cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Water permeability in hydrate-bearing sediments: A pore-scale study

Permeability is a critical parameter governing methane flux and fluid flow in hydrate-bearing sediments; however, limited valid data are available due to experimental challenges. Here we investigate the relationship between apparent water permeability (k′) and hydrate saturation (Sh), accounting for hydrate pore-scale growth habit and meso-scale heterogeneity. Results from capillary tube models rely on cross-sectional tube shapes and hydrate pore habits, thus are appropriate only for sediments with uniform hydrate distribution and known hydrate pore character. Given our pore network modeling results showing that accumulating hydrate in sediments decreases sediment porosity and increases hydraulic tortuosity, we propose a modified Kozeny-Carman model to characterize water permeability in hydrate-bearing sediments. This model agrees well with experimental results and can be easily implemented in reservoir simulators with no empirical variables other than Sh. Results are also relevant to flow through other natural sediments that undergo diagenesis, salt precipitation, or bio-clogging.
Soil Treatment And Scouting For The Control Of The Asiatic Beetle

Approximately 1400 acres are now under quarantine for the Asiatic beetle, Anomala orientalis Waterhouse, in New Haven, Conn. Altogether 2402 beetles were found during the summer scouting season, and 4576 diggings were made in the spring and fall. The heavy infestation is concentrated in 300 acres, and the larvae injure the lawns severely. Carbon disulphide emulsion was used successfully in controlling them, and during the past year 100 acres were treated.
Light-induced rapid absorption changes during photosynthesis. VII. Some reactions in sonicated chloroplasts☆

Abstract 1. Spinach chloroplasts subjected to sonication show light-induced absorption changes at 700 mμ characteristic of the photooxidation of the chlorophyll component P700. The appearance of P700 absorption changes probably resulted from the release of plastocyanin thus interrupting the electron flow between pigment systems 1 and 2. The general features of the absorption-change transients are similar to those observed previously with digitonin-treated chloroplasts. The addition of 2 mM ascorbate or 10 μM 3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1, 1-dimethylurea had practically no effect on either the magnitude or the dark decay of the transient absorption change. 2. Phenazine methosulfate (PMS) (in the presence or in the absence of ascorbate) reduction appeared to be coupled to P700 photooxidation, as shown by the corresponding transients at 430 and 388 mμ. The absorbance changes at these two wavelengths indicate that the amount of PMS photoreduced was equivalent to that of P700 photooxidized. Higher PMS concentrations accelerate the dark decay of the P700 signal. When PMS alone is present, anaerobiosis caused the dark decay to become more rapid than in the presence of ascorbate. 3. Unlike PMS, other redox agents such as 2,6-dichlorophenolindophenol, N , N , N ′, N ′-tetramethyl- p -phenylenediamine or diaminodurol in the presence of excess ascorbate, did not noticeably affect the kinetics of the dark decay at 430 or 703 mμ, suggesting that these reduced species are not efficiently coupled to photooxidized P700. 4. The onset and decay rates of the P700 transient in the presence of PMS and excess ascorbate was insensitive to temperature between 25° and o°. However, when the chloroplast sample was frozen at temperatures ranging from −5° to −196°, all reactions ceased. When the frozen (−196°) sample was brought back to the room temperature, the reaction was restored completely. Fresh broken chloroplasts behave similarly. Digitonin-treated chloroplasts persisted down to about −25° but with diminishing magnitude and slower decay.
Craufurd Goodwin and History of Political Economy: A Double Anniversary

History of Political Economy—HOPE to its friends—the first journal entirely devoted to the history of economics, was founded at Duke University in 1969—a little over forty years ago. On 26–27 March 2010 a conference titled “The Uses of Economics: Past and Future” was held to celebrate the fortieth anniversary. The current issue presents the proceedings of that conference. Forty years for a journal is hardly a landmark. Many academic journals are vastly older—the Proceedings of the Royal Society, for instance, have been published for more than three hundred years. And forty years is an odd anniversary. We name many anniversaries: annual, biennial, triennial, and so forth are obvious. We all know centennial and bicentennial. Not so long ago, California and Texas celebrated sesquicentennials (150th anniversaries). Fifty years has the semicentennial or quinquagenary. And soon California and Texas will celebrate their demi semisept centennials (175th anniversaries). But after a vigorous, if unsystematic, search, I was unable to locate a proper name for the fortieth. So, why celebrate forty? The answer was provided on the television show Mad Men, in which one of the partners in the advertising firm that is its subject mused on
Psychiatric hospitalization in Poland

Abstract An overview of psychiatric hospitalization in Poland is presented in the context of Polish political and socio-cultural developments. The areas addressed include: the characteristics of the patient population; the organization of Polish mental health service; the nature of psychiatric treatment; psychiatric legislation; patients' rights; and the training and social status of the various mental health professionals. In spite of the meager resources allocated to mental health services, and the consequent staff shortages and overcrowded, drab living conditions in psychiatric facilities, the care afforded patients is generally humane and nonoppressive. Polish psychiatry has succeeded in maintaining its professional autonomy and has assumed a leadership role in the modernization of its service delivery system.
STUDIES ON THE INTRA-CELLULAR LOCALIZATION OF THE HEXOSE MONOPHOSPHATE PATHWAY IN USTILAGO MAYDIS'

