cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Women of courage: Leadership experiences of female Nigerian immigrants in Texas

A phenomenological hermeneutical research design served to explore the immigration and leadership experiences of 22 female Nigerian immigrants in Texas through analysis and interpretation of narrative data from one-on-one interviews and focus group interviews. The findings suggest that the process of adapting to American society and the work environment is not easy for female Nigerian immigrants. They must assimilate into American work culture and work harder to access leadership opportunities, despite their belief that equal skills should mean equal opportunity. Leadership experiences in America and Nigeria differ. Nigerian women's accents may generate negative reactions from native-born workers, and immigrant leaders may experience differential treatment. Adjustment to the host country and leadership success for Nigerian immigrant women in the United States depends on strong family support and networking.
Application of InGaP/GaAs/InGaAs triple junction solar cells to space use and concentrator photovoltaic

InGaP(1.88eV)/GaAs(1.43eV)/InGaAs(0.98eV) triple junction solar cells with high efficiencies of 37.9% (AM1.5G) and 44.4% (AM1.5D, 302-suns) have been attained by inverted lattice-mismatch fabrication procedure. Cell structure was optimized to improve radiation resistance for space use. Lightweight space solar sheet has been developed by using the film type triple junction cells. Good performance of the solar sheet has been confirmed in reliability test and demonstrated in space flight test. Concentrator module using the triple junction cells have shown over 10% higher efficiency than the present type InGaP/(In)GaAs/Ge triple junction cells. High performance of the concentrator module has been demonstrated in outdoor field testing.
Fructose potentiation of insulin secretion.

The action of fructose on insulin secretion was studied using isolated perfused rat pancreas preparations. It was found that fructose potentiation of insulin release occurred when a stimulatory concentration of glucose was also present. However, when glucose was absent from the perfusing medium, fructose alone did not result in the release of insulin. Also, cycloheximide greatly diminished this observed fructose potentiation of glucose—induced insulin secretion. This suggests that the fructose effect may be involved in the biosynthesis of insulin, as well as its secretion. Additionally, no such fructose potentiation of tolbutamide—induced insulin secretion was observed. This latter fact indicates that fructose does not possess all of the insulinogenic activity attributed to the glucose molecule. (Endocrinology 91: 1493, 1972)
Method for Preclinical Evaluation of Antiplaque Agents

A preclinical methodfortheevaluation ofantibacterial agents foruseagainst dental plaques associated withcaries andperiodontal disease isproposed. The methodisapplicable toscreening agents andtodefining, invitro, theminimal conditions required formaximal antiplaque effect. Asamodelofantiplaque agents, chlorhexidine was assessed invitro against preformed plaques ofmicroorganisms conducive todental caries andperiodontal disease. Theagent was bactericidal to plaques ofninestrains ofStreptococcus mutansandone strain ofActinomyces viscosus whenusedina single treatment for20minat2 X 10-1%, intwo2-min treatments on thesameday, orindaily 2-min treatments atthis sameconcentration. Using thelast ofthese experimental conditions, we thentested chlorhexidine invivo bytopical application tothemaxillary teeth ofinfected hamsters andfoundittobe effective incontrolling plaques ofS.mutansandA.viscosus.
The Topography Of Criminal Justice: A Factor Analysis Of The "Get-Tough" Policy Trend

This article explores the underlying dimensions of the recent "get-tough" movement in criminal justice. It reports on a multi-variate factor analysis of policy indicators among state jurisdictions in the United States. With 32 variables for 51 observations, two noteworthy factors emerged. While both factors indicated general "toughness, " they revealed two distinct policy approaches : The first factor appears to reflect the tendency of some states toward comprehensive custody of many kinds (prison, probation, juvenile detention), while the second factor seems to reflect other states' reliance on punitive symbols (long sentences, the death penalty). These results raise questions about the future of criminal justice policy and suggest the use of the resulting factor scores as dependent variables for subsequent research on the sources of get-tough policies.
Regulation of smooth muscle actin expression and contraction in adult human mesenchymal stem cells.

Prior studies have demonstrated the expression of a contractile actin isoform, α-smooth muscle actin, in bone marrow stromal cells. One objective of the current study was to correlate contractility with α-smooth muscle actin expression in human bone marrow stroma-derived mesenchymal stem cells. A second objective was to determine the effects of transforming growth factor-β1, platelet derived growth factor-BB, and a microfilament-modifying agent on α-smooth muscle actin expression and α-smooth muscle actin-enabled contraction. Adult human bone marrow stromal cells were passaged in monolayer and their inducibility to chondrocytic, osteoblastic, and adipogenic phenotypes was demonstrated. Western blot analysis was employed along with densitometry to quantify the α-smooth muscle actin content of the cells and their contractility was evaluated by their contraction of a type I collagen–glycosaminoglycan sponge-like matrix into which they were seeded. Transforming growth factor-β1 (1 ng/ml) significantly increased and platelet-derived growth factor-BB (10 ng/ml) decreased α-smooth muscle actin expression and the contractility of the cells. Cytochalasin D also blocked cell contraction. There was a notably high correlation of cell-mediated contraction normalized to the DNA content of the matrices with α-smooth muscle actin content of the cells by linear regression analysis (R2 = 0.88). These findings lay the groundwork for considering the role of α-smooth muscle actin-enabled contraction in mesenchymal stem cells and in their connective tissue cell progeny.
Binary and Ternary Complexes Containing α-Cyclodextrin and Bromonaphthalene Derivatives: A Note of Caution in Interpreting UV Absorption Spectral Data

