cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Postglacial eruption history of Redoubt Volcano, Alaska

Abstract Volcaniclastic deposits preserved in valleys on the flanks of Redoubt Volcano comprise a record of the volcano's postglacial eruption history. The oldest and largest deposit is the Harriet Point debris avalanche, emplaced more than 10,500 yr B.P. This debris avalanche travelled more than 30 km down the Redoubt Creek valley to Cook Inlet. About 3600 yr B.P., a massive slope failure of Redoubt Volcano produced at least two lahars that travelled 30 km down the Crescent River valley (Riehle et al., 1981). A series of smaller eruptions between ca. 3600-1800 yr B.P. generated additional lahars and floods that affected the upper Crescent River valley. A pyroclastic fan on the south flank of Redoubt Volcano probably also formed during this time interval. Sometime between 1000 and 300 yr B.P., hydrothermally altered debris collapsed from the summit edifice, and produced a large lahar that travelled more than 30 km down the Drift River valley. At least 5–6 eruptions in the last 250–300 years have produced lahars and floods large enough to impact the site of the Drift River Terminal on the lower Drift River fan. If the eruptive pattern of the last several centuries continues, another eruption is likely sometime in the next 25–100 years. The Holocene eruptions produced calc-alkaline high-silica andesite and dacite, although quenched andesite and basaltic inclusions record the presence of more mafic magmas. Chemical discontinuities indicate that small, chemically discrete batches of magma fed individual eruptions. Progressive enrichments of highly incompatible trace elements presumably reflect crustal contamination of Holocene magmas.
The effects of whole bile and bile salts on the perfused heart

Abstract A series of experiments were performed on the isolated perfused heart of the rabbit. The changes in cardiac activity were observed, and graphic records were taken to portray the disturbances produced by whole bile and commercial preparations of sodium taurocholate and sodium glycocholate on the amplitude, rate, and rhythm of the contractions of the perfused heart. Definite and uniform effects were produced. Commercial preparations of bile salts and whole bile from the gall bladders of humans, dogs, and rabbits produced a slowing of the rate of the perfused heart, a diminution in the amplitude of its contractions, and a variety of irregularities in its rhythm, such as ventricular alternation, extrasystoles, and, finally, ventricular fibrillation, ending in complete cardiac failure.
Rapid flow-induced responses in endothelial cells

Endothelial cells alter their morphology, growth rate, and metabolism in response to fluid shear stress. To study rapid flow-induced responses in the 3D endothelial cell morphology and calcium distribution, coupled fluorescence microscopy with optical sectioning, digital imaging, and numerical deconvolution techniques have been utilized. Results demonstrate that within the first minutes of flow application nuclear calcium is increasing. In the same time frame whole cell height and nuclear height are reduced by about 1 microm. Whole cell height changes may facilitate reduction of shear stress gradients on the luminal surface, whereas nuclear structural changes may be important for modulating endothelial growth rate and metabolism. To study the role of the cytoskeleton in these responses, endothelial cells have been treated with specific disrupters (acrylamide, cytochalasin D, and colchicine) of each of the cytoskeleton elements (intermediate filaments, microfilaments, and microtubules, respectively). None of these compounds had any effect on the shear-induced calcium response. Cytochalasin D and acrylamide did not affect the shear-induced nuclear morphology changes. Colchicine, however, completely abrogated the response, indicating that microtubules may be implicated in force transmission from the plasma membrane to the nucleus. A pedagogical model based on tensegrity theory principles is presented that is consistent with the results on the 3D endothelial morphology.
THE CONVECTIVE PHASE PRECEDING TYPE Ia SUPERNOVAE

The convective flow in the moments preceding the explosion of a Type Ia supernova determines where the initial flames that subsequently burn through the star first ignite. We continue our exploration of the final hours of this convection using the low Mach number hydrodynamics code, MAESTRO. We present calculations exploring the effects of slow rotation and show diagnostics that examine the distribution of likely ignition points. In the current calculations, we see a well-defined convection region persist up to the point of ignition, and we see that even a little rotation is enough to break the coherence of the convective flow seen in the radial velocity field. Our results suggest that off-center ignition may be favored, with ignition ranging out to a radius of 100 km and a maximum likelihood of ignition at a radius around 50 km.
Selectivity and two biomass measures in an age-based assessment of Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba)

