cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Induction of tumor necrosis factor by bryostatin 1 is involved in synergistic interactions with paclitaxel in human myeloid leukemia cells

Interactions between the protein kinase C (PKC) activator/down-regulator bryostatin 1 and paclitaxel have been examined in human myeloid leukemia cells (U937) and in highly paclitaxel-resistant cells ectopically expressing a Bcl-2 phosphorylation loop–deleted protein (ΔBcl-2). Treatment (24 hours) of wild-type cells with paclitaxel (eg, 5 to 20 nM) in combination with 10 nM bryostatin 1 induced a marked increase in mitochondrial damage (eg, cytochrome c and Smac/DIABLO [second mitochondria-derived activator of caspases/direct IAP binding protein with low pI] release), caspase activation, Bid cleavage, and apoptosis; moreover, bryostatin 1 circumvented the block to paclitaxel-induced mitochondrial injury and apoptosis conferred by ectopic expression of the loop-deleted protein. Coadministration of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) soluble receptors, or ectopic expression of CrmA or dominant-negative caspase-8, abrogated potentiation of paclitaxel-induced mitochondrial injury and apoptosis by bryostatin 1, implicating the extrinsic apoptotic pathway in this process. Similar events occurred in HL-60 leukemia cells. Potentiation of paclitaxel-induced apoptosis in wild-type and mutant cells by bryostatin 1 was associated with increases in TNF-α mRNA and protein and was mimicked by exogenous TNF-α. Coadministration of the selective PKC inhibitor GFX (1 μM) blocked the increase in TNF-α mRNA levels and apoptosis in bryostatin 1/paclitaxel–treated cells. Lastly, synchronization of cells in G2M increased their sensitivity to TNF-α–associated lethality. Collectively, these findings indicate that in U937 cells, bryostatin 1 promotes paclitaxel-mediated mitochondrial injury and apoptosis, and circumvents resistance to cell death conferred by loss of the Bcl-2 phosphorylation domain, through the PKC-dependent induction of TNF-α. They further suggest that this process is amplified by paclitaxel-mediated arrest of cells in G2M, where they are more susceptible to TNF-α–induced lethality.
INSIDER TRADING EFFECTS ON STOCK RETURNS AROUND OPEN-MARKET STOCK REPURCHASE ANNOUNCEMENTS: AN EMPIRICAL STUDY

In this paper we empirically examine the effects of insider trading activities, the percentage of common shares outstanding authorized for repurchase, and management ownership on stock returns around open-market stock repurchase announcements. The study is conducted on a sample of 204 firms that announced open-market stock repurchases between 1982 and 1990. Results show that insider trading activities during the month that immediately precedes the announcement have a significant effect. While stockholders of firms with insider net selling activities earn positive excess returns, those of firms with insider net buying activities earn larger and more significant excess returns. Insider trading activities during more distant periods do not show any effects on stock returns. Results also indicate that management ownership has a significant positive effect on stock returns, and this effect is more positive when the percentage of common shares outstanding authorized for repurchase is large.
The preparation of (Z)-2-lithio-ortho-styryllithium via an ortho-directed lithiation

Lithiation of (.Z)-24thiostyrene with t-butyllithium/TMEDA pentane led directly to (Z)-2-lithio-ortho-styryyrydithium. Subsequent treatment of this dilithio compound with difunctional electrophiles allowed the preparation of a variety of benzo[b]heteroles.
Hammer Juggling, Rotational Instability, and Eigenvalues

(2006). Hammer Juggling, Rotational Instability, and Eigenvalues. Mathematics Magazine: Vol. 79, No. 4, pp. 243-250.
Development of Dipetalonema gracile in the squirrel monkey (Saimiri sciureus), with notes on its biology.

Infective larvae of Dipetalonema gracile, which had developed in Culicoides hollensis, were inoc- ulated into 4 laboratory-born squirrel monkeys, Saimiri sciureus. Weekly blood sampling revealed the mean prepatent period to be 297 days. All 4 monkeys developed patent infections in which peak microfilaremias were reached 13 to 18 wk after patency. Two laparotomies, performed at 27 and 64 wk, were conducted to evaluate pathological involvement and, at that later time, to recover adult parasites. Slight capsular fibrosis was observed on the spleen of 2 of the animals but fibrous adhesions were absent. Microfilaremias in the 4 monkeys ranged from 15 to 250 mf/20 mm3 of blood and the number of adult parasites recovered varied from 7 to 13. However, the level of microfilaremia did not correlate directly to the number of adult parasites recovered.
On the spread of suppression and binocular rivalry

Abstract Suppression during rivalry between line patterns extends beyond the place of overlap of superposed lines. It spreads to encompass more distant portions of the non-dominant line. This spread of suppression was measured in simple line patterns. Its magnitude was found to vary with non-conjugate eye movements, but not to be entirely dependent upon them. An explanation of the contribution of eye movements was offered in terms of a time-lag in recovery from local suppression. Rivalry was found to occur when luminous areas were partially superposed but not when they were in register with each other.
Diazotrophic endophytes of native black cottonwood and willow

