cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mechanisms of inhibition by heparin of PDGF stimulated MAP kinase activation in vascular smooth muscle cells.

Heparin and heparan are potent inhibitors of vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) proliferation. To investigate the mechanisms by which heparin suppresses growth factor stimulated mitogenesis, the present experiments investigated the effects of heparin on platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) stimulated signal transduction pathways. Heparin treatment substantially inhibited PDGF-BB stimulated rat VSMC growth. Western analysis showed a 30 min PDGF-BB treatment of VSMC induced the tyrosine phosphorylation of multiple protein bands; cotreatment with heparin inhibited mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase tyrosine phosphorylation but had little effect on PDGF receptor tyrosine phosphorylation. In-gel kinase assays demonstrated that heparin inhibited PDGF-BB stimulated MAP kinase activity at late (25 min) but not early (10 min) time points. These data indicate that heparin does not inhibit the initial signalling events after PDGF-BB binding but instead acts through an alternate mechanism to inhibit MAP kinase. To investigate if heparin directly stimulates tyrosine phosphatase-mediated suppression of MAP kinase, we treated VSMC with orthovanadate, a tyrosine phosphatase inhibitor. Heparin inhibited MAP kinase tyrosine phosphorylation after orthovanadate treatment, indicating that heparin does not suppress MAP kinase by enlistment of a tyrosine phosphatase. Experiments were performed to investigate signalling pathways upstream of MAP kinase. To determine if protein kinase C (PKC) mediates PDGF-BB, serum, and EGF stimulation of MAP kinase, we treated VSMC overnight with phorbol ester (PMA) to downregulate PKC. Abolition of conventional and novel PKC activity significantly suppressed both serum and PDGF-BB induced MAP kinase activation, indicating protein kinase C is an important mediator for these mitogens. In contrast, downregulation of these PKC isoforms had little effect on EGF stimulation of MAP kinase. As heparin inhibits PDGF and serum but not EGF stimulation of MAP kinase, these data precisely correlate heparin inhibition of MAP kinase with activation through PKC-dependent pathways. Immunoprecipitation analysis found that heparin inhibited serum, PMA, and PDGF but not EGF induced raf-1 phosphorylation. These studies demonstrate that heparin did not block PDGF-BB receptor activation, which initiates the mitogenic signalling cascade. Heparin did inhibit specific postreceptor second messenger signals, such as the late phase activation of MAP kinase, which may be mediated by suppression of PKC-dependent pathways. J. Cell. Physiol. 172:69–78, 1997. © 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Age related differences in reaction time components and diffusion properties of normal-appearing white matter in healthy adults

Deterioration of the white matter (WM) is viewed as the neural substrate of age differences in speed of information processing (reaction time, RT). However, the relationship between WM and RT components is rarely examined in healthy aging. We assessed the relationship between RT components derived from the Ratcliff diffusion model and micro-structural properties of normal-appearing WM (NAWM) in 90 healthy adults (age 18-82 years). We replicated all major extant findings pertaining to age differences in RT components and WM: lower drift rate, greater response conservativeness, longer non-decision time, lower fractional anisotropy (FA), greater mean (MD), axial (AD) and radial (RD) diffusivity were associated with advanced age. Age differences in anterior regions of the cerebral WM exceeded those in posterior regions. However, the only relationship between RT components and WM was the positive association between DR in the body of the corpus callosum and non-decision time. Thus, in healthy adults, age differences in NAWM diffusion properties are not a major contributor to age differences in RT components. Longitudinal studies with more precise and specific estimates of regional myelin content and evaluation of the contribution of age-related vascular risk factors are necessary to understand cerebral substrates of age-related cognitive slowing.
The VSM ToolBox: Software for the Viable System Model

Learning and using the viable system model (VSM) are both facilitated by good software. This paper reports on software developed to support expert users in storing, managing, and retrieving the data associated with large-scale VSM studies. The software also seems to help novice users in learning to apply the VSM. To stereotype the software somewhat, it is a graphics-interface dbms for the various diagrams associated with VSM, for instance, the diagrams in Stafford Beer'sDiagnosing the System for Organizations (Wiley, Chichester, 1984).
Oligomerization and Scaffolding Functions of the Erythropoietin Receptor Cytoplasmic Tail

Signal transduction by the erythropoietin receptor (EPOR) is activated by ligand-mediated receptor homodimerization. However, the relationship between extracellular and intracellular domain oligomerization remains poorly understood. To assess the requirements for dimerization of receptor cytoplasmic sequences for signaling, we overexpressed mutant EPORs in combination with wild-type (WT) EPOR to drive formation of heterodimeric (i.e. WT-mutant) receptor complexes. Dimerization of the membrane-proximal portion of the EPOR cytoplasmic region was found to be critical for the initiation of mitogenic signaling. However, dimerization of the entire EPOR cytoplasmic region was not required. To examine this process more closely, we generated chimeras between the intracellular and transmembrane portions of the EPOR and the extracellular domains of the interleukin-2 receptor β and γc chains. These chimeras allowed us to assess more precisely the signaling role of each receptor chain because only heterodimers of WT and mutant receptor chimeras form in the presence of interleukin-2. Coexpression studies demonstrated that a functional receptor complex requires the membrane-proximal region of each receptor subunit in the oligomer to permit activation of JAK2 but only one membrane-distal tail to activate STAT5 and to support cell proliferation. Thus, this study defines key relationships involved in the assembly and activation of the EPOR signal transduction complex which may be applicable to other homodimeric cytokine receptors.
Scars of repression

