cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Confined vortex flows with boundary-layer interaction

Axisymmetric flow of an incompressible fluid in a right-cylindrical vortex tube bounded by planar end walls is considered. The mutual interaction of the primary vortex flow field and the end- wall boundary layers is studied by relating the stream function and circulation in these regions. An interaction parameter is defined which determines the magnitude of the influence of the boundary layers on the circulation and mass-flow distributions in the primary flow. These distributions are obtained numerically, primarily as functions of the interaction parameter and the Reynolds number based on the radial flow. Experimental results are interpreted in the light of this theory, and it is concluded that substantial turbulence levels (though somewhat less than estimates made without consideration of boundary-laye r effects) must be assumed to explain the experimental results.
Spatially distinct actions of metabotropic glutamate receptor activation in dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus

Thalamocortical neurons in the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus (dLGN) dynamically communicate visual information from the retina to the neocortex, and this process can be modulated via activation of metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs). Neurons within dLGN express different mGluR subtypes associated with distinct afferent synaptic pathways; however, the physiological function of this organization is unclear. We report that the activation of mGluR5, which are located on presynaptic dendrites of local interneurons, increases GABA output that in turn produces an increased inhibitory activity on proximal but not distal dendrites of dLGN thalamocortical neurons. In contrast, mGluR1 activation produces strong membrane depolarization in thalamocortical neurons regardless of distal or proximal dendritic locations. These findings provide physiological evidence that mGluR1 appear to be distributed along the thalamocortical neuron dendrites, whereas mGluR5-dependent action occurs on the proximal dendrites/soma of thalamocortical neurons. The differential distribution and activation of mGluR subtypes on interneurons and thalamocortical neurons may serve to shape excitatory synaptic integration and thereby regulate information gating through the thalamus.
Growth in the neonatal intensive care unit influences neurodevelopmental and growth outcomes of extremely low birth weight infants.

OBJECTIVES. The objectives of this study were to assess whether (1) in-hospital growth velocity is predictive of neurodevelopmental and growth outcomes at 18 to 22 months’ corrected age among extremely low birth weight (ELBW) infants and (2) in-hospital growth velocity contributes to these outcomes after controlling for confounding demographic and clinical variables. METHODS. Infants 501 to 1000 g birth weight from a multicenter cohort study were divided into quartiles of in-hospital growth velocity rates. Variables considered for the logistic-regression models included gender, race, gestational age, small for gestational age, mother’s education, severe intraventricular hemorrhage, periventricular leukomalacia, age at regaining birth weight, necrotizing enterocolitis, late-onset infection, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, postnatal steroid therapy for pulmonary disease, and center. RESULTS. Of the 600 discharged infants, 495 (83%) were evaluated at 18 to 22 months’ corrected age. As the rate of weight gain increased between quartile 1 and quartile 4, from 12.0 to 21.2 g/kg per day, the incidence of cerebral palsy, Bayley II Mental Developmental Index (MDI) CONCLUSIONS. These analyses suggest that growth velocity during an ELBW infant’s NICU hospitalization exerts a significant, and possibly independent, effect on neurodevelopmental and growth outcomes at 18 to 22 months’ corrected age.
Effect of CO2 Laser on the Luminal Surface of Blood Vessels In Vivo

The use of lasers as surgical tools may open up new possibilities for the treatment of atherosclerotic occlusive vascular disease. However, basic information regarding the effect of laser radiation to the lumen of normal blood vessels is needed prior to clinical application. This work investigates the nature of the CO2 laser-induced vascular wound and the time course of its healing in the rabbit aorta. The chief short-term problem with CO2 laser radiation of the luminal surface of blood vessels is thrombosis.
High-School Teachers’ Attempts to Promote Self-Regulated Learning: “I may learn from you, yet how do I do it?”

This study examined how urban high-school students responded to increased academic expectations. The intervention included increased expectations for reading and writing, collaboration, and the completion of multi-day assignments. Twenty-four students (8 lower, 8 average, and 8 higher performers) from 4 classrooms were interviewed across a 9-week period to evaluate their reactions to the increased expectations. While students approached lessons with learning versus performance orientations, they were unsuccessful because they could not transfer classroom successes to their outside of school studying efforts. Their difficulties were related to a lack of strategies, a failure to manage distractions, or an inability to monitor studying behaviors. Discussion focuses on the difficulties among students based on performance levels and on the challenges of increasing academic expectations within a climate of high-stakes testing.
Gravitational wave detection: Principles and practice

Abstract The technology of gravitational wave detection has been developed to a high degree. I review the basic principles of interferometric detectors, and give an account of the current state of the art, and plans for the near-term future.
Numerical Simulation of Weakly Ionized Hypersonic Flow for Reentry Configurations

