cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Sorption of Heavy Metal Cations by Corn Mitochondria and the Effects on Electron and Energy Transfer Reactions

The passive sorption of Pb+2, Cd+2, Zn+2, Co+2, Ni+2, and Mn+2 by isolated corn mitochondria was determined, and, except for Pb+2, the maximum sorption for each cation was about 58 nmol per milligram of protein. Sorption of Pb+2 was apparently ten times greater, but precipitation may have been the cause of this larger value. The effects of Pb+2, Cd+2, Zn+2, Co+2, and Ni+2 on acceptorless rates of electron transport for three substrates were determined. Greater than 50% inhibitions of oxidation were observed for succinate after additions of >0.1 mM Cd+2, Zn+2, or Pb+2: for NADH after additions of >0.5 mM Cd+2 or Zn+2; and for malate + pyruvate after additions of >0.1 mM Cd+2. Some inhibition of the rate of substrate oxidation was observed for most cations at higher concentrations. Coupling, as measured by ADP/O ratios, was inhibited at lowest concentrations by Cd+2 or Zn+2 and at higher concentrations by Co+2 or Ni+2. Substantial swelling of mitochondria oxidizing succinate was observed following additions of O.1 mM Cd+2 or Pb+2, Correlations are drawn between the effects of Pb+2, Cd+2, Zn+2, Co+2, and Ni+2 and their sorption to mitochondrial membranes.
Phosphorylation of glucose mediated by imidazole-containing catalysts

Abstract Histidine and some histidine derivatives were found to catalyze the synthesis of glucose phosphate from glucose and inorganic phosphate. A free imidazole ring with the N-1 proton possibly hydrogen bonded to a proximal carboxylate anion was required for catalysis in this system. A free amine group located near the imidazole was also required. Intermediates probably include (1) an imine formed between the amine of histidine and the carbohydrate carbonyl group and (2) phosphohistidine, in which phosphate is attached to N-1 of histidine.
Prehospital triage of trauma patients using the Random Forest computer algorithm

Abstract Background Overtriage not only wastes resources but also displaces the patient from their community and causes delay of treatment for the more seriously injured. This study aimed to validate the Random Forest computer model (RFM) as means of better triaging trauma patients to level 1 trauma centers. Methods Adult trauma patients with “medium activation” presenting via helicopter to a level 1 trauma center from May 2007 to May 2009 were included. The “medium activation” trauma patient is alert and hemodynamically stable on scene but has either subnormal vital signs or accumulation of risk factors that may indicate a potentially serious injury. Variables included in the RFM analysis were demographics, mechanism of injury, prehospital fluid, medications, vitals, and disposition. Statistical analysis was performed via the Random Forest algorithm to compare our institutional triage rate to rates determined by the RFM. Results A total of 1653 patients were included in this study, of which 496 were used in the testing set of the RFM. In our testing set, 33.8% of patients brought to our level 1 trauma center could have been managed at a level 3 trauma center, and 88% of patients who required a level 1 trauma center were identified correctly. In the testing set, there was an overtriage rate of 66%, whereas using the RFM, we decreased the overtriage rate to 42% (P The RFM predicted patient disposition with a sensitivity of 89%, specificity of 42%, negative predictive value of 92%, and positive predictive value of 34%. Conclusions Although prospective validation is required, it appears that computer modeling potentially could be used to guide triage decisions, allowing both more accurate triage and more efficient use of the trauma system.
Second-order visco-elasticity in a filled elastomer

Abstract The mechanical behavior of polyurethane rubber filled with granular potassium chloride was investigated by subjecting tubular specimens to oscillatory torsion. The response of the material was studied to variation of frequency and amplitude of the imposed strain as well as to variation of the temperature. Beside the measurement of the storage and loss moduli the normal forces are observed and the second-order moduli of cross-elasticity, cross-viscosity and cross-visco-elasticity are evaluated.
Simulated Land-Based Turbine Deposits Generated in an Accelerated Deposition Facility

This report presents a validation of the design and operation of an accelerated testing facility for the study of foreign deposit layers typical to the operation of land-based gas turbines. This facility was designed to produce turbine deposits in a 4-h test that would simulate 10 000 h of turbine operation. This is accomplished by matching the net foreign particulate throughput of an actual gas turbine. Flow Mach number, temperature and particulate impingement angle are also matched. Validation tests were conducted to model the ingestion of foreign particulate typically found in the urban environment. The majority of this particulate is ceramic in nature and smaller than 10 microns in size, but varies up to 80 microns. Deposits were formed for flow Mach number and temperature of 0.34 and 1150° C, respectively, using MCrAlY coated coupons donated from industry. Investigations over a range of impingement angles yielded samples with deposit thicknesses from 10 to 50 microns in 4h , accelerated-service simulations. Deposit thickness increased substantially with temperature and was roughly constant with impingement angle when the deposit thickness was measured in the direction of the impinging flow. Test validation was achieved using direct comparison with deposits from service hardware. Deposit characteristics affecting blade heat transfer via convection and conduction were assessed. Surface topography analysis indicated that the surface structure of the generated deposits were similar to those found on actual turbine blades. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) and x-ray spectroscopy analyses indicated that the deposit microstructures and chemical compositions were comparable to turbine blade deposit samples obtained from industry. DOI: 10.1115/1.1860380
Listeria Intracellular Growth and Virulence Require Host-Derived Lipoic Acid