As the camera zooms in, one can see eight men standing on a street corner. The men just stand, talking among themselves, but actually they are using the building as a cover. One of the men peeks around the corner as if to check whether soldiers are still on the street. A single shot is heard. The man falls to the ground, his body in spasms and blood spurts from his head all over the sidewalk. While the camera zooms out, one sees the young man being carried to the ambulance, which arrives within seconds. The picture fades. Ala Nimer was shot in the head by an Israeli sniper. The injury left Nimer a quadriplegic, totally dependent upon others for all daily functions, and suffering from severe spasticity and deformities of the spine, feet and hands. Despite his condition, during the two years he remained alive, Nimer received hardly any medical rehabilitation. A year before he died, he was moved from Shifa hospital to his parents’ house in the Sheik Radwan neighborhood in Gaza. There he lived with his wife a...
Gun ownership and willingness to shoot: A clarification of current controversies

Data from the 1982 ABC News Poll of Public Opinion on Crime are used to examine household gun availability and willingness to shoot a burglar. Findings show some support for similarity between protective and sport ownership, and “fear and loathing” hypothesis, and the impact of region (southern residence) and gender on ownership. The findings also support some of the recent contentions of Hill, Howell, and Driver (1985), although we note two clarifications in their discussion of previous research. Support for the collective security hypothesis, however, was limited; this finding raises a concern for proponents of further restrictions on gun ownership.
Coordination of locomotion and prehension

Although locomotion and prehension are commonly coordinated in everyday life, little previous research has focused on this form of coordination. To address this neglected topic, we asked participants to stand a variable distance from a table, walk up to the table, and move an object on the tabletop to a new tabletop position, either to the right or to the left of the object's initial position and near or far from that initial position. For large manual displacements, which required a step after picking up the object, subjects preferred to stand on the foot opposite the direction of forthcoming manual displacement. By contrast, for small manual displacements, which did not require a step after picking up the object, subjects showed no support-leg preference when they grasped the object prior to manual displacement. The support-leg preferences at grasp time were apparently anticipated by participants as they walked up to the table, indicating considerable long-range planning of entire body positions associated with forthcoming object transfers.
Immunoblotting histones from yeast whole cell protein extracts

Histones are small basic proteins that are core components of chromatin. As such, they are essential for cell viability and genomic stability and their levels are tightly controlled. In addition, histone tails are subject to extensive posttranslational modifications, including acetylation, methylation, phosphorylation and ubiquitylation, that play critical roles in many cellular processes. To quickly screen for alterations in histone levels and/or their modifications in yeast mutants under different growth conditions, we present a fast and reliable protocol for whole-cell protein extract preparation and immunoblotting.
Neurofibromatosis and pregnancy: a report of maternal cardiopulmonary compromise.

Background Neurofibromatosis is a rare pregnancy complication that can present with rapidly enlarging masses that have malignant potential. Case A 19-year-old primagravid woman with a known history of neurofibromatosis presented in her first trimester with pulmonary complaints. A malignant mediastinal mass was diagnosed and resected, with additional treatment options declined. In less than 3 months, the patient presented with a recurrent mass that resulted in fatal airway compromise during the same gestation. Conclusion Neurofibromatosis type 1 with malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors complicating pregnancy requires an experienced, multidisciplinary team of care offering an aggressive evaluation to rule out malignant transformation or recurrence when there is any change in clinical status of a patient, as this may signal a potentially fatal change in the lesion.
Clinical correlates of bombesin-like peptide receptor subtype expression in human lung cancer cells

The importance of the expression of the autocrine growth system for bombesin-like peptides (BLPS) to the biological behavior of human lung cancer has not been determined. Three BLP receptor subtypes have been identified in human lung and lung cancer cells: gastrin-releasing peptide (GRP) receptor, neuromedin B (NMB) receptor, and bombesin receptor subtype 3 (BRS-3). The goals of this study were: (1) to determine BLP receptor subtype expression by human lung cancer cell lines by RT/PCR; (2) to evaluate possible clinical correlates of characteristics of the patients from whom the cell lines were derived with patterns of BLP receptor expression. Degenerate PCR primers were designed to amplify all known BLP receptors and yielded products from 19/20 small cell lung carcinoma (SCLC) and 12/13 non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) cell lines. GRP receptor was the most commonly expressed BLP receptor subtype, being detected in 17/20 SCLC and 11/13 NSCLC. Eleven of 20 SCLC expressed NMB receptors, and 5/20 expressed BRS-3, compared with 4/13 and 1/13, respectively, in NSCLC cell lines. Evaluation of the clinical data of the patients from whom the cell lines were derived revealed expected age, sex, smoking history and survival based on histology and stage. Patients from whom cell lines expressed GRP receptor experienced a better survival than those whose cell lines did not (367 +/- 274 days vs. 211 +/- 114 days), but the results were not statistically significant. RT/PCR analysis is a feasible, sensitive and specific means of determining BLP receptor expression in lung cancer cells and may yield prognostic information in patient tissue.
Psychological Disorders Revealed on Psychiatric Follow-up Evaluations Performed in Sexually Abused Children Presenting in the Emergency Room† 393

