cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Time-annotated game graphs for synthesis from abstracted systems

The construction of discrete abstractions is a crucial part of many methods for control synthesis of hybrid systems subject to formal specifications. In general, the product of discrete abstractions may not be a discrete abstraction for the product of the underlying continuously-valued systems. Addressing this, we present a control synthesis method for transition systems that are built from components with uncertain timing characteristics. The new device, called here time-annotated game graphs, is demonstrated in a variety of examples. While it is applicable generally to parity games, we consider it in the context of control subject to GR(1) specifications. We show how a nominal strategy obtained without time knowledge can be modified to recover correctness when time information becomes available. The methods are applied to a brief case study of an aircraft electric power system.
Imagined Interactions and Personality Preferences as Predictors of Relationship Quality

One goal of this study is to gather further evidence concerning the predictive validity of personality preferences from the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). While other studies have researched the extent of the MBTI's relationship with comparable personality measures, many have done so by separating the continua of the four dimensions. However, we contend that each is one trait with bipolar extremes. Accordingly, we examine the MBTI with its four dimensions intact. Because previous research demonstrates connections between personalities, imagined interactions, and relationship satisfaction, a model is proposed. A sample of 136 couples who were either dating, engaged, or married were recruited using a snowball technique from students enrolled in psychology and communication courses at a large southern university and administered the MBTI, the SII (Survey of Imagined Interactions), and the QMI (Quality Marriage Index). Results indicate both II attributes and personality preferences predict relationship s...
Two Definitions of Tangent Plane

(1971). Two Definitions of Tangent Plane. Mathematics Magazine: Vol. 44, No. 4, pp. 212-214.
Analysis on monitoring results of food contaminants in Tongzhou district of Beijing in 2010

Objective:To understand the situation of food contaminants level in Tongzhou district of Beijing and provide basic data for the determination of the national food contaminant level.Methods: In strict accordance with the sampling method provided by the monitoring program,a total of 383 samples were collected.Results: In 148 samples monitored for foodborne pathogens,6 samples were positive,all of which were from fishes.115 samples were monitored for heavy metals and the results showed that lead content was highest in vegetables and cadmium content was highest in dry edible mushrooms,mercury content was highest in pigs kidney samples.60 samples were monitored for pesticide residues,the highest positive rate was found in the detection of pyrethroid pesticides.10 pieces of pork sample were monitored for copper content,all detection results were within the national hygienic standards.50 food samples were monitored for benzoic acid,all the detection results were within national hygienic standards,but the benzoic acid in sauce salted vegetables is close to national hygienic standards.Conclusion: The contamination of foodborne pathogens in aquatic products and the contamination of heavy metals in vegetables,dry mushroom,pig kidneys should be paid attentions.For the first time in this year,it was found that pesticide residues was serious in dry mushrooms and the risk of excessive use of benzoic acid was found in sauce salted vegetables.
Research on Quality Collaborative Management Evaluation among Enterprises of Center Satellite Industrial Clusters

At first,the characteristics of center satellite industrial clusters and main contents of quality collaborative management between center and satellite enterprises are analyzed.Then,the evaluation index system of quality collaborative management is established from four dimensions consisted of the collaboration among quality strategy,planning and management system,the quality knowledge and information collaboration,the quality collaboration of quality forming process and result in quality collaborative management using questionnaire survey and expert interview methods.Secondly,level 5-score method is used to determine the different criteria of evaluation index,G1 method is used to calculate the weights and an evaluation method is given to measure quality collaborative management level.Finally,an industrial clusters consisting of center enterprises and satellite enterprises is taken as an example to evaluate quality collaborative management between them.Some problems are found and improvement advice is put forward according to the quality collaborative evaluation result between center and satellite enterprises.
Antimonid Based Mid-Infrared Detectors and Focal Plane Arrays

The use of “unipolar barrier engineering” to realize high performance infrared detectors and focal plane arrays will be discussed. A metamaterial detector structure will be demonstrated using Type II superlattices.
Alarmin High Mobility Group Box 1 (HMGB1) Activates Alternative NFkB Signaling in Bone Marrow Macrophages in the Leukemia Microenvironment

