cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Nonisotopic receptor-binding assay for benzodiazepine receptors utilizing a fluorophore labeled ligand

A nonisotopic receptor-binding assay method provides a new approach for the study of receptor-ligand interactions and a possible receptor assay for benzodiazepine drugs. The proposed method is based upon the use of fluorescence-labeled drugs and a chromatographic system which accepts samples without deproteinization. The effectiveness of the technique is illustrated in a study of benzodiazepine receptor-drug-binding interactions.
Mining problem-solving strategies from HCI data

Can we learn about users' problem-solving strategies by observing their actionsq This article introduces a data mining system that extracts complex behavioral patterns from logged user actions to discover users' high-level strategies. Our application domain is an HCI study aimed at revealing users' strategies in an end-user debugging task and understanding how the strategies relate to gender and to success. We cast this problem as a sequential pattern discovery problem, where user strategies are manifested as sequential behavior patterns. Problematically, we found that the patterns discovered by standard data mining algorithms were difficult to interpret and provided limited information about high-level strategies. To help interpret the patterns as strategies, we examined multiple ways of clustering the patterns into meaningful groups. This collectively led to interesting findings about users' behavior in terms of both gender differences and debugging success. These common behavioral patterns were novel HCI findings about differences in males' and females' behavior with software, and were verified by a parallel study with an independent data set on strategies. As a research endeavor into the interpretability issues faced by data mining techniques, our work also highlights important research directions for making data mining more accessible to non-data-mining experts.
Old Wives' Tales or Sage Advice? Do Alignment and Executive Involvement in IT Planning Matter?

The article discusses a study on the impact of executive involvement in information technology (IT) planning. Researchers assessed the extent to which a firm's information intensity shaped how executives participated in IT and business planning. IT-business alignment was measured by plan content. The research indicated that the more a firm depends on information the more likely its executives are to participate in planning. There was a strong positive association between having an IT plan that reflected the business plan and whether IT was actually a competitive advantage.
Interactive acquisition, analysis, and visualization of sonographic volume data

This article discusses the design features of an interactive system for acquiring, analyzing, and displaying volume sonographic patient data. Methods for reprojection of two-dimensional (2D) sonographic image data into a volume matrix are discussed. We describe an intuitive, easy-to-use graphical user interface that facilitates physician operation of a system incorporating an interactive volume renderer for optimization of viewing orientation and data presentation and incorporates stereoscopic viewing. Visualization methods are described that permit the operator interactively to extract tissues or organs of interest from the rest of the volume scanned. Selected examples of clinical images are given to demonstrate system capability. The system represents a cost-effective 3D ultrasound system integrating clinical scanners and graphics workstations. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Imaging Syst Technol, 8: 26–37, 1997
Sarcoidosis of the pineal gland: an unusual presentation of neurosarcoidosis

Introduction Sarcoidosis is an inflammatory disease characterized by noncaseating granulomas that is rarely found as primary CNS pathology. We report an unusual case of sarcoidosis involving the pineal gland with radiographic, histopathology, and clinical data. Case report A 45-year-old man without evidence of systemic sarcoidosis presented with a history of gradual onset of blurry vision and diplopia that progressed over 3 months. MR imaging demonstrated an enhancing mass in the pineal region. A suboccipital craniotomy was performed with resection of the mass through a supra-cerebellar infratentorial approach. Histopathologic analysis did not reveal a pineoblastoma but instead revealed noncaseating granulomas within the pineal gland. Extensive hematologic laboratory examinations, cerebral spinal fluid studies, and cultures for infection were all negative. This mass lesion was diagnosed as solitary neurosarcoidosis of the pineal gland, without dissemination. The patient was treated with steroids and at 4-year follow-up is asymptomatic with an unremarkable MRI scan. Conclusion This is an unusual case of pineal sarcoidosis mimicking a tumor with associated MRI, CT and histopathologic findings reported together. Although rare, sarcoidosis of the pineal gland should not be excluded from a comprehensive differential diagnosis of an enhancing pineal region mass.
Enthalpies of formation of equiatomic compounds of titanium, zirconium and hafnium with late transition metals: Systematic aspects and comparisons with predicted values

Abstract A summary is presented of recent experimental enthalpy of formation data for equiatomic intermetallic compounds between titanium, zirconium and hafnium, and late transition metals. The authors have studied 18 of these compounds during the past three years using the new technique of solute-solvent drop calorimetry. The data provide systematic information and allow comparisons with predictions based on semiempirical and theoretical models. All of the predicted values to some extent depend on empirically based input parameters: ab initio based predictions are not yet available. We have demonstrated that our new experimental approach can provide reliable enthalpy of formation data for a wide range of transition metal compounds.
SUPERSOLID PHASES IN UNDERDAMPED JOSEPHSON ARRAYS : QUANTUM MONTE CARLO SIMULATIONS

