cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Regulation of neurotrophin receptors during the maturation of the mammalian visual system

Cell division, cell death, and remodeling of connections are major features of the construction of the mammalian CNS. We have begun to address the role of neurotrophins in these events through characterization of the expression of their receptors in the developing ferret visual system. By use of chemical cross-linking of iodinated neurotrophins, proteins corresponding to trkB, trkC, and p75 were identified as receptors for brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and neurotrophin-3 (NT-3) throughout development. BDNF was also cross- linked to a truncated form of trkB that lacks the tyrosine kinase domain (trkB. T1) in retinal target tissues and in cortex. At the earliest developmental age examined (E24), the ratio of full-length to truncated trkB is > > 1 in the retinal target tissues, LGN and superior colliculus. During the ensuing period of retinal ganglion cell death and segregation into eye-specific layers, the amount of truncated trkB increases markedly relative to full-length trkB. By P27, truncated trkB is the predominant receptor for BDNF in the retinal target tissues and this pattern is maintained into adulthood. Within all subdivisions of visual cortex including the ventricular zone (VZ), intermediate zone (IZ), and cortical plate (CP), similar profiles of bands are observed. The developmental increase in abundance of truncated trkB relative to full-length occurs earliest in the VZ, with a major increase between E30 and P3. In the IZ, this shift to a predominance of truncated trkB occurs between P15 and P30, while in the CP the shift is even further delayed, not occurring until after P30. Within each subdivision of cortex, the shift to a predominance of truncated trkB occurs at times that correlate with the onset of cell death and maturation of axonal connections. This study demonstrates that members of the trk family, previously identified in the CNS on the basis of mRNA transcripts, are present as receptors with specific binding affinities for BDNF and NT- 3. Moreover, the correspondence between the developmental shift from full-length to truncated trkB and the critical periods for cell fate determination, cell death, and axonal remodeling suggests an important role for neurotrophic factors in the development of the visual system.
The Numerical Computation of the Transonic Flow over Two-Element Airfoil Systems

The numerical computation of inviscid transonic flows over a variety of geometrical shapes in both two and three dimensions have been successfully achieved in recent years through the application of mixed flow relaxation techniques, introduced by Murman and Cole (Ref. I). These methods are generally based on the assumption of irrotational flow and solve either the full potential equation or an appropriate form of the small-disturbance equation° For two-dimensional flows in particular, accurate and efficient solutions to the full potential equation have been obtained for transonic flow over airfoil sections (Refs. 2, 3), over axisymmetric bodies (Refs. 4, 5), and over nacelles (Refs. 6, 7).
Growth and Characterization of High-Quality, Relaxed In y Ga 1− y N Templates for Optoelectronic Applications

Thick, high-quality InGaN layers can be used as templates for quantum well strain reduction in light-emitting diodes and as optical absorption layers in solar cell structures. Current InGaN growth technology, however, is primarily limited by V-pit formation and non-uniform indium composition. We report the growth and characterization of thick, strain-relaxed In y Ga1− y N layers, with 0.08 ≤ y ≤ 0.11, by metal organic chemical vapor deposition using the semibulk approach, which consists in periodic insertion of 2-nm GaN interlayers into the bulk In y Ga1− y N structure; these are then spike-annealed at 1000°C. Photoluminescence, x-ray diffraction, and scanning electron and atomic force microscopy revealed that the semibulk In y Ga1− y N had optical and electrical properties superior to those of conventional bulk In y Ga1− y N grown at the same temperature. Homogeneous indium content and substantial reduction of V-pit density were observed for the semibulk In y Ga1− y N films, even when grown above the critical layer thickness. Double-crystal x-ray diffraction rocking curves also revealed a one order of magnitude reduction of screw dislocation density in the semibulk In y Ga1− y N film compared with the bulk In y Ga1− y N film.
Carbamazepine-induced eruption histologically mimicking mycosis fungoides

Carbamazepine is an important drug used in the management of seizures, trigeminal neuralgia, and chronic pain syndromes. It has been associated with a variety of adverse skin reactions including urticaria, lichenoid eruptions, erythroderma, erythema multiforme, Stevens-Johnson syndrome, and toxic epidermal necrolysis. A 39-year-old white male had been started on carbamazepine for intractable pain which resulted from a right foot crush injury. Approximately 3 months after the start of therapy, the patient had developed a generalized skin eruption following an entire day of sun exposure. Skin biopsies revealed an atypical lymphoid infiltrate in the dermis with collections of the atypical lymphocytes within spongiotic vesicles in the epidermis, suggestive of mycosis fungoides. The patient was treated with systemic prednisone. Subsequent biopsies failed to reveal atypical lymphocytes. Previous reports have described spongiotic eruptions with foci of atypical lymphocytes in contact dermatitis and in patients treated with phenytoin. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported case of a carbamazepine-induced eruption simulating mycosis fungoides histologically.
Rudolf Kalman as a Ph.D. Adviser [Historical Perspectives]

