cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Prospective Evaluation of Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy and Immunotherapy for Mediastinal and Hilar Lymph Node Metastases.

Purpose/Objective(s) Stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) is associated with high rates of metastasis control. However, given the adjacent organs-at-risk (OAR) and observed high rates of airway toxicity in the past, SBRT has historically not been routinely utilized for metastatic mediastinal and hilar lymphadenopathy (MHL). Immunotherapy is increasingly being used in metastatic patients and can cause clinically significant pneumonitis. In order to evaluate the feasibility, safety and efficacy of SBRT to MHL in the setting of immunotherapy, clinical outcomes of patients treated with immune-oncology (IO) agents and SBRT to MHL on three consecutive phase 1 clinical trials at a single institution were reviewed. Materials/Methods A total of 213 patients with widely metastatic solid tumors were treated with combination multisite SBRT and IO on three consecutive phase 1 trials between 2016 and 2020. All metastases in each patient were not irradiated and metastases > 65 mL were partially irradiated. Those with mediastinal and hilar nodes targeted met eligibility criteria. MHL were prescribed 50 Gy in 5 fractions, but under coverage was allowed in order to prioritize meeting OAR constraints formulated from NRG protocols. IO was administered sequentially (within 7 days after completion of SBRT) or concurrently (before or at the start of SBRT). IO treatments included: pembrolizumab, ipilimumab with nivolumab, urelumab with nivolumab, and cabiralizumab with nivolumab. Endpoints included irradiated tumor control per Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors version 1.1, overall survival (OS), dosimetric coverage and toxicity per Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events version 4.0. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to estimate tumor control and OS. Results A total of 55 patients were treated to 89 MHL nodes with 18 patients receiving concurrent IO and 37 patients receiving sequential IO. The most common histologies included non-small cell lung cancer (49%), ovarian cancer (7%) and colon adenocarcinoma (5%). Median follow up was 15 months. Irradiated tumor control was excellent with 0 local failures (# of living patients) at 12 (n = 32), 18 (n = 19) and 24 (n = 13) months. Median OS was 18 months (95% confidence interval, 11-33). Even after prioritizing OAR sparing, dosimetric parameters for the gross tumor volume (GTV) were: mean dose 50.9 Gy, V95 82% and V100 75%. Regarding toxicity, 6 patients (11%) experienced grade 3 pneumonitis and 1 patient (2%) experienced grade 3 esophagitis with no grade 4 or 5 toxicity events. Conclusion In the largest series of SBRT and immunotherapy for MHL, irradiated tumor control was excellent with acceptable toxicity. By prioritizing OARs during SBRT planning, 50 Gy/5 fraction SBRT to mediastinal and hilar nodes is feasible in the setting of immunotherapy.
Potential of Interpreter Specialization for Data Analysis

Scientists frequently implement data analyses in high-level programming languages such as Python, Perl, Lu, and R. Many of these languages are inefficient due to the overhead of being dynamically typed and interpreted. In this paper, we report the potential performance improvement of domain-specific interpreter specialization for data analysis workloads and evaluate how the characteristics of data analysis workloads affect the specialization, both positively and negatively. Assisted by compilers, we specialize the Lu and CPython interpreters at source-level using the script being interpreted and the data types during the interpretation as invariants for five common tasks from real data analysis workloads. Through experiments, we measure 9.0–39.6% performance improvement for Lu and 11.0–17.2% performance improvement for CPython for benchmarks that perform data loading, histogram computation, data filtering, data transformation, and dataset shuffle. This specialization does not include misspeculation checks of data types at possible type conversion code that may be necessary for other workloads. We report the details of our evaluation and present a semi-automatic method for specializing the interpreters.
RGS10 Reduces Lethal Influenza Infection and Associated Lung Inflammation in Mice

Seasonal influenza epidemics represent a significant global health threat. The exacerbated immune response triggered by respiratory influenza virus infection causes severe pulmonary damage and contributes to substantial morbidity and mortality. Regulator of G-protein signaling 10 (RGS10) belongs to the RGS proteins family that act as GTPase activating proteins for heterotrimeric G proteins to terminate signaling pathways downstream of G protein-coupled receptors. While RGS10 is highly expressed in immune cells, in particular monocytes and macrophages, where it has strong anti-inflammatory effects, its physiological role in the respiratory immune system has not been explored yet. Here, we show that Rgs10 negatively modulates lung immune and inflammatory responses associated with severe influenza H1N1 virus respiratory infection in a mouse model. In response to influenza A virus challenge, mice lacking RGS10 experience enhanced weight loss and lung viral titers, higher mortality and significantly faster disease onset. Deficiency of Rgs10 upregulates the levels of several proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines and increases myeloid leukocyte accumulation in the infected lung, markedly neutrophils, monocytes, and inflammatory monocytes, which is associated with more pronounced lung damage. Consistent with this, influenza-infected Rgs10-deficent lungs contain more neutrophil extracellular traps and exhibit higher neutrophil elastase activities than wild-type lungs. Overall, these findings propose a novel, in vivo role for RGS10 in the respiratory immune system controlling myeloid leukocyte infiltration, viral clearance and associated clinical symptoms following lethal influenza challenge. RGS10 also holds promise as a new, potential therapeutic target for respiratory infections.
Biochemical characterization of an isoprene synthase from Campylopus introflexus (heath star moss).

