cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Molecular Cloning and Characterization of a Novel β-N-Acetyl-D-glucosaminidase from Vibrio furnissii

The accompanying papers (Keyhani, N. O., and Roseman, S. (1996) J. Biol. Chem. 271, 33414-33424; Keyhani, N. O., and Roseman, S. (1996) J. Biol. Chem. 271, 33425-33432) describe two unique beta-N-acetylglucosaminidases from Vibrio furnissii. A third, ExoII, is reported here. The gene, exoII, was cloned into Escherichia coli, sequenced, and ExoII purified to apparent homogeneity (36 kDa). The molecular weight and N-terminal 16 amino acids of the protein conform to the predicted sequence. ExoII exhibited unique substrate specificity. It rapidly cleaved p-nitrophenyl and 4-methylumbelliferyl beta-GlcNAc, was slightly active with p-nitrophenyl-beta-GalNAc, and was inactive with all other GlcNAc derivatives tested, including N,N'-diacetylchitobiose and (GlcNAc)n, n = 3-6. Unlike GlcNAc (Ki, 210 microM), (GlcNAc)n are poor inhibitors of ExoII. The predicted protein sequence is unique among beta-N-acetylglucosaminidases excepting Cht60, recently cloned from a marine Alteromonas (Tsujibo, H., Fujimoto, K., Tanno, H., Miyamoto, K., Imada, C., Okami, Y., and Inamori, Y. (1994) Gene (Amst.) 146, 111-115). Cht60, a chitobiase, is 26.9% identical to ExoII in a 182-amino acid overlap, but the two enzymes differ in substrate specificity and other properties. ExoII shares similarity with five bacterial and yeast beta-glucosidases, up to 44% identity in the 25-amino acid catalytic domain. By analogy, ExoII may play a role in signal transduction between invertebrate hosts and V. furnissii.
Differential Stabilities and Sequence-Dependent Base Pair Opening Dynamics of Watson–Crick Base Pairs with 5-Hydroxymethylcytosine, 5-Formylcytosine, or 5-Carboxylcytosine

5-Hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC), 5-formylcytosine (5fC), and 5-carboxylcytosine (5caC) form during active demethylation of 5-methylcytosine (5mC) and are implicated in epigenetic regulation of the genome. They are differentially processed by thymine DNA glycosylase (TDG), an enzyme involved in active demethylation of 5mC. Three modified Dickerson–Drew dodecamer (DDD) sequences, amenable to crystallographic and spectroscopic analyses and containing the 5′-CG-3′ sequence associated with genomic cytosine methylation, containing 5hmC, 5fC, or 5caC placed site-specifically into the 5′-T8X9G10-3′ sequence of the DDD, were compared. The presence of 5caC at the X9 base increased the stability of the DDD, whereas 5hmC or 5fC did not. Both 5hmC and 5fC increased imino proton exchange rates and calculated rate constants for base pair opening at the neighboring base pair A5:T8, whereas 5caC did not. At the oxidized base pair G4:X9, 5fC exhibited an increase in the imino proton exchange rate and the calculated kop. In ...
Oxidative phosphorylation in the chick embryo.

SYNTHESIS of high-energy phosphate bonds was measured by the estimation of phosphorus: oxygen ratios. The materials used were 7–9 day old chick embryos of a hybrid White Leghorn ♀ × New Hampshire Red ♂. Except for the step isocitrate→ succinate, the estimations were done on the mitochondrial fraction, prepared according to the method of Hogeboom and Schneider1. Oxygen consumption was measured by the Warburg technique, using 0.1 M phosphate buffer at pH 7.4 with the addition of adequate co-factors and substrates2. Phosphorus estimations were carried out according to the method of Lowry and Lopez3.
Speaker identification using multilingual phone strings

Far-field speaker identification is very challenging since varying recording conditions often result in un-matching training and testing situations. Although the widely used Gaussian Mixture Models (GMM) approach achieves reasonable good results when training and testing conditions match, its performance degrades dramatically under un-matching conditions. In this paper we propose a new approach for far-field speaker identification: the usage of multilingual phone strings derived from phone recognizers in eight different languages. The experiments are carried out on a database of 30 speakers recorded with eight different microphone distances. The results show that the multi-lingual phone string approach is robust against un-matching conditions and significantly outperforms the GMMs. On 10-second test chunks, the average closed-set identification performance achieves 96.7% on variable distance data.
Precise Spatial and Temporal Control of Oxygen within In Vitro Brain Slices via Microfluidic Gas Channels

The acute brain slice preparation is an excellent model for studying the details of how neurons and neuronal tissue respond to a variety of different physiological conditions. But open slice chambers ideal for electrophysiological and imaging access have not allowed the precise spatiotemporal control of oxygen in a way that might realistically model stroke conditions. To address this problem, we have developed a microfluidic add-on to a commercially available perfusion chamber that diffuses oxygen throughout a thin membrane and directly to the brain slice. A microchannel enables rapid and efficient control of oxygen and can be modified to allow different regions of the slice to experience different oxygen conditions. Using this novel device, we show that we can obtain a stable and homogeneous oxygen environment throughout the brain slice and rapidly alter the oxygen tension in a hippocampal slice. We also show that we can impose different oxygen tensions on different regions of the slice preparation and measure two independent responses, which is not easily obtainable with current techniques.
Psychiatric patients in research: protecting their autonomy.

