cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Similarities in Mechanisms and Treatments for Epileptic and Nonepileptic Myoclonus.

Myoclonus is a disordered movement that may be an ictal phenomenon or may be due to various injuries in brain and spinal cord motor structures. Many epileptic and nonepileptic myoclonic conditions are associated with abnormalities in inhibitory neurotransmission. γ-Aminobutyric acid type A (GABAA)-receptor antagonists may trigger myoclonus. Several antiepilepsy drugs (AEDs) effective against myoclonic seizures [valproic acid (VPA), clonazepam (CZP), levetiracetam (LEV)] enhance GABAergic neurotransmission and improve myoclonic movement disorders. Together these associations suggest links between episodic disorders involving synchronous cortical discharges (seizures) and hyperkinetic movement disorders.
Preferential cleavage of N-N hydrazone bonds for sequencing bis-arylhydrazone conjugated peptides by electron transfer dissociation.

Electron transfer dissociation (ETD) was used to sequence bis-arylhydrazone (BAH)-cross-linked peptides through preferential cleavage of the hydrazone bond. On average, 58% of the observed ETD prod...
Lanthanide mixed ligand chelates for DNA profiling and latent fingerprint detection

It is our aim to develop a universally applicable latent fingerprint detection method using lanthanide (rare-earth) complexes as a source of luminescence. Use of these lanthanide complexes offers advantages on several fronts, including benefits from large Stokes shifts, long luminescence lifetimes, narrow emissions, ability of sequential assembly of complexes, and chemical variability of the ligands. Proper exploitation of these advantages would lead to a latent fingerprint detection method superior to any currently available. These same characteristics also lend themselves to many of the problems associated with DNA processing in the forensic science context.
First-Class Delivery: Getting Growth Factors to Their Destination

Growth factor bioavailability in therapeutic applications such as wound healing is limited by extracellular matrix sequestration, proteolysis, and clearance. Local, transient delivery by gene transfer is an attractive concept. Many transfection strategies are available, and adenoviral vectors are in clinical trials. Keratinocyte growth factor-1 (KGF-1), an epithelial-specific member of the fibroblast growth factor (FGF) family, has achieved limited success in protein formulations. Matrix- and cell-based strategies for delivering a KGF-1 virion to target tissue may improve the reproducibility and efficiency of the process, although the advantages of cell-based therapy must be weighed against its added cost and complexity.
Enzymatic synthesis of ceramide.

Abstract An enzyme which catalyzes the biosynthesis of ceramides ( N -acylsphingosines) from sphingosine and acyl-CoA derivatives has been found in chicken liver, rat brain, and guinea-pig brain. The specificity of this enzyme toward sphingosine isomers has been investigated. It was found that either threo or erythro sphingosine is incorporated into ceramide. Other properties of the enzyme are also reported.
Materials impurity analysis by means of nuclear resonance reactions

Abstract An automated beam line for measurement of trace impurities in materials is installed on the FN tandem in the Center for Accelerator Mass Spectrometry, LLNL. The major purpose of the beam-line system is to determine the diffusion of water into glasses by use of the 19 F(p, αγ) 16 O reaction. This study is stimulated by the radiation-waste-isolation program; however, the system is applicable to studies of other impurities in many material matrices. The target wheels, each of which holds twenty-four samples, can be changed in less than an hour. The beam-line control system both indexes the target wheel and controls the tandem energy as it steps through the requested measurement protocol. The tandem control system, in response to a request, adjusts the terminal potential and other transport elements to maintain constant spot size and location.
The UCSD/MIT hard X-ray and low energy gamma-ray experiment for HEAO-1 - Design and early results

Primary scientific objectives of the experiment are the measurement of the spectra and time variations of discrete sources and the spectrum and isotropy of the diffuse background, all in the 10 keV to 10 MeV energy range. The instrument consists of an array of 7 NaI(Tl)/CsI(Na) phoswich-type detectors and 8 large CsI(Na) shields. In order to achieve the maximum sensitivity allowed by weight, data rate and funding constraints of the mission, three detector and aperture geometries were selected. The instrument's total sensitive area is 494 sq cm. The fields of view vary from 1.7 deg x 20 deg FWHM at low energies to 43 deg FWHM at high energies. The basic instrument concepts, details of the mechanical and electrical design, and pre-launch calibrations are presented. In-orbit performance is described and background measurements are analyzed and used to estimate the experiment's ultimate sensitivity.
Some remarks on Karmarkar's potential function

The main objective of this paper is to clarify the role of the potential function in the projective algorithm and to determine all other admissible potential functions from some reasonable axioms. In particular, it is shown that there is only one “natural” choice of potential function, namely the ratio of the objective function and the geometric mean as a scaling function. In addition, it is shown that the geometric mean has the smallest distortion over possible asymmetrical scaling functions. This result is obtained through the development of a functional equation characterizing possible scaling functions and applying a key lemma utilized by Blair, Padberg and Schrijver in simplifying Karmarkar's analysis of the projective algorithm.
High Speed Macrophotography Used in Semiconductor Manufacturing

