cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Molecular Mechanism of Integrin Crosstalk: αvβ3 Suppression of Calcium/Calmodulin-dependent Protein Kinase II Regulates α5β1 Function

Many cells express more than one integrin receptor for extracellular matrix, and in vivo these receptors may be simultaneously engaged. Ligation of one integrin may influence the behavior of others on the cell, a phenomenon we have called integrin crosstalk. Ligation of the integrin αvβ3 inhibits both phagocytosis and migration mediated by α5β1 on the same cell, and the β3 cytoplasmic tail is necessary and sufficient for this regulation of α5β1. Ligation of α5β1 activates the calcium- and calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CamKII). This activation is required for α5β1-mediated phagocytosis and migration. Simultaneous ligation of αvβ3 or expression of a chimeric molecule with a free β3 cytoplasmic tail prevents α5β1-mediated activation of CamKII. Expression of a constitutively active CamKII restores α5β1 functions blocked by αvβ3-initiated integrin crosstalk. Thus, αvβ3 inhibition of α5β1 activation of CamKII is required for its role in integrin crosstalk. Structure-function analysis of the β3 cytoplasmic tail demonstrates a requirement for Ser752 in β3-mediated suppression of CamKII activation, while crosstalk is independent of Tyr747 and Tyr759, implicating Ser752, but not β3 tyrosine phosphorylation in initiation of the αvβ3 signal for integrin crosstalk.
The origin of sporadic gastrinomas within the gastrinoma triangle: a theory

Sporadic gastrinomas are found predominantly within the gastrinoma triangle (85%), frequently within lymph nodes in the triangle (40%) and often multiple (40%). In addition, they are homologous with pancreatic polypeptidomas and express pancreatic polypeptide. We hypothesized that, if gastrinomas were of ventral pancreatic bud origin, several (7) predictions could be made. The data from the investigation of these predictions have supported the theory. We postulate that sporadic gastrinomas in the triangle arise from stem cells from the ventral pancreatic bud that become dispersed and incorporated into lymph tissue and the duodenal wall during the ventral bud's embryonic dorsal rotation within the area of the triangle.
Vitamin D3 supplementation improves insulin sensitivity in subjects with impaired fasting glucose.

Vitamin D has in vitro and in vivo effects on β cells and insulin sensitivity. Vitamin D deficiency (VDD) has been associated with the onset and progression of type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM-2). However, studies involving supplementation of vitamin D in subjects with previously established diabetes have demonstrated inconsistent effects on insulin sensitivity. The aim of this open-label study was to assess the effects of high-dose vitamin D3 supplementation on insulin sensitivity in subjects with VDD and impaired fasting glucose. We studied 8 subjects with VDD and prediabetes with the modified, frequently sampled intravenous glucose tolerance (mFSIGT) test before and after vitamin D supplementation. Vitamin D3 was administered as 10,000 IU daily for 4 weeks. The mFSIGT was analyzed with MinMod Millennium (purchased from Dr. Richard Bergman, Keck School of Medicine of USC, Los Angeles, Calif) to obtain estimates of acute insulin response to glucose (AIRg), insulin sensitivity (SI), and disposition index (DI). We found that AIRg decreased (P = 0.011) and SI increased (P = 0.012) after a intervention with vitamin D. If these findings are repeated in a randomized, double-blind study, the results indicate that orally administered high-dose vitamin D3 supplementation improves insulin sensitivity in subjects with impaired fasting glucose and suggests that high-dose vitamin D3 supplementation might provide an inexpensive public health measure in preventing, or at least delaying, the progression from impaired fasting glucose to diabetes.
Full Disclosure: Telling Patients When Not Being a Research Subject is a Good Choice

Informed consent to participation in research generally requires giving a person information about the alternatives to being in the research study. It is quite common, however, for research subjects not to be given one particularly significant piece of information: the possibility of obtaining the "new" treatment being studied directly from a doctor without participating in the study. Since many people enroll in studies precisely to get such a new treatment, they frequently would prefer that option--which guarantees them that new treatment--to enrolling in a study where there is only a 50% chance of getting the new treatment. This issue becomes more complicated in the context of pediatric oncology research, since physician-researchers in this field have entered into a unique informal agreement not to offer such new treatments outside of research studies. That agreement, which in effect forces physicians to behave in a manner that subordinates the well-being of some of their current patients to that of future patients, is ethically and legally questionable.
The influence of managerial discretion, innovation and uncertainty on export intensity: A real options perspective

Abstract Geographic sales diversification (i.e., exports) is a multidimensional phenomenon that has primarily been examined using a single theoretical perspective drawn from international trade or organizational strategy. This study uses managerial discretion, real options, and innovation literatures to examine the roles of managers, context, and environment in motivating geographic sales diversification. We contribute to the international business and organizational strategy literatures by highlighting how the combination of managerial discretion, capacity to offer innovative products, and uncertainty can motivate export-driven internationalization.
Solidification synthesis of pressure-infiltrated Al alloy 2014-SiC platelet composites

Abstract Cast Al alloy 2014-SiC platelet composites were synthesized using counter-gravity pressure-assisted liquid metal infiltration of packed beds of SiC platelets; the platelets used were stoichiometric α (hexagonal) phase with nominal dimensions of 30–500 μm diameter and 1–25 μm thickness. The composites were synthesized for a range of material and process parameters which include platelet size, surface chemistry of platelets, pressure levels and pressurization time. The microstructures of the matrix alloy solidifying in the constricted interstices between randomly oriented platelets were characterized. A theoretical discussion of the solidification structure formation in porous beds of SiC platelets is also presented.
Gene expression in synchronized lymphocytes: studies on the control of synthesis of immunoglobulin polypeptides.

