cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Aquatic versus terrestrial crab skeletal support: morphology, mechanics, molting and scaling.

ABSTRACT The transition from aquatic to terrestrial environments places significant mechanical challenges on skeletal support systems. Crabs have made this transition multiple times and are the largest arthropods to inhabit both environments. Furthermore, they alternate between rigid and hydrostatic skeletons, making them an interesting system to examine mechanical adaptations in skeletal support systems. I hypothesized that terrestrial crabs have modified morphology to enhance mechanical stiffness and that rigid and hydrostatic skeletons scale differently from each other, with stronger allometric relationships on land. Using the aquatic blue crab, Callinectes sapidus , and the terrestrial blackback land crab, Gecarcinus lateralis , I measured and compared body mass, merus morphology (dimensions, cuticle thickness and the second moment of area I ) and mechanics (flexural stiffness EI , elastic modulus E , critical stress and hydrostatic pressure) of rigid and hydrostatic stage crabs encompassing a range of sizes ( C. sapidus : 1.5–133 g, N ≤24; G. lateralis : 22–70 g, N ≤15). The results revealed that rigid G. lateralis has similar morphology (limb length to diameter L / D and cuticle thickness to limb diameter T / D ratio) to C. sapidus , and the mechanics and most scaling relationships are the same. Hydrostatic land crabs differ from aquatic crabs by having different morphology (thinner cuticle), mechanics (greater internal pressures) and scaling relationship (cuticle thickness). These results suggest that the rigid crab body plan is inherently overbuilt and sufficient to deal with the greater gravitational loading that occurs on land, while mechanical adaptations are important for hydrostatically supported crabs. Compared with other arthropods and hydrostatic animals, crabs possess distinct strategies for adapting mechanically to life on land.
Digoxin Attenuates Receptor Activation of NF-κB Ligand-Induced Osteoclastogenesis in Macrophages.

Background Even though hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) is among the transcriptional factors demonstrated to contribute to the formation of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs), the precise mechanism has been unclear. Digoxin is known as an inhibitor of HIF-1α, and shows a protective effect against the progression of AAAs. Objectives We tested the effect of digoxin on osteoclastogenesis (OCG) and examined the pathway through which digoxin exerts inhibition of HIF-1α. Materials and methods RAW 264.7 macrophage cells were cultured and stimulated by soluble receptor activator of NF-κB ligand (sRANKL) with or without digoxin. First, we tested the effect of digoxin to attenuate macrophage activation, which led to OCG, characterized by tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP)-positive macrophages (TPMs). Results The activation of TPMs stimulated by sRANKL was attenuated by digoxin treatment. Furthermore, the receptor activator of NF-κB (RANK)/receptor activator of NF-κB ligand (RANKL) complex signaling pathway, which is stimulated by HIF-1α, was downregulated by digoxin treatment. Conclusions These results show that digoxin attenuates OCG. By inhibition of HIF-1α, digoxin decreases OCG through the downregulation of the RANK/RANKL signaling pathway. Therefore, digoxin is a potential candidate for medical treatment of AAAs.
Human Adaptation and Permanent Human Space Settlement

Chapters 2 and 3 have shown us aspects of biological adaptation necessary to consider in the project of human space settlement, while in Chaps. 4 and 5 we have examined some cultural aspects of such a project. In those chapters we were introduced to humanity’s adaptive range and capacities, and some of the tools of human adaptation, from genes to complex behavior including culture and technology. Chapter 6 gave us some examples of the use of tools in humanity’s deep past, showing that they are not unusual but should be considered entirely common and ‘natural’ to use. In this chapter we sharpen focus on these tools, refining our concepts as needed, to arrive at a practical, preliminary set of cultural and biological adaptive variables we deem to be necessary for human biocultural survival and sufficient to sustain it in environments beyond Earth. These tools may be thought of as the minimum adaptive toolkit of our species, significantly and informatively analogous to the HOX gene family common to all multicellular animal life. In these ways this chapter establishes a minimum set of adaptive tools for space settlement that may be studied as part of space anthropology and applied to the adaptive programme of space settlement established throughout this book.
Intellectual humility in the sociopolitical domain

A growing body of research has demonstrated the relevance of intellectual humility to a variety of interpersonal and social attitudes and behaviors. There is a need for further replication and expa...
Screening for vulnerability in older adults attending the emergency department

Acutely ill older adults are at high risk of adverse health outcomes, including loss of function, loss of independence, and mortality. Screening instruments may aid the identification of older adults who are at high risk of negative health outcomes. An extensive geriatric examination, by means of the Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA), and fit-for-purpose interventions, such as drawing an inventory of the required aftercare, instructions upon discharge, and Advance Care Planning (ACP) can all contribute to improved outcomes. The implementation of screening for vulnerability in the emergency department requires a tailored approach. The current screening instruments differ in terms of target population, moment of application, outcome measures and predictive properties. The APOP screener has been developed and validated in Dutch hospitals. A screening instrument is always part of a broader repertoire, such as education, awareness, adjustment of care processes and protocols, and implementation of appropriate interventions, all aimed at improving outcomes for acutely ill older adults.
Theoretical necessity for rethinking knowledge in knowledge management literature

Organisational knowledge can lead to superior organisational performance and long-term competitive advantage. However, organisations’ knowledge management (KM) initiatives to better utilise their k...
NK Cell Adoptive Immunotherapy of Cancer: Evaluating Recognition Strategies and Overcoming Limitations.

