cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Macrophage-Specific IGF-1 Overexpression Reduces CXCL12 Chemokine Levels and Suppresses Atherosclerotic Burden in Apoe-Deficient Mice.

OBJECTIVE IGF-1 (insulin-like growth factor 1) exerts pleiotropic effects including promotion of cellular growth, differentiation, survival, and anabolism. We have shown that systemic IGF-1 administration reduced atherosclerosis in Apoe-/- (apolipoprotein E deficient) mice, and this effect was associated with a reduction in lesional macrophages and a decreased number of foam cells in the plaque. Almost all cell types secrete IGF-1, but the effect of macrophage-derived IGF-1 on the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis is poorly understood. We hypothesized that macrophage-derived IGF-1 will reduce atherosclerosis. Approach and Results: We created macrophage-specific IGF-1 overexpressing mice on an Apoe-/- background. Macrophage-specific IGF-1 overexpression reduced plaque macrophages, foam cells, and atherosclerotic burden and promoted features of stable atherosclerotic plaque. Macrophage-specific IGF1 mice had a reduction in monocyte infiltration into plaque, decreased expression of CXCL12 (CXC chemokine ligand 12), and upregulation of ABCA1 (ATP-binding cassette transporter 1), a cholesterol efflux regulator, in atherosclerotic plaque and in peritoneal macrophages. IGF-1 prevented oxidized lipid-induced CXCL12 upregulation and foam cell formation in cultured THP-1 macrophages and increased lipid efflux. We also found an increase in cholesterol efflux in macrophage-specific IGF1-derived peritoneal macrophages. CONCLUSIONS Macrophage IGF-1 overexpression reduced atherosclerotic burden and increased features of plaque stability, likely via a reduction in CXCL12-mediated monocyte recruitment and an increase in ABCA1-dependent macrophage lipid efflux.
How Architecture Makes Friends: Review of Crafting History: Archiving and the Quest for Architectural Legacy, Albena Yaneva, Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 2020, 252 pp, ISBN: 978-1-5017-5184-4

Is history “made”? Do we “write” it? Or is it “crafted”? Histories that venerate individuals and events suggest that, with enough determination, history can be made. Others that attend to epistemic...
Some Guidelines for Conceptualizing Success in Conflict Resolution Evaluation

The immediate job of project evaluation is to decide what worked and what didn’t. However, the more challenging task is making sense of why success or failure occurred and in so doing to propose appropriate future action. Effective evaluation of conflict resolution initiatives is complicated since interventions involve multiple goals and cross-level connections where indirect effects are often not seen in the short-run. This paper argues that there is no single best instrument or method for evaluating the extent to which conflict resolution practice has been successful. However, this does not mean that evaluation should be ignored. Instead projects need to develop methods that are good enough to be applied in contextually appropriate ways. To assist in this process, this article offers six guidelines for deciding when, how, and the extent to which specific conflict resolution interventions are effective. Good evaluation requires a self-conscious effort to articulate the most significant goals of different groups of participants and to track goal evolution in the course of a project using multiple, operational criteria. It should addresses the question of transfer, the ways in which direct work with only a small number of project participants, is expected to have more extensive, indirect effects on the course of the wider conflict. If it is done well, good evaluation helps practitioners define future activities and helps interveners and funders to imagine good-enough conflict management asking not whether they have fully resolved a complicated conflict but whether they have improved conditions sufficiently so that the parties in the conflict are more likely to develop the capacity to manage it constructively in the future. Author Bio(s) Marc Howard Ross is William R. Kenan, Jr. Professor of Political Science at Bryn Mawr College where he has taught since 1968. He received his degree in political science at Northwestern University and in addition he spent a year studying at the Philadelphia School for Psychoanalysis. He has done research in East Africa, France, Northern Ireland, the Middle East, Spain and South Africa. His current work has two major themes (1) social science theories of conflict and their implications for conflict management and (2) the role that cultural performance and memory play in the escalation and deescalation of ethnic conflict. He has written or edited six books including The Culture of Conflict and The Management of Conflict both published by Yale University Press and several dozen articles that have appeared in diverse academic journals. This article is available in Peace and Conflict Studies: http://nsuworks.nova.edu/pcs/vol11/iss1/1 SOME GUIDELINES FOR CONCEPTUALIZING SUCCESS IN CONFLICT RESOLUTION EVALUATION Peace and Conflict Studies ■ Volume 11, Number 1 1 SOME GUIDELINES FOR CONCEPTUALIZING SUCCESS IN CONFLICT RESOLUTION EVALUATION
Regional-scale variability in the spread of grasslands in the late Miocene

Abstract A new paleovegetation reconstruction based on both phytolith and paleosol carbon isotopic data is presented for the middle–late Miocene (11.2–9.5 Ma) of southwestern Montana. Both sources of data indicate an open-habitat, C3 grassland ecosystem with a small C4 component (
A Compact Symmetric Space: The Sphere

A (surface or Laplace) spherical harmonic is an eigenfunction of the Laplacian on the sphere. These are the analogues of exponentials for Fourier analysis on the sphere. Laplace and Legendre introduced these functions in order to study gravitational theory in the 1780s. Spherical harmonics are necessary for the analysis of any phenomena with spherical symmetry; e.g., earthquakes, the hydrogen atom, and the solar corona. Some of these topics will be discussed later in this section.
Production of Recombinant Adeno-Associated Viral Vectors

