cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Myotoxicity associated with lipid-lowering drugs.

Purpose of review Lipid-lowering drugs are associated with myotoxicity, which ranges in severity from myalgias to rhabdomyolysis resulting in renal failure and death. Although rhabdomyolysis is rare, muscle symptoms and serum creatine kinase elevations are sufficiently frequent during the course of lipid-lowering drug therapy to pose diagnostic challenges for the clinician. Progress in our understanding of this form of myotoxicity is reviewed. Recent findings Muscle pain and weakness are the cardinal symptoms and often interfere with vigorous exercise. These symptoms may occur with or without serum creatine kinase elevations. The risk of myotoxicity is increased by combination statin-fibrate therapy as well as by factors that elevate tissue levels of the lipid-lowering drug, including the dose, drug-drug interactions, and host factors. Underlying neuromuscular diseases may become clinically apparent during statin therapy and may predispose to myotoxicity. The pathophysiology of myotoxicity most probably involves metabolic effects of the statins on the isoprenoid pool and on mitochondrial function. Summary Management of myotoxicity requires an evaluation of risk factors prior to prescribing lipid-lowering drugs, attention to muscle symptoms, and withdrawal of drug in the event of significant abnormalities.
Expression and reconstitution of a biologically active human interferon-gamma receptor in hamster cells.

We report the expression of the human interferon-gamma (Hu-IFN-gamma) receptor from a cDNA clone in an animal cell where both stable expression of the cloned receptor as well as its biological activity is demonstrated for the first time. Biological activity of the receptor (i.e. expression of surface histocompatibility antigens in response to human interferon-gamma) requires the presence of human chromosome 21 demonstrating the requirement for at least one other species-specific factor in the modulation of receptor action. This system should now facilitate delineation of regions involved in the binding of human interferon-gamma and receptor signal transduction.
Modulation of the immune response toward allografts in vivo: I. Selective suppression of the development of cell-mediated immunity by soluble alloantigens☆

Abstract Mice injected with single or multiple doses of soluble alloantigen extracts (SAE) derived from H-2 b cells failed to develop thymus dependent cell-mediated immunity (CMI) upon subsequent immunization with EL-4 (H-2 b ) tumor allograft. By contrast, the humoral response was only slightly affected. Nevertheless, the mice rejected the tumor allograft with no sign of enhancement. Suppression of cell-mediated immunity (SCMI) was obtained with SAE prepared from either tumor or spleen cells and was shown to be specific, i.e., SAE derived from sources histoincompatible with the allografted cells had no effect. The best conditions used to demonstrate specific SCMI were the following: (A) the alloantigen must be soluble; (B) the SAE must be administered prior to tumor inoculation; (C) multiple injections of SAE were more effective than single injection; (D) it was best observed with suboptimal tumor dose inoculums. Mice treated with a single dose of SAE showed appreciable blocking activity in their serum prior to tumor inoculation. Blocking, however, was not detected in the serum of mice injected with multiple injections of soluble alloantigen. These findings offered possible mechanisms for SCMI (afferent and/or central blocking). We conclude from these results that SAE preferentially suppress the formation of T-cytotoxic cells but not the T-helper cells. This preferential effect is discussed in view of its importance in promoting graft survival.
Uncoupling two functions of the U1 small nuclear ribonucleoprotein particle during in vitro splicing.

Abstract To probe functions of the U1 small nuclear ribonucleoprotein particle (snRNP) during in vitro splicing, we have used unusual splicing substrates which replace the 5' splice site region of an adenovirus substrate with spliced leader (SL) RNA sequences from Leptomonas collosoma or Caenorhabditis elegans. In agreement with previous results (J.P. Bruzik and J.A. Steitz, Cell 62:889-899, 1990), we find that oligonucleotide-targeted RNase H destruction of the 5' end of U1 snRNA inhibits the splicing of a standard adenovirus splicing substrate but not of the SL RNA-containing substrates. However, use of an antisense 2'-O-methyl oligoribonucleotide that disrupts the first stem of U1 snRNA as well as stably sequestering positions of U1 snRNA involved in 5' and 3' splice site recognition inhibits the splicing of both the SL constructs and the standard adenovirus substrate. The 2'-O-methyl oligoribonucleotide is no more effective than RNase H pretreatment in preventing pairing of U1 with the 5' splice site, as assessed by inhibition of psoralen cross-link formation between the SL RNA-containing substrate and U1. The 2'-O-methyl oligoribonucleotide does not alter the protein composition of the U1 monoparticle or deplete the system of essential splicing factors. Native gel analysis indicates that the 2'-O-methyl oligoribonucleotide inhibits splicing by diminishing the formation of splicing complexes. One interpretation of these results is that removal of the 5' end of U1 inhibits base pairing in a different way than sequestering the same sequence with a complementary oligoribonucleotide. Alternatively, our data may indicate that two elements near the 5' end of U1 RNA normally act during spliceosome assembly; the extreme 5' end base pairs with the 5' splice site, while the sequence or structural integrity of stem I is essential for some additional function. It follows that different introns may differ in their use of the repertoire of U1 snRNP functions.
Traction-limited longitudinal acceleration map for front-, rear-, and all-wheel drive vehicles

