cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
PCSK9 Inhibiting siRNA

Currently available therapies reduce low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) through a variety of mechanisms, with statins being the most widely utilized of all therapies. However, patients who do not respond to statin therapy or other oral agents, or who develop side effects from taking the medications often need novel treatments. Inclisiran is a new and novel small interfering RNA compound which inhibits the translation of mRNA for Proprotein convertase subtilisin-kexin 9 (PCSK9) and thus reduces plasma levels of LDL-C. This chapter will focus on small interfering RNA compound PCSK9 inhibitors, which is currently under active investigation, by discussing pharmacology, clinical trials with a focus on stroke outcomes, and clinical use in practice.
Systematic Processing of COVID-19 Information: Relevant Channel Beliefs and Perceived Information Gathering Capacity as Moderators

Applying the risk information seeking and processing (RISP) model, this study investigates the sociopsychological factors associated with systematic processing. Results reveal interesting moderatin...
Role of the Phosphoinositide 3-Kinase Pathway in Cardiac Hypertrophy

Phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) is a lipid kinase that catalyzes the addition of a phosphate molecule specifically to the 3-position of the inositol ring of phosphoinositides. Biochemical studies using cultured mammalian cells show that PI3K is activated by receptor tyrosine kinases that include insulin or insulin-like growth factors, and PI3K regulates the activities of several downstream molecules such as Akt, p70 ribosomal S6 kinase, and glycogen synthase kinase-3β. The mammalian target of rapamycin, an intracellular target of the immunosuppressant rapamycin, interacts with the PI3K pathway. PI3K regu lates diverse cellular activities, including growth, DNA synthesis, apoptosis, and cytoskeletal organization in cultured cells. Recent genetic studies in Drosophila reveal that the PI3K pathway regulates organ and body size in the developmental process in flies. Various agonists or stimuli activate PI3K or its downstream effectors in cultured myocytes and heart tissue. Perturbation of the PI3K pathway significantly modulates the phenotype of cultured myocytes and the intact heart. Since agonists that activate PI3K, such as growth hormone, have been implicated in the treatment of heart failure, further studies elucidating the role of PI3K and its downstream effectors in the heart may be useful for the development of new strategies to treat cardiac hypertrophy and failure.
Chronotype and Diurnal Patterns of Positive Affect and Affective Neural Circuitry in Primary Insomnia

While insomnia is a well-established risk factor for the initial onset, recurrence or relapse of affective disorders, the specific characteristics of insomnia that confer risk remain unclear. Patients with insomnia with an evening chronotype may be one particularly high-risk group, perhaps due to alterations in positive affect and its related affective circuitry. We explored this possibility by comparing diurnal patterns of positive affect and the activity of positive affect-related brain regions in morning- and evening-types with insomnia. We assessed diurnal variation in brain activity via the relative regional cerebral metabolic rate of glucose uptake by using [(18) F]fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography during morning and evening wakefulness. We focused on regions in the medial prefrontal cortex and striatum, which have been consistently linked with positive affect and reward processing. As predicted, chronotypes differed in their daily patterns in both self-reported positive affect and associated brain regions. Evening-types displayed diurnal patterns of positive affect characterized by phase delay and smaller amplitude compared with those of morning-types with insomnia. In parallel, evening-types showed a reduced degree of diurnal variation in the metabolism of both the medial prefrontal cortex and the striatum, as well as lower overall metabolism in these regions across both morning and evening wakefulness. Taken together, these preliminary findings suggest that alterations in the diurnal activity of positive affect-related neural structures may underlie differences in the phase and amplitude of self-reported positive affect between morning and evening chronotypes, and may constitute one mechanism for increased risk of mood disorders among evening-type insomniacs.
Magnesium Starvation of Aerobacter aerogenes II. Rates of Nucleic Acid Synthesis and Methods for Their Measurement

The rates of synthesis of Aerobacter aerogenes nucleic acids were estimated during incubation of the bacteria in a Mg++-free medium. Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) synthesized during Mg++ starvation, or in the preceding exponential growth, remained acid-precipitable for 2.5 hr before breaking down to acid-soluble products during a period of many hours. Rates of DNA synthesis were calculated by correcting the net amounts of DNA per milliliter to values that would have appeared had there been no decay. After the first few hours, this rate was constant, the amount of DNA present at the start of Mg++ starvation being synthesized every 130 min. Rates of synthesis of total ribonucleic acid (RNA) were established in two ways: (i) by measurements of the incorporation of exogeneous uracil and glucose carbon into RNA, and (ii) by the accumulation of transfer RNA (tRNA), since this component is stable during Mg++ starvation. After the first few hours, this rate was constant, the amount of RNA present at the start of Mg++ starvation being synthesized about every 120 min. Fractionation by gradient centrifugation revealed that at all times of starvation the ratio of newly synthesized tRNA-rRNA was the same as it was during exponential growth. Furthermore, newly synthesized ribosomal RNA (rRNA) became a part of polysomal structures. Thus, in the absence of Mg++, DNA, tRNA, and rRNA were synthesized in the same relative proportions as during exponential growth, at rates close to one-half the instantaneous rates of synthesis in the bacteria growing exponentially at the start of starvation.
Regulation of Cell Mediated Immunity by Antibodies: Possible Role of Anti-Receptor Antibodies in the Regulation of Contact Sensitivity to DNFB in Mice

