cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Ca-ATPase activation and NaK-ATPase inhibition as a function of calcium concentration in human red cell membranes

Abstract In vitro ATPase activities of human red cell membranes were examined as a function of [Ca ++ ] from 10 −7 to 10 −3 M. The ouabain-sensitive, Na + ,K + -activated ATPase (NaK-ATPase) and the ouabain-insensitive, Ca ++ -activated ATPase (Ca-ATPase) were both influenced by [Ca ++ ]. Ca-ATPase activation was half-maximal at approximately 6 × 10 −6 M [Ca ++ ]. Ca inhibited the NaK-ATPase, with half-maximal inhibition at approximately 10 −4 M. Over a wide range of [Ca ++ ], activation of Ca-ATPase was greater than inhibition of NaK-ATPase. Assuming that Ca inhibition of NaK-ATPase is related to the [Ca ++ ] at the inner membrane surface, the results are compatible with the suggestion that low intracellular [Ca ++ ] is a necessary condition for active NaK-transport in red cells.
Resonant Tunneling Through Quantum Dot Arrays

We apply the Hubbard Hamiltonian to describe quantum-dot arrays weakly coupled to two contacts. Exact diagonalization is used to calculate the eigenstates of the arrays containing up to six dots and the linear-response conductance is then calculated as a function of the Fermi energy. In the atomic limit the conductance peaks form two distinct groups separated by the intradot Coulomb repulsion, while in the band limit the peaks occur in pairs. The crossover is studied. A finite interdot repulsion is found to cause interesting rearrangements in the conductance spectrum.
Gastric somatostatin content and binding in children with hypertrophic pyloric stenosis: A long-term follow-up study

Because somatostatin (SS) inhibits basal and stimulated gastric acid secretion and gastrin release, it is conceivable that decreased gastric SS concentration may be one of the factors responsible for hypergastrinemia found in patients formerly operated on for hypertrophic pyloric stenosis (HPS). To investigate this issue, the SS-like immunoreactivity (SLI) concentration was estimated in antral and fundic mucosal samples from control and HPS children. In addition, SS binding to cytosol from gastric mucosa (fundus and antrum), fasting serum gastrin levels, and serum gastrin response to a standard breakfast were studied. The mean fundic and antral SLI concentrations were significantly lower in HPS children than in controls. The depletion of fundic and antral SLI content was associated with an increase in the number of gastric SS binding sites. The fasting serum gastrin levels and serum gastrin responses to the standard breakfast (after 60 minutes) of HPS children were significantly higher than those of controls. Since, together with the increase of SS binding to gastric mucosa, there is an increase in the gastrin serum levels, despite the inhibitor effect of SS on gastrin release, the binding capacity cannot be the main factor determining the response to SS in children with HPS. The present results suggest that both SS and gastrin have a role in the pathogenesis of HPS.
An Abstract Bang-Bang Principle and Time-Optimal Boundary Control of the Heat Equation

A principal technical result of this paper is that the one-dimensional heat equation with boundary control is exactly null-controllable with control restricted to an arbitrary set $\E\subset[0,T]$ of positive measure. A general abstract argument is presented to show that, in contrast to previous results, this implies the bang-bang property for time-optimal controls---i.e., such a control can take only extreme values of (the hull of) the constraint set---without imposing any condition regarding the target state.
Applying wavelet transforms with arithmetic coding to radiological image compression

Radiological archives need the images to be compressed at a moderate compression ratio between 10:1 to 20:1 while retaining good diagnostic quality. We have developed a compression algorithm based on discrete wavelet transforms (DWTs) and arithmetic coding (AC) that satisfies those requirements. This new method is superior to the previously developed full frame discrete cosine transform (FFDCT) method, as well as the industrial standard developed by the joint photographic expert group (JPEG). Since DWT is localized in both spatial and scale domains, the error due to quantization of coefficients does not propagate throughout the reconstructed picture as in FFDCT. Because it is a global transformation, it does not suffer the limitation of block transform methods such as JPEG. The severity of the error as measured by the normalized mean square error (NMSE) and maximum difference technique increases very slowly with compression ratio compared to the FFDCT. Normalized nearest neighbor difference (NNND), which is a measure of blockiness, stays approximately constant, while JPEG NNND increases rapidly with compression ratio. Furthermore, DWT has an efficient finite response filter FlR implementation that can be put in parallel hardware. DWT also offers total flexibility in the image format; the size of the image does not have to be a power of two as in the case of FFDCT. >
Numerical simulations of collisions between rotating particles

