cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Annexin A2 Mediates Mycoplasma pneumoniae Community-Acquired Respiratory Distress Syndrome Toxin Binding to Eukaryotic Cells

ABSTRACT Mycoplasma pneumoniae synthesizes a novel human surfactant protein A (SP-A)-binding cytotoxin, designated community-acquired respiratory distress syndrome (CARDS) toxin, that exhibits ADP-ribosylating and vacuolating activities in mammalian cells and is directly linked to a range of acute and chronic airway diseases, including asthma. In our attempt to detect additional CARDS toxin-binding proteins, we subjected the membrane fraction of human A549 airway cells to affinity chromatography using recombinant CARDS toxin as bait. A 36-kDa A549 cell membrane protein bound to CARDS toxin and was identified by time of flight (TOF) mass spectroscopy as annexin A2 (AnxA2) and verified by immunoblotting with anti-AnxA2 monoclonal antibody. Dose-dependent binding of CARDS toxin to recombinant AnxA2 reinforced the specificity of the interaction, and further studies revealed that the carboxy terminus of CARDS toxin mediated binding to AnxA2. In addition, pretreatment of viable A549 cells with anti-AnxA2 monoclonal antibody or AnxA2 small interfering RNA (siRNA) reduced toxin binding and internalization. Immunofluorescence analysis of CARDS toxin-treated A549 cells demonstrated the colocalization of CARDS toxin with cell surface-associated AnxA2 upon initial binding and with intracellular AnxA2 following toxin internalization. HepG2 cells, which express low levels of AnxA2, were transfected with a plasmid expressing AnxA2 protein, resulting in enhanced binding of CARDS toxin and increased vacuolization. In addition, NCI-H441 cells, which express both AnxA2 and SP-A, upon AnxA2 siRNA transfection, showed decreased binding and subsequent vacuolization. These results indicate that CARDS toxin recognizes AnxA2 as a functional receptor, leading to CARDS toxin-induced changes in mammalian cells. IMPORTANCE Host cell susceptibility to bacterial toxins is usually determined by the presence and abundance of appropriate receptors, which provides a molecular basis for toxin target cell specificities. To perform its ADP-ribosylating and vacuolating activities, community-acquired respiratory distress syndrome (CARDS) toxin must bind to host cell surfaces via receptor-mediated events in order to be internalized and trafficked effectively. Earlier, we reported the binding of CARDS toxin to surfactant protein A (SP-A), and here we show how CARDS toxin uses an alternative receptor to execute its pathogenic properties. CARDS toxin binds selectively to annexin A2 (AnxA2), which exists both on the cell surface and intracellularly. Since AnxA2 regulates membrane dynamics at early stages of endocytosis and trafficking, it serves as a distinct receptor for CARDS toxin binding and internalization and enhances CARDS toxin-induced vacuolization in mammalian cells.
11. Evaluation of Patients with Known Mesothelioma with 18F-Fluorodeoxyglucose and PET. Comparison with Computed Tomography.

Purpose: Positron Emission Tomography (PET) using 18F-Fluorodeoxyglucose (18FDG) has been extensively used to stage patients with different malignancies. The purpose of our study was to compare 18FDG-PET to Computed Tomography (CT) in the management of patients with malignant mesothelioma.Methods: Eight patients (6 males, 2 females; mean age 67, range 53 to 78 years) underwent 18FDG-PET scan between March 1997 and November 1998. PET scan of the neck, thorax and upper abdomen was performed 45 minutes after the intravenous injection of 10 mCi of FDG in fasted patients; attenuation correction was applied in all cases. The findings were compared with CT and pathology.Results: PET and CT were concordant in 3 patients. PET was superior to CT in 5 cases (1 patient was downgraded from widespread to localized disease, 2 patients were upstaged from localized to widespread disease, PET confirmed equivocal findings by CT in 2 cases). In 1 patient PET and CT missed local spread of tumor to diaphragm and pericardium, showing instead disease confined to pleural space.Conclusions: Our results suggest that PET is more accurate than CT in the staging of patients with mesothelioma.
Induction of diploid gynogenesis in southern flounder (Paralichthys lethostigma) with homologous and heterologous sperm

