cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
In Vivo Urothelial Surface Histology by Microscopic Chromocystoscopy

Abstract Microscopic chromocystoscopy is a new in vivo procedure that we have developed to aid in the detection and treatment of bladder tumors. Intravesical ionic dye chromocystoscopy was introduced by our group to permit cystoscopic viewing with ordinary light of selectively stained malignant urothelial surfaces by the cationic dye, methylene blue. With the recent availability of the Hamou hysteroscope, a microscopic endoscope, we have combined intravesical ionic dye chromocystoscopy with microscopic cystoscopy to give in vivo urothelial surface histology, with resolution of cytological detail We herein describe our new method and preliminary results with this procedure, which we have designated in vivo urothelial surface histology by microscopic chromocystoscopy.
Aaptosyax grypus, a New Genus and Species of Large Piscivorous Cyprinids from the Middle Mekong River

A new genus and species of cyprinid fishes,Aaptosyax grypus, is described from the middle Mekong River of Laos and Thailand, This large and rarely seen species reaches a full meter in length and lives in the main stem of the river. The species is a piscivore and the southernmost representative of the aspiin lineage. Among the aspiins it is unique in having a well-developed adipose eyelid and large symphyseal knob on the mandible which fits into a deep notch in the upper jaw.
The Origin and Development of a Programme to Breed Leafless Dried Peas

At the John Innes Institute the increased standing ability of the so-called leafless pea is being exploited in the development of a dried pea crop suitable for existing canning and packeting markets as well as for reducing some of the EEC’s over-dependence upon imported soya.
Feeding and development of Nephaspis oculata (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) on rugose spiraling whitefly (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae)

Abstract Nephaspis oculata (Blatchley) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) is a predatory lady beetle that has been studied for biological control of whiteflies. Here, we studied the feeding rate and development of this beetle on rugose spiraling whitefly, Aleurodicus rugioperculatus Martin (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae), an invasive whitefly species that was first found in the United States in 2009. The objective of our study was to measure the feeding rate of N. oculata on rugose spiraling whitefly and compare the egg-to-adult development on eggs and nymphs. Our results showed that N. oculata is able to complete its development from egg to adult solely on rugose spiraling whitefly. At 26.7 °C, immature (1st to 4th instars combined) beetles consumed an average of 245.7 ± 14.4 rugose spiraling whitefly eggs prior to pupation. Adult beetles consumed 50.6 ± 1.8 eggs per day. There was no difference between the feeding rate of adult males and females or between immature males and females. Larvae searched for prey by sweep...
German Typographers vs. German Grammar: Decomposition of Wikipedia Category Labels into Attribute-Value Pairs

Given an instance (Julieta Pinto), most methods for open-domain information extraction focus on acquiring knowledge in the form of either class labels (Costa Rican short story writers, Women novelists) referring to concepts to which the instance belongs; or facts (nationality: Costa Rica) connecting the instance (Julieta Pinto) to other instances or concepts (Costa Rica), where the fact and the other instance often take the form of an attribute (nationality) and a value (Costa Rica) respectively. From extraction through internal representation and storage, class labels and facts are treated as if they carved out disconnected slices within the larger space of factual knowledge. This paper argues that class labels and facts pertaining to an instance exist in symbiosis rather than as a dichotomy. A constituent (Costa Rican) within a class label (Costa Rican short story writers) of an instance may be indicative of a fact (nationality: Costa Rica) applicable to the instance and vice-versa. As an illustration of the relationship between class labels and facts, the paper introduces an open-domain method for the better understanding of the semantics of class labels in one of the larger and most widely-used repositories of knowledge, namely the categories in the Wikipedia category network. The method exploits the category network to associate constituents (Costa Rican) within names of Wikipedia categories, with attributes (nationality) that explain their role.
Understanding variability in MgO-based ReRAM devices for trust in semiconductor designs

This paper discusses the characteristics and fabrication processes involved in novel MgO-Si based forming-free and self-compliant current controlled Resistive Random Access Memory (ReRAM) devices. Experimental data was taken from several devices and used to generate a model to simulate device switching characteristics. The unique characteristics of these devices are utilized to demonstrate an application in hardware security. The application is then validated through a series of simulations of the circuit design.
Effect of High Aspect Ratio Fillers on the Performance of Styrene-Butadiene Rubber

Among the many material performance properties of vulcanized elastomers for tire tread application, rolling resistance and wet traction are particularly important since both greatly impact fuel eff...
Replicated Computations Results (RCR) Report for “Green Simulation: Reusing the Output of Repeated Experiments”

“Green Simulation: Reusing the Output of Repeated Experiments” by Feng and Staum describes methods based on likelihood ratio or importance sampling theory for reusing the outputs of simulation experiments at previous parameter settings to augment and improve (by reducing the estimator variance) simulation experiments at new parameter settings. The article presents empirical results for two realistic examples in the area of finance; Matlab code for these examples was made available by the authors. The examples were straightforward to run without extensive knowledge of Matlab, and both experiment and scenario parameters can be altered easily. All experiment results in the article were reproduced.
Poster abstract: En route towards trace-based simulation of vehicular mobility

