cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Uniformity of calcium channel number and isometric contraction in human right and left ventricular myocardium

We compared contractile performance in trabeculae carneae (n=25) from non-failing right and left ventricles (n=25) of brain dead organ donors without known cardiovascular disease and measured connective tissue content in trabeculae carneae from both non-failing and failing human hearts. Peak twitch force and time-course of contraction were not different between muscles taken from right or left ventricles. Peak twitch force was 13.9±3 vs. 13.7±2.7 mN/mm2 for right and left ventricular trabeculae carneae, respectively in 2.5 mM [Ca2+]0 at a 0.33 Hz stimulation frequency. Time to peak tension (405±21 vs. 405±12 ms), time to 50% relaxation from peak contractile response (277±21 vs. 278±14.6 ms) and time to 80% relaxation (428±29 vs. 433±22) were not different between right and left ventricular trabeculae carneae. Calcium channel number determined by [3H]PN200-100 dihydropyridine-radioligand binding assay was also not different (56.2±6.5 fmol/mg protein vs. 58.6±8.4 fmol/mg protein for right and left heart preparations, respectively). However, in myocardium obtained from ischemic hearts the left ventricle showed a reduced number of calcium channels compared to the right ventricle (55.3±3.8 vs. 36.6±3.9 fmol/mg protein for right and left ventricle, respectively p=0.027). No differences were noted in the number of DHP receptor binding sites between right and left ventricular myocardium from patients with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (51.4±7.6 fmol/mg protein vs. 61.8±6.5 fmol/mg protein respectively). Our data indicate that calcium channel number is similar for non-failing left and right human ventricle. Contractile response to changes in [Ca2+]0 and frequency were similar for trabeculae carneae from the left and right ventricles of non-failing human hearts. Studies involving calcium channel activation or inhibition in ischemic human myocardium, where there may be differences in calcium channel number and/or function are warranted. Whether changes in calcium channel number have biological consequences on contractile function remains to be determined. Importantly, careful studies of calcium channel function underin vivo conditions are warranted.
Transcranial magnetic stimulation in neurology: what we have learned from randomized controlled studies.

Background. Initially developed to excite peripheral nerves, magnetic stimulation was quickly recognized as a valuable tool to noninvasively activate the cerebral cortex. The subsequent discovery that repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) could have long-lasting effects on cortical excitability spawned a broad interest in the use of this technique as a new therapeutic method in a variety of neuropsychiatric disorders. Although the current outcomes from initial trials include some conflicting results, initial evidence supports that rTMS might have a therapeutic value in different neurologic conditions. Methods. We reviewed the results of clinical trials of rTMS on four different disorders: stroke, Parkinson's disease, chronic refractory pain, and epilepsy. We reviewed randomized, controlled studies only in order to obtain the strongest evidence for the clinical effects of rTMS. Results. An extensive literature review revealed 32 articles that met our criteria. From these studies, we found evidence for the therapeutic efficacy of rTMS, particularly in the relief of chronic pain and motor neurorehabilitation in single hemisphere stroke patients. Repetitive TMS also seems to have a therapeutic effect on motor function in Parkinson's disease, but the evidence is somewhat confounded by the uncontrolled variability of multiple factors. Lastly, only two randomized, sham-controlled studies have been performed for epilepsy; although evidence indicates rTMS may reduce seizure frequency in patients with neocortical foci, more research is needed to confirm these initial findings. Conclusions. There is mounting evidence for the efficacy of rTMS in the short-term treatment of certain neurologic conditions. More long-term research is needed in order to properly evaluate the effects of this method in a clinical setting.
Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT)

SPECT (Single photon emission computed tomography) is a diagnostic imaging modality that produces tomographic slices of internally distributed radiopharmaceuticals. It is routinely used in the diagnosis of coronary artery disease and in tumor detection. Projection views of the radiopharmaceutical distribution are collected by one or more scintillation cameras mounted on a gantry designed to rotate about a patient lying horizontally on a pallet. The projection information is mathematically reconstructed to obtain the tomographic slices. Most clinical SPECT studies are qualitative with simplistic corrections for attenuation and scattered radiation. Quantitative SPECT requires corrections for attenuation, scatter and spatial resolution, although these have not been routinely implemented in the past because of their computational load. SPECT instrumentation has evolved to include coincidence imaging of positron emitting radiopharmaceuticals, specifically 18F Fluorodeoxyglucose. SPECT imaging is expected to play a continuing important role in medical imaging. Future improvements in SPECT instrumentation are likely to include new detectors and collimation schemes. The primary motivating factor in SPECT imaging will continue to be the creation and implementation of new radiopharmaceuticals. SPECT use in tumor imaging will probably experience the largest growth. Applications will include treatment planning for internal radiation therapy as well as diagnostic studies. Keywords: radiotracers; single photon emission computed tomography(SPECT); gamma rays; scintillation camera; image reconstruction; performance; hybrid systems; tumor imaging; coronary disease; coincidence; imaging
Night sky spectral emission measurements (λ0.9–2.3 μm) using a field-widened interferometer–spectrometer

