cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A 25-year longitudinal study of the natural course of aging after spinal cord injury.

Longitudinal; Survey. The purpose of this study was to investigate the natural course of changes in activity patterns, health indicators, life satisfaction, and adjustment over 25-year period among people with spinal cord injury (SCI) in the USA. The preliminary data were collected from a Midwestern United States university hospital of the USA, whereas the follow-up data were collected at a large Southeastern United States rehabilitation hospital. The Life Situation Questionnaire was used to identify changes in education/employment, activities, medical treatments, adjustment, and life satisfaction. Adjustment scores, satisfaction with employment, satisfaction with finances, years of education, and employment indicators significantly improved over time. In contrast, satisfaction with sex life, satisfaction with health, and then number of weekly visitors significantly decreased and the number of nonroutine medical visits and days hospitalized within 2 years prior to the study significantly increased over the 25-year period. Given the mixed pattern of favorable and unfavorable changes, the findings challenge the assumption that aging will inevitably be associated with the overall decline in outcomes and quality of life. This research was supported by field initiated grants from the National Institute for Disability and Rehabilitation Research of the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitation Services (#H133G970111 & H133G010009).
Stent-based Controlled Release of Intravascular Angiostatin to Limit Plaque Progression and In-Stent Restenosis

PURPOSE To evaluate the importance of angiogenesis in plaque progression after stent placement, this study examines stent-based controlled delivery of the antiangiogenic agent, angiostatin, in a rabbit model. MATERIALS AND METHODS Controlled release biodegradable microspheres delivering angiostatin or polymeronly microspheres (polylactic-co-glycolic-acid–polyethylene glycol; PLGA/PEG) were loaded in channeled stents, anchored, and deployed in the aorta of adult New Zealand white rabbits ( n = 6 animals per group, three each per time point). The stented aortas were harvested at 7 days and 28 days and evaluated for neovascularization, local inflammation, vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation, and in-stent plaque progression. RESULTS At 7 days, neovascularization was significantly decreased in the angiostatin groups (1.6 2 plaque) versus the control group (15.4 ± 2.6 neovessels per mm 2 plaque; P = .00081), as were local inflammation where angiostatin-treated groups demonstrated significantly lower macrophage recruitment per cross section (34.9 ± 4.9 cells per cross section) relative to the control group (55.2 ± 3.84 cells per cross section; P = .0037). And a significant decrease in the overall vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation (143.8 ± 26.3 Ki-67 positive cells per mm 2 ) relative to the control group (263.2 ± 16.6 Ki-67 positive cells per mm 2 ; P = .00074). At both 7 and 28 days, in-stent plaque progression in the angiostatin groups was successfully limited relative to the control group by 54% (0.255 ± 0.019% of cross section; P = .00016) and 19% (1.981 ± 0.080; P = .0033) respectively and resulted in reduction of in-stent restenosis relative to the control group. CONCLUSIONS Angiostatin-eluting stents may limit neovascularity after arterial implantation, offer insight into in-stent restenosis, and allow future refinement of bioactive stent designs and clinical strategies, particularly in light of evidence that intimal smooth muscle cells may in part be marrow-derived.
Effects of age on motor preparation and restructuring

Age-related decrements in motor plan restructuring were investigated. In this experiment older and younger adults performed a discrete aiming task that involved responses that were precued and responses that were modified at the time of an imperative signal. On 75% of the trials, the precue specified the response stimulus (valid trials) with respect to the movement parameters of arm (left or right) and direction (toward or away). On the remaining 25% of the trials, the response stimulus was different from the precue (invalid trials) in that the subject was required to modify a planned movement by changing the arm to be used and/or the direction of movement. The older subjects were slower than the younger in both the valid and invalid trials. Across preparatory intervals (PI) of 500, 1,000, 1,500, and 2,000 msec, older, but not younger subjects exhibited less reaction time cost for restructuring the motor plan for the direction-change condition than for the other parameter change conditions. Since there was little apparent cost of restructuring, these findings suggest that older adults did not prepare the direction of movement, and thus found it temporally more efficient to alter direction than arm or arm and direction combined.
The Effect of a Standardized Patient Instructor Experience on Students' Anxiety and Confidence Levels Performing the Male Genitorectal Examination

Background: Standardized patient instruction (SPI) is recommended as a nonthreatening method for teaching the male genitorectal examination. The article's purpose is to describe the method's effectiveness in reducing anxiety and increasing confidence among men and women students from diverse cultures. Description: We implemented an SPI program in 1993 to teach the examination to 2nd-year students. Students performed their examinations in mixed gender groups of three; a man student was responsible for disrobing the SPI and performing the first exam. During the 45-min session, each of the three students performed the examination in turn, and each received immediate feedback on their technique and interpersonal approach to the patient. Evaluation: All students (n = 190) evaluated their SPI encounter immediately after the session had ended. Conclusions: Men and women students from all ethnic groups reported decreased anxiety and increased confidence levels after the SPI session. These findings indicate that a...
PASSPHRASE AUTHENTICATION BASED ON TYPING STYLE THROUGH AN ART 2 NEURAL NETWORK