The equations governing the longitudinal motion of a vehicle are derived, including rolling resistance, drag, lift, and grade effects. By assuming that the drive wheels are at the traction limit, the equations can be coupled and solved closed–form for the traction–limited acceleration, in terms of drag, grade, and vehicle parameter inspection of the resulting equation shows that acceleration is a linear function of drag, with grade as a parameter. Maximum level–ground acceleration, lap speed, and maximum grade capability are found to be special cases of the general resulting equation. The effects of the location of the centre of gravity, centre of pressure, and choice of drive wheels (front or rear) on traction–limited performance are discussed. Graphical interpretations of the vehicle form balances are also included.
Mechanical Properties Evolution of Polydimethylsiloxane during Crosslinking Process

This paper reports mechanical properties evolution of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) during the crosslinking process. In this work, PDMS crosslinking was induced by mixing base prepolymer and curing agent at certain ratios. The liquid prepolymer was spun coated on a silicon wafer, and the curvature change of the wafer was measured continuously using a curvature measurement system. The relationship between the curvature change and typical mechanical properties was investigated using a bilayer model; and the evolution of the properties was derived, as a function of operational parameters. This work is expected to help better understanding of the crosslinking process and provide practical strategies for controlling the mechanical behavior of the resulting polymer structures, especially those for mechanical sensing applications.
COGNITIVE PROCESSING DEFICITS AND STUDENTS WITH SPECIFIC LEARNING DISABILITIES: A SELECTIVE META-ANALYSIS OF THE LITERATURE

Many practitioners and state education agency staff would likely agree that the accuracy and consistency of specific learning disability (SLD) eligibility decisions is in need of improvement. One component of the SLD definition particularly controversial in the identification procedures is the evaluation of cognitive processes, primarily due to a lack of information about the role they might play in informing an SLD diagnosis and eligi bility for special education services. A meta-analysis of 32 studies was conducted to examine the cognitive processing differences between students with SLD and typically achieving peers. The analysis found moderately large to large effect sizes in cognitive processing differences between groups of students with SLD and typically achieving students. These differences are of sufficient magnitude to justify including measures of cognitive processing ability in the evaluation and identification of SLD.
Glial recovery patterns in rat corpus callosum after X irradiation during infancy

Abstract Beginning on Day 2 after birth the head region containing the corpus callosum in three groups of male rat pups was exposed two (2×), four (4×) or eight (E8×) times to low-dosage X radiation (150 to 200 R) on successive or alternate days. A fourth group of male rat pups was started on a series of eight exposures on Day 8 (L8×). The effects of irradiation-induced interference with glial cell accumulation were assessed at 30, 60, 120, and 200 days of age by determining the number of cells per unit area, total area, and total number of cells in anatomically matched sagittal sections. The 2× and 4× groups had control values in all parameters at 30 and 60 days, which tended to decrease by 120 and 200 days. In contrast, a marked reduction in all parameters was seen in both E8× and L8× groups at 30 days. By either 60 (E8×) or 120 (L8×) days, there was recovery to control values in cells per unit area. Both total area and total number of cells showed only partial recovery in the 8× groups. The initial effect on only the 8× groups is due to the exposures extending into the third week when gliogenesis is at its peak. The delayed effect in all groups may be a suppression of the normal increase in glial cells of the corpus callosum which occurs during the adult period.
Further Studies in the Chemotherapy Of Plasmodium hexamerium Infections in Ducks.

Five standard antimalarial drugs have been tested, in the present study, against trophozoite-induced Plasmodium hexamerium infections in ducks; namely, chloroquine, proguanil (paludrine), pyrimethamine (daraprim), pentaquine and isopentaquine. (Four others were used previously.) Two doses daily were given for a treatment period of 7 days. The effectiveness of treatment was measured in terms of its ability to suppress parasitemia and to completely prevent relapse (i.e. to achieve sterilization). Of the five drugs, the two pentaquines were about equally effective. They rapidly cleared the blood of parasites, and completely aborted the infection in nearly all cases. The other three drugs failed to sterilize any of the cases treated, and were not even effective as suppressants. The pentaquines, however, proved quite toxic to the host and, even in the dosages used, retarded the normal rate of weight gain. Pyrimethamine had a similar effect, and in addition interfered with normal feathering. Neither of these effects, whether due to pentaquines or pyrimethamine, was recovered from after treatment stopped.
VEGF-A induced hyperpermeability of blood-retinal barrier endothelium in vivo is predominantly associated with pinocytotic vesicular transport and not with formation of fenestrations