A concept has been suggested that the role of immunogen is to stimulate resting cells to enter a phase of the cell cycle in which the synthesis of immunoglobulin is obligatory. This process conceivably involves the initial union of cells with immunogen followed by a subsequent transition from resting to proliferating cell. Several aspects of an in vitro cellular transition have been investigated using cultured WIL2 lymphocytes which are shown to enter the G1 phase of the cell cycle upon release from rest. This transition is associated with phenotypic changes in the cells manifested by differences in density of individual cells and the amount and profile of polyribosomes. An increase in the rate of synthesis of total protein and specific immunoglobulin polypeptides accompanies the G0 to G1 transition. Agents useful in bacterial and other mammalian cell systems to probe translational versus transcriptional control mechanisms are active in these lymphocytes. This cellular model appears to offer unique opportunities to approach regulatory problems in cell biology because large numbers of synchronized cells are obtainable in which specific messenger-RNAs and their corresponding polypeptides can be isolated in relatively pure form.
Bacterial Panicle Blight Resistance QTLs in Rice and Their Association with Other Disease Resistance Loci and Heading Date

Bacterial panicle blight (BPB) of rice (Oryza sativa L.) occurs when the bacterium Burkholderia glumae Kurita and Tabei infects emerging and flowering panicles, causing kernels to abort. To identify quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for BPB resistance, a population of 300 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) derived from a cross between 'Lemont' and 'TeQing' were evaluated in 2001 and 2002 in field plots spray-inoculated with B. glumae at the time of flowering. Because this RIL population had been previously used to map QTLs for three other diseases, present use of this population allowed direct comparison between the various disease resistance QTLs. Multiple interval mapping using QTL Cartographer v2.5 putatively identified 12 BPB QTLs, three of which were statistically significant in both years and found to have epistatic effects in 2002. TeQing was the source of resistance for eight QTLs; Lemont for four. Four BPB QTLs colocated with QTLs previously identified as providing resistance to one or multiple other diseases. Three BPB QTLs were also associated with late flowering. Because late flowering panicles are subjected to cooler temperatures that are less conducive to disease development during grain fill, it is possible that the genetic effects of the heading-related QTLs were biased. The present data could not distinguish between pleiotropy and close linkage of the BPB QTLs with the previously identified heading and disease resistance QTLs.
Safety of Minimally Invasive Mitral Valve Surgery Without Aortic Cross-Clamp

Background We developed a technique for open heart surgery through a small (5 cm) right-anterolateral thoracotomy without aortic cross-clamp. Methods One hundred and ninety-five consecutive patients (103 male and 92 female), age 69 ± 8 years, underwent surgery between January 2006 and July 2007. Mean preoperative New York Heart Association function class was 2.2 ± 0.7. Thirty-five patients (18%) had an ejection fraction 0.35 or less. Cardiopulmonary bypass was instituted through femoral (176 of 195, 90%), axillary (18 of 195, 9%), or direct aortic (1 of 195, 0.5%) cannulation. Under cold fibrillatory arrest (mean temperature 28.2°C) without aortic cross-clamp, mitral valve repair (72 of 195, 37%), mitral valve replacement (117 of 195, 60%), or other (6 of 195, 3%) procedures were performed. Concomitant procedures included maze (45 of 195, 23%), patent foramen ovale closure (42 of 195, 22%) and tricuspid valve repair (16 of 195, 8%), or replacement (4 of 195, 2%). Results Thirty-day mortality was 3% (6 of 195). Duration of fibrillatory arrest, cardiopulmonary bypass, and "skin to skin" surgery were 88 ± 32, 118 ± 52, and 280 ± 78 minutes, respectively. Ten patients (5%) underwent reexploration for bleeding and 44% did not receive any blood transfusions. Six patients (3%) sustained a postoperative stroke, eight (4%) developed low cardiac output syndrome, and two (1%) developed renal failure requiring hemodialysis. Mean length of hospital stay was 7 ± 4.8 days. Conclusions This simplified technique of minimally invasive open heart surgery is safe and easily reproducible. Fibrillatory arrest without aortic cross-clamping, with coronary perfusion against an intact aortic valve, does not increase the risk of stroke or low cardiac output. It may be particularly useful in higher risk patients in whom sternotomy with aortic clamping is less desirable.
On the use of an implicit procedure to accelerate convergence of full pseudospectral solutions to the Navier-Stokes equations of motion for flows with shock waves

