cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Sharp Ca2+ Nanodomains beneath the Ribbon Promote Highly Synchronous Multivesicular Release at Hair Cell Synapses

Hair cell ribbon synapses exhibit several distinguishing features. Structurally, a dense body, or ribbon, is anchored to the presynaptic membrane and tethers synaptic vesicles; functionally, neurotransmitter release is dominated by large EPSC events produced by seemingly synchronous multivesicular release. However, the specific role of the synaptic ribbon in promoting this form of release remains elusive. Using complete ultrastructural reconstructions and capacitance measurements of bullfrog amphibian papilla hair cells dialyzed with high concentrations of a slow Ca²⁺ buffer (10 mM EGTA), we found that the number of synaptic vesicles at the base of the ribbon correlated closely to those vesicles that released most rapidly and efficiently, while the rest of the ribbon-tethered vesicles correlated to a second, slower pool of vesicles. Combined with the persistence of multivesicular release in extreme Ca²⁺ buffering conditions (10 mM BAPTA), our data argue against the Ca²⁺-dependent compound fusion of ribbon-tethered vesicles at hair cell synapses. Moreover, during hair cell depolarization, our results suggest that elevated Ca²⁺ levels enhance vesicle pool replenishment rates. Finally, using Ca²⁺ diffusion simulations, we propose that the ribbon and its vesicles define a small cytoplasmic volume where Ca²⁺ buffer is saturated, despite 10 mM BAPTA conditions. This local buffer saturation permits fast and large Ca²⁺ rises near release sites beneath the synaptic ribbon that can trigger multiquantal EPSCs. We conclude that, by restricting the available presynaptic volume, the ribbon may be creating conditions for the synchronous release of a small cohort of docked vesicles.
A Novel Mechanism for Nitric Oxide Production in Nitroalkyl Radicals that Circumvents Nitro!Nitrite Isomerization

In this study, we present a novel mechanism for NO loss from nitroalkyl radicals that circumvents the traditional higher-energy nitro-nitrite isomerization. We characterize the intrinsic reaction coordinate at the B3LYP/6-311++g(3df,2p) level of theory and calculate the transition-state energies using the G4 composite method; the subsequent dynamics en route to the highly exothermic NO + acetone product channel proceeds through a three-membered ring intermediate. Crossed laser-molecular beam scattering experiments on the 2-nitro-2-propyl radical confirm the importance of this new mechanism in determining the product branching.
A secure networked laboratory for kernel programming

Recently, several flavours of UNIX have appeared which run on inexpensive personal computers. Further, the source code for these operating systems is freely available. This makes offering courses that include realistic kernel programming feasible in an academic environment. However, root access is required in order to modify a system's kernel. This poses a potential security threat both to other systems on the network and to other users of a single machine. This paper presents a lab design which securely integrates machines with untrusted users acting as root into a secured network, and which securely allows multiple users root access to the same machine.
Low-power process-variation tolerant arithmetic units using input-based elastic clocking

In this paper we propose a design methodology for low-power, high-performance, process-variation tolerant architecture for arithmetic units. The novelty of our approach lies in the fact that possible delay failures due to process variations and/or voltage scaling are predicted in advance and addressed by employing an elastic clocking technique. The prediction mechanism exploits the dependence of delay of arithmetic units upon input data patterns and identifies specific inputs that activate the critical path. Under iso-yield conditions, the proposed design operates at a lower scaled down Vdd without any performance degradation, while it ensures a superlative yield under a design style employing nominal supply and transistor threshold voltage. Simulation results show power savings of upto 29%, energy per computation savings of upto 25.5% and yield enhancement of upto 11.1% compared to the conventional adders and multipliers implemented in the 70nm BPTM technology. We incorporated the proposed modules in the execution unit of a five stage DLX pipeline to measure performance using SPEC2000 benchmarks [9]. Maximum area and throughput penalty obtained were 10% and 3% respectively.
Prokaryotic cells separated from sediments are suitable for elemental composition analysis

Cell-sediment separation methods can potentially enable determination of the elemental composition of microbial communities by removing the sediment elemental contribution from bulk samples. We demonstrate that a separation method can be applied to determine the composition of prokaryotic cells. The method uses chemical and physical means to extract cells from benthic sediments and mats. Recovery yields were between 5% and 40%, as determined from cell counts. The method conserves cellular element contents to within 30% or better, as assessed by comparing C, N, P, Mg, Al, Ca, Ti, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, and Mo contents in Escherichia coli. Contamination by C, N, and P from chemicals used during the procedure was negligible. Na and K were not conserved, being likely exchanged through the cell membrane as cations during separation. V, Cr, and Co abundances could not be determined due to large (>100%) measurement uncertainties. We applied this method to measure elemental contents in extremophilic communities of Yellowstone National Park hot springs. The method was generally successful at separating cells from sediment, but does not discriminate between cells and detrital biological or noncellular material of similar density. This resulted in Al, Ti, Mn, and Fe contamination, which can be tracked using proxies such as metal:Al ratios. With these caveats, we present the first measurements, to our knowledge, of the elemental abundances of a chemosynthetic community. The communities have C:N ratios typical of aquatic microorganisms, are low in P, and their metal abundances vary between hot springs by orders of magnitude.
High-efficiency Transduction of the Mouse Retina by Tyrosine-mutant AAV Serotype Vectors

