cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Does Bone Plug and Graft Orientation (Inferior Versus Posterior) Alter Native Femoral Footprint Coverage in Bone Patellar Tendon Bone Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction

Purpose The purpose of this study was to compare the percentage of native femoral anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) footprint covered by the 2 most clinically relevant bone plug/graft orientations used with interference screw fixation in ACL reconstruction. A secondary purpose was to assess whether a transtibial or tibia-independent drilling technique would affect this outcome. Methods Five matched pairs of cadaver knees were used. Each matched pair had 1 knee assigned to a 10-mm femoral socket prepared via a transtibial (TT) drilling technique and the other via an anteromedial (AM) drilling technique. The bone plug of each graft was press-fitted into the femoral socket with the graft collagen in 2 distinct clinically relevant orientations (collagen inferior or posterior). The digitized graft collagen cross-sectional area (CSA) in each orientation was overlaid onto the native femoral ACL footprint CSA to generate a percentage of native ACL footprint covered by graft collagen. Results The average native ACL femoral footprint CSA was 110.5 ± 9.1 mm2, with no difference between knees assigned to TT or AM drilling (112.6 ± 2.7 vs 108.4 ± 13.0 mm2, P = .49). The average femoral socket CSA was 95.4 ± 8.7 mm2, with no difference between TT and AM tunnels (95.5 ± 9.9 vs 95.3 ± 8.4 mm2, P = .96). There was no difference between the percentage of native footprint covered between TT and AM sockets (76.8% ± 7.8% vs 82.2% ± 13.7%, P = .47). Irrespective of drilling technique, there was significantly greater native ACL footprint covered by graft collagen when the bone plug was oriented with graft collagen inferior rather than posterior (75.6% ± 6.3% vs 65.4% ± 11.4%, P = .02). Conclusion Orienting the femoral bone plug such that the graft collagen is inferior rather than posterior significantly increases native ACL femoral footprint coverage in bone-patellar tendon-bone ACL reconstruction. This effect is consistent across AM and TT drilling techniques. Clinical Relevance Surgeons attempting to restore an anatomic ACL footprint should consider bone plug–graft orientation when performing ACL reconstruction. Study Design Controlled laboratory study.
Analysis of pneumonitis and esophageal injury after stereotactic body radiation therapy for ultra-central lung tumors.

Abstract Objectives SBRT has been associated with serious toxicity in ultra-central lung tumors, but little is known about the incidence and dosimetric correlates of pulmonary and esophageal complications in this setting. Materials and methods We retrospectively reviewed SBRT patients whose lung tumor abutted proximal airways, or whose planning target volume overlapped esophagus. All patients received 5–15 fractions of high-dose, image-guided radiation. The primary endpoint was SBRT-related toxicity, with local control and survival as secondary endpoints. Results We included 88 patients. Nineteen patients (22 %) experienced grade ≥3 (G3+) toxicity, including 6 cases of G3+ radiation pneumonitis and 4 cases of G3+ esophageal injury. Two patients developed trachea-esophageal fistula. Overall incidence of radiation pneumonitis was 23 %. Ten patients (11.4 %) succumbed to SBRT-related complications. Multiple dosimetric parameters for lung (including mean lung dose and V20Gy) and esophagus (including maximum point dose) correlated with radiation pneumonitis and esophageal toxicity, respectively. No impact of fractionation on toxicity was seen. Conclusion This analysis indicates that high rate and multiple manifestations of pulmonary and esophageal toxicity occur after SBRT for ultra-central tumors. In particular, severe radiation pneumonitis and tracheoesophageal fistula are possible. Dosimetric parameters such as mean lung dose and maximum esophageal dose are significantly correlated with toxicity. Further study is needed to optimize the safe delivery of SBRT in these patients.
Water-assisted exfoliation of epitaxial CdTe film from mica analyzed with azimuthal RHEED

Abstract Semiconductor thin films grown on weakly interacting substrates have recently attracted much attention due to the fact that one can peel/release the film from its substrate for flexible electronic and optoelectronic applications. In this work we report separable CdTe(1 1 1) epitaxial films grown on mica substrate via vapor transport deposition. The CdTe films were separated from the mica substrate using double-sided Cu tape, exposing the CdTe interface-surface. Azimuthal reflection high-energy electron diffraction (ARHEED) was used to characterize the fresh CdTe interface-surface and the original CdTe surface. Dramatic differences between these two surfaces were observed. (1) Diffraction streaks were observed from the interface-surface, indicating a smooth surface. Diffraction spots were observed from the surface, indicating a rough surface. (2) The rough CdTe surface has twin and secondary twin structures, which are difficult to be observed with conventional X-ray diffraction. (3) The full-width-at-half maximum (FWHM) analysis of the streaks and spots in RHEED patterns reveals that despite the smoothness of the interface-surface, there is a lower degree of lateral long-range order as compared with the rough surface. This etchant-free method to create smooth interface-surface and ARHEED characterization may be applicable to other films that are detachable from weakly interacting substrates.
Nile tilapia industrialization waste: Evaluation of the yield, quality and cost of the biodiesel production process