Abstract Effective methods for induction of diploid gynogenesis in North American flounder of the genus Paralichthys are needed to initiate monosex culture, which will allow growers to take advantage of the more rapid growth and larger size attained by females. To test methods for inducing diploid gynogenesis in southern flounder (Paralichthys lethostigma) using homologous sperm, four treatments, named for their expected outcome, were employed: haploid, diploid, triploid, and gynogenetic diploid. Diploid gynogenesis was induced by activating egg development with UV-irradiated flounder sperm (70 J/cm2) for 3–4 min in seawater, and then subjecting the eggs to cold shock in 0–2 °C seawater for 45–50 min. Cold shock was used to prevent extrusion of the second polar body. Control treatments omitted one or more of these steps to separately assess the effectiveness of UV irradiation and cold shock. Larvae were observed for physical abnormalities and then histologically processed for ploidy determination. Haploid larvae exhibited abnormal external morphology while diploid, gynogenetic diploid, and triploid larvae showed normal morphologies. Cross-sectional areas of erythrocyte nuclei were measured for larvae in each treatment group and significant differences were found. Nuclear areas for treatment groups corresponded to predicted ploidy (triploid>diploid>haploid) and did not differ between normal diploid controls and gynogenetic diploids. These results suggest that the procedures of sperm irradiation and egg cold shock successfully generated gynogenetic diploids. Due to the low volumes of semen produced by male flounder, and to eliminate any potential genetic contribution by homologous sperm, activation of flounder eggs with heterologous sperm was also investigated. Induction of diploid gynogenesis was successful when flounder eggs were fertilized with irradiated (50 J/cm2) sperm from striped mullet (Mugil cephalus), and then cold shocked. This work provides procedures for induction of diploid gynogenesis in southern flounder using homologous and heterologous sperm, and validates a method for verification of ploidy in larval fish.
Suppression of the Humoral Immune Response by Particulate Material Extracted from Spleen Cell Subpopulations of MOPC-315 Tumor-Bearing Mice

Particulate extracts were prepared from MOPC-315 plasmacytoma cells, from whole spleen cells or from splenic macrophages of MOPC-315 tumor-bearing mice. These preparations, when injected into normal mice, inhibited their primary humoral immune response to sheep red blood cells (SRBC). At the same time, particulate extracts from whole spleens or splenic macrophages of normal mice and T cell extracts from spleens of MOPC-315 tumor-bearing mice had no effect on the primary immune response to SRBC. The results suggest that phagocytic spleen cells of tumor-bearing mice contain immunosuppressive particles which originate from the tumor cells.
Hypertension: Combination therapy for hypertension

Two or more drugs are needed to control blood pressure in the majority of patients with hypertension. The most commonly used combinations include a diuretic; however, results of two large, controlled trials show that better cardiovascular protection is provided by a combination of a renin-angiotensin inhibitor and a long-acting calcium-channel blocker than combinations that include a diuretic.
The effect of stimulants, depressants, and protein synthesis- inhibition on retention.

This study tested the hypothesis that the level of arousal is an important determinant of memory trace formation. The amnesia was caused in mice by inhibition of cerebral protein synthesis with anisomycin. The level of arousal was modified by the use of excitant and depressant drugs. Post-training administration of a stimulant (d-amphetamine, strychnine, or picrotoxin) counteracts the amnesic effects of protein synthesis inhibition, so that amnesia does not occur unless the duration of inhibition is lengthened. Stimulants show a time dependency, since they are less effective when administered at longer intervals after training. Depressants enhance the amnesia resulting from protein synthesis inhibition. Biochemical experiments showed that depressants alone had only slight effects on the rate of protein synthesis. In combination with anisomycin, the depressant did not markedly prolong the duration or increase the degree of inhibition. Stimulants, either by themselves or in combination with the inhibitors, had little or no effect on protein synthesis. The results are all consistent with the hypothesis that the level of arousal following acquisition plays an important role in determining the length of time over which the biosynthetic phase of memory formation will last.
Memory, empathy, and interactive dimensions of psychoanalytic process.

How is psychoanalysis to deal with its ever widening field of clinical observations and the changing theoretical perspectives that may accompany them--e.g., those concerning intersubjectivity and empathy? Will it be necessary, as some suggest, to modify traditional theory and to abandon related principles of technique such as anonymity and abstinence? Detailed clinical examples of specific interactions are presented to illustrate the interrelated roles of memory, subjective interaction, and empathy. It is suggested that these clinical observations, which encompass newer perspectives, do not require new paradigms. Rather, they can for the present be comfortably accommodated within the purview of older observations, modern cognitive neuroscience, and traditional technical theory.
The effect of current sexual behavior on friendship, dating, and marriage desirability

The purpose of this research was to extend previous studies examining the influence of a person's sexual behavior on others' perceptions of his/ her relationship desirability. Over 750 students from three universities judged the friendship, dating, and marriage desirability of a person based on information ostensibly provided by him/her about current sexual activity. Overall, the results indicated that a target person portrayed as engaging in low sexual activity in a current relationship was perceived to be more desirable as a friend and marriage partner than a person engaging in moderate or high sexual activity, whereas moderate or high sexual activity was preferred more in a dating partner. Whether the sexual activity occurred in a casual or steady dating relationship, however, also affected desirability perceptions. Finally, evidence was found for a reverse double standard in ratings of dating desirability: males were perceived as most desirable as a date when they engaged in moderate sexual activity, ...
Understanding and control of random lasing

Random lasing attracts much attention because it helps to understand coherent phenomena in disordered media and can be used in optoelectronics due to easy preparation (no need in mirrors) and small size of random lasers down to few microns. Recently the remarkable progress in studying the material, geometry and external pumping dependences of laser properties and efficiency has been reached. Lasing emerges from the special random cavities of high quality formed within the active medium. They can be described as the decaying eigenoptical modes within the medium and the optical mode having the minimum decay rate is responsible for lasing. Numerical and analytical studies of the properties of these modes permit to interpret existing experiments and suggest the ways to optimize the performance of lasers.
The Role of Nutrition in Chronic Renal Insufficiency of Childhood: How Much Do We Know?

