cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Low serum 3, 5, 3'-triiodothyronine (T3) and raised 3, 3', 5'-triidothyronine (reverse T3 or RT3) in diabetes mellitus: normalization on improvement in hyperglycemia.

In several pathophysiologic states, i.e., cirrhosis of liver, protein calorie malnutrition, starvation, carbohydrate deprivation, etc., thyroid hormone metabolism is reported to be altered with a decrease in serum T3 and a reciprocal increase in TR3. Uncontrolled diabetes mellitus is a similar state in which glucose does not enter the cells causing cellular starvation and hyperglycemia ensues. Therefore, serum T4, T3, RT3, T3-resin uptake, TSH, and glucose were determined after an overnight fast in 94 male diabetics (aged 28 to 85 years) during a routine follow-up visit to the outpatient clinic and 24 healthy male adults (aged 24 to 81 years). Glycosylated hemoglobin concentrations were measured as well in normal subjects and 16 newly discovered diabetics. In normal subjects, no significant relationships between fasting plasma glucose and T3 and RRT3 levels were observed. In diabetics there was a significant positive (r = 0.611; p less than 0.001) correlation between glucose and RT3. Similarly, a significant negative relationship was observed between glucose and T3 (r = 0.491; p less than 0.001). T4, free T4, T3-resin uptake, and TSH were normal in diabetics. In 16 newly discovered diabetics, with fasting plasma glucose greater than 200 mg/dl, serum T3 rose (96 +/- 5 to 128 +/- 5 ng/dl) and RT3 declined (26.3 +/- 10.4 +/- 1.4 ng/dl) on improvement of hyperglycemia (fasting plasma glucose less than 140 mg/dl) after intensive therapy for 6 to 8 weeks. Glycosylated hemoglobin levels declined as well (14.6 +/- 0.9% to 9.3 +/- 0.7%). These data indicate: (1) thyroid hormone metabolism may be altered in diabetes mellitus with a fall in serum T3 and a reciprocal rise in RT3; and (2) T3 and RT3 concentrations may serve as indicators of metabolic control in diabetes mellitus.
Plasma Growth Hormone and Insulin Levels in the Pig

Plasma levels of growth hormone (GH), measured by radioimmunoassay, increased slightly following the intravenous injection of insulin sufficient to provoke severe hypoglycemia. No change in the basal plasma GH level was observed when hyperglycemia was produced by either oral or intravenous glucose. When the blood glucose level fell very rapidly, as seen after cessation of an iv infusion of glucose, plasma GH increased 3-fold. Plasma GH increased from basal levels of 5.8 ±0.8 to a maximum of 12.1 ±1.8 μg/ml after 2 days of starvation and then decreased toward control values with further fasting. Stress and exercise provoked significant increases in plasma GH, but the injection of catecholamines in amounts sufficient to produce hyperglycemia and FFA mobilization had no effect on plasma GH. It was concluded that the changes in plasma GH are sluggish in the pig compared to those seen in the normal-weight human. Injection of porcine GH (0.1-1.0 mg/kg) into the pig resulted in an initial decrease in plasma free...
Growth status in children with cystic fibrosis based on the National Cystic Fibrosis Patient Registry data: evaluation of various criteria used to identify malnutrition

Abstract Objectives: The objectives of this study were to determine growth status and to identify malnutrition with various anthropometric indicators in children with cystic fibrosis (CF) based on cross-sectional analysis of the 1993 National CF Patient Registry data. Methods: Heights and weights of 13,116 children with CF were evaluated with percentile, percent of reference median, Z-score, and percent ideal weight-for-height based on National Center for Health Statistics/Centers for Disease Control growth references. Malnutrition was defined by four criteria: (1) height-for-age Results: Mean and median height- and weight-for-age were found to be at the 30th and 20th percentiles in children with CF. Malnutrition (height- or weight-for-age p Conclusion: Twenty percent of all children in the 1993 National CF Patient Registry were
A rapid flow cytometric screening test for X-linked lymphoproliferative disease due to XIAP deficiency.

Background: Deficiency of X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis (XIAP), caused by BIRC4 gene mutations, is the second known cause of X-linked lymphoproliferative disease (XLP), a rare primary immunodeficiency that often presents with life-threatening hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH). Rapid diagnosis of the known genetic causes of HLH, including XIAP deficiency, facilitates the initiation of life-saving treatment and preparation for allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT). Until now, a rapid screening test for XIAP deficiency has not been available. Methods: To develop a flow cytometric screening test for XIAP deficiency, we first used lymphoblastic cell lines generated from controls and patients with BIRC4 mutations to identify two commercially available antibodies specific for native intracellular XIAP. Next, we used these antibodies to study control whole blood leukocyte XIAP expression. We then studied XIAP expression in leukocytes from patients with XLP due to BIRC4 mutations, maternal carriers, and patients following HCT. Results: XIAP was expressed by the majority of all whole blood nucleated cells in normal controls. In contrast, XIAP was absent or decreased in all lymphocyte subsets, monocytes and granulocytes from four unrelated patients with XLP due to BIRC4 mutations. Bimodal distribution of XIAP expression was evident in two maternal carriers, with significant skewing toward cells expressing normal XIAP. Bimodal distribution was also observed in a patient following HCT. Conclusions: Flow cytometric analysis of intracellular XIAP provides a rapid screening test for XLP due to XIAP deficiency. It also allows carrier detection and can be used to monitor donor versus recipient reconstitution following HCT. © 2009 Clinical Cytometry Society
Combined stretching and twisting of a circular thin-walled tube of second gradient plastic material

