cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Adjusting for Unmeasured Confounding in Marginal Structural Models with Propensity-Score Fixed Effects

Marginal structural models are a popular tool for investigating the effects of time-varying treatments, but they require an assumption of no unobserved confounders between the treatment and outcome. With observational data, this assumption may be difficult to maintain, and in studies with panel data, many researchers use fixed effects models to purge the data of time-constant unmeasured confounding. Unfortunately, traditional linear fixed effects models are not suitable for estimating the effects of time-varying treatments, since they can only estimate lagged effects under implausible assumptions. To resolve this tension, we a propose a novel inverse probability of treatment weighting estimator with propensity-score fixed effects to adjust for time-constant unmeasured confounding in marginal structural models of fixed-length treatment histories. We show that these estimators are consistent and asymptotically normal when the number of units and time periods grow at a similar rate. Unlike traditional fixed effect models, this approach works even when the outcome is only measured at a single point in time as is common in marginal structural models. We apply these methods to estimating the effect of negative advertising on the electoral success of candidates for statewide offices in the United States.
A new exposure metric for the cumulative effect of short-term exposure peaks of traffic-related ultrafine particles.

Introduction The adverse health outcomes of traffic-related ultrafine particles (UFPs) disproportionally impact near-highway neighborhoods. Current studies focus on either short-term health outcomes associated with short-term UFP exposures averaged over days or weeks, or long-term outcomes associated with long-term (yearly or longer) average UFP exposures. We hypothesized that frequent and repeated exposure to short-term UFP peaks that last for just hours could overwhelm or alter physiological defensive responses, resulting in long-term health issues. Herein, we propose a new exposure metric for measuring the cumulative effect of these peak exposures. Method We used UFP exposure data estimated by the Community Assessment of Freeway Exposure and Health (CAFEH) project, which recruited 704 participants from three pairs of near-highway/urban background neighborhoods in the Greater Boston Area between 2009 and 2012. CAFEH developed land use regression (LUR) models to estimate hourly averages of ambient UFP levels within the study areas based on mobile-monitored UFP data, and applied time-activity adjustment (TAA) to calculate adjusted final hourly estimates. Our alternative metric assigns cumulative peak exposure, which is determined as either the intensity (a high percentile of an individual's adjusted hourly UFP estimates) or the frequency (the number of hours with adjusted UFP estimates greater than a high percentile of all adjusted hourly UFP estimates of all participants in the study area) of UFP peaks. Results After TAA was applied, for most of the time, our cumulative peak exposure metrics were not strongly correlated with the annual average. However, the level of correlation varied greatly from neighborhood to neighborhood (Spearman's R ranges from 0.39 to 0.97). Conclusion There was variation in UFP peak exposure that was not explained by the annual average, suggesting that our proposed peak metric distinct from annual average exposure metric.
DNA replication in synchronized cultured mammalian cells: VI. The temporal replication of ribosomal cistrons in synchronized cell lines

Abstract The time of synthesis of ribosomal genes was studied in a haploid ( Rana pipiens ), and a pseudodiploid (Chinese hamster) cell line. R. pipiens cells were synchronized by amethopterin block. Chinese hamster cells were synchronized by isoleucine starvation followed by hydroxyurea treatment. DNA replicated during three or four selected intervals of the S period was separated from the remainder of the DNA by bromodeoxyuridine density labeling. Purified bromodeoxyuridine substituted DNA was annealed with radioactive-labeled 28S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) to determine when, during different intervals of S, the nuclear DNA homologous to rRNA was replicated. In the R. pipiens and Chinese hamster cell lines, the percent of nuclear DNA homologous to 28S rRNA is highest in the DNA replicated during the first half of the S period.
Nautical predictive routing protocol (NPRP) for the dynamic ad-hoc nautical network (DANN)

The Carrier Strike Group (CSG) and the Expeditionary Strike Group (ESG) are two common types of US Naval units consisting of multiple ships traveling as a group. All vessels within the CSG/ESG transmit and receive data via satellite, even when those vessels are within radio frequency line of sight (RFLOS). Within the CSG/ESG, satellite communications (SATCOM) are clearly necessary for vessels well forward of the main body, but could be augmented by RFLOS wireless communications for some members of the CSG/ESG. The goal of this research is to identify software technology that minimizes the barriers to employing affordable, commercially available technology (i.e., 802.11x) for ship-to-ship communications at sea. Some of the existing barriers to 802.11x communications at sea result from communication protocols that do not support the varying topologies or human network intervention one would expect to encounter within the CSG/ESG. This paper advances the concept for a predictive routing protocol that proactively addresses the topological and human issues unique to the DANN. Proactive routing will re-route the transmissions prior to interruptions, thus preventing interruption of open communication sessions.
Event Identification and Intelligent Hybrid Control

