cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Determination of the in situ forces and force distribution within the human anterior cruciate ligament.

Thein situ forces and their distribution within the human anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) can clarify this ligament's role in the knee and help to resolve controversies regarding surgical treatment of ACL deficiency. We used a universal force-moment sensor (UFS) to determine the magnitude, direction, and point of application of thein situ forces in the ACL in intact human cadaveric knees. Unlike previous studies, this approach does not require surgical intervention, the attachment of mechanical devices to or near the ACL, ora priori assumptions about the direction ofin situ force. Anterior tibial loads were applied to intact knees, which were limited to 1 degree of freedom at 30o flexion. Thein situ forces developed in the ACL were lower than the applied force for loads under 80 N, but larger for applied loads of more than 80 N. The direction of the force vector corresponded to that of the anteromedial (AM) portion of the ACL insertion on the tibial plateau. The point of force application was located in the posterior section of the anteromedial portion of the tibial insertion site. The anterior and posterior aspects of the anteromedial portion of the ACL supported 25% and 70% of thein situ force, respectively, with the remainder carried by the posterolateral portion. We believe that the data obtained with this new UFS methodology improves our understanding of the role of the ACL in knee function, and that this methodology can be easily extended to study the function of other ligaments.
Probing the structure of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor with 4-benzoylbenzoylcholine, a novel photoaffinity competitive antagonist.

Abstract [3H]4-Benzoylbenzoylcholine (Bz2choline) was synthesized as a photoaffinity probe for the Torpedo nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR). [3H]Bz2choline acts as an nAChR competitive antagonist and binds at equilibrium with the same affinity (K D = 1.4 μm) to both agonist sites. Irradiation at 320 nm of nAChR-rich membranes equilibrated with [3H]Bz2choline results in the covalent incorporation of [3H]Bz2choline into the nAChR γ- and δ-subunits that is inhibitable by agonist, with little specific incorporation in the α-subunits. To identify the sites of photoincorporation, γ- and δ-subunits, isolated from nAChR-rich membranes photolabeled with [3H]Bz2choline, were digested enzymatically, and the labeled fragments were isolated by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and/or reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography. For the γ-subunit, Staphylococcus aureus V8 protease produced a specifically labeled peptide beginning at γVal-102, whereas for the δ-subunit, endoproteinase Asp-N produced a labeled peptide beginning at δAsp-99. Amino-terminal sequence analysis identified the homologous residues γLeu-109 and δLeu-111 as the primary sites of [3H]Bz2choline photoincorporation. This is the first identification by affinity labeling of non-reactive amino acids within the acetylcholine-binding sites, and these results establish that when choline esters of benzoic acid are bound to the nAChR agonist sites, the para substituent is selectively oriented toward and in proximity to amino acids γLeu-109/δLeu-111.
Cationic Zirconocene‐Mediated Catalytic H‐Shuttling Polymerization of Polar Vinyl Monomers: Scopes of Catalyst, Chain‐Transfer Agent, and Monomer

Summary This study investigates the characteristics of the recently developed catalytic H-shuttling polymerization (HSP) of polar vinyl monomers mediated by cationic zirconocenium catalysts, through examining the scopes of chain transfer agent, catalyst, and monomer. Amongst the three classes of chain transfer agents (metal hydrides, metal aryl/alkyls, organics) investigated for the MMA polymerization catalyzed by Cs-ligated catalyst 1, the Lewis acid B(C6F5)3, metal hydrides MH (M = K, Na, Li) and the organic PhNMe2 promote efficient catalytic polymerization, while metal alkyls such as Et3Al and Et2Zn serve only as the scavenger and/or monomer activator and thus do not promote chain transfer. In the presence of 5 equivalents of KH, both Cs-ligated catalyst 1 and achiral C2v-ligated catalyst 3 promote catalytic MMA polymerization through effective chain transfer, whereas C2-ligated catalyst 2 shows no chain transfer. Of several other conjugated polar vinyl monomers investigated, including acrylamides and α-methylene-γ-butyrolactones, only N,N-diphenylacrylamide (DPAA) exhibits catalytic polymerization behavior. Thus, in the presence of enantiopure pre-catalyst (S,S)-4 and excess B(C6F5)3, DPAA is polymerized catalytically and asymmetrically to optically active poly(DPAA) with a narrow MWD of 1.02.
Ibuprofen inhibits granulocyte responses to inflammatory mediators. A proposed mechanism for reduction of experimental myocardial infarct size.

The use of nonsteroidal antiinflammatory agents to reduce myocardial infarct size has demonstrated a dichotomy between ibuprofen, which reduces myocardial infarct size, and aspirin, which does not. A feline model of coronary ischemia using ligation of the anterior descending artery demonstrated that intravenous ibuprofen (2.5–20 mg/kg) given immediately and 2 h after ligation significantly decreased (by about 40%) myocardial infarct size. In contrast, aspirin did not diminish infarct size at any achieved dose; in fact, at some doses it tended to increase infarct size. In vitro studies with purified granulocytes demonstrated a similar dichotomy between ibuprofen and aspirin. Ibuprofen inhibits granulocyte aggregation, superoxide production, lysosomal enzyme release, and granulocytemediated endothelial cytotoxicity, while aspirin is without effect on these modalities. We propose that ibuprofen's beneficial effect in experimental myocardial ischemia is related to its ability to inhibit activated granulocytes and thus to diminish myocardial cell death in experimental myocardial infarction.
Accessibility, transcription, and access everywhere

