cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Tolerance, immunosuppression, and immune modulation: impacts on lung allograft survival.

Purpose of review Immune responses following lung transplantation continue to result in high rates of allograft failure and rejection, and current immunosuppression does not address the unique immunologic properties of the lung. Here, we review recent studies on lung allograft tolerance and alloimmunity and discuss implications for immunosuppression. Recent findings Processes governing tolerance and alloimmunity in lung allografts differ from other solid organs. Recent studies have suggested that allorecognition is regulated at the level of the lung graft. Furthermore, certain cell populations essential for lung allograft tolerance may facilitate rejection in other organs. Induction of lung allograft tolerance is associated with the formation of tertiary lymphoid organs, which are enriched in regulatory T cells and play an important role in preventing rejection. Summary Recent discoveries regarding alloactivation and the regulation of tolerance following lung transplantation have introduced exciting potential avenues for the development of lung-specific immunosuppression.
Six-Month Outcomes of Clinically Relevant Meniscal Injury in a Large-Animal Model.

Background:The corrective procedures for meniscal injury are dependent on tear type, severity, and location. Vertical longitudinal tears are common in young and active individuals, but their natura...
Some Seismological Results for PG1159-035

Observations of the pulsation spectrum of PG 1159–035 with the Whole Earth Telescope provide rich detail on the normal mode spectrum of nonradial g-modes in this hot pre—white dwarf star. In this report, we use a preliminary grid of post-AGB models in an effort to model the observed periods and derive relations between the period spacings and the stellar mass, luminosity, and helium layer thickness. We show how mode trapping at the He/C-O composition transition zone causes regular departures from uniform period spacing. Our best current overall fit to PG1159 is for a model mass of 0.58 ± 0.01M ⊙, L = 200L ⊙, T eff = 143, 000K, qy = 0.003M *, and Y surf = 0.30.
PULSED NEUTRON SOURCES

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on pulsed neutron sources. Today pulsed neutron sources are widely used in many branches of science and engineering. In neutron physics, the major application is in the field of neutron spectroscopy, using time-of-flight methods. Pulsed sources have also been very useful in studies of moderating and multiplying assemblies, and in measurements of the properties of full-scale reactors or critical assemblies—neutron spectra, neutron lifetime, and control worth. In solid-state physics, pulsed techniques are now frequently employed in investigations of optical and electrical properties of semiconductors, insulators, and other materials. Another application is in the studies of the behavior of reactor materials, particularly in transient situations. There are two general classes of pulsing reactors, depending on their neutron spectrum—the fast assemblies and the thermal pulsing reactors. Pulsing reactors have only a limited capability for varying pulse size and shape. As a rule, it is not possible to vary total yield without affecting pulse width.
A high-voltage output buffer fabricated on a 2 V CMOS technology

VLSI core voltages have scaled considerably below legacy I/O standards such as PCI which require tolerance of voltages between -1 V to over 6 V when power supply deviation and signal overshoot effects are considered. Circuit based dielectric protection has been demonstrated previously to address this problem for 3.3 V on a 2.5 V process. Gate oxide stress is dependent on the total stress time and magnitude of the stress over the life of the chip, which must be limited. Here, a 5 V PCI output buffer implemented on a standard 2 V process is presented which dynamically limits the DC stress to devices below 2.1 V and minimizes AC stress duration.
Extracellular: Plasma Membrane Proteases – Serine Proteases

Membrane-anchored serine proteases are a group of extracellular serine proteases tethered directly to plasma membranes, via a C-terminal glycosylphosphatidylinositol linkage (GPI-anchored), a C-terminal transmembrane domain (Type I), or an N-terminal transmembrane domain (Type II). A variety of biochemical, cellular, and in vivo studies have established that these proteases are important pericellular contributors to processes vital for the maintenance of homeostasis, including food digestion, blood pressure regulation, hearing, epithelial permeability, sperm maturation, and iron homeostasis. These enzymes are hijacked by viruses to facilitate infection and propagation, and their misregulation is associated with a wide range of diseases, including cancer malignancy.
Effect of Physical Fatigue on Learning to Perform a Novel Motor Task

Abstract The purpose of this study was to determine if there were differences in learning to perform a novel motor task between two equated groups: one group was subjected to learning the task immediately following a heavy physical work bout on a bicycle ergometer; the other group was subjected to learning the task with no imposed physical exercise. It was found that the subjects who practiced the stabilometer exercise in a fatigued state performed significantly better than subjects in the control group except for test 4. The experimental group also performed significantly better than the control group during the 5th test which was performed without any fatiguing task. It appears from this study that the fatigue state of the learner had a favorable influence on both performance and learning of certain novel motor skills.
An Information Processing Perspective of Process Management: Evidence from Baldrige Award Recipients

Do high-performing organizations align the amount of process management in their firm to the information processing needs of their business environment?
Communication Patterns, Project Performance and Task Characteristics: An Empirical Evaluation and Integration in an R&d Setting

