cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The effect of posture and adrenergic blockade with dibenzyline on renal hemodynamics and excretion of water and electrolytes in patients with hypertension with and without renal damage

Abstract 1. 1. Dibenzyline has been used orally in twelve hypertensive patients with and without renal disease to induce adrenergic blockade. The effects on renal hemodynamics were observed in both the recumbent as well as tilted positions. 2. 2. In the recumbent position, adrenergic blockade produced a reduction in blood pressure without alteration in renal function. In the tilted position, the reduction in renal function was the same before and after adrenergic blockade, although the reduction in blood pressure was greater after adrenergic blockade. These changes were not related to the degree of renal impairment as measured by glomerular filtration rate. 3. 3. These results suggest renal autonomous adjustment to decreased filtration pressure, independent of autonomic control or else a specific resistance of the kidney to adrenergic blockade. 4. 4. The excretion of water and electrolytes in patients with hypertension and associated renal damage is depressed out of proportion to renal blood flow and glomerular filtration rate. This indicates that the effect of tilt on electrolyte excretion in the hypertensive patient is qualitatively similar to the normotensive subject without renal damage and is not affected by adrenergic blockade with Dibenzyline.
A high spatial resolution 1H magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging technique for breast cancer with a short echo time

The high sensitivity but low specificity of breast MRI has prompted exploration of breast 1H MRS for breast cancer detection. However, several obstacles still prevent the routine application of in vivo breast 1H MRS, including poor spatial resolution, long acquisition time associated with conventional multi-voxel MRS imaging (MRSI) techniques, and the difficulty of “extra” lipid suppression in a magnetic field with relatively poor achievable homogeneity compared to the brain. Using a combination of a recently developed echo-filter (EF) suppression technique and an elliptical sampling scheme, we demonstrate the feasibility of overcoming these difficulties. It is robust (the suppression technique is insensitive to magnetic field inhomogeneity), fast (acquisition time of about 12 min) and offers high spatial resolution (up to 0.6 cm3 per voxel at 1.5 T with a TE of only 60 ms). This approach should be even better at 3 T with higher resolution and/or shorter TE.
Anabolic-androgenic steroids induce apoptotic cell death in adult rat ventricular myocytes.

We tested whether exposure to anabolic-androgenic steroids (AASs) would induce apoptosis in adult rat ventricular myocytes in vitro. Myocytes were exposed to stanozolol (STZ), testosterone enanthate (TE) and testosterone (T) (0.1 micromol/L, 1 micromol/L, 10 micromol/L, and 100 micromol/L) for 20 h. The percentage of myocytes undergoing apoptosis was determined by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated nick end labeling (TUNEL) and was found to be increased when compared to control myocytes at STZ 10 micromol/L 12 +/- 2% (mean +/- SD), STZ 100 micromol/L 42 +/- 3%; TE 1 micromol/L 11 +/- 2%, TE 10 micromol/L 21 +/- 3%, TE 100 micromol/L 62 +/- 2%; T 10 micromol/L 11 +/- 2%, T 100 micromol/L 40 +/- 3% (P or = 10 micromol/L and TE > or = 1 micromol/L. Notably, STZ, TE, and T exposure markedly increased the expression of the pro-apoptotic oncogene Bax-alpha, as assessed by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Taken together, these results clearly show for the first time that AASs induce apoptotic cell death in a dose-dependent manner. This finding may have important implications in understanding the pathogenesis of ventricular remodeling, cardiomyopathy, and sudden cardiac death associated with AAS abuse.
Place, Practice and Primatology: Clarence Ray Carpenter, Primate Communication and the Development of Field Methodology, 1931–1945

Place, practice and status have played significant and interacting roles in the complex history of primatology during the early to mid-twentieth century. This paper demonstrates that, within the emerging discipline of primatology, the field was understood as an essential supplement to laboratory work. Founders argued that only in the field could primates be studied in interaction with their natural social group and environment. Such field studies of primate behavior required the development of existing and new field techniques. The practices and sites developed by American primatologist Clarence Ray Carpenter were used to demonstrate that scientific standards could be successfully applied to the study of primates in the field. In an environment in which many field biologists fought for higher scientific status, Carpenter gradually adopted increasingly interventionist techniques. These techniques raised epistemological problems for studies whose value rested on the naturalness of the behaviors observed. Thus, issues of status shaped field practices and subsequently altered Carpenter’s criteria for what constituted natural primate behavior.
Recent Applications of Electron Multiplier Tubes

Recent applications of the electrostatic, electron multiplier tube to problems which require the measurement of very small currents or the counting of single ions or electrons are described in this paper. The characteristics of secondary electron emitting surfaces suitable for use in multiplier tubes are discussed in the first section. The next section is devoted to recently developed tubes having one or more stages of electron multiplication. Following this is a section dealing with the application of these tubes to problems involving electron and ion counting. The paper is concluded by a section on the statistical treatment of the distribution in pulse sizes from multiplier tubes.
THE pH DEPENDENCE OF TRANSIENT CHANGES IN THE CURVATURE OF THE PURPLE MEMBRANE

