cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Point-Mutations in Skeletal Muscle Voltage-Gated Sodium Channels Confer Resistance to Tetrodotoxin: But at a Cost?

The interaction between toxic newts (Taricha) and several resistant garter snakes (Thamnophis) provides a model system for the study of predator-prey coevolution (Brodie & Brodie 1999). Pacific newts secrete through their skin the potent neurotoxin, tetrodotoxin (TTX, Fuhrman et al., 1964), a compound that specifically binds to the outer pore of voltage-gated sodium channels (NaV proteins, Fozzard et al., 1994). TTX-ligation prevents sodium ion movement across the membrane and therefore abolishes excitability in skeletal muscle and peripheral nerves (Hille, 2001). Three species of garter snake that prey on sympatric newts have adapted to these toxic newts by circumventing the block through several independently evolved mutations within the pore loop of the skeletal muscle channel variant, NaV1.4 (Feldman et al., 2012). These mutations reduce the affinity of TTX to the pore and provide physiological resistance (Feldman et al., 2009). However, these same mutations are also expected to alter the biophysical properties of the channel, in particular the permeation and selectivity (Hille, 2001). We show that animals with greater TTX resistance displayed diminished skeletal muscle performance (phasic and tetanic contractions). We are currently testing the hypothesis that changes in skeletal muscle sodium channel current density, activation, inactivation, and recovery could potentially explain the tissue-level findings.
Enabling Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) in private social networks

Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) has been widely acknowledged as a critical source of valuable and cost efficient intelligence that is derived from publicly available sources. With the rise of prominent social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter that record and expose a multitude of different datasets, investigators are beginning to look at what social media has to offer the Intelligence Community (IC). Some major obstacles that OSINT analysts often face are privacy and platform restrictions that serve both to protect the privacy of individuals and to protect the economic livelihood of the social media platform. In this work we review existing social networking research to examine how it can be applied to OSINT. As our contribution, we propose a greedy search algorithm for enabling efficient discovery of private friends on social networking sites and evaluate its performance on multiple randomly generated graphs as well as a real-world social network collected by other researchers. In its breadth, this work aims to provide the reader with a broader understanding of OSINT and key concepts in social network analysis.
Discussion of “Optimizing in a complex world: A statistician's role in decision making”

I would first like to thank Dr. Anderson-Cook for this article as well as many previous articles that have improved the methodology for making decisions when there are multiple goals.I agree with D...
People Without Things

It is easy to understand the puzzlement of colleagues who are unsure what to make of the increasing number of anthropologists who bemoan anthropocentrism. We can forgive their sideways glances when they hear that social scientists are “now look[ing] to gain maturity by burying the corpse of our imperial majesty: society” (Miller 2005: 37). Or when they learn that posthumanism is a growing project in the humanities (Wolfe 2003). Or that the latest iteration of phenomenology has little to do with people and is instead concerned with how objects perceive one another (Harman 2005).
Visually interacting with a knowledge base using frames, logic, and propositional graphs

The knowledge base of a knowledge representation and reasoning system can simultaneously be thought of as being logic-, frame-, and graph-based. We present a method for naturally extending this three-fold view to methods for visual interaction with the knowledge base in the context of SNePS 3 and its newly developed user interface. Addition to, and querying of, the knowledge base are tasks well suited to a frame or logical representation. Visualization and exploration on the other hand are best done through the use of propositional graphs. We show how these interaction techniques, which are extensions of the underlying knowledge base representation, augment each other to allow users to manipulate and view large knowledge bases.
Finding Joy in Practice: Cocreation in Palliative Care

Four years ago, after nearly 20 years in practice, I walked out of the familiar world of infectious disease and into the world of palliative care. In the world I left, I cared for hundreds of patients, educated countless learners, led dozens of infection prevention efforts. But that world felt increasingly superficial, fragmented, isolated, a hard place to find joy and meaning in my work. I discovered a different world in palliative care, a world that—I think I can say—embodies cocreation.1,2 Spend a day with me and see what you think
A GP with a special interest in multiple sclerosis

Neale Pimenta became a general practitioner with a special interest in multiple sclerosis for both professional and personal reasons
Structural study of fluoro-tetraphenylporphyrins relating to large variability in solubilities of the para-F-TPP, ortho-F-TPP and meta-F-TPP

We present the X-ray structures of the crystals of the ortho-, meta-, and para-F-tetraphenylporphyrins crystallized from different solvents to shed light on the differential solubility of these thr...
SLAM: SLice And Merge - Effective Test Generation for Large Systems

As hardware systems continue to grow exponentially, existing functional verification methods are lagging behind, consuming a growing amount of manual effort and simulation time. In response to this inefficiency gap, we developed SLAM, a novel method for test case generation for large systems. Our verification solution combines several scenarios to run in parallel, while preserving each one intact. This is done by automatically and randomly slicing the system model into sub-systems termed slices, and assigning a different scenario to each slice. SLAM increases simulation efficiency by exercising the different system components simultaneously in varied scenarios. It reduces manual effort of test preparation by allowing reuse and mix of test scenarios. We show how to integrate SLAM into the verification cycle to save simulation time and increase coverage. We present real-life results from the use of our solution in the verification process of the latest IBM System p server.
Plasminogen Activator in the Developing Nervous System

