cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Prediction of human clearance (CL) and volume of distribution (VD).

The crucial pharmacokinetic parameters ‘volume of distribution’ and ‘human clearance’ determine the extent and duration a compound remains in an organism. Potential drug candidates will fail to become successful drugs on the market without favorable values for these parameters, even if they are most efficacious at the target in vitro . The prediction of volume of distribution and human clearance in drug research and development is a key technology to assess possible drug candidates.
Comparing Pre-Operative Predictions and Post-Operative Fontan Hemodynamic Outcomes: Implications for Computer-Based Surgery Planning

Computer-based surgical planning of cardiothoracic surgery is a new paradigm that uses engineering tools to model and evaluate patient-specific surgical options and thus provide insights on the hemodynamic implications of a given design. In this study, the total cavopulmonary palliation of single ventricle defects serves as a test-bed for such techniques by comparing the output of pre-operative modeling to hemodynamic outcomes derived from post-operative imaging. The resulting accuracy of the models demonstrates that, despite the inherent challenges, surgical planning is a viable reality in single ventricle cardiothoracic surgery that can potentially deliver significant clinical impact.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
FORMATION OF α‐1,2‐ AND α‐1,3‐LINKED MANNOSE DISACCHARIDES FROM MANNOSYL RETINYL PHOSPHATE BY RAT LIVER MEMBRANE ENZYMES*,†

Mannosyl retinyl phosphate (MRP) was an active substrate for the transfer of mannose to methyl-alpha-D-mannose (CH3-alpha-man), p-nitrophenyl-alpha-D-mannose, and free mannose. The products formed during MRP incubation with CH3-alpha-man or with mannose were alpha-linked. The disaccharides formed by incubation of MRP with mannose were identified by paper chromatography and electrophoresis as mannose-alpha-1,2-mannose and mannose-alpha-1,3-mannose. Triton X-100 greatly inhibited mannose-alpha-1,3-mannose synthesis. In the absence of detergent, MnCl2, NiCl2, and ZnCl2 inhibited synthesis of both products. Formation of mannose-alpha-1,3-mannose was more sensitive to preincubation of the enzyme at 40 degrees C then was synthesis of mannose-alpha-1,2-mannose. No differences in membrane mannosyltransferase activity with MRP, compared to DMP, could be demonstrated.
Fine structure of the chloroplast membranes of Euglena gracilis as revealed by freeze-cleaving and deep-etching techniques.

The chloroplasts ofEuglena gracilis have been examined by freeze-cleaving and deep-etching techniques. The two chloroplast envelope membranes exhibit distinct fracture faces which do not resemble any of the thylakoid fracture faces. Freeze-cleaved thylakoid membranes reveal four split inner faces. Two of these faces correspond to stacked membrane regions, and two to unstacked regions. Analysis of particle sizes on the exposed faces has revealed certain differences from other chloroplast systems, which are discussed. Thylakoid membranes inEuglena are shown to reveal a constant number of particles per unit area (based on the total particle number for both complementary faces) whether they are stacked or unstacked. Deep-etchedEuglena thylakoid membranes show two additional faces, which correspond to true inner and outer thylakoid surfaces. Both of these surfaces carry very uniform populations of particles. Those on the external surface (the A surface) are round and possess a diameter of approximately 9.5 nm. Those on the inner surface (the D surface) appear rectangular (as paired subunits) and measure approximately 10 nm in width and 18 nm in length. Distribution counts of particles show that the number of particles per unit area revealed by freeze-cleaving within the thylakoid membrane approximates closely the number of particles exposed on the external thylakoid surface (the A surface) by deep-etching. The possible significance of this correlation is discussed. The distribution of rectangular particles on the inner surface of the thylakoid sac (D surface) seems to be the same in both stacked and unstacked membrane regions. We have found no correlation between the D surface particles and any clearly defined population of particles on internal, freeze-cleaved membrane faces. These and other observations suggest that stacked and unstacked membranes are similar, if not identical in internal structure.
Differential polypeptide patterns in imbibed dormant and after-ripened Avena fatua embryos

To test the hypothesis that differential gene expression is responsible for maintaining seed dormancy in wild oat (Avena fatua L.), we compared the polypeptide patterns of dormant and after-ripened (non-dormant) embryos of the inbred line M73. Polypeptides labelled in vivo or translated in vitro were separated by two dimensional electrophoresis followed by fluorography. Many of the newly synthesized proteins were more abundant in dormant embryos, while only a few were more prevalent in after-ripened embryos. The results demonstrate that steady-state levels of specific proteins and/or mRNAs differ between dormant and after-ripened embryos during early inhibition, and these differences may be associated with maintaining and/or breaking seed dormancy
Effect of electron trapping on IGFET characteristics

