cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Citizen Scientist: Frank von Hippel’s Adventures in Nuclear Arms Control PART 7. The Obama Administration, Iran, Foundations, and the Next Generation

The achievements in nuclear reductions during the Obama Administration were modest, in part because of waning public pressure. But the nuclear deal with Iran was important. Thanks in part to a form...
V.1 – Computing the Intersection of a Line and a Cone

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses computing the intersection of a line and a cone. Computing the intersection of a line and an object is a common operation in computer graphics, for example, when ray tracing. Computation of the intersection of a line and a cylinder has been discussed. This chapter extends the work by computing the intersection of a line and a cone through geometric means. Because a cylinder is a cone with its vertex at infinity, the algorithm presented in the chapter provides an alternate way of computing the intersection of a line and a cylinder. In this case, P is the plane that is parallel to the cylinder axis and contains the given line, and P ∩ C (where C is the cone) degenerates to a pair of parallel lines. Consequently, the computation is reduced to computing the intersection points of this pair of lines with the given one.
Excess mortality risk from sepsis in patients with HIV - A meta-analysis.

Abstract Purpose Differences in HIV prevalence, access to antiretrovirals and ICU resources may result in wide variation in sepsis mortality in HIV patients. The aim of this study was to perform a meta-analysis to quantify the excess risk of sepsis mortality in HIV patients. Materials and methods A systematic review was performed using three databases. The systemic inflammatory response syndrome criteria was used for the presumptive diagnosis of sepsis. We only included studies that stratified sepsis mortality by HIV serostatus. A meta-analysis was performed using random effects models, with subgroup analyses performed using country income, sepsis severity, and time periods. Results 17 studies were included, containing 82,905 patients. Sepsis mortality was found to be 28% higher in the HIV positive patients (95% CI 1.13–1.46, p Conclusions HIV increases the risk of sepsis mortality compared to seronegative individuals across all time periods and geographic areas. We note that this effect is more pronounced in patients with organ dysfunction.
Impacts of climate change on the optimum planting date of different maize cultivars in the central US Corn Belt

Abstract Planting date and cultivar selection are major factors in determining the yield potential of any crop and in any region. However, there is a knowledge gap in how climate scenarios affect these choices. To explore this gap, we performed a regional scale analysis (11 planting dates × 8 cultivars × 281 fields × 36 weather years × 6 climate scenarios) using the APSIM model and pSIMS software for Iowa, the leading US maize (Zea mays L.) producing state. Our objectives were to determine how the optimum planting date (optPD) changes with weather scenarios and cultivars and the potential economic implications of planting outside the optimum windows. Results indicated that the mean optPD corresponds to the US Department of Agriculture, National Agriculture Statistics Service (USDA-NASS) 18.4% planting progress (April 28th) in Iowa. The optPD was found to be advancing by –0.13 d yr−1 from 1980 to 2015. A 1 °C increase in mean temperature increased the length of the growing season by 10 days while the optPD changed by –2 to + 6 days, depending on cultivar. Under a more realistic scenario of increasing the minimum temperature by 0.5 °C, decreasing the maximum temperature by 0.5 °C, increasing spring rainfall by 10% and decreasing summer rainfall by 10%, the optPD only changed by –2 days compared to current trends, however, yield increased by 6.6%. Analysis of historical USDA-NASS planting durations indicated that on average, the planting duration (1–99% statewide reported planting progress) is 44 days, while it can be as low as 21 days in years with favorable weather. A simple economic analysis illustrated a potential revenue loss up to $340 million per year by planting maize outside the optimum window. We conclude that future investments in planting technologies to accelerate planting, especially in challenging weather years, as well as improved optPD × cultivar recommendations to farmers, will provide economic benefits and buffer climate variability.
Staged Lengthening of 20 cm in the Femur and Tibia to Equalize Leg Lengths in a Growing Child

Although this child initially appeared to be a typical case of congenital LLD, it became apparent that with dysfunction of all the right lower extremity growth plates, a massive LLD would ensue. The LLD was coming from both the femur and tibia. Our plan after the initial femur lengthening was to do a lengthening of the tibia/fibula and then to come back and repeat a femur lengthening. Also planned was an epiphysiodesis of the contralateral side to prevent additional LLD after the last lengthening at age 15. The growth plate shutdown and dysplasia were not well defined despite additional consultation with several pediatric orthopedic colleagues and a geneticist. The main practical issue of LLD was, however, addressed with three well-timed lengthenings and an epiphysiodesis of the long side. This case illustrates an excellent functional and aesthetic outcome following 20 cm (8 in.) of limb lengthening in three stages. Adjuvant procedures including epiphysiodesis, quadricepsplasty, and gastrocnemius recession were all used to achieve limb salvage in this child. 1 Brief Clinical History J.S. presented to us at age 9 years with a 5.5 cm LLD (Fig. 1a, b). There was no history of infection or trauma, and growth plates looked normal on x-ray. This appeared to be a congenital LLD, and the predicted LLD at maturity was thought to be 7.5 cm using standard prediction methods. *Email: rozbruchsr@hss.edu Limb Lengthening and Reconstruction Surgery Case Atlas DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-02767-8_55-1 # Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2014
Optical parametric amplification of spectrally incoherent pulses