Psychological Disorders Revealed on Psychiatric Follow-up Evaluations Performed in Sexually Abused Children Presenting in the Emergency Room† 393
Spatially resolved in situ FTIR analysis of CO adsorption and reaction on Pt/SiO2 in a silicon microreactor

Abstract The design, fabrication and testing of a microreactor-FTIR imaging system is shown and used for the first time to demonstrate the ability to obtain in situ transmission FTIR analysis of working catalysts with both spatial and temporal resolution. MEMS (MicroElectroMechanical Systems) and microfabrication technologies were used to design and fabricate a microreactor with geometric and optical properties ideal for coupling with a high-throughput transmission FPA-FTIR system. CO adsorption and oxidation on Pt/SiO 2 were used as a model catalyst system. Propagation of adsorbed species down the length of the microreactor was observed and fractional coverages were quantified during pulsed chemisorption experiments. The amount of adsorbed CO was also differentiated at different positions in the microreactor as a function of time during oxidation of the stored surface species.
Direct Observation of Interactions between Individual Atoms on Tungsten Surfaces

Using the field ion microscope (FIM), it is possible to investigate the interactions between individual atoms on metal surfaces. The number of atoms participating in an experiment can be specified and controlled by successive depositions or field evaporations. It is found that the interaction potential between two atoms depends on the substrate surface structure. In agreement with other investigators, the binding energy is found to be not pairwise additive. The interatomic potential between two Re atoms on W (110) planes shows at least two minima and a maximum, suggesting an oscillatory structure similar to the well-known Friedel oscillation. Surface migration as well as structures of clusters with less than six atoms is also investigated. It is found that the equilibrium structures of the clusters depend very sensitively on surface temperature. It is also found that potential traps of \ensuremath{\sim} 0.14 eV exist on crystal planes which otherwise appear to be perfectly regular in the FIM images.
Deviations from Rayleigh statistics in ultrasonic speckle.

Abstract The statistics of speckle patterns in ultrasound images have potential for tissue characterization. In “fully developed speckle” from many random scatterers, the amplitude is widely recognized as possessing a Rayleigh distribution. This study examines how scattering populations and signal processing can produce non-Rayleigh distributions. The first order speckle statistics are shown to depend on random scatterer density and the amplitude and spacing of added periodic scatterers. Envelope detection, amplifier compression, and signal bandwidth are also shown to cause distinct changes in the signal distribution.
Crystallization processes in an artificial magma: variations in crystal shape, growth rate and composition with melt cooling history

A large (4.8 m3, 1.3x107 g) artificial mafic melt with a bulk composition similar to that of a basalt (but with a high CaO content of 17 wt%) was generated during a demonstration of in situ vitrification and was allowed to cool naturally. During the melting process, convection was vigorous, resulting in a chemically and thermally homogeneous melt body. Once heating was complete, the cooling rate was rapid with the temperature dropping from 1500°C to 500°C in ∼6 days within the interior of the 3 m diameter, 1.5 m thick body. A ∼20 h period of constant temperature (1140°C) observed during colling was the result of latent heat released by widespread crystallization. The final crystalline assemblage consists of diopsidic to hedenbergitic pyroxene and anorthitic feldspar, with a subordinate amount of potassic feldspar, plus a small amount of evolved glass. The compositions and proportions of phases agree well with those predicted by the MELTS thermodynamic model. Thermal and textural evidence suggest that convection within the melt ceased coincident with formation of the first crystals. Textural investigation of core samples reveals large (up to 1 cm in length) acicular diopsidic pyroxenes in a matrix of smaller feldspar and zoned pyroxene crystals (∼500 μm in length). Crystal shape and pyroxene composition vary as a function of position within the solidified body, as a function of cooling rate. Both crystal size and degree of crystallinity are highest in the central, most slowly-cooled parts of the rock. Crystal shape is characterized by tabular, equilibrium-growth forms in the slowly-cooled areas, grading to highly skeletal, dendritic forms at the rapidly-cooled edges of the body. The pyroxene crystals are dominantly homogeneous diopside, but crystals are characterized by thin Fe-rich hedenbergitic rims. These rims were deposited when Mg in the melt was depleted by diopside growth, and melt temperature had cooled sufficiently to allow Fe-rich pyroxene growth. Crystal growth rates can be calculated based on thermal behavior of the melt, reinforced by thermodynamic modelling, and are determined to be between 10-7 and 10-8 cm/s in the central part of the melt. These estimates agree well with growth rates in natural systems with similar cooling rates. Pyroxene crystals that formed at a higher cooling rates are characterized by higher Al and lower Mg contents relative to tabular equilibrium crystalline forms, presumably as a result of disequilibrium melt compositions at the crystal-melt interface.
An intercomparison of radar-based liquid cloud microphysics retrievals and implications for model evaluation studies

