cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Role of the nucleus parabrachialis in cardiovascular regulation in cat.

Abstract Electrical stimulation of the nucleus parabrachialis (NPB) and surrounding areas of the dorsolateral pons in anesthetized immobilized cats elicits a rise of arterial pressure (AP) and tachycardia: the parabrachial pressor response (PBPR). The most excitable sites were concentrated within the intermediate one-third of the NPB in its medial and lateral subdivisions. The magnitude of pressor responses and their stimulus sensitivity were substantially greater in NPB than in adjacent areas of the dorsal pons including nucleus locus coeruleus and brachium conjunctivum, suggesting that cardiovascular responses heretofore attributed to locus coeruleus may have been due to excitation of the NPB. The PBPR persisted after chronic cerebellectomy, acute transection of the brain stem at the lower midbrain, or acute bilateral lesions of the nucleus tractus solitarii (NTS), the latter abolishing baroreceptor reflexes. Thus the PBPR cannot be attributed to antidromic or orthodromic stimulation or from NTS. Changes in blood flow and regional vascular resistances during the PBPR were measured by electromagnetic flow meters placed on the thoracic aorta, superior mesenteric, renal and femoral arteries. When elicited with stimuli 5 times threshold, the PBPR was associated with an 80% increase in AP, 14% increase in heart rate, 25% increase in cardiac output, and a 42% increase in total peripheral resistance. There was a differentiated vasoconstriction in the order of superior mesenteric>renal> femoral arteries. The baroreflex elicited by electrical stimulation of the carotid sinus nerve was reduced during stimulation of the NPB. The tachycardia was abolished by bilateral vagotomy, combined with beta-adrenergic blockade. Such treatment attenuated but did not abolish the hypertension which was only eliminated by subsequent alpha-adrenergic blockade. Thus the hypertension caused by stimulation of NPB is a result both of an increase of total peripheral resistance and of cardiac output. The cardiovascular pattern of the PBPR differs from other responses elicited from the dorsal pons, including the defense response, and the response to cerebral ischemia. We conclude that a powerful cardiovascular response pattern is organized within intrinsic neurons of the NPB. This nucleus may play an important role in organization of cadiovascular control by brain.
Effects of Sire of Fetus upon Subsequent Production and Days Open of the Dam

Abstract To quantify effects of the fetal-placental unit upon postpartum performance of the dairy cow, Dairy Herd Improvement Association records from Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina (27,200 lactations of 11,935 Holsteins and 3,731 of 1788 Jerseys) were studied by method of least squares. The final model included herd-year-season, sire of fetus, and sire of cow. Sire of fetus accounted for 8.2 and 11.8% of the total variability in mature equivalent milk yield (Holsteins and Jerseys), 9.8 and 14.3% in fat yield, and 1.9 to 3.2% in days open. Interactions of sire of fetus with sire of cow accounted for none of the variability in yields (negative estimates of variance) but 4.4 and 4.8% of the variability in days open. Correlations between effects of sire of fetus on milk and fat yields were .96; for yields and days open they were .02 and −.02 for Jerseys and −.12 and −.13 for Holsteins. Correlation between sire of fetus constants and estimated breeding values for milk yield in a sample of 50 Jersey sires was −.04. Future consideration of sire of fetus effects could lead to increased repeatability of sire proofs and rate of genetic change. Hypothesized mechanism is that effects of the fetal-placental unit, possibly hormonal and at least partly genetically determined, influence development of the dam's mammary gland and its subsequent performance.
Blunt cardiac rupture: a 5-year NTDB analysis.

OBJECTIVE:: Because of its rarity and high rate of mortality, traumatic blunt cardiac rupture (BCR) has been poorly studied. The objective of this study was to use the National Trauma Data Bank to review the epidemiology and outcomes associated with traumatic BCR. METHODS:: After approved by the institutional review board, the National Trauma Data Bank (version 5.0) was queried for all BCR occurring between 2000 and 2005. Demographics, clinical injury data, interventions, and outcomes were abstracted for each patient. Statistical analysis was performed using an unpaired Student's t test or Mann-Whitney U test to compare means and chi analysis to compare proportions. Stepwise logistic regression analysis was performed to identify independent predictors of inhospital mortality. RESULTS:: Of 811,531 blunt trauma patients, 366 (0.045%) had a BCR of which 334 were available for analysis, with the mean age of 45 years, 65% were men, and their mean Injury Severity Score was 58 +/- 19. The most common mechanism of injury was motor vehicle collision (73%), followed by pedestrian struck by auto (16%), and falls from height (8%). Twenty-one patients (6%) died on arrival and 140 (42%) died in the emergency room. The overall mortality for patients arriving alive to hospital was 89%. Of the patients surviving to operation, 42% survived >24 hours of which 87% were discharged. Survivors were significantly younger (39 vs. 46 years, p = 0.04), had a lower Injury Severity Score (47 vs. 56, p = 0.02), higher Glasgow Coma Scale (10 vs. 6, p /=90 mm Hg (p = 0.01). Nevertheless, none of these factors was found to be an independent risk factor for mortality. CONCLUSION:: BCR is an exceedingly rare injury, occurring in 1 of 2400 blunt trauma patients. In patients arriving alive to hospital, traumatic BCR is associated with a high mortality rate, however, is not uniformly fatal. Language: en
Experiential Learning via an Innovative Inter-University IFRS Student Video Competition