Poplar and willow are economically-important, fast-growing tree species with the ability to colonize nutrient-poor environments. To initiate a study on the possible contribution of endophytes to this ability, we isolated bacteria from within surface-sterilized stems of native poplar (Populus trichocarpa) and willow (Salix sitchensis) in a riparian system in western Washington state. Several of the isolates grew well in nitrogen-limited medium. The presence ofnifH, a gene encoding one of the subunits of nitrogenase, was confirmed in several of the isolates including species ofBurkholderia, Rahnella, Sphingomonas, andAcinetobacter. Nitrogenase activity (as measured by the acetylene reduction assay) was also confirmed in some of the isolates. The presence of these diazotrophic microorganisms may help explain the ability of these pioneering tree species to grow under nitrogen limitation.
On the analysis of shock implosion

An imploding shock wave, coming from infinity, moves through an ideal gas with the adiabatic constant γ. To define a single-valued self-similar coefficient λ(γ), over the whole classical interval 1 < γ < ∞, its boundary values λ(1), λ(∞) are deduced. The conservation equations, cast in form of quadratics, exhibit their singular points P,M,M′. At P the pressure is maximum, at M the velocity of the gas U1, minus ξ, equals the speed of sound C, at M′ there is a linear relationship between U1, U1 and C. The representative curve of the compressed gas passes analytically through all of them. The relative position of P, M, M′ leads to three solutions of the quadratic conservation equations. Representative curves of the state of the imploded gas, at various values of γ, are shown. The errors associated with the idealized models of implosion and explosion are evaluated.
A tyrosine hydroxylase-neurofilament chimeric promoter enhances long-term expression in rat forebrain neurons from helper virus-free HSV-1 vectors.

Helper virus-free herpes simplex virus (HSV-1) plasmid vectors are attractive for neural gene transfer, but a promoter that supports neuronal-specific, long-term expression is required. Although expression from many promoters is unstable, a 6.8-kb, but not a 766-bp, fragment of the tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) promoter supports long-term expression. Thus, 5′ upstream sequences in this promoter may enhance expression. In this study, we evaluated expression from vectors that contain 5′ upstream sequences from this promoter (−0.5 to −6.8 kb) inserted at the 5′ end of either a neurofilament heavy subunit (NF-H) promoter or the cytomegalovirus (CMV) immediate early promoter. The TH-NFH promoter supported expression for 6 months in the striatum, 2 months in the hippocampus, and for 1 month in both perirhinal and postrhinal cortex (the longest time points examined). Expression was targeted to neurons. The enhanced expression may require specific sequences in the TH promoter fragment because replacing this fragment with a similar sized fragment of bacteriophage λ DNA did not enhance expression. The reverse orientation of the TH promoter fragment also enhanced expression. Insertion of insulators from the chicken β-globin locus between the TH-NFHlac transcription unit and the vector backbone may support a modest additional enhancement in expression. Other eucaryotic sequences may also enhance expression; a S. cerevisiae (40-kb fragment)-NFH promoter enhanced expression. In contrast, the TH-CMV promoter did not enhance expression. Thus, the TH-NFH promoter may support some physiological studies that require long-term expression in forebrain neurons.
Rare presentation of post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder isolated to gastroesophageal junction

Post transplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD) represents a life threatening disorder occurring after transplantation, ranging from a polyclonal mononucleosis like illness to a monomorphic high grade neoplasm with cytologic and histopathologic evidence indicative of transformation to lymphoma. PTLD of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) subtype, isolated to the esophagus is a rare diagnosis. We describe the first case of an immunocompromised adult patient diagnosed with DLBCL-PTLD limited to his esophagus without an associated mass or locoregional lymphadenopathy on imaging since the institution of the revised Cheson criteria, which includes positron emission tomography-computed tomography as the standard staging modality. Even more unique to our case was the suggestion of underlying cytomegalovirus (CMV) gastritis leading to a hypothesis about a less well understood relationship between CMV and Epstein Barr virus (EBV). In the post transplant setting, immunocompromised state, or EBV positive state, upper gastrointestinal symptoms should prompt investigation with an upper endoscopy (EGD). Additionally, specific to our case, the fact that the patients’ presentation was suspicious for CMV gastritis raises the possibility that the CMV infection predated his PTLD increasing his risk of acquiring PTLD. This reemphasizes the importance and diagnostic utility of early screening with EGD in patients after transplantation.
Description of Mg2+ release from forsterite using ab initio methods

Molecular clusters representative of protonated, neutral, and deprotonated sites on a forsterite (Mg2SiO4) surface were employed to facilitate examination of Mg−Obr bond-breaking via density functi...
Silibinin (Milk Thistle) potentiates ethanol-dependent hepatocellular carcinoma progression in male mice

