cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pulmonary artery systolic pressures estimated by echocardiogram vs cardiac catheterization in patients awaiting lung transplantation

Abstract Background: At many lung transplant centers, right heart catheterization and transthoracic echocardiogram are part of the routine pre-transplant evaluation to measure pulmonary pressures. Because decisions regarding single vs bilateral lung transplant procedures and the need for cardiopulmonary bypass are often made based on pulmonary artery systolic pressures, we sought to examine the relationship between estimated and measured pulmonary artery systolic pressures using echocardiogram and catheterization, respectively. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed all patients in our program who had measured pulmonary hypertension ( n = 57). Patients with both echocardiogram-estimated and catheterization-measured pulmonary artery systolic pressures performed within 2 weeks of each other were included ( n = 19). We analyzed results for correlation and linear regression in the entire group and in the patients with primary pulmonary hypertension ( n = 8) and pulmonary fibrosis ( n = 8). Results: In patients with primary pulmonary hypertension, pulmonary artery systolic pressure was 94 ± 27 and 95 ± 15 mm Hg by echocardiogram and catheterization, respectively, with r 2 = 0.11; in patients with pulmonary fibrosis, 57 ± 23 and 58 ± 12 mm Hg with r 2 = 0.22; and in the whole group, 76 ± 29 and 75 ± 23 mm Hg with r 2 = 0.50. Thirty-two additional patients had mean pulmonary artery systolic pressure=48 ± 16 mm Hg by catheterization but either had no evidence of tricuspid regurgitation by echocardiogram ( n = 22) or the pulmonary artery systolic pressure could not be measured ( n = 10). Conclusions: In patients with pulmonary hypertension awaiting transplant, pulmonary artery systolic pressures estimated by echocardiogram correspond but do not serve as an accurate predictive model of pulmonary artery systolic pressures measured by catheterization. Technical limitations of the echocardiogram in this patient population often preclude estimating pulmonary artery systolic pressure.
Promoting transactions for A/E/C product information

Current approaches that support the transactions of A/E/C product information are not able to handle issues including ambiguous textual product information, domain knowledge utilization, and information comprehensiveness all at one time. Therefore, this researcher has developed a knowledge-supported approach to tackle the recognized issues to obtain an increased amount of product information from the available market, as a way to promote A/E/C product information transactions. Specifically, two strategies including automated query expansion and conceptual indexing that incorporate domain knowledge into Information Retrieval (IR) models were adapted and tested to compare with an existing search engine their capabilities in gathering additional product information. It was concluded from the investigation and testing that existing domain knowledge can be helpful when used adequately with IR operations to promote the transaction of A/E/C product information.
Solid-phase lanthanide luminescence detection in liquid chromatography

Terbium ions are immobilized on silica gel through ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) or diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA) ligands. The resulting materials are utilized as solid-phase detection systems in liquid chromatography. Terbium(III) luminescence is observed when organic compounds that can transfer energy to Tb(III) by an intramolecular process are present. Peak tailing caused by slow dissociation of transferring compounds from the Tb(III) is significantly reduced if potassium acetate is added to the mobile phase. The solid phases slowly turn a bluish-green color unless triethylenetetraamine is added to the mobile phase. The color change is believed to be caused by bonding of trace amounts of transition metal ions to the solid phase. Detection of carboxylic acid-containing compounds such as indole-2-carboxylic acid, indole-3-acetic acid, 5-methoxyindole-2-carboxylic acid, kynurenic acid, and quinolinic acid is more sensitive with the Tb−DTPA phase than the Tb−EDTA phase, whereas detecti...
Setting the Standard for Teaching as a Profession: A Conversation with Arthur Wise.

Dr. Arthur Wise has had a long and distinguished career working for teacher quality and professionalism, school finance reform, and advancement of educational research. As the president of the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education, he directed that organization’s development of performance-based standards and assessments and has spearheaded the effort to have teaching recognized as a profession. Wise is the author of several influential articles and books, including Rich Schools, Poor Schools: the Promise of Equal Educational Opportunity and Legislated Learning, and a co-author of A License to Teach. He recently received the David G. Imig Award for Distinguished Contributions to Teacher Education. Our conversation focused on how to promote teaching as a profession.
A Counterintuitive Argument for Résumé Embellishment

Applied ethicists say little about resume embellishment. Presumably, this is so because resume embellishment seems obviously wrong; an instance of ordinary lying, familiar moral prohibitions against which cover the case completely. Analysis of resume embellishment merely as ordinary lying overlooks its collective action aspects. Taking account of those aspects and their implications, I argue on consequentialist grounds that, given some plausible background conditions, a limited form of resume embellishment is morally permissible (and perhaps required). This outcome is a particular instantiation of a more general principle about how one ought to act when participating in a morally valuable co-ordinative practice. I conclude by identifying implications for how employers ought to use resumes in hiring decisions.
Production of interferon γ messenger RNA by cells of non-immune origin