Purpose. In tissues outside the brain, vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF) causes vascular hyper-permeability by opening of inter-endothelial junctions and induction of fenestrations and vesiculo-vacuolar organelles (VVOs). In preliminary studies, we observed that in blood-retinal barrier endothelium, other cellular mechanisms may underlie increased permeability caused by VEGF. This was further investigated in material of an in vivo experimental model of VEGF-induced retinopathy. Methods. Two monkeys received 4 intravitreal injections of 0.5 µg VEGF in one eye and PBS in the other eye prior to sacrifice at day 9. One monkey received 12 injections of 1.25 µg VEGF in one eye and PBS in the other eye prior to sacrifice at day 24. As a control, an untreated eye of a fourth monkey was studied. Results. In the high-dose VEGF-injected eye, fluorescein angiography showed intense retinal micro-vascular leakage. This leakage was also demonstrated by immunohistochemistry demonstrating extravasation of endoge...
Separation control on high lift low-pressure turbine airfoils using pulsed vortex generator jets

Abstract Boundary layer separation control has been studied using vortex generator jets (VGJs) on a very high lift, low-pressure turbine airfoil. Experiments were done under low (0.6%) freestream turbulence conditions on a linear cascade in a low speed wind tunnel. Pressure surveys on the airfoil surface and downstream total pressure loss surveys were documented. Instantaneous velocity profile measurements were acquired in the suction surface boundary layer. Cases were considered at Reynolds numbers (based on the suction surface length and the nominal exit velocity from the cascade) of 25000 and 50000. Jet pulsing frequency and duty cycle were varied. In cases without flow control, the boundary layer separated and did not reattach. With the VGJs, separation control was achieved. At sufficiently high pulsing frequencies, separation control was possible with low jet velocities and 10% duty cycle. At lower frequencies, a 50% duty cycle helped by separating the disturbances associated with the jets turning on and turning off, thereby doubling the frequency of separation control events above the pulsing frequency. Phase averaged velocity profiles and wavelet spectra of the velocity show the VGJ disturbance causes the boundary layer to reattach, but that it can re-separate between disturbances. When the disturbances occur at high enough frequency, the time available for separation is reduced, and the separation bubble remains closed at all times.
Neurology residency training at the millennium

Neurology training is changing because of the explosion of information and new treatment modalities that became available during the 1990s, the Decade of the Brain. The Residency Review Committee (RRC) mandated curriculum changes in 1998. During the same decade, the number of American medical graduates (AMG) who entered neurology declined. This occurred as the total number of positions was at an all-time high. An increasing number of positions in the mid-1990s were either filled by international medical graduates (IMG) or remained unfilled (Doug Perry, personal communication, 2001). Funding for residency positions has been threatened and lost because of changes in Medicare funding and reallocation of specialty residency slots to generalist slots within the Veterans Affairs (VA) system.1 In addition, the clinical income used by many academic departments to support teaching and administrative activities has been substantially reduced by managed care. Academic physicians now have less time to teach.2 Similar stresses in other specialties have led to high turnover rates among residency directors.3 In 1999, the Graduate Education Subcommittee (GES) of the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) conducted a survey of adult neurology program directors (ANPD) to ascertain the state of neurology training programs. The goal was to characterize current program content and performance, applicants and the neurology residency matching program (NEMP, “the match”), characteristics of training program directors, and type and amount of administrative support for residents. We wished to identify current trends in neurology resident education and how programs are dealing with major challenges. The GES designed a 45-question survey to assess the issues described above. Survey questions were determined over the course of several meetings by members of the GES, the majority of whom were ANPD or had been in the past. The responses were anonymous, although members of the AAN GES staff were able …
Toward a philosophy of instructional technology: thirty years on

A current assessment of the “philosophy” of instructional technology is made using a 1970 BJET article as the basis of comparison. Each hypothesis of the original article is revisited and updated according to contemporary trends: (1) instructional technology is not yet a discipline; (2) the behavioural science concept of instructional technology is more valid than the physical science concept; (3) technology offers the best organizing concept for the development of the field and its evolution into a discipline; and (4) any statement of philosophy regarding instructional technology is tentative. The influence of distance education, public acceptance of media and technology, and training by artificial intelligence procedures in business and industry are nominated as important factors in bringing about major changes in the field. Each professional should develop a unique philosophy based on personal experiences in the field.
Abscheidung, Charakterisierung und Anwendung von Plasma‐Polymerschichten auf HMDSO‐Basis

Hochwertige siliziumorganische Schichten lassen sich mittels plasmachemischer Gasphasenabscheidung unter Verwendung des Monomers Hexamethyldisiloxan (HMDSO) herstellen. Im vorliegenden Artikel werden abscheidungstechnische, analytische und anwendungsrelevante Aspekte der HMDSO/O2-Plasmabeschichtung vorgestellt. Anhand von XPS-Untersuchungen wird aufgezeigt, dass sich durch geeignete Wahl von Plasmaleistung und Gasmischungsverhaltnis der organische bzw. anorganische Charakter der Schichten einstellen lasst. Somit konnen insbesondere anwendungstechnisch interessante Gradienten- und Wechselschichtsysteme hergestellt werden. Mit der Sekundarneutralteilchen-Massenspektrometrie kann die Zusammensetzung dieser Schichten tiefenabhangig gemessen werden. Rasterkraftmikroskopische Untersuchungen zeigen, dass die Oberflachenrauheiten der Schichten durch das Auftreten halbkugelformiger Agglomerate bestimmt werden. Diese treten umso deutlicher in Erscheinung, je glasartiger die Schichten sind. Als Applikationsbeispiel wird eine HMDSO-Plasmabehandlung von Elastomeren vorgestellt. Durch eine geeignete Prozessfuhrung kann das tribologische Verhalten von Elastomerbauteilen deutlich verbessert werden. Die vorgestellten Arbeiten sind im Rahmen des BMBF-Verbundprojektes “Nano-Funktionalisierung von Grenzflachen fur Daten-, Textil-, Gebaude-, Medizin-, Bio-, und Raumfahrttechnik” durchgefuhrt worden.
Temperature effects on separate values of adsorption and surface reaction rates by dynamic studies