Abstract Each year, plants emit terragram quantities of the reactive hydrocarbon isoprene (2-methyl-1,3-butadiene) into the earth's atmosphere. In isoprene-emitting plants, the enzyme isoprene synthase (ISPS) catalyzes the production of isoprene from the isoprenoid intermediate dimethylallyl diphosphate (DMADP). While isoprene is emitted from all major classes of land plants, to date ISPSs from angiosperms only have been characterized. Here, we report the identification and initial biochemical characterization of a DMADP-dependent ISPS from the isoprene-emitting bryophyte Campylopus introflexus (heath star moss). The partially-purified C. introflexus ISPS (CiISPS) exhibited a Km for DMADP of 0.37 ± 0.28 mM, a pH optimum of 8.6 ± 0.5, and a temperature optimum of 40 ± 3 °C in vitro. Like ISPSs from angiosperms, the CiISPS required the presence of a divalent cation. However, unlike angiosperm ISPSs, the CiISPS utilized Mn2+ preferentially over Mg2+. Efforts are currently underway in our laboratory to further purify the CiISPS and clone the cDNA sequence encoding this novel enzyme. Our discovery of the first bryophyte ISPS paves the way for future studies concerning the evolutionary origins of isoprene emission in land plants and may help generate new bryophyte model systems for physiological and biochemical research on plant isoprene function.
Fire, Rain, Rooster: John Updike's Christian Allegory in Couples

Most critics deal with John Updike's Couples (1969) as a book about "love," "sex," and "adultery." They invariably argue that in Couples, Updike advocates promiscuity as an antidote to the prevalent climate of nihilism, and he thereby repudiates a cardinal dictum of Christianity: "Thou Shalt Not Commit Adultery." These commentators pay scant attention to Updike's view of the supernatural and miss his allegorical motif in the novel. Contrary to their assertions, I will argue that Couples is a novel of spiritual awakening, taking into account the symbolic significance of the burning church in the text, and that in his novels Updike upholds the Christian belief in the presence of God and the piety of love, sex, and marriage.
Combination of topotecan with cytarabine or etoposide in patients with refractory or relapsed acute myeloid leukemia: Results of a randomized phase I/II study

The topoisomerase I inhibitor topotecan has shown activity in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and myelodysplastic syndromes. The present study was designed to assess whether topotecan with cytosine arabinoside (ara-C) or with etoposide (VP-16) should be studied in phase II trials in patients with refractory or relapsed AML.
Winner's Curse

In common value auctions, the true value of the item for purchase is the same to all bidders. However, the parties who are competing to purchase the item are unaware of the true value at the time of bidding. Since the bidder with the highest estimated value (and, therefore, the highest bid price) wins the auction, the bidder with the highest overestimate of the true value is generally the winner. This is what leads to the winner's curse, as the winner potentially earns very low to negative returns from winning the bid. Keywords: auctions; common value auctions; bidding; bid shading; first price auctions
A 10Gb/s injection-locked clock recovery circuit in 47GHz f/sub T/ SiGe BiCMOS

An injection-locked clock recovery (CR) unit capable of extracting the clock from random binary sequences is presented. At 2.3V, the clock recovery circuit consumes only 14.3mW and correctly recovers a 10.3GHz clock from a 2/sup 31/ - 1 PRBS data stream. The active chip area is 0.35mm /spl times/ 0.37mm.
Blood, Blood Components, Plasma and Plasma Products

Abstract The Side Effects of Drugs Annuals forms a series of volumes in which the adverse effects of drugs and adverse reactions to them are surveyed. The series supplements the contents of Meyler's Side Effects of Drugs: the International Encyclopedia of Adverse Drug Reactions and Interactions . This review of the January 2012 to June 2013 publications on adverse reactions to blood, blood components, plasma and plasma products covers albumin, blood transfusion (erythrocytes and platelets), blood substitutes (haemoglobin-based oxygen carriers), plasma products (C1 esterase inhibitor concentrate and fresh frozen plasma), plasma substitutes (dextrans, etherified starches and gelatin), globulins (intravenous immunoglobulin, subcutaneous immunoglobulin and anti-D immunoglobulin), coagulation proteins (factor VIIa, factor VIII, factor IX, prothrombin complex concentrate and von Willebrand factor/factor VIII concentrates), erythropoietin and derivatives and stem cells. This includes blood products for which haemovigilance is in force, plasma products that must comply with pharmacovigilance regulations, substitute products and stem cells. Because blood and plasma products originate from human blood through blood donation, prevention of transmitted infections (by, for example, bacteria, viruses, protozoa and prions) form the use of blood, blood components, plasma and plasma-derived medicinal products is of paramount importance. Nowadays, the risk of transmission of the lipid-enveloped viruses, human immunodeficiency virus, hepatitis C virus and hepatitis B virus by plasma-derived medicinal products is considered negligible.
Effects of turbulence on growth and metabolism of periphyton in a laboratory flume

