cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Inhibition of actin polymerization in blood platelets by cytochalasins

It has been suggested that the polymerization of actin to form actin filaments is critical for many functions in non-muscle cells including phagocytosis, cell division, secretion and cell motility1,2. In support of this suggestion, many of these functions are inhibited by cytochalasins3 which also inhibit the actin nuclei-induced polymerization of purified actin4–7. Recent studies suggest that the cytochalasins (cytochalasins B, D and E) inhibit polymerization by binding to the growing end of actin filaments and blocking the further addition of monomeric actin molecules4,7–9. If the cytochalasins inhibit cellular contractile functions by a similar mechanism, they could be useful tools in determining whether actin polymerization is required for specific processes within cells. Blood platelets provide an excellent system for testing this as exposure of platelets to thrombin results in a rapid polymerization of actin10,11. We have now studied the effects of the cytochalasins on thrombin-induced actin polymerization and report here the first clear evidence that cytochalasins inhibit actin polymerization in intact cells.
High-resolution NMR of exchangeable protons in arginine, oligoarginines, and the arginine-rich histone tetramer

High-resolution nmr of exchangeable protons in the side chain of arginine reveals two distinct resonances arising from restricted rotation about the N(1)–C(e) bond. Spectral assignments based upon pH-dependent proton-exchange behaviour identified each resonance as arising from one of the magnetically distinct guanidinium amino groups in the molecule. Computer simulation of the temperature-dependent coalescence of these peaks defines an activation energy of 14.3 kcal/mol for internal rotation about this bond. Similar results to those observed in monoarginine are reported for diarginine, triarginine, and the arginine-rich histone tetramer. Based on these findings, a nonsymmetric mode of arginine–ligand interaction is suggested, and the molecular dynamics of proton exchange in the arginine side chain is discussed.
A Search for the Phylogenetic Relationship of the Ascomycete Rhizoctonia leguminicola Using Genetic Analysis

Rhizoctonia leguminicola, which causes fungal blackpatch disease of legumes and other plants, produces slaframine and swainsonine that are largely responsible for causing salivation, lacrimation, frequent urination, and diarrhea in grazing animals including cattle, sheep, and horses. The original identification of R. leguminicola was based only on morphological characters of the fungal mycelia in cultures because of the lack of fungal genetic markers. Recent investigations suggested that R. leguminicola does not belong to genus Rhizoctonia and is instead a member of the ascomycetes, necessitating an accurate reclassification. The objective of this study was to use both genetic and morphological characters of R. leguminicola to find taxonomic placement of this pathogen within ascomycetes. Internal transcribed spacer region (ITS) and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (gpd) encoding gene were amplified from R. leguminicola isolates by PCR using universal primers and sequencing. Rhizoctonia leguminicola ITS and gpd sequences were aligned with other fungal sequences of close relatives, and phylogenetic trees were constructed using neighbor-joining and parsimony analyses. Rhizoctonia leguminicola isolates were clustered within a clade that contains several genera of ascomycetes belonging to the class dothideomycetes. We suggest that the fungus is misidentified in the genus Rhizoctonia and propose its reclassification in a new genus within the phylum Ascomycota.
PAYING THE PRICE: FINAL GOODS PROTECTION IN OECD COUNTRIES

This paper presents new measures of final goods trade protection in eight developed countries. The analysis exploits detailed, comprehensive, and careful price comparisons to derive estimates that, it is argued, reliably capture all kinds of barriers. The results show extensive protection. Japan's average tariff equivalent is 57%, those of the European countries range from 48% to 55%, and that of the United States is lowest, at 12%. An applied general-equilibrium analysis of this protection is conducted. The results include the following: Japan's barriers impose large costs on itself; Japanese and U.S. barriers greatly burden poorer countries; the United States would benefit significantly from multilateral, but not unilateral, opening.
Ladies queues, ‘roadside Romeos,’ and balcony seating: Ethnographic observations on women's cinema-going experiences

Based on ethnographic field research in a south Indian city this paper explores some of the practices, habits, and preferences of women movie-goers. I examine how middle class women construct the cinema experience: how they navigate the city, negotiate ticket queues, secure seating of their choice – all of which shape the movie outing and the cinema experience. The paper advances the idea that the sense and significance of cinema for its audiences cannot be gleaned by a focus on the film itself or on filmmakers, stars, and institutions of production. Audiences' embodied practices and habits are consequential for both the collective and individual experience of cinema, yet are some of its most overlooked aspects.
GTP hydrolysis during microtubule assembly.

