cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
96 – Male Erectile Dysfunction

Publisher Summary Individuals with autonomic dysfunction are markedly more prone to develop impotence or erectile dysfunction (ED) than those without autonomic dysfunction. The anatomic site currently believed to be the most common cause of ED is the neuromuscular junction where the cavernosal nerves meet the smooth muscle of the deep cavernous penile arteries. Neurologic diseases can also produce discrete lesions in central or peripheral nerves that cause ED. The most common endocrine disorder affecting erectile ability is diabetes mellitus. Erection is partially mediated by efferent parasympathetic cholinergic neural stimuli. Loss of long cholinergic neurons results in interruption of the efferent side of the erectile reflex arc. Effective oral medical therapy has changed the work-up and treatment of ED. Diagnostic tests—such as plasma testosterone—are often deferred to medical therapy failures if the patient has normal libido, no gynecomastia, and testes of normal size and consistency. Other therapeutic interventions, including pharmacologic injection of prostaglandin E1, intraurethral delivery of prostaglandin E1, vacuum erection devices, and inflatable penile implants produce excellent results in selected patients.
My Cat Woody, Slavery, and How We Deal with The Past We Now Abjure: Part I

How do we relate to our ancestors who did things that we would and do not do, for example hold slaves or express views about racial differences we find abhorrent? The impulse nowadays is to react to our ancestors who lived in the past and who produced us as unacceptable versions of ourselves —and to show this we frequently feel we must take down their statues and re-name buildings and institutions. This is a form of colonialism of time rather than place. The past is always different than the present, which is why we see it as the past, whether better or worse. Yet it is part of us and made us who we are.
Comparative Study Design of Multiple Coordinated Views for 2D Large High-Resolution Display with 3D Visualization Using Mixed Reality Technology.

We present the design of our qualitative assessment of user interaction and data exploration using our hybrid 2D and 3D visual analytic application with 2D visual analytics application running on Large High-Resolution Display (LHRD) and 3D visual analytics application running on mixed reality immersive displays. The application used for the study visualizes our Monte Carlo simulation over time showing topological, geospatial, and temporal aspects of the data in multiple views. We assessed attitudinal responses on the usefulness of visual analytics using 2D visualization on LHRD, and compare that with visual analytics using 2D visualization on LHRD with 3D visualization using mixed reality display. We first perform a usability test, where the participants complete a couple of exploratory tasks: one, identifying corresponding assets in a visualization, and two, identifying patterns/relationships between particular assets. Participants perform the same tasks using two different system configurations: using 2D visualization on LHRD, using 2D and 3D visualization together but as separate application, and using 2D visualization on LHRD and 3D visualization on Microsoft HoloLens with multiple coordinated views across the two systems. A pilot study were conducted on the experimental design on the relative effectiveness of the different setups towards accomplishing the given tasks. We further discuss how the results of the pilot study confirm current system design decisions, and also discuss additional user-centric characteristics that must be considered to inform future design decisions.
Improvements in Self-Reported Depression Following Treatment of Fecal Incontinence with Sacral Neuromodulation.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate changes in self-reported depression after treatment of fecal incontinence (FI) with sacral neuromodulation. MATERIALS AND METHODS This is a subanalysis of data collected from March 2016 to October 2017 for an Institutional Review Board-approved retrospective cohort study. Demographic information, medical history, psychiatric comorbidities, and the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System item bank t-scores were extracted from the electronic medical record. The differences in t-scores were compared with a two-sided paired t-test, and a p value <0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS Of the cohort (n = 24), most were Caucasian (88%), female (92%), nonsmokers (92%). Median age was 63.5 years (interquartile range 57.5-71.0 years) and median body mass index was 27.7 kg/m2 (range 18.3-42.9 kg/m2 ). A significant decrease in mean depression t-scores occurred after implantation of a sacral neuromodulation device, -4.5 (95% confidence interval [CI]: -8.7, -0.2, p = 0.04). Self-reported pain interference (p = 0.37) and physical function (p = 0.47) scores were similar following implantation. Individuals with comorbid anxiety reported the greatest improvement in depression (-6.5, 95% CI: -11.8, -1.1, p = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS Treatment of FI with sacral neuromodulation was associated with improvement in self-reported depression with the greatest improvement in those with anxiety. Further prospective research is needed to corroborate these findings.
SIGITE and SIGCSE Symposiums: A Comparative Study

Information technology (IT) and computer science (CS) are two popular educational programs in the world. There is always a debate about the teaching and research in the IT and CS programs. The Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) owns the special interest group on IT education (SIGITE) and CS education (SIGCSE), both of which host an annual conference or symposium. In this paper, we investigate the 10-years publications in the SIGITE and SIGCSE symposiums, in order to deliver a comparative study of the IT and CS programs from the perspective of academic publications. Furthermore, we are able to identify the similarities and differences in SIGITE and SIGCSE publications, and it could be helpful for them to learn from each other in the long run.
Improved ATR performance using boosting and transfer learning for adaptation of a target detection network

