cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Homing in on Acute Graft vs. Host Disease: Tissue-Specific T Regulatory and Th17 Cells

Acute graft vs. host disease (aGVHD) is a major limitation of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), and it causes significant morbidity and mortality for this patient population. This immune-mediated injury occurs unpredictably and is caused by donor-derived T cells reacting to recipient alloantigens. Although donor Th1 cells play a critical role in aGVHD generation, numerous arms of both the innate and the adaptive immune systems along with determinants of lymphocyte trafficking are likely involved in the multifaceted cascade of immunological events that culminates in clinical aGVHD. T regulatory and Th17 cells are T cell subsets distinct from Th1 cells that are likely involved with aGVHD. Regulatory T cells (Tregs) have been implicated in the prevention of aGVHD in both mouse and man, while Th17 cells may modulate early inflammatory responses associated with aGVHD, especially those involving the skin and the lungs. Interestingly, these two lymphocyte subsets appear to be reciprocally regulated in part through retinoic acid, through cytokines such as IL-6, and via interactions with dendritic cells. Another area under tight regulation appears to be the homing of lymphocytes to lymph nodes, skin, and gut. Adhesion molecules including chemokine receptors, selectins, and integrins may identify specific T cell subsets with unique migratory functional properties during HSCT. Controlling the migration patterns of Th17 cells and Tregs represents a potential therapeutic target. A major goal of HSCT research will be to develop approaches to pharmacologically manipulate T cell subsets in vivo or to select, expand, and infuse T cell subsets that will maximize the targeted graft vs. tumor effect while minimizing the potentially fatal side effects of aGVHD. A better understanding of Tregs and their tissue specificity should lead to improvement in the success of HSCT.
Perforin: structure, function, and regulation.

The mechanism of lymphocyte-mediated cytolysis is controversial (see recent reviews Bleackley et al. 1988; Brunet et al. 1988; Clark et al. 1988; Mueller et al. 1988; Muller-Eberhard 1988; Munger et al. 1988; Nagler-Anderson et al. 1988; Sitkovsky 1988; Young et al. 1988; Podack et al. 1988; Jenne and Tschopp 1988a, b; Bleackley 1988; Hershberger et al. 1988; Stevens et al. 1988; Tschopp and Nabholz 1990; Podack et al. 1991). The main contentions concern the question whether secretory functions of the killer cell, as proposed by the vectorial granule secretion model of cytotoxicity (Podack 1985; Henkart 1985), are required for target cell lysis and whether secretory models of cytotoxicity account for most of the cytotoxic activity. Other open questions are related to the role of DNA degradation (apoptosis, programmed cell death) in target cell lysis (Russel et al. 1982; Russel 1983; Duke et al. 1983; Lovell and Martz 1987) and how this process is mediated molecularly. No molecular tools are available at the present time to assess the importance, or even existence, of the putative secretion-independent pathway of lymphocyte-mediated cytolysis. Similarly, since the mechanism of DNA degradation is not understood, it is difficult to quantitate its role in cytolysis.
Representation of Movement

Motion sensitivity is a fundamental aspect of vision allowing the tracking, avoidance and interception of objects, the extraction of depth information, and the calibration of proprioception and locomotion. Motion sensitivity is a primary feature of neurons throughout the dorsal stream of visual cortex, but neurons in the middle temporal area (MT) have been most closely linked to the perception of direction, speed and depth. This section introduces the fundamental requirements of motion detection and then focuses on how the primate visual system encodes the properties of visual motion, and how this encoding ultimately affects perception and behavior.
Toll-like Receptor 2-dependent Inhibition of Interferon gamma Signaling by Mycobacterium tuberculosis

by MEGHAN EILEEN PENNINI Mycobacterium tuberculosis is responsible for more than 2 million deaths annually. Although it is well established that IFN-γ is the critical cytokine for controlling Mtb infection, several studies have shown inhibition of IFN-γ-induced genes in the presence of Mtb and Mtb components, such as its 19-kDa lipoprotein. In these studies, we performed microarray gene expression analysis to reveal the extent of Mtb-mediated inhibition. Interestingly, Mtb and its 19-kDa lipoprotein inhibit only a subset of IFN-γ-induced genes (42 and 36 %, respectively) while others remain unaffected or enhanced. Furthermore, we found several of the genes inhibited by Mtb are involved in antigen processing and presentation. Class II transactivator (CIITA) expression is required for expression of MHC-II and is therefore critical for the interaction between antigen presenting cells and corresponding T cells. To elucidate the mechanism by which Mtb inhibits IFN-γ-induced CIITA expression, we performed detailed analysis on signaling events stimulated by Mtb 19-kDa lipoprotein in the presence of IFN-γ. We found inhibition of CIITA by Mtb and its 19-kDa lipoprotein was chromatin-
Explosive Testing of Rock Dust Dispersibility for Coal Dust Explosion Prevention