This study proposes the use of an artificial neural network algorithm to perform passphrase authentication based on the typing style of a user. The only hardware required is a keyboard. Prior studies have demonstrated the feasibility of this approach and its limitations, one of which was the need for collection of impostor samples for training the artificial neural network based classifier algorithm. This requirement is rather impractical for most application domains. The proposed study eliminates the need to collect impostor samples by employing an unsupervised and self-organizing artificial neural network algorithm, the Adaptive Resonance Theory 2 neural network, and therefore pushes the passphrase authentication technology one step closer to the realm of practical implementation. The preliminary study performed demonstrates that it is possible to train an Adaptive Resonance Theory 2 neural network using only authentic sample data and still provide a relatively low impostor pass rate. Given the minimal cost and easy in-field trainability of the proposed passphrase authentication system, the developed system can greatly enhance the security of computing environments with wide acceptance.
Non-motorized vehicles and walkers: going for “broke”

Abstract Many emergency department visits are for trauma resulting from mishaps while using wheeled sports equipment. While these injuries among children and adolescents are common, much of the variation in injury frequency and severity depends on the age of the child and protective equipment used. This article will discuss injuries related to baby walkers as well as various wheeled sporting equipment, including bicycles, tricycles, scooters, skateboards, and in-line skates. Information about risks and types of common injuries will aid the physician in case management. Descriptive information about the circumstances of injury and types of protective equipment will guide injury prevention counseling.
Calculated structures and electrostatic potentials of some 1,4-dioxazines and 1,4-dioxadiazines

Abstract An ab initio SCF computational study has been performed on the structural features, relative stabilities and electrostatic potential of 1,4,2-dioxazine and its 3-nitro derivative and the three isomeric 1,4-dioxadiazines and their dinitro derivatives. Within the two sets of isomeric diazines, those with ring nitrogens adjacent to each other are by far the least stable. Due to the presence of so many electronegative atoms competing for the polarizable electronic charge, the negative electrostatic potentials associated with the ring heteroatoms are weaker than is generally observed for nitrogen and oxygen lone pairs, and no negative potentials are found above the double bonds. The basicities of the ring nitrogens and the reactivities of the double bonds toward electrophiles are therefore expected to be relatively low. The nitro derivatives show buildups of positive potential above the rings and the CNO2 bond regions, which are expected to facilitate the approach of nucleophiles.
Computer-assisted extraction of boundaries from images

This paper describes a technique for interactive, computer-assisted boundary tracking from two-dimensional images. Once the boundaries of an object are known, it is possible to extract any number of features to be used for subsequent search or retrieval based on image content. The technique combines manual inputs from the user with machine inputs, generated from edge detection algorithms, for assisting in the extraction of the boundaries. This allows for the quick extraction of boundaries by combining the capabilities of the user and the computer. The user is adept at quickly locating an object of interest and at drawing a very rough outline of the object. The computer is adept at quickly making a large number of calculations that refine the rough outline generated by the user. The performance of the technique was tested using both computer simulations and real images. The performance of the technique degrades gracefully in the presence of noise.
Derivatives and their error bounds in second order problems by finite element

A previous paper by the authors presented a finite element technique for computing accurate and bounded solutions at arbitrary points in second order mixed boundary value problems. The technique is extended herein to the computation of accurate and bounded derivatives at arbitrary interior points. Numerical results are presented to illustrate both the strengths and limitations to the method.
Advances in the management of Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections in cancer patients.

Prior to 1961, less than 10 per cent of patients with serious underlying diseases survived an episode of Pseudomonas septicemia. Polymyxin B and colistin were the first antibiotics introduced which had antipseudomonial activity in vitro. These were followed by gentamicin, whose therapeutic activity is related to the patient's neutrophil count. The introduction of carbenicillin has had a major impact on the management of Pseudomonas infections. Carbenicillin is effective even in patients with severe neutropenia. Several other interesting penicillins and new aminoglycoside antibiotics have been synthetized which have antipseudomonial activity and are currently under investigation.
Production of spherical ZrO2-Y2O3 and ZnO particles.

In recent years substantial effort has been focused on the use of engineered ceramics for biomedical applications. To produce ceramic components with reliable and reproducible properties for such speciality applications, it is necessary to use high-purity raw material powders with specific properties. Fine ceramic particles having specific shapes and sizes are also required for conducting biocompatibility experiments. This article reports on the laboratory scale production, in an aerosol reactor, of spherical, submicron zirconia (partially stabilized by yttria; ZrO2-Y2O3) and zinc oxide (ZnO) particles by the thermal decomposition of mists generated from aqueous solutions of inorganic metal salt precursors. The particles produced were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Characterization and expression of the complementary DNA encoding rat histidine decarboxylase.

