cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
fMRI decoding reveals neural representations of grouping in ventral visual cortex.

Abstract In everyday visual object perception, simple shapes are often combined to form complex ones according to Gestalt grouping principles. However, how grouping between shapes is implemented at the neural level and where in the human brain different types of grouping are encoded are not fully understood. In this study, using fMRI multi-voxel pattern analysis (MVPA), we examined the neural representation of grouping by spatial connectedness and temporal synchrony in the ventral visual cortex of the human brain. Specifically, in pre-defined regions of interest, we obtained fMRI response patterns for two shapes shown either (1) spatially connected and presented simultaneously, (2) spatially disconnected and presented simultaneously, or (3) spatially disconnected and presented asynchronously. We also obtained fMRI response patterns for each shape shown alone. We then linearly combined the patterns for the individual shapes and tested the similarity between our synthesized two-shape patterns and the actual two-shape patterns using a linear classifier. Gestalt principles have argued that grouping results in the whole to be different from the sum of the parts. This would predict that the difference between the actual and the synthesized two-shape patterns would be greater for the grouped than the ungrouped shapes. With this approach, we observed grouping by spatial connectedness and temporal synchrony in multiple retinotopic areas as well as the lateral occipital region. These results demonstrate the feasibility of using fMRI MVPA to study the neural representation of Gestalt grouping. Meeting abstract presented at VSS 2015.
Video Summaries through Mosaic-Based Shot and Scene Clustering

We present an approach for compact video summaries that allows fast and direct access to video data. The video is segmented into shots and, in appropriate video genres, into scenes, using previously proposed methods. A new concept that supports the hierarchical representation of video is presented, and is based on physical setting and camera locations. We use mosaics to represent and cluster shots, and detect appropriate mosaics to represent scenes. In contrast to approaches to video indexing which are based on key-frames, our efficient mosaic-based scene representation allows fast clustering of scenes into physical settings, as well as further comparison of physical settings across videos. This enables us to detect plots of different episodes in situation comedies and serves as a basis for indexing whole video sequences. In sports videos where settings are not as well defined, our approachallo ws classifying shots for characteristic event detection. We use a novel method for mosaic comparison and create a highly compact non-temporal representation of video. This representation allows accurate comparison of scenes across different videos and serves as a basis for indexing video libraries.
The $L^{p}$ regularity problem for the heat equation in non-cylindrical domains

We consider the Dirichlet problem for the heat equation in domains with a minimally smooth, time-varying boundary. Our boundary data is taken to belong to a parabolic Sobolev space having a tangential (spatial) gradient, and $1/2$ of a time derivative, in $L^{p}$, $1 \lt p \lt 2 + \epsilon$. We obtain sharp $L^{p}$ estimates for the parabolic non-tangential maximal function of the gradient of our solutions.
Alteration of high and low spin equilibrium by a single mutation of amino acid 209 in mouse cytochromes P450

The identities of the amino acid at position 209 are most critical in determining specific coumarin 7- and steroid 15 alpha-hydroxylase activity in P450coh and P450(15)alpha, respectively. This system, therefore, provides us with an excellent model to study the structural basis for P450 specificity as a monooxygenase. We expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae a series of the mutated P450s in which residue 209 was substituted with the various amino acids and characterized the spectral property and hydroxylase activity of these mutated P450s. The positioning of a hydrophobic residue including Phe, Leu, and Val at position 209 resulted in shifting the P450 to the high-spin state, while a charged amino acid such as Lys or Asp produced the low-spin form. Moreover, a P450 with Asn or Gly in this position exhibited spectra indicating a mixture of the high- and low-spin forms. This spin alteration, depending upon the hydrophobicity and size of residue at position 209, indicates that this position is likely to reside close to the sixth axial ligand on the distal surface of the heme in these P450s. This proximity of residue 209 to the ligand may explain the critical role of this residue in determining the hydroxylase specificity and activity of these P450s.
Composition, Variation, and Dynamics of Major Osmotic Solutes in Methanohalophilus Strain FDF1.

Methanohalophilus strain FDF1, a member of the halophilic genus of methanogens, can grow over a range of external NaCl concentrations from 1.2 to 2.9 M and utilize methanol, trimethylamine, and dimethyl sulfide as substrates for methanogenesis. It produces the osmolytes glycine betaine, β-glutamine, and Ne-acetyl-β-lysine with increasing external NaCl, but the relative ratio of these zwitterions depends primarily on the methanogenic substrate and less on the external osmolarity. When the cells are grown on methanol in defined medium, accumulation of glycine betaine predominates over the other zwitterionic solutes. The cells also synthesized a carbohydrate which was not detected in cells grown on trimethylamine. This negatively charged compound, identified as α-glucosylglycerate from the 13C and 1H chemical shifts, does not act as an osmoregulatory solute in the salt range 1.4 to 2.7 M in this methanogen as evidenced by its invariant intracellular concentration. 13CH3OH-pulse/12CH3OH-chase experiments were used to determine half-lifes for these organic solute pools in the cells. l-α-Glutamate showed a rapid loss of heavy isotope, indicating that l-α-glutamate functions as a biosynthetic intermediate in these cells. Measurable turnover rates for both β-glutamine, which acts as an osmolyte, and α-glucosylglycerate suggest that they function as metabolic intermediates as well. Molecules which function solely as osmolytes (glycine betaine and Ne-acetyl-β-lysine) showed a slower turnover consistent with their roles as osmotic solutes in Methanohalophilus strain FDF1.
Cellular localization of serotonin2A (5HT2A) receptors in the rat brain

