cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Gonadotropin-releasing hormone and conception of Holsteins.

Effects of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (100 /~g) and time of artificial insemination on fertility, were examined in lactating dairy cows at first, second, and third services. Inseminations were either soon after detected estrus (0 h) or 12 h later, and cows were given gonadotropinreleasing hormone or saline after inseminations. Conception at first service was not improved by hormone treatment. But conception rates at repeat services were improved by nearly 21% when cows were treated with gonadotropin-releasing hormone within 30 s after insemination. Inseminations soon after detection of estrus (0 h) followed by hormone treatment resulted in the highest conception rates for all services. Time of the insemination (0 versus 12 h) had no effect on conception. Administering gonadotropinreleasing hormone at repeat services should improve conception rate of lactating dairy cows.
Differential effects of long-term lithium and carbamazepine administration on Gsα and Giα protein in rat brain

Abstract The G protein subunits, Gsα, Giα, and Goα, have been quantitated in various rat brain regions using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) techniques. Chronic (3-week) treatment with carbamazepine decreased Gsα in several brain regions reaching significance in the neostriatum, while chronic lithium treatment had no unequivocal effect. Lithium significantly increased Giα in the hypothalamus and hippocampus, whereas carbamazepine decreased Giα in the frontal cortex. Both treatments had no consistent effects on Goα. We conclude that long-term treatment with lithium and carbamazepine exerts differential effects on G protein α subunits, and that this modification of signal transduction represents a potential mechanism of antibipolar drug-induced neural plasticity.
Interferons and the Maternal-Conceptus Dialog in Mammals

Two-way communication between the conceptus and the mother during early pregnancy is essential if the pregnancy is to survive. In this review, our primary focus is on biochemical communication between the conceptus and mother in the ruminant ungulate species. We emphasize, in particular, the role played by interferon-tau (IFNT) in triggering maternal responses in cattle and sheep and how maternal factors intervene to up-regulate IFNT gene (IFNT) expression in trophoblast. However, we also consider the possibility that different signaling cytokines or the physical presence of trophoblast may induce a partial IFN response in endometrium of those species where there is no evidence for large scale trophoblast IFN production. Conceivably, disparate signaling mechanisms trigger common downstream events necessary to secure a successful pregnancy.
Interferometrically measuring phase mismatch for second harmonic generation.

A new measuring technique has been developed to analyze the phase matching performance of potential second harmonic generators. Data are in the form of interferograms produced by a self-referencing nonlinear optical interferometer. These measurements allow prediction of phase matching temperatures for noncritically phase matchable materials and crystal orientations for angle tuned materials, both in types I and II configurations. Phase mismatch measurements were made at a fundamental wavelength of 1.32 μm for lithium niobate and gadolinium molybdate. This technique is shown to predict correctly when phase matching will occur.
Electronic Structure of Polyfluoranthene Ladder Polymers

Fully unsaturated fluoranthene-type ladder polymers (PFA: polyfluoranthene) recently synthesized by Schluter et al. show a high degree of π-electron localization. Variation of the size of the two oligoacenic components separated by the characteristic five-membered ring, however, can lead to more delocalized structures with small (few tenths of an electronvolt) band gaps and can be used for engineering the electronic properties. Charge transfer produces bipolaronic defect states in these polymers; sp3 defects produce polaronic defects. Interpretation of the differences between the published absorption spectra for two members of the PFA family is also given.
Unexpected binding of an octapeptide to the angiotensin II receptor.

Abstract An octapeptide, TBI-22 (Lys-Gly-Val-Tyr-Ile-His-Ala-Leu), inhibited binding of angiotensin II by a solubilized angiotensin receptor partially purified from rabbit liver. This inhibition appears to result from competition for binding to the same receptor. Radioiodinated TBI-22, like angiotensin II, bound to the solubilized receptor with an affinity such that the binding was inhibited 50% by unlabeled TBI-22 or angiotensin II at nanomolar concentrations. The binding reaction, like that for angiotensin II, required p-chloromercuriphenylsulfonic acid and was reversed in the presence of dithiothreitol. TBI-22 and angiotensin II share the sequence Val-Tyr-Ile-His; this tetrapeptide alone, however, did not inhibit binding of angiotensin II. Replacement of the tyrosine residue by aspartic acid in TBI-22 greatly reduced the ability of the peptide to compete with angiotensin II for binding, suggesting an important contribution of this residue to the configuration required for recognition by the receptor.
The Influence of Legal Capacity on WTO Dispute Duration

World Trade Organization dispute settlement has evolved away from the concise process originally imagined to one where panels languish for years. This is to the detriment of lesser-developed states that do not have the resources that allow for access. In this article, I perform a multivariate analysis to explore the relationship between a state's legal capacity and the length of trade disputes. Controlling for selection bias, I find that the legal capacity of both of the involved parties contributes to longer disputes. The relaxed time expectations in this process favor the inclusion of developed states and exclude those without the resources necessary to carry out what has become the normal dispute process.
Integrated RF coil with stabilization for fMRI human cortex