Measurements of atmospheric near-IR emissions using a field-of-view compensated interferometer are summarized, and an airglow atlas covering the λ0.9-2.3-μm spectral range is given.
Diagrams and Relational Maps: The Use of Graphic Elicitation Techniques with Interviewing for Data Collection, Analysis, and Display

Graphic elicitation techniques, which ask research participants to provide visual data representing personal understandings of concepts, experiences, beliefs, or behaviors, can be especially useful in helping participants to express complex or abstract ideas or opinions. The benefits and drawbacks of using graphic elicitation techniques for data collection, data analysis, and data display in qualitative research studies are analyzed using examples from a research study that employed data matrices and relational maps in conjunction with semi-structured interviews. Results from this analysis demonstrate that the use of these combined techniques for data collection facilitates triangulation and helps to establish internal consistency of data, thereby increasing the trustworthiness of the interpretation of that data and lending support to validity and reliability claims. Findings support the notion that graphic elicitation techniques can be highly useful in qualitative research studies at the data collection, the data analysis, and the data reporting stages. For example, this study found that graphic elicitation techniques are especially useful for eliciting data related to emotions and emotional experiences.
The Medicare Reforms of 1997: Headlines You Didn’t Read

The 1997 Medicare reforms were among the most important social and health policy legislation of the past three decades. The legislation was notable in reestablishing a viable health policy process; in disproving predictions that government-run insurance would restrict consumer freedoms more than employer-based health insurance; and in ratifying market-oriented approaches as a national health paradigm. Most important, the legislation achieved a historic philosophical compromise between advocates of government health insurance and advocates of private health insurance. The political agreements came at the expense of greater regulatory capture of the Medicare program by health provider and health plan interests and at the expense of deficient consumer protections.
Role of growth factors in catecholaminergic expression by neural crest cells: In vitro effects of transforming growth factor beta1

The differentiation of neural crest cells into catecholaminergic neurons is dependent upon both intrinsic properties and signals from the embryonic microenvironment. In tissue culture, the development of catecholaminergic traits is dependent upon factors present in chick embryo extract (CEE). This dependency suggests that soluble growth factors affect catecholaminergic differentiation in vivo. We have studied the role of CEE-derived factors and the potentially related influence of characterized growth factors on catecholaminergic phenotypic expression in avian neural crest cells. In this report, we show that CEE-derived factors and transforming growth factor beta1 (TGF-beta 1) differentially influence catecholaminergic phenotypic expression as well as melanogenesis. TGF-beta 1 substituted for CEE-derived factors and supported the in vitro differentiation of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and dopamine-beta-hydroxylase (DBH) immunoreactivities, as well as catecholamine biosynthesis and storage. Differentiation of catecholaminergic cells was dependent on factors present in 10% CEE during the first 1-4 days in culture suggesting an initial critical period for exposure. One day of initial exposure to either CEE-derived factors or TGF-beta 1 was sufficient to support the subsequent expression of catecholaminergic phenotypic characteristics. The time course of responsiveness to TGF-beta 1 was different than for CEE-derived factors. Neural crest cells remain responsive to TGF-beta 1 for at least 5 days, which is past the critical period for CEE-derived factors. Bioassay of CEE shows that endogenous levels of TGF-beta are less than or equal to 0.5 ng/ml. Immunoprecipitation of TGF-beta from CEE or blockade by neutralizing antibodies did not result in a loss of catecholaminergic differentiation by neural crest cells. Although CEE supports melanogenesis under all of the growth conditions tested, TGF-beta 1 was found to be inhibitory.
Architecture and Power in the Ancient Andes: The Archaeology of Public Buildings

1. The contemplation of ruins 2. A sample of ancient Andean architecture: a critical description 3. The architecture of monuments 4. The architecture of ritual 5. The architecture of social control 6. Summary and implications.
Light Transmission Characteristics of Thermochromic Liquid Crystals

This paper presents the results of a study to develop a novel thermochromic liquid crystal (TLC) temperature measurement system that uses light transmission instead of light reflection. We used Imagetherm 25C10W sprayable TLCs. The TLCs were painted on a clear surface and placed in a spectrometer. The amount of light transmitted at monochromatic wavelengths from 400 to 700 nm was measured for temperatures from 25–55 C under conditions of non-polarized, linearly polarized and cross polarized light. The transmission spectra exhibit a distinct “s-like” shape when the TLCs are in their active range. We detect significant changes in the transmission spectra for temperatures from 27 to 48 C (whereas in reflection the TLCs are useful over a significantly smaller range). We have analyzed the spectrometer data in a number of ways including (a) total amount of light transmitted (b) amount of red, green and blue light transmitted, and (c) spectral curve characteristics (peak transmission, inflection wavelength and wavelength for peak transmission) all as a function of temperature. There is a linear relationship between temperature and all of these variables which we believe can be exploited in the development of a CCD camera based light transmission system. We also investigated the effects of temperature overheat on the transmission spectra. Overheating the TLCs increases the amount of light transmission.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
Uncoupling of S-phase and mitosis by recombinant cytotoxic necrotizing factor 2 (CNF2).