ABSTRACT Natural killer (NK) cells, the primary effector cells of the innate immune system, utilize multiple strategies to recognize tumor cells by (1) detecting the presence of activating receptor ligands, which are often upregulated in cancer; (2) targeting cells that have a loss of major histocompatibility complex (MHC); and (3) binding to antibodies that bind to tumor-specific antigens on the tumor cell surface. All these strategies have been successfully harnessed in adoptive NK cell immunotherapies targeting cancer. In this review, we review the applications of NK cell therapies across different tumor types. Similar to other forms of immunotherapy, tumor-induced immune escape and immune suppression can limit NK cell therapies' efficacy. Therefore, we also discuss how these limitations can be overcome by conferring NK cells with the ability to redirect their tumor-targeting capabilities and survive the immune-suppressive tumor microenvironment. Finally, we also discuss how future iterations can benefit from combination therapies with other immunotherapeutic agents.
244 Cost-effectiveness of preoperative type and screen in patients undergoing laparoscopic hysterectomy

Intro Preoperative type and screen (T&S) is traditionally ordered for patients undergoing laparoscopic hysterectomy. We aimed to evaluate if it is cost-effective and clinically warranted in this population. Methods A retrospective case-control study was conducted of all patients who underwent laparoscopic hysterectomy at a tertiary care center and its associated referral hospital between 01/01/2001 and 09/01/2019. Cases were defined as patients who received a perioperative red blood cell transfusion (72 hours before or after surgery). Differences between groups were analyzed using an independent samples t-test for means, Wilcoxon rank sum test for medians, and chi-square for categorical variables. Results Among 8,321 patients who underwent laparoscopic hysterectomy, 61 (0.73%) had a perioperative transfusion. Age and smoking status were similar between groups; however, cases were more likely to be African-American, Asian and have a body mass index greater than 30 (p Conclusion/Implications Routine T&S is not cost-effective nor clinically useful for the majority of patients undergoing laparoscopic hysterectomy. Further analysis might identify a subset of patients who are at higher risk of blood loss and would benefit from a T&S.
Bank Lending Promotes Economic Growth

In 2018, the dynamic development of bank lending took place in all the main segments of the money market. Nominal indices of the debt and lending have attained the new maximum. A positive net contribution of bank lending to households’ disposable cash resources was feasible on the back of reduction of interest rates and extension of more loans.
Radiochemistry and biological evaluation of novel copper-64-labeled bifunctional chelate-somatostatin analog conjugates

1852 Objectives: Recent biodistribution and microPET studies in AR42J tumor bearing male Lewis rats comparing the compounds 64Cu-CB-TE2A-Y3-TATE and 64Cu-TETA-Y3-TATE revealed that the former compound exhibited better clearance from blood and liver and had greater tumor detection sensitivity.1,2 Radioactivity was retained however, in the kidney out to 24 h post-injection (p.i.). It was hypothesized that modifying the charge on 64Cu-CB-TE2A-Y3-TATE from positive to either neutral or negative would alter the radiotracer’s biodistribution properties and reduce the dose delivered to the kidney. To accomplish this goal two new bifunctional chelators (BFCs) were synthesized and conjugated to Y3-TATE through either a benzamide (BS353) or sulfonamide (BS354) linkage. It was hoped these linkages would create an ionizable proton on the amide located proximally to the tetraazamacrocycle under physiological conditions and alter the charge of the ligand. Methods: The BFCs were synthesized and conjugated to Y3-TATE to make BS353 and BS354 using solid-phase methods, and these somatostatin analogs were radiolabeled with 64Cu. Biodistribution studies were conducted using male Lewis rats bearing AR42J tumors. Results: Both compounds were obtained in high radiochemical purity with specific activities of 0.2-0.3 mCi/μg after purification. Biodistribution studies revealed that 64Cu-BS354 demonstrated comparable clearance through blood, liver and kidney at 24 h p.i. compared to 64Cu-BS353 [blood (%ID/g): 0.027±0.003 vs. 0.038±0.004; liver (%ID/g): 0.21±0.016 vs. 0.22±0.027; kidney (%ID/g): 2.54±0.50 vs. 3.10 ±0.25]. However, 64Cu-CB-TE2A-Y3-TATE exhibited better clearance from the kidney ((%ID/g): 1.47±0.11) than either 64Cu-BS353 or 64Cu-BS354 at 24 h post-injection.1 Tumor specific uptake was observed for 64Cu-BS353 [tumor (non-block vs. block) (%ID/g): 3.20±0.39 vs. 0.46±0.045] and 64Cu-BS354 [tumor (non-block vs. block) (%ID/g): 2.29±0.76 vs. 0.72±0.07] but uptake was not better than that observed for 64Cu-CB-TE2A-Y3-TATE [tumor (%ID/g): 6.12±0.84] at 1 h post-injection.1 Conclusions: 64Cu-BS353 and 64Cu-BS354 demonstrated rapid clearance from non-target tissues and substantial uptake in somatostatin positive tumors. However, the clearance and tumor targeting properties of 64Cu-CB-TE2A-Y3-TATE were found to be superior to either compound tested. Receptor binding studies are currently underway to compare their binding properties with 64Cu-CB-TE2A-Y3-TATE.
A machine learning approach to investigate the materials science of enamel aging