In this paper, we present preliminary results of infra-red target detection using a target-to-clutter based deep learning network (TCRnet). We augment this network with a separate processing path to render a new Directed Acyclic Graph network (TCRDAG) amenable to transfer learning. This transfer learning is used for network adaptation to new observations. The ROC curve shows significant improvement, particularly at the right side of the ROC curve. We further explore a boosting paradigm to improve the ROC curve for the left side. We then present results on a publicly available MWIR dataset released by NVESD.
Integration of energy storage with diesel generation in remote communities

This paper will highlight unique challenges and opportunities with regard to energy storage utilization in remote, self-sustaining communities. The energy management of such areas has unique concerns. Diesel generation is often the go-to power source in these scenarios, but these systems are not devoid of issues. Without dedicated maintenance crews as in large, interconnected network areas, minor interruptions can be frequent and invasive not only for those who lose power, but also for those in the community that must then correct any faults. Although the immediate financial benefits are perhaps not readily apparent, energy storage could be used to address concerns related to reliability, automation, fuel supply concerns, generator degradation, solar utilization, and, yes, fuel costs to name a few. These ideas are shown through a case study of the Levelock Village of Alaska. Currently, the community is faced with high diesel prices and a difficult supply chain, which makes temporary loss of power very common and reductions in fuel consumption very impactful. This study will investigate the benefits that an energy storage system could bring to the overall system life, fuel costs, and reliability of the power supply. The variable efficiency of the generators, impact of startup/shutdown process, and low-load operation concerns are considered. The technological benefits of the combined system will be explored for various scenarios of future diesel prices and technology maintenance/replacement costs as well as for the avoidance of power interruptions that are so common in the community currently. In several cases, energy storage can provide a means to promote energy equity by improving remote communities’ power supply reliability to levels closer to what the average urban consumer experiences at a reduced cost compared to transmission buildout. Furthermore, energy equity represents a hard-to-quantify benefit achieved by the integration of energy storage to isolated power systems of under-served communities, which suggests that the financial aspects of such projects should be questioned as the main performance criterion. To improve battery energy storage system valuation for diesel-based power systems, integration analysis must be holistic and go beyond fuel savings to capture every value stream possible.
Extrinsic Calibration of a Monocular Camera for an Autonomous Surface Vessel Using a Forward Facing Sonar

We present work towards building a fused sensing system for a small Autonomous Surface Vessel (ASV). We present a technique to estimate the extrinsic calibration of a forward facing monocular camera by using existing range sensors on the vessel along with a some improvements on segmenting the water surface in the camera images. We demonstrate our techniques in field experiments and apply the obtained camera calibration to experiment data.
Role of SLC26‐Mediated Cl−/Base Exchange in Proximal Tubule NaCl Transport

The majority of the Na+ and Cl- filtered by the kidney is reabsorbed in the proximal tubule. In this nephron segment, a significant fraction of Cl- is transported via apical membrane Cl-/base exchange: Cl-/formate exchange in parallel with Na+/H+ exchange and H+/formate cotransport, and Cl-/oxalate exchange in parallel with oxalate/sulfate exchange and Na+/sulfate cotransport. Apical membrane Cl--OH- or Cl-/HCO3- exchange has also been observed. NHE3 mediates most if not all apical membrane Na+/H+ exchange in the proximal tubule. We evaluated SLC26 family members as candidates to mediate proximal tubule Cl-/base exchange. We could not detect pendrin (SLC26A4) expression in the proximal tubule, and found no change in transtubular NaCl absorption in pendrin null mice. We did find expression of SLC26A6 (CFEX, PAT1) on the apical membrane of proximal tubule cells, and demonstrated that SLC26A6 is capable of mediating the Cl-/base exchange activities described to take place across the brush border membrane. Microperfusion studies on SLC26A6 null mice demonstrated that SLC26A6 is essential for oxalate-dependent NaCl absorption but does not contribute to baseline transport, suggesting it primarily mediates Cl-/oxalate exchange rather than Cl--OH- or Cl-/HCO3- exchange in the proximal tubule. Expression of SLC26A7 was also detected on the brush border membrane of proximal tubule cells. Finally, we demonstrated an essential role for the scaffolding protein PDZK1 in apical membrane expression of SLC26A6.
Designing a Requirements Specification Language for Reactive Systems

Although I have been working in the area of safety analysis for 18 years, I only started designing modeling languages in 1990. Up to that time, I was satisfied with using existing languages. However, in 1990 I got an FAA research grant to build a system requirements specification for a real system, TCAS II (a collision avoidance system). When I tried to use some standard modeling languages, I found they were not adequate. Because we tried to make this exercise as realistic as possible, we could not simply specify the parts of the system that were easily modeled in a particular language, but needed to describe all the required behavior. In addition, our specification was continually reviewed by engineers, pilots, and certification officials, so we were able to determine which features were understandable and which were not. We ended up modifying the syntax (and some semantics) of a commercial language (Statecharts), and even then we were only half-satisfied with the results. The FAA officials and industry committee responsible for TCAS II liked our language, RSML (Requirements State Machine Language), and adopted it for the official TCAS II specification, which we helped them prepare.
High dietary copper improves odor characteristics of swine waste

