cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The mRNA Poly(A)-Binding Protein: Localization, Abundance, and RNA-Binding Specificity

The poly(A)-binding protein (PABP) binds to the messenger (mRNA) 3'-poly(A) tail found on most eukaryotic mRNAs and together with the poly(A) tail has been implicated in governing the stability and the translation of mRNA. In order to further understand the role of the PABP in these processes, we have undertaken a detailed analysis of the cellular localization, the abundance, and the RNA-binding properties of the human PABP (hPABP). We raised monoclonal antibodies against the 70-kDa hPABP and confocal immunofluorescence microscopy with these antibodies reveals that it is localized exclusively to the cytoplasm. The hPABP exhibits a very low turnover rate in these cells and quantitative immunoblotting experiments demonstrated that growing HeLa cells contain a surprisingly high number of approximately 8 x 10(6) PABP molecules per cell, which corresponds to an intracellular concentration of about 4 microM. In an in vitro selection/amplification assay from random sequence oligonucleotide pools the hPABP selects oligo(rA)-rich sequences and it binds oligo(rA)25 with an apparent Kd of 7 nM. The hPABP binds to unrelated RNA sequences with an about 100-fold lower affinity (Kd > or = 0.5 microM). The abundance of the hPABP indicates that there is an approximately three-fold excess of the protein over binding sites on cytoplasmic poly(A). This excess and the high concentration of the hPABP, which is three orders of magnitude above its Kd for oligo(rA)25, suggest that the hPABP may bind to additional, lower affinity binding sites in vivo.
Letter commentary on Tai et al: dioxin exposure in breast milk and infant neurodevelopment in Vietnam.

We wish to comment on the article by Tai et al .1 This article suggests that the dioxin contaminant of Agent Orange may be responsible for neurological abnormalities in Vietnamese infants. The characteristic and toxic dioxin contaminant of Agent Orange, 2,3,7,8-tetrochlorodibenzodioxin (TCDD), was reported at very low levels for those potentially exposed. TCDD levels were only slightly higher in the potentially contaminated (1.4 pg/g) than in the comparison …
Endothelin-1 potentiates the in vitro contractile response of pregnant human myometrium to oxytocin.

Abstract OBJECTIVE: This study was designed to test the hypothesis that endothelin-1 pretreatment of human myometrium at subcontractile doses in vitro will enhance the contractile response to oxytocin. STUDY DESIGN: In vitro contractile oxytocin dose-response curves were generated by use of myometrial strips collected from nonpregnant women ( n = 7), pregnant patients at elective cesarean section ( n = 7), and pateints in active labor ( n = 7) in the presence or absence of 10 −9 mol/L endothelin-1. Contractile responses were analyzed by on-line computer, and data were normalized to the maximum response to potassium. RESULTS: Pretreatment with endothelin-1 significantly increased the maximal contractile response of pregnant myometrium ( p CONCLUSION: Endothelin-1 potentiates the oxytocin response of myometrium from pregnant but not nonpregnant women. We speculate that a high circulating level of a uterotonin-like oxytocin may not be necessary to initiate labor. The synergistic interaction between different uterotonins may be sufficient.
Experimental viral labyrinthitis.

CONGENITAL and acquired deafness and acute and chronic vertigo are often attributed to viral infections of the inner ear. Direct demonstration of natural or experimental infection of the membranous labyrinths of the cochlear and vestibular systems has not been practicable, however, because these structures are encased in the dense temporal bones. Evidence that viral infections can cause deafness and vertigo in man is based largely on epidemiological observations and on a limited number of temporal bones examined months or years after the acute event. Temporal bones from patients with deafness associated with mumps, measles, cytomegalovirus and rubella have shown a cochlear–saccular degeneration suggesting that endolymphatic structures may have been infected1–4. Except for cytomegalovirus infections, which cause characteristic histopathological changes4, there are no previous studies of acute viral infections of the inner ear in patients or experimental animals.
Symmetric six-quark model and associated neutral currents

Abstract A symmetric six-quark gauge model is proposed to account for the recent neutrino and antineutrino data on charged and neutral currents. As a bonus, exact isospin symmetry for strong interaction is obtained in a natural way. Further consequences are elaborated.
ATP-binding cassette transporter Abcg2 lineage contributes to the cardiac vasculature after oxidative stress

Due to their specialized location, stem and progenitor cells are often exposed to oxidative stress. Although ATP-binding cassette transporter subfamily G member 2 (Abcg2)-expressing cells have been implicated in cardiac protective mechanisms involving oxidative stress, there remains a lack of understanding regarding the behavior of cardiac Abcg2-expressing cells when exposed to ROS. The aim of the present study was to characterize the response of the cardiac Abcg2 lineage to oxidative stress. In vitro analysis demonstrated that the antioxidant program regulated by Abcg2 is dependent on a functional transporter. Delivery of paraquat dichloride (PQ), a systemic oxidative stress-inducing agent, to mice confirmed that Abcg2 provides a survival benefit. When exposed to PQ, reporter mice showed an increase in the Abcg2 lineage. Transcriptional and immunohistochemical analysis of Abcg2 lineage-positive cells revealed an enhanced vascular commitment after stress. Finally, preconditioning with PQ demonstrated a reduction in scar size and an increase in angiogenesis after permanent left coronary artery ligation. In conclusion, the data suggest that Abcg2 plays a cytoprotective role in response to in vivo oxidative stress. The contribution of the Abcg2 lineage to the vasculature in the heart is increased after PQ delivery.
Reflections from Geoffrey Bowker