There is general agreement that IFN-gamma is produced only by cells of immune origin (T-cells, NK cells, and recently macrophages). However, indirect evidence has suggested that undetectable, low levels of IFN-gamma produced by cells of non-immune lineage, such as the murine line L-929, enhanced the antiviral activity of IFNs-alpha and/or beta following induction by agents such as the double stranded RNA poly ICLC. Since L-929 cells were one of the prototypic cell lines for studying murine IFN induction and action, we felt that it would be important to validate this observation by detection of the mRNA for IFN-gamma. If confirmed, it might indicate a role for IFN-gamma in non-immune cells. The present investigations revealed that mouse L-929 fibroblasts produce IFN-gamma message following exposure to conventional IFN-alpha/beta inducers such as poly ICLC or Newcastle disease virus. In addition, we found that IFN-gamma itself will induce its own message. We further show that this is not a phenomenon isolated to transformed cells since we found that normal mouse embryo fibroblasts also produced the message, however in a constitutive fashion.
Promiscuity in Barbary macaques (Macaca sylvanus)

The mating behavior of female Barbary macaques (Macaca sylvanus) has been called "promiscuous" because females mate with multiple males in rapid succession. The data presented here, based on a 9 month study of a semifree-ranging colony, supports the idea that females do indeed mate indiscriminately and at a high rate. Five hundred six copulations were recorded for 21 females during the breeding season, and 358 of these copulations occurred when females were in extended estrous cycles. As the days that females spent in estrus increased, either because they had longer cycles or more cycles than some other females, the number of different male partners also increased. There was no association between mating behavior and either male-female friendships or male care of infants born the following birth season. Promiscuity cannot be explained by selection to confuse paternity. There is also no evidence that females exchange copulations for support or affiliation. Female Barbary macaques mate with multiple males because males are unable, or are unwilling, to stop them.
Bacterially-induced glyceollin production in soybean cell suspension cultures

Abstract Inoculation of suspension cultures of a recently initiated cell line of Glycine max (L.) Merr. cv Mandarin (Sb-2) with a compatible or incompatible strain of the soybean pathogen Pseudomonas syringae pv glycinea or the heterologous pathogen P. syringae pv syringae induced production of the phytoalexin glyceollin. Cell wall glucan from Phytophthora megasperma f. sp. glycinea was also an active elicitor. A cell line (Sb-1) of Mandarin suspension culture initiated in 1964 and subcultured ever since did not produce glyceollin in response to bacterial inoculation or treatment with various other biotic and abiotic elicitors. A bacterially-induced hypersensitive response was not required for glyceollin production.
Overview of angiogenesis: Biologic implications for antiangiogenic therapy

Tumor angiogenesis is essential for the growth of primary and metastatic tumors. This process requires the coordinated activities of multiple factors and cell types. For tumors to develop a neovascular blood supply, tumor cells and host cells must secrete proangiogenic factors that offset the activities of inhibitory angiogenic factors. In addition, the newly derived tumor endothelium must respond to signals in the microenvironment to survive under conditions such as hypoxia and acidity. Moreover, because the process of angiogenesis is regulated by redundant factors and pathways, inhibition of any single pathway is likely to select for cells whose angiogenesis is driven by other factors. Because antiangiogenic therapy is unlikely to induce tumor regression, the criteria for efficacy must be evaluated by means other than the standard criteria used to evaluate cytotoxic chemotherapy. Understanding the basic principles that drive tumor angiogenesis will lead to the development of therapies that will likely prolong survival without the toxicity associated with standard chemotherapy.
Sedimentation rates of plastids in an analytical zonal rotor.

Abstract 1. 1. The development of A-type zonal rotors with transparent end plates has made possible the direct determination of sedimentation coefficients of organelles down to the size of mitochondria. 2. 2. The sedimentation rates of the particles migrating through density gradients were measured from visual observations through the end plates of the rotor with a travelling microscope. Equilibrium densities of the particles were determined in the same rotors. 3. 3. Plastids were extracted from bean leaves ( Phaseolus vulgaris var. Improved Tendergreen) which had been etiolated or exposed to 5 h illumination. The calculated sedimentation coefficient of the plastids from etiolated plants was 5111 000 ± 2000 S and that of plastids from partially greened plants was 666 000 ± 2000 S. 4. 4. The feasibility of using sedimentation coefficients as biophysical parameters of organelle differentiation is discussed.
Plasma rotation in the PDX tokamak

Toroidal and poloidal rotation has been measured in the Poloidal Divertor Experiment (PDX) tokamak in Ohmic and neutral-beam heated plasmas in a variety of discharge conditions and in both circular and diverted configurations. Rotation velocities were deduced from Doppler shifts of magnetic dipole (M1) lines and lines of optically allowed transitions in the visible and UV regions, from Kα emission, and also from an array of magnetic pickup loops. Poloidal and toroidal rotation velocities in Ohmically heated discharges were usually less than 3 × 105 cms−1. Near the plasma edge, the toroidal rotation velocity varies with poloidal angle both before and during neutral-beam injection. No systematic poloidal rotation was observed during neutral-beam injection centred about or displaced 10 cm from the horizontal midplane, which implies that the poloidal damping time τθ < 0.5 τii consistent with theoretical estimates. The central toroidal rotation velocity during neutral-beam injection scales linearly with the quantity and is independent of plasma current and toroidal magnetic field. The toroidal rotation velocity is higher in deuterium than in hydrogen plasmas, and also in diverted discharges as compared with circular ones. Toroidal rotation decay times after injection range from 80–100 ms at the centre to 160–180 ms at half the minor radius. Modelling of the radial profile of toroidal rotation indicates a central momentum diffusivity of the order of 8 × 103 cm2s−1. This is approximately a factor of three higher than the momentum diffusivity obtained from the decay time. All present theories are inadequate in accounting for the observed damping rate of v.
Précis of Building Better Beings: A Theory of Moral Responsibility

