cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Beta3-adrenoceptor: friend or foe?

ince their molecular characterization in 1989, the role of 3-adrenoceptors has been cloaked in mystery. Contrary to he response of the 1or 2-adrenoceptor, stimulation of he 3 subtype inhibits cardiac contractility. 2,3 In heart failre, these receptors are more abundant and are up-reglated. Consequently, 3-adrenoceptors initially were rearded as “bad players,” but this image may be a case of rongful “guilt by association.” In fact, 3-adrenoceptors ikely serve a buffer or “rescue” function from the effects of xcess catecholamines, such as occur in hyperadrenergic tates including heart failure. The countervailing negative notropic effects of 3-adrenoceptors are mediated through ctivation of constitutively expressed endothelial nitric oxde synthase. This action opposes the classic positive inoropic effects of catecholamines on 1and 2-receptors, hich are mediated via cyclic adenosine monophosphate cAMP) (Figure 1). Whereas this buffer mechanism may protect against cariac myocyte damage due to catecholamine excess during he early stage of heart failure, 3-adrenoceptor up-regulaion may become maladaptive by producing an imbalance etween these inotropic pathways in the later phases of isease. The desensitization-resistant 3-adrenoceptors ontinue to mediate a negative inotropic effect at a time hen the 1and 2-adrenoceptors are down-regulated or esensitized. As a net result, the negative inotropic action of 3-adrenoceptors overwhelms the impaired influence of 1nd 2-adrenoceptors, and the balance is tipped in favor of depression in contractility, which exacerbates heart failre.
III. Telephone-type relays

THE TIME INTERVAL required for the closing or opening of a relay contact after the current is applied or removed, is dependent upon the balance of mechanical forces acting on the mass of the armature. These balanced forces are the spring load force, the magnetic operating force, the frictional force, and the force of acceleration. Because changes in the magnetic forces occur when the armature is unoperated, while it is moving through its stroke, and also after it is operated, it is necessary to show the relationship of the magnetic forces as a function of armature stroke at constant ampere-turn values and the magnetic forces as a function of ampere turns at various armature stroke positions. The curve of Figure 8 shows these relationships in a typical telephone-type relay structure carrying an operating load of 12 make-contacts and operating with zero residual. air gap.
Age-related differences in force variability and visual display

It is well established that older adults are more variable in their force output and that this age-related decrement is mediated by visuomotor processing. The purpose of this investigation was to examine whether the type of visual display impacts age-related differences in the control of force output. In order to address this question, young and old participants produced constant isometric force via index finger abduction to 3 force levels [5, 10, and 20% of their maximal voluntary contraction (MVC)]. Visual feedback was presented with either a compensatory or a pursuit display. A compensatory display provides visual feedback about force amplitude in relation to the criterion target whereas a pursuit display provides visual feedback about the force trajectory in relation to the criterion target and preview of the target path of the force trajectory. The magnitude of force variability was indexed with standard deviation and coefficient of variation. The structure of force output was indexed with spectral slope and approximate entropy. As expected, older adults were more variable and had more structured force output compared to younger adults. Moreover, this age-related difference in force control was paramount in pursuit displays. Overall, the findings suggest that age-related differences in force control are centrally mediated. It is proposed that older adults have deficits in visuomotor processing and this may be partly related to age-related decrements in the control of eye movements.
SIGCSE plus you equals leverage

This paper describes the many possibilities that SIGCSE affords to those who make use of the resources and opportunities the organization and the annual conferences provide.
Global stability for a nonlocal reaction–diffusion population model

Abstract In this paper, we study a nonlocal reaction–diffusion population model. We establish a comparison principle and construct monotone sequences to show the existence and uniqueness of the solution to the model. We then analyze the global stability for the model.
What Descartes really told Elisabeth: Mind‐body union as a primitive notion

(1997). What Descartes really told Elisabeth: Mind‐body union as a primitive notion. British Journal for the History of Philosophy: Vol. 5, No. 2, pp. 249-273.
Why Do Some Goods Bear Higher Taxes than Others

Abstract Taxation in an economy containing land and labor is studied. The tax system is a compromise based on the relative power of all groups of individuals. (The model extends one of Aumann and Kurz.) In response to the threat of taxation by a majority, individuals can evade taxation of their labor-time (by destroying it), but cannot avoid taxation of the land they own. One result is that the compromise tax rate on land is higher than that on labor. This contrasts with the classical normative result that in order to minimize the efficiency loss, this tax rate should be higher.
First World War Soldiers in the Inter‐War Hungarian Parliament

Abstract This article examines how the entry of former First World War veterans into the inter‐war Hungarian parliament shaped the ideological tendencies of the parties represented in that institution. On the basis of research into the biographies of every MP elected to Hungary’s parliament between 1920 and 1939, it considers whether the shifting proportions of veterans within the various parliamentary fractions and the parliament as a whole reflected and influenced the ideologies both of the groups they joined as well as of the wider parliament. It concludes that veterans were more strongly represented in the parliamentary fractions of rightist parties and that the dramatic increase of veterans into parliament during the 1930s coincided with a ‘turn to the Right’ in Hungarian parliamentary politics. Overall, this study provides evidence that in Hungary, as elsewhere in Western Europe, First World War veterans were radicalised by their experiences in the war and gravitated towards more extremist parties a...
A Review of Software Solutions for the Management of New Product Development and Product Family Planning