My path to Rudolf Kalman (from now on "REK," as he is known to his students) was based on two lucky breaks. Mathematics undergraduates at the University of Buenos Aires are required to write theses on a subject of their choosing. With no clue as to topics, I decided to browse the library bookshelves- a quaint data exploration activity, which a few readers of this publication might once have been familiar with. This is how I found Topics in Mathematical Systems Theory (Kalman, Falb, and Arbib, McGraw Hill, New York, 1969). It was amazing to discover that it was possible to combine the mathematical beauty of algebra with applicable mathematics, and a thesis on automata and linear dynamical systems quickly followed.
Secretory antibody response to local injection of soluble or particulate antigens in rats

Abstract The local antibody response to soluble (dinitrophenylated bovine gamma globulin; DNP-BGG) or particulate (DNP-Streptococcus mutans) antigens was examined in the rat. IgA and IgG antibody characteristics (concentration, activity and avidity) were determined in milk after injection of DNP-BGG or DNP-S. mutans into the vicinity of the mammary gland during gestation. More IgG antibody activity was detected in milk collected from rats injected with the soluble antigen relative to those injected with the particulate antigen using haptenated bacteriophage neutralization analysis. Analyses of milk antibody concentrations by combined immunoadsorption, elution and radial immunodiffusion confirmed the relative difference in response between the two antigens. IgA antibody levels in milk were similar in rats injected with soluble or particulate antigen (26 ±1 vs 27 ± 7 μg/ml). However, the IgG antibody levels were higher in rats injected with the soluble antigen (24 ± 2 vs 11 ± 3 μg/ml). IgA antibody concentrations in saliva, determined by an enzyme linked immunosorbant assay, were also approximately the same after injection of soluble or particulate antigen (316 ± 33 ng/ml vs 310 ± 85 ng/ml) in the vicinity of the salivary glands. IgG antibody was only detected in the saliva of rats injected with soluble antigen (128 ± 26 ng/ml). Therefore, differences in the local responses to the two antigens seemed to be confined to IgG antibody. Inhibition of bacteriophage neutralization by DNP-lysine and an analysis of neutralization kinetics revealed that IgA antibody may have a greater avidity for a multideterminant antigen than does IgG antibody in the same secretion.
Uniting to improve end-of-life care.

Survey results measure the impact of a national invitational nursing conference on end-of-life care.
Cannibalism in red king crab: Habitat, ontogeny, and the predator functional response

Abstract The red king crab, Paralithodes camtschaticus , stock in the Gulf of Alaska crashed in the early 1980s. Stock enhancement has been proposed as a potential means of restoration. As predation is likely the most important source of mortality for juvenile crabs, understanding the predator–prey dynamics of the system is an essential consideration when designing release strategies to maximize survival. In this study, we determined the predator functional response of year-1 and year-2 juvenile red king crabs feeding on newly settled year-0 crabs in sand habitat and macroalgae mimic habitat. The predator functional response describes how the predation rate varies with prey density and can be linear and partially destabilizing (Type I), inversely density-dependent and destabilizing (Type II), or density-dependent and stabilizing (Type III). Year-1 predators exhibited a Type II functional response in sand and Type I in macroalgae mimic. Year-2 predators exhibited a Type I functional response in sand and Type III in macroalgae mimic. Predation rates were generally lower for year-1 predators and lower in macroalgae mimic habitats. Year-2 crabs were highly efficient predators in sand, but the reduction in predation with the addition of structure was much greater than for year-1 crabs, indicating that the smaller predators are less inhibited than larger crabs by structured habitat when foraging. Prey crabs in the macroalgae mimic habitat exhibit no net movement from sand onto macroalgae in response to predation pressure. Prey use of macroalgae mimic was highest at intermediate prey densities. This work shows that the functional response can vary both quantitatively and qualitatively, with habitat type and predator size indicating ontogenetic changes in foraging efficiency in different habitats. Further, it suggests that stock-enhancement releases should be at low densities in complex habitat, and possibly should occur every other year to minimize loss to predation.
Resting and action potentials in experimental bimolecular lipid membranes

Abstract Action potentials are constructed step by step in bimolecular lipid membranes by adjusting the membrane composition, ionic gradients, pH, temperature and the concentration of two proteinaceous adsorbates: an excitability inducing material (EIM) of mol. wt less than 10 5 and protamine sulfate. They show most bioelectric kinetic phenomena and generally conform to the Hodgkin and Huxley theory for action potentials in nerve. The evidence indicates that the system consists of two ion selective channel types. One, produced by EIM, develops a cationic e.m.f.; the other, resulting from a complex between EIM and protamine, develops an anionic e.m.f. Both contain a double gating mechanism showing two negative resistances which are controlled by the voltage and by chemical factors including membrane lipid composition, ionic strength, pH, some alkaloids, acridine and phenothiazine derivatives and divalent ions. The action potentials result from the interplay of e.m.f.'s and resistances of the two channel populations each acting as a parallel battery and a voltage dependent variable resistive load on the other coupled via the membrane potential. Some possible molecular mechanisms responsible for the conductance changes are discussed.
FINITE ELEMENT MODELLING OF INTERNALLY PRESSURIZED CLOSED CELL COMPOSITES

