cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Attenuation of rotenone toxicity in SY5Y cells by taurine and N-acetyl cysteine alone or in combination

There is accumulating evidence that supports the involvement of reactive oxygen species (ROS), mitochondrial dysfunction and inflammation in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases. Thus, it is plausible that a multi-targeted therapeutic approach may be a more effective strategy to retard or even potentially halt the progression of the disease. Taurine is an organic acid that has a role in the regulation of oxidative stress and promoting mitochondrial normal functions, and N-Acetyl cysteine (NAC) is a well-known anti-oxidant and glutathione precursor. The main purpose of this study was to examine the cytoprotective effects of taurine alone or in combination with NAC against rotenone-induced toxicity in the SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cell line. Taurine treatment produced a concentration-dependent reduction in rotenone-induced cell death. From this, we tested sub-effective concentrations of taurine in combination with low, sub-effective concentrations of NAC against rotenone toxicity, and found the combined treatment afforded greater cytoprotection than either treatment alone. The combined taurine/NAC treatment also attenuated rotenone-induced reductions in aconitase activity suggesting the cytoprotection afforded by the combined treatment may be associated with anti-oxidative mechanisms. Together, our data suggest that a multi-targeted approach may yield new avenues of research exploring the utility of combining therapeutic agents with different mechanisms of actions at concentrations lower than previously tested and shown to be cytoprotective.
Dipole and nondipole photoionization of molecular hydrogen

We describe a theoretical approach to molecular photoionization that includes first-order corrections to the dipole approximation. The theoretical formalism is presented and applied to photoionization of H_2 over the 20- to 180-eV photon energy range. The angle-integrated cross section σ, the electric dipole anisotropy parameter β_e, the molecular alignment anisotropy parameter β_m, and the first-order nondipole asymmetry parameters γ and δ were calculated within the single-channel, static-exchange approximation. The calculated parameters are compared with previous measurements of σ and β_m and the present measurements of β_e and γ+3δ. The dipole and nondipole angular distribution parameters were determined simultaneously using an efficient, multiangle measurement technique. Good overall agreement is observed between the magnitudes and spectral variations of the calculated and measured parameters. The nondipole asymmetries of He 1s and Ne 2p photoelectrons were also measured in the course of this work.
Reinventing adult Learning Education

The culture of science that predominates in many academic circles dissociates almost by definition science from culture, and analytics from advocacy. While there are portentous analytical risks when advocacy is brought to the fore as a central element of educational policy formation — and some institutions like UNESCO have assumed explicit responsibilities in this regard — advocacy is almost a nonsequitur in education.
High-Level Semantics: An Integrated Approach to Programming Language Semantics and the Specification of Implementations

In the course of implementing a semantics directed compiler generator we have developed high-level semantics, a new style of semantic definition which overcomes fundamental problems concerning the specification techniques used in traditional denotational semantics. In the past, these problems have precluded the generation of realistic compilers from traditional denotational specifications. By contrast, high-level semantic specifications are suitable for both defining the functional semantics of programming languages, and describing realistic compiler implementations which are automatically generated from the semantics.
Proceedings of the 2004 ACM SIGPLAN/SIGBED conference on Languages, compilers, and tools for embedded systems

On behalf of the program committee, I am pleased to present this year's program for LCTES: Languages Compilers and Tools for Embedded Systems. Now in its third year as a conference, we received 120 submissions by the firm submission deadline. From those papers, 28 papers were chosen for presentation at this year's conference.Papers were submitted using the free version of CyberChair. Abstracts and full papers were uploaded, manually assigned to the program committee members, and reviewed over a 5-week period. Each paper was assigned to at least three program committee members, according to interest and areas of expertise, and outside reviews were sought where necessary.Because of the inherently interdisciplinary nature of this conference, the program committee is comprised of 23 researchers and practitioners from around the world who offer expertise across the many technical areas that address embedded systems. The general and program chairs participated in the review process, and so are counted as part of the program committee.The program committee convened on the 14th of March in Saint Louis for an all-day meeting to reach consensus on the program. Those members who had a conflict on a paper left the room for that paper's discussion. Program committee members were allowed to submit papers to this conference. Discussion of those papers was conducted at the very end of the meeting, after the status of all other papers was determined. Papers authored by program committee members were judged by the same, high standards applied to all submissions. At the end of the day's meeting, we accepted 28 papers for this year's program from the 120 submissions--an acceptance rate of 23%. Unfortunately, many fine papers could not be accommodated in this year's program.The composition of the program before you is a reasonable sample of the areas in which we received submissions. Sessions on program optimization, cache and other architectural features, benchmarking and software tool synthesis show the ongoing vitality of those areas. Notably, there are two sessions on power management, indicative of the growing importance of that area.
Glycinergic feedback enhances synaptic gain in the distal retina

