cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Gamma actin, spectrin, and intermediate filament proteins colocalize with vinculin at costameres, myofibril‐to‐sarcolemma attachment sites

Localization of vinculin at the sarcolemma of striated muscle fibers defines an orthogonal lattice. The costameres of the lattice are the riblike bands of vinculin that run perpendicular to the long axis of the fiber, repeat in register with I bands of the subjacent myofibrils, and seem to couple the myofibril to the sarcolemma [Pardo et al 1982, 1983a]. The colocalization studies presented in this paper show that gamma actin, spectrin, and intermediate filament antigens are additional components of this lattice of costameres. In addition, the results show that gamma actin and spectrin are also components of the internal network of collars, first visualized with antibody to desmin [Granger and Lazarides, 1978], that connects the myofibrils to each other at the level of the Z line.
Image familiarization sharpens response dynamics of neurons in inferotemporal cortex.

In the visual system, familiarization to an image results in reduced neural responses to it. Here the AUs find that with dynamic visual displays, neurons in the inferotemporal cortex respond more strongly to familiar than novel images. This indicates that familiarization sharpens the response dynamics of neurons in extrastriate visual cortex.
Bringing in the Bard: Shakespearean Plays as Context for Instrumental Analysis Projects.

Scenes from the works of William Shakespeare were incorporated into individual and group projects for an upper-level chemistry class, instrumental analysis. Students read excerpts from different plays and then viewed a corresponding video clip from a stage or movie production. Guided-research assignments were developed based on these scenes. These projects required students to make significant use of primary scientific literature to address open-ended research questions inspired by Shakespearean plays. Projects were scaffolded with in-class activities to guide and encourage student progress. Class performance, student perceptions, and learning outcomes will be discussed, and a student perspective is included. Recommendations for the incorporation of Shakespeare into other chemistry courses are provided.
Relation between blood sugar level and random activity during food and water deprivation

Blood sugar level and stabilimeter activity were measured in rats at several stages of food deprivation and water deprivation. Significant negative correlations between blood sugar level and activity were found in both food and water deprived Ss.
Effect of Fiber Diameter Variation on Properties of Cement Based Matrix Fiber Reinforced Composites

Depending on process route, fibers for composite reinforcement typically have some degree of variation in diameter. This paper examines the effect of varying fiber diameter on properties of cement-based matrix composites such as first crack strength, fracture energy, and ultimate tensile strength. The analytical development of fiber bridging action across matrix cracks accounts for fibers that pull-out and fibers which rupture. Model calculations reveal that within reasonable limits, composite properties should not decay due to fiber diameter variations.
Crystallization of poly(aryl-ether-ether-ketone) - Effect of thermal history of the melt on crystallization kinetics

Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) and optical microscopy were used to investigate the effect of the thermal history of the melt on the crystallization of a commercial sample of poly(aryl-ether-ether-ketone) (PEEK). Heating a film of PEEK at a temperature above the melt temperature for various periods of time changes the nucleation and crystal growth rate upon cooling the sample. Destruction of existing nuclei, formation of new nuclei, chain branching, cross linking, and chemical degradation of the macromolecular chains are all believed to take place at different times and to different extents during the thermal melt processing of the polymer. This study suggests that the thermal history of the melt plays an important role in the crystallization of PEEK samples. 45 refs.
Managing organizational change: paradoxical problems, solutions, and consequences

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine how paradox emerges during a planned change initiative to improve and dramatically transform inter‐agency information sharing. Based on interviews with key decision makers, the authors interrogate the relationships among institutional contradictions, emergent dualities, the communicative management of related organizational stakeholder paradoxes, and the consequences of enacted solutions.Design/methodology/approach – Interviews with government leaders serve as the data source. These decision makers are from justice agencies participating in planning an information‐sharing program to better protect citizens and their agencies' workforce.Findings – The data suggests that Seo and Creed's institutional contradiction “isomorphism conflicting with divergent interests” gave rise to three interdependent dualities: stakeholder self‐interest/collective good, stakeholder inclusion/exclusion, and emergent stakeholder consensus/leader driven decision making. These dual...
Full-thickness skin graft in the secondary repair of bilateral cleft lip. A case report.