Abstract Numerical simulations of Keplerian systems consisting of 200 mutually colliding rotating particles indicate that friction and surface irregularity typically reduce the equilibrium velocity dispersion. Friction and irregularity also transfer some of the energy of random velocities to rotational velocities. Simulations confirm the theoretical predictions (H. Salo, 1987, Earth, Moon, Planets, in press) according to which the equilibrium ratio of rotational energy random kinetic energy is 2β/(14 − 5β), or ≲0.2, for spherical identical particle and 2(1 + α)/7 ≈ 0.44 for irregular but frictionless identical particles, α and β being the coefficients of resitution and friction. In systems of different sized particles, the dependence of the dispersion of rotational velocities, √Ω , versus particle mass is rather similar to that of random velocity dispersion, √T. For a power-law distribution extending over mass-interval 29, with the power-index 2, the values of √Ω and √T for smallest particles are about five- and fourfold as compared to those of the largest particle. Inclusion of rotation does not change the previously observed Rayleigh distribution of eccentricies and inclinations, while the components of the rotational velocities are found to follow a Gaussian distribution. The z-component of the rotational velocities, σωz, attains a positive residual mean value, proportional to particle radius σ. For mass-point systems the mean of σωz is much smaller than its dispersion, but for near monolayers they are comparable, leading to a clear prograde alignment of spin axes. The application to the rarefied regions of Saturn's rings indicates that friction is able to reduce the equilibrium geometric thickness by about one-half. For the layer of smallest centimeter-sized particles this corresponds to about 15 m while the largest particles are confined to a monolayer. Rotational periods are roughly proportional to particle radius, about one-half of the orbital period for meter-sized particles.
Novel Interactions of CAPS (Ca2+-dependent Activator Protein for Secretion) with the Three Neuronal SNARE Proteins Required for Vesicle Fusion

CAPS (aka CADPS) is required for optimal vesicle exocytosis in neurons and endocrine cells where it functions to prime the exocytic machinery for Ca2+-triggered fusion. Fusion is mediated by trans complexes of the SNARE proteins VAMP-2, syntaxin-1, and SNAP-25 that bridge vesicle and plasma membrane. CAPS promotes SNARE complex formation on liposomes, but the SNARE binding properties of CAPS are unknown. The current work revealed that CAPS exhibits high affinity binding to syntaxin-1 and SNAP-25 and moderate affinity binding to VAMP-2. CAPS binding is specific for a subset of exocytic SNARE protein isoforms and requires membrane integration of the SNARE proteins. SNARE protein binding by CAPS is novel and mediated by interactions with the SNARE motifs in the three proteins. The C-terminal site for CAPS binding on syntaxin-1 does not overlap the Munc18-1 binding site and both proteins can co-reside on membrane-integrated syntaxin-1. As expected for a C-terminal binding site on syntaxin-1, CAPS stimulates SNARE-dependent liposome fusion with N-terminal truncated syntaxin-1 but exhibits impaired activity with C-terminal syntaxin-1 mutants. Overall the results suggest that SNARE complex formation promoted by CAPS may be mediated by direct interactions of CAPS with each of the three SNARE proteins required for vesicle exocytosis.
Effect of Potassium Depletion on Lactic Dehydrogenase Activity in the Rat Nephron

IN potassium depletion, the kidney is unable to concentrate the urine properly1,2. Striking morphological changes have been found in the region of the medulla and papilla3,4,5. In addition, marked changes in enzymatic activity, located mainly in the medulla, have been demonstrated by means of histochemical staining methods6. In the work reported here, lactic dehydrogenase activity was measured in various functional units of the kidney of normal and potassium-depleted rats through the use of the quantitative histochemical techniques originated by Lowry7.
Tilting-Filter Measurements in Dayglow Rocket Photometry

A rocket-borne photometer containing two tilting-filter channels for the measurement of the forbidden OI 6300-A and 5577-A emission lines in the day airglow is described. The results of one flight substantiate the employment of tilting filters to determine accurate corrections for background continuum and provide reliable height profiles of emission intensity down to approximately 90 km. Discussions on the calibration of the instrument and its baffling against sunlight are also presented.
The effect of body size and temperature on the respiration of Polinices duplicatus

Abstract 1. 1. Although variable, respiration is proportional to the 0·536 power of wet weight for Polinices duplicatus at all temperatures and seasons tested. 2. 2. Q10 is inversely proportional to size between 15 and 30°C and directly porportional to size between 5 and 10°C. 3. 3. Level of metabolism is directly proportional to temperature. 4. 4. Crawling activity is 35 per cent less between 5 and 10°C than between 15 and 30°C. 5. 5. There is no evidence of seasonal acclimation of respiration in P. duplicatus. 6. 6. Possible adaptive significance and physiological mechanisms for patterns of respiration found, and the possibility of a metabolic “switch” are discussed.
Tuning Semiconductor Band Edge Energies for Solar Photocatalysis via Surface Ligand Passivation

Semiconductor photocatalysts capable of broadband solar photon absorption may be nonetheless precluded from use in driving water splitting and other solar-to-fuel related reactions due to unfavorable band edge energy alignment. Using first-principles density functional theory and beyond, we calculate the electronic structure of passivated CdSe surfaces and explore the opportunity to tune band edge energies of this and related semiconductors via electrostatic dipoles associated with chemisorbed ligands. We predict substantial shifts in band edge energies originating from both the induced dipole at the ligand/CdSe interface and the intrinsic dipole of the ligand. Building on important induced dipole contributions, we further show that, by changing the size and orientation of the ligand’s intrinsic dipole moment via functionalization, we can control the direction and magnitude of the shifts of CdSe electronic levels. Our calculations suggest a general strategy for enabling new active semiconductor photocatal...
Treatment of stable angina.

