cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
FOXM1-AKT Positive Regulation Loop Provides Venetoclax Resistance in AML

Forkhead box protein M1 (FOXM1) is a crucial regulator of cancer development and chemoresistance. It is often overexpressed in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and is associated with poor survival and reduced efficacy of cytarabine therapy. Molecular mechanisms underlying high FOXM1 expression levels in malignant cells are still unclear. Here we demonstrate that AKT and FOXM1 constitute a positive autoregulatory loop in AML cells that sustains high activity of both pro-oncogenic regulators. Inactivation of either AKT or FOXM1 signaling results in disruption of whole loop, coordinated suppression of FOXM1 or AKT, respectively, and similar transcriptomic changes. AML cells with inhibited AKT activity or stable FOXM1 knockdown display increase in HOXA genes expression and BCL2L1 suppression that are associated with prominent sensitization to treatment with Bcl-2 inhibitor venetoclax. Taken together, our data indicate that AKT and FOXM1 in AML cells should not be evaluated as single independent regulators but as two parts of a common FOXM1-AKT positive feedback circuit. We also report for the first time that FOXM1 inactivation can overcome AML venetoclax resistance. Thus, targeting FOXM1-AKT loop may open new possibilities in overcoming AML drug resistance and improving outcomes for AML patients.
Color recognition

Reaction times to color/color, color/color-name, color-name/color-name, and color/associate pairs were measured under simultaneous pairing and priming conditions. The results indicated that the briefest reaction time occurred under color-to-color matching, but that the reaction time latencies among conditions were similar when the prime preceded the to-be-matched item by 1,500 msec. The results were interpreted in terms of a modified parallel processing model.
Directed Evolution of Artificial Metalloenzymes in Whole Cells.

Artificial metalloenzymes (ArMs), created by introducing synthetic cofactors into protein scaffolds, are an emerging class of catalyst for non-natural reactions. Although many classes of ArMs are known, in vitro reconstitution of cofactors and proteins has been a limiting step in the high-throughput screening and directed evolution of ArMs because purification of individual host proteins is time-consuming. We describe the application of a platform to combine mutants of the P450 enzyme CYP119 and the cofactor Ir(Me)MPIX in vivo, by coexpression of the CYP119 mutants with the heme transporter encoded by the hug operon, to the directed evolution of ArMs containing Ir(Me)MPIX in whole cells. We applied this platform to the development an ArMs catalyzing the insertion of the acyclic carbene from a-diazopropanoate esters (Me-EDA) into the N-H bonds of N -alkyl anilines, a combination of carbene and amine classes for which mutant enzymes of natural hemoproteins previously reacted with low enantioselectivity. The mutants of the artificial metalloenzyme Ir(Me)CYP119 identified by an evolution campaign involving more than 4000 mutants are shown to catalyze the reaction of Me-EDA with N -methyl anilines to form chiral chiral amino esters with high TON and good enantioselectivity, thereby demonstrating that the directed evolution of ArMs can rival that of natural enzymes in vivo. .
Extreme sampling for genetic rare variant association analysis of dichotomous traits with focus on infectious disease susceptibility

As genomic sequencing becomes more accurate and less costly, large cohorts and consortiums of cohorts are providing high power for rare variant association studies for many conditions. When large sample sizes are not attainable and the phenotype under study is continuous, an extreme phenotypes design can provide high statistical power with a small to moderate sample size. We extend the extreme phenotypes design to the dichotomous infectious disease outcome by sampling on extremes of the pathogenic exposure instead of sampling on extremes of phenotype. We use a likelihood ratio test (LRT) to test the significance of association between infection status and presence of susceptibility rare variants. More than 10 billion simulations are studied to assess the method. The method results in high sample enrichment for rare variants affecting susceptibility. Greater than 90% power to detect rare variant associations is attained in reasonable scenarios. The ordinary case-control design requires orders of magnitude more samples to achieve the same power. The Type I error rate of the LRT is accurate even for p-values < 10 -7 . We find that erroroneous exposure assessment can lead to power loss more severe than excluding the observations with errors. Nevertheless, careful sampling on exposure extremes can make a study feasible by providing adequate statistical power. Limitations of this method are not unique to this design, and the power is never less than that of the ordinary case-control design. The method applies without modification to other dichotomous outcomes that have strong association with a continuous covariate.
Twenty-five to forty-five years of diabetes with and without vascular complications

Forty-eight patients with a mean duration of diabetes of 36 years were examined in an attempt to establish the clinical and social factors responsible for this unusually long survival. The exceptional course of these patients was demonstrated by a comparison with 48 matched patients 9 of whom had died within 10 years and 19 within 25 years of the onset of diabetes. — Of the 48 patients examined, 24 had received earlier the Quarter-Century Victory Medal for having passed 25 years of documented diabetes without vascular complications. The remaining 24 Long Term Diabetics were matched to the “Medal” patients as to sex, age and duration of diabetes. — A striking feature of all 48 patients and especially the “Medal” group was the low prevalence of large vessel disease. Microangiopathy was more frequent. Thus nonproliferative retinopathy was present in 5 of the “Medal” patients and in 11 of the Long Term Diabetics. Proliferative retinopathy was found in 10 Long-Term Diabetics, but in none of the Medal patients. Clinical evidence of nephropathy was found in 8 and neuropathy in 28 of the 48 patients. — A relatively high prevalence of parental longevity and a low frequency of obesity and of heavy cigarette smoking, were found in the “Medal” patients. Other factors apparently contributing to the favourable prognosis in the 48 patients examined included regular sports and other physical activity (93%) and maintenance of fair to good diabetic control (79%). Thirty-five percent of the patients had close relatives in the medical profession.
OP85 – 2511: IVIG for Guillain-Barré syndrome: Which regimen should I choose?

