cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Factors Associated with Nocturnal Bruxism and Its Treatment

Using a single-subject design, two methods of treating nocturnal bruxism were evaluated. Neither technique was successful; both resulted in a rebound effect when treatment was stopped. In addition, the role of anxiety in bruxing behavior was evaluated. Contrary to most theoretical beliefs, bruxing resulting from anxiety was not as important as "anticipatory" anxiety resulting in bruxing.
A comparison of activities of metabolic enzymes in lizards and rats

Abstract 1. 1. Protein-specific activities of metabolically important enzymes were measured in liver and skeletal muscle homogenates from three species of lizards, Sauromalus hispidus and Dipsosaurus dorsalis (Iguanidae) and Varanus gouldii (Varanidae), and laboratory rats. 2. 2. Phosphofructokinase activity was relatively high in the muscle tissue of the iguanid lizards, which rely heavily on anaerobic metabolism during activity. Other enzymes had similar activities in all species of lizards. 3. 3. The soluble (anaerobic) enzymes had equal activities in the lizards and the rat; however, the mitochondrial (aerobic) enzymes were approximately one-fifth as active in the reptiles. 4. 4. This differential activity parallels differences in organismal oxygen consumption and is probably due to a lower number of mitochondria in the reptilian tissue. The implications of this differential activity for the evolution of homeothermy are discussed.
Pavement Marking Degradation Modeling and Analysis

The objective of this research was to determine the performance characteristics of thermoplastic pavement markings in North Carolina and to create viable degradation models. Additionally, an evaluation of paint pavement-marking materials was conducted and models were created for them as well. The resulting models provide pavement-marking managers with valuable tools that will allow them to focus limited resources where they are most needed and avoid replacing materials with effective life still remaining in them. Consideration was given to the analysis of the relationships between pavement-marking retroreflectivity values and variables such as time, traffic volume, and marking color. Unique to this research is the inclusion of lateral location as a key variable affecting the performance of pavement markings. Another key contribution to pavement-marking management from this research was the development and use of level of service increments for describing the status of a given marking at some point in time. Using the tools reported herein an expected service life for thermoplastic and paint pavement markings in North Carolina can be estimated. A key finding of the research is that the markings have a far greater life expectancy than originally expected. Combining our predictive tool with level of service increments provides a holistic infrastructure management approach to pavement markings.
Ribosomal Features Essential for tna Operon Induction: Tryptophan Binding at the Peptidyl Transferase Center

Features of the amino acid sequence of the TnaC nascent peptide are recognized by the translating ribosome. Recognition leads to tryptophan binding within the translating ribosome, inhibiting the termination of tnaC translation and preventing Rho-dependent transcription termination in the tna operon leader region. It was previously shown that inserting an adenine residue at position 751 or introducing the U2609C change in 23S rRNA or introducing the K90W replacement in ribosomal protein L22 prevented tryptophan induction of tna operon expression. It was also observed that an adenine at position 752 of 23S rRNA was required for induction. In the current study, the explanation for the lack of induction by these altered ribosomes was investigated. Using isolated TnaC-ribosome complexes, it was shown that although tryptophan inhibits puromycin cleavage of TnaC-tRNAPro with wild-type ribosome complexes, it does not inhibit cleavage with the four mutant ribosome complexes examined. Similarly, tryptophan prevents sparsomycin inhibition of TnaC-tRNAPro cleavage with wild-type ribosome complexes but not with these mutant ribosome complexes. Additionally, a nucleotide located close to the peptidyl transferase center, A2572, which was protected from methylation by tryptophan with wild-type ribosome complexes, was not protected with mutant ribosome complexes. These findings identify specific ribosomal residues located in the ribosome exit tunnel that recognize features of the TnaC peptide. This recognition creates a free tryptophan-binding site in the peptidyl transferase center, where bound tryptophan inhibits peptidyl transferase activity.
Creep and Stress Rupture Testing of Polyethylene Sheet under Equal Biaxial Tensile Stresses

A medium density (approximately 0.94 g/cm 3 ) polyethylene sheet, approximately 1.5 mm thick, was subjected to equal biaxial tension stresses by way of an axisymmetric loading system. Tests were conducted at room temperature and at loads of ≤ 60 % of the product's short term ultimate load capability to generate creep data under this loading regime. Tests were also carried out at 60 and 80°C to evaluate the stress rupture characteristics of the product. The experimental apparatus and test conditions are described. Creep data are presented in the form of isochronous stress-strain curves. Stress rupture data for ductile yielding failures are also presented
Multiplexed detection of molecular biomarkers with phase-change nanoparticles.

This review describes a new biosensing method based on nanoparticles of solid-to-liquid phase-change materials, in which a panel of metallic nanoparticles (metals and eutectic alloys) that have different compositions and melting temperatures are used as thermal reporters. Each type of nanoparticle will be conjugated to a ligand that can specifically bind to one type of molecular biomarker (protein or DNA) and then immobilized onto a substrate that is comodified with multiple ligands by forming sandwiched antibody–antigen complexes or DNA double helices. After removing unbound nanoparticles by washing, the nature and concentration of the biomarkers are determined by detecting the melting temperature and fusion enthalpy of the nanoparticles using differential scanning calorimetry. Furthermore, an even larger panel of thermal barcodes can be formed by encapsulating selected phase-change nanoparticles inside non-melting shells, such as silica, where each microparticle will have a characteristic signature that...
P61A mutation in the factor for inversion stimulation results in a thermostable dimeric intermediate.

