cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Vasodilator Responses to ATP and UTP are cAMP Dependent in the Mesenteric Vascular Bed of the Cat

Background: This study was designed to examine the responses to and the mechanism by which purinergic agonists decrease vascular resistance in the mesenteric vascular bed of the cat.Methods and Results: Injections of ATP, UTP, and 2-MethylThioATP (2-MetSATP) into the mesenteric perfusion circuit elicited dose-dependent decreases in perfusion pressure while injections of P,y-MethylATP (f3,y-MetATP) produced a biphasic response with an initial vasopressor response followed by a vasodilator response. The order of potency of the vasodilator response was 2-MetSATP > ATP > UTP > P,y-MetATP. The vasodilator responses to ATP, UTP, 2-MetSATP, and P,y-MetATP were increased in duration by the cAMP phosphodiesterase inhibitor, rolipram. However, vasodilator responses were not altered by the adminstration of a nitric oxide synthase inhibitor, a cGMP phosphodiesterase inhibitor, or a cyclooxygenase inhibitor. Treatment with PPADS, a P2X,, P2Y, and P2Y4 receptor antagonist, did not alter vasodilator responses to the pur...
Radiofrequency ablation—what is left?

The purpose of this is paper is to present briefly a review on the current state of the art of radiofrequency catheter ablation and describe areas of future challenge: what is left. We must ensure quality control of our training programmes and procedures as we progress to the next challenge, that of atrial fibrillation and ventricular tachyorrhythmias in patients with structural heart diseuse.
Energy and rural development

Publisher Summary This chapter presents the details related to energy and its role in rural development. Unless and until electrical or other commercial forms of energy are made abundantly and inexpensively available to the rural areas of the poor countries, the growing populations of these areas must depend mainly on energy they can produce themselves. Two principal technical problems are: (1) the development and introduction of improved sources of energy for household and agricultural use, and (2) better ways of energy conservation. The challenge of research and development is to produce energy-conversion equipment and processes that more fully meet all criteria. It can be expected, however, that even after considerable improvement has been accomplished, trade-offs among criteria will still be necessary, based on economic, social, and political considerations. The large-scale burning of firewood and cereal straw as a source of energy for cooking and space heating has serious implications.
Application of transition-rate theory to an atomistic model of environmentally assisted fracture

Abstract The Vineyard transition-rate theory is applied to a simple, atomistic model of environmentally assisted fracture. The model itself consists of a linear four-atom chain, with nearest-neighbor atoms interacting via Morse-function potentials. Transition rates for crack extension and healing (that is, for opening and closing, respectively, of the central interatomic bond) are calculated as a function of both lattice strain and the extent of assumed environment-induced decohesion of the inner bond, for a fixed value of temperature.
Cohomological restrictions on finite group actions

Let G be a finite group and X a connected, finite-dimensional G-CW-complex. In this paper we apply methods from cohomology of groups and representation theory to obtain restrictions on the RG-module structure of H∗(X;R), given isotropy subgroups of prescribed size. The two basis techniques which we use are cohomological exponents and complexity. In particular we exhibit a method for generalizing results about free (Z/p)r-actions to arbitrary ones by using shifted subgroups.
Timing of reproductive maturation in rural versus urban Tonga boys, Zambia

Background: Population variation in the timing of reproductive maturation among boys has received relatively little attention. However, evidence that the timing of pubertal onset is related to measures of adiposity suggests that the onset of reproductive maturation among boys in populations with poor nutritional status will be delayed.Aim: This study seeks to determine the impact of nutritional status on the timing of reproductive maturation by comparing urban and rural boys in an African population.Subjects and methods: Subjects were 794 rural and urban Tonga boys from Zambia, ages 5–19. Onset of puberty was defined as testicular volume >3 mL, which was measured using Prader beads. Data on height, weight, triceps skinfolds, and dental development were also obtained.Results: Onset of testicular growth was 11.2 years (95% CI 10.9–11.4) for urban boys and 12.4 (95% CI 12.1–12.9) years for rural boys. Completion of testicular growth was also earlier in the urban sample: 15.3 years (95% CI 15.0–5.6) versus 17...
MODIS-derived surface temperature of the Great Salt Lake

Abstract The surface temperature of Utah's hypersaline Great Salt Lake is examined between 2000 and 2007 using 3345 images from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on board the NASA Earth Observing System Terra and Aqua platforms. This study shows the utility of using a multi-year record of the easily accessible and fully processed MODIS thermal imagery to monitor spatial, diurnal, seasonal, and annual variations in the surface water temperature (SWT) of lakes where long-term in situ measurements are rarely available. A cloud-free Terra image is available on average every day during the summer and early fall, every other day during spring and late fall, and every third day during the winter. MODIS-derived lake SWT exhibits a cool bias (~ − 1.5 °C) relative to in situ temperature observations gathered from three buoys and a slowly-moving watercraft. The dominant SWT signal is the annual cycle (with a range of 26 °C and peak temperature in mid-July) while the diurnal range is as large as 4 °C during the spring season. Year-to-year variations in SWT are largest during the fall with over 1 °C anomalously warm (cold) departures from the 8-year monthly medians observed during fall 2001 (2006). The MODIS imagery provides an updated SWT climatology for operational weather forecasting applications (e.g., lake-effect snow storm prediction) as well as for input into operational and research numerical weather prediction models.
Latent inhibition in schizophrenia

