cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Reflex anuria: a rare cause of acute kidney injury.

Background: Acute Kidney Injury results from pre renal, post renal or intrinsic renal causes. Reflex anuria is a very rare cause of renal impairment which happens due to irritation or trauma to one kidney or ureter, or severely painful stimuli to other nearby organs. Case Presentation: Here we present a case of acute kidney injury secondary to reflex anuria in a patient who underwent extensive gynecological surgery along with ureteral manipulation which recovered spontaneously. Conclusion: Reflex Anuria is a rare and often not considered as cause of acute kidney injury. This case illustrates that this should be kept as a differential in potential cause of acute kidney injury in patient undergoing urogenital or gynecological surgeries. Keywords: acute kidney injury; acute renal failure; reflex anuria; post op anuria (Published: 14 April 2014) Citation: Journal of Community Hospital Internal Medicine Perspectives 2014, 4 : 23423 - http://dx.doi.org/10.3402/jchimp.v4.23423
Genomic approaches in the management and treatment of breast cancer

Breast cancer is the most common malignancy afflicting women from Western cultures. It has been estimated that approximately 211 000 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in 2003 in the United States alone, and each year over 40 000 women will die of this disease. Developments in breast cancer molecular and cellular biology research have brought us closer to understanding the genetic basis of this disease. Unfortunately, this information has not yet been incorporated into the routine diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer in the clinic. Recent advancements in microarray technology hold the promise of further increasing our understanding of the complexity and heterogeneity of this disease, and providing new avenues for the prognostication and prediction of breast cancer outcomes. The most recent application of microarray genomic technologies to studying breast cancer will be the focus of this review.
An economical system for liquid scintillation counting.

Abstract Small glass shell vials (12 × 35 mm minivials), containing 2.0 ml of a dioxane-based scintillation solution plus a 14 C-labeled sample, were placed in a conventional glass, 20-ml count vial and assayed in a scintillation spectrometer. Statistical comparison of counts recorded from 14 C samples prepared both in the minivial system and conventional 20-ml count vials indicated that the two systems were equivalent with sample volumes of 10 and 100 μliters (1600-cpm solution) and 10 μliters (60-cpm solution). Conventional 20-ml glass or plastic count vials were both acceptable as containers for the minivials. There were no significant differences in the counts from samples in minivials placed on-center and off-center in the container vial. Cost per sample was reduced from 24.8 cents (conventional glass vials) to 4.7 cents (minivial system).
A real-time multiprocessor system for acquisition of multichannel neural data

A neural workstation is described which is composed of a host computer and two peripheral action potential detection processors, each of which uses a TMS32010 digital signal processors to attain real-time action potential detection and classification. The host is freed to perform online analysis and display of the event data. The system's use is demonstrated with cockroach ventral nerve cord recordings. >
Simple model for determining economic feasibility of processing new oilseeds

A simple model for programming the cost feasibility of processing a new oilseed has been developed that makes use of a programmable calculator. The analysis of cost factors developed in the study provides a realistic measure of the economic feasibility of an oilseed project. By comparing break-even cost-to-make of a new oil with the market price of a competitive oil, a quick indication of the probable success of the project can be estimated. The method is illustrated with a comparison ofCrambe abyssinica seed oil and high erucic acid rapeseed oil.
Adrenal carcinoma presenting as a lesion resembling cutaneous angiosarcoma

A case is reported of adrenal carcinoma presenting as an angiosarcoma-like metastasis in the scalp. Adrenal carcinoma is a rare tumor, and it metastasizes to skin rarely. The authors discuss the features of this tumor that led to a diagnosis of angiosarcoma and the means by which such a metastasis may be distinguished from vascular tumors.
Structural Role of Glycine in Amyloid Fibrils Formed from Transmembrane α-Helices†

Amyloid fibrils associated with diseases such as Alzheimer's are often derived from the transmembrane helices of membrane proteins. It is known that the fibrils have a cross-β-sheet structure where...
Lying on a test and in the laboratory

A lie scale was administered to college students. Three groups were formed according to the degree to which they responded truthfully to the statements. The subjects were then individually run in a visual perception task with dissyllables being presented for short time durations. Two response measures were taken: the latency of the first verbal response and the number of incorrect intrusions made during the experiment. The results showed that the liars responded with shorter latencies and made more intrusions than either of the other groups. There were no differences between the truthtellers and the medium group.
Broadband Equivalent Circuit Models for Antenna Impedances and Fields Using Characteristic Modes

An approach for modeling antenna impedances and radiation fields in terms of fundamental eigenmodes is presented. Our method utilizes the simple frequency behavior of the characteristic modes to develop fundamental building blocks that superimpose to create the total response. In this paper, we study the modes of a dipole, but the method may be applied to more complicated structures as the modes retain many of their characteristics. We show that the eigenmode-based approach results in a more accurate model for the same complexity compared to a typical series RLC resonator model. Higher order modes can be more accurately modeled with added circuit complexity, but we show that this may not always be necessary. Because this method is based on the physical behavior of the fundamental modes, it also accurately connects circuit models to radiation patterns and other field behavior. To demonstrate this, we show that far field patterns, gain, and beam width of a dipole can be accurately extrapolated over a decade of bandwidth using data at two frequency points.
The ability of the murine erythron to respond to hemolytic doses of phenylhydrazine is significantly impaired by exposures to 10 ppm benzene.

