cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Effect of Axial Flow on Heat Transfer in Decaying, Swirling Flow in a Pipe

Local Nusselt numbers were experimentally measured in decaying, swirling flow in a pipe. Using a tangential injection mechanism, the two inlet conditions examined in this study were tangential flow and superimposed tangential and axial flow. Local Nusselt numbers at the pipe inlet were greater for tangential flow than for superimposed tangential and axial flow at the same Reynolds number. Local Nusselt numbers increased as the amount of fluid injected tangentially was increased for the superimposed case. For both inlet conditions employed with the present swirl generator, the local Nusselt number approached the fully-developed value in the far field. At the exit of the pipe, L/D = 62.8, local Nusselt numbers were greater than the fully-developed Nusselt number; therefore, heat transfer enhancement was still present at the exit of the pipe. The effect of axial flow on the local Nusselt numbers is explored in this investigation for air and over a Reynolds number range of 12,000 to 29,000.Copyright © 2003 by ASME
β2- and α2-Adrenergic Receptors and Receptor Coupling to Adenylate Cyclase in Human Mononuclear Leukocytes and Platelets in Relation to Physiological Variations of Sex Steroids

In view of evidence, largely in animals, indicating effects of sex steroids on adrenergic receptors, we measured mononuclear leukocyte (MNL) beta 2-adrenergic receptors and adenylate cyclase sensitivity to stimulation by isoproterenol as well as platelet alpha 2-adrenergic receptors and sensitivity of sodium fluoride-stimulated adenylate cyclase to inhibition by epinephrine in 3 groups of normal humans with physiologically disparate levels of testosterone, estradiol, and progesterone (10 normal men and 10 normal women, the latter sampled in both the follicular and luteal phases of their menstrual cycles). Differences in testosterone, estradiol, and progesterone were as expected; testosterone levels were 10-fold higher in men, and progesterone levels were 20-fold higher in luteal phase women. T4, cortisol , and norepinephrine levels did not differ. Basal plasma epinephrine concentrations were slightly but significantly higher in luteal phase women [34 +/- 5 (+/-SE) pg/ml] than in follicular phase women (16 +/- 3 pg/ml; P less than 0.01) or men (20 +/- 3 pg/ml; P less than 0.05). There were no significant differences among these 3 groups in the densities or affinities of MNL beta 2-adrenergic or platelet alpha 2-adrenergic receptors or in the corresponding MNL and platelet adenylate cyclase sensitivities. Thus, there is not a generalized effect of physiological variations of testosterone, estradiol, and progesterone on adrenergic receptors or adenylate cyclase. To the extent that the adrenergic receptors and adenylate cyclase activities of circulating cells reflect those of extravascular catecholamine target cells, these data provide no support for a role of physiological variations of testosterone, estradiol, or progesterone in the regulation of catecholamine action in humans.
Antimicrobial resistance trends in community-acquired respiratory tract pathogens in the Western Pacific Region and South Africa: report from the SENTRY antimicrobial surveillance program, (1998–1999) including an in vitro evaluation of BMS284756

Abstract From 1998 to 1999, a large number of community-acquired respiratory tract isolates of Streptococcus pneumoniae ( n =566), Haemophilus influenzae ( n =513) and Moraxella catarrhalis ( n =228) were collected from 15 centres in Australia, Hong Kong, Japan, China, the Philippines, Singapore, South Africa and Taiwan through the SENTRY Antimicrobial Surveillance Program. Isolates were tested against 26 antimicrobial agents using the NCCLS-recommended methods. Overall, 40% of S. pneumoniae isolates were resistant to penicillin with 18% of strains having high-level resistance (MIC≥2 mg/l). Rates of erythromycin and clindamycin resistance were 41 and 23%, respectively. Penicillin-resistant strains showed high rates of resistance to other antimicrobial agents: 96% to trimethoprim-sulphamethoxazole (TMP-SMX), 84% to tetracycline and 81% to erythromycin. A significant proportion of penicillin-susceptible strains was also resistant to erythromycin (21%), tetracycline (29%) and TMP-SMZ (26%). Small numbers of strains were resistant to levofloxacin (0.7%), trovafloxacin (0.4%) and grepafloxacin (1.3%) where as all strains remained uniformly susceptible to quinupristin/dalfopristin and BMS284756 (MIC 90 , 0.06 mg/l), a new desfluoroquinolone. β-lactamases were, produced by 20% H. influenzae isolates and only rare strains showed intrinsic resistance to amoxycillin. Other β-lactam agents showed good activity with rates of resistance less than 2% and all isolates showed susceptibility to cefixime, ceftibuten, cefepime and cefotaxime. Rates of resistance to tetracycline and chloramphenicol were also relatively low at 3%. The majority (98%) of M. catarrhalis isolates was found to be β-lactamase-positive and resistant to penicillins, however, resistance to erythromycin and tetracycline was also low at 1.8%. Both H. influenzae and M. catarrhalis isolates were uniformly susceptible to the new desfluoroquinolone and tested fluoroquinolones.
Cinema, Fermi problems and general education

