cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Oral Pharmacokinetics in Beagle Dogs of the Mitragynine Metabolite, 7-Hydroxymitragynine.

7-Hydroxymitragynine (7-HMG) is an oxidative metabolite of mitragynine, the most abundant alkaloid in the leaves of Mitragyna speciosa (otherwise known as kratom). While mitragynine is a weak partial µ-opioid receptor (MOR) agonist, 7-HMG is a potent and full MOR agonist. It is produced from mitragynine by cytochrome P450 (CYP) 3A, a drug-metabolizing CYP isoform predominate in the liver that is also highly expressed in the intestine. Given the opioidergic potency of 7-HMG, a single oral dose pharmacokinetic and safety study of 7-HMG was performed in beagle dogs. Following a single oral dose (1 mg/kg) of 7-HMG, plasma samples were obtained from healthy female beagle dogs. Concentrations of 7-HMG were determined using ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with a tandem mass spectrometer (UPLC-MS/MS). Pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated using a model-independent non-compartmental analysis of plasma concentration-time data. Absorption of 7-HMG was rapid, with a peak plasma concentration (Cmax, 56.4 ± 1.6 ng/ml) observed within 15 min post-dose. In contrast, 7-HMG elimination was slow, exhibiting a mono-exponential distribution and mean elimination half-life of 3.6 ± 0.5 h. Oral dosing of 1 mg/kg 7-HMG was well tolerated with no observed adverse events or significant changes to clinical laboratory tests. These results provide the first pharmacokinetic and safety data for 7-HMG in the dog and therefore contribute to the understanding of the putative pharmacologic role of 7-HMG resulting from an oral delivery of mitragynine from kratom.
Analyst Coverage and Syndicated Lending

We study the effects of analyst coverage on syndicated lending. We hypothesize that analyst research alleviates information asymmetries between lead arrangers and participant lenders within a syndicate, increasing the participants’ credit supply and reducing the required loan interest spread. Using exogenous shocks to firms’ analyst coverage, we find that firms pay higher loan interest spreads and participant lenders fund smaller fractions of the loans after firms experience a reduction in analyst coverage. Participants are more likely to be nonbank institutional investors and transact with familiar lead arrangers after the coverage shocks.
Rhythm in Gwendolyn Brooks's WE REAL COOL

Gwendolyn Brooks's “We Real Cool” commonly typifies her work and exists, for many readers, as the most visible of her poems. High school and college students who have encountered her writing have l...
Cyclic 3',5'AMP phosphodiesterase in Physarum polycephalum. II. Kinetic properties.

Some kinetic characteristics of soluble and particulate cyclic 3′,5′-AMP phosphodiesterases from Physarum polycephalum are presented. The nature of enzyme inhibition by various agents is reported. The relationship between various enzyme inhibitors and their reported chemotactic properties in Physarum is examined. The results suggest that the chemoattractant effect of several inhibitors may be related to their ability to inhibit the particulate and extracellular phosphodiesterases, but is unrelated to inhibition of the intracellular enzyme.
Integrating Nonparametric Learning with Path Planning for Data-Ferry Communications

In a data-ferrying unmanned aircraft system, ferrying performance requires knowledge of the communication environment through which the aircraft moves. This work integrates ferry planning with opportunistically learning the radio environment through the use of a Gaussian process. The unmanned aircraft’s trajectory is initially optimized with an a priori model. After flying one circuit of the closed trajectory, radio-frequency variations observed by the ferry are used to train a Gaussian process and improve the model of the environment. This iterative ferry-and-learn system is analyzed through a simulation study, showing ferry performance improves rapidly. The ferry achieves 80% of optimal within four iterations and 93% after nine iterations, as the Gaussian process is able to converge quickly to the true radio-frequency environment. This work further compares the Gaussian process to common parameter-based estimation methods through two extremes of radio-frequency environments. The nonparametric nature of ...
Estrogen receptor variants in early breast disease and breast cancer progression

Summary As a downstream mediator of estrogen action, the ER can have a number of pleiotropic effects on a variety of cell types. The critical importance of estrogen in both normal and breast cancer growth has made the ER a matter of intense study, and still its complete mode of action is unclear. One of the discoveries to come out of recent work is the finding that the ER is often altered at the RNA level in both normal and malignant breast tissue. When the interaction of these variants with the growing number of regulators of wild-type ER activity are studied in detail, we may get a clearer picture of the role of variant ERs in breast cancer disease and progression.
The Sialic Acids X. PURIFICATION AND PROPERTIES OF CYTIDINE 5'-MONOPHOSPHOSIALIC ACID SYNTHETASE

