cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Glucose regulation of integrin-associated protein cleavage controls the response of vascular smooth muscle cells to insulin-like growth factor-I.

Vascular smooth muscle cells (SMC) maintained in high glucose are more responsive to IGF-I than SMC maintained in normal glucose due to a difference in the Shc phosphorylation response. In this study we aimed to determine the mechanism by which glucose regulates the sensitivity of SMC to IGF-I. For Shc to be phosphorylated in response to IGF-I it must be recruited to tyrosine-phosphorylated sites on Src homology 2 domain-containing phosphatase (SHP) substrate-1 (SHPS-1). The association of integrin-associated protein (IAP) with SHPS-1 is required for SHPS-1 tyrosine phosphorylation. When SMC were grown in 5 mm glucose, the amount of intact IAP was reduced, compared with SMC grown in 25 mm glucose. This reduction was due to proteolytic cleavage of IAP. Proteolysis of IAP resulted in loss of its SHPS-1 binding site, which led to loss of SHPS-1 phosphorylation. Analysis of the conditioned medium showed that there was more protease activity in the medium from SMC cultured in 5 mm glucose as compared with 25 m...
Time and dosoge dependence of immunoenhancement by murine type II interferon preparations

Preparations of Type II immune induced Interferon enhanced the plaque forming cell response of mice to sheep red blood cells both in vivo and in vitro. The enhancement of the antibody response was dependent on the dosage of interferon used and the time of administration of interferon. The expression of the antiviral and immuno-enhancing activities of Type II interferon preparations shared several physical-chemical properties, including pH 2 lability and heat stability. The plaque forming cell response to lipopolysaccharide, a T-independent antigen, could not be enhanced by treatment with Type II interferon. In addition, treatment of spleen cell cultures of nude thymic deficient mice with Type II interferon could not cause an enhancement of the plaque forming cell response to lipopolysaccharide. These data suggest that the immunoenhancing effect of Type II interferon on antibody responses is produced by an effect on T lymphocytes in contrast with the immunosuppressive effect which appears to be mediated through an effect on B lymphocytes.
Migration of Radionuclide Chains In Subseabed Disposal

In this study of subseabed disposal, the two dimensional (axial and radial) migration of radionuclide chains released from a canister located in a sedimentary layer bounded at the top by the ocean and at the bottom by an impermeable basalt zone is analyzed to determine the escape rate of radlonuclides into the seawater. Analytical solutions have been derived to represent the transient concentration profiles within the sediment, flux and discharge rates to the water column of each member present in a decay chain. Using the properties of chain members present in actinide decay systems, the effects of half-life, adsorption equilibrium and other relevant parameters are elucidated.
Some effects of reinforcer availability on the pigeon’s responding in 24-hour sessions

Restrictions on food availability produced by schedules of reinforcement were examined in three homing pigeons continuously housed in operant chambers. Total daily access to food was free to vary and depended on the subject’s contact with the schedule in effect. Experiment 1 varied reinforcer duration within a continuous reinforcement schedule in order to provide a description of the pigeon’s feeding pattern under minimal constraints. In Experiments 2 and 3, access to food was contingent on responding in fixed-interval schedules, and limits on availability of food were varied by changing the duration of reinforcement (Experiment 2) or the frequency of reinforcement (Experiment 3). In all three experiments, a decline in the scheduled availability of food produced an increase in both the overall response rate and the local response rate. In addition, the distribution of responding across the day followed a diurnal rhythm typical of the pigeon’s unconstrained pattern of food intake. These effects are consistent with previous studies showing an inverse relationship between instrumental response rate and reinforcer availability in the absence of fixed deprivation, and support the interpretation that this inverse relationship results from constraints imposed on preferred patterns of intake. The data on the local distribution of responses were consistent with an extension of the response-deprivation hypothesis (Timberlake & Allison, 1974) to local response patterning.
Methylene blue and cirrhosis: pathophysiologic insights, therapeutic dilemmas.

In this issue, Schenk and colleagues provide new insight into the pathogenesis of vasodilation in liver disease and raise extremely important therapeutic issues.
The Use of 2-Pipecoline in the Mannich Reaction

Mannich bases utilizing 2-pipecoline as the amine component have been prepared in an attempt to enhance the local anesthetic and/or antispasmodic action of the corresponding nonalkylated piperidine derivatives of this type.
Wnt/β-catenin signaling: new (and old) players and new insights

Wnt/beta-catenin signaling has central roles in embryogenesis and human diseases including cancer. A central scheme of the Wnt pathway is to stabilize the transcription coactivator beta-catenin by preventing its phosphorylation-dependent degradation. Significant progress has been made toward the understanding of this crucial regulatory pathway, including the protein complex that promotes beta-catenin phosphorylation-degradation, and the mechanism by which the extracellular Wnt ligand engages cell surface receptors to inhibit beta-catenin phosphorylation-degradation. Here we review some recent discoveries in these two areas, and highlight some crucial questions that remain to be resolved.
Rapid calculation of defocused partially coherent images.