During the past few years the authors have developed a new approach to the teaching of physical science, a general education course typically found in the curricula of nearly every college and university. This approach, called Physics in Films (Efthimiou and Llewellyn 2006 Phys. Teach. 44 28–33), uses scenes from popular films to illustrate physical principles and has excited student interest and improved student performance. A similar approach at the senior/high-school level, nicknamed Hollywood Physics, has been developed by Chandler (2006 Phys. Teach. 44 290–2; 2002 Phys. Teach. 40 420–4). The two approaches may be considered complementary as they target different student groups. The analyses of many of the scenes in Physics in Films are a direct application of Fermi calculations—estimates and approximations designed to make solutions of complex and seemingly intractable problems understandable to the student non-specialist. The intent of this paper is to provide instructors with examples they can use to develop skill in recognizing Fermi problems and making Fermi calculations in their own courses.
High Efficiency Solar Building Envelopes for Integrated Delivery of Environmental Control Systems

Efficacious delivery of power requirements for all environmental control systems is demonstrated through an optically transparent solar building envelope that modulates daylight, intercepts solar heat gain, while delivering electricity and high quality heat towards applications. Abstract (35 Word Limit): Efficacious delivery of power requirements for all environmental control systems is demonstrated through an optically transparent solar building envelope that modulates daylight, intercepts solar heat gain, while delivering electricity and high quality heat towards applications. Article not available.
Cooperation between Different Cdc4/Fbw7 Isoforms May Be Associated with 2-Step Inactivation of SCFCdc4 Targets

The recent description of a role for an SCF ubiquitin ligase in prolyl isomerization rather than ubiquitin ligation has led to a 2-step model for inactivation of cyclin E and, possibly, other SCFCdc4 targets in mammalian cells. In this proposed model, targets of SCFCdc4 are first subjected to prolyl isomerization, creating a signal for translocation and sequestration in the nucleolus, where they are then multiubiquitylated.
The effect of cytokines on expression of glutamic acid decarboxylase-65 in cultured islets.

Insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) is an autoimmune disease characterized by lymphocytic infiltration of the pancreatic islets (insulitis). Cytokines released as part of the insulitis process have been suggested to play an important role in the beta cell lesion of IDDM. A possible diabetogenic effect of cytokines may be mediated by their inducing abnormal expression of islet cell autoantigens. Since glutamic acid decarboxylase-65 (GAD-65) is a target autoantigen in IDDM, we investigated whether the cytokines IL-1β, TNFα IFNγ altered islet cell expression of GAD-65 and whether the effect of cytokines on GAD-65 expression was similar to their effect on insulin secretion.We found that: 1) IL-1β at low dose (1 U/ml) which stimulated insulin secretion, had no effect on GAD-65 expression, whereas higher doses of IL-1β (10, 100, 1000 U/ml) which inhibited insulin secretion, decreased GAD-65 expression. 2) TNFα at doses of 10, 100, 1000 U/ml which stimulated insulin secretion had no effect on GAD-65 expre...
Amino acid sequence homology between the enzymic domains of diphtheria toxin and Pseudomonas aeruginosa exotoxin A

Summary Despite similarities In their enzymic properties, diphtheria toxin (DT) and exotoxin A (ETA) of Pseudomonas aeruginosa have major differences in structure and action: consequently, the question of possible evolutionary relatedness of these two proteins remains unanswered. Here we report the existence of significant amino acid sequence homology between the enzymic domain of DT and that of ETA. Iajor segments of sequence may be aligned with high percentages of identity and of conservative substitutions. The homologous stretches in ETA form much of the active-site cleft in the X-ray crystallographic structure. This evidence implies that these domains, at least, have diverged from a common ancestral protein and that active-site residues have been strongly conserved.
Synthesis of well-defined alternating copolymers by controlled/living radical polymerization in the presence of Lewis acids

Several controlled/living radical polymerization (CRP) techniques (atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP), nitroxide-mediated polymerization (NMP), iodide degenerative transfer polymerization (IDTP), and reversible addition−fragmentation transfer polymerization (RAFT)) were studied for the alternating copolymerization of a donor monomer (styrene) and an acceptor monomer (methyl methacrylate or methyl acrylate) complexed with Lewis acid. RAFT polymerization was found to be the most versatile system. The combination of RAFT and Lewis acids complexation techniques allows synthesis of well-defined alternating copolymers poly(styrene-alt-methyl methacrylate) with controlled molecular weight (up to Mn = 70 000 g mol-1), low polydispersities (Mw/Mn < 1.3), and controlled comonomer sequences (∼90% of alternating triads). These results were obtained in the presence of diethylaluminum chloride and ethylaluminum sesquichloride. Moreover, the alternating copolymers obtained in such copolymerizations retain chain...
Rapid hypertonic glucose infusion: Organ location of label after [14C]glucose during hemorrhagic shock

