cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Position-Specific and Clumped Stable Isotope Studies: Comparison of the Urey and Path-Integral Approaches for Carbon Dioxide, Nitrous Oxide, Methane, and Propane

We combine path-integral Monte Carlo methods with high-quality potential energy surfaces to compute equilibrium isotope effects in a variety of systems relevant to ‘clumped’ isotope analysis and isotope geochemistry, including CO_2, N_2O, methane, and propane. Through a systematic study of heavy-atom isotope-exchange reactions, we quantify and analyze errors that arise in the widely used Urey model for predicting equilibrium constants of isotope-exchange reactions using reduced partition function ratios. These results illustrate that the Urey model relies on a nontrivial cancellation of errors that can shift the apparent equilibrium temperature by as much as 35 K for a given distribution of isotopologues. The calculations reported here provide the same level of precision as the best existing analytical instrumentation, resolving the relative enrichment of certain isotopologues to as little as 0.01‰. These findings demonstrate path-integral methods to be a rigorous and viable alternative to more approximate methods for heavy-atom geochemical applications.
Inhibition of heregulin signaling by an aptamer that preferentially binds to the oligomeric form of human epidermal growth factor receptor-3.

Human epidermal growth factor receptor-3 (HER3) is a member of the type I receptor tyrosine kinase family. Several members of this family are overexpressed in various carcinomas. Specifically, HER2 is found to be overexpressed in 20–30% of breast cancers. In contrast to epidermal growth factor receptor or HER2, the kinasedeficient HER3 self-associates readily at low nanomolar concentrations and in the absence of its ligands, various isoforms of heregulin (hrg). Binding of hrg disrupts HER3 oligomerization and leads to the formation of signaling-competent heterodimers, preferentially with HER2. Elevated levels of HER3 contribute to increased drug resistance observed in HER2-overexpressing cells. We have used the SELEX (systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment) methodology to select RNA aptamers against the oligomeric state of the extracellular domains of HER3 (HER3ECD, monomeric molecular mass 82,000 Da). One of the aptamers, A30, binds with high affinity to a limited number of binding sites in the oligomeric state of HER3ECD. Binding of A30 and hrg are not competitive. Instead, the disruption of HER3 oligomers by hrg results in an ≈10-fold increase in total binding sites, but the newly created binding sites are of lower affinity. High-affinity binding of A30 inhibits hrg-dependent tyrosine phosphorylation of HER2 and the hrg-induced growth response of MCF7 cells. As an example of an aptamer against a large macromolecular protein complex, A30 can serve as a tool for the analysis of receptor interactions and may serve as a lead compound for the development of inhibitors against overexpressed receptor tyrosine kinases in carcinomas.
Dual actions of nitric oxide on angiogenesis: possible roles of PKC, ERK, and AP-1

Regulation of angiogenesis by nitric oxide (NO) is controversial since NO has been shown to have both pro- and anti-angiogenic effects. In this study, we examined the effect of the NO donor, S-nitro-N-acetyl-penicillamine (SNAP), on in vitro angiogenesis, and the mechanisms involved: PKC activity, ERK and c-Jun phosphorylation, and AP-1 DNA binding activity, in microvascular endothelial cells. SNAP, at 0.5-4 mM, significantly and dose-dependently inhibited angiogenesis, PKC activity, and ERK and c-Jun phosphorylation up to 80%, 83%, and 63% and 73%, respectively. SNAP at concentrations > 2mM also abolished AP-1 binding activity. Lower concentrations of SNAP (0.1-0.3 mM) significantly increased angiogenesis, PKC activity, and ERK and c-Jun phosphorylation up to 46%, 60%, and 61% and 180%, respectively. These findings indicate that the dual pro- and anti-angiogenic actions of NO are dose-dependent and suggest that they are mediated by PKC and ERK acting on AP-1.
Narcotic Drugs: Effects on the Serotonin Biosynthetic Systems of the Brain

The effects of short- and long-term administration of morphine on the activity of two measurable forms of rat brain tryptophan hydroxylase were studied. Morphine administration produced an immediate decrease and a longterm increase in the nerve ending (particulate) enzyme activity but did not change the cell body (soluble) enzyme activity. Cocaine administration demnonstrated a short-term decrcease in measurable nerve eniding enzyme activity that was due to the inhibition of the high affinity uptake (the Michaelis constant, K(m) is 10-(5) molar) of trytophan, the serotonin precursor. Cocaine did not aflect the low affinity uptake K(m) = 10-(5) molar) of tryptophan. Both the uptake of the precursor and the enizymiie activity appeared to be drug-sensitive regullatory processes in the biosynthlesis of serotonin.
Blanket and Selective Copper CVD from Cu(fod)2 for Multilevel Metallization