– We have observed transient changes in the curvature of purple membrane fragments upon photoexcitation as a function of the pH of the suspending medium. The room temperature suspensions have low ionic strengths, and the bending is observed by changes in the scattered light at 320 nm. The photoexcitation is from a 20 ns laser pulse at 532 nm. We use a simple first-order approximation to subtract any changes in the scattered light associated with transient absorption changes during the photocycle. The resultant scattering curves are then fitted to the sum of three fundamental bending processes. Each process has an exponential rise, an exponential decay and an amplitude. We model two of the processes as transient forces correlated with the charge motion during the photocycle. The third process is probably cuased by local changes in the pH as the protein pumps protons. However, this is not proved rigorously. Additional experiments are proposed.
Stepwise Dissociation of Thermally Activated Phenol on Pt(111)

The thermal reactions of phenol on Pt(111), including reaction intermediates, have been studied between 125 and 1100 K by using phenol-h6, phenol-2,4,6-d3, phenol-2,3,4,5,6-d5, and phenol-d6 with temperature-programmed desorption (TPD), high-resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy (HREELS), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Phenol adsorbs molecularly at 125 K, with the ring plane parallel to the surface. During heating, the O−H bond breaks below 200 K. The O−H bond dissociation product, phenoxy, has a quinoidal structure with η5-π-adsorption geometry via the C2 through C6 atoms with the C1 atom tilted away from the ring plane. Bonds in the phenoxy species rearrange toward oxocyclohexadienyl upon heating. The reactivity of phenoxy depends on the initial phenol coverage. Below 0.5 monolayer (ML), phenoxy fully decomposes to CO(g), H2(g), and C(a). Above 0.7 ML coverages, it follows two different pathways: (1) 85 ± 7% forms CO(g), H2(g), C2(a), and C3H3(a) at 490 K, the latter dehydrogenating...
New Concepts in the Diagnosis and Management of Optic Nerve Sheath Meningioma

Optic nerve sheath meningiomas are by far the most common tumors of the optic nerve sheath. The diagnosis can be suspected in most cases from clinical findings and supported by the results of neuroimaging, obviating tissue biopsy in the majority of cases. Observation may be appropriate in patients with mild or no visual deficit or in whom visual loss is not progressing, whereas stereotactic fractionated radiation therapy has been demonstrated to improve or stabilize vision in progressive or advanced cases. Attempts at surgical excision, and even biopsy, of optic nerve sheath meningiomas are associated with a high risk of blindness and should be reserved for the rare case of an anteriorly located, primarily exophytic tumor with focal involvement of the dural sheath.
VECTOR-VALUED MODULAR FORMS AND LINEAR DIFFERENTIAL OPERATORS

We consider holomorphic vector-valued modular forms F of integral weight k on the full modular group Γ = SL(2, ℤ) corresponding to representations of Γ of arbitrary finite dimension p. Assuming that the component functions of F are linearly independent, we prove that the inequality k ≥ 1 - p always holds, and that equality holds only in the trivial case when p = 1 and k = 0. For any p ≥ 2, we show how to construct large numbers of representations of Γ for which k = 2 - p. The key idea is to consider representations of Γ on spaces of solutions of certain linear differential equations whose coefficients are modular forms.
Application de la distinction trait-indice-propriete a la construction d'un logiciel pour la synthese

Abstract Synthesis by concatenation of speech segments is still a difficult problem concerning the choice of the size, the nature of the segments and the ‘quality’ performance, of the sound dictionary. In order to set up a methodical way of obtaining the best compromise, one must think in terms of the relationship between features, cues and physical properties. The decomposition of an allophone in sub-segments as well as their choice are obtained through a set of context dependent rules operating on features, cues and properties. The software integrates the tuning of these rules with the actual building and testing of the sound dictionary. A minimum of interaction between the writing of a rule and its testing is required from the operator. The operator is also given the possibility to extract automatically the sound segments from a vast corpus, using controls given in phonetic terms.
Use of a surface-acoustic-wave (SAW) device to measure gas flow

The use of a surface-acoustic-wave (SAW) device to measure the rate of gas flow is described. The device is a delay-line stabilized SAW oscillator heated to a suitable temperature above the ambient. Flow of gas carries heat away by convection. This lowers the substrate temperature, thereby causing change in oscillator frequency. The frequency of a 68-MHz oscillator fabricated on Y-Z LiNbO/sub 3/ substrate increases by more than 160 kHz for variation in flow rate from 0 to 1000 cm/sup 3//min. >
Indium zinc oxide thin films deposited by sputtering at room temperature

Abstract The deposition of amorphous indium zinc oxide (IZO) thin films on glass substrates with n-type carrier concentrations between 1014 and 3 × 1020 cm−3 by sputtering from single targets near room temperature was investigated as a function of power and process pressure. The resistivity of the films with In/Zn of ∼0.7 could be controlled between 5 × 10−3 and 104 Ω cm by varying the power during deposition. The corresponding electron mobilities were 4–18 cm2 V−1 s−1.The surface root-mean-square roughness was
Parameterization of vegetation backscatter in radar-based, soil moisture estimation