Objective Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) is an autoimmune acute inflammatory polyradiculoneuropathy. Intravenous immunoglobulins (IVIG) are usually the first choice of treatment. Limited information is available regarding the dosage regimen of IVIG in GBS. Common options used are 0.4 g/kg/day for 5 days or a single 2 g/kg dose. Our study aims to compare the clinical course and outcome between these two regimens. Methods A retrospective 10 year analysis was performed. 32 children with GBS (median age of 5.7 years) who were admitted to our hospital between 2003 and 2013 were included in the review. Results All children presented with ascending paralysis. The average time to maximum weakness from symptom onset was 6.5 days. 30 patients received IVIG, of which 16 children had 0.4 g/kg/day for 5 days and 14 received a single dose of 2 g/kg. IVIG was administered at a median time of 2 days from the onset of weakness in both cohorts. The mean disability grade on admission was similar in both groups. Children receiving either treatment regimen had a similar period of mechanical ventilation. However, intensive care stay was shorter with the treatment regimen over 5 days. Three children (21%) in the 2 g/kg group required a repeat IVIG dose due to deterioration. The time to recovery from maximum weakness was quicker with the 5 day regimen (median 6 days) compared to the single dose regimen (median 8.5 days). The overall length of hospital stay was also shorter in the 0.4 g/kg group. Conclusion In children with GBS requiring IVIG, our study shows that administrating IVIG over 5 days is preferable, leading to faster recovery. It is also associated with a shorter duration spent in intensive care and in hospital on a whole. There were no differences noted in the long-term outcome of our patients from the use of either regimen.
SCHOOL-AGE MOTHERS : PREDICTORS OF LONG-TERM EDUCATIONAL AND ECONOMIC OUTCOMES

The long-term effects of school-age pregnancy were investigated in a 20-year follow-up of a cohort of women who were pregnant adolescents in the late 1960s. Of the 149 living young black primiparas in the original cohort, 121 (81%) were located and interviewed. At follow-up the study population ranged in age from 32 to 38 years, 68% were unmarried, 71% had finished high school, 82% were completely self-supporting, and 27% reported living in public housing. Long-term success, defined as currently employed or supported by a spouse and a high school education (62%) or its equivalent, was associated with six features: having completed more school prior to becoming pregnant (odds ratio [OR] = 18; 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.3, 139.5); participating more actively in a program intervention offered to these pregnant teenagers 20 years ago (OR = 11.11; 95% CI 1.54, 79.87); being in school with no subsequent pregnancy at 26 months postpartum (OR = 10.1; 95% CI 1.64, 62.07); feeling in control of one9s life (OR = 5.4; 95% CI 1.36, 21.54) and little social isolation (OR = 8.24; 95% CI 1.56, 43.50) at 26 months postpartum; and lifetime fertility control defined as one or two children after the index child (OR = 14.19; 95% CI 3.28, 61.29). It is concluded that most former teenage mothers complete a reasonable amount of education and are economically self-sufficient. Further, a comprehensive program that served these women 20 years ago when they were pregnant was related to long-term success. This result supports the idea that short-term targeted spending can produce long-term social benefits.
Stochastic Stability in Games with Alternative Best Replies

Abstract We investigate an evolutionary process that is continually perturbed by "mutations." If the support of the (unique) stochastically stable distribution is a singleton, then it must be a Nash equilibrium. If one element of a "mutation-connected component" of Nash equilibria appears in the stochastically stable distribution, then all members of that component appear. This implies that the stochastically stable distribution will include weakly dominated strategies in many cases, and in some cases the outcome may include only weakly dominated strategies. Choice trembles can eliminate weakly dominated strategies if but only if they occur with arbitrarily higher probability than that of mutations. Journal of Economic Literature Classification Numbers: C70, C72.
The rapid emergence of fluoroquinolone-methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infections in a community hospital. An in vitro look at alternative antimicrobial agents.