Numerical simulations of axisymmetric flows over reentry configurations at hypersonic conditions using a Navier-Stokes solver are presented. The Navier-Stokes equations are modified using Park’s two-temperature model to account for thermochemical nonequilibrium and weak ionization eects. The finite-volume method is used to solve the set of dierential equations. The code has the capability to handle any mixture of hexahedra, tetrahedra, prisms and pyramids in 3D or triangles and quadrilaterals in 2D. The results in this paper only use quadrilaterals. Numerical fluxes between the cells are discretized using a modified Steger-Warming Flux Vector Splitting approach which has low dissipation and is appropriate to calculate boundary layers. A point or line implicit method is used to perform the time integration. Pressure, heat transfer rates and electron number density profiles are compared to available experimental and flight measurements.
The influence of predator and conspecific odor on sex differences in path choice in meadow voles

Many terrestrial mammals will choose the path that contains evidence of conspecifics with whom they would like to encounter, such as a potential mate, while avoiding a path that will lead them to encounter a threat, such as a same-sex conspecific or predator. We tested hypotheses about the space use of meadow voles, Microtus pennsylvanicus, in an arena containing a short arm and a long arm that both lead to the bedding of a sexually receptive opposite-sex conspecific. Subjects were tested under three conditions: in an empty arena (experiment 1); in an arena containing the scent mark of a known predator, the mink, Mustela vison (experiment 2); in an arena containing the scent mark of a same-sex conspecific (experiment 3). Male voles placed into an empty arena preferred to take the shorter of two paths to reach the bedding of a sexually receptive female; females did not show a preference in the length of the path to reach the bedding of a sexually receptive male. Male and females showed no preference for the short or the long path to reach the bedding of a potential mate, independent of the placement of the scent mark of a mink in the long or short path. Females and males showed no preference for the short or the long path to reach the bedding of a potential mate, independent of the placement of the scent mark of a same-sex conspecific in the long or short path. Males however, were less likely than females to enter a path if it contained the scent mark of a same-sex conspecific. The paths that male and female voles take to reach an opposite-sex conspecifics may be associated with sex differences their responses to risks of predation and same-sex competition.
Growth and magnetic properties of polycrystalline self-assembled bifurcated Co nanowires

We use anodization of aluminum foil with variable applied anodization voltage to create an alumina template with bifurcated porous structures. The template is then used to electrodeposit Co, fabricating unique bifurcated Co nanowires. In order to better understand the crystal structure of our new material, we then report magnetic properties of these self-assembled bifurcated Co nanowires. Magnetic measurements of the bifurcated wires are studied as functions of branch/stem ratios, wire length, and temperature. The results are compared with those of straight Co nanowires of similar dimensions and thin film Co samples to find that a different crystal lattice structure prevails in the stems than in the branches of the wires.
Do financial analysts’ opinions matter?

Using all available 385,342 initiations, upgrades, and downgrades of equity analysts’ recommendations between 1980 and 2008 from First Call, we explore both the short-term and long-term market reactions following those announcements. We found significant positive/negative announcement abnormal returns following upgrades/downgrades. However, we only found significant drift following downgrades. We found that initiations with neutral rating were also followed by significant negative abnormal returns, suggesting that investors adjust for the positive rating bias in initiations. We also found significant drift for initiations with sell or strong sell. Investors still underestimate the negative information contained in initiation with bad ratings. Overall, our evidences support the argument that analysts’ recommendations have investment values, but suggest the market under-reacts to negative rating initiations or downgrades.
A new dietary therapy for adrenoleukodystrophy: Biochemical and preliminary clinical results in 36 patients

A new dietary regimen has been administered for periods ranging from 60 days to 1 1/2 years in 34 patients with various forms of X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD), as well as in 1 patient with neonatal ALD and 1 patient with infantile Refsum's disease. The diet combines the administration of a glyceryl trioleate oil (GTO) with the dietary restriction of very-long-chain fatty acids (VLFA), particularly hexacosanoic acid (C26:0). Reductions in the levels of plasma C26:0 and other VLFA were achieved in 25 of the 36 patients. Fifteen of these 25 patients were treated for more than 100 days. The mean reduction of the plasma C26:0 level was 53% (range, 22 to 73%) in these 15 patients. While the focus of the study was on biochemical variables, comparison of pre- and post-diet studies of peripheral nerve function showed improvement in 1 patient with adrenomyeloneuropathy (AMN) and 1 heterozygote. In contrast, 2 patients with ALD onset in childhood developed new neurological deficits while on therapy. We conclude that it is possible to lower plasma VLFA levels in ALD patients. A clinical trial is indicated to test whether this approach can alter the neurological progression in patients with AMN or in symptomatic heterozygotes, and to determine whether it can prevent the onset of neurological disability in asymptomatic persons who have the biochemical defect of ALD.
Parkinson's Disease: The Proper Use of Dopamine Receptor Agonists.

