cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Sudden loss of mass from a binary gravitating system

Mitalas's (1980) study is generalized to treat sudden mass loss from a binary syste in an originally elliptical orbit. The orbits are characterized by angular momentum and energy, and it is shown that none of the changes in the relative orbit depends on which object it is that loses part of its mass. It is pointed out that, in principle, each could lose a different fraction. Time averages are introduced so that the orbital changes, which depend on where in orbit the mass loss takes place, can be suitably averaged over a statistical ensemble of initial systems. Even though many results that appear to be new are presented, it is noted that the main thrust is to choose and manipulate variables yielding the greatest economy of description and the greatest power of computation. Graphs are included showing the fraction of systems that on the average will be disrupted, the mean orbital changes for the survivors, and the extreme limits for the change in eccentricity.
The impact of international agreements on domestic policy: An analysis of tariff policy in African countries

This paper estimates a fixed effects tariff model to study the impact of the tariff reform provisions of international agreements on domestic tariffs, using a sample of eight Sub-Saharan African countries. The structure of the model explaining domestic tariff changed from the preagreement period to the postagreement period. However, the results indicate that for the most part, efforts by governments to adhere to tariff agreements failed in all but a few countries. Even for the countries in which the agreements appeared to be successful, the significance of the results is relatively weak.
Comparison of initial treatment response to two enhanced-viscosity artificial tears.

Purpose.To compare the effectiveness of 1.0% carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) (Refresh Liquigel, Allergan, Inc., Irvine, CA) and propylene glycol/polyethylene glycol 400 (PG-HPG) (Systane, Alcon, Fort Worth, TX) in providing relief of dry eye symptoms and signs.Methods.To evaluate patient comfort and dr
Load-biased shape-memory and superelastic properties of a precipitation strengthened high-temperature Ni50.3Ti29.7Hf20 alloy

A slightly Ni-rich NiTi–20Hf (at.%) alloy was aged for 3 h at 550 °C to form a homogeneous distribution of 10–20 nm precipitates. To determine the effect of such structures on the martensite–austenite transformation, preliminary load-biased shape-memory and superelastic properties were measured. The alloy exhibited reasonably high transformation temperatures, near-perfect dimensional stability and a work output as high as 18.7 J cm−3 during load-biased thermal cycling. Isothermal stress cycling of the austenite between 180 and 220 °C resulted in near-perfect superelastic behavior up to 3% applied strain.
The lack of C2 molecular symmetry in (1R,2R,3S,6S)-3,6-dibenzyloxycyclohex-4-ene-1,2-diol.

The results of a single-crystal X-ray experiment and density functional theory calculations performed for the title compound, C20H22O4, demonstrate that the lowest energy conformation of this mol­ecule does not contain C2 molecular symmetry.
Row Effect for R-11 Condensation on Enhanced Tubes

Experimental results of a condensation row effect study on enhanced tubes are presented. A test cell was constructed to condense Refrigerant-11 on the shell side of a vertical bank of five horizontal tubes. Four distinctly different commercially available tubes were tested. The tubes are a 1024-fpm integral fin, the Wolverine Tube-C, Wieland GEWA-SC, and the Tred-D. A modified Turbo-C tube was also tested. Experimental and visual observations are used to understand the row effect due to condensate loading. By plotting the data in the form of the local condensation coefficient versus condensate Reynolds number, the results may be interpreted for any number of tube rows, up to the maximum Reynolds numbers tested. Bundle average condensation coefficients may be established by integrating the h versus Re values over the number of tube rows.
STIMULUS CONTROL AND ASSOCIATIVE LEARNING

Interest in operant research on stimulus control has declined at the same time that much interest has burgeoned in nonoperant areas. Several examples of this shift toward traditional learning theory are considered, all of which have sponsored theoretical approaches that attempt to characterize the underlying associative units. These theoretical approaches are defended on the grounds that they have generated a deeper understanding of a variety of often puzzling phenomena. My projection is that future research will be determined even more strongly by theories about the structure of associations. Particular issues for which such discussion will have major impact include (1) whether conditional stimulus control is qualitatively different than simpler forms of stimulus control, (2) whether stimulus control is organized hierarchically, and (3) the origin of categories of stimulus equivalence.
Brain cyclic AMP levels and the initiation of adult development in the Cecropia silkmoth.