Abstract The introduction of ciprofloxacin on an unrestricted basis into a 900-bed community hospital resulted in the emergence of high-level fluoroquinolone resistance among methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) during the subsequent 18 months. Susceptibility testing revealed several old and new compounds to which all the S. aureus strains were susceptible. When an MRSA strain became resistant to ciprofloxacin it also exhibited high-level resistance to ofloxacin, fleroxacin, norfloxacin, and enoxacin. Two new experimental fluoroquinolones, WIN 57273 and CI-960, exhibited good activity against all test strains. Among the glycopeptide compounds, mupirocin and teicoplanin were approximately fourfold more active than vancomycin and ramoplanin. Rifampin and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP/SMZ) showed good activity against most strains as did imipenem. For clindamycin, gentamicin, and tetracycline susceptibilities exhibited a bimodal distribution with at least 10% of strains having resistant MIC values. Surprisingly, the addition of sulbactam potentiated the activity of ampicillin against the ciprofloxacin-resistant MRSA strains, however, sulbactam had little effect on cefoperazone activity against these same strains. Time-kill kinetic studies of selected antimicrobials against ciprofloxacin-resistant strains indicated good killing by vancomycin, ampicillin-sulbactam, and TMP/SMZ. Teicoplanin was less bactericidal than vancomycin while these same strains rapidly developed resistance to rifampin even at concentrations 8 × MIC. These data indicate certain alternative compounds within our study warrant further investigation, especially in vivo, against multiply-resistant staphylococci.
Regulation of cell membrane permeability in skeletal muscle. I. Action of insulin and trypsin on the transport system for sugar.

Abstract The mechanism of the stimulatory action of insulin on the transport of sugar across the plasma membrane of skeletal muscle cells was studied by kinetic analysis of the penetration of 3-O-methyl-d-glucose into isolated frog sartorius muscles. As part of this evaluation, the effects of trypsin and insulin were compared. Phospholipase C exerted a much smaller effect on permeability than either of these agents. Trypsin enhanced the initial rate of entry of 3-O-methylglucose into muscle cells. The changes in permeability that occurred during exposure of muscles to trypsin and during subsequent washing of the muscles with Ringer's solution followed a distinctly different time course from the pattern of response to insulin. Trypsin released nondialyzable sialic acid-containing material, tentatively assumed to be glycopeptides derived from the surface of the muscle cells, whereas insulin did not have this effect. The optimal concentration of trypsin was 2 µg per ml; higher concentrations tended to cause contractures. Trypsin did not increase permeability to d-mannitol. Despite differences in their mode of interaction with the cell, trypsin and insulin caused approximately the same maximal change in permeability to sugar, and their effects were not additive. Therefore, these agents appear to exert a selective stimulatory effect on the same transport system for sugar. Trypsin, like insulin, produced a marked increase in the Vmax of sugar transport without significantly altering the apparent Km for 3-O-methylglucose. Furthermore, the apparent Ki for phlorizin, a competitive inhibitor of 3-O-methylglucose penetration, was approximately the same whether or not the cells had been exposed to insulin. Thus, the intrinsic molecular properties of the carrier seem to be the same in stimulated and unstimulated cells. When the rate of entry of sugar was studied at different temperatures in control muscles and in muscles that had first been exposed to either insulin or trypsin under standarized conditions, the ratio of the rate of entry in stimulated muscles to the rate in control muscles fell as the temperature was raised. On the basis of these observations it has been postulated that insulin and trypsin may alter the structure of the membrane in a manner that permits sugar carriers to move more rapidly within the membrane.
Awareness of Abstract Objects

Awareness is a two-place determinable relation some determinates of which are seeing, feeling, hearing, etc.2 If you see a fire truck, or if you hear a fire truck, then you are aware of that fire truck—i.e., you stand in the awareness relation to the fire truck you see, or hear, and do so because you see it or hear it. Abstract objects are items, such as universals, propositions, numbers, functions, and sets, which contrast with concrete objects, such as solids, liquids, gases, particles, and organisms. It is a nice question what defines the category of abstract objects.3 Typical abstract objects lack spatiotemporal locations and do not stand in causal relations. Saying this much should suffice for my purposes here. It is uncontroversial that we have experiences that make us aware of concrete objects. My topic is the more controversial one of experiences that make us aware of abstract objects. It is important to distinguish two questions pertaining to this topic. First, are there any such experiences? I am not interested in forms of experience beyond our reach; nor am I interested in particular cases. Rather, my question is: among the sorts of experiences that we sometimes have, are there any that make us aware of abstract objects? Call this the Existence Question. Suppose the answer is yes, and that we have fixed on a particular kind of experience that makes us aware of abstract objects. The natural next question is: in virtue of what does such an experience make its subject aware of an abstract object when it does so? That is, the second question to be distinguished is: supposing subject S is aware of abstract object o by having an experience e of the particular sort we have assumed, then in virtue of what does e make S aware of o? Call this the Grounding Question.
Conflictos del gas y su gobernanza: el caso de los guaraníes de Tarija, Bolivia.