Abstract The Integral Equation Model (IEM) was previously used in conjunction with an inversion model to retrieve soil moisture using multifrequency and multipolarization data from Spaceborne Imaging Radar C-band (SIR-C) and X-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (X-SAR). Convergence rates well above 90%, and small RMS errors were attained, for both vegetated and bare soil areas, using radar data collected during Washita 1994. However, the IEM was originally developed to describe the scattering from bare soil surfaces only, and, therefore, vegetation backscatter effects are not explicitly incorporated in the model. In this study, the problem is addressed by introducing a simple, semiempirical, vegetation scattering parameterization to the multifrequency, soil moisture inversion algorithm. The parameterization was formulated in the framework of the water–cloud model and relies on the concept of a land-cover (land-use)-based dimensionless vegetation correlation length to represent the spatial variability of vegetation across the landscape and radar-shadow effects (vegetation layovers). An application of the modified inversion model to the Washita 1994 data lead to a decrease of 32% in the RMSE, while the correlation coefficient between ground-based and SAR-derived soil moisture estimates improved from 0.84 to 0.95.
Downregulation of TGF-βRII in T effector cells leads to increased resistance to TGF-β-mediated suppression of autoimmune responses in type I diabetes

Tregs play an important role in controlling immune responses, particularly autoimmunity. In NOD mouse model, an excellent model for autoimmune diabetes, transfer of Tregs was shown to prevent diabetes, whereas depletion of Tregs in vivo enhanced disease progression, suggesting that Treg dysfunction contributes to the pathogenesis of diabetes. However, the mechanisms leading to Treg dysfunction and their role in diabetes progression has remained unclear. In this study we assessed quantitative and qualitative changes in Tregs during the development of autoimmune diabetes in NOD. We compared female NOD with males that have similar predisposition to but a lower incidence of diabetes and found that Treg numbers remained unchanged between 6 to 16 weeks of age in both groups. Although female Tregs produced lower TGF-β compared to male, regulatory function of female Tregs was only marginally inferior to male upon GAD65 autoantigen stimulation. GAD65-reactive female Teffectors were more responsive and progressivel...
P-9: TV Display Applications by an Advanced Multi-Media Display Processor (AMDP2)

The AMDP2 provides various features for current television system such as frame synchronization, de-interlace, still image display, multiple pictures display and so on. AMDP2 is a programmable device which allows customers to realize their signal processing algorithm. By using AMDP2 and its capabilities, various video format signals can be converted to specific screen format and displayed on any monitor, including TV, PC, LCD, PDP and DLP.
Ultrafast structural dynamics of photoactive metal complexes in solar hydrogen generation

Photoexcited states of metal complexes are precursors for many important photochemical processes in solution phase which lead to solar hydrogen generation. Therefore, knowing their structures with atomic resolution and sufficient time resolution is crucial in correlating structures with molecular properties. Using x-ray transient absorption (XTA) spectroscopy, transient metal oxidation states, coordination geometry, and atomic rearrangements during photochemical processes can be probed. Such an approach complements with ultrafast optical laser spectroscopy in obtaining kinetics and coherence information among different excited states as well as intra- and intermolecular energy/charge transfer processes associated with solar energy conversion. Excited state structures of transition metal complexes, such as metalloporphyrins in solution, created by photoexcitation have been studied by XTA combined with optical transient absorption spectroscopy. Direct evidences of photoinduced redox reactions and coordination geometry changes as well as electronic configurations of the metals can be observed. These experimental studies are combined with quantum mechanical calculations to rationalize the evolution of the ultrafast excited state pathways with electronic configuration changes that may be responsible for the reactivity of the molecules in solar hydrogen generation. Preliminary time-resolved X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) studies on Pt coated TiO 2 nanoparticles during photocatalysis show a significant potential impact of XTA in understanding solar hydrogen production.
Non-market cooperation and the variety of finance capitalism in advanced democracies

ABSTRACTIn this article I explore empirically the determinants of the persistent cross-national variation in finance capitalism in advanced democracies. I find that the degree of strategic coordination through extra-market institutions – which protect the economic system from class and sectoral pressures and promote collaboration among state agencies, financiers, managers, and labor organizations – contributes to a country's domestic banking and financial intermediary-based development but is less conducive to the development of its securities markets. The financial liberalization reforms of the 1990s meant the emergence of an asymmetric corporatist system, whereby banks and other financial institutions played a crucial role in defining the new rules of financial governance. Conducting a panel data analysis encompassing 18 advanced democracies over the period of 1960–2005, I find evidence of the impact of strategic coordination on financial development, while controlling for alternative explanations and e...
Optical Resonator Axis Stability And Instability From First Principles

It is shown that optical resonators may be broadly divided into two classes based on their mirror count and other properties, and that the two classes exhibit very different axis stability properties. When a resonator of one class is slightly misaligned, its optic axis (and hence its input axis for rotation sensing) remains close to its nominal position independently of the focussing action of the resonator optics. In contrast, when a resonator of the other class is slightly misaligned, the displacement and reorientation of its optic axis is restrained only by the focussing optics. Hence resonators of this second class are restricted in the range of mirror radii of curvatures they may employ. This has implications in noise and lockin performance for rotation sensors.
Entropic Anxiety and the Allegory of Disappearance: Hydro-Utopianism in Zheng Yi's Old Well and Zhang Wei's Old Boat

