cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mechanical regulation of vascular growth and tissue regeneration in vivo

New vascular network formation is a critical step in the wound healing process and a primary limiting factor in functional tissue regeneration. Like many tissues, neovascular networks have been shown in vitro to be highly sensitive to mechanical conditions; however, the effects of matrix deformations on neovascular network formation and remodeling in engineered tissue regeneration in vivo have not been evaluated. We quantified the effects of early and delayed functional loading on neovascular growth in a rat model of large bone defect regeneration using compliant fixation plates that were unlocked to allow transfer of ambulatory loads to the defect either at the time of implantation (early), or after 4 wk of stiff fixation (delayed). Neovascular growth and bone regeneration were quantitatively evaluated 3 wk after the onset of loading by contrast-enhanced microcomputed tomography and histology. The initial vascular response to bone injury featured robust angiogenesis and collateral vessel formation, increasing parameters such as vascular volume and connectivity while decreasing degree of anisotropy. Application of early mechanical loading significantly inhibited vascular invasion into the defect by 66% and reduced bone formation by 75% in comparison to stiff plate controls. In contrast, delaying the onset of loading by 4 wk significantly enhanced bone formation by 20% and stimulated vascular remodeling by increasing the number of large vessels and decreasing the number of small vessels. Together, these data demonstrate the mechanosensitivity of neovascular networks and highlight the capacity of biomechanical stimulation to modulate postnatal vascular growth and remodeling.
New chronic gastric cannula for feeding ethanol liquid diet to young and old rats

Fifty-eight male Fischer-344 rats ages 5 and 23 mo were fed a liquid diet containing ethanol for 6 wk by means of a newly designed chronic gastric cannula that permitted maximum allowable freedom with minimum stress. Rats were weaned onto the Lieber-DeCarli diet and fed 10 mL three times daily by bolus injection. With or without ethanol, the minimum daily intake of calories necessary to maintain body weight was determined to be approximately 150-160 kcal/kg/day for the young adult rats and 120-125 kcal/kg/day for the aged animals.
Toxicity from treatment of neuroblastoma with 131I-meta-iodobenzylguanidine

Toxic effects from 131I-meta-iodobenzylguanidine (131I-MIBG) treatments of neuroblastoma in six patients were recorded. The toxicity was largely confined to the hematologic system where circulating leukocytes and platelets regularly declined after each dose of 131I-MIBG; the values reached nadirs between three and seven weeks and recovered slowly over subsequent weeks. Prior bone marrow transplantation and infiltration of bone marrow by neuroblastoma appeared to make the hematologic system more vulnerable to the radiation. Dosimetry revealed greater absorbed radiation by the whole body than by the blood and bone marrow. These observations are explained by a relatively rapid exit of 131I-MIBG from the blood to other tissues (but not to the bone marrow). Since treatment of an aggressive and lethal tumor such as neuroblastoma should be pushed to a degree of toxicity, careful dosimetry in each case will be necessary as a guide to reach the point of maximally tolerable toxicity.
Opponent-Process Solutions for Uniform Munsell Spacing

Iterative transformation of chromaticity coordinates of Munsell samples into another coordinate system with transformed value spacing in accordance with perceptual color spacing
Bacillus cereus and Bacillus stearothermophilus Spore Inactivation in Batch and Continuous Flow Systems

Thermal inactivation kinetics were evaluated in batch and continuous flow systems using phosphate buffer between 99 and 107°C for Bacillus cereus T and 128.5 and 139°C for Bacillus stearothermophilus ATCC 12980 spores. z D -Values for B. cereus spores in batch and continuous flow systems were not significantly different ; the continuous flow system was more lethal than the batch system. z D -Values obtained using B. stearothermophilus spores in batch and continuous flow systems were different ; the batch system was more lethal than the continuous flow system. Thus, use of batch generated data to predict or design continuous flow processes may not be accurate.
An operational video data compression system for ATS and ITOS

An operational data compression system has been developed and implemented for transmission of digitized ATS and ITOS-VHRR satellite video data over the wideband communication link between the Wallops Island, Va. Command and Data Acquisition Station and the National Environmental Satellite Service at Suitland, Md. This system uses minicomputers for the coding and decoding of the data to achieve maximum flexibility together with specially designed interface equipment for greater efficiency. No loss in data quality occurs due to the compression, and, in certain cases, data is transmitted which would be otherwise unavailable due to the limited channel capacity. This paper describes the method of compression, the equipment used, and the compression results attained.
Comparison of TIP5P water model and TIP4P water model in cluster nucleation kinetics study through umbrella sampling and free energy perturbation

