cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Intra-domain Cross-talk Regulates Serine-arginine Protein Kinase 1-dependent Phosphorylation and Splicing Function of Transformer 2β1.

Transformer 2β1 (Tra2β1) is a splicing effector protein composed of a core RNA recognition motif flanked by two arginine-serine-rich (RS) domains, RS1 and RS2. Although Tra2β1-dependent splicing is regulated by phosphorylation, very little is known about how protein kinases phosphorylate these two RS domains. We now show that the serine-arginine protein kinase-1 (SRPK1) is a regulator of Tra2β1 and promotes exon inclusion in the survival motor neuron gene 2 (SMN2). To understand how SRPK1 phosphorylates this splicing factor, we performed mass spectrometric and kinetic experiments. We found that SRPK1 specifically phosphorylates 21 serines in RS1, a process facilitated by a docking groove in the kinase domain. Although SRPK1 readily phosphorylates RS2 in a splice variant lacking the N-terminal RS domain (Tra2β3), RS1 blocks phosphorylation of these serines in the full-length Tra2β1. Thus, RS2 serves two new functions. First, RS2 positively regulates binding of the central RNA recognition motif to an exonic splicing enhancer sequence, a phenomenon reversed by SRPK1 phosphorylation on RS1. Second, RS2 enhances ligand exchange in the SRPK1 active site allowing highly efficient Tra2β1 phosphorylation. These studies demonstrate that SRPK1 is a regulator of Tra2β1 splicing function and that the individual RS domains engage in considerable cross-talk, assuming novel functions with regard to RNA binding, splicing, and SRPK1 catalysis. Background: Serine-arginine-rich (SR)-like proteins regulate the alternative splicing of human genes. Results: The serine-arginine protein kinase 1 (SRPK1) phosphorylates transformer 2β1 (Tra2β1) at numerous sites regulating RNA binding, splicing of the survival motor neuron 2 gene, and catalytic function of the kinase domain. Conclusion: The two RS domains interact and regulate Tra2β1 activity in a phosphorylation-dependent manner. Significance: SRPK1 is a regulator of Tra2β1.
Modeling the ASCB-D Synchronization Algorithm with SPIN: A Case Study

In this paper, we describe our application of SPIN [1] to model an algorithm used to synchronize the clocks of modules that provide periodic real-time communication over a network. We used the SPIN model to check certain performance properties of the system; in particular, we were able to verify that the algorithm achieves synchronization within a time bound, even in the presence of certain types of faults. Our results suggest that state space explosion in models of time-dependent systems can be most effectively managed by explicit modeling of time; by imposing determinism on execution orderings, and justifying that determinism in a domain-specific manner; and by splitting up the space of execution sequences according to initial conditions.
Parameterized Verification of Multithreaded Software Libraries

The growing popularity of multi-threading has led to a great number of software libraries that support access by multiple threads. We present Local/Global Finite State Machines (LGFSMs) as a model for a certain class of multithreaded libraries. We have developed a tool called Beacon that does parameterized model checking of LGFSMs. We demonstrate the expressiveness of LGFSMs as models, and the effectiveness of Beacon as a model checking tool by (1) modeling a multithreaded memory manager Rockall developed at Microsoft Research as an LGFSM, and (2) using Beacon to check a critical safety property of Rockall.
Discovering Distinct Functional Modules of Specific Cancer Types Using Protein-Protein Interaction Networks

Background. The molecular profiles exhibited in different cancer types are very different; hence, discovering distinct functional modules associated with specific cancer types is very important to understand the distinct functions associated with them. Protein-protein interaction networks carry vital information about molecular interactions in cellular systems, and identification of functional modules (subgraphs) in these networks is one of the most important applications of biological network analysis. Results. In this study, we developed a new graph theory based method to identify distinct functional modules from nine different cancer protein-protein interaction networks. The method is composed of three major steps: (i) extracting modules from protein-protein interaction networks using network clustering algorithms; (ii) identifying distinct subgraphs from the derived modules; and (iii) identifying distinct subgraph patterns from distinct subgraphs. The subgraph patterns were evaluated using experimentally determined cancer-specific protein-protein interaction data from the Ingenuity knowledgebase, to identify distinct functional modules that are specific to each cancer type. Conclusion. We identified cancer-type specific subgraph patterns that may represent the functional modules involved in the molecular pathogenesis of different cancer types. Our method can serve as an effective tool to discover cancer-type specific functional modules from large protein-protein interaction networks.
Motion Phantoms for Radiotherapy

In both diagnostic and therapeutic applications of medical radiation, there are issues related to patient or organ motion. Motion can degrade image quality or interfere with the delivery of the desired dose distribution. In either case, phantoms are used to explore the issues related to motion before the procedure is applied to the patient.
Control of complex physically simulated robot groups