Discussed are the methods used in photographing contaminate particles of less than .006" size inside transistors while subjected to various frequencies and vibrations. Observation of wire forming dies and electrode welding of header posts in automatic equipment and a suggested method of adapting a microscope into a camera taking lens.
GENETIC ANALYSIS OF THE MITOTIC SPINDLE

Much of our understanding of the molecular basis of mitotic spindle function has been achieved within the past decade. Studies utilizing genetically tractable organisms have made important contributions to this field and these studies form the basis of this review. We focus upon three areas of spindle research: spindle poles, centromeres, and spindle motors. The structure and duplication mechanisms of spindle poles are considered as well as their roles in organizing spindle microtubules. Centromeres vary considerably in their size and complexity. We describe recent progress in our understanding of the relatively simple centromeres of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae and the complex centromeres that are more typical of eukaryotic cells. Microtubule-based motor proteins that generate the characteristic spindle movements have been identified in recent years and can be grouped into families defined by conserved primary sequence and mitotic function.
Mechanisms Regulating Renin Release in Dogs with Thoracic Caval Constriction

In dogs with chronic thoracic caval constriction, renal denervation was followed by a fall in plasma renin activity from an average of 82.1 ± 1.5 (SE) ng angiotensin/ml of plasma over a 9-day control period to 40.8 ± 2.3 ng/ml for a 13-day period after denervation (P < 0.001); normal value was 4.7 ± 0.7 ng/ml. There was no detectable effect of renal denervation on the marked sodium retention. Thus the renal nerves contributed to the high plasma renin activity during caval constriction, but renal innervation was not essential for hypersecretion of renin. In a second group of dogs with caval constriction, the nonfiltering kidney model with a nonfunctional macula densa was produced, and renin secretion was measured before and after papaverine infusion into the left renal artery. Papaverine decreased renin secretion from 1090 ± 185 ng angiotensin/min to 497 ± 140 ng/min (P < 0.005). This initial rate of renin secretion of 1090 ng/min was higher than that from a nonfiltering left kidney of 190 ± 50 ng/min in o...
Evaluation of a Prediction Model for Influent Pharmaceutical Concentrations

This research attempts to evaluate a previously developed model for predicting influent concentrations of prescription pharmaceuticals and understand why some drugs are more accurately predicted than others. It also investigates the impact of demographics on influent drug concentrations in municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). Samples from two WWTPs in the southeastern United States indicate that the model generates concentration estimates that are accurate to within at least one order of magnitude for a diverse set of drug compounds. Additionally, strategically timed sampling at college-town WWTPs, wherein 19-25% of the population comprises students ages 18-22, reveals that the influent concentrations of several drugs (atorvastatin, simvastatin, rosuvastatin, and metformin) generally prescribed to older-than-average persons increase while students are absent on holiday, whereas the influent concentration of one drug (17α-ethynyl estradiol) prescribed to younger-than-average persons decreases. These observations reveal the impacts of demographics on prescription drug concentrations in WWTP influents, offering some explanation for the wide variability among previously measured influent drug concentrations. It was also observed that hospital size is generally correlated with increased influent drug concentrations. DOI: 10.1061/(ASCE)EE.1943-7870 .0000701. © 2013 American Society of Civil Engineers. CE Database subject headings: Predictions; Industrial wastes; Wastewater management; Water treatment. Author keywords: Infrastructure; Pollutants; Water pollution; Wastewater management.
Structure function analysis of mirror fabrication and support errors

Telescopes are ultimately limited by atmospheric turbulence, which is commonly characterized by a structure function. The telescope optics will not further degrade the performance if their errors are small compared to the atmospheric effects. Any further improvement to the mirrors is not economical since there is no increased benefit to performance. Typically the telescope specification is written in terms of an image size or encircled energy and is derived from the best seeing that is expected at the site. Ideally, the fabrication and support errors should never exceed atmospheric turbulence at any spatial scale, so it is instructive to look at how these errors affect the structure function of the telescope. The fabrication and support errors are most naturally described by Zernike polynomials or by bending modes for the active mirrors. This paper illustrates an efficient technique for relating this modal analysis to wavefront structure functions. Data is provided for efficient calculation of structure function given coefficients for Zernike annular polynomials. An example of this procedure for the Giant Magellan Telescope primary mirror is described.
Modeling the dynamics of transcriptional gene regulatory networks for animal development

