cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Long-Term Everolimus Treatment in Individuals With Tuberous Sclerosis Complex: A Review of the Current Literature.

Abstract Background Tuberous sclerosis complex is a genetic disease usually caused by mutations to either TSC1 or TSC2 , where its gene products are involved in the inhibition of the mammalian target of rapamycin pathway. Under normal cellular conditions, mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) regulates cell growth and proliferation in response to signals from nutrients or growth factors, but loss of TSC1 or TSC2 leads to overactivation of mTOR and uncontrolled cellular proliferation. Everolimus is an mTOR inhibitor approved for use in a number of indications where mTOR overactivation is implicated, including tuberous sclerosis complex. Methods and patients We conducted a literature search of PubMed to identify published articles about the long-term efficacy and safety of everolimus in patients with tuberous sclerosis complex. Results The short-term efficacy and safety of everolimus in patients with tuberous sclerosis complex has been demonstrated in placebo-controlled trials, and open-label extension studies are ongoing to monitor long-term effects, including safety. Examples of regrowth following discontinuation of mTOR inhibitors suggest that everolimus needs to be given indefinitely to maintain suppression of subependymal giant cell astrocytoma and other tuberous sclerosis complex–associated disease manifestations. No additional safety concerns have been reported to date with long-term administration of everolimus, but published long-term data (>1 year treatment) are currently limited to a small open-label trial and case reports for this relatively rare condition. Conclusions From the limited data available, long-term administration of everolimus appears feasible with few safety concerns beyond those associated with short-term use. Further investigation is needed to determine the long-term efficacy and safety of everolimus in patients with tuberous sclerosis complex.
FIBRE OPTIC SCRAMBLING IN LIGHT MICROSCOPY A COMPUTER SIMULATION AND ANALYSIS

Optical fibres bent in two mutually perpendicular planes have proven useful for randomizing illumination in light microscopes. These optical scramblers can increase the resolution and/or contrast obtained with several modes of light microscopy. Here, computer simulations are used to investigate several parameters affecting light randomization in curved optical fibres in order to further the theoretical basis for scrambler design. Light passing through 90 degrees bends of optical fibre of varying radii of curvature was modelled by ray tracing in two dimensions, and scrambling mechanisms were observed. The effects of varying the position and angle of entry of light on the phase and direction of propagation of the emergent light were determined. It was found that (a) thorough scrambling does not necessarily require high numerical aperture (NA) entry of light into the fibre, (b) considerable order persists after a single 90 degrees bend of an idealized fibre and (c) a higher degree of scrambling (at the cost of transmission efficiency) is achieved in more tightly curved fibres. The pathlength variations introduced by scrambling proved smaller than typical laser coherence lengths, requiring temporal scrambling (vibrating the fibre).
Linkage mapping of the angiotensin AT2 receptor gene (Agtr2) to the mouse X chromosome.

Angiotensin II is a potent regulator of cardiovascular homeostasis and binds to two different G-protein-coupled receptors. While the type 1 receptor (AT{sub 1}) mediates the cardiovascular actions of angiotensin II, the function of the recently cloned type 2 receptor (AT{sub 2}) remains unknown. We have cloned the mouse AT{sub 2} receptor gene (Agtr2) and determined its map position by linkage analysis using an interspecific backcross (C57BIJ6J x Mus spretus). Agtr2 is located on the proximal mouse X chromosome between MMU85 and DMVU49, in a region of conserved synteny with a part of the human X chromosome implicated in inherited forms of premature ovarian failure. The mapping of Agtr2 may expand a region of conserved synteny with human Xq26 that includes Hprt. 24 refs., 2 figs.
Morphological and biochemical changes in gastric mucosa of aging rats.

Although previous data from this laboratory have indicated that aging is associated with increased gastric mucosal proliferative activity, no direct assessment of proliferative potential of the tissue has been made during aging. In order to assess this, and to determine whether changes in mucosal proliferative potential would be reflected in growth of the tissue, we have examined the labeling index (LI), height and morphology of the gastric mucosa in young (4-month-old) and aged (24-month-old) Fischer-344 rats. In addition, tyrosine kinase (Tyr-k) activity and the levels of phosphotyrosine proteins were determined to evaluate their relationship to mucosal proliferative activity. Histologic evaluation revealed a marked atrophy of the mucosal glandular component with 32% reduction in height in aged rats when compared with young animals. In aged rats, there was also a decrease in gland density, resulting in a reduction in the number of epithelial cells of all types with evidence of decreased secretory activity. Despite the occurrence of mucosal atrophy in aged rats, LI in these animals was significantly increased by 28%. This was associated with a parallel rise in mucosal Tyr-k activity, and a two-to threefold increase in the relative concentrations of seven phosphotyrosine membrane proteins with Mr of 120, 105, 90, 60, 55, 48 and 32 kDa. We conclude that (1) although aging is associated with increased gastric mucosal proliferative activity, this does not result in mucosal growth and that (2) Tyr-k and tyrosine phosphorylation of certain proteins play a role in the regulation of gastric mucosal cell proliferation during aging.
“Ways of thinking,” or, the curriculum without content

