cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Narrow Angles and Angle Closure: Anatomic Reasons for Earlier Closure of the Superior Portion of the Iridocorneal Angle

Objective To quantitatively investigate the ultrasound biomicroscopic features of eyes with asymmetric narrowing of the iridocorneal angles. Methods Asymmetric angles were defined as those differing by 2 or more Shaffer grades between the superior and inferior angles. We performed ultrasound biomicroscopy on 18 eyes in 18 patients. Measurements of the following were made: the angle recess area, the triangular area bordered by the anterior iris surface, the corneal endothelium, and a line drawn from 750 μm anterior to the scleral spur; the y-intercept, the estimated angle opening distance at the level of the scleral spur; acceleration, which describes how rapidly the angle widens from the iris root; trabecular-ciliary process distance, the distance between the trabecular meshwork and the ciliary body at 500 μm anterior to the scleral spur; and angle recess–iris insertion distance, the distance between the apex of the angle recess and the iris insertion on the ciliary body face. Results In the superior angle, 11 eyes developed appositional closure, 10 with B-type (apposition beginning at the iris root) and 1 with S-type (apposition beginning at the line of Schwalbe). Four eyes also had apposition inferiorly (1 B-type and 3 S-types). The y-intercept, angle recess areas, trabecular-ciliary process distance, and angle recess–iris insertion distance were significantly smaller in the superior quadrant. S-type angles predominated in the inferior angle, and B-type angles did in the superior angle, indicating a more posterior insertion of the iris in the wider inferior angles. Conclusions Asymmetry in eyes with narrow angles occurs because of differences in iris insertion position on the ciliary body face and from asymmetry of the ciliary body position.
Design of line-type cellular manufacturing systems for minimum operating and material-handling costs

Abstract This study presents a three-stage procedure for designing a line-type cellular manufacturing system with the objective of minimizing operating and material-handling costs. At the first stage, alternate part routeings are considered to determine the best part routeing that minimizes the operating cost. The results from the first stage form a 0-1 part-machine matrix. This binary matrix is used as the input to an ART1-neural-network-based cell formation module to group machines into a specified number of cells at the second stage. The facility layout module of a STORM software is finally used at the third stage to determine the layout and material-handling cost for the cell design. An example is used to demonstrate that the procedure could be used to resolve a load imbalance problem for a focus-factory-based system.
Ca2+ Sparks and Puffs Are Generated and Interact in Rat Hippocampal CA1 Pyramidal Neuron Dendrites

1,4,5-Inositol trisphosphate receptors (IP3Rs) and ryanodine receptors (RyRs) mediate release of Ca2+ from internal stores in many neurons. The details of the spatial and temporal characteristics of these signals and their interactions in dendrites remain to be clarified. We found that localized Ca2+ release events, with no associated change in membrane potential, occurred spontaneously in the dendrites of rat hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons. Their rate, but not their amplitude or time course, could be modulated by changes in membrane potential. Together, these results suggest that the spontaneous events are similar to RyR-dependent Ca2+ “sparks” found in cardiac myocytes. In addition, we found that we could generate another kind of localized Ca2+ release event by either a synaptic tetanus in the presence of 3-((R)-2-carboxypiperazine-4-yl)-propyl-1-phosphonic acid and CNQX or by uncaging IP3. These events had slower rise times and decay times than sparks and were more heterogeneous. These properties are similar to Ca2+ “puffs” found in oocytes. These two localized signals interact. Low-intensity tetanic synaptic stimulation or uncaging of IP3 increased the decay time of spontaneous Ca2+ events without changing their rise time or amplitude. Pharmacological experiments suggest that this event widening is attributable to a delayed IP3R-mediated release of Ca2+ triggered by the synergistic action of IP3 and Ca2+ released by RyRs. The actions of IP3 appear to be confined to the main apical dendrite because uncaging IP3 in the oblique dendrites has no effect on the time course of localized events or backpropagating action potential-evoked Ca2+ signals in this region.
Targeting SDF-1/CXCR4 to inhibit tumour vasculature for treatment of glioblastomas

Local recurrence of glioblastomas is a major cause of patient mortality after definitive treatment. This review discusses the roles of the chemokine stromal cell-derived factor-1 and its receptor CXC chemokine receptor 4 (CXCR4) in affecting the sensitivity of glioblastomas to irradiation. Blocking these molecules prevents or delays tumour recurrence after irradiation by inhibiting the recruitment of CD11b+ monocytes/macrophages that participate in revascularising the tumour. We review the literature pertaining to the mechanism by which revascularisation occurs following tumour irradiation using experimental models. Areas of interest and debate in the literature include the process by which endothelial cells die after irradiation and the identity/origin of the cells that reconstitute the tumour blood vessels after injury. Understanding the processes that mediate tumour revascularisation will guide the improvement of clinical strategies for preventing recurrence of glioblastoma after irradiation.
Co-stimulatory functions of antigen-presenting cells.