Abstract Cytotoxic necrotizing factor 2 (CNF2) is an exotoxin identified from virulent clinical isolates of Escherichia coli. It has been characterized in adherent cell lines as an inducer of cellular death, hyperploidy (multinucleation), and cytoskeletal reorganization. The molecular mechanism of these actions is unclear. Two cellular mechanisms can be hypothesized to explain the DNA content increase (hyperploidy) induced by the toxin. The first is that the toxin interferes with cytoplasmic division without interfering with normal nuclear cycling, such that DNA is replicated in the absence of cell division. The second is that the toxin drives the nuclear machinery to replicate the DNA multiple times within one cell cycle, without interfering with cytoplasmic division. In order to investigate these phenomena, we have constructed a recombinant CNF2 gene that expresses a toxin with both an epitope tag and a polyhistidine tag. Extracts made from E. coli that express this gene have a high multinucleating activity that colocalizes with the recombinant 115-kDa protein. To distinguish between these hypotheses, we used recombinant CNF2 and several growth conditions (time, partial differentiation, and stage of growth) to establish a relationship between cellular divisions and generation of hyperploidy. It was also determined that the toxin had no effect upon in vitro DNA replication using a Xenopus egg extract system. In aggregate, these data are consistent with the hypothesis that CNF2 is affecting cytoplasmic division and thereby removing the requirement for a completed mitosis before the initiation of another S-phase. These data are discussed in relation to the generation of polyploid cells during megakaryopoeisis and the generation of aneuploid cells during tumorigenesis.
SHAPE OF THE ISLAND OF SUPERHEAVY NUCLEI.

On the basis of the Strutinsky shell-correction method applied to realistic diffuse-surface potentials we have calculated the shape of the island of superheavy nuclei. With respect to spontaneous fission, the island is a mountain ridge extending from 114 protons to about 124 protons. The descent from the mountain down to the sea of instability is rather gentle for decreasing neutron numbers below 184, but is more rapid on the other three sides.
Chemical kinetic modeling of hydrocarbon combustion

Abstract Chemical kinetic modeling of high temperature hydrocarbon oxidation in combustion is reviewed. First, reaction mechanisms for specific fuels are discussed, with emphasis on the hierarchical structure of reaction mechanisms for complex fuels. The concept of a comprehensive mechanism is developed, requiring model validation by comparison with data from a wide range of experimental regimes. Fuels of increasing complexity from hydrogen to n -butane are described in detail, and further extensions of the general approach to other fuels are discussed. Kinetic modification to fuel oxidation kinetics is considered, including both inhibition and promotion of combustion. Simplified kinetic models are then described by comparing their features with those of detailed kinetic models. Finally, application of kinetic models to study real combustions systems are presented, beginning with purely kinetic-thermodynamic applications, in which transport effects such as diffusion of heat and mass can be neglected, such as shock tubes, detonations, plug flow reactors, and stirred reactors. Laminar flames and the coupling between diffusive transport and chemical kinetics are then described, together with applications of laminar flame models to practical combustion problems.
Electrolytic Tank Solution of Electric Field Associated with Two Circular Disks on the Surface of an Isotropic Homogeneous Medium

The electric field associated with two disks on the surface of a semi-infinite isotropic homogeneous medium is found on a plane perpendicular to the disks and passing through their centers. To an accuracy which is primarily determined by the finite dimensions of the electrolytic tank, the solution is presented as families of curves. In this presentation, the magnitude of the electric field (normalized in terms of the distance of the field point from the surface, conductivity of the medium, and applied power) and the angular orientation of the field vector are plotted as functions of the ratios of the linear dimensions which characterize the geometry of the system to the distance of the field point from the surface.
Endoscopic foreign body removal for treatment of chronic abdominal pain in patients after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass

Abstract Background Common endoscopic findings in patients who have undergone Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) with chronic abdominal pain have included marginal ulceration, gastrogastric fistula, and jejunal erosion. However, suture or staples eroding into the gastric pouch can also contribute to abdominal pain. Redundant suture is typically regarded as a normal part of the postoperative anatomy. The objectives of the present study were to assess the effects of endoscopic foreign body removal of partially exposed sutures and staples in post-RYGB patients with chronic abdominal pain at a university hospital in the United States. Methods We performed a retrospective study of consecutive patients from January 2006 to July 2007. Post-RYGB patients with chronic abdominal pain underwent endoscopic foreign body removal of exposed sutures/staples. Pain scores were obtained before the procedure, immediately after the procedure, and at the telephone follow-up (median 7.2 months). Results Of 21 patients, 15 (71%) reported immediate symptomatic improvement. Specific endoscopic accessories were found to be more useful than others in managing the various foreign materials. Of the 21 patients, 15 (71%) were available for telephone follow-up. Of these 15 patients, 13 (87%) reported continued symptomatic improvement, with 9 (60%) reporting complete pain resolution and 4 (27%) reporting partial improvement. Eroded foreign material was seen in association with marginal ulcers in 3 patients (14%), gastritis in 7 patients (33%), and an inflammatory polyp in 1 patient (5%). Conclusions Eroded suture and staples can cause chronic abdominal pain in post-RYGB patients. In symptomatic patients, visible suture or staples should be considered a potential etiology of chronic pain, instead of normal postoperative findings. Endoscopic foreign body removal might be of therapeutic benefit in these patients.
Unexpected weak-coupling behaviour in 17O(6Li, d)21Ne