Abstract A six-fold increase in the level of brain cyclic AMP is observed in chilled Cecropia pharate adults within 24 hr of transfer from the cold to room temperature. This increase is not observed in pupae chilled for a period insufficient to allow initiation of adult development, nor after injury to diapausing pupae. Other tissues show a variable and minor response during initiation. Injected dibutyryl cAMP will cause initiation in insufficiently chilled pupae, but not in dauer pupae. The possible relationship of this rise in cAMP to the process of initiation is discussed.
Effect of Browning on Chemical Properties of Egg Albumin

Egg albumin was stored at 37°C, under 68% relative humidity in the presence of excess glucose for 40 days to study the effect of browning on chemical properties of the protein. Binding of glucose to egg albumin occurred mostly in the early stage of browning whereas brown color started developing after 10 days. Amino acid analyses showed large lose in lysine, arginine, serine, histidine and tryptophan. Dye binding methods demonstrated some relationships to the nutritional value of browned egg albumin, however they were not accurate enough to follow the change in the nutritional value of egg albumin during storage. Relatively close correlation between the amount of glucose bound and the loss of nutritional value was observed.
Improved pressure swing adsorption processes for gas separation: by heat exchange between adsorbers and by using high-heat-capacity inert additives

Two new pressure swing adsorption processes for bulk gas separation are proposed. The first one is by allowing heat exchange between the adsorber columns, for example, by using a shell-and-tube type heat exchanger, where the shell and the tube are two beds. By model simulations, it is shown that the new process offers substantial improvements in both product purities and recoveries over the adiabatic process, which resembles the industrial operations using large beds. A fundamental understanding for the improvements is given through model simulations. A peculiar high-temperature plateau and cold ends in the bed are predicted for the adiabatic process. In the second process, an inert material with a high heat capacity is added into the adsorbent bed. The inert additive serves to store heat during adsorption and release it during desorption, hence reducing the magnitudes of the temperature excursions during pressure swing cycle and improving the separations. Model simulation results are presented for bulk separation of H/sub 2//CH/sub 4/ and H/sub 2//CO mixtures with various amounts of iron particles added in a bed of activated carbon. The results show substantial improvements in both product purities and recoveries by the inert additive. A fundamental understanding of the role played bymore » the inert additive is gained through a comparison of the temperature profiles in the bed and its variation with time during a steady-state cycle.« less
FAILURE TO RELATE ACADEMIC ABILITY TO THE LATERAL EYE-SHIFT IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL CHILDREN

Correlates of academic ability such as creativity, language use, locus of control, and achievement were not related to the lateral eye-shift for 147 sixth grade children. The lack of findings suggests a developmental emphasis in future research.
Distinct Contributions of Aire and Antigen-Presenting-Cell Subsets to the Generation of Self-Tolerance in the Thymus

The contribution of thymic antigen-presenting-cell (APC) subsets in selecting a self-tolerant T cell population remains unclear. We show that bone marrow (BM) APCs and medullary thymic epithelial cells (mTECs) played nonoverlapping roles in shaping the T cell receptor (TCR) repertoire by deletion and regulatory T (Treg) cell selection of distinct TCRs. Aire, which induces tissue-specific antigen expression in mTECs, affected the TCR repertoire in a manner distinct from mTEC presentation. Approximately half of Aire-dependent deletion or Treg cell selection utilized a pathway dependent on antigen presentation by BM APCs. Batf3-dependent CD8α⁺ dendritic cells (DCs) were the crucial BM APCs for Treg cell selection via this pathway, showing enhanced ability to present antigens from stromal cells. These results demonstrate the division of function between thymic APCs in shaping the self-tolerant TCR repertoire and reveal an unappreciated cooperation between mTECs and CD8α⁺ DCs for presentation of Aire-induced self-antigens to developing thymocytes.
Scrotal Buschke-Lowenstein tumor in an AIDS patient.

Giant condyloma acuminatum, also known as Buschke-Lowenstein tumor, is a slow-growing neoplasm notable for its size and presentation in the anogenital region. A viral etiology suggests it should be more common in the immunocompromised; however, few reports exist in the literature. The evaluation, tr
On the oscillation theory of periodic linear differential equations

For equations in a broad class of linear differential equations of arbitrary order having periodic coefficients, we set forth a procedure for determining large regions in the plane in which no solution f(z) ≢ 0 can have infinitely many zeros. This permits us to determine locations in the plane where the zeros of a solution must be concentrated. Our results apply to higher-order analogues of the well-known Mathieu equation. The class of equations we treat has been investigated in several recent papers (e.g. [6, 7, 8, 9]) from the point of view of determining the frequency of zeros of the solutions
GLI3-dependent repression of DR4 mediates hedgehog antagonism of TRAIL-induced apoptosis

Tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) induces apoptosis through its cognate receptors death receptor 4 (DR4) and death receptor 5 (DR5), preferentially in malignant cells. However, many malignant cells remain resistant to TRAIL cytotoxicity by poorly characterized mechanisms. Here, using cholangiocarcinoma cells, as a model for TRAIL resistance, we identified a role for the oncogenic Hedgehog (Hh)-GLI pathway in the regulation of TRAIL cytotoxicity. Blockade of Hh using pharmacological and genetic tools sensitizes the cells to TRAIL cytotoxicity. Restoration of apoptosis sensitivity coincided with upregulation of DR4 expression, while expression of other death effector proteins remained unaltered. Knockdown of DR4 mimics Hh-mediated resistance to TRAIL cytotoxicity. Hh regulates the expression of DR4 by modulating the activity of its promoter. Luciferase, chromatin immunoprecipitation and expression assays show that the transcription factor GLI3 binds to the DR4 promoter and Hh requires an intact GLI3-repression activity to silence DR4 expression. Finally, small interfering RNA (siRNA)-targeted knockdown of GLI3, but not GLI1 or GLI2, restores DR4 expression and TRAIL sensitivity, indicating that the Hh effect is exclusively mediated by this transcription factor. In conclusion, these data provide evidence of a regulatory mechanism, which modulates TRAIL signaling in cancer cells and suggest new therapeutic approaches for TRAIL-resistant neoplasms.
Sterols in the leaves of the Cheirodendron gaudichaudii tree and their relationship to Hawaiian Drosophila ecology