The study of a three-phase catalytic slurry reactor for SO/sub 2/ oxidation on activated carbon has been conducted with a dynamic response technique. The analysis of zero and first temporal moments of the gas for temperatures between 10 and 26/sup 0/C provides individual measurements of the adsorption, desorption, and surface reaction rate constants and their energies of activation. A parallel first-moment analysis was carried out for O/sub 2/ adsorption onto carbon to obtain the necessary equilibrium constants for temperature used in the SO/sub 2/-oxidation calculations. With second moment analysis of adsorption data, the absorption kinetic constants with and without reaction are in quantitative agreement. By evaluating the separate temperature effect on the adsorption/desorption, and surface reaction rates, the authors conclude that neither step is controlling at temperatures up to 26/sup 0/C. The values of the several kinetic and equilbrium constants agree well with those found by other authors.
Leading edge velocity field of an oscillating airfoil in compressible dynamic stall

Phase-averaged mean-velocity and turbulence data are obtained and analyzed for the leading-edge region of an oscillating airfoil under compressibility conditions. A two-component laser-Doppler velocimetry system was used to make the measurements. Results are compared for the two Mach numbers 0.3 and 0.4 at a reduced frequency of 0.05 with varying airfoil angles of attack. For a Mach number of 0.3, a separation bubble is present on the airfoil throughout the oscillation cycle and no dynamic stall occurs as the peak angle of attack is below the static stall angle. However, a slight imprint of vortical structures is seen in the shear layer enveloping the bubble at the top of the cycle, a result confirmed also by the vorticity contours and in agreement with the earlier stroboscopic schlieren studies. When the Mach number is 0.4, dynamic stall occurs with its origin in the break-up of the separation bubble. Turbulence intensities in the bubble were found to be very large.
Fabrication of two kinds of eight-fold photonic quasi-crystals assisted by a specially designed prism

We demonstrate that two kinds of 2D eight-fold photonic quasi-crystals (PQCs) can be fabricated by a specially designed prism via single-exposure holographic lithography. The prism with five continuous side surfaces out of common eight symmetrical side surfaces, plus a top surface, is well designed for PQC fabrication. Compared with the traditional method of setting up eight free-space beams in the half-space for an eight-fold PQC fabrication, our specially designed prism reduces the number of beams, avoids the differences of beam-to-beam phases, and simplifies the fabrication process. The theory and computer simulation confirm the patterns of two kinds of PQCs by a single prism illumination recording. Further, these quasi-crystal patterns are successfully verified by experimental results under a scanning electron microscope. In addition, these samples show some good properties, such as uniformity over large area, the implementation of a single defect by underexposure, and symmetry break of the eight dots. Our special prism-assisted holographic lithography technique provides a base for further investigating the optical properties of these novel structures.
Adaptive gross motion control: a case study

The objective of the Gross Motion Control project at the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT) Robotic Systems Laboratory is to investigate alternative control approaches that will provide payload invariant high speed trajectory tracking for non-repetitive motions in free space. Our research has concentrated on modifications to the modelbased control structure. We are actively pursuing development and evaluation of both adaptive primary (inner loop) and robust secondary (output loop) controllers. In-house developments are compared and contrasted to the techniques proposed by other researchers. The case study for our evaluations is the first three links of a PUMA- 560. Incorporating the principals of multiple model adaptive estimation artificial neural networks and Lyapunov theory into the model-based paradigm has shown the potential for enhanced tracking. Secondary controllers based on Quantitative Feedback Theory or augmented with auxiliary inputs significantly improve the robustness to payload variations and unmodeled drive system dynamics. This paper presents an overview of the different concepts under investigation and highlights our latest experimental results.
The BUS-ALL: An inexpensive set of interface for the SKED system

A cost-effective relay-transistor interface has been developed for connecting the minicomputer with the experimental environment. The interface contains a 10-msec clock, input (response) channels, and output (stimulus channels.
Probable cause: the deanonymizing effects of approximate DRAM