Abstract Histamine is a neurotransmitter in the central nervous system and an important modulator of gastric acid secretion, vasomotor control, inflammation, and allergic reactions. In biological systems the formation of histamine from its precursor histidine is catalyzed by the enzyme L-histidine decarboxylase (HDC; L-histidine carboxy-lyase, EC 4.1.1.22). We have cloned HDC-encoding cDNA from a fetal rat liver cDNA library (phage lambda gt11) have deduced the amino acid sequence from the nucleotide sequence. The clone was proven to be HDC cDNA by expression of active recombinant enzyme in COS cells and by chromosomal mapping. The cDNA encodes a protein of Mr 73,450 (655 amino acid residues). The discrepancy between this molecular weight and the size of the purified fetal liver protein subunits [Taguchi, Y., Watanabe, T., Kubota, H., Hayashi, H. & Wada, H. (1984) J. Biol. Chem. 259, 5214-5221] (Mr = 54,000) suggests that HDC may be posttranslationally processed. The 469 amino acid residues from the amino-terminal portion of the protein share 50% identity with rat and Drosophila L-dopa decarboxylases and much less homology with other characterized amino acid decarboxylases.
Gender bias in attributions of responsibility for abuse

The bulk of previous research investigating attributions of responsibility in victimization scenarios have portrayed the assailant as male and the victim as female. The present study varied gender of the participant, gender of the assailant, and gender of the victim in order to examine gender bias in attributions of responsibility in abuse scenarios. Male and female participants were presented with scenarios depicting an abusive interaction between two males, two females, or a male and a female character and then made judgements of responsibility either with or without the narratives present. The results indicated that attributions made by females were biased against male victims of a male assailant when judging actions of the assailant. Attributions made by females and, to a lesser degree, attributions made by males were biased against the victim when the assailant and the participant were of the same gender and attributions of assailants' actions were made without the narrative present. In the analysis of attributions of actions of the victim, males attributed more responsibility to male than female victims. It is concluded that gender of all parties may be an important consideration when judging responsibility in victimization scenarios.
Children's Media‐referenced Games: The Lived Culture of Consumer Texts on a School Playground

This article analyses empirical data including observations, videos and interviews from an ethnographic study of a multilingual, multiethnic school playground in London, UK. The analysis examines social uses of media references in playground games, drawing on literature in the field of consumer culture. The main argument is that children's consumer culture is constituted on the playground within media-referenced play through a combination of creating distinctions and building affiliations. The article addresses a gap in the literature in the fields of sociology and anthropology of consumer culture which largely construct children's consumer culture as exceptional to or derived from adult consumer culture.
Anaerobic bacterial infections in children-Part I.

Anaerobic infections can be recognized by the help of adequate laboratory facilities and proper diagnostic methods. During the last decade, the world was alerted again to anaerobes. Although it is necessary to recognized anaerobes by their species, it is not important to test them routinely for their antimicrobial susceptibility which at this time is best left to reference laboratories. The need to develop easier and more economical methods to identify anaerobic infections is obvious. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop rapid and cheaper methods to detect anaerobic infections. Several aspects of anaerobic bacterial infections in children are still left unexplored.
Dual-interference-channel quantitative-phase microscopy of live cell dynamics

We introduce and experimentally demonstrate a fast and accurate method for quantitative imaging of the dynamics of live biological cells. Using a dual-channel interferometric setup, two phase-shifted interferograms of nearly transparent biological samples are acquired in a single digital camera exposure and digitally processed into the phase profile of the sample. Since two interferograms of the same sample are acquired simultaneously, most of the common phase noise is eliminated, enabling the visualization of millisecond-scale dynamic biological phenomena with subnanometer optical path length temporal stability.
An Asymmetry-to-Symmetry Switch in Signal Transmission by the Histidine Kinase Receptor for TMAO

Summary The osmoregulator trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO), commonplace in aquatic organisms, is used as the terminal electron acceptor for respiration in many bacterial species. The TMAO reductase (Tor) pathway for respiratory catalysis is controlled by a receptor system that comprises the TMAO-binding protein TorT, the sensor histidine kinase TorS, and the response regulator TorR. Here we study the TorS/TorT sensor system to gain mechanistic insight into signaling by histidine kinase receptors. We determined crystal structures for complexes of TorS sensor domains with apo TorT and with TorT (TMAO); we characterized TorS sensor associations with TorT in solution; we analyzed the thermodynamics of TMAO binding to TorT-TorS complexes; and we analyzed in vivo responses to TMAO through the TorT/TorS/TorR system to test structure-inspired hypotheses. TorS-TorT(apo) is an asymmetric 2:2 complex that binds TMAO with negative cooperativity to form a symmetric active kinase.
I Gave at the Campus Exploring Student Giving and Its Link to Young Alumni Donations After Graduation