The serotonin(2A) (5HT(2A)) receptors have been shown to play an important role in several psychiatric disorders, including depression, schizophrenia, and alcoholism. This immunohistochemical study examined the cellular localization of 5HT(2A) receptors in various rat brain structures (olfactory, striatum, cortex, hippocampus, and amygdala). The colocalization of 5HT(2A) receptors in astrocytes was performed by double-immunofluorescence staining of 5HT(2A) receptors and of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) using confocal laser microscopy. 5HT(2A) receptor immunolabeling was observed in olfactory bulbs, neostriatum, hippocampus, amygdala, and neocortex. Somata and dendrites of pyramidal cells in the frontal cortex (layer V) were densely labeled with 5HT(2A) receptors. In several other brain structures (hippocampus, amygdala, striatum, olfactory structures), 5HT(2A) receptor immunolabeling was found in cell bodies and processes of neurons. 5HT(2A) receptor immunolabeling was also observed in GFAP-positive cells of the various brain structures we investigated (layers I/VI of the neocortex, corpus callosum, hippocampal fissure and hilus, and amygdala). These results indicate that 5HT(2A) receptors are expressed in neurons and astrocytes and suggest the possibility that not only neuronal but also glial 5HT(2A) receptors have functional implications in psychiatric disorders.
Density Functional Theory for Liquid Structure and Thermodynamics

Density functional theory (DFT) provides a powerful computational tool for study of the structure and thermodynamic properties of both bulk and inhomogeneous fluids. On the one hand, DFT is able to describe the microscopic structure and meso/macroscopic properties on the basis of intermolecular forces; and on the other hand, it connects seamlessly with conventional phenomenological equations for modeling macroscopic phenomena. The DFT-based methods are generic yet versatile they are naturally applicable to systems with multiple length scales that may fail alternative computational methods. This chapter presents a tutorial overview of the basic concepts of DFT for classical systems, the mathematical relations linking the microstructure and correlation functions to measurable thermodynamic quantities, and connections of DFT to conventional liquid-state theories. While for pedagogy the discussion is limited to one-component simple fluids, similar ideas and concepts are applicable to mixtures and polymeric systems of practical concern. This chapter also covers a few theoretical approaches to formulate the thermodynamic functional. Some illustrative examples are given on applications to liquid structure, interfacial properties, and surface and colloidal forces.
Educación, clase social y doble ciudadanía: los dolores de parto del multiculturalismo en América Latina.

Resumen es: En este trabajo se analizan los retos que la pobreza representa para la educacion publica y la constitucion de la ciudadania en America Latina. Se plant...
“Those Two Thin Strips of Iron”: The Uncanny Mobilities of Railways in British India

“Those two thin strips of iron, representing as they do the mightiest and most fruitful conquest of science, stretch hundreds and hundreds of miles across the boundless Eastern plains … ”George Ott...
Surgical treatment of peroneal nerve palsy after knee dislocation

Purpose Numerous surgical techniques have been described for the treatment of peroneal nerve palsy after knee dislocation with less than optimal outcomes. The purpose of this article is to present a review of the literature including modern surgical treatment options for peroneal nerve palsy after knee dislocation.
Dependence of the Relative Difficulty of True-False and Grouped True-False Tests On the Ability Levels of the Examinees

This note demonstrates that the relative difficulty of Separate and Grouped True-False tests may be expected to be dependent on the ability levels of the examinees.
The curious case of the Chamberlen family: The emergence and exploitation of profession gaps

A profession’s boundaries are socially constructed by members and rooted in powerful social and cognitive mechanisms such as shared practices, identities, and knowledge paradigms. These social and ...
Fuzzy Integration of Support Vector Regression Models for Anticipatory Control of Complex Energy Systems

Anticipatory control systems are a class of systems whose decisions are based on predictions for the future state of the system under monitoring. Anticipation denotes intelligence and is an inherent property of humans that make decisions by projecting in future. Likewise, intelligent systems equipped with predictive functions may be utilized for anticipating future states of complex systems, and therefore facilitate automated control decisions. Anticipatory control of complex energy systems is paramount to their normal and safe operation. In this paper a new intelligent methodology integrating fuzzy inference with support vector regression is introduced. The proposed methodology implements an anticipatory system aiming at controlling energy systems in a robust way. Initially, a set of support vector regressors is adopted for making predictions over critical system parameters. The predicted values are used as input to a two-stage fuzzy inference system that makes decisions regarding the state of the energy system. The inference system integrates the individual predictions at its first stage, and outputs a decision together with a certainty factor computed at its second stage. The certainty factor is an index of the significance of the decision. The proposed anticipatory control system is tested on a real-world set of data obtained from a complex energy system, describing the degradation of a turbine. Results exhibit the robustness of the proposed system in controlling complex energy systems.
ON WEAK POSTPOSITIVISM: AHISTORICAL REJECTIONS OF THE VIEW FROM NOWHERE

