cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Dynamic multidimensional data cubes

Data cubes are ubiquitous tools in data warehousing, online analytical processing, and decision support applications. Based on a selection of pre-computed and materialized aggregate values, they can dramatically speed up aggregation and summarization over large data collections. Traditionally, the emphasis has been on lowering query costs with little regard to maintenance, i.e., update cost issues. We argue that current trends require data cubes to be not only query-efficient, but also dynamic at the same time, and we also show how this can be achieved. Several array-based techniques with different tradeoffs between query and update cost are discussed in detail. We also survey selected approaches for sparse data and the popular data cube operator, CUBE. Moreover, this work includes an overview of future trends and their impact on data cubes.
Determination of the electric field in a two-dimensional model of an electrothermal plasma source

Electrothermal (ET) plasma discharges are arc-driven, capillary discharges that draw currents up to several tens of kA. These discharges have radii on the order of millimeters and lengths on the order of centimeters. They have a breadth of applicability ranging from materials processing to pellet injection for deep fusion fueling.
Abstract 3854: B-catenin expression and obesity in African Americans with colorectal neoplasia: Is there a relationship

Proceedings: AACR Annual Meeting 2014; April 5-9, 2014; San Diego, CA Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) risk increases with obesity, physical inactivity, and the metabolic syndrome. Studies suggest that obesity may be associated with 30-60% greater risk of CRC. Activation of the WNT via β-catenin (CTNNB1) signaling pathway plays a critical role in colorectal carcinogenesis. Accumulating evidence indicates a negative relationship between CTNNB1 signaling and obesity. Aim: To determine the association between obesity and CTNNB1 expression in African Americans (AA) with colorectal lesions, a population at high risk for both CRC and obesity. Methods: We reviewed the pathology records of 152 colorectal specimens from 2010-2012 (46 CRCs, 74 advanced adenoma and 32 normal healthy colon). We prepared Tissue Microarray Array (TMA) from these samples. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) for CTNNB1 (β-catenin; clone β-Catenin-1) was performed on the constructed TMAs. The IHC results were evaluated by 2 pathologists and the nuclear intensity staining was scored from 0-4. BMI, sex, age, location of the lesion and other demographic data were obtained. Data integration and analysis were performed using Logistic regression analyses. This was applied to calculate the diagnostic odds ratio (95%CI) for each nuclear staining intensity. ROC curve was applied for diagnostic ability of β-Catenin staining percentage. Results: Positive nuclear staining in normal, advanced adenoma and CRC was 0%, 24% and 41%, respectively (P 25) did not show a significant (p=0.3) CTNNB1 nuclear expression (17% positive in normal weight vs. 27% positive in overweight/obese). Association between nuclear intensity and CRC was not different between normal and overweight patients (P for interaction = 0.6). The positive nuclear CTNNB1 status in CRC stage III and IV (43% of all CRC) was not different from stage I and II (50%. vs. 36%, respectively, P = 0.4). Conclusion: In our study, advanced adenomas and CRCs were associated with activation of β-catenin in physically fit, overweight and obese patients and hence participation of the metabolic and WNT pathways was seen in African American patients. We did not find any statistically significant differences in β -Catenin expression between normal and overweight/obese patients in AA population. The WNT/β-catenin pathway has a potential to be used as a molecular pathology effector in colon carcinogenic transformation. Whether or not BMI is a modifier of this pathway need to be further investigated. Citation Format: Babak Shokrani, Tahmineh Hydari, Seyed-Mehdi Nouraie, Sally Hassan, Vandana Kansal, Edward Lee, Hassan Brim, Hassan Ashktorab. B-catenin expression and obesity in African Americans with colorectal neoplasia: Is there a relationship. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 3854. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-3854
Transgenic zebrafish model of neurodegeneration.

In Alzheimer's disease (AD), the microtubule-associated protein, tau, is compromised in its normal association with microtubules and forms into paired helical filaments (PHF) that are the hallmark cytoskeletal pathology of the disease. Several posttranslational modifications of tau including phosphorylation have been implicated in AD pathogenesis. In addition, and importantly, mutations in the genes encoding human tau have recently been implicated in a variety of hereditary dementias, collectively termed frontotemporal dementia with parkinsonism linked to chromosome 17 (FTDP-17). This has rekindled interest in the importance of tau in neurodegenerative diseases (cf. Vogel [1998] Science 280:1524-1525; Goedert et al. [1998] Neuron 21:955-958; D'Souza et al. [1999] PNAS 96:5598-5603). Despite significant progress in the field of tau biology and neurodegenerative diseases, several important issues remain unresolved. The early functional consequences of tau alterations in living neurons is incompletely understood, and it is not clear how tau in neurodegenerative diseases becomes redistributed from its normal concentration in neuronal axons to pathological inclusions in neuronal soma known as neurofibrillary tangles (NFT). One of the reasons for these gaps in knowledge is the relative paucity of model systems to study these processes. We have developed a transgenic model system to study the functional consequences and trafficking patterns in zebrafish neurons of human tau either mutated on sites associated with hereditary dementias or altered at select posttranslational modification sites. The overall guiding hypothesis is that the model allows dissection of a hierarchy of events relevant to potential mechanisms of neurodegenerative diseases related to critical early stages in development of disease. We showed that a FTDP-17 mutant form of human tau expressed in zebrafish neurons produced a cytoskeletal disruption that closely resembled the NFT in human disease. This model system will prove useful in the study of other mutant taus in vertebrate neurons in vivo, and the approaches developed here will have broad usefulness in the study of functional consequences and potential genetic analyses of introducing into living vertebrate neurons other molecules involved in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases.
Interlayer delamination and adhesion of coextruded films