The field of new product development has a number of difficult challenges with which it must contend: shortened production time, greater market share demand, and geographically dispersed teams. Several software systems have been developed to ease these challenges. A representative cross-section of work in the fields of document management, project management, product lifecycle management, and conceptual and family design is examined, including past and current academic work and commercially available software. The scope and features of these projects are examined and compared on a software taxonomy. The potential application of these systems to product families is discussed throughout.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
Novel high- and low-copy stable cosmids for use in Agrobacterium and Rhizobium.

Abstract Presented are a set of cosmids based on the unit copy Agrobacterium plasmid, pTAR, and the high-copy-number mutant plasmid, pUCD500, of pTiC58. The addition of a par function derived from pTAR to the vectors allowed them to be stably maintained throughout the cell population in the absence of selective pressure. These vectors, designed for Agrobacterium and Rhizobium , also work in Escherichia coli . The vectors can be cotransferred to Rhizobiaceae from E. coli with the helper plasmid, pRK2013. The pTiC58 origin containing vectors, pUCD1000 and pUCD1001 were found to be incompatible with a 250-kb plasmid harbored by R. Meliloti RM102Z1. RM102Z1(pUCD1000) was still capable of nodulating roots in alfalfa.
Antagonism of central glucagon-like peptide-1 receptors enhances lipopolysaccharide-induced fever

Abstract Lipopolysaccharide (LPS; a model of systemic bacterial infection) causes fever and activates glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) neurons in the caudal brainstem. The present study examined whether central GLP-1 receptor signaling plays a functional role in LPS-induced fever. Adult male Sprague–Dawley rats were injected i.p. with LPS (0 or 100 μg/kg), then were infused intracerebroventricularly with GLP-1 receptor antagonist (0 or 10 μg) delivered 2.5 h after injection of LPS or vehicle. Core body temperature was measured at 30-min intervals for 6.5 h after LPS treatment. Consistent with previous reports, body temperature was significantly elevated within 90 min and remained elevated for the remainder of the monitoring period. The pyrogenic effect of LPS was amplified in rats that received central infusion of GLP-1 receptor antagonist, although the antagonist by itself did not alter body temperature. These findings suggest that endogenous GLP-1 acts at central receptors to limit the fever response in rats after i.p. administration of LPS.
Evidence-based review of retinopathy of prematurity prevention in VLBW and ELBW infants

Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) continues to be a significant complication in preterm neonates despite advances in neonatal care. Very low birth weight and extremely low birth weight infants continue to suffer from the sequelae of premature birth, including ROP. Controversy and uncertainty surround prevention of ROP. Possible preventive strategies include the use or restriction of oxygen therapy; steroid therapy; changes in blood transfusion protocols; reduced exposure of the retina to light; and administration of nutritional factors, indomethacin, and D-penicillamine. This article reviews recent studies that have proved or disproved the effectiveness of these preventive measures. It also identifies the implications of the study results for clinical practice and makes recommendations for future research.
Fund allocation formula analysis: Determining elements for best practices in libraries

The purpose of this study was to determine whether common elements in fund allocation formulas could be used to articulate “best practices” for fund allocations in academic libraries. Methodology involved a meta-analysis of published articles and Internet sites in which 75 fund allocation formulas were presented. Of the 75 formulas, 28 usable examples were analyzed to determine if there were any statistically significant elements within these formulas that could be identified, as well as to determine the degree of correlation for each component identified in the usable set. Findings are presented in this article, as well as implications for further research.
Selection of Small-Molecule Mediators of the RNA Regulation of PKR, the RNA-Dependent Protein Kinase

The RNA-dependent protein kinase (PKR) is a component of the interferon antiviral response and a member of the class of RNA-binding proteins with a double-stranded RNA binding motif. PKR is activated when it binds to double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) or viral replicative intermediates that comprise dsRNA and this activation results in the inhibition of protein synthesis. Some viruses circumvent this activity through the synthesis of highly structured decoy RNAs that bind PKR and block activation. Small-molecule mediators of the binding of PKR to these RNA inhibitors would be useful tools to further define the importance of specific PKR-RNA complexes in vivo and may possess antiviral activity. Here we investigate the ability of a library of structurally diverse peptide-acridine conjugates (PACs) to target a complex formed between the dsRNA binding domain (dsRBD) of PKR and a viral RNA inhibitor. We used a novel screening method based on the cleavage of RNA ligands with ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid.Fe modified protein. The selection revealed a PAC (9-anilinoacridine-4-Hyp-Nap-Nap, where Hyp is trans-4-hydroxyproline and Nap is 1-napthylalanine), able to inhibit the binding of the PKR dsRBD to RNA with an IC(50) value of 10 +/- 5 microM. Furthermore, the structural requirements for inhibition by the selected PAC were substantiated in an independent PKR activation assay. We found that the potency of inhibition by an intercalating ligand can be increased by the introduction of a substituent that does not increase the overall charge of the molecule. This result is important for the design of inhibitors of PKR-RNA binding that function inside living cells.
Platelet storage pool disease in women.