Vectors derived from adeno-associated viruses (AAVs) have become important gene delivery tools for the treatment of many inherited ocular diseases in well-characterized animal models. Previous studies have determined that the viral capsid plays an essential role in the cellular tropism and efficiency of transgene expression. Recently, it was shown that phosphorylation of surface-exposed tyrosine residues from AAV2 capsid targets the viral particles for ubiquitination and proteasome- mediated degradation, and mutations of these tyrosine residues lead to highly efficient vector transduction in vitro and in vivo. Because the tyrosine residues are highly conserved in other AAV serotypes, in this study we evaluated the intraocular transduction characteristics of vectors containing point mutations in surface- exposed capsid tyrosine residues in AAV serotypes 2, 8, and 9. Several of these novel AAV mutants were found to display a strong and widespread transgene expression in many retinal cells after subretinal or intravitreal delivery compared with their wild-type counterparts. For the first time, we show efficient transduction of the ganglion cell layer by AAV serotype 8 or 9 mutant vectors, thus providing additional tools besides AAV2 for targeting these cells. These enhanced AAV vectors have a great potential for future therapeutic applications for retinal degenerations and ocular neovascular diseases.
Thermal conductivity of subcooled liquid oxygen

Abstract The thermal conductivity of liquid oxygen below 80 K and pressures up to 1 MPa has been measured using a horizontal, guarded, flat-plate calorimeter. The working equation of the calorimeter is based on the one-dimensional Fourier’s law. The gap between the calorimeter plates was measured in situ from a capacitance measurement. The cooling power to the calorimeter is provided by a two-stage Gifford–McMahan cryocooler. The absolute temperatures are measured using platinum resistance thermometers. The results are compared to existing data and analytical models.
Antioxidant flavonoid glycosides from Daphniphyllum calycinum

A novel flavonoid diglycoside, 5,6,7,4'-tetrahydroxyflavonol 3-O-rutinoside (1), and a previously known compound, kaempferol 3-O-neohesperidoside (2), were isolated from an ethyl acetate extract of Daphniphyllum calycinum leaves that showed significant activity in a 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free-radical assay. The structure of 1 was elucidated by a combination of spectroscopic methods, and compounds 1 and 2 were found to be moderately active as antioxidants in the DPPH assay.
Analysis and Design of an Air-Cycle Microclimate Cooling Device

This paper presents an innovative concept of using air-cycle technology for the development of a microclimate cooling device for use by soldiers in the battlefield. The device is an integrated heat engine and heat pump which supplies air at a prescribed temperature and humidity for personal cooling of a soldier wearing protective ensembles, generates electrical energy to power communication equipment, and produces drinking water by condensing atmospheric moisture which may be very useful in desert warfare. It consists of a centrifugal compressor, two turbines or expanders, a combustion chamber, three heat exchangers, a water separator, and an electric generator. Atmospheric air is used as the working fluid in both the engine and cooling loops and diesel is used as the fuel for combustion. A detailed thermodynamic analysis and design optimization was performed. It was found that the system efficiency increases with operating pressure ratio, attains a maximum, and decreases with further increase of pressure ratio. The system efficiency was found to be also dependent on the air-fuel ratio, and the maximum efficiency was found to occur at a specific air-fuel ratio for any given pressure ratio. The optimum operating condition determined from the thermodynamic analysis was used to outline a detailed design of the system.
SELECTIVITY-STRUCTURE TRENDS IN THE EXTRACTION OF Co(II) AND Ni(II) BY DIALKYL PHOSPHORIC, ALKYL ALKYLPHOSPHONIC,AND DIALKYLPHOSPHINIC ACIDS∗

Abstract The conditional equilibrium constants for the extraction reactions of Co(II) and Ni(ll) by toluene solutions of homologous series dialkyl phosphoric, alkyl alkylphosphonlc, and dialkyl-phosphlnic acids have been evaluated. From the equilibrium constants the Co/Ni selectivity factors were calculated. Absorption spectra and water extraction data for organic solutions of selected reagents which had extracted the metals were also obtained. The data have allowed us to establish correlations between the structure of the extractants and their selectivity for Co(II) over Ni(II). The two main features controlling the different extractive behavior of Co(II) and Nl(II) with the organo-phosphorus reagents appear to be the different degree of hydration of the extracted complexes and their different coordination geometry. Sterlc hindrance effects, introduced by branchings on the alkyl chains greatly reduce the extractability of Ni(II) which forms octahedral complexes in the organic phase, while the extraction ...
Enhanced depth imaging spectral-domain optical coherence tomography.