A rapid method for evaluating partially coherent images of 1-D periodic patterns including focal error is described. A transmission cross-coefficient approach is used. For a square source and objective, the cross-coefficient is calculated analytically. For a circular source and objective, a 1-D integration which has been transformed for rapid convergence is performed. Images of a mask with 1-μm lines and spaces for several values of defocus and various degrees of partial coherence are given for both circular and square apertures.
Expression and activity of urokinase and its receptor in endothelial and pulmonary epithelial cells exposed to asbestos.

Abstract An elongated endothelial cell phenotype, which demonstrated increased ICAM-1-dependent neutrophil adherence, was induced when these cells were exposed to noncytotoxic concentrations of asbestos (Treadwellet al., Toxicol. Appl. Pharmacol.139, 62–70, 1996). The present study examined mechanisms underlying this phenotypic change by investigating the effects of asbestos on transcription factor activation and expression of urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) and its receptor uPAR.In situzymography was used to compare the effects of these fibers on the activity of uPA. Cultures incubated with chrysotile or crocidolite asbestos, but not refractory ceramic fiber 1 (RCF-1), demonstrate localized cleavage of plasminogen, which was inhibited by amiloride. Immunocytochemistry showed that chrysotile-stimulated uPA activity was associated with a time-dependent augmentation of uPAR protein levels. RT–PCR analysis was used to investigate molecular mechanisms for these increases. Chrysotile asbestos, but not RCF-1, increased endothelial cell uPA message, relative to changes in β-actin mRNA. This response to asbestos was not limited to endothelial cells, since both uPA and uPAR mRNA levels increase in human bronchial epithelial BEAS-2B cells exposed to chrysotile fibers. Finally, both types of asbestos, but not RCF-1, increased nuclear levels of nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-κB), a transcription factor common to increased expression of ICAM-1 and uPA. These data demonstrate that asbestos caused fiber-specific activation of endothelial and pulmonary epithelial cells, resulting in phenotypes capable of facilitating tissue remodeling.
Clinical correlates of chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency in multiple sclerosis

Chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency (CCSVI) is a vascular condition characterized by anomalies of the primary veins outside the skull that has been reported to be associated with MS. In the blinded Combined Transcranial (TCD) and Extracranial Venous Doppler Evaluation (CTEVD) study, we found that prevalence of CCSVI was significantly higher in multiple sclerosis (MS) vs. healthy controls (HC) (56.1% vs. 22.7%, p < 0.001). The objective was to evaluate the clinical correlates of venous anomalies indicative of CCSVI in patients with MS. The original study enrolled 499 subjects; 163 HC, 289 MS, 21 CIS and 26 subjects with other neurological disorders who underwent a clinical examination and a combined Doppler and TCD scan of the head and neck. This analysis was restricted to adult subjects with MS (RR-MS: n = 181, SP-MS: n = 80 and PP-MS: n = 12). Disability status was evaluated by using the Kurtzke Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) and MS severity scale (MSSS). Disability was not associated with the presence (≥2 venous hemodynamic criteria) or the severity of CCSVI, as measured with venous hemodynamic insufficiency severity score (VHISS). However, the severity of CCSVI was associated with the increased brainstem functional EDSS sub-score (p = 0.002). In logistic regression analysis, progressive MS (SP-MS or PP-MS) vs. non-progressive status (including RR-MS) was associated with CCSVI diagnosis (p = 0.004, OR = 2.34, CI = 1.3–4.2). The presence and severity of CCVSI in multiple sclerosis correlate with disease status but has no or very limited association with clinical disability.
Effect of chlorpromazine on glucose and tolbutamide-stimulated insulin release in the adrenalectomized rat.

Abstract The influence of chlorpromazine pretreatment on the insulin response to glucose and tolbutamide was investigated in adrenalectomized rats. Chlorpromazine pretreatment (10 mg/kg, ip) reduced the capacity of the animals to secrete insulin in response to intravenously administered glucose and tolbutamide. Furthermore, it appeared that in the adrenalectomized rat, the insulin response to tolbutamide was not transient but multiphasic and prolonged. The data suggest that the reduction in glucose tolerance in rats following chlorpromazine pretreatment may be due, in part, to a reduced beta cell responsiveness.
An experimental study of threadline dynamics with emphasis on the effect of molecular weight on the elongational viscosity of melt‐spun poly(ethylene terephthalate)

A study of a melt-spun threadline has been carried out to determine the effect of molecular weight on the elongational viscosity of the polymer being spun. Polymer chosen for this study was poly(ethylene terephthalate) having different molecular weights. Conventional nonisothermal spinning of the polymers was carried out with cooling by free convection. Threadline surface temperatures were measured by a null-balance technique. Threadline tension at the take-up device was measured, and samples of the threadline were taken to obtain linear density profiles. Nonlinear least-squares fits were applied to the linear density data to obtain equations for velocity and elongation rate. These measurements were then used to determine the threadline elongational viscosity. Least-squares fits were made to a polynomial relating absolute temperature and elongation rate to the elengational viscosity. These results were then used to determine an activation energy of elongational flow which was found to decrease with elongation rate. Elongational viscosity was found to increase with molecular weight.
Women in engineering: challenges and opportunities