Abstract This study examines the impacts of problem-solving and administrative communication patterns on the technical performance of 61 projects in an industrial R&D laboratory. While there were no differences in the relative patterns of these two types of communication, there were systematic differences in the mechanisms by which project groups transferred administrative and problem-solving information with other areas both within and outside the organization. The overall patterns of communication were influenced by the nature of the projects' work, while the effectiveness of the various interfaces was explored via two contrasting methods: (1) direct contact by all project members and (2) contact mediated through boundary spanning individuals. The effectiveness of each of these linking mechanisms was also contingent upon the projects' tasks. This research reinforces the importance of managing communication patterns in organizations and further supports the importance of boundary spanning individuals.
Coupling hippocampal neurogenesis to brain pH through proneurogenic small molecules that regulate proton sensing G protein-coupled receptors.

Acidosis, a critical aspect of central nervous system (CNS) pathophysiology and a metabolic corollary of the hypoxic stem cell niche, could be an expedient trigger for hippocampal neurogenesis and brain repair. We recently tracked the function of our isoxazole stem cell-modulator small molecules (Isx) through a chemical biology-target discovery strategy to GPR68, a proton (pH) sensing G protein-coupled receptor with no known function in brain. Isx and GPR68 coregulated neuronal target genes such as Bex1 (brain-enriched X-linked protein-1) in hippocampal neural progenitors (HCN cells), which further amplified GPR68 signaling by producing metabolic acid in response to Isx. To evaluate this proneurogenic small molecule/proton signaling circuit in vivo, we explored GPR68 and BEX1 expression in brain and probed brain function with Isx. We localized proton-sensing GPR68 to radial processes of hippocampal type 1 neural stem cells (NSCs) and, conversely, localized BEX1 to neurons. At the transcriptome level, Isx ...
Overview of ITP treatment modalities in children.

Patients with idiopathic thrombocytopenia purpura (ITP) are frequently encountered by the pediatrician and pediatric hematologist. The clinical and laboratory features of ITP are quite uniform and facilitate prompt and accurate diagnosis. Bone marrow examination is not required in most cases since patients with alternative diagnoses (such as ALL) have greatly different presenting features. Acute ITP cannot be differentiated from the chronic form of the disease at presentation, nor can chronic disease be prevented by specific therapy administered for apparent acute ITP. Much controversy has revolved around whether an active interventionist (pharmacologic) or non-interventionist approach is preferred for management of ITP. The platelet count in both acute and chronic ITP often rises following treatment with prednisone and/or intravenous gamma globulin (IV GG), but such responses are transient and do not clearly provide protection against the rare complication of life-threatening hemorrhage. There are numerous disadvantages to an interventionist approach to therapy. Children with chronic ITP may require splenectomy if the disease is symptomatic enough to interfere with life-style, but the majority of these patients, too, require no specific therpay.
Photoexcitation of 209Bi and natHg using neutron-capture γ-rays from cobalt

Abstract Using neutron-capture γ-rays from cobalt, the 209Bi(γ,γ') and natHg(γ,γ') reactions were studied using a 53 cm3 Ge(Li) detector and the reactor facility at the Rhode Island Nuclear Science Center. Resonant scattering was observed at 4.924±0.005 MeV for natHg. Resonant scattering was observed at 5.609±0.005 MeV in 209Bi, with an effective cross section of 348±70 mb. The ratio of intensity scattered at 150° to that scattered at 100° was found to be 1.18±0.12 for 209Bi. This is consistent with a dipole transition to a 9 2 state but does not eliminate other transitions and spin assignments. No significant inelastic structure was found in the spectra from either sample. The improved energy specification in the present experiments has led to different energy assignments for the resonant states and hence, different incident intensities are producing the observed scattering. These differences lead to higher effective cross sections than those previously reported. Minimum ground state level widths for 209Bi and natHg were estimated to be 0.032 eV and 0.43 eV respectively. The need for high-resolution survey data to re-establish systematics is suggested.
Reliability based structural analysis and optimization in X window environment

A graphic-based application in X window environment using Open Software Foundation (OSF)'s Motif toolkit is developed for comprehensive reliability based analysis and design of structures. The application is interfaced with an efficient safety index calculation code for conducting probabilistic analysis of structures for different performance functions using statistical data of random variables. It is also integrated with a reliability based optimization code for obtaining an optimum set of design parameters by determining analytical sensitivities and constructing approximations for the reliability constraint. The graphic user-interface includes interface with external graphic packages along with Motif window-widget layout to enhance visual perceiving capabilities and interpretational facilities. Probability analysis and design of turbine blades and frame structures with multidisciplinary requirements were addressed during the development of the analysis and design codes.
Developmental neurobiology: New concepts in learning, memory, and neuronal development