This study addresses issues of vehicular mobility scenario generation using the framework called En Route. By applying the framework to planet scale imagery dataset (traffic cameras) we were able to model the traffic demand of a large scale urban scenario (city of London) by means of origin/destination matrix and trips starting within 30 minutes. Along the way, we investigate the relationship of traffic flow (vehicles per minute) vs occupancy, lognormality of trip duration distribution and number of trips started within 30 minutes using available datasets of Berkeley highways and taxicabs of Beijing and San Francisco (SF). We then compare different routing methods and study the effects of system parameters on the number of generated trips.
A Novel Study of Cloud Computing

On demand or on pay per use of resource such as: network, storage and server these all facilities are provided by cloud computing through internet is called cloud computing. Although, cloud computing is facilitating the Information Technology industry, the research and development in this arena is yet to be satisfactory. Our contribution in this paper is an advanced survey focusing on cloud computing concept and most advanced research issues. This paper provides a better understanding of the cloud computing and identifies important research issues in this burgeoning area of computer science. Section 1 contains the introduction, in the section 2, we provide an overview of cloud computing, section 3 contains the security architecture and section 4 will focus on the research issues and security issue. We conclude the paper on section 5 along with references.
The MBSAQIP (Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program) Comprehensive Bariatric Program (MBSAQIP-ASMBS/ACS)

Accreditation programs in bariatric surgery grew out of necessity because of concerns about safety when the field grew exponentially in the early 2000s. The ASBS and the ACS each developed programs which unified into one program in 2012 – the MBSAQIP. The founding principles of accreditation programs includes setting the standards, building the right infrastructure, collecting robust data, and verifying through a third party with monitoring and site visits. Retrospective data has shown decreased mortality and postoperative morbidity in bariatric surgery in accredited centers compared to nonaccredited centers.
Cross-talk of cannabinoid and endocannabinoid metabolism is mediated via human cardiac CYP2J2

Phytocannabinoids have well-known cardiovascular implications. For instance, Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC), the principal component of cannabis, induces tachycardia in humans. In order to understand the impact of phytocannabinoids on human cardiovascular health, there is a need to study the metabolism of phytocannabinoids by cardiac cytochromes p450 (CYPs). CYP2J2, the primary CYP of cardiomyocytes, is responsible for the metabolism of the endocannabinoid, anandamide (AEA), into cardioprotective epoxides (EET-EAs). Herein, we have investigated the kinetics of the direct metabolism of six phytocannabinoids (Δ9-THC, Δ8-tetrahydrocannabinol, cannabinol, cannabidiol, cannabigerol, and cannabichromene) by CYP2J2. CYP2J2 mainly produces 1'/1″-OH metabolites of these phytocannabinoids. These phytocannabinoids are metabolized with greater catalytic efficiency compared to the metabolism of AEA by CYP2J2. We have also determined that the phytocannabinoids are potent inhibitors of CYP2J2-mediated AEA metabolism, with Δ9-THC being the strongest inhibitor. Most of the inhibition of CYP2J2 by the phytocannabinoids follow a noncompetitive inhibition model, and therefore dramatically reduce the formation of EET-EAs by CYP2J2. Taken together, these data demonstrate that phytocannabinoids are directly metabolized by CYP2J2 and inhibit human cardiac CYP2J2, leading to a reduction in the formation of cardioprotective EET-EAs.
Head and Neck Sinus Histiocytosis with Massive Lymphadenopathy Radiology–Pathology Correlation

Sinus histiocytosis with massive lymphadenopathy, or Rosai-Dorfman disease, is a rare, benign type of non-Langerhans cell histiocytosis. The radiological findings are often nonspecific, potentially mimicking malignancies. The diagnosis is ultimately made based on pathology, in which the lymph nodes are characterized by a dilated subcapsular sinus filled with histiocytes that can exhibit emperipolesis. Immunohistochemically, the histiocytes are variably CD68 positive and reliably negative for CD1a. The features of head and neck sinus histiocytosis with massive lymphadenopathy are exemplified in this radiology-pathology correlation sine qua non article.
Globalization and Public Affairs Education: The Case of China

Globalization is changing public affairs education. In an increasingly interconnected world, public affairs communities must respond to international benchmarks. This paper assesses China’s master ...
Graft-Recipient Anteroposterior Mismatch Does Not Affect the Midterm Clinical Outcomes of Osteochondral Allograft Transplantation of the Femoral Condyle.