Abstract The five-site potential functions (TIP5P water model) are descendants of the ST2 model, which involves a rigid water monomer with positive charges on two hydrogen H-sites, and negative charges on two M-sites mimicking the lone electron pair. In this paper, an efficient approach is described to compare the accuracy of TIP4P water model and TIP5P water model to determine the rates of elementary condensation and evaporation processes that lead to nucleation of aqueous aerosols. This approach started with the calculation of potential of mean force (PMF) through the trajectories of molecular dynamic simulation. The classical model potentials were corrected by ABC-FEP (ab initio/classical free energy perturbation). The calculated PMF was combined with classical nucleation theory and dynamical nucleation theory to calculate the evaporation rate constant ( K b ), equilibrium constant ( K EQ ), and condensation rate constant ( K f ). To test the feasibility of this approach, both dimer and trimer of TIP4P and TIP5P water models were used to calculate these values. The final results suggest that there is no obvious difference for TIP4P and TIP5P water model in water dimer. But classical model potential ( K b = 7.200 × 10 9 , K EQ = 2.063 × 10 −3 , K f = 1.485 × 10 7 ) is obviously different from the ABC-FEP corrected potential ( K b = 3.076 × 10 10 , K EQ = 4.979 × 10 −4 , K f = 1.532 × 10 7 ) of TIP4P model. There is no difference between classical model potential ( K b = 3.717 × 10 10 , K EQ = 3.832 × 10 −4 , K f = 1.424 × 10 7 ) and ABC-FEP corrected potential ( K b = 3.158 × 10 10 , K EQ = 4.565 × 10 −4 , K f = 1.442 × 10 7 ) for TIP5P water model.
In Search of the Right Touch Interpersonal Assertiveness in Organizational Life

Recent evidence suggests that many organizational members and leaders are seen as under- or over-assertive by colleagues, suggesting that having the “right touch” with interpersonal assertiveness is a meaningful and widespread challenge. In this article, I review emerging work on the curvilinear relation between assertiveness and effectiveness, including evidence from both qualitative descriptions of coworkers and ratings of colleagues and leaders. I discuss mediators and context effects and also explore why unhelpfully low and high levels of interpersonal assertiveness may emerge and persist. I draw implications for interventions as well as future research.
Cervical mucus monitoring prevalence and associated fecundability in women trying to conceive

Objective To assess the use of cervical mucus monitoring (CMM) in women trying to conceive and determine whether monitoring is associated with increased cycle-specific probability of conception (fecundability). Design Time-to-pregnancy cohort study. Setting Population-based cohort. Patient(s) Three hundred thirty-one women trying to conceive, ages 30 to 44 years, without known infertility. Intervention(s) None. Main Outcome Measure(s) CMM prevalence and fecundability. Result(s) During the first cycle of the study, CMM was performed consistently (checked on >66% of pertinent cycle days) by 20 women (6%), inconsistently (34% to 66% of days) by 60 women (18%), infrequently (≤33% of days) by 73 women (22%), and not performed by 178 women (54%). Cycles in which CMM was consistently performed were statistically significantly more likely to result in conception after adjusting for age, race, previous pregnancy, body mass index, intercourse frequency, and urinary luteinizing hormone (LH) monitoring. Fecundability also increased with increasing consistency of CMM. Conclusion(s) Among women trying to conceive, CMM is uncommon, but our study suggests that CMM—a free, self-directed method to determine the fertile window—is associated with increased fecundability independent of intercourse frequency or use of urinary LH monitoring.
Exercise-induced cardioprotection: more to k‘NO’w.

gene highlight the importance of both eNOS activity and nitric oxide (NO) bioavailability in exercise training-induced protection. Akita et al. [10] demonstrated that 1 week of exercise before a myocardial ischemia-reperfusion insult conferred a reduction of infarct size of approximately 40%; this protection was absent in eNOS –/– mice. Calvert et al. [12] then demonstrated that exercise training for 4 weeks could reduce the infarct size in relation to the area at risk by approximately 23% as well as reduce circulating troponin I levels by approximately 40%. Of note, this protection was still in place for at least 1 week after the cessation of exercise and was associated with increased levels of nitrate, nitrite and nitrosothiol in the heart. Again, the protective effects of exercise were absent in eNOS –/– mice. De Waard et al. [11] , however, examined the effect of 8 weeks of exercise after a large MI (affecting approx. 45% of the left ventricular mass). Their findings revealed a marked reduction of fibrosis and apoptosis in the myocardium as well as attenuation of left ventricular systolic dysfunction in response to exercise. These benefits were lost in mice with a reduced expression of eNOS (i.e. in eNOS +/– and eNOS –/– mice). Together, these studies strongly suggest that eNOS-dependent NO production is instrumental for both the protective benefits of exercise against MI injury [10, 12] and the therapeutic benefits of exercise following an MI episode [11] . Interestingly, it appears that eNOS is reThe cardioprotective properties of regular physical activity are well documented both in humans and in several animal models [1–3] . As a therapy, or as a preventive measure, exercise is effective by modulating at least two broad areas involved in the pathophysiology of cardiovascular diseases. First, exercise contributes to the control of major risk factors, such as obesity, diabetes, hyperlipidemia and hypertension [4] . Second, exercise elicits the intrinsic protection of the heart, which is independent of the modulation of risk factors. These broad protective effects likely result from a number of adaptations in several tissues that can, either directly or indirectly, contribute to cardiovascular health. However, despite important advancements in our understanding of the metabolic and functional benefits of exercise on the heart, efforts to determine the precise molecular mechanisms that mediate cardioprotection are ongoing. These are highlighted in two recent reviews [5, 6] . The direct protection afforded by exercise against myocardial infarction (MI) or ischemia-reperfusion injury has historically been the most investigated. Studies have demonstrated that, remarkably, just one bout of aerobic exercise is sufficient to provide cardioprotection [7, 8] . However, more comprehensive protection occurs after approximately 1 week of exercise training [9–13] . In this context, several reports using genetic manipulations of the endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) Received: January 19, 2015 Accepted: January 19, 2015 Published online: February 25, 2015
Hope for Recovering Burn Patients—The Multidisciplinary Approach (Ultrarapid Opioid Detoxification Under Anesthesia)