Listeria monocytogenes is a Gram-positive intracytosolic pathogen that causes severe disease in pregnant and immunocompromised individuals. We found that L. monocytogenes lacking the lipoate protein ligase LplA1 was defective for growth specifically in the host cytosol and was less virulent in animals by a factor of 300. A major target for LplA1, the E2 subunit of pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH), lacked a critical lipoyl modification when the ΔlplA1 strain was grown intracellularly, which suggests that abortive growth was due to loss of PDH function. Thus, the use of host-derived lipoic acid may be a critical process for in vivo replication of bacterial pathogens.
Dielectric and raman study of short and long range order in KTN

In the mixed perovskite ferroelectric KTa1-xNbxO3 (KTN), the nature of the observed phase transitions changes with varying Nb concentration, x. We have studied the phase transitions in KTN for two significantly different concentrations (15.7% and 1.2% Nb) by means of dielectric constant and Raman measurements. The appearance of the first-order TO2 and TO3 Raman lines reveals lattice distortions occurring at temperatures Tc1 and Tc2 respectively. The symmetry change caused by these distortions, as well as their spatial extent, is shown to depend on the niobium concentration.
Hemodynamic effects of different pacing ratios in chronic dynamic double cardiomyoplasty

Background. Dynamic cardiomyoplasty is being used clinically worldwide, and evaluated by a clinical trial (phase III) in the United States. Some centers stimulate the skeletal muscle wrap with every heart beat (1:1 [muscle:heart]), whereas others use every other heart beat (1:2). Recent concern over the possible deleterious effects of too-frequent stimulation of the muscles motivated the attempt to evaluate, in a canine model of chronic, double cardiomyoplasty, the effects of two different pacing ratios on several hemodynamic parameters of interest. Methods. Double cardiomyoplasty was performed using both latissimus dorsi muscles in 11 dogs. Fatigue resistance was achieved using the clinical transformation protocol. At a final experiment, acute cardiac failure was induced by administration of propranolol. Hemodynamic measurements of eight physiologic variables were averaged over complete pacing cycles, including the nonpaced beat at a 1:2 pacing ratio. Results. The net effects of latissimus dorsi muscle stimulation at each of two pacing ratios were compared using nonparametric statistics. With the exception of left ventricular pressure ( p = 0.0262) and its first derivative, dP/dt ( p = 0.0099), there was no significant difference between hemodynamic performance at the two pacing ratios. Conclusions. In this canine model, pacing every other beat produces hemodynamic results that are statistically similar to pacing every beat. Less frequent stimulation of the latissimus dorsi muscle may preserve its function and improve clinical results without compromising hemodynamic benefit.
A genetic study of the effects of the repair-deficient mei-9a mutation in drosophila on spontaneous and X-ray-induced paternal sex chromosome loss

The repair-deficient mutant, mei-9a in Drosophila melanogaster was investigated regarding its effect on spontaneous and X-ray-induced chromosome loss in male postmeiotic cells. From matings of males carrying a mei-9a or an ordinary ring-X and a doubly marked Y chromosome (BSYy+) with mei-9a or ordinary females, the spontaneous frequencies of complete loss, partial loss, and inferred ring-X loss (based on shifts in sex ratio female:male) were significantly higher with mei-9a than with non-mei-9a. When males were given 3000 rad X-irradiation, frequencies of induced partial loss, inferred ring-X loss and the reduction in the number of progeny per female were significantly greater with mei-9a than with non-mei-9a. The results provide evidence that the mei-9a is a potentiator of both spontaneous and X-ray-induced chromosome lesions in sperm of the Drosophila male. Evidence is presented which implicates the presence of mei-9a in the P1 female and not the male as (at least) largely responsible for the characteristic mei-9a effects.
Federal definitions of rurality and the impact on nursing research

In rural health research, the measurement of rural residence is commonly dichotomized as urban or rural, even though researchers encourage the use of more descriptive categories to capture rural diversity. Federal categorization schemes for operationalizing rural locations include United States Census Bureau definitions, Office of Management and Budget (OMB) classifications, and categorizations developed by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)—Rural-Urban Continuum Codes (RUCC), Urban Influence Codes (UIC), and Rural-Urban Commuting Areas. When categorizing states by rurality, the choice of the measure used influences which states are identified as most rural. We demonstrate this premise in a study of rural home healthcare. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Res Nurs Health 30: 175–184, 2007
Another approximation for spatial separation