Abstract. This paper presents a statistical comparison of three cloud retrieval products of the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) program at the Southern Great Plains (SGP) site from 1998 to 2006: MICROBASE, University of Utah (UU), and University of North Dakota (UND) products. The probability density functions of the various cloud liquid water content (LWC) retrievals appear to be consistent with each other. While the mean MICROBASE and UU cloud LWC retrievals agree well in the middle of cloud, the discrepancy increases to about 0.03 gm−3 at cloud top and cloud base. Alarmingly large differences are found in the droplet effective radius (re) retrievals. The mean MICROBASE re is more than 6 μm lower than the UU re, whereas the discrepancy is reduced to within 1 μm if columns containing raining and/or mixed-phase layers are excluded from the comparison. A suite of stratified comparisons and retrieval experiments reveal that the LWC difference stems primarily from rain contamination, partitioning of total liquid later path (LWP) into warm and supercooled liquid, and the input cloud mask and LWP. The large discrepancy among the re retrievals is mainly due to rain contamination and the presence of mixed-phase layers. Since rain or ice particles are likely to dominate radar backscattering over cloud droplets, the large discrepancy found in this paper can be thought of as a physical limitation of single-frequency radar approaches. It is therefore suggested that data users should use the retrievals with caution when rain and/or mixed-phase layers are present in the column.
The effect of radiation therapy on normal tissue function

As more patients are treated for their primary malignancy with cure or increased disease-free intervals, injury to normal tissues will become more detectable and an important endpoint for study. Future protocols will probably be modified based on toxicity endpoints. In Hodgkin's disease, current protocols use response-based treatment strategies to limit therapy. The objective is to provide the same level of tumor control and follow normal tissue endpoints for outcome analysis. DVH analysis has improved the ability to analyze endpoint data for normal tissues. These image-guided platforms will provide the infrastructure needed to continue efforts in improving the delivery of radiation therapy.
Landward vergence in accretionary prisms: The role of the backstop and thermal history

The accretionary histories recorded along the convergent margins in southwest Alaska and southwest Japan are punctuated by two anomalous events: near-trench magmatism closely associated in time and space with landward structural vergence. In both areas, the near-trench magmatism is believed to be related to the subduction of an active spreading center. It is postulated that these anomalous thermal events caused the backstop (i.e., mechanical boundary) within the prism to be reoriented to a seaward instead of a landward dip. This seaward-dipping backstop resulted in the development of landward-verging structures, for the only time in the almost 100-m.y. history of these two margins. A modern analog may be the Washington convergent margin. These examples illustrate the potential importance of thermal history and the dip of the backstop in controlling the style of accretion in submarine wedges.
Deletion analysis for Duchenne (and Becker) muscular dystrophy

Forty-three unrelated South Australian boys diagnosed as having either Duchenne or Becker muscular dystrophy were screened for deletions using DNA probes to the dystrophin gene. For the 35 boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, the deletion frequency was 43% using a simplified probing strategy based on the probes Cf56a, Cf56b, pERT87-15 and XJ (XJ1.1 or XJ2.3). The corresponding deletion frequency for the eight boys with Becker muscular dystrophy was 38%. Members of families in which these disorders result from a deletion can now choose to prevent the birth of further affected boys, using an accurate prenatal test for the specific mutation occurring within the family. Deletion analysis also has the potential to clarify the carrier status of women in these families.
Relationship of Bcl-2 expression with apoptosis and proliferation in colonic graft versus host disease

Graft versus host disease (GVHD) occurs in up to 75% of patients who have had an allogeneic bone marrow transplant (BMT). However, the pathophysiology of this disorder, including the mechanisms responsible for enhanced apoptosis, are poorly understood. Bcl-2 is a cellular protein known to inhibit apoptosis in a variety of human tissues. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the expression of Bcl-2 in colonic GVHD and to determine its relationship to cell proliferation and apoptosis in this disease. Routinely processed colonic mucosal biopsy specimens from 47 allogeneic BMT patients with diarrhea were evaluated histologically for the grade of GVHD (0-4) and for the degree of apoptosis (apoptosis index). Immunohistochemical staining for Bcl-2 and MIB-1, a cell proliferation marker, was performed, and the results were correlated with the histological findings and with each other. Normal-appearing colonic mucosal biopsy specimens from 10 age-matched patients with noncolonic diarrhea served as controls. Also evaluated were 13 colonic biopsy specimens from 13 patients with chronic ulcerative colitis (three inactive, four mild chronic-active, six moderately severe chronic active) to test the specificity of our findings. When compared with controls, a slight trend toward increased Bcl-2 expression was noted in patients with high-grade GVHD (grade 3 or 4) (P=.09). However, Bcl-2 expression did not correlate with the degree of apoptosis in these patients. In contrast, the degree of Bcl-2 staining correlated positively with the crypt proliferative rate (P=.04). Furthermore, crypt proliferation was significantly higher in the GVHD patients in comparison with controls (MIB-1 index, 27.7+/-17.1 v 15.6+/-11.4, =.02), and increased progressively with each successively higher grade of GVHD, and with the degree of apoptosis. Similar to GVHD, Bcl-2 expression was increased in biopsy specimens of CUC patients with higher grades of active injury and epithelial regeneration. This immunohistochemical study does not provide support for Bcl-2 in the pathogenesis of GVHD-induced apoptosis in the colon, but instead, indicates that this protein may play a nonspecific role in the generalized response to cellular injury in GVHD.
Effect of vitamin E on pentane exhaled by rats treated with methyl ethyl ketone peroxide.