The duration of maximal contact sensitivity in the mouse is regulated, at least in part, by specific antibodies. Mice sensitized with optimal doses of 2,4-dinitrofluorobenzene (DNFB) develop maximum delayed hypersensitivity in 4 to 5 days as measured in vivo by ear swelling. The intensity of this reaction declines rapidly, and by 12 days post-sensitization significant immunity is no longer detectable. Serum taken from animals 9 to 15 days post-sensitization will block the ability of DNFB-immune lymph node (LN) cells to passively transfer immunity. The suppressive molecules are immunoglobulins, but they do not have anti-DNP activity and are not associated with DNP as antigen-antibody complexes. The suppressive serum is antigen specific, i.e., it blocks DNFB-immune LN cells but not TNCB- or oxazolone-immune LN cells, and it lacks strain specificity in inhibiting passive transfer. The suppressive serum can be adsorbed by DNFB-immune LN cells (both syngeneic and allogeneic), but not by normal LN cells. Furthermore, the suppressive activity of the serum is adsorbed by and can be recovered from an affinity column conjugated with purified mouse anti-DNP antibodies. We conclude that blocking antibodies arise during sensitization with DNFB and down-regulate the duration of sensitivity. These antibodies are directed against surface components of immune LN cells. They possess anti-idiotype activity and represent part of the immunoregulatory elements within a complex network of anti-idiotype/idiotype interaction.
Psychosocial risks and invulnerability: A review of the theoretical and empirical bases of preventive family-focused services for survivors of childhood cancer.

Childhood cancer consitutes a series of chronic, uncontrollable, and stressful life events that may have lasting impact on survivors. The uncertainty and the threat of loss associated with childhood cancer is traumatic and disruptive not only for the ill child but also for the child's parent and siblings. As a consequence, surviving patients and their famliies are at risk for problems of adjustment in later life. This article discusses several risk factors that increase the child and family's vulnerability to maladjustment: namely, (1) the severity and spacing of medical and other life stresses, (2) iatrogenic physical impairment, (3) social stigma, and (4) an interrelated cluster of poverty, ethnicity, and a single-adult family structure. It also describes three sources of invulnerability to maladjustment - individual coping style, family functioning, and social support - that may increase resiliency in the face of stress and thus reduce the risk of long-term dysfunction. The risk of psychological maladj...
Risk of Incident Coronary Heart Disease Events in Men Compared to Women by Menopause Type and Race.

Background We examined whether type of menopause affects sex differences in coronary heart disease (CHD) events and whether the impact is similar in blacks and whites. Methods and Results Participants were enrolled in the Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) cohort between 2003 and 2007 without CHD at baseline (n=23 086). Cox regression models were used to calculate the hazard of incident nonfatal CHD (definite or probable myocardial infarction) and acute CHD death, adjusting for age, age at last menstrual period <45 years, region, education level, income, diabetes, smoking, systolic blood pressure, lipid levels, albumin‐creatinine ratio, physical activity, C‐reactive protein, body mass index, waist circumference, and medication use. White women in natural menopause (hazard ratio [HR], 0.45; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.31, 0.66) and surgical menopause (HR, 0.65; 95% CI, 0.42, 0.99) had a reduced hazard of nonfatal events, compared to white men. Black women in natural menopause (HR, 0.69; 95% CI, 0.47, 1.03), but not surgical menopause (HR, 0.81; 95% CI, 0.51, 1.29), had a marginally reduced hazard of nonfatal events, compared to black men. Women had lower risk of acute CHD death than men regardless of their menopause type and race. Conclusions Sex differences in the risk of incident CHD events were larger among whites than blacks and varied by type of menopause. Women consistently had a lower risk of incident CHD death than men, but the magnitude of sex differences was greater in whites than blacks for nonfatal events, regardless of menopause type.
Building a Communicative Democracy: The Birth and Death of Citizen Politics in East Germany:

What has formed historically here is best left to history. This also holds true for the issue of the German nation and of the forms of German statehood. What is important now is the political aspect. There are two German states with different social and political systems. Each of them has values of its own. Both of them have drawn lessons from history, and each of them can contribute to the affairs of Europe and the world. And what there will be in a hundred years is for history to decide.
MEMS sensors and wireless telemetry for distributed systems