Adeno-associated virus is a nonpathogenic human virus that has been developed into a gene-delivery vector due to its high efficiency of infection for many different cell types and its ability to persist and lead to long-term gene expression. This unit describes efficient methods to generate high-titer, research-grade, adenovirus-free recombinant single-stranded and self-complementary adeno-associated virus in various serotypes, along with methods to quantify the viral vectors.
Affordable terahertz components using 3D printing

This paper presents the design and characterization of 3D printed photonic crystal filter (quasi optic component) and dielectric ridge waveguide (integrated component). Commercially available 3D printer was used to print polymer based components. Design and characterization of these devices is carried out over a frequency range of 0.15 – 0.5 THz. The photonic crystal filter shows a stop band from 0.25 – 0.35 THz. Also a very narrow defect mode (notch filter) was introduced by altering the structure of photonic crystal. The dielectric ridge waveguide shows broadband THz propagation characteristics. The transmission loss was determined to be largely dominated by the loss characteristics of the polymer material used.
An investigation of the awareness of recycling services at student family housing units

The College of Graduate and Professional Studies Department of Technology Management Indiana State University Terre Haute, Indiana
Estimation of diffuse irradiance on sloping, obstructed surfaces: An error analysis

In several branches of climatology, and in related disciplines, estimates of shortwave and/or longwave diffuse irradiance are required. In this study, these irradiances are obtained by numerical integration of the fundamental radiance and source-receptor geometry equations for a variety of receptor slopes, receptor orientations, skyline patterns and sky radiance distributions. The angular increment used in the numerical integration over zenith and azimuth angle is varied to determine the optimal value in the trade-off between computing expense and accuracy. It is recommended that an angle ofπ/36 radians (5°) or smaller is required to evaluate the diffuse irradiance to 5 percent; for 10 percent error, the angle should not exceedπ/18 radians (10°).
Capping off the ends

Telomeres, the ends of chromosomes, present cells with a problem -- they can trigger DNA-damage responses and may become degraded or fuse with one another. To prevent this, telomeres are complexed with proteins. One such protein -- the Oxytricha telomere end-binding protein -- has now been crystallized, and the structure shows how it is exquisitely tailored for its job.
The Socio-emotional Development of Maltreated Children

The thought of a maltreated child conjurs up images of bruises, fractures, malnutrition, and the like. But it is the emotional damage, not the physical damage, that, despite the difficulty in operationalizing the concept and despite the legal and political controversy surrounding the concept, may have the most frequent, long-term deleterious effect on the development of maltreated children (Juvenile Justice Standards Project, 1977). It is curious, then, that among the many issues concerning the phenomenon of child maltreatment, the issue of the impact of maltreatment on a child’s socio-emotional development took so long to interest researchers.
Overview of electrical injury accidents and post-injury rehabilitation considerations

Summary form only given as follows: While the total number of employees affected by electrical injury accidents in the United States is relatively small, electrical injury is a significant cause of workplace death and disability. Recent U.S. Department of Labor statistics show that electrocution (i.e., fatal electrical injury) ranks as the second leading cause of death in the construction industry. An average of over 3600 disabling and 4000 nondisabling electrical work-related injuries are recorded annually (FR 55(151):32011, Table 5). Electrical injury accidents typically involve male employees between the ages of 20 and 45 years. Contact injuries from accidental exposure to high voltage (>1000 V) electrical energy affect at least one extremity in almost 70% of cases. Severe trauma from the electrical and thermal mechanisms of injury can result in the need for survivors to undergo multiple surgeries, including amputations. Disability from electrical injury can be related to the patient's loss of physical abilities, and/or to the occurrence of neurologic, psychologic and psychiatric sequelae. The assessment of disability following electrical injury requires a multidisciplinary team effort. In returning survivors to their pre-injury personal and work activities, serial assessments which include refractory spectral analysis of nerve conduction correlated with physical exam can provide objective physiologic information supporting employee rehabilitation. Post-injury rehabilitation considerations are detailed further in the presentation. >
Porous medium systems with slow and fast reactions

On considere un systeme de trois equations de reaction-diffusion faiblement couplees soumises a des conditions aux limites et initiales. On donne des theoremes d'existence
Coronary microvascular endothelial dysfunction is an independent predictor of development of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women

© 2014 Prasad et al. This work is published by Dove Medical Press Limited, and licensed under Creative Commons Attribution – Non Commercial (unported, v3.0) License. The full terms of the License are available at http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/. Non-commercial uses of the work are permitted without any further permission from Dove Medical Press Limited, provided the work is properly attributed. Permissions beyond the scope of the License are administered by Dove Medical Press Limited. Information on how to request permission may be found at: http://www.dovepress.com/permissions.php
Facial dwarfing and dental crowding in relation to diet

Abstract A simple framework is offered here for relating dental function, particularly the size of the dentition and its supporting skeleton, to the rest of the mammalian body. Built up from a simple understanding of the fracture properties of foods in mammalian diets, it predicts that mammals that reduce their body size rapidly will have jaws that become too small to house all their teeth. Dental overcrowding, with eventual reduction in tooth size or reduction in tooth number, is a logical result. The Flores finding shows a dentally crowded jaw entirely consistent with this theory. However, the theory also predicts that reduction in the values of certain mechanical properties of foods, particularly their toughness, will also bring about similar trends without changing body size. Dental crowding in modern humans is considered the combined result of tool use to comminute foods and cooking to modify their mechanical properties, such as toughness.
Electrophysiological indices of discrimination of long-duration, phonetically similar vowels in children with typical and atypical language development.