[1] Laboratory experiments were conducted to investigate the effect of fluid motion on the growth and metabolism of the freshwater periphyton Spirogyra and Stigeocloniom. The only growth-limiting factor was the effect of fluid motion; all the other environmental conditions, such as light, temperature, and nutrients were not limiting growth. The growth rates of periphyton were measured in terms of the chlorophyll-a concentration, and the metabolism was characterized by dissolved oxygen concentration measurements. The periphyton growth and corresponding photosynthetic rates were the lowest in a stagnant fluid. In a moving fluid the periphyton growth was mediated by the fluid flow conditions at the channel bottom. The results indicate critical conditions, corresponding to the detachment of periphyton in the channel bed. A functional dependence between the periphyton detachment and fluid flow conditions is proposed.
Incompatible element ratios in oceanic basalts and komatiites: Tracking deep mantle sources and continental growth rates with time

[1] Ratios of elements with similar incompatibilities in the mantle can be used to characterize magma sources through time. Nb/Y and Zr/Y distributions in oceanic basalts support the existence of a long-lived, deep depleted source in mantle. Zr/Y, Nb/Y, Zr/Nb, and Nb/Th ratios in oceanic basalts and komatiites suggest that depleted and recycled components, together probably with an enriched component, were present in the deep mantle by 3.5 Ga. Low Zr/Nb and Hf/Sm ratios and high La/Yb and Nb/Y ratios in some plume basalts and Al-depleted komatiites may reflect majorite fractionation. High Zr/Nb ratios and low Nb/Y ratios in Archean Al-undepleted komatiites may record partial melting of a Mg-perovskite source in deep mantle plumes in which Mg-perovskite crystallizes and accumulates in komatiite melts during ascent. Oceanic greenstone basalts show a gradual increase in the Nb/Th ratio with time with a relatively sudden increase at about 2 Ga. This trend is consistent with gradual continental growth and with a major episode of continental growth at 2.7 Ga. Nb/Th ratios in some Early Archean basalts may record extraction of up to 25% of the present volume of continental crust from the early upper mantle. An alternative explanation for the rapid increase in Nb/Th in oceanic basalts at 2 Ga is that a catastrophic 2.7-Ga event in the mantle changed the composition or/and location of the primary volume of mantle from which continental crust was extracted.
The Most Controversial Decision: James F. Byrnes, the Atomic Bomb, and the Pacific War

A proper accounting of the development of American policy to defeat Japan and bring World War II to an end must take due note of the crucial role played by James F. Byrnes. Although he is not well-remembered today, the experienced South Carolinian possessed tremendous gifts for politics. His insightful biographer rightly titled his study Sly and Able . Comparing FDR and Byrnes, David Robertson asserted with some justification that “Roosevelt publicly outshone Byrnes at making friends; but behind the scenes Jimmy Byrnes was the better politician, and he knew it.” By the time he took command at the state department he had held a number of positions any one of which might have served others as the culmination of a fine career – senate majority leader, Supreme Court justice, and director of the Office of War Mobilization and Reconversion (OWMR), where his tremendous work running the home front earned him the sobriquet of “assistant president.” Byrnes reacted to the disappointment of being passed over as FDR's running mate in 1944 with outward calm and true professionalism. His self-confidence and high regard for his own capacities were in no way damaged. He continued his important work at OWMR and spoke in support of the Roosevelt-Truman ticket. Perhaps he hoped that FDR would select him to succeed his good friend Cordell Hull at the state department, but the president judged Byrnes too independent for that task and picked the more malleable Edward Stettinius.
Using fractal geometry for image compression

Summary form only given. The authors present methods of fractal geometry powerful and general enough to encode a wide variety of images. They consider probabilistic finite generators, the basic idea being the interpretation of strings over some alphabet as rational coordinates and languages and relations as sets of points (images). Encoding is conceptually simple, and allows for an efficient implementation using quadtrees. Probabilistic mutually recursive function systems are defined over n variables (images) related in a mutually recursive fashion as unions under affine transformations. >
Enhanced accuracy of defect detection by myocardial single-photon emission computed tomography with attenuation correction with gadolinium 153 line sources: Evaluation with a cardiac phantom

Photon attenuation is a major cause of artifacts on single-photon emission tomographic imaging. To study a new method to perform photon attenuation correction (AC), we used a cardiac phantom filled with 99mTc and imaged it (1) without extrinsic attenuation or defects, (2) with extrinsic attenuation but without defects, (3) without extrinsic attenuation but with defects involving 10% of the myocardial volume and activity ranging from 0% to 75% of maximum, and (4) with both extrinsic attenuation and defects. Transmission and emission images acquired with a dual-head single-photon emission computed tomographic system with 153Gd line sources were processed by iterative maximum-likelihood-expectation-maximization and were evaluated both qualitatively and quantitatively. The small defects were readily identified both before and after AC. Mean count activity (percent of maximal activity) of the segments with overlying extrinsic attenuation but without defects was only 56%±4% without AC but increased to 86%±4% with Ac (p<0.0001). Without AC, the count activities in the defects with overlying extrinsic attenuation were lower than the actual defect activities, but AC resulted in better approximation of actual defect activities in all but the most severe (0% tracer activity) defects. This new AC method provided an improved estimation of actual myocardial count activity. Even small defects with mild reduction in tracer activity were still identifiable after AC.
Ultraviolet spectrometer observations of Uranus