Severe atherosclerotic narrowing of one or more coronary arteries is responsible for myocardial ischemia and angina pectoris in most patients with stable angina pectoris. The coronary arteries of patients with stable angina also contain many nonobstructive plaques, which are prone to fissures or rup
Ising-model Monte Carlo simulations: Density of states and mass gap

We have performed Monte Carlo simulations for the three-dimensional Ising model. Using histogram techniques, we calculate the density of states on ${L}^{3}$ block lattices up to size L=14. Statistical jackknife methods are employed to perform a thorough error analysis. We obtain high-precision estimates for the leading zeros of the partition function, which, using finite-size scaling, translate into \ensuremath{\nu}=0.6285\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.0019. Along a different line of approach following recent work in lattice-gauge theories, we accurately determine the mass gap m=1/\ensuremath{\xi} (\ensuremath{\xi} correlation length) for cylindrical ${L}^{2}$${L}_{z}$ lattices (with ${L}_{z}$=256 and L up to 12). The finite-size-scaling analysis of the mass-gap data leads to \ensuremath{\nu}=0.6321\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.0019.
A general criterion and an algorithmic framework for learning in multi-agent systems

We offer a new formal criterion for agent-centric learning in multi-agent systems, that is, learning that maximizes one's rewards in the presence of other agents who might also be learning (using the same or other learning algorithms). This new criterion takes in as a parameter the class of opponents. We then provide a modular approach for achieving effective agent-centric learning; the approach consists of a number of basic algorithmic building blocks, which can be instantiated and composed differently depending on the environment setting (for example, 2- versus n-player games) as well as the target class of opponents. We then provide several specific instances of the approach: an algorithm for stationary opponents, and two algorithms for adaptive opponents with bounded memory, one algorithm for the n-player case and another optimized for the 2-player case. We prove our algorithms correct with respect to the formal criterion, and furthermore show the algorithms to be experimentally effective via comprehensive computer testing.
Response of the microtubular cytoskeleton following hyperthermia as a prognostic indicator of survival of Chinese hamster ovary cells.

Purpose : The response of the microtubular (MT) cytoskeleton to hyperthermia was assessed as a prognostic indicator of cytotoxicity. Methods and Materials : Heat-induced collapse and subsequent recovery of the MT system were compared with survival for both nonthermotolerant (NT) and thermotolerant (TT) G1 populations of Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. The response of the MT system was monitored using immunofluorescence staining. The G1 populations of NT and TT cells were heated by submersion in 45.0 and 43.0°C waterbaths. Results : Heat-induced perinuclear collapse of the MT system did not correlate with survival for the NT and TT populations. However, recovery of the organization of the MT cytoskeleton was correlatable with survival. The regression line of survival plotted as a function of MT recovery is fit by : y = -0.43 + 1.03x, r 2 = 0.95 (p < 0.0005). Conclusion : Restoration of the organization of the MT cytoskeleton following hyperthermia may be used as a prognostic indicator of survival of CHO cells heated in G1.
Ideomotor Apraxia in Agrammatic and Logopenic Variants of Primary Progressive Aphasia

There are few studies examining praxis in subjects with primary progressive aphasia. The aim of this study was to examine the pattern and severity of ideomotor apraxia in subjects with logopenic and agrammatic variants of primary progressive aphasia and to determine if the presence of ideomotor apraxia correlated with specific neuroanatomical structural abnormalities. Subjects with primary progressive aphasia were prospectively recruited and classified according to published criteria. Using the apraxia subtest of the Western Aphasia Battery, pattern and severity of ideomotor apraxia was examined in all subjects diagnosed with agrammatic and logopenic variants of primary progressive aphasia. The study included 47 subjects, 21 diagnosed with agrammatic variant of primary progressive aphasia and 26 with logopenic variant primary progressive aphasia. Subjects with agrammatic aphasia were older at onset than the logopenic variant (67.2 vs. 61.7 years, p = 0.02), but there was no difference in illness duration prior to evaluation. Those with logopenic aphasia showed more cognitive impairment on the Mini-Mental Status Examination (agrammatic = 26.7/30, logopenic = 22/30, p = 0.002), and a trend for more severe language impairment as measured by the Western Aphasia Battery-Aphasia Quotient (agrammatic = 82.3, logopenic = 75.2, p = 0.11). Strong correlations were found between Western Aphasia Battery-Aphasia Quotient and total apraxia, instrumental apraxia, and complex apraxia, while average to modest correlations were seen with upper limb apraxia and facial apraxia. After adjusting for age, mental status performance, and Western Aphasia Battery-Aphasia Quotient score, those with agrammatic aphasia had a higher degree of total apraxia (p = 0.004), facial apraxia (p = 0.03), instrumental apraxia (p = 0.0006), and complex apraxia (p = 0.0006) than those with logopenic aphasia. The agrammatic variant of primary progressive aphasia was associated with greater praxis deficits but less cognitive impairment than the logopenic variant. The presence of ideomotor apraxia was associated with grey matter loss in the left lateral premotor cortex with extension into the motor cortex. These findings suggest that although some affected areas in the agrammatic and logopenic variants of primary progressive aphasia overlap, there exists an area that is more affected in the agrammatic variant than the logopenic variant that accounts for the greater association of agrammatic aphasia with ideomotor apraxia.
Effects of pulmonary thromboendarterectomy on right-sided echocardiographic parameters in patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the echocardiographic changes in the heart at 3 months and 1 year after pulmonary thromboendarterectomy (PTE) in patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Thirty-two adult patients who underwent PTE for CTEPH at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn, from 1997 to 2003 were included in the study. All underwent transthoracic echocardiography before surgery. Follow-up echocardiography was performed within 3 months of surgery in 28 patients and 1 year postoperatively in 17 patients. The results were compared with baseline data. RESULTS: Within 3 months after PTE, the right ventricular end-diastolic area decreased from 38.4 +/- 12.8 cm2 to 32.5 +/- 10.4 cm2 (mean difference, 5.8 +/- 10.4 cm2; P = .02). The right ventricular end-systolic area decreased from 30.4 +/- 12.1 cm2 to 24.1 +/- 8.6 cm2 (mean difference, 6.3 +/- 10.1 cm2; P = .008). The right ventricular systolic pressure decreased significantly from 92.6 +/- 22.0 mm Hg to 55.0 +/- 19.8 mm Hg (mean difference, 40.0 +/- 24.8 mm Hg; P < .001). Tricuspid regurgitation (TR) improved from a mean grade of 2.5 +/- 1.2 to 1.2 +/- 1.1 (mean difference, 1.5 +/- 1.0; P < .001). At 12 months, the right ventricular end-diastolic area, right ventricular end-systolic area, right ventricular systolic pressure, and TR also were significantly lower than baseline values. CONCLUSION: In patients with CTEPH who undergo PTE, echocardiographic measurements of right ventricular size, systolic pressure, and TR show significant improvement immediately after surgery, which is sustained for up to 1 year after surgery.
Pseudopotentials and the theory of high Tc superconductivity