Abstract An integrated, age-structured model was fitted to different combinations of survey data using two forms of selectivity (logistic or double-logistic) with time-constant or annually varying selectivity to investigate the population dynamics of Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) near the Antarctic Peninsula. The data were from surveys conducted by the U.S. Antarctic Marine Living Resources Program around the South Shetland Islands from 1992 to 2011. Two indices of krill biomass based on (1) trawl-net samples and (2) hydroacoustic sampling were combined with length-compositions from the nets. Sixteen model configurations using different combinations of the two biomass surveys with the various options for modeling selectivities were examined. Parameters were estimated in phases with the sequential order of the phases randomized until an invertible Hessian matrix was obtained. Model consistency for the estimates of derived quantities was tested using simulated data. Annual trends in the estimates of total biomass, spawning biomass, and recruitment were similar among different configurations assuming time-constant selectivity, but the absolute scaling ranged widely depending on which biomass indices were used. All configurations with time-constant selectivities were able to reproduce the derived quantities of the operating model when fitted to simulated data. Annually varying selectivities produced more variable estimates of the trends in population biomass, but less variable estimates of scale, compared to time-constant configurations fitted to the same data. The models with annually varying selectivities did not produce invertible Hessian matrices, and four of these configurations could not reproduce the derived parameters of their operating model when fitted to simulated data. Using AIC, the model with logistic, time-constant selectivities was selected as the best configuration to fit both sources of biomass data. The two-stage approach of first randomizing the phase order until an invertible Hessian matrix is achieved and then verifying the reproducibility of the estimates of derived quantities using simulated data could be employed in any integrated stock assessment with parameters estimated in phases.
On the sylvester-type matrix difference systems and the controllability and observability of the time-invariant systems

The theory of difference equations is much wealthier than its counterpart in differential equations. With the emergence of digital signal processing technology, the theory of difference equations assumes great importance in areas such as digital control, image processing, and digital filter design. In this talk, a first-order matrix Sylvester difference system with a control structure is discussed in view of the existence and uniqueness of its general solution. Results are used in the study of controllability and observability of the matrix difference system coupled with an output structure. More general criteria, such as the one-sided controllability matrices and the observability Gramian, are obtained for complete controllability and complete observability of time-invariant systems.
Load balancing for processing spatio-temporal queries in multi-core settings

We address the problem of efficiently parallelizing the processing of spatio-temporal range queries in multicore settings. Although the data set can be partitioned and assigned to individual cores for processing a collection of range queries, one cannot achieve an "ideal" assignment for all the cores' load. Hence, the cores should collaborate in a dynamic manner: ones that have completed their (sub)tasks should take part of the load from the cores that are still processing some of the data. We provide algorithms and synchronization data structures that achieve such collaborative behavior and we investigate their impact in different initial load-partitioning strategies. Our experiments demonstrate that about 40% speed-up can be gained when compared to static load-partitioning and that the proposed approach scales well.
Inhibition of lymphocyte mitogenesis by autoxidized low-density lipoprotein.

Abstract Mitogenic stimulation of lymphocytes is significantly inhibited by addition of human serum low-density lipoprotein that has undergone autoxidation, while no significant effect is seen with non-oxidized lipoprotein. The inhibition is effective for cells stimulated either by the plant lectin phytohemagglutinin or enzymatically by neuraminidase-galactose oxidase treatment. However, it is markedly attenuated when oxidized LDL is added to cells which have been triggered 24 hours earlier. Lipid extracts from oxidized LDL are similarly inhibitory, indicating that the effect is mediated by an oxidized lipid fraction.
Electric transmission for high-speed high-powered tracked vehicles

In spite of the great improvement in the mobility of pneumatic-tired vehicles, there are many types and conditions of terrain where the tracked vehicle is still superior. Projected improvements in tracked vehicles include: use of band tracks, better suspension, pneumatic-tired track rollers with individual drive, and better steering. These changes require an improvement in the transmission. The d-c electric type with metadyne equipment is found to be the most satisfactory
Kinetics of epoxy cure: 2. The system bisphenol-A diglycidyl ether/polyamide

Abstract Differential scanning calorimetry, infra-red absorption and d.c. conductivity were used to study the cure of the system bisphenol-A diglycidyl ether/polyamide in the range 23–110°C. At elevated temperatures, two reactions were found to occur subsequent to the cure reaction. In addition, glass transition data indicate that, where network mobility permits, large-scale reorganization of the network occurs subsequent to cure to give an ‘equilibrium’ glass.
Utilisation d’un stent Viabahn pour traiter un faux anévrisme de l’artère carotide commune avec dissection

Les procedures carotidiennes dans un cou precedemment opere sont techniquement difficiles avec des taux de complications plus eleves. L’irradiation augmente ces risques. L’incidence des lesions des nerfs crâniens dans les cous reoperes a augmente. De meme, les patients presentant des antecedents d’irradiation sont a risque accru d’AVC, de lesions des nerfs crâniens, et de complications parietales. Avant l’ere endovasculaire, la seule option pour la reparation d’un anevrisme carotidien extra-crânien etait la chirurgie ouverte. Recemment, plus d’experience a ete acquise des techniques endovasculaires pour reparer ces anevrismes. Nous presentons un patient presentant des antecedents d’irradiation et de dissection radicale de cou qui a developpe un faux anevrisme de l’artere carotide commune. Ce faux anevrisme a ete repare avec succes utilisant avec un stent couvert Viabhan®.
Optimal beam size for light delivery to absorption-enhanced tumors buried in biological tissues and effect of multiple-beam delivery: a Monte Carlo study