As the makeup of the electrical engineering workforce changes to include more women engineers, industry is recognizing that their competitive advantage can be strengthened by the unique perspective that women can bring to the workplace. The efforts established through academia, professional organizations, and industry have helped to attract and retain women in the engineering profession by enabling talented people to develop to their fullest potential. More importantly, a greater challenge lies with the men and women who make up the engineering profession, managers as well as co-workers. Managers need to initiate the necessary changes in the day-to-day activity in the workplace, in promotions and assignments, and in employees benefits. They also need to support programs that expose women to engineering, and co-workers need to be willing to be involved in these programs. Co-workers need to be actively involved in creating a respectful environment where everyone can feel valued. It is through these efforts that an environment will be created where competent engineers will have the opportunity to perform to the peak of their abilities and industry will reap the benefits of a diverse workforce. >
Assessing the Need for Domestic Violence Victim Services in One Rural County

Domestic violence in rural areas presents special problems for law enforcement. In 1997, the Latah County, Idaho sheriff's office, police department, prosecutor's office, and the local Violence Aga...
Studies directed toward the synthesis of conformationally restricted neurotransmitter analogs: The addition of N-hydroxyimides to ethyl propiolate

N-Hydroxyimides were found to add readily to ethyl propiolate to yield the imidooxyacrylates in both protic and aprotic solvents. The trans isomer only was formed in aprotic solvents while both isomers were formed in protic solvents.
Technology Development Activities for the Space Environment and its Effects on Spacecraft

Reducing size and weight of spacecraft, along with demanding increased performance capabilities, introduces many uncertainties in the engineering design community on how emerging microelectronics will perform in space. The engineering design community is forever behind on obtaining and developing new tools and guidelines to mitigate the harmful effects of the space environment. Adding to this complexity is the push to use Commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) and shrinking microelectronics behind less shielding and the potential usage of unproven technologies such as large solar sail structures and nuclear electric propulsion. In order to drive down these uncertainties, various programs are working together to avoid duplication, save what resources are available in this technical area and possess a focused agenda to insert these new developments into future mission designs. This paper will describe the relationship between the Living With a Star (LWS): Space Environment Testbeds (SET) Project and NASA's Space Environments and Effects (SEE) Program and their technology development activities funded as a result from the recent SEE Program's NASA Research Announcement.
“a” for effort

Awarding grades that the students “deserve” solves few of the difficulties of arriving at the “right” grades.
Five Years of Bryn Mawr Classical Review

Bryn Mawr Classical Review will be five years old in the fall of 1995. What have we learned ? Where are we going ? Are we old-fashioned yet ? Are we a classic ? Are we obsolete ? If we go on giving it away, will people think it is only worth what they paid for it ?
Dynamic on-demand defragmentation in flexible bandwidth elastic optical networks

While flexible bandwidth elastic optical networking is a promising direction for future networks, the spectral fragmentation problem in such a network inevitably raises the blocking probability and significantly degrades network performance. This paper addresses the spectral defragmentation problem using an auxiliary graph based approach, which transforms the problem into a matter of finding the maximum independent set (MIS) in the constructed auxiliary graph. The enabling technologies and defragmentation-capable node architectures, together with heuristic defragmentation algorithms are proposed and evaluated. Simulation results show that the proposed min-cost defragmentation algorithms can significantly reduce the blocking probability of incoming requests in a spectrally fragmented flexible bandwidth optical network, while substantially minimizing the number of disrupted connections.
On Instantiation and Integration Commutability of Design Pattern

Design patterns capture expert design experience in generic design structure and behavior. To reuse design experience, a design pattern needs to be instantiated from its generic template to the application design in a particular context. It can be integrated with other patterns to solve multiple design problems. The instantiation and integration of design patterns are two important processes when a designer reuses design experience in an application. It is important to know whether the instantiation and integration commute because it can save considerable time and effort of software designers for trial-and-error. In this paper, we investigate the commutability of the instantiation and integration of design patterns. We provide rigorous proofs on the conditions when the order of these two design processes does not matter. Our results allow the software designers to choose the design processes with assurance of their equivalence. The benefits of our work include helping the designers to make informed design decisions based on the convergence of different design processes and reducing the possible design choices, and thus the complexity of software development.
Defect Structure of Crystalline Quartz. I. Radiation-Induced Optical Absorption