Limestone rock dust is used in many coal mines to inertize coal dust and prevent mine explosions. Since rock dusting creates a nuisance to workers downwind from the dust application, suppliers are offering wet and foam-applied rock dust products. Researchers at the Colorado School of Mines have constructed a full-size explosion test drift where they can generate controlled explosions at defined wind speeds of 30–50 m/s, the minimum wind speed that can entrain coal dust and propagate coal dust explosions. Initial results with different wet-applied, that then dried rock dust products suggest that explosive forces break-up clumps of the rock dust, but this wet-applied dust does not disperse as easily as dry-applied dust. Also, hydrophobized rock dust and dust meeting German specifications disperses more readily.
T-DM1-resistant cells gain high invasive activity via EGFR and integrin cooperated pathways

Ado-trastuzumab emtansine (Kadcyla®; T-DM1) is an antibody-drug conjugate developed to treat trastuzumab-resistant disease. Despite initial favorable outcomes, most patients eventually cease to respond due to developing acquired resistance to T-DM1. Currently, there is no targeted therapy to treat T-DM1-resistant disease. To explore novel therapeutic targets to improve therapeutic efficacy of T-DM1, we generated T-DM1-resistant cells using trastuzumab-resistant JIMT1 cells. We found that the loss of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 confers T-DM1 resistance, which in turn activates a compensatory mechanism that increases epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) expression. Upregulation of EGFR increases the protein levels of α5β1 and αVβ3 integrins, resulting in enhanced motility and invasion of T-DM1-resistant cells. This study delineates previously unappreciated relationships between α5β1 and αVβ3 and suggests that specific integrins should be carefully selected as therapeutic targets to treat T-DM1-resistant disease. Specifically, silencing β1 integrin expression by siRNA in T-DM1-resistant cells destabilizes α5, but increases expression of αV, a critical integrin mediating the invasion and metastases in many different cancers. As a consequence, T-DM1-resistant cells gain metastatic potential and become more invasive. This finding is underscored by the fact that β1 integrin blockage induced by an inhibitory antibody, MAB 13, significantly increases invasion of T-DM1-resistant cells. However, the increased cell invasion induced by β1 integrin blockage can be significantly reduced by either EGFR inhibitor or specific siRNA against αV integrin. The discovery of functional cooperation between EGFR and αV integrin in regulating cell growth and invasion provides an opportunity to develop novel therapeutic strategy by dual-targeting EGFR and specific integrin to overcome T-DM1 resistance.
Developing a Mobile Application for Global Cardiovascular Education.

AbstractTechnological revolution in the field of medical education is here, and it is time to embrace it. Adoption of on-the-go learning style, portability of smartphones, and expression of concept...
On the Privacy and Utility Tradeoff in Database-Assisted Dynamic Spectrum Access

In dynamic spectrum access, commercially-operated database servers are often used to assist the opportunistic users (OUs) to query and access spectrum vacancies of incumbent users (IUs). The query and answer process in such DSA architectures introduce significant privacy concerns for potential leakage of the sensitive operational details of the IUs, especially their locations. Existing privacy-preserving mechanisms such as location cloaking or spatial obfuscation can be used to hide IUs’ locations. They however cannot guarantee the interference from all surrounding access-allowed OUs staying under a given limit. In addition, the spectrum utilization (i.e., transmission opportunities) of OUs should also be considered in the design of mechanisms. The complex three-way tradeoff among privacy, interference and utility has not been systematically studied in the literature. In this paper, we first endeavor to tackle this challenge, by introducing a privacy zone within the exclusion zone. In the privacy zone the IU’s location is indistinguishable, while the exclusion zone guarantees the interference limit within the privacy zone. Under two variants of the system model (either known OU locations or probabilistic locations with known density), we formulate and solve corresponding optimization problems to find the optimal tradeoff of one versus the other two objectives. Simulation results with real-world maps/parameters show that the IU’s privacy increases with decreasing OUs’ utility given a fixed allowable interference for the IUs.
Layer-by-layer construction of an oxygen-generating photo-responsive nanomedicine for enhanced photothermal and photodynamic combination therapy.

A multifunctional photosensitive and photothermal nanomedicine, AMP–Ce6–HA, was prepared by sequentially layering hard and soft functional molecules. AMP–Ce6–HA was efficiently picked up by MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells, and then released oxygen in lysosomes. The photothermal and oxygen-enhanced photodynamic combination therapy was much more effective than the single one.
Litigation Analytics: Extracting and querying motions and orders from US federal courts

Legal litigation planning can benefit from statistics collected from past decisions made by judges. Information on the typical duration for a submitted motion, for example, can give valuable clues for developing a successful strategy. Such information is encoded in semi-structured documents called dockets. In order to extract and aggregate this information, we deployed various information extraction and machine learning techniques. The aggregated data can be queried in real time within the Westlaw Edge search engine. In addition to a keyword search for judges, lawyers, law firms, parties and courts, we also implemented a question answering interface that offers targeted questions in order to get to the respective answers quicker.
An algebraic model for rational S^1-equivariant stable homotopy theory

Greenlees defined an abelian category A whose derived category is equivalent to the rational S^1-equivariant stable homotopy category whose objects represent rational S^1-equivariant cohomology theories. We show that in fact the model category of differential graded objects in A (dgA) models the whole rational S^1-equivariant stable homotopy theory. That is, we show that there is a Quillen equivalence between dgA and the model category of rational S^1-equivariant spectra, before the quasi-isomorphisms or stable equivalences have been inverted. This implies that all of the higher order structures such as mapping spaces, function spectra and homotopy (co)limits are reflected in the algebraic model. The new ingredients here are certain Massey product calculations and the work on rational stable model categories from "Classification of stable model categories" and "Equivalences of monoidal model categories" with Schwede. In an appendix we show that Toda brackets, and hence also Massey products, are determined by the triangulated derived category.
Battery Park City: A Model for Financing Low-Income Housing?

