cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Electrical stimulation alters protein adsorption and nerve cell interactions with electrically conducting biomaterials.

Abstract Electrical charges have been shown to enhance nerve regeneration; however, the mechanisms for this effect are unclear. One hypothesis is that an electrical stimulus alters the local electrical fields of extracellular matrix molecules, changing protein adsorption. We have investigated this hypothesis — that electrical stimulation increases the adsorption of serum proteins, specifically fibronectin (FN), to the electrically conducting polymer polypyrrole (PP), thereby, increasing neurite extension. PP was used because electrical stimulation of PP has been shown to significantly enhance neurite outgrowth, and more importantly, PP can be formed into conduits to guide nerve regeneration in vivo. Here, we looked at the effects of electrical stimulation on protein adsorption when an electrical current was applied to PP (1) during protein adsorption (immediate stimulation) and (2) several hours after protein adsorption (delayed stimulation). We found that immediate stimulation of PP increases FN adsorption from purified FN and serum-containing solutions. Correspondingly, PC-12 cells grown on PP films that had been previously adsorbed with FN during immediate stimulation expressed longer neurites. However, for delayed stimulation, no significant differences in adsorption or neurite outgrowth were observed. These studies suggest that increased FN adsorption with immediate electrical stimulation may explain enhanced neurite extension on electrically stimulated PP.
Midbrain LHRH infusions enhance lordotic behavior in ovariectomized estrogen-primed rats independently of a hypothalamic responsiveness to LHRH

Lordotic behavior of ovariectomized estrone-primed rats was measured after infusions of luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH), thyrotropin (TRH) or saline into the ventrolateral midbrain central gray (VL-MCG), or after LHRH or saline infusions into a lateral control site, the dorsolateral reticular formation (DL-RF). Infusion of LHRH, but not TRH, into the VL-MCG increased lordotic behavior. LHRH had no effect in the DL-RF. In a second experiment, rats were fitted with cannulae in the VL-MCG and in the arcuate-ventromedial nucleus area (ARC-VM). Serotonin was infused into the ARC-VM, and LHRH was infused into either the ARC-VM or the VL-MCG. Serotonin blocked the behavioral effect of LHRH infusion into the ARC-VM, but did not prevent enhancement of lordosis by LHRH infusions into the VL-MCG. These results suggest that LHRH infusions into the midbrain do not require hypothalamic responsiveness to LHRH for their effect, and are therefore unlikely to act by diffusion of LHRH rostrally. The effect of LHRH in the midbrain is site-specific, since lateral infusions (1.75 mm away) were ineffective.
Emission measurements from planar arrays of porous ionic liquid ion sources

We present current emission measurements from arrays of 480 porous ionic liquid ion source emitters for applications in space propulsion and in the processing and analysis of materials. The emitters are fabricated with a top-down approach from 10 × 10 × 1 mm3 bulk porous nickel and are housed within a microetched silicon frame and stainless-steel aperture-matching extraction grids. Measurements of emitted and collected currents are reported using two ionic liquids (ILs), EMI-BF4 and EMI-Im. Total beam currents up to about 400 µA can be sustained through passive feeding with IL fed from the rear of the bulk porous substrate. These currents are in agreement with previous work where currents of about 1 µA were observed from single emitters. Ion transparencies as high as 0.95 are achieved with manually assembled grids. Current emission displays reasonable symmetry between polarities, although slight differences could yield to the accumulation of one type of ion in the source leading to electrochemical reactions despite voltage alternation. Strong current decays with time and evidence of surface contamination reinforce this hypothesis. Future work should address this issue through closed-loop control of charge emission.
Study of Impact Behavior of a Composite Graded Cellular Structure

The research study presented in this paper is a continuation of work done in analyzing the impact response of functionally graded cellular structure of a banana peel for energy absorbing applications. A composite graded cellular structure composed of three different materials is modeled in ABAQUS. The effects of composite sections on energy absorbing characteristics, e.g. deformation mode, crushing stress, stroke, acceleration pulse etc., are studied. An analytical model developed in previous study [1, 2] is used to simulate the quasi-static and dynamic crushing behavior of the composite structure. An agreement is found between finite element analysis and the analytical model.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
Weakly nonlinear waves in a stratified fluid: a variational formulation

On construit le lagrangien pour des ondes de gravite d'amplitude faible mais finie dans un fluide stratifie a N couches en fonction des coordonnees generalisees des N+1 interfaces. On traite des ondes progressives et stationnaires interfaciales tridimensionnelles dans un fluide a deux couches
The Dred Scott Dissents: McLean, Curtis, Lincoln, and the Public Mind

Then what is necessary for the nationalization of slavery? It is simply the next Dred Scott decision. Abraham Lincoln, 1858 The Supreme Court of the United States is not the only power in this world. Frederick Douglass, 1857
Electron Beam-Induced Damage of Alkanethiolate Self-Assembled Monolayers Adsorbed on GaAs (001): A Static SIMS Investigation†

