, and deans were asked how graduates from non-ranked higher education programs could prepare themselves for faculty opportunities, including searches at top-ranked schools. The findings indicate that developing grantmanship, networking, presentation, and publishing skills will help students to become more competitive. Additionally, participants suggested that students collaborate with other scholars, show initiative in their own professional development, understand the expectations of different program types, and be willing to participate in post-doctoral fellowships. These findings will help students who desire to serve at top-ranked doctoral higher education programs upon graduation. A unique feature of this paper includes a discussion of the unwritten values, rules, expectations, and social mores that influence a search process, including the roles of institutional fit, previous academic preparation, tokenism, and race. This study is designed to inform the decision-making of higher education program faculty as they prepare their students for the professoriate.
PPARγ agonists inhibit TGF-β induced pulmonary myofibroblast differentiation and collagen production: implications for therapy of lung fibrosis

Pulmonary fibrosis is a progressive life-threatening disease for which no effective therapy exists. Myofibroblasts are one of the key effector cells in pulmonary fibrosis and are the primary source...
TU‐D‐ValA‐09: Optimized Removal of the Tongue‐And‐Groove Underdose Via Constrained Partial Synchronization and Variable Depth Recursion

Purpose:IMRT leaf sequencers that remove tongue‐and‐groove underdosages (TGU) significantly increase the number of segments by using full synchronization (FS). This work aims to minimize the increase in the number of segments by using Constrained Partial Synchronization (CPS) and Variable Depth Recursion (VDR). Method and Materials: Adjacent leaves simultaneously expose cells in an intensity map to deliver Vs, determined by cell values V0 and V1 (V0 <= V1). The tongue‐and‐groove ratio, TGR, is (V1‐Vs)/(V0‐Vs). In FS, TGR = infinity, while for CPS it is constrained to be greater than the minimum required to remove TGUs. The TGU for various TGRs were measured with film to determine this minimum TGR. The extraction and sweep leaf sequencing processes used in VDR optimization were modified to use CPS. The algorithm was tested on 1400 random maps (3 to 16 levels) and 42 clinical maps. Results: For a Siemens MLC, the TGUs are 18%, 4%, and 0, for TGRs of 1, 1.5, and 2, respectively. For the clinical cases, the average increase in the number of segments relative to VDR with no synchronization was 7% for TGR=1.5, and 32% for VDR with FS. A fully synchronized sweeping window produces 170% more segments. For the random maps, an unsynchronized sweeping window produced 1.5 to 2.5 times as many segments as VDR with CPS. Similar results can be obtained for interdigitating MLCs. This has implications for direct aperture optimization (DAO) algorithms that use the sweeping window as a starting point (Pinnacle), for which TGU has been observed. The concept of CPS can be applied to DAO algorithms, by choosing appropriate levels for each segment. Conclusion: CPS combined with VDR removes the tongue‐and‐groove underdose while minimizing the number of segments.
Mechanisms for discordant alternans.

Discordant Alternans Mechanism.Introduction: Discordant alternans has the potential to produce larger alternans of the ECG T wave than concordant alternans, but its mechanism is unknown. Methods and Results: We demonstrate by one- and two-dimensional simulation of action potential propagation models that discordant alternans can form spontaneously in spatially homogeneous tissue through one of two mechanisms, due to the interaction of conduction velocity and action potential duration restitution at high pacing frequencies or through the dispersion of diastolic interval produced by ectopic foci. In discordant alternans due to the first mechanism, the boundaries marking regions of alternans with opposite phase arise far from the stimulus site, move toward the stimulus site, and stabilize. Dynamic splitting of action potential duration restitution curves due to electrotonic coupling plays a crucial role in this stability. Larger tissues and faster pacing rates are conducive to multiple boundaries, and inhomogeneities of tissue properties facilitate or inhibit formation of boundaries. Conclusion: Spatial inhomogeneities of electrical restitution properties are not required to produce discordant alternans.
Transrectal Electrostimulation Therapy for Neuropathic Bowel Dysfunction in Children With Myelomeningocele

ABSTRACTPurpose: We attempted to evaluate the efficacy of transrectal bowel stimulation for neurogenic bowel dysfunction in children with myelodysplasia.Materials and Methods: Daily sessions of transrectal electrostimulation were performed on an outpatient basis for 2 to 3 weeks on children with myelodysplasia and stool incontinence. If benefits were noted, 5 to 10 additional daily sessions were performed. Complete success was defined as improvement in all parameters of interest, including decrease in the frequency of daily bowel movements, increased sensation, increased ability to hold stool and a significant subjective change in bowel habits. Moderate success implied improvement in 1 to 3 parameters and treatment failure was defined as lack of improvement in any parameter.Results: A total of 55 children 2 to 14 years old (mean age 6.7) completed a mean of 18 daily sessions per patient of bowel electrostimulation. Followup ranged from 1 to 6 years. Diapers are no longer required due to defecation problem...
Laser shock compression of copper and copper–aluminum alloys

