cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Magnesium-Dependence and Active Site Dynamics in Myosin V and Myosin II

We examined the magnesium-dependence of heavy meromyosin V (MV HMM) and two class II muscle myosins, skeletal muscle myosin (SK HMM) and smooth muscle myosin (SM HMM), in the in vitro motility and solution actin-activated ATPase assays. We find that all three myosins are inhibited in a Mg2+-dependent manner (0.5-10 mM MgCl2) in both ATPase and motility assays, under conditions in which the ionic strength was held constant. Interestingly, MV was more steeply dependent on magnesium than both SK and SM. In addition, actin filament breaking in the motility assay was two-fold faster with MV HMM at high (10 mM) compared to low (1 mM) MgCl2 conditions. To begin to understand how the active site of myosin V is different from myosin II we examined the time resolved fluorescence from dmantADP bound to myosin V 1IQ (MV 1IQ) or Dicty myosin II S1 (Dicty S1) in the presence of 1 mM MgCl2. We found that dmantADP bound to acto-MV 1IQ contained two lifetime components (8 and 3 ns). Time-resolved anisotropy studies of the two lifetime components in myosin V reveal that the long lifetime component was more immobilized (correlation time = 12 ns) while the short lifetime component was highly dynamic (correlation time = 0.4 ns). Interestingly, Dicty S1 contained a single lifetime component (8 ns). The two conformations of the myosin V active site may allow Mg2+ to more efficiently bind and reduce key steps in the ATPase cycle such as ADP release. Overall, our results suggest that differences in the structural dynamics of the active site of myosins may play a role in their dependence on free Mg2+, which could explain why Mg2+ differentially alters the motile and force generating properties of myosins.
Finite Element Modeling of the Nonuniform Deformation of Spun-Bonded Nonwovens

Deformation of a spunbonded nonwoven fabric specimen is extremely nonuniform during a uniaxial tensile test. Complex stress/strain fields are generated in the specimen due to the effect of the jaws...
Renal Cell Carcinoma Metastasis from Biopsy Associated Hematoma Disruption during Robotic Partial Nephrectomy

We describe a case in which a patient with a past medical history of ovarian cancer received a diagnostic renal biopsy for an incidentally discovered renal mass. During left robotic partial nephrectomy (RPN), a perinephric hematoma was encountered. The hematoma was not present on preoperative imaging and was likely a result of the renal biopsy. The renal cell carcinoma (RCC) and the associated hematoma were widely excised with negative surgical margins. On follow-up imaging at five months postoperatively, a recurrent renal mass at the surgical resection bed and several new nodules in the omentum were detected. During completion left robotic total nephrectomy and omental excision, intraoperative frozen sections confirmed metastatic RCC. We believe that a hematoma seeded with RCC formed as a result of the renal biopsy, and subsequent disruption of the hematoma during RPN caused contamination of RCC into the surrounding structures.
Rule of Three, Let It Be? When More Really Is Better

Jim Ray and others in this issue question customary procedures for the quantitative analysis of theoretically complex questions in the social sciences. In this article we address Ray's use of research on the Kantian peace to illustrate his points. We discuss his five guidelines for research, indicating how we agree and disagree, and take up five substantive issues he has raised about our research. With new analyses to supplement our previous work, we show that none of his reservations is well founded. We discuss the costs as well as the benefits of rigid insistence on reducing the number of independent variables in a regression equation.
Appearance of marked DNA-de-grading and thymine catabolic activities in a human cell infected with a transmissible agent.

SummaryFollowing infection by a transmissible cytopathic agent and with the appearance of degeneration, the following were regularly observed for thymidine-2-C14 labelled human “liver” cultures: 1. progressive increase in quantity of C14O2 liberated, 2. progressive increase in radioactivity of the acid soluble fractions, and 3. progressive decrease in radioactivity of the acid insoluble fractions. Similar changes had not been demonstrated in uninfected culture, culture killed by freezing or by nutrient depleting, and cultures infected with vaccinia, adeno 3, herpes simplex, polio 1, or Coxsackie B1 viruses. Significant conversion of acid insoluble to acid soluble radioactive compounds was repeatedly demonstrated in uridine-2-C14 labelled “liver” cultures under all the described experimental conditions leading to cell degeneration. Formation of C14O2 from uracil-2-C14 or uridine-2-C14 was, however, restricted to cultures treated with this DNA-degrading agent.The authors are grateful to Dr. Holmes, Alfred I...
Association between cholesterol and 2,3-diphosphoglycerate in genetically selected hooded rat lines

We have developed two strains of hooded rats with differing erythrocyte oxygen affinities by selection on red cell 2,3-diphosphoglycerate levels. Genetic studies have shown that these strains differ at one DPG-level-determining locus. This article reports the results of a study which involved measurement of plasma cholesterol levels in rats from the strains and the F2 progeny of strain intercrosses. Low-DPG strain rats, with high oxygen affinity, had significantly higher mean cholesterol levels than High-DPG rats. Animals from the extremes of the F2 distribution of DPG levels showed similar, significantly different mean cholesterol levels, indicating that the negative association between DPG and cholesterol levels in strain rats was not due to inadvertent fixation of unrelated genes during selection on DPG. The possibility is discussed that high oxygen affinity, brought about by low DPG levels, may be causative in increasing cholesterol levels.
Nursing documentation of telephone communication with physicians in community nursing homes.

