cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Manipulation of the Renin-Angiotensin System

Since the initial description of angiotensin II–mediated hypertension >40 years ago, basic and clinical investigations of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) have resulted in a broader understanding of cardiovascular pathophysiology and significant advances in therapy. Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and angiotensin receptor antagonists are now widely prescribed for the treatment of hypertension and left ventricular (LV) dysfunction; more recently, the aldosterone receptor antagonist, spironolactone, has proven beneficial in severe heart failure. This article will focus on our current understanding of the RAS and how pharmacological manipulation of this system can improve clinical outcomes in patients with cardiovascular disease. ### Pathophysiological Rationale for RAS Manipulation Renin is released by juxtuloglomerular cells in the kidney in response to renal hypoperfusion, decreased sodium delivery, and sympathetic activation (Figure 1). Angiotensinogen produced by the liver is cleaved by renin to yield the inactive decapeptide angiotensin I. Circulating angiotensin I is, in turn, converted to angiotensin II in the lungs by the action of ACE. ACE, or kininase II, also plays a key role in the kallikrein-kinin system by cleaving bradykinin to inactive peptides. In addition to the hormonal effects of circulating angiotensin II, all of the necessary components of the RAS exist in several organs and tissues, including the heart, kidneys, and vasculature. Figure 1. Pathophysiology of the RAS. SMC indicates smooth muscle cell. Angiotensin II exerts its actions in target organs and tissues by binding to both angiotensin II type 1 and 2 (AT1 and AT2) receptors, although adverse effects in humans seem to be mediated primarily by the AT1 receptor (Figure 1). In the kidney, angiotensin II causes sodium and water retention and efferent arteriolar vasoconstriction. Constriction of the systemic vasculature by angiotensin II causes hypertension, whereas coronary vasoconstriction may cause myocardial ischemia and arrhythmias. Angiotensin II–stimulated secretion of aldosterone by the adrenal cortex and arginine …
Power andPerformance Analysis for Early Design Space Exploration

Early design space exploration is crucial to achieving optimal designs, when it is increasingly difficult to fit a design into a tight design space. System level exploration needs to be coupled with physical design considerations to guarantee design closure and time-to-market. This paper presents a methodology for early design space exploration aimed at power-delay trade-offs. The proposed methodology allows quick what-if analysis incorporating many design techniques. What-if analysis is performed on three ISCAS85 benchmark circuits to ascertain recipes for power or performance centric designs. Using the proposed methodology we demonstrate 32%, 17% and 32% reduction in power for 9%, 4.3% and 1.3% performance penalty respectively, the what-if analysis also shows 11.25%, 10.31% and 15.3% improvement in performance for 2.35%, 2.43% and 3.85% increase in power, respectively if the same circuits were made performance centric.
Hierarchical distributed control for search and tracking by heterogeneous aerial robot networks

This paper presents a hierarchical control architecture that enables cooperative surveillance by a heterogeneous aerial robot network comprised of mothership unmanned aircraft and daughtership micro air vehicles. Combining the endurance, range, and processing capabilities of the motherships with the stealth, flexibility, and maneuverability of swarms of daughterships enables robust control of aerial robot networks conducting collaborative operations. The hierarchical control structure decomposes the system into components that take advantage of the abilities of the different types of vehicles. The motherships act as distributed databases, fusion centers, negotiation agents, and task supervisors while daughtership control is achieved using cooperative vector field tracking. This paper describes the overall architecture and then focuses on the assignment and tracking algorithms used once sub- teams of daughtership vehicles have been deployed. A summary of the communication, command, and control structure of a heterogeneous unmanned aircraft system is also given in this paper along with hardware-in-the-loop and software simulation results verifying several components of the distributed control architecture.
Social support networks and school outcomes: The centrality of the teacher.

This investigation compares school outcomes for students who differ in the extent to which they perceive their parents, friends, and teachers—each alone and in combination—as important sources of social support. Findings indicate that middle and high school students who perceive high supportiveness from all three sources of support, as opposed to none, one, or two, have better attendance; spend more hours studying; avoid problem behavior more; have higher school satisfaction, engagement, and self-efficacy; and obtain better grades. Positive school outcomes are promoted when teacher support is perceived in combination with perceived support from parents and friends. Implications of the results for human service providers are presented.
Overview of Exocrine Pancreatic Pathobiology

Exocrine pancreas is a source of several enzymes that are essential for the digestive process. The exocrine pancreatic secretion is tightly regulated by the neuroendocrine system. The endocrine pancreas is tightly integrated anatomically and physiologically with the exocrine pancreas and modulates its function. Compound-induced pancreatitis is not a common event in toxicology or drug development, but it becomes a significant liability when encountered. Understanding the species-specific differences in physiology is essential to understand the underlying pathobiology of pancreatic disease in animal models and its relevance to human disease. This review will mainly focus on understanding the morphology and physiology of the pancreas, unique islet–exocrine interactions, and pancreatitis.
Bisexually active Black men in the United States and HIV: acknowledging more than the "Down Low".