An enzyme, cytidine monophosphate sialic acid synthetase, was purified from hog submaxillary glands. This enzyme (or enzymes) catalyzes the synthesis of CMP-N-acetylneuraminic acid or CMP-N-glycolylneuraminic acid or both and inorganic pyrophosphate from CTP and the corresponding sialic acids. The preparation was inactive with other known sialic acids and analogues of these compounds, and was also inactive with other nucleotides. The properties of the purified enzyme and its distribution are reported. Reversibility of the reaction was detected, i.e. the enzyme catalyzed the incorporation of 32PPi into CTP in complete incubation mixtures. Addition of hydroxylamine to incubation mixtures did not yield N-acetylneuraminic acid hydroxamate. The chemical synthesis of N-acetylneuraminic acid hydroxamate is described.
Temperature-modulated calorimetry of the crystallization of polymers analyzed by measurements and model calculations

The response of temperature-modulated differential scanning calorimetry (TMDSC) to irreversible crystallization of linear polymers was investigated by model calculations and compared to a number of measurements. Four different exotherms were added to a typical modulated, reversible heat-flow rate in order to simulate irreversible crystallization. It was found that the reversing heat-flow rate of the TMDSC in response to such irreversible crystallization exotherms is strongly affected by tbe shape of the transition and the phase-angle where the exotherm occurs. A comparison with the experimental data gave valuable insight into the transitions, as well as the nature of the TMDSC response which is usually limited to an analysis of the first harmonic term of the Fourier series that describes the heat-flow rate.
Investigation of UV laser triggered, nanosecond, surface flashover switches

Triggered, multi-channel, surface discharges or surface flashover switching have been investigated as a low inductance, low pulse rate switch for conducting large currents. This paper discusses the investigation of UV (355 nm) laser triggered, single channel, low inductance, ns closure and sub-ns jitter switches for applications in switching high dielectric constant, compact pulse forming lines into accelerator loads. The experimental arrangement for evaluating the switch performance and for measuring the high field dielectric constant of the pulse forming lines is presented. Experimental results of delay and jitter measurements versus optical energy on the flashover surface and DC electric field charge.
WE‐A‐134‐07: RapidTrack: A Versatile Tool for Template‐Based Target Tracking During Radiotherapy

Purpose: To investigate the accuracy that can be obtained by using various template‐based methods to track target motion from radiographic projections during radiation therapy dose delivery. Methods: We have developed a non‐clinical software suite (RapidTrack) in two parts to accomplish template‐based tracking. RapidTrack‐Planning is an application used to generate templates from plan CT. These templates are oriented to correspond with the imaging angle of the online images to which they will be matched. Templates may be derived from the actual voxel values of the plan CT (using MIP or tomosynthesis) or may be generated from the plan contours without reference to the voxel values. The RapidTrack‐Lung application performs the actual matching with online projections using a cross‐correlation method. The match locations can be used to derive a 3D position of the target. Quality of the match is measured using a peak‐to‐sidelobe ratio (PSR) metric, which reduces the incidence of false detection. Results: The RapidTrack suite was shown to be quite versatile for tracking of radiotherapy targets. The generated templates are not dependent on any particular shape or structure of target; hence they are applicable to a variety of fiducial shapes as well as to fiducial‐less scenarios. RapidTrack was used on intra‐fraction images of seeds in pancreas; quality of the match was visually illustrated by overlaying the planning contour on the image at the match location. PSR of the match was consistently over 2.2 at all angles. Tracking of embolization coils in lung produced similar results. Breathing motion of a lung tumor was successfully tracked using a markerless algorithm based on synthetic contour template. Conclusion: The template‐based algorithm demonstrated shows promise for tracking radiotherapy targets during treatment, both in fiducial and fiducial‐less scenarios. The PSR metric is an effective means of measuring the quality of tracking. Varian Medical Systems
Performing out-of-core FFTs on parallel disk systems

Abstract The Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) plays a key role in many areas of computational science and engineering. Although most one-dimensional FFT problems can be solved entirely in main memory, some important classes of applications require out-of-core techniques. For these, use of parallel I/O systems can improve performance considerably. This paper shows how to perform one-dimensional FFTs using a parallel disk system with independent disk accesses. We present both analytical and experimental results for performing out-of-core FFTs in two ways: using traditional virtual memory with demand paging, and using a provably asymptotically optimal algorithm for the Parallel Disk Model (PDM) of Vitter and Shriver. When run on a DEC 2100 server with a large memory and eight parallel disks, the optimal algorithm for the PDM runs up to 144.7 times faster than in-core methods under demand paging. Moreover, even including I/O costs, the normalized times for the optimal PDM algorithm are competitive, or better than, those for in-core methods even when they run entirely in memory.
Crossing the Rubicon. A Historiographical Study

