cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Transforming growth factor‐α expression during liver regeneration after partial hepatectomy and toxic injury, and potential interactions between transforming growth factor‐α and hepatocyte growth factor

Transforming growth factor-alpha and hepatocyte growth factor are important stimulators of hepatocyte proliferation. In this series of experiments we sought to measure the expression of transforming growth factor-alpha mRNA by hepatocytes in response to toxic liver injury produced by carbon tetrachloride or galactosamine and to perform a more detailed analysis of transforming growth factor-alpha expression after partial hepatectomy. We also explored the interactions of transforming growth factor-alpha and hepatocyte growth factor in their effects on hepatocytes in vitro and tested the ability of these factors to stimulate endogenous transforming growth factor-alpha production by hepatocytes. In previous work we have used oligonucleotide probes to measure transforming growth factor-alpha mRNA expression after partial hepatectomy. In this study we used a rat transforming growth factor-alpha cDNA probe and found that the level of liver transforming growth factor-alpha mRNA increases 4 hr after partial hepatectomy, shows peak expression at 18 hr and returns to the normal level by 36 to 48 hr. Measurement of the corresponding peptide in the liver by means of radioimmunoassay shows that the level of transforming growth factor-alpha rises by 12 hr, peaks at 24 hr and remains significantly increased at 48 hr compared with the levels in sham-operated rats. Carbon tetrachloride and galactosamine are known to produce different patterns of acute liver injury, with maximal hepatocyte DNA synthesis at 48 hr and 5 days, respectively. After carbon tetrachloride administration the profiles of the transforming growth factor-alpha and hepatocyte growth factor mRNA expression are similar, each showing two peaks: the first at 12 hr and the second at 48 hr. In contrast, after galactosamine-induced liver injury the expression patterns of transforming growth factor-alpha and hepatocyte growth factor mRNAs differ: hepatocyte growth factor shows a major peak at 24 hr, with a smaller increase at 5 days, whereas transforming growth factor-alpha begins to increase after 2 days, with a single peak occurring at 5 days. In primary hepatocyte cultures, transforming growth factor-alpha and hepatocyte growth factor appear to have complementary effects. The maximal hepatocyte nuclear labeling index induced by hepatocyte growth factor was 42%; the addition of transforming growth factor-alpha increased this to 74%. Exogenous transforming growth factor-alpha, but not hepatocyte growth factor, stimulates the production of the transforming growth factor-alpha peptide by hepatocytes.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Nonlinear Relativistic and Quantum Equations with a Common Type of Solution

Generalizations of the three main equations of quantum physics, namely, the Schr\"odinger, Klein-Gordon, and Dirac equations, are proposed. Nonlinear terms, characterized by exponents depending on an index $q$, are considered in such a way that the standard linear equations are recovered in the limit $q\ensuremath{\rightarrow}1$. Interestingly, these equations present a common, solitonlike, traveling solution, which is written in terms of the $q$-exponential function that naturally emerges within nonextensive statistical mechanics. In all cases, the well-known Einstein energy-momentum relation is preserved for arbitrary values of $q$.
Lead and thallium tetrakis(imidazolyl)borates: modifying structure by varying metal and anion.

We are using the coordinating anions tetrakis(imidazolyl)borate and tetrakis(4-methylimidazolyl)borate to construct new metal−organic framework structures. In this report, we are exploring materials similar in composition to the previously reported layered network structure Pb[B(Im)4](NO3)(nH2O). The metal in this compound can be replaced with isoelectronic Tl(I), affording Tl[B(Im)4], and the borate can be modified by using 4-methylimidazole, resulting in Pb[B(4-MeIm)4](NO3) and Tl[B(4-MeIm)4]. Like the parent Pb[B(Im)4](NO3)(nH2O), Tl[B(Im)4] and Tl[B(4-MeIm)4] are layered network structures but both lack anions or solvent molecules in the interlayer spacing. The material Pb[B(4-MeIm)4](NO3), however, exhibits a 3D network structure that lacks an open topology, resulting from the increased stereochemical activity (greater steric bulk toward other ligands) of the 4-methylimidazole ring. Both of the Tl(I) solids display longer M−N bonds than observed in the analogous Pb(II) compounds; these lengths accoun...
Formulating Undergraduate Student Expectations for Better Career Development in Sales: A Socialization Perspective.

