cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Frequency Analysis of Complex Waveforms in Sound Stimuli Discriminated by Human Auditory Cortex

Recognizing objects in the environment from the sounds they produce is one of the primary functions of the auditory system. Recognition is possible, in part, because acoustic features of sounds often represent physical properties of their sources.This present study is the first to investigate whether a single omitted frequency component in the onset period produces significant differentiation.Neural activity of 10 human subjects is recorded coincident with the sound stimulus by whole-head Magneto-encephalography (MEG). In the first set of stimuli constructed from a group of carefully chosen anharmoninc frequency, repetitive (‘standard’) tones with five selected onset frequencies were randomly embedded by rare (‘deviant’) tones, all tones having randomly varying inter stimulus intervals. In the deviant tones one of the frequency components was omitted during the onset period relative to the standard tones. The frequency of the test partial of this complex tone was intentionally selected to preclude its reinsertion by generation of harmonics or combination tones due to either the nonlinearity of the ear, the electronic equipment or the brain processing.In the second set of stimuli, time structured as above, repetitive (‘standard’) tones with five selected sustained partial frequency components were embedded with rare (‘deviant’) tones for which one of these selected partials was omitted this time in the sustained tone. As before, the carefully frequency selection again precluded their reinsertion by generation of harmonics or combination tones due to the nonlinearity of the ear, the electronic equipment and brain processing.By comparing the magnetic field responses (mismatch negativity or MMNm) of the two data sets, the presence of significant mismatch negativity is determined to be due to elimination of a single frequency in the onset period of sound stimuli rather than the sustain period.
Structural Characterization of α,β-Unsaturated Aldehydes by GC/MS is Dependent upon Ionization Method

α,β-unsaturated aldehydes are toxic products of lipid peroxidation. Detection and characterization of these aldehydes is important in many human disease states as well as in the food industry. Our study shows that electron ionization-mass spectrometry (EI-MS) and positive-ion chemical ionization-mass spectrometry (PICI-MS), but not electron capture negative ionization-mass spectrometry (ECNI-MS), can be used to detect the C4-hydroxylation state of α,β-unsaturated aldehydes derivatized with pentafluorobenzyl hydroxylamine alone. EI-MS and PICI-MS spectra of 4-hydroxy-2-alkenals contained a fragment with m/z 252, whereas spectra of 2-alkenals contained a fragment with m/z 250. These fragments are consistent with fragmentation between C3 and C4 with transfer of two hydrogens from C4 and the C4 hydroxyl group in the case of 4-hydroxy-2-alkenals. In addition, EI-MS and PICI-MS were able to distinguish 4-hydroxy-2-alkenals and 2-alkenals from 4-keto-2-alkenals and 4-hydroxyalkanals. On the other hand, ECNI-MS provided complex spectra regarding C4-hydroxylation state. Furthermore, the syn- and anti-configurations of PFB-oximes had different resultant spectra using ECNI-MS, but not with EI-MS or PICI-MS. These data indicate that EI-MS and PICI-MS are more amenable for structural analysis of α,β-unsaturated aldehydes than ECNI-MS.
Cloning and Characterization of Human eIF4E Genes

Two human eukaryotic initiation factor 4E (eIF4E) genes were isolated and characterized from placental and chromosome 4-specific genomic libraries. One of the genes (EIF4E1) contained six introns, but the other gene (EIF4E2) was intronless, flanked by Alu sequences and 14-base pair (bp) direct repeats, and terminated by a short poly(A) stretch, all characteristics of retrotransposons. Numerous additional intronless eIF4E pseudogenes were found, but unlike EIF4E2, all contained premature in-frame stop codons. The entire EIF4E1 gene spanned >50 kilobase pairs. The coding regions of these two genes differed in four nucleotide residues, resulting in two amino acid differences in the predicted proteins. The promoter of EIF4E1 has been characterized previously. The putative promoter of EIF4E2 contained no TATA box but did contain a transcription initiator region (Inr) and numerous other sequence motifs characteristic of regulated promoters. EIF4E2 contained only two of the three polyadenylation signals present in EIF4E1. Evidence for transcription of both genes was obtained from primer extension, S1 mapping, ribonuclease protection, and reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction experiments. Transcription was found to initiate 19 bp upstream of the translational initiation codon in the case of EIF4E1 and 80 bp in the case of EIF4E2. The two genes were differentially expressed in four human cell lines, Wish, Chang, K562, and HeLa.
Characterization of the Campylobacter jejuni cryptic plasmid pTIW94 recovered from wild birds in the southeastern United States.

