cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Nonphagocytic Activation of NOX2 Is Implicated in Progressive Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis During Aging.

Background and aims Older patients with obesity/type II diabetes mellitus frequently present with advanced NASH. Whether this is due to specific molecular pathways that accelerate fibrosis during aging is unknown. Activation of the Src homology 2 domain-containing collagen-related (Shc) proteins and redox stress have been recognized in aging; however, their link to NASH has not been explored. Approach and results Shc expression increased in livers of older patients with NASH, as assessed by real time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) or western blots. Fibrosis, Shc expression, markers of senescence, and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate, reduced form oxidases (NOXs) were studied in young/old mice on fast food diet (FFD). To inhibit Shc in old mice, lentiviral (LV)-short hairpin Shc versus control-LV were used during FFD. For hepatocyte-specific effects, floxed (fl/fl) Shc mice on FFD were injected with adeno-associated virus 8-thyroxine-binding globulin-Cre-recombinase versus control. Fibrosis was accelerated in older mice on FFD, and Shc inhibition by LV in older mice or hepatocyte-specific deletion resulted in significantly improved inflammation, reduction in senescence markers in older mice, lipid peroxidation, and fibrosis. To study NOX2 activation, the interaction of p47phox (NOX2 regulatory subunit) and p52Shc was evaluated by proximity ligation and coimmunoprecipitations. Palmitate-induced p52Shc binding to p47phox , activating the NOX2 complex, more so at an older age. Kinetics of binding were assessed in Src homology 2 domain (SH2) or phosphotyrosine-binding (PTB) domain deletion mutants by biolayer interferometry, revealing the role of SH2 and the PTB domains. Lastly, an in silico model of p52Shc/p47phox interaction using RosettaDock was generated. Conclusions Accelerated fibrosis in the aged is modulated by p52Shc/NOX2. We show a pathway for direct activation of the phagocytic NOX2 in hepatocytes by p52Shc binding and activating the p47phox subunit that results in redox stress and accelerated fibrosis in the aged.
Own Your Walls: Portraiture and Researcher Reflexive Collage Self-Portraits:

As part of an advanced doctoral research course, class members participated in an in-depth exploration of the methodology portraiture. In this article, the authors—course instructor and 10 students...
Simulation-Based Comparison and Analysis of Time-Based and Topology-Based Emergency Dissemination Protocols in Vehicular Ad-hoc NETworks

Inter-vehicular communication has the potential to enable plenty applications, from which the most important ones are the safety applications that can prevent car accidents and collisions and save thousands of lives. The automotive industry is working to develop the dedicated short-range communication (DSRC) technology, for use in vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-roadside communication. In this article, we present a classification of different pre-existing Data Dissemination protocols in VANETs followed by the comparison and analysis of dissemination protocols from two different classes.
Experience With the Endoscopic Contralateral Transmaxillary Approach to the Petroclival Skull Base.

Objectives/hypothesis The contralateral transmaxillary (CTM) approach is a new surgical approach that improves the surgical trajectory relative to the petrous segment of the internal carotid artery (ICA). Here, we present our clinical experience with the CTM approach to the petroclival region of the skull base. Study design Retrospective review. Methods A retrospective review of 29 patients who underwent a CTM approach for skull base pathology from 2015 to 2020 was performed. Assessment of gross total resection (GTR) was based on postoperative imaging. Results The male:female ratio was 15:14, with an average age of 52 years (range = 19-78 years). Diagnoses included: 12 chondrosarcomas, 11 chordomas, two meningiomas, one schwannoma, one metastasis, one petrous apicitis, and one arachnoid cyst. CTM was performed in addition to a transclival approach and ipsilateral transpterygoid approach in all patients. Reconstruction of surgical defects included a vascularized flap in all but two patients: 24 nasoseptal flaps and three lateral nasal wall flaps. The reconstructive flap was on the same side as the CTM approach in 22 of 28 (79%) patients. There were no ICA injuries. In a subset of patients with chondromatous tumors, GTR of the targeted area was achieved in 16 of 22 (73%) evaluable chondromatous tumors. With a median follow-up of 13 months, 64% of these patients are without disease or dead of other causes; the remainder are alive with disease. Conclusions The CTM approach improves the degree of resection of skull base tumors involving the petroclival region using an endoscopic endonasal approach and may minimize risk to the ICA. Level of evidence 4 Laryngoscope, 131:294-298, 2021.
Fabrication, microstructure and optical properties of Ga2O3 transparent ceramics