Selectively coated cantilevers are being developed at ORNL for chemical and biological sensing. The sensitivity can exceed that of other electro-mechanical devices as parts-per-trillion detection can be demonstrated for certain species. The authors are now proceeding to develop systems that employ electrically readable microcantilevers in a standard MEMS process and standard CMOS processes. One of their primary areas of interest is chemical sensing for environmental applications. Towards this end, they are presently developing electronic readout of a mercury-sensitive coated cantilever. In order to field arrays of distributed sensors, a wireless network for data reporting is needed. For this, the authors are developing on-chip spread-spectrum encoding and modulation circuitry to improve the robustness and security of sensor data in typical interference- and multipath-impaired environments. They have also provided for a selection of distinct spreading codes to serve groups of sensors in a common environment by the application of code-division multiple-access techniques. Most of the RF circuitry they have designed and fabricated in 0.5 {micro}m CMOS has been tested and verified operational to above 1 GHz. The initial intended operation is for use in the 915 MHz Industrial, Scientific, and Medical (ISM) band. This paper presents measured data on the microcantilever-based mercury detector. They also present design data and measurements of the RF telemetry chip.
Autograft Versus Allograft Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction A Prospective, Randomized Clinical Study With a Minimum 10-Year Follow-up

Background:The use of allografts for anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction in young athletes is controversial. No long-term results have been published comparing tibialis posterior allografts to hamstring autografts.Purpose:To evaluate the long-term results of primary ACL reconstruction using either an allograft or autograft.Study Design:Randomized controlled trial; Level of evidence, 1.Methods:From June 2002 to August 2003, patients with a symptomatic ACL-deficient knee were randomized to receive either a hamstring autograft or tibialis posterior allograft. All allografts were from a single tissue bank, aseptically processed, and fresh-frozen without terminal irradiation. Graft fixation was identical in all knees. All patients followed the same postoperative rehabilitation protocol, which was blinded to the therapists. Preoperative and postoperative assessments were performed via examination and/or telephone and Internet-based questionnaire to ascertain the functional and subjective status usin...
Downward Nominal Wage Rigidity and the Case for Temporary Infl ation in the Eurozone

Abstract Since the onset of the Great Recession in peripheral Europe, nominal hourly wages have not fallen from the high levels they had reached during the boom years—this in spite of widespread in...
Perirenal fibrous xanthoma: unusual retroperitoneal tumor. Diagnosis and treatment.

An unusual case of perirenal fibrous xanthoma (histiocytoma) is presented. Review of the literature reveals that this disease entity is indeed very rare and presents no specific clinical signs and symptoms. Fortunately, the majority of the cases are benign, but there is really no solitary histological feature that can predict the outcome of the disease. Arteriography and microscopical appearance are helpful diagnostic aids.
Prophylactic antibiotics for preventing early Gram-positive central venous catheter infections in oncology patients, a Cochrane systematic review.

Summary Objective Long-term tunnelled central venous catheters (TCVC) are increasingly used in oncology patients. Infections are a frequent complication of TCVC, mostly caused by Gram-positive bacteria. The objective of this review is to evaluate the efficacy of antibiotics in the prevention of early Gram-positive TCVC infections, in oncology patients. Data sources We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Controlled Trials Register up to July 2003. Review methods We selected randomised controlled trials (RCT) evaluating prophylactic antibiotics prior to insertion of the TCVC, and the combination of an antibiotic and heparin to flush the TCVC, in paediatric and adult oncology patients. The primary outcome was documented Gram-positive bacteraemia in patients with a TCVC. All trials identified were assessed and the data extracted independently by two reviewers. Results There were nine trials included. Four trials reported on vancomycin/teicoplanin prior to insertion of the TCVC compared to no antibiotics. There was no reduction in the number of Gram-positive TCVC infections with an Odds ratio of 0.42 (95% confidence interval 0.13–1.31). Five trials studied flushing of the TCVC with a vancomycin/heparin solution compared to heparin flushing only. This method decreased the number of TCVC infections significantly with an Odds ratio of 0.43 (95% CI 0.21–0.87). Conclusion Flushing the TCVC with a vancomycin/heparin solution reduced the incidence of Gram-positive infections.
PLANNING FOR CIVIL ENGINEERING APPLICATIONS OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

Providers of civil engineering infrastructure face increasing pressure to apply information technology. Unfortunately, technology’s rapid evolution renders it easy to acquire expensive equipment that quickly becomes obsolete. In response, this paper outlines a systems analysis planning approach that focuses on the long-term goals of engineering managers. Using the case study method, the strengths and weaknesses of a relatively new technology, the World Wide Web, are mapped to the goals of a key civil infrastructure user, a transit provider. Six strategic areas are identified where the Web can have a high impact on the delivery of transit services: attracting greater advertising revenue, improving the image of the service, improving services for existing patrons, attracting other market segments, educating customers, and facilitating electronic commerce. The value of this goal-oriented planning application is that uncommon but practical transit initiatives are identified, several of which would have been undiscovered had a more traditional technology-oriented approach been employed. The significance of this approach is that one makes better investments rather than simply better justifications for existing projects.
NADPH Oxidase-2 Derived ROS Dictates Murine DC Cytokine-Mediated Cell Fate Decisions during CD4 T Helper-Cell Commitment

