cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Transcript-specific mRNA trafficking based on the distribution of coexpressed myosin isoforms.

mRNAs encoding four myosin heavy chain (MHC) isoforms were localized in rat skeletal muscle fibers by in situ hybridization. The ratio of MHC transcript signal in the fiber core compared to the fiber periphery was quantified using image analysis. Two distinct patterns of subcellular localization were observed. Type 1 (beta-cardiac) and type 2A MHC mRNAs were located preferentially in the muscle fiber periphery, while type 2B and type 2X mRNAs were distributed homogeneously across the fiber cross section. Since most normal muscle fibers express only a single MHC isoform, this difference in mRNA distribution could reflect either variation in the localization of the synthetic apparatus across different fiber types or differences in the trafficking of different MHC transcripts. To examine the basis for the observed differential distribution in normal muscles, mRNA distribution was assessed in muscle fibers that coexpressed multiple isoforms of the fast MHCs (i.e. types 2A, 2X and 2B), which occurred either in the combination type 2A/2X or type 2X/2B. The quantitative mRNA distribution seen in muscle fibers expressing a single isoform was not significantly different compared to that observed for mRNAs coexpressed in the same fiber (p > 0.6). Given the size similarity and homology of our riboprobes, these data suggest that their subcellular localization may be determined by relatively small differences in the sequences of the mRNAs, perhaps by differential binding of RNA sequence motifs to cytoskeletal elements.
Oriented Self-Association of Copper(II) Tetraphenylporphine in Liquid-Crystalline Lipid Bilayer Membranes: An EPR Study

Copper(II) tetraphenylporphine (CuTPP) has been found to partition favorably into dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine (DMPC) bilayer membranes. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectra of oriented liquid-crystalline DMPC membranes indicate that for a high (≈1/25) CuTPP/DMPC molar ratio CuTPP is oriented with the plane of the molecule parallel to the bilayer surface. This result is in clear contrast to our previous observation that at low (≤1/100) CuTPP/DMPC molar ratio the plane of the molecule is preferentially perpendicular to the membrane surface (Pasenkiewicz-Gierula, M.; Subczynski, W. K.; Antholine, W. E. J. Phys. Chem. 1997, 101, 5596−5606). Measurements of the collision rate between CuTPP and the nitroxide moiety of stearic acid spin labels located at different depths in the membrane using saturation-recovery EPR spectroscopy lead to the conclusion that the change of the CuTPP orientation at a high CuTPP/DMPC molar ratio is coupled with self-association by planar stacking of CuTPP molecules near t...
Automated labeling of anatomic segments of the colon in CT colonography

CT colonography is a minimally invasive technique that can be used to find polyps and malignant tumors in the colon. However, if a polyp or malignant tumor is found, a colonoscopy is then required to further investigate and remove it. One major problem in relaying the location of a polyp between radiologists and colonoscopists is the ambiguity of the divisions between various colon segments. Because there exists no concrete separator between segments, miscommunication of polyp locations can result. In an effort to minimize such miscommunications, an automated labeling program has been created. This program reads in CT images and returns physical coordinates of the divisions between segments. Such a system would allow for a more universally accepted method for communication of polyp location between radiologists and colonoscopists, and hopefully increase the speed and ease with which such polyp location can be reported. The purpose of this study was to validate the automated method of labeling by comparing physical coordinates of region dividers found using the program with those manually determined by a radiologist. The segments were defined with a modified version of a procedure developed by Taylor et al (Radiology 229:99-108, 2003). A set of 30 scans was used to train the system and then a test set of 216 cases was used to validate the system. The system reported locations that averaged 1-3 cm different than manually reported locations. The errors are on the order of the diameters of the colonic segments and are in the clinically acceptable range.
Combined Arytenoid Adduction and Laryngeal Reinnervation in the Treatment of Vocal Fold Paralysis

Objective/Hypothesis: Glottal closure and symmetrical thyroarytenoid stiffness are two important functional characteristics of normal phonatory posture. In the treatment of unilateral vocal cord paralysis, vocal fold medialization improves closure, facilitating entrainment of both vocal folds for improved phonation, and reinnervation is purported to maintain vocal fold bulk and stiffness. A combination of medialization and reinnervation would be expected to further improve vocal quality over medialization alone. Study Design: A retrospective review of preoperative and postoperative voice analysis on all patients who underwent arytenoid adduction alone (adduction group) or combined arytenoid adduction and ansa cervicalis to recurrent laryngeal nerve anastomosis (combined group) between 1989 and 1995 for the treatment of unilateral vocal cord paralysis. Patients without postoperative voice analysis were invited back for its completion. A perceptual analysis was designed and completed. Methods: Videostroboscopic measures of glottal closure, mucosal wave, and symmetry were rated. Aerodynamic parameters of laryngeal airflow and subglottic pressure were measured. A 2-second segment of sustained vowel was used for perceptual analysis by means of a panel of voice professionals and a rating system. Statistical calculations were performed at a significance level of P = .05. Results: There were 9 patients in the adduction group and 10 patients in the combined group. Closure and mucosal wave improved significantly in both groups. Airflow decreased in both groups, but the decrease reached statistical significance only in the adduction group. Subglottic pressure remained unchanged in both groups. Both groups had significant perceptual improvement of voice quality. In all tested parameters the extent of improvement was similar in both groups. Conclusion: The role of laryngeal reinnervation in the treatment of unilateral vocal cord paralysis remains to be established.
Neurocognitive studies of language impairments: The bottom-up approach