This paper reports on the results of an innovative IFRS Student Video Competition conducted between the authors' universities in the autumn 2009 semester. The competition provided an experiential l...
Computers versus common sense (abstract)

It has been eight years since we began the Cyc project—a massive decade-long enterprise to codify, once and for all, the millions of general rules of thumb about the world (that are generally held by adult, rational members of their culture.) The motivation for this heroic effort is to produce a new “layer” between the Operating System and Application programs —a layer containing general knowledge and inferencing abilities, which could facilitate knowledge-sharing across applications, increase the robustness of an individual application, enable a new generation of natural language understanding programs, user modelling programs, machine learning programs, etc. Due to a large number of errors canceling each other out, we are still essentially on schedule. A report of some of the lessons learned so far, and accomplishments to date, should prove relevant and interesting. Moreover, many applications of Cyc are underway, and we will briefly describe a few of these. But even more generally, there is a lesson to be learned here for all of us: not to be blinded by the “physics envy”, by the word “science” in “computer science;” the lesson that sometimes a large real-world problem may admit an engineering solution but no small, elegant mathematical solution.
Partisan Redistricting and the 1982 Congressional Elections

This research note investigates the impact of partisan redistricting on the results of the 1982 elections for the U.S. House of Representatives. The increase in the Democratic proportion of House seats relative to the increase in the Democratic proportion of the popular vote for House candidates (the swing ratio) was much greater in the seventeen states where the Democrats had complete control of redistricting than in any other group of states. Only in these states did the Democrats realize a substantial seat dividend from the popular vote swing toward the Democratic Party in 1982.
Fishing, Consumption, and Risk Perception in Fisherfolk along an East Coast Estuary

Increasingly public and governmental agencies are concerned about the safety of fish and shellfish that recreational fishermen consume. Fishing behavior, consumption patterns, and risk perceptions were examined for people fishing and crabbing in Barnegat Bay, NJ. Women fished in significantly larger groups than men, and their groups included more children. Subjects fished an average of seven times per month and crabbed three times per month; they caught fish on most outings, and 80% ate their catch. Subjects consumed fish an average of five times a month, eating just under 10 oz (ca. 280 g) per meal. Only 25% of the fish consumed by women, and 49% of the fish consumed by men, are self-caught. Nearly 90% of the people believe the fish and crabs from Barnegat Bay are safe to eat, although about 40% have heard some warnings about their safety. Most people heard about advisories from newspapers or television. Most subjects believe that saltwater fish are safer than freshwater fish and that fish they catch themselves or buy in a bay store are safer than those from a supermarket. People generally do not have a clear understanding of the relationship between contaminants and fish size or trophic level, suggesting an avenue for risk reduction.
Editorial comment: 2013 meetings of the Musculoskeletal Tumor Society and the International Society of Limb Salvage.

The author certifies that he, or any members of his immediate family, has no funding or commercial associations (eg, consultancies, stock ownership, equity interest, patent/licensing arrangements, etc) that might pose a conflict of interest in connection with the submitted article. All ICMJE Conflict of Interest Forms for authors and Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research ® editors and board members are on file with the publication and can be viewed on request. The opinions expressed are those of the writers, and do not reflect the opinion or policy of CORR ® or the Association of Bone and Joint Surgeons®.
Regeneration and somaclonal variation in apomictic Paspalum dilatatum Poir

In an attempt to incorporate variation into a uniform obligate apomict, plants of apomictic common dallisgrass, Paspalum dilatatum Poir., were regenerated from callus derived from immature inflorescences. Plants developed through both organogenesis and embryogenesis. A total of 682 regenerants were produced and more than 400 were transplanted into a field nursery and screened for somaclonal variation. Eventually 20 regenerants were selected, increased, and planted into a replicated nursery along with normal common dallisgrass. The characteristics examined were maturity date, plant height, number of racemes per inflorescence, number of spikelets per raceme, pubescence, stigma and anther color, ergot resistance, seed germination, seed set, pollen stainability, method of reproduction, and chromosome number. There were differences among the regenerants and between them and common dallisgrass for all traits except chromosome number, stigma and anther color, and ergot resistance. One of the more important regenerants had significantly higher seed set than common dallisgrass. All regenerants reproduced by aposporous apomixis but some exhibited a high degree of abortion while others had more aposporous embryo sacs per ovule than common dallisgrass. These findings demonstrate that common dallisgrass can be regenerated through tissue culture and that somaclonal variation is expressed in some of the regenerants, even though some of the altered traits are deleterious.
A Hypertragulid from the Sespe Uppermost Eocene, California.