HIV is disproportionately impacting Black men who have sex with men and heterosexual women in the United States. Current speculation posits a “bisexual bridge” of HIV transmission connecting these two subpopulations of the Black community. Specifically, bisexually active Black men who identify as heterosexual but do not disclose their same-sex behavior, or “down low” (DL) men, have received the most attention and blame as the primary group fueling this epidemic. This essay explores the current knowledge and limitations of public health research on bisexually active Black men. Implications for future research initiatives are discussed.
Unexpected matching insensitivity in DTL of GTA accelerator

The intertank matching section (IMS) of the Ground Test Accelerator (GTA) contains four variable-field quadrupoles (VFQs) and is designed to match beam exiting the radio-frequency quadrupole to the first tank of the Drift-Tube Linac (DTL-1). By varying the VFQ field strengths to create a range of beam mismatches at the entrance to DTL-1, one can test the sensitivity of the DTL-1 output beam to variations in the DTL-1 input beam. Experimental studies made during commissioning of the GTA indicate an unexpected result: the beam exiting DTL-1 shows little variation for a range of mismatches produced at the entrance. Results of the experiment and simulation studies are presented.
Long-Term Outcomes of Selective Bladder Preservation by Combined-Modality Therapy for Invasive Bladder Cancer: The MGH Experience

Abstract Background Whether organ-conserving treatment by combined-modality therapy (CMT) achieves comparable long-term survival to radical cystectomy (RC) for muscle-invasive bladder cancer (BCa) is largely unknown. Objective Report long-term outcomes of patients with muscle-invasive BCa treated by CMT. Design, setting, and participants We conducted an analysis of successive prospective protocols at the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) treating 348 patients with cT2–4a disease between 1986 and 2006. Median follow-up for surviving patients was 7.7 yr. Interventions Patients underwent concurrent cisplatin-based chemotherapy and radiation therapy (RT) after maximal transurethral resection of bladder tumor (TURBT) plus neoadjuvant or adjuvant chemotherapy. Repeat biopsy was performed after 40Gy, with initial tumor response guiding subsequent therapy. Those patients showing complete response (CR) received boost chemotherapy and RT. One hundred two patients (29%) underwent RC—60 for less than CR and 42 for recurrent invasive tumors. Measurements Disease-specific survival (DSS) and overall survival (OS) were evaluated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Results and limitations Seventy-two percent of patients (78% with stage T2) had CR to induction therapy. Five-, 10-, and 15-yr DSS rates were 64%, 59%, and 57% (T2=74%, 67%, and 63%; T3–4=53%, 49%, and 49%), respectively. Five-, 10-, and 15-yr OS rates were 52%, 35%, and 22% (T2: 61%, 43%, and 28%; T3–4=41%, 27%, and 16%), respectively. Among patients showing CR, 10-yr rates of noninvasive, invasive, pelvic, and distant recurrences were 29%, 16%, 11%, and 32%, respectively. Among patients undergoing visibly complete TURBT, only 22% required cystectomy (vs 42% with incomplete TURBT; log-rank p Conclusions CMT achieves a CR and preserves the native bladder in >70% of patients while offering long-term survival rates comparable to contemporary cystectomy series. These results support modern bladder-sparing therapy as a proven alternative for selected patients.
Do Credit Spreads Reflect Stationary Leverage Ratios

Most structural models of default preclude the firm from altering its capital structure. In practice, firms adjust outstanding debt levels in response to changes in firm value, thus generating mean-reverting leverage ratios. We propose a structural model of default with stochastic interest rates that captures this mean reversion. Our model generates credit spreads that are larger for low-leverage firms, and less sensitive to changes in firm value, both of which are more consistent with empirical findings than predictions of extant models. Further, the term structure of credit spreads can be upward sloping for speculative-grade debt, consistent with recent empirical findings.
Psychological services offered to female veterans.

Questionnaires were sent to 153 chiefs of Veterans Administration psychology services to request information on service provision to women veterans; 91 responses were received. Services were classified according to four categories: (a) individual women served in response to requests; (b) individual programs designed to meet specific needs; (c) educational programs offered to female clients; and (d) staff training programs. Correlations between each of the four categories and the following factors were calculated: (a) size of the city as determined by population in which each Veterans Administration Medical Center is located: (b) state population of female veterans; (c) number of female staff psychologists; (d) annual percentage of female clients served; (e) income of female clients; (f) total number of psychologists on the staff; and (g) total annual number of clients. Significant correlations were found between number of services offered routinely in response to requests and each of the following factors: (a) state population of female veterans; (b) income of female veteran clients; (c) total number of psychologists on the staff; and (d) annual number of clients.
The Rorschach test in clinical diagnosis: a critical review, with a backward look at Garfield (1947).