NADPH oxidase-2 (Nox2)/gp91phox and p47phox deficient mice are prone to hyper-inflammatory responses suggesting a paradoxical role for Nox2-derived reactive oxygen species (ROS) as anti-inflammatory mediators. The molecular basis for this mode of control remains unclear. Here we demonstrate that IFNγ/LPS matured p47phox−/−-ROS deficient mouse dendritic cells (DC) secrete more IL-12p70 than similarly treated wild type DC, and in an in vitro co-culture model IFNγ/LPS matured p47phox−/− DC bias more ovalbumin-specific CD4+ T lymphocytes toward a Th1 phenotype than wild type (WT) DC through a ROS-dependent mechanism linking IL-12p70 expression to regulation of p38-MAPK activation. The Nox2-dependent ROS production in DC negatively regulates proinflammatory IL-12 expression in DC by constraining p38-MAPK activity. Increasing endogenous H2O2 attenuates p38-MAPK activity in IFNγ/LPS stimulated WT and p47phox−/− DC, which suggests that endogenous Nox 2-derived ROS functions as a secondary messenger in the activated p38-MAPK signaling pathway during IL-12 expression. These findings indicate that ROS, generated endogenously by innate and adaptive immune cells, can function as important secondary messengers that can regulate cytokine production and immune cell cross-talk to control during the inflammatory response.
Incidence of high-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia in sextant needle biopsy specimens

Abstract Objectives There is scant literature on the frequency of high-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN) in needle biopsy specimens. These data have implications as to how often pathologists should be expected to diagnose these lesions on needle biopsy and impact on the feasibility of cancer chemoprevention trials for prostate cancer. Methods We reviewed 439 consecutive 18-gauge sextant needle biopsy specimens from the Johns Hopkins Hospital. Results Based on the pathology reports, high-grade PIN was recorded in 12 (2.7%) of the cases and was confirmed upon review. Following review of the slides, unequivocal high-grade PIN was found in an additional 6 cases. There were 6 other cases where the findings were borderline between high- and low-grade PIN, but which were believed to be more consistent with high-grade PIN. Considering these latter cases in conjunction with the unequivocal cases of high-grade PIN, the incidence of high-grade PIN was 5.5% (24 of 439). Conclusions Recognizing that approximately 50% of men with high-grade PIN on needle biopsy will be found to have carcinoma on repeat biopsy, the management of high-grade PIN on biopsy will only apply to 50% of the men initially discovered with this finding. If only 2.75% of men who are biopsied eventually need therapy for high-grade PIN on needle biopsy, the number of cases needed to study the decrease of high-grade PIN following chemoprevention might be prohibitively high. If the incidence of high-grade PIN on needle biopsy requiring therapy is only 2.75%, it may also not be worthwhile developing large trials to investigate various treatment regimens for high-grade PIN found on biopsy.
Nanomechanical testing of circular freestanding polymer films with sub-micron thickness

This paper describes techniques to create freestanding films over perfectly circular spans (windows) and measure their mechanical properties using instrumented nanoindentation. Test samples were created by spin-casting polymer films over glass plates with embedded fibers, which were subsequently etched using a relatively weak acid to leave freestanding circular spans. The freestanding spans were tested using an instrumented nanoindenter over a wide range of applied loads and displacements. Material properties can be extracted from measured load-deflection responses using straightforward models for point-loads on circular plates or membranes. Results are presented for poly(methyl methacrylate) and poly(2,6,dimethyl,1,4,phenylene ether) films with thickness ranging from 350 to 750 nm. The properties derived from freestanding tests are compared with traditional nanoindentation of films on intact substrates. The freestanding approach has key advantages for characterizing micron-scale behavior of compliant materials, notably greater ease and applicability of sample preparation over other micro-fabrication techniques and straightforward analytical or numerical models.
Using Electrospray Ionization FTICR Mass Spectrometry To Study Competitive Binding of Inhibitors to Carbonic Anhydrase

We report a method based on mass spectrometry for the characterization of noncovalent complexes of proteins with mixtures of ligands; this method is relevant to the study of drug leads and may be useful in screening libraries for tight-binding compounds. This study describes the competitive binding of inhibitors derived from para-substituted benzenesulfonamides to bovine carbonic anhydrase II (BCAII, EC 4.2.1.1) using this technique. Relative binding constants and structural information for a mixture of inhibitors can be obtained in a single experiment using ESI-FTICR-MS. The work demonstrates that ESI-MS has significant potential for measuring relative binding affinities and characterizing the structures of ligands associated noncovalently to proteins. We have detected noncovalent complexes in the gas phase for ligands having values of K{sub b} as low as 1.7 x 10{sup 6} M{sup -1} in solution. The technique also allowed identification of tightbinding ligands from small libraries. The structures of inhibitors having similar masses can be identified by the high-resolution and multistep dissociation mass spectrometry of which FTICR is uniquely capable. This range of capabilities for ESI-FTICR-MS should be widely useful in medicinal chemistry. 22 refs., 2 figs.
Laparoscopic extraperitoneal approach to acutely incarcerated inguinal hernia