Although dopamine receptor agonists are not simple to use, they are assuming increased importance in the treatment of early and advanced symptoms of Parkinson’s disease (PD). The new agonists, pramipexole and ropinirole, are generally adequate without levodopa for early symptoms and carry the hope for a more acceptable profile of long-term side effects. In the patient with advanced disease, all four dopamine agonists significantly augment th response to levodopa, which reduces the problems of motor fluctuations and drug-related dyskinesia. Understanding the common pitfalls when prescribing these drugs will facilitate their safety and efficacy.
Copy number variation in the Framingham Heart Study

In this paper we test for association between copy number variation and diabetes in a subset of individuals from the Framingham Heart Study. We used the 500 k SNP data and called copy number variation using two algorithms: the genome alteration detection algorithm of Pique-Regi et al. and the software Golden Helix. We then tested for association between copy number and diabetes using a gene-based analysis. Our results show little evidence of association between copy number and diabetes status. Furthermore, our results indicate a relatively poor level of agreement between copy number calls resulting from the two programs. We then examined potential causes for this difference in results and the implications for future studies.
Stress Responsiveness Decreases With Age in Precocial, Juvenile Chukar

Abstract Development of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and subsequent corticosterone (CORT) release in newly hatched birds is a balance between limiting exposure to the detrimental effects of CORT on growth and development, and the necessity of mounting an acute stress response. We measured the stress responsiveness of juvenile Chukar (Alectoris chukar) 20 to 60 days post-hatch prior to molting into full adult plumage. The integrated CORT response during 60 min of restraint in these individuals decreased with age. Comparisons to mean adult integrated CORT values imply the youngest juveniles have greater responses than adults while the oldest juveniles have reduced CORT responses. This pattern is currently an anomaly within the altricial-precocial range and suggests specific tradeoffs, such as molting into adult plumage, may affect timing of HPA suppression during development.
The anomalous dust production in periodic comet Encke

Abstract The thermal infrared (10 μm) emission from Comet Encke was observed before and after perihelion during its 1984 apparition. Based on the postperihelion observations, an upper limit of 2.9 km for the radius of the nucleus has been estimated. The preperihelion observations of this comet are not consistent with the behavior of most comets at these wavelengths (E.P. Ney 1982, Comets , pp. 323–340), but they are in rough agreement with the trend observed in the visible continuum during the 1980 apparition by R.L. Newburn and H. Spinrad (1985, Astron. J. 90, 2591–2608). The brightness of the comet was found to be intrinsically lower in the two postperihelion observations made near a heliocentric distance of 0.75 AU. This drop in the intrinsic brightness suggests that the thermal lightcurve of Comet Encke may have an asymmetry about perihelion similar to that observed at visible wavelengths.
Public engagement: the benefits of communicating.

Survey data suggests that nanoscientists are relatively frequent public communicators and in general have a positive outlook when it comes to engaging with journalists and lay audiences.
Using student reflections in the formative evaluation of instruction: a course-integrated approach

This article summarizes a case study that examines the use of a course-integrated model in the formative evaluation of instruction. Through informal yet structured questionnaires, learning journals, and classroom assessment techniques, student feedback is collected on a regular basis to help the instructor monitor the effectiveness of instruction and the quality of the learning environment. The article focuses on reporting the data collected from the learning journals which show that timely and ongoing student reflections on learning are more effective than numerical responses on end-of-course questionnaires in guiding instruction.
Surgical Treatment of Complications 45 Years After Extraperiosteal Pneumonolysis and Plombage Using Acrylic Resin Balls for Cavitary Pulmonary Tuberculosis

An infected axillary sinus tract discharged balls made of an acrylic resin consisting essentially of polymerized methyl methacrylate (Lucite) 45 years following performance of an extraperiosteal pneumonolysis and Lucite ball plombage for collapse therapy of right upper lobe cavitary tuberculosis. Surgical extraction of the balls was performed, followed by a partial decortication of the lung and intrathoracic transposition of a pectoralis major muscle flap to fill the residual pleural space. Primary healing was attained, and the patient is well 1½ years after surgery.
Radiotherapy following radical prostatectomy in patients with adenocarcinoma of the prostate.

Abstract From 1973 to 1986, 160 patients with adenocarcinoma localized to the prostate were treated with radical prostatectomy and pelvic lymphadenectomy. In 78 (49%) patients more advanced stage of disease was found at surgery and they received local pelvic irradiation (RT). This consisted of 45 Gy for microscopic and 55 Gy for macroscopic residual disease. RT was given at 1.8 Gy a day, using the four-field "box" technique with the 23 MV X ray beam. Pelvic lymph node metastases were found in 28 (36%) patients who, in addition to RT, received systemic therapy: 20 with cyclophosphamide alone, 4 combined with 5-Fluorouracil, and 4 patients received DES. The 5- and 10-year overall actuarial survival was 95 and 77%, respectively, and the 5- and 10-year disease-free survival was 58 and 43%, respectively. Recurrent tumor was found in 34 (44%) patients. Of these 34 patients, 32 (94%) had distant metastatic tumor and 2 (6%) had local recurrence in the pelvis. The presence of metastatic disease in pelvic lymph nodes had clinical significance since it influenced disease-free survival and the incidence of tumor recurrence. The 10-year disease-free survival for the 50 patients with no lymph node metastases was 51%, as compared to 28% for the 28 patients with such metastases, p = 0.001. Similarly, recurrent tumor was found in 28% of the former and 68% of the latter patients, p = 0.002. Other important parameters predicting recurrence were: clinical stage, p=0.018, histological grade, p = 0.013, and Gleason's grade, p = 0.002. This treatment program was very well tolerated and of low toxicity. There was no surgical mortality. Surgical complications were seen in 10 (13%) patients including: minor in 5 and major in 5. At 1 year, 77% of the patients remained continent, while 10% had mild stress incontinence. Of the remaining 13% only 3 (4%) patients had severe incontinence (5 pads daily). RT toxicity was mild with 38% experiencing diarrhea. Severe toxicity was seen in 2 (3%) patients who, early in the study, developed scrotal and lower extremity edema. Severe chemotherapy complications were seen in 1 (4%) patient who had severe neutropenic sepsis. Postoperative radiotherapy is a well tolerated, safe and effective treatment in patients who have microscopic or macroscopic residual tumor following radical prostatectomy.
Oral feeding after total laryngectomy

