cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cytotoxic concentrations of α-defensins in the lungs of individuals with α1-antitrypsin deficiency and moderate to severe lung disease

Abstract The lungs of individuals with α 1 -antitrypsin (α 1 -AT) deficiency have a reduced antiprotease protective shield. Typically, numbers of neutrophils are elevated in the lungs of affected individuals, carrying large amounts of neutrophil elastase (NE) and α-defensins that are released upon activation. We hypothesized that in individuals with advanced lung disease associated with α 1 -AT deficiency cytotoxic concentrations of α-defensins might be present and unopposed, thus further aggravating lung disease. To evaluate this hypothesis, bronchoalveolar lavage was performed in 20 α 1 -AT deficient individuals with moderate to severe lung function impairment and 13 healthy volunteers. Cell counts as well as concentrations of NE and α-defensins were determined. While concentrations of NE were low (23±14 nM) and α-defensins were undetectable in volunteers, they were significantly elevated in individuals with α 1 -AT deficiency (1313 ± 723 nM and 6605 ± 2856 nM, both p 1 -AT deficient individuals with mild lung disease. Neutrophil numbers and NE concentration correlated with α-defensins concentration ( r = 0.612 and r = 0.758, p = 0.005 and p = 0.0001, respectively). Individuals with α 1 -AT deficiency and moderate to severe lung function impairment have lung α-defensins concentrations in a range known to induce cytotoxicity in vitro in the absence of normal amounts α 1 -AT and thus may contribute to the development of lung disease in this population.
Mechanism for "quasi-two-body scaling"

The phenomenological synthesis of backward fast hadron production for complex nuclei achieved by Frankel is shown to arise from coherent recoil of the residual nucleus required by energy-momentum conservation. The failure of the assumptions needed to interpret these experiments in terms of the nuclear momentum distribution is discussed.
Liquid crystal polymer nanocomposites: direct intercalation of thermotropic liquid crystalline polymers into layered silicates

Abstract Reversible intercalation between two ordered media such as organically modified layered silicates (OLS) and thermotropic liquid crystalline polymers (LCP) in the nematic state is demonstrated. These results indicate that the decreased diffusivities and intermolecular interactions of an ordered polymeric guest do not preclude intercalation, potentially enabling fabrication of ultra-high performance polymer nanocomposites. Fundamentally, the polymer–polymer interactions that lead to a preferred orientation director in the bulk LCP nematic state are suppressed when the chains are confined to the pseudo two-dimensional environment of the OLS interlayer, resulting in a loss of liquid crystallinity. This demonstrates a finite-size effect on the nematic state of thermotropic liquid crystalline polymers.
Fine-scale horizontal and vertical movement of barred sand bass, Paralabrax nebulifer, during spawning and non-spawning seasons

Abstract Habitat use, ecotone edge response, activity space size and association with seafloor and thermocline were compared for spawning and non-spawning season barred sand bass ( Paralabrax nebulifer ). Non-spawning season fish showed affinity with sand/reef ecotone using average activity space areas of 0.003 ± 0.001 km 2 (±SD) and volumes of 0.00001 ± 0.000005 km 3 while remaining 1.9 ± 1.7 m off the seafloor. Spawning season fish used activity space areas of 0.139 ± 0.370 km 2 and volumes of 0.001 ± 0.002 km 3 . Spawning season individuals displayed two patterns of behavior, one indicative of spawning and another of resting behavior. Resting individuals tracked during spawning season behaved similarly to fish tracked during the non-spawning season, using smaller activity space areas while associating with reef structures and the seafloor. Presumed spawning individuals utilized sand habitats, using significantly larger activity spaces during the day than at night while associating with the thermocline and making repeated vertical dives toward the seafloor.
Autonomous continuum grasping

A continuum manipulator, such as a multi-section trunk/tentacle robot, is promising for deft manipulation of a wide range of objects of different shapes and sizes. Given an object, a continuum manipulator tries to grasp it by wrapping tightly around it. Autonomous grasping requires realtime determination of whether an object can be grasped after it is identified, and if so, the feasible whole-arm wrapping around configurations of the robot to grasp it, which we call grasping configurations, as well as the path leading to a grasping configuration. In this paper, we describe the process for autonomous grasping from object detection to executing the grasping motion and achieving force-closure grasps, with a focus on a general analysis of all possible types of planar grasping configurations of a three-section continuum manipulator. We further provide conditions for existence of solutions and describe how to find a valid grasping configuration and the associated path automatically if one exists. Experimental results with the OctArm manipulator validate our approach, and shows that the entire process to determine an autonomous grasping operation, which includes automatic detection of the target object and determination of a grasping configuration and a path to the grasping configuration that avoids obstacles, can take just a small fraction of a second. Once a grasping configuration is reached, the manipulator can lift the object stably, i.e., a force-closure grasp can be achieved.
Job scheduling in multiprogrammed computer systems