Abstract Fifty rabbits were bled to a blood pressure of 40 mmHg, and 15 were not bled. [14C]Glucose was given intravenously to all animals. Those animals bled also received an equiosmolar dose of 50% glucose or normal saline. In 30 rabbits, the administered osmolar load per kilogram of 50% glucose or saline was constant, regardless of the volume deficit which varies with this shock model. In 10 rabbits, both the osmolar load of 50% glucose or saline and the volume deficit were kept constant. In an additional 10 rabbits, the amount of 50% glucose was increased by a factor of five. Animals were killed after 5, 30, or 60 min of shock. Normal saline increased blood pressure more slowly but the effect was prolonged. Hypertonic glucose rapidly but transiently increased blood pressure in rabbits after hemorrhagic shock. The myocardium of rabbits given 50% glucose did not contain a statistically significant different amount of label than that of rabbits given saline at 5, 30, or 60 min after shock. This suggests that the rapid and transient increase in blood pressure is not mediated by an increased absolute content or tissue uptake of glucose in the myocardium but is related to a rapid extracellular hyperosmotic effect.
CHEMICAL CHANGES AND SENSORY EVALUATION OF CHANNEL CATFISH AS AFFECTED BY DIET, PACKAGING METHOD AND FROZEN STORAGE

Fillets from farm-raised channel catfish (Ictalurum punctatus) fed diets containing various amounts of protein were packaged by the following methods: polyvinylidene chloride (PVDC) film overwrapping, vacuum packaging with Eva bag and vacuum skin packaging. Packaged fillets were stored at —28C for 90 days. Chemical and sensory changes were determined. Neither the packaging method nor protein content of diet had a significant (p < 0.05) effect on TBA number of frozen stored catfish. No significant differences on free fatty acid content of catfish packaged in different methods were also found. However, sensory evaluation revealed that greasiness of cooked catfish decreased as toughness of fillet texture increased throughout entire frozen storage.
Feeding biomechanics of juvenile red snapper (Lutjanus campechanus) from the northwestern Gulf of Mexico.

Juvenile red snapper settle across several complex habitats, which function as nurseries for young fish. Little is known about their life history or feeding biomechanics during this time. However, recent studies have shown higher growth rates for juveniles located on mud habitats adjacent to low profile reefs, perhaps because of varied prey availability and abundance. To further investigate the habitat needs of juvenile red snapper and test hypotheses of feeding development, individuals were collected from a low profile shell ridge and adjacent mud areas on Freeport Rocks, TX, USA, and divided into three size classes ( or = 6.0 cm SL). Output from a dynamic lever model suggested an ontogenetic shift in feeding morphology. Biomechanical modeling also predicted that off-ridge juveniles would have slower, stronger jaws compared with on-ridge juveniles. Kinematic profiles obtained from actual feeding events validated the models' predictive ability. Analysis of prey capture events demonstrated that on-ridge juveniles exhibited larger jaw displacements than off-ridge juveniles. Shape analysis was used to further investigate habitat effects on morphology. Off-ridge juveniles differed from on-ridge juveniles in possessing a deeper head and body. Results from model simulations, kinematic profiles, behavioral observations and shape analysis all compliment the conclusion that on-ridge juveniles exhibited more suction feeding behavior, whereas off-ridge juveniles used more biting behavior. Habitat disparity and possibly available prey composition generated variations in juvenile feeding biomechanics and behavior that may affect recruitment.
Ultrastructural and fluorescence histochemical studies on the innervation of the tracheo bronchial muscle of normal cats and cats treated with 6-hydroxydopamine.

Ultrastructural and fluorescence histochemical studies have shown that the tracheobronchial muscle of the cat receives an extensive autonomic innervation. A rich plexus of nerves is present on the surface of the trachealis muscle and on the surface of the muscle of the large, medium, and small bronchi and the bronchioles. From this plexus nerve fasciculi pass between bundles of smooth muscle as well as between the muscle cells. Nerve fibers containing small (300–600 A) and large vesicles, and specific green fluorescence indicative of catecholamines usually associated with adrenergic nerves were seen in these nerve bundles. In the animals treated with 6-OHDA, the surviving nerves presumed to be cholinergic had the same distribution as the adrenergic nerves. No specific fluorescence was seen in the animals treated with 6-OHDA. The significance of these findings is discussed. The tracheobronchial glands contained cholinergic nerves. In addition adrenergic nerves were seen passing in between and close to the glands. The trachealis muscle tendon junction was examined, and this showed some regions of direct contact between the elastica and the plasma membrane of the smooth muscle cells as well as regions in which the plasma membrane was separated from the elastica by a basement membrane.
X-Chromosome Linked Familial Decrease in Thyroxine-Binding Globulin Activity

Absent or reduced thyroxinebinding globulin activity has been found in 3 generations of a family. Ten male members of the kindred had no detectable binding activity, whereas 8 females, heterozygous for the trait, had binding activity varying from very low to normal, but always present. The character of the deficit and the mode of transmission of the trait are consistent with a sex-linked or X-chromosome linked dominant inheritance. The affected males had low protein-bound iodine levels (mean = 2.1 μg/100 ml) and high resin T3 uptake levels (mean =61%). Serum cholesterol levels were normal (mean = 196 mg/100 ml) and the individuals appeared clinically euthyroid. Other serum proteins, including total protein, albumin, thyroxine-binding prealbumin, corticosteroidbinding globulin, ceruloplasmin, haptoglobin and transferrin were normal. The response of these proteins to estrogen treatment was normal in an affected male, but TBG activity remained undetectable. The heterozygous females presented a more variable ...
Acute-onset Endophthalmitis After Cataract Surgery (2000-2004): Incidence, Clinical Settings, and Visual Acuity Outcomes After Treatment