The author discusses a new method for determining how far apart buildings should be to prevent the ignition of one by the other. It is simple to use, and it applies to some practical problems not adequately treated by earlier methods.
Simulation of hand grasp control by force and position feedback

A computer simulation of hand grasp control by force and position feedback has been implemented with a digital controller and a discrete-time muscle model. The simulated system consists of a stiffness controller, a pulse-width activation controller, a coactivation map, a flexor and an extensor muscle, and separate internal and external loads. The measured feedback quantities are the position and the contact force between the digit and the external load. In clinical use, the control system must perform well under a wide range of external loads and be robust to variation in muscle properties. The simulation is being used to study the system performance and to optimize tuning procedures to be used in the clinical setting. >
Utilizing misleading information for cooperative spectrum sensing in cognitive radio networks

In cognitive radio networks, the radios continuously scan the radio spectrum and create a spectrum usage report. Due to channel uncertainty, there are inaccuracies in these reports. Oftentimes, the radios share and fuse the observed data in order to increase the accuracy of the spectrum usage. However, malicious nodes tend to send false information (i.e., attack) in order to mislead the construction of the spectrum usage report. In this paper, we use a trust model to evaluate the trustworthiness of every node and use the trust values to effectively fuse the information from all nodes. A node compares the information sent by a neighboring node with the predicted information. Based on the ratio of matches (or mismatches), the neighboring node is assigned a trust value. Then, we propose a log-weighted metric utilizing trust values to distinguish malicious nodes from others. Subsequently, we propose threshold based Selective Inversion (SI) fusion and Complete Inversion (CI) fusion to effectively combine not only the information sent by honest nodes but also utilize misleading information sent by malicious nodes. We also propose a combination of the two inversion schemes. We compare the performance of the inversion based fusion schemes with blind and trust-based fusions. Results reveal better performance for inversion based fusion schemes for various intensities of attack. We also conduct simulations to evaluate the optimal thresholds that are used for invoking the inversion based fusion schemes.
The Political-Economics of Developing Markets versus Satisfying Food Needs

This article argues that the conflicting nature of international food aid policy and economic development maximally benefits wealthy countries at the cost of reduced access to nutrient rich foods in developing countries. A Bolivia case example is used to examine the consequences of international food aid policy that favors the disposal of excess commodity products in poor countries in the name of “food aid” and economically liberal trade policies that favor shifting highly nutritious local products to wealthy countries in the name of “economic development.” Bolivia has been a major recipient of U.S. food aid, much of it in the form of surplus wheat which makes up a large portion of the vast quantities of white bread upon which the poor subsist. The heavy subsidization of wheat flour ensures a steady supply of calories to a population burdened by endemic, crushing poverty. Quinoa, sometimes called the “miracle grain of the Andes” because of its superior nutritional content and ability to grow in cold, high...
Validation of the GOES-R ABI flood and standing water algorithm using gauging station measurements and interpretation maps

Abstract Validation is an important task in the development of satellite remote sensing products. Strategies for validation vary depending on the nature of the products. The validation process of the flood and standing water product (FSW) for the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite - R series (GOES-R) is presented in this paper. A major challenge in the validation of the FSW product is the lack of ground truth flood maps and similar reference products from other satellite systems and other sources. To overcome this limitation, a two-level validation scheme for the FSW product is developed using the Moderate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) data as a proxy. In the first level, gauging station data collected by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) are employed as ground truth flood point information on local scales to verify the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm for flood detection. Gauging station data collected during 34 flood cases that occurred in 2010 and 2011 in the continental US were validated and assessed according to the rate of correct detection. Results showed that 79.71% of flooding stations were accurately detected from the MODIS 1 km images by the proposed FSW algorithm. In the second level of the validation, FSW detection results using the proposed algorithm were compared to the reference flood maps, which were generated by a supervised support vector machine (SVM) classification followed by human interpretation and editing. Flood detection accuracies for three major flood events occurred in Asia and Australia in 2010 were evaluated. Confusion matrices were employed as the accuracy measurement for the second level of the validation. Commission errors for the three flood cases were 6.75%, 13.45% and 21.45%, respectively. Omission errors of flood pixels varied between 9.58% and 19.61%. The validation results suggest that the employed FSW algorithm is capable of producing flood and standing water maps in an operational environment, and it meets the required accuracy and execution time of the product.
Impact of dehumidification drying on seed quality and preconditioning in maize

Abstract Corn seed (Zea mays L.) very often is harvested on the ear at high moisture so as to reduce the risk of frost, insect, and disease damage. The harvest is started at seed moisture as high as 40%, and ears are subsequently dried mechanically with heated air before shelling. The drying process has been a frequent cause of seed injury and great economic loss. Damage is most frequently encountered when the drying temperature is elevated or the loss of moisture is delayed. Dehumidification has long been used to safely dry perishable products and to maintain their quality during storage. Utilizing a dehumidification system which was based on heat pump technology allowed acceleration of the drying process without elevating the temperature. The heat pump system is also less expensive to operate than traditional natural gas fired systems and produces high quality seed.
DELAUNAY REFINEMENT ALGORITHMS FOR ESTIMATING LOCAL FEATURE SIZE IN 2D AND 3D