Actuated systems such as robots take many forms and sizes but each requires solving the difficult task of utilizing available control inputs to accomplish desired system performance. Coordinated groups of robots provide the opportunity to accomplish more complex tasks, to adapt to changing environmental conditions, and to survive individual failures. Similarly, groups of simulated robots, represented as graphical characters, can test the design of experimental scenarios and provide autonomous interactive counterparts for video games. The complexity of writing control algorithms for these groups currently hinders their use. A combination of biologically inspired heuristics, search strategies, and optimization techniques serve to reduce the complexity of controlling these real and simulated characters and to provide computationally feasible solutions.
Modelling the Geographic Component of Mass Transit Subsidies

A framework is developed for evaluating the distributive effects of mass transit subsidies that explicitly considers the inherent spatial interdependencies of a transit system, particularly with regard to the nature of cities, and the politically and legally "fair" distribution of scarce public resources. The methodology is demonstrated by means of a simulated urban mass transit system, and a review is presented of previous models and approaches to the question of subsidies at all levels of scale.(a) (TRRL)
Ordered moment of NiS 2

The transition metal dichalcogenides exhibit a wide variety of both electrical and magnetic properties, from insulators to superconductors and from ferromagnetism through antiferromagnetism to diamagnetism. NiS 2 is a semiconductor with an anomalous paramagnetic behavior which leaves in doubt the existence of a local moment. Previous neutron diffraction data have failed to show any ordering down to 4.2°K. Our neutron powder diffraction data on stoichiometric NiS 2 show a transition at 40°K to a structure which can be described as ordering of the first kind. This is followed by an abrupt transition at 30°K in which additional diffraction peaks appear and these are consistent with ordering of the second kind. Despite the fact that the powder data cannot indicate an unambiguous magnetic structure, the magnitude of the ordered moment can be fixed. The rms moments associated with ordering of the first and second kinds are 1.0 and 0.60 µ B per nickel atom, respectively, and the total moment is 1.17 µ B per nickel atom.
WE‐C‐304A‐01: A‐Se Flat‐Panel (FP) Detector Based Scan Equalization Digital Radiography (SEDR) System: A Chest Phantom Study

Purpose: To implement an a‐Se FP detector based SEDR system for chest imaging and to investigate scatter rejection properties and low‐contrast performance of the system.Method and Materials: A prototype SEDR system was implemented with an a‐Se FP detector to improve image quality in heavily attenuating regions. Slot‐scan imaging geometry was used to reduce x‐ray scatter without attenuating primary x‐rays by modifying FP's readout for electronic aft‐collimation. A 24‐segment fan‐beam width modulator assembly was developed to equalize x‐ray exposures at detector input for more uniform image SNRs. A 2‐mm thick lead plate with a 2‐D array of aperture holes was used to measure primary signals which were then subtracted from those obtained without the lead plate to determine scatter components. A 2‐D array of aluminum beads (3mm) was used as low‐contrast objects to measure the contrast ratios (CRs) and contrast‐to‐noise ratios (CNRs) for evaluating low‐contrast performance in chest images. Two images acquired with same techniques were subtracted from each other for measuring the noise levels. SPRs, SNRs, CRs and CNRs of the SEDR images were measured and compared with those of slot‐scan and full‐field images acquired with and without anti‐scatter grid. Results: Both SEDR and slot‐scan techniques resulted in lower SPRs, improved SNRs, CRs, and CNRs than anti‐scatter grid technique in all regions. The improvement is more pronounced in heavily attenuating regions: SEDR technique produced the best CNRs and the lowest SPRs, followed in order by slot‐scan and anti‐scatter grid techniques. Conclusion: SEDR technique can reject scatter effectively without attenuating primary x‐rays. Furthermore, it improves image SNRs and CNRs in heavily attenuating regions by modulating x‐ray intensities regionally and compensating for x‐ray attenuation by patient's anatomy.Acknowledgement: This work was supported in part by grants CA104759 and CA124585 from NIH‐NCI, a grant EB00117 from NIH‐NIBIB, and a subcontract from NIST‐ATP.
Diethanolamine alters neurogenesis and induces apoptosis in fetal mouse hippocampus

Diethanolamine (DEA) is present in many consumer products such as shampoo. Dermal administration of DEA diminishes hepatic stores of the essential nutrient choline, and we previously reported that dietary choline deficiency during pregnancy reduces neurogenesis and increases apoptosis in the hippocampus of fetal rats and mice. Therefore, DEA could also alter brain development. Timed-pregnant C57BL/6 mice were dosed dermally from gestation day 7 through 17 with DEA at 0, 20, 80, 160, 320, and 640 mg/kg body/day. At doses of DEA > 80 mg/kg body/day, we observed decreased litter size. In fetuses (embryonic day 17) collected from dams treated dermally with 80 mg/kg body/day DEA, we observed decreased neural progenitor cell mitosis at the ventricular surface of the ventricular zone of the hippocampus [to 56+/-14% (se) histone 3 (H3) phosphorylation as compared to controls; P < 0.01]. We also observed increased apoptosis in fetal hippocampus (to 170+/-10% of control measured using TUNEL and to 178+/-7% of control measured using activated caspase 3; P < 0.01). Thus, maternal exposure to DEA reduces the number of neural progenitor cells in hippocampus by two mechanisms, and this could permanently alter memory function in offspring of mothers exposed to this common ingredient of shampoos and soaps.
Reconceptualising diasporic intellectual networks: mobile scholars in transnational space