Increasing research efforts and rapidly expanding knowledge in the neuroscientific foundations of learning, memory, and developmental disabilities have provided insights into the normal development and plasticity of neuronal circuits. Likewise, the neurobiologic and molecular genetic substrates of developmental disabilities and mental retardation syndromes are unfolding and leading to potential manipulations of these disorders in children with developmental disabilities. This review highlights the mechanisms of synaptic plasticity, long-term potentiation, and molecular mechanisms of memory. Some mental retardation syndromes due to abnormal genetic regulation are mentioned. MRDD Research Reviews 1998;4:20–25. © 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Extracting sentence segments for text summarization: a machine learning approach

With the proliferation of the Internet and the huge amount of data it transfers, text summarization is becoming more important. We present an approach to the design of an automatic text summarizer that generates a summary by extracting sentence segments. First, sentences are broken into segments by special cue markers. Each segment is represented by a set of predefined features (e.g. location of the segment, average term frequencies of the words occurring in the segment, number of title words in the segment, and the like). Then a supervised learning algorithm is used to train the summarizer to extract important sentence segments, based on the feature vector. Results of experiments on U.S. patents indicate that the performance of the proposed approach compares very favorably with other approaches (including Microsoft Word summarizer) in terms of precision, recall, and classification accuracy.
Modeling Fermi acceleration at parallel shocks with Monte Carlo techniques

Abstract We describe a well-tested Monte Carlo simulation which combines a determination of parallel shock structure with first-order Fermi particle acceleration. By not calculating ion scattering self-consistently, we are able to run the simulation long enough to model particle acceleration to energies seen in diffuse ions observed at Earth's bow shock. The simulation includes the nonlinear backreaction of accelerated ions on the unshocked plasma, thermal particle injection, and particle escape from a finite shock. Comparisons between the simulation and bow shock observations allow constraints to be placed on model assumptions such as the momentum dependence of the scattering mean free path, effects of shock smoothing, thresholds for thermal ion injection, how the unshocked plasma temperature effects the He2+/H+ acceleration efficiency, and the importance of pitch-angle scattering.
Genetic variation and correlations between genotype and locomotor physiology in outbred laboratory house mice (Mus domesticus).

Laboratory strains of house mice (Mus domesticus) are increasingly used as model organisms in evolutionary physiology, so information on levels of genetic variation is important. For example, are levels of genetic variation comparable to those found in populations of wild house mice? We studied allozymes to estimate genetic variation in outbred Hsd:ICR mice, which have been used in several studies with evolutionary emphasis. The physiological significance of allozyme variation remains obscure. Several workers have reported relationships between multi-locus heterozygosity and metabolic traits, but endotherms have not been studied. Therefore, we also measured mice for basal metabolic rate (BMR), maximal oxygen consumption during forced treadmill exercise (V: O2max), and 12 other traits related to locomotor physiology, before genotyping them for 10 allozyme loci. Four of these loci were polymorphic, all were in Hardy‐Weinberg equilibrium, and inbreeding coefficients were not significantly different from zero. Average heterozygosities were 11%, similar to values reported for wild populations of house mice. Fourteen percent of the associations between single-locus genotype and physiological traits were statistically significant. Multi-locus heterozygosity was not significantly related to V: O2max, but was positively correlated with BMR, a result opposite to the negative correlation between standard metabolic rate and heterozygosity reported in many ectotherms. Therefore, the proposed mechanisms for the effect of multi-locus heterozygosity on metabolic rate in ectotherms may not apply to endotherms. © 1999 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.
Ultrastructure of the pulmonary microcirculation in experimental streptococcal bacteraemia.

An electron microscopic investigation was made of the changes in the small blood vessels of the alveolar walls of rabbits' lungs five minutes to five hours after intravenous infusion of 20 ml. of a pure suspension of Streptococcus sanguis in sterile saline. The most prominent feature was the presence of numerous leucocytes (neutrophils, macrophages and eosinophils) containing in phagocytic vacuoles bacteria which displayed progressive degenerative changes. Phagocytosis by leucocytes was well established by five minutes. Platelets became aggregated about bacteria and leucocytes forming sizeable thrombi. Many platelets underwent lysis and not uncommonly bacteria were aggregated in masses of cellular debris. Incontrovertible proof of extracellular digestion of bacteria by platelets was not obtained. Osmiophilic material was observed both intracellularly and extracellularly but no definite fibrin deposition was observed in these experiments. Evidence of phagocytosis by endothelium and platelets was found, but the principal phagocyte in the pulmonary microcirculation was the leucocyte. The ultrastructure of Streptococcus sanguis is described.
Some basic properties of packing and covering constants

This article concerns packings and coverings that are formed by the application of rigid motions to the members of a given collectionK of convex bodies. There are two possibilities to construct such packings and coverings: One may permit that the convex bodies fromK are used repeatedly, or one may require that these bodies should be used at most once. In each case one can define the packing and covering constants ofK as, respectively, the least upper bound and the greatest lower bound of the densities of all such packings and coverings. Three theorems are proved. First it is shown that there exist always packings and coverings whose densities are equal to the corresponding packing and covering constants. Then, a quantitative continuity theorem is proved which shows in particular that the packing and covering constants depend, in a certain sense, continuously onK. Finally, a kind of a transference theorem is proved, which enables one to evaluate the packing and covering constants when no repetitions are allowed from the case when repetitions are permitted. Furthermore, various consequences of these theorems are discussed.
Autonomic correlates of stuttering and speech assessed in a range of experimental tasks.