We present Delaunay refinement algorithms for estimating local feature size on the input vertices of a 2D piecewise linear complex and on the input vertices and segments of a 3D piecewise linear complex. These algorithms are designed to eliminate the need for a local feature size oracle during quality mesh generation of domains containing acute input angles. In keeping with Ruppert's algorithm, encroachment in these algorithms can be determined through only local information in the current Delaunay triangulation. The algorithms are practical to implement and several examples are given.
Upper and lower bounds on the drag coefficient of a sphere in a power‐model fluid

Hill's extremum principles are not directly applicable to an Ellis model fluid. A method of adapting Hill's principles to the Ellis model was developed and used to calculate upper and lower bounds on the drag coefficient for a sphere moving slowly through such a fluid. Available experimental data were compared with the average of the upper and lower bounds. Agreement was poor with Slattery's data and good with Turian's data. Some reasons to suspect Slattery's data have been pointed out.
Responding to competition: a strategy for Sun/Lost City, South Africa

Abstract Sun/Lost City's position as the pre-eminent resort in Africa was threatened in the 1990s when its monopoly on gambling in South Africa was removed. In response to the new competition, the resort embarked on a research program to explore what marketing actions it should pursue. As part of this overall program, this project involved conducting personal interviews with 302 visitors to Sun/Lost City, South Africa. The study was intended to explore the potential of using the interface between benefits and constraints to identify optimum target markets among existing visitors. The interview instrument contained 20 benefit items and 14 constraint items. Results of factor analyses showed a four-factor solution on the benefit items and a three-factor solution on the constraint items. The domain mean scores were used to group respondents into three constraint and three benefit clusters. The clusters were described by selected behavioral variables. The two sets of clusters were cross-tabulated to produce nine market segments. From among these, four potential target markets were identified as being likely to offer the best return on marketing effort.
pi NN form factor for explaining sea-quark distributions in the nucleon.

We reinvestigate a soft \ensuremath{\pi}NN form factor with a monopole cutoff parameter ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Lambda}}}_{1}$0.5 GeV obtained by Frankfurt, Mankiewicz, and Strikman for explaining sea-quark distributions in the nucleon. It is found that their estimate is small in comparison to the limit ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Lambda}}}_{1}$0.65\char21{}0.7 GeV estimated in this investigation. Studying processes involving \ensuremath{\pi}NN and \ensuremath{\pi}N\ensuremath{\Delta} vertices, we find that the limit for the dipole form factor is ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Lambda}}}_{2}$0.95 GeV (which corresponds to ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Lambda}}}_{1}$0.6 GeV). Therefore, a typical \ensuremath{\pi}NN form factor with ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Lambda}}}_{1}$\ensuremath{\sim}0.6 GeV in quark models could be consistent with deep-inelastic experimental data at this stage. However, it is softer than a \ensuremath{\pi}NN form factor with ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Lambda}}}_{1}$\ensuremath{\sim}1 GeV widely used in nuclear physics. Using the cutoff ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Lambda}}}_{2}$=0.95 GeV, we investigate pionic contributions to a SU(2${)}_{\mathit{f}}$-breaking distribution u\ifmmode\bar\else\textasciimacron\fi{}(x)-d\ifmmode\bar\else\textasciimacron\fi{}(x) in the nucleon. We find that the pionic contributions to u\ifmmode\bar\else\textasciimacron\fi{}(x)-d\ifmmode\bar\else\textasciimacron\fi{}(x) are negative and a contribution to the deviation from the Gottfried sum rule is estimated to be -0.041, which could explain a part of the discrepancies indicated by recent New Muon Collaboration experiments.
Engineered artificial antigen presenting cells facilitate direct and efficient expansion of tumor infiltrating lymphocytes

Development of a standardized platform for the rapid expansion of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) with anti-tumor function from patients with limited TIL numbers or tumor tissues challenges their clinical application. To facilitate adoptive immunotherapy, we applied genetically-engineered K562 cell-based artificial antigen presenting cells (aAPCs) for the direct and rapid expansion of TILs isolated from primary cancer specimens. TILs outgrown in IL-2 undergo rapid, CD28-independent expansion in response to aAPC stimulation that requires provision of exogenous IL-2 cytokine support. aAPCs induce numerical expansion of TILs that is statistically similar to an established rapid expansion method at a 100-fold lower feeder cell to TIL ratio, and greater than those achievable using anti-CD3/CD28 activation beads or extended IL-2 culture. aAPC-expanded TILs undergo numerical expansion of tumor antigen-specific cells, remain amenable to secondary aAPC-based expansion, and have low CD4/CD8 ratios and FOXP3+ CD4+ cell frequencies. TILs can also be expanded directly from fresh enzyme-digested tumor specimens when pulsed with aAPCs. These "young" TILs are tumor-reactive, positively skewed in CD8+ lymphocyte composition, CD28 and CD27 expression, and contain fewer FOXP3+ T cells compared to parallel IL-2 cultures. Genetically-enhanced aAPCs represent a standardized, "off-the-shelf" platform for the direct ex vivo expansion of TILs of suitable number, phenotype and function for use in adoptive immunotherapy.
Genome sequence of the Bacteroides fragilis phage ATCC 51477-B1

