cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Peptidyl Inhibitor that Blocks Calcineurin–NFAT Interaction and Prevents Acute Lung Injury

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is an inflammatory lung disease with a high morbidity and mortality rate, for which no pharmacologic treatment is currently available. Our previous studies discovered that a pivotal step in the disease process is the activation of the nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFAT) c3 in lung macrophages, suggesting that inhibitors against the upstream protein phosphatase calcineurin should be effective for prevention/treatment of ARDS. Herein, we report the development of a highly potent, cell-permeable, and metabolically stable peptidyl inhibitor, CNI103, which selectively blocks the interaction between calcineurin and NFATc3, through computational and medicinal chemistry. CNI103 specifically inhibited calcineurin signaling in vitro and in vivo and exhibited a favorable pharmacokinetic profile, broad tissue distribution following different routes of administration, and minimal toxicity. Our data indicate that CNI103 is a promising novel treatment for ARDS and other inflammatory diseases.
Applications performance under OSF/1 AD and SUNMOS on Intel Paragon XP/S-15

On Paragon, two operating systems are available: OSF/1 AD and SUNMOS. The chief drawbacks of OSF/1 AD are: OSF/1 AD takes about 8 MB of memory on each node of the Paragon; messages can be sent only at a bandwidth of 30-35 MB per second compared to 200 MB per second peak advertised rate; latencies are on the order of 100 microseconds using Intel NX calls under OSF/1 AD. All these drawbacks can be minimized by using SUNMOS. SUNMOS takes only 250 KB of memory on each node and can send messages at bandwidth of 170 MB per second with latencies of 70 microseconds. We have measured the performance of applications under OSF/1 AD and SUNMOS and found that under OSF/1 AD, performance does not scale as the number of nodes increases, whereas under SUNMOS it seems to scale because of higher communication bandwidth.
Impact of pulmonary valve replacement on left ventricular rotational mechanics in repaired tetralogy of Fallot.

In repaired tetralogy of Fallot (rTOF), abnormal left ventricular (LV) rotational mechanics are associated with adverse clinical outcomes. We performed a comprehensive analysis of LV rotational mechanics in rTOF patients using cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) prior to and following surgical pulmonary valve replacement (PVR). In this single center retrospective study, we identified rTOF patients who (1) had both a CMR ≤ 1 year before PVR and ≤ 5 years after PVR, (2) had no other intervening procedure between CMRs, (3) had a body surface area > 1.0 m2 at CMR, and (4) had images suitable for feature tracking analysis. These subjects were matched to healthy age- and sex-matched control subjects. CMR feature tracking analysis was performed on a ventricular short-axis stack of balanced steady-state free precession images. Measurements included LV basal and apical rotation, twist, torsion, peak systolic rates of rotation and torsion, and timing of events. Associations with LV torsion were assessed. A total of 60 rTOF patients (23.6 ± 7.9 years, 52% male) and 30 healthy control subjects (20.8 ± 3.1 years, 50% male) were included. Compared with healthy controls, rTOF patients had lower apical and basal rotation, twist, torsion, and systolic rotation rates, and these parameters peaked earlier in systole. The only parameters that were correlated with LV torsion were right ventricular (RV) end-systolic volume (r = − 0.28, p = 0.029) and RV ejection fraction (r = 0.26, p = 0.044). At a median of 1.0 year (IQR 0.5–1.7) following PVR, there was no significant change in LV rotational parameters versus pre-PVR despite reductions in RV volumes, RV mass, pulmonary regurgitation, and RV outflow tract obstruction. In this comprehensive study of CMR-derived LV rotational mechanics in rTOF patients, rotation, twist, and torsion were diminished compared to controls and did not improve at a median of 1 year after PVR despite favorable RV remodeling.
RTOG-0129 risk groups are reproducible in a prospective multicenter heterogeneously treated cohort.

BACKGROUND Recursive partitioning analysis (RPA) from the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG)-0129 has identified a low-risk group of patients with oropharynx cancer (OPC) who might benefit from therapeutic de-intensification. These risk groups have not yet been reproduced in an independent cohort treated heterogeneously. Therefore, the objective of this analysis was to validate the RPA risk groups and examine the prognostic impact of novel factors. METHODS Patients with OPC were enrolled in a prospective study at 3 academic medical centers from 2013 to 2018. Medical record abstraction was used to ascertain clinical variables including staging and survival according to the 7th edition of the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) Cancer Staging Manual. Human papillomavirus-positive tumor status was determined by p16 immunohistochemistry and/or HPV RNA in situ hybridization. Kaplan-Meier and log-rank methods were used to compare survival. Cox proportional hazards were used to generate univariate and multivariable hazard ratios (HRs). RESULTS Median follow-up time was 3.2 years. The low-, intermediate-, and high-risk groups had significant differences in 2-year overall survival (OS, 99.1%; 95% CI, 94.4%-99.9% vs OS, 93.0%; 95% CI, 74.7%-98.2% vs OS, 80.0%; 95% CI, 40.9%-94.6%; Poverall = .0001) and 2-year progression-free survival (PFS, 97.5%; 95% CI, 92.4%-99.2% vs PFS, 89.3%; 95% CI, 70.3%-96.4% vs PFS, 80.0%; 95% CI, 40.9%-94.6%; Poverall < .002). After adjustment for age, sex, and level of educational attainment, OS and PFS were significantly lower for the intermediate- (OS adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 5.0; 95% CI, 1.0-23.0; PFS aHR, 3.4; 95% CI, 1.0-11.5), and high- (OS aHR, 7.3; 95% CI, 1.4-39; PFS aHR, 5.0; 95% CI, 1.2-21.6) risk groups compared with the low-risk group. Lower education was also independently significantly associated with worse OS (aHR, 8.9; 95% CI, 1.8-44.3) and PFS (aHR, 3.1; 95% CI, 1.0-9.6). CONCLUSIONS In patients with OPC, the RTOG-0129 RPA model is associated with OS and PFS in a heterogeneously treated cohort.
Decreased Nonlinear Harmonic Generation in Longitudinal Leaky SAW Resonators Based on YZ-cut LiNbO 3 Substrate