Abstract The complete nucleotide sequence was determined for a cryptic plasmid, pTIW94, recovered from several Campylobacter jejuni isolates from wild birds in the southeastern United States. pTIW94 is a circular molecule of 3860 nucleotides, with a G + C content (31.0%) similar to that of many Campylobacter spp. genomes. A typical origin of replication, with iteron sequences, was identified upstream of DNA sequences that demonstrated similarity to replication initiation proteins. A total of five open reading frames (ORFs) were identified; two of the five ORFs demonstrated significant similarity to plasmid pCC2228-2 found within Campylobacter coli. These two ORFs were similar to essential replication proteins RepA (100%; 26/26 aa identity) and RepB (95%; 327/346 aa identity). A third identified ORF demonstrated significant similarity (99%; 421/424 aa identity) to the MOB protein from C. coli 67–8, originally recovered from swine. The other two identified ORFs were either similar to hypothetical proteins from other Campylobacter spp., or exhibited no significant similarity to any DNA or protein sequence in the GenBank database. Promoter regions (−35 and −10 signal sites), ribosomal binding sites upstream of ORFs, and stem-loop structures were also identified within the plasmid. These results demonstrate that pTIW94 represents a previously un-reported small cryptic plasmid with unique sequences as well as highly similar sequences to other small plasmids found within Campylobacter spp., and that this cryptic plasmid is present among Campylobacter spp. recovered from different genera of wild birds.
Challenges to building Bluetooth-based sensing solutions

Emerging context aware applications call for new networking technologies to enable rapid development of integrated solutions that gather, process and store context from a diverse set of sensors. We examine Bluetooth in the context of enabling emerging classes of context aware applications, such as healthcare, fitness, gaming, etc., using off-the-shelf (OTS) products. While Bluetooth is widely used today, its applicability to this new class of applications is not widely understood and applications that use Bluetooth could suffer from inconsistent usages and poor performance as a result. We investigate and report the challenges of implementing solutions that use software and OTS products based on existing Bluetooth standards. We also present performance analysis through experimentations to highlight some of the issues discussed in the paper. Based on our experience from building Bluetooth based sensing solutions, we make informed recommendations for modifications in the Bluetooth standard and highlight areas where new standards are required.
A Reconfigurable Digital Neuromorphic Processor with Memristive Synaptic Crossbar for Cognitive Computing

This article presents a brain-inspired reconfigurable digital neuromorphic processor (DNP) architecture for large-scale spiking neural networks. The proposed architecture integrates an arbitrary number of N digital leaky integrate-and-fire (LIF) silicon neurons to mimic their biological counterparts and on-chip learning circuits to realize spike-timing-dependent plasticity (STDP) learning rules. We leverage memristor nanodevices to build an N×N crossbar array to store not only multibit synaptic weight values but also network configuration data with significantly reduced area overhead. Additionally, the crossbar array is designed to be accessible both column- and row-wise to expedite the synaptic weight update process for learning. The proposed digital pulse width modulator (PWM) produces binary pulses with various durations for reading and writing the multilevel memristive crossbar. The proposed column based analog-to-digital conversion (ADC) scheme efficiently accumulates the presynaptic weights of each neuron and reduces silicon area overhead by using a shared arithmetic unit to process the LIF operations of all N neurons. With 256 silicon neurons, learning circuits and 64K synapses, the power dissipation and area of our DNP are 6.45 mW and 1.86 mm2, respectively, when implemented in a 90-nm CMOS technology. The functionality of the proposed DNP architecture is demonstrated by realizing an unsupervised-learning based character recognition system.
Evaluating the diagnostic criteria for panic disorder: measures of social morbidity as criteria

Over 9% of the subjects in the NIMH Epidemiologic Catchment Area sample reported a history of at least one panic attack, yet only 1.5% of the sample met DSM-III criteria for panic disorder. In light of the revisions of these criteria for DSM-IV, two of those diagnostic criteria, frequency of panic attacks and number of symptoms during a panicattack, are examined in this paper. We evaluated the relationship between those criteria and each of three measures of social morbidity: psychiatric hospitalization, emergency room (ER) use for emotional problems, and suicide attempts. Although only symptom count was significantly associated with either ER use or suicide attempts, both diagnostic criteria were associated with psychiatric hospitalization. The threshold for symptom count was also considered and while three appeard to have slightly better sensitivity and specificity, the continued use of four symptoms seemed acceptable. The diagnostic and clinical implications of the findings are considered.
Gas exchange in Rhizopus oryzae.

The increased incidence of mucormycosis in recent years was described by Baker (1957), and Hutter reviewed the literature since 1815 and presented four new cases of his own (1959). Such reports serve to focus attention on a group of micro-organisms which had earlier been assumed to be harmless saprophytes with no etiologic significance. However, in cases of uncontrolled diabetes, and in certain types of antibiotic, antileukemic, and steroid therapy, invasion by certain Phycomycetes may occur with fatal outcome. Notable among these fungi are species of the genus rhizopus, especially R. oryzae. The rapid development of the disease process in patients otherwise debilitated results in a poor prognosis in most cases.
Shock tube study of the decomposition of cyclopentyl radicals

Abstract The kinetics of the thermal decomposition of cyclopentyl radicals has been studied in a single-pulse shock tube over a temperature range of 950–1116 K and pressures of 2.3–3.4 bar. Cyclopentyl radicals were generated by abstraction of H from cyclopentane by H atoms, which were produced by the thermal decomposition of hexamethylethane. Products were analyzed using dual-column gas chromatography under cryogenic conditions with simultaneous flame-ionization and mass-spectrometric detection. The main stable products resulting from the decomposition of cyclopentyl radicals are ethene and cyclopentene. These results are consistent with the interconversion of cyclopentyl and pent-4-en-1-yl radicals. The product branching ratio of ethene to cyclopentene is determined as [ethene]/[cyclopentene] = (8.2 ± 0.7)exp[−(1067 ± 88)/ T ), where the listed uncertainty (1 σ ) is from the statistical analysis. The overall accuracy in our measurement of the branching ratio is estimated at about 8% (1 σ ). In contrast to previous estimates, ring opening of cyclopentyl is found to be faster than ejection of a hydrogen atom. The former reaction is favored by about a factor of three. An RRKM/Master Equation treatment was adopted to assign the rate parameters to elementary reactions. Details of the model and its compatibility with the present and literature results are presented. Kinetic results for the pyrolysis of cyclopentyl and pent-4-en-1-yl radicals have been derived over relevant combustion conditions [0.1–1000 bar, 700–1900 K].
ALUMINUM-RELATED HONE DISEASE AND SERUM ALUMINUM IN CHILDREN UNDERGOING CAPD

