cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Three-dimensional reconstruction of the Ephrin-B2 female mouse model of anorectal malformations

Purpose Persistent cloaca is a rare, severe congenital anomaly. The Eph family receptor tyrosine kinases and their ligands, the ephrin family, mediate diverse embryonic cell-cell recognition events. We previously reported ephrin-B2lacZ/lacZ mice manifest male high imperforate anus and female persistent cloaca (Dravis et al. Dev Biol 2004; 271(2): 272-290). We studied and demonstrated via 3D-reconstruction whether altered ephrin-B2 signaling in female ephrin-B2 lacZ/lacZ mutant mice affect apoptosis, thereby possibly contributing to persistent cloaca malformation. Material and methods Female embryonic days 11.5, 13.5 and 16.5 (E11.5, E13.5 and E16.5) wild type (WT), ephrin-B2lacZ/+ (Z/+) and ephrin-B2 lacZ/lacZ (Z/Z) mice sections were dual labeled for ephrin-B2 and TUNEL immunohistochemistry. Anti-galactosidase antibody detected the ephrin-B2-gal fusion protein in Z/+ and Z/Z mice. WinSurf software was used for 3D reconstructions of the cloacal region. Results In WT E11.5 females, the cloacal membrane (CM) is intact. The urorectal septum (URS) is partially separating the cloaca into urogenital sinus and hindgut; no vagina has developed. In contrast, Z/Z females had poor cloacal development. Z/+ embryos showed widened URS. Apoptosis in WT females occurred prominently in CM, dorsal cloaca, and hindgut. In contrast, apoptosis in Z/Z females was limited to the endoderm of the poorly formed cloaca. These changes progressed throughout E13.5 and finally at E16.5, Z/Z females exhibited persistent cloaca. Conclusions The 3D reconstruction of the cloacal region provides a better understanding of the mechanism by which altered ephrin-B2 signaling yields persistent cloaca via diminished apoptosis in Z/Z mice.
An improved technique for modal decomposition of a double-mode Lamb wave signal

This study develops a technique to decompose a multi-mode, transient Lamb wave signal into individual Lamb mode signals. The previously-proposed technique (presented at the SPIE NDE conference 2005) showed an encouraging efficiency for numerically-simulated signals, but suffered when evaluating real experimental signals due to its high sensitivity to noises and experimental errors. The improved technique starts with the same assumption of known Lamb wave propagation characteristics (known propagation dispersion curves). However, a highly-strict signal model governing the development of the previously-proposed technique is relaxed to tolerate unavoidable presence noises and errors, and the problem is re-formulated. For actual experimental signals, some additional signal processing techniques are introduced in signal pre-conditioning. The entire implementation of the improved technique is first tested with simulated signals, and then applied to actual experimental signals. The final results with real experimental are presented and discussed.
Response of monkey biorhythms to changing photoperiods.

Photoperiod variation effects on ambulatory primate Cebus albifrons deep body temperature /DBT/, locomotor activity /LMA/ phase relationships and DBT waveform
Schizophrenia, “Just the Facts” 6. Moving ahead with the schizophrenia concept: From the elephant to the mouse

The current construct of schizophrenia as a unitary disease is far from satisfactory, and is in need of reconceptualization. The first five papers in our “facts” series reviewed what is known about schizophrenia to date, and a limited number of key facts appear to stand out. Schizophrenia is characterized by persistent cognitive deficits, positive and negative symptoms typically beginning in youth, substantive heritability, and brain structural, functional and neurochemical alterations including dopaminergic dysregulation. Several pathophysiological models have been proposed with differing interpretations of the illness, like the fabled six blind Indian men groping different parts of an elephant coming up with different conclusions. However, accumulating knowledge is integrating the several extant models of schizophrenia etiopathogenesis into unifying constructs; we discuss an example, involving a neurodevelopmental imbalance in excitatory/inhibitory neural systems leading to impaired neural plasticity. This imbalance, which may be proximal to clinical manifestations, could result from a variety of genetic, epigenetic and environmental causes, as well as pathophysiological processes such as inflammation and oxidative stress. Such efforts to “connect the dots” (and visualizing the elephant) are still limited by the substantial clinical, pathological, and etiological heterogeneity of schizophrenia and its blurred boundaries with several other psychiatric disorders leading to a “fuzzy cluster” of overlapping syndromes, thereby reducing the content, discriminant and predictive validity of a unitary construct of this illness. The way ahead involves several key directions: a) choosing valid phenotype definitions increasingly derived from translational neuroscience; b) addressing clinical heterogeneity by a cross-diagnostic dimensional and a staging approach to psychopathology; c) addressing pathophysiological heterogeneity by elucidating independent families of “extended” intermediate phenotypes and pathophysiological processes (e.g. altered excitatory/inhibitory, salience or executive circuitries, oxidative stress systems) that traverse structural, functional, neurochemical and molecular domains; d) resolving etiologic heterogeneity by mapping genomic and environmental factors and their interactions to syndromal and specific pathophysiological signatures; e) separating causal factors from consequences and compensatory phenomena; and f) formulating or reformulating hypotheses that can be refuted/tested, perhaps in the mouse or other experimental models. These steps will likely lead to the current entity of schizophrenia being usefully deconstructed and reconfigured into phenotypically overlapping, but etiopathologically unique and empirically testable component entities (similar to mental retardation, epilepsy or cancer syndromes). The mouse may be the way to rescue the trapped elephant!
Increased serum opsonic activity and antibody concentration in patients with sickle cell disease after pneumococcal polysaccharide immunization.