Antigen-presenting cells, in addition to presenting processed antigen, provide co-stimulatory signals that are necessary for stimulating maximal lymphokineproduction by CD4 + T cells. For interleukin 2 (IL-2)-producing CD4 + T cells, the B7 molecule provides an important co-stimulatory signal through interaction with its ligand on the T-cell surface, CD28. Populations of antigen-presenting cells that express high levels of B7 (e.g., dendritic cells) are much more potent stimulators of T-cell activation than cells that fail to express B7 (e.g., resting B cells). An increase in B7 expression could therefore explain the increased accessory function gained by Langerhans cells as they leave the skin and migrate to the draining lymph node.
On mixed finite element formulations and stress recovery techniques

The relationship between a mixed finite element formulation based on the Hu–Washizu (HW) functional and stress recovery techniques is elucidated. Although mixed formulations are primarily motivated by avoidance of locking phenomena in finite element solutions, it is shown that a mixed formulation based on the HW functional, with displacements, stresses and strains as fields, is so intimately related to stress recovery that the formulation itself can also be viewed as a stress recovery method. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Monte Carlo conditional inference for log-linear and logistic models: A survey of current methodology

Nuisance parameters are parameters that are not of immediate interest to the experimenter. For log-linear and logistic models the null distribution of (most) statistics of interest depends on such parameters. Traditionally, nuisance parameters were eliminated by performing inference with respect to the chi-squared limiting distribution of common test statistics. An alternative solution is to eliminate the nuisance parameters by conditioning on their minimal sufficient statistics. The support of the resulting conditional distribution is often intractable, making null probability calculations challenging. An often feasible way to avoid complete enumeration of this support is to approximate conditional probabilities using Monte Carlo methods. In this article we survey recent developments in Monte Carlo conditional analysis for log-linear and logistic models focusing on the algorithms proposed by Booth and Butler,1 Diaconis and Sturmfels,2 Smith et al.,3 and Mehta et al.4 We illustrate these algorithms with s...
Low-dose high-dose-rate brachytherapy in the treatment of facial lesions of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma

Background The use of many of the standard skin-directed mycosis fungoides (MF) therapies on facial skin may be limited by site-specific increased risks of side effects, excessive inflammation, and ocular toxicity. Objective Our study aimed to describe the levels of erythema, scale, and induration of facial lesions in MF before and after low-dose high-dose-rate surface applicator brachytherapy and to examine the overall clinical response to brachytherapy. Methods A total of 23 facial MF lesions in 10 patients were treated with high-dose-rate brachytherapy doses of 4 Gy per session for a total of 2 fractions at our multidisciplinary cutaneous oncology clinic between August 17, 2009, and March 12, 2012. Results In all 23 lesions, dramatic clinical improvement was observed. Patients were followed up for a median of 6.3 months. No recurrences were reported in the follow-up period. Limitations Long-term follow-up is lacking. Reassessment of all included patients at annual intervals for a period of at least 5 years is the authors' goal. Conclusion Low-dose high-dose-rate brachytherapy using custom-made surface molds is a highly efficacious therapy in the treatment of facial lesions in MF.
Portfolio optimization using the quadratic optimization system and publicly available information on the WWW

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to describe some optimization exercises which have proved to be very useful for introducing students to Markowitz‐style mean‐varience optimization.Design/methodology/approach – This paper describes two exercises that walk students through the process of gathering security price and dividend data, estimating the parameters of the joint distribution of asset returns, and then using a portfolio optimizer to construct mean‐variance efficient portfolios. It describes the basic methodology, and the more complex formulations of the portfolio optimization problem that are used in practice.Practical implications – Portfolio selection is typically taught in finance courses as an abstract solution to a system of equations, and does little to connect the portfolio construction process to Exchange Traded Funds, stocks, bonds and other assets that are traded in markets. This study offers a practical approach to teaching portfolio optimization, that starts with gathering market dat...
Demarcation of bacterial ecotypes from DNA sequence data: A comparative analysis of four algorithms

Identification of closely related, ecologically distinct populations of bacteria would benefit microbiologists working in many fields including systematics, epidemiology, and biotechnology. Several laboratories have recently developed algorithms aimed at demarcating such “ecotypes.” In this paper we examine the ability of four of these algorithms to correctly identify ecotypes from sequence data (along with, in the case of one algorithm, information on the habitats where organisms were isolated). We test the algorithms on synthetic sequences, with known history and habitat associations, generated under the Stable Ecotype model [1], and on data from Bacillus strains isolated from Death Valley where previous work [2] has confirmed the existence of multiple ecotypes. We find that one of the algorithms (Ecotype Simulation) performs significantly better than the others (AdaptML, GMYC, BAPS) in both instances. Unfortunately, it is also shown to be the least efficient of the four.
Drug structure and treatment algorithms: treatment of hypertension