A B S T R A C T The relation of the operation of the hexose monophosphate pathway to cellular particles of Ustilago maydis was investigated. Results obtained indicate that extracts from which all microscopically visible particles had been removed could oxidize glucose through the hexose monophosphate pathway. By tracer techniques it was found that all, or almost all, released C02 was obtained from the number 1 carbon of glucose. Spectrophotometric studies demonstrated the presence of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and 6-phosphogluconic acid dehydrogenase. Radiochromatographic studies indicated the formation by mitochondria-free extracts of glucose6-phosphate, 6-phosphogluconic acid and possibly ribose-5-phosphate. These extracts could metabolize glucose and 6-phosphogluconate with oxygen uptake. It was concluded that in this fungus the energy-producing and decarboxylating steps of the hexose monophosphate pathway could operate with the uptake of 02 in the absence of mitochondria. The dehydrogenases present in the supernatant solutions can cooperate with an electron transfer sequence to 02 in the supernatant. Presumptive evidence for the presence and action of glucokinase and phosphoriboisomerase was provided by the results of the aforementioned experiments. Isolated mitochondria were found by spectrophotometric means to contain cytochrome c oxidase and DPNH oxidase. Mitochondria were capable of using succinate as a substrate with oxygen uptake. Under some conditions isolated mitochondria showed a high endogenous rate of metabolism which could be halted by KCN. The use of isotopic tracer techniques indicated that extracts containing mitochondria could carry out the decarboxylation of citric acid via the tricarboxylic acid cycle. IT IS generally believed that the enzymes and co-enzymes of the pentose phosphate cycle are located in the soluble portion of the cytoplasm (Beevers, 1961). The enzymes and co-enzymes of the riboflavin and cytochrome electron transport system which are capable of oxidizing reduced TPN and DPN are known to be present in
Norovirus binds to blood group A-like antigens in oyster gastrointestinal cells.

Aims: To determine if histo-blood group antigens (HBGA) present in oyster gastrointestinal (GI) cells mediate accumulation of human noroviruses (NoV) in oyster GI cells. Methods and Results: HBGA-specific monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) were used to determine the presence of the corresponding HBGA in oyster GI cells. All oyster samples tested contained type A-like HBGA in GI tissue as measured by ELISA. Recombinant Norwalk virus viral like particles (rNVLP) were bound to plates coated with oyster GI homogenate. The binding was inhibited when rNVLPs were pre-incubated with MAbs specific for type A HBGA, or samples of human saliva from type A individuals. Co-localization of rNVLP and type A-like HBGA, but not type B-like or type H-like HBGA, on GI epithelial cells was observed by immunofluorescent histochemical staining and three-channel confocal scanning laser microscopy. Conclusion: Type A-like HBGA is present in oyster GI cells and responsible for binding of rNVLP. Significance and Impact of the Study: This is the first report of the presence of type A-like HBGA in oyster GI cells and the specific binding of rNVLP to type A-like HBGA on oyster GI cells. The results of this study suggest that human NoV concentrate in oyster GI cells by specific binding to concentrated type A-like HBGA rather than by a nonmolecular entrapment within the tissues.
Geographic Box Plots

Traditional box plots, described by Tukey in 1977, can be biased representations of geographic or spatial variables, since they do not take into account the areas associated with the elements of geographic variables. To help solve this problem, we propose and evaluate a spatially (areally) weighted box plot, a "geographic box plot," that can be used to describe a wide variety of geographic variables. Much of our discussion of box plots also applies to "traditional" and "geographic" histograms and percentile plots. Traditional and geographic box plots of one hypothetical and two real-world geographic variables are constructed and compared to illustrate our points, as well as to illustrate the often marked differences between traditional and geographic box plots of the same geographic variables. The real-world geographic variables considered here are human population density (in the year 2000) within the contiguous 48 United States and five-year-average (January 2001-December 2005) air temperature over the ...
Effect of a dietary herbal supplement containing caffeine and ephedra on weight, metabolic rate, and body composition.

GREENWAY, FRANK L., LILIAN DE JONGE, DAMIAN BLANCHARD, MADLYN FRISARD, AND STEVEN R. SMITH. Effect of a dietary herbal supplement containing caffeine and ephedra on weight, metabolic rate, and body composition. Obes Res. 2004;12:1152–1157. Objective: To evaluate the effect of a dietary supplement containing herbal caffeine (70 mg/dose) and ephedra (24 mg/dose; C&E) on metabolic rate, weight loss, body composition, and safety parameters. Research Methods and Procedures: In phase I, 12 healthy subjects with a BMI of 25 to 35 kg/m 2 had resting metabolic rate (RMR) measured for 2 hours after ingesting C&E or a placebo on two occasions 1 week apart, followed by a 1-week washout before phase II. In phase II, these 12 and 28 additional subjects were randomized to a 12-week, doubleblind trial comparing C&E (3 times/day) to placebo. In phase III, the C&E group was given open-label C&E for 3 months, and the placebo group was given C&E for 6 months. Results: In phase I, C&E gave an average 8 0.1% (SE) rise in RMR over 2 hours compared with placebo (p 0.01). In phase II, weight loss at 12 weeks was 3.5 0.6 kg with C&E compared with 0.8 0.5 kg with placebo (p 0.02). The percentage fat lost, shown by DXA, was 7.9 2.9% with C&E and 1.9 1.1% with placebo (p 0.05). Pulse decreased more in the placebo group that in the C&E group (p 0.03). There were no differences in lipid levels or blood pressure. In phase III, there was a 6-month loss of 7.3% and 7.8% of initial body weight for the groups on placebo and C&E during phase II, respectively. There were no serious adverse events. Discussion: C&E increased RMR significantly by 8% compared with placebo, promoted more weight and fat loss than placebo, and was well tolerated.
Effect of procainamide on dispersion of ventricular refractoriness