Pharyngocutaneous fistulae occur in 15%-25% of patients after total laryngectomy. Factors that may predispose to fistulae formation include prior radiation, surgical technique, tumor size and location, and patient nutritional status. In addition, many surgeons believe that the timing of oral feeding after surgery contributes to fistula development. Thus, they advocate delaying feeding postoperatively, especially in high-risk patients. The traditional guideline has been to wait until the seventh postoperative day. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between the timing of postoperative oral feeding and the development of pharyngocytaneous fistulae after total laryngectomy with primary closure in patients with squamous cell carcinoma. A questionnaire was sent to 210 members of the American Society for Head and neck Surgery to determine practice patterns toward feeding after laryngectomy. We also reviewed the records of 137 patients who underwent total laryngectomy at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center and the Denver VA Medical Center from January 1975 through December 1987. Of the surgeons polled, 84.5% waited at least 7 days after surgery to begin oral feeding. However, in reviewing 94 patients eligible for study, we found no difference in the rate of fistula formation between patients fed on or before the fifth postoperative day and those fed on or after the sixth postoperative day. In fact, most fistulae were evident before the patient started oral feeding. Pyriform sinus tumors were predisposed to fistulae but prior radiotherapy and neck dissection seemed to have no effect. Earlier oral feeding after total laryngectomy may improve patient comfort and shorten hospital stay without increasing the incidence of complications.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Hemodynamic and ventilatory effects of skin-cooling in cattle.

Cooling the skin of cattle at an ambient temperature of 25°C decreased cardiac output and increased systemic and pulmonary vascular resistances. Minute ventilation was reduced by about 50%. There was no change in alveolar ventilation as measured by arterial blood gases. These results indicate that thermoregulatory ventilation has significant cardiopulmonary effects in cattle at normal laboratory temperatures.
The political use of victims: The shaping of the challenger disaster

Abstract This essay applies Kenneth Burke's concept of victimage to analyze Ronald Reagan's handling of the space shuttle Challenger explosion. The deaths of the Challenger seven could have served as powerful symbols of failed policy and flawed leadership. Yet Reagan reconciled the failure of the shuttle and renewed U.S. commitment to the space program by sanctifying the crew and offering Americans consolation and purgation through sacrifice of the seven in victimage. Through interpretive textual analysis, the essay makes clear the process by which Reagan enacted the drama. Implications are drawn for the U.S. space program and for understanding the political use of victimage. The essay suggests that political victimage now must be a reflexive process, enacted after the death, after the fact. Often in our times, ordinary people are slaughtered by forces as random as they are terrible. In order for the drama to give meaning and purpose to their passing, victims must be transformed in and by the drama. Purif...
Morphogenesis and plant regeneration from callus of immature embryos of sorghum

Abstract Callus with leafy shoots were obtained from immature embryos of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) collected 12–18 days after pollination. The embryos were cultured on a defined agar medium containing Murashige-Skoog (MS) mineral salts supplemented with 5 μM 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) and 10–50 μM zeatin. The callus was produced within 10 weeks and further proliferated after subculture on the same medium. Small sections of callus with leafy shoots were transferred onto the same nutrient medium but containing 1–1 μm indoleacetic acid (IAA). Plantlets produced after 8–10 weeks were transferred to pots and grown to maturity. Some plants were sterile while others produced fertile seeds. Meiotic metaphase examination of 25 panicles revealed chromosome number of 2n = 20 corresponding to normal plants with 10-10 anaphase distribution.
Pneumococcal vaccination in patients with chronic renal disease and renal allograft recipients