Purpose The authors investigated the neurophysiological bases of vowel perception in children with specific language impairment (SLI) compared with typical language development (TLD) controls using 250-ms phonetically similar vowels. In a previous study, children with SLI showed a poor neurophysiological response (the mismatch negativity [MMN]) to 50-ms versions of these vowels, regardless of whether attention was directed to (attend) or away (passive) from the auditory modality (V. Shafer, M. Morr, H. Datta, D. Kurtzberg, & R. Schwartz, 2005). They hypothesized that longer vowels would allow for improved speech perception. Method Brain responses were elicited to the vowel contrast in 2 conditions: (a) attend and (b) passive. Behavioral discrimination and identification responses were also examined. Results Both SLI and TLD groups showed evidence of discrimination (MMN) of the vowels in the attend and passive conditions. Only subtle differences in the scalp topography of a late negative (LN) brain compone...
The status of machine ethics: a report from the AAAI Symposium

This paper is a summary and evaluation of work presented at the AAAI 2005 Fall Symposium on Machine Ethics that brought together participants from the fields of Computer Science and Philosophy to the end of clarifying the nature of this newly emerging field and discussing different approaches one could take towards realizing the ultimate goal of creating an ethical machine.
The effects of the thermal prephase transition and salts on the coagulation and flocculation of phosphatidylcholine bilayer vesicles

Absorbance measurements of sonicated dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine vesicles reveal two aggregation processes: flocculation and coagulation. Flocculation is only observed for samples in monovalent cationic salt solutions or in salt-free suspensions. This process is abolished in the presence of di- or trivalent cations. It is also found to be strongly temperature dependent, occurring only below the thermal prephase transition of the lipid. Dispersal of the flocculates is rapid but they re-form at a rate dictated by the hysteresis in the prephase transition. In contrast, coagulation is slow. The extent of coagulation does not seem to be strongly dependent on the temperature, the nature of the electrolyte or its concentration. The relation of the coagulated state to vesicle-vesicle fusion is briefly discussed.
Preparation of oligomeric β-glycosides from cellulose and hemicellulosic polysaccharides via the glycosyl transferase activity of a Trichoderma reesei cellulase

Oligoglycosyl (allyl, 2,3-dihydroxypropyl, ethyl, 2-hydroxyethyl, and methyl) beta-glycosides were generated by endo -transglycosylation reactions catalyzed by commercially available Trichoderma reesei cellulase. A polymeric donor substrate (xyloglucan or cellulose) was incubated with the enzyme in an aqueous solution containing 20% of the acceptor alcohol (allyl alcohol, glycerol, ethanol, ethylene glycol, and methanol, respectively). The products of these reactions included oligomeric alkyl beta-glycosides and reducing oligosaccharides. The high yield of alkyl beta-glycosides may be explained by the resistance of the xyloglucan beta-glycosides to cellulase-mediated hydrolysis. The resistance of the oligoxyloglucan beta-glycosides to endo glucanase catalyzed hydrolysis supports the hypothesis that productive binding of the glycan substrate depends on its interaction with enzyme subsites on both sides of the cleavage point, leading to distortion of the ring geometry of the residue whose glycosidic bond is cleaved. Oligoxyloglucan beta-glycosides were purified by a combination of gel-permeation and reversed-phase HPLC and were structurally characterized by MS and NMR spectroscopy. These results demonstrate that novel oligosaccharide beta-glycosides can be efficiently produced by enzyme-catalyzed fragmentation/transglycosylation reactions starting with a polysaccharide donor substrate. This class of reactions may represent a convenient source of beta-glycosides to be used as synthons for the rapid synthesis of complex glycans.
Effect of early hypophysectomy on brain morphogenesis in the rat

Abstract The morphological development of the rat cerebral cortex was investigated following hypophysectomy at 4–5 days of age. Although the body and endocrineorgan weights of the hypophysectomized rats were much less than those of their littermate controls at 33–35 days of age, the brain weights of the hypophysectomized rats were equal to those of the controls. Early hypophysectomy had no effect on the depth of the somatosensory or visual cortices, nor on the basal dendritic parameters of pyramidal cells from layers II and III of the somatosensory cortex. Thyroid hormones-either from residual secretion or obtained in maternal milk, or both-probably accounted for the normal morphological development of the rat brain after hypophysectomy. Although growth hormone is known to influence prenatal and postnatal brain development, the presence of growth hormone in the postnatal period is not essential for normal brain growth.
Prostaglandin F2α (PGF2α) independent and dependent regulation of the bovine luteal endothelin system