One useful method to monitor in vivo lipid peroxidation is the measurement of volatile hydrocarbons, mainly pentane and ethane, that derive from unsaturated fatty acid hydroperoxides. Vitamin E, the biological antioxidant, inhibits lipid peroxidation and the production of pentane and ethane. The rates of pentane production by male Sprague-Dawley rats fed a diet that contained 10% vitamin E-stripped corn oil and 0, 1, 3, 5 or 10 IU dl-α-tocopherol acetate/kg were monitored over a 12-wk period. During the eleventh and twelfth weeks, the rats were injected intraperitoneally with 3.3 and 13 mg of methyl ethyl ketone peroxide (MEKP)/kg body wt, respectively. Pentane production was then measured at intervals over a 50-min period, and the total amount of pentane produced over this time interval was estimated. An asymptotic function was found to describe the relationship between exhaled pentane and the low levels of dietary vitamin E that were fed to the rats. As measured by pentane production, rats had a higher minimal vitamin E requirement after they were treated with the potent peroxidation initiator MEKP than they did prior to treatment. The level of pentane exhaled by rats injected with 13 mg MEKP/kg body wt was significantly correlated with kidney and spleen tocopherol levels.
Simple Models Characterize the Activation of G Protein-Coupled Receptors

G Protein-Coupled Receptors, the largest family of proteins in the human genome, are integral membrane proteins responsible for transducing signals across the cell membrane. They play vital roles in vision, olfaction, taste and many other processes. They are major drug targets, so understanding their activation mechanism may lead to better drug design.In this investigation, we studied the activation and deactivation of two class-A GPCRs, rhodopsin and β2 Adrenergic Receptor (B2AR), using computational methods. Specifically, we used structure-based potentials (Gō-models) to rapidly simulate the transition from the inactive state to the active state, as well as the reverse process. We monitored the transition using a biologically motivated quantity, as well as a novel tool based on principal component analysis of inter-residue contacts. The latter approach proved to be more informative, and helped us develop novel insights into the difference in activation pathway for structurally similar proteins.
Regadenoson is a better myocardial vasodilator than dipyridamole in normal volunteers, but the data is less compelling in patients

Regadenoson is a selective Adenosine-2A receptor agonist and is used for myocardial perfusion imaging. Dipyridamole causes indirect vasodilation by inhibiting cellular reuptake of adenosine. The purpose of this study was to assess whether regadenoson is a better coronary vasodilator than dipyridamole in normal volunteers and in patients.
Simple Quantitative PCR Approach to Reveal Naturally Occurring and Mutation-Induced Repetitive Sequence Variation on the Drosophila Y Chromosome

Heterochromatin is a significant component of the human genome and the genomes of most model organisms. Although heterochromatin is thought to be largely non-coding, it is clear that it plays an important role in chromosome structure and gene regulation. Despite a growing awareness of its functional significance, the repetitive sequences underlying some heterochromatin remain relatively uncharacterized. We have developed a real-time quantitative PCR-based method for quantifying simple repetitive satellite sequences and have used this technique to characterize the heterochromatic Y chromosome of Drosophila melanogaster. In this report, we validate the approach, identify previously unknown satellite sequence copy number polymorphisms in Y chromosomes from different geographic sources, and show that a defect in heterochromatin formation can induce similar copy number polymorphisms in a laboratory strain. These findings provide a simple method to investigate the dynamic nature of repetitive sequences and characterize conditions which might give rise to long-lasting alterations in DNA sequence.
Subcortical infarcts, Alzheimer's disease pathology, and memory function in older persons.