This study examined the determinants of student contributions to their senior gift campaign while currently enrolled at a university and whether student giving predicted young alumni giving pattern...
Adaptive multisensor integration for mine detection

State-of-the-art in multi-sensor integration (MSI) application involves extensive research and development time to understand and characterize the application domain; to determine and define the appropriate sensor suite; to analyze, characterize, and calibrate the individual sensor systems; to recognize and accommodate the various sensor interactions; and to develop and optimize robust merging code. Much of this process can benefit from adaptive learning, i.e., an output-based system can take raw sensor data and desired merged results as input and adaptively develop/determine an effective method if interpretation and merger. This approach significantly reduces the time required to apply MSI to a given application, while increasing the quality of the final result and provides a quantitative measure for comparing competing MSI techniques and sensor suites. The ability to automatically develop and optimize MSI techniques for new sensor suites and operating environments makes this approach well suited to the detection of mines and mine-like targets. Perhaps more than any other, this application domain is characterized by diverse, innovative, and dynamic sensor suites, whose nature and interactions are not yet well established. This paper presents such an outcome-based multi-image analysis system. An empirical evaluation of its performance and its application, sensor and domain robustness is presented.
Responsibility-Alleviation and Other-Regarding Preferences with Peer Workers in Labor Markets: An Experimental Investigation

A peer worker is introduced in a controlled labor market experiment characterized by unobservable effort and incomplete contracts. Workers make decisions independently and without knowledge of each other’s actions in a modified gift exchange experiment. Introducing a peer worker into an ongoing market has a negative and significant effect on effort. This decrease in effort is consistent with responsibility-alleviation on the part of employees and not with other-regarding equity concerns for the manager’s payoffs.
Message communication protocol and operating system design for the Distributed Loop Computer Network (DLCN)

The Distributed Loop Computer Network (DLCN) is envisioned as a powerful, unified distributed computing system which interconnects midi/mini/micro-computers, terminals and other peripherals through careful integration of hardware, software and a loop communication network. Research concerning DLCN has concentrated on the loop communication network, message protocol and distributed network operating system. For the loop communication network, previous papers [2,3] reported a novel message transmission mechanism, its hardware implementation, and its superior performance verified by GPSS simulation. This paper presents an overview of the design requirements and implementation techniques for DLCN's message protocol and network operating system. Firstly, a bit-oriented distributed message communication protocol (DLMCP) which handles four message types under one common format is proposed. Besides user information transfer, this protocol supports automatic hardware-generated message acknowledgment, error detection and recovery, and network control and distributed operating system functions, Secondly, the network operating system (DLOS) is described which provides facilities for interprocess communication by process name, global process control and calling of remote programs, generalized data transfer, alterable multi-linked process control structures, distributed resource management, and logical I/O transmission in a distributed file system.
Surface cleaning substitutability in manufacturing organizations: an exploratory study

Clean manufacturing, pollution reduction, and waste minimization, have been in the limelight for the past decade as the best way to achieve industrial environmental. This paper reports the findings of an exploratory survey conducted of seven companies in the Central Massachusetts Region that have made the decision to approach the Surface Cleaning Lab (SCL or SCLab) of the Toxics Use Reduction Institute (TURI) seeking a substititte for toxic chemicals they currently use. We examine the factors associated with the decision to approach the SCL, and the factors associated with the decision to implement the recommendation of the SCL. The strongest factors in their final decision to seek a substitute are regulatory in nature, as reported by the six companies. Only one of the seven companies reports implementation of the recommendations made by the SCLab. The main determining factors for not implementing the recommendation were those associated with the quality of the substitute recommended, and employee satisfaction. This is one of the few studies that investigates motivational factors for substitutability for environmentally sensitive purposes.
Radar reflectivity of the ocean surface for circular polarization

If one transmits an electromagnetic wave, an electric field is set up in space. The earth's surface modifies the field and an interference pattern results. To calculate such a pattern one must know the reflection characteristics of the surface for the polarization of the incident wave. These are known for linear polarizations. Since a circularly polarized wave is a combination of the two linear polarizations, we can compute the reflection coefficient for circular polarizations by proper combination of the two linear reflection coefficients. This reflection coefficient is known for smooth sea conditions. In this paper the vector model of reflectivity for a rough sea is extended to include circular polarization. Reflection coefficients for the rough sea case are derived. Analytical expressions are given for the total received signal including the coherent and incoherent components. Receiver antenna polarizations of the same and opposite senses to that of the transmitter are considered.
The Influence of Vitamin D Metabolism on Gene Expression, Matrix Production and Mineralization During Osteoprecursor Cell-Based Bone Development