Electrodermal activity, peripheral blood flow, and heart rate were recorded from 19 stutterers and 19 normal speakers during performance of jaw movements, a strenuous breath-holding task, reading, ...
Dose distribution to spinal structures from intrathecally administered yttrium-90

Previous treatment of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) malignancies by intrathecal administration of 131I-radiolabelled monoclonal antibodies has led to the assumption that more healthy tissue will be spared when a pure beta-emitter such as 90Y replaces 131I. The purpose of this study is to compare and quantitatively evaluate the dose distribution from 90Y to the CSF space and its surrounding spinal structures to 131I. A 3D digital phantom of a section of the T-spine was constructed from the visible human project series of images which included the spinal cord, central canal, subarachnoid space, pia mater, arachnoid, dura mater, vertebral bone marrow and intervertebral disc. Monte Carlo N-particle (MCNP4C) was used to model the 90Y and 131I radiation distribution. Images of the CSF compartment were convolved with the radiation distribution to determine the dose within the subarachnoid space and surrounding tissues. 90Y appears to be a suitable radionuclide in the treatment of central nervous system (CNS) malignancies when attached to mAb's and the dose distribution would be confined largely within the vertebral foramen. This choice may offer favourable dose improvement to the subarachnoid and surface of spinal cord over 131I in such an application.
Control of esophageal acid exposure in Barrett's — many ways to skin a cat!

Purpose: Current opinion suggests that continued abnormal esophageal acid exposure in Barrett's may play a role in progression to dysplasia and cancer. Normalization of esophageal acid has been shown to reduce the expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen, suggesting that normalization of esophageal acid exposure may be a desirable goal in Barrett's patients. Our goal was to investigate which antisecretory therapy achieves optimal esophageal acid suppression in Barrett's esophagus patients.
Sloppy selection: Providing an accurate interpretation of imprecise selection gestures

This paper describes on-going work in the analysis of motion dynamics in pen-based interaction. The overall goal is the creation of a model of user motion in pen gestures where constraint and curvature vary over the length of the path. In particular, speed/curvature models of motion are used to analyze pen trajectories and infer target constraints obeyed by a user performing selection gestures. We aim to use this information to calculate an effective local spatial selection tolerance associated with each gesture. This can be used to perform selection according to user intent instead of their literal stroke. Here, we describe our early analysis of constrained user selection gestures, and outline a prototype application that infers a tolerance for one type of selection gesture. The application selectively splits pen strokes based on an analysis of user motion.
Pattern and not magnitude of neural activity determines dendritic spine stability in awake mice

Using patterned optogenetic stimulation and chronic in vivo imaging of dendritic spines, this study shows that the precise pattern of neural spiking—rather than total number of spikes—is the major determinant of dendritic spine stability in cortical pyramidal neurons. The stability of dendritic spines in the neocortex is profoundly influenced by sensory experience, which determines the magnitude and pattern of neural firing. By optically manipulating the temporal structure of neural activity in vivo using channelrhodopsin-2 and repeatedly imaging dendritic spines along these stimulated neurons over a period of weeks, we show that the specific pattern, rather than the total amount of activity, determines spine stability in awake mice.
Evidence for a phytotoxic hydroxy-aluminum polymer in organic soil horizons.

The toxicity of A1 that has been mobilized in soil, streams, and lakes through acid deposition primarily has been attributed to mononuclear A1 species. Polynuclear A1 species are more toxic than mononuclear species, but they have not been considered to be significant in the environment. Aluminum-27 nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra of forested spodosol soil horizon samples show the presence of polynuclear A1O4A112(OH)24(H2O)127+. The AlO4A112(OH)24(H2O)127+ species accounted for 30 percent of the aqueous A1 observable by NMR, and this could make a significant contribution to the toxicity of the A1 in these soils.
Realistic analysis of flow in wire-coating dies

We have constructed a rigorous numerical solution of the equations of flow and energy within a general wire-coating die that provides a far more accurate and detailed description of the flow than any previously available. The program* can accommodate uni- or multi-sectional dies, in which the sections have conical or cylindrical shapes. Melt rheology was satisfactorily represented over the full range of shear rate at processing temperatures by a model with three regions for each isotherm, requiring six constants evaluated from rheometric data. Thirty-three cases have been run, all of them in the domain of moderate-to-high wire speeds, with the two most important wire-coating resins, low-density polyethylene (LDPE) and plasticized polyvinyl chloride (PVC). Although the radialconvection term was omitted from the energy equation to overcome calculational instability, we believe the accuracy of our calculated results is chiefly limited by knowledge of melt properties. Temperature profiles typically exhibit two maxima, the more pronounced one being found close to the die wall. In coating a No. 22 AWG wire with LDPE at 2000 ft/min in one cylindrical die, the maximum rise, occurring at the die exit, was 100 K. Profiles of axial velocity across the stream exhibited maxima in some cases, not in others. Shear rates ranged from zero to about 106 s−1 and viscosity profiles were highly variable. Because the melt passes through the die so quickly, the calculated results for isothermal and adiabatic walls were not very different, even though the melt streams were only about 0.3 mm thick. While the investigation was focused on high-speed wire coating, in which viscous dissipation is extreme, the program can also be used for analysis and design of dies for making pipe and blown film.
Liquid crystal temperature measurement for real-time control

