cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The herpes simplex virus receptor nectin-1 is down-regulated after trans-interaction with glycoprotein D

During herpes simplex virus (HSV) entry, membrane fusion occurs either on the cell surface or after virus endocytosis. In both cases, binding of glycoprotein D (gD) to a receptor such as nectin-1 or HVEM is required. In this study, we co-cultured cells expressing gD with nectin-1 expressing cells to investigate the effects of gD on nectin-1 at cell contacts. After overnight co-cultures with gD expressing cells, there was a down-regulation of nectin-1 in B78H1-C10, SY5Y, A431 and HeLa cells, which HSV enters by endocytosis. In contrast, on Vero cells, which HSV enters at the plasma membrane, nectin-1 was not down-regulated. Further analysis of B78H1-derived cells showed that nectin-1 down-regulation corresponds to the ability of gD to bind nectin-1 and is achieved by internalization and low-pH-dependent degradation of nectin-1. Moreover, gD is necessary for virion internalization in B78H1 cells expressing nectin-1. These data suggest that the determinants of gD-mediated internalization of nectin-1 may direct HSV to an endocytic pathway during entry.
Flat-plate encapsulation solution for OLED displays using a printed getter

Abstract— The encapsulation of organic light-emitting layers is a key development item on the road-map to OLED commercialization and needs to be resolved in order to compete with the incumbent LCD technology. DuPont™ Drylox™ cover glass is a product developed by DuPont Displays to improve the features of the OLED encapsulation solution. Thin displays, low design cycle time, and substantial reduction in encapsulation cost are the driving forces for the product improvement. This paper discusses permeation theory, describes a manufacturing method, and documents the performance characteristics achieved to date.
Optimization of quantum interferometric metrological sensors in the presence of photon loss

We optimize two-mode entangled number states of light in the presence of loss in order to maximize the extraction of the available phase information in an interferometer. Our approach optimizes over the entire available input Hilbert space with no constraints, other than fixed total initial photon number. We optimize to maximize the Fisher information, which is equivalent to minimizing the phase uncertainty. We find that in the limit of zero loss, the optimal state is the maximally path-entangled so-called N00N state, for small loss, the optimal state gradually deviates from the N00N state, and in the limit of large loss, the optimal state converges to a generalized two-mode coherent state, with a finite total number of photons. The results provide a general protocol for optimizing the performance of a quantum optical interferometer in the presence of photon loss, with applications to quantum imaging, metrology, sensing, and information processing.
Determination of aorta glycosaminoglycans by automated ion-exchange chromatography.

Abstract A procedure for analyzing mixtures of glycosaminoglycans using the Technicon sugar chromatography system is described. Mixtures of standard samples of hyaluronic acid, heparan sulfate, chondroitin sulfates, and heparin were analyzed. The method has been applied to quantitate individual glycosaminoglycans in mixtures isolated from aortas of human, monkey, and dog. Mixtures of chondroitin 4- and 6-sulfates and dermatan sulfate eluted from the column as single peaks and were analyzed by using chondroitinases in the fractions collected using a stream splitter in the system. The results are in good agreement with those obtained previously by other procedures.
Wire length and via reduction for yield enhancement

Wire length reduction along with via minimization results in better performance and higher yield for VLSI circuits. In this paper we present a wire length reduction algorithm for channel routing. The results of our algorithm for a set of benchmark examples are presented. The algorithm produces near optimal results for most of the examples. Surprisingly, our algorithm outperforms most of the previously proposed via minimization algorithms as well. Our results show that both wire length and via minimization problems are closely related to each other but their optimal solutions don't necessarily coincide.© (1996) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Daily routines of body mass gain in birds: 1. An exponential model

Small birds show the greatest rates of body mass gain at dawn and before dusk. Some environmental and internal factors may change the intensity and duration of the first period of body mass gain relative to the second one, and thus may change the shape of daily fattening trajectories. A frequent problem for researchers is setting the periods of the day when each of the main environmental factors operates, because its effects usually decay or increase smoothly from dawn to dusk. We solved this problem by fitting the body mass to time of day with a model generated with a differential approach. This model shows the typical bimodal pattern of daily fattening routines in small birds and allows calculation of the inflexion point, that is, the time of day when the trajectory ends the decelerated period of body mass gain and starts the accelerated increase in body weight. A delay or advance in the inflexion point can be related to environmental stress that may otherwise pass unnoticed. We calculated a mean delay of 10% in the inflexion point in a sample of studies with limited food availability, and a mean advance of 6% in a sample of studies with increased predation risk. The change in the shape of daily trajectories of body mass between stressful and nonstressful conditions was inversely correlated with body mass at dawn.
Offset voltage and space-charge layer capacitance of a linearly graded p-n junction and an abrupt p-n junction

