cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
In vitro histamine release induced by radiocontrast media and various chemical analogs in reactor and control subjects

Abstract The factors governing in vitro basophil histamine release induced by radiocontrast material (RCM) were evaluated by the use of two RCMs (diatrizoate and metrizamide) and three structural analogs of RCM (benzoic acid, diaminobenzoic acid, and 3-acetamidobenzoic acid) in basophil histamine-release studies. Diatrizoate was chosen because it is a commonly used RCM and is routinely administered as a hypertonic drug (958 mOsm/kg or greater). Metrizamide is a newly synthesized RCM and is routinely administered in isotonic form (approximately 280 mOsm/kg). The analogs were used in hope of identifying any structure-function relationship that might exist between RCMs and the activation of a proposed basophil membrane receptor responsible for the induction of de granulation. In addition, results in a control group of normal subjects were compared with those in a group of patients who had experienced anaphylactoid reactions to intravenous RCM. Basophils from both groups were incubated with diatrizoate and metrizamide to assess their relative sensitivity to these drugs. Both metrizamide and diatrizoate induced in vitro histamine release. Therefore hypertonicity is not an absolute requirement for RCM-induced in vitro basophil de granulation. Although there was a trend far reagents without a prosthetic group at position 5 on the benzene ring (especially 3-acetamidobenzoic acid) to induce more release of histamine than reagents with such a prosthetic group, differences between these reagents did not reach statistical significance. Therefore no clearcut structure-function relationship could be demonstrated. "Reactor" subjects released significantly-larger percents of their intracellular histamine than did "nonreactors" (p
Analysis of Lipoproteins and Body Mass Index in Professional Football Players

Exercise is known to improve lipoprotein levels, whereas an elevated body mass index (BMI) is associated with less favorable lipoprotein levels. To date, there have been no reports of lipid analyses in elite athletes who also have BMIs in ranges considered unhealthful. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the lipid-lipoprotein profiles in a group of professional football players and to determine what association exists between these profiles and the players' BMIs. An observational study was conducted of 70 professional football players from one National Football League team. Measurements included BMI (kg·m−2), and fasting serum lipid analysis. BMI and position played were found to correlate (p<0.001), with linemen having the highest mean BMI, 38.1 kg·m−2. Comparing mean lipid values among BMI categories demonstrated lower high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels (p<0.01), higher triglycerides (p<0.05), and higher total cholesterol/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratios (p<0.001) with an increasing BMI. Among the professional football players studied, a lower BMI was associated with a more favorable lipid-lipoprotein profile. Among the elite athletes in this study with the highest BMIs, exercise may not confer the same protective benefits on cardiovascular risk as it does in those athletes with normal BMIs.
A perturbation method for the solution of linear matrix differential equations

Abstract The mathematical formulation of problems in electric circuit theory, structura engineering, and dynamics by the “state-vector” approach leads to a matrix differential equation of the form dS dx = A(x)S(x) + φ(x) . This paper presents a useful method for the approximate solution of the matrix differential equation subject to initial and two-point boundary conditions. The general procedure is illustrated by applying it to the study of non-uniform electrical transmission lines of a general type.
Effects of antimicrotubule agents on phospholipid metabolism in rat hepatic subcellular membranes.

Abstract Treatment of animals with antimicrotubule drugs has been shown to cause a perplexing variety of cellular changes which, theoretically, coula be the result of changes in endomembrane biosynthesis, composition or flow. In the current study we have focused on this possibility by identifying antimicrotubule drug-induced changes in the phospholipid metabolism of hepatic subcellular membranes. Young adult rats were pretreated with radiolabeled [ 32 P]orthophosphate for 12 hr, and subsequently given saline, colchicine (2.5 mg/kg body wt) or vinblastine (20 mg/kg body wt) for 4 additional hr. Afterwards, the livers were homogenized, and separate microsomal and Golgi membrane fractions were prepared and subjected to phospholipid extraction and identification using two-dimensional thin-layer chromatography. The results show that colchicine and vinblastine given in vivo caused specific, rapid and in some cases, dramatic changes in phospholipid turnover in different membrane fractions of rat liver. The drugs specifically increased labeling of phosphatidylinositol-4-monophosphate and phosphatidylinositol-4,5-biphosphate and decreased the radioactivity associated with phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylinositol in all fractions examined. In contrast, the antimicrotubule drugs produced a differential effect on the labeling pattern of sphingomyelin and lysophosphatidylcholine, i.e. they stimulated labeling of these phospholipids in microsomes, produced no changes in heavy Golgi fractions, and markedly increased their labeling in light Golgi fractions. These data suggest that antimicrotubule drugs restrict the incorporation of certain precursor phospholipids into forming membranes but do not affect the subsequent metabolism of these phospholipids. At the same time, the drugs appear to retard the flow of membranes from one cellular compartment to another.
Evidence for Convergent Evolution in Gape Morphology of the Bat Hawk (Macheiramphus alcinus) with Swifts, Swallows, and Goatsuckers