A laboratory system for multiple point, closed-loop, surface temperature control has been developed to test control algorithms for manufacturing applications such as rapid prototyping laminate manufacture and rapid thermal processing of semiconductor wafers. Accurate surface temperature measurements with high spatial resolution are required to provide a signal for feedback control. Image acquisition and conversion to temperature must be fast enough to operate in conjunction with the control method used. Optical methods are a natural fit, since many spatially distributed measurements can be obtained rapidly with a minimum of complexity. The operation of thermochromic liquid crystals in a real time control loop is described. Every 200 msec, the temperature at each of 196 zones must be obtained. Two frames and multiple pixels per zone are averaged to reduce statistical uncertainty in the reading. An in situ calibrator was developed and used to study the errors inherent in this system, including errors due to hysteresis and uneven surface lighting. The statistical uncertainty in temperature measured due to the calibrator uncertainty varied with temperature, but was less than 0.03 degree(s)C over most of the range. The uncertainty in the in situ temperature reading was larger because fewer pixels could be averaged. This uncertainty also depended upon temperature, and was below 0.2 degree(s)C over an 7.5 degree(s)C range. Additional errors were investigated. Hysteresis, or path dependent effects in the temperature response of the liquid crystals, was seen to depend upon the maximum temperature reached, even when the maximum temperature was within the usable range of the liquid crystals. Taking the crystals to temperatures above the usable range led to larger hysteresis errors, as much as 0.2 degree(s)C, while errors below 0.1 degree(s)C were seen for a smaller temperature excursion. Uneven lighting had a large effect on the saturation and intensity measured, and a significantly smaller effect on the hue. However, the small effect on the hue caused an error around 0.1 degree(s)C, so uneven lighting should be avoided if possible. Also, thresholding (determining if crystals are reading valid temperatures) is complicated by variations in lighting intensity over the surface to be measured.
Stumbling on status: Abortion, stem cells, and faulty reasoning

Common arguments from the abortion debate have set the stage for the debate on stem cell research. Unfortunately, those arguments demonstrate flawed reasoning—jumping to unfounded conclusions, using value laden language rather than careful argument, and ignoring morally relevant aspects of the situation. The influence of flawed abortion arguments on the stem cell debate results in failures of moral reasoning and in lack of attention to important morally relevant differences between abortion and human embryonic stem cells. Among those differences are whose interests are at stake and the difference between an embryo in and out of the womb. Stem cell research differs from abortion in morally relevant ways and should be freed from the abortion debate and its flawed reasoning.
Information-Theoretic Active Polygons for Unsupervised Texture Segmentation

Curve evolution models used in image segmentation and based on image region information usually utilize simple statistics such as means and variances, hence can not account for higher order nature of the textural characteristics of image regions. In addition, the object delineation by active contour methods, results in a contour representation which still requires a substantial amount of data to be stored for subsequent multimedia applications such as visual information retrieval from databases. Polygonal approximations of the extracted continuous curves are required to reduce the amount of data since polygons are powerful approximators of shapes for use in later recognition stages such as shape matching and coding. The key contribution of this paper is the development of a new active contour model which nicely ties the desirable polygonal representation of an object directly to the image segmentation process. This model can robustly capture texture boundaries by way of higher-order statistics of the data and using an information-theoretic measure and with its nature of the ordinary differential equations. This new variational texture segmentation model, is unsupervised since no prior knowledge on the textural properties of image regions is used. Another contribution in this sequel is a new polygon regularizer algorithm which uses electrostatics principles. This is a global regularizer and is more consistent than a local polygon regularization in preserving local features such as corners.
Proteomic analysis of the mammalian nuclear pore complex

As the sole site of nucleocytoplasmic transport, the nuclear pore complex (NPC) has a vital cellular role. Nonetheless, much remains to be learned about many fundamental aspects of NPC function. To further understand the structure and function of the mammalian NPC, we have completed a proteomic analysis to identify and classify all of its protein components. We used mass spectrometry to identify all proteins present in a biochemically purified NPC fraction. Based on previous characterization, sequence homology, and subcellular localization, 29 of these proteins were classified as nucleoporins, and a further 18 were classified as NPC-associated proteins. Among the 29 nucleoporins were six previously undiscovered nucleoporins and a novel family of WD repeat nucleoporins. One of these WD repeat nucleoporins is ALADIN, the gene mutated in triple-A (or Allgrove) syndrome. Our analysis defines the proteome of the mammalian NPC for the first time and paves the way for a more detailed characterization of NPC structure and function.
Left ventricular geometry and function preceding neurally mediated syncope.