Purpose To describe a method to obtain images of the choroid using conventional spectral-domain (SD) optical coherence tomography (OCT) and to evaluate choroidal thickness measurements using these images. Design Observational case series. Methods The images were obtained by positioning the SD OCT device close enough to the eye to obtain an inverted representation of the fundus in healthy volunteers who did not have pupillary dilation. Seven sections, each comprised of 100 averaged scans, were obtained within a 5- × 15-degree rectangle centered on the fovea. The choroidal thickness under the fovea in each image was measured by independent observers. Results The choroidal thickness could be evaluated in every subject's choroidal image. The mean choroidal thickness under the fovea was 318 μm in the right eye and 335 μm in the left eye. The choroidal thickness showed a high correlation in both eyes ( r = 0.82; P r = 0.93; left eye, r = 0.97; P Conclusions This method provides detailed, measurable images from the choroid, a structure that heretofore has been difficult to image in clinical practice.
Origin of cholinergic nerves to the rat major cerebral arteries: Coexistence with vasoactive intestinal polypeptide

The distribution and density of vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) immunoreactive and acetylcholinesterase (AChE)-containing nerves around the cerebral arteries was studied by using whole mounts with or without lesioning the sphenopalatine ganglia. Abundant VIP immunoreactive and AChE-containing nerves were observed around the cerebral blood vessels in normal rats especially in the anterior circulation of the cerebral arteries. VIP-immunoreactivity and AChE-staining was also demonstrated in neurons within the sphenopalatine ganglia. Lesions of the sphenopalatine ganglia resulted in a marked reduction of both VIP-immunoreactivity and AChE activity. In many neurons, coexistence of both VIP and AChE was revealed. These results demonstrate that cholinergic neurons from the sphenopalatine ganglia innervate the cerebral vasculature at the base of the brain, and that VIP and AChE coexists within the same fibers.
Isolated bilateral submandibular abscesses in a preterm infant: a case report

Isolated submandibular suppurative sialadenitis in the newborn is a rare entity. Only six cases have been reported in the literature. A rare case of isolated bilateral submandibular abscesses in a premature infant is presented. The possible etiology, diagnosis and management of this rare condition are discussed.
Metallographic Examination and Validation of Thermal Effects in Hypervelocity Gouging

In this work, a gouged section of 1080 railroad rail steel is examined using metallographic techniques to characterize the nature of the damage. The gouging was performed by a rocket sled at Holloman Air Force Base, riding on VascoMax 300 steel shoes at 2.1 km/s. The damaged rail is evaluated in detail to examine material phase changes, shear bands, and heat effects. The results are compared to samples of the virgin material, machined and prepared exactly as they are prior to the Holloman AFB High Speed Test Track (HHSTT) runs. The gouged section was examined using optical microscopy, scanning electron microscope (SEM), and other techniques. The resulting microstructure is presented and compared to the virgin material. Material mixing, shear band formation, and significant thermal damage, consistent with a high energy gouging event, are confirmed. In addition, the material phase change evident in this approach allows us to estimate the thermal conditions present during the formation of the gouge. This thermal history establishes a profile by which related research in gouge simulation can be validated against. A one-dimensional heat conduction model is presented that validates the cooling rates required to generate the presented microstructure.
DNA charge transport: conformationally gated hopping through stacked domains.

The role of base motions in delocalization and propagation of charge through double helical DNA must be established experimentally and incorporated into mechanistic descriptions of DNA-mediated charge transport (CT). Here, we address these fundamental issues by examining the temperature dependence of the yield of CT between photoexcited 2-aminopurine (Ap*) and G through DNA bridges of varied length and sequence. DNA assemblies (35-mers) were constructed containing adenine bridges Ap(A)_nG (n = 0−9, 3.4−34 A) and mixed bridges, ApAAIAG and ApATATG. CT was monitored through fluorescence quenching of Ap* by G and through HPLC analysis of photolyzed DNA assemblies containing Ap and the modified guanine, N_2-cyclopropylguanosine (^(CP)G); upon oxidation, the ^(CP)G radical cation undergoes rapid ring opening. First, we find that below the duplex melting temperature (∼60 °C), the yield of CT through duplex DNA increases with increasing temperature governed by the length and sequence of the DNA bridge. Second, the distance dependence of CT is regulated by temperature; enhanced DNA base fluctuations within duplex DNA extend CT to significantly longer distances, here up to 34 A in <10 ns. Third, at all temperatures the yield of CT does not exhibit a simple distance dependence; an oscillatory component, with a period of ∼4−5 base pairs, is evident. These data cannot be rationalized by superexchange, hopping of a localized charge injected into the DNA bridge, a temperature-induced transition from superexchange to thermally induced hopping, or by phonon-assisted polaron hopping. Instead, we propose that CT occurs within DNA assemblies possessing specific, well-coupled conformations of the DNA bases, CT-active domains, accessed through base motion. CT through DNA is described as conformationally gated hopping among stacked domains. Enhanced DNA base motions lead to longer range CT with a complex distance dependence that reflects the roles of coherent dynamics and charge delocalization through transient domains. Consequently, DNA CT is not a simple function of distance but is intimately related to the dynamical structure of the DNA bridge.
Differential Regulation of IGF-Binding Protein Gene Expression by cAMP in Rat C6 Glioma Cells