The factor for inversion stimulation (FIS) is a homodimeric DNA-binding protein found in enteric bacteria. FIS consists of 98 residues and self-assembles into an entwined dimer containing a flexible and mostly disordered N-terminus followed by four α-helices. Proline 61, which is 100% conserved in FIS homologues, is located at the center of helix B, and its substitution for alanine (P61A) was previously shown to result in nonuniform stabilization of the protein, leading to the appearance of a marginally populated dimeric intermediate in urea denaturation equilibrium studies. Here we show that, in contrast to WT FIS, the thermal denaturation of P61A FIS was incomplete and yielded a transition curve that was independent of FIS concentration, suggesting the presence of a dimeric intermediate at 90 °C. In the presence of urea, the thermal denaturation of P61A FIS became concentration dependent, consistent with the denaturation of the dimeric intermediate. The existence of a thermostable dimeric intermediate o...
Genetic variance in honey bees for preferred foraging distance

Abstract Abstract. In a colony of honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) containing two identifiable subfamilies, one subfamily preferentially attended a feeding station close to their hive, rather than a more distant station. Bees working at their 'preferred' distance executed communication dances at a higher frequency than bees working at their non-preferred distance. Recruited bees preferentially attended dances that described a feeding site at their subfamily-preferred distance. Analysis of dances performed by these bees for natural sources of food confirmed that these subfamilies had the foraging distance preferences suggested by the feeding station experiment. Different distributions of subfamily dances were found in all three colonies examined. These results suggest that specialism in foraging tasks may improve colony foraging efficiency and may help maintain polyandry in the species.
Proactive congestion controls for the support of variable bit rate services on broadband satellite networks-a feasibility study

The feasibility of proactive congestion controls for the support of real-time variable bit rate services on wideband-broadband networks with large bandwidth delay products, e.g. broadband satellite networks, is examined. The method is based on congestion anticipation which is made possible due to correlations that multimedia traffic exhibits. We have used realistic models for traffic in low-earth-orbit, medium-earth- orbit and geosynchronous-earth-orbit satellite systems. It has been shown that the approach is effective; this indicates matching of the time-scales of these correlations with the delays involved.
Intercellular Adhesion Molecule‐1 (ICAM‐1) and HLA‐DR Antigens Are Expressed on Endovascular Cytotrophoblasts in Abnormal Pregnancies

PROBLEM: We asked if the lack of normal trophoblastic invasion of spiral arteries in the basal plate of abnormal pregnancies was associated with the expression of HLA-DR antigens and intercellular adhesion moleculer (ICAM-1) on endovascular cytotrophoblasts. METHOD: The basal plates of placentae from 15 normal and 55 abnormal pregnancies, including preeclampsia, small-for-gestational age infants, and mothers with history of secondary recurrent spontaneous abortion, were studied immnunocytochemically by using monoclonal antibodies to HLA-DR and ICAM-1. Spiral and uteroplacemal arteries were identified by using a triple antibody technique with antibodies to cytokeratin, α-smooth muscle actin, and von Willebrand factor to detect cytotrophoblasts, arterial smooth muscle cells, and endothelium, respectively. RESULTS: Placentae with normal placentation showed the presence of uteroplacental arteries that cortained endovascular cytotrophoblasts that were negative for HLA-DR and ICAM-1 antigens. Placentae from abnormal pregnancies showed the presence of spiral arteries without trophoblastic invasion and uteroplacental arteries that were surrounded by numerous macrophages and T lymphocytes. Endovascular cytotrophoblasts in uteroplacental arteries of placentae from abnormal pregnancies reacted with antibodies to HLA-DR and ICAM-1 antigens. CONCLUSION: Placentae from normal pregnancies show uteroplacental arteries that contain endovascular cytotrophoblasts that do not react with antibodies to ICAM-1 and HLA-DR antigens, and placentae from abnormal pregnancies with uteroplacental arteries that are associated with arteries that do not show physiological changes contain endovascular cytotrophoblasts that react with antibodies to ICAM-1 and HLA-DR antigens. Normal uteroplacental arteries were found to he not surrounded by round cell infiltrates, but uteroplacental arteries associated with arteries that lack physiological changes were surrounded by round cell infiltrates, indicating that round cell infiltrates and endovascular cytotrophoblasts which react with antibodies to ICAM-1 and HLA-DR antigens are associated with abnormal pregrancies. These findings suggest that the cellular infiltrates are associated with endovascular cytotrophoblasts that react with ICAM-1 and HLA-DR antigens
Effect of Varying Levels of DL-Tryptophan in Diet on Dental Caries in Rats.