Neurocognitive studies can approach gene-based developmental language impairments from two angles, which are complementary and ideally combined in a research program. One approach aims at an optimal phenotypic description of a disorder and from there proceeds to a biological and developmental understanding. Complementary to such a top-down approach, a bottom-up perspective will primarily focus on potential etiological pathways and attempt to explain complex outcome phenotypes in terms of elementary developmental disturbances. My paper is dedicated to this latter approach. I argue that in behaviorally defined disorders (such as specific language impairment or autism) shared genetic risk and common etiology can at best be expected for specific aspects of language deficit and that such shared etiology will only apply to subtypes of these disorders. One reason for this skepticism is that the emerging language system in children can be affected in many different ways via more elementary sensory, perceptual, cognitive, and motor impairments. Neurocognitive research on developmental language disorders relies on an understanding of such potential elementary disturbances before it can confidently proceed to the study of complex linguistic impairments.
Approximate factorization of molecular potential surfaces. I. Basic approach

The intermediate vibrational energy regime—well above the zero point, yet below the first dissociation limit—plays an important role in many molecular processes, such as radiationless transitions or intramolecular vibrational energy redistribution (IVR). For molecules with N>6 vibrational degrees of freedom, the calculation of energy levels and spectra of the full anharmonic vibrational Hamiltonian at high energies presents a formidable problem. Here we derive an asymptotic factorization of the potential energy surface (PES) based on the global topography of molecular potentials. The resulting approximate models require only a few input parameters such as vibrational frequencies and cubic anharmonicities. They are compared to benchmark PES derived from curvilinear model potentials and Monte Carlo sampled ab initio calculations for several small molecules. Higher order couplings are found to make a significant contribution to IVR decays at long times.
Erythrocyte volume distribution during recovery from bone marrow arrest.

Brecher and Stohlman1, Borsook et al.2, and Seno et al.3 have shown that macrocytosis results from erythropoietic stimulation by phenylhydrazine anaemia, bleeding or administration of erythropoietin. The macrocytic reticulocytes which result from skipped terminal division were shown to have a shortened life span and to be replaced by red cells of more normal size. This communication reports that radiation produces a similar macrocytosis in mice. We found during the experiment that the volume of mouse red cells decreases as they age.
All-night sleep recordings of chronic schizophrenics in remission

Summary 1. A group of 13 chronic male schizophrenics nearing remission and 7 male control subjects were studied with all-night sleep recordings for 3 to 5 consecutive nights. 2. The patient group tended to show increased REM time, increased REM percentage, increased eye movements during REM, failure to suppress tonic EMG activity during REM, lack of the “first night effect,” and shorter REM latency periods. 3. These results and the results of other studies were discussed in relation to the hypothesis that REM sleep deprivation plays some role in the development of psychosis.
A note on the visual cliff behavior of rats following ECS

The visual cliff behavior of two strains of male and female rats given ECS was compared with that of animals not given ECS at 6 and 24 h after treatment. Overall sex and strain differences obtained, whereas no overall difference occurred between experimental (ECS) and control (no ECS) animals. There was, however, a difference between the behavior of the animals given ECS 6 h prior to testing and that of animals given ECS 24 h before testing. These results are related to use of the step-down passive avoidance task for assessing the amnestic effects of ECS on learned responses.
Immuno-histochemical localization of cyclic nucleotides in the periodontium: Mechanically-stressed cells in vivo

Cyclic AMP and cyclic GMP, considered to be cell proliferation regulators, have been reported to fluctuate in proliferating fibroblasts in vitro. The objectives of this experiment were to study the localization, distribution and staining patterns of these cyclic nucleotides in mechanically-stressed, proliferating periodontal fibroblasts in vivo. Cat canines were tipped by force applications for 0 to 48 hours and serial sagittal sections of fresh frozen, unfixed, undecalcified jaws were processed immuno-histochemically for the localization of cAMP and cGMP. Periodontal tension sites were studied microscopically. Fibroblastic staining for cAMP, which was localized mainly in the cell periphery, did not change appreciably as a result of tension. However, staining intensity increased one hour after the application of force, decreased after 6 hours and increased again at 24 hours. Staining for cGMP, initially covering the entire cell area, was concentrated over nuclei three hours after onset of tension, and diffused over cell periphery and cytoplasm thereafter. Intensity of staining for cGMP was maximal at 3 hours and low at 12 and 48 hours. These results demonstrate that stress-induced fibroblastic responses in vivo involve alterations in staining intensity for both cyclic nucleotides which may correspond with fluctuations of these regulators, reported to occur in vitro in various stages of the mitotic cycle. Moreover, this technique enables the identification of the involved cells in a stimulated, non-synchronized cell population.
Diglyceride kinase and other pathways for phosphatidic acid synthesis in the erythrocyte membrane