This article examines the cultural anxieties and utopian impulse in the post-Mao early 1980s through a symptomatic reading of two paradigmatic texts of the “roots-searching” literature. Essential to the two novels is the pervasive obsession with the disappearance and evaporation of the river. Instead of reading the representations of the river in aesthetical terms, the article foregrounds the river as the central trope of symptom in testimony to post-Mao social, political, and ecological malaise and the utopian desire for redefining national identity. What is at issue in the inscription of the river as an “absent cause” is the problematic translation of the lack into a collective dreamscape for rejuvenation through the dream scenario. By way of Freud-Žižek's pschoanalytical readings of the dream, the article decodes the sociopolitical unconscious that structures such an allegorical vision of the river.
Nicotinic mechanisms of memory: effects of acute local DHβE and MLA infusions in the basolateral amygdala

Abstract Nicotine has been shown to improve working memory. The neural mechanisms underlying this effect are still being determined. The ventral hippocampus is critical for nicotinic effects on memory. Local ventral hippocampal infusions of either the nicotinic α7 nicotinic receptor antagonist methyllycaconitine (MLA) or the α4β2 nicotinic receptor antagonist dihydro-β-erythroidine (DHβE) caused working memory impairments, but no additive effects were seen. Other areas, such as the amygdala, also likely play important roles in nicotinic effects on memory. Amygdalar lesions cause memory impairment and there is a dense concentration of nicotinic receptors in the basolateral amygdala. The current study used local basolateral amygdalar infusions of the nicotinic antagonists MLA and DHβE to determine the involvement of α7 and α4β2 nicotinic receptors in spatial working and reference memory. Rats (n=8) were trained in the 16-arm radial maze and were implanted with bilateral infusion cannulae into the basolateral amygdala. Acute infusions of MLA (6.75 μg/side, P
Disappearance of statin, a protein marker for non-proliferating and senescent cells, following serum-stimulated cell cycle entry.

Abstract Statin, a protein of 57000 D, is present in the nuclei of quiescent or senescent fibroblasts (Wang, E, J cell biol 100 (1985) 545) [1], but is absent in their young replicating counterparts. Immunohistochemical survey of a variety of tissues demonstrates that the presence of statin is a marker for cells that are no longer involved in proliferation, i.e. those cells that are terminally differentiated. Statin expression was examined by immunofluorescence microscopy in serum-starved cultures whose replication had been reinitiated by raising the serum concentration from 0.5 to 10%. Prior to serum addition, more than 85% of the cells stained positively for statin. After stimulation with serum, the expression of statin disappeared rapidly within the first 12–14 h. On the other hand, an increase in the level of DNA synthesis, signifying entry into S phase, was observed initially at 18 h after serum stimulation, and reached maximal levels 6 h later. Immunoprecipitation of statin derived from cells harvested at different intervals after serum stimulation revealed that the level of statin synthesis was reduced by 4 h and was hardly detectable at 8 h. These results demonstrate that (1) the synthesis of statin occurs primarily when cells are in a quiescent state, and declines rapidly when cells are induced to proliferate; (2) this decline precedes the transition from G1 to S phase.
THREE MULTIDIMENSIONAL MODELS FOR TESTLET‐BASED TESTS: FORMAL RELATIONS AND AN EMPIRICAL COMPARISON

Three multidimensional item response theory (IRT) models for testlet-based tests are described. In the bifactor model (Gibbons & Hedeker, 1992), each item measures a general dimension in addition to a testlet-specific dimension. The testlet model (Bradlow, Wainer, & Wang, 1999) is a bifactor model in which the loadings on the specific dimensions are restricted to be proportional to the loadings on the general dimension within each testlet (Li, Bolt, & Fu, 2006). In the second-order model, the items only load on the testlet-specific factors. The correlations between the testlet-specific factors are modeled through a second-order factor. The second-order model is formally equivalent to the testlet model. The models were applied to a testlet-based international English assessment test.
Design Comparison to Identify Malicious Hardware in External Intellectual Property

Modern circuits incorporate many components that are designed by outside sources. Unfortunately, these external designs introduce a new vector of attacking a circuit through the introduction of malicious hardware. Identifying such an insertion in external intellectual property is difficult, as the labor cost and time required to investigate these designs manually is prohibitive. Additionally, due to state explosion, it is impossible to exhaustively test every possible input combination. This paper describes a method of automatically comparing two different circuits with similar functionality, in order to verify that these two designs do what they are supposed to do, and nothing more. The designs are compared by unrolling the state logic internally, so that the design outputs are represented in terms of prior inputs. This technique is advantageous as neither design needs to be a known safe design, making the task of finding similar circuits simple. Additionally, this converts the state explosion dilemma into a more easily computable Boolean satisfiability problem. The technique has been evaluated using several benchmark circuits, including circuits that contain malicious modifications.
A note on Fanos inequality

