cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
MicroRNA-regulation of Anopheles gambiae immunity to Plasmodium falciparum infection and midgut microbiota.

Invasion of the malaria vector Anopheles gambiae midgut by Plasmodium parasites triggers transcriptional changes of immune genes that mediate the antiparasitic defense. This response is largely regulated by the Toll and Immune deficiency (IMD) pathways. To determine whether A. gambiae microRNAs (miRNAs) are involved in regulating the anti-Plasmodium defense, we showed that suppression of miRNA biogenesis results in increased resistance to Plasmodium falciparum infection. In silico analysis of A. gambiae immune effector genes identified multiple transcripts with miRNA binding sites. A comparative miRNA microarray abundance analysis of P. falciparum infected and naive mosquito midgut tissues showed elevated abundance of miRNAs aga-miR-989 and aga-miR-305 in infected midguts. Antagomir inhibition of aga-miR-305 increased resistance to P. falciparum infection and suppressed the midgut microbiota. Conversely, treatment of mosquitoes with an artificial aga-miR-305 mimic increased susceptibility to P. falciparum infection and resulted in expansion of midgut microbiota, suggesting that aga-miR-305 acts as a P. falciparum and gut microbiota agonist by negatively regulating the mosquito immune response. In silico prediction of aga-miR-305 target genes identified several anti-Plasmodium effectors. Our study shows that A. gambiae aga-miR-305 regulates the anti-Plasmodium response and midgut microbiota, likely through post-transcriptional modification of immune effector genes.
Comparison of evoked gross and unit responses in association cortex of waking cat

Abstract Averaged evoked gross and unit responses to auditory, visual and tactile stimuli were recorded from association cortex (posterior middle suprasylvian area) of the normal waking cat using a chronically implanted micro-manipulator system. Surface appearance and depth distribution of gross responses evoked by peripheral stimuli resembled such responses in the chloralosed preparation. There was a close and relatively invariant relationship between the gross response and the post-stimulus histogram of unit responses; the largest unit spikes tended to occur at or just beyond the peak of the depth negativity and smaller units tended to fire at the period of maximum negative slope of the gross depth potential. The data are interpreted as supporting the view that the gross evoked association response is generated in association cortex in the normal waking cat.
Glutamatergic receptor dysfunction in spinal cord contributes to the exaggerated exercise pressor reflex in heart failure

Excitatory amino acids (e.g., glutamate) released by contraction-activated skeletal muscle afferents into the dorsal horn of the spinal cord initiate the central component of the exercise pressor r...
Influence of menstrual cycle phase on serum concentrations of alpha 1-acid glycoprotein.

Serum concentrations of alpha 1-acid glycoprotein (AAG) were studied in nine healthy women at four times in their menstrual cycles. AAG concentrations were significantly higher on day 4 than on days 12, 20, and 28 (with the first day of menstrual flow considered to be day 1). The mean AAG concentration (mg dl-1) on day 4 was 78.55 +/- 5.03 (mean +/- s.e. mean), 70.19 +/- 4.80 on day 12, 70.63 +/- 6.67 on day 20, and 70.40 +/- 5.97 on day 28. Although these results should be considered preliminary because of the small sample size, we conclude that physiologic changes over the course of the menstrual cycle may affect serum AAG concentrations. Since AAG is a major binding protein for several important drugs, the potential exists for altered drug binding and drug effects, and further study of individual drugs is justified.
Low resistance Ti/Al/Mo/Au ohmic contacts for AlGaN/GaN heterostructure field effect transistors

A metallization scheme consisting of Ti/Al/Mo/Au was utilized to develop low-resistance ohmic contacts to AlGaN/GaN heterostructure field effect transistors (HFET). A contact resistance as low as 0.20 Ωmm and a specific contact resistivity as low as 4.5 × 10 -7 Ωcm 2 were obtained using a pre-metallization surface treatment with SiCl 4 plasma at a self-bias voltage of -300 V in a reactive ion etching (RIE) system. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) measurements of the SiCl 4 plasma-treated surface revealed an increase in the N vacancies thereby increasing the donor concentration at the surface. Also a blue shift of the peak energy of the Ga 3d photoelectrons was observed showing that the Fermi level moved closer to the conduction band at the surface of the AlGaN.
A New Approach for Constructing Highly Stable High Order Cese Schemes

A new approach is devised to construct high order CESE schemes which would avoid the common shortcomings of traditional high order schemes including: (a) susceptibility to computational instabilities; (b) computational inefficiency due to their local implicit nature (i.e., at each mesh points, need to solve a system of linear/nonlinear equations involving all the mesh variables associated with this mesh point); (c) use of large and elaborate stencils which complicates boundary treatments and also makes efficient parallel computing much harder; (d) difficulties in applications involving complex geometries; and (e) use of problem-specific techniques which are needed to overcome stability problems but often cause undesirable side effects. In fact it will be shown that, with the aid of a conceptual leap, one can build from a given 2nd-order CESE scheme its 4th-, 6th-, 8th-,... order versions which have the same stencil and same stability conditions of the 2nd-order scheme, and also retain all other advantages of the latter scheme. A sketch of multidimensional extensions will also be provided.
Pharmacological validation of a model of cystitis pain in the mouse.