Functional brain imaging of the human cortex is limited by poor contrast to noise ratio (CNR) and image degradation due to subject motion during the acquisition period. The work described here combines the use of closely coupled phased array receiver coils with a stabilization system to address these needs. Several phased array designs are evaluated and compared with the conventional "birdcage" design. Coil performance is reported in terms of relative SNR and fMRI results. Relative improvements of up to 360% are obtained for the occipital region and 180% in the temporal region. More modest gains of 10-30% were obtained for a "dome"-shaped birdcage volume coil covering the entire cortex.
Effects of Posture and Movement on Vibration Transmissibility Affecting Human Reach Performance under Vehicle Vibration

Vibration transmissibility to the human body is a function of both vehicle vibration characteristics and postures associated with the performance of movements. The majority of earlier studies investigating upper body vibration transmissibility considered only a static posture excluding dynamic limb movements (Amirouche, 1987; Wei and Griffin, 1998; Rosen and Arcan, 2003; Yoshimura et al, 2005; Liang and Chiang, 2006). A few recent studies reported the effect of vehicle vibration on arm reaching movements through the description of fingertip deviation from a desired trajectory (Rider and Chaffin, 2003, 2004). The present work investigates the variation of vibration transmissibility to upper extremities as a function of dynamic posture changes along the intended reach trajectory. Dynamic reach movements in the direction of targets distributed in the right hemisphere of a vehicle operator are analyzed as a function of vibration characteristics and movement directions. Thirteen subject performed right hand re...
Influence of eluent anions in boronate affinity chromatography

The influence of various anions on the retention of nucleosides and nucleotides to a boronate affinity chromatography column was examined. At pH 7.0, F− ions were found to produce the strongest affinity and the best separation of nucleosides from their 2′-deoxy analogues. 11B NMR studies indicated this was due in part to the propensity of F− to form tetrahedral fluoroboronate complexes. Using an eluent of 50 mM 4-(2-hydroxyethyl)-1-piperazineethanesulfonic acid and 500 mM KF at pH 7.0, the nucleotides nicotinamide—adenine dinucleotide and flavin—adenine dinucleotide were found to be strongly retained on a boronate column. These nucleotide-saturated columns were examined for their ability to retain the nucleotide-binding enzymes, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, lactate dehydrogenase and galactose oxidase. No retention of the enzymes was observed.
Decay of 121mSn and 121Sn

Abstract The decay schemes of 121 Sn and 121 Sn have been investigated with a 4 π beta spectrometer and β-γ coincidence techniques. The beta spectrum of 121m Sn has an end-point energy of 354 ± 5 keV and yields a linear Fermi-Kurie plot when a first-forbidden unique shape factor is applied. The 121 Sn half-life was found to be 25.5 ± 0.1 h, and the beta speectrum had an end-point energy of 383 ± 3 keV. From the beta spectra and the 121 Sb level structure, the 121 Sn level was found to be 8 ± 5 keV above the 121 Sn ground state. The spin and parity assignments for the 121 Sn and 121 Sn states are in agreement with the shell model. The 37 keV 121 Sb transition which follows the decay of 121 Sn was investigated by using a Li-drifted silicon detector. A γ-ray energy of 37.15 −0.02 +0.04 keV and a K internal-conversion coefficient of α K = 9.32±0.37 were obtained.
P.7.7 Health care services received by patients with Duchenne/Becker muscular dystrophy (DBMD): Data from the Muscular Dystrophy Surveillance, Tracking and Research Network (MD STARnet)

Anecdotal reports from families and care providers suggest a wide variation in services received by patients with DBMD. To document the type of health care services received by patients with DBMD. MD STARnet is a multistate collaboration that conducts population based surveillance for individuals with DBMD and interviews and surveys with their care givers. Telephone interviews were conducted between April 2007 and March 2012. In addition to demographic and clinical information, the interview included questions about the type of health care provider seen [primary care, neuromuscular, orthopedist, pulmonologist, cardiologist, physical therapist (PT), occupational therapist (OT), speech therapist (ST), and other] and type of services received (respiratory, dietary, mental health, social work, pastoral, pain management and case management) over the previous 12 months. Frequencies among states were compared with Chi square tests. Statistical significance was set at p Two hundred and ninety-six care givers (66%) of those contactable, completed the interview. Care givers (%) reported seeing these providers: primary care (88%), neuromuscular (87%), cardiologist (71%), pulmonologist (54%), orthopedist (33%), PT (69%), OT (42%), ST (20%), other (20%). Services received included case management (42%), respiratory (27%), social work (25%), dietary (22%), pastoral (16%), mental health (15%) and pain management (5%). There were significant differences among states in regards to the primary care, cardiac, pulmonary, orthopedic, physical and occupational therapy providers seen and dietary and case management services received. This study supports and provides a quantitative assessment relative to the anecdotal reports of variation in health care services received by patients with DBMD. Whether these differences affect outcomes needs to be determined.
Adaptive curve fitting and suboptimization