Key points This study provides experimental evidence that glycinergic interplexiform cells create a centrifugal feedback loop in the vertebrate retina that regulates the transmission of glutamatergic signals between photoreceptors and second-order neurons. This mechanism serves to reduce glutamate uptake and enhance glutamate release. Glycine receptors containing the GlyRα3 subunit are expressed on bipolar cell dendrites, and their activation leads to a depolarizing response in a group of rod-dominated ON bipolar cells, and hyperpolarizing responses in OFF bipolar cells. Using strychnine to block endogenous glycine feedback reduces the amplitudes of light-evoked responses in both ON and OFF bipolar cells, indicating that glycine feedback regulates signal propagation in the distal retina. Glycinergic feedback provides a neural mechanism that enhances synaptic gain and improves visual sensitivity. Abstract Glycine input originates with interplexiform cells, a group of neurons situated within the inner retina that transmit signals centrifugally to the distal retina. The effect on visual function of this novel mechanism is largely unknown. Using gramicidin-perforated patch whole cell recordings, intracellular recordings and specific antibody labelling techniques, we examined the effects of the synaptic connections between glycinergic interplexiform cells, photoreceptors and bipolar cells. To confirm that interplexiform cells make centrifugal feedback on bipolar cell dendrites, we recorded the postsynaptic glycine currents from axon-detached bipolar cells while stimulating presynaptic interplexiform cells. The results show that glycinergic interplexiform cells activate bipolar cell dendrites that express the α3 subunit of the glycine receptor, as well as a subclass of unidentified receptors on photoreceptors. By virtue of their synaptic contacts, glycine centrifugal feedback increases glutamate release from photoreceptors and suppresses the uptake of glutamate by the type 2A excitatory amino acid transporter on photoreceptors. The net effect is a significant increase in synaptic gain between photoreceptors and their second-order neurons.
Production of Geosmin in Fermentors and Extraction with an Ion-Exchange Resin

A method for growing Streptomyces griseus LP-16 in fermentors and extracting and purifying geosmin, using an ion-exchange resin, is described.
Wi-Fi RF energy harvesting for battery-free wearable radio platforms

Wearable devices have huge market potential, but their usage has been limited because means to power such devices is still a challenge. Batteries, the most widespread solution, add size, weight and need periodic recharging which is a huge deterrent. In this work, we propose to eliminate batteries by leveraging Wi-Fi transmissions from nearby devices such as access points and smart phones to deliver power wirelessly to wearable devices. We develop a wearable temperature sensor, which harvests energy from Wi-Fi transmissions and transmits data back to an access point. We enable this application by designing an efficient 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi harvesting front-end to power an ANT radio platform with a smartphone as the Wi-Fi source. We study and analyze the effect of OFDM modulation, wide bandwidth (72 MHz) and the bursty nature of 802.11 Wi-Fi signals on the sensitivity, efficiency and the output power of the RF harvester. Our prototype achieves a sensitivity of −16.5 dBm with 100 % duty cycle Wi-Fi transmissions for a target output voltage of 2.05 V and 2.5 μW leakage at the storage capacitor node. This translates to an operating range of about 11.5 cm from a 2 dBm Wi-Fi transmitter on a smartphone and 92 cm from a 20 dBm Wi-Fi access point with a 3 dBi antenna on the wearable device.
Who's Eating the Flowers of a Rare Western Nevada Range Plant?

Who's Eating the Flowers of a Rare Western Nevada Range Plant? DOI:10.2458/azu_rangelands_v31i2_Longman
Differential effects of chlordiazepoxide on conditioned and unconditioned behavior in mice with septal lesions.

The time course of action of repeated daily doses of chlordiazepoxide (CDP) was examined in mice with septal lesions. Bilateral septal lesions produced changes in both conditioned and unconditioned behavior. These lesions increased rate of operant responding on a VI-40 s schedule and produced hyper-reactivity to tactile stimuli. The effects of repeated administration of CDP on these two classes of behavior were observed to follow different time courses. In a dose dependent fashion, CDP first reduced VI response rates in septal mice, but after several daily doses the response rate increased above post-surgical baseline levels. The suppressant effects of CDP on septal hyper-reactivity were quite different. Hyper-reactivity was persistently attenuated by all CDP doses tested during the eight-day drug regimen. The pattern of drug effects suggested that serotonin antagonism was involved in CDP's effects on lesion produced hyper-reactivity.
A performance analysis of a discrete-time queueing system with server interruption for modeling wireless ATM multiplexer

In this paper, we study the effect of channel errors on wireless ATM. The salient characteristic of the wireless channel is that it is time varying. This variability is modeled by a Markov chain with two states corresponding to high and low error states, respectively. The channel is modeled as being synchronous with the basic time unit being the slot. The transitions from high to low error states, and vice versa occur at the slot boundaries. It is assumed that no transmission over the channel is possible during the high-error state.The information source feeding into the channel is modeled as the superposition of independent sources. Each source is controlled by a two-state Markov chain which operates in synchronism with, but statistically independent of the channel. In the source Off state, no data is emitted while, in the On state, the source generates a random number of packets in a slot each of which fits into a channel slot.It is assumed that the traffic generated by all the sources will form a single global queue which will be served by the two-state Markov channel. A discrete-time queuing analysis derives the probability generating function (PGF) of the queue length under the assumption of an infinite buffer. From the PGF, we determine mean queue length and mean delay. Finally, numerical results are presented to demonstrate the effect of wireless channel error characteristics on performance.
Dynamic Analyses of a Metallic Sample in Sonic Infrared NDE Technique: Experimental and Computational Approach