Abstract The biodiesel produced from Nile tilapia waste consists of an alternative material for sustainable energy production, meeting the growing energy demand without damaging the environment, being this fish waste is often disposed in the inadequate form. The aim of this work was to investigate the biodiesel production from fish oil extracted from Nile tilapia processing waste (heads), through a full factorial experimental design. The biodiesel production was carried out by homogeneous alkaline transesterification using ethanol, and potassium hydroxide (KOH) as the catalyst. The best condition of biodiesel production was evaluated as a function of the catalyst concentration, oil:ethanol molar ratio and reaction time, according to the factorial design and the responses were yield, production cost, acid value, and kinematic viscosity. The maximum yield of biodiesel was 92% (w w−1), this result was obtained with KOH 2% (w w−1), molar ratio of 1:12 (oil: ethanol) and reaction time of 4 h. This condition also ensured a product with lower VA (0.63 mgKOH g−1), lower kinematic viscosity (2.78 mm2 s−1), and a low cost of biodiesel production (0.17 US$ kg−1). TLC and FTIR analyses pointed out that the triglycerides of the fish oil were converted into biodiesel. The fatty acids profiles for the crude oil, bleached oil and biodiesel from Nile tilapia oil were determined by gas chromatography and, they have not presented significant differences in their percentage values. Based on the lipid profile obtained, Nile tilapia oil showed suitable characteristics, being a promising source for biodiesel obtainment. This study showed that bleached oil from Nile tilapia heads stands out as a promising source for producing biodiesel with high yield, positive economic potential, and better physicochemical properties.
Treatment of hypertension reduces cognitive decline in older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objectives To systematically analyse the effect of pharmacological treatment of hypertension (HTN) on cognitive decline in older adults. Methods Randomised, placebo-controlled trials with a prespecified quantitative outcome of cognition and a pharmacological intervention for at least 12 months to treat HTN in older adults (>60 years). Our primary outcome was change in cognition with pharmacological treatment of HTN. Standardised mean difference (SMD) was used to analyse different outcomes reported in the selected studies. We searched PubMed CENTRAL and the Cochrane Library from inception to 6 July 2020. Two independent reviewers assessed trial quality and extracted data. Internal and external validity of the studies was assessed. Results Nine randomised controlled trials with 34 994 participants were included in the final analysis. The net SMD for change in cognition was −0.049 (CI: −0.078 to −0.019) indicating that treatment of HTN decreased cognitive decline. Heterogeneity was low with an I² of 6%. Discussion Current evidence does not indicate worsening of cognition with treatment of HTN. Treatment of HTN in older adults may reduce cognitive decline. These results have important implications in clinical management of patients at risk for dementia. PROSPERO registration number CRD42020139750.
Hip-Hop Can Heal: Addressing Mental Health through Hip-Hop in the Urban Classroom

Addressing students’ mental health needs has become a growing concern amongst educators and school leaders, as 25% of adolescents are known to be diagnosed with a mental health disorder. Moreover, ...
Rebate versus matching: does how we subsidize charitable contributions matter?

A rebate subsidy of rate s is functionally equivalent to a matching subsidy of rate r s 5 s /(12 s ). Other things equal, an individual should respond identically to the two mr r subsidies. We test the effect on charitable giving of the framing of a subsidy as a rebate or as a match. Subjects make a series of 'dictator' allocation decisions, dividing an endowment between themselves and their chosen charities. Allocation decisions vary by the endowment level, the net price of giving, and the form of the subsidy. We find that contributions are significantly higher with matching subsidies than with rebate subsidies.  2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Foundational Telemedicine Workshop for First-Year Medical Students Developed During a Pandemic.

Introduction In response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the need for social distancing, medical education curricula across the country had to be quickly transitioned from in-person experiences to rem...
Latitudinal distribution of onygenales and related hyphomycetes in soils of northern chile between 18-34° south latitude

Entre los anos 1985-1989, se estudiaron 332 muestras de suelo mediante la tecnica del anzuelo queratinico. Se exploraron las variaciones cualitativas y cuantitativas de las poblaciones de Onygenales e Hyphomycetes relacionados (47 especies), entre los habitat Urbano-periferico y Silvestre de zonas costeras y del interior, latitudinal ( 18-34oS) del territorio chileno. Los mayores aislamientos correspondieron a zonas urbano-perifericas, siendo los generos dominantes: Chrysosporium, Aphanoascus, Malbrancea, Trichophyton y Gymnoascus. Los taxa holomorfos Aphanoascus fulvescens, A. keratinophilum, A. verrucosus, Arthroderma quadrifidum y Gymnoascus reessii, se consideraron como euridominantes, por mantener una dominancia y constancia en todas las latitudes estudiadas. Al mismo tiempo se analizaron las estrategias reproductivas-multiplicativas de la comunidad sus patrones de distribucion latitudinal y la biogeografia, las asociaciones de especies, ciertos parametros ecologicos (diversidad de Shannon-Weaver y afinidad de Pearson), finalizando con la problematica taxonomica y la inestable nomenclatura actual
Nonlinearity and Asymmetry for Device Selection in Cross-Bar Memory Arrays