A major policy question facing local governments today is how to provide adequate financing for lowand moderate-income housing. An increasing number of Americans are living in physically inadequate and unaffordable units, while current national housing policies emphasize minimal federal involvement and greater reliance on private sector and local government resources.1 The Reagan administration drastically cut federal housing subsidies2 and eliminated many of the tax benefits of investing in rental real estate.3 In addition, the administration liberalized many of the regulations governing the savings and loan industry. Some critics contend that this deregulation has made obtaining mortgages more difficult for homeowners.4 All of these measures have forced local governments to develop alternatives to fill the gap in financing low-income housing.
Seasonal changes in wildland firefighter fitness and body composition

Hiking with a pack is the highest-intensity task that wildland firefighters (WLFFs) perform during sustained activities related to wildland fire suppression. Firefighters perform this and other tasks together as a crew; this provides a unique model to evaluate select physical and physiological changes in members of working crews over a fire season during extended operations. The objective of this study was to evaluate changes in peak aerobic fitness (VO2peak), sustainable aerobic fitness at the ventilatory threshold (VO2vt) and body composition over a 5-month wildland fire season. WLFFs from four crews (55 males, 10 females) participated in a maximal graded exercise treadmill test and body composition evaluation pre- and post season. VO2peak values and variance did not change across the fire season (pre = 3.96 ± 0.65, post = 3.96 ± 0.69 L min−1, not significant). VO2vt average decreased slightly while variance decreased greatly within each crew (pre = 37.5 ± 7.0, post = 35.4 ± 2.3 mL kg−1 min−1, P < 0.05). There was an improvement in VO2vt in initially less-fit WLFFs and a VO2vt decrease in initially more-fit WLFFs. WLFFs lost fat mass (−1.56 ±−1.06 kg, P < 0.01) and fat-free mass (−0.38 ±−1.24 kg, P < 0.05). Post-season VO2vt values were the same as the higher range of the documented metabolic cost of uphill load carriage and reveal a unique group adaptation to extended physical demands.
Baltimore Ceasefire 365: Estimated Impact of a Recurring Community-Led Ceasefire on Gun Violence

Objectives. To estimate the impact of recurring community-led, weekend-long ceasefires on gun violence in the City of Baltimore, Maryland.Methods. The City of Baltimore releases detailed data on al...
Do Health Promoting Compounds of Flaxseed Attenuate Weight Gain Via Modulation of Obesity Gene Expression

Diet-induced obesity (DIO) has been shown to increase DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs) expression and DNMTs binding at obesity-associated genes. Natural compounds have the potential to reverse obesity-associated gene expression via the regulation of DNA methylation. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of health promoting compounds of flaxseed on DNMTs and obesity-associated gene expression and weight gain. Sixty C57BL/6J male mice were randomly assigned into one of the following diet groups and fed for eight weeks: 45% kcal fat; 45% kcal fat+10% whole flaxseed; 45% kcal fat+6% defatted flaxseed; 45% kcal fat+4% flaxseed oil; and 16% kcal fat. DNMT1, DNMT3a, DNMT3b, leptin, and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)-α expressions in adipose and muscle tissues were determined by real-time PCR. The health promoting compounds of flaxseed affected selected gene expression and attenuated weight gain. Further research is needed to identify the specific mechanisms modulating leptin or PPAR-α expression during DIO development.
Prospective Within-Patient Assessment of the Impact of an Unlabeled Octreotide Pre-dose on the Biodistribution and Tumor Uptake of 68Ga DOTATOC as Assessed by Dynamic Whole-body PET in Patients with Neuroendocrine Tumors: Implications for Diagnosis and Therapy

Gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (GEP NETs) are often associated with high expression of somatostatin receptors (SSTRs) which allows for PET/CT imaging with radiolabeled somatostatin analogs such as 68Ga-DOTATOC. The interplay between 68Ga-DOTATOC and the synthetic somatostatin analogs commonly used to manage patient symptoms may lead to competition between the labelled and unlabeled peptides for receptor binding sites and current product labelling recommends patients be taken off somatostatin analogs before imaging. In this study, we prospectively investigated in human patients the effect of a pre-dose of octreotide, a short-acting somatostatin analog, on the distribution of 68Ga-DOTATOC in GEP NETs and normal organs. Research participants with GEP NETs were studied on two occasions using dynamic whole-body 68Ga-DOTATOC PET/CT. The two imaging studies were performed within 21 days of each other, using an identical acquisition protocol except for the administration of 50 μg of short-acting octreotide (pre-dose) immediately before the second PET/CT. Paired t-tests were used to compare tracer uptake with and without octreotide, for tumor and various normal organs. Seven participants with a mean age of 53 ± 10 years were studied. Octreotide pre-dosing decreased radiotracer uptake in the normal liver and spleen by 25 % (p = 0.04) and 47 % (p = 0.05) respectively but did not significantly change uptake in tumor (p = 0.53), red marrow (p = 0.12), kidneys (p =0.57), or pituitary gland (p = 0.27). Our data indicate SSTR imaging can be improved with a pre-dose of unlabeled octreotide given just prior to injection of the radiotracer. These data suggest there may be no need to discontinue somatostatin analog therapy prior to PET/CT with 68Ga-DOTATOC, allowing for a simpler, less disruptive patient protocol. This approach warrants further study in a variety of settings.
Understanding the Effect of Body Comparison, Desire to Be Popular, and Social Media Engagement on Body Satisfaction

Research on body image identifies proposed factors that lead to body dissatisfaction. Studies have found that young women who frequently see media images of the ideal thin body standard demonstrate lower body satisfaction. The goal of this study is to identify the effect of body comparison, desire to be popular, and social media engagement on body satisfaction. An online survey utilizing established measures for body comparison, desire to be popular - reading fashion frequency and body area satisfaction was used with 132 responses. Four hypotheses were analyzed with one-way ANOVA, resulting in three statistically significant findings. Findings were contrary to previous research and predictive hypotheses. Study participants were satisfied with their appearance, even when frequently viewing and comparing themselves to the cultural ideal and fashion trends. Future research is needed to investigate personality variables and susceptibility to media exposure and social media influence.
Enabling Batteryless Wearable Devices by Transferring Power Through The Human Body

Over the past few decades, we have witnessed tremendous advancements in semiconductor and MEMS technologies, leading to the proliferation of ultra-miniaturized and ultra-low-power (in micro-watt ranges) wearable devices for wellness and healthcare [1]. Most of these wearable sensors are battery powered for their operation. The use of an on-device battery as the primary energy source poses a number of challenges that serve as the key barrier to the development of novel wearable applications and the widespread use of numerous, seamless wearable sensors [5].
Specific mechanisms of bulk and surface absorption of ultrashort mid-infrared laser pulses in optical materials

Low photon energy of mid-infrared radiation supports generation of non-equilibrium free-carrier plasma in transparent optical materials via nonlinear absorption and associated inter-band electron excitation. The collision rate of the plasma may be low so that the free carriers experience from zero to very few collisions per electron per pulse for pulses shorter than 200 fs. Those features of the free-carrier plasma support specific mechanisms of light absorption. We consider solid-state analogs of the Brunel absorption at interfaces, Landau damping, and nonlinear absorption by free-carrier stimulated inverse bremsstrahlung. Parametric scaling of those mechanisms is compared against that of the traditional models.
Frankfurt Meets Chicago: Collaborations between the Institute for Social Research and Harold Lasswell, 1933-1941

The Frankfurt School is rightly remembered for Critical Theory and for its condemnations of “scientism.” Nonetheless, during its American exile, the Frankfurt School developed a remarkably constructive relationship with leading advocates for the scientific study of politics, particularly Harold Lasswell. That relationship offers an intriguing new perspective on the history of political science. First, it helps explain why the Frankfurt School retained John Dewey as its chief representative of scientism. Second, it reveals that, despite conventional narratives concerning the incompatibility of empirical political science and normative political theory, Lasswell and the Frankfurt School found important areas of conceptual overlap, particularly with respect to the politics of culture.
Escape out the Back Door or Charge in the Front Door: U.S Reactions to the International Criminal Court

In the last days of his administration, former President Clinton made the United States a signatory to the Rome Treaty for the International Criminal Court, an unexpected move that allowed the United States to continue to participate in the shaping of the court. However, the signature neither indicated approval of the court nor the United States' willingness to be a full participant in it. Instead, many arguments against the participation of the United States exist, and the chances of ratification by the Congress are slim. This Note analyzes the United States' attempts to exempt itself from the Rome Treaty and the arguments against the United States' participation. The Note argues that the United States' participation in the ICC is necessary and appropriate to its position in the international community and supports the United States' full participation through ratification of the Treaty.
InAs nanowire gate-all-around MOSFETs by heterogeneous planar VLS growth

High Indium content (In%) InGaAs is a promising channel material to extend Si based CMOS technology [1]. However, due to its huge lattice mismatch with commercially available III–V substrates (GaAs or InP), it is difficult to grow high In% film beyond the ultra-thin critical thickness, and therefore difficult to obtain the in-plane nanowires (NWs) based on top-down etching of a thin-film structure. Here we directly grow InAs planar NWs heterogeneously on GaAs (100) via the vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) mechanism [2] and demonstrate a planar NW gate-all-around (GAA) MOSFET device. Despite a 6.7% lattice mismatch between InAs and GaAs (leading to a critical thickness below 1 nm for thin-film growth), high-quality InAs NWs are realized, enabling good electrical performance of MOSFET with a planar InAs NW as the channel. This technology also provides a potential solution for integrating planar NW channels of different materials on a single substrate.
Coronary Plaque Neovascularization and Hemorrhage: A Potential Target for Plaque Stabilization?