We have calculated the offset voltage for a linearly graded p-n junction and a step junction. The offset voltage can be written as The correction term ΔV given by the above equation is in general difficult to calculate. The analytical methods developed by Gummel and Scharfetter and Chang for a step junction cannot be applied to a linearly graded junction and other types of doping profiles. A unified formula for calculation of the correction term ΔV is derived in this paper. It can be expressed as where A and B are parameters related to the impunity profiles. This formula can be applied not only to a step junction, but also to a linearly graded junction. Although it can be extended to an exponential junction and other diffusion junctions with error-function or Gaussian-doping profile, we are mainly concerned with a linearly graded junction as well as a step junction in this paper. For an abrupt profile, our calculation results in ΔV ≅ 2⋅07kT/q. For a linearly graded junction, ΔV is a function of the applie...
Library Instruction and Information Literacy–1997

This annotated bibliography lists materials dealing with information literacy including instruction in the use of information resources, research, and electronic skills related to retrieving, using, and evaluating information. This review, the twenty‐fourth to be published in Reference Services Review, includes items in English published in 1997. A few items are not annotated because the compiler could not obtain copies of them for this review.
Optical rotation and viscosity of native and denatured proteins. X. Further studies on optical rotatory dispersion.

Abstract The optical rotatory dispersion of serum albumin, α 1 -glycoprotein, metal-binding β-globulin, γ-globulin, Bence-Jones protein, β-lactoglobulin, the α- and β-caseins, trypsinogen, chymotrypsinogen, phosvitin, and arachin was studied by means of the Rudolph photoelectric ultraviolet-range spectropolarimeter. It was found that the one-term Drude equation holds in all instances, and that the dispersion constants of the various proteins differ considerably. The unusually low dispersion constants of native γ-globulins were confirmed with this improved method. The Bence-Jones protein and the γ-globulins were identical in their rotatory dispersion behavior. The dispersion constants of phosvitin depend on the acidity of the solutions in the pH range 4–10.
Kinetics of Arsenopyrite Oxidative Dissolution by Oxygen

Abstract We used a mixed flow reactor system to determine the rate and infer a mechanism for arsenopyrite (FeAsS) oxidation by dissolved oxygen (DO) at 25 °C and circumneutral pH. Results indicate that under circumneutral pH (6.3–6.7), the rate of arsenopyrite oxidation, 10 −10.14±0.03 mol m −2 s −1 , is essentially independent of DO over the geologically significant range of 0.3–17 mg L −1 . Arsenic and sulfur are released from arsenopyrite in an approximate 1:1 molar ratio, suggesting that oxidative dissolution by oxygen under circumneutral pH is congruent. Slower rates of iron release from the reactor indicate that some of the iron is lost from the effluent by oxidation to Fe(III) which subsequently hydrolyzes and precipitates. Using the electrochemical cell model for understanding sulfide oxidation, our results suggest that the rate-determining step in arsenopyrite oxidation is the reduction of water at the anodic site rather than the transfer of electrons from the cathodic site to oxygen as has been suggested for other sulfide minerals such as pyrite.
Learning models and learning environments 1

Abstract Recent research and reviews question the adequacy of psychological models for research on instruction and learning. Six models—stimulus variation, organismic variation, multiple variation, interaction, stimulus mediation, and goal setting‐may be, in some cases, too simple and, in other cases, too complex to account for classroom learning. Perceptions of the social environment can make the models more parsimonious, serve as potent covariates, and account for additional variance in instructional research; they can also serve as interesting independent or dependent variables in social‐psychological inquiry. Several important generalizations can be made about social environments; and a number of research problems and priorities can be identified in the areas of theory, validity, evaluation, and educational goals.
Clinical Features of Ileal Pouch Polyps in Patients with Underlying Ulcerative Colitis

Polypoid lesions rarely occur in the ileal pouch in ulcerative colitis patients after restorative proctocolectomy. Clinical features, malignant potential, and management of pouch polyps have not been characterized. We identified 23 ulcerative colitis patients with large polyps (size≥1 cm) of the ileal pouch from our 2,512-case ulcerative colitis pouch database. Demographic, clinical, endoscopic, and histologic data were reviewed. The Pouchitis Disease Activity Index symptom score (range, 0–6) was used to quantify patients’ symptoms before and after polypectomy. Of the 23 patients, 95.7 percent (22 patients) had pouch endoscopy indicated for the evaluation of symptoms when polyps were detected, and 60.9 percent of patients had the polyps in the pouch, 26.1 percent in the anal transitional zone, and 21.7 percent in the afferent limb. The mean size of pouch polyps was 1.9 cm ± 1 cm. Twenty-one patients (91.3 percent) had concomitant pouchitis, cuffitis, or Crohn’s disease. On histology, 21 patients (91.3 percent) had inflammatory-type polyps, and 2 (8.7 percent) had dysplastic or malignant polyps. In 18 patients who had endoscopic polypectomy with concurrent medical therapy, the prepolypectomy and postpolypectomy mean symptom scores were 3.4 ± 1.7 and 1.1 ± 1.2 points, respectively (P = 0.015). Two patients (8.7 percent) had pouch excision for malignancy or for concomitant chronic refractory pouchitis. The majority of patients with large ileal pouch polyps were symptomatic. These polyps were typically detected on the background of pouchitis, cuffitis, or Crohn’s disease. Although the majority of polyps were inflammatory type, polyps in two patients were dysplastic or malignant. Endoscopic polypectomy with concomitant medical therapy seemed to improve patients’ symptom scores.
Development of microporosity in a micritic limestone reservoir, Lower Cretaceous, Middle East