Composites composed of closed solid wall cells enclosing a fluid are examined in this paper. The analysis of their stiffness in compression includes the effects of fluids in the cell interiors. A specialized finite element program is developed to account for the internal pressure. Both two-dimensional and three-dimensional geometries are considered. The finite element calculations are then used to predict the compressive stiffness of fluid filled metal cell composites.
Do-It-Yourself Device for Recovery of Cryopreserved Samples Accidentally Dropped into Cryogenic Storage Tanks

Liquid nitrogen is colorless, odorless, extremely cold (-196 °C) liquid kept under pressure. It is commonly used as a cryogenic fluid for long term storage of biological materials such as blood, cells and tissues (1,2). The cryogenic nature of liquid nitrogen, while ideal for sample preservation, can cause rapid freezing of live tissues on contact - known as 'cryogenic burn' (2), which may lead to severe frostbite in persons closely involved in storage and retrieval of samples from Dewars. Additionally, as liquid nitrogen evaporates it reduces the oxygen concentration in the air and might cause asphyxia, especially in confined spaces (2). In laboratories, biological samples are often stored in cryovials or cryoboxes stacked in stainless steel racks within the Dewar tanks (1). These storage racks are provided with a long shaft to prevent boxes from slipping out from the racks and into the bottom of Dewars during routine handling. All too often, however, boxes or vials with precious samples slip out and sink to the bottom of liquid nitrogen filled tank. In such cases, samples could be tediously retrieved after transferring the liquid nitrogen into a spare container or discarding it. The boxes and vials can then be relatively safely recovered from emptied Dewar. However, the cryogenic nature of liquid nitrogen and its expansion rate makes sunken sample retrieval hazardous. It is commonly recommended by Safety Offices that sample retrieval be never carried out by a single person. Another alternative is to use commercially available cool grabbers or tongs to pull out the vials (3). However, limited visibility within the dark liquid filled Dewars poses a major limitation in their use. In this article, we describe the construction of a Cryotolerant DIY retrieval device, which makes sample retrieval from Dewar containing cryogenic fluids both safe and easy.
Detection and identification of substituted phenols as intermediates of concurrent bacterial degradation of the phenoxy herbicides MCPP and 2,4‐D

The concurrent bacterial degradation of 2-(2-methyl-4-chlorophenoxy) propionic acid and 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid was studied using a stirred tank reactor and a bacterial culture which had been originally derived by enrichment with MCPP. High pressure liquid chromatographic methodology was used to measure both herbicides and it also resolved the corresponding phenols as intermediates, i.e., 2-methyl-4-chlorophenol and 2,4-dichlorophenol. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry was used to verify the intermediates. UV scans of spent cultures showed that the wavelength of maximum absorption shifted from 282 nm to 280 nm toward the end of incubation, but the characteristic peaks of maximum absorption of these compounds could not be used resolved because of the overlap.
Urea and chloride sensitivities of coelacanth hemoglobin

At pH 6.96–6.98, 20° C and in the absence of inorganic ions, the O2 affinity of thawed Latimeria chalumnae hemoglobin was 1.53–1.86 mmHg; cooperativity was 1.00–1.13. These values are essentially the same as those in the literature for samples that had never been frozen. There was no clear effect of either urea (up to > 3M) or KCl (up to > IM) on O2 binding. Thus the hemoglobins of the coelacanth, as well as those of most of the elasmobranchs examined, are insensitive to urea, a major intracellular osmolyte in these groups and a denaturing agent in higher vertebrates. However, the absence of comparable information on more primitive hemoglobins and also on teleost hemoglobins precludes a clear evolutionary interpretation of the origin of urea sensitivity of the hemoglobins in higher vertebrates.
Prognostic Importance of Serum Alkaline Phosphatase in CKD Stages 3-4 in a Clinical Population

Background Elevated total serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP) levels have been associated with mortality in the general population and in dialysis patients. Study Design Retrospective cohort study. Setting & Participants 28,678 patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) stages 3 and 4 (estimated glomerular filtration rate, 15-59 mL/min/1.73 m 2 ) were identified using the Cleveland Clinic CKD Registry. CKD was defined as 2 estimated glomerular filtration rate values 2 drawn more than 90 days apart using the CKD-EPI (CKD Epidemiology Collaboration) creatinine equation. Predictor ALP levels measured using the calorimetric assay were examined as quartiles (quartile [Q]1, Outcomes & Measurements All-cause mortality and end-stage renal disease (ESRD) were ascertained using the Social Security Death Index and US Renal Data System. Results After a median follow-up of 2.2 years, 588 patients progressed to ESRD and 4,755 died. There was a graded increase in risk of mortality with higher ALP quartiles (Q2, Q3, and Q4) compared to the reference quartile (Q1) after adjusting for demographics, comorbid conditions, use of relevant medications, and liver function test results. The highest ALP quartile was associated with an HR for ESRD of 1.38 (95% CI, 1.09-1.76). Each 1-SD (42.7 U/L) higher ALP level was associated with 15% (95% CI, 1.09-1.22) and 16% (95% CI, 1.14-1.18) increased risk of ESRD and mortality, respectively. Limitations Single-center observational study; lack of complete data, including parathyroid hormone level, for all study participants, and attrition bias. Conclusions Higher serum ALP levels in patients with CKD stages 3-4 were associated independently with all-cause mortality and ESRD.
Atomic physics: Neutral atoms put in charge.

