cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The antigenicity of soluble porcine elastins: I. Measurement of antibody by a radioimmunoassay.

Immunization of rabbits with either porcine tropoelastin, lung α-elastin, or aortic α-elastin resulted in the production of antibodies against the respective antigens. The assay of antibody activity with a radioimmunoassay indicated a high degree of cross reactivity between these three soluble elastin preparations. Through the use of competitive protein binding experiments it was possible to detect antigen-specific differences between tropoelastin and the two α-elastins. No antigenic differences were observed between lung or aortic α-elastin by any of the assay procedures used in this investigation. Absorption of the various antisera with either insolubilized tropoelastin, lung elastin or aortic elastin allowed the preparation of non-crossreactive antibodies and provided further evidence for the antigenic differences between tropoelastin and the soluble α-elastins. The implications of the findings, as they relate to our current understanding of the molecular and structural arrangement of elastin and the e...
Phospho-eIF2α Level Is Important for Determining Abilities of BACE1 Reduction to Rescue Cholinergic Neurodegeneration and Memory Defects in 5XFAD Mice

β-Site APP-cleaving enzyme 1 (BACE1) initiates amyloid-β (Aβ) generation and thus represents a prime therapeutic target in treating Alzheimer's disease (AD). Notably, increasing evidence indicates that BACE1 levels become elevated in AD brains as disease progresses; however, it remains unclear how the BACE1 upregulation may affect efficacies of therapeutic interventions including BACE1-inhibiting approaches. Here, we crossed heterozygous BACE1 knockout mice with AD transgenic mice (5XFAD model) and compared the abilities of partial BACE1 reduction to rescue AD-like phenotypes at earlier (6-month-old) and advanced (15–18-month-old) stages of disease, which expressed normal (∼100%) and elevated (∼200%) levels of BACE1, respectively. BACE1+/− deletion rescued memory deficits as tested by the spontaneous alternation Y-maze task in 5XFAD mice at the earlier stage and prevented their septohippocampal cholinergic deficits associated with significant neuronal loss. Importantly, BACE1+/− deletion was no longer able to rescue memory deficits or cholinergic neurodegeneration in 5XFAD mice at the advanced stage. Moreover, BACE1+/− deletion significantly reduced levels of Aβ42 and the β-secretase-cleaved C-terminal fragment (C99) in 6-month-old 5XFAD mouse brains, while these neurotoxic β-cleavage products dramatically elevated with age and were not affected by BACE1+/− deletion in 15–18-month-old 5XFAD brains. Interestingly, although BACE1+/− deletion lowered BACE1 expression by ∼50% in 5XFAD mice irrespective of age in concordance with the reduction in gene copy number, BACE1 equivalent to wild-type controls remained in BACE1+/−·5XFAD mice at the advanced age. In accord, phosphorylation of the translation initiation factor eIF2α, an important mediator of BACE1 elevation, was dramatically increased (∼9-fold) in 15–18-month-old 5XFAD mice and remained highly upregulated (∼6-fold) in age-matched BACE1+/−·5XFAD mice. Together, our results indicate that partial reduction of BACE1 is not sufficient to block the phospho-eIF2α-dependent BACE1 elevation during the progression of AD, thus limiting its abilities to reduce cerebral Aβ/C99 levels and rescue memory deficits and cholinergic neurodegeneration.
Documenting Growth in a Japanese FLES Program

This paper describes the implementation and evaluation of the second year of a three-year pilot project to teach Japanese to all students in grades K through 5 at a Pittsburgh elementary school. Quantitative and qualitative evidence gathered From children's performance on various types of language tasks confirms that they have made notable progress in develop ing proficiency in Japanese. Furthermore, the gains we have documented were not limited to children in the upper grades of the elementary school. At the same time, there were indications From the teacher's enddyear reflection that more could be done to incorporate the program into the “life” of the school.
Time Cost Analysis of Parallel Structures with Multi-Communication Nodes in a Shared Memory Environment

In the paper the time costs of several parallel computation structures are analyzed. These analyses are based on the assumptions that the processes communicate implicitly via the shared memory and that a locking mechanism is imposed on the access to shared variables. In previous work, an approach to estimating a set of special parallel computation structures has been developed. In this paper, we expand this approach and propose a new technique for covering more general parallel computation structures.
THE ROLE OF THE PASSENGER TRAIN IN THE UNITED STATES: A COST COMPARISON OF THE COMMON CARRIERS

Abstract The objective of this article is to establish whether the train has a role to play in the market for intercity passenger travel in the United States. To accomplish this objective, we compare the common carriers on the basis of thier cost effectiveness in moving a given flow of passengers between two points a specified distance apart. The comparisons are based on cost models which highlight the technological differences between the modes and eliminate distortions caused by public policy choices. By varying the size of the passenger flow and trip distance, we develop a notion of each common carrier's ideal operating environment. We find that the cost of the right-of-way is the major factor limiting the range of travel situations in which the train is cost competitive with the other common carriers. More specifically, our results indicate that Amtrak's service in the Northeast Corridor should be continued in the short run. In the long run, the possibility of upgrading Amtrak's service in the Northeast Corridor to high-speed service should be investigated. Outside the Northeast Corridor, we find that high-speed train service should be able to cover its operating costs but not its capital costs.
An Application of Nonlinear Regression in Research and Development: A Case Study From the Electronics Industry