Abstract Green leaves and leaves in various stages of decay of the Cheirodendron gaudichaudii tree have been analysed for sterols, triterpenes, and fatty acids. The non-saponifiable fractions contained cycloartenol with smaller quantities of β-sitosterol and stigmasterol. The fatty acid fraction was composed principally of palmitic, linoleic, and linolenic acids. These results, together with those of previous workers, suggest that rotting cheirodendron leaves are good hosts for Hawaiian Drosophila because of their physical nature rather than their biochemical content.
Proteomics of Fusobacterium nucleatum within a model developing oral microbial community.

Fusobacterium nucleatum is a common oral organism that can provide adhesive and metabolic support to developing periodontal bacterial communities. It is within the context of these communities that disease occurs. We have previously reported whole cell proteomics analyses of Porphyromonas gingivalis and Streptococcus gordonii in early-stage communities with each other and with F. nucleatum, modeled using 18 h pellets. Here, we report the adaptation of F. nucleatum to the same experimental conditions as measured by differential protein expression. About 1210 F. nucleatum proteins were detected in single species F. nucleatum control samples, 1192 in communities with P. gingivalis, 1224 with S. gordonii, and 1135 with all three species. Quantitative comparisons among the proteomes revealed important changes in all mixed samples with distinct responses to P. gingivalis or S. gordonii alone and in combination. The results were inspected manually and an ontology analysis conducted using DAVID (Database for annotation, visualization, and integrated discovery). Extensive changes were detected in energy metabolism. All multispecies comparisons showed reductions in amino acid fermentation and a shift toward butanoate as a metabolic byproduct, although the two organism model community with S. gordonii showed increases in alanine, threonine, methionine, and cysteine pathways, and in the three species samples there were increases in lysine and methionine. The communities with P. gingivalis or all three organisms showed reduced glycolysis proteins, but F. nucleatum paired with S. gordonii displayed increased glycolysis/gluconeogenesis proteins. The S. gordonii containing two organism model also showed increases in the ethanolamine pathway while the three species sample showed decreases relative to the F. nucleatum single organism control. All of the nascent model communities displayed reduced translation, lipopolysaccharide, and cell wall biosynthesis, DNA replication and DNA repair.
Comments on "Multiple Fault Detection in Combinational Network"

In the above paper,1the authors have defined complete test, closed fault set, fault set graph, and undetected fault set as follows.
Monotonicity and unimodality of the pattern inventory

Abstract It is shown that the Kostka numbers respect a natural partial order (reverse domination) on the integer partitions. It is then proved that the number of Polya patterns with a given weight also respects this order. Immediate consequences include the unimodality of the number of graphs with n vertices and k edges and the unimodality of the coefficients of the expansion of the Gaussian coefficient m+n n .
Influence of bone volume fraction and architecture on computed large-deformation failure mechanisms in human trabecular bone

Abstract Large-deformation bending and buckling have long been proposed as failure mechanisms by which the strength of trabecular bone can be affected disproportionately to changes in bone density, and thus may represent an important aspect of bone quality. We sought here to quantify the contribution of large-deformation failure mechanisms on strength, to determine the dependence of these effects on bone volume fraction and architecture, and to confirm that the inclusion of large-deformation effects in high-resolution finite element models improves predictions of strength versus experiment. Micro-CT-based finite element models having uniform hard tissue material properties were created from 54 cores of human trabecular bone taken from four anatomic sites (age = 70 ± 11; 24 male, 27 female donors), which were subsequently biomechanically tested to failure. Strength predictions were made from the models first including, then excluding, large-deformation failure mechanisms, both for compressive and tensile load cases. As expected, strength predictions versus experimental data for the large-deformation finite element models were significantly improved (p
Eyeblink conditioning deficits in the old cat.

Acquisition of a conditioned eyeblink reflex was studied in aged cats 10–23 years old and young cats one to three years old. All ten young cats became conditioned within 1,000 trials after a mean of 270 trials, with a stimulus protocol including a 1500 msec 4 kHz tone CS+ followed by a shock unconditioned stimulus, and click CS−. Nine of 15 aged cats failed to become conditioned with 1,000 trials. Six old cats became conditioned after a mean of 522 trials. Four aged cats tested with a simpler protocol involving a 400 msec CS+ and no click CS− became conditioned witt less than 500 trials. All retained the conditioned response when clicks were added to the 400 msec CS+. Three aged animals which failed to become conditioned with the 1500 msec CS+ and clicks were trained with an 800 msec CS+ without clicks. Only one became conditioned within 500 trials. Thus duration of the tone CS+ was critically important for acquisition of a conditioned eyeblink response by aged cats.
Contact precautions for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus colonization: costly and unnecessary?