Abstract Various pathways for the synthesis of phosphatidic acid in ghosts from human erythrocytes have been studied. The synthesis of phosphatidic acid by the diglyceride kinase reaction is 10–40 times more active than the synthesis of phosphatidic acid by phosphorylation of monoglyceride followed by acylation, and 2500 times more active than the synthesis by acylation of α-glycerophosphate. Diglyceride kinase activity is as great or greater than the Na + + K + -dependent, ouabain-inhibitable, ATPase in the erythrocyte membrane; this is compatible with its being a component of the ATPase. Various factors influencing diglyceride kinase activity have been studied, such as detergents, the state of dispersion of the diglyceride substrate, freezing of the ghosts, Na + and K + , and ouabain. The kinetic curve at 37° for phosphatidic acid synthesis from diglyceride shows an initial rapid component, followed after about 1 min by a slower component.
Effect of cerclage on obstetrical outcome in twin gestations with a shortened cervical length.

Abstract Objective: Our purpose was to determine the impact of cerclage placement on obstetric outcome in twin gestations with a shortened cervical length. Study design: A prospective cohort study of 147 consecutive twin pregnancies (July 1994 to March 2001) who underwent transvaginal ultrasonographic cervical length measurement between 18 and 26 weeks' gestation. Cerclage was offered to women with cervical lengths ≤25 mm. Patients were segregated into quartiles by cervical length. Regression analysis and χ 2 tests were used to determine the effect of cervical length and cerclage on parameters of prematurity. Results: One hundred twenty-eight twin gestations met inclusion criteria, including 21 (16.4%) who underwent cerclage for a cervical length ≤25 mm. Decreasing cervical length was significantly associated with a shorter length of gestation, lower combined birth weight, delivery at ≤34 weeks, preterm premature rupture of fetal membranes, and very low birth weight. None of these outcomes was altered by cerclage placement. Conclusion: Midtrimester cerclage does not alter the risks of prematurity associated with a shortened cervical length in twin gestations. (Am J Obstet Gynecol 2002;186:634-40.)
A Cognitive Theory of Dreams

(1953). A Cognitive Theory of Dreams. The Journal of General Psychology: Vol. 49, No. 2, pp. 273-282.
Empirically Derived Combinations of Tools and Clinical Cutoffs: An Illustrative Case With a Sample of Culturally/Linguistically Diverse Children

Purpose Using a sample of culturally/linguistically diverse children, we present data to illustrate the value of empirically derived combinations of tools and cutoffs for determining eligibility in child language impairment. Method Data were from 95 4- and 6-year-olds (40 African American, 55 White; 18 with language impairment, 77 without) who lived in the rural South; they involved primarily scores from the Comprehension subtest of the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale—Fourth Edition (CSSB; R. Thorndike, E. Hagen, & J. Sattler, 1986), but scores from an experimental nonword repetition task (NRT; C. Dollaghan & T. Campbell, 1998) were also included as supplements to these scores. Results Although the CSSB led to low fail rates in children without impairment and a statistically reliable group difference as a function of the children’s clinical status but not their race, only 56% of children with impairment were accurately classified when −1 SD was employed as the cutoff. Diagnostic accuracy improved to 81%...
Addressing the challenges of anomaly detection for cyber physical energy grid systems

The consolidation of cyber communications networks and physical control systems within the energy smart grid introduces a number of new risks. Unfortunately, these risks are largely unknown and poorly understood, yet include very high impact losses from attack and component failures. One important aspect of risk management is the detection of anomalies and changes. However, anomaly detection within cyber security remains a difficult, open problem, with special challenges in dealing with false alert rates and heterogeneous data. Furthermore, the integration of cyber and physical dynamics is often intractable. And, because of their broad scope, energy grid cyber-physical systems must be analyzed at multiple scales, from individual components, up to network level dynamics. We describe an improved approach to anomaly detection that combines three important aspects. First, system dynamics are modeled using a reduced order model for greater computational tractability. Second, a probabilistic and principled approach to anomaly detection is adopted that allows for regulation of false alerts and comparison of anomalies across heterogeneous data sources. Third, a hierarchy of aggregations are constructed to support interactive and automated analyses of anomalies at multiple scales.
Distributed query evaluation on semistructured data

