cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An HPLC method for the simultaneous determination of neurotoxic dipyridyl isomers in human plasma.

Abstract Several studies on dipyridyl isomers have suggested that they are neurotoxic and that chronic exposure to these compounds could be a potential human health hazard. A reversed phase HPLC method was developed for the simultaneous quantitation of 2,2′-dipyridyl and its four positional isomers, 2,3′-, 2,4′-, 3,4′- and 4,4′-dipyridyl in human plasma. Plasma samples were basified, extracted with 1-chlorobutane, evaporated, the residue reconstituted in mobile phase, and an aliquot part was analyzed by HPLC. Chromatographic separations were performed on a C 18 reversed phase Sunfire™ column eluted with a mobile phase composed of potassium phosphate (pH 3.5; 25 mM)–acetonitrile (80:20, v/v). Isomers were separated with good resolution, and quantification was determined utilizing an internal standard of quinoxaline. The method has been validated over a range from 30 to 2000 ng/ml with correlation coefficients higher than 0.995. Extraction recoveries for the dipyridyl isomers averaged from 65 to 92%. Limit of detection and limit of quantitation for the dipyridyl isomers ranged from 15 to 70 ng/ml and 30 to 90 ng/ml, respectively. The inter- and intra-day variation did not exceed 7% with an accuracy range of 96–102%. The described analytical method was successfully utilized for the determination of dipyridyl isomers in human plasma and suggested the need for more routine monitoring of tobacco smokers and other individuals who are involuntarily exposed to environmental source of dipyridyl isomers.
Novel selective catalytic reduction with tritium: Synthesis of the GABAA receptor radioligand 1‐(4‐ethynylphenyl)‐4‐[2,3‐3H2]propyl‐2,6,7‐trioxabicyclo[2.2.2]octane

Protection of the terminal alkyne function in 1-(4-ethynylphenyl)-4-(prop-2-enyl)-2,6,7-trioxabicyclo[2.2.2]octane with a trimethylsilyl group permits the selective catalytic reduction of the olefin moiety with tritium gas to give after deprotection 1-(4-ethynylphenyl)-4-[2,3-3H2]propyl-2,6,7-trioxabicyclo-[2.2.2]octane. The labeled product at high specific activity is an improved radioligand for the GABA-gated chloride channel of insects and mammals and the intermediate 4-[2,3-3H2]propyl-1-[4-[(trimethylsilyl)ethynyl]phenyl]-2,6,7-trioxabicyclo[2.2.2]octane is useful for studies on the metabolic activation of this selective proinsecticide.
Structures and Simulated Dynamics of a Force-Conveying Cadherin Bond Essential for Inner-Ear Mechanotransduction

The senses of hearing and balance use hair cells in the inner ear to transform mechanical stimuli into electrical signals. Mechanical force from sound waves or head movements is conveyed directly to hair-cell transduction channels by tip links, fine filaments formed by two atypical cadherins: protocadherin-15 and cadherin-23. These two proteins are required for mechanotransduction, they are products of deafness genes, and they feature long extracellular domains that are thought to interact tip-to-tip in a calcium-dependent manner. However, the molecular architecture of the complex is unknown and recent studies show that binding between them cannot be mediated by a classical cadherin interface. Moreover, the strength of this complex has not been characterized and the molecular mechanisms leading to cadherin-related deafness remain unexplored.Here we combine X-ray crystallography, microsecond-long molecular dynamics simulations, and binding experiments to characterize the cadherin-23/protocadherin-15 bond. We find a unique cadherin interaction mechanism, with the two most N-terminal cadherin repeats (EC1+2) of each protein interacting to form an overlapped, antiparallel heterodimer. Simulations predict that this tip-link bond is mechanically strong enough to resist forces in hair cells. In addition, the complex becomes unstable upon calcium removal due to increased flexure (entropic stress) of calcium-free cadherin repeats. Finally, we use structures and biochemical measurements to understand molecular mechanisms by which deafness mutations disrupt tip-link function. Overall, our results shed light on the molecular mechanics of hair-cell sensory transduction and on new interaction mechanisms for cadherins, a large protein family implicated in tissue and organ morphogenesis, neural connectivity, and cancer.
Computerized three-class classification of MRI-based prognostic markers for breast cancer

The purpose of this study is to investigate whether computerized analysis using three-class Bayesian artificial neural network (BANN) feature selection and classification can characterize tumor grades (grade 1, grade 2 and grade 3) of breast lesions for prognostic classification on DCE-MRI. A database of 26 IDC grade 1 lesions, 86 IDC grade 2 lesions and 58 IDC grade 3 lesions was collected. The computer automatically segmented the lesions, and kinetic and morphological lesion features were automatically extracted. The discrimination tasks?grade 1 versus grade 3, grade 2 versus grade 3, and grade 1 versus grade 2 lesions?were investigated. Step-wise feature selection was conducted by three-class BANNs. Classification was performed with three-class BANNs using leave-one-lesion-out cross-validation to yield computer-estimated probabilities of being grade 3 lesion, grade 2 lesion and grade 1 lesion. Two-class ROC analysis was used to evaluate the performances. We achieved AUC values of 0.80???0.05, 0.78???0.05 and 0.62???0.05 for grade 1 versus grade 3, grade 1 versus grade 2, and grade 2 versus grade 3, respectively. This study shows the potential for (1) applying three-class BANN feature selection and classification to CADx and (2) expanding the role of DCE-MRI CADx from diagnostic to prognostic classification in distinguishing tumor grades.
Mathematical modeling of left ventricular dimensional changes in mice during aging

