cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Functional and Structural Correlates of Glomerulosclerosis after Renal Mass Reduction in the Rat

Previously, it was shown that 5/6 renal mass reduction by surgical excision (RK-NX) results in a marked reduction of glomerulosclerosis (GS) at 6 wk compared with the conventional 5/6 renal ablation by infarction (RK-I) model. To determine the pathogenetic correlates of the striking differences in GS, radiotelemetrically measured BP; single nephron function; glomerular volume; the temporal expression of mRNA for renin, transforming growth factor-beta, and platelet-derived growth factor-B; and plasma renin concentration were compared between RK-NX, RK-I, and sham-operated control rats. Hypertension only developed in the RK-I model, was present at 3 d after infarction, and was correlated with both an increased expression of renin mRNA by Northern analysis and elevated plasma renin concentration. Structural (glomerular volume) and functional (single nephron blood flow and GFR) indices of the compensatory adaptive response were significantly but similarly increased in the RK-NX and RK-I rats compared with sham-operated controls, indicating that these adaptations per se are not responsible for the initiation of GS after 5/6 renal mass reduction. Glomerular capillary pressure (P(GC)) was also significantly increased in both RK-I (56 +/- 2 mmHg) and RK-NX rats (50 +/- 0.9 mmHg) compared with controls (46 +/- 0.8 mmHg, P < 0.01), but the increase was significantly greater in RK-I versus RK-NX rats (P < 0.05) consistent with the higher BP in RK-I rats. These data indicate that differences in renin probably account for the early divergence of BP (and P(GC)) responses between RK-I and RK-NX models. Transforming growth factor-beta and platelet-derived growth factor-B mRNA expression in pooled RNA from kidneys from each group showed increases at 21 d along with early evidence of glomerular injury in the RK-I group but not in the RK-NX group, consistent with their postulated roles as molecular mediators of GS, but only in rats with pathologic glomerular hypertension.
Temptation, Tradition, and Taboo: A Theory of Sacralization*:

A theory of sacralization is offered in which the sacred emerges from the collision of temptation and tradition. It is proposed that when innate or acquired desires to behave in one way conflict with socially acquired and/or mediated drives to behave in another way, actors ascribe sacredness to the objects of their action as a means of reconciling the difference between their desired and actual behavior toward those objects. After establishing the sacred as a theoretical construct, the theory is sketched and then fleshed out with a more formal specification. The foundational assumptions and mechanisms of the theory are then empirically substantiated as a first step toward validating the theory, and a handful of predictions deduced from the theory are assessed.
Peptidoglycan Fragment Release from Neisseria meningitidis

Neisseria meningitidis (meningococcus) is a symbiont of the human nasopharynx. On occasion, meningococci disseminate from the nasopharynx to cause invasive disease. Previous work showed that purified meningococcal peptidoglycan (PG) stimulates human Nod1, which leads to activation of NF-κB and production of inflammatory cytokines. No studies have determined if meningococci release PG or activate Nod1 during infection. The closely related pathogen Neisseria gonorrhoeae releases PG fragments during normal growth. These fragments induce inflammatory cytokine production and ciliated cell death in human fallopian tubes. We determined that meningococci also release PG fragments during growth, including fragments known to induce inflammation. We found that N. meningitidis recycles PG fragments via the selective permease AmpG and that meningococcal PG recycling is more efficient than gonococcal PG recycling. Comparison of PG fragment release from N. meningitidis and N. gonorrhoeae showed that meningococci release less of the proinflammatory PG monomers than gonococci and degrade PG to smaller fragments. The decreased release of PG monomers by N. meningitidis relative to N. gonorrhoeae is partly due to ampG, since replacement of gonococcal ampG with the meningococcal allele reduced PG monomer release. Released PG fragments in meningococcal supernatants induced significantly less Nod1-dependent NF-κB activity than released fragments in gonococcal supernatants and tended to induce less interleukin-8 (IL-8) secretion in primary human fallopian tube explants. These results support a model in which efficient PG recycling and extensive degradation of PG fragments lessen inflammatory responses and may be advantageous for maintaining meningococcal carriage in the nasopharynx.
Quantifying flooding effects on hardwood seedling survival and growth for bottomland restoration

