cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Apolipoprotein E Inhibits Cerebrovascular Pericyte Mobility through a RhoA Protein-mediated Pathway

Abstract Pericytes play a critical role in the cerebrovasculature within the CNS. These small contractile cells produce large quantities of apolipoprotein E (apoE) whose isoforms influence cerebrovascular functions and determine the genetic risk for Alzheimer disease. Despite extensive studies on astrocyte-secreted apoE, which supports synapses by transporting cholesterol to neurons, the biochemical properties and function of apoE secreted by pericytes are not clear. Because pericytes mediate important functions in the CNS, including the initiation of glial scar formation, angiogenesis, and maintenance of the blood-brain barrier, we investigated the potential role of apoE in pericyte mobility. We found that knockdown of apoE expression significantly accelerates pericyte migration, an effect that can be rescued by exogenous apoE3, but not apoE4, a risk factor for Alzheimer disease. ApoE-regulated migration of pericytes also requires the function of the low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 1 (LRP1), a major apoE receptor in the brain that is abundantly expressed in pericytes. Because apoE-knockdown also leads to enhanced cell adhesion, we investigated the role of apoE in the regulation of the actin cytoskeleton. Interestingly, we found that the levels of active RhoA are increased significantly in apoE knockdown pericytes and that RhoA inhibitors blocked pericyte migration. Taken together, our results suggest that apoE has an intrinsic role in pericyte mobility, which is vital in maintaining cerebrovascular function. These findings provide novel insights into the role of apoE in the cerebrovascular system.
Probabilistic structural analysis methods for space propulsion system components

The development of a three-dimensional inelastic analysis methodology for the Space Shuttle main engine (SSME) structural components is described. The methodology is composed of: (1) composite load spectra, (2) probabilistic structural analysis methods, (3) the probabilistic finite element theory, and (4) probabilistic structural analysis. The methodology has led to significant technical progress in several important aspects of probabilistic structural analysis. The program and accomplishments to date are summarized.
Corporate Responses to Shareholder Activists: Considering the Dialogue Alternative

This empirical study examines corporate responses to activist shareholder groups filing social-policy shareholder resolutions. Using resource dependency theory as our conceptual framing, we identify some of the drivers of corporate responses to shareholder activists. This study departs from previous studies by including a fourth possible corporate response, engaging in dialogue. Dialogue, an alternative to shareholder resolutions filed by activists, is a process in which corporations and activist shareholder groups mutually agree to engage in ongoing negotiations to deal with social issues. Based on a unique dataset of resolutions filed by member organizations of the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility from 2002 to 2005 and the outcomes of these resolutions, our analysis finds that corporate managers are more likely to engage in dialogue with shareholder activists when the firm is larger, is more responsive to stakeholders, the CEO is the board chair, and the firm has a relatively lower percentage of institutional investors.
Intermittent stridor and hypocalcemia in childhood

In this report we describe a 3-year-old patient who had hypocalcemia caused by pseudohypoparathyroidism and who had intermittent inspiratory stridor, retractions, and dyspnea. We propose that the symptoms were intermittent because he periodically hyperventilated. This hyperventilation induced transient drops of his already low serum calcium level and caused laryngismus. We review the mechanisms by which hypocalcemia causes laryngeal tetany
A dynamical approach to electron transfer reactions

A time-dependent approach to molecular dynamics involving both electrons and nuclei is formulated to study the interaction between electronic structure and nuclear geometry during electron transfer processes. The formulation uses the time-dependent variational principle to obtain a Hamiltonian system of first-order ordinary differential equations for wave function parameters from the quantum mechanical Schrodinger equation. We apply the formulation to a two-level model. In this first application, the nuclei are treated classically. The electron transfer process in both the “normal” and the “abnormal” case is studied and discussed. The role of the nuclear motion in the electron transfer process is clearly exhibited in both two and three moiety systems. For small coupling the difference in evolution between the dynamics using adiabatic and diabatic basis states shows the importance of nuclear motion in the process. Then various aspects of applications to realistic systems are discussed, and the techniques to treat those applications are outlined.
Multiple regimes of constrained chromosome motion are regulated in the interphase Drosophila nucleus

Abstract Background: Increasing evidence indicates specific changes in the three-dimensional organization of chromosomes in the cell nucleus during the cell cycle and development. These changes may be linked to changes in both the coordinated regulation of gene transcription and the timing of chromosome replication. While there is cytological evidence for short-range diffusive motion of chromosomes during interphase, the mechanisms for large-scale chromosome remodeling inside the nucleus remain unknown. Results: Chromosome motion was tracked in Drosophila spermatocyte nuclei by 3D fluorescence microscopy. The Lac repressor/ lac operator system was used to label specific chromosomal sites in live tissues, allowing extended observation of chromatin motion in different cell cycle stages. Our results reveal a highly dynamic chromosome organization governed by two types of motion: a fast, short-range component over a 1–2 s time scale and a slower component related to long-range chromosome motion within the nucleus. The motion patterns are consistent with a random walk. In early G2, short-range motion occurs within a small, approximately 0.5 μm radius domain, while long-range motion is confined to a much larger, chromosome-sized domain. Progression through G2 as cells approach meiotic prophase is accompanied by a complete arrest of long-range chromosome motion. Conclusions: Our analysis provides direct evidence for cell cycle-regulated changes in interphase chromatin motion. These changes are consistent with changes in local and long-range constraints on chromosome motility. We propose that dynamic interactions between chromosomes and internal nuclear structures modulate the range and rate of interphase chromatin diffusion and thereby regulate large-scale nuclear chromosome organization.
Antiferromagnonic Spin Transport from Y 3 Fe 5 O 12 into NiO