Efforts to evaluate interlayer adhesion of coextruded films are often hampered by the inability to initiate delamination. On the other hand, interlayer delamination was often noticed at cut or trimmed edges of coextruded films. In this study, a test method was developed by first initiating delamination by uniaxial stretching and then measuring interlayer adhesion by peel test. Delamination was initiated by uniaxial stretching under controlled conditions for samples with double-neck geometry. The double-neck geometry was designed to create a specimen for the subsequent 180° peel test. Peel force was used to quantify interlayer adhesion of coextruded films based on polycarbonate and its copolymers. With this two-step technique, coextruded films with peel force as high as 5300 N/m or 30 lb./in. were quantified. In addition, effects of copolymer composition and coextrusion processing condition on interlayer adhesion of these coextruded films were clearly demonstrated. A great deal of variation of interlayer adhesion across film surface was also revealed. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 92: 3901–3909, 2004
Vanillas as Antioxidants in Powdered Ice Cream Mixes

Summary Studies were made of nine vanillas and four vanilla compounds in powdered ice cream mixes held for 1 yr. at room temperature. The products used represented five different manufacturers of vanillas or vanilla compounds. Changes in the oxygen concentration of the headspace gas and palatability studies indicated that these vanillas and vanilla compounds have antioxygenic properties in powdered ice cream mixes. The addition of these vanillas or possibly the vanilla compounds would serve a two-fold purpose in powdered ice cream mixes, i.e., as flavoring and as an antioxidant.
Quantitative analysis of treatment of aggression, self-injury, and property destruction.

This article describes the results of a quantitative analysis of research on the treatment of aggression, self-injury, and property destruction with persons who are developmentally disabled. Fiftee...
Magnetic tuning of the electrochemical reactivity through controlled surface orientation of catalytic nanowires.

Nanowires have received considerable attention owing to their broad potential applications. We report here on the application of nanowires for magnetic control of the electrochemical reactivity and demonstrate how one can modulate the electrocatalytic activity by orienting catalytic nanowires at different angles. Unlike early “on/off” magnetic switching studies based on functionalized magnetic spheres, the present magnetoswitchable protocol relies on modulating the electrochemical reactivity without removing the magnetic material from the surface. Such behavior is attributed to the reversible blocking of the redox processes and to changes in the tortuosity-dependent flux rate. The nanowire-based magnetoswitchable protocol may be extremely useful for adjusting the electrochemical reactivity, such as for tuning the power output of fuel cells (rather than switching the power on/off).
The Salinity Effect in a Mixed Layer Ocean Model

A model of the thermally mixed layer in the upper ocean as developed by Kraus and Turner and extended by Denman is further extended to investigate the effects of salinity. In the tropical and subtropical Atlantic Ocean rapid increases in salinity occur at the bottom of a uniformly mixed surface layer. The most significant effects produced by the inclusion of salinity are the reduction of the deepening rate and the corresponding change in the heating characteristics of the mixed layer. If the net surface heating is positive, but small, salinity effects must be included to determine whether the mixed layer temperature will increase or decrease. Precipitation over tropical oceans leads to the development of a shallow stable layer accompanied by a decrease in the temperature and salinity at the sea surface.
Subtle biobehavioral effects produced by paternal cocaine exposure

Despite the increased prevalence of cocaine use and abuse in males when compared with females, possible effects of paternal cocaine exposure on biobehavioral development have received little attention. We therefore exposed male mice to cocaine (20 mg/kg, i.p.) or vehicle for 10 weeks and then used those mice as sires. We then behaviorally phenotyped the F1 offspring to assess the consequences of paternal cocaine exposure on brain function. We report the presence of a subtle but significant increase in immobility in the tail suspension test, a measure of behavioral depression, following paternal cocaine. Body weight was also significantly decreased in paternal cocaine-exposed offspring. Other aspects of neurobehavioral function, including locomotor activity, anxiety, and learning and memory, were not affected by paternal cocaine history. These data suggest alterations in brain systems and/or circuitry underlying mood regulation in the offspring of cocaine-using fathers. Synapse 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Yield and Nutritive Value of Irrigated Winter Cereal Forage Grass–Legume Intercrops in the Southern High Plains, USA