Latent inhibition (LI) refers to the retarded acquisition of a conditioned response that occurs if the subject being tested is first preexposed to the to-be-conditioned stimulus (CS) without the paired unconditioned stimulus (UCS). Because the 'irrelevance' of the to-be-conditioned stimulus is established during non-contingent preexposure, the slowed acquisition of the CS-UCS association is thought to reflect the process of overcoming this learned irrelevance. Latent inhibition has been reported to be diminished in acutely hospitalized schizophrenia patients. If acutely hospitalized schizophrenia patients are preexposed to the CS, they learn the association as fast as, and perhaps faster than, patients who are not preexposed to the CS. This finding has been interpreted as reflecting the inability of acute schizophrenia patients to ignore irrelevant stimuli. In this study, the LI paradigm was identical to the one used in previous reports of LI deficits in schizophrenia patients (Baruch et al., 1988). Latent inhibition was observed in normal control subjects (n = 73), including individuals identified as 'psychosis-prone' based on established screening criteria, and in anxiety (n = 19) and mood disorder (n = 13) patients. Learning scores (trials to criterion) in "acutely' hospitalized as well as "chronic' hospitalized schizophrenia patients (n = 45) were significantly elevated in both preexposed and non-preexposed subjects, compared to controls. Acute schizophrenia patients exhibited intact LI. Separate cohorts of acute and chronic schizophrenia patients (n = 23) and normal controls (n = 34) exhibited intact LI when tested in a new, easier-to-acquire computerized LI paradigm. These results fail to identify specific LI deficits in schizophrenia patients, and raise the possibility that previously observed LI deficits in schizophrenia patients may reflect, at least in part, performance deficits related to learning acquisition.
Children and the quality of ambulatory care.

To the Editor: Mangione-Smith et al. (Oct. 11 issue)1 report that children receive only 46.5% of recommended health care. Is our goal 100% adherence to these recommendations? What are barriers to i...
TCT-32 Lack of mortality benefit of Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone system inhibitors in patients without left ventricular dysfunction following primary percutaneous intervention for ST segment elevation myocardial infarction

There is a paucity of evidence on the impact of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEi) and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARB) on long-term outcomes in patients with ejection fraction (EF) >40% after primary percutaneous coronary intervention (pPCI) for ST-segment elevation myocardial
Development of Corona Measurements and Their Relation to the Dielectric Strength of Capacitors

Development and evaluation of corona measurements have contributed greatly toward solution of the problem of determining satisfactory voltage stress levels in capacitors. Until recent years, short-time voltage breakdown tests were the only quick means of determining required dielectric thicknesses. However, practical operating voltage stress levels were established more by service experience than by short-time measurements. The time consumed in obtaining the service experience on new materials or designs made advances in design practice slow and uncertain. During the last 15 years it has become evident how closely the life of a capacitor in service is linked with the ionization voltage level of its dielectric. New measurement techniques have been developed, by means of which insulation ionization levels can be quickly and quantitatively established. Results of ionization tests have been correlated with long-time life tests and service experience. As a result, it now is possible to use the ionization test as a valuable guide in selecting improved dielectric materials, and in designing to meet new operating conditions. While this paper refers specifically to the very thin dielectrics used in capacitors, the techniques described can be applied also to evaluate electrical insulations for other devices.
Modeling and optimization in early detection programs with a single exam

L'efficacite des strategies de depistage des maladies depend pour beaucoup du moment ou l'on procede aux tests et aux examens qui peuvent permettre de les diagnostiquer. Dans cet article, qui voudrait definir des cadres flexibles de prise de decision pour une meilleure politique de detection, nous nous penchons sur le choix du moment ou proceder au depistage dans le cas ou celui-ci n'est applique a chaque personne qu'a une seule reprise. Pour ce faire, nous nous concentrons sur la relation theorique entre le moment optimal de l'examen et les distributions des temps passes par les patients dans differentes categories d'etats de sante relatifs a la maladie, puis nous derivons, a partir de deux fonctions d'utilite distinctes, des solutions approchees de l'âge optimal pour le depistage. Nous discutons la maniere dont cette solution optimale est influencee par les antecedents des patients et par la specification des fonctions d'utilite. Enfin, nous presentons une application dans la detection du cancer du colon par sigmoidoscopie ou coloscopie uniques.
What aggregators do: Towards a networked concept of journalistic expertise in the digital age