Cardiac aging is characterized by diastolic dysfunction of the left ventricle (LV), which is due in part to increased LV wall stiffness. In the diastolic phase, myocytes are relaxed and extracellular matrix (ECM) is a critical determinant to the changes of LV wall stiffness. To evaluate the effects of ECM composition on cardiac aging, we developed a mathematical model to predict LV dimension and wall stiffness changes in aging mice by integrating mechanical laws and our experimental results. We measured LV dimension, wall thickness, LV mass, and collagen content for wild type (WT) C57/BL6J mice of ages ranging from 7.3 months to those of 34.0 months. The model was established using the thick wall theory and stretch-induced tissue growth to an isotropic and homogeneous elastic composite with mixed constituents. The initial conditions of the simulation were set based on the data from the young mice. Matlab simulations of this mathematical model demonstrated that the model captured the major features of LV remodeling with age and closely approximated experimental results. Specifically, the temporal progression of the LV interior and exterior dimensions demonstrated the same trend and order-of-magnitude change as our experimental results. In conclusion, we present here a validated mathematical model of cardiac aging that applies the thick-wall theory and stretch-induced tissue growth to LV remodeling with age.
Using discriminative analysis in the evaluation of changes in amounts of water-soluble soil organic substances

Differences in soil sampling periods that determine the greatest changes in the soil content of readily and hardly oxidizable water-soluble organic substances during rice cultivation are found and proved using multidimensional discriminative analysis.
A model for regional blood flow measurements during cardiopulmonary resuscitation in a swine model

Abstract Recent reports examining regional blood flow during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) have been criticized for several reasons: (1) cardiac arrest times of 5 min or less are not reflective of the prehospital setting, (2) anesthetic agents may significantly influence autonomic control of regional blood flow, (3) canine cardiac anatomy and coronary blood supply are not reflective of humans and (4) precise validation data for blood flow measurements have not been reported. This study presents a methodology and model for measuring regional blood flow during CPR after a prolonged cardiac arrest. Fifteen swine weighing 15–25.4 kg were instrumented for regional blood flow measurements using tracer microspheres. Regional cerebral and myocardial blood flow were measured during normal sinus rhythm (NSR) and during CPR following a 10-min cardiopulmonary arrest. Regional blood flow (ml/min/100 g) to the cerebral cortices averaged less than 3% of baseline flow (NSR: right cortex = 41.2 ± 13.8; left cortex = 41.2 ± 12.2; CPR: right cortex = 1.3 ± 1.2; left cortex = 1.3 ± 1.3). Total myocardial blood flow averaged less than 5% of baseline flow (NSR = 211.5 ± 104.9; CPR = 9.5 ± 14.9). The flow data demonstrates minimal cardiac and cerebral perfusion with standard CPR following a 10-min arrest. The variability in the pilot data may be used in determining sample sizes for future studies.
High-performance liquid chromatography of nucleic acid constituents: Chromatographic examination of novel stationary phases

Silica-bonded stationary phases were developed for the separation of nucleic acid constituents and their properties investigated with homologous oligoriboadenylic acids in electrostatic interaction chromatography and with alkylbenzenes in reversed-phase chromatography. Analysis of retention data confirmed the stratified molecular structure of the surface which consist of a layer of propyl chains anchoredvia siloxane bridges to the silica surface proper and of polar moieties attached to the hydrocarbonaceous functions. The polar top layer contains weak cationic and/or hydrophobic binding sites, is strongly hydrated in contact with aqueous eluents and bars the access by large biopolymers to the hydrocarbonaceous sublayer. In reversed-phase chromatography of small non polar molecules with hydro-organic eluents, however, this layer is accessible and engenders a retentive behavior typical for weak hydro-carbonaceous bonded phases. As a result the stationary phases, depending on the nature of the sample and the mobile phase, exhibit the properties of "soft" phases for the chromatography of biopolymers under mild elution conditions and those of "hard" phases for the separation of small non-polar molecules under conditions generally employed in reversed-phase chromatography. The retention of nucleic acid constituents on most of the stationary phases investigated subject to a dual mechanism as a result of the interplay of electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions between the eluites and the binding sites on the stationary phase surface. Siliceous stationary phases having surface morphology described above are suitable for the separation of nucleic acid constituents having widely ranging molecular weights up to 3 × 106 Daltons provided the support has appropriate pore dimensions. This is demonstrated by the separation of mixtures arising from digesting t-RNApha or polyadenylic acids as well as those of ribosomal RNA’s and different forms of the plasmid pBR322 DNA.
Accurate and precise measurement of rock varnish chemistry using SEM/EDS