Postpositivists have lately joined post-Husserlians in arguing that the deepest problem with Descartes' legacy is that it fosters the objectivist illusion that philosophers might actually come to think ''from Nowhere,'' or at least that they can self-consciously choose whatever presuppositions they do accept. Yet this argument is easier to express than to incorporate into one's own thinking. It is perfectly possible to oppose the View from Nowhere, and even to criticize others for failing to understand its impossibility, and still do so . . . as if from Nowhere. This article is concerned with such compromised oppositionFthat is, with critics who reject, in ahistorical terms and from an ahistorical standpoint, an ahistorical conception of philosophy. It focuses on two figures from the empiricist-positivist side of the Cartesian legacy, Rorty and Taylor, but their story is in important ways typical. Though their criticisms are certainly more radical and considerably more successful than those of many of their analytic colleagues, each retains in his own thinking more of the ahistorical or standpointless ideal than he realizes.
Dynamic implications of chaotic monetary policy

Abstract This paper considers the implications of exogenously generated chaotic monetary dynamics for the timepaths of endogenous variables in an otherwise linear rational expectations model. It is shown that chaos in the money stock is transmitted, with an increase in complexity and with noise, to all nominal variables and the real money supply, while output and the real interest rate are, as is to be expected, unaffected. The paper also discusses the difficulty of forming a rational expectation in the presence of chaotic dynamics.
Serum Concentrations of Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers (PBDEs) and Polybrominated Biphenyl (PBB) in the United States Population: 2003-2004

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and 2,2',4,4',5,5'-hexabromobiphenyl (BB-153) are chemicals known as brominated flame retardants. We have assessed the exposure status of the United States population to PBDEs and BB-153 and explored associations with demographic information, including participants' age, sex, and race/ethnicity. A total of 2,062 serum samples, from participants in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2003-2004 aged 12 years and older, were analyzed for PBDEs and BB-153; stratified and regression analyses were used to examine levels among demographic groups. The congener with the highest serum concentration was 2,2',4,4'-tetrabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-47) [geometric mean 20.5 ng/g lipid]; followed by 2,2',4,4',5,5'-hexaBDE (BDE-153) [5.7 ng/g lipid]; 2,2',4,4',5-pentaBDE (BDE-99) [5.0 ng/g lipid; a value equal to the highest limit of detection for an individual sample]; 2,2',4,4',6-pentaBDE (BDE-100) [3.9 ng/g lipid]; BB-153 [2.3 ng/g lipid]; and 2,4,4'-triBDE (BDE-28) [1.2 ng/g lipid]. For BDE-47, we observed no significant difference in the least-squares geometric mean (LSGM) by sex, but with age we found both a linear decrease (p = 0.01) and a positive quadratic trend (p = 0.01). Its LSGM, 27.9 ng/lipid, in the 12-19 year olds decreased to 17.2 ng/g lipid in the 40-49 year group, and then curved upward to 20.4 ng/g lipid in the > or =60 years olds. Mexican Americans had the highest LSGM of BDE-47 (24.5 ng/g lipid), which was significantly higher than that of non-Hispanic whites (19.7 ng/g lipid, p = 0.01). Adults 60 years and older were twice as likely as adults 20-59 years old to have a serum BDE-47 concentration above the 95th percentile (p = 0.02). These data provide needed exposure assessment data for public health decisions.
Using missing data techniques to explore the lack of survival effect: illustration with the CABG patch trial.

The Multicenter Automatic Defibrillator Implantation Trial (MADIT) showed a conclusive 54 per cent reduction in mortality in patients with inducible sustained monomorphic ventricular tachycardia (VT) and impaired left ventricular function who received an implantable defibrillator compared with those who did not. The Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG) Patch Trial, which studied a patient population with a similar extent of left ventricular dysfunction and overall cardiovascular risk, demonstrated no mortality benefit from placement of an implantable defibrillator. All patients in the MADIT trial were 'VT inducible', while this criterion was neither required nor evaluated for entry into the CABG Patch Trial. A statistical approach to estimating with good accuracy the fraction of CABG Patch patients who were inducible at the time of their randomization from the prevalence of VT inducibility in the surviving CABG Patch Trial control population during follow-up is presented. This more generally applicable approach estimates the mixing percentage using missing data techniques. We present the mathematical and physiological basis of the assumptions underpinning the mixture model and its estimation procedure. The mixture model forms the basis for the electrophysiological substudy to the CABG Patch Trial, which directly tests the hypothesis that the difference in the frequency of inducible VT between the MADIT and CABG Patch patients populations is sufficient to account for the difference in effect on mortality.
MODELING OF DISTURBANCES OF THE MAGNETIC FIELD OF A RAIL AROUND A TRANSVERSE CRACK

A generalized model for finding magnetic field and signals from the objects of the railroad is proposed. A 3D model of the primary field of a defect-free rail excited by a pilot alternating current is developed. The mathematical models of the secondary field of the rail disturbed around a transverse wedge-shaped crack and a rectangular crack are developed. We compare the images of signals from a transverse wedge-shaped defect obtained in the course of modeling with actual defects, such as, e.g., transverse cracks.
All in the Family: New Approaches to Child Relief in Post-Mao China (家庭化——后毛泽东时代儿童福利体系新发展)