Scalable two-terminal selector devices are key technology enablers for cross-bar array (CBA) architectures. Based on an analysis of CBA and sneak path, this paper discusses the essential characteristics of selector devices for the reduction of sneak leakage: nonlinearity and asymmetry. Both characteristics help to increase the resistance of sneak paths and reduce their impact on CBA operations. The reduction of sneak leakage and the improvement of CBA performance by selectors are quantified based on a comprehensive CBA model. The writing and reading operations of a 4-kb CBA are simulated as a case study, to analyze the effect of selector characteristics on CBA operations.
Gamma de-excitation of fission fragments: (I). Prompt radiation

Abstract The gamma radiation emitted in fission of Cf 252 has been investigated in coincidence with the fission fragments. The mass ratio of the fragments was recorded, various properties of the radiation being studied as a function of the mass ratio. This paper deals with the prompt radiation, i.e. radiation with a half-life shorter than 1 nsec. The life-time of the gamma emitting states was measured by the time-of-flight technique. Using a collimator, the gamma radiation was detected after the fragments had travelled different distances. In this way, the decay curve was investigated and the half-life of the radiation was found to be about 1 · 10 −11 sec. Using this information, it was possible to find a collimator setting which permitted a complete separation of the radiation from the two fragments. The properties of the radiation could then be studied as a function of mass. Thi arrangement was used to record gamma spectra for a number of different masses. It was found that there is a pronounced variation in spectrum shape. The spectra from fragments close to magic numbers are shifted to higher energies. With the same arrangement the yield of gamma rays was determined as a function of mass. The yield curve has a saw-tooth shape. The significance of the experimental results is discussed. The characteristic feature of the de-excitation process seems to be that it involves high spin states. It is estimated that the average value of the initial spin is about 10. The results of this work indicate that the radiation mainly consists of vibrational transitions. This fact is explained as a consequence of the conditions at scission.
Microarrays of cells expressing defined cDNAs

Genome and expressed sequence tag projects are rapidly cataloguing and cloning the genes of higher organisms, including humans. An emerging challenge is to rapidly uncover the functions of genes and to identify gene products with desired properties. We have developed a microarray-driven gene expression system for the functional analysis of many gene products in parallel. Mammalian cells are cultured on a glass slide printed in defined locations with different DNAs. Cells growing on the printed areas take up the DNA, creating spots of localized transfection within a lawn of non-transfected cells. By printing sets of complementary DNAs cloned in expression vectors, we make microarrays whose features are clusters of live cells that express a defined cDNA at each location. Here we demonstrate two uses for our approach: as an alternative to protein microarrays for the identification of drug targets, and as an expression cloning system for the discovery of gene products that alter cellular physiology. By screening transfected cell microarrays expressing 192 different cDNAs, we identified proteins involved in tyrosine kinase signalling, apoptosis and cell adhesion, and with distinct subcellular distributions.
In defense of "nonmolecular" cell biology.

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the detailed molecular interactions and discusses in more general terms the question of how applicable molecular explanations are to whole-cell functions. It discusses two examples from the field of cell motility, the explanation which does not depend significantly on molecular knowledge. One example derives the fundamental aspects of the mechanical designs of cells showing amoeboid movement, such as 3T3 mouse fibroblasts. The other example describes the emergence of structure and possibly rudimentary intelligence among the colonies of the flagellated algal cells Chlamydomonas . As the cellular functions are derived from large numbers of molecular details, many small errors are accumulated to render meaningless the resulting explanation. The new and sufficient concepts of cell biology must be developed in ways that recognize explicitly the place of cells within the hierarchy of organization of biology that ranges from ecologies to macromolecules.
The effect of Fe2+ on the activity of human plasma protein kinase.

Summary A Fe 2+ stimulatory protein kinase in human plasma is demonstrated. This enzyme was partial purified from the 100,000 x g supernatant of human plasma by using (NH 4 ) 2 SO 4 fractionation. The activity of this protein kinase existed in 30–50% fraction. The effect of various compounds on the activity of this partial purified protein kinase was studied. The Fe 2+ stimulates 5 to 10-fold of the protein kinase activity. The maximum concentration of Fe 2+ to stimulate the activity of this plasma protein kinase was 2 mM. Double reciprocal plot for the stimulation showed that Fe 2+ increased the Vm but not the Km for ATP. Other divalent compounds such as MgCl 2 , Mg (Oac) 2 , MnCl 2 and BaCl 2 were less effective.
COMPLEX WHITE NOISE ANALYSIS

This paper describes a new space, , of complex Wiener distributions for the analysis of multi-parameter generalized stochastic processes . For a certain class of functions and complex Wiener integrals Φ1, …, Φm, F(Φ1, …, Φm) is defined as an element of and its Fock space decomposition determined.
Solution of nonlinear ordinary differential equations by feedforward neural networks

It is demonstrated, through theory and numerical examples, how it is possible to directly construct a feedforward neural network to approximate nonlinear ordinary differential equations without the need for training. The method, utilizing a piecewise linear map as the activation function, is linear in storage, and the L"2 norm of the network approximation error decreases monotonically with the increasing number of hidden layer neurons. The construction requires imposing certain constraints on the values of the input, bias, and output weights, and the attribution of certain roles to each of these parameters. All results presented used the piecewise linear activation function. However, the presented approach should also be applicable to the use of hyperbolic tangents, sigmoids, and radial basis functions.
Relation of ATP and creatine phosphate to fast axoplasmic transport in mammalian nerve.