Abstract High mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) is a damage-associated molecular pattern (DAMP) that signals through pattern recognition receptors on monocyte/macrophages to recruit them to sites of tissue injury. In models of sepsis and autoimmunity, HMGB1 can have both immune-activating and regulatory effects depending on the receptor system engaged and the downstream pathway activated. Although chemotherapy-stressed tumor cells are known to release HMGB1, little is known about the effects of tumor-derived HMGB1 on macrophages in the tumor microenvironment. We have previously shown that primary human acute lymphoblastic leukemia cells release high levels of HMGB1 after treatment with anthracycline chemotherapy, and that leukemia-associated HMGB1 induces expression of the IL-1 converting enzyme (caspase-1), consistent with activation of the inflammasome. Paradoxically, inflammatory cytokine production (including IL-1beta) is reduced in this setting. In the present study, we test the hypothesis leukemia-associated HMGB1 activates alternative NFkB signaling through the repressor protein RelB which has been recently shown to silence inflammatory cytokine production via epigenetic effects in sepsis models. To establish proof-of-principle, we first treated primary human bone marrow macrophages (BMM) and THP1 monocytes with 200 ng/ml recombinant HMGB1 (r-HMGB1) in the presence or absence of bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS). As predicted, LPS alone increased baseline expression of total NFkB, total p65/RelA and phosphorylated p65/RelA mRNA (20.6 + 7.9-fold by qPCR ddCT, p Next, we determined whether induction of RelB expression also occurs in response to leukemia-derived HMGB1. Immunomagnetically selected ALL cells from the bone marrow of 3 pediatric patients and NALM 6 ALL cells were treated with 20 nM doxorubicin, washed, and placed in culture for 24 hours prior to the addition of BMM in direct coculture. In our model, ALL cells typically release 100-450 ng/ml HMGB1 under these conditions. Again, significantly increased expression of RelB mRNA (6.7 + 2.9 fold, p These data indicate that tumor-derived HMGB1 activates alternative NFkB signaling and is capable of reprogramming the inflammatory response to LPS. Studies are ongoing to the determine downstream effects on macrophage antitumor function to optimize therapeutic reversal of HMGB1 effects and improve the potential for bone marrow macrophages to eradicate residual leukemia that remains after chemotherapy. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Stance Empiricism and Epistemic Reason

Some versions of empiricism have been accused of being neither empirically confirmable nor analytically true and therefore meaningless or unknowable by their own lights. Carnap, and more recently van Fraassen, have responded to this objection by construing empiricism as a stance containing non-cognitive attitudes. The resulting stance empiricism is not subject to the norms of knowledge, and so does not self-defeat as per the objection. In response to this proposal, several philosophers have argued that if empiricism is a stance, then there can be no distinctively epistemic reasons in favor of adopting it, but only prudential or moral reasons. I defend stance empiricism against this objection by showing that stance empiricism furthers many plausibly epistemic goals, such as false belief avoidance, wisdom, and justification. I respond to three objections to my argument: that I assume a conception of epistemic reason that leads to problematic tradeoffs (I do not), that to have epistemic reason is just to be epistemically justified (it is not), and that my premise that experience is the only source of information has no empirical content (it does).
Evaluation of Renal Function Estimation Formulas Specific to Dynamic Renal Function for Drug Dosing in Critically Ill Patients.

OBJECTIVES The study compared estimated creatinine clearance (eCrCl) between the Cockcroft-Gault (CG) equation and the Jelliffe, Chiou, and Brater equations designed for estimation in dynamic renal function and resulting antimicrobial dosing concordance of five antimicrobials (cefepime, meropenem, piperacillin/tazobactam, vancomycin, and fluconazole) commonly used in the intensive care unit (ICU). METHODS Electronic medical records were used to identify the target patient population. Analysis of variance tests with repeated measures were performed to compare eCrCl. Bowker's tests of symmetry were applied to compare the dosing regimen discordance between CG and candidate equations. RESULTS From January 1, 2008 through December 31, 2012, we identified 387 patients with acute kidney injury (AKI), among whom 62% (n = 240) were older adults (65 years and older) and 46% (n = 178) were obese (body mass index ≥30). In the declining phase of renal function, eCrCl means were different between the CG and Brater equations (32.0 vs 26.1 mL/min, P < 0.001). The dosing regimen discordance rates (CG vs candidate equations) in declining renal function varied from 19.3% to 25% and were statistically significant for cefepime and meropenem (P < 0.001) based on Food and Drug Administration recommendations for dose adjustment. In the improving phase, eCrCl means were different (P < 0.001) between CG (43.0 mL/min) and candidate formulas (Brater 47.9, Chiou 31.7, and Jelliffe 55.3 mL/min). The dosing regimen discordance rates (CG vs candidate equations) in the improving phase varied from 8.3% to 39% and were statistically significant for all 5 antimicrobials (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS Differences in eCrCl between CG and candidate formulas were observed in surgical ICU patients with acute kidney injury. Discordant dosing recommendations may affect antimicrobial regimens in ICU patients with dynamic renal function.
THE LECITHIN, CEPHALIN, AND SPHINGOMYELIN CONTENTS OF PLASMA AND LIVER OF THE FOWL; THEIR METABOLIC INTERRELATIONS AS SHOWN BY THE ADMINISTRATION OF DIETHYLSTILBESTROL