Abstract Understanding aging of tooth tissues is critical to the development of patient-centric oral healthcare. Yet, the traditional methods for analyzing the composition–structure–property relationships of hard tissues have limitations when considering aging and other factors. Objective To apply unsupervised machine learning tools to pursue an understanding of relationships between the composition and mechanical behavior of aging enamel. Methods Molar teeth were collected from primary (age ≤ 8), young adult (24 ≤ age ≤ 46) and old adult (55 ≤ age) donors. The hardness and elastic modulus were quantified using nanoindentation as a function of distance from the Dentin Enamel Junction (DEJ) within the cervical, cuspal and inter-cuspal regions of the enamel crown. Similarly, a co-located analysis of the chemical composition and structure was performed using Raman spectroscopy. A Self-Organizing Maps (SOMs) algorithm was implemented to identify multi-dimensional composition–property relationships. Results The hardness and elastic modulus are positively correlated to crystallinity and negatively correlated with carbonate substitution. Furthermore, the effects from fluoridation on the age-dependent properties of enamel is non-linear and depends on its location. The contributions of fluoridation to the enamel properties are different in the cervical and non-cervical regions and appear to be unique within primary and senior adult teeth. Significance Based on the findings, unsupervised learning methods can reveal complicated non-linear structure–property relationships in tooth tissues and help to understand the materials science of aging and its consequences.
Holistic Hardware Security Assessment Framework: A Microarchitectural Perspective.

Our goal is to enable holistic hardware security evaluation from the microarchitectural point of view. To achieve this, we propose a framework that categorizes threat models based on the microarchitectural components being targeted, and provides a generic security metric that can be used to assess the vulnerability of components, as well as the system as a whole.
A Clinical Prototype Ultrasonic Transmission Tomographic Scanner

Ultrasound is a non-invasive and non-ionizing method of imaging soft tissue which may have better patient acceptance than x-ray mammography and, in the B-scan mode, may be useful in scanning patients with radiographically dense breasts.1 Several investigators have been developing ultrasound B-scan technology for imaging the breast.2,3
Functional Accessibility Testing Using Best Practices

The problem with many automated web accessibility testing tools is that they assume a repair oriented approach to web accessibility. The functional web accessibility approach is based on best practices design approach to creating web resources. The best practices build upon the use of web standards to increase developer acceptance, since developers benefit from the design efficiencies of web standards while they build highly accessible websites based on best practices coding techniques. Automated testing tools can be used to look for the best practices coding patterns to verify accessibility. The best practices are essentially effective techniques to implement web accessibility standards like Section 508 or guidelines like the W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines.
Review of Mark Manolopoulos, If Creation is a Gift. New York: State University of New York Press, 2009.

Norman Wirzba reviews Mark Manolopoulos, If Creation is a Gift . New York: State University of New York Press, 2009.
“Brownian strings”: image segmentation with stochastically deformable models

This manuscript describes an image segmentation technique in which an arbitrarily shaped contour is deformed stochastically until it fits around an object of interest. The evolution of the contour is controlled by a simulated annealing process which causes the contour to settle into the global minimum of an image-derived "energy" function which is designed to be small when the contour is near the border of objects similar to the target. The non-parametric energy function is derived from the statistical properties of similar previously segmented images, thereby incorporating prior experience. Since the method is based on a state space search for the contour with the best global properties, it is stable in the presence of image errors which confound segmentation techniques based on local criteria such as connectivity. However, unlike "snakes" and other active contour approaches, the new method can handle arbitrarily irregular contours in which each inter-pixel crack represents an independent degree of freedom. The method is illustrated by using it to find the brain surface in magnetic resonance head images, to identify the epicardial surface in magnetic resonance cardiac images, and to track blood vessels in angiograms.
Less than the sum of its parts, a leinamycin precursor has superior properties

It would be an understatement to suggest that natural products, complex molecules derived from natural sources, have been influential to modern chemistry. Efforts to isolate and characterize these compounds have driven innovations in chromatography, crystallography, and NMR. Attempts to recreate the oftentimes beautiful chemical structures found in nature have been of particular importance to organic chemistry. One notable example is the total synthesis of vitamin B12 by Woodward and Eschenmoser, which beyond demonstrating nearly 100 chemical transformations that could be applied to other systems, also inspired the collaboration between Woodward and Hoffman that led to the formalization of the Woodward–Hoffman rules, allowing the prediction of stereospecificity of ring opening and closing reactions (1⇓–3). Biological chemistry has greatly benefited from the isolation and characterization of toxins (e.g., like tetrodotoxin) and antibiotics (penicillin), as well as from natural products like rapamycin, which led to the discovery of its biological target, mammalian target of rapamycin, one of the most important regulatory protein complexes in mammalian cells (4, 5). Indeed, the Nobel prize for chemistry has often been awarded to natural products chemists, including the second ever award, granted in 1902 to Hermann Fischer for work on sugar and purine synthesis, the 1964 award, granted to Dorothy Hodgkin for her crystal structure of vitamin B12, and the 1990 award, granted to E. J. Corey, whose laboratory has pioneered the development of a number of chemical reactions, which are now being applied toward the pursuit of the total synthesis of assorted natural products (6). As part of this legacy of natural products science, Huang et al. (7) have recently published in PNAS work detailing part of the biosynthetic pathways that create the natural macrocycle leinamycin (LNM) (Fig. 1, Upper ), as well as the properties of a natural … [↵][1]1To whom correspondence should be addressed. Email: rac1{at}cornell.edu. [1]: #xref-corresp-1-1
A method for tagging the Malaysian prawn Macrobrachium rosenbergii