Al-related osteomalacia has been reported in young uremic children not yet on dialysis; however, the effect of CAPD on Al metabolism is uncertain. Therefore, we studied 16 children with a mean age of 8.9±1.0 (SE) years and body weight, 24±2.4 kg. Serum (S) Al levels, measured after 8 and 18 mos of CAPD, were 55±11 and 60±10 ug/1, respectively (normal (N) children, 8.2±1.1 ug/1, p<0.001). The estimated oral Al intakes from Al hydroxide gels were 98±20 and 104±32 mg/kg/day at the same times; CAPD fluid Al was <6 ug/1. S-Al correlated with oral Al intake (r=0.86, p<.001) and indirectly with body weight (r=-0.68, p<.01) and age (r=-0.54 p<.01). The youngest patient (2.5 years) had the highest S-Al (174-204 ug/1) and largest Al intake (192-310 mg/kg/day); he failed to respond to calcitriol despite S-Ca of 11.2-13.2 mg/dl. A bone biopsy was characteristic of Al-related bone disease, with marked Al staining, greatly increased osteoid surface, and undetectable bone formation as determined from double tetracycline labelling; findings of 2° hyperparathyroidism were absent. Thus, Al accumulation occurs in young CAPD patients receiving large doses of Al gels despite the removal of significant but small quantities of Al in CAPD fluid. These observations indicate that Al-containing phosphate binders should be used cautiously in young children treated with CAPD.
DELAYED RESORPTION OF VARIOUS FORMS OF INSULIN1

FISHER and Scott (1) showed that there was little if any difference in the duration of hypoglycemia produced by intramuscular injection of an isoelectric suspension of regular insulin as compared with its acid solution, while a suspension of insulin crystals had “a slightly delayed action.” Hallas-Moller el at. (2) say the latter effect is not significantly different. The action of zinc in producing a delayed action of insulin has been the subject of intense investigation. The delay in administering acid solutions is described by Fisher and Scott (1) and Fazekas and Himwich (3) and in administering solutions at the pH of the body fluids by Bischoff and Maxwell (4) and Hallas-Moller (5). According to Hallas-Moller (2), 1.3% zinc would be the minimum amount of zinc required to delay resorption of the insulin used. It was rather unexpected that the precipitate (insulin OU (6)) formed by adding water to a freshly prepared urea solution of insulin has a delayed physiologic action, because such suspensions may ...
Phosphorylation-induced Conformational Changes in Rap1b: ALLOSTERIC EFFECTS ON SWITCH DOMAINS AND EFFECTOR LOOP *

Rap1b has been implicated in the transduction of the cAMP mitogenic response. Agonists that increase intracellular cAMP rapidly activate (i.e. GTP binding) and phosphorylate Rap1b on Ser179 at its C terminus. cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA)-mediated phosphorylation of Rap1b is required for cAMP-dependent mitogenesis, tumorigenesis, and inhibition of AKT activity. However, the role of phosphorylation still remains unknown. In this study, we utilized amide hydrogen/deuterium exchange mass spectroscopy (DXMS) to assess potential conformational changes and/or mobility induced by phosphorylation. We report here DXMS data comparing exchange rates for PKA-phosphorylated (Rap1-P) and S179D phosphomimetic (Rap1-D) Rap1b proteins. Rap1-P and Rap1-D behaved exactly the same, revealing an increased exchange rate in discrete regions along the protein; these regions include a domain around the phosphorylation site and unexpectedly the two switch loops. Thus, local effects induced by Ser179 phosphorylation communicate allosterically with distal domains involved in effector interaction. These results provide a mechanistic explanation for the differential effects of Rap1 phosphorylation by PKA on effector protein interaction.
A 47-year-old woman with ductal carcinoma in situ.

Dr Daley: Mrs Y is a 47-year-old teacher. Married and the mother of two children, she lives in suburban Boston, Mass. She is covered by private health insurance through her husband's employer. The patient has been healthy, with no prior surgeries or hospitalizations other than childbirth. She has had no medical problems except for a left breast biopsy many years ago. She takes no medications. She is gravida 2, para 2, abortus 0, with regular menstrual periods. Her family history is significant for her mother, who was diagnosed with breast cancer at 61 years of age and died 4 years after her initial diagnosis with widespread metastases. Given her family history, Mrs Y has been conscientious about breast self-examination and undergoing screening mammography regularly. In June 1995, the patient had a screening mammogram that showed microcalcifications in the left breast. There was no palpable mass. After review, the mammographer recommended
Serum leptin levels in the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome

Leptin, a hormone that is secreted by adipose tissue in proportion to fat stores, regulates energy balance and appetite. Recently, tumor necrosis factor and interleukin-1, cytokines that regulate the host response to infection, have been shown to acutely increase leptin levels, raising the possibility that leptin could mediate the anorexia of some infections. We measured leptin levels in patients with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome and found that leptin levels were not increased relative to body fat in patients who were anorectic, were losing weight, or had a history of weight loss. Furthermore, leptin levels were not increased during secondary infection, suggesting that elevations in leptin do not play a key role in the anorexia of infections associated with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.
Control of Convective Heat Transfer in a Confined Laminar Impinging Jet by Low Amplitude Forcing

A numerical finite-difference model, derived using a control-volume approach, was used to compute the flow and heat transfer characteristics in a two-dimensional confined laminar air jet impinging on an isothermal surface. Several cases were considered with Re=650, 750, and nozzle to plate spacing, H/W=5. The behavior of the jet and the attendant heat transfer from the target wall were investigated when the jet was forced by fluidic excitation at the nozzle exit. At Re between 585 and 610, the unforced jet exhibits a transition to an unsteady regime leading to asymmetric vortex shedding and jet flapping [1, 2]. Investigation of the velocity spectra indicate three distinct dominant modes; the lowest frequency is associated with the jet flapping while the highest frequency is associated with the asymmetric vortex formation which causes buckling of the jet column. As a result of the two combined modes, the peak heat transfer is enhanced and the lateral cooling extent is broadened. The jet was subjected to forcing by introduction of numerical excitation at each side of the jet that modeled fluidic excitation. The jet was forced on both opposing sides at its exit, both with in-phase and out-of-phase modes. Under some conditions, out of phase forcing at Re=650 at the highest frequency leads to stabilization of the normally separated flow on one side only. This unusual asymmetric flow field is unsteady but repeatable, and results in an enhancement of the heat transfer. At Reynolds number of 750, forcing with an out of phase mode at the highest frequency leads to a complete stabilization of the jet. The forcing suppresses the high-amplitude low frequency flapping mode leaving only a high frequency vortex formation mode. The suppression of the jet flapping leads to a decrease in the peak heat transfer, but because separation is suppressed, the average wall heat transfer is enhanced.© 2002 ASME
A NOTE ON DYNAMIC LOT SIZING IN A ROLLING-HORIZON ENVIRONMENT

This paper presents a modification of the dynamic lot-size algorithm of Wagner and Whitin for rolling horizon environments. The computational results show that the modified algorithm gives better cost performance than the Wagner-Whitin algorithm and the Silver-Meal heuristic. The improvements over the Wagner-Whitin algorithm require very few additional computations.
Photodegradation of the algal toxin domoic acid in natural water matrices

We investigated the photodegradation rate of the powerful marine toxin domoic acid in a variety of natural water matrices. The observed first-order photodegradation rate coefficient (obs), obtained by linear regression of the logarithmic-transformed domoic acid concentrations versus irradiation time in simulated sunlight, was 0.15 6 0.01 h 21 in coastal seawater. Photodegradation rate coefficients in deionized water were not significantly different than those in coastal seawater, indicating that domoic acid is mainly photodegraded through a direct photochemical pathway. Addition of 100 nmol L 21 spikes of iron III [Fe(III)] and copper II [Cu(II)] had no significant effect on domoic acid photodegradation, indicating that the formation of trace-metal chelates did not enhance photodegradation of the toxin in seawater. We observed an increase of domoic acid photodegradation rates with temperature with a corresponding energy of activation of 13 kJ mol 21 . The effect on photodegradation of pH, added humic material, and dissolved oxygen removal was also investigated. The quantum yield of domoic acid photodegradation in seawater decreased with increasing wavelength and decreasing energy of incoming radiation, with the average value ranging from 0.03 to 0.20 in the ultraviolet wavelength range (280‐400 nm). Using these quantum yields together with modeled solar spectral irradiance and seawater optical properties, we estimated turnover rate coefficients for the photochemical degradation of domoic acid ranging from 0.017 to 0.035 d 21 . These observations indicate that sunlight-mediated reactions are an important, yet previously unrecognized, sink of dissolved domoic acid in seawater.
Bilateral Laparoscopic Adrenalectomy as a Treatment for Classic Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia Attributable to 21-Hydroxylase Deficiency

Objective. Current medical therapy for congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) attributable to a complete 21-hydroxylase deficiency is not optimal. Difficulties in adequate adrenal androgen suppression are common, causing short adult stature, infertility, and hyperandrogenism. We report the use of laparoscopic bilateral adrenalectomy as a definitive therapy for this condition and argue that it is superior to conventional medical therapy in selected patients. Methods. Participants were 2 adult females with classic, salt-wasting CAH and a history of poor adrenal control were selected for adrenalectomy: case 1 was a 22-year-old woman with mild hirsutism and primary amenorrhea; case 2 was a 28-year-old woman with severe hirsutism, acne, and amenorrhea. Preoperative and postoperative hormonal profiles were performed. Both underwent laparoscopic bilateral adrenalectomy with a mean follow-up of 37 months. Results. Bilateral laparoscopic adrenalectomy was performed in both patients with no complications and an uneventful recovery. Maintenance medications of glucocorticoid and mineralocorticoid replacement were reduced compared with preoperative doses. Three years postoperatively, however, rising adrenal steroid precursor levels in case 1, presumably caused by adrenal rests, prompted an increase in replacement therapy dose. Hirsutism and acne improved in both patients, and regular menstruation began 5 months (case 1) and 2 months (case 2) postoperatively. Pregnancy 3 years postoperatively was successful in case 2, who delivered a unaffected infant, full-term via Cesarian section. Conclusions. Surgical adrenalectomy should be considered in females with classic CAH attributable to 21-hydroxylase deficiency and a history of poor hormonal control. Adrenalectomy may prove to be superior to current medical therapy for these patients.
Extracting Surveying Goals from Point Clouds to Support Construction and Infrastructure Inspection