It is as ever for me a delight to discourse on Leigh Star. Her energy was light and lovely and her intellect rich and deep. She was not born to the manor of an academic family but her veracious appetite shone through. I used to tease her about a prize essay she wrote about Rhode Island and Providence Plan tations in the year 2000; the story was splashed in the paper with a picture revealing a mini-skirted Leigh with an old soul. If you compare it to Jules Verne's Paris in the Year 2000, you savor different sorts of prescience. Verne could dream technology; Leigh, people and technology together. Boundary objects were central. She lived the interstices in so many ways. A working class circulating elite ("You have to earn like a yuppie to live like a hippy," said a friend). A Jew who thought she was an atheist Baptist till age 14. A full bisexual at a time when identity was all. I never under stood the concept as richly as Leigh; my reading was that recognizing the phenomenological strangeness of the world, she explored spaces where the oretical exclusion met organic cooperation. I am in awe of her teaching ability. In common with her own mentors and friends Anselm Strauss and Howie Becker, she maintained lifelong relation ships with her former students. She engaged them emotionally and intellec tually. If ever I had ethical exploration to do (and I've had my satiety of
Affinity labeling of pig lung glutathione S-transferase pi by 4-(fluorosulfonyl)benzoic acid.

Abstract The compound 4-(fluorosulfonyl)benzoic acid (4-FSB) functions as an affinity label of the dimeric pig lung pi class glutathioneS-transferase yielding a completely inactive enzyme. Protection against inactivation is provided by glutathione-based ligands, suggesting that the reaction target is near or part of the glutathione binding site. Radioactive 4-FSB is incorporated to the extent of 1 mol per mole of enzyme subunit. Peptide mapping revealed that 4-FSB reacts with two tyrosine residues in the ratio 69% Tyr7and 31% Tyr106. The ratio is not changed by the addition of ligands. The results suggest that only one of the tyrosine residues can be labeled in the active site of a given subunit; i.e., reactions with Tyr7and Tyr106are mutually exclusive. We propose that the difference in labeling of these tyrosine residues is related to their pKavalues, with Tyr7exhibiting the lower pKa. The modified enzyme no longer binds to aS-hexylglutathione–agarose affinity column, even when only one of the active sites contains 4-FSB; these results may reflect interaction between the subunits. We conclude that Tyr7and Tyr106of the pig lung class pi glutathioneS-transferase are important for function and are located at or close to the substrate binding site of the enzyme.
Is Japan really a share economy

Abstract Weitzman claims that Japan is a “living laboratory” for the share economy. This paper examines that proposition and concludes that Japanese bonuses are better interpreted as disguised wage payments than as profit shares. Other institutional features of the Japanese labor market provide more likely explanations of that economy's performance.
Attractiveness to mexican fruit flies of combinations of acetic acid with ammonium/amino attractants with emphasis on effects of hunger.

Ammonium acetate was more attractive than other ammonium salts to Mexican fruit flies (Anastrepha ludens) in an orchard test. We hypothesized that acetic acid enhanced the attractiveness of ammonia in the orchard test and that acetic acid may similarly enhance attractiveness of AMPu, an attractant consisting of a mixture of ammonium bicarbonate or ammonium carbonate, methylamine HCl, and putrescine. In laboratory experiments, acetic acid was attractive to flies deprived of either yeast hydrolysate or both sugar and yeast hydrolysate but not to flies fed both sugar and yeast hydrolysate. AMPu/acetic acid combinations were more attractive than AMPu alone to flies deprived of both sugar and yeast hydrolysate but not to flies fed sugar, regardless of yeast hydrolysate deprivation status. Acetic acid is the first attractant found that has become more attractive with both sugar and protein deprivation in studies withA. ludens. It is also the first that has enhanced the attractiveness of another attractant type. In orchard tests, yellow sticky panels baited with either AMPu or 17 mg of acetic acid were at least six times more attractive than unbaited panels. However, panels baited with both acetic acid (17–68 mg) and AMPu were less attractive than AMPu alone. These results differed from the laboratory data in which combinations were never less attractive than AMPu alone.
Twenty Years of Patient Satisfaction Research Applied to the Emergency Department: A Qualitative Review:

This clinical review article examines the patient satisfaction literature for the past 20 years. This literature is summarized for qualitative themes and general trends. Intended for the practicing clinician, these themes are then applied to the emergency department (ED) milieu. According to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the ED is the point of entry for more than half of all patients admitted to the hospital in the United States. Indeed, the ED is the "front door" to the hospital. According to Press Ganey, satisfaction with ED care is at an all-time low. A review of the literature revealed 5 major elements of the ED experience that correlate with patient satisfaction: timeliness of care, empathy, technical competence, information dispensation, and pain management. The literature supporting these 5 elements is summarized and applications to the ED setting are suggested. Other minor correlates with patient satisfaction are also presented.
Air‐surface exchange measurement in heterogeneous regions: extending tower observations with spatial structure observed from small aircraft

Strategies to assess long-term atmosphere-ecosystem exchange of CO2 and H2O must deal not only with time trends but also with spatial variability. Flux towers efficiently measure time trends, but only at discrete sites, always limited in number. Representativeness of these sites and the causes of spatial variation between sites are difficult to investigate from tower data alone. Such issues are better addressed with flux measurements from moving vehicles, particularly aircraft. Recent technological advancements in aircraft and instrumentation now allow mobile flux measurement with enhanced precision, greater ease, and lower cost. Results are presented which illustrate the importance of spatial variability, and some suggestions are given for assessment of flux-tower representativeness. Unfortunately, airborne observations of the kind presented here are practical only during a part of the daylight hours in brief intensive field campaigns. Extrapolation of spatial-structure information derived from these measurements to night-time or to long-term averages thus remains problematic. For the foreseeable future this extrapolation will require models that faithfully simulate both space and time characteristics of H2O and CO2 exchange. The development and validation of such models will be greatly enhanced by the increased availability of measurements from moving vehicles, which record spatial as well as temporal structure.
ANALYTICAL PREDICTIONS OF CHAOS IN A NON-LINEAR ROD

The resonant and chaotic conditions for non-dampened, non-linear, planar rods are developed through the Chirikov criterion, and the subharmonic bifurcation conditions for weakly dampened, non-linear, planar rods are also presented through the Melnikov method. The analytical conditions are based on a simply supported, geometrically non-linear, planar rod model with a specific single-mode response, but these conditions are applicable to geometrically non-linear planar rods with different supports. Chaos and transient motion from chaos to periodic motion in the non-linear rod are simulated through the approximate rod model, and they are illustrated through the Poincare mapping section.
Quantum Theory of the Equation of State at Low Temperatures

The quantum formulae for the second virial coefficient $B$ are derived, for the case of Boltzmann, Einstein-Bose and Fermi-Dirac statistics. It is shown how these formulae may be expressed in terms of the phases of the Schr\"odinger wave function. For low temperatures the expression for $B$ is developed in a power series of $T$, the temperature, which gives formal agreement with the experimental formula in the case of He. Using this series development a potential is fixed to fit the data. The potential agrees with the Slater-Margenau potential in the region where the latter is valid.
Cancer signaling: when phosphorylation meets methylation

The propagation of kinase-mediated phosphorylation signals is central to the oncogenic activity of the RAS-MAPK pathway in human cancers. A recent study shows that protein lysine methylation controls the phosphorylation status of a key component of the RAS-MAPK pathway to enable oncogenic KRAS in cancer progression.
Algorithms for interpretable machine learning

It is extremely important in many application domains to have transparency in predictive modeling. Domain experts do not tend to prefer "black box" predictive model models. They would like to understand how predictions are made, and possibly, prefer models that emulate the way a human expert might make a decision, with a few important variables, and a clear convincing reason to make a particular prediction.I will discuss recent work on interpretable predictive modeling with decision lists and sparse integer linear models. I will describe several approaches, including an algorithm based on discrete optimization, and an algorithm based on Bayesian analysis. I will show examples of interpretable models for stroke prediction in medical patients and prediction of violent crime in young people raised in out-of-home care.Collaborators are Ben Letham, Berk Ustun, Stefano Traca, Siong Thye Goh, Tyler McCormick, and David Madigan.
Accuracy of Multi-Look Geo-Coding

ABSTRACT Very accurate geo-location (geo-cod ing) of imagery taken at long range is a very large challenge. Whereas GPS can supply a very accurate sensor position, the hardware for the required precision pointing can have a very large cost. Roth, et al (2005) show ed that because of the accuracy of lidar range-data, a tri-lateration method (called Multi- Look Lidar or Multi-Look Geo-Codi ng) can achieve very accurate geo-coding at very long ranges and very low cost by using data-driven processing. This paper presents extensive flight-testing results using commercial airborne lidar. Because the tri-lateration method produces a large number of control points, the resulting accuracy of the geo-coded lidar data is somewhat better than that predicted for a single control point due to control-point averaging. 1.0 INTRODUCTION Very accurate geo-location (absolute accuracy of 20 cm or less) is required of high-resolution lidar data (for 1-m or less ground-sample distance) for gene ral surveying needs and high-quality visualization. Current open-loop airborne-hardware pointing-technology supports accurate geo-location at ranges that are less than a few km. Typical commercial pointing systems can achieve 0.1-0.3 mrad of absolute pointing error. This would result in 0.2-0.6 m of error for 2 km AGL, but give 1-3 m of error for 10 km AGL. It is possible to build more complex pointing systems with better than 0.1 mrad of absolute pointing, thus giving accurate geo-location at ranges longer than a few km, but at substantial cost. Figure 1 describes a method, referred to as Multi-Look Lidar or Multi-Look Geo-Coding, developed by Roth, et al (2005) (Ref. 1) that uses tri-lateration and data processing for very accurate geo-location at long ranges. If three (or more) collections of the same region can be collected with sufficient 3D angular diversity (specifically Position Dilution of Precision or PDOP) then the data can be combined by co-registration and coordinate transformation into data with very high geo-location accuracy using only data processing. This paper presents the results of extensive flight-testing of the Multi-Look-Geo-Coding concept. The next section describes the processing me thod in more detail. Section 3 describes the results of flight-testing and analysis and the final Section presents some comments and conclusions.
Preparation of DNA substrates for in vitro mismatch repair.