A 13-week-old boy with bilateral complete cleft lip and palate is presented. He had three attempted repairs of his lip elsewhere over a period of four weeks, and all of these broke down. Consequently, a substantial amount of his prolabium became necrotic. After a preoperative orthodontic realignment of the cleft segments, a secondary lip/nose repair was performed. The mucosa was reconstructed by advancement flaps. The orbicularis muscle was dissected out from its abnormal insertion and reconstructed in the midline. The philtrum was reconstructed with a full-thickness skin graft from the right postauricular area. The six-month postoperative result was satisfactory. This technique could be considered as an alternative to primary Abbe flap in secondary reconstruction of the cleft lip, although long-term follow-up must be obtained.
Rad23 Ubiquitin-associated Domains (UBA) Inhibit 26 S Proteasome-catalyzed Proteolysis by Sequestering Lysine 48-linked Polyubiquitin Chains

Most substrates of the 26 S proteasome are recognized only following conjugation to a Lys48-linked polyubiquitin chain. Rad23 is one member of a family of proteins that possesses an N-terminal ubiquitin-like domain (UbL) and a C-terminal ubiquitin-associated domain(s) (UBA). Recent studies have shown that UbLs interact with 26 S proteasomes, whereas UBAs bind polyubiquitin chains. These biochemical properties suggest that UbL-UBA proteins may shuttle polyubiquitinated substrates to proteasomes. Here we show that contrary to prediction from this model, the effect of human Rad23A on the degradation of polyubiquitinated substrates catalyzed by purified proteasomes is exclusively inhibitory. Strong inhibition is dependent on the presence of both UBAs, independent of the UbL, and can be explained by competition between the UBA domains and the proteasome for binding to substrate-linked polyubiquitin chains. The UBA domains bind Lys48-linked polyubiquitin chains in strong preference to Lys63 or Lys29-linked chains, leading to selective inhibition of the assembly and disassembly of Lys48-linked chains. These results place constraints on the mechanism(s) by which UbL-UBA proteins promote proteasome-catalyzed proteolysis and reveal new properties of UBA domains.
Development of an enzyme immunoassay for cryptococcal antibody

An enzyme immunoassay (ELISA) for measurement of cryptococcal Ig G antibody in human serum is described. Clinical studies indicate that the assay is a useful addition to the currently available techniques for measuring antibodies in cryptococcosis. IgG-specific antibody (titers 4 to 1,024) was detected in the serum of 78 % of the cryptococcosis patients tested and in 61 % of the serum from healthy individuals with positive delayed skin hypersensitivity to cryptococcin. The micro-ELISA for cryptococcal antibody is of potential value in patient management, and in epidemiological studies.
Evaluation of Venezuelan Equine Encephalitis (VEE) replicon-based Outer surface protein A (OspA) vaccines in a tick challenge mouse model of Lyme disease

Venezuelan Equine Encephalitis (VEE) virus replicon particles (VRPs) encoding Borrelia burgdorferi Outer surface protein A (OspA) were evaluated for their ability to induce an immune response and provide protection from tick-borne spirochetes. VRPs expressing ospA that accumulated intracellularly (VRP OspA) or that was secreted from host cells (VRP tPA-OspA) were tested. Both VRP OspA and VRP tPA-OspA expressed ospA in immunized mice. Mice vaccinated with VRPs expressing secreted OspA produced significant amounts of anti-OspA antibodies, whereas VRPs expressing intracellular OspA were less immunogenic. The VRP method of delivery induced a Th1 type immune response unlike the recombinant OspA protein in Freund's adjuvant, which induced a mixed (Th1 and Th2) immune response. The VRP tPA-OspA construct induced an immune response that reduced the bacterial load in feeding Ixodes scapularis and blocked transmission to the host. These results indicate that VRPs are capable of providing protection against tick-borne B. burgdorferi, and potentially can be used for developing improved vaccines against Lyme disease.
Cell Phones in the Classroom: Teachers' Perspectives of Inclusion, Benefits, and Barriers.

Historically viewed as a disruption by teachers, cell phones have been banned from 69% of classrooms (Common Sense Media, 2009). The increased ubiquity and instructional features of cell phones have prompted some teachers to re-evaluate the ban and consider the benefits associated with allowing cell phones in the classroom. This study surveyed 79 teachers to determine their perceptions of using cell phones for classroom instruction. Findings indicated that the majority (69%) of teachers support the use of cell phones in the classroom and were presently using them for school-related work. Teachers identified student engagement and motivation as the primary benefits; barriers included lack of access and class disruption.
Executive dysfunction in elderly bipolar manic patients.

Objective This study used neuropsychological measures of executive skills to examine the functioning of frontostriatal networks in elderly bipolar patients. Design The authors hypothesized that elders with bipolar mania would exhibit poor executive functions relative to both elderly comparison subjects and depressed patients. Setting The study was conducted in the geriatric psychiatry services of a university hospital. Participants Nondemented elders: 14 with bipolar disorder I, manic (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition), 14 with unipolar major depression (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition), and 14 nonpsychiatric comparison (NC) subjects. Measurements Executive functions were assessed with the initiation/perseveration subscale of the Dementia Rating Scale and the manual Go/No-Go tasks from the extended initiation/perseveration scale. Results Manic elders demonstrated poor performance on tasks of initiation/perseveration and response inhibition, and performed significantly worse than both depressed patients and NC subjects. In this sample, there was no evidence for a relationship between severity of manic symptoms and executive performance. Conclusion These findings extend the observation that elderly bipolar manic patients have deficits in executive functioning compared with NC samples and provide evidence that the executive deficits demonstrated by bipolar manic elders can be more severe than those in unipolar depressed elders. As executive functions require frontostriatal integrity, these observations support investigation of specific frontostriatal network abnormalities in late-life bipolar disorder.
Role of Protein Kinase C in Signal Attenuation following T Cell Receptor Engagement