Two closely related problems 1) adaptive curve fitting and 2) suboptimization can be solved by using the generalized maximum principle. A given curve is approximated by a sequence of arcs in such a way that the duration covered by an arc is automatically shortened at places where the curve is more curly. For the suboptimization problem, a discrete version of the Euler-Lagrange equation is obtained.
Developing Creativity: Artificial Barriers in Artificial Intelligence

The greatest rhetorical challenge to developers of creative artificial intelligence systems is convincingly arguing that their software is more than just an extension of their own creativity. This paper suggests that "creative autonomy," which exists when a system not only evaluates creations on its own, but also changes its standards without explicit direction, is a necessary condition for making this argument. Rather than requiring that the system be hermetically sealed to avoid perceptions of human influence, developing creative autonomy is argued to be more plausible if the system is intimately embedded in a broader society of other creators and critics. Ideas are presented for constructing systems that might be able to achieve creative autonomy.
Reply to ``Comment on `Light-scattering investigation of α and β relaxation near the liquid-glass transition of the molecular glass Salol' '' and ``Reexamination of the depolarized-light-scattering spectra of glass-forming liquids''

The data analysis procedures employed in our previous publications [Phys. Rev. A 45, 3867 (1992); 46, 3343 (1992); Phys. Rev. E 47, 4223 (1993)] are reviewed and the significance of the cusp found in the scaling time ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\tau}}}_{\mathrm{\ensuremath{\beta}}}$ is described. The implications of the Salol dielectric susceptibility results described by Dixon, Menon, and Nagel in their Comment [preceding paper, Phys. Rev. E 50, 1717 (1994)] are discussed. The relation between the alternative model presented in the Comment by Zeng, Kivelson, and Tarjus [second preceding paper, Phys. Rev. E 50, 1711 (1994)] and the mode-coupling theory is considered, and their alternative model is shown to be incompatible with experimental results, particularly inelastic neutron-scattering spectroscopy where the dipole--induced-dipole scattering mechanism is inoperative.
DNA Identity Testing in Stained Tissue Samples

Abstract Determination of donor identity and commonality of origin among paraffin embedded tissues and slides becomes important when criminal or civil action is taking place. Determining the identity of the specimens' donor can be facilitated by forensic DNA identity testing. Previous work has shown that PCR based identity testing is feasible on fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues and slides. The use of differential staining and other contrast enhancing procedures may alter the ability to recover template DNA for PCR based identity testing. Using sections on slides that had been treated with a variety of different stains/immuno-probes (Hematoxylin and Eosin, Gridely's Silver Method for Reticulum, Grocott's Methenamine Silver, immunofluorescent staining, IN-SITU hybridization, etc.) the ability to perform PCR based identity testing was evaluated. Samples were also subjected to a destaining procedure to remove stains that potentially could interfere with the DNA extraction or PCR process. Destaining was found ...
Expert simulation systems—recent developments and applications in flexible manufacturing systems

Abstract Flexible Manufacturing Systems (FMS), as a class of automated production systems, are being implemented to increase the flexibility and productivity of discrete part manufacturing. Today, as a result of on-going advances and developments in hardware, this technology is not only becoming more complex to control, but also presenting a number of decision problems to be solved, which, in turn, increases the pressure on both the researchers and practitioners to develop better software algorithms in order to use these extensive hardware systems efficiently. In the recent literature on FMS, planning problems are classified into strategic, tactical, and operational areas. Each area has been also studied extensively and several solution approaches have been proposed ranging from analytical techniques to simulation and expert systems. The objective of this paper is to review the recent developments in simulation and to discuss the role of Expert Simulation Systems (ESS) in FMS by identifying possible future research areas.
Inactivation of myopodin expression associated with prostate cancer relapse

Abstract Objectives Myopodin has recently been characterized as a tumor suppressor gene whose encoded product inhibits prostate cancer growth and metastasis both in vitro and in animal models. However, the clinical evidence of tumor suppression in humans is still lacking. In this study, we conducted a large-scale analysis of myopodin expression in prostate cancer samples to examine the relationship between myopodin expression and prostate cancer grade and stage and the probability of clinical relapse. Methods Immunostaining using anti-myopodin antibodies was performed on 746 formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue samples to evaluate the level of myopodin expression in normal and malignant prostatic tissue. Results The expression of myopodin was semiquantitatively determined by immunostaining. The myopodin expression levels were examined in relation to prostate cancer grade and stage, preoperative prostate-specific antigen level, surgical margin involvement, tumor volume, and clinical relapse. The mean myopodin expression score (range 0 to 3) was 2.1 and 0.88 for benign prostatic tissue and prostate cancer, respectively. Minimal variation in myopodin expression was observed among the various grades, stages, tumor volumes, and preoperative prostate-specific antigen levels of prostate cancer. However, samples with positive surgical margins were associated with lower myopodin expression. Complete inactivation of myopodin expression correlated with a greater than 86% rate of clinical relapse. Conclusions Our results suggest that myopodin is an important predictor of prostate cancer metastasis, independent of Gleason score, preoperative prostate-specific antigen level, and tumor stage.
A formulation of the transient adaptation mechanisms of automobile night driving