This paper contains a typological comparison of the extant accounts of Caesar's crossing of the Rubicon (Velleius Paterculus, Lucan, Plutarch, Suetonius, Appian, Orosius) and highlights interrelationships among the various accounts as well as patterns and topoi in the Rubicon myth. This episode has been dramatized by five of the authors as a point of transition from peace to war, although Caesar has set himself at fault much earlier by maneuvering to resign his command. Common motifs are the speed with which Caesar proceeds, his hesitation and pondering the consequences, and the connection of the crossing with a supernatural element. Caesar's nocturnal wanderings in Suetonius can be explained as a misinterpretation of Plutarch's account; the scene about the apparition with the reed pipe plays with generic markers to express the beginning of war. Finally, a conclusion can be drawn about Asinius Pollio as the common source. As a child of the Late Republic he might have been interested in mitigating his representation of the Rubicon scene by having Caesar hesitate, ponder the consequences, be under divine influence and act in self-defense, features that were exploited by his successors and turned into topoi of the Rubicon myth.
Sex pheromone of the grape berry moth: Identification by classical and electroantennogram methods, and field tests

Abstract The grape berry moth, Paralobesia viteana , sex pheromone structure was found to be cis -9-dodecenyl acetate by classical analytical methods and by electroantennogram data with synthetic standards. The synthetic pheromone is attractive to male grape berry moths in the vineyard, although trap attractancy can be increased twentyfold by emitting a mixture of the attractant and a synergist, such as nonyl or dodecyl acetate.
System Refinements Introduced in to the Swedish Navy Visby Marine Propulsion System

The YS2000 program is a 72 meter length and 10.5 meter width all composite Corvette class vessel. It displaces 650 metric tons when fully equipped and drafts 2.5 meters. It is to be crewed by 18 officers and 25 enlisted men. It is a CODOG propulsion system supplied by Vericor Power Systems (VPS), with two MTU 16V 2000 M90 diesels and four TF50A gas turbine engines. Both the diesels and gas turbines are connected to a pair of MA-107 SBS gearboxes that run two 125 SII KaMeWa water jets. The Visby is designed to be difficult to detect by enemy using radar, infrared, hydro-acoustic monitoring or any other sensor system. The Visby has been in development in Sweden since 1999. To date, five craft have been constructed and sea trialed. Many refinements to the overall propulsion package and related supporting systems have been revisited and incorporated since the first “Visby” ship has been sea trialed and further entered in to service. This paper will focus on various areas of the entire gas turbine propulsion management system (GTPMS) that had earlier exhibited some operational issues and will review the challenges that had to be overcome in order to remedy them. The areas of interest will be related to one of the several TF50A turbine engines modifications, and then further review other key related supporting systems, to include the installation of the hydraulic engine starter and water wash system, combustor enclosure and the engines related exhaust and inlet systems issues, to include problems experienced as a result of some of the early initial designs. In conclusion this paper will update the subject topics the findings previously presented and again focus on some of the before and after results and attempt to detail some of the specific challenges that had to be overcome to make this one of the finest propulsion packages in this class of ship.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
Ion gyro-harmonic structuring in the stimulated radiation spectrum during third electron gyro-harmonic heating

Recently, there has been significant interest in ion gyro-harmonic structuring the Stimulated Electromagnetic Emission SEE spectrum due to the potential for new diagnostic information available about the heated volume and ancillary processes such as creation of artificial ionization layers. These relatively recently discovered emission lines have almost exclusively been studied for second electron gyro-harmonic heating. The first extensive systematic investigations of the possibility of these spectral features for third electron gyro-harmonic heating are provided here. Objectives include the consideration of the variation of the spectral behavior under pump power, proximity to the gyro-harmonic frequency, and beam angle. Also, the relationship between such spectral features and electron acceleration and creation of plasma irregularities was an important focus.
598 INCREASED MORTALITY, OVER TIME, OF ASPLENIC MICE EXPOSED TO AEROSOLIZED TYPE III

Most reported laboratory studies of the effects of splenectomy in experimental animals have shown enhanced mortality after intravenous or intraperitoneal injection of pneumococci. In the present study the respiratory route was chosen because it more closely approximates the probable portal of entry of the infection which causes human pneumococcal disease. Ninety-one male Swiss mice (mean wt. 26 gms.) were divided into 3 groups; control, sham-operated and splenectomized. After 2 weeks they were exposed for 30 min. to an aerosolized atmosphere of 5.9 × 109 colony-forming units of Type III S. pneumoniae, using a Tri-R Model A42 Airborne Infection Apparatus (Tri-R Instruments, Inc., Rockville Centre, N.Y.). A statistically significant difference (P <.01) in mortality, over time, was observed between the splenectomized group and the pooled sham-operated and control groups. The animal model used in the investigation can be applied to the study of other phenomena such as the increased susceptibility to infection of alloxan diabetic mice (Hebert and Coil, presented at the Association for Academic Surgery, 11th Annual Meeting, Seattle. Nov. 3-5, 1977, p. 39). (Supported in part by NIH Grant 1 R01 HL 20170-01)
Evolution of skin lesions in Proteus syndrome