We observe highly efficient dynamic spin injection from ${\mathrm{Y}}_{3}{\mathrm{Fe}}_{5}{\mathrm{O}}_{12}$ (YIG) into NiO, an antiferromagnetic (AF) insulator, via strong coupling, and robust spin propagation in NiO up to 100-nm thickness mediated by its AF spin correlations. Strikingly, the insertion of a thin NiO layer between YIG and Pt significantly enhances the spin currents driven into Pt, suggesting exceptionally high spin transfer efficiency at both $\mathrm{YIG}/\mathrm{NiO}$ and $\mathrm{NiO}/\mathrm{Pt}$ interfaces. This offers a powerful platform for studying AF spin pumping and AF dynamics as well as for exploration of spin manipulation in tailored structures comprising metallic and insulating ferromagnets, antiferromagnets, and nonmagnetic materials.
Diophantine approximation of a single irrational number

Abstract A simple lemma and a simple theorem involving some elementary knowledge of continued fractions set a foundation for the theory of Diophantine approximation of a single irrational number. Although the proofs of the lemma and the theorem are just a few lines, numerous known results can be easily obtained as corollaries.
Effect of the anti‐microtubule compound tubulozole on Leishmania protozoan parasites in vitro

For the cis and trans stereoisomers of the synthetic anti-microtubule compound tubulozole, at micromolar concentrations, tubulozole-C is cytotoxic to mammalian cells whereas tubulozole-T is not. The effect of tubulozoles on the parasitic protozoan Leishmania was tested. For the promastigote stage of L. mexicana amazonensis, both isomers inhibited parasite growth. For the amastigote stage of L. mexicana amazonensis and L. major, within murine J774 macrophage line as host cells in vitro, tubulozole-T reduced the infective index. Despite the observation of macrophage cytotoxicity of tubulozole-T, this compound may be a potentially useful and novel anti-leishmanial drug.
Excitonic condensate and quasiparticle transport in electron-hole bilayer systems

Bilayer electron-hole systems undergo excitonic condensation when the distance $d$ between the layers is smaller than the typical distance between particles within a layer. All excitons in this condensate have a fixed dipole moment which points perpendicular to the layers, and therefore, this condensate of dipoles couples to external electromagnetic fields. We study the transport properties of this dipolar condensate system based on a phenomenological model which takes into account contributions from the condensate and quasiparticles. We discuss, in particular, the drag and counterflow transport, in-plane Josephson effect, and noise in the in-plane currents in the condensate state.
Construction and application of gradient-expansion approximations for exchange energy with self-interaction correction.

We observe that the expressions for the single-particle exchange-energy density ${e}_{\mathrm{x}}$ and the orbital-dependent exchange potentials ${v}_{\mathrm{x}{}^{(i)}}$ diverge at the nodes of the single-particle densities when the self-interaction-correction (SIC) method is applied to the conventional expression for the exchange energy ${E}_{\mathrm{x}}$ in the gradient-expansion approximation (GEA). An expression for ${E}_{\mathrm{x}{}^{\mathrm{GEA}}}$ is constructed that reduces to the conventional form in the slowly varying density limit and leads to convergent SIC expressions for ${e}_{\mathrm{x}}$ and ${v}_{\mathrm{x}{}^{(i)}}$. When this gradient-expansion-approximation self-interaction-correction (GEASIC) functional is employed in the calculation of the total energy for atoms with closed subshells, the results are significantly closer to the Hartree-Fock results than those obtained from either the GEA or the local-spin-density self-interaction-correction (LSDSIC) approximation. Furthermore, when the recently derived value for the GEA constant, i.e., (10/7 of Sham's value, is employed, the results are found to be further improved. In addition, we show that the construction of a single (i.e., orbital-independent) Kohn-Sham potential from these GEASIC potentials leads not only to accurate exchange-only total energies but to reasonably accurate results for ${\ensuremath{\varepsilon}}_{\mathrm{max}}$ as compared to experimental ionization energies when the effect of correlation is included in the LSDSIC approximation.
The prevalence of valvular abnormalities in patients who were referred for echocardiographic examination with a primary diagnosis of "heart murmur".