Abstract Abundant intercrystalline microporosity is developed within the matrix of micritic limestones over several hundreds of meters of section in the Thamama Group (Lower Cretaceous) at Sajaa field, eastern U.A.E. Sediments in the upper Shuaiba Formation (uppermost Tamama Group) include muddy rudist-algal, coralgal and Orbitolina dominated lithofacies. Matrix is composed of euhedral to subhedral, micro-rhombic, low-Mg calcite crystals with average diameters of about 5 μm. Microporosity development was not related to leaching (chalkification of lithified micrite) during post-depositional emergence of the Shuaiba Formation. Features diagnostic of emergence are lacking in core below the upper contact of the unit. Matrix microporosity is believed to have been an early-developed property of micritic limestones. Trace element compositions of matrix reflect a diagenetic process that involved conversion of a calcitic lime mud into micro-rhombic micrite and microspar. Using a closed system geochemical model, the observed matrix oxygen isotope compositions ( σ 18 O of −4 to −5% PDB) are compatible with dissolution of Aptian lime mud ( σ 18 O of −2% PDB) and reprecipitation of calcite in fluids of marine composition under conditions corresponding to burial depths of 550–800 m (porosity of 30–50% at 40–50°C). Closed-system conditions are consistent with textural constraints for limited or arrested cementation in the matrix. Chemical compaction was responsible for partial occlusion of matrix microporosity, as microporosity is decreased in zones of intense stylolitization. Slight corrosion of matrix crystals and leaching of peloids and Orbitolina postdated cementation and chemical compaction during deep burial.
Androgen modulation of prostate cancer cell androgen receptor content is cell line specific

Using methods for cell lysis and fractionation which yield essentially quantitative recovery of rat prostate cancer cell cytosolic and nuclear androgen receptors, we examined androgen modulation of androgen receptor content of clonally derived prostate cancer cell lines. We showed that testosterone elicited a concentration-dependent 2.3-fold increase in T5 cell androgen receptor content which was maximum after 48 h and was maintained through at least 72 h of culture. Testosterone caused only a 1.4-fold elevation in D2 cell androgen receptor content which was maximum between 6 and 12 h of culture and was maintained through at least 72 h culture. In contrast, testosterone did not cause a change in C3 cell androgen receptor content. Cycloheximide inhibition showed that both the testosterone-mediated increase in and maintenance of basal prostate cancer cell androgen receptor content required protein synthesis. Because testosterone and the nonmetabolizable androgen R1881 were essentially equipotent as effectors of the increase in T5 cell androgen receptor content, findings using testosterone appear to represent maximum effects. RU 23908 antagonized both R1881 and testosterone promoted elevations of prostate cancer cell androgen receptor content. Effectiveness of RU 23908 was comparable to the relative binding affinity of R1881, testosterone and RU 23908 for androgen receptors. This implies that at least part of the androgen-promoted increase in prostate cancer cell androgen receptor content is mediated through the action of androgen receptors and suggests that androgen receptors may act as both cis and trans regulatory elements. The mechanisms which determine basal or androgen-modulated prostate cancer cell androgen receptor content remain to be elucidated.
A phase II trial of extracorporeal plasma immunoadsorption of patient plasma with PROSORBA columns for treating metastatic breast cancer.

Background. Circulating immune complexes (CIC) have been implicated as a cause of malignancy-associated immunosuppression and disease progression. Previous attempts to remove CIC by pheresis or immunoadsorption over a Staphylococcus aureus protein A column have resulted in a few clinical responses, however the relationship between removal of CIC and tumor response in these trials is not clear. Based on these data, a Phase II trial of immunoadsorption over a Staphylococcus aureus protein A column was initiated for patients with metastatic breast cancer. The authors sought to correlate clinical response with amount of CIC eluted from the columns after immunoadsorption. Methods. The potential role of extracorporeal immunoadsorption was determined using protein A columns in treating patients with advanced breast cancer. An immunoadsorbent column composed of protein A was bound covalently to an inert silica matrix (PROSORBA [IMRE Corporation, Seattle, WA] column). Patients underwent a 3-hour on-line procedure phlebotomizing 2000 ml of whole blood. Patient plasma was passed over PROSORBA columns to remove immunoglobulin G (IgG) and IgG-related CIC. The treated plasma then was reunited with formed elements and reinfused into the patient. Patients were treated three times per week for a total of 4 weeks. Analyses of tumor-associated Lex-containing CIC adsorbed on PROSORBA columns were performed using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay technique with a monoclonal antibody specific for the Lex moiety. Results. Sixteen patients were entered in this Phase II study, with a mean age of 57 years (range, 40-69 years). All patients received prior treatment for Stage IV breast cancer. The median number of PROSORBA treatments was 12 (range, 1-15 treatments). No toxicities or major objective responses were seen noted the 16 patients. One patient with severe chest wall pain had a symptomatic response. The remaining patients all had disease progression. Analyses of column eluates from 11 patients in this study revealed no detectable Lex-containing immune complexes when compared with control subjects. Conclusions. Immunoadsorption over a Staphylococcus aureus Protein A column had no meaningful antitumor activity in patients with advanced breast cancer. In this cohort of patients, an elevated level of Lex CIC was not confirmed in the eluates of the column compared with a control group of patients without cancer.
The localization model of rubber elasticity and the deformation of a network formed by cross-linking a strained melt