As the focus of integration technology inevitably shifts from the present very large scale integration (VLSI) to ultra large scale integration (ULSI) schemes, thus leading to continuous decrease in circuit dimensions, the limitations of present multilevel metallization technologies become increasingly important. Because of the appreciably higher speeds and more complex multi-functional layering involved in the newest ULSI circuits, the electrical resistance and capacitance of presently used interconnects and their electromigration and stress resistance stand as major limiting factors to signal processing throughput. In this paper, some recent results achieved by the present investigators in their studies of blanket and selective low-temperature metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (LTMOCVD) of copper for potential use in multilevel metallizations in ULSIC’s are presented. The films were produced at 300–400°C in atmospheres of pure H2 or Ar from the β-diketonate precursor bis(6, 6, 7,7, 8, 8, 8-heptafluoro-2, 2-dimethy1-3, 5-octanediono)copper(II), Cu(fod)2. The films were analyzed by x-ray diffraction (XRD), Rutherford Backscattering (RBS), Auger electron spectroscopy (AES), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDXS), and four-point resistivity probe. The results of these studies showed that films deposited on metallic substrates were uniform, continuous, adherent, highly pure, and exhibited very low resistivity, as low as 1. 8 μΩcm for films deposited in pure H2 atmosphere. Preliminary investigations of selective LTMOCVD of copper showed that selectivity is indeed possible, but is a function of a wide range of parameters that include reactor geometry, substrate type and temperature, working pressure, type of carrier gas, and precursor chemistry.
EPR spectrum of Cr(CO)4+ in krypton at 20 K

Abstract The d5 species Cr(CO)4+ has been detected by EPR spectroscopy in samples of Cr(CO)6 in krypton γ-irradiated at 77 K. The spectra of samples enriched in 13C proved the chromiun atom to be tetrahedrally bound to the four CO ligands. The ground state is 6A1 in Td symmetry.
A formidable “TASK”: Tipping the balance in favor of rhythm control for the management of atrial fibrillation

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a major public health epidemic that increases the risk of stroke and heart failure. Therapeutic approaches for AF include ablation techniques and pharmacologic agents. The goal of the former strategy is to convert AF by burning or freezing foci of arrhythmogenic triggers or imposing anatomical barriers that disrupt the reentrant circuits that maintain AF. An alternative to ablation is the use of pharmacologic strategies that are either curative (when AF is amenable to conversion) or ameliorative (when it is not). Unlike ablation techniques, pharmacologic approaches provide the opportunity to tailor therapy according to the specific pathophysiological processes that underlie the arrhythmia while avoiding the crude destruction of atrial tissue using radiofrequency energy or cryoablation.
Assessment of differential gene expression in vestibular epithelial cell types using microarray analysis.

Abstract Current global gene expression techniques allow the evaluation and comparison of the expression of thousands of genes in a single experiment, providing a tremendous amount of information. However, the data generated by these techniques are context-dependent, and minor differences in the individual biological samples, methodologies for RNA acquisition, amplification, hybridization protocol and gene chip preparation, as well as hardware and analysis software, lead to poor correlation between the results. One of the significant difficulties presently faced is the standardization of the protocols for the meaningful comparison of results. In the inner ear, the acquisition of RNA from individual cell populations remains a challenge due to the high density of the different cell types and the paucity of tissue. Consequently, laser capture microdissection was used to selectively collect individual cells and regions of cells from cristae ampullares followed by extraction of total RNA and amplification to amounts sufficient for high throughput analysis. To demonstrate hair cell-specific gene expression, myosin VIIA, calmodulin and α9 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subunit mRNAs were amplified using reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). To demonstrate supporting cell-specific gene expression, cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p27kip1 mRNA was amplified using RT-PCR. Subsequent experiments with α9 RT-PCR demonstrated phenotypic differences between type I and type II hair cells, with expression only in type II hair cells. Using the laser capture microdissection technique, microarray expression profiling demonstrated 408 genes with more than a five-fold difference in expression between the hair cells and supporting cells, of these 175 were well annotated. There were 97 annotated genes with greater than a five-fold expression difference in the hair cells relative to the supporting cells, and 78 annotated genes with greater than a five-fold expression difference in the supporting cells relative to the hair cells.
Estimation of equilibrium surface precipitation constants for trivalent metal sorption onto hydrous ferric oxide and calcite

Abstract Equilibrium constants for modeling surface precipitation of trivalent metal cations ( M 3 + ) onto hydrous ferric oxide and calcite were estimated from linear correlations of standard state Gibbs free energies of formation, ( Δ G f , MvX ( ss ) 0 ) of the surface precipitates. The surface precipitation reactions were derived from Farley et. al. [K.J. Farley, D.A. Dzombak, F.M.M. Morel, J. Colloid Interface Sci. 106 (1985) 226] surface precipitation model, which are based on surface complexation model coupled with solid solution representation for surface precipitation on the solid surface. The Δ G f , MvX ( ss ) 0 values were correlated through the following linear free energy relations Δ G f , M ( OH ) 3 ( ss ) 0 - 791.70 r M 3 + = 0.1587 Δ G n , M 3 + 0 - 1273.07 and Δ G f , M 2 ( CO 3 ) 3 ( ss ) 0 - 197.241 r M 3 + = 0.278 Δ G n , M 3 + 0 - 1431.27 where ‘ss’ stands for the end-member solid component of surface precipitate, Δ G f , MvX ( ss ) 0 is in kJ/mol, r M 3 + is the Shannon-Prewitt radius of M 3 + in a given coordination state (nm), and Δ G n , M 3 + 0 is the non-solvation contribution to the Gibbs free energy of formation of the aqueous M 3 + ion. Results indicate that the above surface precipitation correlations are useful tools where experimental data are not available.
Cardiovascular and electromyograph effects of low and high density work on an interactive information system