Abstract Ventricular arrhythmias after Q-T prolongation by drugs could result from a nonhomogeneous increase in refractoriness (dispersion). Dispersion of effective refractory periods (ERP) was measured before and after infusion of 1 g of procainamide using twice-threshold extrastimuli applied in sinus rhythm and with 500 ms ventricular drive cycle length at 3 right ventricular sites (2 patients) or 2 right and 1 left ventricular site (10 patients). Procainamide prolonged ERP. In drive, average ERP was 247 ± 5 ms (standard error of the mean) before and 277 ± 7 ms after procainamide (p
Anti-Aβ: The Good, the Bad, and the Unforeseen

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized in part by the deposition of amyloid beta protein (Abeta) in compact fibrillar plaques. These structures can induce an innate immune response in the brain, which triggers progressive inflammation, neuronal loss, and further acceleration of Abeta plaque formation. Compared with the case in normal individuals, the T and B lymphocytes in AD patients and murine models are hyporesponsive to Abeta. However, depending on the route of delivery, tolerance can be overcome by vaccination, with the induction of an anti-Abeta-mediated immune response. Through mechanisms that are incompletely understood, immunized APP transgenic animals show markedly reduced Abeta deposition, preservation of normal neuronal architecture, and improved performance in memory and spatial learning tasks. In human trials, Abeta vaccination stabilized cognition and slowed the progression of dementia. Neuropathologic examination of a vaccinated subject showed reduced cortical Abeta without changes in other AD-associated pathology. However, in some patients, vaccination induced severe meningoencephalitis, causing the trial to be terminated. Thus, vaccination appears to activate both beneficial and deleterious anti-Abeta immunity, suggesting that the vaccine can have potent clinical utility if an appropriate immunologic response can be generated.
Injection of fully-defined signal mixtures: a novel high-throughput tool to study neuronal encoding and computations.

Understanding of how neurons transform fluctuations of membrane potential, reflecting input activity, into spike responses, which communicate the ultimate results of single-neuron computation, is one of the central challenges for cellular and computational neuroscience. To study this transformation under controlled conditions, previous work has used a signal immersed in noise paradigm where neurons are injected with a current consisting of fluctuating noise that mimics on-going synaptic activity and a systematic signal whose transmission is studied. One limitation of this established paradigm is that it is designed to examine the encoding of only one signal under a specific, repeated condition. As a result, characterizing how encoding depends on neuronal properties, signal parameters, and the interaction of multiple inputs is cumbersome. Here we introduce a novel fully-defined signal mixture paradigm, which allows us to overcome these problems. In this paradigm, current for injection is synthetized as a sum of artificial postsynaptic currents (PSCs) resulting from the activity of a large population of model presynaptic neurons. PSCs from any presynaptic neuron(s) can be now considered as ‘‘signal’’, while the sum of all other inputs is considered as ‘‘noise’’. This allows us to study the encoding of a large number of different signals in a single experiment, thus dramatically increasing the throughput of data acquisition. Using this novel paradigm, we characterize the detection of excitatory and inhibitory PSCs from neuronal spike responses over a wide range of amplitudes and firing-rates. We show, that for moderately-sized neuronal populations the detectability of individual inputs is higher for excitatory than for inhibitory inputs during the 2–5 ms following PSC onset, but becomes comparable after 7– 8 ms. This transient imbalance of sensitivity in favor of excitation may enhance propagation of balanced signals through neuronal networks. Finally, we discuss several open questions that this novel high-throughput paradigm may address.
Process capability analysis—a robustness study

Abstract The robustness of two popular process capability ratios, Cp and Cpk, when the random process being observed departs from normality is analysed. The distributions of estimated process capability ratios are derived and used as a basis for validation of large-scale simulation studies in an examination of departures from normality. The simulation studies and analytical results provide a basis for recommended procedures. It is recommended that the impact of process distributions be considered before using popular process capability indexes, due to the lack of robustness when departures from normality are ecountered. As an extension of our findings, we consider the Taguchi loss function as a generalization to process capability analysis regardless of the underlying population distribution.
Spectroscopic studies of the boron trihalide and borane complexes of 1,4-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octane and quinuclidine