The delivery systems for caring for dependent children have undergone a radical transformation in Reform-era China. Beginning in the mid-1980s, a dramatic resurgence in the number of abandoned infants as well as homeless youths from rural to urban areas placed great strains on the existing framework of state-run institutions for the young. China’s Civil Affairs branch has responded to the crisis by embracing a policy of “multi-approachism” 多元化 that places primacy on local experimentation and initiative. Civil Affairs workers have expressed the need to “societalize” 社会化 social-welfare work, in which the government works hand-in-hand with both outside organizations and Chinese families to provide a better future for at-risk children. These findings suggest that societalization has led, not to the privatization of services or the withdrawal of the state, but rather to the formation of creative partnerships between government and nongovernment entities in aiding the dependent child. Throughout the post-Mao period we can also observe a paradigmatic shift from institution-based care to a family-centered approach that aims at providing the disadvantaged youngster with the warmth and love of the kin unit.This article is in Chinese.改革开放以来，中国儿童福利事业体系经历了彻底的改革。从八十年代中期开始， 弃婴和从农村进入城镇地区的流浪未成年人数目再次急剧增加，现有的国营儿童福利机构体系面临严峻挑战。针对这一挑战，中国民政部门采取了多元化政策，重点依靠地方试点与创新。民政部门倡导社会福利工作“社会化”，倡导政府与社会团体、普通家庭共同照料高危儿童。研究结果表明，社会福利体系工作的“社会化”并未导致服务私有化、也没有导致国家退出这一工作领域；相反，社会福利工作的“社会化”引导政府与非政府行为体创建了一种新型合作关系，来共同照料需要救助的儿童。自毛泽东时代结束以后，社会福利体系也经历了一种范式转变，相关工作原来以机构为基础，现在逐渐转向以家庭为中心，用亲情单位为需要救助的未成年人提供温暖与爱。
Agricultural Law: Principles and Cases

Introduction to law and agricultural law torts contracts nature and meaning of property acquiring and disposing of real property rights and limitations in the ownership of agricultural property rights and limitations in the use of agricultural property liability for farm animals protecting the environment and the productivity of agricultural land water and drainage sales, warranties, and products liability marketing of agricultural products agricultural credit, finance, and bankruptcy agricultural labour, agents, and independent contractors farm tenancy farm partnerships corporate structure and formation farm estate planning.
Adrenal Venous Sampling in Primary Hyperaldosteronism

Adrenal venous sampling (AVS) is used to distinguish unilateral from bilateral aldosterone hypersecretion as a cause of primary hyperaldosteronism (PHA). This distinction is critical because unilateral disease is treated, and often cured, by adrenalectomy, whereas bilateral hypersecretion should be managed medically. In this article, we review the epidemiology and etiologies of PHA, present screening guidelines for hypertensive patients with suspected PHA, assess the utility and pitfalls of cross-sectional imaging, and discuss the indications for and interpretation of AVS.
Cohesive Laws and Progressive Damage Analysis of Composite Bonded Joints, a Combined Numerical/Experimental Approach

The results of an experimental/numerical campaign aimed to develop progressive damage analysis (PDA) tools for predicting the strength of a composite bonded joint under tensile loads are presented. The PDA is based on continuum damage mechanics (CDM) to account for intralaminar damage, and cohesive laws to account for interlaminar and adhesive damage. The adhesive response is characterized using standard fracture specimens and digital image correlation (DIC). The displacement fields measured by DIC are used to calculate the J-integrals, from which the associated cohesive laws of the structural adhesive can be derived. A finite element model of a sandwich conventional splice joint (CSJ) under tensile loads was developed. The simulations, in agreement with experimental tests, indicate that the model is capable of predicting the interactions of damage modes that lead to the failure of the joint.
Phospholipase Cε is a nexus for Rho and Rap-mediated G protein-coupled receptor-induced astrocyte proliferation

Phospholipase Ce (PLCe) has been suggested to transduce signals from small GTPases, but its biological function has not yet been clarified. Using astrocytes from PLCe-deficient mice, we demonstrate that endogenous G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) for lysophosphatidic acid, sphingosine 1-phosphate, and thrombin regulate phosphoinositide hydrolysis primarily through PLCe. Stimulation by lysophospholipids occurs through Gi, whereas thrombin activates PLC through Rho. Further studies reveal that PLCe is required for thrombin- but not LPA-induced sustained ERK activation and DNA synthesis, providing a novel mechanism for GPCR and Rho signaling to cell proliferation. The requirement for PLCe in this pathway can be explained by its role as a guanine nucleotide exchange factor for Rap1. Thus, PLCe serves to transduce mitogenic signals through a mechanism distinct from its role in generation of PLC-derived second messengers.
Factors Related to Loss of Root Canal Filled Teeth