The Voyager 2 UV spectrometer was used to scan the Uranus atmosphere at wavelengths from 500-1700 A with a field of view of 0.1 x 0.86 deg. The temperature and composition of the upper atmosphere were determined through occultations of light from gamma Pegasi, nu Geminorum and the sun. The data indicated a substantial gas density (100 million H atoms/cu cm) at about 28,000 km from the Uranus center, suggesting that gas drag plays a significant role in ring evolution. The distributions of CH4 and C2H2 in the lower atmosphere were also estimated. An electroglow emission was detected on the sunlit side, and attributed to emissions from atomic and molecular hydrogen excited by low energy electrons. An auroral glow was also observed, and exhibited evidence of an energy input equal to that of the electroglow. Finally, estimates of the C2H2 mixing ratio and the vertical column abundance of H2 are calculated.
Dorsal Raphe 5-HT2C Receptor and GABA Networks Regulate Anxiety Produced by Cocaine Withdrawal

The serotonin system is intimately linked to both the mediation of anxiety and long-term effects of cocaine, potentially through interaction of inhibitory 5-HT2C receptor and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) networks. This study characterized the function of the dorsal raphe (DR) 5-HT2C receptor and GABA network in anxiety produced by chronic cocaine withdrawal. C57BL/6 mice were injected with saline or cocaine (15 mg/kg) 3 times daily for 10 days, and tested on the elevated plus maze 30 min, 25 h, or 7 days after the last injection. Cocaine-withdrawn mice showed heightened anxiety-like behavior at 25 h of withdrawal, as compared to saline controls. Anxiety-like behavior was not different when mice were tested 30 min or 7 days after the last cocaine injection. Electrophysiology data revealed that serotonin cells from cocaine-withdrawn mice exhibited increased GABA inhibitory postsynaptic currents (IPSCs) in specific DR subregions dependent on withdrawal time (25 h or 7 d), an effect that was absent in cells from non-withdrawn mice (30 min after the last cocaine injection). Increased IPSC activity was restored to baseline levels following bath application of the 5-HT2C receptor antagonist, SB 242084. In a separate cohort of cocaine-injected mice at 25 h of withdrawal, both global and intra-DR blockade of 5-HT2C receptors prior to elevated plus maze testing attenuated anxiety-like behavior. This study demonstrates that DR 5-HT2C receptor blockade prevents anxiety-like behavior produced by cocaine withdrawal, potentially through attenuation of heightened GABA activity, supporting a role for the 5-HT2C receptor in mediating anxiety produced by cocaine withdrawal.
Cross-cultural issues in linguistic, visual-quantitative, and written-numeric supports for mathematical thinking

An in-depth analysis of the major early numerical aspects (single-digit and multidigit addition and subtraction) in a representative Chinese textbook series and a US textbook series (Math Expressions) with major East Asian components illustrated how linguistic issues create different teaching and learning tasks for the same mathematical topic and how additional meaning-making supports may be needed in the US. Analyses of multidigit methods in several East Asian textbooks revealed a wide range of written-numeric support of the steps in these operations. Coherence and learning paths in both programs were identified. A framework that identifies elements of a coherent learning path of meaning-making supports is proposed to facilitate future cross-cultural analyses.
Longitudinal endolymph flow associated with acute volume increase in the guinea pig cochlea

Endolymph volume disturbances were induced by microinjections of artificial endolymph into the second turn of the guinea pig cochlea at rates less than 60 nl/min. Induced longitudinal movements and area changes of endolymph were quantified in the basal turn using an ionic flow marker technique. Tetramethylammonium (TMA) was used as a flow marker by iontophoresing it into endolymph in micromolar amounts. TMA movements in the apical and basal directions were monitored by ion-selective electrodes. Changes in endolymph flow and cross-sectional area of scala media were derived using a mathematical model to interpret the recorded tracer time courses. The model was validated by performing comparable volume injections and flow measurements in fine-diameter plastic tubes. The rate of flow of endolymph measured prior to injection was close to zero, in agreement with prior studies. Based on the injection of different volumes into endolymph over a 15 min period, we found that injection of up to 80 nl of artificial endolymph into the second turn would not induce flow in the basal turn. However, above this amount, flow towards the base increased at a rate which correlated with the injected volume, with endolymph moving basally by a distance of 0.0067 mm/nl of artificial endolymph injected. Flow rates measured in the third turn, on the apical side of the injection were far lower and showed characteristics consistent with there being no outlet at the apex. These results suggest that small volume disturbances are corrected locally in the cochlea, but larger disturbances produce a longitudinal flow of endolymph out of the cochlea which represents a significant mechanism contributing to homeostasis. It can be concluded that structures outside the cochlea, such as the endolymphatic sac, do play a role in the correction of endolymph volume disturbances. Although the maintenance of endolymph composition is dominated by local ion transport mechanisms, the capacity of these local mechanisms to maintain normal endolymph volume appears to be limited.
Colloidal Crystals with Tunable Colors and Their Use as Photonic Papers