—ATP and creatine phosphate (CP) levels in cat sciatic nerve maintained in vitro were measured. Anoxia produced by N2 or NaCN or the uncoupling of phosphorylation with DNP reduced the combined levels of ATP + CP to approximately one-half of control levels within 15 min. These agents also blocked fast axoplasmic transport in vitro within 15 min. A block of glycolysis with iodoacetic acid (IAA) reduced the combined levels of ATP + CP to approximately one half of control levels within 1.5–2 h and exposure of nerve in vitro to IAA caused a block of fast axoplasmic transport within the same interval. The correlation of the time at which block of transport occurred with the fall in the level of high-energy phosphates is consistent with the hypothesis that ATP supplies the energy required by the mechanism underlying fast exoplasmic transport.
Cyberterrorist Messages and Their Effects on Targets: A Qualitative Analysis

This study provides a semiotic perspective on cyberterrorism and its opportunity to cause maximal damage while using terrorist propaganda. Data were gathered via in-depth qualitative interviewing. Information was obtained from 10 participants, all of them being law enforcement (LE) agents (e.g., from a U.S. federal agency such as the FBI) or cyber forensics experts. From the participants' narratives, five themes emerged: (1) acknowledgement of the existence of cyberterrorism, (2) postmodern propaganda and publicity, (3) detrimental effects on targets, (4) media implications, and (5) communicative messages.
The influence of argumentativeness and verbal aggression on responses to refused requests

This study examines the influence that argumentativeness and verbal aggression exert on the types of appeals individuals purport to use in responding to refusals of interpersonal requests. Results suggest positive relationships between argumentativeness and reports of evidentiary appeals and between verbal aggression and reports of nonevidentiary appeals. The interaction of verbal aggression and argumentativeness was not a significant predictor of reports of evidentiary appeals but did predict reports of nonevidentiary appeals. The discussion addresses differences in the types of appeals reported by argumentative and verbally aggressive individuals and concludes with implications for further research.
Susceptibility and order parameter for a superconductor with coupled magnetic impurities

The influence of impurity pair interactions in superconductors is calculated in the spin-glass regime of 1--10 % magnetic-impurity concentrations. We use the s-d Hamiltonian to represent the exchange coupling J of an impurity spin to the conduction electrons; this term leads to the Ruderman-Kittel-Hasuya-Yosida (RRKY) coupling among impurities, and yields major modifications in the superconducting order parameter as well as the conduction-electron susceptibility. As the impurity concentration is increased, ferromagnetic RKKY coupling among impurities causes a reentrant form of the superconductivity order parameter and a corresponding large increase in the susceptibility. Antiferromagnetic RKKY interactions tend to counteract the isolated impurity suppression of the superconducting transition temperature and thus favor the persistence of superconductivity at higher impurity concentrations in contrast to the dilute-limit theory of Abrikosov and Gor'kov. In certain situations, the antiferromagnetic impurity coupling may in fact allow materials to be superconducting which would otherwise be expected to be normal metals. These results are applied to experiments on rare-earth compounds.
Hydrogen selenide ion adsorption to colloidal elemental selenium

Abstract Hydrogen selenide ion (HSe−) has an important role in the metabolism of the essential trace element selenium. Several redox reactions of selenide were found to be dominated by the amount of colloidal elemental selenium (Se°) generated during the reaction. The following reaction of selenide with the disulfide, oxidized glutathione (GSSG), was used as an example: HSe− + GSSG + H+ → Se° + 2 GSH. The resulting thiol is reduced glutathione (GSH; γ-glutamylcysteinylglycine). By following this reaction with polarography, it was seen that the ratio of colloidal selenium produced to selenide unreacted was a constant 2.1 ± 0.1, and was the only factor found to determine the extent of oxidation. This is best explained by the hypothesis that freshly generated colloidal selenium adsorbs selenide readily; no evidence for polyselenide formation was found. Adsorption of selenide should be considered in any reaction involving the oxidation of selenide to colloidal selenium.
Utilizing emerging technology in program evaluation

The force of fast-paced technological growth and globalization influence today's organizational environments. Successful organizations have become more nimble and responsive to these environmental realities, while simultaneously managing increasingly complex informational needs. The success of program evaluations will depend on evaluators' abilities to leverage future technologies to produce and disseminate knowledge in an accessible and actionable form. The authors propose that the roles and responsibilities of the evaluator will shift as current evaluation approaches are adapted to make effective use of these technological tools. Specifically, the authors discuss evaluators' future roles as collaborators with design-science practitioners, filterers and translators of information, and customizers of knowledge dissemination. © Wiley Periodicals, Inc., and the American Evaluation Association
Nicotine and coronary heart disease.