This article analyzes expertise in the digital age through an ethnography of an increasingly valorized form of newswork – ‘serious, old fashioned reporting’ – and its purported occupational opposite, news aggregation. The article begins with a content analysis of the 4 March 2010 Federal Communications Commission workshop in which journalists tried to draw a sharp boundary between reporting and aggregation. In the second section the article explores the actual hybridized practices of journalistic aggregation. The empirical investigation serves as a scaffolding on which to build a theory of digital expertise that sees the nature and struggle over that expertise as networked properties. Expertise, according to the argument advanced in the final section, is neither a fixed property that can be ‘claimed’, nor is it simply the inevitable outcome of a clear occupational struggle over a particular jurisdiction. Specifically, the networks examined here coalesce around different conceptions of ‘what counts’ as a v...
Transurethral in-vivo optical properties of the human prostate gland

We determined the optical properties of the human prostate, in vivo, over multiple wavelengths for 6 men, in an outpatient setting. Analysis of these data reveal reliable determination of the optical properties in the 650 - 800 nm range, however, values in the shorter wavelengths (400 - 625 nm) were not interpretable due to a low signal to noise ratio. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of the optical properties i.e. reduced scattering coefficient [(mu) s' (cm-1)], absorption coefficient [(mu) a (cm-1)], and penetration depth [(delta) (cm)], for the in vivo human prostate over multiple wavelengths in the white light spectrum.© (1996) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
The Cognitive Levels Test: Its Relationship with Reading and Mathematics Achievement.

Any instrument designed to measure broad cognitive ability is expected to correlate substantially with valid measures of academic achievement. This report describes an investigation designed to evaluate the relationship between the Cognitive Levels Test, a newly available instrument, and two tests of academic achievement that have been widely used for nearly two decades: the Woodcock Reading Mastery Tests and the KeyMath Diagnostic Arithmetic Test. The study included children in grades K-2 who were enrolled in a remedial summer school program. The results showed the Cognitive Levels Test (Cognitive Index) to be rather highly correlated with the KeyMath Diagnostic Arithmetic Test Total score (r=.72) and moderately correlated with the Woodcock Reading Mastery Tests Total Reading score (r=.55). A repeated measures analysis of variance comparing standard scores for the Cognitive Levels Test with those of the Woodcock Reading Mastery Tests indicated few mean differences between the two sets of scores. Implications concerning the validity of the Cognitive Levels Test were discussed.
Improvements on Taylor's upper bound for rigid-plastic composites

Abstract A method is described for bounding the effective yield behavior of a mixture composed of anisotropic rigid-plastic materials. It is assumed that the only mechanism for deformation is plastic deformation of individual grains and that the set of stresses causing plastic flow (the “yield surface”) is known for each constituent material. Variational principles are used to generate an upper bound on the effective yield surface from bounds on the elastic moduli of a suitably chosen linearly elastic medium having the same geometry as the given material. This work is then compared with that of Taylor and of Bishop and Hill, who derived an upper bound for polycrystals deforming by slip. Their results are shown to be recovered when using the elementary arithmetic mean bound for the linear material. Moreover, it is shown that if one uses more sophisticated bounds on linear properties then the new bound is tighter than those of Taylor and of Bishop and Hill. An added advantage of the proposed bounding procedure is the ability to obtain bounds which depend on two-point correlation functions by using the analogous linear bounds.
Ligand-independent activation of oestrogen receptor alpha by caveolin-1.

Expression of caveolin-1 in the human mammary adenocarcinoma cell line MCF-7 causes ligand-independent concentration of oestrogen receptor alpha (ERalpha) in the nucleus, and potentiates ligand-independent and ligand-dependent transcription from an oestrogen response element-driven reporter gene. Furthermore, caveolin-1 co-immunoprecipitates with ERalpha [Schlegel, Wang, Katzenellenbogen, Pestell and Lisanti (1999) J. Biol. Chem. 274, 33551-33556]. In the present study we show that caveolin-1 binds directly to ERalpha. This interaction is mediated by residues 82-101 of caveolin-1 (i.e. the caveolin scaffolding domain) and residues 1-282 of ERalpha. The caveolin-binding domain of ERalpha includes the ligand-independent transactivation domain, activation function (AF)-1, but lacks the hormone-binding domain and the ligand-gated transactivation domain, AF-2. In co-transfection studies, caveolin-1 potentiates the transcriptional activation of ERalpha(1-282), a truncation mutant that has intact AF-1 and DNA-binding domains. Since AF-1 activity is regulated largely by phosphorylation we determined that co-expression with caveolin-1 increased the basal phosphorylation of ERalpha(1-282), but blocked the epidermal growth factor-dependent increase in phosphorylation. Indeed, caveolin-1 interacted with and potentiated the transactivation of an ERalpha mutant that cannot be phosphorylated by extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)1/2 [ERalpha(Ser(118)-->Ala)]. Thus caveolin-1 is a novel ERalpha regulator that drives ERK1/2-independent phosphorylation and activation of AF-1.
Prolonged intermittent reversed end-diastolic flow in a monochorionic twin pregnancy associated with twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome and absence of Hyrtl's anastomosis.