With dwindling water supplies, alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) and corn (Zea mays L.) producers in the Southern High Plains (USA) seek alternative forages for the dairy industry. At New Mexico State University's Agricultural Science Center at Tucumcari, cereal forage monocultures and intercrops with legumes were subjected to two irrigation treatments during two growing seasons in a Canez fine sandy loam (fine-loamy, mixed, thermic Ustollic Haplargid). Dry matter (DM) yield of monocultures averaged 3.76, 3.90, 5.55, 5.59, and 3.17 Mg ha -1 for rye (Secale cereale L.), barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), wheat (Trtticum aestivum L.), triticale (× Triticosecale rimpaui Wittm.), and oat (Avena sativa L.), respectively. Cereal forages irrigated once in a growing season yielded equally to those watered twice with average precipitation (2000-2001, 408 mm), but not in a dry growing season (2001-2002, 245 mm) (6.15, 5.41, 1.90, and 3.21 Mg ha -1 for cereal forages irrigated once or twice in 2000-2001 or 2001-2002, respectively). Also, levels of forage nutritive components were greatest when irrigated once in 2001-2002. Intercropping with winter pea [Pisum sativum subsp. arvense (L.) Poir] or hairy vetch (Vicia villosa Roth.) reduced yield of wheat and triticale compared with monocultures, but these yields were still greater than those of the other cereal forages and winter pea improved quality indicators when intercropped with wheat or triticale. Water can be conserved in the Southern High Plains by irrigating cereals only as needed for germination or to promote fall growth.
A prospective study of symptoms, function, and medication use during acute illness in nursing home residents: design, rationale and cohort description

Nursing home residents are at high risk for developing acute illnesses. Compared with community dwelling adults, nursing home residents are often more frail, prone to multiple medical problems and symptoms, and are at higher risk for adverse outcomes from acute illnesses. In addition, because of polypharmacy and the high burden of chronic disease, nursing home residents are particularly vulnerable to disruptions in transitions of care such as medication interruptions in the setting of acute illness. In order to better estimate the effect of acute illness on nursing home residents, we have initiated a prospective cohort which will allow us to observe patterns of acute illnesses and the consequence of acute illnesses, including symptoms and function, among nursing home residents. We also aim to examine the patterns of medication interruption, and identify patient, provider and environmental factors that influence continuity of medication prescribing at different points of care transition. This is a prospective cohort of nursing home residents residing in two nursing homes in a metropolitan area. Baseline characteristics including age, gender, race, and comorbid conditions are recorded. Participants are followed longitudinally for a planned period of 3 years. We record acute illness incidence and characteristics, and measure symptoms including depression, pain, withdrawal symptoms, and function using standardized scales. 76 nursing home residents have been followed for a median of 666 days to date. At baseline, mean age of residents was 74.4 (± 11.9); 32% were female; 59% were white. The most common chronic conditions were dementia (41%), depression (38%), congestive heart failure (25%) and chronic obstructive lung disease (27%). Mean pain score was 4.7 (± 3.6) on a scale of 0 to 10; Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15) score was 5.2 (± 4.4). During follow up, 138 acute illness episodes were identified, for an incidence of 1.5 (SD 2.0) episodes per resident per year; 74% were managed in the nursing home and 26% managed in the acute care setting. In this report, we describe the conceptual model and methods of designing a longitudinal cohort to measure acute illness patterns and symptoms among nursing home residents, and describe the characteristics of our cohort at baseline. In our planned analysis, we will further estimate the effect of the use and interruption of medications on withdrawal and relapse symptoms and illness outcomes.
Multimodal therapy in the treatment of vaginal adenocarcinoma arising from endocervicosis.

Primary vaginal adenocarcinoma is a rare gynecologicmalignancy. It is thought to arise from vaginal adenosis, endometriosis, embryonic remnants, in-utero DES exposure, or endocervicosis. A computer generated literature search using PubMed and the English search terms “‘primary vaginal adenocarcinoma’ and ‘vaginal endocervicosis’” yielded two cases of vaginal endocervicosis, one associated with a primary non-clear cell vaginal adenocarcinoma [1,2].We report the first case of a metastatic primary vaginal adenocarcinoma thought to arise from malignant transformation of vaginal endocervicosis.
The Surprising Power of Age-Dependent Taxes

This paper provides a new, empirically driven application of the dynamic Mirrleesian framework by studying a feasible and potentially powerful tax reform: age-dependent labour income taxation. I show analytically how age dependence improves policy on both the intratemporal and intertemporal margins. I use detailed numerical simulations, calibrated with data from the U.S. Panel Study of Income Dynamics, to generate robust policy implications: age dependence (1) lowers marginal taxes on average and especially on high-income young workers and (2) lowers average taxes on all young workers relative to older workers when private saving and borrowing are restricted. Finally, I calculate and characterize the welfare gains from age dependence. Despite its simplicity, age dependence generates a welfare gain equal to between 0∙6% and 1∙5% of aggregate annual consumption, and it captures more than 60% of the gain from reform to the dynamic optimal policy. The gains are due to substantial increases in both efficiency and equity. When age dependence is restricted to be Pareto improving, the welfare gain is nearly as large.
Creating a niche in the cytoskeleton: Actin reorganization by a protein kinase