Abstract The objective of this manuscript is to describe and document the usefulness of incorporating drug structure knowledge in treatment algorithms in our medicinal chemistry courses. Treatment algorithms from therapeutics textbooks and recommendations from major health organizations for treatment of different disease states were incorporated as part of an instructional model to teach clinically relevant medicinal chemistry. Drug structure knowledge pertinent to the use of different drug classes used for the treatment of various diseases is introduced to help students apply that knowledge. Examples of hypertension treatment are provided to illustrate how this knowledge is incorporated into the treatment algorithm for hypertension. Student subjective and objective data are provided as evidence of student learning.
Beta‐carotene and vitamin E in oral cancer prevention

The ultimate proof that a putative chemopreventive agent does prevent cancer is a demonstration of reduced cancer incidence in a targeted population. However, because of practical and logistical considerations, such trials are virtually impossible to conduct for the majority of cancers. Therefore, a conclusion regarding the efficacy of chemopreventive activity is based on consideration of a variety of indirect lines of evidence, including laboratory studies, animal model systems, epidemiologic surveys, intervention trials involving reversal of premalignant changes, and the prevention of malignancies in particularly high risk subjects. Furthermore, the only agents worth testing are those with limited, or preferably, no toxicity, since the final use will be prevention in a generally healthy population. Beta-carotene and vitamin E both fulfill all the criteria for suitable chemopreventive agents; several lines of evidence point toward preventive roles for them in oral cancer. In numerous epidemiologic studies, low intake of beta-carotene has been associated with higher cancer risk. Both intake and supplemental use of vitamin E have been associated with a lowered risk of cancer. Smokers, whose habit is a major risk factor, have lower beta-carotene levels in oral mucosal cells when compared with non-smokers. In several laboratory and animal model systems, including the very relevant hamster cheek pouch model, these agents strongly inhibit oral cavity carcinogenesis. Beta-carotene and vitamin E produce regression of oral leukoplakia, a premalignant lesion for oral cancer. This has now been shown in seven clinical trials: five with beta-carotene alone, one with vitamin E, and one with a combination of both.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Native cover crops suppress exotic annuals and favor native perennials in a greenhouse competition experiment

In a greenhouse experiment, we examined the effectiveness of four native cover crops for controlling four exotic, invasive species and increasing success of four western North American grassland species. Planting the annual cover crops, annual ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia) and common sunflower (Helianthus annuus), reduced the biomass of the exotic species cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum), Japanese brome (Bromus japonicus), Canada thistle (Cirsium arvense), and whitetop (Cardaria draba). The annual cover crops also reduced the desired species biomass in competition with the perennial exotics, but either increased or did not affect the desired species biomass in competition with the annual exotics. Planting the perennial cover crops, Canada goldenrod (Solidago canadensis) and littleleaf pussytoes (Antennaria microphylla), rarely inhibited exotic species, but did increase the desired species biomass. Field experiments are needed to test the cover crops under more ecologically relevant conditions, but our results suggested that the annual cover crops may be effective for controlling invasive annuals and for facilitating native perennials.
A dissociation between mental rotation and perspective-taking spatial abilities

Abstract Recent psychometric results [Mem. Cogn. 29 (2001) 745] have supported a distinction between mental abilities that require a spatial transformation of a perceived object (e.g., mental rotation) and those that involve imagining how a scene looks like from different viewpoints (e.g., perspective taking). Two experiments provide further evidence for and generalize this dissociation. Experiment 1 shows that the separability of mental rotation and perspective taking is not dependent on the method by which people are tested. Experiment 2 generalizes the distinction to account for perspective taking within perceived small-scale and imagined large-scale environments. Although dissociable, measures of perspective taking and mental rotation are quite highly correlated. The research suggests some reasons why psychometric studies have not found strong evidence for the separability of the spatial visualization and spatial orientation factors, although a strong dissociation between tasks that are dependent on mental rotation and perspective-taking processes has been found in the experimental cognitive literature.
Characterization of ambient black carbon and wood burning particles in two urban areas

Previously it has been suggested that certain organic aerosol components of wood smoke have enhanced ultraviolet absorption at 370 nm relative to 880 nm in two-wavelength aethalometer measurements. This enhanced absorption could serve as an indicator of wood burning particles. Two-wavelength (370 nm and 880 nm) aethalometer measurements were made at urban sites in Rochester, New York and Laredo, Texas from August 1 to December 31, 2009 and from December 23, 2007 to January 2, 2008, respectively. In Rochester, Delta-C (UVBC370nm − BC880nm) values were higher by a factor of 3 during the night than during the day in November and December when residential wood burning was common. In Laredo, particularly high Delta-C values were observed on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve and were attributed to biomass burning and firework emissions. Exponential decay was found to be a good estimator for predicting BC concentrations at different wind speeds regardless of wind directions.
Elastoplastic Modeling of Metal Matrix Composites Containing Randomly Located and Oriented Spheroidal Particles