Low-temperature bombardment (77\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K) of synthetic crystalline quartz with fast electrons induces optical absorption ($C$ band) near 220 m\ensuremath{\mu}. For 40\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C neutron irradiations the absorption maximum is near 210 m\ensuremath{\mu}. The absorption has an orientation dependence when produced by electron irradiation. This dependence is exhibited by a shift in the position of maximum absorption from 220 m\ensuremath{\mu} for samples cut perpendicular to the $c$ axis ($Z$ cut) to 217 m\ensuremath{\mu} for samples cut parallel to the $c$ axis ($Y$ cut). The absorption in the $Z$-cut samples is about twice that of the $Y$-cut samples for equal integrated flux. In neutron-irradiated material no such dependence is noted. The defect giving rise to the $C$-band absorption anneals near 225\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C. The electron or hole occupying the defect, however, is relased below room temperature, removing the optical absorption. After heating to temperatures below 225\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C, the original absorption obtained after electron irradiation at 77\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K can be regained by a brief re-irradiation at 77\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K (0.01 of the original integrated flux). A similar electron exposure at low temperature augments the absorption induced by fast neutrons at 40\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C and introduces a strong absorption at 230 m\ensuremath{\mu} which was not previously discernible. The magnitude of the $C$-band absorption in electron-irradiated material is strongly dependent on the crystal growth rate, increasing by a factor of about 17 for a growth rate increase of 4.5. The increase for the band produced by neutron bombardment [5\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{17}$ nvt (fast)] is only about 25%. The comparison of electron irradiation and x-ray bombardments, and noncorrelation of absorption with impurity content, indicate that the defect responsible for the $C$-band absorption is produced by direct Coulomb encounters with lattice constituents.
Characterization of SiO2 surfaces as a function of network connectivity

Abstract We give a method for the identification of the surface of a network of vertex-sharing tetrahedra in terms of the topology of the network. This definition allows us to understand, for example, the thick surface of quartz and the dependence of this thickness on direction.
ECG waveform feature extraction and its application to automated prognosis

Automated correlation of ECG history for early detection of heart disease, especially among the young, has been a matter of increasing interest. However, each electrocardiogram, recorded say a few months apart, generates anywhere from 600 to 2400 digitized data, so that statistical methods cannot directly be applied. An information compression step suitable for such data is presented in this paper and a prediction procedure is developed for forecasting the waveform changes. Specifically, each ECG lead is digitized and represented by itsz-domain modes. These modes are found to exhibit continuity in time, from month to month and year to year, except in the event of major physiological changes such as after surgery, thus lending themselves ideally to statistic al prediction. To enhance discrimination of the subtle changes inP, QRS, andT complexes, the derivatives of the waves are employed for extraction of the modes. This signifies a departure from previous efforts in ECG representation. Indeed, otherwise, important changes in the waves can remain undetected through mode extraction while the human eye can perceive them rather easily from the recorded traces.
‘Sing a Powerful Song’: The Saw Doctors, sports and singing Irish identities

Sport and popular music have ever-increasing connections. Most major sporting events and teams now use popular music as official theme songs. Other popular music is expropriated by sports fans as a...
Experiments on functional fatigue of thermally activated shape memory alloy springs and correlations with driving force intensity

The issue of material performance over its designed life is of prime concern with designers lately due to increasing use of shape memory alloy (SMA) components in different engineering applications. In this work, a concept of "Driving force amplitude v/s no of cycles" is proposed to analyze functional degradation of SMA components under torsion. The model is formulated using experimentally measurable quantities such as torque and angle of twist with the inclusion of both mechanical and thermal loading in the same framework. Such an approach can potentially substitute the traditional fatigue theories like S-N, epsilon-N theories which primarily use mechanical loading effects with temperature being an external control parameter. Such traditional S-N, epsilon-N fatigue theories work well for capturing superelastic effects at a given temperature but not for shape memory effects or temperature dependent superelastic effects which involves mechanical and thermal coupling. Experiments on SMA extension springs are performed using a custom designed thermomechanical test rig capable of mimicking shape memory effect on thermally activated SMA springs held under constant deformation. For every thermomechanical cycle, load and temperature sensor readings are continually recorded as a function of time using LabVIEW software. The sensor data over the specimen lifetime is used to construct a "Driving force amplitude v/s no of cycles" relationship that can be used as a guideline for analyzing functional degradation of SMA components.
Deletion of PEA-15 in mice is associated with specific impairments of spatial learning abilities

Background PEA-15 is a phosphoprotein that binds and regulates ERK MAP kinase and RSK2 and is highly expressed throughout the brain. PEA-15 alters c-Fos and CREB-mediated transcription as a result of these interactions. To determine if PEA-15 contributes to the function of the nervous system we tested mice lacking PEA-15 in a series of experiments designed to measure learning, sensory/motor function, and stress reactivity.
THE SOLAR NEIGHBORHOOD. XXXI. DISCOVERY OF AN UNUSUAL RED+WHITE DWARF BINARY AT ∼25 pc VIA ASTROMETRY AND UV IMAGING