Sonic IR is an emerging NDE technique being developed at the Wayne State University that has potential crack detectability both in metallic and non-metallic materials. The technique has applications in various sectors of NDE including aerospace, automotive, transportation, pressure vessel, and piping and manufacturing. Although it is established that friction caused by rubbing between the faying surfaces (i.e. tightly closed surfaces of closed surface cracks) or other material flaws under sonic load generates heat, the relationship of the quality and quantity of heat generation mechanics are not yet well known. In this paper a simple aluminum plate sample with generated cracks is studied through both experimentation and finite element (FE) modeling and simulation. The dynamics of Sonic IR for a simple metallic sample are analyzed with LS-DYNA3D finite element program. The FE analysis does support the frictional heat generation due to the rubbing of the faying surfaces of the crack faces. FE analysis also allows visualization of crack faces rubbing mode. The experiments show the infrared signal level as the indication of heat generation, captured in real time video frames. In FE simulation the energy plot at the crack interface is an indicator of heat generation and the energy plots are compared with the infrared signal plot. The results of varying test parameters in experiments as well as FE simulations are also discussed.Copyright © 2004 by ASME
Treatment with GM1 ganglioside restores striatal dopamine in the 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine-treated mouse.

1-Methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP), 30 mg/kg i.p. daily for 7 days, was administered to mice. This dosage regimen resulted in an approximately 50% reduction of striatal dopamine (DA) level. Chronic administration of GM1 ganglioside (II3NeuAc-GgOse Cer), beginning between 1 to 4 days after terminating MPTP dosing, resulted in partial restoration of the striatal DA level. From dose- and time-response studies, it appeared that 30 mg/kg i.p. of GM1 administered daily for approximately 23 days resulted in an approximately 80% restoration of the DA level and complete restoration of the 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) content. This dosage of GM1 also restored the turnover rate of DA in the striatum to near normal. Discontinuing GM1 treatment resulted in a fall of DA and DOPAC levels to values found in mice treated with MPTP alone. There was no evidence for regeneration of nerve terminal amine reuptake in the GM1-treated mice as evaluated by DA uptake into synaptosomes. Our biochemical findings in animals suggest that early GM1 ganglioside treatment of individuals with degenerative diseases of dopaminergic nigrostriatal neurons might be fruitful.
Giant-cell tumors of the cervical spine: case report.

Objective Giant-cell tumors of bone are rare, benign neoplasms that occur infrequently in the spine above the sacrum, and their presence in the cervical vertebrae is even more exceptional. Although complete en bloc surgical resection is difficult in the cervical spine, treatment with adjuvant radiotherapy has been considered controversial because of a small risk of malignant transformation. The authors report two cases of giant-cell tumors in the cervical vertebrae that were treated successfully with surgical excision and postoperative radiation as well as long-term follow-up. Clinical presentation Both patients presented with neck pain radiating into the upper extremities. In both cases, plain radiography, computed tomographic scanning, and magnetic resonance imaging revealed a large destructive process in the vertebral body. Intervention In one case, the tumor was treated by anterior resection, then by laminectomy and instrumented fusion, and finally by adjuvant postoperative radiotherapy. In the second case, treatment consisted of radical anterior and posterior resection with instrumented fusion. However, the tumor recurred, and, after several surgical procedures, external beam radiotherapy was administered. The patients have been followed for 17 and 11 years, respectively, with no evidence of tumor recurrence. Conclusion Radical resection of giant-cell tumors is generally agreed to be the best treatment option. However, complete resection is often not a feasible option for tumors in the cervical spine because of involvement of critical neurovascular structures. In these cases, the benefits of radiotherapy to reduce the risk of local recurrence may well outweigh concerns about the treatment's theoretical risks.
Metastable Markov chains

In this paper, we discuss the dynamics of metastable systems. Such systems exhibit interesting long-living behaviors from which they are guaranteed to inevitably escape (e.g., eventually arriving at a distinct failure or success state). At the heart of this work, we emphasize (1) that for our goals, hybrid systems can be approximated as Markov Decision Processes, (2) that although corresponding Markov chains may include a very large number of discrete states, much of their dynamic behavior is well-characterized simply by the second-largest eigenvalue, which is directly analogous to a dominant pole for a discrete-time system and describes both the mean and higher-order modes of the escape statistics, and (3) that for many systems, one can accurately describe initial conditions as being rapidly forgotten, due to a significant separation in slow and fast decay rates. We present both theory and intuitive toy examples that illustrate our approach in analyzing such systems, toward enabling and encouraging other researchers to adopt similar methods.
Vitamin D receptor agonists increase klotho and osteopontin while decreasing aortic calcification in mice with chronic kidney disease fed a high phosphate diet