We conducted two experiments to determine the effects of dietary copper concentration and source on odor characteristics of swine waste. In both experiments, 192 weanling gilts and barrows were allotted to 24 pens. Pens were randomly assigned to one of six dietary treatments, consisting of control (10 ppm Cu as cupric sulfate, CuSO4), 66 or 225 ppm Cu as CuSO4, or 33, 66, or 100 ppm Cu as cupric citrate (Cucitrate). An antibiotic was included in the diets for Exp. 1, but not Exp. 2. On d 28, fecal samples were randomly obtained from one pig per pen and stored at -20 degrees C until preparation and evaluation by an odor panel. The odor panel consisted of 10 individuals, and each panelist evaluated the odor intensity, irritation intensity, and odor quality of the samples. In Exp. 1, the odor and irritation intensity of the feces were lower (P < .05) from animals consuming diets containing 225 ppm Cu as CuSO4 and 66 or 100 ppm Cu as Cu-citrate compared to the control. The odor quality of the waste from animals consuming diets containing 225 ppm Cu as CuSO4 and 66 or 100 ppm Cu as Cu-citrate was improved (P < .05) compared to the 33 ppm Cu treatment. In Exp. 2, the odor intensity of the feces of pigs receiving diets supplemented with all concentrations of Cu-citrate was lower (P < .05) than that of feces from the control animals. Irritation intensity of the feces was not affected by treatment. Odor quality of waste of pigs supplemented with 225 ppm Cu from CuSO4 and all concentrations of Cu-citrate was improved (P < .05) compared to that of waste of the control pigs. Two gilts and two barrows from each nursery pen in Exp. 1 were continued through the growing-finishing phase on their respective experimental diets. The growing-finishing phase lasted 103 d, and fecal samples were randomly obtained from one pig per pen at the completion of the phase. During the growing-finishing phase, the odor intensity and the irritation intensity of the feces were lower (P < .05) from pigs supplemented with 66 and 225 ppm Cu as CuSO4 and 66 and 100 ppm Cu from Cu-citrate than from the control pigs. The odor quality of the waste was improved (P < .05) in all animals receiving supplemental Cu. These data indicate an improvement in odor characteristics of swine waste with the supplementation of Cu. In addition, lower concentrations of an organic nonsulfate Cu source resulted in similar odor characteristics of swine waste as 225 ppm CuSO4.
Event detection in multilevel secure active databases

The event-condition-action paradigm (also known as triggers or rules) is a powerful technology. It gives a database “active” capabilities – the ability to react automatically to changes in the database or in the environment. One potential use of this technology is in the area of multilevel secure (MLS) data processing, such as, military, where the subjects and objects are classified into different security levels and mandatory access control rules govern who has access to what. Although a lot of research appears in MLS databases, not much work has been done in the area of MLS active databases. In this paper, we look at one very important aspect of an MLS active database – event detection. An MLS rule, like any other object in an MLS database, is associated with a security level. Events in an MLS database are also associated with security levels. Since an MLS rule can be triggered by an event that is at a different security level than the rule, we cannot use the event detection techniques designed for non-MLS active databases. Using such techniques cause illegal information flow. Our goal is to propose new algorithms that prevent such illegal information flow. We first present an approach to detect primitive events – events that cannot be decomposed. Different types of primitive events can be combined using the event composition operators to form composite events. We also describe how to detect composite events using event graphs in an MLS database.
A simplified Atlantic basin seasonal hurricane prediction scheme from 1 August

[1] The Tropical Meteorology Project at Colorado State University has issued seasonal forecasts for Atlantic basin hurricane activity in early August since 1984. This paper proposes a simplified scheme, using a combination of two surface predictors selected from the newly-developed Climate Forecast System Reanalysis (CFSR) as well as a dynamical forecast for El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF). These three predictors in combination explain approximately 72% of the cross-validated variance in post-1 August Net Tropical Cyclone (NTC) activity over the hindcast period from 1982–2010. While uncertainties in the data grow as one goes back further in time, all three predictor correlations remain significant with NTC when tested on data from 1900–1981. These predictors are also shown to correlate with August-October physical features across the Atlantic Main Development region known to impact hurricane activity.
ADIABATIC DEFORMATION AND STRAIN LOCALIZATION

The strain localization phenomenon of “adiabatic shear” is generally attributed to a plastic instability arising from a thermal softening effect during adiabatic or near-adiabatic plastic deformation. High strain-rate adiabatic torsion tests indicate that the effective shear stress-strain \((\bar \tau - \bar \gamma ) \) relations for high-strength (rate-insensitive) steels can be described by a simple expression of the form: $$\bar \tau = {{\bar \tau }_0}(1 + \alpha \bar \gamma )\,\exp \,( - \beta \bar \gamma )$$ where \({{\bar \tau }_0}\) is a constant, α and β are dimensionless hardening and softening parameters. The flow stress reaches a maximum at an instability strain, \({{\bar \gamma }_i} = {\beta ^{ - 1}} - {\alpha ^{ - 1}}\). With parameters derived from the torsion tests, this relation has been used in computer simulations of the development of intense shear localization in a simple uniformly loaded body. Strain localization has been studied under conditions of both quasistatic and dynamic deformation. Application to the simulation of ballistic penetration is in progress.
No Consensus on Fighting the Drug War: Differences between State Policy Elites and the Mass Public