One of the most apparent differences between normal cells and their malignantly transformed counterparts and between immature and fully differentiated cells is the shape of the cells (1). Cell morphology is controlled largely by the structure of the cytoskeleton, a system of three distinct types of filamentous polymers that assemble into networks and bundles of various kinds to link the cell interior physically with the plasma membrane and endow the cell with viscoelastic properties. The transformation of cytoplasm from a liquid to a solid was observed by early microscopists to be tightly associated with the cells' ability to move, and this sol-to-gel transition is now known to be caused by changes in the state of polymerization and organization of the protein actin, one of the three types of filaments comprising the cytoskeleton (2). When something goes wrong in the complex system of control proteins and messengers that signals for changes in the actin system, as can happen with genetic mutations or by the insertion of viral genes coding for maliciously altered control proteins, cells may migrate and divide inappropriately, because the signals for division or motility cannot be stopped. One such control factor is the protooncogene protein Abl. In addition to its implication in human leukemias, the tyrosine kinase Abl also is an important regulator of the actin system involved in neuronal cell function and early neuronal development (3, 4).
Noninvasive measurements and analysis of blood velocity profiles in human retinal vessels.

RESULTS. The shape of the blood velocity profile in retinal arteries changed systematically during the cardiac cycle, with the flattest profile occurring during the diastolic phase. The measured blood velocity profiles were typically flatter than the commonly assumed parabolic shape. The flatness increased with decreasing vessel size. For the large veins (80 m), the ratio of the centerline velocity to the cross-sectional average velocity was between 1.50 and 1.65. This ratio decreased to 1.36 in the smallest vein studied (32 m). Velocity profiles downstream from a venous confluence showed two peaks at 120 m from the confluence, but a single velocity peak 500 m downstream from the confluence. CONCLUSIONS. The cardiac cycle influences the blood flow velocity profiles systematically in retinal arteries but not in veins. Parabolic flow was not found in even the largest vessels studied, and deviations from parabolic flow increased in smaller vessels. The measurements are sensitive enough to measure the dualhumped blood velocity profile at a vein confluence. (Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2011;52:4151‐4157) DOI:10.1167/iovs.10-6940
DocWizards: a system for authoring follow-me documentation wizards

Traditional documentation for computer-based procedures is difficult to use: readers have trouble navigating long complex instructions, have trouble mapping from the text to display widgets, and waste time performing repetitive procedures. We propose a new class of improved documentation that we call follow-me documentation wizards. Follow-me documentation wizards step a user through a script representation of a procedure by highlighting portions of the text, as well application UI elements. This paper presents algorithms for automatically capturing follow-me documentation wizards by demonstration, through observing experts performing the procedure. We also present our DocWizards implementation on the Eclipse platform. We evaluate our system with an initial user study that showing that most users have a marked preference for this form of guidance over traditional documentation.
WARPED SPACE: A GEOGRAPHY OF DISTANCE DECAY*

Distance decay is one of geography's core concepts, yet its own spatial properties have been largely neglected. We illustrate the use of the expansion method in assessing the spatial variation of distance-decay parameters within the general context of gravity models. The approach enables the portrayal of “space warping,” said to occur when equivalent distances have spatially uneven effects on interaction. The concepts are examined empirically through the estimation of a competing destination model for out-migration from five State Economic Areas over the 1965–70 period. Four of the five origins are found to have spatially unstable frictions of distance. We conclude by suggesting that distance decay is a contextual, rather than a universal, effect.
Periadolescent Exposure to the NMDA Receptor Antagonist MK-801 Impairs the Functional Maturation of Local GABAergic Circuits in the Adult Prefrontal Cortex

A developmental disruption of prefrontal cortical inhibitory circuits is thought to contribute to the adolescent onset of cognitive deficits observed in schizophrenia. However, the developmental mechanisms underlying such a disruption remain elusive. The goal of this study is to examine how repeated exposure to the NMDA receptor antagonist dizocilpine maleate (MK-801) during periadolescence [from postnatal day 35 (P35) to P40] impacts the normative development of local prefrontal network response in rats. In vivo electrophysiological analyses revealed that MK-801 administration during periadolescence elicits an enduring disinhibited prefrontal local field potential (LFP) response to ventral hippocampal stimulation at 20 Hz (beta) and 40 Hz (gamma) in adulthood (P65–P85). Such a disinhibition was not observed when MK-801 was given during adulthood, indicating that the periadolescent transition is indeed a sensitive period for the functional maturation of prefrontal inhibitory control. Accordingly, the pattern of prefrontal LFP disinhibition induced by periadolescent MK-801 treatment resembles that observed in the normal P30–P40 prefrontal cortex (PFC). Additional pharmacological manipulations revealed that these developmentally immature prefrontal responses can be mimicked by single microinfusion of the GABAA receptor antagonist picrotoxin into the normal adult PFC. Importantly, acute administration of the GABAA-positive allosteric modulator Indiplon into the PFC reversed the prefrontal disinhibitory state induced by periadolescent MK-801 to normal levels. Together, these results indicate a critical role of NMDA receptors in regulating the periadolescent maturation of GABAergic networks in the PFC and that pharmacologically induced augmentation of local GABAA-receptor-mediated transmission is sufficient to overcome the disinhibitory prefrontal state associated with the periadolescent MK-801 exposure.
Use of mandelic acid condensation polymer (SAMMA) a new antimicrobial contraceptive agent for vaginal prophylaxis.