The idea of moral responsibility is central to a wide range of our moral, social, and legal practices, and it underpins our basic notion of culpability. Yet the idea of moral responsibility is increasingly viewed with skepticism by researchers and scholars in psychology, neuroscience, philosophy, and the law. Building Better Beings: A Theory of Moral Responsibility responds to these challenges, offering a new account of the justification of our practices and judgments of moral responsibility. Three distinctive ideas shape the account. The first is the agency cultivation model, which holds that a system of responsibility practices can derive its justification from the way it supports our agency. The second idea, circumstantialism, is a new way of thinking about agential capacities. This is the view that the capacities required for moral responsibility are functions of agents in circumstances, rather than basic features of agents considered in themselves. The third idea is revisionism, or the idea that a satisfactory theory of moral responsibility will conflict with some aspects of ordinary commitments about freedom and moral responsibility.
Are Joint Structure and Function Related to Medial Knee OA Pain? A Pilot Study

Background Although the severity of knee osteoarthritis (OA) usually is assessed using different measures of joint structure, function, and pain, the relationships between these measures are unclear.
A small regulatory element from chromosome 19 enhances liver-specific gene expression

Tissue-specific promoters for gene therapy are typically too big for adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors; thus, the exploration of small effective non-viral regulatory elements is of particular interest. Wild-type AAV can specifically integrate into a region on human chromosome 19 termed AAVS1. Earlier work has determined that a 347 bp fragment (Chr19) of AAVS1 has promoter and transcriptional enhancer activities. In this study, we further characterized this genetic regulation and investigated its application to AAV gene therapy in vitro and in vivo. The Chr19 347 bp fragment was dissected into three regulatory elements in human embryonic kidney cells: (i) TATA-independent promoter activity distributed throughout the fragment regardless of orientation, (ii) an orientation-dependent insulator function near the 5′ end and (iii) a 107 bp enhancer region near the 3′ end. The small enhancer region, coupled to the mini-CMV promoter, was used to drive the expression of several reporters following transduction by AAV2. In vivo data demonstrated enhanced transgene expression from the Chr19-mini-CMV promoter cassette after tail vein injection primarily in the liver at levels comparable to the chicken β-actin promoter and higher than the liver-specific TTR promoter (>2-fold). However, we did not observe this increase after muscle injection, suggesting tissue-specific enhancement. All of the results support identification of a small DNA fragment (347 bp) from AAV Chr19 integration site capable of providing efficient and enhanced liver-specific transcription when used in recombinant AAV vectors.
Involvement of Sp1 in the transcriptional regulation of the rat insulin-like growth factor-1 gene

Abstract Most insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) transcripts are initiated in exon 1, but mechanisms of regulation are not well understood. Since potential Sp1 sites are found in footprinted regions within ∼360 bp upstream and downstream from the major initiation sites in exon 1, we explored the involvement of Sp1 and Sp3 in regulation of IGF-I expression. Gel shift assays showed strong Sp1 binding to the downstream site, but binding to the upstream site was weak; Sp1 bound to a CCTGCCCA sequence in downstream footprint region V, and Sp3 binding was centered on the same sequence. IGF-I basal promoter constructs containing a mutation in the downstream Sp1 site exhibited a 32% decrease in expression in CHO cells and a 75% decrease in HepG2 cells, indicating the importance of Sp1 for expression in vivo. Sp1 and Sp3 expression vectors provided three- to five-fold stimulation of wild-type IGF-I constructs, but had little effect on a construct containing a mutation in the downstream Sp1 site, and Sp1 had comparable effects in Drosophila SL2 cells. IGF-I heterologous promoter constructs exhibited similar responses: in both SL2 cells and CHO cells, stimulation by Sp1 was enhanced with constructs containing downstream region V. Since Sp1 also stimulated expression of concatamers of putative cis-acting sites fused to the SV40 promoter–enhancer in pGL3, the results in combination indicate that the presence of IGF-I region V is sufficient to permit stimulation by Sp1. Conclusion: Sp1 and related factors may play an important role in the regulation of IGF-I gene transcription, through interactions with region V downstream from the major initiation sites in exon 1.
The evolving flow of Jupiter’s White Ovals and adjacent cyclones