Semistructured data is modeled as a rooted, labeled graph. The simplest kinds of queries on such data are those which traverse paths described by regular path expressions. More complex queries combine several regular path expressions, with complex data restructuring, and with sub-queries. This article addresses the problem of efficient query evaluation on distributed, semistructured databases. In our setting, the nodes of the database are distributed over a fixed number of sites, and the edges are classified into local (with both ends in the same site) and cross edges (with ends in two distinct sites). Efficient evaluation in this context means that the number of communication steps is fixed (independent on the data or the query), and that the total amount of data sent depends only on the number of cross links and of the size of the query's result. We give such algorithms in three different settings. First, for the simple case of queries consisting of a single regular expression; second, for all queries in a calculus for graphs based on structural recursion which in addition to regular path expressions can perform nontrivial restructuring of the graph; and third, for a class of queries we call select-where queries that combine pattern matching and regular path expressions with data restructuring and subqueries. This article also includes a discussion on how these methods can be used to derive efficient view maintenance algorithms.
The greedy load sharing algorithm

Abstract Adaptive load sharing algorithms improve the performance of a distributed system considerably. In this paper we propose an algorithm, the Greedy algorithm, that yields good performance using minimal information about the system. An algorithm known as the Threshold algorithm also yields good performance using as much system information as the Greedy algorithm. We present the results of statistical experiments comparing the Greedy algorithm with the Threshold algorithm and conclude that the Greedy algorithm is an attractive alternative to the Threshold algorithm.
Precipitation over the Atlantic Ocean, 30°S to 70°N

Abstract New estimates of rainfall over the Atlantic Ocean between 30°S to 70°N have been constructed based an a technique that uses the present weather observations taken by ships. Annual and quarterly rainfall maps are presented. Between the equator and 60°N, the average annual rainfall depth is 1034 mm and the annual volume is 3.93 × 104km3. Compared to the Pacific, the Atlantic is significantly drier and has less extreme values. Maps of amplitude and phase show that most of the North Atlantic cast of 60°W experiences a inter peak rainfall. The South Atlantic experiences its peak rainfall in the Southern Hemisphere summer.
Unanswered Questions in Metal Chelation

(1992). Unanswered Questions in Metal Chelation. Journal of Toxicology: Clinical Toxicology: Vol. 30, No. 4, pp. 529-547.
Cross-layer design for combining adaptive modulation and coding with hybrid ARQ

In this paper, we focus on combining hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) at the data link layer and adaptive modulation and coding (AMC) at the physical layer in a cross-layer design approach. First, a new AMC adaptation scheme has been proposed with the constraints of system parameters like maximum retransmission number and packet error rate (PER). Then we analyze the system PER performance and the spectral efficiency of the proposed cross-layer AMC adaptation scheme. Numerical results show that our scheme can achieve good spectral efficiency while satisfying the target delay and goodput performance.
An Integrated Approach to Mid- and Upper-Level Turbulence Forecasting

Abstract An automated procedure for forecasting mid- and upper-level turbulence that affects aircraft is described. This procedure, termed the Graphical Turbulence Guidance system, uses output from numerical weather prediction model forecasts to derive many turbulence diagnostics that are combined as a weighted sum with the relative weights computed to give best agreement with the most recent available turbulence observations (i.e., pilot reports of turbulence or PIREPs). This procedure minimizes forecast errors due to uncertainties in individual turbulence diagnostics and their thresholds. Thorough statistical verification studies have been performed that focused on the probabilities of correct detections of yes and no PIREPs by the forecast algorithm. Using these statistics as a guide, the authors have been able to intercompare individual diagnostic performance, and test various diagnostic threshold and weighting strategies. The overall performance of the turbulence forecast and the effect of these stra...
Plasma cell labeling index in the evaluation of smoldering (asymptomatic) multiple myeloma.

tients with PCLI of 1 or greater. The 2- and 5-year rates of pro- gression were 21.2% (95% CI, 11.0%-30.1%) and 43.1% (95% CI, 29.7%-54.0%) (PCLI <1) compared with 75.0% (95% CI, 0%-95.4%) and 100% (PCLI ≥1) (P<.001). No analysis could be performed for group 3 because all 10 patients had PCLI low- er than 1. Overall, the median time to progression was 1.2 years (PCLI ≥1) and 2.6 years (PCLI <1) (P<.001) (Figure). At 1 year after diagnosis of SMM, progression occurred more than twice as frequently in patients with PCLI of 1 or greater (50%) than in those with PCLI lower than 1 (23%). In conclusion, SMM patients with BMPC of 10% or great- er and PCLI of 1 or greater had higher rates of progression, but because of a small number of patients with PCLI of 1 or greater, a statistical significance occurred only in group 2. Our study demonstrates the usefulness of PCLI as a risk factor for progression of SMM, especially among those with BMPC of 10% or greater and SMP lower than 3 g/dL. Along with other risk factors, it can be used to further stratify SMM patients as a guide in the design of clinical trials and follow-up and to ensure timely institution of effective therapy before organ impairment develops. The main limitation of PCLI is that the test is not widely available. Other methods to estimate the proliferative rate, such as flow cytometric assessment of the percentage of S- phase plasma cells or gene expression profiling, may be equally good alternatives and should be studied.
Systematically disseminating technological information to potential users

Rapid technological information dissemination system related to the field of remote sensing is presented. The technology transfer staff systematically designed instructional materials and activities using the matrix as an organizer to meet the need of the students, scientists and users in a rapidly expanding technology.
How a new funding model will shift allocations from the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria.