Opsonic defects have been reported in unimmunized patients with sickle cell disease. We found significant increases (P
Malignant ventricular dysrhythmias in a patient with isovaleric acidemia receiving general and local anesthesia for suction lipectomy

We report the occurrence of severe ventricular arrhythmias in a patient with isovaleric acidemia during general anesthesia for suction lipectomy. The timing of events and character of the ECG changes are most consistent with bupivacaine toxicity after subcutaneous injection of tumescence solution containing this local anesthetic. The patient had previously documented carnitine deficiency, a condition which, we speculate, may lower the threshold for bupivacaine induced cardiotoxicity. We review clinical considerations in isovaleric acidemia and conclude that the use of bupivacaine in these patients probably should be avoided.
Stimulated Raman up‐conversion of electromagnetic waves by a gyrating electron beam

A gyrating electron beam supports negative energy modes near the harmonics of electron‐cyclotron frequency. An electromagnetic wave passing through such a beam parametrically up‐converts into high‐frequency electromagnetic modes separated from the pump frequency by the electron‐cyclotron harmonics. The growth rate for this process varies directly as the oscillatory velocity of beam electrons caused by the pump and as square root of the beam density. It has a maximum at values of scattering angle close to 180° and is also implicitly dependent on the beam velocity and the cyclotron frequency of electrons. The effect of a cold electron component is to reduce the growth rate.
Reductive alkylation of p -benzoquinone using mixed organoboranes

Abstract Mixed organoboranes based on diphenyl- or dimethylalkylboranes transfer the alkyl group in the reductive alkylation of p-benzoquinone to form the alkylhydroquinones in very high yields. The auxiliary groups do not transfer or have a low migratory aptitude. Primary and secondary alkyl groups are transferred with retention of regio- and stereochemistry to the hydroquinone. O-Alkylation is the major product with tertiary and secondary groups with steric bulk in proximity to the site of attachment. The presence of metal salts, such as magnesium, results in reduction to the unsubstituted hydroquinone. This reaction makes the first practical route to alkylhydroquinones via organoboranes.
Peanut hulls as a litter source for broiler breeder replacement pullets

Broiler breeder pullets were reared on either peanut hulls or pine shavings to determine effects of litter type on growth performance and litter characteristics. Pullets were reared to 20 wk of age in rooms initially bedded with 8 cm of clean shavings or hulls. Heating and ventilation were standardized in all rooms. Restricted skip-a-day feeding was used to attain recommended growth curves. Water was continuously provided for ad libitum consumption. Litter and environmental variables were measured throughout rearing and 2 wk after pullets were removed from the litter materials. Feed consumption, BW, mortality, and uniformity at 20 wk were not affected by litter type; however, gizzard weights were decreased in pullets reared on hulls. Litter bulk density increased with use and was greater for shavings through 11 wk, but not thereafter. Particle size decreased with use in both litter types. Through 11 wk, there were more particles in the > 4 mm range and less in the < 1.7 mm range with hulls. Litter moisture increased with use but was not affected by litter type. Litter pH was greater in unused shavings, but during and after use was generally greater in hulls. With both litter types, litter and environmental ammonia levels increased to 11 wk then decreased; however, this effect was more pronounced for hulls. Bacteria populations were not affected by litter type; however, greater fungal populations were observed in shavings at 7 and 15 wk. Aflatoxins were detected in unused hulls but not shavings. Because aflatoxin levels decreased during use and Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus populations were not detected in samples collected during use, aflatoxins observed were presumed to have been formed prior to use. Peanut hulls performed similarly to pine shavings as a litter source for breeder pullets; however, the specific influence of the aflatoxins contained in this litter source on bird performance deserves further study.
High-pressure liquid chromatography of α-keto acid 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazones

Abstract Various α-keto acids were separated as their 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine derivatives by ion-pair, reverse-phase, high-pressure liquid chromatography. Excellent baseline resolution was obtained for a seven-component homologous series of α-keto acid dinitrophenylhydrazones at increasing carbon-chain length. Branched-chain keto acids were also separated. Resolution of syn and anti isomers of the α-keto acid derivatives was possible. Pyruvate from biological material was located and identity confirmed by an enzymic peak shift technique. Monitoring at 366 nm permits low-level (nanogram) amounts of keto acids to be detected. Ion pair versus ion exchange is discussed with regard to the mechanism of chromatographic separation.
Figure of merit for the optical aperture used in digital volume holographic data storage

A 4-focal length, telocentric holographic storage system architecture usually employs an aperture stop. The aperture plays an important role in determining the areal density of storage as well as the extent of inter-symbol interference. We propose a figure-of-merit for such an aperture. For simplicity, we assume that a zero-forcing equalizer is used to compensate for inter-symbol interference caused by the point spread function.© (1998) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
GENDER PORTRAYALS IN TELEPHONE BOOKS FOR GAY COMMUNITY VERSUS PACIFIC-BELL YELLOW PAGES