In 1944, Taurog et al. (1) pointed out that practically all of the phospholipides in plasma of man and dog contain choline. This indicates that the plasma phospholipides of these two species consist almost entirely of lecithins and sphingomyelins. Confirmation of this finding has now come from Hack (2) and from Sinclair (3-5). The former reported that about 95 per cent of the phospholipides in the serum of normal human subjects are choline-containing and Sinclair found that 3 to 8 per cent of the plasma phospholipides in man, dog, beef, and pig are cephalins. The composition of plasma phospholipides of the bird differs, however, from that of the mammal. Thus, Flock and Bolhnan (6) reported that only 53 per cent of the plasma phospholipides of the domestic fowl are choline-containing, whereas Sinclair (3-5) has shown that in turkey serum no more than 80 per cent of the phospholipides are of this type. By combining two methods, (1) that developed by Taurog et al. (7) for separating choline-containing and non-choline-containing phospholipides by permanent adsorption of the latter upon MgO and (2) that of Schmidt et al. (8), based on the selective destruction of lecithins in a solution of choline-containing phospholipides, it became possible to measure separately the concentrations of lecithins, cephalins, and sphingomyelins in tissues. These methods were used in an earlier study dealing with dog tissues (9) and in the present investigation they have been applied to a study of plasma phospholipides of the domestic fowl. In order to investigate further the metabolic significance of the three types of phospholipides found in the bird, the plasma of the domestic fowl injected with stilbestrol was also examined. This procedure has been shown to induce a lipemia not only in the non-laying female bird but also in the male bird (10).
Chapter 5 – Pulmonary Physiology

Publisher Summary The focus of this chapter is on the pathophysiological presentation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma and the features that distinguish each disease as well as the similarities. It also examines the physiological processes that characterize airways disease. In diseases of the airway such as asthma and COPD there are characteristic increases in volume, which distinguish these airway disorders from restrictive processes of the respiratory system that reduce lung volumes. The most useful lung volumes and capacities to measure are those that assess the physical limits of the lung and chest wall and define the extremes of the vital capacity (VC); TLC and RV. Obstructive lung diseases such as chronic bronchitis, asthma, and emphysema all result in increases in lung volume. The physiological mechanisms of asthma and COPD that differ in the details of the inflammatory processes, cells, mediators, and pathology may be very similar physiologically in terms of hyperinflation, loss of static recoil, and expiratory airflow limitation. Bronchodilator responsiveness is also not unique to asthma since patients with COPD often demonstrate reversibility of airflow limitation. Bronchial responsiveness is also present in both entities but the response to bronchoconstrictors is more related to lung function and structure in COPD and the patient with COPD generally does not respond to exercise by exhibiting bronchospasm.
The Control of Chaos

This paper discusses the problem of controlling nonlinear systems with chaotic dynamics. In the low dimensional case, one can achieve efficient regulation by introducing error-driven dynamics for the control parameter. For systems with many degrees of freedom, as encountered in distributed computation, there is a simple and robust procedure for freezing out chaotic behavior even when imperfect and delayed information cannot be avoided. It is based on a reward mechanism whereby the relative number of computational agents following effective strategies is increased at the expense of the others. This procedure is able to control chaos through a series of dynamical bifurcations into a stable fixed point. Stability boundaries are computed and the minimal amount of diversity required in the system is established.
Development of a Transparent Framework for Pre-Procurement Evaluation of Public–Private Partnership Project Delivery Options:

This paper reviews value for money (VfM) analyses conducted in the United States to gain an understanding of methods used in addressing key issues in VfM analyses. The paper shows that VfM analysis...
Analysis of Lipid Order States and Domains in Lipid Bilayer Simulations.

We propose a general procedure to analyze lipid order states and domains in lipid bilayer simulations using surface areas and hydrophobic thicknesses of lipids. In our approach, the observable order states of individual lipids are inferred by a hidden Markov model analysis of their time series and by considering the deformation of a lipid in different packing environments. The assigned lipid order states are mapped onto the Voronoi tessellation of lipids, from which the ordered and disordered lipids are robustly clustered by the Getis–Ord local spatial autocorrelation statistics. The usefulness of this method is illustrated by its application to the quinary mixed bilayers consisting of cholesterol (Chol), 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DMPC), 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine (DMPE), 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (POPC), and 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine (POPE), where any phospholipid type does not show strong preference over the othe...
The City of Tomorrow: Sensors, Networks, Hackers, and the Future of Urban Life

One way to understand the shape of cities is to understand how the urban environment coevolves with technological culture, and how technologies impact city-making, planning, and inhabitation. In th...
Reimagining the Materials Tetrahedron

In this commentary, the materials tetrahedron is critiqued, and an alternative format is proposed: a materials square pyramid. By examining the materials tetrahedron in the context of the life cycl...
Novel heterozygous variants in KMT2D associated with holoprosencephaly

Lysine methyltransferase 2D (KMT2D; OMIM 602113) encodes a histone methyltransferase involved in transcriptional regulation of the beta-globin and estrogen receptor as part of a large protein complex known as activating signal cointegrator-2-containing complex (ASCOM). Heterozygous germline mutations in the KMT2D gene are known to cause Kabuki syndrome (OMIM 147920), a developmental multisystem disorder. Neither holoprosencephaly nor other defects in human forebrain development have been previously associated with Kabuki syndrome. Here we report two patients diagnosed with alobar holoprosencephaly in their antenatal period with de novo monoallelic KMT2D variants identified by trio-based exome sequencing. The first patient was found to have a stop-gain variant c.12565G>T (p.Gly4189*), while the second patient had a missense variant c.5A>G (p.Asp2Gly). Phenotyping of each patient did not reveal any age-related feature of Kabuki syndrome. These two cases represent the first report on association between KMT2D and holoprosencephaly.
Is Sunlight Good for You