Ultraviolet absorption spectra, NMR spectra, and phosphorescence measurements were used to confirm that α-cyclodextrin (CD) and 2-bromo-6-β-d-glucopyranosidylnaphthalene (BGN) form only a binary complex and to characterize its properties. The binding constant for the CD·BGN complex was found to be 886 ± 24 M-1 and 770 ± 110 M-1 from NMR and UV absorbance measurements, respectively. Comparison of spectral properties revealed the CD·BGN complex to be binary and complexes containing CD and n-alkoxy (n-alkanoloxy) derivatives of 2-bromonaphthalene (N) to be of higher order, notably ternary. A red shift was observed in the UV absorption spectra of the CD2·N complexes. The absence of a hydroxyl hydrogen atom on the naphthalene ring of N molecules made it impossible for hydrogen bond formation to a glucosidic oxygen in the CD cavity to be the cause of the red shift. The similar red shifts reported herein and for the ternary complexes of CD with 2-naphthol and 2-bromo-6-hydroxynaphthalene (BOHN) indicated that hy...
Sense of Coherence and Tobacco Use Myths Among Adolescents as Predictors of At-Risk Youth Cigarette Use

We examined the association between a general construct of wellness beliefs, sense of coherence, and a specific measure of tobacco-related beliefs, tobacco use myths, as predictors of two smoking-related outcome measures—next year smoking expectation and last 30-day smoking. Self-report questionnaires were administered to 710 adolescents attending California continuation high schools at baseline and at 1-year follow-up between 2006 and 2008. Cross-sectionally, predictor and outcome measures were correlated. However, in longitudinal analyses, only tobacco use myths predicted change in outcome measures. We speculate that future smoking interventions among adolescents would achieve relatively efficacious outcomes by targeting specific health beliefs instead of global health beliefs. The study's limitations are noted.
Current Treatment of Chronic Beryllium Disease

The current mainstay of management of chronic beryllium disease involves cessation of beryllium exposure and use of systemic corticosteroids. However, there are no randomized controlled trials to assess the effect of these interventions on the natural history of this disease. Despite this limitation, it is prudent to remove patients with chronic beryllium disease from further exposure and consider treating progressive disease early with long-term corticosteroids. The effect of treatment should be monitored using pulmonary function tests and high-resolution computed tomography of the chest. However, once pulmonary fibrosis has developed, corticosteroid therapy cannot reverse the damage.
A Novel Technique for Producing Fine Metal Fibers for Enhancing Mechanical Properties of Glass‐Matrix Composites

Micrometer-sized refractory metal fibers of Nb were produced by an unconventional method of mechanically reducing arc-cast ingots of Nb-Cu in which the original microstructure contains ductile Nb precipitates. During mechanical reduction the precipitates were elongated into fibers, which were extracted by chemically dissolving the Cu matrix. Composite specimens of Nb fibers in a glass matrix were fabricated by dry-blending a mixture of fibers and powdered glass, then hot-pressing into disks. Fracture toughness, KIC, was measured using microin-dentation and three-point bending methods. The fracture toughness increased with increasing volume fraction of fibers with the greatest improvement noted at 0.10≤vf≤0.20. The values of KIC increased as the interfiber spacing and the fiber diameter decreased. Both the effective fracture surface energy and the fracture strength were enhanced by increasing vf. The small fibers embedded in the brittle matrix showed virtually no evidence of microcracking; Nb fibers and glass matrices also demonstrated good interfacial adhesion. Fractographs suggested that the fibers were very effective in resisting crack propagation. Experimental observations were explained using the concept of crack-front bowing and fiber bridging.
The ENIAC, the verb "to program" and the emergence of digital computers

This paper examines the verb "to program" in the context of the ENIAC development to see what light it can shed on the development of the concept, both for the ENIAC and for subsequent stored program computers.
Isolated power supply for self-neutralization tests of a ferroelectric plasma thruster

The ferroelectric plasma thruster (FEPT) is being developed for use in micro-spacecraft propulsion, large scale structure vibration damping, and proximity operations. An advantage of the FEPT over other thruster technologies such as colloid and field emission electric propulsion (FEEP) thrusters is that the FEPT operates with a single power supply. Additionally it is believed that the FEPT is self-neutralizing since both electrons and ions are accelerated to produce thrust. In order to test the self-neutralization capabilities of the FEPT, it must be operated with a power supply that is isolated from the ground of the vacuum chamber wall. Presented is the design of an isolated power supply to test the self-neutralization of the FEPT operating in a vacuum chamber.
Valuations on Distributive Lattices I

