cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Utilizing molecular data descriptors as basis vectors for clustering

The goal of this study is to test the feasiblity of directly using molecular descriptor data to generate clusters of similar molecules. We have developed an approach that utilizes the "most orthogonal" molecular descriptor variables as a basis set for clustering. In this study we have specifically utilized normal skin tissue and melanoma cancer data derived via Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy to generate these clusters, but the approach presented should be applicable to any other molecular descriptor or response data. Using the three most orthogonal FTIR frequencies as a basis set for cluster analysis, normal skin and melanoma tumors' clusters were resolved and localized in the three-dimensional variable/frequency space. Such clusters can be used to rapidly identify molecules with similar structures, and biological activity given their physico-chemical descriptors or molecular response data. This study also points out possible fallacies when inspecting clusters and how they can be avoided.
New Temperature Spectrum Model Based On Fluctuations In The Average Dissipation Rates

A new analytical model of the spatial power spectrum of temperature fluctuations in the atmospheric boundary layer, showing the characteristic "bump" just prior to the dissipation ranges, is developed as a modification of the standard Tatarski model by taking into account the random fluctuations in the average dissipation rates er and xr Both er and xr are shown to satisfy the statistics of a gamma distribution and thus the joint distribution is assumed to be a bivariate gamma model, which shows good agreement with experimental data. Based on this new spectrum model, we then calculate the related structure function of temperature, showing deviations from the standard r2/3 power-law behavior of the Tatarski model. The refractive-index spectrum is assumed to have the same functional form as the temperature spectrum for optical propagation. Using it we also calculate the normalized variance of log-intensity for plane waves.
Thermal Spray Coatings Engineered from Nanostructured Ceramic Agglomerated Powders for Structural, Thermal Barrier and Biomedical Applications: A Review

Thermal spray coatings produced from nanostructured ceramic agglomerated powders were tailored for different applications, some of which required almost completely opposite performance characteristics (e.g., anti-wear and abradable coatings). The influence of nanostructured materials on important areas, such as, thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) and biomedical coatings was also investigated. It was determined that by controlling the distribution and character of the semi-molten nanostructured agglomerated particles (i.e., nanozones) embedded in the coating microstructure, it was possible to engineer coatings that exhibited high toughness for anti-wear applications or highly friable for use as abradables, exhibiting abradability levels equivalent to those of metallic-based abradables. It is shown that nanozones, in addition to being very important for the mechanical behavior, may also play a key role in enhancing and controlling the bioactivity levels of biomedical coatings via biomimetism. This research demonstrates that these nanostructured coatings can be engineered to exhibit different properties and microstructures by spraying nanostructured ceramic agglomerated powders via air plasma spray (APS) or high velocity oxy-fuel (HVOF). Finally, in order to present readers with a broader view of the current achievements and future prospects in this area of research, a general overview is presented based on the main papers published on this subject in the scientific literature.
Functional and biochemical effects on the lung following inhalation of cigarette smoke and its constituents. III. Serum antitrypsin and bronchomotor responses in rats.

Abstract A combination of tracheoconstriction and intratracheal injection of papain applied to rats caused an increase of functional residual capacity and an increase in pulmonary resistance signifying pulmonary emphysema. There was also a decrease in serum antitrypsin in the emphysematous rats. The additional exposure of these rats to cigarette smoke did not exaggerate the functional changes in the lung nor further reduce the serum antitrypsin. The bronchomotor responses to inhalation of cigarette smoke consisted of either bronchoconstriction or bronchodilation, depending on the occurrence of emphysema. The nature of the bronchomotor response can be altered by pretreatment of the rat with sympathomimetic amines.
Antibodies to Kaposi's Sarcoma—Associated Herpesvirus (Human Herpesvirus 8) in Patients with Multiple Myeloma

Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) serologic assays were used to detect specific antibodies to KSHV lytic and latent antigens in 27 patients with multiple myeloma, 27 control patients with other cancers, and 50 random blood donors. Antibodies to KSHV recombinant minor capsid antigen orf65 were found in 81% of patients with multiple myeloma, 22% of control patients with other cancers, and 6% of the blood donors. Antibodies to KSHV latent nuclear antigens were found in 52% of patients with multiple myeloma, 26% of control patients with other cancers, and 2% of the blood donors. All of the 11 patients with progressive multiple myeloma were KSHV-seropositive. Antibodies to Epstein-Barr virus nuclear antigen 1 were present in 89% of patients with multiple myeloma, 93% of control patients with other cancers, and 88% of the blood donors. These data support the possible association of KSHV infection with multiple myeloma, particularly with progressive disease.
7.2.1 Bricks for a Lean Systems Engineering Yellow Brick Road

