cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Protective Gene Expression Changes Elicited by an Inherited Defect in Photoreceptor Structure

Inherited defects in retinal photoreceptor structure impair visual transduction, disrupt relationship with the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), and compromise cell viability. A variety of progressive retinal degenerative diseases can result, and knowledge of disease etiology remains incomplete. To investigate pathogenic mechanisms in such instances, we have characterized rod photoreceptor and retinal gene expression changes in response to a defined insult to photoreceptor structure, using the retinal degeneration slow (rds) mouse model. Global gene expression profiling was performed on flow-sorted rds and wild-type rod photoreceptors immediately prior and subsequent to times at which OSs are normally elaborated. Dysregulated genes were identified via microarray hybridization, and selected candidates were validated using quantitative PCR analyses. Both the array and qPCR data revealed that gene expression changes were generally modest and dispersed amongst a variety of known functional networks. Although genes showing major (>5-fold) differential expression were identified in a few instances, nearly all displayed transient temporal profiles, returning to WT levels by postnatal day (P) 21. These observations suggest that major defects in photoreceptor cell structure may induce early homeostatic responses, which function in a protective manner to promote cell viability. We identified a single key gene, Egr1, that was dysregulated in a sustained fashion in rds rod photoreceptors and retina. Egr1 upregulation was associated with microglial activation and migration into the outer retina at times subsequent to the major peak of photoreceptor cell death. Interestingly, this response was accompanied by neurotrophic factor upregulation. We hypothesize that activation of Egr1 and neurotrophic factors may represent a protective immune mechanism which contributes to the characteristically slow retinal degeneration of the rds mouse model.
PHOTODIMERIZATION OF 1,3‐DIMETHYL‐5‐CHLOROURACIL*

Abstract— 1,3-Dimethyl-5-chlorouracil dimerizes upon direct photolysis in aqueous solution to give one major photodimer. X-Ray analysis has been used to identify the dimer as the anti head-to-tail isomer, IV.
VVIR or DDD(R) : does it matter ?

A continuing emphasis on cost effectiveness in health care may require that we use more expensive pacing systems only in situations where there is clear medical and scientific evidence of increased efficacy. Although dual-chamber and/or sensor-based, rate-modulating pacing systems are electronically no less reliable, they are part of a more complex pacing system. The requirement for two leads, one of which must maintain both pacing and sensing in the atrium, will inevitably impact the cost and reliability of such systems compared with a single-chamber ventricular system. Yet, there is clear evidence that AV synchrony is important at rest, particularly in patients susceptible to pacemaker syndrome, and there is mounting evidence that AV synchrony during exercise is beneficial independent of rate response. Finally, and perhaps most important, there is the suggestion that patient longevity may be extended by using pacing systems that preserve AV synchrony and/or minimize ventricular pacing.
Competitive binding analysis of monoclonal antibodies reactive with porcine alveolar macrophages using anti-CD14 and anti-CD18

Four monoclonal antibodies (mAb) from the myeloid subset panel of the First International Swine CD Workshop (74-22-15, DH59B, PM16-6, and MUC21A) were analyzed using competitive inhibition studies with anti-human CD14 (My4) and anti-human/anti-porcine CD18 (MHM23) on porcine alveolar macrophages. Results suggested that none of the mAb tested recognized CD14 or CD18 on porcine alveolar macrophages. Additionally, the cross-reactivity of My4 with porcine alveolar macrophages was established.
The Demonstration of Remedial Action Technologies for Contaminated Land and Ground water

The problem of contamination to land and groundwater from improper handling of hazardous materials/ waste is faced by all countries. Also, the need for reliable, cost-effective technologies to address this problem at contaminated sites exists throughout the world. Many countries have only started to develop new innovative/ alternative technologies while others have already started to apply these technologies to the cleanup of contaminated sites. The purpose of this NATO/ CCMS (North Atlantic Treaty Organization/Committee for the Challenges to Modern Society) Pilot Study is to discuss and evaluate new innovative/alternative technologies and/or existing systems that may be applicable to the cleanup of contaminated sites. Through this pilot study, the exchange of information on new and existing technologies for dealing with problem hazardous waste sites is promoted. The pilot study is made up of an international group of experts drawn from the participating countries. The study, which was initiated in 1986, ...
Coccinellidae as predators of mites: Stethorini in biological control

