cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
TCDD alters pituitary-adrenal function II: Evidence for decreased bioactivity of ACTH

The present study assessed the ability of primary cultures of rat anterior pituitary cells to secrete bioactive ACTH in the presence of 2, 3, 7, 8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD). The bioactivity of the secreted pituitary cell ACTH was determined by its ability to stimulate secretion of corticosterone from primary cultures of rat adrenal cells. ACTH from basal or CRH stimulated pituitary cells treated with TCDD was found to be less capable of stimulating corticosterone secretion from primary rat adrenal cell cultures than equimolar concentrations of ACTH purchased from a commercial supplier. Corticosterone secretion from adrenal cell cultures treated with ACTH from basal or CRH stimulated pituitary cell cultures exposed to TCDD was decreased by 60 and 70%, respectively. The decreased ability to stimulate corticosterone secretion can be overcome when extracts of ACTH from pituitary cell cultures treated with TCDD are supplemented with commercial ACTH. These findings indicate that TCDD may alter the bioactivity of secreted ACTH from the anterior pituitary gland.
Developmental expression of ClC-2 in the rat nervous system

Abstract Regulation of expression of the voltage-gated chloride channel, ClC-2, was investigated during development and adult life in rat brain. RNase protection assays demonstrated a marked increase in levels of expression of ClC-2 in brain during early postnatal development which was also detected in adult brain. In situ hybridization of E15 and E18 rat brains demonstrated ClC-2 expression in deep brain nuclei and scattered cells within the neuroepithelial layers, but not in the regions of subventricular zone that primarily give rise to glial populations. By E18 all neurons within the emerging cortical plate and its equivalent in other areas of the CNS were heavily labeled. During the first postnatal week, ClC-2 was highly expressed in most neurons. By P7 a pattern of differential expression emerged with evidence of decreased expression of ClC-2 mRNA in many neuronal populations. In adult rat brain, ClC-2 was expressed at highest levels in large neurons as found within layer V of cortex, Ammon's Horn of hippocampus, or mitral cells of the olfactory bulb and Purkinje cells within the cerebellum. Many smaller neurons within the diencephalon maintained significant levels of expression. A functional conductance was readily detected in hippocampal neurons during the first postnatal week, which had the same characteristic properties as the conductance observed in adult neurons. The observed expression and functional presence of ClC-2 suggest a widespread role in neuronal chloride homeostasis in early postnatal life, and demonstrated that cell specific shut-down resulted in the adult pattern of expression.
Regional basalt types in the Luna 24 landing area as derived from remote observations

The Soviet spacecraft Luna 24 landed in Mare Crisium and returned samples that are expected to be much like the low titanium basalts from Luna 16 and Apollo 12. This conclusion is based on earth-based spectral reflectance measurements and multispectral imagery of the Mare Crisium region and uses a background of laboratory measurements of the spectral properties of Lunar soils. These data are used to describe the regional context and composition of the Crisium basaltic units. The returned sample may also contain minor components of a high-titanium basalt and a very low titanium basalt as well as highland material.
Spectroscopic investigation of a polymerization catalyst: Tetra(neophyl)zirconium reacted with alumina

Abstract Tetra(neophyl)zirconium (TNZ) reacted with alumina, one of a family of high activity, innocuous, and thermally stable polymerization catalysts, was studied using transmission infrared and uv-visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) with the goal of understanding the synthesis of the catalyst and its evolution at the high temperatures of use. (Neophyl is the 2-methyl-2-phenylpropyl group.) Reaction of TNZ with the free hydroxyls present at the surface of alumina to bind the zirconium was observed. Hydrogen bonded hydroxyls were unreactive during synthesis but can serve as catalyst poison at elevated temperatures. High neophyl contents of catalysts prepared with thermally dehydroxylated aluminas imply other modes of TNZ binding are possible on these aluminas. No organic species other than intact neophyl ligands were observed on the untreated catalyst. Heat treatment of the catalyst in vacuum caused loss of neophyl ligands and reduction of the Zr oxidation state. An absorption at 360 nm is seen in the DRS of reduced catalysts. Heat treatment in hydrogen caused hydrogenation of the phenyl group of the ligand, loss of ligands, but no appearance of DRS features characteristic of catalyst reduction. An infrared absorption at 1900 cm−1 is produced on hydrogenation of the catalyst and is assigned to a Zr hydride species on the basis of its frequency and response to exposure to air, water, and ethylene. Catalysts containing reduced Zr or Zr hydride sites were active in the polymerization of ethylene. The high temperature activity is suggested to result from the preserved activity of the decomposition products of the original catalyst.
Endoscopically-assisted adipofascial flap harvest for soft tissue defects of the lower leg

Five cases of soft tissue defect of the lower leg were reconstructed successfully with the distally based medial adipofascial flap which was harvested with endoscopically-assisted surgery. The size of these flaps ranged from 4.0 x 7.0 cm to 5.0 x 15.0 cm in size. All the flaps had good perfusion and uneventful course postoperatively. The donor site skin was intact except for an additional access-scar 2.5 cm in length. The donor site morbidity of the adipofascial flap was further minimised in this series.
CLASSIFICATION AND INVENTORY OF WETLANDS IN THE SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN REGION

The National Wetlands Inventory of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has prepared large scale (1∶24,000) wetland maps for nearly all of the Southern Appalachian Region. Traditional and digital cartographic products are available from the Earth Science Information Centers of the United States Geological Survey and from State-run distribution outlets. Most of the materials prepared by the NWI within the region were cooperatively funded by the States and other Federal Agencies.
Validation of the Tiba Medical Ambulo 2400 ambulatory blood pressure monitor to the ISO Standard and BHS protocol.