It becomes increasingly clear that the faunal stage represented at Locality 150 in the Sespe deposits north of the Simi Valley, California, marks an advance beyond the stage or stages recorded lower in the stratigraphic sequence of the Sespe as exposed in this region. Determination of age of this fauna as Eocene is maintained for the reasons stated in the first paper(1) announcing the discovery of Eocene mammals in California. Future survey of the fauna as a whole and recognition of relationships of the assemblage to comparable faunas found elsewhere may contribute toward elevating rather than toward depressing the fauna in the geologic time scale. It suffices for the present to state that the assemblage appears to be close to or within the Eocene-Oligocene transition period in the Tertiary history of vertebrate life for North America. In order to distinguish this stage from the upper Eocene fauna or faunas occurring lower in the Sespe section, the age designation uppermost Eocene is now applied to the assemblage.
HC and CO Emission Abatement via Selective Fuel Injection

The results of investigations to develop carbon monoxide (CO) and unburned hydrocarbons (HC) abatement methods for use in aircraft turbofan engines are reviewed. Specifically, the use of selective fuel injection patterns at ground idle operating conditions in CF6 engines was assessed and evolved in combustor and engine tests. These fueling patterns were obtained by valving fuel to selected combinations of fuel nozzles at idle, rather than to the full complement of engine fuel nozzles, and were intended to provide localized fuel-air ratio enrichment within the combustor annulus. In addition to the effects of such fueling patterns on HC and CO levels, their effects on engine performance at starting, sub-idle, and idle conditions were determined. The use of repetitive clusters of fueled nozzles around the combustor annulus was determined to provide the best overall emission abatement, performance, and operational characteristics.Copyright © 1982 by ASME
E-FiRST: Electric field responsive shear thickening fluids

A novel electrorheological (ER) effect is presented where the application of an electric field, orthogonal to the vorticity-flow plane, increases the critical hydrodynamic stress required to shear thicken concentrated, colloidal dispersions (the E-FiRST effect). The shear thickening behavior of a Brownian charge stabilized dispersion (226 nm silica in 4-methylcyclohexanol at 53, 50. and 41 vol.%) is studied in the presence of an electric field as a function of the field strength and coupling parameter (β) where the latter is a function of a.c. field frequency due to diffusion limitations on the polarization of the particles' double layer. A mechanism is proposed whereby the applied electric field suppresses the formation of the self-organized hydrocluster microstructure responsible for shear thickening, thus delaying the onset of shear thickening to higher applied shear stresses. A Mason-number type scaling law is found to scale the effect, which supports the proposed mechanism.
Expression of Treponema denticola oligopeptidase B in Escherichia coli.

Treponema denticola is a small anaerobic spirochete often isolated from periodontal lesions and closely associated with periodontal diseases. This bacterium possesses a particular arginine peptidase activity (previously called “BANA-peptidase” or “trypsin-like enzyme”) that is common to the three cultivable bacterial species most highly associated with severe periodontal disease. We recently reported the identification of the opdB locus that encodes the BANA-peptidase activity of T. denticola through DNA sequencing and mutagenesis studies. In the present study, we report expression of T. denticola OpdB peptidase in Escherichia coli. The opdB PCR product was cloned into pET30b and then transformed into the E. coli BL21 (DE3)/pLysS expression strain. Assays of enzymatic activities in E. coli containing T. denticola opdB showed BANA-peptidase activity similar to that of T. denticola. Availability of this recombinant expression system producing active peptidase will facilitate characterization of the potential role of this peptidase in periodontal disease etiology.
Suppressor cells in experimental trypanosomiasis

HUMAN and experimental forms of African trypanosomiasis are characterised by a profound suppression of immunological responsiveness. Suppression of both humoral and cell-mediated responses has been observed. Trypanosoma gambiense infections in man reduce antibody responses to Salmonella typhi (H antigen) and skin reactivity to purified protein derivative, Candida and dinitrochlorobenzene1. T. brucei infections in mice cause marked suppression of antibody2 and splenic plaque-forming cell3,4 responses to sheep red blood cells (SRBC), and in rabbits suppress the development of experimental allergic neuritis5. The mechanism underlying this inhibition of immunocompetent cell function has not been elucidated. We have examined the DNA synthetic responses of spleen cells from T. brucei-infected mice to concanavalin A (con A) and phytohaemagglutinin (PHA) (both T-cell mitogens), Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS, a B-cell mitogen) and allogeneic cells, and the ability of these cells to influence the responses of normal cells. We present evidence suggesting that suppressor cells6,7 are involved in the immunological hyporesponsiveness observed in this disease.
Molecular cloning of cDNA for human prostatic acid phosphatase.