The importance of assessing pain as the sixth vital sign is well-ingrained in today’s medical profession as well as in our daily practice. Treating pain, however, can open a Pandora’s box with its own challenges for some patients such as burn patients, who present with a multiplicity of challenges. Consider the combat soldier who sustains extensive burns as a result of battlefield conflicts. In addition to the initial painful insult, burn patients must endure countless wound debridement procedures, dressing changes, and multiple surgeries, which in many cases can morph the acute pain into unrelenting chronic pain. Currently, medications that act on -opioid receptors have proven to provide the best pharmacologic management for the relief of chronic burn-related pain. As a result, opioid analgesia has risen to the forefront of the health care professional’s arsenal for the treatment of burn pain. However, prolonged opioid therapy can leave a recovering burn patient to deal with opioid dependence or addiction. The lack of pain education, especially in the understanding of opioid dependence and/or addiction, has been an obstacle for health care workers. Traditionally, nurses and physicians have struggled with the dilemma of evaluating when to medicate a
High-pressure powder diffraction study of TaO2F

Abstract TaO2F, with a ReO3-type structure, has been studied at up to 12.8 GPa using monochromatic synchrotron powder diffraction and diamond anvil cells. Two-phase transitions at ∼0.7 and 4 GPa were observed on compression. Below ∼0.7 GPa the cubic material was found to have a bulk modulus (K0) of 36(3) GPa (Kp fixed at 4.0), similar to that reported for NbO2F but much smaller than that of ReO3. Immediately above 0.7 GPa on compression, the diffraction data were not fully consistent with a VF3-type structure as previously proposed for NbO2F. On decompression, the data between 8 and 4 GPa could be satisfactorily attributed to a single R-3c phase with a VF3-type structure and an average bulk modulus of 60(2) GPa.
Strontium modification of aluminium alloy castings in the expendable pattern casting process

The influence of strontium modification on microstructure, pore characteristics and tensile properties of Al-Si-Cu castings produced by the expendable pattern casting (EPC) process has been investigated. Test castings have been produced at strontium concentrations varying from 0.0004%–0.03%. The castings have been analysed by microscopic and image analysis techniques. The results indicate that optimum strontium concentrations are between 0.01% and 0.015%. A coarsening of silicon particles is observed at strontium concentrations greater than 0.015%–0.02%. The addition of strontium to the melt also refines the iron- and copper-bearing phases in the casting. The amount of bulk porosity, average pore size and tensile properties of modified EPC castings are comparable to green sand castings. EPC castings are prone to surface porosity. Strontium modification has a significant effect on the pore distributions in EPC castings. The overall porosity and the maximum pore size increase with strontium modification.
An Information Theoretical Framework for Analysis and Design of Nanoscale Fault-Tolerant Memories Based on Low-Density Parity-Check Codes

In this paper, we develop a theoretical framework for the analysis and design of fault-tolerant memory architectures. Our approach is a modification of the method developed by Taylor and refined by Kuznetsov. Taylor and Kuznetsov (TK) showed that memory systems have nonzero computational (storage) capacity, i.e., the redundancy necessary to ensure reliability grows asymptotically linearly with the memory size. The restoration phase in the TK method is based on low-density parity-check codes which can be decoded using low complexity decoders. The equivalence of the restoration phase in the TK method and faulty Gallager B algorithm enabled us to establish a theoretical framework for solving problems in reliable storage on unreliable media using the large body of knowledge in codes on graphs and iterative decoding gained in the past decade.
Biological length scale topography enhances cell-substratum adhesion of human corneal epithelial cells

The basement membrane possesses a rich 3-dimensional nanoscale topography that provides a physical stimulus, which may modulate cell-substratum adhesion. We have investigated the strength of cell-substratum adhesion on nanoscale topographic features of a similar scale to that of the native basement membrane. SV40 human corneal epithelial cells were challenged by well-defined fluid shear, and cell detachment was monitored. We created silicon substrata with uniform grooves and ridges having pitch dimensions of 400-4000 nm using X-ray lithography. F-actin labeling of cells that had been incubated for 24 hours revealed that the percentage of aligned and elongated cells on the patterned surfaces was the same regardless of pitch dimension. In contrast, at the highest fluid shear, a biphasic trend in cell adhesion was observed with cells being most adherent to the smaller features. The 400 nm pitch had the highest percentage of adherent cells at the end of the adhesion assay. The effect of substratum topography was lost for the largest features evaluated, the 4000 nm pitch. Qualitative and quantitative analyses of the cells during and after flow indicated that the aligned and elongated cells on the 400 nm pitch were more tightly adhered compared to aligned cells on the larger patterns. Selected experiments with primary cultured human corneal epithelial cells produced similar results to the SV40 human corneal epithelial cells. These findings have relevance to interpretation of cell-biomaterial interactions in tissue engineering and prosthetic design.
TIME, SPACE, LIGHT AND DARKNESS IN THE METABOLIC FLARE-UP OF THE SAUROMATUM APPENDIX*