We carry out a quantum Monte Carlo study of Josephson arrays at temperature T=0 in the presence of an offset voltage between array and substrate. With diagonal and nearest-neighbor charge coupling, we find two types of insulating lobes with different types of charge order, and two types of superconducting regions. One is a supersolid with coexisting long-range phase coherence and checkerboard charge order. The supersolid phase is robust at half-filling. With next-nearest-neighbor coupling, there are two types of supersolid phase, one with checkerboard and one with striped charge order. Our phase diagram agrees with mean-field theory and with quantum Monte Carlo results of van Otterlo et al. in comparable regions of parameter space, but differs in detail from that of a Bose-Hubbard model with nearest-neighbor charging energies.
Complement and its role in protection and pathogenesis of flavivirus infections

The complement system is a family of serum and cell surface proteins that recognize pathogen-associated molecular patterns, altered-self ligands, and immune complexes. Activation of the complement cascade triggers several antiviral functions including pathogen opsonization and/or lysis, and priming of adaptive immune responses. In this review, we will examine the role of complement activation in protection and/or pathogenesis against infection by Flaviviruses, with an emphasis on experiments with West Nile and Dengue viruses.
Mode I fracture and microstructure for 2024-T3 friction stir welds

Detailed microstructural studies and mode I fracture experiments have been performed on both base material and three families of friction stir welds (FSWs) in 7 mm thick, 2024-T3 aluminum plate, designated hot, medium and cold due to the level of nominal heat input during the joining process. Microstructural studies indicate that the FSW nugget grain structure is relatively uniform in all welds, with a banded microstructure existing on horizontal cross-sections traversing the weld region; the spatial wavelength of the bands corresponds to the tool advance per revolution. The microstructural bands have elevated particle concentrations, with the particles having the same elemental content as base metal impurities, implying that the FSW process is responsible for the observed particle redistribution and microstructural banding. Furthermore, particle redistribution in all welds resulted in (a-1) particle size and volume fraction reduction on the advancing side of the weld nugget and (a-2) an attendant increase in particle volume fraction on the retreating side of the weld nugget. Finally, results indicate that hardness minima are present in the heat affected zone (HAZ) outside of the weld nugget on both the advancing side and retreating side for all welds, with the hot weld having the lowest overall weld hardness. Results from mode I fracture tests indicate that the measured critical COD at a fixed distance behind the crack tip is a viable fracture parameter for FSW joints that is capable of correlating the observed load-crack extension response for both the base metal and all FSWs. In addition, critical COD measurements indicate that FSW joints have a through-thickness variation in fracture resistance. Finally, the observed ductile crack growth path (which remained in the FSW region for all FSW joints) can be correlated with the locations of hardness minima, with microstructure variations affecting local fracture processes and the corresponding crack path.
Negative Affectivity and Drinking in Adolescents: An Examination of Moderators Predicted by Affect Regulation Theory

This investigation examined potential moderators of the longitudinal relation between negative affectivity and drinking. Specifically tested was the degree to which alcohol expectancies and coping styles moderate the relation between negative affectivity in early adolescence and drinking in middle and late adolescence. Four hundred ninety nine early adolescents completed inventories of negative affectivity, coping style, and tension reduction expectancies, and were followed up with inventories of drinking in middle and late adolescence. Constructive coping moderated the relation between negative affectivity and drinking in middle adolescence, such that only those with poor coping skills exhibited this positive relation. Although early negative affectivity was directly related to drinking in late adolescence, no interactions between negative affectivity and expectancies or coping were detected for drinking at that age. This absence of consistent moderating effects indicates significant limitations in the ability of the traditionally-conceived affect regulation model to reliably predict adolescent drinking.
Generalized retrieval method for metamaterial constitutive parameters based on a physically driven homogenization approach

Based on the recently introduced homogenization theory developed by Al\`u [Phys. Rev. B 84, 075153 (2011)], we propose a generalized retrieval method that allows extracting physically meaningful bulk effective parameters from conventional scattering measurements of periodic metamaterial samples composed of subwavelength inclusions. We show that, compared to conventional approaches, our method is able to capture the anomalous physics in the wave interaction with resonant metamaterials and return physically meaningful homogenized parameters that retain local properties in the long-wavelength limit. As a byproduct, we are also able to retrieve the polarizabilities of the constituent inclusions, which are shown to satisfy expected dispersion properties for passive inclusions, in contrast with conventional retrieval approaches.
Mechanical hyperalgesia in rat models of systemic and local hyperglycemia.

Abstract Mechanical hyperalgesia is an early symptom of diabetic neuropathy. To evaluate the mechanisms underlying this symptom, it was studied and compared in rat models of systemic and local hyperglycemia. Systemic hyperglycemia was induced by a single injection of streptozotocin (STZ, 50 mg/kg). Local hyperglycemia either in L5 dorsal root ganglion (DRG) or a segment of the sciatic nerve at mid-thigh level was maintained by perfusion with 30-mM glucose solution delivered from a surgically implanted osmotic minipump. Mechanical hyperalgesia was assessed using modified von Frey filaments and hind limb withdrawal threshold measurements. During 2 weeks of STZ-induced diabetes rat systemic blood glucose level increased from 5.1±0.3 to 23±1.9 mM and limb withdrawal threshold decreased by ∼30% bilaterally. During 2 weeks of local perfusion systemic blood glucose did not change; however, rats that underwent perfusion of the DRG or sciatic nerve with glucose exhibited a rapid (completed in ∼1 week) 40–50% decrease in ipsilateral limb withdrawal threshold. Perfusion of the sciatic nerve with the normoglycemic buffer solution did not affect withdrawal thresholds. The aldose reductase inhibitor sorbinil (2.5 mg/ml) when added to 30-mM glucose perfusion solution prevented hyperalgesia. These data suggest that mechanical hyperalgesia in diabetic animals may, at least in part, result from focal injury caused by a direct toxic effect of glucose in the peripheral nervous system. These data also support the idea of activation of aldose reductase and polyol pathway as an important mechanism of hyperglycemia-induced impairment of nerve function.
Effective advertising in industrial supplier directories