The conventional wisdom that the sun cures human illness comes to us from ancient times and persists to this day. Peasants in some parts of southern Europe expose sick people and sick animals to the sun in hopes of a cure. Most people believe that sunlight is highly beneficial to health, and they expose themselves to it whenever they can—on holidays, at beaches, or under sun lamps.
Research and Design of Shore Power Cloud Network System Based on Cloud Platform

To reduce pollutant emissions during berthing and improve port air quality, an onshore power cloud network system based on a cloud platform was designed. The system is developed by microservice architecture.Four layers are contained in the architecture from bottom to top: support layer,application layer,service layer,display layer.MQTT communication protocol is adopted to manage the communication link of large data volume, and acquisition monitoring of shore power facilities are realize. Considering the Jiangsu section of the Beijing-Hangzhou canal as an example, the practical application of the electricity cloud network system on the shore has demonstrated that the system can effectively satisfy the ship charging requirements.
Impact of Switching Variability of 65nm CMOS Integrated Hafnium Dioxide-based ReRAM Devices on Distinct Level Operations

Limitations related to the von Neumann bottleneck have resulted in novel circuits and architectures, including designs that utilize Resistive Random Access Memory (ReRAM) as nonvolatile memory (NVM) devices. ReRAM implemented with hafnium oxide (HfO 2 ) is a strong candidate for such applications. The non-volatility of these devices and their amenability to compute in memory functionality makes them ideal for neuromorphic applications, deep learning, and mathematical accelerator circuits (e.g. Vector Matrix Multiplication - VMM). However, these devices suffer from stochastic switching variability that currently limits their usage and performance. To realize the full potential of these devices, reliability analysis is required. In this work, a reliability study was performed using previously developed a 65 nm CMOS/Memristor process on a 300 mm wafer platform. To address the influence of switching compliance current on the variability of Low Resistance State (LRS) and High Resistance State (HRS), a total of 23 different compliance current values were implemented. The effects of temperature on device performance was also measured.
A Review of Orthopaedic Resident Case Logs to Identify Fluctuations in Exposure to Adult Orthopaedic Procedures.

Introduction Orthopaedic surgery resident case exposure is an important component of surgical training and is monitored by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) to ensure resident readiness for graduation. The purpose of this study was to investigate trends in exposure to adult orthopaedic surgical procedures and analyze the impact of the 2013 update in ACGME case logging expectations. Methods A retrospective review of ACGME case log data was conducted for adult orthopaedic procedures performed by graduating orthopaedic surgery residents from 2012 to 2020. Trends in the number of cases logged and the case share by anatomical location were investigated. Linear regression analysis was performed to analyze changes in case number over the 9-year period. Results For all surgical categories, there was stability in the average case number per resident from 2012 to 2013, followed by a precipitous decrease from 2013 to 2014. From 2014 to 2020, there has been a gradual increase in case number for all categories except "other musculoskeletal (MSK)," resulting in a total 46% recovery since the 2014 decline. Concomitant with the decline, there was a relative increase in pelvis/hip and femur/knee procedures and decrease in shoulder, other MSK, and spine procedures. From 2014 to 2020, shoulder, humerus/elbow, pelvis/hip, leg/ankle, foot/toes, and spine cases have gradually accounted for a larger proportion of total cases while femur/knee and "other MSK" cases have accounted for less. Conclusions The 2013 update in ACGME case logging expectations was associated with a significant decrease in case number. This is likely a reflection of residents correctly entering 1 primary Current Procedural Terminology code for each surgical case. Programs should be aware of a general increase in case number since 2014 and acknowledge the fact that some procedure types may be given priority from a logging standpoint when multiple Current Procedural Terminology codes apply.
Scalable and selective β-hydroxy-α-amino acid synthesis catalyzed by promiscuous L-threonine transaldolase ObiH

Enzymes from secondary metabolic pathways possess broad potential for the selective synthesis of complex bioactive molecules. However, the practical application of these enzymes for organic synthesis is dependent on the development of efficient, economical, operationally-simple and well-characterized systems for preparative scale reactions. We sought to bridge this knowledge gap for the selective biocatalytic synthesis of β-hydroxy-α-amino acids, which are important synthetic building blocks. To achieve this goal, we demonstrated the ability of ObiH, an l-threonine transaldolase, to achieve selective milligram-scale synthesis of a diverse array of non-standard amino acids (nsAAs) using a scalable whole cell platform. We show how the initial selectivity of the catalyst is high and how the diastereomeric ratio of products decreases at high conversion due to product re-entry into the catalytic cycle. ObiH-catalyzed reactions with a variety of aromatic, aliphatic and heterocyclic aldehydes selectively generated a panel of β-hydroxy-α-amino acids possessing broad functional-group diversity. Furthermore, we demonstrated that ObiH-generated β-hydroxy-α-amino acids could be modified through additional transformations to access important motifs, such as β-chloro-α-amino acids and substituted α-keto acids.
Partial Order Based Reduction in Planning: A Unifying Theory and New Algorithms