Background:For the treatment of femoral condyle cartilage defects with osteochondral allograft transplantation (OCA), many surgeons have relaxed their graft-recipient size-matching criteria given t...
Modeling and Animating Human Figures

Human (and other) figure animation is often the subject of animation. This chapter starts by presenting methods to model the geometry of the human figure, specifically the layered approaches in which the underlying structure of human anatomy is modeled to some degree in order to produce more realistic motion and deformations of the surface. Animation techniques are surveyed next that have been tailored specifically to model common motion of human figures such as reaching, grasping, walking, and running. The chapter concludes with a brief discussion of modeling clothing and human hair.
Diet and the Surgeon

Importance of eating right is an easily forgotten concept in a surgical training but necessary to sustain your long surgical career. There are many ways to combat poor eating habits, including advance meal planning, having healthy snacks readily available, and staying hydrated.
Adults with Undiagnosed Learning Disabilities: Practice Considerations:

For various reasons, many persons reach adulthood with undiagnosed learning disabilities and/or attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. Virtually no research has dealt with adults with undiagnose...
InGaN/GaN microdisks enabled by nanoporous GaN cladding

The fabrication of nanoporous (NP) GaN is proposed as a generic technique to create out-of-plane index guiding for nitride microcavities. Compared to the conventional undercut technique, the proposed technique forms uniformly a low-index NP-GaN layer beneath the entire microcavity. Therefore, it supports all cavity modes (with different cavity geometries), while the undercut technique only supports the modes that reside at the circumference of a circular microcavity. As a proof of concept, GaN microdisk cavities were fabricated with the NP-GaN as the bottom low-index medium. A cold cavity with Q>2,000 was reported under continuous-wave pumping. Lasing was demonstrated with threshold optical pumping power Pth∼60 kW/cm2 for the r=10 μm microdisk and Pth∼7 kW/cm2 for the r=50 μm microdisk. A rate equation analysis was performed to estimate the spontaneous coupling factor β∼1E-3, which was one order of magnitude higher than the previous report of a nitride microdisk laser with an InGaN quantum well active region. Therefore, NP GaN was proven to be a suitable replacement of the undercut technique for future nitride microcavities applications.
Association studies of up to 1.2 million individuals yield new insights into the genetic etiology of tobacco and alcohol use

Tobacco and alcohol use are leading causes of mortality that influence risk for many complex diseases and disorders1. They are heritable2,3 and etiologically related4,5 behaviors that have been resistant to gene discovery efforts6–11. In sample sizes up to 1.2 million individuals, we discovered 566 genetic variants in 406 loci associated with multiple stages of tobacco use (initiation, cessation, and heaviness) as well as alcohol use, with 150 loci evidencing pleiotropic association. Smoking phenotypes were positively genetically correlated with many health conditions, whereas alcohol use was negatively correlated with these conditions, such that increased genetic risk for alcohol use is associated with lower disease risk. We report evidence for the involvement of many systems in tobacco and alcohol use, including genes involved in nicotinic, dopaminergic, and glutamatergic neurotransmission. The results provide a solid starting point to evaluate the effects of these loci in model organisms and more precise substance use measures.
Locally linear embedding with additive noise

Abstract Locally linear embedding (LLE) is a nonlinear dimension reduction technique that only relies on the assumption of local linearity. While it is known to produce good results and is computationally efficient, it does not perform well when the observations are distorted by noises, as the fundamental assumption of local linearity becomes violated. In this work, we present a modification of locally linear embedding which is designed to handle such situations. This new modification is termed LLEAN, short for locally linear embedding with additive noise, which has been seen to perform better in the presence of noise distortion. In LLEAN, we seek to recover the noiseless data from the noisy data by exploiting the relationship between local linearity and reconstruction potential, and we then use the recovered noiseless data while performing the dimension reduction. The LLEAN algorithm includes a tuning parameter, and our work includes an automatic selection method for the tuning parameter to remove the burden from the user.
Hedgehog Pathway Inhibitor for Treatment of Steroid-Refractory Sclerodermatous Chronic Graft-Versus-Host Disease (GVHD)

Background: Sclerodermatous chronic GVHD (scGVHD) is a unique form of cutaneous GVHD that predominantly involves the skin, subcutaneous tissue, fascia and joints. Steroid-refractory scGVHD is especially challenging to manage since it is usually a progressive condition with devastating effects on the quality of life of affected patients. Inhibition of hedgehog signaling has been shown to be effective in the treatment of murine scGVHD. Here, we report a retrospective review of patients with scGVHD who were treated with hedgehog pathway inhibitor, Vismodegib, at Stanford University. Results: A total of n=8 patients with steroid-refractory scGVHD were treated with Vismodegib 150 mg daily as an off-label use since 2016. The male:female ratio is 5:3 and median age was 49 (range 39-62) at time of start of Vismodegib. The median time from transplant to diagnosis of scGVHD was 26.9 months (range 8.9-37.5) and the median time from diagnosis of scGVHD to Vismodegib treatment was 14.4 months (range 2.7-45.2). All patients had GVHD involvement of other organ besides scGVHD and have received multiple lines of therapy prior to Vismodegib. Hair thinning/alopecia and muscle cramps were noted in 100% of the patients. 75% (6/8) had dysgeusia, 88% (7/8) had fatigue (gr 2) and 1 patient had an asymptomatic elevated lipase level. All patients required dose reduction or drug holiday due to side effects (mainly muscle cramps). Four patients (50%) stopped the drug due to side effects (2/4) or lack of response (2/4). All Vismodegib-related side effects resolved after discontinuation of the drug. The median duration of Vismodegib treatment was 6.1 months (range 2.3-17.1) for the entire group. One patient received multiple courses of Vismodegib with benefit noted with each course. Five patients (63%) had partial response including 1 patient responded to multiple courses of Vismodegib and 1 patient had subjective symptom improvement. The median time to clinical response was 103 days (range 24-145) and the duration of response was 7.8 months (range 1.6-13.4). Three patients had experienced prolonged clinical response off the Vismodegib. At the last follow-up visit, all patients were alive and 4 patients continued to take Vismodegib including 1 patient who had been tapered off systemic steroid. Conclusion: Steroid-refractory scGVHD is an extremely difficult disease to manage with a high rate of morbidity. Our experience with hedgehog pathway inhibitor, Vismodegib, is very encouraging. Additional study to evaluate the optimal dosing, side effects and its efficacy is under way. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Theorizing the Politics of Work and Power