Summary.-Photographic images (N=2,700) from three 1997 Pacific-Bell Yellow Pages (n= 1,976) and from three 1996-97 gay, lesbian, and bisexual community telephone books (n=724) were classified into three groups by visible features (defiiite male, definite female, and gender nonspecific). The larter were excluded. The proportion of male photographic images was larger in gay communiry books than in PacificBell telephone books. The percentage of photographic gender unages used to sell products was expected to be dfferent in the gay communiry than in the general populauon. As Financial assets in he gay community are primarily held by gay men rather than by lesbians (I), most advertising was expected to target gay men. Gay community telephone books should have a significantly higher percentage of pictures of men than of women and than the Pacific-Bell Yellow Pages. Photographic uiiages (N=2,700) from three 1997 PaciEic-Bell Yellow Pages (n= 1,976; San Diego, San Francisco, and Greater Los Angeles) and from chree 1996-1997 gay community telephone books (n=724; San D~ego. San Francisco, and Los Angeles) were examined. Outdated telephone books were used to rrdul IWO student raters asked to divide photographic images into three categories, definite male, definite female, and gender nonspecific. Interscorer rehabhty of .92 became .99 when discrepancies were resolved by discussion. Each photograph was counted once. Data from one trained student were analyzed. Comparison of male and female photographic images in nvo groups of books yielded significanr dfierences. Men were more often represented than women in borh books with greater representation in the gay community books, i.e., men (n=529 of 724) were represented in 73% of all the images in the gay community yellow pages and 56% (r1=1,101 of 1,976) in the Pacific-Bell Yellow Pages rX2'(~ = 1,976) =68.98, p < .01]. Women were significantly less ohen represented in the gay community books (27%) than in the Pacific-Bell Yellow Pages (44%), suggesting chat adverusers use male images to target gay men.
Delayed Cerebral Radiation Necrosis after Neutron Beam Radiation of a Parotid Adenocarcinoma: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

Cerebral radiation necrosis (CRN) is a well described possible complication of radiation for treatment of intracranial pathology. However, CRN as sequelae of radiation to extracranial sites is rare. Neutron beam radiation is a highly potent form of radiotherapy that may be used to treat malignant tumors of the salivary glands. This report describes a patient who underwent neutron beam radiation for a parotid adenocarcinoma and who developed biopsy-confirmed temporal lobe radiation necrosis thirty months later. This represents the longest time interval described to date, from initial neutron radiation for extracranial pathology to development of CRN. Two other detailed case studies exist in the literature and are described in this report. These reports as well as our patient’s case are reviewed, and additional recommendations are made to minimize the development of CRN after extracranial neutron beam radiation. Physicians should include the possible diagnosis of CRN in any patient with new neurologic signs or symptoms and a history of head and neck radiation that included planned fields extending to the base of the skull. Counseling of patients prior to neutron beam radiation should include potential neurologic complications associated with CRN and risks of treatment for CRN including neurosurgical intervention.
Transverse patterning reveals a dissociation of simple and configural association learning abilities in rats with 192 IgG-saporin lesions of the nucleus basalis magnocellularis.

Abstract This experiment tests the hypothesis that the cholinergic nucleus basalis magnocellularis (NBM) is necessary for complex or configural association learning, but not elemental or simple association learning. Male Long-Evans rats with bilateral 192 IgG-saporin lesions of the NBM (n = 12) and sham-operated controls (n = 8) were tested in the transverse patterning problem, which provides a test of both simple and configural association learning. Rats were trained in phases to concurrently solve first one, then two, and finally three different visual discriminations; Problem 1 (A+ vs B−) and Problem 2 (B+ vs C−) could be solved using simple associations, whereas solving Problem 3 (C+ vs A−) required the ability to form configural associations. Consistent with our hypothesis, the NBM lesion group solved the simple discriminations in Problems 1 and 2 but showed impaired configural association learning in Problem 3. Additionally, when Problem 2 was introduced, previously high levels of performance on Problem 1 suffered more in the NBM lesion group than in the control group; this finding suggests an impairment in the ability of animals with NBM lesions to divide attention among multiple stimuli or to shift between strategies for solving different problems. Results support our argument that the NBM is critically involved in the acquisition of associative problems requiring a configural solution but not in problems that can be solved using only simple associations. The observed impairments in configural association learning and the apparent loss of cognitive flexibility or capacity are interpreted as reflecting specific attentional impairments resulting from NBM damage.
iWRAP: An interface threading approach with application to prediction of cancer related protein-protein interactions

Current homology modeling methods for predicting protein-protein interactions (PPIs) have difficulty in the "twilight zone" (<40%) of sequence identities. Threading methods extend coverage further into the twilight zone by aligning primary sequences for a pair of proteins to a best-fit template complex to predict an entire three-dimensional structure. We introduce a threading approach, iWRAP, which focuses only on the protein interface. Our approach combines a novel linear programming formulation for interface alignment with a boosting classifier for interaction prediction. We demonstrate its efficacy on SCOPPI, a classification of PPIs in the Protein Databank, and on the entire yeast genome. iWRAP provides significantly improved prediction of PPIs and their interfaces in stringent cross-validation on SCOPPI. Furthermore, by combining our predictions with a full-complex threader, we achieve a coverage of 13% for the yeast PPIs, which is close to a 50% increase over previous methods at a higher sensitivity. As an application, we effectively combine iWRAP with genomic data to identify novel cancer-related genes involved in chromatin remodeling, nucleosome organization, and ribonuclear complex assembly. iWRAP is available at http://iwrap.csail.mit.edu.
The giant tadpole of Pseudis paradoxa