The dynamic process of cell fate specification is regulated by networks of regulatory genes. The architecture of the network defines the temporal order of specification events. To understand the dynamic control of the developmental process, the kinetics of mRNA and protein synthesis and the response of the cis-regulatory modules to transcription factor concentration must be considered. Here we review mathematical models for mRNA and protein synthesis kinetics which are based on experimental measurements of the rates of the relevant processes. The model comprises the response functions of cis-regulatory modules to their transcription factor inputs, by incorporating binding site occupancy and its dependence on biologically measurable quantities. We use this model to simulate gene expression, to distinguish between cis-regulatory execution of “AND” and “OR” logic functions, rationalize the oscillatory behavior of certain transcriptional auto-repressors and to show how linked subcircuits can be dealt with. Model simulations display the effects of mutation of binding sites, or perturbation of upstream gene expression. The model is a generally useful tool for understanding gene regulation and the dynamics of cell fate specification.
Performance assessment of real-time estimation of continuous-time stochastic volatility of financial data on GPUs

Real-time Bayes estimation of stochastic volatility for financial ultra-high frequency data is plagued with the curse of high dimensionality. Methods have been developed to manage this problem through the use a parallel computing, relying on supercomputing and GPU resources. In the technical paper, we endeavor to assess the performance of GPU computing and show that an adequately equipped GPU workstation can rise to the task, producing reasonably real-time results with actual data from financial markets.
Domestic Audience Costs in International Relations: An Experimental Approach

What makes international threats credible? Recent theories point to domestic audience costs—the domestic price a leader would pay for making foreign threats and then backing down+ This article provides the first direct evidence of audi- ence costs+ The analysis, based on experiments embedded in public opinion surveys, shows that audience costs exist across a wide range of conditions and increase with the level of escalation+ The costs are evident throughout the population, and espe- cially among politically active citizens who have the greatest potential to shape government policy+ Finally, preliminary evidence suggests that audience costs arise because citizens care about the international reputation of the country or leader+ These findings help identify how, and under what conditions, domestic audiences make commitments credible+ At the same time, they demonstrate the promise of using ex- periments to answer previously intractable questions in the field of international relations+
Global diversity of crayfish (Astacidae, Cambaridae, and Parastacidae--Decapoda) in freshwater

The freshwater crayfishes are distributed across all but the Indian and Antarctic continents with centers of diversity in the southeastern Appalachian Mountains in the Northern Hemisphere and in south-east Australia in the Southern Hemisphere. There are currently over 640 described species of freshwater crayfishes with an average of 5–10 species still being described each year. Freshwater crayfishes can serve as keystone species in aquatic habitats, but a few species are also significantly invasive and can cause impressive damage to the fragile freshwater habitat. Crayfishes inhabit caves, burrows, streams, lakes and strong burrowers can even be found in terrestrial habitats where they have burrowed to the water table or where rainfall is sufficiently abundant to provide the needed moisture. The freshwater crayfishes, like the habitats in which they are encountered, are generally endangered to some degree and conservation efforts would do well to focus on them as key elements of the freshwater ecosystem.
PGC1β Mediates PPARγ Activation of Osteoclastogenesis and Rosiglitazone-Induced Bone Loss

SUMMARY Long-term usage of rosiglitazone, a synthetic PPARg agonist, increases fracture rates among diabetic patients. PPARg suppresses osteoblastogenesis while activating osteoclastogenesis, suggesting that rosiglitazone decreases bone formation while sustaining or increasing bone resorption. Using mouse models with genetically altered PPARg, PGC1b ,o r ERRa, here we show that PGC1b is required for the resorption-enhancing effects of rosiglitazone. PPARg activation indirectly induces PGC1b expression by downregulating b-catenin and derepressing c-jun. PGC1b, in turn, functions as a PPARg coactivator to stimulate osteoclast differentiation. Complementarily, PPARg also induces ERRa expression, which coordinates with PGC1b to enhance mitochondrial biogenesis and osteoclast function. ERRa knockout mice exhibit osteoclast defects, revealing ERRa as an important regulator of osteoclastogenesis. Strikingly, PGC1b deletion in osteoclasts confers complete resistance to rosiglitazone-induced bone loss. These findings identify PGC1b as an essential mediator for the PPARg stimulation of osteoclastogenesis by targeting both PPARg itself and ERRa, thus activating two distinct transcriptional programs.
Output regulation of linear systems with bounded continuous feedback

This paper studies the classical problem of output regulation for linear systems subject to control constraint. The asymptotically regulatable region, the set of all initial conditions of the plant and the exosystem for which output regulation is possible, is characterized in terms of the null controllable region of the antistable subsystem of the plant. Continuous output regulation laws, of both state feedback type and error feedback type, are constructed from a given stabilizing state feedback law. It is shown that a stabilizing feedback law that achieves a larger domain of attraction leads to a feedback law that achieves output regulation on a larger subset of the asymptotically regulatable region. A feedback law that achieves global stabilization on the asymptotically null controllable region leads to a feedback law that achieves output regulation on the entire asymptotically regulatable region.
Extinction of conditioned opiate withdrawal in rats is blocked by intracerebroventricular infusion of an NMDA receptor antagonist