This article examines the implications of natural gas developmentfor Guarani indigenous communities in southeastern Bolivia. Duringthe 1990s, the Bolivian government enacted a series of neoliberalreforms designed to attract international investment for natural gasand petroleum exploitation and to facilitate the export of hydrocarbons.Protests over the management and distribution of the benefitsderived from natural gas contributed diretly to the election of EvoMorales, Bolivia´s first indigenous president. Nevertheless, anddespite the pro-indigenous discourse of Morales and his MAS (Movementto Socialism) party, gas production has had negative effectsfor indigenous peoples in Bolivia´s Chaco region, who are directlyimpacted by extractive activities. This article examines the case ofthe Guarani people of the Tierra Comunitaria de Origen (OriginaryCommunal Land, TCO) Itika Guasu, in Tarija department, whereRepsol´s Margarita ´mega-field´ is located. It is argued here thatgas exploitation in Guarani territory has been conducted withoutadequate prior consultation or meaningful participation of thepopulations affected.
Magnetic moments of quarks, leptons and hadrons: A serious difficulty for composite models

Abstract The coupling of three elementary spin- 1 2 particles to make a composite state of spin- 1 2 arises in (a) recently proposed models for quarks and leptons made of three more fundamental building blocks, (b) models of baryons made of three quarks. Reproducing the observed magnetic moments of physical particles provides stringent constraints on these models. Obtaining the observed Dirac moments of the electron and muon is particularly difficult because the mass scale of the moment must be precisely the mass of the composite system rather than some function of basic building block masses, and because the total spin and magnetic moment are not obtained by simple addition of constituent properties but involve clebsches. The Clebsch problem also arises in obtaining u and d quark moments proportional to their charges. Difficulties in the quark description of recent values of baryon magnetic moments are also discussed.
Hartree-Fock line strengths for the lithium, sodium and copper isoelectronic sequences

Abstract Hartree-Fock line strengths have been computed for the lowest Δn=0 transitions of ions in the lithium, sodium and copper isoelectronic sequences. Excitation energies were collected relativistically to lowest order in the Pauli approximation, and line strengths were corrected semiempirically using the Dirac correction factors of hydrogen-like ions. Systematic trends have been established and new data are presented for very highly ionized species.
Transcriptional Regulation of the Pituitary Vasopressin V1b Receptor Involves a GAGA-binding Protein

The role of CT repeats (inverted GAGA box) in the rat vasopressin V1b receptor (V1bR) promoter in the transcriptional regulation of this gene was studied in H32 hypothalamic cells, which express endogenous V1bR. Transfection of a 2.5-kb V1bR fragment (2161 bp upstream and 377 bp downstream of the proximal transcriptional start point) into a luciferase vector (V1bRp2.5-Luc) results in promoter activity in these cells. The 670-bp proximal promoter fragment containing the GAGA box showed maximal promoter activity, whereas deletion of the GAGA box abolished transcription.Drosophila GAGA-binding protein increased V1bR promoter activity by 11-fold when cotransfected with V1bRp2.5-Luc and increased endogenous V1bR expression. Electrophoretic mobility shift assay showed specific binding of pituitary nuclear extracts to radiolabeled GAGA oligonucleotides, which increased following restraint stress in rats, a condition associated with V1bR up-regulation. DNA-binding activity involved a protein complex because it was abolished by deoxycholate. Size-exclusion column chromatography showed a complex of 127 kDa, which dissociated into ∼70-kDa components after deoxycholate/Nonidet P-40 treatment. This study demonstrates that interactions of GAGA-binding proteins with the GAGA box of the V1bR promoter activate V1bR gene expression and provides a potential mechanism for physiological regulation of V1bR transcription.
A GEOGRAPHICAL BASIS FOR URBAN PUBLIC POLICY

Policy makers express concern for rapid growth and decline of metropolitan regions and of urban neighborhoods. These changes are the net result of families trying to improve themselves socioeconomically and geographically. Recent school intergration trends highlight the many differences between the North and South. The differences in physical and human geography of these regions must be recognized so that effective public policy can be developed.
Application of Least-Squares Joint Imaging of Multiples and Primaries to shallow-water data

Least-Squares Joint Imaging of Multiples and Primaries (LSJIMP) method is an inversion technique designed to separate multiples and primaries, and to simultaneously combine their information content. LSJIMP has been tested successfully on deepwater datasets, but has problems when the water depth decreases to less than a few hundred meters. We modify the LSJIMP model regularization operators to work better in shallow-water environments and show a successful test on a synthetic dataset.
Regulation of the mitochondrial adenine nucleotide pool size in liver: mechanism and metabolic role

The ATP-Mg/Pi carrier in liver mitochondria can catalyze the exchange of ATP-Mg on one side of the inner membrane for Pi on the other. This mechanism allows for net uptake or release of ATP-Mg from mitochondria and thus regulates the matrix ATP + ADP + AMP pool size. In isolated mitochondria, carrier activity is stimulated by submicromolar concentrations of calcium, suggesting that calcium may regulate transport rates in vivo. Whenever the carrier is active, the direction of any net changes in the matrix adenine nucleotide pool size is determined mainly by the extent to which the prevailing ATP-Mg concentration gradient deviates from an equilibrium related to delta pH through the phosphate concentration gradient. Thus it seems that in the cell, energy status (reflected by ATP:ADP ratios in the cytoplasm and matrix) determines whether calcium-mediated hormone activation of the carrier will produce an increase or a decrease in the matrix adenine nucleotide content. Consequent variations in the absolute concentrations of ATP, ADP, and AMP in the matrix may contribute to the selective regulation of those metabolic activities in the cell that have adenine nucleotide dependent steps localized to the mitochondrial compartment (gluconeogenesis, urea synthesis, mitochondrial biogenesis, and even oxidative phosphorylation).
Oxygen Transport and Stem Cell Aggregation in Stirred-Suspension Bioreactor Cultures