Industry poses many challenges to the statistician, one of which is the formulation of the problem so that a technical solution can be applied. A vector demodulator, an instrument familiar to communications engineers, provides a vector representation of an input signal by representing its (possibly time-varying) amplitude and phase into two orthogonal components. To ensure the accuracy of the decomposition required for precise signal transmission, calibration adjustments to the instrument must be calculated and applied. The mathematical formulation of this problem is described and related to complex demodulation, a technique familiar to statisticians, and the statistical solution to the calibration problem using nonlinear regression is proposed. Implementation is a key component to the complete solution; during this phase, many more immediate and important issues arise. This case study illustrates the importance of not only deriving the technical solution to a statistical problem but also of following thr...
Composition duality and maximal monotonicity

This paper shows how the Attouch-Thera duality principle for operator inclusions can be extended to compositions of multifunctions, so that the primal and dual inclusions may involve operators between different pairs of spaces. We first present the extension and give an example from computational economics to demonstrate that it has practical utility. Then we consider a particular case, often found in applications, involving real Hilbert spaces and maximal monotone operators. We show that in this case our duality framework includes those previously developed by Rockafellar, Mosco, and Gabay. Finally we demonstrate that in this case, under very simple hypotheses the duality transformation preserves the maximal monotonicity of the operators involved. This proof uses an apparently new criterion for maximal monotonicity of operators of the form L * TL, where T is maximal monotone and L is linear and continuous with adjoint L * .
THE EXPERIMENTAL OCEANOGRAPHIC SATELLITE SEASAT-A

The experimental Seasat-A satellite, scheduled for launch in 1978, is designed to provide measurements of sea-surface temperature, surface wind speed and direction, sea state and directional wave spectra. The instrument package of the satellite includes a highly precise radar altimeter, a wind-field scatterometer, a synthetic-aperture imaging radar, a scanning multifrequency microwave radiometer and a radiometer operating in the visual and infrared. Tides, currents and storm surges on the marine geoid may be monitored through analysis of range information from the radar altimeter and a satellite ephemeris; sea-ice reconnaissance is also planned.
Influence of temperature on spontaneous and radiation-induced somatic mutations in tradescantia stamen hairs

Abstract Three diploid clones of Tradescantia which are heterozygous or hemizygous for flower color, and which exhibit a 35-fold range in spontaneous mutation frequency, have been compared in their response to increased temperatures. The endpoint studied is the expression of pink and colorless somatic mutations, which arise in stamen hair cells spontaneously and following exposure to ionizing radiation and chemical mutagens. Increased temperature (26.5 or 28° vs. 16 or 19°) significantly increased the spontaneous pink mutation frequency in stamen hair cells of all three clones. Colorless mutations in clone 0106 were not increased significantly at the higher temperature. The influence of increased temperature on radiation-induced pink mutation frequency was examined in clone 02. Temperatures in the range of 16–28° did not influence the magnitude of mutation response after exposure to 100 rad of X-rays; however, the timing of the mutation response was altered both in time of onset and in duration.
Scale-up of the manufacturing of optical metamaterials

Recently, a new class of artificial materials known as metamaterials has emerged to manipulate light at the nanoscale. Contrary to natural materials, the physical properties of optical metamaterials are primarily dependent on the material structures rather than their chemical constituents. The structures forming the building blocks of the metamaterials are much smaller than the wavelength of light. By tailoring both effective electric permittivity and the magnetic permeability of metamaterials from a positive to a negative value, one can create negative refractive index metamaterials (NIMs).1 Various 3D NIM structures have been previously reported,2 but they are limited to small-scale samples of less than 1 mm. The unprecedented properties of metamaterials and their potential revolutionary applications, such as superlens imaging,3 remain a challenge to implement in practice due to the lack of innovative large-scale manufacturing methods. As a result, a scalable scheme that enables the large-area fabrication of 3D nanostructures must be developed.
Low frequency measurement techniques for coupling into underground cavities

This paper describes measurement techniques of the direct and indirect coupling of electromagnetic fields produced by horizontal and vertical lightning currents into underground mines.
A Method for Eliminating Resonance Fluorescence Effects in Raman Studies of Some High Temperature Vapors: Raman Spectra of BiCl3 from 450 to 800°C