An analysis is presented to describe the state of adaptation of the fovea as a result of sudden luminance changes. Extensive use is made of data found in the literature that relate observer response to luminance changes in order to validate the formulation as well as to quantify some parameters associated with the derivation. Downward and upward transitions are treated in a similar manner. The results are intended for application in automobile headlight visibility studies concerned with calculating the state of adaptation of drivers exposed to transient levels of opposing glare.
Defective modulation of angiotensin II-induced renal vasoconstriction in hypertensive rats.

In a previous study we observed that the ability of intravenous infusions of prostaglandin I2 to attenuate vasoconstriction caused by intravenous infusions of angiotensin II was reduced in the renal but not mesenteric vasculature of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). One objective of the current study was to determine whether a renal defect in the angiotensin II/prostaglandin I2 interaction in SHR could be confirmed even when confounding hemodynamic changes induced by intravenous infusions of prostaglandin I2 were avoided. The second objective was to determine whether abnormal modulation of angiotensin II-induced renal vasoconstriction was present even in SHR that were maintained normotensive from an early age. Four-week-old SHR and normotensive Wistar-Kyoto rats were randomized to receive either normal drinking water or drinking water containing captopril (100 mg/kg per day). At 14 to 18 weeks of age, rats were pretreated with indomethacin to block the production of endogenous prostaglandin I2, and changes in mesenteric and renal vascular resistances induced by suprarenal/supramesenteric aortic infusions of angiotensin II (10, 30, and 100 ng/kg per minute) were elicited in the presence and absence of aortic infusions of prostaglandin I2 (0.1 and 0.3 micrograms/kg per minute). Data were analyzed globally using four- and three-factor ANOVAs. The ability of prostaglandin I2 to attenuate the renal vasoconstrictor response to angiotensin II was strain specific (P = .0138), and this strain-specific interaction was not influenced by chronic treatment with captopril (P = .3526).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
A Method of Interprocessor Communication for a Multiprocessor Environment

An efficient method of interprocessor communication between a Digital Equipment Corporation LSI-11 minicomputer and an Intel 8085 microprocessor has been developed for a multiprocessor environment. In this method, which optimizes the handling of transactions between the two processors, an LSI-11 minicomputer interrupts the execution of the 8085 microcomputer under hardware control to place data directly in 8085 memory. Details of hardware implementation and interprocessor communication blocks are presented.
On several factors that control rates of discounting

Discounting occurs when the subjective value of an outcome decreases because its delivery is either delayed or uncertain. Discounting has been widely studied because of its ubiquitous nature. Research from our laboratory has demonstrated that rates of discounting are systematically altered by several different factors. This paper outlines how the type of data-collection method (i.e., multiple choice vs. fill in the blank), how one frames the outcome being discounted (i.e., won vs. owed), and the type of outcome (i.e., money vs. medical treatment) by magnitude of the outcome (i.e., small vs. large) by type of discounting (i.e., delay vs. probability) interaction can potentially control observed rates of discounting. Such findings should not only be of interest to individuals who study the quantitative analyses of discounting, but also to researchers and theoreticians trying to understand and generalize findings from studies on discounting.
Basic objects in natural categories

Abstract Categorizations which humans make of the concrete world are not arbitrary but highly determined. In taxonomies of concrete objects, there is one level of abstraction at which the most basic category cuts are made. Basic categories are those which carry the most information, possess the highest category cue validity, and are, thus, the most differentiated from one another. The four experiments of Part I define basic objects by demonstrating that in taxonomies of common concrete nouns in English based on class inclusion, basic objects are the most inclusive categories whose members: (a) possess significant numbers of attributes in common, (b) have motor programs which are similar to one another, (c) have similar shapes, and (d) can be identified from averaged shapes of members of the class. The eight experiments of Part II explore implications of the structure of categories. Basic objects are shown to be the most inclusive categories for which a concrete image of the category as a whole can be formed, to be the first categorizations made during perception of the environment, to be the earliest categories sorted and earliest named by children, and to be the categories most codable, most coded, and most necessary in language.
Effects of shear stress and substrate loading rate on Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm thickness and density

Thickness, roughness, and density data were obtained from monopopulation Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms grown in an annular reactor under different substrate loading rates and shear stresses. Biofilm thickness showed significant increases, up to approx. 30 μm, with increasing substrate loading rate. Shear stress had no significant effect on thickness. Biofilm roughness, as measured by the standard deviation of the thickness, increased with increasing thickness. Areal mass density significantly increased with substrate loading rate and was not significantly affected by shear stress. Substrate loading and shear stress did not significantly affect volumetric mass density. A numerical expression that describes changes volumetric density as a function of biofilm depth is presented.
The design of ion-exchange processes