Feminist critics of “women’s work” have long attended to the many issues associated with precarious, marginalized, underpaid work – including the affective and immaterial labor demands of subjects,...
The Parathyroid Hormone Receptor Type 1

This chapter describes the molecular and structural properties of the parathyroid hormone receptor type 1 (PTHR1), with emphasis on mechanisms of ligand binding and signal activation, as well as therapeutic applications. The basic protein architecture and mechanistic actions of the PTHR1 can now be viewed in light of the recently reported X-ray crystal and cryo-EM structures obtained for this receptor, which provide insights at an atomic level of resolution. These new structures confirm that the PTHR1 adopts an overall protein topology similar to that seen in peptide hormone-binding G protein-coupled receptors that comprise the class B GPCR subgroup and that it furthermore utilizes a similar basic mechanism of ligand binding and activation. Pharmacologic studies on the PTHR1 have led to the concept that structurally distinct PTH and PTHrP ligands and analogs can bind with altered affinities to different PTHR1 conformations to thus induce different types of signaling responses, including prolonged cAMP responses from endosomes. These distinct modes of action suggest potential new paths to explore for therapeutic ligand development. A number of diseases are linked to mutations in the genes for the PTHR1 or its ligands, PTH and PTHrP, and the evolving approaches for developing new PTHR1 ligands, including small molecules, may lead to new modes of treatment for such diseases.
Viral Vaccine Production in Cell Culture

Cell culture for the purposes of viral vaccine cultivation is reviewed from the perspective of the industrial practitioner. This article covers the mechanics of virus production, followed by a discussion of the steps in virus replication, process affectors of virus cultivation. It concludes with a series of examples of virus vaccine processes, emphasizing the principles discussed in the previous sections as they translate to industrial practice. Keywords: virus seeds; Master Cell Banks; human diploid cells; receptor-mediated endocytosis; Madin–Darby canine kidney cells; virus; vaccine; cell culture; virus life cycle; virus growth; process development; manufacturing
Upper and Lower Values in Zero-Sum Stochastic Games with Asymmetric Information

A general model for zero-sum stochastic games with asymmetric information is considered. In this model, each player’s information at each time can be divided into a common information part and a private information part. Under certain conditions on the evolution of the common and private information, a dynamic programming characterization of the value of the game (if it exists) is presented. If the value of the zero-sum game does not exist, then the dynamic program provides bounds on the upper and lower values of the game.
CRF-5-HT interactions in the dorsal raphe nucleus and motivation for stress-induced opioid reinstatement.

The serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) system plays an important role in stress-related psychiatric disorders and substance abuse. Our previous data show that stressors can inhibit 5-HT neuronal activity and release by stimulating the release of the stress neurohormone corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) within the serotonergic dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN). The inhibitory effects of CRF on 5-HT DRN neurons are indirect, mediated by CRF-R1 receptors located on GABAergic afferents. We tested the hypothesis that DRN CRF-R1 receptors contribute to stress-induced reinstatement of morphine-conditioned place preference (CPP). We also examined the role of this circuitry in stress-induced negative affective state with 22-kHz distress ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs), which are naturally emitted by rats in response to environmental challenges such as pain, stress, and drug withdrawal. First, we tested if activation of CRF-R1 receptors in the DRN with the CRF-R1-preferring agonist ovine CRF (oCRF) would reinstate morphine CPP and then if blockade of CRF-R1 receptors in the DRN with the CRF-R1 antagonist NBI 35965 would attenuate swim stress–induced reinstatement of morphine CPP. Second, we tested if intra-DRN pretreatment with NBI 35965 would attenuate foot shock stress–induced 22-kHz USVs. Intra-DRN injection of oCRF reinstated morphine CPP, while intra-DRN injection of NBI 35965 attenuated swim stress–induced reinstatement. Moreover, intra-DRN pretreatment with NBI 35965 significantly reduced 22-kHz distress calls induced by foot shock. These data provide evidence that stress-induced negative affective state is mediated by DRN CRF-R1 receptors and may contribute to reinstatement of morphine CPP.
Building Consensus about the Functional Vision Assessment Process: A Delphi Study:

Introduction:Within the field of visual impairment, there is no set of standards that guide teachers of students with visual impairments as they conduct, report, and share functional vision assessm...
Molecular communication system with non-absorbing receiver

Abstract The molecules propagation via the molecular communication channel is governed by Fick’s law that describes movement of molecules based on the difference between concentration levels at the transmitter and at the receiver. If the receiver does not absorb all molecules sent, then the molecules stay in the channel influencing future transmission. This leads to accumulation of molecules meaning the channel has memory. The paper deals with developing the detection method for such a cumulative channel. By mapping the received signals and forming a trellis plot we were able to observe the received signal changes and design a detection method based on the trellis. In the paper, we simulate a molecular transmission, including absorption, inter symbol interference and noise, and their respective effects on the transmitted data.
Nanodiamonds by laser filamentation in ethanol

An ultrafast laser (λ=1030 nm, ~160 fs) was used to synthesize nanodiamonds directly from ethanol liquid (sans target) through the process of laser filamentation. The laser parameters (such as energy, repetition rate, irradiation time) for nanodiamond synthesis were optimized and characterized with their UV-VIS absorbance, optical emission spectra, Raman, and TEM (transmission electron microscopy) analysis. TEM analysis showed the synthesized nanodiamonds were 2-5 nm size with little or no aggregation and had visible lattice fringes of 2.07 A corresponding to diamond (111). Methods of doping the nanodiamonds with nitrogen or other species during laser synthesis will also be presented.
Nationalistic tendency in communist camp: The cases of Yugoslavia and Romania

The purpose of the paper is to examine the nationalistic characters of socialist regimes after the Second World War until the 1990s in the cases of Romania and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. Therefore, I will attempt to examine whether the communist leaders in Romania and Yugoslavia appealed to nationalistic communism or communism with national distinction in order to demonstrate that they were not directly controlled or directed by The Soviet Union. They enjoyed sovereignty greater than other communist countries in Eastern Europe. Both Romania and Yugoslavia could receive maximum of aid and attention from Western countries, which led to maneuvering strategies between the Western countries and the socialist camp.
Evaluation of lumbar spinal fusion utilizing recombinant human platelet derived growth factor-B chain homodimer (rhPDGF-BB) combined with a bovine collagen/β-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) matrix in an ovine model.

Background context While the clinical effectiveness of recombinant human Platelet Derived Growth Factor-B chain homodimer combined with collagen and β-tricalcium phosphate (rhPDGF-BB + collagen/β-TCP) treatment for indications involving hindfoot and ankle is well-established, it is not approved for use in spinal interbody fusion, and the use of autograft remains the gold standard. Purpose The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of rhPDGF-BB + collagen/β-TCP treatment on lumbar spine interbody fusion in an ovine model to those of autograft bone and collagen/β-TCP treatments using biomechanical, radiographic, and histological assessment techniques. Study design Thirty-two skeletally mature Columbian Rambouillet sheep were used to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of rhPDGF-BB + collagen/β-TCP matrix in a lumbar spinal fusion model. Interbody polyetheretherketone (PEEK) cages contained either autograft, rhPDGF-BB + collagen/β-TCP, collagen/β-TCP matrix, or left empty. Methods Animals were sacrificed 8- or 16-weeks post-surgery. Spinal fusion was evaluated via post-sacrifice biomechanical, micro-computed tomography (μCT), and histological analysis. Outcomes were statistically compared using a two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) with an alpha value of 0.05 and a Tukey post-hoc test. Results There were no statistically significant differences between groups within treatment timepoints for flexion-extension, lateral bending, or axial rotation range of motion, neutral zone, neutral zone stiffness, or elastic zone stiffness. μCT bone volume fraction was significantly greater between treatment groups independent of timepoint where Autograft and rhPDGF-BB + collagen/β-TCP treatments demonstrated significantly greater bone volume fraction as compared to collagen/β-TCP (P = .026 and P = .038, respectively) and Empty cage treatments (P = .002 and P = .003, respectively). μCT mean bone density fraction was most improved in rhPDGF-BB + collagen/β-TCP specimens at the 8 week and 16-week timepoints as compared to all other treatment groups. There were no statistically significant differences in histomorphometric measurements of bone, soft tissue, or empty space between rhPDGF-BB + collagen/β-TCP and autograft treatments. Conclusions The results of this study indicate that the use of rhPDGF-BB combined with collagen/β-TCP promotes spinal fusion comparable to that of autograft bone. Clinical significance The data indicate that rhPDGF-BB combined with collagen/β-TCP promotes spinal fusion comparably to autograft bone treatment and may offer a viable alternative in large animal spinal fusion. Future prospective clinical studies are necessary to fully understand the role of rhPDGF-BB combined with collagen/β-TCP in human spinal fusion healing.
Interaction of Cyclic AMP and ADP-Ribosylation in a Hormonally Responsive Cell Line