Gape morphology has been linked to feeding and breeding ecology in raptors, according to the ingestion rate hypothesis. Mammal feeding raptors have larger gapes, allowing them to ingest prey more rapidly than bird feeders, which have evolved smaller average body sizes and gapes to capture more agile prey. One highly derived raptor, however, the Bat Hawk (Macheiramphus alcinus), specializes on colonial bats and swiftlets concentrated daily in a limited temporal window by capturing and swallowing them whole in flight. We hypothesized that the gape of the Bat Hawk evolved to feed rapidly on agile vertebrates limited temporally. We predicted that the gape of the Bat Hawk would be significantly larger than the gape of other raptors, more closely resembling the gapes of swifts (Apodidae), swallows (Hirundinidae), and goatsuckers (Caprimulgiformes). We measured gape area of the lower mandible in museum specimens representing 138 bird species in six orders. We also compared gape area by prey type in over 100 raptor species in three orders. We predicted that insectivorous raptors would exhibit gapes similar to mammal feeders but would differ from bird feeders because insects are not agile prey. The Bat Hawk had the largest gape of any raptor and more closely resembled the gape of insectivorous birds, which also swallow prey whole in flight. The evolution of an enlarged gape may have permitted the Bat Hawk to exploit a previously unrealized ecological niche. Gapes of bird feeding raptors were smaller than in mammal and insect feeders, supporting the ingestion rate hypothesis.
Fossil-pollen evidence for abrupt climate changes during the past 18 000 years in eastern North America

A quantitative measure of the rate at which fossil-pollen abundances changed over the last 18 000 years at 18 sites spread across eastern North America distinguishes local from regionally synchronous changes. Abrupt regional changes occurred at most sites in late-glacial time (at ≈13700, ≈ 12 300, and ≈ 10000 radiocarbon yr BP) and during the last 1000 years. The record of abrupt late-glacial vegetation changes in eastern North America correlates well with abrupt global changes in ice-sheet volume, mountain snow-lines, North Atlantic deep-water production, atmospheric CO2, and atmospheric dust, although the palynological signal varies from site to site. Changes in vegetation during most of the Holocene, although locally significant, were not regionally synchronous. The analysis reveals non-alpine evidence for Neoglacial/Little Ice Age climate change during the last 1000 years, which was the only time during the Holocene when climate change was of sufficient magnitude to cause a synchronous vegetational response throughout the subcontinent. During the two millennia preceding this widespread synchronous change, the rate of change at all sites was low and the average rate of change was the lowest of the Holocene.
Solid-liquid phase transition in argon

Starting from the Lennard-Jones interatomic potential, a modified cell theory has been used to describe the solid-liquid phase transition in argon. The cell-size variations may be evaluated by a self-consistent condition. With the inclusion of cell-size variations, the transition temperature, the solid and liquid densities, and the liquid-phase radial-distribution functions have been calculated. These ab initio results are in satisfactory agreement with molecular-dynamics calculations as well as experimental data on argon.
Podargiform Affinities of the Enigmatic Fluvioviridavis platyrhamphus and the Early Diversification of Strisores (“Caprimulgiformes” + Apodiformes)

Background The early Eocene Green River Formation avifauna preserves exceptional exemplars of the earliest unambiguous stem representatives of many extant avian clades. We identify the basal-most member of Podargiformes (extant and fossil stem lineage frogmouths) based on a new specimen of Fluvioviridavis platyrhamphus, a unique neoavian bird from the Fossil Butte Member of the Green River Formation of Wyoming. Extant frogmouths (Podargidae) comprise approximately 13 nocturnal species with an exclusively Australasian distribution. Methodology/Principal Findings The new specimen was included in a combined phylogenetic analysis of morphological (osteology and soft tissue) and molecular sequence (cytochrome b, c-myc exon 3, and RAG) data sampling species-level taxa from both extant and extinct members of Steatornithidae, Podargidae, Caprimulgidae, Nyctibiidae, Aegothelidae, and Apodiformes ( = Strisores). New data from F. platyrhamphus help resolve phylogenetic relationships within Strisores, supporting placement of F. platyrhamphus and the European fossil form Masillapodargus longipes as basal parts of Podargiformes and also supporting a sister taxon relationship between Podargiformes and Steatornithiformes (oilbirds) within Strisores. This relationship is recovered only when fossil taxa are included, reaffirming the potential impact of stem fossil taxa on inferences of phylogenetic relationships. The well-preserved mandible and palate of the new specimen demonstrate that many of the unique characteristics of the skull that characterize the crown frogmouth clade Podargidae arose early in the evolutionary history of the clade, over 50 million years ago. Comparisons with the new specimen also indicate that Eurofluvioviridavis and Fluvioviridavis are not closely related. Conclusions/Significance Together with the European fossil frogmouth Masillapodargus, Fluvioviridavis shows that Podargiformes had a much wider geographic distribution in the past, whereas extant species are restricted to Australasia. The Eocene record of Strisores from the Green River Formation and Messel Formation indicates most major subclade divergences had already occurred by the early-middle Eocene.
Brachioradialis to finger extensor tendon transfer to achieve hand opening in acquired spasticity