Fanos inequality is a sharp upper bound on conditional entropy in terms of the probability of error. It plays a fundamental role in the proof of converse part in coding theorems of information theory. A standard proof of Fanos inequality as seen in textbooks is based on properties of Shannons information measures with a trick of introducing an auxiliary random variable. In this brief, it is observed that the generic ℒ 1 bound on entropy can straightforwardly provide an upper bound on conditional entropy in terms of the probability of error. This generic ℒ 1 bound on conditional entropy is still equally effective as the Fano bound for applications in the converse proof. Compared with the generic ℒ 1 bound, Fanos inequality can be regarded as a specific bound on conditional entropy by employing the structural property of the two joint probability distributions. This viewpoint motivates us to find an identity to connect the conditional entropy and the probability of error. As a corollary, a necessary and sufficient condition for tightness of the Fano bound is also obtained.
DNA content and base composition of human chromosomes

Abstract The relative DNA content and base composition of the 24 human chromosomes have been measured by flow cytometry. Isolated human metaphase chromosomes flowing through a finely focused laser beam were analyzed singly at a rate of 200 per s. The relative chromosomal fluorescence of the DNA specific dye propidium iodide correlated strongly ( r = 0.99) with the DNA-based human karyotype determined by image cytometry. The relative fluorescence of chromosomes stained with the dye combination Hoechst 33258 (AT binding specificity) and chromomycin A 3 (GC binding specificity) was compared with independent measurements of chromosomal base composition. The results correlated positively with quinacrine brightness ( r = 0.88) and autoradiographic determination of base-specific radioactive DNA precursor incorporation ( r = 0.55). The larger chromosomes were found to have a higher AT content than the average base composition of total human genomic DNA and the smaller chromosomes a higher GC content. Hoechst-chromomycin fluorescence depends primarily on chromosomal variation in base composition, but may also be influenced by chromosome-specific classes of repetitive DNA.
Diarrhea in developed and developing countries: magnitude special settings and etiologies.

Diarrheal diseases are major causes of morbidity, with attack rates ranging from two to 12 or more illnesses per person per year in developed and developing countries. In addition, diarrheal illnesses account for an estimated 12,600 deaths each day in children in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. The causes of diarrhea include a wide array of viruses, bacteria, and parasites, many of which have been recognized only in the last decade or two. While enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli and rotaviruses predominate in developing areas, Norwalk-like viruses, Campylobacter jejuni, and cytotoxigenic Clostridium difficile are seen with increasing frequency in developed areas; and Shigella, Salmonella, Cryptosporidium species, and Giardia lamblia are found throughout the world. The rational management of infectious diarrhea requires the highly selective use of laboratory tests for these varied etiologic agents, depending on the clinical and epidemiologic setting. The purpose of this review is to provide an overview of the magnitude, special settings, and etiologies of diarrhea endemic to developed and developing countries. This information permits a practical approach to the diagnosis and management of common diarrheal illnesses in different settings.
Chemical analysis of phenolic glycosides: Art, facts, and artifacts

Phenolic glycosides have been the subject of considerable interest in recent ecological and systematic studies, especially those involving the Salicaceae. But these compounds are markedly labile in aqueous media, and the consequences of spontaneous degradation for valid interpretation of results have been largely ignored by researchers. We found that freeze-drying and oven-drying of leaf samples from several Populus and Salix species produced dramatic changes in the total and relative concentrations of specific phenolic glycosides, when compared to analyses of fresh material. Extraction in aqueous and alcoholic media for extended (24 h) periods also effected changes in glycoside concentrations. Alterations in phenolic glycoside concentrations, interconversions among glycosides, and production of artifactual glycosides result from a series of hydrolytic reactions. These deleterious effects can be best (but not entirely) avoided by the use of fresh plant material, cold, nonaqueous extraction solvents, and short extraction times. Because individual phenolic glycosides exhibit very different biological activities against herbivores, we caution ecologists to use utmost care in the performance and interpretation of phenolic glycoside assays.
Some factors affecting stability

With the tremendous growth of power-transmission systems has come a corresponding increase in the seriousness of the stability problem. Regulation of generator excitation so that it will follow rapid changes in load constitutes a major part in the solution of this involved problem. Data show that the characteristics of all synchronous apparatus connected to a system must be considered.
Endoscopic ultrasound and pancreatic applications: what the radiologist needs to know

As the technology has improved, endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) has taken on an important role in the diagnosis of a number of different neoplastic and non-neoplastic pancreatic diseases. EUS can provide high-resolution images with subtle anatomic detail, and has also taken on an important role in the targeted biopsy of the pancreas and adjacent structures. This review seeks to familiarize radiologists with the role of EUS in the diagnosis of chronic and autoimmune pancreatitis, solid pancreatic masses, and cystic pancreatic neoplasms.
Protein classification artificial neural system.