Undergraduate sales education is somewhat unique in that it prepares students for a career which functions mostly outside of traditional corporate management structures. Concurrently, the demand fo...
Relationship between obesity, weight loss, and taste responsiveness

Abstract Obese, mildly overweight and normal weight females rated glucose solutions of increasing concentrations for perceived intensity and pleasantness. Obese and mildly overweight subjects found increasingly sweet solutions more pleasant than did normals. Weight loss by dieting did not affect this relationship. Weight loss due to intestinal bypass surgery altered ratings of the pleasantness of glucose solutions, making them appear more similar to ratings given by normal weight individuals. Finally, after weight loss by dieting, all weight groups found the sweet taste of milkshake pleasant even after a preload and consumed large amounts of the milkshake. Prior to weight loss, ingestion of a preload had produced lowered pleasantness ratings and reduced consumption.
Interdisciplinary capstone group project: designing autonomous race vehicles

We, the authors, have each managed group projects for our respective senior majors for some time. Three years ago we combined the senior courses and each project team is now composed of both computer science and engineering majors. We were motivated by the desire to broaden the senior experience in both disciplines as well as to use the projects to attract prospective majors. The most recent project was to build autonomous line-tracking vehicles for racing. Since the computer scientists do not necessarily have any exposure to analog circuits and the engineers have only limited knowledge, it was necessary to provide an environment that required little analog design. The Handy Board [7] proved to be a useful part of that environment. This paper discusses our experience teaching an interdisciplinary group project-oriented course, discusses strengths and weaknesses of using the Handy Board in this context, and draws some conclusions based on our experience.
Pericyte-endothelial relationships in cardiac and skeletal muscle capillaries

Abstract In order to elucidate the structure and function of pericytes, we have utilized electron microscopy and morphometric techniques to examine pericyte ultrastructure and to characterize their relationship to endothelial cells in rat hearts and rat and human skeletal muscle. Ultrastructural features of pericytes (in all three tissues) and their distribution along capillaries (84 and 95% of sectioned vessels from rat cardiac and skeletal muscle, respectively) were similar. On the other hand, pericyte secondary processes in heart and skeletal muscle differed markedly; those in skeletal muscle were larger and encircled capillaries to a greater extent than in rat hearts (20 vs 10% of vessel circumferences, respectively) and their interactions with endothelium were more intimate and complex. In both rat and human skeletal muscle, pericyte secondary processes penetrate deeply into endothelial cells and interdigitate with them extensively; likewise, endothelial evaginations protrude deeply into pericytes. These phenomena are rarely observed in rat cardiac muscle. Both myelinated and unmyelinated axons are closely associated with cardiac capillaries and pericytes, but are virtually absent from skeletal muscle microvasculatures. These differences documented in pericyte-endothelial topological relationships in heart and skeletal muscle support the concept that pericyte function may vary in different tissues.
INABILITY TO ALKALINIZE URINE IN A PATIENT AT RISK FOR TUMOR LYSIS SYNDROME: A Case Report

This report provides a description and discussion of a 19-year-old, 65-kg male, with a large mediastinal mass, right pleural effusion, and pericardial effusion, requiring urine alkalinization during a propofol infusion. The patient required NaHCO3 boluses, urine pH, electrolyte, arterial blood gas and lactate monitoring, and discontinuation of the propofol. The authors suggest that caution be used when prescribing a propofol infusion for patients who are at risk of tumor lysis syndrome and the need for urine alkalinization.
Attacking a Dense Problem: A Learner-centered Approach to Teaching Density

Density is a difficult concept for students to learn because it is abstract and because it is derived from the concepts of mass and volume. The solution is to address density at each of the three levels of scientific understanding: macroscopic, particle/modeling, and symbolic. This article demonstrates how to help students gain a conceptual understanding of density by combining the three levels of scientific understanding and the 5E Learning Cycle.
Process zone analysis for the single-edge notched specimen: Part II. Process zone growth and crack propagation

Process zone growth and crack propagation in the single-edge notched (SEN) specimen are studied using the relations among applied load, notional crack and process zone lengths, and crack opening displacement derived in the first part of this work [1]. Process zone growth is simulated by increasing the notional crack length while keeping the traction-free crack length constant. A model for crack propagation based on either critical crack tip opening displacement (CTOD) or critical process zone length, as criteria for traction-free crack extension is proposed. The influence of closing pressure distribution, initial traction-free crack length, and crack extension criterion on the behavior of load vs. CMOD curves is discussed. The present model can be used to model load-deformation behavior from initial loading through softening to failure of nonlinear materials, as is verified by comparing the theoretical and experimentally determined load vs. crack mouth opening (CMOD) curves for concrete beams.
Importance of Histologic Subtype in the Staging of Appendiceal Tumors

Background Malignant neoplasms of the appendix have different behavior based on their histologic subtypes in anecdotal series. Current staging systems do not capture the diversity of histologic subtypes in predicting outcomes.
Materials that emit light by chemical reaction

Many chemical reactions are associated with the emission of electromagnetic radiation in the form of heat and/or light. This paper reviews the categories of materials that produce visible light when they react, either spontaneously upon contact with air or upon ignition, as well as the processes by which such materials are synthesized. Emphasis is placed on compositions and processes that relate most closely with those found in nature.
Visual requirements analytics: a framework and case study