Policy makers deciding how to fund global health programs in low- and middle-income countries face important but difficult questions about how to allocate resources across countries. In this article we present a typology of three allocation methodologies to align allocations with priorities. We then apply our typology to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria. We examined the Global Fund’s historical HIV allocations and its predicted allocations under a new funding model that creates an explicit allocation methodology. We found that under the new funding model, substantial shifts in the Global Fund’s portfolio are likely to result from concentrating resources in countries with more HIV cases and lower per capita incomes. For example, South Africa, which had 15.8 percent of global HIV cases in 2009, could see its Global Fund HIV funding more than triple, from historic levels that averaged 3.0 percent to 9.7 percent of total Global Fund allocations. The new funding model methodology is exp...
Step trackable linear multivariable plants

Abstract A definition of step trackability for linear multivariable plants is introduced and a number of necessary and sufficient conditions are developed for the square-plant case. Step trackability is related to steady-state invertibility and is shown to be essential for internally stable decoupled systems with unit d.c. gain.
Studies of perchloryl fluoride flames

Abstract Spectroscopic studies on flames of perchloryl fluoride mixtures with hydrogen, methane, ammonia and hydrogen sulphide are reported. The presence of bands attributable to ClO in some spectra is the only unusual result obtained. Inflammability limits of perchloryl fluoride-natural gas-nitrogen were also determined, and the sources of error in these measurements are discussed briefly. Finally burning velocity data on some methaneperchloryl fluoride mixtures are given.
China's Agricultural Crisis and Famine of 1959–1961: A Survey and Comparison to Soviet Famines

China’s Great Leap Forward (GLF) of 1958–1961 ended as a catastrophe as widespread famine claimed millions of human lives. This paper reviews the literature on this historical crisis. The collapse of grain production was primarily attributable to failures in central planning that diverted agricultural resources to industry and to malnutrition among peasants, which lowered their productivity. The resulting decline in grain availability and the urban bias in China’s food distribution system were the main causes of the famine. This paper also compares China’s experience with the Soviet famines of 1931–1933 and 1947.
Combined use of trypsin-agarose affinity chromatography and reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography for the purification of single-chain protease inhibitor from corn seeds.

Abstract We have developed a large-scale method for recovering the corn inhibitor of trypsin and activated Hageman factor from a trypsin—agarose column predominantly in the single-chain form. To do so, inhibitor retained by the column was eluted with 1.0 M glycine buffer, pH 2.1. We have used reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography to further purify the inhibitor eluted from the trypsin—agarose column by separating the single-chain inhibitor from two-chain inhibitor (a small amount of which is present in the preparation after trypsin—agarose chromatography) and from still smaller amounts of another protein (apparently trypsin) that appears as a contaminant during trypsin—agarose chromatography.
Carbon fixation and coccolith detachment in the coccolithophore Emiliania huxleyi in nitrate-limited cyclostats

This study addresses carbon fixation and coccolith production and detachment in the cosmopolitan species Emiliania huxleyi (Lohmann) Hay et Mohler, under conditions of nitrate limitation and high light typical of surface water in the ocean. Cells were grown under controlled growth conditions using nitrate-limited cyclostat cultures at four growth rates between 0.2 and 0.7 d−1 in 1995. Both photosynthesis and calcification rates increased with growth rate. Coccolith dimensions remained constant at all cell growth rates. Specific rates of coccolith detachment also increased linearly with cell-specific growth rate at a ratio not significantly different from 1.00. Estimates of coccolith carbon content decreased with increasing cell growth rates.
Left Ventricular Electromechanical Mapping of Myocardial Ischemia

Anovel technology for mapping the left ventricle (LV) has been derived from a new diagnostic and guidance-navigational system (Biosense). This system uses a low-intensity magnetic field energy source and sensor-tipped catheters to locate catheter position in 3D space and reconstructs online, color-coded electromechanical maps of the LV without using fluoroscopy. Such a system has been used in the electrophysiology field to diagnose, locate, and treat arrhythmogenic foci. This system also allows distinction of normal from …
RATIONAL DESIGN AND ENGINEERED BIOSYNTHESIS OF A NOVEL 18-CARBON AROMATIC POLYKETIDE

Heuristics for the rational design of aromatic polyketides were recently proposed and tested via the engineered biosynthesis of two novel products. Here we have applied these rules to a previously ...
Endothelial Nitric Oxide Synthase Keeps Erection Regulatory Function Balance in the Penis