Growing interest worldwide in bottomland hardwood restoration necessitates improved ecological understanding of flooding effects on forest tree seedlings using methodology that accurately reflects field conditions. We examined hardwood seedling survival and growth in an outdoor laboratory where the timing, depth, duration, and flow rate of flood water can be carefully controlled while simulating natural soil conditions occurring in floodplains. Flooding treatments were initiated in mid-May and included partial inundation (15–20 cm) during the growing season for 5-week flowing, 5-week standing, 3-week flowing, and control. We monitored the vigor, survival, and growth (changes in basal diameter and stem length) of six hardwood species representing a wide range in expected flood tolerance including eastern cottonwood (Populus deltoides Bartr. Ex Marsh.), pin oak (Quercus palustris Muenchh.), swamp white oak (Q. bicolor Willd.), bur oak (Q. macrocarpa Michx.), black walnut (Juglans nigra L.), and pecan [Carya illinoensis (Wangenh.) K. Koch]. All stock was 1-0 bareroot except that cuttings were used for eastern cottonwood. Five species—eastern cottonwood, bur oak, swamp white oak, pin oak, and pecan—exhibited high survival probabilities (>0.62 for cottonwood; >0.77 for the others) regardless of flood treatment. But of the survivors, only eastern cottonwood and swamp white oak maintained positive growth and healthy green foliage. Despite high survival, bur oak and pin oak suffered stem growth losses and exhibited chlorotic foliage in flood treatments suggesting greater vulnerability to other abiotic or biotic stresses if outplanted on flood-prone sites. Pecan also suffered stem dieback in controls suggesting vulnerability to competition and browsing when outplanted despite high survival after flooding. Our quantitative data helps to confirm and/or refine previously published qualitative flood tolerance ratings for these species, and describes operation of an in situ outdoor flood experiment laboratory that may prove effective in guiding future flood tolerance research.
United States law and managing the terminally ill fetus and newborn

The article sets out the legal principles that govern practice in the US in relation to both the abnormal fetus and the terminally ill newborn. It also provides a view of the law relating to abortion more generally within the US.
The two pools of pituitary gonadotropin: regulation during the menstrual cycle.

Information on the relative activity and on the functional relationships between the acutely releasable (1st) and reserve (2nd) pools of pituitary LH during the course of the normal menstrual cycle was obtained via a 4 h LRF infusion (0.2μg/min × 4 h). This was immediately followed by 3 pulses of LRF (10 μg at 2 h intervals) to assess further the size of the acutely releasable pool after activation of the reserve pool by the infusion. Our observations indicate that two functional pools of LH are present in all phases of the menstrual cycle and that comparative pool size or activity is influenced profoundly by ovarian steroid feedback as well as by the pattern of input of hypothalamic LRF. From the early to the late follicular phase, in synchrony with the rising levels of E2, the size of the 2nd pool is preferentially augmented. A small increase in the 1st pool activity is not apparent until the late follicular phase when a 5-fold increase in the size of the 2nd pool is also attained. During the mid-luteal...
Experience in repair of tetralogy of Fallot malformation in adults.

Abstract During the five-year period 1965 through 1969, 186 patients underwent total correction of tetralogy of Fallot malformations at The Johns Hopkins Hospital. This report reviews the experience with 84 of these patients who were 18 years of age or older at the time of repair. There was little difference in the mortality figures between the adult patients and the total group of patients having repair of tetralogy of Fallot defects. There were, however, striking differences in mortality related to the anatomy of the outflow tract encountered at the time of repair. The disadvantages of operating upon older patients with the tetralogy of Fallot defect are presented. However, it is concluded that repair can be accomplished in the adult patient with a reasonable mortality and morbidity.
Evaluation of small area population estimates produced by Housing Unit, Ratio-correlation and Component Method II compared to 2000 Census counts

This paper evaluates small area population estimates produced by the Housing Unit Method, Ratio-correlation Method, Component Method II, and the average of all three methods compared to the 2000 Census counts for the 254 counties and 1,279 places in Texas. This evaluation of three estimation methods shows the expected patterns of error by population size and population change. Of the three methods tested, no single method produced more accurate estimates than the average of two or three methods. The assessment of the accuracy of the place-level estimates show substantially higher levels of errors than those found for counties .
Activation of p38 MAP kinase and JNK pathways by UVA irradiation

There are more than two million new cases of non-melanoma skin cancers (NMSCs) diagnosed each year in the United States of America. The clear etiological factor is chronic exposure to solar radiation from the sun. The wavelengths of solar light that reach the earth's surface include UVB (280-320 nm), which accounts for 1-10%, and UVA (320-400 nm), which accounts for 90-99% of the radiation. While most published research has focused on the effects of UVB, little is known concerning UVA-mediated signal transduction pathways, and their role in skin tumor promotion and progression, giving rise to squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs). Here, we focus on UVA-mediated activation of p38 MAP kinase and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), and their roles in activator protein-1 (AP-1) mediated transcription, cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and Bcl-XL expression. Since p38 MAP kinase and JNK play major roles in the expression of UVA-induced AP-1, COX-2 and Bcl-XL, pharmacological inhibitors of these kinases may be useful in the chemoprevention of SCC skin cancer.
Identification and Characterization of a Phase-Variable Nonfimbrial Salmonella typhimurium Gene That Alters O-Antigen Production

Salmonella typhimurium 798, which was isolated from a pig, is known to phase vary from a nonadhesive to an adhesive phenotype. Cells of the adhesive phenotype adhere to porcine enterocytes, are more readily phagocytized by porcine neutrophils and macrophages, and once phagocytized can survive intracellularly, while cells of the nonadhesive phenotype die rapidly. The effect of phenotypic switching also can be visualized by changes in colony morphologies and the presence of between 10 and 15 proteins in the envelopes of cells in the adhesive phenotype. Mutants previously constructed with cells in the adhesive phenotype and the transposon TnphoA were screened to identify mutants lacking one or more of the unique proteins. One mutation was cloned and sequenced, and the mutation was shown to be in rfaL (O-antigen ligase). Expression of O antigen was shown to be phase variable. The adhesive strain expressed an O antigen that was at least eightfold longer than that for the nonadhesive strain and by virtue of O-antigen production was resistant to porcine complement. The mutant survived intracellularly in phagocytic cells as well as its wild-type parent.
A Scalable Design Methodology for Energy Minimization of STTRAM: A Circuit and Architecture Perspective