Dietary protein restriction in the treatment of symptomatic renal failure has been utilized for many years, especially as a means for reduction of 'fixed acid" load. Studies in animal models of renal failure suggest that low protein intake may retard the progression of renal disease as well. However, large, well-organized investigations into this question in humans have fallen prey to difficulties that are almost impossible to overcome. Chief among these difficulties is the problem of chronically reducing protein intake in patients with a lifelong intake far above the recommended daily allowance (RDA). Another is the fact that all previous studies have been performed in patients with moderate to severe compromise of renal function. Thus, the potential efficacy of reduced protein intake in the retardation of the progression of renal disease remains an open question. In this article, we discuss the current state of knowledge and propose an approach to answering this question.
Female sex behaviors in the South African clawed frog, Xenopus laevis: Gonadotropin-releasing, gonadotropic, and steroid hormones

The goals of this study were to characterize sex behaviors of female South African clawed frogs, Xenopus laevis, and to explore the behavioral effects of endocrine manipulation. The responses of females to clasp assaults by sexually active males were observed. Two patterns of female responses predominated. In one, females exhibited extreme leg extension and ticking vocalizations when clasped (unreceptive behaviors). In the other, females responded to being clasped by adduction of the thighs and increased flexion at the knee; ticking vocalizations were absent (receptive behaviors). When the female was unreceptive, clasps by males generally lasted less than 1 min. With a receptive female, on the other hand, amplexus could last up to 2 days. In intact females, injection of human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) or of luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) into the dorsal lymph sac results in significant increases in receptivity. These hormones do not promote receptivity in ovariectomized females. Neither estradiol (E) nor progesterone (P) when administered alone was effective in restoring receptivity to ovariectomized females. In combination, E + P increased sexual receptivity. The releasing hormone, LHRH, when given to ovariectomized, E + P-treated females, further increased receptivity and led to the prolonged amplexus otherwise observed with an HCG-injected intact female. The behavioral effects of LHRH may be independent of action on the pituitary since they are not mimicked by gonadotropin.
Bahadur representation of the kernel quantile estimator under random censorship

Abstract In this paper, a representation due to Major and Rejto for the Kaplan-Meier estimator is applied to establish a Bahadur representation for the kernel quantile estimator under random censorship. Comparing it with the product-limit quantile estimator, the convergence rate of the remainder term is substantially improved when F ( x ) is sufficiently smooth near the true quantile ξ p . As a consequence, a law of the iterated logarithm is also obtained.
Prospective evaluation of atrial tachyarrhythmias in patients with interatrial block

Abstract Introduction Interatrial block (P-wave ≥ 110 ms) is clinically associated with left atrial enlargement and electromechanical dysfunction as well as atrial tachyarrhythmias. We prospectively evaluated the incidence of such arrhythmias, especially atrial fibrillation among patients with interatrial block over the course of 1 year. Methods 118 patients (aged 48 to 104 years; female 56.6%) who had been hospitalized between December 15, 2004 and January 14, 2005 were identified and divided into 3 groups based on their respective baseline electrocardiogram (interatrial block = 41 patients, sinus non-interatrial block = 51 patients and atrial tachyarrhythmia = 24 patients). Patients were subsequently followed for 12 months for pertinent cardiovascular events (heart failure, peripheral embolism, transient ischemic attacks and stroke), atrial tachyarrhythmias (atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter) and death as endpoints. Results 19 patients (17.9%) had atrial fibrillation during the 12-month follow-up (sinus non-interatrial block group = 4 [9.1%], interatrial block group = 12 [29.3%] and atrial tachyarrhythmia group = 3 [14.3%]). Coronary artery disease, hypertension, pre-existing atrial fibrillation history, dilated cardiomyopathy, atrioventricular valvular disease and interatrial block (age- and sex-adjusted hazard ratio = 4.2; 95% confidence interval 1.2–14.4; p = 0.02) were significantly associated with future events of atrial fibrillation. However, logistic regression analysis indicated that interatrial block was not an independent predictor of future atrial fibrillation whereas only history of pre-existing atrial tachyarrhythmias was (hazard ratio = 23.6; 95% confidence interval 4.5–121.7; p = 0.0002). Conclusion Interatrial block may be associated with atrial fibrillation but in a 12-month period, does not appear to be an independent predictor of future atrial fibrillation. Continued prospective investigation of such a relationship is certainly warranted given its already known consequences.
Teacher Educator Predictions of Regular Class Teacher Perceptions of Mainstreaming

Two groups of teacher education faculty (regular and special educators) were asked to predict the responses of regular class teachers to a questionnaire about mainstreaming. Results lend support to the perception that teacher education faculty may not have accurate perceptions about mainstreaming issues that affect regular class teachers.
Experimentally‐induced synovitis as a model for acute synovitis in the horse