We have examined the genes of the endothelin system that are targets for regulation by prostaglandin F2alpha (PGF2alpha). The effects of a luteolytic dose of PGF2alpha ) on the mRNA encoding endothelin converting enzyme-1 (ECE-1), pre-pro endothelin-1 (pp ET-1) and the ET receptors ETA, ETB, in bovine corpus luteum (CL) during the early (days 1 and 4), mid (day 10) or late (day 17) luteal phases were examined. The effect of the PGF(2alpha) treatment on ECE-1 protein, Big ET-1 and the biologically active mature ET-1 peptide were also examined. Most importantly, the direct ECE-1 activity was determined. Before day 10 of the cycle, in a PGF2alpha-independent manner, the amounts of mRNA encoding ET-1, ECE-1, ETA, and ETB were increased steadily from day 1. After day 10 of the cycle, expression of mRNA encoding pp ET-1 and ETA acquired responsiveness to exogenous PGF2alpha and both genes were up-regulated by the PGF2alpha treatment. This effect of PGF2alpha was also detected for the proteins corresponding to the mature ET-1. The enzymatic activity of ECE-1 remained unchanged throughout the lifespan of the CL in spite of the detected changes in mRNA and protein. The results suggest that the luteal endothelin system is regulated in a PGF2alpha-independent and -dependent manner. Importantly, an alteration in luteal ET-1 availability is most likely achieved by modulating the expression of mRNA encoding pp ET-1 and not by the amount or activity of ECE-1. This interpretation is supported by the observation that the activity of ECE-1 remained unchanged throughout the ovarian cycle. The combined effects of greater ET-1 availability and gene expression encoding the ETA receptor in the late luteal phase could render the CL, at this developmental stage, more sensitive or responsive to ET-1. If the luteal tissue is responsive to the available ET-1 during the early phase of the ovarian cycle, an additional role for ET-1 should be considered beyond mediating the luteolytic actions of PGF2alpha. Agents blocking the actions of ET-1 might be the best approach to interfere with the luteal ET system and test its physiological role(s) in vivo.
Do Council‐Manager and Mayor‐Council Types of City Governments Manage Information Systems Differently? An Empirical Test

Abstract The managerial difference between the council‐manager and the mayor‐council types of city government has been the focus of much research in non‐information systems (IS) areas. Despite the burgeoning importance of the use of IS in the government, however, comprehensive research into this issue has not been conducted. This empirical test will address the question of whether the management of IS differs across the council‐manager and the mayor‐council types of city governments. The research findings show that there are differences in allocating information systems expenditure for different levels of IS functions and in equipping different levels of IS across the two types of city government. The council‐manger type of city government tends to be equipped with more advanced IS so as to improve efficiency than its counterpart.
The Equivalence of Moisture and Temperature in Physical Aging of Polymeric Composites

The relation between moisture and temperature effects on physical aging of polymeric composite IM7/977-3 was studied by using momentary creep tests. Off-axis coupon specimens were used to obtain the momentary compliance for different aging times with two test conditions: (1) dry specimen under several isothermal conditions, and (2) wet specimen with different moisture contents under isothermal 23°C. Choosing the data for the 23°C and dry condition as the reference state, the moisture-temperature equivalence of the elastic and creep compliances in physical aging was established. For the elastic compliance, the equivalence was established for all aging times considered. For the aging effect on creep compliance, the equivalence was established only for a selected aging time. Such an equivalence may allow us to substitute the moisture effect creep test on physical aging with tests under equivalent temperatures.
Patterns of Use of Perioperative Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors in Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery With Cardiopulmonary Bypass Effects on In-Hospital Morbidity and Mortality

Background—Despite proven benefit in ambulatory patients with ischemic heart disease, the pattern of use of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) in coronary artery bypass graft surgery has been erratic and controversial. Methods and Results—This is a prospective observational study of 4224 patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft surgery. The cohort included 1838 patients receiving ACEI therapy before surgery and 2386 (56.5%) without ACEI exposure. Postoperatively, the pattern of ACEI use yielded 4 groups: continuation, 915 (21.7%); withdrawal, 923 (21.8%); addition, 343 (8.1%); and no ACEI, 2043 (48.4%). Continuous treatment with ACEI versus no ACEI was associated with substantive reductions of risk of nonfatal events (adjusted odds ratio for the composite outcome, 0.69; 95% confidence interval, 0.52–0.91; P=0.009) and a cardiovascular event (odds ratio, 0.64; 95% confidence interval, 0.46–0.88; P=0.006). Addition of ACEI de novo postoperatively compared with no ACEI therapy was also ...
Crystallization-induced interconnected structure in semicrystallizable polyester/polyether binary blends

The viscosity of binary blends containing one crystallizable component has been analyzed. The elastic moduli of these phase-separated blends exhibit extremely interesting discontinuities as a function of the overall sample composition. These abrupt changes cannot be attributed to the volume fraction of the crystallizable polyester-rich domains but rather to the extremely small amount (∼2% polyester) of unusual needle-shaped crystallites in the polyester-poor regions and interactions between domains and matrix. Therefore, the overall mechanical property of the binary blend must be considered in terms of the volume fraction of the polyester-rich domains interconnected by these unusual polyester-poor regions.
Surface properties of porous carbon obtained from polystyrene sulfonic acid-based organic salts.