Partial order based reduction (POR) has recently attracted research in planning. POR algorithms reduce search space by recognizing interchangable orders between actions and expanding only a subset of all possible orders during the search. POR has been extensively studied in model checking and proved to be an enabling technique for reducing the search space and costs. Recently, two POR algorithms, including the expansion core (EC) and stratified planning (SP) algorithms, have been proposed. Being orthogonal to the development of accurate heuristic functions, these reduction methods show great potential to improve the planning efficiency from a new perspective. However, it is unclear how these POR methods relate to each other and whether there exist stronger reduction methods. We propose a unifying theory for POR. The theory gives a necessary and sufficient condition for two actions to be semi-commutative, a condition that enables POR. We interpret both EC and SP in the theoretical framework. Further, based on the new theory, we propose new, stronger POR algorithms. Experimental results on various planning domains show significant search cost reduction. Type of Report: Other Department of Computer Science & Engineering Washington University in St. Louis Campus Box 1045 St. Louis, MO 63130 ph: (314) 935-6160 Partial Order Based Reduction in Planning: A Unifying Theory and New Algorithms
SU-E-I-08: Investigation of Deconvolution Methods for Blocker-Based CBCT Scatter Estimation

Purpose: To investigate whether deconvolution methods can improve the scatter estimation under different blurring and noise conditions for blocker-based scatter correction methods for cone-beam X-ray computed tomography (CBCT). Methods: An “ideal” projection image with scatter was first simulated for blocker-based CBCT data acquisition by assuming no blurring effect and no noise. The ideal image was then convolved with long-tail point spread functions (PSF) with different widths to mimic the blurring effect from the finite focal spot and detector response. Different levels of noise were also added. Three deconvolution Methods: 1) inverse filtering; 2) Wiener; and 3) Richardson-Lucy, were used to recover the scatter signal in the blocked region. The root mean square error (RMSE) of estimated scatter serves as a quantitative measure for the performance of different methods under different blurring and noise conditions. Results: Due to the blurring effect, the scatter signal in the blocked region is contaminated by the primary signal in the unblocked region. The direct use of the signal in the blocked region to estimate scatter (“direct method”) leads to large RMSE values, which increase with the increased width of PSF and increased noise. The inverse filtering is very sensitive to noise and practically useless. Themore » Wiener and Richardson-Lucy deconvolution methods significantly improve scatter estimation compared to the direct method. For a typical medium PSF and medium noise condition, both methods (∼20 RMSE) can achieve 4-fold improvement over the direct method (∼80 RMSE). The Wiener method deals better with large noise and Richardson-Lucy works better on wide PSF. Conclusion: We investigated several deconvolution methods to recover the scatter signal in the blocked region for blocker-based scatter correction for CBCT. Our simulation results demonstrate that Wiener and Richardson-Lucy deconvolution can significantly improve the scatter estimation compared to the direct method.« less
Epidemiology of Gastric Cancer

Like esophageal neoplasms, gastric cancers are deadly but epidemiologically intriguing. A precipitous decline in death rates from gastric cancers has occurred at a time of slowly rising mortality from all cancers. The disappearance of gastric cancer as an important clinical entity has been divined, although clues to its etiology remain scant and contradictory.
Modulation of different K+ currents in Drosophila: a hypothetical role for the Eag subunit in multimeric K+ channels

We examined the role of the ether a go-go (eag) gene in modulation of K+ currents and the possibility of its protein product Eag as a subunit in the heteromultimeric assembly of K+ channels by voltage-clamp analysis of larval muscle membrane currents. Previous DNA sequence studies indicate that the eag gene codes for a polypeptide homologous to, but distinct from, the Shaker (Sh) K+ channel subunits (Warmke et al., 1991), and electrophysiological recordings revealed allele-specific effects of eag on four identified K+ currents in Drosophila larval muscles (Zhong and Wu, 1991). Further studies of eag alleles indicated that none of the eag mutations, including alleles producing truncated mRNA messages, eliminate any of the four K+ currents, and that the mutational effects exhibit strong temperature dependence. We found that both W7, an antagonist of Ca2+/calmodulin, and cGMP analogs modulated K+ currents and that their actions were altered or even abolished by eag mutations. These results suggest a role of eag in modulation of K+ currents that may subserve integration of signals at a converging site of the two independent modulatory pathways. The Sh locus is known to encode certain subunits of the IA channel in larval muscle. The existence of multiple eag and Sh alleles enabled an independent test of the idea of Eag as a K+ channel subunit by studying IA in different double-mutant combinations. An array of allele-specific interaction between eag and Sh was observed, which reflects a close association between the Sh and eag subunits within the IA channel. Taken together, our data strengthen the possibility that the eag locus provides a subunit common to different K+ channels. The role of the eag subunit for modulating channels, as opposed to that of Sh subunits required for gating, selectivity, and conductance of the channel, suggest a combinatorial genetic framework for generating diversified K+ channels.
Chapter 14 Cyclic-Nucleotide Metabolism in Vertebrate Photoreceptors: A Remarkable Analogy and an Unraveling Enigma