The second (H2) and third (H3) harmonic generations in surface acoustic wave (SAW) resonators based on the YZ-cut LiNbO 3 operating in both longitudinal leaky SAW (LLSAW) mode and Rayleigh SAW mode were investigated and compared. For the Rayleigh SAW mode, the patterns and trends of nonlinearly excited harmonics in the YZ-cut LiNbO 3 were the same as those of 128° YX LiNbO 3 except that the peaks of nonlinear harmonic responses in YZ-cut LiNbO 3 were denser than the latter. However, for the YZ-cut LiNbO 3 LLSAW resonators, the peaks of the nonlinear harmonic responses would be 20 to 30 dBm lower than those in the Rayleigh SAW resonators. For the YZ-cut LiNbO 3 LLSAW resonators, we found that the quasi-periodic peaks in the nonlinear harmonics response would disappear at a substrate thickness of 500 μm. Results showed that the nonlinear harmonic generation concerns in SAW filters and duplexers may be substantially reduced by the use of longitudinal leaky SAW based on YZ-cut LiNbO 3 .
Local Linearity and Double Descent in Catastrophic Overfitting

Catastrophic overfitting is a phenomenon observed during Adversarial Training (AT) with the Fast Gradient Sign Method (FGSM) where the test robustness steeply declines over just one epoch in the training stage. Prior work has attributed this loss in robustness to a sharp decrease in $\textit{local linearity}$ of the neural network with respect to the input space, and has demonstrated that introducing a local linearity measure as a regularization term prevents catastrophic overfitting. Using a simple neural network architecture, we experimentally demonstrate that maintaining high local linearity might be $\textit{sufficient}$ to prevent catastrophic overfitting but is not $\textit{necessary.}$ Further, inspired by Parseval networks, we introduce a regularization term to AT with FGSM to make the weight matrices of the network orthogonal and study the connection between orthogonality of the network weights and local linearity. Lastly, we identify the $\textit{double descent}$ phenomenon during the adversarial training process.
Insulin-like growth factor binding protein-5 expression by human trabecular meshwork.

Purpose The authors found transcript expression for insulin-like growth factor binding protein-5 (IGFBP-5) while screening for uniquely expressed trabecular meshwork (TM) mRNAs. Because the insulin-like growth factor (IGF) autocrine-paracrine system may provide an important signaling mechanism between TM cells and the outflow pathway, the expression of IGFBP-5 and IGF-I receptor in the TM was characterized. Methods Poly(A+) RNA was isolated from cell cultures of human TM, ciliary body, retinal pigment epithelium, and skin fibroblasts and subjected to reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) differential display analysis. A unique 980-bp band present in the TM was cloned and sequenced. Additional PCR and Northern analyses were used to define trabecular IGFBP-5 expression. Western immunoblots and confocal immunohistochemistry were used to evaluate the protein expression patterns of IGFBP-5 and the IGF-I receptor. IGF-I and IGF-II were added to trabecular cells in culture, and matrix metalloproteinase production was evaluated. Results A unique differential display band was identified in the TM. Sequencing of this band identified it as the 3'-untranslated region of IGFBP-5. RT-PCR, using a variety of specific primers for IGFBP-5, Northern analysis, Western immunoblots, and immunohistochemical analysis, confirmed that IGFBP-5 was expressed in the TM. However, IGFBP-5 was also present at low levels in the ciliary body and skin fibroblasts by Northern and Western analysis, in contrast with the differential display findings. In addition, the IGF-I receptor was expressed by the TM and showed cell-surface staining by immunohistochemistry. Trabecular IGFBP-5 was distributed throughout the meshwork in the extracellular matrix and the cells with more staining in the juxtacanalicular region than in the uveal meshwork. IGF-I, but not IGF-II, modestly increased trabecular stromelysin and gelatinase B but not collagenase, gelatinase A, or tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases 1 or 2. Conclusions IGFBP-5 and IGF-I receptor were expressed at significant levels by TM cells and may serve an important role in trabecular function.
Interleaving training and limited feedback for point-to-point massive multiple-antenna systems