Analyses in vitro of correction of DNA mismatches have been pivotal in biochemical dissection of mismatch repair pathways. However, the complex procedures needed to prepare DNA substrates for mismatch repair have posed substantial barriers to investigators who wish to pursue such analyses. Here we describe a simple, efficient way to prepare a variety of mismatched DNA substrates. We use in our procedure high-copy-number pUC19-derived plasmids, and a newly commercially available endonuclease N.BstNBI that makes site-specific single-strand nicks. The ability to prepare large substrate quantities in a relatively short time and to construct wider ranges of different mismatches in various sequence contexts will facilitate future research.
Beyond the firm's initial declaration: Are preannouncements of new product introductions and withdrawals alike?

Abstract Previous preannouncement research has primarily focused on product preannouncements regarding the firm’s intention to introduce a new product and, for the most part, has ignored preannouncements that update the status of new product introductions (e.g., delays in launch dates and cancellation of new product programs). This study’s goal is to examine if different factors influence preannouncements of n ew p roduct i ntroductions (NPIs) versus n ew p roduct w ithdrawals or delays (NPWs). A model of six antecedents that could influence a firm’s propensity to issue NPIs and NPWs is developed and tested using a sample of 265 CEOs and Presidents from manufacturers of new products. Three of the antecedents are organizational in nature; specifically, first mover predisposition, firm information interactivity, and reputation building. Also, the effects of two environmental constructs, industry innovativeness and competitive hostility, are examined. Finally, the model incorporates the effect of buyer involvement on a firm’s propensity to issue NPIs and NPWs. The results indicate that NPIs and NPWs are very alike regarding their antecedent factors. Reputation building, defined as a firm’s tendency to pursue a high profile leadership position within its industry, and buyer involvement are the primary motivators of a firm’s propensity to issue both NPWs and NPIs. Future directions for research include the development of a normative preannouncement framework and the examination of NPIs and NPWs as nonadvertising forms of marketing communication targeted at numerous audiences such as buyers, employees, channel members, industry influencers (e.g., business and trade related press), and investors.
Effects of masking noise on evoked calling in the Puerto Rican coqui (Anura: Leptodactylidae)

1. When appropriate synthetic call notes were broadcast to calling maleEleutherodactylus coqui in their natural habitat, the frogs responded by dropping the second note of their advertisement call. Broadband noise was used to mask the synthetic call notes, enabling an ‘effective critical ratio’ (ECR) to be derived. 2. Two classes of masking functions were found: monotonically decreasing masking functions and peaked masking functions. Two hypotheses are presented to account for the existence of these distinct functional classes. 3. The ECR forE. coqui was a function of the stimulus tone level used for its determination. At the lowest level (65 dB SPL), the ECR at 1 kHz was 31 dB. 4. Synthetic call notes were presented in noise of various bandwidths but of constant total power. The ‘effective critical band’ (ECB) at 1 kHz forE. coqui in its natural habitat was estimated to be 500 Hz. 5. These results are discussed in relation to the adaptations ofE. coqui for species-specific communication in a highly noisy environment.
Nectar and pollen sugars constituting larval provisions of the alfalfa leaf-cutting bee (Megachile rotundata) (Hymenoptera: Apiformes: Megachilidae)

As with most solitary bees, larvae of the alfalfa leaf-cutting bee, Megachile rotundata Fab., eat a diet blended from pollen and nectar of unknown proportions. In this study, we developed protocols to isolate and quantify sugars from larval provision masses. The method removed free amino acids that leach from pollen and confound chromatography, but without autohydrolyzing sucrose. Pollen sugars were a negligible fraction of provision mass sugars. Glucose and fructose constituted about half of the provision fresh weight. Sucrose in alfalfa pollen and nectar is absent from the provision, presumably enzymatically hydrolyzed to glucose and fructose in the provision. Provision masses are composed of two to three times more floral equivalents in pollen than nectar. Female M. rotundata, and other solitary bees with pasty provisions, gather proportionally more pollen than nectar compared with the resource needs of colonies of social honeybees and bumblebees.
'Which 'longs to women of all fashion': Churching and Shakespeare's The Winter's Tale