Abstract The objective of this work is to derive an analytical solution for the problem of a second gradient plastic circular thin-walled tube in combined tension and torsion loading conditions. Explicit expressions for the ordinary and higher-order stresses, strain rate and its gradient, and displacement are obtained. For comparison purpose, we also present the analytical solution for the same problem when the thin-walled tube is made of classical (von Mises) plastic metals. The newly micromorphic model based solution reduces to that of the (ordinary) von Mises one when the characteristic length scale approaches zero.
GENETIC STRUCTURE OF POPULATIONS OF GEOGRAPHICALLY RESTRICTED AND WIDESPREAD SPECIES OF ASTRAGALUS (FABACEAE)

Evolutionary theory predicts that species with small ranges and few individuals will exhibit low levels of genetic polymorphism. We investigated the population genetic structure of two locally endemic and two geographically widespread species of Astragalus. To facilitate direct comparisons among these congeners, three populations of each species were sampled in a consistent manner and scored for allozyme polymorphisms at 12 loci. Genetic polymorphism was lower in restricted A. linifolius and A. osterhouti than in widespread A. pectinatus. However, the restricted species do exhibit a moderate level of isozyme variation, comparable to that of widespread A. pattersoni and higher than has been detected in several other rare plant taxa. As measured by Wright's F statistics, there were no consistent differences between the restricted
Some Notes On Factor Analysis of Behavioral Data

The use of factor analysis with behavioral data is examined critically. Although there are good reasons to make wider use of factor analytic techniques in behavioral research, several important pitfalls should be avoided. Samples should be of adequate size, both absolutely and relative to the number of variables analysed. Variables should be reliable and devoid of scoring dependencies. One should not allow the same components to appear in different ratio variables, difference scores and composites. Variables and subjects should be carefully selected to represent a substantive design for the study. Ideally this design should stem from empirically-based, well reasoned theory. Careful thought should be given to the question of the number of factors to extract. Rotation of factors should be based on the model reflected in the design for the study. One should be wary of using mathematical-statistical indices with factor coefficients. The correlation, as such, and the standard error for a correlation, do not have the same properties when applied to arrays of factor coefficients as when used with free-to-vary numbers.
Differential expression of c‐myc and the transferrin receptor in G1 synchronized M1 myeloid leukemia cells

We have studied the transcriptional activity, steady-state mRNA levels, and steady-state protein levels of the c-myc and transferrin receptor (TfR) genes in murine M1 myeloid leukemia cells arrested in G1 phase of the cell cycle by different methods. When cells are growth-arrested by density inhibition, a technique that places the majority of cells in early G1, c-myc protein, as detected by Western analysis, is expressed at 80% of the level seen in proliferating cells. Steady-state mRNA levels and, to a lesser extent, transcriptional activity of the c-myc gene, parallel the protein findings. Under these conditions, TfR gene expression is much lower than in normally cycling cells. We have previously demonstrated that density-inhibited M1 cells, released from density inhibition and treated with the DNA polymerase alpha inhibitor aphidicolin, remain in G1, but at a point temporally closer to S phase. Cells treated in this manner demonstrate reduced transcriptional activity and expression of the c-myc gene, but TfR gene expression approximates the level found in proliferating cells. These data suggest that neither c-myc nor TfR gene expression is constant throughout the G1 phase of the cell cycle in M1 cells. c-myc gene expression is highest in early G1 and falls to low levels by late G1, while the reverse is true for TfR gene expression.
Clinical features and outcomes of 98 children and adults with dense deposit disease

Dense deposit disease (DDD) is an ultra-rare renal disease. In the study reported here, 98 patients and their families participated in a descriptive patient-centered survey using an online research format. Reports were completed by patients (38%) or their parents (62%). Age at diagnosis ranged from 1.9 to 38.9 years (mean 14 years). The majority of patients presented with proteinuria and hematuria; 50% had hypertension and edema. Steroids were commonly prescribed, although their use was not evidence-based. One-half of the patients with DDD for 10 years progressed to end-stage renal disease (ESRD), with young females having the greatest risk for renal failure. Of first allografts, 45% failed within 5 years, most frequently due to recurrent disease (70%). Type 1 diabetes (T1D) was present in over 16% of families, which represents a 116-fold increase in incidence compared with the general population (p < 0.001). Based on these findings, we suggest that initiatives are needed to explore the high incidence of T1D in family members of DDD patients and the greater risk for progression to ESRD in young females with DDD. These efforts must be supported by sufficient numbers of patients to establish evidence-based practice guidelines for disease management. An international collaborative research survey should be implemented to encourage broad access and participation.
Bureau of Mines Progress in Developing the Coal-Burning Gas Turbine Power Plant