We introduce and investigate the opportunities of multi-antenna communication schemes whose training and feedback stages are interleaved and mutually interacting. Specifically, unlike the traditional schemes where the transmitter first trains all of its antennas at once and then receives a single feedback message, we consider a scenario where the transmitter instead trains its antennas one by one and receives feedback information immediately after training each one of its antennas. The feedback message may ask the transmitter to train another antenna; or, it may terminate the feedback/training phase and provide the quantized codeword (e.g., a beamforming vector) to be utilized for data transmission. As a specific application, we consider a multiple-input single-output system with t transmitter antennas, a short-term power constraint P, and target data rate ρ. We show that for any t, the same outage probability as a system with perfect transmitter and receiver channel state information can be achieved with a feedback rate of R 1 bits per channel state and via training R 2 transmitter antennas on average, where R 1 and R 2 are independent of t, and depend only on ρ and P.
Toy Story 3

Toy Story 3 captures multiple stories across two seemingly disconnected worlds between humans and toys. The film mainly centers on the toy characters, their histories with their owners, their hopes...
Economics of Cancer Care

Several major issues emerge when combining the “dismal science” of economics1 with the science of oncology. With rising healthcare costs yet limited resources, it becomes important to know how to factor economic considerations into the medical decision-making process. This task is made more difficult by the paucity of comparative studies of costs and outcomes (under the general term of cost-effectiveness) and quality of life; as a result, clinicians are left on their own to decide “who does what to whom, at what cost, and with whose money.”
RAMP: research accelerator for multiple processors - a community vision for a shared experimental parallel HW/SW platform

Summary form only given. The vast majority of computer architects believe the future of the microprocessor is hundreds to thousands of processors ("cores") on a chip. Given such widespread agreement, it's surprising how much research remains to be done in algorithms, computer architecture, networks, operating systems, file systems, compilers, programming languages, applications, and so on to realize this vision. Fortunately, Moore's law has not only enabled dense multi-core chips, it has also enabled extremely dense FPGAs. Today, one to two dozen soft cores can be programmed into a single FPGA. With multiple FPGAs on a board and multiple boards in a system, 1000-processor designs can be economically and rapidly explored. To make this happen, however, requires a significant amount of infrastructure in hardware, software, and what we call "gateware", the register-transfer level models that fill the FGPAs. By using the Berkeley Emulation Engine boards that were created for other purposes, the hardware is already done. A group of architects plan to design the gateware, create this infrastructure, and share the results in an open-source fashion so that every institution could have their own. Such a system would not just invigorate multiprocessors research in the architecture community. Since processors cores can run at 100 to 200 MHz, a large scale multiprocessor would be fast enough to run operating systems and large programs at speeds sufficient to support software research. Moreover, there is a new generation of FPGAs every 18 months with capacity for twice as many cores and run them faster, so future multiboard FPGA systems are even more attractive. Hence, we believe such a system would accelerate research across all the fields that touch multiple processors. Thus the acronynm RAMP, for Research Accelerator for Multiple Processors. RAMP has the potential to transform the parallel computing community in computer science from a simulation-driven to a prototype-driven discipline, leading to rapid iteration across interfaces of the many fields of multiple processors, and thereby moving much more quickly to a parallel foundation for large-scale computer systems research in the 21st century.
Ivan Doig's Montana and the creation of place-defining literature

Cultural geographers explore many intersections between places and writers. This study examines two memoirs (This House of Sky, Heart Earth) and three novels (English Creek, Dancing at the Rascal Fair, Ride With Me, Mariah Montana) published by Montana author Ivan Doig between 1978 and 1993. Set in his native Montana, these works have been cited for their powerful place-based imagery and language. Doig's example is used to explore the concept of “place-defining” literature introduced in 1991 by geographer James “Pete” Shortridge. I identify five qualities in Doig's writing to mark his contribution to place-defining literature. These include (1) Doig's accurate descriptions of Montana localities and landscapes, (2) Doig's descriptions of the seasonal round of activities and weather, (3) Doig's use of national and global events to shape local narratives, (4) Doig's emphasis on work and labor, and (5) Doig's use of vernacular language to connect past and present landscapes within his stories. Doig exemplifie...
1821 ELEVATED CATECHOLAMINES AND ABNORMAL HYPOXIC AROUSAL IN APNEA OF INFANCY

