cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Lower and Middle Silurian Rocks in Michigan Basin: ABSTRACT

The discovery of the Howell gas field, Livingstone County, Michigan, with gas production from the base of the Salina formation and the top of the Niagara group, has added to the interest in the possibility of commercial production from these rocks in other areas in the Michigan basin. Gas and oil have been produced from the Cataract formation and Niagara group in fields in southwestern Ontario for many years, and showings of oil and gas were reported in Niagara rocks penetrated by wells in various areas in Michigan. Cataract rocks of lower Silurian age and Niagara rocks of middle Silurian age occur in the subsurface in the Michigan basin, and they crop out, or underlie glacial drift, around the margin of the basin. The rocks are exposed in places in the Northern Peninsula of Michigan, eastern Wisconsin, northeastern Illinois, northern Indiana, northwestern Ohio, and southwestern Ontario, Canada. The Cataract formation which includes the "White Medina" and "Red Medina" gas-producing sandstones in Ontario west of Niagara River, is 45-190 feet thick in the Michigan basin. The Cataract is represented by dolomite and shale in the Michigan basin, and sandstones of the eastern facies are absent. The Niagara group of the Michigan basin is composed almost entirely of dolomite, with some chert and shale in places. Shale, which grades laterally into dolomite, occurs in the group in northern Indiana. The lower part of the Niagara in eastern Michigan and the Northern Peninsula of Michigan End_Page 305------------------------------ is dolomite, argillaceous dolomite, and shale. The thickness of the Niagara varies from 66 feet in Kent County in southwestern Michigan to more than 700 feet in Mackinac County in the Northern Peninsula of Michigan. The Niagara increases in thickness southward from Kent County, Michigan, to 425 feet in northwestern Indiana near the area of outcrop. The sequence of Niagara rocks in southern Michigan is thin due to non-deposition of pre-Salina erosion. Outcrop and subsurface data indicate that pre-Salina erosion occurred in some areas. Local variations in thickness are due in part to reefs which in places are numerous. Niagara rocks dip at the average rate of 45 feet per mile from the outcrop area in northern Indiana to the center of the Michigan basin in Clare and Gladwin counties, Mic igan, where the top of the group is more than 9,000 feet below sea level. The average dip per mile from the outcrop area in the Northern Peninsula to the center of the basin is approximately 70 feet per mile. End_of_Article - Last_Page 306------------
A sensor for in situ indicator-based measurements of seawater pH

Abstract Indicator-based spectrophotometric pH methods are now proven and commonly used for analysis of ocean samples; however, no autonomous system for long-term in situ applications has been developed based on this method. We describe herein an autonomous indicator-based pH sensor for seawater applications adapted from a design originally developed for freshwater pH measurements (SAMI-pH). The new SAMI-pH uses a different pH indicator, flow cell design, detection system, and mixing configuration to improve upon the freshwater performance. A new method was also tested that utilizes an indicator concentration gradient in the sample to correct for the pH perturbation caused by the indicator. With these design changes, laboratory tests found the precision improved from ± 0.004 to ± 0.0007 and the accuracy improved from − 0.0030 to + 0.0017 based on comparisons with benchtop UV/Vis measurements. In situ testing of two SAMI-pH instruments was completed off the pier at Scripps Institution of Oceanography. The average pH offset between the two instruments over the 22 d deployment period was 0.0042 ± 0.0126 (n = 883), with the precision primarily regulated by large spatial and temporal variability at the site. The results demonstrate that the SAMI-pH can provide drift-free and precise pH measurements in adverse measurement conditions (extensive fouling and large tidal variability). With the current battery power (18 alkaline D-cells), the system can be deployed for periods up to ∼ 2 months with a 0.5 h measurement frequency.
Methylated amino acids in the proteins of bacterial and mammalian cells.

Abstract A new method for the simple analysis of methylated amino acids based on autoradiography is introduced. With this technique a survey of protein methylation in a prokaryote, Escherichia coli, and a eukaryote, fibroblasts in culture, was carried out in an attempt to identify, quantitate, and determine the subcellular localization of all the methylated amino acids found in the proteins of these organisms. In mammalian cells using an established mouse fibroblast line (3T3), we have found that nuclei-free and mitochondria-free cytoplasm contain readily detectable amounts of four identifiable methylated amino acids: Nϵ,Nϵ-dimethyllysine, Nϵ,Nϵ,Nϵ-trimethyllysine, NG,NG-dimethylarginine (or NG-methylarginine), and NG,N′G-dimethylarginine. The crude nuclear pellet also contains these methylated amino acids, but in addition contains Nϵ-methyllysine and a new as yet unidentified methylated compound. Histones purified from these nuclei contain essentially the same array of methylated compounds. The ribosomal subunits of the mammalian cells contained only small amounts of the methylated amino acids; the 40S subunit contained a substantial amount of just one, NG,NG-dimethylarginine (or NG-methylarginine), and smaller amounts of NG,N′G-dimethylarginine, and an as yet unidentified methylated compound. The 60S subunit contained even smaller amounts of methylated amino acids, 50% of which was Nϵ,Nϵ,Nϵ-trimethyllysine and smaller amounts of Nϵ-methyllysine, Nϵ,Nϵ-dimethyllysine, and NG,NG-dimethylarginine. These subunits also contained an as yet unidentified methylated compound These results were in marked contrast to those that we obtained with the prokaryote, Escherichia coli. Only the proteins of the 50S ribosomal subunit of the bacteria contained methylated amino acids. Of those present 50% was Nϵ,Nϵ,Nϵ-trimethyllysine, with the remainder distributed about equally between Nϵ-methyllysine and three unknowns, one of which is apparently the same as that found in the 60S subunit of the mouse fibroblasts. All of the Nϵ-methyllysine was apparently in the small acidic proteins, L7 and L12.
Coordinate Regulation of Forskolin-induced Cellular Proliferation in Macrophages by Protein Kinase A/cAMP-response Element-binding Protein (CREB) and Epac1-Rap1 Signaling: EFFECTS OF SILENCING CREB GENE EXPRESSION ON Akt ACTIVATION *