Objective We evaluated the Tiba Medical Ambulo 2400 ambulatory blood pressure monitor accuracy by both the International Standards Organization (ISO) Standard and the British Hypertension Society (BHS) protocol. Methods We tested children, adolescents, and adults. The requirements for both ISO and BHS were completed for 85 individuals each. Results The Ambulo 2400 passed both ISO and BHS criteria. For ISO method 1, the mean±SD for the difference between device and manual systolic blood pressure (SBP) was -1.8±6.5 mmHg; for diastolic blood pressure (DBP) the values were 0.7±7.3 mmHg. For the method 2 analyses, the differences were -1.8±4.7 and 0.7±6.3 mmHg for SBP and DBP, respectively. The percentage of differences within 5, 10, and 15 mmHg were 60, 86, and 98% for SBP, and 60, 85, and 96% for DBP. Conclusion The Ambulo 2400 passed all phases of the ISO testing and achieved an A grade for both SBP and DBP per BHS analyses. There was no decrease in accuracy in either high or low BP ranges. The Ambulo 2400 integrates activity monitoring for assigning actual awake and asleep times. There are software features that are particularly beneficial to monitor children and adolescents.
Dexamethasone down-regulates endothelin receptors in human cerebromicrovascular endothelial cells.

Human cerebromicrovascular endothelial cells (HBEC) in culture express high affinity ETA receptors coupled to phospholipase C activation. Pretreatment of HBEC with 1 microM dexamethasone for 24 h decreased the number of the ET-1 binding sites (Bmax) on HBEC (96 fmol/mg protein vs 57 fmol/mg protein) without changing the binding affinity (KD) (101 pM vs 92 pM) or displacing profile (ET-1 = ET-2 > ET-3 > S6c). Dexamethasone-pretreated HBEC also exhibited a 40% reduction in the maximal ET-1-stimulated inositol triphosphate (IP3) production, whereas half-maximal stimulatory concentration (EC50) was not affected. This effect of dexamethasone was concentration-dependent, and most pronounced after 24 h of pretreatment. The inhibitory effect of dexamethasone on the ET-1-induced IP3 production was abolished by glucocorticoid-receptor antagonist cortexolone. In contrast, vasopressin-mediated IP3 response in HBEC was not changed by dexamethasone. Cyclo-oxygenase inhibitors indomethacin and acetylsalicylic acid did not influence the ET-1-induced IP3 production by HBEC. The down-regulation of ETA receptors in HBEC by dexamethasone, may represent one of the mechanisms involving the described effects of glucocorticoids on cerebromicrovascular function (i.e. changes in blood brain barrier properties, secretion of vasoactive factors, vascular morphogenesis).
Affinity and kinetics of sialyl Lewis-X and core-2 based oligosaccharides binding to L- and P-selectin.

Soluble oligosaccharide mimetics of natural selectin ligands act as competitive inhibitors of leukocyte adhesion in models of inflammation. We quantified the binding of simple oligosaccharides based on sialyl Lewis-X (sLeX) and complex molecules with the core-2 structure to L- and P-selectin, under both static and fluid flow conditions. Isolated human neutrophils were employed to mimic the physiological valency of selectins and selectin ligands. Surface plasmon resonance studies quantified binding kinetics. We observed the following: (i) The functional group at the anomeric position of carbohydrates plays an important role during selectin recognition, since sLeX and sialyl Lewis-a (sLea) were ∼5−7-fold poorer inhibitors of L-selectin mediated cell adhesion compared to their methyl glycosides. (ii) Despite their homology to physiological glycans, the putative carbohydrate epitopes of GlyCAM-1 and PSGL-1 bound selectins with low affinity comparable to that of sLeX-selectin interactions. Thus, besides the c...
Abstract LB-249: Characterization of a novel potent and selective CDK4/6 inhibitor and a resistance mechanism