The GTP cap model of dynamic instability [Mitchison, T., & Kirschner, M.W. (1984) Nature (London) 312, 237] postulates that a GTP cap at the end of most microtubules stabilizes the polymer and allows continuing assembly of GTP-tubulin subunits while microtubules without a cap rapidly disassemble. This attractive explanation for observed microtubule behavior is based on the suggestion that hydrolysis of GTP is not coupled to assembly but rather takes place as a first-order reaction after a subunit is assembled onto a polymer end. Carlier and Pantaloni [Carlier, M., & Pantaloni, D. (1981) Biochemistry 20, 1918] reported a lag of hydrolysis behind microtubule assembly and a first-order rate constant for hydrolysis (kh) of 0.25/min. A lag has not been demonstrated by other investigators, and a kh value that specifies such a slow rate of hydrolysis is difficult to reconcile with reported steady-state microtubule growth rates and frequencies of disassembly. We have looked for a lag using tubulin free of microtubule-associated protein at concentrations of 18.5-74 microM, assembly with and without glycerol, and two independent assays of GTP hydrolysis. No lag was observed under any of the conditions employed, with initial rates of hydrolysis increasing in proportion to rates of assembly. If hydrolysis is uncoupled from assembly, we estimate that kh must be at least 2.5/min and could be much greater, a result that we argue may be advantageous to the GTP cap model. We also describe a preliminary model of assembly coupled to hydrolysis that specifies formation and loss of a GTP cap, thus allowing dynamic instability.
A 14b 100MS/s DAC with Fully Segmented Dynamic Element Matching

A 14b 100MS/s Nyquist-rate DAC using a segmented dynamic-element-matching technique involving all the DAC elements is demonstrated. The DAC is implemented in a 0.18mum CMOS process and worst-case SFDRs across Nyquist bands are 74.4dB and 78.9dB for sample-rates of 100MS/s and 70Ms/s, respectively
Measurement of Teacher Performance: A Study in Instrument Development.

Abstract The procedures used to produce a research-based teaching evaluation system, containing low-inference indicators of effective and ineffective teacher behavior, included instrument development, content validation, and field testing. An extensive reliability study produced estimates for three types of consistency: intercoder agreement (r = 0.85), stability across teaching situations r = 0.86, and discriminant reliability among teachers (r = 0.79). The norming component of the study conducted in 45 schools, generated over 1200 observations of current teacher practice at all grade levels and in various subject areas. The results indicated the substantially generic nature of these behaviors; only grade level and instructional method (interactive, lecture, and independent seatwork) produced meaningful differences among groups of teachers. In addition, the average teacher used most of the effective behaviors (70%), and a few of the ineffective behaviors (8%) during observation. These results support the instrument's value in teacher training, remediation, and evaluation.
TEACHER EDUCATION AND TEACHER‐PERCEIVED NEEDS IN EDUCATIONAL MEASUREMENT AND EVALUATION

Professors and teachers were compared relative to their perspectives on preservice educational measurement courses. Twenty-four professors from different colleges in seven states and 360 teachers from elementary and secondary schools in one midwestern state responded via mailed questionnaire. Professors reported the emphasis given to each of eight topics in preservice educational measurement courses, and teachers reported the emphasis they believed should be given to each topic. In five of the eight content areas, the relative emphases given by professors differed from that recommended by teachers. Major differences emerged in nontest evaluation, statistical analysis, and formative and summative evaluation. Implications of these results are discussed.
ADA Title I Allegations Related to Unlawful Discharge: Characteristics of Charging Parties:

This article describes findings from a causal comparative study of the characteristics of charging parties who filed allegations of discrimination related to discharge with the U.S. Equal Employmen...
Shapes of Nonbuoyant Round Luminous Hydrocarbon/Air Laminar Jet Diffusion Flames

The shapes (luminous flame boundaries) of round luminous nonbuoyant soot-containing hydrocarbon/air laminar jet diffusion flames at microgravity were found from color video images obtained on orbit in the Space Shuttle Columbia. Test conditions included ethylene- and propane-fueled flames burning in still air at an ambient temperature of 300 K, ambient pressures of 35-130 kPa, initial jet diameters of 1.6 and 2.7 mm, and jet exit Reynolds numbers of 45-170. Present test times were 100-200 s and yielded steady axisymmetric flames that were close to the laminar smoke point (including flames both emitting and not emitting soot) with luminous flame lengths of 15-63 mm. The present soot-containing flames had larger luminous flame lengths than earlier ground-based observations having similar burner configurations: 40% larger than the luminous flame lengths of soot-containing low gravity flames observed using an aircraft (KC-135) facility due to reduced effects of accelerative disturbances and unsteadiness; roughly twice as large as the luminous flame lengths of soot-containing normal gravity flames due to the absence of effects of buoyant mixing and roughly twice as large as the luminous flame lengths of soot-free low gravity flames observed using drop tower facilities due to the presence of soot luminosity and possible reduced effects of unsteadiness. Simplified expressions to estimate the luminous flame boundaries of round nonbuoyant laminar jet diffusion flames were obtained from the classical analysis of Spalding (1979); this approach provided Successful Correlations of flame shapes for both soot-free and soot-containing flames, except when the soot-containing flames were in the opened-tip configuration that is reached at fuel flow rates near and greater than the laminar smoke point fuel flow rate.
Trends in diagnosis and management of breast cancer in the U. S.: From the surveys of the american college of surgeons