At large applied voltages, electrons flowing from the source to the drain of a n-channel insulated-gate field-effect transistor (IGFET) may gain sufficient energy from the high-field region near the drain to be emitted into the gate insulator layer near the drain junction. The trapping of these hot electrons in the gate insulator results in transconductance degradation and/or threshold voltage shift. There is also evidence of surface-state generation resulting from hot-electron emission into the SiO2 layer. The extent of the resultant transconductance degradation and/or threshold shift depends strongly on the electron trapping characteristics of the gate insulator. For devices having SiO2/Si3N4 as gate insulator, electron trapping is completely dominated by the Si3N4 layer. In this case, channel hot-electron effect results in threshold shift alone. For devices having SiO2 as gate insulator, the trapping characteristics depend on its positive oxide-charge concentration. In this case, channel hot-electron effect results in a combination of transconductance degradation and threshold shift.
S-100 beta and insulin-like growth factor-II differentially regulate growth of developing serotonin and dopamine neurons in vitro

To study the phenotypic specificity of S-100 beta and insulin-like growth factor II (IGF-II) for developing monoamine neurons, serotonin (5-HT) neurons from the embryonic day 14 (E14) rostral raphe or dopamine (TH) neurons from the substantia nigra/ventral tegmental area were cultured for 3 days in vitro (3 DIV) in the presence of these factors. Neuronotrophic effects were analyzed by computer-assisted morphometry of 5-HT and TH-immunoreactive neurons. S-100 beta and IGF-II differentially regulated the growth of 5-HT and TH neurons but did not affect their survival. S-100 beta significantly increased several parameters of neurite outgrowth by 5-HT neurons but inhibited the spatial extent (field area) of TH neurites. IGF-II promoted growth of cell bodies of both phenotype, but only stimulated neurite outgrowth by TH neurons. S-100 beta and IGF-II differentially affected the number of GFAP immunoreactive cells from raphe and substantia nigra, but these effects did not correlate with the specificity of neuronotrophic effects. S-100 beta and IGF-II immunoreactivities were expressed in glial cultures derived from the same brain regions, raising the possibility that these factors have autocrine effects on glia as well as paracrine actions on neurons. The results of this study suggest that specificity of neurotrophic factors for particular embryonic neurons may be correlated with their neurotransmitter phenotype.
Subunits of the extracellular hemoglobin of Arenicola marina.

Abstract The molecular weight of the extracellular hemoglobin of Arenicola marina determined by equilibrium sedimentation is 3.74 ± 0.12 · 10 6 . Its iron content is 0.244 ± 0.005 wt.% corresponding to a minimum molecular weight of 22 900 ± 500 . Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in sodium dodecyl sulfate showed that the hemoglobin dissociated into three subunits: 14 000 (subunit 1), 31 000 (subunit 2) and 49 000 (subunit 3); in the presence of 2-mercaptoethanol four subunits were observed, 14 000 (subunit I), 16 000 (subunit II), 31 000 (subunit III), and 35 000 (subunit IV). Two-dimensional electrophoresis showed that subunit 1 produced subunit I, and subunits 2 and 3 produced subunits I, II and variable amounts of subunits III and IV. Gel filtration of reduced and alkylated A. marina hemoglobin in 6 M guanidinium hydrochloride suggests that the molecular weight of subunits I and II is 17 500 ± 1000 . A. marina hemoglobin appears to consist of at least 5–7 polypeptide chains. It is proposed that some of the polypeptide chains can associate to form dimers (subunits 2, III, IV) or trimers (subunit 3).
Conditions for the formation, partial purification and assay of an inhibitor adenosine 3′,5′-monophosphate

Abstract Particle preparations from dog and rat heart and dog liver were used to catalyze the formation of 3′,5′-AMP from ATP in the presence of Mg 2+ . These incubation mixtures also formed a maternal which noncompetitively inhibited the 3′, 5′-AMP-stimulated activation of phosphorylase in extracts of liver and heart. Inhibitory activity was quantified using an assay based on this effect. Conditions which increased the accumulation of the inhibitor were very similar to those that enhanced the accumulation of 3′,5′-AMP. These included the presence of a low-speed particle fraction, ATP, Mg 2+ , l -epinephrine, F − and caffeine. The β-adrenergic-blocking agent [I-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-2-isopropylaminoethanol·HCl] prevented the stimulating effect of epinephrine on accumulation of the inhibitor and 3′,5′-AMP. With heart preparations, carbachol decreased the accumulation of both compounds. With liver preparations, glucagon increased the formation of both. Added 3′,5′-AMP also increased the formation of the inhibitor, whereas N 6 -monobutyryl 3′,5′-AMP prevented its formation. Both the inhibitor and 3′,5′-AMP were inactivated by treatment with 3′,5′-nucleotide phosphodiesterase, but were unaffected by several phosphataes. The inhibitor was not separated from 3′,5′-AMP by a number of chromatographic procedures. Both materials were, however, separated from other compounds that interfered with the effect of 3′,5′-AMP in the assay. The inhibitor was found in acidic extracts from brain, heart, liver, lung, adipose tissue and skeletal muscle, and the levels paralleled the 3′,5′-AMP concentration.
Abstract 4924: Gene-specific hyper and hypomethylation in follicular lymphoma progression