Abstract Angular distribution shapes and cross-section magnitudes measured in the 17 O( 6 Li, d) 21 Ne reaction suggest that the low-lying levels of 21 Ne are strikingly similar to those obtained by weakly coupling a 1d 5 2 neutron to low-lying levels of 20 Ne.
Transverse Joint Analysis for Mechanistic-Empirical Design of Rigid Pavements

With the further adoption of mechanistic-empirical design methods in the pavement industry, the calculation of critical responses and cumulative damage for a variety of parameters will be imperative. Traditionally, the critical tensile stress developed by loads at the midslab edge has been used as a mechanistic parameter to determine the required thickness in jointed concrete pavements. However, the inclusion of both temperature and shrinkage gradients in concrete pavement analysis can drastically alter the critical stress location and subsequent distress type that predicts pavement performance. Longitudinal and corner cracking have been found in California to be distresses as significant as transverse cracking. Most of the longitudinal and corner cracking can be explained by excessive differential drying shrinkage. Using finite-element analysis, this study compared the critical tensile stress near the transverse joint with the critical tensile stress at the midslab edge (relative reference stress) for California-type jointed plain concrete pavements. The analysis of the data showed that transverse joint loads were more significant in critical stress calculations for a considerable number of input parameters. These loads at the transverse joint can manifest themselves as top-down or bottom-up longitudinal, transverse, or corner fatigue cracks unlike the bottom-up transverse cracks traditionally predicted by midslab edge loads. The likelihood of critical slab stresses near the transverse joint was considerably increased with the use of negative temperature gradients and extended lane widths.
Drug-eluting stenting of unprotected left main coronary artery stenosis in patients with orthotopic heart transplantation: Initial clinical experience.

Objectives: To assess the safety and efficacy of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with drug-eluting stents (DES) in orthotopic heart transplantation (OHT) patients with unprotected left main coronary artery (ULMCA) disease. Background: Accelerated transplant coronary artery disease occurs in 50% of patients at 5 years and is the major cause of death following OHT. The optimal treatment for ULMCA disease in OHT patients is unknown. Methods: From April 2003 to December 2006, five OHT patients with ULMCA disease underwent PCI with DES at the University of California, Los Angeles, Medical Center. Results: Technical success was achieved in all five patients. At a median follow-up of 518 days (range 124–990 days), all five patients were alive and free from death, myocardial infarction, and target vessel revascularization. No binary restenosis was present in four patients who underwent surveillance angiography. One patient underwent repeat OHT for progressive left ventricular dysfunction. Conclusions: In OHT patients, ULMCA PCI with DES is feasible with an excellent technical success rate and is a reasonably palliative treatment option for this difficult patient population. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
A neural network model for schemas based on pattern completion.

Abstract Recent developments in neuroscience have provided us with a wealth of the basic knowledge and tools which are required for neurobiological understanding of the psychological concepts. This advantage enables contemporary scientists to suggest and test brain models for psychological concepts, theories, and methods. Considering the current dominance of biological ideas in psychiatry and psychology, such models are essential in confirmation of the psychological theories of mind. In this article a brain model for schemas as essential to cognitive theory is proposed. Schemas are seen as patterns which are recognized and memorized through the training phase of an autoassociative neural network. Then, these patterns are used to complete ambiguous aspects of future experiences through thalamo and hippocampal-cortical pathways. In relation to the self or the outside world when a pattern with unknown, noisy, or vague aspects is encountered, those aspects are completed by the principal components of previous...
Patterns in woody species diversity, richness and partitioning of diversity in forest communities of tropical deciduous forest biome

The regressive succession model hypothesizes tropical savanna-woodlands to be a degraded stage of primary deciduous forests. Species diversity, richness and evenness of woody species in savanna-woodlands, secondary deciduous forests and mature deciduous forests of central India were compared to test if the regressive succession explained pattern in species richness, diversity, functional diversity and basal area. At the plot scale (0.1 ha) secondary deciduous forests and savanna-woodlands had similar species diversity, a pattern not consistent with the regressive model of deciduous forest succession, and mature deciduous forests had greater species diversity and richness (p<0.05). When examined at a larger scale or community scale by pooling all plots within a community type, the trend in diversity persisted even with greater effort allocated to sampling of secondary deciduous forests. Species richness at the community scale was greatest in secondary deciduous forest as expected from species area relationship. The communities shared 28 woody species but the species composition was significantly different between the communities. I suggest that conservation of tropical deciduous forests based on regressive succession model is problematic.
Dynamic query evaluation plans

In most database systems, a query embedded in a program written in a conventional programming language is optimized when the program is compiled. The query optimizer must make assumptions about the values of the program variables that appear as constants in the query, the resources that can be committed to query evaluation, and the data in the database. The optimality of the resulting query evaluation plan depends on the validity of these assumptions. If a query evaluation plan is used repeatedly over an extended period of time, it is important to determine when reoptimization is necessary. Our work aims at developing criteria when reoptimization is required, how these criteria can be implemented efficiently, and how reoptimization can be avoided by using a new technique called dynamic query evaluation plans. We experimentally demonstrate the need for dynamic plans and outline modifications to the EXODUS optimizer generator required for creating dynamic query evaluation plans.
Structure of thin diamond films: A 1H and 13C nuclear-magnetic-resonance study.