The results of a comparative study of a series of 15,132 cases of breast cancer diagnosed in 1972 and a series of 14,577 cases diagnosed in 1977 are presented. Data were collected through surveys of 670 hospitals in the United States conducted by the Commission on Cancer--American College of Surgeons. There has been significant improvement in the stage at which breast cancer is diagnosed in black patients. The proportion of cases diagnosed at the localized stage increased from 38.5% in the 1972 series to 45.2% in 1977. During the same time period, the average size of the tumor in black patients decreased from 4.5 cm to 3.5 cm and the average number of positive axillary nodes decreased from 6.6 to 5.5. Less change in the stage of disease at diagnosis or in the size of the tumor was observed in white patients and no significant change was found in the average number of positive axillary nodes. The average number of axillary nodes examined increased from 14.5 nodes to 16.0 nodes in white patients and from 16.4 to 17.3 in black patients. The proportion of all cases treated by surgery with axillary dissection increased from 79.8% in 1972 to 85.8% in 1977. Recent cases were more likely to be treated with surgery alone. Use of radiotherapy alone or in combination decreased for both races but the use of chemotherapy increased. A marked shift from Halsted radical mastectomy to modified radical mastectomy was evident at every level of age, stage of the disease, and size of tumor, and was observed in hospitals of all sizes. A significant increase in the average number of nodes examined was observed for each surgical procedure involving axillary dissection. No increase was observed in the use of conservative surgery (wedge excision, total mastectomy, or total mastectomy with low axillary dissection).
Accuracy of phase‐contrast flow measurements in the presence of partial‐volume effects

The accuracy of volume flow rate measurements obtained with phase-contrast methods was assessed by means of computer simulation and in vitro experiments. Factors studied include (a) the partial-volume effect due to voxel dimensions relative to vessel dimensions and orientation and (b) intravoxel phase dispersion. It is shown that limited resolution (partial-volume effect) is the major obstacle to accurate flow measurement for both laminar and plug flow. The results show that at least 16 voxels must cover the cross section of the vessel lumen to obtain a measurement accuracy to within 10%. Measurement accuracy also greatly depends on the relative signal intensity of stationary tissue and is better for laminar flow than plug flow.
Amputations in U.S. military personnel in the current conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Objectives: To determine rates of major limb amputation in U.S. military casualties in the current conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq, to correlate these with mechanism of injury, and compare the rate with that seen in U.S. casualties from the Vietnam War. Design: Retrospective study of all U.S. casualties recorded for the current conflicts from the start in October 1, 2001 to June 1, 2006. Setting: Records from U.S. military forward surgical teams (Level IIb) and combat support hospitals (Level III) in theater, evacuation (Level IV, Germany), and major military medical centers (Level V, United States). Patients/Participants: All recorded U.S. military casualties from the Afghanistan and Iraq theaters with injuries requiring evacuation out of theater or prohibiting the individual from returning to duty for more than 72 hours. Intervention: None. Main Outcome Measurements: Major limb injury, level of amputation, principal mechanism of injury. Results: Over the past 56 months, of the 8058 military casualties meeting the listed criteria, 5684 (70.5%) were recorded as having major limb injuries. Of these, 423 (5.2% of all serious injuries; 7.4% of major limb injuries) underwent major limb amputation or amputation at or proximal to the wrist or ankle joint. The mechanism of injury for 87.9% was some form of explosive device. The major amputation rate during Vietnam was 8.3% of major limb injuries. Conclusions: Overall, major limb amputation rates for the current U.S. engagement in Afghanistan and Iraq are similar to those of previous conflicts.
Norm estimates for inverses of Euclidean distance matrices

Abstract In this paper, we obtain a better estimate for the norm of inverses of Euclidean distance matrices of low dimensions.
Stability of the Disulfide Bonds of Fibrinogen and Identification of Specific Subsets of Surface‐Oriented Histidine Residues Highly Susceptible to Alkylation