Abstract Male C57B1 mice were given 50 exposures (6 h/d × 5 d/wk × 10 wk) to 10 ppm benzene. At regular intervals during the course of the exposures, the numbers of erythroid colony-forming cells (CFU-E) and the numbers of granulocytic colony-forming cells (GM-CFU-C) were assayed. At the end of the benzene exposures, additional groups of mice were given 4 daily injections of phenylhydrazine (PHZ) to induce anemia. During the course of the exposures, the numbers of colony-forming cells from benzene-exposed mice were, with infrequent exceptions, statistically indistinguishable from the numbers of these cells in air-exposed mice. However, in response to the PHZ-induced anemia, the numbers of late erythroid (CFU-E) and granulocytic (GM-CFU-C) progenitor cells were about 30% lower among benzene-exposed mice than among air-exposed mice. These results suggest that concentrations of benzene that induce little or no observable hematopoietic changes may, in fact, greatly alter the hematopoietic capacity of an exposed individual.
Sodium ion migration mechanisms in silicate glasses probed by molecular dynamics simulations

Abstract Molecular dynamics simulations have been carried out on a silica glass containing 1 mol% soda. The Na distribution is not the same as that found in more highly concentrated sodium containing glasses. Long-range diffusive motion appears to be correlated with the absence of a neighboring non-bridging oxygen. Those Na ions remaining localized often show backward–forward hops that are not readily seen in glasses with larger sodium content.
Apodization model of the Stiles-Crawford effect

Several implications of Metcalf’s apodization model of the Stiles–Crawford effect are presented in this paper. Metcalf showed that there should be a slight smearing of the point-spread function due to the Stiles–Crawford effect. It will be shown that this smearing is approximately equal to the size of a foveal cone. As an obvious consequence of this smearing, there is a decrement in the modulation transfer function for high spatial frequencies. But unexpectedly, there is an increment in the MTF for low spatial frequencies.
On the Equivalence of Finite-State Sequential Machine Models

Finite-state sequential machine model - proof of equivalence and procedures for transforming one model to other preserving machine minimality
The formation of neural codes in the hippocampus: trace conditioning as a prototypical paradigm for studying the random recoding hypothesis

The trace version of classical conditioning is used as a prototypical hippocampal-dependent task to study the recoding sequence prediction theory of hippocampal function. This theory conjectures that the hippocampus is a random recoder of sequences and that, once formed, the neuronal codes are suitable for prediction. As such, a trace conditioning paradigm, which requires a timely prediction, seems by far the simplest of the behaviorally-relevant paradigms for studying hippocampal recoding. Parameters that affect the formation of these random codes include the temporal aspects of the behavioral/cognitive paradigm and certain basic characteristics of hippocampal region CA3 anatomy and physiology such as connectivity and activity. Here we describe some of the dynamics of code formation and describe how biological and paradigmatic parameters affect the neural codes that are formed. In addition to a backward cascade of coding neurons, we point out, for the first time, a higher-order dynamic growing out of the backward cascade—a particular forward and backward stabilization of codes as training progresses. We also observe that there is a performance compromise involved in the setting of activity levels due to the existence of three behavioral failure modes. Each of these behavioral failure modes exists in the computational model and, presumably, natural selection produced the compromise performance observed by psychologists. Thus, examining the parametric sensitivities of the codes and their dynamic formation gives insight into the constraints on natural computation and into the computational compromises ensuing from these constraints.
The nature and behavior of denture cleansers

Abstract 1. The denture patients who showed enough interest to return a questionnaire spend considerable time and effort in attempting to keep their dentures clean. 2. Fewer than one-half of this group use the commercial denture cleansers. The remainder employ either dentifrices or home cleansers, such as vinegar, Clorox, soda, salt, soap, abrasive cleansers, or Listerine. 3. More efficient stain removal was the most frequently mentioned suggestion for an improved denture cleanser. 4. The commercial immersion denture cleansers appear to be harmless to denture plastics. Also harmless are the household cleansers, such as Clorox, baking soda, ammonia, vinegar, and salt. 5. Substances which contain appreciable quantities of alcohol or essential oils are not indicated as denture cleansers. 6. On the basis of immersion tests, the commercial immersion denture cleansers seem efficient only in the removal of mucin deposited from the saliva and loosely held food debris. 7. Since the commonly used brushes, abrasive cleansers, commercial denture pastes, and dentifrices all cause scratching of the denture, they cannot be recommended for routine denture care. 8. A cleaning solution consisting of 1 teaspoonful of Clorox, or similar hypochlorite, and 2 teaspoons of Calgon in a half a glass of water is an efficient and safe cleanser for an occasional overnight immersion. 9. This hypochlorite-Calgon cleanser is not indicated for routine use with any prosthetic appliance constructed with base metals.
Prophylactic amnioinfusion during labor complicated by meconium: a preliminary report.