An elegant experiment shows that atoms subjected to a pair of laser beams can behave like electrons in a magnetic field, as demonstrated by the appearance of quantized vortices in a neutral superfluid.
Vulnerability of the frontal-temporal connections in temporal lobe epilepsy.

Summary Objective In temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE), frontal-temporal connections are integral parts of the epileptogenic network. Although frontal-temporal gray matter abnormalities have been consistently demonstrated in TLE, white matter connections between these two lobes require further study in this disease setting. We therefore investigated the integrity of two major frontal-temporal white matter association tracts, uncinate fasciculus (UF) and arcuate fasciculus (AF), and their clinical correlates. Methods Using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) tractography, integrity of the UF and AF was examined in 22 individuals (12 subjects with TLE and 10 age-matched healthy controls). DTI indices of these tracts were compared between the two subject groups and correlates examined with clinical variables that included age of seizure onset, duration of epilepsy, history of febrile seizure and antiepileptic medication exposure. Results In subjects with TLE, the fractional anisotropy (FA) and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) of UF and AF ipsilateral to the side of seizure onset were abnormal when compared to healthy controls. Furthermore, lower UF FA correlated with earlier age of seizure onset. Conclusion TLE is associated with abnormal integrity of frontal-temporal white matter tracts, but only on the side of seizure onset. This suggests that frontal-temporal white matter tracts are vulnerable to recurrent seizures and/or the factors precipitating the epilepsy.
Understanding eating in the absence of hunger among young children: a systematic review of existing studies.

Abstract Background: Eating in the Absence of Hunger (EAH), or consuming highly palatable foods when satiated, is one behavioral pathway that may lead to childhood obesity. EAH is an objective, laboratory-based measure. A more comprehensive understanding of potential determinants of EAH could inform childhood obesity programs outside of a laboratory setting. Objective: Systematic review of EAH experiments to identify individual, familial, and societal-level correlates of EAH among children 12 years of age or younger. Design: 1487 studies were retrieved from five electronic databases (Medline [PubMed], Web of Science, Cochrane Library, CINAHL, PsycINFO). Eligible studies were those that measured EAH as initially operationalized in a laboratory setting enrolling children ≤12 years or reporting age-specific results for children ≤12 years. Only articles written in English were included. Results: 12 cross-sectional, six prospective, and one behavioral-intervention studies were included in the review. EAH was observable among boys and girls; absolute levels of EAH increased with age; and maternal feeding styles were associated with EAH among girls. The most consistent evidence supported increased levels of EAH among overweight and obese versus normal weight children, both cross-sectionally and prospectively. Two studies supported a genetic component to EAH. Conclusions: Studies enrolling independent samples support a positive association between weight status and EAH among children; studies addressing causality are needed. Other various individual, genetic, and familiar characteristics were associated with EAH, yet studies among more heterogeneous sample populations are needed to confirm findings. Studies addressing societal-level factors related to EAH were absent.
Pathophysiology, clinical aspects, and treatment of hypertensive crises

A hypertensive urgency should be distinguished from a hypertensive emergency in order to select the therapeutic approaches that are most appropriate for each patient. Hypertensive emergencies include those conditions in which new or progressive severe end organ damage is present. Hypertensive urgencies include those conditions with minimal to no obvious end organ damage in which BP should be decreased expeditiously, but the risk of immediate complications or organ damage is less likely to occur and the immediate prognosis is better, although the ultimate prognosis if untreated is poor
Work group II: healthy adolescent psychosocial development

Historically, research, training, service, and policy related to adolescent health and development has been limited by: (a) its focus on morbidity and mortality rather than on health; (b) an exclusion of the adolescent period as an explicit part of the life-span continuum; (c) a lack of research on adolescent health or illness in various contexts; (d) the lack of a developmental perspective applied to most studies on adolescent health; and (e) an underappreciation for the diversity of normal adolescent experiences. During the past three decades, significant theoretical advances and an expanded knowledge base have led to the appreciation that development can be understood only by considering the “rapidly changing individual in ongoing interaction within dynamically changing, multilayered contexts” [1]. In developing the recommendations set forth within this paper, this life span developmental systems perspective has been adopted [2–7]. According to this perspective, development is viewed as a life-long process, with the events occurring at any one stage of development dependent on and proceeding from other stages. Inherent in this perspective is the notion of a reciprocal interaction between the developing individual and his or her social environment. As such, individuals and their social environments are dynamic, with changes in one context responsible for, in part, changes in other contexts. In addition, individuals are viewed as active rather than passive participants in their development and shaping and choosing their social environments. Finally, a related perspective is that milestones reached in childhood
Abstract 4985: The UCSC Cancer Genomics Browser

