cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Inhibition of calcineurin by the tyrphostin class of tyrosine kinase inhibitors

Abstract Because of their similarity to tyrosine, members of the tyrphostin family of tyrosine kinase inhibitors were tested as possible inhibitors of the protein serine/threonine phosphatase calcineurin. Calcineurin was inhibited by tyrphostins A8 (also designated AG10), A23 (AG18), and A48 (AG112) with p -nitrophenyl phosphate as substrate. The ic 50 values estimated with this substrate were 21, 62, and 30 μM for A8, A23, and A48, respectively. Two other tyrphostins, A46 (AG99) and A63 (AG13), did not inhibit calcineurin at concentrations up to 200 μM. Similar inhibition was observed with tyrphostins A8 and A23 using a phosphopeptide substrate (1.0 mM). Tyrphostin A8 showed competitive inhibition against p -nitrophenyl phosphate as the substrate, with an inhibition constant of 18 μM, comparable to the ic 50 value. Possible chemical and structural features influencing inhibition are discussed based on a comparison of the structures of the tyrphostins tested.
Pharmacokinetic analysis by high-performance liquid chromatography of intravenous nordihydroguaiaretic acid in the mouse

Nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDGA) has been shown to inhibit both 5-lipoxygenase and ornithine decarboxylase and is active against several cancer cell lines and at least one mouse tumor model. Despite these findings, there have been no reports on the pharmacokinetics of NDGA. A reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method was developed to detect NDGA in mouse plasma. The limit of detection of this method was 0.5 microg/ml. Administration of NDGA (50 mg/kg, i.v.) to mice resulted in a peak plasma concentration of 14.7 microg/ml. The terminal half-life of NDGA was 135.0 min with a clearance of 201.9 ml/min x kg.
Dna2 Exhibits a Unique Strand End-dependent Helicase Function

Dna2 endonuclease/helicase participates in eukaryotic DNA transactions including cleavage of long flaps generated during Okazaki fragment processing. Its unusual substrate interaction consists of recognition and binding of the flap base, then threading over the 5′-end of the flap, and cleaving periodically to produce a terminal product ∼5 nt in length. Blocking the 5′-end prevents cleavage. The Dna2 ATP-driven 5′ to 3′ DNA helicase function promotes motion of Dna2 on the flap, presumably aiding its nuclease function. Here we demonstrate using two different nuclease-dead Dna2 mutants that on substrates simulating Okazaki fragments, Dna2 must thread onto an unblocked 5′ flap to display helicase activity. This requirement is maintained on substrates with single-stranded regions thousands of nucleotides in length. To our knowledge this is the first description of a eukaryotic helicase that cannot load onto its tracking strand internally but instead must enter from the end. Biologically, the loading requirement likely helps the helicase to coordinate with the Dna2 nuclease function to prevent creation of undesirably long flaps during DNA transactions.
Modeling and Analysis of Safety in Early Design

Abstract In this paper we present a method of explicit inclusion of safety into a model-based design method for cyberphysical systems. This approach enables an analysis where component-level failures can be mapped to potential system-level hazards. Application of this work presents several significant advances to the fields of safety engineering and design. This paper present a method of representing the safety property of a system by the introduction of the concept called the “safety function.” Further, the function of achieving safety is mapped to the performance functions of the system. We present a process of concurrently developing a system concept from the safety and functional perspective. The end result of this process is a system architecture where components of the system are explicitly mapped to both the functions they perform and the role it plays in ensuring safe system operation. The benefit of this approach is having a system representation that allows for analysis of critical events and off- nominal component behavior to identify potential losses in function and safety constraint violations. The approach is demonstrated on a software controlled hardware system. Namely, a generic spacecraft reaction control system.
Fostering Engagement and Independence Opportunities and Challenges for an Aging Society

Older adults, persons aged 65 or older, are growing in number faster than any other age group both nationally and internationally. In 2011, there were 41.4 million older adults in the United States. This means that one in eight people was an older adult (Administration on Aging, 2012). Globally by 2015, it is expected there will be more people over age 65 than young people aged 15 and younger (United Nations Population Fund & HelpAge International, 2012). This transformative demographic shift presents numerous challenges that are well documented and many opportunities that are less well examined. Concurrently, research in the field of aging and health has witnessed an exponential growth over the past several decades. This research has resulted in increasing awareness about promoting healthy aging and how much we can influence health, functioning, and well-being of individuals through behavioral and biopsychosocial approaches. Furthermore, within the field of public health, in 2006 the Society for Public Health Education (SOPHE) adopted a “Promoting Healthy Aging Resolution” and among the specified actions was the development of a special issue in Health Education & Behavior. This supplement issue was developed to highlight the scope and potential of behavioral research and health education in contributing to the optimal health of older adults.
Metal artifacts correction in cone-beam CT bone imaging