Pyrolysis of polysterene sulfonic acid-co-maleic acid salts at 800 °C resulted in formation of new materials consisting of porous carbon and metal species dispersed on the surface. After hydrochloric acid treatment, the metal oxides/salts were removed. Obtained materials were characterized using adsorption of nitrogen, thermogravimetric analysis, Raman spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive analysis of X-rays. The results showed highly developed porous structures in the range of micro- and mesopores. The porous features of new materials resemble those characteristics for carbon foams. The differences in the porous structure are linked to the type of transition metal used for the modification of the initial polymer and the chelation process. Macro- and mesopores are spherical/cylindrical in shape, and they are likely formed when release of pyrolysis gases, such as CO2, NO2, SO2, H2S, and CxHy, occurs. Moreover, reduction of metal, its migration to the surface, and agglomerati...
The response of multidegree-of-freedom systems with quadratic non-linearities to a harmonic parametric resonance

Abstract An analysis is presented of the response of multidegree-of-freedom systems with quadratic non-linearities to a harmonic parametric excitation in the presence of an internal resonance of the combination type ω3 ≈ ω2 + ω1, where the ωn are the linear natural frequencies of the systems. In the case of a fundamental resonance of the third mode (i.e., Ω ≈ω 3 , where Ω is the frequency of the excitation), one can identify two critical values ζ1 and ζ2, where ζ2 ⩾ ζ1, of the amplitude F of the excitation. The value F = ζ2 corresponds to the transition from stable to unstable solutions. When F ζ2, the motion grows exponentially with time according to the linear theory but the non-linearity limits the motion to a finite amplitude steady state. The amplitude of the third mode, which is directly excited, is independent of F, whereas the amplitudes of the first and second modes, which are indirectly excited through the internal resonance, are functions of F. When ζ1 ⩽ F ⩽ ζ2, the motion decays or achieves a finite amplitude steady state depending on the initial conditions according to the non-linear theory, whereas it decays to zero according to the linear theory. This is an example of subcritical instability. In the case of a fundamental resonance of either the first or second mode, the trivial response is the only possible steady state. When F ⩽ ζ2, the motion decays to zero according to both linear and non-linear theories. When F >ζ2, the motion grows exponentially with time according to the linear theory but it is aperiodic according to the non-linear theory. Experiments are being planned to check these theoretical results.
GFAP promoter drives Müller cell-specific expression in transgenic mice.

PURPOSE. In an attempt to identify Muller cell-specific promoters and to better understand the gene regulatory mechanisms in retinal glial cells, the expression of the glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) gene was studied in Miiller cell cultures and in GFAP-enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) transgenic mice. METHODS. A transfection assay of GFAP-luciferase constructs carrying a series of nested deletions was performed in an established Miiller cell line. For in vivo analysis, transgenic mice were generated by injecting a construct carrying a 2.5-kb, 5' fragment of the mouse GFAP gene linked to the EGFP gene. Isolated retinas from transgenic mice were screened for GFP expression. Subsequently, the identity of the GFP-expressing cells was established by immunostaining cryostat sections of the retina with antibodies against Muller cell antigenic markers. Induction of the transgene and the endogenous GFAP gene was examined by injecting ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) into the eye. RESULTS. The DNA transfection data suggested that proximal 5' sequences of the GFAP gene are sufficient to direct high-level reporter expression in Muller cell cultures. In transgenic mice, GFP fluorescence appeared in radially oriented processes that spanned almost the entire thickness of the retina. Immunostaining with antibodies to cellular retinaldehyde-binding protein (CRALBP) and glutamine synthetase showed that the GFP-expressing cells were Muller cells. GFP-expressing Muller cells were observed in the retinas of both albino and pigmented transgenic mice. In eyes injected with CNTF, both GFP and GFAP levels were highly elevated. These observations suggest that the 2.5-kb, 5' GFAP sequence can direct inducible reporter gene expression in Muller cells. In addition to Miiller cells, a few GFP-labeled astrocytes were present in the adult retina. In the developing retina, GFP-expressing astrocytes were first present at the optic nerve head, and as development progressed, the cells gradually moved toward the periphery of the retina and acquired their adult, stellate morphology. CONCLUSIONS. The present study shows that the 2.5-kb, 5' flanking region of the mouse GFAP gene can be used to express GFP, and possibly other genes, specifically in Miiller cells in the mouse retina. Furthermore, expression of the transgene can be upregulated by intravitreal injection of CNTF.
Preferential Flow and Pedotransfer Functions for Transport Properties in Sandy Kandiudults