The Stethorini are unique among the Coccinellidae in specializing on mites (principally Tetranychidae) as prey. Consisting of 90 species in two genera, Stethorus and Parasthethorus, the tribe is practically cosmopolitan. The Stethorini are found in a diverse range of habitats, including many agricultural systems such as pome and stone fruits, brambles, tree nuts, citrus, avocadoes, bananas, papaya, palms, tea, cassava, maize, strawberries, vegetables, and cotton, as well as ornamental plantings, grasslands, forests, and heathlands. Tetranychid mite outbreaks became common in many agricultural systems only after World War II, when widespread use of broad-spectrum insecticides increased. Stethorini were initially appreciated only for their ability to suppress severe outbreaks of tetranychid populations. However, research on their prey searching behaviors reveals that Stethorini use visual and olfactory stimuli to locate small mite colonies in patchy distributions, and can be very effective in regulating their prey at low densities. Moreover, acariphagous coccinellids colonize mite outbreaks earlier, and consume more pest mites, than many other mite predators. Key to the use of coccinellids in conservation biological control programs is the provision of overwintering habitats and refuges from pesticides in and near cropland. When these conditions are fulfilled, Stethorini often play important roles in maintaining suppression of tetranychid populations. Examples of successful biological mite control with Stethorini include apple orchards in Pennsylvania, USA, and citrus in Asia, and the unintended disruption of a tetranychid-based biological control program for the invasive woody weed, gorse, in Australia and New Zealand. The systematics and taxonomy of this group is challenging with many cryptic species, and molecular diagnostic tools are sorely needed. How best to utilize their mite-suppressive potential in diverse settings requires better knowledge of their requirements including utilization of alternative foods, refuges for dormancy and from nonselective pesticides, and host-finding mechanisms.
Fracture of ceramic-polymer composite biomaterials

Fracture toughness, strength, and elastic modulus of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA)- and poly(buty1 methacrylate) (PBMA)-impregnated alumina ceramics were measured as a function of polymer volume fraction, mean polymer particle size, and interfacial bonding between the polymer and ceramic. Fracture toughness was found to increase with increasing polymer volume fraction and decreasing polymer particle size. Interfacial bonding played a very important role in determining the fracture mode, which was interparticle and intraparticle when the interface was coupled and uncoupled, respectively. Poly(methy1 methacrylate) increased the fracture toughness of the ceramic 1.5 to 2 times more effectively than poly(buty1 methacrylate). The elastic modulus was found to be unaffected by impregnation. The previously reported Bowie model was modified and proved to be useful. Single- and double-crack versions of this model predicted strengths somewhat higher than those measured. This discrepancy and the scatter in the data were explained by the crack-path tortuousity and the possibility of different mechanisms operating in different samples. Fractographs of the selected bend specimens were taken to support this argument.
EVALUATION OF ANEMIA IN CYSTINOSIS

Cystinosis is a metabolic disorder with deposition of cystine in various organs, including kidneys and bone marrow (BM). Slowly progressive renal failure is due to renal tubular dysfunction and glomerulosclerosis. Normocytic, normochromic anemia is usually present in later stages. We have studied 2 brothers, ages 8 and 5 years, with cystinosis and anemia with 59Fe to measure the amount and effectiveness of erythropoiesis. The 8-year-old had a Hb of 5.5 g/dl with 4% reticulocytes, mildly decreased plasma iron clearance (PIC), normal iron utilization (FeU), and plasma iron turnover (PIT) at the lower limits of normal. There was delayed appearance of 59Fe on BM scan, but normal distribution of marrow reticulo-endothelial elements, measured by 99mtechnetium. Serum and urine erythropoietin levels were inappropriately low for the degree of anemia. Renal function values were BUN 59 mg%, creatinine (C) 6.9 mg%, and creatinine clearance (CC) 10.7 ml/min/1.73M2. The 5-year-old had Hb of 9 g/dl with 0.6% reticulocytes, and normal PIC, PIT, and FeU. Renal function values were BUN 41 mg%, C 1.8 Mg%, and CC 43.7 ml/min/1.73M2. The normal FeU and normal or nearly normal PIC indicate that the BM is capable of utilizing iron to produce red cells which survive to circulate. In the older patient, however, the PIT is at the lower limit of normal despite marked anemia, suggesting no compensatory increase in red cell production. These findings are similar to those in other renal disease and do not indicate a defect specific to cystinosis.
Sequential effect of angiographic contrast agent on canine renal and systemic hemodynamics.

Abstract The prolonged effects of angiographic contrast media on systemic hemodynamics, renal function, and solute excretion were compared to saline and mannitol in dogs lightly anesthetized with pentobarbital. Measurements of hemodynamic and renal function were made at intervals from one half hour before to one hour after rapid left ventricular injection. The progressive decline in cardiac output and renal plasma flow, following iothalamate reflected diuresis induced volume depletion since these effects were reversed by replacing urine volume. This latter maneuver did not modify the iothalamate effect on renal solute excretion. Although the rate and pattern of urinary excretion of iothalamate- 131 I paralleled mannitol, the magnitude of the iothalamate diuresis significantly exceeded that induced by mannitol. The augmented iothalamate diuresis resulted from an increased urinary content of sodium chloride as confirmed by a significant decrease in tubular chloride reabsorption. Mannitol caused an increased renal plasma flow and a reduced renal vascular resistance, while iothalamate effects were opposite. The effect of iothalamate on renal electrolyte reabsorption may represent a direct effect on renal-tubular sodium transport.
The curvelet transform for image denoising