We report the discovery of a nearby M5.0V dwarf at 24.6 pc, SCR 1848−6855, that is orbited by an unusual companion causing an astrometric perturbation of more than 200 mas. This is by far the largest perturbation found to date among more than 700 targets observed during our long-term astrometry/photometry program at the CTIO 0.9 m telescope. We present here a suite of astrometric, photometric, and spectroscopic observations of this high proper motion (∼1. �� 3y r −1 ) system in an effort to reveal the nature of this unusual binary. The measured near-UV and optical U band fluxes exceed those expected for comparable M5.0V stars, and excess flux is also detected in the spectral range 4000‐7000A. The elusive companion has been detected in HST-STIS+MAMA images at 1820A and 2700A, and our analysis shows that it is probably a rare, cool, white dwarf with T = 4600‐5500 K. Given the long-term astrometric coverage, the prospects for an accurate mass determination are excellent, although as yet we can only provide limits on the unusual companion’s mass.
A Skim Milk Stabilized Water Vaccine for Newcastle Disease (B1-Type LaSota): Its Effectiveness Under Modern Commercial Cage Layer Methods of Delivery

For flock vaccination, B1-type LaSota Newcastle disease water vaccine was used in chicken under commercial cage layer conditions using two different methods, Swish Corporation pipes and cups, and stainless stell troughs, in an effort to determine their effectiveness. The concentration of virus in trough and cup samples collected at the beginning and the end of the lines were the same except in one instance where little or no virus was transported to the end of the trough. Satisfactory results were obtained when the test was repeated a year later. Serum HI titers determined before and after vaccination demonstrated adequate flock serum titers and indicated that both methods of application were reasonably effective. In laboratory trials, different water pipes (black, polyvinyl chloride pipe and Hart cups, green, polyvinyl chloride pipe and Swish cups, and old, rusty, galvanized pipe) normally used in cage operations were tested. Our findings indicated that dried skim milk powder (DSMP) was essential in stabilizing vaccine virus in the containers tested and that an adequate vaccine virus concentration was maintained in the three types of pipe tested when DSMP was used. Without DSMP the vaccine titers were adversely affected.
trans Splicing of polycistronic Caenorhabditis elegans pre-mRNAs: analysis of the SL2 RNA.

Genes in Caenorhabditis elegans operons are transcribed as polycistronic pre-mRNAs in which downstream gene products are trans spliced to a specialized spliced leader, SL2. SL2 is donated by a 110-nucleotide RNA, SL2 RNA, present in the cell as an Sm-bound snRNP. SL2 RNA can be conceptually folded into a phylogenetically conserved three-stem-loop secondary structure. Here we report an in vivo mutational analysis of the SL2 RNA. Some sequences can be changed without consequence, while other changes result in a substantial loss of trans splicing. Interestingly, the spliced leader itself can be dramatically altered, such that the first stem-loop cannot form, with only a relatively small loss in trans-splicing efficiency. However, the primary sequence of stem II is crucial for SL2 trans splicing. Similarly, the conserved primary sequence of the third stem-loop plays a key role in trans splicing. While mutations in stem-loop III allow snRNP formation, a single nucleotide substitution in the loop prevents trans splicing. In contrast, the analogous region of SL1 RNA is not highly conserved, and its mutation does not abrogate function. Thus, stem-loop III appears to confer a specific function to SL2 RNA. Finally, an upstream sequence, previously predicted to be a proximal sequence element, is shown to be required for SL2 RNA expression.
Stent recanalization of carotid tonsillar loop dissection using the Enterprise vascular reconstruction device

Although advances in endovascular techniques have permitted reconstruction of intimal dissections and related pseudoaneurysms of the extracranial cervical internal carotid artery, highly tortuous tonsillar loop anatomic variants still pose an obstacle to conventional extracranial self-expanding carotid stents. During a 12 year period, nine of 48 cases with cervical carotid dissections were associated with a tonsillar loop. Five patients required endovascular treatment, which was performed using a microcatheter-based technique with the low-profile Enterprise vascular reconstruction device (Codman Neurovascular, Raynham, MA, USA). Technical, radiographic, and clinical outcomes were analyzed for each patient. Dissection etiology was spontaneous in three patients, iatrogenic in one, and traumatic in one. Four near-occlusive tonsillar loop dissections were successfully recanalized during the acute phase. Dissection-related stenosis improved from 90 ± 22% to 31 ± 13%, with tandem stents needed in three instances to seal the inflow zone. There were no procedure-related transient ischemic attacks (TIA), minor/major strokes, or deaths. Angiographic follow-up for a mean of 28.0 ± 21.6 months showed all stents were patent, with average stenosis of 25.2 ± 12.2%. Focal ovalization and kinking of the closed-cell design was noted at the sharpest curve in one patient. Clinical outcome (follow-up of 28.1 ± 21.5 months) demonstrated overall improvement with no clinical worsening, new TIA, or stroke. Tonsillar loop-associated carotid dissections can be successfully and durably recanalized using the low-profile Enterprise stent with an excellent long-term patency rate and low procedural risk. The possibility of stent kinking and low radial force should be considered when planning reconstruction with this device.
Macrophage apolipoprotein A-I expression protects against atherosclerosis in ApoE-deficient mice and up-regulates ABC transporters.