Publisher Summary This chapter reviews some ideas and problems that have emerged in the course of elucidating the functional components of light-sensitive rod outer segments (ROS) and discusses some recent findings and ideas about future experimental directions. It emphasizes the remarkable analogy between hormone-activated adenylate cyclase (AC) and light-activated phosphodiesterase (PDE), describes reconstitution experiments that have been carried out with extensively and partially purified components of the disk membrane PDE system, and discusses some of the crosses or combinations that have been arranged between components of the PDE and AC systems. The combination of all three regulatory mechanisms within a single paradigm provides incredible possibilities for amplification and rate control. When primal evolutionary forces devise a uniquely useful and effective combination of gene products, such a combination is frequently exploited.
A spectral approach to image-enhanced moving target radar detection

A difficult problem with ground moving target radar (GMTI) detection is how to consistently track targets moving through non-homogeneous regions of clutter such as forest and urban boundaries. Although attempts have been made to mitigate this detection problem using terrain mapping data, such data does not give current clutter information due to change in vegetation, roads, buildings, and seasonal variation. We propose to use synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imagery to enhance the detection performance of GMTI radar. We use a multiresolution Markov model to represent both target and background clutter. This multiresolution structure allows us to accurately match GMTI clutter with the geographically registered SAR imagery for consistent moving target detection through clutter boundary areas.
The molecular clock as a metabolic rheostat

Circadian clocks are biologic oscillators present in all photosensitive species that produce 24-h cycles in the transcription of rate-limiting metabolic enzymes in anticipation of the light-dark cycle. In mammals, the clock drives energetic cycles to maintain physiologic constancy during the daily switch in behavioural (sleep/wake) and nutritional (fasting/feeding) states. A molecular connection between circadian clocks and tissue metabolism was first established with the discovery that 24-h transcriptional rhythms are cell-autonomous and self-sustained in most tissues and comprise a robust temporal network throughout the body. A major window in understanding how the clock is coupled to metabolism was opened with discovery of metabolic syndrome pathologies in multi-tissue circadian mutant mice including susceptibility to diet-induced obesity and diabetes. Using conditional transgenesis and dynamic metabolic testing, we have pinpointed tissue-specific roles of the clock in energy and glucose homeostasis, with our most detailed understanding of this process in endocrine pancreas. Here, we review evidence for dynamic regulation of insulin secretion and oxidative metabolic functions by the clock transcription pathway to regulate homeostatic responses to feeding and fasting. These studies indicate that clock transcription is a determinant of tissue function and provide a reference for understanding molecular pathologies linking circadian desynchrony to metabolic disease.
Bulk And Surface Damage Thresholds Of Crystals And Glasses At 248 nm

We used 20 ns, 248 nm pulses to study surface and bulk damage in bare, polished samples of UV-transmitting glasses, fluoride crystals, and isomorphs of potassium dihydrogen phosphate (KDP). The intent was to test enough samples to establish the safe operating limits for currently available windows and crystals finished by routine techniques for optical fabrication. In fluoride crystals, thresholds for bulk inclusion damage and for rear-surface damage were comparable. The median rear-surface threshold was 16 J/cm2. The fluence limit in fused silica windows was determined by the threshold for rear-surface damage, which ranged from 5 to 9 J/cm2. For the isomorphs of KDP, the limiting fluence was the threshold for front-surface damage, which ranged from 3 to 9 J/cm2.
An in vitro model to study the pathogenesis of the early endometriosis lesion.

Objective To determine if whole fragments of endometrium can adhere to peritoneum with intact mesothelium. Design Tissue culture and immunohistochemical study. Setting University Medical Center. Patients Reproductive-age women undergoing surgery for benign conditions. Interventions Whole explants of human peritoneum from the anterior abdominal wall and the posterior surface of the uterus were cultured with whole fragments of mechanically dispersed endometrium. Main outcome measures Adhesion of endometrial fragments to the surface of the peritoneum was evaluated. Adherent fragments of endometrium were identified using the dissecting microscope and by performing serial sections of the peritoneum explants for light and confocal laser-scanning microscopy. Immunohistochemical staining of the mesothelium with antibodies to cytokeratin and vimentin was used to ensure an intact layer of mesothelium beneath the endometrial implants. Transmission electron microscopy was also used to evaluate the adhesion of endometrium to the mesothelium. Results Endometrium was identified attached to the surface of the peritoneum. After 18-24 hours of culture, the majority of implants did not have identifiable mesothelium beneath them, but most had intact mesothelium running up to the point of attachment. Approximately 10% of the endometrial implants had intact mesothelium at the site of attachment. After 1 hour of culture, both endometrial stromal and epithelial cells were attached to intact mesothelium in nearly all cases. Early transmesothelial invasion involves endometrial stromal cells. Conclusions Endometrial stromal and epithelial cells can attach to the intact mesothelial surface of the peritoneum. Endometrial stromal cell invasion through the mesothelium occurs in less than 18-24 hours.
William III's conflicts with the city council of Amsterdam