Cone-beam CT (CBCT) technique is needed by orthopaedists in their new studies to monitor bone volume growth and blood vessel growth of structural bone grafts used in reconstruction surgery. However, titanium plate and screws, which are commonly used to connect bone grafts to host bones, can cause severe streaking artifacts and shading artifact in the reconstructed images due to their high attenuation of x-rays. These metal artifacts will distort the information of the bone and cause difficulties when measuring bone volume growth and the inside blood vessel growth. To solve this problem and help orthopaedists quantitatively record the growth of bone grafts, we present a three-dimensional metal artifact correction technique to correct the streaking artifacts generated by titanium implants. In this project not only the artifacts need to be corrected but also the correct information of the bone is required in the image for the quantitative measurements. Both phantom studies and animal studies were conducted to test this correction method. Images without metal correction and images with metal correction were compared together, as well as the reference bone images acquired without metal. It's shown the streaking and shading artifacts were greatly reduced after metal correction. The accuracy of bone volume measurements was also greatly increased by 79% for phantom studies and 53% for animal studies.
Polarized positron annihilation in ferromagnetic gadolinium

Abstract Measurements of the angular correlation of positron annihilation radiation in ferromagnetic Gd are presented, and observed polarization effects are attributed to anisotropic spin alignment of the conduction band.
Generalized Optical Theorems and Steinmann Relations

Generalized optical theorems and generalized Steinmann relations for 3 → 3 processes are described. These results follow from the field-theoretic formalism of Bros, Epstein, and Glaser. The theorems express in terms of physical-region scattering functions the discontinuity of any 3 → 3 scattering function across any basic cut, which is a channel-energy cut that runs from the lowest normal threshold to plus infinity. Previously these discontinuities had been expressed, in general, only in terms of the analytic continuations of scattering functions. A remarkable property is found: The discontinuities have the algebraic structure they would have if the basic cuts were cuts in independent variables. Moreover, a generalized version of the Steinmann relations holds: The double discontinuity across any pair of independently treated crossed basic cuts vanishes. The original Steinmann relations have a much narrower scope. The generalized Steinmann relations are used to express compactly in terms of physical-region scattering functions any single, double, or higher-order multiple discontinuity of any 3 → 3 scattering function across any combination of basic cuts, evaluated on any specified side of each of the remaining basic cuts. All these basic discontinuities are expected to enjoy Regge asymptotic behavior. Although only basic cuts are mentioned, theremore » is no neglect of the effects of other cuts.« less
Sphinganine-1-phosphate protects kidney and liver after hepatic ischemia and reperfusion in mice through S1P1 receptor activation.

Sphinganine-1-phosphate protects kidney and liver after hepatic ischemia and reperfusion in mice through S1P 1 receptor activation
Embedding of rings and meshes onto faulty hypercubes using free dimensions

Fault tolerance in hypercubes is achieved by exploiting inherent redundancy and executing tasks on faulty hypercubes. The authors consider tasks that require linear chain, ring, mesh, and torus structure, which are quite useful in parallel and pipeline computations. They assume the number of faults is on the order of the number of dimensions of the hypercube. The techniques are based on a key concept called free dimension, which can be used to partition a cube into subcubes such that each subcube contains, at most, one faulty node. Subgraphs are embedded in each subcube and then merged to form the entire graph. >
Mitochondrial-dependent apoptosis in experimental rodent abdominal aortic aneurysms.

Objectives. While extrinsic mechanisms of apoptosis in abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) are recognized, this project hypothesizes that an intrinsic, mitochondrial-dependent, mechanism of apoptosis also contributes to experimental AAA formation. Methods. Rat aortas were perfused with either saline or elastase (N = 5 per group) and harvested 7 days postperfusion. The aortas were placed in gluteraldehyde for subsequent transmission electron microscopy, Bouin's solution for TUNEL, or paraformaldehyde for immunohistochemical staining for caspase-9, caspase-3, and Bid. Results. Abdominal aortic diameters increased 168 ± 25 % (mean ± SEM) after elastase perfusion. compared with 30 ± 5% after saline perfusion (P <.001). Apoptosis of aortic smooth muscle cells, macrophages, and neutrophils was evidenced by transmission electron microscopy and TUNEL in the elastase-perfused aneurysmal aortas. Quantitative analysis of the apoptotic cells revealed a significant (P <.01) increase in the number of total apoptotic cells in the elastase-perfused aortas (12 ± 3 cells per high-power field), compared with that of saline-infused controls (1.3 ± 0.2). Caspase-9, the key initiator in the mitochondrial-dependent apoptotic pathway, stained positively in only elastase-perfused aortas. Bid staining was not detected in either the elastase-perfused aortas or the saline controls. Conclusions. Apoptosis is evident in multiple cell lines in elastase-perfused aneurysmal aortas, but rarely observed in control aortas. Caspase-9, the key initiator of intrinsic apoptosis, was documented only in elastase-perfused aortas. These results suggest that mitochondrial-dependent apoptosis is associated with abdominal aortic aneurysm formation.
Persistence of Spores of Vairimorpha necatrix on Tobacco, Cotton, and Soybean Foliage

Vairimorpha necatrix (Kramer) spore suspensions with and without adjuvants were sprayed onto foliage of 3 agricultural crops from which random samples of leaves were subsequently bioassayed for infective spores with 3rd instars of the corn earworm, Heliothis zea (Boddie). Spore persistence, which lasted for up to 2 wk in some treatments, was affected more by spore dosage than by UV light protectants and sticker-spreader adjuvants. Spore survival up to 4 days after application was higher on tobacco than on cotton; and from 7–14 days, survival was higher on soybeans than on tobacco or cotton. Spore persistence under field conditions was sufficient not to in terfere with effectiveness and possible development of V. necatrix as a microbial control agent for the temporary suppression of certain lepidopterous pests.
Paraprofessional Perspectives on Promoting Self-Determination among Elementary and Secondary Students with Severe Disabilities:

Although paraprofessionals play a prominent role in the education of students with severe disabilities, little is known about the roles these school staff play in fostering self-determination. In t...
Creatine supplementation attenuates hemodynamic and arterial stiffness responses following an acute bout of isokinetic exercise.