Hybrid dynamical systems consist of two types of systems, a continuous state system called the plant and a discrete event system called the supervisor. Since the plant and supervisor are different types of systems, an interface is required to facilitate communication. An important issue in the design of hybrid control systems is the determination of this interface. Essentially, the interface associates logical symbols used by the supervisor with nonsymbolic events representative of the plant's behaviour. This chapter discusses a method for learning a hybrid system interface where symbols and events are bound in a way which is compatible with the goal of plant stabilization. The method is called event identification and provides an on-line method for adapting hybrid dynamical systems in the face of unforseen plant variations.
A minimum distortion data hiding technique for compressed images

We present a blind data hiding method for JPEG compressed images, which minimizes the perceptual distortion due to data embedding. The proposed system presents a number of options to the encoder to cast the given hidden bits in the compressed content signal. The perceptual distortion cost of each option is calculated from the parameters available to the encoder such as the original image, quantization error due to compression and just noticeable distortion (JND) levels of the original image derived through an empirical human visual system model. The encoder selects the option with the minimum JND cost to cast the hidden bits. By the definition of blind decoding, the decoder should be able to extract the hidden bits without any side information on the option selected or the parameters available to the encoder. The decoder of the proposed system uses simple binary addition on their received transform coefficients to extract the hidden bits blindly. System performance is examined by computer experiments at different compression levels and at different embedding bitrates.
Two fission yeast B-type cyclins, cig2 and Cdc13, have different functions in mitosis.

Abstract Cyclin B interacts with Cdc2 kinase to induce cell cycle events, particularly those of mitosis. The existence of cyclin B subtypes in several species has been known for some time, leading to speculation that key events of mitosis may be carried out by distinct functional classes of Cdc2/cyclin B. We report the discovery of cig2, a third B-type cyclin gene in Schizosaccharomyces pombe. Disruption of cig2 delays the onset of mitosis, to the degree that a cig2 null allele rescues mitotic catastrophe mutants, including those that are unable to carry out the inhibitory tyrosyl phosphorylation of Cdc2 kinase. Consistent with this, a cig2 null allele exhibits synthetic lethal interactions with cdc25ts and cdc2ts mutations. Mitotic phenotypes caused by disruption of cig2 are not reversed by increased production of Cdc13, the other fission yeast B-type cyclin that functions in mitosis. Likewise, a cdc13ts mutation is not rescued by increased gene dosage of cig2+. These data indicate that Cdc13 and Cig2 interact with Cdc2 to carry out different functions in mitosis. We suggest that some cyclin B subtypes found in other species, including humans, are also likely to have distinct, nonoverlapping functions in mitosis.
Universal trajectory queries for moving object databases

In this paper, we consider a data model for uncertain trajectories of moving objects. In our model, the trajectory is a vector of uniform stochastic processes. We study "universal range queries" which examine whether the spatial properties of being inside a region hold throughout an entire time interval. An example of universal range queries is: "Retrieve all trucks staying in Santa Barbara area from 17:00 to 18:00 today". The main technical contributions are efficient algorithms for computing probabilistic answers to universal range queries. We show that the algorithms are efficient using theoretical worst case analysis and empirical studies. Interestingly, the practical complexity is better than theoretical bounds.
Diabetes increases expression of ICAM after a brief period of cerebral ischemia.

Abstract The objective of present study was to determine whether leukocyte-endothelial cell adhesive molecule, intercellular cell adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) was increased after ischemia in diabetic rats. The immunohistochemistry of ICAM showed that numbers of ICAM-1 positively stained microvessels in the cortex were markedly increased at 3 days of reperfusion in diabetic, but not in non-diabetic rats. These were further confirmed by Western analysis. Western analyses also showed that interlukin-1β (IL-1β), but not TNF-α, was increased at 3 days of the reperfusion in diabetic rats. The results suggest that inflammatory responses may mediate diabetic hyperglycemia-aggravated brain damage induced by ischemia and reperfusion.
NEW PRODUCTS — “I CAN FEEL WHEN THEY'RE RIGHT”

Working on new products creates the adrenaline that keeps marketing people pumped up. They can feel the big winners at the concept stage almost every time. Naturally, there are many disappointments too. It's the marginal ones that cause the insomnia…those that can turn into 90‐day wonders, or become six‐month disappointments, or run into the sophomore slump that generally precedes terminal drop‐out.
Modeling and analysis of new processes for polyester and nylon production

Integrated processes for nylon and polyester production were simulated. The polyester process includes four stages: esterification, prepolycondensation, finishing stage, and solid-state polycondensation. Three stages are involved in the nylon process: prepolycondensation, melt polycondensation, and the solid-state stage. The effect of beginning the solid-state stage at lower DP (compared to the value of the current process) was investigated for both nylon and polyester production. Reactors with either cocurrent or countercurrent purge gas flow were applied to the finishing stage for polyester and to the melt stage for nylon. The performance of different reactors was compared. The effect of purge gas strongly depended on the mass-transfer capacity of reactors. In the nylon process, variations in purge gas conditions had a small effect on reactor performance. However, purge gas effects on the polyester process were considerable, and countercurrent flow was more effective than cocurrent flow. The reactor operated at atmospheric pressure and, with countercurrent gas flow, can readily substitute for traditional high vacuum operation in the finishing stage of the polyester process.
Convolving Engineering and Medical Pedagogies for Training of Tomorrow's Health Care Professionals