Proceedings: AACR 102nd Annual Meeting 2011‐‐ Apr 2‐6, 2011; Orlando, FL The UCSC Cancer Genomics Browser (https://genome-cancer.ucsc.edu) comprises a suite of web-based tools to integrate, visualize and analyze cancer genomics and clinical data. The browser displays whole-genome views of genome-wide experimental measurements for multiple samples alongside their associated clinical information. Multiple datasets can be viewed simultaneously as coordinated “heatmap tracks” to compare across studies or different data modalities. Users can order, filter, aggregate, classify, and display data interactively based on any given feature set including clinical features, annotated biological pathways, and user-contributed collections of genes. Integrated standard statistical tools provide dynamic quantitative analysis within all available datasets. The browser hosts a growing body of publicly available cancer genomics data from a variety of cancer types, including data generated from the Cancer Genome Atlas project. Multiple consortiums use the browser on confidential prepublication data enabled by private installations. Many new features have been added, including the hgMicroscope tumor image viewer, hgSignature for real-time genomic signature evaluation on any browser track, and PARADIGM pathway tracks to display integrative pathway activities. The browser is integrated with the UCSC Genome Browser; thus inheriting and integrating the Genome Browser's rich set of human biology and genetics data that enhances the interpretability of the cancer genomics data. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 4985. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-4985
Verbalization and imagery during worry activity.

This study examined a model of worry as verbal activity that suppresses imagery and autonomic fear. The effects of emotional imagery vs. verbalization upon worry and fearfulness of an impending public speaking situation were assessed in 54 public speaking anxious participants who were categorized as worriers. Randomly assigned groups that processed the impending public speaking task either verbally or imaginally were compared to a group that received no processing instructions. Subjective distress was measured throughout the study. Results revealed partial support for the hypotheses that proportions of verbal thought and imagery shift upon threat presentation and a mitigation of fear habituation with verbalization. However, interpretation of between-group differences was complicated because the groups did not report consistent or complete adherence to cognitive processing instructions. Methodological and design implications for future investigations in this area are discussed. Depression and Anxiety 11:169–174, 2000. © 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Developmental psychobiology: a look back on 30 years.

Department of PsychologyBinghamton University-SUNYBinghamton, New York 13902-6000Received 1 March 2000; accepted 7 March 2000ABSTRACT: Developmental Psychobiology publishes papers from the disciplines of psychology,biology, neuroscience, and medicine that contribute to an understanding of behavioral development.Research focuses on development in the embryo/fetus, neonate, juvenile, and adult as well asmultidisciplinary research that relates behavioral development to anatomy, physiology, biochem-istry, genetics, and evolution. The journal represents a broad phylogenetic perspective on behavioraldevelopment by including studies on invertebrates, ﬁsh, birds, non-human primates, and humans.This paper presents an analysis of empirical articles published since its ﬁrst issue in 1968. Thisanalysis covers numberof authors, sex of ﬁrst author, evidence of grant support, and participation ofinvestigators from outside the US. Additionally, the analysis includes the topic of research, level ofanalysis, and subject of experimental study. Over its 32-year history, Developmental Psychobiologyhas published papers on a wide range of topics representing a broad phylogenetic perspective with acontinued focus on behavioral investigation. This analysis revealed trends such as an increase in thenumber of studies at a physiology/anatomy level, an increase in studies with human subjects, andincreases in contributions from investigators outside of the United States as well as women.s 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Dev Psychobiol 37: 1–4, 2000Keywords: Developmental Psychobiology; content analysis; history
Using customer input to drive change in user assistance

If designing and developing optimal products, services, and information requires clarity and audience awareness, then developing ways to acquire customer input is a critical piece in the best development workflow solutions [43]. Seeking direct input from customers and learning how they use a product are the most effective methods for generating ideas for enhancements and innovations to the technical content that supports a product, as well as to the product itself [21].Taking the steps to create opportunities for customer feedback enables direct customer input and establishes the proactive best practice of demonstrating to the customer that they are a top priority in the product development focus [34].While there may not be a fixed agenda for an optimal customer meeting, there may, in fact, be a set of topics for discussion that comprise a set of best practices for gaining customer input for the user assistance [45].Customer input helps provide requests for change and thus aids in managing change, raising the importance of a change and requirements management system [34, 52]. A change and requirements management system is even more critical in the context of application lifecycle management and globally distributed development [27, 49, 50, 55].Managing relationships with customers leads to a two-way path for collaboration, both for helping customers solve their problems and for a company to enhance its products and overall success [26, 28].
Abstract 5547: EF24 attenuates radiation-regulated eNOS→NO-dependent NFκB-mediated matrix metalloproteinases in human neuroblastoma