Abstract Objectives We evaluated the regulatory influence of endothelial nitric oxide (NO) on the basal functional states of the NO and RhoA/Rho-kinase signaling pathways in the penis using endothelial NO synthase (eNOS) mutant mice and eNOS gene transfer technology. Methods Four groups of mice were used: wild type (WT), eNOS gene deleted (eNOS −/− ), eNOS and neuronal NOS gene deleted (dNOS −/− ), and eNOS −/− mutant mice transfected intracavernosally with eNOS. Cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) concentration, protein kinase G (PKG) activity, activated RhoA, and Rho-kinase activity were determined in penes of WT and both mutant mouse groups. Constitutive NOS and PKG activities, RhoA, Rho-kinase-α and -β isoforms, and phosphorylated myosin light-chain phosphatase target subunit (p-MYPT-1) expressions and Rho-kinase activity were determined in penes of eNOS −/− mice after eNOS gene transfer. Results Compared with results in the WT penis, eNOS −/− and dNOS −/− mutant mouse penes had significant reductions in NOS activity, cGMP concentration, PKG activity, Rho-kinase activity, and p-MYPT-1 expression ( p −/− mice, Rho-kinase-β and p-MYPT-1 expressions and total Rho-kinase activity were significantly increased from baseline levels ( p Conclusions These data suggest that endothelial NO has a role in the penis as a regulator of the basal signaling functions of the NO and RhoA/Rho-kinase erection mediatory pathways. These data offer new insight into the homeostasis of erection regulatory biology.
The influence of the M23 (C,N)6 compound on the mechanical properties of type 422 stainless steel

Ductility and toughness of Type 422 stainless steel was shown to be strongly influenced by either the presence or absence of large grain boundary precipitates of the M23(C,N)6 compound. A lengthy, isothermal solution heat treat cycle combined with a longer, lower temperature precipitation heat treatment was used to exaggerate the M23(C, N)6 compound along the boundaries of large austenite grains. After a subsequent conventional heat treatment, the presence of this compound along the prior austenite grain boundaries substantially reduced the ductility and the Charpy V-notch impact energy. The primary fracture mode was intergranular failure along these prior austenite grain boundaries. This is a reversible process and this compound can be completely dissolved. The M23 (C, N)6 compound was removed from these prior austenite grain boundaries by another lengthy, isothermal resolution heat treatment. After a subsequent conventional heat treatment, the ductility returned to values which are near those found in as-received and heat treated material; the Charpy V-notch impact energy increased to values above that found in commercially processed Type 422 stainless steel. The fracture appearance returned to the more normal transgranular ductile dimple mode.
Statins and the Risk of Lung, Breast, and Colorectal Cancer in the Elderly

Background— Although most randomized trials and meta-analyses suggest a slight or no increase in the risk of cancer in statin users, results from observational studies have been conflicting, and some have even suggested a large protective effect of statins on certain cancers. Long-term statin users tend to be healthier, less frail, and more adherent to therapy than nonusers, however. This could explain such apparent “protective” effects. Methods and Results— We conducted the present cohort study by linking data from a large state drug benefit program with cancer registry data and Medicare healthcare utilization data. We identified all initiators of statins; initiators of glaucoma medications, another preventive drug, served as a comparison group. Outcomes included all registry-identified cases of colorectal, lung, and breast cancer. Multivariable Cox proportional models were used to adjust for confounding. Patient characteristics were similar in both groups, but statin initiators (n=24 439) were slightly ...
Effect of Pretreatment of High-Dose Implanted Resists by Activated Hydrogen Peroxide Chemical Systems for Their Effective Removal by Conventional Sulfuric–Peroxide Mixtures

Stripping of photoresists (PRs) exposed to high-dose (>;1E15 atoms/cm2)beams is one of the most challenging steps in front-end-of-line (FEOL) processing. This is due to a refractory crust that forms on the resist surface during ion implantation. The objective of this paper is to investigate the use of hydrogen peroxide systems activated by metal ion or ultraviolet (UV) light for disrupting crust formed on deep UV resist to enable complete removal of crust as well as underlying PR. Systematic investigation of variables such as hydrogen peroxide and metal ion concentration and UV intensity has led to the development of an optimal formulation for attacking the crust. Optical microscopy, confocal microscopy, field-emission scanning electron microscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy have been used to monitor the removal of the resist. A two-step process involving pretreatment with activated hydrogen peroxide solution followed by treatment with sulfuric acid-hydrogen peroxide mixture to remove crust and underlying resist has been developed.
Sequence-based design and discovery of peptide inhibitors of HIV-1 integrase: insight into the binding mode of the enzyme.

Integration of viral DNA into the host chromosome is an essential step in the HIV life cycle. This process is mediated by integrase (IN), a 32 kDa viral enzyme that has no mammalian counterpart, re...
The effect of dietary sphingolipids on plasma sphingomyelin metabolism and atherosclerosis

Abstract Sphingomyelin (SM) plays a very important role in cell membrane formation and plasma lipoprotein metabolism. All these functions may have an impact on atherosclerotic development. To investigate the relationship between SM metabolism and atherosclerosis, we utilized a sphingolipid-rich diet to feed LDL receptor gene knockout (LDLr KO) mice and studied lipid metabolism and atherosclerosis in the mice. After 3 months of a sphingolipid-rich diet, we found a significant increase in SM, cholesterol, and SM/phosphatidylcholine (PC) ratio (50%, P
Simulated effects of atmospheric sulfur deposition on nutrient cycling in a mixed deciduous forest