The applicability of laser-Raman spectroscopy to the study of structures of gaseous inorganic species at elevated temperatures (to 1000°C) has been demonstrated.1–6 Several studies have provided information on thermodynamic quantities,2 chemical equilibria,4, 6 and force constants2, 5 for both pure materials and mixtures. In a number of cases, however, strong resonance fluorescence has obscured the vibrational Raman spectra of the species present.3, 4 The source of this resonance fluorescence can be either the material under investigation4 or a species formed through disproportionation of the sample material. An example of the latter case is the resonance fluorescence of BiCl, which overlaps the gas phase Raman scattering of BiCl3.
Radioactive labeling of antibody: a simple and efficient method

A simple and efficient method of covalently coupling the strong chelator diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid to proteins was developed for radiolabeling immunoglobulin G antibodies. After being coupled and labeled with indium-111, a monoclonal antibody to carcinoembryonic antigen retained its ability to bind to its antigen in vitro and in vivo. In nude mice with a human colorectal xenograft, 41 percent of the injected radioactivity became localized in each gram of xenograft at 24 hours compared with 9 percent for control antibody and 19 percent for radioiodinated antibody to carcinoembryonic antigen.
Treatment of pulmonary infections in patients with cystic fibrosis: a comparative study of ticarcillin and gentamicin.

The effectiveness of ticarcillin against Pseudomonas aeruginosa in acute exacerbations of pulmonary infection in patients with cystic fibrosis was evaluated. Seventy-one percent of patients treated with ticarcillin alone responded favorably. The response rate was similar in patients treated with a combination of ticarcillin plus gentamicin or with gentamicin alone. Severity of the underlying disease was the most important determinant of response to treatment. Ticarcillin-resistant organisms were recovered during treatment in 50% of patients who received this drug; recovery of them was not prevented by the inclusion of gentamicin in the therapeutic regimen nor did they interfere with clinical improvement. The ticarcillinresistant strains persisted at follow-up, two to six months after completion of therapy, in only one of ten patients. No serious toxicity to ticarcillin was noted during the study period.
Evaluation of Microcapsule Permeability via Inverse Size Exclusion Chromatography

Inverse aqueous size exclusion chromatography (SEC) was adopted to measure the permeability of microcapsules (hollow hydrogel spheres with diameter < 1 mm) using dextran molecular weight standards. Alginate/poly(L-lysine)/alginate microcapsules were chosen as a column substrate. Data from column SEC experiments were verified by kinetic studies of solute size exclusion. The permeability of tested microcapsules was modified by the reaction time with 0.05wt.% poly(L-lysine) (PLL). The exclusion limit of the microcapsules prepared at 5-min reaction time was found to be 100,000, while the microcapsules that were allowed to react with PLL for 20 min became less permeable and their exclusion limit was approximately 50,000. Based on relationships between solute size and molecular weight, the exclusion limits determined with dextrans were converted to the size and approximate molecular weight of protein presumably excluded by the capsular membrane at "ideal" conditions. The results from both column SEC and batch experiments suggest that the standard alginate/PLL/alginate capsules are permeable to immunoglobulins of IgG class. Unlike other techniques which utilize only a limited number of solutes, inverse SEC enables one to examine the capsule permeability to a homologous series of molecular weight standards. Inverse SEC also provides an opportunity to evaluate the properties of a large series of capsules directly by comparing their calibration curves. In addition, undesirable enthalpic effects in permeability studies with globular proteins as test solutes can be minimized or eliminated by using the inert molecular weight standards such as polysaccharides.
TU‐F‐18C‐07: Hardware Advances for MTF Improvement in Dedicated Breast CT

Purpose: In this study, we have designed and implemented a prototype dedicated breast CT system (bCT) to improve the spatial resolution characteristics, in order to improve detection of micro-calcifications. Methods: A 10.8 kW water-cooled, tungsten anode x-ray tube, running up to 240 mA at 60 kV, coupled with an x-ray generator specifically designed for this application, and 0.3 mm of added copper filter was used to generate x-ray pulses. A CsI CMOS flat panel detector with a pixel pitch of 0.075 mm in native binning mode was used. The system geometry was designed in a way to achieve an FOV on par with similar bCT prototypes, resulting in a magnification factor of 1.39. A 0.013 mm tungsten wire was used to generate point spread functions. Multiple scans were performed with different numbers of projections, different reconstruction kernel sizes and different reconstruction filters to study the effects of each parameter on MTF. The resulting MTFs were then evaluated quantitatively using the generated PFSs. Duplicate scans with the same parameters were performed on two other dedicated breast CT systems to compare the performance of the new prototype. Results: The results of the MTF experiments demonstrate a significant improvement in the spatial resolution characteristics. In the new prototype, using the pulsed x-ray source results in a restoration of the azimuthal MTF degradation, due to motion blurring previously seen in other bCT systems. Moreover, employing the higher resolution x-ray detector considerably improves the MTF. The MTF at 10% of the new system is at 3.5 1/mm, a factor of 4.36 greater than an earlier bCT scanner. Conclusion: The MTF analysis of the new prototype bCT shows that using the new hardware and control results in a significant improvement in visualization of finer detail. This suggests that the visualization of micro-calcifications will be significantly improved.
Metastable states in the random antiferromagnetic ising chain