This article explores implications for the implementation of drug policy in the United States, based on the findings from a 1990 survey of state drug policy coordinators in all 50 states and the responses to a national mass public survey. State drug policy elites' perceptions of the relative seriousness of nine different specific drugs are assessed, together with their evaluations of federal drug policy. Significant differences in state elites' attitudes are found for certain regional effects, for the relative degree of state urbanism, and for relative state income levels. These results are compared against the findings from a 1989 CBS News/New York Times mass opinion survey measuring citizen perceptions on drug misuse and the efficacy of Bush administration policy initiatives. This comparison reveals a wide disparity between elite and mass attitudes regarding appropriate funding of the drug war, the rating of federal drug policy initiatives, and federal drug policy strategies. Such mass/elite perceptual disparities accentuate the difficulties inherent in pursuing a "drug war" strategy.
In vitro Arabidopsis pollen germination and characterization of the inward potassium currents in Arabidopsis pollen grain protoplasts

The focus of this study is to investigate the regulatory role of K(+) influx in Arabidopsis pollen germination and pollen tube growth. Using agar-containing media, in vitro methods for Arabidopsis pollen germination have been successfully established for the first time. The pollen germination percentage was nearly 75% and the average pollen tube length reached 135 microm after a 6 h incubation. A decrease in external K(+) concentration from 1 mM to 35 microM resulted in 30% inhibition of pollen germination and 40% inhibition of pollen tube growth. An increase in external K(+) concentration from 1 mM to 30 mM stimulated pollen tube growth but inhibited pollen germination. To study how K(+) influx is associated with pollen germination and tube growth, regulation of the inward K(+) channels in the pollen plasma membrane was investigated by conducting patch-clamp whole-cell recording with pollen protoplasts. K(+) currents were first identified in Arabidopsis pollen protoplasts. The inward K(+) currents were insensitive to changes in cytoplasmic Ca(2+) but were inhibited by a high concentration of external Ca(2+). A decrease of external Ca(2+) concentration from 10 mM (control) to 1 mM had no significant effect on the inward K(+) currents, while an increase of external Ca(2+) concentration from 10 mM to 50 mM inhibited the inward K(+) currents by 46%. Changes in external pH significantly affected the magnitude, conductance, voltage-independent maximal conductance, and activation kinetics of the inward K(+) currents. The physiological importance of potassium influx mediated by the inward K(+)-channels during Arabidopsis pollen germination and tube growth is discussed.
Discussant's Comments Symposium: Applications of Androgyny to the Theory and Practice of Psychotherapy

As the preceding papers indicate, social change is creating pressure upon women and men to become increasingly androgynous. Thus, it is necessary to clarify the parameters of psychologically healthy androgynous functioning. Androgyny is currently defined in terms of the relative balance between masculine and feminine characteristics; it is suggested that both the relative degree of masculinity and feminity, and the particular configuration of characteristics need to be taken into account in specifying the convergence between androgyny and psychological health. Finally, the assumption that masculinity and femininity are orthogonal dimensions is questioned for some characteristics.
Protein expression in vivo by injection of polynucleotides

Over the past few years, intramuscular injection of non-replicating DNA expression vectors has been demonstrated to be generally applicable as an effective method of producing functional proteins in vivo. This technique has been useful in the study of growth factors, regulation of protein expression, transplantation rejection, gene therapy, immune regulation and the production of monoclonal antibodies. The most successful application of DNA injection has, however, been the generation of immune responses in animal models, with the ultimate goal of developing vaccines for humans. Therefore, this approach has the potential to be a new vaccine technology, in addition to its utility in other areas of research.
Effects of Added CO2 on the Conformation of Pyrene End-Labeled Poly(dimethylsiloxane) Dissolved in Liquid Toluene

We report on the tail−tail cyclization and unfolding kinetics of poly(dimethylsiloxane) that is end-labeled with pyrene (Py−PDMS−Py) when it is dissolved at low concentration in liquid toluene (a good solvent) as a function of added CO2 (0−204 bar). The pyrene excimer emission provides information on the PDMS tail−tail cyclization and unfolding kinetics and the conformation of the polymer chains. Under the aforementioned conditions, the Py−PDMS−Py excimer emission is entirely intramolecular in nature; there is no evidence for any inter- or intramolecular ground-state preassociation of the pyrene residues. However, the pyrene excimer-to-monomer intensity ratio (E/M) increases by ∼5-fold as we increase the CO2 pressure from 0 to 70 bar. E/M begins to decrease gradually as the CO2 pressure is increased above 70 bar. Time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy reveals three important points. First, the rate of Py−PDMS−Py tail−tail unfolding (kunfolding) is essentially independent of added CO2. Second, the rate th...
Source of prescription drugs used nonmedically in rural and urban populations