The effects of three S deposition scenarios — 50% reduction, no change, and 100% increase — on the cycles of N, P, S, K, Ca, and Mg in a mixed deciduous forest at Coweeta, North Carolina, were simulated using the Nutrient Cycling model (NuCM). The purpose of this exercise was to compare NuCM's output to observed soil and streamwater chemical changes and to explore NuCM's response to varying S deposition scenarios. Ecosystem S content and SO42− leaching were controlled almost entirely by soil SO42− adsorption in the simulations, which was in turn governed by the nature of the Langmuir isotherm set in the model. Both the simulations and the 20-year trends in streamwater SO42− concentration suggest that the ecosystem is slowly becoming S saturated. The streamwater data suggest S saturation is occurring at a slower rate than indicated by the simulations, perhaps because of underestimation of organic S retention in the model. Both the simulations and field data indicated substantial declines in exchangeable bases in A and BA soil horizons, primarily due to vegetation uptake. The correspondence of model output with field data in this case was a result of after-the-fact calibration (i.e. setting weathering rates to very low values) rather than prediction, however. Model output suggests that soil exchangeable cation pools change rapidly, undergoing annual cycles and multi-decade fluctuations.
Beam transit effects in single molecule coherent diffraction.

We explore how phase and amplitude gradients, which are almost inevitable in a coherent illumination probe, affect the atomic reconstruction of an isolated molecule based on diffraction intensities. By modeling the probe as a defocused Gaussian source, we show that structural distortion can be introduced in the reconstructed object if plane-wave illumination is assumed in the diffraction phase-retrieval algorithm. For the plane-wave approximation, we conclude that the standard deviation ${\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{d}$ describing the source width should be such that ${\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{d}\ensuremath{\sim}10{R}_{c}$, where ${R}_{c}$ is the nominal radius of the molecule. In a pulsed source, where diffraction data are obtained when the moving molecule is at an instantaneous location within the illumination window, the effects of wave front curvature can be reduced by defocusing the illumination. This improvement comes at the expense of a weaker diffraction signal. For the three-dimensional reconstruction of a molecule, diffraction patterns from many different orientations of identical molecules are required. Since phase-retrieval methods are inherently solving for the probe plus the molecule, irreproducibility of wave front curvature or molecule location within the probe will introduce additional degrees of freedom to the structure solution problem.
Cultures of Denial: Avoiding Knowledge of State Violations of Human Rights in Argentina and the United States†

Why and how do individuals distance themselves from information about their government's participation in torture and other human rights violations? Such citizen (non)response implicitly legitimates and thus facilitates the continuation of abusive state actions. Drawing on a model of socially organized denial, we explore how sociocultural contexts and practices mediate individuals’ avoidance, justification, normalization, silencing, and outright denial of human rights abuses in two sites: Argentina during the last military dictatorship (1976–1983) and the United States during the “war on terror” post September 11, 2001. The study is based on 40 in-depth interviews with members of diverse civic, religious, community, and political organizations in both countries (20 in each site). Comparing the political circumstances of a dictatorship and an electoral democracy, the analysis shows the roles of patriotic and national security ideologies and practices of silence and talk as organizers of cultures of denial.
Renal function after bilateral extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy.

We studied renal function an average of 44 months after simultaneous bilateral renal SWL in 56 patients. No cases of clinically apparent acute renal failure occurred in the early postoperative peri...
Effect of Dry Period Length on Holstein Milk Production and Selected Disorders at Parturition

Abstract A 42-mo field trial was initiated in 65 New York Dairy Herd Improvement herds to evaluate the effects of length of dry period on disorders at calving and subsequent milk production. Common disorders and udder edema at parturition were not associated with the length of the preceding dry period. Cows were assigned to treatment group dry periods of 20, 30, 40, 50, and 60 days by modulus 5 of their index numbers. Cows which averaged 10 to 40 days dry produced from 450 to 680 kg less milk in the following lactation than cows with average dry periods of 40 days or longer. Although there was some gain in milk production during the previous lactation from the longer lactation – shorter dry periods, it was less than half the loss in the following lactation. The depressing effect of the short dry periods did not carry over to the second lactation. Cows with dry periods of 40±10 days produced as much as cows with 50 days dry or more.
New episodes of volcanism at Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii

Mid-2007 was a time of intense activity at Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii (see Figure 1). In June, the long-lived Pu'u 'Ō'ō—Kupaianaha eruption, a dual-vent system along the east rift zone (ERZ) that has been erupting since 1983 [Heliker et al., 2003], paused due to the outbreak of a new vent farther up the rift (see Figure 2). The Pu'u 'Ō'ō vent collapsed following that activity, and the resulting reorganization of the magma plumbing system led to the formation of a second new eruptive vent 2 kilometers downrift of Pu'u 'Ō'ō. These events were well documented by geological, geophysical, and geochemical monitoring. This article summarizes results from these monitoring efforts and interprets the changes that have occurred at Kilauea since June 2007.
Track density limitation for dual-layer perpendicular recording in a rigid disk environment

