cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Ziv — Zakai lower bound on target localization estimation in MIMO radar systems

This paper presents the derivation of the Ziv-Zakai bound (ZZB) for the localization problem in a MIMO radar system. The target is positioned in the near-field of a network of radars of arbitrary geometry. The radars have ideal mutual time and phase synchronization. The target location is estimated by coherent processing exploiting the amplitude and phase information between pairs of radars. An analytical expression is developed for the ZZB relating the estimation mean square error (MSE) to the carrier frequency, signal bandwidth, the number of sensors, and their location. From numerical calculations of the bound, three regions of signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) can be distinguished in the performance of the location estimator: a noise-dominated region, an ambiguity region, and an ambiguity free region. In the noise-dominated region, the signals received by the radars are too weak, and thus the localization error is limited only by the a priori information about the location of the target. In the ambiguity region, the performance of the location estimator is affected by sidelobes. In the ambiguity free region, estimation errors are very small and the ZZB approaches the Cramer-Rao lower bound (CRLB).
Generalized Entanglement and Quantum Phase Transitions

Quantum phase transitions in matter are characterized by qualitative changes in some correlation functions of the system, which are ultimately related to entanglement. In this work, we study the second-order quantum phase transitions present in models of relevance to condensed-matter physics by exploiting the notion of generalized entanglement [Barnum et al., Phys. Rev. A 68, 032308 (2003)]. In particular, we focus on the illustrative case of a one-dimensional spin-1/2 Ising model in the presence of a transverse magnetic field. Our approach leads to tools useful for distinguishing between the ordered and disordered phases in the case of broken-symmetry quantum phase transitions. Possible extensions to the study of other kinds of phase transitions as well as of the relationship between generalized entanglement and computational efficiency are also discussed.
Changes in serum estrogen levels in women during tamoxifen therapy

Background Tamoxifen is considered an antiestrogen against breast cancer, yet it has known estrogenic side effects. We hypothesized that long-term administration of tamoxifen may significantly increase circulating estrogen levels in women with breast cancer. Methods Serum dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), estrone (E1), and estradiol (E2) levels were prospectively measured in 47 breast cancer patients before and during tamoxifen therapy for 2 years. Differences in baseline and peak hormone levels during treatment were compared, and significance was determined by paired Student's t test. Results Mean DHEA levels increased by 133% from 61 mg/L to 142 mg/L ( P P P = 0.06). Conclusions Long-term tamoxifen therapy can be associated with increased serum levels of DHEA, E1, and E2. Elevated serum estrogens may explain tamoxifen's estrogenic effects and may represent a mechanism for the development of drug resistance.
Aspects of wave behaviour in the mid‐ and upper troposphere of the southern Hemisphere

Abstract The zonal wavenumber spectra of the geopotential heights of the 300‐ and 500‐mb surfaces in the Southern Hemisphere were determined for each month between May 1972 and November 1979 using daily operational analyses produced by the Australian Bureau of Meteorology. During over one‐quarter of the “summer” months (November through March) there are very prominent peaks at zonal wavenumber five in the region of the mid‐latitude jet (∼35–60°S). Frequently wavenumber five totally dominates the eddy fields in individual daily maps so that height contours in mid‐latitudes take on virtually pentagonal shapes. During periods when wavenumber 5 is prominent, it is observed to propagate eastward in a very regular manner with a period of about eleven days. All these findings are consistent with Salby's (1982) earlier results concerning the Southern Hemisphere height fields during the first few months of the FGGE experiment. There is little evidence for a similar phenomenon in the winter circulation of the South...
Differential responses to acoustic damage and furosemide in auditory brainstem and otoacoustic emission measures.

Characteristics of distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs) and auditory brainstem responses (ABRs) were measured in Mongolian gerbil before and after the introduction of two different auditory dysfunctions: (1) acoustic damage with a high-intensity tone, or (2) furosemide intoxication. The goal was to find emission parameters and measures that best differentiated between the two dysfunctions, e.g., at a given ABR threshold elevation. Emission input-output or "growth" functions were used (frequencies f1 and f2, f2/f1 = 1.21) with equal levels, L1 = L2, and unequal levels, with L1 = L2 + 20 dB. The best parametric choice was found to be unequal stimulus levels, and the best measure was found to be the change in the emission threshold level, delta x. The emission threshold was defined as the stimulus level required to reach a criterion emission amplitude, in this case -10 dB SPL. (The next best measure was the change in emission amplitude at high stimulus levels, specifically that measured at L1 x L2 = 90 x 70 dB SPL.) For an ABR threshold shift of 20 dB or more, there was essentially no overlap in the emission threshold measures for the two conditions, sound damage or furosemide. The dividing line between the two distributions increased slowly with the change in ABR threshold, delta ABR, and was given by delta x(t) = 0.6 delta ABR + 8 dB. For a given delta ABR, if the shift in emission threshold was more than the calculated dividing line value, delta x(t), the auditory dysfunction was due to acoustic damage, if less, it was due to furosemide.
Logical partition mode physical resource management on the IBM eServer z990