Abstract We present results regarding the dynamical meteorology of Jupiter’s White Ovals at different points in their evolution. Starting from the era with three White Ovals FA, BC, and DE ( Galileo ), continuing to the post-merger epoch with only one Oval BA ( Cassini ), and finally to Oval BA’s current reddened state ( New Horizons ), we demonstrate that the dynamics of their flow have similarly evolved along with their appearance. In the Galileo epoch, Oval DE had an elliptical shape with peak zonal wind speeds of ∼90 m s −1 in both its northern and southern peripheries. During the post-merger epoch, Oval BA’s shape was more triangular and less elliptical than Oval DE; in addition to widening in the north–south direction, its northern periphery was 20 m s −1 slower, and its southern periphery was 20 m s −1 faster than Oval DE’s flow during the Galileo era. Finally, in the New Horizons era, the reddened Oval BA had evolved back to a classical elliptical form. The northern periphery of Oval BA increased in speed by 20 m s −1 from Cassini to New Horizons , ending up at a speed nearly identical to that of the northern periphery of Oval DE during Galileo . However, the peak speeds along the southern rim of the newly formed Oval BA were consistently faster than the corresponding speeds in Oval DE, and they increased still further between Cassini and New Horizons , ending up at ∼140–150 m s −1 . Relative vorticity maps of Oval BA reveal a cyclonic ring surrounding its outer periphery, similar to the ring present around the Great Red Spot. The cyclonic ring around Oval BA in 2007 appears to be moderately stronger than observed in 1997 and 2001, suggesting that this may be associated with the coloration of the vortex. The modest strengthening of the winds in Oval BA, the appearance of red aerosols, and the appearance of a turbulent, cyclonic feature to Oval BA’s northwest create a strong resemblance with the Great Red Spot from both a dynamical and morphological perspective. In addition to the White Ovals, we also measure the winds within two compact cyclonic regions, one in the Galileo data set and one in the Cassini data set. In the images, these cyclonic features appear turbulent and filamentary, but our wind field reveals that the flow manifests as a coherent high-speed collar surrounding relatively quiescent interiors. Our relative vorticity maps show that the vorticity likewise concentrates in a collar near the outermost periphery, unlike the White Ovals which have peak relative vorticity magnitudes near the center of the vortex. The cyclones contain several localized bright regions consistent with the characteristics of thunderstorms identified in other studies. Although less studied than their anticyclonic cousins, these cyclones may offer crucial insights into the planet’s cloud-level energetics and dynamical meteorology.
Dialogic Framing: The Framing/Counterframing of “Partial‐Birth” Abortion

Using the framing process of “partial-birth” abortion (PBA) as an exemplifying case this paper proposes a dialogic model of framing in which meaning is created and recreated through an iterative discursive process. Materials developed by six social movement organizations that lead the PBA framing process were analyzed to chronicle the evolution of the PBA frame as well as factors that influenced this evolution. Movement and countermovement actors attempted to imbue PBA with meaning in such a manner as to motivate and direct action to support their overarching political goals. Rather than two distinct parallel frames battling against each other this process is better conceptualized as the evolution of a single frame created in interaction with the framing of one’s opponents. A dialectic model of framing provides a framework for examining the process by which cultural meanings are contested and how these meanings are transformed through collective action. Such a model also potentially expands the definition of successful frame and better illuminates the symbiotic relationship between movements and counter-movements actors. (authors)
Stimulation of deoxyribonucleic acid synthesis in the liver parenchymal cells of the intact rat.

ONE approach to the problem of how DNA synthesis and cell division are regulated in liver has been to try to understand how partial hepatectomy leads to regeneration of the organ. There is little information on this point although it appears that the stimulus is carried in the circulating blood1–2. Another approach has involved efforts to induce DNA replication and mitosis in intact rats. We have tried for several years to enhance the synthesis of liver DNA in unoperated animals, and report here that the injection of a mixture of two fractions of bovine serum into normal rats markedly stimulates DNA formation and mitosis in the parenchymal cells of the liver.
Effect of hydroxynitrobenzylation of tryptophan-177 on reactivity of active site cysteine-25 in papain☆

Abstract It is known that the enzymatic activity of papain (EC 3.4.22.2) toward α-N-benzoyl- l -arginine p-nitroanilide can be substantially increased by hydroxynitrobenzylation of Trp-177 through reaction of the enzyme with the active site-directed reagent, 2-chloromethyl-4-nitrophenyl (N-carbobenzoxy)glycinate ( S.-M. T. Chang and H. R. Horton, 1979 , Biochemistry18, 1559–1563). To determine the effect of such hydroxynitrobenzylation on the nucleophilicity of the essential thiol group at the active site of the enzyme, rates of inactivation by SN2 reactions of Cys-25 with chloroacetamide and chloroacetate and by Michael addition of Cys-25 to N-ethylmaleimide were monitored. The kinetics revealed that, at pH 6.5, the reactivities of the sulfhydryl group of hydroxynitrobenzylated papain with chloroacetamide and with N-ethylmaleimide are 24 and 27% greater than those of the sulfhydryl group of native papain. At pH 7.1, the rate enhancements are 34 and 39%, respectively. These increases in reactivity of Cys-25 as an attacking nucleophile appear to account for the increased catalytic activity of hydroxnitrobenzyl-papain toward an oligopeptide substrate, α-N-benzoyl- l -phenylalanyl- l -valyl- l -arginine p-nitroanilide, and toward an ester substrate, N-carbobenzoxyglycine p-nitrophenyl ester. However, the presence of the hydroxynitrobenzyl reporter group provides substantially greater improvement (250%) in enzymatic efficiency toward α-N-benzoyl- l -arginine p-nitroanilide, apparently by blocking nonproductive binding of this substrate to the enzyme. Fluorescence changes accompanying the various chemical modifications are interpreted in terms of a charge-transfer interaction between the imidazolium ion of His-159 and the indole moiety of Trp-177 in the active form of native papain, which should help to stabilize the catalytically essential mercaptide-imidazolium ion-pair (Cys-25, His-159).
Identification of Decarboxylated S-Adenosylmethionine in the Tapetum Lucidum of the Catfish

