cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
MODIFICATION OF HOST MICROFLORA DURING ADOPTIVE IMMUNOTHERAPY OF SPONTANEOUS AKR LEUKEMIA

ABSTRACT: A clinically relevant experimental model for the treatment of endstage spontaneous leukemia in AKR mice by allogeneic bone marrow transplantation in combination with chemoradiotherapy has been developed and used to study various aspects of adoptive immunotherapy. Successful treatment of spontaneous leukemia depended on (a) adequate leukemia remission induction prior to marrow transplant, (b) elimination or reduction in the host microflora (antibiotic decontamination), (c) use of a laminar airflow protective environment and (d) an antileukemic effect of the donor cells. Decontaminated allogeneic chimeras could be successfully returned to a conventional microbial environment, but the time interval between transplant and reconventionalization was critical.
Diagnosis and Treatment of Primary Central Nervous System Angiitis.

Primary central nervous system angiitis (PCNSA) is a rare disease. Varying clinical pictures coupled with lack of sensitive and specific diagnostic tests lead to challenges in management of these patients. This unfortunately may lead to both under- or over-diagnosis and unnecessary treatment. It is important to recognize the different conditions that may mimic the clinical and radiologic presentation. We present a contemporary literature review that should update physicians who encounter this patient population. Recent additions to the literature in form of case reports and single-center series show that digital subtraction angiography was the most widely used test to diagnose PCNSA. It is also important to note that brain biopsy is still considered “gold standard” and should be pursued as it not only has information that establishes the diagnosis but also may help in ruling out the diagnosis from mimics. In around 39% of suspected cases, an alternate diagnosis was eventually confirmed highlighting the importance of a comprehensive work-up. For treatment, almost all the literature supports the use of glucocorticoids as the initial treatment and if the patient has a relapse or develops steroid toxicity then the second most commonly used agent was cyclophosphamide. There are increasing reports of benefits with other agents such as methotrexate, azathioprine, mycophenolate, infliximab, and etanercept. The diagnosis and management of PCNSA continues to be a challenge. Formation of prospective patient registries with continued immunologic research for novel targets and immunomodulatory modalities may hold promise for future care of these patients.
Role of the efflux transporters BCRP and MRP1 in human placental bio-disposition of pravastatin.

Abstract The expression and activity of human placental transporters during pregnancy could be altered by several factors including pathological changes associated with preeclampsia. The aims of this study were to identify the placental efflux transporters involved in the bio-disposition of pravastatin, determine the protein expression of these transporters and their encoding genes as well as the activity of pravastatin uptake in placentas obtained from patients with preeclampsia. ATP-dependent uptake of [3H]-pravastatin by trophoblast tissue apical and basal membrane vesicles exhibited sigmoidal kinetics. The curved shapes of Eadie-Hofstee plots indicate that more than one placental transporter are involved in the uptake of pravastatin. ATP-dependent uptake of [3H]-pravastatin into vesicles expressing MRP1-5, BCRP, and P-gp, as well as the results of inhibition studies suggest that BCRP and MRP1 are the major placental efflux transporters responsible for the in vitro uptake of pravastatin. Compared to placentas from healthy pregnancies, preeclamptic placentas had increased number of syncytial knots with increased expression of BCRP in their apical membrane and increased expression of MRP1 in the cytoplasm of the syncytiotrophoblast and in cytoplasm of syncytial knots. There was a concomitant increase in ABCC1 but not in ABCG2 gene expressions in preeclamptic placentas. ATP-dependent uptake of [3H]-pravastatin by vesicles prepared from apical membranes of preeclamptic placentas was similar to the uptake by vesicles prepared from placentas obtained after uncomplicated pregnancies (13.9 ± 6.5 vs 14.1 ± 5.8 pmol·mg protein−1 min−1). The transporter-specific changes in the expression of BCRP and MRP1 in preeclamptic placentas did not affect the efflux activity of transporters localized on the apical membrane of the syncytiotrophoblast.
An Energy Efficient Wearable Smart IoT System to Predict Cardiac Arrest

Recently, many people have become more concerned about having a sudden cardiac arrest. With the increase in popularity of smart wearable devices, an opportunity to provide an Internet of Things (IoT) solution has become more available. Unfortunately, out of hospital survival rates are low for people suffering from sudden cardiac arrests. The objective of this research is to present a multisensory system using a smart IoT system that can collect Body Area Sensor (BAS) data to provide early warning of an impending cardiac arrest. The goal is to design and develop an integrated smart IoT system with a low power communication module to discreetly collect heart rates and body temperatures using a smartphone without it impeding on everyday life. This research introduces the use of signal processing and machine-learning techniques for sensor data analytics to identify predict and/or sudden cardiac arrests with a high accuracy.
RATE COEFFICIENTS FOR THE THERMAL DECOMPOSITION OF BRONO2 AND THE HEAT OF FORMATION OF BRONO2