The IBM eServerTM z990 provides tremendously increased processor, I/O, and memory capacity exceeding the capability of even the premier IBM operating systems. The modular or book-form system topology of the z990 enables a highly flexible and more cost-effective concurrent upgrade infrastructure, as well as improved hardware failure survivability and serviceability. The multibook form of the z990 has two significant memory access performance issues which are addressed here: First, there is increased cache coherency overhead when the same memory is accessed by central processing units (CPUs) from multiple books; second, access from CPUs to memory on books other than the book on which a CPU is resident is not as efficient as access from the same book. Awareness of this multifold increase in capacity and complexity is effectively managed by the IBM zSeries® logical partition (LPAR) hypervisor, obviating the need for operating system involvement. This paper describes changes made to the zSeries LPAR hypervisor to manage CPU and memory resources on the z990 machine topology.
Children's reactions to sibling loss

Loss of a child is a severe trauma to the members of any family. Although the reactions of parents to the loss of a child has received a considerable amount of attention in the literature, relatively little has been written about the impact of such a loss on the remaining sibling(s). The effect of sibling loss on a child is complicated by many factors; among them are the tendency of children to deny the reality of death and the feelings associated with this experience, as well as the manner in which the parents are able to cope with the loss. This article reviews the available literature and calls for more research dealing with the impact of the loss of a child on the entire family system.
Portal glucose infusion-glucose clamp measures hepatic influence on postprandial systemic glucose appearance as well as whole body glucose disposal.

The full impact of the liver, through both glucose production and uptake, on systemic glucose appearance cannot be readily studied in a classical glucose clamp because hepatic glucose metabolism is...
DREAM RECALL IN THE NORMAL AGED

Recall from REM-period awakenings was studied in the elderly. Twenty-seven subjects (age range, 66 to 87 years) each slept one or two nights at the laboratory. From 166 REM awakenings there were 92 (55.4 per cent) instances of recall of dream content. This 55.4 per cent recall was significantly lower than the 87 per cent we previously found for the young adult. There was a tendency for women to have more frequent recall than men. REM dreams in the elderly were not manifestly concerned with loss or frustration. A small, nonsignificant positive correlation was found between the amount of recall and verbal intelligence.
Extrapolation method for the no-core shell model

Nuclear many-body calculations are computationally demanding. An estimate of their accuracy is often hampered by the limited amount of computational resources even on present-day supercomputers. We provide an extrapolation method based on perturbation theory, so that the binding energy of a large basis-space calculation can be estimated without diagonalizing the Hamiltonian in this space. The extrapolation method is tested for 3H and 6Li nuclei. It will extend our computational abilities significantly and allow for reliable error estimates.
Proteomics of Alzheimer's disease: Unveiling protein dysregulation in complex neuronal systems

Alzheimer's disease (AD) and its progressive dementia is multifactorial, develops relatively sporadically, and involves multiple pathologies in the complex biological system of the brain. For these reasons, genetics alone is not likely to explain the molecular basis of this disease. Proteomics is contributing valuable information about the underlying molecular defects involved in AD development and progression, which includes oxidative damage to specific proteins, altered levels of synaptic components, and protein compositions of Aβ plaques and neurofibrillary tangles (pathological hallmarks of AD). However, emerging strategies in the field of proteomics which include more specific targeting of disease-related anatomical regions, targeting of specific subcellular compartments of functional relevance, novel approaches for large scale identification of regulatory post-translational modifications such as phosphorylation and O-GlcNAc, improved chromatographic separations of peptides for more comprehensive analysis of samples, and high-throughput quantitative strategies directly coupled with MS should greatly enhance the future of AD proteomics. The characterization of AD-specific alterations in proteomes should provide further insight into mechanisms of disease development and progression, provide biomarkers predicting disease development, and provide novel targets for therapeutic intervention.
Comparison of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1, tissue type plasminogen activator antigen, fibrinogen, and D-dimer levels in various age decades in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and stable coronary artery disease (from the BARI 2D trial).

Advancing age is associated with downregulation of fibrinolysis in normal subjects. This is reflected by high concentrations of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) in the blood, which has been implicated in the increasing cardiovascular morbidity and mortality with age. We sought to delineate the relation of PAI-1 to several factors, including age, gender, and ethnicity in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) and stable coronary artery disease enrolled in the Bypass Angioplasty Revascularization Investigation 2 Diabetes (BARI 2D) trial. A total of 2,321 patients with DM and stable coronary artery disease in the BARI 2D trial were grouped by age (
Second‐trimester fetal growth as a predictor of poor obstetric and neonatal outcome in patients with low first‐trimester serum pregnancy‐associated plasma protein‐A and a euploid fetus