In this study, we have examined the role of two cAMP downstream effectors protein kinase A (PKA) and Epac, in forskolin-induced macrophage proliferation. Treatment of macrophages with forskolin enhanced [(3)H]thymidine uptake and increased cell number, and both were profoundly reduced by prior treatment of cells with H-89, a specific PKA inhibitor. Incubation of macrophages with forskolin triggered the activation of Akt, predominantly by phosphorylation of Ser-473, as measured by Western blotting and assay of its kinase activity. Akt activation was significantly inhibited by LY294002 and wortmannin, specific inhibitors of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase, but not by H-89. Incubation of macrophages with forskolin also increased Epac1 and Rap1.GTP. Immunoprecipitation of Epac1 in forskolin-stimulated cells co-immunoprecipitated Rap1, p-Akt(Thr-308), and p-Akt(Ser-473). Silencing of CREB gene expression by RNA interference prior to forskolin treatment not only decreased CREB protein and its phosphorylation at Ser-133, but also phosphorylation of Akt at Ser-473, and Thr-308. Concomitantly, this treatment inhibited [(3)H]thymidine uptake and reduced forskolin-induced proliferation of macrophages. Forskolin treatment also inhibited activation of the apoptotic mechanism while promoting up-regulation of the anti-apoptotic pathway. We conclude that forskolin mediates cellular proliferation via cAMP-dependent activation of both PKA and Epac.
Both T- and L-Type Ca2+ Channels Can Contribute to Excitation-Contraction Coupling in Cardiac Purkinje Cells

Although L-type Ca2+ channels have been shown to play a central role in cardiac excitation-contraction (E-C) coupling, little is known about the role of T-type Ca2+ channels in this process. We used the amphotericin B perforated patch method to study the possible role of T-type Ca2+ current in E-C coupling in isolated canine Purkinje myocytes where both Ca2+ currents are large. T-type Ca2+ current was separated from L-type Ca2+ current using protocols employing the different voltage dependencies of the channel types and their different sensitivities to pharmacological blockade. We showed that Ca2+ admitted through either T- or L-type Ca2+ channels is capable of initiating contraction and that the contractions depended on Ca2+-induced Ca2+ release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR). The contractions, however, had different properties. Those initiated by Ca2+ entry through T-type Ca2+ channels had a longer delay to the onset of shortening, slower rates of shortening and relaxation, lower peak shortening, and longer time to peak shortening. These differences were present even when L-type Ca2+ current amplitude, or charge entry, was less than that of T-type Ca2+ current, suggesting that Ca2+ entry through the T-type Ca2+ channel is a less effective signal transduction mechanism to the SR than is Ca2+ entry through the L-type Ca2+ channel. We conclude that under our experimental conditions in cardiac Purkinje cells Ca2+ entry through the T-type Ca2+ channel can activate cell contraction. However, Ca2+ entry through the L-type Ca2+ channel is a more effective signal transduction mechanism. Our findings support the concept that different structural relationships exist between these channel types and the SR Ca2+ release mechanism.
A statistical and economic evaluation of a gastrointestinal diagnostic unit in a teaching community hospital

The costs of establishing and maintaining a Diagnostic Gastrointestinal Unit in a medium-sized general hospital are candidly described and discussed. The data indicate that a professionally active unit can be financially self-sustaining while providing an important facility for the hospital and the patients it serves.
Building Capacity for Multidrug-Resistant Tuberculosis Treatment: Health Systems Strengthening in Lesotho

Teboho was first diagnosed with TB in 1981 when he was 18 years old. In those days, he had just started working in the mines in South Africa, a path followed by many of his compatriots. At that time, he was treated with medications for nine months; he had no recurrent symptoms until 1998. It was in that year that he began losing weight and developed a nagging cough that would not go away. Many of his friends— who also had worked in mines for most of their lives—
ANALYZING MYOPIC APPROACHES FOR MULTI-AGENT COMMUNICATION