Approximate computing research seeks to trade-off the accuracy of computation for increases in performance or reductions in power consumption. The observation driving approximate computing is that many applications tolerate small amounts of error which allows for an opportunistic relaxation of guard bands (e.g., clock rate and voltage). Besides affecting performance and power, reducing guard bands exposes analog properties of traditionally digital components. For DRAM, one analog property exposed by approximation is the variability of memory cell decay times. In this paper, we show how the differing cell decay times of approximate DRAM creates an error pattern that serves as a system identifying fingerprint. To validate this observation, we build an approximate memory platform and perform experiments that show that the fingerprint due to approximation is device dependent and resilient to changes in environment and level of approximation. To identify a DRAM chip given an approximate output, we develop a distance metric that yields a two-orders-of-magnitude difference in the distance between approximate results produced by the same DRAM chip and those produced by other DRAM chips. We use these results to create a mathematical model of approximate DRAM that we leverage to explore the end-to-end deanonymizing effects of approximate memory using a commodity system running an image manipulation program. The results from our experiment show that given less than 100 approximate outputs, the fingerprint for an approximate DRAM begins to converge to a single, machine identifying fingerprint.
Short-duration transient visual evoked potential for objective measurement of refractive errors.

This study examined effects of uncorrected refractive errors (RE) in a short-duration transient visual evoked potential (SD t-VEP) system and investigated their role for objective measurement of RE. Refractive errors were induced by means of trial lenses in 35 emmetropic subjects. A synchronized single-channel EEG was recorded for emmetropia, and each simulated refractive state to generate 21 VEP responses for each subject. P100 amplitude (N75 trough to P100 peak) and latency were identified by an automated post-signal processing algorithm. Induced hypermetropia and myopia correlated strongly with both P100 amplitude and latency. To minimize the effect of baseline shift and waveform fluctuations, a VEP scoring system, based on software-derived P100 latency, amplitude and waveform quality, was used to estimate the RE. Using the VEP scores, a single VEP response had a high sensitivity and specificity for discerning emmetropia, small RE (<2 diopter) within a 2 diopter range and large RE (2–14 diopter) within a 4 diopter range. The VEP scoring system has a potential for objective screening of RE and for a more accurate 3-step objective refraction.
Word-level recognition of multifont Arabic text using a feature vector matching approach

Many text recognition systems recognize text imagery at the character level and assemble words from the recognized characters. An alternative approach is to recognize text imagery at the word level, without analyzing individual characters. This approach avoids the problem of individual character segmentation, and can overcome local errors in character recognition. A word-level recognition system for machine-printed Arabic text has been implemented. Arabic is a script language, and is therefore difficult to segment at the character level. Character segmentation has been avoided by recognizing text imagery of complete words. The Arabic recognition system computes a vector of image-morphological features on a query word image. This vector is matched against a precomputed database of vectors from a lexicon of Arabic words. Vectors from the database with the highest match score are returned as hypotheses for the unknown image. Several feature vectors may be stored for each word in the database. Database feature vectors generated using multiple fonts and noise models allow the system to be tuned to its input stream. Used in conjunction with database pruning techniques, this Arabic recognition system has obtained promising word recognition rates on low-quality multifont text imagery.
Major depression in community-dwelling middle-aged and older adults: prevalence and 2- and 4-year follow-up symptoms.

Background. Although major depression is a common condition across the age range, there is some evidence from clinical studies that it may be more persistent and disabling in older adults. This study examined the demographic, socio-economic and clinical factors associated with major depression and with persistence of depressive symptoms at 2- and 4-year follow-ups in a large population sample of middle-aged and older adults.Method. In a sample of 9747 participants aged over 50 in the 1996 wave of the US Health and Retirement Study, the authors assessed the 12-month prevalence of major depression using the Composite International Diagnostic Interview – Short Form (CIDI-SF). Significant depressive symptoms at the time of 1996, 1998 and 2000 interviews were assessed using a short form of the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D).Results. The 12-month prevalence of CIDI-SF major depression was 6·6%. With age, prevalence declined, but the likelihood of significant depressive symptoms at follow-ups increased. Both prevalence and persistence of significant depressive symptoms at follow-ups were associated with socio-economic disadvantage and physical illness. Persistence of depressive symptoms at follow-ups was also associated with symptoms of anhedonia, feelings of worthlessness, and thoughts of death at baseline.Conclusions. Sociodemographic, physical health and a specific profile of depressive symptoms are associated with a poorer course of major depression in the middle-aged and older adults. These indicators may identify a subgroup of patients in need of more careful follow-up and intensive treatment.
Ultrathin and smooth Aluminum-doped Silver based Meta-material with Low Loss and Homogeneous Response

Wetting-layer-free, ultra-thin and smooth Silver film is achieved by doping Aluminum in film deposition. Hyperbolic meta-material using Al-doped Ag films shows high transmittance and homogeneous response.
Weakening of the equatorial Atlantic cold tongue over the past six decades

Seasonal and interannual variations of the equatorial cold tongue are defining features of the tropical Atlantic Ocean. An analysis of bias-corrected observations suggests that cold-tongue variability has weakened over the past six decades.
Dynamics affecting the primary charge transfer in photosynthesis