Background: Multipotential precursor cell lines derived from human bone marrow, capable of differentiating into cartilage or bone, may provide a useful tissue development model for studying the regulation and metabolism of putative growth and differentiation factors necessary for tissue regeneration. In mammals, the process of bone development depends on the proliferation and differentiation of osteoblast lineage cells, and the subsequent synthesis and mineralization of bone extracellular matrix (ECM). Vitamin D metabolites play a pivotal role in bone and mineral homeostasis, and are positive factors on bone development. Recently, it was demonstrated that a human-derived engineered osteoblast precursor cell line (OPC1), derived from human bone marrow, can metabolize the parental precursor vitamin D 3 (vitaD 3 ) to the active steroid 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D 3 (1,25OH 2 D 3 ), and elicit an osteogenic response that results in the decrease in proliferation and increase in ECM synthesis during early bone development. The aim in this study is to characterize gene expression, matrix production and mineralization within a bone development model. Methods: We investigated whether vitaD 3 influences bone ECM mineralization in the same manner as 1,25OH 2 D 3 in confluent cultures of OPC1s. In addition, we explored the influence of vitamin D metabolites, in combination with other commonly used osteogenic factors, ascorbic acid, β-glycerophosphate, dexamethasone (dex) and recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-2 (rhBMP-2) on the osteoinduction of OPC1. Results: It was demonstrated that OPC1 expresses the mRNA for the enzymatic equipment necessary to convert vitaD 3 to 1,25OH 2 D 3 , as well as the mRNA expression of the catabolic enzyme known to regulate the concentration of active 1,25OH 2 D 3 . It was also demonstrated that mRNA expression for the vitamin D receptor (VDR) was influenced by both vitaD 3 and 1,25OH 2 D 3 . Differential results using vitamin D metabolites in combination with ascorbic acid, β-glycerophosphate, dex and/or rhBMP-2 were observed in alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity and calcium deposition, and mRNA expression of procollagen type I (proColI), osteocalcin (OC) and osteopontin (OP). Conclusions: Overall it was demonstrated that vitamin D in combination with osteogenic factors influences the temporal bone devel opment sequence in a positive manner.
Leadership and Leader Behavior in Counseling: Neglected Skills.

Leadership and leader behavior are important topics for any professional discipline. However, these issues have been neglected throughout the entire short history of counseling. Despite the fact that many counselors attain various leadership positions, little attention has been paid to training for leadership. While much has been written about the various roles of counselors, leadership and the behavior of leaders are rarely the focus. It is our contention that counselors, because of their unique training, can be effective leaders in a wide variety of settings. This article argues for a greater emphasis by counselor education on the role of counselor as leader.
Node-based scheduling with provable evacuation time

This paper studies the link scheduling problem in multihop wireless networks without future packet arrivals, with an aim of minimizing the time interval needed for evacuating all the existing packets. We consider the scenario with single-hop traffic flows under the one-hop interference model. In this setting, the minimum evacuation time problem is equivalent to the classic multigraph edge coloring problem, which is generally NP-hard. Although many approximation algorithms have been studied, almost all of them require computing the schedules (or the colors) all at once, and thus have a complexity that is dependent on the number of packets in the network. This, however, renders these algorithms unsuitable for the considered application of link scheduling for packet evacuation, as they typically incur an impractically high complexity when there are a large number of initial packets waiting to be transmitted, even if the underlying network has a small size (i.e., the node count and the link count). Instead, it is desirable to compute the schedules (or the colors) in an online fashion, i.e., to quickly compute one schedule at a time. Unfortunately, none of the existing online algorithms can guarantee an approximation ratio better (or smaller) than 2. To that end, in this paper we suggest two scheduling algorithms using a node-based approach, and prove that their approximation ratios are both no worse (or greater) than 3 over 2. In addition, these scheduling algorithms can also serve as an alternative for achieving Shannon's bound, which is well known in the graph coloring literature.
Distribution of morphologically different micro‐organisms associated with active periodontal lesions

Abstract The morphological composition of the subgingival plaque associated with active periodontitis lesions and comparable inactive control lesions were determined in a 36-year-old patient with advanced periodontal disease. Monthly measurements of the clinical attachment level were subjected to linear regression analysis as a function of time. Attachment loss was recorded during the monitoring period at 10 sites, with loss of 2 mm or more at 6 sites. Plaque samples taken from these 6 sites and from 6 control sites with similar clinical conditions were not of uniform composition. Active lesions harboured on average 46% more cocci and twice as many large spirochetes as inactive control lesions. A linear regression analysis of the proportions of different morphotypes in the subgingival plaque versus the calculated monthly attachment loss rate at the time of sampling provided only very weak correlations, if at all. The observations made in the patient under investigation suggest that there is no great probability of suspected differences in the floras of active and inactive lesions being detected by dark-field analysis alone. The role of motile rods and spirochetes may have been overrated hitherto.
Single judgments of numerosity.