Angiogenesis, or the growth of new blood vessels from existing host vessels, is increasingly being recognized as important in the growth and progression of atherosclerosis, the primary cause of coronary artery and cerebrovascular disease. Neovascularization of atherosclerotic plaques was first noted
Regulation of M current by intracellular calcium in bullfrog sympathetic ganglion neurons

Regulation of M current (lM) by intracellular free calcium was studied in dissociated bullfrog sympathetic ganglion B cells using whole-cell recording, intracellular perfusion, and confocal calcium imaging. BAPTA (20 mM) and appropriate amounts of calcium were added to pipette solutions to clamp calcium at different levels. A high concentration of BAPTA itself mildly inhibited lM. Intracellular perfusion effectively controlled cellular free calcium; this was confirmed by confocal imaging with the calcium indicator fluo-3. In a calcium-free environment (no calcium added to either side of the cell membrane), average lM was 166 pA. Raising intracellular free calcium to 60 nM or higher reversibly enhanced lM by more than 100%. The maximum M conductance doubled upon raising calcium from 0 to 120 nM, and was accompanied by a -11 mV shift of the half-activation voltage. The kinetics of the closing and reopening relaxations of lM were also altered by raising calcium. Enhancement of lM by calcium required ATP in the pipette. TEA (5 mM) and d-tubocurarine (d-TC; 100 microM) did not alter the calcium effect, indicating that it was the M current being modulated and not other K+ currents. High calcium (450 nM) reduced lM. The up- and downregulation of lM paralleled the increases and decreases of fluorescence intensity observed via calcium imaging. Changing extracellular calcium had no significant effect on lM or cellular fluorescence. The role of calcium in muscarinic and peptidergic modulation of lM was also explored. Muscarine (1 or 10 microM) inhibited lM less at zero calcium than at higher calcium. Nearly complete suppression occurred with 120 nM calcium in the presence of 20 mM BAPTA. lM overrecovered upon washout of muscarine at 120 nM calcium, while little overrecovery of lM developed at zero calcium. Similar effects were observed at zero and 120 nM calcium when using the peptide LHRH to inhibit lM. We conclude that the absolute level of free calcium determines the size of lM, and that a minimum sustained level of calcium is required both for optimal suppression of lM by muscarine and for overrecovery. While our data suggest that resting calcium levels play a permissive role in muscarinic suppression, an additional role for agonist-induced calcium increases cannot be ruled out.
Analytical methods for lignocellulosic biomass structural polysaccharides

The use of lignocellulosic biomass has been postulated as a potential pathway toward diminishing global dependence on nonrenewable sources of chemicals and fuels. Before a specific feedstock can be selected for biochemical conversion into biofuels and bio-based chemicals, it must first be characterized to evaluate the chemical composition of the cell walls. Polysaccharides, specifically cellulose and hemicellulose, are often the focal point of these appraisals, since these constituents are the dominant substrates converted into monomeric sugars like glucose and xylose. These monosaccharides can be transformed, using microorganisms like yeast, into substances such as ethanol. Plant species containing abundant polysaccharides are highly desirable, as higher quantities of sugars should translate into larger end-product yields. Given the vast pool of potential feedstocks, qualitative and quantitative analytical methods are needed to assess cell wall polysaccharides. Many of these tools, such as wet chemical and chromatographic techniques, have been ubiquitously used for some time. Shortcomings in these analyses, however, prevent their usage in screening large sample sets for quintessential, high-yield, fuel-producing traits. This chapter briefly summarizes how analytical spectroscopy can lessen some of these limitations and how it has been utilized for polysaccharide analysis.
THE ROLE OF PHE-92 IN THE CA2+-INDUCED CONFORMATIONAL TRANSITION IN THE C-TERMINAL DOMAIN OF CALMODULIN