Rate coefficients (k-7) for the thermal decomposition of bromine nitrate, BrONO2 + M → BrO + NO2 + M, have been obtained at temperatures between 320 and 340 K and pressures between 100 and 1000 Torr. These data are combined with recommended values for the reverse reaction to obtain an equilibrium constant for the reaction pair, KP,7 = 5.44 × 10-9 exp(14192/T) atm-1, and a heat of reaction for the thermal dissociation of 28.2 ± 1.5 kcal/mol at 298 K. This reaction enthalpy is used in conjunction with literature data to arrive at a consistent set of ΔHf°(298 K) data for BrONO2 (10.1 ± 2.0 kcal/mol), BrO (30.4 ± 2.0 kcal/mol), HOBr (−14.1 ± 2.0 kcal/mol), and Br2O (27.3 ± 2.0 kcal/mol). Additional measurements were made to determine the rate coefficient for Br atom reaction with BrONO2 (k11) relative to the rate coefficient for its reaction with CH3CHO (k12) at 298 K: k11/k12 = 12.5 ± 0.6. This relative rate measurement yields a rate coefficient of (4.9 ± 1.5) × 10-11 cm3 molecule-1 s-1 for k11, using the c...
Fibrosis as a Major Mechanism of Chronic Liver Disease

Hepatic fibrosis and even cirrhosis have emerged as treatable and reversible consequences of chronic liver disease. With dramatic advances in understanding the cellular and molecular basis of fibrosis, there is increasing enthusiasm for new treatments that attack hepatic fibrosis directly. Basic research has focused on the hepatic stellate cell, which undergoes activation into a proliferative and fibrogenic myofibroblast-like cell during liver injury and is an important source of extracellular matrix in the liver. In addition, other fibrogenic populations, for example, portal fibroblasts, fibrocytes, and possibly bone-marrow-derived cells, as well as cells derived from epithelial–mesenchymal transition may be additional sources of extracellular matrix. Stimuli driving stellate cell activation include hepatocellular necrosis, apoptosis, and soluble growth factors. A cascade of signaling pathways and transcriptional events in stellate cells underlies the fibrogenic response to liver injury, with each step in the cascade representing a potential target for antifibrotic therapy. A key clinical challenge is to establish noninvasive means of assessing fibrosis stage and progression using serum tests, imaging, functional tests, and/or elastography. Given the slow course of disease progression, endpoints of antifibrotic clinical trials need to be established that provide evidence of benefit within a short interval. With continued progress, antifibrotic therapies will soon be a reality in treating chronic fibrosing liver disease.
Platelet reactivity in coronary ostial blood: a reflection of the thrombotic state accompanying plaque rupture and of the adequacy of anti-thrombotic therapy.

Background: Optimal anti-thrombotic therapy for acute coronary syndromes (ACS) should suppress pro-thrombotic activity at the site of plaque rupture. We sought to determine whether platelet reactivity is increased in blood in the immediate vicinity of a ruptured plaque and is apparent even when blood is obtained by sampling from a catheter placed proximal to the lesion. Methods: Blood was obtained from a catheter placed in the aorta and from the same catheter after engaging the culprit coronary artery. Platelet reactivity was determined with the use of flow cytometry by surface expression of P-selectin. Results: In preliminary studies we demonstrated that a marker of thrombin activity, fibrinopeptide A, was similarly increased in blood taken from the coronary sinus and coronary arterial ostium of patients with ACS. Subsequently blood was obtained from the aorta and coronary arterial ostium through a coronary guide catheter for assessment of platelet reactivity in 23 subjects with ACS and 22 subjects with stable angina. The percentage of platelets expressing P-selectin in response to 0.2[emsp4 ]μM adenosine diphosphate (ADP) was greater in coronary arterial samples from patients with ACS (aorta=6.1±1%, coronary artery=8.8±1.6%, p=0.02) compared with that in patients with stable symptoms (aorta=6.9±1.2, coronary artery=6.5±1.4, p=NS). Conclusions: Coronary arterial blood obtained from the ostium through a coronary guide catheter can be used to determine whether thrombin activity and platelet reactivity are increased in the immediate vicinity of a ruptured atherosclerotic plaque. The simplicity of the approach developed should facilitate its use in future studies designed to determine the impact of optimal suppression of platelet reactivity and the pro-thrombotic state before coronary interventions on short- and long-term clinical outcomes.
Automated Model-Based Optimization of Data-Adaptable Embedded Systems

Dynamic data-driven applications such as object tracking, surveillance, and other sensing and decision applications are largely dependent on the characteristics of the data streams on which they operate. The underlying models and algorithms of data-driven applications must continually adapt at runtime to changes in data quality and availability to meet both functional and designer-specified performance requirements. Given the dynamic nature of these applications, point solutions produced by traditional design tools cannot be expected to perform adequately across varying execution scenarios. Additionally, the increasing diversity and interdependence of application requirements complicates the design and optimization process. To assist designers of data-driven applications, we present a modeling and optimization framework that enables developers to model an application's data sources, tasks, and exchanged data tokens; specify application requirements through high-level design metrics and fuzzy logic--based optimization rules; and define an estimation framework to automatically optimize the application at runtime. We demonstrate the modeling and optimization process via an example application for video-based vehicle tracking and collision avoidance. We analyze the benefits of runtime optimization by comparing the performance of static point solutions to dynamic solutions over five distinct execution scenarios, showing improvements of up to 74% for dynamic over static configurations. Further, we show the benefits of using fuzzy logic--based rules over traditional weighted functions for the specification and evaluation of competing high-level metrics in optimization.
Environmentally-Robust High-Performance Silicon TIMU Chip