In previous studies, subjects generally underestimated the number of elements present in a display. To eliminate the range and intertrial effects that arise when several displays are judged in succession and that might have produced the underestimation, subjects in the present study judged only a single display. The single judgments fitted a power function having an exponent of .83, which is consistent with previous data. Single judgments of loudness, area, and duration, by contrast, have produced abnormally low exponents apparently because the built-in scale unit, or modulus, available on numerosity is lacking for other modalities. The tendency to underestimate numerosity was much stronger for female than for male subjects.
Simultaneous measurements of strains on two surfaces of tendons and ligaments

An optical rear projection device, coupled with a video dimensional analyzer (VDA) system, was developed for simultaneous measurement of tensile strains on opposite surfaces of tendons and ligaments. Stress-strain behaviors of the tissue based on the strains measured on either surface were determined and compared. Data obtained from canine femur-medial collateral ligament-tibia complexes (FMT) and isolated chicken flexor tendons revealed that the strains on opposite surfaces of these parallel fiber soft connective tissues were similar during a uniaxial tensile test.
Prolyl hydroxylation regulates intracellular procollagen degradation in cultured rat cardiac fibroblasts

To determine the regulatory role of prolyl hydroxylation in intracellular cardiac procollagen turnover, we examined the effects of prolyl 4-hydroxylase inhibitors ( α,α ′-dipyridil, 3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid ethyl ester, pyridine 2,4-dicarboxylic acid ethyl ester) and ascorbic acid on procollagen metabolism by cultured, neonatal rat cardiac fibroblasts. Ascorbate-deficient fibroblasts showed decreased rates of prolyl hydroxylation and total collagen accumulation without a significant reduction in α 1 (I) and α 1 (III) mRNA levels. The fraction of newly synthesized procollagens degraded intracellularly was also substantially increased in ascorbate-deficient cells (50±7 v 30±3% in ascorbate-deficient v control fibroblasts; P α 1 (I) polypeptide into the cell culture medium, and decreased extracellular Type I collagen deposition. Similar results were obtained by treating cells with α,α ′-dipyridil (300 μ m ), and 3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid ethyl ester (400 μ m ) in the presence of ascorbate. A major portion of the enhanced degradation of newly synthesized procollagens occurred within acidic intracellular compartments as indicated by the inhibition of procollagen degradation by chloroquine (25 μ m ). Inhibition of procollagen secretion by colchicine (0.5 μ g/ml) enhanced the diversion to, and subsequent intracellular degradation of underhydroxylated procollagens in cardiac fibroblast lysosomes. We conclude that inactivation of prolyl 4-hydroxylase increases intracellular accumulation and intralysosomal degradation of newly synthesized cardiac procollagen polypeptides. These observations suggest that procollagen prolyl hydroxylation may be important in the regulation of collagen accumulation by cardiac interstitial cells during fibrotic processes in vivo .
Probing the infra-structure of thymidylate synthase and deoxycytidylate deaminase

Abstract Methods are described for preparing and structurally analyzing two enzymes involved in the formation of dTMP, deoxycytidylate deaminase and thymidylate synthase. In the latter case, it has been possible through the use of recombinant DNA techniques with an amplification plasmid to obtain sufficient amounts of the E. coli and T4-phage synthases to complete the entire sequence of both enzymes by employing a combination of protein and DNA sequencing methods. A comparative analysis of the L. casei and E. coli synthases has revealed a 62% conservation of sequences but an even greater homology in their hydrophobic active site regions (82%), which are primarily hydrophobic in nature. The homology between these enzymes becomes apparent by deleting a 51 amino acid segment (residues 89–139) from the L. casei synthase, which accounts for the difference in size between these enzymes. Methods for obtaining the binding sites of both substrates are described, one being the activation of the carboxyls of folate with a water soluble carbodiimide and the other, the activation of dUMP by ultraviolet light. The DNA and protein sequence of the T4-phage synthase has recently been clarified by us and is in preparation. Of great interest is the finding by Purohit and Mathews (42), based on our sequence data for the synthase, that the gene segment for the carboxyl terminal end of dihydrofolate reductase overlaps with the amino end of the gene for thymidylate synthase. The complete amino acid sequence of T2-phage deoxycytidylate deaminase has been elucidated by conventional protein sequencing methods. The binding characteristics of this enzyme for its positive allosteric effectors and substrates, as determined by equilibrium dialysis, are consistent with the cooperative nature of its kinetic responses. Consistent with these findings was the demonstration that each of the enzyme's six subunits bound an equivalent amount of substrate or allosteric modifier. Similarly the deaminase showed a marked negative change in ellipticity at 280 nm in response to increasing concentrations of dCTP, changes which could be reversed by dTTP. From the information on the enzyme's primary sequence, it should be possible to define the substrate and allosteric binding regions within the deaminase with the appropriately activated compounds. A start in this direction has been initiated by the finding that dTTP is rapidly and apparently covalently fixed to the amino terminal cyanogen bromide peptide of the enzyme in the presence of ultraviolet light.
283. Predicting global severity of depression from individual BDI and HRS-D items ☆