Choosing when to communicate is a fundamental problem in multi-agent systems. This problem becomes particularly challenging when communication is constrained and each agent has different partial information about the overall situation. We take a decision-theoretic approach to this problem that balances the benefits of communication against the costs. Although computing the exact value of communication is intractable, it can be estimated using a standard myopic assumption—that communication is only possible at the present time. We examine specific situations in which this assumption leads to poor performance and demonstrate an alternative approach that relaxes the assumption and improves performance. The results provide an effective method for value-driven communication policies in multi-agent systems.
A molecular dynamics simulation study of the electric double layer and capacitance of [BMIM][PF6] and [BMIM][BF4] room temperature ionic liquids near charged surfaces

A molecular dynamics simulation study of electric double layer (EDL) structure and differential capacitance (DC) of two 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium (BMIM)-based room temperature ionic liquids, i.e. [BMIM][BF4] and [BMIM][PF6], has been conducted on basal and prismatic graphite as well as (001) and (011) gold electrode surfaces. The influence of the electrode surface and electrolyte structure on electrode capacitance and EDL structure are discussed. For a given electrode surface both the [BMIM][BF4] and [BMIM][PF6] electrolytes generate very similar DC and EDL structures. The DC for these ionic liquids in contact with atomically flat surfaces (i.e. basal graphite and (001)Au) shows very small variations within the electrolyte chemical stability potential window and fluctuates around an average value of ∼5 μF cm−2. On atomically more corrugated surfaces (i.e., Au(011) and prismatic graphite) the DC shows more variation with electrode potential and depends on the correspondence between dimensions of the surface roughness and electrolyte ion sizes. The trends and dependencies obtained for DC are used to discriminate between mutually contradictory experimental data reported in the literature for related systems.
Determination of the g factor from unsplit Shubnikov-de Haas oscillations in n − I n S b

Effective $g$-factor values for $n\ensuremath{-}\mathrm{I}\mathrm{n}\mathrm{S}\mathrm{b}$ have been determined by a new method, the direct curve fit of Shubnikov-de Haas theory to experimental magnetoconductivity oscillations. The fits were made with unsplit data, data with no well-defined double peaks. The values obtained show better agreement with electron-spin-resonance values than do values obtained by previous Shubnikov-de Haas methods. The fitting procedure allows the $g$ factors to be determined for high-concentration samples where electron-spin-resonance experiments fail.
Rapid decline of GABAA receptor subunit mrna expression in hippocampus following transient cerebral ischemia in the gerbil

Inhibitory neurotransmission may play an important role in neuronal degeneration following transient cerebral ischemia. We studied the effect of transient forebrain ischemia on the GABAA receptor system in the gerbil hippocampus. Gerbils were subjected to 5 minutes of bilateral carotid occlusion and were sacrificed at various times over 4 days following reperfusion. There was a substantial loss of pyramidal cells in the CA1 area of the hippocampus 4 days following ischemia. No cell loss was detected in CA3 pyramidal cells of the hippocampus, granule cell layer of the dentate gyrus, and ventroposterior medial and ventroposterior lateral nuclei of the thalamus at any time following ischemia. Examination of brain slices by in situ hybridization histochemistry revealed that a change in expression of the GABAA receptor alpha 1 and beta 2 subunit mRNAs occurred in two phases following onset of reperfusion. The early phase (rapid) occurred within the first 4 hours following reperfusion. The expression of mRNAs significantly decreased (up to 25%) within 1 hour after occlusion in CA1 and CA3 pyramidal cell layers of the hippocampus and in the granule cell layer of the dentate gyrus. The expression of the mRNAs in these regions continued to decrease for 4 hours (up to 43%). In the second phase, which began between 4 and 12 hours following reperfusion, mRNA expression started to return to control levels in CA3 hippocampus and in the dentate. However, expression of both mRNAs continued to decline slowly in the CA1 pyramidal cell layer (up to 85%) over the next 3 days, concomitantly with degeneration of the CA1 pyramidal cells. Expression of mRNAs in the ventroposterior medial or ventroposterior lateral nuclei of the thalamus was similar to control values. To determine if a change in GABAA receptor distribution paralleled changes in receptor subunit mRNA expression, we also measured the binding of [35S]t-butylbicyclophosphorothionate to GABAA receptor chloride channels. The t-butylbicyclophosphorothionate [35S] binding decreased between 1 and 4 days after reperfusion in the dendritic fields of CA1 pyramidal cells (strata oriens, radiatum, and lacunosum-moleculare) but not in the pyramidal cell body layer. These results indicate that expression of GABAA receptor subunit mRNAs decrease well before CA1 pyramidal cell degeneration and loss of GABAA receptors. At present, it is not clear if an early loss of mRNA expression after an ischemic insult leads to a functional defect in GABAA receptors. If so, a loss of GABA neurotransmission may contribute to the development of neuronal degeneration following cerebral ischemia.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Gastrointestinal Issues in the Older Female Patient