Accessibility in the workplace and in academic settings has increased dramatically for users with disabilities, driven by greater awareness, legislative mandate, and technological improvements. Gaps, however, remain. For persons who are deaf and hard of hearing in particular, full participation requires complete access to audio materials, both for live settings and for prerecorded audio and visual information. Even for users with adequate hearing, captioned or transcribed materials offer another modality for information access, one that can be particularly useful in certain situations, such as listening in noisy environments, interpreting speakers with strong accents, or searching audio media for specific information. Providing this level of access through fully automated means is currently beyond the state of the art. This paper details a number of key advances in audio access that have occurred over the last five years. We describe the Liberated Learning Project, a consortium of universities worldwide, which is piloting technologies to create real-time access for students who are deaf and hard of hearing, without intermediary assistance. In support of this project, IBM Research has created the ViaScribeTM tool that converts speech recognition output to a viable captioning interface. Additional inventions and incremental improvements to speech recognition for captioning are described, as well as future directions.
The Finite Capacity GI/M/1 Queue with Server Vacations

We consider the GI/M/1/K queue where the server takes exponentially distributed vacations when there are no customers left to serve in the queue. We obtain the queue length distribution at arrival epochs and random epochs for the multiple vacation case. We present heuristic algorithms to compute the blocking probability for this system. Several numerical examples are presented to analyze the behaviour of the blocking probability and to test the performance of the heuristics.
Infrared absorption intensities of ethane and propane

Abstract Infrared absorption intensities of various deuterated derivatives of ethane and propane were measured in the gas phase by using pressure broadening technique. However, especially in the case of propane a great number of combinations of sign choices for ∂mu;/∂ Q i made it difficult to obtain directly the values of ∂mu;/∂ S j 's from the intensity data. In order to reduce this number of possible sign choices for propane, the CNDO/2 method was applied. For that purpose, the values of bonding parameters, β ab used in the CNDO/2 calculation were reestimated by using the experimental values of ∂mu; S j 's for ethane and methane. The various sets of values for ∂mu; S j 's obtained from the intensity data were compared with the result of the CNDO/2 calculation using the reestimated values of the bonding parameters. The preferred values of ∂mu; S j 's for propane are reasonably understood by chemical intuition when they are compared to the values for ethane and methane. Further, the values of the effective charges of C and H atoms in the propane and ethane molecules were calculated and found in good agreement to each other.
Impulse approximation with current conservation

It is found that, if the off-shell form factors for nucleons can be invoked to ensure current conservation during the instantaneous absorption of the four-momentum transfer by a particular constituent nucleon, the nuclear current in the resultant impulse approximation is conserved in the operator sense. It is also found that, if we start with a relativistic second-quantized operator representation of a given current, a precise definition can be ascribed to the nonrelativistic impulse approximation.
Groundwater pollutants from underground coal gasification

Abstract The purpose of this study was to determine the contaminants released to groundwaters as a result of the underground gasification of lignite and determine the ability of the surrounding strata to moderate their impact. Groundwater pollutants principally arise from ash leachate and condensed vapors in surrounding strata. Ash was found to yield sulfate, calcium, and hydroxide while condensed vapors contributed organics and ammonia as major changes to water quality. The organics consisted of mostly polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons. Phenols were not major organic components. Lignite and clay strata were studied to determine their ability to sorb the groundwater contaminants. Both types of strata were effective in sorbing organics and ammonia. The behavior could be described by Freundlich isotherms. Divalent cations were released by ion exchange with monovalent cations. Anions had little affinity for the strata. Relatively little migration of ammonia and most of the organics was predicted as compared with calcium, sulfate, and some non-sorbable organics.
Mechanical evaluation of pin and tension-band wire factors in an olecranon osteotomy model.

Objective— To evaluate the effect of altering pin and wire diameter, wire position and configuration, and osteotomy angle on applied load and absorbed strain energy in a pin and tension-band wire (PTBW) fixation model. Study Design— In vitro mechanical study. Sample Population— Delrin® models (n=96). Methods— PTBW was applied to Delrin® olecranon osteotomy models. A control configuration was defined and then altered, 1 variable (wire diameter, pin diameter, wire-hole position, wire configuration, osteotomy angle) at a time, to create 11 test configurations. Tensile force was applied and displacement at the caudal aspect of the osteotomy was measured. Fixation strength, in terms of tensile load and strain energy, was compared between control and each test configuration at 4 osteotomy displacements. Results— Models with larger wire, pins, or combined figure-of-eight/lateral wires were stronger than control, whereas those with smaller wire, pins, or a solitary lateral wire were weaker. The superior strength of the larger wire was apparent for all assessed osteotomy displacement. Conclusions— PTBW fixation strength increases as implant diameter is increased, with wire diameter having greatest effect. Lateral wire configuration is weaker than figure-of-eight, but can be added to figure-of-eight configuration to increase strength. Wire-hole position and osteotomy angle have little effect on PTBW strength. Clinical Relevance— Wire diameter is the key determinant of PTBW strength, whereas pin diameter is somewhat less critical. Wire passage through an additional hole proximally provides equivalent strength and may avoid soft-tissue entrapment and subsequent loosening.
Extent of beta cell destruction is important but insufficient to predict the onset of type 1 diabetes mellitus.