Abstract Sixteen males and 16 females solved 80 database queries presented on a visual display terminal (VDT). A solution required the correct selection of three successive hypertext indices hierarchically structured from the query to the data answer. Under a low density work condition, each selection of a hypertext index was followed by a 10-s delay before another database level, consisting of both indices and data, was presented. Under a high density work condition, each selection of a hypertext index was followed by a 1-s delay before another database level, consisting of both indices and data, was presented. To avoid a reduction in earnings, a solution criterion was 50 s for the low density condition, and 20 s for the high density condition. Forty successive queries were presented under each condition, and the order of conditions was counterbalanced across subjects. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure, mean arterial blood pressure, heart rate, and masseter electromyograph (EMG) responses showed elevations during task performance, in comparison to a resting baseline. Systolic blood pressure was higher during the high density condition in comparison to the low density condition, but masseter EMG activity was reliably higher only for females. Systolic blood pressure differences between the low and high density conditions were reliable over several successive performance sessions presented to two individual subjects. Subjects' scores on the Structured Interview (SI; Friedman & Powell, 1984) were found to relate to systolic blood pressure.
Fuzzy logic for short term load forecasting

Abstract The results of an investigation of a fuzzy logic model for short term load forecasting are presented. The proposed methodology uses fuzzy rules to incorporate historical weather and load data. These fuzzy rules are obtained from the historical data using a learning-type algorithm. Test results from daily peak and total load forecasts for one year of data from a large scale power system indicate that the fuzzy rule bases can produce results similar in accuracy to more complicated statistical and back propagation neural network methods.
Response of normal and malignant lymphoid tissue to non specific tissue damage.

SummaryFurther evidence has been added to indicate that ethyl alcohol is an alarming stimulus. We have shown that the non-specific stimuli, 4% formaldehyde and 40% glucose, in unadrenalectomized mice temporarily inhibit growth or produce temporary regression of the malignant lymphoid tumor 6C3HED. A similar effect is produced by a 48-hour fast. Fasting begun 30 hours after the initial stimulus gives an additional “lympholytic” effect.It has been shown that stimuli which are known to produce an alarm reaction with resulting atrophy of the normal thymus and normal spleen produce a similar type of reaction in tissue composed of malignant lymphocytes.
What is the ZAHARA study? Acronymania is an incurable Disease Afflicting MAiNly the cardiologisTs (ADAMANT).

There is a persistent problem in the use of trial acronyms, especially unexplained acronyms, in the medical literature, especially in the cardiological literature [1,2]. When I saw the title of the interesting article on risk of complications during pregnancy in women with congenital aortic stenosis [3], I was especially fascinated by the multiple authorship on behalf of the ZAHARA investigators. I read and reread the entire text several times in an attempt to find out what the acronym ZAHARA stood for. But I failed miserably, because there was no explanation anywhere in the text. Then I did a search of PubMed for other articles by the ZAHARA investigators. There were nine such articles, but none contained an explanation of the acronym ZAHARA either. According to the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors [4], every abbreviation or acronym should be defined when first used. In the medical world of acronymania [5], we should encourage acronymophobia rather than acronymophilia [6]. The latter may be habit-forming [7]. I write this letter to the editor, not only to draw your attention to this serious problem but also on the behalf of those readers who get aggravated by unexplained acronyms [8]. Please have the authors spell out every acronym when first used and never use the acronym in the title. You can
Comparison of ultrasonic wave reflection method and maturity method in evaluating early-age compressive strength of mortar

Abstract This paper focuses on the comparison between the ultrasonic wave reflection method and the widely known maturity method in their ability to evaluate compressive strength development of portland cement mortars. The experiments were conducted under laboratory conditions on cement mortars with different water–cement ratios (0.35, 0.5, 0.6) cured under different isothermal and non-isothermal conditions (15 °C, 25 °C, 35 °C, 15–35 °C). The results show that the application of the maturity method for accurate strength estimation requires the knowledge of the limiting strength of the mixture for the specific curing condition that is considered. It is not sufficient to base this estimation on the values of the limiting strength obtained from the calibration tests. The relationship between reflection loss and compressive strength was found to be independent of curing temperature. This finding is an important step towards establishing the wave reflection method as a non-destructive method for estimating early-age strength in cement-based materials.
ChUM: Chart Update Mashup