Objective Examine the effects of subcortical infarcts with Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology on dementia, episodic memory, and other cognitive abilities in older persons. Methods Participants included 148 autopsied subjects of the Rush Memory and Aging Project (mean age, 88.0 years), a longitudinal clinicopathological study. Cognition was assessed yearly with 21 neuropsychological tests. Infarcts were visualized on coronal slabs, and plaques and neurofibrillary tangles were counted and standardized to form a composite measure of AD pathology. Multiple regression analyses were used controlling for age, sex, and education. Results Fifty-three (35.8%) subjects had cerebral infarcts. After accounting for AD pathology, infarcts increased the odds of dementia by 5.1-fold (95% confidence interval, 1.98–12.92) and lowered cognitive function by 0.50 standard unit (p = 0.001). After controlling for cortical infarcts and AD pathology, subcortical infarcts, present in 39 of 53 (73.6%) subjects with infarcts, increased the odds of dementia by almost 4-fold and reduced cognitive function by more than a third of a unit (parameter estimate = −0.37; p = 0.03). In analyses with cognitive abilities, subcortical infarcts were associated with lower episodic, semantic, and working memory (p ≤ 0.05), and had an interaction with AD pathology to further worsen working memory (p = 0.02). Interpretation Subcortical infarcts add to deleterious effects of AD pathology by increasing the odds of dementia and lowering memory function. Ann Neurol 2007
Efficacy of Behavioral Contracting: Target Behaviors, Performance Criteria, and Settings

This study assessed the efficacy of behavioral contracting in a classroom setting, and the generalization of effects across three target responses andone other classroom. A replicated single-subjects design was used with fiveadult students as subjects. The students had recent histories of seriousproblems in adjustment and were enrolled in a remedial educational program.Contracting produced gains for two of the students, as measured by observational recording of classroom participation and standardized test performance. Substantial improvements were observed in the two students whose contractedtarget behavior, "classroom participation," included features that shouldhave enhanced its malleability according to operant principles. Behaviorchange was also limited to the setting in which contracting was operational. Providing explicit criteria and general goals for appropriate performanceappeared to affect setting-specific behaviors of only those students whose initial performance was extremely inadequate. Disc...
Age, sex, and hormonal status can be additional variables in prenatal dexamethasone exposure

This Letter to Editors refers to "Prenatal dexamethasone exposure affects anxiety-like behaviour and neuroendocrine systems in an age dependent manner" by M. Nagano et al. (2008) 60, 364-371. The letter points to unexpected decrease of glucocorticoid receptors, which is rather consistent with anxiolytic effects and suggests that age, sex, and hormonal status of subjects may represent additional confounding variables.
A Multi-Modal Active Learning Experience for Teaching Social Categorization:

This article details a multi-modal active learning experience to help students understand elements of social categorization. Each student in a group dynamics course observed two groups in conflict and identified examples of in-group bias, double-standard thinking, out-group homogeneity bias, law of small numbers, group attribution error, ultimate attribution error, and moral exclusion. Students individually wrote papers detailing their observations. The author then carefully structured students' small and large group discussions so students could present and compare their findings orally. Pretest–posttest analyses revealed that students had a more complete and accurate understanding of social categorization after participating in this assignment than they did after merely reading the relevant textbook chapter.
Characterizing 2-D Topographic Mappings of Roads

Load data representing severe customer usage is needed throughout a chassis development program; the majority of these chassis loads originate with the excitation from the road. These chassis loads are increasingly derived from vehicle simulations, however simulating a vehicle traversing long roads is impractical and a method to produce short roads with given characteristics must be developed. The first step is to consider the road to be a realization of an underlying stochastic process. There are many methods currently available to characterize roads when they are assumed to be homogeneous. The issue of non-stationarity that arises when a vehicle traverses a homogenous road at a varying speed has also been discussed. This work develops of method of characterizing non-stationary road profile data using a pure autoregressive process. The model is developed utilizing the sample autocorrelation and partial autocorrelation functions. The adequacy of the model is evaluated through statistical diagnostic checks performed on synthetic road data generated by the autoregressive model parameters. Use of these parameters to classify roads is also discussed as possible future work. Any synthetic road realized from a given class of model parameters will represent all roads in that set.Copyright © 2006 by ASME
Self-regulation and learning strategies

This chapter focuses on the critical roles learning strategies play in both academic readiness and in the self-regulation of learning that is needed for academic success in all categories of higher education.
Structure of 74Ge from the 72Ge(t, p) reaction

Abstract The reaction 72Ge(t, p)74Ge has been investigated with a 15 MeV triton beam. Fifty energy levels of 74Ge were identified up to about 4.9 MeV excitation, eighteen of which were previously unreported. Angular distributions were measured and compared with DWBA calculations. Two low-lying states at 1.913 and 2.164 MeV have been assigned as Jπ = 0+, corresponding to the 03+ and 04+ states in 74Ge. The 42+ state has been located at 2.674 MeV, and the 24+ at 2.836 MeV. Many additional spin and parity assignments have been made. The 74Ge nucleus shows a considerably different structure of 0+ states compared with the neighboring 76Ge and 78Ge nuclei, perhaps further evidence for the shape transition suggested recently for the Ge isotopes.
System and algorithm design for a new generation tree-ring image analysis system

We introduce a new generation of a semiautomated tree-ring image analysis system and new image analysis algorithms. System design, new tree-ring image registration, ring boundary identification, and average ring width and brightness profile measurement algorithms are described. By using a pyramid multiscale image registration algorithm, the program gains registration speed with little sacrifice of accuracy. For boundary identification, two new assumptions and associated nonring feature suppression, edge tracking, and fragment linking methods are proposed, such that most of the complicated ring boundaries can be identified successfully. To obtain more detailed information about the ring growth changes with time, an average brightness profile measurement algorithm is implemented. Additionally, automatic geometry warping is introduced to the average ring width and brightness profile measurement to handle abnormal ring cases. To allow manual override of the results, a new user intervention design is also implemented and described.
Painful peripheral neuropathies.