In Parts I and II [Arch. Math. 24, 230–239, 337–345 (1973)] we were principally interested in combinatorial applications of the valuation ring of a distributive lattice. We now show how this ring provides a natural setting for some elementary results in measure theory as well as some classical results on representations of distributive lattices. Specifically, in the valuation ring V(L) of a distributive lattice L it is easy to identify various extensions of L as well as prime ideals of L and so arrive at some theorems of Pettis, Birkhoff, and Stone. For any faithful representation of L as a lattice of sets the extension of V (L) by real (or complex) scalars is naturally isomorphic to the algebra of simple functions, and the sup norm on the functions comes from an intrinsic norm on VR(L). The Stone space of L corresponds to the spectrum of VR(L) with the Zariski topology.
Errors in Postural Preparation Lead to Increased Choice Reaction Times for Step Initiation in Older Adults

Conclusions. The results support the hypothesis that findings of slow choice reaction time step initiation in older adults are attributable to inclusion of trials with incorrect initial motor preparation and that these errors are caused by deficits in response inhibition. By extension, the results also suggest that mixing of trials with correct and incorrect initial motor preparation might explain apparent choice reaction time slowing with age in upper limb tasks.
A method for predicting fresh green leaf nitrogen concentrations from shortwave infrared reflectance spectra acquired at the canopy level that requires no in situ nitrogen data

This letter presents a new method for predicting foliar nitrogen concentration from shortwave infrared reflectance data that involves the following steps: (1) reduce the spectral resolution of the data from 2 to 10 nm by averaging, (2) convert from reflectance to absorption using Beer's law, (3) in the spectral region between 2.01 and 2.22 @m, transform the data by subtracting the average of the two neighbouring absorption values from the absorption at the wavelength of interest, and (4) use stepwise multiple linear regression to create a model relating the transformed values to nitrogen concentration. Results using data from the Accelerated Canopy Chemistry Program (ACCP) showed that models constructed using dried foliage from eastern US forests could be used to predict accurately nitrogen concentrations of fresh whole seedlings measured at the canopy level. The seedlings belonged to two western US species, bigleaf maple ( Acer macrophyllum ) and Douglas fir ( Pseudotsuga menziesii ). The relationship be...
Depressive Symptoms and Decision Making among African American Youth.

Childhood and adolescent depression has emerged as a public health concern because of its impairment of functioning, particularly in the domains of decision making and self-efficacy. The present in...
Genetics of cardiomyopathies in children

Cardiomyopathies are diseases of the heart muscle leading to heart failure and/or an increased risk of arrhythmogenic sudden cardiac death. These disorders represent a major cause of morbidity and mortality in children. In childhood forms of cardiomyopathy, genetic etiologies are frequent, but non-genetic or acquired causes, such viral infection, also play a significant role. In the last twenty years, the genetic causes of cardiomyopathies have been increasingly identified and clinical correlations are beginning to be defined. Here we present an overview of the recent advances in our understanding of the genetics of cardiomyopathies in children and what is known about the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying these gene-related forms of disease.
A Monte Carlo coherent scattering model for forest canopies using fractal-generated trees

A coherent scattering model for tree canopies based on a Monte Carlo simulation of scattering from fractal-generated trees is developed and verified. In contrast to incoherent models, the present model calculates the coherent backscatter from forest canopies composed of realistic tree structures, where the relative phase information from individual scatterers is preserved. Computer generation of tree architectures faithful to the real stand is achieved by employing fractal concepts and Lindenmayer systems as well as incorporating the in situ measured data. The electromagnetic scattering problem is treated by considering the tree structure as a cluster of scatterers composed of cylinders (trunks and branches) and disks (leaves) above an arbitrary tilted plane (ground). Using the single scattering approximation, the total scattered field is obtained from the coherent addition of the individual scattering from each scatterer illuminated by a mean field. Foldy's approximation is invoked to calculate the mean field within the forest canopy that is modeled as a multilayer inhomogeneous medium. Backscatter statistics are acquired via a Monte Carlo simulation over a large number of realizations. The accuracy of the model is verified using the measured data acquired by a multifrequency and multipolarization synthetic aperture radar (SAR) [Spaceshuttle Imaging Radar-C (SIR-C)] from a maple stand at many incidence angles. A sensitivity analysis shows that the ground tilt angle and the tree structure may significantly affect the polarimetric radar response, especially at lower frequencies.
A Reflection on the Status of Racial/Ethnic Minority Research

This article provides a nonexhaustive and critical review of selective research on client-counselor variables to exemplify the type and status and/or quality of work conducted on racial/ethnic minorities. In addition, specific and generic methodological and professional recommendations for improving the quality of research across topics and variables are proposed.
Resource Estimation in High Performance Medical Image Computing