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a global health burden with limited treatment options and poor prognosis. Silibinin, an antioxidant derived from the Milk Thistle plant (Silybum marianum), is reported to exert hepatoprotective and antitumorigenic effects in vitro and in vivo by suppressing oxidative stress and proliferation. Using a DEN-initiated mouse model of HCC, this study examined the effects of dietary silibinin supplementation alone, or in combination with chronic ethanol consumption on HCC progression. Our data demonstrate silibinin exerted marginal hepatoprotective effects in early stages of hepatocarcinogenesis but, when co-administered with ethanol, exacerbated the promotional effects of ethanol in HCC bearing mice, but only in males.
ART and the ribosome: A preliminary report on the three-dimensional structure of individual ribosomes determined by an algebraic reconstruction technique

Abstract Individual negatively stained ribosomes (rat liver) have been reconstructed by one of the algebraic reconstruction techniques from a series of electron photomicrographs taken at six angles (−36 °, −18 °, 0 °, 18 °, 36 °, 45 °). The resolution is estimated to be 20 A. The reconstructions show a great deal of structural detail. In general, the ribosomes are similar, but distortion due to preparation and the incompleteness of these first reconstructions permit no more than qualitative comparisons. The reconstructions check against the photographs from which they were made.
A Transcultural Spiritually Based Program to Enhance Caregiving Self-Efficacy: A Pilot Study

This study examined how training in a nonsectarian toolkit of spiritually based self-management techniques affected the caregiving self-efficacy (confidence) of health professionals, including physicians, nurses, psychologists, and chaplains. Before and after an 8-week, 2-hour per week training in the meditation-based Eight Point Program of Easwaran (1978/1991b), participants (n = 14) completed a newly developed 32-item caregiving self-efficacy questionnaire. Data were also gathered regarding sociodemographic characteristics, spiritual and religious self-perceptions and practices, and program adherence. Results indicated that mean pre/post self-efficacy increases were large (Cohen's d > 0.80), statistically significant (p < 0.01), and associated with greater use of specific pro-gram practices. Three participants reported increases in self-perceived spirituality. Self-efficacy increases were largest for participants identifying themselves as least spiritual at pretest (p < 0.05), or reporting increases in ...
THE EFFECT OF INFERIOR VENA CAVA FILTER PLACEMENT ON IN–HOSPITAL OUTCOMES IN PATIENTS WITH LOWER EXTREMITY DEEP VEIN THROMBOSIS

The use of inferior vena cava (IVC) filter placement in the management of patients with acute proximal deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is controversial and their impact on outcomes are unknown. We used the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) database from 2005 to 2010 to identify patients admitted with a
Lymphocyte transformation in subjects with nodulo cystic acne.

SUMMARY Patients with severe nodulo-cystic acne are known to have elevated serum antibody levels and increased immediate hypersensitivity reactions to Propionibacterium acnes. This organism is the predominant bacterium in normal pilosebaceous follicles of human skin, and can be consistently isolated from pustular lesions in acne. Previously it had been observed that delayed cutaneous hypersensitivity reactions to P. acnes were negative in patients with acne. The present study investigated the proliferative response of lymphocytes from patients with nodulo-cystic acne to phytohacmagglutinin (PHA) and P. acnes antigen stimulation. The response to PHA stimulation was within normal limits. The response to P. acnes antigen showed a significant increase over control values obtained by testing lymphocytes from acne-free subjects. Thus cell mediated immunity to P. acnes may be present in subjects with severe inflammatory acne. These findings raise the possibility that reactions to P. acnes may contribute to intensifying the inflammatory response in acne lesions.
A model for digital archiving of radiographs into a searchable database

Digital images are routinely used in orthodontic practices today. Many systems and formats are available for producing, storing, retrieving, viewing, and sharing these images. The digital imaging and communication in medicine (DICOM) standard is designed to ensure that these systems and formats are compatible, so that an image produced in a small private practice today can be viewed next year in a large hospital. The purpose of this article is to describe a method for laser scanning and digitization of analog (film) radiographs that meets DICOM standards and allows for web-based archiving, searching, and retrieval.
Advances in ground-penetrating radar for road subsurface measurements

Ground penetrating radar (GPR) is becoming an increasingly useful tool for road subsurface characterization. The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) has recently obtained a new 1 GHz ground penetrating radar with the ability to make high resolution measurements. Depth profile scan rates of the new radar are about 50 scan/sec and the radar operates on a test van travelling at speeds up to 50 - 55 MHz. The time domain data collected by the GPR allow the determination of thickness of the road surface and subsurface layers and, with appropriate signal processing, the data can provide information about voids and other anomalies within road layer interfaces. This paper will describe the salient features of the Florida DOT ground penetrating radar, recent measurement results, and applications of GPR for road assessments. It will also describe preliminary results of a University of Florida project which is employing advanced signal processing techniques to detect and classify subsurface anomalies in road layers. As a precursor to anomaly detection we are developing improved techniques for finding road layer thicknesses and dielectric constants. The processing techniques being developed include matched filter and slope detection algorithms. A goal of the current work is to develop signal processing techniques that will allow FDOT to evaluate subsurface conditions for large sections of road throughout Florida in a more accurate and rapid manner. It is expected that the GPR and the results of current research will assist the FDOT in more accurately determining road layer thickness profiles, in assessing road subsurface conditions with less coring, and aid in rehabilitating roads with less manpower than is now required. Such capabilities will allow potentially serious problems to be corrected before they become costly and will also provide a useful tool for future road design and improvement.
The global relevance of disease management programmes for heart failure