Abstract In this paper, Ga2O3 transparent ceramics were successfully prepared using the ceramic method. First, Ga2O3 sub-micro powders which possessed good dispersibility were synthesized by a citrate sol-gel method and the particle sizes of the synthesized powders calcined at 500 °C were approximately less than 1 μm. Next, the Ga2O3 ceramics were sintered via SPS at 980 °C for 5 min under a pressure of 90 MPa. The resulting Ga2O3 transparent ceramics were β-Ga2O3 with monoclinic structure and achieved a relative density as high as 99.1%. Furthermore, the transmittance was greater than 40% in the wavelength range between 396 nm and 667 nm and the highest transmittance was 45.5% at a wavelength of 494 nm. This Ga2O3 transparent ceramic exhibited two excitation peaks, one at 263.5 nm and the other at 378 nm. The fluorescence emission spectrum had two emission peaks with one located at 388 nm with an excitation wavelength of 263.5 nm and the other at 420 nm with an excitation wavelength of 378 nm. These photoluminescence properties can mainly be attributed to the recombination between donors and acceptors. Ga2O3 transparent ceramics have promising applications as transparent conductive materials and inorganic scintillators.
Sex-dependent effects of preconception exposure to arsenite on gene transcription in parental germ cells and on transcriptomic profiles and diabetic phenotype of offspring

Chronic exposure to inorganic arsenic (iAs) has been linked to diabetic phenotypes in both humans and mice. However, diabetogenic effects of iAs exposure during specific developmental windows have never been systematically studied. We have previously shown that in mice, combined preconception and in utero exposures to iAs resulted in impaired glucose homeostasis in male offspring. The goal of the present study was to determine if preconception exposure alone can contribute to this outcome. We have examined metabolic phenotypes in male and female offspring from dams and sires that were exposed to iAs in drinking water (0 or 200 μg As/L) for 10 weeks prior to mating. The effects of iAs exposure on gene expression profiles in parental germ cells, and pancreatic islets and livers from offspring were assessed using RNA sequencing. We found that iAs exposure significantly altered transcript levels of genes, including diabetes-related genes, in the sperm of sires. Notably, some of the same gene transcripts and the associated pathways were also altered in the liver of the offspring. The exposure had a more subtle effect on gene expression in maternal oocytes and in pancreatic islets of the offspring. In female offspring, the preconception exposure was associated with increased adiposity, but lower blood glucose after fasting and after glucose challenge. HOMA-IR, the indicator of insulin resistance, was also lower. In contrast, the preconception exposure had no effects on blood glucose measures in male offspring. However, males from parents exposed to iAs had higher plasma insulin after glucose challenge and higher insulinogenic index than control offspring, indicating a greater requirement for insulin to maintain glucose homeostasis. Our results suggest that preconception exposure may contribute to the development of diabetic phenotype in male offspring, possibly mediated through germ cell-associated inheritance. Future research can investigate role of epigenetics in this phenomenon. The paradoxical outcomes in female offspring, suggesting a protective effect of the preconception exposure, warrant further investigation.
Analyzing Mass Spectrometry Imaging Data of 13C-Labeled Phospholipids in Camelina sativa and Thlaspi arvense (Pennycress) Embryos

The combination of 13C-isotopic labeling and mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) offers an approach to analyze metabolic flux in situ. However, combining isotopic labeling and MSI presents technical challenges ranging from sample preparation, label incorporation, data collection, and analysis. Isotopic labeling and MSI individually create large, complex data sets, and this is compounded when both methods are combined. Therefore, analyzing isotopically labeled MSI data requires streamlined procedures to support biologically meaningful interpretations. Using currently available software and techniques, here we describe a workflow to analyze 13C-labeled isotopologues of the membrane lipid and storage oil lipid intermediate―phosphatidylcholine (PC). Our results with embryos of the oilseed crops, Camelina sativa and Thlaspi arvense (pennycress), demonstrated greater 13C-isotopic labeling in the cotyledons of developing embryos compared with the embryonic axis. Greater isotopic enrichment in PC molecular species with more saturated and longer chain fatty acids suggest different flux patterns related to fatty acid desaturation and elongation pathways. The ability to evaluate MSI data of isotopically labeled plant embryos will facilitate the potential to investigate spatial aspects of metabolic flux in situ.
A Real Application Enabled Traffic Generator for Networking AI Model Development

Network measurement and management are more challenging in the next generation network systems due to the increasing demand for communications and complex network infrastructure. Recently, artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms have attracted much attention in networking systems, such as AI-based network traffic classification, traffic prediction, intrusion detection systems, etc. The development and maintenance of networking AI models usually require a large amount of traffic data samples from real applications. However, the publicly available datasets for network development are limited and rarely updated. In this paper, we develop a real application enabled traffic generator for AI model development in networking. In particular, a data loader is provided to establish two databases. One is a payload database that consists of packets from real applications. The other one is a traffic database that consists of network traffic flow statistics. The traffic generator allows a user to simulate data traffic flows that mimic one or more real applications. Moreover, two networking AI models are implemented to validate the simulated traffic flows. Evaluation results demonstrate that the developed traffic generator can help with networking AI model development.
Robustness of transfer learning to image degradation

