cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Influence of temperature on pudendal nerve block induced by high frequency biphasic electrical current.

Purpose: We determined the influence of temperature on the minimal stimulation frequency required to block pudendal nerve conduction.Materials and Methods: The pudendal nerve block induced by high frequency, biphasic electrical current was investigated at different temperatures using cats under α-chloralose anesthesia. Urethral pressure was measured to indicate pudendal nerve activation or block.Results: As stimulation frequency was increased above a frequency threshold, the urethral pressure response was decreased and the pudendal nerve was blocked. The minimal stimulation frequency required to block the pudendal nerve was decreased from 6 to 4 kHz as the temperature was decreased from 37C to 15C. At a 4 kHz frequency the maximal temperature below which the pudendal nerve could be blocked was 24.5C.Conclusions: To block pudendal nerve conduction at body temperature (37C) the stimulation frequency must be greater than 6 kHz. This study provides a practical guide for blocking the pudendal nerves to restore...
Electrochemical and spectroscopic characterization of surface sol-gel processes.

(3-Mercaptopropyl)trimethoxysilane (MTS) forms a unique film on a platinum substrate by self-assembly and sol−gel cross-linking. The gelating and drying states of the self-assembled MTS sol−gel films were probed by use of electrochemical and spectroscopic methods. The thiol moiety was the only active group within the sol−gel network. Gold nanoparticles were employed to detect the availability of the thiol group and their interaction further indicated the physicochemical states of the sol−gel inner structure. It was found that the thiol groups in the open porous MTS aerogel matrix were accessible to the gold nanoparticles while thiol groups in the compact MTS xerogel network were not accessible to the gold nanoparticles. The characteristics of the sol−gel matrix change with time because of its own irreversible gelating and drying process. The present work provides direct evidence of gold nanoparticle binding with thiol groups within the sol−gel structures and explains the different permeability of “aerogel...
RadMonitor: Radiology Operations Data Mining in Real Time

This paper describes the web-based visualization interface of RadMonitor, a platform-independent web application designed to help manage the complexity of information flow within a health care enterprise. The system eavesdrops on Health Layer 7 traffic and parses statistical operational information into a database. The information is then presented to the user as a treemap—a graphical visualization scheme that simplifies the display of hierarchical information. While RadMonitor has been implemented for the purpose of analyzing radiology operations, its XML backend allows it to be reused for virtually any other hierarchical data set.
siRNA-mediated transcriptional gene silencing: the potential mechanism and a possible role in the histone code.

Epigenetics is the study of meiotically and mitotically heritable changes in gene expression which are not coded for in the DNA [1, 2]. Three distinct mechanisms appear intricately related in initiating and sustaining epigenetic modifications: RNA-associated silencing, DNA methylation and histone modification [1]. Recently, in human cells small-interfering RNAs (siRNAs) have been shown to mediate transcriptional gene silencing (TGS). The observation that siRNAs can function to suppress gene expression at the level of transcription has created a major paradigm shift in mammalian RNA interference. The putative mechanism(s) of siRNA-mediated TGS in both yeast and human cells will be discussed. Undoubtedly, the ramifications from this paradigm shift in which RNA has demonstrated a potent and specific capability to regulate the expression of the gene are immeasurable both therapeutically (i. e. directed control of gene expression) and biologically in understanding the evolution of the cell.
Adaptive boxcar/wavelet transform

This paper presents a new adaptive Boxcar/Wavelet transform for image compression. Boxcar/Wavelet decomposition emphasizes the idea of average-interpolation representation which uses dyadic averages and their interpolation to explain a special case of biorthogonal wavelet transforms (BWT). This perspective for image compression together with lifting scheme offers the ability to train an optimum 2-D filter set for nonlinear prediction (interpolation) that will adapt to the context around the low-pass wavelet coefficients for reducing energy in the high-pass bands. Moreover, the filters obtained after training is observed to posses directional information with some textural clues that can provide better prediction performance. This work addresses a firrst step towards obtaining this new set of training-based fillters in the context of Boxcar/Wavelet transform. Initial experimental results show better subjective quality performance compared to popular 9/7-tap and 5/3-tap BWTs with comparable results in objective quality.
Effect of Low Potassium Diet and Desoxycorticosterone on the Rat Heart.