Heart failure is a worldwide health-care problem, recently highlighted in a report from the Global Heart Failure Awareness Programme of the Heart Failure Association of the European Society of Cardiology.1 For nearly all countries for which there are data, heart failure consumes 1–2% of expenditure, chiefly related to the costs of hospitalization. Despite differences in heart failure aetiology and demographics in highand middle-income countries, the need for accurate and speedy diagnosis, access to life-saving therapies, and appropriate support for individuals and their families is universal. International guidelines strongly support disease management programmes,2,3 including follow-up shortly after discharge from hospital and in the high-risk period (the first 3 months) thereafter. The most recent edition of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association guidelines suggest that a follow-up visit within 7–14 days and/or a telephone follow-up within 3 days of hospital discharge are ‘reasonable’, with a B grading for level of evidence and a IIa class of recommendation. Standards have also been suggested for disease management programmes, with the goal of providing a seamless system of care across primary and hospital care.4 Patient education to support self-monitoring and self-care, where appropriate, is seen as central to any such programme. However, the evidence base for such recommendations is largely confined to randomized trials from high-income countries. In a recent meta-analysis of disease management programmes for heart failure, including 46 studies,5 30 (65%) were based in the USA or Canada, nine in Europe, six in Australia or New Zealand, and only one came from a middle-income country (Argentina). Despite international guidelines, the relevance of a randomized clinical trial (RCT) to routine practice is often questioned. This is particularly the case when the RCT is based in a health-care system that is constructed (and funded) in a very different way from that found in the geography considering how to organize heart failure services. Reimbursement authorities and health-care insurance companies frequently question the relevance of studies from other geographies. Of course, the biology of the heart failure is unlikely to be different, but the impact of a health-care intervention on the pattern of health-care utilization may be very different. Where the quality or relevance of the
The Impact of College Football Games on Local Sales Tax Revenue: Evidence from Four Cities in Texas

This paper analyzes the net impacts of college football games on the sales tax revenues and taxable sales of four mid-sized cities in Texas. The paper addresses the question in the title, but also asks whether state policy-makers might be justified in encouraging schools in their state to play one another based on the local economic impact those games will have. In general, our evidence suggests the answer to that question is no.
John Dewey and the Liberal Science of Community

The social and political philosophy of John Dewey is not idiosyncratically American in character. It appeals to the rationality of science in order to compensate for the failure of the liberal tradition of politics to specify adequately the grounds of membership within a political community; as such, it perpetuates a branch of that tradition whose origins are found in the work of Thomas Hobbes and whose recent adherents include Max Weber and Emile Durkheim. By purifying the language of common sense through the application of a method of scientific abstraction, Dewey seeks to furnish liberal citizens with a shared apprehension of the web of interdependence which now confuses their daily experience and thus to enable those citizens to exercise rational control over the consequences of that interdependence. However, the kind of political education which is to transform this scientific knowledge into a possession of the public must undermine the coherence of the forms of community within which, according to D...
Effect Study of Large-Scale PV Power Access to HVDC System

In order to realize electric power high voltage, large capacity, long distance transmission and regional power grid interconnection, dc transmission system is an important technical means, and it plays an important role for cross-regional given of new large-scale energy power generation. Based on large scale photovoltaic (PV) power generation access to the northwest power grid as the object, this article set up PV power station model, analysis the influence of large-scale PV power access to HVDC system under different PV station operating mode and the grid disturbance situation. At last this paper puts forward suggestions and measures to guarantee stable operation of large scale PV power generation access to the system.
Application of Probabilistic Fracture Mechanics to Prognosis of Aircraft Engine Components

It is generally accepted that traditional logistics functions including periodic nondestructive inspections and planned maintenance increase the reliability and readiness of turbine engines. Nevertheless, further significant enhancements in reliability and readiness are believed to be possible through the implementation of a prognosis system based on online monitoring and interpretation of critical engine operating parameters and conditions to diagnose potential problems and forecast readiness. An approach is presented for improving probabilistic life prediction estimates through the application of prognosis methods. Actual F-16/F100 usage data from flight data recorders were interfaced with a probabilistic life prediction code to quantify the influence of usage on the probability of fracture of an idealized titanium compressor disk. For the example cases considered, it is shown that usage variability leads to about 6 × × variability in life and from 10 × × to 100 × variability in the probability of fracture. The results suggest that variability in usage could provide a basis for selectively extending the life of aircraft engines.
Assessing Generalization in Perceived Self-Efficacy: Multidomain and Global Assessments of the Effects of Self-Defense Training for Women