The adenylate cyclase system is a complex of proteins which responds to several stimuli with a single, integrated response. A hormonal signal is translated by multiple systems, including the stimulation of cAMP, to the nucleus [1, 2]. Regulation of cAMP synthesis in response to a hormone requires GTP as a cofactor for hormonal stimulation of the adenylate cyclase system [3, 4]. GTP appears critical for the action of various toxins, such as cholera and pertussis toxin, as well as for hormonal activity [5, 6].
Effects of Information Distributions Strategies on Student Performance and Satisfaction in a Web-Based Course Management System

The effects of three information distribution strategies in a course management system (CMS) on student performance and satisfaction were investigated. Analysis of the data found that the distribution of instructional materials in class resulted in significantly higher student performance on an end-of-the-semester technical knowledge test than when instructional materials were available to students via a CMS either at the beginning of the semester or one week before each of the class sessions in which the materials were to be covered. However, no significant differences were found among the three information distribution strategies on total points earned in the course or on student reactions toward the instructional experience. Possible explanations for these findings and implications of the findings for theory and practice as related to utilizing a CMS in instructional programs in higher education are provided.
Smten: Automatic Translation of High-Level Symbolic Computations into SMT Queries

Development of computer aided verification tools has greatly benefited from SMT technologies; instead of writing an ad-hoc reasoning engine, designers translate their problem into SMT queries which solvers can efficiently solve. Translating a problem into effective SMT queries, however, is itself a tedious, error-prone, and non-trivial task. This paper introduces Smten, a tool for automatically translating high-level symbolic computations into SMT queries. We demonstrate the use of Smten in the development of an SMT-based string constraint solver.
The langmuir isotherm: A commonly applied but misleading approach for the analysis of protein adsorption behavior

The Langmuir adsorption isotherm provides one of the simplest and most direct methods to quantify an adsorption process. Because isotherm data from protein adsorption studies often appear to be fit well by the Langmuir isotherm model, estimates of protein binding affinity have often been made from its use despite that fact that none of the conditions required for a Langmuir adsorption process may be satisfied for this type of application. The physical events that cause protein adsorption isotherms to often provide a Langmuir-shaped isotherm can be explained as being due to changes in adsorption-induced spreading, reorientation, clustering, and aggregation of the protein on a surface as a function of solution concentration in contrast to being due to a dynamic equilibrium adsorption process, which is required for Langmuir adsorption. Unless the requirements of the Langmuir adsorption process can be confirmed, fitting of the Langmuir model to protein adsorption isotherm data to obtain thermodynamic properties, such as the equilibrium constant for adsorption and adsorption free energy, may provide erroneous values that have little to do with the actual protein adsorption process, and should be avoided. In this article, a detailed analysis of the Langmuir isotherm model is presented along with a quantitative analysis of the level of error that can arise in derived parameters when the Langmuir isotherm is inappropriately applied to characterize a protein adsorption process.
Argon: performance insulation for shared storage servers

Services that share a storage system should realize the same efficiency, within their share of time, as when they have the system to themselves. The Argon storage server explicitly manages its resources to bound the inefficiency arising from inter-service disk and cache interference in traditional systems. The goal is to provide each service with at least a configured fraction (e.g., 0.9) of the throughput it achieves when it has the storage server to itself, within its share of the server--a service allocated 1/nth of a server should get nearly 1/nth (or more) of the throughput it would get alone. Argon uses automaticallyconfigured prefetch/write-back sizes to insulate streaming efficiency from disk seeks introduced by competing workloads. It uses explicit disk time quanta to do the same for non-streaming workloads with internal locality. It partitions the cache among services, based on their observed access patterns, to insulate the hit rate each achieves from the access patterns of others. Experiments show that, combined, these mechanisms and Argon's automatic configuration of each achieve the insulation goal.
Who’s on the Hook for Europe’s Losses, and for How Much?

Banks and governments have not been required to account for the way in which, when important firms fall deeper into distress, implicit and explicit taxpayer guarantees absorb much of the markdowns that would otherwise have to occur.
Road Safety and Pavement Management: A Case Study of Tanzania

The implementation of pavement management seems to ignore road safety, with its focus being mainly on infrastructure condition. Safety management as part of pavement management should consider various means of reducing the frequency of vehicle crashes by allocating corrective measures to mitigate accident exposure, as well as reduce accident severity and likelihood. However, it is common that lack of accident records and crash contributing factors impedes incorporating safety into pavement management. This paper presents a case study for the initial development of pavement management systems considering data limitations for 3000 km of Tanzania’s national roads. A performance based optimization utilizes indices for safety and surface condition to allocate corrective measures. A modified Pareto analysis capable of accounting for annual performance and of balancing resources to achieve good surface condition and low levels of safety was applied. Tradeoff analysis for the case study found the need to assign 30% relevance to condition and 70% to road safety. Safety and condition deficiencies were corrected within 5 years with the majority of improvements dedicated to surface treatments and some geometric corrections. Large investments for correcting geometric issues were observed in years two and three if more money was made available.
The genus Juniperus in Mexico and Guatemala: Numerical and chemosystematic analysis