We have investigated the reaction pathways involved in the electron-beam-induced damage of −CH3, −OH, and −COOH terminated alkanethiolate self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) adsorbed on GaAs (001) using time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry. Upon electron beam exposure, the monolayers dehydrogenate, leading to the formation of C═C bonds, cross-links, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). We also observe C−S bond scission. The data suggest that the electron beam damage is not uniform along the alkanethiol backbone. Upon electron beam exposure, we observe the loss of CO2 and H2O from the −COOH and −OH terminated SAMs, respectively, indicating that the terminal groups decompose. Although the SAM degradation mechanism is similar to that previously reported for alkanethiolate SAMs adsorbed on metals, there are some important differences. First, the electron dose required to form C═C bonds and PAHs is much smaller than for SAMs adsorbed on metals. Second, although we observe C−S bond scission, we d...
Asymmetric membrane expension and modification of active and passive cation permeability of human red cells by the fluorescent probe 1-anilino-8-naphthalene sulfonate

Abstract 1. 1. The membrane pertubations induced by the interaction of the fluorescent probe 1-anilino-8-naphthalene sulfonate (ANS) with human red blood cells were studied. 2. 2. ANS below 0.5 mM inhibits partially (20% maximum) the ouabain-insensitive Na + and K + influx and efflux. Above 0.5 mM ANS increases both Na + and K + leak fluxes. The increased cation leaks are larger for Na + than K + . 3. 3. The (Na + +K + )-ATPase and ouabain-sensitive Na + and K + fluxes are inhibited by ANS. Ouabain-insensitive, Mg 2+ -dependent ATPase activity of ghosts is stimulated by [ANS] 0.3 mM. 4. 4. ANS also inhibits the Na + -dependent, ouabain-insensitive K + influx that is inhibited by ethacrynic acid and furosemide. 5. 5. Red blood cells become crenated with [ANS] 1 mM. In the former conditions hypotonic hemolysis is decreased whereas the latter increase osmotic fragility. 6. 6. It is suggested that ANS expands the membrane asymmetrically by binding preferentially to the external membrane surface. 7. 7. It is concluded that ANS is a general inhibitor of ion transport, particularly of those processes thought to involve facilitated-diffusion mechanisms. The increased cation leaks observed at high ANS concentrations may be related to prehemolytic membrane disruption. 8. 8. The membrane pertubations caused by ANS are compared to those caused by other reversible inhibitors of anion exchange in red blood cells. Their possible modes of action are discussed.
Autophosphorylation of Calmodulin‐Kinase II in Synaptic Junctions Modulates Endogenous Kinase Activity

Previous studies have purified from brain a Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (designated CaM-kinase II) that phosphorylates synapsin I, a synaptic vesicle-associated phosphoprotein. CaM-kinase II is composed of a major Mr 50K polypeptide and a minor Mr 60K polypeptide; both bind calmodulin and are phosphorylated in a Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent manner. Recent studies have demonstrated that the 50K component of CaM-kinase II and the major postsynaptic density protein (mPSDp) in brain synaptic junctions (SJs) are virtually identical and that the CaM-kinase II and SJ 60K polypeptides are highly related. In the present study the photoaffinity analog [alpha-32P]8-azido-ATP was used to demonstrate that the 60K and 50K polypeptides of SJ-associated CaM-kinase II each bind ATP in the presence of Ca2+ plus calmodulin. This result is consistent with the observation that these proteins are phosphorylated in a Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent manner. Experiments using 32P-labeled peptides obtained by limited proteolysis of 60K and 50K polypeptides from SJs demonstrated that within each kinase polypeptide the same peptide regions contain both autophosphorylation and 125I-calmodulin binding sites. These results suggested that the autophosphorylation of CaM-kinase II could regulate its capacity to bind calmodulin and, thus, its capacity to phosphorylate substrate proteins. By using 125I-calmodulin overlay techniques and sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis we found that phosphorylated 50K and 60K CaM-kinase II polypeptides bound more calmodulin (50-70%) than did unphosphorylated kinase polypeptides. Levels of in vitro CaM-kinase II activity in SJs were measured by phosphorylation of exogenous synapsin I. SJs containing highly phosphorylated CaM-kinase II displayed greater activity in phosphorylating synapsin I (300% at 15 nM calmodulin) relative to control SJs that contained unphosphorylated CaM-kinase II. The CaM-kinase II activity in phosphorylated SJs was indistinguishable from control SJs at saturating calmodulin concentrations (300-1,000 nM). These findings show that the degree of autophosphorylation of CaM-kinase II in brain SJs modulates its in vitro activity at low and possibly physiological calmodulin concentrations; such a process may represent a mechanism of regulating this kinase's activity at CNS synapses in situ.
General system of (A,η)-monotone variational inclusion problems based on generalized hybrid iterative algorithm

Abstract First a new system of nonlinear set-valued variational inclusions involving ( A , η ) -monotone mappings in Hilbert spaces is introduced and then its solvability is explored. Based on the general resolvent operator method associated with ( A , η ) -monotone mappings, approximation solvability of this system of nonlinear set-valued variational inclusions is established. The convergence analysis is discussed in detail. The obtained results generalize a number of results on nonlinear variational inclusion systems.
Choose an HR star for competitive edge