Stirred-suspension bioreactors are a promising modality for large-scale culture of 3D aggregates of pluripotent stem cells and their progeny. Yet, cells within these clusters experience limitations in the transfer of factors and particularly O2 which is characterized by low solubility in aqueous media. Cultured stem cells under different O2 levels may exhibit significantly different proliferation, viability and differentiation potential. Here, a transient diffusion-reaction model was built encompassing the size distribution and ultrastructural characteristics of embryonic stem cell (ESC) aggregates. The model was coupled to experimental data from bioreactor and static cultures for extracting the effective diffusivity and kinetics of consumption of O2 within mouse (mESC) and human ESC (hESC) clusters. Under agitation, mESC aggregates exhibited a higher maximum consumption rate than hESC aggregates. Moreover, the reaction-diffusion model was integrated with a population balance equation (PBE) for the temporal distribution of ESC clusters changing due to aggregation and cell proliferation. Hypoxia was found to be negligible for ESCs with a smaller radius than 100 µm but became appreciable for aggregates larger than 300 µm. The integrated model not only captured the O2 profile both in the bioreactor bulk and inside ESC aggregates but also led to the calculation of the duration that fractions of cells experience a certain range of O2 concentrations. The approach described in this study can be employed for gaining a deeper understanding of the effects of O2 on the physiology of stem cells organized in 3D structures. Such frameworks can be extended to encompass the spatial and temporal availability of nutrients and differentiation factors and facilitate the design and control of relevant bioprocesses for the production of stem cell therapeutics.
Hidden and exposed faces of power in Buenos Aires

This article presents the expressions of two opposite types of power in the city of Buenos Aires, separated from each other by some 30 years (1976–2010). They are opposites in the way they manifest themselves: one, hidden, subterranean, sinister and silent; the other, extroverted and multitudinous, filling streets and public squares. Their nature, agents and goals are different, but the physical urban sphere in which power is exercised, and the social body on which the latter is imposed, is the same: the capital city and its population, and, by extension, the country as a whole.
Cavity QED with quantized center of mass motion

We investigate the quantum fluctuations of a single atom in a weakly driven cavity, where the center of mass motion of the atom is quantized in one dimension
The Relationship Among African American Male Earnings, Employment, Incarceration and Immigration in the United States: A Time Series Approach

The advent of rising immigration has spurred research into a number of important issues insofar as the indigenous labor market is concerned. Some of these issues regarding the nature of the effect on native workers have been studied extensively. Others, like the interrelationships among immigration flows, African–American male earnings, employment, and incarceration rates have not been widely examined. In this paper, the association among these non-stationary variables is studied in the framework of a Vector Error Correction model and its associated cointegrating relationship. We find no statistically significant association among immigration, Black male employment rates, and Black male incarceration rates over the period 1961–2008, ceteris paribus.
Spatio-temporal data access for information-based decision making

Supporting large volumes of multi-dimensional data is an inherent characteristic of modern database applications, such as geographical information systems (GIS), and image and multimedia databases. such databases need underlying systems with extended features like query languages, data models, and indexing methods, as compared to traditional databases, mainly because of the complexity of representing and retrieving data. In particular, spatio-temporal information systems must efficiently store and access potentially very large quantities of spatial and temporal data so we have developed index structures that can capture the time varying nature of moving objects, namely spatio-temporal structures. This paper describes the design of a query system for such data.
Plasticizer effect on mechanical properties of β-lactoglobulin films

Abstract The mechanical properties (elastic modulus, EM; tensile strength, TS and % elongation, %E) of β-lactoglobulin (β-Lg) films plasticized with different plasticizers were determined. Six plasticizer types were studied over a range of concentrations. Propylene-glycol-plasticized β-Lg films were the most brittle, with mechanical properties independent of plasticizer content. Films with other plasticizers studied (glycerol, Gly; sorbitol, Sor; polyethylene glycol, PEG 200 and PEG 400 and sucrose, Suc) exhibited negative exponential dependence on plasticizer concentration for EM and TS, while they exhibited linear dependence on plasticizer concentration for %E. The EM and TS data for each plasticizer were fitted with an exponential model, while %E data were fitted with a linear model to quantify the plasticizer effect. The EM0, TS0 and %E0 of β-Lg films without plasticizer determined from the fitted equations were 1500, 37.28 MPa and 0, respectively. The kEM,kTS and kE values determined from the fitted EM, TS and %E data, respectively, reflect the efficiency of plasticizers. The kEM,kTS and kE values indicate that plasticizer efficiency generally decreased in the order Gly, PEG 200, PEG 400, Sor and Suc, on the bases of mole plasticizer-oxygen-atom/mole β-Lg and mass plasticizer/mass β-Lg. These results reflect the effect of plasticizer composition, size and shape. The kEM,kTS and kE value order was reversed when the basis was changed to mole plasticizer/mole β-Lg. The latter results clearly reflect the effect of plasticizer number of O atoms.
Simulation of SAW gas sensors with polymer layers using the finite element method