Abstract We describe important refinements to the Harrington-Whitney technique by which an energy-dispersive spectrometer attached to a scanning electron microscope (SEM/EDS) is used to measure the chemical composition of rock varnish, a Si-/Al-/Fe-/Mn-rich material coating rock surfaces in arid regions. In particular, we have developed a calibration procedure which generates accurate, quantitative SEM/EDS analyses. This procedure differs from that typically followed for SEM/EDS because the reference spectrum for each element is calibrated using multiple standards. Analyses of 27 standards of varied composition, including three synthetic rock varnish standards, demonstrate the accuracy of our measurement technique. Repeated analyses of the same sample quantify the precision of our measurements and suggest that, if a high beam current and pulse processing rate are used, 1000 s is the optimal acquisition time for material similar in composition to rock varnish. Our data show that a spectral analysis program, using stored reference spectra, is capable of deconvoluting the severely overlapping Ba- L α and Ti- K α X-ray peaks and accurately determining the abundance of Ti and Ba, both of which are present in rock varnish. The accuracy and precision of SEM/EDS analyses of intentionally roughened synthetic varnish standards compare favorably with those of polished standards. This finding indicates that surface roughness does not introduce a significant error into SEM/EDS analyses of in situ rock varnish. Our data imply that carefully calibrated SEM/EDS can accurately measure rock varnish chemistry and determine varnish cation ratios, ( Ca + K ) Ti , which have been used as a calibrated geochronometer by previous investigators.
Impedance spectroscopy for the detection and identification of unknown toxins

Advancements in biological and chemical warfare has allowed for the creation of novel toxins necessitating a universal, real-time sensor. We have used a function-based biosensor employing impedance spectroscopy using a low current density AC signal over a range of frequencies (62.5 Hz-64 kHz) to measure the electrical impedance of a confluent epithelial cell monolayer at 120 sec intervals. Madin Darby canine kidney (MDCK) epithelial cells were grown to confluence on thin film interdigitated gold electrodes. A stable impedance measurement of 2200 Ω was found after 24 hrs of growth. After exposure to cytotoxins anthrax lethal toxin and etoposide, the impedance decreased in a linear fashion resulting in a 50% drop in impedance over 50hrs showing significant difference from the control sample (~20% decrease). Immunofluorescent imaging showed that apoptosis was induced through the addition of toxins. Similarities of the impedance signal shows that the mechanism of cellular death was the same between ALT and etoposide. A revised equivalent circuit model was employed in order to quantify morphological changes in the cell monolayer such as tight junction integrity and cell surface area coverage. This model showed a faster response to cytotoxin (2 hrs) compared to raw measurements (20 hrs). We demonstrate that herein that impedance spectroscopy of epithelial monolayers serves as a real-time non-destructive sensor for unknown pathogens.
Thin‐Film Transistors

Thin-film transistors (TFTs) matured later than silicon integrated circuits, but in the past 15 years the technology has grown into a huge industry based on display applications, with amorphous and polycrystalline silicon as the incumbent technology. Recently, an intense search has developed for new materials and new fabrication techniques that can improve the performance, lower manufacturing cost, and enable new functionality. There are now many new options – organic semiconductor (OSCs), metal oxides, nanowires, printing technology as well as thin-film silicon materials with new properties. All of the new materials have something to offer but none is entirely without technical problems.
The International Friendly Campus Scale: Development and psychometric evaluation

Abstract The International Friendly Campus Scale (IFCS) was developed with a sample of 501 international students. The 18-item IFCS includes five subscales: International Center Services (α = .85), Social Engagement (α = .70), Academic Support (α = .84), Identification with Institution (α = .86), and Campus Discrimination (α = .75). The factor structure was examined and cross-validated with two randomly split samples. Moreover, multigroup confirmatory factor analyses results indicated measurement and structural invariance of the IFCS between men and women. The construct validity of the IFCS was supported by its associations with life satisfaction, positive affect, negative affect, social connection with mainstream society, academic stress, and two forms of discrimination (i.e., racial/national and language) in the expected directions. Moreover, the IFCS total score and four subscale scores added significant incremental variance in predicting life satisfaction over and above positive and negative affect. The initial psychometric evaluation indicates that the IFCS is a promising measure that could be further used to assess the international friendliness of university campuses.
The Financial Crisis and the Death (or Hegemony) of Development Economics.

Development economics was the study of how to create the plumbing that would allow developing economies to become developed. The financial crisis leads us to question whether industrialized countries have the plumbing problem solved and thus leads us to question whether we need a development economics that is separate from macroeconomics. Indeed, it even leads us to question whether development economics should take as its goal the creation of the institutional plumbing that industrialized countries currently have. The consequence will be a blending of concerns that have been central in developing economies with the standard macro models. The blending can be seen as either the death of development economics or the hegemony of development economics.
Short Syntheses Of (±)-6-Desoxy-6-Nitrodaunomycinone And (±)-11-Amino-6, 11-Didesoxy-6-Nitrodaunomycinone

Abstract 6-Desoxy-6-Nitrodaunomycinone (1b), Daunomycinone (1f) And The Novel (±)-11-Amino-6,11-Didesoxy-6-Nitrodaunomycinone (1g) Have Been Synthesized In 7,8 And 8 Steps Respectively From The Dihydroxy Ester (3a); The Addition Of Nitromethane To (3a) Works Efficiently Only When The Hydroxyls Are Equatorial.
Use of a spectral ratio in lateralization of CNS lesions.