The authors assessed the impact of self-defense training for women on multifaceted aspects of perceived self-efficacy. As compared to a waiting list control condition, training increased self-efficacy perceptions not only for self-defense skills but also across a variety of domains, including self-defense abilities, sports competencies, and coping skills. Trained participants also experienced a significant increase in more global aspects of personality, including perceptions of physical self-efficacy and assertiveness. No changes were detected on a trait measure of global self-efficacy; however, there was a significant change on a composite score of a multidomain self-efficacy questionnaire and on several domain-specific subscales, indicating that trained participants experienced a boost in multiple domains of self-efficacy not directly tapped by the intervention. Implications for constructing more sensitive measures of coping skills generalization effects are discussed.
NMR Chemical Shifts. 1. The Role of Relative Atomic Orbital Phase in Determining the Sign of the Paramagnetic Terms: ClF, CH3F, CH3NH3+, FNH3+, and HC⋮CF

The shielding of several nuclei for molecules in magnetic fields was examined via B3LYP/6-311+G(3df,3pd) calculations using the MP2/6-31G* geometries. Both the gauge-invariant atomic orbital (GIAO)...
ELITE INTERVIEWING AND SOCIAL STRUCTURE: AN EXAMPLE FROM YUGOSLAVIA

Growing interest in the study of elite groups is reflected in this issue of the Public Opinion Quarterly. Here, Bogdan Denitch describes a study of Yugoslav opinion leaders carried out by teams of scholars from the United States and Yugoslavia in 1968, with particular attention to problems of field work and their implications for similar studies. The author is a Senior Staff Associate at the Bureau of Applied Social Research, Columbia University.
Magnesium sulfate adversely affects fetal lamb survival and blocks fetal cerebral blood flow response during maternal hemorrhage.

Magnesium sulfate is commonly used in high-risk pregnancies, even though its actions in the fetus during maternal/fetal stress are not completely understood. The present study tested the hypothesis that magnesium sulfate alters the fetal cerebral blood flow response to hypoxemia produced during maternal hemorrhage. It was conducted in instrumented near-term fetal lambs at 123 days of gestation. Experimental treatment involved four periods of maternal hemorrhage over a 60-min period during fetal infusion of 0.25 g (n = 5) or 0.30 g (n = 6) magnesium sulfate, or normal saline (n = 11). The level of fetal cerebral blood flow was determined using radiolabeled microspheres. For all three treatment groups, maternal hemorrhage produced fetal hypoxemia and some fetal demise. During fetal infusion of saline, 1 of 11 (9%) of the fetuses died ; with the 0.25-g magnesium sulfate regimen, 1 of 5 (20%) died ; and with the 0.30-g magnesium sulfate regimen, 3 of 6 (50%) of the fetuses died. Magnesium sulfate caused an increase in the proportion of fetal death produced by maternal hemorrhage (P < 0.05). Among surviving fetuses, hemorrhage-induced hypoxemia increased fetal cerebral blood flow during saline infusion. In contrast, infusion of magnesium sulfate had an inhibitory effect on this compensatory increase in fetal cerebral blood flow (P = 0.003). These data indicate that, in the sheep, magnesium sulfate increases fetal mortality and inhibits the compensatory increase in fetal cerebral blood flow during maternal hemorrhage-induced fetal hypoxemia.
Biomechanical and elastographic analysis of mesenchymal stromal cell treated tissue following surgery.

Hernia repair continues to be a problem facing surgeons today, particularly because of the high incidence of reoccurrence. This work presents preliminary data of a pioneering effort to investigate the effect of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) on mechanical property enhancement in full thickness fascial defects. Heparinized MSCs harvested from a rabbit’s tibia/iliac crest were applied to two fascial defects on the rabbit’s abdominal wall, with two other defects acting as controls (no MSCs added). After an 8 week recovery period, the entire abdominal fascia was harvested for mechanical property testing and elastographic strain analysis. Preliminary results from uniaxial tensile testing indicate a significant increase in the modulus of toughness strain energy, with at least a 50% increase in the MSC treated defects as compared with the control defects. Results from the elastographic strain analysis show excellent correlation in the calibration of the elastography to the uniaxial tensile test, with nearly identical moduli of elasticity. In addition, the elastographs clearly show tissue property heterogeneity at all stages of tensile testing. The MSC treated tissue demonstrates promise of enhanced material properties over that of the nontreated tissue; testing and analysis is ongoing. The elastography provides pixel-level description of tissue property variations providing critical information on wound healing effectiveness that would be impossible with other methods. In the ongoing research, optical elastography, in combination with the traditional tensile test and tissue histology, will be used to characterize localized biomechanical properties directly within the defect area and to locate “crack” initiation and propagation sights as the material is strained to rupture.
Effects of drug treatment for heroin sniffers: a protective factor against moving to injection?