The use of extremely small dosages of intra-articular E. coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS) endotoxin can create a model of synovitis that mimics acute synovitis in horses. Dosages of 5000 ng, 25 ng, 0.5 ng, 0.25 ng, 0.17 ng and 0.125 ng per joint were injected into various joints of a total of 6 horses. The dose response of LPS on clinical signs and synovial fluid parameters was evaluated at baseline and 12, 24, 36 and 48 h after LPS injection. Peripheral venous blood analysis was performed at baseline and at 0, 4, and 12 h after LPS injection. Dosages greater than 0.5 ng/joint resulted in clinical signs of endotoxaemia including fever, depression, inappetence and non-weightbearing lameness. Although the total peripheral venous leucocyte count was not decreased at any dosage, the 5000 ng/joint dosage of LPS altered venous leucocyte differential resulting in an increase in the number of segmented and band neutrophils with a concomitant decrease in lymphocytes. Synovial fluid total nucleated cell count (TNC) and total protein (TP) was linearly responsive to increases in intra-articular LPS dosages up to the 0.5 ng/joint dose. At dosages of LPS > 0.5 ng, synovial fluid mean +/- s.e.m. TNC and TP were 122.0 +/- 27 x 10(9) cells/l and 59.3 +/- 1.7 milligrams respectively, at 12 h after injection. This may represent the maximal response of the joint to increased concentrations of LPS endotoxin over 0.5 ng/joint.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Realistic models with a light U(1) gauge boson coupled to baryon number.

We recently showed that a new gauge boson ${\ensuremath{\gamma}}_{\mathit{B}}$ coupling only to baryon number is phenomenologically allowed, even if ${\mathit{m}}_{\mathit{B}}$${\mathit{m}}_{\mathit{Z}}$ and ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\alpha}}}_{\mathit{B}}$\ensuremath{\approxeq}0.2. In our previous work we assumed that kinetic mixing between the baryon number and hypercharge gauge bosons (via an ${\mathit{F}}_{\mathit{B}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{\mu}}\ensuremath{\nu}}$${\mathit{F}}_{\mathrm{\ensuremath{\mu}}\ensuremath{\nu}}^{\mathit{Y}}$ term) was small enough to evade constraints from precision electroweak measurements. In this paper we propose a class of models in which this term is naturally absent above the electroweak scale. We show that the generation of a mixing term through radiative corrections in the low-energy effective theory does not lead to a conflict with precision electroweak measurements and may provide a leptonic signal for models of this type at an upgraded Fermilab Tevatron.
Treatment of dystonia in striatal necrosis caused by Mycoplasma pneumoniae

We report on an 8-year-old male with bilateral striatal necrosis secondary to Mycoplasma pneumoniae respiratory infection. This patient has been remarkable for persistent severe dystonia that has been difficult to treat. We share our experience of beneficial responses to multimodal treatment, including moderate doses of trihexyphenidyl, botulinum toxin, and intrathecal baclofen.
A 50-Year-Old Man With Chronic Low Back Pain

Mr S, a 50-year-old man, has long-standing low back pain. His pain began more than 20 years earlier with a lumbar disk herniation and has persisted despite diskectomy. He has undergone numerous treatments, but he remains disabled with ongoing pain. His treatment course is used to frame the epidemiology and pathophysiology underlying acute and chronic lumbosacral and radicular pain. The roles of neuropathic pain medications, chronic opioid therapy, physical therapy, spinal manipulation, and multidisciplinary pain treatment programs are reviewed. The indications for and outcomes associated with interventional pain treatments, including epidural steroid injection, facet blocks and radiofrequency treatment for facet-related pain, intradiskal electrothermal therapy, spinal cord stimulation, and intrathecal drug delivery, are discussed. Clinicians are given an evidence-based approach to using available treatment options for low back pain.
The Genre of Acts: Moving Toward a Consensus?

This article examines the four most widely discussed proposals for the genre of Acts in contemporary scholarship (biography as proposed by C. Talbert, novel as proposed by R. Pervo, epic as propose...
Short-Term Outcomes for Offenders With Mental Illness Released From Incarceration

Using data on 247 offenders with mental illness, this analysis seeks to identify characteristics that distinguish those who are returned to prison or a psychiatric hospital with those who remain in the community. Sociodemographic, mental health, criminal history, and service variables are compared across a range of outcome categories with a focus on those reinstitutionalized and those reincarcerated. Those returning to institutions have somewhat different mental health service and criminal justice histories than the engaged/community group. In particular, the group that is reincarcerated is more likely released from misdemeanor sentences, and the group being released from felony sentences is more likely to be found in a psychiatric hospital after release from correctional custody. These findings have implications regarding the cumulative effects of engagement with the criminal justice system and the process through which persons with mental illness and a criminal history cycle through institutions.
Developing human-centered design approaches: preparing professionals to address complex problems