Several fundamental benefits justify why biomedical engineering and medicine should form a more convergent alliance, especially for the training of tomorrow's physicians and biomedical engineers. Herein, we review the rationale underlying the benefits. Biological discovery has advanced beyond the era of molecular biology well into today's era of molecular systems biology, which focuses on understanding the rules that govern the behavior of complex living systems. This has important medical implications. To realize cost-effective personalized medicine, it is necessary to translate the advances in molecular systems biology to higher levels of biological organization (organ, system, and organismal levels) and then to develop new medical therapeutics based on simulation and medical informatics analysis. Higher education in biological and medical sciences must adapt to a new set of training objectives. This will involve a shifting away from reductionist problem solving toward more integrative, continuum, and predictive modeling approaches which traditionally have been more associated with engineering science. Future biomedical engineers and MDs must be able to predict clinical response to therapeutic intervention. Medical education will involve engineering pedagogies, wherein basic governing rules of complex system behavior and skill sets in manipulating these systems to achieve a practical desired outcome are taught. Similarly, graduate biomedical engineering programs will include more practical exposure to clinical problem solving.
Current methods used to investigate G protein coupled receptor oligomerisation

Classical models of G protein coupled receptor (GPCR) signalling assume that each receptor functions as a single unit. However, evidence is increasing that GPCRs may form functional assemblies of dimeric or oligomeric units. There are several methods that can be used to give evidence of GPCR oligomerisation that will be discussed in this review. These include co-immunoprecipitation and Western blotting, resonance energy transfer methods and transactivation / complementation of partially functional receptors. One definitive method currently does not exist and there are various advantages and disadvantages to each method depending upon the system considered. Although co-immunoprecipitation and Western blot studies require disruption of the cellular environment and require specific antibodies, they are a good starting point to show that receptor oligomerisation occurs in native systems. Resonance energy transfer techniques provide evidence that receptors are in close proximity, are measured in living cells and some formats may be used for imaging applications. Transactivation / complementation requires extensive modification of the GPCR, but provides evidence that the receptors are in physical contact. Despite great advances being made using these techniques, future challenges involve the development of other methodologies to determine the role of receptor complexes in the pharmacology and physiology of native systems.
Steric gate residues of Y-family DNA polymerases DinB and pol kappa are crucial for dNTP-induced conformational change.

Discrimination against ribonucleotides by DNA polymerases is critical to preserve DNA integrity. For many DNA polymerases, including those of the Y family, rNTP discrimination has been attributed to steric clashes between a residue near the active site, the steric gate, and the 2′-hydroxyl of the incoming rNTP. Here we used hydrogen/deuterium exchange (HDX) mass spectrometry (MS) to probe the effects of the steric gate in the Y-family DNA polymerases Escherichia coli DinB and human DNA pol κ. Formation of a ternary complex with a G:dCTP base pair in the active site resulted in slower hydrogen exchange relative to a ternary complex with G:rCTP in the active site. The protection from exchange was localized to regions both distal and proximal to the active site, suggesting that DinB and DNA pol κ adopt different conformations depending on the sugar of the incoming nucleotide. In contrast, when the respective steric gate residues were mutated to alanine, the differences in HDX between the dNTP- and rNTP-bound ternary complexes were attenuated such that for DinB(F13A) and pol κ(Y112A), ternary complexes with either G:dCTP or G:rCTP base pairs had similar HDX profiles. Furthermore, the HDX in these ternary complexes resembled that of the rCTP-bound state rather than the dCTP-bound state of the wild-type enzymes. Primer extension assays confirmed that DinB(F13A) and pol κ(Y112A) do not discriminate against rNTPs to the same extent as the wild-type enzymes. Our observations indicate that the steric gate is crucial for rNTP discrimination because of its role in specifically promoting a dNTP-induced conformational change and that rNTP discrimination occurs in a relatively closed state of the polymerases.
High-level data flow analysis

In contrast to the predominant use of low-level intermediate text, high-level data flow analysis deals with programs essentially at source level and exploits the control flow information implicit in the parse tree. The need for high-level flow analysis arises from several aspects of recent work on advanced methods of program certification and optimization. This paper proposes a simple general method of high-level data flow analysis that allows free use of escape and jump statements, avoids large graphs when compiling large programs, facilitates updating of data flow information to reflect program changes, and derives new global information helpful in solving many familiar global flow analysis problems. An illustrative application to live variable analysis is presented. Many of the graphs involved are constructed and analyzed before any programs are compiled, thus avoiding certain costs that low-level methods incur repeatedly at compile time.
Relationship between dietary fat supplementation and milk protein concentration in lactating cows: A review

Abstract Changes in protein concentration in milk of dairy cows resulting from supplementation of diets with fat reported during the last two decades have been compiled, and the existing literature concerning dietary fat and milk protein reviewed. Data show that increasing fat content of diets has generally increased milk yields but decreased milk protein concentrations. The decrease in protein concentration has been hypothesized to be due to decreased glucose availability, development of insulin resistance, increased efficiency of milk production, or reduced plasma somatotropin. In this review, data are presented which attribute the decrease to a lack of increase in amino acids available to the mammary gland for protein synthesis as milk yield increases during fat supplementation.
Deregulation and the New Leader Agenda: Outcomes and Lessons from Michigan.

