cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Current Separations in Myxicola Giant Axons

The effect of reducing the external sodium concentration, [Na]o, on resting potential, action potential, membrane current, and transient current reversal potential in Myxicola giant axons was studied. Tris chloride was used as a substitute for NaCl. Preliminary experiments were carried out to insure that the effect of Tris substitution could be attributed entirely to the reduction in [Na]o. Both choline and tetramethylammonium chloride were found to have additional effects on the membrane. The transient current is carried largely by Na, while the delayed current seems to be independent of [Na]o. Transient current reversal potential behaves much like a pure Nernst equilibrium potential for sodium. Small deviations from this behavior are consistent with the possibility of some small nonsodium component in the transient current. An exact PNa/PK for the transient current channels could not be computed from these data, but is certainly well greater than unity and possibly quite large. The peak of the action potential varied with [Na]o as expected for a sodium action potential with some substantial potassium permeability at the time of peak. Resting membrane potential is independent of [Na]o. This finding is inconsistent with the view that the resting membrane potential is determined only by the distribution of K and Na, and PNa/PK. It is suggested that PNa/PK's obtained from resting membrane potential-potassium concentration data do not always have the physical meaning generally attributed to them.
Effects of non-singular stresses on crack-tip fields for pressure-sensitive materials, Part 1: Plane strain case

Mode I near-tip stress fields for elastic perfectly plastic pressure-sensitive materials under plane strain and small-scale yielding conditions are presented. A Coulomb-type yield criterion described by a linear combination of the effective stress and the hydrostatic stress is adopted in the analysis. The finite element computational results sampled at the distance of a few crack opening displacements from the tip show that, as the pressure sensitivity increases, the magnitudes of the normalized radial and hoop stress ahead of the tip decrease, the total angular span of the singular plastic sectors decreases, and the angular span of the elastic sectors bordering the crack surfaces increases. When non-singular T stresses are considered along the boundary layer of the small-scale yielding model, the near-tip stresses decrease as the T stress decreases. The plastic zone shifts toward the crack surfaces as the T stress increases. When the discontinuities of the radial stress and the out-of-plane normal stress along the border between the plastic sector and the elastic sector are allowed, the angular variations of the asymptotic crack-tip fields agree well with those of the finite element computations. Variation of the Q stresses for pressure-sensitive materials can be found from the asymptotic solutions when the plastic zone size ahead of the tip is relatively larger than the crack opening displacement. In addition the T stress is shown to have strong effects on the plastic zone sizes and shapes which could affect the toughening of pressure-sensitive materials.
State-specific chemistry of atomic and ligated transition metal ions

The ability of iron ions to activate methane is studied in detail by using a guided ion beam tandem mass spectrometer. State-specific results for ground state Fe+(6D) and first excited state Fe+(4F) with methane are determined by varying the source conditions for Fe+. A more complete picture of the potential energy surface for this reaction is obtained by examining one of the reverse processes, FeCH2+ plus H2. The influence of ligands on the metal reactivity is also investigated for this reaction system. The reactions of methane with both FeCO+ and Fe(H2O)+ are examined with the latter exhibiting much greater reactivity. This result is attributed to the more favorable thermodynamics associated with the electronic configuration on Fe+ as induced by the H2O ligand.© (1995) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Memories of Trauma: Problems of Interpretation

Disturbing Remains: Memory, History, and Crisis in the Twentieth Century. Edited By Michael S. Roth and Charles G. Salas
CVD AL for advanced interconnect applications

Abstract A method for depositing low resistivity, high purity aluminum films by Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) is introduced. Pyrolysis of Dimethyl Aluminum Hydride (DMAH) using either H2 or an inert gas as a carrier is shown to yield films with less than 0.01 at.% carbon and oxygen and resistivities of 3.0 μΩcm. The kinetics are exponentially temperature dependent with Eact ∼ 0.5 eV independent of substrate. Introduction of some possible byproducts indicate that the deposition mechanism may be self reduction of DMAH. The morphology, wettability, and step coverage of the films are shown to depend strongly on the nature of the substrate and how it is integrated with the CVD Al process. Clustering of CVD Al with the deposition of the underlying liner is shown to be critical in achieving the highest quality films. Smooth, highly 〈111〉 oriented films with excellent reflectivity may be obtained. Some methods for Cu doping are discussed including a novel form of in situ deposition. Complete via fill is obtained with blanket depositions with one or two grains filling the vias in most cases. Vias as high as 3.5:1 aspect ratio are filled—sometimes with a single grain of Al. Electrical results indicate that the via resistances and electromigration resistance of the Al plugs are excellent.
OCULAR TOOTH GERM IMPLANT IN THE ASCORBIC ACID-DEFICIENT GUINEA PIG.