Abstract We study the kinetic Ising model with random antiferromagnetic exchange, in one dimension. The probability law is suggested on physical grounds to be, P(J)∼J -α (0 0 ), with J the exchange constant. We find a remanent magnetization at low temperatures strongly dependent on α, Tlnt (T=temperature, t=time), and the initial conditions. If initially the system is totally magnetized, the remanent is zero. We have obtained this result analytically using the continued fraction method and have checked its validity by a Monte-Carlo simulation.
Mechanical damping of silver-containing SiAsChalcogenide glasses

Abstract Mechanical damping measurements were used to study the structural conditions responsible for the increase in thermal stability that has been observed when Ag and Se are substituted simultaneously in Si 35 As 25− x Ag x Te 40− y Se y glasses. Glasses containing Ag exhibited a mechanical damping peak whose magnitude was approximately proportional to the Ag content and which was absent in the more completely cross-linked Si 35 As 25 Te 40 base glass. This peak shifted to lower temperatures and split into two overlapping peaks with increasing Se content. The splitting of the peak has been tentatively attributed to phase separation which has been postulated to occur at higher Se contents.
Even faster point set pattern matching in 3D

Several recent papers have produced successively faster running times for solution of the Point Set Matching Problem (PSPM) (finding all congruent copies of a pattern in a sample set) in Euclidean 3-space, R3. Here, we obtain further improvement in the speed with which this problem can be solved. The source of the improvement over the previous fastest running time is a better upper bound for the volume of output, derived from a recent result. The previous best sequential running time for PSPM in R3 is O{kn2[(lambda) 6(n)/n$RT0.5 log n }, where k is the size of the pattern and n is the size of the sample set. Here, we give a sequential algorithm for the PSPM in R3 running in O[n2log n + kn1.8 log n (log*n)O(1)$RT time. Solutions to related problems are also discussed.© (1999) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Different routes of donor-derived hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for donor-specific chimerism induction across MHC barrier

Transplantation of donor-derived stem cells can improve organ allograft survival in animal models. This study was designed to investigate the effect of different routes of bone marrow cell (BMC) transplantation on donor-specific tolerance induction across MHC barrier under short-term CsA monotherapy and alphabetaTCR/CsA treatment protocols. Forty-eight BMC transplantations were performed between BN(RT1(n)) donors and LEW(RT1(1)) recipients. Intraosseous and intravenous BMC transplantation was studied in six groups of eight animals each receiving 35 x 10(6) (n = 4) and 70 x 10(6) (n = 4) bone marrow cells. Groups I and II (controls) received BMC transplantation but no treatment, groups III and IV CsA monotherapy, and groups V, VI alphabetaTCR/CsA protocol for 7 days. Flow cytometry monitored immunodepletion and donor-specific chimerism for MHC class I RT1(n)/CD4, RT1(n)/CD8 and RT1(n)/CD45RA antigens. All animals survived without graft-versus-host disease. At day 63 under CsA monotherapy a low level of chimerism for RT1(n)/CD4 was induced after intraosseous (1.9%) and intravenous (0.8%) transplantation of (70 x 10(6)) BMC. Under alphabetaTCR/CsA protocol chimerism for RT1(n)/CD4 revealed 6.5% and 0.9% in intraosseous and intravenous (70 x 10(6)) BMC transplantation, respectively. The total number of chimerism in intraosseous and intravenous (70 x 10(6)) BMC transplantation groups was 9.9% and 3.4%, respectively. Following intraosseous BMC transplantation under alphabetaTCR/CsA protocol chimerism was 50% higher in a group receiving 70 x 10(6) (9.9%) vs 35 x 10(6) (4.9%) BMC. Intraosseous transplantation of donor BMC under alphabetaTCR/CsA protocol was 75% more efficient in induction of donor-specific chimerism compared to intravenous transplantation.
New insights into the management of myocardial ischemia.

Abstract Episodes of ST depression are closely related to transient decreases in regional myocardial perfusion during physical or mental stress. At the on-set of these events, there is transient constriction of atherosclerotic stenoses, with an increase in myocardial demand as reflected by increases in heart rate and blood pressure. Recent research has shown that normal epicardial coronary arteries respond to these provocations and to increasing blood flow with progressive vasodilation. In contrast, atherosclerotic vessels lose this ability to dilate and may show paradoxical constriction. This abnormal constriction parallels the response of the arteries to acetylcholine, which can be used to assess the ability of the coronary endothelium to regulate vasodilation. The loss of endothelium-dependent vasodilation appears to be an important functional manifestation of coronary atherosclerosis and a potential triggering mechanism for transient ischemia. Dysfunctional endothelium may also result in a procoagulant surface, with cell adherence and local thrombus formation. Restoration of normal endothelial function is likely to emerge as an important therapeutic objective in the management of myocardial ischemia and coronary atherosclerosis.
Laser micromachining in the microelectronics industry: a historical overview