SummaryA diet low in potassium when accompanied by injections of desoxycorticosterone acetate produces in 4 days loss of potassium and gain in sodium in the rat heart. Lessions are induced within a week by this treatment.
The Effect of Calcinated Calcium and Chlorine Treatments on Escherichia coli O157:H7 87–23 Population Reduction in Radish Sprouts

Abstract: The effect of calcinated calcium spray on Escherichia coli O157:H7 87–23 population reduction during radish sprout production was studied. Artificially inoculated radish seeds were soaked in sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) solutions (200 and 20000 ppm), rinsed in distilled water, and sprayed with water or a calcinated calcium solution during sprouting. Microbial plate count was obtained at each step of the process and germination rate was determined after 72 h of sprouting. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was done on treated seeds and sprouts to locate which parts were populated by the E. coli cells. The results showed that the active compound in the calcinated calcium was calcium oxide. The treatment of 200 ppm NaOCl soaking followed by 0.04% calcinated calcium spray resulted in no microbial growth after a 72-h sprouting, while maintaining a high germination rate. The 0.4% calcinated calcium spray significantly reduced the germination rate and is therefore not recommended. Soaking the seeds in a 20000 ppm chlorine solution achieved the highest E. coli count reduction (1.65 log CFU/g). However, the E. coli cells that survived the 20000 ppm chlorine soak grew to 6 log CFU/g sprouts after a 72-h sprouting, significantly higher than the initial count on the seeds. The SEM microimages showed that the bacteria were mostly located in the roots of the radish sprouts and all across the seed surface. The E. coli O157:H7 87–23 cells appeared to be located in biofilms or embedded into the radish sprout tissues during sprouting. Practical Application: The seed sanitation treatment with 20000 ppm chlorine solution that is currently used by the sprout industry was once again found to be ineffective in eliminating inoculated pathogenic cells. More importantly, the remaining cells that have survived the chlorine wash would grow during sprouting to reach an alarmingly high cell concentration. The new observation of E. coli cells and sprout tissue interaction manifested as embedding of the cells in sprout tissues, if confirmed, will have a significant impact on the microbial safety intervention strategies used in the sprout industry. This research demonstrated the importance of eliminating all pathogens on the seeds before germination and sprouting.
Transport of probe molecules through fibrin gels as observed by means of holographic relaxation methods.

Holographic relaxation spectroscopy (HRS) has been used to study transport of benzospiropyran (SP), BSA labeled with azobenzene (BSA-ABITC), and IgG-κ labeled with fluorescein (IgG-FITC) through fibrin gels formed under various conditions. The structures of the gels were controlled by means of the concentrations of fibrinogen, thrombin, and Ca2+ present during assembly of the fibrin. The diffusion coefficient of free dye (SP) was found to be independent of the fibrinogen concentration. The diffusion rate of labeled BSA reflected the assembly conditions of the gel for fibrinogen concentrations above approximately 6 g/L. In particular, the diffusion coefficient was higher in gels formed in the presence of 5 mM Ca2+. The labeled IgG showed photoinduced aggregation, as previously reported, as well as photoinduced attachment to the gel network to produce a permanent diffraction grating. Thus IgG is not a probe in the classical sense, but provides a model for protein diffusion and interactions in gels. These studies indicate that HRS is well suited to the study of molecular transport in fibrin gels.
On the mechanism of channel-length dependence of gramicidin single-channel conductance.

Abstract Single-channel conductance data on four different gramicidin channel lengths demonstrate that conductance magnitude is neither inversely dependent on the square of the channel length nor on the image force arising from differences in the extent of lipid dimpling (Jordan and Vayl (1985) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 818, 416–420). Rather the conductance differences are consistent with the decreased off-rate constant for the singly occupied state as the ionic radius decreases from that of cesium ion to sodium ion coupled with the decreased probability of the doubly occupied channel due to increased ion-ion repulsion as the channel is shortened (Urry et al. (1984) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 774, 115–119).
Reparametrization invariance in some non-local 1D field theories

Abstract In this paper we consider 1D non-local field theories with a particular 1/ r 2 interaction, a constant gauge field and an arbitrary scalar potential. We show that any such theory that is at a renormalization group fixed point also satisfies an infinite set of reparametrization invariance Ward identities. We also prove that, for special values of the gauge field, the value of the potential that satisfies the Ward identities to first order in the potential strength remains a solution to all orders in the potential strength, summed over all loops. These theories are of interest because they describe dissipative quantum mechanics with an arbitrary potential and a constant magnetic field. They also give solutions to open string theory in the presence of a uniform gauge field and an arbitrary tachyon field.
Capitalist World-Economy, Globalization, and Violence: Implications for Criminology and Social Justice

During the past two decades, neoliberal economic policies have been enacted in many peripheral regions of the world. Neoliberalism promotes free trade, deregulation, privatization, and welfare reduction; however, it does not call for state rescission of social control and legal coercion. Global capitalism has asserted itself as the dominant force in modernity. It transcends the nation-state system. For example, the United States was the primary hegemon throughout much of the 20th century. Yet since the appearance of global capitalism, transnational corporations now dominate the world-economy. Wealth is heavily concentrated in the hands of an elite capitalist class. The resultant income inequality, coupled with increased state surveillance and formal control, increases structural violence throughout the periphery. The purpose of this article is to examine the structural inequalities in the Americas, while presenting possible solutions to the neoliberal crisis from a social justice perspective.
Enhanced emission of Alfvén waves from sunspots during proton flares