Abstract A permanent method for tagging growing crutaceans is described for the Malaysian prawn Macrobrachium rosenbergii . The nylon filament tag did not interfere with molting or growth when tested on prawns over a 17-month period. Behavior of the prawns was likewise not affected by the tags. Tag retention in small ponds 3 months after their placement was 100%. Recovery of animals from larger ponds containing fish was 78%, but all animals recovered had retained their tags.
Renal HIV Expression Is Unaffected by Serum LPS Levels in an HIV Transgenic Mouse Model of LPS Induced Kidney Injury

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is associated with increased rates of mortality. For unknown reasons, HIV infected individuals have a higher risk of AKI than uninfected persons. We tested our hypothesis that increased circulating LPS increases renal expression of HIV and that HIV transgenic (Tg26) mice have increased susceptibility to AKI. Tg26 mice harbor an HIV transgene encoding all HIV genes except gag and pol, and develop a phenotype analogous to HIVAN. Mice were used at 4–6 weeks of age before the onset of gross renal disease. Mice were injected i.p. with LPS or sterile saline. Renal function, tubular injury, cytokine expression, and HIV transcription were evaluated in Tg26 and wild type (WT) mice. LPS injection induced a median 60.1-fold increase in HIV expression in spleen but no change in kidney. There was no significant difference in renal function, cytokine expression, or tubular injury scores at baseline or 24 hours after LPS injection. HIV transcription was also analyzed in vitro using a human renal tubular epithelial cell (RTEC) line. HIV transcription increased minimally in human RTEC, by 1.47 fold, 48 hours after LPS exposure. We conclude that Tg26 mice do not increase HIV expression or have increased susceptibility to LPS induced AKI. The increased risk of AKI in HIV infected patients is not mediated via increased renal expression of HIV in the setting of sepsis. Moreover, renal regulation of HIV transcription is different to that in the spleen.
PASK (Proline-Alanine-rich STE20-related Kinase), a Regulatory Kinase of the Na-K-Cl Cotransporter (NKCC1)

Although the phosphorylation-dependent activation of the Na-K-Cl cotransporter (NKCC1) has been previously well documented, the identity of the kinase(s) responsible for this regulation has proven elusive. Recently, Piechotta et al. (Piechotta, K., Lu, J., and Delpire, E. (2002) J. Biol. Chem. 277, 50812-50819) reported the binding of PASK (also referred as SPAK (STE20/SPS1-related proline-alanine-rich kinase)) and OSR1 (oxidative stress response kinase) to cation-chloride cotransporters KCC3, NKCC1, and NKCC2. In this report, we show that overexpression of a kinase inactive, dominant negative (DN) PASK mutant drastically reduces both shark (60 +/- 5%) and human (80 +/- 3%) NKCC1 activation. Overexpression of wild type PASK causes a small (sNKCC1 22 +/- 8% p < 0.05, hNKCC1 12 +/- 3% p < 0.01) but significant increase in shark and human cotransporter activity in HEK cells. Importantly, DNPASK also inhibits the phosphorylation of two threonines, contained in the previously described N-terminal regulatory domain. We additionally show the near complete restoration of NKCC1 activity in the presence of the protein phosphatase type 1 inhibitor calyculin A, demonstrating that DNPASK inhibition results from an alteration in kinase/phosphatase dynamics rather than from a decrease in functional cotransporter expression. Coimmunoprecipitation assays confirm PASK binding to NKCC1 in transfected HEK cells and further suggest that this binding is not a regulated event; neither PASK nor NKCC1 activity affects the association. In cells preloaded with 32Pi, the phosphorylation of PASK, but not DNPASK, coincides with that of NKCC1 and increases 5.5 +/- 0.36-fold in low [Cl]e. These data conclusively link PASK with the phosphorylation and activation of NKCC1.
New directions in the development of antidepressants: the interface of neurobiology and psychiatry.