Four patients with adult acquired spastic hemiplegic hand disorders had brachioradialis to extensor digitorum communis tendon transfer to establish motor balance and improve prehensile hand function. All of the patients had volitional control of the wrist and finger flexors without control of the finger extensors, producing a dynamic hand deformity in which the patients could initiate grasp without release. Dynamic electromyography in these patients revealed electrical activity of the brachioradialis muscle during active elbow extension, making a seemingly "out-of-phase" muscle available for "in-phase" tendon transfer. At follow-up, ranging from 26 to 36 months (average of 30.2 months), all four patients improved three functional levels. Translated to functional capacity all of the patients had no functional capacity before operation and good assistive prehension afterward.
Differential growth factor control of bone formation through osteoprogenitor differentiation

The osteogenic factors bone morphogenetic protein (BMP-7), platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-BB, and fibroblast growth factor (FGF-2) regulate the recruitment of osteoprogenitor cells and their proliferation and differentiation into mature osteoblasts. However, their mechanisms of action on osteoprogenitor cell growth, differentiation, and bone mineralization remain unclear. Here, we tested the hypothesis that these osteogenic agents were capable of regulating osteoblast differentiation and bone formation in vitro. Normal human bone marrow stromal (HBMS) cells were treated with BMP-7 (40 ng ml(-1)), PDGF-BB (20 ng ml(-1)), FGF-2 (20 ng ml(-1)), or FGF-2 plus BMP-7 for 28 days in a serum-containing medium with 10 mM beta-glycerophosphate and 50 microg ml(-1) ascorbic acid. BMP-7 stimulated a morphological change to cuboidal-shaped cells, increased alkaline phosphatase (ALKP) activity, bone sialoprotein (BSP) gene expression, and alizarin red S positive nodule formation. Hydroxyapatite (HA) crystal deposition in the nodules was demonstrated by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy only in BMP-7- and dexamethasone (DEX)-treated cells. DEX-treated cells appeared elongated and fibroblast-like compared to BMP-7-treated cells. FGF-2 did not stimulate ALKP, and cell morphology was dystrophic. PDGF-BB had little or no effect on ALKP activity and biomineralization. Alizarin Red S staining of cells and calcium assay indicated that BMP-7, DEX, and FGF-2 enhanced calcium mineral deposition, but FTIR spectroscopic analysis demonstrated no formation of HA similar to human bone in control, PDGF-BB-, and FGF-2-treated samples. Thus, FGF-2 stimulated amorphous octacalcium phosphate mineral deposition that failed to mature into HA. Interestingly, FGF-2 abrogated BMP-7-induced ALKP activity and HA formation. Results demonstrate that BMP-7 was competent as a sole factor in the differentiation of human bone marrow stromal cells to bone-forming osteoblasts confirmed by FTIR examination of mineralized matrix. Other growth factors, PDGF, and FGF-2 were incompetent as sole factors, and FGF-2 inhibited BMP-7-stimulated osteoblast differentiation.
Sweet Necessities: Food, Sex, and Saint Augustine

Central to Augustine's understanding of rightly ordered sexuality is his belief that the pleasure of the act should not be separated from its good (procreation). It is useful to observe that he reasons in a similar way about eating: that the pleasure of eating should not be separated from its good (nourishment). Inadequacies in his understanding of the purpose of food and eating may be instructive when we think about inadequacies in his understanding of sex. If there is more to food than he imagines, the same may be true of sex. Correcting for such inadequacies may also help correct for the (inadvertent) way in which his understanding of the purpose of sex may seem to legitimize technologies of assisted reproduction.
Performing high salt concentration gradient elution ion-exchange separations using thermospray mass spectrometry.

Presentation de deux methodes pour generer un gradient. Separation d'un melange de monophosphates et polyphosphates du myo-inositol
Privacy and medicine: a comment.

Abstract One of the characteristics of a free society should be a strong presumption in favor of full patient control over personal information. The presumption is rebutted when disclosure to others is necessary (1) for good patient care, as in the case of consultations and medical teams; (2) to compile information that will produce scientific or medical progress; (3) to protect third parties from serious risks of harm; and (4) to prevent harm to patients themselves. In all of these cases, identifying information should be removed unless it is necessary. Principles of this sort should be implemented via physician norms, in fact publicly acknowledged physician norms, and (only) if necessary, by more formal regulations, private and public.
P‐4: Investigation on the Correlation between Layout Parameters and ESD Robustness of LTPS TFT Devices

The electrostatic discharge (ESD) characteristics and robustness of LTPS TFT devices with different layout parameters were investigated in this paper. Several key layout parameters and device structures, such as device channel length/width, drain contact to gate spacing, contact layout geometry, gate-overlap structure and LDD length…etc, were designed to characterize the device ESD performance by using both electrostatic discharge simulator (ETS-910) and transmission line pulsing generator (TLPG) system. The ESD induced failure phenomena were also discussed. These layout dependent results on ESD robustness of LTPS TFTs would help designers implement the ESD protection devices or circuits on the panel of glass substrate.
Exact gravitational quasinormal frequencies of topological black holes