The localization model of rubber elasticity is applied to the deformation behavior of a network formed by cross-linking a strained melt.
Maintenance Therapy in Epithelial Ovarian Cancer: Rationale and Results

Abstract Although ovarian cancer is highly sensitive to chemotherapy, the majority of patients experience recurrence. As a result, it is rational to consider a maintenance strategy to improve overall survival (even if it does not increase the rate of “cure”) and delay the time to symptomatic disease progression. Although a phase III trial of single-agent paclitaxel delivered on a monthly schedule for 12 cycles after the attainment of a clinically defined complete response to primary chemotherapy revealed a substantial improvement in progression-free survival, the effect of this strategy on overall survival remains unresolved. Hopefully, the role of maintenance therapy in patients with ovarian cancer will be defined by ongoing and future trials.
Effect Of (-)-epigallocatechin Gallate (EGCG), A Green Tea Extract, On Excitation-contraction Coupling Of Murine Cardiomyocytes

Background: Polyphenolic compounds, green tea, reportedly have protective benefit for cardiovascular disease, but the mechanism(s) are unknown. We have recently found that green tea extracts such as (-)-epigallocatechin gallate(EGCG) bind to skeletal and cardiac ryanodine receptor(RyR) Ca2+-release channels. Here we examined the effect of EGCG(1μM, 100nM, 10nM) on cell shortening and Ca2+ kinetics in field-stimulated murine ventricular cardiomyocytes loaded with Fura-2AM and on cardiac RyR channels incorporated in lipid bilayers. Results: EGCG at 10 nM already maximally increased myocytes fractional shortening(%FS): ECGC 5.6±0.7, N=19, vs. Vehicle, 2.2±0.3, N=25, p 30-fold prolonging mean open time 15-fold without altering unitary conductance. EGCG did not alter SR Ca2+ loading capacity in the presence of RyR channel blocker ruthenium red. Taken together, these data suggest that EGCG enhances contractility of intact myocytes via its action on RyR channels. SR Ca2+ depletion is prevented by EGCG's concomitant inhibition of the NCX. Conclusions: EGCG potently modulates cardiac excitation contraction coupling by acting on RyR and possibly on L-type Ca2+-channel and NaCa exchanger. Supported by R01HL71670, R01HL88635, and R01AR43140
Fibrinolytic and fibrinogen clotting enzymes present in the venoms of western diamondback rattlesnake, Crotalus atrox, eastern diamondback rattlesnake, Crotalus adamanteus, and southern pacific rattlesnake, Crotalus viridis helleri

Abstract Crotalus adamenteus and C. viridis helleri have both fibrinolytic and fibrinogen clotting activities, whereas C. atrox has strong fibrinolytic activity but no detectable fibrinogen clotting activity. Fractionation of crude venom on Sephadex G-100 revealed that C. atrox has two separate fibrinolytic activities with mol. wts of 60,000 and 21,500. C. adamanteus has fibrinolytic and fibrinogen clotting activities that co-elute in the mol. wt region of 35,000. C. viridis helleri contains fibrinolytic activity with mol. wt of 21,500 and fibrinogen clotting activity with a mol. wt of 92,000. Since there is clinical interest in the possible therapeutic application of fibrinolytic and defibrinogenating agents in certain medical disorders which involve fibrin deposition, it will be of value to study enzymes with fibrinolytic and thrombin-like activity from venoms of snakes indigenous to the North American continent.
Suppression of serotogenic neuronal firing by α-adrenoceptor antagonists: Evidence against gaba mediation

Recent pharmacological studies have shown that administration of alpha-adrenoceptor antagonists, either systemically or locally in the vicinity of 5-HT cells of the dorsal raphe, suppresses their firing activity. In light of the prominent NE innervation of the dorsal raphe nucleus, these findings suggest that blockade of NE transmission in the dorsal raphe by these drugs underlies the suppression produced. The finding that systemic administration of picrotoxin, a GABA antagonist, partially reverses the suppression of 5-HT cells produced by systemic application of alpha-adrenoceptor antagonists led to the proposal that GABA interneurons located within the dorsal raphe mediate this suppression of 5-HT cell firing. This proposal has been tested, in this study, by examining the ability of two GABA antagonists, picrotoxin and bicuculline methiodide, when applied iontophoretically to reverse the suppression produced by two alpha-adrenoceptor antagonists, WB-4101 and phentolamine. First, evidence is presented that WB-4101 and phentolamine suppress 5-HT cell firing specifically by their blockade of alpha-adrenoreceptors. Second, the inability of both GABA antagonists tested to interfere with the suppression produced by these alpha-adrenoceptor antagonists is reported. These findings provide evidence against the proposal that GABA mediates the suppression of 5-HT cells by alpha-adrenoceptor antagonists.
Registering Visual Permeability in Architecture: Isovists and Occlusion Maps in AutoLISP