Optimal laser light delivery into turbid biological tissues was studied by using Monte Carlo simulations based on the delta-scattering technique. The goal was to deliver efficiently the maximum amount of optical power into buried tumors being treated while avoiding potential damage to normal tissue caused by strong optical power deposition underneath the tissue surface illuminated by the laser beam. The buried tumors were considered to have much higher absorption than the surrounding normal tissue because of selective uptake of the absorption-enhancement dye. The power delivering efficiency to buried tumors was investigated for various diameters of the laser beam. An optimal beam diameter was estimated to achieve the maximum product of the power coupling efficiency and the power delivered to the buried tumor. The distribution of power deposition was simulated for single-beam delivery and multiple-beam delivery as well. The simulated results showed that with an appropriate dye enhancement and an optimal laser delivery configuration, a high selectivity for laser treatment of tumor could be achieved.
Low-loss L-band microwave fiber optic link for control of a T/R module

An experimental directly modulated fiber-optic link assembled and optimized for L-band operation with near-zero RF insertion loss is presented. This was achieved by optimizing the critical coupling of light from the laser diode to a single-mode fiber and by applying reactive matching circuits to the laser and detector in order to minimize RF reflection losses. Microwave performance measurements are made on the fiber-optic-fed T/R module, in terms of noise figure, intermodulation distortion, and dynamic range, and compared with the module performance without the fiber-optic link. It is shown that careful attention to optical coupling and to the reactive matching of the optical laser and detector transducers can lead to a link gain of -1.8 dB at 1.3 GHz and a 150 MHz bandwidth. The 66.5 dB/MHz exp 2/3 spurious-free dynamic range exhibited by the present link in conjunction with a T/R module demonstrated the feasibility of employing fiber optics in many antenna-remoting optically-controlled phase arrays and optical microwave interconnect applications.© (1991) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Limitations of next-generation genome sequence assembly

High-throughput sequencing technologies promise to transform the fields of genetics and comparative biology by delivering tens of thousands of genomes in the near future. Although it is feasible to construct de novo genome assemblies in a few months, there has been relatively little attention to what is lost by sole application of short sequence reads. We compared the recent de novo assemblies using the short oligonucleotide analysis package (SOAP), generated from the genomes of a Han Chinese individual and a Yoruban individual, to experimentally validated genomic features. We found that de novo assemblies were 16.2% shorter than the reference genome and that 420.2 megabase pairs of common repeats and 99.1% of validated duplicated sequences were missing from the genome. Consequently, over 2,377 coding exons were completely missing. We conclude that high-quality sequencing approaches must be considered in conjunction with high-throughput sequencing for comparative genomics analyses and studies of genome evolution.
REVISIONISM IN SOVIET HISTORY

This essay is an account of the "revisionism" movement of the 1970s and 1980s in Soviet history, analyzing its challenge to the totalitarian model in terms of Kuhnian paradigm shift. The focus is on revisionism of the Stalin period, an area that was particularly highly charged by the passions of the Cold War. These passions tended to obscure the fact that one of the main issues at stake was not ideological but purely disciplinary, namely a challenge by social historians to the dominance of political history. A similar challenge, this time against the dominance of social history on behalf of cultural history, was issued in the 1990s by "post-revisionists."Although I was a participant in the battles of the 1970s, the essay is less a personal account than a case-based analysis of the way disciplinary orthodoxies in the social sciences and humanities are established and challenged, and why this happens when it does. In the case of Soviet history, I argue that new data and external events played a surprisingly small role, and generational change ;i large one.
Therapeutic interventions to reduce rates of hospitalization and death in patients with heart failure: new clinical evidence.

The high prevalence and poor prognosis of heart failure are a major concern. Hospitalization for heart failure accounts for a major proportion of health-care expenditure. A number of large clinical tr
Feeding studies in weanling rats with dorsomedial hypothalamic lesions: Maintenance of competence to compensate for additional calories

Weanling rats received bilateral electrolytic lesions in the dorsomedial hypothalamus primarily destroying the dorsomedial hypothalamic nuclei (DMN). Sham-operated rats served as controls. After a 14 day postoperative period during which food intake (lab chow) and body weight were recorded, each of the above groups were subdivided into 2 groups. One DMN group and one sham-operated control group were continued on lab chow alone throughout the remainder of the study. The other DMN group and the second control group were given additional calories in the form of a liquid diet by stomach tube during 2 separate periods of 10 and 14 days, respectivly, to increase their caloric intake beyond that taken in spontaneously. Both tube-fed groups reduced their ad lib caloric intake from chow considerably and to the same extent. Body weight gains were similar in tube-fed versus non-tube-fed rats, whether with or without DMN lesions. After the second, 14-day-long tube feeding period, however, DMN rats regulated their body weight somewhat less precisely than the controls. This may be related to their reduced food intake during that time period. The data indicate that weanling rats with DMN lesions, despite their basic hypophagia, do not show a deficit in caloric metering and gross body weight regulation.
Multi scale behavior of short-fiber reinforced cementitious material under ballistic impact