Purpose To report the incidence, clinical settings, and visual acuity outcomes of acute-onset endophthalmitis after cataract surgery. Design Retrospective, observational case series. Methods Annual cataract surgery statistics were determined by review of electronic surgical records. The clinical and microbiologic records were reviewed of all patients with clinically diagnosed endophthalmitis within 6 weeks after cataract surgery at a single university-affiliated hospital between January 2000 and November 2004. main outcome measures : Operative technique, intraoperative complications, and visual acuity. Results The incidence of acute-onset endophthalmitis after cataract surgery was 0.04% (7/15,920) for cataract surgeries of all methods, 0.05% (6/11,462) for cataract surgery by clear cornea phacoemulsification, and 0.02% (1/4,458) for cataract surgery by methods other than clear cornea phacoemulsification (P = .681, Fisher’s exact test). Six of seven (86%) cases occurred in the right eye, and all cases were performed by right-handed surgeons through temporal incisions. Five of seven (71%) patients had relative immune compromise. Four of seven (57%) patients had an intraoperative complication: vitreous loss in three patients and iris prolapse in one patient. Two patients had topical placement of lidocaine 2% gel before povidone-iodine preparation. The visual acuity at final follow up was 20/25 or better in four patients and count fingers or worse in three patients. Conclusions The incidence of acute-onset endophthalmitis after temporal clear cornea incision phacoemulsification is low (0.05%). Potential risk factors for endophthalmitis may include intraoperative complications, relative immune compromise, application of lidocaine 2% gel before povidone-iodine preparation, and inferior incision location.
Use of scalable Parametric Measurement Macro to improve semiconductor technology characterization and product test

Use of a Scaling Parametric Macro (SPM) provides more accurate product level environment parametric information than scribe line (Kerf) structures. This paper compares drive current (Ion) data obtained with the SPM macros to scribe line structure Ion measurements. SPM macros provide less variation than scribe line structures. Since SPM is small enough to be included in all products, the SPM macro provides improved Ion product screening
Our Fritz: Emperor Frederick III and the Political Culture of Imperial Germany. By Frank Lorenz Müller. (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2011. Pp. 340. $45.00.)

On March 9, 1888, the liberal‐minded Frederick III ascended the throne of the Second Reich, only to die ninety‐nine days later of cancer. Many historians have wondered how the course of German hist...
Application of Phased Cooling to a Once-Through Cooling System

A description is given of an application of a heat dissipation technique called phased-cooling to the cooling of once-through river water used in an electric power plant. A thermodynamic model for the situation is developed and the equations applying to the model are given. The performance of the system is analyzed for a summer day in the Southeastern United States. Results of the analysis show that an economically attractive system can be built with less than half of the evaporation loss of cooling towers. This system can meet federal standards.
Female sexual dysfunction

A common clinical problem In this issue (p 138), Ray Moynihan argues that female sexual dysfunction is essentially an invention of big pharmaceutical companies. He accuses Procter and Gamble of aggressively marketing awareness of a type of sexual dysfunction—female hypoactive desire disorder—to create a need for its new drug, transdermal testosterone (Intrinsa), which recently failed to gain FDA approval. Moynihan further calls for less influence of marketing on decisions about this condition and its treatment. Clearly, we are well served as physicians and patients by maintaining our objectivity and seeking unbiased sources of health information. But I disagree with Moynihan about the diagnosis of female sexual dysfunction. The most widely cited prevalence rate of 43% for female sexual dysfunction was actually derived through indirect means.1 Laumann et al applied a statistical technique (latent class analysis) to data from a survey of 1749 women and 1410 men. Far from being a big pharma initiative, this study was funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Ford Foundation. The proportion of women who described lack of interest in sex was 27-32%, depending on their age group.1 A …
Localization of the nucleolar organizer by computer-aided analysis of a variant no. 21 in a human isolate

A variant chromosome no. 21 consisting of two stalks and two satellites in tandem was detected during a survey of a human isolate. The variant segregated in three generations of a large kindred. One male had the variant no. 21, a metacentric Y, and a 47, XXY complement; however, no other evidence of chromosomal nondisjunction was found. Computer-aided analysis of sequentially stained variant no. 21 chromosomes indicated that silver-stained material corresponded to the proximal stalk region (as defined defined by Giemsa). These data support the hypothesis that human nucleolar organizers are localized to the stalks of acrocentric chromosomes.
Angiotensin II stimulates hypertrophic growth of cultured neonatal rat ventricular myocytes: roles of PCK and PGF2alpha