Background Proteus syndrome is a rare overgrowth disorder that is generally progressive, but the natural history of the skin lesions is not known. Objective Our purpose was to document the evolution of 4 common skin lesions in 16 patients with Proteus syndrome. Results Most epidermal nevi and vascular malformations were reported to appear in the first month of life and had little tendency for expansion or development of additional lesions. Subcutaneous lipomas and cerebriform connective tissue nevi were commonly noted in the first year of life, but not in the first month. Most patients reported that subcutaneous lipomas and cerebriform connective tissue nevi progressively increased in size, and in most patients additional lesions developed at new locations. Of the 4 types of skin lesions, plantar cerebriform connective tissue nevi were most frequently cited as a source of symptoms. Conclusion Skin lesions of Proteus syndrome may not appear until later infancy or early childhood, making it difficult to diagnose in young children.
Estimation of the mediation effect with a binary mediator

A mediator acts as a third variable in the causal pathway between a risk factor and an outcome. In this paper, we consider the estimation of the mediation effect when the mediator is a binary variable. We give a precise definition of the mediation effect and examine asymptotic properties of five different estimators of the mediation effect. Our theoretical developments, which are supported by a Monte Carlo study, show that the estimators that account for the binary nature of the mediator are consistent for the mediation effect defined in this paper while other estimators are inconsistent. We use these estimators to study the mediation effect of chronic cerebral infarction in the causal relationship between the apolipoprotein E e4 allele and cognitive function among 233 deceased participants from the Religious Orders Study, a longitudinal, clinical-pathologic study of aging and Alzheimer's disease. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
An Investigation Into the Conditions of Hotel Front Office Automation: an Organizational Approach

The importance of understanding the various relational variables at the individ ual, organizational, and contextual construct levels to hotel automation as conditions to the extent of automation adoption in hotels was discussed. The purpose was to empirically test the relationship between selected independent variables under the three constructs to the dependent variable, extent of automation in the front office of hotels. A sample survey questionnaire was mailed to 400 hotel general managers in the State of Florida. Bivariate correlation and regression analysis was performed on the data provided by 153 respondents. The results indicate that variables of significance can be found among all the three constructs and the obtained signifi cance in the relationship show that automation adoption in hotel front office is clearly related to aspects other than the functions and costs of the automation products. The research carries a limitation in the form of sample hotels being restricted to Florida. Future resea...
ON THE PARALLEL kTH EXTENSION OF THE SIEVE OF ERATOSTHENES

The Sieve of Eratosthenes has been recently extended by excluding, for a given k the multiples of the first k primes from the initial set. The approach developed lends itself nicely to massive parallelism. Four data layouts are presented for a massively parallel SIMD architecture. It is shown that the mapping of data directly affects the performance of the algorithm. Communication strategies are examined to see the impact on the performance of the algorithm.
Computationally useful bridge diagram series. III. Lennard-Jones mixtures

The first two orders of bridge diagrams for the f-bond expansion and the h-bond expansion are calculated for a binary mixture of Lennard-Jones spheres. The method used follows the Legendre polynomial integration methods outlined in the first two papers of this series. As for the pure fluid cases, the thermodynamic results which follow from these methods are found to be in reasonable agreement with the simulation result. Analysis of the thermodynamic and structural results in comparison to the best current bridge function approximations indicate that accurate descriptions of higher order mixtures will require methods beyond the current mean field treatments which are of utility in simple fluids. The methods given are unfortunately not computationally convenient at highest order; however, the lower order diagrams are both accessible and give reasonable numerical results.
Secondary Calcification in the Foraminiferal Genus Globorotalia

Populations of four species of the planktonic foraminiferal genus Globorotalia from sediments in the Gulf of Mexico show the effects of secondary thickening of the test. Quantitative tabulation of the distribution of thin- and thick-walled specimens illustrates an abrupt and separate depth at which the thickening takes place for each species.
The role of dangling bonds in the transport and recombination of a-Si:Ge: H alloys

Abstract Measurements are reported of the luminescence, time-of-flight photoconductivity and electron spin resonance (ESR) in a-Si: Ge: H alloys. In the alloys it is found that the luminescence intensity varies with defect density according to a tunnelling model similar to that in a-Si: H. However, the tunnelling distance decreases with Ge concentration up to about 30% and then increases. This nonmonotonic behaviour is attributed to the additional chemical disorder of the alloys. Time-of-flight experiments confirm that the dangling bonds are the dominant deep trap in the alloys. We find that the capture cross-sections for electrons and holes are very similar to those measured in a-Si: H, and are independent of whether the trap is a Ge or Si dangling bond.
On simulated annealing in EDA