Background —Neurally mediated syncope has been associated with increased left ventricular (LV) fractional shortening (FS) during tilt testing, which is consistent with the hypothesis that the stimulation of LV mechanoreceptors leads to reflex hypotension and/or bradycardia. However, FS does not represent true LV contractility because of its dependence on afterload and preload. Methods and Results —To elucidate the role of increased contractility in the mediation of neurally mediated syncope, we compared echocardiographic measures of LV performance corrected for end-systolic stress (ESS) in 21 patients (13 women and 8 men) with unexplained syncope who had either positive (n=10) or negative (n=11) responses to a tilt-table test. Two-dimensional echocardiographic LV imaging was performed at baseline and during the initial 5 minutes of upright tilt. In the supine position, both groups had similar LV end-diastolic volume indexes, stroke volumes, FS, circumferential ESS, and afterload-independent measures of LV performance (stress-corrected midwall and FS). However, after 5 minutes of upright tilt, patients who subsequently had a positive test had a lower stroke volume, lower stress-corrected midwall shortening, and endocardial FS. The tilt-positive group also had a greater fall in ESS and FS early during upright tilt. Conclusions —Reduced ESS, LV volume, and chamber function during initial upright tilt are associated with a subsequent positive tilt response in patients with unexplained syncope. These data suggest that if paradoxic activation of LV mechanoreceptors has a role in mediating neurally mediated syncope, it is not triggered by LV hypercontractility or increased systolic wall stress during the initial period of upright tilt.
Functional characterization of the ocular prostaglandin f2alpha (PGF2alpha) receptor. Activation by the isoprostane, 12-iso-PGF2alpha.

Abstract Prostaglandin F2α(PGF2α) is a product of cyclooxygenase-catalyzed metabolism of arachidonic acid. Recently, PGF2α analogs have been hypothesized to reduce intraocular pressure via relaxation of the ciliary muscle. To investigate the molecular basis of PGF2α receptor (FP) activation in the eye, we cloned the FP from a human ciliary body (hcb) cDNA library. The open reading frame of the hcb-FP cDNA was identical to the uterine FP cDNA. The hcb-FP appeared to be predominantly membrane-localized, as visualized by an FP-specific peptide antibody, and coupled to inositol phosphate formation when stably expressed in HEK 293 cells. Interestingly, the hcb-FP could also be activated by the F2isoprostane, 12-iso-PGF2α, in addition to its cognate ligand, PGF2α. 12-iso-PGF2α was less potent (EC50 = 5 μm) than PGF2α(EC50 = 10 nm) in generating inositol phosphates via the hcb-FP in HEK 293 cells. Both ligands also stimulated mitogenesis in NIH 3T3 cells. Although 12-iso-PGF2α caused a dose-dependent activation of the FP, it failed to activate the recombinant human prostacyclin receptor and caused only minimal activation of the thromboxane receptor isoforms stably expressed in HEK 293 cells. Four additional F2 isoprostanes, 8-iso-PGF2α, IPF2α-I, IPF2α-III, and 9β,11β-PGF2, caused trivial, or no, activation of the FP. Consistent with these observations, only PGF2α and 12-iso-PGF2α caused rapid homologous desensitization of FP and also exhibited cross-desensitization, with PGF2α resulting in a maximum of ∼60% desensitization. The human FP may thus be activated specifically, by the free radical-catalyzed F2 isoprostane, 12-iso-PGF2α, in addition to the cyclooxygenase product, PGF2α. Incidental receptor activation by isoprostanes may complement the actions of PGF2α in clinical syndromes where oxidant stress and augmented prostaglandin biosynthesis coincide.
Analysis of plasmid genome evolution based on nucleotide-sequence comparison of two related plasmids of Escherichia coli.

Abstract Plasmid Rscl3, a small derivative of the plasmid R1, contains a region necessary for replication as well as a complete copy (4957 bp) of the ampicillin resistance transposon, Tn 3. We determined the nucleotide sequence of the replication region of Rscl3 to be 2937 bp and then compared this region (designated the 2.9-kb region) to the analogous region of pSM1, a small derivative of the plasmid R100 which has common ancestry with R1. Rsc13 and pSM1 were 96% homologous in this 2.9-kb region except for a discrete region of about 250 bp which showed only 44% homology. The sequence and distribution of nucleotide substitutions between Rsc13 and pSM1 supported a map of possible genes and sites which have previously been seen in the replication region of pSM1. Most of these genes and sites were shown to evolve by single base substitutions, but not by insertions or deletions. However, one of these genes, termed rep A2 (11000 dallons), was found in that region of Rsc13 and pSM1 which showed only 44% homology. Analysis of the amino acid sequence and predicted conformation of the two RepA2 polypeptides, however, suggested that they were very similar. We proposed that the rep A2 region of R1 and R100 was replaced by a substitution of a short DNA segment from another plasmid which was evolutionarily related to R1 and R100 but had more divergence. This event may have been mediated by a mechanism similar to that of gene conversion as described in eukaryotic systems.
Inhibitors of Dengue Virus and West Nile Virus Proteases Based on the Aminobenzamide Scaffold