Extensive cell migration and elaborate axonal growth are characteristic features of the developing nervous system. By the time many of the late generated neurons, such as cerebellar granule neurons, leave their site of origin in proliferating germinal zones and migrate to their permanent positions in the stratified nervous system, these migrating neurons are confronted by a morass of nerve fibers and extracellular matrix components. Although radial glial fibers1 and Purkinje cell dendrites2 may provide guidance toward the internal granule cell layer for migrating granule cells, the lead­ing growth cone has been proposed to “push” its way through the tissue .3 Ramon Cajal3 likened these growth cones to battering rams which possessed an enormous power of penetration. More recently the possibility that these neuronal movements may be facilitated by the cell’s ability to “cut” its way through the tissue has been explored 4–10 A likely candidate for the cutting activity is cell secreted plasminogen activator which is capable of generating the broad acting protease plasmin from the extracellular proenzyme plasminogen.
Sedimentation history of the Selenga Delta, Lake Baikal: simulation and interpretation

The computer simulation of a Lake Baikal seismic profile located in the Selenga River Delta area resulted in a lake level record of the last 600 kyr. This curve demonstrates several low-magnitude episodes and both a dramatic 300 m fall and a more than 150 m increase of the lake level relative to present situation. The greatest change in paleo-lake depth at 300 ka corresponds in time with the major glaciation in the Eastern Siberia and is probably the response of the lake to this climatic phenomenon. The results of this study conform with existing hypotheses on the regional tectonic history and climatic events.
Automated generation of convolutional neural network training data using video sources

One of the challenges of using techniques such as convolutional neural networks and deep learning for automated object recognition in images and video is to be able to generate sufficient quantities of labeled training image data in a cost-effective way. It is generally preferred to tag hundreds of thousands of frames for each category or label, and a human being tagging images frame by frame might expect to spend hundreds of hours creating such a training set. One alternative is to use video as a source of training images. A human tagger notes the start and stop time in each clip for the appearance of objects of interest. The video is broken down into component frames using software such as ffmpeg. The frames that fall within the time intervals for objects of interest are labeled as “targets,” and the remaining frames are labeled as “non-targets.” This separation of categories can be automated. The time required by a human viewer using this method would be around ten hours, at least 1–2 orders of magnitude lower than a human tagger labeling frame by frame. The false alarm rate and target detection rate can by optimized by providing the system unambiguous training examples.
Closing the Gaps in Inertial Motion Tracking

A rich body of work has focused on motion tracking techniques using inertial sensors, namely accelerometers, gyroscopes, and magnetometers. Applications of these techniques are in indoor localization, gesture recognition, inventory tracking, vehicular motion, and many others. This paper identifies room for improvement over today's motion tracking techniques. The core observation is that conventional systems have trusted gravity more than the magnetic North to infer the 3D orientation of the object. We find that the reverse is more effective, especially when the object is in continuous fast motion. We leverage this opportunity to design MUSE, a magnetometer-centric sensor fusion algorithm for orientation tracking. Moreover, when the object's motion is somewhat restricted (e.g., human-arm motion restricted by elbow and shoulder joints), we find new methods of sensor fusion to fully leverage the restrictions. Real experiments across a wide range of uncontrolled scenarios show consistent improvement in orientation and location accuracy, without requiring any training or machine learning. We believe this is an important progress in the otherwise mature field of IMU-based motion tracking.
Heterogeneous and Highly Dynamic Interface in Plastocyanin–Cytochrome f Complex Revealed by Site-Specific 2D-IR Spectroscopy

Transient protein complexes are crucial for sustaining dynamic cellular processes. The complexes of electron-transfer proteins are a notable example, such as those formed by plastocyanin (Pc) and cytochrome f (cyt f) in the photosynthetic apparatus. The dynamic and heterogeneous nature of these complexes, however, makes their study challenging. To better elucidate the complex of Nostoc Pc and cyt f, 2D-IR spectroscopy coupled to site-specific labeling with cyanophenylalanine infrared (IR) probes was employed to characterize how the local environments at sites along the surface of Pc were impacted by cyt f binding. The results indicate that Pc most substantially engages with cyt f via the hydrophobic patch around the copper redox site. Complexation with cyt f led to an increase in inhomogeneous broadening of the probe absorptions, reflective of increased heterogeneity of interactions with their environment. Notably, most of the underlying states interconverted very rapidly (1 to 2 ps), suggesting a complex with a highly mobile interface. The data support a model of the complex consisting of a large population of an encounter complex. Additionally, the study demonstrates the application of 2D-IR spectroscopy with site-specifically introduced probes to reveal new quantitative insight about dynamic biochemical systems.
An rRNA variant to deal with stress.