In this poster, we describe the types of problems that the SIGDOC community addresses as complex, socially-situated and wicked. As we consider the future professionals who will address these problems, it is important to understand how we can prepare students and early career professionals to continue this work. To this end, we draw on research that describes different stages people might go through in developing design skills to meet human needs, and then suggest educational experiences that would help students and early-career professionals develop competencies in these areas.
Southwestern Studies of Culture and Personality

THERE are, of course, interesting and sometimes valuable fragments of information on individual personalities in earlier writers (Bourke 18871888; Barrett 1907), but the first publication squarely in this field is a Zuni personality sketch (Parsons 1919). Six years later Parsons published also a Pueblo Indian Journal which has some slight significance in the personality area but is primarily an account of events with little of the individual's reaction to them.
The Posterior Pituitary Contains a Potent Prolactin-Releasing Factor: In Vivo Studies*

Abstract The posterior pituitary contains a PRL-releasing factor (PRF), a small (<5000 mol wt) peptide which is distinct from known PRL secretagogues. The objectives of this study were to determine if posterior pituitary extracts specifically stimulate PRL release in vivo and to assess the relative contributions of oxytocin (OT), arginine vasopressin (AVP), and (β-endorphin (βEND) to the PRF activity of the extract. Rat posterior pituitaries or cerebellar tissue were extracted with 1.0 N acetic acid, boiled, and ultrafiltered through 5000 mol wt cutoff membranes. The eluates were treated with performic acid (which oxidizes disulfide bonds and methionine residues), lyophilized, and reconstituted in saline. Jugular blood was collected from conscious ovariectomized rats before and after intracarotid injection of test substances and was analyzed for PRL, LH, and GH by RIA. Injection of 0.3, 1.0, and 3.0, posterior pituitary equivalents increased plasma PRL levels by 2-, 8-, and 22-fold, respectively. PRL leve...
Prescribing Amiodarone: An Evidence-Based Review of Clinical Indications

ContextAlthough amiodarone is approved by the US Food and Drug Administration only for refractory ventricular arrhythmias, it is one of the most frequently prescribed antiarrhythmic medications in the United States.ObjectiveTo evaluate and synthesize evidence regarding optimal use of amiodarone for various arrhythmias.Evidence AcquisitionSystematic search of MEDLINE to identify peer-reviewed clinical trials, randomized controlled trials, meta-analyses, and other studies with clinical pertinence. The search was limited to human-participant, English-language reports published between 1970 and 2007. Amiodarone was searched using the terms adverse effects, atrial fibrillation, atrial flutter, congestive heart failure, electrical storm, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, implantable cardioverter-defibrillator, surgery, ventricular arrhythmia, ventricular fibrillation, and Wolff-Parkinson-White. Bibliographies of identified articles and guidelines from official societies were reviewed for additional references. Ninety-two identified studies met inclusion criteria and were included in the review.Evidence SynthesisAmiodarone may have clinical value in patients with left ventricular dysfunction and heart failure as first-line treatment for atrial fibrillation, though other agents are available. Amiodarone is useful in acute management of sustained ventricular tachyarrythmias, regardless of hemodynamic stability. The only role for prophylactic amiodarone is in the perioperative period of cardiac surgery. Amiodarone may be effective as an adjunct to implantable cardioverter-defibrillator therapy to reduce number of shocks. However, amiodarone has a number of serious adverse effects, including corneal microdeposits (>90%), optic neuropathy/neuritis (≤1%-2%), blue-gray skin discoloration (4%-9%), photosensitivity (25%-75%), hypothyroidism (6%), hyperthyroidism (0.9%-2%), pulmonary toxicity (1%-17%), peripheral neuropathy (0.3% annually), and hepatotoxicity (elevated enzyme levels, 15%-30%; hepatitis and cirrhosis, <3% [0.6% annually]).ConclusionAmiodarone should be used with close follow-up in patients who are likely to derive the most benefit, namely those with atrial fibrillation and left ventricular dysfunction, those with acute sustained ventricular arrhythmias, those about to undergo cardiac surgery, and those with implantable cardioverter-defibrillators and symptomatic shocks.
Simulation for dedicated line small lot size manufacturing

With the speedup of product innovation, product life cycles are becoming shorter and shorter. To fully support customers, a foundry fab has to speed up its wafer-output schedule to shorten the time to market in the growth stage. High priority setting and small lot strategy are common techniques for accelerating manufacturing cycle time. However, small lot strategy would accompany 1.2% of extra equipment investment. The improvement should be sufficient so that the extra investment is worthy. Therefore, the novel strategy, dedicated line for small lot size manufacturing, is proposed in this paper, which allocates exclusive resources for expediting lots to greatly improve the manufacturing cycle time. By distinguishing dedicated lines from regular lines, the proposed strategy improves 21.7% of cycle time for expediting lots. Plenty of simulation results can evidence that the proposed strategy significantly outperforms mixed run mode.
Binaural noise reduction combining binaural analysis and psychoacoustically motivated spectral subtraction