Background Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is frequently encountered in health care facilities. Many hospitals have established screening programs to identify individuals harboring the organism. Patients identified as carrying MRSA are frequently placed in Contact Precautions at time of admission. Methods Between January 1, 2007, and December 31, 2010, we screened a select group of patients for MRSA employing polymerase chain reaction testing. We recorded our screening results and also recorded the MRSA hospital-acquired infection (HAI) rate. In January 2010, we discontinued placing individuals, asymptomatically colonized with MRSA, in Contact Precautions. Results Between January 1, 2007, and December 31, 2010, we screened 6,712 asymptomatic patients for MRSA and found 633 (9.4%) to be positive. During this same time period, we encountered 7 MRSA HAI. There was 1 MRSA HAI in the first year and 2 in each of the last 3 years of the study period. The costs incurred for Contact Precautions for the MRSA study population averaged $8,055 per year for each of the first 3 years and $0 for 2010. Conclusion Placing patients who are asymptomatically harboring MRSA in Contact Precautions did not decrease the rate of HAI caused by this organism and was relatively expensive.
Characterization of the Bacteroides CTnDOT Regulatory Protein RteC

ABSTRACT Excision of the Bacteroides conjugative transposon CTnDOT is stimulated by tetracycline. It was shown previously that a gene, rteC , is necessary for tetracycline-stimulated transcriptional regulation of the orf2c operon, which contains the excision genes. The protein encoded by this gene, RteC, did not have primary amino acid sequence homology to any known proteins in the databases. Accordingly, we sought structural homologs of RteC. A three-dimensional structure prediction by Robetta suggested that RteC might have two domains and that the C-terminal domain might have a winged helix motif. Based on the Robetta prediction, the human transcriptional factors E2F-4 and DP2 were identified as the most likely structural homologs of RteC. We made alanine substitutions within the putative DNA binding helix 3 region of RteC. Assays of orf2c :: uidA activation by alanine mutants indicated that residues 174, 175, 178, 180, and 184 in helix 3 might contact the upstream region of P E . The upstream region of orf2c contained two inverted-repeat half sites. Mutational analysis of these half sites showed that both half sites are important for activity. Thus, we have identified the DNA binding portion of RteC and the DNA site to which it binds.
Intraspecific nest parasitism of cavity-nesting wood ducks: costs and benefits to hosts and parasites

Intraspecific nest parasitism may have few costs to hosts in species with precocial young and limited parental care. We examined costs and benefits of parasitism to hosts and parasites in wood ducks, Aix sponsa. Hosts laid fewer eggs when parasitized, although host egg laying was not related to the number of parasite eggs in a nest. The proportion of eggs that hatched declined with increasing clutch size; most unhatched eggs were laid by parasites. Hatching success of host eggs was not affected by parasitism. Incubation length also increased with clutch size, which prolonged nest exposure to predators, although simulations predicted that this was offset by dilution of predation risk. However, longer incubation potentially posed energetic costs. For a wide range of parasitism levels, this energetic cost was low compared to the costs of laying a replacement clutch. Therefore, abandonment was favourable only when nests were heavily parasitized early in the laying period, which was consistent with observations. Inclusive fitness benefits were possible for hosts if hosts and parasites were related. Modelling costs and benefits from the parasite's perspective, the cost of lower hatching success was more than offset by the benefits of avoiding incubation. For females that incubated a nest and parasitized another female's nest, allocation of eggs between nests was influenced by the cost of incubating an additional egg, the cost of lower hatching success of parasitically laid eggs, and any dilution of predation risk for parasitically laid eggs. These findings help to explain the high prevalence of intraspecific nest parasitism in precocial birds.
Managing Access to Liver Transplantation: Implications for Gastroenterology Practice

H t i S ver the past 2 decades liver transplantation has evolved from an experiment to become the stanard of care for many patients with liver disease. The field as evolved to a remarkable level of complexity, which as challenged both medical expertise and organizational xpertise with respect to managing public policy. With ver 17,000 patients on the transplant list and over 5000 ransplantations performed per year with increasingly igher rates of and longer survival, almost all gastroenerologists will become involved with a transplant paient. The roles of a gastroenterologist include identifiation of potential candidates for transplantation, anagement of patients on the waiting list, and identication and management of posttransplantation compliations. It is common for gastroenterologists to be enaged in the care of patients prior to transplantation as ell as providing varying degrees of posttransplantation edical care, unless they are primarily focused on interentional endoscopy. Several important changes in the ransplant environment are relevant to the gastroenterlogist, including evolving allocation policies governing he waiting list for transplantation, use of living donors nd expanded donor grafts, and management of postransplantation complications including that of recurent hepatitis C. This review focuses on changes in paient selection and timing for listing and transplantation ncluding the impact of the new Model for End-Stage iver Disease (MELD)-based allocation system, the analsis of the benefit of transplantation, the decision to emove a patient from the transplant list, and the methds of accelerating the time to transplantation. Finally, e review in detail current approaches to the manageent of candidates with hepatitis C and hepatocellular arcinoma (HCC) preand posttransplantation because creening and treatment for HCC and prevention and reatment of recurrent hepatitis C virus (HCV) are 2 of he biggest challenges in transplantation. We have choen to focus on areas that both impact on practicing astroenterologists and in which there have been recent hanges; there are several recent reviews and chapters overing posttransplantation complications, infections, nd immunosuppression.1–3 The Evaluation Process
Role of pinealectomy on Walker 256 carcinoma in rats