Menstrual abnormalities in adolescents are usually diagnosed as dysfunctional uterine bleeding. It is generally regarded as characteristic of the young hypophyseal—pituitary system, which with time will stop naturally. The possibility of platelet storage pool diseases as a cause of irregular bleeding is often overlooked. We have treated five patients with proven or suspected platelet storage pool disease who had a history of adolescent hypermenorrhea and other bleeding. Patients with this type of history should have a comprehensive hematologic evaluation because platelet storage pool disease is not demonstrated by conventional coagulation studies. Our patients were treated with medroxyprogesterone acetate, oral contraceptives, and an avoidance of aspirin.
When news sites go native: Redefining the advertising–editorial divide in response to native advertising:

Professional journalism’s normative commitment to autonomy has long dictated the separation of editorial functions from advertising. However, the emergent practice of online native advertising complicates this division, resulting in conflicting visions of how journalistic authority should be established for digital news. This study examines reactions to a controversial Church of Scientology native advertisement on the Atlantic web site to assess how competing processes of norm-making and boundary work shape normative understandings of online journalism. Emergent understandings of content comprising both editorial and advertising components require new models for critical inquiry sufficiently sensitive to the online news environment.
Determination of optimal target reliabilities for design and upgrading of structures

A systematic approach is proposed for formulating risk-based cost-effective criteria for the design and upgrading of structures with special reference to earthquake protection. Target reliabilities (or acceptable risks) for damage control and life safety are determined on the basis of minimum expected life-cycle cost and from which risk-consistent criteria for design or upgrading are developed. The approach is illustrated for a specific class of reinforced concrete buildings in Mexico City.
Synthesis of phenyl 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-4-O-α-l-fucopyranosyl-β-d-glucopyranoside and p-nitrophenyl 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-6-O-α-l-fucopyranosyl-β-d-glucopyranoside

Abstract The reaction of phenyl 2-acetamido-3,6-di- O -acetyl-2-deoxy-β- d -glucopyranoside with 2,3,4-tri- O -benzyl-α- l -fucopyranosyl bromide (catalyzed by bromide ion) proceeded readily, to give the protected, 4- O -substituted α- l -fucopyranosyl derivative which, on O -deacetylation, followed by hydrogenolysis, gave phenyl 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-4- O -α- l -fucopyranosyl-β- d -glucopyranoside. The reaction of 2-acetamido-1,3,4-tri- O -acetyl-2-deoxy-β- d -glucopyranose with the same glycosyl bromide under similar conditions gave the protected disaccharide derivative which, on hydrogenolysis, furnished 2-acetamido-1,3,4-tri- O -acetyl-2-deoxy-6- O -α- l -fucopyranosyl-β- d -glucopyranose ( 9 ). Treatment of compound 9 with acetyl chloride provided the corresponding glycosyl halide which, on reaction with sodium p -nitrophenoxide in N , N -dimethylformamide, gave compound 12 . O -Deacetylation of 12 gave p -nitrophenyl 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-6- O -α- l -fucopyranosyl-β- d -glucopyranoside. The synthesis of p -nitrophenyl 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-6- O -β- l -fucopyranosyl-β- d -glucopyranoside is also described. The structures of the final disaccharides were established by 1 H- and 13 C-n.m.r. spectroscopy.
The zone of localization of antitissue antibodies as determined by the use of radioactive tracers

UCH research has been carried out in the field of antitissue antibodies, especially in connection with certain diseases which appear to have an etiology of autoimmunization in which the mechanism of the disease process is a production by the individual of antibodies against his own tissues and a subsequent reaction of these antibodies with the tissues involved. Some diseases which are said to be of this category are glomerulonephritis, multiple sclerosis, rheumatic heart disease, periarteritis nodosa, lupus erythematosis, etc. If it is an antibody which causes these diseases, then the antibody presumably goes to the tissue involved and it would be important to demonstrate that the damaging antibodies do localize in the tissue. Another aspect of antitissue antibodies which has been investigated since the turn of the century is the use of antisera prepared against malignant tissue in the treatment of cancer.l Since antisera against infectious agents have been found effective in combating the corresponding diseases, it was reasoned that antisera prepared against cancer tissue might be effective in combating cancer. The sera were produced by injecting tissue homogenates or fractions of tissues into rabbits. The rabbits were then bled and the serum thus obtained was used therapeutically. Unfortunately, the results obtained by earlier investigators were quite equivocal. The failures to obtain positive results may have been due to one or more of the following: (a) The sera may have contained no antibodies which would react with any part of the tissue. This is unlikely since antibodies of some sort can usually be obtained by such a procedure. (b) The sera may have contained antibodies which cross-reacted with other tissues and were completely taken up by the other tissues. (c) The sera may have contained specific antibodies for components inside the tumor cells, but could not reach these intracellular components and affect them. (d) The sera may have contained antibodies which did localize in the tissue, but did not produce an observable physiological effect, and, since the results were actually dependent upon a physiological effect of the antiserum, negative results were recorded.
Study of intrapulse phase stability of 34 GHz magnicon for Yale project of weakly interacting sub-eV particle searches