Purpose: This research examined whether the removal of certification and other requirements led to larger or more diverse applicant pools for superintendent positions in Michigan. Michigan has not ...
Synthesis of proteins in cells infected with herpesvirus. V. Viral glycoproteins.

Abstract The glycoproteins synthesized by pseudorabies virus-infected rabbit kidney cells have been analyzed. Two types of glycoproteins have been distinguished: (1) glycoproteins that are present primarily in the cytoplasmic fraction of the infected cells and that do not become part of the virions—these glycoproteins are excreted into the culture fluids in relatively large amounts; (2) glycoproteins that are found associated with the nuclei of infected cells—these glycoproteins have an electrophoretic profile similar to that of the glycoproteins associated with viral particles and probably become part of the viral envelope. Nuclear DNA-containing viral particles and mature viral particles possess glyco-proteins with identical electrophoretic profiles; however, the nuclear particles contain fewer of these proteins. These results indicate that the DNA-containing viral particles isolated from the nuclei have the same membrane proteins as mature virus but that these proteins are present in nuclear particles in lesser amounts than in mature particles.
Coupled-channel-Born-approximation study of ( p , t ) reactions leading to two-phonon states of vibrational nuclei

A coupled-channel-Born-approximation (CCBA) study is made of ($p,t$) reactions leading to two-phonon states of vibrational nuclei. A detailed numerical analysis is performed, particularly for the $^{116}\mathrm{Cd}(p,t) ^{114}\mathrm{Cd}$ reaction with the incident energy ${E}_{p}=28$ MeV. It is shown that many features observed in the reactions, which cannot be explained by the distorted-wave Born approximation (DWBA), can successfully be accounted for by CCBA. It is also shown that three-step processes play an essential role in the successful explanation of the observed data, particularly the cross sections of the ${0}^{+}$ and ${4}^{+}$ two-phonon states.
Characterization of a novel gastropod toxin (6-bromo-2-mercaptotryptamine) that inhibits shaker K channel activity.

A novel potassium channel antagonist has been purified from the defensive mucus secreted by Calliostoma canaliculatum, a marine snail found in the temperate coastal waters of the western Pacific. The toxin is expelled from the hypobranchial gland as part of a defensive response and is contained within a viscous matrix that minimizes dilution and degradation. The active compound was isolated by multistage microbore HPLC separations followed by bioactivity assays. Nuclear magnetic resonance, combined with electrospray ionization Fourier-transform ion cyclotron resonance and electrospray ionization ion trap mass spectrometry indicate that the active component is a heretofore unknown indole-derivative, a disulfide-linked dimer of 6-bromo-2-mercaptotryptamine (BrMT). Exudates from the hypobranchial glands of various marine mollusks have been sources for dye compounds such as 6–6 dibromoindigo, the ancient dye Tyrian purple. BrMT represents the first correlation of a hypobranchial gland exudate with a molecular response. Voltage clamp experiments with a number of K channel subtypes indicate that BrMT inhibits certain voltage-gated K channels of the Kv1 subfamily.
A Novel Form of Affine Moment Invariants of Grayscale Images

We present a general method to derive robust invariants of grayscale images under affine geometric transformation. In the literature, there are well studied affine moment invariants of grayscale images. The problem is that only few of the invariants are low orders. Higher order affine moment invariants are sensitive to noise and hard to implement. In this paper, we extend the traditional definition of the geometric moment by encapsulating the image functions by some wrapper functions. A general theorem to construct the affine invariants consisting of the extended moments of a grayscale image is presented. Using this method, different forms of low order affine moment invariants are constructed. The traditional affine moment invariants are a special type of the proposed new affine moment invariants. These forms of invariants are less sensitive to noise and easy to implement. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.eee.19.1.3262
Undersulfated chondroitin sulfate in the cartilage matrix of brachymorphic mice.