Arterial stiffness and hemodynamics may be increased following a bout of resistance exercise. Oral creatine supplementation (Cr) may attenuate cardiovascular responses after exercise via improved anaerobic metabolism. This study was aimed to determine the effect of Cr on hemodynamic and arterial stiffness responses after acute isokinetic exercise. Sixteen healthy males (22.6 ± 0.6 year) were randomly assigned to either placebo (Pl, n = 8) or Cr (n = 8) (2 × 5 g/day) for 3 weeks. Brachial systolic blood pressure (SBP), heart rate (HR), brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV), and leg PWV were measured in the supine position at rest before and after the interventions. After the supplementation period, parameters were also measured 5 min (PE5) and 15 min (PE15) after two sets of leg isokinetic exercise. There was no difference between the groups in resting measurements before and after the supplementation. Compared with the Pl group, the Cr group had attenuated (P < 0.05) increases in SBP at PE5 (Pl 14.0 ± 2.5, Cr 5.6 ± 2.3 mmHg), HR at both P5 (Pl 28 ± 4 vs. Cr 16 ± 2 beats/min) and PE15 (Pl 21 ± 3, Cr 11 ± 2 beats/min) and rate pressure product at P5 (Pl 45.8 ± 6.4, Cr 24.8 ± 2.2) and P15 (Pl 34.2 ± 5.0, Cr 15.9 ± 6.0). Compared with the Pl group, the Cr group had suppressed increases in baPWV at PE5 (Pl 1.5 ± 0.4, Cr −0.1 ± 0.4 m/s) and PE15 (Pl 1.1 ± 0.2, Cr −0.3 ± 0.3 m/s) and returned SBP to pre-exercise values at PE15 (Pl 10.6 ± 2.8, Cr 2.1 ± 2.6 mmHg). PWV in the exercised leg decreased at PE5 in both groups. These findings suggest that Cr supplementation attenuates the hemodynamic and baPWV responses after acute isokinetic exercise.
Synthesis and X-ray Structures of Cadmium Coordination Polymers Based on New Pyridine−Carboxylate and Imidazole−Carboxylate Linkers

Three cadmium coordination polymers based on new pyridine−carboxylate and imidazole−carboxylate linkers were synthesized hydrothermally from appropriate cadmium(II) salts and the corresponding ester or benzonitrile precursor ligands. While cadmium bis[3-{3-(2-pyridin-4-yl-vinyl)-phenyl}-propenate] (1) adopts a three-dimensional polymeric network structure, both cadmium bis[3-{3-(2-pyridin-4-yl-vinyl)-phenyl}-propenate] (2) and cadmium-[4-(2-imidazolylvinyl)benzoate-acetate (3) adopt two-dimensional framework structures. In all three compounds, the carboxylate groups bridge the adjacent Cd centers to lead to centrosymmetric coordination networks. Crystal data for 1: monoclinic space group P21/c, a = 5.054(1), b = 8.327(2), c = 30.56(1) A, β = 92.69(1)°, and Z = 2. Crystal data for 2: monoclinic space group P21/c, a = 5.249(3), b = 14.977(6), c = 15.755(9) A, β = 94.57(2)°, and Z = 2. Crystal data for 3: orthorhombic space group Pbca, a = 18.799(2), b = 7.754(1), c = 19.174(3) A and Z = 8.
Mitt Romney's Paralipsis: (Un)Veiling Jesus in “Faith in America”

Mitt Romney's Mormon faith has been a topic of suspicion and debate among Christian conservatives. Romney addressed the issue in a 2007 address titled “Faith in America.” This article argues that Romney's use of paralipsis helps to explain the divergent popular and academic responses to the speech. Paralipsis may be used as more than a mere stylistic device; it may also be employed as a comprehensive rhetorical strategy in an increasingly polarized political culture.
Corpus cavernography prior to insertion of penile prostheses.

