cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Rapid ventricular tachycardia due to His-Purkinje reentry.

Two patients developed rapid His-Purkinje reentrant tachycardia during programmed ventricular stimulation for evaluation of recurrent ventricular tachycardia. In Patient 1, His-Purkinje reentry induced a morphologically distinct ventricular tachycardia which may have been a reentrant circuit operating independently for several cardiac cycles. His-Purkinje reentry was not inducible in Patient 2 until lidocaine was given. Following lidocaine administration, sustained His-Purkinje reentrant tachycardia was initiated by 2 premature ventricular stimuli. The tachycardia was rapid (240 beats per minute) and required cardio-version.
Mission Performance as Point Performance

between the point and mission performance of the aircraft. This improved constraint diagram presents the designer with a more complete basis for understanding and weighing the consequences of decisions. Through improved insight, the secondary impact of technologies can be better understood early in the design process.
The Number of Distinct Alignments of Two Strings

An alignment is a way of pairing up elements of two strings, optionally skipping some elements but preserving the order. This paper presents formulae for the number of distinct alignments of two strings, using various critera of distinctness. These numbers are of interest because they give the size of the search space for inexact string matching, DNA sequence alignment, and the first step in comparative reconstruction of ancient languages.
Intraoperative imaging and assessment of cerebral blood flow in cerebrovascular surgery: hybrid operating rooms, intraoperative angiography and magnetic resonance imaging, Doppler ultrasound, cerebral blood flow probes, endoscopic assistance, indocyanine green videography, and laser speckle contrast imaging.

ntraoperative imaging has become a beneficial and standard adjunct in cerebrovascular microsurgery. Intraoperative vasI cular evaluation may avoid parent vessel compromise or occlusion and devastating postoperative results. Detection of these complications with postoperative imaging is often too late to preclude infarction. Additionally, intraoperative evaluation may obviate the need for future surgery for clip repositioning or failure of complete aneurysm, arteriovenous malformation (AVM), or arteriovenous fistula (AVF) obliteration. Common intraoperative modalities used alone or in combination include cerebral angiography, intraoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or computed tomography (CT), Doppler ultrasound, cerebral blood flow (CBF) probe, endoscopic assistance, indocyanine green (ICG) videography, and laser speckle flow imaging (LSFI). Hybrid operative suites with biplane angiography and intraoperative MRI or CT have improved access to these imagingmodalities and intraoperative assessment. Improvements in imaging and technology have led to many means to improve visualization through both extravascular and intravascular techniques aswell as assess blood velocity and calculate CBF. Intraoperative quantification of vascular dynamics also can help in surgical assessment and planning and may help in the prediction of postoperative complications. Although it is time-consuming to use
Immunosuppressive Factors Produced by Tumors and Their Effects on the RES

The suppression of immune responses due to tumors has been the subject of intensive investigation during the past decade or so. This subject has been reviewed in detail by Kamo and Friedman (1977a) and by Stutman (1975). In those reviews, the extensive studies performed in many laboratories concerning the nature and mechanism of immunosuppressive factors and immunosuppres-sion per se have been described. The nature and mechanism of how tumors may affect immune responses, either by directly subverting competence or by inducing suppressive factors or cells, were discussed. The present review focuses on immunosuppressive factors produced by tumors and how they alter the re-ticuloendothelial system function. Such tumor-associated or derived factors impair lymphocyte and/or macrophage activity or may generate suppressor cells that depress other immunologic functions.
A Model Process for Forensic Mental Health Screening and Evaluation

This article describes an operational definition and a model process for forensic mental health examinations developed on the bases of field research, reviews of literature and other documentary materials, and a survey of forensic mental health programs. Forensic mental health screening and evaluation is defined as the process conducted by mental health personnel, at the direction of criminal justice authorities, for the purposes of delineating, acquiring, and providing information about the mental condition of client-offenders that is useful in decision making in the criminal justice system. The proposed model encompasses 14 pragmatically oriented steps within three major structural components of the examination process-delineation, acquisition, and provision-in a manner that places the entire process in the functional context of the criminal justice and mental health systems. The definition and model are aimed at practitioners, program evaluators, and policy makers to be used as a starting point for the establishment of standards against which the practices and policies relating to forensic mental health screening and evaluation can be compared and improved.
Adequate preliminary animal research and reported data in pre-clinical trials for acute renal insufficiency: a historic example of scientific-ethical protocol from the 1940s

The subtle nature of ethical behavior in biomedical practice and clinical application predates formal NIH guidelines. The scientific community had already established standards by the 1940s for the use of animal research prior to the application of treatment to human patients. The example presented for consideration is drawn from the historic development of the first clinical kidney dialysis devices. The story is an example of how the medical research community viewed preliminary animal research as a necessary precursor to application of any new treatment to human patients. In an article written in 1949, 3 MD's criticized the efforts of leaders in the newly emerging area of kidney dialysis for acute renal insufficiency for failure to incorporate lengthy animal studies and for not reporting the high morbidity rate associated with kidney dialysis. This example provides insight to the foundations of modern animal models as a precursor to clinical trials. Further, this historic moment illustrates the tension between the dual forces of conservatism and advancement at work in the medical community.
“Rich beyond the Dreams of Avarice”: The Guggenheims in Chile