Objectives: This case-control study characterized factors related to loss of root canal filled (RCF) teeth among members of the Kaiser Permanente Dental Care Program, a dental health maintenance organization based in Portland, Oregon. Methods: Individuals were identified who were enrolled continuously from January 1, 1987, through December 31, 1994, underwent initial root canal therapy on a permanent tooth (excluding third molars) in 1987 or 1988, had a clinical examination within two years after endodontic access, and were at least 21 years old at access. Patients who lost the RCF tooth by December 31, 1994, were defined as cases (n=96); those who did not were defined as controls (n=120). Computerized data, dental radiographs, and chart entries were reviewed to ascertain variables of interest, and multivariable logistic regression was used to describe differences between the groups. Results: RCF teeth of cases had fewer proximal contacts at access than RCF teeth of controls (odds ratio=2.7; 95% Cl=1.4, 5.1). Cases were older (odds ratio=1.4; 95% Cl=1.1, 1.9 per 10-year increase) and more likely to have had a facial injury than controls (odds ratio=3.6; 95% Cl=1.2, 10.5). Cases also had more missing teeth (odds ratio=1.5; 95% Cl=1.0, 2.1) and more plaque (odds ratio=1.7; 95% Cl=1.0, 2.6). Conclusion: Conditions evident during treatment planning may help dentists assess patients' chances of losing an RCF tooth.
Computational prediction of essential genes in an unculturable endosymbiotic bacterium, Wolbachia of Brugia malayi

Background Wolbachia (wBm) is an obligate endosymbiotic bacterium of Brugia malayi, a parasitic filarial nematode of humans and one of the causative agents of lymphatic filariasis. There is a pressing need for new drugs against filarial parasites, such as B. malayi. As wBm is required for B. malayi development and fertility, targeting wBm is a promising approach. However, the lifecycle of neither B. malayi nor wBm can be maintained in vitro. To facilitate selection of potential drug targets we computationally ranked the wBm genome based on confidence that a particular gene is essential for the survival of the bacterium.
Role of support in CO2 reforming of CH4 to syngas over Ni catalysts

Abstract The dynamic changes in activity and selectivity for the CO 2 reforming of CH 4 over unsupported and supported Ni catalysts were investigated. The reduced NiO has low initial conversions of CH 4 and CO 2 , which decrease rapidly with time. The mixture of powders of NiO and Al 2 O 3 has low initial conversions of CH 4 and CO 2 and a low yield to CO, which, however, increase with reaction time, due most likely to Ni migration to Al 2 O 3 . In contrast, the reduced 1 wt% Ni/Al 2 O 3 catalyst (reduced from NiO/Al 2 O 3 ) has high initial conversions and CO yield, which slowly decrease with time due to carbon deposition. The reduced 13.6 wt% Ni/Al 2 O 3 catalyst has high initial conversions and CO yield, but, because of carbon deposition, the reactor was completely plugged in 6 h. The reduced 1 wt% Ni/SiO 2 catalyst has moderate initial activity and CO yield, which decay fast with reaction time. The reduced 13.6 wt% Ni/SiO 2 has a high initial activity and CO yield, which decay slowly with reaction time. The reduced 13.6 wt% Ni/TiO 2 has a moderate initial activity and CO yield, which decay with reaction time. Carbon deposition was found to occur over all these catalysts, and the sequence of carbon deposition was: 13.6 wt% Ni/Al 2 O 3 > 13.6 wt% Ni/SiO 2 > the reduced mixture of NiO and Al 2 O 3 (13.6 wt% Ni) > 13.6 wt% Ni/TiO 2 > 1 wt% Ni/Al 2 O 3 > 1 wt% Ni/SiO 2 .
Embodied agents for multi-party dialogue in immersive virtual worlds

Immersive virtual worlds are increasingly being used for education, training, and entertainment, and virtual humans that can interact with human users in these worlds play many important roles. However, current computational models of dialogue do not address the issues that arise with face-to-face communication situated in three-dimensional worlds, such as the proximity and attentional focus of others, the ability to maintain multi-party conversations, and the interplay between speech and nonverbal signals. This paper presents a new model that integrates and extends prior work on spoken dialogue and embodied conversational agents, and describes an initial implementation that has been applied to training in virtual reality.
Robust integrated optofluidic-ring-resonator dye lasers.

We demonstrate a robust optofluidic dye laser that integrates fluidics with a high Q-factor ring resonator. In this optofluidic laser the ring resonator is formed by an optical fiber fused on the inner surface of a glass capillary serving as a fluidic channel. Laser oscillation is achieved with a threshold of 7 μJ/mm2 per pulse. Furthermore, the laser emission can be directionally outcoupled through a fiber prism for easy and efficient light delivery.
Interleukin-1β secreted from monocytic cells induces the expression of matrilysin in the prostatic cell line LNCaP

Abstract Matrilysin is a matrix metalloprotease that is overexpressed in cancer cells of epithelial origin and in normal tissues during events involving matrix remodeling such as the cycling endometrium. We previously observed that inflamed ductule and acinar epithelia in the prostate also overexpress matrilysin. The presence of infiltrating macrophages in these areas prompted us to determine if factors secreted from monocytes could induce matrilysin expression in a human prostatic cell line. Conditioned media collected from the monocyte cell line THP-1 following lipopolysaccharide treatment substantially induced matrilysin protein and mRNA expression in LNCaP prostate carcinoma cells. Matrilysin expression in LNCaP cells was also induced by recombinant interleukin (IL)-1 (50 pm), but not by equimolar concentrations of recombinant tumor necrosis factor-α or IL-6. The matrilysin-inducing activity of THP-1 conditioned medium was completely abrogated by preincubation with a neutralizing antibody to IL-1β. Transient transfection analyses with a chimeric human matrilysin promoter-chloramphenicol acetyltransferase reporter construct demonstrated that IL-1β activates transcription through the matrilysin promoter in LNCaP cells. This is the first report of matrilysin induction by an inflammatory cytokine in a cell line of epithelial origin, and the results suggest a potential mechanism for the overexpression of matrilysin in inflamed ducts and glands of the prostate.
Factors in the cryopreservation of bone marrow cells from children with acute lymphocytic leukemia