This paper presents progress on the development of a high-performance single-chip timing and inertial measurement unit (TIMU) based on environmentally-robust high-frequency micromechanical devices and the hermetically-sealed HARPSS+ silicon MEMS process. The fabrication platform provides the unique capability of producing deep-sub-micron capacitive gaps (i.e. nano-gaps) in various orientations, including 54°-slanted electrodes, enabling low-voltage mode-matching and alignment of triaxial high-frequency resonator gyroscopes with high sensitivity. The resonator (i.e. mode-matched) gyroscopes and quasi-static accelerometers are sealed in separate cavities with different pressure levels through a single bonding step, which allows for the co-fabrication and co-packaging of high-dynamic-range high-Q bulk acoustic wave (BAW) resonator 3-axis gyroscopes and critically-damped high-bandwidth (above 10kHz) micro-gravity 3-axis accelerometers. High-frequency and high-Q nano-gap timing resonators with low motional impedance are fabricated on the same substrate with the IMU, which favors low-jitter high-frequency oscillator implementations and enables OCXO demonstrations with sub-ppm stability. Fabricated devices were tested against wafer thinning process, high shocks, aging effects and extensive temperature variations, verifying the robustness of the designs and fabrication process. The high performance, high robustness, and small form factor make the HARPSS+ precision TIMUs an attractive solution for demanding inertial navigation and guidance applications.
Advances in Chromatin and Chromosome Research: Perspectives from Multiple Fields

Nucleosomes package genomic DNA into chromatin. By regulating DNA access for transcription, replication, DNA repair, and epigenetic modification, chromatin forms the nexus of most nuclear processes. In addition, dynamic organization of chromatin underlies both regulation of gene expression and evolution of chromosomes into individualized sister objects, which can segregate cleanly to different daughter cells at anaphase. This collaborative review shines a spotlight on technologies that will be crucial to interrogate key questions in chromatin and chromosome biology including state-of-the-art microscopy techniques, tools to physically manipulate chromatin, single-cell methods to measure chromatin accessibility, computational imaging with neural networks and analytical tools to interpret chromatin structure and dynamics. In addition, this review provides perspectives on how these tools can be applied to specific research fields such as genome stability and developmental biology and to test concepts such as phase separation of chromatin.
Large-eddy simulations of a stratified-charge direct-injection spark-ignition engine: Comparison with experiment and analysis of cycle-to-cycle variations

Abstract Multiple-cycle large-eddy simulations (LES) have been performed for an optically accessible, single-cylinder, four-stroke-cycle, spray-guided direct-injection spark-ignition (SG-DISI) engine operating in a stratified globally fuel-lean mode. The simulations combine a standard Smagorinsky turbulence model, a stochastic Lagrangian parcel method for liquid fuel injection and fuel spray modeling, a simple energy-deposition spark-ignition model, and a modified thickened flame model for turbulent flame propagation through highly stratified reactant mixtures. Comparisons between simulations and experiments include individual-cycle and ensemble-average pressure and apparent-heat-release-rate traces, individual-cycle and ensemble-average indicated mean effective pressures (IMEP), and instantaneous two-dimensional vapor-equivalence-ratio contours. Although the number of LES cycles is small (35), the results show that the simulations are able to capture the global combustion behavior that is observed in the experiments, including cycle-to-cycle variations. The simulation results are then analyzed further to provide insight into the conditions that lead to misfire versus robust combustion. As has been reported in earlier experimental and LES studies for homogeneous-charge SI engines, local conditions in the vicinity of the spark gap at the time of ignition largely determine the subsequent flame development. However, in contrast to homogeneous-charge engines, no single local or global quantity correlates as strongly with the eventual peak pressure or IMEP for each cycle. Rather, it is the interplay among the early flame kernel, the velocity field that it experiences, and the fuel distribution that it encounters that ultimately determines the fate of each combustion event. Deeper analysis and quantitative statistical comparisons between experiments and simulations will require the simulation of larger numbers of engine cycles.
The spatial diffusion of covid-19 in Texas

The predominant narrative of covid-19 emphasizes its unpredictable origins, virulence, human targets, and spatial targets. Its international spread may be erratic, but at the regional level, diffus...
Hedonic Pricing with Redevelopment Options: A New Approach to Estimating Depreciation Effects

The standard hedonic model of durable assets is a special case of a more general model that contains two additive terms: 1) use value of the existing hedonic vector and 2) the value of the option to reconfigure hedonic characteristics. One empirical implication is that the two parts of value are related: e.g., use value increases with interior area whereas option value decreases with “intensity,” the ratio of structure value divided by land value. Increases in building age reduce use value but increase option value. Data from Greenwich Connecticut indicate that intensity has the expected negative effect. Coefficients on building age are shown to be better measures of depreciation when intensity variables are included in the regression.
Data fusion from multiple passive sensors for multiple shooter localization via assignment