Abstract Objective: To assess the contraceptive properties, antimicrobial activity, and safety of mandelic acid condensation polymer (SAMMA). Design: Experimental study of SAMMA’s in vitro and in vivo properties. Setting: Academic research laboratories. Patient(s): Healthy volunteers for semen donation in an academic research environment. Intervention(s): Inhibition of sperm function indicators, conception, sexually transmitted infection-causing pathogens (including HIV), and lactobacilli was evaluated. Safety indicators were studied. Main Outcome Measure(s): Quantitation of SAMMA’s effect on microbial infectivity or multiplication and on sperm function in vitro; evaluation of contraceptive efficacy in vivo; assessment of safety in vitro and in vivo. Result(s): Mandelic acid condensation polymer is not cytotoxic toward lactobacilli, microbial host cells, and spermatozoa. The compound inhibits hyaluronidase and acrosin, induces sperm acrosomal loss, and is contraceptive in the rabbit model. Mandelic acid condensation polymer prevents infectivity of HIV and herpesviruses 1 and 2 and, to a lesser extent, of Chlamydia trachomatis. It inhibits the multiplication of Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Mandelic acid condensation polymer is not mutagenic, has low acute oral toxicity, and is safe in the rabbit vaginal irritation assay. Conclusion(s): Mandelic acid condensation polymer inhibits sperm function, is contraceptive, has broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity, and is highly safe. Further development as a microbicide is warranted.
Folates as inhibitors of glutamate dehydrogenase

Abstract Folates and tetrahydrofolates inhibit beef liver glutamate dehydrogenase (EC 1.4.1.2). Double reciprocal plots indicate a competitive inhibition for α-ketoglutarate-glutamate by folic acid and methotrexate and a complex or mixed type for NAD-NADH site. Pteroic acid is not inhibitory at the concentrations studied. The addition of up to four γ-linked glutamyl residues to folic and tetrahydrofolic acids increases the inhibition. Further chain elongation of the γ-peptide had no effect on the inhibitory activity. The p-aminobenzoate poly-γ-glutamates were less inhibitory than the corresponding folyl polyglutamates.
Computer-Based Writing and Communication: Some Implications for Technical Communication Activities.

Most research on writing has focussed on the work of single authors working by hand on prose texts. However, much professional work is collaborative, computer-based, not exclusively prose, and not well studied. Some preliminary research suggests that the use of computers will affect the cognitive activities of individual authors in several domains of immediate relevance to composition and technical communication practitioners: planning activities, editing activities, the writing of novice computer users or poor typists, and writing for electronic mail and other electronic communication. Research reported here suggests that the rapidly increasing capability of computer-based writing systems will force communication researchers to 1) broaden their basic conception of and methods of studying “author” to include authoring teams, 2) broaden the type of material studied from that which is purely or largely textual to that which much more frequently includes other types of information, and 3) track changes in “g...
Calmodulin-NADH semidehydroascorbate oxidoreductase interactions of clathrin coated vesicles.

NADH semidehydroascorbate oxidoreductase activity is present in clathrin coated vesicles isolated from rat liver. The activity of the enzyme on the coated vesicles and Golgi apparatus but not that of endoplasmic reticulum is stimulated by calmodulin and is inhibited by three different drugs which are known inhibitors of calmodulin function including trifluoperizine, pimozide and R24571. Extraction of clathrin from the vesicles causes a decrease in activity which can be partially restored when the extracted clathrin is added back. Added calmodulin also restores much of the activity which is lost when the clathrin is removed and the specific activity of added pure calmodulin is similar to that of the crude clathrin on a protein basis. There is a decrease in enzyme activity if coated vesicles or Golgi apparatus are treated with a calcium antagonist (8-[N,N-diethylamino]-octyl-3,4,5-trimethoxybenzoate) (TMB-8). However, the enzyme activity can be recovered to that of the untreated control if calcium (6.0 mM) is added. An additive stimulatory effect on enzyme activity is also observed when both calcium (1.0 mM) and calmodulin (40 μg/ml) are present in the vesicles simultaneously. The results show that the NADH-semidehydroascorbate oxidoreductase of coated vesicles and Golgi apparatus have regulatory properties different from those of the microsomal electron transport system. Calmodulin-calcium control mediated through the semidehydroascorbate reductase, may be among the components that regulate Golgi apparatus secretion.
Effect of glycemic load on peptide-YY levels in a biracial sample of obese and normal weight women.