The optical parametric amplification of spectrally incoherent signals is analyzed and simulated using a set of normalized equations describing phase-matched three-wave nonlinear mixing. Varying the amplifier’s properties and the seeding conditions reveals different amplification regimes. In particular, the relative temporal walk-off of the signal, idler, and pump has a strong impact on the temporal and spectral properties of the amplified signal. The amplification efficiency for spectrally incoherent signals is not significantly lower than that of a coherent monochromatic signal, provided that the phase-matching bandwidth is sufficient. The results obtained with the normalized set of equations are in good agreement with simulations based on the full description of the crystals’ dispersion for high-gain lithium triborate and beta barium borate preamplifiers and a low-gain deuterated potassium dihydrogen phosphate power amplifier.
Aero-Optical and Atmospheric Studies in-Flight Using AAOL

Two types of flight experiments will be presented and discussed: image blurring due to turbulent flows and measurements of optical distortions due of atmospheric turbulence. Possible effects on optical tracking systems will also be discussed.
Influential Institutional Investors

Using mutual funds' voting behaviors and outcomes in close votes and contentious proposals, I identify influential mutual funds and examine their determinants and effects on portfolio firms. Influential mutual funds are funds that seem to make independent voting decisions and are effective in swaying other investors to obtain desired outcomes. I find that mutual funds' private information and communication abilities are key determinants of investor influence. My results are consistent with influential mutual funds being effective monitors and implicitly acting as delegated monitors. Overall, my findings suggest influence from other investors as another important factor in institutional investors’ voting behavior.
Analysis of Solid Rocket Motor Materials

The development of solid rocket engine has a long history. However, modern rocket technology and space flight developed until the end of the nineteenth century and the beginning of the twentieth century, and hence the gradual emergence of solid rocket, liquid rocket and hybrid rocket. Today, with the development of solid rocket, all kinds of knowledge and technologies emerge in an endless stream. Therefore, this paper aims at reviewing the development history of rockets in different major countries and summarizing the current research and development status of solid rocket and looking forward to the future development of solid rockets. According to the related theories, even though different kinds of materials have deeply used in SRM, there is still some room to research and develop new materials for SRM.
Neurite density and arborization is associated with reading skill and phonological processing in children.

Abstract Background Studies exploring neuroanatomic correlates of reading have associated white matter tissue properties with reading disability and related componential skills (e.g., phonological and single-word reading skills). Mean diffusivity (MD) and fractional anisotropy (FA) are widely used surrogate measures of tissue microstructure with high sensitivity; however, they lack specificity for individual microstructural features. Here we investigated neurite features with higher specificity in order to explore the underlying microstructural architecture. Methods Diffusion weighted images (DWI) and a battery of behavioral and neuropsychological assessments were obtained from 412 children (6 – 16 years of age). Neurite indices influenced by orientation and density were attained from 23 major white matter tracts. Partial correlations were calculated between neurite indices and indicators of phonological processing and single-word reading skills using age, sex, and image quality metrics as covariates. In addition, mediation analysis was performed using structural equation modeling (SEM) to evaluate the indirect effect of phonological processing on reading skills. Results We observed that orientation dispersion index (ODI) and neurite density index (NDI) were negatively correlated with single-word reading and phonological processing skills in several tracts previously shown to have structural correlates with reading efficiency. We also observed a significant and substantial effect in which phonological processing mediated the relationship between neurite indices and reading skills in most tracts. Conclusions In sum, we established that better reading and phonological processing skills are associated with greater tract coherence (lower ODI) and lower neurite density (lower NDI). We interpret these findings as evidence that reading is associated with neural architecture and its efficiency.
Tetraspanins are unevenly distributed across single extracellular vesicles and bias sensitivity to multiplexed cancer biomarkers.

