cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Calcium dependence of chemical carcinogen induced morphological transformation of Syrian hamster embryo cells.

Abstract The effect of extracellular calcium upon carcinogen induced morphological transformation was evaluated in Syrian hamster embryo cells. Reduction in [Ca 2+ ] from 1.8 mM to 0.2 mM throughout the 6 days between exposure of the cells to 2.5 μg benzo[ a ]pyrene (BP)/ml and examination of the cells for transformation inhibited both cell proliferation and transformation as measured by the frequencies of colony formation and morphological transformation. The transformation frequency among surviving cells, i.e. frequency/cell colony, however, was nearly equivalent indicating that the inhibition of transformation largely resulted from inhibition of cell colony formation. Proliferation and transformation were unaffected when [Ca 2+ ] was reduced to 0.2 mM on days 3–6. Reduction to 0.01 mM Ca 2+ during the same period, however, completely abolished transformation by BP, UV-irradiation or n -acetoxyacetylaminofluorene (AcAAF) without reducing cell proliferation. Thus, the expression of morphological transformation in newly transformed hamster cells is dependent upon extracellular [Ca 2+ ] to a greater degree than is cell proliferation.
Immune Modulation Mediated by Cryptococcal Laccase Promotes Pulmonary Growth and Brain Dissemination of Virulent Cryptococcus neoformans in Mice

C. neoformans is a leading cause of fatal mycosis linked to CNS dissemination. Laccase, encoded by the LAC1 gene, is an important virulence factor implicated in brain dissemination yet little is known about the mechanism(s) accounting for this observation. Here, we investigated whether the presence or absence of laccase altered the local immune response in the lungs by comparing infections with the highly virulent strain, H99 (which expresses laccase) and mutant strain of H99 deficient in laccase (lac1Δ) in a mouse model of pulmonary infection. We found that LAC1 gene deletion decreased the pulmonary fungal burden and abolished CNS dissemination at weeks 2 and 3. Furthermore, LAC1 deletion lead to: 1) diminished pulmonary eosinophilia; 2) increased accumulation of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells; 3) increased Th1 and Th17 cytokines yet decreased Th2 cytokines; and 4) lung macrophage shifting of the lung macrophage phenotype from M2- towards M1-type activation. Next, we used adoptively transferred CD4+ T cells isolated from pulmonary lymph nodes of mice infected with either lac1Δ or H99 to evaluate the role of laccase-induced immunomodulation on CNS dissemination. We found that in comparison to PBS treated mice, adoptively transferred CD4+ T cells isolated from lac1Δ-infected mice decreased CNS dissemination, while those isolated from H99-infected mice increased CNS dissemination. Collectively, our findings reveal that immune modulation away from Th1/Th17 responses and towards Th2 responses represents a novel mechanism through which laccase can contribute to cryptococcal virulence. Furthermore, our data support the hypothesis that laccase-induced changes in polarization of CD4+ T cells contribute to CNS dissemination.
A potent plant virus inhibitor found in Mirabilis jalapa L

An inhibitor of plant virus infection was found in the extracts of Mirabilis jalapa L. The inhibitor, a protein designated as MAP (Mirabilis antiviral protein), showed highly potent activity against mechanical transmission of viruses, tobacco mosaic (TMV), cucumber green mottle mosaic, potato Y, turnip mosaic and cucumber mosaic. Almost complete inhibition was achieved when MAP at 0.8μg/ml was applied on the upper surface of leaves of Xanthi nc tobacco 24hr before TMV inoculation, and 50% inhibition when MAP at 10μg/ml was applied on the under surface of leaves. MAP induced systemic resistance to TMV infection in tobacco plants when it was applied on their basal leaves 24hr before TMV inoculation onto the upper ones. MAP showed no inhibition when it was applied 1hr after TMV inoculation. Antiserum against MAP gave positive reaction in the agar gel with leaf extracts of M. jalapa and did not with those of the other Chenopodiales plants such as Basella rubra, Boerhaavia diffusa, Bougainvillea sp., Chenopodium amaranticolor and Phytolacca americana. Concentration of MAP was successfully quantified using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. MAP content in the root tissue was exceedingly higher than in the other parts of the plant and that of an yellow-flower trait of M. jalapa was as high as 1.1mg/g fresh weight. M. jalapa seems to be a promising source of antiviral substances for the practical use.
Spiking Threshold and Overarousal Effects in Serial Learning

Possible dependencies of serial learning data on physiological parameters such as spiking thresholds, arousal level, and decay rate of potentials are considered in a rigorous learning model. Influence of these parameters on the invertedU in learning, skewing of the bowed curve, primacy vs. recency, associational span, distribution of remote associations, and growth of associations is studied. A smooth variation of parameters leads from phenomena characteristic of normal subjects to abnormal phenomena, which can be interpreted in terms of increased response interference and consequent poor paying attention in the presence of overarousal. The study involves a type of biological many-body problem including dynamical time-reversals due to macroscopically nonlocal interactions.
General kinetic bounds on productivity and selectivity in reactor-separator systems of arbitrary design : Principles