Abstract Interstitial cystitis (IC) is a chronic pelvic-perineal pain syndrome of unknown etiology that mainly targets the lower urinary tract. Pain is the most prominent feature of IC and current therapies provide limited relief. Novel treatment options for IC could be identified if more predictive animal models were available. A rat model based on administration of cyclophosphamide (CP) mimics the symptoms of IC and has been well characterized. However, experiments in mice have not consistently reported both the spontaneous and evoked pain behaviors. The current series of studies demonstrate that CP (200–400 mg, i.p.) increased both spontaneous and evoked pain behaviors in mice. Additionally, clinically relevant compounds: morphine (1–10 mg/kg), ketorolac (1–5.6 mg/kg) and duloxetine (3–30 mg/kg) all significantly reversed pain behaviors. In contrast, gabapentin (56 mg/kg) had no effect. Thus, CP-induced cystitis in mice may be used to evaluate novel therapeutics for the treatment of pain due to interstitial cystitis.
Seeking refuge under the umbrella: Inclusion, exclusion, and organizing within the category Transgender

The category transgender has no singular, fixed meaning. Rather, it is inclusive of identities and experiences of sex and gender variance, changing, and blending. Although no consensus exists about exactly whom this category includes, nearly all definitions share the use of a metaphorical umbrella, which activists agree is a useful tool for political organizing outside current understandings of binary sex and gender divisions. This article details activists’ definitions of transgender and the identities covered by this umbrella to inform an analysis of how different understandings of transgenderframe activists’ efforts for social change. From transsexual separatists, intersex activists, and genderqueer youth to trans-gender activists, gender rights advocates, and others organizing within the category transgender, the author ethnographically evidences the political implications of inclusion and exclusion in terms of assimilation, social privilege, activist strategies, rights claims and policy changes, and the visions of social change forwarded by trans activists.
Neural correlates of visual form and visual spatial processing

Cortico-cortical projections for visual processing that originate from the striate cortex are organized into two streams. The dorsal stream projects to the parietal region and the ventral stream to the inferior temporal region. One hypothesis is that the dorsal stream processes visual spatial information, and the ventral stream processes visual object information. Although recognition of human faces or common objects has been shown preferentially to activate the ventral stream, the issue of when such processing starts to engage the ventral or the dorsal stream is not clear. The question explored in this study is whether processing of visual form per se without evoking the brain mechanisms that are associated with recognition of human faces or common objects is sufficient to activate the ventral stream more significantly relative to the condition when only visual spatial processing is involved. Functional magnetic resonance images were acquired while subjects performed a delayed comparison task in which either visual spatial or visual form information was processed. Cortical areas that were preferentially activated in visual spatial or visual form processing showed not only ventral-dorsal segregation, but also hemispheric laterality. The results extended previous findings by showing that preferential activation in the ventral pathway is not contingent upon such powerful stimuli as faces and common objects. Processing of simple visual form information is cause enough for such activation to be observed. A strong left hemisphere dominance in visual form recognition was also revealed. The observed laterality may be a reflection that the left hemisphere is more important in symbolic and/or semantic coding of visual form information.
Clozapine's effects on phencyclidine-induced disruption of prepulse inhibition of the acoustic startle response.

The reduction in magnitude of the startle reflex in response to a loud noise produced by prior presentation of a stimulus of lower intensity is known as prepulse inhibition (PPI). PPI may be disrupted by a variety of drugs, most notably by dopaminergic agonists such as apomorphine and by phencyclidine (PCP), and related noncompetitive (NMDA) antagonist. Apomorphine-induced disruption of PPI is antagonized by both typical and atypical neuroleptics. The present study examined the effects of the atypical neuroleptic, clozapine, alone and in combination with PCP, on PPI in rats. The results of previous studies suggest that disruption of PPI by PCP and similar drugs is not sensitive to antagonism by typical neuroleptics such as haloperidol. The results of the present study show that clozapine's effect on PCP-induced disruption of PPI is also limited. The failure of clinically effective antipsychotics of diverse chemical classes to block the effects of PCP on PPI of acoustic startle suggest that the effects of PCP in this procedure may represent a model of attentional deficits observed in treatment-resistant schizophrenia.
The effect of diethanolamine on hepatic and renal phospholipid metabolism in the rat

Abstract DEA inhibited the in vitro synthesis of both phosphatidyl choline and phosphatidyl ethanolamine in liver tissue. In each case the K1 was approximately 3 m m DEA. DEA inhibited the formation of phosphatidyl choline competitively, and produced a mixed type of inhibition for the synthesis of phosphatidyl ethanolamine. Administration of a single dose of 250 mg/kg DEA failed to produce inhibition of synthesis, but 330 mg/kg/day caused significant inhibition when given repeatedly. The most notable reduction of choline and ethanolamine incorporation occurred in the liver. The synthesis of ethnolamine phosphoglycerides declined to 27% of the control value after 1 week of DEA administration; no further reduction was seen during the remainder of the 3-week dosing regimen. Choline incorporation fell to 82% of the control value after 1 week, and to 47% and 41% after 2 and 3 weeks of DEA administration, respectively. The incorporation of these endogenous bases in renal tissue was also decreased. Ethanolamine phosphoglyceride synthesis declined steadily throughout the dosing regimen reaching a level 41% of control. Choline incorporation declined to 71% or control by the end of the third week. The kinetics of synthesis of the phospholipid derivatives of choline, ethanolamine, and DEA proved that the former two compounds were synthesized at a faster rate and in greater quantities. They were also catabolized at a slightly faster rate than the derivatives of DEA. The biological half-life of the phospholipid derivatives of DEA is longer than that of similar derivatives of choline and ethanolamine. This may favor accumulation of the DEA-containing phospholipid during chronic exposure.
After Unemployment Benefits are Exhausted