After years of investigation, today it is generally agreed that mammalian pineal is a functioning organ with endocrine-like properties. Several investigators in the past have shown that pinealectomy possibly alters the growth and spread of tumors in rodents. An experimental system has been devised in this laboratory to study the effects of pinealectomy on the growth and spread of Walker 256 carcinoma in rats. One hundred and ten inbred Holtzman male rats weighing 40–60 g were used. Thirty-nine rats were pinealectomized. Thirty-five rats were subjected to a comparative trauma and bleeding but the pineal was left intact (sham-operated). Thirty-six rats served as controls. Five weeks after operation all the rats were inoculated with 500,000 tumor cells. The rats were observed for 23 days after tumor inoculation. Autopsies were performed on the twenty-fourth day. Results showed the tumor volumes were 149.37 ± 26.46 ml in pinealectomized rats, 104.79 ± 19.97 ml in the sham-operated group, and 103.59 ± 19.61 ml in the control group. This was statistically significant (p = 0.01). Metastatic tumor involvement of the mediastinal lymph nodes occurred in 82% of the pinealectomized rats versus 38% of the controls and 46% of sham-operated animals. Metastatic tumor involvement occurred in 79% of the lungs in pinealectomized rats versus 31% in the sham-operated and 36% in the control animals.
SOIL HETEROGENEITY AND PLANT COMPETITION IN ANANNUAL GRASSLAND

Variation in competitive ability due to variation in soil characteristics is one possible mechanism allowing the local coexistence of plant species. We measured soil water, depth, and nitrogen pools and fluxes in distinct patches of three serpentine grassland species to determine whether soil heterogeneity existed and was correlated with plant species abundance. Through experimental manipulation of species’ abundances, we also examined the relative importance of inherent site characteristics vs. plant species’ effects in generating heterogeneity in the measured soil characteristics; and measured species’ competitive abilities in different patch types. The three common grassland annuals, Calycadenia multiglandulosum, Plantago erecta, and Lasthenia californica, were segregated with respect to the measured soil characteristics. Differences in soil water, soil depth, soil microbial nitrogen, and soil carbon to nitrogen ratio were due to inherent site characteristics, while differences in nitrate availability ...
Metoclopramide in the treatment of diabetic gastroparesis

Gastroparesis is a chronic disorder that affects a significant subset of the population. Diabetes mellitus is a risk factor for the development of gastroparesis. Currently, metoclopramide is the only US FDA-approved medication for the treatment of gastroparesis. However, the FDA recently placed a black-box warning on metoclopramide because of the risk of related side effects, including tardive dyskinesia, the incidence of which has been cited to be as high as 15% in the literature. This review will investigate the mechanisms by which metoclopramide improves the symptoms of gastroparesis and will focus on the evidence of clinical efficacy supporting metoclopramide use in gastroparesis. Finally, we seek to document the true complication risk from metoclopramide, especially tardive dyskinesia, by reviewing the available evidence in the literature. Potential strategies to mitigate the risk of complications from metoclopramide will also be discussed.
Techniaue Of White Light Optical Processing With Diffraction Grating Method

We will describe a technique of optical information processing by a spectrally broad-band light source (e.g., white light). This technique enables the signal processing to be carried out in complex amplitude rather than in intensity. The basic advantage of the white light processing technique is the elimination of the coherent artifact noise that frequently plagues the coherent optical processing system. We will show that this white light processor is capable of performing complex signal filterings that a coherent optical processor can offer. We will demonstrate that signal detection by complex spatial filtering and image addition and subtraction can be carried out by this white light processing technique. Although this processing technique is effective in one dimension, however, it can be applied in 2-D problems in optical information processing.© (1980) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Standardized Uptake Value Atlas: Characterization of Physiological 2-Deoxy-2-[18F]fluoro-d-glucose Uptake in Normal Tissues

The purpose of this study was to map the distribution of 2-deoxy-2-[18F]fluoro-d-glucose (FDG) uptake in organs of patients with no known abnormalities in those tissues. We measured maximum and mean standardized uptake values (SUV) from FDG-positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) obtained from 98 patients (48 males and 50 females). Significant uptake (mean SUVmean > 2.5) was visualized in the cerebellum (8.0 ± 2.2), soft palate (2.92 ± 0.86), palatine tonsils (3.45 ± 1.4), lingual tonsils (3.08 ± 1.05), sublingual glands (3.3 ± 1.5), and testes (2.57 ± 0.56). Negative correlation for FDG uptake versus age was observed for the palatine tonsils, sublingual glands, and lungs (P < 0.001). Better understanding of physiological uptake throughout the body is valuable for improved interpretive accuracy and should be useful for future semi-automated comparisons to a normal SUV database.
Acquisition of English vocabulary by young Chinese adoptees