Soils with differences in argillic and kandic horizon clay content (12-28% clay), thickness of overlying sandy eluvial horizons (ranging from 1.0 m), and degree of structural development occur in upland Kandiudult soils in the Upper Coastal Plain of Georgia. Interest in agricultural site-specific management necessitates more adequate characterization of solute transport properties between and within these soils. Undisturbed columns (15-cm diam., n = 34) were collected by horizon for three pedons typifying the extremes of the clay content in the argillic horizon. Breakthrough curves (BTCs) were conducted using a Br tracer and were evaluated by fitting the single-and two-region adaption of the convection-dispersion equation (CDE) to outflow measurements. Saturated hydraulic conductivity (K s ) measurements and methylene blue dye staining of conducting voids were also performed on the cores. Dye staining indicated differences in preferential flow occurred between surface (Ap), eluvial (E), and argillic and kandic (Bt) horizons. Retardation factors (R) were positively correlated with clay quantities, and horizons possessing relatively less clay (A and E horizons) possessed the highest α: « values (quickest solute exchange rates between mobile and immobile regions). Horizons with relatively higher clay quantities (Bts) had the lowest α and β (ratio of mobile water to the volumetric water content) values, but the highest effective dispersivity (λ eff ) values. Dye-stained areas were correlated (r 0.65) with p, which suggested β may be an approximation of the degree of preferential flow for these soils. For the three pedons studied, significant differences in α existed between the extremes, and thus they are interpreted to behave differently from a solute transport standpoint. Pedotransfer functions (PTFs) were developed for grossly estimating hydraulic and transport parameters.
Development Of Far Infrared Systems For Plasma Studies At UCLA

The design and operation of pulsed high-power narrow-line FIR oscillator-amplifier configurations in the 0.2 - 0.6 mm region for Thomson scattering is described. Narrow-line power outputs in the neighborhood of 200 kW at 496 μm have been obtained. Proposed scattering experiments on the UCLA tokamaks are also discussed. Additional efforts are directed toward the development of high-power sources in the 0.75 mm to 2.0 mm region for use in nonlinear plasma instability studies.© (1977) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Stability and Control of a Thermoacoustic Device: The Rijke’s Tube

This study presents an intersection of two seemingly separate areas of research frontiers, “prediction and control of thermoacoustic instability” and “stability analysis of neutral-class linear-time-invariant (LTI) and time-delayed systems (TDS)”. The former is a coveted capability which has been elusive to the scientific community over 1½ centuries. Analytical capabilities have been limited due to the complex physics invoking the “combustion” phenomenon. Most available results rely on accumulated empirical knowledge. In this paper we consider a benchmark combustion test platform, which is known as Rijke’s tube. Its representation is simplified to an LTI neutral TDS, stability of which is assessed using a recent mathematical paradigm called the Cluster Treatment of Characteristic Roots (CTCR). CTCR provides a unique non-conservative and exhaustive stability declaration for a Rijke’s tube within the space of its parameters, naturally, under some simplifying assumptions. For those operating conditions which induce instability, we also propose a conventional and simple control strategy which can recover stability. This method is also analyzed using the CTCR paradigm for the first time.Copyright © 2014 by ASME
Hydrolysis of substance p and neurotensin by converting enzyme and neutral endopeptidase

Angiotensin I converting enzyme (ACE) and neutral endopeptidase ("enkephalinase"; NEP), were purified to homogeneity from human kidney. NEP cleaved substance P (SP) at Gln6-Phe7,-Phe8, and Gly9-Leu10 and neurotensin (NT) at Pro10-Tyr11 and Tyr11-Ile12. NEP hydrolyzed 0.1 mM SP, NT and their C-terminal fragments at the following rates (mumol/min/mg): SP1-11 = 7.8, SP4-11 = 11.7, SP5-11 = 15.4, SP6-11 = 15.6, SP8-11 = 6.7, NT1-13 = 2.9, and NT8-13 = 4.0. Purified ACE rapidly inactivated SP as measured in bioassay. HPLC analysis showed that ACE cleaved SP at Phe8-Gly9 and Gly9-Leu10 to release C-terminal tri- and dipeptide (ratio = 4:1). The hydrolysis was Cl- dependent and inhibited by captopril. ACE released mainly C-terminal tripeptide from SP methyl ester, but only dipeptide from SP free acid. Modification of arginine residues in ACE with cyclohexanedione or butanedione similarly inhibited hydrolysis of SP, bradykinin and Bz-Gly-Phe-Arg (80-93%) indicating an active site arginine is required for hydrolysis of SP. ACE hydrolyzed NT at Tyr11-Ile12 to release Ile12-Leu13. SP, NT and their derivatives (0.1 mM) were cleaved by ACE at the following rates (mumol/min/mg): SP1-11 = 1.2, SP methyl ester = 0.7, SP free acid = 8.5, SP4-11 = 2.4, SP5-11 = 0.9, SP6-11 = 1.4, SP8-11 = 0, NT1-13 = 0.2, and NT8-13 = 1.3. Peptide substrates were used as inhibitors of ACE (substrate = FA-Phe-Gly-Gly) and NEP (substrate = Leu5-enkephalin).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Channel Expansion Theory and the Experiential Nature of Media Richness Perceptions

Experiences identified by channel expansion theory as contributing to media-use knowledge bases were hypothesized to be positively related to the perceived richness of a communications channel. We ...
Pathology of aortic atherosclerosis and dissecting aneurysms of turkeys induced by diethylstilbestrol.