Abstract Our experience with corpus cavernography prior to the insertion of a penile prosthesis is presented. We suggest that this investigative procedure should be used as a routine to determine the patency of the “corporal tubes,” particularly in patients in whom corporal fibrosis is a possibility, such as a previous episode of priapism.
Using interactive algebra software to support a discourse community

Abstract In this work we studied the impact of using NuCalc, an interactive computer algebra software, on the development of a discourse community in a college level mathematics class. Qualitative and quantitative data were collected over the course of 3 weeks of instruction. We examined the influence of the software on: group interactions; the mathematical investigations of learners; and the teacher’s interactions with students. Data points to four distinct ways in which the presence of NuCalc positively impacted the learning community we studied: (1) it served as a tool for extending students’ mathematical thinking, (2) it motivated students’ engagement in group discourse, (3) it became a tool for mediating discourse, (4) it became a catalyst for refining the culture of classroom, shifting the patterns of interactions between the teacher and learners.
Manipulations in the oxygen transport capacity of blood as a means of sensitizing tumors to radiation therapy.

Abstract Tumor response to radiation is dependent not only on the quantity of hemoglobin (Hb) available for oxygen (O 2 ) transport but also on the position of the HbO 2 dissociation curve (Hb affinity). Previous studies have shown that administering agents which shift the HbO 2 dissociation curve to the right (decrease Hb affinity) sensitize tumors to radiation by reducing the fraction of radiobiologically hypoxic cells. However, there may be toxicity limitations when agents aimed at altering Hb affinity are administered directly to the host. The present studies evaluated the therapeutic benefit of shifting the HbO 2 dissociation curve in vitro prior to the transfusion of the biochemically modified RBCs into recipient hosts. Mice were given a hemolysis agent (phenylhydrazine hydrochloride, PH) prior to transfusing RBCs with normal or altered Hb affinity. A 100 mg/kg dose of PH reduced the hematocrit to ∼60% of control 24 hr after treatment. Tumors irradiated at this time demonstrated an increased fraction of hypoxic cells. If the hematocrit was returned to normal by transfusing mice prior to irradiation, a significant but transient reduction in the hypoxic fraction was seen. Tumor response was reduced if RBCs with elevated Hb affinity, obtained by storing the erythrocytes at 4°C, were used. Alternatively, tumor sensitization was noted when animals were transfused with RBCs having decreased Hb affinities. The latter was achieved by incubating the RBCs in the presence of either clofibrate or the precursors of 2,3 diphosphoglycerate (2,3 DPG). These findings further support the notion that the Hb affinity is an important parameter in determining tumor response to radiation and suggest that this factor ought to be considered when RBCs are used to transfuse anemic patients undergoing radiotherapy.
Changing Images in Books for Young People

Literature for young people has changed greatly since Severzteeiztlz Suinrner and Fifreerz were published. Society has changed greatly, too, in the last few decades. Many modern books reflect society's involvement with drugs, sex, alcohol, and violence. Teenagers will read a great variety of stories and view different images of themselves and their times.
Efficient tracking of regular patterns on non-rigid geometry

We introduce a real-time robust tracking procedure for a regular pattern marked on a flexible moving surface such as cloth. Our system is capable of maintaining the tracked grid structure for long periods of time without quality deterioration, and requires minimal user interaction. It has been tested on videos of an actor dressed in a specially marked T-shirt and behaves favorably with the presence of self-occlusions, self-shadowing and folding of the cloth. The focus of this paper is on single camera video sequence processing, even though 3D shape reconstruction with multiple cameras is the motivating goal.
Functional haemodynamic monitoring: the relative merits of SVV, SPV and PPV as measured by the LiDCOrapid in predicting fluid responsiveness in high-risk surgical patients

Standard anaesthetic practice in the high-risk surgical patient is to insert invasive arterial and central venous catheters and then to use ΔCVP and ΔMAP to guide fluid therapy, despite an accumulation of evidence to suggest that filling pressures are inadequate predictors of fluid status and responsiveness. Recent interest has been directed towards dynamic measures of cardiac filling such as SVV, SPV, PPV and Δdown and ΔVpeak. A number of large multicentre trials are underway using the LiDCOrapid. There is, however, little information about the utility of this device or, indeed, any other minimally-invasive cardiac output monitor in the prediction of fluid responsiveness.
Relation of levels of dietary fat to atrial thrombosis in RF mice

Summary Massive atrial thrombosis developed in R F mice when fed a lipotropic-deficient diet containing either 40 %, 28 % or 6 % levels of lard as the fat. The protein content was 8 % casein. Carbohydrate (sucrose) levels of 45.5 %, 57.5 % and 79.5 % were used to balance the range in amount of fat. Within the 40 % fat group, 65 % of the mice developed atrial thrombosis as compared to a 36 % and 30 % incidence in the 28 % and 6 % fat level groups. The highest incidence of atrial lesions occurred during 10–12 weeks in the 6 % fat group, and during 18–22 weeks in mice fed the 28 % and 40 % fat levels. After feeding the diets for as long as 20 weeks the incidence of atrial thrombosis decreased rapidly in the 6 % and 28 % fat level groups. In contrast the incidence did not decline in the 40 % group until after 40 weeks.
Construction of “normal”- and “iso-type” oxazolidine rings in C20-diterpenoid alkaloids: Oxidative cyclization with potassium ferricyanide

Abstract An efficient and simple method using alkaline ferricyanide for converting the NCH2CH2OH group-containing alkaloid derivatives into their “normal”- and “iso-type”-oxazolidine ring-containing alkaloids has been developed. This is the first one-step oxidation method which affords both types of oxazolidine rings simultaneously.
Words as Windows to Thought The Case of Object Representation

Languages differ in how they express thought, leading some researchers to conclude that speakers of different languages perceive objects differently. Others, in contrast, argue that words are windows to thought—reflecting its structure without modifying it. Here, we explore the case study of object representation. Studies indicate that Japanese, Chinese, and English speakers do not perceive objects differently, despite their languages’ grammatical differences. Syntax provides frames for words that can select among meanings without affecting underlying object perception.
Evolution of microbes and viruses: a paradigm shift in evolutionary biology?