We compute the exact gravitational quasinormal frequencies for massless topological black holes in $d$-dimensional anti-de Sitter space. Using the gauge invariant formalism for gravitational perturbations derived by Kodama and Ishibashi, we show that in all cases the scalar, vector, and tensor modes can be reduced to a simple scalar field equation. This equation is exactly solvable in terms of hypergeometric functions, thus allowing an exact analytic determination of the gravitational quasinormal frequencies.
The microhardness of β-vanadium hydride between 77 ° and 300 °K

Abstract The microhardness has been measured, between 77 ° and 300 °K, of polycrystalline β-vanadium hydride specimens with hydrogen concentrations of from 33.8 to 43.7 at.% H. Photomicrographs of the indentations were made at temperature, none of which showed any indication of brittle behavior. The hardness of V-33.8 at.% H at room temperature was about 215 kg/mm 2 compared with about 65 kg/mm 2 for hydrogen-free vanadium. Increasing the hydrogen concentration to 41.2 at.% caused a softening. The hardnesses of the hydrides rose much more sharply with decreasing temperature than did that of the metal at temperatures below 200 °K.
Quasi-Realism and the Problem of Unexplained Coincidence

Like Catherine, we can question our own evaluative assessments of our circumstances. We seem to be able to separate the possibility, in thought, that our judgment represents a clear-cut reality from the possibility that the sentimental color of our world is a thing of our imagination. What this separation amounts to, though, is a question for metaethics. Here is my way of characterizing a view in metaethics commonly called ‘sensibility theory’: our ethical sensibilities have explanatory priority over the ethical facts. This characterization is vague, or at least broad, for it encompasses two rather different approaches to metaethics. One is constructivism, according to which the ethical facts are constituted by our sensibilities. Another is expressivism, according to which the illuminating account of ethical language and thought proceeds by telling us about the state of mind expressed by that language and at work in that thought, adding that these states are products of our sensibility rather than our capacity for representation. It is sometimes said that no sort of sensibility theory can make out a gap between the world as it is valued by our sensibility and its true value. However, on the face of things, there is an important difference between the two sorts of sensibility theory. The constructivist embraces the idea that value and our valuing cannot come far apart; for if our sensibilities had been different, then so would the values, the one change constituting the other as a change in the chocolate changes the souffle or a change in the lighting changes the mood of a picture. The expressivist keeps this claim of constitution at arm’s length. What Catherine should think about the scenario in which her sensibility is extravagant is a matter for her actual sensibility to settle; no answer is delivered by the structure of value or the fundamental nature of normative thought as such. So the two sorts of sensibility theory differ. What expressivists say is much closer to what realists say. That is no accident. Expressivists are (typically) quasi-realists, seeking to vindicate the realist-sounding deliverances of ordinary ethical thought and talk. Some philosophers think quasi-realism, and in bs_bs_banner
Dysponesis Awareness Training: Surface Electromyographic Training for Increased Awareness and Facilitated Neck Muscle Relaxation

This study investigated a simple biofeedback-assisted training protocol for increasing somatic awareness as well as reducing dyponesis. Twelve normal, healthy volunteers with no known musculoskeletal impairments (mean age of 23.8 years) were trained to increase awareness of ‘‘wasted effort’’ in the neck muscles during a simple bending task. Surface electromyography (sEMG) signals were recorded from the midcervical paraspinal muscles (C-5) while the subject performed a forward fold, also described as a ‘‘toe touch’’ movement. The quantitative measures of sEMG activity were compared to a subjective measure of neck muscle tension. During the pretraining measurements, 11 of 12 participants reported no subjective awareness of increased neck muscle tension while bending in a forward fold ‘‘toe touch’’ position. After approximately 10 minutes of ‘‘dysponesis awareness training,’’ all participants had measurable reductions in neck muscle tension, as well as reductions in the subjective sense of tension while performing the forward fold exercise, as compared to pretraining. The 11 participants who increased their selfawareness following training reported not only feeling decreased neck muscle tension but also increased general relaxation levels. The findings suggest that most individuals may be unaware of increased muscle tension during simple activities such as a forward bend, yet may rapidly learn how to reduce dysponesis, such as unnecessary neck muscle overexertion during a forward bend. Furthermore, sEMG dysponesis awareness training could be adapted to rapidly train individuals such as athletes to reduce unnecessary muscle use.
A Self-Consistent Scheme for the Relaxation Behavior of Metals