Abstract A high incidence of aortic ruptures due to dissecting aneurysms occurs in male turkeys following treatment with diethylstilbestrol (DES). About 5% of the birds examined at the termination of the experiment had saccular aneurysms of the posterior aorta. Aortic atherosclerosis was also produced by DES treatment. Smooth muscle cells in the tunica media developed lipidosis. Adjacent smooth muscle cells became widely separated from each other by extracellular lipid, serum, and particles that appeared to be lipoprotein. The accumulation of extracellular material caused weakening of the aortic wall, the development of dissecting aneurysms, and eventual rupture. Most of these ingredients apparently entered the vascular wall through breaks which developed between adjacent endothelial cells and less frequently by way of dilated intercellular boundaries between endothelial cells.
Inhibition of amyloid-β-induced neurotoxicity and apoptosis by moderate ethanol preconditioning

Consumers of moderate amounts of ethanol have a lower risk of Alzheimer's dementia than do abstainers. In Alzheimer's disease the brain contains many extracellular plaques composed of amyloid-beta (Abeta), a neurotoxic protein linked to pathogenesis of the disease. Here we report that moderate ethanol preconditioning (20-30 mM for 6 days) of organotypic hippocampal-entorhinal slice cultures prevents Abeta-induced neurotoxicity and apoptosis as measured by media lactate dehydrogenase levels and staining with propidium iodide and Hoechst 33342. With Abeta, as with our previous studies of the neurotoxic HIV-1 protein gp120, moderate ethanol preconditioning may interfere with various glial-mediated neurotoxic responses in the slices to Abeta. In addition, we found that moderate ethanol preconditioning causes an almost 3-fold increase in brain levels of heat shock protein 70 (hsp70), a protective molecular chaperone. Our results suggest possible molecular mechanisms underlying the protective effect of moderate drinking against Alzheimer's dementia.
Mapping networks of physical interactions between genomic elements using 5C technology

Genomic elements separated by large genomic distances can physically interact to mediate long-range gene regulation and other chromosomal processes. Interactions between genomic elements can be detected using the chromosome conformation capture (3C) technology. We recently developed a high-throughput adaptation of 3C, 3C-carbon copy (5C), that is used to measure networks of millions of chromatin interactions in parallel. As in 3C, cells are treated with formaldehyde to cross-link chromatin interactions. The chromatin is solubilized, digested with a restriction enzyme and ligated at low DNA concentration to promote intra-molecular ligation of cross-linked DNA fragments. Ligation products are subsequently purified to generate a 3C library. The 5C technology then employs highly multiplexed ligation-mediated amplification (LMA) to detect and amplify 3C ligation junctions. The resulting 5C library of ligated primers is analyzed using either microarray detection or ultra-high-throughput DNA sequencing. The 5C protocol described here can be completed in 13 d.
Cellular Uptake and Cytotoxicity of Drug-Peptide Conjugates Regulated by Conjugation Site

Conjugation of anticancer drugs to hydrophilic peptides such as Tat is a widely adopted strategy to improve the drug's solubility, cellular uptake, and potency against cancerous cells. Here we report that attachment of an anticancer drug doxorubicin to the N- or C-terminal of the Tat peptide can have a significant impact on their cellular uptake and cytotoxicity against both drug-sensitive and drug-resistant cancer cells. We observed higher cellular uptake by both cell lines for C-terminal conjugate relative to the N-terminal analogue. Our results reveal that the C-terminal conjugate partially overcame the multidrug resistance of cervical cancer cells, while the N-terminal conjugate showed no significant improvement in cytotoxicity when compared with free doxorubicin. We also found that both N- and C-conjugates offer a mechanism to circumvent drug efflux associated with multidrug resistance.
Preparing Social Workers for Practice in Rural Social Systems

Abstract This paper calls on schools of social work to provide more workers for practice in rural settings. It reviews the basic character of rural areas and the need for systematic intervention and program development to alter the disproportionate amount of social and economic problems existing there. The use of rural settings for student practice is reviewed, including concepts such as the community of communities, models for designing practice experiences, the role of the educator, and positive features and barriers found in providing social services.
Are tetrathiooxalate and diborinate bridged compounds related to oxalate bridged quadruply bonded compounds of molybdenum

The electronic structures of the compounds [(HCO2)3M2]2(bridge), where M = Mo and bridge is C2O42−, C2S42− or B2O4H22− are compared based on calculations employing density functional theory. The planar structure, D2h, for the oxalate and tetrathiooxalate is the ground state and the splitting of the two M2δ orbitals is found to be significantly larger for the tetrathiooxalate due primarily to the lower energy of the C2S42− LUMO, which interacts with the in-phase combination of the M2δ orbitals. An attempt to prepare the compound [(tBuCO2)3Mo2]2(μ-S2CCS2) is reported, which yielded a material that was not soluble in organic solvents and has not been fully characterized. Calculations on the borinate bridged compound with μ-B2O4H22− revealed the surprising prediction that the B–B bond is reductively cleaved and the [Mo24+] centers oxidized: the bridge is [O2B(μ-H)]24−.
Rescattering and electroweak penguin effects in determinations of the weak phase γ

Abstract Determinations of the CKM phase γ from weak nonleptonic B decays are affected by electroweak (EW) penguins and rescattering effects. In this talk I explain how the EW penguin effects can be controlled with the help of SU(3) symmetry, by relating them to tree-level amplitudes. The impact of the final-state interactions on the determination of γ from B + →Kπ decays is studied numerically, showing that they can be important. A few alternative methods are discussed which use additional decays to eliminate their effects.
Microbial inhibition by prepupae of the alkali bee, Nomia melanderi.