For many software projects, keeping requirements on track needs an effective and efficient path from data to decision. Visual analytics creates such a path that enables the human to extract insights by interacting with the relevant information. While various requirements visualization techniques exist, few have produced end-to-end value to practitioners. In this paper, we advance the literature on visual requirements analytics by characterizing its key components and relationships in a framework. We follow the goal---question---metric paradigm to define the framework by teasing out five conceptual goals (user, data, model, visualization, and knowledge), their specific operationalizations, and their interconnections. The framework allows us to not only assess existing approaches, but also create tool enhancements in a principled manner. We evaluate our enhanced tool support through a case study where massive, heterogeneous, and dynamic requirements are processed, visualized, and analyzed. Working together with practitioners on a contemporary software project within its real-life context leads to the main finding that visual analytics can help tackle both open-ended visual exploration tasks and well-structured visual exploitation tasks in requirements engineering. In addition, the study helps the practitioners to reach actionable decisions in a wide range of areas relating to their project, ranging from theme and outlier identification, over requirements tracing, to risk assessment. Overall, our work illuminates how the data-to-decision analytical capabilities could be improved by the increased interactivity of requirements visualization.
Toward a Sequential Approach to Pipelined Image Recognition

This paper introduces a sequentially motivated approach to processing streams of images from datasets with low memory demands. We utilize fuzzy clustering as an incremental dictionary learning scheme and explain how the corresponding membership functions can be subsequently used in encoding features for image patches. We focus on replicating the codebook learning and classification stages from an established visual learning pipeline that has recently shown efficacy on the CIFAR-10 small image dataset. Experiments show that performance near batch oriented learning is achievable by combining naturally online learning mechanisms driven largely by stochastic gradient descent with strictly patch-wise operations. We further detail how back propagation can be used with a neural network classifier to modify parameters within the pipeline.
Impact of nonaqueous phase liquid (NAPL) source zone architecture on mass removal mechanisms in strongly layered heterogeneous porous media during soil vapor extraction

An existing multiphase flow simulator was modified in order to determine the effects of four mechanisms on NAPL mass removal in a strongly layered heterogeneous vadose zone during soil vapor extraction (SVE): a) NAPL flow, b) diffusion and dispersion from low permeability zones, c) slow desorption from sediment grains, and d) rate-limited dissolution of trapped NAPL. The impacts of water and NAPL saturation distribution, NAPL-type (i.e., free, residual, or trapped) distribution, and spatial heterogeneity of the permeability field on these mechanisms were evaluated. Two different initial source zone architectures (one with and one without trapped NAPL) were considered and these architectures were used to evaluate seven different SVE scenarios. For all runs, slow diffusion from low permeability zones that gas flow bypassed was a dominant factor for diminished SVE effectiveness at later times. This effect was more significant at high water saturation due to the decrease of gas-phase relative permeability. Transverse dispersion contributed to fast NAPL mass removal from the low permeability layer in both source zone architectures, but longitudinal dispersion did not affect overall mass removal time. Both slow desorption from sediment grains and rate-limited mass transfer from trapped NAPL only marginally affected removal times. However, mass transfer from trapped NAPL did affect mass removal at later time, as well as the NAPL distribution. NAPL flow from low to high permeability zones contributed to faster mass removal from the low permeability layer, and this effect increased when water infiltration was eliminated. These simulations indicate that if trapped NAPL exists in heterogeneous porous media, mass transfer can be improved by delivering gas directly to zones with trapped NAPL and by lowering the water content, which increases the gas relative permeability and changes trapped NAPL to free NAPL.
Outcome after epilepsy surgery for cortical dysplasia in children

Background and Purpose Epilepsy surgery for medically refractory epilepsy secondary to cortical dysplasia in children poses special challenges. We aim to review the current available literature on the outcome after epilepsy surgery for cortical dysplasia in children and critically evaluate the prognostic predictors of outcome.
The premyofibril: Evidence for its role in myofibrillogenesis

When cardiac muscle cells are isolated from embryonic chicks and grown in culture they attach to the substrate as spherical cells with disrupted myofibrils, and over several days in culture, they spread and extend lamellae. Based on antibody localizations of various cytoskeletal proteins within the spreading cardiomyocyte, three types of myofibrils have been identified: 1) fully formed mature myofibrils that are centrally positioned in the cell, 2) premyofibrils that are closest to the cell periphery, and 3) nascent myofibrils located between the premyofibrils and the mature myofibrils. Muscle-specific myosin is localized in the A-bands in the mature, contractile myofibrils, and along the nascent myofibrils in a continuous pattern, but it is absent from the premyofibrils. Antibodies to non-muscle isoforms of myosin IIB react with the premyofibrils at the cell periphery and with the nascent myofibrils, revealing short bands of myosin between closely spaced bands of alpha-actinin. In the areas where the nascent myofibrils border on the mature myofibrils, the bands of non-muscle myosin II reach lengths matching the lengths of the mature A-bands. With the exception of a small transition zone consisting of one myofibril, or sometimes several sarcomeres, bordering the nascent myofibrils, there is no reaction of these non-muscle myosin IIB antibodies with the mature myofibrils in spreading myocytes. C-protein is found only in the mature myofibrils, and its presence there may prevent co-polymerization of non-muscle and muscle myosins. Antibodies directed against the non-muscle myosin isoforms, IIA, do not stain the cardiomyocytes. In contrast to the cardiomyocytes, the fibroblasts in these cultures stain with antibodies to both non-muscle myosin IIA and IIB. The premyofibrils near the leading edge of the lamellae show no reaction with antibodies to either titin or zeugmatin, whereas the nascent myofibrils and mature myofibrils do. The spacings of the banded alpha-actinin staining range from 0.3 to 1.4 microns in the pre- and nascent myofibrils and reach full spacings (1.8-2.5 microns) in the mature myofibrils. Based on these observations, we propose a premyofibril model in which non-muscle myosin IIB, titin, and zeugmatin play key roles in myofibrillogenesis. This model proposes that pre- and nascent myofibrils are composed of minisarcomeres that increase in length, presumably by the concurrent elongation of actin filaments, the loss of the non-muscle myosin II filaments, the fusion of dense bodies or Z-bodies to form wide Z-bands, and the capture and alignment of muscle myosin II filaments to form the full spacings of mature myofibrils.
Preparation of14C‐labeled fatty and anacardic acids fromGinkgo biloba