Vascular calcification is common in chronic kidney disease, where cardiovascular mortality remains the leading cause of death. Patients with kidney disease are often prescribed vitamin D receptor agonists (VDRAs) that confer a survival benefit, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Here we tested two VDRAs in a mouse chronic kidney disease model where dietary phosphate loading induced aortic medial calcification. Mice were given intraperitoneal calcitriol or paricalcitol three times per week for 3 weeks. These treatments were associated with half of the aortic calcification compared to no therapy, and there was no difference between the two agents. In the setting of a high-phosphate diet, serum parathyroid hormone and calcium levels were not significantly altered by treatment. VDRA therapy was associated with increased serum and urine klotho levels, increased phosphaturia, correction of hyperphosphatemia, and lowering of serum fibroblast growth factor-23. There was no effect on elastin remodeling or inflammation; however, the expression of the anticalcification factor, osteopontin, in aortic medial cells was increased. Paricalcitol upregulated osteopontin secretion from mouse vascular smooth muscle cells in culture. Thus, klotho and osteopontin were upregulated by VDRA therapy in chronic kidney disease, independent of changes in serum parathyroid hormone and calcium.
Low-noise NbTiN superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors integrated with Si3N4 waveguides

We demonstrate detection of infrared and visible wavelength photons in on-chip waveguides with high efficiency, low noise and high timing accuracy. We achieve photon-counting optical time domain reflectometry over 200 km of optical fiber.
Supporting Faculty Grassroots Leadership

Various factors are making faculty leadership challenging including the rise in part-time and non-tenure-track faculty, the increasing pressure to publish and teach more courses and adopt new technologies and pedagogies, increasing standards for tenure and promotion, ascension of academic capitalism, and heavy service roles for women and people of color. This article focuses on describing actions taken by institutional agents and aspects of campus environments which are supportive of grassroots faculty leadership. While there are many conditions which inhibit faculty leadership (i.e., part-time and contingent faculty trends, rising publication standards, etc.), our study demonstrated certain campus conditions or characteristics can overcome the forces of change including counting leadership as service, creating campus networks, addressing dysfunctional department dynamics, fostering role models, supporting faculty who question or challenge decisions, ensuring flexibility and autonomy, and altering contingent faculty contracts to include service and leadership.
Trends in Complete Blood Count Values During Acute Painful Episodes in Children With Sickle Cell Disease

Complete blood count (CBC) values are monitored as crude indicators of the hemolytic and inflammatory processes that accompany an acute painful episode in children with sickle cell disease. As part of a larger study that examined the pain experience and pain management of hospitalized children during painful vaso-occlusive episodes, the authors examined trends in CBC values and determined whether there were relationships between these values and pain intensity scores. Children, 5 to 19 years of age, with sickle cell disease whose primary reason for admission was vasoocclusive pain were recruited for participation in the study. Once every evening from the day of admission until the day of discharge, they were asked to rate their worst and least pain using the numeric rating scale of the African American Oucher pain scale. Complete blood count values were obtained from the hospital information system on a daily basis. Parallel changes in CBC values and pain intensity scores were evident within the first 48 ...
Chemical theory of graphite-like molecules

Abstract An approach for analyzing electronic properties of large, well-defined graphite-like layers is presented. It is shown that very large structures can be examined using theories that require only counts of resonance structures as input. Stabilities are examined as a function of edge-type for four homologous series of layers containing up to 16,000 carbon atoms. Analyses of electron localization energies and π-electron densities are also presented. These studies provide a basis for examining effects of edge structures and relative position in the chemistry of graphite.
Infrared and Raman spectroscopies of InP/II–VI core-shell nanoparticles

Abstract We use infrared (IR) and Raman spectroscopies to investigate the optically active phonon modes in InP nanoparticles and InP/II–VI core-shell nanoparticles fabricated by similar colloidal chemistry methods. The IR transmission spectra of several InP nanoparticle samples exhibit a common absorption feature, which we assign to the Frohlich mode. The Raman results for the same samples show transverse and longitudinal optical phonon peaks, and scattering strength in between due to surface optical (SO) modes. Infrared spectra of the InP/ZnSe core-shell nanoparticles ( T = 8 – 300 K ) exhibit three absorption features, one due to the InP core, and the others associated with the ZnSe shell layer. Raman measurements (12–292 K) also show three phonon-related peaks, whose intensities vary sharply with temperature. The frequencies of the IR and Raman lines are in approximate accord with dielectric continuum theory.
Vapor shielding of surfaces subjected to high heat fluxes during a plasma disruption

Abstract An incident high heat flux on a surface can produce a copious amount of ablated vapor. Vapor shielding occurs when the ablated surface material absorbs the incoming energy and reduces the total energy transported to the ablating surface. The effectiveness of the vapor shield in reducing the incident heat flux has been calculated for the thermal dump phase of the plasma disruption. A one-dimensional, time dependent Lagrangian MHD code with the multifrequency group flux-limited diffusion model for the radiative energy transfer is used for the analysis of the energy transport in the ablative vapor shield. Results show that about 9% of the 3 eV blackbody radiation actually reaches the surface of an “iron” wall after a 10 μs pulse. Parametric studies have been done for several different surface materials and incident energy fluxes.
Exchange interaction in the insulating phase of RNiO3.