In this paper, we analyze the energy dissipation in spin-torque-transfer random access memory array (STTRAM). We present a methodology for exploring the design space to minimize the energy dissipation of the array while maintaining required read and write quality for a given magnetic tunnel junction technology. The proposed method shows the need for proper choice of the silicon transistor width and array operating voltage to minimize the energy dissipation of the STTRAM array. The write energy is found to be 10 × greater than read energy. Hence, read-write ratio becomes a crucial factor that determines energy for STTRAM last level caches (L2). An exploration is performed across several architectural benchmarks including shared and non-shared caches for detailed energy analysis.
Population pharmacokinetics (POPPK) of valproic acid (VPA) following rapid infusion in epilepsy patients

Purpose Characterize VPA PopPK following rapid infusion. Methods: Epilepsy patients (N=112), with or without enzyme inducing comedications, were randomized to either 3.0 or 1.5 mg/kg/min 5-min VPA infusions. VPA plasma albumin binding was examined using 1 & 2 binding-site models. PopPK analysis of total & free plasma VPA concentrations (up to 6 h post-infusion) was performed using NONMEM. Effect of enzyme-induction on clearance (CL) and cholesterol, creatinine, age & inductions status on primary protein binding (PB) constant (K1) was examined using the chi-square test. Results: One & 2-comparment models optimally characterized total & free VPA concentrations, respectively. Estimated parameters±SE for uninduced subjects were: totalCL=1.21±0.0854 L/h, totalV=12.3±0.373 L, freeCL=18.4±8.17 L/h, freeV1=2.09±2.43 L, freeQ=63.7±61.7 L/h, & freeV2=65.8±25.7 L. Enzyme-induction was a significant covariate; totalCL & freeCL increased by 61 & 24%. VPA PB was nonlinear; 2-site PB model parameters±SE, viz., N1, K1, N2, & K2, were 1.54±0.108, 11.9±1.99 (1/mM), 0.194±0.0783, and 164±141 (1/mM). No significant covariates were identified for VPA PB. Inter-subject variabilities in totalCL, freeCL, & K1 were 45, 75 & 30%. Conclusions: These PopPK models accounting for induction status and albumin levels may be used to predict VPA concentrations. Accounting for other factors such as health status and genetics may reduce some of the unexplained variability and improve model predictability. Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics (2004) 75, P31–P31; doi: 10.1016/j.clpt.2003.11.116
Characterization of the Carbohydrate Moiety of Intestinal Mucin-Type Sialoglycoprotein Receptors for the K88ac Fimbrial Adhesin of Escherichia coli

We have previously identified two mucin-type sialoglycoproteins from porcine intestinal epithelial cells with approximate molecular masses of 210 (intestinal mucin-type glycoprotein IMTGP-1) and 240 kDa (IMTGP-2) as receptors for the K88ab and K88ac fimbrial adhesins of Escherichia coli. These receptors are detected in intestinal brush border membrane preparations from pigs with adhesive phenotypes but not from pigs with nonadhesive phenotypes and are postulated to be important determinants of the susceptibility of pigs to K88ab+ and K88ac+ enterotoxigenic E. coli infections. Using exoglycosidase digestion studies, we have now determined that β-linked galactose is an important component in the recognition of IMTGP-1 and IMTGP-2 by the K88ac adhesin. In addition, we observed a differential distribution of the K88ac adhesin binding activity of IMTGP-1 and IMTGP-2 along the crypt-villus axis, suggesting that receptor activity is dependent on the maturation state of the intestinal epithelial cells. Brush borders from immature intestinal epithelial cells possessed the highest concentrations of IMTGP-1 and IMTGP-2 receptor activity, with a progressive decrease in receptor activity as the cells mature. To characterize the differences in the carbohydrate moieties of IMTGP-1 and IMTGP-2, we developed a procedure for purifying the receptors, using phenol extraction followed by serial lectin affinity chromatography. Carbohydrate compositional analysis of the purified receptors indicated that the carbohydrate moieties of IMTGP-1 and IMTGP-2 consist of both N- and O-glycans containing galactose, glucose, sialic acid, mannose, N-acetylgalactosamine, N-acetylglucosamine, and fucose. The major difference between the two receptors is that IMTGP-2 contains a higher percentage of monosaccharides (mannose and glucose) commonly found in N-glycans.
Dogrultu Yogunluk Fonksiyonu Ile Radar Goruntu Isleme