9. favorite, The Destruction of Black Civilization (1974), in explaining why he wrote that book as fitting in this tradition. But the problem with this view is its insistence that the "white" university is merely a "reflection" of the society in which it operates. This sort of two-bit Marxism does great disservice to understanding the complex roles of both validating a society's values-which are always in flux, and thus always a bit difficult to pin down-and criticizing them that a university or virtually any other institution is performing. The dilemma of the black scholar can be summed up in this way: in writing about when he went to Fisk University from the integrated environment of his hometown of Great Barrington, Massachusetts, DuBois wrote: '% new loyalty and allegiance replaced my Americanism: hence-forward I was a Negro." But when he went to Europe, and freely mixed with whites, DuBois wrote: "From this unhampered social intermingling with Europeans of education and manners, 1 emerged from the extremes of my racial provincialism. I became more human." Helen Lefkowitz Horowitz, Campus Life: Uncle~graduate Cultures From the End of the Eighteenth Century to the Present (New York: I~aopf, 1987), 82-97 et passim. Thorstein Veblen, The Higher Learning in America. A Memorandum on the Conduct of Universities by Business Men (New York: Sagamore Press, 1957), 1-6.
Selective surface radioiodination of keratinocytes in primary culture labels a 59 kD keratin and other surface proteins

Murine keratinocytes were vectorially labeled in order to identify and characterize surface proteins. Freshly trypsinized keratinocytes were obtained from neonatal BALB/c mice and primary cultures were established. Cells were radiolabeled with iodogen and 125I immediately after harvesting and after 4, 24, 48, and 72 h in culture. Cells were solubilized with 1% sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and reducing agents (total extract), or sequentially extracted with: (a) 1% Triton X-100 (membrane/cytosol fraction); (b) 2 M NaCl (salt fraction); and (c) 1% sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS; cytoskeleton fraction). Extracts were analyzed by 1- or 2-D polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE), followed by autoradiography (AR). The 59 kD acidic murine keratin was identified by immunoblot analysis with monoclonal antibody AE1 and a human polyclonal anti-59 kD keratin autoantibody designated Cascas-42. Total extracts contained up to ten labeled proteins ranging from 10 to 180 kD. Eight of these proteins were present in the membrane/cytosol fraction (10, 12, 18, 30, 38, 41, 66, and 130 kD). Intense labeling of a 59 kD cytoskeletal protein was consistently seen; this protein was identified as the 59 kD acidic murine keratin (Moll's catalogue no. 10) by immunoblot analysis of extracted proteins separated by 1-D and 2-D PAGE. A 180 kD protein had variable solubility characteristics, fractionating with either the cytoskeleton or membrane/cytosol as a function of time. No labeled proteins were detected in the salt extract, and neither actin nor other major cytoskeletal proteins were radiolabeled. These studies demonstrate the cell-surface disposition of at least ten keratinocyte proteins, and suggest that the 59 kD murine acidic keratin has a surface-exposed domain.
Distinguishing Symptoms of ADHD from Other Psychiatric Disorders in the Adult Primary Care Setting

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is frequently misdiagnosed or undiagnosed in adults. Owing to the relatively recent recognition of adult ADHD as a valid mental disorder and its overlapping symptomatology with other conditions, primary care physicians often fail to screen for ADHD in patients who present with inattention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity. A substantial proportion of adults with ADHD also have psychiatric comorbidities. Physicians need to recognize the ways in which ADHD symptoms are expressed in adults and distinguish them from symptoms of other disorders, including mood, anxiety, and substance abuse disorders.
Poverty and inequality in the United States: A non-Marxist explanation

Several structural characteristics of the state have been shown to predict variation among the 48 United States in two major aspects of the quality of life, socio-economic well-being and social pathology.1 The structural characteristics include state differentiation, progressive industrialization, and population change. However the most powerful predictor was the flexibility (conversely rigidity) of the state system. Flexibility was defined as an open class system with achievement of social roles and social mobility. Such a system necessitates an open or competitive government system. These characteristics were measured in terms of a cluster of indicators for each concept that were analyzed into four components in a principal components analysis. Flexibility was measured by a Guttman scale of discrimination and anti-discrimination laws, by a scale of competitive state government, and by the percent of the population Black among other measures. A number of Southern states had low scores on the flexibility component. The question arises as to whether the influence that this component exerts on the quality of life is simply that a large proportion of the population in the rigid states is Black and poor ? a simple tautology ? or is there really a systemic charac teristic that depresses the well-being of all groups in the rigid states. If there is a systemic characteristic operating ? if a flexible, competitive state structure is better for all people and all sub-groups ? such a finding is of considerable importance both in formulating theory and recommending policy for improving the quality of life. The original idea was that an open class system in which achievement of social roles is possible necessitates com petitive government and leads to innovative, forward looking industrial development, and therefore improved quality of life. States lacking these structural characteristics indeed tend to have many poor people belonging to the lower caste; but they are products of the system and do not in and of themselves cause an inferior quality of life.
Accounting Systems and the Electronic Data Processing Function

Introduction Today's auditor is facing a rapidly changing environment. As a result, the field of auditing is constantly adding new disciplines. One of these new areas is Electronic Data Processing (EDP). Many accounting systems are stored on computer‐readable media resulting in the loss of an audit trail. The auditor must now audit through as well as around the computer. The auditor is accepting this new challenge by acquiring new skills.
Inducible expression of N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor, and delta and mu opioid receptor messenger RNAs and protein in the NT2-N human cell line