Summary form only given, as follows. We present approximate digital implementations of two new mathematical transforms, namely, the ridgelet transform and the curvelet transform. Our implementations offer exact reconstruction, stability against perturbations, ease of implementation, and low computational complexity. We apply these digital transforms to the denoising of some standard images embedded in white noise. In the tests reported here, simple thresholding of the curvelet coefficients is very competitive with 'state of the art' techniques based on wavelets, including thresholding of decimated or undecimated wavelet transforms and also including tree-based Bayesian posterior mean methods. Moreover, the curvelet reconstructions exhibit higher perceptual quality than wavelet-based reconstructions, offering visually sharper images and, in particular, higher quality recovery of edges and of faint linear and curvilinear features.
On the spectral properties of widely tunable lasers using grating-assisted codirectional coupling

The analysis of mode-suppression-ratio (MSR) and wavelength tunability of widely tunable semiconductor lasers using grating-assisted codirectional-coupler (GACC) filters is considered. A tradeoff is found between tuning range and spectral purity when using this type of filter as an intracavity mode selector. It is shown that in order to improve the tuning range by a factor of 10 compared to a conventional tunable laser using distributed feedback reflectors (DBRs), one has to tolerate a MSR around 23 dB at 1 mW output optical power/facet for an ideal cavity design. Limitations imposed by the materials are illustrated with design curves based on a vertical-twin-guide structure in both GaAs and InP systems for lasing wavelengths at 0.98 and 1.55 mu m, respectively. >
A highly scalable parallel boundary element method for capacitance extraction

Traditional parallel boundary element methods suffer from low parallel efficiency and poor scalability due to the long system solving time bottleneck. In this paper, we demonstrate how to avoid such a bottleneck by using an instantiable basis function approach. In our demonstrated examples, we achieve 90% parallel efficiency and scalability both in shared memory and distributed memory parallel systems.
E2/Estrogen Receptor/Sjogren Syndrome-Associated Autoantigen Relieves Coactivator Activator-Induced G1/S Arrest To Promote Breast Tumorigenicity

Coactivator activator (CoAA) is a dual-functional coregulator that regulates steroid receptor-mediated transcription and alternative splicing. Previously, we have shown that CoAA has tumor-suppressive potential in tumorigenic human kidney cells. Here, we uncover a molecular mechanism by which Sjogren syndrome-associated autoantigen (SSA), an estrogen receptor (ER) coactivator, induces MYC oncogene by removing repressive CoAA through E2-dependent degradation of CoAA and promotes G(1)/S transition of the cell cycle as well as anchorage-independent growth capability of breast cancer cells. We also show that E2 and ER enhance the E3 ligase activity of SSA to modulate CoAA through splicing isoform-selective ubiquitylation. We propose this as one potential molecular basis for the reduced tumor incidence in autoimmune disease patients and suggest SSA as a potential therapeutic target to treat breast cancer.
Determination of Scattering and Absorption Coefficients for Plasma‐Sprayed Yttria‐Stabilized Zirconia Thermal Barrier Coatings

Prediction of radiative transport through translucent thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) can only be performed if the scattering and absorption coefficients and index of refraction of the TBC are known. To date, very limited information on these coefficients, which depend on both the coating composition and the microstructure, has been available for the very commonly utilized plasma-sprayed 8 wt% yttria-stabilized zirconia (8YSZ) TBCs. In this work, the scattering and absorption coefficients of freestanding plasma-sprayed 8YSZ coatings were determined from room-temperature normal-incidence directional-hemispherical reflectance and transmittance spectra over the wavelength range from 0.8 to 7.5 μm. Spectra were collected over a wide range of coating thickness from 60 to almost 900 μm. From the reflectance and transmittance spectra, the scattering and absorption coefficients as a function of wavelength were obtained by fitting the reflectance and transmittance values predicted by a four flux model to the experimentally measured values at all measured 8YSZ thicknesses. While the combined effects of absorption and scattering were shown in general to exhibit a nonexponential dependence of transmittance on specimen thickness, it was shown that for sufficiently high absorption and optical thickness, an exponential dependence becomes a good approximation. In addition, the implications of the wavelength dependence of the plasma-sprayed 8YSZ scattering and absorption coefficients on (1) obtaining accurate surface-temperature pyrometer measurements and on (2) applying mid-infrared reflectance to monitor TBC delamination are discussed.
Involvement of the Portal at an Early Step in Herpes Simplex Virus Capsid Assembly