Abstract The antiatherogenic effect of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and its major protein component apolipoprotein A-I (apoA-I) has been largely attributed to their key roles in reverse cholesterol transport (RCT) and cellular cholesterol efflux. Substantial evidence shows that overexpression of human apoA-I reduces atherosclerosis in animal models. However, it is uncertain whether this protection is due to an increase in plasma HDL level or to a local effect in the artery wall. To test the hypothesis that expression of human apoA-I in macrophages can promote RCT in the artery wall, we used a retroviral construct expressing human apoA-I cDNA (MFG-HAI) to transduce ApoE −/− bone marrow cells and then transplanted these cells into ApoE −/− mice with preexisting atherosclerosis. ApoE −/− mice reconstituted with MFG-HAI marrow had a significant reduction (30%) in atherosclerotic lesions in the proximal aorta compared to control mice that received marrow expressing MFG parental virus. Peritoneal macrophages isolated from MFG-HAI mice showed a four- to fivefold increase in mRNA expression levels of both ATP-binding cassette (ABC) A1 and ABCG1 compared to controls. Our data demonstrate that gene transfer-mediated expression of human apoA-I in macrophages can compensate in part for apoE deficiency and delay the progression of atherosclerotic lesions by stimulating ABC-dependent cholesterol efflux and RCT.
Effect of the soluble TNF-antagonist etanercept on tumor necrosis factor bioactivity and stability.

Background: Targeted anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF) strategies in patients with rheumatoid arthritis have resulted in new and/or worsening heart failure in individuals who were free of cardiovascular disease. Methods and Results: To determine the mechanism of new and/or worsening heart failure in patients who were receiving the soluble TNF-antagonist etanercept, we analyzed frozen plasma samples from a previous clinical trial with etanercept in heart failure patients, and conducted complimentary mechanistic in vitro studies. Analysis of the clinical trial data showed that use of etanercept resulted in a significant 70-fold increase in the level of immunoreactive TNF. Complimentary in vitro studies using an L929 bioassay showed that at low concentrations of etanercept relative to TNF there was an unexpected 1.5- to 1.75-fold increase in the absolute level of TNF bioactivity. We also examined the effect of etanercept on TNF stability and the results showed that there was a two-fold increase in the mass of bioactive homotrimeric TNF when the molar ratio of TNF to etanercept was approximately 200:1. Conclusion: Etanercept increases the immunoreactive mass of TNF in heart failure patients, as well as augments TNF cytotoxicity in certain settings, thus suggesting one potential mechanism for the worsening heart failure in some patients who were receiving this agent.
Stochastic p-robust location problems

The two most widely considered measures for optimization under uncertainty are minimizing expected cost and minimizing worst-case cost or regret. In this paper, we present a novel robustness measure that combines the two objectives by minimizing the expected cost while bounding the relative regret in each scenario. In particular, the models seek the minimum-expected-cost solution that is p-robust; i.e., whose relative regret is no more than 100p% in each scenario. We present p-robust models based on two classical facility location problems. We solve both problems using variable splitting, with the Lagrangian subproblem reducing to the multiple-choice knapsack problem. For many instances of the problems, finding a feasible solution, and even determining whether the instance is feasible, is difficult; we discuss a mechanism for determining infeasibility. We also show how the algorithm can be used as a heuristic to solve minimax regret versions of the location problems.
Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide and Its Receptors: Molecular Genetics, Physiology, Pathophysiology, and Therapeutic Potentials

I. Introduction THE calcitonin (CT) and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) are derived from the CT/CGRP gene, which is localized in chromosome 11. Alternative splicing of the primary RNA transcript leads to the translation of CGRP and CT peptides in a tissue-specific manner. This alternative tissue-specific processing of primary mRNA from the α-CT/CGRP gene in rats generates two distinct peptides, CT and CGRP (1, 2). CGRP is a 37-amino acid neuropeptide expressed predominantly in the nervous system and CT is expressed mainly in the thyroid gland. CGRP receptors, widely distributed in the body, are the most potent endogenous vasodilatory peptides that have been discovered. Derived from the C cells of the thyroid gland, CT is the most potent peptide inhibitor of osteoclast-mediated bone resorption and is involved primarily in protecting the skeleton during periods of “calcium stress” such as growth, pregnancy, and lactation (3). In 1961, Copp and colleagues (4) postulated the existence of the calcium-lo...
Standard Error and Sample Size Determination for Estimation of Probabilities Based on a Test Variable

A method of sample size determination for estimation of probabilities based on a test variable is presented. Applications to estimation of sensitivity and specificity of medical tests are the focus of this research, although the methods can be applied to other areas of study such as engineering reliability. Examples are given for determining sample sizes required for the classification of patients with cutaneous lupus erythematosus based on the incidence of several markers. In this example, the test variable is the number of markers present. The methodology employs a weighted average of model-based and non-model-based estimates of the probability with the weights determined by the closeness to or the confidence in the given model. Formulas and charts required for determining sample size are provided for test variables that can be modeled by the binomial, Poisson, or normal distributions, i.e., for the most commonly encountered distributions for counting events (binomial and Poisson) and for measurements (normal). However, the methods given can be applied to any distribution, including multivariate. Especially when relatively small probabilities (the rare events) are being estimated, the techniques provided assistance in safeguarding against undersampling brought on by unwarranted confidence in a test variable distribution and against oversampling required for high accuracy in non-model-based probability estimators.
The distributed V kernel and its performance for diskless workstations