The authors report on the linear and track density capability of a 10- mu m-wide, 31-turn inductive probe head flying at 130 to 160 nm over a dual-layer CoCrTa/NiFe disk. On-track recording results show that excellent writability is accompanied by reduced readback resolution. Off-track capability is evaluated in the presence of previously written information at a data rate of 3 Mbytes/s for a linear density of 1181 b/mm using a
Shilling recommender systems for fun and profit

Recommender systems have emerged in the past several years as an effective way to help people cope with the problem of information overload. One application in which they have become particularly common is in e-commerce, where recommendation of items can often help a customer find what she is interested in and, therefore can help drive sales. Unscrupulous producers in the never-ending quest for market penetration may find it profitable to shill recommender systems by lying to the systems in order to have their products recommended more often than those of their competitors. This paper explores four open questions that may affect the effectiveness of such shilling attacks: which recommender algorithm is being used, whether the application is producing recommendations or predictions, how detectable the attacks are by the operator of the system, and what the properties are of the items being attacked. The questions are explored experimentally on a large data set of movie ratings. Taken together, the results of the paper suggest that new ways must be used to evaluate and detect shilling attacks on recommender systems.
Fragile X syndrome: a hypothesis regarding the molecular mechanism of the phenotype.

Among all the human chromosomal fragile sites currently recognized, the fragile site mapping to Xq27.3 is the only one associated with an abnormal phenotype. This phenotype, referred to as the Martin-Bell or fragile X syndrome, has mental retardation as its most important manifestation. We propose that this site is associated with an abnormal phenotype due its location on the X chromosome, particularly it's proximity to the q telomere. Thus, if an in vivo break should occur with loss of Xq28 in the fra(X) male, the cell would be nullisomic for the genes distal to the fragile site. Similarly, a female cell would be functionally nullisomic if the break occurred on the active X. Breakage and loss of genetic material at other fragile sites either would have no impact due to complementation by homologous genes or would be lethal if X-linked with a significant deletion (i.e. fra(Xq22)). This leads to the proposal that the fragile X syndrome is due to mosaic nullisomy of distal genes. We describe below the implications of this model and a means to test this hypothesis.
A sequential pulse generator for producing true biphasic stimuli

The ability to generate biphasic pulses during electrical stimulation of nervous tissue has important advantages over monophasic or capacitively coupled stimulation. A comparatively simple circuit is described which, when used with standard electrophysiological laboratory equipment, can economically implement biphasic stimulation. The resultant system is quite flexible, yet easy to operate.
Redetermination of conichalcite, CaCu(AsO4)(OH)

The crystal structure of conichalcite [calcium copper(II) arsenate(V) hydroxide], with ideal formula CaCu(AsO4)(OH), was redetermined from a natural twinned specimen found in the Maria Catalina mine (Chile). In contrast to the previous refinement from photographic data [Qurashi & Barnes (1963). Can. Mineral. 7, 561–577], all atoms were refined with anisotropic displacement parameters and with the H atom located. Conichalcite belongs to the adelite mineral group. The Jahn–Teller-distorted [CuO6] octa­hedra share edges, forming chains running parallel to [010]. These chains are cross-linked by eight-coordinate Ca atoms and by sharing vertices with isolated AsO4 tetra­hedra. Of five calcium arsenate minerals in the adelite group, the [MO6] (M = Cu, Zn, Co, Ni and Mg) octa­hedron in conichalcite is the most distorted, and the donor–acceptor O—H⋯O distance is the shortest.
Progesterone–estrogen interactions in synaptic plasticity and neuroprotection

17s-Estradiol and progesterone exert a number of physiological effects throughout the brain due to interactions with several types of receptors belonging to the traditional family of intracellular hormonal receptors as well as to membrane-bound receptors. In particular, both hormones elicit rapid modifications of neuronal excitability that have been postulated to underlie their effects on synaptic plasticity and learning and memory. Likewise, both hormones have been shown to be neuroprotective under certain conditions, possibly due to the activation of pro-survival pathways and the inhibition of pro-apoptotic cascades. Because of the similarities in their cellular effects, there have been a number of questions raised by numerous observations that progesterone inhibits the effects of estrogen. In this manuscript, we first review the interactions between 17s-estradiol (E2) and progesterone (P4) in synaptic plasticity, and conclude that, while E2 exerts a clear and important role in long-term potentiation of synaptic transmission in hippocampal neurons, the role of P4 is much less clear, and could be accounted by the direct or indirect regulation of GABAA receptors. We then discuss the neuroprotective roles of both hormones, in particular against excitotoxicity. In this case, the neuroprotective effects of these hormones are very similar to those of the neurotrophic factor BDNF. Interestingly, P4 antagonizes the effects of E2, possibly through the regulation of estrogen receptors or of proteins associated with the receptors or interactions with signaling pathways activated by E2. Overall, this review emphasizes the existence of common molecules and pathways that participate in the regulation of both synaptic plasticity and neurodegeneration.