In order to characterize the spin-spin exchange interactions responsible for the Type-${E}^{\ensuremath{'}}$ antiferromagnetic order in inhomogeneous ${\mathrm{RNiO}}_{3}$ perovskites ($R=\mathrm{Y}$ or rare earth), the pressure dependence of the N\'eel temperature ${T}_{\mathrm{N}}$ was systematically measured for samples with ${T}_{\mathrm{N}}l{T}_{\mathrm{IM}}$ and ${T}_{\mathrm{N}}={T}_{\mathrm{IM}}$; ${T}_{\mathrm{IM}}$ is an insulator-metal transition temperature. Analysis of the results shows that, as for superexchange, perturbation theory can be used to describe the interatomic exchange interactions for ${T}_{\mathrm{N}}l{T}_{\mathrm{IM}}$, but the perturbation theory breaks down where ${T}_{\mathrm{N}}$ approaches ${T}_{\mathrm{IM}}$.
The isolotion of serologically active peptides of low molecular weight from a hydrolyzate of bovine plasma albumin

Abstract Nine peptide fractions, ranging in molecular weight from 3200 to 6800, have been isolated by paper electrophoresis from an ultrafiltrate of a chymotryptic hydrolyzate of bovine plasma albumin. All these peptide fractions formed specific precipitates with antiserum against bovine plasma albumin, but the concentration necessary was approximately 1000 times that required for albumin.
Effects of Prescribed Fire on the Buried Seed Bank in Mixed-Hardwood Forests of the Southern Appalachian Mountains

This study characterizes the seed bank prior to and immediately following dormant-season prescribed fire in mature, mixed-Quercus spp. (oak) forests in the south- ern Appalachian Mountains. Thirty samples from the litter/duff (LD) and the top 5 cm of the mineral soil (MS) were collected from five 5-ha burn units (6 plots per experimental unit) before and immediately after low-intensity prescribed fires, where maximum fire temperatures varied from <79 to 316 °C. A split-plot ANOVA and multi-response permu- tation procedures (MRBP) were utilized to assess the effects of burn treatment (pre- or post-fire) and seed bank layer (LD and MS) on the diversity and density of the buried seed bank. An average of 471 emergents/m 2 was observed in the buried seed bank compris- ing 133 identifiable taxa. No differences in total seed-bank density, Shannon-Weiner's diversity index (H'), or overall species composition between pre- and post-fire sampling or between the LD and MS layers were observed. Species richness (S) of the seed bank, however, was slightly greater pre-fire than post-fire, regardless of layer. Similarity, as defined by Sorenson's index, of species common to the seed bank and aboveground forest understory was low, with a slight increase in Sorenson's index observed during post-fire sampling of the seed bank and aboveground vegetation. Although we observed only neg- ligible effects of a once-applied, low-intensity prescribed fire on the buried seed bank, the effects of a low-intensity prescribed fire management regime—one that involves repeated low intensity burns—on the buried seed bank are unknown and should be a focus of fu- ture studies across mixed-oak forests in the eastern US.
Pion form factor and mass spectrum of bosons

An assignment of all I=12 and I=1 bosons within the framework of the dynamical group O(4.2) is proposed. The mass spectrum is obtained and new boson states are predicted. From the most general linear electromagnetic current in O(4,2) the pion form factor has been evaluated and differs from the ϱ-meson contribution at high momentum transfers, in agreement with a recent experiment. With the new form factor the contribution of the single-meson intermediate state to the π+−π0 mass difference is 1.7 MeV.
Microarray and phosphokinase screenings leading to studies on ERK and JNK regulation of connective tissue growth factor expression by angiotensin II 1a and bradykinin B2 receptors in Rat1 fibroblasts.

Rat1 fibroblasts stably transfected with the rat angiotensin II (AngII) AT1a and bradykinin (BK) B2 receptor cDNAs gained the ability to bind Ang II and BK. Wild-type Rat1 cells bound neither ligand. Exposure to either effector led to characteristic Gαi and Gαq signal cascades, the release of arachidonic acid (ARA), and the intracellular accumulation of inositol phosphates (IP). Microarray analyses in response to BK or AngII showed that both receptors markedly induce the CCN family genes, CTGF (CCN2) and Cyr61 (CCN1), as well as the vasculature-related genes, Cnn1 and Egr1. Real time PCR confirmed the increased expression of connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) mRNA. Combined sequence-based analysis of gene promoter regions with statistical prevalence analyses identified CREB, SRF, and ATF-1, downstream targets of ERK, and JNK, as prominent products of genes that are regulated by ligand binding to the BK or AngII receptors. The binding of AngII or BK markedly stimulated the phosphorylation and thus the activation of ERK2, JNK, and p38MAPK. A BKB2R and an AT1aR chimera which displayed only negligible G-protein-related signaling were constructed. Both mutant receptors continued to activate these kinases and stimulate CTGF expression. Inhibitors of ERK1/2 and JNK but not p38MAPK inhibited the BK- and AngII-stimulated expression of CTGF in cells expressing either the WT or mutant receptors, illustrating that ERK and JNK participate in the control of CTGF expression in a manner that appears to be independent of G-protein. Conversely, addition of BK or AngII to the cell line expressing WT AT1aR and BKB2R downregulated the expression of collagen α1(I) (COL1A1) mRNA. However, these effectors did not have this effect in cells expressing the mutant receptors. Thus, a robust G-protein related response is necessary for BK or AngII to affect COL1A1 expression. J. Cell. Biochem. 97: 1104–1120, 2006. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
The realizable benefits of a language prototyping language