Abstract Examination of cross sections of teeth in the jaw and of tooth germs implanted in the eyes of scorbutic guinea pigs revealed typical changes of ascorbic acid deficiency in the former while normal tooth development was observed in the implant. Good collagen formation, as well as bone, was observed in the implants. The results suggest that odontoblasts, dentine production, and bone in developing embryonic tissue may not have the same ascorbic acid requirements for their development as has collagen formation in tissue repair.
Assessing the transtheoretical model of change constructs for physicians counseling smokers

Baseline data from a population-based sample of 259 primary care physicians were used to examine the interrelations of 3 central constructs of the Transtheoretical Model of Change (TTM; stages of change, self-efficacy, and decisional balance) in regard to smoking cessation counseling behavior. In this article we explore the potential use of the TTM for future interventions to help understand and guide physicians ’ behavior change toward increasing adoption of smoking cessation interventions with their patients. It was hypothesized that self-efficacy and the decisional balance of counseling would be significantly related to physicians’ stages of change, which in turn would be related to self-reported physician counseling behavior. Principal components analyses were conducted to examine the self-efficacy and decisional balance constructs. Coefficient alphas were .90 for self-efficacy and .84 and. 78 for the pros and cons scales, respectively. Consistent with the TTM, analyses of variance revealed that later stages of physicians ’ readiness to provide smoking cessation counseling were associated with higher self-efficacy scores. Earlier stages showed significantly higher cons and lower pros of smoking cessation counseling. Structural equation modeling procedures supported the hypothesized path analysis model in which 3 constructs related to stage of readiness, which in turn related to reported physicians ’ counseling behavior.
TCR signaling via Tec kinase ITK and interferon regulatory factor 4 (IRF4) regulates CD8+ T-cell differentiation

CD8+ T-cell development in the thymus generates a predominant population of conventional naive cells, along with minor populations of “innate” T cells that resemble memory cells. Recent studies analyzing a variety of KO or knock-in mice have indicated that impairments in the T-cell receptor (TCR) signaling pathway produce increased numbers of innate CD8+ T cells, characterized by their high expression of CD44, CD122, CXCR3, and the transcription factor, Eomesodermin (Eomes). One component of this altered development is a non-CD8+ T cell-intrinsic role for IL-4. To determine whether reduced TCR signaling within the CD8+ T cells might also contribute to this pathway, we investigated the role of the transcription factor, IFN regulatory factor 4 (IRF4). IRF4 is up-regulated following TCR stimulation in WT T cells; further, this up-regulation is impaired in T cells treated with a small-molecule inhibitor of the Tec family tyrosine kinase, IL-2 inducible T-cell kinase (ITK). In contrast to WT cells, activation of IRF4-deficient CD8+ T cells leads to rapid and robust expression of Eomes, which is further enhanced by IL-4 stimulation. In addition, inhibition of ITK together with IL-4 increases Eomeso up-regulation. These data indicate that ITK signaling promotes IRF4 up-regulation following CD8+ T-cell activation and that this signaling pathway normally suppresses Eomes expression, thereby regulating the differentiation pathway of CD8+ T cells.
Bioinspired vision sensors with hyperacuity

Musca domestica, the common house fly, possesses a powerful vision system that exhibits features such as fast, analog, parallel operation and motion hyperacuity -- the ability to detect the movement of objects at far better resolution than predicted by their photoreceptor spacing. Researchers at the Wyoming Information, Signal Processing, and Robotics (WISPR) Laboratory have investigated these features for over a decade to develop an analog sensor inspired by the fly. Research efforts have been divided into electrophysiology; mathematical, optical and MATLAB based sensor modeling; physical sensor development; and applications. This paper will provide an in depth review of recent key results in some of these areas including development of a multiple, light adapting cartridge based sensor constructed on both a planar and co-planar surface using off-the-shelf components. Both a photodiode-based approach and a fiber based sensor will be discussed. Applications in UAV obstacle avoidance, long term building monitoring and autonomous robot navigation are also discussed.
RecBCD and RecJ/RecQ initiate DNA degradation on distinct substrates in UV-irradiated Escherichia coli

Abstract Chow, K-H. and Courcelle, J. RecBCD and RecJ/RecQ Initiate DNA Degradation on Distinct Substrates in UV-Irradiated Escherichia coli. Radiat. Res. 168, 499–506 (2007). After UV irradiation, recA mutants fail to recover replication, and a dramatic and nearly complete degradation of the genomic DNA occurs. Although the RecBCD helicase/nuclease complex is known to mediate this catastrophic DNA degradation, it is not known how or where this degradation is initiated. Previous studies have speculated that RecBCD targets and initiates degradation from the nascent DNA at replication forks arrested by DNA damage. To test this question, we examined which enzymes were responsible for the degradation of genomic DNA and the nascent DNA in UV-irradiated recA cells. We show here that, although RecBCD degrades the genomic DNA after UV irradiation, it does not target the nascent DNA at arrested replication forks. Instead, we observed that the nascent DNA at arrested replication forks in recA cultures is degraded b...
Burgess shale-type preservation: A comparison of naraoiids (Arthropoda) from three Cambrian localities