SUMMARY In order to arrive at a better understanding of the flowering events in certain arum lilies, an effort has been made to integrate the relevant information provided by plant physiologists, naturalists, and plant biochemists with our own recent experiments. In Sauromatum guttatum Schott, the metabolic flare-up which, on the first day of flowering, occurs in the so called appendix of the inflorescence, is triggered by an agent (Van Herk's calorigen) that arises in the male flower primordia when these are exposed to the proper regime of light and darkness. A single, 5 to 6 hour exposure to darkness of an inflorescence kept in constant light suffices to induce the flare-up, a peak in heat- and CO2-production occurring about 40 to 45 hours after the beginning of the “dark shot”. Repeated exposures to darkness, at 24-hour intervals, shorten both the 40 to 45-hour lag-time and the critical length of each dark period, so that good responses occur after about 36 hrs. with a series of dark shots of 2 to 3 hours duration. The available evidence indicates that the site for perception of the second effective dark shot is in the appendix. After a single 6-hour dark shot, amputated appendices still develop heat and smell, provided the amputation is carried out at least 8 to 9 hours after the end of the dark shot. This indicates that the active principle formed in the male flower primordia as the result of the dark shot is not immediately released into the appendix. However, distribution in the appendix must be fast, since the various parts of the latter (base, middle and tip) heat up almost simultaneously, even though they do not display demonstrable differences in true lag-time, i.e., in the period between the release of the triggering compound and the peak in metabolic activity; injection of extracted calorigen into properly treated appendix-sections always leads to a peak in metabolic activity about 30 hours later. In intact inflorescences, amputation or wounding of the spathe leads to a metabolic flare-up 36 hours later. The implications of the uncovered facts are briefly discussed.
Correlation between temperature range of growth and structural transitions in membranes and lipids of Escherichia coli K12.

Abstract Purified cytoplasmic and outer membranes isolated from cells of wild-type Escherichia coli grown at different temperatures were labelled with 1,6-diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene and anlyzed using fluorescence polarization techniques. Lipids extracted from the membranes were similarly analyzed using fluorescence polarization. The thermotropic structural transition in outer membranes changed as a function of growth temperature. The structural transition in cytoplasmic membranes and lipids extracted from either cytoplasmic or outer membranes did not change with growth temperature. These data suggest that adaptive changes which occur in the outer membrane determine the temperature range of growth of E. coli. These changes apparently require alterations in outer membrane components other than phospholipids.
QUANTIFYING PERIODIC, STOCHASTIC, AND CATASTROPHIC ENVIRONMENTAL VARIATION

Environmental variation plays a central role in regulating processes at all levels of ecological organization. Environmental data (e.g., temperature, rainfall, stream discharge, water chemistry) are typically easy to collect in large quantity, a requirement for many data-hungry time series tools. Unfortunately, these data are very rarely used effectively in ecology. Here we address this problem by outlining a suite of tools that can be used to quantify periodic, stochastic, and catastrophic variation in environmental conditions. We illustrate the application of these tools using long-term records of average daily discharge in 105 streams and rivers maintained by the U.S. Geological Survey on the NWIS (National Water Information System) web site. Specifically, we apply Fourier analysis to estimate the periodic (seasonal) and stochastic (interannual) components of variation in discharge. We then estimate the temporal autocorrelation structure of stochastic variation (i.e., noise color) in daily flows for ea...
The navajo indian: A descriptive study of the psychiatric population

This is a descriptive study of 348 new cases coming to the attention of the Mental Health team serving the Navajo Indian. Tribal affiliation, sex, marital status, age, type of schooling, religion, ...
Effect of elicitors on the production of gossypol and methylated gossypol in cotton hairy roots

The effect of two chemical elicitors, salicylic acid and methyl jasmonate, on the production of gossypol, 6-methoxygossypol, and 6,6′-dimethoxygossypol in Gossypium barbadense hairy roots was examined. Methyl jasmonate, but not salicylic acid, was found to increase the production of gossypol and its methylated forms, but with a concomitant reduction in culture growth. The optimal methyl jasmonate dose was between 100 and 300 μM for hairy roots harvested 7 days after elicitation. After 20 d of induction with 100 μM methyl jasmonate, an eightfold increase in the level of gossypol was observed in elicited cultures compared with control cultures, double the highest gossypol levels previously reported for any cotton tissue. A two to threefold increase in the level of 6-methoxygossypol and a slight increase in the levels of 6,6′-dimethoxygossypol were also observed. Although methyl jasmonate stimulated the production of both optical forms of gossypol, the distribution of the enantiomers was different between elicited and control cultures.
Inventory competition and allocation in a multi-channel distribution system