Proceedings: AACR 101st Annual Meeting 2010‐‐ Apr 17‐21, 2010; Washington, DC Epigenetic mechanisms involved in the origin and transformation of indolent lymphomas to aggressive forms are poorly understood. Based on the comparison of methylation states of follicular lymphoma (FL) pre and post- transformation, it has been suggested that DNA methylation changes occur during the early stages of lymphomagenesis. To obtain a more complete understanding of methylation aberrations responsible for progression and transformation of FL, we analyzed 20 untreated FL biopsies (10 low grade, 10 high grade), 5 diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) biopsies, and 5 benign reactive lymph node (RLN) biopsies by using methyl-DNA immunoprecipitation coupled with analysis with Agilent 244K human promoter ChIP-on-chip microarrays. Our analysis revealed statistically significant differences in methylation status for 120 genes between FL samples and RLN samples and for 23 genes between low and high grade FL samples. To investigate the biological significance of these findings, we used DAVID functional annotation clustering algorithms and Gominer software. We found that the most methylation-enriched functional groups were comprised of genes with roles in cell cycle control, adhesion and motility, transcription regulation, homeobox, and developmental genes. In order to validate the DNA methylation differences of the significant gene regions, we utilized the MassARRAY EpiTYPER assay. Our data identified 13 genes (CYP26B1, GRM7, HS3ST2, DOCK5, GRB10, SST, TAC1, PALM2-AKAP, [FLJ40125][1], ST6GAL2, WDR35, NCAM1, SATB2) with increased levels of DNA methylation in FL samples compared to controls; 3 of these genes (ST6GAL2, WDR35, NCAM1) exhibited increased methylation in high grades FLs and 1 gene (SATB2) in low grades FLs. We are currently investigating gene specific DNA hypomethylation in low versus high grade FL and FL versus DLBCL. Our data are the first to characterize the global changes in methylation that occur in FL progression. Our findings suggest that high grade FL are associated with hypermethylation of a specific subset of genes compared to low grade subtypes. Ongoing efforts include investigating the functional relevance of these methylation changes by treating, in vitro, FL cell lines with demethylating agents to evaluate changes in gene expression levels and correlating with phenotype alterations. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 4924. [1]: /lookup/external-ref?link_type=GENPEPT&access_num=FLJ40125&atom=%2Fcanres%2F70%2F8_Supplement%2F4924.atom
Laparoscopic transgastric removal of an eroded adjustable gastric band

A 48-year-old woman had undergone placement of a laparoscopic adjustable gastric band (LAGB) 5 years ago at another facility. Her preoperative weight was 138 kg, with a body mass index (BMI) of 52 kg/m. A year later, she developed a subcutaneous port site infection. The port was removed at that time, but the band was left in place. She subsequently presented with generalized peritonitis and underwent exploratory laparotomy without removal of the gastric band. She was referred to us after she was found to have an eroded band on esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) done for evaluation of chronic abdominal pain. Her weight at the time of referral to us was 104 kg, with a BMI of 39 kg/m. We performed a preoperative EGD with confirmation of band erosion with a significant amount of band seen intragastrically, but we were unable to visualize the buckle of the band. With this finding, we chose to proceed with laparoscopic removal of the eroded band instead of attempting endoscopic removal. At surgery (Video 1), pneumoperitoneum was achieved using a spring-loaded needle, and access to the peritoneal cavity was gained with the optical trocar. Additional 5-mm trocars were placed, 2 in the left upper quadrant and 1 in the right upper quadrant for placement of the liver retractor. Because of her history of generalized peritonitis from an infected and eroded LAGB, we had to undertake an extensive adhesiolysis freeing the omentum and liver from the anterior abdominal wall. We dissected along the anterior portion of the stomach toward the area of the gastroesophageal junction where the eroded band should have been but could not clearly identify it. The posterior wall of the stomach was not involved with a significant
Single-crystal Raman spectroscopy and X-ray crystallography at beamline X26-C of the NSLS

Three-dimensional structures derived from X-ray diffraction of protein crystals provide a wealth of information. Features and interactions important for the function of macromolecules can be deduced and catalytic mechanisms postulated. Still, many questions can remain, for example regarding metal oxidation states and the interpretation of `mystery density', i.e. ambiguous or unknown features within the electron density maps, especially at ∼2 A resolutions typical of most macromolecular structures. Beamline X26-C at the National Synchrotron Light Source (NSLS), Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), provides researchers with the opportunity to not only determine the atomic structure of their samples but also to explore the electronic and vibrational characteristics of the sample before, during and after X-ray diffraction data collection. When samples are maintained under cryo-conditions, an opportunity to promote and follow photochemical reactions in situ as a function of X-ray exposure is also provided. Plans are in place to further expand the capabilities at beamline X26-C and to develop beamlines at NSLS-II, currently under construction at BNL, which will provide users access to a wide array of complementary spectroscopic methods in addition to high-quality X-ray diffraction data.
The Effects of High-Stakes Testing Policy on Arts Education.