In this paper, an alternative target density function (TDF) is proposed to image the radar targets. While the target density function is developed by a new technique in direction density function (DDF) form, it is obtained by considering a novel range and scanning angle plane different from the conventional methods. Although the imaging technique is obtained via the linear phased array radars, the problem associated with beamforming is bypassed in this algorithm
Chemokines control naive CD8+ T cell selection of optimal lymph node antigen presenting cells

Naive antiviral CD8+ T cells are activated in the draining LN (DLN) by dendritic cells (DCs) presenting viral antigens. However, many viruses infect LN macrophages, which participate in initiation of innate immunity and B cell activation. To better understand how and why T cells select infected DCs rather than macrophages, we performed intravital microscopy and ex vivo analyses after infecting mice with vaccinia virus (VV), a large DNA virus that infects both LN macrophages and DCs. Although CD8+ T cells interact with both infected macrophages and DCs in the LN peripheral interfollicular region (PIR), DCs generate more frequent and stable interactions with T cells. VV infection induces rapid release of CCR5-binding chemokines in the LN, and administration of chemokine-neutralizing antibodies diminishes T cell activation by increasing T cell localization to macrophages in the macrophage-rich region (MRR) at the expense of PIR DCs. Similarly, DC ablation increases both T cell localization to the MRR and the duration of T cell–macrophage contacts, resulting in suboptimal T cell activation. Thus, virus-induced chemokines in DLNs enable antiviral CD8+ T cells to distinguish DCs from macrophages to optimize T cell priming.
Improving Cognitive Dysfunction After Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage

neurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) affects mostly young and middle-age adults at the peak of their A productivity. However, because of increased life expectancy and the overall aging of the general population, elderly patients represent an ever-increasing percentage of those admitted with aSAH. aSAH continues to be a devastating disease, but outcomes have improved considerably over the past few decades. A better understanding of its pathophysiology and its complications as well as refinement of treatment strategies have resulted in a dramatic increase of survival rates to around 65% (16).
Co-adaptation: Adaptive co-training for semi-supervised learning

Inspired by popular co-training and domain adaptation methods, we propose a co-adaptation algorithm. The goal is improving the performance of a dialog act segmentation model by exploiting the vast amount of unlabeled data. This task provides a nice framework for multiview learning, as it has been shown that lexical and prosodic features provide complementary information. Instead of simply adding machine-labeled data to the set of manually labeled data, co-adaptation technique adapts the existing models. While both co-training and domain adaptation techniques have been employed for dialog act segmentation, our experiments show that the proposed co-adaptation algorithm results in significantly better performance.
Wideband FEM computations via the adaptive BT-POD

This paper presents an adaptive sampling model order reduction (MOR) methodology for fast frequency sweep of wideband electromagnetic (EM) systems. The proposed algorithm is an automated, more reliable, robust and error-controllable version of the balanced truncation - proper orthogonal decomposition (BT-POD) model order reduction [1], [2]. Although the framework in [1] and [2] works quite well, it is based on an ad-hoc uniform POD sampling strategy that is less robust and efficient and it has no stopping criteria. The adaptive BT-POD intelligently chooses POD sampling points according to goal-oriented error estimates and indicators [3], and provides reliable stopping criteria based on a global error indicator. In [4], an adaptive s-parameter rational interpolation is used to perform the fast sweep. In [5], an adaptive multipoint Krylov method using the s-parameter history to decide the next sample location was proposed. These are different than the present method because the error estimates are computed based on goal-oriented residual error indicators that are known to be more reliable. Numerical results on a large-scale waveguide filter model are used to illustrate the validity and performance of the proposed methodology.
Limitations of a semiclassical treatment of the Skyrme soliton

We discuss a semiclassical approach to the Skyrme model in which the effects from the diagonalization of the collective coordinates are treated in a self-consistent way. We obtain an upper bound on the nucleon-\ensuremath{\Delta} mass difference which is valid if the semiclassical limit is taken with the pion mass parameter held fixed, but is inconsistent with the experimental values of the masses. Because of the interplay of the semiclassical and chiral limits, the approximations break down for sufficiently small pion mass.
Cis proline mutants of ribonuclease A. I. Thermal stability.

A chemically synthesized gene for ribonuclease A has been expressed in Escherichia coli using a T7 expression system (Studier, F.W., Rosenberg, A.H., Dunn, J.J., & Dubendorff, J.W., 1990, Methods Enzymol. 185, 60-89). The expressed protein, which contains an additional N-terminal methionine residue, has physical and catalytic properties close to those of bovine ribonuclease A. The expressed protein accumulates in inclusion bodies and has scrambled disulfide bonds; the native disulfide bonds are regenerated during purification. Site-directed mutations have been made at each of the two cis proline residues, 93 and 114, and a double mutant has been made. In contrast to results reported for replacement of trans proline residues, replacement of either cis proline is strongly destabilizing. Thermal unfolding experiments on four single mutants give delta Tm approximately equal to 10 degrees C and delta delta G0 (apparent) = 2-3 kcal/mol. The reason is that either the substituted amino acid goes in cis, and cis trans isomerization after unfolding pulls the unfolding equilibrium toward the unfolded state, or else there is a conformational change, which by itself is destabilizing relative to the wild-type conformation, that allows the substituted amino acid to form a trans peptide bond.
Cutting Edge: Dendritic Epidermal γδ T Cell Ligands Are Rapidly and Locally Expressed by Keratinocytes following Cutaneous Wounding