HE INFORMED CONSENT of participants is a prerequisite for conducting research with humans. Obtaining consent from psychiatric patients, however, can be problematic. In psychiatric research, the participants are often the mentally ill and their competency to give consent has been questioned. As a result, many individuals involved with regulating research practices recommend special protection for this group of patients. This paper examines the potential negative effects of this group protection on the mentally ill. In addition, systematic approaches to competency testing and the need for accumulation of empirical evidence is discussed. Concern with protection of patients who participate in research projects has grown in recent years. Government, individual researchers, Institutional Review Boards, and the lay public have taken an active role in proposing standards and regulations for research practices.‘,” One aspect of protection which has justifiably received special attention is informed consent-assuring that research participants are fully informed about procedures, alternatives, possible deleterious effects, and potential benefits. Although the consent of research subjects must be obtained in order to conduct any investigation? opinions about what constitutes consent vary considerably’ Similarly, certain issues surrounding the consent process itself lack clarification? A major area of uncertainty exists about who is competent to give consent. This question is particularly relevant to psychiatry because the subjects in psychiatric research are often the mentally ill and the competency of these patients, as a group, is suspect. Many believe that, while the standard consent process is adequate for most research participants, the mentally ill require additional protection. In this regard, special regulations have been proposed and institutions require additional safeguards for research with the mentally ill.3 The most notable of these proposals are Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) report entitled Rrsecrrcll Irl\wlrlitlg Those Itlstitrrtioncrlized LIS Mentally Disabled. These proposed regulations provide a variety of recommendations involving the use of consent auditors who would protect the patient in the consent process.
Application of dynamic braking to mine hoisting systems

Accidents occurred on counterweighted mine hoisting systems when the mechanical brake failed while the cage was empty. This allowed the counterweight to fall to the bottom of the shaft, causing the cage to overspeed and crash into the headframe. Direct-current hoist motors have the potential for preventing this type of accident by incorporating a passive electrical braking system known as dynamic braking. Installation of dynamic braking requires minimal control system modifications and modest expense. The various circuit designs that can be configured to implement dynamic braking on a DC mine hoisting system are discussed. Selection of the load resistance for the desired dynamic braking system performance is addressed. Data from tests of a mine hoisting system that was modified in the field to incorporate dynamic braking are analyzed, to provide technical credibility to the dynamic braking concept. >
Inhibition of mitogenic signaling and induction of apoptosis in human bladder smooth muscle cells treated with doxazosin.

ABSTRACT Purpose: The α1 antagonist doxazosin is used to treat lower urinary tract symptoms and is believed to function primarily as a smooth muscle relaxant. However, doxazosin has been shown to inhibit proliferation and induce apoptosis in nonbladder smooth muscle. Consequently, we examined the effects of doxazosin on human bladder smooth muscle cell (SMC) proliferation and apoptosis. Materials and Methods: Primary human bladder SMCs were cultured in M199 with 10% fetal bovine serum (FBS) until they reached 65% confluency and then they were made quiescent by serum starvation in M199 with 0.4% FBS for 24 hours. The quiescent bladder SMCs were pretreated for 30 minutes with doxazosin or vehicle (dimethyl sulfoxide) and then stimulated with 10% FBS for 24 hours. Measurement of 5′-bromo-2′-deoxyuridine (BrdU) uptake by flow cytometry was used to determine the effect of doxazosin on cell cycle progression. Western immunoblot was used to examine cell cycle protein expression and phosphorylation of the retinoblastoma protein (Rb) and cyclin A, both of which regulate cell cycle progression. Results: Cellular proliferation was inhibited in a dose dependent manner by doxazosin. There was nearly a 50% decrease in BrdU uptake at 10 μM doxazosin and an approximately 90% decrease in BrdU at 25 μM doxazosin. Notably, doxazosin inhibited phosphorylation of Rb and expression of cyclin A, both of which are necessary for cell cycle progression. At concentrations of 25 μM doxazosin or greater apoptosis was induced in the bladder SMCs, as indicated by an increase in subG1 DNA content. Conclusions: Our study demonstrates that doxazosin inhibits mitogen induced proliferation of human bladder SMC by blocking cell cycle progression at the of G1/S border. Doxazosin induced cell cycle inhibition appears to be at least in part due to an inhibition of mitogen induced Rb phosphorylation and cyclin A expression. At higher concentrations doxazosin induces apoptosis in human bladder SMCs.
Novel Formulation of the Tightening and Breakaway Torque Components in Threaded Fasteners