Thomas (1978) has shown that, if Alfven waves exist in a sunspot umbra, they are normally reflected so strongly by the temperature minimum as to be essentially undetectable in the upper solar atmosphere. However, it is known that in many proton flares, chromospheric emission overlies the umbra of a sunspot, indicating that the transition region (TR) between chromosphere and corona in the umbral flux tube has moved down to lower altitudes. As a result of this lowering, umbral Alfven waves have readier access to the corona: the coronal leakage depends exponentially on the altitude of the TR. We find that the Alfven wave flux which leaks out of the umbra into the corona can exceed 107 ergs cm-2 s-1. A flux of this magnitude is expected to dissipate rapidly in the corona, thereby contributing to a positive feedback loop which ensures prolonged (∼1 hr) leakage of the umbral Alfven waves into the corona. We propose that these Alfven waves may contribute significantly to prolonged energization of proton flares in which umbral coverage occurs.
Information theoretic approach to complex biological network reconstruction: application to cytokine release in RAW 264.7 macrophages

High-throughput methods for biological measurements generate vast amounts of quantitative data, which necessitate the development of advanced approaches to data analysis to help understand the underlying mechanisms and networks. Reconstruction of biological networks from measured data of different components is a significant challenge in systems biology. We use an information theoretic approach to reconstruct phosphoprotein-cytokine networks in RAW 264.7 macrophage cells. Cytokines are secreted upon activation of a wide range of regulatory signals transduced by the phosphoprotein network. Identifying these components can help identify regulatory modules responsible for the inflammatory phenotype. The information theoretic approach is based on estimation of mutual information of interactions by using kernel density estimators. Mutual information provides a measure of statistical dependencies between interacting components. Using the topology of the network derived, we develop a data-driven parsimonious input–output model of the phosphoprotein-cytokine network. We demonstrate the applicability of our information theoretic approach to reconstruction of biological networks. For the phosphoprotein-cytokine network, this approach not only captures most of the known signaling components involved in cytokine release but also predicts new signaling components involved in the release of cytokines. The results of this study are important for gaining a clear understanding of macrophage activation during the inflammation process.
Abundance of carabid beetles and other ground-dwelling arthropods in conventional versus low-input bean cropping systems

Abstract The abundance and seasonal dynamics of carabid beetles and other ground-dwelling arthropods in conventional and low-input dry bean ( Phaseolus vulgaris L.) cropping systems were investigated over two field seasons in Maine, USA. In 1988, carabids and staphylinids were significantly greater in number in the low-input plots. Staphylinids and arachnids were significantly more abundant in the low-input plots in 1989. Elaterid adults were abundant in 1988, and the number in the conventional plots was 23 times higher than in the low-input plots. Multivariate analysis showed that compositions of major ground-dweling arthropods differed significantly between the two cropping systems from the early to middle season of plant growth. Individual carabid species differed between the two cropping systems. Harpalus rufipes, Pterostichus melanarius, Agonum muelleri, Clivina fossor, Carabus memoralis, Carabus auratus , and Loricera pilicornis were dominant carabid species in this study. In 1988, Pterostichus melanarius, Carabus auratus , and L. pilicornis were significantly more abundant in the low-input plots, while A. muelleri and Clivina fossor were significantly more abundant in the conventional plots. In 1989, however, only A. muelleri was significantly different between cropping systems and a significantly higher number was trapped in the low-input plots.
On system identification and response prediction of degrading structures

All structures degrade when acted upon by cyclic forces associated with earthquakes, high winds, and sea waves. Identification and prediction of degradation is thus a problem of considerable practical significance in the field of engineering mechanics. Under cyclic excitation, degradation manifests itself in the evolution of the associated hysteresis loops. Two principal tasks in connection with hysteretic evolution are addressed in this paper. First, a robust identification algorithm is devised to generate hysteretic models of a deteriorating structure from its experimental load–displacement traces. This algorithm is based upon the generalized Bouc–Wen model and the latest theory of differential evolution, streamlined through global sensitivity analysis. It can account for strength degradation, stiffness degradation, and pinching characteristics in the evolution of hysteretic traces. Second, it is shown experimentally that a hysteretic model obtained by identification can be used to predict the future performance of a degrading structure. Prediction of degradation through identification is a brute-force approach that offers a close representation of reality. There is not any method based upon the fundamental postulates of mechanics that can predict the response of a degrading structure well beyond its linear range. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Gene therapy applications for lumbar fusion surgery

Recent advances in gene therapy have taken this technique to actual realization as a potential medical therapy for the treatment of spinal disorders. As our understanding of spinal disease extends down to a molecular level within individual cells, improvements in gene therapy may allow for improved and less invasive spinal treatments. As a learning and research tool, gene therapy technology may allow a deeper understanding of the pathogenesis of spinal diseases and lead to novel interventions. The purpose of this article is to provide the spine clinician with a basic understanding of gene therapy, the mechanisms involved, the variety of methods available to implement this technology, and to demonstrate recent and potential future applications of gene therapy for the treatment of spinal disorders.
A Comparison of Various Routes of Newcastle Disease Vaccination at One Day of Age

