cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Skeletal muscle type ryanodine receptor is involved in calcium signaling in human B lymphocytes.

Abstract The regulation of intracellular free Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) in B cells remains poorly understood and is presently explained almost solely by inositol 1,4,5-triphosphate (IP3)-mediated Ca2+ release, followed by activation of a store-operated channel mechanism. In fact, there are reports indicating that IP3 production does not always correlate with the magnitude of Ca2+ release. We demonstrate here that human B cells express a ryanodine receptor (RYR) that functions as a Ca2+release channel during the B cell antigen receptor (BCR)-stimulated Ca2+ signaling process. Immunoblotting studies showed that both human primary CD19+ B and DAKIKI cells express a 565-kDa immunoreactive protein that is indistinguishable in molecular size and immunoreactivity from the RYR. Selective reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, restriction fragment length polymorphism, and sequencing of cloned cDNA indicated that the major isoform of the RYR expressed in primary CD19+ B and DAKIKI cells is identical to the skeletal muscle type (RYR1). Saturation analysis of [3H]ryanodine binding yieldedB max = 150 fmol/mg of protein andK d = 110 nm in DAKIKI cells. In fluo-3-loaded CD19+ B and DAKIKI cells, 4-chloro-m-cresol, a potent activator of Ca2+release mediated by the ryanodine-sensitive Ca2+ release channel, induced Ca2+ release in a dose-dependent and ryanodine-sensitive fashion. Furthermore, BCR-mediated Ca2+ release in CD19+B cells was significantly altered by 4-chloro-m-cresol and ryanodine. These results indicate that RYR1 functions as a Ca2+ release channel during BCR-stimulated Ca2+signaling and suggest that complex Ca2+ signals that control the cellular activities of B cells may be generated by cooperation of the IP3 receptor and RYR1.
Patricia Hill Collins's Black Sexual Politics and the Genealogy of the Strong Black Woman

Increasingly, as Black Sexual Politics nears its ending, a shift in tone and level of intensity makes a reader aware that Collins's analysis of interlocking social institutions and media representations is aimed not just at informing, but at liberating, individual African American readers—that she wishes to give African American men and women the tools to resist the internalization of racist sexual ideology and denigrating gender roles. The texts that I examine here—by young Black feminist writers Veronica Chambers, Joan Morgan, and Kimberley Springer, along with a response to their work from Sheila Radford-Hill—continue Collins's deconstructive work on Black gender stereotypes by focusing on the Strong Black Woman role. These autobiographical/theoretical texts not only provide a historical context for the role's origins and development, but also add a psychological and emotional dimension: they tell us what it means to individual African American women to live up to the gender role requirements of Strong...
Switch-based biosensors: a new approach towards real-time, in vivo molecular detection

Although the ability to monitor specific molecules in vivo in real-time could revolutionize many aspects of healthcare, the technological challenges that stand in the way of reaching this goal are considerable and are poorly met by most existing analytical approaches. Nature, however, has already solved the problem of real-time molecular detection in complex media by employing biomolecular "switches". That is, protein and nucleic acids that sense chemical cues and, by undergoing specific, binding-induced conformational changes, transduce this recognition into high-gain signal outputs. Here, we argue that devices that employ such switches represent a promising route towards versatile, real-time molecular monitoring in vivo.
A spectral-element method for modelling cavitation in transient fluid-structure interaction

In an underwater-shock environment, cavitation (boiling) occurs as a result of reflection of the shock wave from the free surface and/or wetted structure causing the pressure in the water to fall below its vapour pressure. If the explosion is sufficiently distant from the structure, the motion of the fluid surrounding the structure may be assumed small, which allows linearization of the governing fluid equations. In 1984, Felippa and DeRuntz developed the cavitating acoustic finite-element (CAFE) method for modelling this phenomenon. While their approach is robust, it is too expensive for realistic 3D simulations. In the work reported here, the efficiency and flexibility of the CAFE approach has been substantially improved by: (i) separating the total field into equilibrium, incident, and scattered components, (ii) replacing the bilinear CAFE basis functions with high-order Legendre-polynomial basis functions, which produces a cavitating acoustic spectral element (CASE) formulation, (iii) employing a simple, non-conformal coupling method for the structure and fluid finite-element models, and (iv) introducing structure–fluid time-step subcycling. Field separation provides flexibility, as it admits non-acoustic incident fields that propagate without numerical dispersion. The use of CASE affords a significant reduction in the number of fluid degrees of freedom required to reach a given level of accuracy. The combined use of subcycling and non-conformal coupling affords order-of-magnitude savings in computational effort. These benefits are illustrated with 1D and 3D canonical underwatershock problems. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Intensity-Modulated Radiotherapy for Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma

Purpose To report the outcomes and toxicities in patients treated with intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) for pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Methods and Materials Forty-seven patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma were treated with IMRT between 2003 and 2008. Of these 47 patients, 29 were treated adjuvantly and 18 definitively. All received concurrent 5-fluorouracil chemotherapy. The treatment plans were optimized such that 95% of the planning target volume received the prescription dose. The median delivered dose for the adjuvant and definitive patients was 50.4 and 54.0 Gy, respectively. Results The median age at diagnosis was 63.9 years. For adjuvant patients, the 1- and 2-year overall survival rate was 79% and 40%, respectively. The 1- and 2-year recurrence-free survival rate was 58% and 17%, respectively. The local-regional control rate at 1 and 2 years was 92% and 80%, respectively. For definitive patients, the 1-year overall survival, recurrence-free survival, and local-regional control rate was 24%, 16%, and 64%, respectively. Four patients developed Grade 3 or greater acute toxicity (9%) and four developed Grade 3 late toxicity (9%). Conclusions Survival for patients with pancreatic cancer remains poor. A small percentage of adjuvant patients have durable disease control, and with improved therapies, this proportion will increase. Systemic therapy offers the greatest opportunity. The present results have demonstrated that IMRT is well tolerated. Compared with those who received three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy in previously reported prospective clinical trials, patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma treated with IMRT in our series had improved acute toxicity.
Cortical surface shift estimation using stereovision and optical flow motion tracking via projection image registration

Abstract Stereovision is an important intraoperative imaging technique that captures the exposed parenchymal surface noninvasively during open cranial surgery. Estimating cortical surface shift efficiently and accurately is critical to compensate for brain deformation in the operating room (OR). In this study, we present an automatic and robust registration technique based on optical flow (OF) motion tracking to compensate for cortical surface displacement throughout surgery. Stereo images of the cortical surface were acquired at multiple time points after dural opening to reconstruct three-dimensional (3D) texture intensity-encoded cortical surfaces. A local coordinate system was established with its z-axis parallel to the average surface normal direction of the reconstructed cortical surface immediately after dural opening in order to produce two-dimensional (2D) projection images. A dense displacement field between the two projection images was determined directly from OF motion tracking without the need for feature identification or tracking. The starting and end points of the displacement vectors on the two cortical surfaces were then obtained following spatial mapping inversion to produce the full 3D displacement of the exposed cortical surface. We evaluated the technique with images obtained from digital phantoms and 18 surgical cases – 10 of which involved independent measurements of feature locations acquired with a tracked stylus for accuracy comparisons, and 8 others of which 4 involved stereo image acquisitions at three or more time points during surgery to illustrate utility throughout a procedure. Results from the digital phantom images were very accurate (0.05 pixels). In the 10 surgical cases with independently digitized point locations, the average agreement between feature coordinates derived from the cortical surface reconstructions was 1.7–2.1 mm relative to those determined with the tracked stylus probe. The agreement in feature displacement tracking was also comparable to tracked probe data (difference in displacement magnitude was
Evolution of Meander Loops

The evolution of the meanders on reaches of 10 alluvial streams in the United States is reconstructed, and a scheme for the evolution and classification of meander loops, derived from a study of the meandering pattern of 125 alluvial streams, is proposed. In the main evolutionary trend, a low symmetrical arc of approximately constant curvature tends to increase in height but decrease in radius as it grows. When its length exceeds its radius, the arc is termed a simple symmetrical meander loop. A simple loop becomes asymmetrical by the growth on its perimeter of a second arc of constant curvature, which is commonly tangent to the first and curved toward the same side of the stream. A simple loop becomes compound when a second arc on its perimeter has developed into a loop. Four main categories of loops (simple symmetrical, simple asymmetrical, compound symmetrical, and compound asymmetrical) and about 16 form types are proposed. The compound loops are regarded as aberrant forms of indefinite radius and length, but the meandering patterns can be analyzed into simple loops whose properties can be measured and treated statistically.
Structure of Polymeric PbTiO3 Gels

The structural features of PbTiO3 gels were found to be highly dependent on hydrolysis conditions. Gels formed from acid-catalyzed solutions were clear and rubbery, whereas base-catalyzed gels were translucent or cloudy with phase separation. Direct TEM observations determined that acid-catalyzed gels were fibrous in character and physically homogeneous, whereas base-catalyzed gels had a coarse texture. Analyses by EDX and SAD indicated that acidic gels were chemically homogeneous and microcrystalline, whereas basic gels were heterogeneous and amorphous.
Survival of Salmonella enteritidis Pt4 and Salm. typhimurium Swindon in aerosols.