Abstract This article discusses the relative effectiveness of various advertisement characteristics in industrial supplier directories. Correlations and regressions on ad characteristics and response data indicate that ad space (size and/or number) and logos have a positive impact while the impact of pictures can be negative.
Hospital discharge bags and breastfeeding at 6 months: data from the infant feeding practices study II.

Background:Distribution of industry-sponsored formula sample packs to new mothers undermines breastfeeding.Objective:Using data from the Infant Feeding Practices Study II (IFPS II), we aimed to determine whether receipt of 4 different types of bags was associated with exclusive breastfeeding during the first 6 months of life.Methods:We extracted data from IFPS II questionnaires. Type of discharge bag received was categorized as “formula bag,” “coupon bag,” “breastfeeding supplies bag,” or “no bag”. We examined exclusive breastfeeding status at 10 weeks (post hoc) and at 6 months using univariate descriptive analyses and multivariate logistic regression models, controlling for sociodemographic and attitudinal variables.Results:Overall, 1868 (81.4%) of women received formula bags, 96 (4.2%) received coupon bags, 46 (2.0%) received breastfeeding supplies bags, and 284 (12.4%) received no bag. By 10 weeks, recipients of breastfeeding supplies bags or no bag were significantly more likely to be exclusively bre...
A Note on the Baseline in Considering the Ice Age

Shifting the presently used baselines of temperature changes during the last 440,000 years to about the lowest recorded temperature (+5 °C) as the baseline, a somewhat different view of climate change during the four Ice Ages emerges. Unlike the presently used baselines, the lowest temperature baseline is sort of the “absolute” one, in the sense that it does not depend on any chosen period during the last 440,000 years. Taking such a temperature as the baseline, the general trend of changes represents approximately the heat input function. Thus, in this view, the warming pulses with a sharp onset are the main feature, rather than a sequence of slow cooling and the subsequent sudden warming, although the basic physics involved in the feedback process may be the same. The interglacial periods are the peaks of the impulsive warming, rather than “returning to the normal condition” or “recovery from the Ice Ages”. In fact, the commonly used baselines represent simply the present conditions, rather than the baseline in climatology.
X-Ray Crystal Structure of the Dyes 2-Nitro-4'-[N,N-Bis(β- Hydroxyethyl)amino]azobenzene and 2-Cyano-4'- [N,N-Bis-(β-Hydroxyethyl)amino]azobenzene

X-ray diffractometer data have been used to determine the crystal structure of the 2-nitro and 2-cyano derivatives of 4'-[N,N-bis(β-hydroxyethyl)amino]azobenzene. The structures were solved by direct methods and refined by least squares to R = 0.0352 (CN) and 0.0486 (NO2) for 1294 and 2661 independent reflections, re spectively. The nitro derivative is nonplanar with a dihedral angle of 42.1° between the two phenyl rings. The effect of the nitro group on the geometry of the molecule is discussed. On the other hand, the cyano derivative possesses a planar azobenzene skeleton. The dihedral angle between the two phenyl rings is 5.5° in this case. The O(4)-atom of the nitro substituent lies very close to the N(1)-atom of the azo moiety, as had been suggested previously to account for the low lightfastness of some closely related ortho-nitro azo dyes. The C(1)—N(1),N(1)—N(2), and N(2)—C(7) bond lengths of the azobenzene skeleton are surprisingly similar for the two dyes.
Protection from ischemia-reperfusion induced severe acute renal failure by blocking E-selectin.