Background: Laparoscopic treatment of acutely incarcerated inguinal hernia is uncommon and still controversial. Those being performed almost all use the transabdominal (TAPP) approach. The authors here present their experience with totally extraperitoneal (TEP) repair of acutely incarcerated hernia. Methods: A retrospective review was undertaken to evaluate the authors’ experience with this procedure over a 4-year period. There were 16 cases, 5 of which were performed using a conventional anterior repair. These 5 cases were excluded from the review. The surgery for all of the remaining 11 acutely incarcerated hernias was started laparoscopically using the TEP approach. Eight of the cases were completed this way, whereas three were converted to the open procedure. In addition to standard TEP repair techniques, a releasing incision is required for acutely incarcerated direct, indirect, or femoral hernias. With a direct hernia, the opening of the defect is enlarged to allow safe dissection of its contents. A releasing incision is made at the anteromedial aspect of the defect to avoid injury to the epigastric or iliac vessels. With an indirect hernia, several additional steps are required. The epigastric vessels may be divided; an additional trocar may be placed laterally below the linea semicircularis to facilitate dissection of the sac and to assist with suturing of the divided sac; and the deep internal ring is divided anteriorly at the 12 o’clock position toward the external ring, facilitating dissection of the indirect sac. With a femoral hernia, a releasing incision is made by carefully incising the insertion of the iliopubic tract into Cooper’s ligament at the medial portion of the femoral ring. Results: The mean operative time was 50 min (range, 20–120 min), and the length of hospital stay was 5.4 days (range, 1–29 days). During a follow-up period of 9 to 69 months, there was no recurrence, and only two complications. One of these complications was an infected mesh that occurred in a case involving cecal injury. It was treated with continuous irrigation and salvaged. The other complication was a midline wound infection after a small bowel resection for a strangulated obturator hernia. Conclusions: Familiarity with the anatomy involved leads to the conclusion that the laparoscopic approach, specifically the TEP procedure, can be used without hesitation even in cases of acutely incarcerated hernia.
Packed bed catalytic membrane reactors

Abstract Membrane reactor studies of the ethane dehydrogenation and methane steam reforming reactions are discussed. A general catalytic packed bed membrane reactor model is also presented.
Recent advances on polymer-stabilized blue phase liquid crystal materials and devices

Polymer-stabilized blue phase liquid crystals (PS-BPLC) have become an increasingly important technology trend for information display and photonics applications. BPLCs exhibit several attractive features, such as reasonably wide temperature range, submillisecond gray-to-gray response time, no need for alignment layer, optically isotropic voltage-off state, and large cell gap toler- ance. However, some bottlenecks such as high operation voltage, hysteresis, residual birefringence, charging issues due to the large capacitance, and relatively low transmittance remain to be overcome before their widespread applications can be realized. Recent pro- gress on BPLC materials and devices has shown great promise. To realize the electro-optic effect of PS-BPLC, two driving modes: in- plane switching and vertical field switching mode, have been developed. The material system of PS-BPLC, including nematic LC host, chiral dopant, and polymer network, are discussed. Each component plays an essential role affecting the stability and electro-optic properties of PS-BPLC. V C 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014, 131, 40556.
Ethnic variation in adolescent use of a contraceptive service

This paper compares black, Hispanic, and white teenagers' experiences with a contraception service in New York City. Data were obtained from 3858 patients who made nearly 12,000 visits to the program during its first 3 years of operation. Patients' reasons for using the contraception facility, their visit patterns, clinic continuation rates, methods accepted, patterns of method utilization, as well as their pregnancy rates and intentions for pregnancy resolution are examined. Black patients had more clinic visits than white and Hispanic patients, and their duration of program contact was the longest. Several method preference differences existed among the three ethnic groups. Pregnancy rates while the patients were in contact with the program were highest among blacks, followed by Hispanics and then whites. Service delivery directions suggested by these findings are discussed.
Magnetic and Natural Rotatory Dispersion in Absorbing Media