Background Tetraspanin expression of extracellular vesicles (EVs) is often used as a surrogate for their detection and classification, a practice that typically assumes their consistent expression across EV sources. Results Here we demonstrate that there are distinct patterns in colocalization of tetraspanin expression of EVs enriched from a variety of in vitro and in vivo sources. We report an optimized method for the use of single particle antibody-capture and fluorescence detection to identify subpopulations according to tetraspanin expression and compare our findings with nanoscale flow cytometry. We found that tetraspanin profile is consistent from a given EV source regardless of isolation method, but that tetraspanin profiles are distinct across various sources. Tetraspanin profiles measured by flow cytometry do not totally agree, suggesting that limitations in subpopulation detection significantly impact apparent protein expression. We further analyzed tetraspanin expression of single EVs captured non-specifically, revealing that tetraspanin capture can bias the apparent multiplexed tetraspanin profile. Finally, we demonstrate that this bias can have significant impact on diagnostic sensitivity for tumor-associated EV surface markers. Conclusion Our findings may reveal key insights into protein expression heterogeneity of EVs that better inform EV capture and detection platforms for diagnostic or other downstream use.
Wilfred Owen's Onomatopoeic Critique of War

Wilfred Owen uses poetry to chronicle his battle experiences during the First World War. However, in place of an intellectual or analytical description of combat, Owen creates an immersive experien...
The T-cell antigen receptor utilizes Lck, Raf-1, and MEK-1 for activating mitogen-activated protein kinase. Evidence for the existence of a second protein kinase C-dependent pathway in an Lck-negative Jurkat cell mutant.

T-cell antigen receptor (TCR) ligation of an Lck-deficient Jurkat mutant, J.CaM1, with anti-CD3 or anti-TCR beta monoclonal antibodies failed to induce tyrosine phosphorylation and activation of p42MAPK. The same stimuli activated mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase in J.CaM1 cells transfected with Lck, demonstrating that Lck plays a critical role in MAP kinase activation. Utilizing immunocomplex kinase assays, we demonstrated that TCR/CD3 ligation activated a MAP kinase kinase kinase (Raf-1) as well as a MAP kinase kinase (MEK-1) in Jurkat but not in J.CaM1 cells. It was possible, however, to activate Raf-1, MEK-1, and p42MAPK in J.CaM1 cells during treatment with the phorbol ester phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate, which activates protein kinase C (PKC). This demonstrates the presence of a PKC-dependent pathway which functions independently from Lck in MAP kinase activation. Stimulation of Jurkat cells with either anti-TCR beta or anti-CD3 monoclonal antibody failed to induce substantial tyrosine phosphorylation of Shc proteins or their association with Grb2 which forms a complex with the guanine nucleotide exchange factor hSOS. However, the same stimuli induced tyrosine phosphorylation of another putative guanine nucleotide exchange factor, p95Vav, in Jurkat but not J.CaM1 cells. Moreover, Lck was reversibly co-immunoprecipitated with p95Vav, and the stoichiometry of binding increased in anti-CD3-treated Jurkat cells. Phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate did not induce tyrosine phosphorylation of p95Vav. These data show that the TCR activates MAP kinase by way of a signaling cascade, which depends upon Lck, and may be mediated by downstream events involving PKC or p95Vav which act on Raf-1 and MEK-1.
Expression of the neurotrophin receptor TrkB is associated with unfavorable outcome in Wilms' tumor.

PURPOSE: Neurotrophins and their receptors regulate the proliferation, differentiation, and death of neuronal cells, and they have been implicated in the pathogenesis and prognosis of neuroblastomas and medulloblastomas. Tyrosine kinase (Trk) receptors also are expressed in extraneural tissues. PATIENTS AND METHODS: To study the role of neurotrophin receptors and ligands in Wilms’ tumor (WT), we determined their expression by semiquantitative duplex reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction in 39 patients with primary WT. Comparison of mRNA expression levels with clinical variables was performed by use of Cox regression analysis. RESULTS: Children with WT that expressed high levels of full-length TrkB mRNA (TrkBfull) had a significantly greater risk of death than children whose tumors had little or no TrkBfull expression (hazard ratio, 9.7; P = .02). The 5-year relapse-free survival was 100% versus 65% for patients with low versus high tumor expression of TrkBfull (P < .003). Conversely, children wi...
Programmed and Individualized Foreign Language Instruction: The Prospects for Their Professional Acceptance

States Conference on the Teaching of Foreign Languages Gilbert A. Jarvis ended his paper on individualized instruction by noting the sameness of current journal articles on the subject. Jarvis concluded, "It seems that we have reached the point where we have to operationalize our rhetoric on a widespread basis."' In other words, it is time we "put up or shut up." Yet it was before the same conference that H. Ned Seelye voiced a rather discouraging view of the teachers who ultimately must put individualized instruction into practice. He says, "The general impression one gets from the profession . . . is that of hard-working teachers oblivious to what is going on outside their classrooms, basically good of heart but given to tiresome irrelevancies and fits of snobbism-in short, individuals who have internalized obsolete goals which they have no intention of evaluating either in themselves or in their students. Nor are they on the move. Rather, they are retrenching after the rigors of the audio-lingual revolution of a decade ago."2 My purpose here is to dwell on the realities of complacency and conservatism within our profession and then to suggest some ways in which programmed and individualized instruction might be presented to our colleagues in a more palatable form than they have been in the past. My concern is not with pedagogical ideals but rather with the practicalities of implementation and, more precisely, with what large numbers of language teachers are likely to view as practical for them.
Temperature-dependent collisional broadening and shift of Q-branch transitions in the B←X(0,0) band of CO perturbed by N2, CO2 and CO