In this article, we explore how Chinese scholars in the USA recount their transnational collaborations and linkages. Guided by post-colonial theories and cultural studies of transnational academic mobility, we utilise in-depth interviews to resituate the scholars' experiences within a discourse of diasporic intellectual networks. We argue that their movement is not simply a transfer from one physical location to another, but rather that the movement itself constitutes a new space of identification, of belonging and of global imagination. We conclude by considering the transnational implications of local agency for global connectivity and emergence of new subjectivities in a fluid global world.
High resolution numerical schemes for solving kinematic wave equation

Summary This paper compares the stability, accuracy, and computational cost of several numerical methods for solving the kinematic wave equation. The numerical methods include the second-order MacCormack finite difference scheme, the MacCormack scheme with a dissipative interface, the second-order MUSCL finite volume scheme, and the fifth-order WENO finite volume scheme. These numerical schemes are tested against several synthetic cases and an overland flow experiment, which include shock wave, rarefaction wave, wave steepening, uniform/non-uniform rainfall generated overland flows, and flow over a channel of varying bed slope. The results show that the MacCormack scheme is not a Total Variation Diminishing (TVD) scheme because oscillatory solutions occurred at the presence of shock wave, rarefaction wave, and overland flow over rapidly varying bed slopes. The MacCormack scheme with a dissipative interface is free of oscillation but with considerable diffusions. The Godunov-type schemes are accurate and stable when dealing with discontinuous waves. Furthermore the Godunov-type schemes, like MUSCL and WENO scheme, are needed for simulating surface flow from spatially non-uniformly distributed rainfalls over irregular terrains using moderate computing resources on current personal computers.
Femtosecond Spectroscopy of a 13-Demethylrhodopsin Visual Pigment Analogue: The Role of Nonbonded Interactions in the Isomerization Process

The photoisomerization reaction of the visual pigment analogue 11-cis-13-demethylrhodopsin is investigated using femtosecond pump−probe techniques. Following excitation with a 40-fs pump pulse at 500 nm, differential transient absorption spectra are measured from 470 to 560 nm using a 10-fs probe pulse centered at 500 nm and from 560 to 650 nm using a 10-fs probe pulse centered at 620 nm. The persistence of the excited-state absorption, the recovery kinetics of the ground-state bleach, and the formation time of the photoproduct absorption all indicate that this photoisomerization reaction is complete on the 400-fs time scale. Comparison of the reaction dynamics of 11-cis-rhodopsin with 11-cis-13-demethylrhodopsin suggests that the removal of the nonbonded steric interaction between the C13-methyl group and the C10-hydrogen atom slows down the initial torsional dynamics and that this in turn results in a lower isomerization quantum yield and a slower overall reaction time. Our results support the hypothesi...
Videoendoscopy and photodetection : linearity of a new integrated system

Abstract Simultaneous videoendoscopy and photodetection has potential for improving the assessment of changes in velopharyngeal (VP) movements and closure over time during speech. The purpose of this project was to examine the linearity of a new system, including a pediatric bronchoscope with an internal instrument channel through which the photodetector fiber was positioned. The results led to the conclusion that the response of the new system was linear. However, further examination indicated that system positioning variables had important effects on the overall level of photodetector light detection. These observations confirm the importance of monitoring and controlling the position of the endoscope-photodetector apparatus in the nasopharynx when using the system to evaluate velopharyngeal movement and closure for speech.
World history in context

World history can provide a context for regional and national histories, but what is the context for world history itself? If world history is about the history of human beings, asking this question means asking about the place of human beings within modern knowledge. While most traditional cosmologies put humans at the center of the picture, the temporal and spatial scales of modern science are so vast that humans can seem to vanish entirely. Yet if we order the contents of our universe by complexity rather than by size or longevity, things look different. This paper explores arguments suggesting that human societies and their evolution may be among the most complex objects available for scientific study. Such conclusions hint at the significance of world history beyond the history profession and also suggest the extraordinary difficulty of the challenges world historians face.
When will information retrieval be "good enough"?

We describe a user study that examined the relationship between the quality of an Information Retrieval system and the effectiveness of its users in performing a task. The task involves finding answer facets of questions pertaining to a collection of newswire documents over a six month period. We artificially created sets of ranked lists at increasing levels of quality by blending the output of a state-of-the-art retrieval system with truth data created by annotators. Subjects performed the task by using these ranked lists to guide their labeling of answer passages in the retrieved articles. We found that as system accuracy improves, subject time on task and error rate decrease, and the rate of finding new correct answers increases. There is a large intermediary region in which the utility difference is not significant; our results suggest that there is some threshold of accuracy for this task beyond which user utility improves rapidly, but more experiments are needed to examine the area around that threshold closely.
Chinese Walls in the Law Firm: Locked Door or Open Sesame?