The purpose of this prospective and randomized study is to evaluate the safety and efficacy of prophylactic transcervical amnioinfusion in the management of labor complicated by meconium. A preexisting intrauterine pressure catheter was used for amnioinfusion. The incidence of thick meconium was significantly lower after amnioinfusion, compared with standard management (5% versus 62% p < 0.0005). This was also demonstrated with spectrophotometry. Significant differences between the amnioinfusion group and the control group were found for the following: arterial cord pH <7.20 (16% versus 38%, p < 0.05); meconium more than trace below the vocal cords at delivery (0% versus 29%, p < 0.05) and need for positive pressure ventilation at birth (16% versus 48%, p < 0.05). No complications related to amnioinfusion were observed. We conclude that (1) transcervical amnioinfusion during labor complicated by meconium is a simple and apparently safe procedure, and that (2) amnioinfusion effectively decreases the frequency of thick meconium, the frequency of neonatal acidemia, the frequency of more than trace meconium below the vocal cords, and the need for positive pressure ventilation.
Irreversible enzyme inhibitors. LXXXV. On the mode of pyrimidine binding of 5‐alkyl and 5‐arylpyrimidines to dihydrofolic reductase

A series of 5-isoamyl- and 5-(p-chlorophenyl)pyrimidines substituted with amino, alkylamino, mercapto, benzyloxy, hydroxy, or hydrogen at the 2- and 4-positions and with amino or methyl at the 6-position have been synthesized for evaluation of the mode of pyrimidine binding to dihydrofolic reductase. The studies were performed in order to determine where a bulky group could be placed on the pyrimidine ring that would still allow good binding; such studies are essential to find a suitable position for placement of a covalent forming group for design of active-site-directed irreversible inhibitors. Two classes of candidate compounds have emerged for further study as irreversible inhibitors, namely, 2-amino-4-mercapto-6-(p-bromoacetamidophenylalkyl)-pyrimidines and 2,4-diamino-6-(p-bromoacetamidophenylalkyl)aminopyrimidines having a group such as phenyl, phenylbutyl or isoamyl at the 5-position that can give strong hydrophobic bonding to the enzyme.
A Computer program to minimize a function with many variables using computer evaluated exact higher-order derivatives

This paper describes a computer program for an optimization algorithm using first- up to the rth-order derivatives to find the optimum of r-continuously-differentiable functions of many variables. The algorithm, developed by Kalaba and Tishler [6,7], obtains the exact values of the derivatives required for the optimization from the ''table algorithm'' presented in [4] and [5]. The optimization algorithm described here collapses to the well-known Newton-Raphson algorithm when only first- and second- order derivatives are used.
Effect of a single aspartate on helix stability at different positions in a neutral alanine-based peptide

A single aspartate residue has been placed at various positions in individual peptides for which the alanine-based reference peptide is electrically neutral, and the helix contents of the peptides have been measured by circular dichroism. The dependence of peptide helix content on aspartate position has been used to determine the helix propensity (s-value). Both the charged (Asp-) and uncharged (Asp0) forms of the aspartate residue are strong helix breakers and have identical s-values of 0.29 at 0 degree C. The interaction of Asp- with the helix dipole affects helix stability at positions throughout the helix, not only near the N-terminus, where the interaction is helix stabilizing, and the C-terminus, where it is destabilizing. Comparison of the helix contents at acidic pH (Asp0) and at neutral pH (Asp-) shows that the charge-helix dipole interaction is screened slowly with increasing NaCl concentration, and screening is not complete even at 4.8 M NaCl. Lastly, a helix-stabilizing hydrogen-bond interaction between glutamine and aspartate (spacing i, i + 4) has been found. This side-chain interaction is specific for both the orientation and spacing of the glutamine and aspartate residues and is resistant to screening by NaCl.
Priority-driven active data prefetching

Summary form only given. Data cache misses reduce the performance of wide-issue processors by stalling the data supply to the processor. It is especially worse in the DSM environment. Prefetching data for the critical data address misses is one way to tolerate the cache miss latencies. But current applications with irregular access patterns make it difficult to prefetch data sufficiently early to mask large cache miss latencies, especially in multithreaded applications. To complement prefetching in a multithreaded environment, this paper proposes an approach to prefetch data addresses by a priority-driven method. The method introduced in this paper is a novel approach for dynamically identifying and precompiling the data addresses of the instructions marked as in a higher priority critical path of an application. The critical path can be identified at compile-time or run-time. A separate engine calculates the data addresses of the identified instructions in the critical path and prefetches early enough, the data that are used in the next critical instruction. Preliminary results show that a priority-driven prefetching is useful. It reduces the completion time of an application significantly. The approach improved the overall performance in three experiments conducted with active prefetching, over traditional prefetching, especially in the matrix-matrix multiplication, in our simulator.
Influence of prgH on the Persistence of Ingested Salmonella enterica in the Leafhopper Macrosteles quadrilineatus