AbstractBackground: Unintentional overdose deaths due to nonmedical use of prescription drugs disproportionately impact rural over urban settings in the United States. Sources of these prescriptions may play a factor. Objective: This study examines the relationships between rurality and source of prescription drugs used nonmedically. Methods: Using data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health 2008–2010 (n = 10 693), we examined bivariate and multivariate associations of socio-demographic and clinical correlates and source (physician or non-physician) of prescription drugs (opioid, sedative, tranquilizer, or stimulant) used nonmedically among urban and rural residents. We also examined the type of prescription drugs used nonmedically among urban and rural residents by source. Results: Among respondents reporting past year nonmedical use of prescription medications, 18.9% of urban residents and 17.5% of rural residents had a physician source for drugs used nonmedically. Likelihood of physician sourc...
GASTROINTESTINAL TRACT CANCER IN THE ELDERLY

Gastrointestinal cancers are common in the elderly. In the 1990s, modest advances in the early diagnosis, staging, and treatment of gastrointestinal cancers were made. Emphasis has been placed on screening for colorectal cancer; development of new diagnostic and staging modalities, particularly endoscopic ultrasound; and introduction of new treatment regimens, such as chemoradiation programs for esophageal, pancreatic, and colorectal cancers as well as endoscopic mucosal resection of early gastrointestinal cancers. New palliative techniques, such as laser and photodynamic therapy and placement of enteral stents, are being used increasingly in patients who have advanced cancer and are not surgical candidates. In the past, attitudes toward the elderly affected the management of cancer. Age should not be the only parameter considered when addressing the treatment of a gastrointestinal malignancy. Management decisions in the elderly should follow the same principles as those in younger patients. A thorough medical evaluation in the elderly is necessary to evaluate the patient's risk and to optimize surgical, chemotherapeutic, and palliative outcomes.
Osteopontin, coronary calcification, and cardiovascular events: future diagnostic and therapeutic targets for disease prevention?

This editorial refers to ‘Prognostic significance of plasma osteopontin levels in patients with chronic stable angina’† by P. Minoretti et al., on page 802 Minoretti et al. 1 describe the independent prognostic significance of plasma osteopontin (OPN). OPN was measured in baseline plasma samples from 799 patients with stable angina pectoris and angiographically documented coronary artery disease (CAD). Participants were prospectively followed for a median of 2.7 years. The primary study endpoint was a composite of non-fatal myocardial infarction and cardiovascular death. Age, number of diseased vessels, and treatment with statins were independent predictors of baseline plasma OPN levels. In univariate analysis, the log-transformed OPN level, levels of C-reactive protein, hypertension, and statin use were associated with future adverse events. Levels of OPN and C-reactive protein and hypertension remained independent predictors of adverse cardiovascular outcome in multivariable analysis. The study was limited to a patient population with angiographically documented stable CAD. Future studies in populations with subclinical disease (e.g. <50% angiographic stenosis or plaque by other imaging modalities) will be crucial to assess the prognostic value of OPN in primary disease prevention. OPN is a calcium-binding, phosphorylated glycoprotein, which was originally identified as a mediator involved in bone remodelling. However, subsequent studies demonstrated that OPN … *Corresponding author. Tel: +1 216 445 7579; fax: +1 216 445 6855. E-mail address : schoenp1{at}ccf.org
Medieval Europe and the World: Why Medievalists Should Also Be World Historians

“Medieval Europe and the World: Why Medievalist Should Also Be World Historians” argues for the use of world history's methodology and the application of its innovative approach to our research and teaching of the Middle Ages. After reviewing recent methodological changes in our understanding of medieval history, the article reviews recent developments in world history and suggests ways in which medievalists could enrich their research and teaching by drawing upon world history's recent methodological breakthroughs. Finally, “Medieval Europe and the World” calls for collaborative research and teaching projects that would allow us to understand the Middle Ages in a global context.
Critical current density of four--layer single crystals

A key requirement for technological application is to have superconductors with high critical current density at practical operating temperatures and magnetic fields. The critical current density is strongly related to underlying properties of high superconductors, such as laying, anisotropy and other intrinsic material structures. The thallium-based superconductors attracted much attention at an early stage mainly due to their high superconducting transitions. Our single crystal studies on show that these materials appear to be a better choice for achieving higher critical current density because of a stronger interlayer coupling between superconducting layers.
Significance of root severance on performance of established trees

There are many factors to consider when sever- ing the roots of established trees. Factors governing root growth are discussed. Acceptable survival following severe root severance is interdependent with the condition of the top. It is important to know the location of various kinds of roots—large lateral, sinker, heart, non-woody. Key factors to successful results from severe root-pruning include: a tree species with adequate vigor, adequate moisture in the root area, healthy carbohydrate reserves, proper timing in climates with temperature extremes and knowing how to judge a tree that should not be severely root pruned. Many landscape trees appear to have a wide tolerance to root removal. Resume. II a plusieurs facteurs a considdrer lorsque les racines d'arbres a maturite doivent Stre endommagees. Les facteurs influengant la croissance des racines sont discut6s. line bonne survie d'une arbre apres des dommages aux racines est dependante de la condition de la cime. II est important de connaitre 1'emplacement des divers types de racines - les racines primaires, secondaires et les radicelles. Les facteurs-cl§s afin d'avoir des resultats positifs apres des dommages aux racines incluent: une espece d'arbre avec une bonne vigueur, une humidite adequate dans la zone racinaire, de bonnes reserves d'hydrate de carbone, le choix de la periode appropriee dans les climats avec des temperatures extremes et savior reconnaltre les arbres dont les racines ne devraient pas etre endommagees. Plusieurs arbres d'ornement semblent avoir une grande tolerance a la taille des racines.
Disulfides of Manganese Carbonyl. Synthesis of Mn2(CO)7(μ-S2) and Its Reactions with Tertiary Phosphines and Arsines