Pain is a symptom in many peripheral neuropathies. In some cases, it is the initial manifestation of systemic illness and thus may afford an opportunity for early diagnosis and therapy. An underlying cause should always be sought. Treatments directed at the preservation of nerve function are beginning to emerge, especially for diabetic neuropathy. Meanwhile, symptom management remains challenging despite an expanding array of drugs and interventional techniques.
Soybean Bowman-Birk protease inhibitor is a highly effective inhibitor of human mast cell chymase

Soybean Bowman-Birk protease inhibitor (BBI) is an inhibitor of serine proteases with two functional inhibitory domains of different specificities: one is specific for chymotrypsin-like proteases, the other for trypsin-like proteases. Chymase and tryptase are serine proteases which are stored in mast cell granules and released upon degranulation. This work investigated the inhibition of human chymase and tryptase by BBI. Active-site titration of human skin chymase by BBI demonstrated that BBI was a highly effective inhibitor of human chymase. Virtually stoichiometric inhibition of chymase by BBI was observed at 10 nM chymase. Kinetic studies of the inhibition reaction yielded an association rate constant of 4.0 x 10(5) M(-1) s(-1) and a dissociation rate constant of 1.7 x 10(-5) s(-1). From these two constants we estimate a K(i) of 50 pM. Chymase/BBI complexes did not dissociate in SDS-PAGE analyses under nonreducing conditions, consistent with the formation of a very tight complex with little tendency to dissociate. In contrast to chymase, human tryptase was not inhibited by BBI. These studies demonstrate that BBI is a good inhibitor of human chymase, exhibiting reaction properties better than physiological inhibitors described to date.
In the name of honor: On virtue, reputation and violence:

Honor is implicated in a variety of social psychological processes, including morality, male violence, sexuality and gender, in-group identification, responses to devaluation, and biculturalism. The papers in this Special Issue illustrate the importance of honor in these and other social-psychological processes. In addition, these papers expand and deepen our understanding of honor by presenting research on honor in a diverse array of groups (e.g., the military, law enforcement), relationship contexts (e.g., family relations, romantic relations) and countries (e.g., Afghanistan, Brazil, Canada, Estonia, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Russia, Switzerland). Taken together, the contributions to this Special Issue show honor to be a multifaceted construct that is a core concern of individuals and groups across cultures.
Investigation of the Relationship between Dipolar Properties and Cis−Trans Configuration in Retinal Polyenes: A Comparative Study Using Stark Spectroscopy and Semiempirical Calculations

Three biologically active conformers of retinal, all-trans, 9- and 13-cis, and their Schiff bases (SB), are studied using a combination of electroabsorption (Stark) spectroscopy and semiempirical c...
Longitudinal Evaluation of Retinal Ganglion Cell Function and IOP in the DBA/2J Mouse Model of Glaucoma

Glaucoma is a progressive neurodegenerative disease of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) that represents the second most prevalent cause of blindness worldwide.1–3 Although elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) is considered to be one of the major risk factors for development and progression of glaucoma,4 many other factors are known to contribute to the complex nature of the disease.5–10 Knowledge gained in the biological basis of glaucomatous neurodegeneration by using mouse models7,9,11–14 may yield to specific neuroprotective treatments that are also relevant for other degenerative diseases of the central nervous system.15–17 The inbred DBA/2J mouse strain is a well-established model of spontaneously elevated IOP, progressive glaucomatous loss of RGCs, and optic disc excavation, which represent the hallmarks of glaucoma.7,18–20 Photoreceptor, horizontal, and bipolar cells remain histologically intact.21,22 DBA/2J mice develop iris atrophy and pigment dispersion due to mutations of two genes, Gpnmb and Tyrp1.23 The iris disease is visible at 6 months, progresses with age, and is associated with increased IOP.20,24,25 Young (2–3-month-old) DBA/2J mice have normal IOP and normal histologic appearance of RGCs and optic nerve.19,20 RGC and optic nerve degeneration is first apparent between 8 and 9 months of age.20,26 By 18 months of age, approximately 90% of the optic nerves show advanced degeneration.20 Little is known about the sequence of functional events associated with elevation of IOP and progressive degeneration of RGCs in DBA/2J mice. Surviving RGCs may not be functional. The lack of information on the natural history of RGC dysfunction represents a major limitation to the use of the DBA/2J mouse model. We noninvasively characterized the changes in RGC function and IOP in a longitudinal study of 32 DBA/2J mice (64 eyes) from 2 to 12 months of age at 1-month intervals. RGC function was quantified by means of the pattern electroretinogram (PERG).27–29 IOP was measured with an induction–impact tonometer (Tonolab Colonial Medical Supply, Franconia, NH).30,31 The thickness of the retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) was measured from histologic sections of the optic nerve head in eyes with abolished PERGs. The results showed that, in DBA/2J mice, progressive RGC dysfunction precedes anatomic loss of RGC axons by at least 2 months. The time course of RGC dysfunction is strongly associated with that of progressive increase in IOP.
Abstract 5320: Deletion of TGFß signaling in Gr-1+CD11b+ myeloid cells attenuates breast adenocarcinoma progression