Phytophagous insects can encounter Salmonella enterica on contaminated plant surfaces and transmit externally adhered and internalized bacteria on and among leaves. Excretion of ingested S. enterica by the leafhopper Macrosteles quadrilineatus has been previously reported; however, the sites of persistence of ingested bacteria remain undetermined. Fluorescence microscopy revealed the presence and persistence of S. enterica in various organs of M. quadrilineatus fed an inoculated diet for 12 h and then moved to two consecutive noninoculated diets for a total of 48 h. Ingested S. enterica was predominantly observed in the filter chamber, midgut, and Malpighian tubules of M. quadrilineatus dissected immediately after acquisition and at 24- and 48-h post-acquisition access periods (post-AAPs). Additionally, we examined the potential roles of the Salmonella pathogenicity island 1 (SPI-1) and SPI-2 type III secretion systems (T3SSs) in the persistence and excretion of ingested S. enterica. In competition assays, a prgH mutant lacking a functional SPI-1 T3SS was recovered at significantly lower levels than the WT in insect homogenates at 24 h post-AAP, and complementation with prgH restored S. enterica persistence in M. quadrilineatus. Moreover, expression of prgH inside M. quadrilineatus was observed up to 48 post-AAP. No differences were observed between the WT and an ssaK mutant lacking a functional SPI-2 T3SS in insect homogenates or between the WT and either mutant in insect excretions. This study provides novel insight into the presence and persistence of S. enterica inside M. quadrilineatus and demonstrates that the SPI-1 T3SS influences the persistence of the pathogen in the gut of a potential vector.
Stimulation of the bactericidal activity of polymorphonuclear leukocytes by manganese

An antioxidant effect of manganese (Mn) complexes due to the scavenging of the superoxide anion (O2-.) or to the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) has been described. We report here that Mn also can exert a prooxidant effect under certain experimental conditions. Thus Mn2+ in phosphate buffer increased the bactericidal effect of phorbol myristate acetate-stimulated polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs) on extracellular Escherichia coli. This effect was inhibited by azide, catalase, and a decrease in chloride concentration and was not observed when normal PMNs were replaced by those of patients with chronic granulomatous disease or myeloperoxidase (MPO) deficiency. Mn2+ could be replaced by Mn3+ or by superoxide dismutase (SOD). These findings suggest that Mn (or SOD), by increasing the conversion of O2-. to H2O2, can increase the activity of the MPO-H2O2-chloride antimicrobial system released by stimulated PMNs.
IκBε provides negative feedback to control NF-κB oscillations, signaling dynamics, and inflammatory gene expression

NF-kappaB signaling is known to be critically regulated by the NF-kappaB-inducible inhibitor protein IkappaBalpha. The resulting negative feedback has been shown to produce a propensity for oscillations in NF-kappaB activity. We report integrated experimental and computational studies that demonstrate that another IkappaB isoform, IkappaBepsilon, also provides negative feedback on NF-kappaB activity, but with distinct functional consequences. Upon stimulation, NF-kappaB-induced transcription of IkappaBepsilon is delayed, relative to that of IkappaBalpha, rendering the two negative feedback loops to be in antiphase. As a result, IkappaBepsilon has a role in dampening IkappaBalpha-mediated oscillations during long-lasting NF-kappaB activity. Furthermore, we demonstrate the requirement of both of these distinct negative feedback regulators for the termination of NF-kappaB activity and NF-kappaB-mediated gene expression in response to transient stimulation. Our findings extend the capabilities of a computational model of IkappaB-NF-kappaB signaling and reveal a novel regulatory module of two antiphase negative feedback loops that allows for the fine-tuning of the dynamics of a mammalian signaling pathway.
An apparatus for determination of breaking-strength of small rodent bones†

Analysis of age changes in physical characteristics of mouse limb bones requires a sensitive, consistent and relatively simple apparatus for determination of transverse breaking strength. The developed instrument is essentially a one meter counter-balanced 4-to-1 lever with a tracked, motor-driven weight on its upper surface. At the beam's short end a loading tool impinges upward on a bone mounted in an adjacent holder; at the opposite end is a mercury switch connected to a relay halting the weight motor when fracture occurs. Bones, with proximal ends embedded in convex securing blocks of impression medium, may be positioned in a standard relationship to the holder, loading tool edge, and the balanced beam. Repetitive loading of a steel spring indicates instrument error of 1.8%. Preliminary tests with a random series of paired mouse femora show no significant difference between left and right bones. In the long-term study it will be possible to correlate physical strength with other characteristics of opposite bones. An air-gap capacitor across loading tool and bone holder and coupled to a variable frequency oscillator permits monitoring of specimen elasticity on a strip-chart recorder.
The Paradoxical Effects of Lead in Interferon-Gamma Knockout BALB/c Mice