Background Type 1 diabetes mellitus is characterized by an inability to produce insulin endogenously. Based on a series of histopathology studies of patients with recent onset of the disease, it is commonly stated that the onset of clinical symptoms corresponds to an 80-95% reduction in beta cell mass. Motivated by the clinical importance of the degree of beta cell destruction at onset, a meta-analysis was used to determine the validity of this common wisdom.
Lateralization of Chronic Pain

A number of recent articles have discussed the issue of laterality of chronic pain with inconclusive results. While some authors have found evidence for a preponderance of left-sided pain, others have failed to find such evidence. Unfortunately, none of the studies have clearly explained the rules used for deciding laterality. Consequently, considerable differences exist in the frequency of lateralized versus unlateralized patients in these studies, raising the question of whether variance in results reflects actual differences or different methodologies. In the current study, 101 chronic pain patients were asked to complete a drawing indicating the location and extent of their pain. These drawings were scored for the presence and absence of pain in each of 45 body areas, using a highly reliable rating system. The results suggest that laterality may be normally distributed. The findings are discussed in light of previous research, and suggestions are made for possible uses of the rating system.
A Novel Way to Statistically Analyze Morphologic Changes in Dmp1-Null Osteocytes

AbstractRecent studies have revealed multiple roles of osteocytes in bone metabolism. However, detailed analyses of the embedded osteocytes in bone structure are still limited because of the high mineral content around these cells. In this study, we developed an innovative technique, the “FITC-Imaris technique”, which combines FITC ([2, 5]-Fluorescein isothiocyanate), confocal microscopy and Imaris software. With this method, we could not only visualize the 3-D morphology of embedded osteocytes, but more importantly, we were able to statistically quantitate the osteocyte structure in the cell surface area, total cell volume, and dendrite numbers. Furthermore, we made a side-by-side comparison of the new method with the acid-etched SEM imaging technique, a common imaging method for studies of osteocyte morphology with a much smaller cell depth (< 3 μm). Finally, we used the FITC-Imaris technique to show both the morphological and statistical differences in the osteocyte structure between the Dmp1-null mice...
The behavior of nonionic surface active agents in salt solutions

Abstract 1. 1. Sodium chloride and other salts of the alkali metals have been found to salt-out nonionic surface-active agents, whereas soluble calcium salts and other soluble salts of heavy metals salt-in these colloids. 2. 2. A crystalline complex of a nonionic surface-active agent, calcium chloride, and water has been isolated. 3. 3. The nonionic surface-active agents appear to coordinate with hydrated calcium ions both in solution and at solid—liquid interfaces.
Hyperbaric oxygen does not prevent neurologic sequelae after carbon monoxide poisoning.

UNLABELLED: Delayed neurologic sequelae occur in up to 40% of severe carbon monoxide (CO) poisonings. Conflicting clinical data support the efficacy of hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) therapy in the acute treatment of CO poisoning. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether oxygen therapy reduces neurologic sequelae after CO poisoning in mice. METHODS: Male Swiss-Webster mice were exposed to CO at 1,000 ppm for 40 minutes and then 50,000 ppm until loss of consciousness (LOC) (4-9 additional minutes). Total time of both phases of CO exposure was 40-49 minutes. Treatment included HBO with 3 atmospheres (ATA) 100% oxygen, normobaric oxygen (NBO) with 1 ATA 100% oxygen, or ambient air 15 minutes after LOC. All animals underwent passive avoidance training and memory was assessed by measuring step-down latency (SDL) and step-up latency (SUL) seven days following CO exposure. RESULTS: Carbon monoxide poisoning induced significant memory deficits (SDL(CO) = 156 sec; SUL(CO) = 75%) compared with nonpoisoned (NP) animals (SDL(NP) = 272 sec; SUL(NP) = 100%). Both HBO and NBO did not prevent these neurologic sequelae. Furthermore, no significant neurobehavioral differences were found between HBO and NBO. Histologic examination of the CA1 layer of the hippocampus for pyknotic cells showed significant damage from CO in the air-treated animals (9.6%) but not in the nonpoisoned animals (3.8%). No significant neuroprotection was seen histologically with NBO and HBO compared with ambient air. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that HBO is not effective in preventing neurologic sequelae in mice and that there is no benefit of HBO over NBO following severe CO neurotoxicity. Language: en
Modification of human tumor pH by elevation of blood glucose.