Abstract We explore the relationship between contact with treatment and transition to injection for heroin sniffers. Our primary research question is, does contact with treatment delay onset of injection for heroin sniffers? A stratified network-based sample was recruited from multiple communities in South Florida which were known for high drug use. Three categories of respondents were recruited based on injection outcome: long-term injectors, short-term injectors, and sniffers (n=900). We answer our research question in two steps. First, we investigate the prevalence of drug treatment for heroin sniffers and injectors using case-control methods. The preliminary findings indicate a positive relationship between contact with treatment and injection status outcome. Second, we further examine the relationship by attempting to identify the causal factors that delay initial injection for a subgroup of current injectors using survival regression procedures. Delaying or preventing transition to injection could significantly decrease risk of HIV transmission by reducing or eliminating risky injecting behaviors. We conclude with a discussion of policy implications and suggestions for future research.
Low swing dual threshold voltage domino logic

A low swing domino logic technique is proposed to decrease power consumption without sacrificing noise immunity. With the proposed low swing domino logic circuit technique, active power consumption is reduced by up to 9.4% while improving the noise immunity by 2.6% as compared to standard domino logic circuits. It is also shown that by applying a low swing contention reduction technique, the power savings can be further increased by 6.7% while the delay can be improved by 8.6%. A simple and efficient dual threshold voltage (dual-Vt) circuit technique that incorporates low swing signals is also proposed. It is shown that the proposed dual-Vt technique reduces the standby leakage current by approximately 235 times while offering enhanced delay characteristics as compared to a standard low threshold voltage implementation.
Serotonin receptors modulate GABA(A) receptor channels through activation of anchored protein kinase C in prefrontal cortical neurons.

Serotonergic neurotransmission in prefrontal cortex (PFC) has long been known to play a key role in regulating emotion and cognition under normal and pathological conditions. However, the cellular mechanisms by which this regulation occurs are unclear. In this study, we examined the impact of serotonin on GABAA receptor channels in PFC pyramidal neurons using combined patch-clamp recording, biochemical, and molecular approaches. Application of serotonin produced a reduction of postsynaptic GABAA receptor currents. Although multiple 5-HT receptors were coexpressed in PFC pyramidal neurons, the serotonergic modulation of GABA-evoked currents was mimicked by the 5-HT2-class agonist (−)-2,5-dimethoxy-4-iodoamphetamine and blocked by 5-HT2 antagonists risperidone and ketanserin, indicating the mediation by 5-HT2 receptors. Inhibiting phospholipase C blocked the 5-HT2 inhibition of GABAA currents, as did dialysis with protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitory peptide. Moreover, activation of 5-HT2 receptors in PFC slices increased the in vitro kinase activity of PKC toward GABAA receptor γ2 subunits. Disrupting the interaction of PKC with its anchoring protein RACK1 (receptor for activated C kinase) eliminated the 5-HT2 modulation of GABAA currents, suggesting that RACK1-mediated targeting of PKC to the vicinity of GABAA receptors is required for the serotonergic signaling. Together, our results show that activation of 5-HT2 receptors in PFC pyramidal neurons inhibits GABAA currents through phosphorylation of GABAAreceptors by the activation of anchored PKC. The suppression of GABAergic signaling provides a novel mechanism for serotonergic modulation of PFC neuronal activity, which may underlie the actions of many antidepressant drugs.
Characterization of antenna broadband dispersive features

Real-world antennas distort broadband signals depending on (i) their geometrical structures, (ii) driving waveforms, and (iii) port termination. The first two factors are widely discussed in literature including selection of best signal waveforms and antenna shapes. Port loading effects are readily analyzed with the method. Although the three factors are intermixed in observable features of broadband practical antennas, understanding and controlling contributions of each individual factor to the overall frequency-dependent nature of broadband antennas is valuable for research and development.
Detection sensitivity enhancements for fluorescence imaging with multi-photon excitation microscopy

Multiphoton excitation microscopy (MPEM) offers several distinct advantages over laser scanning confocal microscopy (LSCM). One is that the resolution and the thickness of the optical section are determined by the excitation beam; a confocal detection aperture is therefore unnecessary. This feature allows the photodetector to be relocated from its usual location in the descanned emission beam within a confocal scan head so as to directly intercept the emitted fluorescent signal emerging from the microscope. The enhancement in signal gained by changing from internal to whole area (external) detection in this way has been evaluated quantitatively. In particular, longitudinal chromatic aberration has been shown to reduce the efficiency of internal detection relative to external. Also, a novel optical design is described, which allows increased collection efficiency with MPEM by capturing light emitted away from the objective lens. Together, these two enhancements typically provide an improvement in efficiency of at least 4.5 times, and even greater inside thick and scattering specimens. Such improvements are crucial for extending the longevity of living preparations by minimizing phototoxic exposure during observation. They also enable deeper imaging inside specimens where signal loss by scattering has previously limited the obtainable sectioning depth.
School-Linked Services Integration Crisis and Opportunity in the Transition to Postmodern Society