A Yellow Brick Road can be thought of as the fabled path to a “promised land” where achievement of hopes and dreams is highly probable. Yellow bricks highlight the appropriate road, and destination mileage and speed limit signs support progress assessment to the chosen objective. Similarly, a common systems engineering (SE) framework, properly implemented at the approproate level of rigor, facilitates monitoring and achievement of a quality product that supports the intended mission. Bricks for a lean SE Yellow Brick Road are described. The bricks include a) using a common framework that integrates SE, project management and quality management; b) right sizing project implementation of this framework using a graded approach; c) applying the framework as early as possible; d) tailoring and waiving as needed; e) using project archetypes; and f) providing a repository that contains reuseable processes, plans, templates, examples, training and associated subject matter experts.
Scalable and efficient implementation of correlation power analysis using graphics processing units (GPUs)

Correlation Power Analysis (CPA) is a commonly used side-channel attack (SCA) on cryptographic devices, which analyzes power consumption to extract secret information like cryptographic keys. In this work, we have developed an open-source side-channel evaluation platform to evaluate the resilience of a range of devices to SCAs. Our platform includes an experimental setup for power trace collection and a trace analysis library. The time and effort to extract key values can greatly hamper our ability to analyze a single device. In this paper, we describe our work to leverage a Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) to accelerate key extraction. We develop a parallel framework in the Open Computing Language (OpenCL). OpenCL allows our framework to remain portable across a range of processing devices including CPUs, GPUs, and FPGAs. We describe the capabilities of our side-channel evaluation platform, and demonstrate how we leverage parallel processing to provide for more efficient and scalable side-channel analysis.
An oxystat for the control of oxygen pressure in aqueous solutions

In the study of metabolic reactions, it is frequently desirable to observe the oxygen concentration in a solution that bathes the tissues under study to obtain a measure of the rate of oxygen utilization. Typically, either the oxygen is depleted in a matter of minutes and the test terminated or the ratio of solution to tissue is so large that meaningful measurernents are difficult. For tests in which the oxygen is taken from the surrounding gas, Wager and Porter (1961) have described a solution to the problem in which a manometric measurement of p02 con trolled the electrolytic production of oxygen which then had to be released into the atmosphere surrounding the tissue. The instrument described here also employs a pO2 measurernent to control the electrolytic production of oxygen, but a much greater speed of response is obtained by 1) the use of a Clark-type electrode for PO2 measurement, and 2) producing the oxygen directly in the solution that surrounds the test material. The hydrogen that is also formed in the electrolysis is sufficiently isolated from the tissue under test that no noticeable effects are produced. Furthermore, agreement between the net electrical charge involved in the electrolysis and the resulting amount of oxygen produced was within 5%, using published values" of the partial pressure of oxygen in air-saturated water as a standard.
Heme oxygenase-1 protects pancreatic beta cells from apoptosis caused by various stimuli.

Background Several problems can occur after allogeneic islet transplantation: primary nonfunction, rejection, and the recurrence of autoimmune disease, which involve attack by the recipient9s cytokines, T cells, natural killer cells, and monocytes on the donor9s β cells, which leads to β-cell destruction. Recent studies have revealed that loss of transplanted islets is caused mainly by apoptosis. Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) is one of the antiapoptotic genes up-regulated under stress conditions. The aim of this work was to investigate any mechanisms of HO-1-mediated protection of β cells from apoptosis. Methods Apoptosis was assessed by comparison of viable transfected cells with and without apoptotic stimuli, and with and without HO-1 overexpression. Activation and function of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase were determined using the specific inhibitor SB203580. Results We have shown that HO-1 mediates antiapoptotic effects in β cells. The percentage of apoptotic cells after stimulation with tumor necrosis factor α decreased from 75% without HO-1 to 5% when HO-1 was overexpressed. Our data indicate that HO-1 acts as a signal terminator of tumor necrosis factor α-induced apoptosis by modulation of the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway. Conclusions Profound cell stress that occurs in islets after transplantation, as well as at the onset of diabetes, results in β-cell loss through apoptosis. Protection of β cells by HO-1 improves their survival in vitro after various proapoptotic stimuli, suggesting that HO-1 suppresses one or several signaling pathways leading to apoptosis. We hypothesize that our in vitro findings can be extrapolated to the in vivo situation, and we propose that expression of HO-1 in islets may illuminate a valuable new approach to improving diabetes treatment.
The COOH Terminus of the Amelogenin, LRAP, Is Oriented Next to the Hydroxyapatite Surface *

The organic matrix in forming enamel consists largely of the amelogenin protein self-assembled into nanospheres that are necessary to guide the formation of the unusually long and highly ordered hydroxyapatite (HAP) crystallites that constitute enamel. Despite its ability to direct crystal growth, the interaction of the amelogenin protein with HAP is unknown. However, the demonstration of growth restricted to the c-axis suggests a specific protein-crystal interaction, and the charged COOH terminus is often implicated in this function. To elucidate whether the COOH terminus is important in the binding and orientation of amelogenin onto HAP, we have used solid state NMR to determine the orientation of the COOH terminus of an amelogenin splice variant, LRAP (leucine-rich amelogenin protein), which contains the charged COOH terminus of the full protein, on the HAP surface. These experiments demonstrate that the methyl 13C-labeled side chain of Ala46 is 8.0 A from the HAP surface under hydrated conditions, for the protein with and without phosphorylation. The experimental results provide direct evidence orienting the charged COOH-terminal region of the amelogenin protein on the HAP surface, optimized to exert control on developing enamel crystals.
Valve-Plate Design for an Axial Piston Pump Operating at Low Displacements