When Charles Darwin formulated the central principles of evolutionary biology in the Origin of Species in 1859 and the architects of the Modern Synthesis integrated these principles with population genetics almost a century later, the principal if not the sole objects of evolutionary biology were multicellular eukaryotes, primarily animals and plants. Before the advent of efficient gene sequencing, all attempts to extend evolutionary studies to bacteria have been futile. Sequencing of the rRNA genes in thousands of microbes allowed the construction of the three- domain ‘ribosomal Tree of Life’ that was widely thought to have resolved the evolutionary relationships between the cellular life forms. However, subsequent massive sequencing of numerous, complete microbial genomes revealed novel evolutionary phenomena, the most fundamental of these being: i) pervasive horizontal gene transfer (HGT), in large part mediated by viruses and plasmids, that shapes the genomes of archaea and bacteria and call for a radical revision (if not abandonment) of the Tree of Life concept, ii) Lamarckian-type inheritance that appears to be critical for antivirus defense and other forms of adaptation in prokaryotes, and iii) evolution of evolvability, i.e. dedicated mechanisms for evolution such as vehicles for HGT and stress-induced mutagenesis systems. In the non-cellular part of the microbial world, phylogenomics and metagenomics of viruses and related selfish genetic elements revealed enormous genetic and molecular diversity and extremely high abundance of viruses that come across as the dominant biological entities on earth. Furthermore, the perennial arms race between viruses and their hosts is one of the defining factors of evolution. Thus, microbial phylogenomics adds new dimensions to the fundamental picture of evolution even as the principle of descent with modification discovered by Darwin and the laws of population genetics remain at the core of evolutionary biology.
Learning to Read and Spell Words

Learning to read and spell words is a central part of becoming literate. During text reading, most words are processed, and skilled readers are able to do this effortlessly. How they become skilled at processing graphic cues has been the focus of our research. Findings indicate that prereaders do not acquire graphic skill by learning to read signs and labels in their environment. Rather, mastery of letters is required. Whereas prereaders use visual or context cues to identify words, as soon as children move into reading they shift to letter-sound cues. Initially, words are read by accessing remembered associations between a few letters in spellings and sounds in pronunciations. Later, when decoding skill matures, complete spellings are analyzed as phonemic symbols for pronunciations and are stored in memory. Various studies indicate that having a visual picture of speech in memory is an important part of a person's information-processing equipment. Spellings may influence how words are pronounced, what so...
Effects of quantum dot charging on photoelectron processes and solar cell characteristics

We present theoretical and experimental analysis of photocarrier kinetics in quantum dot (QD) solar cells. The measurements of the J–V characteristics reveal strong effects of QD charging by selective doping of the interdot space on the solar cell characteristics. We demonstrate that charging of QDs significantly increases electron coupling to sub-bandgap photons, provides effective harvesting of IR energy, and serve as an effective tool for manipulating the potential profile at the micro- and nanoscale. The potential well for electrons in InAs QDs is substantially deeper than that for holes and, due to major differences between the effective masses of electrons and holes, the electron level spacing is substantially larger than the level spacing for holes. Therefore, QDs act as deep traps for electrons but shallow traps for holes. Filling of QDs under illumination is determined by a condition of equality of electron and hole capture rates which is realized via strong exponential dependence of the capture rates on the potential barrier around a charged dot. Without adequate doping of the QD medium, QDs are filled by electrons from the n-doped junction area and deteriorate the solar cell performance. However, selective n-doping of the QD medium results in micro- and nanoscale potential profiles favorable for photovoltaic conversion. Potential barriers around charged QDs decrease the photoelectron capture processes and suppress recombination processes via QDs. The filling of QDs predominantly from dopants in the QD medium allows one to maintain the microscale potential profile analogous to that in the best conventional single-junction solar cells.
Solving the Orienteering Problem Using Attractive and Repulsive Particle Swarm Optimization

The initial study of this research applied the particle swarm optimization (PSO) heuristic to the orienteering problem (OP). PSO is a fairly new evolutionary heuristic-type algorithm created by Drs. Eberhart and Kennedy in 1995. Similar to ant colony optimization, motivation for PSO is nature-based on fish schooling and bees swarming. The OP is a variation of the well-known traveling salesmen problem (TSP) and is an NP-hard benchmark problem. Given a set of nodes with associated scores, the objective of the OP is to find a path that maximizes the total score subject to a given time (or distance) constraint. This paper presents an attractive and repulsive particle swarm optimization (ARPSO), which prevents PSO's weakness of premature convergence by maintaining solution diversity while retaining a rapid convergence. The ARPSO solves the OP with significant improvement in results when compared to PSO and is more competitive to known best published results.
A 68-Year-Old Man With Intractable Dyspnea and Wheezing 45 Years After a Pneumonectomy