The uses and advantages of a language tailored specifically for the description and construction of translators are considered. The major features of the Kodiyak language prototyping language are described. The Kodiyak language was designed to be a comprehensive translator development system. The language is intended to support a simple, unambiguous conceptual model of translation, to allow the construction of nontrivial translators, and, to be easy to use. >
191 PLASMA LEVELS OF D-TRP-6-LH-RH (DECAPEPTYL) AFTER INTRAMUSCULAR INJECTION OF LONG-ACTING MICROCAPSULES IN CHILDREN TREATED FOR PRECOCIOUS PUBERTY (PP)

The efficacy of periodic administration of Decapeptyl microcapsules upon symptoms of PP has been previously reported (Roger et al., ESPE meeting 1984, abstract 22). A sensitive radioimmuno assay of the analogue was developped using an antiserum raised in rabbit which exhibited unsignificant cross reactivity with native LH-RH or LH-RH fragments (Mason-Garcia et al.,Proc.Natl. Acad. Sci., USA, in press). Iodinated D-Trp-6-LH-RH was used as a tracer. Fifty μl antiserum diluted at 1/2500 , 50 μl tracer, 100 μl standard (or unknown plasma), 100 μl plasma pool (or phosphate buffer 0.01 M, pH 7.5) were incubated for 24 h. Free and bound were separated by PEG. NSB of the plasma pool and of 40 different child samples were respectively 6.2± 0.4 and 6.3± 0.4% (mean±SD). Bo was 20%. Intraassay CV were 12 and 7% for mean plasma levels of 100 and 370 pg/ml respectively. The detec tion limit was 57 pg/ml. Five children received intramuscularly (IM) on days 1, 21 and every 28 days thereafter, 1.5 mg Decapeptyl microcapsules. Plasma levels were on days 3, 7, 14, and 21 (pg/ml, mean±SEM) 312±57, 242±65, 145±78 and 171±87. Decapeptyl was undetectable in most of samples on day 28 after injection. This study demonstrates that significant Decapeptyl levels are maintained for at least 21 days after a single IM injection.
Labor laws: Then and now

Our thesis is that the statutes governing labor market behavior were passed in a vastly different economic and institutional environment from that which prevails today. The underlying assumptions used to justify those laws are for the most part unrealistic in today’s altered economic climate. The problems of the 1930s or the 1960s are not the problems of the 1990s, and the solutions have changed as well. We show this by exploring four areas of labor law: collective bargaining, wages and hours, income security, and civil rights.
Double Eagle and Rising Sun: The Russians and Japanese at Portsmouth in 1905

The Russo-Japanese War and the peace conference that followed it at Portsmouth, New Hampshire, marked a turning point affecting not only the history of participants but the future of East Asia and the world.The 1905 Portsmouth Conference, mediated by President Theodore Roosevelt, for which he received the Nobel Peace Prize, brought to an end a war in which Japan won spectacular victories on land and sea. Although the peace settlement fell far short of public expectations in Japan, she gained supremacy in Korea and a sphere of influence in South Manchuria as a consequence of the treaty. Nevertheless, the treaty reflected the military stalemate in Manchuria. Roosevelt wanted a balance of power to emerge from the war, and his hope was realized in the peace process.Raymond Esthus, drawing on the records of six nations, provides a detailed and panoramic account of the 1905 conference from the perspectives of both the Russians and the Japanese participants, depicting the powerful personalities of Roosevelt and the Russian Sergei Witte, as well as Tsar Nicholas II and the Foreign Minister Komura Jutaro. It is a story of verbal duels, tests of will, and moments of high personal courage. If there was no clear-cut victor at the conference, Roosevelt emerged as a worldwide hero of the cause of peace.
Cells without cytoplasmic movements respond to cytochalasin

Abstract Cytochalasin B inhibits both the photopolarization and the germination of Pelvetia eggs. These are immobile cells without cytoplasmic streaming or other known movements.
Diffusion of dye molecules in the dye/polymer systems by the holographic-grating-relaxation technique

Laser induced holographic grating relaxation studies of thymorquinone (TQ) dissolved in amorphous poly(-methyl styrene) (PaS) and comphorquinme (CK) in poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) have been carried out. Different types of lineshape associated with the relaxation of the diffraction intensity are observed and are interpreted in terms of various diffusion processes. Diffusion coefficients are obtained as a function of TO concentration from 0.3 to 20 weight percent in PcS and from 0.5 to 15 weight percent for CQ is PMMA. Above 0.5% the diffusion coefficient increases rapidly with increasing dye concentration. The temperature dependence of the self-diffusion coefficient follows the Williams-Landel-Ferry equation, whereas the mutual diffusion coefficient at higher dye concentration is Arrhenius. In addition, the self-diffusion coefficient of the dye molecule in polymer decreases very rapidly as the sample temperature is traversed across Tg. However, there is no detectable effect due to the onset of the glass transition on the mutual diffusion coefficient at finite dye concentration. The difference is interpreted as due to the plasticizing effect of the dye molecules. Free volume theory is used to interpret the concentration dependence of the diffusion coefficient.
Stochastic Filtering of Rain Profiles Using Radar, Surface-Referenced Radar, or Combined Radar-Radiometer Measurements