Clinically, several symptoms are thought to be good indicators of illness severity, including sleep disturbance, weight loss, adhedonia and suicidal thoughts. The aim of this study was to identify individual items on the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and on the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HRSD) that are most strongly associated with total severity. 361 subjects who met criteria for unipolar, primary major depression (DSMIII-R, RDC) were included in the analysis. Global severity of depression was assessed using the total scores on both the BDI and HRSD. Two stepwise regression analyses were performed to identify the items on each instrument that best predicted global severity. Nine BDI variables and 11 HRSD variables accounted for 90% of the variance in global severity on each instrument. Three items accounted for 67% of the variance on the BDI: Self Hate accounted for 35%, Loss of Interest for 20%, and Sadness for 11%. Two items accounted for 47% of the variance on the HRSD: Somatic Anxiety (31%) and Work/Interest (16%). Suicidal ideation accounted for only a small amount of variance on both the HRS-D (4%) and the BDI (1.4%). These findings confirm previous work that the two scales capture different aspects of depression: the cognitive/affective domain for the BDI and the vegetative domain for the HRS-D. Loss of interest accounted for substantial variance on both instruments and more variance than depressed mood. These data lend empirical support to the clinical position that anhedonia is the sine qua non symptom in depression.
Minimax Techniques For Optimizing Non-Linear Image Algebra Transforms

It has been well established that the Air Force Armament Technical Laboratory (AFATL) image algebra is capable of expressing all linear transformations [7]. The embedding of the linear algebra in the image algebra makes this possible. In this paper we show a relation of the image algebra to another algebraic system called the minimax algebra. This system is used extensively in economics and operations research, but until now has not been investigated for applications to image processing. The relationship is exploited to develop new optimization methods for a class of non-linear image processing transforms. In particular, a general decomposition technique for templates in this non-linear domain is presented. Template decomposition techniques are an important tool in mapping algorithms efficiently to both sequential and massively parallel architectures.
Provisional State, Reluctant Institutions: West Berlin's Refugee Service and Refugee Commissions, 1949–1952

In May 1951, the Hamburger Freie Presse published an article on the alleged experiences of Hans Schmidt, an East German police officer (Volkspolizist) who had sought to register earlier that year for political asylum in West Berlin. The newspaper profile followed the twenty-one-year-old Schmidt from his unit's barracks in the northern city of Rostock, across the still undefended border between Brandenburg and West Berlin, to a police station in the northwestern district of Spandau, where he announced his intention to flee to West Germany.
Characteristics of replicated single-nucleotide polymorphism genotypes from COGA: Affymetrix and Center for Inherited Disease Research

Genetic Analysis Workshop 14 provided re-genotyped single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) data. Specifically, both Center for Inherited Disease Research (CIDR) and Affymetrix genotyped the same 11,560 SNPs from the Affymetrix GeneChip Mapping 10K Array marker set on the same 184 individuals from the Collaborative Study on the Genetics of Alcoholism database. While the inconsistency rate between CIDR and Affymetrix (two different genotypes for the same subject) was low (0.2%), the non-replication rate (two different genotypes for the same subject or one identified genotype and one missing genotype) was substantial (9.5%). The missing data could be from no-call regions, which is inconsistent with recent recommendations about the use of no-call regions in association tests. In addition, no-call regions would suggest that the actual inconsistency rate is higher than reported. A high inconsistency rate has significant impact on power in related hypothesis tests. In addition, the data are consistent with assumptions made in a recently proposed likelihood ratio test of association for re-genotyped data.
Infrastructure support for mobile collaboration

Future groupware systems will need to extend collaboration beyond the desktop. They will need to support computing devices with a wide range of capabilities, varying network connectivity, and increasing mobility of users. We have designed and implemented a component-based framework for building reconfigurable distributed applications that address the specific needs of mobile environments. This paper focuses on the use of this framework to support mobile collaboration. Components of a groupware application can move across heterogeneous devices while maintaining persistent logical connectivity with groupware services and other users, even during transient network failures. Users do not see any interruptions in the services accessed, and they do not need to manually re-establish connections with the communication parties. New collaboration features can be more easily implemented. For instance, users may "park" their client agents temporarily at a fixed host while they are disconnected. The parked agent can continue to maintain connectivity with other group members on behalf of the user, if desired. We show how this framework can be used to structure distributed applications that adapt their behavior and their interface to the context in which they execute. We give examples of groupware applications we have implemented.
New identities involving the laplace and the ℒ 2 -transforms and their applications

In the present paper Parseval-Goldstein type theorems involving the @?"2-transforms and the Laplace transform are proved. The theorems are then shown to yield a number of new identities involving several well-known integral transforms and special functions. Using the theorem and its corollaries, a number of interesting infinite integrals of elementary and special functions are presented. Some illustrative examples are also given.
Spontaneous Lesions in Aging FVB/N Mice