Full Pseudospectral solutions to the two-dimensional, time dependent, compressible, Navier-Stokes Equations are presented. Techniques developed by the author to implement pseudospectral methods for the solution of flows with shock waves are described. MacCormack's implicit procedure is utilized to accelerate convergence. Solutions are presented for three classes of laminar flows, a normal shock wave boundary layer interaction on a flat plate, an oblique shock wave boundary layer interaction on a flat plate, and the flow over a biconvex airfoil. Both subcritical and supercritical airfoil cases are treated. Shock waves, when present, are properly resolved as sharp discontinuities at the correct location.
Anomalous Behavior of the Nitride Alloys

This paper summarizes the way in which nitride alloys InGaN and GaAsN are anomalous. It predicts wave function localization states inside the band gap, unusual pressure dependence, effects of short-range order and percolation.
Models for Pleistocene Extinction

Arguments for Paleoindian overkill of Late Pleistocene megafauna have traditionally emphasized North America with little more than token reference to other areas. Other scholars reject human causat...
Mesenchymal reprogramming of adult human epithelial differentiation

The objective of this study was to determine whether neonatal rat seminal vesicle mesenchyme (rSVM) can reprogram epithelial differentiation in a fully differentiated adult human bladder epithelium. For this purpose neonatal rSVM was isolated from newborn (0-day) Sprague-Dawley rats, and normal adult human bladder epithelium (hBLE) was isolated from radical cystoprostatectomy specimens to prepare rSVM+hBLE tissue recombinants in vitro. After overnight culture the tissue recombinants were grafted beneath the renal capsule of male athymic rodent hosts and allowed to grow in vivo for 6 months. As controls, rSVM and hBLE were grafted separately and allowed to grow for the same period. Tissue recombinants and control tissue grafts were harvested, and secretions were collected for biochemical studies. Tissues were fixed both for histologic as well as immunohistochemical staining. Neonatal rSVM induced normal adult human bladder urothelium to form glandular structures resembling prostate. The induced prostatic acini were filled with secretions that expressed human prostate-specific secretory proteins. These findings demonstrate that adult human urothelial cells retain a responsiveness to neonatal prostatic mesenchymal inductors. Change in urothelial histodifferentiation was associated with change in functional activity. The ability of the neonatal rat mesenchymal tissues to induce morphologic as well as biochemical changes in normal adult human urothelium provides a basis for human tissue engineering and organ reconstruction.
Protein synthesis in transformed 3T3 cells permeabilized by exogenous ATP

Exogenous ATP has been shown to cause a rapid and reversible increase in permeability in transformed 3T3 cells (3T6 and SV3T3) but not in untransformed 3T3 cells. The cells remain viable, but lose intracellular acid-soluble pools. Treatment of transformed cells with ATP greatly reduces incorporation of 14C-leucine into protein, which is restored by the incubation of the cells with Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium or by the external additions of certain ions and energy sources. tRNA is not required for the restoration of protein synthesis. In the permeabilized cells the energy for protein synthesis can be provided by glycolysis, oxidative phosphorylation, or direct addition of ATP. These studies demonstrate the usefulness of this method for studying the control of metabolism and macromolecular synthesis in monolayer cultures of transformed mammalian cells.
The stability of steady states in a one-dimensional model of standpipe flow

Abstract A linearized stability analysis is described for steady states previously obtained [1] by a one-dimensional theory of flow in a vertical standpipe. For all the cases investigated there is a direct relation between stability of the steady state and the sign of the slope of a curve relating solids discharge rate and pressure rise across the system. Thus the stability of steady states may be deduced by inspection of performance diagrams of the type constructed in an earlier publication. It is speculated that this simple relation may be of general validity.
CD40L deletion delays neuronal death in a model of neurodegeneration due to mild impairment of oxidative metabolism

Inflammatory/immune processes are important in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases. Thiamine deficiency (TD) models the region selective neuronal loss in brain that accompanies mild impairment of oxidative metabolism. TD induces well-defined alterations in neurons, microglia, astrocytes, and endothelial cells. To test the role of inflammatory/immune mechanisms in TD-induced neurodegeneration, the temporal profile of neurodegeneration was compared to the activation of CD68-positive microglia and ICAM-1-positive endothelial cells during TD in wild type mice and in CD40L-/- mice. CD40L-/- delayed the onset of TD-induced neuronal death as well as the activation of microglia and endothelial cells. The current results suggest that CD40L-mediated immune and inflammatory responses have a role in TD-induced neuronal death.
Phosphorylation of the Type 1A Angiotensin II Receptor by G Protein-coupled Receptor Kinases and Protein Kinase C