Pneumococcal vaccine in patients with renal disease. Polyvalent pneumococcal vaccine was administered to 7 patients with chronic renal failure, 14 patients on chronic hemodialysis, 14 splenectomized and 11 nonsplenectomized renal allograft recipients, and 14 normal adults Ninety-three percent of normal subjects had at least a twofold rise in serum antibody concentration after vaccination, with a geometric mean antibody concentration after vaccination greater than 200ng N/ml. The response to vaccination in hemodialysis patients was similar to that in normal persons. Renal failure patients showed impaired antibody synthesis in response to the vaccine, with 43% achieving at least a twofold rise in antibody concentration. Allograft recipients had a lower antibody concentration before as well as after vaccination, and among splenectomized recipients the prevaccination antibody concentration was directly related to the interval between transplantation and antibody determination. But, 80% of allograft recipients achieved a twofold rise in antibody concentration after vaccination. The response to pneumococcal vaccine was quantitatively similar for splenectomized and nonsplenectomized allograft recipients. Vaccin pneumococcique chez les malades atteints d'insuffisance renale. Du vaccin pneumococcique polyvalent a ete administre a 7 malades atteints d'insuffisance renale chronique, 14 malades en hemodialyse chronique, 14 receveurs d'allogreffe renale splenectomises et 11 non splenectomises, et 14 adultes normaux. Quatre vingt treize pour cent des sujets normaux ont eu au moins un doublement de la concentration d'anticorps seriques apres la vaccination avec une moyenne geometrique de concentration superieure a 200ng N/ml. La reponse des malades en hemodialyse chronique a ete semblable a celle des sujets normaux. Les malades en insuffisance renale ont montre une alteration de la synthese d'anticorps en reponse a la vaccination, 43% d'entre eux ont atteint un doublement de la concentration d'anticorps. Les receveurs de greffe avaient une concentration d'anticorps plus faible, avant aussi bien qu'apres la vaccination, et parmis les receveurs splenectomises la concentration prevaccinale etait directement liee a l'intervalle entre la transplantation et la determination de la concentration d'anticorps. Quatre-vingt pour cent des receveurs de greffe, cependant, ont eu un doublement de la concentration d'anticorps apres vaccination. La reponse au vaccin pneumococcique etait quantitativement similaire pour les receveurs splenectomises et non splenectomises.
Thrombus formation: stability matters

Comment on Cosemans et al, page [3045][1] In this issue, Cosemans and colleagues demonstrate that ADP-dependent signaling via PI3K promotes sustained integrin activation and thrombus stability, as well as contributing to the onset of platelet aggregation. Much of the effort to understand
Of lice and men: a very intimate history

Scratch the surface of our long relationship with lice and you discover some unsavoury details of human evolution
The Commission on the Responsibility of the Authors of the War and on Enforcement of Penalties and its Contribution to International Criminal Justice After World War II

This article traces the evolution of discussions within the Commission on the Responsibility of the Authors of the War and on Enforcement of Penalties and the United Nations War Crimes Commission regarding the establishment of an international criminal court. The Commission on the Responsibility of the Authors of the War and on Enforcement of Penalties was the first war crimes commission that seriously debated establishing an international criminal court for the prosecution of war criminals. Following the discussions held in the UNWCC, the International Military Tribunal in Nuremberg was created. All three institutions played a major part in the development of international criminal law.
Structure and stability of a spherical implosion

Abstract Similarity solutions and the stability for strong spherical implosions are studied for both ideal and van der Waals gases. When the van der Waals excluded volume is sufficiently large, a new type of solution is found and the shock may be linearly stable. Implications for inertial confinement fusion and sonoluminescence are discussed.
Seasonal changes in day-to-day variability of upper air winds near the 100-km level of the atmosphere

The dynamo theory of the magnetic daily variation predicts that winds flowing within the E region at a height of roughly 100 km generate a world-wide electric current system at this level. The electric currents are generated mainly in middle and high latitudes by the horizontal motion of electrically conducting air across the radial component of the geomagnetic field. Near the equator the geomagnetic field is horizontal so that according to the theory the current above the equator must result from an electrostatic field directed from west to east and overhead near noon, closing the current circuit. The theory also implies that this horizontal electric field must extend to the highly rarefied F region, which will be lifted bodily upwards in response to the crossed electric and magnetic field. Hence day-to-day differences in middle latitude winds may be reflected, according to the theory, in day-to-day differences, in heights, and hence in ion-densities of the F region, measured by radio methods. The day-to-day differences in ionospheric F region critical frequencies near noon are studied as a measure of corresponding differences in the wind-generated ionospheric electric field at the magnetic equator. These changes in F region critical frequencies reflect corresponding changes in height of the F region, caused by the electric field of the daily variation. It is shown that the daily variation, though proportional to both the electric field and the electric conductivity, is probably a good indicator of day-to-day changes in wind speeds in the E region. The data do not support the view that the ionizing solar radiation fluctuates much from one day to the next. This is in accord also with statistical results obtained by Forbush for solar flares and their effects upon the daily variation. The day-to-day changes in wind speed indicated for the E region in middle latitudes are found to be largest in northern winter, and least in northern summer, and are discussed in relation to evidences of variability dependent on season noted from meteorology for tropospheric winds. Changes in wind speed with sunspot cycle are also discussed. The average magnitude of the daily magnetic variation shows a high correlation with sunspots (as high as 0.99 for yearly averages). Thus, having eliminated electric conductivity of the E region as an important cause of the day-to-day variability in the magnetic variation, the wind speed in the E region must be able to change by a factor of two or more from one day to the next, as a consequence of solar events.
Pinin/DRS/memA interacts with SRp75, SRm300 and SRrp130 in corneal epithelial cells.