Pseudis paradoxa has an extremely large tadpole with a long, deep tail- These features are also found in overwintering tadpoles of temperate species where low temperatures delay development and prolong prolactin exposure. Pseudis paradoxa does not occur in localities with marked seasonal temperature fluctuations. Low temperature cannot be implicated in the development of the tadpole. However, the parallels in shape between Pseudis tadpoles and those of temperate overwintering species suggest that Pseudis tadpoles may have a prolonged exposure to prolactin, higher levels of prolactin during development or an increased sensitivity to prolactin.
A computational framework for non-lexicalist semantics

Under a lexicalist approach to semantics, a verb completely encodes its syntactic and semantic structures, along with the relevant syntax-to-semantics mapping; polysemy is typically attributed to the existence of different lexical entries. A lexicon organized in this fashion contains much redundant information and is unable to capture cross-categorial morphological derivations. The solution is to spread the "semantic load" of lexical entries to other morphemes not typically taken to bear semantic content. This approach follows current trends in linguistic theory, and more perspicuously accounts for alternations in argument structure. I demonstrate how such a framework can be computationally realized with a feature-based, agenda-driven chart parser for the Minimalist Program.
The Intimate and Mysterious Relationship between Proton Channels and NADPH Oxidase

Voltage gated proton channels and NADPH oxidase function cooperatively in phagocytes during the respiratory burst, when reactive oxygen species are produced to kill microbial invaders. Although these molecules are distinct entities, with no proven physical interaction, their presence and activity in many cells appears to be coordinated. We describe these interactions and discuss several types of mechanisms that might explain them.
Effects of adsorption on equilibrium crystal shape: A zero-temperature calculation

Gas adsorption at a crystal surface changes the interfacial free energy and, therefore, modifies the corresponding equilibrium crystal shape (ECS). A simple lattice-gas model of the adsorption process, including both adatom-adatom and adatom\char21{}crystal-atom interactions, allows this shape change to be computed explicitly at zero temperature. The dependence of the ECS on the adsorbed-gas chemical potential is calculated for cubic crystals (sc, bcc, fcc) with a variety of crystal-atom\char21{}crystal-atom interactions. Adsorption changes the ECS both by causing the appearance of new facets and by altering the relative areas of existing facets. The shape-change systematics is given in terms of ECS phase diagrams.
Aplastic Anemia: Which Treatment?

In this issue, Brodsky and colleagues report on a new option for initial treatment of aplastic anemia: high-dose cyclophosphamide without allogeneic hematopoietic stem cells. Survival at 2 years wa...
Putting the dilemma back into Prisoner's Dilemma

What is wrong with so much of the experimental work using the Prisoner's Dilemma game? Why does the Prisoner's Dilemma seem so exciting and the experimental work so often misdirected? The main reason is that the dilemma has been ignored. In not allowing or severely restricting the communication that can occur between the players, researchers have treated the Prisoner's Dilemma as a game between two isolated rational (selfinterested) units, and consequently have not examined the social mechanisms that human groups develop to enable cooperation to occur when the members' interests are somewhat opposed in the interesting way that the Prisoner's Dilemma describes. These mechanisms include norms, rules, contracts, and group solidarity and loyalty. In particular, the emphasis on developing indices of propensity to make cooperative choices based on the values in the matrix is misdirected because these indices reflect how much the game resembles one of pure conflict or perfect identity of interests between the players. These two extremes are, in a way, uninteresting because cooperative behavior is unproblematic. What is needed is an elucidation of the concept dilemma and an index which reflects the degree of dilemma in a Prisoner's Dilemma game, rather than how much the game resembles a zero-sum game or a game of perfect identity of interests, so that the ways in which groups solve these dilemmas can be studied. The two-person Prisoner's Dilemma takes the familiar form shown in Table 1.
Tryptic digestion and localization of calcium uptake and ATPase activity in fragments of sarcoplasmic reticulum

Fractions sedimented at 25,000 g for 50 minutes from homogenates of mouse hind leg muscles were prepared according to the procedure of Von Korff originally designed to obtain intact cardiac mitochondria (41). Negatively stained preparations of this fraction (fragmented sarcoplasmic reticulum) appear to be essentially free of contamination with mitochondrial fragments and myofilaments. Vesicles consisting of a globular head with a diameter of 0.1–0.2 μ and one or more tail-like portions with a roughly constant width of 350 and a varying length of 0.05–1 μ (most frequently 0.2 μ) predominate. The surface of the vesicle, both of the head and tail portion, is covered with particles approximately 40 in diameter and spaced 50–80 from each other, the center being 40–60 from the surface of the vesicular membrane. Ca deposits, in the presence of oxalate, were localized in the globular portion. ATPase activity, as judged electron microscopically from the deposition of lead phosphate, was also localized in the globular portion, very frequently at the junction with the tail. Digestion of vesicles with trypsin caused changes in both the Ca uptake and ATPase activity. With a trypsin-vesicular protein ratio of 1:25 to 1:100 a rapid drop in Ca uptake was accompanied by an increase in ATPase activity. With even lower (1:300) ratios, a rapid initial drop in Ca uptake was eventually followed by a slower phase of decrease; the ATPase in this case increased monotonically with an inflection point subsequent to the rapid drop in Ca2+ uptale. The digestion caused structural disruption of the vesicle, first in the tail, and eventually led to swelling of the globular portion and the appearance of areas devoid of regularly arranged particles on the membrane.
Afferent neurons mediating escape swimming of the marine mollusc, Tritonia