Dengue and West Nile viruses (WNV) are mosquito-borne members of flaviviruses that cause significant morbidity and mortality. There is no approved vaccine or antiviral drugs for human use to date. In this study, a series of functionalized meta and para aminobenzamide derivatives were synthesized and subsequently screened in vitro against Dengue virus and West Nile virus proteases. Four active compounds were identified which showed comparable activity toward the two proteases and shared in common a meta or para(phenoxy)phenyl group. The inhibition constants (K(i)) for the most potent compound 7n against Dengue and West Nile virus proteases were 8.77 and 5.55 μM, respectively. The kinetics data support a competitive mode of inhibition of both proteases by compound 7n. This conclusion is further supported by molecular modeling. This study reveals a new chemical scaffold which is amenable to further optimization to yield potent inhibitors of the viral proteases via the combined utilization of iterative medicinal chemistry/structure-activity relationship studies and in vitro screening.
Are the same bears repeatedly translocated from corn crops in Wisconsin

Abstract American black bear (Ursus americanus) damage to corn crops in northern Wisconsin is managed by capturing and translocating bears away from fields where damage is occurring. Translocating wildlife is often not a preferred wildlife management technique because of the potential return and repeated capture of animals. Hundreds of bears are translocated in Wisconsin annually, but because anesthetizing, marking, and tracking individual bears is prohibited at the time of year that translocations occur, it is not known whether the same few bears are moved multiple times, or if a large pool of new bears continues to be trapped and translocated. To determine if bears are frequently recaptured, we used genetic techniques to identify translocated bears during 2006 and 2007. Of the 520 bears identified, very few (4%) were recaptured. Of the bears that were recaptured, most (71%) tended to return to within 10 km of their original capture locations. Our inferences relative to the direct cause of low capture ra...
Design space optimization of embedded memory systems via data remapping

In this paper, we provide a novel compile-time data remapping algorithm that runs in linear time. This remapping algorithm is the first fully automatic approach applicable to pointer-intensive dynamic applications. We show that data remapping can be used to significantly reduce the energy consumed as well as the memory size needed to meet a user-specified performance goal (i.e., execution time) -- relative to the same application executing without being remapped. These twin advantages afforded by a remapped program -- reduced cache size and energy needs -- constitute a key step in a framework for design space exploration: for any given performance goal, remapping allows the user to reduce the primary and secondary cache size by 50%, yielding a concomitant energy savings of 57%. Additionally, viewed as a compiler optimization for a fixed processor, we show that remapping improves the energy consumed by the cache subsystem by 25%. All of the above savings are in the context of the cache subsystem in isolation. We also show that remapping yields an average 20% energy saving for an ARM-like processor and cache subsystem. All of our improvements are achieved in the context of DIS, Olden and SPEC2000 pointer-centric benchmarks.
Monitoring dynamic thermal behavior of the carbon anode in a lithium-ion cell using a four-probe technique

Abstract We describe a four-probe electrical technique that enables real-time temperature monitoring of the carbon anode in a 53 Ah lithium-ion rechargeable cell during charging and discharging. This technique uses only electrical contacts to the positive and negative terminals of the cell, eliminating the need to insert temperature sensors inside the cell. Our method is based on the intrinsic relationship of anode temperature with phase shift between an applied sinusoidal current and the resulting voltage, valid within the 5% and 95% range of the state-of-charge (SoC) of the cell. Using this technique, we demonstrate that the anode temperature ( T anode ) can deviate from the temperature measured at the outside surface ( T surf ) of the cell during charge and discharge. Additionally, we show that anode temperature is primarily determined by entropy change at the anode or by resistive impedance of the anode, depending on the environment temperature ( T env ).
The Policy Analysis Market (A Thwarted Experiment in the Use of Prediction Markets for Public Policy)

have long had speculative markets in gold, currency, pigs, and other commodities, which as a side effect do a remarkable job of aggregating information. Prediction markets turn this side effect into the main effect: if you want to know more on a topic, create and subsidize betting markets on that topic to elicit more accurate estimates. I have long been interested in how prediction markets can be used to improve decisions in the public arena. From 2001 to 2003 I had the opportunity to guide research on such markets that was sponsored by the U.S. government. The project, run by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), showed that general acceptance is still a long way off. Yet the academic support for the concept of prediction markets is old. In addition to the large literature on the information efficiency of financial markets (see Text Box 1), for several decades economists have been creating markets in the laboratory, showing since 1988 that markets with just a few traders trading for a few minutes can aggregate trader-held information. Also since 1988, researchers at the University of Iowa have used a special legal exemption (which no one else has obtained) to run a series of real money betting markets on U.S. elections. Although these were far from the first election betting markets, the added researcher-control they allow has led to new insights and academic attention. Starting with the Foresight Exchange in 1994, a series of web-based markets were created that used play money and prizes to avoid the legal barriers that prevent the public from betting real money (see Text Box 2). The most successful of Robin Hanson
Biochemical characterization of primary hyperparathyroidism with and without kidney stones