The type 1A angiotensin II receptor (AT1A-R), which mediates cardiovascular effects of angiotensin II, has been shown to undergo rapid agonist-induced desensitization. We investigated the potential role of second messenger-activated kinases and G protein-coupled receptor kinases (GRKs) in the regulation of this receptor. In 293 cells transfected with the AT1A-R, a 3-min challenge with angiotensin II engendered a 46% decrease in subsequent angiotensin II-stimulated phosphoinositide hydrolysis in intact cells. This agonist-induced desensitization correlated temporally and dose-dependently with the phosphorylation of the receptor to a stoichiometry of 1 mol of phosphate/mol of receptor, as assessed by immunoprecipitation of receptors from cells metabolically labeled with 32Pi. Agonist-induced receptor phosphorylation was reduced by 40-50% by either overexpression of a dominant negative K220R mutant GRK2 or treatment of the cells with the protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitor staurosporine, in a virtually additive fashion. Cellular overexpression of GRK2K220R not only inhibited agonist-induced AT1A-R phosphorylation, but also prevented receptor desensitization, as assessed by angiotensin II-stimulated GTPase activity in membranes prepared from agonist-treated and control cells. In contrast, PKC inhibition by staurosporine did not affect homologous desensitization of the AT1A-R. Overexpression of GRKs 2, 3, or 5 significantly augmented the agonist-induced AT1A-R phosphorylation 1.5- to 1.7-fold (p < 0.001). These findings suggest a role for receptor phosphorylation by one or several GRKs in the rapid agonist-induced desensitization of the AT1A-R.
Sodium magnetic resonance imaging of proteoglycan depletion in an in vivo model of osteoarthritis1

Abstract Rationale and Objectives. The aim of the study was to investigate the feasibility of using sodium magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as a noninvasive quantitative technique for measuring proteoglycan (PG) content in an in vivo porcine model of osteoarthritis (OA). Materials and Methods. Biochemical conditions similar to those of OA were created by an intra-articular injection of recombinant porcine interleukin-1β (IL-1β) into the knee joint of pigs (n = 6) before performing MRI. The contralateral knee joint was given a saline injection to serve as an internal control. Sodium MRI data were acquired on a 4-T clinical MR scanner and used to compute quantitative sodium and fixed charge density (FCD) maps based on a previously established methodology. In vivo FCD maps were compared with FCD maps obtained using ex vivo patellae harvested from the specimens. The tissue and joint fluid were subjected to histologic and immunohistochemical analyses as independent measurements of IL-1β activity and PG loss. Results. The average FCD of IL-1β-treated patellae was measured to be 49% lower than that of saline-treated patellae, indicating a loss of PG content. These results were supported by histologic and immunochemical findings, most notably a reduction in staining for PG and an increase in matrix metalloproteinases in the synovial fluid. Conclusion. Sodium MRI can serve as a quantitative method to measure in vivo changes in PG content in an animal model of OA. The use of a noninvasive quantitative in vivo PG measurement technique such as sodium MRI on an animal model would aid greatly in efforts to monitor the efficacy of treatments for OA. Furthermore, these results indicate that early degenerative events could be detected noninvasively in vivo in humans with PG-depleting diseases such as OA.
Studies on a "renin-angiotensin" system in the normal and hypophysectomized pigeon (Columba livia).

Abstract The extraction of unincubated bird plasma, according to the methods described in mammalian studies, yielded an angiotensin-like substance. This substance when assayed in the nephrectomized rat elicited an increase in arterial blood pressure similar to that of 5-valine angiotensin II. Following incubation, the amount of pressor substance present in the plasma was increased 20-fold. By analogy with the mammalian system, this increment represented the “renin” activity of the plasma. The pressor activity of all plasma extracts was destroyed by carboxypeptidase A and trypsin. Crude kidney extracts did not elicit a pressor response in the nephrectomized rat. However, after incubation of the kidney extract with nephrectomized rat plasma, a pressor substance was produced. Thus, a substance having enzymatic activity similar to that of renin was present in kidney tissue of the duck and the pigeon. Acute hemorrhage significantly increased the plasma “renin” activity in the pigeon, and the plasma renin activity of each sample was linearly proportional to the amount of blood withdrawn up to the time of sampling. After chronic hypophysectomy of the pigeon, the mean arterial blood pressure decreased. At the same time the plasma renin activity increased, although the concentration of renin substrate decreased. When the chronically hypophysectomized birds were treated for 1 week with ACTH, the renin plasma substrate concentration and the plasma renin activity returned to normal. The mean arterial blood pressure, however, was not restored to normal.
Experimental Carbon Monoxide Encephalopathy in the Primate: II. Clinical Aspects, Neuropathology, and Physiologic Correlation

Fourteen of 19 juvenile rhesus monkeys that had received 0.1% to 0.3% carbon monoxide (CO) for 75 to 325 minutes survived the intoxication and were studied clinically and pathologically. Three animals suffered severe deficits, including limb paralysis, alterations of muscle tone, blindness, and deafness. In one case, the deficit evolved following a delay of five days. Another three monkeys exhibited only mild motor disturbances. The salient brain lesion was a bilaterally symmetrical, destructive leukoencephalopathy, most extensive in the frontal and posterior parietal regions. Lesions of the globus pallidus and of the hippocampus each occurred in two brains. The size of the white matter lesions correlated with the degree of metabolic acidosis and systolic hypotension sustained during CO exposure but not with the extent of hypoxia per se, suggesting that the lesion, while requiring hypoxia as a precondition, was crucially determined by other factors.
Functional Bandwidth Criterion for Adaptive Array Performance