Objective To examine if fetal growth during the second trimester predicts poor pregnancy and neonatal outcome in patients with low first-trimester serum pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A (PAPP-A) and a euploid fetus. Methods We identified all patients with first-trimester PAPP-A < 5th centile who had undergone first- and second-trimester ultrasound examination. We excluded multiple pregnancies and those with aneuploidy or major anomalies identified before or after birth. We compared pregnancies with and without ultrasound markers for fetal growth restriction at 18–24 weeks. Results We identified 239 patients with low PAPP-A, 25 (10.5%) of whom had evidence of fetal growth restriction at 18–24 weeks. These 25 cases had significantly higher rates of third-trimester small-for-gestational age (SGA) fetus, gestational hypertension, preterm birth, indicated preterm birth, low birth weight and birth weight centiles, 1-min Apgar score < 7, neonatal intensive care unit admission and fetal or neonatal death. Conclusion Among patients with low first-trimester PAPP-A and a euploid fetus, fetal growth in the second trimester can predict poor obstetric and neonatal outcome. Copyright © 2008 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Clio and computers: A survey of computerized research in history

As scientific technology has become the hallmark of the modern era, and the computer, the electronic wizard of our time, now services scholars on every major college and university campus in the United States, the effect of the computer on the study of history, whether desired or not, is inescapable. Indeed, its impact-along with that of social statistics-has been so pervasive that within the past few years a fascinating field has sprung up called quantitative history. Acolytes of the quantitative approach maintain a committee within the American Historical Association to collect basic quantitative data and transcribe it into machine-readable forms. They support several fledgling journals that carry methodological and bibliographical articles and serve as clearing houses to report research in progress.1 "Quantifiers" assemble in conferences, workshops, and symposia to thrash out common problems and share research methods and findings.2 Votaries of quantification have also produced an apologia, a textbook on statistical and computer methods in history that includes an extensive bibliographic guide, several anthologies, and a growing literature of comment.3 A literature of criticism is just beginning to emerge,4 but it
Characterization of yeast artificial chromosomes from Plasmodium falciparum: construction of a stable, representative library and cloning of telomeric DNA fragments

Molecular genetic studies of the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum have been hampered in part due to difficulties in stably cloning and propagating parasite genomic DNA in bacteria. This is thought to be a result of the unusual A+T bias (>80%) in the parasite's DNA. Pulsed-field gel electrophoretic separation of P. falciparum chromosomes has shown that large chromosomal polymorphisms, resulting from the deletion of DNA from chromosome ends, frequently occur. Understanding the biological implications of this chromosomal polymorphism will require the analysis of large regions of genomic, and in particular telomeric, DNA. To overcome the limitations of cloning parasite DNA in bacteria, we have cloned genomic DNA from the P. falciparum strain FCR3 in yeast as artificial chromosomes. A pYAC4 library with an average insert size of approximately 100 kb was established and found to have a three to fourfold redundancy for single-copy genes. Unlike bacterial hosts, yeast stably maintain and propagate large tracts of parasite DNA. Long-range restriction enzyme mapping of YAC clones demonstrates that the cloned DNA is contiguous and identical to the native parasite genomic DNA. Since the telomeric ends of chromosomes are underrepresented in YAC libraries, we have enriched for these sequences by cloning P. falciparum telomeric DNA fragments (from 40 to 130 kb) as YACs by complementation in yeast.
Ventricular irritability associated with the use of naloxone hydrochloride. Two case reports and laboratory assessment of the effect of the drug on cardiac excitability.

Abstract Two instances of ventricular tachycardia and fibrillation have followed the injection of naloxone hydrochloride (Narcan) that had been given to reverse the effects of morphine following cardiac surgical procedures. Injection of the drug into 5 dogs that had received morphine was associated with ventricular extrasystoles in 2 animals, although no increase in ventricular excitability could be demonstrated as measured by either strength/interval curves or ventricular diastolic threshold. Naloxone hydrochloride should be used with caution in patients with cardiac irritability.
Sulfation of high purity limestones under simulated pfbc conditions

The direct sulfation of three high purity limestones, all having more than 95% CaCO3 but differing in petrographic texture, was studied in a thermogravimetric analyzer under simulated PFBC (Pressurized Fluidized-Bed Combustion) conditions, that is, in the presence of enough CO2 to prevent decomposition of CaCO3. Experiments were carried out over a wide range of particle size (53-350 μm) at two temperatures (750 and 850°C), and two concentrations (1500 and 6000 mL/m3 (ppmv) SO2). The particle size and temperature had a strong influence on the variation of the conversion with time. In contrast, the effect of concentration was rather marginal over the whole duration of the process, and the analysis of the initial reaction rate data gave a reaction order of 0.4, with respect to SO2, for all solids. The measured reaction rates were compared with those obtained in a past study for the sulfation of the calcines of the three solids under similar conditions. The initial rate of the calcine-SO2 reaction was found to be higher than that of the limestone-SO2 reaction, but since the former drops sharply as the pores at the external surface of the particles are filled with solid product, higher conversions may be obtained in some cases during direct sulfation for large reaction times. On a etudie la sulfatation directe de trois calcaires de grande purete, comportant chacun plus de 95% de CaCO3 mais de texture petrographique differente, au moyen ďun analyseur thermogravimetrique dans des conditions de combustion en lit fluidise pressurise simulees, c ' est-a-dire en presence ďune quantite suffisante de CO2 pour empěcher la decomposition du CaCO3. Les experiences ont ete menees pour une vaste gamme de tailles de particules (53-350 μm), a deux temperatures (750 et 850°C) et deux concentrations (1500 et 6000 mL/m3 (ppmv) de SO2). La taille des particules et la temperature ont une forte influence sur la variation de la conversion au cours du temps. Par contre, ľeffet de la concentration sur la duree totale du precede est plutǒt marginal, et ľanalyse des donnees de vitesses de reaction initiales indique un ordre de reaction de 0,4 par rapport au SO2, pour ľensemble des solides. Les vitesses de reaction mesurees ont ete comparees a celles ďune etude anterieure sur la sulfatation des calcines des trois solides dans des conditions similaires. On a trouve que la vitesse initiale de la reaction calcine-SO2 etait plus grande que la vitesse de la reaction calcaire-SO2, mais etant donne que la premiere reaction chute radicalement lorsque les pores a la surface externe des particules se remplissent de produit solide, il est possible ďobtenir des conversions plus elevees dans certains cas pendant la sulfatation directe pour des temps de reaction eleves.
Dye Doped Clad Modified Evanescent Optical Fiber (CMEOF) Sensor Array for the Detection of Aqueous-Ammonia