Prolonged Intermittent Reversed End-Diastolic Flow in a Monochorionic Twin Pregnancy Associated with Twin-to-Twin Transfusion Syndrome and Absence of Hyrtl’s Anastomosis
Habits: Our cognitive shortcut

Accepting the habitual system as an inseparable part of our minds, understanding its limitation and the way it works, may help us to achieve our long-term goals.
First-Principles Investigation of the Li-Fe-F Phase Diagram and Equilibrium and Nonequilibrium Conversion Reactions of Iron Fluorides with Lithium

We have used density functional theory (DFT) to investigate the ternary phase diagram of the Li−Fe−F system and the reactions of Li with iron fluorides. Several novel compounds, not previously identified in the Li−Fe−F system, are predicted to be stable. Electrochemical voltage profiles, derived from the evolution of the Li chemical potential in the calculated phase diagram, are in reasonable agreement with experimental trends. The effect of particle size on the Fe that precipitates when LixFeF3 reacts with Li is also investigated. We find that when 1 nm Fe particles form, the potential for this reaction is considerably reduced from its bulk value and relate this to the experimental observations. Furthermore, we formulate a model for the significant hysteresis that is observed in the lithiation and delithiation of FeF3. Nonequilibrium paths derived by assuming much faster diffusion of Li than Fe are in reasonable agreement with experimental profiles. Our kinetic model predicts that the iron fluoride react...
Competition between strain and chemistry effects on adhesion of Si and SiC

We use ab initio calculations to demonstrate that adhesion of Si and SiC depends on the interplay between surface strain and chemistry. We discover that work of adhesion of Si depends linearly on surface strain. Compressive surface strain increases adhesion, which explains why bare Si-terminated SiC has larger adhesion than Si. However, with as little as one monolayer of oxygen coverage, adhesion of SiC becomes negligible while adhesion of Si remains finite irrespectively of the specific oxygen configuration. This effect is due to fundamental differences between reactivities of Si and SiC during the early stages of oxidation.
Land Use Change on Michigan's Lake Superior Shoreline: Integrating Land Tenure and Land Cover Type Data

Abstract In many rural areas of the United States, in-migration is driven by the desire for the natural amenities of the region. For the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, Lake Superior is a key aesthetic and environmental asset. Land use change has been dramatic in some shoreline areas of Lake Superior. The nearshore also contains critical habitat and ecosystems which are different from inland ecosystems. This paper examines the changes in property ownership, both public and private, as they relate to lakeshore land cover types in nine counties of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Geographic Information Systems combined with detailed property analysis indicate that wetlands have had less than expected development while several other locally rare habitats have had more development. Patterns of county by county development have not been uniform across the Upper Peninsula. Public lands can protect some habitat types. Examination of ecosystem properties and land ownership patterns is greatly facilitated by the land imagery process used in this paper.
Synthesis of 2,3-Dihydro-3-hydroxy-2-hydroxylalkylbenzofurans from Epoxy Aldehydes. One-Step Syntheses of Brosimacutin G, Vaginidiol, Vaginol, Smyrindiol, Xanthoarnol, and Avicenol A. Biomimetic Syntheses of Angelicin and Psoralen

We have developed two practical one-step syntheses of 2,3-dihydro-3-hydroxy-2-hydroxyalkylbenzofurans from readily available optically pure α,β−epoxy aldehydes. Electron-deficient resorcinols react with epoxy aldehydes using either Cs2CO3 in DMF or KOH/CaCl2 in MeOH to give adducts 13, 16, 18, 20, 21, and brosimacutin G (6t). Grignard reagents prepared by low-temperature halogen−metal exchange of acetoxy iodocoumarins 35d and 40 and acetoxy bromonaphthalene 41 add to epoxy aldehyde (S)-26 to complete the first syntheses of vaginidiol (7c), vaginol (7t), smyrindiol (8c), xanthoarnol (8t), and avicenol A (9t). Acid-catalyzed fragmentation of vaginidiol or vaginol provides angelicin, while that of smyrindiol or xanthoarnol affords psoralen. In both cases, the trans isomers fragment only twice as fast as the cis isomers, possibly through the intermediacy of a common benzylic cation. This may have implications for the biosynthesis of angelicin and psoralen.
Basin-Scale Precipitation Analysis for Southeast U. S. Watersheds Using High-Resolution Radar Precipitation Estimates

The southeastern United States maintains a sensitivity to water resources for agriculture, hydroelectric power production, and basic environmental sustainability; therefore, it is important to understand the patterns of regional precipitation variability. Since high resolution precipitation data are necessary to estimate the local precipitation distribution over each basin, radar-derived precipitation estimates from 1996-2006 will be used for analysis. To quantify regional patterns of precipitation in the southeast United States, analysis will be conducted over three individual watersheds in the southeast: the Yazoo River watershed, the Savannah River watershed, and the Everglades/Lake Okeechobee drainage in southern Florida. Results of the study show a clear separation between maximum warm-season precipitation depth and frequency over southern Florida. In the Savannah River, precipitation maxima in the mountainous headwaters and coastal lowlands are revealed, along with a third peak in the southern Piedm...
Characterization of microRNA expression profiles in Leishmania-infected human phagocytes