The present article comments on a classic study by Garfield (1947) then reviews research on the Rorschach and psychiatric diagnoses. Despite a few positive findings, the Rorschach has demonstrated little validity as a diagnostic tool. Deviant verbalizations and bad form on the Rorschach, and indices based on these variables, are related to Schizophrenia and perhaps to Bipolar Disorder and Schizotypal Personality Disorder. Patients with Borderline Personality Disorder also seem to give an above-average number of deviant verbalizations. Otherwise the Rorschach has not shown a well-demonstrated relationship to these disorders or to Major Depressive Disorder, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), anxiety disorders other than PTSD, Dissociative Identity Disorder, Dependent, Narcissistic, or Antisocial Personality Disorders, Conduct Disorder, or psychopathy. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Clin Psychol 56: 395–430, 2000.
Practice Research Networks: Promises and Pitfalls

Networks that incorporate community settings and populations are essential if we want to understand how well interventions work in the community and how to ensure that they are used in community practice. The challenges in setting up such networks are deciding what type of network is best, what questions are most important to address in them, and how to ensure that they are feasible in the long run. The paper by Borkovec and colleagues offers an opportunity to discuss the promises and pitfalls of practice research networks.
Weighted Vest Exercise Improves Indices of Fall Risk in Older Women

BACKGROUND: Bone mass and fall propensity are two major risk factors for hip fracture. Our intent was to determine if weight-bearing exercises with added resistance from weighted vests would improve dynamic balance, muscle strength and power, and bone mass in postmenopausal women, thereby reducing risk for falls and hip fracture. METHODS: Forty-four nonsmoking, community-dwelling, Caucasian women aged 50-75 years participated in the study. All participants were at least 5 years past menopause and most were estrogen-deplete (n = 36). Bone mass and body composition were assessed by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry, muscular strength by isokinetic dynamometry, muscular power by modified Wingate Anaerobic Power Test, and indices of postural stability by dynamic posturography. Half of the subjects participated in a 9-month regimen of weight-bearing exercises performed three times a week that emphasized lower-body muscle strength and power development. Resistance was added progressively and individually by the use of a weighted vest. Controls maintained customary diet and activity patterns. RESULTS: Significant improvements were observed for indices of lateral stability, lower-body muscular strength (16-33% increase), muscular power (13% increase), and leg lean mass (3.5% increase) in exercisers vs controls (p .05) were detected for femoral neck bone mass in exercisers or controls at the conclusion of the trial. CONCLUSIONS: Lower body exercise, using a weighted vest for resistance, provides an effective means of improving key indices of falls in postmenopausal women. Language: en
Existence of a third ribonuclease in rat-liver particulates.

Abstract A third ribonuclease has been found in rat-liver particulates. The properties of this enzyme differ from those of the two other liver ribonucleases previously known: 1. (1) it has a pH optimum between 9.0 and 9.5; 2. (2) there is no natural inhibitor for this enzyme in the rat-liver supernatant; 3. (3) it is heat- and acid-labile; 4. (4) it is sensitive to most monovalent cations, and the inhibitory effect of these ions is not due to their ionic strength; 5. (5) it is inhibited by most divalent cations including Mg2+, but at a low concentration ( 0.5 · 10 3 −1.0 · 10 −3 M ) — unlike other divalent cations — Mg2+ (or Mn2+) moderately activates (20–40 %) the enzyme; 6. (6) this ribonuclease is very sensitive to EDTA, and the inhibition caused by EDTA can be abolished by Mg2+ (or Mn2+) at a suitable concentration; 7. (7) non-ionic detergent (Triton X-100) at a final concn. of 0.1 % is necessary for the enzyme to exhibit maximum activity; 8. (8) there is substrate inhibition with RNA concentration above 2 mg/ml; 9. (9) the enzyme is localized in the sedimentable fraction of the rat liver.
Varying dimensional particle swarm optimization

A new algorithm, varying dimensional particle swarm optimization (VD-PSO), is proposed for entities with varying-dimensional components and each component assumes continuous-valued parameters. Such problems are distinct from current benchmark problems where the dimension of the particles is fixed. One well-studied application of VD-PSO is probability density estimation by Gaussian Mixture Models. A particle in VD-PSO includes a discrete number as the number of components and a set of real-valued component parameters. The number of components varies according to a random scheme, which dictates how many sets of components remain or expand. The component parameters are matched up supporting a linked update. Three other methods, the last two of which are also proposed by us as intuitive attempts to solve the varying dimensional problems, are compared with VD-PSO: 1. binary-headered PSO, 2. exhaustive PSO, 3. discrete-headered PSO. Simulations on known data with specified components show that VD-PSO provides a competitive density estimation to the exhaustive PSO, but spends the least wall-clock-time among all algorithms, almost 12% of the exhaustive PSO, while the binary-headered PSO or discrete-headered PSO do not achieve similar performance, because the binary-headered PSO is adversely affected by the dummy parameters, and the discrete-headered PSO makes too many dimension variations before the parameters are well tuned. The new VD-PSO algorithm is a viable and efficient solution to varying dimensional optimization problems.
Mapping CH 4 : CO 2 ratios in Los Angeles with CLARS-FTS from Mount Wilson, California