The objectives of this research are to investigate the principal advantages of using various valve-plate slot geometries within an axial piston pump. In particular, three types of geometries are considered: a constant area slot geometry, a linearly varying slot geometry, and a quadratically varying slot geometry. By analyzing the pressure transients that are associated with each design at low pump displacements, it is shown that the magnitude of the pressure transition itself and the maximum pressure time rate-of-change may be specified for each design. In conclusion, it is shown that the constant area slot design exhibits the principal advantage of minimizing the required discharge area of the slot, the linearly varying slot design exhibits the principal advantage of utilizing the shortest slot length, while the quadratically varying slot design exhibits no principal advantage over either of the other two designs. The results of this research suggest that the use of quadratically varying slot geometry is not justified since it offers no obvious performance improvement.
Electrical resistivity in low resistivity amorphous alloys

Abstract The temperature dependence of the electrical resistivity in low resistivity ( ϱ ) amorphous alloys is analyzed in the framework of the diffraction model. The standard diffraction model yields results in qualitative agreement with the available data. However, quantitative agreement with the data is achieved if phonon ineffectiveness effects are included by means of the Pippard-Ziman constraint. A variety of results are presented for ranges of 2kF/kp and electron mean free paths.
An Application of spectral analysis in determining crop Rotation Frequencies

Spectral analysis has been applied many times in agricultural economics in determining harmonic characteristics of observed time series. However, spectral techniques have rarely been applied in conjunction with models which stress economic relationships. But two such empirical approaches are possible. One can use either frequency-domain regression of times series, i.e., general distributed lag estimation, in which time series of all important economic variables are considered [4, 5, 11], or one can use ordinary econometric estimation methods and then study frequency content of estimated disturbances with spectral techniques [1, Chapter 10]. The application of spectral analysis in this paper corresponds to the latter case. Ordinary time-domain (rather than frequency-domain) regression methods are used because the general lag relationship estimated here is not a case included in the general frequency-domain regression model. First, nonlinear regression techniques are used to explain the usual economic content of acreage supply response. Then estimated disturbances are investigated using spectral analysis to determine the importance of cyclic behavior in aggregate supply response. Specifically, this paper demonstrates how a cross section of time series may be pooled to obtain statisticaly significant findings when time series are short. These methods are demonstrated in an investigation of harmonic content in regression disturbances apparently due to crop rotation.
Automated gross and sub-pixel registration accuracy of visible and thermal imagery

Tracking or improving resolution of images requires that objects of interests are aligned at every frame through registration. Three motion segmentation algorithms utilizing the image gradient and five motion estimation algorithms were tested to see which would produce the best registration process at the gross and subpixel level. To test the motion segmentation, a qualitative study was performed using visible and thermal imagery to see how accurately the area of motion could be identified without producing noise. Gross shift estimation accuracy was accessed by comparing estimated shifts against a ground truth. Sub-pixel shift estimation accuracy was assessed by a series of synthetically downsampled images. The initial evaluation of segmentation revealed that the flux tensor method performed the best with a fixed threshold. For gross-shift estimation accuracy on images with well-defined objects, feature correspondence yielded the most accurate results. For images with objects that are not well-defined, optical flow methods produce more accurate results. The sub-pixel shift estimation test revealed that correlation was the only method out of the four tested that could accurately estimate motion at the sub-pixel level.
The surprising role of vascular KATP channels in vasospastic angina

The golden age of single-channel electrophysiology was punctuated by the discovery of a curious class of potassium-selective channels in the surface membranes of heart cells (1, 2). These channels, silent under normal metabolic conditions, become robustly active when submembrane ATP is depleted. The opening of such KATP channels was soon recognized to underlie the loss of cellular excitability during metabolic stress (3, 4) and (later, in an in vivo correlate) to mediate the so-called ST segment elevation, an electrocardiographic change diagnostic of transmural injury during prolonged coronary ischemia (5). While these channels were discovered in heart cells, they are broadly-distributed throughout the body; their most obvious physiological role is in the pancreas, where they transduce changes in glucose concentration into alterations of β cell excitation and insulin secretion (6). Ironically, the role of KATP channels in the heart, where they were first discovered, remains mysterious. In the present issue and in recent work published elsewhere, new surprises emerge regarding the identities and the roles of KATP channels in the vasculature. The general molecular structure of KATP channels was clarified by the pioneering work of the Bryan, Aguilar-Bryan (7) and Seino laboratories (8). KATP channels turn out to be complex hetero-octamers of four subunits encoded by sulfonylurea receptor (Sur) genes, surrounding a central pore made up of four Kir6-encoded K channel subunits (9). Different tissues express different permutations of the three possible Surs (Sur1, and the Sur2 splice variants, Sur2A and Sur2B) and two pore-forming subunits (Kir6.1 and Kir6.2). The conventional surface KATP channels in the heart are formed by Sur2 and Kir6.2, whereas those in pancreatic β cells consist of Sur1 and Kir6.2. KATP channels have a rich pharmacology (10), including a number of venerable vasodilators (e.g., the KATP channel agonists diazoxide and minoxidil) and anti-diabetic agents (notably the KATP channel blocker glybenclamide), which were in clinical use long before their targets were recognized.
A novel mechanism to explain protein abnormalities in schizophrenia based on the flavivirus resistance gene