Nicotine may contribute to accelerated atherogenesis by inducing hyperlipidemia, injuring endothelial cells, and/or promoting thrombosis, although the evidence is not conclusive. Nicotine is likely to contribute to acute ischemic events in people who already have coronary heart disease via adverse effects on systemic hemodynamics, by promoting thrombosis, constricting coronary arteries, and/or facilitating arrhythmogenesis. Pharmacodynamic studies suggest that nicotine inhaled in cigarette smoke may have different cardiovascular effects than that absorbed more slowly, as from nicotine gum or transdermally. The safety of chronic nicotine exposure, such as with medicinal use of nicotine, cannot be predicted and requires empiric evaluation.
Multi-wavelength spectrophotometric analysis for detection of xanthochromia in cerebrospinal fluid and accuracy for the diagnosis of subarachnoid hemorrhage

Abstract Background Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) was examined for bilirubin, an important indicator for diagnosis of subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). Methods A multi-wavelength (340, 415, and 460 nm) spectrophotometric assay was developed for the quantitative measurement of bilirubin in CSF, enabling the mathematical correction for absorbance of hemoglobin and proteins. Bilirubin and hemoglobin results were correlated to HPLC and a standard colorimetric assay, respectively. A subset of samples was sent for an absorbance reading at 450 nm following baseline correction. The multi-wavelength bilirubin assay was validated on 70 patients with confirmed SAH and 70 patients with neurologic symptoms who ruled out for SAH. Results The multi-wavelength spectrophometric assay demonstrated no interferences due to proteins (albumin) up to 30 g/l or oxyhemoglobin up to 260 mg/l. The assay limit of detection was 0.2 mg/l, linear to 20 mg/l, and CVs ranged from 1 to 6% at bilirubin concentrations of 0.84 and 2.1 mg/l. The spectrophotometric assay correlated to HPLC and the colorimetric assay for bilirubin and hemoglobin, respectively. Results also correlated to the absorbance method (with removal of samples with high hemoglobin and proteins). The area under the ROC curve for diagnosis of SAH was 0.971 and 0.954 for the HPLC and spectrophotometric assay, respectively. At a cutoff of 0.2 mg/l, the clinical specificity was 100% for both assays, and the clinical sensitivity was 94.3% and 88.6% for SAH for the HPLC and spectrophotometric asays, respectively. Conclusions The multi-wavelength spectrophotometric assay is an objective alternative to visual inspection, HPLC, and absorbance for CSF bilirubin.
Field evaluation of transgenic wheat expressing a modified ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase large subunit

Wheat yield is influenced by the efficacy of seed starch biosynthetic enzymes. ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase (AGP) catalyzes a rate-limiting step in seed starch biosynthesis. We transformed the hard spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivar Hi-Line with a modified maize AGP large subunit sequence (Sh2r6hs) to increase AGP activity. In previously described growth chamber studies, Sh2r6hs conditioned increased AGP activity, seed yield, and plant size. The primary objective of this study was to determine whether a similar yield enhancement could be detected under field conditions. Sh2r6hs transgenics were field tested over four growing years, in three locations, with varying planting density and irrigation. The results indicate that significant yield increases were more likely to occur in space-planted, irrigated environments than densely planted, rainfed environments, suggesting that limited abiotic resources may subsequently limit Sh2r6hs-associated yield enhancement. In elite lines, as in the F 2 -derived trials in which tissue culture derived mutations were reduced by out-crossing, Sh2r6hs appears to confer a yield advantage only when field conditions are nonlimiting.
Phospholipase C signaling and calcium influx.

Calcium signaling is a process whereby the extremely low cytoplasmic Ca2+ concentration increases in a deliberate and specific manner to trigger downstream cellular events. Virtually every tissue, and even every cell type in the human body utilizes some form of Ca2+ signaling to function or survive. There are many mechanisms which can generate Ca2+ signals; perhaps the most widely encountered, and the focus of this review, is a mechanism involving a lipid metabolizing enzyme, phospholipase C. Phospholipase C is a truly remarkable signalling moiety. We know of no other single enzyme that can produce (or modulate), directly, three distinct signals: inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3), diacylglycerol, and phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2). The association of phospholipase C with Ca2+ signaling dates back arguably to experiments published by Lowell Hokin (Hokin, 1966) establishing the relative independence of inositol lipid turnover from Ca2+ signaling. It was just this independence from Ca2+ signaling that suggested to Bob Michell that inositol lipid turnover, initiated by phospholipase C-mediated inositide breakdown, was upstream of Ca2+ signaling (Michell, 1975;Michell et al., 1977). It was later established that the initiating reaction was the breakdown of the relatively minor inositol lipid, PIP2(Creba et al., 1983;Weiss et al., 1982;Berridge, 1983), leading Mike Berridge (Berridge, 1983)to propose that the released head group, IP3, could function as a Ca2+ signaling second messenger. This was rapidly confirmed experimentally by Berridge and his collaborators (Streb et al., 1983), and subsequently by other investigators (Burgess et al., 1984;Prentki et al., 1984;Joseph et al., 1984;Hirata et al., 1984;Biden et al., 1984;Whittaker & Irvine, 1984;Suematsu et al., 1984;Brown & Rubin, 1984). All three of the three phospholipase C derived signals regulate ion channels. Numerous ion channels require PIP2 for optimal activity and thus can be negatively regulated by phospholipase C activity (Suh & Hille, 2005;Hilgemann et al., 2001). The IP3 receptor in an intracellular calcium permeable channel activated by the phospholipase C product, IP3 (Mikoshiba, 2007). However, this review will focus primarily on plasma membrane channels that are activated as a consequence of phospholipase C activation. There are two major categories of such channels, the store-operated channels, and the TRPC channels.1
C18 ceramide analysis in mammalian cells employing reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry.