T lymphocyte activation through stimulation of the T cell receptor complex and co-stimulatory receptors is associated with acute tyrosine phosphorylation of intracellular proteins, which in turn mediate downstream signaling events that regulate interleukin-2 expression and cell proliferation. The extent of protein tyrosine phosphorylation is rapidly attenuated after only 1-2 min of stimulation as a means of tightly controlling the initial signaling response. Here we show that this attenuation of tyrosine phosphorylation of Shc, CrkL, and the proto-oncogene Cbl is mimicked by treatment of mouse T lymphocytes or cultured Jurkat cells with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate. This effect is blocked by the specific protein kinase C inhibitor GF109203X, but not by PD98059, an inhibitor of MEK1/2 kinase. Activation of protein kinase C by phorbol ester also causes rapid (t(1)/(2) = 2 min) dissociation of both CrkL and p85/phosphoinositide 3-kinase from Cbl concomitant with Cbl tyrosine dephosphorylation. More important, GF109203X treatment of Jurkat cells prior to T cell receptor stimulation by anti-CD3/CD4 antibodies results in an enhanced (2-fold) peak of Cbl phosphorylation compared with that observed in control cells. Furthermore, the rate of attenuation of both Cbl tyrosine phosphorylation and its association with CrkL following stimulation with anti-CD3/CD4 antibodies is much slower in Jurkat cells treated with GF109203X. Taken together, these data provide strong evidence that one or more isoforms of phorbol ester-responsive protein kinase C play a key role in a feedback mechanism that attenuates tyrosine phosphorylation of proteins and reverses formation of signaling complexes in response to T cell receptor activation.
Trace metal concentrations in the surf zone and in coastal waters off Baja California, Mexico

Pronounced spatial gradients were observed in trace element concentrations (Cd, Co, Cu, and Ni) in nearshore surf zone (<100 m offshore) and coastal (5−45 km offshore) waters off Baja California, Mexico. The ranges of metal concentrations in those waters were 0.034−0.26 nM for Cd, 0.022−0.59 nM for Co, 0.93−3.6 nM for Cu, and 3.6−6.4 nM for Ni. Metal concentrations exhibited offshore gradients, with the highest levels nearshore. Metal:salinity, metal:nutrient, and metal:metal relationships indicated that the relatively high nearshore concentrations were caused by upwelling (Cd and Ni) and by benthic particle resuspension and diagenetic remobilization (Co and Cu). The relatively low offshore concentration levels appeared to be caused, in part, by the intrusion of oceanic waters from the North Pacific Central Gyre, as evidenced by similarities in the molar ratios of Ag:Cu in coastal waters off Baja California (9.0 × 10-3) and in subtropical oceanic waters off central Mexico (9.6 × 10-3). This was also consi...
The post-Bhopal and post-9/11 transformations in chemical emergency prevention and response policy in the United States

The United States' approach to incident prevention and response to hazardous chemical facilities has undergone two major transformations in the last 20 years. The first was triggered by the Bhopal tragedy in 1984, which led to major changes within the US chemical industry and a series of Federal laws and regulations intended to prevent major chemical accidents. A more recent transformation is currently underway in the wake of the 9/11 attacks on New York and Washington. It involves the advent of various security-related requirements affecting many of the same facilities covered under the existing accident prevention rules. This paper provides an overview of these transformations and their impacts.
Delayed fracture in gels

Subject to a subcritical load, a swollen polymeric gel may hesitate for a prolonged period of time without showing any macroscopic symptom, and then break suddenly. Such a phenomenon is usually referred to as the delayed fracture in gels. In this paper, we present a possible mechanism for the delayed fracture in gels from the continuum and fracture mechanics point of view. Using a continuum visco-poroelastic model for polymeric gels, we calculate the evolution of the inhomogeneous stress field around a pre-existing crack, in consequence of the coupled viscoelastic creep and solvent migration. We invoke the instantaneous energy release rate as the local driving force for a crack, and find it to be an increasing function of time. With the dissipation from viscoelastic creep and solvent migration excluded, the criterion for crack advancing is that the instantaneous energy release rate equals the intrinsic fracture energy of the polymer. The fracture delay could thus be attributed to the time needed for viscoelastic creep and solvent migration to bring the instantaneous energy release rate to the level of the intrinsic fracture energy. For most swollen gels, solvent migration is the limiting process, and therefore the delay time depends on the size of a pre-existing crack in a similar way as common diffusion-limited processes. Finally, by assuming a specific size distribution of microcracks, we provide a simple statistical analysis towards the lifetime prediction of a swollen gel.
Equivalence class formation as a function of the pronounceability of the sample stimulus.