In a noisy environment, hearing aid users suffer from decreased intelligibility of speech. To reduce the binaural colored noise in hearing aids, we propose an efficient noise reduction scheme that combines the merits of binaural analysis and perceptually motivated spectral subtraction algorithm. In our approach, the conventional voice activity detector (VAD), widely used in the single channel spectral subtraction, is substituted by a simplified binaural model, which provides more accurate voice activity information even in a low SNR environment. A simple, but effective, perceptually-weighted spectral subtraction algorithm is then applied on the left and right channels respectively, which utilizes the auditory masking threshold to improve the signal quality. Taking into account that most real-world noise is colored with a non-uniform spectrum, the band-specific over-subtraction factors and spectral floors determined by the SNR on each frame are also introduced into the subtraction rules to further reduce the musical noise and signal distortion. Simulation results show that our proposed algorithm can remove most of the binaural colored noise with relatively small signal distortion even under low SNR conditions. Compared to the sophisticated "cocktail-party" processors used for binaural noise reduction, our method is simpler and computationally efficient.
Active contraction of cardiac muscle: In vivo characterization of mechanical activation sequences in the beating heart

Progressive alterations in cardiac wall strains are a classic hallmark of chronic heart failure. Accordingly, the objectives of this study are to establish a baseline characterization of cardiac strains throughout the cardiac cycle, to quantify temporal, regional, and transmural variations of active fiber contraction, and to identify pathways of mechanical activation in the healthy beating heart. To this end, we insert two sets of twelve radiopaque beads into the heart muscle of nine sheep; one in the anterior-basal and one in the lateral-equatorial left ventricular wall. During three consecutive heartbeats, we record the bead coordinates via biplane videofluoroscopy. From the resulting four-dimensional data sets, we calculate the temporally and transmurally varying Green-Lagrange strains in the anterior and lateral wall. To quantify active contraction, we project the strains onto the local muscle fiber directions. We observe that mechanical activation is initiated at the endocardium slightly after end diastole and progresses transmurally outward, reaching the epicardium slightly before end systole. Accordingly, fibers near the outer wall are in contraction for approximately half of the cardiac cycle while fibers near the inner wall are in contraction almost throughout the entire cardiac cycle. In summary, cardiac wall strains display significant temporal, regional, and transmural variations. Quantifying wall strain profiles might be of particular clinical significance when characterizing stages of left ventricular remodeling, but also of engineering relevance when designing new biomaterials of similar structure and function.
Predicting severe wildfire years in the Florida Everglades

Wildfires result in important ecological benefits to many ecosystems, but have costs associated with fire fighting and property loss. Accurate, timely forecasts of the severity of upcoming wildfire seasons could facilitate wildfire management, limiting the most destructive aspects of fires, while preserving their ecological benefits. We demonstrate an approach where time series models are used to predict the severity of the wildfire season in Everglades National Park in southern Florida 3 months and 1 year beforehand. Model predictions contained all obserations within a 90% credible interval and also anticipated severe wildfire seasons. These models may be used to implement more ecologically sound wildfire management.
Interpreting Saving-Investment Correlations

Feldstein and Horioka (1980) argued that the cross-sectional correlation of saving and investment provides a test of global capital mobility. We argue that the long-run correlation is determined by the intertemporal budget constraint, limited capital mobility and current account targeting. The short-run correlation reflects limited capital mobility and adjustment to supply and demand shocks. Our empirical analysis shows that the short-run correlation varies across countries and not over time, which suggests that it is a country-specific business cycle fact. The long-run correlation has substantially decreased over time, which suggests that limited capital mobility is partly responsible for its high value in the past.
Elasticity of alveolar bone near dental implant–bone interfaces after one month's healing

Information is scarce about Young's modulus of healing bone surrounding an implant. The purpose of this preliminary study is to quantify elastic properties of pig alveolar bone that has healed for 1 month around titanium threaded dental implants, using the nanoindentation method. Two 2-year-old Sinclair miniswine were used for the study. Nanoindentation tests perpendicular to the bucco-lingual cross section were performed on harvested implant-bone blocks using the Hysitron TriboScope III. Nomarski differential interference contrast microscopy was used to identify pyramidal indentation measurements that were from bone. Reduced moduli, averaged for all anatomical regions, were found to start low (6.17 GPa) at the interface and gradually increase (slope=0.014) to a distance of 150 microm (7.89 GPa) from the implant surface, and then flatten to a slope of 0.001 from 150 to 1500 microm (10.13 GPa). Mean reduced modulus and its relationship to distance did not differ significantly by anatomic location (e.g., coronal, middle, and apical third; P>/=0.28 for all relevant tests) at 1 month after implantation.
The Effect of a Hyaluronan-Carboxymethylcellulose Membrane vs. Polyglactin 910 Mesh on Intra-Abdominal Tumor Formation in Mice

Purpose Hyaluronan mediates growth of SW620 colon cancer cells. Because hyaluronan is the active ingredient in Seprafilm®, we hypothesized that Seprafilm® would affect intraperitoneal tumor growth in a mouse model of peritoneal seeding.
Relationships between Body Measurements, Body Weight, and Productivity in Holstein Dairy Cows