The use of lasers in microelectronics is production for trimming, ablating, drilling and general micromachining continues to grow. As one example, traditional laser trimming techniques for passive and active microelectronic circuits have been used for nearly thirty years to improve yields and/or device performance. The majority of these processes have been accomplished using the fundamental wavelengths of the Nd:YAG laser source. However, recent technological advances in microelectronics laser processing, mainly for hybrid integrated circuits (HIC), dynamic random access memories (DRAM) and printed wiring boards (PWB) have resulted in new process techniques. Several new technologies, such as alternative wavelength processing and shaped, uniform laser spots have produced better processing quality, higher reliabiltiy, and greater yields. This paper will review the past, present and future of laser micromachining in microelectronics.
A comparative study of the effects of thyroid stimulating hormone and 2-mercaptoethylamine on glucose oxidation and cyclic AMP levels in thyroid tissue slices.

Although both thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) and 2-mercaptoethylamine stimulated l-14C-glucose oxidation to 14CO2, 2-mercaptoethylamine, unlike TSH, did not elevate thyroid tissue slice levels of cyclic AMP. The stimulation of glucose oxidation by 2-mercaptoethylamine appeared to be a function of the thiol group based on results of studies with structural analogs. Phenylcyclopropylamine (PCP), an inhibitor of monoamine oxidase, does not block the stimulation of glucose oxidation by either TSH, carbamylcholine or 2-mercaptoethylamine. PCP did block the stimulation of glucose oxidation by phenethylamine, serotonin, tyramine and tryptamine. It is concluded that there are two broad classes of compounds which elevate glucose oxidation in the thyroid. One group elevates cyclic AMP levels, and the other group does not. The elevation of glucose oxidation appears to be a poor test of TSH-like stimulation. (Endocrinology 90: 357, 1972)
Visualizing non-functional requirements patterns

Properly dealing with non-functional requirements (NFRs), such as security and trustworthiness, requires a large body of knowledge about NFRs. Such knowledge can be captured as NFR patterns for reuse. Since knowledge of NFRs can have potentially complex structures and rules, it becomes hard to capture and reuse NFR patterns when they are represented only textually. In this paper, we present an approach to visualizing NFR patterns, including the objective pattern for capturing knowledge of NFRs as goals to be achieved, the problem pattern for capturing problems or obstacles to be avoided in achieving the goals, alternative solutions patterns for problem mitigation, and the selection pattern for choosing among the alternatives in consideration of their side effects. In this approach, not only individual NFR patterns but also relationships between them are visualized, including specialization, composition, and instantiation. An emphasis is placed on a visualization support framework and a model-based tool that capture, organize, apply, and enforce integrity constraints based on model refinement rules, each is applied to incrementally re-create the captured NFR model during reuse. The approach is illustrated using the TJX incident, one of the largest credit card thefts in history, as a running example.
Effect of sediment moisture on carbon dioxide exchange inSpartina alterniflora

Effect of moisture stress on photosynthesis activity ofSpartina alterniflora was studied using sediment cores taken from a Louisiana Gulf Coast salt marsh. Moisture stress was induced by evapotranspiration losses which simulate conditions that can occur when a salt marsh is not inundated by tidal cycles for extended periods. Changes in the sediment moisture from 70% to 28% when expressed as a percentage of the wet weight resulted in a rapid decrease in net CO2 fixation. The moisture content of this sediment remained above saturation throughout the experiment although the solute or osmotic potential was equivalent to being in the range between field capacity and permanent willing. Net fixation was correlated with the moisture content (r=0.92**). Plant photosynthetic activity decreased at sediment moisture levels below 70%.
Footshock-induced rotation: lack of effect of haloperidol and AMPT.

Abstract Non-lesioned, drug naive rats were administered footshock to determine whether aversive stimuli would induce rotational behavior. Circling was produced at 1, 2 and 4 mA. The direction of circling was consistent upon retest. Circling was not blocked by either haloperidol or α-methyl-p-tyrosine (AMPT) and the direction of circling induced by shock was independent from that exhibited spontaneously during the 24 h prior to the test. These findings suggest that aversive-stimulus-induced circling is not mediated by the nigrostriatal dopamine system.
SUBALPINE LAKE–SHORE VEGETATION IN NORTH–CENTRAL COLORADO

Very little has been published on the shore vegetation of lakes in Colorado. Brief references were made to lakes of the Pike's Peak region a number of years ago by Clements (I, 2). A somewhat extended account by the writer and W. W. Robbins (9) described the associations at Redrock Lake, Boulder County, Colorado, in the subalpine zone. Later, a short paper (5) pointed out certain features of shore vegetation in the montane zone. Recently Dr. Robbins has given a most careful and illuminating description (ii) of a number of lakes in the montane zone near Tolland, Colorado. The present writer, dealing with sedges of northern Colorado, has named and characterized (7) certain of the plant associations of lake shores at different altitudes. In a paper by Dodds (3) on the plankton crustacea of Colorado lakes there are some references to vegetation and a very good account of physiography and climate. The following pages give the results of a study of subalpine lakes, the study carried on chiefly from the University of Colorado Mountain Laboratory (8) at Tolland, Colorado, during the last ten years. A later paper will take up alpine lakes. PHYSIOGRAPHY
Sex differences in the reversal of fluoxetine-induced anorexia following raphe injections of 8-OH-DPAT