Critical nautical chart corrections are disseminated weekly via the U.S. Coast Guard in the form of a PDF document called the “Local Notice to Mariners.” Users of both paper and electronic nautical charts need to regularly apply these corrections to update their charts for safe navigation. This paper gives a detailed description of a tool, called ChUM (the Chart Update Mashup), that simplifies the process of combining nautical charts with the critical chart corrections and the U.S. Coast Pilot (an aid to navigation) using Google Maps. This geo-referenced interface simplifies finding chart corrections for a specific chart and allows for filtering and sorting the data.
A Study of Backscattering and Emission from Closely Packed Inhomogeneous Media

The effects of close spacing between small scattering spheres were examined by keeping the distance-dependent terms in the expressions for the transverse scattered fields. The phase matrix was then derived from these fields and was used in the radiative transfer formulation to model scattering and emission from a densely populated, inhomogeneous layer. Computed results were compared with those obtained when the phase matrix was specialized to the far-field condition. It was found that the use of the far-zone condition tended to underestimate both the level of the copolarized backscattering and the cross-polarized backscattering. In emission computations, the use of the far-zone condition overestimated the level of the brightness temperature. hese effecit decreased with a decrease in the volume fraction or an increase in the exploring frequency, as expected. An improvement on the snow parameter (density and crystal size) estimation was shown to be possible when this new phase matrix was used.
Characterization of a solid state air corona charging device

Two new solid state devices which produced an atmospheric air corona discharge for generating and depositing a layer of static charge for Xerographic imaging have been fabricated and characterized. One type had a parallel plate capacitive structure and the other had an interdigitated capacitive structure. It was determined that the interdigitated capacitive structure performed better than the parallel plate capacitive structure in terms of reduced power consumption, charging current stability and device reliability. Several metal electrode material alternatives were investigated and gold electrodes performed the best. The air corona’s light emission peaks were measured to be in the 350 nm to 400 nm range. Ozone gas by-product generation to ~ 13 ppm was detected for an active surface area of 5 cm^2. Charge deposition on to an imaging drum surface with a significant charging current density of 1.6E-4 A/cm^2 has been successfully demonstrated.
Chemical Effects of Fuel Chlorine on the Envelope Flame Ignition of Droplet Streams

Abstract Experimental measurements and modeling of the thermal ignition of chlorinated hydrocarbon droplet streams are presented. The auto-ignition temperatures of droplet streams of toluene, o-dichloro-benzene, ethylene dichloride and trichloroethylene were measured as a function of gas oxygen content in a drop-tube furnace. Effective ignition activation energies were estimated from the data. Values of global kinetic parameters at ignition were then derived from perfectly-stirred reactor computations employing detailed chemical mechanisms of simple chlorinated hydrocarbon oxidation. These rate parameters were found to be applicable over a wide range of temperatures. The computed ignition ordering of fuels agreed with published hydrocarbon auto-ignition temperature data. Inhibition of the ignition of fuels with high chlorine content, as well as promotion of ignition at low fuel chlorine content, were found, consistent with the experimental data.
Evaluation of Multiple Doses of Milacemide in the Treatment of Senile Dementia of the Alzheimer's Type

A multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel group study was conducted to assess the safety and efficacy of three doses of milacemide in the treatment of patients with senile dementia of the Alzheimer type of mild to moderate severity. Patients were randomly assigned to receive one of three dosages of milacemide (400, 800, or 1200 mg/day) or placebo for 4 weeks followed by a single-blind 4-week placebo period. One hundred forty-eight men and women older than 50 years of age were enrolled, and 129 patients completed the study. The differences among treatment groups were not statistically different with respect to total scores on the Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale or any items and subscales that were examined, nor were significant differences on the Clinical Global Impression Scale found. Clinically significant increases in liver function tests, specifically aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase (AST and ALT), were reported for five of the patients receiving milacemide, requiring their withdrawal from the study.
Puerto Rican mothers' beliefs and home literacy practices.

Purpose The aims of this investigation were to examine the parenting beliefs and literacy practices of mothers of Puerto Rican descent and to determine if relationships existed between the mothers'...
Geodetic observations of the M 5.1 January 29, 1994 Northridge aftershock

Geodetic observations of the January 29, 1994 M 5.1 aftershock of the Northridge earthquake are consistent with seismic solutions showing left-lateral oblique slip on a northeast striking steeply dipping fault. Thirty second solutions of the data from the station showing the maximum observed displacement (35 mm) indicate neither precursory nor immediate post-seismic motion to the aftershock. The aftershock does appear to be superimposed over the longer term Northridge post-seismic deformation field. Inversions of the data yield a potency of 2.6 ± 0.3 x 10 -3 km 3 slightly higher than that determined by seismic methods. Combining the potency with estimates of rigidity from P- and S-wave velocities yields a moment that is consistent with seismic moment solutions.
Functional Domains of the Nuclear Receptor Hepatocyte Nuclear Factor 4