The chemical composition of well-preserved naraoiids from the Chengjiang, Kaili, and Burgess Shale biotas is compared. Gut diverticulae in samples from all three biotas contain C, P, and Fe, indicating a primary composition of organic carbonaceous material, and the presence of apatite and pyrite as the result of authigenic mineralization in association with decay and early diagenetic processes. Gut traces from Burgess Shale specimens retain apatite and pyrite, as well as clay minerals, reflecting a history involving greenschist-grade metamorphism. Kaili specimens have been subjected to lower-grade metamorphism and, or thermal alteration, but alteration of pyrite pseudomorphs in the gut traces to limonite indicates the effect of weathering. Loss of sulfur and calcium, oxidation of pyrite, and the light color of the Chengjiang samples are the result of a greater degree of weathering than in specimens from the other two localities. As demonstrated here, Kaili samples serve as an important baseline for interpreting specimens from the Burgess Shale (high-grade metamorphism) and the Chengjiang (intense chemical weathering) deposits. Our study shows for the first time that the conservation of organic carbon is the common primary mode of soft-part preservation in naraoiid arthropods from these three signature Burgess Shale-type localities. Differences among these major deposits are a product of later diagenesis and weathering of the authigenic mineralization associated with the preservation of labile structures. Among the major constituents formed during diagenesis—carbonaceous material, calcium phosphate (e.g., apatite), and iron sulfide (e.g., pyrite)—the minerals are more susceptible to chemical weathering via hydrolysis.
Exploring Identity Negotiations: An Analysis of Intercultural Japanese-U.S. American Families Living in the United States

This study examines identity negotiations of intercultural Japanese-U.S. American families particularly in terms of a) how dominant ideologies and societal structures relate to the formation and negotiation of intercultural married couples' identities, and b) how they negotiate the relational, family, and cultural identities in their relationship. Both interpretive and critical perspectives are utilized to uncover the complex nature of identity negotiations. Interviews with intercultural families reveal that their identity locations are negotiated from historical contexts and gender and racial ideologies. Ambivalence, contradictions, dialectical tensions, and the intersectionality of their identities are often mentioned in the interviews. Particularly in talking about their childrearing process, the parents negotiate multiple identities and manage dialectical tensions of their children's possible future identities. In general, the results show that intercultural families created a unique and secure space ...
Real Time Detection of Link Failures in Inter Domain Routing

Measurements have shown that network path failures occur frequently in the Internet and physical link failures can cause network instability in large scale and severity. Thus early anomaly detection mechanisms are of great importance. In this paper, we propose a Bayesian approach for time efficient link failure detection using border gateway protocol (BGP) update message traces. The detection is done using an automated mechanism to label, train and classify the network status based on features extracted from BGP traces. In addition to detecting temporal changes in these features, our scheme augments its accuracy by including information on the spatial correlation of the route updates in the decision process. We validate our approach by testing the proposed mechanism on real BGP traces collected during three typical network outage events caused by link failures.
CLASS AND GENDER DYNAMICS OF THE PORNOGRAPHY TRADE IN LATE NINETEENTH-CENTURY BRITAIN*

During the second half of the nineteenth century, British social purity campaigners framed the pornography trade as a major source of cultural and moral pollution. As in their anti-prostitution efforts, purity campaigners presented the abolition of pornography as an attempt to protect women, children, and impressionable members of the lower classes from sexual immorality. Their rhetoric and policy efforts, however, reveal deeply entrenched fears of middle-class vulnerability to the negative effects of pornographic literature and images. Building on existing obscenity studies scholarship, this article explores the role of class and gender tension in nineteenth-century pornography regulation. In contrast to the majority of work on Victorian pornography, this article focuses on the British lower classes as producers and distributors rather than consumers of pornography. In addition, this article argues for a higher level of female participation in the pornography trade than has been previously recognized. By focusing on the contradictions and biases at the heart of campaigns against pornography, this article explores the ways in which regulation efforts and discourses of obscenity were shaped by the class and gender dynamics of the pornography trade.
Carbon‐source regulation of virulence gene expression in Listeria monocytogenes