Recent studies have shown that substitution of Ala for one or more Phe residues in calmodulin (CaM) imparts a temperature-sensitive phenotype to yeast (Ohya, Y., and Botstein, D. (1994) Science 263, 963-966). The Phe residue immediately preceding the first Ca(2+) ligand in site III of CaM (Phe-92) was found to be of particular importance because the mutation at this position alone was sufficient to induce this phenotype. In the present work we have studied the functional and structural consequences of the Phe-92 --> Ala mutation in human liver calmodulin. We found that the mutant (CaMF92A) is incapable of activating phosphodiesterase, and the maximal activation of calcineurin is reduced by 40% as compared with the wild type CaM. Impaired regulatory properties of CaMF92A are accompanied by an increase in affinity for Ca(2+) at the C-terminal domain. To investigate the structural consequences of the F92A mutation, we constructed four recombinant C-terminal domain fragments (C-CaM) of calmodulin (residues 78-148): 1) wild type (C-CaMW); 2) Ala substituted for Phe-92 (C-CaMF92A); 3) cysteine residues introduced at position 85 and 112 to lock the domain with a disulfide bond in the Ca(2+)-free (closed) conformation (C-CaM85/112); and 4) mutations 2 and 3 combined (C-CaM85/112F92A). The Cys-containing mutants readily form intramolecular disulfide bonds regardless whether Phe or Ala is present at position 92. The F92A mutation causes a decrease in stability of the domain in the absence of Ca(2+) as indicated by an 11.8 degree C shift in the far UV circular dichroism thermal unfolding curve. This effect is reversed by the disulfide bond in the C-CaM85/112F92A mutant. The C-CaMW peptide shows a characteristic Ca(2+)-dependent increase in solvent-exposed hydrophobic surface which was monitored by an increase in the fluorescence of the hydrophobic probe 1,1'-bis(4-anilino)-naphthalene-5,5'-disulfonic acid. The fluorescence increase induced by C-CaMF92A is approximately 45% lower than that induced by C-CaMW suggesting that the F92A mutation causes a decrease in the accessibility of several hydrophobic side chains in the C-terminal domain of CaM in the presence of Ca(2+). The Cys-85-Cys-112 disulfide bond causes a 10- or 5.9-fold decrease in Ca(2+) affinity depending on whether Phe or Ala is present at position 92, respectively, suggesting that coupling between Ca(2+) binding and the conformational transition is weaker in the absence of the phenyl ring at position 92. Our results indicate that Phe-92 makes an important contribution to the Ca(2+)-induced transition in the C-terminal domain of CaM. This is most likely the reason for the severely impaired regulatory properties of the CaM mutants having Ala substituted for Phe-92.
Dynamic mechanical spectra and limit of linear viscoelasticity of high polmers

The dynamic mechanical properties of a typical polycrystalline polymer (polyethylene) and a typical glassy state amorphous polymer (polystyrene) have been studied as a function of both frequency and temperature. The response of these materials to mechanical loading was found to be dependent upon the magnitude of strain resulting from the mechanical load above the limit of linear viscoelastic response. Therefore, the limit of linear viscoelastic response must be considered as an important material characteristic in design application of high polymers. This limit has been studied as a function of time scale of loading and polymer structure for a series of materials. A general trend of increased strain limit of linear viscoelastic response with increased heterogeneity of internal structure has been found.
Reliability Optimization by Generalized Lagrangian-Function and Reduced-Gradient Methods

Nonlinear optimization problems for reliability of a complex system are solved using the generalized Lagrangian function (GLF) method and the generalized reduced gradient (GRG) method. GLF is twice continuously differentiable and closely related to the generalized penalty function which includes the interior and exterior penalty functions as a special case. GRG generalizes the Wolfe reduced gradient method and has been coded in FORTRAN title ``GREG'' by Abadie et al. Two system reliability optimization problems are solved. The first maximizes complex-system reliability with a tangent cost-function; the second minimizes the cost, with a minimum system reliability. The results are compared with those using the Sequential Unconstrained Minimization Technique (SUMT) and the direct search approach by Luus and Jaakola (LJ). Many algorithms have been proposed for solving the general nonlinear programming problem. Only a few have been demonstrated to be effective when applied to large-scale nonlinear programming problems, and none has proved to be so superior that it can be classified as a universal algorithm. Both GLF and GRG methods presented here have been successfully used in solving a number of general nonlinear programming problems in a variety of engineering applications and are better methods among the many algorithms.
Lower extremity volumetric arterial blood flow in normal subjects

The objective of this clinical study was to establish normal values for volumetric blood flow in the leg at rest using Doppler ultrasound, and to determine what biophysical factors influence resting volumetric flow. Arterial blood flow was measured at four sites in the legs of 40 healthy subjects using an ATL Ultramark 9 HDI® system. All subjects were nonhypertensive nonsmokers with ankle brachial index values greater than 1 and no history of vascular disease. The subjects, 20 of each gender, in age ranging from 20 to 64 y were examined. Blood flow was calculated from the time-averaged, intensity-weighted mean velocity Doppler waveforms and vessel cross-sectional area at the same site. Thigh and calf circumference measurements were used to estimate muscle masses. The mean flow and standard error measured in four arteries in the leg were: 284 ± 21 mL/min in the common femoral (CFA); 152 ± 10 mL/min in the superficial femoral (SFA); 72 ± 5 mL/min in the popliteal; and 3 ± 1 mL/min in the dorsalis pedis. Although women tended to have higher time-averaged mean velocities in the CFA and SFA than men (t-test, p < 0.008), their arterial cross-sectional areas tended to be smaller (t-test, p < 0.004) and no statistically significant difference was found between men and women in volumetric flow at any site. No correlation was found between age, weight, height, muscle mass and volumetric flow at all four sites. These estimates of lower extremity volumetric flow in healthy subjects provide a baseline for future studies of flow rates in patients with vascular disease.
Feeding great lakes fish to mink: Effects on mink and accumulation and elimination of PCBS by mink