Maladaptive conditioned responses (CRs) contribute to psychiatric disorders including anxiety disorders and addiction. Methods of reducing these CRs have been considered as possible therapeutic approaches. One such method is extinction, which involves exposure to CR-eliciting cues in the absence of the event they once predicted. In animal models, extinction reduces both fear and addiction-related CRs, and in humans, extinction-based cue exposure therapy (CET) reduces fear CRs. However, CET is less effective in drug addicts, for reasons that are not clear. Increased understanding of the neurobiology of extinction of drug-related CRs as compared to fear CRs may help illuminate this issue. Here, we examine the N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor-dependence of extinction of conditioned opiate withdrawal in rats. Using a place conditioning paradigm, we trained morphine-dependent rats to associate an environment with naloxone-precipitated withdrawal. We then extinguished that association by returning the rats repeatedly to the environment in the absence of acute withdrawal. In some rats we administered the NMDA receptor antagonist d,l-2-amino-5-phosphovaleric acid (AP5) intracerebroventricularly immediately prior to extinction training. In a subsequent test session, these rats avoided the formerly naloxone-paired environment, similar to rats that had not undergone extinction training. By contrast, rats that received vehicle prior to extinction training did not avoid the formerly naloxone-paired environment. This finding indicates that extinction of a drug-related CR (conditioned opiate withdrawal) is dependent on NMDA receptors, similar to extinction of conditioned fear. The locus of the critical NMDA receptors is unclear but may include basolateral amygdala and/or medial prefrontal cortex.
Unimanual to bimanual: Tracking the development of handedness from 6 to 24 months

Manual skills change dramatically over the first two years of life, creating an interesting challenge for researchers studying the development of handedness. A vast body of work to date has focused on unimanual skills during the period from the onset of reaching to walking. The current study sought to connect such early unimanual hand use to later role-differentiated bimanual manipulation (RDBM), in which one hand stabilizes the object for the other hand's action. We examined hand use in 38 children over 16 monthly visits using a validated measure for assessing hand preference for acquiring objects when children were 6–14 months old. We also developed a new measure for assessing RDBM preference presented when children were 18–24 months old. The new measure reliably elicited RDBM actions in both toddlers and an adult control group (N = 15). Results revealed that some children show preferences for acquiring objects as infants; these preferences are stable and persist into their second year as new skills appear. Moreover, children with no hand preference during infancy shifted to left or right lateralized hand use as toddlers. Despite a higher incidence of left-handedness compared to adult norms, the majority of children were right-handed by 2 years of age.
Refractory strictures after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass: operative management

Abstract Background Stricture of the gastrojejunostomy after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) is common in the early postoperative period, with a reported incidence of 3–27%. Late recalcitrant strictures are much less common. Treatment has varied from endoscopic therapy to operative revision of the gastrojejunostomy with or without additional anatomic revisions. The origin of the late strictures varies, with the most common causes being excessive acid, aspirin, or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug use, postoperative anastomotic leak, or, as some have maintained, smoking. We sought to identify the predictors of gastrojejunostomy strictures that require operative management after RYGB and to evaluate the clinical outcomes of patients requiring operative revision of the gastrojejunostomy stricture after failed nonoperative therapy at an academic institution. Methods A retrospective review was performed of all patients undergoing operative intervention for gastrojejunostomy stricture from 1990 to 2009 after having undergone RYGB for medically complicated obesity. Results A total of 24 patients required revision of their gastrojejunostomy stricture after multiple attempts at nonoperative therapy. The mean interval from RYGB to reoperation was 4.3 years (range .5–25). The interval to operative revision for anastomotic stricture was substantially less in patients with active anastomotic ulcers (n = 6), those who had had a gastrojejunostomy leak after RYGB (n = 5), and those with gastrogastric fistulas (n = 7; 20, 23, and 44 months, respectively). Of the 24 patients, 23 experienced relief of their symptoms. The postoperative morbidity rate was 21%, and the mortality rate was 0%. Conclusion Operative revision of strictured gastrojejunostomy is a safe and effective procedure for those patients in whom endoscopic therapy has failed. Most refractory anastomotic strictures have been secondary to excessive acid (too large a proximal pouch), chronic ulceration, or postoperative anastomotic leak.
Relationships among heart rate, lactate concentration, and perceived effort for different types of rhythmic exercise in women