This article focuses on the roles of business-government relations, technology, financing, entrepreneurship, and management in the evolution of multinational corporations. It describes the Guggenheims' successive involvements in Mexican silver, Chilean copper, and Chilean nitrates and stresses the brothers' strategic use of technical innovation and relations with host governments to accomplish these major changes in the focus of their business. The essay's findings suggest the need for a more sophisticated treatment of business-government relations and for the incorporation of entrepreneurship and organizational structure as dynamic variables in theories of the MNE. It also points to the importance of historical conjunctures that shape technology in understanding the emergence of the MNE.
Grazers and soil moisture determine the fate of added 15NH4+ in Yellowstone grasslands.

The influence of ungulate grazers on nutrient cycling and ecosystem productivity in grasslands has been shown to differ with moisture, nutrient availability, and feedbacks between above- and belowground activities. We examined the movement of nitrogen (N), applied as (15NH4)2SO4, through both dry and mesic sites in the northern range of Yellowstone National Park to test the hypothesis that plants were more able to acquire added N in grazed relative to ungrazed sites. Previous studies showed enhanced N mineralization in grazed areas, and detritus removal by grazers was predicted to enhance early-season plant growth. Thirteen months after tracer addition, there were no differences in plant 15N as a function of grazing, but historically ungrazed sites retained more 15N in accumulated litter than at grazed sites. This result demonstrated the importance of detritus in regulating redistribution of incoming N and the role of grazers in this process. Site moisture status influenced 15N recovery in all pools—soils, microbial biomass, and plants—and greater plant 15N acquisition occurred in roots at dry relative to mesic sites. Understanding how grazers influence nutrient cycling at the landscape scale requires further investigation of interactions among soil moisture, plant production, litter accumulation, grazing intensity, and belowground processes.
Morphological control and assembly of zinc oxide using a biotemplate

Zinc oxide is a wide band gap material that has significant applications in photovoltaics, piezoelectrics and optoelectronics. Traditionally, ZnO has been synthesized using high temperatures and harsh reaction conditions. Recently, benign reaction conditions have been used to synthesize ZnO using amine and citrate additives. In this study, peptide phage display was performed to identify a peptide, termed Z1, that binds to and directs the growth of ZnO hexagonal nanocrystals. By altering the concentration of Z1 peptide, the ZnO nanocrystal morphology can be tailored. Additionally, Z1 peptide was used to direct the growth of ZnO structures on free-standing silk films. The results presented here demonstrate the utility of peptides in controlling the structure and deposition of ZnO.
Bioavailability and vitamin A value of carotenes from red palm oil assessed by an extrinsic isotope reference method.

Red palm oil (RPO) contains high concentrations of beta- and alpha-carotene, and is presumed to possess a higher vitamin A value than other foods. The objective was to determine the metabolic vitamin A and carotene values of refined red palm oil in healthy adult subjects, using a stable isotope reference method. Twelve healthy subjects were administered a small standardised meal containing 10 g RPO (2.4 mg beta-carotene and 1.8 mg alpha-carotene) in a blended juice-based drink also containing 2 mg tetradeuterated retinyl acetate (d4-RA) as a metabolic reference. At baseline and at several times after the test meal, the concentrations of carotenes and of d4- and d0-(unlabelled) retinyl esters, in the plasma chylomicron-rich (d < 1.006) fraction were determined by high high-performance liquid chromatography and gas chromatography mass spectrometry, respectively. The masses of palm oil-derived vitamin A and carotenes absorbed ('yield') were calculated assuming 80% absorption of the d4-RA reference dose. The mean yield of retinol from the RPO was 0.41 mg, ranging from 0.17 mg to 0.86 mg. The mean yields of beta- and alpha-carotene were 0.29 mg and 0.25 mg, respectively, suggesting that beta-carotene was more extensively metabolised than alpha-carotene. Subjects assimilated an average of 23% of the dose of carotenes, as the sum of retinol and unmetabolised carotenes. The vitamin A values of red palm oil obtained under these conditions, a mean of 0.17 mg retinol absorbed per mg beta-carotene consumed (beta-carotene : retinol equivalency of 5.7:1) is higher than that of all other vegetable sources we have evaluated to date.
Cryptic divergence and revised species taxonomy within the Great Basin pocket mouse, Perognathus parvus (Peale, 1848), species group