The exact metabolic-physiological background for kidney stone formation in primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) is unclear. To obtain clarification, this retrospective data analysis was conducted in 131 patients with PHPT who had undergone a detailed ambulatory evaluation on a random diet since 1980. The baseline biochemical presentation of 78 patients with PHPT with stones was compared with that of 53 patients without stones. Compared to those without stones, the stone-forming patients had a more marked hypercalciuria (343 +/- 148 vs. 273 +/- 148 mg/day, P < 0.01). Urinary saturation of calcium oxalate and brushite was significantly higher in stone-formers. Serum PTH and fasting urinary calcium were similar between the two groups, but serum phosphorus was significantly lower in stone-formers. Serum calcitriol (available in some patients) showed a slightly higher mean value in stone-formers but the difference was not significant. The increment in urinary calcium after oral load of 1-g calcium was twofold higher among stone-formers. Radial shaft and L2-L4 bone mineral densities resided within the normal ranges. Stone-formers with PHPT display exaggerated urinary calcium excretion due to intestinal hyperabsorption of calcium, contributing to a greater enhancement of the saturation of stone-forming calcium salts.
Additive angle method for fast large-tip-angle RF pulse design in parallel excitation

Current methods for parallel excitation RF pulse design are based on the small-tip-angle approximation, which provides a computationally efficient means of pulse calculation. In general, pulses designed with those methods are inaccurate when scaled to produce large-tip angles, and methods for large-tip-angle pulse design are more computationally demanding. This paper introduces a fast iterative method for large-tip-angle parallel pulse design that is formulated as a small number of Bloch equation simulations and fast small-tip-angle pulse designs, the results of which add to produce large-tip-angle pulses. Simulations and a phantom experiment demonstrate that the method is effective in designing multidimensional large-tip-angle pulses of high excitation accuracy, compared to pulses designed with small-tip-angle methods.
Wavelength shift keying (WSK) by using wavelength discrimination circuit in WDM networks

A wavelength-shift-keying (WSK) proof-of-concept experiment was demonstrated by using tunable laser and wavelength discriminator with both 2-level and 3-level modulations. Basic applications of this new technology have been discussed. The WSK could potentially be a high-speed and flexible transmission technology for future optical networks.
THE KOHLBERG–GILLIGAN CONTROVERSY: LESSONS FOR ACCOUNTING ETHICS EDUCATION

Abstract This paper explores the differences between Kohlberg's ethics of justice and Gilligan's ethics of care theories of moral development. Kohlberg models ideal adult moral development as a process of increasing abstraction and autonomy while Gilligan 's ideal moral adults are embedded in complex webs of caring relationships. Kohlberg pursues development of universal abstract moral principles while Gilligan's moral reasoning is contextual and grounded with a goal of taking ethical actions that preserve both the self and relationships with others. Kohlberg's cognitive moral development theory supports principled moral reasoning about short ethical dilemma cases, the method of ethics education commonly promoted in accounting. This approach to ethics education fails to develop complex problem resolution skills or explore societal and institutional causes and solutions to problems. Application of the ethics of care approach promotes satisfactory problem resolution, develops connected knowing skills, and encourages an expanded view of ethical problems.
Availability of Calcium Salts for Bone Formation and Rickets Prevention in Chicks

Abstract THE importance of studying the efficiency of different calcium salts in the animal as well as the human diet has long been recognized. Many studies have appeared in the literature concerning the availability of various calcium salts. Much of these data were accumulated, however, before the action of vitamin D on the assimilation of calcium and phosphorus and their relation to bone formation were clearly demonstrated. The results obtained were therefore influenced, if not entirely determined, by the vitamin D content of the diet. Steenbock, Hart, Sell, and Jones (1923) reviewed these data in 1920 and, recognizing the necessity for fat soluble vitamins in the ration, fed rats calcium in the form of the following salts: lactate, carbonate, phosphate, sulfate, and silicate, at a level equivalent to that of .3 percent of calcium. They found no difference in the availability of these salts, basing their conclusions on the rate of . . .
Chloroxylenol causing hand dermatitis in a plumber

Chloroxylenol use has increased and is found in many over-the-counter preparations. Although not a common sensitizer, chloroxylenol's role as a contact allergen and relevance, when positive patch tests are found, is often high. Pre-patch test assessment generally does not identify chloroxylenol as a causative agent. It is increasingly found in liquid soaps particularly in industry and specifically in the health care environment. Even as a wash-off product, this allergen can be a hidden cause of allergic contact dermatitis.