The chemistry of the tapetum lucidum of the sea catfish ( Arius felis ) was investigated. The reflecting material consists of two components – one, a tapetal pigment consisting of oligomers of 5, 6-dihydroxyindole-2-carboxylic acid, and another consisting of basic u. v. absorbing materials – which were studied. A main constituent of the latter was isolated by ion-exchange chromatography and precipitation as a flavinate. Chemical properties of this compound indicated its structure to be decarboxylated S -adenosylmethionine and this was confirmed by comparison with a synthetic sample. Thiamine was also identified as a minor constituent. A quantitative analysis of reflecting material purified by centrifugation showed that tapetal pigment, decarboxylated S -adenosylmethionine, and thiamine constituted 44, 17, and 2%, respectively, of the dry mass.
A MULTI-RESOLUTION , PROBABILISTIC APPROACH TO TWO- DIMENSIONAL INVERSE CONDUCTIVITY PROBLEMS*

Abstract In this paper a method of estimating the conductivity in a bounded 2-D domain at multiple spatial resolutions given boundary excitations and measurements is presented. The problem is formulated as a maximum-likelihood estimation problem and an algorithm that consists of a sequence of estimates at successively finer scales is presented. By exploiting the structure of the physics, the problem at each scale is divided into two linear subproblems, each of which is solved using parallelizable relaxation schemes. The success of our algorithm on synthetic data is demonstrated and numerical results based on using the algorithm as a tool for exploring estimation performance is presented, as well as results based on using the algorithm to study the well-posedness of the problem, and the effects of fine-scale variations on coarse scale estimates. Examples based on analytical results that further the understanding of these issues are also presented. The results suggest the use of inhomogeneous spatial scales as a possible way of overcoming ill-posedness at points far away from the boundary.
On membrane hierarchy in P systems

We look at a restricted model of a communicating P system, called RCPS, whose environment does not contain any object initially. The system can expel objects into the environment but only expelled objects can be retrieved from the environment. Such a system is initially given an input a1i1 ... anin (with each ij representing the multiplicity of distinguished object ai, 1≤i≤n) and is used as an acceptor. We show that RCPSs are equivalent to two-way multihead finite automata over bounded languages (i.e., subsets of a1* ... an*, for some distinct symbols a1 ..... an). We then show that there is an infinite hierarchy of RCPS's in terms of the number of membranes: For every r, there is an s > r and a unary language L accepted by an RCPS with s membranes that cannot be accepted by an RCPS with r membranes. This provides an answer to an open problem in (Membrane Computing: An Introduction, Springer, Berlin, 2002) which asks whether there is a nonuniversal model of a membrane computing system which induces an infinite hierarchy on the number of membranes. We also consider variants/generalizations of RCPSs, e.g, acceptors of languages; models that allow a "polynomial bounded" supply of objects in the environment initially; models with tentacles, etc. We show that they also form an infinite hierarchy with respect to the number of membranes (or tentacles). The proof techniques can be used to obtain similar results for other restricted models of P systems, like symport/antiport systems.
Implications of a rise in cytosolic free calcium in the activation of RAW-264 macrophages for tumor cell killing

Abstract The concentration of cytosolic-free calcium (Cai2+) was determined with aequorin in RAW-264 macrophage-like cells activated in vitro for tumor cell killing with lymphokine (LK) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Treatments of these cells with optimal doses of stimulants, which evoked the development of cytolytic activity, also induced a rise in their Cai2+. No rise in Cai2+ could be observed under treatments which failed to activate cells. The presence of both stimulants was an absolute requirement for evoking cytolytic activity and also a rise in Cai2+. There was an apparent parallelism between the rate of activation and the rate of rise in Cai2+. Cells which slowly developed their cytolytic activity exhibited a slow rise in Cai2+, while macrophages which acquired their cytolytic activity at the faster rate also showed a more rapid increase in Cai2+. The development of cytolytic activity in RAW-264 macrophages was inhibited by two intracellular calcium antagonists, TMB-8 and ruthenium red. This inhibition could be reversed by high concentrations of extracellular calcium. TMB-8, at the concentrations which were effective in inhibiting the activation process, also completely blocked the associated rise in Cai2+. These results suggested that Cai2+ might play a role in the mechanism of tumoricidal transformation of RAW-264 macrophages.
Jet impingement heat transfer on dimpled target surfaces