Abstract An i.r. and Raman study is presented of 1,4-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octane (Dabco) and complexes formed by reaction of Dabco with boron trihalides and borane. The two nitrogen atoms in the Dabco molecule each react with a boron trihalide, or borane molecule, to form a Dabco (BX3)2 complex, where X = F, Cl, B, I and H. The boron-10 isotopically enriched boron trihalide complexes with Dabco were also investigated. Infrared and Raman spectra of quinuclidine (Abco) complexes with boron trihalides and borane were investigated as an aid in the spectral interpretation of the Dabco complexes. Vibrational assignments for the Dabco complexes were made for the absorptions occurring below 1500 cm−1. It is concluded that a molecular symmetry of D3h allows a more consistent assignment of fundamental modes of vibration for the Dabco complexes than does D3 symmetry. Assignments for fundamental modes of vibration below 1000 cm−1 for quinuclidine and the quinuclidine complexes were made on the basis of C3v symmetry.
Evaluation of Tick-Borne Encephalitis DNA Vaccines in Monkeys

Tick-borne encephalitis is usually caused by infection with one of two flaviviruses: Russian spring summer encephalitis virus (RSSEV) or Central European encephalitis virus (CEEV). We previously demonstrated that gene gun inoculation of mice with naked DNA vaccines expressing the prM and E genes of these viruses resulted in long-lived homologous and heterologous protective immunity (Schmaljohn et al., 1997). To further evaluate these vaccines, we inoculated rhesus macaques by gene gun with the RSSEV or CEEV vaccines or with both DNA vaccines and compared resulting antibody titers with those obtained by vaccination with a commercial, formalin-inactivated vaccine administered at the human dose. Vaccinations were given at days 0, 30, and 70. All of the vaccines elicited antibodies detected by ELISA and by plaque-reduction neutralization tests. The neutralizing antibody responses persisted for at least 15 weeks after the final vaccination. Because monkeys are not uniformly susceptible to tick-borne encephalitis, the protective properties of the vaccines were assessed by passive transfer of monkey sera to mice and subsequent challenge of the mice with RSSEV or CEEV. One hour after transfer, mice that received 50 microl of sera from monkeys vaccinated with both DNA vaccines had circulating neutralizing antibody levels <20-80. All of these mice were protected from challenge with RSSEV or CEEV. Mice that received 10 microl of sera from monkeys vaccinated with the individual DNA vaccines, both DNA vaccines, or a commercial vaccine were partially to completely protected from RSSEV or CEEV challenge. These data suggest that DNA vaccines may offer protective immunity to primates similar to that obtained with a commercial inactivated-virus vaccine.
Stiffened lipid platforms at molecular force foci

How mechanical forces are sensed remains largely mysterious. The forces that gate prokaryotic and several eukaryotic channels were found to come from the lipid membrane. Our survey of animal cells found that membrane force foci all have cholesterol-gathering proteins and are reinforced with cholesterol. This result is evident in overt force sensors at the tips of stereocilia for vertebrate hearing and the touch receptor of Caenorhabditis elegans and mammalian neurons. For less specialized cells, cadherins sustain the force between neighboring cells and integrins between cells and matrix. These tension bearers also pass through and bind to a cholesterol-enriched platform before anchoring to cytoskeleton through other proteins. Cholesterol, in alliance with sphingomyelin and specialized proteins, enforces a more ordered structure in the bilayer. Such a stiffened platform can suppress mechanical noise, redirect, rescale, and confine force. We speculate that such platforms may be dynamic. The applied force may allow disordered-phase lipids to enter the platform-staging channel opening in the thinner mobile neighborhood. The platform may also contain specialized protein/lipid subdomains enclosing mechanosensitive channels to open with localized tension. Such a dynamic stage can mechanically operate structurally disparate channels or enzymes without having to tie them directly to cadherin, integrin, or other protein tethers.
Regression of Retinoblastoma After Plaque Radiotherapy

A review of 400 consecutive patients with retinoblastoma disclosed that 103 tumors in 103 eyes were treated with solitary plaque radiotherapy. The tumors were from 1 to 16 mm (mean, 7 mm) in basal diameter and from 1 to 8 mm (mean, 4 mm) in thickness. Thirty-one tumors were treated with plaque radiotherapy as initial treatment, whereas 72 tumors were treated with plaque radiotherapy as secondary treatment after failure of other methods. Of the 102 tumors on which adequate follow-up data were available, all responded initially to plaque radiotherapy with tumor regression. Over the mean follow-up of 38 months (range, six to 192 months), 89 tumors (87%) showed persistent regression and 13 (13%) showed tumor recurrence. The recurrence occurred at a mean interval of five months (range, one to 11 months) after plaque radiotherapy. A statistical analysis of tumor size, tumor location, tumor proximity to the optic disk and foveola, presence of vitreous seeds, radioactive plaque diameter, plaque shape, radioisotope, and primary or secondary treatment disclosed no important predictors of tumor recurrence. Carefully selected retinoblastoma, even juxtapapillary and macular tumors and those with localized vitreous seeds, can be successfully treated with plaque radiotherapy.
Tree species-richness and topographic complexity along the riparian edge of the Potomac River