The distributed V kernel is a message-oriented kernel that provides uniform local and network interprocess communication. It is primarily being used in an environment of diskless workstations connected by a high-speed local network to a set of file servers. We describe a performance evaluation of the kernel, with particular emphasis on the cost of network file access. Our results show that over a local network:1. Diskless workstations can access remote files with minimal performance penalty.2. The V message facility can be used to access remote files at comparable cost to any well-tuned specialized file access protocol.We conclude that it is feasible to build a distributed system with all network communication using the V message facility even when most of the network nodes have no secondary storage.
Immunization with Porphyromonas (Bacteroides) gingivalis fimbriae protects against periodontal destruction.

Abstract Adhesive fimbriae from Porphyromonas gingivalis are cell surface structures which may be important in the virulence of this oral pathogen and thus may serve as a critical or target antigen. Immunization with highly purified 43-kDa fimbrial protein protected against periodontal tissue destruction when tested in the P. gingivalis-infected gnotobiotic rat model. A similarly highly purified 75-kDa cell surface component did not provide protection. Heat-killed whole-cell and sonicated cell surface extracts which contain the 43-kDa protein as well as the 75-kDa component were protective also. This study indicates that the fimbrial protein may serve as a model for the development of effective vaccines against periodontitis, a major human oral disease.
Alterations in SP-B and SP-C expression in neonatal lung disease.

▪ Abstract The hydrophobic surfactant proteins, SP-B and SP-C, have important roles in surfactant function. The importance of these proteins in normal lung function is highlighted by the lung diseases associated with abnormalities in their expression. Mutations in the gene encoding SP-B result in severe, fatal neonatal lung disease, and mutations in the gene encoding SP-C are associated with chronic interstitial lung diseases in newborns, older children, and adults. This work reviews the current state of knowledge concerning the lung diseases associated with mutations in the SP-B and SP-C genes, and the potential roles of abnormal SP-B and SP-C expression and genetic variation in these genes in other lung diseases.
α1 and α6 subunits specify distinct desensitization, deactivation and neurosteroid modulation of GABAA receptors containing the δ subunit

Abstract GABA A receptor α subunit subtypes have distinct CNS distributions and confer different pharmacological and biophysical properties to αβγ receptor isoforms. However, the α subtype-dependent properties of αβδ receptor isoforms that may be targeted to extrasynaptic sites remain poorly understood. We investigated the properties of α1β3δ and α6β3δ receptor currents evoked by concentration jumps using a saturating GABA concentration (1 mM). α1β3δ receptor currents desensitized slowly, deactivated rapidly and displayed voltage-dependence only of peak amplitude. In contrast, α6β3δ receptor currents had voltage-dependent increased desensitization and slower deactivation, but did not show rectification. The neurosteroid THDOC (1 μM) enhanced α1β3δ more than α6β3δ currents, but increased the extent of desensitization and prolonged deactivation for both receptor isoforms. α1–α6 and α6–α1 chimeras (spliced in transmembrane domain 1) suggested that differences in deactivation rate and its voltage-dependence correlated with N-terminal domains, while the extent of desensitization and its voltage-dependence correlated with C-terminal domains. Both chimeras showed outward rectification. α1 subunit-like THDOC enhancement was observed with the α1–α6 chimera, but the α6–α1 chimera did not confer α6 subunit-like enhancement, suggesting that multiple α1 subunit domains contributed to neurosteroid efficacy. Thus, α subunit subtypes may regulate the kinetic and pharmacological properties of tonic neuronal inhibition.
Human factors studies evaluating synthetic and peripheral vision displays in general aviation

General aviation (GA) accidents occurring due to lack of orientation awareness in space have increased considerably in the past decade [1]. Spatial disorientation limits a GA pilot's ability to detect and recover quickly from unusual attitudes. At the DASC 2006 our paper titled "flight test evaluation of synthetic and peripheral vision displays in general aviation" described an initial study into the use of Synthetic and Peripheral Vision displays for minimizing spatial disorientation [1]. This paper presents a follow-on study consisting of a series of human factors flight trials evaluating a prototype synthetic and peripheral vision display system.
Cerebral Blood Flow and BOLD Responses to a Memory Encoding Task: A Comparison Between Healthy Young and Elderly Adults