Abstract. The Los Angeles megacity, which is home to more than 40% of the population in California, is the second largest megacity in the United States and an intense source of anthropogenic greenhouse gases (GHGs). Quantifying GHG emissions from the megacity and monitoring their spatiotemporal trends are essential to be able to understand the effectiveness of emission control policies. Here we measure carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) across the Los Angeles megacity using a novel approach – ground-based remote sensing from a mountaintop site. A Fourier transform spectrometer (FTS) with agile pointing optics, located on Mount Wilson at 1.67 km above sea level, measures reflected near-infrared sunlight from 29 different surface targets on Mount Wilson and in the Los Angeles megacity to retrieve the slant column abundances of CO2, CH4 and other trace gases above and below Mount Wilson. This technique provides persistent space- and time-resolved observations of path-averaged dry-air GHG concentrations, XGHG, in the Los Angeles megacity and simulates observations from a geostationary satellite. In this study, we combined high-sensitivity measurements from the FTS and the panorama from Mount Wilson to characterize anthropogenic CH4 emissions in the megacity using tracer–tracer correlations. During the period between September 2011 and October 2013, the observed XCH4 : XCO2 excess ratio, assigned to anthropogenic activities, varied from 5.4 to 7.3 ppb CH4 (ppm CO2)−1, with an average of 6.4 ± 0.5 ppb CH4 (ppm CO2)−1 compared to the value of 4.6 ± 0.9 ppb CH4 (ppm CO2)−1 expected from the California Air Resources Board (CARB) bottom-up emission inventory. Persistent elevated XCH4 : XCO2 excess ratios were observed in Pasadena and in the eastern Los Angeles megacity. Using the FTS observations on Mount Wilson and the bottom-up CO2 emission inventory, we derived a top-down CH4 emission of 0.39 ± 0.06 Tg CH4 year−1 in the Los Angeles megacity. This is 18–61% larger than the state government's bottom-up CH4 emission inventory and consistent with previous studies.
Being a Positive Bystander: Male Antiviolence Allies’ Experiences of "Stepping Up"

As bystander approaches become increasingly prevalent elements of sexual and domestic violence prevention efforts, it is necessary to better understand the factors that support or impede individuals in taking positive action in the face of aggressive or disrespectful behavior from others. This study presents descriptive findings about the bystander experiences of 27 men who recently became involved in antiviolence against women work. More specifically, we describe the consistency with which respondents actively intervene in the speech or behavior of others, the strategies they use, and the factors they weigh as they deliberate taking action. Respondents report a complex and interrelated set of individual and contextual influences on their choices within bystander opportunities, which hold implications for both violence-specific models of bystander behavior and for prevention intervention development.
CORMORANT PREDATION AND THE POPULATION DYNAMICS OF WALLEYE AND YELLOW PERCH IN ONEIDA LAKE

Double-crested Cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritus) increased dramatically in North America during the 1990s, providing the opportunity to study the effects of an increase of a top predator on an existing predator–prey system. In Oneida Lake, New York, USA, Double-crested Cormorants were first observed nesting in 1984 and had increased to over 360 nesting pairs by 2000. Concomitant with this increase in piscivorous birds was a decrease in the adult walleye (Stizostedion vitreum) and yellow perch (Perca flavescens) populations. Analysis of a 40-yr data series shows higher mortality of subadults (age 1–2 yr perch and age 1–3 yr walleye) for both species in the 1990s compared to the previous three decades. Cormorant diet was investigated from 1995 to 2000 using a combination of cast pellets, regurgitants, and stomach analysis. Walleye and yellow perch were a major portion of the cormorant diet during these years (40–82% by number). The number of subadult walleye and yellow perch consumed by cormorants suggests...
Metadata update performance in file systems

Structural changes, such as file creation and block allocation, have consistently been identified as file system performance problems in many user environments. We compare several implementations that maintain metadata integrity in the event of a system failure but do not require changes to the on-disk structures. In one set of schemes, the file system uses asynchronous writes and passes ordering requirements to the disk scheduler. These scheduler-enforced ordering schemes outperform the conventional approach (synchronous writes) by more than 30 percent for metadata update intensive benchmarks, but are suboptimal mainly due to their inability to safely use delayed writes when ordering is required. We therefore introduce soft updates, an implementation that asymptotically approaches memory-based file system performance (within 5 percent) while providing stronger integrity and security guarantees than most UNIX file systems. For metadata update in-tensive benchmarks, this improves performance by more than a factor of two when compared to the conventional approach.
Using a Multiple Concurrent Design Views Interface to Enhance Design Complexity Management