For a specified set of feed streams and a specified network of chemical reactions, there is an almost limitless variety of reactor-separator designs that might be employed in enhancing the production rates of certain desired molecules while suppressing the production rates of undesired ones. Of special significance is the vast spectrum of very different reactor configurations available to the designer. We seek to determine sharp kinetic bounds on what can be achieved in steady-state reactor-separator systems of arbitrary design, subject perhaps to certain natural physical constraints. A primary conceptual tool is the continuous flow stirred tank reactor (CFSTR) equivalence principle, proven in this paper, which asserts that the effluent of any steady-state reactor-separator design can be achieved arbitrarily closely by another steady-state design involving perhaps arbitrarily sharp separations but in which the only reactor components are s+1 ideal CFSTRs, where s is the rank of the underlying network of chemical reactions. Thus, for the sole purpose of assessing bounds on the set of attainable effluents, it suffices to consider a surprisingly narrow and simple class of reactor configurations.
Effects of nitroprusside on transmitral flow velocity patterns in extreme heart failure: a combined hemodynamic and Doppler echocardiographic study of varying loading conditions.

Abstract To explore the mechanisms of change of left ventricular diastolic filling associated with preload and afterload reduction, the influence of nitroprusside on the transmitral flow velocity pattern, pulmonary capillary wedge pressure and left ventricular pressure interaction was studied in 11 patients with end-stage heart failure. Pulsed Doppler echocardiographic recordings of mitral inflow were obtained with simultaneous high fidelity left ventricular and phase-corrected pulmonary capillary wedge pressure recordings before and during levels of nitroprusside infusion. With nitroprusside, left ventricular systolic and end-diastolic pressures decreased by 14% and 41% (p The lack of peak flow velocity change during nitroprusside infusion could be explained by either the associated decrease in left ventricular minimal pressure or downward shift of left ventricular diastolic pressure by the same amount as the decrease in pulmonary capillary wedge pressure. This may reflect a reduction of external constraint to ventricular distensibility produced by a reduction in filling volume in patients with a markedly dilated ventricle. Thus, a prolonged early diastolic filling period and preserved peak early diastolic filling velocity in spite of decreased left ventricular filling pressure and constant relaxation rate are associated with the beneficial effects of nitroprusside on left ventricular function in patients with severe congestive heart failure.
A Comparison of Illness Concepts of School Age Children and Adolescents

The purpose of this study was to determine if there were significant differences in the cognitive dimensions—differentiation, abstractness, and articulation-of illness concepts of school age children and adolescents. A questionnaire was administered to 152 well school age children and adolescents to obtain written concepts of a familiar illness (common cold) and an unfamiliar illness (diabetes). Subjects were 5th, 8th, and 11th graders. Two-way analyses of variance (grade x sex) showed a significant main effect for grade on scores of illness concepts on all cognitive dimensions. With increasing age children's illness concepts were more abstract and articulated.
Empirical and molecular formula determination by gas chromatography/microwave-induced plasma atomic emission spectrometry

Abstract Following a review of gas chromatographic element-specific detection by microwave-induced plasma atomic emission spectrometry for the purposes of empirical-formula determination, current results for an atmospheric-pressure helium plasma are presented. Hydrocarbons and chlorinated organic compounds are used as models and compounds resulting from chlorination of fulvic acid are characterized. Accuracy and precision for carbon, hydrogen and chlorine determinations are reported. The former usually being better than ±5% and the latter in the range 1–3%. Manual and computer methods for empirical-formulae determination are presented and compared.
Interaction of carbon nanohorns with plants: Uptake and biological effects

Single-walled carbon nanohorns (SWCNHs) are a unique carbon-based nanomaterial with promising application in different fields including, medicine, genetic engineering and horticulture. Here, we investigated the biological response of six crop species (barley, corn, rice, soybean, switchgrass, tomato) and tobacco cell culture to the exposure of SWCNHs. We found that SWCNHs can activate seed germination of selected crops and enhance growth of different organs of corn, tomato, rice and soybean. At cellular level, growth of tobacco cells was increased in response to exposure of SWCNHs (78% increase compared to control). Uptake of SWCNHs by exposed crops and tobacco cells was confirmed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and quantified by microwave induced heating (MIH) technique. At genetic level, SWCNHs were able to affect expression of a number of tomato genes that are involved in stress responses, cellular responses and metabolic processes. We have concluded that SWCNHs can be used as plant growth regulators and have the potential for plant-related applications.
Usefulness of single-photon emission computed tomography of thallium-201 uptake after dipyridamole infusion for detection of coronary artery disease

Abstract The diagnostic performance of single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and planar imaging of thallium-201 uptake for the detection of coronary artery disease (CAD) was compared in 79 patients who underwent both dipyridamole thallium-201 scintigraphy and coronary angiography. Clinical subgroups were assigned by severity of CAD, presence of a prior myocardial infarction and the number of narrowed coronary arteries. The overall detection of CAD was 89% for SPECT and 67% for planar (p
A method of measuring the interaction between skin temperature and humidity on skin vascular endothelial function in people with diabetes.