Abstract The intrapulse phase instability of the 34 GHz magnicon that will be used as a high-power RF source for the Yale project “Weakly interacting sub-eV particle searches” was measured using a heterodyne technique. The measured intrapulse RMS phase deviation averaged over a series of runs is approximately 22.1±6.8 degrees. This is shown to be due mainly to magnicon modulator ripples. The ripples cause variable beam loading of the magnicon cavities resulting in frequency modulation of the magnicon output signal. Simulation of the beam dynamics (considering variations of the modulator voltage and the magnicon gun current) demonstrates a good agreement with the measured RMS value of the phase deviation for the magnicon steady-state regime. Measured RMS values of the phase deviations for similar parameter sets demonstrate good repeatability from one run to another one.
CHILDREN'S REACTIONS TO SOCIETAL CRISES: COLD WAR CRISIS.

Using the cold war crisis as a point of reference, this report represents a progress note on the current studies of children's reactions to societal crises. There is a search for the factors which help to maintain seemingly intolerable societal situations having the potential of extreme crises. Children's awareness is evident. Their search for controls is suggested.
Hepatobiliary complications of oral contraceptives

Complications secondary to the use of oral contraceptive agents are rare. Hepatobiliary complications, while often dramatic in presentation, occur infrequently. In a patient without predisposing conditions to complications, the benefits achieved with estrogen/progesterone products outweigh the risks. Those conditions that would absolutely and relatively contraindicate the use of oral contraceptives are listed in Table 4. Patients with a past history of liver disease in whom liver function tests have returned to normal may tolerate the introduction of oral contraceptives. They need to be monitored closely for adverse reactions. Patients who have experienced cholestatic jaundice of pregnancy should avoid all contraceptives because of a high risk of disease recurrence. Women whose first-degree relatives have experienced cholestasis of pregnancy or oral contraceptive-induced cholestasis may be at increased risk and should be closely monitored while taking birth-control pills. Women with current or previous benign or malignant hepatic tumors should not take oral contraceptives. Active hepatitis is an absolute contraindication to using birth control pills, although patients with a past history of hepatitis and no evidence of active disease can have a trial of these drugs with close follow-up. A final group of women who should avoid oral contraceptives is those with familial defects of biliary excretion, including the Dubin-Johnson syndrome, Rotor's syndrome, and benign intrahepatic recurrent cholestasis. Dubin-Johnson syndrome is often asymptomatic and may manifest only during pregnancy or during the use of oral contraceptives. The reduction in hepatic excretory function induced by the sex steroids can transform the mild hyperbilirubinemia into frank jaundice. Oral contraceptive agents are the most widely used reversible means of birth control currently available. Fortunately, the complications associated with these drugs are infrequent and may be decreasing due to lower-dose products. Complications still occur, however, and need to be recognized by the general internist as medication-induced problems so the offending drugs can be discontinued and appropriate treatment and follow-up initiated. In addition, patients at risk for the development of complications need to be recognized and advised prior to the introduction of oral contraceptives.
Missing Links: How Social Paths Can Improve Pedestrian Accessibility to Light Rail

In the past several decades, planners and policy makers have focused on creating more balanced transportation systems that included better transit service as well as improved options for pedestrians and bicyclists. Pedestrian accessibility is vital to the success of this mode because transit users are likely to walk on at least one end of their trip. As a result, practitioners have focused on improving pedestrian environments in station areas. Pedestrian accessibility studies have focused on formal pedestrian links such as roads, sidewalks, and multiuse trails. However, a small but important body of literature suggests that the informal pedestrian environments play an important but often overlooked role in pedestrian accessibility. Social paths are informal routes that emerge in grassy areas because of footfall. Social paths have formed at numerous suburban transit stops and show deficiencies in the design of formal pedestrian networks. Because current travel behavior studies omit informal pedestrian networks, their results may be inaccurate and result in misguided policy. This study identified social paths at 12 light rail stations in Denver, Colorado, and Dallas, Texas. With two pedestrian accessibility metrics, the formal pedestrian environment was compared with a joint formal-informal pedestrian environment that includes social paths. This study makes the argument that social paths are important components of station-area pedestrian accessibility and should be incorporated into future travel behavior studies and pedestrian improvement projects. Language: en
Evaluation of the cranial base in amnion rupture sequence involving the anterior neural tube: implications regarding recurrence risk.