Abstract Fiber reinforced cementitious material is optimized for improved ballistic impact resistance with respect to type and size of fiber, interfacial bond behavior, and volumetric ratio of fiber. Apart from laboratory testing, a multiscale modeling scheme is developed based on a series of problems devised for the purpose.
A Genomewide Survey Argues That Every Zygotic Gene Product Is Dispensable for the Initiation of Somatic Homolog Pairing in Drosophila

Studies from diverse organisms show that distinct interchromosomal interactions are associated with many developmental events. Despite recent advances in uncovering such phenomena, our understanding of how interchromosomal interactions are initiated and regulated is incomplete. During the maternal-to-zygotic transition (MZT) of Drosophila embryogenesis, stable interchromosomal contacts form between maternal and paternal homologous chromosomes, a phenomenon known as somatic homolog pairing. To better understand the events that initiate pairing, we performed a genomewide assessment of the zygotic contribution to this process. Specifically, we took advantage of the segregational properties of compound chromosomes to generate embryos lacking entire chromosome arms and, thus, all zygotic gene products derived from those arms. Using DNA fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) to assess the initiation of pairing at five separate loci, this approach allowed us to survey the entire zygotic genome using just a handful of crosses. Remarkably, we found no defect in pairing in embryos lacking any chromosome arm, indicating that no zygotic gene product is essential for pairing to initiate. From these data, we conclude that the initiation of pairing can occur independently of zygotic control and may therefore be part of the developmental program encoded by the maternal genome.
Efficiency maximization in solar-thermochemical fuel production: challenging the concept of isothermal water splitting

Widespread adoption of solar-thermochemical fuel production depends on its economic viability, largely driven by the efficiency of use of the available solar resource. Herein, we analyze the efficiency of two-step cycles for thermochemical hydrogen production, with emphasis on efficiency. Owing to water thermodynamics, isothermal H2 production is shown to be impractical and inefficient, irrespective of reactor design or reactive oxide properties, but an optimal temperature difference between cycle steps, for which efficiency is the highest, can be determined for a wide range of other operating parameters. A combination of well-targeted pressure and temperature swing, rather than either individually, emerges as the most efficient mode of operation of a two-step thermochemical cycle for solar fuel production.
Substrate specificity of three prostaglandin dehydrogenases

Abstract Studies on the substrate specificity, k cat /K m , and effect of inhibitors on the human placental NADP-linked 15-hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase (9-ketoprostaglandin reductase) indicate that it is very similar to a human brain carbonyl reductase which also possesses 9-ketoprostaglandin reductase activity. These observations led to a comparison of three apparently homogeneous 15-hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenases with varying amounts of 9-ketoprostaglandin reductase activity: an NAD- and an NADP-linked enzyme from human placental and an NADP-linked enzyme from rabbit kidney. All three enzymes are carbonyl reductases for certain non-prostaglandin compounds. The placental NAD-linked enzyme, which has no 9-ketoprostaglandin reductase activity, is the most specific of the three. Although it has carbonyl reductase activity, a comparison of the K m and k cat /K m for prostaglandin and non-prostaglandin substrates of this enzyme suggests that its most likely function is as a 15-hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase. The results of similar comparisons imply that the other two enzymes may function as less specific carbonyl reductases.
5 bit, silicon-based, X-band phase shifter using a hybrid pi/t high-pass/low-pass topology

A hybrid pi/t bit passive topology is presented to enable a significant reduction in the die area for a high-pass/low-pass phase shifter is presented. A hybrid-topology 5 bit digital X-band phase shifter was designed, fabricated and tested using a 200 GHz, 0.13 mum SiGe bipolar complementary metal oxide semiconductor (BiCMOS) technology. Size and performance characteristics are presented as a contrast to an all-pi phase shifter recently presented by Comeau et al. using the same SiGe BiCMOS technology and design goals. With similar bit passive performance to the all-pi design, the hybrid shifter allows for a total shifter die-area reduction of 50.5%. The absolute phase error of the shifter was less than plusmn13 from 8 to 12 GHz, with an average insertion loss of -20 dB.
Impacts of mowing and bud destruction on Centaurea solstitialis growth, flowering, root dynamics and soil moisture.