Background: A core defect in people with Type 2 Diabetes is endothelial dysfunction. This defect permeates all organ systems in the body including the ability of the skin to protect itself from thermal injuries by an appropriate increase in skin circulation. Most studies on the local response to heating have been done with dry heat sources. Recent data show that endothelial function is improved in people with diabetes with moist heat. Little is known about ‘how’ moist heat must be or the mechanisms on why moist heat triggers a better blood flow response than dry heat. Methods: In the present investigation, a device was developed to provide variable temperature air and variable humidity as an aid to study the dynamics of the skin circulatory response to heat in people with diabetes. The device consisted of a water bath used to heat air and an air dryer and air bubbler to generate dry and moist air, respectively, at a fixed temperature. The air could then be mixed and the temperature stabilized to produce a...
Synthetic aperture focusing for short-lag spatial coherence imaging

It has been demonstrated that short-lag spatial coherence (SLSC) ultrasound imaging can provide improved speckle SNR and lesion CNR compared with conventional B-mode images, especially in the presence of noise and clutter. Application of the van Cittert-Zernike theorem predicts that coherence among the ultrasound echoes received across an array is reduced significantly away from the transmit focal depth, leading to a limited axial depth of field in SLSC images. Transmit focus throughout the field of view can be achieved using synthetic aperture methods to combine multiple transmit events into a single final image. A synthetic aperture can be formed with either focused or diverging transmit beams. We explore the application of these methods to form synthetically focused channel data to create SLSC images with an extended axial depth of field. An analytical expression of SLSC image brightness through depth is derived for the dynamic receive focus case. Experimental results in a phantom and in vivo are presented and compared with dynamic receive focused SLSC images, demonstrating improved SNR and CNR away from the transmit focus and an axial depth of field four to five times longer.
Functional properties of flour from low-temperature extruded navy and pinto beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.)

Abstract This study assessed the feasibility of using low-temperature (85 °C) extrusion to process navy and pinto beans flours for gluten-free products. Bean flours were extruded using a twin-screw extruder and ground (250 μm particle size). Extruded (EXT) flours physical properties were compared with raw and 82 °C steam-cooked (STC) bean flours and cookies quality from EXT and STC flours also was evaluated. The EXT bean flours demonstrated better physical and functional characteristics, i.e., a significant increase in water absorption index, from 2.10 in STC to 2.73 in EXT navy flour and water solubility index, 13.33 to 25.56 (navy) and 13.35 to 21.19 (pinto) over STC bean flours. Extrusion cooking affected Hunter color “a” and “b” values significantly for navy and pinto bean flours, whereas, a mixed trend was observed for color “L” values. Extrusion decreased peak and final viscosities of navy and pinto flours when compared to raw or STC bean flours. The cookie diameter, height, and spread factor were comparable between EXT and STC flour cookies. Cookies from EXT flour scored >6 (1–9 hedonic scale) for flavor, texture, and overall acceptability which were higher than STC flour. Over seven-eighths (94/107) of the panelists could not detect beany flavor in the cookies.
Analysis & Detection of SQL Injection Vulnerabilities via Automatic Test Case Generation of Programs

SQL injection attacks occur due to vulnerabilities in the design of queries where a malicious user can take advantage of input opportunities to insert code in the queries that modify the query-conditions resulting in unauthorized database access. We provide a novel technique to identify the possibilities of such attacks. The central theme of our technique is based on automatically developing a model for a SQL query such that the model captures the dependencies between various components (sub-queries) of the query. We, then, analyze the model using CREST test-case generator and identify the conditions under which the query corresponding to the model is deemed vulnerable. We further analyze the obtained condition-set to identify its subset; this subset being referred to as the causal set of the vulnerability. Our technique considers the semantics of the query conditions, i.e., the relationship between the conditions, and as such complements the existing techniques which only rely on syntactic structure of the SQL query. In short, our technique can detect vulnerabilities in nested SQL queries, and can provide results with no false positives or false negatives when compared to the existing techniques.
The role of the central melanocortin system in the regulation of food intake and energy homeostasis: lessons from mouse models

A little more than a decade ago, the molecular basis of the lipostat was largely unknown. At that time, many laboratories were at work attempting to clone the genes encoding the obesity, diabetes, fatty, tubby and agouti loci, with the hope that identification of these obesity genes would help shed light on the process of energy homeostasis, appetite and energy expenditure. Characterization of obesity and diabetes elucidated the nature of the adipostatic hormone leptin and its receptor, respectively, while cloning of the agouti gene eventually led to the identification and characterization of one of the key neural systems upon which leptin acts to regulate intake and expenditure. In this review, we describe the neural circuitry known as the central melanocortin system and discuss the current understanding of its role in feeding and other processes involved in energy homeostasis.
Increase of critical current density and voltage for triggering avalanche injection through use of graded collector doping

Abstract In this paper it is shown that both critical current density and voltage of an epitaxial bipolar power transistor with an inductive load, which are taken as a measure of its susceptibility to avalanche injection, can be significantly increased by using double graded collector doping profiles. The first graded portion gives the required current protection level and the steeper second graded profile can be used to increase the voltage protection level. Calculations are carried out for optimum collector parameters to achieve minimum resistance for the required open base breakdown voltage. Results are compared with uniformly doped profile for the same collector resistance and open base voltage. It is shown that a device with graded collector is less prone to failure due to avalanche injection.
A canonical form under ϕ-equivalence