BACKGROUND: Amniotic bands can cause disruption of the cranial end of the developing fetus, leading in some cases to a neural tube closure defect. Although recurrence for unaffected parents of an affected child with a defect in which the neural tube closed normally but was subsequently disrupted by amniotic bands is negligible; for a primary defect in closure of the neural tube to which amnion has subsequently adhered, recurrence risk is 1.7%. In that primary defects of neural tube closure are characterized by typical abnormalities of the base of the skull, evaluation of the cranial base in such fetuses provides an approach for making a distinction between these 2 mechanisms. This distinction has implications regarding recurrence risk. METHODS: The skull base of 2 fetuses with amnion rupture sequence involving the cranial end of the neural tube were compared to that of 1 fetus with anencephaly as well as that of a structurally normal fetus. The skulls were cleaned, fixed in 10% formalin, recleaned, and then exposed to 10% KOH solution. After washing and recleaning, the skulls were exposed to hydrogen peroxide for bleaching and photography. RESULTS: Despite involvement of the anterior neural tube in both fetuses with amnion rupture sequence, in Case 3 the cranial base was normal while in Case 4 the cranial base was similar to that seen in anencephaly. CONCLUSIONS: This technique provides a method for determining the developmental pathogenesis of anterior neural tube defects in cases of amnion rupture sequence. As such, it provides information that can be used to counsel parents of affected children with respect to recurrence risk.
Physiological reactivity to stressors in irritable bowel syndrome patients, inflammatory bowel disease patients and non-patient controls.

Abstract Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) patients were compared with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) patients and non-patient controls on four separate physiological measures (heart rate, finger-tip temperature, skin resistance level, and forehead EMG) for their physical reactivity to ‘laboratory Stressors’. It was predicted that the IBS patients would respond to these Stressors with more physiological reactivity than the two other groups. There were initial basal differences among the groups on heart rate and finger-tip temperature: in general, the IBS patients had lower basal heart rates and the non-patient controls had lower finger-tip temperatures. These findings are contrary to the previous body of literature regarding possible sympathetic nervous system (SNS) arousal states in the IBS patient. The results also indicated IBS patients were not significantly different than the IBD patients or the non-patient controls in their reactivity to Stressors. Previous literature has suggested that IBS patients have an enhanced SNS arousal or an SNS mediated reactivity to environmental Stressors, our current study has not found these results.
Abundance of Coleomegilla maculata (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) in Corn Rootworm-Resistant Cry3Bb1 Maize

Lady beetles (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) are important polyphagous predators in maize, Zea mays L., fields. Transgenic Cry3Bb1 maize hybrids express a coleopteran-specific insecticidal protein derived from Bacillus thuringiensis (Berliner) subsp. kumamotoensis that is targeted at corn rootworm larvae. This study evaluated impacts of Cry3Bb1 protein-expressing maize, tefluthrin-treated maize, and untreated controls on lady beetle abundance at preanthesis, anthesis, and postanthesis maize-developmental periods near Brookings in eastern South Dakota during 2001 and 2002. The dominant lady beetle species captured on Pherocon AM sticky traps was Coleomegilla maculata De Geer. It comprised 73.5 and 69.9% of all adult Coccinellidae caught in 2001 and 2002, respectively. Numbers of C. maculata captured in Cry3Bb1 maize were not significantly different from those in untreated plots during preanthesis, and adults were more abundant in Cry3Bb1 maize than in tefluthrin-treated and untreated plots during anthesis and postanthesis. Whole-plant sampling confirmed C. maculata predominance with the species representing 89.2 and 91.4% of all adult lady beetles observed in 2001 and 2002, respectively. Whole-plant sampling also indicated a lack of negative effects from Cry3Bb1 maize on abundance of lady beetle eggs, larvae, pupae, or adults. Overall, these findings indicate that Cry3Bb1-expressing hybrids are not likely to impose harmful effects on C. maculata, a species common to maize production systems in the northern Great Plains. This research further suggests that Cry3Bb1 maize has the potential for conservation of these beneficial coccinellids in maize production systems.
The Arabidopsis Mediator complex subunits MED14/SWP and MED16/SFR6/IEN1 differentially regulate defense gene expression in plant immune responses

Summary Pathogen infection in plants triggers large-scale transcriptional changes, both locally and systemically. Emerging evidence suggests that the Arabidopsis Mediator complex plays a crucial role in these transcriptional changes. Mediator is highly conserved in eukaryotes, and its core comprises more than 20 subunits organized into three modules named head, middle and tail. The head and middle modules interact with general transcription factors and RNA polymerase II, whereas the tail module associates with activators, and signals through the head and middle modules to the basal transcription machinery. In Arabidopsis, three tail module subunits, MED14, MED15 and MED16, have been identified. Both MED15 and MED16 have been implicated in plant immunity, but the role of MED14 has not been established. Here, we report the characterization of an Arabidopsis T–DNA insertion mutant of the MED14 gene. Similarly to the med15 and/or med16 mutations, the med14 mutation significantly suppresses salicylic acid-induced defense responses, alters transcriptional changes induced by the avirulent bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato (Pst) DC3000/avrRpt2, and renders plants susceptible to both Pst DC3000/avrRpt2 and Pst DC3000. The med14 mutation also completely compromises biological induction of systemic acquired resistance (SAR), indicating that the tail module as a whole is essential for SAR. Interestingly, unlike the med16 mutation, which differentially affects expression of several SAR positive and negative regulators, med14 inhibits induction of a large group of defense genes, including both SAR positive and negative regulators, suggesting that individual subunits of the Mediator tail module employ distinct mechanisms to regulate plant immune responses.
Current and Future Directions in Automatic Test Pattern Generation for Power Delivery Network Validation