Intracellular recordings were made from afferent neurons with central cell bodies (S-cells) mediating reflexive withdrawals and escape swimming of the mollusc,Tritonia diomedia. Approximately 100 S-cells are located just under the somata of the trigger group neurons (TGN) in each pleural ganglion. S-cells are normally silent but respond phasically to tactile stimuli and tonically to noxious stimuli (NaCl solution or contact with the tube feet ofPycnopodia). Directly driven S-cell activity results in reflexive withdrawals and escape swimming; the initiation of swimming requires both a higher frequency and number of S-cells. Further evidence is provided that the group of cells known as the trigger group neurons (TGN) may be neither necessary nor sufficient for the initiation of escape swimming, but that S-cell activity is the first causal step in the trigger process.
The structure determination of rabbit phosphoglucomutase

Tetragonal crystals of rabbit phosphoglucomutase have been grown from solutions containing ammonium sulphate, polyethylene glycol solution and enzyme. There are two molecules, each of relative molecular mass 64 000 per asymmetric unit. A rotation function suggests that these are related by a twofold axis. X-ray diffraction data for five heavy-atom derivatives and native crystals have been collected by using oscillation photography. A tentative and partial solution of the KAu(CN) $_2$ sites has been obtained. The enzyme in the native crystals is phosphorylated, but the phosphate can be removed without harm to the crystals. Similarly the essential Mg $^{2+}$ ion can be removed or replaced by Zn $^{2+}$ . The enzyme is active in the native crystals.
Renin‐angiotensin system genes in kidney development

The renin-angiotensin system (RAS) plays a key role in cardiovascular homeostasis through the interactions of angiotensin II with its receptors. All components of the RAS are developmentally regulated in the kidney. The functions of the system in the maturing kidney overlap those of the adult, but higher levels of expression and novel locations of expression in the fetus suggest that the RAS has alternate functions as well. Increasing evidence suggests that the RAS may regulate renal growth and development by initiating a complex cascade of events, involving growth factors and proto-oncogenes and other unidentified factors. These same cascades may also be important in renal disease states. Recent advances in the field of molecular and cell biology are providing new tools and strategies to elucidate the intimate mechanism whereby the RAS regulates growth processes and disease states.
The variability of pH in convective storms

The rainwater pH was measured in a total of 22 storms which occurred in 1972 and 1974 in the METROMEX (METROpolitan Meteorological EXperiment) rainwater sampling network. The network consists of 81 collectors in an area of 1800 kM2 over and east of St. Louis, Missouri.
Monolithic integration of thermally stable enhancement-mode and depletion-mode InAlAs/InGaAs/InP HEMTs utilizing Ir-gate and Ag-ohmic contact technologies

This paper reports a newly developed fabrication process for monolithic integration of thermally stable InAlAs/InGaAs/InP E/D-HEMTs based on Ir-gate and Ag-ohmic contact technologies. The Ir-gate and Ag-ohmic contacts were annealed simultaneously after passivation using a SiNx layer. Both integrated E/D-HEMTs with gate-length of 0.2 mum demonstrated excellent DC and RF characteristics
The effect of the introduction of MR and CT angiography on the utilization of catheter angiography for peripheral arterial disease.

Purpose To determine whether the utilization rate of diagnostic catheter angiography (DCA) for peripheral arterial disease (PAD) has been affected by the utilization in recent years of magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) and computed tomographic angiography (CTA). Methods and Materials Medicare Part B data sets for 2000 to 2004 were reviewed to study utilization trends in the Current Procedural Terminology ® , 4th ed., codes for DCA, MRA, and CTA of peripheral arteries. The Medicare physician specialty codes were used to indicate procedures performed by radiologists, cardiologists, surgeons, and other physicians. Utilization rates per 100,000 Medicare beneficiaries were calculated. Results Between 2000 and 2004, the total utilization rate of all 3 types of angiographic procedures for PAD rose from 789 to 969 per 100,000 (+23%). The rate for DCA dropped slightly, from 767 to 761 per 100,000, whereas the rate for MRA and CTA together increased from 23 to 208 per 100,000. Almost all MRA and CTA were performed by radiologists. Among radiologists, the DCA utilization rate dropped from 486 to 334 per 100,000 (−31%); among cardiologists and surgeons together, the DCA rate increased from 228 to 387 per 100,000 (+70%). The total utilization rate of all diagnostic angiographic procedures for PAD among radiologists increased by 3%, compared with much higher rate increases among cardiologist and surgeons. Conclusion Among radiologists, a substitution effect occurred, in that noninvasive procedures such as MRA and CTA progressively replaced an invasive procedure, DCA. However, the rapid increase in DCA utilization among cardiologists and surgeons led to an increase in the overall utilization rate of angiographic procedures for diagnosing PAD. Increasing self-referral for an invasive procedure such as DCA among these two specialties is of concern at a time when less expensive, noninvasive alternatives are readily available.
Prenatal magnetic resonance imaging enhances fetal diagnosis