The role of naming in stimulus equivalence was studied by varying the pronounceability of sample stimulus pseudowords. Experiment 1 compared three conditions: in the first, sample stimuli consisted of phonologically correct pseudowords; in the second, sample stimuli consisted of phonologically incorrect words; in the last, sample stimuli consisted of punctuation marks. Subjects exposed to pronounceable stimuli demonstrated equivalence class formation more quickly and with fewer errors than did other subjects. In Experiment 2, subjects were trained in equivalence-class formation using only non-phonological sample stimuli. Half the subjects were exposed to a pretraining procedure in which they read a list of non-phonological pseudowords aloud. Remaining subjects transcribed the same list of pseudowords - a procedure which equated exposure to the pseudowords, but did not necessarily encourage subjects to name them. Subjects who were pretrained with the read-aloud task made significantly fewer errors than those who transcribed the words. These data are consistent with the theory that equivalence class formation is mediated by verbal behavior.
Dissociation of the role of nucleus accumbens dopamine in responding to reward-predictive cues and waiting for reward.

The choice among behavioral options is influenced by the anticipated cost of working for the reward relative to the anticipated reward magnitude. Dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) has been suggested to play an important role in cost/benefit computation. From a behavioral perspective, work involves two elements: the caloric expenditure of energy and the time required to complete the task. In many studies of the contribution of NAc dopamine to cost/benefit decisions, measures of work have conflated these separate elements. Here we describe a novel cued progressive delay task, an analog of the progressive ratio task that minimizes energy expenditure. In this task, rats obtain sucrose reward by entering a reward receptacle in response to a cue and remaining in the receptacle for a required wait that is increased after each successful trial. In an experiment in which the magnitude of reward was varied across sessions, the animals’ fail point (maximum wait achieved) was correlated with the amount of reward delivered. Microinjection of D1 or D2 dopamine receptor antagonists into the NAc did not affect the length of time animals were willing to wait for reward (fail point), but did reduce the proportion of cues to which the animal responded. These results suggest that waiting for reward without increased caloric energy expenditure does not require NAc dopamine.
β2-Glycoprotein I-dependent alterations in membrane properties

beta(2)-Glycoprotein I (beta(2)GP1), a 50 kDa serum glycoprotein, binds anionic phospholipids and plays a role in phosphatidylserine (PS)-dependent coagulation and apoptotic processes. To characterize the molecular consequences that occur to target membranes upon binding of beta(2)GP1, the interaction between beta(2)GP1 and PS-containing vesicles was investigated by fluorescent spectroscopy. Membranes containing pyrene-labeled lipid showed that binding of beta(2)GP1 induced a decrease in excimer/monomor ratios (E/M) of the target membrane. Although these membrane alterations occurred in isotonic buffer, the effects were greater in low ionic strength buffer and were coincident to membrane precipitation. In contrast, increases in membrane polarization were only seen in low ionic strength buffer. Analysis of beta(2)GP1 binding kinetics by resonance energy transfer between fluorescein-labeled beta(2)GP1 and rhodamine-containing PS vesicles revealed a two-component process: (1) a primary and rapid binding via the C-terminus that occurred <2 s in both isotonic and low ionic strength buffers, and (2) a sequential binding of the N-terminus that was approximately 100-fold slower in low ionic strength solution. Taken together, these data suggest that beta(2)GP1 alters the fluidity and membrane polarization of its target membrane, which in low ionic strength buffer is of sufficient magnitude to induce precipitation.
Interannual variability in primary production in tallgrass prairie: climate, soil moisture, topographic position, and fire as determinants of aboveground biomass

From 1975 to 1993, aboveground net primary production (NPP) at the Konza Prairie Research Natural Area in NE Kansas varied from 179 g/m2 to 756 g/m2. Across a variety of sites, NPP was significantly related to precipitation (r2 = 0.37), but much variability was unexplained. Thus, we evaluated the relationship between NPP with meteorological variables and soil moisture measurements in tallgrass prairie sites that varied in fire frequency and topographic position. Annually burned lowland sites had significantly higher NPP than either annually burned upland or unburned sites. NPP in burned sites was more strongly related to meteorological variables and soil moisture when compared to unburned sites. The lack of significant correlation between soil moisture with NPP on unburned sites suggests that factors other than water availability limit production in these sites. When NPP data were analyzed separately by life forms, interannual variability in forb NPP was not correlated with any meteorological variables, but was negatively correlated with grass NPP (r = -0.49). The inability of a single factor, such as precipitation to explain a large portion of the interannual variability in NPP is consistent with the concept that patterns of NPP in tallgrass prairie are a product of spatial and temporal variability in light, water, and nutrients, driven by a combination of topography, fire history, and climate.
Studies of the Chromatic Properties and Dynamic Aperture of the BNL Colliding Beam Accelerator