Scope of the study, 231. — The adequacy of unemployment benefits, 233. — Nature of the labor market studied, 235. — Characteristics of the sample, 239. — Experience after benefit exhaustion, 244. — Limitations of the interview method, 250. — Summary and conclusions, 252.
Contracts for first-class classes

First-class classes add expressive power to class-based object-oriented languages. Most importantly, programmers can abstract over common scenarios with first-class classes. When it comes to behavioral software contracts, however, first-class classes pose significant challenges. In this paper, we present the first contract system for a programming language with first-class classes. The design has been implemented for Racket, which supports first-class classes and which implements mixins and traits as syntactic sugar. We expect that our experience also applies to languages with native mixins and/or traits.
Separable solutions for directly interacting particle systems

The problem of constructing a representation of the Poincar\'e group corresponding to a directly interacting system of a finite number of particles and satisfying the condition that the interaction be separable is considered by expansion of the group generators in powers of $\frac{1}{{c}^{2}}$. It is established that the problem has a solution to order $\frac{1}{{c}^{2}}$, but, except in special cases, the solution requires that the interaction contain three-body terms to order $\frac{1}{{c}^{2}}$ if it is the sum of two-body terms only to nonrelativistic order. Furthermore, there is considerable arbitariness in the $\frac{1}{{c}^{2}}$-order interaction term, and we discuss the possibility and significance of removing this arbitrariness by a unitary transformation. Finally, we discuss higher-order terms in $\frac{1}{{c}^{2}}$, where we present arguments to show that an $N$-particle system will eventually have some $N$-body interaction terms at some order in $\frac{1}{{c}^{2}}$ even though it contains only two-body terms nonrelativistically, and we then present some applications.
Complementarity of neutrons and X-rays as probes of surfaces and interfaces

Abstract The use of neutron and X-ray reflectivity and diffuse scattering experiments to study the structure of surfaces and interfaces is reviewed. A new method of obtaining model-independent surface density profiles from reflectivity data using anomalous X-ray reflectivity is presented, and some examples are given of diffuse scattering studies of rough solid surfaces and capillary wave fluctuations on liquid surfaces. Finally, the relative advantages and disadvantages of neutrons and X-rays for such measurements are discussed.
Monitoring chemical and physical changes on sub-nanogram quantities of platinum dioxide

We have measured in real-time the chemical reaction-induced weight loss and variation in physical and mechanical properties of sub-nanogram quantities of deposits utilizing the resonance response of microcantilevers. The hydrogen reduction of sub-nanogram quantities of alpha platinum oxide deposited on micromachined silicon cantilevers and resultant weight loss, as well as the kinetics of this process, were investigated. Comparison with theory suggests that this technique could be a powerful tool to measure physical and chemical changes occurring on sub-nanogram deposits.
Safety and Efficacy of Targeted Therapy for Renal Cell Carcinoma With Brain Metastasis

Abstract Background Brain metastases are associated with a poor prognosis in patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC). The role of targeted therapy in this setting is not well established. The primary objective was to assess overall survival (OS) and neurologic events in patients with brain metastasis treated with targeted agents. Patients and Methods Patients with RCC treated with targeted agents for brain metastasis between 2002 and 2012 were retrospectively identified. Kaplan-Meier methodology and a Cox proportional hazards model were used to analyze the association between clinical features and OS. Results Of 65 patients identified, 52 (80%) were treated with antiangiogenic agents and 13 (20%) received inhibitors of mTOR (mechanistic target of rapamycin [serine/threonine kinase]); 57 (88%) had local therapy for brain metastasis, including surgery in 3 (5%), radiation therapy in 36 (55%), and both surgery and radiotherapy in 18 (28%). Median follow-up was 12.3 months (1.1-58.8). Median treatment duration for targeted therapy as first-line therapy was 3.4 months (0.3-31.9). The median OS was 12.2 months (95% CI, 8.0-15.5). The risk group according to the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) stratification ( P = .001), the histology subtype (clear vs. other) ( P P = .004) correlated with OS on multivariate analysis. Neurologic complications were identified in 5 patients (8%), including 2 with radiation necrosis and 3 with brain metastasis hemorrhage. Conclusion The use of targeted agents in the multimodal treatment of patients with RCC and brain metastasis was not associated with excessive neurologic adverse events. Clear cell histology, favorable MSKCC risk status, and solitary brain metastasis are associated with more favorable OS.
Characterization of a Polyclonal Antibody to Human Pituitary Tumor Transforming Gene 1 (PTTG1) Protein