We previously reported that cAMP inhibits autocrine IGF-I gene expression in rat C6 glioma cells. In this study we examined the influence of cAMP on IGF-binding protein gene expression in C6 cells. cAMP potently inhibited IGF-binding protein-3 mRNA and, to a lesser extent, IGF-binding protein-4 mRNA and transiently stimulated IGF-binding protein-5 mRNA. The changes in secreted IGF-binding proteins whose molecular weights were consistent with IGF-binding protein-3 and -5 correlated with those of mRNA levels. cAMP decreased the IGF-binding protein-3 mRNA half-life, but did not alter IGF-binding protein-4 and -5 mRNA half-lives. An IGF-binding protein-5 promoter/luciferase fusion construct containing 888 bp of 5′-flanking sequence and the first 114 bp of exon 1 sequence was stimulated by cAMP after 24 h by approximately 2-fold in transient transfection assays. 5′- or 3′-deletion to −33 or +10 (the transcription start site was designated as +1), respectively, did not alter the increase caused by cAMP. Site-di...
Leontief's spatial economic analyses

Abstract This paper provides a brief review of Wassily W. Leontief's major contributions in intranational and multiregional input-output analyses. In addition, the importance of these contributions to today's accounting practices, data collection, and computer technologies are emphasized. A summary is provided of the distinctions between a national input-output model and four spatial models: regional, intranational, multiregional, and interregional.
Ferrite loaded UHF sleeve monopole integrated with a GPS patch antenna for a handset

This article describes the design of a compact ferrite loaded UHF sleeve monopole antenna covering 225–450 MHz that is colocated with GPS annular ring microstrip antennas on top of a handset. This antenna provides both communications and navigational capabilities to the user and is intended for military and commercial applications. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 54:2513–2516, 2012; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/mop.27102
Marginal Biotin Deficiency Can Be Induced Experimentally in Humans Using a Cost-Effective Outpatient Design

To date, marginal, asymptomatic biotin deficiency has been successfully induced experimentally by the use of labor-intensive inpatient designs requiring rigorous dietary control. We sought to determine if marginal biotin deficiency could be induced in humans in a less expensive outpatient design incorporating a self-selected, mixed general diet. We sought to examine the efficacy of three outpatient study designs: two based on oral avidin dosing and one based on a diet high in undenatured egg white for a period of 28 d. In study design 1, participants (n = 4; 3 women) received avidin in capsules with a biotin binding capacity of 7 times the estimated dietary biotin intake of a typical self-selected diet. In study design 2, participants (n = 2; 2 women) received double the amount of avidin capsules (14 times the estimated dietary biotin intake). In study design 3, participants (n = 5; 3 women) consumed egg-white beverages containing avidin with a biotin binding capacity of 7 times the estimated dietary biotin intake. Established indices of biotin status [lymphocyte propionyl-CoA carboxylase activity; urinary excretion of 3-hydroxyisovaleric acid, 3-hydroxyisovaleryl carnitine (3HIA-carnitine), and biotin; and plasma concentration of 3HIA-carnitine] indicated that study designs 1 and 2 were not effective in inducing marginal biotin deficiency, but study design 3 was as effective as previous inpatient study designs that induced deficiency by egg-white beverage. Marginal biotin deficiency can be induced experimentally by using a cost-effective outpatient design by avidin delivery in egg-white beverages. This design should be useful to the broader nutritional research community.
Characterization and aerosol dispersion performance of advanced spray-dried chemotherapeutic PEGylated phospholipid particles for dry powder inhalation delivery in lung cancer