Proceedings: AACR 101st Annual Meeting 2010‐‐ Apr 17‐21, 2010; Washington, DC We recently reported that radiation (IR) induced NFκB in neuroblastoma cells and treatment with curcumin impedes the activation of NFκB and enhance IR-induced cell death. However, full potential of curcumin is yet to be realized because of its poor bioavailability. This prompted us to investigate the efficacy of a more potent synthetic analogue, EF24 in inhibiting IR-induced NFκB dependent cell survival and tumor progression and delineated the functional mechanism involved. Human SH-SY5Y and IMR-32 cells, either exposed to 2Gy or treated with 100nM EF24 were exposed to IR and examined after 1h, 3, 6, 24, 48 or 72h. IR profoundly inhibited both eNOS phosphorylation and transcriptional activation. Consistently, IR reduced the bioavailability of NO. EMSA analysis showed a robust and persistent NFκB activation at least up to 72h in IR exposed cells. eNOS inhibition (L-NAME) and NO induction (GSNO) studies demonstrated the influence of IR-regulated eNOS and NO in NFκB activation. Furthermore, IR significantly induced transcriptional levels of MMP-1, 2, 3, 7, 9, 11, 13 and 14 in neuroblastoma cells. NFκB knock-out (using RelA siRNA) or forced expression of NF-kB (p50, p65 over expression) exhibits that IR-induced NFκB mediates MMPs activation. Conversely, EF24 treatment significantly reverted IR-negated eNOS activity and enhanced NO availability in the cells. Moreover, EF24 profoundly inhibited IR-induced NFκB and this induced inhibition was sustained at least up to 72h. eNOS inhibition studies with EF24 clearly portraits that EF24 regulates induced NFκB in an eNOS-NO dependent manner. More importantly, EF24 completely suppressed IR-induced MMPs transcript levels in these cells. NFκB over expression studies validates that EF24 regulates IR-induced MMPs by muting IR-activated NFκB. In addition, MTT analysis revealed that EF24 significantly conferred IR-induced inhibition of cell survival in both SH-SY5Y and IMR-32 cells by targeting IR-induced NFκB. Taken together these results suggests that IR-regulated eNOS and reduction in NO availability activates NFκB and NFκB dependent transcriptional activation of MMPs. More importantly, reverting IR-regulated eNOS→NO with EF24 may significantly inhibit NFκB dependent survival advantage and, may serve as a potential deliverable in mitigating neuroblastoma relapse and progression after radiotherapy. Funding Support: ACS- IRG-05-066-01; Presbyterian Health Foundation Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 5547.
Noble gas-actinide compounds: complexation of the CUO molecule by Ar, Kr, and Xe atoms in noble gas matrices.

The CUO molecule, formed from the reaction of laser-ablated U atoms with CO in a noble gas, exhibits very different stretching frequencies in a solid argon matrix [804.3 and 852.5 wave numbers (cm−1)] than in a solid neon matrix (872.2 and 1047.3 cm−1). Related experiments in a matrix consisting of 1% argon in neon suggest that the argon atoms are interacting directly with the CUO molecule. Relativistic density functional calculations predict that CUO can bind directly to one argon atom (U-Ar = 3.16 angstroms; binding energy = 3.2 kilocalories per mole), accompanied by a change in the ground state from a singlet to a triplet. Our experimental and theoretical results also suggest that multiple argon atoms can bind to a single CUO molecule.
New Carbazole Alkaloids from Murraya euchrestifolia

In a further study of the constituents of stem bark of Murraya euchrestifolia HAYATA collected in Taiwan, five new monomeric carbazoles named murrayaline-B (1), -C (2) and -D (3), pyrayafoline-E (5) and euchrestine-E (7), one carbazolequinone named murrayaquinone-E (9), and two dimeric carbazoles named bismurrayafoline-C (11) and -D (12) were isolated along with known carbazoles. The structures of new alkaloids were elucidated by spectrometric and/or chemical methods. The new monomeric carbazoles were found to have 2-oxygenated 3-C-substituted carbazole nuclei and the new dimeric carbazoles to have symmetrical structures containing a 1-oxygenated 3-methylcarbazole skeleton.
Structural damage detection using artificial neural networks and wavelet transform

With the ever-increasing demand for the safety and functionality of civil infrastructures, structure health monitoring (SHM) has now become more and more important. Recent developments in computational intelligence and digital signal processing offer great potentials to develop a more efficient, reliable, and robust structure damage identification system. In this paper, the application of artificial neural networks and wavelet analysis is investigated to develop an intelligent and adaptive structural damage detection system. The proposed approach is tested on an IASC (International Association for Structural Control)-ASCE (American Society of Civil Engineers) SHM benchmark problem. Satisfactory computer simulation results are obtained.
Measuring sustainability perceptions of construction materials