Abstract Let M n denote the set of n -by- n complex matrices. Two matrices A , B ∈ M n are said to be ϕ-equivalent if there is a nonsingular R ∈ M n such that A = RBϕ ( R ), where ϕ: M k → M k satisfies: (1) ϕ ( ϕ ( X )) = X , (2) ϕ ( XY ) = ϕ ( Y ) ϕ ( X ), and (3) either ϕ ( X ⊕ Y ) = ϕ ( X )⊕ ϕ ( Y ) or ϕ ( X ⊕ Y ) = ϕ ( Y )⊕ ϕ ( X ) for all X , Y ∈ M k , k = 1,2,…, n . We show that an almost explicit canonical form of a nonsingular A ∈ M n under ϕ-equivalence can be obtained from a canonical solution of the matrix equation Xϕ(X −1 )∈ O (J(Aϕ(A −1 )) . We show how explicit canonical forms for nonsingular complex matrices under T-congruence, ∗-congruence, consimilarity, and AT-congruence can be obtained as special cases of this general principle.
The Definition of El Niño.

Abstract A review is given of the meaning of the term "El Nino" and how it has changed in time, so there is no universal single definition. This needs to be recognized for scientific uses, and precision can only be achieved if the particular definition is identified in each use to reduce the possibility of misunderstanding. For quantitative purposes, possible definitions are explored that match the El Ninos identified historically after 1950, and it is suggested that an El Nino can be said to occur if 5-month running means of sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies in the Nino 3.4 region (5°N–5°S, 120°–170°W) exceed 0.4°C for 6 months or more. With this definition, El Ninos occur 31% of the time and La Ninas (with an equivalent definition) occur 23% of the time. The histogram of Nino 3.4 SST anomalies reveals a bimodal character. An advantage of such a definition is that it allows the beginning, end, duration, and magnitude of each event to be quantified. Most El Ninos begin in the northern spring or perh...
Complete sets of representations of classical Lie superalgebras

Descriptions of the complete sets of irreducible highest-weight modules over complex classical simple Lie superalgebras are recorded. It is further shown that the finite-dimensional irreducible modules over a (not necessarily classical simple) finite-dimensional complex Lie superalgebra form a complete set if and only if the even part of the Lie superalgebra is reductive and the universal enveloping superalgebra is semiprime.
Genetic and Biochemical Analysis of the Twin-Arginine Translocation Pathway in Halophilic Archaea

The twin-arginine translocation (Tat) pathway is present in a wide variety of prokaryotes and is capable of exporting partially or fully folded proteins from the cytoplasm. Although diverse classes of proteins are transported via the Tat pathway, in most organisms it facilitates the secretion of a relatively small number of substrates compared to the Sec pathway. However, computational evidence suggests that haloarchaea route nearly all secreted proteins to the Tat pathway. We have expanded previous computational analyses of the haloarchaeal Tat pathway and initiated in vivo characterization of the Tat machinery in a model haloarchaeon, Haloferax volcanii. Consistent with the predicted usage of the this pathway in the haloarchaea, we determined that three of the four identified tat genes in Haloferax volcanii are essential for viability when grown aerobically in complex medium. This represents the first report of an organism that requires the Tat pathway for viability when grown under such conditions. Deletion of the nonessential gene had no effect on the secretion of a verified substrate of the Tat pathway. The two TatA paralogs TatAo and TatAt were detected in both the membrane and cytoplasm and could be copurified from the latter fraction. Using size exclusion chromatography to further characterize cytoplasmic and membrane TatA proteins, we find these proteins present in high-molecular-weight complexes in both cellular fractions.
Fuel and energy metabolism in fasting humans.

Fuel and energy homeostasis was examined in six male volunteers during a 60-h fast by using a combination of isotopic tracer techniques ([3-3H]glucose, [2H5]glycerol, [1-14C]palmitate, and L-[1-13C]leucine) and indirect calorimetry. Plasma glucose concentration and hepatic glucose production decreased by 30% with fasting (5.2 +/- 0.1 to 3.8 +/- 0.2 mmol/L and 11.8 +/- 0.5 to 8.2 +/- 0.6 mumol.kg-1.min-1, respectively, both P < 0.001) and glucose oxidation declined approximately 85% (P < 0.01). Lipolysis and primary (intraadipocyte) free fatty acid (FFA) reesterification increased 2.5-fold (1.7 +/- 0.2 to 4.2 +/- 0.2 mumol.kg-1.min-1 and 1.5 +/- 0.4 to 4.2 +/- 0.8 mumol.kg-1.min-1, respectively, both P < 0.05). This provided substrate for the increase in fat oxidation (from 2.7 +/- 0.3 to 4.3 +/- 0.1 mumol.kg-1.min-1, P < 0.01), which contributed approximately 75% of resting energy requirements after the 60-h fast and increased the supply of glycerol for gluconeogenesis. Proteolysis and protein oxidation increased approximately 50% during fasting (P < 0.01 and P < 0.05, respectively). We conclude that the increase in FFA reesterification with fasting modulates FFA availability for oxidation and maximizes release of glycerol from triglyceride for gluconeogenesis.
Evolutionary computation as a form of organization