Simulated annealing was first introduced in 1983 as a generic stochastic algorithmic approach to solve optimization problems. Prof. C. L. Liu and his students H. W. Leong and D. F. Wong were among the earliest EDA researchers who applied simulated annealing to EDA. They solved a wide range of EDA problems with successes and reported their results in a series of papers at premier EDA conferences such DAC and ICCAD. Liu, Leong, and Wong later summarized their works in a research monograph entitled Simulated Annealing for VLSI Design, published in 1988 by Kluwer Academic Publishers. In the Preface of their book, the authors wrote "We hope that our experiences with the techniques we employed, some of which indeed bear certain similarities for different problems, could be useful as hints and guides for other researchers in applying the method to the solutions of other problems". Indeed, there were "similarities in techniques" among Liu's works that had influenced the design of simulated annealing EDA algorithms in the past 20 some years. To better understand Liu's contributions in simulated annealing, one should note that a typical simulated annealing algorithm uses a solution space and a cost function that come directly with the problem. Although computation time may be high, the algorithm is straightforward to design, making simulated annealing an attractive option for difficult problems where clever algorithms are hard to come by. On the contrary, Liu's simulated annealing algorithms have a completely different style: They resemble clever algorithms that attempt to solve difficult problems in polynomial time, and they often have a strong algorithmic flavor with a significant effort spent on optimizing the solution space and cost function. In this talk, we will discuss Prof. Liu's pioneering contributions in simulated annealing for EDA.
Reproductive seasonality of the jenney.

Abstract Reproductive seasonality was studied in 12 jennies in southern Wisconsin for 12 mo. The proportion of jennies ovulating differed (P 35 d) due to persistent corpus luteum (two intervals) and a follicular-related anovulatory period (six intervals). Four of the six follicular-related anovulatory periods were attributed to seasonal effects. The anovulatory season in these four jennies occurred in winter, was relatively short (39 to 72 d), and was terminated by a long period (17 to 41 d) of estrous behavior in the continued presence of large follicles (>20 mm). The prolonged estrus accounted for the lower incidence of ovulations during December and seemed similar to the transition between anovulatory and ovulatory seasons in mares. There was a significant effect of month on length of the interovulatory interval, even after removal of the eight prolonged intervals, due primarily to shorter intervals during May to September (means, 23.0 to 24.3 d) than during October to April (25.0 to 27.3 d). Length of estrus differed significantly among months due primarily to shorter periods during May to October (means, 5.7 to 6.9 d) than during November to April (7.4 to 15.2 d). These results indicated that this species is subjected to seasonal effects on reproductive function. However, contrary to the literature, the dramatic partitioning of the year into ovulatory and anovulatory seasons, as occurs in mares, was absent (eight jennies) or limited (four jennies).
ION TRANSPORT MECHANISMS LINKED TO BICARBONATE SECRETION IN THE ESOPHAGEAL SUBMUCOSAL GLANDS

The esophageal submucosal glands (SMG) secrete HCO3− and mucus into the esophageal lumen, where they contribute to acid clearance and epithelial protection. This study characterized the ion transport mechanisms linked to HCO3− secretion in SMG. We localized ion transporters using immunofluorescence, and we examined their expression by RT-PCR and in situ hybridization. We measured HCO3− secretion by using pH stat and the isolated perfused esophagus. Using double labeling with Na+-K+-ATPase as a marker, we localized Na+-coupled bicarbonate transporter (NBCe1) and Cl−-HCO3− exchanger (SLC4A2/AE2) to the basolateral membrane of duct cells. Expression of cystic fibrosis transmembrane regulator channel (CFTR) was confirmed by immunofluorescence, RT-PCR, and in situ hybridization. We identified anion exchanger SLC26A6 at the ducts' luminal membrane and Na+-K+-2Cl− (NKCC1) at the basolateral membrane of mucous and duct cells. pH stat experiments showed that elevations in cAMP induced by forskolin or IBMX increased HCO3− secretion. Genistein, an activator of CFTR, which does not increase intracellular cAMP, also stimulated HCO3− secretion, whereas glibenclamide, a Cl− channel blocker, and bumetanide, a Na+-K+-2Cl− blocker, decreased it. CFTRinh-172, a specific CFTR channel blocker, inhibited basal HCO3− secretion as well as stimulation of HCO3− secretion by IBMX. This is the first report on the presence of CFTR channels in the esophagus. The role of CFTR in manifestations of esophageal disease in cystic fibrosis patients remains to be determined.
LIGHT RESPIRATION IN SIX ESTUARINE PHYTOPLANKTON SPECIES: CONTRASTS UNDER PHOTOAUTOTROPHIC AND MIXOTROPHIC GROWTH CONDITIONS1

The photoresponse of respiration was examined in six estuarine phytoplankton species grown at a limiting irradiance in the presence or absence of glucose. Cellular respiration rates in the dark, at the growth irradiance, and at saturating light levels were higher in glucose-grown cultures than in photoautotrophic cultures. Glucose uptake also affected the relationship between incident irradiance and gross respiration rate, and the specific respiratory pathways that contributed to the respiration versus irradiance (R vs. I) response. The energy-conseming Mehler reaction contributed largely to light-stimulated respiration in photoautotrophic (energy-limited) cultures. However, the energy-dissipating alternative pathway was the predominant form of respiration measured in mixotrophic (energy-sufficient) cultures. Based on these and previous observations, a model of phytoplankton R us. I response is presented, in which the relative contributions of different light respiratory processes (cytochrome pathway respiration, alternative pathway respiration, chlororespiration, Mehler reaction) are dependent on the incident irradiance and cellular energy content.
Identification of an estrogen-inducible phosphatase (PP5) that converts MCF-7 human breast carcinoma cells into an estrogen-independent phenotype when expressed constitutively.