SUMMARY Leishmania are intracellular protozoa that influence hostimmune responses eliciting parasite species-specific patholo-gies. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are short single-stranded ribo-nucleic acids that complement gene transcripts to blockprotein translation and have been shown to regulate immunesystem molecular mechanisms. Human monocyte-deriveddendritic cells (DC) and macrophages (MP) were infectedin vitro with Leishmania major or Leishmania donovaniparasites. Small RNAs were isolated from total RNA andsequenced to identify mature miRNAs associated with leish-manial infections. Normalized sequence read count profilesrevealed a global downregulation in miRNA expressionamong host cells following infection. Most identified miR-NAs were expressed at higher levels in L. donovani-infectedcells relative to L. major-infected cells. Pathway enrich-ments using in silico-predicted gene targets of differentiallyexpressed miRNAs showed evidence of potentially universalMAP kinase signalling pathway effects. Whereas JAK-STAT and TGF-b signalling pathways were more highlyenriched using targets of miRNAs upregulated in L. dono-vani-infected cells, these data provide evidence in support ofa selective influence on host cell miRNA expression and reg-ulation in response to differential Leishmania infections.Keywords dendritic cell, Leishmania, Leishmaniasis, macro-phage, microRNA, miRNA
The Impact Of Antenatal Corticosteroids And Surfactant On High Intensity Home Health Care Use in Preterm Infants. 1223

The Impact Of Antenatal Corticosteroids And Surfactant On High Intensity Home Health Care Use in Preterm Infants. 1223
The great good place: The country house & English Literature

(1994). The great good place: The country house & English Literature. History of European Ideas: Vol. 18, No. 6, pp. 1018-1019.
Tomographic lidar to measure the extinction coefficients of atmospheric aerosols.

Convection in the planetary boundary layer produces horizontal as well as vertical inhomogeneities in the aerosol distribution. An aircraft borne lidar can be configured to measure returns ahead, below, and behind the aircraft. The lidar returns from a given volume element are determined by the backscatter coefficient of that element and the optical thickness between the lidar and the scattering volume. Although the optical thickness in the three directions may differ, the measurements are sufficiently redundant to allow the derivation of maps of the horizontal and vertical distribution of the extinction coefficient. Results of numerical simulation of measurements from a tomographic lidar are presented. The effects of random and systematic errors on the retrieved extinction coefficients are discussed.
Some observations on the role of oxygen in lubricated wear

The role of oxygen in lubricated wear is discussed. Previous studies have shown that at low concentrations, oxygen can reduce wear, but at higher concentrations, it can increase wear. The situation is complicated by ZDTP antioxidants. The present paper reports experimental work aimed at elucidating the role of hydroperoxides - whether they participate in the formation of wear-resistant oxide films, if they (or peroxy radicals) are the main source of oxygen, and whether ZDTP-hydroperoxide interactions in the wear zone are important in controlling wear.
The Embryology of Calendra Callosa Olivier; the Southern Corn Billbug (Coleoptera, Rhynchophoridae)

A study of the embryology of Calendra callosa was started several years ago by the writer in order to obtain as complete an outline as the materials would permit of the developmental history of this species from oviposition to eclosion.
Aging in women--the four-compartment model of body composition.

Abstract The four-compartment model of body composition was examined in 155 white women through measurement of total body carbon (TBC), nitrogen (TBN), calcium (TBCa), and water levels. The age (mean ± SD) of the population was 51.4 ± 13.5 years, and values for the four compartments were as follows (in kilograms): protein 8.9 ± 1.0, water 30.9 ± 3.5, mineral 2.6 ± 0.4, and fat 22.6 ± 7.3. There was a linear change with age for protein and water, whereas mineral and fat were curvilinear. These latter two compartments also showed differences in premenopausal and postmenopausal rates of change. Various models were fit to the data to adjust for body size and age. Each of the four compartments (mineral, water, fat, and protein) changed with age, with fat increasing and the other compartments declining. The equation, y = age + age 2 + height + weight, fit the data as well as the other models. Equations are provided to assess body composition in populations with disorders of nutrition, as well as other illnesses, using height, weight, and age as covariates. Since this was a cross-sectional study, longitudinal studies will have to be performed to confirm the accuracy of rates of change with age predicted with each compartment.
The effects of racemic albuterol versus levalbuterol in very low birth weight infants

Bronchodilators have been used in premature infants. Levalbuterol (LEV) an R-isomer of Albuterol has fewer hemodynamic side effects than Racemic Albuterol (RAC) in adults and children. In a retrospective study we sought to investigate the effects of LEV (0.31 mg) versus RAC (1.25 mg) in very low-birth weight infants (VLBW) who were treated with a beta-2 agonist for > or =2 weeks. Medical records (between January 2001 and December 2006) were reviewed for patients' demographics, medications use, hemodynamic and respiratory parameters, hypokalemia and hyperglycemia. Among 811 VLBW infants who were admitted to our NICU, 16 infants received RAC and 31 infants received LEV for > or =2 weeks. Infants who received RAC were younger, smaller, and received less Ipratropium Bromide (IB) than infants who received LEV [26.1 +/- 1.2 weeks vs. 28.1 +/- 3.7 weeks (P = 0.01), 817 +/- 211 g vs. 1,127 +/- 589 g (P = 0.01) and 2/16 (12%) vs. 15/31 (48%; P = 0.01); respectively]. In infants treated exclusively with RAC or LEV without IB, mean arterial blood pressures were lower in the RAC (n = 14) than the LEV group (n = 16, P = 0.05 by general linear model with repeated measures); however there were no differences in daily heart rates, oxygen supplementations, oxygen saturations, or respiratory rates. Also there were no differences between the two groups in hypokalemia or hyperglycemia. We conclude that LEV at a dose of 0.31 mg might have an indication in VLBW infants who are at risk for hemodynamic instability.
p21 gene regulation during enterocyte differentiation.