Abstract Groups of 100 one-day-old chicks with moderate levels of maternal antibody were vaccinated with the B1 strain of Newcastle disease virus subcutaneously, intratracheally, intraocularly or by aerosol or were left unvaccinated. Certain of these groups were revaccinated at 9 or 9 and 28 days or at 14 or 14 and 28 days with the LaSota strain of Newcastle disease virus. Vaccination by all routes at one day of age resulted in an antibody response and increased resistance to challenge. The most effective route was by aerosol followed by the intraocular method. Intratracheal administration or subcutaneous inoculation led to a marginal response. Aerosol administration at 9 or 9 and 28 days or at 14 or 14 and 28 days gave adequate antibody responses and resistance to challenge.
Dynamic Load Balance for Optimized Message Logging in Fault Tolerant HPC Applications

Computing systems will grow significantly larger in the near future to satisfy the needs of computational scientists in areas like climate modeling, biophysics and cosmology. Supercomputers being installed in the next few years will comprise millions of cores, hundreds of thousands of processor chips and millions of physical components. However, it is expected that failures become more prevalent in those machines to the point where 10% of an Exascale system will be wasted just recovering from failures. Further, with such large numbers of cores, fine-grained and dynamic load balance will become increasingly critical for maintaining good system utilization. This paper addresses both fault tolerance and load balancing by presenting a novel extension of traditional message logging protocols based on team check pointing. Message logging makes it possible to recover from localized failures by rolling back just the failed processing elements. Since this comes at a high memory overhead from logging all communication, we reduce this cost by organizing processing elements into teams and only logging messages between teams. Further, we show how to dynamically partition the application into teams to simultaneously minimize the cost of fault tolerance and to balance application load. We experimentally show that this scheme has low overhead and can dramatically reduce the memory cost of message logging.
Four Generations of Fowls Bred for Resistance to Neoplasms

Abstract IN A PREVIOUS communication by one of us (F. B. H., 1938), it was pointed out that neoplasms caused over 38 percent of all deaths among 1,922 fowls dying during the six-year period, 1931–37, at two laying tests in New York. It was also shown that in this same population 87 percent of all deaths were caused by diseases thus far not amenable to control by sanitation, immunization, elimination of carriers, and other orthodox procedures currently recommended for the control of poultry diseases. Because of this situation, an experiment was begun in the spring of 1935 to test the feasibility of breeding strains of White Leghorns resistant to some of these diseases. A brief report of the first three years of this work was given earlier by Hutt, Bruckner, and Cole (1939). In the present paper, we present results of the first five years’ work. These include the unselected . . .
Calibration methods for measuring splenic sequestration by external scanning

Conventional methods for measuring splenic sequestration of labeled cells rely on stationary probe counting over the liver and spleen. A quantitative spleen‐scanning method is proposed as a means of performing a more accurate diagnosis of the degree of splenic sequestration. Improved methods for calibrating a rectilinear scanner employing ‘‘constant resolution’’ collimators, designed for the i n v i v o measurement, are reported. Clinical evaluation of this method was performed by scanning several patients scheduled for splenectomy. Good correlation between i n v i v o and i n v i t r o measurements of splenic radioactivity for 29 patients was obtained. A least‐squares fit to the data yielded a coefficient of determination r 2=0.93.
IVIG immunotherapy protects against synaptic dysfunction in Alzheimer's disease through complement anaphylatoxin C5a-mediated AMPA-CREB-C/EBP signaling pathway.

Abstract Background Complement component C5-derived C5a locally generated in the brain has been shown to protect against glutamate-induced neuronal apoptosis and beta-amyloid (Aβ) toxicity, but the mechanism is not clear. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that C5a influences upstream signal transduction pathways associated with cAMP-response element-binding protein (CREB) activation, in which alterations of CREB levels are associated with cognitive deterioration in AD. Methods CREB signaling pathway, synaptic plasticity and cognitive function were studied in C5a receptor knockout mice (C5aR−/−), C5a over expressing mice (C5a/GFAP) and in Tg2576 mice, an AD mouse model. Results (1) Cognitive function is severely impaired in C5aR−/− mice, coincident with the down-regulated CREB/CEBP pathway in brain. (2) Either the application of recombinant-human-C5a (hrC5a) or exogenous expression of C5a in the brain of a mouse model (C5a/GFAP) enhances this pathway. (3) Application of hrC5a in brain slices from Tg2576 mice significantly improves deficits in long-term potentiation (LTP), while this effect is blocked by a specific AMPA receptor antagonist. (4) Searching for a pharmacological approach to locally mediate C5a responses in the brain, we found that low-dose human intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) treatment improves synaptic plasticity and cognitive function through C5a-mediated induction of the CREB/CEBP pathway, while the levels of Aβ in the brain are not significantly affected. Conclusion This study for the first time provides novel evidence suggesting that C5a may beneficially influence cognitive function in AD through an up-regulation of AMPA-CREB signaling pathway. IVIG may systematically improve cognitive function in AD brain by passing Aβ toxicity.
Post-training Glucose Administration Attenuates Forgetting of Passive-Avoidance Conditioning in 18-Day-Old Rats