(1991). William III's conflicts with the city council of Amsterdam. Parliaments, Estates and Representation: Vol. 11, No. 1, pp. 53-59.
United States Medical Licensure Examination Step 1 scores and obstetrics-gynecology clerkship final examination

Objective: To determine if scores from first attempts at the United States Medical Licensure Examination step 1 correlated with obstetrics-gynecology examination scores and identified students at risk of failure. Methods: All students in obstetrics-gynecology clerkships at the University of Illinois at Chicago from July 1995 through June 1998 were studied. The clerkship length was 8 weeks. Six clerkship sites were used, each of which assigned students to obstetrics-gynecology for the same length. Only first attempts at the obstetrics-gynecology clerkship examination and United States Medical Licensure Examination step 1 were evaluated. Results: Among 522 students the mean (± standard deviation [SD]) United States Medical Licensure Examination step 1 score was 205 (± 24.4). The mean score (± SD) for the standard obstetrics-gynecology examination was 69.5 (± 8.1). The obstetrics-gynecology examination score correlated significantly with the United States Medical Licensure Examination step 1 score (r = .662, P < .001). Sixty-five students failed their first attempts at the United States Medical Licensure Examination step 1 examination, and ten failed their first attempts at the clerkship examination. Students who failed their first attempts at the United States Medical Licensure Examination step 1 were more likely to fail their first attempts at the clerkship examination (relative risk 18.6; 4.6, 72.6; P < .001). More than half the students who failed their initial United States Medical Licensure Examination step 1 examinations failed or finished in the lower 25th percentile on their obstetrics-gynecology finals. Conclusion: United States Medical Licensure Examination step 1 scores correlated with obstetric-gynecology clerkship examination scores. Failure on the first attempts of the United States Medical Licensure Examination step 1 examination predicted students at risk of failures of the obstetrics-gynecology final examination and those who finished in the lower 25th percentile.
Wildfire Evacuation Scenario in Colorado: Comparison of Adapted Four-Step Metropolitan Planning Organization Modeling Results and Planning Process Findings with Actual Experience

In late 2010, the City of Colorado Springs and the Pikes Peak Area Council of Governments in Colorado completed a cooperative wildfire evacuation planning process. The process was supported by the simulation of wildfire evacuation scenarios with an adaptation of the Council of Governments' four-step travel model. The adapted model was used to assess times to evacuate, identify choke points, and develop traffic control plans for identified at-risk neighborhoods. Evacuation simulations used a worst-case scenario in which the wildfire event took place during the p.m. peak traffic hour, and affected households were included in both background commuter traffic and neighborhood evacuation traffic. Link-based hourly volume-to-capacity ratios were used as a metric to estimate times to evacuate and to identify egress bottlenecks. Route closures, route restrictions, no-entry restrictions, and contraflow operations were evaluated as measures for inclusion in neighborhood-level traffic control plans. On Tuesday, June...
Increased spatial vasa vasorum density in the proximal LAD in hypercholesterolemia—Implications for vulnerable plaque-development

Abstract Objective Vasa vasorum (VV) neovascularization is associated with advanced and ruptured atherosclerotic lesions that occur predominantly within the proximal third of the LAD. To investigate further the possible role of VV spatial distribution in determining this predominantly proximal location of complex lesions we analyzed the changes in VV spatial densities along the LAD in early atherosclerosis. Methods and results Three-month-old, female domestic pigs were placed on normal (N; n = 6) or high-cholesterol (HC; n = 6) diet for 3 months. VV count, vascular-area-fraction (∑vasa vasorum areas/mm2 vessel wall area, i.e., flow capacity), and the endothelial-surface-fraction (∑vasa vasorum endothelial surfaces/mm3 vessel wall volume) were calculated in three equal thirds of the coronary artery from microcomputed-tomography images. In N animals, the proximal thirds tended to have a higher vascular-area-fraction (mean ± S.D., 1.4 ± 0.6 versus 0.9 ± 0.3 and 0.9 ± 0.2%; P = 0.1) and endothelial-surface-fraction (0.72 ± 0.29 versus 0.59 ± 0.22 and 0.53 ± 0.20 mm2/mm3; NS) than the mid and distal thirds with significantly higher VV counts (26 ± 12, 15 ± 8, 8 ± 5, P = 0.01). In HC animals, we observed significant VV neovascularization (3.3 ± 1.2 n/mm2 versus 6.8 ± 1.9 n/mm2, P Conclusions VV neovascularization in early atherosclerosis leads to a proximally accentuated increase in flow-capacity and endothelial-exchange-surface, which may favour the predominant development of vulnerable atherosclerotic plaques in proximal portions of the LAD.
High Temperature Superconductivity in Metallic Hydrogen:Electron-Electron Enhancements