An overview of test generation approaches to maximize power supply noise is provided and issues related to and research directions for generation of test vectors with representative power are discussed. In particular, to facilitate the early design and validation of the power delivery network (PDN), the need for automatic high-level test generation to create functionally representative vectors that cause worst-case power events, which stress the power grid, is described.
Modeling bacterial clearance from the bloodstream using computational fluid dynamics and Monte Carlo simulation

(HOB) elevation (between 00 and 300) and mild hypoand hyperventilation (achieved by changing the respiratory rate, RR). Each experimental session consisted of between 1 and 6 changes in HOB and/or RR over periods varying from 15 to 130 minutes. Multiple sessions were recorded for 6 patients. ICP and other signals were recorded continuously, along with clinical annotations to indicate the precise timing of the physiologic challenges. Data from early in single long session or from prior sessions were used to estimate patient-specific parameter values for a computer model of ICP dynamics that is similar to other models reported in the literature. The parameter estimates were calculated using a curvefitting optimization algorithm with the objective of minimizing the squared error between the ICP calculated by the model and the actual ICP data. The resulting patient-specific models were then used to predict the patient's ICP response to interventions at later time periods, either later in the same session or during subsequent sessions. Results: Mean absolute error (MAE) between model-calculated ICP and the actual data averaged 1.9 mm Hg for full sessions and 1.7 mm Hg for partial sessions. The average mean absolute deviation (MAD) for these segments was 3.1 and 2.4 mm Hg, respectively. The MAE for the predictions was 4.0 mm Hg within the same session and 6.7 mm Hg across sessions. Conclusions: Despite the achievement of low model errors in the training segments, the error in predicted segments was too large for the model to be useful clinically, that is to say, prediction is much more difficult than explanation. One implication for researchers is that a degree of skepticism is warranted: the fact that a model can be made to fit historical data does not mean that the model will be able to predict anything. These results could be seen as tending to support the general lack of interest from clinicians regarding computer models of ICP dynamics.
Tax-Deferred Retirement Saving: Measuring the Pure Gains from Intertemporal Shifting of Taxable Income

The authors first observe that both the widespread popularity of saving in tax-deferred retirement vehicles such as IRAs, Keogh plans, and 401(k) programs and the magnitude of the dollar flows into such saving are almost prima facie evidence that at the margin they provide significant gains over saving in traditional taxable accounts, at least for those wanting to defer some part of lifetime consumption to their retirement years. They focus on the gains arising solely from shifting taxable income from the working (i.e., accumulation) years to the retirement (i.e., distribution) years. They turn to the advantages of tax-deferred investing and to the motivation for focusing on the intertemporal shifting of taxable income. Finally, they propose an informal model of the gains from such income shifting and illustrate the magnitude of the gains for levels of annual wage income ranging from $50,000 to $200,000. They show that the gain (as measured by the difference in after-tax retirement income from tax-deferred and taxable accounts) increases with wage income and ranges from 1.7% to 11.4%. A formal theoretical model is provided in the appendix to the article.
Mixed Layer Cooling in Mesoscale Oceanic Eddies during Hurricanes Katrina and Rita

Abstract During favorable atmospheric conditions, Hurricanes Katrina and Rita deepened to category 5 over the Loop Current’s (LC) bulge associated with an amplifying warm core eddy. Both hurricanes subsequently weakened to category 3 after passing over a cold core eddy (CCE) prior to making landfall. Reduced (increased) oceanic mixed layer (OML) cooling of ∼1°C (4.5°C) was observed over the LC (CCE) where the storms rapidly deepened (weakened). Data acquired during and subsequent to the passage of both hurricanes indicate that the modulated velocity response in these geostrophic features was responsible for the contrasts in the upper-ocean cooling levels. For similar wind forcing, the OML velocity response was about 2 times larger inside the CCE that interacted with Katrina than in the LC region affected by Rita, depending on the prestorm OML thickness. Hurricane-induced upwelling and vertical mixing were increased (reduced) in the CCE (LC). Less wind-driven kinetic energy was available to increase vertic...
Hormonal regulation of fatty acid synthetase in chick embryo liver.