The Great Basin pocket mouse, Perognathus parvus, inhabits temperate shrub-steppe and arid grassland biomes throughout the Columbia Plateau, Great Basin, and adjacent regions of western North America. We used both mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and nuclear DNA (nDNA) sequences to address phylogenetic and biogeographic structure within the P. parvus species group. Phylogenetic and biogeographic analyses divide haplotypes from the mtDNA cytochrome oxidase subunit 3 (COIII) gene into largely allopatric northern versus southern lineages (clades), with divergences of up to 18.8%. The southern mtDNA clade also includes at least 1 of the 2 recently extant populations of the white-eared pocket mouse, P. alticolus—an endangered species with a restricted range in southern California. The northern mtDNA clade is further subdivided into several additional lineages with divergences as high as 8.8%, whereas the southern clade has no divergence greater than 1.2%. The deeper mtDNA gene tree structure was recovered by use of nDNA exon sequences from the interphotoreceptor retinoid-binding protein (IRBP) and recombination activating gene 2 (RAG2) gene regions, supporting a “gene tree–species tree” congruence. We estimated through molecular clock analyses that the northern and southern clades likely diverged within a late Miocene time frame. The limited available karyological evidence is consistent with a genome-wide divergence between northern and southern clades—thus, is consistent with recognition of each as a separate species. Conversely, our morphometric analysis revealed a high level of morphological conservatism without detectable diagnostic differences, rendering them as “cryptic” species. We revised species-level taxonomy, designating 2 neotypes given apparent loss of original type specimens. We postulate that barriers associated with Columbia Plateau, Snake River Plain, and Great Basin physiographic evolution, during a Neogene time frame, resulted in persistent geographic isolation driving divergence between the northern and southern clades.
Deep-water leveed-channel complexes of the Cerro Toro Formation, Upper Cretaceous, southern Chile

The Cerro Toro Formation in the Torres del Paine National Park, southern Chile, contains a series of deep-water channel complexes deposited in an elongate Andean foreland basin during the Late Cretaceous. This stratigraphic interval represents an essentially continuous depositional record of migrating, leveed-channel complexes. Collectively, the channel-fill units in the study area form a belt approximately 5 km (3 mi) wide and several hundred meters thick. Within the study area, four sets of channel complexes are identified. This paper focuses on the best exposed of these channel-complex sets (channel-complex set 3). The channels are filled by bedded conglomerate and amalgamated sandstones interpreted to represent the deposits of high-concentration turbidity currents and debris flows. Large-scale cross-beds in some of the conglomerates indicate significant bed-load transport of gravel- and cobble-forming bars in the channels. Channel axis to margin facies changes between clast-supported conglomerate and either (1) thick-bedded sandstone or (2) matrix-supported conglomerate are observed. Channel-fill facies lie on erosional surfaces that cut into adjacent interchannel facies. Beds thin and onlap these surfaces toward the channel margins. Shale or siltstone drapes of the channel cuts are uncommon and laterally discontinuous. Bed continuity between channel and adjacent, interchannel facies is not observed. The interchannel strata are interpreted to represent levee successions that bound the channels. Stratigraphy in the levee units is defined to include (1) basal, sandy lobe deposits comprised of medium- to thick-bedded turbidites and (2) overbank facies consisting primarily of packages of fining- and thinning-upward, fine-grained, thin-bedded turbidites. This vertical succession is transitional. Distal levee facies include mudstones with thin-bedded, laterally continuous sandstones. Proximal levee facies include mudstones with both thin- and thick-bedded sandstones; however, the thick-bedded sandstones have lower lateral continuity. The proximal levee facies have a higher sandstone percentage than the distal levee, but also have greater depositional and postdepositional complexity, with sand-filled crevasses, erosional truncation, and slumped beds. Field observations suggest that these leveed channels formed in stages that are represented by depositional and/or erosional events. In chronological order, these are (1) an initial stage of relatively unconfined, sand-rich deposition; (2) aggradation of a mud-rich, confining levee system resulting from overbank deposition as turbidity flows bypass the area; (3) erosion as the channel becomes entrenched or as the channel migrates; and (4) filling of the channel-margin relief by onlap of channel-fill sediments. These stages appear to have repeated several times during the formation of a series of channel complexes. In these ways, the Cerro Toro Formation appears analogous to leveed-channel systems observed in late Pleistocene submarine fans and subsurface examples.
Sensorless Force Sensing for Minimally Invasive Surgery

Robotic minimally invasive surgery (R-MIS) has achieved success in various procedures; however, the lack of haptic feedback is considered by some to be a limiting factor. The typical method to acquire tool-tissue reaction forces is attaching force sensors on surgical tools, but this complicates sterilization and makes the tool bulky. This paper explores the feasibility of using motor current to estimate tool-tissue forces and demonstrates acceptable results in terms of time delay and accuracy. This sensorless force estimation method sheds new light on the possibility of equipping existing robotic surgical systems with haptic interfaces that require no sensors and are compatible with existing sterilization methods.
Joint Detection and Identification of an Unobservable Change in the Distribution of a Random Sequence

This paper examines the joint problem of detection and identification of a sudden and unobservable change in the probability distribution function (pdf) of a sequence of independent and identically distributed (i.i.d.) random variables to one of finitely many alternative pdf's. The objective is quick detection of the change and accurate inference of the ensuing pdf. Following a Bayesian approach, a new sequential decision strategy for this problem is revealed and is proven optimal. Geometrical properties of this strategy are demonstrated via numerical examples.
Helminth parasites of translocated raccoons (Procyon lotor) in the southeastern United States.