TCR-specific activation is pivotal to dendritic epidermal T cell (DETC) function during cutaneous wound repair. However, DETC TCR ligands are uncharacterized, and little is known about their expression patterns and kinetics. Using soluble DETC TCR tetramers, we demonstrate that DETC TCR ligands are not constitutively expressed in healthy tissue but are rapidly upregulated following wounding on keratinocytes bordering wound edges. Ligand expression is tightly regulated, with downmodulation following DETC activation. Early inhibition of TCR-ligand interactions using DETC TCR tetramers delays wound repair in vivo, highlighting DETC as rapid responders to injury. To our knowledge, this is the first visualization of DETC TCR ligand expression, which provides novel information about how ligand expression impacts early stages of DETC activation and wound repair.
A dynamic scheduling for flexible manufacturing systems: hierarchical control and dispatching by heuristics

A method for controlling job flows in a flexible manufacturing system is proposed. It consists of loading control and dispatching components for the loading station and workstations. For loading control, a modified linear program is solved by heuristics. For dispatching, learning by experimentation is used to formulate the heuristics. Results of simulation studies are given to show the effectiveness of the method. >
Temporal Homogenization of Monthly Radiosonde Temperature Data. Part I: Methodology

Abstract Historical changes in instrumentation and recording practices have severely compromised the temporal homogeneity of radiosonde data, a crucial issue for the determination of long-term trends. Methods developed to deal with these homogeneity problems have been applied to a near–globally distributed network of 87 stations using monthly temperature data at mandatory pressure levels, covering the period 1948–97. The homogenization process begins with the identification of artificial discontinuities through visual examination of graphical and textual materials, including temperature time series, transformations of the temperature data, and independent indicators of climate variability, as well as ancillary information such as station history metadata. To ameliorate each problem encountered, a modification was applied in the form of data adjustment or data deletion. A companion paper (Part II) reports on various analyses, particularly trend related, based on the modified data resulting from the method ...
Oxytocin as an antidiuretic hormone. I. Concentration dependence of action

Circulating concentrations of oxytocin increase to 10-40 pM in rats in response to osmotic stimuli, suggesting that oxytocin could play a role in regulation of water balance. The present studies tested whether oxytocin at such concentrations increases osmotic water permeability (Pf) in isolated perfused terminal inner medullary collecting ducts (IMCD). In IMCD segments from Sprague-Dawley rats, 20 pM oxytocin added to the peritubular bath caused a two- to threefold increase in Pf, whereas 200 pM oxytocin increased Pf by five- to sixfold (n = 8, P < 0.01). IMCD from Brattleboro rats, which manifest central diabetes insipidus, exhibited a 2.8-fold increase in Pf in response to 20 pM oxytocin and a 4.7-fold increase in response to 200 pM oxytocin. However, in Brattleboro rats, the response to 20 pM oxytocin was dependent on prior water restriction of the rats. Immunoblotting showed no change in the expression of the aquaporin-CD water channel in Brattleboro rats in response to water restriction. Nevertheless, immunofluorescence studies of inner medullary tissue from Brattleboro rats revealed a marked redistribution of the aquaporin-CD water channels to a predominantly apical and subapical localization in IMCD cells in response to water restriction, similar to the redistribution seen in response to vasopressin. Mathematical modeling studies revealed that the measured increase in Pf in response to oxytocin is sufficient to generate a concentrated urine. We conclude that oxytocin can function physiologically as an antidiuretic hormone, mimicking the short-term action of vasopressin on water permeability, albeit with somewhat lower potency.
Eating the Nation

Much recent scholarship has addressed the affective nature of political identification and decisions. Yet this field has remained strangely abstract, especially considering the rich and specific nature of people's sensoria. By examining a specific textual field, namely cookbooks, 'Eating the Nation' addresses how nationalism has been formed and perpetrated by the reproduction of food pathways. As different global regions have developed their own forms of nationality, I argue, their domestic political frameworks have demanded (and depended upon) the nationalization of a singular cuisine, both for export and for domestic consumption. Drawing on the work of Appadurai, Zlotnik, Simmons, and Ranciere, and examining the historical development of cookbooks in Haiti, India, the United States, Canada and Belieze, I show how the formalization of recipe compilation partakes in, and underlies, the logics of political nationalism.
Who Serves? Analyzing the White House Staff, 1929-2008