We identify in this paper that stress relaxation in metals is a "strain-free" process. The corresponding self-consistent relations between the strain, and stress variations of a grain and of its aggregate are derived from Eshelby's solution of an ellipsoidal inclusion. It is shown that, under such a process, the strain in a more favorably oriented grain continues to rise and that its stress decreases more drastically than that of the aggregate; conversely, for a less favorably oriented grain, its strain decreases and its stress relaxes less. The self-consistent relations are supplemented with a temperature-dependent, physically consistent constitutive equation for the slip system. Such an equation enables us to determine the single crystal constants at one temperature from the polycrystal data at another temperature; it also makes the self-consistent scheme applicable to the varying-temperature environment. The established theory was finally applied to predict the relaxation behavior of an RR-59 aluminum alloy under combined stress; the results showed reasonably good agreement with the experimental data.
Time domain simulation of Fourier imaging by summation of isochromats

We have developed a time-domain simulation of two-dimensional Fourier imaging in which the signal is represented by a finite Fourier series. Each term corresponds to a spin isochromat and has a coefficient that evolves in response to radiofrequency and gradient pulses, and periods of free precession. An explicit calculation is performed to derive the number of isochromats required to achieve a specified degree of precision, permitting accurate results to be obtained in an efficient fashion. With this, the time-domain signal throughout the entire experiment is calculated. The resulting time domain data is combined into the standard k-space matrix and yields an image after two-dimensional Fourier transformation. Multiple-shot sequences such as spin warp and single-shot experiments such as Burst are simulated in the same fashion. Our procedure makes no assumptions about transverse dephasing between pulses, so that complicated sequences of direct and stimulated echoes are correctly modeled. The influence of spin-spin and spin-lattice relaxation is included in a natural way. A number of artifacts can be quantitatively reproduced. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Imaging Syst Technol, 8, 419–426, 1997
Difficulties in ab initio CI calculations of the hyperfine structure of small radicals

Two of the radicals whose ab initio hyperfine properties exhibited unusually large (30%) deviations from experiment in a recent study of such properties have been reexamined. Inclusion of vibrational averaging effects, MCSCF orbitals and large CI reference spaces resulted in a reduction of the deviation from experiment to 14% for the formaldehyde radical cation. New experimental data on the methoxy radical shows a much larger proton isotropic hyperfine value than previous experimental and theoretical studies. The best current calculations were unable to resolve the discrepancy. The ethyl radical was also included in this study since good experimental beta proton data is available for comparison.
Monte Carlo analysis of semiconductor devices: the DAMOCLES program

The behavior of small semiconductor devices is simulated using an advanced Monte Carlo carrier transport model. The model improves upon the state of the art by including the full band structure of the semiconductor, by using scattering rates computed consistently with the band structure, and by accounting for both long- and short-range interactions between carriers. It is sufficiently flexible to describe both unipolar and bipolar device operation, for a variety of semiconductor materials and device structures. Various results obtained with the associated DAMOCLES program for n- and p-channel Si MOSFETs, GaAs MESFETs, and Si bipolar junction transistors are presented.
Depth variation in isotopic composition of benthic resources and assessment of sculpin feeding patterns in an oligotrophic Alaskan lake

Stable isotopes of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) are commonly used to track resource flows through lake food webs. However, there remains a weak understanding of the spatial variation in isotopic composition of benthic resources and how this variation affects inference about energy flows among species. Boundary layers at the interface between benthic substrates and the overlying water column restrict diffusion of nutrients and carbon from the water column to benthic algae and may affect the isotopic composition of benthic algae as nutrient and CO2 concentrations can become locally depleted in the benthic boundary layer. We quantified the variation in C and N stable isotope composition of benthic resources along a depth gradient in a large oligotrophic lake to assess the magnitude of change in stable isotope composition. Snails were increasingly depleted in 13C with depth, by about 10 ‰ from 0 to 20 m, while 15N in snails showed only subtle enrichment over this depth range. Sculpin (Cottas aleuticus) δ 13C and δ 15N signatures did not significantly change with depth and were more enriched in 15N than would be expected from consumption of snails alone. A comparison of δ 13C and δ 15N values from sculpins relative to shallow and deep snails, and alternative prey (marine-derived salmon resources), within a mixing model suggested sculpins feed selectively on deep grazers in this system in addition to marine-derived resources provided by migrating sockeye salmon. This study illustrates the importance of accounting for depth-related variation in isotope patterns when assessing benthic resource contributions to food webs using stable isotope data.
Classical conditioning and latent inhibition in the white rat

Two studies are reported. The first demonstrates classical conditioning of a tail movement in the rat. The second demonstrates latent inhibition.
Quantitative Perimetry in Compressive Optic Neuropathy and Optic Neuritis

• The Goldmann perimetric defects in 20 cases of compressive optic neuropathy and 54 cases of optic neuritis were analyzed. While defects involving the papillomacular bundle were the rule in both compressive and neuritis cases, sparing of the fixational area occured in 24% of neuritis eyes but in none of the eyes with compressive neuropathy. The most reliable differential perimetric sign was the presence of a hemianopic defect; at least one eye of 15 (75%) cases of compression showed such a defect, which was not found in any neuritis cases. The I 2e was the largest kinetic isopter to demonstrate the hemianopic defect in a substantial proportion of cases. These defects were corroborated with sequential static presentation of the I 2e to I 4e stimuli to either side of the vertical meridian, and with similar techniques using 18/1,000 red test objects at the tangent screen.
Dynamic critical exponents and sample independence times for the classical Heisenberg model