SummaryDental caries experience in rats was studied following feeding of varying levels of DL-tryptophan as a constituent of a cariogenic diet. When either 0.6 or 1.8 g/kilo tryptophan was added to the diet there was an increase in dental caries, although the differences were not significant. When the diet contained 5.4 g/kilo tryptophan there was a significant increase in incidence of dental caries. Concomitant with the increased dietary tryptophan level, there was an increased salivary tryptophan concentration.
Systemic lupus erythematosus: immunopathogenesis of neurologic dysfunction.

Neurologic complications of systemic lupus erythematous (neuro-SLE) are common. The most frequent manifestations of neuro-SLE are seizures, encephalopathy, and behavioral changes, but a wide variety of other neurologic abnormalities affecting the central and peripheral nervous system and muscle also occur. Although the prevalence of neuro-SLE is high, the diversity of clinical presentations, the multiple potential etiologies, and the absence of sensitive and specific diagnostic tests render diagnosis difficult. Recent advances in understanding mechanisms of neuronal dysfunction combined with advances in imaging techniques, including functional imaging, should help in diagnosis and management. The mechanisms of neurologic injury can be divided into three broad categories. First, neuronal dysfunction may result from direct effects of the immune system on brain cells such as autoantibody binding to cell surface, immune complex deposition with secondary inflammation, and effects of cytokines. Second, immune- mediated injury to supportive structures such as the vasculature may also affect the nervous system by producing ischemia. Finally, the neuraxis may be affected by any one of several immune and non- immune effects of infection, toxins, and metabolic disturbances.
Ankle arthroscopy: current applications and techniques

Abstract Ankle arthroscopy has become a valuable diagnostic and therapeutic tool in the treatment of foot and ankledisorders. Technical advances and an expanding body of clinical data have both expanded and refined the indications for ankle arthroscopy. Current applications and techniques are outlined in this paper. Indications for ankle arthroscopy are addressed as well as operative set-up, portal placement and instrumentation. In addition, techniques are described for the arthroscopic treatment of osteochondral lesions, soft tissue impingement, and bony impingement lesions. Finally, complications of ankle arthroscopy are discussed, and references of current literature on the subject are provided.
Tei index of myocardial performance applied to the right ventricle in normal dogs

Right ventricular (RV) dysfunction is a cause of exercise intolerance, hypotension, syncope, and heart failure in dogs with cardiac and respiratory disorders. The study objective was to determine Doppler-derived reference values that reflect global RV function in healthy dogs. We measured systolic time intervals and an RV index of myocardial performance (IMP) in 45 healthy dogs between 8 months and 8 years of age. Pulsed-wave Doppler recordings of mitral, tricuspid, aortic, and pulmonic were acquired. Pre-ejection period (PEP), ejection time (ET), PEP/ET, and IMP were determined for both ventricles by separate cardiac cycles. Compared to the mean left ventricular (LV) IMP (0.410; 95% confidence intervals [CI] 0.378-0.442), mean RV IMP (0.250; 95% CI 0.222-0.278) was significantly smaller, and mean ET for the RV (187 millisecond [ms]; 95% CI 182-192) was significantly longer than the LV (173 ms; 95% CI 168-179). A clinically relevant correlation was not found among RV IMP and body weight, heart rate, RV ET, RV PEP, or RV PEP/ET. Calculation of LV IMP with 2 separate sample volumes yielded smaller values than from a single sample volume, with a difference in means of 0.040. We conclude that the RV IMP is relatively independent of body weight and heart rate within the ranges studied and is consistently lower than values derived from the LV in healthy dogs. This study provides additional reference values for RV function in dogs and may be useful for identification of RV dysfunction in dogs.
Experimental determination of sorption in fractured flow systems.

Abstract Fracture “skins” are alteration zones on fracture surfaces created by a variety of biological, chemical, and physical processes. Skins increase surface area, where sorption occurs, compared to the unaltered rock matrix. This study examines the sorption of organic solutes on altered fracture surfaces in an experimental fracture-flow apparatus. Fracture skins containing abundant metal oxides, clays, and organic material from the Breathitt Formation (Kentucky, USA) were collected in a manner such that skin surface integrity was maintained. The samples were reassembled in the lab in a flow-through apparatus that simulated ∼2.7 m of a linear fracture “conduit.” A dual-tracer injection scheme was utilized with the sorbing or reactive tracer compared to a non-reactive tracer (chloride) injected simultaneously. Sorption was assessed from the ratio of the first temporal moments of the breakthrough curves and from the loss of reactive tracer mass and evaluated as a function of flow velocity and solute type. The breakthrough curves suggest dual-flow regimes in the fracture with both sorbing and non-sorbing flow fields. Significant sorption occurs for the reactive components, and sorption increased with decreasing flow rate and decreasing compound solubility. Based on moment analysis, however, there was little retardation of the center of solute mass. These data suggest that non-equilibrium sorption processes dominate and that slow desorption and boundary layer diffusion cause extensive tailing in the breakthrough curves.
Generating random networks from a given distribution

Several variations are given for an algorithm that generates random networks approximately respecting the probabilities given by any likelihood function, such as from a p^* social network model. A novel use of the genetic algorithm is incorporated in these methods, which improves its applicability to the degenerate distributions that can arise with p^* models. Our approach includes a convenient way to find the high-probability items of an arbitrary network distribution function.
Investigating the Effect of Carbon Shape on Virus Adsorption