As the body ages, it undergoes a multitude of changes. Some of these changes are visible, whereas others are not and may be elicited during the patient encounter. Some gastrointestinal issues may be more common in the elderly population and possibly in older women. These issues range from motility disorders, such as fecal incontinence and constipation, to changes in neuropeptide function and its effect on the anorexia of aging. This article comprehensively reviews gastrointestinal issues that commonly afflict the elderly female population.
Hierarchical Approaches To Fault Tolerance In Processor Arrays

Because processor arrays have only limited connections between neighboring processors, fault-tolerance schemes may require additional interconnect, switching and control hardware in order to allow for reconfiguration when faults occur. In general, the larger the reconfiguration capability, the greater is the probability that a processor array can survive a given distribution of faults. In other words, the coverage of the reconfiguration procedure increases directly with the amount of extra hardware required to support it. However, this is true only if the added hardware does not fail itself. For this reason and depending on, among other factors, the size of the processor array and the size of each processor, dis-tinct reconfiguration schemes may be best suited for different arrays. Also, in general, previously proposed schemes may still result in unacceptably low reliabilities in very large processor arrays. This paper proposes a class of reconfiguration schemes which have a hierarchical nature. According to this approach, a processor array is logically partitioned into smaller subarrays and, once faults occur, reconfiguration takes place within each of the subarrays (where faults are present) if possible and, otherwise, the full subarray is replaced by a spare subarray. Arrays of this type are referred to as bi-level fault-tolerant processor arrays and, by allowing several levels of reconfiguration, multi-level arrays can be defined similarly. While several levels of reconfiguration are possible, the case of two levels is emphasized in this paper. Also, the reconfiguration schemes used in each level are not necessarily identical. This class of hierarchical reconfiguration schemes provide much higher reliability than previously proposed ones, particularly in the case of very large arrays. To design a hierarchical reconfiguration scheme for a given processor array it is necessary to choose the size of the subarrays for every level in the hierarchy as well as the reconfiguration scheme at that level. A design methodology is provided which mathematically solves these problems, i.e. it enables the choice of the subarrays size and the reconfiguration scheme to be used at each level so to obtain a processor array with optimal reliability.
Eastern Europe's experience with banking reform: Is there a role for banks in the transition?

Are there lessons to be learned about how Eastern European countries have dealt with problems in their banking systems? What role have these countries assigned to banks during the transition? How have they used banks in dealing with the enterprise problem? The author addresses these questions by analyzing experience in Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania, and the former Czech and Slovak Federal Republic. Most of these countries have made substantial progress in restructuring their banking systems, but few have used their banking systems to improve the allocation of credit and hence stimulate the supply response. The author finds the following. The problem is not whether banks hold nonperforming loans but how banks can avoid accumulating more nonperforming loans. The underlying problem is how to close loss-making and nonviable enterprises. The countries that have encouraged the establishment of new private banks, that have introduced regulation and supervision, and that have tried to make banks more competitive have been more successful at improving the allocation of credit and achieving more control over loss-making enterprises. Banks must focus on assessing risk - and for this, capital, private ownership, and adequate regulation are crucial. How quickly banks achieve independence in credit decisions depends on how fast new governance structures can be introduced. In this, the five countries have been less successful. The objectives of bank recapitulation should be to prevent banks from accumulating more nonperforming loans (that is, dealing with the enterprise problem) and to give them the governance structure that would prevent them from incurring new nonperforming loans. This requires introducing a system of risk and reward - by making banks comply with capital adequacy requirements, by privatizing a critical number of banks, and by introducing strong regulation and supervision. Government should see that banks provide efficient payment systems, the basis for trust in banking systems. Introducing adequate regulation and supervision has been difficult as it requires knowing what the banks' role should be. Evidence strongly supports the need to recapitalize and privatize a critical number of banks. Authorities cannot rely on banks to exert control on enterprises early in the transition. In the early stages, control over state-owned enterprises should be exercised by a semipublic institution.
Creation of the Uranus rings and dust bands

VOYAGER observations of the extended hydrogen exosphere of Uranus and of the σ Ring and its shepherds set an upper limit to the age of the σ Ring of 6 × 108 years. Unless we are seeing Uranus at a special time in its history, this requires a continuing process to create the ring material. We propose that the moons, rings and dust now visible in the Uranus system are created by the diminution of larger objects by meteoroid impacts. A Monte Carlo calculation shows that the largest surviving fragments of the original precursor satellites are in the size range of the new satellites observed by Voyager near the rings. The current bombardment rate is sufficient to create all the observed rings and dust bands. The observed and inferred components of the Uranus ring system fit a power-law size distribution with index of ∼3. We predict that the material in Neptune's ring system has a similar size distribution.
Rigid Plate Fixation Promotes Better Bone Healing After Sternotomy

Sternotomy is the most common surgically created osteotomy in surgery. Rigid fixation of osteotomies are important for stability and bony union. This review shows the superiority of rigid plate fixation in achieving better bone healing after sternotomy. It also highlights use of plate fixation for mini-sternotomies and rib fractures.
Vapor Pressures of Hydrated Barium Chloride