The genome of a fecal pollution indicator phage, Bacteroides fragilis ATCC 51477-B1, was sequenced and consisted of 44,929 bases with a G+C content of 38.7%. Forty-six putative open reading frames were identified and genes were organized into functional clusters for host specificity, lysis, replication and regulation, and packaging and structural proteins.
The Role of Complement in Viral Infections. II. The Clearance of Sindbis Virus from the Bloodstream and Central Nervous System of Mice Depleted of Complement

The following studies were performed to investigate the mechanism(s) by which the complement system limits Sindbis virus infection in the central nervous system of mice. After the intracerebral inoculation of Sindbis virus, no differences in mortality or viral growth in the central nervous system were observed between normal mice and mice depleted of complement by treatment with cobra venom factor. In addition, animals that had been inoculated subcutaneously with Sindbis virus and depleted of complement after the viremic phase had ended did not show any differences in mortality or viral growth in the central nervous system. In contrast, it was found that after the intracardiac inoculation of virus, complement-depleted mice demonstrated a defect in the clearance of infectious virus from the blood. These studies suggest that the increased growth of virus in the brains of complement-depleted mice after the subcutaneous inoculation of Sindbis virus is due to a defect in clearance of infectious virus from the bloodstream rather than to a primary defect within the central nervous system.
The Influence of Perioperative Myocardial Infarction on Long-term Prognosis Following Elective Vascular Surgery

Study objective The present study was performed to determine the influence of a perioperative myocardial infarction on long-term mortality in patients who have undergone elective vascular surgery. Study design This was a 4-year follow-up of patients who had undergone elective vascular procedures at a Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Between January 1989 and December 1990, 115 consecutive patients underwent surgery for either an expanding abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) (38%) or for pain in the lower extremities (62%). Results Vital status at 4 years postsurgery was determined for all patients. Thirty-day postoperative mortality was 3%, while estimates at 1, 2, 3, and 4 years were 19%, 26%, 35%, and 39%, respectively. Of the 45 patients who died within 4 years following surgery, the major causes of death were cardiac (40%), cancer (18%), cerebrovascular (13%), and peripheral vascular disease (11%). Univariate predictors of 1-year mortality on preoperative evaluation were an abnormal ECG, moderate or greater sized exercise thallium defect and left ventricular ejection fraction ≦40%, and a perioperative myocardial infarction. Univariate predictors of 4-year mortality were non-AAA surgery and diabetes mellitus. Perioperative myocardial infarction was a marginally significant independent predictor of 1-year mortality (p=0.06), while the need for non-AAA surgery was a strong independent predictor at 4 years. Conclusions Cardiac mortality is the major cause of late death among patients undergoing elective vascular surgery. Although preoperative indicators of symptomatic coronary artery disease and nonfatal perioperative myocardial infarction identified those individuals at increased mortality in the first postoperative year, the extent of vascular disease at presentation may be a more important determinant of long-term survival. A randomized trial in such patients is needed to assess the best strategy for treating patients with coexistent coronary artery and vascular diseases.
Methods of predicting radiation‐induced changes in the mechanical properties of high polymers

A discussion is presented of the various problems associated with the formulation of predictive techniques relating to the mechanical response of high polymers to radiation. In particular, dosimetric difficulties and errors arising from disregard of sample variations are analyzed. Criteria for the engineering evaluation of radiation sensitivity are examined. The usefulness of rank correlation in preliminary analysis of radiation effects data is outlined. Typical examples are given of explicit correlations between properties, the application of statistical kinetic theory, and semiempirical and empirical response relationships. The limitations of the various approaches are discussed.
The Little Czech and the Great Czech Nation: National Identity and the Post-Communist Transformation of Society

The Little Czech and the Great Czech Nation: National Identity and the Post-Communist Transformation of Society. Ladislav Holy. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1996. 226 pp.
Copy number variation genotyping using family information

In recent years there has been a growing interest in the role of copy number variations (CNV) in genetic diseases. Though there has been rapid development of technologies and statistical methods devoted to detection in CNVs from array data, the inherent challenges in data quality associated with most hybridization techniques remains a challenging problem in CNV association studies. To help address these data quality issues in the context of family-based association studies, we introduce a statistical framework for the intensity-based array data that takes into account the family information for copy-number assignment. The method is an adaptation of traditional methods for modeling SNP genotype data that assume Gaussian mixture model, whereby CNV calling is performed for all family members simultaneously and leveraging within family-data to reduce CNV calls that are incompatible with Mendelian inheritance while still allowing de-novo CNVs. Applying this method to simulation studies and a genome-wide association study in asthma, we find that our approach significantly improves CNV calls accuracy, and reduces the Mendelian inconsistency rates and false positive genotype calls. The results were validated using qPCR experiments. In conclusion, we have demonstrated that the use of family information can improve the quality of CNV calling and hopefully give more powerful association test of CNVs.
Phospholipase Cε hydrolyzes perinuclear phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate to regulate cardiac hypertrophy.