In this paper the design and execution of a simple AutoLISP routine for generating a map of plan isovists (in the sense of Benedikt) are discussed. Such a plan field of isovists is a registration of visibility from multiple station points within and around a building. More precisely, the plan field records the cumulative effect, over a spatial matrix, of occluded vision of a distant horizon. Thus, the plan field is termed an occlusion map. An occlusion map registers the effect which an observer's position in space has on their perception of architecture's visual permeability. Occlusion maps are shown here to be an important tool for comparing existing buildings in a historical sense and also as an effective design tool, particularly when an addition to an existing building is being contemplated, as an addition invariably affects the visual permeability of its host.
Optimal care of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and coronary artery disease.

Abstract Although cardiovascular mortality rates for the general population have declined during the past several decades, mortality among individuals with diabetes mellitus has increased. Given that the prevalence of type 2 diabetes is increasing dramatically and that current treatment strategies appear inadequate, there is a critical need for well-designed studies to address treatment of coronary artery disease in patients with diabetes to help guide clinical decision making in this setting. The Bypass Angioplasty Revascularization Investigation (BARI)–2D focuses on 2 specific treatment issues in the management of patients with type 2 diabetes. The first issue is the incremental value of early use of coronary revascularization procedures, and the second is the value of treating with an insulin-sensitizing agent versus an insulin-providing therapy. It is essential to determine whether treatment to enhance insulin sensitivity improves cardiovascular survival. Data indicate that outcomes of patients with diabetes and myocardial infarction are improved by administration of insulin or a regimen of glucose, insulin, and potassium (GIK). The Diabetes Mellitus Insulin-Glucose Infusion in Acute Myocardial Infarction (DIGAMI) study showed that administration of an insulin infusion followed by subcutaneous insulin therapy for ≥3 months improved the long-term prognosis of diabetic patients with acute myocardial infarction. However, there appears to be a lack of acceptance of these interventions by health care providers. Clinical trials of GIK and insulin sensitizers are needed to define further the optimal treatment of patients with type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
Serious adverse vascular events associated with perioperative interruption of antiplatelet and anticoagulant therapy.

background. Antithrombotic medications may increase perioperative bleeding during cutaneous surgery. Whether to discontinue these medications before surgery is controversial. objective. To evaluate the available evidence in order to generate preliminary guidelines regarding the perioperative use of antithrombotics. methods. Presentation of two cases of adverse events after preoperative discontinuation of antithrombotics, review of current anticoagulant and antiplatelet drugs, and review of the literature concerning perioperative antithrombotics in cutaneous surgery. results. Perioperative withholding of antithrombotics in cutaneous surgery may be associated with serious adverse vascular events. Continuing antithrombotics in these circumstances does not appear to significantly increase bleeding complications. The complexity of available antithrombotics makes case-by-case determinations regarding their use difficult. conclusion. Cutaneous surgeons should strongly consider perioperative continuation of patients' antithrombotic drugs. The final determination should be made by the surgeon after evaluation of the circumstances and, if necessary, consultation with other experts.
New mammalian selenocysteine-containing proteins identified with an algorithm that searches for selenocysteine insertion sequence elements.

Mammalian selenium-containing proteins identified thus far contain selenium in the form of a selenocysteine residue encoded by UGA. These proteins lack common amino acid sequence motifs, but 3′-untranslated regions of selenoprotein genes contain a common stem-loop structure, selenocysteine insertion sequence (SECIS) element, that is necessary for decoding UGA as selenocysteine rather than a stop signal. We describe here a computer program, SECISearch, that identifies mammalian selenoprotein genes by recognizing SECIS elements on the basis of their primary and secondary structures and free energy requirements. When SECISearch was applied to search human dbEST, two new mammalian selenoproteins, designated SelT and SelR, were identified. We determined their cDNA sequences and expressed them in a monkey cell line as fusion proteins with a green fluorescent protein. Incorporation of selenium into new proteins was confirmed by metabolic labeling with 75Se, and expression of SelT was additionally documented in immunoblot assays. SelT and SelR did not have homology to previously characterized proteins, but their putative homologs were detected in various organisms. SelR homologs were present in every organism characterized by complete genome sequencing. The data suggest applicability of SECISearch for identification of new selenoprotein genes in nucleotide data bases.
Upregulation of nuclear factor-κB expression by SLURP-1 is mediated by α7-nicotinic acetylcholine receptor and involves both ionic events and activation of protein kinases