The alkylating agents, iodoacetate and iodoacetamide, were spontaneously incorporated into fibrinogen at pH above 5.5 and 37°C. These alkylating agents were covalently bound by fibrinogen, and the association was not dependent upon the presence of factor XIII or plasminogen. Approximately 18 mol of either alkylating agent were bound per mol of fibrinogen. By amino acid analysis, no S-carboxymethylcysteine was detected; but the histidine derivatives, 3-carboxymethylhistidine and 1,3-dicarboxymethylhistidine, were identified as the only modified residues, and these were present at an approximate 2: 1 ratio. The alkylation reaction was not altered by systematic cleavage of fibrinogen by plasmin, and the alkylated residues in the D · E complex were again restricted to the 3-carboxymethylhistidine and 1,3-dicarboxymethylhistidine derivatives in an approximate 2: 1 ratio. Approximately 72% of the incorporated alkylating agent associated with the D region of fibrinogen and 28% with the E region. Alkylation of fibrinogen prolonged its thrombin time, and alkylated fibrinogen inhibited the coagulation of unmodified fibrinogen. This effect was associated with interference with the polymerization of fibrin monomers. The results indicate that the disulfide bonds of native fibrinogen are stable, and plasmin-mediated catabolism of fibrinogen does not induce disulfide interchange. Specific subsets of surface-oriented histidine residues located within the relatively plasmin-resistant D · E core of fibrinogen are highly susceptible to alkylation, and some of these specific histidine residues may play an important role in the intermolecular alignment and polymerization of fibrin monomers.
Safety and Efficacy Data for High-Dose Caspofungin

The mortality among patients with invasive candidiasis remains unacceptability high despite advances in medical and drug therapies. Since the introduction of the echinocandin class of antifungals, their uptake into clinical practice has continued to expand. In fact, the echinocandins are currently considered agents of choice for moderately to severely ill patients with candidemia or invasive candidiasis [1]. Several factors have contributed to the rapid ascension of the echinocandins to this status, including favorable clinical data and toxicity profile. However, despite their place in therapy, clinical rates of efficacy are generally reported to be in the mid-70% range. It has been suggested that the echinocandins exhibit concentration-dependent effects in vitro [2] and in vivo [3]. This knowledge and anecdotal clinical data have lead some clinicians to recommend using higher-than-approved doses of the echinocandins in an attempt to improve clinical outcomes. Opponents of this strategy cite evidence of an in vitro paradoxic effect on the activity of the echinocandins against Candida species at high concentrations [4] and a lack of safety data with these higher levels of exposure.
The frequency of double‐positive thymocytes expressing an αβ TCR clonotype regulates peripheral CD4 T cell compartment homeostasis

The present study aimed to determine whether the frequency of double positive (DP) thymocytes expressing alphabeta T-cell receptor (TCR) clonotypes at the time of selection regulates peripheral CD4 T-cell compartment size. Scid recipients were inoculated with various ratios of TCR Calpha(0/0) and wild-type bone marrow (BM) stem cells. Increasing the frequency of TCR Calpha(0/0) thymocytes at steady-state introduced a graded decrease in the maturation probability of the total DP thymocyte pool. At 12-14 weeks following BM inoculation, the frequency of TCR Calpha(0/0) DP thymocytes was inversely correlated with that of CD4 single positive (SP) thymocytes. Notwithstanding, a decreased frequency of wild-type DP thymocytes led to a marked increase in their transit efficiency from the DP to SP compartments. The frequency-dependent increase in thymocyte transit efficiency was associated with a CD4 SP cell surface phenotype indicative of increased antigenic experience. Importantly, the frequency of DP thymocytes capable of expressing TCR clonotypes dictated the steady-state size of the peripheral CD4 T cell compartment and its potential for homeostatic proliferation. Collectively, these results indicate that the efficiency of DP to CD4 SP transit is a frequency dependent process, which determines (1) the steady-state size of the peripheral T cell compartment and (2) the threshold for homeostatic expansion of peripheral CD4 T cells.
HELIUM ION ANISOTROPIES IN COROTATING INTERACTION REGIONS AT 1 AU

We investigated the first-order flow anisotropies in the solar wind frame of ~0.06-0.95 MeV nucleon–1 He ions during three corotating interaction region (CIR)-associated particle intensity enhancements observed at 1 AU by Wind, examining CIRs with (1) a reverse shock, (2) a well-formed compression region, and (3) a weak compression region. We identified anti-sunward flows in the compression region downstream of the CIR trailing edge in the events with a reverse shock and well-formed compression that transitioned to sunward flows across and upstream of this boundary. These observations suggest that the trailing edge is organizing the He ion flows and is a local source for the particles in these events, this source being inside 1 AU prior to the trailing edge arrival and beyond 1 AU after its passage. The event with the weak compression region had predominantly sunward flows throughout, indicating that the source of the He ions was beyond 1 AU. These observations provide compelling evidence that He ions at 1 AU can be accelerated to suprathermal energies at the CIR trailing edge in events where the compression region is well formed.
Conception des combustibles des réacteurs à eau légère : tendances et évolutions

Les outils predictifs jouent un role de plus en plus important dans le processus de developpement des assemblages de combustible. Ils permettront d'orienter davantage les choix de conception et d'optimiser les composants en minimisant le recours aux essais. Ils contribueront a renforcer la robustesse et les performances des assemblages dans un contexte d'exploitation plus exigeant.
Ultrastructural Evidence of Intrahepatic Cholestasis Before and After Chenodeoxycholic Acid Therapy in Patients with Cholelithiasis: The National Cooperative Gallstone Study†