Abstract Fatty acid synthetase activity in chick embryonic liver is negligible compared to that in newly hatched, fed chicks. The enzyme activity is prematurely induced 5–50-fold in 20-day-old embryos and in newly hatched chicks by the administration of insulin, hydrocortisone, growth hormone, glucagon or dibutyryl cyclic AMP. The induction of the enzyme activity is blocked by the administration of cycloheximide, indicating that new protein synthesis is required. Immunochemical titrations of different enzyme preparations from 5-day-old chicks, adult chicken and various inducer-treated embryos gave an identical equivalence point, indicating that the changes in synthetase activity after hormonal induction in embryos are related entirely to changes in content of enzyme. The increase in liver synthetase content after administration of insulin, glucagon or dibutyryl cyclic AMP is directly related to an increase in the rate of synthetase synthesis. The induction of the synthetase activity by suboptimal doses of glucagon or cyclic AMP is potentiated by the phosphodiesterase inhibitory theophylline. There is a very rapid decay of synthetase activity, with a half-life of about 4 h after elevation to higher levels following administration of insulin, glucagon or dibutyryl cyclic AMP. Glucagon and dibutyryl cyclic AMP induction of the synthetase activity is observed early in the embryonic development, whereas insulin induction is noted 2 days before hatching. Insulin, glucagon and cyclic AMP are potentially capable of altering the levels of glycolytic intermediates which may be involved in the induction of synthetase.
Signal transduction pathways involved in the expression of the uridine diphosphoglucose pyrophosphorylase gene of Dictyostelium discoideum

The uridine diphosphoglucose pyrophosphorylase (UDPGP1) gene of Dictyostelium discoideum is an excellent marker to study the pathways that control the expression of genes during development. We have previously shown that the UDPGP1 gene is regulated by exogenous cAMP acting on cell-surface cAMP receptors. Various steps in the signal transduction pathway between receptor stimulation and the induction of the gene can now be studied. Induction does not require the synthesis of intracellular cAMP, but does require new protein synthesis. By deletion and transformation with altered genes, two cis-acting sequences that are required for UDPGP1 expression have been identified. A GC-rich palindromic sequence located between -410 and -374 is essential for induction of the gene by extracellular cAMP, but not for its basal expression. A sequence element located between -374 and -337 is required for any basal expression of this gene. When the polarity of the palindromic sequence was reversed such that it resembled the H2K enhancer element, the gene could still be induced by exogenous cAMP. Two DNA binding activities were detected in gel mobility shift assays using a fragment containing both of the regulatory sequence elements of UDPGP1 gene. Transformation with a vector that resulted in the synthesis of anti-sense UDPGP1 RNA led to almost total elimination of the enzyme antigen and no detectable enzyme activity. However, these transformants developed normally, indicating that either UDPGP is not required for development or residual synthesis of UDPGP may be sufficient for normal development.
Cerebrovascular plaque segmentation using object class uncertainty snake in MR images

Atherosclerotic cerebrovascular disease leads to formation of lipid-laden plaques that can form emboli when ruptured causing blockage to cerebral vessels. The clinical manifestation of this event sequence is stroke; a leading cause of disability and death. In vivo MR imaging provides detailed image of vascular architecture for the carotid artery making it suitable for analysis of morphological features. Assessing the status of carotid arteries that supplies blood to the brain is of primary interest to such investigations. Reproducible quantification of carotid artery dimensions in MR images is essential for plaque analysis. Manual segmentation being the only method presently makes it time consuming and sensitive to inter and intra observer variability. This paper presents a deformable model for lumen and vessel wall segmentation of carotid artery from MR images. The major challenges of carotid artery segmentation are (a) low signal-to-noise ratio, (b) background intensity inhomogeneity and (c) indistinct inner and/or outer vessel wall. We propose a new, effective object-class uncertainty based deformable model with additional features tailored toward this specific application. Object-class uncertainty optimally utilizes MR intensity characteristics of various anatomic entities that enable the snake to avert leakage through fuzzy boundaries. To strengthen the deformable model for this application, some other properties are attributed to it in the form of (1) fully arc-based deformation using a Gaussian model to maximally exploit vessel wall smoothness, (2) construction of a forbidden region for outer-wall segmentation to reduce interferences by prominent lumen features and (3) arc-based landmark for efficient user interaction. The algorithm has been tested upon T1- and PD-weighted images. Measures of lumen area and vessel wall area are computed from segmented data of 10 patient MR images and their accuracy and reproducibility are examined. These results correspond exceptionally well with manual segmentation completed by radiology experts. Reproducibility of the proposed method is estimated for both intra- and inter-operator studies.
Extended Debye model for molecular magnets

Heat-capacity data on ${\text{Mn}}_{12}$ are fitted within the extended Debye model that takes into account a continuum of optical modes as well as three different speeds of sound.
Einstein's Hole Argument

In general relativity, space and time are inseparable from a gravitational field: no field, no spacetime. This is a lesson of Einstein’s hole argument. We use a simple transformation in a Schwartzschild spacetime to illustrate this. On the basis of the general theory of relativity … space as opposed to “what fills space” … has no separate existence. … There is no such thing as an empty space, i.e., a space without [a gravitational] field. … Spacetime does not claim existence on its own, but only as a structural quality of the field. Albert Einstein, 1952.
PLANNING LEVEL ESTIMATES OF THE VALUE OF RESERVOIRS FOR WATER SUPPLY AND FLOW AUGMENTATION IN NEW HAMPSHIRE