New formulas are developed for the torque-tension relationship, various torque components, and breakaway torque values in threaded fastener applications. The three-dimensional aspects of the lead helix and thread profile angles and the kinetic and static friction coefficients are all taken into account. Two scenarios of the contact pressure between threads and under the turning fastener head are considered, namely, uniformly distributed and linearly distributed contact pressure scenarios. The effect of thread pitch, lead helix and thread profile angles, friction coefficients, and fastener geometry is discussed. Results from the new formulas are compared with the approximate torque-tension relationship provided in the literature. A percentage difference analysis indicates that the new formulas provide a significant improvement that would enhance the reliability and safety of bolted connections, especially in critical applications.
Modeling Interactions of the Rat's Place and Head Direction Systems

We have developed a computational theory of rodent navigation that includes analogs of the place cell system, the head direction system, and path integration. In this paper we present simulation results showing how interactions between the place and head direction systems can account for recent observations about hippocampal place cell responses to doubling and/or rotation of cue cards in a cylindrical arena (Sharp et al., 1990).
Cellular Automata Models of Complex Biochemical Systems

The linkage between complex, dynamic systems and cellular automata is made quite clear in this monograph. The dynamic portrayal of many phenomena has been shown to mirror reality in several important ways among the studies described. We aver that cellular automata belongs on the pantheon of methods of probing, modeling and even predicting events associated with complex systems, emerging phenomena and hierarchical patterns.
Critical analysis of the mathematical relationships and comprehensiveness of life cycle impact assessment approaches.

The impact assessment phase of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) has received much criticism due to lack of consistency. While the ISO standards for LCA did make great strides in advancing the consensus in this area, ISO is not prescriptive, but has left much room for innovation and therefore inconsistency. To address this lack of consistency, there is currently an effort underway to provide a conceptual framework for Life Cycle Impact Assessment (LCIA) and a recommended practice to include a list of impact categories, category indicators, and underlying methodologies. This is an enormous undertaking, especially in light of the current fundamental lack of consensus of the basic elements to be included in a LCIA (e.g., impact categories, impacts, and areas of protection). ISO 14042 requires selection of impact categories that “reflect a comprehensive set of environmental issues” related to the system being studied, especially for “comparative assertions” that involve public marketing claims. To be comprehensive,...
Plan-view trajectory estimation with dense stereo background models

In a known environment, objects may be tracked in multiple views using a set of background models. Stereo-based models can be illumination-invariant, but often have undefined values which inevitably lead to foreground classification errors. We derive dense stereo models for object tracking using long-term, extended dynamic-range imagery, and by detecting and interpolating uniform but unoccluded planar regions. Foreground points are detected quickly in new images using pruned disparity search. We adopt a "late-segmentation" strategy, using an integrated plan-view density representation. Foreground points are segmented into object regions only when a trajectory is finally estimated, using a dynamic programming-based method. Object entry and exit are optimally determined and are not restricted to special spatial zones.
Failure to generate bone marrow adipocytes does not protect mice from ovariectomy-induced osteopenia.

Abstract A reciprocal association between bone marrow fat and bone mass has been reported in ovariectomized rodents, suggesting that bone marrow adipogenesis has a negative effect on bone growth and turnover balance. Mice with loss of function mutations in kit receptor ( kit W/W-v ) have no bone marrow adipocytes in tibia or lumbar vertebra. We therefore tested the hypothesis that marrow fat contributes to the development of osteopenia by comparing the skeletal response to ovariectomy (ovx) in growing wild type (WT) and bone marrow adipocyte-deficient kit W/W-v mice. Mice were ovx at 4 weeks of age and sacrificed 4 or 10 weeks post-surgery. Body composition was measured at necropsy by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Cortical (tibia) and cancellous (tibia and lumbar vertebra) bone architecture were evaluated by microcomputed tomography. Bone marrow adipocyte size and density, osteoblast- and osteoclast-lined bone perimeters, and bone formation were determined by histomorphometry. Ovx resulted in an increase in total body fat mass at 10 weeks post-ovx in both genotypes, but the response was attenuated in the in kit W/W-v mice. Adipocytes were present in bone marrow of tibia and lumbar vertebra in WT mice and bone marrow adiposity increased following ovx. In contrast, marrow adipocytes were not detected in either intact or ovx kit W/W-v mice. However, ovx in WT and kit W/W-v mice resulted in statistically indistinguishable changes in cortical and cancellous bone mass, cortical and cancellous bone formation rate, and cancellous osteoblast and osteoclast-lined bone perimeters. In conclusion, our findings do not support a causal role for increased bone marrow fat as a mediator of ovx-induced osteopenia in mice.
Blood-derived progenitor cells after recanalization of chronic coronary artery occlusions in humans.