A.S. McDERMID AND M.S. LEVER. 1996. Small particle aerosols of plate-grown Salmonella enteritidis and Salm. typhimurium were generated and maintained within a rotating drum at 75% relative humidity and 24°C for 2 h. Plate-grown organisms were found to be more aerosol-stable than broth-grown organisms. Differences were observed between the two species; plate-grown Salm. typhimurium retained 100% viability after 2 h compared to approximately 70% for plate-grown Salm. enteritidis. A large proportion of cells of both serotypes remained viable in aerosols after 2 h, confirming the potential for airborne transmission for these organisms, e.g. within henhouses and during food
Axonal Neuregulin 1 Type III Activates NF-κB in Schwann Cells during Myelin Formation

The formation of myelin requires a series of complex signaling events initiated by the axon to surrounding glial cells, which ultimately respond by tightly wrapping the axon with layers of specialized plasma membrane thereby allowing for saltatory conduction. Activation of the transcription factor NF-κB in Schwann cells has been suggested to be critical for these cells to differentiate into a myelinating phenotype; however, the mechanisms by which it is activated have yet to be elucidated. Here, we demonstrate that axonal membranes are sufficient to promote NF-κB activation in cultured Schwann cells and identify neuregulin 1 (NRG1), specifically the membrane-bound type III isoform, as the signal responsible for activating this transcription factor. Surprisingly, neither membrane-bound type I nor the soluble NRG1 EGF domain could activate NF-κB, indicating that type III induces a qualitatively unique signal. The transcriptional activity of NF-κB was significantly enhanced by treatment with forskolin, indicating these two signals converge for maximal activation. Both ErbB2 and -3 receptors were required for transducing the NRG1 signal, because gene deletion of ErbB3 in Schwann cells or treatment with the ErbB2 selective inhibitor, PKI-166, prevented the stimulation of NF-κB by axonal membranes. Finally, PKI-166 blocked the activation of the transcription factor in myelinating neuron/Schwann cell co-cultures and in vivo, in developing sciatic nerves. Taken together, these data establish NRG1 type III as the activator of NF-κB during myelin formation.
Identification of a Neural Circuit that Underlies the Effects of Octopamine on Sleep:Wake Behavior

An understanding of sleep requires the identification of distinct cellular circuits that mediate the action of specific sleep:wake-regulating molecules, but such analysis has been very limited. We identify here a circuit that underlies the wake-promoting effects of octopamine in Drosophila. Using MARCM, we identified the ASM cells in the medial protocerebrum as the wake-promoting octopaminergic cells. We then blocked octopamine signaling in random areas of the fly brain and mapped the postsynaptic effect to insulin-secreting neurons of the pars intercerebralis (PI). These PI neurons show altered potassium channel function as well as an increase in cAMP in response to octopamine, and genetic manipulation of their electrical excitability alters sleep:wake behavior. Effects of octopamine on sleep:wake are mediated by the cAMP-dependent isoform of the OAMB receptor. These studies define the cellular and molecular basis of octopamine action and suggest that the PI is a sleep:wake-regulating neuroendocrine structure like the mammalian hypothalamus.
Delineation of shallow stratigraphy using ground penetrating radar

Abstract Ground penetrating radar surveys were conducted at four sites to investigate the shallow stratigraphy and to determine the applicability and performance of the radar technique. A basic analog-recording radar system with a single 80 MHz antenna was used for all of the surveys. Good stratigraphic control existed at all of the sites so that the effectiveness of the radar could be evaluated. The four sites were distinctly different in composition and extent. At an upland farm site in the glaciated region of southwestern Ohio a clay-rich soil covers shallow bedrock. Some soil horizons were identifiable on the radar profiles, but only to a depth of 1.4 m. At a sand and gravel quarry in southwestern Ohio the depositional patterns of the unsaturated deposits were clearly imaged to a depth greater than 4 m. At a hydraulic fill dam in western Ohio the changes in the internal composition of the earthen fill were observed on the radar records to depths of 4 m. On San Salvador in the Bahamas radar profiles over partially consolidated carbonate sand revealed an extensive series of buried beach ridges to depths of 4 m. These data were useful in understanding the depositional history of the area, which could not be determined from surface and pit sampling alone. These studies show that ground penetrating radar is an important tool for studying shallow stratigraphy where the ground conductivity is low enough to permit radar reflections from depths of interest.
Critical temperature of pseudo-one- and -two-dimensional magnetic systems

Abstract It is well-known that one- and two-dimensional Heisenberg magnets can only achieve long-range order at zero temperature. On the other hand, weak coupling between chains or planes enables the system to order at a finite temperature. This paper derives approximate relations between T c and the ratio J' / J , where J is the strong coupling constant and J' is the weak coupling constant. It is shown that for pseudo-two-dimensional systems T c ≈ J /ln( J / J' ) while for pseudo-one-dimensional systems T c ≈ ( JJ' ) 1 2 . The agreements and disagreements with previous works are discussed.
Sensitivity and Specificity of Depression Questionnaires in a College-Age Sample.