It has been reported that lead (Pb) exposure enhances interleukin (IL)-4 and inhibits interferon-gamma (IFNgamma) production in wild-type (WT) BALB/c mice. Here, we examined Pb effects on immunity in IFNgamma knockout (KO) mice. Lead significantly enhanced serum IgG1 anti-keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH) levels in WT mice compared to the controls; Pb also increased serum IgG2a anti-KLH levels, but the IgG1:IgG2a ratio was greater with Pb. In addition, total serum IgE levels, but not IgE anti-KLH levels, were increased. In the KO mice, the serum IgG1, IgG2a, IgE anti-KLH, and total IgE levels were significantly lower than those of WT mice. Surprisingly, Pb significantly enhanced IgG1 and IgG2a anti-KLH levels in the KO mice. However, for these mice, unlike the WT mice, Pb caused a greater percentage change in IgG2a than in IgG1 anti-KLH, indicating less skewing toward type-2 immunoglobulins. Lead also enhanced the delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) response in WT mice. Not surprisingly, very low DTH occurred in the KO mice; however, Pb induced a strong KLH-specific DTH response. The in vivo Pb exposure significantly increased in vitro production of IL-4, IL-5, and IL-10, but not IFNgamma, IL-2 and IL-12, by KLH-induced WT and KO spleen cells. In contrast to KLH, dinitrofluorobenzene contact hypersensitivity (DNFB CHS) was detected in all groups, and Pb did not affect this response, which suggests that Pb has only a slight effect on CD8+ T cell-related responses. As previously reported, Pb enhances Th2 responses in WT mice; however, in the KO mice, Pb enhanced Th1-related anti-KLH production and a Th2-related DTH. The Pb enhancement of DTH in IFNgamma-deficient mice is likely due to promotion of type-2 cytokines and enhancement of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II expression.
Automated Exception Handling in Service Composition Using Holistic Planning

A lot of research works have devoted to automated web services composition. An important aspect of the composition procedure is exception handling. Due to the very large number of possible exceptions need to be considered, it is difficult and tedious to produce the exception handling steps manually in the composition process. However, the exception handling process has not been carefully considered in the service composition literature, let alone the automated generation of exception handling code. In this paper, we present an exception handling framework for web service composition. The framework provides a model for web service with exceptions specification. A holistic planning paradigm is also introduced to increase the expressiveness of AI planning domain. The corresponding planning algorithm is proposed to solve the holistic planning problems. We showed that the service specification can be mapped to holistic planning domain and exception handling logic can be generated automatically. A case study system is given to show that the framework is useful for the construction of a holistic interactive system.
Which one made it go? The emergence of diagnostic reasoning in preschoolers

Abstract We evaluate the hypothesis that children's diagnostic causal reasoning becomes more sophisticated as their understanding of uncertainty advances. When the causal status of candidate causes was known, 3- and 4-year-olds were capable of diagnostic inference (Experiment 1) and could revise their beliefs when told their initial diagnosis was incorrect (Experiment 2). In Experiments 3 and 4, only 4-year-olds made successful inferences when the causal status of candidate causes was uncertain. The results suggest that by age 3, children appreciate that an effect can have multiple candidate causes, but it is not until age 4 that they begin to reason correctly when the causal status of candidate causes is unknown.
Corrigendum: KLF4-dependent phenotypic modulation of smooth muscle cells has a key role in atherosclerotic plaque pathogenesis.

Previous studies investigating the role of smooth muscle cells (SMCs) and macrophages in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis have provided controversial results owing to the use of unreliable methods for clearly identifying each of these cell types. Here, using Myh11-CreER(T2) ROSA floxed STOP eYFP Apoe(-/-) mice to perform SMC lineage tracing, we find that traditional methods for detecting SMCs based on immunostaining for SMC markers fail to detect >80% of SMC-derived cells within advanced atherosclerotic lesions. These unidentified SMC-derived cells exhibit phenotypes of other cell lineages, including macrophages and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). SMC-specific conditional knockout of Kruppel-like factor 4 (Klf4) resulted in reduced numbers of SMC-derived MSC- and macrophage-like cells, a marked reduction in lesion size, and increases in multiple indices of plaque stability, including an increase in fibrous cap thickness as compared to wild-type controls. On the basis of in vivo KLF4 chromatin immunoprecipitation-sequencing (ChIP-seq) analyses and studies of cholesterol-treated cultured SMCs, we identified >800 KLF4 target genes, including many that regulate pro-inflammatory responses of SMCs. Our findings indicate that the contribution of SMCs to atherosclerotic plaques has been greatly underestimated, and that KLF4-dependent transitions in SMC phenotype are critical in lesion pathogenesis.
Identification and characterization of specific receptors for monocyte-derived neutrophil chemotactic factor (MDNCF) on human neutrophils.