Black women suffer a disproportionately higher rate of obesity than their white counterparts. Reasons for this racial disparity may reflect underlying differences in the appetite suppressing peptide-YY (PYY). The PYY response to food is differentially influenced by macronutrient content but the effect of glycemic load on PYY response is unknown. This study examined whether glycemic load influences fasting and postprandial PYY levels and whether fasting and postprandial PYY levels are lower in obese black women compared to normal weight black women and to white women. Data were collected from 40 women (20 black, 20 white; 10 each normal weight vs. obese) at the University of North Carolina Clinical and Translational Research Center (CTRC). Participants completed in counterbalanced order two 4(1/2)-day weight-maintenance, mixed macronutrient high vs. low glycemic load diets followed by a test meal of identical composition. Total PYY levels were assessed before and after each test meal. Results show no differences in fasting PYY levels but significantly less postprandial PYY area under the curve (PYY(AUC)) in the group of obese black women compared to each other group (race x obesity interaction, P 0.27). These findings indicate that postprandial PYY secretion is not affected by glycemic load but is blunted in obese black women compared with normal weight black women and with white women; additionally, they begin to address whether blunted PYY secretion contributes uniquely to the pathogenesis of obesity in black women.
Ontogeny of cyclic AMP-dependent protein phosphokinase during hepatic development of the rat.

Abstract The ontogeny of protein kinase (ATP: protein phosphotransferase, EC 2.7.1.37) and cyclic AMP-binding activity in subcellular fractions of liver was examined during prenatal and postnatal development of the male rat. 1. 1. Protein kinase activity and cyclic AMP-binding activity were found in the nuclear, microsomal, lysosomal-mitochondrial, and soluble liver fractions. 2. 2. The protein kinase activity of the soluble (105 000 × g supernatant) fraction measured with histone F1 as substrate was stimulated by cyclic AMP. Cyclic AMP did not stimulate the protein kinase activity of the particulate fractions. 3. 3. The protein kinase activity of all subcellular fractions increased rapidly from the activity observed in prenatal liver (3–4 days before birth) to reach maximal activity in 2-day-old rats. Thereafter, the protein kinase activity declined more slowly and regained the prenatal levels at 10 days after birth. 4. 4. Considerable latent protein kinase activity was associated with liver microsomal fractions which could be activated by treatment of microsomes with Triton X-100. The latent microsomal protein kinase activity was highest in prenatal liver, at the time of birth, and 2 days after birth. During the subsequent postnatal development the latent microsomal protein kinase activity gradually declined to insignificantly low levels. 5. 5. During the developmental period examined (4 days before birth to age 60–90 days) marked alterations of the cyclic AMP-binding activity were determined in all subcellular fractions of rat liver. In general, cytosol, microsomal, and lysosomal-mitochondrial cyclic AMP-binding activity was highest in 10–11 day-old rats. Nuclear cyclic AMP-binding activity was highest 3–4 days before birth and declined at birth and during the postnatal period. There was no correlation between the developmental alteration of cyclic AMP-binding activity and cyclic AMP dependency of the protein kinase activity in any of the subcellular fractions. This suggests that the measured cyclic AMP-binding activity does not reflect developmental alterations of the cyclic AMP-binding regulatory subunit of cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase.
Mechanism of the chiral SHG activity of bacteriorhodopsin films.

The nonlinear optical activity of bacteriorhodopsin (bR) Langmuir−Blodgett (LB) films were investigated computationally and experimentally. The second harmonic generation optical rotary dispersion (SHG-ORD) response was calculated directly from the known structure and orientation of the PSB retinal chromophore within bR with no adjustable parameters. The predicted results agree remarkably well in sign, magnitude, and trend with the experimental SHG-ORD measurements. The calculations indicated negligible chirality with the tensor for the PSB retinal chromophore, but significant chiral-specific activity for the thin film through a relatively simple orientational mechanism.
Synthesis and biological evaluation of novel macrocyclic ligands with pendent donor groups as potential yttrium chelators for radioimmunotherapy with improved complex formation kinetics.

Novel 1,4,7-triazacyclononane-N,N‘,N‘ ‘-triacetic acid (NOTA) based octadentate ligands [2-(4,7-biscarboxymethyl[1,4,7]triazacyclononan-1-ylethyl)carbonylmethylamino]acetic acid tetrahydrochloride (1) and [3-(4,7-biscarboxymethyl[1,4,7]triazacyclononan-1-yl-propyl)carbonylmethylamino]acetic acid tetrahydrochloride (2) with pendent donor groups as potential yttrium chelators for radioimmunotherapy (RIT) have been prepared via a convenient and high-yield cyclization route. The complexation kinetics of the novel chelates with Y(III) was investigated and compared to that of 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-N,N‘,N‘ ‘,N‘‘ ‘-tetraacetic acid (DOTA), a macrocyclic chelating agent well recognized as forming very stable complexes with yttrium but also limited in usage because of slow Y(III) complex formation rates. The in vitro stability of the corresponding 88Y-labeled complexes in human serum was assessed by measuring the release of 88Y from the complexes over 14 days. The in vivo biodistribution of 86Y-labeled 1 i...
Prospective study of outcome of infants with infantile spasms treated during controlled studies of ACTH and prednisone.