The authors evaluated the sensitivity and specificity of the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II; A. T. Beck, R. A. Steer, & G. K. Brown, 1996) and Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression Scale (CESD; L. S. Radloff, 1977) questionnaires for a college-student sample. Results indicate that the BDI-II and CES-D evidenced satisfactory levels of specificity and positive predictive value for current, past-year, and lifetime depressive disorder ratings on the Diagnostic Interview Schedule-IV (American Psychiatric Association, 1994). Researchers can use the questionnaires as valid initial screens in a two-stage process designed to identify individuals meeting Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-IV (American Psychiatic Association) criteria for depressive disorders. However, if the questionnaires are the only method used to select participants, the resulting sample may include a number of false positives.
Medical and social factors as predictors of outcome in infant tracheostomy

We examined the relative impact of infant tracheostomy in comparison to associated medical and social factors, on developmental outcome as part of a cross-sectional follow-up of 32 children. These children had no mental retardation, physical handicap, or severe neurological problems, but had a history of long-term tracheostomy in infancy, ranging from 3 to 146 months duration. Medical factors evaluated included prematurity, neurological status, severity of illness, and number of weeks hospitalized. Social factors included parental education and occupation. Outcome measures included IQ, language quotient, growth parameters, and behavioral competence. Correlation analyses, stepwise multiple regression analyses, and t-tests were used. Early medical illnesses were significant predictors of cognitive, language, and growth outcome. Severity of medical complications at birth and the presence of any neurological problem predicted 49% of the variance in IQ at follow-up. Social class was the only variable to predict behavioral outcome, accounting for 28% of the variance. For children without confounding medical conditions, tracheostomy had a negative impact on overall language and auditory comprehension. Once children with confounding medical risk factors were removed from the sample, children with history of infant tracheostomy exhibited significantly lower overall mean language scores (106 versus 120), and lower mean language comprehension scores (104 versus 119) than a matched comparison group.
Random series and discrete path integral methods: The Lévy-Ciesielski implementation

We perform a thorough analysis of the relationship between discrete and series representation path integral methods, which are the main numerical techniques used in connection with the Feynman-Kac formula. First, an interpretation of the so-called standard discrete path integral methods is derived by direct discretization of the Feynman-Kac formula. Second, we consider a particular random series technique based upon the Levy-Ciesielski representation of the Brownian bridge and analyze its main implementations, namely the primitive, the partial averaging, and the reweighted versions. It is shown that the n=2(k)-1 subsequence of each of these methods can also be interpreted as a discrete path integral method with appropriate short-time approximations. We therefore establish a direct connection between the discrete and the random series approaches. In the end, we give sharp estimates on the rates of convergence of the partial averaging and the reweighted Levy-Ciesielski random series approach for sufficiently smooth potentials. The asymptotic rates of convergence are found to be O(1/n(2)), in agreement with the rates of convergence of the best standard discrete path integral techniques.
A new trick for an ancient drug: quinine dissociates antiphospholipid immune complexes

Quinine, a quinoline derivative, is an ancient antipyretic drug with antimalarial properties that has been phased out by more effective synthetic candidates. In previous studies we discovered that hydroxychloroquine (HCQ), a synthetic antimalarial with structural similarities to quinine, reduced the binding of antiphospholipid (aPL) immune complexes to phospholipid bilayers. We performed ellipsometry and atomic force microscopy (AFM) studies to measure the effect of quinine on dissociation of anti-β2-glycoprotein I (anti-β2GPI) immune complexes. We found that quinine desorbed pre-formed β2GPI-aPL immunoglobulin (Ig)G complexes from phospholipid bilayers at significantly lower molar concentrations than HCQ. Quinine also inhibited the formation of immune complexes with a higher efficacy than HCQ at equivalent drug concentrations of 0.2 mg/ml (0.192 ± 0.025 µg/cm(2) for quinine vs. 0.352 ± 0.014 µg/cm(2) for HCQ, p < 0.001). Furthermore, AFM imaging experiments revealed that addition of quinine disintegrated immune complexes bound to planar phospholipid layers. The desorptive and inhibitory effects of the old drug, quinine, toward β2GPI-aPL IgG complexes and β2GPI were significantly more pronounced compared to the synthetic antimalarial, HCQ. The results suggest that the quinoline core of the molecule is a critical domain for this activity and that side chains may further modulate this effect. The results also indicate that there may yet be room for considering new activities of very old drugs in devising clinical trials on potential non-anticoagulant treatments for antiphospholipid syndrome (APS).
Diterpenes of Podocarpus ferrugineus bark

Abstract The following oxygenated diterpenes have been isolated from the bark of Podocarpus ferrugineus D. Don: isopimarol, isopimaric acid, sandaracopimaric acid, ferruginol, sugiol, sugiyl methyl ether, xanthoperol, royleanone, 6-dehydroroyleanone, cryptojaponol, 5β-hydroxy-6-oxasugiyl methyl ether, 2-ketoferruginol and 2β-acetoxysugiyl methyl ether.
New formulations and solution procedures for the hop constrained network design problem

Abstract Optical fiber provides tremendous advantages in being able to carry a wide range of services including video on demand, video conferencing, distance learning, remote medical imaging, and telecommuting. The high capacities encourage carriers to create networks that are substantially sparser than previous copper based networks. A recent publication by the Telecommunications Industry Association indicated that investment in fiber optics is projected to reach $35 billion in the year 2003. Given the magnitude of investments, the design of networks becomes a very important issue. Most telecommunication companies (telcos), IT consulting companies, network equipment manufacturers and network service providers have extensive network design groups. The primary function of these groups is to design the most efficient networks both in terms of costs and performance and maintain them. These designers need flexible tools to support topological network design decisions. These decisions involve significant levels of investments in transmissions and switching facilities, and impact the resulting networks’ performance fundamentally. In this paper we study a special type of a network design problem called the hop constrained backbone network design problem. We present new mathematical programming formulations of the problem and develop an efficient solution procedure based on the linear programming relaxation. Extensive computational results across a number of networks are reported.
Reduced angiotensin II levels cause generalized vascular dysfunction via oxidant stress in hamster cheek pouch arterioles.