Abstract Angiotensin II (Ang II) has been shown to regulate growth in smooth muscle cells. Protein kinase C (PKC), which mediates Ang II action, has been implicated in myocardial cell hypertrophy. Acute pressure overload in the left ventricles has been demonstrated to produce prostaglandin F2 alpha (PGF2alpha) release. Therefore, we used cultured neonatal rat ventricular myocytes to study Ang II, PKC and PGF2alpha and their relationship to hypertrophy. The amount of PGF2alpha produced was determined by radioimmunoassay, Ang II-induced hypertrophy and PGF2alpha release. Pretreatment with 10-6M of PKC inhibitor, 1-(5-isoquinolinesulfonyl-methyl) piperazine (H7), blocked Ang II-induced hypertrophy and PGF2alpha release. In neonatal rat ventricular myocytes that were treated with either Ang II or PKC activator (Phorbol 12, 13, dibutyrate; PDBu), PKC enzyme assay showed PKC was translocated from the cytosol to the membrane which indicates activation. This suggests that PKC mediates, in part, Ang II-induced PGF2alpha release and hypertrophy. In summary, Ang II activates PKC, which causes PGF2alpha release and hypertrophy, and this PGF2alpha release and hypertrophy can be overcome by pretreatment with PKC inhibitor
Effects of amiodarone, sematilide, and sotalol on QT dispersion

To study the effects of class III agents on QT/QTc dispersion in patients with heart disease and cardiac arrhythmias, QT dispersion and QRS and RR intervals were compared in patients before and after treatment with amiodarone (n = 26), sematilide (n = 26), and sotalol (n = 26). QT, QRS, and RR intervals, and QTc values were calculated for each complex, and their mean values were calculated for each lead. QT and QTc dispersions were defined as differences between the minimal and maximal QT or QTc values in each of the 12 leads studied. Amiodarone, sematilide, and sotalol all significantly prolonged the QT interval and the QTc value. Significant reductions in QT and QTc dispersions were only found in the amiodarone group (QT dispersions: 79 +/- 13 vs 49 +/- 14 ms; p 0.2). The baseline QT and QTc dispersions were significantly greater in patients with than without myocardial infarction before treatment (p < 0.001). The mean baseline values for QT/QTc dispersions were not significantly different among all 3 groups. However, only amiodarone significantly reduced the QT dispersion (from 76 +/- 10 to 46 +/- 11 ms; p < 0.001) and QTc dispersion (from 0.09 +/- 0.02 to 0.05 +/- 0.01 s1/2; p < 0.001) in patients with myocardial infarction.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Detection of LOH and Mitochondrial DNA Alterations in Ductal Lavage and Nipple Aspirate Fluids from High-risk Patients

We describe a method for the isolation of free DNA from ductal lavage (DL) and nipple aspirate fluid (NAF), and its evaluation for the presence of LOH at the BRCA1 and FHIT genes and for mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutations at the D310 marker, to improve early detection of breast cancer. We evaluated 26 DL and six NAF samples from 14 women of known BRCA1 status, who have no clinical evidence of breast tumors: nine mutation carriers and five non-carriers. LOH studies at the BRCA1 locus were possible in 19/26 DL samples, and at the FHIT locus in 16/26 samples. In 4/9 mutation carriers we found LOH at the BRCA1 allele, and in two of these we also found LOH at the FHIT allele. In one of the mutation carriers with BRCA1 LOH, invasive breast cancer was subsequently detected, and the tumor showed the same LOH as the DL. In one of the true negatives, BRCA1 and FHIT LOH were detected. The mitochondrial studies were possible in all 26 DL samples and a somatic mutation was found in 3/9 carriers, two of whom also had LOH at the BRCA1 locus, and in none of the non-carriers. mtDNA mutation evaluation was possible in 4/6 NAF samples. The NAF and DL results were concordant. One NAF sample from a BRCA1 patient showed a mtDNA mutation. Our data demonstrates the feasibility of performing molecular studies using the free DNA present in the ductal fluid, while the intact cells can be used for cytologic studies.
Interaction between Auditory and Oral Sensory Feedback in Speech Regulation

To investigate the interaction between the auditory and oral sensory feedback modalities during speech production lingual vibrotactile thresholds were obtained from subjects in the following conditions: (1) before and after speech production with normal auditory feedback, (2) before and after speech production under exposure to auditory masking, and (3) before and after exposure to auditory masking without performing speech tasks. In addition duration measurements were obtained for selected speech sounds to investigate temporal changes in the articulatory patterns of subjects in the various conditions. Lingual sensory decreases and temporal reorganization were observed only in subjects speaking under auditory masking. These data suggest a balanced interaction between auditory and oral sensory feedback modalities which, when disturbed, results in non-phonemic change in speech production.
Acceleration of Plasminogen Activation by Tissue Plasminogen Activator on Surface-bound Histidine-proline-rich Glycoprotein