Recent case law suggests a reluctance on the part of the courts to allow the Chinese wall within law firms as a device to prevent conflicts of interest. This paper examines the recent case law and considers whether the courts' reasoning is justified. The author suggests that the validity of the Chinese wall should be considered on a case‐by‐case basis rather than by a near irrefutable presumption against it He then sets out a series of safeguards which might create an effective Chinese wall.
Biomechanical measures of knee joint mobilization.

AbstractBackground and purpose: The purpose of this study was to quantify the biomechanical properties of specific manual therapy techniques in patients with symptomatic knee osteoarthritis.Methods: Twenty subjects (7 female/13 male, age 54±8 years, ht 1·7±0·1 m, wt 94·2±21·8 kg) participated in this study. One physical therapist delivered joint mobilizations (tibiofemoral extension and flexion; patellofemoral medial–lateral and inferior glide) at two grades (Maitland’s grade III and grade IV). A capacitance-based pressure mat was used to capture biomechanical characteristics of force and frequency during 2 trials of 15 second mobilizations. Statistical analysis included intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC3,1) for intrarater reliability and 2×4 repeated measures analyses of variance and post-hoc comparison tests.Results: Force (Newtons) measurements (mean, max.) for grade III were: extension 45, 74; flexion 39, 61; medial–lateral glide 20, 34; inferior glide 16, 27. Force (Newtons) measurements (mean,...
Private information retrieval

In this chapter we turn our attention to the second main subject of the book, namely, private information retrieval. Recall that private information retrieval schemes are cryptographic protocols designed to safeguard the privacy of database users by allowing clients to retrieve records from replicated databases while completely hiding the identity of the retrieved records from the database owners.
Binding of terbium(III) to yeast enolase

Several independent criteria indicate 2 mol of terbium(III) bind to yeast enolase in the absence of substrate-fluorescence titrations of enzyme and metal, effects on thermal stability and published ultrafiltration and inhibition experiments. These measurements also suggest the terbium binding sites are the same as those normally occupied by “conformational” magnesium. Terbium binds much more strongly than magnesium, however, and measurements of the kinetics of the absorbance change in the terbium-enzyme on adding excess EDTA suggest the terbium-enzyme dissociation constant is about 1500 that of the magnesium-enzyme. Measurements of enzyme activity as a function of substrate concentration show that terbium permits no enzymatic activity. However, magnesium competes more effectively with the lanthanide if the substrate analogue 3-aminoenolpyruvate 2-phosphate (AEP) is present. The fluorescence of the lanthanide is not readily observed on exciting the terbium-enzyme at 280 nm, indicating the absence of tyrosines or tryptophans in the coordination sphere of the metal. Excitation of terbium using 488 nm radiation from an argon ion laser shows the fluorescence of the metal is enhanced by binding to the enzyme. EDTA and carbonate have similar effects. This suggests carboxyl groups are involved in binding metal at the conformational sites of yeast enolase. Measurements of lifetimes of enzyme-bound terbium in the presence and absence of D2O indicated three moles of water remained on each of the bound metals, independently of the buffer used. If enzyme-bound terbium is assumed to be nine-coordinate, the metal must bind to six groups from the enzyme. The presence of substrate does not markedly affect the emission spectrum of the bound terbium or the number of water molecules remaining on the metal, but calorimetric measurements show that substrate binds to the terbium enzyme.
Biases of PIV measurement of turbulent flow and the masked correlation-based interrogation algorithm

Influences of evaluation bias of the correlation-based interrogation algorithm on particle image velocimetry (PIV) measurement of turbulent flow are investigated. Experimental tests in the Iowa Institute of Hydraulic Research towing tank with a towed PIV system and a surface-piercing flat plate and simulations demonstrate that the experimentally determined mean velocity and Reynolds stress components are affected by the evaluation bias and the gradient of the evaluation bias, respectively. The evaluation bias and gradient of the evaluation bias can both be minimized effectively by using Gaussian digital masks on the interrogation window, so that the measurement uncertainty can be reduced.
The effect of uncertainty on estimates of hurricane surge hazards

It is shown here that uncertainty can significantly affect estimated surge levels over a wide range of annual exceedance probabilities (AEPs). For AEPs in the range of 1 × 10−2–5 × 10−2 in the New Orleans area, estimated surge values with and without consideration of uncertainty differ by about 0.5–1.0 m. Similarly, suppression of natural variability, such as using a single value for Mississippi River discharge in surge simulations, rather than allowing the discharge to vary probabilistically, is shown to produce deviations up to 1 m for the 1 × 10−2 AEP in locations within the mainline river levees in this area. It is also shown that uncertainty can play a critical role in the analysis of very low probability events in the AEP range 1 × 10−4–1 × 10−6. Such events are typically used in designs of structures with major societal impacts. It is shown here that, for this range of AEPs along the west coast of Florida, the neglect of uncertainty can under-predict design surge levels by about 20 % compared to estimated surge levels that include uncertainty.
Product Development and Learning in Project Teams: The Challenges Are the Benefits*