Zeni AI, Hoffman MD, Clifford PS. Relation- ships among heart rate, lactate concentration, and perceived effort for different types of rhythmic exercise in women. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 1996;77:237-41. Objective: Exercise training intensity for aerobic condition- ing is typically established by heart rate (HR), oxygen uptake, or rating of perceived exertion (RPE). Recent research, however, suggests that the optimal training intensity may be more appro- priately established from measurements of blood lactate concen- tration ((La)). This study examined the relationships among three of these training intensity variables--HR, RPE, and (La)--for six modes of rhythmic exercise. Design: Ten healthy women subjects underwent a 4-week habituation period to become familiar with the RPE scale and exercise on a treadmill, cycle ergometer, rowing ergometer, Airdyne, stairstepper, and cross-country skiing simulator. Fol- lowing habituation, each subject underwent graded discontinu- ous exercise testing on each mode. HR was measured during the last minute of each 4-minute stage. Immediately after each stage, RPE was requested and blood was collected for analysis of (La). Data were analyzed with repeated measures ANOVA. Results: For g~en RPE values, the treadmill induced higher (p < .05) HR v~lues compared with the cycle and rowing ergometers, and the cycle ergometer induced lower (p < .05) HR values compared with the treadmill, Airdyne, stairstepper, and cross-country skiing simulator. The relationships of (La) with RPE were ~imilar among modes except for the cross- country skiing simulator, which induced a lower (p < .05) (La) for a given RPE. i Conclusions: Since the relationships of HR and (La) with RPE are not the same for all forms of rhythmic exercise that use a large muscle mass, we conclude that mode specificity should be considered when prescribing aerobic exercise. This is a US government work. There are no restrictions on its use.
Changes in the delta13C values of trees during a tropical rainy season: some effects in addition to diffusion and carboxylation by Rubisco?

13C values of deciduous and evergreen tree leaves were compared in open and closed- canopy environments throughout a rainy season in Panama ´. Newly emerging leaves had higherd 13C values than older leaves of all seedlings and trees at all dates sampled. This was apparently not caused by a decline in water use efficiency as leaves develop because instantaneous ci/ca was significantly higher in newly emerging than in expanded leaves on the same twigs of trees in the field as well as on seedlings growing in a controlled, unchanging environment. Higherd 13C values in newly emerging leaves occurred across diverse environmental comparisons. For example, leaves emerging during the rainy season had higher d 13C values than corresponding mature leaves that had emerged both during the dry season and when water was abundant. The early enrichment in 13C may thus reflect the translocation of carbon to initiate a new leaf. Furthermore, the lack of sensitivity of this enrichment to a microclimate suggests that it might be the result of processes that occur after carbon fixation by Rubisco. Other changes in d 13C values as leaves developed may also have resulted from carbon translocation processes. Foliar d 13C decreased significantly after most of the leaf biomass of the deciduous Apeiba membranacea had developed. The d 13C values of the evergreen Cecropia insignis were lower in the open canopy than in closed-canopy forests at the end of the rainy season. These findings suggest that thed 13C values of leaves can yield ecological information about the allocation
Civil Unions and the Meaning of the Public Policy Exception at the Boundaries of Domestic Relations Law

Though interjurisdictional recognition of same-sex marriage has been the focus of both public and scholarly attention in recent years, the issue of granting such recognition to civil unions may be even more complex. While there is an existing body of law regarding interstate recognition of marriages, which can provide direction for the treatment of same-sex marriages, civil unions are more difficult to place in the existing full faith and credit framework. Moreover, with the recent legislation in New Jersey bringing the number of states establishing the civil union as a legal status to three, the issue of granting full faith and credit to out-of-state civil unions becomes even more pressing. This Article examines whether civil unions may have a stronger basis for full faith and credit recognition than same-sex marriages. However a review of full faith and credit jurisprudence generally, as well as the case law focusing on interstate recognition of marriage or civil unions, demonstrates that the alternative of civil unions may actually create more complications in this area. Despite the initial appeal of arguments that the civil union concept is a compromise that will be more acceptable to society than same-sex marriage, the long history of recognition of marriage in both constitutional analysis and state statutory schemes provides a stronger foundation for the recognition of same-sex marriages throughout the states. The Article concludes that the better strategy for those supporting interstate recognition of same-sex relationships is to focus on same-sex marriage.
The preschool paradox

The Little Prince opens with a 6-year old narrator who proudly drew a boa constrictor that had swallowed an elephant. Disheartened that adults think his masterpiece is a picture of a hat, he quips, "Grown-ups never understand anything by themselves." In her new book, The Importance of Being Little, Erika Christakis comes to the same conclusion. Her "preschool paradox" suggests a misalignment between what we offer young children and what they really need.
Real-time study of the urea cycle using 15N n.m.r. in the isolated perfused rat liver.