Inspectors need accurate and efficient methods for obtaining geometric information about facilities for construction and infrastructure management. Laser scanners can capture millions of 3D points, which have mm accuracy, in minutes, and hence can streamline extraction of geometric information. Currently, extraction of geometric information is done manually. This paper describes a case study, which shows that manual approach is inefficient and error-prone. Aiming at improving the efficiency and effectiveness of extracting survey goals, this paper discusses computer interpretable representations of surveying goals as a first step towards extraction of surveying goals. The described approach targets enabling surveyors to compose surveying goals as tuples. Reasoning mechanisms can transform user-defined surveying goals described by these tuples into a sequence of measurement operations to generate results.
Sensitivity analysis of stable generalized Lyapunov equations

In this paper we study the sensitivity of Lyapunov equations which are encountered in generalized state-space systems of the form Ex/spl dot/=Ax, where E is nonsingular, and the system stable. Generalized systems as opposed to state-variable systems have different domain and codomain. To treat this problem, we first define operators for the domain and codomain and also introduce norms induced from these operators and secondly, we show that the norms of the domain and the codomain are equivalent and as such it suffices to study the sensitivity of the generalized Lyapunov equation only in one space. Further, we relate the norms of the inverse operators to the minimal L/sub 2/ damping of the generalized system in both spaces. These results lead to bounds on perturbations that guarantee the stability of a generalized stable pencil. To further motivate our work, we study several examples including one that clearly shows how we can obtain misleading bounds in the case when state-variable methods are applied on the matrix E/sup -1/A. >
Isolation of Systolic Heart Murmurs Using Wavelet Transform and Energy Index

The paper presents the results of a signal processing approach to detect and isolate systolic murmurs. The identification of the first and second heart sounds and separating systole and diastole from a complete cardiac cycle were successfully carried out through wavelet analysis using an orthogonal Daubechies (db6) wavelet as the mother wavelet. At the fifth level of decomposition, S1 and S2 were effectively separated from systolic heart murmurs. A quantitative measure of signal energy was developed and used to determine the boundaries of S1 and S2 sounds and to isolate systolic murmurs. The energy index can be also used to delineate the intensity and configuration of a systolic murmur. We have examined and reported in this paper the performance of this approach by examining few known clinical systolic murmurs: atrial septal defect (ASD), ventricular septal defect (VSD), and mitral valve prolapse (MVP).
Tuning Cerium(IV)-Assisted Hydrolysis of Phosphatidylcholine Liposomes under Mildly Acidic and Neutral Conditions.

With the goal of designing a lysosomal phospholipase mimic, we optimized experimental variables to enhance Ce(IV) -assisted hydrolysis of phosphatidylcholine (PC) liposomes. Our best result was obtained with the chelating agent bis-tris propane (BTP). Similar to the hydrolytic enzyme, Ce(IV) -assisted hydrolysis of PC phosphate ester bonds was higher at lysosomal pH (∼4.8) compared to pH 7.2. In the presence of BTP, the average cleavage yield at ∼pH 4.8 and 37 °C was: 67±1 %, 5.7-fold higher than at ∼pH 7.2 and roughly equivalent to the percent of phospholipid found on the metal-accessible exo leaflet of small liposomes. No Ce(IV) precipitation was observed. When BTP was absent, there was significant turbidity, and the amount of cleavage at ∼pH 4.8 (69±1 %) was 2.1-fold higher than the yield obtained at ∼pH 7.2. Our results show that BTP generates homogenous solutions of Ce(IV) that hydrolyze phosphatidylcholine with enhanced selectivity for lysosomal pH.
Elevated Phospholipase D Activity in H-Ras- but Not K-Ras-Transformed Cells by the Synergistic Action of RalA and ARF6

Phospholipase D (PLD) activity is elevated in response to the oncogenic stimulus of H-Ras but not K-Ras. H-Ras and K-Ras have been reported to localize to different membrane microdomains, with H-Ras localizing to caveolin-enriched light membrane fractions. We reported previously that PLD activity elevated in response to mitogenic stimulation is restricted to the caveolin-enriched light membrane fractions. PLD activity in H-Ras-transformed cells is dependent upon RalA, and consistent with a lack of elevated PLD activity in K-Ras-transformed cells, RalA was not activated in K-Ras-transformed cells. Although H-Ras-induced PLD activity is dependent upon RalA, an activated mutant of RalA is not sufficient to elevate PLD activity. We reported previously that RalA interacts with PLD activating ADP ribosylation factor (ARF) proteins. In cells transformed by H-Ras, we found increased coprecipitation of ARF6 with RalA. Moreover, ARF6 colocalized with RalA in light membrane fractions. Interestingly, ARF6 protein levels were elevated in H-Ras- but not K-Ras-transformed cells. A dominant-negative mutant of ARF6 inhibited PLD activity in H-Ras-transformed NIH 3T3 cells. Activated mutants of either ARF6 or RalA were not sufficient to elevate PLD activity in NIH 3T3 cells; however, expression of both activated RalA and activated ARF6 in NIH 3T3 cells led to increased PLD activity. These data suggest a model whereby H-Ras stimulates the activation of both RalA and ARF6, which together lead to the elevation of PLD activity.
Optimal Launch Vehicle Size Determination for Moon-Mars Transportation Architectures