Abstract We studied the riparian edge of a central portion of the Potomac River in order to test the hypothesis of a positive relationship between small-scale topographic complexity of the riverbank profile and tree species-richness. A total of 153 5 m-wide transects established at 530 m intervals, containing 2568 trees, were measured along 97 km of the river corridor between Harpers Ferry, WV and Hancock, MD. Standardization of species-richness between plots was done by rarefaction. Small-scale topographic complexity was calculated using the standard deviation of slope measurements along the length of each transect. The tree species dominating the community are: silver maple ( Acer saccharinum ), boxelder ( Acer negundo ), and sycamore ( Platanus occidentalis ), together comprising 62% of the stems and 80% of the basal area. A statistically significant positive relationship was observed between tree species-richness and topographic complexity. Analysis of covariance indicated that adjacent land use and bedrock geology had no statistically significant impact on species-richness, and that the simple linear-regression model was adequate to describe the effect of topographic complexity on species-richness. A significant negative relationship was observed between tree species-richness and the width of the riparian zone; this relationship was consistent across geology. Width of the riparian zone was the best overall predictor of tree species-richness. Tree-species distributions suggest that this is an edge effect, due to a greater number of tree species being able to take advantage of a combination of an increased light gradient and a stable, well-drained substrate (the C & O Canal towpath) directly adjacent to the river, in narrower riparian sections.
Parental Involvement as a Factor in the Readmission to a Residential Treatment Center

ABSTRACT Parental involvement during treatment is examined as a factor in the recidivism to a children's residential treatment center (RTC). Data was collected on 89 children and adolescents from 5 to 17 years old from the University of New Mexico's Children's Psychiatric Center. Patients with greater parental involvement (attendance in family therapy, number of weekly parent visits, telephone calls, and arranged therapeutic absences) showed a lower recidivism rate than those patients with lower levels of parental involvement. Patients with higher levels of parental involvement were also found to have better family functioning and less severe impairments in their own functioning at discharge.
Modular elements of the MLC 1f/3f locus confer fiber‐specific transcription regulation in transgenic mice

The two proteins encoded by the fast alkali myosin light chain (MLC) 1f/3f locus are developmentally regulated, muscle specific, and expressed exclusively in fast-twitch fibers. Their expression is independently regulated by two separate promoters and a downstream enhancer. Previous studies showed a reporter gene directed by the rat MLC 1f promoter and MLC enhancer to exhibit correct skeletal muscle-specific expression in transgenic mice during development and to be preferentially expressed in fast-twitch Type IIB fibers [Donoghue et al., (1991) J. Cell Biol. 115:423–434]. The MLC 3f promoter also directed muscle-specific expression of a CAT reporter gene in adult transgenic mice and showed little dependence upon the enhancer. Here, we show that the MLC 3f promoter also directs transgene expression in the fast-twitch fibers of adult skeletal muscle, but almost exclusively to fiber Types IIA and IIX. MLC 3f transgene expression occurs in only a subset of the fiber types that express the endogenous locus, indicating modular elements included in the transgene confer fiber-specific transcription regulation. MyoD protein was also found to be restricted to fiber Types IIA and IIX, providing evidence for its possible role in mediating fiber-specific gene expression. © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
GAINING EXPERIENCE IN TEACHING COMMUNITY DENTISTRY

From their personal participation, these two dentists recommend development of sites in which students of dental public health can gain practical experience for teaching community dentistry in a university.
Public expenditures and growth

The article explores the effects of public expenditures on growth among 73 countries over the 1970–89 period. While much of the literature attributes weak growth to public investment and social expenditures which inhibit growth through crowding‐out and rent‐seeking, the article highlights the contributions that public investment and social expenditures may make to growth. The article's econometric analysis suggests that crowding‐out and rent‐seeking concerns may have been overstated in the literature.
The effects of supervisory interruptions on therapists and clients

Abstract The general acceptance of live supervision has not been without criticism, specifically that it is a disruptive intrusion into the therapeutic process. The present study attempted to determine what effect supervisory interruptions had on the participants in a therapy session. Using a within-subjects design, excerpts from a session were analyzed to determine differences between a no-interruption condition and conditions of supervisor-initiated, therapist-initiated, and telephone interruptions. While each of the participants were affected to varying degrees by the interruptions, there were no consistent effects. It was concluded that the act of interrupting a therapeutic session, in and of itself, is not sufficiently disruptive to negate it use. Implications for supervision and practice are discussed and recommendations are given for managing interruptions during supervision and daily clinical practice.
Spontaneous and ACTH-induced interrenal steroidogenesis in juvenile coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch): Effects of monovalent lons and osmolality in vitro

We determined the in vitro effects of changes in extracellular monovalent ion levels and osmotic pressure on the spontaneous and adrenocorticotropin (ACTH)-stimulated interrenal activity of coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch). We used a perifusion system of incubation and monitored interrenal activity by measuring the effluent cortisol content with a radioimmunoassay. An increase in the medium osmolality with mannitol, from 206 to 290 or 353 mosmol, caused an increase in the spontaneous release of cortisol only slightly (compared with the much greater increase induced by porcine-ACTH). A similar minor increase was observed when NaCl was elevated from 130 to 180 mM. On the other hand, the spontaneous release of cortisol was not affected by increasing the KCl level from 3.2 to 9.6 mM, but was clearly increased when KCl was raised from 3.2 mM to a supraphysiological level of 27.2 mM. Ionic or osmolality changes, within the physiological range observed in coho salmon plasma, did not affect the characteristics of interrenal secretion of cortisol in response to porcine-ACTH. If our results with interrenal cells in vitro are representative of the basic functioning of the cells in vivo, then one would have to conclude that changes in concentrations of plasma monovalent ions or in osmotic pressure may not play a significant physiological role in the regulation of interrenal steroidogenesis or corticosteroid release in coho salmon.
Analysis of Lipid Composition of Isolated Human Sebaceous Gland Homogenates After Incubation with Cutaneous Bacteria. Thin-Layer Chromatography