Objectives We investigated the effect of suppressing plasma angiotensin II (ANG II) levels on arteriolar relaxation in the hamster cheek pouch.
Understanding the molecular basis of HBV drug resistance by molecular modeling

Despite the significant successes in the area of anti-HBV agents, resistance and cross-resistance against available therapeutics are the major hurdles in drug discovery. The present investigation is to understand the molecular basis of drug resistance conferred by the B and C domain mutations of HBV-polymerase on the binding affinity of five anti-HBV agents [lamivudine (3TC, 1), adefovir (ADV, 2), entecavir (ETV, 3), telbivudine (LdT, 4) and clevudine (l-FMAU, 5)]. In this regard, homology modeled structure of HBV-polymerase was used for minimization, conformational search and induced fit docking followed by binding energy calculation on wild-type as well as on mutant HBV-polymerases (L180M, M204V, M204I, L180M+M204V, L180M-M204I). Our studies suggest a significant correlation between the fold resistances and the binding affinity of anti-HBV nucleosides. The binding mode studies reveals that the domain C residue M204 is closely associated with sugar/pseudosugar ring positioning in the active site. The positioning of oxathiolane ring of 3TC (1) is plausible due the induced fit orientation of the M204 residue in wild-type, and further mutation of M204 to V204 or I204 reduces the final binding affinity which leads to the drug resistance. The domain B residue L180 is not directly close ( approximately 6A) to the nucleoside/nucleoside analogs, but indirectly associated with other active-site hydrophobic residues such as A87, F88, P177 and M204. These five hydrophobic residues can directly affect on the incoming nucleoside analogs in terms of its association and interaction that can alter the final binding affinity. There was no sugar ring shifting observed in the case of adefovir (2) and entecavir (3), and the position of sugar ring of 2 and 3 is found similar to the sugar position of natural substrate dATP and dGTP, respectively. The exocyclic double bond of entecavir (3) occupied in the backside hydrophobic pocket (made by residues A87, F88, P177, L180 and M204), which enhances the overall binding affinity. The active site binding of LdT (4) and l-FMAU (5) showed backward shifting along with upward movement without enforcing M204 residue and this significant different binding mode makes these molecules as polymerase inhibitors, without being incorporated into the growing HBV-DNA chain. Structural results conferred by these l- and d-nucleosides, explored the molecular basis of drug resistance which can be utilized for future anti-HBV drug discovery.
A Painful Pause

An 83-year-old man had lancinating throat pain, triggered by swallowing, coughing, and even speaking. He would pass out with excruciating pain. Magnetic resonance imaging showed an abnormal posterior inferior cerebellar artery loop (PICA) (left, arrow) exiting the brainstem (left, arrowhead), near the left glossopharyngeal and vagus nerves. Arterial compression from the posterior inferior cerebellar artery on the cranial nerves could produce demyelination, resulting in abnormal cross-conduction. Pain and syncope disappeared with carbamazepine treatment. Severe pain can cause vasovagal syncope,1 but direct vagal stimulation was responsible for asystole in our patient (right). A pacemaker will not prevent syncope if pain is associated with a vasovagal response.2
Two year follow-up of atypical depression.

Abstract The symptom cluster of Atypical Depression (AD) has been characterized based on its presentation and selective response to pharmacological treatments, while relatively little is known about the outcome of these patients after treatment trials. The present study was undertaken to assess the long term outcome of 40 patients after a controlled treatment trial of fluoxetine vs phenelzine. Twenty five of these subjects were interviewed approximately two years after completion of the initial trial. They reported a high frequency of symptom recurrence, but generally little symptomatic or social impairment between episodes. Eighteen subjects were taking antidepressants at follow-up. A higher frequency of depressive episodes was recorded during the times when off antidepressant medications. Overall outcome was rated as moderate or good in the majority of subjects. These results suggest that AD presents from similarities with other subtypes of depression, with high rates of symptomatic recurrence and lasting response to chronic antidepressant treatment. Conversely, social functioning and overall outcome appear more favorable in AD.
A re-evaluation of the Bruchiaceae with the description of a new genus.