NASA’s human Lunar and Mars exploration (HLE/HME) program requires a sustainable and affordable transportation system between Earth and Moon/Mars. A crucial element of this system is the launch vehicle. Much debate has centered on the trade between expendable launch vehicles and heavy-lifters; however, arguments to date have been largely qualitative or limited in scope. This paper provides a quantitative enumeration of the launch vehicle trade space (in terms of both cost and risk), based on a generalizable process for generating launch manifests from transportation architectures (sets of vehicles for carrying out Lunar/Mars missions). For the baseline HLE/HME architecture considered here, an optimal launch vehicle size is found at approximately 82 metric tons; a 28-mt EELV emerges as another good option. The results show optimal launch vehicle selection is highly dependent on the transportation architecture. Therefore, launch vehicle selection should be considered an integral part of the design of the Moon/Mars exploration transportation system.
Interannual Variability and Ensemble Forecast of Upper Blue Nile Basin Kiremt Season Precipitation

Abstract Ethiopian agriculture and Nile River flows are heavily dependent upon the Kiremt season (June–September) precipitation in the upper Blue Nile basin, as a means of rain-fed irrigation and streamflow contribution, respectively. Climate diagnostics suggest that the El Nino–Southern Oscillation phenomenon is a main driver of interannual variability of seasonal precipitation in the basin. One-season (March–May) lead predictors of the seasonal precipitation are identified from the large-scale ocean–atmosphere–land system, including sea level pressures, sea surface temperatures, geopotential height, air temperature, and the Palmer Drought Severity Index. A nonparametric approach based on local polynomial regression is proposed for generating ensemble forecasts. The method is data driven, easy to implement, and provides a flexible framework able to capture any arbitrary features (linear or nonlinear) present in the data, as compared to traditional linear regression. The best subset of predictors, as dete...
Technology Innovations and Experience Curves for Nitrogen Oxides Control Technologies

This paper reviews the regulatory history for nitrogen oxides (NOx) pollutant emissions from stationary sources, primarily in coal-fired power plants. Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) is one of the six criteria pollutants regulated by the 1970 Clean Air Act where National Ambient Air Quality Standards were established to protect public health and welfare. We use patent data to show that in the cases of Japan, Germany, and the United States, innovations in NOx control technologies did not occur until stringent government regulations were in place, thus “forcing” innovation. We also demonstrate that reductions in the capital and operation and maintenance (O&M) costs of new generations of high-efficiency NOx control technologies, selective catalytic reduction (SCR), are consistently associated with the increasing adoption of the control technology: the so-called learning-by-doing phenomena. The results show that as cumulative world coal-fired SCR capacity doubles, capital costs decline to 86% and O&M costs to 58% of their original values. The observed changes in SCR technology reflect the impact of technological advance as well as other factors, such as market competition and economies of scale.
Effects of Isospin-Symmetry Violation on Tests of the Standard Model Using Parity-Violating Electron Scattering

The effects of isospin mixing on the observables for parity-violating electron scattering are investigated within the framework of the nuclear shell model for {sup 12}C , {sup 16}O , and {sup 28}Si . Contributions due to mixing with low-lying states as well as admixtures of 1p-1h configurations are accounted for. The consequences regarding precision tests of the standard model are addressed. {copyright} {ital 1999} {ital The American Physical Society}
‘One mirror in another’: Managing diversity and the discourse of fashion

In this article, we report on a multi-sited ethnographic study that investigates how the discourse of fashion influenced the design and implementation of workplace diversity management programs in six organizations. These organizations, from the Canadian petroleum and insurance industries, were manipulated by an institutional field of consultants and experts into adopting relatively superficial initiatives that lacked local relevance, and produced a high level of organizational cynicism regarding diversity. In our analysis, we particularly explore one adverse effect of this discourse of fashion; that it may trigger a form of meaningless imitation by organizations adopting diversity management initiatives, resulting in superficiality and organizational cynicism. At the same time, the discourse of fashion may also hold the key to enable meaningful change, for it has a powerful influence on organizational practitioners. Our article suggests that organizations need to be aware of the institutional field, and ...
Biocultural Linkages – Cultural Consensus, Cultural Consonance, and Human Biological Research

Cultural consensus analysis tests for shared models of behavior in various cultural dimensions. Cultural consonance is used to assess the degree to which individuals behave in a way that is consistent with these cultural models. Results are presented from two studies using cultural consensus and consonance analysis (CCCA) on health risk in an African American population and on diet in a mixed sample from West Alabama. In the African American case study, cultural consonance in lifestyle and social support are demonstrated to have a significant effect on blood pressure. In the diet study, significant differences in cultural consonance on the health dimension of diet between groups espousing different dietary preferences were demonstrated in spite of all groups sharing the same model of healthy foods. These studies are used to argue that more sophisticated measures of culture in human biological research are readily available and accessible for most studies.
Perspective of silicon-based IC technology