Modern product design complexity is a problem faced by designers of complex geometric products. It is very difficult for a designer to assimilate the vast amounts of data necessary to produce and understand such complex designs in their totality. Recently, research has been done to better manage design complexity, but little or no work has been done with respect to user interfaces for complexity management tools. In this research, we present a concurrent design views interface to enhance design complexity management. This user interface assists the designer in creation and visualization of complex design frameworks. These design views support different levels of design detail and complexity, and also provide hierarchical design decomposition of complex design frameworks. Concurrency between design views is maintained, thus increasing the overall power of the system. To demonstrate the validity and applicability of this approach in solving complexity management issues, a prototype system implementation of an intuitive user interface built upon an existing complexity management framework is presented.
Shining a light on stem cell biology

Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) and gene modification have lit up the world of human disease and development. However, immediately flipping the gene knockout switch has kept later-onset diseases in the dark. Chen et al. have effectively put a timer on that light switch, presenting a process for
The effects of racial heterogeneity on mental health: a study of detained youth across multiple counties

A majority of detained adolescents experience mental health and substance use problems. Limited research has examined the interaction between the race/ethnicity of an individual youth and county-level racial heterogeneity on adolescent mental health outcomes. Participants were identified through a statewide mental health screening project that took place in detention centers across 11 different counties in a Midwestern state during January 1, 2008, to May 10, 2010. A total of 23,831 detained youth (ages 11-18 years), identified as non-Hispanic White (46.6%), Black (43.5%), or Hispanic (9.8%), completed a mental health screener that assessed problems in alcohol/drug use, depression-anxiety, anger-irritability, trauma, somatic complaints, and suicide ideation. Census data were gathered to determine the racial heterogeneity of each county and other county-level variables. Hierarchical linear regression analyses were used to test the independent and interactive effects of youth race/ethnicity and county-level variables (including racial heterogeneity of the county) on adolescent mental health. Independent of other community characteristics, as county-level racial heterogeneity increased, mental health problems among detained youth decreased. In future research on the development and persistence of mental health problems in detained youth, both community and individual-level factors should be considered.
Molecular Timescale and Gene Tree Incongruence in the Guenons

While the phylogenetic inferences based on either the mitochondrial or Y chromosome data presented in this volume may not fully represent the species’ phylogeny, the dates of key divergence points can be relatively confidently inferred. These dates are older than those suggested by extrapolation from the fossil record. Multiple independent autosomal loci from several individuals throughout a species’ range will need to be sequenced in order to provide a robust phylogeny of the guenons.
Stimulation of myelopoiesis in a patient with congenital neutropenia: biology and nature of response to recombinant human granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor.

To stimulate granulopoiesis, we gave recombinant human granulocyte- macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF; 120 microgram/m2/d) to a patient with congenital neutropenia. The treatment resulted in marked increases in white blood cell counts (maximum, 17,400/microL), consisting mainly of eosinophils (maximum, 13,050/microL) and monocytes (maximum, 1305/microL), rather than neutrophils (maximum, 798/microL). Circulating phagocytes (97% eosinophils) derived after GM-CSF treatment were less effective in chemotaxis, slower but equally effective in phagocytosis, and more effective in H2O2 production compared with normal control neutrophils, but comparable in chemotaxis and H2O2 production to control eosinophils. Before GM-CSF treatment, the bone marrow showed a maturation defect in the neutrophilic series that persisted after treatment despite marked increases in mature cells of other lineages. In vitro agar culture of bone marrow cells before GM- CSF treatment showed a normal number of granulocyte colonies; however, maturation was limited to the metamyelocyte stage. Although the absolute number and cycling rates of myeloid colony forming cells (predominantly eosinophils) increased after treatment, the maturation defect in the neutrophilic series persisted. The finding that GM-CSF induced stimulation of proliferation, which was coupled with maturation in the eosinophilic and monocytic but not the neutrophilic components, suggests that this patient had an intrinsic cellular or humoral defect in neutrophil maturation.
Role of Chromatin Structural Changes in Regulating Human CYP3A Ontogeny

Variability in drug-metabolizing enzyme developmental trajectories contributes to interindividual differences in susceptibility to chemical toxicity and adverse drug reactions, particularly in the first years of life. Factors linked to these interindividual differences are largely unknown, but molecular mechanisms regulating ontogeny are likely involved. To evaluate chromatin structure dynamics as a likely contributing mechanism, age-dependent changes in modified and variant histone occupancy were evaluated within known CYP3A4 and 3A7 regulatory domains. Chromatin immunoprecipitation using fetal or postnatal human hepatocyte chromatin pools followed by quantitative polymerase chain reaction DNA amplification was used to determine relative chromatin occupancy by modified and variant histones. Chromatin structure representing a poised transcriptional state (bivalent chromatin), indicated by the occupancy by modified histones associated with both active and repressed transcription, was observed for CYP3A4 and most 3A7 regulatory regions in both postnatal and fetal livers. However, the CYP3A4 regulatory regions had significantly greater occupancy by modified histones associated with repressed transcription in the fetal liver. Conversely, some modified histones associated with active transcription exhibited greater occupancy in the postnatal liver. CYP3A7 regulatory regions also had significantly greater occupancy by modified histones associated with repressed transcription in the fetus. The observed occupancy by modified histones is consistent with chromatin structural dynamics contributing to CYP3A4 ontogeny, although the data are less conclusive regarding CYP3A7. Interpretation of the latter data may be confounded by cell-type heterogeneity in the fetal liver.
Adiposity, lipogenesis, and fatty acid composition of subcutaneous and intramuscular adipose tissues of Brahman and Angus crossbred cattle