Objective: Despite progress in renal replacement therapy and critical care medicine, acute renal failure (ARF) still carries a very high mortality rate. Neutrophil infiltration has been recognized as a hallmark in postischemic renal injury. Neutrophil recruitment requires adhesion molecules including E-selectin, which mediates leukocyte rolling and adhesion. This study aims to identify the role of E-selectin in ischemia-reperfusion-induced severe ARF. Design: Prospective, controlled, experimental study. Setting: University animal research laboratory. Subjects: C57BU6 wild-type mice or C57BU6 mice gene-deficient for E-selectin. Interventions: Mice underwent 32-min bilateral renal ischemia or identical sham operations. After 4, 12, 24, or 48 hrs, kidneys were harvested and blood samples were taken. A separate group of wild-type mice received either antineutrophil serum or control serum 18 hrs before ischemia. Another group of wild-type mice was injected with function-blocking monoclonal E-selectin antibody or with control antibody 10 mins after reperfusion. Blood samples were taken 24 hrs later. Measurements and Main Results: Blood creatinine and urea nitrogen concentrations, as well as renal myeloperoxidase activity indicating neutrophil infiltration, were measured. Reducing neutrophil counts by antineutrophil serum showed that in this model, organ failure strongly depends on neutrophil counts at time of ischemia. E-selectin deficient mice showed lower creatinine and blood urea nitrogen concentrations than wild-type mice at 24 and 48 hrs (a reduction of 60% to 80%). Kidneys of E-selectin deficient mice also revealed a lower myeloperoxidase activity maximum (75% reduction) at 24 hrs. Western blot analysis showed maximum E-selectin expression 24 hrs after ischemia-reperfusion. Immunostaining localized E-selectin to the endothelium of the peritubular capillary plexus. Compared with control antibody, postischemic injection of anti-E-selectin antibody gave lower creatinine concentrations at 24 hrs, similar to that seen in E-selectin deficient mice. Conclusions: In this model, blocking E-selectin even after onset of reperfusion protects from severe ARF, presumably by reducing postischemic neutrophil infiltration into the kidney. This suggests a new potential therapeutic perspective.
Transverse phase space in the presence of dispersion

A generalized formalism is used to determine the beam ellipse parameters at some location in a transversely uncoupled transport line from a sufficient number of beam size measurements. The authors allow for contributions to the beam sizes from dispersion which can be either transported from some initial point, or generated along the transport line. They derive expressions for the pure betatron emittance in terms of the effective emittance (calculated from the measurements of the total transverse beam sizes) both in the presence and absence of bending magnets. Necessary and sufficient conditions for determining the pure betatron emittance are given and it is shown to be the absolute minimum of the effective emittance. It is shown that dispersion not only directly enlarges the emittance, but also causes a beta -mismatch. >
Polyploidy in Indian paintbrush (Castilleja; Orobanchaceae) species shapes but does not prevent gene flow across species boundaries.

UNLABELLED PREMISE OF STUDY A difference in chromosome numbers (ploidy variation) between species is usually considered a major barrier to gene flow. Therefore, it is surprising that little is known about whether ploidy variation, both within and among species, influences spatial patterns of interspecific hybridization. The role that polyploidy plays in structuring gene flow patterns between three co-occurring Indian paintbrush (Castilleja) species is investigated. • METHODS Reciprocal hand pollinations were performed in populations where the three species co-occur with and without variable plants (previous data tested the ancestral "hybrid" history of these variable plants). I measured fruit set, seed production, seed germination, and the DNA content of parent plants and 26 synthesized F(1) hybrids. Data were combined with pollinator fidelity data to estimate the contribution of individual barriers to reproductive isolation. • KEY RESULTS Interspecific gene flow could occur in all directions, but barriers were weaker for conspecific vs. heterospecific crosses. Species were nearly fixed for different ploidy levels, but some deviations occurred, primarily in populations with variable plants. Interspecific gene flow could occur across ploidy levels, but it was more likely when species had the same number of chromosomes or when resulting F(1) hybrids had even numbers of chromosomes. Postzygotic reproductive barriers were generally weaker than pollinator fidelity. • CONCLUSIONS Polyploidy likely plays a large role in shaping contemporary and historical patterns of gene flow among these species. This study suggests that differences in chromosome numbers among closely related, compatible species might help structure spatial patterns of hybridization.
Dynamic modeling of nonlinear SRM drive with Pspice

In this paper, a comprehensive nonlinear dynamic model for a switched reluctance motor (SRM) drive using Pspice is presented. The SRM is represented by its nonlinear dynamic equations and the magnetic model of SRM includes the representation of inductance-current-position characteristics which closely match those obtained experimentally. The variation of the phase inductance with rotor position is expressed by a limited number of Fourier series terms. The coefficients of the Fourier series are determined by the values of the inductance at the aligned position, unaligned position and a position midway between the two. The nonlinear relationship between the phase inductance and the current is represented by polynomial functions whose coefficients are derived by static characteristics obtained from finite element analysis or experimental results. Since Pspice is a circuit oriented package, any type of converter and control scheme can be modeled with ease and hence the component ratings can be selected based on simulation results. Further, any type of converter/motor faults as well as phase asymmetries can also be simulated. It is also possible to simulate various control strategies for low and higher speed operations and obtain optimum control angles. The details of the developed model and the simulation results obtained for a 300 W, 12 V, 8/6 SRM drive in various operating regions are presented in this paper. To validate the model, the simulation results are compared with experimental and finite element analysis results.
The What and Where of Adding Channel Noise to the Hodgkin-Huxley Equations