Abstract Consider a supply chain involving one manufacturer and one independent retailer. The manufacturer distributes her product to the end consumer through the independent retailer as well as through her direct channel. Each of the two channels faces a stochastic demand. If one channel is out of stock, a fraction of the unsatisfied customers visit the other channel, which induces inventory competition between the channels. Under the scenario described above, will the manufacturer ever undercut the retailer’s order when the capacity is infinite? What are the equilibria of the game? How does a capacity constraint affect the equilibrium outcome? What is the optimal inventory allocation strategy for the manufacturer? Using a game theoretic model we seek answers to the above questions. Both the capacitated and the infinite capacity games are considered. We establish the necessary condition for a manufacturer to undercut a retailer’s order and show that a manufacturer may deny the retailer of inventory even when the capacity is ample. We show that there can be an equilibrium in the capacitated game where a manufacturer might not use the entire capacity and still deny a retailer inventory. We also show that a mild capacity constraint may make both parties better off and thereby increase the total supply chain profit. We develop a simple yet practical contract called the reverse revenue sharing contract and show that along with a fixed franchise fee this contract can coordinates our decentralized supply chain.
Two-dimensional echocardiographic detection and diagnostic features of tricuspid papillary fibroelastoma

Cardiac papillary fibroelastomas are rare and benign primary tumors in the cardiac valves or occasionally the mural endocardium. Before 1977, these tumors were diagnosed exclusively at postmortem examination. Over the last few years, a handful of cases have been diagnosed in vivo by echocardiography. In this report, we describe the first tricuspid valve papillary fibroelastoma detected by echocardiography in an adult. Clinical and echocardiographic features are discussed.
Climate science and slow violence: A view from political geography and STS on mobilizing technoscientific ontologies of climate change

Abstract This paper's central concern is to trace how dominant, scientific understanding of climate change is mobilized in ways that set a course towards slow violence. Slow violence is indirect, latent, and results in neglectful human suffering. It can result from particular actions or decisions; it can result from epistemic and political dominance of particular narratives or understandings. This paper takes a constructivist Science and Technology Studies (STS) perspective to look at the emergence of a technoscientific understanding of climate change and to consider political geographic implications of this interpretation. Following an overview of inroads already made in applying an STS approach to climate studies, I turn to two examples of specific scientific narratives or practices, reliance on Global Circulation Models by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and carbon data, to consider ways in which selective, political mobilization of these interpretations of climate change may contribute to forms of slow violence. The science in either case is not in question. Instead, the foreclosure of other ways of understanding human-environment interactions is brought about in part by geopolitics as usual and through the work of powerful actors and interests. The paper argues for a re-politicization of climate change and considers examples of alternative narratives and efforts towards equity and transparency.
Application of denoising methods to regularizationof ill-posed problems

Linear systems of equations and linear least-squares problems with a matrix whose singular values "cluster" at the origin and with an error-contaminated data vector arise in many applications. Their numerical solution requires regularization, i.e., the replacement of the given problem by a nearby one, whose solution is less sensitive to the error in the data. The amount of regularization depends on a parameter. When an accurate estimate of the norm of the error in the data is known, this parameter can be determined by the discrepancy principle. This paper is concerned with the situation when the error is white Gaussian and no estimate of the norm of the error is available, and explores the possibility of applying a denoising method to both reduce this error and to estimate its norm. Applications to image deblurring are presented.
Economic evaluation in the US: what is the missing link?

In this paper we consider the evolving American healthcare landscape and what it means for the use of economic evaluation of health interventions. We emphasise that use of economic evaluation in the US is unlikely to follow the European, Canadian or Australian models, which use cost effectiveness openly and explicitly, given the decentralised manner in which American healthcare is organised, financed and delivered, as well as different political systems and traditions, and cultural expectations and attitudes surrounding healthcare. However, this does not mean that considerations of value are absent. On the contrary, measurement of value remains near the top of the agenda among US policy makers. With a few exceptions, it just isn’t playing out explicitly. In the American context, it means in part heightened debate over clinical evidence, and cost sharing. In some cases, payers are also considering economic evaluation more directly in coverage and reimbursement decisions and indirectly for clinical practice guidelines and best practice recommendations. A dramatic shift in policy towards cost effectiveness seems unlikely in the near future. Change will likely come in incremental fashion through experimentation, and perhaps in selected circumstances with public and private leaders willing to take the political risks. Conceivably, more substantial change will occur with a major shift in the political leadership in Washington, DC in the legislative or executive branches, and/or with an economic downturn and severe pressures on federal and state health budgets. However, a more likely outcome is the ongoing indirect use of cost-effectiveness information.
Recommender systems in commerce and community