Abstract A human liver cDNA library in λgt11 was screened with polyclonal antiserum to human acid phosphatase isoenzyme 2a/4. About eleven positive clones have been obtained. Two clones, λ Hap21 and λ Hap22 were further characterized: clone λHap21 contained a 0.8-kb cDNA insert and clone λHap22 a 1.8–2.0-kb insert. Xba I digestion of λHap22 generated two fragments of 1.0 and 0.9 kb. Bgl II digestion resulted in a 1.2-kb fragment and several smaller fragments of undetermined size. Clone 1 Hap22 contained all the genes carried by λ gt11( lac 5cI857nin 5Sam 100) and the 2-kb insert. An Escherichia coli (λHap22) lysogen was generated, and its acid phosphatase activity was approximately ten-fold higher than that in the control nonlysogenic lysate. Western-blot analysis of total proteins present in this E. coli (λHap22) lysate revealed that the non-induced λHap22 prophage directed the synthesis of an approx. 175-kDa protein. This protein was recognized by antibody to the human acid phosphatase isoenzyme 2a/4 and anti-β-galactosidase and was produced only upon induction with IPTG. These results indicated that AHap22 carried a major portion of the gene coding for the human acid phosphatase isoenzyme 2a and/or 4 and this protein fragment of acid phosphatase was sufficient to manifest enzymatic activity.
Polarographic study of the molybdenum catalyzed reduction of chlorate, perchlorate and nitrate

Abstract Molybdenum catalyzes the polarographic reduction of chlorate in acid medium, giving rise to two catalytic waves. The half-wave potential of the first one corresponds to that of the normal reduction wave of Mo(VI) to Mo(V), indicating that Mo(V) acts as the catalyst. The half-wave potential of the second catalytic wave corresponds to that of B1 (see ref.10) in the normal reduction of Mo(VI) to Mo(III). The second catalytic wave is characterized by a peak, the peak current (corrected for irr) being strictly proportional to the molybdenum concentration in the range between 1·10−5 (or less) and 1.3·10−4M and about 2.6 times greater than the catalytic nitrate and 8 times greater than the catalytic perchlorate waves measured under similar conditions. The first catalytic current becomes proportional to molybdenum(VI) concentration when CMo(VI) is greater than 4·1O−5M. The characteristics of catalytic chlorate, nitrate and perchlorate waves have been determined and interpreted under various experimental conditions.
Determination of the ionization potential and the electron affinity of various biologically active substances by polarography.

The electron affinity and ionization potential of various biological substances were measured by polarography and compared with their effect on growth ofE. coli.
Low-Temperature Fabrication of Spiking Soma Circuits Using Nanocrystalline-Silicon TFTs

Spiking neuron circuits consisting of ambipolar nanocrystalline-silicon (nc-Si) thin-film transistors (TFTs) have been fabricated using low temperature processing conditions (maximum of 250 °C) that allow the use of flexible substrates. These circuits display behaviors commonly observed in biological neurons such as millisecond spike duration, nonlinear frequency-current relationship, and spike frequency adaptation. The maximum drive capacity of a simple soma circuit was estimated to be approximately 9200 synapses. The effect of bias stress-induced threshold voltage degradation of component nc-Si TFTs on the spike frequency of soma circuits is explored. The measured power consumption of the circuit when spiking at 100 Hz was approximately 12 nW. Finally, the power consumption of the soma circuits at different spiking conditions and its implications on a large-scale system are discussed. The fabricated circuits can be employed as part of a compact multilayer learning network.
Assessing and satisfying user needs: WSU model

This paper will explain Wayne State's consulting services vis a vis user needs. Computing centers are having to play many roles as it becomes evident that more than systems programmers are necessary to give diverse services to a larger population. Technical writers who can write clearly, consultants who can deal with all types of users, documentation which is accessible and up-to-date--all these and more are crucial if we are going to try and meet user needs.
Massively parallel delivery of large cargo into mammalian cells with light pulses

We report a high-throughput platform for delivering large cargo elements into 100,000 cells in 1 min. Our biophotonic laser-assisted surgery tool (BLAST) generates an array of microcavitation bubbles that explode in response to laser pulsing, forming pores in adjacent cell membranes through which cargo is gently driven by pressurized flow. The platform delivers large items including bacteria, enzymes, antibodies and nanoparticles into diverse cell types with high efficiency and cell viability. We used this platform to explore the intracellular lifestyle of Francisella novicida and discovered that the iglC gene is unexpectedly required for intracellular replication even after phagosome escape into the cell cytosol.
Perioperative complications in inflammatory bowel disease.