A novel mechanism to explain protein abnormalities in schizophrenia based on the flavivirus resistance gene
Contextual control of appetite. Renewal of inhibited food-seeking behavior in sated rats after extinction.

Obesity and overeating have become fundamental problems in modern society. This article studies the inhibition of food-seeking behavior, and how contextual cues can control it. Rats that had free food in the home cage nevertheless learned to lever press for sucrose or high-fat pellets in a distinctive context (a Skinner box). Lever pressing was then inhibited by extinction, in which lever presses no longer produced food. After extinction, inhibited responding was “renewed” when the rats were switched to a different context: in the new context, the rats lever-pressed again, and worked more for food when food was made available. These effects were observed when conditioning, extinction and testing occurred in contexts A, B, and A (respectively) or in A, A, and B. Thus, mere removal from the context in which food-seeking was inhibited initiated a return to food-seeking. The contextual control of extinction may help explain why food seeking and consumption seem so persistent.
"Individual" recognition and agonistic behaviour in Pagurus bernhardus.

THERE have been many reports of animals which show some degree of organization in the patterns of agonistic interactions seen in small groups (reviewed in ref. 1) and in several cases the organization was said to be based, in part, on past experience within the group2. When the members of a group alter their intra-group behaviour as a result of past experience, these alterations can be either of a general nature (overall changes in aggressive drive) or can be directed toward group members, which must therefore be recognized in some way.
Purification and properties of glucosidase I from mung bean seedlings.

Abstract The microsomal enzyme fraction from mung bean seedlings was found to contain glucosidase activity capable of releasing [ 3 H]glucose from the glucose-labeled Glc 3 Man 9 GlcNAc. The enzymatic activity could be released in a soluble form by treating the microsomal particles with 1.5% Triton X-100. When the solubilized enzyme fraction was chromatographed on DE-52, it was possible to resolve glucosidase I activity (measured by the release of [ 3 H]glucose from Glc 3 Man 9 GlcNAc) from glucosidase II (measured by release of [ 3 H]glucose from Glc 2 Man 9 GlcNAc). The glucosidase I was purified about 200-fold by chromatography on hydroxylapatite, Sephadex G-200, dextran-Sepharose, and concanavalin A-Sepharose. The purified enzyme was free of glucosidase II and arylglucosidase activities. Only a single glucose residue could be released from the Glc 3 Man 9 GlcNAc by this purified enzyme and the other product was the Glc 2 Man 9 GlcNAc. Furthermore, this enzyme was inhibited in a dose-dependent manner by kojibiose, an α-1,2-linked glucose disaccharide, but not by other α-linked glucose disaccharides. These data indicate that this glucosidase is a specific α-1,2-glucosidase. The pH optimum for the glucosidase I was about 6.3 to 6.5, and no requirements for divalent cations were observed. The enzyme was inhibited strongly by the glucosidase processing inhibitors, castanospermine and deoxynojirimycin, and less strongly by the plant pyrrolidine alkaloid, 2,5-dihydroxymethyl-3,4-dihydroxypyrrolidine. However, the enzyme was not inhibited by the mannosidase processing inhibitors, swainsonine, deoxymannojirimycin or 1,4-dideoxy-1,4-imino- d -mannitol. The stability of the enzyme under various conditions and other properties of the enzyme were determined.
Ultrahigh-resolution matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectra of peptides

Quasimolecular peptide [M + H]+ ions are generated by matrix-assisted (2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid/D-fructose) laser desorption/ionization (frequency-tripled Nd: YAG at 355 nm) from leucine enkephalin, bradykinin, the non-apeptide Arg–Leu–Cys–Ile–Phe–Ser–Cys–Phe–Arg, angiotensin I, bovine insulin chain B and some of their deuterated derivatives. The ions are cooled and axialized by azimuthal quadrupolar irradiation in the presence of argon collision gas in the ‘source’ compartment of a dual cubic Penning trap. Following ion transfer to the low-pressure ‘analyzer’ trap, ultrahigh FT-ICR mass resolving power is obtained for protonated oligopeptide quasimolecular [M + H]+ ions: e.g. m/Δm50% ≈ 1 500 000 for bradykinin (m/z ≈ 1060) after frequency drift correction and 100 000 for insulin B-chain, in which Δm50% is the magnitude-mode peak full width at half-maximum peak height. These results constitute the highest mass resolving power yet demonstrated for internally-generated MALDI ions at 3 T, and compare favorably with results obtained at much higher-magnetic field with externally-generated ions. High mass resolution is important for resolving adducts and chemical modifications of a peptide or protein and (as demonstrated here) for facile determination of the degree of deuteration from an H/D exchange experiment. Limitations to FT-ICR mass resolving power by Coulombic ion–ion interactions at high ion density in the trap are demonstrated experimentally and discussed.
Semiclassical eigenvalues for a non-adiabatic system