The objective of this study was to demonstrate differences in aspects of adipose tissue cellularity, lipid metabolism, and fatty and cholesterol composition in Angus and Brahman crossbred cattle. We hypothesized that in vitro measures of lipogenesis would be greater in three-fourths Angus progeny than in three-fourths Brahman progeny, especially in intramuscular (i.m.) adipose tissue. Progeny ( = 227) were fed a standard, corn-based diet for approximately 150 d before slaughter. Breed was considered to be the effect of interest and was forced into the model. There were 9 breed groups including all 4 kinds of three-fourths Angus calves: Angus bulls Angus-sired F cows ( = 32), Angus bulls Brahman-sired F cows ( = 20), Brahman-sired F bulls Angus cows ( = 24), and Angus-sired F bulls Angus cows ( = 20). There were all 4 kinds of three-fourths Brahman calves: Brahman bulls Brahman-sired F cows ( = 21), Brahman bulls Angus-sired F cows ( = 43), Brahman-sired F bulls Brahman cows ( = 26), and Angus-sired F bulls Brahman cows ( = 13). Additionally, F calves (one-half Brahman and one-half Angus) were produced only from Brahman-sired F bulls Angus-sired F cows ( = 28). Contrasts were calculated when breed was an important fixed effect, using the random effect family(breed) as the error term. Most contrasts were nonsignificant ( > 0.10). Those that were significant ( F, three-fourths Brahman > F, and three-fourths crossbred progeny combined > F), s.c. adipocyte volume (three-fourths Angus > F and three-fourths bloods combined > F), lipogenesis from acetate in s.c. adipose tissue (three-fourths Brahman calves from Brahman dams > three-fourths Brahman calves from F dams), and percentage 18:3-3 in s.c. adipose tissue (three-fourths Brahman calves from Brahman-sired F dams < three-fourths Brahman calves from Angus-sired F dams). Intramuscular adipocyte volume ( < 0.001) was less in three-fourths Brahman cattle than in three-fourths Angus cattle. Additionally, several differences were observed in i.m. adipose tissue that were consistent with this being a less-developed adipose tissue in three-fourths Brahman cattle than in three-fourths Angus cattle.
Detection Coverage Range of Airborne Bistatic MIMO Radar to Stealthy Targets

To solve the problem of the stealthy object detection,the judging inequality of radar detection based on the bistatic MIMO radar equation was utilized to make a research on the radar's detection coverage to stealthy object. Taking the F-117A fighter as a typical stealthy object,the detection area was divided by the grid splitting algorithm. By calculating the bistatic radar across section of the stealthy object at each point,the object detection coverage for bistatic MIMO radar could be obtained. The relationship among the detection coverage,the baseline length,the number of the transmitting antenna and phase coherent accumulation was determined by experiment. The experimental result shows that the bistatic MIMO radar is superior to the conventional bistatic radar on detection range to stealthy target.
What It Takes to Coordinate: Road to Efficiency through Communication and Commitment

We examine the efficiency gains of introducing a pre-play phase — allowing agents to communicate their intentions and commit to it — in a game with Pareto ranked equilibria. We focus on a game where a Pareto inferior equilibrium is usually chosen, and derive the theoretical conditions under which the efficient equilibrium is unique in the extended game; finally, we test our theory in the lab. The introduction of the pre-play phase increases the coordination on the Pareto dominant equilibrium, restoring over 50% of the efficiency lost in the standard setting. The results shed new light on Cheap Talk and reveal that a combination of communication and commitment leads to significantly higher welfare.
Attention attraction in an ophthalmic diagnostic device using sound-modulated fixation targets

Abstract This study relates to eye fixation systems with combined optical and audio systems. Many devices for eye diagnostics and some devices for eye therapeutics require the patient to fixate on a small target for a certain period of time, during which the eyes do not move and data from substructures of one or both eyes are acquired and analyzed. With young pediatric patients, a monotonously blinking target is not sufficient to retain attention steadily. We developed a method for modulating the intensity of a point fixation target using sounds appropriate to the child's age and preference. The method was realized as a subsystem of a Pediatric Vision Screener which employs retinal birefringence scanning for detection of central fixation. Twenty-one children, age 2–18, were studied. Modulation of the fixation target using sounds ensured the eye fixated on the target, and with appropriate choice of sounds, performed significantly better than a monotonously blinking target accompanied by a plain beep. The method was particularly effective with children of ages up to 10, after which its benefit disappeared. Typical applications of target modulation would be as supplemental subsystems in pediatric ophthalmic diagnostic devices, such as scanning laser ophthalmoscopes, optical coherence tomography units, retinal birefringence scanners, fundus cameras, and perimeters.
Abstract 5102: Heparan sulfate modifying enzymes deliver cancer, stromal and macrophage-produced heparin-binding growth factors in the prostate cancer microenvironment