The Bureau of Mines is developing a turbine driven by hot gases from burning coal. Primary emphasis so far has been to develop and test new blades designed to resist coal-ash erosion, the major problem confronting earlier developers of a coal-burning turbine. Improved coal preparation and feeding equipment and more efficient combustion and ash separation systems also are being developed. Overall objective of the Bureau is to build and operate a machine to demonstrate the technical feasibility of an open-cycle coal-burning gas turbine power plant. In the early phases of the Bureau turbine program, tests were conducted with a machine initially built by the Locomotive Development Committee of Bituminous Coal Research, Inc. Blade erosion had been revealed as the major problem in the LDC work, so prior to initial operations a gas turbine manufacturer was asked to review the results of the previous tests and recommend a new blade design. Several important changes were recommended, and a set of blades incorporating the new features was designed, fabricated, and installed in the turbine in 1963. The initial test of the turbine was conducted late in 1963. In 878 cumulative hr of operation the blades suffered little from erosion. The rotor blades appear capable of an additional operating period of up to 10,000 hr, and the stator blades (slightly notched at the bases on the last three rows) for at least 5000 hr. The test results indicated that with further research and development blades capable of the 50,000 to 100,000 hr regarded as minimum for commercial power plants are a definite possibility. The major difficulty in the 878-hr test was ash deposition on the blades, especially the first-stage stator blades. Means of preventing or controlling ash deposition are being sought during a second 1000-hr test of the new blades in the summer and fall of 1964. Certain modifications were made in the coal-combustion, ash-separation, and coal-feeding systems prior to this test to improve operability of the turbine plant.
What is the value of real-time shipment tracking information?

Abstract This paper presents a stochastic model for evaluating the value of real-time shipment tracking information in a supply system with a manufacturer that fulfills demand from a retailer for a single product using a periodic review, order-up-to-level inventory control policy. Products shipped by the manufacturer can move through multiple stages before they reach the retailer, where each stage represents a physical location or a step in the replenishment process. The lead time for an order placed by the retailer depends on the distribution of all the shipments, or outstanding orders, across the different stages. Hence, it is desirable to track the location of shipments to determine the ordering policy that minimizes the long-run average cost for the retailer. The long-run average cost is modeled under different scenarios: with real-time tracking information, with lagged tracking information, with no tracking information and with historical information on lead times for past orders. Under optimal myopi...
Evaluations of Cavitation Models for Navier-Stokes Computations

The predictive capability of three transport equation-based cavitation models is evaluated for attached turbulent, cavitating flows. To help shed light on the theoretical justification of these models, an analysis of the mass and normal-momentum conservation at a liquid-vapor interface is presented. The test problems include flows over an axisymmetric cylindrical body and a planar hydrofoil at different cavitation and Reynolds numbers. Proper grid distribution for high Reynolds number cavitating flows is emphasized. Although all three models give satisfactory predictions in overall pressure distributions, differences are observed in the closure region of the cavity, resulting from the differences in compressibility characteristics handled by each model.Copyright © 2002 by ASME
Cover Picture: Redox Chemistry of Actinide Ions in Wells−Dawson Heteropolyoxoanion Complexes (Eur. J. Inorg. Chem. 16/2003)

The cover picture shows the multi-faceted approach required to unravel the complicated electrochemistry presented by Wells−Dawson coordinated actinide (An) ions, [An(α-2-P2W17O61)2]n− (An = Th, U, Np, Pu, Am). These An-polyoxometalate (POM) clusters contain two redox centers: the central An ion (magenta), except Th4+, and the ligands, (α-2-P2W17O61)10−, for which P is orange, W is black, and O is teal blue. The formal potentials of the An ions are extracted by in situ XANES (X-ray absorption near edge structure) spectroelectrochemistry, using the Nernst formalism. This approach provides a unique avenue to quantifying the An redox response, because the multi-redox active centers, together with the deep blue color of the ligands upon reduction, exclude more standard experiments. The Nernst approach to XANES data provides information about the electronic influence of POM complexation, which is of fundamental interest as related to correlated electron behavior and of practical significance to separations science in nuclear waste processing. Details are presented in the article by M.-H. Chiang, L. Soderholm and M. R. Antonio on p. 2929 ff.
The Impact of Model Moist Processes on the Energetics of Extratropical Cyclones

Abstract A diagnostic energetics analysis is used to study the effects of moisture-related processes on two numerically simulated cases of extratropical cyclone development. Model output is derived from moist and dry versions of the Drexel University Limited Area Mesoscale Prediction System (LAMPS). Both kinetic and available potential energy budgets are partitioned into zonal and eddy quantities in order to focus more effectively on cyclone-scale processes. Results from the LAMPS forecasts show that the baroclinic aspects of cyclone development are significantly enhanced by both convective and stable latent heat release. Although generation of available potential energy (GE) is an important source of eddy available potential energy (AE), diabatic heating produces substantial modifications to eddy energy conversion terms. Transformation of zonal available potential energy (AZ) to AE is strengthened in the moist forecasts through increased horizontal eddy transport of sensible heat. Although conversion of ...
On the gravitational action principle