Homozygous brachymorphic (bmbm) mice have a disproportionately short stature, similar to human achondroplasia. We previously showed that each zone of growth in young bmbm epiphyseal cartilages is smaller than normal and that the extracellular matrix appears to contain normal collagen fibrils, but smaller and reduced numbers of proteoglycan matrix granules. Our studies reported here indicate that mutant, like normal cartilage, synthesizes type II collagen and contains normal quantities of glycosaminoglycans as judged by uronic acid content. However, the glycosaminoglycans from the mutant differ from the normal in their chromatographic and electrophoretic properties. Further studies established that glycosaminoglycans from cartilages of brachymorphic animals were undersulfated. Whereas chondroitinase digests of glycosaminoglycans from cartilage of normal C57Bl6J 5-day-old mice contained predominantly disaccharides sulfated in the 4-position, that of the mutant contained appreciable unsulfated disaccharides as well.
Electromagnetic theorems for complex anisotropic media

Complex anisotropic media can generally be described by a 6 \times 6 macroscopic constitutive tensor \hat{C} . Using \hat{C} properties, a reaction integral formula is derived from which an anisotropic reaction theorem (modified reciprocity theorem) is developed. Reduction of the \hat{C} medium into a reciprocal medium is discussed including tensor symmetry attributes and limiting cases. The anisotropic reaction theorem is utilized to derive a zero reaction theorem, and then treated in relation to the moment method. Mutual and self-impedance elements of a network are also derived in terms of reaction integrals, symmetry covered using the anisotropic reaction theorem, and impedance elements related to moment calculations. Use of spectral domain analysis is also covered.
FUNCTIONAL BUNDLE BRANCH BLOCK AS A DELAYED MANIFESTATION OF RETROGRADE CONCEALMENT IN THE HIS-PURKINJE SYSTEM

Delayed Manifestation of Retrograde HPS Concealment. Introduction: The mechanism of functional bundle branch block induced at the onset of supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) is well established. However, no data exist to address the underlying mechanism of functional bundle branch block occurring in the second beat of SVT, when the first beat is conducted with a narrow QRS morphology and preceded by ventricular stimulation. Methods and Results: Two patients showing such a phenomenon form the basis of this report. Patient 1 with AV nodal reentrant tachycardia of the common variety persistently demonstrated functional right bundle branch block in the second SVT complex when a short train of ventricular pacing was introduced during SVT. This occurred without any discernible change in the SVT cycle length. Patient 2 bad a manifest posteroseptal accessory pathway and inducible orthodromic reentrant tachycardia. Functional bundle branch block during propagation of the second SVT complex invariably occurred either in the left bundle when SVT was induced by a bundle branch reentrant complex during premature ventricular stimulation, or in the right bundle when SVT was induced with a short train of ventricular pacing. The development of functional bundle branch block was preceded by minimal or no cycle length variations in the His-bundle inputs. Conclusion: These observations suggest that the type of functional bundle branch block occurring in the second SVT complex as a de novo phenomenon may be related to the relative timing of the retrograde penetration of the right versus left bundle during ventricular pacing or bundle branch reentrant complex. Therefore, due to its longest cycle length of activation and refractoriness, the earliest site of retrograde penetration is the most likely site of functional block during propagation of the second SVT complex. This delayed manifestation of retrograde concealment may provide new information regarding the electrophysiologic behavior of the His-Purkinje system.
Effects of carrier pulse rate and stimulation site on modulation detection by subjects with cochlear implants

Most modern cochlear-implant speech processors convey speech-envelope information using amplitude-modulated pulse trains. The use of higher-rate carrier pulse trains allows more envelope detail in the signal. However, neural response properties could limit the efficacy of high-rate carriers. This study examined effects of carrier rate and stimulation site, on psychophysical modulation detection thresholds (MDTs). Both of these variables could affect the neural representation of the carrier and thus affect perception of the modulation. Twelve human subjects with cochlear implants were tested. Phase duration of symmetric biphasic pulses was modulated sinusoidally at 40Hz. MDTs were determined for monopolar stimulation at two carrier rates [250 and 4000pulses∕s (pps)], three stimulation sites (basal, middle, and apical), and five stimulus levels (10%, 30%, 50%, 70%, and 90% of the dynamic range). MDTs were lower for 250pps carriers than for 4000pps carriers in 71% of the 180 cases studied. Effects of carrier...
Computational chemistry and aeroassisted orbital transfer vehicles

An analysis of the radiative heating phenomena encountered during a typical aeroassisted orbital transfer vehicle (AOTV) trajectory was made to determine the potential impact of computational chemistry on AOTV design technology. Both equilibrium and nonequilibrium radiation mechanisms were considered. This analysis showed that computational chemistry can be used to predict (1) radiative intensity factors and spectroscopic data; (2) the excitation rates of both atoms and molecules; (3) high-temperature reaction rate constants for metathesis and charge exchange reactions; (4) particle ionization and neutralization rates and cross sections; and (5) spectral line widths.
Intelligence, Coalitional Killing, and the Antecedents of War

Advances in primatological research have recently led to a hypothesis that lethal coalitionary raiding in chimpanzees is the product of an evolutionarily adaptive “dominance drive” that disposes adult males to seek out low-cost opportunities for conspecific killing. This conclusion has been extended into a claim that human warfare and other forms of coalitional killing are outcomes of a hardwired, “demonic male” complex. Reversing this evidential approach, I argue from data on conspecific killing in humans that humans and chimpanzees have an aversion to killing conspecifics. Their lethal violence, I propose, is more parsimoniously explained as the result of a developed intelligence capable of envisioning the future and, when necessary, of disabling this aversion to achieve desired goals.
Implications of natural sources for the latitudinal gradients of NO/y/ in the unpolluted troposphere