Abstract Nine patients with metastatic or recurrent superficial tumors of varying size and histology were administered 100 g oral glucose to investigate whether hyperglycemia can selectively lower tumor pH. pH was measured by a 21 ga modified glass needle electrode inserted through an 18 ga open-ended Angiocath. Serum glucose was monitored every 7.5 min by finger stick and a blood glucose analyzer. Tumor pH was measured over 50–80 min concomitantly with determination of blood glucose. In five nondiabetic patients (eight measurement points) tumor pH decreased 0.05 – 0.5 units from a pre-glucose range of 6.8 – 7.4 (7.14 ± 0.08) to 6.4 – 7.3 (6.90 ± 0.10) as blood glucose increased from a baseline of 80–120 mg/dl to 165–215 mg/dI. There was considerable heterogeneity from patient to patient regardless whether blood glucose increased to a peak at 40–60 min post-ingestion and then decreased, or whether it remained elevated up to the end of the 80 min observation period. In general, tumor pH decreased as blood glucose increased and then continued to fall throughout the period of observation. In one patient, tumor pH did not change although blood glucose increased to 175 mg/dl. Normal tissue pH was 7.36 ± 0.02 when determined on four occasions in three patients (subcutaneous and intramuscular sites), and was unaffected by glucose administration. As a further control for tumor tissue and pH probe stability, pH probes in two patients were left in place for 30 min before glucose ingestion. The tumor pH was stable for the entire interval. Interestingly, three patients had an abnormal glucose response: two of those patients (one patient on two separate occasions) had an increase in blood glucose to 230–260 mg/dl in 40–60 min and pH actually increased 0.1 – 0.3 units. The third patient had a transient increase in blood glucose to 290 mg/dl along with a corresponding increase and subsequent decrease in tumor pH. In summary, whether glucose was given pre- or post-hyperthermia, independently of position in the tumor, and independently of whether pH increased or decreased, the slope of the curve of pH = f(time) was similar in a given patient tumor on all measurement occasions. These preliminary results suggest that hyperglycemia may be useful in non-diabetic patients, and perhaps in diabetic patients given insulin, to selectively reduce tumor pH and sensitize tumors to hyperthermia.
Retinal atrophy in eyes with resolved papilledema detected by optical coherence tomography.

BACKGROUND To apply automated spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) segmentation to eyes with resolving papilledema. METHODS Ninety-four patients with idiopathic intracranial hypertension seen at the Duke Eye Center neuro-ophthalmology clinic between November 2010 and October 2011 were reviewed. Excluded were eyes with papilledema with Frisen grade >2, other optic neuropathies or retinopathies, and those that did not have SD-OCT imaging. The remaining 43 patients were split into 2 groups: non-atrophic papilledema and atrophic papilledema. Automated SD-OCT segmentation was performed on patients with non-atrophic papilledema and age-matched controls for each of the 9 regions of the Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study map. Bonferroni correction was used for multiple comparisons. All SD-OCT scans were reviewed for retinal structural abnormalities. RESULTS Total macular thickness was significantly thinner within the fovea and inner macular ring in non-atrophic papilledema vs control eyes (266 vs 276 μm, P = 0.04; 333 vs 344 μm P < 0.01, n = 26 non-atrophic papilledema, 30 controls). SD-OCT demonstrated thinning within the fovea, inner macular ring, and outer macular ring of the outer plexiform layer plus nuclear layer in non-atrophic papilledema vs control (124 vs 131 μm, P < 0.01; 112 vs 118 μm, P = 0.03; 95 vs 100 μm, P = 0.03). Retinal structural changes were seen in 21/33 eyes with atrophic papilledema vs none of the eyes with non-atrophic papilledema or controls. CONCLUSIONS SD-OCT shows qualitative and quantitative changes in the macula of eyes with resolved papilledema.
RATIONALE, DESIGN, AND BASELINE DATA FOR COMMIT TO QUIT : AN EXERCISE EFFICACY TRIAL FOR SMOKING CESSATION AMONG WOMEN

Abstract Background. The Commit to Quit trial was designed to address the methodological problems of prior studies that have examined the contribution of exercise to smoking cessation. Methods. This paper provides an overview of the study design and describes the sample of women who participated in this trial ( N = 281). Interrelationships among eating, exercise, and smoking behavior are examined. Results. Subjects randomized into the study compared with the sample of women who completed the initial assessment but were not randomized were more likely to be white, to have at least a high school education, and to smoke fewer cigarettes per day. Overall, the most frequent ineligibility criteria were health-related issues and scheduling conflicts. On average, participants in this study smoked more cigarettes per day than national samples of women smokers. Significant interrelationships include the positive association of motivational readiness for quitting smoking and enhanced levels of dietary restraint and the positive association of motivational readiness for exercise adoption and high levels of weight concern. Conclusions. This study represents the first adequately powered randomized controlled clinical trial comparing the relative efficacy of a cognitive-behavioral smoking cessation treatment plus vigorous exercise with the same treatment plus contact control.
Caloric Restriction Attenuates Dityrosine Cross-Linking of Cardiac and Skeletal Muscle Proteins in Aging Mice

Oxidative damage, particularly to proteins, has been widely postulated to be a major causative factor in the loss of functional capacity during senescence. The nature of the various mechanisms that may contribute to protein oxidation is only partially understood. In this study, concentrations of two markers for oxidative damage,o,o′-dityrosine ando-tyrosine, were determined using stable isotope dilution gas chromatography–mass spectrometry in four tissues of the mouse, namely heart, skeletal muscle, brain, and liver, during youth (4 months old), adulthood (14 months old), and old (30 months old) age. A comparison was made between mice that had access to unlimited calories with those that were restricted to 60% of the caloric intake of thead libitumregimen. Caloric restriction of this magnitude extends the average and maximum life span of mice by ∼40%.In vitrostudies demonstrated thato,o′-dityrosine was generated selectively in proteins exposed to tyrosyl radical.o-Tyrosine increased in proteins oxidized with hydroxyl radical, which also resulted in a variable increase ino,o′-dityrosine. In mice fedad libitum, levels ofo,o′-dityrosine increased with age in cardiac and skeletal muscle but not in liver or brain. In contrast,o-tyrosine levels did not rise with age in any of the tissues examined. These results suggest that tyrosyl radical-induced protein oxidation increases selectively with age in skeletal muscle and heart. Caloric restriction prevented the increase ino,o′-dityrosine levels in cardiac and skeletal muscle but did not influenceo-tyrosine levels in any of the four tissues. This selective increase ino,o′-dityrosine levels and its prevention by a life-prolonging caloric restriction regimen raise the possibility that oxidation of muscle proteins by tyrosyl radical contributes to the deterioration of cardiac and skeletal muscle function with advancing age.
Clastogenic Effect of the Human T-cell Leukemia Virus Type I Tax Oncoprotein Correlates with Unstabilized DNA Breaks