Micromechanics-based effective elastic and plastic formulations of metal matrix composites (MMCs) containing randomly located and randomly oriented particles are developed. The averaging process over all orientations upon three elastic governing equations for aligned particle-reinforced MMCs is performed to obtain the explicit formulation of effective elastic stiffness of MMCs with randomly oriented particles. The effects of volume fraction of particles and particle shape on the overall elastic constants are studied. Comparisons with the Hashin-Shtrikman bounds and Ponte Castaneda-Willis bounds show that the present effective elastic formulation does not violate the variational bounds. Good agreement with experimental elastic stiffness data is also illustrated. Furthermore, the orientational averaging procedure is employed to derive the overall elastoplastic yield function for the MMCs. Elastoplastic constitutive relations for the composites are constructed on the basis of the derived composite yield function. The stress-strain responses of MMCs under the axisymmetric loading are also investigated in detail. Finally, elastoplastic comparisons with the experimental data for SiCp/Al composites are performed to illustrate the capability of the proposed formulation.
Plant water parameters and the remote sensing R1300/R1450 leaf water index: controlled condition dynamics during the development of water deficit stress

Plants with different abilities for osmotic adjustment (cowpea, bean, and sugarbeet) were subjected to gradually decreasing soil water content. During the development of water deficit stress, various plant water parameters were measured to characterize their relationship to the near infrared R1300/R1450 leaf water index, which is based on the measurement of light reflected from leaves. In all three species, leaf water thickness (LWT), leaf cell relative water content (RWC), and overall leaf thickness remained relatively constant under moderate water deficit stress. However, at the point when plants could no longer cope with the increasing level of water deficit stress, LWT, RWC, and leaf thickness were found to decrease substantially, signaling the onset of leaf dehydration. The R1300/R1450 leaf water index followed the RWC very closely in cowpea and bean leaves, and with some time lag in sugarbeet leaves. The R1300/R1450 index may therefore be used as a feedback-signal in precision irrigation control, signaling effectively the physiological response of plants when water deficit stress becomes detrimental. RWC and the R1300/R1450 index were linearly correlated in cowpea and bean leaves, but not in sugarbeet leaves.
Hydrogen Sulfide: A New Node in the Abscisic Acid-Dependent Guard Cell Signaling Network?

Hydrogen sulfide ([H2S][1]) is fast emerging as a new gaseous signaling molecule in organisms as diverse as bacteria, fungi, worms, humans, and plants ([Kabil et al., 2014][2]). Although [H2S][1] has long been known to be toxic at high concentrations because of its ability to inhibit the
Measurement of three-dimensional temperature fields above heated surfaces by holographic interferometry

Abstract Optical holography can be used to record multi-directional interferometric data, which provides a basis for measuring three-dimensional, asymmetric temperature or density fields in fluids. If continuous optical pathlength data are available over a 180° angle of view, the temperature or density field is shown to be equal to the inverse Radon transform of the data. A procedure for computing limited-resolution reconstructions of the field in terms of discrete data collected over a limited angle of view is presented. The technique of holographic interferometry was used to map isothermal contours in the developing convective plume above heated, horizontal, rectangular surfaces. It was found that the thermal structure of the developing plume is strongly influenced by the partitioning of the flow adjacent to the surface along lines of geometric symmetry.
Loss of photoreversibility of damage to deoxyribonucleic acid replication in ultraviolet-irradiated Escherichia coli B-r thy trp.

Loss of photoreversibility (LOP) of the ultraviolet (UV) damage which prevents reinitiation of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) replication occurred with incubation of Escherichia coli B/r thy trp cultures after UV doses of 240, 320, and 400 ergs/mm2. LOP occurred at the time of reinitiation of DNA replication in the cultures (i.e., after postirradiation lag periods of 45 min or more). Neither the absence of thymine nor the absence of tryptophan prevented LOP of the damage to DNA replication, suggesting that neither DNA replication nor protein synthesis is necessary for the process. These findings suggest that attempted initiation of DNA replication results in transformation of pyrimidine damage into permanent damage to chromosome structure at the reinitiation site.
Chronic very low dose naltrexone administration attenuates opioid withdrawal expression

Abstract Background Different regimens of agonist and antagonist drugs have been used in opioid withdrawal management, with variable results. We examined whether administering extremely small quantities of opiate antagonists in the presence of opiate agonist drugs reduces withdrawal expression. Methods Forty-one male Sprague-Dawley rats were implanted with morphine or placebo pellets for eight days. Starting on day 3, some rats received naltrexone in their drinking water (5 mg/L), or unadulterated water. On day 8, rats were injected with saline or naltrexone (100 mg/kg) and evaluated for behavioral signs of withdrawal. Next, sections through the locus coeruleus (LC) and nucleus of the solitary tract (NTS), brainstem areas exhibiting cellular activation following opiate withdrawal, were processed for c-Fos to detect early gene expression. Finally, the same nuclei were examined for protein kinase A regulatory subunit II (PKA) and phosphorylated cyclic adenosine monophosphate response element binding protein (pCREB), using Western blot analysis. Results Withdrawal was attenuated and c-Fos, PKA, and pCREB expression was decreased in the NTS and LC of rats receiving chronic very low doses of naltrexone. Conclusions Reduction of withdrawal upon chronic very low naltrexone administration may be due in part to decreased activation of brainstem noradrenergic neurons in morphine dependent rats.
P300 in major depressive disorder