: In general, the choice among reservoirs for water supply or flow augmentation is a multiobjective problem. Choices are based in part on the yield available from water supply reservoirs or, in the case of flow augmentation reservoirs, on the increase in low flows at downstream locations. Detailed estimates of these effects may be too costly for basin planning purposes. Thus this paper presents methods for rapid estimation of those quantities for New Hampshire. For water supply reservoirs, a composite empirical relation between Y95 (the draft available 95 percent of the time) and storage ratio, S*, is developed from previous studies in the region. For flow augmentation reservoirs, empirical relations between S* and degree of regulation, R*, are applied to each upstream regulating reservoir. Values of regulation arc then summed and divided by the mean flow at the downstream reach of interest. This parameter, (ΓR)*, is then related to increase in flow available 95 percent of the time by an empirical relation.
Carbon changes in conterminous US forests associated with growth and major disturbances: 1992–2001

We estimated forest area and carbon changes in the conterminous United States using a remote sensing based land cover change map, forest fire data from the Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity program, and forest growth and harvest data from the USDA Forest Service, Forest Inventory and Analysis Program. Natural and human-associated disturbances reduced the forest ecosystems' carbon sink by 36% from 1992 to 2001, compared to that without disturbances in the 48 states. Among the three identified disturbances, forest-related land cover change contributed 33% of the total effect in reducing the forest carbon potential sink, while harvests and fires accounted for 63% and 4% of the total effect, respectively. The nation's forests sequestered 1.6 ± 0.1 Pg (1015 petagram) carbon during the period, or 0.18 Pg C yr − 1, with substantial regional variation. The southern region of the United States was a small net carbon source whereas the greater Pacific Northwest region was a strong net sink. Results of the approach fit reasonably well at an aggregate level with other related estimates of the current forest US greenhouse gas inventory, suggesting that further research using this approach is warranted.
Adrenocorticotropin and corticosterone levels in pre-weanling spontaneously hypertensive rats

Abstract Circulating plasma ACTH and corticosterone levels were measured in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and the corresponding, normotensive Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) strain at 10 and 20 days of age. In addition, stored levels of ACTH were measured in the pituitary glands of these animals. Circulating corticosterone levels were significantly lower, in both strains, at 10 days than at 20 days. Although the glucocorticoid was undetectable in WKY animals at 10 days, significant levels were observed in age-matched SHR. No difference in corticosterone concentrations was observed between the two strains at 20 days. Circulating ACTH levels did not reflect the values for circulating glucocorticoids. There were no significant differences in the levels of ACTH between strains or between age groups. Moreover, pituitary stores of ACTH between animals of different strains and ages were not found to be significantly different among any of the groups tested. These results demonstrate that there is a difference in circulating corticosterone levels between spontaneously hypertensive and Wistar-Kyoto rats at 10 days postantally which is not evident just prior to weaning (20 days). This difference is not due to variations in stored or circulating ACTH. Indeed, ACTH levels are high at a time (10 days) when corticosterone is low — thus suggesting that the difference may reside within the responsiveness of the adrenal cortex.
Commitment using punishment.

Abstract Experimental parameters were adjusted so that pigeons' pairwise choices among three alternatives reflected the following order of preference: (a) a smaller-sooner reinforcer, (b) a larger-later reinforcer, and (c) the smaller-sooner reinforcer followed by a punishment (consisting of an extended blackout period). After this order of preference was established, the pigeons were exposed to a two-link, concurrent-chain-like choice procedure. One terminal link consisted of a choice between the smaller-sooner and the larger-later reinforcer; the other terminal link was identical to the first except that the smaller-sooner reinforcer was followed by blackout punishment. The pigeons' preference (in their initial-link choice) for the terminal link with the punished smaller-sooner alternative increased as the delay between the initial and terminal links increased. By choosing this terminal link, the pigeons are said to have "committed" themselves to obtaining the larger-later reinforcer. However, unlike prior studies of commitment (e.g., Rachlin & Green, 1972), it was still possible after making the commitment for the pigeons to choose the smaller-sooner reinforcer and undergo the punishment. The pigeons did in fact occasionally make this highly deleterious choice.
Detecting Novel Discrepancies in Communication Networks

We address the problem of detecting characteristic patterns in communication networks. We introduce a scalable approach based on set-system discrepancy. By implicitly labeling each network edge with the sequence of times in which its two endpoints communicate, we view an entire communication network as a set-system. This view allows us to use combinatorial discrepancy as a mechanism to "observe" system behavior at different time scales. We illustrate our approach, called Discrepancy-based Novelty Detector (DND), on networks obtained from emails, blue tooth connections, IP traffic, and tweets. DND has almost linear runtime complexity and linear storage complexity in the number of communications. Examples of novel discrepancies that it detects are (i) asynchronous communications and (ii) disagreements in the firing rates of nodes and edges relative to the communication network as a whole.