The number of orphaned and abandoned children adopted by US citizens from China has surpassed that from any other country in the last couple of years (US State Department Statistics, 2003). This is due, in part, to China's reputation for placing ‘healthy’ children who are very young (under a year or slightly older). The question we address in this paper is how children, adopted from between seven and eleven months of age, fare in their acquisition of English vocabulary given months of Chinese, rather than English, language exposure and a brief history of institutionalization. By age two to two-and-a-half, the majority of the children we have been following showed no evidence of delay in their acquisition of expressive English vocabulary with some having larger vocabularies than is typical for their native-born English-speaking peers.
The midline and intralaminar thalamic nuclei Anatomic and functional specificity and implications in neurologic disease

GLOSSARY: CL = central lateral; CM = center median; DBS = deep brain stimulation; GABA = γ-aminobutyric acid; GPe = globus pallidus, external segment; GPi = globus pallidus, internal segment; LDT = laterodorsal tegmental nucleus; N accumbens = nucleus accumbens; Pf = parafascicular; PPT = pedunculopontine tegmental nucleus; ReT = reticular thalamic nucleus; SNr = substantia nigra, pars reticulata; TC = thalamocortical.
Flight Orientation of Diabrotica virgifera virgifera and D. barberi (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) at Habitat Interfaces

The short-range flight orientation behavior of adult western corn rootworms, Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte, and adult northern corn rootworms, D. barberi (Smith & Lawrence), was observed within plots of corn, Zea mays L. and soybean, Glycine max (L.) Merr., and at the interface between corn and other crop and noncrop habitats. The direction of flight was random within corn and soybeans, but at the interface between early- and late-planted corn, beetles of both species generally oriented more toward flowering corn than vegetative or post-flowering corn. Beetles also oriented toward corn rather than soybean, wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.), and sweet clover ( Melilotus officinalis (L.) Lam.) mixed with weeds, independent of the developmental stage of the corn. In general, flight orientation behavior did not differ with sex, and flight direction was not modified by wind or the presence of the observer. It appears that, although movement within a homogeneous habitat is random, movement at the boundaries of dissimilar habitats is nonrandom. This behavior should be considered in the development of models for predicting large-scale dispersal of these insects within the corn ecosystem.
Surprising lack of association of prior alcohol consumption on hepatitis C infection and hepatic histology

Background: Chronic alcoholism is common in patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC) infection. Alcohol can exacerbate liver damage in hepatitis C infection by causing oxidative stress. Heavy alcohol consumption has been associated with higher levels of viremia and more advanced fibrosis. Studies have also suggested that chronic alcoholism causes more rapid progression to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with CHC, however alcohol intake has been poorly quantified in these studies.
Resonance peak in neutron scattering experiments on the cuprates revisited: The case of exciton versus π -resonance and magnetic plasmon

We reanalyze the issue whether the resonance peak observed in neutron scattering experiments on the cuprates is an exciton, a $\ensuremath{\pi}$-resonance, or a magnetic plasmon. We consider a toy model on-site Hubbard $U$ and nearest-neighbor interaction in both charge and spin channels. We find that the mixing between $\ensuremath{\pi}$ and spin channels is not negligible, but the resonance remains predominantly an exciton even if the magnetic interaction is absent and the $d$-wave pairing originates from attractive density-density interaction. Our results indicate that it may be difficult to distinguish between spin- and charge-mediated pairing interactions by just looking at the resonance peak in the spin susceptibility.
Green power: What is it and where can we find it?

The interest in commercial green power in the developed world is about 25 years old, starting in the mid-1970s after the first oil shock. Electricity derived from any renewable energy source is considered "green" because of the negligible impact on greenhouse gas emissions. In terms of commercial energy, this list currently includes hydro, wind, biomass, geothermal, and solar. In the 1970s and 1980s, the interest in green power was driven by the goal of replacing fossil fuels to minimize the dependence on oil. Now there is a broader goal: to minimize the emission of CO/sub 2/ (the most common global warming gas) that results from the burning of fossil fuels. This article discusses the market potential for renewable resources, green power in the mainstream electric utilities, and the following renewable resources: hydroelectric power, wind power; biomass; solar thermal power; solar photovoltaics; and geothermal power.
Inhibition of insect juvenile hormone synthesis by phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate

Abstract The synthesis of insect juvenile hormone III (JH III) by isolated corpora allata of the cockroach Diploptera punctata incubated in vitro is inhibited by phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA), phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate and 1-oleyl-2-acetylglycerol. 4α-Phorbol 12,13-didecanoate and diolein are inactive. The inhibitory effect of phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate is fully reversed by 2 E ,6 E -farnesol or by 2 E ,6 E -farnesoic acid. It is highest in corpora allata that are past their peak in secretory activity or that have been inhibited by injections of 20-hydroxyecdysone. This effect of phorbol esters implicates protein kinase C in the regulation of insect corpus allatum activity.
Local anesthetic effect of tramadol, metoclopramide, and lidocaine following intradermal injection