The study of memory modulation in infant rats has typically focused on reminder/retrieval treatments involving reexposure to components of the internal or external training context. Rarely have studies employed pharmacological treatments to investigate the neurochemical substrates of memory storage in preweanling rats. The present study investigated the effect of 100 mg/kg of glucose, a common memory modulator in adult mammals, on memory for passive-avoidance conditioning in 18-day-old Sprague-Dawley rats. Subjects that were administered an immediate post-training injection of glucose performed significantly better, on a retention test 24 h following training, than those animals that received saline. The glucose group also performed comparably to a control group that was tested 10 min following training. These results are consistent with those of the memory modulation literature in adults and suggest that the rapid rate of forgetting in immature organisms may be the result of a deficiency in a general memory modulatory system.
Liquid crystalline states in quantum Hall systems

We investigate liquid crystalline phases with nematic order at (1/3)-filling of the valence Landau level (LL). We generalize Laughlin's fractional quantum Hall (QH) effect wavefunction at ν = (1/3) to include anisotropic nodal distribution by modifying the Jastrow factors. Lengthy Monte Carlo simulations are then used to determine with unprecedented accuracy the (anisotropic) pair distribution function g(r) and static structure factor S(q) for various degrees of anisotropy. The determination of the correlation energies at (1/3)-filling of an arbitrary LL is then performed by using standard mappings of g(r) and S(q) to higher LLs. Our results indicate that while Laughlin's state is stable in the lowest LL, there are regions of instability towards nematic order in higher LLs. Possible connections to the recently discovered QH liquid crystals are discussed.
Low-complexity soft-interference cancellation turbo equalisation for multi-input–multi-output systems with multilevel modulations

This study presents a low-complexity soft-interference cancellation equaliser (SICE) for the turbo detection of multiple-input–multiple-output systems operating in time dispersive channels. The SICE contains three time-invariant linear filters: a feedforward filter, a causal feedback filter and an anti-causal feedback filter. The feedforward filter is designed to suppress the intersymbol interference because of channel time dispersion and the multiplexing interference from multiple transmit antennas. The causal (or anti-causal) feedback filter is developed to remove the residual interference caused by the symbols transmitted before (or after) the symbol under detection. The filters are designed by analysing the statistical properties of soft decisions. The performance of the proposed SICE is verified through both extrinsic information transfer (EXIT) chart analysis and computer simulations. The EXIT chart analysis shows that, because of the inclusion of the anti-causal soft decision, the SICE performance approaches the ideal matched filter bound as the iteration progresses. Consequently, the proposed SICE achieves significant performance gains over conventional equalisers.
H-2-linked low-molecular weight polypeptide antigens assemble into an unusual macromolecular complex

The major histocompatibility complex (MHC) is a cluster of tightly linked genes whose products are of central importance in the functioning of the immune system. Class I and II MHC antigens are integral membrane proteins which regulate cell-surface interactions between T cells and their targets, while class III antigens are components of the complement system of serum proteins. All available evidence indicates that the structure and function of the MHC and its gene products are highly conserved among species (for review, see ref.5). We recently reported the existence in murine cells of a fourth class of MHC-linked polypeptides which are biochemically and genetically distinct from previously identified MHC gene products: BALB.B anti-BALB/c (anti-H-2d) antiserum immunoprecipitates a set of 16 cytoplasmic low-molecular weight polypeptides (LMP) from BALB/c spleen cells and from the WEHI-3 cell line. The production of these peptides is coordinately regulated (by immune interferon) with the production of the class I and II MHC antigens, suggesting that they too are functionally relevant to the immune system. We demonstrate here that these 16 polypeptides are associated with one another in vivo as a very large (580,000-molecular weight, Mr) noncovalent complex. The unusual nature of this complex has allowed the non-immunochemical identification of similar complexes from (serologically negative) H-2b murine cells and from a human cell line. Thus, LMP antigens display two properties in common with other MHC antigens: they are both polymorphic and genetically conserved across species.
Actigraphy of movement

The use of actigraphy to examine sleep disorders is extensively presented in the literature. This quantitative measure for sleep and activity has many other applications to clinical research beyond sleep disorders. Two examples of other applications of actigraphy will be described. The first is a study to examine sleep, pain and rhythms in preoperative and postoperative surgery patients, and the second is a study to examine differences in levels of mobility of elderly long-term care facility residents. A selection of results of actigraph measures for subjects from the above studies will be presented and discussed.
Gpp(NH)p promotes the formation of a low affinity state for the δ opioid agonist-receptor complex