Purpose – As more owners seek to develop sustainable buildings, the construction industry is adapting to new requirements in order to meet owners' concerns. Recently, a significant change in the construction industry has been the increased interest in sustainable materials. Sustainable materials are the potential resource to mitigate the impact on the environment and bring significant economic, social, and environmental benefits. For an efficient materials selection process, the content of information should match decision makers' needs and requirements. Although the availability of various information sources on sustainable materials is increasing, researchers have not agreed upon a clear designation, often leading to imprecise definition of the term and its usage. This paper seeks to address these issues.Design/methodology/approach – This study attempts to understand sustainability by concentrating on how this term is reflected in construction materials' images and perceived by design and construction s...
Single Ventricle Palliation in Low Weight Patients Is Associated With Worse Early And Midterm Outcomes

Background While low weight is an established risk factor for operative mortality after single ventricle (SV) palliation, its influence on late outcomes is not well understood. We examined current-era effects of low weight at time of surgery on hospital mortality, progression through palliative stages, and survival. Methods Five hundred and thirty infants with SV underwent first-stage palliation (2002 to 2012). Competing risk analysis modeled events after initial surgery and after Glenn. Regression models examined the effect of low weight 2.5 kg or less (n = 77 of 530, 14.5%) on early and late outcomes. Results Initial palliation was Norwood (n = 284, 54%), modified Blalock-Taussig shunt (n = 173, 33%), and pulmonary artery band (n = 73, 14%). Competing risk analysis showed that at 6 months after initial palliation the proportion of patients who had died or received transplantation was 40% in patients 2.5 kg or less and 20% in patients greater than 2.5 kg ( p p p = 0.08); adjusted hazard analysis showed that weight 2.5 kg or less was associated with diminished late survival (hazard ratio 1.65, 95% CI 1.085% to 2.53%, p = 0.02) and that was evident for all palliation types and most SV morphologies. Conclusions Low weight at time of first-stage SV palliation is associated with an increase in both hospital mortality and interstage attrition, with subsequently fewer patients progressing toward the Glenn operation. The increased death hazard in low weight SV patients persists for almost 1 year after initial palliation, suggesting the need for more vigilant monitoring and out-patient care in those high-risk patients.
Indexing the Relative Abundance of Age-0 White Sturgeons in an Impoundment of the Lower Columbia River from Highly Skewed Trawling Data

Abstract The development of recruitment monitoring programs for age-0 white sturgeons Acipenser transmontanus is complicated by the statistical properties of catch-per-unit-effort (CPUE) data. We found that age-0 CPUE distributions from bottom trawl surveys violated assumptions of statistical procedures based on normal probability theory. Further, no single data transformation uniformly satisfied these assumptions because CPUE distribution properties varied with the sample mean (μCPUE). Given these analytic problems, we propose that an additional index of age-0 white sturgeon relative abundance, the proportion of positive tows (Ep), be used to estimate sample sizes before conducting age-0 recruitment surveys and to evaluate statistical hypothesis tests comparing the relative abundance of age-0 white sturgeons among years. Monte Carlo simulations indicated that Ep was consistently more precise than μCPUE, and because Ep is binomially rather than normally distributed, surveys can be planned and analyzed wit...
Analysis of African Easterly Wave Structures and Their Role in Influencing Tropical Cyclogenesis

Abstract Composite structures of African easterly waves (AEWs) that develop into named tropical cyclones in the Atlantic are compared and contrasted with nondeveloping AEWs using the 40-yr ECMWF Re-Analysis (ERA-40) data and satellite brightness temperature between 1979 and 2001. Developing AEWs are characterized by a more distinctive cold-core structure two days before reaching the West African coast. As they move westward, the convective activity increases further in the vicinity of the Guinea Highlands region. At the same time the AEW trough increases its vorticity at low levels consistent with a transformation toward a more warm-core structure before it reaches the ocean. As the AEW moves over the ocean convection is maintained in the trough, consistent with the observed tropical cyclogenesis. The nondeveloping AEW has a similar evolution before reaching the coast except that the amplitudes are weaker and there is less convective activity in the Guinea Highlands region. The nondeveloping AEW composite...
Educational performance and child labor in Paraguay

Abstract In this paper, the schooling attainment and labor characteristics of those aged 12–19 years is assessed using data from the 1990 household survey from Paraguay. Although schooling is compulsory to age 13, it was found that 28% of those 12 years of age are already out of school. Among those out of school, 19% work formally in the labor market and contribute about a quarter of total family income. Among the 12-year-olds still in school, one-quarter have repeated a grade or more. The analysis suggests that language strongly influences school attainment and performance. Those who speak only Guarani at home may receive equal access to schooling, but their performance in school (in terms of years of attainment and grade repetition), is considerably inferior to that of Spanish-only and bilingual pupils. The number of siblings was found not to have had much of an effect on school enrollment, although it did have a significant impact on the probability of child labor. These findings may be evidence of ‘specialization’ in the household, whereby some children work, while their siblings are permitted to attend school and concentrate on studying. The results indicate that subsidies to poor households may be necessary to enable them to maintain their children in school for at least the duration of the primary cycle.
Critical role of endothelial cell-derived nitric oxide synthase in sickle cell disease-induced microvascular dysfunction