SLURP-1 (secreted mammalian Ly-6/urokinase plasminogen activator receptor-related protein-1) is a novel auto/paracrine cholinergic peptide that can bind to α(7)-nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR), a high Ca(2+)-permeable ion channel coupled to regulation of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) expression. Elucidation of intracellular signaling events elicited by SLURP-1 is crucial for understanding the molecular mechanism of functioning of this novel hormone-like peptide that alters vital cell functions and can protect from tumorigenic transformation. In this study, we sought to dissect out the role of α(7)-nAChR in mediating the biologic effects of recombinant SLURP-1 on the immortalized line of human oral keratinocytes Het-1A. A multifold upregulation of the NF-κB expression at the mRNA and protein levels by SLURP-1 was only slightly diminished due to elimination of Na(+), whereas in Ca(2+)-free medium the effect of SLURP-1 was inhibited by >50%. Both in the absence of extracellular Ca(2+) and in the presence of Cd(2+) or Zn(2+), the SLURP-1-dependent elevation of NF-κB was almost completely blocked by inhibiting MEK1 activity. Downstream of α(7)-nAChR, the SLURP-1 signaling coupled to upregulation of NF-κB also involved Jak2 as well as Ca(2+)/calmodulin-dependent kinase II (CaMKII) and protein kinase C (PKC), whose inhibition significantly (P < 0.05) reduced the SLURP-1-induced upregulation of NF-κB. The obtained results indicated that activation of α(7)-nAChR by SLURP-1 leads to upregulation of the NF-κB gene expression due to activation of the Raf-1/MEK1/ERK1/2 cascade that proceeds via two complementary signaling pathways. One is mediated by the Ca(2+)-entry dependent CaMKII/PKC activation and another one by Ca(2+)-independent involvement of Jak2. Thus, there exists a previously not appreciated network of noncanonical auto/paracrine ligands of nAChR of the Ly-6 protein family, which merits further investigations.
Left ventricular lead electrical delay predicts response to cardiac resynchronization therapy

Background Intracardiac electrograms can be used to guide left ventricular (LV) lead placement during implantation of cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) devices. Although attempts often are made to ensure that the LV lead is positioned at a site of maximal electrical delay, information on whether this is useful in predicting the acute hemodynamic response and long-term clinical outcome to CRT is limited. Objectives The purpose of this study was to assess the ability of intracardiac (electrogram) measurements made during LV lead placement in patients undergoing CRT for predicting acute hemodynamic response and long-term clinical outcome to CRT. Methods Seventy-one subjects with standard indications for CRT underwent electrogram measurements and echocardiograms performed in the acute phase of this study. The LV lead electrical delay was measured intraoperatively from the onset of the surface ECG QRS complex to the onset of the sensed electrogram on the LV lead, as a percentage of the baseline QRS interval. Echocardiographic assessment of the hemodynamic response to CRT was measured as an intra-individual percentage change in dP/dt over baseline (ΔdP/dt, derived from the mitral regurgitation Doppler profile) with CRT on and off. dP/dt was measurable in 48 subjects, and acute responders to CRT were defined as those with ΔdP/dt ≥25%. Long-term response was measured as a combined endpoint of hospitalization for heart failure and/or all cause mortality at 12 months. Time to the primary endpoint was estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method, with comparisons made using the log rank test. Results LV lead electrical delay correlated weakly with ΔdP/dt of the combined group (n = 48, r=0.311, P = .029) but was strongly correlated with ΔdP/dt in the nonischemic subgroup (n = 20, r=0.48, P = .027). LV lead electrical delay (%) was significantly longer in acute responders (69.6 ± 23.9 vs 31.95 ± 11.57, P = .002) among patients with nonischemic cardiomyopathy. A reduced LV lead electrical delay ( P = .032) as well as when stratified into ischemic and nonischemic subgroups. Conclusion Measuring LV lead electrical delay is useful during CRT device implantation because it may help predict hemodynamic response and long-term clinical outcome.
Pollinator floral provisioning by a plant invader: quantifying beneficial effects of detrimental species

Aim Although the negative effects of invasive species are globally recognized, little is known about the potential positive impacts they can have on other species in the ecosystems they invade. However, the persistence of invaders in a wide range of ecological communities may mean that they provide resources and refuge for threatened native species, or supplement ecosystem services. Location Agroecosystems in the USA. Methods We use a 2-year field experiment to explore the potential positive and negative impacts of an invasive thistle (Carduus acanthoides) on the composition of the resident community of foraging insects. The presence or absence of the thistle was the only difference in experimental and control plots comprising a background community of ten flowering annual species. Results We demonstrate that the invasive thistle is both highly visited and strongly preferred by bees relative to other flowering species. Bee abundance was 302% higher and bee species richness 35% higher in habitat patches where the thistle was present compared to where it was absent. In addition, the abundance of Bombus species, a native group recently found to be in decline, was 479% higher when the thistle was present. Main conclusions Our results suggest that, despite causing significant problems, the invasion of this non-native species may also provide crucial benefits via floral resources for pollinators. Benefits, such as the floral resources that invaders provide to pollinators, should also be taken into account in conservation and invader management plans. Eradication or complete removal of invasive species which provision insects with floral resources could have unintended negative impacts on the associated pollinator community.
Extracellular Electron Transfer to Fe(III) Oxides by the Hyperthermophilic Archaeon Geoglobus ahangari via a Direct Contact Mechanism