This study examined high-stakes test scores for 37,222 eighth grade students enrolled in music and/or visual arts classes and those students not enrolled in arts courses. Students enrolled in music had significantly higher mean scores than those not enrolled in music (p < .001). Results for visual arts and dual arts were not as conclusive. Further research is required to determine the effectiveness of academic remediation held during the instructional day that thereby denies arts instruction to students. The practice of recommending that students devote more time to English and math in lieu of music should be evaluated.
A Semi-Supervised Learning Algorithm for Data Classification

In this study, a semi-supervised learning algorithm for data classification and defect type recognition system for a 25 kV cross-linked polyethylene (XLPE) underground power cable joint is proposed. The proposed algorithm integrates the fuzzy-rough set and shared nearest neighbors (SNN) method for the assignment of labels to unlabeled data. As such, the data set is divided into two subsets: one is labeled and the other is unlabeled. The SNN is adopted for measuring the similarity between unlabeled data and labeled data subsets. Then, according to the levels of similarity, the fuzzy-rough set algorithm is adopted for assigning labels to the unlabeled data. A defect type recognition system XLPE cable classification problem is proposed in order to test the proposed algorithm. To demonstrate the performance of the proposed method, the proposed algorithm is applied to two well-known data sets. The experimental results show that the proposed algorithm can obtain outstanding levels of performance.
STATE-SPACE PLANNING WITH VARIANTS OF A*

Significant advances have occurred in heuristic search for planning in the last eleven years. Many of these planners use A*-style search. We report on five sound and complete domain-independent forward state-space STRIPS planners in this paper. The planners are AWA* (Adjusted Weighted A*), MAWA* (Modified AWA*), AWA*-AC (AWA* with action conflict-based adjustment), AWA*-PD (AWA* with deleted preconditions-based adjustment), and AWA*-AC-LE (AWA*-AC with lazy evaluation). AWA* is the first planner to use node-dependent weighting in A*. MAWA*, AWA*-AC, AWA*-PD, and AWA*-AC-LE use conditional two-phase heuristic evaluation. MAWA* applies node-dependent weighting to a subset of the nodes in the fringe, after the two-phase evaluation. One novel idea in AWA*-AC-LE is lazy heuristic evaluation which does not construct relaxed plans to compute heuristic values for all nodes. We report on an empirical comparison of AWA*, MAWA*, AWA*-AC, AWA*-PD, and AWA*-AC-LE with classical planners AltAlt, FF, HSP-2 and STAN 4. Our variants of A* outperform these planners on several problems. The empirical evaluation shows that heuristic search planning is significantly benefitted by node-dependent weighting, conditional two-phase heuristic evaluation and lazy evaluation. We report on the insights about inferior performance of our planners in some domains using the notion of waiting time. We discuss many other variants of A*, state-space planners and directions for future work.
Investigating Systematic Misclassification of Central Line–Associated Bloodstream Infection (CLABSI) to Secondary Bloodstream Infection During Health Care–Associated Infection Reporting:

Central line-associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI) rates are an important measure of health care quality. However, reputational or financial risks associated with public reporting and disclosure of hospital CLABSI rates may introduce reporting biases, including intentional underreporting. To assess systematic case misclassification of CLABSI to secondary bloodstream infection (BSI; ie, intentional underreporting of CLABSI), the authors assessed data reported to the National Healthcare Safety Network by hospitals in Pennsylvania, the only state in which both CLABSI and secondary BSI reporting are mandatory. CLABSI rates decreased over the 2-year analysis period, but the authors found no evidence of increasing secondary BSI rates, suggesting that systematic case misclassification is not widespread.
Changes in concentrations of circulating heat-shock proteins in House Finches in response to different environmental stressors

Heat-shock proteins (HSP) are molecular chaperones that play key roles in the maintenance of cellular homeostasis under variable environmental conditions. Although HSP are frequently used in studies of wild vertebrates as indicators of stress, no one to date has assessed responses of HSP60, HSP70, and HSP90 in the same speciestodifferentenvironmentalstressors.WestudiedchangesinthecirculatingconcentrationsofHSP60,HSP70, and HSP90 in wild-caught House Finches (Haemorhous mexicanus) in response to multiple and sequential stressful environments, including high temperatures, transportation, and pathogen exposure. House Finches sampled during aperiodoflow-environmentalstresswithmoderateambienttemperatureshadlowlevelsofHSP60andmodestlevels ofHSP70andHSP90comparedtobirdssampledduringapresumablymorestressfulperiodwithhightemperatures. After exposure to high-ambient temperatures, transportation in a vehicle, and exposure to Mycoplasma gallisepticum, captive finches were found to have increasingly higher levels of HSP60. HSP70 tended to rise in response to each stressor, but to drop in the weeks between stress challenges. HSP90 levels increased significantly only in response to pathogen challenge. Our observations suggest that HSP60 and HSP70 are indices of a range of stressors in House Finches, whereas HSP90 primarily reflects health state. RESUMEN. Cambios en la concentraci´ on de proteproducidas por estrcausado por el calor (HSP), en Haemorhous mexicanus como respuesta a diferentes estresantes ambientales Prote´onas que se producen por el estrcausado por el calor (HSP) son chaperones moleculares que juegan un papel clave en el mantenimiento de la homeostasis celular bajo diferentes condiciones ambientales. Aunque las HSP sonutilizadasconfrecuenciaenestudiosdevertebradossilvestrescomoindicadoresdeestronadie ha tratado de determinar la respuesta de HSP60, HSP70 y HSP90, en la misma especie, bajo diferentes condiciones ambientales estresantes. Estudiamos los cambios en las concentraciones de HSP60, HSP70 y HSP90, en el sistema circulatorio de individuos de Haemorhous mexicanus silvestres capturados, como respuesta a m´ ultiples estresantes ambientales, incluyendo altas temperaturas, transportaciy exposici´
Separation logic: a logic for shared mutable data structures