A neural network classification method is developed as an alternative approach to the large database search/ organization problem. The system, termed Protein Classification Artificial Neural System (ProCANS), has been implemented on a Cray supercomputer for rapid superfamily classification of unknown proteins based on the information content of the neural interconnections. The system employs an n-gram hashing function that is similar to the k-tuple method for sequence encoding. A collection of modular back-propagation networks is used to store the large amount of sequence patterns. The system has been trained and tested with the first 2,148 of the 8,309 entries of the annotated Protein Identification Resource protein sequence database (release 29). The entries included the electron transfer proteins and the six enzyme groups (oxidoreductases, transferases, hydrolases, lyases, isomerases, and ligases), with a total of 620 superfamilies. After a total training time of seven Cray central processing unit (CPU) hours, the system has reached a predictive accuracy of 90%. The classification is fast (i.e., 0.1 Cray CPU second per sequence), as it only involves a forward-feeding through the networks. The classification time on a full-scale system embedded with all known superfamilies is estimated to be within 1 CPU second. Although the training time will grow linearly with the number of entries, the classification time is expected to remain low even if there is a 10-100-fold increase of sequence entries. The neural database, which consists of a set of weight matrices of the networks, together with the ProCANS software, can be ported to other computers and made available to the genome community. The rapid and accurate superfamily classification would be valuable to the organization of protein sequence databases and to the gene recognition in large sequencing projects.
Control of IFN-γ-mediated host resistance to intracellular pathogens by immunity-related GTPases (p47 GTPases)

IRG proteins (also known as p47 GTPases) are key mediators of interferon-γ-induced resistance to pathogens. Absence of certain IRG proteins leads to profound susceptibility to protozoa and bacteria in mice. Underlying their roles in host resistance, IRG proteins regulate the processing of pathogen-containing vacuoles in host cells, and regulate hematopoiesis following infection.
Staining of fresh, undecalcified, thin bone sections.

Fresh, undecalcified bone sections can be reproducibly and reliably stained by any of the following procedures: (A) Basic fuchsin, 1% in 30% alcohol, 48 hr, 22°C. (B) AgNO3, 0.033 M, 48 hr, 22°C; washing 48 hr in a large volume of distilled water; exposure to light to develop the color. (C) Metallic sulfides (Co++, Pb++, Hg++, Cu++): the nitrate of the metal, 0.033 M, 48 hr, 22°C; then Na2S, 0.033 M, 48 hr, 22° C. (D) Alizarin Red S, 0.1% solution in distilled water, 48 hr, 22°C; differentiated 48 hr at 22°C in weakly alkaline water, pH about 8. (E) KMnO4: boiling 8-10 min in a 0.1 N, solution. With the exception of D the surface stain must be ground off the section for microscopic examination of its interior. Stain concentration, time and temperature can be altered to suit specific needs.
Endogenous opiates and behavior: 2001

This paper is the twenty-fourth installment of the annual review of research concerning the opiate system. It summarizes papers published during 2001 that studied the behavioral effects of the opiate peptides and antagonists. The particular topics covered this year include the molecular-biochemical effects and neurochemical localization studies of endogenous opioids and their receptors (Section 2), and the roles of these opioid peptides and receptors in pain and analgesia (Section 3); stress and social status (Section 4); tolerance and dependence (Section 5); learning and memory (Section 6); eating and drinking (Section 7); alcohol and drugs of abuse (Section 8); sexual activity and hormones, pregnancy, development and endocrinology(Section 9); mental illness and mood (Section 10); seizures and neurologic disorders (Section 11); electrical-related activity and neurophysiology (Section 12); general activity and locomotion (Section 13); gastrointestinal, renal and hepatic functions (Section 14); cardiovascular responses (Section 15); respiration and thermoregulation (Section 16); and immunological responses (Section 17).
Jean-Luc Hétu. Psychologie du Vieillissement. 2e éd. Montréal: Édition du Méridien, 1992, pp. 317.

Ce livre constitue une vue d'ensemble de la theorie actuelle et des resultats de la recherche empirique et appliquee en psychologie du vieillissement. Il constitue une porte d'acces au domaine pour les lecteurs qui ont un interet personnel ou professionnel a comprendre les etapes du vieillissement et les facteurs qui en font un processus reussi. La force du livre reside dans sa lisibilite et son examen des etudes faites au Canada et surtout au Quebec francophone. L'auteur utilise habilement les exemples, les breves etudes de cas et donne plusieurs conseils pratiques a ceux qui travaillent avec les aines. C'est un livre qui pourrait etre tres utile aux etudiants en gerontologie qui ont peu de notions de psychologie et qui devrait s'ajouter a la bibliotheque de tous ceux qui travaillent aupres des aines.
Risk of Coronary Artery Injury With Radiofrequency Ablation and Cryoablation of Epicardial Posteroseptal Accessory Pathways Within the Coronary Venous System