The effects of specific species of skin bacteria on human sebaceous gland lipids in vitro were analyzed.Isolated dissected sebaceous glands were pooled, homogenized, and sterilized, then incorporated into peptone-yeast extract medium and used as substrate for growth of Propinibacterium acnes, P. granulosum, and Staphylococcus epidermidis subgroup II. The sebaceous lipids were analyzed by thin-layer chromatography before and after bacterial growth. The most striking effect of bacteria on sebaceous gland lipid composition was the hydrolysis of sebaceous triglycerides. The degree of hydrolysis varied with bacterial strain but was most complete with P. acnes and P. granulosum. Staphylococci were not effective in hydrolyzing sebaceous triglycerides at pH 4.5 although, when the pH of the medium was raised to pH 6.4, some strains of staphylococci were as effective as the propionibacteria in hydrolyzing sebaceous triglycerides to free fatty acids. Thus minor changes in acidity may play a significant role in controlling the lipolytic activity of staphylococci on skin. Another effect of bacterial action on sebaceous gland lipids was the esterification of sebaceous cholesterol to cholesteryl esters. Thus, bacterial action must be taken into account in evaluating studies of alterations in cutaneous cholesterol and cholesteryl esters in skin surface lipids in normal and disease states.
Abstract B24: Inhibition of mTOR induces multidrug resistance in B-progenitor acute lymphocytic leukemia

In B-progenitor acute lymphocytic leukemia (B-ALL), the current chemotherapeutic regimen can effectively cure most patients. However, some patients like those with the Philadelphia chromosome (Ph+) often relapse. Many of these Ph+ and some Ph- B-ALL have elevated signaling through the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway. The cancer proliferation and survival driven by this pathway provides these cancers an advantage that likely contributes to survival after chemotherapy, resulting in a high rate of relapse. The goal of this project is to test inhibitors of the various components of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway to determine how to combine them with current chemotherapy to enhance leukemia killing and prevent relapse. Our pilot studies using Annexin-V and PI staining revealed that upstream PI3K inhibition often sensitizes B-ALL cell lines to chemotherapy but, surprisingly, downstream mTOR inhibition induces multidrug resistance. Using a novel assay called BH3 profiling we have found that mTOR inhibition actually sensitizes cells to triggers of mitochondrial apoptosis but an unknown resistance mechanism reverses the effects of this sensitization. This resistance is observed when using rapamycin as well as active-site mTOR inhibitors (MLN-0128 and AZD8055). The degree of drug resistance upon mTOR inhibition varies with different chemotherapeutic agents. mTOR inhibition best protects cells from killing by methotrexate and is least protective when combined with daunorubicin. Future work will focus on identifying the mechanism of drug resistance induced by mTOR inhibition. Thus far, we have found that resistance does not correspond with the effects on cell cycle. Identifying and finding mechanisms of reversing this protective effect could potentially augment the effectiveness of inhibiting the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway. Our results will lead to a better understanding of how to best utilize PI3K pathway inhibitors in combination with standard chemotherapy as an option for high-risk B-ALL cases driven by oncogenic PI3K signaling. Citation Format: Thanh-Trang Vo, Mengrou Lu, Duc Nguyen, Brandon Lui, Sharmila Maylla, David Fruman. Inhibition of mTOR induces multidrug resistance in B-progenitor acute lymphocytic leukemia. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Pediatric Cancer at the Crossroads: Translating Discovery into Improved Outcomes; Nov 3-6, 2013; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;74(20 Suppl):Abstract nr B24.
Fine-tuning a heart-brain connection: anxiety in atrial fibrillation.

The field of behavioral cardiology has detailed various associations that exist between the heart and the brain. Studies have evolved from the Type A personality in the 1970s, to the landmark study of depression increasing mortality in the post–myocardial infarction setting in the 1990s,1 to the new wave of anxiety studies in the past couple of years that have shown anxiety to be a risk factor for development of coronary artery disease as well as being cardiotoxic in established heart disease.2 Even though the mechanistic pathways as to why these associations occur still elude us, the impact of personality traits, depression, and anxiety on heart disease is undeniable. Article see p 322 Emotions have also been strongly associated with arrhythmias as a whole. In earthquake scenarios, sudden increases in cardiovascular deaths are known to occur,3 and cardiovascular events increase in presumably more “benign” scenarios, such as World Cup Soccer matches.4 Transient cardiac dysfunction has been well described with strong emotional events, referred to as Tako-tsubo cardiomyopathy.5 Implantable cardioverter-defibrillator patients who demonstrate anger-induced T-wave alternans during mental stress are at higher risk for ventricular arrhythmias, prompting further interventional studies and the editorial article, “Anger Management May Save Your Life.”6 Clinically, atrial fibrillation is the most common cardiac arrhythmia and can cause in some patients psychological distress and a negative impact on quality of life.7 “Doc, I know I have heart disease, but if you can fix this afib, I know I will …
Superoxide Released to High Intra-arteriolar Pressure Reduces Nitric Oxide–Mediated Shear Stress– and Agonist-Induced Dilations