Recommender systems have been revolutionizing the way shoppers and information seekers find what they want. We will study some of the tremendous successes and spectacular failures of recommenders in E-commerce to understand the causes of the success or failure. We will leverage that understanding into a set of principles for successfully applying recommenders to business problems. Finally, we will study the economic and social forces that are shaping the evolution of recommenders, and peer into the crystal ball to glimpse the directions the technology will be going in the future.
Nicotine Blocks Brain Estrogen Synthase (Aromatase): In Vivo Positron Emission Tomography Studies in Female Baboons

Background Cigarette smoking and nicotine have complex effects on human physiology and behavior, including some effects similar to those elicited by inhibition of aromatase, the last enzyme in estrogen biosynthesis. We report the first in vivo primate study to determine whether there is a direct effect of nicotine administration on brain aromatase. Methods Brain aromatase availability was examined with positron emission tomography and the selective aromatase inhibitor [11C]vorozole in six baboons before and after exposure to IV nicotine at .015 and .03 mg/kg. Results Nicotine administration produced significant, dose-dependent reductions in [11C]vorozole binding. The amygdala and preoptic area showed the largest reductions. Plasma levels of nicotine and its major metabolite cotinine were similar to those found in cigarette smokers. Conclusions Nicotine interacts in vivo with primate brain aromatase in regions involved in mood, aggression, and sexual behavior.
Syntheses of astato compounds by melt method

m-Astatobenzoic acid (2) methyl m-astatobenzoate (3), and m-astatohippuric acid (4) were synthesized by the melt method. Reaction of methyl m-bromobenzoate with astatide at 200°C gave methyl m-astatobenzoate. Compounds 2 and 4 were synthesized by similar method. Compounds 2 and 3 were purified and identified by radio-gaschromatography.
Prescribing the Content and Timing of Product Upgrades

Demand for a family of high-technology products such as notebook computers erodes over time as competitors introduce new products that incorporate improved technologies. A manufacturer may compensa...
Role of a potential endoplasmic reticulum retention sequence (RDEL) and the Golgi complex in the cytotonic activity of Escherichia coli heat‐labile enterotoxin

Recent experimental evidence indicates that Escherichia coli heat-labile enterotoxin and the closely related cholera toxin gain access to intracellular target substrates through a brefeldin A-sensitive pathway that may involve retrograde transport through the Golgi-endoplasmic reticulum network. The A subunits of both toxins possess a carboxy-terminal tetrapeptide sequence (KDEL in cholera toxin and RDEL in the heat-labile enterotoxins) that is known to mediate the retention of eukaryotic proteins in the endoplasmic reticulum. To investigate the potential role of the RDEL sequence in the toxic activity of the heat-labile enterotoxin we constructed mutant analogues of the toxin containing single substitutions (RDGL and RDEV) or a reversed sequence (LEDR). The single substitutions had little effect on Chinese hamster ovary cell elongation or the ability to stimulate cAMP accumulation in Caco-2 cells. Reversal of the sequence reduced the ability of the toxin to increase cAMP levels in Caco-2 cells by approximately 60% and decreased the ability to elicit elongation of Chinese hamster ovary cells. The effects of the heat-labile enterotoxin were not diminished in a mutant Chinese hamster ovary cell line (V.24.1) that belongs to the End4 complementation group and possesses a temperature-sensitive block in secretion that correlates directly with the disappearance of the Golgi stacks. Collectively, these findings suggest that the brefeldin A-sensitive process involved in intoxication by the heat-labile enterotoxin does not involve RDEL-dependent retrograde transport of the A subunit through the Golgi-endoplasmic reticulum complex. The results are more consistent with a model of internalization involving translocation of the A subunit from an endosomal or a trans-Golgi network compartment.
Long codes for generalized FH-OFDMA through unknown multipath channels

A generalized frequency-hopping (GFH) orthogonal frequency-division multiple-access (OFDMA) system is developed in this paper as a structured long code direct-sequence code-division multiple-access (DS-CDMA) system in order to bridge frequency-hopped multicarrier transmissions with long code DS-CDMA. Through judicious code design, multiuser interference is eliminated deterministically in the presence of unknown frequency-selective multipath channels. Thanks to frequency-hopping, no single user suffers from consistent fading effects and constellation-irrespective channel identifiability is guaranteed regardless of channel nulls. A host of blind channel estimation algorithms are developed trading off complexity with performance. Two important variants, corresponding to slow- and fast-hopping, are also addressed with the latter offering symbol recovery guarantees. Performance analysis and simulation results illustrate the merits of GFH-OFDMA relative to conventional OFDMA and long code DS-CDMA with pseudorandom noise codes and RAKE reception.
Homophilic synaptic target recognition mediated by immunoglobulin-like cell adhesion molecule Fasciclin III

We demonstrate that the cell adhesion molecule Fasciclin III (FAS3) mediates synaptic target recognition through homophilic interaction. FAS3 is expressed by the RP3 motoneuron and its target muscles during synaptic target recognition. The RP3 growth cone can form synapses on muscles that ectopically express FAS3. This mistargeting is dependent on FAS3 expression in the motoneurons. In addition, when the FAS3-negative aCC and SNa motoneuron growth cones ectopically express FAS3, they gain the ability to recognize FAS3-expressing muscles as alternative targets. We propose that homophilic synaptic target recognition serves as a basic mechanism of neural network formation.
Relationship of Fluid Transport Through the Dentin to the Incidence of Dental Caries