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies of the medial temporal lobe have primarily made use of the blood oxygenation level dependent (BOLD) response to neural activity. The interpretation of the BOLD signal as a measure of medial temporal lobe function can be complicated, however, by changes in the cerebrovascular system that can occur with both normal aging and age-related diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease. Quantitative measures of the functional cerebral blood flow (CBF) response offer a useful complement to BOLD measures and have been shown to aid in the interpretation of fMRI studies. Despite these potential advantages, the application of ASL to fMRI studies of cognitive tasks and at-risk populations has been limited. In this study, we demonstrate the application of ASL fMRI to obtain measures of the CBF and BOLD responses to the encoding of natural scenes in healthy young (mean 25 years) and elderly (mean 74 years) adults. The percent CBF increase in the medial temporal lobe was significantly higher in the older adults, whereas the CBF levels during baseline and task conditions and during a separate resting-state scan were significantly lower in the older group. The older adults also showed slightly higher values for the BOLD response amplitude and the absolute change in CBF, but the age group differences were not significant. The percent CBF and BOLD responses are consistent with an age-related increase in the cerebral metabolic rate of oxygen metabolism (CMRO(2)) response to memory encoding.
Optimization Model Estimates of Trunk Muscle Forces Do Not Correlate With EMG Activity of Females as Well as Males

Biomechanical optimization models are often used to estimate muscular and intervertebral disc forces during physical exertions. The purpose of this study was to determine whether an optimization-based biomechanical model predicts torso muscular activity of males and females equally well. The Minimum Intensity Compression (MIC) model, which has been extensively applied in industrial ergonomic task analysis, was used to estimate muscle forces for 3D moments. Participants (6 M, 6 F) performed 18 isometric exertions resisting 3D L3/L4 moments while electromyographic (EMG) activity was recorded for 8 muscles. Overall, model force estimates correlated better with male EMG activity (R2 = 0.43) than with female EMG activity (R2 = 0.33). Model force estimates of 4 muscles (LRA, RRA, REO, and RES) correlated better with male EMG activity than with female EMG. We conclude that trunk muscle forces estimated by current biomechanical modeling do not correlate equally well to male and female EMG activity. Future researc...
Pruned tree-structured vector quantization in image coding

A recently developed technique for variable-rate vector quantizer (VQ) design by P.A. Chou et al. (see IEEE Trans. Inf. Theory, vol.35, no.2, p.299-315, 1989) has been applied to both memoryless and predictive VQ of images. This technique, called pruned tree-structured vector quantization (PTSVQ), uses variable-depth encoders that are tree-structured and thus have very low design and search complexity. PTSVQ is applied to a series of medical images, and gains over full-search VQ of up to 3.78 dB in the signal-to-noise-ratio (SNR) are measured. On still images from the USC database, gains of up to 1.63 dB in the peak SNR are realized for predictive PTSVQ over predictive full search VQ, resulting in high image quality at 0.51 bits per pixel. >
Mycotic Aneurysm of the Ascending Aorta Secondary to Serratia Infection: Differentiation from Prosthetic Valve Endocarditis

Twenty-one months after prosthetic aortic and mitral valve replacement, a 64-year-old man developed bacteremia secondary to a Serratia infection. Intensive investigatimi failed to reveal the origin of infection and gentamicin therapy did not eradicate the organisms from the bloodstream. The patient died. Postmortem examination revealed a large mycotic aneurysm arising from the aortotomy site but no evidence of prosthetic valve endocarditis. Late occurring bacteremia following valve replacement is discussed. Aortography may be necessary to delineate this problem.
Performance evaluation of three DEM‐based fluvial terrace mapping methods

The availability of high-resolution digital elevation models (DEMs) derived from airborne light detection and ranging (LiDAR) surveys has spurred the development of several methods to identify and map fluvial terraces. The post-glacial landscape of the Sheepscot River watershed, Maine, where land-use change has produced fill terraces upstream of historic dam sites, was selected to implement a comparison between terrace mapping methodologies. At four study sites within the watershed, terraces were manually mapped on LiDAR-DEM-derived hillshade images to facilitate the comparison among fully and semi-automated DEM-based procedures, including: (1) spatial relationships between interpreted terraces and surrounding natural topography, (2) feature classification algorithms, and (3) the TerEx terrace mapping toolbox. Each method was evaluated based on its accuracy and ease of implementation. The four study sites have varying longitudinal slope (0.0008–0.006 m/m), channel width (< 5–30 m), surrounding landscape relief (20–80 m), type and density of surrounding land use, and mapped surficial geologic units. All methods generally overestimate terrace areas (average predicted area 210% of manually defined area) with the most accurate results achieved within confined river valleys surrounded by the steep hillslopes. Accuracy generally decreases for study sites surrounded by low-relief landscapes (predicted areas ranged 4–953% of manual delineations). We conclude with the advantages and drawbacks of each method tested and make recommendations for the scenarios where the use of each method is most appropriate. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
TIMING OF TWO SIMULTANEOUS MOVEMENTS OF ARMS AND LEGS.

Abstract The ability of people to perform simultaneous movements involving speed and accuracy, and the relationships among the several time measures for these movements were studied. Five movement tasks using two simultaneous movements of arms and legs were performed. Reliability of time measures ranged between 0.830 and 0.988. There were no significant differences between the two tasks involving an arm and a leg. Reaction time for tasks involving an arm and leg was slower than for tasks involving two arms. An increase in task complexity resulted in an increase in starting time difference and contact time difference. Common variance between tasks for several time measures was relatively high. For all tasks, except the one using identical movements for the two arms, a consistent movement pattern was found in which the right hand started first and finished last.