Abstract The variation leaf constituents (mostly terpenoids) was analyzed from each of the taxa of Juniperus in Mexico and Guatemala by numerical taxonomic methods. These results were compared with those of a previous study utilizing morphological characters. In general, the two agree on the major groups. Differences between more closely related species were more apparent with the chemical data, whereas more distantly related taxa sometimes appeared to be more closely related chemically due to the presence of a single component such as α-pinene in high concentration in each of the oils. Four large groups are apparent; the deppeanan; flaccidan; monticolan; and the oneseeded (pinchotii) complex. Some taxa ( J. durangensis, J. standleyi, J.jaliscana ) are still of uncertain affinities. This study confirms the morphological data indicating that J. patoniana Martinez should be reduced to a variety of J. deppeana (J. deppeana var. patoniana (Martinez) Zanoni, comb. et stat. nov) . No samplestypical of J. monosperma were found in Mexico and J. monosperma var. gracilis ( sensu Martinez) was found to not be closely allied with J. monosperma from the USA but has some uncertain affinities with species of the one-seeded complex. These relationships need to be examined in more detail. J. blancoi appears to be closely related to J. scopulorum . This information on the junipers of Mexico and Guatemala should prove invaluable to future studies on the evolution of the Juniperus in North America.
Halftone blending between smooth and detail screens to improve print quality with electrophotographic printers

In this paper, we consider a dual-mode halftoning process for the electrophotographic laser printer - a low frequency halftoning for smooth regions and a high frequency halftoning for detail regions. These regions are described by an object map that is extracted from the page description language (PDL) version of the document. This manner of switching screens depending on the local content provides a stable halftone without artifacts in smooth areas and preserves detail rendering in detail or texture areas. However, when switching between halftones with two different frequencies, jaggies may occur along the boundaries between areas halftoned with low and high frequency screens. To reduce the jaggies, our screens obey a harmonic relationship. In addition, we implement a blending process based on a transition region. We propose a nonlinear blending process in which at each pixel, we choose the maximum of the two weighted halftones where the weights vary according to the position in the transition region. Moreover, we describe an on-line tone-mapping for the boundary blending process, based on an off-line calibration procedure that effectively assures the desired tone values within the transition region.© (2012) COPYRIGHT Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE). Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Regulation of glutamate carboxypeptidase II hydrolysis of N-acetylaspartylglutamate (NAAG) in crayfish nervous tissue is mediated by glial glutamate and acetylcholine receptors.

Glutamate carboxypeptidase II (GCPII), a glial ectoenzyme, is responsible for N-acetylaspartylglutamate (NAAG) hydrolysis. Its regulation in crayfish nervous tissue was investigated by examining uptake of [3H]glutamate derived from N-acetylaspartyl-[3H]glutamate ([3H]NAAG) to measure GCPII activity. Electrical stimulation (100 Hz, 10 min) during 30 min incubation with [3H]NAAG increased tissue [3H]glutamate tenfold. This was prevented by 2-(phosphonomethyl)-pentanedioic acid (2-PMPA), a GCPII inhibitor, suggesting that stimulation increased the hydrolysis of [3H]NAAG and metabolic recycling of [3H]glutamate. Antagonists of glial group II metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGLURII), NMDA receptors and acetylcholine (ACh) receptors that mediate axon–glia signaling in crayfish nerve fibers decreased the effect of stimulation by 58–83%, suggesting that glial receptor activation leads to stimulation of GCPII activity. In combination, they reduced [3H]NAAG hydrolysis during stimulation to unstimulated control levels. Agonist stimulation of mGLURII mimicked the effect of electrical stimulation, and was prevented by antagonists of GCPII or mGLURII. Raising extracellular K+ to three times the normal level stimulated [3H]NAAG release and GCPII activity. These effects were also blocked by antagonists of GCPII and mGLURII. No receptor antagonist or agonist tested or 2-PMPA affected uptake of [3H]glutamate. We conclude that NAAG released from stimulated nerve fibers activates its own hydrolysis via stimulation of GCPII activity mediated through glial mGLURII, NMDA and ACh receptors.
Statistical description of microcirculatory flow as measured with an MR method.

Quantification of microcirculatory flow is important for the functional assessment of biologic systems. The authors describe a method of analyzing the dependence of the magnetic resonance (MR) signal intensity on microcirculatory flow. A gel bead phantom was used to simulate the randomly oriented flow capillaries, and the MR signal intensity of the phantom was studied at different flow velocities by using velocity-sensitized and -compensated spin-echo pulse sequences. A theoretical model based on the spin-phase phenomenon is proposed to elucidate the effect of flow on signal intensity. The velocity phase of a spin depends on its path and the corresponding velocity-encoding gradients. A Monte Carlo simulation was used to generate the path of a spin on the basis of a statistical model for flow through a random capillary network. From the velocity-phase distribution of a group of spins within a voxel, the signal attenuation due to flow can be calculated. The results of the statistical model and experimental measurements agreed well. Also, T1 and T2 effects in MR flow measurements were investigated. The current study provides a theoretical framework for understanding MR measurements of micro-circulatory flow.
Deterministic models for simulating electrocardiographic signals