Objective The objective of this study was to describe the nursing documentation of telephone communication with physicians in community nursing homes. Design We conducted a prospective observational study evaluating nursing documentation of all telephone calls to one physician group. Setting We studied two proprietary community nursing homes in Baltimore, Maryland. Measurements Data were collected by physicians at the time of each call regarding the time, day, nursing facility, reason for the call, and any orders given. Calls were also categorized as to whether documentation was necessary by defined criteria. The nursing home charts were then reviewed for the presence of documentation of 1) the issue that prompted the call, 2) physician's participation in the matter, and 3) any orders given by the physician. The relationships between the characteristics of the telephone calls and the rates of documentation were then analyzed. Results There were 248 calls from the two nursing homes during the 2-month study period. Nursing documentation of the issue that prompted the call was present for 80% of total calls. This documentation was more likely to be present with calls for change of patient status and notification of laboratory/radiograph results compared with calls for other issues (117 of 125 [94%] vs. 57 of 63 [90%] vs. 24 of 60 [40%], respectively; χ 2 = 78.3, P 2 = 60.8, P 2 = 10.0, P = 0.007). Physicians indicated that orders were given during 69% of calls, but orders were only documented for 79% of these interactions. No characteristics of the call were associated with likelihood of order documentation. Conclusions In this study, documentation of issues that lead to telephone calls to physicians was not always present. Similarly, orders given by the physician were absent over 20% of the time. Nurses, physicians, and facilities should develop efficient and routine strategies to optimize rates of documentation of telephone communication with physicians.
Effects of the pyrrolizidine alkaloid senecionine and the alkenals trans-4-OH-hexenal and trans-2-hexenal on intracellular calcium compartmentation in isolated hepatocytes.

Abstract The pyrrolizidine alkaloid senecionine has been shown to produce an increase in cytosolic free Ca 2+ concentration in isolated hepatocytes that correlated with an increase in cellular toxicity. The cytotoxicity was greater in the absence of extracellular Ca 2+ than in its presence, suggesting that alterations in intracellular Ca 2+ distribution, and not an influx of extracellular Ca 2+ , were responsible for the senecionine-induced hepatotoxicity. The effect of senecionine, as well as the effects of trans -4-OH-hexenal (t-4HH), a microsomal metabolite of senecionine, and a related alkenal, ( trans -2-hexenal, on the sequestration of Ca 2+ in mitochondrial and extramitochondrial compartments were examined in isolated hepatocytes. Each of the test compounds elicited a decrease in the available extramitochondrial Ca 2+ stores that was inhibited by pretreatment with the thiol group reducing agent, dithiothreitol. Senecionine and t-4HH decreased the level of Ca 2+ sequestered in the mitochondrial compartment of hepatocytes. The presence of a pyridine nucleotide reducing agent, β-hydroxybutyrate, inhibited this reduction. These results suggest that both senecionine and t-4HH inhibit the sequestration of Ca 2+ in extramitochondrial and mitochondrial compartments possibly by inactivating free sulfhydryl groups and oxidizing pyridine nucleotides respectively.
Detergent effects on a reverse transcriptase activity and on inhibition by rifamycin derivatives

A reverse transcriptase activity, extracted from virus-transformed cells, is activated by very low concentrations of nonionic detergents. These same detergents also significantly reduce the effectiveness of certain rifamycin derivatives as inhibitors of the polymerase activity when the detergents are present at micelle-forming concentrations.
Efficient inference algorithms for hybrid dynamic Bayesian networks (HDBN)

Bayesian networks for the static as well as for the dynamic cases have been the subject of a great deal of theoretical analysis and practical inference approximations in the research community of artificial intelligence, machine learning and pattern recognition. After exploring the quite well known theory of discrete and continuous Bayesian networks, we introduce an almost instant reasoning scheme to the hybrid Bayesian networks. In addition to illustrate the similarities of the dynamic Bayesian networks (DBN) and the Kalman filter, we present a computationally efficient approach for the inference problem of hybrid dynamic Bayesian networks (HDBN). The proposed method is based on the separations of the dynamic and static nodes, and following hypercubic partitions via the Decision tree algorithm (DT). Experiments show that with high statistical confidence the novel algorithm used in the HDBN performs favorably in the tradeoffs of computational complexities and accuracy performance when compared to Junction tree and Gaussian mixture models on the task of classifications.
Grooming of non-uniform traffic on unidirectional and bidirectional rings