One reason the Lagrangian density for the gravitational field must contain both the co- and contra-variant field variables is because the part for the «free» gravitational field √−g R contains both of these variables. The same situation does not occur in general for the matter fields because Λ contains besides the matter-field variables the gravitational-field variables.
Stroke or Transient Ischemic Attack in Patients With Transvenous Pacemaker or Defibrillator and Echocardiographically Detected Patent Foramen Ovale

Background—A patent foramen ovale (PFO) may permit arterial embolization of thrombi that accumulate on the leads of cardiac implantable electronic devices in the right-sided cardiac chambers. We sought to determine whether a PFO increases the risk of stroke/transient ischemic attack (TIA) in patients with endocardial leads. Methods and Results—We retrospectively evaluated all patients who had endocardial leads implanted between January 1, 2000, and October 25, 2010, at Mayo Clinic Rochester. Echocardiography was used to establish definite PFO and non-PFO cohorts. The primary end point of stroke/TIA consistent with a cardioembolic etiology and the secondary end point of mortality during postimplantation follow-up were compared in PFO versus non-PFO patients with the use of Cox proportional hazards models. We analyzed 6075 patients (364 with PFO) followed for a mean 4.7±3.1 years. The primary end point of stroke/TIA was met in 30/364 (8.2%) PFO versus 117/5711 (2.0%) non-PFO patients (hazard ratio, 3.49; 95...
Optimization of Freeform Non-Imaging Components for LED-Based Projector Light Engines

Standard non-imaging components used to collect and integrate light in LED-based projector light engines such as tapered rods and compound parabolic concentrators are compared to optimized freeform shapes in terms of various application-driven metrics.
Microsampling in the Infrared — Use of Special Techniques:

The examination of microsamples by infrared spectroscopy is best accomplished by reduction of beam area with small apertures. However, this technique produces energy losses and aperturing effects which distort the baseline. Methods of dealing with energy losses and correcting baseline distortions by mechanical and digital means are examined.
Particle production in annihilation processes 1. baryon number

Abstract The importance of annihilation processes as clean tests of models for particle production is stressed. Multiperipheral concepts are used to derive successful sum rules for annihilation cross sections and their accompanying inclusive distributions. These sum rules allow Feynman scaling and the Mueller Regge analysis to be carried over into the annihilation channel. They are further utilized to define a no parameter multiperipheral model for baryon number annihilation. This model is shown to provide a remarkably successful description of the gross features of the annihilation process from annihilations at rest up to the highest explored energies.
Alcohol-related efficiency deficits using an ecologically valid test.

This study investigated whether male and female alcoholics and controls differed in their ability to solve an ecologically valid measure of abstraction. Ninety-one alcoholics (39 females, 52 males) and 61 community controls (36 females, 26 males) completed a battery of abstraction tasks including a Piagetian-type task, the Plant Task. The Plant Task demands that subjects predict the outcome of an unseen plant given a specific treatment regime. No group differences in the ability to correctly predict the unseen plant's outcome were obtained. Alcoholics were significantly poorer than controls in isolating the relevant variable (χ2 (1) = 8.24, p = 0.004). There were no sex differences in the ability to isolate the relevant variable. However, there was a sex effect in the number of irrelevant explanations (χ2 (3) = 15.58, p = 0.001) with females producing more than males and female alcoholics more than any of the other three cells. These data suggest that (1) alcoholics may exhibit subtle abstraction deficits most readily observed in tasks examining process as opposed to final performance, (2) males and females differ in their response patterns regarding irrelevant material, and (3) further empirical study of the Plant Task may support its use in experimental and clinical settings.
Throughput maximization in multi-channel cognitive radio systems with delay constraints

We study the throughput-vs-delay trade-off in an overlay multi-channel single-secondary-user cognitive radio system. Due to the limited sensing capabilities of the cognitive radio user, channels are sensed sequentially. Maximizing the throughput in such a problem is well-studied in the literature. Yet, in real-time applications, hard delay constraints need to be considered besides throughput. In this paper, optimal stopping rule and optimal power allocation are discussed to maximize the secondary user's throughput, subject to an average delay constraint. We provide a low complexity approach to the optimal solution of this problem. Simulation results show that this solution allows the secondary user to meet the delay constraint without sacrificing throughput significantly. It also shows the benefits of the optimal power allocation strategy over the constant power allocation strategy.
Excitation of Contained Modes by High Energy Nuclei and Correlated Cyclotron Emission