The proliferation of many estrogen receptor (ER)-positive breast cancer cells depends on estradiol, and tumors arising from these cells are often responsive initially to treatment with selective ER modulators, which produce an antiestrogen effect. However, tumors that are refractory to the antiestrogenic effects of selective ER modulators often reemerge, and the prognosis for these patients is poor because of the lack of additional effective therapy. Accordingly, deciphering the cellular events associated with estrogen-dependent growth and the subsequent outgrowth of tumors with an estrogen-independent phenotype is of considerable interest. Here we show that the expression of PP5, an evolutionarily conserved Ser/Thr phosphatase that functions as an inhibitor of glucocorticoid- and p53-induced signaling cascades leading to growth suppression, is responsive to 17β-estradiol (E2) in ER-positive human breast carcinoma cells (MCF-7). Northern analysis revealed that E2-induced PP5 expression is blocked by treatment with tamoxifen, and a consensus ER recognition element was identified in the PP5 promoter. The PP5-ER recognition element associates with human ERs and confers E2-induced transcriptional activation to reporter plasmids. The specific inhibition of PP5 expression ablates E2-mediated proliferation in MCF-7 cells without having an apparent effect on E2-induced expression ofc-myc or cyclin D1. Thus, although critical for cell growth, PP5 likely acts either downstream or independently of c-Myc and Cyclin D1. To further characterize the role of PP5 in E2-regulated growth control, we constructed stable MCF-7 cell lines in which the expression of PP5 was placed under the control of tetracycline-regulated transactivator and operator plasmids. Studies with these cells revealed that the constitutive overexpression of PP5 affords E2-dependent MCF-7 cells with the ability to proliferate in E2-depleted media. Together, these studies indicate that E2-induced PP5 expression functions to enhance E2-initiated signaling cascades leading to cell division and that aberrant PP5 expression may contribute to the development of MCF-7 cells with an estrogen-independent phenotype.
A microcomputer program for evaluating WISC-R factor scores☆

Abstract A data analysis routine was developed for the Apple II series microcomputer that allows school psychologists to quickly calculate WISC-R factor scores and evaluate the significance of differences between the factors and individual subtest deviations within the Verbal Comprehension and Perceptual Organization factors. The source code written in Applesoft BASIC is provided. With minor modifications the program can be adapted to run on other computer systems.
On the computability of Nash equilibria

Abstract We present some algorithmic unsolvability and incompleteness results in game theory and discuss their significance. The main theorem presents a class of n -person games, where each player's strategy set is the real line and payoffs are continuous functions, for which there could not possibly exist an algorithm to compute either a Nash equilibrium or an ϵ-equilibrium. Conditions sufficient to ensure solvability are also discussed.
Cervical length in uncomplicated pregnancy: A study of sociodemographic predictors of cervical changes across gestation

Abstract Objective: We conducted this study to evaluate sociodemographic factors associated with changes in the length of the cervix across gestation in pregnancies that resulted in term deliveries. Study Design: This study is an observational cohort design of sonographically determined cervical length measured at 3- to 4-week intervals in 125 women with a singleton pregnancy between 20 and 32 weeks gestation. We developed a structured questionnaire to collect psychosocial and sociodemographic characteristics. We used bivariate analysis, analysis of variance, and regression analysis to study variation in cervical length. Results: Overall, cervical length decreased minimally as gestational age progressed. However, among black women cervical length decreased significantly with increasing gestational age ( P = .006). In addition, high psychosocial stress was associated with significantly shorter cervices later in gestation, independent of race ( P = .003). Finally, women whose occupations involved skilled manual labor had shorter cervices ( P = .02). Conclusions: Women who are black, under stress, or working as skilled manual laborers demonstrate significant shortening of the cervix during gestation. Given that a shorter cervix predisposes to preterm delivery, our findings provide new insights into the well-described association of these psychosocial and sociodemographic factors with an increased risk of preterm delivery. (Am J Obstet Gynecol 1999;180:639-44.)
Microfluidics-based capture of human neutrophils for expression analysis in blood and bronchoalveolar lavage