Electron Theory of Magnetic and Natural Rotatory Dispersion in Absorbing Media.---On the basis of the electron theory of Lorentz, theoretical formulas have previously been derived for rotatory dispersion in perfectly transparent liquids, but on comparison with experimental results, a discrepancy was found which seemed to be due to the absorption. In the present paper, the theory has been extended to take account of absorption, and by making certain approximations, simplified formulas are obtained which give the rotation for wave-lengths sufficiently removed from the critical wave-length, provided the refractive index and extinction coefficient conform to the Lorentz dispersion equations with one resonance frequency. The equation of magnetic rotation in isotropic media agrees closely with experimental results for $C{S}_{2}$ and $\ensuremath{\alpha}$-monobrom-naphthalene. It is suggested that the theoretical equation for natural rotation: $\frac{\ensuremath{\theta}}{l}={r}_{1}+(\frac{2{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{2}{\ensuremath{\gamma}}_{1}}{{\ensuremath{\lambda}}^{2}})[{{\ensuremath{\mu}}_{0}}^{2}\ensuremath{-}\frac{1}{(1+{{\ensuremath{\kappa}}_{0}}^{2})}]$, (where ${\ensuremath{\mu}}_{0}$ and ${\ensuremath{\kappa}}_{0}$ are refractive index and extinction coefficient, respectively, and ${r}_{1}$ and ${\ensuremath{\gamma}}_{1}$ are constants), may be assumed to describe the phenomenon in any medium, whether ${\ensuremath{\mu}}_{0}$ and ${\ensuremath{\kappa}}_{0}$ satisfy the Lorentz dispersion equations or not, but this has not yet been tested experimentally.
Parallel N/sup 4/ weighted optical interconnections for artificial neural networks: mathematical formulation and fundamental limitations

Summary form only given, as follows. An optical parallel N/sup 4/ weighted optical interconnection network is analyzed mathematically and its limitations due to diffraction effects are evaluated. The network is based on holographic recording of the interconnection matrix and the presentation of the input data on a spatial light modulator. As an example, it is shown that one can obtain 2.5*10/sup 9/ weighted optical interconnections utilizing 10 cm*10 cm sizes of SLM and hologram array with a lens of 20 cm focal length. For this system, crosstalk due to diffraction limits the dynamic range to about 20 distinct detection levels. A substantial increase in the number of interconnections is possible for neural nets using neurons having a single decision threshold. >
Remote vapor phase processing of organic semiconductors for optoelectronic applications

Commercial application of organic light-emitting materials currently employs organic thin film deposition techniques including spin-coating, dip-coating, and evaporation. Broader technologies will also benefit from such organic optoelectronic materials. Emerging applications include on- chip light sources for integrated circuit (IC) optical signal transduction, on-chip microdisplays, and on-chip visible and infrared sources for integrated microsystems (MEMS). However, to fully adapt to the so-called cluster tool platform used for closed-loop manufacturing of IC's a remote vapor phase deposition scheme is required for low molecular weight organic light-emitting materials as opposed to conventional evaporation based techniques. We report the development of a remote organic vapor phase deposition process for growing high-quality aluminum tris-hydroxyquinoline (Alq3) films. This process utilizes a remote reservoir for organic vaporization coupled with mass-flow controllers for delivery to the condensation zone. A load-lock equipped chamber, capable of 5' wafer transfer, is utilized to eliminate ambient contamination without restricting wafer loading/unloading or Alq3 material loading. Data will be presented for a design-of-experiment (DOE) statistical process optimization investigation of Alq3 thin film growth as a function of the system deposition parameters. Electrical characterization of the Alq3 films and their applicability for optoelectronic device structures are presented and discussed.© (2001) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Review: Relationship between Erythropoietin Administration and Alterations of Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone:

The effect of erythropoietin (EPO) administration on the responsiveness of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) has not been established. Because patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) require EPO for their management as CKD progresses, it is important to ascertain whether EPO treatment alters the RAAS. If EPO administration stimulates renin-angiotensin or aldosterone (ALDO) this intervention would mediate cardiovascular and renal injury, and consequently promote cardiovascular events and/or exacerbate the progression of renal disease.We reviewed the available publications investigating the effects of EPO on the RAAS. In CKD patients following EPO administration plasma renin activity (PRA) was unchanged in all three and ALDO was not altered in the two studies in which it was determined. In end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients undergoing dialysis following EPO administration, four studies reported a decrease in PRA levels whereas the remaining nine disclosed no change in PRA levels.The ch...
Mobilities of singly and doubly charged rare-gas ions in helium and in neon

Mobilities of singly and doubly charged ions of neon, argon, krypton, and xenon in helium and of xenon in neon have been determined in a drift-tube mass-spectrometer apparatus at temperatures near 300 K and for $10\ensuremath{\le}\frac{E}{N}\ensuremath{\le}100$ Td. The zero-field reduced mobility of a given doubly charged ion is found to be either equal to or slightly smaller than that of its singly charged counterpart. However, the dependences of the mobilities on $\frac{E}{N}$ are found to be strikingly different for the two cases. No difference in mobility is observed between doubly charged ions in the low-lying, metastable states and in their ground state, in contrast to the case of the ions drifting in their parent gases.
Using niche models with climate projections to inform conservation management decisions