1. Isolated rat liver was perfused with 10 mM-15NH4Cl, 5 mM-lactate and 1 mM-ornithine, or with 3 mM-[15N]alanine and 1 mM-ornithine, in haemoglobin-free medium. The liver was physiologically stable for over 3 h and synthesized urea at the rate of 1.15 mumol.min-1.g of liver-1 (15NH4(+)-perfused) or 0.41 mumol.min-1.g-1 ([15N]alanine-perfused). 2. The perfused liver was continuously monitored by 15N n.m.r. spectroscopy at 20.27 MHz for 15N. Well-resolved 15N resonances of precursors and intermediates of the urea cycle, present at tissue concentrations of 0.2-3.0 mumol/g, were observed from the intact liver in 5-40 min of acquisition. Key metabolites in liver extract and the final perfusion medium were analysed by n.m.r. and by biochemical assays to determine fractional 15N enrichment and the total 15N recovery. 3. In 15NH4(+)-perfused liver (n = 6), 15N incorporation into glutamate and alanine (1.0-1.3 mumol/g), as well as progressive formation of [15N2]urea, was observed during the first 2 h of perfusion. In the second and third hour, hepatic concentrations of [omega-15N]citrulline and [omega, omega9-15N]argininosuccinate increased to n.m.r.-detectable levels (0.3-0.9 mumol/g). The [15N]aspartate pool was large in the absence of added ornithine, but on its addition was rapidly incorporated into argininosuccinate (n = 3). 4. In [15N]alanine-perfused liver, major metabolites were [15N]glutamate, [gamma-15N]glutamine and [15N]urea. Urea-cycle intermediates were undetectable. 5. The results suggest that, in intact liver provided with excess ammonia, low concentrations of cytosolic argininosuccinate synthetase and argininosuccinate lyase limited the rate of metabolite flux in the urea cycle. By contrast, in alanine-perfused liver at a physiological rate of urea synthesis, mitochondrial carbamoylphosphate synthetase was rate-limiting. 6. The potential utility of 15N n.m.r. for study of metabolite channelling through urea-cycle enzymes in intact liver is discussed.
FLORAL COLOR CHANGE IN LUPINUS ARGENTEUS (FABACEAE): WHY SHOULD PLANTS ADVERTISE THE LOCATION OF UNREWARDING FLOWERS TO POLLINATORS?

I examined the adaptive significance of two floral traits in the perennial herb, Lupinus argenteus: 1) the retention of corollas on "spent" flowers, i.e., flowers containing inviable pollen, unreceptive stigmas, and negligible pollinator rewards and 2) a change in corolla color of retained "spent" flowers, which is restricted to a spot on the banner petal. At anthesis, this spot is yellow, and approximately four days later, it changes to purple. After the change, purple flowers remain on plants an additional 5-7 days before corolla abscission occurs; purple flowers were avoided by pollinators, presumably because they contained less pollen (rewards) than yellow ones. I experimentally tested the hypothesis that purple flowers contribute to the floral display of the plant by removing varying numbers of spent flowers and assessing the effect on pollination visitation. Pollinators preferentially approached and foraged on plants with greater numbers of flowers per inflorescence; they did not discriminate between yellow (rewarding) and purple (nonrewarding) flowers at interplant distances greater than 0.4 meters but would preferentially forage on plants with more total flowers, even if these individuals contained fewer rewarding flowers. Thus, spent flowers increased the overall attractiveness of plants to pollinators. In theory, color change may benefit plants in two ways. First, by directing pollinators to rewarding flowers, the change may increase pollinator foraging efficiency, with the result that pollinators visit more flowers before leaving plants (pollinator-tenure mechanism). Second, by directing pollinators to receptive flowers, the color change may prevent incoming pollen from being wasted on unreceptive stigmas and may prevent collection of inviable pollen (pollination-efficiency mechanism). I tested the pollinator-tenure mechanism experimentally by removing pollen from yellow flowers, thereby reducing the reliability of the color-reward signal. Pollinators visited fewer total flowers on experimental plants than on controls, resulting in reduced seed production in one year.
On the determination of sample size.

Epidemiologists face issues of sample size every time they design a study. Sample size determi? nation has two distinct aspects. One is the tech? nical aspect of how to calculate the sample size re? quired to meet the desired Type I error rate and the power for any specified state of nature. (By "state of nature," I mean the exact point in the relevant multidimensional parameter space for the statistical test? ing problem, the point that corresponds to the hy? pothesized effect that one seeks to detect. If the specified state of nature is "close" to any state that satisfies the null hypothesis, a relatively large sample size will be required to achieve the desired power, whereas if the specified state of nature is "far" from the null hypothesis, a relatively small sample size will do.) The second and more philosophic aspect of sample size determination is the question of how to specify the state of nature that is most relevant to the study. The paper by Yang et al.1 is noteworthy in that it provides an avenue for thinking about this more philosophic aspect. Their core idea is that, in designing a study to detect a certain phenomenon (in this case, "gene-environment interaction"), the size of the effect under investigation can be usefully examined from multiple points of view. The authors consider two: one based on the relative odds ratio for interaction (Rt), and the other based on a population attributable fraction attributable to interac? tion (PAFj). Both points of view describe the same phenomenon, the same state of nature. Mathematically, to fix one is to determine the other. Even so, for a given state of nature, the relation between the value of Rt and the corresponding value of PAFt is not intuitively obvi? ous. Consequently, it is useful to calculate both. A comparison of their values provides perspective on the size of interaction that one views as reasonable to detect. The authors' core idea can be useful for design issues in
Environmental Challenges of Gas And Oil Shale Stimulation