The $^{1}\mathrm{H}$ and $^{13}\mathrm{C}$ nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) of thin diamond films deposited from naturally abundant (1.1 at. %) as well as 50% and 100% $^{13}\mathrm{enriched}$ ${\mathrm{CH}}_{4}$ heavily diluted in ${\mathrm{H}}_{2}$ is described and discussed. Less than 0.6 at. % of hydrogen is found in the films which contain crystallites up to \ensuremath{\sim}15 \ensuremath{\mu}m across. The $^{1}\mathrm{H}$ NMR consists of a broad 50--65-kHz-wide Gaussian line attributed to H atoms bonded to carbon and covering the crystallite surfaces. A narrow Lorentzian line was only occasionally observed and is found not to be intrinsic to the diamond structure. The $^{13}\mathrm{C}$ NMR demonstrates that g99.5% of the C atoms reside in a quaternary diamondlike configuration. $^{1}\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}^{13}$C cross-polarization measurement indicates that, at the very least, the majority of $^{13}\mathrm{C}$ nuclei cross polarized by $^{1}\mathrm{H}$, i.e., within three bond distances from a $^{1}\mathrm{H}$ at a crystallite surface, reside in ${\mathit{sp}}^{3}$ diamondlike coordinated sites. The $^{13}\mathrm{C}$ relaxation rates of the films are four orders of magnitude faster than that of natural diamond and believed to be due to $^{13}\mathrm{C}$ spin diffusion to paramagnetic centers, presumably carbon dangling bonds. Analysis of the measured relaxation rates indicates that within the $^{13}\mathrm{C}$ spin-diffusion length of \ensuremath{\surd}${\mathit{DT}}_{1}^{\mathit{c}}$ \ensuremath{\sim}0.05 \ensuremath{\mu}m, these centers are uniformly distributed in the diamond crystallites. The possibility that the dangling bonds are located at internal nanovoid surfaces is discussed.
Learning Distributed Representations of Conceptual Knowledge and their Application to Script-based Story Processing

We propose a new method for developing distributed connectionist representations in order to serve as an adequate foundation for constructing and manipulating conceptual knowledge. In our approach, distributed representations of semantic relations (i.e. propositions) are formed by recirculating the hidden layer in two auto-associative recurrent PDP (parallel distributed processing) networks, and our experiments show that the resulting distributed semantic representations (DSRs) have many desirable properties such as automaticity, portability, structure-encoding ability and similarity-based distributed representations. We have constructed a symbolic/connectionist hybrid script-based story processing system dynasty (DYNAmic STory understanding sYstem) which incorporates DSR learning and 6 script related processing modules. Each module communicates through a global dictionary, where DSRs are stored, dynasty is able to (1) learn similarity-based distributed representations of concepts and events in everyday scriptal experiences, (2) perform script-based causal chain completion inferences according to the acquired sequential knowledge, and (3) perform script role association and retrieval during script application.
Initial evaluation of new 99mTc(CO)3 renal imaging agents having carboxyl-rich thioether ligands and chemical characterization of Re(CO)3 analogues