Retinoic acid treatment of NT-era2/cl.D1 (NT2) cells, a human teratocarcinoma cell line, yields 95% pure cultures of terminally differentiated neuronal cells. Concomitant with their terminal differentiation into neurons, NT2 cells are induced by retinoic acid to express neuronal N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor channels, which are fully functional. We determined the effects of retinoic acid-induced differentiation of NT2 cells on the levels of N-methyl-D-aspartate, delta opioid and mu opioid receptor messenger RNAs. RNA levels were measured using quantitative solution hybridization assays. The riboprobes were complementary to major portions of the coding regions of the N-methyl-D-aspartate, delta opioid and mu opioid receptor complementary DNAs. After four weeks of exposure to 10 microM retinoic acid, followed by four weeks of treatment with mitotic inhibitors (1 microM of cytosine arabinoside, 10 microM of fluorodeoxyuridine and 10 microM of uridine) the levels of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor messenger RNA in differentiated NT2-N cells increased 10-fold, delta opioid receptor messenger RNA increased three-fold, and mu opioid receptor messenger RNA increased four-fold. Northern blot analysis revealed two transcripts for the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor messenger RNA (4.2 and 4.4 kb) and two transcripts for delta opioid receptor messenger RNA (7.0 and 11.0 kb). To determine whether the increases in messenger RNAs were accompanied by an increased synthesis of the respective proteins, we examined the immunoperoxidase localization of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor and delta opioid receptor antisera. N-Methyl-D-aspartate receptor-like immunoreactivity was seen within the cell bodies as well as on the processes of the retinoic acid-differentiated cells. Although delta opioid receptor-like immunoreactivity was detected within the soma of isolated cells prior to retinoic acid treatment, the apparent number of these labelled cells and their ramified processes were markedly enhanced following retinoic acid differentiation. These results demonstrate parallels between the inducible expression of the N-methyl-D-aspartate and opioid receptor messenger RNAs and proteins during the acquisition of the fully differentiated neuronal phenotype in cultured NT2 cells. Retinoic acid-differentiated NT2 cells express increased levels for the N-methyl-D-aspartate, delta opioid and mu opioid receptor messenger RNAs, providing the opportunity to study the interactions among these receptor systems in human terminally differentiated neuronal cells in culture.
Role of β5-integrin in epithelial-mesenchymal transition in response to TGF-β

Epithelial-mesenchymal-transition (EMT) in response to TGFβ contributes to normal development, wound healing and tumor progression. The present study provides evidence for a critical role of β5-integrin in the TGFβ-induced EMT and the tumorigenic potential of carcinoma cells. We show that the αvβ-integrin subunits are upregulated during the TGFβ-induced EMT and this response requires Smad transcription factors. Depletion of αv-integrin by siRNA blocked the EMT response whereas knock-down of β1-integrin had no effect. Importantly, depletion of β5-integrin blocked the TGFβ-induced EMT impairing adhesion to cell-matrix and integrin signaling, but did not change expression of E-cadherin and TGFβ-target genes. Accordingly, the EMT process and integrin signaling were blocked by cRGD peptide interfering with cell-matrix adhesion or by inhibition of focal adhesion kinase, indicating the importance of β5-integrin-mediated adhesions in EMT. Finally, depletion of β5-integrin significantly reduced invasiveness of breast carcinoma cells. Thus, the β5-integrin adhesions contribute to the TGFβ-induced EMT and the tumorigenic potential of carcinoma cells.
The use of simulation in accounting: A managerial emphasis

This paper reviews some of the uses of simulation in accounting. The primary thrust of the paper is toward the area of managerial accounting. However, the paper also examines the use of simulation in auditing and in the public sector.
African economies and the Kuznets curve: an exploratory investigation

This article examines the relationship between income inequality and economic development in a cross-section of countries. It estimates, on a small exploratory sample, an explicit Kuznets-type inequality relationship where inequality between skilled and unskilled labour is a function of the determinants of growth implied by a standard neoclassical growth model. Parameter estimates suggest that sub-Saharan African Economies are dualistic and are situated on the segment of the Kuznets’ curve where inequality increases with respect to development.
Competing Principals, Political Institutions, and Party Unity in Legislative Voting

Almost all legislators are subordinate to party leadership within their assemblies. Institutional factors shape whether, and to what degree, legislators are also subject to pressure from other principals whose demands may conflict with those of party leaders. This article presents a set of hypotheses on the nature of competing pressures driven by formal political institutions and tests the hypotheses against a new dataset of legislative votes from across 19 different countries. Voting unity is lower where legislators are elected under rules that provide for intraparty competition than where party lists are closed, marginally lower in federal than unitary systems, and the effects on party unity of being in government differ in parliamentary versus presidential systems. In the former, governing parties are more unified than the opposition, win more, and suffer fewer losses due to disunity. In systems with elected presidents, governing parties experience no such boosts in floor unity, and their legislative losses are more apt to result from cross-voting.
Should Women Receiving Tamoxifen for Breast Cancer Be Screened for Endometrial Cancer

(2000). Should Women Receiving Tamoxifen for Breast Cancer Be Screened for Endometrial Cancer? Cancer Investigation: Vol. 18, No. 8, pp. 796-797.
Biophysical characterization of hepatitis C virus core protein: implications for interactions within the virus and host.