In joint work with Peter O'Hearn and others, based on early ideas of Burstall, we have developed an extension of Hoare logic that permits reasoning about low-level imperative programs that use shared mutable data structure. The simple imperative programming language is extended with commands (not expressions) for accessing and modifying shared structures, and for explicit allocation and deallocation of storage. Assertions are extended by introducing a "separating conjunction" that asserts that its subformulas hold for disjoint parts of the heap, and a closely related "separating implication". Coupled with the inductive definition of predicates on abstract data structures, this extension permits the concise and flexible description of structures with controlled sharing. In this paper, we survey the current development of this program logic, including extensions that permit unrestricted address arithmetic, dynamically allocated arrays, and recursive procedures. We also discuss promising future directions.
Lexical Structures and Conceptual Structures

Wittgenstein’s theory of language games has major implications for both computational linguistics and semantic theory. It suggests that the ambiguities of natural language are not the result of careless speech by uneducated people. Instead, they result from the fundamental nature of language and the way it relates to the world: language consists of a finite number of words that may be used and reused in an unlimited number of language games. The same words may be used in different games to express different kinds of things, events, and situations. To accommodate Wittgenstein’s games, this paper draws a distinction between lexical structures and deeper conceptual structures. It suggests that words are associated with a fixed set of lexical patterns that remain the same in various language games. The meanings of those words, however, are deeper conceptual patterns that may vary drastically from one game to another. By means of metaphor and conceptual refinement, the lexical patterns can be modified and adapted to different language games in order to construct a potentially unlimited number of conceptual patterns.
Competition and subsidies in the deregulated US local telephone industry

The 1996 Telecommunications Act opened the monopolistic US local telephone industry to new entrants. However, substantial entry costs have prevented some markets from becoming competitive. We study various subsidy policies designed to encourage entry. We estimate a dynamic entry game using data on potential and actual entrants, allowing for heterogeneous option values of waiting. We find that subsidies to smaller markets are more cost effective in reducing monopoly markets, but subsidies to only lower-cost firms are less cost effective than a nondiscriminatory policy. Subsidies in only early periods reduce the option value of waiting and accelerate the arrival of competition.
Ovarian steroids, stem cells and uterine leiomyoma: therapeutic implications

BACKGROUND Uterine leiomyoma is the most common benign tumor in women and is thought to arise from the clonal expansion of a single myometrial smooth muscle cell transformed by a cellular insult. Leiomyomas cause a variety of symptoms, including abnormal uterine bleeding, pelvic pain, bladder or bowel dysfunction, and recurrent pregnancy loss, and are the most common indication for hysterectomy in the USA. A slow rate of cell proliferation, combined with the production of copious amounts of extracellular matrix, accounts for tumor expansion. A common salient feature of leiomyomas is their responsiveness to steroid hormones, thus providing an opportunity for intervention.
What Do We Do with Missing Data? Some Options for Analysis of Incomplete Data

Missing data are a pervasive problem in many public health investigations. The standard approach is to restrict the analysis to subjects with complete data on the variables involved in the analysis. Estimates from such analysis can be biased, especially if the subjects who are included in the analysis are systematically different from those who were excluded in terms of one or more key variables. Severity of bias in the estimates is illustrated through a simulation study in a logistic regression setting. This article reviews three approaches for analyzing incomplete data. The first approach involves weighting subjects who are included in the analysis to compensate for those who were excluded because of missing values. The second approach is based on multiple imputation where missing values are replaced by two or more plausible values. The final approach is based on constructing the likelihood based on the incomplete observed data. The same logistic regression example is used to illustrate the basic concepts and methodology. Some software packages for analyzing incomplete data are described.
Mechanisms and Metabolic Implications of Regional Differences among Fat Depots

Fat distribution is closely linked to metabolic disease risk. Distribution varies with sex, genetic background, disease state, certain drugs and hormones, development, and aging. Preadipocyte replication and differentiation, developmental gene expression, susceptibility to apoptosis and cellular senescence, vascularity, inflammatory cell infiltration, and adipokine secretion vary among depots, as do fatty-acid handling and mechanisms of enlargement with positive-energy and loss with negative-energy balance. How interdepot differences in these molecular, cellular, and pathophysiological properties are related is incompletely understood. Whether fat redistribution causes metabolic disease or whether it is a marker of underlying processes that are primarily responsible is an open question.
Design of IEEE 802.16-based multi-hop wireless backhaul networks