The reaction of Mn2(CO)9(NCMe) with thiirane yielded the sulfidomanganese carbonyl compounds Mn2(CO)7(μ-S2), 2, Mn4(CO)15(μ3-S2)(μ4-S2), 3, and Mn4(CO)14(NCMe)(μ3-S2)(μ4-S2), 4, by transfer of sulfur from the thiirane to the manganese complex. Compound 3 was obtained in better yield from the reaction of 2 with CO, and compound 4 is obtained from the reaction of 2 with NCMe. The reaction of 2 with PMe2Ph yielded the tetramanganese disulfide Mn4(CO)15(PMe2Ph)2(μ3-S)2, 5, and SPMe2Ph. The reaction of 5 with PMe2Ph yielded Mn4(CO)14(PMe2Ph)3(μ3-S)2, 6, by ligand substitution. The reaction of 2 with AsMe2Ph yielded the new complexes Mn4(CO)14(AsMe2Ph)2(μ3-S2)2, 7, Mn4(CO)14(AsMe2Ph)(μ3-S2)(μ4-S2), 8, Mn6(CO)20(AsMe2Ph)2(μ4-S2)3, 9, and Mn2(CO)6(AsMe2Ph)(μ-S2), 10. Reaction of 2 with AsPh3 yielded the monosubstitution derivative Mn2(CO)6(AsPh3)(μ-S2), 11. Reaction of 7 with PMe2Ph yielded Mn4(CO)15(AsMe2Ph)2(μ3-S)2, 12. The phosphine analogue of 7, Mn4(CO)14(PMe2Ph)2(μ3-S2)2, 13, was prepared from the reaction ...
A Bayesian approach to nonlinear probit gene selection and classification

We consider the problem of gene selection and classification based on the expression data. Specifically, we propose a bootstrap Bayesian gene selection method for nonlinear probit regression. A binomial probit regression model with data augmentation is used to transform the binomial problem into a sequence of smoothing problems. The probit regressor is approximated as a nonlinear combination of the genes. A Gibbs sampler is employed to find the strongest genes. Some numerical techniques to speed up the computation are discussed. We then develop a nonlinear probit Bayesian classifier consisting of a linear term plus a nonlinear term, the parameters of which are estimated using the sequential Monte Carlo technique. These new methods are applied to analyze several data sets, including the hereditary breast cancer data, the small round blue-cell tumor data, and the acute leukemia tumor data. The experimental results show the proposed methods can effectively find important genes which are consistent with the existing biological belief, and the classification accuracies are very high. Some robustness and sensitivity properties of the proposed methods are also discussed to deal with noisy microarray data.
Human brain asymmetry in microstructural connectivity demonstrated by diffusional kurtosis imaging

Structural asymmetry of whole brain white matter (WM) pathways, i.e., the connectome, has been demonstrated using fiber tractography based on diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). However, DTI-based tractography fails to resolve axonal fiber bundles that intersect within an imaging voxel, and therefore may not fully characterize the extent of asymmetry. The goal of this study was to assess structural asymmetry with tractography based on diffusional kurtosis imaging (DKI), which improves upon DTI-based tractography by delineating intravoxel crossing fibers. DKI images were obtained from 42 healthy subjects. By using automatic segmentation, gray matter (GM) was parcellated into anatomically defined regions of interest (ROIs). WM pathways were reconstructed with both DKI- and DTI-based tractography. The connectivity between the ROIs was quantified with the streamlines connecting the ROIs. The asymmetry index (AI) was utilized to quantify hemispheric differences in the connectivity of cortical ROIs and of links interconnecting cortical ROIs. Our results demonstrated that leftward asymmetrical ROIs and links were observed in frontal, parietal, temporal lobes, and insula. Rightward asymmetrical ROI and links were observed in superior frontal lobe, cingulate cortex, fusiform, putamen, and medial temporal lobe. Interestingly, these observed structural asymmetries were incompletely identified with DTI-based tractography. These results suggest that DKI-based tractography can improve the identification of asymmetrical connectivity patterns, thereby serving as an additional tool in the evaluation of the structural bases of functional lateralization.
Reaction and Diffusion Kinetics During the Initial Stages of Isothermal Chemical Vapor Infiltration

This paper reports that individual bundles of ceramic fibers were infiltrated with SiC to study the reaction and diffusion kinetics during isothermal chemical vapor infiltration (CVI). More uniform infiltration was observed in samples where baffles were placed in the reactor and when HC1 was added to the inlet gases. The evolution of the microstructure was modeled using an analytical expression for impinging cylindrical fibers. The transport of reactants was treated using classical descriptions of molecular and Knudsen diffusion in a porous body and also by considering the existence of a percolation threshold. All of these models predict that infiltration should be more uniform than the results that were obtained experimentally. It is possible that this discrepancy occurs because mass transport is more complex than the descriptions that were used. However, a more likely explanation is that the deposition kinetics are significantly more complex than the simple first-order reaction that was used for these models.
Silica-PEG gel immobilization of mammalian cells