Rationale and objectives Serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) is widely distributed in the central nervous system and it is well established that this neurotransmitter plays an inhibitory role in the control of ingestive behavior. Administration of various 5-HT agonists and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, including fluoxetine (FLU), suppress food intake under free-feeding and food-restricted conditions. In contrast, activation of somatodendritc 5-HT1A receptors in the raphe nuclei reduces forebrain 5-HT bioavailability and agonists of these receptors, including 8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin (8-OH-DPAT), reliably stimulate eating behavior.
Parallel Algorithm Oriented Mesh Database.

In this paper, we present a new point of view for efficiently managing general parallel mesh representations. Taking as a slarting point the Algorithm Oriented Mesh Database (AOMD) of [1] we extend the concepts to a parallel mesh representation. The important aspects of parallel adaptivity and dynamic load balancing are discussed. We finally show how AOMD can be effectively interfaced with mesh adaptive partial differential equation solvers. Results of the calculation of an elasticity problem and of a transient fluid dynamics problem involving thousands of mesh refinements, and load balancings are finally presented.
A History of Treatments for Myasthenia Gravis

Much of the improvement in the treatment of myasthenia gravis (MG) over the past 125 years can be attributed to the effectiveness of general medical measures such as advances in respiratory care and the discovery of antibiotics. Although MG became the model of an antibody-mediated autoimmune disease in the 1970s (the most documented antigen being the muscle acetylcholine receptor at the neuromuscular junction), the pathogenesis of MG has not been the rationale for most treatments found to be useful for this disease. The serendipitous benefit of anticholinesterases for MG in the 1930s subsequently focused attention on the neuromuscular junction. The beginnings of the controversy over thymectomy for MG in the 1940s and 1950s preceded the discovery in 1960 of the function of the thymus. Before the autoimmune pathogenesis of MG was known, adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and steroids for MG were tried for reasons that turned out to be incorrect. Further immunosuppressive treatments for MG were largely empirical, following their use in organ transplantation and other autoimmune diseases. More specific treatments, based on our knowledge of pathogenesis, are still experimental but hopefully will be the history of the future.
Visual Perception And Medical Imaging

Visual perception and medical imagingC. Carl JaffeDepartment of Diagnostic Radiology, Yale University School of Medicine333 Cedar Street, New Haven, Connecticut 06510Where medical images are concerned, appropriate grounds for image processing are some-times misunderstood and such efforts should properly be divided into the separate objec-tives of: 1) image reconstruction; 2) image understanding and 3) image processing.Image reconstruction involves operations in which the original spatially discretesource data are integrated to form the image. Medical images arise from a variety ofsignals such as x -ray, gamma rays, ultrasound, and magnetic resonance signals. Althoughmedical images are formed from spatially or frequency discrete signals, the image genera-tion process often suffers distortions which require modification of the data set prior todisplay. Such image operations must be based on some model of the signal generating ordegradation process. Therefore the output image in these circumstances can be judged byobjective criteria such as the response of the imaging chain to test signals and charac-terization of resulting transfer functions. Image operations such as deblurring orantialiasing efforts can be assessed by the success with which the imaging operationrestores degraded boundaries or signal intensity distortions on given test objects.Image understanding operations on the other hand are those which are primarily orientedtoward coding, representing known features of an image, or aimed at improved humanconceptual understanding of the relationships of objects within the image. An examplewould be color coding of identifiable organs by either objective criteria or operatorinteractive assignment to facilitate understanding of shape or organ relationships.
A parser from antiquity

This paper describes the key aspects of a parser developed at the University of Pennsylvania from 1958 to 1959. The parser is essentially a cascade of finite state transducers. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first application of finite state transducers to parsing. This parser was recently faithfully reconstructed from the original documentation. Many aspects of this program have a close relationship to some of the recent work on finite state transducers.
Understanding the temporal relationship of ATP loss, calcium loading, and rigor contracture during anoxia, and hypercontracture after anoxia in cardiac myocytes.