A 68-year-old man with a 20-year history of wheezing presented with a recent increase in dyspnea, productive cough, and inability to clear secretions. He denied fevers, rigors, chest pain, palpitations, lightheadedness, syncope, headaches, nasal symptoms, or gastroesophageal reflux. During the last 15 years, he received treatment with albuterol and ipratropium inhalers in addition to daily nebulizers, prednisone, salmeterol, montelukast, and fluticasone for presumed asthma. His symptoms had worsened despite being compliant with medication. In fact, during the 5 years prior to our evaluation, he had been hospitalized 12 times for asthma exacerbations, bronchitis, and recurrent respiratory infections. The patient was a nonsmoker, had no secondhand smoke exposure, and had no occupational exposures to toxic substances. Family history was not significant. The patient had no known drug allergies. At the age of 5 years, however, he had aspirated a foreign body that was incompletely removed, resulting in recurrent respiratory infections and a left pneumonectomy at age 23. Physical examination revealed rhonchi and wheezing over the trachea and right hemithorax. Transmitted bronchial sounds were audible on the left. The trachea was slightly deviated to the left, but the rest of the examination was normal. The results of blood tests consisted of normal CBC count and normal basic metabolic panel. Dobutamine stress echocardiography was normal. Pulmonary function testing showed severe reduction in expiratory volumes (FVC, 43% of predicted; FEV1, 39% of predicted; FEV1/FVC ratio, 0.63; peak expiratory flow, 29% of predicted). There was worsening in spirometry values after administration of bronchodilators. The chest radiograph is shown in Figure 1.
Comparison of In Vitro Antibacterial Activity of Three Oral Cephalosporins: Cefaclor, Cephalexin, and Cephradine

Cefaclor, a new oral cephalosporin, was compared in vitro with cephalexin and cephradine against 233 organisms. Evaluations were performed in Mueller-Hinton and nutrient broth and agar using two inoculum sizes. In agar, cefaclor had greater antibacterial activity than either cephalexin or cephradine against isolates of Escherichia coli, Proteus mirabilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae , and Salmonella typhi . All three drugs were relatively inactive against isolates of enterococci, Enterobacter species, and indole-positive Proteus . Cefaclor, however, did exhibit the greatest activity of the three antibiotics against these organisms. Although there was wide variability with respect to test parameters, the broth results generally paralleled the agar results. In nutrient broth a clear separation of the results with these three cephalosporins was seen with K. pneumoniae, E. coli , and S. typhi . Cefaclor was the most active, cephalexin had intermediate activity, and cephradine was the least active. From the data obtained in this in vitro study, it can be concluded that cefaclor, which has a substituted chloro group attached to the molecule, had increased antibacterial activity over cephalexin and cephradine. Comparative clinical trials with cefaclor will determine whether the differences outlined above are of clinical significance.
Estimating parsimonious models of longitudinal causal effects using regressions on propensity scores

Parsimony is important for the interpretation of causal effect estimates of longitudinal treatments on subsequent outcomes. One method for parsimonious estimates fits marginal structural models by using inverse propensity scores as weights. This method leads to generally large variability that is uncommon in more likelihood-based approaches. A more recent method fits these models by using simulations from a fitted g-computation, but requires the modeling of high-dimensional longitudinal relations that are highly susceptible to misspecification. We propose a new method that, first, uses longitudinal propensity scores as regressors to reduce the dimension of the problem and then uses the approximate likelihood for the first estimates to fit parsimonious models. We demonstrate the methods by estimating the effect of anticoagulant therapy on survival for cancer and non-cancer patients who have inferior vena cava filters.
Direct analysis of 4-methylimidazole in foods using paper spray mass spectrometry.

Rapid qualitative and quantitative analysis of 4-methylimidazole (4-MEI) in caramel and beverage samples is demonstrated using the paper spray form of ambient ionization mass spectrometry. The minimum level of pure 4-MEI detectable using multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) in a triple quadrupole instrument was 3 pg μL−1 in neat solvent and 5 pg μL−1 in a matrix containing caramel. This method was used to analyze 11 caramel samples for 4-MEI. After implementing effective quality control protocols, average relative standard deviations for paper spray triple quadrupole MS were less than 15% and the linear dynamic range was three orders of magnitude. Results obtained on three different days by two different analyst groups agreed closely. An ion trap tandem MS method of approximate quantitative analysis is also described and it gave similar precision to the triple quadrupole experiment when fluctuations in ion currents were cancelled by simultaneously isolating the analyte and internal standard and fragmenting both in an ion trap simultaneous MRM experiment. As another alternative, a rapid qualitative screening method based on the use of high-resolution measurements instead of tandem mass spectrometry using an Orbitrap was also tested and found to give a detection limit of 100 pg μL−1.
A Diazo Coupling Method for the Electron Microscopic Localization of Cholinesterase