Abstract Ceramides play an important role in diverse cellular functions such as differentiation, cell cycle progression, cell–cell adhesion, senescence, and apoptosis. Here we report a method of extracting lipids from mammalian cells and quantifying ceramide, where the assay conditions were optimized for reproducibility, linearity, recovery, and sensitivity. Simultaneous chromatographic separations were carried out by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to electrospray ionization using a Pursuit 3 Diphenyl column (50 × 2.0 mm) and supported by a mobile phase consisting of acetonitrile plus 0.1% formic acid and 25 mM ammonium acetate. Ceramides were detected in the multiple reaction mode by tandem mass spectrometry in the positive ion mode, and all extracted ion peaks were integrated for quantitative analysis. The limits of detection and quantification achieved were 0.2 and 1.0 pg on column, respectively. Using this method, we successfully quantified and compared differences in C18 ceramide levels induced by two DNA-damaging agents, mitomycin C and daunorubicin, and two apoptosis-inducing ligands, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL). This work, therefore, describes a method that will be helpful for investigating how ceramide is regulated by different chemotherapeutic agents and will help us to better understand the mechanisms of signal transduction involving ceramide.
Upper and lower bounds to atomic and molecular properties. IV. Electric polarizabilities of three-electron atoms by a lower-bound procedure

Wave functions, which include interelectron coordinates ${r}_{\mathrm{ij}}$ explicitly, are employed for the $1{s}^{2}\mathrm{ns}^{2}S$ and $1{s}^{2}2p^{2}P_{1}$ states of LiI in obtaining lower bounds and Hylleraas variation-perturbation estimates of dipole polarizabilities for the four lowest $^{2}S$ states of LiI. The results of this study are polarizabilities for the four lowest $^{2}S$ states of LiI with probable accuracy 2-5%. In addition, the latest experimental result for the $2^{2}S$ state of LiI is found to be in excellent agreement with our result.
Cost Analysis of Robotic Versus Open Radical Cystectomy for Bladder Cancer

Purpose: Recently robotic approaches to cystectomy have been reported, and while clinical and oncological efficacy continues to be evaluated, potential financial costs have not been clearly evaluated. In this study we present a financial analysis using current cost structures and clinical outcomes for robotic and open cystectomy for bladder cancer.Materials and Methods: The financial costs of robotic and open radical cystectomy were categorized into operating room and hospital components, and further divided into fixed and variable costs for each. Fixed operating room costs for open cases involved base cost as well as disposable equipment costs while robotic fixed costs included the amortized machine cost as well as equipment and maintenance. Variable operating room costs were directly related to length of surgery. Variable hospital costs were directly related to transfusion requirement and length of stay. The means of the prior 20 cases of robotic and open cystectomy were used to perform a comparative co...
Cimetidine Does Not Inhibit Indomethacin-Induced Small Bowel Ulceration in the Rat

SummaryIn earlier studies, cimetidine was found to protect against acetylsalicylic acid-induced gastric mucosal lesions by a mechanism other than inhibition of gastric acid secretion. The present study examined the possibility that cimetidine might protect against the intestinal mucosal injury produced by indomethacin.Small intestinal ulceration produced by oral indomethacin (20 mg kg-1) was studied in rats treated with 0.15 M NaCl (control); 80 mg kg-1 cimetidine; 400 mg kg -1 cimetidine; and 100 μug kg-1 16-16 dimethyl prostaglandin E2. The treatments were given 30 min before and 8 hr after indomethacin. Confirming previous studies, 16-16 DMPGE2 significantly (P < 0.01) reduced the number of lesions and the sum of the lengths of ulcers per rat when compared to the control group. Neither dose of cimetidine had any effect on the intestinal lesions.
The physics of stellar core collapse

The hydrodynamics that develops during the infall of the core of a massive star at the end of its hydrostatic evolutionary epoch can have a profound effect on its subsequent dynamical history. In this paper the important processes governing the infall hydrodynamics are explored both semi-analytically and numerically with the aim of explaining the results of large-scale numerical calculations. We focus in particular on the factors responsible for reducing the mass of the inner core. These factors are found to be mainly associated with general relativistic effects and with the production, equilibration, and transport ofv e 's. Semi-leptonicv e emission and absorption are responsible for virtually all of thev e production. They dominate the energy transfer rate between matter andv e 's, but, with the rates being skewed to high energy, they are an importantv e -matter equilibrator only for the high-energy tail of thev e distribution. Neutrinoelectron scattering (NES) plays the dominant role inv e -matter equilibration with the important result that the equilibration is nearly complete by trapping. A careful examination of conditions where the onset of neutrino trapping is occurring indicates that the trapping density is a function of the enclosed mass, increasing with decreasing distance from the core center, and increasing with the extent of thev e -matter equilibration. Though not the dominant contributor to thev e -matter energy transfer rate, NES dominates the matter entropy production rate with another important result that the electron capture rate on free protons is significantly increased before trapping. The result of all of this is a greatly reduced inner core mass by the time of core turn-around. For numerical calculations employing the LLPR equation of state (or something similar), and for precollapse models having iron cores as small as 1.35M ⊙ (the smallest used by the author), this reduction of the inner core mass leads to the generation of a weak shock which fails to eject mass in a promptffashion. The effect of the small inner core mass on the subsequent dynamical history of the core is unknown.
Progress in nonprehensile manipulation