DNA enters the herpes simplex virus capsid by way of a ring-shaped structure called the portal. Each capsid contains a single portal, located at a unique capsid vertex, that is composed of 12 UL6 protein molecules. The position of the portal requires that capsid formation take place in such a way that a portal is incorporated into one of the 12 capsid vertices and excluded from all other locations, including the remaining 11 vertices. Since initiation or nucleation of capsid formation is a unique step in the overall assembly process, involvement of the portal in initiation has the potential to cause its incorporation into a unique vertex. In such a mode of assembly, the portal would need to be involved in initiation but not able to be inserted in subsequent assembly steps. We have used an in vitro capsid assembly system to test whether the portal is involved selectively in initiation. Portal incorporation was compared in capsids assembled from reactions in which (i) portals were present at the beginning of the assembly process and (ii) portals were added after assembly was under way. The results showed that portal-containing capsids were formed only if portals were present at the outset of assembly. A delay caused formation of capsids lacking portals. The findings indicate that if portals are present in reaction mixtures, a portal is incorporated during initiation or another early step in assembly. If no portals are present, assembly is initiated in another, possibly related, way that does not involve a portal.
A broadband beamformer for millimeter-wave systems using sub-band sampling

In this paper, a broadband beamforming system for millimeter-waive systems is proposed. DOA is estimated by sampling only part of signal spectrum, thus the beamformer system does not require high speed sampling rate of A/Ds. In addition, an I/Q vector attenuation scheme was used for the IF weighting process. For the weighting process, a balanced structure of a reflection type variable attenuator was used in order to obtain a linear phase response within 500 MHz bandwidth at IF of 2.75 GHz.
Biomarkers in solid organ transplantation: establishing personalized transplantation medicine

Technological advances in molecular and in silico research have enabled significant progress towards personalized transplantation medicine. It is now possible to conduct comprehensive biomarker development studies of transplant organ pathologies, correlating genomic, transcriptomic and proteomic information from donor and recipient with clinical and histological phenotypes. Translation of these advances to the clinical setting will allow assessment of an individual patient's risk of allograft damage or accommodation. Transplantation biomarkers are needed for active monitoring of immunosuppression, to reduce patient morbidity, and to improve long-term allograft function and life expectancy. Here, we highlight recent pre- and post-transplantation biomarkers of acute and chronic allograft damage or adaptation, focusing on peripheral blood-based methodologies for non-invasive application. We then critically discuss current findings with respect to their future application in routine clinical transplantation medicine. Complement-system-associated SNPs present potential biomarkers that may be used to indicate the baseline risk for allograft damage prior to transplantation. The detection of antibodies against novel, non-HLA, MICA antigens, and the expression of cytokine genes and proteins and cytotoxicity-related genes have been correlated with allograft damage and are potential post-transplantation biomarkers indicating allograft damage at the molecular level, although these do not have clinical relevance yet. Several multi-gene expression-based biomarker panels have been identified that accurately predicted graft accommodation in liver transplant recipients and may be developed into a predictive biomarker assay.
What are digital libraries? Competing visions

Research and practice in digital libraries (DL) has exploded worldwide in the 1990s. Substantial research funding has become available, libraries are actively involved in DL projects and conferences, journals and online news lists proliferate. This article explores reasons for these developments and the influence of key players, while speculating on future directions. We find that the term ‘digital library’ is used in two distinct senses. In general, researchers view digital libraries as content collected on behalf of user communities, while practicing librarians view digital libraries as institutions or services. Tensions exist between these communities over the scope and concept of the term ‘library’. Research-oriented definitions serve to build a community of researchers and to focus attention on problems to be addressed; these definitions have expanded considerably in scope throughout the 1990s. Library community definitions are more recent and serve to focus attention on practical challenges to be addressed in the transformation of research libraries and universities. Future trends point toward the need for extensive research in digital libraries and for the transformation of libraries as institutions. The present ambiguity of terminology is hindering the advance of research and practice in digital libraries and in our ability to communicate the scope and significance of our work. # 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
PipeRench: a co/processor for streaming multimedia acceleration

Future computing workloads will emphasize an architecture's ability to perform relatively simple calculations on massive quantities of mixed-width data. This paper describes a novel reconfigurable fabric architecture, PipeRench, optimized to accelerate these types of computations. PipeRench enables fast, robust compilers, supports forward compatibility, and virtualizes configurations, thus removing the fixed size constraint present in other fabrics. For the first time we explore how the bit-width of processing elements affects performance and show how the PipeRench architecture has been optimized to balance the needs of the compiler against the realities of silicon. Finally, we demonstrate extreme performance speedup on certain computing kernels (up to 190x versus a modern RISC processor), and analyze how this acceleration translates to application speedup.
Is Meth the New Crack for Women in the War on Drugs? Factors Affecting Sentencing Outcomes for Women and Parallels Between Meth and Crack

Between 1996 and 2006, the federal laws that pertain to methamphetamine changed significantly. By 2006, methamphetamine offenses ranked number two among drugs for which women were convicted. There was a major increase in the number of women convicted of methamphetamine offenses. Using U.S. Sentencing Commission (USSC) data for 1996 and 2006, this research investigates the factors affecting sentencing outcomes among women convicted of methamphetamine in the federal system. A major finding is that mandatory minimum sentencing attached to the new thresholds for methamphetamine has a major affect on the likelihood of incarceration of women convicted of methamphetamine offenses in the federal system.
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon and Metal Concentrations in Imported Canned Maize