Abstract We have performed a semiclassical quantization of the Meyer-Miller classical analog Hamiltonian for the Jahn-Teller E × e system, in the regime of small linear coupling. The primitive semiclassical energies are in good qualitative and reasonable quantitative agreement with the exact quantum-mechanical solution to this problem. These results demonstrate that such a classical model is able to accurately describe the behavior of non-adiabatic bound state systems, but that uniformization will be necessary to obtain more precise agreement with quantum mechanics.
Oxide Defects and Damage Processes in Iron-Based Alumina-Formers

In order to examine the nature of incipient defects and damage processes controlling the ultimate breakdown of protective alumina on iron-based alloys, the effects of thermal cycling on scale morphology and adherence were studied for 1200°C exposures that were terminated before the onset of significant spallation. Optical imaging and scanning and transmission electron microscopy were used to compare oxide-metal cross sections from specimens of an oxide-dispersion-strengthened iron aluminide and FeCrAlY that were thermally cycled to those that were isothermally exposed for similar times at temperature. No significant differences in scale and metal-oxide interfacial morphologies/damage were found between the cyclically and isothermally exposed specimens of the respective compositions. These observations suggest that, at least in some cases, the nature of the ultimate scale failure is not set by early-stage oxide or interfacial defect development, but rather by chemical, diffusion, or stress processes affecting interfacial adhesion or by damage that only forms at longer times.
A method for estimating non-responsive traffic at a router

In this paper, we propose a scheme for estimating the proportion of the incoming traffic that is not responding to congestion at a router. The idea of the proposed scheme is that if the observed queue length and packet drop probability do not match with the predicted results from the TCP model, then the error must come from the non-responsive traffic; it can then be used for estimating non-responsive traffic. The proposed scheme utilizes queue length history, packet drop history, expected TCP and queue dynamics to estimate the proportion. We show that the proposed scheme is effective over a wide range of traffic scenarios through simulations.
Design of a Channel Characteristics-Aware Routing Protocol

Radio channel quality of real-world wireless networks tends to exhibit both short-term and long-term temporal variations that are in general difficult to model. To maximize the utilization efficiency of radio resources, it is critical that these temporal fluctuations in radio signal quality be incorporated into wireless routing decisions. In this paper, we explore the design considerations in leveraging accurate real-time radio channel quality information when making routing decisions. Specifically, we propose a channel characteristics-aware routing protocol (CARP) that (1) uses per-packet transmission time to estimate the effective residual capacity of a wireless link, (2) employs a bandwidth probability distribution model to better approximate a wireless path's capacity profile, and (3) applies multi-path routing to exploit diversity among alternative paths and deliver more robust throughputs despite temporal fluctuations in wireless link quality. We evaluated the performance gains of incorporating each of these mechanisms on a miniaturized multi-hop wireless network testbed- MiNT-m.
Biomarker or pathophysiology? The role of DNA methylation in postpartum depression

. Known risk factors in addition to a history of mood disorder include depression or anxiety during pregnancy, a family history of PPD, a history of significant premenstrual mood symptoms, recent stressful life events and poor social support. Other factors that may play a role include the hormonal changes that occur during and after delivery, the stress associated with hav -ing a newborn and sleep disturbance. Similar to most psychiatric illnesses, PPD is probably the result of environmental stressors in the setting of a biological vulnerability.In the literature, the term ‘PPD’ has been applied to a number of different clinical sce-narios, including a depressive episode that starts during pregnancy and continues postpartum, a depressive episode that clearly starts in the immediate postpartum period (generally within the first 4 weeks) and a depressive episode that starts after the birth of a child but not necessarily in the immediate postpartum period, including time periods up to a year postpartum. Accord-ing to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)-IV, the ‘postpartum’ can only be used in the setting of a MDE that clearly began after delivery and began within the first 4 weeks postpartum. In support of this definition, a number of genetic studies (includ-ing our own) indicate that episodes that begin within the first 4 weeks postpartum have a genetic basis in both families with MDD and BP
Welfare Effects of Technological Convergence in Processed Food Industries

We develop a monopolistic competition model to investigate effects of international technological convergence on factor rewards, output composition, and welfare. Comparative static analysis indicates technological convergence improves the follower's—but impairs the leader's—international competitiveness. The leader's welfare improves unambiguously; the follower's welfare depends on the relative strength of convergence's income and terms-of-trade effects. We use data from seventeen food industries in thirty countries, 1993–2001, to test these analytical predictions. Evidence of convergence is found in thirteen of seventeen industries. Convergence lifts followers' relative wages and global value-added shares. Followers benefit from convergence's positive income effect. Leaders benefit from higher terms of trade. Copyright 2008, Oxford University Press.
Transgenic expression of CCL2 in the central nervous system prevents experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis.