This paper reviews my recent research in robotic manipulation and speculates on potentially fruitful directions for future work. My recent work is focused on nonprehensile manipulation: manipulating objects without grasping them. In particular, the paper surveys work on a single joint robot that orients parts on a conveyor belt; a robot that uses dynamics to snatch, roll, or throw objects; hitting things to position them; manipulating things whose shapes are not completely known; and integration of manipulation with locomotion. In the future, a broad view of robotics will allow us to focus on fundamental principles and at the same time address a variety of new applications.
A reliable sensor data collection network using unmanned aircraft

This paper presents a method for reliably collecting data events from sensors and forwarding the data via a MANET to sensor monitoring stations located on an external network. A the core is a MANET concept that consists of ground and unmanned aircraf nodes. Unmanned aircraf enable a model whereby widely-spaced sensors are intermittently connected to the network and data is sent in stages as connections become available along each stage. The paper describes the sensor data collection model, the reliable multicast data delivery mechanism, and our experiences on a network test bed including the control of an unmanned aircraft through a MANET.
The effects of pentoxifylline on patients with intermittent claudication

Abstract All patients who had intermittent claudication (IC) over an 18-month period were given prescriptions for pentoxifylline (PTFX) 400 mg, three times daily. Patients were required to purchase their medication at a cost of $28 to $35 per month. The drug was administered regardless of the severity of symptoms, and no patient was offered operation without at least a 6-week trial of PTFX. An assessment of the severity of IC was made at the initial visit based on noninvasive data and the impact of the IC on the patient's life-style. One hundred thirty patients were enrolled in the study and were followed for 9 ± 1 months. Patients were seen every 2 months for treadmill exercise or induced hyperemic testing and interviews until the effects of the medication were determined. The duration of IC before the start of treatment had no effect on the results. IC did not improve in 88 patients (71%) followed for 7.2 ± 1 month. Thirty-six of these patients stopped the drug themselves because there was no benefit and the expense of PTFX was a hardship. An initial but short-lived improvement in walking was noted in another 13 patients (10%) following 14 ± 2 months, and the medication was eventually discontinued. Only 23 patients (19%) followed for 11.6 ± 2 months felt that IC had improved to the point where they did not feel limited in any way. Gastrointestinal symptoms occurred in 13 patients and were severe in eight patients (6%) who stopped taking the medication. The results of PTFX in this group of patients with IC were disappointing at best. In addition to its lack of efficacy for most patients, the medication was costly and had a significant number of associated gastrointestinal side effects. There were no clinical, hemodynamic, or anatomic predictors of success. The clinical usefulness of PTFX was not demonstrated in this study. (J VASC SURG 1988;7:356-62.)
A method performance evaluation and lessons learned after analyzing more than 5,000 human adipose tissue, serum, and breast milk samples for polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and dibenzofurans (PCDFs)

Abstract Over the past 5 years, the Centers for Disease Control had analyzed more than 5,000 adipose tissue and serum samples for PCDDs and PCDFs. These samples have been collected under strict protocols for large-scale studies including: 1) The Agent Orange Vietnam Veteran Validation Study; 2) The Missouri Adipose Tissue Study; 3) The Air Force Ranch Hand Study; 4) The NIOSH Worker Study; as well as several smaller studies. Because of our extensive quality assurance program over the years, we have been able to identify several major areas of potential analytical contamination that should be avoided by laboratories performing analyses of biological samples. We also present the results of long-term stability studies of 2378-TCDD in adipose tissue and serum (5–6 years) as well as the stability of PCDDs and PCDFs after they have been extracted from the sample matrix. In addition, we discuss the results of a performance evaluation of our method which includes small interlaboratory studies with other laboratories performing PCDD and PCDF analyses in biological samples.
A preliminary experimental study of turbidite fan deposits: Discussion