Background— Ablation of epicardial posteroseptal accessory pathways requires ablation within the coronary venous system. We assessed the risk of coronary artery (CA) injury with radiofrequency ablation (RFA) within the coronary venous system as a function of the distance between the CA and ablation site. We also examined the efficacy and safety of cryoablation close to a CA. Methods and Results— Two-hundred forty patients underwent ablation for epicardial posteroseptal accessory pathways. Coronary angiography was performed before ablation in the last 169 patients and was repeated after ablation if performed in the coronary venous system within 5 mm of a significant CA. The distance between the ideal ablation site and closest CA was 5 mm in 41 of 169 (25%) patients. CA injury was observed in 11 of 22 (50%) and 1 of 15 (7%) patients when RFA was performed within 2 and 3 to 5 mm of a CA, respectively. Cryoablation was performed in 26 patients with a significant CA located within 5 mm. Cryoablation alone eliminated epicardial posteroseptal accessory pathway conduction in 17 of 26 (65%) patients and in 8 patients with additional RFA without CA narrowing in any patient. During a follow-up period of 3 to 6 months, single procedure success rates were 90% and 77% for RFA and cryoablation at the ideal site, respectively. Conclusions— The risk of CA injury with RFA is correlated inversely with the distance from the ablation site. Cryoablation is a safe and reasonably effective alternative when a significant CA is located close to the ideal ablation site.
Future risk communication

Abstract Science and technology have transformed risks and communications in the last century. Smallpox is gone, and polio is fading fast, thanks to vaccines. Communications, commerce and risk have gone global. Wireless networks, wideband communications and immersive interfaces are already in some homes. In the future, ubiquitous communications aids in the form of smart risk agents could tailor both the medium and the message, placing a risk in context for a specific person. By sensing physical risk characteristics and collecting and synthesizing risk information, weighted by judgments about the sources of that information, and conveying these in the media of choice, a smart agent or active technology could provide the ultimate risk communication. Yet theories of risk communication are in their infancy, with some emphasizing cognition and risk control, others social and affective responses that drive behavioral change. To create moral agents, we need to understand how our own and others’ values and goals arise and change in this increasingly information intense society, and how virtual realities can evoke or displace affect, cognition, and social context—that is, life as we know it. Otherwise, we may cross the divide from informed decision making to persuasion without reason.
Hybrid formation between the intracellular faces of the bradykinin B2 and angiotensin II AT1 receptors and signal transduction

Most frequently, the physiologic functions of the angiotensin II (Ang II) type 1 receptor (AT1R) and bradykinin B2 receptor (BKB2R) are antagonistic, particularly with respect to the regulation of vascular tone. Despite major differences in their physiologic actions, the receptors share sequence similarities. Both link to Galpha(i) and Galpha(q) and transduce very similar signal paths, not only those relating to the traditional G-protein associated second messengers, but also those involved in transactivation mechanisms involving receptor tyrosine kinases. With respect to these paths, some differences in signaling may be accounted for by cell type specificity. However, alternative signal cascades for these two receptors are becoming increasingly evident. One such is the recruitment of signaling molecules upon receptor translocation and internalization. The AT1R translocates into clathrin-coated pits and internalizes upon recruitment of beta-arrestin 2 which then recruits ASK1 and JNK3. The BKB2R translocates and internalizes mainly via caveolae. Another signaling divergence may be due to the direct activation of small G-proteins by both receptors. AT1R activates the RhoA, Rac1, Cdc42 while BKB2R couples only with Rac1 and Cdc42. Both receptors may serve as docking stations for intracellular proteins. One such example is the YIPP motif within the C-terminus of the ATIR which associates with the JAK/STAT pathway. Another potential alternative is the activation of tyrosine/serine kinase phosphatases by BK. This mechanism may directly oppose some of the protein tyrosine/ serine kinase paths activated by AT1R. These alternative mechanisms in sum are potentially responsible for the diversion in signal transduction between these two receptors. Regardless of the route of action, our results suggest that in Rat-1 fibroblasts stably transfected with BKB2R, BK slightly decreases connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) mRNA level while in ATIR transfected cells Ang II increases CTGF mRNA markedly. To determine whether mutant hybrids can be formed between these two receptors which encompass some of the function of the donor receptor but bind the ligand of the recipient receptor, a series of hybrids were formed with BKB2R the recipient and AT1R the donor receptor. Some of these hybrids show resistance to exchanges with the AT1R and form receptors which either do not bind (IC1 exchanges) or demonstrate poor function but normal internalization (proximal C-terminus exchanges). However, other hybrids have proven very functional. For example, the IC2, IC3 and distal C-terminus of the BKB2R IC face can be replaced simultaneously with the AT1R resulting in an hybrid which binds BK, continues to signal, is internalized and resensitized. Formation of this and other less extensive hybrids is discussed. Some of these hybrids possess the capacity to function as the AT1R as exemplified by their ability to upregulate CTGF expression as wild-type (WT) AT1R.
First Report of Phakopsora pachyrhizi Adapting to Soybean Genotypes with Rpp1 or Rpp6 Rust Resistance Genes in Field Plots in the United States