Phospholipase Ce (PLCe) is a multifunctional enzyme implicated in cardiovascular, pancreatic, and inflammatory functions. Here we show that conditional deletion of PLCe in mouse cardiac myocytes protects from stress-induced pathological hypertrophy. PLCe small interfering RNA (siRNA) in ventricular myocytes decreases endothelin-1 (ET-1)-dependent elevation of nuclear calcium and activation of nuclear protein kinase D (PKD). PLCe scaffolded to muscle-specific A kinase-anchoring protein (mAKAP), along with PKCe and PKD, localizes these components at or near the nuclear envelope, and this complex is required for nuclear PKD activation. Phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate (PI4P) is identified as a perinuclear substrate in the Golgi apparatus for mAKAP-scaffolded PLCe. We conclude that perinuclear PLCe, scaffolded to mAKAP in cardiac myocytes, responds to hypertrophic stimuli to generate diacylglycerol (DAG) from PI4P in the Golgi apparatus, in close proximity to the nuclear envelope, to regulate activation of nuclear PKD and hypertrophic signaling pathways.
Multisensor Data Product Fusion for Aerosol Research

Combining data sets from multiple satellite sensors is a powerful method for studying Earth-atmosphere problems. By fusing data, we can utilize the strengths of the individual sensors that may not be otherwise possible. In this paper, we provide the framework for combining level 2 data products, using data from three sensors aboard the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)'s Terra satellite. These data include top-of-the-atmosphere (TOA) radiative energy fluxes obtained from the Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES), aerosol optical thickness from the multispectral Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), and aerosol properties from the Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR). The CERES Single Scanner Footprint (SSF) contains the pixel level CERES TOA fluxes and the level 2 MODIS aerosol data. We specifically focus upon fusing the CERES SSF with the MISR aerosol products. Although this project was undertaken specifically to address aerosol research, the methods employed for fusing data products can be used for other problems requiring synergistic data sets. We present selected case studies over different aerosol regimes and indicate that multisensor information provides value-added information for aerosol research that is not available from a single sensor.
Using Remote Sensing and GIS to Teach Inquiry‐Based Spatial Thinking Skills: An Example Using the GLOBE Program's Integrated Earth Systems Science

Earth systems science and technology are essential elements of a contemporary education. Remote sensing and GIS provide a valuable spatial framework for scientific inquiry, and are highly effective as a means to integrate Earth system science components. Drawing on the GLOBE Program's K-12 Earth science curriculum, we show how remote sensing and GIS can be used to integrate GLOBE's Land Cover-Biology and Hydrology investigations, emphasizing the Earth as a system. Our approach uses spatial thinking, geospatial technology, and the concept of watersheds to help students develop an understanding of the basic relationships between land cover and surface hydrology, two critically important and easily observed components of the Earth's surface. By starting with very simple exercises and analyses, students build upon a conceptual framework for understanding how land use pattern can influence the quantity and quality of one of the most critically important Earth resources, local fresh water. Ultimately, by understanding how terrestrial and aquatic systems interact, students begin to understand the link between science and land use policy.
Measurement of endogenous synthesis of plasma cholesterol in rats and humans using MIDA

We used the mass isotopomer distribution analysis (MIDA) technique to measure endogenous synthesis of plasma cholesterol in vivo in rats and normal human subjects. Sodium [1-13C]- or [2-13C]acetate was infused, and plasma free cholesterol was analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Frequencies of mass isotopomers M0-M4 (mass-to-charge ratio 368-372) were quantified. The enrichment of the true precursor for cholesterol synthesis (acetyl-coenzyme A in contributing tissues) was determined using the MIDA method. This technique remains mathematically valid even if more than one tissue contributes to circulating free cholesterol. The fractional contribution (f) from endogenous synthesis to free cholesterol in normal women (n = 5) was 2.48 +/- 0.39% after 7 h in the postabsorptive state and 1.27 +/- 0.41% after 8 h of refeeding. In ad libitum-fed rats (n = 12), f was 2.89 +/- 0.44% after 12 h, whereas administration of recombinant tumor necrosis factor increased this value fourfold. Next, the rate constant (k) for removal of labeled free cholesterol from plasma was calculated. Higher masses (M2-M4) were followed to avoid the problem of persistent label incorporation. During the 60 h after cessation of [13C]acetate infusions, k was 0.02490 +/- 0.00298/h in humans. Using these values of k and f, absolute cholesterogenesis was 568 +/- 55 mg/day in normal women (follicular menstrual phase), similar to prior estimates based on whole body sterol balances. Women also exhibited a diurnal variation for endogenous cholesterol synthesis (34.6 +/- 5.4 mg/h nighttime vs. 15.9 +/- 5.2 mg/h daytime) consistent with current knowledge about rhythms in cholesterogenesis. Checks on the model were internally consistent (e.g., comparisons among different isotopomers for calculating precursor enrichment). We conclude that fractional and absolute endogenous cholesterol synthesis can be measured using stable isotopes in vivo by the MIDA technique.
An Immunofluorescence-assisted Microfluidic Single Cell Quantitative Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction Analysis of Tumour Cells Separated from Blood