Abstract: Almost 50% of patients with inﬂammatory bowel dis-ease (IBD) will undergo surgery for their disease at some stage ofits clinical course. Complications seen following surgery mayoccur early or late in the postoperative period. Patient factors,including active inﬂammatory disease, malnutrition, and use ofimmunosuppressant medications, make these patients a challeng-ing surgical group and at increased risk for surgical complica-tions. The purpose of this review is to characterize thecomplications that are commonly seen following surgery inpatients with IBD and to discuss the surgical and patient factorsthat may inﬂuence their development.(Inﬂamm Bowel Dis 2011;17:1610–1619)Key Words: inﬂammatory bowel disease, surgery, perioperativecomplications I nﬂammatory bowel disease (IBD) affects 1.2 million peo-ple in the United States with a prevalence of 800,000with chronic ulcerative colitis (CUC) and 400,000 withCrohn’s disease (CD). 1–3 Despite signiﬁcant advances inmedical therapy, surgery remains an important treatmentmodality in the management of these complex conditions.Indications for surgery in CD include obstruction fromstricturing disease, enteric ﬁstula, severe colitis, bleeding,and dysplasia. In CUC indications include medically refrac-tory colitis (severe or chronic) dysplasia or neoplasia.The decision to proceed with surgery for IBD ismade when patient’s experience complications of the dis-ease, demonstrate lack of adequate response to medicalmanagement, or when side effects of medical therapy aredebilitating. Patients undergoing surgery in the setting ofIBD are often at high risk for postoperative complicationsdue to the complexity of the surgical procedures performedand because the surgical environment (inﬂamed andinfected tissue) may not be optimal for healing. Moreover,certain patient-speciﬁc factors may raise the risk for post-operative complications; these include anemia, malnour-ished state, and the concurrent use of immunosuppressivemedications. This review will discuss our experienceregarding the postoperative complications associated withsurgery in patients with both CD and CUC.
Raman-assisted parametric frequency and polarization conversion in a birefringent fiber.

Highly efficient energy conversion of the pump into the downshifted parametric Stokes radiation resulting from the phase-matched parametric four-photon mixing and subsequent perpendicular Raman amplification in a birefringent fiber is presented. We also observed significant polarization conversion from the fast y axis to the slow x axis of the birefringent fiber as a consequence of group-velocity-matched perpendicular Raman amplification of the x polarized parametric Stokes radiation by the y-polarized pump.
Estimating residential electricity demand under declining-block tariffs: an econometric study using micro-data

A disaggregated economic study of 3825 geographic areas of Los Angeles County was used to estimate electricity demand under declining-block rates. Micro-level data were collected on the marginal price of households, the control of eight major appliances, and weather variables. Several biases are noted, but demand theory under declining-block rates is confirmed. The results are given in terms of short- and long-run changes and income elasticities. 15 references, 5 figures, 3 tables. (DCK)
Re-evaluation of published data on the relative photosynthetic efficiency of intermittent and continuous light.

Abstract During the past seven decades scientists have compared plant growth under intermittent and continuous light. The interpretations of the experimental results have ranged from no effect to increases of greater than 100% in photosynthetic efficiency when intermittent light was substituted for continuous light. In our judgement the wide range of the interpretations is caused by incomplete or inappropriate analysis of data. We analyzed the published data, to the extent possible, by a method introduced by Weller and Franck in 1941, in which intermittent and continuous light are reduced to a common energy or photon flux density (independent variable) and the photosynthetic rate (dependent variable) is compared between light modes. Of the 14 experimental studies that we reviewed, of both algae and higher plants, the data of eight (but not necessarily the conclusions of the authors) supported the hypothesis of Rabinowitch that the photosynthetic efficiency is no greater for intermittent than for continuous light. One study did not support the hypothesis and five did not provide sufficient data to make a determination either way.
Fungal Endophyte Removal Does Not Reduce Cold Tolerance of Tall Fescue

Tall fescue (Schenodorus phoenix (Scop.) Holub.) has historically been of minor impor- tance to livestock agriculture in cooler regions of the temperate zone. As its use in these regions expands, it becomes increasingly important to understand the effect of infection by its fun- gal endophyte (Neotyphodium coenophialum Morgan-Jones and Gams) on agronomic fi tness of tall fescue. Our objective was to determine the effect of endophyte infection status on for- age yield and survival of tall fescue under fi eld conditions in which freezing temperatures, combined with lack of persistent snow cover, constitute the most signifi cant stress factor. In Experiment 1, we evaluated 427 half-sib fami- lies of four tall fescue cultivars, half endophyte- infected (E+) and half endophyte-free (E−), for forage yield and survival. There was no effect of endophyte removal on either forage yield or survival, despite complete stand loss of one cultivar during two winters. In Experiment 2, we evaluated 640 clones of confi rmed endophyte status, half E+ and half E−, for survival under two management regimes at four Wisconsin locations. Results were nearly identical to those for Experiment 1, with complete mortality in the unadapted cultivar and high survival rates in the three adapted cultivars, regardless of endophyte status, management, or location. In conclusion, we found no evidence that endophyte removal resulted in any disadvantage to tall fescue host- plant survival under harsh winter conditions. In regions where freezing temperatures and des- iccating winds provide the only or most impor- tant abiotic stress factor, removal of endophytic fungi do not appear to reduce fi tness of their tall fescue host.
From basalts to boninites: The geodynamics of volcanic expression during induced subduction initiation