Batch adsorption isotherm and column breakthrough studies were conducted to compare two types of activated carbon with very different structural characteristics; granular Calgon F-400 and an activated carbon fiber composite (ACFC). Carbons were evaluated for virus adsorption capacity using a bacteriophage, MS2. Two mesh fractions of each carbon type were used in batch adsorption studies to determine empirical isotherm coefficients from linear regression analysis. Freundlich isotherm models adequately described MS2 bacteriophage adsorption to both carbon types. Adsorption capacity was found to vary with carbon size for both types of carbon but for different reasons. Although adsorption isotherm capacities would have predicted the GAC carbon to provide better removals than the ACFC, carbon breakthrough column performance for equal weights of material showed virus removal to be markedly more efficient on a gram-to-gram basis for ACFC than for GAC.
Novel Characterization and Live Imaging of Schlemm's Canal Expressing Prox-1

Schlemm's canal is an important structure of the conventional aqueous humor outflow pathway and is critically involved in regulating the intraocular pressure. In this study, we report a novel finding that prospero homeobox protein 1 (Prox-1), the master control gene for lymphatic development, is expressed in Schlemm's canal. Moreover, we provide a novel in vivo method of visualizing Schlemm's canal using a transgenic mouse model of Prox-1-green fluorescent protein (GFP). The anatomical location of Prox-1+ Schlemm's canal was further confirmed by in vivo gonioscopic examination and ex vivo immunohistochemical analysis. Additionally, we show that the Schlemm's canal is distinguishable from typical lymphatic vessels by lack of lymphatic vessel endothelial hyaluronan receptor (LYVE-1) expression and absence of apparent sprouting reaction when inflammatory lymphangiogenesis occurred in the cornea. Taken together, our findings offer new insights into Schlemm's canal and provide a new experimental model for live imaging of this critical structure to help further our understanding of the aqueous humor outflow. This may lead to new avenues toward the development of novel therapeutic intervention for relevant diseases, most notably glaucoma.
The tRNA specificity of Thermus thermophilus EF-Tu.

By introducing a GAC anticodon, 21 different Escherichia coli tRNAs were misacylated with either phenylalanine or valine and assayed for their affinity to Thermus thermophilus elongation factor Tu (EF-Tu)⋅GTP by using a ribonuclease protection assay. The presence of a common esterified amino acid permits the thermodynamic contribution of each tRNA body to the overall affinity to be evaluated. The E. coli elongator tRNAs exhibit a wide range of binding affinities that varied from −11.7 kcal/mol for Val-tRNAGlu to −8.1 kcal/mol for Val-tRNATyr, clearly establishing EF-Tu⋅GTP as a sequence-specific RNA-binding protein. Because the ionic strength dependence of koff varied among tRNAs, some of the affinity differences are the results of a different number of phosphate contacts formed between tRNA and protein. Because EF-Tu is known to contact only the phosphodiester backbone of tRNA, the observed specificity must be a consequence of an indirect readout mechanism.
Do emergency department patients receive a pathological diagnosis? A nationally-representative sample.

Introduction: Understanding the cause of patients’ symptoms often requires identifying a pathological diagnosis. A single-center study found that many patients discharged from the emergency department (ED) do not receive a pathological diagnosis. We analyzed 17 years of data from the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NHAMCS) to identify the proportion of patients who received a pathological diagnosis at ED discharge. We hypothesized that many patients do not receive a pathological diagnosis, and that the proportion of pathological diagnoses increased between 1993 and 2009. Methods: Using the NHAMCS data from 1993-2009, we analyzed visits of patients age ≥18 years, discharged from the ED, who had presented with the three most common chief complaints: chest pain, abdominal pain, and headache. Discharge diagnoses were coded as symptomatic versus pathological based on a pre-defined coding system. We compared weighted annual proportions of pathological discharge diagnoses with 95% CIs and used logistic regression to test for trend. Results: Among 299,919 sampled visits, 44,742 met inclusion criteria, allowing us to estimate that there were 164 million adult ED visits presenting with the three chief complaints and then discharged home. Among these visits, the proportions with pathological discharge diagnosis were 55%, 71%, and 70% for chest pain, abdominal pain, and headache, respectively. The total proportion of those with a pathological discharge diagnosis decreased between 1993 and 2009, from 72% (95% CI, 69-75%) to 63% (95% CI, 59-66%). In the multivariable logistic regression model, those more likely to receive pathological diagnoses were females, African-American as compared to Caucasian, and self-pay patients. Those more likely to receive a symptomatic diagnosis were patients aged 30-79 years, with visits to EDs in the South or West regions, and seen by a physician in the ED. Conclusion: In this analysis of a nationally-representative database of ED visits, many patients were discharged from the ED without a pathological diagnosis that explained the likely cause of their symptoms. Despite advances in diagnostic testing, the proportion of pathological discharge diagnoses decreased. Future studies should investigate reasons for not providing a pathological diagnosis and how this may affect clinical outcomes. [West J Emerg Med. 2015;16(1):–0.]
A high-level approach to computer document formatting