This article considers the implications of the school-linked services integration reform movement for professional practice and discourse in the fields of special and remedial education, as well as for the broader political goal of democratic transformation in america. although we see the services integration policy agenda as an important vehicle for addressing a variety of interrelated social and educational problems associated with the transition to a postmodern society, we argue that it hasn't been adequately theorized in terms of the methods of discourse and value orientation necessary to achieve its explicit and implicit goals. we begin with a discussion of postmodern theorizing in which we identify pragmatism as providing the appropriate method and value analytic framework for realizing the goals of the school-linked services integration movement and the broader aim of democratic transformation. then, we consider some key examples of the school-linked services integration concept, noting their affin...
Polyol pathway and RAGE: a central metabolic and signaling axis in diabetic complications

There are multiple metabolic and molecular consequences of hyperglycemia. This review will focus on the roles of the polyol pathway and the receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) in the pathogenesis of diabetic complications. The lead enzyme of the polyol pathway, aldose reductase, transduces maladaptive effects of hyperglycemia by multiple mechanisms, at least in part via the generation of the products of nonenzymatic glycation of proteins, the advanced glycation end products (AGEs). Furthermore, seminal shifts in metabolic flux in the intracellular space stimulated by aldose reductase action activate signal transduction pathways, which alter gene expression and change cellular phenotype. Among the ligands of the multi-ligand receptor RAGE are the AGEs. AGE-RAGE stimulation mediates vascular and target cell dysfunction. The intersection and interdependence of the polyol pathway-RAGE connection suggest that targeting this axis may provide benefit in reducing the complications of diabetes.
Effects of Mutations in GrlA of Topoisomerase IV from Staphylococcus aureus on Quinolone and Coumarin Activity

The grlA genes of Staphylococcus aureus ISP794 (wild type), MT5224c4 (grlA [Phe-80]), MT5224c2 (grlA [Pro-116]), and MT111 (grlA [Glu-116]) were cloned in pSK950, a shuttle vector, and introduced into S. aureus strains derived from strain RN4220. The mutations at position 116 of GrlA (Ala-->Pro or Glu) caused an increase in the level of fluoroquinolone resistance and a decrease in the level of coumarin susceptibility, whereas the mutation at position 80 (Ser-->Phe) caused only an increase in the level of fluoroquinolone resistance. In multicopy alleles, both types of mutations were codominant for fluoroquinolone resistance, and mutations at position 116 were also codominant for coumarin resistance.
What's real about virtual reality?

The author presents a personal assessment of the state of the art of VR. In 1994, he surveyed the field of VR. His assessment then was that VR almost worked, but that we were not yet there. There were lots of demos and pilot systems, but except for vehicle simulators and entertainment applications, VR was not yet in production use doing real work. This year he was invited to do an up-to-date assessment of VR, with funding to visit major centers in North America and Europe. Every one of the component technologies has made big strides. Moreover, I found that there now exist some VR applications routinely operated for the results they produce.
Exact sampling of TCP window states

We demonstrate how to apply Coupling from the Past, a simulation technique for exact sampling, to Markov chains based on TCP variants. This approach provides a new, statistically sound paradigm for network simulations: instead of simulating a protocol over long times, or explicitly finding the stationary distribution of a Markov chain, use Coupling from the Past to quickly obtain samples from the stationary distribution. Coupling from the Past is most efficient when the underlying state space satisfies a partial order and certain monotonicity conditions. To efficiently apply this general paradigm to TCP, we demonstrate that the states of a simple TCP model possess a monotonic partial order; this order appears interesting in its own right. Preliminary simulation results indicate that this approach is quite efficient, and produces results which am similar to those obtained by simulating a TCP-Tahoe connection.
An approach to boundary detection in ultrasound imaging

Ultrasound imaging systems pose unique challenges for standard edge detection algorithms, because the boundaries between regions of interest in an ultrasonogram are typically bright streaks between similar intensity regions, rather than demarcations between regions of differing contrast. This paper presents an approach to boundary identification in ultrasound images that sidesteps this problem by the use of operators that work parallel to the edges rather than perpendicular, as most edge detection procedures do. These operators, called lsticksr, are line segments short enough that they can locally approximate the edges in the image, but long enough that their projections onto background noise are insignificant. The algorithm produces a new image by plotting at every point the local projection of the original image onto the stick whose orientation relative to the image maximizes the projected value. The result is an image with reduced speckle noise and enhanced edges in which boundaries between different regions can be more easily detected. This approach has been applied to real-world distance estimation research; processed images indicate distances which correlate highly with physical measurements of the actual tissue
Sensory impact of free fatty acids on the aroma of a model Cheddar cheese.