This paper presents a finite element (FE) model for SAW gas sensors with polymer layers, taking into account not only the mass loading effect, but also the viscoelastic properties of polymer layers, including loss. The FE model considers both variations of layer density and thickness with absorbed gas concentration. The damped eigenvalue analysis allows the calculation of complex propagation constants. This is an improvement over previously published FE works in this field, e.g. [1], which considered only the frequency shift and neglected the attenuation.
Late Classic Architectural Sculpture Themes in Copan

The architectural sculpture legacy of Late Classic Copan provides a source for understanding the sociopolitical and ideological adaptations of the rulers of this ancient city. Fieldwork conducted since 1985 has been directed toward documentation and conservation of the tens of thousands of mosaic sculpture facade pieces covered for centuries by collapsed debris or lichens. Hypothetical reconstructions of motif configurations and their rearticulation within building facades compose larger iconographic themes. The iconological study of these compositions opens a window for analyzing the nature of the religious and political symbolism produced by the last four rulers of Copan. Using these data, a shift from the cosmological and fertility themes employed by the thirteenth and fourteenth rulers to the emphasis on warfare by the fifteenth and sixteenth rulers can be documented.
Photoresponse model for Si/sub 1/spl minus/x/Ge/sub x//Si heterojunction internal photoemission infrared detector

A photoresponse model has been developed for the Si/sub 1/spl minus/x/Ge/sub x//Si heterojunction internal photoemission (HIP) infrared detector at wavelengths corresponding to photon energies less than the Fermi energy. A Si/sub 0.7/Ge/sub 0.3//Si HIP detector with a cutoff wavelength of 23 /spl mu/m and an emission coefficient of 0.4 eV/sup /spl minus/1/ has been demonstrated. The model agrees with the measured detector response at /spl lambda/>8 /spl mu/m. The potential barrier determined by the model is in close agreement (difference /spl sim/4 meV) with the potential barrier determined by the Richardson plot, compared to the discrepancies of 20-50 meV usually observed for PtSi Schottky detectors. >
Recognition and positioning of rigid objects using algebraic and moment invariants

In this thesis two model-based approaches to 3D rigid object recognition and positioning from range data are described. Objects are recognized and located by comparing and geometrically matching small regions of the data set with corresponding regions of known models stored in a database. Due to occlusion, a known object is represented in the database as a hierarchical collection of regions, each of them approximated by a parameterized model. Two types of parameterized models are studied: algebraic curves and surfaces, and moments. In the first case, the preliminary recognition and matching is based on comparing the coefficients of the corresponding polynomials. In both cases, the final recognition and matching is based on determining how well the data fits a stored model. Towards the implementation of object recognition and position estimation systems based on these models, a number of problems are analyzed and solved in this thesis. (1) How to fit models to regions of the data sets. Computing moments is relatively straightforward, but fitting algebraic curves and surfaces is difficult. Several different efficient and numerically stable algorithms for fitting implicit curves and surfaces to n-dimensional data sets are introduced. Applications of these fitting methods to segmentation algorithms are also shown. (2) Both coefficients of polynomials defining curves or surfaces, and moments of a region, change when the coordinate system changes, but they change in a well known way. The recognition and matching is based on computing and comparing invariants of, either the coefficients of the polynomials, or the moments. Invariants are functions of the coefficients, or the moments, which are independent of the coordinate system. Computationally efficient algorithms for computing invariants are introduced. (3) How to recover the coordinate transformation which best aligns two models. This problem is solved by defining an intrinsic coordinate system for both algebraic curves, and moment vectors. The parameters of this intrinsic coordinate system are functions of the coefficients of the polynomials, or the moments, and are very inexpensive to compute. (4) Preliminary ideas on how to organize all of these tools to build object recognition and positioning systems.
A hybrid, multi-agent model of foraging bottlenose dolphins

Abstract Social behavior of animals can offer solution models for missions involving a large number of heterogeneous vehicles, such as light combat ships, unmanned aerial vehicles, and unmanned underwater vehicles. We draw inspiration from the foraging techniques of bottlenose dolphins to address the problem of heterogeneous multi-agent herding. We produce a hybrid automaton model of the entire foraging method - search, detect, and capture - where agents are modeled as first-order systems in which interactions are defined through spatial proximity. Finally, simulations are provided to illustrate that our model is expressive enough to capture this complex biological phenomenon.
Calcium influxes into brain and cerebrospinal fluid are linearly related to plasma ionized calcium concentration