This article describes the fabrication and characterization of colloidal crystals whose stop bands could be varied through the application of a liquid. Such a colloidal crystal was generated by infiltrating the voids within an opaline lattice of polystyrene beads with a liquid prepolymer to poly(dimethylsiloxane), followed by thermal curing. When a liquid (e.g., a silicone fluid, hexane, or octane) capable of swelling the elastomer matrix was applied to the surface of this crystal, the lattice constant and thus the wavelength of Bragg-diffracted light was increased. For instance, the color of light diffracted from a colloidal crystal made of 175 nm polystyrene beads could be varied from violet to green, orange, and red simply by swelling it with different solvents. On the basis of this mechanism, we further demonstrated a photonic paper/ink system where color patterns could be conveniently generated on the surface of a thin film of colloidal crystal by writing with a Pilot pen, by screen printing, or by m...
State Of Art Of Acrylate Resists: An Overview Of Polymer Structure And Lithographic Performance

The acrylate family of resists based on polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) has paved the way for submicron lithography. The physical and chemical modifications, which have improved the performance of PMMA, are reviewed. These improvements include sensitivity to radiation (electron-beam, optical, ion, and x-ray), thermal and plasma process stability, and superior film quality. Structural modifications of the acrylate polymer chain have been the main contributors to enhanced lithographic performance.
Determination of trimetaphosphate ion in the presence of linear phosphates

Abstract A method for the determination of trimetaphosphate in the presence of linear oligophosphates above the trimer has been developed. It has been demonstrated that ortho-, pyro- and triphosphate are incompletely precipitated by barium ion, while higher oligomeric linear phosphates are precipitated quantitatively. The latter species have been isolated from phosphate mixtures by anion-exchange chromatography, mixed with known quantities of cyclic phosphate, and precipitated with barium ion. A mean error of +0.8 and a standard deviation of ±3 μmole of phosphorus as the cyclic ion have been found for mixtures containing from 0 to 203 μmole of phosphorus as trimetaphosphate in the presence of 0 to 81 μmole of phosphorus as the linear polymers.
Design of novel mechanical coupling for contour mode piezoelectric RF MEMS filters

Two novel mechanical coupling methods for synthesizing highly-integrated contour mode piezoelectric aluminum nitride (AlN) filters are introduced. While the underlying resonator technology remains the most viable candidate for realizing arrays of post-CMOS compatible filters at arbitrary frequencies with on-chip matching to 50 Ω, previously demonstrated mechanical coupling topologies do not scale well beyond 100 MHz. The current work focuses on design and fabrication techniques intended to extend the numerous inherent advantages of the AlN contour mode resonator technology to filters that are capable of higher center frequencies. The first design involves a series of alternating high and low acoustic impedance quarter wavelength sections that regulate the strength of the elastic coupling between resonators. The second approach relies on elastic coupling elements that are defined in the relatively compliant bottom metal electrode layer rather than the structural AlN film used by the actual resonators.
Performance Characteristics of Shrouded Rayleigh-Step and Spiral Groove Viscous Pumps

In this paper the optimum geometrical configurations of a shrouded Rayleigh-step and a spiral groove viscous pump are analyzed. Then their performance characteristics are compared. The geometries and film shapes of these viscous pumps are optimized with respect to flow rate and the design parameters are summarized graphically. The flow rate of the optimized spiral groove viscous pump is approximately 5-10 percent greater than that of the optimized shrouded Rayleigh-step viscous pump
Codes and coding processes in pigeon short-term memory

The delayed matching-to-sample (DMTS) task was used in three experiments to investigate how pigeons code information about sample stimuli. In all experiments, each trial consisted of a signaled presentation of a sample stimulus for a fixed duration followed, after some delay, by the presentation of three comparison stimuli. After incorrect first choices, the bird was allowed a second choice between the remaining two stimuli. It was found, in Experiment 1, that the probability of a second choice error declined with increasing sample duration. This result is consistent with a gradual short-term memory encoding process but not with a simple two-state all-or-none process. In the second experiment, it was found that the distribution of first-choice errors was affected by the particular sample occurring on a trial. This result is inconsistent with a two-stage discrete state memory/attention model based on the assumption that encoding of the sample and attention to the comparison stimuli are both independent all-or-none processes. The third experiment involved symbolic DMTS, in which the sample stimuli varied along a dimension different from that along which the comparison stimuli varied. With increasing delay between sample and comparison stimulus presentations, the pigeons were more likely to confuse test stimuli than to confuse sample stimuli. The results of these experiments lead to the conclusion that pigeon DMTS performance depends on a gradual encoding process in which a representation isomorphic with the test stimuli is generated and maintained.
CaM-Kinase II Dephosphorylates Thr286 by a Reversal of the Autophosphorylation Reaction

Autophosphorylation of CaM-kinase II produces a form of the enzyme not requiring Ca(2+)/calmodulin for sustained activity. We report that autophosphorylated CaM-kinase II dephosphorylates itself in the presence of ADP (termed autodephosphorylation). The dephosphorylation was unaffected by phosphatase inhibitors and was nucleotide specific, occurring with ADP but not with AMP, GTP, or GDP. (32)P-ATP was produced when ADP was added to (32)P-labeled CaM-kinase II, indicating that the enzyme was undergoing dephosphorylation through a reversal of the autophosphorylation reaction. ATP addition also produced loss of (32)P from the autophosphorylated enzyme while maintaining the kinase in a phosphorylated state. This indicates that the enzyme was undergoing cycles of autophosphorylation and dephosphorylation in the activated state. Autothiophosphorylated CaM-kinase II was resistant to autodephosphorylation. Site-directed mutants were used to show that Thr(286) was the predominant site dephosphorylated. Additionally, CaM-kinase II composed of beta subunits exhibited autodephosphorylation. Ca(2+)/CaM-independent activity expressed by the autophosphorylated alpha and beta holoenzymes was reversed following autodephosphorylation.
Methods of exercise testing. Step test, bicycle, treadmill, isometrics.