The very best document-formatting system is a good secretary. He can be given scrawled handwritten text in no particular format, and without further instruction produce a flawless finished document. Nevertheless, we believe that document formatting should be done by computers, because so much of it is the tedium that computers handle so well. Existing computer document formatting programs have met with some success; indeed, most computer systems offer some sort of text formatting capability. These programs are often difficult to use, and are almost invariably tied to a particular kind of printing device.The document-formatting language Scribe was designed to provide a simple, portable language in which document formatting could be specified; the Scribe compiler was written to process that language into finished documents. In following sections we describe the design goals, the implementation, and report on experience with the completed system.
US-Guided Percutaneous Thrombin Injection Of Upper Extremity Pseudoaneurysms

Objectives: While percutaneous thrombin injection for treatment of lower extremity pseudoaneurysms (PSA) is well documented, little has been published regarding this technique in the upper extremity. The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of ultrasonography-guided (US-guided) percutaneous thrombin injection for the treatment of upper extremity brachial and radial artery PSAs. Methods: Retrospective single institution study from January 2009 to December 2012. Demographics, PSA size, thrombin dose, therapy outcome, and complications were documented. Post treatment success was confirmed with Duplex US. Results: Between January 2009 and December 2012, 86 upper extremity arterial duplex ultrasounds were performed for a clinical suspicion of an upper extremity PSA. 18 ultrasounds (20.9%) demonstrated an iatrogenic upper extremity PSA. Mean age was 73.5 6 10.6 years and 67% (n 1⁄4 12) were female. Nine patients (50%) developed a PSA after removal of 6 French sheath, five (28%) after removal of a 5 French sheath, two (11%) following removal of a 4 French sheath, one after failed PICC line insertion and one following removal of a brachial arterial line. Fourteen upper extremity PSAs (77.8%) in 18 patients were treated with US-guided thrombin injection. Three of the 14 (21.4%) were radial artery PSAs and 11 (78.6%) were brachial artery PSAs. Thirteen of the 14 (92.9%) attempts at US-guided thrombin injection were successful with a single injection. The mean injected thrombin dose was 2079 IU (range 300-8000). There were no thrombotic or embolic complications at a mean follow-up of 19.4 months. Conclusions: US-guided thrombin injection is safe and effective for the treatment of iatrogenic brachial and radial artery PSAs.
Rapid Group-, Serotype-, and Vaccine Strain-Specific Identification of Poliovirus Isolates by Real-Time Reverse Transcription-PCR Using Degenerate Primers and Probes Containing Deoxyinosine Residues

We have adapted our previously described poliovirus diagnostic reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) assays to a real-time RT-PCR (rRT-PCR) format. Our highly specific assays and rRT-PCR reagents are designed for use in the WHO Global Polio Laboratory Network for rapid and large-scale identification of poliovirus field isolates.
The BvgAS virulence control system regulates type III secretion in Bordetella bronchiseptica

The BvgAS signal transduction system in Bordetella spp. mediates a transition between infectious (Bvg+) and non-infectious (Bvg−) phases by sensing environmental conditions and regulating gene expression. Using differential display, arbitrary-primed polymerase chain reaction (PCR), we identified a gene expressed in the Bvg+ phase of Bordetella bronchiseptica that shows a high degree of sequence similarity to a locus involved in providing energy for type III secretion in pathogenic Gram-negative bacteria (yscN in Yersinia spp.). We determined that the expression of this homologue in B. bronchiseptica (designated bscN ) is regulated by bvg. Several open reading frames surrounding the bscN locus also show sequence similarity to loci encoding type III secretion apparatus components in other bacteria. An in-frame deletion of bscN in B. bronchiseptica leads to decreased secretion of several proteins, decreased cytotoxicity towards cultured cell lines and a defect in causing tyrosine dephosphorylation of specific proteins in infected cells in vitro. The deletion strain also revealed that bscN-mediated secretion is required for persistent colonization of the trachea in a rat infection model. Loci encoding type III secretion homologues were identified in four strains of B. pertussis and two strains of B. parapertussis. B. pertussis strain 18323 and an ovine isolate of B. parapertussis show significant transcription of the genes in vitro.
Cutting Edge: The Role of IFN-α Receptor and MyD88 Signaling in Induction of IL-15 Expression In Vivo

IL-15 plays a multifaceted role in immune homeostasis, but the unreliability of IL-15 detection has stymied exploration of IL-15 regulation in vivo. To visualize IL-15 expression, we created a transgenic mouse expressing emerald-GFP (EmGFP) under IL-15 promoter control. EmGFP/IL-15 was prevalent in innate cells including dendritic cells (DCs), macrophages, and monocytes. However, DC subsets expressed varying levels of EmGFP/IL-15 with CD8(+) DCs constitutively expressing EmGFP/IL-15 and CD8(-) DCs expressing low EmGFP/IL-15 levels. Virus infection resulted in IL-15 upregulation in both subsets. By crossing the transgenic mice to mice deficient in specific elements of innate signaling, we found a cell-intrinsic dependency of DCs and Ly6C(+) monocytes on IFN-α receptor expression for EmGFP/IL-15 upregulation after vesicular stomatitis virus infection. In contrast, myeloid cells did not require the expression of MyD88 to upregulate EmGFP/IL-15 expression. These findings provide evidence of previously unappreciated regulation of IL-15 expression in myeloid lineages during homeostasis and following infection.
Toward a self-healing protection and control system