It is proposed that the Bruchiaceae be restored as a family distinct from the Dicranaceae on the basis of the longnecked, stomatose capsules. The peristome teeth, when present, are vertically barred (or papillose when reduced) rather than vertically pitted. The family is considered to consist ofBruchia, Pringleella,Eobruchia gen. nov., andTrematodon. The Bruchiaceae seem transitional between the Dicranaceae and the Ditrichaceae.Wilsoniella is transferred to the Ditrichaceae andCampylostelium venezuelanum toDicranella.
NMR indirect detection of glutamate to measure citric acid cycle flux in the isolated perfused mouse heart

(13)C-edited proton nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy was used to follow enrichment of glutamate C3 and C4 with a temporal resolution of approximately 20 s in mouse hearts perfused with (13)C-enriched substrates. A fit of the NMR data to a kinetic model of the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle and related exchange reactions yielded TCA cycle (V(tca)) and exchange (V(x)) fluxes between alpha-ketoglutarate and glutamate. These fluxes were substrate-dependent and decreased in the order acetate (V(tca)=14.1 micromol g(-1) min(-1); V(x)=26.5 micromol g(-1) min(-1))>octanoate (V(tca)=6.0 micromol g(-1) min(-1); V(x)=16.1 micromol g(-1) min(-1))>lactate (V(tca)=4.2 micromol g(-1) min(-1); V(x)=6.3 micromol g(-1) min(-1)).
Evaluation of the utilization of the supine position in intraoral radiology.

Abstract Supine and upright positions of patients are compared with respect to radiographic quality.
Adult Perception of Emotion Intensity in Human Infant Cries: Effects of Infant Age and Cry Acoustics

The relation between adult perception of emotion intensity in the cries of 1- and 6-month-old infants and the acoustic characteristics of the cries was examined. In the first study, adults who were inexperienced in child care rated 40 cries on 3 emotion intensity scales: anger, fear, and distress. The cries of 6-month-olds were rated as being significantly more intense. Different acoustic variables accounted for emotion intensity ratings for the 2 infant ages. Peak amplitude and noisiness of the cry predicted adult judgments of intensity ratings of 1-month-olds' cries; a measure of amplitude ratio (in 2 frequency bands) was the best predictor of intensity ratings of 6-month-olds' cries. In the second study, parents of infants rated the same cries on the same scales. They also rated the older infants' cries as being more intense. The 2 adult groups did not differ on their ratings, and a regression equation derived from one adult group predicted the other adult group's rating of the same infant age better than it predicted its own ratings for the other infant age. Infant age, and its associated acoustic features, seems to be a more important determinant of adults' perception of emotion intensity than are such adult characteristics as gender or infant-care experience.
Examining the Relationship Between Emergent Literacy Skills and Invented Spelling in Prekindergarten Spanish-Speaking Dual Language Learners

The purpose of the present study was to examine associations among English and Spanish emergent literacy skills of prekindergarten (pre-K) Spanish-speaking dual language learners in relation to their English invented spelling. Study participants included 141 Spanish-speaking 4-year-old children enrolled in state-funded pre-K programs in a large urban city located in the Southeast. All children were receiving English-only instruction. Children’s Spanish and English receptive vocabulary and code-related skills were assessed in the fall and spring of their pre-K year, but their invented spelling was assessed only in the spring. Research Findings: Analyses revealed significant correlations among children’s English and Spanish receptive vocabulary as well as English and Spanish early code-related skills in the fall and spring of the school year. Hierarchical regression analyses revealed direct contributions of children’s English vocabulary and growth in Spanish code-related skills across the year to children’s...
Empirical equation for tissue-maximum ratios/scatter-maximum ratios for indirectly ionizing radiotherapy beams

A six‐parameter equation has been fitted to the tissue‐maximum ratio/scatter maximum ration (TMR/SMR) tables for 60Co, 4‐, 6‐, and 10‐MV photon beams as well as the 35‐MeV d→Be neutron beam. The empirical equation has been shown to fit the 60Co tissue–air ratio/scatter–air ratio (TAR/SAR) data equally well. The TMR/SMR model was developed from a three‐parameter equation designed to eliminate the graphical extrapolation of zero‐field size TARs.
Three-dimensional immiscible lattice gas: Application to sheared phase separation

A new lattice-gas cellular automaton model for simulating binary fluids in three dimensions is introduced. It is particularly suitable for modeling slow flows of mixtures with complicated interface geometries or within complicated boundaries, such as in the interior of a porous rock. Phase separation is triggered spontaneously in the model by statistical fluctuations and phase domains are approximately isotropic. The measured surface tension is large compared to that in analogous two-dimensional models. The model is applied to a study of the time-dependent effective viscosity of a phase-separating mixture in a simple shear flow. Results qualitatively match both experiment and theory: the viscosity increases rapidly, then decays gradually to a steady-state value which is larger than the viscosity of the pure fluids. The effective viscosity increases with increasing concentration and decreases with increasing strain rate.
On the electronic transport properties of amorphous (Si,Ge) alloys: charged scattering centers and compositional disorder☆