Summary form only given, as follows. This paper discusses the past, present and the foreseeable future of silicon-based IC technology, placing the focus on the factors that have driven IC technology and the industry until today, and how they could change in the future. The role of consortia in the United States and Japan on the IC industry; technology drivers and their contributions to characterize technological features; and the trends of technology, R&D and manufacturing are the central theme.
Targeting CEA in Pancreas Cancer Xenografts with a Mutated scFv-Fc Antibody Fragment

Sensitive antibody-based tumor targeting has the potential not only to image metastatic and micrometastatic disease, but also to be the basis of targeted therapy. The vast majority of pancreas cancers express carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA). Thus, we sought to evaluate the potential of CEA as a pancreatic cancer target utilizing a rapidly clearing engineered anti-CEA scFv-Fc antibody fragment with a mutation in the Fc region [anti-CEA scFv-Fc H310A]. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) with the antibody fragment was used to confirm expression of CEA on human pancreas cancer specimens. In vivo tumor targeting was evaluated by tail vein injection of I124-labeled anti-CEA scFv-Fc(H310A) into mice harboring CEA-positive and -negative xenografts. MicroPET/CT imaging was performed at successive time intervals. Radioactivity in blood and tumor was measured after the last time point. Additionally, unlabeled anti-CEA scFv-Fc(H310A) was injected into CEA-positive tumor bearing mice and ex vivo IHC was performed to identify the presence of the antibody to define the microscopic intratumoral pattern of targeting. Moderate to strong staining by IHC was noted on 84% of our human pancreatic cancer specimens and was comparable to staining of our xenografts. Pancreas xenograft imaging with the radiolabeled anti-CEA scFv-Fc(H310A) antibody demonstrated average tumor/blood ratios of 4.0. Immunolocalization demonstrated peripheral antibody fragment penetration of one to five cell diameters (0.75 to 1.5 μm). We characterized a preclinical xenograft model with respect to CEA expression that was comparable to human cases. We demonstrated that the anti-CEA scFv-Fc(H310A) antibody exhibited antigen-specific tumor targeting and shows promise as an imaging and potentially therapeutic agent.
Doxorubicin decreases the repair of radiation-induced DNA damage.

SummaryThe mechanism that underlies doxorubicin-induced radiosensitization was investigated in a cell culture system. When V79 hamster cells were treated with doxorubicin, radiosensitization occurred as illustrated by an increase in α and a reduction in the mean inactivation dose (D¯) of the radiation survival curve. Under control conditions the radiation survival curve showed an α of 0·010 ± 0·02 and a D¯ of 4·4 ± 0·2. After exposure to doxorubicin (1·5 μg/ml for 1 h prior to irradiation), α increased to 0·28 ± 0·04 and D¯ decreased to 3·0 ± 0·3. Similar mean inactivation doses were found for doxorubicin doses of 0·75, 1·5 and 3·0 μg/ml, indicating that enhancement was not dose—dependent in the dose range studied. The influence of doxorubicin on radiation-induced DNA double-strand breaks (dsb) was then assessed under the same conditions as were used in the cell survival studies. Pretreatment with doxorubicin minimally affected radiation-induced dsb. However, doxorubicin increased dsb by 1·25 ± 0·07 under...
Paternity Index (PI)

As we are discussing the solution to a problem of biostatistical inference it is best to begin by defining the problem. The problem of disputed paternity can be reduced to the following question: Is this man the father of this child, or not?
Smallpox inoculation in Africa

Inoculation for smallpox, the forerunner of vaccination, has had a long and variegated history. The earliest known descriptions of the practice in sub-Saharan Africa were given by African slaves in colonial America in the early and mid-eighteenth century. Subsequently it is mentioned in accounts from widely scattered parts of the continent. It seems to have been most extensively used in the Western and Central Sudan, Ethiopia and Southern Africa. Local diffusion patterns emerge from the evidence available at this time, but broader questions of origin must await further investigation. Similarly it is as yet impossible to assess its demographic impact in Africa although it clearly provided some defence against smallpox in spite of the risks involved.
Tenascin Expression in Intraepithelial Neoplasia and Invasive Carcinoma of the Uterine Cervix

Abstract Objective.—To determine whether the expression of the matrix protein tenascin (TN) is of diagnostic or prognostic value in cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN). Design.—Tenascin expression was evaluated in 75 formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded biopsy and surgical specimens of the uterine cervix. Specimens included 15 low-grade squamous neoplastic lesions (CIN I), 30 high-grade squamous neoplastic lesions (CIN II and CIN III), 5 microinvasive carcinomas, and 15 invasive squamous carcinomas. Five normal cervices and 5 examples of cervicitis were used as controls. Expression of TN was studied by immunohistochemistry with a monoclonal mouse anti-human tenascin antibody. Tenascin expression in the basement membrane and in the stroma was arbitrarily graded as normal or slightly, moderately, or markedly increased. Results.—In the normal cervix, TN formed a thin band along the basement membrane of the squamous epithelium, except for the transformation zone, where the bands splintered and delicate TN f...
Multi-Coordination of Actuators in Advanced Power Systems