The bandwidth of an interference source affects the performance of an adaptive array. The nature and degree of this effect, however, depends on the application considered. To analyze the bandwidth's effects correctly, therefore, a metric that reflects an adaptive array's performance for that application must be chosen. This paper employs a quantity known as the percentage of available sky (PAS) to analyze the bandwidth's effects on the performance of an adaptive array with a GPS receiver for GPS signal detection and tracking. The PAS, an important performance metric in GPS applications, is the fraction of area on a unit hemisphere where GPS signals are available for detection and tracking. The methodology to obtain the PAS for the minimum variance distortionless response (MVDR) beamformer is outlined. Results are presented that show how various system parameters influence the bandwidth's effect on the PAS. A comparison of the results from the PAS with the currently accepted criterion for bandwidth classification shows that the latter is not a reliable indicator of bandwidth effects on beamformer performance for GPS signal detection and tracking.
Spectrofluorometric Determination of Acetylsalicylic Acid, Salicylamide, and Salicylic Acid as an Impurity in Pharmaceutical Preparations

Abstract Spectrofluorometry, either direct or in combination with a separation technique, provides a sensitive and accurate method for the determination of certain fluorescent analgesic drugs and the determination of impurities in many combination preparations. A critical examination of the UV spectra of common analgesics and related compounds indicates that the fluorescence inner filter effect should be negligible below 10 −5 M and that selective excitation and emission wavelengths should minimize interference from other fluorescent species. Fluorometric procedures are presented for the determination of salicylamide, acetylsalicylic acid, and salicylic acid, as an impurity, in preparations containing salicylamide, acetylsalicylic acid, acetaminophen, caffeine, and phenacetin as major constituents. Inner filtering is the limiting factor only for the direct and indirect determination of salicylamide and the direct determination of acetylsalicylic acid. Results of fluorometric determinations compare favorably with other reference methods. Salicylic acid is determined in the 10 −7 M concentration range after separation from salicylamide, acetaminophen, and caffeine.
Substitution of grammar forms

Given grammar forms F and F?, the grammar form Sub (F, Ft') is defined as that obtained by substituting the start variable of F? for every occurrence of a terminal in F. The main result is that if F is a nontrivial grammar form, then the grammatical family defined by Sub (F, F?) is the set of languages obtained by substituting languages in the family defined by F? into the family defined by F. Thus the substitution of one grammatical family into another is a grammatical family. It follows as a corollary that the full AFL generated by a grammatical family is a grammatical family.
Effects of systemic insecticides on potato growth and their interaction with metribuzin

Effects of the soil systemic insecticides aldicarb, phorate, and disulfoton on potato growth were measured from 1984–1986 on the cultivars Russet Burbank and Centennial. In all seasons, aldicarb was observed to cause a significant promotion of flowering and in one season also caused increased haulm growth. Phorate caused a reduction in these growth parameters in one season. Temporary effects on early season yields were observed from the aldicarb treatment in one year but final yields were never significantly affected by insecticide use alone. During 1985–1986 additional treatments were investigated involving insecticide combinations with the herbicide metribuzin to determine possible insecticide-herbicide interactions. Phorate-metribuzin combinations caused synergistic metribuzin injury symptoms, decreased haulm growth and yield in 1986. Metribuzin also decreased yields of aldicarb treated potatoes in 1986 and disulfoton treated potatoes in 1985. Disulfoton-metribuzin combinations decreased flowering in 1985. These data suggest that soil systemic insecticides can have direct effects on potato growth, independent of effects on pest suppression, and that they may interact with other crop protection chemicals.
Further thermodynamic assessment for synthesizing transition metal silicides by the combustion synthesis process

Transition metal silicides have important applications in various disciplines. These include uses as interconnects in chips, as coatings, as heating elements, etc. As their uses increased, various processing techniques were adopted to produce them. These vary from chemical/physical vapor deposition, rapid thermal processing, and sputtering for thin film processing; traditional vacuum casting and powder metallurgical routes are used to produce bulk samples. In this paper, the authors are interested in those transition metal silicides which have the potential for use in the bulk form, possibly in the aerospace or other demanding applications. The primary requirements are high refractoriness, low density, high strength and good oxidation resistance. It is the oxidation resistance that makes the silicides better candidates as compared to the other intermetallics. Meschter argued that most engineering materials retain substantial strength up to 80% of their melting points. Therefore, for an operating temperature of 1500C, the melting point of the typical candidate may be 1950C, while the limit in density can be defined by the density of Ni (8.75 gn/cc). As an alterative, combustion synthesis (CS) processing may prove to be a viable route for producing these transition metal silicides. In this process, and exothermic reaction is initiated inmore » a compact containing stoichiometric mixture of elemental powders.« less
Visual Information in Judgments of Head-On Collisions