In this study, human foreskin fibroblasts and mouse embryonic fibroblasts were encapsulated in mechanically reversible, THEOS and THEOS–PEG gels that completely immobilized them restricting their motility, growth and proliferation. The changes in the membrane integrity and metabolic activity (MA) of the immobilized cells were measured by IR spectroscopy and fluorescence microscopy. To explore the effects of surface chemistry and porosity on immobilized cell MA, different amounts of a biocompatible polymer, polyethylene glycol PEG, was incorporated into the silica gels. To explore the effects of the proliferative stress, in selected experiments, cellular proliferation was arrested prior to immobilization by exposing the cells to irradiation. Four main factors were identified that affect the long-term survival of the cells within the immobilization matrix: (1) porosity/permeability of the gel, (2) structural homogeneity of the gel, (3) specific interactions between the cell membrane and the gel surface and (4) the proliferative stress. It was shown that the immobilized cells could easily be mechanically recovered from the gel and upon incubation, proliferated normally. It is believed that the gels and the matrix developed here have very significant potential applications in tissue engineering and in personalized cancer treatment.
Influence of cholesterol on bilayers of ester- and ether-linked phospholipids Permeability and 13C-nuclear magnetic resonance measurements

Abstract 13 C-NMR and permeability studies are described for sonicated vesicles of phosphatidylcholines bearing two 16-carbon saturated hydrocarbon chains with (a) one ether linkage at carbon 1 (3) or 2 of glycerol and one ester linkage at carbon 2 or 1 (3) of glycerol; (b) two ether linkages and (c) two ester linkages at carbons 1 (3) and 2 of glycerol. The results of 13 C-NMR relaxation enhancement measurements using cholesterol enriched with 13 C at the 4 position indicate that no significant relocation of the cholesterol molecules takes place in the bilayer when a methylene group is substituted for a carbonyl group in phosphatidylcholine. The 4- 13 C atom of cholesterol undergoes similar fast anisotropic motions in diester- and diether-phosphatidylcholine bilayers, as judged by spin-lattice relaxation time measurements in the liquid-crystalline phase; although the fast motions are unaltered, linewidth and spin-spin relaxation time measurements suggested some restriction of the slow motions of cholesterol molecules in bilayers from phosphatidylcholines containing an O -alkyl linkage at the sn -2 position instead of an acyl linkage. At temperatures above the gel to liquid-crystal phase transition, the kinetics of ionophore A23187-mediated 45 Ca 2+ efflux from vesicles prepared from each type of phosphatidylcholine molecule were the same; the kinetics of spontaneous carboxyfluorescein diffusion from diester- and diether-phosphatidylcholine vesicles were the same, whereas mixed ether/ester phosphatidylcholine molecules gave bilayers which are less permeable. The rate constants were reduced on cholesterol incorporation into the bilayers of each type of phosphatidylcholine molecule. The reductions were not statistically significant for 45 Ca 2+ release. The rate constants for carboxyfluorescein release were also reduced by cholesterol to the same extent in vesicles from diester-, diether-, and 1-ether-2-ester-phosphatidylcholines; however, a smaller reduction was noted in bilayers from the 1-ester-2-ether analog. These results provide further evidence that there are no highly specific requirements for ester or ether linkages in phosphatidylcholine for cholesterol to reduce bilayer permeability. This is a reflection of the fact that in both diester- and diether-phosphatidylcholine bilayers, the 4- 13 C atom of cholesterol is located in the region of the acyl carboxyl group or the glyceryl ether oxygen atom.
Renormalization-group analysis of the crumpling transition in large d.

The crumpling transition of D-dimensional elastic membranes is studied for large dimensions of embedding space d. The magnetic and thermal critical exponents ${y}_{m}$ and ${y}_{t}$ for isotropic membranes are obtained in a 1/d expansion. Both exponents vanish simultaneously at a lower critical dimension ${D}_{\mathrm{LC}=2\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}2/\mathrm{d}+\mathrm{O}(1/{d}^{2}}$). We also consider the role of self-avoidance and of elastic anisotropies.
Studies toward the Synthesis of the Epoxykinamycin FL-120B′: Discovery of a Decarbonylative Photocyclization

Photo-Friedel–Crafts acylation of a naphthoquinone was attempted in an effort to access a diazobenzofluorenone en route to the epoxykinamycin natural product FL-120B′. Photoirradiation of the naphthoquinone substrate which resulted in the unexpected formation of a tetracyclic naphthofuran via a decarbonylative photocyclization process is described.
Eccentric rod burnout at 1000 lbf/in2 with net steam generation