Proceedings: AACR 103rd Annual Meeting 2012‐‐ Mar 31‐Apr 4, 2012; Chicago, IL CDK4 and CDK6 are two highly related cyclin D-dependent cell cycle regulatory kinases. CDK4/6 activity promotes G1 to S phase transition by phosphorylating the retinoblastoma (Rb) tumor suppressor protein. Here, we report the characterization of a potent, selective and orally-available small molecule inhibitor of CDK4/6 for treating Rb-positive cancer. The inhibitor was over 1000-fold more potent in inhibiting CDK4 than CDK1. It also showed Rb-dependent anti-proliferative activity both in cancer cell lines and in xenograft tumor models. A greater degree of variation in sensitivity to the inhibitor was observed in colon cancer cell lines compared to the other cell lines tested. To understand this difference in sensitivity, we isolated CDK4/6 inhibitor-resistant colon cancer cells by growing sensitive cells in the presence of the inhibitor. Gene expression in the parental and the resistant cells was analyzed and compared. Cyclin E1, a CDK2 cyclin, was found to be the most significantly overexpressed gene in the resistant cells. Consistent with this, CDK2-associated cyclin E1 protein and CDK2 kinase activity were also significantly increased in the cells. These results suggest that high expression of cyclin E1 may make tumors less sensitive to CDK4/6 inhibition and could be a potential sensitivity marker for patient selection for treatment with a CDK4/6 inhibitor. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr LB-249. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-LB-249
Proline-rich regions and motifs in trafficking: From ESCRT interaction to viral exploitation

Most membrane-enveloped viruses bud from infected cells by hijacking the host ESCRT machinery. The ESCRTs are recruited to the budding sites by viral proteins that contain short proline (Pro)-rich motifs (PRMs) known as late domains. The late domains probably evolved by co-opting host PRMs involved in the normal functions of ESCRTs in endosomal sorting and cytokinesis. The solution and crystal structures of PRMs bound to their interaction partners explain the conserved roles of Pro and other residues that predominate in these sequences. PRMs are often grouped together in much larger Pro-rich regions (PRRs) of as many as 150 residues. The PRR of the ESCRT-associated protein, ALIX, autoregulates its conformation and activity. The robustness of different viral budding and host pathways to impairments in Pro-based interactions varies considerably. The known biology of PRM recognition in the ESCRT pathway seems, in principle, compatible with antiviral development, given our increasingly nuanced understanding of the relative weakness and robustness of the host and viral processes.
In situ slider-to-disk spacing on a nanometer scale controlled by microheater-induced slider deformations

Abstract Air-bearing sliders carrying the read and write elements in today’s hard-disk drives fly above the spinning magnetic disks at very close range. It is crucial for the performance as well as the reliability of the hard-disk drive to maintain precisely the optimal distance (flying height) between the disk and the read/write elements. With continuously increasing recording densities, the flying height is decreasing and will be −1 were achieved.
Growth kinetics and morphology of grain boundary ferrite allotriomorphs in an Fe-C-V alloy

Grain boundary ferrite allotriomorphs in an Fe-0.12 pct C-0.11 pct V alloy reacted in the temperature range 800‡ to 870 ‡C develop in two morphologies: conventional allotriomorphs, with an aspect ratio of about one-half, and “snakes≓, whose aspect ratio approaches zero. Interphase boundary vanadium carbides (VC) precipitate densely in association with conventional allotriomorphs but not with “snakes≓. Thickening kinetics of “snakes≓ are about an order of magnitude slower than predicted by the paraequilibrium model. Conventional allotriomorphs, on the other hand, thicken with the kinetics predicted by paraequilibrium. These observations are considered in terms of the solute drag-like effect and of “wetting≓ of austenite grain boundaries by ferrite in the presence of V. Absence of a distinct change in the thickening kinetics of conventional allotriomorphs in the vicinity of 845 ‡C, the approximate upper temperature limit of interphase boundary carbide precipitation, strongly supports the view that such carbides can precipitate only on immobile,i.e., partially coherent areas of austenite : ferrite boundaries.
Influence of organic acid concentration on survival of Listeria monocytogenes and Escherichia coli 0157:H7 in beef carcass wash water and on model equipment surfaces

Abstract Acid-adapted cultures of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Listeria monocytogenes were inoculated in meat decontamination spray-washing runoff fluids in order to evaluate their survival and potential to form biofilms on stainless steel coupons. The cultures (107 cfu ml−1) and stainless steel coupons were exposed to mixtures of water and organic acid washings (composites of each of 2% acetic acid or lactic acid washings with water washings from meat decontamination in proportions of 1/9, 1/49, 1/99 [vol/vol]) or to water washings for up to 14 days at 15°C. E. coli O157:H7 formed biofilms and remained detectable (⩾1.3 log cfu cm−2) on stainless steel for up to 4 d in the 1/9 dilution (pH 3.17–3.77) of the organic acid washings, and persisted throughout storage (14 d) in the 1/49 (pH 3.96–4.33) and 1/99 (pH 4.34–6.86) dilution of the organic acid washings. L. monocytogenes populations were unable to form detectable (
Peptide-based fluorescent sensors of protein kinase activity: Design and applications

Protein kinases control the flow of information through cell-signaling pathways. A detailed analysis of their behavior enhances our ability to understand normal cellular states and to devise therapeutic interventions for diseases. The design and application of "Environmentally-Sensitive", "Deep-Quench" and "Self-Reporting" sensor systems for studying protein kinase activity are described. These sensors allow real-time activity measurements in a continuous manner for a wide variety of kinases. As these sensors can be adapted from an in vitro screen to imaging kinase activity in living cells, they support both preliminary and later stages of drug discovery.
Reduction of implantation shadowing effect by dual-wavelength exposure photo process