Summary Centaurea solstitialis (yellow starthistle) has invaded rangelands and natural areas in the western USA. There is evidence that mowing is a more effective method of reducing growth and seed production, compared with the well-established and distributed bioagents. To test this hypothesis we measured C. solstitialis's growth and reproduction following two treatments (late spring and early summer bud/capitula destruction and shoot mowing) and measured C. solstitialis's growth and reproduction. We measured changes in soil moisture content to test the hypothesis that these manipulations differentially affect water usage by the invasive plant. Mowing produced shorter plants that weighed less. Bud damaged plants were not statistically different from untreated controls. The number of developed capitula was reduced 67% by mowing but was unaffected by bud damage. Mowed plants redistributed resources from root to flower production. Both treatments reduced mean capitulum diameter. This resulted in reductions of 76% and 21% in estimated seed number for mowed and bud damaged plants respectively. Root abundance decreased and root life-span was reduced by both treatments. Soil moisture depletion was greatest from mid-May to mid-July (from 21% to 9%) and occurred after maximum root abundance. Mowing resulted in a delay in soil moisture depletion compared with the bud damaged plants or the untreated controls. Bud/capitula damage did not affect C. solstitialis's requirement for soil water. Overall, this study supported the hypothesis that mowing reduced C. solstitialis growth and reproduction more than bud damage alone. This information will aid managers in selecting a strategy for managing C. solstitialis in a particular habitat.
What are America's opportunities for harm reduction strategies in opiate dependence?

This issue of the American Journal on Addictions has a review of prescribing heroin in Great Britain, where a recent government commission considered its limits. The review is written by one of the commission members who supports its conclusion that ‘‘if diamorphine treatment could be offered to all problematic users who do not successfully access other treatments, we believe it could play a useful part in managing the social problems generated by this group of people.’’ 1 As Dr. Carnwath indicates, this was a controversial conclusion and was based on several studies that have been criticized for their outcome measures (self reports rather than urine toxicologies), lack of blinding in assessments, drug diversion, and incomplete followup. 2–17 A separate concern has been that the cost-benefit of this intervention, particularly if implemented on a larger scale than these small, geographically restricted studies, would be unsupportive. Although prescribing injectable heroin to heroin addicts is unlikely to find community and legal support in the United States, another harm reduction strategy—needle exchange—has broad public health support in the addictions field, and new freedoms are available for buprenorphine prescribing in an office-based setting with significant latitude in take-home medication. Both of these U.S. programs have raised some issues among regulatory agencies and some citizens about the role of these treatment modalities for ‘‘managing the social problems generated by this group of people,’’ as stated in the British Commission report. Medically based harm reduction strategies that do not involve prescribing heroin or decriminalization of all abused substances
Exposure of Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) RNA-Positive Recipients to HCV RNA-Positive Blood Donors Results in Rapid Predominance of a Single Donor Strain and Exclusion and/or Suppression of the Recipient Strain

We have analyzed three cases of hepatitis C virus (HCV)-infected recipients who received blood from HCV-infected donors. Two recipients were exposed to two different HCV RNA-positive donors, and one was exposed to a single donor. All parental genomes from the actual infecting units of blood and the recipients were defined, and their presence in the follow-up serum samples was determined using sensitive strain-specific assays. The strain from one of the donors was found to predominate in all recipients' serum samples collected throughout the follow-up period of 10 to 30 months. In two recipients exposed to two infected donors, the strain from the second donor was occasionally found at very low level. However, the original recipients' strains were not detected. Our observations show that HCV-infected individuals can be superinfected with different strains, and this event may lead to eradication or suppression of the original infecting strain. Furthermore, our findings demonstrate that simultaneous exposure to multiple HCV strains may result in concomitant infection by more than one strain, although a single strain could rapidly establish its dominance. The results of the present study suggest the existence of competition among infecting HCV strains which determines the ultimate outcome of multiple HCV exposure.
Adaptive DOB control of underwater robots

This paper presents an adaptive DOB (disturbance observer) controller for underwater robots, which consists of DOB as an inner-loop controller and a non-regressor based adaptive controller as an outer-loop controller. This control scheme does not require any parametric information, and is robust with respect to external disturbance as well as the variation of the nominal model used to construct DOB. Results of computer simulation using a hydrodynamic model of an underwater robot, ODIN, show the effectiveness of the adaptive DOB controller compared to PID, PID DOB, and adaptive controller. Experimental investigation of the presented controller is in progress on ODIN and results are also presented at IROS 2003.
Cardiomyocyte-Specific Knockout and Agonist of Peroxisome Proliferator–Activated Receptor-γ Both Induce Cardiac Hypertrophy in Mice