This paper describes a computationally efficient nearly optimal Bayesian algorithm to estimate rain (and drop size distribution) profiles, given a radar reflectivity profile at a single attenuating wavelength. In addition to estimating the averages of all the mutually ambiguous combinations of rain parameters that can produce the data observed, the approach also calculates the n-ns uncertainty in its estimates (this uncertainty thus quantifies "the amount of ambiguity" in the "solution"). The paper also describes a more general approach that can make estimates based on a radar reflectivity profile together with an approximate measurement of the path-integrated attenuation, or a radar reflectivity profile and a set of passive microwave brightness temperatures. This more general "combined" algorithm is currently being adapted for the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission.
A ‘proper point of view’: The panorama and some of its early media iterations

The panorama entered the world not as a visual format but as a claim: to lure viewers into seeing in a particular way. Robert Barker’s 1787 patent for a 360-degree painting of ‘nature at a glance’ (Nature a Coup d’Oeil) emphasized the construction of a ‘proper point of view’ as a means of making the viewer ‘feel as if really on the spot’. This situating strategy would, over the following centuries, take many forms within the world of the painted panorama and its photographic, magic lantern, and cinematic counterparts. This essay charts some of the unexpected twists and turns of this strategy, exploring among others the moving panorama (both as a parallel development to the cinematic moving picture and as deployed by the film medium as a background to suggest movement) and the relations between the spatial promise of the late nineteenth-century stereoscope and that most populous of early motion picture titles, the panorama. The essay focuses on changing technologies and strategies for achieving Barker’s in...
Sheave-bending and tensile fatigue of aramid-fiber strength members for communications cables

Abstract The influence of cyclic loading upon the residual strength of aramid-fiber strength members has been examined experimentally. Cyclic bending over sheaves, while under low tension, and tensile fatigue with low cyclic amplitude were studied. Residual strengths of the test specimens were measured as a function of number of cycles, and the tension and temperature during fatigue. It was found that the parallel-lay internal strength-member design suffered strength losses of up to 50% due to just 2000 bending cycles, despite using a very high sheave-to-strength member diameter ratio ( D / d ) of 120. Other internal strength-member designs shown to be more tolerant of bending fatigue were of braided construction and/or used low-modulus aramid fibers. The strength degradation of aramid-fiber external braids was demonstrated to be quite sensitive to braid angle (in the range of 12–15°), and was relatively unaffected by both temperature and tension during cyclic bending fatigue, under low tension (1–5% of break strength) with D / d =40. The tests conducted here established that aramid-fiber strength members are insensitive to tensile fatigue when the cyclic amplitude is a small fraction (2%) of the break strength.
Battleground Africa: Cold War in the Congo, 1960–1965

Lise Namikas (Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2013), xiv+350 pp Lise Namikas's Battleground Africa returns us to one of the most iconic events in African Cold War history: the 1960–1965 Congo ...
Languages of Identity and Obligation: Daniel as Bilingual Book

Sociolinguistics provides a theoretical framework for viewing the bilingualism of the book of Daniel as a deliberate rhetorical strategy. The author(s) of Daniel began their discourse in Hebrew, switched to Aramaic, and concluded in Hebrew to move its audience to a recognition of a new context in which the claims of empire had dissolved and claims of covenant alone remained. In so doing, the author(s) invited the audience to find their place within the world of the visions, forsaking a stance of collaboration with the reigning Seleucid empire in order to adopt a posture of resistance rooted in covenant.
Dissecting inhibitory brain circuits with genetically-targeted technologies

The evolution of genetically targeted tools has begun to allow us to dissect anatomically and functionally heterogeneous interneurons, and to probe circuit function from synapses to behavior. Over the last decade, these tools have been used widely to visualize neurons in a cell type-specific manner, and engage them to activate and inactivate with exquisite precision. In this process, we have expanded our understanding of interneuron diversity, their functional connectivity, and how selective inhibitory circuits contribute to behavior. Here we discuss the relative assets of genetically encoded fluorescent proteins (FPs), viral tracing methods, optogenetics, chemical genetics, and biosensors in the study of inhibitory interneurons and their respective circuits.
Utilization by fishes of shallow, seagrass-covered banks in Florida Bay: 2. Diel and tidal patterns

Diel and tidal patterns in the occurrence of water column fishes were examined on four shallow banks in Florida Bay, using continuous 72h gillnet sets. Patterns in capture rates were presumed to indicate movement of fishes on and off the seagrass-covered banks. Species that were nocturnally active on the banks included Arius felis, Mugil gyrans, Opisthonema oglinum, Harengula jaguana, Elops saurus, Lutjanus griseus, and Bairdiella chrysoura. Diurnal species included Eucinostomus gula, Lagodon rhomboides and Mugil cephalus. Strongylura notata and Mugil curema showed no consistent patterns. At the two sites with significant tidal fluctuation in water level, different activity patterns on the bank relative to tidal stage were evident for several species. At extreme low tides, water column fishes apparently left the banks to avoid stranding. Cycles of fish utilization of the bank habitat are proposed to be related to both availability of prey (diel patterns) and water level (tidal patterns). These cycles in turn influence activity patterns of predators foraging on these fishes.
The spectrum and structure of the He2 molecule: Characterization of the triplet states associated with the UAO's 4pσ, 5pσ, and 6pσ