Introduction The prevalence of valvular abnormality and innocent murmur in patients who are referred for echocardiographic evaluation with the diagnosis of "murmur" is not known. The goal of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of valvular abnormalities in such patients. Methods We retrospectively reviewed the echocardiograms that were referred with the primary ordering diagnosis of "murmur," for the presence of valvular abnormalities. For comparison, we used other documented primary reasons for echocardiographic referral, such as chest pain, shortness of breath, etc. Results In this cohort, 7,684 echocardiogram reports documented primary diagnostic reasons for echocardiographic referral. A total of 3,460 echocardiogram reports (45%) were coded "murmur" as the primary reason for the study referral. There was a higher prevalence of female patient referrals for heart murmur evaluation (61.8% vs. 38.2%). Although, patients with murmur had a higher prevalence of valvular abnormalities, compared to other reasons for echocardiographic examination, the prevalence of valvular abnormality was less than 50% (48.6% vs. 35.5%) in both groups. Despite the higher number of female patients referred with the diagnosis of murmur, the percentage of abnormal valves was lower in women (45.6% vs. 53.4% in men). Conclusion The prevalence of valvular abnormalities in patients who were referred with the diagnosis of murmur for echocardiographic examination was less than 50%, with a lesser degree found in women. Routine utilization of echocardiography for evaluation of all murmurs may be unwarranted.
Handbook of leftist guerrilla groups in Latin America and the Caribbean

Argentina Bolivia Brazil Chile Colombia Costa Rica Cuba Ecuador El Salvador Guadeloupe Guatemala Honduras Mexico Nicaragua Peru Puerto Rico Surinam Uruguay Venezuela.
Octree-based progressive geometry encoder

Among progressive 3D mesh compression algorithms, the kd-tree-based algorithm proposed by Gandoin and Devillers is one of the state-of-the-art algorithms. Based on the observation that this geometry coder has a large amount of overhead at high kd-tree levels, we propose an octree-based geometry coder that demands a less amount of coding bits at high octree levels by applying selective cell subdivision at high tree levels, leading to a better rate-distortion performance for the low bit rate coding. Experimental results show that, compared with the kd-tree-based coder, the proposed 3D geometry coder performs better for an expanded tree of a level less than or equal to 8 but slightly worse for the full tree expansion with 12-bit quantization.© (2003) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Characteristics of the Modified Mini-Mental State Exam among elderly persons.

This study assesses psychometric properties of the Modified Mini-Mental State Exam (3MS) and present population norms and demographic risk factors for low 3MS scores. The subjects were 885 persons aged 65 and older who took the 3MS as part of the Stirling County Study, a population-based longitudinal study of adult residents of a county in Atlantic Canada. 3MS scores were not dependent on the specific rater who scored the test; thus, the 3MS is free of rater bias. Interrater reliability was high (intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.98), as was internal consistency (coefficient alpha = 0.91). Test-retest reliability over 3 years was 0.78. One third of subjects tested as cognitively impaired. Risk factors for low scores include older age, less education, male gender, and examination in French. The correlation between 3MS and Mini Mental State Exam scores was 0.95. The 3MS can be used as an epidemiologic measure of global cognitive performance among elderly persons.
Molecular-scale investigations of cellulose microstructure during enzymatic hydrolysis.

Changes in cellulose microstructure have been proposed to occur throughout hydrolysis that impact enzyme access and hydrolysis rates. However, there are very few direct observations of such changes in ongoing reactions. In this study, changes in the microstructure of cellulose are measured by simultaneous confocal and atomic force microscopy and are correlated to hydrolysis extents and quantities of bound enzyme in the reaction. Minimally processed and never-dried cellulose I was hydrolyzed by a purified cellobiohydrolase, Trichoderma reesei Cel7A. Early in the reaction (∼30% hydrolysis), at high hydrolysis rates and high bound cellulase quantities, untwisting of cellulose microfibrils was observed. As the hydrolysis reaction neared completion (>80% hydrolysis), extensively thinned microfibrils (diameters of 3−5 nm) and channels (0.3−0.6 nm deep) along the lengths of the microfibrils were observed. The prominent microstructural changes in cellulose due to cellobiohydrolase action are discussed in the cont...
Antigen binding to lymphoid cells from unimmunized mice: high frequency of beta-galactosidase binding cells at optimal conditions.

Abstract The median frequency of antigen-binding cells for beta-galactosidase in mouse organs is: thymus—0.1%; lymph nodes—0.35%; spleen 2.0%; bone marrow—4.8%. We propose that these frequencies closely approximate the actual numbers of cells bearing receptors with beta-galactosidase specificity. We attribute these relatively high frequencies to (a) incubation of cells with saturating concentrations of antigen, (b) the multimeric nature of beta-galactosidase, and (c) retention of receptors by fixation. Several types of artifactual binding of beta-galactosidase were excluded from major consideration: “sticky cells;” GZ substrates on cell surfaces; spreading of histochemical reaction product; nonimmunoglobulin-related binding. We conclude that the high frequency of antigen binding cells found in this and other current studies is inconsistent with a model of unispecificity in precursor cells of either the T or B cell lines.
A comparison of the effects of signal transduction inhibitors on oxidative burst and degranulation in IL-I beta stimulated bovine neutrophils.