Bacteria have previously been assumed to cope with environmental stress by tuning their total number of active ribosomes. Instead, a study in this issue of Nature Microbiology shows that from a heterogeneous pool of ribosomes, Vibrio vulnificus uses ribosomes with a particular ribosomal RNA variant to translate upregulated stress response mRNAs.
How to Renormalize the Schrodinger Equation

These lectures illustrate the key ideas of modern renormalization theory and effective field theories in the context of simple nonrelativistic quantum mechanics and the Schr\"odinger equation. They also discuss problems in QED, QCD and nuclear physics for which rigorous potential models can be derived using renormalization techniques. They end with an analysis of nucleon-nucleon scattering based effective theory.
S-Glutathionylated Serine Proteinase Inhibitors as Biomarkers for Radiation Exposure in Prostate Cancer Patients

In biological tissues, radiation causes the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), some of which lead to sequential oxidation of certain protein cysteine residues. Resultant cysteinyl radicals are subject to post-translational modification through S-glutathionylation. The present clinical trial was designed to determine if S-glutathionylated serine protease inhibitors (serpins) in blood could be used as biomarkers of exposure to radiation. 56 male prostate cancer patients treated with radiotherapy were enrolled in the trial and levels of S-glutathionylated serpins A1 and A3 were assessed by immunoblotting. Patients were classified into three groups: (1) external beam radiation therapy (EBRT); (2) brachytherapy (BT); (3) both EBRT and BT. Prior to treatment, baseline plasma levels of both unmodified and S-glutathionylated serpins were similar in each group. We identified elevated plasma levels of S-glutathionylated serpin A1 monomer, trimer and serpin A3 monomer in patient blood following radiation. Maximal increased levels of these S-glutathionylated serpins were correlated with increased duration of radiotherapy treatments. We conclude that it is practical to quantify patient plasma S-glutathionylated serpins and that these post-translationally modified proteins are candidate biomarkers for measuring radiation exposure. This provides a platform for use of such biomarkers in trials with the range of drugs that, like radiation, produce ROS.
Regulation of gene expression in Toxoplasma gondii

Abstract As it passes through its life-cycle and different hosts, Toxoplasma gondii must sense and respond to changes in its environment. T. gondii life cycle transitions and cell cycle changes are accompanied by major changes in gene expression and the parasite transcriptome. While many of the components of the general transcription machinery are conserved, specific transcription factors are not conserved. Instead, the ApiAP2 APETELA plant-like transcription family is the major transcription factor of Apicomplexa. AP2 regulates gene expression, including bradyzoite differentiation, in collaboration with epigenetic factors that remodel chromatin structure. Posttranscriptional mechanisms are also important for gene regulation, particularly during developmental transitions. This chapter reviews our understanding of the mechanisms of transcriptional, epigenetic, and posttranscriptional gene regulation in Toxoplasma.
Online dating profiles, first-date interactions, and the enhancement of communication satisfaction and desires for future interaction

This study uses an experimental design to examine the uncertainty-reducing effect of online dating profiles on initial first-date interactions. Zero-history dyads (N = 108) participated in a brief ...
DRAG THEM: A brief etymology of so-called “cancel culture”:

The term “cancel culture” has significant implications for defining discourses of digital and social media activism. In this essay, I briefly interrogate the evolution of digital accountability pra...
Hazard identification and risk assessment with controls (Hirac) in oil industry – A proposed approach

Abstract From the annual reports of bench marked companies from 2016 to 2018, also from the case studies available approximate 100 disaster cases were analyzed in knowing the possible hazard during drilling. The outcome indicates the change in control measures that is suggested in-order to have safe and healthy work environment at work place which in turn helps in preparing the risk register. In oil industry Risk Assessment needs to be performed on steady and systematic or regular basis. The goal of risk assessment is to identify the hazards, to determine the rating of various risks with controls, to revise the risk controls implementation from the previous sessions of risk assessment. Risk assessment process provides a method for assessing the likelihood of health, safety and environmental impacts. This paper highlights in order to know the details of hazard identification, its assessment and with controls includes: hazard Identification- finding potential hazards, defining the risks and rating which is linked to the hazard based on severity, frequency and probability. Hazard Control -controlling of hazards and associated risks with the hazard. Control Measures- providing information on training, supervision on the hazard, education, analyzing the risks, controls measure for the employees affected by the hazards with evaluation of hazard. Furthermore, an example is shown how to do or calculate the quantitative risk assessment for the various hazards that comes across various operations in hydrocarbon industry.
Rydberg Ensemble for Quantum Networking

We present a high efficiency single photon source based on a Rydberg ensemble. Additionally, we demonstrate Hong Ou Mandel interference between photons from this source and photons generated from a trapped barium ion.
Surgical strategies in the management of chronic dissection of the thoracoabdominal aorta