Acetate labeled with14C was infused into shoots of Ginkgo. Up to 16% of the radioactivity was incorporated into lipids. Most of it was found in the leaves and stems, but after 9 days, the lipids of roots also contained an appreciable amount of radioactivity. Radioactive palmitic, linoleic and other common acids were isolated as methyl esters; 5,11,14–20∶3 and esters of similar type were isolated pure or together with their isomers of normal structure; anacardic acids were separated as such from the fatty esters.
The Induction of Proliferative Vascular Smooth Muscle Cell Phenotypes by Benzo(a)pyrene Is Characterized by Up-Regulation of Inositol Phospholipid Metabolism and c-Ha-ras Gene Expression

Abstract Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, such as benzo( a )pyrene (BaP), have been implicated in the initiation and progression of vascular lesions of atherosclerotic morphology in laboratory animals. In the present study, experiments were conducted to define the impact of repeated cycles of BaP challenge in vivo on the phenotypic expression of rat vascular (aortic) smooth muscle cells (SMCs). After eight weekly injections of male Sprague–Dawley rats with BaP (10 mg/kg) or vehicle, SMCs were isolated from the thoracic aorta and established in culture to define patterns of phenotypic expression. The mitogenic responsiveness of five independent strains of BaP cells was markedly enhanced relative to control counterparts. Increased proliferation rates in BaP cells correlated with increased synthesis and secretion of proline-containing proteins. Upregulation of mitogenicity in BaP cells did not involve autocrine factors since conditioned media from growth-arrested, as well as cycling cultures of, BaP cells stimulated DNA synthesis to a lesser extent than conditioned media from control counterparts. Levels of inositol phosphate metabolites, primarily products of phosphatidylinositol (PtdIns)-3-kinase activity, were increased relative to controls in cultures of BaP cells under constitutive and serum-stimulated conditions. LY294002, an inhibitor of PtdIns-3-kinase, inhibited DNA synthesis and cell proliferation in control cells to a greater extent than in BaP counterparts. The proliferative phenotype of BaP cells was also characterized by marked up-regulation of c-Ha-ras protooncogene expression. Based on these data we conclude that repeated cycles of BaP challenge in vivo induce highly proliferative vascular smooth muscle cell phenotypes characterized by up-regulation of PtdIns metabolism and c-Ha-ras gene expression.
Height and altitude distribution of large volcanoes on Venus

Magellan data reveal 156 large volcanoes on Venus (greater than 100 km in diameter) which range in height from 300 m to 5.55 km, with an average height of 1.42 km. On the basis of theory it has been predicted that the development of neutral buoyancy zones (NBZ) on Venus and thus the resulting volcanic deposits are strongly influenced by the altitude-controlled variations in surface pressure. The distribution and height of these large volcanoes as a function of altitude was examined to begin to test these predications. Although large volcanoes are relatively uniformly distributed in altitude, there may be a slight paucity of volcanoes at the lowest elevations and a slight surplus at mid-altitudes. In addition, it is observed that the volcanoes at the highest altitudes tend to be the tallest. The observed distributions at low-mid altitudes is consistent with the prediction of NBZ theory. The high altitude distribution and heights, however, emphasize the necessity of considering other factors, such as tectonic setting, edifice age, magma supply, and thermal gradient, in describing the location and development of large volcanoes on Venus.
Simulation of material microstructure using a 3D voronoi tesselation: Calculation of effective thermal expansion coefficient of polycrystalline materials

Abstract The three-dimensional Poisson-Voronoi model is used to simulate a topologically equivalent material microstructure. A finite element package has been written to use this model to calculate the effective thermal expansion coefficient of the polycrystalline aggregate using the single crystal thermoelastic properties. The results have been found to be close to the experimental values and the values calculated from the Hashin's exact equation for hexagonal, tetragonal and trigonal materials.
Dosimetry of anterior chest treatment by 10 MV X-rays using a tissue compensating filter