Because of the volatile business environment, organizations are in a state of unprecedented change, which numerous observers have called chaos. Under current, unstable, perhaps chaotic, conditions, there is a window of opportunity for human resources (HR)/change leader professionals to step up to areas of conflict, chaos, and confusion in organizations. The opportunity currently available to HR professionals is obviously open to all stakeholders in organizations. Eventually someone will claim this opportunity. In changing, unpredictable, chaotic organizations, the HR groups stand out as likely claimants because of their generally applicable skill sets. However, this is a new, confrontational leadership role that HR personnel have not filled in the past. Some HR personnel will not be interested, some will not have what it takes. HR stars will definitely be “in the gate” and have what it takes. This paper describes how HR stars behave, and what they can accomplish in chaotic organizations.
The feminist imagination and educational research

This article discusses the impact of second-wave feminism on educational research with a focus on developments in the USA. It expands on the themes raised in the other articles in this issue of Discourse by considering the political nature of feminist educational research questions beginning in the 1970s and continuing to the contemporary world. The guiding theme of the article is to consider the meaning of the second-wave claim that the personal is political in its manifestations in the women's movement of the late 1960s and 1970s, and its application to educational research as feminist concerns were translated into the academy. It then considers the ways that feminist poststructural research both continues the political concerns of second-wave feminism and troubles them.
Reverse transcriptase‐polymerase chain reaction fails to detect peripheral‐blood hepatitis C RNA in formalin‐fixed liver tissue

Currently, one of the major indications for liver transplantation is infection with hepatitis C virus (HCV). Many studies have suggested that recurrent infection with HCV is universal after transplantation. Fastidious techniques, such as reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), have proved to be highly sensitive for detecting HCV RNA in serum and in fresh-frozen and formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) liver tissue. In this study, we wanted to determine whether the identification of HCV RNA in liver tissue by RT-PCR might reflect the detection of circulating HCV RNA in blood within the tissue, rather than implying true tissue infection. We performed RT-PCR for HCV RNA in FFPE liver biopsy specimens taken from 14 donor allografts shortly before and immediately after implantation into recipients. The recipients were known to have HCV RNA in serum and explanted liver tissue, as determined by RT-PCR. We were unable to detect HCV RNA in any of the study samples, either before or after transplantation. In a related study, qualitative and quantitative HCV RNA analyses were performed by RT-PCR and branched DNA (bDNA) amplification, respectively, on serum samples collected pretransplantation and immediately posttransplantation from 10 other patients who underwent transplantation for hepatitis C. HCV RNA was detected in all serum samples before and after transplantation by RT-PCR; however, the bDNA assay detected HCV RNA in only 6 of 10 samples pre–orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) and in none of the immediately post-OLT samples. In our system, despite the RT-PCR detection of HCV RNA in serum before and after the transplantation, HCV RNA is not detectable in the peripheral blood that accompanies formalin-fixed liver tissue. This implies that RT-PCR detection of HCV RNA in tissue reflects true liver infection, rather than contamination by HCV RNA in accompanying peripheral blood.
A Framework for Conducting a Services Marketing Audit

The marketing audit literature does not adequately reflect the development of the services marketing field in recent years. This article makes a case for a servives marketing audit, presents a framework for conducting such an audit, and discusses the lessons learned from a field test of the framework.
A LC-MS/MS method for concurrent determination of nicotine metabolites and role of CYP2A6 in nicotine metabolism in U937 macrophages: implications in oxidative stress in HIV + smokers.

Nicotine, the major constituent of tobacco, is predominantly metabolized by liver CYP2A6 into cotinine and many other compounds, including nicotine-derived nitrosamine ketone (NNK), which is known to cause oxidative stress. We have recently shown that CYP2A6 is highly expressed in U937 monocyte-derived macrophages. In this study we investigated the role of CYP2A6 in nicotine metabolism and oxidative stress in U937 macrophages. To study nicotine metabolism, we developed a highly sensitive LC-MS/MS method for simultaneous quantitative determination of nicotine, cotinine, and NNK. The LC-MS/MS analysis was carried out by multiple reaction monitoring mass transitions with m/z of 163.2/130.1, 177.4/98.3, and 208.4/122.1 for nicotine, cotinine, and NNK, respectively. The calibration curves were linear within 3.3–1028.1 ng/ml for nicotine and 0.3–652.6 ng/ml for cotinine and NNK. This novel method was then applied to quantify nicotine metabolites, cotinine and NNK, in nicotine-treated U937 macrophages. Cotinine and NNK initially formed at 30 min, followed by a peak at 2–3 h. The role of CYP2A6 in nicotine metabolism in U937 macrophages was further confirmed by using CYP2A6-selective inhibitor, tryptamine, which significantly decreased cotinine (70%) and completely inhibited NNK formations. Finally, we showed that nicotine-treated macrophages increase the formation of oxidant at 30–60 min, which is consistent with the initial formation of cotinine and NNK. In conclusion, we have developed a new LCMS/MS method for concurrent determination of nicotine metabolites and analyzed the role of CYP2A6 in nicotine metabolism and oxidative stress in U937 macrophages, which may have implications in viral replication among HIV + smokers.
A Biomechanical Analysis of a Single-Row Suture Anchor Fixation of a Large Bony Bankart Lesion