Abstract Expression of the human T-cell leukemia virus type I (HTLV-I) Tax oncoprotein rapidly engenders DNA damage as reflected in a significant increase of micronuclei (MN) in cells. To understand better this phenomenon, we have investigated the DNA content of MN induced by Tax. Using an approach that we termed FISHI,fluorescent in situhybridization and incorporation, we attempted to characterize MN with centric or acentric DNA fragments for the presence or absence of free 3′-OH ends. Free 3′-OH ends were defined as those ends accessible to in situ addition of digoxigenin-dUTP using terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase. MN were also assessed for centromeric sequences using standard fluorescent in situhybridization (FISH). Combining these results, we determined that Tax oncoprotein increased the frequency of MN containing centric DNA with free 3′-OH and decreased the frequency of MN containing DNA fragments that had incorporation-inaccessible 3′-ends. Recently, it has been suggested that intracellular DNA breaks without detectable 3′-OH ends are stabilized by the protective addition of telomeric caps, while breaks with freely detectable 3′-OH are uncapped and are labile to degradation, incomplete replication, and loss during cell division. Accordingly, based on increased detection of free 3′-OH-containing DNA fragments, we concluded that HTLV-I Tax interferes with protective cellular mechanism(s) used normally for stabilizing DNA breaks.
Optimization of railway operations using neural networks

Railroad operations involve complex switching and classification decisions that must be made in short periods of time. Optimization with respect to these decisions can be quite difficult due to the discrete and non-linear characteristics of the problem. The train formation plan is one of the important elements of railroad system operations. While mathematical programming formulations and algorithms are available for solving the train formation problem, the CPU time required for their convergence is excessive. At the same time, shorter decision intervals are becoming necessary given the highly competitive operating climates of the railroad industry. The field of Artificial Intelligence (AI) offers promising alternatives to conventional optimization approaches. In this paper, neural networks (an empirically-based AI approach) are examined for obtaining good solutions in short time periods for the train formation problem (TFP). Following an overview, and formulation of railroad operations, a neural network formulation and solution to the problem are presented. First a training process for neural network development is conducted followed by a testing process that indicates that the neural network model will probably be both sufficiently fast, and accurate, in producing train formation plans.
Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics of Intravenous and Oral Azithromycin: Enhanced Tissue Activity and Minimal Drug Interactions

OBJECTIVE:To review the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of oral and intravenous azithromycin compared with other macrolide antibiotics, and to evaluate these differences and their relation to clinical effectiveness.DATA SOURCE:A MEDLINE search (1966–May 1998) was performed to identify applicable English-language clinical, animal, and microbiologic studies pertaining to pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic parameters.STUDY SELECTION:Relevant studies concerning microbiology, pharmacokinetics, tissue concentrations, pharmacodynamics, and the clinical effects of these parameters were selected.DATA SYNTHESIS:The structural modification that distinguishes the azalide antibiotics from the macrolide antibiotics is responsible for the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic behavior of azithromycin, resulting in the high and sustained tissue and intracellular concentrations seen with this agent. Drug delivery to the site of infection by phagocytes and fibroblasts is the hallmark of azithromycin's tissue-directed ...
Inhibition of pyroglutamyl peptidase II synthesis by phorbol ester in the Y-79 retinoblastoma cell.

Pyroglutamyl peptidase II (EC 3.4.19.-), a highly specific membrane-bound TRH-degrading enzyme, is inactivated in Y-79 human retinoblastoma cells by exposure to 12-O-tetradecanoyl phorbol-13-acetate (TPA) in a biphasic manner. We have previously demonstrated a rapid decrease in pyroglutamyl peptidase II activity to 10% of the control level within 15 min, which returns to 70% of the control level by 1 h. This decrease results from enzyme phosphorylation by TPA-activated protein kinase-C. We now report a second phase of inactivation after longer exposure of cells to TPA. After 1 h, enzymatic activity slowly and progressively declined. By 7 h, only 15% of control activity remained. Cotreatment of cells with H-7, a protein kinase-C inhibitor, prevented this second phase of inactivation. Immunoblot experiments demonstrated a reduction in the amount of pyroglutamyl peptidase II in Y-79 membranes after long term exposure to TPA. Y-79 cells were labeled with [35S]methionine, and pyroglutamyl peptidase II was immu...
Electron microscopy of immunoreactivity patterns for glutamate and γ‐aminobutyric acid in synaptic glomeruli of the feline spinal trigeminal nucleus (subnucleus caudalis)