There is little information available on IL-1 mediated signal transduction in neutrophils from species other than humans. In this study, signal transduction pathway inhibitors were used to compare signaling pathways for the oxidative burst and degranulation in bovine neutrophils stimulated with rBoIL-1β. Protein kinase C inhibitors (staurosporine and chelerythine), DL-propranolol, pertussis toxin (PT), genistein and verapamil significantly inhibited rBoIL-1β (10 ng/ml) stimulated luminol-dependent chemiluminescence (LDCL) in a dose-dependent manner, while indomethacin and zileuton had no effect. Propranolol significantly decreased both primary and secondary granule release in response to rBoIL-1β. Staurosporine enhanced secondary but not primary granule release, and PT increased primary and secondary granule release. In addition, propranolol inhibited the shape change induced by rBoIL-1β and zymosan-activated serum, whereas PT markedly decreased the response induced by zymosan-activated serum, but not rBoIL-1β. These findings suggest that rBoIL-1β stimulation of the oxidative burst, degranulation, and shape change of bovine neutrophils are mediated through distinct signal transduction pathways.
Stimulation of fatty acid utilization by sodium clofibrate in rat and monkey hepatocytes

Abstract The acute effects of sodium clofibrate (NaCPIB) on the metabolism of [1- 14 C]palmitate, [1- 14 C]octanoate, [1- 14 C]butyrate, and [2- 3 H]glycerol by freshly isolated hepatocytes were tested to explore its mechanism of action. Labeled long-, medium-, and short-chain fatty acids were incorporated into all the major lipid classes and were oxidized to 14 CO 2 by the liver cells. The partitioning of labeled fatty acids from lipogenic towards oxidative pathways was inversely related to fatty acid chain length. [1- 14 C]Palmitate was incorporated mainly into cellular triglycerides and phospholipids; [1- 14 C]octanoate, mainly into triglycerides and free cholesterol; and [1- 14 C]butyrate, mainly into free cholesterol and phospholipids of the cells. NaCPIB (1–3 mM) rapidly stimulated the esterification of labeled palmitate or glycerol to triglycerides, but drug levels greater than 5 mM were inhibitory to esterification. NaCPIB (1 mM) increased the oxidation of [1- 14 C]palmitate to 14 CO 2 by either rat or monkey hepatocytes and enhanced the release of labeled lipids from [2- 3 H]glycerol-prelabeled cells into the extracellular medium. Acclerated [1- 14 C]octanoate incorporation into glycerolipids and sterols and increased [1- 14 C]octanoate conversion to 14 CO 2 were observed in rat liver cells incubated with 1 mM NaCPIB. In contrast, the same drug level stimulated the oxidation of [1- 14 C]butyrate to 14 CO 2 but greatly diminished its incorporation into hepatocellular sterols or glycerolipids. These results indicate that (a) NaCPIB acutely alters hepatic ultilization of fatty acids by actions at diverse loci; (b) these metabolic alterations vary with fatty acid chain length; and (c) these effects are probably due to rapid changes in biochemical regulatory mechanism and/or in substrate channelling within the cells. These data further suggest that the early hypolipidemic effect of the drug in rats and primates may be related to an enhanced hepatic oxidation of long-chain fatty acids, but cannot be attributed simply to a reduction in their esterification to complex lipids.
MOND-TOT-MONDRECLAME NU

Vroeger kwamen heel veel patienten via-via aan hun tandartsen. In onze tijd ook. Maar nu komen de adviezen steeds vaker van onbekenden op het internet.
White light Optical Processing And Holography

Optical systems for performing holography and optical processing are described. These systems are coherent, but operate with temporally incoherent light. The noise suppression mechanism of the system is analyzed. In particular, a method for deblurring an image is given.
Applications in continuous monitoring of atmospheric pollutants by remote sensing

The development of Open Path FTIR for use in industrial setting has necessitated techniques for obtaining valid background spectra. Measurements over extended path lengths have resulted in greater problems with handling atmospheric moisture correction. Some industrial environments may even have almost continuous levels of chemical species present. Background correction techniques to address these problems employing a near-field source, a fixed reference, or a 'rolling' reference are presented and compared. Field experience obtained at several major plant sites over a year and a half of operation is reviewed.© (1995) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
In-Vivo and In-Vitro Conversion of Angiotensin I to Angiotensin II in Dog Blood

The conversion of angiotensin I to angiotensin II was studied in vivo in the intact anesthetized dog and in vitro in whole blood and plasma treated with various anticoagulants by fractionation of radioactively labeled peptides and by radioimmunoassay. After injection of angiotensin I into the pulmonary artery at 10,000 times the physiologic level, approximately 50% of the injected material was recovered in the aorta. Fifty three percent of the material recovered had been converted to angiotensin II, as measured both by peptide release and by radioimmunoassay. Following injection of 1000 to 10,000 times physiologic levels of angiotensin I into the renal artery, 7 to 10% of the immunoreactive material in the venous effluent after a single circulation time was angiotensin II. There was no evidence of conversion in the liver or hindlimb. Conversion in vitro was far slower than in vivo, the half-life in fresh blood being 3 minutes, with longer times observed in anticoagulated plasmas. The major metabolite of in-vivo conversion was leucine, of in-vitro conversion, histidyl leucine. These observations indicate that the major site of conversion of angiotensin I to angiotensin II is in the pulmonary capillary bed. The kidnev may participate as a secondary site. Conversion in plasma probably plays no important physiologic role. The mechanism of organ and plasma conversion may differ, as indicated by the different metabolites.
Analysis of modularity implementation methods from an assembly and variety viewpoints