As transistor engineering continues to well below 100 nm length devices, ion implantation process tolerances are making these formerly "non-critical" lithography levels more and more difficult. In order to minimize the channeling effect and to obtain a controllable profile of dopant, an angled implantation is often required. However, a shadow area of resist pattern is always accompanied with an angled implantation. This shadowing effect consumes silicon real estate, and reduces the line edge placement (LEP) tolerances. Therefore, methodologies to reduce the shadowing effect in angled implantation become a critical consideration not only for device engineering but also for photolithography. Based on the model analysis, simulation and experiments, this paper presents an effective novel process utilizing dual-wavelength exposure (DWE) to reduce the shadowing effect. The DWE process is realized by two consecutive exposures for an I-line resist with a DUV stepper/scanner and an I-line stepper. The process leverages the high absorption coefficient of novalak-DNQ resist at 248 nm, and results in a tunable post-develop resist thickness to minimize the shadowing effect. It is effective in satisfying the junction requirements and also is helpful in minimizing the number of photoresists in a manufacturing fab. A repeatable resist profile and an excellent CD uniformity across wafer also indicated that the DWE is a potentially manufacturable process.
A competition-based approach for undergraduate mechatronics education using the arduino platform

This paper describes the content of an undergraduate class in mechatronics at Santa Clara University. Designing an undergraduate course in mechatronics poses a challenge as it integrates subareas in mechanics, computer science, electronics and control systems. The problem is compounded when students are from different fields of engineering and have diverse backgrounds and skills. We describe a competition-based framework that has been integrated with rigorous labs to develop skills in core areas that are needed to complete a course capstone project successfully. Students learn the basics of mechatronics and, in the project, develop a mobile robot. The project varies from year to year. Our course is based on the low-cost Arduino platform. This paper briefly discusses pedagogical strategies and tools that have been used at other schools, and then focuses on describing the lecture, laboratory, and project components of our course. The results are encouraging and indicate that our course structure provides an effective means for learning mechatronics.
Ray and van Cittert -Zernike Characterization of Spatial Coherence

We discuss a ray and a van Cittert–Zernike characterization of spatial coherence in condensers for projection systems. We present a rule of thumb with which to estimate the modulus of the coherence function at a given point of the illuminated object and a ray-tracing methodology with which to determine this modulus. For uniform illumination of the pupil we relate the modulus of the coherence function and the pupil-filling factor. We suggest that the rms of the angular ray spread at a given object point is an appropriate metric with which to characterize local coherence properties.
Action and pseudocharge of an electromagnetic wave

The action s and pseudocharge q of an electromagnetic wave are defined by 2s= integral (E.E-B.B) d4x and q=- integral (E.B) d4x. Both s and q are shown to vanish for an electromagnetic wave (in free space) which is spatially bounded at some time t=0.
Money‐Go‐Rounds: The Importance of Rotating Savings and Credit Associations for Women

Money-Go-Rounds: The Importance of Rotating Savings and Credit Associations for Women. Shirley Ardener and Sandra Burman, eds. Washington, DC: Berg Publishers, 1995. xiv + 326 pp., contributors, tables, notes, references, appendix, index.
The Cost of Discrimination: A Study of Major League Baseball

This article seeks to determine whether discriminators perform differently than nondiscriminators, whether that performance difference serves to inhibit discrimination, and, if so, how the process works. It investigates an area with abundant data on both the racial mix of participants and firm performance-major league baseball. A sizeable and statistically significant relationship between winning and the presence of black players in the starting lineup is found to hold for the early years of the 1950s and to decline, as expected, as the average number of black ballplayers on major league rosters increased. However, a puzzle emerges in the fact that a significantly slower rate of integration was pursued in the American League (AL) than in the National League (NL) despite there being nearly identical associations between black players and winning in each. The most likely solution to that puzzle is that fan preferences differedeach black player on an AL team appears to have reduced attendance by significantly more than he would have on a NL team. Examination also reveals that when substitute players are considered separately, the positive association between the number of blacks employed and winning is much weaker, whereas the negative association between black ballplayers and attendance is the same. Not coincidentally, black players made up a significantly smaller proportion of substitutes than they did of starters throughout the entire period.
T7 translational control mechanisms and their inhibiton by F factors.

T7 infection of cells containing F factors is abortive. F factor inhibition prevents the synthesis of certain classes of T7 proteins. F mutants defective in inhibition have allowed the uncovering of translational control systems during T7 development.
The distribution and kinetics of polyomavirus in lungs of intranasally infected newborn mice.