I present two very different uses of the idea of pseudopotentials in the theory of cuprate superconductors. In the first, the ‘chemical pseudopotential’ scheme is used to set up the underlying Hubbard model which is appropriate for these substances; in the second, I show that the conventional multiple-scattering technique for constructing an effective scattering length theory does not converge for the two- dimensional Hubbard model.
Increased incidence of neurofibrillary tangles (NFT) in non-demented individuals with hypertension

The incidence rates and numerical densities of argryophilic neurofibrillary tangles (NFT) and senile plaques (SP) were determined in non-demented individuals and subjects with Alzheimer's disease (AD). The non-AD subjects were grouped according to cardiac status; those individuals with critical coronary artery disease (cCAD), those hypertensive individuals without cCAD (HyperT), and those without heart disease (non-HD). The incidence and densities of SP and NFT were significantly greater in AD than any of the non-demented groups. The prevalence of SP was increased in both HyperT and cCAD compared to non-HD controls, while NFT occurrence was accentuated in non-demented HyperT subjects only. The densities of SP and NFT in HyperT were elevated compared to cCAD or both cCAD and non-HD controls; NFT densities were similar in cCAD and non-HD. NFT density increased with increasing age in only the non-HD and cCAD groups, suggesting a possible relationship between disease process and NFT formation in the AD and HyperT populations.
COPD: CardiOPulmonary Disease?

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is defined by the presence of airflow limitation which is not fully reversible, but COPD encompasses numerous phenotypes [1]. Phenotypes are the products of genetic and environmental interactions, with “environment” being broadly defined. The systematic measurement and analysis of clinical and other qualitative and quantitative traits may refine COPD phenotypes, features of which may be shared between different disease states [2, 3]. Han et al. [4] have defined clinical phenotypes in COPD as “a single or combination of disease attributes that describe differences between individuals with COPD as they relate to clinically meaningful outcomes (symptoms, exacerbations, response to therapy, rate of disease progression, or death).” Identification of such phenotypes would not only facilitate outcome prediction and “personalised” treatment, but also improve the understanding of critical biological and mechanistic disease pathways. The systemic impact of COPD has led to consideration of extrapulmonary disease manifestations in recent efforts to construct these phenotypes. This issue of the European Respiratory Journal contains one of two recent studies that focus on cardiovascular phenotyping in COPD [5, 6]. Hurdman et al. [5] have carefully evaluated the phenotype of severe pulmonary hypertension (PH) (mean pulmonary artery pressure ≥40 mmHg) in COPD (PH-COPD) in comparison to the mild–moderate PH phenotype in a prospective cohort of patients referred to a specialty centre over almost a decade [7]. Echocardiography, spirometry and lung computed tomography (CT) imaging were performed with standardised interpretation. 59 patients with severe PH-COPD were compared to 42 patients with mild–moderate PH-COPD, with complete follow-up in all. Patients with severe PH-COPD had worse oxygenation and a lower diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide ( D LCO), but higher forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1), forced vital capacity …
Clomipramine and Sexual Function in Men with Premature Ejaculation and Controls