Abstract Clinical EEGs from six patients are studied to show the usefulness of computer calculated ratios in lateralizing focal abnormalities. Ratios related to electrode recording position were calculated, using all channels of the normal clinical EEG recording. This study of six patients was part of a larger study of which these six were the only ones to show focal lesions. The results suggest that these objective measures from the EEG should be useful to cliniciana as an aid in the diagnosis of focal lesions.
Tourism and physical environment research

Abstract This article serves as an introduction to this special issue of Annals . It begins with an introduction to philosophical views of the land and sets the stage for the ensuing seven papers. An overview of these papers is then presented. They are arranged to flow from perceptions and views to specific case examples. Finally, papers dealing with planning and management implications are summarized. The article then proceeds to a review of the development of awareness of environmental concerns and the ensuing strategies which have been utilized for development. It concludes with an admonishment to both scientists and publications to begin a more systemic approach in their work and presentations dealing with tourism and the environment. Interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary approaches are clearly needed to provide the necessary linkages.
Micropolar continuum mechanics of fractal media

This paper builds on the recently begun extension of continuum thermomechanics to fractal media which are specified by a fractional mass scaling law of the resolution length scale R. The focus is on pre-fractal media (i.e., those with lower and upper cut-offs) through a technique based on a dimensional regularization, in which the fractal dimension D is also the order of fractional integrals employed to state global balance laws. In effect, the governing equations are cast in forms involving conventional (integer-order) integrals, while the local forms are expressed through partial differential equations with derivatives of integer order but containing coefficients involving D and R, as well as a surface fractal dimension d. While the original formulation was based on a Riesz measure—and thus more suited to isotropic media—the new model is based on a product measure capable of describing local material anisotropy. This measure allows one to grasp the anisotropy of fractal dimensions on a mesoscale and the ensuing lack of symmetry of the Cauchy stress. This naturally leads to micropolar continuum mechanics of fractal media. Thereafter, the reciprocity, uniqueness and variational theorems are established.
VALUES AS PREDICTORS OF ENVIRONMENTAL ATTITUDES: EVIDENCE FOR CONSISTENCY ACROSS 14 COUNTRIES

Abstract A multinational study is reported on the relationship between values and attitudes. Environmental attitudes were measured using the revised New Environmental Paradigm (NEP: Dunlap et al., 1992) and Thompson and Barton's (1994) ecocentrism–anthropocentrism scales. Other measures included gender, SES, religion, and Schwartz's (1994) universal values scale. Survey data were obtained from college students in 14 countries. A sample of 2160 participants was obtained through university contacts in each country. Results found support for the distinction between different types of environmental attitudes. Regression analyses revealed a consistent pattern of findings across countries. Scores on the NEP scale and the ecocentrism scale were predicted by universalism (positively), power (negatively), and tradition (negatively). In contrast, anthropocentric concerns were significantly related to benevolence (negatively), power (positively), tradition (positively), and security (positively). Overall, these findings support the value-basis theory of environmental attitudes.
IMPACTS OF HYDROGEN ADDITION ON NEAR- LEAN BLOWOUT DYNAMICS IN A SWIRLING COMBUSTOR

This paper addresses the impact of H2 addition on lean blowout in premixed swirling flames. Previous work shows that the manner in which the flame blows off varies with percentage of H2 [1,2]. The objective of this paper is to follow up on these observations and systematically characterize the blowoff phenomenology as a function of the H2 levels in the fuel. This is accomplished through high speed visualizations of the flame emission and velocity field measurements. Near blowoff, a variety of highly dynamic flow features are observed, which vary substantially with the H2 levels in the fuel. These features involve complex interactions between the vortex breakdown bubble, outer recirculation zone of the rapid expansion, and flame extinction/reignition phenomenon. Key questions for future studies are the relative roles of fluid mechanics and chemical kinetics in causing the phenomenological variations in near blowoff dynamics, and which features are geometry specific and which are generic to near blowoff flame dynamics.© 2007 ASME
Anesthetic Concerns in Patients Presenting with Renal Failure

Anesthesiologists often care for patients with renal insufficiency or renal failure. These patients may present to the operating room for a minor procedure such as an inguinal hernia repair or an arteriovenous fistula/graft. Alternatively, they may present for major abdominal operations or coronary artery bypass grafting. Critically ill patients presenting to the operating room may have acute kidney injury. It is imperative that the anesthesiologist understands the ramifications of renal failure and adjusts the anesthetic plan accordingly. Hemodynamic monitoring and fluid management can be challenging in this patient population. Various metabolic abnormalities can ensue that the anesthesiologist must be able to manage in the acute setting of the operating room.
The Line-locking Hypothesis, Absorption by Intervening Galaxies, and the z = 1.95 Peak in Redshifts