See related article, pages 756–762 The first studies to treat patients with acute ST segment elevation myocardial infarction were by Strauer et al and Zeiher et al.1,2 In these studies, percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) was used to open the infarct related artery, and bone marrow-derived mononuclear cells or circulating endothelial progenitor cells were injected into the infarct-related arteries.1,2 The cell-based therapy in these 2 initial studies improved coronary blood flow and segmental left ventricular (LV) function in the treated regions. Wollert et al subsequently reproduced the earlier findings in a blinded randomized study, again in patients with acute ST segment elevation myocardial infarcts (MIs).3 These 3 studies were the first to treat patients with acute ST segment elevation MIs after PTCA with cell-based therapy, and each used intracoronary injections in patients who did not have severe heart failure. At the same time that Strauer et al and Zeiher et al were performing their initial studies in Germany (2000–2002), Texas Heart Institute cardiologists, Drs Perin and Willerson and Brazilian cardiologists led by Dr Dohmann in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, were treating patients with chronic coronary heart disease, prior myocardial infarction, and severe heart failure with transendocardial injections of bone marrow-derived mononuclear cells using electromechanical mapping to identify sites of reversible myocardial injury.4 This was the initial study in the world done with cell-based therapy for patients with severe heart failure with direct transendocardial injections of bone marrow-derived mononuclear cells …
Management of Patients with Recurrent Vulvovaginal Candidiasis

Recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis (RVVC) is by no means uncommon and is a source of considerable physical discomfort in addition to serving as a major therapeutic challenge. The syndrome is multifactorial in aetiology and hence management strategies must recognise the complex aetiological pathways. Many women receiving the misplaced diagnosis of RVVC have a variety of other infectious and non-infectious entities presenting with identical symptoms. Hence the first step in management is confirming the diagnosis of RVVC including microbial confirmation and species identification. Efforts should be made to identify and correct a causal mechanism. Maintenance suppressive azole antifungal regimens are highly effective in controlling symptoms, although cure is less common. Further advances in achieving higher cure rates await the availability of non-azole fungicidal agents.
Is bias inherent in HCFA-sponsored research?

To the Editor. —I am confused and amazed. In the Medical News & Perspectives section of the January 23/30 issue of JAMA , three of four articles 1-3 were devoted to consideration of physician ethics and conflicts of interest. I share many of the concerns addressed. Yet the lead Original Contribution (regarding evaluation of neuroleptic drug use by elderly nursing home patients under proposed Medicare and Medicaid regulations) is purportedly a scientific study supported by a cooperative agreement from the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) Research Center at the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, with funding from the HCFA in Baltimore, Md. The degree of inherent bias and the self-justification of regulatory agency guidelines have immediate and possibly overwhelming implications.The Journalshould be representative of the physicians who practice and who serve their patients rather than an inadvertent tool of third parties, whether pharmaceutical firms or governmental agencies, regardless of their
Distribution modeling requirements for integration of PV, PEV, and storage in a smart grid environment

Distributed resource adoption coupled with smart grid implementations is expected to significantly alter the nature of the distribution system. However, traditional distribution models and analysis techniques are not capable of capturing the relevant temporal and spatial characteristics associated these devices. As a result, new models and analyses are needed to permit distribution planners to access the potential benefits and impacts of these devices. In this paper, behavioral characteristics and modeling requirements of three emerging distributed technologies — solar photovoltaic (PV), plug-in electric vehicles (PEV), and energy storage devices — are discussed.
Astrosociology and Science Fiction: a Synergy

Both astrosociology and science fiction have claimed outer space as their preferred turf. Astrosociology did so in order to study the impact of space on human societies, and to develop a set of protocols that earthbound governments can utilize to prepare us for the next phase of humanity’s adventure outside our home planet. Science fiction, on the other hand, found in outer space a fitting environment for dramatizing in a work of fiction the potential outcomes attending the kind of decision astrosociology is trying to foster in actuality. This paper explores the relationship between the two fields, and examines ways in which science fiction can contribute to the creation of an astrosociological consciousness. Particular attention will be given to the most relevant commonality that the two fields share: both astrosociology and science fiction are earthbound disciplines, areas of inquiry created by those who never left earth for those who never left earth. They can potentially function as partners in the endeavor of educating the bulk of humanity on the subject of space flight and space colonization.
Investigation of fundamental mechanisms of common-mode radiation from printed circuit boards with attached cables

Fundamental mechanisms leading to common-mode radiation from printed circuit boards with attached cables have been studied. Two primary mechanisms have been identified, one associated with a differential-mode voltage that results in a common-mode current on an attached cable, and another associated with a differential-mode current that results in a common-mode current on the cable. The two mechanisms are demonstrated through numerical and experimental results. >
A Turn Towards Dying: Presence, Signature, and the Social Course of Chronic Illness in Urban America

This article examines an account of chronic illness and traces the narrative as it turns towards dying. Based on two years of ethnographic work with one household in Baltimore, MD, the article illustrates the complex institutional transactions performed by the poor in the urban United States. The ethnography follows the contours of these transactions as they take shape between biomedical and domestic spheres, considering the way in which the management of illness reconstitutes social arrangements. The focus is on the female head of household, following her through clinic visits, hospitalizations, and the care of her grandchildren, adult children, and ailing mother. The article suggests that the notion of dying without an institutional signature compels a reassessment of what illness unto death can mean in clinical and nonclinical contexts, and in doing so, demonstrates how dying becomes defined through its social course within the everyday.
Dielectric Properties of Solid Solutions of Sodium Niobate‐Lead Zirconate and Sodium Niobate‐Lead Titanate