Medical imaging analysis processes often involve the concatenation of many steps (e.g., multi-stage scripts) to integrate and realize advancements from image acquisition, image processing, and computational analysis. With the dramatic increase in data size for medical imaging studies (e.g., improved resolution, higher throughput acquisition, shared databases), interesting study designs are becoming intractable or impractical on individual workstations and servers. Modern pipeline environments provide control structures to distribute computational load in high performance computing (HPC) environments. However, high performance computing environments are often shared resources, and scheduling computation across these resources necessitates higher level modeling of resource utilization. Submission of ‘jobs’ requires an estimate of the CPU runtime and memory usage. The resource requirements for medical image processing algorithms are difficult to predict since the requirements can vary greatly between different machines, different execution instances, and different data inputs. Poor resource estimates can lead to wasted resources in high performance environments due to incomplete executions and extended queue wait times. Hence, resource estimation is becoming a major hurdle for medical image processing algorithms to efficiently leverage high performance computing environments. Herein, we present our implementation of a resource estimation system to overcome these difficulties and ultimately provide users with the ability to more efficiently utilize high performance computing resources.
The adaptive safety analysis and monitoring system

ABSTRACT The Adaptive Safety Analysis and Monitoring (ASAM) system is a hybrid model-based software tool for assistingintelligence analysts to identify terrorist threats, to predict possible evolution of the terrorist activities, and tosuggest strategies for countering te rrorism. The ASAM system provides a distributed processing structurefor gathering, sharing, understanding, and using information to assess and predict terrorist network states.In combination with counter-terrorist network models, it can also suggest feasible actions to inhibit potentialterrorist threats. In this paper, we will introduce the architecture of the ASAM system, and discuss the hybridmodeling approach embedded in it, viz., Hidden Markov M odels (HMMs) to detect and p rovide soft evidence onthe states of terrorist network nodes based on partial and imperfect observations, and Bayesian networks (BNs)to integrate soft evidence from multiple HMMs. The functionality of the ASAM system is illustrated by way ofapplication to the Indian Airlines Hijacking, as modeled from open sources.Keywords: Hidden MarkovModel, Bayesian Networks, Soft Evid ence, PagesTest, Counter-terrorism, TerroristNetworks
Plasma Protein Biomarkers of the Geriatric Syndrome of Frailty

Frailty is a geriatric syndrome associated with physical decline with aging. Using a proteomics-based screening method to screen plasma for potential biomarkers, we previously found inflammatory glycoproteins to be increased with frailty. The purpose of this study was to confirm if plasma levels of these glycoproteins, as well as of interleukin-6, are increased with frailty in a larger sample (n = 65) of community-dwelling older adults. Plasma levels of transferrin, fibrinogen, haptoglobin, and interleukin-6 were determined with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Differences in protein concentrations by frailty status were determined using analysis of variance. Higher levels of transferrin (p < .001), fibrinogen (p < .0001), and interleukin-6 (p = .0035) were associated with frailty status (nonfrail, prefrail, or frail) and frailty score (0–5) in this sample even after adjustment for age and sex. Haptoglobin did not differ by frailty status (p = .05). Our findings largely confirmed the findings of our nontargeted approach that inflammatory glycoproteins are increased with frailty. Future studies should include larger examinations of these associations and consider the potential usefulness of these glycoproteins as biomarkers for frailty.
Effects of signaled retention intervals on pigeon short-term memory

In three delayed matching-to-sample experiments, pigeons were given distinctive stimuli that were either correlated or uncorrelated with the scheduled retention intervals. Experiment 1 employed a single-key, go/no-go matching procedure with colors as the sample and test stimuli; lines of differing orientations signaled short or long delays for one group, whereas the lines and the delays were uncorrelated for the other group. The function relating discriminative test performance to delay length was steeper in the correlated group than in the uncorrelated group. In addition, the line orientation stimuli controlled differential rates of sample responding in the correlated group, but not in the uncorrelated group. In Experiment 2, subjects extensively trained with correlated line orientations were exposed to reversed cues on probe trials. Miscuing decreased discriminative test responding at the short delay, but enhanced it at the long delay. As in the correlated group of the first experiment, rates of sample keypecking were higher in the presence of the “short” time tag than in the presence of the ”long” time tag. Experiment 3 used a three-key choice-matching procedure and a within-subjects design, and equated reinforcement rate at the short and long delays. When auditory stimuli were correlated with delay length, the function relating choice accuracy to delay was steeper than when the stimuli and the delays were uncorrelated. The consistent effects of signaled retention intervals on memory performance may be understood in terms of differential attention to the sample stimuli.
Discrete time optimal control applied to pest control problems

We apply discrete time optimal control theory to the mathematical modeling of pest control. Two scenarios: biological control and the combination of pesticide and biological control are considered. The goal is maximizing the “valuable” population, minimizing the pest population and the cost to apply the control strategies. Using the extension of Pontryagin’s maximum principle to discrete system, the adjoint systems and the characterization of the optimal pest controls are derived. Numerical simulations of various cases are provided to show the effectiveness of our methods.
An improved empirical bayes approach to estimating differential gene expression in microarray time-course data: BETR (Bayesian Estimation of Temporal Regulation)