Arousal from quiet sleep (QS) in response to a hypoxic challenge (HC) does not occur in many apnea of infancy (AOI) patients [Ped. Res., 16:363A, 1982]. Since catecholamines (C) stimulate respiration, abnormal C metabolism might be involved in the depressed arousal response to HC in AOI. We studied 14 AOI infants [age 12.4±3.3 (SE) months; with a history of apnea, cyanosis and limpness, requiring at least vigorous shaking for resuscitation; no identified treatable cause of apnea; and still having apnea]. When in QS by EOG and behavioral criteria, HC (PIO2 80 mmHg) was given for 3 minutes or until arousal (eye opening, agitation, movement, crying) occurred. Through an indwelling venous line, blood samples were obtained for epinephrine (E), norepinephrine (NE), and dopamine (D) levels [by REA] while awake, after 10-min of QS, and 1 min after the start and completion of each HC. Of the 14 AOI patients, 11 (79%) did not arouse to 2 consecutive HC 10 min apart. In infants who did not arouse, E was 2.5 × greater during QS (p < 0.025), NE was 2.7× greater while awake (p < 0.02), 6.4× grater in QS (p < 0.001), and 12× greater post-HC (P <0.001) than in those who did arouse. There were no differences in D. We conclude that E and NE are increased in AOI patients with abnormal hyposic arousal reponses: decreased C reponsiveness might contribute to the abnormal arousal response to HC.
Nucleoprotein architecture of the albumin transcriptional enhancer

Studies of the serum albumin gene have shown that in the active state, its tissue-specific enhancer is organized with transcription factors into nucleoprotein structures that appear nucleosomal. Thus, the organization of chromatin components, and not their disruption or absence, is intrinsic to enhancer activity. Mechanisms for creating the nucleosome-like array are discussed with regard to the developmental control of cell-specific gene expression.
Modification of Resin-Type Adsorbents for Ethane/Ethylene Separation

Modified adsorbents, Ag+-exchanged resins, have been prepared and studied for ethane/ethylene separation by adsorption. On Ag+-exchanged Amberlyst 35 (36.5% exchange) at 25 °C and 1 atm, the equili...
Conditionals in context

"If you turn left at the next corner, you will see a blue house at the end of the street." That sentence -- a conditional -- might be true even though it is possible that you will not see a blue house at the end of the street when you turn left at the next corner. A moving van may block your view; the house may have been painted pink; a crow might swoop down and peck out your eyes. Still, in some contexts, we might ignore these possibilities and correctly assert the conditional. In this book, Christopher Gauker argues that such context-relativity is the key to understanding the semantics of conditionals. Contexts are defined as objective features of the situation in which a conversation takes place, and the semantic properties of sentences -- conditionals included -- are defined in terms of assertibility in a context.One of the primary goals of a theory of conditionals has to be to distinguish correctly between valid and invalid arguments containing conditionals. According to Gauker, an argument is valid if the conclusion is assertible in every context in which the premises are assertible. This runs counter to what Gauker sees as a systematic misreading of the data by other authors, who judge arguments to be invalid if they can think of a context in which the premises are judged true and some other context in which the conclusion is judged false. Different schools of thought on conditionals reflect fundamentally different approaches to semantics. Gauker offers his theory as a motive and test case for a distinctive kind of semantics that dispenses with reference relations and possible worlds.
Synthesis and structural investigation of an "oxazinoquinolinespirohexadienone" that only exists as its long-wavelength ring-opened quinonimine isomer.

The spirocyclic oxazinoquinolinespirohexadienone (OSHD) “photochromes” are computationally predicted to be an attractive target as electron deficient analogues of the perimidinespirohexadienone (PSHD) photochromes, for eventual application as photochromic photooxidants. We have found the literature method for their preparation unsuitable and present an alternative synthesis. Unfortunately the product of this synthesis is the long wavelength (LW) ring-opened quinonimine isomer of the OSHD. We have found this isomer does not close to the spirocyclic short wavelength isomer (SW) upon prolonged standing in the dark, unlike other PSHD photochromes. The structure of this long wavelength isomer was found by NMR and X-ray crystallography to be exclusively the quinolinone (keto) tautomer, though experimental cyclic voltammetry supported by our computational methodology indicates that the quinolinol (enol) tautomer (not detected by other means) may be accessible through a fast equilibrium lying far toward the keto ...
Shouldering the Burden: On Gender and Migration

Thirty years ago, scholarship on U.S. immigration primarily traced the lives of men, their motivations for leaving home, and their experiences upon arrival in this country. Today, social scientists increasingly recognize the importance of women's lives to understanding migratory streams. Most contemporary research looks at gender and migration in one of two ways. First, feminist literature during the 1970s and 1980s sensitized researchers to the ways women, by virtue of their relationships to men, have always been critical to migration. Recent scholarship has uncovered the often previously silenced voices of women-whether they moved with their husbands and fathers (Foner, 2000; Hondagneu-Sotelo, 1994) or stayed home but played critical roles in the lives of the men who moved (Gabaccia, 2001; Glenn, 1983). They have shown that private relationships are intricately linked to those that reach the public's eye. Second, at the end of the 20th century, there has been a notable increase in the number of women migrants, which many attribute to the changing nature of the economy. With high demand for service-sector jobs in industrialized nations, and women in peripheral economies badly in need of access to the labor market, increased female migration is perhaps inevitable (Chang, 2000; Sassen, 2002). Research on
Study of birefringent coatings treated as thick plates

Abstract Based on an earlier paper (5) dealing with the application of Fourier transforms, a formal solution in three-dimensional theory of elasticity is presented for the problem of birefringent coatings, treated as thick plates, infinite in both longitudinal and transverse directions of the plane, with one surface free and the other parallel surface subjected to arbitrary displacement distribution. A method based on experimental observations and supplemented by analytic solutions derived from the theory developed here enables one to interpret the fringe pattern in the coating in terms of principal strain difference on the surface of the prototype at interface.
The Strike Insurance Plan of the Railroad Industry