Using a comprehensive database compiled as part of a larger research project analyzing the presidential advising system more generally, we systematically examine the backgrounds of more than 1,300 White House aides who served during 1929-2009, a period that encompasses 13 presidential administrations ranging from presidents Herbert Hoover to George W. Bush. During the years 1929 through 1969, the senior White House staff tended to operate as general purpose troubleshooters, errand boys and information gatherers. We find that White House positions in this period were dominated by lawyers who by virtue of professional training were well-suited to performing the types of tasks presidents required. Changes to the president’s operating environment, however, altered their advising needs and diversified those recruitment patterns. Two such changes in particular stand out in terms of their impact on White House staff recruitment: the devolution of power within Congress from party leaders to rank-and-file members and the replacement of the “closed” presidential selection process controlled by party elites to a more open process in which the media and issue activists hold greater sway. In response, presidents beginning during the Nixon-Ford-Carter administrations change their recruitment patterns by putting less emphasis on hiring lawyers, and making a greater effort to recruit specialists with expertise in campaigns and Congress.
Her-2/neu Transgenic Mice for Evaluation of Immune and Antitumor Responses Against Self-Tumor Antigens in the Young and the Old

The impact of aging on T-cell tolerance has yet to be elucidated. More importantly cancer vaccines that will be effective both in the young and the old have yet to be developed. As a result, there is a need for relevant tumor models which include aspects of self-tolerance and development of spontaneous tumors in the aged. Such models are critical for the development and optimization of specific cancerrelated immunotherapeutic strategies for the elderly. Although the majority of studies augmenting immune responses against a self-antigen like the Her-2/neu have used young Her-2/neu transgenic mouse models and put a lot of effort into aspects such as increasing the immunogenicity, very little attention has been paid to the immune competence of the aging population. Based on the Her-2/neu transgenic mice, our group has developed a mouse model (HLA-A2.1/Kb mice crossed with the FVBHer- 2/neu mice) where self-tolerance, spontaneous tumor progression and aging are present simultaneously. The immunological aspects of the A2xneu mice closely reflect those of cancer patients whose immune systems are not fully competent to reject their tumors. Models like this are critical as they may provide data that closely predict the clinical outcomes and will help to customize immunotherapeutic strategies that would be effective for the treatment of tumors in both the young and the old. In this chapter, we will focus on the Her-2/neu transgenic mouse model for the evaluation of immune and antitumor responses against a self-tumor antigen in both the young and the old.
Toward Broader Education in Control System Design for Mechanical Engineers: Actuation System Selection and Controller Co-design

Control system design education for mechanical engineers, in its current form, focuses primarily on control algorithm design. We argue here that control system design is performed best when it is broadened to include requirements development and actuation system design, to be performed jointly with design of the control algorithm. We review practices in specifying control system performance and capabilities of actuation technologies for control applications. An existing unifying framework for representing actuation system capabilities and their selection for applications of interest is presented and assessed. Developments needed for an improved methodology for actuation system selection are enumerated. First, actuator comparison must be extended to include system-level characterization of performance. Second, mechanical actuation applications should be classified in more generic terms and application requirements framed accordingly. Third, compilation of performance characteristics for actuators and actuation systems need to be more comprehensive and better linked to underlying technological limitations.
Angiotensin 1-7 has a biphasic effect on fluid absorption in the proximal straight tubule.

The effect of angiotensin 1-7 (Ang 1-7) on the proximal tubule has not been well studied. It was hypothesized that Ang 1-7 has a biphasic effect on fluid absorption in the isolated rat proximal straight tubule. Proximal straight tubules were perfused at a rate of 5.81 +/- 0.44 nL/mm per minute and absorbed fluid at 0.98 +/- 0.10 nL/mm per minute. Bicarbonate absorption was 80.1 +/- 11.6 pmol/mm per minute. When 10(-12) M Ang 1-7 was added to the bath, fluid absorption increased to 1.47 +/- 0.10 nL/mm per minute (P 0.90) or bicarbonate permeability (P > 0.60). Next, 10(-8) M Ang 1-7 was used. During the control period, fluid absorption was 0.90 +/- 0.09 nL/mm per minute. When 10(-8) M Ang 1-7 was added, fluid absorption decreased to 0.62 +/- 0.04 nL/mm per minute (P < 0.05). DuP 753, an AT1 receptor antagonist, blocked both effects induced by Ang 1-7, whereas PD 123319, an AT2 receptor antagonist, did not block the stimulatory effect. From these data, it was concluded that Ang 1-7 binds AT1 receptors and has a biphasic effect on fluid absorption, and at physiologic levels, the heptapeptide induces the stimulation of bicarbonate absorption.
Beginnings and endings

One ending is also another beginning. Always think in terms of beginnings, not endings. hsd Change is natural; change is inevitable; change is essential. Change is the driver of progress. So it is with any journal. At an age of one hundred years plus, the British Journal of Ophthalmology is one of the oldest ophthalmic journals. It has changed and progressed with Time and preserved its purpose and character and maintained its relevance as a truly international journal serving its …
Induction of parotid carcinomas and/or subcutaneous sarcomas in C3H mice with normal C3H organ extracts.