PURPOSE. Pinin (Pnn/DRS/memA) is a cell-adhesion–related and nuclear protein that has been identified as central in the establishment and maintenance of corneal epithelial cell– cell adhesion. To begin the elucidation of the role of Pnn within the nucleus of corneal epithelial cells, this study was undertaken to identify the proteins that bind to Pnn. METHODS. Yeast two-hybrid analyses were performed. A human cDNA library in the pGAD-10 vector and C-terminal region of human Pnn (465-717) in a pAS2-1 vector were cotransformed into the PJ69-4A yeast strain, containing the lacZ, HIS3, and ADE2 reporter genes. To dissect domains of Pnn responsible for mediating the interaction with the identified proteins, PNN fragments were ligated with the DNA-binding domain of the pAS2-1 vector. Human corneal epithelial cells (HCET, RCB1384) and HEK-293 cells were cotransfected with mammalian expression vectors containing Pnn with identified interacting partners and subsequently immunostained and immunoblotted to determine expressed and endogenous proteins. RESULTS. Pnn colocalized and copurified with serine-arginine (SR) proteins. Three SR-rich proteins were identified that interact with the C-terminus of Pnn: SRp75 and SRm300, known components of spliceosome machinery, and a novel 130-kDa nuclear protein, SRrp130. All of these proteins colocalized and coimmunoprecipitated with one another and exhibited speckled nuclear distribution that aligned with components of the pre-mRNA splicing machinery. The cDNA for SRrp130 encoded a protein of 805 amino acid residues and contained multiple arginine-serine (RS) repeats but had no RNA recognition motif. Analysis of the Pnn motifs using two-hybrid system assays demonstrated that the polyserine/RS motif within Pnn plays a central but not exclusive role in mediating molecular interactions with identified SR-rich proteins. CONCLUSIONS. The results suggest that Pnn and SR-rich proteins may be part of a multiprotein complex within the nucleus and may be involved in pre-mRNA processing. (Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2003;44:4715– 4723) DOI:10.1167/iovs.03-0240
SELECTION FOR BLOOD PRESSURE LEVELS IN MICE

Response to two-way selection for systolic blood pressure was immediate and continuous for about eight generations. In the twelfth generation, the High males differed from the Low males by 38 mmHG; the females differed by 39 mmHg. There was little overlap between the two lines and they were statistically significant from each other and from the Random control line. There appeared to be no more additive genetic variance in the eleventh and twelfth generations. Causes for the cessation of response are explored. This is probably due to a combination of natural selection acting to reduce litter sizes in the Low line, a higher incidence of sudden deaths in the High line, and loss of favorable alleles as both selection lines went through a population bottleneck in the ninth generation.—In the eleventh generation, the selected lines were used to produce F1, F2, and backcross generations. A genetic analysis yielded significant additive and dominance components in the inheritance of systolic blood pressure.
Site‐level evaluation of satellite‐based global terrestrial gross primary production and net primary production monitoring

Operational monitoring of global terrestrial gross primary production (GPP) and net primary production (NPP) is now underway using imagery from the satellite-borne Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) sensor. Evaluation of MODIS GPP and NPP products will require site-level studies across a range of biomes, with close attention to numerous scaling issues that must be addressed to link ground measurements to the satellite-based carbon flux estimates. Here, we report results of a study aimed at evaluating MODIS NPP/GPP products at six sites varying widely in climate, land use, and vegetation physiognomy. Comparisons were made for twenty-five 1km 2 cells at each site, with 8-day averages for GPP and an annual value for NPP. The validation data layers were made with a combination of ground measurements, relatively high resolution satellite data (Landsat Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus at � 30m resolution), and process-based modeling. There was strong seasonality in the MODIS GPP at all sites, and mean NPP ranged from 80gCm � 2 yr � 1 at an arctic tundra site to 550gCm � 2 yr � 1 at a temperate deciduous forest site. There was not a consistent over- or underprediction of NPP across sites relative to the validation estimates. The closest agreements in NPP and GPP were at the temperate deciduous forest, arctic tundra, and boreal forest sites. There was moderate underestimation in the MODIS products at the agricultural field site, and strong overestimation at the desert grassland and at the dry coniferous forest sites. Analyses of specific inputs to the MODIS NPP/ GPP algorithm ‐ notably the fraction of photosynthetically active radiation absorbed by the vegetation canopy, the maximum light use efficiency (LUE), and the climate data ‐ revealed the causes of the over- and underestimates. Suggestions for algorithm improvement include selectively altering values for maximum LUE (based on observations at eddy covariance flux towers) and parameters regulating autotrophic respiration.
Metamorphosis: state assignment by retiming and re-encoding