Abstract With the availability of several openly shared large-scale datasets containing millions of images classified in thousands of categories, tremendous progress has been made in image classification research using neural networks in recent years. In real-life image processing applications, however, we often run into situations where the quality of images is less perfect and sample data is limited. This paper investigates the robustness of a transfer learning neural network in the presence of image degeneration. In particular, we examine the tolerance level of the proposed network when there is poor resolution, noise corruption, unwanted cropping, or rotation present in the images; we also explore the range of data size within which the transfer learning algorithm can generate a robust performance. Our study has revealed that the proposed transfer learning algorithm is insensitive to size differences when the sample size reaches a certain threshold. The image processing performances can achieve 75% or higher accuracy in all the image degeneration situations including the worst-case scenario where 100% of the images are corrupted with noise at a 0.5 standard deviation. These experimental results have demonstrated the robustness of the transfer learning neural network. Most importantly, these empirical results lead to a bold suggestion to users in the image processing community. The amount of effort in collecting a huge dataset with high image quality may not be necessary, even just for a fairly precise identification result.
Non-Parametric Pricing of Multivariate Contingent Claims

The Black-Scholes (BS) framework is based on the assumption that an option’s underlying asset follows a lognormal diffusion. From the beginning, however, we have known that actual returns are not lognormal. Density functions estimated from realized returns invariably exhibit fat tails and other departures from lognormality. This has led to use of more flexible parametric returns distributions, and to non-parametric estimation techniques. Pervasive smile and skew patterns in the implied volatilities from option prices indicate that the market clearly anticipates departures from lognormality. An increasing number of derivative instruments, as well as procedures for assessing risk exposure more generally, require consideration of correlations among multiple risk factors. Here, again, real world returns data show correlation behavior that is inconsistent with standard models, particularly multivariate (log)normality. The method of copulas offers a general approach to more flexible and realistic modeling of correlations. In this article, Rosenberg first explains the fundamentals of this important new technology. He then illustrates its application in pricing euro-yen options using data on euro-dollar and yen-dollar exchange rates. The individual exchange rate volatilities are obtained non-parametrically from options prices, and the empirical copula function is estimated from historical returns data. The resulting estimate of the joint density function produces a better fit than standard models to prices of traded euro-yen options, and also reveals the effects of known specific events, such as the period of market disruption in October 1998.
Evaluating the United States Population's Interest in Sunscreen: A Google Trend Analysis.

Broad-spectrum sunscreen remains an important component of photoprotection against deleterious effects of ultraviolet (UV) radiation.1 The advances made in the field of photoprotection has resulted in an expansion of various sunscreen formulations, providing numerous options to consumers. In the past several years, there has been a growing concern regarding the potential environmental and health impacts of certain UVR filters, which has resulted in public confusion on the use of sunscreen as a photoprotective measure.1,2.
Determination of tensile strength of soils by unconfined-penetration test

This paper describes the factors affecting the test procedures and methods for preparation of test specimens for determination of tensile strength of soils by unconfined-penetration (UP) method. Correlation of tensile strength with other soil constants and strength parameters, such as Atterberg limits, activity, toughness index, unconfined compressive strength, cohesion, and friction angle, are presented. Theoretical explanations of this method and the conventional split-tension test by use of the limit analysis concept are discussed.
Soil ripening following dam removal

The onset of pedogenesis in dewatered reservoir sediments following a dam removal was evaluated using a ripening index that was initially developed to describe the condition of drained, marine sediments behind Dutch dikes. The drained reservoir exposed lahar terraces, mantled with reservoir sediment, upstream of the former dam at a similar geomorphic position to a downstream lahar terrace. Three years following dam removal, the exposed sediment has physically ripened (n-values are less than 0.7) over 1 m to the depth of a buried soil. However, the sediment has only chemically ripened to a depth of approximately 16 cm, the depth at which pH values become higher than those of the downstream terrace soils. Even at the surface, the sediment has not biologically ripened, as indicated by the low carbon-to-nitrogen ratios (13:1) relative to those of the downstream soil surface (28:1). These results indicate that chemical and biological ripening happen more slowly than physical ripening. As such, dewatered reserv...
Posttranslational arginylation is essential for stress response (555.15)

Arginylation consists of addition of an extra arginine to an existing peptide chain, thus changing the de facto primary sequence as well as the surface change. This process is evolutionarily conserved and mainly mediated by arginyltransferase1 (Ate1). While earlier studies found that the overall arginylation activity often increases during stressing conditions including heat shock, oxidative stress, and injury, little is known about the role of arginylation or Ate1 in stress response. By using multiple types of eukaryotic cells as test models, we found that Ate1 is a pro-apoptotic factor. Knockout of Ate1 in cells leads to a retardation of stress response and the diminish of apoptosis and cell death during exposure of high doses of various stressing factors including heat shock, oxidative and osmotic stress, and heavy metal. Oppositely, over-expression of Ate1 leads to cell death. Intriguingly, we also found that the activity of arginylation is essential for the wellbeing of the cells during mitochondria-...
Immune cell profiling to guide therapeutic decisions in rheumatic diseases