Raccoons (Procyon lotor) typical of animals released by private hunting clubs in the Appalachian Mountains were examined for helminth parasites to evaluate the influence raccoon translocation might have on parasitic diseases. Results were compared with data from resident raccoons from characteristic release areas. Translocated raccoons harbored 19 helminth species that were exotic to resident animals. Most of these exotic parasites were trematodes (74%). An additional 19 species were found in both translocated and resident raccoons, and another 5 species were present only in residents. Three of the 19 exotic helminth parasites and 10 of the 19 enzootic species found in translocated raccoons are known to have some degree of pathogenicity to raccoons, other wildlife, domestic animals or man. At present, disease risks associated with the helminth parasites of these translocated raccoons were not considered alarmingly high; however, potential problems that could not be discounted were artificial intensificati...
Therapeutic correction of bacterial dysbiosis discovered by molecular techniques.

High-throughput, automated DNA-sequencing techniques have provided deeper understanding of the incredibly complex, largely uncultivatable microbiota populating the mammalian gastrointestinal tract in concentrations that outnumber mammalian cells by 10-fold (1–3). These molecular techniques identify component bacterial species by sequencing PCR-amplified products of primers that target highly conserved regions of the 16S rDNA subunit gene. Variation in these sequences is then used to phylogenetically represent genera and species (4). Alternatively, directly sequencing DNA of stool, luminal samples, or mucosal specimens can provide a metagenomic analysis of the structure and function of microbial communities and their interactions with the habitats that they occupy (Committee on Metagenomics, 2007) (4, 5). Meta genomic studies have led to the concept of a “superorganism” whose genome and metabolism are mutalistic aggregates of microbial and host components (6). Molecular analysis of fecal and mucosal samples have increased culture-based estimates of 200–300 individual colonic bacterial species to as high as 1,800 genera and 15,000–36,000 species (7). This remarkable diversity of intestinal bacteria is confined largely (99%) to 4 phyla: Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Proteobacteria, and Actinobacteria, with the dominant Firmicutes (64% of mucosally associated colonic species) primarily composed of Clostridium XIVa and IV groups (7). Key advances in recognizing the impact of intestinal microbiota on human diseases were provided by recent observations that the relative proportions of these phyla are altered in obesity (3), inflammatory bowel diseases (7), and experimental type 1 diabetes (8). Expansion of Firmicutes and contraction of Bacteroidetes occurs in obesity (3, 5), whereas diabetic mice have a reduced Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio (8) and a subset of Crohn disease patients and …
Patterns of cascaded events in blackouts

This is a summary of the presentation in the panel session on blackouts for the 2008 IEEE PES General Meeting. This presentation will discuss the state of the art methodologies for the prevention of cascaded events in blackouts. A new topic concerning the identification of basic patterns of cascaded events following a contingency will be included.
Human anti-CAIX antibodies mediate immune cell inhibition of renal cell carcinoma in vitro and in a humanized mouse model in vivo

Background: Carbonic anhydrase (CA) IX is a surface-expressed protein that is upregulated by the hypoxia inducible factor (HIF) and represents a prototypic tumor-associated antigen that is overexpressed on renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Therapeutic approaches targeting CAIX have focused on the development of CAIX inhibitors and specific immunotherapies including monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). However, current in vivo mouse models used to characterize the anti-tumor properties of fully human anti-CAIX mAbs have significant limitations since the role of human effector cells in tumor cell killing in vivo is not directly evaluated. Methods: The role of human anti-CAIX mAbs on CAIX + RCC tumor cell killing by immunocytes or complement was tested in vitro by antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC), complement-dependent cytotoxicity (CDC) and antibody-dependent cellular phagocytosis (ADCP) as well as on CAIX + RCC cellular motility, wound healing, migration and proliferation. The in vivo therapeutic activity mediated by anti-CAIX mAbs was determined by using a novel orthotopic RCC xenograft humanized animal model and analyzed by histology and FACS staining. Results: Our studies demonstrate the capacity of human anti-CAIX mAbs that inhibit CA enzymatic activity to result in immune-mediated killing of RCC, including nature killer (NK) cell-mediated ADCC, CDC, and macrophagemediated ADCP. The killing activity correlated positively with the level of CAIX expression on RCC tumor cell lines. In addition, Fc engineering of anti-CAIX mAbs was shown to enhance the ADCC activity against RCC. We also demonstrate that these anti-CAIX mAbs inhibit migration of RCC cells in vitro. Finally, through the implementation of a novel orthotopic RCC model utilizing allogeneic human peripheral blood mononuclear cells in NOD/SCID/ IL2Rγ �/� mice, we show that anti-CAIX mAbs are capable of mediating human immune response in vivo including tumor infiltration of NK cells and activation of T cells, resulting in inhibition of CAIX + tumor growth. Conclusions: Our findings demonstrate that these novel human anti-CAIX mAbs have therapeutic potential in the unmet medical need of targeted killing of HIF-driven CAIX + RCC. The orthotopic tumor xenografted humanized mouse provides an improved model to evaluate the in vivo anti-tumor capabilities of fully human mAbs for RCC therapy.
Trends in Intimate Partner Violence 1980-2008