This study presents evidence of differences in the P3 (P300) component of the event-related potential (ERP) between major depressed patients and normal controls. ERPs were collected to visual stimuli in a modified continuous performance task. For each subject, the peak of the P3 (also N2 and P2) component was identified for four different electrode sites and three trial types (target, background, and unexpected). P3 amplitude was significantly smaller in the depressed group to target, but not to background stimuli. P3 latency differences were for the most part nonsignificant. Recent evidence suggests that P3 amplitude may not only reflect higher level cognitive functions, but also some degree of emotional involvement for the subject. It is suggested that a decrease in task involvement could account for the smaller P3 in depressives.
Dissection of brefeldin A-sensitive and -insensitive steps in apicoplast protein targeting

The apicoplast is a relict plastid found in many apicomplexans, including the pathogens Toxoplasma gondii and Plasmodium falciparum. Nucleus-encoded apicoplast proteins enter the ER, and after cleavage of the signal sequence, are routed to the apicoplast by virtue of a transit peptide, which is subsequently removed. To assess the mechanisms of localization we examined stable transfectants of T. gondii for the localization and processing of various GFP fusion proteins. GFP fusions bearing apicoplast targeting sequences targeted efficiently to the plastid, with no retention in the ER, even when an ER retention/retrieval sequence was added. Incubation with brefeldin A, which blocks ER-to-Golgi trafficking by inhibiting a GTP exchange factor required for retrograde trafficking, blocked the processing of the protein. Surprisingly, it did not affect the immunofluorescence pattern. To avoid the potentially misleading presence of pre-existing GFP fusion protein in the apicoplast, we used a ligand-regulated aggregation system to arrest the GFP fusion protein in the ER prior to trafficking. Upon addition of ligand to promote disaggregation, the fusion protein targeted to the plastid, even in the presence of brefeldin A. Ligand release at 15 degrees C, which blocks trafficking of Golgi-routed proteins, also allowed significant localization to the plastid. Our data indicate that apicoplast proteins can localize to the region of the plastid when Golgi trafficking is inhibited, but suggest that some steps in import or maturation of the proteins may require a brefeldin A-sensitive GTP exchange factor.
The effects of ionophores on steroidogenesis and morphology of avian granulosa cells

Granulosa cells, isolated by collagenase digestion from the mature ovarian follicle of laying hens, were incubated in the presence of two ionophores, lasalocid (X537A) and ionomycin, to determine their effects on basal and stimulated steroidogenesis, as well as their effects on various cell parameters including DNA, RNA, and protein synthesis. Both ionophores caused a dose-dependent inhibition of agonist-promoted progesterone production and, in the presence of calcium, a small but significant increase in basal output of progesterone. Whereas the conversion of pregnenolone to progesterone was unaffected by the ionophores, the activity of cholesterol side-chain cleavage enzyme was inhibited in a dose-related manner. Both ionophores decreased cellular levels of ATP and inhibited the incorporation of radioactively-labeled precursors into DNA, RNA, and proteins. Morphologically, ionophoretreated cells showed swelling of the rough endoplasmic reticulum. Similar morphological changes were also observed in cells treated with oligomycin, a known metabolic inhibitor. These results suggest that the ionophores lasalocid and ionomycin impair release of energy and thereby exert the principal cause of the inhibited steroidegenic response by granulosa cells to a variety of agonists.
Attitude change toward the self and others as a function of helper training and experience

Attitudes toward the self, and toward four specific target groups (institutionalized patients, mental hospitals, graduate students in psychology, and undergraduates in psychology) were assessed as a function of paraprofessional skills training and client contact experience. Twenty-item semantic differential rating forms were administered three times to experimental participants (21 upper-level psychology undegraduates): during pretraining, after four weeks of training, and after six weeks of client contact. Control participants consisted of 21 upper-level psychology students enrolled in a traditional academic course. Although the results indicated that experimental participants' attitudes toward the self (p < .05), institutionalized patients (p < .05), graduate students in psychology (p < .05), and undergraduates in psychology (p < .05) became significantly more positive on one or more factors, they were not as dramatic nor maintained as reliably as was hoped. Possible reasons for this finding were discussed.
Studies on in vitro S-methylation of naturally occurring thiol compounds with N-methyl-N-nitrosourea and methyl methanesulfonate