Traffic grooming in WDM networks is obtained by intelligently allocating the traffic onto a given set of wavelengths. This paper presents heuristics for grooming of non-uniform general traffic demands onto a given set of wavelengths available on a unidirectional or bidirectional ring. The objective is to minimize the number of higher layer equipment, like SONET Add/Drop Multiplexers (ADMs), or MPLS routers. We map the unidirectional ring onto a linear topology and develop a generalized two-step approach to solve the grooming problem on the mapped topology. In the first step, we allocate the traffic while minimizing the possible number of strings (each string being a collection of non-overlapping traffic streams) in a manner that yields the optimal number of strings in the linear topology case. We also prove the optimality of this step in the number of the strings (wavelengths). In the second step we employ a grouping technique to efficiently combine g strings onto a wavelength while minimizing the total number of the ADMs. We also address the problem of grooming the non-uniform traffic on a bidirectional ring by mapping it onto unidirectional rings, and applying the two-step approach. Moreover, in the case of bidirectional rings we propose an approach to route the traffic that reduces the total number of the required wavelengths and ADMs. The time complexity of our technique is at least an order of n less than other proposed approaches, where n is the total number of nodes in the network. The efficacy of the proposed technique has been demonstrated through a large number of experiments.
Magnetic lineations in the Northeast Pacific

Abstract Magnetic data for the northeast Pacific are summarized and interpreted in terms of sea floor spreading. Unclear areas exist in the “disturbed zone” and west of the Juan de Fuca Ridge. The direction of spreading changed about 55 my ago. An intermediate plate was gradually destroyed as segments of the ridge neared the continent and the timing of this destruction appears related to the timing of the origin of the San Andreas fault system.
Identification of a silencing element in the chicken lipoprotein lipase gene promoter: characterization of the silencer-binding protein and delineation of its target nucleotide sequence

Abstract Lipoprotein lipase (LPL) hydrolyzes triglycerides in chylomicrons and very low density lipoproteins (VLDL) and plays a central role in lipid metabolism. It is regulated tissue-specifically. By deletion analysis, a negative regulatory element was identified in the chicken LPL gene promoter at base pairs (bp) −263 to −241. This sequence contained two palindromic halves with a three nucleotide spacer. Either half was sufficient for full inhibitory function. A protein complex bound specifically to this element and a high correlation was found between binding of the complex and inhibition of transcription. Its molecular mass, evaluated by native gel electrophoresis and Ferguson plot analysis, was 120 kDa. UV cross-linking followed by SDS–PAGE revealed two protein subunits of 48 kDa and 44 kDa, respectively. This inhibitory protein complex may contribute to the tissue-specific regulation of LPL gene transcription. It was much more abundant in liver than in adipose tissue and heart. Our data showed that this negative element inhibited transcription even when placed at an upstream location (−666), but failed to function in the herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase promoter, indicating that it acted in conjunction with other element(s) in the chicken LPL gene to inhibit transcription.
Modeling the Deposition of Metal Atoms on a p-Type Organometallic Conductor: Implications for Stability and Electron Transfer

Article discussing modeling the deposition of metal atoms on a p-Type organometallic conductor and implications for stability and electron transfer.
FRUCTOSE DISPOSAL AND OXIDATION RATES IN THE OVINE FETUS

Fructose disposal and oxidation rates were measured in fetal lambs receiving a constant intravenous infusion of D-[U-14C]fructose. Approximately 60% of the infused tracer entered the placenta, but loss of fructose into the maternal circulation was negligible. Fructose was metabolized to lactate and CO2 in both the placenta and fetus, whereas there was no detectable conversion to glucose. In well-fed ewes the fetal disposal and utilization rates of fructose were 2.4 +/- 0.17 and 0.97 +/- 0.09 mg/min. kg, respectively. The umbilical excretion rate of CO2 originating from the oxidation of fetal fructose was 18.1 +/- 1.3 mumol/min. kg or 5.3% of total fetal CO2 production. This excretion rate is one-fifth of the CO2 excretion rate from fetal glucose carbon. In four ewes comparison of fructose metabolism in the fed and fasted states showed a significant decrease of fructose production and oxidation with fasting. Although fructose is present in high concentrations in the fetal blood of ungulates, its contribution to fetal oxidative metabolism is relatively small in comparison to glucose.
Effects and Mechanisms of Vanadium on Structural Transformation of BVRE Heavy Rail Steel

The different dilatometric curves of continuous cooling transformation with the different cooling rates were determined by means of Gleeble-2000 thermal simulation machine. The CCT curve of BVRE heavy rail steel was obtained by measuring the dilatometric curves and metallographic analysis. And the effects and mechanisms of vanadium on the phase transformation and microstructure of BVRE heavy rail steel were investigated. It is found that, the BVRE heavy rail steel only takes place pearlite and martensite transformation during continuous cooling. The CCT curve of BVRE heavy rail steel is moved to lower right with increasing vanadium content, which indicates that vanadium can obviously improve the stability of super cooled austenite and delay the pearlite transformation. When the content of vanadium is increased from 0.052% to 0.12%, the shortest incubation time of pearlite transformation is increased from 30s to 59s. When the cooling rate ≤ 5 ·s-1, with increasing vanadium content, both starting and finishing temperatures of pearlite transformation are decreased at different extent, meanwhile the pearlite is refined and the pearlite percentage is notably decreased. When the cooling rate is 2 ·s-1, the pearlite percentage is decreased from 65.7% to 35.9% with increasing vanadium content. When the content of vanadium is increased from 0.052% to 0.12%, the critical cooling rate of quenching is decreased from 13 ·s-1 to 7 ·s-1, thus the hardenability of BVRE heavy rail steel is improved.
Effect of ATP analogues on the gorging response of Aedes aegypti