Abstract Body measurements, milk production, and body weight data were collected on 1898 lactations of 771 Holstein dairy cows from 1968 to 1986. Body weight and the body measurements of heart girth, paunch girth, wither height, chest depth, pelvic length, pelvic width, and body length were used. Milk production variables were milk yield, fat yield, 4% FCM, fat percentage, and SNF percentage. Estimated feed efficiency was expressed as ratio of milk energy content to net energy feed intake. Phenotypic correlations indicated a high positive relation between estimated feed efficiency and milk (.61), fat (.62), and 4% FCM (.63) yields. Uniformly negative correlations were found between estimated feed efficiency and all seven body measurements and body weight; range was from −.18 for wither height to −.33 for body weight. Multiple regression analyses were conducted on a first, second, and overall parity basis, showing that cows with smaller heart girth and larger paunch girth had significantly higher yields. Taller cows produced more milk than shorter cows. Cows lighter in body weight yielded greater FCM as first-calf heifers and through all lactations.
Design of testable storage/logic arrays

Storage/logic arrays (SLAs) represent an efficient structured logic array approach to the design of VLSI sequential logic circuits with low area overhead. The authors present an approach to testable SLA design which provides for detection of all missing device and stuck-at faults in addition to several broader classes of faults, including bridging and open line faults. Testable designs and test generation algorithms are given for both NMOS and static CMOS SLAs. An SLA augmented for testability is presented. The hardware costs are analyzed and the testing strategy is presented. The test sets are analyzed and are shown to provide high fault coverage over a large class of faults. >
A New Mechanistic Model For Mic Based On A Biocatalytic Cathodic Sulfate Reduction Theory

Microbiologically induced corrosion (MIC) due to sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) is a major problem facing the oil and gas industry as well as other industries such as water utility. Current risk-factor probability models are useful in predicting the likelihood of MIC. However the reliable prediction of the progression of MIC pitting must depend on mechanistic modeling. This paper presents a mechanistic model for the prediction of MIC pitting progression based on a biocatalytic cathodic sulfate reduction (BCSR) theory. The hydrogenase system in the sessile SRB cells at the interface of biofilm and metal surface is treated as a bio-electrocatalyst for sulfate reduction. The model considers both charge transfer resistance and mass transfer resistance. It can be calibrated using an experimentally measured electrochemical parameter recast as “biofilm aggressiveness” for a particular SRB biofilm. Other charge transfer and mass transfer parameters are used as available in the literature or from existing experimental correlations. Computer simulation indicates that charge transfer resistance is important initially when the biofilm thickness is small. However, mass transfer resistance becomes dominant after pit grows to a sizable depth. In fact, the growth of any deep pits will always be mass transfer controlled regardless of how aggressive the biofilm is.
The novel Ras antagonist, farnesylthiosalicylate, suppresses growth of prostate cancer in vitro.

BACKGROUND The majority of men with advanced prostate cancer (PCa) respond to androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) with objective evidence of tumor regression. However, these tumors will regrow in the presence of low-androgen levels after 12–18 months. Regrowth after ADT is associated with upregulation of growth factor (GF) mediated pathways. The compound farnesylthiosalicylate (FTS), a specific antagonist of the 21 kDa Ras protein, suppresses GF signaling and it might be a useful therapy against advanced PCa. METHODS We measured androgen and GF dependent growth of androgen dependent LNCaP and androgen hypersensitive CWR-R1 PCa cells in response to specific inhibitors of GF pathways, including FTS. Inhibition of GF mediated signaling and cell-cycle pathways was confirmed by Western blotting of extracts from treated cells. RESULTS Both LNCaP and CWR-R1 cells were dependent on GF signaling pathways for cell growth. FTS, as well as suppressing cell growth, inhibited GF signaling pathway activity and reduced the levels of E2F1, p-Rb, and p-cdc2, all GF dependent mediators of cell-cycle progression. CONCLUSIONS These data suggest that FTS might be a useful agent against PCa that has relapsed after ADT. © 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Densities of Wintering Scoters in Relation to Benthic Prey Assemblages in a North Atlantic Estuary

Abstract. During winter, molluscivorous sea ducks often form high density feeding flocks in association with patchily distributed prey, although few studies have documented the substrate and prey characteristics where sea ducks (tribe: Mergini) aggregate and thus what constitutes high-value sea duck foraging habitat. Sea duck surveys were conducted and benthic grab samples collected at sites with different benthic substrate characteristics to compare macroinvertebrate community assemblages in relation to densities of three species of sea ducks: (Surf (Melanitta peispicillata), Black (M. americana), and White-winged (M. fusca) scoters (hereafter “oscoters” when combined) during winter (2010–2011) in Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island, an urbanized estuary in the Northwest Atlantic. Overall, the highest densities of scoters (104 ± 17 per 0.5 km2) were found over sand substrates with homogeneous assemblages of infaunal prey. Significantly lower densities of scoters (21 ± 4 per 0.5 km2) were associated with mixed...
A Signaling theory of acquisition premiums: Evidence from IPO targets