Histidine-proline-rich glycoprotein (HPRG), also known as histidine-rich glycoprotein, is a major plasminogen-binding protein. In this work we characterized extensively the circumstances under which HPRG accelerates plasminogen activation and the specificity of this effect. Soluble HPRG did not significantly influence plasminogen activation. In contrast, native HPRG bound to hydrazide or nickel chelate surfaces strongly stimulated the activation of plasminogen by tissue plasminogen activator, but not by urokinase or streptokinase. The efficiency of activation on surface-bound HPRG was increased for Glu-plasminogen (41-fold), Lys-plasminogen (17-fold), and cross-linked Glu-plasminogen (11-fold) but not for mini-plasminogen, and was mainly due to a decrease in the apparent Km. A reduced susceptibility to inhibition by chloride ions contributed to the higher activation rate of Glu-plasminogen on an HPRG surface. The immobilized N- and C-terminal domains, but not the histidine-proline-rich domain of HPRG, also bound plasminogen and stimulated its activation. HPRG-enhanced plasminogen activation was proportional to the quantity of HPRG immobilized and was abolished by anti-HPRG antiserum, by low concentrations of e-aminocaproic acid, by methylation of lysine residues in HPRG, and by treatment of HPRG with carboxypeptidase B. Soluble HPRG and a plasminogen fragment, kringle 1-2-3, acted as competitive inhibitors by binding to plasminogen and immobilized HPRG, respectively. The interaction of the conserved C-terminal lysine of HPRG with the high affinity lysine binding site of plasminogen is necessary and sufficient to accelerate plasminogen activation. Unlike other stimulators of plasminogen activation, the effect of HPRG on fibrinolysis is modulated by factors that influence the equilibrium between solution and surface-bound HPRG.
Detection of seismic signal using fiber Bragg grating sensors

An unattended seismic sensor based on optical fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensing technology is presented in this paper. One of the applications is its deployment in the battlefield remote monitoring system to detect the presence of personnel, wheeled vehicles, and tracked vehicles. The customized FBG sensor prototype is demonstrated which consists of two FBG sensor/demodulation grating pair attached on a spring-mass mechanical system. The sensor performance is evaluated in laboratory and the field tests were carried out in the shooting range using the conventional military Rembass-IIS/A sensor (remotely monitored battlefield sensor system II seismic acoustic sensor) as the benchmark. Personnel and a series of vehicles were used as targets. The experimental data of the field test show that the FBG sensor averaged a 30.20 % greater detection range than the Rembass-IIS/A sensor. It is hoped that the FBG sensor system will be a promising tool for real time monitoring system in the battlefield applications.
The identification of 3'-hydroxyl nucleoside terminus of RNA chains released in the DNA-dependent RNA polymerase reaction.

Abstract The 3′-terminal nucleoside ends of completed RNA chains synthesized in the DNA-dependent RNA polymerase reaction by E. coli RNA polymerase with T4 and T7 DNA as templates consist mostly, if not exclusively, of uridine.
Perspective: Who Pays For Employer-Sponsored Health Insurance?

The question of who pays for employer-sponsored health insurance has been debated for decades, with economists holding fast to the theory that workers pay through lower wages, and noneconomists by and large responding that employers pay. The answer to this question has substantial policy implications, some of which are alluded to briefly in the paper by Mark Pauly and colleagues in this volume. 1 Here I discuss what the literature says about the incidence of payments for employersponsored health insurance, the gaps that remain in our understanding of this issue, and the implications of these matters for current health policy debates. The Economic Literature Because workers who are more highly compensated tend to prefer part of their compensation in health insurance, simple analyses that do not take into account the selection of workers into particular jobs generally will find that health insurance is associated with higher wages. 2 Studies that do take selection effects into account tend to find a negative relationship between wages and employer-sponsored insurance. Including controls for both workers’ and employers’ characteristics seems also to be a key component of successful empirical studies. I briefly review here the published literature that most carefully addresses the complex identification issues involved. 3 n Health insurance and wages. In a study of public school districts, Randall Eberts and Joe Stone found that an additional dollar of health benefits was associated with an eightythree-cent reduction in teachers’ salaries. 4 In another paper Stephen Woodbury defined fringe benefits in two different ways when exploring substitutions between wages and nonwage benefits: health insurance plus life insurance; and pensions, health insurance, and life insurance. While he found greater substitutability under the second definition, he also found relative ease of substitution between wages and health/life insurance. 5
A 6-Year Experience with Pap Smears in an Urban Adolescent Practice: The Scope and Burden of Abnormalities

Abstract Study Objective To determine the prevalence of cervical dysplasia and adherence to recommendations for referral/follow-up in a group of adolescent girls undergoing routine reproductive health care in a primary care setting. Design Retrospective review of all screening Papanicolaou (Pap) smears performed between 12/99 and 12/05. Setting An urban academic adolescent medicine practice in New York City. Participants 824 sexually active adolescent girls. Main Outcomes Cytology and cervical biopsy results and adherence to follow-up and colposcopy recommendations. Results Among 824 adolescents ages 12–21 years (mean = 17) who underwent 1 to 6 screening Paps, 81% (n = 666) had normal Pap smears only and 19% (n = 158) had at least one abnormal Pap. Of the 1214 screening Pap smears reviewed, only one was suggestive of a high grade lesion, 85 (7%) revealed atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASCUS), 81 (6.6%) showed low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (LGSIL), and the rest were normal. Fifteen percent of patients (n = 123) were referred for at least one colposcopy; only 72% (n = 88) complied. Biopsy identified 5 high-grade lesions; 3 patients required cervical Loop Electrosurgical Excision Procedures: Despite appropriate referrals and access to services, 32% of patients with ASCUS and 28% of patients with LGSIL lacked evidence of either follow-up Pap or colposcopy by the time of last review. Conclusions High-grade lesions were rare in our sample, supporting new guidelines for less colposcopy in this age group. Although many adolescents were followed within primary care, achieving appropriate follow-up for those with cervical dysplasia was challenging and often unsuccessful.
Blood Pressure and Risk of Secondary Cardiovascular Events in Women: The Women's Antioxidant Cardiovascular Study (WACS)