Specific receptors for a recently purified and cloned monocyte-derived neutrophil chemotactic factor (MDNCF) have been identified on the surface of normal human peripheral blood neutrophils using 125I-labeled recombinant human MDNCF (125I-MDNCF). Competitive binding of 125I-MDNCF to human neutrophils reached a maximal level at 1-3 h at 4 degrees C. The Scatchard analysis showed that there are approximately 20,000 receptors per cell with a single type of high affinity binding (Kd, 8 x 10(-10) M). The receptors for MDNCF are clearly distinct from the receptors for other cytokines and chemotactic agents, e.g., IL-1 alpha, TNF-alpha, and FMLP, C5a, leukotriene B4, and platelet activating factor. Based on the SDS-PAGE analysis of chemically crosslinked 125I-MDNCF receptor complex, there are two polypeptides that bind MDNCF; the molecular weight of these two MDNCF receptors were estimated to be 67,000 and 59,000. Treatment of a promyelocytic cell line, HL60, with 1.25% DMSO for 5 d in vitro increased the number of receptors up to 7,000 receptors/cell with a Kd of 1.2 x 10(-9) M.
Effect of ‘pH’ on the rate of asparagine deamidation in polymeric formulations: ‘pH’–rate profile

The rate of Asn deamidation of a model hexapeptide (L-Val-L-Tyr-L-Pro-L-Asn-Gly-L-Ala) was measured as a function of effective pH ('pH') in glassy and rubbery polymeric solids containing poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVP) and in solution controls at 70 degrees C. The reaction exhibited pseudo-first-order kinetics in all samples over a wide 'pH' range (0.5 10,000-fold difference in the basic range ('pH' > 8). Specific base catalysis was observed in solution and in the polymeric solids under neutral conditions (6 8, whereas the reaction was 'pH'-independent in the polymeric solids in this range. The 'pH'-rate profile and supporting buffer catalysis data are consistent with a change in the rate-determining step in the basic range from 'pH'-dependent attack of the deprotonated backbone amide nitrogen on the Asn side chain in solution to 'pH'-independent ammonia expulsion in the polymeric solids. The results suggest that polymer matrix incorporation not only affects the magnitude of the deamidation rate constant but also the 'pH' dependency of the reaction and the rate-determining step in the basic 'pH' range.
Role of Oxidant Stress in Endothelial Dysfunction Produced by Experimental Hyperhomocyst(e)inemia in Humans

Background—Moderate elevations in plasma homocyst(e)ine concentrations are associated with atherosclerosis and hypertension. We tested the hypothesis that experimental perturbation of homocysteine levels produces resistance and conduit vessel endothelial dysfunction and that this occurs through increased oxidant stress. Methods and Results—Oral administration of l-methionine (100 mg/kg) was used to induce moderate hyperhomocyst(e)inemia (≈25 μmol/L) in healthy human subjects. Endothelial function of forearm resistance vessels was assessed by use of forearm vasodilatation to brachial artery administration of the endothelium-dependent dilator acetylcholine. Conduit vessel endothelial function was assessed with flow-mediated dilatation of the brachial artery. Forearm resistance vessel dilatation to acetylcholine was significantly impaired 7 hours after methionine (methionine, 477±82%; placebo, 673±110%; P=0.016). Methionine did not alter vasodilatation to nitroprusside and verapamil. Flow-mediated dilatation...
Vaccinia virus proteolysis—a review

It is well known that viruses, as obligate intracellular parasites, must use their hosts' metabolic machinery in order to replicate their genomes and form infectious progeny virions. What is less well known are the details of how viruses make sure that once all the necessary proteins are made, that they assume the correct configuration at the proper time in order to catalyse the efficient assembly of infectious virions. One of the methods employed by viruses to regulate this process is the proteolytic cleavage of viral proteins. Over the past several decades, studies in numerous laboratories have demonstrated that morphogenic proteolysis plays a major and essential role during the assembly and maturation of infectious poxvirus virions. In this review we describe the history of vaccinia virus proteolysis as a prototypic viral system.
Heritability of the neural response to emotional pictures: evidence from ERPs in an adult twin sample

Affect-modulated event-related potentials (ERPs) are increasingly used to study psychopathology and individual differences in emotion processing. Many have suggested that variation in these neural responses reflects genetically mediated risk. However, to date, no studies have demonstrated genetic contributions to affect-modulated ERPs. The present study therefore sought to examine the heritability of a range of ERPs elicited during affective picture viewing. One hundred and thirty monozygotic and 124 dizygotic twin pairs passively viewed 30 pleasant, 30 neutral and 30 unpleasant images for 6 s each. The early posterior negativity was scored for each subject; in addition, the P300/late positive potential (LPP) was scored in multiple time windows and sites. Results indicate that the centro-parietal P300 (occurring between 300 and 600 ms) is subject to substantial genetic contributions. Furthermore, variance in the P300 elicited by affective stimuli was moderately heritable even after controlling for the P300 elicited by neutral stimuli. Later and more frontal activation (i.e. between 1000 and 3000 ms) also showed evidence of heritablity. Early parietal, and perhaps later frontal portions of the P300/LPP complex, may therefore represent promising neurobehavioral markers of genetically influenced processing of emotional information.
Extended Chandrasekhar recursions

We extend the discrete-time Chandrasekhar recursions for least-squares estimation in constant parameter state-space models to a class of structured time-variant state-space models, special cases of which often arise in adaptive filtering. It can be shown that the much studied exponentially weighted recursive least-squares filtering problem can be reformulated as an estimation problem for a state-space model having this special time-variant structure. Other applications arise in the multichannel and multidimensional adaptive filtering context. >
Bulk Parameterization of Air-Sea Exchanges of Heat and Water Vapor Including the Molecular Constraints at the Interface