. The ATP analogues adenylylimidodiphosphate and adenylylmethylenediphosphate are 3–5-fold more effective than ATP as gorging stimulants for Aedes aegypti. This increased potency is not due to the fact that the two analogues are not hydrolysed by the mosquito salivary apyrase, but most likely to their greater affinity to the mosquito gustatory receptor protein. The analogues 2'd ATP and 3'd ATP are about half as potent as ATP, while 2′,3′-dideoxyadenosine triphosphate is 10-fold more potent than ATP in evoking the gorging response. It is proposed that removal of both hydroxyl groups eliminates binding of the stimulant at the ribose moiety, thus allowing the molecule greater freedom to rotate and bind more effectively to its two other binding sites at the amino group on the purine and at the terminal phosphate. Our data demonstrate that ATP activates the gorging response of Ae.aegypti merely by binding to its receptor protein and is not required as an exogenous source of energy. Gorging response to ATP is competitively inhibited by novobiocin.
The impact of surface roughness on flow through a rectangular microchannel from the laminar to turbulent regimes

Modifications of fluid flow within microscale flow passages by internal surface roughness is investigated in the laminar, transitional, and turbulent regimes using pressure-drop measurements and instantaneous velocity fields acquired by microscopic particle-image velocimetry (micro-PIV). The microchannel under study is rectangular in cross-section with an aspect ratio of 1:2 (depth: width) and a hydraulic diameter of $$D_{\rm h} =600\,\upmu \hbox{m}.$$ Measurements are first performed under smooth-wall conditions to establish the baseline flow characteristics within the microchannel followed by measurements for two different rough-wall cases [with RMS roughness heights of $$7.51\,\upmu \hbox{m}$$ (0.0125D h) and $$15.1\,\upmu \hbox{m}$$ (0.025D h)]. The roughness patterns under consideration are unique in that they are reminiscent of surface irregularities one might encounter in practical microchannels due to imperfect fabrication methods. The pressure-drop results reveal the onset of transition above $$Re_{\rm cr}=1{,}800$$ for the smooth-wall case, consistent with the onset of transition at the macroscale, along with deviation from laminar behavior at progressively lower Re with increasing roughness. Mean velocity profiles computed from the micro-PIV ensembles at various Re for each surface condition confirm these trends, meaning $$Re_{\rm cr}$$ is a strong function of roughness. The ensembles of velocity fields at each Re and surface condition in the transitional regime are subdivided into fields embodying laminar behavior and fields containing disordered motions. This decomposition reveals a clear hastening of the flow toward a turbulent state due both to the roughness dependence of Re cr and an enhancement in the growth rate of the non-laminar fraction of the flow when the flow is in the early stages of transition. Nevertheless, the range of Re relative to Re cr over which the flow transitions from a laminar to a turbulent state is found to be essentially the same for all three surface conditions. From a structural viewpoint, instantaneous velocity fields embodying disordered behavior in the transitional regime are found to contain large-scale motions consistent with hairpin-vortex packets irrespective of surface condition. These observations are in accordance with the characteristics of transitional and turbulent flows at the macroscale and therefore indicate that the overall structural paradigm of the flow is relatively insensitive to roughness. From a quantitative viewpoint, however, the intensity of both the velocity fluctuations and structural activity appear to increase substantially with increasing roughness, particularly in the latter stages of transition. These differences are further supported by the trends of single-point statistics of the non-laminar ensembles and quadrant analysis in which an intensification of the velocity fluctuations by surface roughness is noted in the region close to the wall, particularly for the wall-normal fluctuations.
The 89(d, n0)90Zr reaction and coulomb effects in stripping reactions

Abstract The vector analysing power of the 89Y( d , n0)90Zr reaction has been measured for lab angles between 2.5° and 45° at a deuteron energy of 11 Me V. The angular momentum and parity of the transferred proton are known to be j p π = 1 2 − , but the angular dependence of the vector analysing power is similar to that observed in ( d ,p) transitions with j n π = 3 2 − . The results of distortedwave calculations are in qualitative agreement with the measured angular dependence of the ( d , n) vector analysing power and predict a j-dependence for ( d , n) reactions similar to that observed in ( d , p) reactions. These calculations indicate that the observed difference in the vector analysing power between ( d , n) and ( d , p) reactions arises primarily from Coulomb effects in the outgoing channel.
Novel animal models of affective disorders