Multi-coordination of actuators for a highly integrated, tightly coupled advanced power system was evaluated using the Hybrid Performance (Hyper) project facility at the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL). A two-by-two scenario in a fuel cell, turbine hybrid power system was utilized as a representative problem in terms of system component coupling during transients and setpoint changes. In this system, the gas turbine electric load is used to control the turbine speed, and the cold air bypass valve regulated fuel cell cathode mass flow.Perturbations in the turbine speed caused by variations in the waste heat from the fuel cell affect the cathode airflow, and the cold-air bypass control action required for constant cathode airflow strongly affects the turbine speed. Previous implementation of two single-input, single-output (SISO) controllers failed to provide acceptable disturbance rejection and setpoint tracking under these highly coupled conditions. A multiple-input, multiple-output (MIMO) controller based on the classic internal model control (IMC) concept was implemented and experimentally tested for the first time using the Hyper project facility.The state-space design of the MIMO configuration, the control law integration into the digital control platform, and the experimental comparison with the SISO case are presented.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
Dosimetry of Radiolabeled Antibodies

Even before the advent of monoclonal antibodies, clinicians and scientists had been intrigued by the possibility of selectively targeting tumors and metastatic disease with a variety of agents including hormones, transmitters, drugs, metabolites, and polyclonal antibodies (Wagner 1968). Naturally, if it was found that any of these agents were not sufficiently cytotoxic to the tumor, a radionuclide label was added to promote selective tumor lethality and “action at a distance” tumor cell kill. This addition of the radionuclide to the biologically targeted therapy also made it possible to externally monitor the time-dependent distribution of the agent in animals and humans.
Cardiac myocytes release leukocyte-stimulating factors

The production of cytokines directly from cardiac myocytes has not been previously demonstrated and could represent an important mechanism and site of intervention in ischemia and reperfusion injuries. Macrophage inflammatory protein-2 (MIP-2) and monocyte chemotactic protein (MCP) are chemotactic cytokines (chemokines) that stimulate polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs) and monocytes, respectively. Endothelium has been implicated as being a major cellular source of leukocyte-activating factors. We hypothesized that the myocardial cells may also play an important role in producing chemokines independently of endothelium. Primary cultures of adult rat ventricular myocytes were prepared. Cultured myocytes were stimulated with either interleukin 1 (IL-1), tumor necrosis factor (TNF), or lipopolysaccharide (LPS). MIP-2 and MCP mRNA were expressed in adult rat myocytes following stimulation. Our studies indicate that ventricular myocytes expressed chemokine mRNA and protein in both a dose- and time-dependent fashion. MIP-2 and MCP release, determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, was biologically active, accounting for approximately 40% of the PMN and monocyte chemotactic activity produced by these cells. These results suggest that cardiac myocytes may directly recruit activated leukocytes into areas of injury. Such a recruiting process could underlie the migration of leukocytes into areas of oxidant stress and play a role in development of reperfusion injury of myocardium.
Capillary condensation of light hydrocarbons in MCM-41-type mesoporous materials

The MCM-41 family of surfactant templated materials were used as model mesoporous sorbents for storage of light hydrocarbon vapors, by utilizing the phenomenon of capillary condensation. The experimental data show that, because of the fine tunability of MCM-41 type materials (mesopore diameter was controlled between 20 and 40 A), the onset of capillary condensation can be controlled, and from here the point of achieving liquid-like fluid density in the pores. Such a unique characteristic makes the MCM-41 family of materials a potential media for sorptive fractionation.
ACUTE HEART FAILURE DUE TO ANTI-RO/SSA AND ANTI-LA/SSB MYOCARDITIS IN PRIMARY SJOGREN SYNDROME

Myocardial injury is commonly secondary to an acute coronary syndrome. When this is not the case, a rheumatologic evaluation and MRI imaging can identify the source of myocardial injury. A 74-year-old white female with a history of hypertension presented with left shoulder pain, worsening fatigue
Sensilla on the antennal flagella of Hippelates eye gnats

The sensory structures of the antennal flagella of adult females of Hippelates pusio Loew, H. pallipes (Loew), and H. bishoppi Sabrosky are described and enumerated as a result of investigation by optical and electron microscopy. Hippelates pusio possesses about 300 simple thin-walled and 75–100 grooved surface sensilla on the lateral aspect of the funicle of each antenna. Three bipolar sensory neurons innervate each sensillar peg. From 25 to 30 capitate thin-walled surface sensilla are situated in the dorsal invagination of the funicle, and each is associated with 4 neurons. Hippelates Pallipes and H. bishoppi possess surface sensilla which are very similar in structure, type, and quantity to those of H. pusio. Two single-chambered pits, which are unequal in size and have different numbers and types of sensilla, occur on the lateral aspect of the antennae of H. pusio and H. pallipes, while H. bishoppi bears 1 pit. The smaller pits of H. pusio and H. pallipes and the lone pit of H. bishoppi contain sensilla with grooved, smooth-walled, and granular-walled pegs each of which is innervated by 2 or 3 neurons. The larger pits of H. pusio and H. pallipes contain spines and grooved sensilla, each innervated by 2 neurons.