Abstract Detailed heat transfer distributions are presented over a jet impingement target surface with dimples. Jet impingement by itself is an extremely effective heat transfer enhancement technique. This study investigates the effect of jet impingement on a target surface with a dimple pattern. The effect of dimple location, underneath the jets or between the jets, is investigated. The effect of dimple depth is also investigated. The average jet Reynolds number is varied from 4800 to 14 800. The heat transfer measurements are obtained using the transient liquid crystal technique. Results for dimpled target surfaces are normalized with data for plane target surfaces to determine whether the presence of dimples enhances heat transfer. Results show that the presence of dimples on the target surface, in-line or staggered with respect to jet location, produce lower heat transfer coefficients than the non-dimpled target surface. The bursting phenomena associated with flow over dimples produces disturbances of the impingement jet structures resulting in lower levels of heat transfer coefficients on the target surface.
The development of mating propensity in two karyotypes of Drosophila persimilis.

Abstract Progeny from twenty homokaryoptypic strain crosses (ten each for KL and MD arrangements of Drosophila persimilis from Humboldt County, California) were tested for time (days) from eclosion to onset of mating activity (‘switch-on’ of female receptivity). Identically-aged flies on days 1, 2, 3 and 4 following eclosion were introduced into plastic chambers and observed for 30 min, ten pairs per chamber and 100 pairs per cross. Percentages of mating in 30 min (mating activity) and in the first 5 min (mating speed) were recorded. Of the twenty crosses, four of KL and one of MD failed to achieve a level of mating attained by the remaining fifteen ‘normals’ so that switch-on was not ascertainable from them. Among normals, however, KL was significantly higher in mating activity on day 2 than MD, but cumulative total matings caught up in MD so that by day 4 there was no difference between karyotypes. Mating speed was low on day 2 but increased variably on days 3 and 4. Reciprocal age tests ruled out increase in male courtship after day 2 but suggested a decrease in threshold level of females (courtship summation), A positive regression between mating speed and activity on days 3 and 4 suggested that switch-on and courtship summation may not be under independent genetic control.
Follistatin-like protein 1 is a mesenchyme-derived inflammatory protein and may represent a biomarker for systemic-onset juvenile rheumatoid arthritis.

Objective—To examine both the source of follistatin-like protein 1 (FSTL-1) and factors that induce its expression in arthritis and to determine whether juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA) is characterized by over-expression of FSTL-1. Methods—FSTL-1 expression patterns were analyzed by immunohistochemistry on joints derived from mice with collagen-induced arthritis. Induction of FSTL-1 secretion was assessed in osteoblasts, adipocytes, and human fibroblast-like synoviocytes in response to TGF-β, IL-1β, TNF-α, and IL-6. Finally, sera and synovial fluids from children with oligoarticular, polyarticular, and systemic-onset JRA were assayed for FSTL-1 using a custom ELISA. FSTL-1 concentrations were correlated with erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and platelet count. Results—Immunohistochemical staining of joint sections demonstrated expression of FSTL-1 in all cell types of the mesenchymal lineage, including osteocytes, chondrocytes, adipocytes, and fibroblasts. FSTL-1 could be induced in osteoblasts, adipocytes, and human fibroblast-like synoviocytes by TGF-β, IL-1β, TNF-α, and IL-6. The IL-1β response was significantly greater than the TNF-α response (p < 0.05). Only the systemic-onset JRA subtype had elevated serum and synovial fluid FSTL-1 concentrations. Synovial fluid concentrations were 2–3-fold higher than serum concentrations. The elevation in serum FSTL-1 concentrations seen in systemic-onset JRA correlated closely with elevated ESR and platelet count. Conclusion—These findings demonstrate that the arthritic joint matrix is a major source of FSTL-1 and that IL-1β is a central mediator of FSTL-1 secretion. Furthermore, FSTL-1 may represent a useful biomarker of disease activity in systemic-onset JRA. Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA) encompasses a heterogeneous group of diseases that are important causes of morbidity in children. JRA affects an estimated 250,000 children in the United States. The American College of Rheumatology (ACR) has classified JRA into a number of subtypes, including systemic-onset, polyarthritis, and oligoarthritis (1). Each of these subtypes has a different clinical presentation, prognosis, and response to specific therapies, suggesting that they differ in their pathogenesis and pathophysiology. For
Tyrosylprotein Sulfotransferase Inhibitors Generated by Combinatorial Target-Guided Ligand Assembly.