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)-gamma is required for adipogenesis but is also found in the cardiovascular system, where it has been proposed to oppose inflammatory pathways and act as a growth suppressor. PPAR-gamma agonists, thiazolidinediones (TZDs), inhibit cardiomyocyte growth in vitro and in pressure overload models. Paradoxically, TZDs also induce cardiac hypertrophy in animal models. To directly determine the role of cardiomyocyte PPAR-gamma, we have developed a cardiomyocyte-specific PPAR-gamma-knockout (CM-PGKO) mouse model. CM-PGKO mice developed cardiac hypertrophy with preserved systolic cardiac function. Treatment with a TZD, rosiglitazone, induced cardiac hypertrophy in both littermate control mice and CM-PGKO mice and activated distinctly different hypertrophic pathways from CM-PGKO. CM-PGKO mice were found to have increased expression of cardiac embryonic genes (atrial natriuretic peptide and beta-myosin heavy chain) and elevated nuclear factor kappaB activity in the heart, effects not found by rosiglitazone treatment. Rosiglitazone increased cardiac phosphorylation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase independent of PPAR-gamma, whereas rosiglitazone induced phosphorylation of extracellular signal-related kinase 1/2 in the heart dependent of PPAR-gamma. Phosphorylation of c-Jun N-terminal kinases was not affected by rosiglitazone or CM-PGKO. Surprisingly, despite hypertrophy, Akt phosphorylation was suppressed in CM-PGKO mouse heart. These data show that cardiomyocyte PPAR-gamma suppresses cardiac growth and embryonic gene expression and inhibits nuclear factor kappaB activity in vivo. Further, rosiglitazone causes cardiac hypertrophy at least partially independent of PPAR-gamma in cardiomyocytes and through different mechanisms from CM-PGKO.
Morphometry and strain distribution of the C57BL/6 mouse aorta

The goal of the present study was to obtain a systematic set of data along the length of the mouse aorta to study variations of morphometry (diameter, wall thickness, and curvature), strain, and stress of the mouse aorta. Five mice were imaged with a 13-MHz ultrasound probe to determine the in vivo diameter along the aorta. A cast was made of these aortas to validate the ultrasonic diameter measurements. The root mean squared and systematic errors for these measurements were 12.6% and 6.4% of the mean ultrasound diameter, respectively. The longitudinal variations of geometry, stress, and strain from the aortic valve to the common iliac bifurcation were documented. Our results show that the residual circumferential strain leads to a uniformity of transmural strain of the aorta in the loaded state along the entire length of the aorta. Furthermore, we validated the incompressibility condition along the length of the aorta. These data of normal mice will serve as a reference state for the study of disease in future knockout models.
Intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT): differences in target volumes and improvement in clinically relevant doses to small bowel in rectal carcinoma

Background A strong dose-volume relationship exists between the amount of small bowel receiving low- to intermediate-doses of radiation and the rates of acute, severe gastrointestinal toxicity, principally diarrhea. There is considerable interest in the application of highly conformal treatment approaches, such as intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), to reduce dose to adjacent organs-at-risk in the treatment of carcinoma of the rectum. Therefore, we performed a comprehensive dosimetric evaluation of IMRT compared to 3-dimensional conformal radiation therapy (3DCRT) in standard, preoperative treatment for rectal cancer.
Aerobic cometabolic degradation of trichloroethene by methane and ammonia oxidizing microorganisms naturally associated with Carex comosa roots

The degradation potential of trichloroethene by the aerobic methane- and ammonia-oxidizing microorganisms naturally associated with wetland plant (Carex comosa) roots was examined in this study. In bench-scale microcosm experiments with washed (soil free) Carex comosa roots, the activity of root-associated methane- and ammonia-oxidizing microorganisms, which were naturally present on the root surface and/or embedded within the roots, was investigated. Significant methane and ammonia oxidation were observed reproducibly in batch reactors with washed roots incubated in growth media, where methane oxidation developed faster (2 weeks) compared to ammonia oxidation (4 weeks) in live microcosms. After enrichment, the methane oxidizers demonstrated their ability to degrade 150 μg l(-1) TCE effectively at 1.9 mg l(-1) of aqueous CH(4). In contrast, ammonia oxidizers showed a rapid and complete inhibition of ammonia oxidation with 150 μg l(-1) TCE at 20 mg l(-1) of NH(4)(+)-N, which may be attributed to greater sensitivity of ammonia oxidizers to TCE or its degradation product. No such inhibitory effect of TCE degradation was detected on methane oxidation at the above experimental conditions. The results presented here suggest that microorganisms associated with wetland plant roots can assist in the natural attenuation of TCE in contaminated aquatic environments.
Formation of Interstitial Defects in High Concentration Shallow Phosphorous Diffusions in Si.

An experimental study of high concentration (1019–1021/cm3 shallow diffusion was undertaken using TEM to investigate the nature of these diffusion-related defects. Phosphorous from a wide variety of sources (PBr3, POCl3, etc.) other than ion implantation was used in temperature range from 950°–1100°C and for times of 15 minutes to 1 hour. Care was taken in surface preparation and material selection to avoid extraneous defects from sources other than the diffusions. A high concentration of small dislocation loops (1012/cm2) was present in the top few microns of the wafers. Diffraction contrast on the loops revealed that they are of edge character with Burger's vector b = ½ . Identification of the nature of these loops by tilting method [(g·b)·s] and anomalous dark-faced black-white lobes show they are of the interstitial type, i.e. the observed defects place the surrounding matrix in a compressive state.
Dynamic and biochemical responses to single and repeated doses of clonidine during dynamic physical activity.