Abstract In experiments with fusing plasmas, enhanced radiation emission at the harmonics of the cyclotron frequency of fusion reaction products has been observed. A theory is presented that explains key features of these observations and indicates the possibility of extracting significant information about the fusion product population distribution, both in velocity space and over the plasma cross section. The considered model is consistent in particular with the fact that, in DT plasmas, the radiation peaks occur at frequencies corresponding to harmonics of theαparticles' cyclotron frequencyΔαevaluated at the outer edge of the plasma column, and that a transition to a “continuum” spectrum at high frequencies (ω≳7 Δα) can be identified. In this model, the radiation is the result of the excitation of radially “contained” modes which are driven unstable by the fusion products. The modes considered to be responsible for the discrete part of the spectrum are spatially localized near the plasma edge. The radial containment, which is associated mainly with the inhomogeneity of the plasma density, is in fact a fundamental characteristic since only contained modes can grow out of a relatively weak mode–particle interaction and justify the detected emission power levels. The contained mode is a solution to a set of macroscopic equations, in which the electron motion is tied to that of the magnetic field (Hall effect). The growth rate has been evaluated considering the particle orbits in a toroidal confinement configuration and modelling the distribution function of the interacting particles with the energy at birth before slowing down occurs. The growth rate depends linearly on theα-particle density and can be larger than, or of the order of, the bounce frequency of the magnetically trappedα-particles, which can have a resonant interaction with the mode. According to the theoretical model presented, the discrete part of the observed spectrum of emission yields specific information about the trapped, energetic particles with large orbits that reach the edge of the plasma column, while the continuum spectrum can give information about the average density of high energy particles which have orbits well within the plasma column. The possibility to influenceα-particle transport through coupling with externally applied modes having frequencies in the range considered is pointed out.
COMPARATIVE BIOCHEMICAL GENETICS OF THREE FIRE ANT SPECIES IN NORTH AMERICA, WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO THE TWO SOCIAL FORMS OF SOLENOPSIS INVICTA (HYMENOPTERA: FORMICIDAE).

An electrophoretic study of the genetics of three fire ant species in North America was undertaken with the primary objective of further clarifying the genetic relationship between two social forms of Solenopsis invicta. Such social forms are common in many groups of ants and may, in some cases, represent significant intermediate stages in the speciation process. The monogyne and polygyne forms of S. invicta, while differing in a number of important biological traits, are genetically indistinguishable, in contrast to the substantial genetic differentiation observed between S. invicta and a second, closely related, introduced species, S. richteri. The native fire ant, S. geminata, is genetically the most distinct of the three species studied, in accord with its taxonomic placement in a different species complex. Hypotheses concerning the derivation of the polygyne form of S. invicta from the monogyne form which invoke their long-term reproductive isolation in South America and separate introductions to North America appear unfounded. Although S. invicta and S. richteri are known to hybridize in North America, our study provided no evidence of gene introgression between S. invicta and the native species, S. geminata, in areas where our samples were collected. Analyses of population structure in S. invicta failed to reveal significant differentiation of populations or local inbreeding. Levels of genetic diversity in the three species studied, although not significantly different, were in the order predicted from knowledge of the population biology and recent history of the taxa, with S. richteri exhibiting the least diversity, S. geminata the greatest, and S. invicta having an intermediate level.
The Schrödinger functional running coupling with staggered fermions and its application to many flavor QCD

Abstract We discuss the Schrodinger functional in lattice QCD with staggered fermions and relate it, in the classical continuum limit, to the Schrodinger functional regularized with Wilson fermions. We compute the strong coupling constant defined via the Schrodinger functional with staggered fermions at one loop and show that is agrees with the continuum running coupling constant in the Schrodinger functional formalism. We compute this running coupling in the “weak coupling phase” of many flavor QCD numerically at several values of the bare coupling and for several system sizes from L / a = 4 to 12. The results indicate that the β-function for 16 flavors has the opposite sign that for few flavor QCD, in agreement with a recent claim, and with the perturbative prediction.
Late Pleistocene colonization of North America from Northeast Asia: New insights from large-scale paleogeographic reconstructions

Advances in large-scale paleogeographic reconstruction define physical and environmental constraints relevant to understanding the timing and character of the first colonization of the Americas during the Late Pleistocene. Diachronic mapping shows continental glaciers coalesced in central Canada during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) 20,000–14,000 years ago while unglaciated refugia existed along the Northwest Coast. The Bering Land Bridge connected Asia and North America until about 10,000 years ago when the two continents were separated by rising sea level. This visual analysis from large-scale synthesis of recent geological and environmental research establishes timelines for biotically viable colonization corridors connecting eastern Beringia to southern North America and provides insights into probable Paleoindian origins and subsistence strategies.
A conserved role for FGF signaling in chordate otic/atrial placode formation

The widely held view that neurogenic placodes are vertebrate novelties has been challenged by morphological and molecular data from tunicates suggesting that placodes predate the vertebrate divergence. Here, we examine requirements for the development of the tunicate atrial siphon primordium, thought to share homology with the vertebrate otic placode. In vertebrates, FGF signaling is required for otic placode induction and for later events following placode invagination, including elaboration and patterning of the inner ear. We show that results from perturbation of the FGF pathway in the ascidian Ciona support a similar role for this pathway: inhibition with MEK or Fgfr inhibitor at tailbud stages in Ciona results in a larva which fails to form atrial placodes; inhibition during metamorphosis disrupts development of the atrial siphon and gill slits, structures which form where invaginated atrial siphon ectoderm apposes pharyngeal endoderm. We show that laser ablation of atrial primordium ectoderm also results in a failure to form gill slits in the underlying endoderm. Our data suggest interactions required for formation of the atrial siphon and highlight the role of atrial ectoderm during gill slit morphogenesis.
Observations on the fine structure of the pellicle pores of Euglena granulata.