The advent of product modularity has enabled the manufacturing firms to develop substantial product variety at lower costs and shorter lead times. Several modular design methodologies exist in the literature, but each method was developed to optimize a certain criterion. It is also not clear which method would provide the best results under a specific case, as most of these methods have not yet been compared quantitatively. This paper reviews and compares three well-known modularizing methodologies in order to determine the method generating the best modularized design. Our hypothesis for comparison is that the method offering highest ease of assembly, and accommodating design for variety to meet future customer needs, is the best. An electronic toothbrush and a bicycle are used to compare the three methodologies: (1) function heuristic method, (2) behavioral-driven function–environment–structure (B-FES) modeling framework, and (3) decomposition approach.
Age, beta thalassaemia trait, and iron-deficient anaemia significantly affect reticulocyte indices in pre-school children

Background Reticulocyte indices are easy to obtain, low cost parameters and have gained interest in the field of diagnosing anaemias of childhood.
TH-A-9A-05: Initial Setup Accuracy Comparison Between Frame-Based and Frameless Stereotactic Radiosurgery

Purpose: To evaluate initial setup accuracy for stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) between Brainlab frame-based and frameless immobilization system, also to discern the magnitude frameless system has on setup parameters. Methods: The correction shifts from the original setup were compared for total 157 SRS cranial treatments (69 frame-based vs. 88 frameless). All treatments were performed on a Novalis linac with ExacTrac positioning system. Localization box with isocenter overlay was used for initial setup and correction shift was determined by ExacTrac 6D auto-fusion to achieve submillimeter accuracy for treatment. For frameless treatments, mean time interval between simulation and treatment was 5.7 days (range 0–13). Pearson Chi-Square was used for univariate analysis. Results: The correctional radial shifts (mean±STD, median) for the frame and frameless system measured by ExacTrac were 1.2±1.2mm, 1.1mm and 3.1±3.3mm, 2.0mm, respectively. Treatments with frameless system had a radial shift >2mm more often than those with frames (51.1% vs. 2.9%; p 2mm compared to patients treated in a shorter amount of time from simulation (34.3% and 56.7% vs. 28.6% and 33.3%, respectively; p=0.006). Conclusion: Although image-guided positioning system can also achieve submillimeter accuracy for frameless system, users should be cautious regarding the inherent uncertainty of its capability of immobilization. A proper quality assurance procedure for frameless mask manufacturing and a protocol for intra-fraction imaging verification will be crucial for frameless system. Time interval between simulation and treatment was influential to initial setup accuracy. A shorter time frame for frameless SRS treatment could be helpful in minimizing uncertainties in localization.
Hipparchus' Coordinate System

A l'origine de l'astronomie mathematique, Hipparque inventa la sphere armillaire faite de cinq anneaux. Elle permet de mesurer les coordonnees ecliptiques des astres. Ses nombreuses observations et rapport sur la position des etoiles, notamment dans son oeuvre, Le commentaire aux phenomenes d'Aratos, demontrent l'utilisation d'un systeme defini de coordonnees spheriques celestes...
Beating a hasty retreat

This year marks the thirteenth anniversary of the Refugee Act, passed by the United States Congress in 1980. During these thirteen years—twelve spanned the successive administrations of Presidents Ronald Reagan and George Bush—refugees and their advocates have struggled to hold the United States to the promise it made to asylum seekers in passing the act. The early to mid‐1980s were times of disappointment; but by the end of the 1980s there were encouraging signs that the United States could live up to its self‐image as a nation that welcomes and protects people fleeing persecution. Unfortunately, recent developments have caused us to question this optimism; consistent with die spreading global antirefugee sentiment, a U.S. backlash against refugees is in the making. This backlash has produced cutbacks in protections for asylum seekers and threatens to severely undermine the U.S. protection system. To understand these developments, we must examine the evolution of U.S. refugee policy over the last thirtee...
Disability and the Rural Labor Market in India: Evidence for Males in Tamil Nadu

Summary This paper examines the differences in employment and wages between males with and without disabilities, using data from the Village Disability Survey conducted in Tamil Nadu, India. We find that the employment gap between individuals with and without disability is not explained by differences in human capital and productivity, and may result from differential returns to characteristics and from discrimination in access to employment. Results from a selectivity-corrected wage equation suggest that wages are not statistically different between disabled and non-disabled males.
Addressing Self-Directed Violence Prevention for Preventive Medicine Practitioners:

This article summarizes the field of self-directed violence and its prevention focusing on suicidal behavior. Then it describes ways in which health care practitioners, especially preventive medicine specialists, can play a role in preventing these injuries whether they practice in clinical or community based settings. A review of the importance of suicidal behavior as a public health problem, its epidemiology, and prevention approaches are discussed. Suicidal behavior results from an interaction of risk factors but much is known about these factors and many of the injuries due to this phenomenon are preventable. Prevention of suicidal behavior requires collaboration from many sectors, including health care practitioners. Preventive medicine specialists can address this problem that affects individuals, families, and communities by taking an active part as practitioners, researchers, advocates, and through education.
Observational tests in cosmology