Abstract Methods of exercise testing are considered in relation to physiologic types, clinical applications and objectives, physiologic differences in end points and inferences, and comparison of oxygen requirements and circulatory responses. Hazards and safety precautions are cited. The multistage treadmill test of submaximal and maximal exercise is described in terms of oxygen requirements, measurement of maximal oxygen uptake, approach to maximal uptake, determination of functional aerobic impairment and assessment of circulatory and electrocardiographic responses. Initial findings are presented of a new, prospective community study (“Seattle Heart Watch”) designed to test the hypothesis that specific persons at risk for future angina pectoris, myocardial infarction or sudden death can be identified by this method.
Electrophoretic Studies on the Serum Proteins of Turkeys 2. The Composition of Pullorum Immune Turkey Serum

Abstract LUETSCHER (1947) presented an exhaustive review on the biological and medical applications of electrophoresis. He reported that electrophoretic patterns, for the most part, have proved to be characteristic not of the specific disease but of the host’s reaction to infection or injury. Almost every pathological state is characterized by a relative or absolute decrease in the serum albumin. The reduction of serum albumin is often associated with two factors common to many diseases … a deficiency of protein and a general reaction of the body to injury and infection. The changes which occur in the electrophoretic pattern of serum during immunization and after reaction with a specific antigen may offer a clear picture of the appearance and removal of antibody. Such studies are of value in establishing the relationship of antibody to serum proteins. Several workers have presented data regarding the relation of circulating antibodies to the gamma …
Roles of the histone H2A-H2B dimers and the (H3-H4)(2) tetramer in nucleosome remodeling by the SWI-SNF complex

SWI-SNF is an ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling complex required for expression of a number of yeast genes. Previous studies have suggested that SWI-SNF action may remove or rearrange the histone H2A-H2B dimers or induce a novel alteration in the histone octamer. Here, we have directly tested these and other models by quantifying the remodeling activity of SWI-SNF on arrays of (H3-H4)(2) tetramers, on nucleosomal arrays reconstituted with disulfide-linked histone H3, and on arrays reconstituted with histone H3 derivatives site-specifically modified at residue 110 with the fluorescent probe acetylethylenediamine-(1,5)-naphthol sulfonate. We find that SWI-SNF can remodel (H3-H4)(2) tetramers, although tetramers are poor substrates for SWI-SNF remodeling compared with nucleosomal arrays. SWI-SNF can also remodel nucleosomal arrays that harbor disulfide-linked (H3-H4)(2) tetramers, indicating that SWI-SNF action does not involve an obligatory disruption of the tetramer. Finally, we find that although the fluorescence emission intensity of acetylethylenediamine-(1,5)-naphthol sulfonate-modified histone H3 is sensitive to octamer structure, SWI-SNF action does not alter fluorescence emission intensity. These data suggest that perturbation of the histone octamer is not a requirement or a consequence of ATP-dependent nucleosome remodeling by SWI-SNF.
U.S. trends in obstetric procedures, 1990-2000.

: Background: During the 1980s the rate of obstetric procedures performed during delivery rose precipitously. This study follows the use of obstetric procedures through the 1990s to explore whether the patterns witnessed in the previous decade continued through the next. Methods: Data on total obstetric procedures and eight specific procedures (cesarean section, medical and surgical induction of labor, other artificial rupture of membranes, episiotomy, repair of current obstetric laceration, vacuum extraction, forceps delivery) were obtained from the National Hospital Discharge Survey, a nationally representative survey of discharges from short-stay non-Federal hospitals. Approximately 32,000 records for women with deliveries were included in the survey each year. Results: The total rate of all obstetric procedures did not change significantly from 1990 through 2000. However, as during the 1980s, rates increased for induction of labor, vacuum extraction, and repair of current obstetric laceration. Rates decreased for forceps delivery and episiotomy, also continuing 1980s trends. After a long period of increase, the rate of cesarean section declined from 1988 to 1995 but increased again from 1995 to 2000. Conclusions: Unlike the 1980s, the overall rate of obstetric procedures did not increase from 1990 to 2000, but the mix of obstetric procedures performed continued to change during this period. (BIRTH 29:3 September2002)
Cholinergic- and stress-induced signaling activities in cells overexpressing wild-type and mutant presenilin-1.