Vapor pressures of water over the monohydrate and over the dihydrate of barium chloride were measured from 17 °C to 72 °C in a glass apparatus from which air had been evacuated. Equilibrium was approached from higher as well as lower pressures. Vapor pressures for the dihydrate were found to be somewhat lower than previously published values. Vapor pressures for the monohydrate confirm a few published values but are much lower than the values published later in the International Critical Tables. The enthalpies of dehydration of the dihydrate and of the monohydrate were found to be 59 ± 2 kJ·mol-1and 56 ± 3 kJ·mol-1, respectively.
G3139, an Anti-Bcl-2 Antisense Oligomer that Binds Heparin-Binding Growth Factors and Collagen I, Alters In Vitro Endothelial Cell Growth and Tubular Morphogenesis

Purpose: We examined the effects of G3139 on the interaction of heparin-binding proteins [e.g., fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2) and collagen I] with endothelial cells. G3139 is an 18-mer phosphorothioate oligonucleotide targeted to the initiation codon region of the Bcl-2 mRNA. A randomized, prospective global phase III trial in advanced melanoma (GM301) has evaluated G3139 in combination with dacarbazine. However, the mechanism of action of G3139 is incompletely understood because it is unlikely that Bcl-2 silencing is the sole mechanism for chemosensitization in melanoma cells. Experimental Design: The ability of G3139 to interact with and protect heparin-binding proteins was quantitated. The effects of G3139 on the binding of FGF2 to high-affinity cell surface receptors and the induction of cellular mitogenesis and tubular morphogenesis in HMEC-1 and human umbilical vascular endothelial cells were determined. Results: G3139 binds with picomolar affinity to collagen I. By replacing heparin, the drug can potentiate the binding of FGF2 to FGFR1 IIIc, and it protects FGF from oxidation and proteolysis. G3139 can increase endothelial cell mitogenesis and tubular morphogenesis of HMEC-1 cells in three-dimensional collagen gels, increases the mitogenesis of human umbilical vascular endothelial cells similarly, and induces vessel sprouts in the rat aortic ring model. Conclusions: G3139 dramatically affects the behavior of endothelial cells. There may be a correlation between this observation and the treatment interaction with lactate dehydrogenase observed clinically.
Effects of MSH/ACTH 4–10 on the classically-conditioned rabbit nictitating membrane

Abstract Subjects were conditioned/extinguished under four experimental conditions using either MSH/ACTH 4–10 (A) or diluent (D): D/D, D/A, A/D, and A/A. The major question investigated was whether or not the peptide has an effect on this classically-conditioned behavior similar to that reported for instrumental conditioning paradigms. The results indicated that it does not. An effect was seen on performance, not on learning or attentional processes. Animals treated with the peptide performed more poorly (i.e., displayed fewer conditioned responses) during both acquisition and extinction. In addition, there was an apparent residual effect of the peptide that lasted 24 but not 48 hours.
Undergraduate optical engineering at the University of Arizona

Planning for the undergraduate Optical Engineering program at the University of Arizona, which leads to the B.S. Degree in Optical Engineering, was begun in the mid 1980's - primarily in response to a cry from industry that there was a national shortage of individuals with formal training in optics at the baccalaureate level. The curriculum for the new degree was modeled after that of the Institute of Optics at the University of Rochester to some extent, but was given somewhat more of an electrical engineering flavor. In addition to the usual doses of mathematics, chemistry, physics and social sciences found in standard engineering programs, the University of Arizona program requires 22 units (semester credit hours) of electrical engineering, 30 units of optical engineering and 12 units of senior-level technical electives, for a total of 128 units. The program has grown at a moderate rate since it was given official status in 1989, and 72 students were enrolled as Optical Engineering majors during the spring semester 1995; the maximum enrolment of 100 will be likely be reached sometime before the year 2000. A total of 35 individuals have new received the B.S. Degree in Optical Engineering at the University of Arizona. The philosophy and curriculum of this program is described in some detail.
The encapsulation process in Biomphalaria glabrata experimentally infected with the metastrongylid Angiostrongylus cantonensis: light microscopy.

Abstract The most common route of infection of Biomphalaria glabrata experimentally exposed to first-stage larvae of Angiostrongylus cantonensis is via penetration of the gastric and prointestinal walls after ingestion. Subsequently, most parasites migrate through the kidney and rectal ridge to the mantle collar and head-foot of the gastropod at which sites they become lodged. Nematodes are encapsulated in B. glabrata beginning by 24/2-48 h post-infection. Encapsulation occurs as a two-phase process involving (1) initial infiltration and aggregation of basophilic hemolymph cells around the parasite and (2) subsequent transformation of such cellular aggregates into more fibrous-appearing nodules. The small number of parasites which localize in such tissues as the rectal ridge, kidney, or vascular connective tissue near the gonad are similarly encapsulated.
Molecular Dissection of the Role of the Membrane Domain in the Regulated Degradation of 3-Hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl Coenzyme A Reductase