Solid solutions based on sodium niobate with limited amounts of lead and zirconium or lead and titanium solute ions have been investigated with respect to their dielectric constant versus temperature at 1 kc. per second from −175° to 300°C. Lead zirconate additions to sodium niobate up to 15 mole % cause an increase in dielectric constant, with a value of 1345 at 6°C. being the maximum recorded. Lead titanate additions to sodium niobate cause a general increase in dielectric constant up to 25 mole %, with 675 at 30°C. and 4670 at 154°C. being the maximum values recorded. Polarization versus applied field measurements up to 30,000 volts per cm. show nonreversible polarity for the lead zirconate compositions, whereas the compositions containing from 10 to 50 mole lead titanate are ferroelectric. An induced ferroelectricity phenomenon occurs for the composition containing 5 mole % lead titanate. A remanent polarization of 15 microcoulombs per sq. cm. at a coercive force of 7800 volts per cm. was obtained at room temperature for the composition 0.85 NaNbO3–0.15 PbTiO3.
Cystatin C, Left Ventricular Hypertrophy, and Diastolic Dysfunction: Data From the Heart and Soul Study

Abstract Background Impaired kidney function, as measured by serum cystatin C, is associated with risk of incident heart failure. Whether cystatin C is associated with preclinical cardiac structural abnormalities is unknown. We evaluate whether cystatin C is associated with left ventricular hypertrophy, diastolic dysfunction, and systolic dysfunction among 818 outpatients with coronary artery disease who were free of clinical heart failure. Methods and Results The 818 study participants were categorized into quartiles based on serum cystatin C concentrations, with ≤0.91 mg/L constituting the lowest quartile (I) and ≥1.28 mg/L constituting the highest (IV). Left ventricular hypertrophy (left ventricular mass index >90 g/m 2 by truncated ellipsoid method), diastolic dysfunction (impaired relaxation, pseudo-normal, or restrictive filling patterns) and systolic dysfunction (left ventricular ejection fraction ≤50%) were determined by echocardiography. Left ventricular hypertrophy was present in 68% of participants in quartile IV, compared with 44% of those in quartile I (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 2.17; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.34 to 3.52; P = .002). Diastolic dysfunction was present in 52% of participants in quartile IV, compared with 24% of those in quartile I (adjusted OR 1.79; 95% CI 1.04 to 3.11; P = .04). Systolic dysfunction was present in 12% of those in quartile IV, compared with 6% of those in quartile I (adjusted OR 1.83; 95% CI 0.75 to 4.46; P = .15). Conclusion Higher cystatin C concentrations are strongly associated with left ventricular hypertrophy and diastolic dysfunction in outpatients with coronary artery disease and without heart failure.
Exon 3 of the Human Cytomegalovirus Major Immediate-Early Region Is Required for Efficient Viral Gene Expression and for Cellular Cyclin Modulation

The human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) major immediate-early (IE) proteins share an 85-amino-acid N-terminal domain specified by exons 2 and 3 of the major IE region, UL122-123. We have constructed IE Delta30-77, a recombinant virus that lacks the majority of IE exon 3 and consequently expresses smaller forms of both IE1 72- and IE2 86-kDa proteins. The mutant virus is viable but growth impaired at both high and low multiplicities of infection and exhibits a kinetic defect that is not rescued by growth in fibroblasts expressing IE1 72-kDa protein. The kinetics of mutant IE2 protein accumulation in IE Delta30-77 virus-infected cells are approximately normal compared to wild-type virus-infected cells, but the IE Delta30-77 virus is delayed in expression of early viral genes, including UL112-113 and UL44, and does not sustain expression of mutant IE1 protein as the infection progresses. Additionally, cells infected with IE Delta30-77 exhibit altered expression of cellular proteins compared to wild-type HCMV-infected cells. PML is not dispersed but is retained at ND10 sites following infection with IE Delta30-77 mutant virus. While the deletion mutant retains the ability to mediate the stabilization of cyclin B1, cdc6, and geminin in infected cells, its capacity to upregulate the expression of cyclin E has been reduced. These data indicate that the activity of one or both of the HCMV major IE proteins is required in vivo for the modulation of cell cycle proteins observed in cells infected with wild-type HCMV.
Error Detection and Correction - A novel technique implementing Dual Rail Logic and Rollback recovery Architecture

This paper investigates a computer architecture that provides fault detection in the execution elements, redundancy and error coding in memory storage elements, and incorporates software that allows rollback to a recovery boundary in the executing program when errors do occur. The architecture is intended for use in an environment where any errors encountered would be in the processors current computational instructions. The use of dual-rail logic is proposed for the purpose of providing single-bit error detection in computational units. This approach will be step towards creating a reliable computation environment in space based applications where the environment is quite hostile to computing systems.
Fast evaluation of an integral occurring in digital filtering applications