Concentrations and profile of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons(PAHs) and metals (Cd, Pb, Ni, Cr, Fe and Mn) were determined in selected brands of canned maize in the Nigeria market with a view to providing information on the hazards associated with the consumption of these products. The measurement of the concentrations of PAHs was carried out by using a gas chromatography equipped with flame ionization detector (GC-FID) after extraction by ultra-sonication with acetone/dichloromethane and clean-up. The 16 PAH concentrations varied between 45.1 and 335.7 µg/kg. The concentrations of the indicators for occurrence and effects of PAHs in food varied from 3.6 to 114.5 µg/kg for BaP, 6.4 to 168.2 µg/kg for PAH2, 11.8 to 232.7 µg/kg for PAH4 and 19.4 to 327.3 µg/kg for PAH8. The concentrations of metals were determined by using atomic absorption spectrometry after acid digestion. The concentrations of metals in these samples ranged from <0.05 to 0.9 µg/g for Cd; 5.0 to 8.0 µg/g for Pb, 0.8 to 1.7 µg/g for Fe while Cr and Mn were less than the limits of quantification (<0.05 µg/g). The concentrations of Cd and Pb in these canned maize samples were above their permissible limits for foods.
A Parametric Design Environment for Including Signatures Analysis in Conceptual Design

System effectiveness has become the prime metric for the evaluation of military aircraft. As such, it is the designer’s goal to maximize system effectiveness. Industry documents indicate that all future military aircraft will incorporate signature reduction as an attempt to improve system effectiveness. Today’s operating environments demand low observable aircraft which are able to reliably eliminate valuable, time critical targets. Thus, it is desirable to be able to evaluate the signatures of a vehicle, as well as the influence of signatures on the systems effectiveness of a vehicle. Previous studies have shown that shaping of the vehicle is one of the most important contributors to radar cross section and must be considered from the very beginning of the design process. This research strives to meet these needs by developing a parametric geometry radar cross section prediction tool. This tool is envisioned to predict the radar cross section of the vehicle as well as the impact of geometry changes.
A performance analysis of coherently demodulated PSK using a digital phase estimate in frequency hopped systems

Most existing frequency hopping AJ systems utilize a non-coherent waveform such as differential phase shift keying (DPSK) or frequency shift keying (FSK). This choice is based on a trade-off between the efficiency of the waveform and the difficulties entailed in reestablishing a phase reference at the beginning of every hop. An alternative technique that is being explored for several planned systems is the use of reference symbols combined with coherent demodulation. If several reference symbols of known phase are sent during each hop then the receiver can establish the absolute carrier phase and perform coherent demodulation. This paper explores the performance of frequency hopped systems utilizing reference symbols with a PSK waveform in both a benign and stressed environment. The results indicate that if as few as 10 reference symbols/hop are used that near coherent performance is obtained. Furthermore, the use of reference symbols yielded performance better than that obtained by differential encoding and non-coherent detection for all cases considered.
Online Disaster Preparation: Evaluation of State Emergency Management Web Sites

The purpose of this study is to provide a baseline of information available on state emergency management Web sites. Through a content analysis of all 50 state emergency management Web sites, the study examines four variables identified in the literature as important markers of effective electronic government communication: democratic outreach, information content, outreach to special needs populations, and intergovernmental relations. The results from this study provide a baseline for future research on state emergency management communication and provide insights into how state emergency management agencies can improve their Web sites.
The Case of a City Where 1 in 6 Residents is a Refugee: Ecological Factors and Host Community Adaptation in Successful Resettlement

The notable success of an upstate New York community in resettling refugees raises the question of whether multiple waves of resettlement over a 15-year period have resulted in greater accommodation to refugees. Structured interviews based on transactional models of acculturation were used along with archival data to explore ecological factors supporting a host community’s behavioral flexibility and perseverance in response to the influx of refugees. Evidence suggests that socioeconomic climate, historical background/social norms, and the organizational structure of agencies involved in resettlement moderate successful inclusion of refugees into a host community in a bidirectional process.
Interval arithmetic in power flow analysis

Power flow analysis is the fundamental tool for the study of power systems. The data for this problem are subject to uncertainty. Interval arithmetic is used to solve the power flow problem. Interval arithmetic takes into consideration the uncertainty of the nodal information, and is able to provide strict bounds for the solutions to the problem: all possible solutions are included within the bounds given by interval arithmetic. Results are compared with those obtainable by Monte Carlo simulations and by the use of stochastic power flows. Object-oriented programming techniques makes it possible to use interval arithmetic with minimal modifications to existing software. However, to reduce the conservatism inherent in all interval arithmetic computations, an iterative method is used to obtain the hull of the solution set. >
Plasma Components as Targets of Damage