Abstract We report measurements of collision broadening and shift coefficients of two-photon Q-branch transitions in the B←X(0,0) band of CO, at temperatures of 294, 656, and 1010 K. Using tunable Fourier-transform-limited pulses near 230 nm, we obtained high-resolution, Doppler-free spectra from a heated cell containing neat CO, or CO diluted in N2 or CO2, at pressures up to 0.5 atm (50 kPa). Laser-induced fluorescence spectra were fit using a superposition of Voigt profiles to obtain perturber-specific, collision broadening coefficients (2γ). Collision shift coefficients (δ) were measured by comparing the fitted line positions to those of Doppler-free, resonance-enhanced multi-photon ionization spectra recorded simultaneously in a sample cell at low pressure (0.1 kPa). We found no dependence of 2γ and δ on rotational quantum state. The variation of 2γ (cm−1 atm−1) and δ (cm−1 atm−1) with temperature (T(K)) for the case of each perturber was well described by a simple power law. Our results are: 2γ=0.73(295/T)0.77, δ=−0.22(295/T)0.53 for N2; 2γ=0.77(295/T)0.63, δ=−0.17(295/T)0.75 for CO2; and 2γ=0.74(295/T)0.65, δ=−0.21(295/T)0.52 for CO. Extrapolation using the power law for 2γN2(T) agreed with the collision broadening measured in the products of an atmospheric-pressure N2/O2/CH4 flame at 1950 K.
Effects of pollutants on human prenatal and postnatal growth: Noise, lead, polychlorobiphenyl compounds, and toxic wastes

Industrialization is a major force altering the environment for human habitation. Pollution from industrialization may pose new adaptive challenges for Homo sapiens as well as for other species. The study of human biological adaptation is a traditional area of physical anthropology, but until recently it has not focused on the adaptative challenges of the modern anthropogenic environment. By combining research from anthropology, epidemiology, and public health, it is possible to gauge some of the effects of pollution on human health and adaptation. This review focuses on human growth as a measure of health and a component of human adaptability. Considerable evidence now exists for an adverse impact of lead, noise, and polychlorinated biphenyls on human growth, either prenatal, postnatal, or both. There is substantial replication of results among studies, many of which differ in exposure assessment and classification, sample composition and size, and statistical techniques. Because of this among-study variation, specifying the exact amount of growth retardation due to a pollutant is difficult, but the direction and often the magnitude of the effect is similar across studies. There remain numerous barriers to more definitive research on environmental pollutants and health outcomes of importance to biological anthropologists. These are discussed also.
Promising Progression-Free Survival for Patients Low and Intermediate Grade Lymphoid Malignancies after Nonmyeloablative Umbilical Cord Blood Transplantation

Abstract Nonmyeloablative hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) has been used to treat patients with advanced or high-risk lymphoid malignancies. We studied 65 patients (median age 46 years) receiving an umbilical cord blood (UCB) graft after a single conditioning regimen consisting of cyclophosphamide (50 mg/kg) on day −6, fludarabine (40 mg/m2) daily on days −6 to −2, as well as a single fraction of total-body irradiation (TBI) (200 cGy) along with cyclosporine mycophenolate mofetil immunosuppression. Median time to neutrophil and platelet recovery was 7.5 days (range: 0-32) and 46 days (range: 8-111), respectively. Cumulative incidences of grade II-IV, grade III-IV acute, and chronic graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD, cGVHD) were 57% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 43%-70%), 25% (95% CI: 14%-35%), and 19% (95% CI: 9%-29%), respectively. Transplant-related mortality at 3 years was 15% (95% CI: 5%-26%). Median follow-up was 23 months. The progression free-survival (PFS), current PFS and overall survival (OS) were 34% (95% CI: 21%-47%), 49% (95% CI: 36%-62%), and 55% (95% CI: 42%-70%) at 3 years. Based on our data, we conclude that a nonmyeloablative conditioning regimen followed by UCB transplantation is an effective treatment for patients with advanced lymphoid malignancies who lack a suitable sibling donor.
System identification based VSC-HVDC DC voltage controller design

The VSC-HVDC system is a preferred transmission and distribution technology due to its inherent advantages, such as more flexible control capabilities and no reactive power compensation requirements. It is suitable to integrate the renewable energies which always require controllable terminals. However, the controller parameters affects the system behaviors significantly, and improper parameters selection might lead the system to instability. Normal model representations are based on the system parameters which are known in advance. Most likely in a reverse direction, this paper develops a fast approach to derive the model representation of a VSC-HVDC system, particularly the DC-link model, based on the result of an active power step response, while the system parameters are not required. The parameters of DC-link voltage controller could be precisely determined afterwards, and the limits could be extracted as well. The parameters are applied back to the VSC-HVDC system and then verified the identified model and its controller.
On consecutivek'th power residues