Most operations for dissection of the thoracoabdominal aorta take place in the chronic phase of the disease, because the acutely dissected distal aorta is almost always initially treated non-surgically with aggressive pharmacological anti-impulse therapy. Identifying patients who are no longer responding to medical treatment is the first step in preventing further disease progression and rupture. Symptomatic aneurysms should be promptly repaired. Asymptomatic patients are followed until significant aortic dilation occurs and reaches a threshold of intervention: current guidelines endorse repair once a diameter of 5.5 cm is reached. In patients with heritable thoracic aortic disease (such as Marfan Syndrome), the threshold of intervention is often lowered. Aortic replacement typically centers on the dilatated segment. For all extents of repair, we use passive mild hypothermia, sequential aortic cross-clamping, aggressive reimplantation of intercostal and lumbar arteries, and cold renal perfusion whenever possible. For Crawford extents I and II thoracoabdominal aneurysm repair, we routinely use cerebrospinal fluid drainage, left heart bypass, and selective visceral perfusion. A four-branched graft approach to thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm repair is frequently used in patients with chronic aortic dissection; this approach facilitates visceral artery perfusion during repair, expedites the distal anastomosis, and prevents subsequent visceral patch aneurysms. Lifelong imaging surveillance is necessary, because the distal aorta often continues to expand; residual aortic dissection commonly remains after repair and may necessitate further repair.
Safety and Efficacy of 7 Days on/7 Days off Versus 14 Days on/7 Days off Schedules of Capecitabine in Patients with Metastatic Colorectal Cancer: A Retrospective Review.

Abstract Introduction/Background The administration schedule of capecitabine for the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) in clinical trials has been 14 days of drug with 7 days off in a 21 day cycle (14/7). In an effort to improve tolerability, an alternative every other week treatment (7/7) is often administered. The purpose of this study was to determine the safety and efficacy of administering 7/7 compared with 14/7 capecitabine dosing. Materials and Methods In this retrospective study, mCRC patients received capecitabine on a 7/7 or 14/7 schedule. The primary objective was to determine the tolerability of the respective dosing schedules, defined according to frequency of dose reductions and treatment delays. Secondary objectives included comparisons of objective response rate (ORR), progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), and safety of dosing strategies. Results Of 175 included patients, 73 (41.7%) received the capecitabine 7/7 schedule and 102 (58.3%) received the 14/7 schedule. There was a statistically significant difference between the 7/7 and 14/7 groups with regard to dose reductions (4% vs. 29%; P Conclusion Patients with mCRC who received the 7/7 schedule had significantly fewer dose reductions and treatment delays compared with patients who received the 14/7 schedule. Although no difference in efficacy outcomes were observed, prospective studies are needed to confirm these findings.
Conventional and Moderately Hypofractionated Radiation Therapy for Prostate Cancer

External beam radiation therapy (EBRT) is a common treatment modality for localized prostate cancer and may be used alone or in conjunction with other treatment modalities. In this chapter, we review conventionally fractionated and hypofractionated treatment schedules, appropriate patient selection considerations, treatment planning, patient follow-up, outcomes of treatment, and side effect management.
Intake and Exhaust Systems Equipped with a Variable Valve Control Device for Enhancing of Engine Power (2001-01-0247)

The variable intake and exhaust control valve system for the in-line four-cylinder motorcycle engine was developed for realization of high engine power in all the engine speed ranges. Both the variable intake and exhaust control valves are operated by one servomotor. For high engine speeds, the exhaust collector pipe design for merging of each exhaust gas flow at 180 degrees phase difference is used. For mid engine speeds, the design for merging of each exhaust gas flow at 360 degrees phase difference is used. Two modes are provided to the intake control, and three modes are provided to the exhaust control. Along with exhaust-gas treatment systems such as the catalyst and air-injection system, high engine performance with optimum driveability and reduced emission are realized.
Teaching speech acoustics with adaptable Praat labs

Students identify and measure acoustic characteristics of vowel and consonant production in a series of labs utilizing Praat. The labs are particularly well-suited for synchronous Zoom classes with break out groups, but can be modified to be different lengths, to be completed asynchronously, and/or to be completed individually.
Instances of avian osteoarthritis from the Unalaska Sea Ice Project, Unalaska Island, Alaska.

Abstract Objective This project is designed to examine the prevalence of skeletal pathology in two archaeological avian bone assemblages. Materials Archaeological avian bone assemblages with Number of Identified Specimens of 14,909 (UNL-055) and 36,866 (UNL-048). Methods Visual examination of humeri, coracoids, tarsometatarsi, and cranial elements for pathology during taxonomic identification. Results 83 instances of skeletal pathology were observed in these assemblages and were most prevalent in the UNL-048 assemblage. Marginal osteophytes around the articular surfaces of the coracoid were the primary bone pathology in the UNL-048 avian assemblage. Conclusions The prevalence of osteoarthritis in surface diving birds at the UNL-048 site could be due to changing climate. Significance Considering the environmental factors that contribute to instances of animal pathology allows for a more contextual interpretation of the cultural processes that occurred at archaeological sites. Limitations Time and budgetary constraints did not allow for examination of the entire avian assemblage. Suggestions for future research Further intensive review of archaeological avian assemblages alongside consideration of environmental and cultural processes occurring during the site occupation is advised.
A Rose by Any Other Name: Unacknowledged Sexual Coercion among Latinx Undergraduates

Sexual victimization is associated with adverse health outcomes. Research on the health impact of survivors’ acknowledgment of their victimization has found mixed results. The experiences of ethnic...
T7-T11 Posterior Decompression and Instrumented Fusion, T9 Partial Corpectomy, and Intradural Microsurgical Diskectomy: An Operative Video.