Abstract Bone marrow cells from 42 children with acute lymphocytic leukemia in remission and 19 normal adults were preserved in liquid nitrogen for periods of up to 50 weeks. Many factors in the process of cryopreservation were investigated in an attempt to optimize the recovery of the bone marrow colony forming cells. The effect of cryopreservation on the cells which produce colony stimulating activity also was investigated. With optimization of this technique, it was observed that approximately 100% of the bone marrow nucleated cells were recovered and approximately 50% of the total colony forming cells were viable after 50 weeks in liquid nitrogen.
Chaperones in progesterone receptor complexes.

Studying the components, pathways, and dynamics of progesterone receptor (PR) assembly with chaperones has provided a highly valuable model system for understanding the coordinate actions of chaperones. Chaperones are primarily adapted to facilitate protein folding processes, and the actions of chaperones toward PR and other steroid receptors probably remain within this general functional boundary. Unlike a typical misfolded protein substrate, PR's folding is effectively arrested prior to hormone binding, thus extending indefinitely the chaperone-interaction phase that normally would be transitory during progressive protein folding. While one could consider this a limitation in PR's ability to fold properly, perhaps a more accurate view is that PR is specially adapted to remain 'misfolded', and thus extend chaperone interactions that function efficiently in repressing PR's transcriptional activity while the receptor awaits an activating signal.
Instant logic conversion

In computer design, it is often desirable to change one type of logic gate into another for reasons involving availability, quality, cost, logic, savings, or uniformity. Unfortunately, sometimes these changes are not anticipated until the very last minute, and the conventional methods of implementing them are not only lengthy and time-consuming, but require a thorough understanding of Boolean algebra, logic circuits, and related topics. This article describes a new and quicker technique for performing these operations, one requiring little background for successful application.
The new numerology of immunity mediated by virus-specific CD8+ T cells

Our understanding of virus-specific CD8(+) T cell responses is currently being revolutionized by peptide-based assay systems that allow flow cytometric analysis of effector and memory cytotoxic T lymphocyte populations. These techniques are, for the first time, putting the analysis of T-cell-mediated immunity on a quantitative basis.
Cascading synchronized chaotic systems

A cascaded synchronized nonlinear system includes a nonlinear transmitter having stable first and second subparts. The first subpart produces a first transmitter signal for driving the second subpart and the second subpart produces a second transmitter signal for driving the first subpart. The nonlinear transmitter transmits the second transmitter signal to a nonlinear cascaded receiver. The receiver, being for producing an output signal in synchronization with the second transmitter signal, includes a first stage (a duplicate of the first subpart) responsive to the second transmitter signal for producing a first receiver signal. The receiver further includes a second stage (a duplicate of the second subpart) responsive to the first receiver signal for producing the output signal. The cascaded synchronized nonlinear system can be used in an information transfer system. The transmitter, responsive to an information signal produces a drive signal for transmission to the receiver. An error detector compares the drive signal and the output signal produced by the receiver to produce an error signal indicative of the information contained in the information signal.
Factors affecting pregnancy rates and early embryonic death after equine embryo transfer

In the present study, 638 embryo transfers conducted over 3 yr were retrospectively examined to determine which factors (recipient, embryo and transfer) significantly influenced pregnancy and embryo loss rates and to determine how rates could be improved. On Day 7 or 8 after ovulation, embryos (fresh or cooled/transported) were transferred by surgical or nonsurgical techniques into recipients ovulating from 5 to 9 d before transfer. At 12 and 50 d of gestation (Day 0 = day of ovulation), pregnancy rates were 65.7% (419 of 638) and 55.5% (354 of 638). Pregnancy rates on Day 50 were significantly higher for recipients that had excellent to good uterine tone or were graded as "acceptable" during a pretransfer examination, usually performed 5 d after ovulation, versus recipients that had fair to poor uterine tone or were graded "marginally acceptable." Embryonic factors that significantly affected pregnancy rates were morphology grade, diameter and stage of development. The incidence of early embryonic death was 15.5% (65 of 419) from Days 12 to 50. Embryo loss rates were significantly higher in recipients used 7 or 9 d vs 5 or 6 d after ovulation. Embryos with minor morphological changes (Grade 2) resulted in more (P<0.05) embryo death than embryos with no morphological abnormalities (Grade 1). Between Days 12 and 50, the highest incidence of embryo death occurred during the interval from Days 17 to 25 of gestation. Embryonic vesicles that were imaged with ultrasound during the first pregnancy exam (5 d after transfer) resulted in significantly fewer embryonic deaths than vesicles not imaged until subsequent exams. In the present study, embryo morphology was predictive of the potential for an embryo to result in a viable pregnancy. Delayed development of the embryo upon collection from the donor or delayed development of the embryonic vesicle within the recipient's uterus was associated with a higher incidence of pregnancy failure. Recipient selection (age, day after ovulation, quality on Day 5) significantly affected pregnancy and embryo loss rates.
Lead Demand of Future Vehicle Technologies