All known virulence genes of Listeria monocytogenes are under positive regulation by the transcription factor PrfA. Previous work employing the L. monocytogenes strain NCTC7973 suggested that the disaccharide cellobiose might serve as a specific "signature molecule' which functions to prevent activation of the PrfA-controlled regulon in a soil environment. We have examined three other L. monocytogenes strains, 10403S, LO28 and EGD, all commonly regarded as wild-type isolates, and find that NCTC7973 is anomalous with respect to the effect of carbohydrates on the expression of PrfA-controlled gene expression. In the case of 10403S, LO28 and EGD, several other readily metabolized mono- and disaccharides are as effective as cellobiose in repressing expression of the PrfA-controlled gene hly, indicating that the cellobiose effect is not specific, and suggesting that NCTC7973 may be a partially deregulated variant. Moreover, concentrations of cellobiose and other sugars required for repression of hly expression (> 1 mM) were found to significantly enhance growth of L. monocytogenes cultures, suggesting that the repression phenomenon probably results from a metabolic effect of sugar utilization rather than a signal-sensing response. Thus the previously reported cellobiose effect may reflect an aspect of a more global mechanism of catabolite repression in L. monocytogenes. Although cellobiose represses expression of hly and plcA at the level of transcript accumulation, quantitative Western blot analysis indicates that cellobiose has no effect on PrfA levels. These results are consistent with a model in which PrfA activity is controlled by interaction with a hypothetical cofactor, the synthesis or depletion of which is responsive to the presence of readily metabolized carbohydrates.
A Mystery Diagnosis: Immune Dysregulation, Polyendocrinopathy, Enteropathy, X-Linked Recessive

Immune dysregulation, polyendocrinopathy, enteropathy, X-linked syndrome (IPEX), a rare disease, has recently been shown to occur more frequently than previously suspected. The clinical phenotype of IPEX is a direct result of an overactive immune system caused by the proliferation of autoaggressive T cells and
Timing-driven Steiner trees are (practically) free

Traditionally, rectilinear Steiner minimum trees (RSMT) are widely used for routing estimation in design optimizations like floorplanning and physical synthesis. Since it optimizes wirelength, an RSMT may take a "non-direct" route to a sink, which may give the designer an unnecessarily pessimistic view of the delay to the sink. Previous works have addressed this issue through performance-driven constructions, minimum Steiner arborescence, and critical sink based Steiner constructions. Physical synthesis and routing flows have been reticent to adapt universal timing-driven Steiner constructions out of fear that they are too expensive (in terms of routing resource and capacitance). This paper studies several different performance-driven Steiner tree constructions in order to show which ones have superior performance. A key result is that they add at most 2%-4% extra capacitance, and are thus a promising avenue for today's increasingly aggressive performance-driven P&R flows. We demonstrate using a production P&R flow that timing-driven Steiner topologies can be easily embedded into an incremental routing subflow to obtain significantly improved timing (3.6% and 5.1% improvements in cycle time for two industry testcases) at practically no cost of wirelength or routability.
Application of cubic high dielectric resonator metamaterial to antennas

A dielectric metamaterial structure was proposed, using cubic high dielectric resonators (CHDRs) in a cubic lattice structure, embedded periodically in a low dielectric background (Kim, 2006). These cubic resonators have degenerate TE and TM modes, at the same frequency. This CHDR metamaterial has negative refractive index characteristics in a specific frequency band, which can be changed by varying one of three factors, the size of CHDRs, the lattice constant, and the dielectric constant of CHDRs. The CHDR epsivr=30, background epsivr=2.08 metamaterial slab was positioned over a patch antenna to improve its directivity. The operating frequency of the patch antenna is 5.2GHz. The CHDR metamaterial lens was placed over the patch antenna with the spacing of 15mm. The metamaterial components were selected in this application for the impedance matching of the metamaterial lens to reduce the reflection loss. As a result, the directivity of the patch antenna was improved from 4.67 (6.69dBi) to 11.94 (10.8dBi) without degrading the radiation efficiency.
Beyond audio and video retrieval: topic-oriented multimedia summarization

Given the deluge of multimedia content that is becoming available over the Internet, it is increasingly important to be able to effectively examine and organize these large stores of information in ways that go beyond browsing or collaborative filtering. In this paper, we review previous work on audio and video processing, and define the task of topic-oriented multimedia summarization (TOMS) using natural language generation (NLG): given a set of automatically extracted features from a video, a TOMS system will automatically generate a paragraph of natural language, which summarizes the important information in a video belonging to a certain topic, and for example provides explanations for why a video was matched and retrieved. Possible features include visual semantic concepts, objects, and actions, environmental sounds, and transcripts from automatic speech recognition (ASR). We see this as a first step towards systems that will be able to discriminate visually similar, but semantically different videos, compare two videos and provide textual output or summarize a large number of videos at once. In this paper, we introduce our approach of solving the TOMS problem. We extract various visual concept features, environmental sounds and ASR transcription features from a given video, and develop a template-based NLG system to produce a textual recounting based on the extracted features. We also propose possible experimental designs for continuously evaluating and improving TOMS systems, and present results of a pilot evaluation of our initial system.
HETEROGENEITY OF CHLOROPLAST GAPDH GENES IN THE DINOPHYCEAE