Abstract This study examined the effects of overexpression of presenilin-1 wild-type (PS1wt) or mutant L286V (PS1m) in human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells on signal transduction systems. Oxotremorine-M-induced activation of AP-1 was 40–53% lower in PS1wt than control cells, and further impaired (63–76%) in PS1m cells. Heat shock (45°C) activated Akt, increased heat shock factor-1 (HSF-1) DNA binding activity, and increased levels of heat shock protein 70, and these responses were not altered by overexpression of PS1wt or PS1m. H2O2 also caused a time-dependent increase in HSF-1 DNA binding activity which was similar in all cell lines. Thus, overexpression of PS1wt reduced muscarinic receptor-mediated activation of AP-1, and PS1m overexpression caused greater inhibition, but stress-induced activation of Akt and HSF-1 was unaffected by either PS1wt or PS1m.
Ability of Fat and Fat‐Free Mass Percentages to Predict Functional Disability in Older Men and Women

OBJECTIVES: Previous studies suggest an association between body composition and declining functional ability in older people. This study examined the relation between functional disability and percentage of fat mass (FM) and percentage of fat-free mass (FFM) in older men and women. DESIGN: Cross-sectional and prospective. SETTING: Rancho Bernardo, California. PARTICIPANTS: Subjects consisted of 1,051 ambulatory, community-dwelling Caucasian men and women, age 55 to 92, who attended a clinic visit between 1988 and 1992 and a subsequent clinic visit between 1992 and 1996. MEASUREMENTS: Measured at both visits, percentage of fat mass and percentage of lean body mass were estimated by bioelectric impedance analysis and functional disability was ascertained by self-administered questionnaire. Functional disability was dichotomized into those having any difficulty with a set of tasks versus those having no difficulty with the tasks. Two measures of functional disability were used: “lower body” disability, consisting of two lower motor tasks (walking 2–3 blocks and climbing up 10 stairs) and “overall” disability, consisting of nine tasks representing upper and lower body function and mobility. RESULTS: Compared with men, women were more likely to report both lower body and overall functional disability (P = .001). Cross-sectionally, a significant positive association was shown between fat mass and overall functional disability and a significant negative association was shown between FFM and overall functional disability in both men and women. Prospectively, increased percentage of body fat and decreased percentage of FFM were significantly associated with decreased functional ability in both women and men. All results were adjusted for age, smoking, alcohol use, physical activity, current estrogen use, depression, chronic disease, and education. CONCLUSION: Increased percentage of fat mass and decreased percentage of FFM are associated with greater functional disability in older men and women. Further research is needed to assess the relative importance of decreasing fat percentage or increasing fat-free percentage to preserve or improve functional ability in older people.
Effective elastic constants of superlattices

The effective elastic constants of a superlattice composed of layers of orthorhombic symmetry (with principal axes along the superlattice axis) are derived. These results generalize previous determinations for elastically isotropic layers (Rytov, Akust. Zh. 2, 71 (1956) (Sov. Phys.: Acoust. 2, 68 (1956))), but a completely different approach is used.
Systematic biases in 3D motion perception as a function of sensory uncertainty

1. Westheimer & Tanzman (1956) 8. Harris & Dean (2003) 2. Blakemore (1970) 9. Welchman et al. (2004) 3. Schumer & Julesz (1984) 10. Harris & Drga (2005) 4. Landers & Cormack (1997) 11. Lages (2006) 5. van Ee & Richards (2002) 12. Rushton & Duke (2007) 6. Thompson (1982) 13. Welchman et al. (2008) 7. Thompson & Stone (1982) 14. Duke & Rushton (2012) 3D motion perception is not inherently biased, but reduced contrast does increase variance At high contrast, 3D motion perception is largely accurate
Sequence-dependence of the CD of synthetic double-stranded RNAs containing inosinate instead of guanylate subunits.

The CD spectra and melting profiles have been measured for nine synthetic double-stranded RNAs containing I · C instead of G · C base pairs: poly[r(I) · r(C)], poly[r(I-C) · r(I-C)], poly[r(A-I-C) · r(I-C-U)], poly[r(A-C) · r(I-U)], poly[r(A-I) · r(C-U)], poly[r(A-C-C) · r(I-I-U)], poly[r(A-A-C) · r(I-U-U)], poly[r(A-C-U) · r(A-I-U)], and poly[r(A-U-C) · r(I-A-U)]. CD spectra have not previously been reported for the latter six of these polymers. The substitution of inosinate for guanylate led to recognizable CD differences, with all but two of the polymers having two resolved positive bands above 230 nm. Also, the I-containing RNAs differed from their G-containing counterparts in the almost complete absence of negative CD bands at long wavelengths and in the reduction of negative CD bands near 210 nm. First-neighbor comparisons showed that the CD spectra of the I-containing RNAs were consistent with the nearest-neighbor sequences of the polymers, as previously shown for G-containing RNAs (D. M. Gray, J.-J. Liu, R. L. Ratliff, and F. S. Allen, Biopolymers (1981) 20, 1337–1382). Moreover, two of the first-neighbor comparisons involved spectra of poly[r(A) · r(U)] and poly[r(I) · r(C)], polymers known to be in the A family of conformations in fibers (S. Arnott, D. W. L. Hukins, S. D. Dover, W. Fuller, and A. Hodgson, (1973) J. Mol. Biol.81, 107–122). Thus, differences in the CD spectra of I- and G-containing RNAs could be simply explained as resulting from differences in the hypoxanthine and guanine chromophores, without invoking differences in conformation. Finally, melting temperatures of the I-containing RNAs were found to vary much less with base composition than do the melting temperatures of G-containing RNAs, since A · U base pairs are closer to I · C than to G · C base pairs in stability.
An evaluation of machine guarding techniques for robot guarding

Abstract An increasing number of problems caused by the use of industrial robots should be expected due to the dramatically increasing population of robots today. In this paper, machine guarding functions and techniques are reviewed. The possibilities of transferring the concepts of machine guarding to robotic systems are then analyzed. The analysis shows that most of the guarding techniques are still applicable to industrial robots with modifications to accommodate differences. A set of guidelines for installing safeguarding devices is also presented. Research is need in the areas of guarding techniques for robotic cells, new sensor development, and sensor reliability, fusion, and coordination problems.
Utility of biofeedback for the daytime syndrome of urinary frequency and urgency of childhood.