Pituitary tumor transforming gene 1 (PTTG1), recently cloned from human testis, is a potent oncogene that is expressed in most tumors. However, assessment of its potential value as a prognostic marker is dependent on the development of a suitable antibody. We have developed a rabbit polyclonal antibody, SK601, that is highly specific for the PTTG1 gene product using recombinant PTTG1 protein (24 kD) containing an N-terminal His(6) tag as the immunogen. The antiserum is capable of detecting recombinant PTTG1 protein in ELISA assays at a titer of 1:100,000. Use of the antibody as the probe in Western blotting analyses revealed a single band with the anticipated relative molecular weights of 52 kD from E. coli expressing the GST-PTTG1 recombinant protein, and 56 kD from COS-7 cells transfected with the PTTG1-GFP chimeric construct. A single band with a relative molecular weight of 28 kD was observed in extract of COS-7 cells transfected with PTTG1 cDNA. The antiserum immunoprecipitated a protein of relative molecular weight of 56 kD from the extracts of COS-7 cells transfected with the PTTG1-GFP chimeric construct. Immunohistochemical analysis of COS-7 cells transfected with this construct confirmed that the antibody detected and was specific for expressing the PTTG1-GFP recombinant protein. Screening of various normal human tissues (testis, ovary, and breast) by immunohistochemistry indicated that these tissues did not exhibit staining with the exception of testis, a tissue that had previously been shown to express PTTG1 mRNA. In contrast all of the tumor tissues (testicular tumor, ovarian tumor, and breast tumor) that were assessed exhibited intense staining. The results suggest that antiserum SK601 is highly specific for the PTTG1 protein and therefore should prove useful in further analysis of the expression and interactions of this protein, including its potential application as an immunohistochemical marker of human tumors.
Role of structure sizes in determining the characteristics of the resonant tunneling diode

Abstract Using the Wigner function formalism, we study the effects of structural parameters on the DC I-V characteristics and on the large-signal transient response of the resonant tunneling diode. We model two types of structures of GaAs/Al x Ga 1-x As; first, with symmetric barriers ranging from 3 to 8 nanometers in thickness separated by a 5 nanometer well, and second with a well varying from 3 to 8 nanometers between 3 nanometer barriers. Experimental variation of the barrier thickness and height changes the peak-to-valley ratio in the I-V curve, as predicted by elementary models of tunneling structures. This stems directly from the changes in tunneling probabilities. For the DC studies, we show that the peak-to-valley ratio in the I-V curve is a function of the resonance width, which depends both on the well and barrier thickness. The location of the peak on the I-V curve depends on the location of the resonant energy, which is a function of the well width. Transient switching behavior is compared to earlier numerical studies of tunneling times of wave packets. Charge storage stabilizes the position of the resonant state, thus damping the transients. Consequently, wider barriers yield faster transient settling times, in agreement with the tunneling time results which predicted longer charge storage times for thicker barriers.
Protease Inhibitor 10 Inhibits Tumor Necrosis Factor α-induced Cell Death EVIDENCE FOR THE FORMATION OF INTRACELLULAR HIGHM r PROTEASE INHIBITOR 10-CONTAINING COMPLEXES

Abstract Protease inhibitor 10 (PI10) is a member of the ovalbumin family of serine protease inhibitors (ov-serpin) that is expressed at elevated levels in patients with acute myeloid leukemia and chronic myelomonocytic leukemia. Based upon the ability of the related serpin plasminogen activator inhibitor 2 (PAI-2) to protect cells against tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα)-induced cell death, this study was initiated to investigate the potential cytoprotective activity of PI10. Two different expression systems (i.e.plasmids encoding either PI10 alone or PI10 fused to the tag: enhanced green fluorescent protein, EGFP) were utilized to stably transfect an eukaryotic model cell system (i.e. HeLa cells) that neither expresses PAI-2 nor PI10. The level of PI10 expression in the stable transfectants was found to correlate with their resistance to TNFα-induced cell death. Immunoprecipitation/immunoblotting experiments demonstrated that PI10 is able to form SDS-stable complexes (i.e. M r >100,000) with a cytosolic protein(s). Increased levels of the PI10-containing complexes can be detected by TNFα treatment by preventing intracellular degradative activities with the proteasome inhibitorN-carbobenzyloxy-leucine-leucine-norvalinal. PI10-containing complexes are dissociated with conditions known to separate classical protease-serpin complexes (i.e., 1.5 m ammonium hydroxide in the presence of SDS). These data support a role for the regulation of intracellular protease activities by ov-serpins.
Plasma dopamine-β-hydroxylase in uremia — Increase in enzyme activity after renal transplantation

Plasma dopamine-β-hydroxylase in uremia. Plasma dopamine-β-hydroxylase (DBH) activity was found to be low in 26 uremic patients when compared with 56 normal individuals (p 0.1). The mean plasma DBH activity in eight patients measured pre- and post-transplantation increased from 4.5 to 28 International Units/1 (p < 0.01). No evidence was found to indicate that the depressed levels of plasma DBH in uremia were secondary to genetic or enzyme inhibiting factors. It is suggested that low levels of DBH activity in patients with renal failure may be a consequence of altered sympathetic nervous activity which is known to occur in the uremic state.
The presence of lead decreases the availability of meso-2, 3-dimercaptosuccinic acid for analysis in the monobromobimane assay.