Research on trends in partner violence has primarily relied on official measures of victimization focusing primarily on women's risk for intimate partner homicide. The current study uses 28 years of data from the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) to examine the trends of intimate partner violence against female victims and identify variation in women's risk as a function of race and employment. Although it has been theorized that employment is correlated with the risk of intimate partner victimization for women, research has not thoroughly addressed this in a longitudinal context. In addition, research has not explored the extent to which intimate partner violence is correlated with the combined variables of race and employment. The authors find that between 1980 and the mid-2000s employment is associated with an increase in women's risk for intimate partner violence. However, the conclusion that the rate of victimization is higher for employed women appears to be partly contingent on the victims' race. The trend for non-White unemployed women appears to be relatively comparable to both White and non-White employed women, at least for the first 15 years of the series.
Polyester formation by the free‐radical copolymerization of cyclohexene and formic acid

Cyclohexene and formic acid have been copolymerized to an unsaturated polyester by a free-radical-initiated, step-growth polymerization process. The polymerization system contains iodine and a hydroperoxide in addition to the cyclohexene and formic acid. No polymerization occurs if any one of these components is omitted. The polymerization process is rapid, and polymer yields as high as 95% have been obtained in less than 1 hr. The polymer is an unsaturated polyester and appears to be poly(oxy-2-cyclohexen-1,4-enylcarbonyl). A step-growth polymerization mechanism involving formic acid radicals, iodine atoms, and cyclohexene allylic hydrogen atom abstraction has been proposed for this reaction.
2009 AMCA Memorial Lecture Honoree: Dr. Chester Lamar Meek

Chester Lamar Meek (1944-2000), 2009 AMCA Memorial Lecture Honoree, was husband to Sharon Kay Meek, father of Bradley Lamar and Jody Keith, and a member of the faculty of Louisiana State University for 25 years when he passed away on June 27, 2000, while conducting field research on mosquitoes in Cleveland, Mississippi. Dr. Meek was born in Monticello, Arkansas, and attended Ouachita Baptist University, University of Arkansas, and Texas A&M University, where he took his B.S., M.S., and Ph.D., respectively. He was an expert in the biology and control of rice-field mosquitoes and in forensic entomology. He served in the medical service corps of the US Army, authored or co-authored over 65 scientific publications, and was mentor to graduate students in medical and forensic entomology. Dr. Meek was a member of the Louisiana Mosquito Control Association, the Texas Mosquito Control Association, the American Mosquito Control Association, the Entomological Society of America, the American Registry of Professional Entomologists, and the Society for Vector Ecology. He received the American Mosquito Control Association's awards for Meritorious Service (1986) and the Memorial Lectureship Award (1991) and was recognized for his service by the Louisiana Mosquito Control Association with the 1989 Hathaway-Ritter Distinguished Achievement award.
Modification of muscle protein functionality by antioxidants

Protein oxidation is an important chemical process that occurs widely in biological systems. Recent advances in protein research have led to the recognition that muscle proteins, similar to nucleic acids and lipids, can be modified by oxygen free radicals. Such modifications are implicated in the pathogenesis of a number of diseases and certain physiological processes, including aging, ischemia-reperfusion injury, and protein turnover (Stadtman, 1993; Carney and Carney, 1994). Many cellular enzymes, such as alkaline neutral protease involved in protein metabolism, and a number of membrane transport proteins, are susceptible to active oxygen species, and can be readily inactivated due to oxidative damages. Oxidative modification of proteins can occur as a result of attack by free radicals generated via lipid peroxidation, metal ion-catalyzed oxidative reactions, and enzymatic processes (Halliwell and Gutteridge, 1986; Stadtman and Oliver, 1991; Signorini et al., 1995). Free radical-induced physicochemical changes in proteins include protein polymerization (via condensation of protein free radicals), insolubilization, peptide chain scission, and formation of lipid-protein complex (Schaich, 1980; Hanan and Shaklai, 1995).
Measuring the Impact of Moroccan Family Law and Gendered Reform

This project evaluates the effectiveness of Moroccan family law and gendered reforms. In addition, the study assesses potential challenges to the gains made by Moroccan women due to the rise of political Islam in Morocco. The project concentrates on the institutionalization of these reforms and their impact. Finally, the project probes the implications for womens advances and potential setbacks due to the rise of political Islam in Morocco. The project includes case studies at grassroots organizations and Womens NGOs in Rabat, Fez, Marrakech, and Ouarzazate. During these case studies, ethnographic surveys will be conducted among clients of the grassroots organizations to evaluate the programs impact and effectiveness. The case studies will involve interviews with government and party officials and WNGO heads to determine their satisfaction with the reforms and the mechanisms they use to gauge reform effectiveness. The study will use focus groups and surveys at universities in Fez, Rabat, Marrakech, and Ouarzazate to assess the institutionalization of these reforms among college-age Moroccans. Finally, the project will include a content analysis of media outlets employed by the governing Islamic Party and other major political parties, including websites, official newspapers and magazines, party platforms to determine the relative priority of women.
Renaturation and Reconstitution of Functional Holoenzyme From Recombinant Subunits of Casein Kinase II Expressed as Inclusion Bodies in E. Coli