Abstract Objectives. To evaluate in a preliminary study the utility of biofeedback for the treatment of the daytime syndrome of urinary frequency and urgency of childhood, a benign, self-limited condition with symptoms that can last for months or years. Observation is a commonly recommended approach to this syndrome because medications and other forms of therapy are often not effective. Methods. During a 2-year period, 89 children (34 boys and 55 girls) presented with this syndrome. Patient age ranged from 4 to 11 years, and duration of symptoms ranged from 1 to 38 months. All children were evaluated with a history, physical examination, urinalysis and culture, and renal and bladder ultrasound scanning. After the evaluation, the parents were offered either observation or surface patch electromyography biofeedback for the problem. Results. Overall, 84 parents (94.3%) selected biofeedback for their child. After 1 month of biofeedback, 34.5% of children were able to achieve a 2 to 4-hour voiding interval. After 2 to 4 months of biofeedback, another 51.2% of patients experienced the same improvement. Overall, 85.7% of children who underwent biofeedback had symptom improvement. In 14.3% of children, no symptom improvement was noted after 4 months of biofeedback and these children were considered nonresponders. Conclusions. The results of this study suggest that biofeedback may be a treatment option for this disorder and warrants further investigation.
Ecological design of multifunctional open channels for flood control and conservation planning

Abstract Historically, typical open channel flood control systems have been designed for a single function: to enhance human safety by preventing flood damage to human landscape infrastructure. This single-purpose objective is increasingly an untenable practice. Because river systems in human-dominated landscapes often play important conservation roles for biota (e.g. endangered species), it is important that flood control planning be integrated with conservation planning principles and goals. ‘Regenerative design’ seeks to intentionally enable an environment to continually replace ecosystem structures through natural processes, which is a design paradigm that can achieve multiple socio-ecological goals. In river systems, flood control channels need to be multifunctional where feasible, and be designed to accommodate vegetation as well as geomorphic processes, such as meander dynamics. A heuristic analysis of three areas from California's existing but antiquated Sacramento River flood control system (including two bypass channels) was used to illustrate these concepts with a series of expansion scenarios for each channel. Minimum dynamic area was gamed (by expanding the average channel width and adjusting Manning's n roughness coefficients) in the main channel (river miles 84–144) to more than double the existing conveyance, which resulted in nearly quadrupling the roughness coefficient allowing for increased riparian vegetation. The bypass channel widths and roughness coefficients were also gamed to achieve 100- and (alternatively) 200-yr flood protection while providing increased potential for riparian vegetation and flood refugia for terrestrial animal species. These scenarios conceptually illustrate that expanding the flood channel footprint while increasing design roughness coefficients can effectively meet multifunctional objectives.
G Protein-Mediated Ca2+-Sensitization of CPI-17 Phosphorylation in Arterial Smooth Muscle

CPI-17 is a unique phosphoprotein that specifically inhibits myosin light chain phosphatase in smooth muscle and plays an essential role in agonist-induced contraction. To elucidate the in situ mechanism for G protein-mediated Ca²+-sensitization of CPI-17 phosphorylation, α-toxin-permeabilized arterial smooth muscle strips were used to monitor both force development and CPI-17 phosphorylation in response to GTPγS with varying Ca²+ concentrations. CPI-17 phosphorylation increased at unphysiologically high Ca²+ levels of pCa ≤ 6. GTPγS markedly enhanced the Ca²+ sensitivity of CPI-17 steady-state phosphorylation but had no enhancing effect under Ca²+-free conditions, while the potent PKC activator PDBu increased CPI-17 phosphorylation regardless of Ca²+ concentration. CPI-17 phosphorylation induced by pCa 4.5 alone was markedly inhibited by the presence of PKC inhibitor but not ROCK inhibitor. In the presence of calyculin A, a potent PP1/PP2A phosphatase inhibitor, CPI-17 phosphorylation increased with time even under Ca²+-free conditions. Furthermore, as Ca²+ concentration increased, so did CPI-17 phosphorylation rate. GTPγS markedly enhanced the rate of phosphorylation of CPI-17 at a given Ca²+. In the absence of calyculin A, either steady-state phosphorylation of CPI-17 under Ca²+-free conditions in the presence of GTPγS or at pCa 6.7 in the absence of GTPγS was negligible, suggesting a high intrinsic CPI-17 phosphatase activity. In conclusion, cooperative increases in Ca²+ and G protein activation are required for a significant activation of total kinases that phosphorylate CPI-17, which together overcome CPI-17 phosphatase activity and effectively increase the Ca²+ sensitivity of CPI-17 phosphorylation and smooth muscle contraction.
An involutory Pascal matrix

Abstract An involutory upper triangular Pascal matrix U n is investigated. Eigenvectors of U n and of U n T are considered. A characterization of U n is obtained, and it is shown how the results can be extended to matrices over a commutative ring with unity.