Subduction initiation may unfold via different pathways in response to plate strength, plate age, and driving mechanism. Such pathways influence volcanism on the overriding plate and may be preserved in the sequence of erupted volcanic products. Here, we parameterize melting in a mechanical model to determine the volcanic products that form in response to different subduction initiation modes. We find that with a mode of continuous initiation with infant-arc spreading, the foundering of the subducting slab and water release from the slab govern a succession from basalts with compositions similar to mid-ocean-ridge basalts (MORB) to boninites. The modeled transition from MORB-like to boninite composition typically occurs within a few million years. When plate strength is reduced, the subducting slab tends to segment, with extensive melting occurring when the slab breaks; most melting occurs close to the trench. When plate strength increases, subduction initiation becomes continuous without infant-arc spreading; such a mode leads to a limited, very low degree of melting occurring during a long interval of plate convergence before subduction initiation starts, although extensive melting near the trench is still possible when subduction initiation starts after a protracted period of plate convergence (∼10 m.y.). If the subduction initiation is driven by constant stresses, such as through ridge push, the slab subducts rapidly in response to continuous acceleration of the plate under action of the far-field push; significant melting, including boninite eruption, can be generated within a few million years with no trench migration. Based on the tectonic and volcanic evolution, these different modes may be applicable to the initiation of the Izu-Bonin-Mariana arc (infant-arc spreading and a sequence from MORB-like to boninites), the New Hebrides arc (slab segments in the upper mantle), the Puysegur Trench in New Zealand (scarce distribution of volcanism and no infant-arc spreading), and the Aleutian Trench (strong volcanism and no infant-arc spreading).
Modulation of RNA splicing as a potential treatment for cancer

Close to 90% of human genes are transcribed into pre-mRNA that undergoes alternative splicing, producing multiple mRNAs and proteins from single genes. This process is largely responsible for human proteome diversity, and about half of genetic disease-causing mutations affect splicing. Splice-switching oligonucleotides (SSOs) comprise an emerging class of antisense therapeutics that modify gene expression by directing pre-mRNA splice site usage. Bauman et al. investigated an SSO that up-regulated the expression of an anti-cancer splice variant while simultaneously eliminating an over-expressed cancer-causing splice variant. This was accomplished by targeting pre-mRNA of the apoptotic regulator Bcl-x, which is alternatively spliced to express anti- and pro-apoptotic splice variants Bcl-xL and Bcl-xS, respectively. High expression of Bcl-xL is a hallmark of many cancers and is considered a general mechanism used by cancer cells to evade apoptosis. Redirection of Bcl-x pre-mRNA splicing from Bcl-xL to -xS b...
Correlation between urinary steroids and estrogen receptor content in women with early breast cancer

Abstract The urinary levels of 11 -deoxy- 17 -ketosteroids and estrogen receptor content in tumor tissues were determined in 76 patients with early breast cancer. Twenty-six postmenopausal and 16 premenopausal patients with estrogen receptor negative tumors were found to excrete subnormal amounts of 11 -deoxy- 17 -ketosteroids while 22 postmenopausal and 12 premenopausal patients with estrogen receptor containing tumors excrete near normal levels of urinary 11 -deoxy- 17 -ketosteroids.
The WINSOM solid modeller and its application to data visualization

The IBM United Kingdom Scientific Centre's WINchester SOlid Modelling system (WINSOM) is a set-theoretic, constructive solid geometry (CSG) modeller based on recursive division techniques. It specializes in handling complex models and provides graphical facilities intended for engineering applications. This paper describes WINSOM and some of the many programs that are linked to it, and gives examples of their application to problems of data visualization.
Integrin αIIbβ3 inside-out activation: an in situ conformational analysis reveals a new mechanism.

Integrins are a family of heterodimeric adhesion receptors that transmit signals bi-directionally across the plasma membranes. The transmembrane domain (TM) of integrin plays a critical role in mediating transition of the receptor from the default inactive to the active state on the cell surfaces. In this study, we successfully applied the substituted cysteine scanning accessibility method to determine the intracellular border of the integrin αIIbβ3 TM in the inactive and active states in living cells. We examined the aqueous accessibility of 75 substituted cysteines comprising the C terminus of both αIIb and β3 TMs, the intracellular membrane-proximal regions, and the whole cytoplasmic tails, to the labeling of a membrane-permeable, cysteine-specific chemical biotin maleimide (BM). The active state of integrin αIIbβ3 heterodimer was generated by co-expression of activating partners with the cysteine-substituted constructs. Our data revealed that, in the inactive state, the intracellular lipid/aqueous border of αIIb TM was at Lys994 and β3 TM was at Phe727 respectively; in the active state, the border of αIIb TM shifted to Pro998, whereas the border of β3 TM remained unchanged, suggesting that complex conformational changes occurred in the TMs upon αIIbβ3 inside-out activation. On the basis of the results, we propose a new inside-out activation mechanism for integrin αIIbβ3 and by inference, all of the integrins in their native cellular environment.
Laser‐ablated nanofunctional polymers for the formulation of slow‐release powders for dry powder inhalers: physicochemical characterization and slow‐release characteristics