IT is often said that the determination of the deceleration term is one of the main aims of observational cosmology. In the following comments this view is questioned, and in a universe of indeterminate density, the third time derivative of the scaling variable is shown to be of greater fundamental importance.
Sequestered cucurbitacins and pathogenicity of Metarhizium anisopliae (Moniliales : Moniliaceae) on spotted cucumber beetle eggs and larvae (Coleoptera : Chrysomelidae)

It has long been hypothesized that many luperine cucumber beetles ultimately consume and sequester highly bitter cucurbitacin triterpenes to gain protection from predators and possibly parasitoids. Here we expand this protections hypothesis to include antibiotic protection against entontopathogens. Specifically, we examine the ability of cucurbitacins sequestered in the eggs and larvae of Diabrotica undercimpunctata howardii Barber, the spotted cucumber beetle, to reduce the pathogenicity of the entomopathogen Metarhizium anisopliae, Bitter and nonbitter eggs and larvae (those with and without sequestered cucurbitacin glycosides) were exposed to 0, 10 3 , 10 5 , and 10 7 M. anisopliae conidia per milliliter of distilled water. A significantly greater percentage of both eggs and larvae contining cucurbitacins survived exposure to the fungus, suggesting that the adaptive value of cucurbitacin pharmacophagy its cucumber beetles includes an antibiotic benefit.
The diffusion of production processes in the U.S. banking industry: A finite mixture approach

Abstract This article applies finite mixture distributions to the estimation of cost functions for financial firms through time. The mixture approach allows the estimation of multiple technologies when firms' technology choices are unobservable. Technology switching (‘diffusion’) and underlying technical change are simultaneously evaluated. An application to large samples of U.S. banks for the years 1982–1986 illustrates the approach. Results suggest banks switch to lower cost production technologies when unburdened by strict branching regulations.
Selective isotopic labeling of a nitroxide spin label to enhance sensitivity for T2 oxymetry

Abstract The synthesis and application of a novel compound, a variant of a standard spin label which has been used for T2-based oxymetry, is described. The compound is 4-hydro-3carbamoyl-2,2,5,5-tetraperdeuteromethylpyrrolin-1-yloxy-d12 (mHCTPO). It was developed to optimize both the sensitivity of the T2 method to oxygen tension and the spectrometer signal for a given concentration of spin label. The compound is used with a very low frequency (250 MHz) electron paramagnetic resonance spectrometer for in vivo application and for imaging, but has application at X band. The compound provides a convenient spectral feature distinguishing broadening associated with self-interaction from that due to environmental oxygen.
Non-Gaussian fluctuations and the statistics of galaxy clustering

We investigate the formation of large-scale structure by gravitational instability from Gaussian and non-Gaussian initial conditions, using cosmological N-body simulations. Our non-Gaussian models are characterized by a one-point probability distribution, P(δ), with either a long tail of positive fluctuations (skew-positive), a long tail of negative fluctuations (skew-negative), or extended tails of both positive and negative fluctuations (broad).
Identification of discrete-time bilinear systems through equivalent linear models

This paper presents a novel method for identification of discrete-time, time-invariant state-space models of bilinear dynamical systems using the steady-state portion of a single input/multiple output time-history measurements. These measurements are recorded by exciting the system with a linear combination of sine and cosine functions of user-selected frequencies enriched by a subtle amount of random component. The proposed method relies on conversion of the bilinear system into an equivalent linear model (ELM) by an accurate approximation of the state in the bilinear term using a set of sine and cosine basis functions whose frequencies are obtained as combinations of the input frequencies. Observer/Kalman Filter Identification (OKID), a linear time invariant (LTI) system identification algorithm, is used to identify the aforementioned ELM from which the original bilinear model is recovered. A numerical example is also provided.
Genetics of disease: Associations with depression

Two genetic regions associated with major depressive disorder have been revealed for the first time, through whole-genome sequencing of a population of Han Chinese women. See Letter p.588 This genomic analysis of more than 5,000 Chinese women with recurrent major depressive disorder (MDD) has identified and replicated two genome-wide significant loci contributing to risk of MDD on chromosome 10. One is near the sirtuin1 (SIRT1) gene, and the other is in an intron of the phospholysine phosphohistidine inorganic pyrophosphate phosphatase (LHPP) gene. The authors suggest that the association close to SIRT1 may implicate abnormalities in mitochondria as risk factors for the disease.
Cellular basis of ventricular remodeling after myocardial infarction.