A far-reaching program designed to minimize revenue losses during strikes became operative in the nation's railroad industry on September 1, 1959. The plan is formally known as the Service Interruption Policy, or, more commonly, as the railroad strike insurance plan."
ATP Hydrolysis in Eg5 Kinesin Involves a Catalytic Two-Water Mechanism

Motor proteins couple steps in ATP binding and hydrolysis to conformational switching both in and remote from the active site. In our kinesin• AMPPNP crystal structure, closure of the active site results in structural transformations for appropriate microtubule binding and organizes an orthosteric two-water cluster. We conclude that a proton is shared between the lytic water, positioned for gamma-phosphate attack, and the second water that serves as a general base. To our knowledge, this is the first experimental detection of the catalytic base for any ATPase. Deprotonation of the second water by switch residues likely triggers subsequent large-scale structural rearrangements. Therefore, the catalytic base is responsible for initiating nucleophilic attack of ATP and for relaying the positive charge over long distances to initiate mechanotransduction. Coordination of switch movements via sequential proton transfer along paired water clusters may be universal for NTPases with conserved active sites, such as myosins and G-proteins.
The effects of implant composition on extensor tenosynovitis in a canine distal radius fracture model.

Purpose Dorsal plating of distal radius fractures with titanium plates has resulted in clinically observed tenosynovitis and tendon rupture. The goal of this study was to investigate whether titanium-based implants result in more extensor tendon inflammation than matched stainless-steel implants in a canine fracture model. Methods An osteotomy was created in the distal radius of 18 beagles and fixed with 2.7-mm 4-hole plates composed of commercially pure titanium, titanium alloy (Ti-Al6-V4), or 316L stainless steel. Animals were killed at an average of 4 months. Tendon gliding was assessed by applying a force at the extensor musculotendinous junction and noting gliding. Histologic grading (mild, moderate, severe) was based on cellular hypertrophy, hyperplasia, and leukocytic infiltration. Results Tendons glided freely in 100% stainless-steel specimens, 75% of titanium alloy, and 43% of commercially pure titanium groups. A severe inflammatory reaction was identified in 60% of the titanium alloy (Ti-A16-V4) group, 57% of the pure titanium group, and 0% of the stainless-steel group. Conclusions Dorsal plating of the canine radius with commercially pure titanium or titanium alloy implants produced a greater inflammatory peritendinous response than matched stainless-steel implants.
Iontophoretic transmyocardial drug delivery. A novel approach to antiarrhythmic drug therapy.

BACKGROUNDAntiarrhythmic drugs often fail to achieve therapeutic effects without toxic systemic levels. Direct transport of drugs into the myocardium may circumvent this problem and may also provide new insights into antiarrhythmic drug effect on arrhythmogenic tissues. In a canine model, procainamide (PA) was delivered iontophoretically using pulsed current synchronized with the ventricular depolarization via an implantable defibrillator patch electrode that was modified to contain a 3.6-ml chamber. Myocardial tissue concentrations of PA were evaluated in 7-day myocardial infarcts (n = 16) that were exposed to 10 minutes of iontophoretic PA delivery and compared with passive diffusion (n = 5) and intravenous (n = 16) PA. These dogs were followed for 3 hours. The infarcted tissue PA levels were compared with normal myocardium. Coronary and systemic blood levels of PA, effective refractory period (ERP), diastolic threshold, and efficacy of ventricular tachycardia (VT) suppression were evaluated throughout ...
Negative effects of ocean acidification on calcification vary within the coccolithophore genus Calcidiscus

A large percentage of CO2 emitted into the atmosphere is absorbed by the oceans, causing chemical changes in surface waters known as ocean acidification (OA). Despite the high interest and increased pace of OA research to understand the effects of OA on marine organisms, many ecologically important organisms remain unstudied. Calcidiscus is a heavily calcified coccolithophore genus that is widespread and genetically and morphologically diverse. It contributes substantially to global calcium carbonate production, organic carbon production, oceanic carbon burial, and ocean–atmosphere CO2 exchange. Despite the importance of this genus, relatively little work has examined its responses to OA. We examined changes in growth, morphology, and carbon allocation in multiple strains of Calcidiscus leptoporus in response to ocean acidification. We also, for the first time, examined the OA response of Calcidiscus quadriperforatus, a larger and more heavily calcified Calcidiscus congener. All Calcidiscus coccolithophores responded negatively to OA with impaired coccolith morphology and a decreased ratio of particulate inorganic to organic carbon (PIC:POC). However, strains responded variably; C. quadriperforatus showed the most sensitivity, while the most lightly calcified strain of C. leptoporus showed little response to OA. Our findings suggest that calcium carbonate production relative to organic carbon production by Calcidiscus coccolithophores may decrease in future oceans and that Calcidiscus distributions may shift if more resilient strains and species become dominant in assemblages. This study demonstrates that variable responses to OA may be strain or species specific in a way that is closely linked to physiological traits, such as cellular calcite quota.
BACTERIAL AND FUNGAL FLORA OF WILD NORTHERN FUR SEALS (CALLORHINUS URSINUS)