Electron microscopy was performed to assess potential hepatotoxicity before and after 9 and 24 months of chenodeoxycholic acid (CDCA) therapy (375 or 750 mg, daily) in 103 patients with cholelithiasis. Prior to treatment, 64% of the biopsies demonstrated ultrastructural evidence of intrahepatic cholestasis, manifested by abnormal bile canaliculi, thickened pericanalicular ectoplasm, and retention of biliary material within liver cells or pericellular spaces. After 9 months of CDCA therapy, several changes (including increased free cytoplasmic "biliary pigment," decreased canalicular microvilli, and increased pericanalicular ectoplasm) consistent with intrahepatic cholestasis became more prevalent (63% prior to therapy, 89% at 9 months, p less than 0.01) regardless of CDCA dose. After 24 months of therapy, canalicular microvilli and pericanalicular ectoplasm continued to be abnormal (p less than 0.01). This study indicates that ultrastructural evidence of intrahepatic cholestasis is a common subclinical abnormality in patients with cholelithiasis which increases during CDCA therapy, changes which could represent either the natural history of cholelithiasis or CDCA toxicity. A drug effect is suggested by the lack of correlation of these abnormalities with the duration of cholelithiasis prior to CDCA treatment and their "increasing" prevalence after only 9 months of therapy. In addition, canalicular membrane lesions developed in two patients which were similar to lithocholate toxicity in animals. It is not known whether these abnormalities would result in clinically significant hepatoxicity if therapy is continued for longer than 24 months.
Linguistic competition and education spending in Spain 1992–2008

Abstract Linguistic competition occurs when two or more linguistic groups vie against each other for resources from the same state. What are the effects of this competition on education spending? In this paper, we examine two competing explanations. On the one hand, there is the claim that increasing levels of ethno-linguistic diversity can decrease education spending. On the other hand, there is also the argument that education spending is higher when there is electoral competition. Using a newly assembled dataset of education spending at the subnational level for Spain (1992–2008), we test these two arguments. We find (1) while ethno-linguistic diversity matters for spending, the effect is not in the expected direction and (2) electoral competition can affect education spending. We also find that the type of education curriculum (monolingual versus bilingual) can moderate the effects of ethno-linguistic diversity. These results shed light on the commonly held belief that diversity stunts education spending.
Avoiding Liability for Wrongful Termination: “Ready, Aim,…Fire!”

We describe how the employment-at-will doctrine in the USA has eroded over time, allowing for the rise of wrongful termination lawsuits. Furthermore, we offer a prescriptive model practitioners can use to navigate the increasingly complex process of conducting terminations in order to decrease exposure to legal liability.
Spasm behavior and the diffuse nerve-net in Cassiopea xamachana (Scyphozoa: Coelenterata)

A quick train of diffuse nerve-net (DNN) impulses is required to initiate a patterned flurry of strong contractions, the ‘spasm,’ of the striated muscles of the rhizostome scyphomedusan Cassiopea xamachana. A number of spasms are illustrated. Using this response as a tool, the connectivity of the DNN has been established. The occurrence and variability of the spasm is illustrated with an analysis of their occurrence in a typical, extended experiment. It is proposed that the spasm is an integral and essential component of the behavior of scyphomedusae, and that its control by the DNN exemplifies how complex behavior is generated.
Inpatient unit for combined physical and psychiatric disorders

Abstract The Behavior Evaluation and Treatment Unit of the Medical College of Wisconsin provides continuous care of patients with combined behavioral and physical problems. These patients differ from those seen in our consultation service by having higher rates of psychosis, approaching that of traditional psychiatric inpatient programs. The medical and surgical illnesses treated on this unit are not trival, are often found to aggravate the psychiatric problems, and are sometimes considered causative. The work-up and treatment of such patients can potentially be performed without major increases in length of stay. Inpatient programs for combined disorders hold the promise of enhancing quality and alternatives of care for a sizable group of patients.
A VEGF trap inhibits the beneficial effect of bFGF on vasoreactivity in corporal tissues of hypercholesterolemic rabbits.