A fast evaluation procedure for the integral Im,n,p=1/2πjC|z|=1Hm,n(z)H m,n(z-1)zp-1dz for arbitrary nonnegative integer-valued m, n, and p, is presented, where Hm,n (z)=Σk=0mbm,kz-k /Σl=0nan,lz-1,a n,0≠0 is the transfer function of an arbitrary digital filter. Evaluation of this integral frequently appears in control, communication, and digital filtering. A notable result is the one-term recursion on p, for arbitrary but fixed nonnegative integers m and n. The computational complexity is analyzed, and two illustrative examples demonstrate some of the advantages of this approach
A Combinatorial Approach for Multiple RNA Interaction: Formulations, Approximations, and Heuristics

The interaction of two RNA molecules involves a complex interplay between folding and binding that warranted recent developments in RNA-RNA interaction algorithms. However, biological mechanisms in which more than two RNAs take part in an interaction exist.
A Review of Religious Objects in Museums: Private Lives and Public Duties

In recent decades, the religious objects in museums—which have been lying dormant as mere objets d'art or historical novelties—have reawakened, demanding to be understood. Religious Objects in Muse...
The Law of Clinical Testing with Human Subjects

This chapter focuses on the 'undeveloped' law of treatment assignment in clinical trials with human subjects. Treatments in clinical trials are regularly assigned randomly, and randomization is regularly assumed to meet all legal and ethical requirements. Hence, there are not many decisions discussing the issue, and none seriously formulates rules or standards, or questions randomization. However, a new treatment assignment methodology was developed in the 1990s that introduces some individualized considerations into the assignment of treatments without compromising the ability of a clinical trial to yield useful results (explained briefly at page 238 of the chapter and in detail in the rest of the book). This raised some basic and long-ignored legal and ethical questions. Assigning treatments randomly seems to violate the basic duty of physicians to determine and administer the best treatment for the patient. And the apparently common practice of not adequately informing clinical trial subjects that their treatments will be assigned randomly also violates the duties of physicians. Courts are probably applying some unarticulated version of malpractice law, which emphasizes customary practices and recognizes specialties, but this body of law seems ill-designed and inappropriate for determining the circumstances in which a physician may deviate from what is best for the patient to find out what works best. To allow treatment assignment by the flip of a coin is to suspend, not apply, malpractice law. The chapter, from an interdisciplinary study and book on the new methodology for treatment assignment based in statistics, ethics, philosophy, and clinical practice as well as law, Baysian Methods and Ethics in a Clinical Trial Design, concludes that a body of law on clinical testing should be developed, and finds that new methodologies that allow consideration of individual characteristics and histories are legally and ethically preferable.
Chemical weathering of fine debris from a series of Holocene moraines: Storbreen, Jotunheimen, Southern Norway

Chemical weathering trends were detected within the silt/clay fractions of material taken from the 1750, 1852, and 1928 moraines, of Storbreen, Jotunheimen Mountains, southern Norway. In addition t...
Optimal FCL allocation based on mixed integer quadratic constraint programming model

The optimization strategy for fault-current-limiter( FCL) allocation was studied. A mixed integer quadratic constraints programming model was formed. Problem based on Node-voltage equations was solved by the predictor-corrector primal-dual interior point method. Firstly,a candidate set of branches,where FCL was installed,was selected through calculation of the current distribution under fault conditions so as to reduce the optimization scale. Then considering the influence of variable's value on numerical stability,a transition node in each candidate FCL installation branch was introduced,as a result,the values of the variables were in a reasonable range. Finally,a fast FCL allocation optimization model was formed which could limit short-circuit current level effectively with minimum investment.The test of the proposed model in Zhejiang power grid proved its correctness and effectiveness in large-scale grid's applications.
Photoacoustic Spectroscopy for Trace Vapor Detection and Standoff Detection of Explosives

The Army is investigating several spectroscopic techniques (e.g., infrared spectroscopy) that could allow for an adaptable sensor platform. Current sensor technologies, although reasonably sized, are geared to more classical chemical threats, and the ability to expand their capabilities to a broader range of emerging threats is uncertain. Recently, photoacoustic spectroscopy (PAS), employed in a sensor format, has shown enormous potential to address these ever-changing threats. PAS is one of the more flexible IR spectroscopy variants, and that flexibility allows for the construction of sensors that are designed for specific tasks. PAS is well suited for trace detection of gaseous and condensed media. Recent research has employed quantum cascade lasers (QCLs) in combination with MEMS-scale photoacoustic cell designs. The continuous tuning capability of QCLs over a broad wavelength range in the mid-infrared spectral region greatly expands the number of compounds that can be identified. We will discuss our continuing evaluation of QCL technology as it matures in relation to our ultimate goal of a universal compact chemical sensor platform. Finally, expanding on our previously reported photoacoustic detection of condensed phase samples, we are investigating standoff photoacoustic chemical detection of these materials. We will discuss the evaluation of a PAS sensor that has been designed around increasing operator safety during detection and identification of explosive materials by performing sensing operations at a standoff distance. We investigate a standoff variant of PAS based upon an interferometric sensor by examining the characteristic absorption spectra of explosive hazards collected at 1 m.
Stretching the stress boundary: Linking air pollution health effects to a neurohormonal stress response☆☆☆