The hepatocyte nuclear factor 4 (HNF-4) is a member of the nuclear receptor superfamily and participates in the regulation of several genes involved in diverse metabolic pathways and developmental processes. To date, the functional domains of this nuclear receptor have not been identified, and it is not known whether its transcriptional activity is regulated by a ligand or other signals. In this report, we show that HNF-4 contains two transactivation domains, designated AF-1 and AF-2, which activate transcription in a cell type-independent manner. AF-1 consists of the extreme N-terminal 24 amino acids and functions as a constitutive autonomous activator of transcription. This short transactivator belongs to the class of acidic activators, and it is predicted to adopt an amphipathic α-helical structure. In contrast, the AF-2 transactivator is complex, spanning the 128-366 region of HNF-4, and it cannot be further dissected without impairing activity. The 360-366 region of HNF-4 contains a motif that is highly conserved among transcriptionally active nuclear receptors, and it is essential for AF-2 activity, but it is not necessary for dimerization and DNA binding of HNF-4. Thus, HNF-4 deletion mutants lacking the 361-465 region bind efficiently to DNA as homo- and heterodimers and behave as dominant negative mutants. Remarkably, the full transactivation potential of AF-2 is inhibited by the region spanning residues 371-465 (region F). The inhibitory effect of region F on the HNF-4 AF-2 activity is a unique feature among members of the nuclear receptor superfamily, and we propose that it defines a distinct regulatory mechanism of transcriptional activation by HNF-4.
One-to-One Play Promotes Numerical Equivalence Concepts

Young children spontaneously engage in a variety of one-to-one correspondence activities during play. The present study tested whether one of these activities—pairing objects with containers—supported the development of numerical equivalence judgments. Three-year-olds were given sets of toys to take home. In one condition, the toys were accompanied by a container that facilitated one-to-one matching (e.g., wiffle balls and a muffin tin). In the other condition, the same toys were accompanied by a numerically equivalent set of loose objects (e.g., wiffle balls and plastic frogs). At test, children who had played with the containers showed significant improvement on a challenging number-matching task (i.e., cross mapping). In contrast, children who had played with the loose sets of objects continued to perform at chance.
Chlorinated compounds in coastal power plant cooling waters

Results are presented based on 4 months of a 12 month study funded by EPA of chlorination practices at 5 coastal power plants in California. The plants are all owned and operated by the Pacific Gas and Electric Company. They include Potrero and Hunters Point in the Central Bay Region of the San Francisco Bay system, Pittsburg on Suisun Bay, Contra Costa on the San Joaquin River, and Moss Landing on Monterey Bay. Typical cooling water system layout is discussed with special emphasis on chlorination procedures. At all the plants chlorine is injected as a concentrated solution into a holding well located at the intake before the circulating water pumps. Halogen residuals are measured by the power plant chemist at the condenser inlet and this measured resid-
N-Myc Regulates a Widespread Euchromatic Program in the Human Genome Partially Independent of Its Role as a Classical Transcription Factor

Myc proteins have long been modeled to operate strictly as classical gene specific transcription factors, however we find that N-Myc has a robust role in the human genome in regulating global cellular euchromatin including that of intergenic regions. Strikingly, 90–95% of the total genomic euchromatic marks histone H3 acetylated at lysine 9 and methylated at lysine 4 is N-Myc dependent. However, Myc regulation of transcription, even of genes it directly binds and at which it is required for maintenance of active chromatin, is generally weak. Thus, Myc has a much more potent ability to regulate large domains of euchromatin than to influence transcription of individual genes. Overall, Myc regulation of chromatin in the human genome includes both specific genes, but also expansive genomic domains that invoke functions independent of a classical transcription factor. These findings support a new dual model for Myc chromatin function with important implications for the role of Myc in cancer and stem cell biology, including that of induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells.
Special Section on the 2007 IEEE AUTOTESTCON

In this Special Section, we highlight several of the key significant results that were presented at this conference by presenting nine papers, each of which highlights the theme of the conference and has been technically extended beyond the conference version. Thus, we are sharing new and updated results and advances in automatic testing. It is also exciting to note that these papers exhibit strong collaboration between academia and industry, thus leading to a strong balance between theory and practice in their contributions. The nine papers in this Special Section have been organized into three general categories that have strong interest within the automatic testing community. The first group of papers focuses on the advances in test and diagnosis technology. The second group of papers focuses on the result in the emerging field of prognostics and health management. And the final group of papers focuses on recent work in the area of synthetic instrumentation for automatic test.
Online spatial data analysis and visualization system

With the exponential growth of the usage of web map services, the geo data analysis has become more and more popular. This paper develops an online spatial data analysis and visualization system, TerraFly GeoCloud, which facilitates end users to visualize and analyze spatial data, and to share the analysis results.Built on the TerraFly Geo spatial database, TerraFly GeoCloud is an extra layer running upon the TerraFly map and can efficiently support many different visualization functions and spatial data analysis models. Furthermore, users can create unique URLs to visualize and share the analysis results. TerraFly GeoCloud also enables the MapQL technology to customize map visualization using SQL-like statements. The system is available at http://terrafly.fiu.edu/GeoCloud/.
TNRNFLRFamide and SDRNFLRFamide modulate muscles of the stomatogastric system of the crab Cancer borealis