Biomarkers are needed to guide treatment decisions for patients with rheumatic diseases. Although the phenotypic and functional analysis of immune cells is an appealing strategy for understanding immune-mediated disease processes, immune cell profiling currently has no role in clinical rheumatology. New technologies, including mass cytometry, gene expression profiling by RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) and multiplexed functional assays, enable the analysis of immune cell function with unprecedented detail and promise not only a deeper understanding of pathogenesis, but also the discovery of novel biomarkers. The large and complex data sets generated by these technologies--big data--require specialized approaches for analysis and visualization of results. Standardization of assays and definition of the range of normal values are additional challenges when translating these novel approaches into clinical practice. In this Review, we discuss technological advances in the high-dimensional analysis of immune cells and consider how these developments might support the discovery of predictive biomarkers to benefit the practice of rheumatology and improve patient care.
Omni Remote [control device for cerebral palsy patient]

The Omni Remote is able to operate a home entertainment system including a radio from a device installed on a wheelchair tray for a person with cerebral palsy. The remote control device is embedded into the wheelchair tray so as to not interfere with the use of the tray. A radio, for use while traveling, is mounted in a custom fabricated hubcap of the wheelchair.
Techniques for simulation response optimization

Techniques for discrete event simulation optimization are classified into four groups: path search methods, pattern search methods, random methods, and integral methods. Each class is described and a survey of recent literature is presented.
A model for evaluation advisory groups: Ethos, professional craft knowledge, practices, and skills

A practice model of evaluation advisory groups (EAGs) is described with the use of the frames of craft orientation, practice, and skills. Questions for EAG research and evaluation are presented, and a beginning guide to organizing and using an EAG is offered. A formal training agenda completes the text. © Wiley Periodicals, Inc., and the American Evaluation Association.
Learning in common value auctions: Some initial observations☆

Abstract Inexperienced bidders in first-price common value auctions suffer from a winner's curse — losing money on average. With experience bidders approximate the Nash equilibrium. The mechanisms underlying this adjustment are (1) a market selection effect as the most aggressive bidders are less likely to return for subsequent sessions and (2) players who lose money bid less (experiential learning) and those who would have lost money had they won the auction with the high bidder's signal bid less (observational learning).
Hollywood and the American Historical Film

The Holy Grail for those teaching in the area of film in history is to find the key to understanding the complex interrelationships between films, audiences and studio production imperatives as the...
Perinatal Brain Injury

Despite great advances in our understanding of the mechanisms that contribute to injuries of the developing brain and the many attempts at prevention, perinatal cerebral injury remains a major cause of neonatal mortality and is associated with long-term neurodevelopmental sequelae. Potential mechanisms of injury are diverse and include hypoxia-ischemia, hemorrhage, perinatal infection or inflammation, metabolic disturbances, medications, and even the stressful intensive care environment. In a particular infant, a single event or a combination of factors may form the basis for injury, the extent of which may also be modulated by genetic influences. In part based on these observations, this issue of the Clinics in Perinatology addresses some of the major clinical problems contributing to perinatal brain injury. The authors are outstanding clinicians from different specialties who through training, investigative research, and practice have developed expertise that either directly or indirectly relates to the development of brain injury. This allows for a unique opportunity to examine problems from different vantage points. For example, this issue includes a basic science discussion of the association of infection/inflammation and brain injury (first article), an infectious disease approach (second article), and a perinatalogist’s viewpoint (seventh article). Each author has responded superbly to the request to provide an overview of current concepts of pathogenesis and, where applicable, to provide the best available evidence for current therapeutic recommendations. Highlights from the contents of the twelve articles are briefly presented next. In the first article, the biochemical cascades that contribute to the pathogenesis of neonatal hypoxic-ischemic brain injury are reviewed. In particular, the specific vulnerabilities that distinguish the response of the immature from the mature
Inhalation coexposure to carbon black and acrolein suppresses alveolar macrophage phagocytosis and tnf-α release and modulates peritoneal macrophage phagocytosis

AbstractAcrolein, a hydrophilic vapor that is efficiently absorbed in the upper respiratory tract, is often emitted with respirable particles by combustion sources. If acrolein is adsorbed on respirable particles it may be deposited in the deep lung and interact with cells in the lung parenchyma. To test this hypothesis, mice were coexposed to target concentrations of 10 mg/m3 of carbon black and 2.5 ppm acrolein for 4 hours/day for 4 days and alveolar macrophage (AM) phagocytosis and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) production were assessed. AM phagocytosis was suppressed at 1 through 11 days after exposure, with recovery of phagocytic activity at day 20. TNF-a production was a/so initially impaired but was reestablished by day 20. Suppression of AM phagocytosis and TNF-α production were not observed following exposure to either agent alone. Coexposure to target concentrations of 10 mg/m3 of carbon black and 5 ppm of acrolein for 4 hours/day for either 2, 4, 6, or 8 days w...
The diurnal variations of serum prolactin levels before and during pregnancy in normal and hyperprolactinemic patients.