Traditional areas of application of genetic algorithms (GA) are engineering and technology. Success of genetic algorithms there is well known. This paper explores the use of genetic algorithms as models to influence the design of organization. In particular, we outline the concept of evolutionary organization process based on two recent cases: the Teamwork for a Quality Education (TQE) and Free Knowledge Exchange (FKE) projects. The distinguishing feature of both projects is that computational evolutionary processes influence the organizational environment, providing the structure of interactions of people and facilitating their communication. In both cases, the organizational structure and people become directly involved into the evolutionary process integrating the power of evolutionary computation with the competence of participating human beings.
Programming Eccentricities of an Activity Sensing Pacemaker

The Activitrax rate responsive pacemaker system has enjoyed wide popularity but minor engineering eccentricities have occurred and have been reported. We report another unusual feature seen in Activitrax models 8400, 8402, and 8403. This feature consists of continuing in a temporary mode while a different permanent mode was programmed. These eccentricities of the programming features are not very commonly seen, however, they can be some what perplexing to the physician following the patient. These unusual features are no longer present in the newer models being manufactured.
Teaching Policy Analysis Using a Briefing Format.

I teach public policy courses to engineers. Some of what I have learned in the process of tailoring these courses to the professional needs of engineers can be easily transferred to the teaching of policy analysts. Of particular value is the culminating exercise that I have used in several policy courses: the policy briefing. This is a term project that requires students to integrate skills and knowledge from humanities, social science, and technical courses in an exercise with clear practical applications. It is modeled on an activity in which most professionals engage frequently: briefing one's boss or a client. Because the practical value of persuading a boss or client is so obvious, students are willing to devote considerable energy to learning the relevant skills. At the beginning of the semester, I give students four pages of "Briefing Instructions" describing what is expected of them. The first section of the Instructions reads as follows:
Methods for selecting the optimal portfolio of projects

Most organizations do not have sufficient resources to meet all of their obligations; selecting which projects should be funded is not just ranking projects and funding them 'top-down' until resources are depleted. Organizations need to balance the benefits that project portfolios provide with their respective constraints and they need to do so in a meaningful way. To address this problem, we propose using enterprise portfolio analysis to reach the optimal projects mix and maximize the collective benefits, while balancing other factors such as risk, dependency and budget etc. Three extended mathematical models and revised dynamic programming algorithms together with simulation optimization are proposed based on solution of standard knapsack problem. Specifically, the proposed models and algorithms are illustrated using an example from practices.
Three Yersinia pestis adhesins facilitate Yop delivery to eukaryotic cells and contribute to plague virulence

To establish a successful infection, Yersinia pestis requires the delivery of cytotoxic Yops to host cells. Yops inhibit phagocytosis, block cytokine responses, and induce apoptosis of macrophages. The Y. pestis adhesin Ail facilitates Yop translocation and is required for full virulence in mice. To determine the contributions of other adhesins to Yop delivery, we deleted five known adhesins of Y. pestis. In addition to Ail, plasminogen activator (Pla) and pH 6 antigen (Psa) could mediate Yop translocation to host cells. The contribution of each adhesin to binding and Yop delivery was dependent upon the growth conditions. When cells were pregrown at 28°C and pH 7, the order of importance for adhesins in cell binding and cytotoxicity was Ail > Pla > Psa. Y. pestis grown at 37°C and pH 7 had equal contributions from Ail and Pla but an undetectable role for Psa. At 37°C and pH 6, both Ail and Psa contributed to binding and Yop delivery, while Pla contributed minimally. Pla-mediated Yop translocation was independent of protease activity. Of the three single mutants, the Δail mutant was the most defective in mouse virulence. The expression level of ail was also the highest of the three adhesins in infected mouse tissues. Compared to an ail mutant, additional deletion of psaA (encoding Psa) led to a 130,000-fold increase in the 50% lethal dose for mice relative to that of the KIM5 parental strain. Our results indicate that in addition to Ail, Pla and Psa can serve as environmentally specific adhesins to facilitate Yop secretion, a critical virulence function of Y. pestis.
Korean American Males' Serious Leisure Experiences and Their Perceptions of Different Play Styles

This study examined Koreans Americans’ serious leisure experience with different racial groups. Interviews were conducted with 15 Korean male basketball and soccer players. A key finding was that participants recognized different styles of play between Korean Americans and other racial groups. While some participants cared little about other players’ race/ethnicity, other participants played exclusively with Korean Americans and preserved or promoted their ethnic identity. While Stebbins (1982) argues that serious leisure provides eight durable benefits, our findings suggest self-identification may be another durable benefit, at least among ethnic and/or racial minorities.
Rheumatoid Factor, Complement, and Mixed Cryoglobulinemia