It is thought that elevated levels of reactive oxygen metabolites contribute to the dysfunction of vascular endothelium in hypertension. We hypothesized that high intravascular pressure itself elicits production of superoxide, which then interferes with nitric oxide (NO)-mediated responses of arterioles. Thus, isolated arterioles (approximately 80 microm in diameter) from gracilis muscle of normotensive Wistar rats were cannulated and exposed to 140 mm Hg perfusion pressure for 30 minutes (in the absence of perfusate flow). After high intravascular pressure treatment, dilations to increases in perfusate flow (0 to 30 microL/min) were significantly reduced (from 39+/-2.2 to 19+/-2.1 microm at 30 microL/min), eliciting an increase in wall shear stress from approximately 20 to approximately 60 dyne/cm2. Nomega-nitro-L-arginine (10(-4) mol/L) did not affect, whereas indomethacin eliminated, flow-induced dilations after pressure treatment. In control, substance P (SP, 10(-9) to 5x10(-8) mol/L), sodium nitroprusside (SNP, 10(-8) to 10(-6) mol/L), and adenosine (ADO, 10(-6) to 5x10(-5) mol/L) elicited dilations (SP: 31.5+/-1.9 microm, SNP: 45.6+/-4 microm, and ADO: 37.2+/-4.1 microm, at maximum concentrations, respectively). After pressure treatment, maximum dilations to SP and SNP were significantly reduced (by 49% and 39%, respectively), whereas responses to ADO were not affected. Presence of superoxide dismutase (120 U/mL) and catalase (80 U/mL), but not catalase alone, in the perfusate solution prevented the reduction in dilation of arterioles to flow and agonists after pressure treatment by restoring NO mediation. We conclude that high intravascular pressure per se elicits the release of superoxide, which then interferes with NO, a mechanism that contributes to the elevation of wall shear stress and peripheral resistance in hypertension.
Exciton and Interband Spectra of Crystalline MnF 2

Reflection and absorption spectra of MnF2 (crystals were kindly supplied by F. Legend, Center for Nuclear Studies at Saclay, France, and V. Saccarino, University of California, Santa Barbara, California) in the region from 4.5 to 31 eV were investigated at room and liquid-nitrogen temperatures. Peaks associated with the onset of allowed transitions are explained in terms of excitons at Γ (10.48 and 10.55 eV) and at X (10.24 eV) and on this basis some features of the band structure are proposed. Splitting of these peaks is interpreted in terms of the spin–orbit splitting of p-like valence bands arising primarily from F− ions. The energy-loss spectrum contains peaks corresponding to plasma frequencies of electrons in half-filled d-like bands and in F− valence bands. Transitions over the range from 4.5 to 9.5 eV are ascribed to d excitons associated with states 6S(d5) → 4F(d5), 6D(d4s), and 4D(d4s) of the Mn2+ ion in an orthorhombic crystal-ligand field.
Accurate SI filters using RGC integrators

The design and implementation of single-ended and fully-differential switched current (SI) biquadratic high-Q bandpass filters to meet the specifications of the dual-tone multiple-frequency (DTMF) system are presented. Both designs use the regulated-gate cascode (RGC) dynamic current mirror to obtain center frequency accuracy of 0.1% and a quality factor of 24. Compared to the equivalent switched capacitor (SC) implementation of these filters, the single-ended SI filter requires 30% less area for the same minimum-sized capacitance, power dissipation and performance. >
Identifying Proxy Nodes in a Tor Anonymization Circuit

We present a novel, practical, and effective mechanism that exposes the identity of Tor relays participating in a given circuit. Such an attack can be used by malicious or compromised nodes to identify the rest of the circuit, or as the first step in a follow-on trace-back attack. Our intuition is that by modulating the bandwidth of an anonymous connection (e.g. when the destination server, its router, or an entry point is under our control), we create observable fluctuations that propagate through the Tor network and the Internet to the end-user's host. To that end, we employ LinkWidth, a novel bandwidth-estimation technique. LinkWidth enables network edge-attached entities to estimate the available bandwidth in an arbitrary Internet link without a cooperating peer host, router, or ISP. Our approach also does not require compromise of any Tor nodes. In a series of experiments against the Tor network, we show that we can accurately identify the network location of most participating Tor relays.
Hierarchical Scheduling for Symmetric Multiprocessors