This work examines the extension of a recently developed single target acoustic localization system to multiple targets. Multiple passive sensors distributed in a region of space will detect the acoustic signal of multiple gunfire events and measure the bearing to the event as well as the time the signal was detected. In order to alleviate the data association problem, an assignment-based method was developed in order to associate measurements at a fusion center, which will provide estimates of the multiple shooter locations. The assignment based approach is shown to localize multiple closely spaced shooters with a high degree of accuracy.
Sex Trafficking in South Asia: Telling Maya's Story

Preface 1. Sex Trafficking: The Global and the Local 2. Shangri-La Revisited 3. Nine to Five 4. Nepali Perspectives on Sex Trafficking: The View from Within 5. Telling Maya's Story: Shaping the Discourse of Sex Trafficking 6. Interventions 7. Strategies for Change References
So, How Do We Tell If Something Works?

This chapter highlights the different kinds of comparisons. These are feasible in a particular service setting as well as in the planning of the evaluation logistics where the comparisons can be made after the outcome information has been collected. There are service programs with severe and chronic problems where positive change and lack of change, and/or negative change are found. The selection of groups of consumers and groups of other people with whom they are usually compared, along with proper planning and timing of assessment, are the basic issues which technically fall in the domain of research and evaluation design. Usually, a description of change involves one group of people that is selected in a consistent, systematic, and specified manner. This chapter also discusses a number of strategies which have been described for collecting information from consumer cohorts in order to facilitate the comparisons needed to evaluate consumer change. Potential criticisms based on the concept of regression to the mean are also discussed.
A component-based model for building reliable multi-agent systems

In this article, we describe a specification model that seeks to couple formal specification methods and agent-oriented software engineering techniques. The objective is to allow faster formal development of flexible and reusable multiagent systems (MAS) with strict requirements of quality and reliability. The specification model is specifically tailored to support highly dynamic and evolutive characteristics of MAS. The agents are formally specified and instantiated by a framework and reuse is achieved by transforming the framework structural model into multiple agents. Agent flexibility, and adaptation capacity is ensured through the use of design patterns and properties such as: encapsulation, high-cohesion, low-coupling and through the definition of a formal XML model. The specification model represented in XML can be transformed into a code block that needs few adjustments, granting the system a high flexibility and trustworthiness. The purpose is to reduce time, effort and costs associated with MAS design and development with high quality requirements and reliability.
Polyvalent Antiserum Agar System for the Detection of Staphylococcal Enterotoxins A, B, C, and E

A polyvalent antiserum agar system in capillary tubes was developed and evaluated for the detection of enterotoxins A, B, C, and/or E present in culture supernatant fluids.
A Four Point Algorithm for Fast Metric Cone Reconstruction from a Calibrated Image

This paper presents a four point algorithm for fast metric reconstruction of a cone from a single calibrated image. The algorithm first estimates the camera's orientation based on two edge lines and a cross section contour, which are derived from user-specified four points. With camera's orientation determined, the cone is reconstructed from the image points. The algorithm enables fast and accurate modeling of cone objects from images, which is verified by the experiments.
La globalización y la teoría del derecho internacional

La globalizacion en el mundo contemporaneo requiere, y permite, la reformulacion del Derecho Internacional, lejos del modelo de una “sociedad de Estados” y orientado a un modelo de sociedad global e incluso a uno de comunidad global. Eliminando el tiempo y el espacio como factores determinantes en la interaccion social, la globalizacion esta modificando la naturaleza de las relaciones sociales globales, intensificando la obsolescencia del modelo de una “sociedad de Estados” y clamando por una variacion sustancial en la teoria social del Derecho Internacional por una sociedad global de personas. Debido a estos cambios, la globalizacion requiere que reformulemos el Derecho Internacional como un Derecho Publico global y expandamos el dominio de la justicia de un ambito local a uno global. A traves de una reevaluacion de la base de las doctrinas e instituciones del Derecho Internacional, tales como los conceptos de fronteras, soberania, legitimidad, ciudadania y control territorial de recursos, el Derecho Internacional como “sociedad de Estados” puede ser remodelado como el Derecho Publico global de una sociedad global. 2. Del Estado a las personas: reconceptualizando la regulacion legal global
Saturation, Competition, and Specificity in Interaction of Heat Shock Proteins (hsp) gp96, hsp90, and hsp70 with CD11b+ Cells

Heat shock proteins (hsp(s)) have been postulated to interact with APCs through specific receptors, although the receptors are yet to be identified. Specificity, saturation, and competition are the three defining attributes of a receptor-ligand interaction. We demonstrate here that the interaction of the heat shock proteins gp96 and hsp90 with CD11b+ cells is specific and saturable and that gp96 can compete with itself in gp96-macrophage interaction. Interestingly, the phylogenetically related hsp90 also competes quite effectively with gp96 for binding to macrophages, whereas the unrelated hsp70 does so relatively poorly, although it binds CD11b+ cells just as effectively. These data provide evidence that the heat shock proteins interact with APCs with specificity and for the existence of at least two distinct receptors, one for gp96 and hsp90 and the other for hsp70.
Weight and Mortality