Gene expression analysis can be a powerful tool in predicting patient outcomes and identifying patients who may benefit from targeted therapies. However, isolating human blood polymorphonuclear cells (PMNs) for genomic analysis has been challenging. We used a novel microfluidic technique that isolates PMNs by capturing CD66b(+) cells and compared it with dextran-Ficoll gradient isolation. We also used microfluidic isolation techniques for blood and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) samples of patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) to evaluate PMN genomic alterations secondary to pulmonary sequestration. PMNs obtained from ex vivo lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated or -unstimulated whole blood from five healthy volunteers were isolated by either dextran-Ficoll gradient, microfluidics capture, or a combination of the two techniques. Blood and BAL fluid PMNs were also isolated using microfluidics from seven hospitalized patients with ARDS. Gene expression was inferred from extracted RNA using Affymetrix U133 Plus 2.0 GeneChips. All methods of PMN isolation produced similar quantities of high-quality RNA, when adjusted for recovered cell number. Unsupervised analysis and hierarchical clustering indicated that LPS stimulation was the primary factor affecting gene expression patterns among all ex vivo samples. Patterns of gene expression from blood and BAL PMNs differed significantly from each other in the patients with ARDS. Isolation of PMNs by microfluidics can be applied to both blood and BAL specimens from critically ill, hospitalized patients. Unique genomic expression patterns are obtained from the blood and BAL fluid of critically ill patients with ARDS, and these differ significantly from genomic patterns seen after ex vivo LPS stimulation.
ZnTe:Cu film properties and their impact on CdS/CdTe devices

A back contact containing a sputtered ZnTe:Cu interface layer can produce high-performing thin-film CdS/CdTe photovoltaic devices. We have found that small changes in ZnTe:Cu sputtering target fabrication processes affect the properties of the ZnTe:Cu films, which affect the performance of the resulting devices. Different target manufacturing techniques were investigated to study changes in ZnTe:Cu film properties and how they impact device performance. Compositional, optical, and electrical properties of films made from different target recipes were studied. It was found that the amount of oxygen in the targets and films is strongly linked to changes in material properties, especially in band tailing and optical bandgap.
A method for obtaining single domain superconducting YBa2Cu3O7−x single crystals

A method is reported for producing an orthorhombic YBa2Cu3O7−x single crystal comprised entirely of a single untwinned domain. The transformation from a polydomain to a single domain single crystal is carried out by applying uniaxial pressure of approximately 25 MPa for about one minute at 450°C in an oxygen atmosphere. We report on some of the superconducting properties of crystals produced in this way.
Optimized implicit finite-difference and Fourier finite-difference migration for VTI media

Propagation velocity of seismic waves in heterogeneous VTI media depends not only on spatial location but also on their propagation direction, which leads to a much more complex dispersion relation than in isotropic media. As a result, designing implicit finite-difference (FD) schemes for wavefield extrapolation in anisotropic media through analytic Taylor-series expansion is more difficult. Implicit FD and Fourier finite-difference (FFD) schemes are developed for vertical transversely isotropic (VTI) media based on function fitting. The dispersion relation of VTI media is approximated with a rational function and its coefficients are estimated by weighted least-squares optimization. Because these coefficients are functions of Thomsen anisotropy parameters ( e and δ ) and vary laterally in heterogeneous VTI media, they are calculated before wavefield extrapolation and stored in a table. Implicit FD and FFD schemes for VTI media are almost the same as for isotropic media, except that coefficients are looke...
An Experimental Comparison of MRP Purchase Discount Methods

This paper addresses the managerial issue of how best to order purchased materials in MRP environments when discounts are available from vendors. The least unit cost, least period cost, McLaren's order moment, revised part-period balancing, incremental part-period balancing, traditional discount order quantity, and an optimal algorithm are experimentally investigated under a variety of simulated scenarios. Other experimental factors include the coefficient of variation in demand, forecast uncertainty beyond the current period, the average time between orders, the ratio of the discount quantity to the EOQ, the attractiveness of the discount, the length of the planning horizon, inventory holding costs, and the autocorrelation of demand. All factors tested in this comprehensive experiment significantly affected the performance of the discount ordering procedures. Furthermore, the results from this study suggest that the least unit cost, McLaren's order moment, the traditional discount order quantity, and the optimal procedures significantly out-perform the others. A further choice among these alternative methods was found to be a function of the operating environment and limitations that may exist on available computing time.
Health Impacts of Urban Development and Transportation Systems

Urban transportation planning and land-use policies play a pivotal role in every society and are the subjects of interest in many academic fields. Creating a tool that measures the benefits and costs associated with the built environment, which includes the surrounding land-use and transportation system, would allow decision makers to choose the best option available to them when deciding on those important issues. In addition to travel time, congestion, safety, energy, and environment, public health is an important subject that can be affected by a transportation system. The primary objective of this study is to develop models for different health-related variables including general health, obesity, high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, asthma, and heart attack. This is to investigate the role of transportation, land-use, and the built environment variables along with demographic and socioeconomic factors on people’s health. The results of the analysis showed that increasing the transit use and de...
Changes in Pelvic Muscle Strength and Stress Urinary Incontinence Associated with Childbirth