The microbial reduction of Fe(III) plays an important role in the geochemistry of hydrothermal systems, yet it is poorly understood at the mechanistic level. Here we show that the obligate Fe(III)-reducing archaeon Geoglobus ahangari uses a direct-contact mechanism for the reduction of Fe(III) oxides to magnetite at 85°C. Alleviating the need to directly contact the mineral with the addition of a chelator or the electron shuttle anthraquinone-2,6-disulfonate (AQDS) stimulated Fe(III) reduction. In contrast, entrapment of the oxides within alginate beads to prevent cell contact with the electron acceptor prevented Fe(III) reduction and cell growth unless AQDS was provided. Furthermore, filtered culture supernatant fluids had no effect on Fe(III) reduction, ruling out the secretion of an endogenous mediator too large to permeate the alginate beads. Consistent with a direct contact mechanism, electron micrographs showed cells in intimate association with the Fe(III) mineral particles, which once dissolved revealed abundant curled appendages. The cells also produced several heme-containing proteins. Some of them were detected among proteins sheared from the cell's outer surface and were required for the reduction of insoluble Fe(III) oxides but not for the reduction of the soluble electron acceptor Fe(III) citrate. The results thus support a mechanism in which the cells directly attach and transfer electrons to the Fe(III) oxides using redox-active proteins exposed on the cell surface. This strategy confers on G. ahangari a competitive advantage for accessing and reducing Fe(III) oxides under the extreme physical and chemical conditions of hot ecosystems.
Renal Disease, Homocysteine, and Cardiovascular Complications

Cardiovascular morbidity and mortality remain major problems in the end stage renal disease population.1 Patients with mild or moderate degrees of renal insufficiency are also at increased risk of a similar fate.2 The causes of this poor cardiovascular prognosis in patients with renal disease are complex although many abnormalities occur in patients with renal dysfunction which predispose to such complications. Prime among these must be hypertension and diabetes, but other abnormalities also occur, including disorders of lipid metabolism.3 In the Hoorn study of mild renal insufficiency,2 other significant risk factors for cardiovascular mortality included age, body mass index, a rising pulse pressure, and a prior history of cardiovascular disease. Increasing levels of C-reactive protein, von Willebrand factor, soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule 1, and serum creatinine, as well as the presence of microalbuminuria, were also significant. In addition, increases of asymmetric dimethylarginine have been noted in patients with early chronic renal disease.4 It is unclear if some of these abnormalities are a cause or a result of the underlying metabolic derangement produced by renal dysfunction. See p 369 Attention has also focused on homocysteine as a risk factor for vascular disease in patients with chronic renal insufficiency and end stage renal disease. It has been known for many years that the metabolism of homocysteine and other sulfur-containing amino acids becomes deranged in these patients; in 1980, Wilcken et al5 found an accumulation of cysteine and homocysteine in patients on maintenance hemodialysis. In end-stage renal disease populations on hemodialysis, median …
Distinctive Features Should Be Learned

Most existing machine vision systems perform recognition based on a fixed set of hand-crafted features, geometric models, or eigen-subspace decomposition. Drawing from psychology, neuroscience and intuition, we show that certain aspects of human performance in visual discrimination cannot be explained by any of these techniques. We argue that many practical recognition tasks for artificial vision systems operating under uncontrolled conditions critically depend on incremental learning. Loosely motivated by visuocortical processing, we present feature representations and learning methods that perform biologically plausible functions. The paper concludes with experimental results generated by our method.
Preparation and Characterization of High-Purity Metal Fluorides for Photonic Applications†

fluorozirconate glass ZBLANI:Yb 3+ (ZrF4–BaF2–LaF3–AlF3– NaF–InF3–YbF3), a solid-state laser-cooling material, is used as a test case to quantitatively assess the effectiveness of the purification method. The reduction of transition-metal and oxygen-based impurities is quantified directly by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and indirectly by laser-induced cooling, respectively. The concentrations of Cu, Fe, Co, Ni, V, Cr, Mn, and Zn impurities in the ZrCl2O precursor solution were measured individually by ICP-MS at various stages of the purification process. CASE was found to reduce the total transition-metal concentration from 72500 to ~100 ppb. Laser cooling was most efficient in ZBLANI:Yb 3+ glass fabricated from CASE-purified metal fluoride precursors, confirming the results of the ICP-MS analysis and demonstrating the effectiveness of the purification methods in a finished optical material. High-purity metal fluorides prepared by the methods presented herein will enable new high-performance optical materials for solid-state optical refrigerators, crystals for vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) spectroscopy of the Thorium-229 nucleus, VUV optics, fibers, and thin-film coatings.
Simulated augmented reality windshield display as a cognitive mapping aid for elder driver navigation