The critical dynamics of the scalar order parameter autocorrelation function, the total vector spin autocorrelation function, and the energy autocorrelation function for the classical O(3) three-dimensional Heisenberg ferromagnet are studied both algebraically and with heat bath Monte Carlo simulations. It is shown from a group decomposition of the canonical Markov transitions used in a Monte Carlo study of this model ferromagnet that the vector spin autocorrelation relaxation time currently used to estimate both the dynamical critical exponent and the statistical sampling efficiency of the scalar order parameter (and other quantities of interest) contains an uncontrolled dependence upon irrelevant symmetric diffusion processes and is therefore unsuitable for this purpose. The central limit theorem is quantified as the fundamental basis of estimates of error and, separately, estimates of statistical sampling efficiency in importance sampling Monte Carlo simulations. A simple but interesting estimate of ${\mathit{z}}_{\mathit{R}}$=d-2\ensuremath{\beta}/\ensuremath{\nu} for the dynamical critical exponent of the ergodicity-restoring thermal-rotational motion of the total vector spin is presented. Various relaxation times are numerically measured and their dynamic critical exponents extracted via finite-size scaling theory to illustrate these points and compare with theoretical predictions. \textcopyright{} 1996 The American Physical Society.
An alternate approach to valve replacement in patients with mitral stenosis and severely calcified annulus

A severely calcified mitral annulus represents a unique challenge during mitral valve replacement. To ensure proper healing of the sewing ring of the prosthesis and to avoid periprosthetic regurgitation, the mitral annulus often must be debrided for secure attachment. However, the extensive debridement that can be required in some cases could increase the risk of atrioventricular groove disruption, with a subsequent increase in morbidity and mortality. Bypass of the mitral valve with a left atrial to left ventricular-valved conduit has been described for difficult cases with congenital mitral valve stenosis. In our report, we describe its use as a safe alternative to standard mitral valve replacement in a patient with a densely calcified annulus and severe mitral stenosis.
Inferior Vena Caval Stenting

Inferior vena caval stenosis after liver transplantation is an uncommon complication that may present with lower extremity edema or ascites. Angioplasty and stenting offer a rapid, minimally invasive therapy for inferior vena caval stenosis. A variety of metallic stents have been used to successfully alleviate caval strictures including Wallstents (Boston Scientific, Natick, MA) and Gianturco-Rosch tracheobronchial Z-stents (Cook, Inc., Bloomington, IN).1,2,3 The latter are attractive because they possess high radial strength, exhibit minimal foreshortening and have large interstices.
The role of nitrogen 13 ammonia positron emission tomography in predicting functional outcome after coronary revascularization

We sought to evaluate the predictive value of positron emission tomography (PET) by using blood flow imaging with semiquantitative data analysis techniques for predicting recovery of regional function after revascularization. Positron emission tomography in combination with fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) has been shown to predict tissue recovery after revascularization. Previous studies have suggested a quantitative threshold for perfusion as evaluated by PET that separates scar from viable tissue. In a group of 25 patients with impaired regional wall motion at baseline as measured by radionuclide ventriculography, we examined the relationship between myocardial blood flow and functional outcome of myocardial segments in patients who underwent coronary revascularization within 2 months after PET. Regional wall motion was graded on a 5-point scale, from normal to dyskinetic. Regional nitrogen 13 (N-13) ammonia uptake values were expressed as a percentage of maximal myocardial N-13 ammonia uptake and compared with values obtained from healthy volunteers. Results were displayed as polar maps, on which regions of interest were placed corresponding to revascularized vascular territories. We were able to show a statistically significant relationship between regional wall motion abnormalities and decreasing blood flow by N-13 ammonia uptake. An N-13 ammonia uptake of greater than 80% for any given segment was highly accurate in predicting normal or nearly normal postoperative regional wall motion, whereas severely decreased ammonia uptake less than 40% showed normalization of regional wall motion in only 13% of segments. Relative ammonia uptake of greater than 80% and less than 40% preoperatively had excellent predictive value for functional outcome, but intermediate quantitative ammonia uptake (between 40% to 80%) necessitates additional information to accurately predict functional recovery
Cell lines derived from pancreatic islets

The islets of Langerhans play a major role in control of metabolic fuel homeostasis. The rapid increase in incidence of diabetes worldwide has spurred renewed interest in islet cell biology. However, gaining a detailed understanding of islet function at a molecular and biochemical level has been complicated by the difficulty and high cost associated with isolation of pancreatic islets. Until recently, islet-derived cell lines have represented sub-optimal surrogates for primary cells for functional studies due to their undifferentiated or unstable phenotypic features. New approaches have resulted in isolation and characterization of rodent insulinoma cell lines that retain many key functional attributes of normal islets and have become useful tools in the study of islet cell biology.
The taphonomic interpretation of avian skeletal part frequencies