Abstract We previously demonstrated an association time-dependent dissociation of the δ opioid agonist, DADL, from its receptor that suggested multi-step formation of a high affinity complex. We have now examined the effect of the GTP analog, Gpp(NH)p, on the dissociation of [ 3 H]DADL from these same sites on bovine hippocampal synaptic membranes. Gpp(NH)p accelerates dissociation of this complex in a dose-dependent manner resulting in the transformation of a high affinity form to a lower affinity state. The Gpp(NH)p effect was more pronounced when it was added at the time of initiation of dissociation. Under these conditions Gpp(NH)p engendered biphasic off-rates that were no longer association time-dependent. The addition of Gpp(NH)p at the onset of association did not prevent (but retarded) the formation of the high affinity state. Steady state homologous displacement binding curves demonstrated single site [ 3 H]DADL binding in the absence of Gpp(NH)p but in its presence an improved fit for a two site model was obtained. In summary, on the basis of both kinetic and equilibrium binding data Gpp(NH)p appears to transform the δ opioid agonist-receptor complex into a low affinity state.
Impedance of an electric dipole located in a cylindrical cavity in a dissipative medium

The electromagnetic fields of an electric dipole located inside a cylindrical cavity or empty tunnel are formulated. The results are used to deduce an expression for the change of self-impedance due to the presence of the cavity or tunnel walls. A numerical evaluation of the resultant convergent integral and a summation of the angular harmonic series were performed. An important finding is that the input resistance of the dipole is approximately a constant for frequencies less than about 25 MHz for a typical tunnel radius of 2 m. Such results are shown to be in qualitative agreement with an earlier analysis of an electric dipole over a dissipative half-space.
Analytical and Test Evaluation of Planetary Gear Train Efficiency (Torque Related Losses) With Multiple Power Flow Arrangements

A step-by-step computational procedure for estimating planetary gear train efficiency is presented. This technique is especially useful for complex gear train systems, because it does not require re-arranging the power circuit to perform efficiency calculations for different power paths. A hardware test program validating the computation is also documented. The test results correlate well with the analytical model.Copyright © 2003 by ASME
Oceanography : plankton in a warmer world

Satellite data show that phytoplankton biomass and growth generally decline as the oceans' surface waters warm up. Is this trend, seen over the past decade, a harbinger of the future for marine ecosystems?
The strong consistency of M-estimators in linear models

Abstract The strong consistency of M -estimators in linear models is considered. Under some conditions on the ratios of maximum and minimum eigenvalues of the information matrices the desired result is established.
Enzymatic composition of mitogen-induced lymphoblasts and untreated lymphocytes fractionated by rate-zonal centrifugation.

Abstract Treatment of rat lymph node cells with neuraminidase plus galactose oxidase leads to blast transformation of T lymphocytes. Rate-zonal centrifugation was used to separate both untreated lymph node cells and neuraminidase plus galactose oxidase-treated lymph node cells cultured for 2 days. The majority of untreated lymph node cells were small lymphocytes with a mean size of 130 μm 3 as determined by electronic sizing. Only 3% of the cells sedimented rapidly enough to reach fractions distal from the axis of rotation. In contrast, 20% of the cells in cultures of the neuraminidase plus galactose oxidase-treated lymph node cells sedimented rapidly and these were almost exclusively large, transformed lymphoblasts (mean size 300 μm 3 ). The most slowly sedimenting cells in these cultures were small, untransformed lymphocytes. Rate-zonal centrifugation can by used to separate and recover in high yield mitogen-induced lymphoblasts from lymphocyte cultures and thus allows the direct comparison of their biochemical properties with those of the small precursor cells. After neuraminidase plus galactose oxidase-induced blastogenesis, the amount per cell of DNA, cytochrome oxidase, β-galactosidase. cathepsin D, and arylsulfatase in whole cultures were similar to those of untreated lymph node cells. In contrast, the levels of protein, RNA, 5′-nucleotidase, γ-glutamyltranspeptidase, alkaline phosphatase, N -acetyl- β -glucosaminidase and N -acetyl- β - galactosaminidase increased 2–3-fold. Moreover, separation of these cells revealed that for each of these latter constituents there was a progressive increase in the amount per cells as the mean size increased. Thus, three plasma membrane-associated enzymes and two lysosomal acid hydrolases increased markedly in mitogen-induced blast cells as compared to the small precursor cells, but these increases were quntitatively similar to the increases in mean cellular volume and protein content.
Effects of pollen extract preparation Prostat/Poltit on lower urinary tract symptoms in patients with chronic nonbacterial prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study.