See article by Ladilov et al. [9] (pages 408–416) in this issue. Much research effort has been directed toward understanding the pathogenesis of cardiac ischemia reperfusion injury and developing methods to ameliorate the degree of damage. The interesting discover by Murry et al., reported 13 years ago, that a brief period of ischemia and reperfusion can partially protect the heart from reperfusion damage after a subsequent period of ischemia has sparked intense interest in the area of cardioprotection [1]. Hans Michael Piper and his collaborators, working mostly at the University of Dusseldorf and Justus-Liebig University, have contributed substantially to our knowledge of the pathophysiology of ischemia and reperfusion. They are mostly using a model of simulated ischemia (anoxia, acidosis, and substrate depletion) in which cell shortening of isolated cardiomyocytes during anoxia (rigor contracture) and during re-oxygenation (hypercontracture) are measured temporally with indices of metabolism and myocyte ion concentrations. They have proposed that the increase in contracture on re-oxygenation (hypercontracture) leading to cell injury (oxygen paradox) is due to the occurrence of Ca2+ overloading at the time of ATP repletion (calcium paradox) [2,3]. More recently, Yury V. Ladilov, working with Dr. Piper and others, have begun to better understand the mechanisms of myocyte dysfunction during and after simulated ischemia and the pathways by which dysfunction can be reduced by treatments applied before simulated ischemia. In recent studies they have examined carefully the importance of Na+ H+ exchange and reverse Na+ Ca2+ exchange in causing Na+ and Ca2+ loading as contributing to myocyte contracture and its reduction by acidosis and Na+ H+ exchange inhibition [4,5]. Protein kinase C (PKC) activation and translocation occur during ischemic preconditioning and activation of specific PKC isoforms has been found to be an important link …
An Ecological-Transactional Understanding of Community Violence: Theoretical Perspectives

Community violence has emerged as a major risk factor for the development of mental health problems in children and adolescents. If mental health providers are to meet the needs of children and communities dealing with community violence, then they will need to integrate principles from various subdisciplines in psychology (e.g., developmental psychology, school psychology, developmental psychopathology) as well as disciplines outside of psychology (e.g., sociology, public health, medicine) to understand fully the developmental impact of exposure to community violence. The development of such a model is necessary to identify the pathways, risk, and protective factors on which prevention and intervention programs can be built. The goal of this article is to present an ecological-transactional model of community violence as a conceptual framework for understanding the existing literature and for guiding future research on community violence exposure and child development.
Structural identification of novel glucoside and glucuronide metabolites of (−)‐epigallocatechin‐3‐gallate in mouse urine using liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry

(-)-Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), the most abundant and most biologically active polyphenolic compound in tea, has been proposed to have many health beneficial effects. The metabolic fate of EGCG, however, is not well understood. In the present study, we identified a novel EGCG metabolite, 7-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl-EGCG-4''-O-beta-D-glucupyranoside, in a mouse urine sample using liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry. The structure of this metabolite was confirmed by analyzing the MSn (n = 1-4) spectra as well as comparing the MS/MS spectra of its product ions with those from EGCG and EGCG-4''-O-beta-D-glucupyranoside standards. To our knowledge, this is the first report of the identification of a glucoside metabolite of EGCG in mammals. Our results indicate that glucosidation represents a novel pathway in the metabolism of EGCG in mice.
Implantable Cardioverter–Defibrillators after Myocardial Infarction

Patients with a history of myocardial infarction and a reduced ejection fraction are at increased risk for life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias. Which of these patients are the most appropriate candidates for implantable cardioverter–defibrillator (ICD) therapy is unclear. Factors influencing the decision are discussed.
Behavioral assumptions for a class of utility theories: A program of experiments

An outline is given of the behavioral properties (axioms) that have been proposed, and to some extent empirically evaluated, concerning uncertain (often risky) alternatives, the joint receipt of alternatives, and possible linking properties. Recent theoretical work has established the existence of three inherently distinct risk types of people—risk seeking, risk neutral, and risk averse—and so evaluations of theories must take respondent type into account. A program of experiments is sketched making clear exactly which empirical studies need to be repeated with respondents partitioned by risk type.
Parsing and its applications for conversational speech

This paper provides an introduction to recent work in statistical parsing and its applications for conversational speech, with particular emphasis on the relationship between parsing and detecting speech repairs. While historically parsing and repair detection have been studied independently, we present a line of research which has spanned the boundary between the two and demonstrated the efficacy of this synergistic approach. Our presentation highlights successes to date, remaining challenges, and promising future work.
Peptide-directed co-assembly of nanoprobes on multimaterial patterned solid surfaces

Biocombinatorially selected solid-binding peptides, through their unique material affinity and selectivity, are a promising platform for building up complex hierarchical assemblies of nanoscale materials and molecular probes, targeted to specific practical solid surfaces. Here, we demonstrate the material-specific characteristics of engineered gold-binding and silica-binding peptides through co-assembly onto micro- and nano-patterned gold surfaces on silica substrates. To build hierarchical nanostructures on patterned solid surfaces, we utilize peptides as molecular tools and monitor their behavior by either conjugating biotin to them for specific affinity to streptavidin-coated QDot nanoparticles or labelling them with small fluorescent labels. This biomimetic peptide-based approach could be used as an alternative to conventional chemical coupling and surface functionalization techniques with substantial advantages, allowing simultaneous assembly of two or more inorganic nano-entities and/or molecular probes onto patterned inorganic solid substrates. The results have significant implications in a wide range of potential applications, including controlled assembly of hybrid nanostructures in bionanophotonic and biosensing devices.
Laboratory reared Amblyomma hebraeum and Amblyomma variegatum ticks differ in their susceptibility to infection with Cowdria ruminantium