Purpose This study was conducted to assess whether a single-row suture anchor repair of a bony Bankart lesion comprising 19% of the glenoid length restores peak translational force and glenoid depth compared with the intact shoulder. Methods Nine thawed adult cadaveric shoulders were dissected and mounted in 45° of abduction and 30° of external rotation. A bony Bankart lesion was simulated with an anterior longitudinal osteotomy, parallel to the superoinferior axis of the glenoid, equivalent to 19% of the glenoid length. The humeral head was displaced 10 mm anteriorly at a speed of 2 mm/s with a 50-N compressive load applied. Testing was performed with the glenoid intact, a simulated lesion, and the lesion repaired with 3 single-row suture anchors. Median (interquartile range [IQR]) peak translational force and glenoid depth were reported. The Friedman test and post hoc comparisons with the Wilcoxon signed rank test were used for between-group analyses. Results Peak translational force decreased after osteotomy (13.7 N; IQR, 9.6 to 15.5 N; P = .01) and increased after the repair (18.3 N; IQR, 18.3 to 20.6 N; P = .01) compared with the intact shoulder (23.7 N; IQR, 16.4 to 29.9 N). Glenoid depth significantly decreased after the osteotomy (0.2 mm; IQR, −0.6 to 0.7 mm) compared with baseline (1.7 mm; IQR, 1.3 to 2.0 mm; P = .01) and increased after repair (0.8 mm; IQR, 0.1 to 1.0 mm; P = .03) compared with the osteotomized shoulder. The glenoid depth of the repair was less than the baseline value ( P = .01). Conclusions Repair of an anterior bony Bankart lesion equivalent to 19% of the glenoid length with 3 suture anchors restored the peak translational force needed to anteriorly displace the humerus relative to the glenoid; however, this technique failed to restore the natural glenoid depth in a laboratory setting. Clinical Relevance Our findings describe the inability of a single-row suture anchor repair to provide anatomic fixation of the bony Bankart lesion equivalent to 19% of the glenoid length.
Design and synthesis of constrained epothilone analogs: The efficient synthesis of eleven-membered rings by olefin metathesis

Abstract The efficient synthesis of both left- and right-hand halves of a constrained analog of the anticancer natural product epothilone is described. The eleven-membered rings common to both compounds are prepared by olefin metathesis.
Structures of co-evaporated copper alloys

Abstract The structures of CuSn, 3CuAu and CuCr which were co-evaporated simultaneously using two electron beam sources were investigated by transmission electron microscopy. The effects of the substrate temperature and post-annealing treatment were also studied. Only the system CuSn reveals the crystal structure identical with that predicted from its phase diagram, i.e. a mixture of a long-range-ordered Cu6Sn5 phase and β-Sn phase. In contrast the 3Cu-Au film shows a disordered solid solution, while the CuCr system show a new phase, a metastable b.c.c. phase. Lattice constants of the co-evaporated films appear to be greatly affected by the post-annealing temperature and the substrate temperature, i.e. a high temperature results in a crystal structure with a small lattice constant, indicating a stress relaxation. The melting point of the element co-evaporated with copper is found to be very important in determining the final structure of the co-evaporated alloy films. A post-annealing treatment of the copper-base alloy films shows that a strong 〈110〉 texture is formed in the case of the 3CuAu alloy and the initial grain size affects the rate of the disorder-to-order transformation, i.e. a small grain is favorable for the fast transformation.
Psycho-social factors differentiating people who reported making desirable changes in their diets from those who did not

Abstract This study was designed to investigate the influences on dietary change by comparing adult shoppers who reported having voluntarily made positive changes in their diets with those who had not. 117 adult supermarket shoppers were systematically surveyed and placed in either a "self-change" or "no-change" group, depending on whether or not they reported decreasing their intake of red meat and/or butter and making one other change suggested by the Dietary Guidelines. The survey instrument solicited their responses on twelve scales about outcome and efficacy expectancies, and social norms derived from the health belief and behavioral intention models, locus of control construct and the notion of self-efficacy. Results of t -test and discriminant function analyses indicated that self-changers could be distinguished statistically from non-changers primarily on the following six variables: 1) their perception of personal susceptibility to diet-related diseases: 2) their perception of benefits from taking preventive health actions; 3) their overall health concern; 4) the beliefs of those important to the survey participants; 5) cues to action; and 6) chance locus of control. The difference in perceived personal efficacy was less important. Among demographic variables examined, older subjects were more likely to be changers than younger, and females were more likely to be changers than males.
Functional independence of the two cysteine-rich activation domains in the yeast Mac1 transcription factor.