We are currently developing pH sensitive dye doped clad modified evanescent optical fiber (CMEOF) sensor array for the detection of aqueous-ammonia. The quasi-distribution of CMEOF ammonia sensors allows efficient measurement of aqueous-ammonia at several locations using a single fiber optic line. CMEOF sensors are fabricated by immobilized pH sensitive dyes in sol-gel and applying the dye doped sol-gel as a thin film around a bare core optical fiber. The CMEOF sensors are then sealed from water using a gas permeable membrane, PDMS-vinyl. The dyes in each CMEOF sensor are tailored to operate at slightly different wavelengths by appropriate choice of dyes. Wavelength-division-multiplexing (WDM) and linear system of equations (LSE) are used to interrogate each CMEOF sensor and determine the concentration of aqueous-ammonia at each sensor location.Copyright © 2008 by ASME
De-Activation of Neutrophils in Suspension by Fluid Shear Stress: A Requirement for Erythrocytes

Leukocyte de-activation in response to a mechanical stimulus may be an important mechanism to reduce inflammation in the circulation and cardiovascular complications. We examine here a specific form of leukocyte activation in the form of pseudopod projection, a process that is important during cell spreading and migration, but if it occurs in circulating leukocytes, may also lead to their entrapment in the microvascular network. Fresh neutrophils were activated with fMLP, suspended without adhesion to endothelium, and sheared in a cone-and-plate device while both shear stress and shear rate were measured. A fraction of the activated neutrophils retracted their pseudopods under the influence of fluid shear and returned to round shape. Pseudopod retraction was observed only in the presence of erythrocytes (at shear stresses up to ~25 dyn/cm2). At a constant hematocrit and increasing plasma viscosities with addition of macromolecules, the number of de-activated neutrophils scaled with shear stress and less so with shear rate. We examined a biochemical and rheological role of erythrocytes during shear de-activation of neutrophils. Addition of superoxide dismutase (SOD) in phosphate buffer served to enhance neutrophil de-activation by fluid shear. Replacement of erythrocytes by solid microspheres (5.4 μm) to simulate the particle properties of the erythrocytes, did not serve to enhance neutrophil de-activation unless in the presence of SOD. At higher shear stresses without erythrocytes (38–77 dyn/cm2), we also observed neutrophil de-activation but only in the presence of SOD. These results suggest that erythrocytes play an important role in neutrophil de-activation by reducing the superoxide level in plasma. Shear stress, rather than shear rate, is the key determinant that regulates neutrophil de-activation.
Transient expression of a cell surface heparan sulfate proteoglycan (syndecan) during limb development

Syndecan is an integral membrane proteoglycan that contains both heparan sulfate and chondroitin sulfate chains and that links the cytoskeleton to interstitial extracellular matrix components, including collagen and fibronectin. Immunohistochemistry with a monoclonal antibody directed to the core protein of the syndecan ectodomain has been used to analyze the distribution of this proteoglycan in the developing mouse limb bud and in high-density cultures of limb mesenchyme cells. By Day 9 of gestation when the limb buds are just apparent, syndecan is detected on cells throughout the limb region, including both ectodermal and mesenchymal components. This distribution does not change as the limb bud elongates along its proximodistal axis, except for its reduction in the apical ectodermal ridge. By Day 11, the intensity of immunofluorescence in the central core decreases relative to other regions. By Day 13 immunostaining is lost in the regions destined for chondrogenesis and myogenesis but persists in the limb ectoderm and peripheral and distal mesenchyme. In the limb mesenchyme cell cultures, syndecan is initially undetected, but is found throughout the culture by 24 hr. With further culture the antigen becomes reduced in chondrogenic foci and in association with myogenic cells. When chick limb ectoderm is placed on the high-density cultures, immunoreactivity in the mouse mesenchyme is enhanced suggesting that epithelial-mesenchymal interactions modulate syndecan expression in the limb bud. Based on analysis of 35S-labeled syndecan from the cultures, syndecan from limb mesenchyme cells contains more glycosaminoglycan chains and is larger in size than the previously described polymorphic forms of syndecan from various epithelia. The high affinity of syndecan for components of the extracellular matrix and its distribution in the early limb bud are consistent with a role in maintaining the morphologic integrity of the limb bud during the period of initiation and rapid outgrowth, and in preventing the onset of chondrogenesis.
Attitude Dynamics and Control of Solar Sails with Articulated Vanes