This article extends signaling theory to research on acquisition premiums and investigates the value that newly public targets capture in post-IPO acquisitions. We complement previous research on acquisition premiums by suggesting that signals about targets can enhance sellers’ gains by reducing acquirers’ offer price discounting that is due to information asymmetries. Specifically, we argue that target firms can engage in interorganizational relationships (e.g., associations with prominent investment banks, venture capitalists, and alliance partners) that function as signals and enhance sellers’ gains. Empirical evidence shows that the benefits of such signals apply to domestic and cross-border deals alike and that these benefits are even greater for IPO targets selling their companies to acquirers based in different industries.
Strength and Young's Modulus Behavior of a Partially Sintered Porous Alumina

The strength of alumina materials that had been subjected to varying degrees of densification was determined. Significant increases in strength were obtained for these materials even when there was minimal densification. For the most porous materials, the Weibull modulus values were similar but showed a significant increase for materials that were close to the theoretical density. Young's modulus data were found to be similar to previous work, in that significant increases occur during the initial stage of sintering, showing a strong correlation with the strength data. A simple modi fication to a previous theory allowed the Young's modulus data to be fitted with excellent accuracy.
Articulated Knowledges: Environmental Forms after Universality's Demise

Critiques of universalism require rethinking when confronted with environmental political arenas, in which the very concepts of “universality” and “particularity” are in a constant process of self-conscious deployment. In this article, I attend to the analytic and political implications of such deployments in a recent incinerator controversy in Hong Kong. I suggest that an aesthetic of local appropriateness and its formal requirement of simultaneous universal and particular truth value normalize the politics of environmental expertise such that the only legible form for counterknowledge is one of articulated knowledges. To understand how the knowledges emergent in an NGO–village collaboration were scaled, linked, and mobilized, I analyze a translation of expert knowledge and the event's metapragmatic effects. A subsequent account of unarticulated knowledges emphasizes the political-economic conditions that limit whose knowledges can count as particular in articulations of counterexpertise.
The cylinder switch: an architecture for a manageable VLSI giga-cell switch

A cell switch architecture is proposed that provides resource allocation and buffer management features in the hardware. The cylinder switch system is specifically designed to take advantage of the properties of VLSI, and high-performance structures only available in VLSI can naturally be applied. The switch fabric is constructed from ring buffer/multiplexer VLSI modules that form a cylinder buffer. The buffers of this system are completely shared among the input channels. Multicasting, slot reservation in the buffer and on the output channel, class and priority control, and packet reordering are some of the feature that can be utilized. Both analog and digital observation and control can be utilized. The switch capacity using current VLSI technology could be in the tens of gigabits for a 100*100-channel switch. In addition to analytical and simulation studies, a prototype VLSI chip is being implemented for testing the ideas. >
Distributed Rendering for Scalable Displays

We describe a novel distributed graphics system that allows an application to render to a large tiled display. Our system, called WireGL, uses a cluster of off-the-shelf PCs connected with a high-speed network. WireGL allows an unmodified existing application to achieve scalable output resolution on such a display. This paper presents an efficient sorting algorithm which minimizes the network traffic for a scalable display. We will demonstrate that for most applications, our system provides scalable output resolution with minimal performance impact.
Reining in Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac

Revelations of accounting irregularities and excessive risk-taking by the home mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have led to calls for various reforms, in order to protect taxpayers who would likely have to pay the costs if one or both of the firms were to become insolvent. The various reform proposals each have some unique appeal: Limits on the size of the portfolio of mortgages retained by Fannie and Freddie would result in private investors once again shouldering the mortgage risk instead of the taxpayers. Requiring Fannie and Freddie to fully hedge their risks with callable bonds would likewise shift that risk to private investors. And requiring Fannie and Freddie to pay risk-offsetting user fees would likely lead the firms to accept full privatization, again taking taxpayers off the hook. Given the serious risks posed by Fannie and Freddie, policymakers would do well to adopt one of these proposals.
Implications of Analysts’ Consensus Forecast Error for Measurement of Market Expectation and Predictability of Stock Returns

In recent studies, the analysts’ consensus forecasts are widely used as a proxy for the unobservable market’s consensus expectation of future earnings. As prior studies indicate, the analysts’ consensus forecasts measure the true underlying construct with errors and the errors may vary cross-sectionally. Based on these prior findings, this study examines the implications of the cross-sectional variation of the errors in measuring the market expectation of future earnings for the predictability of future stock returns. For this end, this study first uniquely provides a framework to estimate the cross-sectional variation of the errors in measuring the market expectation of future earnings embedded in the analysts’ consensus forecasts based on the absolute analysts’ consensus forecast errors and determinants. The findings of this study indicate that incorporating information about the cross-sectional variation of the errors can generate better specified empirical test models and improved predictions of future stock returns based on the forward E/P constructed with the mean analysts’ consensus forecasts. The results of this study also have the implications for practitioners (i.e., money managers). This study reports that the spread of the hedge returns from the forward E/P investment strategy is the largest when the errors are estimated to be the smallest. To conclude, the implications of the findings in this study for other accounting research areas are discussed.