Abstract The pattern of 24-hour secretion of prolactin was evaluated in three normal pregnant subjects at the tenth, twenty-fourth, and thirty-sixth gestational week. A similar study was performed in three hyperprolactinemic subjects throughout the course of their gestations. The findings confirm the progressive rise in serum concentrations of prolactin throughout pregnancy in normal subjects, with a tendency to blunting of the ratio of the nighttime mean to the daytime mean ( X s X a ) as pregnancy progresses. One hyperprolactinemic subject (nontumoral) followed this pattern but demonstrated blunting initially and throughout pregnancy. The other two hyperprolactinemic subjects (one tumoral and one nontumoral) demonstrated an unexpected response in that they remained unresponsive to the increasing concentrations of estradiol throughout pregnancy.
Aldosterone reprograms promoter methylation to regulate αENaC transcription in the collecting cuct

Aldosterone increases tubular Na+ absorption largely by increasing α-epithelial Na+ channel (αENaC) transcription in collecting duct principal cells. How aldosterone reprograms basal αENaC transcri...
On stochastic approximation and an adaptive Kalman filter

The orthogonality between the innovations process and the one-step predicted state of a discrete-time Kalman filter is used to specify a stochastic approximation algorithm for simple, adaptive Kalman filtering. The filter is adaptive in the sense that on-line filter signals are used to train the gain matrix to its correct, steady-state form. The problem considered is one of training the gain matrix when the time-invariant plant dynamics are known, but the plant noise and observation noise covariance matrices are unknown. No direct identification of these covariances is required. Simulation results are presented to illustrate the simplicity and soundness of the proposed adaptive filter structure. The simplicity of the proposed adaptation method indicates that it might easily be implemented in real-time data or signal processing applications.
Toxicities of butoxyethanol ester and propylene glycol butyl ether ester formulations of 2,4-dichlorophenoxy acetic acid (2,4-D) to juvenile salmonids.

Continuous-flow toxicity tests were conducted to determine acute toxic effects of butoxy-ethanol ester (BOEE) and propylene glycol butyl ether ester (PGBEE) formulations of 2,4-D on juvenile chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) and steelhead-rainbow trout (Salmo gairdneri). A chronic toxicity test with chinook salmon egg-to-fry was conducted to determine effects of BOEE on survival and growth. The hydrolysis in water of 2,4-D esters to 2,4-D acid was influenced by the presence of fish. Median lethal concentrations (96-hr LC50 values) indicated that PGBEE (170 to 355 μg/L) was slightly more toxic (37 to 57%) than BOEE (303 to 525 μg/L). The LC50 values also indicated that chinook salmon were generally more sensitive than steelhead-rainbow trout and that fry and smolts were equally sensitive to the 2,4-D esters. Static tests substantially underestimated BOEE toxicity when compared to dynamic tests. Based on reduced survival and growth of chinook salmon alevins and fry, the estimated maximum safe chronic exposure concentration under these test conditions is 40 μg/L BOEE.
Strong evidence of solution-phase catalysis associated with palladium leaching from immobilized thiols during Heck and Suzuki coupling of aryl iodides, bromides, and chlorides

A 3-mercaptopropyl-functionalized silica, SH-SBA-15, is used both as a support for palladium acetate, Pd-SH-SBA-15, and as a selective poison of soluble palladium complexes. Pd-SH-SBA-15 is used as a precatalyst for Heck and Suzuki couplings of an aryl iodide, bromide, and chloride under a range of reaction conditions. In all reactions in which metal-free SH-SBA-15 is added, the catalysis associated with either homogeneous palladium acetate or from Pd-SH-SBA-15 ceased. This strongly suggests that (i) SH-SBA-15 can be used as an effective scavenger and poison of soluble palladium and (ii) catalysis with Pd-SH-SBA-15 is solely associated with leached metal. Supporting evidence is given from hot filtration tests, self-quenching behavior of partially metalated Pd-SH-SBA-15, and poisoning by other solid-phase poisons such as poly(4-vinylpyridine), Quadrapure TU, and 3-mercaptopropyl-functionalized silica gel. It is postulated that the SH-SBA-15 poisons by over coordination of soluble monomeric or dimeric palladium, which rules out catalysis by palladium nanoparticle surfaces. SH-SBA-15 is an effective and selective poison of homogeneous palladium species and can be used as a test for heterogeneity of palladium catalysts developed for Heck and Suzuki reactions.
Building a hospital referral expert system with a Prediction and Optimization-Based Decision Support System algorithm

This study presents a new method for constructing an expert system using a hospital referral problem as an example. Many factors, such as institutional characteristics, patient risks, traveling distance, and chances of survival and complications should be included in the hospital-selection decision. Ideally, each patient should be treated individually, with the decision process including not only their condition but also their beliefs about trade-offs among the desired hospital features. An expert system can help with this complex decision, especially when numerous factors are to be considered. We propose a new method, called the Prediction and Optimization-Based Decision Support System (PODSS) algorithm, which constructs an expert system without an explicit knowledge base. The algorithm obtains knowledge on its own by building machine learning classifiers from a collection of labeled cases. In response to a query, the algorithm gives a customized recommendation, using an optimization step to help the patient maximize the probability of achieving a desired outcome. In this case, the recommended hospital is the optimal solution that maximizes the probability of the desired outcome. With proper formulation, this expert system can combine multiple factors to give hospital-selection decision support at the individual level.
Parent-Adolescent Processes and Reduced Risk for Delinquency: The Effect of Gender for Mexican American Adolescents