We investigate the possibility of superconductivity in a dense phase of hydrogen which becomes metallic while retaining diatomic character. Correlated fluctuations between electrons and holes in the ensuring band-overlap state can lead to significant enhancements in the transition temperature (compared with monatomic phases) principally through a reduction in the associated Coulomb pseudopotential. The effective electron-electron interaction is determined by a method which treats electrons and phonons on an equivalent footing, an approach which confirms that monatomic phases also remain candidates for high temperature superconductivity. {copyright} {ital 1996} {ital The American Physical Society}
Thyroid Hormone-dependent Epigenetic Suppression of Herpes Simplex Virus-1 Gene Expression and Viral Replication in Differentiated Neuroendocrine Cells

A global HSV-1 gene repression occurs during latency in sensory neurons where most viral gene transcriptions are suppressed. The molecular mechanisms of gene silencing and how stress factors trigger the reactivation are not well understood. Thyroid hormones are known to be altered due to stress, and with its nuclear receptor impart transcriptional repression or activation depending upon the hormone level. Therefore we hypothesized that triiodothyronine (T3) treatment of infected differentiated neuron like cells would reduce the ability of HSV-1 to produce viral progeny compared to untreated infected cells. Previously we identified putative thyroid hormone receptor elements (TREs) within the promoter regions of HSV-1 thymidine kinase (TK) and other key genes. Searching for a human cell line that can model neuronal HSV-1 infection, we performed HSV-1 infection experiments on differentiated human neuroendocrine cells, LNCaP. Upon androgen deprivation these cells undergo complete differentiation and exhibit neuronal-like morphology and physiology. These cells were readily infected by our HSV-1 recombinant virus, expressing GFP and maintaining many processes iconic of dendritic morphology. Our results demonstrated that differentiated LNCaP cells produced suppressive effects on HSV-1 gene expression and replication compared to its undifferentiated counterpart and T3 treatment has further decreased the viral plaque counts compared to untreated cells. Upon washout of the T3 viral plaque counts were restored, indicating an increase of viral replication. The qRT-PCR experiments using primers for TK showed reduced expression under T3 treatment. ChIP assays using a panel of antibodies for H3 lysine 9 epigenetic marks showed increased repressive marks on the promoter regions of TK. In conclusion we have demonstrated a T3 mediated quiescent infection in differentiated LNCaP cells that has potential to mimic latent infection. In this HSV-1 infection model thyroid hormone treatment caused decreased viral replication, repressed TK expression and increased repressive histone tail marks on the TK promoter.
POPULATION CYCLES IN MAMMALS AND BIRDS : DOES PERIODICITY SCALE WITH BODY SIZE ?

We consider Calder's hypothesis that cycle periods of fluctuating populations of mammalian herbivore scale with the 4th root of body mass. Data adduced by Peterson et al. , in support of this hypothesis are re-examined using techniques from spectral analysis. New herbivore data and population statistics for carnivores are also considered. The following results are obtained: o (1) support for the hypothesis does not depend on the method used to assign a period, provided that one is willing to accept cycle periods which are not statistically significant. (2) The explanatory power of the proposed scaling law depends critically on whether or not populations are treated individually or averaged by species. (3) Adding new herbivore species to the Peterson data set decreases the fit and changes the scaling exponent. (4) As originally predicted by Calder, there is no relationship between body mass and cycle period in carnivores./lt We suggest that Calder's hypothesis represents an expected lower bound when the period is plotted against body mass in the presence of noise and observational errors.
Understanding North Pacific sea level trends

Rising sea level poses significant challenges to infrastructure and populations, particularly for coastal [Heberger et al., 2009] and island communities [Webb and Kench, 2010] in the North Pacific where population density at or near coastal waters is high. A significant portion of the United States' security, commerce, and ecosystem assets are located at or near the coast, making them vulnerable to sea level rise. Although global mean sea level (MSL) rise is a fundamental consideration, regional mean sea level (RSL) height variability within ocean basins and along their boundaries can be more critical, particularly in the North Pacific where the amplitude of inter-annual variability is high.
Fiber Optic Immunodetectors: Sensors Or Dosimeters?

Biosensors based on specific interaction of the analyte of interest (ligand) with a biochemical agent (receptor) which specifically and tightly binds the analyte are being developed by many groups, agencies, and institutions using a variety of detection technologies. We are studying fluorescent methods using evanescent wave excitation on the surface of planar and cylindrical (fiber optic) optical waveguides. A relatively low ligand-receptor binding constant results in reversibility but low sensitivity. Most biological receptors bind very strongly and specifically--almost irreversibly--which provides an "irreversible" means of detection. Means to regulate ligand-receptor binding constants are discussed in order to provide semi-reversible, sensitive, specific sensors, rather than "one-shot" detectors or dosimeters.
Import penetration, exchange rates, and protectionism in the United States

Abstract This study examines the causes and effects of protectionist pressure and actual protectionism in the form of escape clause petitions in the United States in the period of the different exchange-rate regimes that prevailed during the postwar period. A simultaneous equations model is constructed for import penetration, the number of escape clause petitions filed, and their ratio of success. The model is tested using U.S. data from 1948 to 1985 and validated by dynamic simulation. The results are then compared with the those of the few other empirical studies that examined the causes and effects of nontariff trade protection in the United States.