The susceptibility of laboratory reared Zimbabwean Amblyomma hebraeum and A. variegatum ticks to infection with geographically distinct Cowdria ruminantium strains was investigated by feeding both species simultaneously on individual sheep infected with one of the four strains (Crystal Springs [Zimbabwe], Ball 3 [South Africa], Gardel [Guadeloupe] and Nigeria [Nigeria]). A. hebraeum ticks demonstrated a high susceptibility to infection with all four C. ruminantium strains. In comparison, A. variegatum were less susceptible to infection with the Crystal Springs and Ball 3 strains (P < 0.001), but showed a similar susceptibility to the Gardel and Nigeria strains. The differences in susceptibility of A. variegatum to infection with the four strains of C. ruminantium correlated with the origin of these strains. The consistently higher susceptibility of A. hebraeum ticks to infection with geographically different C. ruminantium strains may be one explanation for the observation that heartwater is a more serious problem where A. hebraeum is the vector of the disease.
Band or Polaron: The Hole Conduction Mechanism in the p-Type Spinel Rh2ZnO4

Given the emerging role of oxide spinels as hole conductors, we discuss in this article the traditional vs. new methodologies of determining the type of conduction mechanism at play––localized polaronic vs. band-like transport. Applying (i) traditional small polaron analysis to our in-situ high temperature four-point conductivity and thermopower measurements, we previously found an activated mobility, which is indicative of the small polaron mechanism. However, (ii) employing the recent developments in correcting density functional methodologies for hole localization, we predict that the self-trapped hole is unstable and that Rh2ZnO4 is instead a band conductor with a large effective mass. The hole mobility measured by high-field room temperature Hall effect also suggests band rather than polaron conduction. The apparent contradiction between the conclusion of the traditional procedure (i) and first-principles theory (ii) is resolved by taking into account in the previous transport analysis the temperature dependence of the effective density of states, which leads to the result that the mobility is actually temperature-independent in Rh2ZnO4. Our case study on Rh2ZnO4 illustrates the range of experimental and theoretical approaches at hand to determine whether the transport mechanism of a semiconductor is band or small polaron conduction.
ECONOMIC ANALYSIS OF REPRODUCTIVE MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES ON US COMMERCIAL DAIRY FARMS

Reproductive management has received increased attention in recent years as new technologies and programs have been developed to aid dairy managers in efficiently breeding cows and heifers. Efficient breeding of cows and heifers has become increasingly difficult as fertility has decreased because of a correlated negative response with milk yield. Dairy farm survey results were used to parameterize the economic analyses of reproductive management programs. Reproductive management program costs and the levels of reproductive performance achieved with such programs varied significantly among farms and were especially sensitive to on-farm labor costs. For example, visual heat detection requires more hours of labor per cow than use of an estrus synchronization program. Therefore, visual heat detection programs were relatively more sensitive to labor costs than synchronization programs. In addition, past reproductive performance was found to affect the determination of which reproductive program was optimal. Farms that had attained high levels of labor efficiency for visual heat detection in the past had less incentive to adopt a synchronization program than farms with less efficient visual heat detection.
Rapid pyrazinamide susceptibility testing of Mycobacterium tuberculosis by flow cytometry

The resurgence of tuberculosis along with the increased resistance of Mycobacterium tuberculosis has emphasized the need for timely susceptibility testing for control of the disease. Previous studies have shown that rapid susceptibility testing can be accomplished for isoniazid, ethambutol, and rifampin using the flow cytometric assays. In this study we compared the flow cytometric susceptibility assay with the BACTEC TB 460 and BACTEC MGIT 960 for pyrazinamide (PZA). There was 93% agreement between the BACTEC MGIT 960 and the flow cytometric methods for 100 microg/mL of PZA. Additionally, there was a 95% and 86% agreement between the BACTEC TB 460 and flow cytometric methods for 50 microg/mL and 100 microg/mL of PZA, respectively. These findings show that susceptibility testing by the flow cytometric assay is accurate. Most importantly, susceptibility results by the flow cytometric assay were available 24 h after initiation of the testing procedure. The advantages of simplicity, speed and accuracy make the flow cytometric susceptibility assay an immediate impact technology to improve patient care.
Use of advanced HF physical, link, and network simulators in the standards development process

Modeling and simulation are important components of present day HF radio communications standards development process. This paper summarizes work at the Institute for Telecommunication Sciences (ITS) under the direction and funding of the National Communications System (NCS) in the development of simulation tools useful in the HF standards development process in the United States. The simulation tools are introduced from the perspective of (1) the phase of the standards development process to which the tools may be applied and (2) the communication system layer to which they may be applicable. Particular emphasis in this paper is placed on the development of a new real-time HF channel simulator, the development of a compact disk-based automatic link establishment (ALE) tone simulator, and the development of a general purpose digital signal processor-based system for simulating HF network protocols.