This paper presents Metamorphosis -- a novel technique for optimal state assignment targeting multi-level logic implementations. We present an elegant matrix formulation and a graph partitioning based synthesis technique which permits both bit-constrained and unconstrained encoding of a symbolic finite state machine (FSM) represented initially with a one-hot code. Optimal state encoding is achieved by controlled retiming/re-encoding and resynthesis of the symbolic FSM. The synthesis is guided directly by the cost function (optimization criterion) rather than speculative estimates of the encoding heuristics on the final design cost. The technique is illustrated through performance driven synthesis of FSM and extensions to handle other cost metrics is outlined.
A Structured ASIC Design Approach Using Pass Transistor Logic

In this paper, we describe a structured ASIC design methodology which utilizes a regular, pre-fabricated array of pass transistor logic based if-then-else (ITE) cells as the building block for the circuit. Given a logic netlist, we first construct reduced order binary decision diagrams (ROBDDs) for the circuit in a partitioned manner, thereby allowing the approach to handle large designs. We place the ITE cells corresponding to the ROBDD nodes in a manner that minimizes crossings in the ROBDD graph. Our placement also effectively 'folds' the ITE cells of different variables into a single row, so as to obtain a layout with a more uniform distribution of ITE cells along each physical row of ITE cells. The design methodology has been demonstrated to implement sequential as well as combinational designs, by customizing the lowest 4 METAL layers along with their associated VIA layers. A low area and delay overhead is achieved, in comparison with an ASIC approach. In particular, the average delay (area) overhead is 1.5 times (3.41 times) for combinational designs and 2 times (6 times) for sequential designs
The cost-effectiveness of postoperative recovery of RBCs in preventing transfusion-associated virus transmission after joint arthroplasty

BACKGROUND: The return of joint drainage after hip and knee arthroplasty is a widely used but expensive blood-conservation technique. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: A Markov decision analysis model was used to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of postoperative RBC recovery in preventing viral complications of allogeneic transfusion. RESULTS: In the baseline analysis, using an RBC-recovery device saves 5 quality-adjusted minutes of longevity at an average incremental cost of $53. This corresponds to $5.7 million per quality-adjusted life year. This figure was most sensitive to the direct cost differences of allogeneic versus recovered RBCs and to the volume of RBCs recovered per device. Such devices would save health care resources if they cost less than $73 or if they were applied only in cases where joint drainage was between 600 and 1100 mL. CONCLUSION: For most clinical situations, postarthroplasty RBC recovery does not appear to be as cost-effective as most other medical interventions. Clinical attention should be directed toward developing protocols for the preferential use of postoperative RBC-recovery devices in situations where they provide the greatest benefit.
GG Tauri's Circumbinary Disk: Models for Near-Infrared Scattered-Light Images and 13CO (J=1→0) Line Profiles

We describe models that reproduce the observed near-IR scattered-light images and 13CO (J=1→0) line profiles from the GG Tau circumbinary disk. The observed extent of the scattered-light images requires a 0.13 M☉ flared circumbinary disk (as determined from millimeter observations), an inner cleared region of 200 AU, and scale height of 16.6 AU at the disk's inner edge. To reproduce the brightness distribution, we require extinction of the illuminating starlight prior to scattering within the circumbinary disk. This extinction is obtained by including the effects of small circumstellar disks that are coplanar with the circumbinary disk. Further, we find that the effects of geometry and illumination allows the observed scattered-light pattern to be reproduced with a dust grain distribution that fits data from other Taurus-Auriga circumstellar environments. This indicates that unless geometries and illuminations are known, great care must be taken when attempting to determine grain properties from analysis of scattered-light images. The observed 13CO line profiles are reproduced using the same geometry adopted for the near-IR modeling. However, we find that the 13CO abundance is lower than in the diffuse interstellar medium, in agreement with previous investigations indicating CO depletion in circumstellar environments.
Rabbit erythrocytes release ATP and dilate skeletal muscle arterioles in the presence of reduced oxygen tension

In skeletal muscle, oxygen (O2) delivery to appropriately meet metabolic need requires mechanisms for detection of the magnitude of O2 demand and the regulation of O2 delivery. Erythrocytes, when exposed to a decrease in O2 tension, release both O2 and the vasodilator adenosine triphosphate (ATP). The aims of this study were to establish that erythrocytes release ATP in response to reduced O2 tension and determine if erythrocytes are necessary for the dilation of isolated skeletal muscle arterioles exposed to reduced extraluminal O2 tension. Rabbit erythrocytes exposed to reduced O2 tension in a tonometer (n = 5, pO2 = 27 ± 3, p < 0.01) released ATP in response to reduced O2 tension. ATP release increased in proportion to the decrease in O2 tension. The contribution of erythrocytes to the response of skeletal muscle arterioles to reduced extraluminal O2 tension was determined using isolated hamster cheek pouch retractor muscle arterioles perfused with buffer (n = 11, mean diameter 52 ± 3 μm) in the absence and presence of rabbit erythrocytes. Without erythrocytes, arterioles did not dilate when exposed to reduced extraluminal O2 tension (pO2 = 32 ± 4 mmHg). In contrast, when rabbit erythrocytes were present in the perfusate (hematocrit 15%), the same decrease in O2 tension resulted in a 20 ± 4% dilation (p < 0.01). These results provide support for the hypothesis that erythrocytes, via their ability to release O2 along with ATP in response to exposure to reduced O2 tension, can participate in the matching of O2 delivery with metabolic need in skeletal muscle.
Stress, Neuropeptides, and Feeding Behavior: A Comparative Perspective