It is known that for fixedk≽2 and every sufficiently large primep there exists an integerr such thatr andr+1 are bothk'th power residues modulop. It has been conjectured that the least positiver with this property is bounded in terms ofk only. We prove this conjecture in the casek is a prime, and a weaker result in the general case.
CD8 + T cells reduce in vitro interferon-g production in Theiler’s murine encephalomyelitis virus-induced demyelinating disease model

In the Theiler's murine encephalomyelitis virus (TMEV)-induced demyelinating disease model for multiple sclerosis, regulatory CD8+ T cells prevent demyelinating disease and reduce in vivo interferon (IFN)-gamma production by anti-TMEV CD4+ blast cells in BALB/c mice. We describe here that regulatory CD8+ T cells reduce in vitro IFN-gamma production by lymph node cells from both TMEV and fowl gamma globulin immunized mice without affecting interleukin (IL)-4, IL-10, tumour growth factor-beta or tumour necrosis factor-alpha production.
Evolution of function in (β/α)8-barrel enzymes

The (beta/alpha)(8)-barrel is the most common fold in structurally characterized enzymes. Whether the functionally diverse enzymes that share this fold are the products of either divergent or convergent evolution (or both) is an unresolved question that will probably be answered as the sequence databases continue to expand. Recent work has examined natural, designed, and directed evolution of function in several superfamilies of (beta/alpha)(8)-barrel containing enzymes.
Mechanism of Rubber Vulcanization with Sulfur

Abstract THAT vulcanization of rubber with sulfur always involves a chemical reaction consisting in the addition of sulfur to the double bonds of the rubber molecule has been conclusively established (18, 28). The facts indicate that this addition of sulfur to rubber is an irreversible reaction (31). The temperature coefficient of the reaction is high, increasing about 2.65 fold per 10° C. at ordinary curing temperatures (31). Furthermore, the reaction is apparently exothermic (4, 24). It is noteworthy that catalysts are apparently necessary, since synthetic rubbers prepared from pure materials add sulfur slowly, if at all. The proteins and perhaps the resins in natural rubber undoubtedly serve as accelerators. The curves for combined sulfur vs. time of cure for typical mixes are shown in Figures 1 and 2. Figure 1 is taken from the data of Kratz and Flower (16); the composition and temperature of cure for this mix are shown in Cranor's Table I (9). Figure 2, curve 1, is from Table I of Eaton and Day (10),...
Influence of Detergent Properties on the Solubilization and Function of Membrane Proteins

Detergent micelles are often used as a bilayer mimic for membrane proteins for functional assays and high-resolution structural studies, but selecting the appropriate detergent for the protein requires extensive time and resources. The long-term goal of this research is to rationally select a membrane mimic for a given membrane protein that stabilizes fold and native function based on matching physical properties of the detergent and protein. To determine the important micelle and membrane properties, lipoprotein signal peptidase A (LspA) from Chlamydia trachomatis is used as a model system. To screen detergents that support the native function, LspA was purified in over 30 detergent micelles with varying physical properties. LspA is soluble in zwitterionic detergents and solubility remains independent of detergent alkyl chain length, solubilizing in detergents with wide range of hydrophobic radius, 27-37A. A detergent may maintain protein solubility without maintaining function or fold; therefore, the function of LspA in these detergents is currently being studied. To assess the activity of native membrane and solubilized LspA, a signal peptide containing the LspA cleavage consensus sequence and donor-quencher pair on each termini was designed. Preliminary HPLC and fluorescence data demonstrate a cleavage of the signal peptide upon addition of LspA in the native membrane and a comparison to different protein-detergent complexes will be presented. The results presented will identify solubilizing detergents, monitor enzymatic activity, and ultimately correlate the physical properties of the solubilizing detergent and protein structure and function.
MO-D-213CD-02: Non-Contrast-Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Angiography Methods for Assessment of Morphology and Flow.