Abstract Burnout and pressure-drop tests were performed with an eccentric rod geometry to simulate possible maldistribution of flow in multirod fuel assemblies of boiling-water reactors. Data are presented for a uniformly heated rod, 0.540 in in dia. and 8 1 2 ft long, located within a circular pipe of 0.875 in i.d. Test variables include one concentric and three displaced rod geometries, exit steam qualities from 9 to 66 per cent by weight, flow rates from 0.25 to 1.34 × 106 lb/h ft2 and system pressures of 1000 lbf/in2. Test results are as follows: 1. (1) Burnout heat fluxes with net steam generation are the same for the concentric annulus of 0.1675 in and the eccentric flow spacing of 0.096 and 0.061 in. Burnout values decrease by 15–36 per cent when the minimum flow annulus is reduced from 0.1675 to 0.033 in. 2. (2) Single-phase pressure-drop tests exhibit a decrease in friction factor as the eccentricity increases. On the other hand, two-phase pressure losses remain relatively the same at various eccentricities. 3. (3) An analytical model is postulated to determine the degree of transverse mixing in an eccentric geometry. The model based upon subdividing the flow area into two parallel channels indicates that mixing extends well over half of the flow zone.
Competitive membrane adsorption of Na+, K+, and Ca2+ in smooth muscle cells.

A theory for Na+, K+ and Ca2+ competitive adsorption to a charged membrane is used to explain a number of experimental observations in smooth muscle. Adsorption is described by Langmuir isotherms for mono- and divalent cations which in turn are coupled in a self-consistent way to the bulk solution through the diffuse double layer theory and the Boltzman equations. We found that the dissociation constants for binding of Na+, K+ and Ca2+ in guinea pig taenia coli areca. 0.009, 1.0, and 4×10−8 m, respectively. Furthermore, the effect of a Ca2+ pump that maintains free surface Ca2+ concentration constant is investigated. A decrease in intracellular Na+ content results in an increased Ca2+ uptake; part of this uptake is due to an increase in surface-bound Ca2+ in an intracellular compartment which is in contact with the myofilaments. Variations in the amount of charge available to bind Ca2+ and the surface charge density are studied and their effect interpreted in terms of different pharmacological agents.
The Effect of Instrumentation With Different Mechanical Properties on the Pig Spine During Growth: Finite Element Analysis

For the treatment of scoliosis, traditional instrumentations such as Cotrel-Dubousset are very rigid and effect spine growth ([1] & [2]). Recently, spinal fusion-less instrumentation has been clinically introduced. These instrumentations are more spring-like (compliant). Such instrumentations include multiple level staples, vertical expanding prosthesis, and changeable rod system. However, whether the instrumentation is rigid or compliant, the growth of the spine is effected. The actual level of instrument stiffness that affects growth is not known nor well quantified. The goal of this study was to examine the effect of the level of instrumentation stiffness on the simulation of growth of the pig spine by using finite element analysis (FEA).Copyright © 2007 by ASME
Erythropoietine production in the dog.

AN erythropoiesis-stimulating factor has been reported present in the plasma of numerous animals including the dog1. The dog, although readily available and a convenient source of relatively large volumes of plasma, has been utilized sparingly2. The present study was made in order that the haemopoietic factor might be determined in the dog following exposure of the animal to various experimental procedures which are known to affect production of the factor in other species.
Availability of PIP3 at the Plasma Membrane Regulates Secretion in Pc12 Cells

The phosphoinositide PIP2 has long been implicated in secretion; however despite the demonstration of high affinity binding between synaptotagmin and PIP3, the role of the latter in secretion has received little attention. We have investigated this question using two complementary approaches; expression of PIP2 or PIP3 targeting Pleckstrin Homology (PH) domains, and up or down regulation of the PIP3 dephosphorylating enzyme PTEN (Phosphatase and TENsin homolog). The PH-domain of GRP1 (General receptor for phosphoinositides), which we show to have high specificity for PIP3, is equally as effective at inhibiting secretion as the PH domain of phospholipase C delta 1, which is generally accepted as binding to PIP2. Using super-resolution Stochastic Optical Reconstruction Microscopy we have shown that PIP2 and PIP3 clusters do not colocalize, and find that PIP3 clusters, but not PIP2 clusters, are reduced in number by over expression of PTEN (Phosphatase and TENsin homolog). Analysis of single vesicle rates of secretion with TIRF (Total Internal Reflection Fluorescence) microscopy shows a correlation between secretion rates and cellular PTEN content. These results implicate PIP3 in the secretory machinery, and may illuminate some of the neurological impacts of PTEN mutations, such as epilepsy and Autism Spectrum Disorders.
Experimental investigation of transonic oscillating cascade aerodynamics

Fundamental experiments are performed in the NASA Lewis Transonic Oscillating Cascade Facility to investigate the subsonic and transonic aerodynamics of cascaded airfoils executing torsion mode oscillations at realistic values of reduced frequency. In particular, an unsteady aerodynamic influence coefficient technique is developed and utilized. In this technique, only one airfoil in the cascade is oscillated at a time, with the resulting airfoil surface unsteady pressure distribution measured on one dynamically instrumented reference airfoil. The unsteady aerodynamics of an equivalent cascade with all airfoils oscillating at any specified interblade phase angle are then determined through a vector summation of these data. These influence coefficient determined oscillating cascade data were correlated with: (1) data obtained in this cascade with all airfoils oscillating at several interblade phase angle values; and (2) predictions from a classical linearized unsteady cascade model.