Traditional 3G cellular networks use wired T1 links to form the backhaul networks to connect base stations to the controller. These backhaul networks will become the bottleneck with the proliferation of high-speed wireless data access technologies. Furthermore, the complexity involved in deploying and maintaining the wired infrastructure limits the reach of the 3G technology. IEEE 802.16 (WIMAX) is a promising new wireless technology that has several desirable characteristics that make it a viable alternative to form backhaul networks.This paper shows how to form a backhaul network using IEEE 802.16 nodes at minimum cost. We formulate the problem of designing a IEEE 802.16-based backhaul network as an optimization problem to minimize the cost of deployment while serving the required demands. We consider the costs of establishing base stations and creating links simultaneously. Subsequently, we describe the integer programming formulation for the optimization problem. We then design an efficient heuristic that utilizes specific characteristics of the problem to achieve near-optimal results.
Gentrification and Community Fabric in Chicago

Critical authors of gentrification point to its deleterious impacts on displaced residents. Research on the nature or actual forms of impacts has not advanced much, however. This paper attempts to specify impacts on low-income racial/ethnic groups (Latinos in particular) in five Chicago neighbourhoods, with a particular focus on neighbourhood-based fabrics of support and advancement. Limited in their mobility and exchange value resources, lower-income groups depend on such fabrics far more than do the higher income. In fact, they have fewer choices and are most vulnerable to place-based shifts. The case seems especially challenging for minorities who, like European immigrants before them, depend largely on place-based platforms/social fabrics but, unlike them, confront the added factors of race and urban restructuring.
Draft Genome Sequence of the Fish Pathogen Piscirickettsia salmonis.

ABSTRACT Piscirickettsia salmonis is a Gram-negative intracellular fish pathogen that has a significant impact on the salmon industry. Here, we report the genome sequence of P. salmonis strain LF-89. This is the first draft genome sequence of P. salmonis, and it reveals interesting attributes, including flagellar genes, despite this bacterium being considered nonmotile.
The open-source TEXPLORE code release for reinforcement learning on robots

The use of robots in society could be expanded by using reinforcement learning (RL) to allow robots to learn and adapt to new situations on-line. RL is a paradigm for learning sequential decision making tasks, usually formulated as a Markov Decision Process (MDP). For an RL algorithm to be practical for robotic control tasks, it must learn in very few samples, while continually taking actions in real-time. In addition, the algorithm must learn efficiently in the face of noise, sensor/actuator delays, and continuous state features. In this paper, we present the texplore ROS code release, which contains texplore, the first algorithm to address all of these challenges together. We demonstrate texplore learning to control the velocity of an autonomous vehicle in real-time. texplore has been released as an open-source ROS repository, enabling learning on a variety of robot tasks.
Children's Search Strategies and Accompanying Verbal and Motor Strategic Behavior: Developmental Trends and Relations with Task Performance among Children Age 5 to 17.

Children’s reported use of single and multiple search strategies during a matching numbers task, along with accompanying verbal (private speech, self-talk) and motoric (finger pointing, place-holding) strategic behaviors were examined with a large, nationally representative cross-sectional sample (n = 1979) of children between the ages of 5 and 17. Strategic searching increased with age, especially between the ages of 5 (15% strategic) and 9 (63%), with 9-year-olds’ strategy use being similar in many ways to that of 17-year-olds. Use of multiple search strategies similarly increased with age. Relations between reported strategy use and task performance were positive for 5- to 7-year-olds, nonexistent for 8- to 12-year-olds, and slightly negative for adolescents. Self-talk, although relatively rare during this task, was a performance asset for young children who were strategic and a liability for young children who were non-strategic. Pointing was negatively related with performance for those who were strategic and irrelevant for those non-strategic.
Atorvastatin Treatment Does Not Alter Pulse Wave Velocity in Healthy Adults.

Introduction. Both statins and regular physical activity (PA) reduce arterial stiffness. The present post hoc analysis examined if arterial stiffness was improved with high-dose atorvastatin treatment in healthy adults and whether PA levels magnified this response. We utilized data from a double-blind, random-assignment clinical trial investigating the effects of atorvastatin 80 mg/d for 6 mo on skeletal muscle symptoms. Methods. Central and peripheral arterial pulse wave velocity (PWV) were measured and PA levels assessed at baseline and 6 mo in subjects randomized to atorvastatin (n = 21, 9 men) or placebo (n = 29, 16 men). Results. Baseline participant characteristics, PWV, and PA levels were not different between treatments. Central (means ± SD; 8.7 ± 2.6 to 9.0 ± 2.5 m/sec) and peripheral PWV (9.9 ± 1.3 to 9.8 ± 1.6 m/sec) were unchanged from baseline following atorvastatin treatment (time × drug interaction: P ≥ 0.13). Similarly, PA levels were unaffected by time or treatment. In sex and age adjusted models, baseline levels of PA were not related to changes in PWV with atorvastatin treatment. Conclusion. These data indicate that high-dose atorvastatin treatment for 6 mo does not influence arterial stiffness in healthy adults. Participation in habitual PA did not magnify the vascular effects of statin therapy. This study was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00609063.
The Broad Spectrum of HIV-Related Cardiovascular Disease

In recent years, there has been an explosion of knowledge regarding human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-related cardiovascular disease (CVD). Contemporary studies have shown that in HIV-infected patients, rates of acute myocardial infarction are up to twice as high as in noninfected patients [(1–4
Role of Muscle in Insect Posture and Locomotion

During the past two decades, it has been established that neuronal networks within the central nervous system produce rhythmic motor-patterns and that these networks can operate in the absence of phasic afferent information. (For review see Stein, et al. 1973; Herman et al. 1976; Usherwood, 1975; and Hoyle, 1977). These rhythmic systems have been well studied in the arthropods, particularly with respect to various types of locomotion, walking (Pearson and Iles, 1970), flying (Wilson, 1961) and swimming (Wiersma and Ikeda, 1964). Although the motor-patterns responsible for locomotory behavior have been extensively studied, the role of the muscles, the tissue responsible for the transduction of the neural message to the mechanical response, has been given rather short shrift.
Intra-abdominal hemorrhage complicating a balloon atrial septostomy for transposition of the great arteries.