Pulmonary inhalation chemotherapeutic drug delivery offers many advantages for lung cancer patients in comparison to conventional systemic chemotherapy. Inhalable particles are advantageous in their ability to deliver drug deep in the lung by utilizing optimally sized particles and higher local drug dose delivery. In this work, spray-dried and co-spray dried inhalable lung surfactant-mimic PEGylated lipopolymers as microparticulate/nanoparticulate dry powders containing paclitaxel were rationally designed via organic solution advanced spray drying (no water) in closed-mode from dilute concentration feed solution. Dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) and dipalmitoylphosphatidylethanolamine poly(ethylene glycol) (DPPE-PEG) with varying PEG chain length were mixed with varying amounts of paclitaxel in methanol to produce co-spray dried microparticles and nanoparticles. Scanning electron microscopy showed the spherical particle morphology of the inhalable particles. Thermal analysis and X-ray powder diffraction confirmed the retention of the phospholipid bilayer structure in the solid-state following spray drying, the degree of solid-state molecular order, and solid-state phase transition behavior. The residual water content of the particles was very low as quantified analytically Karl Fisher titration. The amount of paclitaxel loaded into the particles was quantified which indicated high encapsulation efficiencies (43-99%). Dry powder aerosol dispersion performance was measured in vitro using the Next Generation Impactor (NGI) coupled with the Handihaler dry powder inhaler device and showed mass median aerodynamic diameters in the range of 3.4-7 μm. These results demonstrate that this novel microparticulate/nanoparticulate chemotherapeutic PEGylated phospholipid dry powder inhalation aerosol platform has great potential in lung cancer drug delivery.
Platform for evolving genetic automata for text segmentation

Developers of large-scale document processing and image recognition systems are in need of a dynamically robust character segmentation component. Without this essential module, potential turn-key products will remain in the laboratory indefinitely. An experiment of evolving a biologically based neural image processing system which has the ability to isolate characters within an unstructured text image is presented. In this study, organisms are simulated using a genetic algorithm with the goal of learning the intelligent behavior required for locating and consuming text image characters. Each artificial life-form is defined by a genotype containing a list of interdependent control parameters which contribute to specific functions of the organism. Control functions include vision, consumption, and movement. Using asexual reproduction in conjunction with random mutation, a domain independent solution for text segmentation is sought. For this experiment, an organism's vision system utilizes a rectangular receptor field with signals accumulated using Gabor functions. The optimal subset of Gabor kernel functions for conducting character segmentation are determined through the process of evolution. From the results, two analyses are presented. A study of performance over evolved generations shows that qualifiers for the natural selection of dominant organisms increased 62%. The second analysis visually compares and discusses the variations of dominant genotypes form the first generation to the uniform genotypes resulting from the final generation.
Uric acid handling in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease with normal filtration rates

Abstract purpose: Patients with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) are alleged to have more frequent or more pronounced alterations of uric acid homeostasis than are seen in most other types of chronic renal diseases. We performed this study to examine the hypothesis that individuals with ADPKD have abnormal uric acid homeostasis that is manifest before the development of renal insufficiency. patients and methods: We studied 301 subjects, 163 with ADPKD and 138 relatives without ADPKD (NADPKD), by ultrasonography. The subjects were interviewed and examined. Venous blood and two 24-hour urine collections were obtained for uric acid and creatinine determinations. results: Presence of hyperuricemia, serum uric acid levels, uric acid clearance, and fractional excretion of uric acid did not differ between ADPKD and NADPKD subjects with normal renal function (creatinine clearance greater than 80 mL/minute/1.73 m 2 ). Clearance of uric acid decreased and fractional excretion increased in subjects with decreased renal function in both groups. Female gender enhanced renal excretion of uric acid in both groups and hypertension depressed it except in men with ADPKD, who had higher fractional excretions for uric acid than did hypertensive NADPKD men. conclusions: Uric acid homeostasis is preserved in individuals with ADPKD with normal renal function when compared to unaffected family members. Hyperuricemia and decreased renal excretion of uric acid develop as renal function worsens in ADPKD, similar to that in control subjects. The expected depressing effect of hypertension on renal handling of uric acid was not seen in men with ADPKD, speculatively due to an effect of atrial natriuretic factor.
Use of computed tomography for a three-dimensional treatment planning system

Computed tomography (CT) can generate a set of serial contiguous slices which form a volume of medical image data. We have developed new techniques for creating computer synthesized 3-D images directly from a volume encoded as a three-dimensional array. The operator can place the eye anywhere in object space to selectively view a portion of the volume from any angle. A set of volume processing tools have been recently developed to allow interactive manipulation of image data within the volume. These tools allow the system to be used for surgical planning, and craniofacial implant design.
Nonmonotonic reasoning and causation

Abstract It is suggested that taking into account considerations that traditionally fall within the scope of computer science in general, and artificial intelligence in particular, sheds new light on the subject of causation. It is argued that adopting causal notions can be viewed as filling a computational need: They allow reasoning with incomplete information, facilitate economical representations, and afford relatively efficient methods for reasoning about those representations. Specifically, it is proposed that causal reasoning is intimately bound to nonmonotonic reasoning. An account of causation is offered that relies upon this connection, and compares this proposal to previous accounts within philosophy and artificial intelligence.
Spectral affinity in protein networks