Using a U.S. sample of 454 adolescents of Mexican descent from two-parent families, this study investigated the roles of parental monitoring and parent-adolescent attachment in reducing the risk for delinquency for Mexican American adolescents and found that these parent-adolescent processes, particularly with regard to the mother and the adolescent, were related to a reduced risk for delinquency. This study also investigated the role of gender as a moderator in the effect of parent-adolescent processes on delinquency. Results indicated that gender moderated the relationship between mother-adolescent attachment and delinquency; further investigation demonstrated that mother-adolescent attachment was related to a reduced risk for delinquency for boys; the relationship between mother-adolescent attachment and delinquency risk was less apparent for girls.
Global solutions of singular parabolic equations arising from electrostatic MEMS

Abstract We study dynamic solutions of the singular parabolic problem (P) { u t − Δ u = λ ∗ | x | α ( 1 − u ) 2 , ( x , t ) ∈ B × ( 0 , ∞ ) , u ( x , 0 ) = u 0 ( x ) ⩾ 0 , x ∈ B , u ( x , t ) = 0 , x ∈ ∂ B , where α ⩾ 0 and λ ∗ > 0 are two parameters, and B is the unit ball { x ∈ R N : | x | ⩽ 1 } with N ⩾ 2 . Our interest is focussed on (P) with λ ∗ : = ( 2 + α ) ( 3 N + α − 4 ) 9 , for which (P) admits a singular stationary solution in the form S ( x ) = 1 − | x | 2 + α 3 . This equation models dynamic deflection of a simple electrostatic Micro-Electro-Mechanical-System (MEMS) device. Under the assumption u 0 ≨ S ( x ) , we address the existence, uniqueness, regularity, stability or instability, and asymptotic behavior of weak solutions for (P) . Given α ∗ ∗ : = 4 − 6 N + 3 6 ( N − 2 ) 4 , in particular we show that if either N ⩾ 8 and α > α ∗ ∗ or 2 ⩽ N ⩽ 7 , then the minimal compact stationary solution u λ ∗ of (P) is stable and while S ( x ) is unstable. However, for N ⩾ 8 and 0 ⩽ α ⩽ α ∗ ∗ , (P) has no compact minimal solution, and S ( x ) is an attractor from below not from above. Furthermore, the refined asymptotic behavior of global solutions for (P) is also discussed for the case where N ⩾ 8 and 0 ⩽ α ⩽ α ∗ ∗ , which is given by a certain matching of different asymptotic developments in the large outer region closer to the boundary and the thin inner region near the singularity.
Effect of dietary cation-anion difference on acid-base status and energy digestibility in sedentary horses fed varying levels and types of starch

Abstract Six mature horses were used in a 6×6 Latin Square design experiment to study the effects of varying dietary cation-anion differences (DCAD) on the acid-base status and energy digestibility of horses fed varying levels and sources of starch. Rolled corn, whole oats, or dehydrated alfalfa meal were used to make up the concentrate portions of the diets. Three diets had a DCAD above 300 meq/kg DM, and three below 160 meq/kg DM. This trial consisted of 11-day adjustment periods followed by 72-hour experimental collection periods. During that time, venous blood samples were drawn for analysis of pH, pCO 2 , HCO 3 − , pO 2 , and lactate concentrations. Total urine was collected and measured for pH and mineral content. Representative feed and fecal samples were taken to determine energy digestibility. Blood lactate concentration showed no variation among treatments. Energy digestibility showed no variation with respect to DCAD, but did vary with starch intake. Urine pH, blood pH and blood HCO 3 − concentrations were significantly lower for horses consuming diets with a low DCAD as compared with high DCAD diets regardless of starch source or intake. Thus, it may be possible to reverse any metabolic acidosis caused by high starch intake by increasing the DCAD of the diet.
ACTIVE 3D VISION THROUGH GAZE RELOCATION IN A HUMANOID ROBOT

Motion parallax, the relative motion of 3D space at different distances experienced by a moving agent, is one of the most informative visual cues of depth and distance. While motion parallax is typically investigated during navigation, it also occurs in most robotic head/eye systems during rotations of the cameras. In these systems, as in the eyes of many species, the optical nodal points do not lie on the axes of rotation. Thus, a camera rotation shifts an object's projection on the sensor by an amount that depends not only on the rotation amplitude, but also on the distance of the object with respect to the camera. Several species rely on this cue to estimate distance. An oculomotor parallax is present also in the human eye, and during normal eye movements, displaces the stimulus on the retina by an amount that is well within the range of sensitivity of the visual system. We developed an anthropomorphic robot equipped with an oculomotor system specifically designed to reproduce the images impinging on t...
Hydropathic anti-complementarity of amino acids based on the genetic code

Abstract An interesting pattern in the genetic code has been discovered. Codons for hydrophilic and hydrophobic amino acids on one strand of DNA are complemented by codons for hydrophobic and hydrophilic amino acids on the other DNA strand, respectively. The average tendency of codons for “uncharged” (slightly hydrophilic) amino acids is to be complemented by codons for “uncharged” amino acids.
A test for neutrino masses

Abstract If any neutrinos have mass the reaction π 0 →ν ν is allowed. With the forthcoming generation of machines this could provide a practical means for finding limits on neutrino masses.
Probing the kinetics of membrane-mediated helix folding.