Abstract: We describe the case of a 57 year old female with renal cell cancer and metastatic disease to the spine. The patient presented to our institution with progressive lower extremity weakness and a T9 pathologic fracture with bony and tumor retropulsion into the canal. In addition, there was spinal cord compression from a chronic appearing T8-9 herniated disc fragment. The patient was consented for surgery. In this operative video, we demonstrate the intradural discectomy following a T7-T11 posterior instrumented fusion, decompression, and transpedicular tumor resection. The dorsal and ventral dural closure was reinforced with compressed gelfoam and dural sealant.
Collaborating for Social Justice Through Service Learning

This chapter explores elements that should be included in a service learning style internship program in urban community colleges. It provides theoretical background and descriptions of best practices for forming community partnerships, collaboratively developing learning outcomes, and aligning program design with institutional general education proficiencies, with a focus on civic learning. Additionally, it illustrates two examples of these measures being implemented and producing their intended effect.
Euthanasia in Belgium and the Netherlands: On a Slippery Slope?

20. Kuiken A. Was haar leven nog leefbaar? Trouw. January 11, 2014. http://www.trouw.nl/tr/nl/4516 /Gezondheid/article/detail/3575826/2014/01/11 /Was-haar-leven-nog-leefbaar.dhtml. Accessed July 6, 2015. 21. Bolt EE, SnijdewindMC,Willems DL, van der Heide A, Onwuteaka-Philipsen BD. Can physicians conceive of performing euthanasia in case of psychiatric disease, dementia or being tired of living [published online February 18, 2015]? J Med Ethics. doi:10.1136/medethics-2014-102150. 22. van Tol D, Rietjens J, van der Heide A. Judgment of unbearable suffering and willingness to grant a euthanasia request by Dutch general practitioners.Health Policy. 2010;97(2-3):166-172. 23. Muller MT, Onwuteaka-Philipsen BD, van derWal G, van Eijk J, RibbeMW. The role of the social network in active euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide. Public Health. 1996;110 (5):271-275.
Assessment of an electronic daily diary in patients with overactive bladder

OBJECTIVE To assess the effectiveness of a portable electronic diary as a data collection device for overactive bladder symptoms, and to evaluate its level of patient acceptability compared with a conventional paper-based voiding diary. PATIENTS AND METHODS Patients were identified through USA and UK hospital incontinence clinics. Patients were trained in the use of paper and electronic diaries before randomization, to complete either diary for 7 days. The diaries were then collected and, after a further training session, patients completed the other diary type for 7 days. RESULTS In all, 35 patients were recruited into the trial; overall, patients using the paper diaries (35) and electronic diaries (33) recorded similar data for the median number of incontinent episodes per week (8.2 and 7.0, respectively) and for the median number of significant leaks per day (0.4 and 0.5, respectively). However, the number of daily micturitions was slightly lower for the electronic than for the paper diary (7.3 vs 8.5, respectively). The frequency of urgency recorded in the electronic diary was higher than that recorded in the paper diary (5.8 vs 4.7). As 94% of patients found the electronic diary easy to use, and the electronic diary reflects real-time data entries, the electronic diary data may provide a more accurate reflection of patient symptoms. CONCLUSION We confirmed that the electronic diary is a novel method of collecting clinically relevant symptom data from patients with an overactive bladder. In addition, the ease-of-use ratings support the use of the electronic diary as a superior alternative to paper diaries, providing real-time data which can be rapidly analysed, and thus allowing a speedy review of data during ongoing clinical studies.
15-Deoxy-Δ12,1412,14-PGJ2 Induces IL-8 Production in Human T Cells by a Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Pathway