Abstract Conservation science strives to inform management decisions. Applying niche models in concert with future climate projections to project species vulnerability to extinction, range size loss, or distribution shifts has emerged as a potentially useful tool for informing resource management decisions. Making climate change niche modeling useful to conservation decisions requires centering studies on the types of decisions that are made regarding the focal taxa of a niche model study. Recent recommendations for climate adaptation strategies suggest four types of decision makers: policy, habitat protection, habitat management, species management. Targeting research to questions relevant for management decisions will increase utility of a niche model study. Constraints to the accuracy and precision of niche models to project potential future distributions are well-recognized. How to incorporate these uncertainties into management decision-making remains a challenge. Refining estimates and making sound management recommendations is critical because species that are generally modeled to be the most vulnerable to climate change (i.e., narrow endemics), are also the most vulnerable to bad decisions based on uncertain models. I review uncertainties of niche models to assert that there is an inherent bias for models to over-estimate climate-driven vulnerability to extirpation. Explicit recognition of this bias leads to a decision framework that accommodates unbalanced uncertainty. Namely, niche models may be more useful for identifying conservation opportunities identifying newly available habitats under changing climate than they are for asserting where current habitat will no longer exist under future climate states.
The national polyp study : design, methods, and characteristics of patients with newly diagnosed polyps

The National Polyp Study (NPS) is a multicenter prospective randomized trial designed to evaluate follow-up surveillance strategies in patients who have undergone polypectomy for the control of large bowel cancer. The study design was developed by a joint research committee from American Gastroenterological Association, the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, and the American College of Gastroenterology. Subjects who met the eligibility criteria were randomized into two different treatment arms. Eligibility criteria included: removal of one or more adenomas; complete colonoscopy; no prior polypectomy, inflammatory bowel disease, or familial polyposis; and no history of colon cancer. The treatment arms consisted of a frequent follow-up (1 and 3 years after initial polypectomy) and a less frequent follow-up (3 years). Follow-up examinations included fecal occult blood tests, air-contrast barium enema, and colonoscopy. The latter was done on 9112 referred patients at the seven participating centers from November 1980 until February 1990 who had no history of polypectomy, colon cancer, familial polyposis, or inflammatory bowel disease. Of these patients, 4763 (52.3%) had no polyps; 549 (6.0%) had an invasive cancer; 776 (8.5%) had nonadenomatous polyps; 208 (2.3%) had incomplete examinations; 184 (2.0%) had other findings; and 2632 (28.9%) had one or more adenomas, of which 1418 (53.9%) were randomized to one of the two treatment arms. This article reports the background, rationale, objectives, methods, and organization of this study and includes patient characteristics on initial presentation. Future data provided by the NPS may help in the development of recommendations for surveillance guidelines for such patients. This study also provides a framework to address questions regarding the natural history of adenomas and their relationship with colorectal cancer.
Silly bubbles and the insensitivity of rationality testing: An experimental illustration

Abstract Conventional economic and financial theory often requires that market price reflect the ‘rational’ assessment of the intrinsic value of an asset. Yet, gradual booms in security markets and their rapid crash make it clear that prices do not always mirror fundamental values. An experimental market reveals that prices in a double oral auction need not converge to a ‘rational’ value. In fact for this experiment, prices and fundamental values are highly inversely related. More problematic still is the fact that conventional statistical tests of market rationality are unable to detect the irrational bubbles generated by this experiment. This paper illustrates how difficult it is to empirically identify irrationality in simple self-fulfilling behavior and thus how easy it is to label ‘silly’ economic behavior ‘rational’.
Early gestational expression of retinol-binding protein mRNA by the ovine conceptus and endometrium

Communication between the mother and the early developing embryo is mediated by a variety of signals secreted by either the uterus or the embryo to elicit a response from the other. These signals include prostaglandins, proteins, and steroids. Recently, retinol-binding protein (RBP) has been described as a product of both the conceptus and endometrium in several species. Utilizing a cDNA clone to bovine RBP, we have described RBP mRNA expression in the endometrium, early conceptus, and extraembryonic membranes of sheep. Endometrial RBP mRNA expression did not differ between samples collected on day 13 of the estrous cycle and early pregnancy. In cyclic animals, RBP mRNA expression decreased two-fold between days 13 and 16, presumably a result of luteal regression and the consequential withdrawal of progesterone. In pregnant animals, endometrial RBP mRNA expression likewise decreased between days 13 and 16 and remained at this reduced level through day 30, despite the presence of a functional corpus luteum. Initiation of embryonic RBP expression appeared to coincide with early stages of blastocyst elongation at day 13. Levels of expression increased dramatically with conceptus development, peaked on day 23, and declined afterwards. Results from restriction enzyme analysis of genomic DNA indicated that RBP was encoded by a single gene per haploid genome. Differences in the temporal and tissue-specific expression of the protein, despite the apparent utilization of a single gene, suggest complex regulation of RBP gene expression. © 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Fructose decreases physical activity and increases body fat without affecting hippocampal neurogenesis and learning relative to an isocaloric glucose diet