Beta-adrenoceptor blockade increases serum K, which may be related to renin inhibition, hypoaldosteronism, and exercise-induced skeletal muscle release of serum K. We report on the dynamic and biochemical response to Clonidine (C) after single (S) 0.2-mg and repeated (R) 0.1-mg bid doses of C to six normal subjects at rest, 2 hr after dosing and immediately before dynamic physical activity (DPA) on a treadmill, and at peak activity and 2 hr after DPA. Blood pressure (BP), heart rate (HR), plasma renin concentration (PRC), aldosterone (ALD), serum K, epinephrine (E), and norepinephrine (NE) were measured in standing subjects before and 2 hr after placebo or C (S or R), at peak DPA, and 2 hr after exercise. K, BP, and HR were also determined during all stages of DPA. Results show a parallel rise in K at peak over rest after C (S or R) and after placebo. NE, E, and PRC decreased after 1 wk of C (P < 0.01), but the fall of ALD was only slight. The fall in NE at rest suggested a relationship to the decrease in systolic BP and rate pressure product after 1 wk on C. With DPA there is a normal yet smaller increase in systolic BP and also a smaller rise in HR with S- and R-dose C. There is no adverse rise in K in C-treated subjects during DPA. Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics (1982) 32, 18–24; doi:10.1038/clpt.1982.121
Enalapril Normalizes Endothelium-Derived Hyperpolarizing Factor-Mediated Relaxation in Mesenteric Artery of Adult Hypertensive Rats Prenatally Exposed to Testosterone

Prenatal exposure to elevated testosterone levels induces adult life hypertension associated with selective impairments in endothelium-derived hyperpolarizing factor (EDHF)-mediated relaxation in mesenteric arteries. We tested whether the angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor enalapril restores EDHF function through regulating the activities of small (Kcnn3) and intermediate (Kcnn4) conductance calcium-activated potassium channels in mesenteric arteries. Pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats were injected subcutaneously with vehicle or testosterone propionate (0.5 mg/kg/day from Gestation Day 15 to 19), and their 6-mo-old adult male offspring were examined. A subset of rats in these two groups was given enalapril (40 mg/kg/day) for 2 wk through drinking water. Blood pressures were assessed through carotid arterial catheter and endothelium-dependent mesenteric arterial EDHF relaxation, using wire myography. Ace and Kcnn3 and Kcnn4 channel expression levels were also examined. Renal and vascular Ace expression and plasma angiotensin II levels were increased in testosterone offspring. Blood pressure levels were significantly higher in testosterone offspring than in controls, and treatment with enalapril significantly attenuated blood pressure in testosterone offspring. EDHF relaxation in testosterone offspring was reduced compared to that in controls, and it was significantly restored by enalapril treatment. Kcnn4 channel expression and function were similar between control and testosterone rats, but it was not affected by enalapril treatment. Relaxation mediated by Kcnn3 was impaired in testosterone offspring, and it was normalized by enalapril treatment. Furthermore, enalapril treatment restored expression levels of Kcnn3 channels. These findings suggest that enalapril has a positive influence on endothelial function with improvement in EDHF relaxation through normalization of Kcnn3 expression and activity.
Two New Genera of Phylini, Roburocoris and Viscacoris, from Mexico and the Southwestern United States (Heteroptera: Miridae: Phylinae)

Abstract New genera and species of Phylini (Heteroptera: Miridae: Phylinae) are described from Mexico and the western United States and two new combinations are created. Roburocoris n. gen. accommodates Psallus maculosus Knight, 1925 and three new species. The four species have a wide distribution in the southwestern United States and Mexico for the most part and are collected on various species of Quercus (Fagaceae). Viscacoris n. gen. is created for Plagiognathus phoradendronae Knight, 1929 and comprises four species from Mexico and the southwestern United States. The four species are recorded from mistletoe (Viscaceae).
YY1 Controls Immunoglobulin Class Switch Recombination and Nuclear Activation-Induced Deaminase Levels

Activation-induced deaminase (AID) is an enzyme required for class switch recombination (CSR) and somatic hypermutation (SHM), processes that ensure antibody maturation and expression of different immunoglobulin isotypes. AID function is tightly regulated by tissue- and stage-specific expression, nuclear localization, and protein stability. Transcription factor YY1 is crucial for early B cell development, but its function at late B cell stages is unknown. Here, we show that YY1 conditional knockout in activated splenic B cells interferes with CSR. Knockout of YY1 did not affect B cell proliferation, transcription of the AID and IgM genes, or levels of various switch region germ line transcripts. However, we show that YY1 physically interacts with AID and controls the accumulation of nuclear AID, at least in part, by increasing nuclear AID stability. We show for the first time that YY1 plays a novel role in CSR and controls nuclear AID protein levels.
The Nationalization of Proposition 13