We previously showed that the heparan sulfate proteoglycan, perlecan (PLN)/HSPG2, is deposited into the matrix of reactive stroma surrounding tumors, where it concentrates heparin binding growth factors (HBGFs) and cytokines at the tumor-stromal border both in primary prostatic tumors and bone metastatic lesions. Heparan sulfate (HS) modifying enzymes produced in tumor-associated stroma play key roles in the delivery of these perlecan-sequestered cancer, stromal and tumor macrophage-produced HBGFs and cytokines, serving to enhance tumorigenesis and recruit other bystander cells to sites of metastasis. Studies presented here focused on the production of secreted HS-modifying enzyme heparanase and the two extracellular sulfatases, SULF1 and SULF2, in the prostatic tumor microenvironment. Our studies showed that SULF1 and heparanase mRNA levels are elevated in prostate cancer (PCa) cells of the LNCaP lineage in the presence of stroma, indicating that both stroma and PCa cells can be sources of these enzymes. We are presently examining a number of PCa patient derived xenografts to determine the prevalence of SULF-1 and heparanase elevation in castrate resistant disease. To study function, we developed a modified 3D hyaluronate gel system that contains HS-bearing recombinant perlecan domain I (PlnDI) to retain and deliver HBGFs and cytokines to various PCa cells cultured with bone marrow stromal cells, osteoblasts, or tumor macrophages. We are using this system to study the expression and individual functions of heparanase and the two SULFs in promoting HBGF-dependent PCa progression in a physiologically relevant system. Overexpression and gene deletion techniques allow us to determine the role that heparanase or SULFs play in each relevant cell type present in the tumor microenvironment, and thus determine the need for co-targeting of both tumor and reactive stroma. (Supported by NIH P01 and CAPES). Citation Format: Fabio H. Brasil, Valeria Ferrer, Nora M. Navone, Mary C. Farach-Carson, Daniel D. Carson. Heparan sulfate modifying enzymes deliver cancer, stromal and macrophage-produced heparin-binding growth factors in the prostate cancer microenvironment. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 5102.
Association of statins with aortic, peripheral, and visceral artery aneurysm development

Objectives Prior studies examining the effects of statins on arterial aneurysm development and progression yielded conflicting results due to their smaller size and presence of residual confounders. The objective of this study is to examine the association of statins with risk of being diagnosed with aortic, peripheral, and visceral artery aneurysm. Methods This was a retrospective cohort study of Tricare enrollees (from 1 October 2003 to 31 March 2012). Main outcomes were diagnosis of aortic, peripheral, or visceral artery aneurysm and undergoing aortic aneurysm repair procedure during follow-up period. Using 115 baseline characteristics, we generated a propensity score to match statin users and nonusers and examine the odds of outcomes (primary analysis). Secondary analysis examined outcomes at various subcohorts. Results Out of 10,910 statin users and 49,545 nonusers, we propensity score-matched 6728 pairs of statin users and nonusers. Statin users and nonusers had similar odds of being diagnosed with aortic, peripheral, and visceral artery aneurysms (odds ratio [OR]: 1.06, 95% confidence interval [95% CI]: 0.85-1.33) and of undergoing aortic aneurysm repair procedures (OR: 0.54, 95% CI: 0.22-1.35). Secondary analysis showed a tendency toward fewer aortic aneurysm procedures among statin users that did not reach statistical significance. However, high-intensity statin users in comparison to non-intensive statin users had higher adjusted odds of aortic, peripheral, and visceral artery aneurysms (OR: 1.76, 95% CI: 1.37-2.25, p < .0001). Conclusions This study does not support a clinically significant benefit or harm from statins regarding development of arterial aneurysm. However, secondary analyses may support the hypothesis proposed by previous research proposing a bidirectional role for statins.
cGAS Conducts Micronuclei DNA Surveillance

DNA damage elicits a potent proinflammatory immune response. A collection of four papers now reveals that micronuclear DNA is a new cell intrinsic immunostimulatory molecule, and that accumulation of the immune sensor cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS) in micronuclei leads to a cell-cycle-dependent proinflammatory response following DNA damage.
The Ubiquitin–Proteasome System and Cardiovascular Disease

Over the past decade, the role of the ubiquitin–proteasome system (UPS) has been the subject of numerous studies to elucidate its role in cardiovascular physiology and pathophysiology. There have been many advances in this field including the use of proteomics to achieve a better understanding of how the cardiac proteasome is regulated. Moreover, improved methods for the assessment of UPS function and the development of genetic models to study the role of the UPS have led to the realization that often the function of this system deviates from the norm in many cardiovascular pathologies. Hence, dysfunction has been described in atherosclerosis, familial cardiac proteinopathies, idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathies, and myocardial ischemia. This has led to numerous studies of the ubiquitin protein (E3) ligases and their roles in cardiac physiology and pathophysiology. This has also led to the controversial proposition of treating atherosclerosis, cardiac hypertrophy, and myocardial ischemia with proteasome inhibitors. Furthering our knowledge of this system may help in the development of new UPS-based therapeutic modalities for mitigation of cardiovascular disease.
The Action of Acrosin on the Zona Pellucida