Casein kinase II (protein kinase CKII) is a heterotetramer consisting of two α and two β subunits (1,2). The α subunit can be expressed as two different gene products which are present as α and/or α′, depending on the tissue and species of origin. The β subunit is a single gene product in higher eukaryotes. A comparison of the sequences from a number of different species shows the α and β subunits are highly conserved (1,3). The heterotetramer is stable and the structure is dissociable only under denaturing conditions. Thus, complete physical, chemical and functional analysis of the enzyme at the molecular level is dependent on obtaining subunits capable of reconstituting into active CKII. This reconstituted CKII must have the capacity to interact with and react to the surrounding environment in an appropriate manner.
Lipoprotein (a): impact by ethnicity and environmental and medical conditions

Levels of lipoprotein (a) [Lp(a)], a complex between an LDL-like lipid moiety containing one copy of apoB, and apo(a), a plasminogen-derived carbohydrate-rich hydrophilic protein, are primarily genetically regulated. Although stable intra-individually, Lp(a) levels have a skewed distribution inter-individually and are strongly impacted by a size polymorphism of the LPA gene, resulting in a variable number of kringle IV (KIV) units, a key motif of apo(a). The variation in KIV units is a strong predictor of plasma Lp(a) levels resulting in stable plasma levels across the lifespan. Studies have demonstrated pronounced differences across ethnicities with regard to Lp(a) levels and some of this difference, but not all of it, can be explained by genetic variations across ethnic groups. Increasing evidence suggests that age, sex, and hormonal impact may have a modest modulatory influence on Lp(a) levels. Among clinical conditions, Lp(a) levels are reported to be affected by kidney and liver diseases.
Primordial Radionuclides and Associated Chronologies

Formation ages 8 measure the time elapsed between the first resolvable isotopic-equilibration event in the sample’s history and the present. Most meteorite formation ages are based on the Rb-Sr, K-Ar, and U, Th-He techniques. If later isotopic-equilibration events can be resolved, these can be called metamorphism ages.
Bandgap Tuning of GaAs/GaAsSb Core-Shell Nanowires Grown by Molecular Beam Epitaxy

Semiconductor nanowires have been identified as a viable technology for next-generation infrared (IR) photodetectors with improved detectivity and detection across a range of energies as well as for novel single-photon detection in quantum networking. The GaAsSb materials system is especially promising in the 1.3–1.55 μm spectral range. In this work we present band-gap tuning up to 1.3 μm in GaAs/GaAsSb core–shell nanowires, by varying the Sb content using Ga-assisted molecular beam epitaxy. An increase in Sb content leads to strain accumulation in shell manifesting in rough surface morphology, multifaceted growths, curved nanowires, and deterioration in the microstructural and optical quality of the nanowires. The presence of multiple PL peaks for Sb compositions ≥12 at.% and degradation in the nanowire quality as attested by broadening of Raman and x-ray diffraction peaks reveal compositional instability in the nanowires. Transmission electron microscope (TEM) images show the presence of stacking faults and twins. Based on photoluminescence (PL) peak energies and their excitation power dependence behavior, an energy-band diagram for GaAs/GaAsSb core–shell nanowires is proposed. Optical transitions are dominated by type II transitions at lower Sb compositions and a combination of type I and type II transitions for compositions ≥12 at.%. Type I optical transitions as low as 0.93 eV (1.3 μm) from the GaAsSb for Sb composition of 26 at.% have been observed. The PL spectrum of a single nanowire is replicated in the ensemble nanowires, demonstrating good compositional homogeneity of the latter. A double-shell configuration for passivation of deleterious surface states leads to significant enhancement in the PL intensity resulting in the observation of room temperature emission, which provides significant potential for further improvement with important implications for nanostructured optoelectronic devices operating in the near-infrared regime.
Changes in adrenal oxygen consumption during catecholamine secretion in anesthetized dogs.

Prior attempts to study adrenal medullary O2 metabolism during catecholamine secretion have been unsuccessful because venous blood from medulla mixes with venous blood from the much larger cortex. To circumvent this problem, eight adult mongrel dogs were pretreated for 5-6 wk with the adrenocorticolytic agent 1,1-dichloro-2-(o-chlorophenyl)-2-(p-chlorophenyl)ethane (o,p'-DDD). Prednisolone (5 mg/day) and fludrocortisone (0.1 mg.10 kg-1.day-1) were administered orally to prevent adrenocortical insufficiency. Animals were then anesthetized with pentobarbital sodium and subjected to splanchnic nerve stimulation (NS) at 20 and 4 Hz to elicit catecholamine secretion. NS at 20 Hz increased epinephrine secretion from 1.6 +/- 0.7 to 1,780 +/- 762 ng.min-1.g medulla-1 but had no effect on medullary O2 consumption. Medullary blood flow (MQ) increased from 216 +/- 63 to 1,522 +/- 182 ml.min-1.100 g-1, and O2 extraction decreased from 2.7 +/- 0.7 to 0.8 +/- 0.2%. NS at 4 Hz increased epinephrine secretion from 3.1 +/- 1.4 to 76 +/- 17 ng.min-1.g medulla-1 and MQ from 226 +/- 66 to 649 +/- 122 ml.min-1.100 g-1 but had no effect on adrenal O2 consumption or extraction. Cortical blood flow was 342 +/- 98 ml.min-1.100 g-1 at baseline and was unaffected by NS. Gross weight of cortex was reduced by 80% in o,p'-DDD-treated animals, and histological examination of glands from three animals showed only rare islands of glomerulosa cells remaining. These data suggest that increases in MQ during NS do not occur in response to changes in O2 consumption.
Prothrombin, Thromboplastin, and Thrombin: Quantitative Interrelationships.∗