Background Protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks enable us to better understand the functional organization of the proteome. We can learn a lot about a particular protein by querying its neighborhood in a PPI network to find proteins with similar function. A spectral approach that considers random walks between nodes of interest is particularly useful in evaluating closeness in PPI networks. Spectral measures of closeness are more robust to noise in the data and are more precise than simpler methods based on edge density and shortest path length.
Uncoupling Protein-2 Overexpression Inhibits Mitochondrial Death Pathway in Cardiomyocytes

Uncoupling proteins (UCPs) are located in the mitochondrial inner membrane and partially dissipate the transmembrane proton electrochemical gradient. UCP2 is expressed in various human and rodent tissues, including the heart, where its functional role is unknown. In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that UCP2 overexpression could protect cardiomyocytes from oxidative stress-induced cell death by reducing reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in mitochondria. Using an adenoviral vector containing human UCP2, we investigated the effects of UCP2 overexpression on the mitochondrial death pathway induced by oxidative stress (100 micromol/L H2O2) in cultured neonatal cardiomyocytes. UCP2 overexpression significantly suppressed markers of cell death, including TUNEL positivity, phosphatidylserine exposure, propidium iodide uptake, and caspase-3 cleavage. Furthermore, UCP2 remarkably prevented the catastrophic loss of mitochondrial inner membrane potential induced by H2O2, which is a critical early event in cell death. Ca2+ overload and the production of ROS in mitochondria, both of which contribute to mitochondrial inner membrane potential loss, were dramatically attenuated by UCP2 overexpression. Thus, overexpression of UCP2 attenuates ROS generation and prevents mitochondrial Ca2+ overload, revealing a novel mechanism of cardioprotection.
A discriminative learning framework with pairwise constraints for video object classification

To deal with the problem of insufficient labeled data in video object classification, one solution is to utilize additional pairwise constraints that indicate the relationship between two examples, i.e., whether these examples belong to the same class or not. In this paper, we propose a discriminative learning approach which can incorporate pairwise constraints into a conventional margin-based learning framework. Different from previous work that usually attempts to learn better distance metrics or estimate the underlying data distribution, the proposed approach can directly model the decision boundary and, thus, require fewer model assumptions. Moreover, the proposed approach can handle both labeled data and pairwise constraints in a unified framework. In this work, we investigate two families of pairwise loss functions, namely, convex and nonconvex pairwise loss functions, and then derive three pairwise learning algorithms by plugging in the hinge loss and the logistic loss functions. The proposed learning algorithms were evaluated using a people identification task on two surveillance video data sets. The experiments demonstrated that the proposed pairwise learning algorithms considerably outperform the baseline classifiers using only labeled data and two other pairwise learning algorithms with the same amount of pairwise constraints.
Race and sex differences in the refusal of cardiac catheterization among elderly patients hospitalized with acute myocardial infarction

Background Prior studies have reported race and sex differences in cardiac catheterization use after acute myocardial infarction (AMI). It is unclear whether race or sex differences in procedure refusal may contribute to this difference. We sought to determine whether cardiac catheterization refusal rates differ by patient race or sex. Methods We evaluated medical records of 74,745 Medicare beneficiaries hospitalized for AMI between January 1994 and February 1996 to ascertain refusal of cardiac catheterization during hospitalization. Patient race and sex were evaluated for their association with cardiac catheterization refusal adjusting for patient, physician, and hospital characteristics. Results The cardiac catheterization refusal rate in the overall cohort was 2.92% (95% CI 2.80%-3.04%). Race and sex differences in cardiac catheterization were observed after multivariate adjustment, with white women (odds ratio [OR] 1.28), black men (OR 1.34), and black women (OR 1.37) more likely to refuse cardiac catheterization than white men (OR 1.00). Relative differences in refusal were associated with only modest absolute differences in risk-standardized rates of cardiac catheterization refusal; rates were lowest for white men (2.55%), and higher for white women (3.21%), black men (3.36%), and black women (3.38%, P <.001 for global comparison). Conclusions Patient race and sex were associated with cardiac catheterization refusal among elderly patients hospitalized with AMI. However, absolute race and sex differences in rates of procedure refusal were small, suggesting that race and sex differences in cardiac catheterization refusal provide only a partial explanation of observed differences in cardiac procedure use. (Am Heart J 2002;144:1052-6.)
Beyond Reach and Effectiveness: Evaluating the Not-On-Tobacco (N-O-T) Program in West Virginia From 2000 to 2005