The latitudinal distributions of tropospheric odd nitrogen (NO/y/) due to lightning discharges and stratospheric injection are studied by estimating latitude dependences of the sources and the rainout sink from data obtained in August-September, 1977, and May-June, 1978, during project GAMETAG. A one-dimensional (latitude dependent) model is developed for the annually, zonally, and vertically averaged concentration of trace species, NO(y) being treated as a single species, which decouples the NO(y) calculation from the rest of the model since NO(y) has no chemical sources or sinks in the troposphere. The equation governing the NO(y) distribution is solved using finite differences with 33 uniformly spaced grid points in the micron range of -1 to 1. The distribution due to the stratospheric source has a minimum in the tropics, and there are broad maxima centered in the 25-30 degree region in both hemispheres. The calculated NO(y) due to lightning has a maximum near 15 degrees S, and it decreases to nearly a fourth of the maximum value near the poles. The drop off from the maximum is sharper in the Southern Hemisphere in comparison with the Northern Hemisphere.
Achaete-scute homologue-1 (ASH1) stimulates migration of lung cancer cells through Cdk5/p35 pathway.

Cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (Cdk5) activity is important for the migration and invasion of cancer cells. Our results indicate that in the lung one of the mechanisms that hASH1 regulates—migration—tak...
A framework for encapsulating card-oriented, interactive, legacy applications

Over the last several years Lockheed Martin has invested IR&D funds to explore lowering the cost of ownership of Command and Control systems for DoD software intensive systems. Two key technologies that address this issue are developing software components that can be reused across a family of systems within the command and control domain and methods for reusing legacy system applications. This paper describes how these two approaches have been merged using Object Oriented Technology to provide a reusable framework for encapsulating legacy applications.The Object Oriented Technology (OOT) that we consider key to lowering cost of ownership and to strategies for reuse of legacy code is described as Design Patterns [Gamma] and Frameworks[Coplien]. Design Patterns exist at a level of abstraction that provides a high return on reuse investment because they model stable relationships that are not likely to change as a system evolves and which can be reused across systems [Coplien]. It is not the intent of this paper to describe these terms. Rather it is our purpose to illustrate the advantages of this level of OOT.
Regulation of Cytochrome P450 2C11 (CYP2C11) Gene Expression by Interleukin-1, Sphingomyelin Hydrolysis, and Ceramides in Rat Hepatocytes

Interleukin-1 triggers the down-regulation of several hepatic cytochrome P450 gene products, but the cellular signaling pathways involved are not known. We have examined the role of sphingomyelin hydrolysis to ceramide in the suppression of CYP2C11, a major constitutive form of cytochrome P450, by interleukin-1. Treatment of rat hepatocytes cultured on matrigel with interleukin-1β caused a rapid turnover of sphingomyelin and an increase in cellular ceramide, with no change in cellular phosphatidylcholine. The ceramide was composed mainly of a D-erythro-sphingosine backbone, suggesting that it was derived from sphingolipid hydrolysis rather than from increased de novo synthesis. Treatment of the cells with either N-acetyl-D-erythro-sphingosine (C2-ceramide) or bacterial sphingomyelinase suppressed the expression of CYP2C11 and induced the expression of the interleukin-1-responsive α1-acid glycoprotein mRNA. In contrast, the acute-phase gene β-fibrinogen, which is induced by interleukin-6 but not by interleukin-1, did not respond to C2-ceramide. N-Acetyl-D-erythro-sphinganine mimicked the effect of C2-ceramide on CYP2C11, but not on α1-acid glycoprotein expression. These results are consistent with a role for ceramide or a related sphingolipid in mediating the down-regulation of CYP2C11, the induction of α1-acid glycoprotein, and perhaps other cellular effects of interleukin-1 in hepatocytes.
The Economic Thought of Frederick Soddy

Frederick Soddy (1877–1956) is best known as a pioneering chemist who collaborated with Rutherford in studying radioactive disintegration, predicted the existence of and coined the name for isotopes, and was a major contributor to the modern theory of atomic structure. For these achievements he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1910 and was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1921. He was a member of the Swedish, Italian, and Russian academies of science. During his career he held university positions at McGill, Glasgow, Aberdeen, and from 1919 onward, Oxford (Fleck, 1957).
The Puck Antenna: A Compact Design With Wideband, High-Gain Operation