N -Methyl- N -nitrosourea (MNU) and methyl methanesulfonate (MMS) were found to rapidly methylate glutathione (GSH) in vitro yielding S -methyl glutathione, as verified and quantitated by high-performance liquid chromatography and thin-layer chromatography. Formation of S -methylcysteine in the acid-hydrolyzate of the methylated GSH further confirmed the formation of S -methyl glutathione. Other naturally occurring thiol compounds such as cystein and homocysteine were also methylated by MNU. The observed pH dependency of GSH methylation by MNU suggests that the sulfide anion form of the thiol may represent the favored methyl acceptor. The high reactivity of GSH toward MNU and MMS may be of biological signficance in that it could compete with macromolecular cellular components as a target for alkylation.
Effect of choline on yeast bioassay of inositol.

SummaryGrowth inhibition of S. carlsbergensis, caused by choline during routine inositol assays has been described. The effect was noted at a choline to inositol molar concentration of 0.3 to 1 and maximum inhibition was reached at a ratio of 15:1. Similar inhibition occurred with dimethylamino ethanol but was not observed with ethanolamine, serine, betaine, methionine or choline phos-pholipides. For assay purposes, this inhibition was corrected for by the addition of comparable amounts of choline to the standard inositol tubes.
Single muscle fiber physiology in neuromuscular disease.

Assessment of skeletal muscle function is an integral part of clinical trials of pharmacology and other interventions in patients with neuromuscular disorders. Muscle function can be assessed on multiple levels ranging from the whole organism to the molecular level. At the level of the organism or person, timed functional tests such as a 30-m walk or rising from a chair can be used. At the level of the organ or muscle, strength and power can be measured using a variety of techniques including manual muscle testing, hand-held dynamometry, maximum voluntary isometric contraction measurement, and isokinetic testing. At the cellular level, the skinned single muscle fiber preparation may be used to measure cellular force and power production and contractile velocity. Finally, at the molecular level, the in vitro motility assay can be used to measure the translation velocity of actin filaments on myosin. This article will present a discussion of the usefulness of the cellular approach in the evaluation of patients with neuromuscular disease. In neuromuscular disorders, cellular muscle physiology may be directly or indirectly impaired. Thus, it is important to have a tool to directly assess the degree of impairment and the effect of rehabilitation, pharmacologic, and gene therapy interventions on that impairment. In muscle diseases, muscle physiology is directly affected. The manner in which muscle physiology is affected depends on whether the muscle protein abnormality is in the extracellular matrix (laminin), sarcolemma (dystrophin, sarcoglycan, dysferlin), sarcomere (actin, myosin, tropomyosin, titin), nuclear membrane (lamin A/C, emerin), or in energy metabolism pathways (glycogenoses, mitochondrial disorders). In neuromuscular disorders where skeletal muscle is indirectly affected by pathology in the anterior horn cell, peripheral nerve, or neuromuscular junction, secondary changes in muscle physiology may occur. The
Provenance for Visualizations: Reproducibility and Beyond

The demand for the construction of complex visualizations is growing in many disciplines of science, as users are faced with ever increasing volumes of data to analyze. In this paper, the authors present VisTrails, an open source provenance-management system that provides infrastructure for data exploration and visualization. VisTrails transparently records detailed provenance of exploratory computational tasks and leverages this information beyond just the ability to reproduce and share results. In particular, it uses this information to simplify the process of exploring data through visualization.
Total Dose Radiation Response of NROM-Style SOI Non-Volatile Memory Elements

For the first time, NROM-style nonvolatile memory elements were fabricated in SOI and irradiated. Total dose characterizations of these transistors indicate that this new style of memory can be functional to at least 500 krad (SiO2).
RIGHT PULMONARY ARTERY-LEFT ATRIAL COMMUNICATION.

Abstract This 14-year-old boy had an abnormal vascular connection which permitted a large right-to-left shunt, resulting in marked peripheral unsaturation, clubbing, and secondary polycythemia. Only recently had symptoms appeared, and with the exception of cyanosis and clubbing, his physical examination was normal. He had a normal electrocardiogram, and only in retrospect was an abnormality noted on the chest x-ray film. The feasibility of surgical repair was demonstrated by occluding the anomalous right pulmonary artery-left atrial communication with a balloon catheter. Surgical repair has been performed, with excellent results.
Odor Recognition Memory: Two Encoding Trials are Better Than One