The effects of the extended FLRFamide-like peptides, TNRNFLRFamide and SDRNFLRFamide, were studied on the stomach musculature of the crab Cancer borealis. Peptide-induced modulation of nerve-evoked contractions was used to screen muscles. All but 2 of the 17 muscles tested were modulated by the peptides. In several muscles of the pyloric region, peptides induced long-lasting myogenic activity. In other muscles, the peptides increased the amplitude of nerve-evoked contractions, excitatory junctional potentials, and excitatory junctional currents, but produced no apparent change in the input resistance of the muscle fibers. The threshold concentration was 10−10 M for TNRNFLRFamide and between 10−9 M to 10−8 M for SDRNFLRFamide. The absence of direct peptidecontaining innervation to these muscles and the wide-spread sensitivity of these muscles to the peptides suggest that TNRNFLRFamide and SDRNFLRFamide may be released from neurosecretory structures to modulate stomatogastric musculature hormonally. We speculate that hormonally released peptide will be crucial for maintaining appreciable muscle contraction in response to low-frequency and low-intensity motor discharge.
Evoked release of 5-HT and NEFA from the hypothalamus of the conscious monkey during thermoregulation.

Unterkuhlungsexperimente mit Affen zeigen einen Anstieg des 5-HT-Gehaltes in der Durchstromungsflussigkeit des vorderen Hypothalamus. Erwarmung der Tiere ergab 2–4fachen Anstieg eines NEFA-ahnlichen Stoffes.
Determinants of Academic Performance: A Multinomial Logit Approach

Using a qualitative response analysis, the authors estimated and compared key determinants of course grades with those derived with OLS.
Intradiverticular bladder cancer: CT imaging features and their association with clinical outcomes

Abstract Objectives To evaluate if computed tomographic (CT) features of intradiverticular bladder cancer can predict clinical outcome. Methods Retrospective study of 34 patients with intradiverticular bladder cancer. Two radiologists independently evaluated all CT exams. Results CT tumor length and width were significantly associated with survival for both readers [hazard ratios (HRs) 1.31–1.62, P k =0.34–0.78, concordance correlation coefficient=0.56–0.66). There was no association between transurethral resection pathology stage and survival (HR 2.10, P =.21). Conclusions In patients with intradiverticular bladder cancer, the tumor length and width measured on the pretreatment CT predicted survival.
VORTEX-EXCITED VIBRATIONS OF UNIFORM PIVOTED CYLINDERS IN UNIFORM AND SHEAR FLOW

The vortex-excited dynamics of a uniform pivoted cylinder in uniform and sheared flow was investigated experimentally. The experiments were numerically simulated using a diffusive Van der Pol oscillator model developed by Balasubramanian & Skop recently. Salient features of the experimental investigations and the numerical simulations are presented here. Comparisons between the experimentally recorded and numerically predicted structural response to vortex-excited vibrations, power spectral density measurements of near-wake velocity fluctuations and lock-in ranges are made. A comparison of the numerical predictions and the experimental data reveals good agreement.
A theoretical study of inertial cavitation from acoustic radiation force impulse imaging and implications for the mechanical index.

Abstract The mechanical index (MI) attempts to quantify the likelihood that exposure to diagnostic ultrasound will produce an adverse biological effect by a non-thermal mechanism. The current formulation of the MI implicitly assumes that the acoustic field is generated using the short pulse durations appropriate to B-mode imaging. However, acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) imaging employs high-intensity pulses up to several hundred acoustic periods long. The effect of increased pulse durations on the thresholds for inertial cavitation was studied computationally in water, urine, blood, cardiac and skeletal muscle, brain, kidney, liver and skin. The results indicate that, although the effect of pulse duration on cavitation thresholds in the three liquids can be considerable, reducing them by, for example, 6%–24% at 1 MHz, the effect on tissue is minor. More importantly, the frequency dependence of the MI appears to be unnecessarily conservative; that is, the magnitude of the exponent on frequency could be increased to 0.75. Comparison of these theoretical results with experimental measurements suggests that some tissues do not contain the pre-existing, optimally sized bubbles assumed for the MI. This means that in these tissues, the MI is not necessarily a strong predictor of the probability of an adverse biological effect.
Long-Term Outcomes After Isolated Aortic Valve Replacement in Octogenarians: A Modern Perspective