We studied the ultrastructure of the synaptic organization in the feline spinal trigeminal nucleus, emphasizing specific neurotransmitter patterns within lamina II of the pars caudalis/medullary dorsal horn. Normal adults were perfused, and Vibratome sections from pars caudalis were processed for electron microscopy. Ultrathin sections were reacted with antibodies for the excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate (Glu) and for the inhibitory neurotransmitter γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) by using postembedding immunogold techniques. Both single- and double-labeled preparations were examined. Results with single labeling show that Glu-immunoreactive terminals have round synaptic vesicles and form asymmetric synaptic contacts onto dendrites. GABA-immunoreactive axon terminals and vesicle-containing dendrites have pleomorphic vesicles, and the axon terminals form symmetric contacts onto dendrites and other axons. Double labeling on a single section shows glomeruli with central Glu-immunoreactive terminals that are presynaptic to dendrites, including GABA+ vesicle-containing dendrites. These Glu+ terminals are also postsynaptic to GABA+ axon terminals, and these GABA-immunoreactive terminals may also be presynaptic to the GABA+ vesicle-containing dendrites. Quantitative analyses confirm the specificity of the Glu and GABA immunoreactivities seen in the various glomerular profiles. The results suggest that a subpopulation of Glu-immunoreactive primary afferents (excitatory) may be under the direct synaptic influence of a GABA-immunoreactive intrinsic pathway (inhibitory) by both presynaptic and postsynaptic mechanisms. © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Shared last-level TLBs for chip multiprocessors

Translation Lookaside Buffers (TLBs) are critical to processor performance. Much past research has addressed uniprocessor TLBs, lowering access times and miss rates. However, as chip multiprocessors (CMPs) become ubiquitous, TLB design must be re-evaluated. This paper is the first to propose and evaluate shared last-level (SLL) TLBs as an alternative to the commercial norm of private, per-core L2 TLBs. SLL TLBs eliminate 7–79% of system-wide misses for parallel workloads. This is an average of 27% better than conventional private, per-core L2 TLBs, translating to notable runtime gains. SLL TLBs also provide benefits comparable to recently-proposed Inter-Core Cooperative (ICC) TLB prefetchers, but with considerably simpler hardware. Furthermore, unlike these prefetchers, SLL TLBs can aid sequential applications, eliminating 35–95% of the TLB misses for various multiprogrammed combinations of sequential applications. This corresponds to a 21% average increase in TLB miss eliminations compared to private, per-core L2 TLBs. Because of their benefits for parallel and sequential applications, and their readily-implementable hardware, SLL TLBs hold great promise for CMPs.
Extracellular-derived calcium does not initiate in vivo neurotransmission involving docosahexaenoic acid

In vitro studies show that docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) can be released from membrane phospholipid by Ca(2+)-independent phospholipase A(2) (iPLA(2)), Ca(2+)-independent plasmalogen PLA(2) or secretory PLA(2 (sPLA2)), but not by Ca(2+)-dependent cytosolic PLA(2) (cPLA2), which selectively releases arachidonic acid (AA). Since glutamatergic NMDA (N-methyl-D-aspartate) receptor activation allows extracellular Ca(2+) into cells, we hypothesized that brain DHA signaling would not be altered in rats given NMDA, to the extent that in vivo signaling was mediated by Ca(2+)-independent mechanisms. Isotonic saline, a subconvulsive dose of NMDA (25 mg/kg), MK-801, or MK-801 followed by NMDA was administered i.p. to unanesthetized rats. Radiolabeled DHA or AA was infused intravenously and their brain incorporation coefficients k*, measures of signaling, were imaged with quantitative autoradiography. NMDA or MK-801 compared with saline did not alter k* for DHA in any of 81 brain regions examined, whereas NMDA produced widespread and significant increments in k* for AA. In conclusion, in vivo brain DHA but not AA signaling via NMDA receptors is independent of extracellular Ca(2+) and of cPLA(2). DHA signaling may be mediated by iPLA(2), plasmalogen PLA(2), or other enzymes insensitive to low concentrations of Ca(2+). Greater AA than DHA release during glutamate-induced excitotoxicity could cause brain cell damage.
Welfare Epics? The Rhetoric of Rewards in World of Warcraft

After the Lead Content Designer of World of Warcraft (WoW), Tigole, deemed a new set of rewards ‘‘welfare’’ epics, the WoW player community responded in a multitude of fascinating ways. Using rhetorical analysis, gaming studies literature, and a critical analysis of welfare discourse, four rhetorical strategies can be seen in the discourse produced by the playing community. From directly confronting Tigole’s statements to lamenting a loss of avatar capital and analyzing the role the changes have on the multiplayer aspects of the game, the rhetoric of ‘‘welfare’’ epics offers unique insights into the importance of balance and scarcity in the normative structures of WoW, how players accept and perpetuate the belief that rewards in online games should be ‘‘earned,’’ and how WoW’s system of rewards has been fundamentally altered since the game’s launch.
Disparities in food access: Does aggregate availability of key foods from other stores offset the relative lack of supermarkets in African-American neighborhoods?