In Act 3, scene 2 of The Winter’s Tale , Leontes brings his wife Hermione to trial, formally charging her with conducting an adulterous relationship. During her defense, Hermione rightly complains that she has had ‘the child-bed privilege denied, which ‘longs / To women of all fashion’. In this trial scene Shakespeare draws attention to the fact that Leontes, in his hasty condemnation of his wife, not only denies Hermione her month of privilege after giving birth and exposes her to the public humiliation of not being afforded a proper churching ceremony, but also deliberately disregards the divine oracle. There can be little doubt that Shakespeare’s contemporaries would have been aware of the fact that Hermione’s first public appearance should not have been her trial, but instead her churching. Thus, the personal, legalistic action that Leontes puts forward as a matter of state usurps the obligations of religious discipline and church authority that are not simply wrongs she suffers individually, but ones that affect the community at large. As a consequence of the breech in divine order caused by Leontes, Hermione’s reappearance in the play’s final scene serves as a delayed churching service that reaffirms the redemptive themes so often discussed in this play. Further, the epistemological concerns found throughout The Winter’s Tale regarding the apprehension of truth are resolved, specifically, in Hermione’s reintegration into public life and, more broadly, in the affirmation of a dialogic unity attained through shared communal knowledge.
Uniaxial Wave Propagation in a Viscoelastic Material Using Measured Material Properties

Uniaxial wave propagation in viscoelastic bar due to step displacement at end solved in terms of Fourier sine integral
A Path to Socio-economic Development Using Cloud Computing

Micro-enterprises face numerous challenges in adopting and utilizing information technology due to lack of resources and appropriate support systems. We contend that cloud computing provides an affordable option for such resource-constrained micro-enterprises in adopting technology. Significant advances in information and communication technology, and more recently in virtualization technologies have enabled the cloud computing paradigm. Cloud computing enables users to access services based on their requirements without regard to where the services are hosted or how they are delivered. Using cloud computing both software and hardware can be provided as a service over the Internet in a scalable and cost efficient manner. In this paper we describe the cloud computing paradigm and present two case studies of micro enterprises that adopted cloud based services. The contribution of this study is in integrating micro enterprises, cloud computing and development to show how cloud computing may facilitate socio-economic outcomes.
Uncertainty assessment of species measurements in acetone counterflow diffusion flames

Abstract To quantitatively understand the uncertainty of intrusive species sampling measurements using a microprobe, velocity and speciation profiles of acetone counterflow diffusion flames have been experimentally investigated with cross validations using non-intrusive particle image velocimetry (PIV) and laser induced fluorescence (LIF) measurements. It is shown that the separation distance between the fuel and oxidizer nozzles needs to be sufficiently large to achieve uniform radial velocity profiles at the nozzle exit and accurate measurements of fuel concentration distributions in flames. The impacts of the diffusion flame location relative to the stagnation plane and the diffusion flame thickness on quantitative species sampling are investigated by varying the fuel to oxygen ratio as well as nitrogen and helium as fuel diluents. The results show that the diffusion flame needs to be located on the fuel side far from the stagnation plane in order to obtain reliable speciation measurements of fuel oxidation-related species. For helium dilution in the fuel side, a significant deviation from the model prediction is found due to the excessively fast diffusion velocity of helium. The impact of the intrusive probe on the flow field and the structure of the counterflow diffusion flame are identified by acetone and OH LIF measurements. The uncertainty in the speciation measurement associated with flow perturbations by the probe is quantified and found to be comparable to the outer diameter of the probe, ±0.3 mm. A simple Reynolds number analysis shows that the flow near the probe is just on the outskirts of the Stokes regime. Finally, the structure of the acetone diffusion flame is measured quantitatively with species measurements of ethane, ethylene, and acetylene. The comparison between predictions and measurements indicate that the current C2 kinetic mechanism needs to be improved for quantitative prediction of the acetone flame structures.
The channel cell of the terrestrial slug Ariolimax columbianus (Stylommatophora, Arionidae)

Studies were carried out to identify the route by which macromolecules and large volumes of fluid traverse the skin of terrestrial gastropods. Electron micrographs of the skin of the banana slug Ariolimax columbianus demonstrated that carbon particles can enter large, specialized cells and pass thence to the exterior. These cells, which are termed channel cells, range up to 500 μm in length; they reach from the external surface of the skin to deep within the subepithelial interstitium. At the light-microscope level they show a large central channel or reservoir apparently filled with homogeneous fluid; after injection of ink into the body cavity this central channel becomes ink-filled. Electron micrographs show cisternae of the smooth endoplasmic reticulum, opening from the cell surface and occasionally traversing the entire cytoplasmic layer. The neurohormone arginine vasotocin stimulates fluid and particle movement through the channel cell; this response is inhibited by norepinephrine. Fluid output is dependent on the presence of a transwall hydrostatic pressure gradient of about 7 torr or above, as well as on activation of the channel cells.
Channelized detection filters for detecting tumors in nuclear medical images