A primary function of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) core protein is to package the viral genome within a nucleocapsid. In addition, core protein has been shown to interact with more than a dozen cellular proteins, and these interactions have been suggested to play critical roles in HCV pathogenesis. A more complete knowledge of the biophysical properties of the core protein may help to clarify its role in HCV pathogenesis and nucleocapsid assembly and provide a basis for the development of novel anti-HCV therapies. Here we report that recombinant mature core protein exists as a large multimer in solution under physiological conditions. Far-UV circular dichroism (CD) experiments showed that the mature core protein contains stable secondary structure. Studies with truncated core protein demonstrated that the C-terminal region of the core protein is critical for its folding and oligomerization. Intrinsic fluorescence spectroscopy and near-UV CD analysis indicated that the tryptophan-rich region (residues 76–113) is largely solvent-exposed and not likely responsible for multimerization of the mature core protein in vitro.
Comparing Ethernet and Myrinet for MPI communication

This paper compares the performance of Myrinet and Ethernet as a communication substrate for MPI libraries. MPI library implementations for Myrinet utilize user-level communication protocols to provide low latency and high bandwidth MPI messaging. In contrast, MPI library implementations for Ethernet utilize the operating system network protocol stack, leading to higher message latency and lower message bandwidth. However, on the NAS benchmarks, GM messaging over Myrinet only achieves 5% higher application performance than TCP messaging over Ethernet. Furthermore, efficient TCP messaging implmentations improve communication latency tolerance, which closes the performance gap between Myrinet and Ethernet to about 0.3% on the NAS benchmarks. This shows that commodity networking, if used efficiently, can be a viable alternative to specialized networking for high-performance message passing.
Prognostic implications of cumulative dosing in total therapy 3

To the editor: In response to requests from readers[1][1] we are providing additional analyses regarding whether taking patient size into account changes the conclusions from our paper in Blood .[2][2] We performed time-dependent analyses of cumulative dosing of velcade, thalidomide, and
Simple sybil-proof mechanisms for multi-level marketing

Multi-level marketing refers to a marketing approach in which buyers are encouraged to take an active role in promoting the product. This is done by offering them a reward for each successful referral of the product to other prospective buyers. To encourage potential customers to buy early and to give referrals to influential people, these mechanisms also reward indirect referrals — direct referrals linked to the buyer through other direct referrals. We model referrals using a directed referral tree T. Each node in T corresponds to a buyer. T has an edge from v to u if u buys the product as a result of a referral from v. A reward mechanism determines the reward, R(v), that each node v ∈ T receives for its direct and indirect referrals.
CULTURAL ORIENTATION AND RACIAL DISCRIMINATION: PREDICTORS OF COHERENCE IN CHINESE AMERICAN YOUNG ADULTS

The study examined the contribution of domain-specific cultural orientation and racial discrimination to subjective competence (as measured by sense of coherence) in American-born and immigrant Chinese American young adults. It was hypothesized that sense of coherence would be more strongly predicted by domain-specific cultural orientation for immigrants, but by racial discrimination for American-borns. A total of 122 American-born and 231 immigrant Chinese American college students living in a multicultural setting participated in this study. As hypothesized, domain-specific cultural orientation more strongly predicted sense of coherence for immigrants (coherence varied by cultural orientation on all three life domains studied) than for American-borns (coherence varied by cultural orientation on only one domain). Also, racial discrimination more strongly predicted sense of coherence for American-borns than immigrants. Implications of the findings are discussed. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
A Religious War? The Cold War and Religion

Until recently, scholars of the Cold War had devoted little attention to the role of religion in the East-West standoff—its impact on events, institutions, and strategies. In recent years, however, this lacuna has begun to be filled by a burgeoning literature on different aspects of religion and the Cold War. The outpouring of scholarship has given a much more nuanced picture of how religion influenced U.S. foreign policy after 1945 both domestically and internationally. This article evaluates four recent books about the topic, distilling from them some of the key questions to be answered about the religious dimension of the Cold War.
Differential axonal transport of individual Na, K-ATPase catalytic (α) subunit isoforms in rat sciatic nerve

All three isoforms of the α subunit of Na/K-ATPase are found in neurons, with each isoform displaying a distinct regional, cellular, and subcellular distribution. In situ hybridization studies with riboprobes specific for α1, α2 and α3 isoforms have demonstrated the presence of mRNAs for each of those isoforms in neurons (1–4). All neurons appear to contain α2 and α3 isoform mRNA, while some neurons also contain al mRNA. Glia contain only α1 and α2 isoform mRNAs (5). Electron microscopic immunocytochemical studies have demonstrated the presence of the (Na,K)-ATPase both at the node of Ranvier (6), and in the internodal axolemma of large myelinated fibers (7), though the ultrastructural distribution of individual isoforms along the axolemma of large myelinated fibers has not been unambiguously defined.
Chemical synthesis and characterization of polypyrrole coated on porous membranes and its electrochemical stability