This paper first presents a review of the current technology in power system protection and control, including the protective relays, local controls and system controls. Then, this paper presents a couple of typical scenarios to illustrate the possible problems with the existing technology. Next, this paper proposes the vision of a self-healing protection and control system based on real-time, look-ahead simulation such as in every 5 to 15 minutes. This is different from the present technology such as Special Protection Scheme, which is based on a large amount of offline simulation runs. Last, challenges and technology gaps to implement the proposed idea are discussed.
An Opioidergic Cortical Antinociception Triggering Site in the Agranular Insular Cortex of the Rat that Contributes to Morphine Antinociception

We report an anatomically defined opioid-responsive site in the rostral agranular insular cortex (RAIC) of the rat and characterize the antinociception produced by morphine acting within this region. Immunohistochemistry for the μ-opioid receptor identified a discretely localized cluster of densely labeled dendrite-like processes in the agranular insular cortex. The antinociceptive effect of morphine microinjected unilaterally into this area was evaluated using the formalin test. Antinociception was observed in both ipsilateral and contralateral hindpaws. Local pretreatment with naltrexone in the RAIC blocked the antinociception of local morphine injection, confirming that morphine was acting at an opioid receptor. Unilateral injection of naloxone methiodide into the RAIC reversed the behavioral antinociception of systemic morphine bilaterally in the formalin test. Evidence for a descending inhibitory mechanism acting on spinal nociceptive neurons was obtained by monitoring noxious stimulus-induced c-fos expression in rats having undergone formalin testing and by electrophysiological recording of single units in the lumbar dorsal horn after localized application of morphine into the RAIC. A significant reduction in the number of Fos-like immunoreactive neurons was found ipsilateral to the formalin stimulus in nociresponsive areas of the dorsal horn after on-site injections of morphine into the RAIC. Electrophysiological recording of nociresponsive dorsal horn neurons demonstrated a naloxone-reversible reduction in noxious thermal stimulus-evoked firing after morphine injection into this same area. These results suggest that the RAIC contributes to opioid-receptor-mediated antinociception after either local or systemic morphine administration and that these effects may be associated with an increased descending inhibition of dorsal horn neurons.
Yin and Yang of Myocardial Transforming Growth Factor-β1 Timing Is Everything

Ischemic heart disease is a leading cause of chronic myocardial failure and mortality in the United States.1 After myocardial infarction (MI), the heart undergoes a well-characterized process of deleterious structural and molecular remodeling, marked by ventricular dilation, infarct wall thinning, and replacement fibrosis, with a corresponding progressive impairment of contractile function.2 Recent work has suggested that supplementation of myocardial cells with exogenous bone marrow–derived stem cell populations may have the potential to regenerate lost cardiomyocytes and slow, or even reverse, the remodeling process.3 Although the importance of both postinjury myocardial remodeling and regeneration are well accepted, the critical mechanisms that underlie these processes remain unclear. As insight into the biology of myocardial injury and dysfunction increases, the role of stress-activated cytokines has achieved particular prominence.4 Two articles in this issue of Circulation highlight the importance of the stress-activated cytokine, transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1, in mediating the complex processes of cardiac remodeling and regeneration. See pp 2430 and 2438 First isolated >20 years ago, TGF-β was identified from sarcoma cells based on its ability to potentiate the transforming and proliferative actions of epidermal growth factor on non-neoplastic fibroblasts.5,6 Since then, the TGF-β family has grown rapidly and at present consists of >30 structurally related members, including TGF-β1. This diverse cytokine superfamily has been subgrouped according to sequence similarity and specific downstream signaling pathways into the TGF-β/activin/nodal family and the bone morphogenic protein/growth and differentiation factor/Muellerian inhibiting …
Estimators of the Magnitude-Squared Spectrum and Methods for Incorporating SNR Uncertainty

Statistical estimators of the magnitude-squared spectrum are derived based on the assumption that the magnitude-squared spectrum of the noisy speech signal can be computed as the sum of the (clean) signal and noise magnitude-squared spectra. Maximum a posterior (MAP) and minimum mean square error (MMSE) estimators are derived based on a Gaussian statistical model. The gain function of the MAP estimator was found to be identical to the gain function used in the ideal binary mask (IdBM) that is widely used in computational auditory scene analysis (CASA). As such, it was binary and assumed the value of 1 if the local signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) exceeded 0 dB, and assumed the value of 0 otherwise. By modeling the local instantaneous SNR as an F-distributed random variable, soft masking methods were derived incorporating SNR uncertainty. The soft masking method, in particular, which weighted the noisy magnitude-squared spectrum by the a priori probability that the local SNR exceeds 0 dB was shown to be identical to the Wiener gain function. Results indicated that the proposed estimators yielded significantly better speech quality than the conventional minimum mean square error spectral power estimators, in terms of yielding lower residual noise and lower speech distortion.
Low-noise, low DC power linear amplifiers