Abstract Normal, healthy prepupae of the alkali bee, Nomia melanderi , produce a bacteriostatic substance capable of inhibiting the growth of a number of gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. The inhibitory agent is found in the integument of prepupae and is absent in internal organs. Gas-liquid chromatographic analysis determined the substance to consist primarily of saturated 16- and 18-carbon fatty acid chains and one monounsaturated 18-carbon chain. Data presented in the paper provide information relative to conditions necessary for microbial infections in prepupae of N. melanderi .
Effect of Cell Size on Particle-Eddy Interaction and Erosion Predictions Using Commercial CFD Software (FLUENT)

Some commercial CFD codes have the ability to predict erosion. For low concentration flows, a one-way coupling approach is used. The flow solution is determined then thousands of particle trajectories are determined using a Lagrangian approach, and the particle impact information is used in an erosion equation to predict the erosion. It is necessary practice to insure grid independence for the flow solution; however, discussion of the effect of grid size on particle tracking is not common. In this paper, the effect of cell size on particle tracking and erosion modeling is studied using a commercial computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code, FLUENT. Two surprising issues were found during detailed investigation of CFD results. First, eddy size is limited by cell size in FLUENT, which affects particle-eddy interaction in the discrete phase model and consequently erosion modeling. Limiting the eddy size based on the cell size can have a huge effect on the particle trajectories in geometries like sudden contraction/expansions since eddies play an important role in particle behavior in these geometries. This is particularly true for very small particles and when liquid is the carrier fluid. Second, the particle impact behavior seems unrealistic. Particles tend to stay near the wall and impact the wall over and over in a small area. During each impact series, the particle’s impact velocities do not reduce with successive impacts as expected. This promotes simulated erosion rates that are high. In addition to the CFD investigation, an experimental facility was designed and built to develop erosion equations for small particles (average size of 25 μm) to enable more appropriate comparisons of erosion data with predicted erosion.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
Preparation and properties of S-nitroso-L-cysteine ethyl ester, an intracellular nitrosating agent.

In this report, a protocol for the preparation of the hydrochloride of S-nitroso-L-cysteine ethyl ester (SNCEE.HCl; 2) is presented. The synthesis of 2 has been targeted because S-nitroso-L-cysteine (SNC; 2b), which is extensively used for trans-S-nitrosation of thiol-containing proteins, has a limited ability of crossing cellular membranes. The nitrosothiol 2 was prepared via direct S-nitrosation of the hydrochloride of L-cysteine ethyl ester (CEE.HCl; 1a) with ethyl nitrite. 2 is relatively stable in crystal form and when neutralized to SNCEE (2a) in aqueous solutions treated with chelators of metal ions. Traces of metal ions, however, triggered the decomposition of 2a to nitric oxide and a S-centered radical, which were detected by ESR spectrometry. In contrast to 2b, 2a is a lipophilic compound that was taken up by human neutrophils. The latter process was paralleled by inhibition of the NADPH oxidase-dependent generation of superoxide anion radicals, presumably via reaction(s) of intracellular trans-S-nitrosation. Intracellular accumulation of S-nitrosothiols was observed with 2a but not with 2b. It is expected that the use of 2a will be advantageous when intracellular reactions of trans-S-nitrosation are to be studied.
A component approach to health systems design

This research concerns the development of a strategy that will assist in the design of health systems by making decision-makers in the health field aware of the best available methods for performing the functions required by their organizations. A procedure for identifying, evaluating, and documenting cost-effective health systems components is presented. Use of the procedure is illustrated through an application to the billing function in group medical practices. An evaluation model is developed using psychometric scaling techniques and is validated by comparing its performance to the independent evaluations of expert panelists.
Emergent literacy profiles among prekindergarten children from low-SES backgrounds: Longitudinal considerations☆

Abstract This study represents a longitudinal follow-up to a prior investigation that identified five profiles of emergent literacy skills among children in the fall of their prekindergarten year. Here, we examined: (a) how profile patterns changed from fall to spring, (b) the extent to which children remained stable in their profile membership, and (c) possible factors that may explain children’s movement in profile membership from fall to spring. Participants were 484 children enrolled in needs-based programs. Eight measures of emergent literacy, across oral language and code-related domains, were administered in both the fall and the spring of the prekindergarten year. Latent profile analysis was used to classify children into fall and spring profiles (N = 484, 369, respectively). Although there were fewer profiles identified in the spring, children’s membership within the profiles was characterized by a degree of stability, especially in the extremes of performance. Among children who shifted membership from fall to spring (35%), movement to a more desirable profile was primarily associated with children’s emergent literacy skills, particularly oral language, at the beginning of the prekindergarten year.
CICATRIZATION OF WOUNDS : XIII. THE TEMPERATURE COEFFICIENT.

For a rise of temperature of 10°C., the rate of cicatrization was increased about twofold. This result could be expected, since wound healing is closely related to the phenomenon of growth and regeneration. It is classical that changes in temperature affect the metabolism and the development of certain organisms in the same manner as a chemical reaction. In spite of the complexity of the factors which bring about the cicatrization of a wound, it appears that the velocity of the phenomenon depends on the rate at which certain chemical changes take place.