Objective Recent work demonstrates the importance of in-store contents, yet most food access disparity research has focused on differences in store access, rather than the foods they carry. This study examined in-store shelf space of key foods to test whether other types of stores might offset the relative lack of supermarkets in African-American neighborhoods.
Who likes it hot? A global analysis of the climatic, ecological, and evolutionary determinants of warming tolerance in ants

Effects of climate warming on wild populations of organisms are expected to be greatest at higher latitudes, paralleling greater anticipated increases in temperature in these regions. Yet, these expectations assume that populations in different regions are equally susceptible to the effects of warming. This is unlikely to be the case. Here, we develop a series of predictive models for physiological thermal tolerances in ants based on current and future climates. We found that tropical ants have lower warming tolerances, a metric of susceptibility to climate warming, than temperate ants despite greater increases in temperature at higher latitudes. Using climatic, ecological and phylogenetic data, we refine our predictions of which ants (across all regions) were most susceptible to climate warming. We found that ants occupying warmer and more mesic forested habitats at lower elevations are the most physiologically susceptible to deleterious effects of climate warming. Phylogenetic history was also a strong indicator of physiological susceptibility. In short, we find that ants that live in the canopies of hot, tropical forest are the most at risk, globally, from climate warming. Unfortunately this is where many, perhaps most, ant and other species on Earth live.
Single Sample Anodic Stripping Voltammetry of Mercury and Other Heavy Metal Ions Using a Glassy Carbon Electrode and Integrated Circuit Electronics

Abstract A two step anodic stripping voltammetry of a single sample of water which has been made 0.1N in HC104, is useful for simultaneously detecting Hg+2, Zn+2, Cd+2, Pb+2, Cu+2, Co+2 and Ni+2. In the first step mercury is determined by deposition onto a bare glassy carbon electrode (GCE) with subsequent stripping, and in the second step the remainder of the metal ions above are sought by deposition onto a mercury plated GCE and subsequent stripping. With a deposition time of 72.82 min the detection sensitivity varies from about 0.2 ppb for cobalt to about 10 ppb for zinc. Silver, tin and chloride were found to be interferences in the detection of some of the metal ions. Integrated circuit electronics were found to be simple to construct, economical and very effective in providing the desired automatic anodic stripping voltammetry operations.
Rat brain glucose concentration and transport kinetics determined with 13C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy.

Previously reported results indicate that under normal physiological conditions, brain glucose transport is faster than metabolism and, therefore, does not ordinarily limit glucose metabolism. However, glucose transport may be limiting when glucose consumption is increased as in seizures (2) or when glucose transport is decreased as reported in chronic hyperglycemia (7) and Alzheimer’s disease (12).
The Diseases of Alzheimer and Pick from the Viewpoint of Prevention

Abstract Alzheimer disease, Pick disease and senile dementia are all characterized by similar morphological changes, both macroscopic and microscopic, and similar psychiatric symptoms. All three should, therefore, be viewed as aspects of one disease, which is termed Alzheimer-type dementia. Nothing contradicts the view that immune complexes take part in the etiology of Alzheimer-type dementia . There are various types of immune complexes and so their points of action in the organism may vary. There might be two main means of preventing Azheimer-type dementia: the first could be named the serological (basic) and the second relying on pharmacotherapy (additional). Pharmacological prevention of disease might be aided by the use of parasympathomimetic drugs, e.g. pilocarpine.
A heterodyne receiver at 533 GHz using a diffusion-cooled superconducting hot electron bolometer mixer

This paper describes heterodyne measurements at 533 GHz using a novel superconducting hot electron bolometer in a waveguide mixer block. The bolometer is a thin (10 nm) and narrow (0.1 /spl mu/m) strip of niobium with a length of less than half a micron and a critical temperature of approximately 5.5 K. The short length ensures that diffusion dominates over electron-phonon interaction as a cooling mechanism for the hot electrons, thus allowing heterodyne detection with intermediate frequencies of several GHz. A Y-factor response of 1.15 dB has been obtained at an intermediate frequency of 1.4 GHz with hot/cold load temperatures of approximately 295/77 K, indicating a receiver noise temperature around 650 K DSB. The IF response extends up to at least 2 GHz and possibly higher. >
Accelerating Fluid Registration Algorithm on Multi-FPGA Platforms

In the clinical applications, medical image registrations on the images taken from different times and/or through different modalities are needed in order to have an objective clinical assessment of the patient. Viscous fluid registration is a powerful PDE-based method that can register large deformations in the imaging process. This paper presents our implementation of the fluid registration algorithm on a multi-FPGA platform Convey HC-1. We obtain a 35X speedup versus single-threaded software on a CPU. The implementation is achieved using a high-level synthesis (HLS) tool, with additional source-code level optimizations including fixed-point conversion, tiling, prefetching, data-reuse, and streaming across modules using a ghost zone (time-tiling) approach. The experience of this case study also identifies further automation steps needed by existing HLS software.
Triphenylphosphine–Carbon Tetrachloride