The primary purpose of this study was to determine the effect of one versus two encoding trials in the classical yes/no recognition memory paradigm using olfactory stimuli. A group of 24 young adults rated 18 standard microencapsulated odorant targets for familiarity (first encoding block) or pleasantness (second encoding block). Once-encoded targets were in only one block and twice-encoded targets were in both, with items counterbalanced across participants. Participants performed a 20-min nonverbal distractor task followed by a yes/no recognition test incorporating 18 additional odors as foils. Memory performance for twice-encoded targets was superior to that for once-encoded targets. For once-encoded targets, performance did not differ between those rated for familiarity versus those rated for pleasantness. Less pleasant odors produced overall better recognition, with a tendency for less familiar odors to produce overall better recognition. There was a tendency for the second encoding trial to have a larger effect for less pleasant or familiar odors than for more pleasant or familiar odors. The main conclusion is that recognition memory for odors is better for items encoded two times than for items encoded only once. Implications of these findings and suggestions for future research are discussed.
Toward model free atmospheric sensing by aerial robot networks in strong wind fields

This paper presents a system for in situ atmospheric sensing using an aerial robot system in the presence of a strong wind field. The geostatistical concept of the variogram is used to characterize regions of the environment with high variability, which is assumed to correlate with scientific interest. After regions of interest are identified, ordered upwind methods are used to generate feasible trajectories in the face of strong background wind. The feasible trajectories are combined with the variogram characterization to select feasible paths that travel through the regions of highest interest. The system is tested in simulation using data from a simulated severe storm.
Arrhythmogenic remodelling of activation and repolarization in the failing human heart

Heart failure is a major cause of disability and death worldwide, and approximately half of heart failure-related deaths are sudden and presumably due to ventricular arrhythmias. Patients with heart failure have been shown to be at 6- to 9-fold increased risk of sudden cardiac death compared to the general population. (AHA. Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics—2003 Update. Heart and Stroke Facts. Dallas, TX: American Heart Association; 2002) Thus, electrophysiological remodelling associated with heart failure is a leading cause of disease mortality and has been a major investigational focus examined using many animal models of heart failure. While these studies have provided an important foundation for understanding the arrhythmogenic pathophysiology of heart failure, the need for corroborating studies conducted on human heart tissue has been increasingly recognized. Many human heart studies of conduction and repolarization remodelling have now been published and shed some light on important, potentially arrhythmogenic, changes in human heart failure. These studies are being conducted at multiple experimental scales from isolated cells to whole-tissue preparations and have provided insight into regulatory mechanisms such as decreased protein expression, alternative mRNA splicing of ion channel genes, and defective cellular trafficking. Further investigations of heart failure in the human myocardium will be essential for determining possible therapeutic targets to prevent arrhythmia in heart failure and for facilitating the translation of basic research findings to the clinical realm.
Performance analysis of range sensors for a real-time power plant coal level sensing system

A coal-fired power plant typically has silos, bunkers or stock piles in which the fuel is placed for storage purposes. Real-time feedback sensors are utilized to sense the coal height so data can be sent to downstream systems for further processing. These systems are required to accurately sense the height of coal within the bunker or stock pile. The range information is then fed in a real-time fashion to a control system. Inaccurate measurements can result in severe environmental and safety consequences. There are many types of ranging sensors available in the marketplace. The coal-fired power plant application is especially daunting due to the particularly harsh operating conditions and reliability requirements. This research project analyzes the performance of three types of range sensors: ultrasonic, radar and laser systems. These systems are currently operational at a plant located in the North East Texas area. The ultrasonic and radar sensors were part of legacy systems and the new laser sensor was integrated as a part of this study. The feedbacks signals from each sensor were recorded over time and compared to measured data. The laser sensor proved to be slightly more accurate than the others, but it has some drawbacks that were listed.
Towards A Role of Visualization in Social Modeling

The traditional role of visualization in large scale social modeling projects has mostly been relegated to presentation and reporting. While these projects see the potential of communicating information visually, the visualization component has too often been considered as the final stage of a long process, sometimes as a lastminute add-on. The result is that these visualization components are limited in capabilities, and often appear disjointed and forced from the rest of the project. In this paper, we propose that for visualization to be more commonly accepted, it needs to fit the role as an analytical tool on top of being a presentation component. We use our probe-based visualization as an example of how such cross-over can occur, and present some challenges in social modeling that can be addressed using visualization techniques. Visualization is becoming prevalent in our everyday lives. Popular websites such as Google Maps, the Visual Thesaurus, and Baby Name Voyager have increased the public’s awareness of how information can be efficiently communicated visually. In the past few years alone, visualization components are appearing with more frequency in the final products of large scale social modeling projects. However, a gap still remains between how the visualization community identifies itself and the perception of the role of visualization by the other disciplines. For too often visualization is considered to be the last step of a project, where visualization experts are asked to “make pretty pictures out of the final data” without having participated in the design or implementation of the overall system. We propose that for visualization to take a more integral part in these systems, it needs to fulfill both the roles of a presentation tool as well as an analytical tool. Not only does visualization need to deliver the “pretty pictures,” it also needs to provide the analytical capability that is difficult for non-visual components to deliver. As an example, we describe our probe-based visualization that supports interactive analysis and presentation of an agent-based simulation. We then propose additional challenges in social modeling that can be addressed by integrating a visualization component.
EXTRACELLULAR GLUTAMATE LEVELS INCREASE WITH AGE IN THE LATERAL STRIATUM :POTENTIAL INVOLVEMENT OF PRESYNAPTIC D-2 RECEPTORS