The structure or granules associated with the pellicle strips ofEuglena granulata (Klebs) Schmitz has been studied using light and electron microscopy. Two types of bodies can be distinguished in this association on the basis of their staining reactions, distribution, ultrastructure, and other characteristics. The first type, called pellicle pores, is distributed with regularity along certain pellicle strips; the pores are very uniform in size (about 300 mΜ in diameter) and in content. They consist of an aperture and a compartment, the latter lined by the plasmalemma; in each compartment a dense, osmiophilic body and a series of tubules occur. The structure of the pellicle strips is modified at the points where the pellicle pores are present; the aperture extends to the cell surface in the groove between two pellicle strips. The second type of body, which undergoes vital staining with neutral red, is called a pellicle vacuole. These are variable in size (ca. 1 to 2 microns in diameter) and contain a variety of components including myelin figures, proliferated membranes, and sheets of electrondense material. The structure of these elements as well as their possible functional significance are discussed in some detail.
Surgical therapy for early hepatocellular carcinoma in the modern era: a 10-year SEER-medicare analysis.

Objective:We sought to quantify the use of and analyze factors predictive of receipt of surgical therapy for early hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).Background:The incidence of HCC is increasing, and the options for surgical therapy for early HCC have expanded, but the use of surgical therapy for early
Evolution of the cytochrome c oxidase proton pump.

The superfamily of quinol and cytochrome c terminal oxidase complexes is related by a homologous subunit containing six positionally conserved histidines that ligate a low-spin heme and a heme–copper dioxygen activating and reduction center. On the basis of the structural similarities of these enzymes, it has been postulated that all members of this superfamily catalyze proton translocation by similar mechanisms and that the CuA center found in most cytochrome c oxidase complexes serves merely as an electron conduit shuttling electrons from ferrocytochrome c into the hydrophobic core of the enzyme. The recent characterization of cytochrome c oxidase complexes and structurally similar cytochrome c:nitric oxide oxidoreductase complexes without CuA centers has strengthened this view. However, recent experimental evidence has shown that there are two ubiquinone(ol) binding sites on the Escherichia coli cytochrome bo 3 complex in dynamic equilibrium with the ubiquinone(ol) pool, thereby strengthening the argument for a Q(H2)-loop mechanism of proton translocation [Musser SM et al. (1997) Biochemistry 36:894–902]. In addition, a number of reports suggest that a Q(H2)-loop or another alternate proton translocation mechanism distinct from the mitochondrial aa 3 -type proton pump functions in Sulfolobus acidocaldarius terminal oxidase complexes. The possibility that a primitive quinol oxidase complex evolved to yield two separate complexes, the cytochrome bc 1 and cytochrome c oxidase complexes, is explored here. This idea is the basis for an evolutionary tree constructed using the notion that respiratory complexity and efficiency progressively increased throughout the evolutionary process. The analysis suggests that oxygenic respiration is quite an old process and, in fact, predates nitrogenic respiration as well as reaction-center photosynthesis.
The active southwest margin of the Colorado Plateau: uplift of mantle origin

During Cenozoic time, the Colorado Plateau was raised about 2 km above sea level. The most-recent and best-documented uplift of the plateau (;1 km) has been concentratedatitssouthwestmarginbetween6 and 1 Ma, whereas the eastern Colorado Plateau may have been at high elevations sinceEocenetime.Tobetterunderstandthe recent tectonic activity at the southwest marginoftheColoradoPlateau,wecompile detailed crustal thickness and density informationfromseismicandgravitydatafor a region that includes northwest Arizona and the southern tip of Nevada. This information is used to isolate the mantle contribution to uplift. Wefind that there is relatively low density mantle underlying the southernmarginoftheplateauinnorthwest Arizona, which could result from about 60‐80 km of thinning of the dense mantle lithosphere combined with about 100 &Cof heating through a 100-km-thick mantle layer. The available estimates from earthquake-source seismology in or near the studyareaarecompatiblewiththisestimate of lithospheric thinning. We speculate that uplift may result from subduction-related thinning of the continental lithosphere.
Simulated nitrogen deposition enhances the performance of an exotic grass relative to native serpentine grassland competitors