To the Editor: In a recent article, Dr Hu states1 that the findings regarding weight and mortality in Flegal et al2 are “most likely” the result of “methodologic flaws,” namely the failure to exclude subjects on the basis of smoking and preexisting illness. In August 2005, we replied3 to a similar assertion by Willett, Hu, and colleagues.4 In that reply we stated, “To determine if reverse causation might be affecting our results, we performed extensive supplemental analyses of our data, stratifying by baseline health status and using multiple simultaneous exclusions for smoking, early deaths, and involuntary weight loss.2 The relative risks were little affected by such exclusions, and changes were often in the direction opposite to those anticipated by Willett et al.”3 Reference 2 in our reply provided the hyperlink to these supplemental analyses: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/ pubs/pubd/hestats/excess\_deaths/excess\_deaths.htm. Exclusions based on …
Testing for Dark Matter Trapped in the Solar System

We consider the possibility of dark matter trapped in the solar system in bound solar orbits. If there exist mechanisms for dissipating excess kinetic energy by an amount sufficient for generating bound solar orbits, then trapping of galactic dark matter might have taken place during formation of the solar system, or could be an ongoing process. Possible locations for accumulation of trapped dark matter are orbital resonances with the planets or regions in the outer solar system. It is possible to test for the presence of unseen matter by detecting its gravitational effects. Current results for dynamical limits obtained from analyses of planetary ephemeris data and spacecraft tracking data are presented. Possible future improvements are discussed.
Yelp for Prescribers: A Quasi-Experimental Study of Providing Antibiotic Cost Data and Prescription of High-Cost Antibiotics in an Academic and Tertiary Care Hospital

Background Physicians frequently prescribe antibiotics to inpatients without knowledge of medication cost. It is not well understood whether providing cost data would change prescribing behavior.
New Aspects of Phloem-Mediated Long-Distance Lipid Signaling in Plants

Plants are sessile and cannot move to appropriate hiding places or feeding grounds to escape adverse conditions. As a consequence, they evolved mechanisms to detect changes in their environment, communicate these to different organs, and adjust development accordingly. These adaptations include two long-distance transport systems which are essential in plants: the xylem and the phloem. The phloem serves as a major trafficking pathway for assimilates, viruses, RNA, plant hormones, metabolites, and proteins with functions ranging from synthesis to metabolism to signaling. The study of signaling compounds within the phloem is essential for our understanding of plant communication of environmental cues. Determining the nature of signals and the mechanisms by which they are communicated through the phloem will lead to a more complete understanding of plant development and plant responses to stress. In our analysis of Arabidopsis phloem exudates, we had identified several lipid-binding proteins as well as fatty acids and lipids. The latter are not typically expected in the aqueous environment of sieve elements. Hence, lipid transport in the phloem has been given little attention until now. Long-distance transport of hydrophobic compounds in an aqueous system is not without precedence in biological systems: a variety of lipids is found in human blood and are often bound to proteins. Some lipid-protein complexes are transported to other tissues for storage, use, modification, or degradation, others serve as messengers and modulate transcription factor activity. By simple analogy it raises the possibility that lipids and the respective lipid-binding proteins in the phloem serve similar functions in plants and play an important role in stress and developmental signaling. Here, we introduce the lipid-binding proteins and the lipids we found in the phloem and discuss the possibility that they may play an important role in developmental and stress signaling.
Murine Coronavirus Receptors Are Differentially Expressed in the Central Nervous System and Play Virus Strain-Dependent Roles in Neuronal Spread

Coronavirus infection of the murine central nervous system (CNS) provides a model for studies of viral encephalitis and demyelinating disease. Mouse hepatitis virus (MHV) neurotropism varies by strain: MHV-A59 causes mild encephalomyelitis and demyelination, while the highly neurovirulent strain JHM.SD (MHV-4) causes fatal encephalitis with extensive neuronal spread of virus. In addition, while neurons are the predominant CNS cell type infected in vivo, the canonical receptor for MHV, the carcinoembryonic antigen family member CEACAM1a, has been demonstrated only on endothelial cells and microglia. In order to investigate whether CEACAM1a is also expressed in other cell types, ceacam1a mRNA expression was quantified in murine tissues and primary cells. As expected, among CNS cell types, microglia expressed the highest levels of ceacam1a, but lower levels were also detected in oligodendrocytes, astrocytes, and neurons. Given the low levels of neuronal expression of ceacam1a, primary neurons from wild-type and ceacam1a knockout mice were inoculated with MHV to determine the extent to which CEACAM1a-independent infection might contribute to CNS infection. While both A59 and JHM.SD infected small numbers of ceacam1a knockout neurons, only JHM.SD spread efficiently to adjacent cells in the absence of CEACAM1a. Quantification of mRNA for the ceacam1a-related genes ceacam2 and psg16 (bCEA), which encode proposed alternative MHV receptors, revealed low ceacam2 expression in microglia and oligodendrocytes and psg16 expression exclusively in neurons; however, only CEACAM2 mediated infection in human 293T cells. Therefore, neither CEACAM2 nor PSG16 is likely to be an MHV receptor on neurons, and the mechanism for CEACAM1a-independent neuronal spread of JHM.SD remains unknown.
Digital signal processing in optical coherence tomography