Mast cells, platelets, and some macrophages are abundant sources of PGD2 and its active metabolite 15-deoxy-Δ12,14-PGJ2 (15-d-PGJ2). The lipid mediator 15-d-PGJ2 regulates numerous processes, including adipogenesis, apoptosis, and inflammation. The 15-d-PGJ2 has been shown to both inhibit as well as induce the production of inflammatory mediators such as TNF-α, IL-1β, and cyclooxygenase, mostly occurring via a nuclear receptor called peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPAR-γ). Data concerning the effects of 15-d-PGJ2 on human T cells and immune regulation are sparse. IL-8, a cytokine with both chemotactic and angiogenic effects, is produced by T lymphocytes following activation. Whether 15-d-PGJ2 can regulate the production of IL-8 in T cells in unknown. Interestingly, 15-d-PGJ2 treatment of unstimulated T cells induces cell death. In contrast, in activated human T lymphocytes, 15-d-PGJ2 does not kill them, but induces the synthesis of IL-8. In this study, we report that 15-d-PGJ2 induced a significant increase in both IL-8 mRNA and protein from activated human T lymphocytes. The induction of IL-8 by 15-d-PGJ2 did not occur through the nuclear receptor PPAR-γ, as synthetic PPAR-γ agonists did not mimic the IL-8-inducing effects of 15-d-PGJ2. The mechanism of IL-8 induction was through a mitogen-activated protein kinase and NF-κB pathway, as inhibitors of both systems abrogated IL-8 protein induction. Therefore, 15-d-PGJ2 can act as a potent proinflammatory mediator in activated T cells by inducing the production of IL-8. These findings show the complexity with which 15-d-PGJ2 regulates T cells by possessing both pro- and anti-inflammatory properties depending on the activation state of the cell. The implications of this research also include that caution is warranted in assigning a solely anti-inflammatory role for 15-d-PGJ2.
A qualitative study of the development and first year of implementation of the Blacksburg Electronic Village

This qualitative study examined and describes the development and first year of implementation of the Blacksburg Electronic Village. This project, which came to national attention February 10, 1994 on the NBC Nightly News, was a collaborative effort by Bell Atlantic of Virginia, Virginia Tech, and the Town of Blacksburg, Virginia. This study looks at the origins of this project as it relates to the development of technological innovations, examines the formation of the partnership, and describes critical events that occurred over time which contributed to the success of the project. Data sources included published documents, key participant interviews, and participant observations. These data sources were then coded and analyzed using HyperQual 2 version 1.0, a qualitative data analysis program, to establish the development and first year of implementation of the Blacksburg Electronic Village. The information gleaned from this analysis was then used to present the Blacksburg Electronic Village story through the first year of official operation. Included in the story are the critical events for the village, a timeline of these critical events, and the successes and challenges that have shaped the electronic village and contributed to what it has become today.
Repeatability and Reproducibility

Repeatability and reproducibility are defined, the distinction between them is described, and examples are provided. The use of these measures in quantifying the precision of laboratory procedures is discussed. The role of reproducibility in the estimation of sample size for clinical trials with quantitative outcomes is explained. Keywords: repeatability; reproducibility; standard deviation; coefficient of variation; variance components
Gulonolactone oxidase. Solubilization, properties, and partial purification.

Abstract A gulonolactone oxidase (l-gulono-γ-lactone:O2 oxidoreductase, EC 1.1.3.b) preparation was obtained from rat liver microsomes in which the enzyme was nonsedimentable after several hours of centrifugation at 100,000 x g. This initial preparation had 3- to 4-fold the specific activity of the microsomes. The enzyme has properties which suggest that it is associated with a lipid-containing membrane subunit of the endoplasmic reticulum. Gel filtration studies indicate that the subunit has a molecular weight of about 450,000. Acrylamide electrophoresis of fractions obtained from gel filtration of this enzyme preparation displayed only two observable bands in fractions having the highest specific activity for gulonolactone oxidase as compared to eight bands in the unfractionated preparation. There was substantial recovery of total activity in the fractions showing only two observable components; nevertheless the specific activity of these fractions was only 10- to 12-fold that of the starting microsomes, indicating that the enzyme may be only a small part of one of these components. The sedimentation behavior of the enzyme in the soluble preparation, its relative insensitivity to pH changes, and the presence of lipid in the gel filtration fractions mentioned above indicate that the subunit must contain considerable lipid in which the enzyme may exist in an essentially hydrophobic environment.
Learning Algorithms for Domain Adaptation

A fundamental assumption for any machine learning task is to have training and test data instances drawn from the same distribution while having a sufficiently large number of training instances. In many practical settings, this ideal assumption is invalidated as the labeled training instances are scarce and there is a high cost associated with labeling them. On the other hand, we might have access to plenty of labeled data from a different domain, which can provide useful information for the present domain. In this paper, we discuss adaptive learning techniques to address this specific problem: learning with little training data from the same distribution along with a large pool of data from a different distribution. An underlying theme of our work is to identify situations when the auxiliary data is likely to help in training with the primary data. We propose two algorithms for the domain adaptation task: dataset reweighting and subset selection. We present theoretical analysis of behavior of the algorithms based on the concept of domain similarity, which we use to formulate error bounds for our algorithms. We also present an experimental evaluation of our techniques on data from a real world question answering system.
Nonhomologous DNA end joining in cell-free systems.