AbstractPurpose: We determined whether clomipramine taken as needed increases ejaculation latency in men with premature ejaculation and controls.Materials and Methods: The study included 8 patients with primary premature ejaculation, 6 with premature ejaculation and erectile dysfunction, and 8 controls. A prospective, double-blind, placebo controlled, crossover design was used that included 2, 3-week periods with clomipramine and placebo. During treatment phases subjects took either 25 mg. clomipramine or placebo as needed, that is 12 to 24 hours before anticipated sexual activity (coitus or masturbation). Subjects also visited the laboratory during these phases for evaluation of sexual response using visual erotic stimulation with and without vibration to the penis. Daily logs of sexual activities were maintained during treatment phases.Results: Clomipramine significantly increased the latency to ejaculation during sexual activity (coitus or masturbation) from approximately 2 to 8 minutes in men with pri...
Permeability measurements of castor-bean seed indicative of cold-test performance.

The conductivity and reducing-sugar content of water extracts of seeds were found to be correlated with stands produced under conditions favoring pre-emergence damping-off. Conductivity proved to be a rapid method of predicting relative differences in cold-test stands from lots of seed of the same variety.
No cohort left behind

Abstract Much of the debate over the allocation of education resources focuses on the alleged benefits of smallness—of classroom or school—and is based on evidence from small-scale studies. This paper reframes the question in terms of cohort size. Using national data, we find that a 10% increase in kindergarten enrollment yields a 0.5% increase in cohort shrinkage across early grade transitions, which implies that larger cohorts feature higher rates of retention. Consistent with previous work on class and school size in more restricted settings, this cohort-tracking exercise provides robust evidence at the national level that smallness confers benefits.
Inactivation of Escherichia coli O157:H7, Salmonella and human norovirus surrogate on artificially contaminated strawberries and raspberries by water-assisted pulsed light treatment

Abstract This study investigated the inactivation of Escherichia coli O157:H7, Salmonella and murine norovirus (MNV-1), a human norovirus surrogate, on strawberries and raspberries using a water-assisted pulsed light (WPL) treatment. The effects of combinations of WPL treatment with 1% hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) or 100 ppm sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) were also evaluated. Strawberries and raspberries were inoculated with E. coli O157:H7 and treated by WPL for 5–60 s. E. coli O157:H7 on both strawberries and raspberries was significantly reduced in a time-dependent manner with 60-s WPL treatments reducing E. coli O157:H7 by 2.4 and 4.5 log CFU/g, respectively. Significantly higher reductions of E. coli O157:H7 were obtained using 60-s WPL treatment than washing with 10 ppm chlorine. Compared with washing with chlorine, SDS and H2O2, the combination of WPL treatment with 1% H2O2 for 60 s showed significantly higher efficacy by reducing E. coli O157:H7 on strawberries and raspberries by 3.3- and 5.3-log units, respectively. Similarly, Salmonella on strawberries and raspberries was inactivated by 2.8- and 4.9-log units after 60-s WPL–H2O2 treatments. For decontamination of MNV-1, a 60-s WPL treatment reduced the viral titers on strawberries and raspberries by 1.8- and 3.6-log units, respectively and the combination of WPL and H2O2 did not enhance the treatment efficiency. These results demonstrated that the WPL treatment can be a promising chemical-free alternative to chlorine washing for decontamination of berries destined for fresh-cut and frozen berry products. WPL–H2O2 treatment was the most effective treatment in our study for decontamination of bacterial pathogens on berries, providing an enhanced degree of microbiological safety for berries.
Visualization of the cbbL gene in healthy and starved chemoautotrophic nitrifying bacteria

Three in situ methods of visualizing the cbbL gene in intact cells of nitrifying bacteria at different physiological states (dormant and metabolically active) were compared after epifluorescence microscopy and image analysis. FISH alone showed the weakest signal intensity. Direct in situ PCR, incorporating labeled nucleotides, showed the greatest sensitivity but also the greatest background. The combination of unlabeled in situ PCR followed by FISH showed relatively high sensitivity, along with the lowest background and highest specificity. Although functional gene expression was not examined in this study, visualization of the potential for carbon fixation in heterogeneous cultures of nitrifying bacteria was demonstrated.
Peroxisome Proliferator-activated Receptor β (δ)-dependent Regulation of Ubiquitin C Expression Contributes to Attenuation of Skin Carcinogenesis

The role of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-β (PPARβ) in the molecular regulation of skin carcinogenesis was examined. Increased caspase-3 activity associated with apoptosis was found in the skin of wild-type mice after tumor promotion with 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate, and this effect was diminished in PPARβ-null mice. The onset of tumor formation, tumor size, and tumor multiplicity induced from a two-stage carcinogen bioassay (7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene/12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate) were significantly enhanced in PPARβ-null mice compared with wild-type mice. To begin to characterize the molecular changes underlying this PPARβ-dependent phenotype, microarray analysis was performed and a number of differentially regulated gene products were identified including ubiquitin C. Subsequent promoter analysis, reporter gene assays, site-directed mutagenesis, and electrophoretic mobility shift assays provide evidence that PPARβ regulates ubiquitin C expression, and that ubiquitination of proteins is influenced by PPARβ. These results strongly suggest that activation of PPARβ-dependent target genes provides a novel strategy to inhibit tumor promotion and carcinogenesis.
Marginal cost of liberating ventilator-dependent patients after cardiac surgery in a stepdown unit.