Head-on collisions result in a substantial number of fatalities. To detect head-on collisions, drivers must judge effectively the direction or heading of their own vehicle in relation to the heading of oncoming vehicles. In our previous study, we used computer simulations of self-motion through a traffic scene to measure judgments about whether a head-on collision was imminent. Results suggested that judgments about head-on collision are affected by both the optical flow information provided by the centerline and the optical flow information provided by the oncoming car. The objective of the current study was to further examine the effect of different components of the optical flow pattern on judgments of head-on collisions. We measured judgments about head on collisions while manipulating local optical flow from the oncoming car and global optical flow from the background scenery. Our results suggest that visual information about the oncoming car's motion was more effective than visual information about ...
The nature of the volcanic activity at Loki: Insights from Galileo NIMS and PPR data

Abstract Loki is the largest patera and the most energetic hotspot on Jupiter's moon Io, in turn the most volcanically active body in the Solar System, but the nature of the activity remains enigmatic. We present detailed analysis of Galileo Near-Infrared Mapping Spectrometer (NIMS) and PhotoPolarimeter/Radiometer (PPR) observations covering the 1.5–100 μm wavelength range during the I24, I27, and I32 flybys. The general pattern of activity during these flybys is consistent with previously proposed models of a resurfacing wave periodically crossing a silicate lava lake. In particular our analysis of the I32 NIMS observations shows, over much of the observed patera, surface temperatures and implied ages closely matching those expected for a wave advancing counterclockwise at 0.94–1.38 km/day. The age pattern is different than other published analyses which do not show as clearly this azimuthal pattern. Our analysis also shows two additional distinctly different patera surfaces. The first is located along the inner and outer margins where components with a 3.00–4.70-μm color temperature of 425 K exist. The second is located at the southwestern margin where components with a 550-K color temperature exist. Although the high temperatures could be caused by disruption of a lava lake crust, some additional mechanism is required to explain why the southwest margin is different from the inner or outer ones. Finally, analysis of the temperature profiles across the patera reveal a smoothness that is difficult to explain by simple lava cooling models. Paradoxically, at a subpixel level, wide temperature distributions exist which may be difficult to explain by just the presence of hot cracks in the lava crust. The resurfacing wave and lava cooling models explain well the overall characteristics of the observations. However, additional physical processes, perhaps involving heat transport by volatiles, are needed to explain the more subtle features.
Thrust load on welded-pad reinforced nozzle in an ellipsoidal pressure vessel head

Abstract A thin shell analysis is performed to investigate the stress distribution of welded-pad reinforced nozzles in ellipsoidal pressure vessel heads. A comparison of the structural behavior of such a nozzle to an integrally reinforced nozzle shows that a sixty percent higher stress is present in a typical nozzle-vessel geometry. A parametric study is performed for welded-pad reinforced nozzles in ASME 2:1 pressure vessel heads. Results are presented as stress concentration factors and shear stress concentration factors as functions of nondimensional nozzle-vessel geometries.
Effects of dietary nickel on enzyme activities and mineral contents in rats.

Abstract Weanling rats were fed diets containing additional levels of 0, 100, 500 and 1000 ppm nickel acetate. High levels of nickel depressed growth, packed cell volume, hemoglobin, and tissue cytochrome oxidase and alkaline phosphatase activities, but had no effect on plasma ceruloplasmin concentrations. The presence of dietary nickel resulted in its accumulation in both plasma and red blood cells. This had no influence on the concentration of copper, but increased the iron and zinc concentrations in these blood components. Nickel accumulated in the heart, liver, testes, and kidney (kidney to the greatest extent). Nickel had no effect on copper content and only a slight effect on zinc content, but significantly increased the iron concentrations of these tissues. Nickel accumulated in the soluble fraction of the liver, and in the soluble fraction, and nuclei and debris of the kidney. This caused an accumulation of iron in all the cellular fractions of these two tissues.
A polymorphism in XKR4 is significantly associated with serum prolactin concentrations in beef cows grazing tall fescue.

Summary Fescue toxicosis is a common syndrome of poor growth and reproductive performance of beef cattle grazing endophyte-infected tall fescue infected with Lolium arundinaceum Schreb. Together with decreased feed intake, decreased growth rates and tissue necrosis due to vasoconstriction, depressed circulating serum prolactin concentrations are typically observed in cattle afflicted with fescue toxicosis. Polymorphisms within the XK, Kell blood group complex subunit-related family, member 4 (XKR4) gene located on BTA14 have been previously reported to be associated with rump fat thickness, residual feed intake, average daily feed intake and average daily gain in cattle. Associations also have been reported between XKR4 genotype and effectiveness of the dopamine antagonist iloperidone as a treatment of schizophrenia in humans. Domperidone, a related dopamine antagonist, mediates effects of fescue toxicosis on livestock, including restoring depressed concentrations of prolactin. A mixed-breed population of 592 beef cattle grazing endophyte-infected tall fescue was used to examine the association between XKR4 genotype and circulating prolactin concentrations. The SNP rs42646708 was significantly (P = 0.0002) associated with serum prolactin concentrations and explained 2.45% of the phenotypic variation. Effect of genotype at the SNP was tested across five breeds, with significant associations within both Angus (P = 0.0275) and Simmental (P = 0.0224) breeds. These results suggest XKR4 may play a role in mediating the negative effects of fescue toxicosis, and polymorphisms within this gene may be useful markers for selection for genetic resistance to the debilitating effects of endophyte-infected tall fescue.
Dielectric characterization of glasses at millimeter wavelength and terahertz frequencies