The presence of cholinesterase at the myoneural junction of intercostal muscle has been demonstrated in both light and electron microscopic preparations. A new simultaneous diazo coupling technique using α-naphthyl acetate as substrate and "hexazonium pararosanilin" as coupler has been applied to cold formalin-fixed tissues. After postfixation in buffered osmium tetroxide the sites of esterase activity are faithfully demonstrated at a high level of resolution. The details of cholin-esterase distribution and some technical aspects of the procedure are discussed.
Time-resolved FRET Reveals the Structural Mechanism of SERCA-PLB Regulation

We have used time-resolved fluorescence resonance energy transfer (TR-FRET) to characterize the interaction between phospholamban (PLB) and the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca-ATPase (SERCA) under conditions that relieve SERCA inhibition. Unphosphorylated PLB inhibits SERCA in cardiac SR, but inhibition is relieved by either micromolar Ca(2+) or PLB phosphorylation. In both cases, it has been proposed that inhibition is relieved by dissociation of the complex. To test this hypothesis, we attached fluorophores to the cytoplasmic domains of SERCA and PLB, and reconstituted them functionally in lipid bilayers. TR-FRET, which permitted simultaneous measurement of SERCA-PLB binding and structure, was measured as a function of PLB phosphorylation and [Ca(2+)]. In all cases, two structural states of the SERCA-PLB complex were resolved, probably corresponding to the previously described T and R structural states of the PLB cytoplasmic domain. Phosphorylation of PLB at S16 completely relieved inhibition, partially dissociated the SERCA-PLB complex, and shifted the T/R equilibrium within the bound complex toward the R state. Since the PLB concentration in cardiac SR is at least 10 times that in our FRET measurements, we calculate that most of SERCA contains bound phosphorylated PLB in cardiac SR, even after complete phosphorylation. 4 μM Ca(2+) completely relieved inhibition but did not induce a detectable change in SERCA-PLB binding or cytoplasmic domain structure, suggesting a mechanism involving structural changes in SERCA's transmembrane domain. We conclude that Ca(2+) and PLB phosphorylation relieve SERCA-PLB inhibition by distinct mechanisms, but both are achieved primarily by structural changes within the SERCA-PLB complex, not by dissociation of that complex.
Enhanced multiplicity fluctuation as a possible signature of quark matter

In nucleus-nucleus collisions at very high energy the possibility that an enhancement in the multiplicity fluctuation may signify the formation of a quark-gluon plasma is suggested. The optimal procedure in finding the signature is discussed. Both hy-drodynamical and statistical descriptions of the dependences on rapidity intervals are examined. A simple model that simulates hadronization during phase transition from quark matter to hadron gas is presented. In that model the dispersion in multiplicities is shown to become very large.
An ILP based approach to address code generation for digital signal processors

One of the most important problems in resource-constrained embedded systems is limited memory space for code and data. This paper targets at DSP based architectures and proposes an ILP (integer linear programming) based approach for reducing code memory space requirements by exploiting the auto-increment and auto-decrement addressing modes provided by DSPs. Specifically, we address the problem of effective use of address registers, demonstrate how we can take advantage of additional capabilities that exists in some recent DSPs (such as modify registers), and discuss how our ILP-based solution can be used for performing tradeoffs between code memory and data memory space requirements. We also compare our approach to a previously-proposed heuristic solution. Our experimental analysis using several applications indicate that the proposed ILP-based approach is very effective in reducing both code memory demand and execution cycles, and the solution times it takes are within tolerable limits.
An Application of a Leisure Preference Assessment Protocol for Persons with Severe Handicaps

An investigation was conducted to demonstrate the application of a computerized assessment procedure for determining the leisure preferences of persons with severe handicaps. Three children with severe handicaps who were enrolled in a local public school served as subjects. The experimental apparatus consisted of a switch-activated microcomputer and a computer program designed to interpret the switch activations to produce a variety of leisure activities. A single subject research procedure using a multiple treatment design involving five separate conditions across three subjects was employed. Each subject participated in a series of 3-min sessions during each condition. Each of the five conditions provided students with a choice between two of the following Jive leisure activities: listening to music, watching action videos, activating a blender and drinking a portion of a milkshake, watching a slide show, and feeling the vibrations from a vibrating pad. The results of the investigation demonstrated that...
Supplementation with alpha-tocopherol or beta-carotene reduces serum concentrations of vascular endothelial growth factor-D, but Not -A or -C, in male smokers.