During the years following the first detection of soybean rust, caused by Phakopsora pachyrhizi Syd., in the continental United States in November, 2004, soybean (Glycine max [L.] Merr.) genotypes with the Rpp1 or Rpp6 resistance genes exhibited high levels of resistance there (1,2,3). When challenged with 72 different American isolates collected between 2006 and 2009, PI 200492 (source of Rpp1) produced no sporulating lesions (2). In 2011 and 2012, however, field populations of P. pachyrhizi from Gadsden County, FL, caused higher rust severity on plants with Rpp1 or Rpp6 than in previous years. To assess aggressiveness, sporulation ratings were made using a 1 to 5 scale (no sporulation to profuse sporulation) on leaflets collected from field plants at or near the R6 (full seed) stage of development. A dissecting microscope was used to examine 3 replications of 5 leaflets each in 2009 or 2 replications of 10 leaflets each in 2012. The sporulation ratings increased on PI 200492 (from 1.1 ± 0.1 in 2009 to 4...
The repair of atrioventricular septal defects in infancy

Two (3%) of 72 patients undergoing repair of atrioventricular septal defects, 1984-September 1985, died in hospital, and among the 58 patients with isolated atrioventricular septal defect, one (2%) died in hospital. One (3%) of the 30 patients with isolated atrioventricular septal defects undergoing repair in the first year of life died. The absence of an incremental risk of young age is a continuation of the trend demonstrated in a parametric analysis of the earlier 1967-1982 experience (n = 310). The hospital mortalities were similar in 1984-September 1985 after repair of partial and complete atrioventricular septal defects, again a continuation of the earlier trend as is the lessened hospital mortality (7%) in the current era among patients with major associated cardiac anomalies. The continuity of results in the two eras, and the predictability of the results in the current era from equations developed from the earlier one, give a high degree of confidence in the inference that primary repair in the first year of life is advisable for most patients with atrioventricular septal defects. Ten-year survival of such patients operated upon currently is predicted to be 99 and 95% for partial and complete atrioventricular septal defects, respectively.
Citizen Science as an Approach for Overcoming Insufficient Monitoring and Inadequate Stakeholder Buy-in in Adaptive Management: Criteria and Evidence

Adaptive management is broadly recognized as critical for managing natural resources, yet in practice it often fails to achieve intended results for two main reasons: insufficient monitoring and inadequate stakeholder buy-in. Citizen science is gaining momentum as an approach that can inform natural resource management and has some promise for solving the problems faced by adaptive management. Based on adaptive management literature, we developed a set of criteria for successfully addressing monitoring and stakeholder related failures in adaptive management and then used these criteria to evaluate 83 citizen science case studies from peer-reviewed literature. The results suggest that citizen science can be a cost-effective method to collect essential monitoring information and can also produce the high levels of citizen engagement that are vital to the adaptive management learning process. The analysis also provides a set of recommendations for citizen science program design that addresses spatial and temporal scale, data quality, costs, and effective incentives to facilitate participation and integration of findings into adaptive management.
Role of cyclic adenosine monophosphate in the induction of endothelial barrier properties.

Cyclic adenosine monophosphate (AMP) has numerous important effects on cell structure and function, but its role in endothelial cells is unclear. Since cyclic AMP has been shown to affect transmembrane transport, cell growth and morphology, cellular adhesion, and cytoskeletal organization, it may be an important determinant of endotelial barrier properties. To test this we exposed bovine pulmonary artery endothelial cell monolayers to substances known to increase cyclic AMP and measured their effect on endothelial permeability to albumin and endothelial cell cyclic AMP concentrations. Cholera toxin (CT), a stimulant of the guanine nucleotide binding subunit of adenylate cyclase, led to a concentration-dependent 2-6-told increase in cyclic AMP which was associated with a 3–10-fold reduction in albumin transfer across endothelial monolayers. The effect was not specific to albumin as similar barrier-enhancing effects were also noted with an unrelated macromolecule, fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-dextran (MW 70,000). Barrier enhancement with cyclic AMP elevation was also observed with forskolin, a stimulant of the catalytic subunit of adenylate cyclase. The temporal pattern of barrier enhancement seen with these agents paralleled their effects on increasing cyclic AMP, and the barrier enhancement could be reproduced by incubation with either dibutyryl cyclic AMP or Sp-cAMPS, cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase agonists. Furthermore, the forsko-lin effect on barrier enhancement was partially reversed with Rp-cAMPS, an antagonist of cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase. Since endothelial actin polymerization may be an important determinant of endothelial barrier function, we sought to determine whether the cyclic AMP-induced effects were associated with increases in the polymerized actin pool (F-actin). Both cholera toxin and forskolin led to apparent endothelial cell spreading and quantitative increases in endothelial cell F-actin fluorescence. In conclusion, increased endothelial cell cyclic adenine nucleotide activity was an important determinant of endothelial barrier function in vitro. The barrier enhancement was associated with increased endothelial apposition and increases in F-actin, suggesting that influences on cytoskeletal assembly may be involved in this process.
Self-organization of neural networks

Abstract The plastic development of a neural-network model operating autonomously in discrete time is described by the temporal modification of interneuronal coupling strengths according to momentary neural activity. A simple algorithm (“brainwashing”) is found which, applied to nets with initially quasirandom connectivity, leads to model networks with properties conductive to the simulation of memory and learning phenomena.