We have previously shown that the membrane domain of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase from hamster contains all of the sequences required for both localization to the endoplasmic reticulum and regulated degradation of the enzyme. It has been reported that the enzymatic activity and mRNA levels of HMG-CoA reductase from sea urchin embryos cultured in the presence of regulators were unchanged compared to levels in control embryos (Woodward, H. D., Allen, M. C., and Lennarz, W. J.(1988) J. Biol. Chem. 263, 18411-18418). This observation led us to investigate the possibility that the sea urchin enzyme is not subject to regulated protein turnover. Interestingly, the sea urchin enzyme shares 62% amino acid sequence identity with the hamster enzyme in the membrane domain and shares similar predicted topological features. In the current studies we have compared the degradation phenotypes of the sea urchin HMG-CoA reductase and the hamster HMG-CoA reductase in Chinese hamster ovary cells to further elucidate the role of the membrane domain in enzyme degradation in response to physiological regulators. To accomplish this, we constructed sea urchin HMGal (uHMGal), the structural equivalent of hamster HMGal (httMGal), which has the sea urchin HMG-CoA reductase membrane domain fused to Escherichia coli β-galactosidase. The uHMGal was stably expressed in CHO cells, and we found that the degradation of uHMGal is not accelerated by sterols, and even in the absence of sterols, it is less stable than hHMGal. We also constructed chimeric hamster/sea urchin HMGal molecules to investigate which amino acid sequences from the hamster enzyme are sufficient to confer sterol-regulated degradation upon the sea urchin enzyme. Our results identify the second membrane-spanning domain of hamster enzyme as important for the regulated degradation of HMG-CoA reductase.
Nonstationarity of efficient finance markets: FX market evolution from stability to instability

Abstract Real financial markets are uncertain on the shortest trading time scales, therefore trading translates into noise. We discuss the pair correlations of detrended returns necessary to understand financial markets. Efficient markets and equilibrium markets generate conflicting pair correlations. B. Eichengreen [B. Eichengreen, Globalizing Capital,: A History of the International Monetary System, Princeton, Princeton, 1998] argues that FX speculation was stabilizing before WWI. In contrast, our recent empirical analysis shows that we can model FX markets in our present era as nonstationary/unstable and efficient (meaning hard or impossible to beat). We can model pre-WWI non-efficient equilibrium FX dynamics from a closely related theoretical standpoint. Our main points are that deregulated markets are described by a nonstationary process with uncorrelated, nonstationary increments, and that a stationary market (equilibrium market) is mutually exclusive with an unregulated, efficient market. In short, stability and deregulation are mutually exclusive ideas. We review a simple, empirically deduced model of the unstable diffusive nature of volatile FX market dynamics. All information of interest is encoded in the variable diffusion coefficient defining the observed martingale process.
Piloting a medical student observational experience with hospital-based trauma chaplains.

Abstract Introduction Medical students have typically received relatively modest training in approaches for engaging the concerns of patients and families facing life-threatening situations and terminal illnesses. We propose that medical students would perceive benefits to their communication skills, understanding of the role of the chaplain, and knowledge of emotional and spiritual needs of grieving patients and families after shadowing hospital-based trauma chaplains whose work focuses on emergency department traumas and intensive care units. Methods The authors developed a pilot program in which medical students shadowed a trauma chaplain during an on-call shift in an urban level 1 trauma center. Students subsequently completed an evaluative survey of their experience. Results Of 21 participants, 14 (67%) completed the questionnaire. Students observed an average of 1.50 traumas and 3.57 interactions with patients or families. One-third of the students witnessed a death. More than 90% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that (1) the program provided them with a greater understanding of how to engage patients and families in difficult conversations; (2) they learned about the chaplain’s role in the hospital; and (3) the experience was useful for their medical education, careers, and personal development. About two-thirds (9/14) perceived that they learned how to discuss spirituality with patients and families. All recommended the experience be part of the medical school curriculum. Discussion Observational experiences with hospital-based trauma chaplains might be an effective nondidactic approach for teaching medical students effective communication with patients and families, collaboration with chaplains, and spirituality in patient care.
Nonhematopoietic β-Arrestin-1 Inhibits Inflammation in a Murine Model of Polymicrobial Sepsis

β-Arrestin-1 (βArr1), a scaffolding protein critical in G-protein coupled receptor desensitization has more recently been found to be important in the pathogenesis of various inflammatory diseases. We sought to understand the role of βArr1 in sepsis pathogenesis using a mouse model of polymicrobial sepsis. Although in previous studies we established that βArr1 deficiency protects mice from endotoxemia, here we demonstrate that the absence of βArr1 remarkably renders mice more susceptible to mortality in polymicrobial sepsis. In accordance with the mortality pattern, early production of inflammatory mediators was markedly enhanced in βArr1 knockout mice systemically and locally in various organs. In addition, enhanced inflammation in the heart was associated with increased NFκB activation. Compared to these effects, immune cell infiltration, thymic apoptosis, and immune suppression during polymicrobial sepsis were unaffected by a deficiency of βArr1. Additionally, enhanced inflammation and consequent higher mortality were not observed in heterozygous mice, suggesting that one allele of βArr1 was sufficient for this protective negative regulatory role. We further demonstrate that, unexpectedly, βArr1 in nonhematopoietic cells is critical and sufficient for inhibiting sepsis-induced inflammation, whereas hematopoietic βArr1 is likely redundant. Taken together, our results reveal a novel and previously unrecognized negative regulatory role of the nonhematopoietic βArr1 in sepsis-induced inflammation.
Retinyl esters are the substrate for isomerohydrolase.