The unconventional oil and gas reservoirs have been playing a significantly increasing role in US. The drilling and hydraulic fracturing technologies that unconventional resource developments comprehensively depend on are under increased scrutiny due to the uncertainties involved on their potential contamination to groundwater as well as their contributions to air and other pollutions. The potential distortion to natural habitat by the required infrastructure also one of the consequences of large developments in most often nearby wildlife preserves as well as highly populated urban areas. The missing fundamental technical knowledge on the stimulated reservoir volume and drained gas slows down the implementation and enhanced recovery effort costing oil and gas companies significant revenues and reserve recovery. Moreover, the heterogeneities and high level of anisotropy contained in unconventional resources make it impossible to use the existing conventional techniques for many applications due to higher precision information required in nano/micro scale and core scale. On contrary, the production history match and reservoir simulation effort uses averaged effective reservoir parameters as input for drainage patterns, gas –in-place, production rate and field design which does not take into consideration these anisotropy and heterogeneity in the models. The corresponding predictive modeling effort give several decades off from what happens in unconventional reservoirs and require immediate attention not only from characterization perspective, but also having a better understanding on the fundamentals of fracturing operations in unconventional reservoirs and its impact on environment and groundwater.
Implementation of an acceptance- and mindfulness-based group for depression and anxiety in primary care: Initial outcomes.

Introduction Depression and anxiety disorders are highly prevalent among primary care patients. Group visits provide a way of delivering interventions to multiple patients at the same time. Group visits for depression and anxiety present an opportunity to expand the reach of behavioral health services for primary care patients. The goal of the current study was to evaluate the implementation of an acceptance and mindfulness-based group for primary care patients with depression and anxiety. Methods Adult family medicine patients with Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and/or Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale-7 (GAD-7) scores > 5 were eligible for the group. The group was held biweekly in the family medicine practice with rolling enrollment. The PHQ-9 and GAD-7 were administered at every visit, and changes in depression and anxiety symptoms were analyzed using multilevel modeling. We evaluated feasibility, acceptability/satisfaction, penetration, and sustainability. Results Over the course of 19 months, 50 patients were referred to the group, and 29 enrolled. The median number of visits attended was four among those who attended more than one group visit. Results revealed that depression and anxiety symptoms decreased significantly over the first four visits attended (d = -.26 and -.19, respectively). Patients who attended more than one group reported high satisfaction. The group was sustainable after the research funding ended; however, penetration was low. Discussion A rolling enrollment group for patients with depression and anxiety that utilized mindfulness- and acceptance-based treatment principles is feasible to implement in a primary care setting but is not without challenges. Recommendations for ways to enhance implementation and future research are provided. (PsycINFO Database Record
Abstract 4373: JNK1 participates in the VHL-independent HIF-1α degradation pathway by regulating Hsp90/Hsp70 turnover and the HDAC6-dependent chaperone activity

Proceedings: AACR 101st Annual Meeting 2010‐‐ Apr 17‐21, 2010; Washington, DC Nickel has been proved to be a human carcinogen. Hypoxia induced factor-1α (HIF-1α) plays a key role in the pathological processes of cancers. Previous studies have shown that nickel can exert its carcinogenic effects through the induction of HIF-1α accumulation. However, the molecular mechanisms have not been well understood. The c-Jun N-terminal kinase 1 (JNK1) is implicated in several physiological processes, including proliferation, apoptosis and differentiation, which are thought to be involved in several cancer development. JNK1 is also known to regulate the level of Hsp90/Hsp70. Our present study was conducted to investigate the role of JNK1 in the accumulation of HIF-1α induced by nickel. In current studies, we demonstrated that JNK1 is required for such an Hsp-dependent HIF-1α regulation. HIF-1α stabilization was impaired in JNK1−/− cells, and could be rescued by reconstitutional expression of JNK1 in either hypoxia or chemical-mimicked hypoxia conditions. Accordingly, HIF-1-dependent transcriptional activity and its downstream gene's expression were dramatically reduced in JNK1-deficient cells. We further disclosed that in JNK1−/− cells the low expression level of Hsp90/Hsp70 proteins affected the protective roles of these chaperones in maintaining newly synthesized HIF-1α stabilization, and forced expression of Hsp90 or Hsp70 in JNK1−/− cells showed a notable increase in HIF-1α stability compared with that of parental cells. Furthermore, our studies found that defective HDAC6 expression and subsequently increased Hsp90 acetylation could account for the reduction of Hsp90 chaperon activity in JNK1−/− cells. Our studies for the first time disclose a novel function of JNK1 in the modulation of HIF-1ααstabilization under nickel mimicked chemical hypoxia conditions through regulation of Hsp90/Hsp70 expression as well as HDAC6-mediated Hsp90 acetylation modification. This novel function may contribute to JNK1-mediated carcinogenic effects in response to nickel exposure. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 4373.
Open Issues in Cloud Resource Management