The controversy over whether the absorption spectrum in QSOs is intrinsic or extrinsic is approached with attention to the peak of redshifts at z = 1.95. Also considered are the line-locking and the intervening galaxy hypotheses. The line locking hypothesis is based on observations that certain ratios found in absorption line QSOs are preferred, and leads inevitably to the conclusion that the absorption line systems are intrinsic. The intervening galaxy hypothesis is based on absorption redshifts resulting from given absorption cross-sections of galactic clusters and the intergalactic medium, and would lead to the theoretical conclusion that most QSOs show strong absorption, a conclusion which is not supported by empirical data. The 1.95 peak, on the other hand, is most probably an intrinsic property of QSOs. The peak is enhanced by redshift, and it is noted that both an emission and an absorption redshift peak are seen at 1.95.
A random measure approach for context estimation in hyperspectral imagery

In remotely sensed hyperspectral imagery (HSI), images are collected in the presence of various contextual factors which change the distribution of the observed data. Examples of these factors are suns intensity, atmospheric constituents, soil moisture, local shading, etc. In this paper, a context based classification algorithm is developed which implicitly identifies context without explicitly needing environmental data (as in may be unknown or locally variable). Spectra sets are clustered into groups of similar contexts using a random measure model. Then appropriate classifiers are constructed for each context. The resulting context-based classification algorithm constructed within the random set framework then aggregates the classifiers results in an ensemble-like fashion. Results indicate that the proposed approach performs well in the presence of contextual factors.
The effect of previous mood states on switch rates: a naturalistic study.

Objectives: A recent study suggested that post-manic depressions (post-MD) may differ from post-euthymia depression (post-ED). The goal of this study was to compare the switch rates and length of depressive episodes stratified by the pre-depression mood states. Methods: The course of 72 prospectively observed depressions in 28 patients with Bipolar I depressions were divided into post-MD versus ED. The two groups, both all episodes and first observed episode, only were compared in their switch rates and length of episode. Results: Almost two-thirds (65%) of episodes were rated as ED. There was no difference in switch rates between the two groups, whether analysed by all episodes, first episodes only, or episodes not treated with antidepressants. Length of depressive episodes were also not significantly different between the two groups. Discussion: These findings do not suggest different switch characteristics between post-MD and post-ED.
The Chromosomal Location of the Bacillus subtilis Sporulation Gene spoIIR Is Important for Its Function

Formation of the asymmetrically located septum during sporulation of Bacillus subtilis results in enclosure of the origin-proximal 30% of the chromosome in the prespore compartment. The rest of the chromosome is then translocated into the prespore from the mother cell. Transcription of spoIIR is initiated in the prespore by RNA polymerase containing ςF soon after the septum is formed. The SpoIIR protein is required for the activation of the transcription program directed by ςE in the mother cell. The spoIIR locus is located at 324°, near the origin of replication (0/360°). We show here that movement of spoIIR to 28° had little effect on sporulation. However, movement to regions not in the origin-proximal part of the chromosome substantially reduced sporulation efficiency. At 283° sporulation was reduced to less than 20% of the level obtained when spoIIR was at its natural location, and movement to 190° reduced sporulation to about 6% of that level. These positional effects were also seen in the transcription of a spoIIR-lacZ fusion. In contrast, movement of other spo-lacZ fusions from 28° to 190° had little effect on their expression. These results suggest that spoIIR is the subject of “positional regulation,” in the sense that the chromosomal position of spoIIR is important for its expression and function.
Distributions and characteristics of high‐latitude field‐aligned electron precipitation

Satellite measurements of field-aligned auroral electron precipitation have been analyzed using 16 months of data from the OGO 4 auroral particles experiment. As can be seen from the moving satellite, the anisotropies are of short duration and are most likely to occur when particle fluxes are high. Field-aligned 2.3-keV electron precipitation is found in an oval-shaped region primarily in the nighttime hours; maximum probability is at about 70 deg invariant latitude near midnight, congruent to and poleward of the auroral optical emissions in these hours. This precipitation is found to be associated with the high-latitude boundary of auroral electron precipitation during substorm expansion and is characterized by a slightly harder and considerably more intense energy spectrum than typical isotropic precipitation.-
Capturing Arbitrator Decision Policies Under a Public Sector Interest Arbitration Statute

Twenty-two arbitrators experienced in deciding wage disputes under the Wisconsin Police and Firefighter Arbitration Act participated in an experimental study designed to capture the relative weights they apply to various statutory criteria. The nine criteria examined represent ed the broad categories of wage comparability, employer ability to pay, and cost of living. Different equity standards (anchor equity, absolute equity, and parity) were also studied to give a broader perspective to the historically important wage comparability. Objective and subjec tive relative weights were compared as well, allowing for an analysis of arbitrator self-insight into their decision policies.
Is more beta better

Designers of performance support systems need to know their users and can get information about users by several sources, including beta testers. Large samples of beta testers are easier to get than large samples of subjects from laboratory testing and field studies. However, sampling bias may yield misleading data from beta testers.
PKA-mediated phosphorylation of Dexras1 suppresses iron trafficking by inhibiting S-nitrosylation