Abstract Changes in battery technology for hybrid or fuel cell vehicles will have significant impacts on US lead flows. Hybrid vehicles contain lead–acid batteries as auxiliary power sources although these lead–acid batteries may be replaced in the future. Given the importance of lead–acid battery recycling to US lead flows, changes in battery-related lead demand could alter the domestic production of lead and affect lead releases to the environment, particularly to air and land. We investigate lead demand for various prospective changes in the US automotive fleet. These include the complete replacement of lead–acid batteries from vehicles (such as next-generation hybrid electric vehicles or use of alternative batteries) or the introduction of micro-hybrid vehicles (lead battery pack vehicles). A dynamic model is described and used to examine the immediate and long-term lead flow patterns, and the associated lead emissions. We conclude that the adoption of non-lead–acid hybrid vehicles does not result in the lead market collapsing unless there is rapid introduction of these vehicles to the fleet, 50% by 2007. A 10% increase in micro-hybrid (battery pack) vehicles results in a predicted increase of 26 tons of lead emissions over the status quo or a 6% increase over 2004 Toxics Release Inventory releases from mining, primary smelting, and secondary smelting.
Good directors and bad behavior

Abstract Because financial frauds are not uncommon, and CEOs and/or CFOs are most often directly involved in them, directors of public corporations should be constantly concerned with monitoring their officers’ legal and ethical behavior. This is the case for three primary reasons. First, due to a variety of organizational pressures and decision making missteps, even people who wish to be ‘good’—as most corporate officers presumably do—often make serious ethical mistakes. Second, top corporate officers are particularly susceptible to making several of these errors. And third, for various psychological reasons, corporate directors often find it difficult to adequately police those officers. This installment of Business Law & Ethics Corner explores the issue of good directors and bad behavior.
Trends Toward Individualism in the Teaching of Jesus

THE first impulse toward the preparation of this paper is a vague personal reaction. The drift in parts of our world is toward collectivism, and the general trend is toward mass movements. The individual is lost in the shuffle, and the person disappears in the group. Christians today are grouped in churches, and churches are caught up in a passion for the ecumenical, the universal. To speak of the social gospel is to be in favor, but to talk of the gospel for the individual is to put oneself under a cloud. What has happened to Jesus' concern for the single soul? I am quite aware of the problem of defining what an individual is. Apparently there is no such thing as absolute individuality, and the writers of the New Testament would not recognize the term. Neither did they think in terms of personality as we moderns do. But definition or no definition, the individual was there in the N.T. picture, and the values of personality figured more boldly than we sometimes think.
Sample size required to observe at least k rare events.

Tables based upon Poisson distribution are presented which specify total sample size adequate to ensure (p > .95) that a certain specified number of rare events will be observed. The tables are useful in planning sampling surveys where special interest is in obatining at least a specified number of cases of special research interest. The tables can also be used as basis for rejecting the hypothesis that occurrence rate for rate event exceeds some specified value in the population.
The effect of dexamethasone on human mucin 1 expression and antibody-dependent complement sensitivity in a prostate cancer cell line in vitro and in vivo

Dexamethasone has been shown to up-regulate human mucin 1 (MUC1) expression in certain types of cancer cell lines in vitro, suggesting that this gluocorticoid may enhance MUC1-based immunotherapies. Here we investigated the effect of dexamethasone on MUC1 expression in the DU145 human prostate cancer cell line in terms of antibody-mediated complement-dependent cell lysis. Cells treated with 1 × 10−8 m dexamethasone in vitro expressed maximal levels of MUC1 after 6 days, with an approximately 3-fold increase over MUC1 levels on untreated cells. DU145 cells were highly resistant to lysis by anti-MUC1 antibody and complement, and their susceptibility to antibody and complement was unaffected by dexamethasone treatment. However, dexamethasone also induced expression of the complement inhibitor decay accelerating factor (DAF) on DU145 cells. Blocking or overcoming the function of DAF resulted in enhanced complement-dependent lysis of dexamethasone-treated cells with anti-MUC1 antibodies, indicating that the failure of dexamethasone to enhance the complement susceptibility of DU145 cells was caused by the up-regulated expression of DAF. We also investigated MUC1 expression in vivo and found that MUC1 expression was significantly up-regulated on tumour cells isolated from immune-deficient mice that had been injected with dexamethasone. However, in contrast to in vitro data, there was no difference between the levels of DAF expressed on tumour-derived DU145 cells isolated from either phosphate buffered saline (PBS)-treated or dexamethasone-treated mice, and tumour cells isolated from dexamethasone-treated mice were more sensitive to complement-mediated lysis. In the broad context of immunotherapy, the in vivo data support the use of dexamethasone as an adjunct treatment. Up-regulated DAF expression would not be a favourable outcome of dexamethasone treatment in terms of complement-dependent antibody therapy, but the in vivo data caution against extrapolation of in vitro data with regard to the modulation of complement inhibitors reported here and elsewhere.
Treatment of deep orbital hemangiomas of infancy: an overview.