Cloud computing seeks to provide a global computing utility service to a broad base of users. Resource management and scheduling are prime challenges in building such a service. In this paper, we first provide an overview of clouds from a resource management and scheduling perspective. We then discuss key challenges in these areas, describing prime opportunities for new research.
Halocarbenes May Deplete Atmospheric Ozone

Photooxidation of tetrachloroethylene (PERC) and trichloroethylene (TCE) in simulated tropospheric smog chamber studies occurs with a time delay, accelerating simultaneous decreasing O3/chlorinated...
Minimal Edge Addition for Network Controllability

We address the problem of optimally modifying the topology of a directed dynamical network to ensure structural controllability. More precisely, given the structure of a directed dynamical network (i.e., an existing networked infrastructure), we propose a framework to find the minimum number of directed edges that need to be added to the network topology in order to render a structurally controllable system. Our main contribution is twofold: first, we provide a full characterization of all optimal network modifications, and second, we propose an algorithm able to find an optimal solution in polynomial time. We illustrate the validity of our algorithm via numerical simulations in random networked systems.
Systemic IL-6 regulation of eccentric contraction-induced muscle protein synthesis

Systemic cytokines and contractile activity are established regulators of muscle protein turnover. Paradoxically, the IL-6 cytokine family, which shares the ubiquitously expressed membrane gp130 re...
A post-silicon hold time closure technique using data-path tunable-buffers for variation-tolerance in sub-threshold designs

This paper presents a post-silicon hold time closure technique for performance-relaxed, sub-threshold digital designs using tunable-buffer insertion in hold-critical data-paths. Hold time closure in flip-flop based digital circuits is highly critical because hold failures cannot be corrected post-fabrication. This criticality increases in the sub-threshold domain, which is highly sensitive to process, voltage, and temperature variations. Design-time hold margins enable robust hold time closure across variations. However, insufficient hold margins can lead to chip failures and overestimated hold margins introduce additional costs in area and power. In this paper, we propose a post-silicon hold time closure methodology that introduces tunable-buffers in the data-path. This enables post-silicon correction of hold violations and therefore, reduces the design effort in estimating design-time hold margins. We design a tunable-buffer, demonstrate the tunable-buffer insertion strategy, and present a physical design flow using standard EDA tools. We verify this technique with measurements of a 130 nm test chip. A design-dependent hold slack improvement in the range of 103%–195% is achieved compared to the traditional buffering technique, with minimal power and area overhead. This technique also has the potential to reduce the number of buffers inserted for hold closure.
Characterizing the corticomotor connectivity of the bilateral ankle muscles during rest and isometric contraction in healthy adults.

Abstract The investigation of the corticomotor connectivity (CMC) to leg muscles is an emerging research area, and establishing reliability of measures is critical. This study examined the measurement reliability and the differences between bilateral soleus (SOL) and tibialis anterior (TA) CMC in 21 neurologically intact adults. Using single pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), each muscle’s CMC was assessed twice (7 ± 2 days apart) during rest and active conditions. CMC was quantified using a standardized battery of eight measures (4/condition): motor threshold during resting (RMT), motor evoked potential amplitude and latency (raw and normalized to height) in both conditions, contralateral silent period (CSP) during active. Using two reliability metrics (intraclass correlation coefficient and coefficient of variation of method error; good reliability: ≥0.75 and ≤15, respectively) and repeated-measures ANOVA, we investigated the reliability and Muscle X Body Side interaction. For both muscles, RMT, resting raw and normalized latencies, and active raw latency demonstrated good reliability, while CSP had good reliability only for TA. Amplitude did not demonstrate good reliability for both muscles. SOL CMC was significantly different from TA CMC for all measures but CSP; body side had no significant effect. Therefore, only certain measures may reliably quantify SOL and TA CMC while different CMC (except CSP) between SOL and TA suggests dissimilar corticospinal drive to each muscle regardless of the side.