Analysis of a 60-picosecond molecular dynamics trajectory of the reaction center of Rhodopseudomonas viridis provides an understanding of observations concerning vibrational coherence and the nonexponential kinetics of the primary charge transfer in photosynthesis. Complex kinetics arises from energy gap correlations that persist beyond 1 picosecond.
Examining a Transnational Problem: An Analysis of Computer Crime Victimization in Eight Countries From 1999 to 2001

Policymakers, the media, and governmental agencies suggest that computer crimes are on the rise, and have been for many years. Few countries produce the statistics and information needed to reinforce such claims, making it difficult to understand the scope of this issue. This research estimates the prevalence of computer crime victimization in eight countries, as well as the rates and changes that occur using the world on‐line population and each individual country population for the years 1999 to 2001. This analysis will also discuss the problems inherent in official statistics and current research on computer crimes.
Toroidal rotation and ion heating during neutral beam injection in PBX-M

Determination of the profiles of the ion temperature and the plasma toroidal rotation has been accomplished by charge exchange recombination spectroscopy in PBX-M. The angular momentum and the thermal ion energy transport have been studied mainly during the H mode phase of a high βp discharge (Ip ≈ 330 kA, 3.5 × 1019 ≤ ne ≤ 6.5 × 1019 m-3) having different heating beam configurations (combination of two perpendicular and two tangential neutral beam injections, abbreviated as 2 perp. NBI and 2 parall. NBI). The toroidal rotation velocity V rises substantially in the region of r/a ≥ 0.5 after the L-H transition, and the V profile (peakedness) is more highly dependent on the beam configuration than the Ti profile. The angular momentum confinement time varies from 147 ms (rigid rotation for 2 perp. NBI) to 39 ms (viscous rotation for 2 parall. NBI). In contrast, the thermal energy confinement time is 44-48 ms and is almost independent of the configuration. The transport analysis shows that the radial angular momentum diffusion is caused mainly by the viscous losses and that the angular momentum diffusivity χ is reduced substantially in the outer minor radius region during the 2 perp. NBI H mode. The neoclassical friction effect between the bulk ions and the impurities may influence the χ profiles locally, where the ion temperature gradient is steep
Role of triglyceride-rich lipoproteins in diabetic nephropathy

Diabetic nephropathy is an increasingly important cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. A large body of evidence suggests that dyslipidemia has an important role in the progression of kidney disease in patients with diabetes. Lipids may induce renal injury by stimulating TGF-beta, thereby inducing the production of reactive oxygen species and causing damage to the glomeruli and glomerular glycocalyx. Findings from basic and clinical studies strongly suggest that excess amounts of a variety of lipoproteins and lipids worsens diabetes-associated microvascular and macrovascular disease, increases glomerular injury, increases tubulointerstitial fibrosis, and accelerates the progression of diabetic nephropathy. The increasing prevalence of obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and diabetic nephropathy means that interventions that can interrupt the pathophysiological cascade of events induced by lipoproteins and lipids could enable major life and cost savings. This Review discusses the structural, cellular, and microscopic findings associated with diabetic nephropathy and the influence of lipoproteins, specifically triglyceride-rich lipoproteins (TGRLs), on the development and perpetuation of diabetic nephropathy. Some of the accepted and hypothesized mechanisms of renal injury relating to TGRLs are also described.
Measurement of Chlorine Dioxide with a Membrane Chemiluminescence Cell

Abstract A membrane separated chemiluminescence (CL) flow cell was constructed and used for the measurement of chlorine dioxide. The membrane separated the luminol-peroxide reagent from the chlorine dioxide and provided a barrier to possible interferences. CL intensity was measured as a function of analyte and reagent flow rate. Sub part per million measurement of dissolved chlorine dioxide was easily obtained.
Verifying an all fused silica miniature optical fiber tip pressure sensor performance with turbine engine field test

Pressure sensors are the key elements for industrial monitoring and control systems to lower equipment maintenance cost, improve fuel economy, reduce atmospheric pollution, and provide a safer workplace. However, the testing environment is usually harsh. For example, inside the turbine engine, temperatures might exceed 600°C and pressures might exceed 100psi (690kPa), where most current available sensors cannot survive. Moreover, due to the restricted space for installation, miniature size of the sensor is highly desirable. To meet these requirements, a novel type of all fused silica optic fiber tip pressure sensor with a 125μm diameter was developed. It is a diaphragm based pressure sensor in which a Fabry-Perot interferometer is constructed by the end face of an optical fiber and the surface of a diaphragm connected by a short piece of hollow fiber. The FP cavity length and the interference pattern will change according to ambient pressure variation. Its main improvement with respect to previously developed optical sensors, such as those utilizing techniques of wet etching, anodic bonding and sol-gel bonding, is the fact that no chemical method is needed during the cavity fabrication. Its dynamic pressure performance was verified in a turbine engine field test, demonstrating not only that it can safely and reliably function near the fan of a turbine engine for more than two hours, but also that its performance is consistent with that of a commercial Kulite sensor.
Production of pemphigus antibody in vitro and analysis of T-cell subsets.