Double strand DNA breaks are usually caused by ionizing radiation and radiomimetic drugs, but can also occur under normal physiological conditions during double strand break-induced recombination, such as the rearrangement of T-cell receptor and immunoglobulin genes during lymphoid development or the mating type switching in yeast. The main repair mechanism for double strand breaks in higher eukaryotes is nonhomologous DNA end joining (NHEJ), which modifies and ligates the two DNA ends without the help of extensive base–pairing interactions for alignment. Defects in double strand break repair are associated with radiosensitivity, predisposition to cancer and immunodeficiency syndromes, and the analysis of the underlying mutations has lead to the identification of several proteins involved in NHEJ. However, these genetic studies have yielded little information on the mechanism of NHEJ, and while some of the protein factors identified possess the expected enzymatic or DNA-binding activities, the precise role of others remains unclear. Systems for cell-free NHEJ have been available for over 10 years, but the biochemical analysis of NHEJ has lagged behind the genetic analysis, and not a single protein factor required for NHEJ has been identified by biochemical purification and reconstitution of NHEJ activity. Here I review the current status of in vitro systems for NHEJ, summarize the results obtained and information gained, and discuss the outlook for biochemical approaches to study NHEJ.
Automatic vascular tree formation using the mahalanobis distance

We present a novel technique for the automatic formation of vascular trees from segmented tubular structures. Our method combines a minimum spanning tree algorithm with a minimization criterion of the Mahalanobis distance. First, a multivariate class of connected junctions is defined using a set of trained vascular trees and their corresponding image volumes. Second, a minimum spanning tree algorithm forms the tree using the Mahalanobis distance of each connection from the "connected" class as a cost function. Our technique allows for the best combination of the discrimination criteria between connected and non-connected junctions and is also modality, organ and segmentation specific.
Microscale Applications in Tribology

This chapter focuses on microscale applications involving basic mechanical and biological issues affecting tribology in magnetic storage devices, microelectromechanical devices, flexible media, and biomedical systems. Similar to the factors influencing macroscale applications—described in the earlier chapter—microscale applications of tribology rely on understanding and solving complex tribological issues involving friction, adhesion, lubrication, and wear of components in relative motion. Although many of the presented solutions are multidisciplinary in approach, they also depend on a thorough understanding of the smaller length-scales to achieve the desired efficiency, reliability, compliance, and safety necessary to ensure economical and practical operation. The presented topics are chosen to further illustrate the broad range and importance that tribology plays in lesser known applications which people encounter in their daily lives from computer hard drives to printers and from contact lenses to basketballs.
Effects of ovarian hormones on eating behaviors, body weight, and glucoregulation in rhesus monkeys.

The influences of ovarian hormones on food intake, taste preferences, and glucoregulation were examined in intact and ovariectomized rhesus monkeys. Intake of intact monkeys was lowest in the preovulatory stage of the cycle, when estrogen levels are elevated, and exogenous estradiol transiently suppressed food intake of ovariectomized monkeys in a dose-related manner, confirming previous observations. Progesterone treatment did not affect food intake when given alone, but it did attenuate the effect of estradiol when both hormones were given concurrently. Preferences for sweet solutions were not detectably influenced by chronic treatment with estradiol or progesterone, and compensatory responses to ingestion of sugar were unaltered by hormone treatment. Glucose tolerance tests did not reveal significant influences of ovarian hormones on glycemia, but insulin levels were elevated during periods of progesterone treatment. These results do not support the suggestion that fluctuations in caloric intake during the menstrual cycle are secondary to changes in taste preference or glucoregulation. However, possible changes in sweet preference and glucoregulation shortly after initiation of estrogen treatment, i.e., during the time of suppressed food intake, remain to be examined.
APNEA AND PERIODIC BREATHING VALUES DURING THE FIRST YEAR IN CONTROL TERM INFANTS

Currently, recordings for apnea and periodic breathing (PB)* events are done to assess infants with apparent "life threatening episodes" to determine their management. The following data are from term infants studied at 3 wks to 1 yr. Respiratory measurements were made with strain gauges and nasal thermistors in a quiet hospital room. One day recordings were done at 3 wks to 6 mos; and overnight at 9 mos and 1 yr. Five of the 9 mos. and 13 of the 1 yr. infants were "near miss" for SIDS who had had no apnea or repeat near miss episodes for at least 2 months prior to recording.
Experimental investigation on variation of machined residual stresses by turning and grinding of hardened AISI 1053 steel

Residual stresses in machined surfaces are of great importance to the service life of a component under various loading conditions. In many cases, the material damage initiates from the weakest spot with the least compressive stress in the component surfaces. This situation leads to the consideration of residual stress moving beyond the traditional thinking of single or average values to the inclusion of variation of stress values on different measurement points. In this paper, we experimentally investigated the surface and in-depth residual stresses in hardened AISI 1053 steels machined using hard turning and surface grinding processes. Cubic boron nitride (CBN) cutting tools were used in both processes. The effects of depth of cut and number of passes were also studied. It was found that both processes produce a significant amount of compressive stress on the machined surfaces, as well as steep stress gradients underneath the surfaces. Compared with hard turning, surface grinding produces higher magnitudes of average compressive residual stresses, but it also generates up to 14 times higher scattering of residual stresses, indicated by the standard deviation of the residual stress measurements. As a result, the benefits of a highly compressive average residual stress will be offset by highly scattered individual measurements. The stochastic nature of abrasive grit distribution and orientations in grinding wheels is believed to be the contributing factor for the significant scattering. Meanwhile, for hard turning, the variation of surface and in-depth residual stresses greatly increases, up to 3.8 times, with a larger depth of cut and the use of multiple passes; however, this trend is less significant for surface grinding.
Sulfide Inhibition of Nitrate Removal in Coastal Sediments