The effects of feeding Great Lakes fish or fish products (carp, sucker, perch scraps, whitefish racks, and alewife fishmeal) to mink were studied. Growth and furring of mink were normal for all species of fish tested. However, mink fed carp failed to reproduce, and the reproductive performance and/or kit survival in groups fed the perch, whitefish, and sucker were inferior to the control. Only the alewife fishmeal diet supported reproduction and kit survival comparable to the control. PCB residues (as Aroclor 1254) accumulated in mink subcutaneous body fat to as much as 38 times the dietary level, while some individual congeners accumulated up to 200 times. The half‐life of PCB in mink adipose tissue was determined to be 98 d. The toxicity of PCBs derived from Great Lakes fish was greater than that observed in previous studies with mink fed comparable levels of technical‐grade PCBs.
Formation of quasicrystals in Zr–Pd–(Cu) melt spun ribbons and mechanically milled powders

Abstract Amorphous Zr70Pd30 and Zr70Pd20Cu10 alloys were prepared by mechanical milling and melt spinnng to compare their devitrification behaviors. The devitrification of mechanically milled Zr70Pd30 and Zr70Pd20Cu10 powders occurs via a single-step, first-order transformation to a stable Zr2Pd tetragonal structure. This is in sharp contrast to the devitrification of the same amorphous alloys prepared by melt spinning, in which a primary meta-stable quasicrystalline phase forms. Since the mechanical milling process does not involve direct liquid phase formation of an amorphous structure, it is inferred that the short-range order in the solid state derived amorphous powder is different from that in the melt spun ribbon. During mechanical milling of an amorphous melt spun ribbon, crystallization of the quasicrystalline phase appears to precede disordering into an amorphous structure having an different short range order. Deformation of an amorphous melt spun ribbon by repetitive rolling at ambient temperature crystallizes the meta-stable quasicrystalline phase.
Reduced funding and sequestration impact young biomedical researchers

The federal sequester has exacerbated an already grim research funding crisis. The continued budget cuts have had a widespread effect on all researchers in biomedical science, but the impact is especially keen on trainees who are deciding whether or not to stay in science. Steps must be taken to bolster young researcher morale, career options and funding to ensure the continued advancement of biomedical science in this country.
Development As Peace: A Vision Of Hope In The India-Pakistan Conflict

(2002). Development As Peace: A Vision Of Hope In The India-Pakistan Conflict. Journal of Peacebuilding & Development: Vol. 1, No. 1, pp. 103-106.
Beyond the body: Walt Whitman’s lavender language and ‘Out of the cradle endlessly rocking’

In contradistinction to recent readings of later editions of Walt Whitman’s poetry, which claim those Leaves represent ‘dehomoeroticized,’ heterosexually-normative texts, I explore one possible way of reading the poetry as gay text, even when homoeroticism is not the apparent poetic subject. This involves reading the instability of the self that is given a central position in the later texts as representing not a retreat from the celebration of the (erotic) self but as a means whereby Whitman can explore the nature of same-sex desire and sexual identity. I argue that the poet figures the self not as an already fully present entity (as in earlier editions) but as the fragmented product of the discontinuity of the self he sees as arising from his own radical sexual difference. This sense of sexual otherness and the discontinuous self it leads to is the subject of several important mid-career poems, especially ‘Out of the Cradle Endlessly Rocking’ and ‘As I Ebb’d with the Ocean of Life.’
Polarized Molecular Orbital Model Chemistry. II. The PMO Method.

We present a new semiempirical molecular orbital method based on neglect of diatomic differential overlap. This method differs from previous NDDO-based methods in that we include p orbitals on hydr...
The Effects of Arsenic Exposure on Neurological and Cognitive Dysfunction in Human and Rodent Studies: A Review

Arsenic toxicity is a worldwide health concern as several millions of people are exposed to this toxicant via drinking water, and exposure affects almost every organ system in the body including the brain. Recent studies have shown that even low concentrations of arsenic impair neurological function, particularly in children. This review will focus on the current epidemiological evidence of arsenic neurotoxicity in children and adults, with emphasis on cognitive dysfunction, including learning and memory deficits and mood disorders. We provide a cohesive synthesis of the animal studies that have focused on neural mechanisms of dysfunction after arsenic exposure including altered epigenetics; hippocampal function; glucocorticoid and hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA) pathway signaling; glutamatergic, cholinergic and monoaminergic signaling; adult neurogenesis; and increased Alzheimer’s-associated pathologies. Finally, we briefly discuss new studies focusing on therapeutic strategies to combat arsenic toxicity including the use of selenium and zinc.
Numerical boundary conditions and computational modes

Abstract Methods of specifying the boundary conditions for the finite difference approximation of the 1 — D linearized shallow water wave equation are tested. First, extrapolation schemes for boundary values are studied. In particular, “characteristic extrapolations” based on the characteristic equations are proposed for the inflow boundaries. Second, discussions are given on the overall setting of the boundary conditions. An improper treatment of “computational” boundary conditions excites the computational modes in the numerical solutions. Two types of boundary treatments are found to avoid or suppress the unfavorable oscillation due to the computational modes. One type uses order-consistent equation for extrapolations in a well-posed case, and the other uses a local smoothing of the solutions at the boundaries in an over-specified case.
Evaluation of anesthetic technique on surgical site infections (SSIs) at a single institution