The problem of detecting known objects of known location in the presence of stationary noise is well understood, the solution being the prewhitening matched filter. Detecting tumors in nuclear medical images presents a more challenging problem: the object being a mass whose shape and location are not known exactly, and the background anatomy being nonstationary. This paper addresses the latter problem by using simulated images to train a channelized detection algorithm. We show that the detector converges to the prewhitening matched filter providing the signal is known and the noise is stationary. We report on the manner in which the detector departs from the matched filter under more realistic conditions. Using detectability d a as the performance measure, this method is tested on simulated tumors in simulated anatomical backgrounds. Results show that for certain channel configurations, the channelized detection filters perform equivalently to the prewhitening matched filter. High detectability is maintained using a limited number of channels and in cases in which the tumor size varies.
Longitudinal Evaluation of Vocal Function After Thyroplasty Type I in the Treatment of Unilateral Vocal Paralysis

This study investigated longitudinal changes of vocal efficiency and stability after primary thyroplasty type I. Fifty-three patients with unilateral vocal-fold paralysis underwent vocal-function evaluation preoperatively and at periodic intervals of 1, 3, and 6 months postoperatively. Vocal-function assessment included videostrobolaryngoscopic examination, acoustical and aerodynamic analysis, and perceptual judgment of voice characteristics. Parameters that included glottic-gap size, maximum phonation time, glottic-flow rate, jitter, harmonic/noise ratio, breathiness, hoarseness, loudness, and phrasing showed significant improvement after thyroplasty and remained stable as early as 1 month postoperatively, with only slight fluctuations over a 6-month period. Postoperative voice outcome was not affected by age, sex, duration of vocal symptoms, cause of paralysis, or preoperative pulmonary function.
The Identification and Characterization of a STAT 1 Binding Site in the PPARγ2 Promoter

Abstract Interferon-γ (IFNγ) has been shown to decrease the expression of peroxisome proliferator activated receptor-γ (PPARγ) in fat cells by blocking the synthesis and increasing the degradation of this transcription factor. Since IFNγ is a potent activator of STAT 1, we searched for IFNγ-sensitive binding sites in the PPARγ promotors. A region of the murine PPARγ2 promoter was identified that bound nuclear protein from adipocyte nuclei that had been acutely treated with IFNγ. Supershift analysis revealed that STAT 1, and no other STATs present in the adipocyte nucleus, was capable of binding to this site within the PPARγ2 promoter. NIH 3T3 and 3T3-L1 cells were transiently transfected with a PPARγ2 promoter reporter construct, which contained the STAT 1 binding site. Treatment of these cells with IFNγ resulted in a decrease in reporter activity, demonstrating the modulation of the PPARγ2 promoter by IFNγ. We also examined the ability of leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) to regulate binding at this site. LIF, a potent activator of STAT3 and a weak activator of STAT 1 in these cells, resulted in some binding to the IFNγ responsive element in the PPARγ2 promoter that was mediated by STAT 1. Therefore, we examined the ability of LIF to regulate PPARγ mRNA and observed that LIF, unlike IFNγ, had little effect on PPARγ expression. These results and our previous work suggest that cytokine induced STAT 1 homodimers modulate the transcriptional repression of PPARγ2 in adipocytes.
Recursive Locally Linear MMSE Motion-Compensated Image Sequence Filtering under Quantum-Limited Conditions

Abstract Quantum noise in image sequences arises in a wide array of applications including medical and astronomical images and remote sensing. It is an undesirable artifact caused by the unavailability or intentional depletion of X-ray and/or light photons necessary for imaging. In this paper, we develop a recursive sliding window, locally linear minimum mean squared error motion-compensated temporal filter for the enhancement of image sequences corrupted by this type of noise. The filter is derived from the formulation of a noise model which describes the underlying physical processes of quantum noise. The recursive implementation of this filter will provide an intuitive manner for addressing subsequent image frames as new observations when acquired under quantum-limited conditions. Experimental results are provided which show the effectiveness of the proposed estimator on both sequences simulated with quantum noise and on real clinical sequences containing natural quantum mottle.
Foliar leaching and root uptake of Ca, Mg and K in relation to acid fog effects on Douglas-fir

The impact of acid fog on foliar leaching and root uptake of Ca, Mg, and K by Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) seedlings was examined. In a factorial experiment, 1-year old seedlings were grown in solution culture at two levels of nutrient availability (low and moderate) and exposed twice a week (4 hr per event) for 12 weeks to fog at pH 5.6 or pH 3.1. Throughfall enrichment of Ca, Mg and K was determined from drip collectors at the base of each seedling and root uptake rates for trees under the moderate nutrient regime were evaluated by monitoring nutrient solution depletion. Throughfall enrichment was higher in the pH 3.1 fog than the pH 5.6 fog but much of the enrichment appeared to be wash off of precipitate from previous fogs. The amounts of nutrients coming off of the foliage with the low pH fog were small relative to the daily uptake rates. Foliar concentrations of K and Mg at the end of the exposures were lower under the low nutrient regime but were not affected by fog pH. Comparisons of wax weight and examinations of epicuticular wax by electron microscopy did not indicate a significant impact from exposure to the low pH fog.
On the biophysics of vision