Abstract The electronic transport properties of a-(Si,Ge):H alloys over the entire range of Ge content (0–100%) grown using low pressure, reactive ECR plasma deposition with high H dilution and subtle (sub-ppm) B-doping have been investigated in detail by employing the microwave photomixing technique. Strong evidence for the existence of long-range potential fluctuations in a-(Si,Ge):H alloys has been found from the measurements of electric field dependence of the drift mobility. It was observed for the first time that the film transport properties do not degrade monotonically with increasing Ge content; there exists a valley point near the middle of the composition range, where the strongest potential fluctuations occur as a result of a significant increase in the charged defect density. Beyond this point, the film quality increases again, but still much worse than that for the Si end. The effect of potential fluctuations can be enhanced by adding Ge or Si to the alloy system resulting in deterioration of the transport properties of a-(Si,Ge):H alloys. Our present results demonstrate that the increased charged scattering centers and compositional disorder upon adding Ge or Si to the alloys play an important role in the potential fluctuations.
ANIMAL GEOGRAPHY IN GEOGRAPHY TEXTBOOKS: A CRITICAL ANALYSIS

(1961). ANIMAL GEOGRAPHY IN GEOGRAPHY TEXTBOOKS: A CRITICAL ANALYSIS. The Professional Geographer: Vol. 13, No. 2, pp. 13-16.
Endogenous Ligand of α1 Sodium Pump, Marinobufagenin, Is a Novel Mediator of Sodium Chloride–Dependent Hypertension

Background— Digitalis-like sodium pump ligands (SPLs) effect natriuresis via inhibition of renal tubular Na+,K+-ATPase but may induce vasoconstriction. The present study investigated the potential roles of 2 putative endogenous SPLs, an ouabain-like compound (OLC) and an α1 Na+,K+-ATPase inhibitor, marinobufagenin (MBG), in regulating natriuresis and blood pressure (BP) responses to sustained and acute NaCl loading in Dahl salt-sensitive rats (DS). Methods and Results— During 4 weeks of an 8% NaCl diet, DS exhibited a progressive increase in MBG renal excretion (66±13 pmol/24 hours at week 4 versus 11±1 pmol/24 hours at baseline, n=48), which paralleled an increase in systolic BP (174±10 mm Hg at week 4 versus 110±2 mm Hg at baseline). By contrast, OLC excretion peaked at week 1 and returned to baseline levels. Administration of an anti-MBG, but not anti-ouabain antibody, to DS after 3 weeks of a high NaCl diet lowered BP (139±7 versus 175±5 mm Hg, P<0.001, n=5). Acute NaCl loading (2 hours) of DS (n=5) i...
Satellite geodesy: Results

Since the last Quadrennial Report in 1967, progress in satellite geodesy has been confined to refining the results as of 1967 by adding data of greater accuracy and better distribution and to combining the various solutions. None of the avant-garde methods, such as satellite, altimetry, very long base line interferometry (VLBI), drag-free satellites, or satellite-to-satellite tracking with continuous coverage, has produced results at this time. Other representations of the gravity field, such as a layer model [Koch and Morrison, 1970] and gravity anomalies estimated from satellite data [Obenson, 1970], have been successful and show promise. Several studies [e.g., Wong and Prislin, 1970] have shown that electronic (Tranet Doppler) data and optical (Baker-Nunn) data are quite compatible and equivalent for orbit calculation purposes. This compatibility indicates that either type of data can be used for geodetic research.
Beyond Comparing Image Pairs: Setwise Active Learning for Relative Attributes

It is useful to automatically compare images based on their visual properties -- to predict which image is brighter, more feminine, more blurry, etc. However, comparative models are inherently more costly to train than their classification counterparts. Manually labeling all pairwise comparisons is intractable, so which pairs should a human supervisor compare? We explore active learning strategies for training relative attribute ranking functions, with the goal of requesting human comparisons only where they are most informative. We introduce a novel criterion that requests a partial ordering for a set of examples that minimizes the total rank margin in attribute space, subject to a visual diversity constraint. The setwise criterion helps amortize effort by identifying mutually informative comparisons, and the diversity requirement safeguards against requests a human viewer will find ambiguous. We develop an efficient strategy to search for sets that meet this criterion. On three challenging datasets and experiments with "live" online annotators, the proposed method outperforms both traditional passive learning as well as existing active rank learning methods.
National Technology Center and photonics

A National Technology Center is proposed in order to meet the international challenges to the economy and security of the United States. This center would be tasked with the acquisition, analysis, assessment, and dissemination of worldwide scientific and technical information and data; technology transfer to the United States; and research and development in information and library sciences and technology. The National Technology Center would form a national network linking centers of excellence and expertise, and maintain a national technology library. With these functions, the National Technology Center has inherent requirements for technologies based on photonics, and will further motivate developments in this field.© (1992) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
The Cyclic Strain Resistance, Stress Response, Fatigue Life, and Fracture Behavior of a High Performance Alloy Steel