Abstract The existing data on the electronic transitions 3s d3Σu+ → 3pσ c3Σg+, 3s d3Σu+ → 2pπ b3Πg, 3dσ f3Σu+ → b3Πg, 3dπ f3Πu → b3Πg, and 3dδ f3Δu → b3Πg of He2 are extended, and the d3Σu+ and b3Πg states described in detail. The partially resolved multiplet splitting for the b3Πg state is discussed in the light of recent theory, as is the applicability of “accidental pure precession” to the Λ-doubling for the b state. The following new and/or improved molecular constants (cm−1) are reported. State ω e xω e yω e B e r ( A ) d 3 Σ u + 1728.01 36.13 −0.1267 7.3412 1.071 b 3 Π g 1769.07 35.02 −0.048 7.4473 1.063
Nitrotyrosine-protein adducts in hepatic centrilobular areas following toxic doses of acetaminophen in mice.

Treatment of mice with a toxic dose of acetaminophen (300 mg/kg, ip) significantly increased hepatotoxicity at 4 h, as evidenced by histological necrosis in the centrilobular areas of the liver, and increased serum levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) (from 8 ± 1 IU/L in saline-treated mice to 3226 ± 892 IU/L in the acetaminophen-treated mice). Serum levels of nitrate plus nitrite (a marker of nitric oxide synthesis) were also increased from 62 ± 8 μM in saline-treated mice to 110 ± 14 μM in acetaminophen-treated mice (P < 0.05). Regression analysis of serum ALT levels to serum nitrate plus nitrite levels in individual mice revealed a positive, linear relationship between serum ALT levels and serum nitrate plus nitrite levels with a correlation coefficient of 0.9 (P < 0.05). The y intercept value (nitrate plus nitrite level) was 63 ± 15 μM. Immunohistochemical analysis of liver sections from acetaminophen-intoxicated mice using an anti-3-nitrotyrosine antibody indicated tyrosine nitration in the prote...
Lifetime brain serotonin: regional effects of age and precursor availability

Abstract In the rat, regional brain serotonin levels which do not change from 2–30 months of age are increased at 36 months. Corresponding catecholamine levels progressively decrease. Feeding a diet restricted in the amino acid tryptophan (the precursor of serotonin) from weaning to two years of age markedly reduces serotonin levels in all brain regions and lowers norepinephrine levels in the cerebral hemispheres. Regional activity of synthesizing (tyrosine and tryptophan hydroxylases) and catabolizing enzymes (MAO-A) does not change markedly with age or dietary manipulation except for sporatic increases in tryosine hydroxylase activity in pair-fed animals. Returning the tryptophan-deficient animals to a normal diet produces a certain degree of rehabilitation the effectiveness of which varies with the function considered: Impaired brain serotonin levels recover moderately but remain lower than controls as late as 36 months, growth is never completely compensated, and norepinephrine levels show a rebound increase.
Direct Amplification of 3-ps Pulses to 80 nJ at 50-MHz Repetition Rate in Large-Mode-Area Yb-Fiber

We study direct picosecond pulse amplification in large-mode area, double-clad Yb- fiber amplifier. We achieved good-quality 3-ps, 80-nJ pulses in a near diffraction-limited beam. 28-nJ pulses in the green (520 nm) are produced by second-harmonic generation.
The Effects of Task Load on Performance and Cerebral Blood Flow Velocity in a Working Memory and a Visuomotor Task

This study examined the use of transcranial Doppler ultrasonography (TCD) as a tool to measure mental effort (as indexed by cerebral blood flow velocity) with increases in task load. Two tasks were chosen for this study based on their applicability to the task of piloting, a working memory (digit span) task and a visuo-motor tracking task. Based on previous findings of a possible relationship between mental workload and cerebral blood flow velocity it was hypothesized that both tasks would exhibit an increase in cerebral blood flow velocity in relation to baseline and that blood flow velocity would increase with increases in task demand. Although performance and subjective measures of mental workload indicated increased levels of effort to perform the digit span and tracking tasks as a function of task load, no systematic change in blood flow velocity was found with task demand in either task. Future work is needed to validate the use of TCD as a workload measurement tool.
C-semigroups and strongly continuous semigroups

We show that, whenA generates aC-semigroup, then there existsY such that [M(C)] →Y →X, andA|Y, the restriction ofA toY, generates a strongly continuous semigroup, where ↪ means “is continuously embedded in” and ‖x‖[Im(C)]≡‖C−1x‖. There also existsW such that [C(W)] →X →W, and an operatorB such thatA=B|X andB generates a strongly continuous semigroup onW. If theC-semigroup is exponentially bounded, thenY andW may be chosen to be Banach spaces; in general,Y andW are Frechet spaces. If ρ(A) is nonempty, the converse is also true.