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a novel medical imaging modality which utilizes coherence ranging to perform high resolution (approximately 10 micrometer) non-invasive sub- surface imaging of biostructures. We have developed an OCT system consisting of a low-coherence interferometer and a calibration interferometer allowing sub-micron interferogram acquisition accuracy. We propose some digital signal processing strategies for image enhancement in optical coherence tomography. A linear shift invariant system model is presented for describing coherent light-tissue interactions in optical coherence tomography. In this model, the electric field backscattered from a target specimen is treated as a convolution of the incident field and a postulated tissue impulse response which describes the profile of scattering sites within the specimen. Based on this model, a novel technique for enhancing the sharpness of optical coherence tomographic images of biological structures using digital deconvolution is demonstrated. Using this approach, resolution improvement by a factor of greater than 2.2 is achieved in the longitudinal direction.
A method for calibrating false-match rates in record linkage

Abstract Specifying a record-linkage procedure requires both (1) a method for measuring closeness of agreement between records, typically a scalar weight, and (2) a rule for deciding when to classify records as matches or nonmatches based on the weights. Here we outline a general strategy for the second problem, that is, for accurately estimating false-match rates for each possible cutoff weight. The strategy uses a model where the distribution of observed weights are viewed as a mixture of weights for true matches and weights for false matches. An EM algorithm for fitting mixtures of transformed-normal distributions is used to find posterior modes; associated posterior variability is due to uncertainty about specific normalizing transformations as well as uncertainty in the parameters of the mixture model, the latter being calculated using the SEM algorithm. This mixture-model calibration method is shown to perform well in an applied setting with census data. Further, a simulation experiment reveals that...
Scalar dissipation rate at extinction and the effects of oxygen-enriched combustion

Abstract The strain rate at extinction was measured in the counterflow flame configuration for methane, propane, and ethane flames as a function of stoichiometric mixture fraction. To complement this, the scalar dissipation rate and flame temperature at extinction were evaluated numerically for methane, ethane, and ethylene flames. The stoichiometric mixture fraction, Z st , was varied by removing nitrogen from the air (oxygen-enriched air) and introducing it to the fuel (diluted fuel) in such a way that the adiabatic flame temperature was not varied. In this way the effect of flame structure, as dictated by changes in stoichiometric mixture fraction, could be studied. The results indicate that the scalar dissipation rate at extinction is strongly affected by Z st , and can be 15 to 40 times greater than that for neat fuel burning in air. The maximum does not occur at the highest Z st (diluted fuel in oxygen) but rather between Z st of 0.5 to 0.65 for the fuels considered. In addition, the flame temperature at extinction is affected by Z st and reaches a minimum at nearly the same value of Z st where the extinction scalar dissipation rate reaches a maximum. The numerical results indicate that at this Z st the location of peak temperature is nearly coincident with the location of peak radical production. In the normal fuel/air flame the radical production zone is located on the oxidizer side of peak temperature in a location where the temperature is over 100 °C cooler. By shifting this zone to be coincident with the peak temperature the flame is stronger and more resistant to extinction, resulting in a greater scalar dissipation rate and a lower extinction temperature.
The clouds of Venus: Sulfuric acid by the lead chamber process☆

Abstract The Pioneer Venus atmospheric probe provided new data on the louds of Venus. A model consistent with this data involves SO 2 being oxidized to H 2 SO 4 by NO x in the presence of H 2 O. NO x also forms nitrosylsulfuric acid (NOHSO 4 ) dissolved in the H 2 SO 4 droplets. This acid solution, along with SO 2 and perhaps NO 2 , can explain the uv and visible reflection spectrum of Venus. In the middle and lower clouds NOHSO 4 forms solid particles.
Note-Modelling the Effect of Decreased Food Intake on the Activity Pattern of an Individual

The effect of decreases in food energy intake on the activity pattern of an individual may be described by an Mx/M/1 queueing model. λ represents the rate of activity arrival to the system. Ek represents the average energy level at which the system performs, µ represents the rate at which the system processes energy units. p0 = 1-λEk/µ represents the probability of an idle system, of the system at rest. The model was validated by collecting data on food energy intake and activities from ten healthy young men. When food energy intake decreased an average of 500 kcal/day, 1-p0, the probability of a nonidle system, decreased from 0.431 to 0.413, p < 0.005. The greatest parameter change occurred in λ, which decreased from 0.245 to 0.235, p < 0.001. Thus, when food energy intake decreases, the activity pattern of an individual as represented by a queueing system changes: more time is spent at rest; less time is spent in moving activities.
Crafting scholarly life: Strategies for creating meaning in academic careers