Abstract We present several deterministic models for simulating the electrical activity of the heart based on the standard map dynamics. These models exhibit intrinsic non-linearity, which imitates the self-regulatory function of the heart. Synthetic electrocardiographic signals based on deterministic chaos can be used to test signal processing techniques of physiological signals.
Quantitative Measurements of Finger Blood Flow During Behavioral Treatments for Raynaud's Disease

Quantitative measurements of finger blood flow have not been performed during temperature biofeedback or other treatments for Raynaud's disease. In the present investigation, finger blood flow was determined with venous occlusion plethysmography, in addition to measurements of finger temperature, heart rate, blood pressure, and skin conductance level. After a maximum vasodilation test, subjects received 10 sessions of finger temperature biofeedback or autogenic training. There were no group differences during the maximum vasodilation test. During training, temperature feedback subjects showed significant elevations in finger blood flow, finger temperature, and skin conductance level, whereas those who received autogenic training did not. These findings could not be explained by group differences in other cardiovascular measures and are consistent with previous studies suggesting the involvement of an active vasodilating mechanism in temperature feedback.
ProKinO: A Framework for Protein Kinase Ontology

Protein kinases play a prominent role in cell regulation and disease, which has given rise to an abundance of information about the structure, function, disease, pathway, interaction and evolution of these proteins. This information, however, is currently spread across several heterogeneous resources, an obstacle to the kind of integrative approaches needed in utilizing existing knowledge for research related to diseases. We have designed and developed an ontology for protein kinases, ProKinO, that serves as a useful and efficient representation of the integrated knowledge about these complex proteins which are intimately involved in the genesis and behavior of cancer cells. Concepts and relationships in ProKinO capture important knowledge about kinases while ProKinO instances represent a wealth of data acquired from disparate resources, including Kin Base, COSMIC, UniProt, and Reactome. We have created a customized ontology browser for ProKinO. Also, we used ProKinO to do a variety of integrative analyses using SPARQL queries.
(+)-Pinoresinol/(+)-Lariciresinol Reductase from Forsythia intermedia PROTEIN PURIFICATION, cDNA CLONING, HETEROLOGOUS EXPRESSION AND COMPARISON TO ISOFLAVONE REDUCTASE

Lignans are a widely distributed class of natural products, whose functions and distribution suggest that they are one of the earliest forms of defense to have evolved in vascular plants; some, such as podophyllotoxin and enterodiol, have important roles in cancer chemotherapy and prevention, respectively. Entry into lignan enzymology has been gained by the ∼3000-fold purification of two isoforms of (+)-pinoresinol/(+)-lariciresinol reductase, a pivotal branchpoint enzyme in lignan biosynthesis. Both have comparable (∼34.9 kDa) molecular mass and kinetic (Vmax/Km) properties and catalyze sequential, NADPH-dependent, stereospecific, hydride transfers where the incoming hydride takes up the pro-R position. The gene encoding (+)-pinoresinol/(+)-lariciresinol reductase has been cloned and the recombinant protein heterologously expressed as a functional β-galactosidase fusion protein. Its amino acid sequence reveals a strong homology to isoflavone reductase, a key branchpoint enzyme in isoflavonoid metabolism and primarily found in the Fabaceae (angiosperms). This is of great evolutionary significance since both lignans and isoflavonoids have comparable plant defense properties, as well as similar roles as phytoestrogens. Given that lignans are widespread from primitive plants onwards, whereas the isoflavone reductase-derived isoflavonoids are mainly restricted to the Fabaceae, it is tempting to speculate that this branch of the isoflavonoid pathway arose via evolutionary divergence from that giving the lignans.
Arp 302: Nonstarburst Luminous Infrared Galaxies

Arp 302, a luminous infrared source (LIR = 4.2 × 1011 L☉) consisting of two spiral galaxies (VV 340A and 340B) with nuclear separation of ~40'', has the highest CO luminosity known. Observations with the Berkeley-Illinois-Maryland Association array at 5'' × 7'' resolution reveal that the CO emission is extended over 23.0 kpc in the edge-on spiral galaxy, VV 340A, corresponding to 6.7 × 1010 M☉ of H2. In the companion face-on galaxy, VV 340B, the CO emission is extended over ~10.0 kpc, with 1.1 × 1010 M☉ of H2. The large CO extent is in strong contrast to starburst systems, such as Arp 220, in which the CO extent is typically ≤1 kpc. Furthermore, LIR/M(H2) is found to be 6.0 L☉/M☉ throughout both galaxies. Thus the high IR luminosity of Arp 302 is apparently not due to starbursts in the nuclear regions but to its unusually large amount of molecular gas, forming stars at a rate similar to giant molecular clouds in the Milky Way's disk. Arp 302 consists of a pair of very gas-rich spiral galaxies that may be interacting and in a phase before a likely onset of starbursts.