Low-noise, low-DC-power linear amplifiers using high-dynamic-range GaAs/int FETs are discussed. Noise figures as low as dB have been achieved in a Ku-band amplifier simultaneously with over 36-dBm OIP3 and 18-dB gain with only 655 mW of DC power. A wideband distributed amplifier has shown average midband 7-dB gain and noise figure together with 37-dBm OIP3 with 800 mW of DC power. Greatly improved second-order intercept points (OIP2) have been observed in the distributed amplifier as compared to typical ion-implanted MESFET amplifiers. A dual-gate version, of the distributed amplifier demonstrated significant dynamic range advantages over its ion-implanted FET counterpart. Overall, state-of-the-art results in terms of simultaneous linearity, noise figure, gain-bandwidth, and DC power consumption have been achieved. >
Aggressive oral refeeding in hospitalized patients.

Malnutrition is an important clinical condi- tion leading to increased morbidity and mortality. This report describes an aggressive oral refeeding program of high-caloric foods, which was instituted in severely anorectic patients be- cause of their refusal to eat meals or supplements. After ascer- taming a patient's favorite sweet, hospital personnel and family collaborated in providing the food. Frequently, sweets were the patient's only intake for weeks. We saw a gradual return of ap- petite, inclusion of other foods in the diet, and overall clinical improvement in comorbid conditions. These cases suggest that aggressive oral refeeding with high-caloric foods is an underuti- lized therapy for multiply impaired elderly patients. Am J C/in Nutr 1990;52:967-8.
Expression of bcl-2 inhibits necrotic neural cell death.

Cell death has been described as either apoptotic, in which the cell actively participates, or necrotic, in which the cell is felt to be passive. The proto-oncogene bcl-2 has been shown to inhibit apoptosis in some hematopoietic and neural cells, by an unknown mechanism. We demonstrate that bcl-2 inhibits the necrosis of neural cells induced by glutathione depletion. This finding demonstrates that bcl-2 does not inhibit the cellular death program directly; rather, bcl-2 modulates a cellular process that leads to apoptosis under some conditions but necrosis under others. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Understanding manipulation in video

Manipulations are a significant subset of human gestures that are distinguished by the fact that their logic and meaning are particularly clear, being heavily constrained by physical causality. We present techniques and causal semantics for interpreting video of manipulation tasks such as disassembly. Psychologically-based causal constraints are used to detect meaningful changes in the integrity and motions of foreground segmented blobs; a small causal model of manipulation is used to disambiguate and parse these into a coherent account of video's action. The causal constraints are drawn from studies of infant perceptual development; as with infants, they precede and may possibly even bootstrap the ability to reliably segment still objects. Our implementation produces a script of the causal evolution of the scene-output that supports cartoon summary, automated editing, and higher-level reasoning.
Histone Deacetylases 6 and 9 and Sirtuin-1 Control Foxp3+ Regulatory T Cell Function Through Shared and Isoform-Specific Mechanisms

Therapeutic inhibition of the histone deacetylases HDAC6, HDAC9, or sirtuin-1 (Sirt1) augments the suppressive functions of regulatory T cells (T(regs)) that contain the transcription factor Foxp3 (Forkhead box P3) and is useful in organ transplant patients or patients with autoimmune diseases. However, it is unclear whether distinct mechanisms are involved for each HDAC or whether combined inhibition of HDACs would be more effective. We compared the suppressive functions of T(regs) from wild-type C57BL/6 mice with those from mice with either complete or cell-specific deletion of various HDACs, as well as with those of T(regs) treated with isoform-selective HDAC inhibitors. The improvement of T(reg) suppressive function mediated by inhibition of HDAC6, but not Sirt1, required an intact heat shock response. Although HDAC6, HDAC9, and Sirt1 all deacetylated Foxp3, each protein had different effects on transcription factors that control expression of the gene encoding Foxp3. For example, loss of HDAC9, but not other HDACs, was associated with stabilization of the acetylated form of signal transducer and activator of transcription 5 (STAT5) and promoted its transcriptional activity. Thus, targeting different HDACs increased T(reg) function through multiple and additive mechanisms, which suggests the therapeutic potential for using combinations of HDAC inhibitors in the management of autoimmunity and organ transplantation.
The Essence of Native American Nursing

This article emerged at the "Gathering of Wisdom: American Indian Nursing Summit III," which took place in October 1997 on the Flathead Indian Reservations in Polson, Montana. This gathering described and clarified the distinctiveness of Native American nursing. Nursing literature has explored the essence of nursing from a variety of perspectives. This article describes a process of discovery in which seven themes emerged on the essence of Native American nursing. These themes, in ascending order of significance, are caring, traditions, respect, connection, holism, trust, and spirituality. These themes are connected and interwoven throughout the center of Native American culture and can provide a creative outlook for transcultural nursing and nursing in general. Furthermore, these themes provide a vehicle for care delivery innovation.
A hybrid finite element method for scattering and radiation by microstrip path antennas and arrays residing in a cavity