Traditional clinical MRAngiography (MRA) provides volumetric datasets to characterize the vessel lumen. These MRA techniques can be generally separated into two categories: • contrast‐enhanced MRA, which requires the venous injection of a paramagneticcontrast agent in form of a Gadolinium chelate and • non‐contrast‐enhanced MRA (NCE MRA), which relies on signal properties of the blood or the motion of the blood to create signal differences between the blood pool and the surrounding tissues. Time‐of‐Flight (TOF) and Phase‐ Contrast (PC) imaging have been developed as NCE techniques in the early days of MRimaging. However, widespread clinical adaptation of MRA did not occur until the introduction of CE‐MRA in the mid‐1990ies with significantly improved robustness. Recent developments have renewed the interest in imaging approaches that do not rely on any external contrast agents. Advances in hardware, especially gradient amplifiers and multi‐channel coil technology, have reduced imaging times, improved the signal‐to‐noise ratio, and reduced artefacts so that NCE MRA is becoming competitive again. These approaches provide viable alternatives in patients that are at risk for nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (NSF) and should not receive a Gd‐based contrast agent. In addition, some of those approaches provide insights in functional information beyond the standard luminography. For example, arterial spin labeling (ASL) imaging can be used as a ‘pseudo arterial injection’ by labeling blood in targeted volumes and tracking its distribution over time. Novel ‘4D MR Flow’ imaging is an extension of traditional PC MRA to capture volumetric velocity vector fields throughout the cardiac cycle, thereby allowing for direct measures of hemdodynamic parameters such as pressure gradient, wall shear stress, pulse wave velocity, kinetic energy, and more. This lecture will provide an overview of the underlying contrast mechanisms of time‐of‐flight, phase‐contrast, balanced steady state free precession (bSSFP), and ASL MRA. Current and potential future roles of these approaches in clinical imaging will also be discussed. Learning Objectives: 1. Understand the various origins of MRA contrast mechanisms that do not require a contrast agent. 2. Understand the issues related to NCE‐MRA imaging including design, acquisition and processing. 3. Understand the benefits, pitfalls, and future potentials of these approaches. My research is sponsored by GE Healthcare.
STAT1 is required for IFN-γ-mediated gut-enriched Krüppel-like factor expression

Abstract Gut-enriched Kruppel-like factor (GKLF/KLF4), a member of the Kruppel-like factor family of transcription factors, has recently been shown to be associated with growth arrest in the colonic mucosa. Our laboratory has previously demonstrated that GKLF is one of the down-stream targets of interferon-γ (IFN-γ) in colon cancer cells, but the signaling pathway regulating GKLF expression is not known. In this report, we showed that IFN-γ increased GKLF and interferon regulatory factor-1 mRNA levels in a parallel fashion and these effects were abolished in STAT1 knockout mouse fibroblast cell lines, indicating that STAT1 mediated IFN-γ-stimulated GKLF gene expression. IFN-γ treatment induced phosphorylation of STAT1 and IFN-γ-induced GKLF mRNA expression was attenuated by tyrosine protein kinase inhibitors, suggesting that phosphorylation of STAT1 played an essential role in this process. To further evaluate the effect of STAT1 on GKLF gene expression, a 2622-bp mouse GKLF promoter was isolated from a liver genomic library. In a transient transfection system, IFN-γ treatment increased GKLF promoter activity by 3.5-fold. Sequential deletion and mutation analysis of the GKLF promoter has identified the sequence between −1675 and −1580, a region containing a GAS element, to be essential for IFN-γ function. By electrophoretic mobility gel shift assay, nuclear extracts from IFN-γ-stimulated HT-29 cells were found to bind to the GAS motif on the GKLF promoter and this protein–DNA complex was supershifted by the STAT1 antiserum. These results indicate that IFN-γ-induced GKLF expression required phosphorylated STAT1 and that these effects were mediated, in part, through interaction of STAT1 with the GAS element on the GKLF promoter.
Effectiveness of the C-Sharp: reducing ergonomics problems at VDTs

The use of visual display terminals (VDTs) has been associated with complaints of visual fatigue and body discomfort. In an effort to eliminate some of these problems, an ergonomic emphasis has been placed on the design of computer workstations. A new device, the C-Sharp, has been developed to help reduce some of the ergonomics problems related to long-term VDT usage. The C-Sharp was designed to alleviate visual strain and temporary myopia by reducing the amount of muscular work associated with accommodation and convergence to near targets. It was also designed to eliminate glare. The present study is an ergonomics evaluation to determine whether the C-Sharp meets accepted standards and guidelines. Specifically, the objectives of the research are to determine the effects of the C-Sharp on operator reading and search performance, perceived comfort, body posture, and visual acuity. The C-Sharp is compared with mesh-glare filter and no-glare filter device conditions. Subjects were blocked into three groups based on age and type of vision correction (with or without bifocals). Results indicate that the C-Sharp meets the recommendations of the Americal National Standard for human factors engineering of visual display terminal workstations. No differences in objective performance were found between the three glare device conditions. The C-Sharp allowed bifocal wearers to keep their necks in natural postures rather than tilted backwards. Post-session far visual acuity worsened regardless of the device condition.
Design and Synthesis of Phosphotyrosine Peptidomimetic Prodrugs