Previous research suggests that atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition may facilitate the invasion and persistence of exotic plant species in serpentine grasslands, but the relative impact of increased N availability on native and exotic competitive dynamics has yet to be clearly elucidated. In this study, we evaluated how increased N deposition affects plant performance and competitive dynamics of five native grasses and forbs (Plantago erecta, Layia gaillardioides, Lasthenia californica, Vulpia microstachys, and Cryptantha flaccida) and the most common invasive grass in Bay Area serpentine grasslands, Lolium multiflorum. Using a growth chamber system, we exposed Lolium in monoculture, and native species grown both in monoculture and in competition with the exotic Lolium, to all four possible combinations of gaseous nitrogen dioxide (NO2; a dominant atmospheric N pollutant) and soil ammonium nitrate (NH4NO3). In monocultures, gaseous NO2 and soil N addition each increased shoot biomass in Lolium and the natives Layia and Cryptantha. Lolium competitive ability (mean relative yield potential—RYP) increased in response to NO2 addition plus soil N addition against all native competitors. Lolium and most native species did not show differences in photosynthetic rate and stomatal conductance in response to N addition. Our findings indicate that increasing N deposition and subsequent N accumulation in the soil may confer a competitive advantage to the exotic Lolium over native species by stimulating greater biomass accumulation and N allocation to photosynthetic tissue in the invader.
Signal processing for ultrasound-based arterial pulse wave velocity estimation

In this paper we propose a new signal processing approach for estimating arterial pulse wave velocity (PWV) in a uniform arterial segment based on ultrasound measurements. The new approach compensates for whatever pulse wave reflections are present in the observation. We show that the long-axis PWV estimation problem with reflections is similar to that of direction-of-arrival (DOA) estimation for two far-field, narrowband, coherent sources. A high-SNR simulation is performed to compare the performance of the new method to that of three existing methods in the presence of reflections. A limited amount of in vivo data is processed and the resulting estimates, although superior to those obtained from existing methods, are seen to be noisy. Finally, further research directions are outlined.
Accurate visualization and quantification of coronary vasculature by 3D/4D fusion from biplane angiography and intravascular ultrasound

In the rapidly evolving field of intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) for tissue characterization and visualization, the assessment of vessel morphology still lacks a geometrically correct 3D reconstruction. The IVUS frames are usually stacked up to form a straight vessel, neglecting curvature and the axial twisting of the catheter during the pullback. This paper presents a comprehensive system for geometrically correct reconstruction of IVUS images by fusion with biplane angiography, thus combining the advantages of both modalities. Vessel cross-section and tissue characteristics are obtained form IVUS, while the 3D locations are derived by geometrical reconstruction from the angiographic projections. ECG-based timing ensures a proper match of the image data with the respective heart phase. The fusion is performed for each heart phase individually, thus yielding the 4-D data as a set of 3-D reconstructions.© (2001) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
A PRACTICAL TURN: ELIE HALEVY'S EMBRACE OF POLITICS AND HISTORY

Elie Halevy's legacy is bounded by the two primary objects of his scholarly interest: the history of modern Britain and the study of French socialist doctrines. Taken together, his writings on temperate English politics and occasionally intemperate French socialists cemented his status as a leading French liberal of his generation. Read out of context, the tone of his criticism of wartime socialization and the growth of wartime governments has given him a conservative reputation in some circles and inspired a backlash among historians seeking a more progressive Halevy in his prewar writings. Meanwhile, the depth of his historical study of Britain has elicited several discussions of Halevy's turn from philosophy to history at the end of the 1890s. The portrait of Halevy that emerges in light of his historical studies of England and of French socialism is detailed, accurate, and flattering, but, like any portrait, it is incomplete. Before he was a historian, Halevy was a philosopher, and before he mastered his craft in the early twentieth century, Halevy struggled to find his voice in the late nineteenth.
Large‐scale DAE optimization using a simultaneous NLP formulation

The differential-algebraic equation (DAE) optimization problem is transformed to a nonlinear programming problem by applying collocation on finite elements. The resulting problem is solved using a reduced space successive quadratic programming (rSQP) algorithm. Here, the variable space is partitioned into range and null spaces. Partitioning by choosing a pivot sequence for an LU factorization with partial pivoting allows us to detect unstable modes in the DAE system, which can now be stabilized without imposing new boundary conditions. As a result, the range space is decomposed in a single step by exploiting the overall sparsity of the collocation matrix; which performs better than the two-step condensation method used in standard collocation solvers. To deal with ill-conditioned constraints, we also extend the rSQP algorithm to include dogleg steps for the range space step that solves the collocation equations. The performance of this algorithm was tested on two well known unstable problems and on three chemical engineering examples including two reactive distillation columns and a plug-flow reactor with free radicals. One of these is u batch column where an equilibrium reaction takes place. The second reactive distillation problem is the startup of a continuous column with competitive reactions. These optimization problems, which include more than 150 DAEs, ure solved in less than 7 CPU minutes on workstation class computers.
Initial Testing Of A Two-dimensional Computer Code For Microwave-induced Surface Breakdown In Air