The utilization of blood products and clotting factor concentrates has steadily increased over the past several decades, owing to advances in safety and availability of hemotherapy, as well as the uncommon occurrence of adverse reactions in recipients. Among the 43 distinct proteins in human plasma, immunoglobulins, coagulation factors, complement components, and haptoglobin have been identified as targets of immune-mediated damage. Immunoglobulin A (IgA) deficiency is the most common primary immunodeficiency among Caucasians, and 1 in 6000 individuals possesses both a genetic lack of IgA and high titers (> 1:256) of isoimmune anti-IgA reactive with both IgA1 and IgA2 proteins. Such a phenotype, termed absent IgA, is conceptually reminiscent of ‘Bombay’ blood phenotype (OhOh) with high-titered anti-H antibodies. Although the transfusion of single units of plasma-containing IgA appears to be innocuous in normal individuals, patients with absent IgA suffer serious and dramatic anaphylactic reactions upon transfusion of small amounts of blood product containing IgA. Fortunately, a majority of these adverse events are nonlethal and are adequately treated in clinical practice, but the severity of these reactions highlights the necessity of understanding the damage that can occur to plasma proteins and the clinical implications of such damage. Thus, both immune- and non-immune-mediated damage to plasma proteins will be comprehensively reviewed here.
Information-based clustering and filtering for field reconstruction

A novel communication efficient scheme for field reconstruction is put forth. The proposed framework entails two steps. During the first step sparsity-inducing canonical correlation is utilized to determine different clusters of correlated sensors. The second step relies on least mean-squares adaptive filters to learn, at a cluster head sensor, the data model of all other cluster sensors. The cluster heads send their data and model parameters to a fusion center, which can use them to recover all sensor measurements without the need to talk to all of them. This way the communication cost can be significantly reduced. Numerical tests demonstrate the capability of the proposed scheme in field recovery.
Anorexia and Aging

ABSTRACT Very little is known about anorexia among older adults. Since there is controversy and discussion about anorexia and aging, further research needs to be done. This article will discuss the anorexia of aging, followed by a discussion of normal physiological changes and normal neurotransmitter regulation of food. Anorexia will also be addressed as a symptom of other diseases. Biochemical theories are reviewed along with the impact of physical, social and psychological variables. The discussion section examines the implications, identification and treatment of anorexia of aging.
EVOLUTION OF THE LOOP AND LOPHOPHORE IN TEREBRATULOID BRACHIOPODS

The contribution of paleontology to the study of evolution must come primarily through exposition of the actual course of organic development as revealed by fossil remains. Groups vary widely in the excellence of their fossil record, however, and it is evident that relatively few among the host of plant and animal lineages are well suited for phylogenetic study. Fortunately some groups, especially among marine invertebrates, have left records of superior quality. From among these the brachiopod order Terebratuloidea has been selected as the subject of this study. The shells of terebratuloids (and apparently all other articulate brachiopods) consist exclusively of the relatively stable mineral, calcite, and thus tend to be well preserved. The existence of living representatives of the group has made possible investigations of the anatomy and of the relationship between soft and hard parts. It is known therefore that there is an intimate relationship between certain vital soft parts and some of the skeletal features. Further the group has an extremely long known history for it ranges from the higher Silurian to the present.2 Several of the skeletal features of Terebratuloids are known to undergo progressive change. The modifications of the loop are of the greatest interest because they reflect the nature of the lophophore and it is the purpose of this article to outline the historical development of the terebratuloid looD insofar as it is now known.
SOCIABILITY AND BEHAVIOUR DISTURBANCE

EPI scores of 60 young people (30M, 30F), newly admitted to a psychiatric hospital because of behaviour disorders, were compared with those of 60 controls. The "impulsive" and "sociable" parts of the extraversion scores were examined separately. The patients were higher than the controls on neuroticism but the mean scores on extraversion and its components did not differ. However, on extraversion and sociability the patients had a significantly greater variance than the controls. Analysis of the types of behaviour disorder showed that "dysthymic" and "psychopathic" behaviours occurred in people at both extremes of the extraversion and sociability scales. It was suggested that either extreme of extraversion (sociability) combined with high neuroticism predisposes to behavioural aberration but does not determine its quality.
Changes of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor in Serum and Urine in Children with Steroid-Sensitive Nephrotic Syndrome

Objective To investigate the changs of serum and urine vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF) in children with steroid-sensitive nephrotic syndrome(SSNS) at their active and remission stage.Methods Serum and morning urine levels of VEGF were assayed by Liquichip in 30 patients with SSNS at the active and remission stage and 30 normal age-and sex-matched controls.Results Serum levels of VEGF in patients at the active stage [(186.62±106.21) ng/L] were significantly higher those that at the remission stage [(118.75±73.08) ng/L] and than those in control group [(108.64±54.75) ng/L](P0.05).There was no statistical difference in the serum levels of VEGF between the patients at the remission stage and healthy controls(P0.05).Morning urine levels of VEGF in patients at the active stage [(201.66±100.46) ng/L] were significantly higher than those at the remission stage [(116.35±55.99) ng/L] and than those in control group [(99.94±42.07) ng/L](P0.05).There was no statistical difference in the morning urine levels of VEGF between the patients at the remission stage and healthy controls(P0.05).Conclusions Serum and morning urine levels of VEGF are significantly elevated in patients with SSNS,however they are significantly lower after the treatment of steroid.There is no obvious difference between the patients at the remission stage and healthy controls.VEGF involves pathogenetically and physiologically in SSNS during its onset and growth.
Mobility resilience and overhead constrained adaptation in directional 60 GHz WLANs: protocol design and system implementation