In 1966, Rashkind and Miller1 described a non-surgical technique for palliation of transposition of the great arteries by using a balloon-tipped intracardiac catheter to create an atrial septal defect. This method has been frequently employed, as reported by several [see pdf for the Figure] authors2,3. The purpose of this report is to describe a patient with intra-abdominal hemorrhage as a complication of this procedure. Case Report A 2-week-old male infant was seen at The University of Iowa Hospitals with the chief complaint of intermittent cyanosis since birth. Physical examination, electrocardiogram, and chest x-ray were compatible with the clinical diagnosis of transposition of the great arteries.
Political Economy of the US Party System: A Barrier to Social Change?

Prior to the 2000 presidential election, many on the left maintained that the Democratic and Republican parties were two faces of the same capitalist entity, and as such failed to offer a meaningful choice to the voting public. This view led to considerable enthusiasm for the canpaign of the Green Party and its presidential candidate, Ralph Nader. That campaign was at least partly responsible for the accession of George W. Bush to the presidency in that year. Eight years of that presidency have now convinced many of these same leftists that there is a real choice to be made between the major parties, and that either an Obama or a Clinton administration will be significantly better than a McCain one; yet this hope for improvement is tempered by disappointment in the positions of all major Democratic presidential candidates on health care, the environment, global justice, and the military dominance of US foreign policy. The two major parties can be seen to offer a choice, but only between a vicious right and a waffling center. This paper will examine the roots of this unsatisfactory situation in the social foundations of the present party system. These foundations can best be understood by examining how they have changed since the system of the New Deal.
EXAFS Determination of Bond Lengths in Zn1−x MnxSe

EXAFS has been used to determine bond lengths in the diluted magnetic semiconductor Zn1−xMnxSe. These alloys change from a cubic (zincblende) crystal structure to a hexagonal (wurtzite) structure as a function of composition, with the transition at x ≈ 0.3. Although x-ray diffraction measurements show the lattice parameter to change by approximately 0.2A through the series and the crystal structure changes from cubic to hexagonal, the nearestneighbor bond distances show no change within the experimental uncertainty of 0.0A.
Induction of Feeding on Potato in Mexican Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)

Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Say) from the central Mexican state of Morelos was studied to see whether exposure to Solanum tuberosum L. in the egg, larval, pupal, or adult stages would induce feeding. S. tuberosum is not native in the range of L. decemlineata in Morelos and is rejected as food by Morelos larvae. No evidence was found for induction of feeding on potato when the parents had been fed potato in their larval stage, nor did the percentage of Morelos first instars feeding on potato increase after exposure of eggs or newly hatched larvae to potato. There was no difference in pupal weight between larvae that fed on potato and those that would feed only on the native host, Solanum angustifolium Mill., but first-instar mortality was 18.9% higher on potato. Neither encasement of Morelos pupae with pupal exuvia of L. decemlineata from Rhode Island nor preovipositional feeding significantly affected larval feeding in the next generation. Larval feeding on potato was induced when Morelos larvae were exposed to potato frequently in earlier instars. This induction was independent of larval age. Previous feeding as larvae or preovipositional feeding increased feeding on potato by mature adults.
CoSi and CoSi2 Phase Formation on Bulk and Soi Si Substrates

We have studied the CoSi and CoSi2 phase formation sequence in (001) bulk and SOI Si wafers, using Co/Ti bimetallic layers as source materials which are suitable for growing epitaxial CoSi2 films on (001) Si. In bulk Si, co-formation of polycrystalline CoSi and epitaxial CoSi2 phases at T>500°C have been observed. These phases form respectively at the metal and Si sides of the film. For very long times and/or at high temperatures, only epitaxial CoSi2 is observed, e.g., for samples annealed at 560°C for 30 min or at 900°C for 10 s. When using (001) SOI Si with inexhaustible Co supply, only polycrystalline CoSi has been formed for a 900°C 10 s annealing, which is in contrast to the bulk Si results. This phenomenon is understood on the basis of Gibbs free energy reduction in forming the two phases. In the CoSi2 formation temperature range, Gibbs free energy release in forming CoSi2 is only ~10% more than that of forming CoSi. Consequently, after all Si atoms have been consumed, the formation of CoSi becomes energetically more favorable, since the free energy reduction due to formation of 2x mole of CoSi is much larger than that due to formation of 1x mole of CoSi2, where x is the SOI Si mole number.
Rapid Electrochemical Reduction of Ni(II) Generates Reactive Monolayers for Conjugated Polymer Brushes in One Step