Summary Job crafting, which occurs when individuals proactively make changes to their jobs, can be a useful tool for academics seeking more meaningful careers. We suggest changes to the cognitive, task, and relational aspects of academic jobs that can infuse scholarly work with more personal meaning. Copyright # 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
On the Validity of the Maier-Saupe Theroy of the Nematic Transition

Abstract The Maier-Saupe theory of the nematic phase transition can be viewed as arising from two basic assumptions: a kind of induced-dipole induced-dipole interaction and the neglect of the effect of orientational interactions on postional correlations. The theory makes the further assumption of the validity of the molecular field approximation for the orientational interactions. We have asked if the first-order transition predicted by Maier and Saupe is just an artificial consequence of the molecular field approximation. To answer this question, we have constructed a model based on the same two assumptions. These are augmented by the further assumptions of discretization of space and discretization of molecular orientations and by the replacement of a rotationally invariant interaction with one having a preferred axis. The latter replacement is analogous to replacing the Heisenberg model for spin systems with the Ising model. By imbedding the present model and the Maier-Saupe theory within the same seq...
The ubiquitin-proteasome system and cellular proliferation and regulation in osteoblastic cells.

The 26S proteasome is the macromolecular assembly that mediates ATP- and ubiquitin-dependent extralysosomal intracellular protein degradation in eukaryotes. However, its contribution to the regulation of osteoblast proliferation and hormonal regulation remains poorly defined. Treating osteoblasts with MG-132 or lactacystin (membrane-permeable proteasome inhibitors) attenuates proliferation. Three proteasome activities (peptidylglutamyl-peptide bond hydrolase-, chymotrypsin-, and trypsin-like) were detected in osteoblasts. Catabolic doses of PTH stim-ulated these activities, and cotreatment with PTH and MG-132 blocked stimulation. The proteasome alpha- and beta-subunits, polyubiquitins, and large ubiquitin-protein conjugates were detected by Western blotting. A 90-min treatment with 10 nM PTH had no effect on the amount of proteasome alpha or beta subunit protein, but increased the relative amount of large ubiquitin-protein conjugates by 200%. MG-132 inhibited deubiquitination of large ubiquitin-protein conjugates. The protein kinase A inhibitor SQ22536 blocked much of the PTH-induced stimulation of MCP activities, while dibutyryl cAMP stimulated it, suggesting that protein kinase A-dependent phosphorylation is important in PTH stimulation of proteasome activities. In conclusion, the ubiquitin-proteasome system is essential for osteoblast proliferation under control and PTH-treated conditions. PTH mediates its metabolic effects on the osteoblast, in part, by enhancing ubiquitinylation of protein substrates and stimulating three major proteasome activities by a cAMP-dependent mechanism.
Optimized conditions for pulsed field gel electrophoretic separations of DNA.

Quantitative measurement of DNA migration in gel electrophoresis requires precisely controlled homogeneous electric fields. A new electrophoresis system has allowed us to explore several parameters governing DNA migration during homogeneous field pulsed field gel (PFG) electrophoresis. Migration was measured at different switch times, temperatures, agarose concentrations, and voltage gradients. Conditions which increase DNA velocities permit separation over a wider size range, but reduce resolution. We have also varied the angle between the alternating electric fields. Reorientation angles between 105° and 165° give equivalent resolution, despite significant differences in DNA velocity. Separation of DNA fragments from 50 to greater than 7000 kilobases (Kb) can easily be optimized for speed and resolution based on conditions we describe.
The relationship between new production and vertical flux on the Ross Sea continental shelf

The relationship between new production, as assessed by short-term isotopic incubations, and vertical flux, quantified by both short- and long-term deployments of sediment traps, was investigated on the Ross Sea continental shelf in austral summer, 1990 and 1992. Three sites were analyzed, the first in the western Ross Sea where surface waters were dominated by pennate diatoms, the second in the south–central Ross Sea where the prymnesiophyte Phaeocystis antarctica dominated, and the third in the northern region which was dominated by diatoms. We found that the flux at the western site varied by a factor of 3.6 over a 1-month period (from 18.4 to 65.4 mg C m−2 day−1), whereas new production varied over nearly two orders of magnitude. At the Phaeocystis site, flux was much more variable. Although the temporally weighted flux averaged 7.34 mg C m−2 day−1, the flux at 570 m ranged from 0.5 to 74.8 mg C m−2 day−1, and the flux at 50 m in a floating trap reached 92.7 mg C m−2 day−1. New production ranged from 0.30 to 1.23 g C m−2 day−1. Primary production, new production and f-ratios at both sites decreased through time (mean February values of each were 42, 37 and 12% of January averages), but the seasonal decrease in vertical flux exhibited a significant time lag behind the productivity decrease. A carbon budget is constructed which suggests that heterotrophic mineralization within the water column is a significant removal term, and that substantial spatial variability in this term exists. The relationship between new production in the euphotic zone to that of export production is ambiguous in the Ross Sea, in part because isotopic methods quantify the material available for export on time scales that do not necessarily apply to processes which dominate export production. Integration of seasonal time scales, remineralization rates, and vertical flux rates is required to understand the quantitative relationships involved in export from the surface layer.
Murine motor and behavior functional evaluations for acute 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) intoxication.