Abstract Superoxide, which can limit nitric oxide bioavailability, has been implicated in blood cell–vessel wall interactions observed in sickle cell transgenic (βS) mice. Here we report that nonselective chemical inhibition of nitric oxide synthase isoforms dramatically reduces the enhanced leukocyte and platelet adhesion normally observed in cerebral venules of βS mice. Although genetic deficiency of vascular wall inducible nitric oxide synthase does not alter adhesion responses in βS mice, a significant attenuation is noted in βS mice with vascular wall endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) deficiency, while the adhesion responses are exacerbated when eNOS is overexpressed in microvessels. The eNOS-mediated enhancement of blood cell adhesion is reversible by pretreatment with sepiapterin (which generates the eNOS cofactor tetrahydrobiopterin) or polyethyleneglycol–superoxide dismutase, implicating a role for eNOS-dependent superoxide production. These findings suggest that an imbalance between eNOS-derived nitric oxide and superoxide, both generated by the vessel wall, is critical to the proinflammatory and prothrombogenic phenotype that is assumed by the microvasculature in sickle cell disease.
Metabolic Inhibition Potentiates Oxidant-Mediated Injury of the Endothelial Cytoskeleton

The aim of this study was to determine if exposure of cells to oxidants and metabolic inhibition, conditions which are present during ischemia-reperfusion, act synergistically to produce cytoskeletal disruption. Adherent bovine pulmonary artery endothelial cells were subjected to metabolic inhibition by incubating the cells in glucose-free buffer containing 650 nM oligomycin for 2 hr. Cells were rescued from metabolic inhibition by washing the cells with buffer containing 5.5 mM glucose and were simultaneously exposed to 0, 25, 100, or 5000 microM H2O2. At various time points during recovery from metabolic inhibition the microfilaments and microtubules were stained for microscopic evaluation. Intracellular ATP levels were determined by the luciferin/luciferase assay. Cells that were not metabolically inhibited showed minimal microfilament disruption at lower doses of H2O2. Cells that were subjected to metabolic inhibition but not exposed to H2O2 showed microfilament disruption after 2 hr of metabolic inhibition, but normal microfilament architecture was seen in over 95% of the cells by 1 hr after recovery from metabolic inhibition. Cells that were metabolically inhibited and then exposed to doses of H2O2 as low as 25 microM showed marked microfilament disruption at 1 and 2 hr after the metabolic inhibition was relieved. The microtubules were distorted, but did not depolymerize except when exposed to concentrations of H2O2 > or = 5000 microM. Metabolic inhibition appeared to selectively potentiate the effect of subsequent oxidant exposure and the potentiation largely affected microfilament architecture with secondary effects on microtubule morphology and endothelial cell shape.
Relaxation Effects in the Ferromagnetic Resonance

The spin-lattice relaxation time, ${T}_{1}$, has been determined in single crystals of nickel ferrite, by using the ferromagnetic resonance effect at a frequency of 9000 Mc/sec. At high levels of microwave power, the saturation effect is observed both in the resonance absorption and in the component of magnetization along the static field. ${T}_{1}$ is computed from these data.The experimental method is described, and the results presented. Some of the results have not been encountered before in magnetic resonance, and are not predicted by available theories. Because of this, the relaxation time cannot be calculated from the classical theory of the magnetic resonance. By equating the energy absorbed to the energy transferred to the lattice, we obtain a value ${T}_{1}\ensuremath{\sim}3\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}5}$ sec. This is longer than the decay time observed directly, which is less than a few tenths of a microsecond. The results are compared with available theories of the magnetic resonance and spin-lattice interaction.
The galactic disk tidal field and the nonrandom distribution of observed Oort cloud comets

Abstract We consider the interaction of the galaxy with the Oort cloud of comets. If the perturbation is limited to the secularly averaged first-order disk tidal term, analytic solutions for the time evolution of orbital elements are possible. In turn, Monte Carlo techniques then become a practical means of estimating the distributions of orbital elements for those comets which become observable. We demonstrate that the detected nonrandomness in the distribution in galactic latitudes of perihelia is a real phenomenon caused by the tidal perturbation and is not the result of observational selection effects. Results on the refilling of the liss cylinder are also presented.
A vectorized 3-D finite element model for transient simulation of two-phase heat transport with phase transformation and a moving interface

The implementation of a fully vectorized 3-D finite-element model on the Cray X-MP Y-MP architecture is presented. Issues involved in vectorizing the computationally intensive modules of the finite-element model are discussed. Fully vectorized numerical integration coupled with a preconditioned conjugate gradient linear system solver results in an application performance of 140 MFLOPS, with the linear system solver achieving 162 MFLOPS (Y-MP single processor). The vector/scalar speedup for the finite-element code is approximately 14. >