Background— In apparently healthy people, the relation between blood pressure and risk of subsequent cardiovascular disease (CVD) is linear. In persons with CVD, the relation is uncertain. Methods and Results— We conducted a prospective study of 5218 older women with CVD who reported their blood pressure at baseline in the Women’s Antioxidant Cardiovascular Study (WACS), an ongoing double-blind, placebo-controlled secondary prevention trial of the benefits and risks of antioxidant vitamins, folic acid, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12 among women with CVD or ≥3 coronary risk factors. A total of 661 confirmed CVD events (nonfatal myocardial infarction, nonfatal stroke, coronary artery bypass graft procedure, percutaneous coronary angioplasty, or CVD death) occurred during a median follow-up of 6.5 years. After controlling for age, randomized treatment assignment, antihypertensive medication use, and coronary risk factors, we found that systolic blood pressure (SBP) was a strong predictor of CVD events and that ...
Omnidirectional Dynamic Vision Positioning For A Mobile Robot

This paper presents a new positioning technique, called omnidirectional dynamic vision positioning, for use in navigating a mobile robot. A fisheye lens image system is used as an omnidirectional vision device. A positioning algorithm used with reference beacons determines the position of the robot in terms of a global positioning coordinate system. An accuracy analysis was conducted, and positioning errors were characterized. The experimental results verify the practicability and realizability of the new technique. The advantage of omnidirectional vision for navigation is the simplicity of recording an entire 2 tt radian scene without camera scanning.
T cell deficiency in spinal cord injury: altered locomotor recovery and whole-genome transcriptional analysis.

T cells undergo autoimmunization following spinal cord injury (SCI) and play both protective and destructive roles during the recovery process. T cell-deficient athymic nude (AN) rats exhibit improved functional recovery when compared to immunocompetent Sprague–Dawley (SD) rats following spinal cord transection. In the present study, we evaluated locomotor recovery in SD and AN rats following moderate spinal cord contusion. To explain variable locomotor outcome, we assessed whole-genome expression using RNA sequencing, in the acute (1 week post-injury) and chronic (8 weeks post-injury) phases of recovery. Athymic nude rats demonstrated greater locomotor function than SD rats only at 1 week post-injury, coinciding with peak T cell infiltration in immunocompetent rats. Genetic markers for T cells and helper T cells were acutely enriched in SD rats, while AN rats expressed genes for Th2 cells, cytotoxic T cells, NK cells, mast cells, IL-1a, and IL-6 at higher levels. Acute enrichment of cell death-related genes suggested that SD rats undergo secondary tissue damage from T cells. Additionally, SD rats exhibited increased acute expression of voltage-gated potassium (Kv) channel-related genes. However, AN rats demonstrated greater chronic expression of cell death-associated genes and less expression of axon-related genes. Immunostaining for macrophage markers revealed no T cell-dependent difference in the acute macrophage infiltrate. We put forth a model in which T cells facilitate early tissue damage, demyelination, and Kv channel dysregulation in SD rats following contusion SCI. However, compensatory features of the immune response in AN rats cause delayed tissue death and limit long-term recovery. T cell inhibition combined with other neuroprotective treatment may thus be a promising therapeutic avenue.
Quantitative Phase Imaging Flow Cytometry

This paper introduces a fluidics based focus-stack collecting microscope. Images from the focus stacks are used to reconstruct the quantitative phase of red blood cells in flow with the Transport-of-Intensity-Equation method.
Internal reflection in the troposphere and propagation well beyond the horizon

A simple estimate of the feeble internal reflection from the normal troposphere explains remarkably well long puzzling fields well beyond the horizon throughout the VHF and microwave spectrum. Even in the absence of ducts, the continuous decrease with height of the index of refraction under gravitational influence makes the troposphere an inhomogeneous continuously stratified medium. The effective earth's radius notion allows for the refractive effect of this inhomogeneity in calculating the diffracted field beyond the horizon, but not for internal reflections. A bilinear model for the index profile of the normal atmosphere gives modes with db/mi attenuation rates in approximate agreement with the experimental one of roughly 1/7 db/mi at 50,400 and 3000 Mc. To a considerable extent, the internal reflection idea obviates the need for hypothesizing omnipresent atmospheric turbulence up to heights of several miles in the troposphere, a phenomenon once erroneously thought also to cause "angel" echoes on radars.
On the positive definite mass of the Bondi-Weber-Wheeler time-symmetric gravitational waves