We develop a high-gain antenna with wideband operation and compact size by placing a small dielectric superstrate (puck) in front of the feeding antenna. The antenna performance is a combination of the leaky-wave effect, naturally existing in this type of antennas, and the edge diffraction effect occurring at the puck perimeter. Compared to the typical resonant cavity antenna utilizing a large superstrate, the proposed puck antenna has nearly four times enhanced performance (gain-bandwidth combination) while using a square puck of side slightly smaller than two wavelengths (at the design frequency). Further enhancement is achieved by making the puck circular in shape in order to add the diffracted fields in phase. The study is conducted through full-wave simulations and validated through measurements in the $Ku$ band. The effect of puck misalignment is then discussed as a potential practical issue. Last, the ground plane is optimized for maximum antenna performance and relatively acceptable values of aperture efficiency (up to 51%).
Regulation of in vitro and in vivo CaCO3 crystallization by fractions of oyster shell organic matrix

Correlations between structural properties of bivalve shell organic matrix and its proposed functions in the regulation of biomineralization were examined using proteinaceous fractions obtained from the shell of the oyster Crassostrea virginica (Gmelin) following dissolution of the mineral with ethylenediaminetetraacetate (EDTA). Matrix isolated in this way contains a continuous size distribution of proteins ranging from relatively small molecular weight (Mr) soluble matrix (SM) components to insoluble matrix (IM) components. Regulation of mineralization by these components was determined primarily by their reduction of crystal growth rate in an in vitro assay. For all fractions tested, there was an inverse correlation between Mr and regulatory activity. However, matrix properties other than molecular size may be important in regulation of crystal growth in vivo in that the larger but less acidic of two soluble matrix proteins was a more effective inhibitor of spicule formation by sea urchin embryos. Base treatment of IM and high molecular weight SM fractions that had little or no inhibitory activity when untreated, resulted in constituents that had a molecular weight distribution and in vitro inhibitory activity in the same range as whole SM. These results, combined with the finding that a major fraction of IM has an amino acid composition very similar to the highly charged SM fractions, suggest that much of the matrix is made up of similar molecules, and that their function in crystal growth regulation may change as they interact to form units of increasing size. A second class of IM was isolated which contained dihydroxyphenylalanine (dopa) and a preponderance of hydrophobic amino acids. This material may represent the basic structural framework of the matrix.
Forces affecting educational change and school media centers

The phenomenon of "future shock" can be attributed to the rise of our "post-industrial" society with its exponential technological growth and diffusion of goods and services. Further, the complexity of our technological processes can be expected to perpetrate America's shock state. As Robert Heilbroner sketches in An Inquiry into the Human Prospect, the outlook points to convulsive changes resulting from external forces rather than from conscious choice, from crisis rather than from calculation. Heilbroner's is a world view, but his comments are pertinent to the educational institution as well. In the past twenty years, changes in schools have stemmed largely from various legislative and community pressures. This article describes briefly some of these driving forces and examines a few of the emerging trends for the decade as they affect the schools and their media centers. The decade which began in 1957 with the launching of Sputnik John Goodlad aptly described as the Schooling Decade. Sputnik catalysed educational change by spurring a burgeoning of federal aid to education and, more generally, stimulating an expansion of the federal government's role in this area. The Schooling Decade was an extraordinary period in educational history, an era of exploration, innovation, and experimentation with both the federal government and private foundations financially supporting educational programs. These years of abundance were ushered in with The National Defense Education Act of 1958, which numbered among its provisions the purchase of library books, equipment, and other educational materials to strengthen the curriculum in foreign languages, science, and mathematics. Of further and far-reaching consequence to education was the Civil Rights Act
Infrared-infrared double resonance spectroscopy of the isomers of acetylene-HCN and cyanoacetylene-HCN in helium nanodroplets

Infrared-infrared double resonance spectroscopy is used to probe the vibrational dynamics of molecular complexes solvated in helium nanodroplets. We report results for the acetylene-HCN and cyanoacetylene-HCN binary complexes, each having two stable isomers. We find that vibrational excitation of an acetylene-HCN complex results in a population transfer to the other isomer. Photoinduced isomerization is found to be dependent on both the initially excited vibrational mode and the identity of the acetylene-HCN isomer. However, population transfer is not observed for the cyanoacetylene-HCN complexes. The results are rationalized in terms of the ab initio intermolecular potential energy surfaces for the two systems with particular emphasis on the long-range barriers to rearrangement.
Cultivation of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium in a norepinephrine-containing medium alters in vivo tissue prevalence in swine