Conductance-based equations for electrically active cells form one of the most widely studied mathematical frameworks in computational biology. This framework, as expressed through a set of differential equations by Hodgkin and Huxley, synthesizes the impact of ionic currents on a cell's voltage—and the highly nonlinear impact of that voltage back on the currents themselves—into the rapid push and pull of the action potential. Later studies confirmed that these cellular dynamics are orchestrated by individual ion channels, whose conformational changes regulate the conductance of each ionic current. Thus, kinetic equations familiar from physical chemistry are the natural setting for describing conductances; for small-to-moderate numbers of channels, these will predict fluctuations in conductances and stochasticity in the resulting action potentials. At first glance, the kinetic equations provide a far more complex (and higher-dimensional) description than the original Hodgkin-Huxley equations or their counterparts. This has prompted more than a decade of efforts to capture channel fluctuations with noise terms added to the equations of Hodgkin-Huxley type. Many of these approaches, while intuitively appealing, produce quantitative errors when compared to kinetic equations; others, as only very recently demonstrated, are both accurate and relatively simple. We review what works, what doesn't, and why, seeking to build a bridge to well-established results for the deterministic equations of Hodgkin-Huxley type as well as to more modern models of ion channel dynamics. As such, we hope that this review will speed emerging studies of how channel noise modulates electrophysiological dynamics and function. We supply user-friendly MATLAB simulation code of these stochastic versions of the Hodgkin-Huxley equations on the ModelDB website (accession number 138950) and http://www.amath.washington.edu/~etsb/tutorials.html.
Mica and Heavy Minerals as Markers to Map Nile Delta Coastline Displacements during the Holocene

ABSTRACT Stanley, J.-D. and Clemente, P.L., 2014. Mica and heavy minerals as markers to map Nile Delta coastline displacements during the Holocene. Mica and heavy minerals in sediments of Egypt's Nile Delta are examined to test if measured proportions of these two mineral groups and their distributions can be used to define former coastline positions and their shifts in time and space during the Holocene. The premise of the study is based on the sufficiently different attributes of these two components, especially their shape, density, and size, which could induce their segregation and dissimilar dispersal patterns during sediment transport. To test this hypothesis, mineralogical data from more than 1400 samples from 87 sediment cores recovered across the northern third of the delta margin were analyzed. The marked contrast in both temporal and spatial distributions of high proportions of mica and of heavy minerals indicates distinct separation occurred primarily north of the central delta, in an area fro...
Structure-activity relationships of uridine 5'-diphosphate analogues at the human P2Y6 receptor.

The structure−activity relationships and molecular modeling of the uracil nucleotide activated P2Y6 receptor have been studied. Uridine 5‘-diphosphate (UDP) analogues bearing substitutions of the ribose moiety, the uracil ring, and the diphosphate group were synthesized and assayed for activity at the human P2Y6 receptor. The uracil ring was modified at the 4 position, with the synthesis of 4-substituted-thiouridine 5‘-diphosphate analogues, as well as at positions 2, 3, and 5. The effect of modifications at the level of the phosphate chain was studied by preparing a cyclic 3‘,5‘-diphosphate analogue, a 3‘-diphosphate analogue, and several dinucleotide diphosphates. 5-Iodo-UDP 32 (EC50 = 0.15 μM) was equipotent to UDP, while substitutions of the 2‘-hydroxyl (amino, azido) greatly reduce potency. The 2- and 4-thio analogues, 20 and 21, respectively, were also relatively potent in comparison to UDP. However, most other modifications greatly reduced potency. Molecular modeling indicates that the β-phosphate ...
Characterizing the likelihood of dengue emergence and detection in naïve populations

Vector-borne disease transmission is dependent on the many nuances of the contact event between infectious and susceptible hosts. Virus acquisition from a viremic human to a susceptible mosquito is often assumed to be nearly perfect and almost always uniform across the infectious period. Dengue transmission models that have previously addressed variability in human to vector transmission dynamics do not account for the variation in infectiousness of a single individual, and subsequent infection of naive mosquitoes. Understanding the contribution of this variability in human infectiousness is especially important in the context of introduction events where an infected individual carries the virus into a population of competent vectors. Furthermore, it could affect the ability to detect an epidemic (and the timing of detection) following introduction. We constructed a stochastic, compartmental model to describe the heterogeneity of human viremia and calculate the probability of a successful introduction, taking into account the viremia level (and thus acquisition potential) of the index case on, and after, the day of introduction into a susceptible population and varying contact rates between the human and mosquito populations. We then compared the results of this model with those generated by a simpler model that has the same average infectiousness but only a single infectious class. We found that the infectivity of the index case as well as the contact rate affected the probability of emergence, but that contact rate had the most significant effect. We also found that the interaction between contact rate and the infectiousness of the index case affected the time to detection relative to the peak of the epidemic curve. Additionally, when compared to our model that accounts for variable infectiousness, a model with a single infectious class underestimates the probability of emergence and transmission intensity. Understanding the interplay between individual human heterogeneity of infectiousness and the rate of contact with the vector population will be important when predicting the likelihood, detection, and magnitude of an outbreak.
Myofibrillar Mass in Rat and Rabbit Heart Muscle: CORRELATION OF MICROCHEMICAL AND STEREOLOGICAL MEASUREMENTS IN NORMAL AND HYPERTROPHIC HEARTS