Abstract Introduction The first human studies of a characterized radiopharmaceutical containing a { 99m Tc(CO) 3 } + core, Na[ 99m Tc(CO) 3 (LAN)], demonstrated that Na[ 99m Tc(CO) 3 (LAN)] was an excellent renal imaging agent; however, its clearance was less than that of 131 I-orthoiodohippurate ( 131 I-OIH), and it did not provide a direct measure of effective renal plasma flow. In order to develop a 99m Tc renal agent with pharmacokinetic properties equivalent to those of 131 I-OIH, we investigated the 99m Tc(CO) 3 /Re(CO) 3 complexes formed from carboxymethylmercaptosuccinic acid (CMSAH 3 ) and thiodisuccinic acid (TDSAH 4 ). Once the ligand is bound to 99m Tc(CO) 3 through a thioether and two carboxyl groups, the complexes have at least one unbound carboxyl group, essential for the interaction with the renal tubular transporter. Methods X-ray crystal structural analysis of [NMe 4 ][Re(CO) 3 (CMSAH)] was performed to interpret the nature of 99m Tc tracers. CMSAH 3 and TDSAH 4 were radiolabeled by incubating each ligand and the precursor [ 99m Tc(CO) 3 (H 2 O) 3 ] + at 70°C (pH 7) for 30 min. The products were purified by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography, and biodistribution studies were performed in Sprague–Dawley rats, with 131 I-OIH as an internal control at 10 and 60 min. Results Radiolabeling CMSAH 3 and TDSAH 4 with the [ 99m Tc(CO) 3 (H 2 O) 3 ] + precursor gave products quantitatively. Analysis of the Re(CO) 3 complexes with the CMSAH 3 and TDSAH 4 ligands demonstrates that ligands are bound in 99m Tc/Re(CO) 3 complexes through a thioether and two deprotonated carboxyl groups (forming tridentate dianionic moieties, generally with two 5-membered chelate rings). Renal excretion at 60 min (activity in the urine as a percentage of 131 I-OIH) was 68±1% for Na 3 [ 99m Tc(CO) 3 (TDSA)] but was 98±1% for Na 2 [ 99m Tc(CO) 3 (CMSA)]. Conclusion In rats, Na 2 [ 99m Tc(CO) 3 (CMSA)] is extracted by the kidneys and eliminated in the urine almost as rapidly as 131 I-OIH; consequently, Na 2 [ 99m Tc(CO) 3 (CMSA)] may provide a direct measure of effective renal plasma flow, and further evaluation in humans is warranted.
Developmental differences in the nature of self-representations: Implications for the understanding, assessment, and treatment of maladaptive behavior

The self has only recently emerged as a viable construct for theorists and practitioners of a behavioral persuasion. In this article, the reason for the self's late entry into the field of explanatory constructs is first examined. Critical changes in our models for predicting, understanding, and altering human behavior are explored, with special attention to the emerging role of self-representations as functional mediators of behavior. A developmental perspective is adopted, arguing that is is necessary to appreciate normative, age-related changes in the very nature of self-representations, as a backdrop against which individual differences in self-representatitons can be understood. Developmental differences in the nature of self-description, the dimensions of which self-judgements are based, the degree of differentiation and integration within the self-system, the construction of multipleselves, the emergence of a sense of global self-esteem, and the awareness of, interest in, and ability to reflect on the self are discussed in terms of their implications for the prediction and explanation of human behavior, as well as for therapeutic intervention. Finally, the importance of clearly defining and operationalizing self constructs is emphasized, highlighting those methodological issues that are particularly critical when one adopts developmental perspective.
A simulator for real-time software debugging and testing

A software simulator can be built to facilitate debugging and testing of real-time programs. This paper describes a simulator designed to operate in three modes: simulation, debugging and process monitoring. In the simulation mode, it simulates a Z80-based microcomputer and can be used to execute programs written in the Z80-assembler language. In the debugging mode, it provides facilities for interactive debugging on the instruction level. The simulator's unique feature is the process monitoring mode. It displays the activities among processes being executed concurrently under the control of a real-time executive and thus allowing direct observation of dynamic program behaviour at the process level.
The Use of Hyperbaric Oxygenation in the Treatment of Cerebral Ischemia and Infarction

The therapeutic usefulness of hyperbaric oxygenation in cerebral vascular disease was evaluated in 22 persons with recent neurologic deficits caused by cerebral embolism, thrombosis, hemorrhage, or arteriographic complications. Hyperoxygenation produced a significant elevation in content and tension of oxygen in blood and increased the reservoir of oxygen available for utilization by neurons. Remarkable and dramatic improvement in neurologic function occurred in four patients. The improvement persisted in two patients. In two others the neurologic deficit recurred a few hours after removal from the hyperbaric chamber; repeated exposure to high oxygen pressures was associated with only temporary improvement. In six other patients there was some evidence of clinical recovery immediately after onset of hyperoxygenation, but the neurologic deficit returned during decompression. The remaining 12 patients did not improve during hyperbaric oxygenation. These observations indicate that in some patients neuronal s...
Betatron Tune Profile Control in the Zero Gradient Synchrotron (ZGS) Using the Main Magnet Pole Face Windings (PFWS)

The original PFW controls provided only a limited correction for eddy current effects on the ZGS guide field. The present control system provides not only dynamic eddy current correction, but also additional complex corrections such as tune shift, median plane tilt and octupole fields. These corrections can be continuously tailored to specific requirements during the acceleration cycle. The electrical and operational characteristics of the system will be discussed along with the use of a computer program which calculates and graphically displays the resulting tune profile.
The Effect of Varied Ion Distributions on Long-Range DNA Charge Transport

Long-range oxidative damage to DNA was utilized as a probe to delineate the effects of different ion distributions on DNA charge transport. DNA assemblies were constructed, containing a tethered rhodium intercalating photooxidant, spatially separated from two 5‘-GG-3‘ sites of oxidative damage, with either an A_6-tract or a mixed DNA sequence intervening between the guanine doublets; the extent of charge transport was assessed through measurements of the ratio of yields of damage at the guanine doublet distal versus that proximal to the metal binding site. The distal/proximal damage ratios were compared after photooxidation of otherwise identical Rh-tethered assemblies, except for ^(32)P-labeling either at the 5‘- or 3‘-end; this labeling difference corresponds, in the absence of charge neutralization by condensed counterions, to a shift in negative charge from one end of the duplex to the other. Both with assemblies containing the mixed sequence and the A_6-tract, we observed that moving the negative charges to the proximal end of the duplex significantly decreased hole transport to the distal end. We propose that these results reflect variations in the thermodynamic potential at the proximal and distal guanine sites because of the change in charges at the termini of the oligomer. High values for the internal dielectric constant of the stacked base pairs are suggested by these data. Hence, the longitudinal polarizability of DNA may be important to consider in mechanisms for long-range DNA charge transport.
Increased generation of TRAP expressing multinucleated giant cells in patients with granulomatosis with polyangiitis.