Abstract Background. Enterocyte differentiation is associated with a withdrawal from the cell cycle and the transcriptional activation of the cell cycle inhibitor, p21. We sought to define the molecular mechanisms involved in p21 gene activation in an in vitro system. Methods. Transient transfections were performed in HT-29 cells with plasmids containing various 5′ deletions of the p21 promoter upstream of the luciferase reporter −/+ the histone deacetylase 1 (HDAC1) expression plasmid. After 24 h, cells were treated −/+ 5 mM sodium butyrate (NaBu) or another histone hyperacetylating agent, trichostatin A (TSA, 0.3 μM) for 24 h. After protein extraction, luciferase activity was measured. Acid/urea/triton gel electrophoresis was performed to examine histone acetylation in cells. Results. NaBu and TSA both caused histone H4 hyperacetylation. Both NaBu and TSA caused a marked increase in the transactivation of plasmids containing 291 bp of the p21 promoter upstream of the transcriptional start site, similar to that previously seen for a 2.4-kb construct. A decrease in reporter gene induction was seen between 173 and 153 bp. This was followed by a marked increase in promoter induction from 143 to 117 bp. Finally, only low basal activity was seen in the case of the 93-bp plasmid. HDAC1 blocked NaBu-mediated induction of all plasmids. Conclusions. p21 gene activation during HT-29 cell differentiation occurs via at least two regions of cis-acting elements: one located between −93 and −117 bp, and the other between −173 and −291 bp. Histone hyperacetylation likely plays a role in this activation.
Benjamin Franklin: Champion of Generic Religion

(2000). Benjamin Franklin: Champion of Generic Religion. The Historian: Vol. 62, No. 4, pp. 723-730.
Virulence in Oat Crown Rust (Puccinia coronata f. sp. avenae) in the United States from 2006 through 2009.

Abstract The use of race-specific seedling genes for resistance is the primary means of controlling crown rust of oat (Puccinia coronata f. sp. avenae) in the United States. To better utilize those resistance genes, knowledge of the occurrence and frequency of corresponding virulence in the population of P. coronata f. sp. avenae in the United States is essential. In total, 571 single-pustule isolates of oat crown rust were collected from cultivated and wild oat (Avena sativa and A. fatua, respectively) in the major oat production areas of the United States from 2006 through 2009. They were tested for virulence on seedlings of 31 differential oat lines in the greenhouse. In all, 201 races were found among the 357 isolates from the spring oat region of the north-central United States, and 140 races were found among 214 isolates from the southern winter oat region. The crown rust populations from the winter and spring oat regions were clearly differentiated from one another, differing in the frequency of vi...
Semiempirical relation for curved optical waveguide design in the edge-guided mode regime

A semiempirical relation has been developed for determining the minimum allowable radius of curvature of a circular waveguide with an edge-guided fundamental mode. The specified parameters are the wavelength, the effective refractive index of the waveguide, the lateral index step, and the allowable radiation loss coefficient. This relation was fitted and verified against numerically evaluated solutions of Maxwell's equations in two dimensions for lateral index steps 0.01 >
Is international diversification really beneficial

Abstract Previous research claims that low constant correlations among international stock indices create substantial risk-reduction from diversification. We contend that only using constant correlations is too simplistic an approach. We examine international diversification by: (1) using conditional correlations, (2) evaluating tail risk, including the effect of skewness and kurtosis, and (3) examining the possible tradeoffs of standard deviation with correlation, skewness, and kurtosis. We show that conclusions concerning diversification based solely on constant correlations across markets can be misleading, since the diversification benefits are time-varying, are affected by non-normality, and depend on the benchmark (country) employed. Finally, tradeoffs do exist between standard deviation and the other risk factors.
RNA Sequence Determinants of a Coupled Termination-Reinitiation Strategy for Downstream Open Reading Frame Translation in Helminthosporium victoriae Virus 190S and Other Victoriviruses (Family Totiviridae)