Dexras1 is a small GTPase and plays a central role in neuronal iron trafficking. We have shown that stimulation of glutamate receptors activates neuronal nitric oxide synthase, leading to S-nitrosylation of Dexras1 and a physiological increase in iron uptake. Here we report that Dexras1 is phosphorylated by protein kinase A (PKA) on serine 253, leading to a suppression of iron influx. These effects were directly associated with the levels of S-nitrosylated Dexras1, whereby PKA activation reduced Dexras1 S-nitrosylation in a dose dependent manner. Moreover, we found that adiponectin modulates Dexras1 via PKA. Hence these findings suggest the involvement of the PKA pathway in modulating glutamate-mediated ROS in neurons, and hint to a functional crosstalk between S-nitrosylation and phosphorylation.
Heme-Responsive Transcriptional Activation of Bordetella bhu Genes

Bordetella pertussis and Bordetella bronchiseptica, gram-negative respiratory pathogens of mammals, possess a heme iron utilization system encoded by the bhuRSTUV genes. Preliminary evidence suggested that expression of the BhuR heme receptor was stimulated by the presence of heme under iron-limiting conditions. The hurIR (heme uptake regulator) genes were previously identified upstream of the bhuRSTUV gene cluster and are predicted to encode homologs of members of the iron starvation subfamily of extracytoplasmic function (ECF) regulators. In this study, B. pertussis and B. bronchiseptica DeltahurI mutants, predicted to lack an ECF sigma factor, were constructed and found to be deficient in the utilization of hemin and hemoglobin. Genetic complementation of DeltahurI strains with plasmid-borne hurI restored wild-type levels of heme utilization. B. bronchiseptica DeltahurI mutant BRM23 was defective in heme-responsive production of the BhuR heme receptor; hurI in trans restored heme-inducible BhuR expression to the mutant and resulted in BhuR overproduction. Transcriptional analyses with bhuR-lacZ fusion plasmids confirmed that bhuR transcription was activated in iron-starved cells in response to heme compounds. Heme-responsive bhuR transcription was not observed in mutant BRM23, indicating that hurI is required for positive regulation of bhu gene expression. Furthermore, bhuR was required for heme-inducible bhu gene activation, supporting the hypothesis that positive regulation of bhuRSTUV occurs by a surface signaling mechanism involving the heme-iron receptor BhuR.
A 3-month oscillation in the longitude of Jupiter's Red Spot.

Abstract Photographic measurements of Jupiter's Red Spot show that it oscillated semi-regularly between 1963 and 1968; the oscillation had a mean period of 90·0 days and a mean amplitude of 0°·8. No comparable oscillation has ever been observed in the Jovian atmosphere.
Immunohistochemical Diagnosis of Thyroid Tumors

Recent insight into the molecular mechanisms of thyroid carcinogenesis has led to studies involving newly directed antibodies. With the introduction of new molecular targeted therapies, these antibodies may represent useful predictors of therapeutic response in tumors unresponsive to radioiodine or insensitive to conventional antitumor therapies. These markers complement the development of markers that are able to discern benign from malignant entities, including hyalinizing trabecular tumors, oncocytic neoplasms, and follicular variant of papillary thyroid carcinoma. The use of antibodies directed to proteins generated by mutated genes may represent a cost-effective method for diagnosing and managing patients affected by thyroid tumors.
STUDIES OF THE Vi (γ2c) SUBGROUP OF γ-GLOBULIN : A RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CONCENTRATION AND GENETIC TYPE AMONG NORMAL INDIVIDUALS

Further delineation of the antigens characteristic of the Vi or γ2c subgroup of γ-globulin was carried out utilizing a number of rabbit and primate antisera. Two genetic antigens characteristic of this subgroup, Gm(b) and Gm(g), were also detected by precipitation techniques with certain of the antisera. These were clearly differentiated from antigens common to all proteins of this subgroup. The concentration, of Vi protein in normal and pathological sera from several population groups was measured quantitatively utilizing a variety of immunological procedures. All sera studied showed measurable levels. The mean value for Caucasian sera was 1.06 mg/ml, representing approximately 8% of γG-globulin. This agreed closely with a figure of 8.4% for the incidence of myeloma proteins of the Vi subgroup among all γG-myeloma proteins in Caucasians. A relationship was found between the Vi subgroup concentration and the specific genetic type of a given individual. Measurements of the Gm(b) genetic determinants, which are found solely in Vi-type proteins, brought forward this relationship. Gm(b+) individuals showed higher concentrations of Vi-type γ-globulin than those who were Gm(b-), and this difference was statistically significant for both the homozygous and heterozygous states. It appeared that the structural genes for Gm(b+) polypeptide chains showed a greater synthetic capacity than those for Gm(b-) types. The possible significance of such effects in governing the relative composition of the antibody population in a given individual is discussed.
Biology of Mammalian L1 Retrotransposons