Hierarchical scheduling has been proposed as a scheduling technique to achieve aggregate resource partitioning among related groups of threads and applications in uniprocessor and packet scheduling environments. Existing hierarchical schedulers are not easily extensible to multiprocessor environments because 1) they do not incorporate the inherent parallelism of a multiprocessor system while resource partitioning and 2) they can result in unbounded unfairness or starvation if applied to a multiprocessor system in a naive manner. In this paper, we present hierarchical multiprocessor scheduling (H-SMP), a novel hierarchical CPU scheduling algorithm designed for a symmetric multiprocessor (SMP) platform. The novelty of this algorithm lies in its combination of space and time multiplexing to achieve the desired bandwidth partition among the nodes of the hierarchical scheduling tree. This algorithm is also characterized by its ability to incorporate existing proportional-share algorithms as auxiliary schedulers to achieve efficient hierarchical CPU partitioning. In addition, we present a generalized weight feasibility constraint that specifies the limit on the achievable CPU bandwidth partitioning in a multiprocessor hierarchical framework and propose a hierarchical weight readjustment algorithm designed to transparently satisfy this feasibility constraint. We evaluate the properties of H-SMP using hierarchical surplus fair scheduling (H-SFS), an instantiation of H-SMP that employs surplus fair scheduling (SFS) as an auxiliary algorithm. This evaluation is carried out through a simulation study that shows that H-SFS provides better fairness properties in multiprocessor environments as compared to existing algorithms and their naive extensions.
Values and Value: University Endowments, Fiduciary Duties, and ESG Investing

The trustees managing university endowment funds must comply with fiduciary duties that require the trustees to act in the best interests of the university and to act as prudent investors when managing the funds. This article shows that these fiduciaries may adopt investment policies that consider material environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors as part of an overall investment strategy. The article explains why older arguments that fiduciaries should avoid “social investing” are no longer relevant and how the prudent investor standard has evolved to include ESG investing. The article discusses the changes in socially responsible investing since the anti-apartheid era and reviews a significant number of empirical studies that show that ESG investing has had a neutral or positive effect on financial return. Based on the empirical work, evidence of the financial industry’s growing use of extra-financial factors in investment analysis, and recent guidance from the Department of Labor, the article concludes that a trustee responsible for a university endowment will not breach the duty of loyalty or the duty to act as a prudent investor by directing the endowment’s use of ESG investing as part of an overall financial investment strategy..
Performance analysis of directional CSMA/CA MAC protocol in mobile ad hoc networks

In this paper, we consider a shared wireless medium as employed in a mobile ad hoc wireless network. We develop an analytical approach to evaluate the single-hop performance of IEEE 802.11 DCF (Distributed Coordination Function) based MAC (Medium Access Control) algorithm that is combined with the use of directional transmitting and receiving antenna beams at each mobile entity. We characterize the saturation throughput performance of such directional CSMA/CA (Carrier Sensing Multiple Access with Collision Avoidance) protocol in terms of the number of channel contenders, packet size, selected beamwidth and location tracking imprecisions induced by entity mobility. The presented analytical framework provides valuable insights on the use of directional contention-based MAC protocols in mobile ad hoc wireless networks. Using our analytical, as well as simulation evaluations, we present an extensive set of performance results. We show that the directional CSMA/CA system can provide a significant upgrade of network performance when the beamwidth is properly selected.
Information organization using Rufus

Computer system users today are inundated with a flood of semi-structured information, such as documents, electronic mail, programs, and images. Today, this information is typically stored in filesystems that provide limited support for organizing, searching, and operating upon this data, all operations that are vital to the ability of users to effectively use this data. Database systems provide good function for organizing, searching, managing and writing applications on structured data. Current database systems are inappropriate for semi-structured information because moving the data into the database breaks all existing applications that use the data. The Rufus system attacks the problems of semi-structured information by using database function to help users manage semi-structured information without requiring that the user's information reside in the database.
Tube-Gel Digestion A Novel Proteomic Approach for High Throughput Analysis of Membrane Proteins

This study describes a new protein digestion protocol in which a variety of detergents can be used to solubilize membrane proteins and facilitate trypsin digestion with higher efficiency. In this protocol, proteins are dissolved in solutions containing various detergents and directly incorporated into a polyacrylamide gel matrix without electrophoresis. Detergents are subsequently eliminated from the gel matrix while proteins are still immobilized in the gel matrix. After in-gel digestion of proteins, LC-MS/MS is used to analyze the extracted peptides for protein identification. The uniqueness of the protocol is that it allows usage of a variety of detergents in the starting solution without interfering with LC-MS/MS analysis. We hereby demonstrate that different detergents, including ionic SDS, non-ionic Triton X-100 and n-octyl beta-d-glucopyranoside, and zwitterionic CHAPS, can be used to achieve maximum solubilization of membrane proteins with minimal interference with LC-MS/MS analysis. Enhanced digestions, i.e. improved number and intensity of detected peptides, are also demonstrated for digestion-resistant proteins such as myoglobin, ubiquitin, and bacteriorhodopsin. An additional advantage of the Tube-Gel digestion protocol is that, even without electrophoresis separation, it allows high throughput analysis of complex protein mixtures when coupled with LC-MS/MS. The protocol was used to analyze a complex membrane protein mixture prepared from prostate cancer cells. The protocol involves only a single digestion and 2.5 h of LC-MS/MS analysis and identified 178 membrane proteins. In comparison, the same membrane fraction was resolved by SDS-PAGE, and 20 gel slices were excised and individually digested and analyzed by LC-MS/MS. The more elaborate effort demanded more than 50 h of LC-MS/MS analysis and identified 268 proteins. The new Tube-Gel digestion protocol is an alternative method for high throughput analysis of membrane proteins.