Abstract A model is developed for the marine atmospheric surface layer including the interfacial sublayers on both sides of the air-sea interface where molecular constraints on transports are important. Flux-profile relations which are based on the postulation of intermittent renewal of the surface fluid aye matched to the logarithmic profiles and compared with both field and laboratory measurements. These relations enable numerical determination of air-sea exchanges of momentum, heat and water vapor (or bulk transfer coefficients) employing the bulk parameters of mean wind speed, temperature and humidity at a certain height in the atmospheric surface layer, and the water temperature. With increasing wind speed, the flow goes from smooth to rough and the bulk transfer coefficient for momentum also increases. The increase in roughness is associated with increasing wave height which in the present model results in sheltering at the wave troughs. Due to the decrease in turbulent transports, the transfer coef...
Development of a new concept of electrically powered hydraulic steering

Electrically powered hydraulic steering systems (EPHS) are in mass production for about 6 years. They have been and still are very successful in the market as they follow the trend of supplying fully assembled and tested steering modules and the increasing demand for engine independent electrically powered systems. This paper illustrates the latest results of research and development in this sector leading to a new EPHS generation.
Developmental change in magnesium sulfate-induced relaxation of rabbit pulmonary arteries

Magnesium causes a variety of vascular smooth muscle to relax. The present study was designed to determine whether there is a developmental change in the magnesium-induced response of pulmonary vas...
Survey of Occupational Therapy Practice in Medication Management

Date Presented 4/16/2015 Millions of Americans are struggling to correctly take their medications as prescribed, with unfortunate consequences. In this study, we describe how occupational therapists (OTs) are addressing medication management in day-to-day practice. Common barriers and opportunities for clinicians and researchers are discussed.
Computation of Optical Properties for Quantized Electronic Systems

A density-matrix description has been developed to treat relaxation (decoherence) phenomena during resonant and non-resonant radiative transitions of quantized electronic systems, including many-electron atoms and quantum-confinement systems (e. g., semiconductor microstructures). Radiative and collisional relaxation phenomena have been treated using Liouville-space proj ecti on-operator techniques. Both time-independent (resolvent-operator) and time-dependent (equation-of-motion) formulations have been developed. The self-energy operators that occur in these formulations can provide the fundamental basis for a self-consistent determination of the non-equilibrium and coherent electronic-state kinetics together with the homogeneous spectral-line shapes. This density-matrix description can be adapted for the computer simulation of electromagnetic processes. From first-principles electronic-structure calculations or from semi-empirical approaches, the parameters describing the elementary collisional and radiative interactions can be evaluated and organized into the basic data set for the application of the density-matrix description. The final product is a theoretical prediction for the linear or non-linear optical absorption or emission spectrum corresponding to a given set of values for the appropriate physical variables, such as temperatures, densities, and electric or magnetic field strengths.
Development and Military Application of Spatial Systems

The history of international space systems is summarized.The status quo,the developmental orientation,and the latest military application activities of satellites are analyzed with focus on main countries and organizations around the world,such as the U.S.,Russia,EU,Japan,India.The applications of satellites in the latest local wars are summarized.
Introduction to Multimedia Operating Systems

This chapter presents innovative solutions for multimedia operating systems, the reservation-based direction and the adaptation direction. Reservation-based systems provide timing guarantees even in overload situations and adaptation-based systems provide the best possible timing guarantees, but in case of scarce resources, achieve dynamic reallocation of resources and deliver graceful degradation for multimedia applications. The reservation-based approach assumes timing constraints specification and admission control to provide and enforce a requested resource allocation, whereas the adaptation-based approach requires only important information (weight), upon which metric the resource is allocated. The primary focus is resource self-awareness of applications and scheduling framework utilizing this basic concept. This means that real-time programs, called activities, have mechanisms to allow them to become resource self-aware and negotiate their resource requirements with a per machine resource planner. Each real-time program specifies tuning constraints and requests a reservation from the planner. A resource management framework called resource kernels (RK) is described for supporting concurrent activities with different timing constraints. A resource kernel is a system entity that provides timely, guaranteed, and protected access to a system resource. The resource management consists of a set of resource kernels; it is based on resource reservation. The SMART scheduler for support of multimedia applications is also presented. Its basic concept involves provision of soft-real-time guarantees with dynamic feedback to applications to allow them to adapt to the current load. The SMART scheduler integrates the real-time and nonreal-time computations, allows the users to prioritize computations, and hence influences how the processor is to be shared among applications of the same priority.
Phosphatidylcholine transfer protein/StarD2 promotes microvesicular steatosis and liver injury in murine experimental steatohepatitis.