There have been considerable advances in neurobiology in recent years that are providing new directions for the development of novel classes of antidepressants. For example, the finding that corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) is hypersecreted in depressed patients and mediates certain symptoms of depression has led to the development of specific antagonists of the CRF1 receptor. These are expected to prove highly effective for the treatment of mood and anxiety disorders. Another related avenue of research is based on evidence that cortisol is integral to the pathophysiology of major depression with psychotic features. One alternative for treating this subtype of affective disorder is, therefore, to block the action of glucocorticoids using a receptor antagonist such as mifepristone. These are just two of the many new directions that will likely lead to the development of antidepressants in the near future. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Mechanochemically prepared ternary hybrid cathode material for lithium batteries

Abstract Ternary host–guest nanocomposite based on vanadium oxide and two polymers with different types of conductivity (ionic and electronic) – polypyrrole (PPy) and polyethylene oxide (PEO) – is prepared by solventless mechanochemical synthesis. The nanocomposite can be reversibly cycled with a specific capacity of ∼200 mA h g −1 for at least one hundred cycles of full charge–discharge as the active component of the positive electrode of lithium batteries. Electrochemical performance of ternary PPy 0.1 PEO 0.15 V 2 O 5 is compared with two-component analog PPy 0.1 V 2 O 5 . The presence of macromolecules of an ion-conducting polymer in the composition of the ternary nanocomposite PPy 0.1 PEO 0.15 V 2 O 5 promotes interfacial transfer of lithium ions and also facilitates faster transport inside the particles of the nanocomposite.
Risk factors of neurologic deficit after thoracic aortic endografting.

Background Stroke and spinal cord injury (SCI) remain the most devastating complications of thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR). The risk factors associated with these complications are poorly understood. The aim of this study was to analyze the risk factors associated with neurologic deficits after TEVAR. Methods From 1998 to 2005, 153 patients underwent 184 TEVARs. Computed tomography scans, angiograms, and medical records were reviewed. TEVAR was completed in all but 3 patients. The underlying pathologies included descending thoracic aortic aneurysm in 91, acute type B aortic dissection in 25, chronic type B aortic dissection in 42, aortic transection in 12, and penetrating aortic ulcer in 14. Results Stroke developed in 8 patients, and SCI developed in another 8 patients (4 immediate, 4 delayed paraplegia/paraparesis). The procedure-associated stroke and SCI rate was 4.3% (8/184). Univariate statistical analysis revealed increased postoperative stroke with obesity, significant intraoperative blood loss, and evidence of peripheral vascular embolization/thrombosis. Aneurysmal pathology, iliac conduit, and hypogastric artery coverage were highly associated with postoperative SCI after TEVAR. Early and late mortality were 9.8% (n = 18) and 19% (n = 35) in a 16-month average period of follow-up. Conclusions The incidence of stroke and SCI after TEVAR was 4.3% (8/184). The risk factors associated with postoperative stroke were obesity, intraoperative blood loss, and vascular embolization. Aneurysm as an underlying pathology, the use of an iliac conduit, and coverage of the hypogastric artery were all associated with SCI. These risk factors for SCI may be markers of tenuous collateral blood supply to the spinal cord.
The class as case: “Reinventing” the classroom

New approaches to public management provide principles by which to organize the classroom as a case. In teaching public management one can enhance learning for practice by modeling, experimenting with, and reflecting upon the principles that one is teaching the students. The principles from the new ideas about public management that can be used to organize the classroom as well are strength through diversity, continuous improvement, teamwork, and empowerment. They represent changes in governing relations across the country and globe within which the new approaches to public management rest; each of these principles has a role in the “reinvented” classroom. Such practices require institutional support of various kinds as well. © 1999 by the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management.
VARIABILITY OF STUTTERERS' SPEECH DISFLUENCY: THE MENSTRUAL CYCLE

The purpose of this study was to begin to explore the possibility that women who stutter may produce more speech disfluencies at premenstruation (when anxiety level has been reported highest) than at ovulation (when anxiety level has been reported lowest). Four speech samples were collected from each of 4 Ss, one at ovulation and one at premenstruation for two consecutive cycles. All four Ss produced more disfluencies premenstrually. The finding is consistent with the hypothesis that level of speech disfluency is positively related to level of anxiety in stutterers.
Turbocharger vibration shows nonlinear jump

Automotive turbochargers are known to operate into the self-excited unstable region. In the past these instabilities have been accepted as unavoidable, but recent developments in analysis and instr...
Composite conditional likelihood for sparse clustered data

Summary. Sparse clustered data arise in finely stratified genetic and epidemiologic studies and pose at least two challenges to inference. First, it is difficult to model and interpret the full joint probability of dependent discrete data, which limits the utility of full likelihood methods. Second, standard methods for clustered data, such as pairwise likelihood and the generalized estimating function approach, are unsuitable when the data are sparse owing to the presence of many nuisance parameters. We present a composite conditional likelihood for use with sparse clustered data that provides valid inferences about covariate effects on both the marginal response probabilities and the intracluster pairwise association. Our primary focus is on sparse clustered binary data, in which case the method proposed utilizes doubly discordant quadruplets drawn from each stratum to conduct inference about the intracluster pairwise odds ratios.
Effects of brain endogenous insulin on neurofilament and MAPK in fetal rat neuron cell cultures