Abstract Mac1 is a transcriptional activator whose activity is inhibited by copper ions. Mutagenesis studies were carried out to map residues important in the copper inhibition of Mac1 activity. Seven new missense mutations were identified that resulted in copper-independent Mac1 transcriptional activation. All seven mutations were clustered in one of two C-terminal cysteine-rich motifs, designated the C1 motif. All but one of the constitutive Mac1 mutations occurred in one of the conserved six residues in the264CXC(X)4CXC(X)2C(X)2H279C1 motif. The lone exception was a L260S substitution. Two additionalMAC1 mutations exhibiting constitutive activity were in-frame deletions encompassing portions C1. Engineered mutations in the second cysteine-rich motif did not yield a constitutively active Mac1. These results are consistent with the C1 motif being the copper-regulatory switch. Both cysteine-rich motifs exhibited transactivation activity, although the C1 activator was weak relative to the C2 activator. Limited copper metalloregulation of Mac1 was observed with only the C1 activator fused to the N-terminal DNA binding domain. Thus, the two Cys-rich motifs appear to function independently. The C1 motif appears to be a functional copper-regulatory domain.
Accuracies of three computationally efficient algorithms for computing atmospheric transmittances.

Three algorithms for calculating polychromatic atmospheric transmittance functions have been tested using a set of eleven distinct temperature profiles in order to compare transmittance accuracies achievable by the three methods. The comparison of rms errors demonstrates that the iterative method of McMillin and Fleming (1976) is the most accurate of the efficient algorithms currently available for gases with constant mixing ratios; its accuracy approaches that of the spectroscopic parameters and the computational approximations used in the ground-truth line-by-line calculations. The method of Arking et al. (1974), while less accurate, has the advantage of being perfectly general and easily adapted to cases where spectral bandwidths are varied
Market Orientation and Organizational Performance in Not-for-Profit Hospitals

Abstract This study explores market orientation in the not-for-profit hospital setting. The authors hypothesize a positive relationship between market orientation and four organizational factors, including professional commitment, professional education, and professional ethics of the senior management team, and organizational entrepreneurship, and three environmental factors, including perceptions of two states of competition and the state of demand. The study also examines the relationship between market orientation and hospital performance. Data from 237 top hospital administrators are used to empirically test the hypothesized relationships. Results provide evidence of a positive association between market orientation and both the professional commitment of the senior management team and organizational entrepreneurship. Furthermore, the study provides strong support for the relationship between market orientation and hospital performance.
Tricuspid regurgitation: noninvasive techniques for determining causes and severity.

Tricuspid regurgitation is often not apparent on physical examination and several methods are now available to aid in this difficult assessment. Cardiac catheterization using right ventriculography, previously considered the diagnostic standard, has several limitations. Currently available noninvasive tools such as M-mode and two dimensional echocardiography (with or without contrast), Doppler techniques and even radionuclide cardiologic imaging have added significantly to the precise assessment of the presence and severity of tricuspid regurgitation. This review examines the comparative use and limitations of these various techniques.
Legionella pneumophila proteins that regulate Rab1 membrane cycling

Rab1 is a GTPase that regulates the transport of endoplasmic-reticulum-derived vesicles in eukaryotic cells. The intracellular pathogen Legionella pneumophila subverts Rab1 function to create a vacuole that supports bacterial replication by a mechanism that is not well understood. Here we describe L. pneumophila proteins that control Rab1 activity directly. We show that a region in the DrrA (defect in Rab1 recruitment A) protein required for recruitment of Rab1 to membranes functions as a guanine nucleotide dissociation inhibitor displacement factor. A second region of the DrrA protein stimulated Rab1 activation by functioning as a guanine nucleotide exchange factor. The LepB protein was found to inactivate Rab1 by stimulating GTP hydrolysis, indicating that LepB has GTPase-activating protein activity that regulates removal of Rab proteins from membranes. Thus, L. pneumophila encodes proteins that regulate three distinct biochemical reactions critical for Rab GTPase membrane cycling to redirect Rab1 to the pathogen-occupied vacuole and to control Rab1 function.
Research on modular innovation system for lifecycle

In the globalization era, the enterprise needs to increase product innovation, improve the profit ability and hold outstanding product development environment to meet the market demands. The key factors of successful product are not only the innovation of product but also the innovation of whole business management. Embarking on the enterprise innovation general scheme, modular framework of the enterprise innovation system is proposed and discussed. Further the innovation system for machine tool is brought forward and its software tool (Teamcenter software) is introduced in brief. The innovation system has been applied to the machine tool corporation and obtained better results.
OFDM channel estimation performance under channels with a peak power constraint

OFDM signals suffer significant distortion when transmitted through practical power amplifiers. In this paper, we examine the channel estimation performance of OFDM systems under channels with such a peak power constraint. We consider the effects of null edge subcarriers added for spectral shaping and derive the Cramer-Rao bound for channel estimation performance of this system both with pilot power and position optimized for channel estimation, and with uniformly spaced pilots of uniform power. The effects of the peak limitation on both the channel estimation mean-squared error and the overall data symbol mean-squared error are analyzed through simulation. We show that the peak limitation significantly reduces channel estimation performance and demonstrate the existence of an optimal input backoff for channel estimation.
Bortezomib for the treatment of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma

Introduction: Bortezomib, the first proteasome inhibitor (PI) to be evaluated in humans, is approved in the USA and Europe for the treatment of patients with multiple myeloma, and in the USA for patients with relapsed mantle cell lymphoma (MCL).Areas covered: This review examines the role of bortezomib in the therapy of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL). Bortezomib may be particularly effective against the NF-κB-dependent activated B-cell subtype of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. The combination of bortezomib with rituximab and dexamethasone represents a standard approach for the treatment of Waldenstrom’s macroglobulinemia, and that with bendamustine and rituximab has demonstrated excellent efficacy in follicular lymphoma. Combinations with other novel agents, such as inhibitors of cyclin-dependent kinases or histone deacetylases, also hold substantial promise in NHL. Unmet needs in NHL, competitor compounds, chemistry, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics and safety and tolerability of bortezomib are also disc...
A High-Content Screen Identifies Novel Compounds That Inhibit Stress-Induced TDP-43 Cellular Aggregation and Associated Cytotoxicity

TDP-43 is an RNA binding protein found to accumulate in the cytoplasm of brain and spinal cord from patients affected with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD). Nuclear TDP-43 protein regulates transcription through several mechanisms, and under stressed conditions, it forms cytoplasmic aggregates that co-localize with stress granule (SG) proteins in cell culture. These granules are also found in the brain and spinal cord of patients affected with ALS and FTLD. The mechanism through which TDP-43 might contribute to neurodegenerative diseases is poorly understood. To investigate the pathophysiology of TDP-43 aggregation and to isolate potential therapeutic targets, we screened a chemical library of 75,000 compounds using high-content analysis with PC12 cells that inducibly express human TDP-43 tagged with green fluorescent protein (GFP). The screen identified 16 compounds that dose-dependently decreased the TDP-43 inclusions without significant cellular toxicity or changes in total TDP-43 expression levels. To validate the effect, we tested compounds by Western blot analysis and in a Caenorhabditis elegans model that replicates some of the relevant disease phenotypes. The hits from this assay will be useful for elucidating regulation of TDP-43, stress granule response, and possible ALS therapeutics.
The VC dimension of constraint-based grammars

We analyze the complexity of Harmonic Grammar (HG), a linguistic model in which licit underlying-to-surfaceform mappings are determined by optimization over weighted constraints. We show that the Vapnik-Chervonenkis Dimension of HG grammars with k constraints is k! 1. This establishes a fundamental bound on the complexity of HG in terms of its capacity to classify sets of linguistic data that has significant ramifications for learnability. The VC dimension of HG is the same as that of Optimality Theory (OT), which is similar to HG, but uses ranked rather than weighted constraints in optimization. The parity of the VC dimension in these two models is somewhat surprising because OT defines finite classes of grammars—there are at most k! ways to rank k constraints—while HG can define infinite classes of grammars because the weights associated with constraints are real-valued. The parity is also surprising because HG permits groups of constraints that interact through so-called ‘gang effects’ to generate languages that cannot be generated in OT. The fact that the VC dimension grows linearly with the number of constraintsin both modelsmeans that, even in the worst case, the numberof randomlychosen training samples needed to weight/rank a known set of constrains is a linear function of k. We conclude that though there may be factors that favor one model or the other, the complexity of learning weightings/rankings is not one of them.
Open-Source Tools for Distributed Device Control Within a Service- Oriented Architecture

Within the past few years a new paradigm for software organization and intercommunication has emerged—SOA, or Service-Oriented Architecture. This article explores the relevance of this approach to ...
APHIDS ALTER THE COMMUNITY‐WIDE IMPACT OF FIRE ANTS

Positive species interactions have the potential to strongly influence the structure and dynamics of ecological communities, yet surprisingly few studies have documented their general importance. We tested the hypothesis that the mutualistic association between fire ants and aphids enhances the impact of fire ants on the herbivorous and predaceous arthropod community of cotton. We found that the presence of aphids attracted foraging fire ants onto cotton plants. This shift from ground to foliar foraging resulted in more frequent interactions between fire ants and arthropods associated with cotton. The survival of herbivores (caterpillars) and predators (ladybird beetles and lacewings) was lower in the presence of fire ants and aphids compared with fire ants alone in greenhouse experiments. Similarly, fire ants and aphids deterred plant bugs from spending time on cotton foliage. Using large-scale field manipulations of fire ants along with naturally occurring aphid populations, we found that the ant–aphid ...
Assessing subjective and psychomotor effects of the herbal medication valerian in healthy volunteers

Valerian is the common name given to the genus Valeriana, an odiferous, herbaceous perennial plant widely distributed in the temperate regions of Asia, Europe, and North America. It is among the most widely used herbal medicines in the world. Numerous clinical studies have demonstrated valerian's ability to improve sleep; however, to the best of our knowledge, no study has systematically assessed subjective and psychomotor/cognitive effects of valerian in young healthy adults across a range of doses. In the present study, we sought to determine whether valerian extract (Valeriana officinalis) altered mood and/or impaired psychomotor/cognitive performance in young healthy volunteers. We examined the effects of valerian extract (600, 1200, and 1800 mg) and 10 mg diazepam (positive control) compared to placebo in 10 young healthy volunteers. Dependent measures included subjective and psychomotor variables. The valerian extract had no significant effects on any of the dependent measures. Diazepam, though, produced subjective effects as measured by four different rating scales, and impaired psychomotor/cognitive performance. The data suggest that acute administration of valerian does not have mood-altering or psychomotor/cognitive effects in young healthy volunteers.
Repetitive exposure to TGF-β suppresses TGF-β type I receptor expression by differentiated osteoblasts