CC chemokine ligand 2 (CCL2)/mono- cyte chemotactic protein-1, a member of the CC chemokine family, is a chemoattractant for mono- cytes and T cells through interaction with its recep- tor CCR2. In the present study, we examined a T helper cell type 1 (Th1)-dependent disease, proteo- lipid protein-induced experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, in a transgenic mouse line that constitutively expressed low levels of CCL2 in the central nervous system (CNS) under control of the astrocyte-specific glial fibrillary acidic protein pro- moter. CCL2 transgenic mice developed signifi- cantly milder clinical disease than littermate con- trols. As determined by flow cytometry, mononu- clear cell infiltrates in the CNS tissues of CCL2 transgenic and littermate-control mice contained equal numbers of CD4 and CD8 T cells, and the CCL2 transgenic mice showed an enhanced num- ber of CNS-infiltrating monocytes. CNS antigen- specific T cells from CCL2 transgenic mice pro- duced markedly less interferon-. Overexpression of CCL2 in the CNS resulted in decreased interleu- kin-12 receptor expression by antigen-specific T cells. Collectively, these results indicate that sus- tained, tissue-specific expression of CCL2 in vivo down-regulates the Th1 autoimmune response, culminating in milder clinical disease. J. Leukoc. Biol. 77: 000-000; 2005.
Rapid estimation of the nonlinear frequency response of switched-capacitor circuits

Analysis of switched capacitor circuits in the presence of nonlinearities is a difficult problem. The standard programs such as SWITCAP provide only a first order linearized response. In this paper/sup 1/ we present a novel technique for the rapid estimation of the nonlinear frequency response of switched-capacitor circuits. This method can be incorporated in existing circuit simulators with little effort. The method is based on using a multifrequency sinusoidal input excitation in a single time domain analysis until steady-state. The entire frequency response in the desired frequency range is then extracted using a frequency directed DFT. A comparison is made to the mixed-frequency-time (MFT) approach, which is a competitive method.
Heat transfer model for deep tissue injury: a step towards an early thermographic diagnostic capability

Deep tissue injury (DTI) is a class of serious lesions which develop in the deep tissue layers as a result of sustained tissue loading or pressure-induced ischemic injury. DTI lesions often do not become visible on the skin surface until the injury reaches an advanced stage, making their early detection a challenging task. Early diagnosis leading to early treatment mitigates the progression of the lesion and remains one of the priorities in clinical care. The aim of the study is to relate changes in tissue temperature with key physiological changes occurring at the tissue level to develop criteria for the detection of incipient DTIs. Skin surface temperature distributions of the damaged tissue were analyzed using a multilayer tissue model. Thermal response of the skin surface to a cooling stress, was computed for deep tissue inflammation and deep tissue ischemia, and then compared with computed skin temperature of healthy tissue. For a deep lesion situated in muscle and fat layers, measurable skin temperature differences were observed within the first five minutes of thermal recovery period including temperature increases between 0.25°C to 0.9°C during inflammation and temperature decreases between −0.2°C to −0.5°C during ischemia. The computational thermal models can explain previously published thermographic findings related to DTIs and pressure ulcers. It is concluded that infrared thermography can be used as an objective, non-invasive and quantitative means of early DTI diagnosis. The virtual slides for this article can be found here: http://www.diagnosticpathology.diagnomx.eu/vs/1461254346108378 .
‘One physical system’: Tansley's ecosystem as Earth's critical zone

'Summary' 900 I. 'Introduction' 900 II. 'Tansley's ecosystem as ‘one physical system’' 901 III. 'Earth's critical zone' 901 IV. 'Historic developments in ecosystem science' 902 V. 'The metabolism of ecosystems and critical zones' 905 VI. 'Towards a more active biogeoscience' 908 'Acknowledgements' 909 References 909 Summary Integrative concepts of the biosphere, ecosystem, biogeocenosis and, recently, Earth's critical zone embrace scientific disciplines that link matter, energy and organisms in a systems-level understanding of our remarkable planet. Here, we assert the congruence of Tansley's (1935) venerable ecosystem concept of ‘one physical system’ with Earth science's critical zone. Ecosystems and critical zones are congruent across spatial–temporal scales from vegetation-clad weathering profiles and hillslopes, small catchments, landscapes, river basins, continents, to Earth's whole terrestrial surface. What may be less obvious is congruence in the vertical dimension. We use ecosystem metabolism to argue that full accounting of photosynthetically fixed carbon includes respiratory CO2 and carbonic acid that propagate to the base of the critical zone itself. Although a small fraction of respiration, the downward diffusion of CO2 helps determine rates of soil formation and, ultimately, ecosystem evolution and resilience. Because life in the upper portions of terrestrial ecosystems significantly affects biogeochemistry throughout weathering profiles, the lower boundaries of most terrestrial ecosystems have been demarcated at depths too shallow to permit a complete understanding of ecosystem structure and function. Opportunities abound to explore connections between upper and lower components of critical-zone ecosystems, between soils and streams in watersheds, and between plant-derived CO2 and deep microbial communities and mineral weathering.
The development of locative comprehension in Spanish.