ABSTRACT Introduction Hypercholesterolemia causes a decrease in normal corporal tissue vasoreactivity in a preclinical model of erectile dysfunction. Previous studies have shown that intracorporal injection (ICI) of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) reverses some of the detrimental vasoreactivity effects of hypercholesterolemia and increases vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression. Aim We sought to determine whether the beneficial effects of bFGF are VEGF-mediated. Methods A total of 32 New Zealand white rabbits were fed a 1% cholesterol diet for 6 weeks and randomly divided into four groups (N = 8/group). Group 1 received a 2.5 µg bFGF ICI and 2.5 × 10 11 viral particle unit (vpu) of adenovirus encoding β-galactosidase (Adβ-gal) ICI, 10 days later. Group 2 received a 2.5 µg bFGF ICI and 2.5 × 10 11 vpu of adenovirus encoding soluble VEGF receptor (VEGFR) (AdsVEGFR, a VEGF trap) ICI, 10 days later. Group 3 received phosphate buffered saline solution (PBS) ICI and 2.5 × 10 11 vpu Adβ-gal ICI, 10 days later. Group 4 received PBS ICI and 2.5 × 10 11 vpu AdsVEGFR ICI, 10 days later. Main Outcome Measures The corpus cavernosum was harvested for vasoreactivity studies 10 days post viral injection. The effective dose of 50% maximum relaxation was determined. VEGF levels were assessed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Total and phoshorylated Akt and endothelial nitric oxide were analyzed by Western blot. Results Endothelium-dependent vasoreactivity was significantly greater in Group 1 vs. all other groups. The VEGF trap eliminated the beneficial effects of bFGF on endothelium-dependent vasoreactivity and decreased Akt and nitric oxide phosphorylation. Conclusions These data demonstrate that VEGF activity contributes much of the therapeutic modulation of bFGF-mediated vasoreactivity in corporal tissue. Xie D, Findley CM, Greenfield JM, Pippen AM, Kontos CD, Donatucci CF, and Annex BH. A VEGF trap inhibits the beneficial effect of bFGF on vasoreactivity in corporal tissues of hypercholesterolemic rabbits. J Sex Med 2008;5:2069–2078.
Torsion-axial force characteristics of SR-PLLA screws

The torsion axial-force characteristics of biodegradable screws are central to their ability to generate interfragmentary compression when used as lag screws. The purpose of this investigation was to compare the torsion-axial force characteristics of prototype self-reinforced poly-L-lactide (SR-PLLA) screws with conventional titanium screws. Axial forces developed by incremental increases in the torque applied to the individual screws were measured in a test apparatus incorporating an Instron machine. For the SR-PLLA screws, the relationship between applied torque and axial force development was non-linear with a marked relaxation throughout the test range. The axial forces reached a maximum with increasing torque, after which failure of the screws occurred. The response curve for titanium screws of the same length demonstrated a steeper slope. No failures or force relaxation were observed with the titanium screws. The results of this investigation suggest that, at this time, the use of SR-PLLA screws for lag screw fixation should be restricted to low stress bearing areas.
Coherent Optical Computing

Optical computing has a great many applications in data processing, owing in part to the high speed and parallelism inherent in optical devices.
Maxwell-Wagner polarization and frequency-dependent injection at aqueous electrical interfaces.

We demonstrate a new type of alternating current (ac) interfacial polarization and frequency-dependent fluid displacement phenomenon at a liquid-liquid electrical interface. Two fluid streams---one with a greater electrical conductivity and the other a greater dielectric constant---are made to flow side by side in a microfluidic channel. An ac electric field is applied perpendicular to the interface formed between the liquid lamellae, and fluid is observed to displace across the liquid-liquid interface. The direction and magnitude of this displacement is frequency dependent. At low ac frequency, below the interfacial inverse charge relaxation time, the high-conductivity fluid displaces into the high-dielectric stream. At high frequency the direction of liquid displacement reverses, and the high-dielectric stream injects into the high-conductivity stream. The interfacial crossover frequency where the liquid displacement direction reverses is dependent on differences in electrical properties between the two fluid streams, and is well explained by Maxwell-Wagner polarization mechanics.
Comparison of arsenic content in pelletized poultry house waste and biosolids fertilizer

Managers of human biosolids have been incorporating the practice of waste pelletization for use as fertilizer since the mid 1920s, and waste pelletization has recently been embraced by some poultry producers as a way to move nutrients away from saturated agricultural land. However, the presence of arsenic in pelletized poultry house waste (PPHW) resulting from the use of organoarsenical antimicrobial drugs in poultry production raises concerns regarding additional incremental population exposures. Arsenic concentrations were determined in PPHW and pelletized biosolids fertilizer (PBF) samples. Pellets were processed using strong acid microwave digestion and analyzed by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectroscopy. The mean arsenic concentration in PPHW (20.1 ppm) fell within the lower part of the range of previously report arsenic concentrations in unpelletized poultry house waste. Arsenic concentrations in PBF, the source of which is less clear than for PPHW, were approximately a factor of 5 times lower than those in PPHW, with a mean concentration of 4.1 ppm. The pelletization and sale of these biological waste fertilizers present new pathways of exposure to arsenic in consumer populations who would otherwise not come into contact with these wastes. Arsenic exposures in humans resulting from use of these fertilizer pellets should be quantified to avoid potential unintended negative consequences of managing wastes through pelletization.
Circulation and Collection Patterns at the Ohio State University Libraries, 1973-1977.