Summary The dose uniformity of anterior chest treatments resulting from a missing tissue compensating filter has been studied. Patient dosimetry with 10 MV X-rays was simulated using film, an ionization chamber, and thermoluminescent dosimetry (TLD). The results show that the compensating filter greatly improved the dose uniformity of a homogeneous phantom. However, the improvement for an inhomogeneous phantom and for patients was found to be less impressive. When using the filter, the increase in surface dose was found to be clinically insignificant.
Notes on the Biology of Aspidogaster conchicola and Cotylaspis insignis

Two members of the Aspidogasteridae, Aspidogaster conchicola and Cotylaspis insignis were found to feed on the host's blood cells. The habitat of the former worm (pericardial and renal cavities of clams) would readily lend itself to a blood cell mode of nutrition. This is not as obvious in the case of the latter worm although it is quite apparent when the circulatory system of the clam is examined.
Migration of cochlear lateral wall cells

Abstract The role of apoptosis and proliferation in maintenance of cochlear lateral wall cells was examined. The methods employed for detection of apoptosis were the Hoechst fluorescence stain and TUNEL (TdT-mediated dUTP-biotin nick-end-labeling) assay, and proliferations were 5-bromo-2′-deoxyuridine (BrdU) incorporation and presence of the proliferating cell nuclear antigen. The incidence of apoptosis in the strial marginal cell was 50% greater (32.9±3.7%) than strial intermediate and basal cells but similar to spiral ligament cells. Although division of marginal strial cells was rarely detected, a significant number of proliferating cells in the remaining stria vascularis and spiral ligament were observed. These data implied that replacement of marginal cells arose elsewhere and could be followed by a BrdU-deoxythymidine pulse-chase study. At 2 h post injection, nuclear BrdU in marginal cells was not detected; however, by 24 h post injection, 20–25% of marginal cell nuclei were BrdU-positive. These observations are consistent with the hypothesis that marginal cells were replaced by underlying cells. Cell migration appears to be an important mechanism for preserving the function and structure of the stria vascularis.
The intranuclear deutoplsm and the origin of gametes in the turbellarian Prorhynchus applanatus Kennel

It is shown that in Prorhynchus applanatus there exists a type of yolk elaboration which has hitherto not been reported. Formation is within the nucleus through the growth and fusion of nucleoli, but the yolk globule becomes larger than the original nucleolus. The developing individual utilizes the food material contained in the yolk cells in the following order: (1) cytoplasm of the yolk cell, (2) yolk bodies contained in this cytoplasm, (3) intranuclear yolk, (4) nucleoplasm. It is also shown that the germ cells in this form arise from the endoderm by diapedesis, but that the yolk cells are mesenchymal in origin. The sequence of formation of male and female gametes precludes the possibility of the presence of sex hormones such as are found in higher forms.
The role of p53 protein family in gastrointestinal malignancies.

p73 and p63 (also named KET, p51, p40 and p73L) are both homologs of p53, the genes for which, TP73 and TP63, are localized at the 1p36.33 and 3q27-29 chromosomal regions, respectively. Initial studies confirmed their structural similarity to p53, while subsequent studies demonstrated functional similarity. When overexpressed, p73 and p63 mimic almost all of p53's activities.
Polyethylene-poly(L-lactide) diblock copolymers: synthesis and compatibilization of poly(L-lactide)/polyethylene blends

A model polyethylene-poly(L-lactide) diblock copolymer (PE-b-PLLA) was synthesized using hydroxyl-terminated PE (PE-OH) as a macroinitiator for the ring-opening polymerization of L-lactide. Binary blends, which contained poly(L-lactide) (PLLA) and very low-density polyethylene (LDPE), and ternary blends, which contained PLLA, LDPE, and PE-b-PLLA, were prepared by solution blending followed by precipitation and compression molding. Particle size analysis and scanning electron microscopy results showed that the particle size and distribution of the LDPE dispersed in the PLLA matrix was sharply decreased upon the addition of PE-b-PLLA. The tensile and Izod impact testing results on the ternary blends showed significantly improved toughness as compared to the PLLA homopolymer or the corresponding PLLA/LDPE binary blends. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 39: 2755–2766, 2001
Integrating Vertex-centric Clustering with Edge-centric Clustering for Meta Path Graph Analysis

Meta paths are good mechanisms to improve the quality of graph analysis on heterogeneous information networks. This paper presents a meta path graph clustering framework, VEPATHCLUSTER, that combines meta path vertex-centric clustering with meta path edge-centric clustering for improving the clustering quality of heterogeneous networks. First, we propose an edge-centric path graph model to capture the meta-path dependencies between pairwise path edges. We model a heterogeneous network containing M types of meta paths as M vertex-centric path graphs and M edge-centric path graphs. Second, we propose a clustering-based multigraph model to capture the fine-grained clustering-based relationships between pairwise vertices and between pairwise path edges. We perform clustering analysis on both a unified vertex-centric path graph and each edge-centric path graph to generate vertex clustering and edge clusterings of the original heterogeneous network respectively. Third, a reinforcement algorithm is provided to tightly integrate vertex-centric clustering and edge-centric clustering by mutually enhancing each other. Finally, an iterative learning strategy is presented to dynamically refine both vertex-centric clustering and edge-centric clustering by continuously learning the contributions and adjusting the weights of different path graphs.
Regulation of Parathyroid Hormone-Related Protein Secretion and mRNA Expression in Normal Human Keratinocytes and a Squamous Carcinoma Cell Line

Parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTHrP) has been identified as a causative factor in the pathogenesis of humoral hypercalcemia of malignancy (HHM). The regulation and mechanisms of PTHrP secretion in most normal and malignant cells are unknown. PTHrP secretion, mRNA expression, and transcription were measured in neoplastic human squamous carcinoma cells (A253) and normal human foreskin keratinocytes (NHFK) by radioimmunoassay, RNase protection assay, and transient transfections of the 5'-flanking region of human PTHrP in a luciferase expression vector. Mechanisms of PTHrP secretion were investigated using chemicals (monensin, colchicine, cytochalasin B, guanosine 5'-[gamma-thio]triphosphate (GTPgammaS)) that interfere with or facilitate intracellular transport. Monensin inhibited PTHrP secretion in both NHFK and A253 cells. Ultrastructurally, monensin caused dilatation of rough endoplasmic reticulum and the formation of numerous cytoplasmic secretory vacuoles in both cell lines. Colchicine decreased PTHrP production in NHFK cells and stimulated PTHrP production and mRNA levels in A253 cells. Colchicine also stimulated transcription of the PTHrP-luciferase reporter gene. Cytochalasin B stimulated PTHrP secretion and mRNA expression in A253 cells, but had no effect in NHFK cells. GTPgammaS had no effect on PTHrP secretion in either cell line. It was concluded that PTHrP secretion is dependent on the constitutive movement of secretory vesicles to the cytoplasmic membrane and regulation of PTHrP secretion and mRNA expression are altered in squamous carcinoma cells compared to normal human keratinocytes in vitro.
Modeling and characterization of supercapacitors for wireless sensor network applications

Abstract A simple circuit model is developed to describe supercapacitor behavior, which uses two resistor–capacitor branches with different time constants to characterize the charging and redistribution processes, and a variable leakage resistance to characterize the self-discharge process. The parameter values of a supercapacitor can be determined by a charging-redistribution experiment and a self-discharge experiment. The modeling and characterization procedures are illustrated using a 22F supercapacitor. The accuracy of the model is compared with that of other models often used in power electronics applications. The results show that the proposed model has better accuracy in characterizing the self-discharge process while maintaining similar performance as other models during charging and redistribution processes. Additionally, the proposed model is evaluated in a simplified energy storage system for self-powered wireless sensors. The model performance is compared with that of a commonly used energy recursive equation (ERE) model. The results demonstrate that the proposed model can predict the evolution profile of voltage across the supercapacitor more accurately than the ERE model, and therefore provides a better alternative for supporting research on storage system design and power management for wireless sensor networks.
An articulatory-aerodynamic approach to stop excrescence

Abstract The distinction between underlying and excrescent stops in pairs like ‘mints’ and ‘mince’ was convincingly demonstrated by Fourakis and Port (1986) . Several subsequent studies have been unable to replicate the result for speakers of American English, or have done so only partially. These studies have largely dealt with the acoustic signal. This study presents an approach to stop excrescence that refers to both the aerodynamics and articulation of the phenomenon. The results confirm and expand on the original findings. Using nasal flow as an indirect measure of velopharyngeal aperture and electropalatography (EPG) to estimate the moment of oral release, the presence of occlusion, as well as the duration of nasal and oral occlusion were measured. Overall contact across the palate was also measured. Disyllabic and monosyllabic tokens with /ns/ and /nts/ in final position were pronounced by four male speakers of American English. Disyllabic tokens could be either stressed or unstressed on the final syllable. In Experiment I, speakers produced tokens in a standard carrier phrase; in Experiment II, they produced one of the items in contrastive focus to its ‘homophonous’ counterpart, e.g., ‘I said mince not mints’. Underlying stops were significantly longer than excrescent stops, including in the contrastive-focus condition. A trading relation between nasal and oral stop duration was demonstrated when the stop was excrescent, but not when it was underlying. This suggests that the nasal–oral occlusion in epenethetic stops is divided proportionally between the underlying nasal and excrescent oral stop, but that the durations of the nasal and underlying oral stops are independent.
Seismicity of the East Pacific Rise: Correlations With the Southern Oscillation Index?