SummaryThromboplastin is consumed when it reacts with prothrombin in the presence of calcium ion. This finding eliminates support for the old concept that thromboplastin is a traditional enzyme, capable of converting unlimited quantities of prothrombin into thrombin. Evidence is presented which shows that the quantity of thrombin produced from an excess of prothrombin is directly proportional to the quantity of thromboplastin added to the reaction mixture. When, on the other hand, thromboplastin is present in excess, the amount of thrombin formed is proportional to the amount of prothrombin added.
Separation of Hydroxybenzoic Acids by Packed Column Supercritical Fluid Chromatography using Modified Fluids with Very Polar Additives

La chromatographie a fluide supercritique a l'aide d'une colonne remplie (cyanopropyl, diol) peut etre utilisee pour la separation rapide des acides hydroxybenzoiques (mono-, di- et tri-) tels que l'acide 2,4,6-trihydroxybenzoique, les acides salicyclique et salicylsalicyclique. Les separations peuvent etre faites en utilisant des modificateurs de la phase mobile comme l'acide citrique, l'acide trifluoroacetique
A Smart Shoe for building a real-time 3D map

Abstract Three dimensional (3D) mapping of environments has gained tremendous attention, from academic to industry to military, owing to the ever increasing needs of environmental modeling as well as monitoring. While many highly effective techniques have been reported thus far, a few even turned into commercial products, none has explored the use of wearable sensors to capture human foot motion, gait, and phase for 3D map construction, especially in the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) domain. In this work, we propose a smart (and wearable) shoe, called “Smart Shoe”, which integrates multiple laser scanners and an inertial measurement unit (IMU) to build a 3D map of environments in real time. Such a Smart Shoe can be a potential tool for floor plan surveying, construction process monitoring, planning renovations, space usage planning, managing building maintenance and other tasks in the AEC domain. Besides, this Smart Shoe could assist disabled people (blind people) to navigate and avoid obstacles in the unknown environment. In another case, the shoes may help firefighters quickly model and recognize objects in the firing, dark, and smoky buildings where traditional camera-based approaches might not be applicable. We integrate this shoe with a novel foot localization algorithm that produces a smooth and accurate pose and trajectory of human walking, which is the key enabling technique to minimize data registration errors from laser point cloud.
Human Tumor Viruses: A Historical Perspective

The fact that infectious diseases and cancer might be often associated either as the complication or cause has been discussed for decades. However, reliable epidemiological and experimental data demonstrating that numerous infectious agents can be etiological factors of human malignancies appeared only in recent years. This chapter overviews data on virus-associated malignancies and discusses potential mechanisms responsible for this association.
A survey on Toxoplasma gondii infection of pet feeders in Hangzhou in 2012

Objective To determine the seroprevalence of T. gondii and its risk factors for the human infection in Hangzhou.Methods Questionnaire of 528 pet feeders was conducted in Hangzhou. Serum samples were tested for IgG antibodies to T.gondii by ELISA. Results The positive rate of IgG antibodies to T. gondii was 3. 03%( 16 /528) in pet feeders. The difference was not significant in the positive rates between male and female,among different occupations. The difference of positive rates was significant among different age groups( χ2= 17. 403,P = 0. 001). The infection rate decreased with the increase in educational level( χ2= 7. 592,P = 0. 022). Directly eating the food falling to the ground and taking raw or semi-raw meat showed the significant influence upon T. gondii infection( χ2= 6. 92 ~ 8. 79,P 0. 01). Conclusion The seroprevalence of T. gondii in pet feeders was lower than the average level in the past in Hangzhou. Human infection of T. gondii is related to unhealthy habits and behaviors in Hangzhou.
Do hand preferences predict stacking skill during infancy