Background: Microarray gene expression time-course experiments provide the opportunity to observe the evolution of transcriptional programs that cells use to respond to internal and external stimuli. Most commonly used methods for identifying differentially expressed genes treat each time point as independent and ignore important correlations, including those within samples and between sampling times. Therefore they do not make full use of the information intrinsic to the data, leading to a loss of power. Results: We present a flexible random-effects model that takes such correlations into account, improving our ability to detect genes that have sustained differential expression over more than one time point. By modeling the joint distribution of the samples that have been profiled across all time points, we gain sensitivity compared to a marginal analysis that examines each time point in isolation. We assign each gene a probability of differential expression using an empirical Bayes approach that reduces the effective number of parameters to be estimated. Conclusions: Based on results from theory, simulated data, and application to the genomic data presented here, we show that BETR has increased power to detect subtle differential expression in time-series data. The open-source R package betr is available through Bioconductor. BETR has also been incorporated in the freely-available, open-source MeV software tool available from http:/ /www.tm4.org/mev.html.
Traumatic Eyelid Defects: A Review of Reconstructive Options

Purpose Reconstruction of eyelid defects sustained from trauma can cause significant morbidity if not properly treated. Various local flaps are available to aid in this reconstruction. Patients and Methods Two hundred twelve patients sustained facial lacreations. Of these, 33 patients sustained injury to the eyelids. Six patients had significantly missing tissue, which required treatment with flaps. Results All patients had reconstruction of their eyelid defects. Three of the 6 patients (50%) with avulsive-type defects required a staged approach. Conclusions For large avulsive eyelid defects, local and rigid flaps provide adequate reconstruction. For very large defects, a staged approach is recommended.
YopD of Yersinia pestis Plays a Role in Negative Regulation of the Low-Calcium Response in Addition to Its Role in Translocation of Yops

Yersinia pestis produces a set of virulence proteins (Yops and LcrV) that are expressed at high levels and secreted by a type III secretion system (Ysc) upon bacterium-host cell contact, and four of the Yops are vectorially translocated into eukaryotic cells. YopD, YopB, and YopK are required for the translocation process. In vitro, induction and secretion occur at 37°C in the absence of calcium. LcrH (also called SycD), a protein required for the stability and secretion of YopD, had initially been identified as a negative regulator of Yop expression. In this study, we constructed a yopD mutation in both wild-type and secretion-defective (ysc) Y. pestis to determine if the lcrH phenotype could be attributed to the decreased stability of YopD. These mutants were constitutively induced for expression of Yops and LcrV, despite the presence of the secreted negative regulator LcrQ, demonstrating that YopD is involved in negative regulation, regardless of a functioning Ysc system. Normally, secretion of Yops and LcrV is blocked in the presence of calcium. The single yopD mutant was not completely effective in blocking secretion: LcrV was secreted equally well in the presence and absence of calcium, while there was partial secretion of Yops in the presence of calcium. YopD is probably not rate limiting for negative regulation, as increasing levels of YopD did not result in decreased Yop expression. Overexpression of LcrQ in the yopD mutant had no significant effect on Yop expression, whereas increased levels of LcrQ in the parent resulted in decreased levels of Yops. These results indicate that LcrQ requires YopD to function as a negative regulator.
Disrupted energy metabolism and neuronal circuit dysfunction in cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease.

Summary Epidemiological, neuropathological, and functional neuroimaging evidence implicates global and regional disruptions in brain metabolism and energetics in the pathogenesis of cognitive impairment. Nerve cell microcircuits are modified by excitatory and inhibitory synaptic activity and neurotrophic factors. Ageing and Alzheimer's disease cause perturbations in cellular energy metabolism, level of excitation or inhibition, and neurotrophic factor release, which overwhelm compensatory mechanisms and result in dysfunction of neuronal microcircuits and brain networks. A prolonged positive energy balance impairs the ability of neurons to adapt to oxidative and metabolic stress. Results from experimental studies in animals show how disruptions caused by chronic positive energy balance, such as diabetes, lead to accelerated cognitive ageing and Alzheimer's disease. Therapeutic interventions to allay cognitive dysfunction that target energy metabolism and adaptive stress responses (such as neurotrophin signalling) have been effective in animal models and in preliminary studies in humans.
Theorizing Interpersonal Communication: Progress and Problematic Practices

This commentary looks at theory development and use by scholars who study interpersonal communication. It highlights both progress and challenges for the future
Systems approach to the satellite operations problem

It is noted that the projected increase in satellites needed to satisfy future military, scientific, and commercial missions will soon be overwhelming current ground-operations capabilities. An intelligent processing architecture, IntelliSTAR, that addresses the potential of automating the entire satellite operations domain (planning, scheduling, execution, and analysis) is discussed. The architecture has been developed with flexibility in mind. In particular, IntelliSTAR has been structured to allow for development and validation on the ground, prior to deployment in space. The overall architecture is described, with particular emphasis placed on the scheduling of satellite missions. >
E6 proteins from low-risk human papillomavirus types 6 and 11 are able to protect keratinocytes from apoptosis via Bak degradation