Forty monolingual Spanish-speaking Peruvian children ages 3; 6–5; 5 were given a search task to test comprehension of six locative phrases depicting the four spatial relations in front of, in back of, beside and under. Performance improved with age and was best for under (debajo de) and poorest on beside (al costado de, al lado de). There was no evidence that locatives lacking object part terms (delante de for in front of and al costado de for beside) resulted in poorer performance than locatives that included the object part labels (enfrente de, al lado de). Nor was there evidence to support the positive pole hypothesis that in front of items would be easier than behind. Performance was best when the children themselves were the reference object, next best with a fronted object, and poorest with a nonfronted object, suggesting that preschoolers may understand projective locatives with respect to the reference object's intrinsic orientation, rather than imposing their own point of view.
Sweep frequency backscatter--Some observations and deductions

Sweep-frequency backscatter records have proved to be of great value in identifying the sources of backscatter seen on a fixed frequency by demonstrating the development of the echo as frequency and range increase. The most commonly observed scatter is ground scatter propagated via the F2 layer, but it is also evident that the other layers propagate ground scatter and that scatter from the distant E region may at times be important. In one group of observations over an 1,150-km path on three undisturbed days, the values of F2-layer maximum usable frequency scaled from midpoint vertical-incidence ionospheric records and those determined by backscatter delay assuming ground scatter agreed almost within experimental error. In another three-day group characterized by a low-latitude ionospheric disturbance with low geomagnetic K indexes but considerable sporadic E activity, values of muf determined from scatter were much too high under the ground-scatter assumption, errors of about 30% being not uncommon.
Large signal average model for an Extended Duty Ratio and conventional Buck

This paper provides a new large signal modeling approach for Buck type DCDC converters. Small signal models are typically only valid for small deviations in the duty ratio. Such models fail to capture large signal dynamics of the duty ratio if lossy switches are considered. The proposed model tracks large signal dynamics and also accurately captures the conduction losses from the on-state resistance of switches. The modeling approach is applied to a conventional Buck converter as well as the 2-phase Extended Duty Ratio Buck converter. The model is also generalized to accommodate the M-phase configurations of the Extended Duty Ratio topology.
Recruitment of patients into an internet-based clinical trials database: the experience of OncoLink and the National Colorectal Cancer Research Alliance.

Purpose In March 2001, the National Colorectal Cancer Research Alliance (NCCRA) and OncoLink (http://www.oncolink.org) established a database to facilitate patient enrollment onto clinical trials. This study describes the population registering with the database and identifies discrepancies between individuals registering through the Internet and those registering through a telephone call center. Methods Participants registered with the NCCRA/OncoLink database through the Internet or a telephone call center. All participants entering the database completed a questionnaire regarding basic demographics, colon cancer risk factors, and indicated how they became aware of the database. Comparisons were made between individuals registering through the Internet and those registering through the telephone call center. Results A total of 2,162 participants registered during the first 16 months of the database. Most patients registered through the Internet rather than the telephone call center (88% v 12%; P < .001)....
On the locality of left branch extraction and the structure of NP

. The paper considers several accounts of crosslinguistic variation regarding left branch extraction (LBE), focusing on adjectival LBE, and explores consequences of a proper analysis of LBE for the internal structure of NP. Two lines of research are pursued, both of which are based on the claim that languages that allow adjectival LBE do not have DP. One is based on the phase-based locality system, extending the phase system from clauses to NPs, and the other one is based on the existence of crosslinguistic variation regarding the position of adjectives in the traditional NP, with some languages having the traditional NP-over-AP structure, others having Abney's AP-over-NP structure. Which structure a language has is argued to depend on the presence/absence of DP in the language, the lack of DP leading to the NP-over-AP structure. Under this analysis, the ban on AP LBE in English-type languages follows from the ban on movement of non-constituents, a problem that does not arise in languages that allow AP LBE. The impossibility of LBE of AP in the presence of another AP in languages that in principle allow such extraction is argued to provide evidence that adjectives are located in multiple specifiers of the same head.
Asset Pricing Theory in Light of Ellsberg Paradox