▪ Abstract L1 retrotransposons comprise 17% of the human genome. Although most L1s are inactive, some elements remain capable of retrotransposition. L1 elements have a long evolutionary history dating to the beginnings of eukaryotic existence. Although many aspects of their retrotransposition mechanism remain poorly understood, they likely integrate into genomic DNA by a process called target primed reverse transcription. L1s have shaped mammalian genomes through a number of mechanisms. First, they have greatly expanded the genome both by their own retrotransposition and by providing the machinery necessary for the retrotransposition of other mobile elements, such as Alus. Second, they have shuffled non-L1 sequence throughout the genome by a process termed transduction. Third, they have affected gene expression by a number of mechanisms. For instance, they occasionally insert into genes and cause disease both in humans and in mice. L1 elements have proven useful as phylogenetic markers and may find other ...
StAMPL: A Filtration-Oriented Modeling Tool for Multistage Stochastic Recourse Problems

Every multistage stochastic programming problem with recourse (MSPR) contains a filtration process. In this research, we have created a notation that makes the filtration process the central syntactic construction of the MSPR. As a result, we achieve lower redundancy and higher modularity than is possible using the mathematical notation commonly associated with stochastic programming. To experiment with our ideas, we have created StAMPL, a specialized modeling tool for the MSPR that is based on the AMPL modeling language. StAMPL implements our notation and converts models written in our notation to instances that can be solved using standard methods. Using this approach, we are able to represent models in a very clean, simple, and scalable format while maintaining almost all the power of the AMPL language.
Managing understandings: a cognitive map of managerial attitudes towards technology and innovation

This paper presents an empirically deduced cognitive map of attitudes towards technology and innovation of middle managers in manufacturing industries. The map sheds light on possible individual-level factors for the formation of technological trajectories and the continuing technological gap between developed and developing countries, and suggests ways to manage managerial understanding of technology and innovation.
MORE ON THE SUM-PRODUCT PHENOMENON IN PRIME FIELDS AND ITS APPLICATIONS

In this paper we establish new estimates on sum-product sets and certain exponential sums in finite fields of prime order. Our first result is an extension of the sum-product theorem from [8] when sets of different sizes are involed. It is shown that if and pe pδ (e)|A|. Next we exploit the Szemeredi–Trotter theorem in finite fields (also obtained in [8]) to derive several new facts on expanders and extractors. It is shown for instance that the function f(x,y) = x(x+y) from to satisfies |F(A,B)| > pβ for some β = β (α) > α whenever and |A| ~ |B|~ pα, 0 pρ where ρ pδ(e)|A|. This is the finite fields version of a problem considered in [11]. If A is an interval, there is a relation to estimates on incomplete Kloosterman sums. In the Appendix, we obtain an apparently new bound on bilinear Kloosterman sums over relatively short intervals (without the restrictions of Karatsuba's result [14]) which is of relevance to problems involving the divisor function (see [1]) and the distribution (mod p) of certain rational functions on the primes (cf. [12]).
Dynamic Kernel/Device Mapping Strategies for GPU-Assisted HPC Systems

With their high computation throughput and outstanding performance-per-watt figures, the graphics processing units (GPU) are becoming increasingly important for high-performance computing (HPC) systems. Existing GPU execution environment restricts the GPU usage to local host node. This is suitable for standalone computer nodes, but becomes inefficient for HPC systems that consist of a large number of GPU-assisted nodes. In this paper, a novel framework is proposed to support dynamic GPU kernel/device mapping strategies for HPC systems. Adaptive mapping policies are designed to mitigate the impact of network transfer overhead. The performance of the framework is studied through extensive simulations. The results show that compared with existing local-only static mapping method, the proposed framework is capable of improving the system-wide GPU utilization rate and computation throughput, especially when the concurrent workloads exhibit different GPU usage intensities.
Integral equation models for the inverse problem of biological ion channel distributions

Olfactory cilia are thin hair-like filaments that extend from olfactory receptor neurons into the nasal mucus. Transduction of an odor into an electrical signal is accomplished by a depolarizing influx of ions through cyclic-nucleotide-gated channels in the membrane that forms the lateral surface of the cilium. In an experimental procedure developed by S. Kleene, a cilium is detached at its base and drawn into a recording pipette. The cilium base is then immersed in a bath of a channel activating agent (cAMP) which is allowed to diffuse into the cilium interior, opening channels as it goes and initiating a transmembrane current. The total current is recorded as a function of time and serves as data for a nonlinear integral equation of the first kind modeling the spatial distribution of ion channels along the length of the cilium. We discuss some linear Fredholm integral equations that result from simplifications of this model. A numerical procedure is proposed for a class of integral equations suggested by this simplified model and numerical results using simulated and laboratory data are presented.
What Makes Humans Economically Distinctive? A Three-Species Evolutionary Comparison and Historical Analysis

Synopsis: The fundamental problem, of what makes humans economically distinctive, is addressed here by using a highly focused cross-species analysis to examine the evolution of property relations. Chimpanzees and bonobos are compared with mobile human foragers, and it is argued that our egalitarian political practices, in conjunction with variance-reduction practices we applied prehistorically to largegame meat consumption, led to a critical evolutionary transformation. The transition began with private property at the ancestral level, but ended with humans having not only private property, but communal property.
Leveraging external R&D funding: Harris Semiconductor's approach to university programs