meso-2,3-Dimercaptosuccinic acid is a suitable chelating agent for routine pharmacotherapy of lead poisoning in children. Administration of meso-2,3-dimercaptosuccinic acid presumably permits compl...
Unified quantization parameter and frame size control for quality of experience optimization in wireless multimedia communications

The quantization parameter (QP) has very important impact on the compression rate, Quality of Experience (QoE) and packet error rate in wireless H.264 multimedia communications. In this paper we show in order to achieve desirable QoE in wireless multimedia communication systems, a good estimate for the adaptive QP is required. In order to achieve good quality of video after compression, we propose a simple estimation model with methodology to decide the adaptive value of QP for each video frame in error prone wireless channel. The simulation results show that the proposed technique can improve the QoE with adaptive QP control.
PURIFICATION AND PROPERTIES OF AMYLASE FROM NOCARDIA ASTEROIDES

The enzyme alpha amylase was purified from cells of Nocardia asteroides by gel filtration on Sephadex G-150 and by DEAE-Sepharose column chromatography. The purified enzyme revealed a single band on a polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis under native conditions, indicating its homogeneity. The native molecular weight of the purified enzyme on a Sephadex G-200 column was estimated to be 150, 000. The enzyme showed two protein bands of molecular weights 65, 000 and 56, 000 on a 10% SDS-PAGE under denatured conditions, indicating that the native enzyme has two or more subunits of different molecular weights. The purified enzyme had an optimal pH of 6.9 and an optimal temperature of 50°C. The enzyme activity was enhanced by MgCl2 and inhibited by EDTA. Starch or maltose in the culture medium significantly enhanced the enzyme production compared with the culture medium containing glucose.
Comparative Studies with Zwitterionic Platinum(II) Bis(pyrazolyl)borate and 2,2‘-Bipyridylborate Complexes

A comparison between the mononuclear platinum complexes of three structurally different monoanionic borato ligands is presented: [Ph_2B(pyrazolyl)_2]- ([Ph_2B(pz)_2], 1), [4-Ph_3B(2,2‘-bipyridine)]- ([(4-BPh_3)bpy], 2), and [Ph_2B(CH_2PPh_2)_2]- ([Ph_2BP_2], 3). The new bipyridylborate ligand 2 is introduced in this study. The relative trans influence of these ligands has been assessed by comparison of the structural and spectroscopic (NMR) data of the platinum dimethyl complexes [[Ph_2B(pz)_2]Pt(Me)_2][NBu_4] (4), [[(4-BPh_3)bpy]Pt(Me)_2][NBu_4] (5), and [[Ph_2BP_2]Pt(Me)_2][ASN] (6). The neutral complexes [Ph_2B(pz)_2]Pt(Me)(NCCH_3) (7), [Ph_2B(pz)_2]Pt(Me)(CO) (8), [Ph_2B(pz)_2]Pt(Me)(P(C_6F_5)_3) (9), [(4-BPh_3)bpy]Pt(Me)(NCCH_3) (10), [(4-BPh_3)bpy]Pt(Me)(CO) (11), and [(bpy)Pt(Me)(CO)][BPh_4] (12) were prepared, and the carbonyl complexes 8, 11, and 12 provide information pertaining to the relative electron-releasing character of each ligand type. The CO stretching frequencies suggest that the charged borate moiety renders the borato ligands more electron-donating than their neutral analogues. Of the neutral platinum methyl solvento complexes supported by ligands 1, 2, and 3, only those of 1 display very different C−H activation propensities. Upon protonation or methide abstraction in benzene at room temperature, complex 4 rapidly activates two molecules of benzene to generate [[Ph_2B(pz)_2]Pt(Ph)_2][NBu_4] (13). Isotopic scrambling of deuterium into methane in C_6D_6 solvent suggests the intermediacy of a methane σ-adduct in this reaction. The double C−H activation reaction can be halted by addition of acetonitrile to trap the intermediate [Ph_2B(pz)_2]Pt(Ph)(NCCH_3) (14). Complex 3 also displays reactivity toward the benzylic C−H bonds of mesitylene at room temperature to form [Ph_2B(pz)_2]Pt(pzH)(CH_2C_6H_3(CH_3)_2) (15) in modest yield.
Pulsed-accelerated-flow spectrometer with position-resolved observation.