Abstract Microporous membranes coated with polypyrrole (PPy) are developed for electrodes in electrokinetic membrane separation processes. The fabrication method is based upon the oxidative chemical polymerization of pyrrole associated with the phase inversion principle, using an optional dopant (2-naphthalenesulfonic acid, NSA or p -toluenesulfonic acid, TSA) and FeCl 3 as an oxidant. The electrochemical properties of PPy films formed on various substrates such as a porous nylon filter, a silanized alumina membrane, a filter paper, and a track-etched polycarbonate membrane are characterized. For applications as membrane electrodes, the electrochemical stability of PPy-coated membranes is investigated under a potentiostat condition. The cyclic voltammograms (CV) in conjunction with conductivity measurements reveal the conductivity decay of PPy due to an anomalously high current density. A simple treatment with aq. 0.5 M H 2 SO 4 at an elevated temperature improves the stability against aging time and electrochemical oxidation, showing an increase in the half life of conductivity during the aging experiments.
Regional Specificity in Alterations of Rat Brain Copper and Catecholamines Following Perinatal Copper Deficiency

Perinatal copper deficiency was studied in 1-month-old female and male Sprague-Dawley rat offspring to investigate regional changes in brain copper and catecholamine levels. Offspring of dams given the low copper treatment beginning at day 7 of gestation exhibited signs characteristic of deficiency such as impaired growth and 10-fold lower liver copper levels compared with copper-adequate controls. Regional analysis of brain copper by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectroscopy revealed uniform and severe reduction of copper to levels 20 +/- 3% of controls in all regions, except the hypothalamus, where reductions to 56 and 28% of those in copper-adequate females and males, respectively, were measured. HPLC analysis revealed significant reductions in norepinephrine levels in cerebrum, mid-brain, corpus striatum, cerebellum, and medulla-pons of copper-deficient offspring ranging between 39 and 67% of control values. There were no significant differences in norepinephrine concentration in the hypothalamus. There was a significant, one-third reduction of dopamine in the corpus striatum of copper-deficient male rats. Consistent with altered in vivo dopamine beta-monooxygenase activity, there were five-, three-, and twofold elevations of dopamine in cerebellum, medulla-pons, and hypothalamus of copper-deficient rats. Spectrophotometric measurement of in vitro dopamine beta-monooxygenase activity of brain and adrenal homogenates was higher in copper-deficient rats, confirming prior work. An explanation for the in vitro data is unclear. Changes in copper and catecholamine levels were influenced by diet and were regionally selective, especially in the hypothalamus.
Progenitor Function in Self-Renewing Human Epidermis is Maintained by the Exosome

Stem and progenitor cells maintain the tissue they reside in for life by regulating the balance between proliferation and differentiation. How this is done is not well understood. Here, we report that the human exosome maintains progenitor cell function. The expression of several subunits of the exosome were found to be enriched in epidermal progenitor cells, which were required to retain proliferative capacity and to prevent premature differentiation. Loss of PM/Scl-75 also known as EXOSC9, a key subunit of the exosome complex, resulted in loss of cells from the progenitor cell compartment, premature differentiation, and loss of epidermal tissue. EXOSC9 promotes self-renewal and prevents premature differentiation by maintaining transcript levels of a transcription factor necessary for epidermal differentiation, GRHL3, at low levels through mRNA degradation. These data demonstrate that control of differentiation specific transcription factors through mRNA degradation is required for progenitor cell maintenance in mammalian tissue.
Zero-field satellites of a zero-bias anomaly.

Spin-orbit (SO) splitting, $\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}{\ensuremath{\omega}}_{\mathrm{S}\mathrm{O}}$, of the electron Fermi surface in two-dimensional systems manifests itself in the interaction-induced corrections to the tunneling density of states, $\ensuremath{\nu}(ϵ)$. Namely, in the case of a smooth disorder, it gives rise to the satellites of a zero-bias anomaly at energies $ϵ=\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}2{\ensuremath{\omega}}_{\mathrm{S}\mathrm{O}}$. Zeeman splitting, $\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}{\ensuremath{\omega}}_{\mathrm{Z}}$, in a weak parallel magnetic field causes a narrow plateau of a width $\ensuremath{\delta}ϵ=2{\ensuremath{\omega}}_{\mathrm{Z}}$ at the top of each sharp satellite peak. As ${\ensuremath{\omega}}_{\mathrm{Z}}$ exceeds ${\ensuremath{\omega}}_{\mathrm{S}\mathrm{O}}$, the SO satellites cross over to the conventional narrow maxima at $ϵ=\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}2{\ensuremath{\omega}}_{\mathrm{Z}}$ with SO-induced plateaus $\ensuremath{\delta}ϵ=2{\ensuremath{\omega}}_{\mathrm{S}\mathrm{O}}$ at the tops.
Automatic facial feature extraction and 3D face modeling using two orthogonal views with application to 3D face recognition