The genome-length, dicistronic mRNA of the double-stranded RNA fungal virus Helminthosporium victoriae virus 190S (genus Victorivirus, family Totiviridae) contains two long open reading frames (ORFs) that overlap in the tetranucleotide AUGA. Translation of the downstream ORF, which encodes the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp), has been proposed to depend on ribosomal reinitiation following termination of the upstream ORF, which encodes the capsid protein. In the current study, we examined the RNA sequence determinants for RdRp translation in this virus and demonstrated that a coupled termination-reinitiation (stop-restart) strategy is indeed used. Signals for termination-reinitiation are found within a 32-nucleotide stretch of RNA immediately upstream of the AUGA motif, including a predicted pseudoknot structure. The close proximity in which this predicted structure is followed by the upstream ORF's stop codon appears to be especially important for promoting translation of the downstream ORF. The normal strong preferences for an AUG start codon and the canonical sequence context to favor translation initiation appear somewhat relaxed for the downstream ORF. Similar sequence motifs and predicted RNA structures in other victoriviruses suggest that they all share a related stop-restart strategy for RdRp translation. Members of the genus Victorivirus thus provide new and unique opportunities for exploring the molecular mechanisms of translational coupling, which remain only partly understood in this and other systems.
The Development of an Infrared Camera Using Graphene: Achieving Efficient High-Resolution Infrared Images.

High-performance quantum infrared cameras are substantially expensive and complicated in comparison to general visible light cameras. Producing a high-resolution infrared camera is especially difficult due to the lack of suitable photon absorption materials in the infrared spectrum and various challenges involved in design, manufacturing, and characterization. Graphene, a novel one atomic-layer-thick carbon material, is a promising building block for the next generation nanoelectronic and optoelectronic devices [1]. Graphene exhibits remarkably high conductivity [2], high electron mobility [3], [4], and a unique band structure [5], [6], which allows it to operate as nano infrared detectors [7], [8].
An image change detection algorithm based on Markov random field models

This paper addresses the problem of image change detection (ICD) based on Markov random field (MRF) models. MRF has long been recognized as an accurate model to describe a variety of image characteristics. Here, we use the MRF to model both noiseless images obtained from the actual scene and change images (CIs), the sites of which indicate changes between a pair of observed images. The optimum ICD algorithm under the maximum a posteriori (MAP) criterion is developed under this model. Examples are presented for illustration and performance evaluation.
Using a Decision Support System to Optimize Production of Agricultural Crop Residue Biofeedstock

For several years the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) has been developing a Decision Support System for Agriculture (DSS4Ag) which determines the economically optimum recipe of various fertilizers to apply at each site in a field to produce a crop, based on the existing soil fertility at each site, as well as historic production information and current prices of fertilizers and the forecast market price of the crop at harvest. In support of the growing interest in agricultural crop residues as a bioenergy feedstock, we have extended the capability of the DSS4Ag to develop a variable-rate fertilizer recipe for the simultaneous economically optimum production of both grain and straw. In this paper we report the results of 2 yr of field research testing and enhancing the DSS4Ag's ability to economically optimize the fertilization for the simultaneous production of both grain and its straw, where the straw is an agricultural crop residue that can be used as a biofeedstock. For both years, the DSS4Ag reduced the cost and amount of fertilizers used and increased grower profit, while reducing the biomass produced. The DSS4Ag results show that when a biorefinery infrastructure is in place and growers have a strong market for their straw it is not economically advantageous to increase fertilization in order to try to produce more straw. This suggests that other solutions, such as single-pass selective harvest, must be implemented to meet national goals for the amount of biomass that will be available for collection and use for bioenergy.
Early prediction of response to Vorinostat in an orthotopic rat glioma model

Glioblastoma is the most common primary brain tumor and is uniformly fatal despite aggressive surgical and adjuvant therapy. As survival is short, it is critical to determine the value of therapy early on in treatment. Improved early predictive assessment would allow neuro-oncologists to personalize and adjust or change treatment sooner to maximize the use of efficacious therapy. During carcinogenesis, tumor suppressor genes can be silenced by aberrant histone deacetylation. This epigenetic modification has become an important target for tumor therapy. Suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid (SAHA, Vorinostat, Zolinza) is an orally active, potent inhibitor of histone deacetylase (HDAC) activity. A major shortcoming of the use of HDAC inhibitors in the treatment of patients with brain tumors is the lack of reliable biomarkers to predict and determine response. Histological evaluation may reflect tumor viability following treatment, but is an invasive procedure and impractical for glioblastoma. Another problem is that response to SAHA therapy is associated with tumor redifferentiation and cytostasis rather than tumor size reduction, thus limiting the use of traditional imaging methods. A noninvasive method to assess drug delivery and efficacy is needed. Here, we investigated whether changes in (1)H MRS metabolites could render reliable biomarkers for an early response to SAHA treatment in an orthotopic animal model for glioma. Untreated tumors exhibited significantly elevated alanine and lactate levels and reduced inositol, N-acetylaspartate and creatine levels, typical changes reported in glioblastoma relative to normal brain tissues. The (1)H MRS-detectable metabolites of SAHA-treated tumors were restored to those of normal-like brain tissues. In addition, reduced inositol and N-acetylaspartate were found to be potential biomarkers for mood alteration and depression, which may also be alleviated with SAHA treatment. Our study suggests that (1)H MRS can provide reliable metabolic biomarkers at the earliest stage of SAHA treatment to predict the therapeutic response.
A Generalized Framework for Linearly-Constrained Singularity-Free Control Moment Gyro Steering Laws