Evidence from the Alpha-Tocopherol, Beta-Carotene Cancer Prevention (ATBC) Study suggests that vitamin E and β-carotene supplement use may influence the risk of several cancers. Vascular endothelial growth factors (VEGF) are proteins involved in angiogenesis, an important requirement for tumor growth and metastasis. Thus, vitamin E and β-carotene may influence cancer risk through one or more VEGF. The ATBC Study was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, primary cancer prevention trial in which participants were assigned to 1 of 4 supplementation groups based on a 2 × 2 factorial design: 1) α-tocopherol (vitamin E); 2) β-carotene; 3) both; or 4) placebo. For the present study, 100 cancer-free participants with follow-up serum available were randomly selected from each intervention group. VEGF-A, -C, and -D concentrations were measured by ELISA in serum obtained at baseline and after at least 2 y of supplementation. Differences in change in VEGF levels from baseline to follow-up between intervention groups were assessed using the ANOVA test. Change in VEGF-A and VEGF-C concentrations between baseline and follow-up did not differ by intervention group (P = 0.45 and 0.29, respectively). The decrease in the serum VEGF-D concentration was greater in the men supplemented with α-tocopherol (−9.7 ± 2.5%) or β-carotene (−8.5 ± 2.7%) and tended to be greater in those supplemented with both (−6.8 ± 2.4%) compared to the placebo group, in which there was no change (−0.4 ± 3.0%) (P = 0.03). In this population of male smokers, supplementation with α-tocopherol or β-carotene was associated with a decrease in VEGF-D levels over time. Although the mechanism through which these supplements affect cancer etiolog remains unclear, our results support the hypothesis that vitamin E and β-carotene may influence cancer progression through VEGF-mediated lymphangiogenesis.
Experimental study of the transient heat transfer across periodically contacting surfaces

This study experimentally examines the heat transfer across surfaces which contact and separate at regular intervals. The results are presented for the case of low contact pressure, moderate interface temperature, equal contact and separation times during a cycle, and identical materials on either side of the contact interface. The results are presented in two basic areas: 1) the behavior of the thermal contact resistance during the quasi-steady state; and 2) the length of time required for the temperature distribution in the material to approach the temperature distribution observed in the quasi-steady-state condition. The results indicate that the thermal contact resistance should not be considered a constant for contacts of short duration; and that relatively few cycles are required for the temperature distribution in the material to approach that observed in the quasi-steady state.
In vitro splicing of kappa immunoglobulin precursor mRNA.

Abstract The in vitro splicing of kappa immunoglobulin precursor mRNA was studied as an example of a naturally occurring mRNA possessing multiple 5' splice sites. Several kappa mRNAs were generated in vitro by using an SP6 transcription system and were spliced in nuclear extracts derived from HeLa cells. Products and intermediates resulting from in vitro splicing were identified and characterized. In contrast to the in vivo situation, in which apparently only the 5'-most splice donor site is used, all of the 5' splice sites were used in vitro with equal frequency. Neither the presence or absence of variable region coding sequences nor the deletion of intron sequences had an effect on in vitro splice site selection.
Personal home pages in academia: the medium, its adopters, and their practices

Personal home pages are outgrowing their playful beginnings to serve serious purpose. At the forefront of this emergence is academia, where they are becoming a meaningful way for researchers to engage each other. Yet, the medium is still in its infancy: The medium, its adopters, and their practices are unduly constrained by current technology. To better study the meaning and use of personal home pages in academia, I created the AniAniWeb personal-home-page system to loosen these constraints. AniAniWeb applies wiki technology to facilitate easy editing, to enable interaction, and to focus the user on content creation. Others began adopting AniAniWeb in fall 2003. This dissertation centers on a case study of six graduate students and their experience with AniAniWeb over a period of two years. Their practices are viewed through three analytical lenses. Media theory focuses on the technology. Communities of practice focuses on the social context. Core identity theory focuses on the individual. When combined, these frameworks lead to a rich understanding of personal home pages in academia. Based on observations and interviews, issues of design, technology, meaning, and use are addressed.
Pathobiology of articular cartilage in trapeziometacarpal osteoarthritis. I. Regional biochemical analysis

Biochemical analysis was performed on hyaline cartilage from four distinct quadrants in surgically harvested osteoarthritic thumb trapeziometacarpal joints and both normal and osteoarthritic cadaver specimens. Chondromalacic surfaces in the palmar contact areas of arthritic specimens were characterized by preferential loss of glycosaminoglycan, retention of collagen, and a shift in glycosaminoglycan subspecies as indicated by an increasing chondroitin sulfate/keratan sulfate ratio. In contrast, articular cartilage from the dorsal portion of arthritic joints biochemically resembled that from both the adjacent normal surfaces of the scaphoid and trapezoid facets and normal postmortem specimens. No significant difference was noted between the biochemical profiles of osteoarthritic surgical specimens and arthritic cadaver specimens. Such selective glycosaminoglycan depletion localized to the contact areas of the joint suggests an interdependent relationship between mechanical factors and biochemical matrix degradation in production of the cartilage lesion of trapeziometacarpal osteoarthritis.
CEO Facial Width Predicts Firm Financial Policies

Facial width-to-height ratio (fWHR) is a proxy for testosterone levels and has been linked to aggressive behavior and increased risk tolerance. This study is the first to examine the relationship between a proxy for CEO testosterone levels and firm financial policies. Using data hand-collected from images of 968 male CEOs of S&P 500 firms, I find that CEO facial width is positively correlated with leverage and negatively correlated with cash holdings during the 20022013 period. The relationship between CEO fWHR and financial policies is also observed for CEOs who go on to attain longer tenures with their firms, as well as when post-turnover firm-year observations are removed from the sample. Overall, it appears that CEO testosterone levels have a significant impact on corporate financial management decisions, as higher testosterone levels may induce CEOs to pursue more aggressive financial policies.