We present a fully automated algorithm for facial feature extraction and 3D face modeling from a pair of orthogonal frontal and profile view images of a person's face taken by calibrated cameras. The algorithm starts by automatically extracting corresponding 2D landmark facial features from both view images, then compute their 3D coordinates. Further, we estimate the coordinates of the features that are hidden in the profile view based on the visible features extracted in the two orthogonal face images. The 3D coordinates of the selected feature points obtained from the images are used first to align, then to locally deform the corresponding facial vertices of the generic 3D model. Preliminary experiments to assess the applicability of the resulted models for face recognition show encouraging results.
Stable Configuration of Electric Arcs in Transverse Magnetic Fields

Deviations from rotational symmetry of arc columns exposed to transverse magnetic fields cause convection and a momentum transport between the column and its surrounding gas. As a consequence, the arc moves and changes its geometry until it reaches a stable configuration. Based on the momentum transport equation, the arc behavior is discussed under various operating conditions, and stable arc configurations are determined. In particular, the stability-criteria of a balanced arc column in a transverse gas flow and magnetic field is derived. It turns out that the arc becomes unstable with respect to kinks parallel to the applied magnetic field when s = p?/(B2/8?)?1. (p? = ambient pressure, Bo = applied magnetic field).
CALCIUM-STRONTIUM DISCRIMINATION IN MINIATURE PIGS AS RELATED TO AGE

A GREAT deal of work, summarized in a recent United Nations document1, has indicated the preferential incorporation into the skeleton of calcium relative to strontium-90. Work in our laboratory with miniature pigs has shown that the young animal has a decreased discrimination against 90Sr relative to calcium for movement of these elements from diet to skeleton2. This finding was based on a comparison of the 90Sr and calcium content of the skeleton and the diet of pigs ingesting 90Sr daily in a long-term study on the biological effects of 90Sr in miniature pigs3,4. Since these animals were ingesting 90Sr each day, and animals were killed only at birth, weaning, 3 months, and older, it was not possible to demonstrate clearly the progressive change in calcium–90Sr discrimination with age. The work reported here was performed to clarify the age-dependency of calcium–strontium discrimination.
Cell Cycle Deregulation in Ewing's Sarcoma Pathogenesis

Ewing's sarcoma is a highly aggressive pediatric tumor of bone that usually contains the characteristic chromosomal translocation t(11;22)(q24;q12). This translocation encodes the oncogenic fusion protein EWS/FLI, which acts as an aberrant transcription factor to deregulate target genes necessary for oncogenesis. One key feature of oncogenic transformation is dysregulation of cell cycle control. It is therefore likely that EWS/FLI and other cooperating mutations in Ewing's sarcoma modulate the cell cycle to facilitate tumorigenesis. This paper will summarize current published data associated with deregulation of the cell cycle in Ewing's sarcoma and highlight important questions that remain to be answered.
Lithium manganese oxide–conductive carbon nanocomposite cathodes for rechargeable lithium batteries

Abstract A nanostructured lithium manganese oxide (Li x MnO z ) synthesized by reducing lithium permanganate with methanol in presence of lithium hydroxide has been mixed with conductive carbon in two different ways: ball milling and mixing in a mortar and pestle. The manganese oxide–conductive carbon composite cathodes thus obtained are characterized by electrochemical discharge–charge, density, and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface area measurements as well as by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The ball-milled composites exhibit superior performance in terms of discharge capacity (>200 mAh/g), cyclability, and charge efficiency in lithium cells compared to the composites obtained by mixing in a mortar and pestle. The composites obtained by ball milling are found to have higher density and smaller surface area with an intimate mixing of the manganese oxide and carbon on a nanometer scale to give a nanocomposite.
The MPAC domain is a novel mitotically regulated domain, removed by apoptotic protease cleavage during cell death.

The apoptotic proteases, including caspases and granzyme B, have independent evolutionary origins, yet are both highly specific for cleavage after aspartic acid residues and cleave many of the same substrates at closely spaced sites. In addition, many of these substrates are also reversibly regulated during other processes such as the cell cycle. In these studies, we have identified a novel domain (the MPAC domain: Mitotically Phosphorylated, Apoptotically Cleaved) present at the N-terminus of Ufd2a, which is regulated both by cleavage during cell death, and by phosphorylation during mitosis. We have also identified a corresponding domain, at the C-terminus of poly(A) polymerase (PAP), which is similarly regulated by phosphorylation during mitosis and is delineated by an apoptotic protease cleavage site. The positioning of the apoptotic cleavage site suggests that it represents a novel connector between the regulatory domain and its functional partner(s), providing insights into the structure and function that guided the evolution of the apoptotic proteases.
Numerical Simulation of Three-Dimensional Dendritic Growth.