Infection of epithelial surfaces with low-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) types 6 and 11 causes troublesome clinical diseases, such as recurrent respiratory papillomatosis, that carry a significant cost burden to the healthcare system. Despite this, less has been studied at the molecular level for the low-risk HPV types when compared with their high-risk counterparts. Recent studies have shown the ability of the HPV E6 protein to degrade the pro-apoptotic family member Bak in high-risk and betapapillomavirus HPV types, which confers a cytoprotective advantage on E6-expressing cells. It is unknown whether low-risk E6 expression disrupts the apoptosis pathway and confers a cytoprotective advantage as a result of Bak degradation. We tested the abilities of 6E6 and 11E6 to degrade Bak and protect keratinocytes from UV-initiated apoptosis. Both low-risk 6E6 and 11E6 proteins were able to degrade activated Bak following UV treatment of keratinocytes. The degradation of Bak in 6E6- and 11E6-expressing cells occurred through the proteasomal pathway, and protected them from apoptosis, specifically through the intrinsic pathway to the same extent as their high-risk HPV16 E6 counterpart. In conclusion, we have found a new, critical and conserved function of low-risk HPV E6 proteins, i.e. the ability to degrade Bak, which gives them a cytoprotective advantage over normal, uninfected cells by specifically disrupting the intrinsic pathway of apoptosis.
Functional identification of a neurocircuit regulating blood glucose

Previous studies implicate the hypothalamic ventromedial nucleus (VMN) in glycemic control. Here, we report that selective inhibition of the subset of VMN neurons that express the transcription factor steroidogenic-factor 1 (VMN(SF1) neurons) blocks recovery from insulin-induced hypoglycemia whereas, conversely, activation of VMN(SF1) neurons causes diabetes-range hyperglycemia. Moreover, this hyperglycemic response is reproduced by selective activation of VMN(SF1) fibers projecting to the anterior bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (aBNST), but not to other brain areas innervated by VMN(SF1) neurons. We also report that neurons in the lateral parabrachial nucleus (LPBN), a brain area that is also implicated in the response to hypoglycemia, make synaptic connections with the specific subset of glucoregulatory VMN(SF1) neurons that project to the aBNST. These results collectively establish a physiological role in glucose homeostasis for VMN(SF1) neurons and suggest that these neurons are part of an ascending glucoregulatory LPBN→VMN(SF1)→aBNST neurocircuit.
18F-fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography and pathologic tumor size in early-stage invasive cervical cancer.

Purpose: Cervical cancer tumor size determined by 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) thresholding of the maximum standardized uptake value (SUVMax) has been correlated with the determined tumor size by computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between preoperative FDG-PET tumor size and pathologic tumor diameter in patients with early-stage cervical cancer who were undergoing radical hysterectomy. Patients and Methods: Forty patients with early-stage cervical cancer underwent pretreatment FDG-PET/computed tomography before radical hysterectomy and lymph node dissection. Primary tumor diameter was defined on FDG-PET as the largest diameter of the 3-dimensional volumetric isocontour of the 40% threshold of the SUVMax. The FDG-PET measurements were compared with the tumor diameter and the histological diameter of the pathologic specimen using regression analysis, paired t test, and unpaired t test. Results: The FDG-PET tumor diameter measurements were correlated to the pathologic tumor diameter in the surgical specimen with a coefficient of determination (R2) of 0.951 and a correlation coefficient of 0.757 (P Conclusion: There is a high level of correlation in the FDG-PET and the pathologic tumor measurements in the early-stage cervical cancer.
Increased Na(+)-H+ antiporter activity in apical membrane vesicles from mutant LLC-PK1 cells.

In whole cell experiments, the PKE20 mutant of the renal epithelial cell line LLC-PK1 displays a severalfold elevation of Na(+)-H+ antiporter activity at the apical surface (J.G. Haggerty, N. Agarwal, R.F. Reilly, E. A. Adelberg, and C.W. Slayman. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 85: 6797-6801, 1988). The present study was undertaken to explore the properties of the mutant at the membrane level. Apical membrane vesicles were prepared by the magnesium-aggregation technique, with a similar enrichment (ca. 10-fold) of the marker enzyme gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase in vesicles from parent and mutant cell lines. In both cases, 22Na influx was stimulated by an inside-acid pH gradient, inhibited by ethylisopropylamiloride (EIPA), and unaffected by valinomycin, indicating that it was mediated by Na(+)-H+ antiport. Quantitatively, PKE20 vesicles showed a 4.2-fold increase in the maximal velocity of Na(+)-H+ antiporter activity compared with the parent, with only minor increases in the activity of two other Na(+)-dependent transporters (14-56% for alpha-methylglucoside and L-glutamate). Dose-response curves for EIPA indicated that the increased Na(+)-H+ antiport activity in PKE20 vesicles was due to an increased activity of the relatively amiloride-resistant form of the Na(+)-H+ antiporter with little or no change in the amiloride-sensitive form. No differences in polypeptide composition of the two vesicle preparations could be detected by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Taken together, the results indicate that the mutation in PKE20 is expressed at the membrane level and is specific for the relatively amiloride-resistant Na(+)-H+ antiporter.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
STUDIES OF FUSED RING SYSTEMS I.REACTION OF 7-METHOXY-1-KETO-2-METHYL-1,2,3,4-TETRAHYDROPHENANTHRENE WITH METHYL γ-BROMOCROTONATE;SYNTHESIS OF DL-HOMOEQUILENIN AND DEGRADATION OF ITS METHYL ETHER INTO DL-EQUILENIN