A sequestered fraction of myofibrillar magnesium presumably bound to thin filaments during polymerization of actin was used to determine myofibrillar mass in rat left ventricles and rabbit hearts. Myofibrillar volume was also determined by stereological measurements on electron micrographs of rat ventricles. Myofibrillar Mg (1.11 mmoles/kg dry ventricle) can be determined in glycerinated ventricle either by measuring 28Mg-inexchangeable Mg or Mg remaining after extraction with EDTA, KCl, and a nonionic detergent. These measurements, combined with the Mg content of myofibrillar suspensions similarly extracted (3.2 mmoles/kg protein), indicated that myofibrillar mass was 347 g myofibrillar protein/kg dry ventricle. In rabbit hearts, increases in myofibrillar Mg per unit dry weight were as follows: auricular appendage < right ventricle < left ventricle ⋍ interventricular septum. After production of left ventricular hypertrophy in rats by constriction of the ascending aorta, both myofibrillar Mg and volume increased within 24 hours. After 10 or more days, myofibrillar Mg and myofibrillar volume increased proportionately more than tissue dry mass and cell volume, and the ratio of mitochondrial volume to cell volume decreased.
Averaging and Benjamin-Feir instabilities in a parametrically forced nonlinear Schrödinger equation

We study small amplitude solutions of a parametrically forced nonlinear Schrodinger equation, and give exact expressions for the quartic resonant mode interactions by analyzing the corresponding Diophantine equations. We use this information to find some classes of periodic orbits of the averaged equation and characterize the linearly unstable directions of Stokes wave solutions.
Effects of a community intervention to reduce the serving of alcohol to intoxicated patrons

Aims To assess the effects of an alcohol prevention programme to reduce the serving of alcoholic beverages to intoxicated clients on licensed premises. Research design A controlled pre‐ (2004) and post‐intervention study (2006) design. Intervention A community‐based programme combining law enforcement, responsible beverage service training, information campaigns and policy initiatives in one Finnish town (Jyvaskyla). Participants and measurements A male actor pretended to be clearly under the influence of alcohol and tried to buy a pint of beer at licensed premises. For the baseline measurement, every bar and nightclub was visited in the intervention and the control areas (94 licensed premises in total). Post‐intervention data were gathered with the same principles (100 licensed premises in total). A researcher observed every visit and documented the results. Results In the post‐intervention study there was a statistically significant increase in refusals to serve denials alcohol to the actor in the intervention area (from 23% to 42% of the licensed premises) compared to refusals in the control area (from 36% to 27% of the licensed premises). Conclusion Previous research has documented that multi‐component community‐based interventions can have a significant impact on over‐serving of alcohol when training and house policies are combined with effective law enforcement. The present findings also demonstrate that comprehensive Responsible Beverage Service (RBS) interventions applied at a local community level can be effective in decreasing service to intoxicated clients in a Nordic context.
Zur α-Eliminierung von Chloroform aus trichlormethylsubstituierten Verbindungen

Werden im 1.3-Diphenyl-2-trichlormethyl-imidazolidin (I) die N-Atome schrittweise durch O-Atome ersetzt, so tritt die Fahigkeit zur α-Eliminierung von Chloroform unter Bildung eines Carbens zuruck. Statt dessen erfolgt eine β-Eliminierung von Chlorwasserstoff. Dieser Reaktionstyp wird auch beim α-Phenyl-β.β.β-trichlorathyl-methylather beobachtet.
Hybrid ferromagnet-semiconductor device for memory and logic

Magnetoelectronics is a new field that is devoted to the invention and development of electronic device structures that incorporate a ferromagnetic element. The bistable magnetization states of a thin ferromagnetic film can be adapted for integrated digital applications if each magnetization state corresponds, by some appropriate mechanism, to a voltage level. The property of nonvolatility is intrinsic to the magnetization bistability, and a natural functional application of magnetoelectronic devices is memory. More generally, the linearity of inductively coupled "write" currents used to set the magnetic state permit Boolean operations, and magnetoelectronic devices can be thought of as "latching Boolean gates" with applications for both memory and logic.
NSAID Impairment of Orthodontic Tooth Movement

OBJECTIVE:To evaluate the impairment of orthodontic tooth movement caused by nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).DATA SOURCES:Biomedical literature accessed through MEDLINE (1966–January 2000), EMBASE (1980–January 2000), and International Pharmaceutical Abstracts(1970–January 2000). Key search terms included NSAIDs, orthodontics, and tooth movement.DATA SYNTHESIS:Orthodontic dentistry applies mechanical force to generate tooth movement. Since prostaglandins are mediators of tooth movement, it is reasonable to expect that prostaglandin inhibitors, such as NSAIDs, inhibit or delay tooth movement. An evaluation of studies measuring the extent of NSAID impairment on tooth movement was undertaken.CONCLUSIONS:Results from animal studies have shown that NSAIDs can impair the tooth movement process. Until long-term human data are obtained, acetaminophen remains an appropriate alternative to NSAIDs for treating orthodontic-associated pain.
A novel carbon fiber bundle microelectrode and modified brain slice chamber for recording long-term multiunit activity from brain slices