The title instrument (PAF-PRO) permits the progress of rapid reactions to be monitored at 128 positions along a 2 cm observation cell as reactants flow down the cell. A decelerated push is used to give velocity changes from 21 to 2 m s-1 during a time interval of 384 ms. Variation of flow velocity allows reaction rate constants to be resolved from the physical mixing process. The flow system brings the reacting solutions together in a 10-jet radial mixer 0.32 cm before the mixture enters the observation tube (0.203 cm width, 1.945 cm length). A masked charge-coupled device (CCD) is the array detector used to obtain transmittance data as a function of position and velocity. The masked portion of the CCD serves as a dynamic memory buffer for fast data acquisition. Pseudo-first-order rate constants are measured from 200 to 12 000 s-1. The instrument also is calibrated for second-order reactions (equal concentrations) with initial half-lives of 0.3−1.5 ms. Applications of the PAF-PRO system for the study of f...
Noncontact Profile Sensing System For Visual Inspection

This paper describes a noncontact visual profile sensing method and an implementation for the inspection of metal turbine parts for visual surface defects. The inspection system consists of two sensors, each with its associated hardware preprocessor, and a manipulation system. Four general purpose computers control the entire system and perform high level part quality decisions. One cpu serves as the system executive, two serve as high-level image pro-cessors in concert with the two sensors and preprocessors, and one cpu serves as a controller for the fifteen servo axes which comprise the manipulator system. This paper will describe the sensor and the preprocessor hardware. It provides additional information to a previous paper describing only the profile sensing scheme. For ease of reading, some previous material is repeated from the reference.1© (1982) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Game-Theoretic Analysis of Cooperation Incentive Strategies in Mobile Ad Hoc Networks

In mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs), tasks are conducted based on the cooperation of nodes in the networks. However, since the nodes are usually constrained by limited computation resources, selfish nodes may refuse to be cooperative. Reputation systems and price-based systems are two main solutions to the node noncooperation problem. A reputation system evaluates node behaviors by reputation values and uses a reputation threshold to distinguish trustworthy nodes and untrustworthy nodes. A price-based system uses virtual cash to control the transactions of a packet forwarding service. Although these two kinds of systems have been widely used, very little research has been devoted to investigating the effectiveness of the node cooperation incentives provided by the systems. In this paper, we use game theory to analyze the cooperation incentives provided by these two systems and by a system with no cooperation incentive strategy. We find that the strategies of using a threshold to determine the trustworthiness of a node in the reputation system and of rewarding cooperative nodes in the price-based system may be manipulated by clever or wealthy but selfish nodes. Illumined by the investigation results, we propose and study an integrated system. Theoretical and simulation results show the superiority of the integrated system over an individual reputation system and a price-based system in terms of the effectiveness of cooperation incentives and selfish node detection.
Conceptual Planning Process for Electrical Construction

The competitive nature of the construction industry has motivated many specialty contractors to search for ways to improve efficiency by increasing their quality and decreasing their costs in order to strengthen their market share. As a result, contractors are turning to “better planning” as a method for improving their efficiency and, consequently, increasing their profitability. In fact, a consensus exists in the construction industry that more formalized preconstruction planning is necessary to remain successful in an increasingly competitive industry. This paper presents a model electrical preconstruction planning process that was crafted from outstanding processes used on several successful electrical projects. Furthermore, a method to evaluate the effectiveness of planning, by comparing actual planning to the model process, is briefly introduced. From this assessment, “effective planning” was correlated to project outcome, and evidence is provided that better planning is, indeed, related to successf...
Conflict, controversy, and compromise: The Concho water snake (Nerodia harteri paucimaculata) versus the Stacy Dam and Reservoir

The Colorado River Municipal Water District (CRMWD) of Big Spring, Texas, planned to construct the Stacy Reservoir and Dam on the Colorado River near Paint Rock, Texas, yet needed a Section 404 permit from the US Army Corps of Engineers pursuant to the Clean Water Act. In 1986 the Concho water snake (Nerodia harteri paucimaculata) was listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Much of its remaining range included the stretch of the Colorado River that would be flooded by the proposed dam. After initially rejecting CRMWD proposals for mitigation, and informing the Corps of Engineers that it would issue a jeopardy opinion regarding the 404 permit pursuant to Section 7 of the ESA, the US Fish and Wildlife Service reversed its stand. The final biological opinion stated that reasonable and prudent alternatives previously rejected as unfeasible would remove the threat of jeopardy. This paper concludes that experimental management techniques proposed by FWS to allow dam construction do not adequately ensure survival of the Concho water snake and an alternative water source should have been found.
Navigating career pathways – dental therapists in the workforce: a report of the career path subcommittee

Creating career pathways to facilitate current dental and other healthcare providers becoming dental therapists can be an efficient means to expand the dental workforce and reduce barriers to access to oral health services. Career pathways are proposed to facilitate dental providers building on previously learned skills to broaden their scope of practice and become even more versatile and productive providers of oral health services. Creation of a unified and integrated curriculum will enable research to document the effectiveness of this new dental provider who will work as part of dental teams and with supervision by dentists. The goal of augmenting the current dental team and reducing barriers to access to dental services for underserved populations can be enhanced by offering alternative pathways to achieve the competencies required of dental therapists.
In-Hospital Ischemic Stroke

Between 2.2% and 17% of all strokes have symptom onset during hospitalization in a patient originally admitted for another diagnosis or procedure. These in-hospital strokes represent a unique population with different risk factors, more mimics, and substantially worsened outcomes compared to community-onset strokes. The fact that these strokes manifest during the acute care hospitalization, in patients with higher rates of thrombolytic contraindications, creates distinct challenges for treatment. However, the best evidence suggests benefit to treating appropriately selected in-hospital ischemic strokes with thrombolysis. Evidence points toward a “quality gap” for in-hospital stroke with longer in-hospital delays to evaluation and treatment, lower rates of evaluation for etiology, and decreased adherence to consensus quality process measures of care. This quality gap for in-hospital stroke represents a focused opportunity for quality improvement.
Complex Hunter–Gatherers in Evolution and History: A North American Perspective