In this paper we develop a robust nonlinear algorithm for the attitude control of a solar sailcraft with M single degree-of-freedom articulated control vanes. A general attitude controller that tracks an admissible trajectory while rejecting disturbances such as torques due to center-of-mass to center-of-pressure offsets is applied to this problem. We then describe a methodology based on nonlinear programming to allocate the required control torques among the control vanes. A simplified allocation strategy is then applied to a solar sail with four articulated control vanes, and simulation results are given. The performance of the control algorithm and possible limitations of vane-only control are then discussed.
OPTICAL MEASUREMENT OF NEBULIZER SPRAYS: A QUANTITATIVE COMPARISON OF DIFFRACTION, PHASE DOPPLER INTERFEROMETRY, AND TIME OF FLIGHT TECHNIQUES

Abstract Five spray analysis instruments are compared by measurement of identical medical nebulizer sprays. The instruments tested include a phase Doppler interferometer (Aerometrics), a time-of-flight instrument (Amherst Process Instruments) and three diffraction instruments (all by Malvern). Two different jet nebulizers were used for testing. Each was tested with both water and propylene glycol. Volume distributions, mass median aerodynamic diameters (MMAD), and ninety-percent volume aerodynamic diameter measurements (d.90) are compared. MMAD results from the Aerosizer were consistently higher than those from the diffraction instruments. MMAD and d.90 results from the Phase Doppler system agreed well with the diffraction instruments for water sprays, but varied from the other instruments for propylene glycol sprays. This occurred because the Phase Doppler Interferometer reported larger droplets present in the propylene glycol sprays that in some cases significantly affected the otherwise smaller sized volume distributions. These droplets were not apparent in the results from the other instruments but were noted during visualization studies. Volume distribution results demonstrate that the Malvern 2600 is inappropriate for use with sprays in the examined size range. The other volume distributions were similar with the exception of the Aerosizer, which reported higher, more normally distributed volume distributions compared to the other instruments.
Low temperature magnetization of dilute PdMn spin glasses: Evidence for a T3/2 behavior and absence of RKKY scaling

We have made magnetization measurements with a SQUID magnetometer on four Pd1−xMnx alloys with x ranging from 27 to 575 ppm, at temperatures from 0.01 to 1 K and fields up to 250 Oe. Above 0.1 K the low field magnetization for all alloys is described by a Curie–Weiss law with a giant moment (g = 3.7 for S = 5/2) per Mn atom and with a ferromagnetic Weiss constant proportional to Mn concentration, ϑ = (130x) K. Below 0.1 K deviations from Curie–Weiss behavior are apparent. At the lowest temperatures the magnetization for the three lower concentration alloys follows the law M(H,T,x) = M(H,O,x)(1−α(H,x)T3/2). For the noble metal spin glasses we have shown previously that α(H,x) and M(H,O,x) follow scaling laws based on the r−3 oscillatory RKKY interaction. For these dilute PdMn alloys these scaling laws are not obeyed. This is further evidence at lower concentration that inter‐impurity interactions in PdMn are not governed by the conventional RKKY indirect exchange.
Speaking across Difference in Community Dialogues on Affirmative Action Policy.

This study investigated the relevance of participants’ social group differences with regard to the processes and outcomes of community dialogues on affirmative action. We found that participants’ professional status was most salient to both the quantity of participants’ contributions as well as their persuasiveness within the dialogues, with participants’ race and gender also being potential factors. Participants across all social groups used the communicative strategy of argument as well as other forms of discourse that Young (2000) identified: greeting, rhetoric, and narrative. Our findings counter the assumption that communicative styles vary systematically by social group and suggest the need for research into the ways in which political equality can be fostered in deliberative dialogues in addition to the inclusion of multiple forms of discourse.
What's new in the mechanisms of enzyme regulation?

Protein Phosphorylation in Regulation: Recently Discovered Systems of Enzyme Regulation by Reversible Phosphorylation. Vol. 1 of Molecular Aspects of Cellular Regulation. Edited by P. Cohen. Pp.273. ISBN 0-444-80226-6. (Elsevier/North-Holland Biomedical: 1980.) $63.50, Dfl. 130.
Variation in Osmotic Response to Sustained Mannitol Administration

Background Osmotic agents such as mannitol remain a mainstay in the management of cerebral edema and raised intracranial pressure. Some patients do not respond to sustained mannitol administration with the expected rise in serum osmolality, and this may correlate with lack of therapeutic efficacy.
A survey of trichinosis among black bears in Vermont.