Abstract Background and Objectives. We observed clinically that tramadol and metoclopramide appear to have local anesthetic action. Tramadol is a central-acting analgesic. Metoclopramide is a commonly used antiemetic. The local anesthetic effect of tramadol in reducing propofol injection pain has never been mentioned, although it was speculated with metoclopramide. Methods. We conducted a double-blind, placebo-controlled study by injecting tramadol or metoclopramide intradermally in 10 healthy volunteers (5 men, 5 women; age 25–56 years). Each subject received 0.5 mL of four solutions in random order on the volar side of the forearm. These solutions were 25 mg tramadol, 5 mg metoclopramide, 5 mg lidocaine, and 0.5 mL normal saline. Pain on injections and the degree of local anesthesia (tested by pinprick, light touch, and cold) at each site was reported on a 0–3 scale at designed time intervals. Results. Like 1% lidocaine, tramadol and metoclopramide demonstrated loss of sensation for pinprick, light touch, and cold for 15 minutes after intradermal injection (P
Comparison of undulation difference accuracies using gravity anomalies and gravity disturbances

Errors in the outer zone contribution to oceanic undulation differences computed from a finite set of potential coefficients based on satellite measurements of gravity anomalies and gravity disturbances are analyzed. Equations are derived for the truncation errors resulting from the lack of high-degree coefficients and the commission errors arising from errors in the available lower-degree coefficients, and it is assumed that the inner zone (spherical cap) is sufficiently covered by surface gravity measurements in conjunction with altimetry or by gravity anomaly data. Numerical computations of error for various observational conditions reveal undulation difference errors ranging from 13 to 15 cm and from 6 to 36 cm in the cases of gravity anomaly and gravity disturbance data, respectively for a cap radius of 10 deg and mean anomalies accurate to 10 mgal, with a reduction of errors in both cases to less than 10 cm as mean anomaly accuracy is increased to 1 mgal. In the absence of a spherical cap, both cases yield error estimates of 68 cm for an accuracy of 1 mgal and between 93 and 160 cm for the lesser accuracy, which can be reduced to about 110 cm by the introduction of a perfect 30-deg reference field.
Looking glass mechanism-based inhibition of peptidylglycine α-amidating monooxygenase

Abstract Carboxyl-terminal amidation, a required post-translational modification for the bioactivation of many peptide hormones, entails sequential enzymatic action by peptidylglycine α-monooxygenase (PAM, EC 1.14.17.3) and peptidylamidoglycolate lyase (PGL, EC 4.3.2.5). We have previously demonstrated that PAM and PGL exhibit strict tandem reaction stereospecificities, with PAM producing exclusively α-hydroxyglycine moieties of absolute configuration ( S ), and PGL being reactive only toward ( S )-α-hydroxyglycines, and we have also shown that PAM exhibits strict P 2 -subsite stereospecificity toward both peptide substrates and peptidyl competitive inhibitors. Herein, it is reported that the inhibitory stereochemistry of olefinic mechanism-based amidation inhibitors differs from the strict subsite stereospecificity exhibited by PAM toward substrates and reversible competitive inhibitors. Kinetic analyses of mechanism-based irreversible inhibition of PAM by the ( S )- and ( R )-enantiomers of 5-acetamido-4-oxo-6-phenyl-2-hexenoic acid were carried out using the rigorous progress curve method. The two enantiomers were found to exhibit very similar values of K I and k inact and in both cases kinetic analysis confirmed that irreversible inhibition occurs strictly at the substrate binding site with no ESI complex being formed during the catalytic processing of these irreversible inhibitors. Molecular docking studies were carried out to help rationalize the sharp contrast in the stereospecificity of PAM toward irreversible inhibitors versus substrates and competitive inhibitors. The results revealed that, in contrast to substrates, both docked enantiomers of the olefinic irreversible inhibitors are well-positioned to undergo catalytic processing at the Cu center that gives rise to irreversible inhibition. Taken together, these results provide one of the first clear examples where the stereospecificity of a particular enzyme toward mechanism-based irreversible inhibitors differs from that for substrates and competitive inhibitors.
Treatment of terminal peritoneal carcinomatosis by a transducible p53-activating peptide.