Despite most teenage smokers wanting to quit, their likelihood of success resembles that of flipping a coin. Evidence-based cessation programs, like the American Lung Association's Not-On-Tobacco (N-O-T) program, are effective. Evaluation of program dissemination is critical. This study uses the RE-AIM framework to evaluate the N-O-T program in West Virginia from 2000 to 2005. RE-AIM components consisted of four measures. Regional dissemination was measured using comparative differences between Regional Educational Service Agency regions (RESAs). Significant associations were found between RESAs for numerous characteristics. Among the RE-AIM components, two measures of Implementation were significantly different between RESAs. Variability between RESAs provided valuable descriptive evidence of N-O-T program dissemination in West Virginia. Therefore, geographical tailoring grounded in community-based participatory research could increase the N-O-T program's overall dissemination.
Modified-prior i-Vector Estimation for Language Identification of Short Duration Utterances

In this paper, we address the problem of Language Identification (LID) on short duration segments. Current state-of-the-art LID systems typically employ total variability i-Vector modeling for obtaining fixed length representation of utterances. However, when the utterances are short, only a small amount of data is available, and the estimated i-Vector representation will consequently exhibit significant variability, making the identification problem challenging. In this paper, we propose novel techniques to modify the standard normal prior distribution of the i-Vectors, to obtain a more discriminative i-Vector extraction given the small amount of available utterance data. Improved performance was observed by using the proposed i-Vector estimation techniques on short segments of the DARPA RATS corpora, with lengths as small as 3 seconds. Index Terms: Language identification, i-Vector, short duration segments, RATS
Global 3D MHD Simulations of Waves in Accretion Discs

We discuss results of the first global 3D MHD simulations of warp and den- sity waves in accretion disks excited by a rotating star with a misaligned dipole magnetic field. A wide range of cases are considered. We find for example that if the star's mag- netosphere corotates approximately with the inner disk, then a strong one-arm bending wave or warp forms. The warp corotates with the star and has a maximum amplitude (jzwj=r 0:3) between the corotation radius and the radius of the vertical resonance. If the magnetosphere rotates more slowly than the inner disk, then a bending wave is excited at the disk-magnetosphere boundary, but it does not form a large-scale warp. In this case the angular rotation of the disk ((r )) has a maximum as a function of r so that there is an inner region where d=dr > 0. In this region we observe radially trapped density waves in approximate agreement with the theoretical prediction of a Rossby wave instability in this region.
The use and impact of rapid health technology assessments.

Objectives: To consider the impact of rapid health technology assessments undertaken as part of a program in a provincial healthcare system in response to urgent requests for advice. Methods: Review of the development and preparation of 20 rapid assessment reports, communication with decision makers within the healthcare system, and appraisal of data subsequent to preparation of the reports. Results: Fourteen of the assessments were judged to have had an influence on policy and other decisions, as judged by responses from those who had requested advice. Another four were considered to have provided guidance, while having less immediate influence on decisions, and two others had no apparent impact. Quality of the assessments was considered acceptable, on the basis of literature that subsequently became available and from comments received. Conclusions: These brief reports are considered to be a useful component of a health technology assessment program. However, they should be regarded as provisional appraisals and followed up with more detailed evaluation where possible.
Analog modeling of divergent and convergent transfer zones in listric normal fault systems

Transfer zones are common features in passive margins such as the Gulf of Mexico, where deformation between adjacent listric normal faults is accommodated by the formation of complex secondary fault systems. Two common types of transfer zones are (1) convergent, with the main faults dipping toward each other, and (2) divergent, with the main faults dipping away from each other. Analog clay models are developed for both convergent and divergent transfer zones with the faults approaching each other, offset by 90°, and overlapping each other. During extension, the structures initiate as symmetric grabens and later transform into asymmetric half grabens. The main fault and associated synthetic faults form a narrow zone of deformation, whereas the antithetic faults develop into a broader zone constituting evenly spaced discrete fault segments. Orientations, lengths, densities, and sizes of connected fault clusters vary with the type of transfer zone, structural position relative to the fault offsets, and total extension. The experiments show that the antithetic faults in convergent transfer zones and synthetic faults in divergent transfer zones tend to be more consistent in orientation and connect easily. Synthetic faults in convergent transfer zones and antithetic faults in divergent transfer zones change orientation along strike toward the transfer zone. Fault connectivity in approaching transfer zones is generally higher than in normal offset or overlapping configurations. The analog models provide important insights on the geometry of fault patterns and possible fluid-migration pathways within transfer zones.
Higher clinical success in patients with ventilator-associated pneumonia due to methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus treated with linezolid compared with vancomycin: results from the IMPACT-HAP study