Regeneration of 11-cis retinal from all-trans retinol in the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) is a critical step in the visual cycle. The enzyme(s) involved in this isomerization process has not been identified and both all-trans retinol and all-trans retinyl esters have been proposed as the substrate. This study is to determine the substrate of the isomerase enzyme or enzymatic complex. Incubation of bovine RPE microsomes with all-trans [3H]-retinol generated both retinyl esters and 11-cis retinol. Inhibition of lecithin retinol acyltransferase (LRAT) with 10-N-acetamidodecyl chloromethyl ketone (AcDCMK) or cellular retinol-binding protein I (CRBP) diminished the generation of both retinyl esters and 11-cis retinol from all-trans retinol. The 11-cis retinol production correlated with the retinyl ester levels, but not with the all-trans retinol levels in the reaction mixture. When retinyl esters were allowed to form prior to the addition of the LRAT inhibitors, a significant amount of isomerization produc...
Serial Cyclization of an Arachidonic Acid Hydroperoxide

The complete manuscript of this communication appears in: Angew. Chem. Suppl. 1982, 513. DOI:10.1002/anie.198205130
Mesenteric Vascular Injury: An Appraisal of Current Management

Injury to the visceral vasculature has a high mortality rate. A retrospective evaluation identified 11 men and 4 women (sixteen to thirty-three years) who sustained nine gunshot injuries, four stab wounds, and two cases of blunt trauma. Eight patients had associated organ trauma. Seven patients arrived in the Emergency Department with a systolic blood pressure < 90 mm Hg; 6 died. Blood loss varied from 2,000 to 15,000 mL. All vascular injuries except one (saphenous vein patch) underwent direct repair; no synthetic material was used. Nine survivors (three stab wounds, six gunshot injuries) and six deaths (three gunshot wounds, two blunt traumas, one stab wound) were reported, for a 40% mortality rate. Second-look procedures were undertaken during the latter part of the series with seemingly better results.
Exploiting weak dependencies in tree-based search

In this work, our objective is to heuristically discover a simplified form of functional dependencies between variables called weak dependencies. Once discovered, these relations are used to rank the variables. Our method shows that these relations can be detected with some acceptable overhead during constraint propagation. More precisely, each time a variable y gets instantiated as a result of the instantiation of x, a weak dependency (x, y) is recorded. As a consequence, the weight of x is raised, and the variable becomes more likely to be selected by the variable ordering heuristic. Experiments on a large set of problems show that on the average, the search trees are reduced by a factor 3 while runtime is decreased by 31% when compared against dom-wdeg, one of the best dynamic variable ordering heuristic.
Object Placement in Parallel Tape Storage Systems

High performance computing and enterprise data center require huge amount of data transfer between disk and tape. With the help of large capacity disk, writing to tape is less problematic than reading from tape. We are investigating how to use multiple tape libraries to build a parallel tape storage system with high aggregated data retrieval bandwidth. The challenge lies in that increasing data transfer parallelism may also increase tape switch time and data seek time that reduce the effective data retrieval bandwidth. We are proposing a novel scheme to place objects across tape drives based on object access pattern to reduce tape switch time and in the meanwhile increase data transfer parallelism. A multiple-tape-library simulator is built to study the proposed scheme. Simulation results show that our scheme outperforms other two previously proposed schemes with a better trade-off between tape switch time, data seek time and data transfer time.
Enhanced vibrations at surfaces with back-bonds nearly parallel to the surface

It has been discovered that several very different surfaces exhibit a common property: unusually large vibration amplitudes of the outermost atoms, well beyond the enhancement normally expected at typical clean surfaces. These special surfaces are: ice H2O(0001), alpha-Al2O3(0001), alpha-Ga(010) and Si(111)-(2x1). The root-mean-square vibration amplitudes in these surfaces are at least double the bulk values. The common cause that may explain these vibration amplitudes is that the surface atoms (or molecules in the case of ice) only have back-bonds that are nearly parallel to the surface. In this geometry, vibrations, especially perpendicular to the surface, involve primarily bond bending rather than bond stretching/compression: since bond bending is relatively soft, the corresponding vibration modes can have larger amplitudes. It is suggested that theory examine and confirm this cause of enhanced surface vibration amplitudes, and explore its implication for other phenomena such as adsorption and catalysis.
Characterization of silver-gallium nanowires for force and mass sensing applications.