Circulating tumour cells (CTCs) are important indicators of metastatic cancer and may provide critical information for individualized treatment. As CTCs are usually very rare, the techniques to obtain information from very small numbers of cells are crucial. Here, we propose a method to perform a single cell quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) analysis of rare tumour cells. We utilized a microfluidic immunomagnetic assay to separate cancer cells from blood. A combination of detailed immunofluorescence and laser microdissection enabled the precise selection of individual cells. Cancer cells that were spiked into blood were successfully separated and picked up for a single cell PCR analysis. The breast cancer cell lines MCF7, SKBR3 and MDAMB231 were tested with 10 different genes. The result of the single cell analysis matched the results from a few thousand cells. Some markers (e.g., ER, HER2) that are commonly used for cancer identification showed relatively large deviation...
Quantile Estimation Using a Combination of Stratified Sampling and Control Variates

Quantiles are used to measure risk in many application areas. We consider simulation methods for estimating a quantile using a variance-reduction technique that combines stratified sampling and control variates. We provide an asymptotically valid confidence interval for the quantile.
Using the EEG Error Potential to Identify Interface Design Flaws

There are a number of limitations to existing usability testing methods, including surveys, interviews, talk-alouds, and participant observations. These limitations include subject bias, poor recall, and inability to capture fleeting events, such as when a UI functions or behaves in a manner that contradicts user expectations. One possible solution to these problems is to use electrophysiological indicators to monitor user interaction with the UI. We propose using event related potentials (ERP), and the error potential (ErrP) more specifically, to capture moment-to-moment interactions that lead to violations in user expectations. An ERP is a response generated in the brain to stimuli, while the ErrP is a more specific signal shown to be elicited by subject error. In this experiment we monitored subjects using a 10-channel electroencephalogram (EEG) as they completed a range of simple web browsing tasks. However, roughly 1/3 of the time subjects were confronted with poor UI design features (e.g., broken links). We then used statistical and machine learning techniques to classify the data and found that we were able to accurately identify the presence of error potentials. Furthermore, the ErrP was present when the subjects encountered a UI design flaw, but only during the more ‘overt’ examples of our design flaws. Results support our hypothesis that ERPs and ErrPs, can be used to identify UI design flaws for a variety of systems, from web sites to video games.
Lack of evidence for infection of or effect on growth of hematopoietic progenitor cells after in vivo or in vitro exposure to human immunodeficiency virus

The pathogenesis of the hematologic abnormalities commonly observed in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is incompletely understood. We report here that in vitro growth of myeloid (CFU-GM) and erythroid (BFU-E) progenitor cells from six patients with AIDS was not significantly different from that of normal human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) seronegative donors: 25.3 +/- 5 CFU-GM per 5 x 10(4) low density marrow cells and 33.5 +/- 5 BFU-E were observed in AIDS patients versus 32.7 +/- 5 CFU-GM and 42.1 +/- 5 BFU-E in controls. Furthermore, no HIV-DNA in individual colonies (CFU-GM and BFU-E) could be detected using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique, although HIV-1 DNA was detected in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from the same patients. Similarly, normal bone marrow cells exposed in vitro to different isolates of HIV or recombinant purified HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein (gp) 120 did not exhibit any difference in growth of CFU-GM or BFU-E as compared with mock exposed bone marrow cells. HIV- 1 DNA could not be detected by the PCR technique in individual colonies derived from HIV exposed marrow. This study suggests that committed myeloid and erythroid progenitors from AIDS patients are responsive to hematopoietic growth factors in vitro and do not appear to contain HIV- 1 DNA. Also, HIV or its envelope gp did not alter the growth of hematopoietic progenitor cells in vitro. No evidence of HIV infection of progenitor cells could be demonstrated. Impaired hematopoiesis in patients with AIDS may not be related to direct effects of HIV on committed progenitor cells.
Multimodal Dynamic Freight Load Balancing