Pelvic muscle strength and stress urinary incontinence were studied in 20 nulliparous women at 32 to 36 antepartum weeks and 6 postpartum weeks. Measures used included a digital muscle strength score, observed incontinence, and urine flow interruption. Pelvic muscle strength declined from the antepartum to postpartum periods in women with vaginal births; however, women with greater antepartal pelvic muscle strength tended to preserve a higher level of strength during the postpartum period. In general, less pelvic muscle strength was found in women who demonstrated stress urinary incontinence.
Structural integrity of the uncinate fasciculus and resting state functional connectivity of the ventral prefrontal cortex in late life depression

Background Neuroimaging studies in late life depression have reported decreased structural integrity of white matter tracts in the prefrontal cortex. Functional studies have identified changes in functional connectivity among several key areas involved in mood regulation. Few studies have combined structural and functional imaging. In this study we sought to examine the relationship between the uncinate fasciculus, a key fronto-temporal tract and resting state functional connectivity between the ventral prefrontal cortex ((PFC) and limbic and striatal areas. Methods The sample consisted of 24 older patients remitted from unipolar major depression. Each participant had a magnetic resonance imaging brain scan using standardized protocols to obtain both diffusion tensor imaging and resting state functional connectivity data. Our statistical approach compared structural integrity of the uncinate fasciculus and functional connectivity data. Results We found positive correlations between left uncinate fasciculus (UF) fractional anisotropy (FA) and resting state functional connectivity (rsFC) between the left ventrolateral PFC and left amygdala and between the left ventrolateral PFC and the left hippocampus. In addition, we found a significant negative correlation between left ventromedial PFC-caudate rsFC and left UF FA. The right UF FA did not correlate with any of the seed region based connectivity. Conclusions These results support the notion that resting state functional connectivity reflects structural integrity, since the ventral PFC is structurally connected to temporal regions by the UF. Future studies should include larger samples of patients and healthy comparison subjects in which both resting state and task-based functional connectivity are examined.
ASSOCIATION OF VISCERAL MYOPATHY WITH VESICOINTESTINAL FISSURE

Vesico-intestinal fissure (extrophy of the cloaca, OEIS complex) is a pattern of multiple malformations including extrophy of the bladder with epispadias, extrophy of the cecum with rudimentary colon and imperforate anus. Other commonly associated anomalies include omphalocele, intestinal duplication, meningomylocele and hydronephrosis. Current pathogenetic theories postulate fusion of genital tubercles caudal to the normal position leading to interruption of migration of the infra-umbilical mesoderm with secondary abdominal wall rupture. Patients with vesico-intestinal fissure have a poor prognosis. Abnormal bowel motility with malabsorption often contribute to death. Histopathologic observation of a visceral myopathy suggestive of an embryologic insult to smooth muscle development in a recent patient with a negative family history for familial visceral myopathy, prompted review of all cases of vesicointestinal fissure since 1966 at this institution. Results suggest abnormal morphogenesis of intestinal smooth muscle may be an important part of the pathogenetic sequence. This is consistent with an early insult to the lateral plate mesoderm from which arise the intra-embryonic splanchopleure and the intra-embryonic somatopleure. These structures form the smooth muscle of the GI tract and the ventral body wall, respectively. Intestinal biopsy and electrophysiologic motility studies may help to define the extent of such defects and contribute to the successful clinical management of these patients.
Serologic investigations of canine parvovirus and canine distemper in relation to wolf (Canis lupus) pup mortalities.

Twenty-one serum samples from 18 wolves (Canis lupus) were collected from 1985 to 1990 from northwestern Montana (USA) and southeastern British Columbia, Canada, and evaluated for antibodies to canine parvovirus (CPV), canine distemper (CD), infectious canine hepatitis, and Lyme disease; we found prevalences of 13 (65%) of 19, five (29%) of 17, seven (36%) of 19, and 0 of 20 wolves for these diseases, respectively. Pups died or disappeared in three of the eight packs studied. In these three packs, adult pack members had CPV titers ≥ 1,600 or CD titers ≥ 1,250. In packs that successfully raised pups, CPV and CD titers were low. We propose that CPV or CD may have caused some pup mortalities.
Concomitant bilateral herpes zoster opthalmicus

Hassan Pervez and colleagues present a Clinical Picture purporting to show concomitant bilateral herpes zoster opthalmicus without providing conclusive evidence of the diagnosis. In the Tzanck test, the presence of giant epithelial cells and multinucleated giant cells in stained material from the base of vesicular lesions is taken to indicate the presence of alpha herpes viruses, but does not identify the causative agent. Antigen detection, nucleic acid testing, or viral culture of the material is needed to establish whether herpes simplex virus 1, 2, or varicella zoster virus is responsible. Laboratory diagnosis is of particular relevance in this case given the bilateral distribution of the rash (and the possible absence of associated pain and eye involvement). Identification of the specific virus responsible is not an academic exercise. Herpes simplex virus and varicella zoster virus warrant very different dosages of antiviral medications and vary in their prognostic significance, especially in the elderly patient. Eithne M E MacMahon