Abstract The fatty acid profile from the retronasal aroma of Cheddar cheese was determined using the retronasal aroma simulator (RAS). Seven odor potent fatty acids identified in Cheddar cheese were placed in model systems and sampled in the RAS. Volatile acids were trapped by solid phase microextraction and identified by GC/MS. The six released fatty acids were added to a model cheese system and subjected to a descriptive analysis sensory test, using omission testing (N-1). Six cheese models, each omitting one fatty acid, were tested in triplicate against a complete model by a trained panel, under a randomized complete block design. Panelists rated the intensity of six descriptors. In one additional test session, the complete model was tested against a model omitting all fatty acids. Results indicated that the omission of propionic acid from the cheese model led to a significant increase (α=0.10) in the ratings for the ‘cream’ descriptor ( P =0.08). The omission of all fatty acids resulted in a significant decrease in the ratings for the ‘sweaty’ descriptor ( P =0.07). Surprisingly, the ratings for the ‘Cheddar’ descriptor did not change under any circumstances. This suggests that although some compounds contribute heavily to the aroma of a food based on their odor potency, the removal of such compounds does not necessarily alter the sensory perception of the overall food concept.
Credit Swap Valuation

This review of the pricing of credit swaps, a form of derivative security that can be viewed as default insurance on loans or bonds, begins with a description of the credit swap contract, turns to pricing by reference to spreads over the risk-free rate of par floating-rate bonds of the same quality, and then considers model-based pricing. The role of asset swap spreads as a reference for pricing credit swaps is also considered.
Studies on Feed Efficiency II. The Relative Efficiency of Corn and Oats in Chick Rations

Abstract OATS has been shown to have relatively low digestibility according to Bartlett (1910), Kaupp and Ivey (1923), and Fraps (1928). Roberts and Carrick (1941) compared a chick ration containing 38 percent of ground oats with a similar ration in which ground corn replaced oats. They reported that the chicks fed on the oat ration grew at a slower rate and required more feed per unit of gain than those fed on the corn ration. However, when the corn ration was compared with one containing 19 percent each of ground corn and ground oats there was little difference in either growth rate or feed efficiency. Roberts and Carrick (1934) compared chick starting rations containing 30 percent of ground oats with rations containing 15 percent each of wheat bran and wheat middlings. They concluded that there were no important differences between the two types of rations with respect to the growth rate, . . .
Microbial Mechanisms Mediating Increased Soil C Storage under Elevated Atmospheric N Deposition

Future rates of anthropogenic N deposition can slow the cycling and enhance the storage of C in forest ecosystems. In a northern hardwood forest ecosystem, experimental N deposition has decreased the extent of forestfloor decay, leading to increased soil C storage. To better understand the microbial mechanisms mediating this response, we examined the functional genes derived from communities of actinobacteria and fungi present in the forestfloor using GeoChip 4.0, a high-throughput functional-gene microarray. The compositions of functional genes derived from actinobacterial and fungal communities was significantly altered by experimental nitrogen deposition, with more heterogeneity detected in both groups. Experimental N deposition significantly decreased the richness and diversity of genes involved in the depolymerization of starch (12%), hemicellulose (16%), cellulose (16%), chitin (15%), and lignin (16%). The decrease in richness occurred across all taxonomic groupings detected by the microarray. The compositions of genes encoding oxidoreductases, which plausibly mediate lignin decay, were responsible for much of the observed dissimilarity between actinobacterial communities under ambient and experimental N deposition. This shift in composition and decrease in richness and diversity of genes encoding enzymes that mediate the decay process has occurred in parallel with a reduction in the extent of decay and accumulation of soil organic matter. Our observations indicate that compositional changes in actinobacterial and fungal communities elicited by experimental N deposition have functional implications for the cycling and storage of carbon in forest ecosystems.
Implication of nonenzymatic glycosylation as a mode of damage in dietary copper deficiency

Abstract The purpose of this study was to determine whether nonenzymatic glycosylation of proteins (glycation) could be implicated in the defects associated withdietary copper deficiency. Male, weanling Sprague-Dawley rats were fed for 5 weeks diets that were adequate (5 ppm) or deficient in Cu (∼0.5 ppm). Half of each group were given daily intraperitoneal injections of aminoguanidine, which inhibits glucation beyond formation of the Amadori product. Copper deficiency caused cardiac enlargement, anemia, enhanced production of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) in the heart and enhanced percentage of glycated hemoglobin (Hb A 1 ). Aminoguanidine ameliorated the cardiac enlargement and anemia but had no effect on TBARS production or hemoglobin glycation caused by copper deficiency. The enhanced percentage of Hb A 1 suggests that generalized protein glycation occurs in copper-deficient rats. The higher TBARS production in copper deficiency indicates that the peroxidation reported to be associated with glycation is occurring. The amelioration of cardiac enlargement and anemia of copper deficiency by aminoguanidine suggests that glucose-induced cross linking of proteins and their degradation into advanced glycosylation endproducts may contribute to those defects.