The FVB/N mouse strain was created in the early 1970s and has since been used extensively in transgenic research because of its well-defined inbred background, superior reproductive performance, and prominent pronuclei of fertilized zygotes, which facilitate microinjection of DNA. Little is known, however, about the survivability and spontaneous disease of nontransgenic FVB/N mice. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine survival to 24 mo of age and the incidence of neoplastic and nonneoplastic disease at 14 and 24 mo of age. At 14 mo of age, the incidence of tumor-bearing mice was 13% in males (n = 45) and 26% in females (n = 98). All tumors in males and most in females at this time were alveolar-bronchiolar (AB) neoplasms of the lung. Survival to 24 mo of age was approximately 60% in both sexes (29/50 males, 71/116 females), and the incidence of mice with tumors at this time was 55% in males and 66% in females. In decreasing order of frequency, the following neoplasms were observed in >5% ...
A pythagorean approach in Banach spaces

Let X be a Banach space and let S(X) ={ x ∈ X, � x �= 1}be the unit sphere of X. Parameters E(X) = sup{α(x), x ∈ S(X)}, e(X) = inf {α(x), x ∈ S(X)}, F(X) = sup{β(x), x ∈ S(X)} ,a ndf (X) = inf {β(x), x ∈ S(X)} ,w hereα(x) = sup{� x + y� 2 + � x − y� 2 , y ∈ S(X)} ,a ndβ(x) = inf {� x+ y� 2 + � x − y� 2 , y ∈ S(X)} are introduced and studied. The values of these parameters in the lp spaces and function spaces Lp[0,1] are estimated. Among the other results, we proved that a Banach space X with E(X) 2i s uniform nonsquare; and a Banach space X with E(X) 32/9 has uniform normal structure.
Gα13 and Rho Mediate Endosomal Trafficking of CXCR4 into Rab11 + Vesicles upon Stromal Cell-Derived Factor-1 Stimulation

CXCR4, like other G protein-coupled receptors, signals via heterotrimeric guanine nucleotide-binding proteins (G proteins) to regulate gene transcription, migration, development, growth, and transformation. We describe a formerly uncharacterized function of a G protein: a role in receptor trafficking. We previously showed that CXCR4 and the TCR physically associate and form a heterodimer upon stromal cell-derived factor-1 or CXCL12 (SDF-1) stimulation in human T cells to prolong ERK activation and, thereby, lead to gene upregulation and cytokine secretion. The CXCR4-TCR heterodimers occur on the cell surface and in an intracellular compartment in response to SDF-1. Neither the intracellular compartment to which the CXCR4-TCR heterodimers localize nor the mechanism for localization has been elucidated. In this article, we characterize molecular mechanisms required for postendocytic trafficking of CXCR4. Upon SDF-1 stimulation, CXCR4 localizes to Rab11(+) vesicles, a recycling compartment near the microtubule organizing center and Golgi apparatus. This trafficking requires the CXCR4 C-terminal tail domain but not the CXCR4 ubiquitination sites. The TCR also constitutively localizes to this Rab11(+) compartment. Trafficking of CXCR4 into the Rab11(+), TCR-containing endosomes requires actin polymerization. Furthermore, inhibiting Rho activation or depleting Gα13 prevented trafficking of CXCR4 into the Rab11(+) endosomes without hindering the ability of CXCR4 to endocytose. These results indicated that, upon SDF-1 treatment, Gα13 and Rho mediate the actin polymerization necessary for trafficking CXCR4 into the Rab11(+), recycling endosomal compartment, which also contains constitutively recycling TCR and, thus, CXCR4-TCR heterodimers. To our knowledge, this is the first report of Gα13 as a mediator of receptor trafficking.
Cooperativity and interference of germination pathways in Bacillus anthracis spores

Spore germination is the first step to Bacillus anthracis pathogenicity. Previous work has shown that B. anthracis spores use germination (Ger) receptors to recognize amino acids and nucleosides as germinants. Genetic analysis has putatively paired each individual Ger receptor with a specific germinant. However, Ger receptors seem to be able to partially compensate for each other and recognize alternative germinants. Using kinetic analysis of B. anthracis spores germinated with inosine and l-alanine, we previously determined kinetic parameters for this germination process and showed binding synergy between the cogerminants. In this work, we expanded our kinetic analysis to determine kinetic parameters and binding order for every B. anthracis spore germinant pair. Our results show that germinant binding can exhibit positive, neutral, or negative cooperativity. Furthermore, different germinants can bind spores by either a random or an ordered mechanism. Finally, simultaneous triggering of multiple germination pathways shows that germinants can either cooperate or interfere with each other during the spore germination process. We postulate that the complexity of germination responses may allow B. anthracis spores to respond to different environments by activating different germination pathways.