A common effect of aging is decline in spatial cognition. This is an issue for all elders, but particularly for elder drivers. To address this driving issue, we propose a novel concept of an in-vehicle navigation display system that displays navigation information directly onto the vehicle's windshield, superimposing it on the driver's view of the actual road. An evaluation of our simulated version of this display shows that it results in a significant reduction in navigation errors and distraction-related measures compared to a typical in-car navigation display for elder drivers. These results help us understand how context-sensitive information and a simulated augmented reality representation can be combined to minimize the cognitive load in translating between virtual/information spaces and the real world.
Event flow hydrograph-based method for shear velocity estimation

Due to the lack of a simple method for finding the shear velocity during flood events, most sediment resuspension or transport models either resort to complex numerical models requiring detailed input data or rely on uniform steady flow formula. Here a practical method for estimating the shear velocity of unsteady flow is presented by using the flow hydrograph and channel geometry data. Using equations for open channel flow, formulas for shear velocity are derived in terms of discharge gradient, representing the friction slope of unsteady flow in prismatic channels. Applications of the new method using published experimental data and simulated results indicate that the method is comparable with existing methods in terms of accuracy but requires less input data. This method is particularly applicable to natural floods in relatively straight reaches of lowland rivers where the non-inertia wave approximation to the Saint-Venant equations is theoretically appropriate.
Recent changes in leadership styles in medical educational organizations

T HE LEADERS of medical educational organizations at divisional, departmental, and college levels were a stable and enduring group in the 20 yr following World War II. Typically, individuals between their mid 30’s and late 40’s in age accepted leadership and continued in those positions for most of the remainder of their professional life time, often 20 or 25 yr. In the mid to late 1960’s this pattern began to change, and the more common recent pattern has been for deans, department chairmen, and divisional heads to remain at a particular post only 5-10 years. This change often has resulted in 10%20% of the posts being vacant at any one time, and there are numerous examples of acting, interim, or other temporary appointments. Given that there are now close to 120 medical schools, there will usually be 12-25 vacancies in a particular category of positions at any one point in time. Formal and informal communication among leaders in the fields originally involved viewed this situation with alarm.‘-4 Without continuity and longevity of Ieadership, many felt that medical education and their institutions would become chaotic and disorganized. Others felt that the more rapid turnover was a consequence of the societal situations and that it represented a rational response to a complicated social situation which promoted temporary organizational forms and leaders. This paper will attempt to analyze the reasons for this change, to make judgments about its consequences, and to comment on advantages and disadvantages. It is also stimulated by the author’s personal experiences, which although somewhat unusual in the past, probably will not be so unusual in the future. In the 17 yr since I completed residency training, I have twice been called upon the fulfill acting or interim roles, once as a departmental chairman in psychiatry and the second time as the dean of a medical college. The first occasion was at the University of Chicago for 3 yr, and the second was at the University of Cincinnati for 21/z yr. In addition, for a 4-yr period, I occupied a slightly different type of transitional leadership position when I was Associate Dean for Social and Community Medicine at the University of Chicago. In this situation, the position was created and thus oriented toward attempts to change a stable organization to meet a changed and demanding social situation in nearby communities. At the outset, it was estimated that it would not be possible to continue at the post for longer than 5 yr. Thus, more than one-half of the first half of my professional life time was in jobs which were thought of by all involved as temporary or transitional arrangements.
Statistics and Climate

For a statistician, climate is the distribution of weather and other variables that are part of the climate system. This distribution changes over time. This review considers some aspects of climate data, climate model assessment, and uncertainty estimation pertinent to climate issues, focusing mainly on temperatures. Some interesting methodological needs that arise from these issues are also considered.
Response to Wall

John Wall's review argues correctly that the academy pays too much attention to the needs and desires of adults, often at the expense of the welfare of children; he is also right to point out that evangelical Protestant efforts to focus on the family are overly therapeutic and privatistic. But his ethical agenda for fatherhood is neither the most sociologically wise nor the most theologically sound path to the renewal of Christian fatherhood. Specifically, Wall is insufficiently attentive to the enduring challenge that the "male problematic" poses to the integration of fathers into families.
Current state of screening for bladder cancer

Bladder cancer is the fourth most commonly diagnosed cancer in men and the eighth most common cancer in women in the USA. Efforts to reduce mortality from bladder cancer must focus on three areas: prevention, development of effective therapies for muscle-invasive and metastatic disease, and early detection of potentially invasive lesions while they are still superficial and amenable to less morbid, but still effective, treatments. As more effective therapies for metastatic transitional cell carcinoma are not on the immediate horizon and preventive measures (except for smoking cessation) have been disappointing, if we are to reduce this disease's morbidity and mortality rates significantly, early detection strategies need to be improved and implemented. The goal of screening for any type of cancer is to detect the disease in its early stages in order to increase the chances for cure or prolongation of life (before micro or gross metastases occur). Since all patients who die of bladder cancer do so from metastases and since almost all patients with metastases have muscle-invading cancers appearing as the first bladder cancer event, diagnosing cancers destined to become muscle invading before they actually are should reduce bladder cancer mortality. This special report reviews the current state of bladder cancer screening in the USA.