We report the long-term outcome of 64 infants with infantile spasms, followed prospectively, using controlled treatment schedules and objective techniques (24-hour EEG and video monitoring) to determine response. Average age at follow-up was 50 months. Of the 64 infants, three (5%) died; of the others, 41 (67%) had developmental retardation of 50% or more or an IQ of 50 or less. Eight patients (13%) composed our cryptogenic study group and were so classified on the basis of normal CT scan, normal development prior to onset of infantile spasms, and undetermined cause. These patients had the better outcome; 38% had normal development or were only mildly retarded. Both the responders and nonresponders in our symptomatic group had a poor outcome: only 5% had normal development or mild impairment. Outcome was not significantly influenced by short versus long treatment lag or by response to therapy. Other types of seizures occurred in 34 patients (53%). In summary, the overall prognosis for long-term outcome in these 64 patients with infantile spasms was poor.
Correlations Between Oral Form Recognition and Lingual Touch Sensitivity.

25 normally speaking Ss were tested on tasks of oral stereognosis, lingual light-touch detection and lingual two-point discrimination. No significant (p > .05) correlations were found among these t...
WHEAT BRAN'S EFFECT ON DIGESTIVE ENZYME ACTIVITY AND BILE ACID LEVELS IN RATS

Rats were fed either a fiber-free control diet or a diet containing 5% wheat bran. After 10 days the total activity of lipase, amylase, trypsin, and chymotrypsin, and total protein were elevated in pancreatic tissue. Activity per mg protein of lipase and amylase was also elevated in the pancreas. However, there were no differences in activity of these enzymes nor in bile acid levels in the small intestine after consuming a meal. Wheat bran may alter pancreatic secretion or absorption of digestion products leading to adaptive changes in the pancreas.
Evaluating minimalist mimics by exploring key orientations on secondary structures (EKOS)

Peptide mimics that display amino acid side-chains on semi-rigid scaffolds (not peptide polyamides) can be referred to as minimalist mimics. Accessible conformations of these scaffolds may overlay with secondary structures giving, for example, “minimalist helical mimics”. It is difficult for researchers who want to apply minimalist mimics to decide which one to use because there is no widely accepted protocol for calibrating how closely these compounds mimic secondary structures. Moreover, it is also difficult for potential practitioners to evaluate which ideal minimalist helical mimics are preferred for a particular set of side-chains. For instance, what mimic presents i, i + 4, i + 7 side-chains in orientations that best resemble an ideal α-helix, and is a different mimic required for a i, i + 3, i + 7 helical combination? This article describes a protocol for fitting each member of an array of accessible scaffold conformations on secondary structures. The protocol involves: (i) use quenched molecular dynamics (QMD) to generate an ensemble consisting of hundreds of accessible, low energy conformers of the mimics; (ii) representation of each of these as a set of Cα and Cβ coordinates corresponding to three amino acid side-chains displayed by the scaffolds; (iii) similar representation of each combination of three side-chains in each ideal secondary structure as a set of Cα and Cβ coordinates corresponding to three amino acid side-chains displayed by the scaffolds; and, (iv) overlay Cα and Cβ coordinates of all the conformers on all the sets of side-chain “triads” in the ideal secondary structures and express the goodness of fit in terms of root mean squared deviation (RMSD, A) for each overlay. We refer to this process as Exploring Key Orientations on Secondary structures (EKOS). Application of this procedure reveals the relative bias of a scaffold to overlay on different secondary structures, the “side-chain correspondences” (e.g. i, i + 4, i + 7 or i, i + 3, i + 4) of those overlays, and the energy of this state relative to the minimum located. This protocol was tested on some of the most widely cited minimalist α-helical mimics (1–8 in the text). The data obtained indicates several of these compounds preferentially exist in conformations that resemble other secondary structures as well as α-helices, and many of the α-helical conformations have unexpected side-chain correspondences. These observations imply the featured minimalist mimics have more scope for disrupting PPI interfaces than previously anticipated. Finally, the same simulation method was used to match preferred conformations of minimalist mimics with actual protein/peptide structures at interfaces providing quantitative comparisons of predicted fits of the test mimics at protein–protein interaction sites.
Scalable and parameterised VLSI architecture for efficient sparse approximation in FPGAs and SoCs

A parameterised and scalable very large scale integration (VLSI) soft intellectual property (IP) is presented that can be implemented in programmable logic devices, such as field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) or a system-on-chip design for efficient sparse approximation. The proposed architecture is optimised based on the orthogonal matching pursuit algorithm by both algorithm reformulation and architecture resource sharing techniques. The soft IP core supports a floating-point data format with 10 design parameters, which provides the necessary flexibility for application-specific customisation. The soft IP is evaluated on various FPGA platforms. The evaluation results show that design can achieve up to 30% higher throughput than the existing solutions while offering a larger dynamic range capability and better design flexibility.
Dense genomewide linkage scan for alcohol dependence in African Americans: significant linkage on chromosome 10.

Background Alcohol dependence (AD) is costly to societies worldwide, moderately heritable, and genetically complex. Risk loci in several populations have been identified with genetic linkage analysis. To date, there has been no published linkage study of AD focused on African Americans (AAs). Methods We completed a genomewide linkage scan with approximately 6000 single nucleotide polymorphism markers to map loci increasing risk for DSM-IV AD in a set of 238 small nuclear families ascertained on the basis of multiple individuals affected with cocaine or opioid dependence. Model free linkage analysis was completed with Merlin software. A modified marker set was used to avoid bias due to markers in strong linkage disequilibrium. Results We identified a genomewide-significant linkage to markers near 117.2 centiMorgans on chromosome 10q23.3-24.1 (logarithm of odds score 3.32; p = 5.0E-05; empirical genomewide p = .033). Conclusions These data add to the growing evidence for locations for AD risk loci and provide the first linkage evidence for such a locus in the AA population.
On the usual approximation used in the Rayleigh-Sommerfeld diffraction theory.