A novel approach to the intracellular delivery of aryl phosphates has been developed that utilizes a phosphoramidate-based prodrug approach. The prodrugs contain an ester group that undergoes reductive activation intracellularly with concomitant expulsion of a phosphoramidate anion. This anion undergoes intramolecular cyclization and hydrolysis to generate aryl phosphate exclusively with a t1/2 = ∼20 min. Phosphoramidate prodrugs (8−10) of phosphate-containing peptidomimetics that target the SH2 domain were synthesized. Evaluation of these peptidomimetic prodrugs in a growth inhibition assay and in a cell-based transcriptional assay demonstrated that the prodrugs had IC50 values in the low micromolar range. Synthesis of phosphorodiamidate analogues containing a P−NH−Ar linker (16−18) was also carried out in the hope that the phosphoramidates released might be phosphatase-resistant. Comparable activation rates and cell-based activities were observed for these prodrugs, but the intermediate phosphoramidate ...
Relativistic electronic structures of the Ag2 and Au2 molecules

Abstract The relativistic electronic structures of the Ag 2 and Au 2 molecules have been calculated using the recently developed self-consistent-field Xα Dirac-scattered-wave programs. Calculations have been carried out for transition energies and ionization potentials for selected molecular orbitals. The results indicate a large degree of s-d hybridization in the ground state of the Au 2 molecule. The calculations are in good agreement with other theoretical work and with existing experimental results.
Reversed short-latency ocular following

Using the scleral search coil technique to monitor eye movements, we recorded short-latency ocular following responses to displacement steps of large random-dot patterns. On half of the trials, the luminance of the dots and background were reversed during the step, a procedure that is known to reverse the direction of the perceived motion (“reverse phi”). Steps without luminance reversal induced small but consistent ocular following in the direction of the steps at ultra-short latency (<80 ms). Steps with luminance reversal induced small but consistent tracking at the same latency but in the direction opposite to the actual displacement. Tuning curves describing the dependence of initial ocular following on the amplitude of the displacement had a form approximating the derivative of a Gaussian and were well fit by Gabor functions, the cosine term being phase shifted ~180o by the luminance reversal. This result is consistent with the idea that the initial ocular following is mediated, at least in part, by first-order (luminance) motion-energy detectors.
Kinetics of Sulfate Absorption by Barley Roots.

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Scattering of charge and spin excitations and equilibration of a one-dimensional Wigner crystal

We study scattering of charge and spin excitations in a system of interacting electrons in one dimension. At low densities, electrons form a one-dimensional Wigner crystal. To a first approximation, the charge excitations are the phonons in the Wigner crystal, and the spin excitations are described by the Heisenberg model with nearest-neighbor exchange coupling. This model is integrable and thus incapable of describing some important phenomena, such as scattering of excitations off each other and the resulting equilibration of the system. We obtain the leading corrections to this model, including charge-spin coupling and the next-nearest-neighbor exchange in the spin subsystem. We apply the results to the problem of equilibration of the one-dimensional Wigner crystal and find that the leading contribution to the equilibration rate arises from scattering of spin excitations off each other. We discuss the implications of our results for the conductance of quantum wires at low electron densities.
Parent involvement in early intervention: what role does setting play?

This study compared levels of parent involvement in early intervention services for children under three which were delivered in community settings (children’s homes and child care programs) and specialized settings (early intervention centers and provider offices) in the USA. Respondents reported the highest levels of parental involvement in the home. However, level of involvement in the home was not significantly higher than the provider’s office for parent attendance, quality and content of parent-provider communication, and effective instruction; level of provider communication and instruction to parents was not significantly higher in the home than in the early intervention center. Early intervention services in the child care setting were associated with the lowest levels of parent involvement. With the exception of child care, these results suggest that specialized and natural settings are associated with similar levels of parent involvement.
The Role of Keynesian Policies in Semi-industrialized Countries: theory and evidence from India

This paper examines the relevance of Keynesian policies—interpreted as those policies implied by Keynes's theoretical analysis of unemployment developed in The General Theory—for a subset of developing economies, which are called semi-industrialized countries. It draws on recent contributions in development economics to argue on theoretical grounds that Keynesian policies are relevant for semi-industrialized countries even when they are constrained by capital shortages, stagnant agricultural sectors, and foreign exchange availability. It then discusses the recent development experience of India to illustrate the empirical relevance of some of these theoretical issues.
Analytic Use of Two-Level Factorials in Incomplete Blocks to Examine the Stability of Factor Effects

The traditional purpose of the randomized block design is to remove the effects that distinguish blocks in order to make the presence of other effects more apparent. However, in industrial experime...
Pilot study of vitamin D supplementation in adults with cystic fibrosis pulmonary exacerbation: A randomized, controlled trial

Background: Vitamin D insufficiency is common in cystic fibrosis (CF) and vitamin D repletion may have an important role in improving clinical outcomes in CF. This randomized, placebo-controlled, pilot study examined the feasibility and impact of a single, large dose of cholecalciferol on vitamin D status and clinical outcomes in subjects with CF.Methods: Thirty adults with were randomized in a double-blinded, pilot study to receive 250,000 IU cholecalciferol or placebo within 48 h of hospital admission for a pulmonary exacerbation. Concentrations of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D), clinical outcomes and potential adverse events were assessed up to one year after randomization. Mixed effects linear regression models were used to evaluate the difference in mean serum concentrations and log-rank analyses were used to evaluate survival.Results: Data from all subjects was analyzed. Serum 25(OH)D concentrations increased from a mean of 30.6 ± 3.2 ng/mL to 58.1 ± 3.5 ng/mL (p < 0.001) at one week and 36.7 ± 2....
Power monitor miter bends for high-power microwave transmission