SYNOPSIS. Stress inhibits feeding behavior in all vertebrates. Data from mammals suggest an important role for hypothalamic neuropeptides, in particular the melanocortins and corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH)-like peptides, in mediating stress-induced inhibition of feeding. The effects of CRH on food intake are evolutionarily ancient, as this peptide inhibits feeding in fishes, birds, and mammals. The effects of melanocortins on food intake have not been as extensively studied, but available evidence suggests that the anorexic role of neuronal melanocortins has been conserved. Although there is evidence that CRH and the melanocortins influence hypothalamic circuitry controlling food intake, these peptides may have a more primitive role in modulating visuomotor pathways involved in the recognition and acquisition of food. Stress rapidly reduces visually guided prey-catching behavior in toads, an effect that can be mimicked by administration of CRH, while corticosterone and isoproterenol are without effect. Melanocortins also reduce preyoriented turning movements and, in addition, facilitate the acquisition of habituation to a moving prey item. The effects of these neuropeptides are rapid, occurring within 30 min after administration. Thus, changes in neuroendocrine status during stress may dramatically influence the efficacy with which visual stimuli release feeding behavior. By modulating visuomotor processing these neuropeptides may help animals make appropriate behavioral decisions during stress.
Regularized resolvent transform for direct calculation of 45° projections of 2D J spectra

The regularized resolvent transform (RRT) has been applied in a novel way to J-resolved spectra. This involves the direct calculation of the 45 degrees projection without constructing the 2D spectrum. The results show a significant resolution enhancement over that obtained by the 45 degrees projection of a 2D Fourier spectrum, even for much larger signals. In particular, RRT is able to resolve peaks that belong to different overlapping multiplets in a very crowded spectral region, where the conventional technique fails for any signal size. The resolving power of this method along with the significantly shorter signals required, make this method a powerful tool in spectral assignment.
Impact of varying pulse frequency and duration on muscle torque production and fatigue.

Neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) involves the use of electrical current to facilitate contraction of skeletal muscle. However, little is known concerning the effects of varying stimulation parameters on muscle function in humans. The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which varying pulse duration and frequency altered torque produc- tion and fatigability of human skeletal muscle in vivo. Ten subjects under- went NMES-elicited contractions of varying pulse frequencies and durations as well as fatigue tests using stimulation trains of equal total charge, yet differing parametric settings at a constant voltage. Total charge was a strong predictor of torque production, and pulse trains with equal total charge elicited identical torque output. Despite similar torque output, higher- frequency trains caused greater fatigue. These data demonstrate the ability to predictably control torque output by simultaneously controlling pulse frequency and duration and suggest the need to minimize stimulation frequency to control fatigue. Muscle Nerve 35: 504 -509, 2007
Organizational Profile: California Institute for Regenerative Medicine: the road ahead

The California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) has completed 4 years of full operation and has allocated over US$1.1 billion for buildings, laboratories, training, foundation research, basic research and, more recently, translational and preclinical research. CIRM was recently reviewed by an external committee and will make some adjustments to the program to address their primary recommendations. This will include a closer working relationship with industry and a more proactive approach to linking the best and fastest moving stem cell science from around the world with scientists and the biotech industry in California, USA. While basic stem cell science must be supported to remain innovative and strong, CIRM will encourage the translation of discoveries to clinical application and facilitate the rapid adoption of safe and effective therapies that are evolving from the program.
Suprapontlne Contributions to the Carotld Sinus Reflex in the Cat

Carotid sinus reflex response was measured before and after decerebration in 27 cats with and without the vagus nerves intact. Body temperature, central venous pressure, arterial oxygen saturation, PCO2 and pH were kept within normal limits. The anesthetized animals were uniformiy subjected to a wide range of controlied sirius pressure changes in each condition. A mathematical analog with four parameters was empioyed to relate carotid sinus pressure to systemic arterial pressure. The expression takes the form of a logistic curve, describes the reflex response with an accuracy of 98%, and provides a design in which errors are normally distributed for statistical testing of differences in parameters occurring with experimental intervention. The major effect on the sinus reflex of brainstem transection at the collicular level was a decrease in the effective range over which arterial pressure could be varied by changes in sinus pressure. Although a given change in sinus pressure in the median range of 70 to 100 mm Hg produced a proportional change in arterial pressure, transection markedly decreased reflex responses to lower sinus pressures. It was concluded that a transection at the coflicular level may not significantly change mean systemic pressure, but it does decrease the animal's ability to adjust to variations in arterial pressure. The data lend credence to the hypothesis that supramedullary areas can and do function in directing autonomic activity during the carotid sinus reflex.