Background With the recent advent of percutaneous valve therapy, an increased need for the evaluation of outcomes after open aortic valve replacement (AVR) in elderly patients is warranted. This study compares the short- and long-term survival outcomes of octogenarians after AVR with younger age groups in the modern surgical era. Methods A retrospective review was performed on patients who underwent isolated, primary AVR from 1996 to 2006 at the Emory Healthcare Hospitals. Five-hundred fifteen patients were divided into three age groups: 60 to 69 (n = 206), 70 to 79 (n = 221), and 80 to 89 years of age (n = 88). Outcomes were compared among the age groups using logistic regression and analysis of variance techniques. Long-term survival between age groups was compared using the Cox proportional hazards model. Kaplan-Meier plots were used to determine survival rates. Results The groups were similar with respect to in-hospital mortality ( p = 0.66) and hospital length of stay ( p = 0.08). Preoperative predictors of in-hospital mortality included stroke (odds ratio [OR] 5.36), chronic lung disease (OR 4.51), and renal failure (OR 1.39). As expected, age significantly impacted long-term survival (hazard ratio [HR] 1.06). Other predictors of long-term survival included stroke (HR 2.15), current smoker (HR 2.03), diabetes (HR 1.53), and renal failure (HR 1.4). The Kaplan-Meier estimate of median survival for octogenarians was 7.4 years. Conclusions In the modern era, octogenarians have acceptable short- and long-term results after open AVR. Comparisons of less invasive techniques for AVR should rely on outcomes based in the modern era and decisions regarding surgical intervention in patients requiring AVR should not be based on age alone.
Masseter spasm and malignant hyperthermia: a retrospective review of a hospital-based pediatric otolaryngology practice

It has been claimed that the combination of halothane and succinylcholine, commonly used for anesthetic induction during short pediatric otolaryngologic procedures, is associated with a 1% incidence of masseter spasm (MS) which may be an early sign of malignant hyperthermia (MH). An 18-month retrospective chart review of all patients undergoing general anesthesia at the Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh (n = 14, 112) was conducted to assess the incidence of MS and its management. In addition, a separate subgroup of patients identified as being at risk for MH was also evaluated. In the otolaryngology service, the incidence of developing MS was 2 of 206 (1%) in children who were anesthetized with halothane and received succinylcholine, patients were identified in the MH high-risk group, and none developed MH. The findings affirmed the risks of using this combination of anesthetic and neuromuscular blocking agents during induction and the need for establishing management guidelines.
Ethological and 6-[18F]fluoro-L-DOPA-PET profiles of long-term vulnerability to chronic amphetamine

A chronic 10-day amphetamine (Amp) protocol was used to induce significant long-term decrements of the striatal [18F]fluoro-l-DOPA influx rate constant (FDOPA Ki) in the vervet monkey. Longitudinal FDOPA-positron emission tomography (PET) assessment in Amp-treated subjects subsequently revealed a gradual recovery of striatal dopamine function: FDOPA Ki values were decreased by ∼ 70% at 1 month, ∼ 45% at 6 months, ∼ 20% at 12 months and were similar to pre-Amp values at 24 months. Motoric and social behavioral measures were obtained on all subjects within a species-typical group setting. Behavioral observations were conducted during both basal and stressor-challenge conditions, the latter being created by placing a potential intruder-animal in an individual cage adjacent to the subject's group enclosure. During basal conditions, post-Amp stereotypies were present at 2 weeks and locomotor behaviors were increased throughout 1 month; both alterations occurred while FDOPA Ki values were significantly decreased. Social behaviors were also significantly affected; affiliative behavior was decreased up to 6 months while aggressive behavior was increased for 12 months. However, a different pattern of behavioral changes emerged under stressor-challenge conditions. Motoric and social changes were of greater magnitude and persisted longer than in basal settings while aggressive behavior remained elevated at 24 months. These results indicate that chronic Amp-induced decreases in FDOPA Ki values and behavioral alterations are reversible. Changes in striatal dopamine function as indexed with FDOPA-PET are not correlated with post-Amp alterations in behaviors and moreover, expression of those behaviors is context-dependent.
Therapeutic jurisprudence and conflicts among values in mental health law

Therapeutic Jurisprudence provides a conceptual framework for a research agenda designed to promote development of legal rules, procedures, and roles in a manner consistent with the therapeutic mission of the mental health system. As such, it draws attention to the tension between the jurisprudential values of autonomy and well-being that permeates mental health law specifically and the law and ethics of health care generally. This article advances an analysis of these values in the context of the patient-centered approach to health care. The article endorses a priority for the deontic aspect of autonomy over well-being but allows balancing of the consequentialist component of autonomy against well-being. Finally, it applies this framework to several traditionally difficult types of cases.
The effects of apomorphine, (+)-amphetamine and L-dopa on maximal electroshock convulsions--a comparative study in the rat and mouse.