Is there an appropriate animal model for human affective disorders? The traditional difficulties in accepting animal models for psychopathology stem from the argument that there is no evidence for concluding that what occurs in the brain of the animal is equivalent to what occurs in the brain of a human. However, if one models any or some core aspects of affective disorder, this model can become an invaluable tool in the analysis of the multitude of causes, genetic, environmental, or pharmacological, that can bring about symptoms homologous to those of patients with affective disorders. Animal models can also allow the study of the mechanisms of specific behaviors, their pathophysiology, and can aid in developing and predicting therapeutic responses to pharmacologic agents. Although animals exhibit complex and varied social and emotional behaviors for which well-validated and standardized measures exist, an understanding that a precise replica of human affective disorders cannot be expected in a single animal model is crucial. Instead, a good animal model of a human disorder should fulfill as many of the four main criteria as possible: (1) strong behavioral similarities, (2) common cause, (3) similar pathophysiology, and (4) common treatment. An animal model fulfilling any or most of these criteria can be used to elucidate the mechanisms of the specific aspect of the model that is homologous to the human disorder. A wide range of animal models of affective disorders, primarily depression, has been developed to date. They include models in which "depressive behavior" is the result of genetic selection or manipulation, environmental stressors during development or in adulthood, or pharmacologic treatments. The assessment of these animal models is based either on behavioral tests measuring traits that are homologous to symptoms of the human disorder they model, or behavioral tests responsive to appropriate pharmacologic treatments. The goal of this review is to focus on relatively recent developments of selected models, to aid in understanding their strengths and weaknesses, and to help those choosing the difficult task of developing novel animal models of affective disorders. The ideal animal model of affective disorders of the future would be an endogenous, genetic model that reiterates the essential, core aspects of the human disease and responds to the standard regimens of therapy. Because complex diseases have been approached from the genetic startpoint by using rodent models, a genetic model of affective disorder would open up possibilities for genetic analysis of polygenic traits that seem to underlie these disorders.
Body composition assessment in overweight women: validation of air displacement plethysmography.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the validity and reliability of air displacement plethysmography (ADP) compared to a dual energy x-ray absorpti- ometry (DXA) criterion for body composition measurement in overweight and obese women (BMI ≥ 25� 0k g m 2 ). Subjects/Methods: Twenty-four overweight and obese women (MeanSD; Age: 36� 6 � 12� 0 years; Height: 166� 4 � 5� 8 cm; Weight: 86� 5 � 14� 2 kg; Body Fat: 38� 5 � 3� 7%; BMI: 31� 3 � 5� 5k g m 2 ) were tested after an 8-h fast. Fat mass (FM), fat-free mass (FFM) and percent body fat (%BF) were measured by ADP and compared to values determined by the DXA criterion. FFM from DXA was calculated as lean mass plus bone mineral content. A paired samples t-test was used to test for significant differences in the body composition variables between methods. A one-way ANOVA along with intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), SEM,%SEM and MD was used to represent reliability.
A 1.6 – 2.7 GHz tunable dual-band 4G-LTE antenna for carrier aggregation

This paper presents a tunable dual-band antenna using two different variable resonators for 4G carrier-aggregation applications. The antenna is fabricated on a PCB (RO4003C) with ϵ = 3.55 and Skywork's varactor diodes are used as variable capacitors. The first resonant frequency can be tuned independently from 1.6 GHz to 2 GHz while the second resonant frequency can be tuned from 2 GHz to 2.7 GHz, as shown by measurements. The simulated radiation efficiency of the antenna is 37% to 80% with a tuning element Q of 40 to 400, respectively. Gain measurements are currently being done and will be presented at the conference.
Surface-enhanced Raman scattering for cancer diagnostics: detection of the BCL2 gene

A method of detection for cancer genes, such as B-cell lymphoma 2 gene, has been developed using surface-enhanced Raman scattering-active substrates. This method uses Raman active dye-labeled DNA gene probes and metallic nanostructures as surface-enhanced Raman scattering-active platforms. A self-assembled monolayer system composed of mercapto hexane-labeled, single-strand DNA (SH-[CH2]6-ssDNA/6-mercapto-1-hexanol) is formed on a silver surface. The Raman-active dye-labeled gene is hybridized with its complementary probe, which is immobilized on the silver surface. The surface-enhanced Raman gene probes in this study can be used to detect DNA targets via hybridization to complementary DNA probes. The probes do not involve the use of radioactive labels and have great potential to provide both sensitivity and selectivity. The utility of this approach is investigated.
REGULATION OF CHAMISE SHOOT GROWTH

Nutritional, hormonal, and environmental control of chamise (Adenostoma fasciculatum H. & A.) shoot growth was investigated. In vitro culture of shoot tips demonstrated that 0.18 M sucrose was required for optimum apical growth. Cytokinin (benzyladenine) promoted shoot growth at otherwise growth-limiting sucrose concentrations and induced uptake of sucrose from the basal medium. Abscisic acid inhibited growth of cultured shoot tips induced by high sucrose concentration or cytokinin. In the field, inhibition of shoot growth was a function of water stress. These studies indicate that the effects of water stress on chamise shoot growth may be mediated by changes in carbohydrate, cytokinin, or growth inhibitor levels at the shoot apex.
Immediate changes in the quadriceps femoris angle after insertion of an orthotic device