T cells from nine patients in the active stage of pemphigus vulgaris and five in the inactive stage of the disease were studied with Leu-1, Leu-2, and Leu-3 monoclonal antibodies. No significant differences were observed in the proportions of total T cells or T cells expressing either helper or suppressor phenotype in peripheral blood leukocytes of patients compared to normal subjects. Immunoregulatory mechanisms were functionally studied using an assay measuring total IgG synthesizedin vitro. Peripheral blood leukocytes were separated into T- and B-cell fractions and cultured in various combinations. In nine experiments, the T cells were irradiated prior to culturing with B cells to remove their suppressor function. No statistically significant differences were observed in the total IgG synthesized by B cells obtained from patients and normal subjects when cultured with untreated T cells or irradiated T cells obtained from patients or normal controls. These results indicated that there was no loss of suppressor-cell function or increased helper-cell function when assessed by measuring the total IgG synthesized. The addition of serum from pemphigus patients to peripheral blood leukocyte cultures of pemphigus patients and normal controls had no statistically significant effect on the synthesis of total protein or on the amount of Ig synthesized and secreted. Peripheral blood leukocytes from six untreated patients with pemphigus vulgaris were stimulatedin vitro with pokeweed mitogen (PWM) to produce immunoglobulin. The IgG produced selectively bound to the intercellular cement substance of the epidermis of patients' perilesional skin, normal human skin, and monkey esophagus. The IgG was biosynthetically labeled by culturing the leukocytes in medium supplemented with [3H]leucine, and the binding of the radiolabeled IgG was visualized by autoradiography. The IgG nature of the protein was demonstrated by precipitation withStaphylococcus protein A and removal with rabbit anti-human IgG antisera. Peripheral blood leukocytes obtained from normal volunteers and control patients did not produce this antibody. Our studies indicate that there was no general functional or phenotypic alteration of suppressor or helper T cells in the peripheral blood. The peripheral blood leukocytes of pemphigus patients under PWM stimulation can produce an anti-intercellular cement substance antibodyin vitro. These results indicate that the abnormality of immunoregulation which resulted in the production of a pathogenetic autoantibody in pemphigus is highly specific.
Effects of very low doses of atropine on basal acid and pepsin secretion, gastrin, and heart rate in normals and DU.

Muscarnnic mechanisms in basal acid and pepsin secretion in man were quantitated by graded intravenous doses of atropine (1–16 μg/kg). Secretion was dose-responsively inhibited in six healthy controls. For the mean dose response, maximum inhibition (Imax) was 100%, and D50 (dose inhibiting 50%) was 0.31±0.06 and 0.93±0.13 μg/kg, respectively, for acid and pepsin. In 24 patients with duodenal ulcer (DU), calculatedImax was also 100%, and D50s were 1.2±0.27 and 1.7±0.3 μg/kg, respectively. The low D50 values and the 100% calculated maximum inhibition indicated that in both groups basal secretion was largely or completely cholinergic dependent. We also found that atropine raised heart rate in controls by 44±1 beats per min (bpm) (D50=6±1.1 μg/kg), while the mean maximum increase in DU was only 23±2 bpm (P<0.01) with (D50=5.3±1.0 μg/kg (NS). In DU atropine increased fasting serum gastrin from 62 to 82 pg/ml (P<0.05); the increase in normals from 32 to 38 pg/ml was not significant. Thus, while both normals and DU exhibited the same qualitative responses to muscarinic receptor antagonism by atropine with respect to gastric secretion, gastrin levels, and heart rate, there were quantitative differences in all three parameters.
Coexistence under positive frequency dependence.

Negative frequency dependence resulting from interspecific interactions is considered a driving force in allowing the coexistence of competitors. While interactions between species and genotypes can also result in positive frequency dependence, positive frequency dependence has usually been credited with hastening the extinction of rare types and is not thought to contribute to coexistence. In the present paper, we develop a stochastic cellular automata model that allows us to vary the scale of frequency dependence and the scale of dispersal. The results of this model indicate that positive frequency dependence will allow the coexistence of two species at a greater rate than would be expected from chance. This coexistence arises from the generation of banding patterns that will be stable over long time–periods. As a result, we found that positive frequency–dependent interactions over local spatial scales promote coexistence over neutral interactions. This result was robust to variation in boundary conditions within the simulation and to variation in levels of disturbance. Under all conditions, coexistence is enhanced as the strength of positive frequency–dependent interactions is increased.
Ultrafast computed tomography-detected coronary calcium reflects the angiographic extent of coronary arterial atherosclerosis

Abstract This study demonstrates the potential of ultrafast CT quantification of coronary calcium to reflect the extent of atherosclerosis measured by coronary angiography. The findings are concordant with pathology studies that have also shown a close relation between the extent of coronary calcium and the extent of atherosclerosis.6 The usefulness of this technique in finding a population of asymptomatic subjects in whom aggressive risk factor modification would be cost-effective should be explored.
Mechanism of human group V phospholipase A2 (PLA2)-induced leukotriene biosynthesis in human neutrophils. A potential role of heparan sulfate binding in PLA2 internalization and degradation.