Abstract Using techniques that have been developed for unit operations, a graphical method has been developed that can be used to design crossflow and countercurrent ion-exchange processes. The basic mass transfer operations approach of making a material balance about one theoretical stage is used. The material balance equations that are derived are applied graphically in conjunction with an ion-exchange isotherm which relates the concentrations of ions in the zeolite phase and the solution phase. The number of theoretical stages required to carry out a given exchange in either countercurrent or crossflow operations is established along with the theoretical efficiency of reactant utilization.
Effect of platelet lysate on growth and sulfated glycosaminoglycan synthesis in articular chondrocyte cultures

Human platelet lysate (PL) has a strong growth promoting action on rabbit articular chondrocytes in monolayer culture. The responsible factor is heat stable (56 degrees C, 30 minutes) and above 10,000 MW. PL (80 microgram protein/ml) reduces cell protein content and sulfated glycosaminoglycan synthesis. Synthesis of DNA is stimulated within the first 12 hours of culture but the decline in radiosulfate incorporation lags. PL acts to a slight extent on chondrocytes in serum-free media, but its effect is potentiated by "platelet-poor human serum" or fetal bovine serum. PL is one of several agents having such effects on chondrocytes cultured in serum-containing media. Stimulation of growth in this cell type thus reduces nonreplicative biosynthetic activity nonspecifically. In the epiphyseal growth plate and in pathologic alterations of permeability of the matrix of articular cartilage, platelet-derived factors, together with somatomedin or other cofactors in serum, may be the principal mediator of growth of chondrocytes in vivo.
Evolutionary Origins of the Shaker Family of Voltage-Gated Potassium Channels

The Shaker family of voltage-gated K+ channels in bilaterians consists of four closely related gene subfamilies (Shaker, Shab, Shaw and Shal) that regulate neuronal excitability in diverse ways. We examined the evolutionary origins of the gene family by characterizing Shaker channels in early branching metazoan lineages. Shaker family channels can be definitively identified by the combination of a voltage-dependent potassium channel core and a cytosolic domain (T1) that mediates subfamily-specific tetrameric assembly. The Shaker, Shab, Shaw and Shal subfamilies are present in cnidarians, a close sister group to the bilaterians. We show that all four subfamilies are highly conserved on a functional level in the sea anemone Nematostella vectensis, an emerging cnidarian model organism. The Nematostella Shaker, Shal and Shaw subfamilies include cnidarian-specific expansions of regulatory subunits that extend functional diversity through the formation of heteromeric channels. We were unable to identify Shaker family genes in choanoflagellates or sponges, but found over 40 Shaker family genes in a ctenophore (Mnemiopsis leidyi). Ctenophores are the earliest branching metazoans with a nervous system. Phylogenetic analysis indicates that the ctenophore Shaker family expanded independently and diverged prior to emergence of the Shaker, Shab, Shal and Shaw subfamilies. The phylogeny and functional analysis support Shaker as the oldest of these subfamilies. Two Mnemiopsis Shaker family subunits heteromerize with Nematostella and mouse Shaker subfamily channels, but not with Shab, Shaw or Shal. Thus the subunit interface of Shaker subfamily may retain ancestral features. Our results indicate that the Shaker family is metazoan-specific and was present by the time neurons evolved. However, the Shaker, Shab, Shal and Shaw subfamilies evolved in the cnidarian/bilaterian lineage long after the evolution of the first nervous systems.
Electrophoretic identification of polyploid Camellia japonica ( Theaceae ) cultivars and evidence for their sexual origin

Electrophoretic examination of allozymes from 189Camellia japonica cultivars revealed some banding patterns not explainable by codominant diploid genetics. At several loci encoding dimeric enzymes, 5 and 6 banded patterns were observed in 7 cultivars. These patterns are interpreted as resulting from triploidy or aneuploidy, where three variant alleles code for products which are electrophoretically distinguishable and associate to form three homodimers and three heterodimers. The presence of allozyme multiplicity in these clones suggests a sexual rather than a somatic mode of triploid origin.
Regulation of the protein C anticoagulant and antiinflammatory pathways.