Background Tissue-infiltrating multinucleated giant cells (MNGs) within geographic necrosis are pathologic hallmarks of granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA). However, the origin, phenotype, and function of these cells in GPA remain undefined. Methodology/Principal Findings MNG phenotype in GPA lung tissue was examined by immunohistochemistry using antibody directed against cathepsin K and calcitonin-receptor. Tartrate-resistant-acid-phosphatase (TRAP) expression was assessed using enzymatic color reaction. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from 13 GPA patients (5 with localized and 8 with systemic disease) and 11 healthy controls were cultured in the presence of RANKL and M-CSF for 9 days, and TRAP+ MNGs containing 3 or more nuclei were identified. GPA lung granulomata contained numerous MNGs that expressed osteoclastic TRAP and cathepsin K but not calcitonin receptors. In the presence of RANKL and M-CSF, PBMCs of GPA patients formed significantly more MNGs than healthy controls (114±29 MNG/well vs. 22±9 MNG/well, P = 0.02). In a subgroup analysis, patients with systemic disease generated significantly more MNGs than patients with localized disease (161±35 MNG/well vs. 39±27 MNG/well, P<0.01) or healthy controls (P<0.01). MNG production did not differ between localized GPA and control subjects (P = 0.96). Conclusions/Significance MNGs in granulomata in the GPA lung express osteoclastic enzymes TRAP and cathepsin K. GPA patients have a higher propensity to form TRAP+ MNGs from peripheral blood than healthy controls. These data suggest that (i) the tendency to form MNGs is a component of the GPA phenotype itself, and (ii) that lesional MNGs might participate in the destructive process through their proteolytic enzymes.
A semi-parametric approach to robust parameter design

Parameter design or robust parameter design (RPD) is an engineering methodology intended as a cost-effective approach for improving the quality of products and processes. The goal of parameter design is to choose the levels of the control variables that optimize a defined quality characteristic. An essential component of RPD involves the assumption of well estimated models for the process mean and variance. Traditionally, the modeling of the mean and variance has been done parametrically. It is often the case, particularly when modeling the variance, that nonparametric techniques are more appropriate due to the nature of the curvature in the underlying function. Most response surface experiments involve sparse data. In sparse data situations with unusual curvature in the underlying function, nonparametric techniques often result in estimates with problematic variation whereas their parametric counterparts may result in estimates with problematic bias. We propose the use of semi-parametric modeling within the robust design setting, combining parametric and nonparametric functions to improve the quality of both mean and variance model estimation. The proposed method will be illustrated with an example and simulations.
Experimental study of initial condition dependence on Richtmyer-Meshkov instability in the presence of reshock

We present an experimental study on the dependence of initial condition parameters, namely, the amplitude δ and wavenumber κ (κ = 2π/λ, where λ is the wavelength) of perturbations, on turbulence and mixing in shock-accelerated Richtmyer-Meshkov (R-M) unstable fluid layers. A single mode, membrane-free varicose heavy gas curtain (air-SF6-air) at a shock Mach number M = 1.2 was used in our experiments. The density (concentration) and velocity fields for this initial configuration were measured using planar laser -induced fluorescence (PLIF) and particle image velocimetry (PIV). In order to understand the effects of multi-mode initial conditions on shock-accelerated mixing, the evolving fluid interface formed during the incident shock (M = 1.2) was shocked again by a reflected shock wave at various times using a movable wall, thus enabling us to change both δ and κ simultaneously. A dimensionless length-scale defined as η = κδ is proposed to parametrically link the initial condition dependence to late-time mixing. It was observed experimentally that high wavenumber (short wavelength) modes enhance the mixing and transition to turbulence in these flows. Statistics such as power spectral density, density self-correlation, turbulent kinetic energy, and the rms of velocity fluctuations were measured using simultaneous PLIF-PIV to quantify the amount of mixing for varying values of η. The results indicate a dependence of initial condition parameters on mixing at late times. The results of this study present an opportunity to predict and “design” late-time turbulent mixing that has applications in inertial confinement fusion and general fluid mixing processes.
A River Runs Through It: Landscape and the Evolution of Bronze Age Networks in the Carpathian Basin