The kinetics of peptide−membrane association have been studied previously using stopped-flow tryptophan fluorescence; however, such experiments do not directly report the coil-to-helix transition process, which is a hallmark of peptide−membrane interaction. Herein, we report a new method for directly assessing the kinetics of the helix formation accompanied by the peptide−membrane association. This method is based on the technique of fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) and an amino acid FRET pair, p-cyano-l-phenylalanine and tryptophan. To demonstrate the utility of this method, we have studied the membrane-mediated helix folding dynamics of a mutant of magainin 2, an antibiotic peptide found in the skin of the African clawed frog, Xenopus laevis. Our results indicate that the coil-to-helix transition occurs during the binding of the peptide to the lipid vesicle (1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine/1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-[phospho-rac-(1-glycerol)], 3:1, wt/wt) but prior t...
Interfaces between electronically and ionically conducting polymers: Applications to ultra high-vacuum electrochemistry and photoelectrochemistry

Abstract Interfaces between ionically conducting polymers as solid electrolytes and electronically conducting polymers as electrode materials are discussed both from the point of view of fundamental materials studies and the device potential of the structures. A new technique has been developed that allows both electrochemical synthesis and reduction/oxidation of conducting polymers in situ in ultra-high vacuum using thin-film polymer solid electrolytes, concurrent with the application of photoelectron spectroscopy techniques. Interfaces between thin-film polymer electrolytes and conducting polypyrole are also shown to have potential applications in photoelectrochemistry.
Control of vesicular stomatitis virus protein synthesis

Abstract The five structural polypeptides of vesicular stomatitis virus are synthesized in infected cells at nonequimolar rates which correspond to their relative amounts in the virus particle. These experiments are concerned with the mechanism(s) responsible for the relative rates of viral polypeptide synthesis. Treatment of infected cells with amino acid analogs in order to prevent formation of functional viral proteins resulted in inhibition of viral genome replication and virion assembly. This treatment, however, did not alter the relative rates of viral polypeptide synthesis. This suggested that the mechanisms determining these rates do not require the function of newly-synthesized viral proteins and do not involve direct coupling between protein synthesis and virion assembly. Relative translation frequencies of viral messenger RNA molecules coding for each polypeptide were compared by treating cells with low levels of cycloheximide and anisomycin, inhibitors of protein synthesis that interfere preferentially with polypeptide chain elongation. Under these conditions the rate of synthesis of each viral polypeptide should be proportional only to the amount of its messenger RNA available for translation. The relative rates of viral polypeptide synthesis were not altered by this treatment, suggesting that viral messenger RNA molecules coding for each polypeptide are translated with similar average frequencies. Rates of peptide chain growth were compared by following the incorporation of 3 H-amino acids into completed viral polypeptides following a pulse-label. The time necessary to achieve maximum incorporation of isotope into each completed viral polypeptide was taken as its translation time, the time necessary to synthesize and release a completed molecule. We were able to determine translation times for the M and G polypeptides by this method and found that they correlated directly with their molecular weights, suggesting that nascent chains of these two polypeptides are propagated at similar rates.
Evaluation of metal ion absorptive characteristics of three types of plastic sample bags used for precipitation sampling

Abstract Simulated precipitation samples containing 16 metal ions were prepared at 4 pH values. Absorptive characteristics of polypropylene, polyethylene, and polyester/polyolefin sacks were evaluated at pH 3.5, 4.0, 4.5, and 5.0. Simulated precipitation was in contact with the sacks for 17 days, and subsamples were removed for chemical analysis at 3, 7, 10, 14, and 17 days after initial contact. All three types of plastic sacks absorbed Fe throughout the entire pH range. Polypropylene and polyethylene absorbed Pb throughout the entire pH range; polyester/polyolefin sacks absorbed Pb at pH 4.0 or greater. All plastic sacks also absorbed Cu, Mo, and V at pH 4.5 and 5.0. Leaching the plastic sacks with 0.7 percent HNO3 did not result in 100 percent recovery of Cu, Fe, Pb, and V. These sacks would be suitable collection vessels for Ba, Be, Ca, Cd, Co, Li, Mg, Mn, Na, Sr and Zn in precipitation through the pH range of 3.5 to 5.0.
Separation of aldehydes and ketones by chromatography on dowex-50 in the ethylenediamine form