The value of teams in new product development (NPD) is undeniable. Both the interdisciplinary nature of the work and industry trends necessitate that professionals from different functions work together on development projects to create the highest-quality product in the shortest time. Understanding the conditions that facilitate teamwork has been a pursuit of researchers for nearly a half century. The present paper reviews existing literature on teams and team learning in organizational behavior and technology and innovation to offer insights for research on NPD teams. Building on prior work, the organizational benefits of NPD teams are summarized, and five attributes of these teams are identified that hinder attainment of their potential: (1) project complexity; (2) cross-functionality; (3) temporary membership; (4) fluid team boundaries; and (5) embeddedness in organizational structures. It is argued here that effective management of these five attributes allows not only organization-level benefits but also team-level benefits in the form of new capabilities and team member resilience. The critical roles of leadership and of communication and conflict management training are then highlighted as strategies for overcoming the challenges to team effectiveness in NPD as well as for realizing five team benefits: (1) project management skills; (2) broad perspective; (3) teaming skills; (4) expanded social network; and (5) boundary-spanning skills. The paper concludes with a discussion of the implications of these ideas for conducting future team research.
Allopurinol enhances the blood pressure lowering effect of enalapril in children with hyperuricemic essential hypertension

Essential hypertension is frequently associated with hyperuricemia in both adult and pediatric patients. Lowering serum uric acid level may provide greater benefit than simply treating hypertension. Forty-four adolescents, aged 12–19 years, newly diagnosed as essential hypertension (secondary hypertension was excluded) and previously untreated were randomized (open label trial) to receive either enalapril or enalapril plus allopurinol in combination. All participants had baseline serum uric acid level ≥5.5 mg/dl. Baseline mean blood pressure (BP), age and body mass index were similar between the two groups. After 8 weeks’ treatment, BP reduction was greater, percent of treatment group achieving target BP level was greater, and serum uric acid level was lower in the combination treatment group. There were no adverse effects during the course of therapy. Results suggest that uric acid reduction may be used as adjunctive antihypertensive therapy in hypertensive adolescents with hyperuricemia while closely monitoring for any adverse effect.
What Mary Did Yesterday: Reflections on Knowledge-wh

Reductionists about knowledge-wh hold that “s knows-wh” (e.g. “John knows who stole his car”) is reducible to “there is a proposition p such that s knows that p, and p answers the indirect question of the wh-clause.” Anti-reductionists hold that “s knows-wh” is reducible to “s knows that p, as the true answer to the indirect question of the wh-clause.” I argue that both of these positions are defective. I then offer a new analysis of knowledge-wh as a special kind of de re knowledge.
Insights into the Specificity of Neisserial Opa Protein Interactions with Human Receptors

Pathogenic Neisseria gonorrhoeae, the causative agent of gonorrhea, possess a family of outer membrane proteins referred to as opacity-associated (Opa) proteins. These Opa proteins are β-barrel outer membrane proteins that bind to human host cell receptors, inducing engulfment of the bacterium. To date, there have been over 300 distinct opa alleles sequenced. The differences in sequence have stemmed primarily from recombination events, and are most pronounced in two regions of the protein in the second and third extracellular loops (termed hypervariable regions, HV1 and HV2). These HV regions are responsible for determining receptor specificity. The most abundant Opa family engages human CEACAM receptors (carcino-embryonic antigen-like cellular adhesion molecules). While the Opa protein family has conserved structural elements, the molecular determinants of the receptor interactions are unknown. We aim to compare the function of a variety of Opa proteins reconstituted into liposomes in order to define how differences in Opa sequence and structure determine receptor binding. To investigate the structural motif for Opa-receptor recognition and engagement, we are employing techniques that will yield both low and high resolution models of the Opa-receptor complex. Affinities for a variety of CEACAM-binding Opa family members were determined using fluorescence polarization, with dissociation constant values ranging from ∼1-10 nM. To determine which specific amino acids are involved in receptor recognition, competition assays were performed using different peptides that mimic segments of the HV regions of Opa proteins. X-ray crystallography of the Opa-CEACAM complex is being pursued for a higher resolution understanding, and progress towards the structure will be presented. The results of these experiments provide insights into the specific molecular determinants of Opa protein interactions with host receptors.
A test of two theories for the low‐frequency cutoffs of nonthermal continuum radiation

A discussion and analysis of two theories that differently identify the low-frequency cutoffs of nonthermal continuum radiation are presented. The cold plasma theory and an alternate one proposed by Jones (1976) are compared experimentally with the use of continuum radiation data obtained in the outer magnetosphere by the Imp 6 and ISEE 1 spacecraft. It is found that the characteristics of this specific radiation are consistent with those expected of ordinary and extraordinary mode waves described by the cold plasma theory and it is shown that the cutoff frequencies occur at the local plasma frequency and R = 0 cutoff frequency as proposed by the same theory. The inconsistencies which were found between the Jones theory (1976) and observation are presented, and in addition no evidence is found for a component of continuum radiation propagating in the Z mode in the outer magnetosphere.
Identification of specific leech neurones immunoreactive to enkephalin