Abstract Objective: To measure changes in the quadriceps femoris angle (Q-angle) after the insertion of full-length flexible orthotics. Setting: Outpatient health center of Logan College of Chiropractic. Subjects: A total of 40 male subjects were included in the study population. The selected population all demonstrated bilateral pes planus or hyperpronation syndrome. Design: Before-after trial. Method: A cohort demonstrating bilateral hyperpronation was recruited. The subjects were cast according to standard protocols provided by the manufacturer. Subject right and left Q-angles were measured with and without the orthotic in place. The landmarks used were marked with a permanent marker, and great care was taken to accurately assess the angles formed. The evaluator was not told whether the measure was before or after orthotic insertion. A modified quailcraft goniometer was used. Data Analysis: The data set was collected and assessed by the t test. Results: Thirty-nine of 40 test subjects showed reduced Q-angle, which was in the direction of correction. A 2-tailed matched sample showed statistically significant mean reduction in Q-angle measures. There was a minority of patients who showed asymmetrical Q-angle measures. Within this group there was greater symmetry of Q-angle measures after placement of the orthotic. Conclusion: Insertion of full-length, flexible orthotic devices significantly improves the Q-angle in hyperpronating male subjects. If the literature accurately links an increase in the Q-angle with a predisposition for knee injury, then the possibility of long-term benefits following the use of flexible orthotics exists. More research is required to determine whether these biomechanical changes are maintained after use of these orthotics. (J Manipulative Physiol Ther 2002;25:465-70)
Capacity and Performance Analysis for Adaptive Multi-Beam Directional Networking

In this paper, we investigate the capacity bounds and throughput performance of ad hoc wireless networks with directional antennas. The capacity of a wireless network is constrained by the physical channel capacity and the interference from neighboring nodes. Gupta et al. have shown that in an arbitrary network with n nodes, the upper bound for per-node throughput capacity is O(1/?n), and even lower under a random network. Directional antennas, especially those with multi-beam forming capabilities, provide higher bandwidth and reduced interference area, which lead to elevated capacity bounds and improved performance. In this paper, we first present a study on the capacity bounds of ad hoc networking with directional antennas, including hybrid antenna patterns that are a mix of multi-beam forming and single-beam forming. We prove that adaptive multi-beam forming system further improves the network capacity over the single-beam directional networks, due to its desirable features of multiple transmission/reception and anti-interference beam-forming. Then we further investigate the performance of adaptive multi-beam directional networking with regard to the prevalent Medium Access Control (MAC) protocols, namely, TDMA and CSMA/CA, under basic network topology assumptions. The results show that using adaptive multi-beam antennas can improve the network throughput by multi-fold depending on the number of beams, thus providing an effective means to achieve high data rate and reliable communication for future combat systems.
Survival methods of young street mothers

In-depth interviews and attitude questionnaires were completed by 26 young street mothers to determine their survival methods. These young women are proud and devoted mothers who are living at a poverty level. They are feeling economic, social, health, relationships, and emotional stresses.
Laser-saturated fluorescence measurements of OH concentration in flames

Abstract A laser-saturated fluorescence technique which can be used to measure accurate OH radical concentrations over wide ranges of flame pressure, composition, and temperature has been developed. The balanced cross-rate model is used to analyze the fluorescence data. The basic premise of the model is that the population of the upper and lower rotational levels which are coupled by the laser is approximately constant during the laser pulse. Using the balanced cross-rate model to calculate concentrations, OH number densities calculated from saturated fluorescence agree to within 20% with number densities calculated from independent absorption measurements over a wide range of flame conditions. In addition, the ratio of number densities calculated from saturated fluorescence and absorption is constant over an order of magnitude range of flame pressure, demonstrating the insensitivity of the saturated fluorescence signal to collisional quenching rates. The estimated OH detection limit of the fluorescence system is 10 12 –10 13 molecules/cm 3 .
Iron-containing transcription factors and their roles as sensors

Iron-binding transcription factors are widespread throughout the bacterial world and to date are known to bind several types of cofactors, such as Fe2+, heme, or iron–sulfur clusters. The known chemistry of these cofactors is exploited by transcription factors, including Fur, FNR, and NsrR, to sense molecules such as Fe2+, gases (e.g. oxygen and nitric oxide), or reactive oxygen species. New structural data and information generated by genome-wide analysis studies have provided additional details about the mechanism and function of iron-binding transcription factors that act as sensors.
Evaluating Dalvik Instructions through Dynamic Analysis of Bytecodes

Android is an operating system for smartphones developed by Google that uses the Dalvik Virtual Machine to ensure compatibility of their applications between platforms that use it. This paper presents the evaluation of Dalvik instructions from the results of dynamic analysis of Dalvik bytecodes. Its objective is the identification of a subgroup of instructions which is responsible for most of the execution time in typical embedded applications. The results show that a few instructions are responsible for most of applications' execution time.
Symbol use by developmentally disabled children.