Abstract An unambiguous meaning attaches to the mass-energy of any solution of the gravitational field equations which is asymptotically flat and Schwarzschildian in character. This mass is measured by the strength of the1/r terms in the asymptotic behavior of the metric. The mass as so defined will always be zero for any source-free solution, according to some views that question the reality of gravitational radiation. However, Bondi has shown to second order that the energy is positive definite for the type of time-symmetric toroidal waves considered by Weber and Wheeler. Here the energy is shown without approximation to be positive definite for every source-free, non-singular, time-symmetric, axially symmetric, asymptotically Schwarzschildian gravitational wave. Also, an explicit procedure is given to construct every such metric at the time of time-symmetry—a “still photograph” of a gravitational wave. The subsequent propagation of such a wave will proceed according to the free-space Einstein equations. This propagation problem is not considered here. The present results on the positive definite nature of the energy are independent of the details of this propagation process, and apply to every wave which reaches at some time a state of time-symmetry and which has at that time axial symmetry.
Coral reef mitigation and restoration techniques employed in the Pacific islands. II. Guidelines

In the past two decades numerous reef mitigation and restoration projects have been undertaken throughout the world. This article summarizes the authors' experience with a wide range of projects in Hawaii and the U.S.-affiliated Pacific islands. The terms "mitigation" and "restoration" are often taken to mean reef repair, coral transplantation or construction of additional habitat (e.g. artificial reefs). However, other options are available and should be considered. In some situations removal of the anthropogenic factor causing the damage while allowing natural processes of recovery to occur is the best approach. Natural rates of reef recovery can be very rapid in such situations and direct human intervention on the reefs is unnecessary. In some instances a negotiated environmental settlement or financial penalties can be used to establish trust funds to offset environmental losses. Review of past attempts to mitigate reef damage and restore reefs suggests that managers must have a broad strategic plan and incorporate a wide range of approaches designed to fit each situation on a case by case basis. Although protection of the reefs must always be the top priority, there will inevitably be situations where damage will occur. In these situations restoration and mitigation measures will have to be considered.
Vents and seals in non-steady-state chambers used for measuring gas exchange between soil and the atmosphere

Summary Despite decades of research to define optimal chamber design and deployment protocol for measuring gas exchange between the Earth's surface and the atmosphere, controversy still surrounds the procedures for applying this method. Using a numerical simulation model we demonstrated that (i) all non-steady-state chambers should include a properly sized and properly located vent tube; (ii) even seemingly trivial leakiness of the seals between elements of a multiple-component chamber results in significant risk of measurement error; (iii) a leaking seal is a poor substitute for a properly designed vent tube, because the shorter path length through the seal supports much greater diffusive gas loss per unit of conductance to mass flow; (iv) the depth to which chamber walls must be inserted to minimize gas loss by lateral diffusion is smaller than is customary in fine-textured, wet or compact soil, but much larger than is customary in highly porous soils, and (v) repetitive sampling at the same location is not a major source of error when using non-steady-state chambers. Finally, we discuss problems associated with computing the flux of a gas from the non-linear increase in its concentration in the headspace of a non-steady-state chamber.
Annular mode time scales in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Fourth Assessment Report models

[1] The ability of climate models in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Fourth Assessment Report to capture the temporal structure of the annular modes is evaluated. The vertical structure and annual cycle of the variability is quantified by the e-folding time scale of the annular mode autocorrelation function. Models vaguely capture the qualitative features of the Northern and Southern Annular Modes: Northern Hemisphere time scales are shorter than those of the Southern Hemisphere and peak in boreal winter, while Southern Hemisphere time scales peak in austral spring and summer. Models, however, systematically overestimate the time scales, particularly in the Southern Hemisphere summer, where the multimodel ensemble average is twice that of reanalyses. Fluctuation-dissipation theory suggests that long time scales in models could be associated with increased sensitivity to anthropogenic forcing. Comparison of model pairs with similar forcings but different annular mode time scales provides a hint of a fluctuation-dissipation relationship.
Model of recovery of locomotor ability after sensorimotor cortex injury in rats.

Animal models of locomotor recovery after brain injury provide tools for understanding the basic neurobiological processes that may underlie recovery after stroke in humans. Measurement of the ability of rats to traverse a narrow elevated beam has proven to be a particularly useful test of locomotor function. Repeated measurement of this behavior over time provides a simple method for quantifying the rate and degree of a rat’s locomotor recovery after sensorimotor cortex injury and constitutes a tool for studying its mechanisms and possible treatment strategies. The model has proven particularly useful in predicting the effects of drugs on poststroke recovery in humans.
Policies based on trajectory libraries

We present a control approach that uses a library of trajectories to establish a global control law or policy. This is an alternative to methods for finding global policies based on value functions using dynamic programming and also to using plans based on a single desired trajectory. Our method has the advantage of providing reasonable policies much faster than dynamic programming can provide an initial policy. It also has the advantage of providing more robust and global policies than following a single desired trajectory. Trajectory libraries can be created for robots with many more degrees of freedom than what dynamic programming can be applied to as well as for robots with dynamic model discontinuities. Results are shown for the "Labyrinth" marble maze, both in simulation as well as a real world version. The marble maze is a difficult task which requires both fast control as well as planning ahead
Chemotherapy Drug Shortages in the United States Revisited

The practices of group purchasing organizations have been recently highlighted by several sources as a potential major root cause of generic chemotherapy drug shortages.