Abstract Background: Ultrasound (US) evaluation of some fetal anomalies provides limited information. Anatomic details that affect prognosis and selection for fetal therapy, such as liver herniation and pulmonary hypoplasia in congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) and airway patency in giant neck masses, may be difficult to delineate using conventional sonographic methods. The authors evaluated the utility of prenatal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with new ultrafast imaging sequences in the diagnosis and management of fetal anomalies. Methods: From April 1996 to April 1997 45 MRI scans were performed in 31 pregnant women with an US diagnosis of a fetal anomaly. The US diagnoses included CDH, giant neck masses, lung masses, abdominal and pelvic abnormalities, twin anomalies, and central nervous system (CNS) anomalies. The fetuses ranged in age from 18 to 39 weeks' gestation (mean, 28.7 weeks). Using a 1.5-T magnet, a variety of ultrafast imaging sequences were performed including fast gradient-echo, half-fourier single shot turbo spin-echo (Haste) and echo-planar imaging yielding images with T 1 to T 2 type weighting. Results: With CDH, MRI demonstrated liver herniation into the chest in 11 of 14 cases. In four cases, US findings had not been definitive. In two cases of CDH detected by MRI, the primary diagnosis by US had been congenital cystic adenomatoid malformation (CCAM). With lung masses, MRI accurately distinguished between CCAM and bronchopulmonary sequestration (BPS). For giant neck masses with potential airway obstruction, MRI scans permitted differentiation of teratoma from cystic hygroma and allowed delineation of fetal airway involvement. The accurate anatomic evaluation facilitated planning for the ex utero intrapartum treatment (EXIT) procedure, a technique for securing the airway while the term fetus is still on placental support. With huge abdominal masses such as enterogenous cyst and lymphangioma, MRI scanning clarified the diagnosis. Fourteen of the 31 (45%) patients underwent fetal treatment after US and MRI evaluation. Conclusions: Prenatal MRI enhances fetal anatomic evaluation and facilitates perinatal management and family counseling. Ultrafast imaging sequence MRI is helpful to corroborate and refine US diagnoses. Fetal MRI is a valuable adjunct to US for prenatal diagnosis before fetal surgical intervention for selected life-threatening birth defects.
Antibody-Dependent Enhancement of Infection and the Pathogenesis of Viral Disease

Antibody-dependent enhancement of infection (ADE) is an in vitro serological phenomenon--or a group of phenomena--in which viral infection of susceptible cells is modified by the addition of virus-reactive antibody. Evidence suggests that ADE reflects immunologic processes that occur in vivo. Various severe and even fatal viral conditions of humans and animals, including dengue shock syndrome, the "early-death phenomenon" in experimental infections of immune animals, and other vaccine- and immunoglobulin-modified conditions, have been attributed to ADE by some researchers. ADE has caused great concern in relation to the development of vaccines against dengue virus and human immunodeficiency virus. More data are urgently needed on the mechanisms and determinants of ADE and on its alleged role in disease pathogenesis and in vaccine-associated phenomena.
Electron microscopic observation of DNA adsorbed on aluminum-mica.

Abstract DNA was adsorbed from neutral aqueous solutions onto sheets of muscovite mica if the potassium ions on the cleavage surface of the mica were first replaced by aluminum (III) ions through ion exchange. The adsorptive process was monitored by electron microscopic observation of Pt-Pd preshadowed carbon replicas of the DNA adsorbed on the mica surface. The adsorption was dependent on ionic strength; more DNA was adsorbed at higher ionic strengths. Of several multivalent ions tried, only aluminum (III) conferred adsorptive properties on the muscovite cleavage surface. A model for the adsorptive process was formulated in which the DNA macromolecule adsorbs at specific sites on the mica as a phosphate-aluminum-mica complex. The failure to observe loops of the macromolecule extending out from the mica was attributed to effects of drying in the electron microscopic preparative technique.
Combined three-dimensional magnetic resonance guided optical spectroscopy for functional and molecular imaging of human breast cancer

Dynamic contrast enhanced magnetic resonance is used to image high-risk patients for breast cancer because of its higher sensitivity to tumors than mammography. We focus on Near Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS) imaging and Fluorescence Molecular Tomography (FMT), emerging imaging techniques that non-invasively quantify optical properties of total hemoglobin, oxygen saturation, water content, scattering, lipid concentration and endogenous Protoporphyrin IX (PpIX) emission. We present methods on combining the synergistic attributes of DCE-MR, NIRS, and FMT for in-vivo imaging of breast cancer in three dimensions using a custom optical MR breast coil and diffusion based light modeling software, NIRFAST. We present example results from a breast cancer patient. Preliminary results show elevated hemoglobin values and water fraction. Fluorescence values in the tumor region, however, were not always elevated above the surrounding tissue as we had expected. The additional information gained from NIRS and FMT may improve the ability to distinguish between malignant and benign lesions during MR imaging. These dual modality instruments will provide complex anatomical and molecular prognostic information, and may decrease the number of biopsies, thereby improving patient care.
Thermal stresses in an elastic solid containing a plane crack