Advanced-stage peritoneal carcinomatosis is resistant to current chemotherapy treatment and, in the case of metastatic ovarian cancer, results in a devastating 15%–20% survival rate. Therapeutics that restore genes inactivated during oncogenesis are predicted to be more potent and specific than current therapies. Experiments with viral vectors have demonstrated the theoretical utility of expressing the p53 tumor suppressor gene in cancer cells. However, clinically useful alternative approaches for introducing p53 activity into cancer cells are clearly needed. It has been hypothesized that direct reactivation of endogenous p53 protein in cancer cells will be therapeutically beneficial, but few tests of this hypothesis have been carried out in vivo. We report that a transducible D-isomer RI-TATp53C′ peptide activates the p53 protein in cancer cells, but not normal cells. RI-TATp53C′ peptide treatment of preclinical terminal peritoneal carcinomatosis and peritoneal lymphoma models results in significant increases in lifespan (greater than 6-fold) and the generation of disease-free animals. These proof-of-concept observations show that specific activation of endogenous p53 activity by a macromolecular agent is therapeutically effective in preclinical models of terminal human malignancy. Our results suggest that TAT-mediated transduction may be a useful strategy for the therapeutic delivery of large tumor suppressor molecules to malignant cells in vivo.
Unpacking the effects of genocide and politicide on forced migration

Scholars have not found a consistent connection between state-sponsored mass killing and forced migration. I argue that disaggregating mass killing into its various forms can illuminate these mixed findings. As genocide targets specific groups, the effect of this killing should not have a large effect on creating forced migrants amongst the rest of the population. Conversely, politicides aim to eradicate individuals whom the government sees as a threat. As the focus of politicide cuts across groups, this type of mass killing should affect a larger proportion of the population and lead to greater numbers of displaced persons.
A strategy to decrease partial scan reconstruction artifacts in myocardial perfusion CT: Phantom and in vivo evaluation

Purpose: Partial scan reconstruction (PSR) artifacts are present in myocardial perfusion imaging using dynamic multidetector computed tomography (MDCT). PSR artifacts appear as temporal CT number variations due to inconsistencies in the angular data range used to reconstruct images and compromise the quantitative value of myocardial perfusion when using MDCT. The purpose of this work is to present and evaluate a technique termed targeted spatial frequency filtration (TSFF) to reduce CT number variations due to PSR when applied to myocardial perfusion imaging using MDCT. Methods: The TSFF algorithm requires acquiring enough X-ray projections to reconstruct both partial (π + fan angle α) and full (2π) scans. Then, using spatial linear filters, the TSFF-corrected image data are created by superimposing the low spatial frequency content of the full scan reconstruction (containing no PSR artifacts, but having low spatial resolution and worse temporal resolution) with the high spatial frequency content of the partial scan reconstruction (containing high spatial frequencies and better temporal resolution). The TSFF method was evaluated both in a static anthropomorphic thoracic phantom and using an in vivo porcine model and compared with a previously validated reference standard technique that avoids PSR artifacts by pacing the animal heart in synchrony with the gantry rotation. CT number variations were quantified by measuring the range and standard deviation of CT numbers in selected regions of interest (ROIs) over time. Myocardial perfusion parameters such as blood volume (BV), mean transit time (MTT), and blood flow (BF) were quantified and compared in the in vivo study. Results: Phantom experiments demonstrated that TSFF reduced PSR artifacts by as much as tenfold, depending on the location of the ROI. For the in vivo experiments, the TSFF-corrected data showed two- to threefold decrease in CT number variations. Also, after TSFF, the perfusion parameters had an average difference of 13.1% (range 4.5%–25.6%) relative to the reference method, in contrast to an average difference of 31.8% (range 0.3%–54.0%) between the non-TSFF processed data with the reference method. Conclusions: TSFF demonstrated consistent reduction in CT number variations due to PSR using controlled phantom and in vivo experiments. TSFF-corrected data provided quantitative measures of perfusion (BV, MTT, and BF) with better agreement to a reference method compared to noncorrected data. Practical implementation of TSFF is expected to incur in an additional radiation exposure of 14%, when tube current is modulated to 20% of its maximum, to complete the needed full scan reconstruction.
A new semi-empirical method of correcting large-scale configuration interaction calculations for incomplete dynamic correlation of electrons

Abstract We show that large-basis-set configuration interaction calculations including all single and double excitations from a complete-active-space optimized by MCSCF methods recover an approximately constant fraction of the external correlation energy. Therefore, by scaling this contribution to the energy, more accurate potential energy curves, barrier heights to chemical reactions, and potential energy surfaces can be calculated.
BDD-based heuristics for binary optimization

In this paper we introduce a new method for generating heuristic solutions to binary optimization problems. We develop a technique based on binary decision diagrams. We use these structures to provide an under-approximation to the set of feasible solutions. We show that the proposed algorithm delivers comparable solutions to a state-of-the-art general-purpose optimization solver on randomly generated set covering and set packing problems.
Intravenous ethanol increases extracellular dopamine in the medial prefrontal cortex of the Long-Evans rat.

Background Ethanol affects prefrontal cortex functional roles such as decision making, working memory, and behavioral control. Yet, the pharmacological effect of ethanol on dopamine, a neuromodulator in the medial prefrontal cortex, is unclear. Past studies exploring this topic produced conflicting outcomes; however, a handful of factors (temporal resolution, method of drug administration, estrous cycle) possibly contributed to these discrepancies. We sought to mitigate these factors in order to elucidate ethanol’s pharmacological effects on medial prefrontal cortical dopamine in Long-Evans rats.