Human group V phospholipase A2(hVPLA2) has been shown to have high activity to elicit leukotriene production in human neutrophils (Han, S. K., Kim, K. P., Koduri, R., Bittova, L., Munoz, N. M., Leff, A. R., Wilton, D. C., Gelb, M. H., and Cho, W. (1999)J. Biol. Chem. 274, 11881–11888). To determine the mechanism by which hVPLA2 interacts with cell membranes to induce leukotriene formation, we mutated surface cationic residues and a catalytic residue of hVPLA2 and measured the interactions of mutants with model membranes, immobilized heparin, and human neutrophils. These studies showed that cationic residues, Lys7, Lys11, and Arg34, constitute a part of the interfacial binding surface of hVPLA2, which accounts for its moderate preference for anionic membranes. Additionally, hVPLA2 binds heparin with high affinity and has a well defined heparin-binding site. The site is composed of Arg100, Lys101, Lys107, Arg108, and Arg111, and is spatially distinct from its interfacial binding surface. Importantly, the activities of the mutants to hydrolyze cell membrane phospholipids and induce leukotriene biosynthesis, when enzymes were added exogenously to neutrophils, correlated with their activities on phosphatidylcholine membranes but not with their affinities for anionic membranes and heparin. These results indicate that hVPLA2 acts directly on the outer plasma membranes of neutrophils to release fatty acids and lysophospholipids. Further studies suggest that products of hVPLA2 hydrolysis trigger the cellular leukotriene production by activating cellular enzymes involved in leukotriene formation. Finally, the temporal and spatial resolution of exogenously added hVPLA2 and mutants suggests that binding to cell surface heparan sulfate proteoglycans is important for the internalization and clearance of cell surface-bound hVPLA2.
Soundscapes of Disaster and Humanitarianism: Survival Singing, Relief Telethons, and the Haiti Earthquake

Juxtaposing two audiospheres (the Haitian streets after the 2010 earthquake and the "Hope for Haiti Now" telethon), this essay brings together scholarship on the visuality of suffering with work on music and emotion in order to explore the links between singing and knowledge, between humanitarianism and culture in the Caribbean, and between the photojournalism of disaster and the musicology of the disaster telethon. Even as Haitians sang widely in response to the earthquake, the disaster telethon, in its visual depiction of the sufferers, did not broadcast Haitians singing but rather rendered them unamplified and mute. The telethon focused on the emotionality of the American popular singers, and overwrote the story of the disaster with an American way of knowing, divorced entirely from Caribbean narratives, histories, and understandings. McAllister crystallizes connections between realms that might otherwise be difficult to discern: privatized humanitarianism, emotion, celebrity, entertainment, and the mediatized image of the Caribbean nation of Haiti.
Infant speech development: a report of the study of one child by magnetic tape recordings.

Summary Magnetic tape recordings were made of the speech development of one baby girl from 6 weeks to 2 years of age. These recordings were made at monthly intervals during the first year and at three-month intervals during the second year. These recordings were then edited for small 30- to 60-second best samples which were then spliced together with editorial comment to make a fifteen-minute recording. This recording illustrates the sequences of speech development of one little girl during the first two years of life. In general, this follows the pattern indicated in the Gesell developmental schedules.
Flutter of a buckled plate as an example of chaotic motion of a deterministic autonomous system

Abstract For aeroelasticity of plates and shells, the equations of motion are well established. Results obtained by numerical time integration have been compared to those obtained by topological theories of dynamics and also from experiment. All of these suggest that chaotic self-excited oscillations may occur for this deterministic system.
An Innate Immune Regulatory Factor (IIRF) Prevents Tumorogenesis in a Murine Melanoma Challenge Model

Biological response modifiers (BRMs) are a family of compounds defined as agents or approaches that modify the host response to pathogens. A serum-derived small peptide, termed Innate Immune Regulatory Factor (IIRF), stimulates the immune response through a natural killer cell–dependent pathway in mice. Ten days after administering a lethal dose of Salmonella typhimurium, 85% of control mice died. No difference was observed between control and mice depleted of natural killer cells and administered IIRF. However, only 30% of natural killer cell intact mice treated with IIRF died by day 10, indicating the critical role of natural killer cells in an IIRF-induced immune response. The protective effects of IIRF were also examined in a natural killer cell–dependent melanoma model. Female B6C3F1 mice were injected with 8 × 105 B16F10 melanoma cells/mouse. Lung samples obtained from control and IIRF treated mice (5 mg on day −1) were analyzed using computerized imaging. Tumor morphometric analysis showed that 53±10% of the lung surface from control mice was cancerous. Prophylactic administration of IIRF lowered this value to 30±9%, a statistically significant decrease (P=0.014). When this experiment was repeated with 1 × 105 cells, the number of melanoma nodules on the lung surface could be established through microscopic examination. Control mice (n=10) had an average of 88±7 tumor nodules, whereas IIRF-treated mice (n=8) had 44±12 tumor nodules, a twofold reduction (P=0.0036). These results suggest that IIRF is a BRM with therapeutic potential for cancer treatment. Drug Dev Res 64:213–219, 2005. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.