Abstract Transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) has potent, cell phenotype restricted effects. In bone, it controls multiple activities by osteoblasts through three predominant receptors. Of these, the relative amounts of TGF-β receptor I (TβRI) vary directly with TGF-β sensitivity. The rat TβRI gene promoter includes cis-acting elements for transcription factor Runx2. Here we show conservation and selective partitioning of TβRI and retention of TGF-β activity with osteoblast differentiation, Runx2 binding to the TβRI gene promoter on osteoblast chromatin, and decreased promoter activity by Runx2 binding site mutation. Furthermore, in contrast to the stimulatory effects induced by single or limited exposure to TGF-β, we found that osteoblasts became resistant to TGF-β after high dose and repetitive treatment. TβRI protein, mRNA, and gene promoter activity all decreased after three daily TGF-β treatments, in parallel with a reduction in Runx2 protein and Runx dependent gene expression. In this way, sustained TGF-β exposure can limit its own effectiveness by suppressing the expression of its primary signaling receptor. This tightly controlled system may constitute a feedback loop to protect against TGF-β excess, and impose important limitations that are required for the progression of events during skeletal growth, remodeling and repair.
Digital rights for agents

This paper focuses on the use of Digital Rights Management as a way to implement a security layer for a Multi-Agent System (MAS). The layer "wraps" individual agent communication and acts as a filter for messages, in XML format, sent between agents. The work builds on the Open Digital Rights Language (ODRL) standard, which provides a description language for security permissions. The end product is a plug in capability for the Everything is Alive (EiA) multi-agent system.
The Ethical Climate Questionnaire: An Assessment of its Development and Validity

The Ethical Climate Questionnaire measures the ethical climates at individual and organizational levels of analysis. With 1,167 individuals tested across three surveys the results at the individual level have suggested strong support for the validity and reliability of the questionnaire. However, given the limited number of organizations (n = 12) surveyed, the presence of organizational-level ethical climates remains contestable. This paper reports on the development of the Ethical Climate Questionnaire, includes the results of the latest survey, and contrasts these results with previous findings.
Conjunctoids: Statistical learning modules for binary events

Abstract A general family of fast and efficient neural network learning modules for binary events is introduced. The family subsumes probabilistic as well as functional event associations; subsumes all levels of input/output association; yields truly parallel learning processes; provides for optimal parameter estimation; points toward a workable description of optimal model performance; and yields procedures that are simple and fast enough to be serious candidates for reflecting both neural functioning and real time machine learning. Examples as well as operational details are provided.
SOD and inhaled nitric oxide normalize phosphodiesterase 5 expression and activity in neonatal lambs with persistent pulmonary hypertension

Phosphodiesterase 5 (PDE5) and soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) are key regulators of cGMP and pulmonary vascular tone. We sought to determine the impact of mechanical ventilation with O2 with or without inhaled nitric oxide (iNO) or recombinant human Cu/Zn SOD (rhSOD) on sGC, PDE5, and cGMP in the ovine ductal ligation model of persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN). PPHN lambs were ventilated with 100% O2 for 24 h alone or combined with either inhalation of 20 parts per million (ppm) iNO continuously or a single intratracheal dose of rhSOD (5 mg/kg). Ventilated PPHN lambs were compared with PPHN fetuses, control fetuses, and 1-day-old spontaneously breathing lambs (1DSB). In the small pulmonary arteries of 1DSB lambs, sGC expression increased, PDE5 expression decreased, and cGMP concentrations increased relative to fetal levels. In PPHN lambs ventilated with 100% O2, sGC activity increased to levels comparable with 1DSB levels. However, PDE5 expression and activity increased, and cGMP levels remained at fetal levels. Addition of either iNO or rhSOD decreased PDE5 expression and activity in PPHN lambs and increased cGMP levels to levels comparable with 1DSB lambs. These data suggest that ventilation of PPHN lambs with 100% O2 impairs cGMP-mediated vasodilation in part due to increased PDE5 expression and activity. The addition of either iNO or rhSOD normalized PDE5 and cGMP levels. Thus therapies designed to decrease PDE5 and increase cGMP, such as iNO and rhSOD, may prove useful in the treatment of PPHN in newborn infants.
Transnational Advertising Development and Management: An Account Planning Approach and a Process Framework

Much prior published research and writing in the area of multinational advertising standardization has generally taken bipolar positions on the issue. This study goes beyond the polarities to argue that multinational advertising development is an evolutionary process which depends upon many factors and must be approached in a more inclusive manner, starting with consumers, their socio-cultural context, and their response to the advertising stimulus. Further, traditional cross-national consumer segmentation techniques may not be as appropriate as they once were, and a new approach is briefly discussed. Based on these arguments, and on current developments in the advertising industry, in multinational organizational theory and in the infrastructural implementation of information technology, this article makes a case for employing a more decentralized, collaborative and participatory (transnational) approach to the development and management of multicountry advertising strategies and campaigns, and offers an...
Recurrent Hemorrhage Arising From a Submucosal Telangiectasia of the Colon