The anticonvulsant activity of apomorphine, (+)-amphetamine and pargyline + l-dopa was examined in the rat and mouse. Whereas all three treatments produced anticonvulsant effects in the rat, only (+)-amphetamine and l-dopa were anticonvulsant in the mouse. It is suggested that enhanced dopamine-like activity is responsible for the anticonvulsant activity of these three drugs in the rat. The anticonvulsant activity of (+)-amphetamine and l-dopa in the mouse may be unrelated to their pharmacological activity on dopaminergic neurons.
Novel Guanosine−Cytidine Dinucleoside that Self-Assembles into a Trimeric Supramolecule

Synthesis and assembly studies of a guanosine−cytidine dinucleoside 1 that self-assembles into a trimeric supramolecule (I) are presented. Dinucleoside 1 was obtained by utilizing two consecutive palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions. Ensemble I was analyzed by ESI-MS, NMR spectroscopies, size exclusion chromatography (SEC), and vapor pressure osmometry (VPO).
Modelling of human-vehicle dynamic interactions and control of vehicle active systems

This paper proposes a cascaded system model to represent dynamic interactions between human driver and vehicle. The human dynamics is the top subsystem in the cascaded model. Through a backstepping control design procedure, an overall control scheme is developed to guarantee the entire dynamic system stability. The proposed methodology can be directly applied to model and control many vehicle active systems, such as the active suspension and active restraint systems that interact with the human driver to achieve better safety, comfort and ride quality. Using a complete digital human model, an advanced simulation study is performed to visualise the realistic dynamic motion during a car frontal collision and verify the developed control scheme for the vehicle active restraint system.
An exact FCFS waiting time analysis for a general class of G/G/ s queueing systems

A closed form expression for the waiting time distribution under FCFS is derived for the queueing system MGE k/MGE m/s, where MGE n is the class of mixed generalized Erlang probability density functions (pdfs) of order n, which is a subset of the Coxian pdfs that have rational Laplace transform. Using the calculus of difference equations and based on previous results of the author, it is proved that the waiting time distribution is of the form 1)~(s+m-1) t ~ u t )~a ~y~ ~, under the assumption that the roots uy are distinct, i.e. belongs to the Coxian class of distributions of order (~+m-1). The present approach offers qualitative insight by providing exact and asymptotic expressions, generalizes and unifies the well known theories developed for the G/G/l, G/M/s systems and leads to an O(k3(~+m-1) 3) algorithm, which is polynomial if only one of the parameters s or m varies, and is exponential if both parameters vary. As an example, numerical results for the waiting time distribution of the MGE2/MGE2/s queueing system are presented.
The Education of Sisyphus Absurdity, Educative Transformation, and Suicide

This article examines the idea of suicide as a metaphor for transformative education. Camus's The Myth of Sisyphus is used as a framework for discussing the absurdity of education as well as the lucidity available through an openness to personal and professional transformation. An argument is made for a rhythmic progression of lucidity and comfort where occurrences of transformation (suicide) allow moments of freedom from the continual tension of lucidity as well as stimuli for new periods of lucidity. By way of this progression, existence remains firmly within the absurd while allowing for a “hopeful hopelessness” that perpetuates action in the face of unreasonable circumstances. Also examined is the quality that marks a suicidal (educative) transformation in contrast to a nonsuicidal (additive) transformation. The article concludes with a classroom narrative that depicts the absurd situation and the resulting suicide.
A neural architecture for the assignment problem: simulation and VLSI implementation

A competitive neural network architecture and hardware implementation is described. It is capable of solving first-order assignment problems. Each member of one set may be independently matched or blocked to a range of members of another set. One processing unit (PU) is used for each possible pairing of members, and analog association costs are applied directly to PU inputs as thresholds. Blocking constraints are enforced by circuits that oversee PU activations in each row and column, and modulate their excitations as required. Mean-field annealing is used to avoid local minima. Simulation results for problems to 64*64, with random costs, suggest that the hardware can be expected to settle in at most a few milliseconds. Since the simulation settled to the optimal solution in almost all cases it is apparent that the hardware can be expected to find at least good solutions. Characterization of an analog VLSI test chip implementing the PU and row/column constraint circuits is presented. >
Getting In Training A Decade of AERA's Efforts to Prevent Professional Obsolescence

Professionals put a premium on keeping up-to-date. In some fields such as health, the perils of professional obsolescence are quite apparent. In other fields the consequences of obsolescence are subtle, but no less profound. Faulty conclusions derived from badly conducted educational research, for example, may seriously damage the lives of generations. As a consequence, behavioral science professional associations have in recent years begun to examine their responsibilities in countering the tendencies of their members to become
Analysis of a parallel lexical-tree-based speech decoder for multi-core processors

We present a systematic analysis of a lexical-tree based parallel search algorithm for multi-core desktop processors. We introduce an analytical model that predicts the speedup from parallelization after accounting for load imbalance among the cores. Various sources of overhead in the parallel search algorithm are described, benchmarked and analyzed. Besides load imbalance, these include the inherently serial steps of the parallel search algorithm and an increase in main memory access latency.
An injective far-field pattern operator and inverse scattering problem in a finite depth ocean

The inverse scattering problem for acoustic waves in shallow oceans are different from that in the spaces of R2 and R3 in the way that the “propagating” far-field pattern can only carry the information from the N +1 propagating modes. This loss of information leads to the fact that the far-field pattern operator is not injective. In this paper, we will present some properties of the far-field pattern operator and use this information to construct an injective far-field pattern operator in a suitable subspace of L2(∂Ω). Based on this construction an optimal scheme for solving the inverse scattering problem is presented using the minimizing Tikhonov functional.