Recently, dry powder inhalation (DPI) powders coated with nanometre-thin layers of biodegradable polymers, prepared using pulse laser deposition (PLD), have been evaluated as a slow-release formulation for DPI use, with the goal of improving pulmonary selectivity. This paper describes evaluation of the chemical stability of one potential polymer, poly lactic acid (PLA), during the ablation process, the resulting respirable properties and potential cytotoxicity of coated glucocorticoid powders, and the resulting sustained-release characteristics of PLA-coated glucocorticoids creating using PLD. Triamcinolone acetonide (TA) and budesonide (BUD) were used as two model glucocorticoids to determine pulmonary targeting (PT) in-vivo. The chemical stability of PLA was determined at various laser energy densities. The respirable fraction and the cytotoxicity of the micronized particles of TA and BUD, coated using optimum laser energy density, were determined. In-vitro dissolution profiles were generated for the coated/uncoated formulations and an ex-vivo receptor binding assay was used to determine PT in rats. Increasing laser energy density led to decreases in molecular weight and film density, and increases in degradation products, roughness and thickness of the film. The mean dissolution time of coated formulations of BUD was longer (4 h) than with the less lipophilic TA (2 h). This correlated well with a more pronounced pulmonary selectivity observed for coated BUD ex-vivo. Stability and the physical properties of the film correlated with the laser energy density. We observed a direct relationship between the dissolution rate of the uncoated and coated formulation and the degree of PT; however, physiochemical properties of the drug (e.g. lipophilicity) may also contribute to the improved PT.
Unique immunologic patterns in fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia (FM) is a clinical syndrome characterized by chronic pain and allodynia. The diagnosis of FM has been one of exclusion as a test to confirm the diagnosis is lacking. Recent data highlight the role of the immune system in FM. Aberrant expressions of immune mediators, such as cytokines, have been linked to the pathogenesis and traits of FM. We therefore determined whether cytokine production by immune cells is altered in FM patients by comparing the cellular responses to mitogenic activators of stimulated blood mononuclear cells of a large number of patients with FM to those of healthy matched individuals. Plasma and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were collected from 110 patients with the clinical diagnosis of FM and 91 healthy donors. Parallel samples of PBMC were cultured overnight in medium alone or in the presence of mitogenic activators; PHA or PMA in combination with ionomycin. The cytokine concentrations of IFN-γ, IL-5, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, MIP-1β , MCP-1, and MIP1-α in plasma as well as in cultured supernatants were determined using a multiplex immunoassay using bead array technology. Cytokine levels of stimulated PBMC cultures of healthy control subjects were significantly increased as compared to matched non-stimulated PBMC cultures. In contrast, the concentrations of most cytokines were lower in stimulated samples from patients with FM compared to controls. The decreases of cytokine concentrations in patients samples ranged from 1.5-fold for MIP-1β to 10.2-fold for IL-6 in PHA challenges. In PMA challenges, we observed 1.8 to 4-fold decreases in the concentrations of cytokines in patient samples. The cytokine responses to mitogenic activators of PBMC isolated from patients with FM were significantly lower than those of healthy individuals, implying that cell-mediated immunity is impaired in FM patients. This novel cytokine assay reveals unique and valuable immunologic traits, which, when combined with clinical patterns, can offer a diagnostic methodology in FM.
Dispatch-and-search: dynamic multi-ferry control in partitioned mobile networks

We consider the problem of disseminating data from a base station to a sparse, partitioned mobile network by controllable data ferries with limited ferry-node and ferry-ferry communication ranges. Existing solutions to data ferry control mostly assume the nodes to be stationary, which reduces the problem to designing fixed ferry routes. In the more challenging scenario of mobile networks, existing solutions have focused on single-ferry control and left out an important issue of ferry cooperation in the presence of multiple ferries. In this paper, we jointly address the issues of ferry navigation and cooperation using the approach of stochastic control. Under the assumption that ferries can communicate within each partition, we propose a hierarchical control system called Dispatch-and-Search (DAS), consisting of a global controller that dispatches ferries to individual partitions and local controllers that coordinate the search for nodes within each partition. Formulating the global and the local control as Partially Observable Markov Decision Processes (POMDPs), we develop efficient control policies to optimize the (discounted) total throughput, which significantly improve the performance of their predetermined counterparts in cases of limited prior knowledge.
Inter-sensory facilitation and the diagnosis of functional hearing loss.

This paper describes the equipment developed to study inter-sensory facilitation in audiometric testing. Four experiments are reported which seem to lead to the conclusion that the technique is a viable method for assisting in the diagnosis of functional hearing loss. These also suggest that arousal leading to increased expectancy is more likely to explain the effect than a Broadbentian chanelling theory.
Distributed multicast address management in the global Internet

We describe a distributed architecture for managing multicast addresses in the global Internet. A multicast address space partitioning scheme is proposed, based on the unicast host address and a per-host address management entity. By noting that port numbers are an integral part of end-to-end multicast addressing we present a single, unified solution to the two problems of dynamic multicast address management and port resolution. We then present a framework for the evaluation of multicast address management schemes, and use it to compare our design with three approaches, as well as a random allocation strategy. The criteria used for the evaluation are blocking probability and consistency, address acquisition delay, the load on address management entities, robustness against failures, and processing and communications overhead. With the distributed scheme the probability of blocking for address acquisition is reduced by several orders of magnitude, to insignificant levels, while consistency is maintained. At the same time, the address acquisition delay is reduced to a minimum by serving the request within the host itself. It is also shown that the scheme generates much less control traffic, is more robust against failures, and puts much less load on address management entities as compared with the other three schemes. The random allocation strategy is shown to be attractive primarily due to its simplicity, although it does have several drawbacks stemming from its lack of consistency (addresses may be allocated more than once). >
Noncoherent Trellis Coded Quantization: A Practical Limited Feedback Technique for Massive MIMO Systems