Summary The case is presented of a 65-year-old woman with recurrent hemorrhage from a tortuous, superficial "telangiectasia" located in the cecum. It is probable that such cases often escape detection. The rationale of an aggressive diagnostic approach in cases of severe, recurrent bleeding is discussed.
Abstract 255: Loss of Alk5 in Smooth Muscle Cells (SMCs) Causes Aortic Aneurysms Through an Aberrant Tgfbr2 Signal

TGF-β signaling disorder has emerged as a cause for aortic aneurysm formation. However, mechanistic details of this disorder remain poorly defined. This study sought to understand the TGF-β signaling propagation and its impact on aortic structural homeostasis under conditions of receptor deficiency. An inducible gene deletion system driven by Myh11-CreER was utilized for selective removal of receptors Alk5, Tgfbr2, or both in SMCs, termed Alk5iko, Tgfbr2iko, and Alk5iko Tgfbr2iko, respectively. Alk5-floxed (Alk5f/f) mice served as controls. Animals (male, 9-11 weeks of age) were followed up to six months following gene deletion. Alk5iko caused progressive aortic enlargement (ultrasound scan). In four weeks, 23% of animals (n=42) died from aortic rupture, with the survivals all showing severe aneurysmal degeneration at locations of ascending (100%), descending (43%) and/or suprarenal (50%) aortas. Surprisingly, Tgfbr2iko in age-matched males (n=26) was well tolerated. Neither rupture nor aortic dilation was noted in four weeks. Evidence of aortic pathology was limited to scattered elastic fiber breaks. To evaluate the role of TGF-β in aortic aneurysm formation in Alk5iko animals, we deleted Tgfbr2 simultaneously with Alk5. The additional Tgfbr2iko completely recused aortic rupture, attenuated aortic dilation from 68% to 25%, and significantly improved aortic histology. Compared to the Alk5f/f controls, Alk5iko, Tgfbr2iko, and Alk5iko Tgfbr2iko aortas all displayed a similar but reduced level of Smad2 phosphorylation at various time points, indicating that loss of the canonical TGF-β signal is not the primary driver for the aortic phenotype of Alk5iko aortas. Meanwhile, the Alk5iko aortas produced 3-fold more pERK than Alk5f/f controls, and this elevation was completely abolished by the additional Tgfbr2 deletion. Pharmaceutical treatment of the Alk5iko mice with ERK inhibitor RDEA-119 significantly inhibited aortic dilation and prevented aortic wall from degeneration while those treated with vehicle control exhibited aortic dilation and intimal/medial tears. In conclusion, loss of Alk5 in SMCs triggers a non-Alk5 but Tgfbr2 dependent signal that promotes aortic aneurysm formation through exacerbating ERK activity.
Strengthening Motor Vehicle Occupant Protection Laws: American College of Preventive Medicine Public Policy Statement

Burden of Suffering Motor vehicle injuries are the seventh leading cause of death in the United States, killing 40,000 Americans and disabling 1,800,000 each year. (1) Motor vehicle crashes are responsible for more traumatic brain and spinal cord injuries and more potential years of life lost in the United States than any other cause and are the leading cause of death among Americans 5-32 years of age. (1) The death rate from motor vehicle collisions, 1.8/100 million vehicle miles/year, has been gradually declining, a multifactorial trend thought to be associated with improved automobile design and safety features (such as seat belts, collapsible steering columns, improved auto body design) lowered speed limits, improvements in road design, and stringent enforcement of traffic safety laws. (2) Legislation mandates that U.S. automobiles manufactured after September 1, 1989, have automated protection (either air bags, motorized shoulder belt, or automatic lap-shoulder belts anchored to the door) as well as lap-shoulder belts in the rear seats. The air bag is a supplemental restraint system, designed to be used together with lap-shoulder seat belt restraints. Unlike other improvements, seat-belt effectiveness depends directly on their correct use; in most states, despite legislation, only about two thirds of the population use seat belts. (3) Groups with lower use of seat belts are often young drivers, drinking drivers, and those who disobey other traffic laws. (4)
Social Science, Social Policy, and Lethal Violence: Looking for Upstream Solutions: 2003 Presidential Address to the Pacific Sociological Association

It is the contention of this article that sociologists should be more involved in social policy discussions because of their deep concern and extensive knowledge about policy-related issues and their broad theoretical and methodological traditions. Recent work by Stockard and O'Brien on changing age distributions in lethal violence is used to illustrate that policy recommendations based on sociological research would be more universalistic and effective than current approaches. If greater involvement in policy discussions were to occur, it would be important to pursue multidisciplinary work, use a nonpartisan approach, increase involvement in meta-analyses and field experiments, and develop collective and systematic ways of translating findings into policy actions.