Abstract The primary cell types that sustain polyomavirus (Py) replication following intranasal infection as well as the nature of the host cellular response to Py were unknown. As this is an essential and specific site for virus entry, it seems likely that viral gene function must be adapted to these mucosal tissues. Using immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization, we determined the cell types in the lung that support Py gene expression and replication following intranasal inoculation of newborn mice within 24 h of birth. Lungs were collected daily from days 1 to 10 postinfection for Py DNA and early T antigen analysis and for histological examination by H&E staining, using methods that preserve the delicate newborn lung architecture. Viral DNA was present in increasing quantities from 2 to 6 dpi in a subset of the Clara cells lining the inner lumen of the bronchi and bronchioles, while T antigen expression was present in a majority of the cells in the bronchi and bronchiole lumen. A distinct and transient pattern of hyperplasia was observed among the cells expressing T antigen and was present from 3 through 6 dpi. Py DNA-containing cells exfoliated into the bronchiole lumen and alveolar ducts, but Py T antigen was not detected in these cells. Py DNA was first detected at 2 dpi, increased through 6 dpi, and abruptly declined through 9 dpi at which time there was no sign of viral DNA in the lungs by in situ hybridization. An unusual infiltration of neutrophils began before the presence of exfoliated cells or Py replication and continued for 2–3 days and was followed by a lymphocytic infiltration at 8–10 dpi lasting 2–3 days. Neither the hyperplasia nor the neutrophil infiltration occurred following infection with the MOP1033 MT-Ag or RB1 LT-Ag mutants of Py. In addition, both the neutrophil infiltration and the transient hyperplasia are in stark contrast to the heavy macrophage infiltration that follows infection of lungs with mouse adenovirus. Thus it appears that Py elicits a distinct host response pattern not seen with other DNA viral infections.
Young children's knowledge of morphological and phonological rules

Abstract Twenty preschool children were given tests of their implicit knowledge of morphological and phonological rules. Scores on the two tests were not correlated, and subjects with differing knowledge of phonological rules did not differ significantly in articulatory proficiency. Children's responses and test behavior are described and discussed.
Covariation in life-history traits, demographics and behaviour in ischnuran damselflies: the evolution of monandry

Abstract The apparent erratic variation in life history traits, coloration patterns, and behaviours that exists among species within the damselfly genus Ischnura is shown to be interpretable when the species are partitioned into three groups. One group consists of species whose males are missing a pair of stout basal spines on the penultimate segment of their accessory penes. These are the only ischnurans in which males, by tandem guarding females, prevent sperm displacement. The other two groups can be recognized by the relative frequency with which mating occurs: monandrous species mate infrequently, polyandrous species more often. Compared to polyandrous species, monandrous species contain smaller size individuals, have greater sexual size dimorphism, have shorter duration copulations, do not have male biased operational sex ratios at aquatic sites, and are more likely to contain monochromatic females. Females belonging to the monandrous species tend to develop a characteristic form of pruinescence at maturity that obscures their underlying colour, and mature at a younger age. We propose that copulation serves only for sperm addition in monandrous species, for both sperm addition and displacement in polyandrous tandem guarding ischnurans, and for contact guarding as well as sperm addition and displacement in polyandrous species that do not tandem guard.
Strategies to Achieve Conditional Gene Mutation in Mice

The laboratory mouse is an ideal model organism for studying disease because it is physiologically similar to human and also because its genome is readily manipulated. Genetic engineering allows researchers to introduce specific loss-of-function or gain-of-function mutations into genes and then to study the resulting phenotypes in an in vivo context. One drawback of using traditional transgenic and knockout mice to study human diseases is that many mutations passed through the germline can profoundly affect development, thus impeding the study of disease phenotypes in adults. New technology has made it possible to generate conditional mutations that can be introduced in a spatially and/or temporally restricted manner. Mouse strains carrying conditional mutations represent valuable experimental models for the study of human diseases and they can be used to develop strategies for prevention and treatment of these diseases. In this article, we will describe the most widely used DNA recombinase systems used to achieve conditional gene mutation in mouse models and discuss how these systems can be employed in vivo.
The TNF and TNF receptor superfamilies: integrating mammalian biology.

The authors regret the inability to cite all of the primary literature contributing to this review due to length considerations. The authors thank F. Chan, T. Migone, M. Peter, J. Puck, R. Siegel, H. Walczak, and J. Wang for insightful comments on the manuscript. N. K. is a Scholar of the Leukemia Society. Supported in part by grants from the National Institutes of Health (R. M. L., N. K.).
Early Afterdepolarizations: Newer Insights into Cellular Mechanisms

Early Afterdepolarizations. Early afterdepolarizations (EADs) are a type of bradycardia-dependent triggered activity postulated to cause certain cardiac arrhythmias. The cellular mechanism(s) that underlie EADs have, until recently, remained obscure. Recent evidence has shown that EADs arise from a cellular mechanism rather than cell-to-cell interactions. At least two types of EADs exist that appear to be separable by voltage- (and time-) dependent properties. EADs that arise near action potential plateau voltages depend critically on L-type Ca2+ current for depolarization. Studies of Ca2+ currents in single heart cells have provided a basis for explaining the potential roles of L- and T-type Ca2+ currents in EADs. (J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol. Vol. 1. pp. 161–169, April 1990)
Wave propagation, power flow, and resonance in a truss beam