Tyrosylprotein sulfotransferases (TPSTs) catalyze the sulfation of tyrosine residues within secreted and membrane-bound proteins. The modification modulates protein-protein interactions in the extracellular environment. Here we use combinatorial target-guided ligand assembly to discover the first known inhibitors of human TPST-2.
Differential Osteogenic Marker Expression by Human Vascular and Valvular Cells in Tissue-Engineered Collagen Constructs

Atherosclerosis and aortic stenosis are two of the most prevalent cardiovascular disorders and a major cause of death in elderly population. In atherosclerosis, plaques and calcium deposits build up inside major arteries, which lead to narrowing of the vessel lumens and limits or completely blocks blood flow. Similarly, in calcific aortic stenosis, calcium deposits on valve cusps and valve ring result in narrowing of valve lumen, eventually leading to impaired function and even valve failure. As the disease progresses, both diseases thus require expensive replacement/repair surgeries in most patients. However, in spite of the high prevalence, the causes and mechanisms of these diseases are still not clearly understood. Due to the similarities in diseased tissue pathology, atherosclerosis and aortic stenosis have been suggested to be continuum of the same disease [1] and mainly have been investigated for atherosclerosis. However, the prevalence of both diseases is not concurrent in most patients. Likewise, valvular interstitial cells (VICs) were thought to behave in a similar manner as smooth muscle cells (SMCs), but some recent studies suggest differences between the two cell types [2]. Therefore, unique mechanisms might be involved in how VICs and SMCs respond to an osteogenic environment.© 2010 ASME
On the magnitude of the electrostatic contribution to ligand-DNA interactions

Abstract A model based on the nonlinear Poisson-Boltzmann equation is used to study the electrostatic contribution to the binding free energy of a simple intercalating ligand, 3,8-diamino-6-phenylphenanthridine, to DNA. We find that the nonlinear Poisson-Boltzmann model accurately describes both the absolute magnitude of the pKa shift of 3,8-diamino-6-phenylphenanthridine observed upon intercalation and its variation with bulk salt concentration. Since the pKa shift is directly related to the total electrostatic binding free energy of the charged and neutral forms of the ligand, the accuracy of the calculations implies that the electrostatic contributions to binding are accurately predicted as well. Based on our results, we have developed a general physical description of the electrostatic contribution to ligand-DNA binding in which the electrostatic binding free energy is described as a balance between the coulombic attraction of a ligand to DNA and the disruption of solvent upon binding. Long-range coulombic forces associated with highly charged nucleic acids provide a strong driving force for the interaction of cationic ligands with DNA. These favorable electrostatic interactions are, however, largely compensated for by unfavorable changes in the solvation of both the ligand and the DNA upon binding. The formation of a ligand-DNA complex removes both charged and polar groups at the binding interface from pure solvent while it displaces salt from around the nucleic acid. As a result, the total electrostatic binding free energy is quite small. Consequently, nonpolar interactions, such as tight packing and hydrophobic forces, must play a significant role in ligand-DNA stability.
Warpage Analysis of Panelized Molding Process for Plastic IC Packages

Panelized molding process is vastly used in low cost molding process for PBGA (Plastic Ball Grid Array), LGA (Land Grid Array), QFP (Quad Flat Pack) and other types of packages. In a panelized molding process, arrays of packages are assembled on a substrate board, which is then molded as a single panel. After the molding process, the package array is cut into single packages. When laminated substrates are used, panel warpage formed during the molding process is very common due to the mismatches of material properties in the substrates and molding compounds. The warpage, however, is one of the major issues in the back-end assembly process. For example, the warpage can cause great difficulties in singulation. Large warpage could also cause high stresses in the components and results in reliability problems in the packages. In this paper, a 3-D finite element model is created to study the relations between the panel warpage and the material properties of the substrate boards and mold compounds. In a 40mmx50mm panel area, the model shows that the global warpage can be as high as +/-10 mils (0.25 mm) using different mold compounds. Test vehicles are assembled to validate the simulation results. The measurement data on warpage from the testing vehicles, although at first seems to vary over a large range across different panel designs, a closer observation and analysis suggests a definite trend and a strong correlation between the substrate panel and the mold compound properties.© 2004 ASME
Prenatal detection of embryo resorption in osteopontin-deficient mice using serial noninvasive magnetic resonance microscopy.

Appropriate temporal and spatial expression of osteopontin (OPN) in the female genital tract may be critical for successful embryo implantation and maintenance of gestation. Traditionally, experimental assessments of reproductive success have been limited to ex vivo dissection at a single time point to determine embryo number and size and are inadequate for ongoing study of the effect(s) of genetic manipulation on any individual gestation. To investigate the role of OPN in the maintenance of gestation, we developed a noninvasive, in vivo method of pregnancy surveillance suitable for murine application using magnetic resonance microscopy (MRM). Gravid wild-type mice (n =7) and mice with targeted disruption of one or both OPN alleles (OPN−/−, n = 9; OPN+/−, n = 3) underwent MRM on postcoital days 10.5, 15.5, and 19.5. Prenatal MRM images were used to determine embryo numbers and sizes. There were no significant differences in embryo numbers determined independently by two blinded observers (mean difference between observers = 0.04 embryos; p = 0.87). There was a significant effect of genotype on embryo size, with OPN−/− embryos significantly smaller at all gestational ages. However, targeted disruption of one or more OPN alleles had no effect on embryo number at any gestational age. Thus, MRM may be a powerful noninvasive method for in vivo prenatal developmental study of genetically engineered mice.
Atomic collisions with relativistic heavy ions. VIII. Charge-state studies of relativistic uranium ions.