Following the 1964 and 1965 hunting seasons, diaphragm and loin or rump specimens from 35 black bears shot in Vermont were examined for evidence of trichinosis. Laboratory studies ineluded direct microscopy as well as digestion and concentration techniques. No larvae of Trichinella spiralis were found in this 11% sample of the annual bear kill.
Immunotherapy for Glioblastoma: The Devil Is in the Details

TO THE EDITOR: In a recent issue of Journal of Clinical Oncology, Sampson et al report encouraging progression-free survival and survival data using a vaccine that targets the tumor-specific epidermal growth factor receptor mutation, EGFRvIII. While selectively targeting a tumor-specific mutation with active immunotherapy has been the holy grail of this field for some time, the data presented by these authors also raises some concerns with regard to the value of singlearm phase II trials which have become perennial in neuro-oncology. While the authors’ survival statistics are impressive, recent articles demonstrate that such data in the context of single-arm phase II trials can be misleading. In the Sampson et al article, however, additional data is provided which further supports the potential efficacy of the vaccine – that is, the nearly universal elimination of the target antigen in patients whose tumors recur. Radiation, by its very nature, and temozolomide, as more recently shown, are mutagenic. In the context of this trial, we must remember that these patients also received both of these standard-ofcare therapies. Thus, it is possible that these potent mutagens cause either random or systematic mutations in EGFRvIII, resulting in its apparent absence. This finding might reduce the importance of this article. In contrast, if patients treated with standard-of-care radiation and temozolomide maintain expression of EGFRvIII, then these authors have strong support for the activity of their vaccine, and the apparent increase in survival that they demonstrate has greater importance. I think it is important for the authors to comment on this issue and perhaps reply within the context of the Journal.
Determinants of Impairment of Cardiac Filling During Progressive Pericardial Effusion

The progressive reduction in cardiac output—and later in arterial pressures—that develops during advancing degrees of pericardial effusion is usually attributed to a steady decrease in the venoatrial pressure gradient. Evaluation of changes in instantaneous pressures in the right and left atria at the end of ventricular diastole (Z pressure) and systole (V pressure) indicates that as pericardial pressure rises other determinants enter in the following order: (1) reduction in diastolic capacities of the atriums and ventricles; (2) decrease in venoatrial pressure gradient and preponderant rise of left atrial pressures due to the higher elasticity coefficient of this chamber; (3) blockage of atrial inflow during ventricular diastole; (4) impairment of atrial inflow during ventricular systole as its stroke volume diminishes to an extreme degree; and (5) inauguration of a vicious cycle in which a diminishing venopressure gradient decreases ventricular filling, while the consequent reduction in stroke volume at...
Pancreatic β-Cells in Obesity: EVIDENCE FOR INDUCTION OF FUNCTIONAL, MORPHOLOGIC, AND METABOLIC ABNORMALITIES BY INCREASED LONG CHAIN FATTY ACIDS (∗)

To elucidate the mechanism of the basal hyperinsulinemia of obesity, we perfused pancreata from obese Zucker and lean Wistar rats with substimulatory concentrations of glucose. Insulin secretion at 4.2 and 5.6 mM glucose was ∼10 times that of controls, whereas β-cell volume fraction was increased only 4-fold and DNA per islet 3.5-fold. We therefore compared glucose usage at 1.4, 2.8, and 5.6 mM. Usage was 8-11.4 times greater in Zucker islets at 1.4 and 2.8 mM and 4 times greater at 5.6 mM; glucose oxidation at 2.8 and 5.6 mM glucose was >12 times lean controls. To determine if the high free fatty acid (FFA) levels of obesity induce these abnormalities, normal Wistar islets were cultured with 0, 1, or 2 mM long chain FFA for 7 days. Compared to islets cultured without FFA insulin secretion by FFA-cultured islets (2 mM) perifused with 1.4, 3, or 5.6 mM glucose was increased more than 2-fold, bromodeoxyuridine incorporation was increased 3-fold, and glucose usage at 2.8 and 5.6 mM glucose was increased approximately 2-fold (1 mM FFA) and 3-fold (2 mM FFA). We conclude that hypersecretion of insulin by islets of obese Zucker fatty rats is associated with, and probably caused by, enhanced low Km glucose metabolism and β-cell hyperplasia, abnormalities that can be induced in normal islets by increased FFA.
Increased incidence of benign pancreatic pathology following pancreaticoduodenectomy for presumed malignancy over 10 years despite increased use of Endoscopic ultrasound

Despite using imaging studies, tissue sampling, and serologic tests about 5-10% of surgeries done for presumed pancreatic malignancies will have benign findings on final pathology. Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) is used with increasing frequency to study pancreatic masses. The aim of this study is to examine the effect of EUS on prevalence of benign diseases undergoing Whipple over the last decade. Patients who underwent Whipple procedure for presumed malignancy at Emory University Hospital from 1998 to 2011 were selected. Demographic data, history of smoking and drinking, history of diabetes and pancreatitis, imaging data, pathology reports, and tumor markers were extracted. 878 patients were found. 95 (10.82%) patients had benign disease. Prevalence of benign finding had increased over the recent years despite using more EUS. Logistic regression models showed that abdominal pain (OR: 5.829, 95% CI 2.681-12.674, P ≤ 0.001) and alcohol abuse (OR: 3.221, CI 95%: 1.362-7.261, P: 0.002) were predictors of benign diseases. Jaundice (OR: 0.221, 95% CI: 0.084-0.58, P: 0.002), mass (OR: 0.145, 95% CI: 0.043-0.485, P: 0.008), and ductal dilation (OR: 0.297, 95% CI 0.134-0.657, P: 0.003) were associated with malignancy. Use of imaging studies, ERCP, and EUS has not decreased the percentage of benign findings after surgery for presumed pancreatic malignancy.
‘I Remember When I Learned That!’ developmental and gender differences in children's memories of learning episodes