Abstract Wave propagation in a periodic truss-work beam is investigated computationally. The analysis is based upon the transfer matrix of a single bay of the structure. The results, with members modeled as rods with pinned joints, agree well with results obtained from an equivalent continuum model of the same structure. The inclusion of bending in member models shows that both the pinned rod model and the equivalent continuum models lose fidelity above the first resonant frequency of lateral motion of the members. Modeled with beam members, the truss exhibits complicated mechanical filtering properties, which are illuminated by investigation of wave-mode power flow. Boundary conditions are applied in wave-mode co-ordinates by reformulation in terms of reflection matrices. The phase closure principle is invoked to predict natural frequencies of a fixed-free portion of the truss. It is found that closely spaced resonant frequencies are not identified by this method. Computed results show other subtle erroneous characteristics which are attributed to computational inaccuracy.
Identification of ethanol responsive domains of adenylyl cyclase

Background: The activity of adenylyl cyclase (AC) is enhanced by pharmacologically relevant concentrations of ethanol. The enhancing effect of ethanol on AC activity is AC isoform-specific. Therefore, we hypothesized that within a cyclic AMP–generating system, AC is the target of ethanol's action and that ethanol-sensitive AC molecules contain structural elements modulated by ethanol. The structural elements are designated as “ethanol responsive domains.” Methods: By using a series of chimeric mutants, we searched regions of the AC molecule that are important for the ethanol effect. These chimeric mutants were derived from 3 isoforms of AC: AC7 (type 7), the most ethanol responsive isoform; AC3 (type 3), an isoform that is far less responsive to ethanol; and AC2 (type 2), an isoform that is homologous to AC7 but less responsive to ethanol. Results: We identified 2 discrete regions of the AC molecule that are important for the enhancement of AC activity by ethanol. The first is the N-terminal 28-amino-acid (aa) region of the C1a domain. The second is the C-terminal region (∼140 aa) of the AC molecule. Sequence differences in the N-terminal tail, 2 putative transmembrane domains, and the C1b domain are not important for ethanol's effect. Conclusions: The current study with mammalian ACs provides a new class of alcohol-responsive protein and possibly a new mechanism of alcohol action on cellular function. The identification of ethanol responsive domains will facilitate the elucidation of the mechanisms by which ethanol enhances the activity of AC.
A note on Romer's openness-inflation relation: the responsiveness of AS and AD to economic openness and monetary policy

Temple (2002) empirically challenges Romer's (1993) negative openness-inflation relation on empirical grounds. This article links economic openness to the slopes of aggregate supply (AS) and aggregate demand (AD) to explain why the openness-inflation relation can be ambiguous. Starting with a widely used assumption initiated by Romer (1993) that more open economies face greater output inflation tradeoffs, we demonstrate that greater output-inflation tradeoffs in more open economies (reflected in the steeper AS) induce policymakers to adopt more aggressive optimal monetary policy (reflected in the flatter AD). Empirical results from 15 developed countries’ data support our theoretical explanation on the recent empirical failure in finding the negative openness-inflation relation.
Overview Of Digital Signal Processing For Linescan Imagery

A brief overview of digital signal processing for infrared linescan imagery is presented. The need for digital signal processing arises from the desire to maintain high-quality imagery throughout the processing chain from sensor through data link to real-time display. Digital processing allows simple hardware to perform complex imagery manipulations including bandwidth compression, dynamic range control and automatic target screening. Digital processing also allows a real-time CRT display to be interfaced with infrared linescanners which generate enormous instantaneous data rates. Automatic aids to imagery interpretation and the simultaneous presentation of data from other sensors are also facilitated through digital processing. Recent developments at Honeywell in these areas are presented to show how airborne reconnaissance is adapting to the needs of the immediate future.© (1984) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Dative: The heterogeneity of the mapping among morphological case, grammatical functions, and thematic roles

Abstract This paper examines the mappings among morphological case, grammatical functions and thematic roles, focusing on dative as a place where the mapping between the morphosyntax and semantics is often assumed to be particularly regular. Evidence is provided from three Germanic languages, English, German and Icelandic, which shows that the mappings are more heterogeneous than is generally acknolwedged. An investigation of both co-occurrence restrictions and the lexical restrictions on adnominal genitives, middle formation and secondary prediction suggests that the linking of dative case to a verbal argument does not play a role in restricting lexical rules. Accusative goals are shown to behave in most respects just like dative goals, and dative themes just like accusative themes. Since the objects of transitive verbs do not all behave alike, theme cannot be treated as the default theta-role on verbal objects, and lexical rules may need to refer to the content of theta-roles, not just their relative position in a verb's theta-grid.
Cooperation on International Rivers A Continuum for Securing and Sharing Benefits