Abstract Unidirectional Ca influxes into brain and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) were measured at different plasma concentrations of ionized Ca ([Ca] i ) in pentobarbital-anesthetized rats. Plasma [Ca] i was varied acutely from 0.6 to 3.0 μmol/ml by intravenous infusion of EGTA, NaCl or CaCl 2 or by thyroparathyroidectomy. Ca influx was determined from the 15-min uptake of 45 Ca after intravenous injection. There were significant regional differences in 45 Ca uptake into the CNS, with a ∼20-fold greater rate into ventricular CSF than into frontal cortex. Autoradiographs of 45 Ca uptake demonstrated that uptake into frontal cortex reflects primarily transport across the cerebral capillaries, whereas uptake into ventricular CSF reflects transport across the choroid plexuses. At both sites, Ca influx was a linear function of plasma [Ca] i and extrapolated to zero at [Ca] i = 0. Infusion of EGTA or CaCl 2 did not alter the integrity of the blood-brain barrier, as determined by the permeability to [ 14 C]sucrose. These results indicate that Ca influx into the CNS is not regulated by a saturable mechanism that is sensitive to acute changes in plasma [Ca] i . The proportionality between influx and concentration is suggestive of passive diffusional transport. The brain is protected from acute changesin plasma [Ca] i by the low cerebrovascular permeability to Ca, ∼5 × 10 −8 cm/s.
Generation of a Quasi-Biennial Oscillation in an NWP Model Using a Stochastic Gravity Wave Drag Parameterization

AbstractMany operational numerical weather prediction (NWP) systems now extend into the stratosphere and are beginning to be used to generate forecasts beyond conventional 5–10-day periods out to seasonal time scales. Past observational and modeling studies have shown that the quasi-biennial oscillation (QBO) in equatorial stratospheric winds can play an important role in stratosphere–troposphere dynamical coupling over these longer time scales. Consequently, stratosphere-resolving NWP models used to generate seasonal forecasts should contain the necessary physics to generate and maintain the QBO. This study describes several key modifications that were necessary to produce a QBO in a high-altitude NWP model, which include an increase in model vertical resolution, implementation of a computationally efficient stochastic gravity wave drag parameterization, and reductions in the amount of horizontal and vertical diffusion in the stratosphere. Results from a 10-yr free-running model simulation with these mod...
Malondialdehyde-acetaldehyde-adducted protein inhalation causes lung injury.

Abstract In addition to cigarette smoking, alcohol exposure is also associated with increased lung infections and decreased mucociliary clearance. However, little research has been conducted on the combination effects of alcohol and cigarette smoke on lungs. Previously, we have demonstrated in a mouse model that the combination of cigarette smoke and alcohol exposure results in the formation of a very stable hybrid malondialdehyde–acetaldehyde (MAA)-adducted protein in the lung. In in vitro studies, MAA-adducted protein stimulates bronchial epithelial cell interleukin-8 (IL-8) via the activation of protein kinase C epsilon (PKCɛ). We hypothesized that direct MAA-adducted protein exposure in the lungs would mimic such a combination of smoke and alcohol exposure leading to airway inflammation. To test this hypothesis, C57BL/6J female mice were intranasally instilled with either saline, 30 μL of 50 μg/mL bovine serum albumin (BSA)–MAA, or unadducted BSA for up to 3 weeks. Likewise, human lung surfactant proteins A and D (SPA and SPD) were purified from human pulmonary proteinosis lung lavage fluid and successfully MAA-adducted in vitro. Similar to BSA–MAA, SPD–MAA was instilled into mouse lungs. Lungs were necropsied and assayed for histopathology, PKCɛ activation, and lung lavage chemokines. In control mice instilled with saline, normal lungs had few inflammatory cells. No significant effects were observed in unadducted BSA- or SPD-instilled mice. However, when mice were instilled with BSA–MAA or SPD–MAA for 3 weeks, a significant peribronchiolar localization of inflammatory cells was observed. Both BSA–MAA and SPD–MAA stimulated increased lung lavage neutrophils and caused a significant elevation in the chemokine, keratinocyte chemokine, which is a functional homologue to human IL-8. Likewise, MAA-adducted protein stimulated the activation of airway and lung slice PKCɛ. These data support that the MAA-adducted protein induces a proinflammatory response in the lungs and that the lung surfactant protein is a biologically relevant target for malondialdehyde and acetaldehyde adduction. These data further implicate MAA-adduct formation as a potential mechanism for smoke- and alcohol-induced lung injury.
Orthogonally Self‐Assembled Multifunctional Block Copolymers

We report the synthesis of telechelic poly(norbornene) and poly(cyclooctene) homopolymers by ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) and their subsequent functionalization and block copolymer formation based on noncovalent interactions. Whereas all the poly(norbornene)s contain either a metal complex or a hydrogen-bonding moiety along the polymer side-chains, together with a single hydrogen-bonding-based molecular recognition moiety at one terminal end of the polymer chain. These homopolymers allow for the formation of side-chain-functionalized AB and ABA block copolymers through self-assembly. The orthogonal natures of all side- and main-chain self-assembly events were demonstrated by 1H NMR spectroscopy and isothermal titration calorimetry. The resulting fully functionalized block copolymers are the first copolymers combining both side- and main-chain self-assembly, thereby providing a high degree of control over copolymer functionalization and architecture and bringing synthetic materials one step closer to the dynamic self-assembly structures found in nature.
THE EMERGENT WRITING DEVELOPMENT OF URBAN LATINO PRESCHOOLERS: DEVELOPMENTAL PERSPECTIVES AND INSTRUCTIONAL ENVIRONMENTS FOR SECOND-LANGUAGE LEARNERS