Summary1. Parotid tumors or leukemia developed following inoculation of Ak extracts into newborn C3H mice. When extracts from induced C3H leukemias were inoculated into 105 newborn C3H mice (Bittner substrain), 25 (24%) developed leukemia, 12 (11%) parotid tumors, and 7 (7%) subcutaneous sarcomas. Of 296 newborn C3H mice inoculated with parotid tumor extracts, 24 (8%) developed leukemia, 21 (7%) parotid tumors, 15 (5%) subcutaneous sarcomas, 2 submaxillary gland tumors, and 2 medullary adrenal tumors. 2. Centrifuged extracts from normal C3H embryos were inoculated into 103 newborn C3H mice, and 3 developed parotid tumors. Of 9 newborn C3H mice inoculated with C57 Brown/cd embryo extracts, 1 developed parotid tumor. When centrifuged extracts prepared from normal C3H mammary glands were inoculated into 60 newborn C3H mice, 9 developed parotid tumors, and 5 subcutaneous sarcomas. Centrifuged pooled normal C3H(f) and C3H organ (liver, spleen, heart, kidney) extracts fresh, or preserved either by dry-freezing ...
In vivo development of Metorchis orientalis in chicken and its pathogenicity

The aim of this study is to investigate the dynamic development and pathogenicity of the Metorchis orientalis in infected chicken.Metacercariae of the Metorchis orientalis in Pseudorasbora parva from epidemic area in Pucheng County,Fujian Province were isolated for quantitative infection of experimental chicken in different groups.These animals were then anatomized at different periods for collection rate of parasite and the identification of parasite development.Daily observation on clinical changes in experimental chicken was conducted,and the pathological changes in liver and gallbladder were also observed simultaneously by conventional paraffin section.The results showed that a rapid development of Metorchis orientalis in chicken,while the individual development was not simultaneous,and all parasites were not mature until 6th week p.i.The infected chicken grew slowly,in the situation of arrested development and high mortality.The longer for the infection time,the lower for the parasite recovery rate and severer the pathological changes in liver.It's suggested that Metorchis orientalis could develop rapidly in chicken in vivo and have high pathogenicity in the hosts.
Study on volatile halogenated hydrocarbons in drinking water by headspace gas chromatography

Objective:To develop a method for determination of seven volatile halogenated hydrocarbons in drinking water.Methods:The seven volatile halogenated hydrocarbons(chlorofrom,tetrachloromethane,trichloroethylene,bromodichloromethane,dibromochloromethane,tetrachloroethylene,bromoform)in drinking water were determined by headspace gas chromatography.Results:Under the optimal experimental conditiongs,the recoveries of the seven volatile halogenated hydrocarbons were in the range of 91.6%～104.7%,the relative standard deviation 1.2%～7.3%,and the determination limite 0.20～5.0 μg/L.Conclusion:The method is sensitive,accurate,simple and these seven compounds can be analyzed in the same time.
Research Summaries on Control Method of Cogeneration Units

In this paper the present situation of various control method in existing cogeneration units are introduced,the traditional PID control,modern control and advanced control in distributed energy sources system are overall described.And finally,the future development direction of control method and strategies in cogeneration units in China is prospected.
Effect of cAMP analogue infusion on phosphate reabsorption in phosphate-deprived rats.

The present study was performed to compare the effects of 8-(4-chlorophenylthio)-adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP analogue) and parathyroid hormone (PTH) infusion on segmental phosphate reabsorption in phosphate-deprived rats. Micropunctures of the late proximal and the early distal tubules were performed in acutely thyroparathyroidectomized (TPTX) rats fed either a normal (NPD) or low phosphate diet (LPD), and the phosphaturic response to infusion of PTH and cAMP analogue was evaluated. In NPD rats, PTH (n = 10) and the cAMP analogues (n = 11) markedly increased urinary phosphate excretion, due to inhibition of phosphate reabsorption along the proximal convoluted tubule and pars recta. In phosphate-deprived rats, PTH (n = 10) or the cAMP analogue (n = 11) did not increase urinary phosphate excretion. However, PTH and the cAMP analogue inhibited phosphate reabsorption along the proximal convoluted tubule but not in the pars recta in phosphate-deprived rats. We conclude that cAMP analogue infusio...
Keeping Track of Viruses

Publisher Summary This chapter introduces basic concepts of virology and exemplifies the usage of current technology for identifying and tracking viral pathogens. Virus structure, lifestyle, replication strategies, classication, the varied modes of transmission, infection, and disease manifestations are focussed upon in the chapter. Viruses are extremely simple “life” forms without metabolic capacity, organelles, translational machinery, or autonomous replicative potential; the essential elements of a virus are consequently minimal. A virus enters the host through any opportunistic opening of the body—; such as minute breaks in the skin barrier or mucosal linings of the eye, nose, etc. Antibodies produced during an infection often have the ability to bind the virus and reduce infectivity. An immediate question to solve during a virus outbreak is the mechanism by which the virus spreads. Viruses frequently infect animal or insect vectors that serve to pass the virus to humans. By identifying the virus through sequence analysis, a hypothetical reservoir can be predicted by the placement of the sequence on the phylogenetic tree‥ The varied modes of transmission, infection, and disease manifestations as they relate to the different diagnostic methods for virus identification are highlighted. Examples of naturally emerging viruses; such as Sin Nombre, Nipah, West Nile conclude the chapter. New technologies that allow the creation of manmade or “engineered” viruses, new frontiers in viral diagnostics, and a few thoughts on the future of virology are also presented. The global eradication of smallpox ranks as one of humankind's greatest accomplishments yet many viral challenges remain. HIV, hepatitis B and C, influenza, dengue, rotavirus, and many other viral diseases continue to affect tens of millions.
EGFR-Dependent Regulated Intramembrane Proteolysis of EpCAM—Response