It is generally accepted that conflicting demands over international rivers will intensify. There is an active debate on whether this will lead to water wars or to unprecedented cooperation. Framing the debate in this manner, however, tends to cast the concept of cooperation as all or nothing, implying that cooperation is an extreme, in direct opposition to war. This conceptual construct obscures the many practical levels of cooperation that states can undertake to their mutual advantage. It is important to recognize that it is entirely rational that states will always have a national agenda for a river that they share with other states, and that they will cooperate if it serves that national agenda. In practice, there can be a continuum of levels of cooperation, from simple information sharing, to joint ownership and management of infrastructure investments. Furthermore, it may not necessarily be the case that more cooperation reaps more benefits in all river basins. There are many different types of benefits that can be secured through the cooperative management of international waters, with each individual basin offering different potential cooperative benefits with different associated costs. For each international basin, the optimal mode of cooperation will depend on a mix of factors including hydrologic characteristics, the economics of cooperative investments, numbers, the relationships of riparian's, and the costs of parties coming together.
A computational comparison of ultrasonically induced tissue heating between circular and rectangular transducer apertures

A method for calculating the temperature increase in a homogeneous tissue model is introduced. This method is not restricted to circular beams and therefore can be used to evaluate other geometries. By applying this model to exactly the same parameters as the heated disc model the following conclusions have been formed. The maximum temperature increase of a circular aperture focused transducer is the same for both the heated disc and the point-source temperature rise models for the specified parameters. However, the heated disc model does not accurately predict the temperature rise near the focal region. This is due to the modeling of the beam width near the focal region. The temperature rise for the square aperture (aspect ratio=1) occurs at the same axial feature distance as for the circular aperture, but the maximum temperature rise for the square aperture is less than the maximum temperature of the circular aperture. >
Influence diagnostics and outlier tests for semiparametric mixed models

Summary. Semiparametric mixed models are useful in biometric and econometric applications, especially for longitudinal data. Maximum penalized likelihood estimators (MPLEs) have been shown to work well by Zhang and co-workers for both linear coefficients and nonparametric functions. This paper considers the role of influence diagnostics in the MPLE by extending the case deletion and subject deletion analysis of linear models to accommodate the inclusion of a nonparametric component. We focus on influence measures for the fixed effects and provide formulae that are analogous to those for simpler models and readily computable with the MPLE algorithm. We also establish an equivalence between the case or subject deletion model and a mean shift outlier model from which we derive tests for outliers. The influence diagnostics proposed are illustrated through a longitudinal hormone study on progesterone and a simulated example.
Management and Prevention of Recurrent Clostridium Difficile Infection in Patients After Total Joint Arthroplasty: A Review

Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is the most common infectious cause of nosocomial diarrhea in elderly patients, accounting for 15% to 25% of all cases of antibiotic-induced diarrhea in those patients. Virulent forms of this organism have developed, increasing the associated morbidity, mortality, and complication rates. The average patient undergoing total joint arthroplasty is at particular risk of CDI because of advanced age, the use of prophylactic antibiotic coverage in the perioperative period, multiple comorbid conditions, and length of hospital stay. In addition, patients who have had one CDI are at risk of another; the rate of recurrent CDI (RCDI) is 15% to 30%. To review the available information on RCDI, we conducted an extensive literature search, focusing on its epidemiology and the management strategies for its treatment and prevention. We found the management of RCDI is a controversial topic, with as yet no consensus regarding specific treatment guidelines. Several experienced clinicians have published suggested treatment algorithms, but they are based on anecdotal experience. With regard to the prevention of RCDI, the literature is scarce, and currently, the only effective strategies remain judicious use of perioperative antibiotics and appropriate implementation of infection control procedures. There are several vaccination medications that are currently being studied but are not yet ready for clinical use. We agree with the approach to management of RCDI that has been proposed in several articles, that is, on confirmation of a first recurrence of CDI by a stool toxin assay and clinical symptoms, a 14-day course of metronidazole or vancomycin; for a second recurrence, a tapered-pulsed course of vancomycin; and, for 3 or more recurrences, a repeat course of the tapered-pulsed vancomycin and adjunctive Saccharomyces boulardii or cholestyramine.
Meiotic recombination between dispersed repeated genes is associated with heteroduplex formation.

Abstract In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, recombination events occurring between allelic genes located on homologous chromosomes are often associated with heteroduplex formation. We found that recombination events between repeated genes on nonhomologous chromosomes (ectopic events) are also associated with the formation of heteroduplexes, indicating that classical and ectopic recombination events involve similar mechanisms.
Power to Detect the Effects of HIV Vaccination in Repeated Low-Dose Challenge Experiments

Simulation studies were conducted to estimate the statistical power of repeated low-dose challenge experiments performed in nonhuman primates to detect the effect of a candidate human immunodeficiency virus vaccine. The effect of various design parameters on power was explored. Results of simulation studies indicate that repeated low-dose challenge studies with a total sample of size 50 (25 animals/arm) typically provide adequate power to detect a 50% reduction in the per-exposure probability of infection resulting from vaccination. Power generally increases with the maximum number of allowable challenges per animal, the per-exposure risk of infection in control animals, and the proportion of animals susceptible to infection.
Chassis ECU (ACC and Sensor)