We demonstrated the 'de novo' synthesis of insulin within the fetal nervous system in vivo and in vitro. We undertook this study to show a role for brain endogenous insulin within the fetal brain. We used neuron cell cultures (NCC) from 19 days gestational age fetal rat brains incubated in an insulin free/serum free defined medium. The neurons showed the presence of preproinsulin I and II mRNA using polymerase chain reaction and insulin immunoreaction employing peroxidase anti-peroxidase and radioimmunoassay techniques. Using an anti-pan neurofilament antibody (that recognizes non-phosphorylated neurofilaments) neurofilament immunoreaction (NFI) was observed within the neuron body, dendrites and axon. Either insulin antibody or isoproterenol treatment induced the neurites to retract and most of the neurons become round, with NFI confined to the neuron body. The antibody treatments induced the neurons to become hypertrophic and vacuolated. With PD98059 treatment NFI was only observed within the neuron body. The addition of insulin reversed the effects of isoproterenol and PD98059, but not those of the insulin antibody. Treatment with wortmannin had no effect. Western blot analysis showed that the basal level of mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) phosphorylation was inhibited by the treatment of the NCC with isoproterenol or trypsin, but was significantly increased by treatment with exogenous insulin, demonstrating that brain endogenous insulin phosphorylated MAPK (p<0.05). Thus, brain endogenous insulin promotes neurite outgrowth, probably via MAPK and by stimulating neurofilament distribution via this mechanism participates in neuron differentiation.
Probability of Anomaly Expressions for Random Waveform Registration

Registration by integral-square error correlation of one-dimensional discrete-time waveforms which are treated as random processes with specified autocorrelation functions is considered. An important design parameter for this class of problems is the probability of anomaly (a false dip in the correlation function) because it gives an indication of system immunity to gross registration errors. Explicit expressions for this parameter are not possible, so bounds and appoximations must be derived. Two upper bounds and an approximation for the probability of anomaly are derived here. The use of these expressions is illustrated by an example. The relative utility of these performance indicators is shown for the example by comparison with actual values of the probability of anomaly obtained by computer simulation.
Effects of cholinergic drugs on receptive field properties of rabbit retinal ganglion cells.

1. Retinal ganglion cells were recorded extracellularly from the rabbit's eye in situ to study the effects of cholinergic drugs on receptive field properties. Physostigmine, an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor, and nicotine increased the spontaneous activity of nearly all retinal ganglion cell types. The effectiveness of physostigmine was roughly correlated with the neurone's inherent level of spontaneous activity. Brisk cells, having high rates of spontaneous firing, showed large increases in their maintained discharge, whereas sluggish cells, with few or no spontaneous spikes, showed small and sometimes transient increases in spontaneous activity during physostigmine. 2. The sensitivity of ganglion cells to spots of optimal size and position did not change substantially during the infusion of physostigmine. However, the responsiveness to light (number of spikes per stimulus above the spontaneous level) increased. This effect occurred with sluggish and more complex cells, rarely with brisk cells. 3. Another effect of physostigmine on sluggish and more complex cells was to make these cells `on—off'. The additional response to the inappropriate change in contrast had a long latency and lacked an initial transient burst. 4. Complex receptive field properties such as orientation sensitivity, radial grating inhibition, speed tuning and size specificity were also examined. These inhibitory properties were still present during infusion of physostigmine and, in most cases, the trigger feature of each cell type remained. 5. These results are consistent with pharmacological results on ACh release from the retina. There appear to be two types of release of ACh, having their most powerful influences on separate classes of cells. One release (transient), occurs at light onset and offset and acts primarily on sluggish and more complex ganglion cells; the other release (tonic) is not light-modulated and acts primarily on brisk cells. A wiring diagram for the ACh cells is suggested.
Structure development during melt spinning and subsequent annealing of polybutene‐1 fibers

The structural development during the melt spinning and subsequent annealing of polybutene-1 fibers was studied with in situ wide-angle X-ray scattering techniques. The online spinning apparatus consisted of a vertically translating extruder that allowed different distances from the spinneret to the stationary X-ray beam to be sampled. For all take-up speeds examined, phase II crystals mainly were formed, with only a small population of phase I crystals existing. As the take-up speed was increased, the crystallinity also increased, indicating that strain-induced crystallization prevailed. The crystalline orientations observed online were very close to perfect alignment with the fiber axis. In addition, annealing studies were performed to study aspects of the gradual phase II to phase I transformation as functions of time and prior processing take-up speed. This transformation was strongly dependent on the take-up speed. The dependence appears to be connected to local stress enhancement via chains connecting crystallites. The results also seem to indicate that at low take-up speeds (17 mpm) there is a series connectivity of amorphous and crystalline components in the fiber, whereas at greater take-up speeds (100 and 250 mpm), the morphology grows into some type of three-dimensional network, possibly a shish–kebob-type morphology. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 38: 1872–1882, 2000
Perforation of the esophagus with the gastrocamera fiberscope.