Dendritic crystal growth in a pure undercooled melt is simulated quantitatively in three dimensions using a phase-field approach. The classic parameter ${\ensuremath{\sigma}}^{*}$ that characterizes the dynamically selected operating state of the dendrite tip as well as the full nonaxisymmetric tip morphology are determined as a function of anisotropy for a crystal with a cubic symmetry. Results are compared to experiment and used to critically test solvability theory.
Biochemical models of interferon-γ-mediated macrophage activation: Independent regulation of lymphocyte function associated antigen (LFA)-1 and I-A antigen on murine peritoneal macrophages

Abstract IFN-γ can induce the expression of both class II histocompatibility antigens (Ia) and the lymphocyte function associated (LFA)-1 antigen on murine peritoneal macrophages. We have examined the molecular changes which lead to altered expression of these two cell surface proteins to determine whether they are regulated by similar or independent mechanisms. While I-A antigen expression can be induced or enhanced by treatment of macrophages with either phorbol diesters and/or the Ca 2+ ionophore A23187, these agents had no effect upon expression of LFA-1 under similar conditions. Macrophages from the A/J strain mouse exhibit a deficiency in their sensitivity to IFN-γ which is seen in our studies as an inability of IFN-γ to elevate I-A antigen expression. However, expression of I-A could be modulated in these cells by treatment with either phorbol diesters or A23187. In contrast, IFN-γ could induce LFA-1 antigen on A/J derived macrophages and this was not affected by either phorbol or A23187. Thus these two antigens, despite coordinate expression in response to IFN-γ in normal mouse strains, are clearly regulated independently. These results suggest that IFN-γ generates at least two independent molecular events in macrophages which ultimately modulate the expression of cell surface proteins important to the performance of activated functions.
OFDM Radar Space-Time Adaptive Processing by Exploiting Spatio-Temporal Sparsity

We propose a sparsity-based space-time adaptive processing (STAP) algorithm to detect a slowly-moving target using an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) radar. We observe that the target and interference spectra are inherently sparse in the spatio-temporal domain. Hence, we exploit that sparsity to develop an efficient STAP technique that utilizes considerably lesser number of secondary data and produces an equivalent performance as the other existing STAP techniques. In addition, the use of an OFDM signal increases the frequency diversity of our system, as different scattering centers of a target resonate at different frequencies, and thus improves the target detectability. First, we formulate a realistic sparse-measurement model for an OFDM radar considering both the clutter and jammer as the interfering sources. Then, we apply a residual sparse-recovery technique based on the LASSO estimator to estimate the target and interference covariance matrices, and subsequently compute the optimal STAP-filter weights. Our numerical results demonstrate a comparative performance analysis of the proposed sparse-STAP algorithm with four other existing STAP methods. Furthermore, we discover that the OFDM-STAP filter-weights are adaptable to the frequency-variabilities of the target and interference responses, in addition to the spatio-temporal variabilities. Hence, by better utilizing the frequency variabilities, we propose an adaptive OFDM-waveform design technique, and consequently gain a significant amount of STAP-performance improvement.
The Theory of Legislative Institutionalization and the California Assembly

How do legislative bodies change over time? Polsby's (1968) examination of institutionalization in the U.S. House provides an organizational framework to assess how a legislature develops. I argue that the process of legislative institutionalization is driven by the membership's career goals. Because members of the California Assembly have different career ambitions than U.S. Representatives, application of institutionalization to the Assembly produces important contrasts with the House. Examination of data collected on the Assembly from 1951 to 1985, particularly with an interrupted time-series model, reveals that the Assembly has increased internal complexity, and, on many but not all measures, it has established well-defined boundaries. But, while the Assembly meets some minor standards of universalistic criteria and automatic methods, it fails to employ seniority as the main rule for the distribution of positions of power. Seniority does not matter because, I argue, more discretionary and particularis...
Prevalence and Characteristics of Continuous Electrical Activity in Patients with Paroxysmal and Persistent Atrial Fibrillation

Background: Complex fractionated atrial electrograms (CFAEs) may play a role in the genesis of atrial fibrillation (AF). One type of CFAE is continuous electrical activity (CEA). The prevalence and characteristics of CEA in patients with paroxysmal and persistent AF are unclear. Methods and Results: In 44 patients (age = 59 ± 8 years) with paroxysmal (25) or persistent (19) AF, bipolar electrograms were systematically recorded for ≥5 seconds at 24 left atrial (LA) sites, including 8 antral sites, and 2 sites within the coronary sinus (CS). CEA was defined as continuous depolarization for >1 second with no isoelectric interval. CEA was recorded at the LA septum (79%), antrum (66%), posterior (68%) and anterior walls (67%), roof (66%), base of the LA appendage (61%), inferior wall (61%), posterior mitral annulus (48%), CS (41%), and in the LA appendage (14%). Antral CEA was equally prevalent in patients with paroxysmal (63%) and persistent AF (70%, P = 0.12). In patients with paroxysmal AF, the prevalence of CEA was similar among antral and nonantral LA sites, except for the LA appendage. However, in patients with persistent AF, CEA was more prevalent at the nonantral (80%) than antral sites (70%, P = 0.03). CEA at nonantral sites except the CS was more prevalent in persistent than in paroxysmal AF (80% vs 57%, P < 0.001). The mean duration of intermittent episodes of CEA was longer in persistent than in paroxysmal AF (P < 0.001). Conclusions: The higher prevalence and duration of CEA at nonantral sites in persistent than in paroxysmal AF is consistent with a greater contribution of LA reentrant mechanisms in persistent AF. However, the high prevalence of CEA at nonantral sites in paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF) suggests that CEA alone is a nonspecific marker of appropriate target sites for ablation of AF. The characteristics of CEA that most accurately identify drivers of AF remain to be determined.
HTLV tax tails