The small endogenous peptides, Met- and Leu-enkephalin, bind to the same specific receptors as opiate analgesics. They, and the larger endorphin peptides, have been widely found in mammals, where they seem to have a significant role in neuronal pathways mediating pain and emotional behaviour. Only recently has enkephalin-like activity been identified in an invertebrate, the earthworm1, although there is some preliminary evidence for opiate receptors in a marine mollusc2. Here I report the detection, by an immunocytochemical technique, of an enkephalin-like moiety which is localised in one of the 400 cells of each posterior midbody ganglion of the leech. The presence of enkephalin-like activity in an identifiable easily accessible neurone of a well characterised nervous system such as that of the leech3–5 could greatly facilitate elucidation of its mechanism of action.
Immunocytochemical staining of neuropeptide Y (NPY) in the insular lobe of the monkey: a light microscopic study.

Abstract Neuropeptide Y (NPY) has been detected immunocytochemically in cerebral cortex and subcortical white matter of the primate frontal, parietal, temporal, and occipital lobes. Because little is known about NPY in the primate insular lobe and because peptides play an important role in normal neuronal functioning and alterations in brain peptides are associated with certain neurological diseases, we studied the presence, distribution, and structural characteristics of NPY-immunostained elements at the light microscopic level in the insula ofMacaca fascicularis. We used free-floating sections, rabbit anti-porcine NPY serum, and the avidin and biotinylated peroxidase complex technique. Neuropeptide Y-immunostained neurons were demonstrated in layers II, III, and V/VI, and in the adjoining subcortical white matter. Immunostaining was localized to neuronal somata, neuronal processes, and a delicate plexus in the neuropil. The majority of NPY-immunostained neurons were non-pyramidal, had round somata 10–20 μm in major transverse diameter, and two or three neuronal processes. Computer-aided quantitative analysis of the length, breadth, and area of NPY-stained neurons was performed. Our findings are consistent with observations by others on the presence, laminar distribution, and structural characteristics of NPY-immunostained elements at the light microscoscopic level in other cerebral lobes of non-human primates.
Migratory Superficial Thrombophlebitis in a Cannabis Smoker

A 28-year-old previously healthy man presented with a 5-year history of recurrent painful subcutaneous nodules in varying locations, including both legs, left foot, hand, and groin. He initially spontaneously developed a 1-cm nodule in his right calf that progressed over 2 days to 4 cm in length and then resolved, with the entire episode lasting 5 days. The patient reported >10 similar events occurring once every few weeks in different locations. He denied tobacco use. There was no family history of venous thromboembolism. Examination revealed a mildly erythematous and tender nodular cord in the patient’s right upper leg (Figure 1). Figure 1. The patient’s right upper leg revealing an erythematous and …
Dry deposition and resuspension of particle-associated metals near a freeway in Los Angeles

Abstract Dry atmospheric deposition represents a potentially large source of pollutant metal contamination in urban stormwater runoff, yet there is a limited amount of research on the relationship between atmospheric emissions and water quality problems in urban areas. In Los Angeles, with air quality that ranks among the worst in the United States, significant quantities of toxic materials are released into the atmosphere every day, and paved road dust represents the largest source of particle-associated metal emissions to the atmosphere. In order to better understand the role of roadways as a source of localized metal deposition, we characterized the horizontal dry deposition patterns of chromium, copper, lead, nickel and zinc upwind and at increasing distances downwind of the I-405 Freeway in coastal Los Angeles. Dry deposition fluxes and atmospheric concentrations of these metals were highest at the site closest to the freeway, and reduced to approximately urban background concentrations between 10 and 150 m downwind of the freeway. Compared with urban background, atmospheric particle size distributions indicated the freeway was a significant source of these metals on large particles >6 μm in diameter, which deposit close to their source and account for the increased dry deposition flux rates observed near the freeway. The spatial pattern of measured deposition flux was well predicted by a relatively simple line-source Gaussian plume model modified to include particle deposition and resuspension. The model results indicated dilution by vertical dispersion of the plume was the most important mechanism regulating downwind concentrations and deposition.
The association of lesion-induced reductions in brain monoamines with alterations in striatal carbohydrate metabolism.