Abstract The author provides a status report on a study analyzing the growth and recorded circulation of a research library's (Ohio State University) monographic collection for a five-year period, 1973–1977. Achievement in the creation of new management information reports and their uses in managing the OSU collections are cited. Anticipated results from the analysis of the correlation of various circulation and collection factors are noted. The data base created will be available for future study and analysis.
Patch-based image vectorization with automatic curvilinear feature alignment

Raster image vectorization is increasingly important since vector-based graphical contents have been adopted in personal computers and on the Internet. In this paper, we introduce an effective vector-based representation and its associated vectorization algorithm for full-color raster images. There are two important characteristics of our representation. First, the image plane is decomposed into nonoverlapping parametric triangular patches with curved boundaries. Such a simplicial layout supports a flexible topology and facilitates adaptive patch distribution. Second, a subset of the curved patch boundaries are dedicated to faithfully representing curvilinear features. They are automatically aligned with the features. Because of this, patches are expected to have moderate internal variations that can be well approximated using smooth functions. We have developed effective techniques for patch boundary optimization and patch color fitting to accurately and compactly approximate raster images with both smooth variations and curvilinear features. A real-time GPU-accelerated parallel algorithm based on recursive patch subdivision has also been developed for rasterizing a vectorized image. Experiments and comparisons indicate our image vectorization algorithm achieves a more accurate and compact vector-based representation than existing ones do.
Complex radio frequency (RF) communications with virtual pulses

A novel complex pulse forming technique has been developed using ultra wideband (UWB) frequency concepts where multiple carriers are modulated by the pulse width of the primary signal source. Specialized modulation of the pulse train provides an effective communication medium with inherent advantages of an UWB system. The multiple frequency nature of the non-traditional ''pulse'' formation provides a means of implementing UWB without the necessity of complex pulse formation of the classical UWB. The particular example of the research implemented in this paper allows explicit user choice of the specific UWB frequencies, e.g., ISM frequencies, to avoid current restrictions of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The reported method also contains an implicit property to support secure information transmission to receivers at known distances. The objective of this technique is an easy to form communication pulse having UWB low energy advantages along with the freedom of implementation without license requirements from regulating authorities, while adhering to the set limits of intentional radiators. The method chosen in this case was based on having the sum of energies from multiple frequencies remain within the restricted radiation limits at the correlated receiver. Included in the implementation technique is the inclusion of the signal fading effect as part of the modulation technique. The relevance of this pulse forming technique is in the simplicity of spreading the transmitted power among multiple frequencies without the issue of decay factor in the current methods. The result presented gives two sets of relative amplitudes of the transmitted frequencies identifying the transmitted character, e.g., 0 or 1. A form of amplitude encryption, due to the RF signal fading effect was also presented as advantage in the technique.
Changes in Suicide Mortality for Veterans and Nonveterans by Gender and History of VHA Service Use, 2000–2010

Objective:Veterans are believed to be at high risk of suicide. However, research comparing suicide rates between veterans and nonveterans is limited, and even less is known regarding differences by...
Imaging deep reflectors in the presence of signal-generated noise

Summary. In contrast to the continuous character of reflectors seen in seismic data from the sedimentary column, a pervasive feature of deep crustal reflections is their laterally discontinuous nature. Deep reflections often appear on the seismic section as groups of flat-lying or dipping segments. The length of the individual segments may vary by an order of magnitude. Moreover, the segments are often shorter than the Fresnel zone for a specular reflection. The apppearance of deep flat-lying reflectors of this type has motivated geologic hypotheses of a layered and heterogeneous lower crust. Dipping bands of discontinuous reflectors are interpreted variously as decollement surfaces, sutures, or faults penetrating to midcrustal or deeper levels. A significant geophysical concern is whether truly discontinuous reflectors in the deep crust can be distinguished from an inaccurate or incoherent image. Incoherence can result from the presence of signal-generated noise created at the earth's surface or along the transmission path. Given the types of signal-generated noise likely to be present in deep crustal data, we wish to know how well we can resolve both laterally continuous and discontinuous reflectors using standard reflection data acquisition and processing. To test the effects of such noise on the CMP stack we have conducted finite-difference synthetic seismogram experiments for two similar layered models each having two specular reflectors. One model contained an irregular surface layer, the other contained a zone of random velocity fluctuations between the two reflectors. We processed the data normally, from shot gather to CMP stack and migrated section. The two numerical experiments produced CMP sections with substantially different character. Processing the surface model data produced a clear image of the two deep reflectors as the CMP stack suppressed noise generated in the irregular surface layer. The surface generated noise limited the vertical resolution as it degraded the action of predictive deconvolution applied before stack. Signal-generated noise in the second model did not affect the deconvolution process because the scatterers were located below the zone of surface layer reverberations. The laterally inhomogeneous zone degraded the image of the deepest reflector. The signal-generated noise in the second model may be viewed as signal reflected from the random zone. The dip-filtering action of the CMP stack resulted in reflection events from the random zone having greater horizontal continuity than is present in the velocity model, causing further smearing by a standard time-migration technique.
Ethnic Quotas and Political Mobilization: Caste, Parties, and Distribution in Indian Village Councils