Abstract Study Objective To determine whether the previously published relationship between anesthetic technique and rate of surgical site infections (SSIs) was influenced by institution specific effects. Design Retrospective Review of Quality Assurance and Hospital Epidemiology databases. Setting Metropolitan medical center. Measurements The records of 7,751 patients who underwent knee or hip joint replacement from 2004 to 2010 were analyzed. Data regarding anesthetic technique, age, ASA status, gender, postoperative temperature, duration of anesthesia and type of surgery were from the department of anesthesiology quality assurance database and SSI cases were identified from the department of epidemiology database. The impact of anesthetic technique and other variables was assessed using bivariate and multivariate techniques. Main Results There was no association of anesthetic technique on the rate of SSI. Duration of anesthesia and ASA status were associated with effects on the rate of SSI. Conclusions The impact of anesthetic technique on SSI following hip and knee replacement surgery may be site specific and using locally gathered quality data may assist in assessing specific institutional impact.
Prenatal and postnatal determinants of the 1st suckling episode in albino rats.

Conditions under which an odor could elicit the 1st nipple attachment in albino rats were investigated. In Experiment I rats exposed prenatally and immediately after birth to citral, a lemon scent, suckled the washed nipples of an anesthetized, parturient dam when the nipples had been scented with citral. Moreover, these rats did not suckle the normal, unwashed nipples of these dams. In Experiment II rats were exposed to citral either (a) in utero, (b) immediately after birth, (c) both pre- and post-natally, or (d) not at all. Only rats in Group (c) attached to washed, citral-scented nipples and did not suckle the normal unwashed nipples that elicited suckling in control rats. These findings suggest that prenatal and postnatal events can determine which olfactory stimuli elicit the newborn rat's 1st nipple attachment.
Can Religion Promote Virtue?: A More Stringent Test of the Model of Relational Spirituality and Forgiveness

Rather than simply studying whether religious individuals are more forgiving than nonreligious individuals, recent research has focused on how religion may promote a more fluid and efficient forgiveness process. The present studies sought to strengthen evidence for a model of relational spirituality and forgiveness (Davis, Hook, & Worthington, 2008), given the reliance of prior studies on cross-sectional designs that did not control for hurtfulness of the offense. In Study 1, spiritual appraisals predicted unforgiveness, controlling for hurtfulness and other covariates. Furthermore, using structural equation modeling, empathy was found to partially mediate the relationship between spiritual appraisals and unforgiveness. In Study 2, participants (N = 123) completed a survey weekly for 6 weeks that included measures of relational spirituality and forgiveness. Appraisals of relational spirituality predicted subsequent unforgiveness, as well as the rate of decline in unforgiveness. Thus, using a more stringen...
Progress In The Commercialization Of A Carbonaceous Solar Selective Absorber On A Glass Substrate

A carbonaceous solar selective absorber is formed on a glass substrate by coating the glass with a silver infrared reflecting layer, electroplating a thin nickel catalyst coating on the silver using very special plating conditions, and then exposing the nickel coated, silvered glass substrate to acetylene at a temperature of about 400 - 500°C for about five minutes. A fairly large plater and conveyor oven have been constructed and operated for the formation of these solar selective absorbers in order to study the formation of this absorber by a process which might be used commercially. Samples of this selective absorber on a glass substrate have been formed using the plater and conveyor oven. The samples, which have the best optical properties, have an absorptance of about 0.9 and an emittance of about 0.03. Excessive decomposition of the acetylene by the walls of the oven at higher temperatures with certain wall materials and oven geometries can prevent the formation of good selective absorbers. Procedures for preventing excessive decomposition of the acetylene and the knowledge gained so far by these studies is discussed.
Luni‐solar and solar cycle signals in lake Saki varves and further experiments

Spectrum analysis of over 4000 years of Lake Saki varve data in 200-year swaths yields evidence for two peaks with periods 18·5±1·5 years (18 out of 21 series) and 10·7±0·8 years (in 15 series). Statistical tests show that the long-period peak is statistically significant at a 98 per cent confidence level. The peaks are identified as the luni-solar 18·6-year, Mn, and the 10–11-year solar cycle, Sc, signals in climate. Amplitudes of both terms are highly non-stationary with respect to time, and the phase of Mn wavetrains is also highly non-stationary, often displaying abrupt changes of 180°. On average the two terms account for 20 per cent of total variance in the raw Saki series, the Nyquist frequency of which is 0·5 cpy. This of course is highly unrealistic—and when the power in the raw Saki data from 0·125 cpy (period of 8 years) to the Nyquist is filtered out prior to analysis, and the variance contribution of the signals to filtered data compared over a common frequency interval (periods 30 to 8 years), their variance contribution increases dramatically to 78 per cent. Such experiments have been carried out for thousands of climate records with similar results, and examples from both published and unpublished data are given herein. Thus, the spectrum of climate from 30 to 8 years has turned out to be strongly ‘signal-like’ rather than ‘noise-like’ as radically assumed by statisticians/mathematicians over the past 70 years.