13 children with a diagnosis of autism and 20 children with a diagnosis of childhood schizophrenia or a variant thereof were compared for skill in symbol use across modalities of expressive language, drawing, gesture, and play. The children were also given the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test—Revised as a measure of receptive comprehension. Analysis showed that the autistic children had poorer receptive language than the schizophrenic children. The autisic children were poorer in symbol use, as predicted, across all expressive modalities except play, when receptive language was treated as a covariate. Implications of these results for differential identification of children with severe developmental disturbance are discussed.
Seismological imaging of ridge-arc interaction beneath the Eastern Lau Spreading Center from OBS ambient noise tomography

Abstract The Lau Basin displays large along-strike variations in ridge characters with the changing proximity of the adjacent subduction zone. The mechanism governing these changes is not well understood but one hypotheses relates them to interaction between the arc and back-arc magmatic systems. We present a 3D seismic velocity model of the shallow mantle beneath the Eastern Lau back-arc Spreading Center (ELSC) and the adjacent Tofua volcanic arc obtained from ambient noise tomography of ocean bottom seismograph data. Our seismic images reveal an asymmetric upper mantle low velocity zone (LVZ) beneath the ELSC. Two major trends are present as the ridge-to-arc distance increases: (1) the LVZ becomes increasingly offset from the ridge to the north, where crust is thinner and the ridge less magmatically active; (2) the LVZ becomes increasingly connected to a sub-arc low velocity zone to the south. The separation of the ridge and arc low velocity zones is spatially coincident with the abrupt transition in crustal composition and ridge morphology. Our results present the first mantle imaging confirmation of a direct connection between crustal properties and uppermost mantle processes at ELSC, and support the prediction that as ELSC migrates away from the arc, a changing mantle wedge flow pattern leads to the separation of the arc and ridge melting regions. Slab-derived water is cutoff from the ridge, resulting in abrupt changes in crustal lava composition and crustal porosity. The larger offset between mantle melt supply and the ridge along the northern ELSC may reduce melt extraction efficiency along the ridge, further decreasing the melt budget and leading to the observed flat and faulted ridge morphology, thinner crust and the lack of an axial melt lens.
Massachusetts Health Care Reform: A Look At The Issues

ABSTRACT: Massachusetts recently enacted a major health reform that could move the state to close to universal health insurance coverage. We describe some of the politics behind the legislation and...
Two approaches to the rapid screening of crystallization conditions

A screening procedure is described for estimating conditions under which crystallization will proceed, thus providing a starting point for more careful experiments. The initial procedure uses the experimental setup of McPherson (1982) which supports 24 individual hanging drop experiments for screening variables such as the precipitant type, the pH, the temperature, and the effects of certain additives and which uses about 1 mg of protein. A second approach is proposed (which is rather hypothetical at this stage and needs a larger sample), based on the isoelectric focusing of protein samples on concentration gradients of common precipitating agents. Using this approach, crystals of concanavalin B and canavalin were obtained.
The social function of Piaget's theory: A response to Apostel

Apostel touches on a series of profound epistemological issues which he claims have been neglected in Piaget’s genetic epistemology. Unlike many others (e.g. Broughton, 1984; Gruber, 1982)? who see these omissions as fatal to Piaget’s entire enterprise, Apostel, on the contrary, considers that Piaget’s work, even where it appears to be inconsistent or deficient, includes in its own foundation the directions in which solutions of these problems could be found. In this connection, he refers to the “unknown” Piaget, a not so subtle allusion to unconscious mental forces working both within Piaget’s own person and within the social context surrounding the development and the reception of his scholarly work. Piaget’s own “neurosis” is well publicized. In the autobiography (197311952) and in other places, he relates that at a very early age he took refuge in intellectual pursuits to escape from his troublesome family life with a mother in poor mental health, “much preferring the study of normality, and of the intellect to that of the tricks of the unconscious,” even though it “made me intensely interested in questions of psychoanalysis and psychopathology” (p. 107). My point is that the ambivalence surrounding Piaget’s writing when it concerns emotions, the unconscious, and the interpersonal and there are many such places, as noted by Apostel, Gruber (1982, p. 263) and several others is so easily explained by Piaget’s own unconscious. The wonder is that in spite of it he could frame a model of logic which was basically open to these dynamic forces; ultimately the biologist triumphed over the intellectualist. Apostel lists three major deficiencies. First, the absence of the study of the psychological subject itself in Piaget’s genetic epistemology and the positing of a mysterious “epistemic” subject+ which is neither individual nor collective, certainly has no flesh and blood and probably also has no values or morals. The second problem is Piaget’s cavalier treatment of the history of science which does not really come to grips with the concrete scientists living at a particular historical
Molecular markers assist in the development of diverse inbred backcross lines in European Long cucumber ( Cucumis sativus L.)