In this paper, the results of a recent study aimed at understanding the role of microstructure on cyclic stress response, cyclic strain resistance, deformation, fatigue life, and fracture behavior of the high strength alloy steel PremoMet 290 is presented and discussed. The cyclic strain amplitude-controlled fatigue properties, deformation, and resultant fracture behavior of the alloy steel specimens are discussed when cyclically deformed over a range of strain amplitudes. The intrinsic mechanisms governing stress response, stress versus strain response fatigue life, deformation, and final fracture behavior are presented and discussed in light of the competing and mutually interactive influences of intrinsic microstructural effects, deformation characteristics of the microstructural constituents, cyclic strain amplitude, and concomitant response stress.
Mutagenicity of Diesel Exhaust Particles from an Engine with Differing Exhaust After Treatments

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of engine operating conditions and exhaust aftertreatments on the mutagenicity of diesel particulate matter (DPM) collected directly in an underground mine environment. A number of after-treatment devices are currently used on diesel engines in mines, but it is critical to determine whether reductions in DPM concentrations result in a corresponding decrease in adverse health effects. An eddy-current dynamometer was used to operate naturally aspirated mechanically controlled engine at several steady-state conditions. The samples were collected when the engine was equipped with a standard muffler, a diesel oxidation catalytic converter, two types of uncatalyzed diesel particulate filter systems, and three types of disposable diesel particulate filter elements. Bacterial gene mutation activity of DPM was tested on acetone extracts using the Ames Salmonella assay. The results indicated strong correlation between engine operating conditions and mutagenic acti...
Differential effect of protein and zinc deficiencies on lymphokine activity in BCG-vaccinated guinea pigs

Abstract Pathogen-free guinea pigs maintained on isocaloric, purified low protein (LP), low zinc (LZ) and control (C) diets and commercial chow (Ch) were vaccinated with viable Mycobacterium bovis BCG and sacrificed 4, 5, and 6 weeks later. Both groups of malnourished animals showed weight loss and zinc-deficient guinea pigs had reduced plasma zinc levels. Serum proteins and albumin levels were reduced in LP guinea pigs. Animals on LP and LZ diets showed significantly impaired delayed hypersensitivity to dinitrochlorobenzene and tuberculin when compared to animals consuming the C and the CH regimen. The ability of peritoneal exudate cells to produce macrophage migration inhibition factor (MIF) when stimulated with PPD in vitro was diminished in animals maintained on the LZ diet for more than 5 weeks, but was unaffected by protein deficiency. Reduced capacity to produce functional lymphokines may contribute to skin test anergy in chronic zinc deficiency, but does not explain loss of delayed hypersensitivity in protein-deprived guinea pigs.
Immunofluorescent detection and localization of thyroxine in blood of Rana catesbeiana from early larval through metamorphic stages.

Abstract Indirect immunofluorescent staining was used to detect and localize thyroxine (T 4 ) in blood smears from individual Rana catesbeiana tadpoles in almost every stage of larval development. Earlier radioimmunoassays revealed a surge of T 4 in the blood plasma during metamorphic stages, but plasma T 4 concentrations in earlier stages were either very low or below the minimal detectable limits of the assays. With the present immunoflorescent method, T 4 was found in plasma of tadpoles throughout the entire larval period from early limb bud stages to the end of metamorphosis. Moreover, T 4 was also found in association with cytoplasm and nuclei of red blood cells, particularly nuclei of the new population of adult red cells differentiating during metamorphic stages. In conclusion, thyroid hormone is present in both blood plasma and erythrocytes of R. catesbeiana from early through late stages of larval development.
Homeomorphism versus isomorphism for varieties

Abstract It is well known that a morphism onto a weakly normal algebraic variety that is both birational and a universal homemorphism is an isomorphism of varieties. in this note, the author shows that a birational morphism onto a weakly normal algebraic variety X with a continuous inverse is necessarily an isomorphism of varieties if and only if X had no one-dimensional components. Thus the characterization of the weak normalization of a variety X as the largest variety that is birationally homeomorphic to X is only valid in the absence of one-dimensional components. All varieties are over a fixed algebraically closed field.
Effective population size in a songbird: some possible implications

Song dialects in White-crowned Sparrows (Zonotrichia ieucophrys nuttalli) may act as partial barriers to the free exchange of genes. Within a dialect population, a genetic neighbourhood comprises about 100 individuals. Other factors combine to reduce the effective number to less than 50. By Wright’s methods, the genetic divergence among subpopulations (Fst) expected in a population exhibiting this size effective number with neutral alleles is about an order of magnitude larger than the observed Fst calculated from electrophoretically detectable alleles. Natural selection may therefore be maintaining greater homogeneity within a dialect than expected by assuming that alleles are neutral. From the torus model of Maruyama, however, the expected Fst values are close to those observed, suggesting no major departures from panmixia within dialect populations. The degree of genetic isolation exhibited between dialect populations may provide an explanation for the more rapid rate of speciation in passerine birds.