Tissues from healthy subadult and moribund newborn northern fur seals (Callorhinus ursinus) on St. Paul Island, Pribilof Islands, Alaska, and from healthy pups and yearlings on San Miguel Island, California, were sampled for bacteria and fungi. Corynebacterium spp. and Staphylococcus spp. were more frequently present in tissues from animals on St. Paul Island whereas Pseudomonas spp. were frequently isolated on San Miguel Island. Approximately half of the blood samples were positive for bacteria. Salmonella spp. were isolated from rectal swabs of animals only on San Miguel Island. Fungi were isolated from the hair and skin of subadult males.
Perceived Impacts of Government Regulations on Technology Transfers

ABSTRACT This paper examines the effects of government regulation on the technology transfer process. Technology transfer is an important component of an economic development effort in communities, states, and nations. Understanding the process used to transfer technology is needed to promote policies that develop an effective infrastructure to encourage technology transfer. This paper uses qualitative and quantitative methodologies to examine managerial perceptions of the effects of government policies on the technology transfer process. The impacts of tax policies, environmental regulations, health and safety regulations, labor regulations, international trade regulations, and the differences in regulations between countries are studied. Items used to measure the success of technology transfer are proposed.
Generation of novel conditional and hypomorphic alleles of the Smad2 gene

Smad2 is an intracellular mediator of the transforming growth factor beta signaling (TGFβ) pathway. It has been previously shown that, in the mouse, ablation of functional Smad2 results in embryonic lethality due to gastrulation defects. To circumvent the early lethality and study the spatially and temporally specific functions of Smad2, we utilized the Cre-loxP system to generate a Smad2 conditional allele. Here we show that a conditional allele, Smad2flox, was generated. In this allele, exons 9 and 10 are flanked by loxP sites and the gene is functionally wildtype. Cre-mediated recombination results in a deletion allele which phenocopies our previously reported Smad2ΔC null mutation. To generate this conditional allele, we first made a targeted mutation which introduced a floxed neo cassette into intron 10. This allele (Smad23loxP) functions hypomorphically when placed opposite a null allele, and unlike the other published Smad2 hypomorphic allele, can be maintained in the homozygous state. genesis 40:118–123, 2004. © 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
The Cyclooxygenase Hydroperoxide Product PGG2 Activates Synaptic Nitric Oxide Synthase: A Possible Antioxidant Response to Membrane Lipid Peroxidation

Abstract Nitric oxide is a potent inhibitor of membrane lipid peroxidation. It is unknown, however, whether nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activity increases under conditions of membrane lipid peroxidation. Importantly, cyclooxygenase (COX)-catalyzed peroxidation of arachidonic acid is well-established to be increased by lipid hydroperoxides. The results of the present study demonstrate that the COX hydroperoxide product prostaglandin G 2 (PGG 2 ) greatly stimulated NOS activity in synaptosomal membrane fractions from rat brain in a dose-dependent (EC 50 = 0.2 μM) manner in the presence of ATP and the antioxidant urate. NOS activation was also produced, albeit to a lesser extent, by 15-hydroperoxyeicosatetraenoic acid (15-HPETE) but not by the corresponding hydroxy compounds PGH 2 and 15-HETE or by hydrogen peroxide. These findings demonstrate that PGG 2 -activated synaptic NOS by a hydroperoxide-mediated pathway and support the view that NOS activation may be an important physiological response to lipid peroxidation.
Paper texture classification via multi-scale Restricted Boltzman Machines

The performance of two classification algorithms based on Restricted Boltzman Machine (RBM) are compared in the paper texture classification application when utilizing a multi-scale Local Binary Pattern sampling. In the first approach, a separate RBM is trained for each texture-type to estimate the joint probability distribution of samples. In the second approach, a Deep Belief Net, which consists of a cascade of RBM layers, is used to extract texture features which are then fed into a logistic regression layer. The classification performance of the two methods are compared in detail.
Fracture Mitigation Strategies in Gastropod Shells

For hundreds of millions of years, gastropods have been evolving, modifying their external calcified shells for defense against shell-breaking and drilling predators. They have evolved primarily to use two different aragonitic microstructures: the evolutionary older Nacre (mother of pearl) structure and the more recently developed crossed-lamellar structure. By using both of these structures, gastropods are able to produce shells that are significantly tougher then geologic aragonite. However, the crossed-lamellar structure allows for a wider variety of shell morphologies, ensuring its increasing presence since the Mesozoic Marine Revolution more than 200 million years ago.
Fabrication of silicon MOS devices using X-ray lithography

This paper reports on the high-yield fabrication of silicon MOS transistors using X-ray lithography, measurements and annealing of fast surface states and oxide charges created by X-ray irradiation, and design considerations for submicrometer linewidth X-ray lithography on 7.5-cm diameter silicon wafers.
PEDF in Angiogenic Eye Diseases