The Reagan Administration's budget revisions for fiscal year 1982 reflect a basic shift in the domestic policies of the U.S. national government which can be expected to have profound effects for American federalism. The 1 5-year period up to 1978, the year in which California voters brought the taxpayer's revolt to the front pages by passing Proposition 13, was a period of growth and activism in the domestic policy of the U.S. national government. The biggest spurt in domestic spending was Lyndon Johnson's Great Society program; Richard Nixon's domestic policy initiatives in 1969 and 1971 also boosted domestic spending. The Carter Administration tried to slow down the federal domestic spending machine after the California fiscal earthquake in 1978, but failed to do so. The Reagan Administration has succeeded, and has done so dramatically.
Characterization of a recombinant herpes simplex virus which expresses a glycoprotein D lacking asparagine-linked oligosaccharides

Glycoprotein D (gD) is an envelope component of herpes simplex virus essential for virus penetration. gD contains three sites for addition of asparagine-linked carbohydrates (N-CHO), all of which are utilized. Previously, we characterized mutant forms of herpes simplex virus type 1 gD (gD-1) lacking one or all three N-CHO addition sites. All of the mutants complemented the infectivity of a gD-minus virus, F-gD beta, to the same extent as wild-type gD. Here, we show that recombinant viruses containing mutations in the gD-1 gene which eliminate the three N-CHO signals are viable. Two such viruses, called F-gD(QAA)-1 and F-gD(QAA)-2, were independently isolated, and the three mutations in the gD gene in one of these viruses were verified by DNA sequencing. We also verified that the gD produced in cells infected by these viruses is devoid of N-CHO. Plaques formed by both mutants developed more slowly than those of the wild-type control virus, F-gD(WT), and were approximately one-half the size of the wild-type. One mutant, F-gD(QAA)-2, was selected for further study. The QAA mutant and wild-type gD proteins extracted from infected cells differed in structure, as determined by the binding of monoclonal antibodies to discontinuous epitopes. However, flow cytometry analysis showed that the amount and structure of gD found on infected cell surfaces was unaffected by the presence or absence of N-CHO. Other properties of F-gD(QAA)-2 were quite similar to those of F-gD(WT). These included (i) the kinetics of virus production as well as the intracellular and extracellular virus titers; (ii) the rate of virus entry into uninfected cells; (iii) the levels of gB, gC, gE, gH, and gI expressed by infected cells; and (iv) the turnover time of gD. Thus, the absence of N-CHO from gD-1 has some effect on its structure but very little effect on its function in virus infection in cell culture.
Mississippi Valley Mapping

The 1957 conference between Geological Survey and Mississippi River Commission officials designated the Geological Survey as the responsible agency for Mississippi Valley mapping. The Mississippi River Commission’s annual mapping requirements are assumed by the Geological Survey as part of its regular mapping program. Series conversion materials supplied to the Mississippi River Commission to enable them to produce 15-minute maps at a 1:62,500 scale. Control requirements for mapping and methods for establishing control are presented. The exchange of data and information between the two agencies expedites the systematic mapping of the Mississippi Valley. Recent developments in instruments and procedures have increased both map production and quality.
Passive immunotherapy targeting amyloid-β reduces cerebral amyloid angiopathy and improves vascular reactivity

Prominent cerebral amyloid angiopathy is often observed in the brains of elderly individuals and is almost universally found in patients with Alzheimer's disease. Cerebral amyloid angiopathy is characterized by accumulation of the shorter amyloid-β isoform(s) (predominantly amyloid-β40) in the walls of leptomeningeal and cortical arterioles and is likely a contributory factor to vascular dysfunction leading to stroke and dementia in the elderly. We used transgenic mice with prominent cerebral amyloid angiopathy to investigate the ability of ponezumab, an anti-amyloid-β40 selective antibody, to attenuate amyloid-β accrual in cerebral vessels and to acutely restore vascular reactivity. Chronic administration of ponezumab to transgenic mice led to a significant reduction in amyloid and amyloid-β accumulation both in leptomeningeal and brain vessels when measured by intravital multiphoton imaging and immunohistochemistry. By enriching for cerebral vascular elements, we also measured a significant reduction in the levels of soluble amyloid-β biochemically. We hypothesized that the reduction in vascular amyloid-β40 after ponezumab administration may reflect the ability of ponezumab to mobilize an interstitial fluid pool of amyloid-β40 in brain. Acutely, ponezumab triggered a significant and transient increase in interstitial fluid amyloid-β40 levels in old plaque-bearing transgenic mice but not in young animals. We also measured a beneficial effect on vascular reactivity following acute administration of ponezumab, even in vessels where there was a severe cerebral amyloid angiopathy burden. Taken together, the beneficial effects ponezumab administration has on reducing the rate of cerebral amyloid angiopathy deposition and restoring cerebral vascular health favours a mechanism that involves rapid removal and/or neutralization of amyloid-β species that may otherwise be detrimental to normal vessel function.