Dielectric characterization of glasses and amorphous materials has been done with two terahertz time-domain spectroscopies at millimeter wavelength and terahertz frequencies. A quasi-optical free-space spectrometer is equipped with a backward-wave oscillator as a high power tunable source of coherent radiation and utilized in this research. The measurement technique is based on the transverse magneto-optical effect to enable the determination of the real and imaginary parts of complex dielectric permittivity of various glass specimens from 70 to 120 GHz. Above 120 GHz dispersive Fourier transform spectrometer is more effective to provide high resolution continuous spectra of dielectric permittivity up to 800 GHz. The real part of permittivity can be reproduced to 1 part in 100,000. The complex dielectric spectra of high purity fused silica glasses clearly show the existence of boson peaks at terahertz frequencies.
Assessment of the Predictors of Response to Glucagon in the Setting of Acute Esophageal Food Bolus Impaction

Esophageal food impactions are frequently seen in endoscopic practice. Glucagon is known to relax the lower esophageal sphincter and has been used with variable success to treat food impactions. We retrieved clinical information of all patients with acute food impactions who attended the emergency room from 1975 to 2000 from the Mayo diagnostic database. Data were abstracted on age, sex, body mass index, relevant prior medical history, food type ingested (meat, bread, vegetable, or other), duration of symptoms at presentation, dosage (in mg) of glucagon, outcome including success of glucagon or spontaneous passage, and endoscopic findings. A total of 222 cases of food impaction were identified, of whom 106 patients (48%) received glucagon, average 1 mg. In glucagon responders, meat was less likely to be the offending food type, accounting for 70% (glucagon responders) vs. 90% (in nonresponders) ( p = 0.03), while responders were less likely to have esophageal rings/strictures detected on subsequent EGD compared with nonresponders, 0% (glucagon responders) vs. 31% (nonresponders) ( p = 0.05). In the patients that did not receive glucagon, spontaneous resolvers had a shorter duration of symptoms at presentation, 3.3 h vs. 12.4 h ( p = 0.07) and were less likely to have an organic esophageal obstruction detected on EGD, 0% vs. 21%. There were no significant differences between the resolvers and nonresolvers in terms of age, gender, BMI, and prior medical history. Conservative management of acute food bolus obstruction, either with or without glucagon, is most successful in the absence of a fixed esophageal obstruction. An impacted meat bolus is more likely to require intervention for removal than other food types. These clinical predictors should be considered before administration of glucagon.
Individual Outage Rate Regions for Fading Multiple Access Channels

In this paper, outage regions are computed for the quasi-static fading multiple access channel (MAC) with constraints on the individual user outage probabilities and no channel state information at the transmitters (CSIT). An outage rate region is defined as the set of rate vectors for which the user outage probability constraints are satisfied simultaneously. Outage probability is typically defined in terms of a common outage event, defined as the event that a target user rate vector lies outside the achievable region of the MAC, conditioned on the fading state. In contrast, rate regions without CSIT are computed in this paper based on individual outage events and individual probability constraints that are satisfied simultaneously. An individual outage event for a given user occurs if the user's message is not correctly decoded, irrespective of the decoding success of the messages for other users. Individual outage rate regions are useful for the MAC with heterogeneous user channels and quality-of-service (QoS) requirements. Explicit outage rate regions and total throughputs are computed for the two-user fading MAC. It is shown that rate regions and throughputs are significantly larger using individual outage probabilities than using the common outage probability.
Evaluation of mild-to-moderate dysplasia on cervical-endocervical (Pap) smear: a subgroup of patients who bridge LSIL and HSIL.

The Bethesda System recommends Pap smear diagnosis to be based on the most abnormal cells present, regardless of number. Our reporting system includes a diagnostic category of mild-to-moderate dysplasia (D1-2), defined as cases with only a few moderately dysplastic cells. We evaluated the validity of a D1-2 diagnostic category by reevaluation of 58 cases with subsequent follow-up (up to 24 months). On biopsy and/or Pap smear follow-up, 24 cases (41%) showed LSIL and 34 cases (59%) showed HSIL. Index smears from these cases were examined by two cytopathologists blinded to patient follow-up for the following morphologic features: volumes (scale 1-4) of LSIL, HSIL, and dyskeratosis, HSIL as single cells or syncytial fragments, and acute inflammation. None of the morphologic features evaluated were significantly different between the LSIL and HSIL follow-up groups based on univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis. The diagnosis of D1-2 on Pap smear is a valid diagnostic category that defines a subgroup of patients with both LSIL and HSIL follow-up, which cannot be reliably predicted based on morphology alone.
Teens and Indoor Tanning: A Cancer Prevention Opportunity for Pediatricians