Abstract A technique is developed that separates a number of carbonyl-containing compounds on the basis of chemical interaction with ethylenediamine in a column of polystyrene resin (AG-50W-X2) in the ethylenediamine form eluted with 10 m m ethylenediamine-phosphate, pH 8.0, at 25°C. Aldehydes are retained more strongly than ketones on this column. Relative elution volumes for several representative compounds are acetaldehyde > glyceraldehyde > 2,5-anhydromannose (chitose) > cyclohexanone > dihydroxyacetone > glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate > pyruvate > dihydroxyacetone phosphate ≥ glucose, chitose 6-phosphate, and glucose 1-phosphate. Within a given class of compounds the extent of hydration does not appear to affect how well a substance is retained, whereas the presence of negative charge(s) appears to decrease retention. In the absence of anionic functional groups, the retention of carbonyl compounds corresponds roughly to what is known about the relative stability of imines.
A smart transmission scheme for emergency data from a network of bio-sensors on the human body

As a nation of an estimated 45 million uninsured and underinsured Americans (almost 15% of the population), out of which over 11 million suffer from chronic diseases who require constant medical supervision, America today is plagued by the national crisis of inadequate and expensive healthcare. This paper introduces an architecture of a multi-tier telemedicine system comprised of strategically placed bio-sensors on a human body capable of collecting vital medical statistics (such as heart rate and blood pressure) and transmitting them (wired or wirelessly)over multiple hops to a remote medical server at a caregiver's location thereby taking telemedicine from the desktop to roaming. However, fundamental wireless networking issues must be addressed and resolved before this dream can be realized. In this regards, this paper proposes a Medium Access Control (MAC) protocol specifically designed for a Wireless Body Area Network (WBAN). Our protocol is designed to cater to the Quality of Service (QoS) requirements that would be essential for an application like WBAN. It fuses data from several biosensors and based on the time criticality of the data, schedules them intelligently such that the data reaches its destination in a timely and energy efficient manner. Simulation results show that the traffic prioritization and scheduling scheme proposed in our MAC architecture surpasses the standard IEEE 802.15.4 MAC protocol in performance.
Role of PCSK5 Expression in Mouse Ovarian Follicle Development: Identification of the Inhibin α- and β-Subunits as Candidate Substrates

Inhibin and activin are essential dimeric glycoproteins belonging to the transforming growth factor-beta (TGFβ) superfamily. Inhibin is a heterodimer of α- and β-subunits, whereas activin is a homodimer of β-subunits. Production of inhibin is regulated during the reproductive cycle and requires the processing of pro-ligands to produce mature hormone. Furin is a subtilisin-like proprotein convertase (proconvertase) that activates precursor proteins by cleavage at basic sites during their transit through the secretory pathway and/or at the cell surface. We hypothesized that furin-like proconvertases are central regulators of inhibin α- and β-subunit processing within the ovary. We analyzed the expression of the proconvertases furin, PCSK5, PCSK6, and PCSK7 in the developing mouse ovary by real-time quantitative RT-PCR. The data showed that proconvertase enzymes are temporally expressed in ovarian cells. With the transition from two-layer secondary to pre-antral follicle, only PCSK5 mRNA was significantly elevated. Activin A selectively enhanced expression of PCSK5 mRNA and decreased expression of furin and PCSK6 in cultured two-layer secondary follicles. Inhibition of proconvertase enzyme activity by dec-RVKR-chloromethylketone (CMK), a highly specific and potent competitive inhibitor of subtilisin-like proconvertases, significantly impeded both inhibin α- and β-subunit maturation in murine granulosa cells. Overexpression of PC5/6 in furin-deficient cells led to increased inhibin α- and βB-subunit maturation. Our data support the role of proconvertase PCSK5 in the processing of ovarian inhibin subunits during folliculogenesis and suggest that this enzyme may be an important regulator of inhibin and activin bioavailability.
A Further Example of the Non-Immune Auto-Agglutinating Property of Serum

A serum is described which agglutinates all cells, including those of the patient, only when commercial bovine albumin is added. The phenomenon is apparently acquired and transient. Blood compatible by the saline and the indirect Coombs tests was safely transfused.
Can goals of care be used to predict intervention preferences in an advance directive

Background: Some have suggested that advance directives elicit goals of care from patients, instead of or in addition to specific intervention preferences, but little is known about whether goals of care can be used in a meaningful way on documents or whether they can predict preferences for specific interventions. Methods: Attending physicians (n=716) at the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston were surveyed to elicit general goals of care (eg, treat everything or comfort measures only) along with specific preferences for 11 medical interventions in 6 scenarios. In each scenario, each goal was classified as an adequate predictor of acceptance or rejection of an intervention if its predictive value of the preference for that intervention was at least 80%. Results: Goals varied with scenarios (P Conclusions: Goals have a valid role in advance directives, since the goal choices had a logical relationship to scenarios and intervention choices. However, the 2 goals attempt cure and choose quality of life were not predictive in many instances. If these findings hold true for more general populations of patients, then advance directive documents will need to rely on more than these general goal statements if they are to adequately represent patient preferences. Arch Intern Med. 1997;157:801-807