Proceedings: AACR 101st Annual Meeting 2010‐‐ Apr 17‐21, 2010; Washington, DC TGFs is a very important mediator in tumor progression. However, the contribution of TGFs signaling in tumor-infiltrating inflammatory cells in this process is unclear. Gr-1+CD11b+ myeloid cells are overproduced in tumor host. They infiltrate into tumor tissues and contribute to immune suppression, tumor angiogenesis and metastasis. Data from our studies demonstrate that Gr-1+CD11b+ myeloid cells are recruited into the invasive front of breast adenocarcinomas. Tumor-infiltrating Gr-1+CD11b+ cells exhibit a significantly elevated TGFs signaling, including increased expression of TGFs type I and type II receptor, TGFs1 and TGFs3 ligands, as well as latent TGFs binding protein. They also produce a high level of multiple matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) such as MMP13, MMP14, MMP2 and MMP9. Interestingly, genetic deletion of the gene encoding TGFs type II receptor (Tgfbr2) in Gr-1+CD11b+ cells significantly attenuates the production of MMP14 and MMP2. These in vitro studies were conducted by transduction of Gr-1+CD11b+ cells from Tgfbr2flox/flox mice (loxP-flanked Tgfbr2) with adenovirus expressing DNA recombinase. To further investigate if TGFs signaling plays an important role in Gr-1+CD11b+ myeloid cells mediated breast tumor progression, mice with conditional knockout of Tgfbr2 in Gr-1+CD11b+ cells are generated through cross breeding of Tgfbr2flox/flox mice with LysM-Cre mice expressing Cre in myeloid cells. These mutant mice are viable and appear to be normal. Southern blotting showed that Tgfbr2 deletion is restricted to bone marrow, spleen and lymph node but not other organs. Sorted Gr-1+CD11b+ myeloid cells but not T or B lymphoid cells exhibited over 85% of Tgfbr2 deletion. This specific TGF-s inactivation in Gr-1+CD11b+ cells allows us to investigate its effect on tumor growth and angiogenesis, as well as metastasis. We observed a significantly attenuated 4T1 tumor growth in these knockout mice compared with the control littermates. We postulate that TGFs signaling in host derived Gr-1+CD11b+ cells is an important part of TGFs effect in tumor progression. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 5320.
Electronic structure of solid FeO at high pressures by quantum Monte Carlo methods

Abstract We determine equation of state of stoichiometric FeO by employing the diffusion Monte Carlo method. The fermionic nodes of the many-body wave function are fixed by a single Slater determinant of one-particle orbitals extracted from spin-unrestricted Kohn–Sham equations utilizing a hybrid exchange-correlation functional. The calculated ambient pressure properties agree very well with available experimental data. At approximately 65 GPa, the atomic lattice is found to change from the rocksalt B1 to the NiAs-type inverse B8 structure.
Colloid retention behavior in environmental porous media challenges existing theory

Chances are the quality of your drinking water was improved by filtration through porous media at some point before it reached your tap, perhaps naturally by transport through the subsurface, or purposefully by passage through an engineered sand filter. Engineered filtration processes have been utilized for decades, and these processes are monitored to ensure the removal of a required degree of particles, e.g., colloids (biological and non-biological particles ranging between a few tens of nanometers to ten microns), from water. Filtration is manifest in both natural and engineered contexts, e.g., by the relatively high quality of spring water, and by the difficulty of targeting the delivery of microbes, zero-valent iron, and other colloids with novel properties to contaminated locales in the subsurface for the purpose of remediation.
Economies of Scale and Inefficiency in County Extension Councils: A Case for Consolidation?

Current funding, mission, and organizational difficulties question the long-run survival of extension and the Land-Grant system. Consolidation of county extension offices is seen as a possible remedy for extension's problems. This paper estimates scale economies and inefficiencies in county extension offices in Kansas using parametric and nonparametric techniques. Large economies of scale and inefficiencies are found. Based on the empirical results, several simulations are performed to measure the short-run cost savings associated with consolidation. The results reveal that while all counties would experience significant savings from consolidating, rural and less populated counties would experience the greatest per unit savings. Copyright 2001, Oxford University Press.
Understanding affective interaction: Emotion, engagement, and internet videos

As interest in experience and affect in HCI continues to grow, particularly with regard to social media and Web 2.0 technologies, research on techniques for evaluating user engagement is needed. This paper presents a study of popular Internet videos involving a mixed method approach to user engagement. Instruments included physiological measures, emotional self-report measures, and personally expressive techniques, such as open-ended prose reviews. Using triangulation to interpret the results, we express relationships among perceived emotion, experienced emotion, video preference, and contextual factors.