By means of Reformatsky reaction between methyl γ-bromocrotonate and 7-methoxy-l-keto- 2-methyl-1, 2, 3, 4-tetrahydrophenanthrene, methyl γ-(1-hydroxy-7-methoxy-2-methyl-1, 2, 3, 4- tetrahydrophenanthrene)-l-crotonate was obtained. This compound was reduced with 5% Pd-C in absolute ethyl alcohol. The reduced ester was hydrolyzed with 2 N KOH, and then acidified to give γ-l-hydroxy-7-methoxy-2-methyl-1, 2, 3, 4-tetrahydrophenanthrene-l-butyric acid. This hydroxy acid was cyclized with P_2O_5 in benzene to the methyl ether of dehydrohomoequilenin. With 5% Pd-C as catalyst this unsaturated ketone was reduced in thiophene-free benzene to the methyl ether of dl-homoequilenin, which was demethylated to dl-homoequilenin with 48% HBr. Its identity was established by mixed melting point with a sample prepared by Bachmann and Holmes. The methyl ether of dl-homoequileiain was satisfactorily degraded with KOI into β-7-methoxy-2-methyl-2-carboxy-1, 2, 3, 4.tetrahydrophenanthrene-1-propionic acid. The dimethyl ester prepared from this dibasic acid with diazomethane was cyclized to 16-carbmethoxy equilenin, which was readily decarboxylated and demethylated into dl- equilenin, the identity of which was established by mixed melting point with a sample prepared by Bachmann, Cole and Wilds.
Analytical Least-Squares Solution for 3D Lidar-Camera Calibration

This paper addresses the problem of estimating the intrinsic parameters of the 3D Velodyne lidar while at the same time computing its extrinsic calibration with respect to a rigidly connected camera. Existing approaches to solve this nonlinear estimation problem are based on iterative minimization of nonlinear cost functions. In such cases, the accuracy of the resulting solution hinges on the availability of a precise initial estimate, which is often not available. In order to address this issue, we divide the problem into two least-squares sub-problems, and analytically solve each one to determine a precise initial estimate for the unknown parameters. We further increase the accuracy of these initial estimates by iteratively minimizing a batch nonlinear least-squares cost function. In addition, we provide the minimal observability conditions, under which, it is possible to accurately estimate the unknown parameters. Experimental results consisting of photorealistic 3D reconstruction of indoor and outdoor scenes are used to assess the validity of our approach.
Meningiomas in Childhood

The clinical presentation and pathological characteristics of 18 meningiomas among 240 surgically verified intracranial space-occupying lesions in children are reported from the Depts of Neurosurgery and Pathology, National Inst of Mental Health, Bangalore and Nizam’s Inst of Med Sciences, Panjagutta, Hyderabad, India.
Inflammatory Stress Effects on Health and Function After Spinal Cord Injury.

Background: Injury to the spinal cord produces immediate, adaptive inflammatory responses that can exacerbate the initial injury and lead to secondary damage. Thus far, researchers and clinicians have focused on modulating acute inflammation to preserve sensorimotor function. However, this singular approach risks overlooking how chronic inflammation negatively impacts the broader health of persons with a spinal cord injury (SCI). Objective: The aim of this monograph was to discuss interrelated processes causing persistent inflammatory stress after SCI, along with associated health risks. We review archetypal factors that contribute to a chronic inflammatory state, including response to injury, acute infection, and autonomic dysreflexia. Secondary complications producing and exacerbating inflammation are also discussed, including pain, depression, obesity, and injury to the integumentary and skeletal systems. Finally, we discuss the role of bacteria and the gut microbiome in this process and then conclude ...
Verifying Concurrent Protocols Using Refinements

We present a framework for the specification and verification of reactive concurrent programs using general-purpose mechanical theorem proving. We show how to use (fair) stuttering trace containment to verify diverse concurrent protocols. We present a collection of proof rules that can be effectively orchestrated by a theorem prover to reason about complex programs using refinements. We demonstrate the use of the framework in the verification of several concurrent programs in ACL2.
Sequencing of the highly polymorphic STR locus SE33

Abstract The NIST U.S. Population Sample Set consists of 1036 unrelated individuals. There are four population groups represented: African American (n=342), Asian (n=97), Caucasian (n=361), and Hispanic (n=236). These samples have been analyzed using next generation sequencing technology targeting important STR sequences commonly used for human identification. The analysis of SE33 included in this data set required a customized bioinformatic approach to identify and process the allelic information. The locus SE33 is one of the most polymorphic markers used by the forensic community [1]. SE33 is a highly variable locus by length and sequencing has resulted in a four-fold increase in the number of observed alleles. The NIST Population Sample Set has an observed range of 6.3–36 tetranucleotide repeats [2]. It has 52 unique alleles by length and 264 unique alleles by sequence. Analysis of this data set shows 100% concordance with length based methods when flanking sequence is considered. The different categories (patterns) of repeat motifs revealed will be illustrated.
Abstract 617: Inhibitors of Beta-Catenin Signaling Limit Growth of Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells

Smooth muscle cell (SMC) growth is essential for artery formation during development and significantly contributes to neointima formation after vascular injury in adulthood. We recently showed, using a tissue-specific deletion and knock-in of mutant alleles, that beta-catenin (b-ctn) signaling function is essential for SMC growth and artery formation; moreover, protein interactions mediated by its C-terminus domain are required for assembly of the arterial wall, while b-ctn N-terminus interactions are dispensable. Inhibitors of b-ctn have been developed, but their effects on vascular SMC growth have not been fully tested. We hypothesize that inhibitors that disrupt protein interactions mediated by the b-ctn C-terminus domain will impair b-ctn signaling and limit growth of vascular SMCs. We evaluated growth of mouse aortic SMCs and human coronary artery SMCs in culture using AlamarBlue after exposure to increasing concentrations (0.01 to 10 micromolar) of several validated b-ctn inhibitors or vehicle control: PKF118-310 (disrupts the b-ctn/TCF interaction), ICG001 (disrupts the b-ctn C-terminus/CBP interaction), XAV939 (promotes the b-ctn destruction complex), and carnosic acid (disrupts the b-ctn N-terminus/BCL9 interaction). We also evaluated the effect of these inhibitors on b-ctn transcriptional activity in SMCs using a TOPflash reporter system. We found that PKF118-310 (p
A New Method of Measuring Financial Risk Aversion Using Hypothetical Investment Preferences: What Does It Say in the Case of Gender Differences?

Aversion to risk is one of the main factors driving investment decisions. Studies have been based on either simple decisions in a laboratory setting or real-life decisions viewed in retrospect. The...
Challenges to educating the next generation of wildland fire professionals in the United States

Over the last 20 years, the duties of US fire professionals have become more complex and risk laden because of fuel load accumulation, climate change, and the increasing wildland–urban interface. Incorporation of fire use and ecological principles into fire management policies has further expanded the range of expertise and knowledge required of fire professionals. The educational and training systems that produce these professionals, however, have been slow to organize an updated and coordinated approach to preparing future practitioners. Consequently, aspiring fire professionals face numerous challenges related to scheduling conflicts, limited higher education programs in fire science, lack of coordination between fire training and higher education entities, and the overall difficulty of obtaining education and training without sacrificing experience. Here, we address these and other challenges with potential solutions and outline the first steps toward their implementation. We organize the necessary aspects of professional fire preparation into a representative model: a fire professional development triangle comprised of education, training, and experience. For each of these aspects, we suggest changes that can be made by employers, educators, and nongovernmental organizations to provide a more streamlined mechanism for preparing the next generation of wildland fire professionals in the United States.
Robot Programming Languages—A State of the Art Survey

The brief history of textual robot programming language development through the last two decades is traced. Individual languages are then reviewed with respect to their inherent characteristics such as data types, control structures, use of sensors, interfacing capacity with external machines, etc. Reviewed languages range from WAVE released in the early 1970’s to AML/X developed in 1986.
Immunization of allogeneic bone marrow transplant recipients with tumor cell vaccines enhances graft-versus-tumor activity without exacerbating graft-versus-host disease

Allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT) induces 2 closely associated immune responses: graft-versus-tumor (GVT) activity and graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). We have previously shown that pretransplant immunization of allogeneic BMT donors with a recipient-derived tumor cell vaccine increases both GVT activity and lethal GVHD because of the priming of donor T cells against putative minor histocompatibility antigens (mHAgs) on the tumor vaccine cells. The work reported here tested the hypothesis that tumor cell vaccination after BMT would produce an increase in GVT activity without exacerbating GVHD. C3H.SW donor bone marrow and splenocytes were transplanted into major histocompatibility complex-matched, mHAg-mismatched C57BL/6 recipients. One month after BMT, recipients were immunized against either a C57BL/6 myeloid leukemia (C1498) or fibrosarcoma (205). Immunized recipients had a significant increase in survival and protection against tumor growth in both tumor models, and significant tumor protection was seen even in recipients with preexisting micrometastatic cancer before immunization. Alloreactivity appeared to contribute to the in vitro anti-tumor cytolytic activity, but in vivo immunity was tumor specific, and no exacerbation of GVHD was observed. Although the immunodominant mHAg B6(dom1) was shown to be expressed by all B6 tumors tested and was largely responsible for the alloreactivity resulting from tumor immunization of donors, the in vitro alloreactivity of immune recipients was more restricted and was not mediated by recognition of B6(dom1). In conclusion, post-transplant tumor immunization of allogeneic BMT recipients against either a leukemia or a solid tumor can increase GVT activity and survival without exacerbating GVHD.
Linear Congruential Generators

The linear congruential method is the most popular algorithm for random number generation in the field of computer simulations.The linear congruential generator (LCG) is defined by $$ \begin{array}{*{20}{c}} {{X_n} = a{X_{n - 1}} + c(modM),} \\ {{u_n} = \frac{{{X_n}}}{M},} \end{array}$$ where a, c, and M are integers and Xn,n=1,2,...,is a sequence of integers with \( 0 \leqslant {X_n} < M\). The normalized sequence un, n =1,2,...,is a random number sequence in [0, 1). The following results tell us how to choose the parameters a, c, and M to obtain the maximal period lengths.