The complete Rayleigh–Sommerfeld scalar diffraction formula contains (1-ikR) in the integrand. Usually the wavelength is small compared with the distance of the observation point from the aperture and (1-ikR) is approximated by -ikR alone. Other approximations usually made in the Rayleigh–Sommerfeld formula are addressed as well. Closed-form solutions, without approximations, are possible wherein interesting consequences of these approximations become apparent.
Public Management Reform in Developing Countries: Issues and Outcomes

This article is a brief survey of key issues in public management reform in developing countries. It looks at the extent to which the new public management movement has made inroads in the developing world; major themes of reform that are unrelated to the new public management, such as capacity-building, the control of corruption, political decentralization, and public empowerment; and, finally, the role of aid donors in reform and the implications this has for the viability of reform efforts. In conclusion, it is suggested that researchers should look for ways to improve the low success rate of reform (whether new public management or otherwise).
Irritable colon and depression

Abstract Numerous attempts have been made to relate specific emotional conflicts to colonic symptoms in the irritable colon syndrome. Depression has been described as an accompaniment of the illness. This paper investigates the relationship between irritable colon and depression using self-rating symptom scales and the Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale. Thirty-one subjects were followed for two months in a double-blind study employing a tricyclic antidepressant and an inactive placebo. The study demonstrates the frequency of depression in patients with the syndrome; it shows a clearly positive treatment effect with placebo alone for both depressive symptoms and gastrointestinal complaints, and suggests that tricyclic antidepressant therapy results in moderately greater improvement in symptoms than does treatment with placebo alone.
Autonomic-mediated immunomodulation and potential clinical relevance

α7nAChR= : α7 subunit-containing nicotinic receptor; ACh= : acetylcholine; ACTH= : adrenocorticotrophic hormone; β 2AR ; cAMP= : cyclic adenosine monophosphate; CRH= : corticotropin-releasing hormone; Epi= : epinephrine; IFN= : interferon gamma; IL-1= : interleukin IL-1 beta; IL-1R= : interleukin-1 receptor; MS= : multiple sclerosis; NE= : norepinephrine; NFκB= : nuclear factor kappa B; NPY= : neuropeptide Y; NTS= : nucleus of the solitary tract; PgE2= : prostaglandin E2; PVN= : paraventricular nucleus; RVLM= : rostral ventrolateral medulla; TNF= : tumor necrosis factor-alpha. There is an active bidirectional communication between the immune system and the nervous system. Cytokines released from immune cells provide signals to neurons of the hypothalamus and brainstem, which trigger endocrine and autonomic responses that, in turn, inhibit the immune response. Both the sympathetic and the vagal efferent pathways participate in this anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressant action. Neurally mediated immunosuppression is adaptive and limits the extent of local or systemic inflammation. However, when activated in the setting of acute stroke or other forms of CNS injury, this response may lead to profound downregulation of both innate and adaptive immunity and predispose to infections, which are a major cause of morbidity and mortality in these patients. There are several excellent reviews focused on the various mechanisms involved in brain-immune interactions1–7 and more recent publications focus on the consequences of immunodeficiency triggered by CNS injury.8,9 Some relevant concepts on mechanisms and effect of autonomic activation on immune responses and the potential clinical implications are reviewed here. Macrophages and monocytes respond to various stimuli by releasing proinflammatory cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFα), interleukin (IL)-1 beta (IL-1β), IL-6, IL-12, and interferon gamma (IFNγ); these mediators are both effectors of inflammation and signal molecules to the nervous system. There are at least 2 pathways by which the brain senses inflammation: a neural pathway and a humoral pathway (figure 1).2 Figure 1 Immune signaling to the CNS Proinflammatory cytokines, including interleukin (IL)-1β, released during inflammation provide signals to the CNS via neural and humoral pathways. IL-1β or other proinflammatory cytokines activate vagal afferents that terminate in the nucleus of the solitary tract. Ascending projections from this nucleus or from catecholaminergic A1/C1 cells located in the ventrolateral medulla reach the hypothalamus, including the paraventricular nucleus. Circulating proinflammatory cytokines may also enter the brain …
SMYTH COMPLETENESS IN TERMS OF NETS: THE GENERAL CASE

Abstract Smyth completeness is the appropriate notion of completeness for quasi-uniform spaces carrying an additional topology to serve as domains of computation [2, 3]. The goal of this paper is to provide a better understanding of Smyth completeness by giving a characterization in terms of nets. We develop the notion of computational Cauchy net and an appropriate notion of strong convergence to get the result that a space is Smyth complete if and only if every computational Cauchy net strongly converges. As we are dealing with typically non-symmetric spaces, this is not an instance of the classical net-filter translation in general topology.