Abstract To determine whether acute left ventricular failure associated with myocardial infarction leads to architectural changes in the spared nonischemic portion of the ventricular wall, large infarcts were produced in rats, and the animals were sacrificed 2 days after surgery. Left ventricular end-diastolic pressure was increased, whereas left ventricular dP dt and systolic pressure were decreased, indicating the presence of severe ventricular dysfunction. Absolute infarct size, determined by measuring the fraction of myocyte nuclei lost from the left ventricular free wall, averaged 63%. Transverse midchamber diameter increased by 20%, and wall thickness diminished by 33%. The number of mural myocytes in this spared region of the left ventricular free wall decreased by 36% and the capillary profiles by 40%. Thus, side-to-side slippage of myocytes in the myocardium occurs acutely in association with ventricular dilation after a large myocardial infarction. In order to analyze the chronic consequences of myocardial infarction on ventricular remodeling, a second group of experiments was performed in which the left coronary artery was ligated and the functional and structural properties of the heart were examined 1 month later. In infarcts affecting an average 38% of the free wall of the left ventricle (small infarcts), reactive hypertrophy in the spared myocardium resulted in a complete reconstitution of functioning tissue. However, left ventricular end-diastolic pressure was increased, left ventricular dP dt was decreased, and diastolic wall stress was increased 2.4-fold. After infarctions resulting in a 60% loss of mass (large infarcts), a 10% deficit was present in the recovery of viable myocardium. Functionally, ventricular performance was markedly depressed, and diastolic wall stress was increased 9-fold. The alterations in loading of the spared myocardium were due to an increase in chamber volume and a decrease in the myocardial mass/chamber volume ratio that affected both infarct groups. Thus, decompensated eccentric ventricular hypertrophy develops chronically after infarction and growth processes in myocytes are inadequate for normalization of wall stress when myocyte loss involves nearly 40% or more of the cells of the left ventricular free wall. The persistence of elevated myocardial and cellular loads may sustain the progression of the disease state toward end-stage congestive heart failure.
Dyadic green's function in a homogeneous biaxial anisotropic medium

This paper presents an analytical formulation of the dyadic Green's function in a homogeneous biaxial anisotropic medium. The spectral dyadic Green's function is first obtained by solving the spectrum-domain Maxwell's equations with a delta-type source excitation in a biaxial anisotropic medium. Then the space-domain dyadic Green's function is expressed as a triple inverse Fourier transform of the spectrum-domain Green's function. Efficient numerical techniques are used to evaluate the inverse Fourier transforms of the highly oscillating integrands accurately. The derived Green's function can be used in the integral equation solution for electromagnetic problems involving biaxial anisotropic medium background or simulation of triaxial induction tool responses in a biaxial anisotropic formation.
Development of a TCP/IP for the IBM/370

This paper describes the design and implementation decisions that have been made in developing software to support the DARPA TCP/IP protocols for the IBM OS/370 environment at the University of California Division of Library Automation. The implementation is designed to support over 100 concurrent TCP connections, all of which are managed by a single program, which acts as a specialized sub-operating system. The system is optimized for line-by-line or screen-by-screen terminal traffic rather than character-by-character traffic. In addition, this TCP is designed to exploit the availability of the large main storage and processor speed available on the IBM/370.TCP/IP is generally considered to be a mature protocol specification; however, in the course of our implementation we found several parts to be either ambiguous or problematic — in particular, error handling and notification, ICMP and its relationship to other protocols, and synchronization of data flow with TCP callers.We also discuss problems encountered in trying to replace hardwired terminals in a public access environment with TCP and TELNET, and some protocol changes that would make these protocols more hospitable to our environment.
Terminal differentiation of osteogenic cells in the embryonic chick tibia is revealed by a monoclonal antibody against osteocytes.

Abstract Monoclonal antibodies against the surface of embryonic osteogenic cells have been used to characterize the sequence of transitions involved in the osteoblastic cell lineage. These previous data identified distinct cell stages within the osteogenic lineage, but were incomplete. To further refine and extend these observations, additional monoclonal antibodies were generated against the surface of osteogenic cells by immunizing mice with a heterogeneous population of chick embryonic bone cells. Supernatants from growing hybridoma colonies were immunohistochemically screened against frozen sections of stage 35 (day 9.5) chick tibiae. One cell line, SB-5, which secretes an antibody against the surface of osteogenic cells was successfully cloned, stabilized, and immortalized. Studies on the developmental progression of osteogenesis in the embryonic chick tibia reveal that cells within the lineage stages from Pre-Osteoblast to Secretory Osteoblast were never observed to react with antibody SB-5 at any time. By contrast, strong cell surface immunoreactivity was present on mature osteoblastic cells as they became Osteocytes. Furthermore, in cultures of osteogenic cells derived from embryonic calvaria or tibiae, cells possessing the SB-5 antigen on their surface displayed a morphology remarkably similar to that of Osteocytes found in situ . Double immunofluorescent staining of developing chick tibiae with SB-5 and SB-2, a monoclonal antibody directed against the surface of Secretory Osteoblasts, indicates that these cells proceed through an intermediate lineage step before becoming terminally differentiated Osteocytes. This transitory cell state is characterized by the simultaneous cell surface binding of antibodies SB-2 and SB-5, and is referred to as the Osteocytic Osteoblast stage. The loss of the SB-2 cell surface antigen and the retention of the SB-5 antigen corresponds to the transition from the Osteocytic Osteoblast to the terminally differentiated Osteocyte.
Integrative Genomics Analysis Identifies Candidate Drivers at 3q26-29 Amplicon in Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Lung