A review of recent research on complex hunter–gatherers in North America suggests that age-old tensions between evolutionary and historical epistemologies continue to cultivate progress in anthropological understanding of sociocultural variation. Coupled with criticism of the evolutionary status of ethnographic foragers, archaeological documentation of variation among hunter–gatherer societies of the ancient past makes it difficult to generalize about causal relationships among environment, subsistence economy, and sociopolitical organization. Explanations for emergent complexity on the Pacific Coast that privilege environmental triggers for economic change have been challenged by new paleoenvironmental findings, while hypotheses suggesting that economic changes were preceded by, indeed caused by, transformations of existing structures of social inequality have gained empirical support. In its emergent data on mound construction apart from significant subsistence change, the southeastern United States gives pause to materialist explanations for complexity, turning the focus on symbolic and structural dimensions of practice that cannot be understood apart from particular histories of group interaction and tradition. Taken together, recent research on complex hunter–gatherers in North America has not only expanded the empirical record of sociocultural formations once deemed anomalous and/or derivative of European contact but also has contributed to the ongoing process of clarifying concepts of cultural complexity and how this process ultimately restructures anthropological theory.
Environmentally‐mediated consumer control of algal proliferation in Florida springs

Summary Reduced grazing can lead to increases in autotroph biomass and changes in taxonomic composition similar to those associated with nutrient enrichment. In Florida's iconic spring ecosystems, algal proliferation has become widespread, yet the causes remain unclear. We tested three linked hypotheses: (i) loss of top-down grazer control explains algae proliferation, a change often attributed to nitrate enrichment; (ii) grazer control is mediated by dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration; and (iii) an algal-dominated state may persist if biomass exceeds a critical level beyond which grazers can no longer constrain accumulation. We tested these hypotheses using hierarchically nested benthic surveys of algal, vascular plant and gastropod biomasses along with physicochemical measurements in eleven springs spanning gradients in nitrogen enrichment, algal cover and DO. We observed a significant and temporally consistent negative association between algal and gastropod biomasses (R2 = 0.38), with gastropods displaying the strongest explanatory power in multivariate prediction models that explained 45% of algal variation in the best fitted model. A modest but significant positive bivariate association was observed between gastropod biomass and DO (R2 = 0.23); a multivariate model including temperature, velocity, canopy cover, submerged aquatic vegetation and conductivity explained 56% of gastropod variation. Residuals from a linear relationship between gastropod and algal biomasses were strongly bimodal above a threshold grazer biomass of 20 g dry weight m−2 (c. 235 snails m−2) suggesting alternative states of high and low algal abundance. These observations support the hypothesis that gastropods have the potential to control benthic algae in Florida's springs, identify DO as a partial explanation for variation in grazer abundance and imply potentially important hysteretic behaviour in top-down algal control.
Lattice options for a 5 GeV light source at Cornell

Cornell University has proposed an Energy Recovery Linac (ERL) based synchrotron-light facility which can provide improved X-ray radiation due to the high beam quality which is available from a linac. To additionally utilize beam currents that are competitive with ring-based light sources, the linac has to operate with the novel technique of energy recovery. Cornell plans to address the outstanding issues of high-current injector, higher-order mode damping and extraction from superconducting RF environment, etc. in a downscaled prototype ERL prior to submitting a proposal for a full-scale machine. The flexibility of linacs allows for different modes of operating the ERL X- ray source, each of which requires specific manipulations of longitudinal phase-space that restrict the choice of the lattice. Here we discuss the different proposed modes of operating the ERL X-ray source and present options for corresponding lattices.
The importance of variables and parameters in radiolytic chemical kinetics modeling

Many pertinent radiochemical reactions are not completely understood, and most of the associated rate constants are poorly characterized. To help identify the important radiochemical reactions, rate constants, species, and environmental conditions, an importance theory code, SWATS (Sensitivity With Adjoint Theory-Sparse version)-LOOPCHEM, has been developed for the radiolytic chemical kinetics model in the radiolysis code LOOPCHEM. The LOOPCHEM code calculates the concentrations of various species in a radiolytic field over time. The SWATS-LOOPCHEM code efficiently calculates: (1) the importance (relative to a defined response of interest) of each species concentration over time, (2) the sensitivity of each parameter of interest, and (3) the importance of each equation in the radiolysis model. The calculated results will be used to guide future experimental and modeling work for determining the importance of radiolysis on waste package performance. A demonstration (the importance of selected concentrations and the sensitivities of selected parameters) of the SWATS-LOOPCHEM code is provided for illustrative purposes, and no attempt is made at this time to interpret the results for waste package performance assessment purposes. 12 refs., 1 fig., 1 tab.
Matched filter identification of left-ventricular endocardial borders in transesophageal echocardiograms

The use of one-dimensional spatial matched filtering for identifying the left ventricular endocardial borders in human transesophageal echocardiograms recorded during surgery is investigated. A maximum-likelihood method was used to choose the endocardial intensity profiles centered within the ventricle. The computer-generated border points were compared to those identified by an experienced ultrasonographer. A 16-pixel step template located 63.2% of the border points within 2 mm of the manual border. Median prefiltering of the images reduced detection accuracy by 3% to 6%. No statistically significant difference in accuracy was found between longer and shorter templates or between data-derived and step templates. Compared to manual estimates, computer generated cross-sectional area determinations were correlated with a coefficient of 0.93. Matched filtering executes rapidly, does not require prefiltering, and performs as well as other reported methods in estimating ventricular area. >
Synoviocyte innate immune responses: I. Differential regulation of interferon responses and the JNK pathway by MAPK kinases.