Inhaled pollutants produce effects in virtually all organ systems in our body and have been linked to chronic diseases including hypertension, atherosclerosis, Alzheimer's and diabetes. A neurohormonal stress response (referred to here as a systemic response produced by activation of the sympathetic nervous system and hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA)-axis) has been implicated in a variety of psychological and physical stresses, which involves immune and metabolic homeostatic mechanisms affecting all organs in the body. In this review, we provide new evidence for the involvement of this well-characterized neurohormonal stress response in mediating systemic and pulmonary effects of a prototypic air pollutant - ozone. A plethora of systemic metabolic and immune effects are induced in animals exposed to inhaled pollutants, which could result from increased circulating stress hormones. The release of adrenal-derived stress hormones in response to ozone exposure not only mediates systemic immune and metabolic responses, but by doing so, also modulates pulmonary injury and inflammation. With recurring pollutant exposures, these effects can contribute to multi-organ chronic conditions associated with air pollution. This review will cover, 1) the potential mechanisms by which air pollutants can initiate the relay of signals from respiratory tract to brain through trigeminal and vagus nerves, and activate stress responsive regions including hypothalamus; and 2) the contribution of sympathetic and HPA-axis activation in mediating systemic homeostatic metabolic and immune effects of ozone in various organs. The potential contribution of chronic environmental stress in cardiovascular, neurological, reproductive and metabolic diseases, and the knowledge gaps are also discussed. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled Air Pollution, edited by Wenjun Ding, Andrew J. Ghio and Weidong Wu.
Cover me. How can you get your share of positive media coverage

Inch for inch, legitimate press coverage gives you far more credibility than direct mail, give-aways, or other marketing ploys--and it costs far less than an ad. Here's how can you get your share of media coverage.
Single olivocochlear neurons in the guinea pig. I. Binaural facilitation of responses to high-level noise.

Brown, M. C., S. G. Kujawa, and M. L. Duca. Single olivocochlear neurons in the guinea pig. I. Binaural facilitation of responses to high-level noise. J. Neurophysiol. 79: 3077–3087, 1998. Single m...
Real-time retinex image enhancement: algorithm and architecture optimizations

The field of digital image processing encompasses the study of algorithms applied to two-dimensional digital images, such as photographs, or three-dimensional signals, such as digital video. Digital image processing algorithms are generally divided into several distinct branches including image analysis, synthesis, segmentation, compression, restoration, and enhancement. One particular image enhancement algorithm that is rapidly gaining widespread acceptance as a near optimal solution for providing good visual representations of scenes is the Retinex. The Retinex algorithm performs a non-linear transform that improves the brightness, contrast and sharpness of an image. It simultaneously provides dynamic range compression, color constancy, and color rendition. It has been successfully applied to still imagery---captured from a wide variety of sources including medical radiometry, forensic investigations, and consumer photography. Many potential users require a real-time implementation of the algorithm. However, prior to this research effort, no real-time version of the algorithm had ever been achieved. In this dissertation, we research and provide solutions to the issues associated with performing real-time Retinex image enhancement. We design, develop, test, and evaluate the algorithm and architecture optimizations that we developed to enable the implementation of the real-time Retinex specifically targeting specialized, embedded digital signal processors (DSPs). This includes optimization and mapping of the algorithm to different DSPs, and configuration of these architectures to support real-time processing. First, we developed and implemented the single-scale monochrome Retinex on a Texas Instruments TMS320C6711 floating-point DSP and attained 21 frames per second (fps) performance. This design was then transferred to the faster TMS320C6713 floating-point DSP and ran at 28 fps. Then we modified our design for the fixed-point TMS320DM642 DSP and achieved an execution rate of 70 fps. Finally, we migrated this design to the fixed-point TMS320C6416 DSP. After making several additional optimizations and exploiting the enhanced architecture of the TMS320C6416, we achieved 108 fps and 20 fps performance for the single-scale, monochrome Retinex and three-scale, color Retinex, respectively. We also applied a version of our real-time Retinex in an Enhanced Vision System. This provides a general basis for using the algorithm in other applications.
Jet Breakup Length to Impingement Distance Ratio for Like Doublet Injectors

Cold-flow experiments using water at atmospheric pressure were conducted to systematically determine the effect of the jet breakup length to impingement distance ratio for like-doublet injectors. The ratio had a large effect on the breakup characteristics of the spray. For ratios greater than one, a flat sheet was formed that subsequently disintegrated into waves of ligaments and droplets. The breakup length of the sheet increased with the Weber number up to a transition point where it began to decrease with further increases of the Weber number. For ratios equal to one, an unsteady flat sheet was formed due to the jets intermittently disintegrating before reaching the impingement point. New empirical sheet breakup length and transition correlations were developed for these configurations. For ratios less than one, no sheet was formed. In addition, measurements of the ligament wavelengths and centerline droplet diameters were conducted for jet breakup length to impingement distance ratios greater than or ...
Patient Perceptions About the Influence of Cholesterol on Heart Disease