A two-dimensional, electromagnetic, electron fluid computer code for microwave-induced surface breakdown in air is developed. This code is based on finite difference approximations to Maxwell's curl equations for TM/sub om/. modes in cylindrical waveguides and electron conservation equations for continuity, momentum, and energy. An implicit, block- iterative, optionally stiff, variable step integrator solves the global set of equations. A 2.856 GHz, 1 MV/m amplitude, radial electric field pulse in a highly dispersive waveguide impinges on two different model field emission structures with the same emission threshold (0.2 MV/m) and rate (10/sup 11//(m/sup 3/-s)). One structure is a perfectly conducting flat end plate; the other is a perfectly conducting axial stub of 0.413 cm radius by 1.69 cm length, centered on a flat end plate. Pressures vary from 50-800 torr. In both cases, peak electric fields occur where expected, initial electron generation is from field emission, and later generation is from avalanching in air. The location of peak generation is at the field maxima. The amount of late time density varies qualitatively with pressure as theoretically expected.
Inhibitory Effects of Chloride on the Activation of Caspase-1, IL-1β Secretion, and Cytolysis by the P2X7 Receptor

The P2X7 receptor (P2X7R) is an ATP-gated cation channel that activates caspase-1 leading to the maturation and secretion of IL-1β. Because previous studies indicated that extracellular Cl − exerts a negative allosteric effect on ATP-gating of P2X7R channels, we tested whether Cl − attenuates the P2X7R→caspase-1→IL-1β signaling cascade in murine and human macrophages. In Bac1 murine macrophages, substitution of extracellular Cl − with gluconate produced a 10-fold increase in the rate and extent of ATP-induced IL-1β processing and secretion, while reducing the EC 50 for ATP by 5-fold. Replacement of Cl − with gluconate also increased the potency of ATP as an inducer of mature IL-1β secretion in primary mouse bone marrow-derived macrophages and in THP-1 human monocytes/macrophages. Our observations were consistent with actions of Cl − at three levels: 1) a negative allosteric effect of Cl − , which limits the ability of ATP to gate the P2X7R-mediated cation fluxes that trigger caspase-1 activation; 2) an intracellular accumulation of Cl − via nonselective pores induced by P2X7R with consequential repression of caspase-1-mediated processing of IL-1β; and 3) a facilitative effect of Cl − substitution on the cytolytic release of unprocessed pro-IL-1β that occurs with sustained activation of P2X7R. This cytolysis was repressed by the cytoprotectant glycine, permitting dissociation of P2X7R-regulated secretion of mature IL-1β from the lytic release of pro-IL-1β. These results suggest that under physiological conditions P2X7R are maintained in a conformationally restrained state that limits channel gating and coupling of the receptor to signaling pathways that regulate caspase-1.
An Architecture and Interfaces for Distributed Manufacturing Simulation

This article presents an overview of a neutral reference architecture and data model for integrating distributed manufacturing simulation systems with each other, with other manufacturing software applications, and with manufacturing data repositories. Other manufacturing software applications include but are not limited to systems used to design products, specify processes, engineer manufacturing systems, and manage production. The architecture identifies the software building blocks and interfaces that will facilitate the integration of distributed simulation systems and enable the integration of those systems with other manufacturing software applications. The architecture builds on the High Level Architecture standard for simulation. The National Institute of Standards and Technology and its collaborators have created several implementations of portions of the architecture using commercial off-the-shelf simulators. These implementations demonstrated the feasibility of the architecture and highlighted the need for a neutral data model for exchanging manufacturing data between simulations.
The O2+ vibrational distribution in the Venusian ionosphere

The vibrational distribution of O2(+) in the ionosphere of Venus was calculated for a model atmosphere (similar to one discribed by Fox, 1982), based on data from the Pioneer Venus neutral mass spectrometer. The calculation of the ion densities includes both chemistry and diffusion. At 100 km, quenching precludes survival of vibrationally excited 02(+). At the exobase, near 200 km, more than half of O2(+) molecules are vibrationally excited. The effects of vibrationally excited O2(+) on the hot oxygen coronas and the airglow are discussed.
Physicochemical Changes in Nontraditional Pasta During Cooking

Physicochemical changes in the components of nontraditional spaghetti during cooking were reflected in the quality of the cooked product. Spaghetti formulations used were semolina (100%), whole wheat flour (100%), semolina/whole wheat flour (49:51), semolina/flaxseed flour (90:10), whole wheat flour/flaxseed flour (90:10), and semolina/whole wheat flour/flaxseed flour (39:51:10). Spaghetti quality was determined as cooking loss, cooked weight, and cooked firmness. Physicochemical analyses included total starch, starch damage, pasting properties, and protein quality and quantity of the flour mixes and spaghetti cooked for 0, 2, 4, 10, and 18 min. As cooking time progressed, total starch content decreased up to 5.7% units, starch damage increased up to 11.7% units, and both pasting parameters and protein solubility decreased significantly in all six formulations. Changes in the starch damage level, total starch content, and pasting properties of spaghetti correlated significantly (P < 0.05) with the cooking...