One of the aims of driving assistance systems is to facilitate safer driving. Adaptive cruise control (ACC) was developed as one such system to help alleviate driver burden. Conventional cruise control (CC) achieves constant speed driving by controlling only the engine to hold the speed set by the driver. In contrast, ACC has range sensor that functions as the eyes of the system. When the preceding vehicle is driving slower than the set speed of ACC, it can control the brake to decelerate the self-vehicle and follow the preceding vehicle at a certain following distance. When there is no longer a preceding vehicle, the system accelerates again and resumes driving at the set speed. Keywords: ACC ; driving assistance systems; range sensor; millimeter-wave radar; distance control
Contributions of direct incorporation from diet and microbial amino acids to protein synthesis in Nile tilapia

Summary 1. Further advancement in the use of stable isotope analysis in animal ecology and physiology requires a better understanding of how organisms incorporate the macromolecular elements they consume into the tissues they biosynthesize. 2. Mixing models used to infer diets from isotopic data assume that assimilated macromolecules are dissembled into elements and then reassembled in animal tissues. 3. To test this assumption, we fed Nile tilapia diets with contrasting levels of protein and in which the carbon isotopic composition of protein differed from that of other macronutrients (carbohydrates and lipids). We then analysed the d 13 C values of individual tilapia amino acids using compound-specific stable isotope analysis (CSIA). 4. The incorporation of dietary protein carbon was dependent on dietary protein content and on each amino acid’s biosynthesis pathway. The d 13 C values of glycolytic amino acids, such as glycine, serine and alanine, had roughly constant values that reflected a large contribution of dietary carbohydrates and a small contribution of dietary protein. The d 13 C values of aspartate and glutamate that are biosynthesized from Krebs cycle intermediaries paralleled bulk diet. 5. The d 13 C values of indispensable amino acids resembled that of carbohydrates at low protein intakes but tended asymptotically to that of the d 13 C values of their corresponding dietary amino acid as protein intake increased. This pattern is consistent with assimilation of indispensable amino acids of microbial origin by tilapias fed low protein food. 6. Our results suggest that the assumptions of mixing models are sound in situations where omnivores consume protein-deficient diets, as the elemental constituents used to biosynthesize amino acids in tissues may be derived from various ingested macromolecules (e.g. protein, carbohydrates, or lipids) and their elemental components. In contrast, for omnivores that consume sufficient amounts of protein, macromolecular (e.g. protein) routing likely occurs and mixing model assumptions are violated. 7. Our study shows that CSIA is a novel method to quantify the contribution of symbiotic microbes to the amino acid homeostasis of animals.
Volume Matters: Novel Roles of the Volume-Regulated ClC-3 Channels in Hypertension-Induced Cerebrovascular Remodeling

The adaptive remodeling of cerebral arteries, including hypertrophy (medial thickening) and eutrophy (luminal narrowing), is a prominent feature of hypertension and a major risk factor for stroke.1–3 Multiple mechanisms, such as arterial smooth muscle cell (SMC) proliferation, migration and apoptosis, endothelial cell dysfunction, inflammation, and fibrosis, have been implicated in structural remodeling in response to chronic hypertension.4 Although the hypertrophic increase in cell volume of arterial SMCs is the primary mechanism for the thickening of mesenteric arterial media in spontaneously hypertensive rats1 and of cerebral arteries in the 2-kidney, 2-clip renal hypertensive rats,3 the impact of the hypertension-induced changes in cell volume of the arterial SMCs and its clinical significance are still unknown. Alterations in cell volume are common adaptive mechanisms of most mammalian cells, including arterial SMCs, in response to metabolic, osmotic, and/or static pressure perturbations.5 Cells are able to precisely maintain their size through the regulated loss or gain of intracellular ions or other osmolytes to avoid excessive alterations of cell volume that may jeopardize structural integrity and a variety of cellular functions.5 Acute increase in cell volume will initiate the regulatory volume decrease process to bring the cells back to their initial volume, which is achieved by the opening of volume-regulated Cl− channels (VRCCs) and other channels and transporters mediating Cl−, K+, and taurine efflux.5 As one of the most important mechanisms for cell volume homeostasis, activation of VRCCs has been implicated in a number of vital cellular functions involved in hypertension-induced vascular remodeling, including the regulation of membrane potentials, vascular myogenic tone, cell proliferation, migration, and apoptosis (Figure).6–8 For example, high blood pressure–induced depolarization and contraction of cerebral artery smooth muscle may be partially mediated by VRCCs.7 There is evidence that …
Color Spatial Feature Extraction for Image Indexing - A Case Study on the Cell B. E. Processor

The color correlogram has proven its worth as an image descriptor for both comparison and retrieval. The paper presents a case study of developing efficient color correlogram algorithms on the STI Cell Broadband Engine (Cell B. E.), which is a state-of-the-art heterogeneous multicore architecture that consists of a traditional microprocessor (PPE) with eight SIMD co-processing unit (SPE) integrated on-chip. A generic working-partition technique is used in Cell B. E. processor to hide memory access latency, and we apply code SIMDization to efficiently implement pixel level parallelism. The experimental results, conducted on a Cell Blade running at 3.2 GHz, show that the Cell B. E. provides a significant performance speed-up for the color correlogram algorithm in comparison to traditional cache-based microprocessors.