Phosphatidylcholine transport protein (PC-TP) is a highly specific phosphatidylcholine-binding protein that we previously showed to regulate hepatocellular nutrient metabolism through its interacti...
Identifying Android library dependencies in the presence of code obfuscation and minimization

The fast growth of the Android app market motivates the need for tools and techniques to analyze and improve Android apps. A basic capability in this context is to identify the libraries present in a given Android app, including their exact version. The problem of identifying library dependencies is made difficult by two common build-time transformations, namely code minimization and obfuscation. Minimization typically incorporates used library fragments into an app, while obfuscation renames symbols globally across an app. In this paper, we tackle both of these challenges via a unified approach, which abstracts app and library classes into summaries of their interactions with system libraries. The summarization technique is resistant to obfuscation, and is amenable to efficient similarity detection (matching). We lift the class-wise matches into a set of library dependencies by encoding this problem as a global constraint/optimization system across all app classes and available libraries. Our techniques identify the exact libraries and their versions used in the apps, for clear apps the recall is almost perfect at 98%. For obuscated/minimized apps it stands at 85%.
Woofer-tweeter adaptive optical structured illumination microscopy

A woofer–tweeter adaptive optical structured illumination microscope (AOSIM) is presented. By combining a low-spatial-frequency large-stroke deformable mirror (woofer) with a high-spatial-frequency low-stroke deformable mirror (tweeter), we are able to remove both large-amplitude and high-order aberrations. In addition, using the structured illumination method, as compared to widefield microscopy, the AOSIM can accomplish high-resolution imaging and possesses better sectioning capability. The AOSIM was tested by correcting a large aberration from a trial lens in the conjugate plane of the microscope objective aperture. The experimental results show that the AOSIM has a point spread function with an FWHM that is 140 nm wide (using a water immersion objective lens with NA=1.1) after correcting a large aberration (5.9 μm peak-to-valley wavefront error with 2.05 μm RMS aberration). After structured light illumination is applied, the results show that we are able to resolve two beads that are separated by 145 nm, 1.62× below the diffraction limit of 235 nm. Furthermore, we demonstrate the application of the AOSIM in the field of bioimaging. The sample under investigation was a green-fluorescent-protein-labeled Drosophila embryo. The aberrations from the refractive index mismatch between the microscope objective, the immersion fluid, the cover slip, and the sample itself are well corrected. Using AOSIM we were able to increase the SNR for our Drosophila embryo sample by 5×.
Adapting game-playing agents to game requirements

We examine the problem of self-adaptation in game-playing agents as the game requirements evolve incrementally. The goal of our current work is to develop an interactive environment in which the game designer generates requirements for a new version of a game, and the legacy software agents from previous versions of the game adapt themselves to the new game requirements. We are developing and testing our metareasoning technique for adapting a game-playing agents in Freeciv, a mature program in the domain of turn-based, multi-player strategy games. In this paper, we first present an analysis of adaptations to FreeCiv, next describe our general approach, and then describe a specific adaptation scenario.
Toward the Datacenter: Scaling Simulation Up and Out

The computing industry is changing rapidly, pushing strongly to consolidation into large “cloud computing” datacenters. New power, availability, and cost constraints require installations that are better optimized for their intended use. The problem of right-sizing large datacenters requires tools that can characterize both the target workloads and the hardware architecture space. Together with the resurgence of variety in industry standard CPUs, driven by very ambitious multi-core roadmaps, this is making the existing modeling techniques obsolete. In this chapter we revisit the basic computer architecture simulation concepts toward enabling fast and reliable datacenter simulation. Speed, full system, and modularity are the fundamental characteristics of a datacenter-level simulator. Dynamically trading off speed/accuracy, running an unmodified software stack, and leveraging existing “component” simulators are some of the key aspects that should drive next generation simulator’s design. As a case study, we introduce the COTSon simulation infrastructure, a scalable full-system simulator developed by HP Labs and AMD, targeting fast and accurate evaluation of current and future computing systems.
Nucleation kinetics in Al-Sm metallic glasses

Abstract The isothermal nucleation kinetics in Al-Sm metallic glasses with low Sm concentrations ( x Sm ) was studied using molecular dynamics simulations in order to calculate time–temperature–transformation curves. The average delay time of Al nanocrystal nucleation was found to increase exponentially with x Sm , whereas the estimated critical cooling rate necessary to avoid crystallization decreases exponentially with x Sm . Sm solutes were found to suppress Al nucleation by increasing the attachment barrier and therefore by reducing the attachment frequency. The analysis shows that the attachment of Al to the evolving nucleus has the same characteristics as Al diffusion within the amorphous matrix and they both take place heterogeneously via collective movement of a group of Al atoms.
Before and After 9/11: Religion, Politics, and Ethics

AbstractMy topic concerns the interrelation between religion, politics and ethics in a time of terror, or at least a historical moment when the general problem of terrorism has come to occupy center stage. The frequent view that 9/11 represents a wholly new situation, a break with the past makes it difficult, perhaps impossible to understand it. I believe that it is because 9/11 does not break with but continues tendencies already underway that it occurred and we can understand it. My paper, which insists on continuity as opposed to rupture, consists of six parts. The first part evokes two well known approaches to 9/11: the clash of cultures, or civilizations, due to Samuel Huntington, and religious incompatibility defended, i.A. by Bernard Lewis. In the second and third parts argue that both approaches incorrectly presuppose the autonomy of culture and religion. In the fourth part I contend that in the modern world religion and politics are subordinated to economic factors. In the fifth and last part I s...