We investigate the mechanical properties of cantilevered silver–gallium (Ag2Ga) nanowires using laser Doppler vibrometry. From measurements of the resonant frequencies and associated operating deflection shapes, we demonstrate that these Ag2Ga nanowires behave as ideal Euler–Bernoulli beams. Furthermore, radial asymmetries in these nanowires are detected through high resolution measurements of the vibration spectra. These crystalline nanowires possess many ideal characteristics for nanoscale force and mass sensing, including small spring constants (as low as 10 − 4 N m − 1), high frequency bandwidth with resonance frequencies in the 0.02–10 MHz range, small suspended mass (picograms), and relatively high Q-factors (~2–50) under ambient conditions. We evaluate the utility of Ag2Ga nanowires for nanocantilever applications, including ultrasmall mass and high frequency bandwidth piconewton force detection.
Infrastructure of Participant Direction for Medicaid‐Funded In‐Home Autism Services for Children in Massachusetts

Although the prevalence of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) among young children has grown, it has been noted that affected low-income children and children from ethnic and racial minority families are less likely to be diagnosed with ASD and to receive services. To help address such disparities, the Autism Division of the Massachusetts Department of Developmental Services instituted an Autism Waiver Program funded jointly by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the U.S. federal government. The program was designed to help low-income children with autism under age nine from diverse cultural backgrounds gain access to therapeutic supports. The program used a participant (parent)-directed model to help families to choose and manage services, staff, and their own budget. The authors detail a study that was designed to evaluate the costs and factors contributing to “successful operations.” The authors gathered data from a focus group, reviewed cost data, and conducted individual qualitative interviews with staff involved in the coordination, delivery, and reimbursement of the program's services. They found that factors that contributed to successful operations included educated/trained families, skilled in-home therapists, clear communication with families and among staff, good information systems, and participation of families in “carryover” of interventions. Families varied in their capacities and time to choose and manage services, but staff adjusted their levels of assistance to compensate. Of the total program budget, individual budgets comprised 82% and administrative costs comprised 18% of the expenses. Program staff were generally satisfied with the structure and operation of the program. Areas for improvement included simplifying record keeping, payments with online systems, and developing approaches to strengthen carryover.
On the Effect of Magnetic Spots on Stellar Winds and Angular Momentum Loss

We simulate the effect of latitudinal variations in the location of star spots, as well as their magnetic field strength, on stellar angular momentum loss to the stellar wind. We use the Michigan solar corona global MagnetoHydroDynamic model, which incorporates realistic relation between the magnetic field topology and the wind distribution. We find that the spots location significantly affects the stellar wind structure, and as a result, the total mass loss rate and angular momentum loss rate. In particular, we find that the angular momentum loss rate is controlled by the mass flux when spots are located at low latitudes but is controlled by an increased plasma density between the stellar surface and the Alfven surface when spots are located at high latitudes. Our results suggest that there might be a feedback mechanism between the magnetic field distribution, wind distribution, angular momentum loss through the wind, and the motions at the convection zone that generate the magnetic field. This feedback might explain the role of coronal magnetic fields in stellar dynamos.
TPL-Aware Displacement-driven Detailed Placement Refinement with Coloring Constraints

To minimize the effect of process variation for a design in triple patterning lithography (TPL), it is beneficial for all standard cells of the same type to share a single coloring solution. In this paper, we investigate the TPL-aware detailed placement refinement problem under these coloring constraints. Given an initial detailed placement, the positions of standard cells are perturbed and a TPL solution complying with the coloring constraints is derived while minimizing cell displacement, lithography conflicts and stitches. We prove that this problem is NP-complete and show that it can be formulated as a mixed integer linear program. Since mixed integer linear programming is very time consuming, we propose an effective heuristic algorithm. In our approach, important adjacent pairs of standard cells are recognized firstly, since they have significant impact on cell displacement. Then a tree-based heuristic is applied to generate a good initial solution for our linear programming-based refinement. Experimental results show that compared with mixed integer linear programming, our heuristic approach is comparable in solution quality while using very short CPU runtime.
Should we be considering gold-tipped ablation electrodes?

The results of this study are a welcome addition to the literature and to the ongoing efforts to develop new ablation techniques and tools that may be of value of increasing the efficacy and also the safety of catheter ablation of AF and VT in patients with structural heart disease. It is striking that simply by using gold for ablation electrode when compared with Pt that a more than 30% increase in lesion depth can be achieved. Perhaps, the only down side to this approach is the small increment in the cost of ablation catheter. But the real question of the day concerns whether the use of goldtipped ablation catheters is likely to improve the outcomes of catheter ablation of standard arrhythmias such as AV nodal re-entrant tachycardia, atrial flutter, idiopathic V, and those involving an acces
Managing Enterprise IT Systems Using Online Communities

Effective design and implementation of any IT Optimization process relies on critical technical and business insights about IT environment. The essential information, which relates to hardware and software assets, is often in collective possession of the infrastructure and application specialists. In this paper, we describe the Knowledge Harvesting & Information Synthesis System (KHISS), which engages enterprise online communities to capture the information required for IT optimization activities. We describe our experience in deploying KHISS principles to manage enterprise IT infrastructure and application portfolio, as a first step in on-Cloud migration -- a large business transformation activity. We discuss the challenges in attracting and maintaining enterprise online communities, as well as in assuring the quality of knowledge collected through this collaborative mechanism to guide the strategic decisions about enterprise IT environment.