Abstract Background . With the recent changes in Medicare reimbursement for ventilator-dependent patients at skilled nursing facilities, hospitals may, by necessity, be required to liberate these patients from mechanical ventilation before discharge. This study sought to determine the marginal cost of liberating ventilator-dependent patients in a cardiac stepdown unit. Methods . By retrospective analysis, the complete billing records of all 15 ventilator-dependent patients were obtained and abstracted for each item used. The drug or supply acquisition cost and direct variable cost of other items and labor were used to compute the daily and total marginal cost for each patient. Results . Of 15 patients, 13 were discharged alive and liberated from mechanical ventilation. Length of stay was 28 ± 23 days. Average per diem cost was $438.77 ± 152.34. Costs were significantly higher in patients who required hemodialysis: $555.31 ± 491.04 versus $380.54 ± 272.25 ( p Conclusions . Ventilator-dependent patients can be inexpensively liberated from mechanical ventilation in a stepdown unit.
Além da música: repensando Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band

Resumo: A discussao critica sobre o Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band tem sido consistentemente consolidada em relacao a importância do album, especialmente em relacao as inovacoes musicais e maneiras com que mudou a cultura do rock. Quando se menciona a capa do album, esta e analisada em termos de sua relacao simbolica com o conteudo das inovacoes musicais do disco. Entretanto, teoricos como Kenneth Womack e Todd F. Davis examinaram a relacao dos Beatles com a teoria critica, enquanto que Ian Inglis explora o trabalho cultural contido nas capas dos albuns dos Beatles. Ao inves de tratar da relacao musica e imagem, este artigo busca expandir a discussao alem de seu valor para a musica popular, focando em tres contextos visuais: pop art, fotomontagem e a historia do design em capas de albuns. Defendo, no presente artigo, que Sgt. Pepper marca uma mudanca na maneira como a imagem da banda desempenha uma critica auto-reflexiva, tanto por meio do conteudo visual da imagem quanto nos processos pelos quais foi criada, o que faz a capa do album transcender um simples bem de consumo ou uma embalagem exotica. A confluencia entre pop art e fotomontagem e permeia essa discussao, uma vez que ambos movimentos estao engajados com a questao da representacao e o status quo por meio da apropriacao de imagens da comunicacao de massa. Palavras chave: Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band; pop art em capas de discos; fotomontagem e representacao visual. Beyond the music: rethinking Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band
A mammalian sequence-dependent upstream open reading frame mediates polyamine-regulated translation in yeast.

In mammals, control of S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase (AdoMetDC) translation is one component of a feedback network that regulates intracellular levels of the polyamines, spermidine, and spermine. AdoMetDC mRNA from mammals contains a highly conserved upstream open reading frame (uORF) within its leader sequence that confers polyamine-regulated suppression of translation on the associated downstream cistron. This regulation is mediated through an interaction that depends on the amino acid sequence of the uORF-encoded hexapeptide. It remains to be shown whether polyamines participate directly in this interaction or indirectly through a specialized signal transduction pathway. We show that Saccharomyces cerevisiae does not have a uORF associated with its AdoMetDC gene (SPE2) and that ribosome loading on the SPE2 mRNA is not positively influenced by polyamine depletion, as it is in mammalian cells. Nevertheless, the mammalian AdoMetDC uORF, when introduced into a polyamine auxotroph of yeast, conferred polyamine regulation of both translational efficiency and ribosome loading on the associated mRNA. This regulatory activity depended on the amino acid sequence encoded by the fourth and fifth codons of the uORF, as in mammalian cells. The fact that the regulatory properties of this mammalian translational control element are quite similar in both mammalian and yeast cells suggests that a specialized signal transduction pathway is not required. Rather, it seems likely that polyamines may be directly participating in an interaction between the uORFencoded peptide and a constitutive component of the translation machinery, which leads to inhibition of ribosome activity.
Sand on salt: Controls on dune subsidence and determining salt substrate thickness

Lenticular sand bodies in the Upper Jurassic Norphlet Sandstone in the northeastern Gulf of Mexico basin have been interpreted as preserved large linear dunes that subsided into the underlying Louann Salt layer. Due to imaging difficulties, the thickness of the underlying salt is largely unknown. We performed physical experiments and created a mathematical model to understand dune and salt deformation and to determine the controls on the final preserved dune topography. Nonuniform dune geometry results in unequal loading by sand that drives locally varying subsidence into the salt substrate, resulting in varying degrees of dune flattening and dune relief. Our results indicate that initial salt thickness relative to dune size governs the initial rate of subsidence, thus affecting the final dune topography. However, interdune spacing and dune geometry are also important because they set the pressure gradient and determine the maximum possible subsidence. We conclude that preserved dunes with high relief indicate areas of relatively thin salt thickness and/or close dune spacing, and that dunes with low relief indicate areas of relatively thick salt thickness and/or wide dune spacing. For the case of the Norphlet Formation, dune spacing and salt thickness likely played the major roles in controlling dune subsidence.
Role of Haptic Feedback and Cognitive Load in Surgical Skill Acquisition