Charge-state distributions were measured for incident 105-, 220-, 430-, and 955-MeV/amu U ions on thin and thick solid targets. Initial bare, one-, two-, three-, nine-, and 24-electron ions were used, so that single and multiple ionization of K-, L-, and M-shell electrons and electron capture into bare ions and into ions having initially full or partially full K and L shells could be observed. Multiple-ionization effects in two-electron U ions and in ions having many electrons in the K, L, and M shells are calculated by using the semiclassical approximation and assuming binomial statistics. Binding effects on K-shell ionization are compared with previous measurements using relativistic Xe ions, and with the Glauber theory. For 430- and 955-MeV/amu U ions, good agreement is obtained between measured capture cross sections and calculated radiative and nonradiative (eikonal-approximation) cross sections. Some disagreement is found at lower energies. An approximate model is proposed for multiple-capture cross sections. Finally, the measured equilibrium charge states are compared to ground-state models and to models including excited-state effects. Excited-state effects are less important for relativistic U ions than for any other ion in matter. Differences between the excited- and ground-state models are found to be too small to be observed.
Commodifying colonial histories: Korea versus Japan and the re/productions of colonial violence in the World Baseball Classic.

The historic tension and modern reenactments of colonial violence between Korea and Japan during the 2006 and 2009 World Baseball Classic (WBC) tournaments were amplified, exploited, or sensational...
Delayed re-opening of an STA-MCA bypass graft

We describe the case of a 47-year-old female with symptomatic right MCA stenosis who had undergone cerebral revascularization through a superficial temporal artery-to-middle cerebral artery (STA-MCA) bypass. Despite clear patency in the operating room, post-operative angiography showed no flow in the bypass. Her ipsilateral internal carotid artery (ICA) was widely patent. She remained asymptomatic and follow-up angiography four years later showed a widely patent bypass graft in the setting of critical stenosis of the ipsilateral ICA. That the graft was found opened up and supplying the hemisphere was presumably stimulated by an increased “demand” and flow gradient promoting its patency.
Water and NaCl absorption by the intestine of the tilapiaSarotherodon mossambicus adapted to fresh water or seawater and the possible role of prolactin and cortisol

Rates of intestinal water, sodium and chloride absorption in tilapia, adapted to fresh water (FW) and seawater (SW), were measured in vitro, using noneverted sacs made from the anterior, middle and posterior intestinal regions. The anterior intestine from SW fish showed considerably less water, sodium and chloride absorption compared with that seen in FW fish. The middle intestine showed either minimal absorption or some secretion in both FW and SW. In the posterior intestine, water absorption was only limitedly affected by SW-adaptation, but sodium and chloride absorption rates were significantly lower in SW fish. Reductions in water absorption were already evident in the anterior intestine 24 h after transfer to 1/3 SW but reached lower levels 3 to 5 days following transfer to 100% SW. Thus, the anterior intestine of tilapia responds to increased environmental salinity by decreasing uptake of ions, whereas the posterior intestine maintains similar water absorption in both FW and SW, although ion absorption is lower in SW.
Multicast routing with mutual information accumulation

In this paper, we investigate the problem of multicast routing in networks using mutual information accumulation at the physical layer. In these networks, the minimum delay routing problem can be split into two subproblems: a) path selection, which is NP-complete, and b) resource allocation, which can be formulated as a linear program. We propose a simple, yet effective heuristic for path selection where we suggest that nodes are arranged, initially, in the order in which they decode a broadcast from the source. We compare the performance of this heuristic with other Steiner tree based heuristics for path selection using simulations and conclude that they exhibit similar delay performance. Additionally, good inner and outer bounds for multicast delay are derived and simulations show that our heuristic algorithms satisfy these bounds.
A test of generalized expected utility theory

In two experiments we test Machina's Hypothesis II (fanning-out). In each experiment we analyze patterns of responses to hypothetical lottery choice questions within a Marschak-Machina triangle. One set of questions involves lotteries on the border of the triangle, an the other set of questions involves lotteries in the interior of the triangle (off the border). Our results show that a large proportion of the observed patterns in the on-border treatment support Hypothesis II, with a considerable amount of fanning-out behavior observed. The patterns observed in the off-border treatment are significantly different from those in the on-border treatment. Hypothesis II performs well in the off-border treatment because expected utility theory itself, which satisfies the restrictions of Hypothesis II, performs well.
Modeling high-dimensional index structures using sampling

A large number of index structures for high-dimensional data have been proposed previously. In order to tune and compare such index structures, it is vital to have efficient cost prediction techniques for these structures. Previous techniques either assume uniformity of the data or are not applicable to high-dimensional data. We propose the use of sampling to predict the number of accessed index pages during a query execution. Sampling is independent of the dimensionality and preserves clusters which is important for representing skewed data. We present a general model for estimating the index page layout using sampling and show how to compensate for errors. We then give an implementation of our model under restricted memory assumptions and show that it performs well even under these constraints. Errors are minimal and the overall prediction time is up to two orders of magnitude below the time for building and probing the full index without sampling.