Purpose: Chromosome 3q26-29 is a critical region of genomic amplification in lung squamous cell carcinomas (SCC). Identification of candidate drivers in this region could help uncover new mechanisms in the pathogenesis and potentially new targets in SCC of the lung. Experimental Design: We conducted a meta-analysis of seven independent datasets containing a total of 593 human primary SCC samples to identify consensus candidate drivers in 3q26-29 amplicon. Through integrating protein–protein interaction network information, we further filtered for candidates that may function together in a network. Computationally predicted candidates were validated using RNA interference (RNAi) knockdown and cell viability assays. Clinical relevance of the experimentally supported drivers was evaluated in an independent cohort of 52 lung SCC patients using survival analysis. Results: The meta-analysis identified 20 consensus candidates, among which four (SENP2, DCUN1D1, DVL3, and UBXN7) are involved in a small protein–protein interaction network. Knocking down any of the four proteins led to cell growth inhibition of the 3q26-29–amplified SCC. Moreover, knocking down of SENP2 resulted in the most significant cell growth inhibition and downregulation of DCUN1D1 and DVL3. Importantly, a gene expression signature composed of SENP2, DCUN1D1, and DVL3 stratified patients into subgroups with different response to adjuvant chemotherapy. Conclusion: Together, our findings show that SENP2 , DCUN1D1 , and DVL3 are candidate driver genes in the 3q26-29 amplicon of SCC, providing novel insights into the molecular mechanisms of disease progression and may have significant implication in the management of SCC of the lung. Clin Cancer Res; 19(20); 5580–90. ©2013 AACR . See related article by Huang and Singh, [p. 5549][1] [1]: /lookup/volpage/19/5549?iss=20
Noninvasive measurement of current in the human body for electromagnetic dosimetry

Minimally perturbing, resistive, nonferrous probes were developed for noninvasively measuring hazardous currents induced in the human body by electromagnetic fields at 1-200 MHz. Each probe has a resistive toroidal coil that is placed around the leg or other body member. An electrostatic shield is required to limit capacitive coupling. A new shielded test fixture provides TEM fields for calibration with a voltage standing wave ratio (VSWR) less than 1.1 from 1 to 200 MHz. A man-sized phantom was exposed to the near field of a vertical monopole antenna at 29.9 MHz, and the value of the current measured in the leg with the probe is in reasonable agreement with measured heating. Analyses and experiments show that commercial ferrous current probes modify the circuit in which they are used, changing the current being measured. Less change is caused by the authors' nonferrous current probes. >
Risk of Poor Outcomes with Novel and Traditional Biomarkers at Clinical AKI Diagnosis

Summary Background and objectives Studies have evaluated acute kidney injury (AKI) using biomarkers in various settings, but their prognostic utility within current practice is unclear. Thus, we sought to determine the prognostic utility of newer biomarkers or traditional markers (fractional excretion of sodium [FeNa] and urea [FeUrea] and microscopy) over clinical assessment alone. Design, setting, participants, & measurements This is a prospective cohort study of adults on the first day of meeting AKI criteria. We measured urine concentrations of neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL), kidney injury molecule-1 (KIM-1), and IL-18 and determined FeNa, FeUrea, and microscopy score for casts and tubular cells. Primary outcome was worsened AKI stage from enrollment to peak serum creatinine or in-hospital death. Results In 249 recipients, 57% were ≥65 years old, 48% were from intensive care, and mean baseline GFR was 69 ± 30 ml/min per 1.73 m2. AKI was considered prerenal in 164 (66%), acute tubular necrosis (ATN) in 51 (20%), and “other” in 34 (14%). All mean protein biomarker concentrations, FeNa, FeUrea, and microscopy scores were statistically different between prerenal and ATN. Seventy-two patients (29%) developed the primary outcome. There was an approximate three-fold increase in adjusted risk for the outcome for upper versus lower values of NGAL, KIM-1, IL-18, and microscopy score (P values Conclusions On the first day of AKI, urine protein biomarkers and microscopy significantly improve upon clinical determination of prognosis, indicating their potential utility in current practice.
The Magnitude of Compounding Conservatisms in Superfund Risk Assessments1

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has made two crucial risk management decisions in defining how much clean-up is enough at Superfund sites: first, the postremediation cancer risk goal should fall within the range of 10[sup [minus]1] to 10[sup [minus]6]; and second, the postremediation cancer risk goal should not be exceeded by more than 5-10% of the population potentially exposed. Unfortunately, the EPA has also issued guidance documents that distort these fundamental risk management criteria by specifying risk assessment methodologies and exposure factors that do not achieve the reasonable maximum exposure (RME) as defined by the EPA because they compound conservative assumptions beyond the RME concept. In this article, the authors express their view that the EPA has established risk management criteria based on acceptable risks, and has then issued risk assessment guidelines that lead to clean-up requirements that will achieve a far greater degree of health protection. 10 refs., 2 tabs.