The popular fresh-market European Long cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) is grown commercially worldwide under controlled, greenhouse environments. However, it has a narrow genetic base, where private and public improvement programs can trace their origins to comparatively few accessions. Therefore, a project was designed to identify diverse genotypes for use in the formation and analysis of inbred backcross (BC2S3) lines (IBL) to broaden the genetic base of this market class. Initially, 42 cucumber accessions were evaluated with a previously defined standard marker array to identify parents for use in backcrossing. The IBL were developed by crossing the elite commercial line NZ1 (Nunhems Vegetable Seeds, Haelen, The Netherlands) and PI 432858 (China), and then backcrossing the most genetically diverse BC1 and BC2 progeny to the elite parent as defined by marker analyses (19 polymorphic, mapped SSR, and SCAR marker loci), followed by three generations of single seed descent resulting in 116 IBL (BC2S3). The IBL were evaluated under greenhouse conditions for days to anthesis, sex expression, lateral branch number, yield, and exterior fruit quality in Madison, Wisconsin, USA (soil media), and in Haelen and Bergschenhoek, The Netherlands (soilless, hydroponic media). The IBL were genotyped using an expanded marker array (37 polymorphic SSR, SCAR, SNP, EST, BAC end, and gene-associated loci), and genetic relationships were examined by multivariate analyses using phenotypic and genotypic data. The 116 developed IBL possessed considerable morphological and genotypic diversity, where genetic distance (GD) among lines ranged between 0.00 and 0.77. These IBL possessed many commercially acceptable attributes, and, thus, genetic diversity in this market type could be substantially increased by the use of these genetically broad-based IBL during plant improvement.
Neonatal neurobehavioral abnormalities and MRI brain injury in encephalopathic newborns treated with hypothermia

article i nfo Background: Neonatal Encephalopathy (NE) is a prominent cause of infant mortality and neurodevelopmental disability. Hypothermia is an effective neuroprotective therapy for newborns with encephalopathy. Post- hypothermia functional-anatomical correlation between neonatal neurobehavioral abnormalities and brain in- jury findings on MRI in encephalopathic newborns has not been previously described. Aim:To evaluate the relationship between neonatal neurobehavioral abnormalities and brain injury on magnet- ic resonance imaging (MRI) in encephalopathic newborns treated with therapeutic hypothermia. Study design: Neonates with hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) referred for therapeutic hypothermia were prospectively enrolled in this observational study. Neurobehavioral functioning was assessed with the NICU network neurobehavioral scale (NNNS) performed at target age 14 days. Brain injury was assessed by MRI at target age 7-10 days. NNNS scores were compared between infants with and without severe MRI injury. Subjects & outcome measures: Sixty-eight term newborns (62% males) with moderate to severe encephalopathy underwent MRI at median 8 days (range 5-16) and NNNS at median 12 days of life (range 5-20). Fifteen (22%) had severe injury on MRI. Results: Overall Total Motor Abnormality Score and individual summary scores for Non-optimal Reflexes and Asymmetry were higher, while Total NNNS Z-score across cognitive/behavioral domains was lower (reflecting poorer performance) in infants with severe MRI injury compared to those without (p b 0.05). Conclusions: Neonatal neurobehavioral abnormalities identified by the NNNS are associated with MRI brain in- jury in encephalopathic newborns post-hypothermia. The NNNS can provide an early functional assessment of structural brain injury in newborns, which may guide rehabilitative therapies in infants after perinatal brain injury.
ANELASTIC RELEASE FROM THE SHOCK-COMPRESSED STATE

Anelastic release from the shock-compressed state is analyzed in terms of internal self stresses acting on dislocation pile-ups and pinned dislocation loops. Reverse anelastic deformation occurs immediately upon release due to these internal stresses and is responsible for departure from ideal elastic-plastic unloading wave behavior: anelastic release is commonly observed in all shock-loaded metals. The rate at which this readjustment of internal stress occurs is determined by the viscous drag coefficient in the shock-compressed state and has important consequences regarding determination of elastic moduli from unloading wave data. 6 refs., 4 figs.
5,7-dichlorokynurenic acid, a potent and selective competitive antagonist of the glycine site on NMDA receptors

Fourteen substituted derivatives of kynurenic acid were compared for their ability to block ionic currents evoked by N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) plus glycine, or kainate, in voltage-clamped Xenopus oocytes injected with rat brain messenger RNA. Among these analogues there was an excellent correlation between the Ki for displacing [3H]glycine binding to rat brain membranes, and the ability to inhibit ionic currents evoked by glycine/NMDA in Xenopus oocytes. In the oocyte 5,7-dichlorokynurenic acid (5,7-DCK) was a competitive blocker of the glycine recognition site on NMDA receptors, and was more potent (KB 65 nM in Schild analysis) and selective (509-fold more potent vs glycine than kainate) than the prototype glycine antagonist, 7-chlorokynurenic acid, 5,7-DCK also reduced NMDA-induced neuron injury in rat cortical cell cultures.
THE HARVESTING DECISION WHENA STANDING FOREST HAS VALUEA

This paper analyzes the optimal harvest age of a forest if the forest provides a flow of valuable services while standing in addition to the value of the timber when it is harvested. A basic conclusion is that the presence of recreational or other services provided by a standing forest may well have an important impact on when or whether to harvest.