Controversy exists regarding optimal treatment for ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) due to methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). The primary objective of this study was to compare clinical success of linezolid versus vancomycin for the treatment of patients with MRSA VAP. This was a multicenter, retrospective, observational study of patients with VAP (defined according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention criteria) due to MRSA who were treated with linezolid or vancomycin. MRSA VAP was considered when MRSA was isolated from a tracheal aspirate or bronchoalveolar lavage. Clinical success was evaluated by assessing improvement or resolution of signs and symptoms of VAP by day 14. After matching on confounding factors, logistic regression models were used to determine if an association existed between treatment arm and clinical success. A total of 188 patients were evaluated (101 treated with linezolid and 87 with vancomycin). The mean ± standard deviation Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II score was 21 ± 11 for linezolid- and 19 ± 9 for vancomycin-treated patients (P = 0.041). Clinical success occurred in 85% of linezolid-treated patients compared with 69% of vancomycin-treated patients (P = 0.009). After adjusting for confounding factors, linezolid-treated patients were 24% more likely to experience clinical success than vancomycin-treated patients (P = 0.018). This study adds to the evidence indicating that patients with MRSA VAP who are treated with linezolid are more likely to respond favorably compared with patients treated with vancomycin.
Site assignment for relations and joint operations in the distributed transaction processing environment

An integrated strategy for choosing the sites where relations are to be stored while simultaneously determining where joint operations are to take place is considered. Based on the transaction characteristic and arrival frequency to each site, a methodology to formulate the strategy is developed to assign relations to systems and determine joint sites so as to minimize the amount of intersystem communication while simultaneously balancing resource utilization among systems. The methodology first decomposes queries into relation steps and then makes site assignments based on linear integer-programming techniques. >
Distributed Progressive Algorithm for Maximizing Lifetime Vector in Wireless Sensor Networks

Maximizing the operational lifetime of a sensor network is a critical problem in practice. Many prior works define the network's lifetime as the time before the first sensor in the network runs out of energy. However, when one sensor dies, the rest of the network can still work, as long as useful data generated by other sensors can reach the sink. More appropriately, we should maximize the lifetime vector of the network, consisting of the lifetimes of all sensors, sorted in ascending order. For this problem, there exists only a centralized algorithm that solves a series of linear programming problems with high-order complexities. This paper proposes a fully distributed progressive algorithm which iteratively produces a series of lifetime vectors, each better than the previous one. Instead of giving the optimal result in one shot after lengthy computation, the proposed distributed algorithm has a result at any time, and the more time spent gives the better result. We show that when the algorithm stabilizes, its result produces the maximum lifetime vector. Furthermore, simulations demonstrate that the algorithm is able to converge rapidly towards the maximum lifetime vector with low overhead.
Stable hp mixed finite elements based on the Hellinger-Reissner principle

In the Hellinger-Reissner formulation for linear elasticity, both the displacement u and the stress σ are taken as unknowns, giving rise to a saddle point problem. We present new pairings of quadrilateral 'trunk' finite element spaces for this method and prove stability (and optimality) in terms of both h and p. The effect of mesh shape regularity on the stability constant is explicitly tracked. Our results provide a theoretical basis for recent numerical experiments (in the context of a mixed p formulation for viscoelasticity) that showed these spaces worked well computationally.
Dynamics of ancillary service prices in power distribution systems

This paper concerns resource allocation, and performance evaluation in large-scale electric power markets. Our ultimate goal is the integration of new approaches to dynamic control of stochastic networks, with recent results concerning the competitive market equilibrium in network industries, to obtain rigorous, yet comprehensive approaches to model reduction and control for network-level power distribution systems that share these features: (i) information is distributed; (ii) users have distributed, potentially conflicting objectives; (iii) high variability; and (iv) high costs when constraints are violated. Distributed control problems of this form arise in many current application areas, including the power distribution systems considered here. The main result shows how flow models may be constructed in analogy with queuing models for the purposes of design and analysis. Based on this model, we obtain a formula for ancillary service prices in a simple power system model. Generalizations to more complex models are also described.
Tracing the cycling and fate of the explosive 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene in coastal marine systems with a stable isotopic tracer, 15N-[TNT]

2,4,6-Trinitrotoluene (TNT) has been used as a military explosive for over a hundred years. Contamination concerns have arisen as a result of manufacturing and use on a large scale; however, despite decades of work addressing TNT contamination in the environment, its fate in marine ecosystems is not fully resolved. Here we examine the cycling and fate of TNT in the coastal marine systems by spiking a marine mesocosm containing seawater, sediments, and macrobiota with isotopically labeled TNT ((15)N-[TNT]), simultaneously monitoring removal, transformation, mineralization, sorption, and biological uptake over a period of 16 days. TNT degradation was rapid, and we observed accumulation of reduced transformation products dissolved in the water column and in pore waters, sorbed to sediments and suspended particulate matter (SPM), and in the tissues of macrobiota. Bulk δ(15)N analysis of sediments, SPM, and tissues revealed large quantities of (15)N beyond that accounted for in identifiable derivatives. TNT-derived N was also found in the dissolved inorganic N (DIN) pool. Using multivariate statistical analysis and a (15)N mass balance approach, we identify the major transformation pathways of TNT, including the deamination of reduced TNT derivatives, potentially promoted by sorption to SPM and oxic surface sediments.