Ethnic quotas are often expected to induce distribution of material benefits to members of disadvantaged groups. Yet, the presence of an ethnic quota does not imply that political mobilization takes place along ethnic lines: Cross-cutting affiliations within multi-ethnic party organizations may lessen the tendency of politicians to target benefits to particular ethnic groups. In this article, we evaluate the impact of quotas for the presidencies of village councils in India, a subject of considerable recent research. Drawing on fine-grained information from surveys of voters, council members, presidents, and bureaucrats and using a natural experiment to isolate the effects of quotas in the states of Karnataka, Rajasthan, and Bihar, we find weak distributive effects of quotas for marginalized castes and tribes, but suggestive evidence of the importance of partisanship. We then use survey experiments to compare the influence of party and caste on voting preferences and expectations of benefit receipt. Our results suggest that especially when politicians have dynamic political incentives to allocate benefits along party lines, cross-cutting partisan ties can blunt the distributive impact of ethnic quotas.
An ecological correlate of critical flicker-fusion frequencies for someAnolis lizards

Abstract The maximum critical flicker-fusion frequency (CFF) was determined for seven species of anoline lizards. The congeners showed a wide range of CFF values from 26 to 42. These values correlated with the general level of insolation in each species' microhabitat such that the brighter the habitat, the higher the CFF.
Scaling adult dose and schedule of anticancer agents to children.

Objective of this work was to extend pharmacokinetic scaling theory of the writer for bolus dosing to include the case of constant-rate i.v. dosing over fixed interval so as to allow projection of adult dose and schedule of typically administered anticancer agents to children. The basis for the scaling is the requirement of time-scaled likeness of the plasma concentrations of an agent for adult and child. Algebraic expressions are established for describing the time history of the concentrations, and formulas for dose and dosing interval are determined so as to ensure the requirement on concentrations. Scaling results for simple drug behavior are illustrated using clinical data for the anticancer agent carboplatin. Basic aspects of the theory are confirmed for dose and dosing interval of adult and 4-year-old child. The theory is also shown to describe tolerable doses for children when scaled from adult dosing requirements and to have application in determining dosing conditions for children requiring individualized dosing because of renal impairment. Scaling with more complex drug behavior is illustrated using preclinical and clinical data for the anticancer agent docetaxel. Adult-to-child scaling is demonstrated and shown to be consistent with previously reported clinical data. Additional consideration is given to the anticancer agents etoposide and melphalan, as widely used in pediatric chemotherapy, and also to the modern practice of combination chemotherapy. Basic theory for scaling adult dose and schedule of anticancer agents to children is presented and demonstrated to be plausible in providing insight into existing and proposed pediatric treatment protocols.
Trying to Save a Health Care System: Colombian Residents Go on Strike

We had just finished rounds at the Hospital Universitario del Valle in Cali, Colombia. To my surprise, the resident turned to me and said, “I have to go now—the strike is beginning.”
Association of serum endoglin with metastasis in patients with colorectal, breast, and other solid tumors, and suppressive effect of chemotherapy on the serum endoglin.

In this report, we present data indicating that the increased serum endoglin (EDG; CD105) quantitated by a double-antibody sandwich assay is associated with metastasis in patients with solid tumors including colorectal and breast carcinomas. In addition, we show that chemotherapy exerts a suppressive effect on the serum EDG. EDG is a proliferation-associated cell membrane antigen of human vascular endothelial cells. Furthermore, EDG is essential for angiogenesis. We generated two anti-EDG monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), termed SN6a and SN6h, defining different epitopes of EDG and developed a double-antibody sandwich assay to quantitate serum EDG in patients with solid tumors. SN6h possesses an exceedingly high antigen-binding avidity ( K , 1.38 × 10 11 liters/mol), whereas SN6a possesses an ordinary avidity for a mAb directed to a cell surface antigen ( K , 2.85 × 10 8 liters/mol). We measured serum samples from 101 patients with solid tumors (34 colorectal cancers, 16 breast cancers, and 51 other cancers), 8 patients with benign diseases, and 31 healthy volunteers. The serum level of EDG was significantly elevated in the patients with metastatic cancers. The mean serum EDG in the 42 metastasis-negative patients was 34.0 ± 26.8 ng/ml (median value, 27.9 ng/ml), whereas the value in the 59 metastasis-positive patients was 63.8 ± 72.5 ng/ml (median value, 37.2 ng/ml). The difference in EDG levels between the two groups was statistically significant ( P = 0.012). Of the colorectal cancer patients, the difference in EDG levels between the 19 metastasis-negative patients and the 15 metastasis-positive patients was statistically significant ( P = 0.02). In addition, the difference between the normal control ( n = 31) and the 15 metastasis-positive colorectal cancer patients was statistically significant ( P = 0.04). Of the breast cancer patients, the difference in EDG levels between the 11 metastasis-positive patients and the normal control was statistically significant ( P P