Low serum level of complement component 4 (C4) that occurs in mixed cryoglobulinemia (MC) may be due to in vivo or ex vivo activation of complement by the classical pathway. Potential activators include monoclonal IgM rheumatoid factor (RF), IgG antibodies, and the complexing of the two in the cold, perhaps modulated by the rheology and stoichiometry of cryocomplexes in specific microcirculations. There is also the potential for activation of complement by the alternative and lectin pathways, particularly in the setting of chronic infection and immune stimulation caused by hepatitis C virus (HCV). Engagement of C1q and interaction with specific cell surface receptors serve to localize immune complexes (ICs) to the sites of pathology, notably the cutaneous and glomerular microcirculations. Defective or saturated clearance of ICs by CR1and/or Fc receptors may explain persistence in the circulation. The phlogistic potential of cryoprecipitable ICs depends upon the cleavage of complement components to generate fragments with anaphylatoxin or leukocyte mobilizing activity, and the assembly of the membrane attack complex (C5b-9) on cell surfaces. A research agenda would include further characterization of the effector arm of complement activation in MC, and elucidation of activation mechanisms due to virus and viral antigens in HCV infection.
An Energy-Delay Tunable Task Allocation Strategy for Collaborative Applications in Networked Embedded Systems

Collaborative applications with energy and low-delay constraints are emerging in various networked embedded systems like wireless sensor networks and multimedia terminals. Conventional energy-aware task allocation schemes developed for collaborative applications only concentrated on energy-saving when making allocation decisions. Consequently, the length of the schedules generated by such allocation schemes could be very long, which is unfavourable or in some situations even not tolerated. To remedy this problem, we developed a novel task allocation strategy called BEATA (Balanced Energy-Aware Task Allocation) for collaborative applications running on heterogeneous networked embedded systems. The BEATA algorithm aims at blending an energy-delay efficiency scheme with task allocations, thereby making the best tradeoffs between energy savings and schedule lengths. Besides, we introduced the concept of an energy-adaptive window, which is a critical parameter in the BEATA strategy. By fine-tuning the size of the energy-adaptive window, users can readily customize BEATA to meet their specific energy-delay trade-off needs imposed by applications. Further, we built a mathematical model to approximate energy consumption caused by both computation and communication activities. Experimental results show that BEATA significantly improves the performance of embedded systems in terms of energy-saving and schedule length over existing allocation schemes.
Pain and Opioid Use in Chronic Liver Disease

Background Pain is common in patients with liver disease, difficult to treat, and poorly understood.
Comparative in-vitro activity of cefoperazone/sulbactam and 11 other agents against multidrug resistant Bacteroides fragilis group species

The activity of cefoperazone/sulbactam was compared with eleven other antimicrobial agents against 91 strains of the Bacteroides fragilis group known to be resistant to clindamycin and/or beta-lactam agents. Sulbactam alone possessed moderate activity against most strains and improved the activity of cefoperazone and ampicillin. Bacteroides distasonis strains were more resistant than other species. There was no correlation between resistance of an isolate to either clindamycin or cefoxitin with resistance to cefoperazone/sulbactam.
Effects of the anti-AIDS drug dideoxyinosine on hepatic glycolysis in the perfused rat liver: role of intracellular calcium stores.

Les medicaments antiviraux utilises pour le traitement du SIDA presentent une forte hepatotoxicite. L'action de la didesoxyinosine (ddI) a ete observee sur le metabolisme des carbohydrates dans un foie de rat perfuse. La stimulation de la glycolyse induite par le ddI serait due a une mobilisation des reserves intracellulaires de calcium
5.2-GHz bandwidth monolithic GaAs optoelectronic receiver

A high-speed monolithic optoelectronic receiver consisting of a photodetector, a transimpedance amplifier and a 50- Omega output buffer stage has been fabricated using an enhancement/depletion 0.35- mu m recessed-gate GaAs MESFET process. The interdigitated metal-semiconductor-metal photodetector has a dark current of 0.8 nA, a responsivity of 0.2 A/W, and a capacitance of 12 fF. The bandwidth of the receiver is 5.2 GHz with an effective transimpedance of 300 Omega into a 50- Omega load, which corresponds to a transimpedance bandwidth product of 1.5 THz- Omega . >
Are you being fooled? Quality of earnings and quality of government

This study investigates empirically the impact of the quality of earnings of major listed firms on the quality of government in a large cross-section of countries. It evaluates government performance using measures of six dimensions of governance, namely, voice and accountability, political stability, government effectiveness, regulatory quality, rule of law and control of corruption. The quality of earnings used is a measure of earnings opacity. The findings show that countries that have a high level of earnings opacity exhibit inferior government performance. The results based on 34 countries persist after controlling separately for market performance, economic freedom, newspaper circulation and emerging vs. developed countries. The importance of the quality of earnings in explaining the variation in government performance across countries sheds light on the strong role of accounting in society.
Molecular basis for the inhibition of human NMPRTase, a novel target for anticancer agents

Nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (NMPRTase) has a crucial role in the salvage pathway of NAD+ biosynthesis, and a potent inhibitor of NMPRTase, FK866, can reduce cellular NAD+ levels and induce apoptosis in tumors. We have determined the crystal structures at up to 2.1-A resolution of human and murine NMPRTase, alone and in complex with the reaction product nicotinamide mononucleotide or the inhibitor FK866. The structures suggest that Asp219 is a determinant of substrate specificity of NMPRTase, which is confirmed by our mutagenesis studies. FK866 is bound in a tunnel at the interface of the NMPRTase dimer, and mutations in this binding site can abolish the inhibition by FK866. Contrary to current knowledge, the structures show that FK866 should compete directly with the nicotinamide substrate. Our structural and biochemical studies provide a starting point for the development of new anticancer agents.
Side effects and complications of amiodarone therapy

To assess the incidence of adverse effects associated with long-term amiodarone therapy, we reviewed the records of 217 consecutive patients who were treated for refractory arrhythmia. After an average of 11.8 months of therapy, one or more side effects occurred in 113 patients (52%). These were considered clinically significant in 42 patients (19.3%), mandating discontinuation of amiodarone in 18 (8.3%). The untoward reactions requiring discontinuation of amiodarone included thyroid dysfunction, visual disturbances, pulmonary infiltrates, ataxia, cardiac conduction abnormalities, and drug interactions. The mild side effects included corneal microdeposits, skin rashes, and gastrointestinal symptoms. There was a weak correlation between blood levels of amiodarone, the daily dose, and the cumulative dose (r = 0.23, p = 0.015). Drug levels were higher in symptomatic patients (p less than 0.03), although they received lower doses of amiodarone. While amiodarone is associated with frequent side effects, they are generally mild and do not necessitate drug discontinuation. Careful monitoring of therapy is essential to detect the potentially serious adverse reactions which are encountered in nearly 20% of patients.
Swifter: improved online video scrubbing

Online streaming video systems have become extremely popular, yet navigating to target scenes of interest can be a challenge. While recent techniques have been introduced to enable real-time seeking, they break down for large videos, where scrubbing the timeline causes video frames to skip and flash too quickly to be comprehendible. We present Swifter, a new video scrubbing technique that displays a grid of pre-cached thumbnails during scrubbing actions. In a series of studies, we first investigate possible design variations of the Swifter technique, and the impact of those variations on its performance. Guided by these results we compare an implementation of Swifter to the previously published Swift technique, in addition to the approaches utilized by YouTube and Netfilx. Our results show that Swifter significantly outperforms each of these techniques in a scene locating task, by a factor of up to 48%.
A Theoretical Framework for Assessing Eavesdropping-Resistant Authentication Interfaces

A simple theoretical framework is developed to evaluate the security and usability of eavesdroppingresistant authentication schemes. Such schemes strive to allow users to authenticate without disclosing the users credentials to an eavesdropper, while using only standard computer hardware (monitor, keyboard and mouse). We find that schemes based on shared secrets and standard computer hardware are unable to deliver real security advantages. For all the schemes reported to date, an attacker can collect all the needed information within ten observations of successful authentications. Shared secret schemes can provide security only if the space of possible shared secrets is extensive enough to prevent an exhaustive search. In turn, this complexity of the shared secrets space is already limited by usability considerations, and cannot be increased further. Thus, for truly user-friendly interfaces resistant to eavesdropping attacks, shared secrets must be combined with other authentication factors: biometrics or special hardware.
Development of standards for third-generation mobile systems-rough road to IMT-2000 RTT standard

Third-generation mobile systems are driven by the vision of information at any time, at any place, in any form. Research efforts have been aligned with efforts in the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and other bodies to find standards and recommendations which ensure that mobile communications of the future have access to multimedia capabilities and service quality similar to the fixed network. A formal request by the ITU-R for submission of candidate radio transmission technology (RTTs) for IMT-2000 was distributed by the ITU, with a closing date of June 1998. The development of radio interface specifications for third-generation mobile communication systems, such as IMT-2000, has been hampered by intellectual property right and international trade disputes. The growing rewards from winning or to some degree, controlling the outcome of the standardization process has made reaching consensus on standards much more difficult. Though the road was rough, a comprehensive set of radio interface specifications, incorporating the flexibility required to seamlessly evolve current mobile networks towards IMT-2000, was approved on November 5, 1999.
Brain Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Structural Abnormalities in Bipolar Disorder

Background: The neuropathogenesis of bipolar disorder remains poorly described. Previous work suggests that patients with bipolar disorder may have abnormalities in neural pathways that are hypothesized to modulate human mood states. We examined differences in brain structural volumes associated with these pathways between patients with bipolar disorder hospitalized with mania and healthy community volunteers. Methods: Twenty-four patients with bipolar disorder and mania were recruited from hospital admission records. Twenty-two healthy volunteers were recruited from the community who were similar to the patients in age, sex, race, height, handedness, and education. All subjects were scanned using a 3-dimensional radiofrequency‐spoiled Fourier acquired steady state acquisition sequence on a 1.5-T magnetic resonance imaging scanner. Scans were analyzed using commercial software. Prefrontal, thalamic, hippocampal, amygdala, pallidal, and striatal volumetric measurements were compared between the 2 groups. Results: Patients with bipolar disorder demonstrated a significant (L = 0.64; F6,37= 3.4; P = .009) overall difference in structural volumes in these regions compared with controls. In particular, the amygdala was enlarged in the patients. Brain structural volumes were not significantly associated with duration of illness, prior medication exposure, number of previous hospital admissions, or duration of substance abuse. Separating patients into first-episode (n = 12) and multiple-episode (n = 12) subgroups revealed no significant differences in any structure (P..10). Conclusion: Patients with bipolar disorder exhibit structural abnormalities in neural pathways thought to modulate human mood. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1999;56:254-260
THE PREDICTION OF PHASE DISTRIBUTION AND SEPARATION PHENOMENA USING TWO-FLUID MODELS