In 2008, Epstein and Schneider formulated a microstructure-inspired theory in which one could determine price volatility through a number of other market parameters such as asset volatility, risk free rate and dividend rate. A particular feature of the Epstein-Schneider theory is an extremely high price elasticity of the volatility of a risky stock with respect to a risk-free rate. This conclusion begs for an empirical investigation. I use the specially filtered high-frequency returns on NASDAQ as proxy for the stock market and several possible proxies for the risk-free rate for an empirical test of the hypothesis.
ON THE INFLUENCE OF STILBAMIDINE UPON MYELOMA CELLS

Injections of stilbamidine cause morphological changes in myeloma cells. During this treatment large basophilic granules appear in the cytoplasm which show a tendency to become confluent. These granules stain red with pyronine and can be visualized in the supravital stain with neutral red. One of the main constituents of these inclusions consists of ribose nucleic acid. These morphological changes seem to be limited to myeloma cells, since in none of the other bone marrow elements do comparable granules or inclusions develop.
Effect of High-Pressure Processing on Bioactive Compounds

High pressure processing (HPP) has varying effects on bioactive compounds in food matrices. Pressure treatment at moderate temperatures can retain bioactivity and other food quality attributes of flavor, color and nutritional properties due to its minimal effects on covalent bonds of bioactive compounds. Pressure treatment at elevated temperatures, however, has been shown to induce biochemical reactions that could reduce the nutritional value of food products. The following chapter discusses effects of HPP on stability of different bioactive compounds in model systems and food matrices. As a direct consequence of the stability/instability of these bioactive compounds during HPP, their bioactivity (e.g., antioxidant capacity, bioavailability, antimutagenicity) and sensorial properties of food products are affected. Additionally, degradation mechanisms/pathways of some of these bioactive compounds are discussed in this chapter.
Post-Hospital Outcomes of Patients With Acute Myocardial Infarction With Cardiogenic Shock: Findings From the NCDR

Abstract Background Many patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and cardiogenic shock survive hospitalization; little is known about their subsequent prognosis. Objectives This study sought to evaluate the associations between cardiogenic shock and post-discharge mortality and all-cause hospitalization among hospital survivors. Methods We included patients ≥65 years of age with AMI from the ACTION Registry–GWTG (Acute Coronary Treatment and Intervention Outcomes Network Registry–Get With The Guidelines) who survived hospitalization and linked these patients with Medicare claims data. We used proportional hazards models to test the association between cardiogenic shock and outcomes, adjusting for patient and hospital characteristics. Hazard ratios (HRs) are reported for early (1 to 60 days) and late (61 to 365 days) post-discharge time periods. Results Among 112,668 AMI survivors, 5% had cardiogenic shock during hospitalization. The rate of death was significantly higher among patients with cardiogenic shock at 60 days (9.6% vs. 5.5%) and 1 year (22.4% vs. 16.7%). After accounting for baseline characteristics, the risk of death remained higher for cardiogenic shock patients in the first 60 days after discharge (adjusted HR: 1.62; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.46 to 1.80), but was similar to nonshock patients thereafter (adjusted HR: 1.08 for days 61 to 365; 95% CI: 1.00 to 1.18). The rate of all-cause hospitalization or death was significantly higher among shock patients at 60 days (33.9% vs. 24.9%) and 1 year (59.1% vs. 52.3%). After adjustment, the risk of this outcome was also clustered in the first 60 days (adjusted HR: 1.28; 95% CI: 1.21 to 1.35) and was similar thereafter (adjusted HR: 0.95 for days 61 to 365; 95% CI: 0.89 to 1.01). Conclusions Hospital survivors of AMI who had cardiogenic shock have a higher risk of death and/or hospitalization during the first year after discharge. The risk is time-dependent and is clustered in the early post-discharge period, after which the prognosis is similar in patients with and without cardiogenic shock.
Novel Ricin Subunit Antigens With Enhanced Capacity to Elicit Toxin-Neutralizing Antibody Responses in Mice

RiVax is a candidate ricin toxin subunit vaccine antigen that has proven to be safe in human phase I clinical trials. In this study, we introduced double and triple cavity-filling point mutations into the RiVax antigen with the expectation that stability-enhancing modifications would have a beneficial effect on overall immunogenicity of the recombinant proteins. We demonstrate that 2 RiVax triple mutant derivatives, RB (V81L/C171L/V204I) and RC (V81I/C171L/V204I), when adsorbed to aluminum salts adjuvant and tested in a mouse prime-boost-boost regimen were 5- to 10-fold more effective than RiVax at eliciting toxin-neutralizing serum IgG antibody titers. Increased toxin neutralizing antibody values and seroconversion rates were evident at different antigen dosages and within 7 days after the first booster. Quantitative stability/flexibility relationships analysis revealed that the RB and RC mutations affect rigidification of regions spanning residues 98-103, which constitutes a known immunodominant neutralizing B-cell epitope. A more detailed understanding of the immunogenic nature of RB and RC may provide insight into the fundamental relationship between local protein stability and antibody reactivity.