Copper and copper aluminum (2 and 6 wt% Al) with orientations [0 0 1] and [1 3 4] were subjected to high intensity laser shocks (energy levels of 40–300 J; energy densities of 15–70 MJ/m 2 and durations below 10 ns). In situ X-ray diffraction and VISAR wave profile measurements were used to study the response of the lattice to the shock. Recovered samples were characterized by transmission electron microscopy in order to study the defects within the lattice. The results are rationalized in terms of a criterion in which slip and twinning are considered as competing mechanisms. The slip-twinning transition is determined quantitatively and predicted as a function of orientation, temperature, and stacking fault energy (determined by the Al content of the alloy). A constitutive description is applied to the two orientations and differing compositions, incorporating both slip and twinning in terms of orientation, stacking fault energy, temperature, and strain rate. The threshold stress is calculated, considering the effect of shock heating. The constitutive description provides calculated thresholds in pure copper: 18 GPa for [0 0 1] and 25 GPa for [1 3 4]. The experimentally determined threshold twinning stress for pure copper in the [0 0 1] orientation is 25 GPa, whereas the one for the [1 3 4] orientation is between 40 and 60 GPa. The predictions are in agreement with experiments. It also provides thresholds for the Cu–Al alloys. The growth of voids in incipient spalling is modeled by dislocation loop emission from the void surface. The first dislocation-based void growth mechanism, proposed by Lubarda et al. [Acta Mat 2004; 52: 1397]
Expression of paternal genes during embryogenesis in the viable interspecific hybrid amphibian embryo Rana pipiens female x Rana palustris male. Electrophoretic analysis of five enzyme systems.

Genetic differences in enzyme electrophoretic mobility have been used to determine the time of expression of paternal genes during embryogenesis in the viable interspecific hybrid amphibian embryo Rana pipiens ♀ × R. palustris ♂. Maternal isozymes for lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase (6-PGD), glutamate-oxaloacetate transaminase (GOT), glucose phosphate isomerase (GPI), and malate dehydrogenase (MDH) persist in unfertilized eggs and one, two, and three day embryos. Paternal type bands for 6-PGD, GOT, and GPI appear at four days of development, when embryos are late Stage 19 and early Stage 20. Paternal bands for LDH and MDH appear at five days of development, when embryos are late Stage 20. These results are discussed in terms of paternal gene expression and the genomic control of early amphibian development.
Structural Minimality, CP and the initial state in second language acquisition

This article considers the current debate on the initial state of second language acquisition (L2) and presents critical empirical evidence from Hindi learners of English as an L2 that supports the claim that the CP (complementizer phase) is initially absent from the grammar of L2 learners. Contrary to the predictions of Full Transfer (Schwartz and Sprouse, 1994; 1996), the data we present suggest that L2 learners start out without a CP and then graduate to a stage where overt expressions of CP (complementizer phase) are in fact manifest. Although the lack of evidence of CP appears to support the Minimal Trees/Partial Transfer (MT/PT) hypothesis (Vainikka and Young-Scholten, 1996a; 1996b), we show that the MT/PT hypothesis also fails to honour all the empirical facts.To account for the patterns in our data, we propose Structural Minimality - that clausal projections are IPs - as a hypothesis on the initial state of L2 acquisition. We argue that the Structural Minimality hypothesis accounts for the entire ...
Hypothalamic sites of catecholamine inhibition of luteinizing hormone in the anestrous ewe.

Norepinepherine (NE) and dopamine (DA) actively Inhibit the release of LH In anestrous ewes. This can be detected as an Increase In UI pulse frequency following l.v. injection of NE and DA antagonists.The objectiveof thisstudy was to determine the sites of these Inhibitory actions in the ovine hypothalamus by using local administrations of the NE antagonist, phenoxybenzamine (PBZ), or the DA antagonist, pimozide (PIM), Into specific hypothalamic areas. Each neurotransmltter antagonist was administered via a chronically Implanted steel guide tube into either the preoptic area (POA), retrochiasmatic area (RCh), or the median eminence region (ME). Blood samples were taken every 15 mIssfor 2 h before and 4 h during Implantation of these drugs and were analyzed for LH and prolactin by RL4..Control (no treatment) samples were obtained similarly from the same animals on another day. Placement of PBZ Into the POA significantly increased UI pulse frequency and mean UI concentrations over control values whereas PIM did not In contrast, NM significantly increased UI pulse frequency and mean UI concentrations when placed in the ME or in the RCh, but PBZ did not No effects of PIM on prolactin concentrations were detected. These results suggest that an NE neural system operates in the POA and that a DA system acts in the medial basal hypothalamus (RCh or ME) to suppressGnRH pulse frequency in the ovary-Intact anestrous ewe.
The FT-IR spectra of pyridine and pyridine-d5

Abstract The high-resolution (0.06 cm−1) FT-IR spectra of pyridine and pyridine-d5 at various path lengths (up to 10 m) have been obtained. These spectra reveal many new features that were not observed before. For example, the observation of many difference bands allows accurate determination of vibrational term values of some inactive and/or weak fundamental vibrations. The five C H stretching modes have been resolved for the first time. Frequency accuracy and internal consistency (since only high-resolution FT-IR data are used) are essential to the present analysis which provides accurate, isolated molecule term values for most of the fundamental vibrations of pyridine and pyridine-d5. These results will be useful for more accurate force field analyses and serve as a guide for future, higher-resolution rotational studies for which the perturbations can now be predicted with more certainty.