Protein C is a vitamin K-dependent anticoagulant serine protease zymogen in plasma which upon activation by the thrombin-thrombomodulin complex down-regulates the coagulation cascade by degrading cofactors Va and VIIIa by limited proteolysis. In addition to its anticoagulant function, activated protein C (APC) also binds to endothelial protein C receptor (EPCR) in lipid-rafts/caveolar compartments to activate protease- activated receptor 1 (PAR-1) thereby eliciting antiinflammatory and cytoprotective signaling responses in endothelial cells. These properties have led to FDA approval of recombinant APC as a therapeutic drug for severe sepsis. The mechanism by which APC selects its substrates in the anticoagulant and antiinflammatory pathways is not well understood. Recent structural and mutagenesis data have indicated that basic residues of three exposed surface loops known as 39-loop (Lys-37, Lys-38, and Lys-39), 60-loop (Lys-62, Lys-63, and Arg-67), and 70-80-loop (Arg-74, Arg-75, and Lys-78) (chymotrypsin numbering) constitute an anion binding exosite in APC that interacts with the procoagulant cofactors Va and VIIIa in the anticoagulant pathway. Furthermore, two negatively charged residues on the opposite side of the active-site of APC on a helical structure have been demonstrated to determine the specificity of the PAR-1 recognition in the cytoprotective pathway. This article will review the mechanism by which APC exerts its proteolytic function in two physiologically inter-related pathways and how the structure-function insights into determinants of the specificity of APC interaction with its substrates in two pathways can be utilized to tinker with the structure of the molecule to obtain APC derivatives with potentially improved therapeutic profiles.
Managing Marginal Populations of the Rare Wetland Plant Trollius laxus Salisbury (Spreading Globeflower): Consideration of Light Levels, Herbivory, and Pollination

Abstract To address the question of how succession in protected habitats might be managed to favor rare understory plants in the Northeast, this study examined whether reducing shade might have negative impacts via increased herbivory or reduced pollination. We studied marginal populations of Trollius laxus Salisbury (Spreading Globeflower), a rare herbaceous plant of calcareous wetlands, making observations of natural variation in one population, and experimentally cutting back herbaceous neighboring plants in another. In a Trollius population under a mixed canopy, we quantified natural light levels at each plant and tested for correlations with measures of reproduction and herbivory. Flowering and fruit production were positively correlated with light level in one of the two years measured, while herbivore damage and plant growth were uncorrelated with light level. In another study population, where the woody canopy had been removed previously, experimental clipping of herbaceous neighbors did not incre...
A boundary element method for calculating the K field for cracks along a bimaterial interface

A multi-region boundary element method (BEM) based on the modified crack closure method (CCM) is developed to obtain the energy release rate G for cracks in homogeneous materials and along a bimaterial interface. The energy release rate obtained using the CCM are compared with that obtained using the crack opening displacement (COD) method. A combination of these methods allows us to determine the phase angle ψ and therefore the complex stress intensity factor K for crack problems. We access the accuracy of our BEM by comparing its results with known analytic solutions and previous FEM results in the literature. Computations are also carried out for the asymmetric double cantilever beam (ADCB) specimen, which has been used to determine fracture toughness of polymer/polymer and polymer/nonpolymer interfaces. An auxiliary KA field method to evaluate K is also discussed.
Maxillary melanotic neuroectodermal tumor of infancy.

The melanotic neuroectodermal tumor of infancy (MNTI) is a rare benign neoplasm of neural crest origin most commonly found in theanterior region of the maxilla. The tumor almost always develops during the first year of life, although in some cases it can be presentat birth. MNTI�s present as a rapidly growing, painless expansile, partly pigmented mass. They are usually unencapsulated, with atendency to occur as a single lesion. Local excision is the treatment of choice and is usually curative. Main sites for recurrences are themaxilla (57%) and the skull/brain (28.6%). Malignant transformation has been noted in approximately 6.5% of all cases and in 2% ofmaxillary tumors. The case of a 3-month old boy who presented with a loose primary maxillary left central incisor is discussed. Thediagnostic and clinico-pathological features as well as tumor management and importance of a timely diagnosis are reviewed.
Assessment of Learning Activity Level in a Group of Black Aged

A learning activity level (LAL) scale was developed to assess the learning efforts of older persons with minimal formal education. Learning was broadly defined to include all purposeful attempts to...
An Assessment of the Impact of Multimedia, Technology-Based Learning Tools on the Cardiac Auscultation Skills of Third-Year Medical Students

Background: Previous studies have shown that medical students and post-graduate train-ees need to improve their proficiency in cardiac auscultation. Technologic advances have created new learner-centered opportunities to enhance proficiency in this important physical examination skill. Objectives: We sought to determine if technology-based, self-directed learning tools improved the cardiac auscultation skills of third-year medical students. Methods: Sixteen (16) third-year medical (M3) students were exposed to three educational inter-ventions: a one-hour cardiac auscultation lecture that featured computer-generated heart sounds, a PDA-based heart sounds/murmur form and a web-based cardiac auscultation program. Thirteen (13) internal medicine (IM) residents who served as a comparison group attended a cardiac auscultation lecture identical in content and format to the student lecture. At the end of the study period, we evaluated the ability of both groups to accurately identify heart sounds and cardiac murmurs via a twelve-item performance-based examination utilizing computer-generated heart sounds. Results: Following our teaching interventions, findingsM3 students correctly identified 80% of the computer-simulated heart sounds/murmurs while the comparison group of IM residents accurately detected 60% of the same cardiac findings (p <. 005). . Conclusions: The combination of traditional lecture and multi-media, technology-based, self-directed learning tools appears to be an effective and efficient strategy for teaching and reinforcing cardiac auscultation skills to third year medical students.
Attenuation of neointima formation through the inhibition of DNA repair enzyme PARP-1 in balloon-injured rat carotid artery.