In October 2011, California became the first US state to ban indoor tanning for minors under age 18 years. Vermont followed in May 2012. Increasingly, scientific evidence shows that artificial tanning raises the risk of skin cancer, including melanoma, a common cancer in adolescents and young adults and the type most likely to result in death. The World Health Organization, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Dermatology, the American Medical Association, and other organizations strongly recommend legislation to ban minors under age 18 from indoor tanning. Several nations have banned teen tanning. Yet, tanning in salons is still a prevalent practice in the United States, especially among teen girls, where rates for the oldest teens approach 40%. There is no federal legislation to restrict minors from salon tanning. More than 60% of states have some kind of legislation regarding minors’ use of tanning salons, but only California and Vermont have passed complete bans of indoor tanning for minors. The Indoor Tanning Association, an industry advocacy group, has vigorously opposed legislative efforts. Pediatricians can play key roles in counseling families and with legislative efforts. In this update, we review the prevalence of salon tanning, association with skin cancer risk, tanning addiction, the roles of the federal and state governments in regulation and legislation, and responses to arguments created by industry to oppose legislation. Preventing exposure to artificial tanning may save lives, including young lives, and is a key cancer prevention opportunity for pediatricians.
International Legal Note: Salaries of CEOs of international NGOs: Ensuring fair compensation while avoiding populist rage:

We have all seen studies showing how the divergence between executive compensation and that of regular employees has grown dramatically. Does the international social work community need to look in the mirror? Do some NGOs have discrepancies between top and bottom salaries that are just as stark as those in the banking world? What kinds of perquisites are bestowed upon the top executives and department heads of some of the larger international NGOs? In the name of being ethically and fiscally responsible, is there a need to explore these remuneration packages or are they a private matter?
Numerical Method for Partial Equilibrium Flow

Abstract A numerical method is presented for chemically reactive fluid flow in which equilibrium and nonequilibrium reactions occur simultaneously. The equilibrium constraints on the species concentrations are established by a quadratic iterative procedure. If the equilibrium reactions are uncoupled and of second or lower order, the procedure converges in a single step. In general, convergence is most rapid when the reactions are weakly coupled. This can frequently be achieved by a judicious choice of the independent equilibrium reactions. In typical transient calculations, satisfactory accuracy has been achieved with about five iterations per time step.
Right upper quadrant abdominal pain not due to gallstones

Patients with typical biliary colic, ie, episodic pain in the right upper abdominal quadrant with radiation to the right shoulder or right subscapular region, commonly have gallbladder stones. When a good-quality transabdominal ultrasonography fails to find gallstones, the clinical diagnosis remains uncertain, but a large portion of these patients will be found to have subtle gallbladder disease (acalculous or microcalculous) or other pancreatobiliary disease.
Recent Advances in Burkholderia mallei and B. pseudomallei Research

Burkholderia mallei and Burkholderia pseudomallei are Gram-negative organisms, which are etiological agents of glanders and melioidosis, respectively. Although only B. pseudomallei is responsible for a significant number of human cases, both organisms are classified as Tier 1 Select Agents and their diseases lack effective diagnosis and treatment. Despite a recent resurgence in research pertaining to these organisms, there are still a number of knowledge gaps. This article summarizes the latest research progress in the fields of B. mallei and B. pseudomallei pathogenesis, vaccines, and diagnostics.
Ovarian Furin (Proprotein Convertase Subtilisin/Kexin Type3): Expression, Localization, and Potential Role in Ovulation in the Rat

The process of ovulation involves weakening of the follicular wall by proteolytic enzymes. The function of FURIN (also known as PCSK3) is to activate various proteolytic enzymes. In the present study, the expression, localization, and function of FURIN were investigated in the periovulatory rat ovary. Immature female rats were injected with equine chorionic gonadotropin followed by human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) 48 h later to stimulate ovulation. Ovaries were collected at 0, 4, 8, 12, and 24 h after hCG injection. Administration of hCG increased Furin mRNA expression in both intact ovaries and cultured ovarian follicles to maximal levels at 8 and 12 h before decreasing at 24 h. In cultured granulosa cells, Furin mRNA levels were significantly induced at 12 h after hCG. In situ hybridization of Furin mRNA demonstrated expression in the granulosa cells, with predominant expression in the theca layer. Regulation studies demonstrated that Furin mRNA was induced in residual tissue by forskolin or amphiregulin. To examine the role of FURIN in protease activation and ovulation, rats were treated with a FURIN inhibitor and oocyte release was determined. There was a 38% decrease in the number of oocytes released in ovaries treated with the FURIN inhibitor. Likewise, the FURIN inhibitor decreased the activation of MMP2. The induction of Furin mRNA after treatment with hCG, along with the decrease in MMP2 activation and oocyte release after FURIN inhibition, supports the hypothesis that FURIN is upregulated during the preovulatory period, which results in activation of proteinases associated with the breakdown of the follicular wall during ovulation.
Comments on “A Numerical Investigation of the Organization and Interaction of the Convective and Stratiform Regions of Tropical Squall Lines”

Ce commentaire de l'article de Lafore et Montcreiff (1989) sur l'organisation des lignes de grains tropicales est une comparaison avec l'article de Rottuno et al. (1988) afin de mettre en evidence des resultats et des points de vue communs