Parsons et al. (2002) have discussed an experimental study of turbidite fan deposits for understanding lobe switching. Because of the perceived importance of turbidite lobes in hydrocarbon reservoirs (Shanmugam and Moiola 1991), this experimental study could be of value to the oil industry. Also, experimental studies are the primary means of unraveling the complexities of the process dynamics of turbidity currents and their deposits. This is because the other two options, namely, (1) direct observations of turbidity currents in the deep sea (e.g., Shepard et al. 1979) and (2) attempts to understand turbidity currents and their fan deposits on the basis of outcrop study on land (e.g., Mutti and Ricci Lucchi 1972) have proven to be unsuccessful (e.g., Mutti 1992; Shanmugam 2002). Therefore, the experimental study by Parsons et al. (2002) requires close scrutiny. I would like to debate the following issues discussed in the paper: (1) Reynolds number, (2) grain-size variation, (3) depositional bedforms, and (4) importance of mud. Proper scaling of experimental flows to natural turbidity currents is vital. According to Parsons et al. (2002, p. 626), the Reynolds number of bottom-boundary layer in natural turbidity currents is "...often greater than 100...," whereas "the Reynolds number of experimental turbidity currents. . .was always much less than unity..." Parsons et al. (2002, p. 626) also acknowledged that the particle Reynolds number in these experiments is not compatible with values of natural flows. The authors attributed these scaling difficulties to the density of the particles and the viscosity of the fluid used in their …
CC80-A Microcomputer Crate Controller for CAMAC

A microcomputer crate controller has been developed for use in CAMAC based instrumentation, control, and data processing systems at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center. This unit may be used in multicrate branch highway systems to provide local processing capability within each crate, or in a single crate to form a stand-alone CAMAC system.
Back Strength Predicts Walking Improvement in Obese, Older Adults With Chronic Low Back Pain

Objective To compare the effects of 4 months of isolated lumbar resistance exercise and total body resistance exercise on walking performance in obese, older adults with chronic low back pain. A secondary analysis examined whether responsiveness to training modulated walking improvement. Design Randomized, controlled trial. Setting Research laboratory affiliated with tertiary care facility. Methods and Intervention Participants (N = 49; 60–85 years) were randomized into a 4-month resistance exercise intervention (TOTRX), lumbar extensor exercise intervention (LEXT), or a control group (CON). Main Outcome Measurements Walking performance, maximal low back strength and leg strength, and average resting and low back pain severity score (from an 11-point numerical pain rating scale; NRS pain ) were collected at baseline and month 4. Results The TOTRX and LEXT improved lumbar extensor strength relative to CON, and the TOTRX ( P pain scores at month 4 were lowest in the TOTRX group compared with the LEXT and CON groups, respectively (2.0 ± 1.7 points vs 3.7 ± 2.6 points and 4.6 ± 2.4 points; P P = .11). Gait speed increased most in the TOTRX (9.0 ± 13.5%) compared with the LEXT and CON groups ( P P = .024). Conclusions The use of LEXT and TOTRX produced similar modest improvements in patients' walking endurance. Lumbar extensor strength gain compared with leg strength gain is a moderate but important contributor to walking endurance in obese older adults with chronic low back pain. Responders to resistance exercise programs (event those with only lumbar extension exercise) who make at least a 20% improvement in strength can expect better improvement in walking endurance than those who do not achieve this strength improvement.
Automatic Extraction of Figures from Scholarly Documents

Scholarly papers (journal and conference papers, technical reports, etc.) usually contain multiple ``figures'' such as plots, flow charts and other images which are generated manually to symbolically represent and illustrate visually important concepts, findings and results. These figures can be analyzed for automated data extraction or semantic analysis. Surprisingly, large scale automated extraction of such figures from PDF documents has received little attention. Here we discuss the challenges of how to build a heuristic independent trainable model for such an extraction task and how to extract figures at scale. Motivated by recent developments in table extraction, we define three new evaluation metrics: figure-precision, figure-recall, and figure-F1-score. Our dataset consists of a sample of 200 PDFs, randomly collected from five million scholarly PDFs and manually tagged for 180 figure locations. Initial results from our work demonstrate an accuracy greater than 80%.
Resistance of the Polypyrrole/Polyimide Composite by Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy

Electrically conducting polymers are promising for applications in polymer based charge storage devices and for membrane applications. Composing polypyrrole with polyimide improves mechanical properties of polypyrrole and affects the electrochemical properties of the composite. In this paper resistance to ion flow of pure polyimide and of the polypyrrole/polyimide composite were studied by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, comparatively, as a function of applied potentials and of amount of polypyrrole. Electron scanning microscopy and surface mapping were used for surface characterization. Observed behavior was explained with electroactivity of the components of the composite. Conclusions about the effect of polypyrrole on the structure and resistance were made.
Out with the new! The IA Summit at five years

Le cinquieme Sommet sur l'Architecture de l'Information, qui s'est deroule a Austin, Texas (fevrier 2004), s'est caracterise par la grande richesse des contenus et la part grandissante prise par les aspects techniques et theoriques dans les presentations.
Neural basis for unique hues

Summary All colors can be described in terms of four non-reducible ‘unique' hues: red, green, yellow, and blue [1]. These four hues are also the most common ‘focal' colors — the best examples of color terms in language [2]. The significance of the unique hues has been recognized since at least the 14 th century [3] and is universal [4,5], although there is some individual variation [6,7]. Psychophysical linking hypotheses predict an explicit neural representation of unique hues at some stage of the visual system, but no such representation has been described [8]. The special status of the unique hues "remains one of the central mysteries of color science" [9]. Here we report that a population of recently identified cells in posterior inferior temporal cortex of macaque monkey contains an explicit representation of unique hues.