The PATRICIA particle tracking program has been used to study chromatic effects in the Brookhaven CBA (Colliding Beam Accelerator). The short term behavior of particles in the CBA has been followed for particle histories of 300 turns. Contributions from magnet multipoles characteristic of superconducting magnets and closed orbit errors have been included in determining the dynamic aperture of the CBA for on and off momentum particles. The width of the third integer stopband produced by the temperature dependence of magnetization induced sextupoles in the CBA cable dipoles is evaluated for helium distribution systems having periodicity of one and six. The stopband width at a tune of 68/3 is naturally zero for the system having a periodicity of six and is ~10-4 for the system having a periodicity of one. Results from theory are compared with results obtained with PATRICIA; the results agree within a factor of slightly more than two.
H - temperature measurements by a slit diagnostic technique

H/sup -/ ion beams are extracted at 5-25 kV from a long, narrow slit on a Penning surface-plasma source (the 8X source). The extraction geometry produces negligible transverse electric field (focusing effects) along the slit length. Therefore, the ion angular spread reflects the distribution of ion energies at the plasma surface. The angular distributions are measured with an electric-sweep emittance scanner whose slits are oriented normal to the long dimension of the emission slit. The nearly Maxwellian angular distributions measured over the central portions of the ribbon beam give kT(H/sup -/) of 0.1 eV to 0.2 eV for a 2-A DC discharge and 0.8 eV to 1.0 eV for 350-A to 500-A pulsed discharges. This diagnostic technique has sufficient position resolution to allow measurement of the kT(H/sup -/) spatial distributions. It also allows study of the kT(H/sup -/) dependencies on ion source parameters (e.g. increasing the H/sub 2/ gas flow lowers kT(H/sup -/)). >
Religious Renaissance in China Today

Since the beginning of the Reform Era in 1979, there has been a rapid growth and development of religious belief and practice in China. A substantial new scholarly literature has been generated in the attempt to document and understand this. This essay identifies the most important contributions to that literature and discusses areas of agreement and controversy across the literature. Along with new data, new paradigms have developed to frame research on Chinese religions. The paradigm derived from C. K. Yang’s classic work in the 1960s came from structural functionalism, which served to unite research in the humanities and social sciences. However, structural functionalism has been abandoned by the new generation of scholars. In the humanities, the most popular paradigm derives from Michel Foucault, but there are also scholars who use neo-Durkheimian and neo-Weberian paradigms. In the social sciences, the dominant paradigms tend to focus on state-society relations. None of these paradigms fully captures the complexity of the transformations happening in China. We recommend greater dialogue between the humanities and social sciences in search of more adequate theoretical frameworks for understanding Chinese religions today.
Enhancement of Combined Heat and Mass Transfer in a Vertical-Tube Heat and Mass Exchanger

This paper studies enhancement of heat and mass transfer between a countercurrent, gravity-drained water film and air flowing in a vertical tube. The enhancement technique employed is spaced, transverse wires placed in the air boundary layer, near the air--water interface. Heat transfer correlations for turbulent, single-phase heat transfer in pipes having wall-attached spaced ribs are used to select the preferred wire diameter, and to predict the gas phase heat and mass transfer coefficients. Tests were run with two different radial placements of the rib roughness: (1) at the free surface of the liquid film, and (2) the base of the roughness displaced 0.51 mm into the air flow. The authors hypothesize that the best heat/mass transfer and friction performance will be obtained with the roughness at the surface of the water film. Experiments conducted with both roughness placements show that the authors' hypothesis is correct. The measured heat/mass transfer enhancement agreed very closely with the predicted values. A unique feature of the enhancement concept is that it does not require surface wetting of the enhancement device to provide enhancement.
Use of relationship marketing programs in building customer-salesperson and customer-firm relationships: Differential influences on financial outcomes

Despite the conventional wisdom that relationship marketing will generate favorable financial results, extant marketing research provides inconsistent evidence for this effect. Here, we investigate this important question: Does a firm's relationship marketing truly pay off by enhancing financial outcomes? We examine the effects of relationship marketing on a buyer's concurrent person-to-firm relationship with the selling firm and his/her interpersonal relationship with the salesperson. Drawing on social judgment and attribution theories, we offer and test a theoretical model explicating (1) how a seller's social, structural, and financial relationship marketing programs affect buyer relationship quality with the salesperson and the selling firm and (2) how those relationship qualities ultimately generate seller financial outcomes. Relationship marketing programs indeed build buyer relationship quality, but whether those relationship-building effects reside with the salesperson or the selling firm depends on buyer perceptions regarding salesperson versus selling firm control of those programs. Buyer relationship quality with both salesperson and selling firm positively affect seller financial outcomes, but the effect of relationship quality with the selling firm is enhanced as perceived selling firm consistency increases. Employing triadic data from matched buyer, salesperson, and sales manager, this research presents an end-to-end empirical examination of how a seller's relationship marketing affects its financial outcomes through the buyer's relationships with the salesperson and selling firm. © 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
TRAIL apoptosis is enhanced by quercetin through Akt dephosphorylation

TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) is a promising cancer therapy that preferentially induces apoptosis in cancer cells. However, many neoplasms are resistant to TRAIL by mechanisms that are poorly understood. Here we demonstrated that human prostate cancer cells, but not normal prostate cells, are dramatically sensitized to TRAIL-induced apoptosis and caspase activation by quercetin. Quercetin, a ubiquitous bioactive plant flavonoid, has been shown to inhibit the proliferation of cancer cells. We have shown that quercetin can potentiate TRAIL-induced apoptotic death. Human prostate adenocarcinoma DU-145 and LNCaP cells were treated with various concentrations of TRAIL (10-200 ng/ml) and/or quercetin (10-200 microM) for 4 h. Quercetin, which caused no cytotoxicity by itself, promoted TRAIL-induced apoptosis. The TRAIL-mediated activation of caspase, and PARP (poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase) cleavage were both enhanced by quercetin. Western blot analysis showed that combined treatment with TRAIL and quercetin did not change the levels of TRAIL receptors (death receptors DR4 and DR5, and DcR2 (decoy receptor 2)) or anti-apoptotic proteins (FLICE-inhibitory protein (FLIP), inhibitor of apoptosis (IAP), and Bcl-2). However, quercetin promoted the dephosphorylation of Akt. Quercetin-induced potent inhibition of Akt phosphorylation. Taken together, the present studies suggest that quercetin enhances TRAIL-induced cytotoxicity by activating caspases and inhibiting phosphorylation of Akt.
Hurricane Flood Protection in NYC—Now Is Not the Time for Multiple Surge Barriers. Discussion of: Hill, D., 2012. The Lessons of Katrina, Learned and Unlearned. Journal of Coastal Research, 28(2), 324–331.

The article by Douglas Hill (2012) advocates the building of multiple storm barriers across New York Harbor to control storm and hurricane flooding. He includes a detailed critique of the New York City Panel on Climatic Change (NPCC) report based on their ‘‘dismissal’’ of the storm surge barrier concept. He suggests (p. 328) that the topic was overlooked ‘‘because of the makeup of the NPCC’’ (the absence of civil engineers). He then comments on the possibility of hurricane strikes on New York City (NYC) and their consequences His article has several major problems with omission of the consequences of building the barriers, alternative measures to limit flooding damage, and the most serious is his description of the consequences of a hurricane strike on New York City. The readers of this journal should realize that ‘‘editorials’’ are not fact-checked or peer-reviewed. My purpose in writing this discussion is to correct misperceptions and incorrect inferences, based on my research in this area. I first warned New York City Officials about the consequences of a major hurricane strike hitting New York in the mid-1990s. Since that time, I have been an advisor to both the NYC and NYS Emergency Management Orzanizations and have given hurricane seminars for all the counties in southern New York. I have also researched the hurricane damage potential in the State of New Jersey (Coch, 1999a). My conclusions have been presented in many media presentations and in numerous publications. Douglas Hill has totally ignored these research findings and has not followed proper attribution standards in not citing those works. He has mixed up and given inaccurate data about past hurricanes hitting New York City. His actions will cause needless worry to New Yorkers as he has ignored the progress made in handling hurricane emergencies in the past few years. A notable example of improved emergency management is how the City of New York handled Hurricane Irene in 2011. Any discussion about surge barriers in New York Harbor must consider the oceanographic conditions, and not just the water levels, there. I have spent 30 years studying the Hudson River from Albany to Sandy Hook. Published studies, and studies being completed now, show that water movements in the Upper and Lower Bays of New York Harbor are very complex (Coch, 1987). Water quality and sediment patterns are controlled by complex tidal flows, including net nontidal drift, flow separation, and flow segregation. Understanding these tidal complexities is vital in evaluating the consequences of building these barriers in New York Harbor.
High-dose epinephrine is not superior to standard-dose epinephrine in pediatric in-hospital cardiopulmonary arrest.