Accurate channel state information (CSI) is essential for attaining beamforming gains in single-user (SU) multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) and multiplexing gains in multi-user (MU) MIMO wireless communication systems. State-of-the-art limited feedback schemes, which rely on pre-defined codebooks for channel quantization, are only appropriate for a small number of transmit antennas and low feedback overhead. In order to scale informed transmitter schemes to emerging massive MIMO systems with a large number of transmit antennas at the base station, one common approach is to employ time division duplexing (TDD) and to exploit the implicit feedback obtained from channel reciprocity. However, most existing cellular deployments are based on frequency division duplexing (FDD), hence it is of great interest to explore backwards compatible massive MIMO upgrades of such systems. For a fixed feedback rate per antenna, the number of codewords for quantizing the channel grows exponentially with the number of antennas, hence generating feedback based on look-up from a standard vector quantized codebook does not scale. In this paper, we propose noncoherent trellis-coded quantization (NTCQ), whose encoding complexity scales linearly with the number of antennas. The approach exploits the duality between source encoding in a Grassmannian manifold (for finding a vector in the codebook which maximizes beamforming gain) and noncoherent sequence detection (for maximum likelihood decoding subject to uncertainty in the channel gain). Furthermore, since noncoherent detection can be realized near-optimally using a bank of coherent detectors, we obtain a low-complexity implementation of NTCQ encoding using an off-the-shelf Viterbi algorithm applied to standard trellis coded quantization. We also develop advanced NTCQ schemes which utilize various channel properties such as temporal/spatial correlations. Monte Carlo simulation results show the proposed NTCQ and its extensions can achieve near-optimal performance with moderate complexity and feedback overhead.
Generalized volume-surface integral equation for modeling inhomogeneities within high contrast composite structures

Numerical solutions of volume integral equations with high contrast inhomogeneous materials require extremely fine discretization rates making their utility very limited. Given the application of such materials for antennas and metamaterials, it is extremely important to explore computationally efficient modeling methods. In this paper, we propose a novel volume integral equation technique where the domain is divided into different material regions each represented by a corresponding uniform background medium coupled with a variation, together representing the overall inhomogeneity. This perturbational approach enables us to use different Green's functions for each material region. Hence, the resulting volume-surface integral equation alleviates the necessity for higher discretizations within the higher contrast regions. With the incorporation of a junction resolution algorithm for the surface integral equations defined on domain boundaries, we show that the proposed volume-surface integral equation formulation can be generalized to model arbitrary composite structures incorporating conducting bodies as well as highly inhomogeneous material regions.
Model based maglev microrobotic motion control

Exploratory laboratory investigations performed earlier in maglev microrobotics have initiated research to define an electromagnetic model and a mechanical model for precision model-based maglev motion control. An electromagnetic model was developed, and experiments were performed to validate the model for two types of active magnetic sources: a straight wire conductor and a flat printed-circuit-board trace. Two translational motion (one-dimensional) arrays were fabricated. A mechanical model was developed resembling the model of a spring-mass-damper system. High-speed motion videos were taken to measure actual displacements, velocities, and accelerations of a maglev microrobot in translational motion on each array. The experimental results confirmed both mechanical and electromagnetic models and to a large extent the use of printed-circuit board conductors to produce model-based translational motions. >
Demonstration of 2',3'-cyclic nucleotide 3'-phosphohydrolase in cultured human Schwann cells.

: Schwann cell cultures were established from adult human sural nerve biopsies. 2′3′-Cyclic nucleotide 3′-phosphohydrolase (CNPase) activity was estimated in the homogenates of those cells by a sensitive isotope assay using [3H]2′,3′-cyclic AMP as substrate. A high level of CNPase activity was observed in cultured Schwann cells, whereas cultured human muscle and skin fibroblasts contained negligible levels of CNPase activity. CNPase of human Schwann cells followed typical enzyme-substrate kinetics, with an apparent Km of 1.6 mM for 2′,3′-cyclic AMP, and the enzyme was stimulated by detergents such as Triton X-100 and deoxycholate. It was inhibited by p-chloromercuricbenzoate and 2′-AMP. These properties are typical of CNPase isolated from adult brain and spinal cord. CNPase can serve as a new biochemical marker of normal cultured human Schwann cells and can be useful in analyzing the properties of cultured Schwann cells from patients with dysschwannian neuropathies.
Computing with sparse matrices

A survey of recent developments in sparse matrix technology is presented. Two fundamental areas are reviewed: 1. Sorting and reordering techniques by which the non-zero elements of a given sparse matrix can be rearranged to obtain a form which leads to more efficient computations. 2. Direct methods for solving systems of linear equations and computing inverses.