The rate of fluid movement in the teeth of 28-day-old rats is inversely related to the incidence of dental caries after 13 weeks of the same diets. The early hypomineralization found in the dentin at 28 days is a result of altered metabolism imposed by a reduced rate of fluid transport in the rats fed a cariogenic diet.
Risk Factors Before Autologous Stem-Cell Transplantation for Lymphoma Predict for Secondary Myelodysplasia and Acute Myelogenous Leukemia

Purpose The risk factors for treatment-related myelodysplastic syndrome (t-MDS) and acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) after autologous stem-cell transplantation (ASCT) are similar to those that increase the risk of difficult stem-cell harvests. We reviewed our experience in 526 patients with lymphoma treated by ASCT to determine whether difficult stem-cell harvests predict for an increased risk of t-MDS/AML. Patients and Methods Autologous peripheral stem cells were initially mobilized with granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF; or granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor) alone (n = 334), etoposide and G-CSF (n = 166), or cyclophosphamide and G-CSF with or without etoposide (n = 26). Difficult harvests were those that required more than 5 days to collect enough stem cells and those that required additional attempts with etoposide and/or cyclophosphamide plus G-CSF (n = 52). All patients were then treated with high-dose chemotherapy alone and observed for outcome. Results With a median follo...
P2-S1.07 Sadness, poor school work, running away, and sexual risk behaviour among urban female African American adolescents

Background Correlations between delinquency, poor school performance, and poor sense of emotional well-being among adolescents are often recognised, but their correlation with risky sexual behaviour has not been as well explored, particularly in African American female populations. Methods We surveyed 743 sexually active females, age 13 to 19 (mean 16.6 years), attending a predominantly African American urban adolescent clinic. We asked about sexual activity and about poor school work, delinquency (running away from home), poor emotional well-being (feeling unhappy, sad, or depressed), and receiving counselling. To assess associations, ORs were calculated with 95% CIs. A respondent was classified as having correct and consistent condom use if her responses indicated that, during the past 90 days ALL of the following were true: she had engaged in vaginal sexual intercourse at least once, a condom had been used during all vaginal sexual intercourse, the condom was always put on prior to genital contact and remained on throughout sexual intercourse, a condom had never broken while being worn, and a condom had never been put on inside out and then flipped over and put back on again. Results Approximately 10% of females had 0 sexual partners in the past 90 days, 54% had 1 partner, and 36% had 2 or more partners. Those responding true to whether they felt unhappy, sad, or depressed in the past 6 months (12% of the sample) were more likely to report more than one sexual partner compared to those responding “not true”, OR=2.13 (95% CI 1.33—to 3.39), and less likely to report correct and consistent condom use, OR=0.45 (95% CI 0.22—to 0.91) (Abstract P2-S1.07 table 1). Those who reported seeing a counsellor for emotional problems (13% of the sample) were more likely to report multiple partners, OR=1.75 (95% CI 1.11—to 2.74) and less likely to report correct and consistent condom use, OR=0.31 (95% CI 0.12—to 0.78) than those who reported no such counselling. Poor school performance and running away from home were associated with having more than one partner, but generally not with inconsistent or incorrect condom use. (Abstract P2-S1.07 table 1). Conclusion Our results highlight the importance of mental health and sexual behaviour assessments in adolescent healthcare settings. Further research is needed to assess whether counselling and improved emotional well-being can reduce sexual behaviours that place adolescents at risk.
Left Ventricular Diastolic Function in Idiopathic Cardiomyopathy: Doppler Hemodynamic Correlations

The left ventricular diastolic filling pattern in congestive cardiomyopathy is heterogeneous and may vary from a “rapid filling predominant pattern” to an “atrial filling predominant pattern.” The observed pattern of diastolic filling may depend on a complex interaction of factors including: left ventricular relaxation, left ventricular stiffness, external constraining forces, loading conditions, and heart rate. These factors appear to express themselves individually and collectively through alterations in the time course and extent of the transmitral pressure gradient. In this review, the physiological basis for each of these diastolic filling patterns is discussed based on previous clinical and experimental studies that either directly or indirectly address these issues. (ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY, Volume 8, March 1991)
Total pancreatectomy with islet cell autotransplantation as the initial treatment for minimal-change chronic pancreatitis

Objectives Patients with minimal-change chronic pancreatitis (MCCP) are traditionally managed medically with poor results. This study was conducted to review outcomes following total pancreatectomy with islet cell autotransplantation (TP/IAT) as the initial surgical procedure in the treatment of MCCP.
Environmental Policy and Tourism in Tunisia