Most diseases that cause blindness do so as a result of neovascularization. Angiogenesis is a complex process regulated in adult tissues by a large interacting network of molecules. In pathological conditions the checks and balances of the angiogenesis system go awry and endothelial cells of the microvasculature, proliferate, migrate, and form new but leaky vessels that invade the tissue. Hemorrhaging vessels cause edema and damage to surrounding tissues, particularly the retina. Microvascular lesions often cause severe retinal detachment and loss of vision. In this review, the value of an important endogenous anti angiogenic molecule, PEDF, is discussed in relationship to its ability to prevent retinal cell death and counter the abnormal vessel growth induced by VEGF in the eye. Its control of a neuroprotective and an antineovascular regulatory axis that determines cell fate, and its possible use in combination therapeutic strategies for ocular neovascular diseases are also reviewed.
The effect of wave action, prey type, and foraging time on growth of the predatory snail Nucella lapillus (L.).

Abstract Growth rates of intertidal snails vary among populations differentially exposed to wave action; individuals from sheltered habitats typically grow more quickly than do those from more exposed coasts. A series of field and laboratory experiments were conducted to separate the genetic and phenotypic components of this variation in Nucella lapillus (L.) and to investigate the extent to which prey type and foraging time, which also vary across the wave-exposure gradient, affect growth. Juvenile and adult whelks were reciprocally transplanted between an exposed and a protected shore and subsequent growth followed. Independent of origin, whelks grew more on the sheltered shore. By contrast, growth rates for snails from exposed and protected shores were similar when reared under uniform conditions in the laboratory. Together these findings suggest that the variation observed in nature does not represent genetic differentiation, but reflects the influence of proximal factors that depress growth on wave-swept shores. Growth rates of juveniles from exposed and protected shores maintained in the laboratory on a diet of an overabundance of (1) barnacles, (2) mussels, (3) both, and (4) both, but only 67% of the time, indicated that prey type and foraging time affect growth. Whelks grew best on a diet of mussels, either singly or in combination with barnacles, grew less on barnacles alone, and least when foraging time was restricted. Because growth rates on specific prey in the laboratory were opposite the observed trend in nature, variation in prey across the exposure gradient cannot be invoked to account for the difference in growth between N. lapillus from exposed and protected shores. The slower growth rates when foraging time was restricted are consistent with the notion that wave energies on exposed coasts depress growth by limiting foraging time or by reducing foraging efficiency.
Fourier spectral simulations and Gegenbauer reconstructions for electromagnetic waves in the presence of a metal nanoparticle

We describe Fourier pseudospectral time-domain simulations, carried out in order to study light interacting with a metallic nanoscale object. The difficulty of using Fourier methods to accurately predict the electromagnetic scattering in such problems arises from the discontinuity in the dielectric function along the surface of the metallic object. Standard Fourier methods lead to oscillatory behavior in approximating solutions that are nonsmooth or that have steep gradients. By applying the Gegenbauer reconstruction technique as a postprocessing method to the Fourier pseudospectral solution, we successfully reduce the oscillations after postprocessing. Our computational results, including comparison with finite-difference time-domain simulations, demonstrate the efficiency and accuracy of the method.
524 DOMINANT INHERITANCE OF ISOLATED GROWTH HORMONE DEFICIENCY (IGHD) TRANSMITTED THROUGH AN INDIVIDUAL OF NORMAL STATURE

Recessive and dominant inheritance of IGHD are associated with distinct phenotypes. Type I is more common, autosomal recessive, growth hormone (GH) responsive, and insulin sensitive with typical facies. Type II is autosomal dominant and insulin and GH resistant. Dominant father-child inheritance of a type I phenotype has, however, been suggested in three families, all with very short fathers. Two pairs of brothers, first cousins, presented with IGHD in early childhood. The mother of one pair (KG height 147 cm) and her brother (RT height 176 cm), the father of the others, showed absent or grossly subnormal GH responses to L-Dopa and insulin hypoglycemia. Pituitary function was otherwise normal. Neither marriage was consanguinous and the spouses of KG and RT were unrelated. All 4 cousins responded remarkably well to GH therapy. This pedigree is most consistent with dominant inheritance of IGHD type I in which variable expressivity is manifest by the normal stature of RT. The existence of autosomal dominant transmission of IGHD through individuals of normal stature may have implications for genetic counselling in familial short stature. Supported by Grant RR-125, GCRC Branch, NIH.
Cochlear implants: obstacles limiting application

Abstract Objectives Popularize the problems faced by the application of cochlear implants to the 1/2 to 3/4 million severe to profoundly deaf individual who are potential beneficiaries of this technology. Study design and methods Review insights gained while directing the Cochlear Implant Center during the past 20 years. Results The rapid application of cochlear implant technology for patients with severe to profound hearing losses is creating critical problems. It is being hampered by inadequate reimbursement. There is a critical shortage of cochlear implant trained audiologists who are an essential keystone in the application of this technology. These audiologists are required to provide lifelong audiological services to patients who have received cochlear implants. At the same time, they have to evaluate the exponentially growing number of new candidates. Conclusions The restoration of hearing with cochlear implants provides an enormous educational and societal benefit. However, the existing health delivery system limits the application of cochlear implant technology. University Audiological training programs must expand their curriculum to include cochlear implant-related courses. The existing rehabilitation audiologist delivery system could be applied to provide long term, community based cochlear implant services.
To Divest or Not to Divest: A Meta-analysis of the Drivers of Corporate Divestitures

Research focusing on corporate divestitures has identified them as important strategic actions which have a positive impact on firm performance. Yet, what is still missing in the strategic manageme...
Eliminating Differences between Learning Disabled and Nondisabled Children on a Paired-Associate Learning Task.