The following article is being published with our recognition that it presents controversial material. The controversy lies not in the data or the statistical analyses, but stems rather from the lack of a well-identified physical mechanism linking seismicity on the East Pacific Rise with El Nino events. Even the possibility of a physical linkage here should be of interest to both geophysicists and oceanographers, and it is hoped that this publication will result in a continuing and rewarding dialogue.
Two Viruses Isolated from Rodents (Clethrionomys gapperi and Microtus pennsylvanicus) Trapped in St. Lawrence County, New York*

Four strains of C. gapperi virus were isolated from 3 Clethrionomys gapperi and 47 strains of Microtus virus from 15 Microtus pennsylvanicus and 1 Mus musculus. One of the Microtus strains was isolated from a pool of 20 mites while the others were from rodent tissues. These agents were insensitive to ether and sodium desoxycholate, withstood freezing at —70 C for 3 years and lyophilization without loss of titer, and were not killed when heated at 60 C for 1 hour. Their size as determined by filtration was less than 50 mμ and greater than 20–35 mμ. The strains within each group appear to be similar. The illness induced in suckling mice by the C. gapperi agents had a 5-day incubation period followed by prostration and death with a histologic picture of extensive encephalomalacia. The incubation period in mice for the Microtus agents was 9 to 11 days followed by convulsions and death. Histopathology showed meningeal infiltration and necrosis of the molecular layer. No antigenic similarity was detected betwee...
Low Values of the Scheraga–Mandelkern β parameter for proteins. An explanation based on porous sphere hydrodynamics

Several globular proteins have values of the Scheraga–Mandelkern β parameter significantly below the theoretical minimum value, β0 = 2.112 × 106, for an impermeable sphere. Using the Felderhof–Deutch generalization of the Debye–Bueche–Brinkman theory of hydrodynamics of porous spheres, we have shown that values of β slightly below this supposed minimum are theoretically expected. A porous sphere of uniform density has a minimum β of 2.084 × 106 at a Debye shielding ratio of 6.5, corresponding, for example, to a sphere radius of 11 A and an inverse hydrodynamic shielding length of 0.6 A−1, values not far from those of small proteins. A two-layer porous sphere model gives similar results. Although this is the first theoretical explanation of values of β below β0, the theory is incomplete since β values as low as 2.03 × 106 are observed.
analysis & commentary Unleashing Nurse Practitioners’ Potential To Deliver Primary Care And Lead Teams

Highly skilled primary care is a hallmark of high-performing health care systems. We examine nurse practitioners' role in delivering primary care and the effects of current restrictions on their ability to practice. By resolving differences between states' individual scope-of-practice regulations, we can fully benefit from the skills of advanced-practice nurses in all fifty states. We recommend substantive changes in the way health care professionals in all disciplines are trained, and in their roles, so that patients can receive appropriate and cost-effective care from skilled and fully functional health care teams.
Solid-Phase Peptide Head-to-Side Chain Cyclodimerization: Discovery of C2-Symmetric Cyclic Lactam Hybrid α-Melanocyte-Stimulating Hormone (MSH)/Agouti-Signaling Protein (ASIP) Analogues with Potent Activities at the Human Melanocortin Receptors

A novel hybrid melanocortin pharmacophore was designed based on the pharmacophores of the agouti-signaling protein (ASIP), an endogenous melanocortin antagonist, and α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (α-MSH), an endogenous melanocortin agonist. The designed hybrid ASIP/MSH pharmacophore was explored in monomeric cyclic, and cyclodimeric templates. The monomeric cyclic disulfide series yielded peptides with hMC3R-selective non-competitive binding affinities. The direct on-resin peptide lactam cyclodimerization yielded nanomolar range (25-120 nM) hMC1R-selective full and partial agonists in the cyclodimeric lactam series which demonstrates an improvement over the previous attempts at hybridization of MSH and agouti protein sequences. The secondary structure-oriented pharmacophore hybridization strategy will prove useful in development of unique allosteric and orthosteric melanocortin receptor modulators. This report also illustrates the utility of peptide cyclodimerization for the development of novel GPCR peptide ligands.
Cell biology of spinocerebellar ataxia.

Ataxia is a neurological disorder characterized by loss of control of body movements. Spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA), previously known as autosomal dominant cerebellar ataxia, is a biologically robust group of close to 30 progressive neurodegenerative diseases. Six SCAs, including the more prevalent SCA1, SCA2, SCA3, and SCA6 along with SCA7 and SCA17 are caused by expansion of a CAG repeat that encodes a polyglutamine tract in the affected protein. How the mutated proteins in these polyglutamine SCAs cause disease is highly debated. Recent work suggests that the mutated protein contributes to pathogenesis within the context of its “normal” cellular function. Thus, understanding the cellular function of these proteins could aid in the development of therapeutics.
Primary Renovascular Effects of Erythromycin in the Rat: Relationship to Cyclosporine Nephrotoxicity

Erythromycin is known to exacerbate cyclosporine nephrotoxicity. This has been attributed to the potential of erythromycin to reduce the hepatic microsomal metabolism and clearance of cyclosporine. Erythromycin may also be nephrotoxic. We tested the hypothesis that erythromycin may have direct effects on the renal vasculature which are additive or synergistic with the effects of cyclosporine. Sprague-Dawley rats were administered graded doses of either erythromycin, 2.5, 5, 7.5, and 10 mg/kg BW/min i. v. over consecutive 10-min intervals; cyclosporine, 1,2, 3, and 4 mg/kg BW/min i.v. over consecutive 10-min intervals; or both drugs simultaneously. In separate experiments, identical doses of erythromycin or cyclosporine were infused intravenously following acute unilateral renal denerva-tion. Infusion of erythromycin led to an initial decline in arterial blood pressure whereas infusion of cyclosporine resulted in a dose-related increase in arterial blood pressure. Despite these different systemic effects, ...
Wireless sensor network nodes for RTLS, biomonitoring, and authentication applications