Abstract This paper investigates the three dimensional stress distribution that arise when a semi-infinite plane crack is opened out by the application of heat to arbitrary regions of its surfaces. The temperature and stress fields are determined by employing certain singular solutions of Laplace's equation in three dimensions and the techniques of Fourier and Kontorovich-Lebedev integral transforms. Explicit expressions are found for the stress intensity factors and their variations along the crack border are displayed graphically.
Inhibition of structural carbohydrate fermentation by forage phenolics

The benzoic and cinnamic acids found in forages were tested for their inhibitory effects on digestion of cellulose and hemicellulose by mixed cultures of rumen microorganisms in vitro. Rate and extent of cellulose digestion with the addition of cinnamic acids were determined. The benzoic acids and aldehydes were also compared for their inhibitory potential. Of the benzoic acid derivatives, only the parent compound (benzoic acid) inhibited in vitro dry matter disappearance (IVDMD) of cellulose after 48 h, whereas most of the cinnamic acids were inhibitory. None of these compounds depressed IVDMD of hemicellulose. Extent of cellulose digestion was unaffected by cinnamic acids, but rate of digestion was significantly reduced. The ranking of compounds for inhibitory potential was essentially reversed between 48 and 168 h of fermentation as compared with the ranking for 0 to 48 h of fermentation. There were also shifts in the molar proportions of volatile fatty acids produced between these times. The rapid reduction in concentration of cinnamic acids by microbial fermentation may explain these shifts. Benzoic aldehydes were more inhibitory of structural carbohydrate fermentation than were acids. No clear relationship existed between addition of hydroxyl or methoxyl groups to benzoic or cinnamic acids and their depressing effects on IVDMD. Cinnamic acids, which are more abundant in forages, were more inhibitory than the benzoic acids; but for all compounds, it appeared that hemicellulolytic bacteria were generally more tolerant of these compounds than the cellulolytic bacteria.
Molecular Characterization of Tiny Ring X Chromosomes from Females with Functional X Chromosome Disomy and Lack of cis X Inactivation

Small ring X chromosomes were first described in mosaic karyotypes of females with the relatively benign phenotype of Turner syndrome. The presence of these rings in association with more severe phenotypes including mental retardation has raised the possibility that they lack sequences necessary for X chromosome inactivation, specifically genes within the X inactivation center (XIC) essential for cis X-inactivation. We recently showed that ring X chromosomes ascertained because of the severe phenotype do not express XIST, a candidate for the relevant gene, and that they are in fact active chromosomes. We now report studies of the genetic content of 11 of these ring X chromosomes (9 associated with severe phenotypes). Our results indicate that these chromosomes contain contiguous segments of DNA and have variable proximal and distal breakpoints and some include mainly long arm or mainly short arm sequences. As expected for ring chromosomes, they lack telomeric sequences. Many of the ring chromosomes lack the XIST locus, consistent with XIST being necessary for cis inactivation. However, the breakpoints in four ring chromosomes that have XIST sequences but do not express XIST suggest that other sequences within the XIC distal to XIST as it is now defined are also needed.
The Oxford Handbook of Chinese Cinemas

The Oxford Handbook of Chinese Cinemas confirms that the study of Chinese cinemas remains semantically ambiguous and could be understood in many terms—namely linguistic, ethnic, cultural, political...
Spatial dynamics of time periodic solutions for the Ginzburg-Landau equation

We consider the dynamics of the Ginzburg-Landau equation in a small neighborhood of a known pulse solution by studying a Poincare map,P: π T →π T , where π T is a section which is transverse to the pulse. Due to the fact that the Ginzburg-Landau equation possesses both a rotational symmetry and a spatial symmetry, we are able to conduct a detailed analytical study of this map in neighborhoods arbitrarily close to the pulse solution. Thus, we are able to complement the work of Holmes [8], who conducted an analytical study of the Poincare map in a punctured neighborhood of the pulse. We find that the Poincare map contains an invariant set Ω⊃πitT, where Ω is not necessarily a Cantor set of points, such thatP: Ω→Ω is homeomorphic to a shift map on (at least) two symbols. Furthermore, we find that for eachm≥ 1 the mapP itm possesses a fixed point. Since Ω is not necessarily a Cantor set, this is not immediately clear. Finally, we find that when the pulse solution is broken, for eachm≥1 there exist parameter values such that pulses possessingm maxima appear.
mTOR/S6K1 and MAPK/RSK signaling pathways coordinately regulate estrogen receptor α serine 167 phosphorylation

Resistance to anti-estrogen therapy is a major clinical concern in treatment of breast cancer. Estrogen-independent phosphorylation of estrogen receptor alpha, specifically on Ser167, is one of the contributing causes to development of resistance, and a prognostic marker for the disease. Here, we dissect the signaling pathways responsible for Ser167 phosphorylation. We report that the mTOR/S6K1 and MAPK/RSK contribute non-overlapping inputs into ERalpha activation via Ser167 phosphorylation. This cooperation may be targeted in breast cancer treatment by a combination of mTOR and MAPK inhibitors.
Supersonic jet epitaxy of III-nitride semiconductors