AbstractThirty learning disabled (LD) children and thirty nondisabled children were compared on a paired-associate learning task that simulated the process of sight word learning. Two instructional variables that have been hypothesized as contributing to overloading in children were manipulated during the teaching of 16 symbol-word associations. Stimulus complexity was manipulated by showing single or multiple geometric objects as stimuli for word responses. Response competition was manipulated by excluding or including previously learned items in decks of four objects. Results indicate that while the LD group performed lower than the non-LD group, reducing stimulus complexity and response competition differentially facilitated learning by LD children more than non-LD children. The study demonstrated that differences in LD and non-LD children’s paired-associate learning can be eliminated by using the instructional modifications.
Utility maximization for layered multimedia transmission via orthogonal multiplexing

In this paper we consider multicast systems that use orthogonal layered source coding over a Rayleigh fading environment. The different layers are transmitted over orthogonal frequency bands with pre-specified ratios of the total bandwidth. For this kind of systems, we optimally allocate the transmission power, and hence the decoding threshold of each layer, in order to maximize the expected satisfaction defined by a utility function of the decoded rates of the users. In particular, we use the Lagrangian dual problem in order to efficiently solve the primal non-convex problem for any number of layers. Furthermore, we show that for some channel statistics, it is not optimal to transmit all the layers, rather we should allocate zero power to some of the upper layers in order to maximize the expected user satisfaction. In this particular case, the bandwidth of the un-transmitted layers can be allocated to the lower layers for further enhancement of the expected user satisfaction. We discuss how to modify the solution structure to optimize the power allocation in this case.
Responsiveness of neurogenic hearts to octopamine.

Abstract 1. The neurogenic hearts of the horseshoe crab Limulus polyphemus, the spider Eurypelma marxi, and the lobster Homarus americanus were examined for their responsiveness to octopamine. 2. Octopamine always produced a moderate increase in the rate and strength of the heartbeat when applied to isolated heart preparations of the horseshoe crab and spider but had a variable effect on the lobster heart. 3. The site of action of octopamine was the cardiac ganglion where it produced a change in the frequency of the bursts of ganglionic impulses. It had no effect on myocardial cell resting potential or myocardial tonus. 4. It was concluded that octopamine probably does not have a neurotransmitter function in neurogenic heart systems.
Auxiliary headrest mounting bracket for handicapped patients.

Abstract Most dentists would find the headrest bracket a difficult device to construct. Its fabrication requires the help of a machine or welding shop but the service costs are minimal. The dimensions given are for our specific headrest; they must be modified to suit your own requirements.
Study of the Total Absorptance near 4.5 μ by Two Samples of N 2 O as Their Total Pressures and N 2 O Concentrations Were Independently Varied

Spectra of the 4.5-μ N2O band were obtained after a beam of continuous radiation passed through two cells containing mixtures of N2O and N2. The total pressure and absorber concentration of one cell were such that its absorption lay essentially in the region where the band absorptance is approximately proportional to the square root of the total pressure and absorber concentration. The total pressure and N2O concentration in the second cell were varied over a wide range and two empirical expressions were found relating the total absorptance of the 4.5-μ N2O band to the pressures and absorber concentrations of the two cells.
A micromechanical constitutive model for the behavior of concrete

A two-dimensional constitutive law for the behavior of concrete under load has been developed in this paper. Concrete is considered to be a composite material made up of two components: cement mortar and aggregate. The cement mortar is defined as the cement paste (cement and water) plus the fine aggregate. The interaction between these two components, at the local level, governs the macroscopic behavior of concrete. The model proposed herein describes the microstructure of concrete by fabric of a representative sample using the notion of a class of contacts, each class having a common orientation of the contact normal to the aggregate-cement mortar interface. Each class is further broken down into cracked and bonded contacts. Cracked contacts allow slip along the interface and are modeled as granular material. Bonded contacts do not allow slip along the plane of contact. In developing the model, first the overall stresses are related to the interface forces at the microlevel. Simple constitutive relations are used to relate the rate of change of the local interface forces, for both cracked and bonded contacts, to the local velocity gradient. Finally, macroscopic constitutive equations are postulated using a Taylor-averaging method. An incremental procedure for numerical integration of the rate equations is described. Qualitative validation of the model is achieved through comparison with published test data. A limited parametric study is followed by a study of the microstructural changes as depicted by a numerical simulation of monotonic axial compression. The results of these simulations seem to be qualitatively consistent with the observed behavior of concrete.