Abstract Two archaeological avifaunas from the Great Basin region of western North America are compared with published avifaunal data to reveal that: (1) the relative frequency of anatomical parts is not significantly different between paleontological and archaeological sites, or between archaeological sites in different environments; and (2) a statistic used to distinguish naturally-deposited avian specimens from those accumulated by prehistoric people in European sites reflects differences in locomotor abilities of the birds in the Great Basin assemblages rather than processes of deposition as reconstructed by independent evidence.
Multiple motifs regulate trafficking of the LAMP-like protein p67 in the ancient eukaryote Trypanosoma brucei.

p67 is a lysosome-associated membrane protein–like lysosomal type I transmembrane glycoprotein in African trypanosomes. The p67 cytoplasmic domain (CD) is both necessary and sufficient for lysosomal targeting in procyclic insect-stage parasites. The p67CD contains two [DE]XXXL[LI]-type dileucine motifs, which function as lysosomal targeting signals in mammalian cells. Using a green fluorescent protein fusion to the p67 transmembrane and cytoplasmic domains as a reporter system, we investigated the role of these motifs in lysosomal targeting in procyclic trypanosomes. Pulse–chase turnover studies, steady-state immunolocalization and quantitative flow cytometry all gave consistent results. Mutagenesis of the membrane-distal dileucine motif impairs lysosomal trafficking leading to partial appearance of the reporter on the cell surface. Mutagenesis of the membrane-proximal motif has little effect on proper targeting. Simultaneous mutagenesis of both motifs results in quantitative delivery to the cell surface. Thus, the distal motif plays a dominant role, but both dileucine motifs are necessary for maximal lysosomal targeting. Additional studies suggest that the upstream acidic residues in each motif influence lysosomal targeting and may also affect forward trafficking in the early secretory pathway. These results strongly suggest an evolutionary conservation in lysosomal trafficking mechanisms in the ancient eukaryote Trypanosoma brucei.
Systems of protocol review, quality assurance, and data audit

The US National Cancer Institute (NCI) is the world’s largest sponsor of clinical trials in cancer treatment and biology, and it is responsible for the reliability of data generated by means of its funding. The cooperative groups supported by the NCI consist of main academic institutions and smaller affiliates of these institutions. The size of these groups, their geographical dispersion, and the number of studies accruing patients at any one time make it a challenge to ensure that all requirements of institutional oversight, patient consent, protocol compliance, and data submission and quality are met. Each cooperative group has established various procedures for quality assurance. These include data coordinators at the data management center of the group, study chairs, and statisticians. In addition, each group has a committee of physician-investigators and clinical research associates who make periodic site visits to all member institutions to audit the on-site medical records of a sample of patients entered at that institution. The study records are compared with the medical records for all aspects of protocol management and data generation. In addition, adherence to requirements for consent-form signing and oversight by an institutional review board is assessed. Deviations from the study requirements are evaluated as being minor or major. A written report of the audit result is provided to both the NCI and the relevant administrative components of the cooperative group. The audit process has uncovered rare instances of scientific improprieties in these NCI-funded clinical trials, but more importantly it has educated investigators and support staff to improve adherence to research and data-collection requirements, which has resulted in greater reliability of study results.
Antiemetics in cancer chemotherapy

Progress has been made in the prevention of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting but it remains a major problem.
Correlation of single leg vertical jump, single leg hop for distance, and single leg hop for time

Abstract Objectives To determine the correlation among three functional tests: single leg vertical jump (SLVJ), single leg hop for distance (SLHD), and single leg hop for time (SLHT). Design Prospective correlational investigation. Setting University research laboratory. Participants Forty healthy men ( n = 19) and women ( n = 21) between the ages of 18 and 30 (23.9 ± 2.0 years). Main outcome measures SLVJ was measured using the Vertec. SLHD was measured using a standard tape measure. SLHT was measured over a 10-m course using a standard stopwatch. Results The strongest correlation was between SLHT and SLHD, −0.89 and −0.89 for dominant and non-dominant lower extremities (LE), respectively. The weakest pairwise correlation was between SLVJ and SLHT, −0.71 and −0.63 for dominant and non-dominant LE, respectively. The correlation between SLVJ and SLHD was 0.74 and 0.71 for dominant and non-dominant LE, respectively. Conclusion There is a strong correlation between SLHT and SLHD, suggesting that each test measures similar constructs of function, while the modest correlation between SLVJ and SLHT suggest these two tests do not measure the same functional components, and could be paired as outcome measures for the clinical assessment of lower extremity function.
Tidal disruption of dissipative planetesimals

A self-consistent numerical model is developed for the tidal disruption of a solid planetesimal. The planetesimal is treated as a highly viscous, slightly compressible fluid whose disturbed parts are an inviscid, pressureless fluid undergoing distortion and disruption. The distortions were constrained to being symmetrical above and below the equatorial plane. The tidal potential is expanded in terms of Legendre polynomials, which eliminates the center of mass acceleration effects, permitting definition of equations of motion in a noninertial frame. Consideration is given to viscous dissipation and to characteristics of the solid-atmosphere boundary. The model is applied to sample cases in one, two and three dimensions.
Differential effects of soluble and immobilized fibronectins on aortic endothelial cell proliferation and attachment.