JNK is a key regulator of matrix metalloproteinase production in rheumatoid arthritis. It is regulated by two upstream kinases known as MKK4 and MKK7. Previous studies demonstrated that only MKK7 is required for cytokine-mediated JNK activation and matrix metalloproteinase expression in cultured fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS). However, the functions of MKK4 and MKK7 in synoviocyte innate immune responses have not been determined. TNF, peptidoglycan (PGN), and LPS stimulation led to higher and more prolonged MKK7 phosphorylation compared with MKK4 in FLS. However, this pattern was reversed in poly(I-C) stimulated cells. siRNA knockdown studies showed that TNF, PGN, and LPS-induced JNK and c-Jun phosphorylation are MKK7 dependent, while poly(I-C) responses require both MKK4 and MKK7. Poly(I-C)-induced expression of IP-10, RANTES, and IFN-β mRNA was decreased in MKK4- or MKK7-deficient FLS. However, MKK4 and MKK7 deficiency did not affect phosphorylation of IκB kinase-related kinases in the TLR3 signaling pathway. MKK7, but not MKK4 deficiency, significantly decreased poly(I-C)-mediated IRF3 dimerization, DNA binding, and IFN-sensitive response element-mediated gene transcription. These results were mimicked by the JNK inhibitor SP600125, indicating that JNK can directly phosphorylate IRF3. In contrast, deficiency of either MKK4 or MKK7 decreased AP-1 transcriptional activity. Therefore, JNK is differentially regulated by MKK4 and MKK7 depending on the stimulus. MKK7 is the primary activator of JNK in TNF, LPS, and PGN responses. However, TLR3 requires both MKK4 and MKK7, with the former activating c-Jun and the latter activating both c-Jun and IRF3 through JNK-dependent mechanisms.
Superior vena caval Greenfield filters: Indications, techniques, and results

Purpose : This study assessed the clinical feasibility of placement of the titanium Greenfield filter within the superior vena cava (SVC) in patients with upper extremity deep venous thrombosis and evaluated the short-term results. Methods : During the past 14 months, we have encountered six patients who had upper extremity central venous thrombosis in whom anticoagulation was deemed either contraindicated or ineffective in preventing recurrent pulmonary embolism. All patients underwent percutaneous insertion of a Greenfield filter into the SVC for prophylaxis for pulmonary embolism. Two of these patients had already undergone insertion of an inferior vena cava filter and two other patients had simultaneous insertion of SVC and inferior vena caval filters. Results : No complication such as filter migration, misplacement, excessive hemorrhage, or pneumothorax occurred. Two patients subsequently underwent uncomplicated insertion of a Swan-Ganz catheter despite the presence of the filter. Two patients died of unrelated causes without clinical evidence of complications related to the filter. During the follow-up period from 4 to 14 months, there was no clinical evidence of pulmonary embolism in the remaining four patients. Conclusion : This procedure can be performed safely and is effective for the prevention of pulmonary embolism in patients with upper extremity venous thrombosis.
A hidden Markov model for analyzing ChIP-chip experiments on genome tiling arrays and its application to p53 binding sequences

Motivation: Transcription factors (TFs) regulate gene expression by recognizing and binding to specific regulatory regions on the genome, which in higher eukaryotes can occur far away from the regulated genes. Recently, Affymetrix developed the high-density oligonucleotide arrays that tile all the non-repetitive sequences of the human genome at 35 bp resolution. This new array platform allows for the unbiased mapping of in vivo TF binding sequences (TFBSs) using Chromatin ImmunoPrecipitation followed by microarray experiments (ChIP-chip). The massive dataset generated from these experiments pose great challenges for data analysis. Results: We developed a fast, scalable and sensitive method to extract TFBSs from ChIP-chip experiments on genome tiling arrays. Our method takes advantage of tiling array data from many experiments to normalize and model the behavior of each individual probe, and identifies TFBSs using a hidden Markov model (HMM). When applied to the data of p53 ChIP-chip experiments from an earlier study, our method discovered many new high confidence p53 targets including all the regions verified by quantitative PCR. Using a de novo motif finding algorithm MDscan, we also recovered the p53 motif from our HMM identified p53 target regions. Furthermore, we found substantial p53 motif enrichment in these regions comparing with both genomic background and the TFBSs identified earlier. Several of the newly identified p53 TFBSs are in the promoter region of known genes or associated with previously characterized p53-responsive genes. Contact: xsliu@jimmy.harvard.edu Supplementary information: Available at the following URL http://genome.dfci.harvard.edu/~xsliu/HMMTiling/index.html