Objective. To compare the efficacy of high-dose epinephrine (HDE) with that of standard-dose epinephrine (SDE) for resuscitation from in-hospital pediatric cardiopulmonary arrest (CPA). Design. Fifty-four-month retrospective study of all pediatric patients who had a CPA while hospitalized at a tertiary care children9s hospital. Standard pediatric advanced life support techniques were used for all patients. Patients received HDE or SDE in accordance with physician orders and standard protocols at the time of CPA. Primary outcome measures were the return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC), the duration of survival after resuscitation, survival to hospital discharge, and Pediatric Overall Performance Category scores at the time of discharge. Results. During the study period, 51 patients met entry criteria and had a total of 58 CPAs. Twenty-one patients received HDE during resuscitation from 24 arrests, at a dose of 0.12 ± 0.05 mg/kg (mean ± SD); 30 patients received SDE during resuscitation from 34 arrests, at a dose of 0.01 ± 0.01 mg/kg (mean ± SD). The HDE and SDE groups were not significantly different in terms of gender, initial cardiac rhythm, location of CPA, primary diagnoses at the time of CPA, initial pH, or additional resuscitation medications received; the SDE group had a significantly higher mean age, although the median ages were not different. Fourteen of 24 resuscitations using HDE resulted in ROSC (58%) with a mean time to ROSC of 19 minutes; 7 (29%) of 24 led to survival for 24 hours, and 6 (26%) of 23 patients survived to hospital discharge, all with moderate to severe neurologic and functional impairment. Twenty-four of 34 resuscitations using SDE resulted in ROSC (71%) with a mean time to ROSC of 12 minutes; 17 (50%) of 34 led to survival for 24 hours; and 7 (23%) of 30 patients survived to hospital discharge, 4 with mild to moderate neurologic impairment. No significant differences in rates of ROSC, survival rates, or Pediatric Overall Performance Category scores of survivors were found between the two groups. The mean time to ROSC was significantly longer in the HDE group. Conclusions. In this study, the use of HDE did not improve the rates of ROSC, short-term survival, or long-term survival after pediatric in-hospital CPA, nor did it improve overall outcome scores. Given the conflicting evidence surrounding possible detrimental effects of HDE use, a large, blinded, prospective trial of HDE use in this setting is necessary to clarify the appropriate role for HDE in pediatric resuscitation.
Passive Source Localization Using Time Differences of Arrival and Gain Ratios of Arrival

A source signal will be subject to different amounts of time-delay as well as attenuation when it reaches a number of spatially separated sensors. Both time-delay and attenuation are dependent on the distance between the source and the receivers. This paper performs a fundamental investigation of whether the gain ratios of arrival (GROAs), defined here as the ratio of the received signal amplitudes at the referenced sensor to the other sensors, can be utilized in conjunction with the time differences of arrival (TDOAs) to improve the source localization accuracy. We begin with a Gaussian random signal model and derive the Cramer-Rao lower bound (CRLB) of a source location estimate based on both GROAs and TDOAs. Our conclusion is that the improvement from GROAs increases when the factor c/omegao increases, where c is the signal propagation speed and omegao is the signal bandwidth. The paper proceeds to develop an algebraic closed-form solution for the source location using GROAs and TDOAs. The algebraic solution is proved theoretically to reach the CRLB accuracy under the Gaussian data model. Numerical simulations are included to support and corroborate the theoretical developments.
Efficient parallel and out of core algorithms for constructing large bi-directed de Bruijn graphs.

Assembling genomic sequences from a set of overlapping reads is one of the most fundamental problems in computational biology. Algorithms addressing the assembly problem fall into two broad categories - based on the data structures which they employ. The first class uses an overlap/string graph and the second type uses a de Bruijn graph. However with the recent advances in short read sequencing technology, de Bruijn graph based algorithms seem to play a vital role in practice. Efficient algorithms for building these massive de Bruijn graphs are very essential in large sequencing projects based on short reads. In an earlier work, an O(n/p) time parallel algorithm has been given for this problem. Here n is the size of the input and p is the number of processors. This algorithm enumerates all possible bi-directed edges which can overlap with a node and ends up generating Θ(n Σ) messages (Σ being the size of the alphabet). In this paper we present a Θ(n/p) time parallel algorithm with a communication complexity that is equal to that of parallel sorting and is not sensitive to Σ. The generality of our algorithm makes it very easy to extend it even to the out-of-core model and in this case it has an optimal I/O complexity of (M being the main memory size and B being the size of the disk block). We demonstrate the scalability of our parallel algorithm on a SGI/Altix computer. A comparison of our algorithm with the previous approaches reveals that our algorithm is faster - both asymptotically and practically. We demonstrate the scalability of our sequential out-of-core algorithm by comparing it with the algorithm used by VELVET to build the bi-directed de Bruijn graph. Our experiments reveal that our algorithm can build the graph with a constant amount of memory, which clearly outperforms VELVET. We also provide efficient algorithms for the bi-directed chain compaction problem. The bi-directed de Bruijn graph is a fundamental data structure for any sequence assembly program based on Eulerian approach. Our algorithms for constructing Bi-directed de Bruijn graphs are efficient in parallel and out of core settings. These algorithms can be used in building large scale bi-directed de Bruijn graphs. Furthermore, our algorithms do not employ any all-to-all communications in a parallel setting and perform better than the prior algorithms. Finally our out-of-core algorithm is extremely memory efficient and can replace the existing graph construction algorithm in VELVET.
Transient population dynamics:relations to life history and initial population state