Eighty 4- to 9-year-old children answered factual knowledge questions in math, science and social studies during one-on-one interviews. Children indicated whether they had known or guessed each answer, and whether they (a) remembered the moment they learned the answer (episodic response) or (b) did not remember. For episodic responses, children provided memory narratives of learning episodes. One third of children's responses identified a learning episode. There was a developmental trend in which older children were more episodic than younger children, and when children knew and provided correct answers, there was a gender difference in which females were more episodic than males. Developmental and gender differences in the characteristics of memory narratives were also apparent. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Dual regulation of the cardiac L-type calcium channel in L6 cells by protein kinase C

The role of protein kinase C (PKC) in the regulation of cardiac L-type Ca(2+) channel activity (LCC) was investigated in L6 rat neonatal myoblasts. Depolarization of fura-2 loaded cells with 140mM KCl activated a Ba(2+) influx pathway that was blocked by nifedipine and stimulated by (-) Bay K 8644. At least two splice variants of the alpha(1C) subunit of the cardiac LCC were identified by PCR; the alpha(1S) subunit of the skeletal muscle LCC was not detected. Peptides that specifically inhibit translocation of the novel, Ca(2+)-independent delta and epsilon PKC isozymes reduced Ba(2+) influx by 27% and 19%, respectively, whereas a corresponding peptide directed against translocation of classical PKC alpha had no effect. Ingenol 3,20-dibenzoate, an agent reported to selectively activate novel PKCs, increased Ba(2+) uptake by 31% while ethanol, a PKC epsilon agonist, enhanced uptake by 38%. In contrast, selective activation of classical PKCs with thymeleatoxin or an agonist peptide reduced Ba(2+) influx by 23-33%. Ba(2+) influx was reduced by 30-40% when cells were treated with either a PKC inhibitor (Go 6983, bisindolylmaleimide) or the PKC activator phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate. We propose that novel, Ca(2+)-insensitive PKC(s) enhance cardiac Ca(2+) channel activity in L6 cells under basal conditions while activation of the classical, Ca(2+)-sensitive PKC(s) inhibits channel activity. These findings provide the first evidence that different PKC isozymes exert class-specific opposing effects on cardiac L-type Ca(2+) channel activity in L6 myoblasts.
In vivo interaction between nitrogenase molybdenum-iron protein and membrane in Azotobacter vinelandii and Rhodospirillum rubrum.

Abstract Oriented whole cell multilayers of Azotobacter vinelandii and Rhodospirillum rubrum were analyzed by electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopy to detect possible structural associations between nitrogenase molybdenum-iron (MoFe) protein and cytoplasmic or intracytoplasmic membrane. Initially, protocols were designed to obtain strong molybdenum-iron protein ESR signals in whole cell samples of each organism. Then, two-dimensional orientation of whole cell membranes was demonstrated in whole cell multilayers using doxyl stearate spin label in A. vinelandii and the bacteriochlorophyll a dimer triplet signal, (BCHI a ) 2 T , from the intracytoplasmic membrane-bound photosynthetic apparatus of R. rubrum . Subsequent analysis of the low-field signals, g = 4.3 and g = 3.6, of molybdenum-iron protein in whole cell multilayers of each organism showed orientation-dependent characteristics, although the properties of each were different. Specifically, as the normal to the membrane plane was rotated from perpendicular to parallel with the ESR magnetic field, the amplitude of the g = 3.6 signal decreased from maximum to about 37% of maximum in A. vinelandii and from maximum to about 88% of maximum in R. rubrum . The angular dependence of the g = 4.3 peak during rotation varied in A. vinelandii , but decreased from maximum to about 63% of maximum in R. rubrum . These data suggest that the molybdenum-iron protein of nitrogenase was oriented in response to the physical orientation of cellular membranes and that a structural association may exist between this nitrogenase component and membrane in these organisms.
The effects of feeding high concentrations of cholecalciferol, phytase, or their combination on broiler chicks fed various concentrations of nonphytate phosphorus