High directivity of 60 GHz links introduces new link training and adaptation challenges due to both client and environmental mobility. In this paper, we design, implement and evaluate MOCA, a protocol for Mobility resilience and Overhead Constrained Adaptation for directional 60 GHz links. Since mobility-induced link blockage and misalignment cannot be countered with data rate adaptation alone, we introduce Beam Sounding as a mechanism invoked before each data transmission to estimate the link quality for selected beams, and identify and adapt to link impairments. We devise proactive techniques to restore broken directional links with low overhead and design a mechanism to jointly adapt beamwidth and data rate, targeting throughput maximization that incorporates data rate, overhead for beam alignment, and mobility resilience. We implement a programmable node and testbed using software defined radios with commercial 60 GHz transceivers, and conduct an extensive over-the-air measurement study to collect channel traces for various environments. Based on trace based emulations and the IEEE 802.11ad channel model, we evaluate MOCA under a variety of propagation environments and mobility scenarios. Our experiments show that MOCA achieves up to 2x throughput gains compared to a baseline WLAN scheme in a diverse set of operational conditions.
Antismoking campaign videos on YouTube and audience response

Analyzed audience reaction to antismoking campaign videos on YouTube.Examined quantitative as well as qualitative aspects of audience feedback.Audience reaction was predominantly positive.Positive emotions and ratings were more prevalent than negative ones.The majority of comments expressed pro-campaign messages. An increasing number of health organizations have used online social media as channels for health promotion. Ratings and comments posted on them can provide rich information about audience reaction to health campaigns. This study took the case of an antismoking campaign posted on YouTube by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and employed social media assessment metrics to examine audience comments to six campaign videos (N=1186). Results showed that positive emotions were more prevalent than negative emotions in comments. About 10% were pro-smoking comments; yet the majority were antismoking, pro-campaign comments supporting the campaign cause. Findings are discussed for their implications for health campaigns.
Thermovoltaic Detection: A New Technique for the Study of Thermal Decomposition Reactions

The thermovoltaic detector (TVD) consists of two metal electrodes, such as aluminum and platinum, which when placed in contact with certain types of samples at elevated temperatures, spontaneously Generates a voltage that is proportional to the decomposition reaction taking place. The compounds investigated, metal salt hydrates and various ammine type coordination compounds, yield characteristic TVD curves which are related to the thermal decomposition reactions observed by other thermal analysis techniques. The TVD output voltage is of the order of 0–1V over the temperature range of 25 to 500°C. The apparatus for the technique is extremely simple, consisting mainly of a dioital multimeter with an analog voltage output (Keithley Model 160B), a X-Y plotter, and a furnace temperature programmer.
Abstract A55: Racial differences in cultural values for cancer prevention and control: Fact or fiction

Background: Attention to cultural beliefs and values is a critical component of culturally competent cancer care for prevention, treatment, and control among all individuals. Yet, culturally tailored interventions have only been developed for racial and ethnic minorities. This is because cultural beliefs and values for cancer behavioral outcomes have only been ascribed to and evaluated in racial and ethnic groups. Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate racial and ethnic differences in cultural beliefs and values related to religiosity, collectivism, individualism, and past and present temporal orientation for cancer prevention and control (CPC) in a national random sample of African Americans, whites, and Hispanic adults (n=1699). Respondents completed the Multi-Dimensional Cultural Values Assessment Tool (MCVAT) to assess cultural beliefs and values for CPC. Results: There were significant racial/ethnic differences only in religious beliefs and values for CPC. Compared to whites, African Americans (Coefficient=3.75, p=0.001) and Hispanic (Coefficient=2.42, p=0.001) reported significantly greater religiosity. In addition, religious values were higher among respondents who were female (Coefficient=1.10, p=0.01), those who were high school graduates or had less education (Coefficient=-1.87, p=0.001), and respondents who had incomes less than $50,000 (Coefficient=-2.23, p=0.001). Education had a similar association with collectivist values (Coefficient=-1.01, p=0.01), but only the comparison of Hispanics versus whites had a significant association with these values (oefficient=0.76, p=0.04), individualistic values for CPC (Coefficient=1.04, p=0.001), and past (OR=1.85, 95% CI=1.28, 2.68, p=0.001) and present temporal orientation (OR=1.72, 95% CI=1.21, 2.44, p=0.003). Conclusions: With the exception of religiosity, there are few differences in cultural beliefs and values for CPC between African Americans, whites, and Hispanics. Endorsement of cultural beliefs and values should not be assumed based on racial and ethnic group membership. Rather, cultural beliefs and values for CPC should be evaluated individually among patients and at-risk groups to provide culturally competent cancer care. Citation Format: Melanie Jefferson, Jodie Riley, Lashanta Rice, Chanita Hughes-Halbert. Racial differences in cultural values for cancer prevention and control: Fact or fiction. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Seventh AACR Conference on The Science of Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; Nov 9-12, 2014; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2015;24(10 Suppl):Abstract nr A55.
Protozoan Diseases: Cryptosporidiosis, Giardiasis, and Other Intestinal Protozoan Diseases