H emangiomas are the most common benign tumors of infancy and the most common tumors of the orbit and eyelid in childhood. In one series, hemangiomas accounted for 1% of all biopsy specimens of orbital lesions in all age groups and 4% of all biopsy specimens of orbital lesions in children. Ophthalmic terminology often referred to periorbital hemangiomas as capillary hemangiomas; however, current medical literature classifies hemangiomas as superficial, deep, and compound. For periorbital tumors, superficial hemangiomas are anterior to the orbital septum, deep hemangiomas are posterior to the orbital septum and often cause a mass effect, and compound hemangiomas have both a deep and a superficial component. This article reviews the treatment of pediatric deep orbital hemangiomas.
Release of pyrethroids from insecticidal ear tags.

The pattern of release was characterized for 8% fenvalerate, 10% permethrin, and 5 and 10% decamethrin ear tags on cattle. The release rate of the fenvalerate ear tags declined from 3.9 mg/day at 10 days to 0.9 mg/day after 180 days on cattle. Permethrin tags released 6.5 mg/day at 10 days and 1.5 mg/day at 180 days. Both tags provided good control of Haematobia irritans (L.) on herds treated with one tag per cow. The first appearance of a population level of five hom flies per cow occurred in weeks 20 and 17 postinstallation of the fenvalerate and permethrin tags, respectively. At these times, the tags were releasing ca. 1.0 mg/day and 1.9 mg/day, respectively. After 10 days on cattle, the 10 and 5% decamethrin ear tags had a release rate of 6.55 and 1.93 mg/day, respectively. The values declined to 1.54 and 0.46 mg/day, respectively, after 180 days. The profile of insecticide concentration from the surface to center of the fenvalerate and permethrin ear tags was determined for tags that had been on cattle for 24 weeks and was found to take on a parabolic shape characteristic of the diffusion process. These studies indicate that the release of pyrethroids from insecticidal ear tags can be predicted from previously derived equations for the release of solutes from dissolved, monolithic systems. The information presented can be useful in the development of new or improved ear tag delivery systems.
Adaptive spectrum sensing for agile cognitive radios

Vast segments of the frequency spectrum are licensed to specific users for particular applications. These legacy users, however, often under-utilize their designated spectrum segments. Unlicensed (secondary) users can benefit from this fact and opportunistically exploit the vacant spectrum segments (spectral holes). Due to the transient nature of the spectrum occupancy it becomes imperative for secondary users to quickly identify such spectral holes. To accomplish this, we propose a novel sequential and adaptive spectrum sensing procedure. The underlying notion of this procedure is to progressively allocate the sensing resources to only the most promising areas of the spectrum. This translates in a reduction of sensing resources and time needed to accurately identify spectrum holes, in contrast with more conventional approaches that allocate the sensing budget over the entire spectrum uniformly. The proposed method is theoretically sound and further supported by simulation results.
Early initiation of prostacyclin in portopulmonary hypertension: 10 years of a transplant center's experience.

Portopulmonary hypertension (PoPH) is a subgroup of Group 1 pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) with particularly poor prognosis. Delay in initiation of parenteral therapy may be the reason for poor outcome. We conducted a prospective observational study of all patients with Group 1 PoPH evaluated at Henry Ford Hospital between January 2002 and July 2012. The cohort of the REVEAL Registry patients with PoPH was used as the comparator group. The patient survival rates at 5 years after diagnosis and 2 years after enrollment, treatment trends, and the freedom from all-cause hospitalization rates at 2 years after enrollment were compared using χ 2 analysis. Twenty-one patients were enrolled in the PH Clinic with PoPH from January 2002 through July 2012. Our patients were significantly more likely to be on prostacyclin IV at 90 days as compared to REVEAL PoPH patients (67 vs. 31 %; p = 0.002). Despite this, early outcomes were not significantly different between the groups: 2-year survival from enrollment (70 and 67 %, respectively; p = 0.77) and 2-year freedom from hospitalization (35 vs. 49 %, respectively; p = 0.29). However, 5-year survival from time of diagnosis was significantly higher in our cohort of PoPH patients (71 and 40 %, respectively; p = 0.02). Early initiation of parenteral prostacyclin therapy in PoPH patients at a single institution was associated with improved 5-year patient survival from diagnosis as compared to the REVEAL Registry of PoPH patients and allowed for clearance for transplant in 52 % of patients within 1 year.
Meta-analysis: Statistical alchemy for the 21st century

(1) The substances under investigation should be identified in a reproducible manner. (2) Each substance should receive a precise characterization, which indicates its specific distinctiveness. To achieve this goal, scientists search for substances that have been suitably purified, and try to work with mixtures that are homogeneous, not heterogeneous. (3) Comparisons that are done within a study should be fair or unbiased. In a randomized clinical trial, this attribute is called the internal validity of the comparison. (4) What is learned in the research should be suitable for extrapolation and application elsewhere beyond the restrictions of the immediate setting and focus of the research. In randomized trials, this attribute is called external validity.