SUMMARY Two experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of feeding high concentrations of cholecalciferol (D3), phytase, or their combination on BW gain, FE, tibia ash, and total tract P retention in broiler chicks fed various concentrations of nonphytate P (nPP). In the first experiment, we compared dietary nPP concentrations (0.20, 0.26, 0.33, 0.39, and 0.45%) with supplemental D3 (0, 7,500, and 15,000 IU/kg) for 5- to 23-d-old Ross 308 chicks. In experiment 2, we compared dietary nPP concentrations (0.15, 0.25, 0.35, and 0.45%) with concentrations of D3 (0 or 7,500 IU/kg) and phytase (0 or 1,000 phytase units/kg) for 4- to 18-d-old Ross 308 chicks. The supplementation of D3 resulted in improved FE and total tract P retention in experiment 1, but did not have a positive effect on any of the parameters tested in experiment 2. The addition of higher concentrations of D3 to broiler diets resulted in improved P retention in experiment 1, but did not affect the performance of chicks in either experiment.
Epidemiology of Nasal Polyps

The prevalence of nasal polyps (NP) in the population has been grossly estimated as 1–4%. An association between NP and allergic rhinitis (AR) is weak, with NP prevalence in patients with AR estimated between 1.5 and 1.7% and this incidence approaches that of the general population. Large cohort studies have revealed a strong association between asthma and NP. The incidence of NP increases with age and is likely the greatest between 40 and 60 years of age. If NP are found in a child, a workup for cystic fibrosis should be conducted. Genetic inheritance has been proposed as a possible etiology of NP but remains unclear. Up to 50% of aspirin insensitive patients have NP and up to 36% of patients with NP may have some form of analgesic insensitivity. Allergic fungal rhinosinusitis is a known underlying pathophysiologic etiology in a subset of CRS patients and is strongly associated with NP. Ethnic and geographic variation has emerged as a potential modifier in NP pathophysiology.
S-Glutathiolation of p21ras by Peroxynitrite Mediates Endothelial Insulin Resistance Caused by Oxidized Low-Density Lipoprotein

Objectives— To understand the mechanism by which oxidants are linked to insulin resistance, bovine aortic endothelial cells were exposed to oxidized low-density lipoproteins (oxLDL) or peroxynitrite. Methods and Results— OxLDL transiently increased phosphorylation of Erk and Akt within 5 minutes, but 60 minutes later, resulted in decreased insulin-induced Akt phosphorylation. OxLDL promoted a 2- to 5-fold increase in oxidant generation as measured by dihydrorhodamine or dihydroethidium oxidation that was ascribed to peroxynitrite. Exogenous peroxynitrite (25 to 100 μmol/L) or oxidized glutathione mimicked the effects of oxLDL. OxLDL increased the S -glutathiolation of p21ras, and adenoviral transfection with either a mutant p21ras (C118S) lacking the predominant site of S -glutathiolation or a dominant-negative mutant restored insulin-induced Akt phosphorylation. The requirement for oxidant-mediated S -glutathiolation and activation of p21ras in mediating insulin resistance was further implicated by showing that insulin signaling was restored by Mek inhibitors or by overexpression of glutaredoxin-1. Furthermore, oxLDL increased Erk-dependent phosphorylation of insulin receptor substrate-1 serine-616 that was prevented by inhibiting oxidant generation, Erk activation, or by the p21ras C118S mutant. Conclusions— This study provides direct evidence for a novel molecular mechanism by which oxidants can induce insulin resistance via S -glutathiolation of p21ras and Erk-dependent inhibition of insulin signaling.
Improving Web Performance through New Networking Technologies

New connection-oriented networking technologies can provide quality-of-service guaranteed network connectivity required by some web-based applications. In this paper, we present a solution for leveraging these new networking technologies without requiring modifications to existing web server and client software. We implemented a CGI-based software package called WebFT. We demonstrate how it can be used along with existing web servers and clients to enable fast web page downloads across a wide-area experimental connection- oriented network called CHEETAH, which we deployed as part of an NSF-sponsored project. WebFT is integrated with the CHEETAH end-host software modules to provide deterministic data transfer services transparently to users. The "add-on" design of the CHEETAH network, whereby connection-oriented services are provided in addition to the connectionless service offered by the Internet, allows the WebFT package to provide normal web server access to non- CHEETAH clients through the Internet while simultaneously serving CHEETAH clients on dedicated circuits. The experiments conducted on the CHEETAH testbed show that WebFT can achieve low-variance end-to-end transfer delays at different circuit rates and low transfer delays when high-speed circuits are possible. 1. Introduction
Solar radiation decreases parasitism in Daphnia

Climate change and variation in atmospheric ozone are influencing the intensity of ultraviolet radiation (UVR) reaching ecosystems. Changing UVR regimes, in turn, may alter epidemics of infectious disease. This possibility hinges on the sensitivity of epidemiologically relevant traits of host and parasite to UVR. We address this issue using a planktonic system (a zooplankton host, Daphnia dentifera, and its virulent fungal parasite, Metschnikowia bicuspidata). Controlled laboratory experiments, coupled with in situ field incubations of spores, revealed that quite low levels of UVR (as well as longer wavelength light) sharply reduced the infectivity of fungal spores but did not affect host susceptibility to infection. The parasites sensitivity to solar radiation may underlie patterns in a lake survey: higher penetration of solar radiation into lakes correlated with smaller epidemics that started later in autumn (as incident sunlight declined). Thus, solar radiation, by diminishing infectivity of the parasite, may potently reduce disease.