In the lateral striatum of aged rats, dopamine D-2 receptor density is reduced and glutamate tissue content is elevated. D-2 receptor agonists have been shown to inhibit stimulated glutamate release. In the present study, microdialysis was used to investigate a potential role for D-2 receptors in the modulation of striatal glutamate efflux from 4-, 12-, 18-, and 24–26-month-old Fischer 344 rats. Extracellular basal glutamate concentrations significantly increased as a function of age in the lateral, but not medial, striatum. Neither the D-2 agonist, LY 163502, nor the D-2 antagonist, sulpiride, influenced basal glutamate efflux, suggesting that the dopaminergic system is not involved in the observed age-related increase in extracellular basal glutamate levels. In contrast to basal efflux, potassium-evoked glutamate release was not altered with age. However, LY 163502 significantly inhibited stimulated glutamate release in 4-month-old rats. This inhibitory action was not observed at any other age. Sulpiride alone did not alter stimulated glutamate release, but it did block the inhibitory effect of LY 163502 in the 4-month-old rats. These results provide in vivo evidence for an age-related functional loss in the modulation of striatal glutamate release by dopamine D-2 receptors in addition to increased basal glutamate efflux, which is not related to D-2 receptor modulation. Such mechanisms could be important in the pathophysiology of striatal cell death during aging and age-related neurodegenerative diseases. © 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
A characterization of the MADS‐box gene family in maize

Studies on distantly related dicot plant species have identified homeotic genes that specify floral meristem identity and determine the fate of floral organ primordia. Most of these genes belong to a family characterized by the presence of a structural motif, the MADS-box, which encodes a protein domain with DNA-binding properties. As part of an effort to understand how such genes may have been recruited during the evolution of flowers with different organ types such as those found in maize, two members of this gene family in maize, ZAG1 and ZAG2, have been characterized previously. Here, the isolation and characterization of four new members of this gene family, designated ZAP1, ZAG3, ZAG4 and ZAG5, are described and the genetic map position of these and 28 additional maize MADS-box genes is determined. The first new member of this family appears to be the Zea mays ortholog of the floral homeotic gene APETALA1 (AP1) and has been designated ZAP1. One of these genes, ZAG4, is unusual in that its deduced protein sequence includes the MADS domain but lacks the K-domain characteristically present in this family of genes. In addition, its copy number and expression varies among different inbreds. A large number of maize MADS-box genes map to duplicated regions of the genome, including one pair characterized here, ZAG3 and ZAG5. These data underscore the complexity of this gene family in maize, and provide the basis for further studies into the regulation of floral organ morphogenesis among the grasses.
Understanding multidimensional tax systems

Income tax systems are multidimensional, and ignoring their non-rate as- pects can introduce bias into cross-country empirical estimation of the impact of tax- ation on economic outcomes. We analyze 10 non-rate tax system aspects, codified based on recent reports published by the Organisation for Co-operation and Develop- ment. We find that a single factor (which we call Dispersed Responsibility), related to the role of taxpayers and third parties in tax collection, can reasonably summarize the cross-country covariation, and offer it as a parsimonious measure of non-rate tax system dimensions for future empirical analysis. We also ascertain that a standard measure of trust in government is positively associated with greater administrator coverage and administrative assessment, as well as more serious sanctions for non- compliance. Ethnic heterogeneity, individualism, and a history of external conflict also can explain certain aspects of tax systems. We find that countries with greater trust in government score lower on Dispersed Responsibility. Finally, we find that adding a measure of the number of tax authority employees can eliminate the other- wise significant positive estimated coefficient of GDP per capita on the tax level, and attracts a significant positive correlation itself, suggesting that the extent of tax ad- ministration and enforcement is part of the story that explains the enduring statistical regularity between tax levels and per capita income.
Simultaneous Fetal Magnetocardiography and Ultrasound/Doppler Imaging

The difficulty of utilizing multimodality diagnostic imaging techniques for fetal surveillance remains one of the greatest challenges in providing enhanced prenatal care. In this Letter we demonstrate the feasibility of performing fetal magnetocardiography (fMCG) and ultrasound/Doppler imaging simultaneously, using a multichannel SQUID magnetometer and a portable ultrasound scanner. Despite large magnetic interference from the scanner, the implementation of simple noise reduction procedures and appropriate signal processing techniques yielded fMCG recordings of sufficient quality for assessment of fetal heart rate and rhythm. A variation of reference channel filtering, referred to here as synthetic reference channel filtering, was used to reduce nonstationary low-frequency interference. The combination of fMCG and/or fMEG with ultrasound/Doppler offers new possibilities for assessment of fetal well-being and fetal cardiac function