Constrained steering laws have no inherent torque error and do not require precomputed CMG paths while maintaining singularity-free motion, three advantageous characteristics that make this type of steering law worthy of further study. However, in order for constraint-based steering laws to ideally solve the SGCMG steering problem, it must be generalized to be applicable to non-specific geometries. This paper proposes a generalized framework for steering laws that are explicitly linear with respect to the gimbal rates. This formulation is followed by a discussion of characteristics of constraints used in this law, and general principles for designing a singularity-free constraint. A simple example using scissored-pair SGCMGs is used to demonstrate the principles behind this generalized framework. Finally, the theoretical basis for a new set of steering laws is proposed, with emphasis on the analytical basis for such a law using the insight gained from the generalized formulation. Nomenclature A = system matrix augmented with constraint law α = a general scalar constant 1 β = a scaling value for the first row of the Jacobian in the constraint equation 2 β = a scaling value for the second row of the Jacobian in the constraint equation c β = a non-zero scaling value for the cross-product component of the constraint equation C = mxn matrix of general constraint equations D = mx1 matrix of the solution to the constraint equations d = a scalar solution to a constraint equation = the determinant of the A system matrix h = the magnitude of the angular momentum of an individual CMG J� = 3x n system Jacobian matrix n = number of SGCMGs in an array m = number of constraints in a constraint-based steering law Φ = nx1 matrix of gimbal angles (made up of i φ ) Φ ɺ = nx1 matrix of gimbal rate commands (made up of i φ ɺ )
Lamotrigine-induced blepharospasm

Movement disorders such as tremor and ataxia occur commonly during therapy with antiepileptic drugs (AEDs). Dystonias, however, are rare. Blepharospasm, although reported with neuroleptic agents, has never been reported with AEDs. Our patient developed blepharospasm during therapy with lamotrigine.
Publishing 'quality' measures: how it works and when it does not?

Although efforts to measure the quality of healthcare are longstanding, over the past 10 years, there have been increasing efforts to both measure the quality of healthcare and publish the resulting data in many industrialized countries. This may simply be the part of a broad trend in western societies towards greater openness and accountability that seems particularly evident in the realm of human services such as health and education. However, publication is also expected to encourage improvements in the quality of care. Improved quality is expected to happen in one of two ways. Having performance information easily available may encourage greater consumerism among patients so that they seek out the best providers, a premise which underlies the stated policy of both US and UK governments. As yet the evidence for this happening is generally scanty and equivocal [1, 2]. In addition, the threat that patients may start to use presumably reliable information to choose providers, or even a natural competitiveness among clinicians, may stimulate providers to improve their services ‘regardless of patients’ responses'. This second reason for publication gains little official recognition, reflecting an element of subterfuge in a policy, which has the happy characteristic of having two chances of working. If patients will not respond en masse to the information, then providers might. The belief that publication will stimulate provider actions to improve depends upon exploiting a range of explicit and implicit incentives. Proponents expect that rewards and sanctions for individual providers will follow the publication of information about quality, either organically (e.g. the reporting itself confers kudos or censure on the provider) or through their explicit application by purchasers or regulators in response to the data. Schemes as diverse as Star Ratings in England [3], the Quality …
Three-Year Outcomes of Therapeutic Community Treatment for Drug-Involved Offenders in Delaware: From Prison to Work Release to Aftercare

Delaware researchers have argued for a continuum of primary (in prison), secondary (work release), and tertiary (aftercare) therapeutic community (TC) treatment for drug-involved offenders. Previous work has demonstrated significant reductions in relapse and recidivism for offenders who received primary and secondary TC treatment 1 year after leaving work release. However, much of the effect declines significantly when the time at risk moves to 3 years after release. Further analyses reveal that program effects remain significant when the model takes into account not simply exposure to the TC program, but, more importantly, program participation, program completion, and aftercare. Clients who complete secondary treatment do better than those with no treatment or program dropouts, and those who receive aftercare do even better in remaining drug- and arrest-free.
Reliability, sensitivity, and uncertainty of reservoir performance under climate variability in basins with different hydrogeologic settings

Abstract. This study investigated how reservoir performance varied across different hydrogeologic settings and under plausible future climate scenarios. The study was conducted in the Santiam River basin, OR, USA, comparing the North Santiam basin (NSB), with high permeability and extensive groundwater storage, and the South Santiam basin (SSB), with low permeability, little groundwater storage, and rapid runoff response. We applied projections of future temperature and precipitation from global climate models to a rainfall-runoff model, coupled with a formal Bayesian uncertainty analysis, to project future inflow hydrographs as inputs to a reservoir operations model. The performance of reservoir operations was evaluated as the reliability in meeting flood management, spring and summer environmental flows, and hydropower generation objectives. Despite projected increases in winter flows and decreases in summer flows, results suggested little evidence of a response in reservoir operation performance to a warming climate, with the exception of summer flow targets in the SSB. Independent of climate impacts, historical prioritization of reservoir operations appeared to impact reliability, suggesting areas where operation performance may be improved. Results also highlighted how hydrologic uncertainty is likely to complicate planning for climate change in basins with substantial groundwater interactions.