Microbial nitrate (NO3−) removal via denitrification (DNF) at high sulfide (H2S) concentrations was compared in sediment from a coastal freshwater pond in a developed area that receives salt-water influx during storm events, and a saline pond proximal to an undeveloped estuary. Sediments were incubated with added SO42− (1,000 µg per gram dry weight basis (gdw)) to determine whether acid volatile sulfides (AVS) were formed. DNF in the sediments was measured with NO3–N (300 µg gdw−1) alone, and with NO3–N and H2S (1,000 µg S2− gdw−1). SO42− addition to the freshwater sediments resulted in AVS formation (970 ± 307 µg S gdw−1) similar to the wetland with no added SO42− (986 ± 156 µg S gdw−1). DNF rates measured with no added H2S were greater in the freshwater than the wetland site (10.6 ± 0.6 vs. 6.4 ± 0.1 µg N2O–N gdw−1 h−1, respectively). High H2S concentrations retained NH4–N in the undeveloped wetland and retained NO3–N in the developed freshwater site, suggesting that potential salt-water influx may reduce the ability of the freshwater sediments to remove NO3–N.
Identification of patient-centered outcomes among African American women with type 2 diabetes

Aims African American women carry a disproportionate diabetes burden, yet there is limited information on strategies to identify outcomes women perceive as important intervention outcomes (patient-centered outcomes). This study presents a brief strategy to solicit these outcomes and to describe outcomes identified using the highlighted strategy.
Design and performance of C-band transistors

Recent advances in microwave transistor technology have resulted in significant improvements in the high-frequency performance of small-signal npn bipolar transistors. By suitable choice of collector thickness either f T or f max may be optimized: f T = 15 GHz and f max = 26 GHz have been obtained. Typical devices exhibit a noise figure of 4 dB at 4 GHz. The improved technology comprises: one-micron anti-reflection chromium masks prepared by direct ultraviolet exposure of photoresist in the step-and-repeat camera; arsenic diffused emitters which provide a very steep impurity concentration gradient at the emitter-base junction, do not exhibit the emitter dip effect and result in improved high-frequency performance compared with phosphorus emitter devices (1, 2); and low-resistance aluminum-silicon contacts compatible with shallow emitter-base junctions.
Characterization of Binding of Transforming Growth Factor-β1 to Bovine Mammary Membranes

This study developed a procedure to measure binding of transforming growth factor-beta 1 to bovine mammary membranes. Mammary membranes were incubated with 3 M MgCl2 to remove endogenously bound transforming growth factor-beta 1. Binding was optimized by incubation of 200 micrograms of membrane protein with 125I-labeled transforming growth factor-beta 1 in 25 mM Tris, 10 mM CaCl2, and 1.0% BSA in a total volume of .5 ml in the presence or absence of unlabeled transforming growth factor-beta 1. The reaction equilibrated in 2 h at 4 degrees C. Specific binding was linear from 142 to 1140 micrograms of membrane protein. The reaction was specific for the beta transforming growth factors; transforming growth factor-beta 1, transforming growth factor-beta 2, and transforming growth factor-beta 3 could complete effectively with 125I-labeled transforming growth factor-beta 1 for the receptor. The growth factors, epidermal growth factor, IGF-I, or transforming growth factor-alpha did not compete effectively with 125I-labeled transforming growth factor-beta 1 for binding to bovine mammary membranes. Scatchard analysis showed that the number of receptors averaged 251 pmol/mg of membrane protein and the affinity was 8.7 x 10(-11) M. Binding to mammary membranes was higher during the prepubertal and pubertal periods than during lactation. Binding to mammary membranes during early lactation averaged 24% of the binding observed during other physiological states.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Direct identification of products and measurement of branching ratios for the reaction of oxygen atoms with vinylbromide

Direct detection of the products of the O + C2H3Br reaction occurring in high-intensity room temperature crossed beams reveals that the reaction proceeds by three reactive channels, the products of which are, 1. CH3 + BrCO (and/or Br + CO); 2. CH2Br + HCO (and possibly H + CO), and 3. H2C2O + HBr. Flow reactor studies of the overall rate of the O + C2H3Br reaction and of the rate of CH3 and H2C2O production have yielded rate constants for the overall reaction, for route (1), and for route (3). These rate constants were used to calculate branching ratios for all three reactive channels.