Teaching novice surgeons to attend to subtle and often misleading haptic cues in minimally invasive surgery can be challenging. Haptic cues may even be distracting during initial skill acquisition stage. A controlled experiment with thirty surgical residents and attendings was conducted to test the hypothesis that haptic feedback is more useful to the expert than novice surgeon because of the difference in spare cognitive capacity resulting from experience. In general, surgeons cannot perform a cognitively demanding task and laparoscopic surgery at the same time. Haptic feedback not only enhances performance, but counters the effect of cognitive loading, especially in accuracy of task performance. Performance is faster with more experience. With more spare cognitive capacity available, experienced surgeons can better take advantage of haptic feedback to aid their performance.
Damaging Detours: Routes, Racism, and New Philadelphia

The 19th-century impacts of racism and transportation developments on New Philadelphia, Illinois are explored by examining oral history, documentary, and archaeological evidence. This study first addresses the region in which New Philadelphia was located, outlining the contours of a landscape torn by racial strife. Analysis of the history of the construction of a regional railroad that bypassed New Philadelphia is then provided. Evidence shows that the town was bypassed for reasons other than competition from other potential depot towns, engineering concerns with topography, or other rational business reasons. The impacts of aversive racism very likely diverted the railroad route around New Philadelphia, spelling its demise. Finally, the lessons that emerge from these past social, economic, and racial dynamics are considered.
Dangers of lab-plant scaleup for filters involving solidliquid systems

Many laboratory procedures have been used for predicting the size of clarifiers, thickeners, filters, and centrifuges or choosing the optimum quantity of filter-aid and flocculants. Scaleup predictions are frequently based on experiments involving small pressure and vacuum filters, compression-permeability cells, and sedimentation rates. Among major problems related to the accuracy of scaleup are: (1) unrepresentative sampling, (2) aging of suspensions with accompanying changes in properties of cakes and sediments, (3) effect of sedimentation not included in theoretical equations, (4) wall effects in small diameter filters and cells, and (5) misapplication of theory to experiment.
Collisions of solid particles with vortex rings in superfluid helium

We have performed self-consistent computations of the interactions between a superfluid vortex-ring and a solid particle for two different vortex-ring sizes and over a wide range of temperatures. In all cases, the particle and the vortex eventually separate. For temperature T = 0 K, larger rings tend to trap the particle more effectively than smaller rings. Trying to escape the vortex, the particle follows a spiralling trajectory that could be experimentally detected. The dominant dynamical process is the excitation and propagation of Kelvin waves along the vortices. For T > 0 K, particle–vortex collision induces particle vibrations that are normal to the particle's direction of motion and might be experimentally detectable. In contrast to the T = 0 K case, smaller rings induce larger particle oscillation velocities. With increasing temperature, enhanced mutual friction damping of Kelvin waves leads to the damping of both the intensity and frequency of post-collision particle vibrations. Moreover, higher temperatures increase the relative impact of the Stokes drag force on particle motion.
Simulation of the Direct Methanol Fuel Cell III. Design and Optimization

In this paper, a mathematical model developed in two preceding papers in this series is used to simulate the performance of the direct methanol fuel cell. By mapping methanol concentration and potential profiles under steady-state operating conditions, we gain insight into the behavior and limitation of the cell performance. Methanol fuel efficiency, catalyst layer design, and the effect of methanol crossover on cell performance are examined, and the optimization of membrane separator thickness and methanol feed concentration is discussed.
HOMER as an Acronym for the Scientific Method

Mnemonic strategies, such as acronyms, effectively increase student retention of course material. We present an acronym based on a popular television character to help students remember the basic steps in the scientific method. Our empirical evaluation of the acronym revealed that students found it to be enjoyable, useful, and worthy of use in future courses.
Using asymmetric layer repair capability to reduce the cost of yield enhancement in 3D stacked memories

Three-dimensional (3D) technology makes it possible to organize memories as cell arrays stacked on logic where upper die layers contain the cell arrays and the bottom layer implements the peripheral logic. This creates new degrees of freedom that can be exploited to optimize the use of spare rows/columns to maximize yield. This paper proposes a new idea that exploits an additional degree of freedom that has not previously been utilized which is that the order of the die in the stack can be selected. The cell array dies can be ordered with the one with the most defective cells at the lowest layer, followed by next most defective, and so forth finishing with the die with the fewest defective cells on the top layer. All the cell array dies have identical designs and are manufactured identically. However, the peripheral logic die is designed in a way where it costs less to provide repair on the lower layers than it does on the higher layers of the cell arrays. This is done by limiting the domain over which some spares can be used thereby reducing the number of fuses needed for configuring the spare. Results in the paper show that the ability to skew repair capability across the different layers in a 3DIC allows greater yield enhancement at lower cost both in terms of number of spares and number of fuses.
Down-conversion and entangled photon pairs

Degenerate down-conversion in photonic crystals is investigated as a source of entangled photons. Phase matching relies on form birefringence and on a change in phase velocity near the band edge of the photonic crystal.
Research groups as ???quasi-firms???: the invention of the entrepreneurial university