Harris Semiconductor has developed a comprehensive external R&D program of which university R&D plays a major role. The methods for selecting the right programs, initiating new programs, managing existing programs, and transferring technology into Harris are addressed. Effective approaches to leveraging the R&D dollar investment are discussed, including both securing additional external R&D dollars for the effort and appropriate internal activities that can ensure that the dollars are well spent. In connection with technology transfer, a customer-oriented approach is used that very early in the process identifies the end user of the research, with expectations and plans for technology transfer being dealt with in the initial proposal. Issues such as compatibility of software, process development equipment issues, and availability of resources to deal with the transfers become very critical. The amount of development work that must be done to fully realize the benefits of the university research is generally underestimated. Various methods of carrying out this development work are explored through specific case studies. >
CA 19-9: Biochemical and Clinical Aspects

CA19-9 (carbohydrate antigen 19-9, also called cancer antigen 19-9 or sialylated Lewis a antigen) is the most commonly used and best validated serum tumor marker for pancreatic cancer diagnosis in symptomatic patients and for monitoring therapy in patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Normally synthesized by normal human pancreatic and biliary ductal cells and by gastric, colon, endometrial and salivary epithelia, CA 19-9 is present in small amounts in serum, and can be over expressed in several benign gastrointestinal disorders. Importantly, it exhibits a dramatic increase in its plasmatic levels during neoplastic disease. However, several critical aspects for its clinical use, such as false negative results in subjects with Lewis (a-b-) genotype and false positive elevation, occasional and transient, in patients with benign diseases, together with its poor positive predictive value (72.3 %), do not make it a good cancer-specific marker and renders it impotent as a screening tool. In the last years a large number of putative biomarkers for pancreatic cancer have been proposed, most of which is lacking of large scale validation. In addition, none of these has showed to possess the requisite sensitivity/specificity to be introduced in clinical use. Therefore, although with important limitations we well-know, CA 19-9 continues being the only pancreatic cancer marker actually in clinical use.
Baseline fractional flow reserve and stent diameter predict event rates after stenting: a further step, but still much to learn.

Angiography with its inherent limitations might not reliably predict whether a stenosis induces ischemia. It is well-documented that the angiographic assessment of a coronary stenosis correlates poorly with its physiologic significance. Fractional flow reserve (FFR) is an index of the physiological
A Cultural Study of Several Species of Antrodia (Polyporaceae, Aphyllophorales)

Cultural characteristics of five species ofAntrodia are described: A. gossypia, A. juniperina, A. odora, A. sitchensis, and A. sordida. Each causes a brown-rot decay of conifers. Key patterns and species codes are given for each. Additional data are also provided for six other species ofAntrodia.
Influence of discrete and continuous culture conditions on human mesenchymal stem cell lineage choice in RGD concentration gradient hydrogels.

Stem cells have shown lineage-specific differentiation when cultured on substrates possessing signaling groups derived from the native tissue. A distinct determinant in this process is the concentration of the signaling motif. While several groups have been working actively to determine the specific factors, concentrations, and mechanisms governing the differentiation process, many have been turning to combinatorial and gradient approaches in attempts to optimize the multiple chemical and physical parameters needed for the next advance. However, there has not been a direct comparison between the cellular behavior and differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells cultured in gradient and discrete substrates, which quantitates the effect of differences caused by cell-produced, soluble factors due to design differences between the culture systems. In this study, the differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells in continuous and discrete polyethylene glycol dimethacrylate (PEGDM) hydrogels containing an ...
Family Forest Owner Characteristics Shaped by Life Cycle, Cohort, and Period Effects

Understanding differences and similarities among family forest owners is important in the context of forest land conservation. This study assesses similarities and differences in landowners by analyzing life cycle effects, cohort differences, and period-specific events that shape people's attitudes and behaviors towards their forestland over time. Using data collected by the U.S. Forest Service's 2013 National Woodland Owner Survey, bivariate, random forest and classification tree analyses were used to examine landowners in terms of demographic cohorts. Some attitudes and behaviors of family forest owners were identified as being a result of life cycle (e.g., recreating on their wooded land, plans to transfer land in the next 5 years), cohort (e.g., education level, help with programs or policies), and period (e.g., wars, economic depressions changing attitudes or behaviors) effects. While many of the attitudes and behaviors are common across cohorts. Understanding the reasons for similarities and differences among landowners could help program and policy developers target the appropriate group of people and achieve the highest success rates for policies and programs.
Electron-impact excitation of n = 2 levels of helium at intermediate energies

Five-state close-coupling equations for electron-helium scattering are solved in the energy region from 30 to 100 eV. Integral and differential cross sections for excitation of the ground state to the $n=2$ states $2^{3}S$, $2^{1}S$, $2^{3}P^{0}$, and $2^{1}P^{0}$ are presented. Calculated shapes of differential cross sections versus angle for various energies are in fair agreement with measurements, but the magnitudes of the cross sections are overestimated. Allowance for coupling between $2^{3}S$ and $2^{3}P^{0}$ brings calculated differential cross sections into good quantitative agreement with experiment.