Recent evidence suggests that fructose consumption is associated with weight gain, fat deposition and impaired cognitive function. However it is unclear whether the detrimental effects are caused by fructose itself or by the concurrent increase in overall energy intake. In the present study we examine the impact of a fructose diet relative to an isocaloric glucose diet in the absence of overfeeding, using a mouse model that mimics fructose intake in the top percentile of the USA population (18% energy). Following 77 days of supplementation, changes in body weight (BW), body fat, physical activity, cognitive performance and adult hippocampal neurogenesis were assessed. Despite the fact that no differences in calorie intake were observed between groups, the fructose animals displayed significantly increased BW, liver mass and fat mass in comparison to the glucose group. This was further accompanied by a significant reduction in physical activity in the fructose animals. Conversely, no differences were detected in hippocampal neurogenesis and cognitive/motor performance as measured by object recognition, fear conditioning and rotorod tasks. The present study suggests that fructose per se, in the absence of excess energy intake, increases fat deposition and BW potentially by reducing physical activity, without impacting hippocampal neurogenesis or cognitive function.
Region Sampling: Continuous Adaptive Sampling on Sensor Networks

Satisfying energy constraints while meeting performance requirements is a primary concern when a sensor network is being deployed. Many recent proposed techniques offer error bounding solutions for aggregate approximation but cannot guarantee energy spending. Inversely, our goal is to bound the energy consumption while minimizing the approximation error. In this paper, we propose an online algorithm, region sampling, for computing approximate aggregates while satisfying a pre-defined energy budget. Our algorithm is distinguished by segmenting a sensor network into partitions of non-overlapping regions and performing sampling and local aggregation for each region. The sampling energy cost rate and sampling statistics are collected and analyzed to predict the optimal sampling plan. Comprehensive experiments on real-world data sets indicate that our approach is at a minimum of 10% more accurate compared with the previously proposed solutions.
Self-organizing social and spatial networks under what-if scenarios

Multi-agent models have been used to simulate complex systems in many domains. In some models, the agents move in a physical/grid space and are constrained by their locations on the spatial space, e.g. Sugarscape. In others, the agents interact in a social multi-dimensional space and are bound to their knowledge and social positions, e.g. Construct. However, many real world problems require a mixed model containing both spatial and social features. This paper introduces such a multi agent system, Construct-Spatial, which simulates agent communication and movement simultaneously. It is an extended version of Construct, which is a multi-agent social model, and its extension is based on a multi-agent grid model, Sugarscape. To understand the impact of this integration of the two spaces, we run virtual experiments and compare the output from the combined space to those from each of the two spaces. The initial analysis reveals that the integration facilitates unbalanced knowledge distribution across the agents compared to the grid-only model and limits agent network connections compared to the social network model without spatial constraints. After the comparisons, we setup what-if scenarios where we varied the type of the threats faced by network and observe their emergent behaviors. From the what-if analyses, we locate the best destabilization scenario and find the propagation of the effects from the spatial space to the social network space. We believe that this model can be a conceptual model for assessing the efficiency and the robustness of team deployments, network node distributions, sensor distributions, etc.
A BIOCHEMICAL AND ULTRASTRUCTURAL EVALUATION OF THE TAXONOMIC POSITION OF GLAUCOSPHAERA VACUOLATA KORSH.

Summary The ultrastructure and carbohydrate chemistry of Glaucosphaera vacuolata Korsh. were studied to clarify the uncertain taxonomic position of this alga. Serial thin sections reveal that the double membrane bounded photosynthetic apparatus of Glaucosphaera, described by previous investigators to consist of many chromatophores or cyanelles, is a single, highly lobed chloroplast without a pyrenoid. Thylakoids are single and bear phycobilisomes. The single nucleus is centrally located and surrounded by Golgi bodies. Starch granules are located outside the chloroplast and are not membrane bounded. Chemical analysis of the solubilized starch granules by butanol precipitation, iodine staining, and enzymatic digestion indicates the presence of both amylose and amylopectin. It is concluded that Glaucosphaera is a red alga and should be assigned to the order Porphyridiales.
An activated carbon product prepared from milo (Sorghum vulgare) grain for use in hazardous waste gasification by ChemChar cocurrent flow gasification

An activated carbon was prepared by pyrolysis and subsequent gasification of milo seed utilizing the ChemChar gasification process. This carbon was characterized and further utilized for the destruction of refractory organic wastes and for sequestering metal bearing wastes by the ChemChar waste destruction process.
Direct Visualization of DNA Replication Conflicts in the Bacterial Cell

Cell proliferation requires timely and reliable DNA replication. Genetic and biochemical evidence reveals that the replication process is subject to a variety of conflict mechanisms, including DNA damage, concurrent DNA transcription, and DNA-bound protein complexes which can all act to stall the replication processes. Without a mechanism for rapid and efficient resolution, these conflicts have the potential to cause genomic instability and even cell death. The frequency of these conflicts and their consequences to replisome structure remain unknown. We report the direct visualization of replication conflicts with single molecule sensitivity in the gram-positive bacterium Bacillus subtilis and characterize the dynamics of these conflicts in vivo.