Dinoflagellates provide valuable models for studying endosymbiosis and chloroplast evolution. While many species are heterotrophic, photosynthetic species containing plastids of different evolutionary origin have been isolated, indicating that dinoflagellates acquired chloroplasts multiple times during evolution. Furthermore, dinoflagellates contain nuclear genes encoding chloroplast proteins that are not typically found in eukaryotes. These include the type II form of RuBisCO, and a eubacterial form of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPCp) that we have recently characterized from Gonyaulax polyedra. The evolutionary origin of this GAPCp isoform is unclear. It is phylogenetically distant from the Gonyaulax cytosolic form (GAPC) and from the chloroplast forms (GAPA/B) of cyanobacterial origin typically found in photosynthetic eukaryotes. It has previously been described only from cryptomonads, raising the possibility that Gonyaulax acquired the gene through lateral transfer. We have addressed this issue by examining the phylogeny of GAPDH genes from other dinoflagellates. We have isolated genes from Gymnodinium mikimotoi and Pyrocystis lunula. The predicted protein sequence of the G. mikimotoi gene is 47% similar to Gonyaulax GAPC and GAPCp and phylogenetic analysis places them in the same eubacterial clade. The predicted amino acid sequence of the P. lunula gene is 41% and 37% similar to Gonyaulax GAPCp and GAPC isoforms, respectively. However, phylogenetic analysis groups it within the clade comprising cyanobacterial and eukaryotic GAPA/B isoforms and shows that it is closely related to the chloroplast form of Euglena gracilis. Thus, within the Dinophyceae, GAPDH genes of different evolutionary origin have been recruited to participate in chloroplast metabolism.
Depression of cortical activity in humans by mild hypercapnia.

The effects of neural activity on cerebral hemodynamics underlie human brain imaging with functional magnetic resonance imaging and positron emission tomography. However, the threshold and characteristics of the converse effects, wherein the cerebral hemodynamic and metabolic milieu influence neural activity, remain unclear. We tested whether mild hypercapnia (5% CO2) decreases the magnetoencephalogram response to auditory pattern recognition and visual semantic tasks. Hypercapnia induced statistically significant decreases in event-related fields without affecting behavioral performance. Decreases were observed in early sensory components in both auditory and visual modalities as well as later cognitive components related to memory and language. Effects were distributed across cortical regions. Decreases were comparable in evoked versus spontaneous spectral power. Hypercapnia is commonly used with hemodynamic models to calibrate the blood oxygenation level-dependent response. Modifying model assumptions to incorporate the current findings produce a modest but measurable decrease in the estimated cerebral metabolic rate for oxygen change with activation. Because under normal conditions, low cerebral pH would arise when bloodflow is unable to keep pace with neuronal activity, the cortical depression observed here may reflect a homeostatic mechanism by which neuronal activity is adjusted to a level that can be sustained by available bloodflow. Animal studies suggest that these effects may be mediated by pH-modulating presynaptic adenosine receptors. Although the data is not clear, comparable changes in cortical pH to those induced here may occur during sleep apnea, sleep, and exercise. If so, these results suggest that such activities may in turn have generalized depressive effects on cortical activity.
Identification of berberine in ancient and historical textiles by surface‐enhanced Raman scattering

The highly fluorescent natural dye berberine can be easily identified in microscopic textile samples by surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy employing citrate-reduced Ag colloid. The ordinary Raman (OR) and SERS spectra of berberine are presented and discussed in the light of a DFT calculation. Using FT-Raman and FT-SERS we could reliably compare relative intensity shifts and investigate the adsorption geometry of berberine on Ag nanoparticles. The significant enhancement in the FT-SERS spectrum of the out-of-plane ring system bending deformation mode at 729 cm−1 relative to a group of in-plane vibrations at around 1500 cm−1 was interpreted as evidence of a ‘flat-on’ adsorption geometry. SERS was successfully used to identify berberine in silk fiber samples coated with colloidal Ag following a pretreatment with HCl vapor. The SERS method allowed us to detect berberine in a microscopic sample of a single silk fiber from a severely degraded and soiled 17th Century Chinese textile fragment. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Identification of low abundance microbiome in clinical samples using whole genome sequencing

Identifying the microbiome composition from primary tissues directly affords an opportunity to study the causative relationships between the host microbiome and disease. However, this is challenging due the low abundance of microbial DNA relative to the host. We present a systematic evaluation of microbiome profiling directly from endoscopic biopsies by whole genome sequencing. We compared our methods with other approaches on datasets with previously identified microbial composition. We applied this approach to identify the microbiome from 27 stomach biopsies, and validated the presence of Helicobacter pylori by quantitative PCR. Finally, we profiled the microbial composition in The Cancer Genome Atlas gastric adenocarcinoma cohort.
Examining Links Among Parents’ Depressive Symptoms, Attacking Conflict Behaviors, Childrearing Disagreements, and Over-Reactive Discipline