Abstract Objectives To assess the efficacy and safety of the pollen extract preparation Prostat/Poltit in the treatment of patients with chronic nonbacterial prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome. Methods In a double-blind study, 60 patients between 20 and 55 years old with chronic nonbacterial prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome were randomized to receive Prostat/Poltit or placebo for 6 months. The patients had been symptomatic for more than 6 months without response to any given therapy. The patients were evaluated at the start of the treatment and after 6 months of treatment with the help of a symptom questionnaire covering the symptoms in seven pain locations, five voiding symptoms, three storage symptoms, and four sex-related symptoms. Results The overall clinical evaluation of the treatment result showed that after treatment for 6 months more patients taking Prostat/Poltit were cured or improved than patients taking placebo. No adverse reactions to the treatment were found. Conclusions Prostat/Poltit is superior to placebo in providing symptomatic relief in men with chronic nonbacterial prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome.
Abstract 3687: Expression of a Src-family kinase in CML cells induces resistance to imatinib in a kinase-dependent manner

Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia (CML) is characterized by the presence of Philadelphia Chromosome, which results in the expression of the 210 kDa Bcr-Abl tyrosine kinase. Bcr-Abl constitutively activates signaling pathways important for the proliferation, survival and cytokine independence of myeloid progenitors, including the Src family kinases (SFKs). Imatinib, an inhibitor of Bcr-Abl tyrosine kinase activity, is the frontline therapy for CML. Although imatinib is remarkably effective in the chronic phase of the disease, patients with accelerated or blast crisis CML often develop resistance. Several recent studies performed on clinical specimens from imatinib-resistant patients with wild-type Bcr-Abl found that the Src family kinase members Hck and Lyn are overexpressed or highly active, suggesting that Src kinases may play a role in imatinib resistance. While the role of Lyn has been addressed in some detail, the contribution of Hck to this type of imatinib resistance is less well understood. To test whether Hck overexpression in CML cells induces resistance to imatinib in a kinase-dependent manner, we employed a Hck mutant (Hck-T338A) that is uniquely sensitive to the pyrazolo-pyrimidine inhibitor, NaPP1. In vitro, Hck-T338A was 48 times more sensitive to NaPP1 than the wild-type kinase. Importantly, this “gatekeeper” mutation was functionally silent and did not confer a loss or gain of function on Hck in a control fibroblast transformation assay. Expression of wild-type Hck or the T338A mutant in K562 CML cells resulted in resistance to imatinib-induced apoptosis and inhibition of soft-agar colony formation. Treatment with NaPP1 restored sensitivity to imatinib in a concentration-dependent manner only in cells expressing the Hck-T338A mutant. In contrast, cells expressing wild-type Hck were not affected by NaPP1, demonstrating the selectivity of NaPP1 for the Hck-T338A mutant. This result shows that Hck-induced imatinib resistance requires Hck kinase activity. In addition, NaPP1 also reduced Hck-mediated phosphorylation of Bcr-Abl at sites that may affect imatinib binding exclusively in cells expressing Hck-T338A. Together, these data establish a direct cause and effect relationship between Hck overexpression and imatinib resistance in CML cells. Furthermore, our results show that imatinib resistance requires Hck kinase function and may occur via direct Hck-induced trans-phosphorylation of Bcr-Abl. Selective drug targeting of Hck may be of therapeutic benefit in imatinib-resistant CML patients with increased Hck expression or activity. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 3687.
New method for empirically determining surface electronic species from multiple-bias STM images: a multivariate classification approach

Abstract We introduce the use of multivariate image classification techniques to distinguish and identify surface electronic species directly from multiple-bias scanning tunneling microscope (STM) images. Multiple measurements at each site are used to distinguish and categorize inequivalent electronic or atomic species on the surface via a computerized classification algorithm. Then, comparison with theory or other suitably chosen experimental data enables the identification of each class. We demonstrate the technique by analyzing dual-polarity constant-current topographs of the Ge(111) surface. Without assuming a particular atomic structure of the surface, we find that just two measurements, negative- and positive-bias topography height, permit pixels to be separated into seven different classes. To assess the validity of our classifications and determine the identity of each class, we compare our results with the accepted atomic structure of the c(2×8) reconstruction of Ge(111). Labeling four of the classes as adatoms, first-layer atoms, and two inequivalent rest-atom sites, we find very good agreement with the c(2×8) structure. The remaining classes are associated with structural defects and contaminants. This work represents a first step toward developing a general electronic/chemical classification and identification tool for multivariate scanning probe microscopy imagery.
When Worlds Collide: Applying the Nonobviousness and Novelty Requirements of Patent Law to Tax Strategy Patents

A proliferation of newly issued tax‐related patents has resulted in concern and confusion among tax practitioners. Tax practitioners argue that the tax strategies claimed in the patents have been used for many years and do not meet the novel and nonobvious requirements of patent law. Additionally, tax professionals are concerned that enforcement of these patents will limit their ability to serve as advocates for their clients and recommend tax strategies that legally minimize their clients' taxes. Tax professionals also worry that they may be in jeopardy of being sued as defendants in tax‐related patent infringement cases. In this paper, the authors review the basics of patent law, discuss business method patents, and analyze five tax strategy patents in order to determine whether the inventions claimed in the patents meet the nonobviousness and novelty requirements of patent law. The authors examine articles, IRS Revenue Rulings, Private Letter Rulings, continuing education materials, and other evidence ...
Hydrogen absorption by thin Pd/Nb films deposited on glass.