We studied the effects of soluble and immobilized forms of plasma fibronectin on bovine aortic endothelial cell (AEC) proliferation and attachment. Soluble fibronectin stimulated AEC growth at 10 μg/ml, but at higher concentrations of soluble fibronectin AEC growth was progressively inhibited. The growth rates of arterial smooth muscle cells (ASMC) and dermal fibroblasts (DF) were not altered by soluble fibronectin concentrations of 10 to 100 μg/ml. Plasma fibronectin, immobilized by attachment to culture dish surfaces, had no significant effects on the proliferation of any of the cell types examined. The attachment rates of AEC were decreased in the presence of 50 μg/ml soluble fibronectin. Immobilized fibronetin increased the rate of AEC attachment, but had no significant effects on ASMC or DF attachment; however, 12 h after plating there was nearly 100% attachment in all groups, whether or not fibronectin was present in the system. That soluble and immobilized fibronectins elicit disparate cellular responses is consistent with published reports of different cell surface receptors for different forms of the protein; in this manner, cells enmeshed in an interstitial matrix containing immobilized fibronectin could still respond to soluble fibronectin in the extracellular milieu.
Yin-Yang Regulation of Adiponectin Signaling by APPL Isoforms in Muscle Cells

APPL1 is a newly identified adiponectin receptor-binding protein that positively mediates adiponectin signaling in cells. Here we report that APPL2, an isoform of APPL1 that forms a dimer with APPL1, can interacts with both AdipoR1 and AdipoR2 and acts as a negative regulator of adiponectin signaling in muscle cells. Overexpression of APPL2 inhibits the interaction between APPL1 and AdipoR1, leading to down-regulation of adiponectin signaling in C2C12 myotubes. In contrast, suppressing APPL2 expression by RNAi significantly enhances adiponectin-stimulated glucose uptake and fatty acid oxidation. In addition to targeting directly to and competing with APPL1 in binding with the adiponectin receptors, APPL2 also suppresses adiponectin and insulin signaling by sequestrating APPL1 from these two pathways. In addition to adiponectin, metformin also induces APPL1-APPL2 dissociation. Taken together, our results reveal that APPL isoforms function as an integrated Yin-Yang regulator of adiponectin signaling and mediate the cross-talk between adiponectin and insulin signaling pathways in muscle cells.
Developing unified theories in ecology as exemplified with diversity gradients.

Abstract: A scientific field matures as its theoretical underpinnings consolidate around unified theories: conceptual structures consisting of a few general propositions that encompass a wide domain of phenomena and from which can be derived an array of models. We demonstrate this process with a synthetic theory of ecological gradients and species richness. Our unified theory rests on four propositions. First, variation in some environmental factor effects variation in the number of individuals creating a gradient. Second, in a uniform environment of fixed area, more individuals lead to more species. Third, the variance of an environmental factor increases with its mean for sites of equal area. Fourth, all nonmonotonic relationships (i.e., hump shaped or U shaped) require a trade‐off in organismal performance or in population characteristics with respect to the environmental gradient. We identify 17 models that link environmental gradients with diversity, show their relationship to our framework, and desc...
STUDIES OF TISSUE MAINTENANCE : III. PERSISTING BLOODLESSNESS AFTER FUNCTIONAL ISCHEMIA.

In skin regions which have been bloodless for some time, as result of the functional readjustments following upon a reduction of the blood bulk, the ischemia persists long after the blood volume has been restored and the systemic blood pressure has mounted to the initial level or a higher one. The significance of the finding is briefly discussed.
Xeroderma pigmentosum: A rapid sensitive method for prenatal diagnosis

When normal human cells, capable of repairing ultraviolet-induced lesions in their DNA, are incubated in the thymidine analog 5-bromodeoxyuridine after ultraviolet irradiation, the analog is incorporated into the repaired regions. When such repaired cells are subsequently irradiated with 313-nanometer radiation and placed in alkali, breaks appear in the DNA at sites of incorporation of 5bromodeoxyuridine, inducing a dramatic downward shift in the sedimentation constant of the DNA. Cells from patients with the disease xeroderma pigmentosum, which causes sensitivity to ultraviolet, are incapable or only minimally capable of repair; such cells incorporate little 5-bromodeoxyuridine into their DNA under these conditions and, upon 313-nanometer irradiation and sedimentation in alkali, exhibit only minor shifts in DNA sedimentation constants. When fibroblasts developed from biopsies of normal skin and of skin from patients with xeroderma pigmentosum, as well as cells cultured from midtrimester amniotic fluid, were assayed in this fashion unequivocal differences between normal and xeroderma pigmentosum cells were shown. Xeroderma pigmentosum heterozygotes are clearly distinguishable from homozygous mutants, and results are available 12 hours after irradiation.