This article reports the development of a robust, one-step electrochemical technique to generate surface-bound conjugated polymers. The electrochemical reduction of arene diazonium salts at the sur...
Low Velocity Impact of Spectra®/Carbon Fiber Laminates Under Varied Temperature

Impact properties, at varied temperatures, of carbon fiber and Spectra® 1000 combination laminate composites were investigated in this study. The focus of this research was to determine if any improvement in impact properties existed as a result of replacing one and two impact-side layers of carbon fiber with Spectra. Tests were conducted on different samples and sample types to obtain information about absorbed energy and maximum impact force at impact energies between 10J and 25J. Temperature effects were studied by conducting impact tests on similar samples at temperatures varying from -50°C to 125°C. The data collected helps to determine the advantages and disadvantages of replacing carbon fiber with Spectra. Temperature testing results showed that impact properties are dependent on temperature and room temperature testing is not sufficient to fully understand laminate composite properties.
The effects of giant Andean rosettes on surface soils along a high paramo toposequence

The effects on soils of two caulescent rosette species, Coespeletia timontensis and Espeletia schultzii, were studied along a slope toposequence in the Venezuelan Andes. All soil properties examined, except texture, were significantly affected by the presence of plants, but the first species had a stronger influence than the second. This resulted from greater accumulation of organic matter under C. timotensis, which has a larger biomass than E. schultzii. When compared to adjacent bare soils, organic matter, cation-exchange capacity, and total N doubled beneath the first species but increased ≤ 29% below the other. Soil color became darker, and bulk density dropped about 14%, under both species. Concentrations of exchangeable bases (Ca, Mg, K) increased from 4 to 31 times below C. timotensis; available P increased 2 to 5 times. Soil pH was raised by 0.7 units, and percentage of base saturation (PBS) was 2 to 3 times greater than in control soils. In contrast, cations below E. schultzii only increased from 38 to 260%, and P was not affected. Soil pH was raised by 0.08 units, and PBS by only 8.6%. The general effect of the Andean rosettes was to produce soils which resemble those found on lower slope segments, but the influence of plants was considerably more pronounced than that of topographic position.
Greening in the Red Zone

Gardening is all the rage in the US today. Even the White House has a vegetable garden. Although Michelle Obama’s professed purpose was to fight the obesity epidemic, there may be a bigger picture behind the trend: The need for gardening may be explained by the growing number of severe crises people have been confronted with in recent years—from the attacks on September 11 to the droughts and floods, tornadoes and hurricanes brought about by climate change, to the financial crisis that has devastated entire regions—crises that turn people to search for hopeful alternatives. According to Keith Tidball and Marianne Krasny’s book Greening in the Red Zone, the turn to nature in times of crisis is a very effective step towards building resilience not only for the individual, but also for an entire community. In his foreword, Lance Gunderson calls the book a ‘garden of hope’. This very ambitious volume provides a fountain of insights into the many ways people in communities all over the world become stewards of nature after experiencing natural and human-made disasters, and how these acts of greening engender ‘social–ecological resilience’ and transformative change. The editors collected contributions from a highly interdisciplinary group of experts from biologists to landscape architects and resilience specialists to philosophers, to underscore their hypothesis. The book is divided into three parts: It begins with an overview of the theoretical foundations, introductions to the terminology and existing scholarly literature (Part I) that is followed by a list of different ‘motives and explanations’ for greening in red zones (Part II) which in turn is followed by a collection of beautifully Illustrated stories and case studies from communities around the world from Johannesburg to Sarajewo, Cyprus to Liberia, New York to Kenya, London to Cameroon, Tokyo to Germany, where people turned to greening after violent conflict, earthquakes, hurricanes and other forms of disaster. The chapters are preceded by tables that provide a
IgE-MEDIATED DESENSITIZATION IN HUMAN BASOPHILS AND MAST CELLS

Secretion from mast cells and basophils, two cells central to immediate hypersensitivity reactions, has characteristics that suggest the existence of intrinsic signal transduction processes that limit the extent of the cell's response. This process(es) has been termed desensitization. One goal of current research efforts is to determine the mechanisms used by mast cells and basophils to down-regulate an ongoing secretory reaction. Recent studies have indicated that, like secretion itself, the mechanisms of down-regulation or desensitization differ according to the mediator being studied. Thus, for human basophils, there appear to be distinct signaling pathways leading to the secretion of the three major classes of mediators--granules contents, lipids, and cytokines--and each pathway appears to have distinct down-regulatory processes. For an ongoing secretory reaction, the secretion of histamine and LTC4 are limited by a process that does not involve the earliest steps in activation, activation of the early tyrosine kinases, lyn and syk. These early events persist for long periods which more appropriately correspond to the regulation of cytokine secretion. Recent studies have also indicated that the process of desensitization is altered during stimulation in the absence of extracellular calcium, the traditional method of examining this process. These studies indicate that down-regulation studied in this manner is not dependent on any of the signaling events currently defined as being necessary for secretion. A variety of processes are discussed and potential mechanisms based on most recent studies using cell lines are explored.