A photochemical system is considered which is similar to that of S. Hecht but which includes an intermediate substance between visual purple and visual white. This intermediate is assumed to change the embrane voltage of the photoreceptors. A simple model is presented from which one may calculate the frequency of the impulses resulting from the application of light. It is found that this physicochemicai model enables one to account for a considerable number of physiological phenomena of vision. Among these are the light and dark adaptation phenomena. By introducing a simple assumption regarding spatial interaction one can account for some psychological phenomena such as the effect of intensity, light-dark ratio, shape, and area on the critical flicker frequency. A number of other phenomena are discussed in terms of the model.
Mathematical Modeling of Hybrid Asymmetric Electrochemical Capacitors

Electrochemical capacitors may be ideal energy storage devices for applications ranging from renewable energy storage to transportation. Electrochemical capacitors are characterized by high power density and cycle life, and can be classified based on the properties of their electrodes. Symmetric capacitors have two electrodes that exhibit the same behavior, while asymmetric capacitors have two electrodes that exhibit different behavior. A hybrid asymmetric capacitor is a device that has two electrodes that behave differently because of different processes occurring in them. In this paper, we present a mathematical model of hybrid asymmetric capacitors made up of a redox couple electrode and a double-layer electrode. We show that, because of the different behavior of each electrode, the hybrid asymmetric capacitor possesses higher energy and power density than the symmetric capacitor. Our model is generic and can be extended to any device so long as the properties of the electrodes are known. © The Author(s) 2014. Published by ECS. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial No Derivatives 4.0 License (CC BY-NC-ND, http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/), which permits non-commercial reuse, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is not changed in any way and is properly cited. For permission for commercial reuse, please email: oa@electrochem.org. [DOI: 10.1149/2.031408jes] All rights reserved.
Nuclear Hormone Receptor NHR-49 Controls Fat Consumption and Fatty Acid Composition in C. elegans

Mammalian nuclear hormone receptors (NHRs), such as liver X receptor, farnesoid X receptor, and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs), precisely control energy metabolism. Consequently, these receptors are important targets for the treatment of metabolic diseases, including diabetes and obesity. A thorough understanding of NHR fat regulatory networks has been limited, however, by a lack of genetically tractable experimental systems. Here we show that deletion of the Caenorhabditis elegans NHR gene nhr-49 yielded worms with elevated fat content and shortened life span. Employing a quantitative RT-PCR screen, we found that nhr-49 influenced the expression of 13 genes involved in energy metabolism. Indeed, nhr-49 served as a key regulator of fat usage, modulating pathways that control the consumption of fat and maintain a normal balance of fatty acid saturation. We found that the two phenotypes of the nhr-49 knockout were linked to distinct pathways and were separable: The high-fat phenotype was due to reduced expression of enzymes in fatty acid beta-oxidation, and the shortened adult life span resulted from impaired expression of a stearoyl-CoA desaturase. Despite its sequence relationship with the mammalian hepatocyte nuclear factor 4 receptor, the biological activities of nhr-49 were most similar to those of the mammalian PPARs, implying an evolutionarily conserved role for NHRs in modulating fat consumption and composition. Our findings in C. elegans provide novel insights into how NHR regulatory networks are coordinated to govern fat metabolism.
Liquid crystal images of surface temperature during incipient pool boiling

Abstract Liquid crystal thermography was used to observe time-dependent temperature patterns on an electrically heated surface during the incipience of nucleate pool boiling. The images revealed spatial and temporal differences in the process by which boiling initiated and expanded over the surface in the presence of two different single-phase convection fields. The experiments were conducted in a pool of saturated refrigerant-11 (R-11). A 76-μm-thick, nickel-alloy foil formed the base of the pool. Thermochromic liquid crystals applied to the underside of the foil produced real-time images of the temperature patterns on the heated surface. Spectra of surface temperature were measured prior to and during boiling using a single thin-film resistance temperature gage. The transition from natural convection to pool boiling occurred through a transient process that began at a random point on the surface and expanded rapidly across the foil. The transition from a recirculating forced-convection flow to pool boiling did not occur by a transient process. Instead, convection and boiling regions coexisted on the surface with a sharp temperature gradient forming a thin front between the two regions. The front remained stationary for a fixed heat flux. An increase in heat flux caused sections of the foil adjacent to the front to burst into boiling. The front immediately reformed at the edge of the newly annexed area. At the conclusion of both transitions, the temperature images showed a uniform mottling from the presence of nucleation sites covering the entire surface.
The 11q -- syndrome.

An eighth case of terminal deletion of the long arm of chromosome eleven (11q-) is reported to emphasize both the distinctive facies, but otherwise non-specific nature of this disorder, and the female preponderance of affected patients. Growth and mental retardation, congenital heart disease and telecanthus are the other most constant features. The authors' experience with 3 unrelated cases in less than 2 years suggests that this syndrome is underdiagnosed.
Vibrational structure of dihydrofolate bound to R67 dihydrofolate reductase.