This study examined links among parents’ depressive symptoms, attacking conflict behaviors, childrearing disagreements, and their over-reactive discipline using a community sample of 39 mothers and fathers. Correlational analyses provided considerable support for the expected associations among the study variables. Notably, when a regression-based approach recommended by Baron and Kenny (J Pers Soc Psychol 51:1173–1182, 1986) was applied to the data in order to more fully explore the links among the study variables, findings indicated different pathways of influence among the study variables for mothers and fathers. Mothers’ attacking behaviors partially mediated the link between their depressive symptoms and over-reactive discipline; whereas, fathers’ depressive symptoms and attacking behaviors were independent predictors of their over-reactive discipline. Further, fathers’ childrearing disagreements served as a mediator in the link between their depressive symptoms and over-reactive discipline. Findings suggest important targets for therapeutic intervention and lend support to the Family Systems Theory notion of spillover effects, especially where fathers are concerned.
Interleukin-8: an important chemoattractant in sputum of patients with chronic inflammatory airway diseases

Sputum from patients with cystic fibrosis, bronchiectasis, and chronic bronchitis contains neutrophils and neutrophil proteases, which have been implicated in the pathophysiology of mucus hypersecretion in airways. We asked whether interleukin-8 (IL-8), a potent neutrophil chemoattractant, might be involved in recruiting neutrophils into airways of patients with cystic fibrosis, bronchiectasis, and chronic bronchitis. We found significant neutrophil chemotactic activity in sputum obtained from these patients. The IL-8 concentrations that we measured in sputum of patients with cystic fibrosis (7.1 +/- 1.0 x 10(-9) M, mean +/- SE), bronchiectasis (9.6 +/- 2.9 x 10(-9) M), and chronic bronchitis (2.8 +/- 1.0 x 10(-9) M) have been reported to cause significant chemotaxis in vitro and in airways in vivo, whereas concentrations measured in induced sputum from healthy subjects (1.1 +/- 0.3 x 10(-10) M) do not. A monoclonal antibody to IL-8 significantly inhibited the chemotactic activity in patients' sputum by 7...
Recent increases in nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions from coal-fired electric generating units equipped with selective catalytic reduction

ABSTRACTThe most effective control technology available for the reduction of oxides of nitrogen (NOx) from coal-fired boilers is selective catalytic reduction (SCR). Installation of SCR on coal-fired electric generating units (EGUs) has grown substantially since the onset of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) first cap and trade program for oxides of nitrogen in 1999, the Ozone Transport Commission (OTC) NOx Budget Program. Installations have increased from 6 units present in 1998 in the states that encompass the current Cross-State Air Pollution Rule (CSAPR) ozone season program to 250 in 2014. In recent years, however, the degree of usage of installed SCR technology has been dropping significantly at individual plants. Average seasonal NOx emission rates increased substantially during the Clean Air Interstate Rule (CAIR) program. These increases coincided with a collapse in the cost of CAIR allowances, which declined to less than the cost of the reagent required to operate installed SCR eq...
Ras and the cancer cell: A transforming relationship

AACR Annual Meeting-- Apr 12-16, 2008; San Diego, CA SY25-02 Activating mutations in Ras proteins are highly prevalent in many human cancers. These mutations lock the proteins in their GTP-bound form resulting in the constitutive activation of signaling pathways that control cell proliferation, tumor survival and motility. This lecture will focus on ongoing efforts to define how the signaling activities of Ras are controlled and how such control mechanisms may contribute to tumor initiation and progression.
Attraction of Mountain Pine Beetles to Small-Diameter Lodgepole Pines Baited with Trans-Verbenol and Alpha-Pinene13

Lodgepole pines, Pinus contorta Douglas, 8.9 in. diameter at breast height (DBH) or less, were baited with the pheromone Trans -verbenol and the terpene alpha-pinene to determine if populations of Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopkins could be attracted to these trees of small diameter. Even though the beetles in most cases did not successfully attack baited trees, such trees were usually the first to be attacked. This phenomenon indicated that these chemicals might be used to attract beetles into areas with baited trees but not to baited trees exclusively. This indication was supported by the fact that the beetles successfully attacked larger unbaited trees.
Geometrically nonlinear models of initially imperfect sandwich plates and shells incorporating non-classical effects

A comprehensive geometrically nonlinear theory of initially imperfect doubly curved sandwich shells is developed in the context of 3D elasticity theory. It encompasses sandwich structures with dissimilar faces constructed of anisotropic composite laminates incorporating transverse shear effects, and with the core modelled as an orthotropic body featuring strong or soft behaviors. The theory includes the dynamic as well as the temperature and the moisture effects. As a special case, the theory of sandwich shells with soft core is presented and, in this connection, a range of applications involving the buckling and postbuckling of flat and circular cylindrical shells compressed by uniaxially edge loads are displayed and the influence played by a number of geometrical and physical parameters is highlighted. We also compare buckling results obtained in the context of the present theoretical model with the ones obtained experimentally; reasonable agreements are reported. (Author)
Some Effects of Triboliumon on Flour

Tribolium infestation affects the elasticity and the viscosity of flour. Heavy infestation turns flour a pinkish tinge which becomes brown upon oxidation. Adults give off a characteristic secretion soluble in water. This secretion may be the cause of the marked effect which Tribolium has on the physical properties of flour colloids.
Development and validation of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for the quantification of gelonin in mouse plasma