Abstract In this review we report on the application of supersonic jets towards growth of the III-nitride semiconductors AlN, GaN, and InN. Certain properties of supersonic jets provide unique advantages for film growth. A seeded jet is able to accelerate precursors to kinetic energies which are one to two orders of magnitude higher than the average kinetic energies in a typical CVD environment, which has been shown to enhance precursor adsorption and thus growth rate. Indeed, dual seeded supersonic jets have been effectively employed to grow GaN and AlN from organometallic precursors and ammonia. Supersonic jets can also be coupled with excitation sources to provide highly reactive precursors for film growth. For example, a supersonic plasma jet has been developed to generate atomic nitrogen, and this source has been used together with an effusion cell for gallium delivery to produce epitaxial GaN films. The tightly focused jet exit stream generates a very high peak flux at the centerline which produced a film growth rate of 0.65 μm/h. However, deposition nonuniformity is quite dramatic due to this focusing and due to the point source nature of supersonic jets. Relatively few studies of III-nitride supersonic jet epitaxy have been reported, so further work is needed to evaluate the usefulness of this growth technique.
Management of the Axillary Nodes

The increasing use of screening mammography has resulted in the identification of smaller breast cancers with a lower risk of axillary node metastases than those seen in the past. In spite of this, imaging studies and currently availability prognostic markers cannot reliably identify those patients with axillary node disease. Although, in many cases, the need for adjuvant systemic therapy can be determined on the basis of primary tumor characteristics, knowledge of axillary node status remains the best predictor of the risk of breast cancer recurrence. Axillary dissection provides excellent local control, and may have a survival benefit for some patients, but these benefits are limited to patients with nodal involvement. Sentinel node biopsy has the potential to allow axillary dissection to be limited to patients with nodal involvement who will benefit from the procedure. The initial studies have proved that the status of the sentinel node reliably predicts the status of the remainder of the axillary nodes. The challenge for the future is to determine how to teach this procedure to large numbers of surgeons and to define its accuracy in a wider variety of clinical circumstances.
Anatomy of the extrinsic gut musculature of Gammarus minus (Crustacea: Amphipoda)

Inserting on the buccal and esophageal foregut of Gammarus minus are numerous pairs of serially arranged dorsal dilator muscles, a single pair of lateral muscles, and two pairs of posterior muscles. Muscles of the cardiac stomach include three dorsal sets, a single pair associated with the pterocardiac ossicles, and two pairs inserting on the ventral aspect. A single pair of muscles inserts on the lateral aspect of the pyloric stomach. The extrinsic muscles of the foregut originate from exoskeletal apodemes of the cephalothoracic cuticle, sockets of the mandible, and a maxillary bridge that lies just ventral to the cardiac stomach. The extrinsic musculature of the hindgut is restricted to the rectal region and consists of paired dorsal and ventral series in an X-configuration. A single unpaired muscle inserts on the ventral midline. Extrinsic muscles of the hindgut originate from the integument of the last pleonic segment. The general arrangement of extrinsic gut muscles in G. minus is similar but not identical to that of other amphipods studied. However, the pattern is quite different from that of other malacostracans.
Group 5 Metallocene Complexes as Models for Metal-Mediated Hydroboration: Synthesis of a Reactive Borane Adduct, endo-Cp*2Nb(H2BO2C6H4), via Hydroboration of Coordinated Olefins

The olefin complexes Cp*2M(CH2CH(R))(H) (R = H (1), CH3 (2); M = Nb (a), Ta (b)) react cleanly with catecholborane (HBCat) and HBO2C6H3-4-tBu (HBCat‘) to give Cp*2M(H2BCat) (M = Nb (5a), Ta (5b)) and Cp*2M(H2BCat‘) (M = Nb (6a), Ta (6b)) and the anti-Markovnikov hydroboration products CatBCH2CH2R and Cat‘BCH2CH2R. Compounds 2a and 2b react with DBCat‘ (DBO2C6H3-4-tBu) to afford the deuterated analogs Cp*2M(D2BCat‘) (M = Nb (6a), Ta (6b)) where the deuterium label is incorporated exclusively in the metal complex. The hydride resonances in 6a exhibit large perturbations in chemical shift when deuterium is incorporated. On the basis of this isotopic labeling experiment, a mechanism is proposed where HBCat reacts with the 16-electron alkyl intermediates, Cp*2MCH2CH2R (R = H (3), Me (4)), via σ-bond metathesis or oxidative-addition/reductive-elimination sequences, to generate the alkylboranes and an intermediate hydride, Cp*2MH, that is trapped by additional borane to give Cp*2M(H2BCat) (5a and 5b). The solid-...
Using Prompted Praxis to Improve Teacher Professional Development in Culturally Diverse Schools

Recent science and teacher education reports continue to stress the need for radical changes in the way teachers are prepared to teach science to diverse learners. In response, a three-year intervention project was developed to help teachers in culturally diverse schools transform their science teaching practices using learning technologies. Many challenges arose that called for strategies to further manage the progress of the project. This paper describes how one of those strategies, “prompted praxis,” was used to manage two of the main challenges encountered, the teachers' following through with their professional development goals and our own sense of urgency to effect change.