R67 is a Type II dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) that catalyzes the reduction of dihydrofolate (DHF) to tetrahydrofolate by facilitating the addition of a proton to N5 of DHF and the transfer of a hydride ion from NADPH to C6. Because this enzyme is a plasmid-encoded DHFR from trimethoprim-resistant bacteria, extensive studies on R67 with various methods have been performed to elucidate its reaction mechanism. Here, Raman difference measurements, conducted on the ternary complex of R67.NADP(+).DHF believed to be an accurate mimic of the productive DHFR.NADPH.DHF complex, show that the pK(a) of N5 in the complex is less than 4. This is in clear contrast to the behavior observed in Escherichia coli DHFR, a substantially more efficient enzyme, where the pK(a) of bound DHF at N5 is increased to 6.5 compared with its solution value of 2.6. A comparison of the ternary complexes in R67 and E. coli DHFRs suggests that enzymic raising of the pK(a) at N5 can significantly increase the catalytic efficiency of the hydride transfer step. However, R67 shows that even without such a strategy an effective DHFR can still be designed.
Binding affinity and kinetic analysis of targeted small molecule-modified nanoparticles

Nanoparticles bearing surface-conjugated targeting ligands are increasingly being explored for a variety of biomedical applications. The multivalent conjugation of targeting ligands on the surface of nanoparticles is presumed to enhance binding to the desired target. However, given the complexities inherent in the interactions of nanoparticle surfaces with proteins, and the structural diversity of nanoparticle scaffolds and targeting ligands, our understanding of how conjugation of targeting ligands affects nanoparticle binding remains incomplete. Here, we use surface plasmon resonance (SPR) to directly and quantitatively study the affinity and binding kinetics of nanoparticles that display small molecules conjugated to their surface. We studied the interaction between a single protein target and a structurally related series of targeting ligands whose intrinsic affinity varies over a 4500-fold range and performed SPR at protein densities that reflect endogenous receptor densities. We report that even weak small molecule targeting ligands can significantly enhance target-specific avidity (by up to 4 orders of magnitude) through multivalent interactions and also observe a much broader range of kinetic effects than has been previously reported. Quantitative measurement of how the affinity and kinetics of nanoparticle binding vary as a function of different surface conjugations is a rapid, generalizable approach to nanoparticle characterization that can inform the design of nanoparticles for biomedical applications.
In hydrocephalus, do protein alterations correlate with gene expression?

Spina Bifida Meeting abstracts - A single PDF containing all abstracts in this Supplement is available here .
A Born-WKBJ inversion method for acoustic reflection data

Density and bulk modulus variations in an acoustic earth are separately recoverable from standard reflection surveys by utilizing the amplitude-versus-offset information present in the observed wave fields. Both earth structure and a variable background velocity can be accounted for by combining the Born and WKBJ approximations, in a "before stack" migration with two output sections, one for density variations and the other for bulk modulus variations. For the inversion, the medium is considered to be composed of a known low-spatial frequency variation (the background) plus an unknown high-spatial frequency variation in bulk modulus and density (the reflectivity). The division between the background and the reflectivity depends upon the frequency content of the source. For constant background parameters, computations are done in the Fourier domain, where the first part of the algorithm includes a frequency shift identical to that in an F-K migration. The modulus and density variations are then determined by observing in a least-squares sense amplitude versus offset wavenumber. For a spatially variable background, WKBJ Green's operators that model the direct wave in a medium with a smoothly varying background are used. A downward continuation with these operators removes the effects of variable velocity from the problem, and, consequently, the remainder of the inversion essentially proceeds as if the background were constant. If the background is strictly depth dependent, the inversion can be expressed in closed form. The method neglects multiples and surface waves and it is restricted to precritical reflections. Density is distinguishable from bulk modulus only if a sufficient range of precritical incident angles is present in the data.
Hip morphology and its relationship to pathology: Dyplasia to impingement

Developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) and femoroacetabular impingement are conditions that occur in adolescents and young adults that cause hip pain. The morphology of both conditions will be discussed as they relate to pathology. Radiographs taken in both conditions many times are read as “normal.” On careful analysis, these conditions can be easily seen on radiographs. Reinhold Ganz with the Bern Hip Group and Jeff Mast have developed outstanding open techniques to correct both with a periacetabular osteotomy to correct DDH and a safe surgical dislocation of the hip to alleviate femoroacetabular impingement. Although not correcting the structural defects in DDH, arthroscopy may be helpful in alleviating pain. An arthroscopic equivalent to the open surgical dislocation of the hip will be presented. The early results are favorable.
Low-Complexity Features for JPEG Steganalysis Using Undecimated DCT

This paper introduces a novel feature set for steganalysis of JPEG images. The features are engineered as first-order statistics of quantized noise residuals obtained from the decompressed JPEG image using 64 kernels of the discrete cosine transform (DCT) (the so-called undecimated DCT). This approach can be interpreted as a projection model in the JPEG domain, forming thus a counterpart to the projection spatial rich model. The most appealing aspect of this proposed steganalysis feature set is its low computational complexity, lower dimensionality in comparison with other rich models, and a competitive performance with respect to previously proposed JPEG domain steganalysis features.