Comment on Xie et al, page [1980][1] Xie and colleagues examine the contribution to viral pathogenesis of an important protein-protein interaction motif in the transforming protein of HTLV-1. Human T-cell leukemia viruses encode a protein called Tax that is the consummate adaptor protein.
From Presenilinase to γ-Secretase, Cleave to Capacitate

Mutations in two genes, presenilin 1 (PS1) and its homologue presenilin 2 (PS2), account for a majority of early onset familial Alzheimer disease cases which are characterized by intracellular neurofibrillary tangles and extracellular amyloid fibrils composed of the amyloid beta protein (Abeta). Abeta is derived from sequential cleavages of Amyloid Precursor Protein (APP) by beta-secretase and gamma-secretase, the latter is composed of four components, PS1, nicastrin (NCT), presenilin enhancer 2 (PEN-2), and anterior pharynx defective (APH-1). These components not only maintain the stability of the gamma-secretase complex but also regulate the activity of presenilinase, the protease responsible for the cleavage of full length PS1 into N-terminal and C-terminal fragments (NTF/CTF). We have previously shown that endoproteolysis of PS1 into NTF/CTF by presenilinase requires two critical aspartate residues, suggesting that PS1 may undergo autoproteolysis; full length PS1 complexes with NCT, PEN-2, APH-1 and forms the presenilinase. While these two aspartate residues are necessary for the endoproteolysis of full length PS1, they are equally critical for the gamma-secretase cleavage of multiple substrates, and it is hypothesized that the full length PS1/presenilinase is the zymogen of gamma-secretase. The inhibition profiles of presenilinase and gamma-secretase are illustrated by their biochemical similarity but are pharmacologically distinct. Since the uncleaved PS1 loop may obstruct the entry of gamma-secretase substrates to the docking site of the gamma-secretase complex, investigation of presenilinase inhibitors interfering with substrate-docking may facilitate a novel approach to identify APP specific gamma-secretase inhibitors.
Effect of liraglutide administration and a calorie-restricted diet on lipoprotein profile in overweight/obese persons with prediabetes

Abstract Background and aims To evaluate the effects of 14 weeks of liraglutide plus modest caloric restriction on lipid/lipoprotein metabolism in overweight/obese persons with prediabetes. Methods and results Volunteers with prediabetes followed a calorie-restricted diet (−500 Kcal/day) plus liraglutide ( n = 23) or placebo ( n = 27) for 14 weeks. The groups were similar in age (58 ± 7 vs. 58 ± 8 years) and body mass index (31.9 ± 2.8 vs. 31.9 ± 3.5 kg/m 2 ). A comprehensive lipid/lipoprotein profile was obtained before and after intervention using vertical auto profile (VAP). Weight loss was greater in the liraglutide group than in the placebo group (6.9 vs. 3.3 kg, p p Conclusion Treatment with liraglutide plus modest calorie restriction led to enhanced weight loss, a decrease in fasting plasma glucose concentration, and improvement in multiple aspects of lipid/lipoprotein metabolism associated with increased cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. The significant clinical benefit associated with liraglutide-assisted weight loss in a group at high risk for CVD – obese/overweight individuals with prediabetes – as seen in our pilot study, suggests that this approach deserves further study.
Identification of seasonality in time series: A note

Identification of patterns in time series data is critical to facilitate forecasting. One pattern that may be present is seasonality. A method is proposed which adds statistical tests of seasonal indexes to the usual autocorrelation analysis in order to identify seasonality with greater confidence. The methodology is tested with known time series. In some cases, a discrepancy arose between the original classification of the time series, which was reportedly based solely on autocorrelation analysis, and the classification which resulted from the statistical tests. Further analysis, which included examination of time series plots, indicated that these discrepancies were likely to occur in series with possible structural changes. Out-of-sample forecasts were performed with seasonal and deseasonalized data to determine the benefits of the ''corrected'' classification. Results show improvement, albeit small.
A competitive binding study of chemokine, sulfated receptor, and glycosaminoglycan interactions by nano-electrospray ionization mass spectrometry

Abstract Chemokines are secreted proteins that play roles in inducing chemotaxis, extravasation, and activation of leukocytes associated with inflammatory or homeostatic processes. Tyrosine sulfation of the chemokine receptor has been shown to be important for binding and signaling. We have applied a mass spectrometry method to measure the contribution of this posttranslational modification to binding of its ligand chemokine. Using nano-electrospray time-of-flight mass spectrometry (nano-ESI TOF MS), we determined the association constants of C-C motif chemokine 7 (CCL7) with C-C chemokine receptor type 2 (CCR2), monosulfated CCR2, and disulfated CCR2 peptides to be 1.1 × 104 M−1, 3.9 × 104 M−1, and 4.0 × 105 M−1, respectively. To our knowledge, this is the first reported association constant measurement between a protein and sulfated peptide using MS. Furthermore, nano-ESI MS was used to characterize noncovalent binding interactions among CCL7, Arixtra (a pentasaccharide glycosaminoglycan [GAG] analog), and disulfated CCR2 peptide. A lack of observable ternary complex formation prompted investigation of competitive binding. Results of this study suggest that CCR2 competes partially with GAG for CCL7 binding and that disulfated CCR2 peptide has a higher binding affinity than Arixtra, which correlates with data from association constant measurements for CCL7–disulfated CCR2 and CCL7–Arixtra.