— –Changes in glycogen, glucose, lactate and monoamine levels in various brain structures were studied after unilateral diencephalic lesions in the rat. These lesions were placed to transect the fibres of the medial forebrain bundle within the lateral hypothalamus as well as to encroach upon the medial aspect of the internal capsule. Such lesions are known to produce unilateral reduction of telencephalic monoamines rostral to the lesion. In paraformaldehyde-perfused brain, the level of glycogen increased by 30 per cent (+0 82 μmol/g) in the caudate nucleus ipsilateral to the lesion in comparison to that in the caudate of the non-lesioned side. Other telencephalic areas, as well as cerebellum and brainstem, showed no significant change in glycogen levels. In brains from unanaesthetized rats, frozen 15–30 s after decapitation (to simulate anoxia, with consequent glycogen mobilization), a caudate-containing sample from the lesion side had 31 per cent (+0 51 μmol/g) more glycogen than a comparable sample from the control side. Glucose levels were also elevated by 72 per cent (+0 05 μmol/g, whereas lactate levels were not significantly changed. Similar samples obtained from animals 3anaesthetized with phenobarbital for 2 h prior to killing showed a 76 per cent increase in glycogen in both lesion and control caudate nuclei when compared to those obtained from the unanaesthetized group. Glycogen levels were increased by 15 per cent (+0 41 μmol/g) and glucose by 72 per cent (+0 31 μmol/g) on the lesion side in comparison to the values obtained from the control side in the anaesthetized group. Lactate levels were not significantly affected. The dopamine levels in these caudate samples from the lesion side were reduced by 97 and 88 per cent in the unanaesthetized and anaesthetized animals, respectively. In samples of caudate allowed to glycolyse under anoxic conditions for 10 min, the amount of lactate found on the lesion side was increased 29 per cent over that found in identical samples from the non-lesioned side. Dopamine was reduced by 78 per cent in these samples. The remaining telencephalic areas exhibited no significant side to side difference in lactate levels despite a 71 per cent decrease in their levels of norepinephrine. These findings demonstrate that glycogen metabolism in the neostriatum is affected by diencephalic lesions which result in a loss of striatal monoamines, observations suggesting that brain biogenic amines may play a role in the regulation of neuronal metabolism in the neostriatum.
MR imaging of benign hepatic tumors.

MR imaging is widely used for the diagnosis of liver tumors, reflecting its ability to distinguish benign from malignant tumors on the basis of various data acquired, such as T1, T2, and early and late postgadolinium images. Benign tumors of the liver are classified pathologically by their cell origin. Lesions of epithelial origin include focal nodular hyperplasias (FNH), hepatocellular adenomas, hepatic cysts, and biliary hamartomas. Lesions of mesenchymal origin include hemangiomas, angiomyolipomas, and lipomas. Typical MR imaging characteristics can be observed in most cases. In this article we review the MR imaging features of benign tumors of the liver.
A simple construction of nonstandard finite-difference schemes for small nonlinear systems applied to SIR models

We present a simple mathematical construction for nonstandard finite-difference (NSFD) schemes for small systems of nonlinear differential equations using standard differential equation approximation techniques such as introducing artificial viscosity and a predictor-corrector scheme. The construction creates an explicit scheme. We begin by considering the NSFD scheme of Mickens and that of Erdogan and Ozis for first-order equations. The latter's method formulates a method to calculate some of the denominator functions and nonlocal approximations that characterize Mickens' scheme. We extend the analysis of Erdogan and Ozis by presenting a construction for second-order nonlinear autonomous functions that naturally generates the numerator and denominator functions for Mickens' equivalent schemes. We extend this result to systems of up to three differential equations and demonstrate the simply constructed scheme's computational advantages to handle transitions between linear and nonlinear problems as well as with the inclusion or exclusion of nonhomogeneous constant terms. We include applications using the SIR model for whooping cough with a constant and nonconstant, for example, seasonally affected, transmission rate.
Intrahepatic Distribution of Hydrochlorothiazide and Quinidine in Rats: Implications in Pharmacokinetics

Abstract The intrahepatic distributions of a nonmetabolized drug, hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ) and a highly metabolized drug, quinidine (QD), were studied separately in five anesthetized rats during steady- state intravenous infusion. Liver samples (20-24) from various parts (0.1-0.2 g each) at the end of infusion were collected from each rat and analyzed for drug concentration by HPLC. The distribution of HCTZ in various macro regions appears quite “homogeneous,” with a CV of drug concentration for each rat ranging from 2.6 to 4.7% (grand mean, 3.7 ± 0.8%), whereas that of QD seems less “homogeneous,” with a CV ranging from 8.5 to 28.3% (grand mean, 15.6 ± 7.7%). The above results indicate that drugs that are not complicated by hepatic metabolism may tend to show more “homogeneous” distribution and those that are highly metabolized and/or known to strongly bind to hepatic tissue components) may show less “homogeneous” distribution. The results from the present QD study are in contrast with the general, much more heterogeneous distribution found in an isolated in situ perfusion study reported earlier. The implication of (he present study in physiological pharmacokinetic and hepatic modeling is discussed.
Take me home: designing safer in-vehicle navigation devices

In this paper we will propose a new design for a safer and more usable In-Vehicle Navigation System. In order to focus our design on safety and usability, we generated several design points based on prior research. From our design points, we are able to propose a design for a system which uses voice controls as the primary input modality, and the rear-view mirror as a Heads-Up Display. In addition, we will propose displaying limited amounts of information to decrease the likeliness of a driver's focus straying away from the road. If we are able to show that our design is superior to current commercial navigation devices, we will continue to apply our design points and system design towards other aspects of In-Vehicle Information Systems.
The Almost Obvious Case for a Transcendental Understanding of Life