National surveys have shown that adults need to know more about their own blood cholesterol levels and about specific methods for lowering blood cholesterol. We examine patient perceptions of cholesterol and heart disease after their participation in a cholesterol management program designed for the primary care setting. We counseled 221 patients and successfully interviewed 179 by telephone four weeks after their initial dietary counseling visit. Nine of 10 patients could report their cholesterol level, and 98% of patients could appropriately label it as borderline-high or high-risk. Ninety-seven percent of the patients could give one valid reason why cholesterol was important to their health. Many patients knew specific dietary recommendations from counselors. Patients positively reviewed counseling and the cholesterol management program. A large percentage of patients had already made changes in diet and eating habits at the time of the interview. Total cholesterol measurements showed a mean reduction of 8.5% postcounseling.
The Cognitive Values of Imprecision: Towards a Scientific Epistemology, Aesthetics and Pragmatics of Fuzziness; Contextual Lessons from the History of Picture-Making Practices

Vagueness, as imprecision or fuzziness, concerns many practices and many values. Epistemic and aesthetic practices are in the case of images, as well as of words, inseparable, e.g., in relation to the value of depiction or representation. Then out of such common ground we may easily see that the goals or norms that inform the uses of production, interpretation and uses of images might be equally entangled yet still differ. In the cases I turn to in this section those values and standards involving the treatment of visual fuzziness are made explicit, and aesthetic discussions yield epistemic insights about perceptual cognition.
Electrical and Calcium Transient Alternans in Cell Pairs and Intact Atrium

Cardiac arrhythmias, such as atrial fibrillation (AF), require an arrhythmogenic focus (ectopic activity) and transient or permanent tissue inhomogeneity (conduction heterogeneity). Electrical and calcium alternans in atrial tissue represent a risk factor for the occurrence of AF. The aims of our study were to determine characteristics of the development of Ca transient (CaT) alternans in coupled pairs of atrial myocytes and the relationship between cellular atrial alternans and occurrence of AF episodes in the perfused intact heart. Atrial cell pairs isolated from rabbit hearts were field stimulated at increasing rates until CaT alternans occurred. The CaT alternans usually initiated in one cell first. Alternans in the second cell rarely occurred simultaneously (3/11 pairs), but rather started at higher frequencies (5/11 pairs), or did not occur at all (3/11pairs). Stimulation with angiotensin (Ang II) lowered the pacing threshold for CaT alternans (from 1.71±0.08 to 1.49±0.14 Hz) and enhanced the degree of alternans (increased alternans ratio), presumably through activation of IP3 receptor-induced Ca release. Under control conditions cell pairs spontaneously switched between periods of concordant and discordant CaT alternans. Concordant and discordant CaT alternans between cell pairs led to intercellular heterogeneity in the CaT amplitude resulting in beat-to-beat intercellular Ca gradients. Ang II further enhanced these intercellular Ca gradients. In Langendorff perfused rabbit hearts pacing-induced electrical alternans were recorded with atrial bipolar electrograms and multielectrode mapping of the epicardial surface. The data revealed a high temporal correlation between atrial alternans and episodes of AF: atrial electrical alternans in form of atrial T wave alternans triggered AF episodes, and AF induced by a burst pacing protocol was followed by episodes of atrial T wave alternans. Ang II perfusion enhanced tissue-wide atrial T wave variability, suggesting enhanced electrical tissue heterogeneity and possibly discordant alternans at tissue level.
Abstract 255: Lymphocyte-Specific Adaptor Protein, LNK (SH2B3), Regulates Angiotensin-II Induced Hypertension and Renal/Vascular Inflammation

LNK, an adaptor protein primarily expressed in hematopoietic cells and endothelial cells, is a negative regulator of cytokine signaling and cell proliferation. A single nucleotide polymorphism in LNK is associated with hypertension, but the mechanism is unknown. Our objective was to determine the effect of LNK on hypertension and inflammation using LNK -/- mice. In response to angiotensin II (Ang II) infusion, LNK -/- mice exhibit elevated systolic BP (SBP) compared to wild type C57Bl/6J mice (WT) as measured by telemetry. At baseline, kidneys from LNK -/- mice exhibit greater levels of total leukocyte and T lymphocyte infiltration, superoxide production, and albuminuria compared to WT mice, and these parameters are further exacerbated by AngII infusion. Aortas from LNK -/- mice exhibit enhanced inflammation, reduced nitric oxide production, and impaired endothelial-dependent relaxation. Bone marrow transplantation studies showed that loss of LNK in hematopoietic cells (not somatic cells) reproduced the phenotype of whole body deletion of LNK with SBP reaching 180 mmHg in response to a subpressor dose of Ang II. Splenic T cells from LNK -/- mice produce elevated levels of interferon-gamma (IFNγ) compared to WT mice. Furthermore, IFNγ -/- mice exhibit blunted hypertension in response to AngII infusion, suggesting that enhanced IFNγ production is at least partly responsible for the aggravated hypertension in LNK -/- mice. Data are summarized in the table (expressed as mean±SEM, n=5-10,* P # P † P -/- /Sham). In conclusion, LNK may serve as a novel therapeutic target for hypertension and its associated renovascular disorders.