This article details the development and validation of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the quantification of gelonin in mouse plasma. The ELISA was validated for intra- and inter-day variability and for accuracy over a standard curve range of 7.5-100 ng/mL. The assay was then applied to assess gelonin pharmacokinetics in mice. Results from the ELISA were compared to data obtained from a parallel study conducted with (125)Iodine-labeled gelonin, with quantification via gamma counting. The ELISA demonstrated good precision, as the percent coefficient of variation of quality control samples in intra-day and inter-day validation ranged from 5.4-9.3% and 2.9-7.3%, respectively. Sample recoveries ranged from 98.3-105% of nominal values. The ELISA method yielded lower plasma concentrations of gelonin than found from the less-specific gamma counting method. Consequently, pharmacokinetic analyses yielded significantly higher estimates for volume of distribution (106 ± 31 vs. 55.8 ± 13 mL/kg) and plasma clearance (34.7 ± 6.6 vs. 10.9 ± 2.1 mL/min/kg) for data determined by ELISA vs. by gamma counting.
The Rhetorical Presidency: Deepening Vision, Widening Exchange

Research on the rhetorical presidency has been marked by two important sets of theoretical divisions: individual versus institutional approaches to the analytic task and instrumental versus constitutive understandings of the rhetorical enterprise. In both cases, this has led to a situation in which scholars from the differing positions tend to talk past rather than to one another. In keeping with the generally interdisciplinary focus of political communication as it develops as a recognizable subfield with places in both political science and communication studies, this essay is intended to begin pointing the way toward redirecting some of those conversations, such that representatives from the various analytic communities can begin to work with one another rather than on parallel or opposing tracks.
Food Fight: Role of Itaconate and Other Metabolites in Antimicrobial Defense

Itaconate is a newly discovered mammalian metabolite bearing significant implications for our understanding of cellular immunometabolism and antimicrobial defense. Here, we explore recent findings regarding the role of itaconate in the innate immune response and highlight the emerging principle that metabolites can have distinct immunological functions independent of bioenergetics.
Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Infection in an Umbilical Hernia Mesh Eleven Years after Implantation

Abstract Background: Abdominal hernia repair with polypropylene mesh is common because of the decreased risk of recurrence. The major risk after surgery is mesh infection, which is associated signi...
Cardiac and respiratory gating for a small animal SPECT-CT system

We present the design and construction of a murine cardiac imaging system integrated into a dedicated small animal microSPECT-CT scanner. The system, including a fast x-ray shutter and slow contrast infusion system, is designed with compact and relatively inexpensive components and permits the use of traditional inexpensive iodine-based CT contrast. SPECT cardiac gating is performed by list mode acquisition in which a voltage that increases linearly during each cardiac cycle is digitized and stored with each detected gamma event. Cardiac CT/SPECT scans using the gating/infusion system demonstrate high wall-blood pool contrast and clear visualization of left and right ventricles and the ascending and descending aorta in the CT images and more clearly defined visualization of the myocardium in the SPECT images compared to their ungated counterparts.
A Flexible, Low Power, DC-1GHz Impulse-UWB Transceiver Front-end

A flexible, low power, "mostly-digital", DC-1 GHz impulse-UWB transceiver front-end is presented. By duty-cycling nearly all of the circuitry with the pulse rate, power consumption of 570 muW (RX) and 350 muW (TX) is presented at 1 Mpulse/s with 1-bit, 1.92 GSample/s sampling, 50 Omega input matching, and 42 dB of gain at 1.1 V. Additionally, the transceiver allows for variable modulation (PAM, PPM or both), variable gain (0 to 42dB), independent timing control for each block, variable input impedance and pulse shape generation, limited pulling of the oscillator frequency, and gain stage offset trimming to 1 mV
Network optimization with heuristic rational agents

We study a distributed model for optimizing a sum of convex objective functions corresponding to agents in the network. At random times, agents execute actions based on heuristic rational rules considering only local information. Heuristic rational rules are probabilistic and their expectation yields the actual optimal action. Under heuristic rational rule iterations, it is shown that global network cost comes within a close vicinity of the optimal value infinitely often with probability 1. Furthermore, an exponential bound on probability of deviating from vicinity of the optimal value is derived. We exemplify heuristic rational behavior on estimation of a random field using a wireless sensor network.
Quantitative MR-guided transient shear wave imaging for tissue elasticity assessment

Elastography is an efficient alternative to the traditional palpation method of assessing tissue stiffness. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) provides a three-dimensional (3D) high-resolution view of the surrounding anatomy during interventions. Therefore, the development of MRI-based elastographic strategies is desirable for multiple clinical applications. In this work, we developed a new transient magnetic resonance elastography (t-MRE) protocol that improved visualization of transient shear wave propagation and applied this protocol to quantify tissue elasticity in vitro using tissue-mimicking phantoms. The MRE data were cross-validated with measurements acquired under ultrasound (US) guidance and mechanical testing (MT). Following a three-pulse excitation, the t-MRE protocol was applied to visualize planar shear waves propagating 2 to 30 mm away from the excitation location. Differences in shear modulus on the order of 1 kPa were reliably detected and estimates of shear elasticity by US-based elastography and MT differed by less than 7% of the MT gold standard value. Moreover, biologically-relevant inclusions were detected in tissue-mimicking phantoms and mapped in 3D by t-MRE.
Anti-Tumor Activity of IPI-504, a Novel Hsp90 Inhibitor in Multiple Myeloma.