Increased oxidative stress is a major characteristic of restenosis after angioplasty. The oxidative stress is mainly created by oxidants such as reactive oxygen species (ROS), which are assumed to ...
Chaining and Virtual Organization in a Slow Sociology Project The Brown Ridge School District Health Needs Assessment Becomes the Central Susquehanna Affordable Care Act Project

This article presents two case studies, linked together as chained projects, as examples of public sociology involving university/community partnerships. Research described here illustrates specifi...
Swimming in Two-Vector Flows: Performance and Behavior of Juvenile Chinook Salmon near a Simulated Screened Water Diversion

Abstract We used a large, annular flume equipped with a simulated fish screen to assess the swimming and behavioral responses of juvenile Chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha to two-vector flows typifying habitats near water diversions, where small fish may become entrained. Groups of 20 fish (4.4–7.9 cm long, at 12°C or 19°C) were tested for 2 h at one of nine experimental flow regimes derived from combinations of three (approach) velocities perpendicular to the screen and three (sweeping) velocities parallel to the screen and a (0-cm/s) control during daytime (lighted) and nighttime (dark) conditions. In the high-velocity (resultant vector) flow regimes, all fish swam at velocities comparable to the critical swimming velocities measured for similar-sized conspecifics, suggesting that exposure to such flow conditions near a water diversion is energetically expensive. Although most fish exhibited strong positive rheotaxis, older (smolt-size) fish acclimated to the warmer temperature exhibited higher ra...
Cooperative Control for Target Classification

An overview is presented of ongoing work in cooperative control for unmanned air vehicles, specifically wide area search munitions, which perform search, target classification, attack, and damage assessment. The focus of this paper is the cooperative use of multiple vehicles to maximize the probability of correct target classification. Capacitated transhipment and market based bidding are presented as two approaches to team and vehicle assigment for cooperative classification. Templates are developed and views are combined to maximize the probability of correct target classification over various aspect angles. Optimal trajectories are developed to view the targets. A false classification matrix is used to represent the probability of incorrectly classifying nontargets as targets. A hierarchical distributed decision system is presented that has three levels of decomposition: The top level performs task assignment using a market based bidding scheme; the middle subteam level coordinates cooperative tasks; and the lower level executes the elementary tasks, eg path planning. Simulations are performed for a team of eight air vehicles that show superior classification performance over that achievable when the vehicles operate independently.
Endogenous Timekeepers in Photosynthetic Organisms

▪ Abstract Circadian and photoperiodic timing mechanisms were first described in photosynthetic organisms. These organisms depend upon sunlight for their energy, so adaptation to daily and seasonal...
Venous thromboembolism: indirect CT venography during CT pulmonary angiography--should the pelvis be imaged?

Purpose: To retrospectively determine the relative contribution of pelvic and lower-extremity indirect computed tomographic (CT) venography to the diagnosis of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in patients undergoing CT for pulmonary embolism (PE). Materials and Methods: This HIPAA-compliant study was approved by the institutional review board, and informed consent was waived. The records of 2074 consecutive patients (890 men, 1184 women; mean age, 59 years; age range, 15–97 years) suspected of having PE who underwent combined CT pulmonary angiography and CT venography between May 2005 and March 2006 were reviewed. CT venograms from the iliac crests to the popliteal fossae were reviewed for presence and location of thrombi. Radiology reports were reviewed for CT pulmonary angiographic results. Thrombus detection rates with and without pelvic CT venography were compared by using the χ2 test. Separate effective radiation doses for CT venography of pelvis and lower extremities were calculated. Results: On CT imag...
Effective SNR for space-time modulation over a time-varying Rician channel

Rapid temporal variations in wireless channels pose a significant challenge for space-time modulation and coding algorithms. This letter examines the performance degradation that results when time-varying flat fading is encountered when using trained and unitary space-time modulation. Performance is characterized for a channel having a constant specular component plus a time-varying diffuse component. A first-order autoregressive (AR) model is used to characterize diffuse channel coefficients that vary from symbol to symbol, and is shown to lead to an effective signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) that decreases with time. Differential modulation is shown to have an advantage in effective SNR over trained unitary modulation at high power. Simulation results are provided to support our analysis.
Contact nucleation from aqueous dextrose solutions

Contact nucleation studies were performed with the dextrose-water system. Under some conditions two crystallographic phases were formed, which were identified in situ using a laser Raman microprobe. In addition, the growth of the contact nuclei was monitored in situ using photomicroscopy. The results are discussed in the context of contact nucleation and growth models.
Dual modulation of an inwardly rectifying potassium conductance