We would like to thank Dr. Gires for the letter concerning our article ([1][1]). We are very glad that Dr. Gires considers our data on how EGFR activation affects endometrial cancer cell invasiveness via EpCAM activity novel and interesting. The study highlights not only the function of EpCAM as a
From “Bibbid-Bobbidi-Boo” to Scrooge: an update and comparative analysis of the portrayal of older characters in recent Disney animated films

AbstractDisney animated films continue to be a medium viewed by millions of young audiences across the world. As such, Disney content messages – which are often repeatedly viewed by children – and correlating implications should frequently be assessed. The objective for this investigation was to evaluate the portrayal of older adults in more recent Disney animated films (from 2004 to 2016) to provide both an update and comparative analysis to previous explorations. Results suggest comparable findings: we note a similarity in the overall negative portrayal of older characters in recent Disney animated films compared to previous films. Furthermore, we observed a decrease in “neutral” or general aging qualities, as well as a slight increase in the number of older adults depicted as “the villain.” Implications and observations are offered in efforts to improve ageist representations, particularly in a medium that is exceptionally prevalent in the lives of many young people.
Positive Reinforcement Training and Health Care

This chapter focuses on chimpanzees and macaques, many other species have been successfully trained for a variety of behaviors using positive reinforcement training (PRT). PRT is a form of operant conditioning in which an animal is rewarded for performing a desired behavior. It has become an established and integral component of successful behavioral management programs. The use of this training technique enhances nonhuman primates (NHP) welfare and facilitates health care by encouraging the animals to voluntarily participate in their own care. Veterinarians can closely examine NHPs in their home enclosures with the use of PRT techniques. PRT enhances the level of trust among the animals, trainers, and veterinarians. This high level of trust enables us to closely visualize the animals. NHPs can be trained using PRT techniques to voluntarily allow the collection of a variety of biological samples, which are crucial veterinary diagnostic tools.
Machine learning or discrete choice models for car ownership demand estimation and prediction

Discrete choice models are widely used to explain transportation behaviors, including a household's decision to own a car. They show how some distinct choice of human behavior or preference influences a decision. They are also used to project future demand estimates to support policy exploration. This latter use for prediction is indirectly aligned with and conditional to the model's estimation which aims to fit the observed data. In contrast, machine learning models are derived to maximize prediction accuracy through mechanisms such as out-of-sample validation, non-linear structure, and automated covariate selection, albeit at the expense of interpretability and sound behavioral theory. We investigate how machine learning models can outperform discrete choice models for prediction of car ownership using transportation household survey data from Singapore. We compare our household car ownership model (multinomial logit model) against various machine learning models (e.g. Random Forest, Support Vector Machines) by using 2008 data to derive, i.e. estimate models that we then use to predict 2012 ownership. The machine learning models are inferior to the discrete choice model when using discrete choice features. However, after engineering features more appropriate for machine learning they are superior. These results highlight both the cost of applying machine learning models in econometric contexts and an opportunity for improved prediction and better urban policy making through machine learning models with appropriate features.
Vallée Poussin kernels, shift-invariant subspaces and the spline connection

Shift-invariant approximation plays an important role in topics related with sampling theory. Despite being a theoretically mature topic, when it comes to practice, splines and Gaussians are the only well known generators. Here, we show that kernels introduced by Vallee Poussin, in context of the singular convolution integrals, can be successfully repurposed for shift-invariant approximation theory. Among other properties, such as excellent time-frequency localization, we prove that the Vallee Poussin kernel, or the VPK, admits partition of unity and forms a Riesz basis. Surprisingly, for a particular order, the VPK is identical to cubic splines at integer knots and this has interesting consequences. Quantitative Fourier analysis of the VPK, for convolution based approximation, shows a compelling performance and proximity to the spline family.
Assessment Strategies for Moody ADHD in Children, Adolescents, and Adults

Individuals with moodiness, mood problems, and ADHD symptoms regularly show up in mental health or medical care settings, and must be accurately diagnosed to receive appropriate treatment. An accurate assessment of such patients often requires a careful evaluation of current and past potential mood, ADHD, and other symptoms from the patient’s and others’ perspectives. Helpful information may include history from family, significant others, teachers, coworkers, and medical or mental health providers, as well as prior evaluations, transcripts and school reports, employment records, and even legal documents. Formal structured or semi-structured interviews are considered the “gold standard” for assessing such patients, but are usually limited to research settings. Clinicians can also provide proper diagnoses and treatment of such patient’s symptoms through careful clinical interviews and mental status exams, supplemented with well-validated general and more specific rating scales that screen for various mental health problems and impairment related to them. Systematic use of such rating scales also allows the clinician to monitor ongoing symptoms, identify adverse changes, and achieve better outcomes with treatment.