IPI-504 is a novel inhibitor of Hsp90 based on the geldanamycin pharmacophore. When placed in rat, monkey, and human blood, IPI-504 rapidly converts to the known and well-studied compound 17-allylamino-17-demethoxy-geldanamycin (17-AAG). 17-AAG is the subject of multiple clinical trials for the treatment of hematologic and solid tumors. However, 17-AAG suffers from poor aqueous solubility necessitating the use of sub-optimal formulations to deliver this agent to patients. IPI-504 is over 1000-fold more soluble than 17-AAG in aqueous solution. In vitro , both 17-AAG and IPI-504 bind tightly to, and selectively inhibit Hsp90 derived from cancer cells. The cytotoxic effect of IPI-504, as well as its ability to stimulate the degradation of Hsp90 client proteins and increase the intracellular levels Hsp70, were monitored in two human multiple myeloma cells lines (RPMI-8226 and MM1.S). The effects of IPI-504 were compared to 17-AAG. We demonstrate that the actions of IPI-504 are bioequivalent to 17-AAG and that both compounds induce apoptosis in these cells and stimulate the degradation of HER2 and c-Raf. In addition, both agents stimulate Hsp70 protein levels. In all cases the EC50s are virtually the same for both molecules (~200–400 nM). Furthermore, IPI-504 inhibits the secretion of immunoglobulin light chain from the RPMI-8226 multiple myeloma cells (EC50 ~300 nM). Importantly, IPI-504 is active in tumor xenograft models of multiple myeloma. The data indicate that active metabolites of IPI-504 accumulate in these xenografts long after these metabolites are cleared from the plasma compartment, suggesting that they preferentially accumulate in tumor cells based on their increased affinity to Hsp90 derived from tumor cells. In conclusion, we have developed IPI-504 as a novel, potent inhibitor of Hsp90 with greatly increased solubility over 17-AAG, and that IPI-504 is an active anti-tumor agent in vitro and in vivo .
Cardiovascular Emergencies of Pregnancy

The unique physiologic changes of pregnancy put these patients at heightened risk for cardiovascular emergencies. This chapter reviews the management of three prominent and potentially devastating conditions in the pregnant patient: venous thromboembolism, aortic dissection, and peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM). The authors examine risk factors, clinical presentation, and specific management strategies for these life-threatening situations. Overlapping symptoms between multiple life-threatening, yet physiologically different, pathologies can cloud diagnosis of cardiovascular emergencies. Furthermore, early symptoms of these emergencies can mirror normal physiologic changes in pregnancy. This chapter seeks to highlight subtle differences in presentation that enable prompt, accurate identification of these potentially catastrophic complications. Management for each condition, with nuanced and specific evaluation of particular pharmaceutical agents and their safety and efficacy in pregnancy, will also be discussed.
Patient Decisions to Receive Secondary Pharmacogenomic Findings and Development of a Multidisciplinary Practice Model to Integrate Results Into Patient Care

Whole exome sequencing (WES) has the potential of identifying secondary findings that are predictive of poor pharmacotherapy outcomes. The purpose of this study was to investigate patients’ wishes regarding the reporting of secondary pharmacogenomic findings. WES results (n = 106 patients) were retrospectively reviewed to determine the number of patients electing to receive secondary pharmacogenomic results. Phenotypes were assigned based on Clinical Pharmacogenetics Implementation Consortium (CPIC) guidelines. The percent of patients with a predicted phenotype associated with a gene-based CPIC dosing recommendation was determined. Ninety-nine patients (93.4%) elected to receive secondary pharmacogenomic findings. For each gene–drug pair analyzed, the number of patients with an actionable phenotype ranged from two (2%) to 43 patients (43.4%). Combining all gene–drug pairs, 84 unique patients (84.8%) had an actionable phenotype. A prospective multidisciplinary practice model was developed for integrating secondary pharmacogenomic findings into clinical practice. Our model highlights a unique collaboration between physician-geneticists, pharmacists, and genetic counselors.
A Multi-Component Strategy to Decrease Wound Complications after Open Infra-Inguinal Re-Vascularization

Abstract Background: Wound complications remain a significant source of morbidity for patients undergoing open infra-inguinal re-vascularization. The purpose of this study was to determine the impa...