Five patients with perforation of the esophagus due to gastroscopy are reported. Possible causes of this injury are discussed. It is maintained that adequate deflection of the instrument tip is important for prevention of perforations.
Freeze casting of porous materials: review of critical factors in microstructure evolution

Freeze casting is a promising technique to fabricate porous materials with complex pore shapes and component geometries. This review is aimed to elaborate the fundamental principles of the porous microstructure evolution and critical factors that influence the fundamental physics involved in freeze casting of particulate suspensions. The discussion separately analyses homogeneous and directional freeze casting for both aqueous and non-aqueous systems. The effects of additives, freezing conditions, suspension solids loading and particle size on pore shape, size and morphology evolution are discussed. Special techniques based on modified freeze casting, such as freeze tape casting, double sided freeze casting and field directed freeze casting, are also included.
Residential construction, mover origin, and urban form

Wyatt G. L. and Winger A. R. (1971) Residential construction, mover origin, and urban form, Reg. Studies 5, 95–99. Migration flows influence urban form primarily through their impact on new construction. The magnitude of this impact, however, depends partly on the origin of the mover. A series of regressions calculated with 1960 Census data show convincingly that intercommunity migration in the United States has a substantially greater impact on construction than intracommunity migration. The data also show that certain forms of intercommunity migration have a positive impact on construction in communities experiencing negative net migration. Reasons for this importance of intercommunity migration as a construction factor are discussed as are the urban form implications of regional development policies which encourage such migration. While the migration flows which a growth center policy for regional development would encourage might intensify the problems associated with the residential extension process...
Locally interactive laminar separation bubble mode

A laminar separation bubble model has been developed which approximates the viscous/inviscid interaction in the bubble region. An implicit transition criterion allows the accurate prediction of the bubble length and of the shear layer growth along the bubble. Recent insights into the bubble flow field have uncovered the need to modify existing turbulent closure correlations between the boundary-layer variables. As the experimental data base necessary for their development is lacking, possible modifications to correlations in use are proposed and preliminary results discussed.
Beauvericin and divalent cations: crystal structure of the barium complex.

Abstract The molecular structure of the 2:2 complex of the cyclohexadepsipeptide antibiotic beauvericin with barium picrate has been determined by X-ray crystallography. The structure serves to confirm previous observations on the bimolecular behavior of beauvericin and of the ions transported by beauvercin. The intimate involvement of the anions in the coordination of the barium also explains observations that the cation specificity of beauvericin in membrane transport depends on the species of anions present.
Determination of Smoltification Status in Juvenile Migratory Rainbow Trout and Chinook Salmon in Minnesota

Abstract The progress of smoltification was quantified with an enzyme assay (gill sodium-potassium-activated adenosine triphosphatase, or “Na+, K+-ATPase,” activity) in nonnative populations of migratory salmonines that are stocked or naturally spawned in Minnesota tributaries of Lake Superior. This information was needed to develop stocking strategies that would maximize imprinting at intended locations and to determine the causes and consequences of early emigration in stream-reared fish. Species and strains tested included (1) chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha during hatchery rearing and after stocking, (2) two strains of O. mykiss—steelhead (naturalized) and a Kamloops (hatchery) strain of migratory rainbow trout—during hatchery rearing and after stocking, and (3) stream-reared steelhead emigrants captured in smolt traps. The ATPase activity level that distinguished smolts from nonsmolts was 11 μmol Pi · (mg protein)−1 · h−1 for chinook salmon and 10 μmol Pi · (mg protein)−1 · h−1 for all groups...
Using off-the-shelf middleware to implement connectors in distributed software architectures

Software architectures promote development focused on modular building blocks and their interconnections. Since architecture-level components often contain complex functionality, it is reasonable to expect that their interactions will also be complex. Modeling and implementing software connectors thus becomes a key aspect of architecture-based development. Software interconnection and middleware technologies such as RMI, CORBA, ILU, and ActiveX provide a valuable service in building applications from components. The relation of such services to software connectors in the context of software architectures, however, is not well understood. To understand the tradeoffs among these technologies with respect to architectures, we have evaluated several off-the-shelf middleware technologies and identified key techniques for utilizing them in implementing software connectors. Our platform for investigation was C2, a component- and message-based architectural style. By encapsulating middleware functionality within software connectors, we have coupled C2's existing benefits such as component interchangeability, substrate independence and structural guidance with new capabilities of multi-lingual, multi-process and distributed application development in a manner that is transparent to architects.
Physiology and chemistry of cerebrospinal fluid, aqueous humor and endolymph in Squalus acanthias

By means of the appropriate isotopes injected into the spiny dogfish, Squalus acanthias, the transfer of all major ions into cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), aqueous humor (A) and endolymph (E) was studied. In addition, the effect of raising pCO2 in sea-water upon HCO3- concentration of these fluids was measured. In the several types of experiments, acetazolamide or methazolamide was used to inhibit completely carbonic anhydrase. The rates of fluid formation and ion transfer in CSF and A were fairly close, but those for E were far slower. The general pattern of ion transport in the three fluids were the same, Na+ (or Na+ + K+ in E) entry greater than Cl - entry, and the difference was HCO3-. The greater rate constants for HCO3-, increase in its entry rate by elevation of pCO2, and inhibition of its appearance by the sulfonamides, show that this is a special case of transport; the ion is formed in secretory cells from gaseous CO2 + OH-. Secretory cells at sites of formation of all the fluids contain both carbonic anhydrase and Na+-K+-ATP-ase, which subserve HCO3- formation and Na+ (or K+) transport. Comparison of these results with studies in mammals show that the vertebrate pattern for secretion of these three fluids is well established in the elasmobranch.
Philosophical Reflections on Race and Racism