Acute intoxication with 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) induces nigrostriatal neurodegeneration that reflects Parkinson’s disease (PD) pathobiology. The model is commonly used for rodent studies of PD pathogenesis and diagnostics and for developmental therapeutics. However, tests of motor function in MPTP-intoxicated mice have yielded mixed results. This unmet need reflects, in part, lesion severity, animal variability, and the overall test sensitivity and specificity. In attempts to standardize rodent motor function and behavioral tests, mice were trained on the rotarod or habituated in an open field test chamber, and baseline performance measurements were collected prior to MPTP intoxication. One week following MPTP intoxication, motor function and behavior were assessed and baseline measurements applied to post-MPTP measurements with normalization to PBS controls. Rotarod and open field tests assessed in this manner demonstrated significant differences between MPTP- and saline-treated mice, while tests of neuromuscular strength and endurance did not. We conclude that the rotarod and open field tests provide reliable measures of motor function for MPTP-intoxicated mice.
Nasal cancer in the U.S. shoe industry: does it exist?

Studies in England and Italy have demonstrated a striking association between employment in the shoemaking industry and cancer of the nasal cavities and sinuses. However, three recent, large-scale proportionate mortality studies of U.S. shoeworkers do not show any deaths from these tumors. This paper reviews the methodology of those studies, emphasizing the underlying data and statistical power. In addition, epidemiologic and other considerations important in assessing and interpreting the apparent absence of a nasal cancer risk in the U.S. shoe industry are discussed.
Effects of some organophosphorus insecticides on vitamin E and other blood constituents and on the apparent inducement of diarrhea in neonatal calves

Tocopherol, cholinesterase, fatty acids, carotene, and hematocrit levels were determined during a 1- and 2-week-period following exposure to organophosphorus insecticides. Depletions of total tocopherol, occurring coincidentally with the onset of diarrhea in most cases, were observed when neonatal calves were exposed to a significant level of the insecticides in contrast to that of controls. Inability of the exposed calves to return to pretreatment levels of fatty acids, carotene, and hematocrits was notable when tocopherol levels remained below 70 μg/100 ml. for several days. This finding would be expected if the antioxidant activities of tocopherol were not replaced.
William Beaumont and the ethics of human experimentation.

William Beaumont long ago won a secure place in the history of science for his physiological experiments on Alexis St. Martin; he now appears to be winning recognition as a pioneer in the history of biomedical ethics as well. Carl J. Wiggers and Henry K. Beecher, for example, have portrayed the frontier surgeon as a prescient anticipator of current ethical concerns. Wiggers credits Beaumont with laying "some of the foundation upon which the ethical principles of human experimentation were built on this continent," while Beecher goes a step further and awards him the honor of producing the "oldest American code" governing human experimentation:
Speedtronic®---Tomorrow's Analog and Digital Gas Turbine Control System

This paper describes General Electric's new solid-state analog and digital gas turbine control, protection, and sequential system. It outlines the functional objectives and elaborates on the design philosophy applied to obtain maximum starting and running reliability, while maintaining a very high degree of fail safeness for the prime mover. It shows in graph and diagrammatic form the basic functions to be performed and schematically how these functions are accomplished. It describes and shows the physical arrangement of the system. The qualification program and operating experience to date are outlined.
CO2-enhanced melting of biotite-bearing rocks at deep-crustal pressure-temperature conditions

THE role of CO2 in melting of the Earth's crust has been a topic of considerable debate. Experimental studies in quartz-feldspar systems1,2 have shown that CO2 solubility in simple granitic liquids is less than 1 wt% at pressures below 10 kbar and that dilution of H2O vapour with CO2 raises the vapour-saturated solidi3, indicating that CO2 inhibits, rather than promotes, crustal melting. On the other hand, from experiments on the system K2O–MgO–Al2O3–SiO2–H2O–CO2, Wendlandt has inferred significant solubility of CO2 in crustal melts4. Wendlandt observed that biotite–quartz–feldspar assemblages melt to orthopyroxene + liquid at temperatures as low as 740 °C in the presence of CO2-rich fluids, more than 50 °C lower than equivalent orthopyroxene-producing reactions in the pure-H2O systems5. This surprising result implies a fundamental melt interaction between MgO and CO2, because neither component alone has significant solubility in granitic liquids near the H2O-saturated solidus6. In view of the potentially important consequences of these results for deep-crustal processes, additional data are needed. Here we report the results of experimental melting studies on synthetic biotite–quartz and biotite–quartz–sanidine assemblages. In general agreement with Wendlandt's results, we find that these assemblages melt in the presence of CO2-rich vapour below 760 °C at pressures <10 kbar, conditions believed to be encountered in high-grade crustal metamorphism. This opens up the possibility that melting of the deep crust may occur in the presence of CO2-rich fluids.