Transporting swine to slaughter is often linked with an increase in shedding of Salmonella, but little information exists to explain the role of stress. Recent research has suggested the catecholamine norepinephrine (NE) as a potential host signal during stress. The current study sought to investigate the prevalence of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium in fecal samples and various tissues following inoculation with S. Typhimurium exposed to NE in vitro. The samples were collected at 3 and 24 h post-inoculation (p.i.) from pigs inoculated with S. Typhimurium cultured in either Luria–Bertani medium (LBC) or NE-infused, SAPI minimal medium (NEC). Bacterial quantification of tissue and fecal samples revealed a difference in the concentration of Salmonella between the two infections for six tissues at the two time points, five of which were greater in the NEC animals (p<0.05). Upon observing an increase in the number of Salmonella associated with the stomach wall tissues at 3 h p.i. for the NEC culture, an experiment was conducted using an ex vivo swine contents assay to determine the effect of NE exposure on the ability of the organism to survive the conditions of the porcine stomach; NE treatment enhanced the survival of S. Typhimurium more than 2 logs (p<0.007). Our results demonstrate an increase in the number of Salmonella associated with various swine tissues following experimental inoculation with NE-treated S. Typhimurium; thus, a possible scenario could be envisioned with a Salmonella-infected pig being stressed during transportation/mixing, resulting in the shedding of NE-stimulated Salmonella and exposure of naive, stress-compromised penmates with a “primed” microorganism.
Future directions in the management of anal fistula

Abstract While evolution of surgical therapies is inevitable over time, it is not to say that all changes are helpful. Yet, many of the changes witnessed to date in the development and progression of fistula surgery have played a role in both minimizing morbidity and maximizing outcomes. Yankee's catcher Yogi Berra once said, " It's tough to make predictions, especially about the future ." It is, however, clear that fistulas will continue to be a part of every colorectal surgeon's practice going forward. As such, we need to maintain efforts to improve outcomes, especially for recurrent and recalcitrant disease. In this article we will explore some of the novel and cutting-edge ideas to cure patients with fistula disease.
The preferential effects of chloroquine on the IgM and IgG subclass responses to TI and TD antigens in BALB/cAn mice

This study has determined the effects of chloroquine on the IgM and the IgG subclass responses of BALB/cAn mice to both thymus-independent (TI) and thymus-dependent (TD) antigens, and has found that in antigen-unprimed BALB/cAn mice chloroquine adversely affects antibody responses to both TI and TD antigens. However, in antigen-primed mice the immune responses to TD antigens were unaffected by chloroquine. The IgGl subclass response, but not necessarily other IgG subclass or IgM responses to TI and TD antigens, was adversely affected by chloroquine in unprimed mice only. Thus, in unprimed, but not in antigen-primed, BALB/cAn mice, chloroquine preferentially decreased the IgGl subclass responses to both TI and TD antigens.
A difference between the proteins conveyed in the fast component of axonal transport in guinea pig hypoglossal and vagus motor neurons

We compared the proteins transported in the fast component of guinea pig hypoglossal motor neurons with those of guinea pig vagus (preganglionic parasympathetic) neurons. The fast component proteins of hypoglossal and vagus neurons were radioactively labeled by injecting 3H-amino acids into the hypoglossal and vagus motor nuclei. The radioactive fast component proteins obtained from each system were then compared with each other by SDS-polyacrylamide slab gel electrophoresis and fluorography. These analyses revealed at least twenty polypeptides which appear common to the fast component of each neuronal system. In addition, we identified one difference between the proteins comprising the fast component of these neuronal systems. A polypeptide, molecular weight 50,000 daltons, present in the fast component of vagus neurons was not detected in the fast component of hypoglossal motor neurons. These observations are discussed with regard to the similarities and differences between these neuronal systems.
Prolonged alteration in E-box binding after a single systemic kainate injection: potential relation to F1/GAP-43 gene expression

Abstract The presence in hippocampus of a basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) family of transcription factors (TFs) specifically binding in an electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) to the E-box recognition element was established by selective blockade of binding both by cold competition and by an antibody to MyoD1, an E-box TF. Protein source was from a micro-dissected preparation enriched in hippocampal granule cells. Specific E-box binding of hippocampal transcription factors was significantly reduced in kainate acid (KA) treated animals. This was observed at 24 and 72 h, but not before (3, 6 h) or after (96 h). This is the first report to our knowledge to study functional regulation of E-box binding protein in adult hippocampus. To determine the generality of this E-box regulatory event, we studied four other situations, in addition to kainate treatment, where axonal growth is known or has been suggested to increase: NGF treatment of PC12 cells, unilateral hilar lesions, long-term potentiation after 1 h, and postnatal rat hippocampal development. In all four cases, decreased E-box binding was observed. The recent link of F1/GAP-43 mRNA induction in hippocampal granule cells by KA to growth of their axons, the mossy fibers in the adult rat, suggests a potential role for the F1/GAP-43 5′ flanking promoter region in regulating neurite outgrowth. Since in all cases decreased E-box binding preceded increased F1/GAP-43 mRNA expression, it is suggested that E-box binding to the F1/GAP-43 promoter in hippocampal granule cells could negatively regulate F1/GAP-43 gene expression. Indeed, analysis of recognition elements on the F1/GAP-43 gene revealed an arrangement, previously described in other genes, of multiple adjacent E-box elements. E-box binding of bHLH transcription factors is likely to occur on several different genes in addition to F1/GAP-43. It is, therefore, attractive to think that E-box binding is regulated by in vivo activation of the adult brain and that this gene regulatory event participates in the orchestration of molecular and cellular responses underlying axonal growth.