The presence of hydrolytic enzymes in and associated with the sperm head has long argued for their functioning in fertilization. Several observations led investigators to propose that the acrosomal trypsin-like enzyme, acrosin in mammals, functioned in fertilization in aiding the sperm to penetrate the zona pellucida. While many have raised significant objections to this role, the action of acrosin on its presumed physiological substrate has not been characterized in a biochemical fashion. The intent of this study was to examine the effect of sperm proteases on the innermost egg envelopes in a parallel study, with the pig, Sous scrofa and the South African clawed frog, Xenopus laevis. With the pig, a great deal of information exists concerning the boar enzyme, acrosin, but little is known about the chemical structure of the zona pellucida. The opposite situation exists in X. laevis where the vitelline envelope is well characterized chemically, but little is known about the putative sperm lysins.
Zirconium tetrachloride revisited.

Zirconium tetra­chloride, ZrCl4, is a strategic material with wide-ranging applications. Until now, only one crystallographic study on ZrCl4 has been reported [Krebs (1970). Z. Anorg. Allg. Chem. 378, 263–272] and that was more than 40 years ago. The compound used for the previous determination was prepared from ZrO2 and Cl2–CCl4, and single-crystal X-ray diffraction (SCXRD) studies on ZrCl4 obtained from Zr metal have not yet been reported. In this context, we prepared ZrCl4 from the reaction of Zr metal and Cl2 gas in a sealed tube and investigated its structure at 100, 150, 200, 250, and 300 K. At 300 K, the SCXRD analysis indicates that ZrCl4 crystallizes in the ortho­rhom­bic space group Pca21 [a = 6.262 (9), b = 7.402 (11), c = 12.039 (17) A, and V = 558.0 (14) A3] and consists of infinite zigzag chains of edge-sharing ZrCl6 octa­hedra. This chain motif is similar to that observed previously in ZrCl4, but the structural parameters and space group differ. In the temperature range 100–300 K, no phase transformation was identified, while elongation of intra-chain Zr⋯Zr [3.950 (1) A at 100 K and 3.968 (5) A at 300 K] and inter-chain Cl⋯Cl [3.630 (3) A at 100 K and 3.687 (9) A at 300 K] distances occurred.
Resolving hypotheses with successive chisquares

A set of hypotheses H1,...Hk form a hierarchy if their respective parameter spaces are completely imbedded. That is, if ω1 ⊃...⊃ωk, and the dimensions are strictly ordered: D(ω1) >...>D(ωk). The most tenable hypothesis from a given hierarchy is selected by forming successive likelihood ratio chisquares Λ12,...Λ1k and testing them in reverse order. The first non-significant LR Chisquare, say, Λ1j, 2≤j≤k implies Hj should be selected as the most tenable from the hierarchy.
3-D Transport-Chemistry Studies of the Stratosphere Using Satellite Data Together with Data Assimilation

The use of 3-D assimilation model-derived dynamics in transport-chemistry models is a relatively new research methodology that has been used to interpret aircraft, ground-based remote sensing, balloon, and satellite data for the stratosphere. The unique aspect of these studies is that since the output of the assimilation procedure is a statistically optimal representation of dynamics, the time-varying output from this type of transport-chemistry model may be compared with sequences of actual observations. Some applications of this technique are presented relating to LIMS observations of nitric acid; the relation of satellite observed fields to model results; studies of the stratospheric ozone budget; and study of polar processing in relation to UARS CIO data.
Using the Probability of Cesarean from a Validated Cesarean Prediction Calculator to Predict Labor Length and Morbidity.

Objective To determine if increasing predicted risk of cesarean was associated with longer labor length and increased morbidity among women undergoing induction with an unfavorable cervix. Study Design Using a publically available database, we evaluated whether a previously validated prediction model for cesarean delivery after induction was associated with labor length, maternal morbidity (third-/fourth-degree lacerations, endometritis, blood transfusion, wound infection, venous thromboembolism, hysterectomy, intensive care unit admission, and death), and neonatal morbidity (blood transfusion, encephalopathy, intraventricular hemorrhage, severe respiratory distress syndrome, necrotizing enterocolitis, and sepsis). Full-term (≥37 weeks) singleton gestations with intact membranes and an unfavorable cervix (Bishop score ≤6 and dilation ≤2 cm) undergoing induction of labor were included. Results A total of 8,466 women met the inclusion criteria. Each category increase in cesarean probability ( Conclusion Using a validated prediction model for cesarean delivery among women induced with an unfavorable cervix, increasing predicted probability of cesarean is associated with longer labor length and increased maternal and neonatal morbidity.