The modulation of a constitutively active IRK1-like inwardly rectifying potassium channel, that is endogenously expressed in the RBL-2H3 cell, was studied with the whole-cell patch-clamp technique. Activation of G-proteins by intracellular application of GTP gamma S revealed a dual modulation of the inward rectifier. An initial increase in inward current amplitude was induced by GTP gamma S, followed by a profound inhibition of the current. The stimulation of the inward rectifier by GTP gamma S was abolished by pretreatment with pertussis toxin. The inhibitory phase of the GTP gamma S-induced response was pertussis toxin-insensitive. Stimulation of the m1-muscarinic receptor expressed in the RBL cell after stable transfection, induced an inhibition of the inwardly rectifying currents. Application of protein kinase C activators such as phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate and phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate, resulted in a strong inhibition of the currents. Application of the cAMP-dependent protein kinase activator 8-bromo cAMP also induced an inhibition of the inward rectifier. It is concluded that the inward rectifier of the RBL-2H3 cell may be inhibited both by activation of protein kinase C and by cAMP-dependent protein kinase. As this type of inward rectifier is widely expressed in the nervous system, these data imply that the channel can be inhibited by receptors that stimulate phospholipase C and/or stimulate adenylyl cyclase, and can be activated by receptors that inhibit adenylyl cyclase activity.
Current antidepressant drugs: their clinical use.

Depression is not only a common disorder, but also one that is readily treatable. Antidepressant drugs play a major role in treatment, although concurrent use of electroconvulsive therapy or psychotherapy may be indicated for some patients. Antidepressant drugs have been most specifically beneficial for patients with ‘endogenous’ depressions, but they should be used whenever this type of depression cannot be definitely ruled out. Besides the older tricyclic anti-depressants and monoamine oxidase inhibitors, a new ‘second generation’ group of drugs is now available. Although these drugs offer no great therapeutic advantages over the older ones, they may prove to have a more acceptable profile of side effects, may act more quickly, and may show less cardiotoxicity with overdoses. Whether one can classify depression pathogenetically according to various biological markers, such as urinary excretion of the norepinephrine metabolite, 3-methoxy-4-hydroxy phenylglycol, is still uncertain. At present, the choice of antidepressant drug for an individual patient is largely empirical. Besides being useful for treating depression, antidepressants may be used for treating enuresis, chronically painful states, obsessive-compulsive-phobic states, acute panic attacks and cataplectic attacks in narcoleptics.
Two-electron transport in a quantum waveguide having a single Anderson impurity

We consider the scattering problem of two-electron transport in one- dimensional channel coupled with an Anderson-type impurity. The treatment includes the backscattering of the electrons. We show that the transport properties are fundamentally different for spin singlet and triplet states, thus the impurity acts as a novel filter that operates based on the total spin angular momentum of the electron pairs, but not individual spins. The filter provides a deterministic generation of electron entanglement in spin, as well as energy and momentum space.
Effect of a nonplanar wavefront in spotlight-mode synthetic aperture radar

The tomographic formulation of spotlight-mode synthetic aperture radar (SAR) is based on a plane-wave assumption that requires the dimension of the target scene to be much smaller than the range to the target. When this assumption is violated, the resulting image exhibits target smearing and target shift. For severely squinted SAR operation, which arises in runway imaging (for aircraft landing applications), the authors have observed that the smearing is not serious, but that targets are shifted considerably from their correct locations, especially for targets near the edges of the scene. They analyze this problem by first deriving an expression for the spatial shift of a reconstructed point reflector for bandpass Fourier data with phase error. Then, they analyze the point target shift in squint-mode SAR, by incorporating the higher-order terms of the range function. Simulation results for isolated point reflectors are presented. >
Lung Dendritic Cell Developmental Programming, Environmental Stimuli, and Asthma in Early Periods of Life

Dendritic cells (DCs) are important cells of our innate immune system. Their role is critical in inducing adaptive immunity, tolerance, or allergic response in peripheral organs—lung and skin. The lung DCs are not developed prenatally before birth. The DCs develop after birth presumably during the first year of life; exposures to any foreign antigen or infectious organisms during this period can significantly affect DC developmental programming and generation of distinct DC phenotypes and functions. These changes can have both short-term and long-term health effects which may be very relevant in childhood asthma and predisposition for a persistent response in adulthood. An understanding of DC development at molecular and cellular levels can help in protecting neonates and infants against problematic environmental exposures and developmental immunotoxicity. This knowledge can eventually help in designing novel pharmacological modulators to skew the DC characteristics and immune responses to benefit the host across a lifetime.
Novel colored pulse lasers photography for high speed imaging

Based on the RGB synthesis technique, a novel colored pulse lasers photography is designed for high speed imaging. A high quality color image can be acquired by assembling the three channels of red, green, and blue images which are acquired from three cameras with three independent laser light sources.
Simulation 2.0: The resurrection

Ebner and Kovach consider the critique of role-plays previously offered in this series (see particularly, Alexander and LeBaron 2009) – and reject it. They argue that what is needed is not to move away from simulations, but to use the critique to devise more efficient, more convincing, more authentic, and more sensitive simulations. They outline a series of tactics within this strategy.