Real-time and distributed sensing of large amounts of data, environmental, social or other, collected by very small and low-cost sensors is becoming a critical feature in more and more applications. In this paper, we are demonstrating with our developed prototypes that it is possible to deploy Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) nodes in-between prototype sensors and the Internet gateways. As a proof of concept, sensors in location tracking, health monitoring and secure identity verification applications are enhanced with essential WSN features. These sensing devices can be considered as some of the first Internet-of-Things nodes that bring the ubiquitous cognition vision closer and closer.
Cooperation through ARQ

We consider the cooperative multiple access channel with single antenna sources and a multiple antenna destination. In order to fully exploit the degrees of freedom in this channel, multiple sources must transmit independent streams of information simultaneously. Under the standard coherent model, we argue that no half-duplex cooperation protocol can simultaneously achieve the maximum diversity and multiplexing gains of this channel. We avoid this limitation by developing a framework for cooperation through an automatic retransmission request (ARQ) mechanism. In the proposed cooperation protocol, users are only allowed to cooperate after receiving the first round of ACK/NACK signals. Our characterization of the achievable diversity-multiplexing tradeoff with the proposed protocol reveals that it attains both full-diversity and full-rate. Furthermore, our analysis reveals the asymptotic optimality of the proposed protocol, as the number of ARQ rounds grows. To establish the gain offered by the proposed protocol, we compare its tradeoff curves with that of the multiple access ARQ channel.
Polarization Effects in Mössbauer Absorption by Single Crystals

There are a number of reasons for analyzing Mossbauer intensity measurements in single crystal samples. By studying the total intensity as a function of direction in the crystal, one can hope to obtain the six parameters that describe the mean square displacement at a resonant site. By studying relative intensities in a nonmagnetic crystal, one can hope to obtain the three or four parameters describing the electric field gradient at a resonant site which are not determined by the line positions. In a magnetic crystal one can hope to find the internal field directions and hence to learn a great deal about the magnetic structure.
A modular power-aware microsensor with >1000X dynamic power range

We introduce a power-aware microsensor architecture supporting a wide operational power range (from 10 W). The platform consists of a family of modules that follow a common set of design principles. Each module includes a local power microcontroller, power switches, and isolation switches to enable independent power-down control of modules and module subsystems. Processing resources are scaled appropriately on each module for their role in the collective system. Hard real-time functions are migrated to the sensor and radio modules for improved power efficiency. The optional Linux-based processor module supports high duty cycling and advanced sleep modes. Our reference hardware implementation is described in detail in this paper. Seven different modules have been developed. We utilize an acoustic vehicle tracking application to demonstrate how the architecture operates and report on results from field tests on tracked and wheeled vehicles.
Lean product development flow

A general holistic framework, also called a process—named “Lean Product Development Flow (LPDF)”—for organizing the engineering work of Product Development (PD), has been proposed as a contribution to the emerging field of Lean Systems Engineering. The framework is based on Lean Principles, with emphasis on PD value-pulling workflow pulsed by takt periods. The value is defined as (1) mission assurance/product quality, (the traditional goals of Systems Engineering) and (2) reduced program cost and schedule achieved by a radical reduction of waste. LPDF is recommended for smaller design programs based on a high degree of legacy knowledge, with technologies mature enough so that the program feasibility is not in question. LPDF may involve limited-scope research, provided that it can be identified early in the program, and carried out separate from the main workflow. The paper is focused on aerospace and defense programs, which are presently burdened with as much as 60–90p of waste, but the process is also applicable to commercial programs. LPDF can be applied to the entire PD, to one or more milestones, and to a multilevel program. LPDF requires both detailed preparations and disciplined execution. The preparations include detailed Value Stream Mapping, separation of research from the main workflow, parsing of the Value Stream map into Takt Periods, architecting the LPDF team using dynamic allocation of resources, and team training. LPDF execution is organized as a flow through a series of short and equal work Takt Periods, each followed by an Integrative Event for structured, comprehensive coordination. Strategic and flexible tactical mitigations of uncertainties must be applied during the flow. LPDF also requires excellent leadership of a Chief Engineer, modeled after Toyota and Honda, who is a dedicated program “owner,” an expert systems designer, a strong leader focused on the program and product integrity, and skilled in consensus-building. The Chief Engineer is responsible for the entire program, with Assistant Chiefs assisting in selected technical areas, and a Project Manager assisting with program administration. An industrial pilot program is currently being undertaken to validate the method. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Syst Eng 7: 352–376, 2004