Balance between the economic benefits of increased tourism and its environmental impact is difficult to achieve. But through a carefully thought-out and aggressive governmental plan, Tunisia seeks to reach such a balance. Tunisia's strategies might well be a model for other nations of any size with similar problems and goals.
The Traffic in Cyberanatomies: Sex/Gender/Sexualities in Local and Global Formations

Medical anatomy is one of the key sites of the scientific production, reproduction and maintenance of sex and gender. Our Human Anatomies Project explores the construction, reconstruction and maintenance of difference in genital anatomies, focusing especially on the clitoris. This article focuses on representations of human genitalia in the form of cyberanatomies - video, CD-ROM and internetbased renderings of human bodies. In cyberspace as elsewhere, the biomedical expert remains the proper and dominant mediator between humans and their own bodies, despite the democratization of knowledges supposedly possible through the Internet. Special attention is given to the specific sites of production and distribution of these different cyberanatomies. Through our review of the globalization of cyberanatomies, we have come to witness the very sedimentation of sex/gender/sexuality in new arenas of representations of human bodies. Western biomedical imperialism and globalization of a standardized (American) body ar...
"Oxygenated" water and athletic performance.

Ergogenic claims for oxygenated water cannot be taken seriously A decade or so ago, the idea arose that athletes might gain a competitive edge by drinking water that contained extra dissolved oxygen (O2). The notion stems from observations that O2 breathing during exercise enhances athletic performance,1,2 but the connection of O2 breathing during exercise with drinking “hyperoxygenated” water before exercise conflates physics and physiology in a struthonian visit to placebo land. Fuelled by bottled-water mavens, who collect testimonials for oxygenated waters, claims abound of ergogenic benefits of water advertised to hold up to 40 times more O2 than plain water. The issue of hydration aside, such claims have a flimsy rationale and no rigorous experimental support. On close inspection, three scientific problems immediately arise. Firstly, for all practical purposes, supplemental O2 improves performance only during exercise, not before or between bouts.3 With normal lungs, breathing of even pure O2 at sea level increases maximal O2 uptake (o2max) by only 5–10% because air breathing alone, except at high intensity work, keeps the arterial O2 saturation (Sao2) and content (Cao2) very high.2 The next problem is that the solubility of O2 in water (and plasma) is low. The solubility constant obeys Henry’s Law: it is directly proportional to O2 …
Content-Based Prediction of Temporal Boundaries for Events in Twitter

Social media services like Twitter, Flickr and You Tube publish high volumes of user generated content as a major event occurs, making them a potential data source for event analysis. The large volume and noisy content of social media makes automatic preprocessing essential. Intuitively, the event-related data falls into three major phases: the buildup to the event, the event itself, and the post-event effects and repercussions. We describe an approach to automatically determine when an anticipated event started and ended by analyzing the content of tweets using an SVM classifier and hidden Markov model. We evaluate our performance by predicting event boundaries on Twitter data for a set of events in the domains of sports, weather and social activities.
Epigenetic Mechanisms of Depression and Antidepressant Action

Epigenetic mechanisms, which control chromatin structure and function, mediate changes in gene expression that occur in response to diverse stimuli. Recent research has established that environmental events and behavioral experience induce epigenetic changes at particular gene loci and that these changes help shape neuronal plasticity and function and hence behavior. Some of these changes can be stable and can even persist for a lifetime. Increasing evidence supports the hypothesis that aberrations in chromatin remodeling and subsequent effects on gene expression within limbic brain regions contribute to the pathogenesis of depression and other stress-related disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder and other anxiety syndromes. Likewise, the gradually developing but persistent therapeutic effects of antidepressant medications may be achieved in part via epigenetic mechanisms. This review discusses recent advances in our understanding of the epigenetic regulation of stress-related disorders and focuses on three distinct aspects of stress-induced epigenetic pathology: the effects of stress and antidepressant treatment during adulthood, the lifelong effects of early-life stress on subsequent stress vulnerability, and the possible transgenerational transmission of stress-induced abnormalities.
High-speed light Modulation in avalanche breakdown mode for Si diodes

The light emission process from a p-n junction in the forward-bias region is slow to respond to modulation signals due to the indirect band structure of silicon. Experimental results for a reverse-bias region showing light modulation in the range of tens of gigahertz are observed for the first time. For such a light emitter, the limiting speed of light modulation is shown to be determined by the transit time of the minority carriers across the junction during the filament formation of breakdown currents, which has been demonstrated by simulation of the propagation of a shockwave-like pattern in the breakdown field.
Mathematics in chemical engineering: A 50 year introspection

A review is made of the role of mathematics in the field of chemical engineering in the latter half of the twentieth century. The beginning of this era was marked by the concerted effort of a few to raise the mathematical consciousness of the profession to think fundamentally about processes. We have accomplished this review by providing a rough structure of the areas of mathematics, deliberating on how each area has matured through growing applications, to conclude that mathematics is the main medium to meditate not only about processes, but even about materials and products. As we are clearly entering another era where the domain of chemical engineering is expanding into new areas with a focus on discovery oriented high throughput technology, modeling and rapid computation must provide the guidelines for rational interpretation of multitudes of observations. © 2004 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 50: 7–23, 2004