The homogeneous and circumscribed character of the Carpathian Basin makes it an ideal setting for examining the interplay of topography and resource distribution in the development of Bronze Age social networks. Such networks include both systems of settlement and land use, and the patterns of interconnection between communities and regions that facilitate trade and exchange. Drawing on new excavations and increasingly common radiocarbon dates within the region, the alteration in these networks from earlier Copper Age and Neolithic patterns can be traced. It is suggested that the substantial river systems of the region provided the principal axes for the movement of goods during the Bronze Age and that control of these water routes was contested among neighboring communities and polities. It is further argued that contrastive overland trade connections also developed which, at least initially, transported distinct materials. Later, these overland connections undermined and superseded the pre-existing riverine systems.
Laser cavity for generation of variable-radius rings of light

We report a laser cavity that has a ring as its output mode. The radius of the ring can be scanned by tuning the laser frequency. This design can be implemented in any tunable laser with large gain and can be useful when ring illumination patterns are needed. As an example, we demonstrate this new cavity configuration by using a side-pumped grazing-incidence dye laser.
Building entity models through observational learning

To support the missions and tasks of mixed robotic/human teams, future robotic systems will need to adapt to the dynamic behavior of both teammates and opponents. One of the basic elements of this adaptation is the ability to exploit both long- and short-term temporal data. This adaptation allows robotic systems to predict/anticipate, as well as influence, future behavior for both opponents and teammates and will afford the system the ability to adjust its own behavior in order to optimize its ability to achieve the mission goals. This work is a preliminary step in the effort to develop online entity behavior models through a combination of learning techniques and observations. As knowledge is extracted from the system through sensor and temporal feedback, agents within the multi-agent system attempt to develop and exploit a basic movement model of an opponent. For the purpose of this work, extraction and exploitation is performed through the use of a discretized two-dimensional game. The game consists of...
Discounting Women: Context Matters in Risk and Need Assessment

Widely used risk/need assessment instruments assume that female offender risks for recidivism are essentially equivalent to those of male offenders. A look at the lives of female and male offenders reveals that there are important differences in the context of both offending and re-offending. This research draws on both quantitative and qualitative data to explore the effectiveness of a well known risk instrument to both predict recidivism and potentially direct intervention efforts. The results, particularly the in-depth interviews with offenders (both male and female) serving time on parole or felony probation reveal differences not detected by most contemporary risk and need assessment instruments. Ultimately, the gendered links among physical and sexual abuse, drugs, and crime are missed in risk and need assessments, thereby placing female offenders at risk for neglect and criminalization in an otherwise seemingly objective method of assessment.
Is perceived motion a stimulus for smooth pursuit

Abstract Previous investigations have challenged the generality of the claim that perceived motion is an effective stimulus for smooth pursuit eye movements. The experiments extend the scope of these investigations. Three experiments test the hypothesis that perceived motion can serve as the stimulus for pursuit when the eye movement does not generate constraining retinal error information. Observers viewed retinally stabilized displays that elicited the perception that a stationary target was moving or that a moving target was moving faster than it was actually moving. The results failed to confirm the hypothesis. Relevant literature is reviewed. We conclude that perceived movement can act as a stimulus for pursuit only when the “perceptual target” has no retinal counterpart.
Water deficit induces swainsonine of some locoweed taxa, but with no swainsonine-growth trade-off

Environmental factors like nutrient availability (e.g., C:N) and water deficit can influence secondary metabolites levels in plants and fungal endophytes. Locoweeds (Astragalus and Oxytropis spp.) contain swainsonine (SWA), an alkaloid that causes chronic vertebrate toxicity. In two greenhouse experiments, we studied field transplants of three Astragalus mollissimus varieties that vary in SWA levels (barely detectable SWA in var. ‘thompsonae’, intermediate SWA in var. ‘bigelovii’, and high SWA in var. ‘mollissimus’), and intermediate SWA in Oxytropis sericea; our results confirmed these rankings. We tested whether SWA induction after water deficit (three 14d water-deficit periods separated by two 7d water recovery periods) was taxon-specific and whether degree of induction was influenced by taxon average SWA. We also looked for signs of a trade-off between primary physiology (photosynthesis) or growth (biomass, relative growth rate) with fungal endophyte SWA production; and if so, whether water stress magnified such a trade-off. Leaf photosynthetic activity decreased during the experiments and often more in water-deficit than control plants; leaf g s and Ci results suggest that stomatal closure reduced photosynthetic activity from mild water deficit. Yet, water-deficit affected plants in other ways: there were more dropped senesced leaves for all tested taxa; higher water-use efficiency for var. mollissimus, var. thompsonae, and O. sericea; higher root mass ratios for var. bigelovii, var. thompsonae, and O. sericea; and lower relative water content for var. thompsonae. Positive SWA increases of 1.6-fold for var. mollissimus and 4-fold for var. bigelovii occurred, so positive SWA induction was taxon-specific and limited to medium/high SWA A. mollissimus varieties. There was little evidence for a clear SWA trade-off with total (shoot þ root) biomass, relative growth rate, or photosynthetic rate. Additional studies will need to test whether water deficit positively induces SWA in medium/high locoweed taxa besides A. mollissimus. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.