Hydrogen absorption by 200--2000-\AA{}-thick Pd-capped Nb films, between 5 and 110 \ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C, was studied by simultaneous four-probe resistivity and volumetric measurements. The resistivity as a function of hydrogen concentration was measured while charging the films with hydrogen, and was used to compute the change in hydrogen concentration in the film, during the reaction with oxygen. For the thinnest films (200 \AA{} thick), the hydrogen charging and discharging curves indicate that a first-order gas-liquid-like phase transition with a ${\mathit{T}}_{\mathit{c}}$ of 70--75 \ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C takes place. The H-Nb phase diagram for the 200-\AA{} film looks like the H/bulk Nb \ensuremath{\alpha}-\ensuremath{\alpha}\ensuremath{'} phase diagram which has a higher ${\mathit{T}}_{\mathit{c}}$ (173 \ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C). We attribute the substantial modifications of the film's phase diagram to the clamping of the Nb film at its interfaces with glass and Pd and to the nanostructure of the films. \textcopyright{} 1996 The American Physical Society.
Power, Pleasure, Patterns: Intersecting Narratives of Media Influence

In a classic joke of observer bias, scientists of different nationalities studying rats ‘‘discover’’ in the rats the behavioral traits associated with the stereotypical conceptions of the scientists’ own nationalities. One group of scientists sees the rats operating in organized hierarchies, another group of scientists sees the rats responding to the impulses of the moment, yet another group of scientists sees the rats engaging in creative long-term adaptations to the environments in which they are placed, and so on. Each group of scientists sees what its members already ‘‘know’’ to be the nature of mammalian life. Each has difficulty seeing what the other groups of scientists observe. The humor in such anecdotes typically fades, of course, for any scholars who are asked to consider the possibility that their own research is similarly shaped and limited by preconceptions of the subject at hand. Yet, this process probably underlies all ways of knowing about human communication. My focus in this article is on the manner in which something analogous to the examination of rats in the different scientists’ laboratories has been operating in the study of media in different research camps. In observing (or imagining) a family watching television news, for example, different media analysts see different forces at work. One research camp sees a family being subjected to a dominant ideological ‘‘text’’ (to which they may succumb or develop oppositional or negotiated ‘‘readings’’). Another research camp sees a family actively employing media for useful and pleasurable ends, such as surveillance of their world, exposure to sample interpretations of social events, anticipatory socialization for the children, and shared topics for conversation. Yet another research camp focuses less on the content of the news program or the motivations of the viewers than on the medium-afforded structure of the interaction—that is, on how television, more easily than newspapers, includes family members of different ages and genders in the same experience at the same time. And so on. Like the rat-observing scientists, many scholars who describe the ‘‘obvious’’ nature of such interactions with media have difficulty appreciating, or sometimes even comprehending, what other media observers see. Yet, there is a good case to be made that fuller understandings of human interactions with media, as with the
Lower extremity radicular pain after prophylactic intrathecal saline injection through a subarachnoid catheter following accidental dural puncture.

Abstract We describe a case in which severe lower extremity radicular pain occurred after administration of 0.9% saline into the subarachnoid space through a catheter that had been left for 20 h following inadvertent dural puncture in an obstetric patient. A 42-year-old (G8P7) woman was admitted for repeat cesarean delivery. Accidental dural puncture occurred during epidural placement. Following a slow 10-mL intrathecal injection of 0.9% normal saline an epidural catheter was advanced into the subarachnoid space. Spinal anesthesia was used for cesarean delivery and the subarachnoid catheter was kept in place for 20 h. Before catheter removal, an additional 10 mL of 0.9% saline was slowly administered into the intrathecal space. Almost instantly, the patient complained of back pain that progressed to lower extremity radicular pain and paresthesia; symptoms began to resolve after 10 min. Subsequently, the patient developed a postdural puncture headache that persisted for three days. The patient’s radiculitis and paresthesia likely resulted from an acute increase in intrathecal pressure after saline administration or from direct catheter irritation. Although both intrathecal saline administration and subarachnoid catheter placement have been previously proposed as ways to prevent postdural puncture headache, their efficacy remains controversial, and we advise caution with these techniques.
The effects of rurality on mental and physical health

The effects of rurality on physical and mental health are examined in analyses of a national dataset, the Community Tracking Survey, 2000-2001, that includes individual level observations from household interviews. We merge it with county level data reflecting community resources and use econometric methods to analyze this multi-level data. The statistical analysis of the impact of the choice of definition on outcomes and on the estimates and significance of explanatory variables in the model is presented using modern econometric methods, and differences in results for mental health and physical health are evaluated.