Abstract Two miter bends are described for monitoring the power transmitted in an oversized corrugated wave-guide. One has an array of holes in its mirror that couples a small fraction of the incident power to a rectangular waveguide directly machined into the mirror. Millimeter-wave detectors on the outputs of this miter bend can respond very rapidly to the transmitted power, but the coupling is sensitive to the mode purity in the oversized waveguide. The other miter bend monitors the power by measuring the rise in temperature of the cooling water passing through the mirror. The mirror is well isolated from the miter bend housing to prevent heat from neighboring waveguides from reaching the mirror. The measurement requires about 200 s to reach steady state, but it is relatively insensitive to mode purity. The measurement does require knowledge of the input polarization. Thermo-mechanical analyses of the miter bends indicate that they are capable of reliable operation with 1.5 MW transmitted through them. High-power long-pulse 170 GHz tests of these miter bends at the Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) are described.
Reactions of 2‐acyl‐1,3‐indandiones

2-Pivaloyl-1,3-indandione reacts with thiosemicarbazide in aqueous base, through two successive retro-Claisen reactions, to yield 1-hydroxy-4-methylphthalazine. The mechanism of this reaction is described. Under similar conditions, 2-benzoyl and 2-acetyl-1,3-indandione, did not undergo the same reaction, a steric factor is considered.
Extinction of conditioned fear is better learned and recalled in the morning than in the evening.

Sleep helps emotional memories consolidate and may promote generalization of fear extinction memory. We examined whether extinction learning and memory might differ in the morning and evening due, potentially, to circadian and/or sleep-homeostatic factors. Healthy men (N ¼ 109) in 6 groups completed a 2-session protocol. In Session 1, fear conditioning was followed by extinction learning. Partial rein- forcement with mild electric shock produced conditioned skin conductance responses (SCRs) to 2 differently colored lamps (CSþ), but not a third color (CS� ), within the computer image of a room (conditioning context). One CSþ (CS þ E) but not the other (CS þ U) was immediately extinguished by un-reinforced presentations in a different room (extinction context). Delay durations of 3 h (within AM or PM), 12 h (morning-to-evening or evening-to-morning) or 24 h (morning-to-morning or evening-to- evening) followed. In Session 2, extinction recall and contextual fear renewal were tested. We observed no significant effects of the delay interval on extinction memory but did observe an effect of time-of-day. Fear extinction was significantly better if learned in the morning (p ¼ .002). Collapsing across CS þ type, there was smaller morning differential SCR at both extinction recall (p ¼ .003) and fear renewal (p ¼ .005). Morning extinction recall showed better generalization from the CS þ Et o CSþ U with the response to the CS þ U significantly larger than to the CS þ E only in the evening (p ¼ .028). Thus, extinction is learned faster and its memory is better generalized in the morning. Cortisol and testos- terone showed the expected greater salivary levels in the morning when higher testosterone/cortisol ratio also predicted better extinction learning. Circadian factors may promote morning extinction. Alternatively, evening homeostatic sleep pressure may impede extinction and favor recall of conditioned fear.
A Predictive Risk Model for Outcomes of Ischemic Stroke

Background and Purpose—The great variability of outcome seen in stroke patients has led to an interest in identifying predictors of outcome. The combination of clinical and imaging variables as predictors of stroke outcome in a multivariable risk adjustment model may be more powerful than either alone. The purpose of this study was to determine the multivariable relationship between infarct volume, 6 clinical variables, and 3-month outcomes in ischemic stroke patients. Methods—Included in the study were 256 eligible patients from the Randomized Trial of Tirilazad Mesylate in Acute Stroke (RANTTAS). Six clinical variables and 1-week infarct volume were the prespecified predictor variables. The National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale, Barthel Index, and Glasgow Outcome Scale were the outcomes. Multivariable logistic regression techniques were used to develop the model equations, and bootstrap techniques were used for internal validation. Predictive performance of the models was assessed for discriminatio...
Ultrasonic Propagation in High-Field Superconductors

In the last few years a new class of superconducting materials whose superconducting-to-normal transition at T = 0 °K occurs at ~105 G have been discovered (1). To date only a few experimental studies of ultrasonic propagation in such high-field superconductors (hereafter HFS) have been reported. The results of these studies led to the formulation of a phenomenological theory which appears to be successful in describing quantitatively, and without the use of adjustable parameters, the observed attenuation and velocity changes (9). A microscopic theory for sound propagation in HFS is not available at the present time.