Academic entrepreneurship arose from internal as well as external impetuses. The entrepreneurial university is a result of the working out of an “inner logic” of academic development that previously expanded the academic enterprise from a focus on teaching to research. The internal organization of the Research University consists of a series of research groups that have firm-like qualities, especially under conditions in which research funding is awarded on a competitive basis. Thus, the Research University shares homologous qualities with a start-up firm even before it directly engages in entrepreneurial activities.
A Passive Approach to Wireless NIC Identification

IEEE 802.11 wireless networks are plagued with problems of unauthorized access. Left undetected, unauthorized access is the precursor to additional mischief. Current approaches to detecting intruders are invasive or can be evaded by stealthy attackers. We propose the use of spectral analysis to identify a type of wireless network interface card. This mechanism can be applied to support the detection of unauthorized systems that use wireless network interface cards that are different from that of a legitimate system. The approach is passive and works in the presence of encrypted traffic.
Molecular characterization of heat shock protein 90, 70 and 70 cognate cDNAs and their expression patterns during thermal stress and pupal diapause in the corn earworm

Three heat shock protein transcripts, hsp90, hsp70, hsc70, isolated from the corn earworm, Helicoverpa zea, were evaluated for their responsiveness to diapause and thermal stress. These Hsps showed high homology to their counterparts in other species. A phylogenetic analysis of the Hsp90 sequence was consistent with the known classification of insects. Northern blot hybridization indicated the presence of hsp90 transcripts in all tissues, but expression in the brain-subesophageal complex was especially pronounced. The genomic organization of hsp90 examined by Southern blot suggested the presence of a single copy of hsp90 in the H. zea genome. The expression patterns after heat shock indicated that hsp70 and hsp90 were heat-inducible, although hsp70 was more strongly induced than hsp90, and hsc70 was indeed a constitutively expressed member of the hsp70 family. Expression of hsp70 and hsc70 were not altered by the diapause program, but hsp90 was down-regulated at this time. Low temperatures (0-4 degrees C) and recovery from low temperature elicited hsp70 and hsp90 responses, but not an hsc70 response. Thus, unlike several other species, H. zea does not up-regulate hsp70 during pupal diapause, but the down-regulation of hsp90 is consistent with the pattern observed in several other species during diapause. Our results also indicate that hsp90 and hsp70 are responsive to low temperature in both diapausing and nondiapausing pupae.
Analysis of rate-distortion functions and congestion control in scalable internet video streaming

Internet streaming applications usually have strict requirements on bandwidth, delay, and packet loss, while the current best-effort Internet does not provide any Quality-of-Service (QoS) guarantees to end flows. To achieve a higher level of QoS for the end user, Fine-granular Scalability (FGS), which has both strong error-resilience and flexibility during streaming over variable-bandwidth channels, has been accepted as a standard coding scheme for the video streaming profile in MPEG-4 [19]. Note that FGS and its extensions (e.g., progressive FGS) can also be used in the emerging video coding standards such as H.26L. This paper investigates rate-distortion (R-D) models of FGS coders and shows how such models can be used in a simple rate control framework for FGS streaming over the Internet. In terms of congestion control, we examine advantages and drawbacks of Kelly's proportional-fairness framework [12] and investigate its practical use both in the best-effort and AQM-enabled Internet. Our simulation results show that the developed R-D models provide fundamental insight into the structure of FGS coders and that constant-quality streaming is possible as long as the number of end flows competing at each bottleneck resource remains fairly stationary.
Management of patients with higher risk myelodysplastic syndromes

Higher risk myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) include patients in the Intermediate-2 and high-risk categories of the International Prognostic Scoring System, as well as patients with MDS secondary to radiation or chemical exposure. Ideally, the goal of therapy is to alter the natural history of disease in these patients to achieve cure or durable remission. High-intensity chemotherapy can achieve moderate rates of complete remission, however, durability of remission and overall survival tend to be short. Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) offers the possibility of cure, with long-term disease-free survival inversely related to age. Patients who are elderly or have poor functional status are candidates for reduced intensity HSCT, although this is still an experimental modality. Azacitidine is a hypomethylating agent that is a reasonable option for many patients ineligible for high-intensity therapies. Other therapies, such as immunomodulatory agents, arsenic trioxide, and farnesyl transferase inhibitors have thus far shown limited usefulness in higher risk MDS. This paper reviews the various therapeutic options for higher risk MDS, providing rationale for specific management approaches for these patients.
Enhanced Multi-Faceted Teaching Methods: Phase II

This paper is an extension of a previously published paper of the same name which created a matrix of soft and hard learning technologies and two evaluation scales measuring the value of use and level of use of various teaching technologies and methods for undergraduate and graduate students. A questionnaire was subsequently developed to gather data from full time faculty on the actual classroom utilization and evaluation of sixteen “hard” and “soft” teaching technologies. This paper represents the analysis of data from eighteen faculty members from the Adelphi University School of Business. The third phase of this research will gather data from adjunct faculty to develop comparisons between the two groups.