The fabrication and characteristics of a novel multiunit recording electrode and modified brain slice chamber suitable for long-term recording from brain slices are described. The electrode consisted of an electrolyte-filled glass micropipette with a 20-50 microns thick wax-coated bundle of 5-micron diameter carbon fibers extending 2.5 cm from the tapered end and an AgCl-coated silver wire inserted into the open end and connected to a preamplifier. Both ends of the electrode were sealed with wax to prevent evaporation of the electrolyte. The brain slice was maintained over this extended period in an interface-type brain slice chamber modified to completely surround the slice with medium. Using this electrode, regular 24-h oscillations of spontaneous multiunit activity were recorded for 3 days from a single location in a 500 microns thick rat suprachiasmatic nucleus brain slice. Preliminary data suggest that this novel carbon fiber bundle electrode will be a favorable alternative to traditional metal electrodes for long-term recording of multiunit activity from brain slices.
Azimuth and elevation angle estimation with no failure and no eigen decomposition

Recently, Wu et al. proposed a scheme for two-dimensional direction of arrival angle estimation for azimuth and elevation angles, using the propagator method. An advantage of this method over the classical subspace based algorithms, such as ESPRIT and MUSIC, is that it does not apply any eigenvalue decomposition (EVD) to the cross spectral matrix or singular value decomposition (SVD) to the received data. This significantly reduces the computational complexity, compared to the EVD and SVD. However, Wu's method has some drawbacks, such as pair matching between the azimuth and elevation angle estimations for multiple different sources. Furthermore, Wu's method has an estimation failure problem in the range of practical mobile elevation angles. The objectives of this paper are two-fold: (1) to overcome these two problems with less arithmetic operation counts than Wu used; and (2) to improve the performance significantly. To achieve these objectives, we propose an antenna array configuration which avoids these problems. Simulation results verify that the proposed scheme can remove these problems and give much better performance.
Dynamic Core Provisioning for Quantitative Differentiated Service

Efficient network provisioning mechanisms supporting service differentiation and automatic capacity dimensioning are important for the realization of a differentiated service Internet. In this paper, we extend our prior work on edge provisioning [7] to interior nodes and core networks including algorithms for: (i) dynamic node provisioning and (ii) dynamic core provisioning. The dynamic node provisioning algorithm prevents transient violations of service level agreements by self-adjusting per-scheduler service weights and packet dropping thresholds at core routers, reporting persistent service level violations to the core provisioning algorithm. The dynamic core provisioning algorithm dimensions traffic aggregates at the network ingress taking into account fairness issues not only across different traffic aggregates, but also within the same aggregate whose packets take different routes in a core IP network. We demonstrate through analysis and simulation that our model is capable of delivering capacity provisioning in an efficient manner providing quantitative delay-bounds withdifferen tiated loss across per-aggregate service classes.
A Case Study on the Impact of Moisture Variability on Convection Initiation Using Radar Refractivity Retrievals

A case study illustrating the impact of moisture variability on convection initiation in a synoptically active environment without strong moisture gradients is presented. The preconvective environment on 30 April 2007 nearly satisfied the three conditions for convection initiation: moisture, instability, and a low-level lifting mechanism. However, a sounding analysis showed that a low-level inversion layer and high LFC would prevent convection initiation because the convective updraft velocities required to overcome the convective inhibition (CIN) were much higher than updraft velocities typically observed in convergence zones. Radar refractivity retrievals from the Twin Lakes, Oklahoma (KTLX), Weather Surveillance Radar-1988 Doppler (WSR-88D) showed a moisture pool contributing up to a 28C increase in dewpoint temperature where the initial storm-scale convergence was observed. The analysis of the storm-relative wind field revealed that the developing storm ingested the higher moisture associated with the moisture pool. Sounding analyses showed that the moisture pool reduced or nearly eliminated CIN, lowered the LFC by about 500 m, and increased CAPEby 2.5 times. Thus, these small-scalemoisture changes increasedthe likelihoodofconvection initiation within the moisture pool by creating a more favorable thermodynamic environment. The results suggest that refractivity data could improve convection initiation forecasts by assessing moisture variability at finer scales than the current observation network.
Discriminant analysis and adaptive wavelet feature selection for statistical object detection

We utilize the discriminant analysis to select wavelet features for efficient object detection. The analysis applies to the Bayesian classifier and is extended to the case of boosting. Based on the error analysis under the Bayesian decision rule, we reduce the number of coefficients involved in detection to lower the computational cost. Using a hidden Markov tree model to describe the pattern distributions, we introduce the concept of error-bound-tree to relate feature selection to error reduction. The scheme selects discriminative features that are adaptive to the pattern and allows the detector to reach a decision faster.
Surface roughening during plasma-enhanced chemical-vapor deposition of hydrogenated amorphous silicon on crystal silicon substrates

The morphology of a series of thin films of hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) grown by plasma-enhanced chemical-vapor deposition (PECVD) is studied using scanning tunneling microscopy. The substrates were atomically flat, oxide-free, single-crystal silicon. Films were grown in a PECVD chamber directly connected to a surface analysis chamber with no air exposure between growth and measurement. The homogeneous roughness of the films increases with film thickness. The quantification of this roughening is achieved by calculation of both rms roughness and lateral correlation lengths of the a-Si:H film surface from the height difference correlation functions of the measured topographs. Homogeneous roughening occurs over the film surface due to the collective behavior of the flux of depositing radical species and their interactions with the growth surface. {copyright} {ital 1997} {ital The American Physical Society}
Active source detection in a dispersive multiple-reflection environment