A hybrid numerical technique is presented for a characterization of the scattering and radiation properties of microstrip patch antennas and arrays residing in a cavity recessed in a ground plane. The technique combines the finite-element and boundary integral methods to formulate a system for the solution of the fields at the aperture and those inside the cavity via the biconjugate gradient method in conjunction with the fast Fourier transform (FFT). By virtue of the finite-element method, the proposed technique is applicable to patch antennas and arrays residing on or embedded in a layered dielectric substrate and is also capable of treating various feed configurations and impedance loads. Several numerical results are presented, demonstrating the validity, efficiency, and capability of the technique. >
Comparative experiments with a new adaptive controller for robot arms

A model-based adaptive controller and proof of its global asymptotic stability with respect to the standard rigid-body model of robot-arm dynamics are presented. Experimental data from a study of one new and several established globally asymptotically stable adaptive controllers on two very different robot arms: (1) demonstrate the superior tracking performance afforded by the model-based algorithms over conventional PD control; (2) demonstrate and compare the superior performance of adaptive model-based algorithms over their nonadaptive counterparts; (3) reconcile several previous contrasting empirical studies; and (4) examine contexts that compromise their advantage. >
Discovery and Analysis of Evolutionarily Conserved Intronic Splicing Regulatory Elements

Knowledge of the functional cis-regulatory elements that regulate constitutive and alternative pre-mRNA splicing is fundamental for biology and medicine. Here we undertook a genome-wide comparative genomics approach using available mammalian genomes to identify conserved intronic splicing regulatory elements (ISREs). Our approach yielded 314 ISREs, and insertions of ~70 ISREs between competing splice sites demonstrated that 84% of ISREs altered 5' and 94% altered 3' splice site choice in human cells. Consistent with our experiments, comparisons of ISREs to known splicing regulatory elements revealed that 40%-45% of ISREs might have dual roles as exonic splicing silencers. Supporting a role for ISREs in alternative splicing, we found that 30%-50% of ISREs were enriched near alternatively spliced (AS) exons, and included almost all known binding sites of tissue-specific alternative splicing factors. Further, we observed that genes harboring ISRE-proximal exons have biases for tissue expression and molecular functions that are ISRE-specific. Finally, we discovered that for Nova1, neuronal PTB, hnRNP C, and FOX1, the most frequently occurring ISRE proximal to an alternative conserved exon in the splicing factor strongly resembled its own known RNA binding site, suggesting a novel application of ISRE density and the propensity for splicing factors to auto-regulate to associate RNA binding sites to splicing factors. Our results demonstrate that ISREs are crucial building blocks in understanding general and tissue-specific AS regulation and the biological pathways and functions regulated by these AS events.
Splicing and Dicing MYC-Mediated Synthetic Lethality

In a recent issue of Nature, Hsu and colleagues report that oncogenic MYC activation is synthetic lethal with inhibition of the core spliceosome, because MYC-driven growth and increased transcription leave tumors dependent on pre-mRNA processing for survival. As direct targeting of MYC has remained elusive, synthetic lethal strategies are attractive.
The effects of the actin cytoskeleton on the transverse mechanical properties of skeletal muscle cells

This study examined the contributions of actin filaments and actomyosin cytoskeleton to the transverse mechanical properties of skeletal muscle cells. The study is motivated by the goal of understanding the molecular mechanism behind skeletal myoblast transplantation, a promising therapeutic approach for myocardial repair. Using atomic force microscopy (AFM), the apparent elastic modulus, E/sub app/, of the skeletal muscle cells upon treated with either cytochalasin D (CD), an actin depolymerizer, or 2,3-Butanedione 2-Monoxime (BDM), an inhibitor of myosin ATPase, were measured over a 30-minute period of the addition of drug. The appearance of mature sarcomeres was detected on differentiation day 6 with confocal microscopy. Results showed that for both treatments, E/sub app/ decreased over time. The decreasing trend was consistent for all differentiation days. Very slight hysteresis was observed during the measurements of E/sub app/, which suggested that viscous contributions were not alter by treatment with either drugs. The decreased elastic modulus, when treated with CD or BDM, suggested that actin filaments and actomyosin cytoskeleton both play a very important role in the elastic properties of the skeletal muscle cells.
Reuse of scenario specifications using an automated relational learner: a lightweight approach

With the growing popularity of object-oriented technology, specification by use cases has grown. Since use cases provide a bridge from the informal descriptions gathered from user interviews to the more formal software model, use cases are being considered a prominent part of software analysis. Yet, tools to assist the development of use cases are rare, especially, in practice. Our study aims to provide use case reuse, while relying only on the semantics of UML and the diagrams typically used by analysis. We present an automated technique that provides for the assisted reuse of use cases. A software analyst defines an initial description of a use case. An automated graph-based relational learner then retrieves a set of similar use cases from a database. The results of a preliminary application of our approach suggest that it can assist in the classification as well as retrieval of use cases.
Fostering Online Student Participation

The challenges of teaching online include encouraging student participation. Although many instructors would like to increase participation in their online courses, there is no established body of knowledge on the various forms such participation may take, or how it should be evaluated. This paper outlines two major pedagogical approaches, the transmission model and the transformation model and suggests that the transformation model is uniquely suited for online learning. Once the preferred model is established, guidance in ways to foster online student participation is provided.