The urban traffic network has temporal and spatial characteristics whose changing conditions have often unpredictable effects on the flow of loads that include passengers and freight. As a result, the current traffic network is unbalanced, leading to high and low peaks of traffic in both time and space. The freight transportation chain can utilize these high and low peaks in the road and rail network in order to utilize more effectively available capacity. The purpose of this paper is to develop a coordinated multimodal dynamic freight load balancing (MDFLB) system to balance freight loads across the rail and road network. The MDFLB system collects and updates information from all the shipping companies and assigns freight loads to the available carriers using an optimization model while taking into account current and predicted dynamical changes in the associated networks. Since the freight loads can change the assumed states of the network, namely, the link travel times, which could then render the solution of the optimization problem no longer optimum, an iterative approach is considered involving online network simulation models. The simulation models are used to test and modify the optimization-based load balancing solution and estimate the new states of the network used by the optimizer. This feedback iterative approach guarantees that the overall cost function is non-increasing and it stops when it converges to a minimum or when a stopping criterion is satisfied depending on the time horizon of interest. A simulation case study that focuses on distribution of freight in an area that includes the two major sea ports in Southern California is used to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed coordinated MDFLB.
Metallothionein as a Trap for Reactive Organic Intermediates

Metallothionein is a cadmium-binding protein first isolated from equine renal cortex by Margoshes and Vallee (1957). It is a protein of low molecular weight (about 6,000) having a very high cysteine content (about 30% of the amino acid residues) and an absence of aromatic amino acids and histidine (Kagi et al., 1974). Similar proteins have been isolated from the liver and/or kidney of humans (Pulido et al., 1966; Buhler and Kagi, 1974), and many other species. The amino acid sequences of equine renal metallothionein (Kojima et al., 1976) and hepatic metallothionein from mice (Huange et al., 1977) have been determined. The metallothionein from these two sources both contain 20 cysteine residues (out of a total of 61 amino acid residues) and remarkable structural homology in the amino acid sequence.
CONDITIONS FOR CONSTRAINED PARETO OPTIMA ON A BANACH SPACE WITH A FINITE NUMBER OF CRITERIA

Publisher Summary This chapter presents conditions for constrained Pareto optima on a Banach space with a finite number of criteria. An important concept in mathematical models in economics, game theory, optimal control, and decision theory is that of a vector maximum or a Pareto optimum. It presents an assumption where u1, …, up are a finite set of functions on a set X, where X might be a space of commodity bundles or of sequences of commodity bundles and uj(x) may denote the jth consumer's level of satisfaction or utility with a given x ∈ X. The chapter describes a vector maximizer or Pareto optimum (PO). It explains how it is possible to obtain rather strong necessary conditions and sufficient conditions for an element x ∈ X to be a PO or LPO by first reducing a vector maximization problem to a system of scalar maximization problems and then using standard results in mathematical programming. This method has a number of advantages over the ad hoc methods that are usually used in the recent literature on vector maximization.
Highly Dense Cu Nanowires for Low-Overpotential CO2 Reduction

Electrochemical reduction of CO2, an artificial way of carbon recycling, represents one promising solution for energy and environmental sustainability. However, it is challenged by the lack of active and selective catalysts. Here, we report a two-step synthesis of highly dense Cu nanowires as advanced electrocatalysts for CO2 reduction. CuO nanowires were first grown by oxidation of Cu mesh in air and then reduced by either annealing in the presence of hydrogen or applying a cathodic electrochemical potential to produce Cu nanowires. The two reduction methods generated Cu nanowires with similar dimensions but distinct surface structures, which have provided an ideal platform for comparative studies of the effect of surface structure on the electrocatalytic properties. In particular, the Cu nanowires generated by electrochemical reduction were highly active and selective for CO2 reduction, requiring an overpotential of only 0.3 V to reach 1 mA/cm2 electrode current density and achieving Faradaic efficiency...
Toward Developing an Improved Curriculum for Graduate Education in Marketing Research

This study reports on a survey of 191 marketing research educators and departmental chairs at AASCB accredited universities. Thirty marketing related topic areas were evaluated by these individuals to determine their perceived importance in preparing graduate students interested in marketing research careers. The results suggested that several traditional subject areas remain important from the perspective of educators, however, others were rated lower than expected. A factor analysis revealed five general topic areas that differed in relative importance, the results of which can be used in curriculum development decisions for graduate programs directed toward marketing research oriented students.
Combining bug detection and test case generation

Detecting bugs in software is an important software engineering activity. Static bug finding tools can assist in detecting bugs automatically, but they suffer from high false positive rates. Automatic test generation tools can generate test cases which can find bugs, but they suffer from an oracle problem. We present N-Prog, a hybrid of the two approaches. N-Prog iteratively presents the developer an interesting, real input/output pair. The developer either classifies it as a bug (when the output is incorrect) or adds it to the regression test suite (when the output is correct). N-Prog selects input/output pairs whose input produces different output on a mutated version of the program which passes the test suite of the original. In initial experiments, N-Prog detected bugs and rediscovered test cases that had been removed from a test suite.