A signal propagating in a shallow water waveguide is subjected to (a) multiple reflections off the ocean boundaries and (b) distortion because of the dispersive properties of the propagation medium. Because of these corruptions, the received signal differs substantially from the transmitted signal. Although the transmission is sometimes exactly known, the received signal cannot be described in detail because of inadequate knowledge of the ocean impulse response. Ignoring the effects of the ocean on the signal, or representing them inaccurately, can lead to deterioration of the detection statistics. This paper compares the performance of methods designed for distortion-free, multiple-reflection transmission in realistic, dispersive environments. Two existing methods, the RCI (replica correlation integration) processor and the simple source-receiver matched-filter, and a new detector are evaluated. The impact of distortion on signal transmission is assessed by comparing the distortion-free methods to the optimal processor, which models the effects of the propagation medium on the signal.
WiMAX-RBDS-Sim: an OPNET simulation framework for IEEE 802.16 mesh networks

In this paper, a simulation model for IEEE 802.16 (WiMAX) wireless mesh networks with distributed scheduling is developed. It provides a framework for the evaluation of reservation-based distributed scheduling (RBDS) policies at the medium access control (MAC) layer. The simulation model, called WiMAX-RBDS-Sim, is developed under the OPNET event-driven simulation environment. It provides interfaces for the integration of RBDS policies and link-establishment algorithms. As an example of the use of WiMAX-RBDS-Sim, a new RBDS policy called Sliced-GM-RBDS is proposed and evaluated. This policy is based on the GM-RBDS policy proposed in [27]. The WiMAX-RBDS-Sim simulation results show that Sliced-GM-RBDS outperforms GM-RBDS in terms of network stability. A link-establishment algorithm is also evaluated with WiMAX-RBDS-Sim to determine the time required for the completion of link establishments across the network. Finally, the performance of WiMAX-RBDS-Sim is evaluated in terms of simulation speed and memory usage.
Intermittent pneumatic compression promoted healing in foot infections.

Question: In patients who have diabetes mellitus and edema with foot ulcers requiring debridement, how effective is intermittent pneumatic foot compression after debridement in promoting wound-healing? Design: Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial with 12-week follow-up. Setting: University hospital and clinics in San Antonio, Texas, USA. Patients: 115 patients who had diabetes mellitus and foot infections requiring incision and debridement. Patients were excluded if they had active congestive heart failure, end-stage …
Eyes on the ballot: Priming effects and ethnic voting in the developing world

Many countries include candidate photographs on ballots to facilitate autonomous, correct voting. However, the possible unintended consequences of these aspects of ballot design have not been sufficiently considered. We argue that photographs have the potential to increase ethnic voting, particularly by priming individuals to consider identity when making their electoral decisions. We conducted an experiment days prior to the 2011 Ugandan elections, in which subjects marked mock ballots including, or excluding, candidate photographs. We find that photographs increased ethnic voting, and our evidence indicates a priming effect, while ruling out learning as a likely alternate explanation. Subtle stimuli at the end of a campaign can affect ethnic voting in developing countries by altering identity salience.
111In-labeled mesenchymal stem cell derived from bone marrow provide partial protection against cisplatin-induced renal injury

1598 Objectives To study the biodistribution of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSC) and their effects on cisplatin induced acute renal injury (ARI) in syngeneic mice. Methods BM-MSC donors were isolated from the marrow of C57BL/6-GFP mice. Phenotype of isolated cells was verified by FACS analysis, vimentin staining, and differentiation to adipocytes in vitro. Radiolabeling was performed by incubating the cells with 22.5 MBq of 111In-oxine in 5 mL of saline for 30 minutes at 370C. Cell viability and labeling efficiency were determined. Twelve C57BL/6 mice were divided into 3 groups, Group 1 (n=4) for biodistribution were injected with1.8 MBq radiolabeled cells; Group 2 (n=4) were injected with 1.8 MBq radiolabeled cells plus cisplatin (12.7mg/kg), to induce kidney injury; Group 3 (n=4) were injected with cisplatin (12.7mg/kg) only. One hour post injection Group 1 mice were sacrificed and tissue collected for activity determination. After 5 days, Groups 2 & 3 animals were sacrificed for activity, BUN levels, and renal histology. Transplanted cells identified using GFP, PCR or GFP staining. Results Efficiency of BM-MSC cell labeling was 77 ± 4%; viability was 77 ± 3%. The BM-MSC was mostly in lungs (67± 1%), liver (12± 6%), spleen (11±1%) and kidneys (5±1%). BUN levels were significantly lower (p Conclusions Although only a small percentage of radiolabeled BM-MSC accumulated in the kidneys, the data suggest that BM-MSC exert at least a partial prophylactic or therapeutic effect against cisplatin-induced acute renal injury