Most environments are variable and disturbances (e.g., hurricanes, fires) can lead to substantial changes in a population’s state (i.e., age, stage, or size distribution). In these situations, the long-term (i.e., asymptotic) measure of population growth rate (λ1) may inaccurately represent population growth in the short-term. Thus, we calculated the short-term (i.e., transient) population growth rate and its sensitivity to changes in the life-cycle parameters for three bird and three mammal species with widely varying life histories. Further, we performed these calculations for initial population states that spanned the entire range of possibilities. Variation in a population’s initial net reproductive value largely explained the variation in transient growth rates and their sensitivities to changes in life-cycle parameters (all AIC c ≥ 6.67 units better than the null model, all R 2 ≥ 0.55). Additionally, the transient fertility and adult survival sensitivities tended to increase with the initial net reproductive value of the population, whereas the sub-adult survival sensitivity decreased. Transient population dynamics of long-lived, slow reproducing species were more variable and more different than asymptotic dynamics than they were for short-lived, fast reproducing species. Because λ1 can be a biased estimate of the actual growth rate in the short-term (e.g., 19% difference), conservation and wildlife biologists should consider transient dynamics when developing management plans that could affect a population’s state, or whenever population state could be unstable. Published by Elsevier B.V.
Wavelength-selective semiconductor in-line fibre photodetectors

A photodetector which extracts and detects light at a specific wavelength travelling through a fibre is presented. The detector is a semiconductor waveguide evanescently coupled to a single-mode fibre. The full width at half-maximum of the photocurrent response is 1.6 nm, and the external quantum efficiency is 75%.
THE INTERVERTEBRAL DISC: ITS MICROSCOPIC ANATOMY AND PATHOLOGY

The pathological changes studied in this series include hypertrophic arthritis, nuclear expansions, ballooned discs, thinned discs, nuclear herniations into the vertebrae (Schmorl bodies), anterior and posterior nuclear protrusions, calcification of the nucleus pulposus, infections of the disc, and invasion by malignant tumors. Nuclear expansions are for the most part physiological, and not pathological; whereas ballooned discs are found almost entirely in the disease entity known as senile osteoporosis of the spinal column. There are two types of thinned discs: one in which the cartilaginous plate and annulus are intact, the thinning being due to desiccation and necrosis of the nucleus pulposus, and the other type in which the annulus is ruptured, or the cartilaginous plate contains many defects. Dehydration is essentially the cause of thinning in both types. Intraspongy nuclear herniations or Schmorl bodies are for the most part asymptomatic. Anterior nuclear protrusions are rare and of little clinical interest, whereas posterior nuclear protrusions are of great clinical importance. Eight per cent. of the specimens showed evidence of posterior nuclear protrusions. Calcification of the nucleus pulposus is a definite entity. However, it is of no clinical significance. Infection of the disc, resulting in early destruction of the annulus and nucleus, is recognized. The infection is usually blood-borne, and it may be primary or secondary to involvement of the vertebral body. The only example in this group was of infection of the disc, secondary to involvement of the vertebra. Invasion of the disc space by a malignant lesion is rarely found. Only one example was observed in this series, and in this case no real invasion of the cartilage was seen.
Safety Issues With Drug Therapies for Autism Spectrum Disorders.

Although currently no medication has been approved to treat autism spectrum disorders, survey data show that community practitioners are prescribing a broad range of medication treatments, including, but not limited to, antidepressants, stimulants, antipsychotics, alpha agonists, and anticonvulsants. Patients with autism spectrum disorders are also taking alternative treatments, including herbal remedies, immunologic treatments, and vitamin therapies, which may themselves produce side effects and/or create drug interactions with traditional medications. Although short-term data on the efficacy and safety of commonly prescribed treatments for autism spectrum disorders are increasing, few data are currently available on long-term treatment for autism spectrum disorders, but available studies and clinical experience can offer preliminary recommendations on the safety of and monitoring needs for the medications currently used for these disorders. Monitoring the safety and tolerability of drugs used in patients with these disorders should minimize the burden of side effects and optimize treatment outcome.
Crystallography of biological macromolecules at ultra-low temperature.

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Digital channelized IFM receiver

This paper introduces the concept of a digital channelized instantaneous frequency measurement (IMF) receiver for electronic warfare applications. A technique to estimate the instantaneous frequency of two simultaneous signals in the same channel of the receiver is developed and the frequency estimation is compared to the Cramer-Rao bound. >
Occupation and Other Risk Factors for Head and Neck Cancer

In this chapter, we examine the potential role of occupational and other exposures in the etiology of head and neck cancer (most often squamous cell carcinoma, SCCHN). The focus was on factors that have been examined in multiple epidemiologic studies, including occupational exposures, gastroesophageal reflux, and oral health. We consider the study design, conduct, and analytic approach and methods that may have influenced the interpretation of results from previous studies.