The cascade theory of handedness suggests that hand preferences develop from a history of cascading and sequentially developing manual asymmetries for a variety of actions. Infants who consistently use their preferred hand for a variety of actions likely would gain proficiency using that preferred hand and, consequently, perform more proficiently on other challenging manual tasks. One such task is object stacking, which has been linked with a number of cognitive abilities. If infant hand preference facilitates the development of stacking skill, then this could provide a link by which early hand preference might affect the development of cognition. From a sample of 380 infants assessed for an acquisition hand preference across 6–14 months, 131 infants were assessed for stacking skill from 10 to 14 months at monthly visits. Four unique handedness sub-groups were identified from the 380-infant sample: left, trending right, stable right, or no hand preference. Each of the four hand preference groups exhibited different trajectories in the development of their stacking skills. Left- and stable right-handers stacked more items than infants with no preference by 14 months, whereas infants with a trending right preference did not. The proportion of preferred hand use (right and left) from 6 to 9 months also predicted an earlier initial onset of stacking skill, whereas the proportion of only right hand use did not. Thus, the development of a hand preference predicts an earlier emergence of stacking skill and may have implications for other domains of infant cognitive development.
Observation of Electromagnetically Induced Transparency le Collisionally Broadened Lead Vapor

In this paper, we report the observation of electromagnetically induced transparency in collisionally broadened lead vapor. Electromagnetically induced transparency based on lifetime broadening has been observed by Boiler et al), where transparency was induced by a quantum interference. We extend the regime of electromagnetically induced transparency to collisionaly broadened resonance lines. A strong field which couples a resonantly broadened state to another state with a smaller collisional rate decreases the loss, and the transmission of an optically thick media is increased from below our dynamic range (Io/Iin<10−6)to Io/Iin = 10−1
Creating a Culture of Safety Within an Institution: Walking the Walk

Clinical oncology practice is often patient specific, interprofessional, and interdisciplinary, with various permutations of many hand-offs and transitions of care (eg, radiology to pathology to surgery to radiation oncology to medical oncology; inpatient to outpatient). Thus, the processes and systems in clinical oncology are interactively complex and can be error prone. Furthermore, the intensity of cancer treatments can be high, and patients often experience adverse effects that require individualized approaches, adding further interactive complexities. The practice of clinical oncologymaynever be error free. It is likely that even intensive improvement work will never be able to remove all the risks from clinical oncology practice. Nevertheless, the greatest barrier to improving quality and safety in oncology (andinhealthcare ingeneral) isourculture. Weneed to embrace the lessons fromhighreliability organizations that emphasize an alternative no-blame or just culture, in which leaders and all workers (1) acknowledge that our systems are imperfect and that errors will occur, (2) understand howoursystemsbehave (because thishelps drive strategies to minimize risk), and (3) actively participate in incident learning (eg, error reporting) as a means to better understandsystemperformanceanddrive improvement strategies. In concert, these understandings instill in a person (what has been termed as) a sense of safety mindfulness. This approach has been used most successfully in industry. Furthermore, hospitals with a better culture of safety are associated with fewer adverse events.
Trade, Money and International Payments

The items in the balance of payments are interconnected via the system of double-entry book-keeping so that, for example, a positive overall balance on the current account must be offset by a negative balance on the capital account. It is essential for clear analysis to deal with imbalances in one subset of accounts at a time. Traditionally, economists have delved primarily into what happens when an adverse balance of trade develops,1 that is when a nation generates a tendency towards a persistent import surplus. The immediate problem for a nation in this condition is how to finance the imbalance in its international payments. This, then, is the problem we shall analyze in some detail.2
A server allocation and placement algorithm for content distribution

It is well known that optimal server placement is NP-hard. We present an approximate model for the case when both clients and servers are dense, and propose a simple server allocation and placement algorithm based on high-rate vector quantization theory. The key idea is to regard the location of a request as a random variable with probability density that is proportional to the demand at that location, and the problem of server placement as source coding, i.e., to optimally map a source value (request location) to a codeword (server location) to minimize distortion (network cost). This view has led to a joint server allocation and placement algorithm that has a time-complexity that is linear in the number of clients. Simulations are presented to illustrate its performance.
What’s the legal definition of PR?: An analysis of commercial speech and public relations

Abstract This paper addresses how the law defines public relations under the First Amendment. The United States Supreme Court’s denial of certiorari and California Supreme Court’s decision in Nike v. Kasky (2002, 2003) categorized PR as commercial speech, which is subject to the same regulations as advertising. In the twelve years since those decisions were issued, federal and state appellate courts have re-interpreted Nike v. Kasky (2002, 2003) in a variety of ways. This study found that since 2003 courts have consistently held that PR is not always commercial speech. From this analysis a legal definition of public relations is presented, and implications for PR practitioners are discussed.
The silent and the vocal: Participation and learning in whole-class discussion

Abstract We explore vocal vs. silent student participation in whole-class mathematics discussion in relation to learning outcomes, relying on additional data analysis from a previously published in vivo controlled comparison in two sixth grades (n = 44) which contrasted an “academically productive talk” (APT) condition (emphasizing frequent discussion) with a “direct instruction” condition (without discussion), where content was tightly controlled across conditions. In the current study, controlling for a variety of factors, we find no relationship between the degree to which students contributed vocally during the lessons, and those students' scores on the outcome measure, in either condition. This finding adds to a growing literature on participation in classroom discussion, and may inform thinking about the multiple constraints faced by teachers as they attempt to orchestrate whole-class discussions. However, we suggest that this result can most confidently be applied to classrooms in which a culture of active participation has already been established.