Race relations in America have reached a crisis point. Yet, there is a move toward color-blind policies. The assumption underlying the move is that race is neutral and policies that allow for race ...
Erbium-doped oxidized porous silicon for integrated optical waveguides

It is shown for the first time that introducing erbium lectrochemically into waveguide structures based on oxidized porous silicon not only preserves their waveguide properties but it also opens up prospects for producing active waveguide devices based on them. It is established that erbium in a waveguide is in an optically active state and light with wavelengths 381 and 523 nm excites the erbium ions most efficiently.
Gastrointestinal distress is common during a 161-km ultramarathon

AbstractThis study examined the incidence, severity, and timing of gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms in finishers and non-finishers of the 161-km Western States Endurance Run. A total of 272 runners (71.0% of starters) completed a post-race questionnaire that assessed the incidence and severity (none = 0, mild = 1, moderate = 2, severe = 3, very severe = 4) of 12 upper (reflux/heartburn, belching, stomach bloating, stomach cramps/pain, nausea, vomiting) and lower (intestinal cramps/pain, flatulence, side ache/stitch, urge to defecate, loose stool/diarrhoea, intestinal bleeding/bloody faeces) GI symptoms experienced during each of four race segments. GI symptoms were experienced by most runners (96.0%). Flatulence (65.9% frequency, mean value 1.0, s = 0.6 severity), belching (61.3% frequency, mean value 1.0, s = 0.6 severity), and nausea (60.3% frequency, mean value 1.0, s = 0.7 severity) were the most common symptoms. Among race finishers, 43.9% reported that GI symptoms affected their race performance, with...
Multiobject detection using the binary joint transform correlator with different types of thresholding methods

The correlation performance of the binary joint transform correlator for multiobject detection is studied mathematically and experimentally using three types of thresholding methods. These thresholding methods include the spatial frequency dependent threshold function, the median thresholding, and the subset median thresholding. We provide a new expression for the image separation requirement in the input plane of the linear joint transform correlator for multiobject detection. Also, we introduce a new analytical approach for obtaining the threshold function in the binary joint transform correlator. The median thresholding method for multiobject detection by the binary joint transform correlator (JTC) is also analyzed. A hybrid optoelectronic setup is used for experiments. Two different implementations of the threshold function are employed in the experimental system. Experimental results of the binary JTC using different thresholding methods are determined and compared in terms of correlation peak-to-noise ratio, peak-to-sidelobe ratio, and space-bandwidth product. The results indicate that the binary JTC performs well for multiobject detection. Furthermore, using the threshold function in the binary JTC eliminates the first-order correlations between different input targets and the even-order harmonic terms in the output plane.
Structural Basis for Substrate Specificity in Phosphate Binding (β/α)8-Barrels: d-Allulose 6-Phosphate 3-Epimerase from Escherichia coli K-12†‡

Enzymes that share the (beta/alpha) 8-barrel fold catalyze a diverse range of reactions. Many utilize phosphorylated substrates and share a conserved C-terminal (beta/alpha) 2-quarter barrel subdomain that provides a binding motif for the dianionic phosphate group. We recently reported functional and structural studies of d-ribulose 5-phosphate 3-epimerase (RPE) from Streptococcus pyogenes that catalyzes the equilibration of the pentulose 5-phosphates d-ribulose 5-phosphate and d-xylulose 5-phosphate in the pentose phosphate pathway [J. Akana, A. A. Fedorov, E. Fedorov, W. R. P. Novack, P. C. Babbitt, S. C. Almo, and J. A. Gerlt (2006) Biochemistry 45, 2493-2503]. We now report functional and structural studies of d-allulose 6-phosphate 3-epimerase (ALSE) from Escherichia coli K-12 that catalyzes the equilibration of the hexulose 6-phosphates d-allulose 6-phosphate and d-fructose 6-phosphate in a catabolic pathway for d-allose. ALSE and RPE prefer their physiological substrates but are promiscuous for each other's substrate. The active sites (RPE complexed with d-xylitol 5-phosphate and ALSE complexed with d-glucitol 6-phosphate) are superimposable (as expected from their 39% sequence identity), with the exception of the phosphate binding motif. The loop following the eighth beta-strand in ALSE is one residue longer than the homologous loop in RPE, so the binding site for the hexulose 6-phosphate substrate/product in ALSE is elongated relative to that for the pentulose 5-phosphate substrate/product in RPE. We constructed three single-residue deletion mutants of the loop in ALSE, DeltaT196, DeltaS197 and DeltaG198, to investigate the structural bases for the differing substrate specificities; for each, the promiscuity is altered so that d-ribulose 5-phosphate is the preferred substrate. The changes in k cat/ K m are dominated by changes in k cat, suggesting that substrate discrimination results from differential transition state stabilization. In both ALSE and RPE, the phosphate group hydrogen bonds not only with the conserved motif but also with an active site loop following the sixth beta-strand, providing a potential structural mechanism for coupling substrate binding with catalysis.