Abstract This chapter presents material on the use of multidimensional two-fluid models for the analysis of phase distribution and phase separation phenomena. In particular, the analysis of lateral phase distribution for bubbly upflows and downflows in pipes and in more complex geometry conduits, is presented. In addition, the analysis of phase separation in a horizontal tee is discussed for stratified two-phase flow. It is shown that accurate mechanistic predictions of two-phase flows can be performed using multidimensional two-fluid models and appropriate computational fluid dynamic (CFD) numerical techniques.
Picat: A Scalable Logic-based Language and System (Invited talk)

This talk will give the design principles of the Picat language (http://www.picat-lang.org), highlight the high-level and intuitive abstractions provided by Picat for easy programming, and contemplate why Picat is more robust and scalable than Prolog and could be more accessible than Prolog to ordinary programmers for scripting and modeling tasks.
Synergistic Solutions: An Integrated Approach to Solving the Caregiver Conundrum for ‘Real’ Workers

This Paper is the second part of a project aimed at ending caregiver discrimination for all workers who are struggling to balance work and family. In the first part of the project, I argued that the communitarian theory supports the broad reform I envisioned, and in this piece, I articulate that vision. This reform project utilizes a synergy of solutions, taking a comprehensive and creative approach to ending the caregiver conundrum for all working caregivers. My proposal includes the use of various statutory provisions that will work together in a unique way, avoiding some of the deficiencies created by other proposals. Specifically, my proposal attempts to address the three main problems facing working caregivers: the lack of workplace flexibility, the marginalization of part-time workers, and the unique financial difficulties facing lower income workers. While describing my synergistic solutions, the Paper will also explain how the proposed reform differs from other reform proposals and why I have chosen to advocate for some solutions over others. I will also discuss why I believe the communitarian theory helps to justify the reform I am proposing. While recognizing that this proposal is ambitious, I hope to convince the reader that a synergy of solutions is not only possible but necessary to cure the caregiver conundrum for all working caregivers.
Role of intrapreoptic norepinephrine in endotoxin-induced fever in guinea pigs

The peripheral administration of pyrogens has been shown previously to affect the activity of central noradrenergic neurons, but the effects have been variable and no consensus has emerged regarding their functional significance. Because norepinephrine (NE) microdialyzed into the preoptic area (PO) of the anterior hypothalamus of conscious guinea pigs is hypothermizing, the possibility was investigated whether NE might be a febrilytic rather than a febrigenic mediator. Intravenous injections of Salmonella enteritidis lipopolysaccharide (2.0 micrograms/kg) evoked a bimodal fever, which was attenuated in a dose-dependent manner by NE microdialyzed (10 or 20 micrograms/microliters at a rate of 2 microliters/min for various durations) into the PO. The alpha 2-adrenergic receptor antagonists rauwolscine (1 or 2 micrograms/microliters) and yohimbine (1 microgram/microliter) microdialyzed intrapreoptically significantly reduced the trough of body (core) temperature (Tc) between the first and second peaks of the bimodal fever and prolonged the overall febrile course. None of these effects was associated with changes in skin temperature. The level of NE (assayed by high-performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection) in the preoptic extracellular fluid collected by intracerebral microdialysis was significantly elevated at the end of each rising phase of the bimodal fever, just before or about the time when Tc began to fall, compared with pyrogen-free saline controls at the same times. These results suggest that intrapreoptic NE may have a thermolytic effect on fever by reducing metabolic heat production and may thus play a physiological role in the initiation of febrilysis in guinea pigs.
SERIAL POSITION AS A FACTOR IN ISOLATION.

Sumnrary.-This study was designed to investigate the effect of serial position of a low meaningfulness ( m ) isolate on the resultant isolation in a high m list. Four Es used 112 Ss assigned to a control (C) and three experimental ( P ) conditions in a design which permitted four replications; one for each E. All groups learned similar 13-item lists of high m items, except that the rhree P lists contained a low m isolate at either serial position 4, 7, or 10. The results yielded isolation at position 4 only, with no other effects significant.
Semantic Properties of Selected Evaluative Adjectives: Other Evidence

During the process of designing an experiment which used data reported by Myers and Warner [5] for predictive purposes, two other studies which provided partial confirmation of Myers and Warner's results were also examined. Myers and Warner obtained fairly consistent scale values for evaluative words and phrases using two somewhat different methods and four different groups of subjects. This note will point out some quite similar results from the two previously reported studies.