Gastrointestinal protozoan diseases result from infection by single-celled organisms, classified in the kingdom of Protozoa, and manifest clinically with diarrhea. The fecal–oral route is the most common mode of transmission for this group of gastrointestinal parasites. Protozoa are the most prevalent cause of waterborne diarrhea worldwide due to heavy environmental contamination and poor hygienic practices or faulty water treatment. Outbreaks of protozoan gastrointestinal illness are a consequence of waterborne and food-borne transmission, while sporadic cases arise from close contact between infected individuals or with infected animals. While some species of protozoa inhabit the gastrointestinal tract opportunistically, many cause serious and life-threatening illness, especially among immunosuppressed individuals. Their complicated life cycle and development of drug resistance pose therapeutic challenges in treatment of gastrointestinal diseases of protozoan origin.
Observation of tsunami-generated ionospheric signatures over Hawaii caused by the 16 September 2015 Illapel earthquake

Tsunamis generate internal gravity waves (IGWs) that propagate vertically into the atmosphere, and can create detectable signatures in the ionosphere. These signatures have consistently been observed in the presence of a tsunami for over a decade in the total electron content and for over five years in the 630.0-nm airglow. Here, we show perturbations appearing in filtered GPS-derived total electron content (TEC) and 630.0-nm airglow above Hawaii during the passing of the tsunami induced by the 16 September 2015 earthquake in Illapel, Chile. We report measurements of IGW parameters from both observation methodologies using a combination of prior methods and a newly developed method that uses a Gabor filter bank. A previously developed geometric model that takes into account the assumed posture of tsunami-induced IGWs in the geomagnetic field and the observation geometry is shown to predict fairly well the expected location of the observation in the sky. Results of the Gabor filtering technique are also compared to previously published results for the 11 March 2011 Tohoku event. An overall comparison between all of the tsunami-induced signatures that have appeared in both the 630.0-nm airglow and TEC above Hawaii to date is provided.
Proton therapy dosimetry using the scintillation of the silica fibers.

We investigate the feasibility of proton therapy dose measurement by using scintillation of a bare silica glass fiber. The emission spectra of the optical fiber at various depths in tissue-mimicking phantoms, irradiated with proton beams of energies 100–225 MeV show two distinct peaks at 460 and 650 nm whose nature is connected with the silica point defects. Our experimental results and Monte Carlo simulation showed that the Cerenkov radiation cannot be responsible for such a phenomenon. We showed that the intensity of the peak at 650 nm correlates with the proton dose with a minimal effect of ionization quenching, while the intensity peak at 460 nm under-reports the radiation dose.
Enforced BCL6 Expression Inhibits B Cell Development in Vivo.

Abstract The B-Cell Lymphoma 6 (BCL6) gene encodes for a zinc finger motifs containing transcriptional repressor that is frequently dysregulated by chromosomal translocations in germinal center lymphomas. A putative protooncogene, its transforming ability in vivo was reported in I-mu-HA-BCL6 knock-in mice by Cattoretti et al last year. We also tested this assumption in transgenic mice expressing BCL6 in B cells under the control of kappa light chain regulatory elements. We replaced the murine C-kappa locus with the 16kb human BCL6 genomic locus in a construct containing the murine kappa light chain regulatory elements (Vk, EiK, 3′RR). While control transgenics were readily obtained (5/32 founders), only 3/68 founders were positive for the BCL6 transgene, of which only one (bearing a single copy of the transgene) was able to transmit the transgene to its progeny, thus suggesting embryonal toxicity of exogenous BCL6. In the bone marrow, flow cytometry revealed a nearly complete block of B cell development at the pro-B to pre-B transition. This was also the stage at which we first detected expression of EGFP in control reporter mice that were generated in parallel. Spleens of transgenic mice weighed about 50% of control spleens and less than 5% of splenocytes were CD19+ B cells. These were IgM high, IgD intermediate, corresponding to an immature B cell phenotype. Lymph nodes were smaller and B cells barely detected. Peyers' patches were not visible. Combined, our analysis of 6–8 weeks old VkHABCL6 transgenic mice reveals that enforced expression of BCL6 early in development results in a profound block of B lymphocyte differentiation. How transgenic BCL6 modulates this effect at the transcriptional level remains to be investigated. To test the oncogenic potential of BCL6 in B cells, it will be interesting to precisely turn on this gene in the germinal center.