(Ph3P) [605-35-0] C18H15P (MW 262.30) InChI = 1S/C18H15P/c1-4-10-16(11-5-1)19(17-12-6-2-7-13-17)18-14-8-3-9-15-18/h1-15H InChIKey = RIOQSEWOXXDEQQ-UHFFFAOYSA-N (CCl4) [56-23-5] CCl4 (MW 153.81) InChI = 1S/CCl4/c2-1(3,4)5 InChIKey = VZGDMQKNWNREIO-UHFFFAOYSA-N (reagent combination for the conversion of a number of functional groups into their corresponding chlorides and for dehydrations) Physical Data: Ph3P: mp 79–81 °C; bp 377 °C; d 1.0749 g cm−3. CCl4: mp −23 °C; bp 77 °C; d 1.594 g cm−3. Solubility: sol CCl4, MeCN, CH2Cl2, 1,2-dichloroethane. Preparative Method: reactive intermediates are generated in situ by reaction of Ph3P and CCl4. Handling, Storage, and Precautions: Ph3P is an irritant; CCl4 is toxic and a cancer suspect agent; use in a fume hood. Solvents must be carefully dried because the intermediates are all susceptible to hydrolysis.
Association of the pr Peptides with Dengue Virus at Acidic pH Blocks Membrane Fusion

Flavivirus assembles into an inert particle that requires proteolytic activation by furin to enable transmission to other hosts. We previously showed that immature virus undergoes a conformational change at low pH that renders it accessible to furin (I. M. Yu, W. Zhang, H. A. Holdaway, L. Li, V. A. Kostyuchenko, P. R. Chipman, R. J. Kuhn, M. G. Rossmann, and J. Chen, Science 319:1834-1837, 2008). Here we show, using cryoelectron microscopy, that the structure of immature dengue virus at pH 6.0 is essentially the same before and after the cleavage of prM. The structure shows that after cleavage, the proteolytic product pr remains associated with the virion at acidic pH, and that furin cleavage by itself does not induce any major conformational changes. We also show by liposome cofloatation experiments that pr retention prevents membrane insertion, suggesting that pr is present on the virion in the trans-Golgi network to protect the progeny virus from fusion within the host cell.
Small-signal model analysis and design of constant-on-time V 2 control for low-ESR caps with external ramp compensation

Constant-on-time V2 control is widely used in DC-DC buck converters. However, sub-harmonic oscillations occur in constant-on-time V2 control employing low-ESR caps. For digital constant-on-time V2 control, the instability issue is worse due to the sampling effect. In both cases, external ramp compensation is one simple solution to solve the instability issue, although the characteristic of constant-on-time V2 with external ramp is not fully understood. This paper provides design guidelines for external ramp by factorizing the previous small-signal model of analog constant-on-time V2 control. Then the design strategy of the external ramp is extended to digital constant-on-time V2 control. Moreover, the small-signal models between analog and digital constant-on-time V2 control are compared to reveal the sampling effect. The small-signal analysis is verified with simulation and experimental results.
Climatic and geographic relations of alpine tundra floras in western North America

Projections indicate that alpine tundra-specific vegetation may begin to disappear as global warming persists. We develop a context for possible changes to inform modeling, monitoring and mitigation strategies. We ask the degree to which similarity of floras is associated with climatic differences versus geographic distance and pattern among 56 mountain ranges in three major mountain systems across the western USA and southwestern Canada. We use, and contrast, Mantel tests and Canonical Correspondence Analysis incorporating Moran’s eigenvector mapping to analyze the dissimilarity among the floras. We use Sorenson’s dissimilarity for the floras, a distance matrix for all possible pairs, and broad-scale climate variables derived from the Daymet climate interpolation program. We also mapped the scores of ranges on the eigenvectors onto latitude and longitude and interpreted these visual patterns. The differences in vegetation among these sites are more strongly correlated to geography than to climate, but both winter and summer precipitations are still important. The importance of geography as geometry indicates that spatial processes affect the assemblage of floras. The explanatory power of geography means that changes in climate may not affect beta-diversity, and modeling, monitoring and mitigation strategies should include location factors.
Calculation of the fourth order small slope theory of thermal emission from the sea surface

A derivation of the fourth order correction to the small slope theory of thermal emission from the sea surface is presented. It is shown that this correction has the form of a four-fold integration over a product of two sea spectra for a Gaussian random process sea. A sample result demonstrates that agreement with physical optics is achieved in the large scale surface limit.
‘Dandruff’ may be catching

A propos d'un cas de teigne du cuir chevelu du a T. violaceum chez une fillette de 9 ans on discute les differents agent etiologiques des teignes du cuir chevelu et presente le tableau clinique de la forme due a T. violaceum
CO2 leakage in shallow aquifers: A benchmark modeling study of CO2 gas evolution in heterogeneous porous media

Abstract The physicochemical processes associated with CO 2 leakage into shallow aquifer systems are complex and span multiple spatial and time scales. Continuum-scale numerical models that faithfully represent the underlying pore-scale physics are required to predict the long-term behavior and aid in risk analysis regarding regulatory and management decisions. This study focuses on benchmarking the numerical simulator, FEHM, with intermediate-scale column experiments of CO 2 gas evolution in homogeneous and heterogeneous sand configurations. Inverse modeling was conducted to calibrate model parameters and determine model sensitivity to the observed steady-state saturation profiles. It is shown that FEHM is a powerful tool that is capable of capturing the experimentally observed outflow rates and saturation profiles. Moreover, FEHM captures the transition from single- to multi-phase flow and CO 2 gas accumulation at interfaces separating sands. We also derive a simple expression, based on Darcy's law, for the pressure at which CO 2 free phase gas is observed and show that it reliably predicts the location at which single-phase flow transitions to multi-phase flow.