The follow-up to the Human Genome Project has found very little to connect variations in our DNA blueprints to some of our basic individual characteristics. This very surprising "missing heritability" problem, plus a number of existing underappreciated challenges to the DNA-based model, together are consistent with an underlying complementary transcendental contribution to life. Some of the behavioral challenges for DNA and the material-only model are quite suggestive of transcendental contributions. This possible overlap between an apparent hole in the scientific understanding of life and the common premodern transcendental perspective is introduced here.
Importance of Aggressive Blood Pressure Lowering When It May Matter Most

Variation in blood pressure levels follows a reproducible circadian pattern, characterized by low levels during sleep and a rapid increase during the early-morning period. The incidence of cardiovascular events displays a similar circadian variation, with peak occurrence coinciding with the early-morning blood pressure surge. Numerous prospective studies have shown that blood pressure measured over a 24-hour period is superior to clinic blood pressure in predicting future cardiovascular events. Thus, the use of ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) to identify patients at risk of cardiovascular events could improve the management of the patient with hypertension. ABPM has also become widely adopted to evaluate antihypertensive therapeutic options that might provide blood pressure reduction throughout the 24-hour dosing interval. Recently, community-based trials have shown that it is feasible to perform ABPM-oriented research in nonresearch environments. This allows us to better understand the efficacy of antihypertensive therapies in a "real-world" setting. Studies of this nature can even assess blood pressure control in the early-morning period by sequestering data before and after awakening.
A Programmed Translational Frameshift is Required for the Synthesis of a Bacteriophage λ Tail Assembly Protein

Two proteins, one of 31 kDa and one of 16 kDa, are encoded by a segment of the phage lambda tail gene region that contains two overlapping reading frames, neither of which is long enough to encode the larger protein. We show that the abundant 16-kDa protein (gpG) is encoded by the upstream open reading frame, gene G. The 31-kDa protein, gpG-T, is encoded jointly by gene G and the overlapping downstream T open reading frame. gpG-T is synthesized as the result of a translational frameshift that occurs when a ribosome translating the G gene slips back by one nucleotide at a position six codons from the C terminus of the gene and thereby bypasses the G termination codon to continue on in the T open reading frame. The resulting protein shares 135 residues of N-terminal amino acid sequence with gpG, followed by 144 amino acid residues of unique sequence. The frameshift event occurs with a frequency of approximately 4% at the sequence G GGA AAG, which encodes the dipeptide -Gly-Lys- in both the zero and -1 reading frames. The frameshift frequencies of point mutants in this "slippery sequence" argue that codon-anticodon interactions with both the glycyl and the lysyl-tRNA are important for frameshifting to occur. We find no clear evidence for a pausing mechanism to enhance frameshifting, as is seen in other well-characterized frameshifts. No simple secondary structure has been predicted for the region downstream from the slippery sequence, but this downstream sequence does contribute to the frameshifting rate. Our results together with those of Katsura and Kuhl show that the frameshift product, gpG-T, has an essential role in lambda tail assembly, acting prior to tail shaft assembly. The role of gpG in tail assembly is not known. We find that both gpG and the gpG-T are absent from mature virions.
Composite pulses without phase distortion

Abstract Composite pulses for broadband spin excitation over large ranges of radiofrequency field amplitudes and resonance offsets are presented. They are derived according to a previously presented method based on the Magnus expansion in the manner of coherent averaging theory. It is shown theoretically and in simulations that these composite pulses do not introduce a strong dependence of the NMR signal phase on the rf amplitude or resonance offset, overcoming a common problem of composite pulses derived by other means. Experimental demonstrations include the use of composite π pulses for refocusing transverse magnetization in spin-echo sequences and the use of composite π 2 pulses in a simple multiple-pulse experiment. Further applications are discussed.
Double mitral valve orifice and primary pulmonary hypertension

We describe the combination of double mitral valve orifice of the complete bridge variety, or type 1, and primary pulmonary hypertension, a previously unreported association. The complete diagnosis was established by two-dimensional Doppler echocardiography and the hemodynamics corroborated by cardiac catheterization.
The Attentional Boost Effect: Transient increases in attention to one task enhance performance in a second task

Recent work on event perception suggests that perceptual processing increases when events change. An important question is how such changes influence the way other information is processed, particularly during dual-task performance. In this study, participants monitored a long series of distractor items for an occasional target as they simultaneously encoded unrelated background scenes. The appearance of an occasional target could have two opposite effects on the secondary task: It could draw attention away from the second task, or, as a change in the ongoing event, it could improve secondary task performance. Results were consistent with the second possibility. Memory for scenes presented simultaneously with the targets was better than memory for scenes that preceded or followed the targets. This effect was observed when the primary detection task involved visual feature oddball detection, auditory oddball detection, and visual color-shape conjunction detection. It was eliminated when the detection task was omitted, and when it required an arbitrary response mapping. The appearance of occasional, task-relevant events appears to trigger a temporal orienting response that facilitates processing of concurrently attended information (Attentional Boost Effect).
Inference and the Use of Similes and Metaphors in Warnings

Warning content must be written to assure that the user knows how to apply the information at the appropriate time. Since the warning cannot provide information about all possible circumstances, in...