This article reports on a study using Piagetian clinical methodology to examine the early writing development of 56, urban, Spanish-speaking preschoolers in a metropolitan area of the United States. In addition, the article draws upon findings by the Expert Study (Flippo, 1998) to underscore the types of instructional environments that have proven the most efficacious for the literacy growth of young, second-language learners. Following much of the same protocols of the classic study by Ferreiro and Teberosky (1982) in Argentina, the study attempted to replicate some of the patterns found in Latin American children's early writing with those from similar backgrounds in an urban area in the United States. For the most part, the developmental patterns found twenty years earlier were also observed in the U.S. sample of preschoolers, with the exception that the four-year-old children in the present study were performing more at the level of the five-year-olds in the South American sample.
Systematically Assessing the Influence of 3-Dimensional Structural Context on the Molecular Evolution of Mammalian Proteomes

The 3-dimensional (3D) structural context of amino acid residues in a protein could significantly impact the level of selective constraint on the residues. Here, by analyzing 767 mammalian proteins, we systematically investigate how various 3D structural contexts influence selective constraint. The structural contexts we examined include solvent accessibility, secondary structure, and intramolecular residue-residue interactions. Through this analysis, we offer quantitative information on how 3D structural contexts affect the level of selective constraint.
Cytokines and the Microcirculation in Ischemia and Reperfusion

The intense inflammatory reaction following reperfusion of the infarcted myocardium has been implicated as a factor in extension of injury. However, this inflammatory reaction is also critical to tissue repair. The cellular responses that mediate these functions are orchestrated by sequential induction and/or release of cytokines resulting in a closely regulated cytokine cascade. This paper reviews research on these cytokine cascades, their cellular origin, and factors which control the cellular response to their presence. Factors examined include leukotaxis, phenotypic transition of leukocytes, adhesion molecule induction and the role of cytokines in tissue repair and scar formation.
Risk factors for medial tibial stress syndrome in physically active individuals such as runners and military personnel: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Medial tibial stress syndrome (MTSS) is a common injury in runners and military personnel. There is a lack of agreement on the aetiological factors contributing to MTSS, making treatment challenging and highlighting the importance of preventive efforts. Understanding the risk factors for MTSS is critical for developing preventive measures. The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to assess what factors put physically active individuals at risk to develop MTSS. Selected electronic databases were searched. Studies were included if they contained original research that investigated risk factors associated with MTSS, compared physically active individuals with MTSS and physically active individuals without MTSS, were in the English language and were full papers in peer-reviewed journals. Data on research design, study duration, participant selection, population, groups, MTSS diagnosis, investigated risk factors and risk factor definitions were extracted. The methodological quality of the studies was assessed. When the means and SDs of a particular risk factor were reported three or more times, that risk factor was included in the meta-analysis. There were 21 studies included in the systematic review and nine risk factors qualified for inclusion in the meta-analysis. Increased BMI (weighted mean difference (MD)=0.79, 95% CI 0.38 to 1.20, p<0.001), navicular drop (MD=1.19 mm, 95% CI 0.54 to 1.84, p<0.001), ankle plantarflexion range of motion (ROM; MD=5.94°, 95% CI 3.65 to 8.24, p<0.001) and hip external rotation ROM (MD=3.95°, 95% CI 1.78 to 6.13, p<0.001) were risk factors for MTSS. Dorsiflexion and quadriceps-angle were clearly not risk factors for MTSS. There is a need for high-quality, prospective studies using consistent methodology evaluating MTSS risk factors. Our findings suggest that interventions focused on addressing increased BMI, navicular drop, ankle plantarflexion ROM and hip external rotation ROM may be a good starting point for preventing and treating MTSS in physically active individuals such as runners and military personnel.
The Drosophila Estrogen-Related Receptor Directs a Metabolic Switch that Supports Developmental Growth

Metabolism must be coordinated with development to provide the appropriate energetic needs for each stage in the life cycle. Little is known, however, about how this temporal control is achieved. Here, we show that the Drosophila ortholog of the estrogen-related receptor (ERR) family of nuclear receptors directs a critical metabolic transition during development. dERR mutants die as larvae with low ATP levels and elevated levels of circulating sugars. The expression of active dERR protein in mid-embryogenesis triggers a coordinate switch in gene expression that drives a metabolic program normally associated with proliferating cells, supporting the dramatic growth that occurs during larval development. This study shows that dERR plays a central role in carbohydrate metabolism, demonstrates that a proliferative metabolic program is used in normal developmental growth, and provides a molecular context to understand the close association between mammalian ERR family members and cancer.
Evaluating the Political Participation of Licensed Social Workers in the New Millennium

Abstract The social work literature is replete with studies evaluating direct practice or clinical interventions, but strikingly few have assessed how well social workers are faring in the political arena. The sample in this study consists of 396 randomly selected social workers licensed in 11 states who completed a 25-30 minute telephone survey. Social workers were surveyed to determine: (1) to what degree social workers participate politically; (2) whether they have the psychological engagement, or motivation, necessary to participate; and (3) whether social workers feel adequately prepared by their program to do policy work. Implications for social work education are discussed.