The job-scheduling function in a multiprogramming computer system plays a key role in the achievement of the performance goals for the system. It is possible and convenient to partition this scheduling function into a priority assignment function and resource assignment function. Implementation of a general purpose resource assignment module permits a large family of scheduling strategies to be implemented via different priority calculation schemes. The implications of this partitioning of the scheduling function are studied by use of a simulation model. A system embodying this approach to job scheduling is discussed as an application of the approach to other types of systems.
Characterizing Phonetic Transformations and Acoustic Differences Across English Dialects

In this work, we propose a framework that automatically discovers dialect-specific phonetic rules. These rules characterize when certain phonetic or acoustic transformations occur across dialects. To explicitly characterize these dialect-specific rules, we adapt the conventional hidden Markov model to handle insertion and deletion transformations. The proposed framework is able to convert pronunciation of one dialect to another using learned rules, recognize dialects using learned rules, retrieve dialect-specific regions, and refine linguistic rules. Potential applications of our proposed framework include computer-assisted language learning, sociolinguistics, and diagnosis tools for phonological disorders.
Comparison of natural hemicellulose and chemically acetylated xylan as substrates for the determination of acetyl-xylan esterase activity in Aspergilli

Abstract Native hemicellulose obtained as a result of an aqueous phase thermochemical treatment of aspen wood was tested as a substrate for the determination of acetyl-xylan esterase activities of a number of Aspergilli cultures. The native hemicellulose contained about 60% xylose, of which every two out of three xylose residues were acetylated. Results obtained using the native hemicellulose and chemically acetylated xylan were comparable for the majority of Aspergilli tested, except the enzyme preparations obtained from A. japonicus and A. niger ATTC strain 10864, which were significantly more active on native hemicellulose than on chemically acetylated xylan. The results obtained using 4-nitrophenyl acetate as a substrate showed no relation with those obtained using native hemicellulose or chemically acetylated xylan as substrates. Among the various species and strains of Aspergilli tested , A. japonicus, A. niger ATCC no. 10864, and A. versicolor produced the highest amounts of acetyl-xylan esterase, and the production of this enzyme was greatly induced by the presence of cellulose or xylan in the medium.
Distribution and movement of anionic cell surface sites in cultured human vascular endothelial cells

Cell surface anionic sites on primary and transformed cultures of human vascular endothelium were studied using cationized ferritin (CF) as an ultrastructural marker. The native distribution of anionic sites on the upper (free) surfaces of cells, fixed in situ with glutaraldehyde, was uniform. Binding of the polycationic ligand, CF, in unfixed cells induced redistribution of anionic sites. Rapid formation of discrete patches of CF particles was followed by reappearance of binding between patches, movement of surface-bound CF into intercellular clefts, and endocytosis, over the next 30 min. Aldehyde-fixed cells, detached from the culture surface, bound CF on both upper and lower surfaces. The distribution and mobility of negatively charged membrane components in vascular endothelium may have relevance for thrombosis, atherogenesis, and vascular permeability.
Release rates of polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons from natural sediments and their relationship to solubility and octanol-water partitioning

Sediment efflux rates of six polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were determined employing a novel boundary-layer flux chamber which concentrates trace organics using solid phase extraction techniques. Sediment cores were collected from the Elizabeth River, Virginia and were monitored over a 48 h period for PAH fluxes into uncontaminated seawater. The observed flux rates were related to solubility and octanol-water partition coefficients (KOW) of the PAHs. Flux rates for the six PAHs varied from 0.028 to 0.646 μg/L/d on a concentration basis and 43.0 to 1,000 μg/m2/d on an areal basis. The resulting flux rate coefficients (k2) were determined to be well correlated to solubility (R2=0.82) and inversely related to KOW (R2=0.75). The empirically determined sediment flux dynamics fit well with theoretical relationships that have been previously established for bioconcentration kinetics and octanol/water partitioning systems. Thus, it appears possible to predict flux rates of other hydrophobic organic chemicals from ambient sediment and water concentrations, KOW information, and the proposed empirical models.
Nanopatterning of fibronectin and the influence of integrin clustering on endothelial cell spreading and proliferation

Investigating stages of maturation of cellular adhesions to the extracellular matrix from the initial binding events to the formation of small focal complexes has been challenging because of the difficulty in fabricating the necessary nanopatterned substrates with controlled biochemical functionality. We present the fabrication and characterization of surfaces presenting fibronectin nanopatterns of controlled size and pitch that provide well-defined cellular adhesion sites against a nonadhesive polyethylene glycol background. The nanopatterned surfaces allow us to control the number of fibronectin proteins within each adhesion site from 9 to 250, thereby limiting the number of integrins involved in each cell-substrate adhesion. We demonstrate the presence of fibronectin on the nanoislands, while no protein was observed on the passivated background. We show that the cell adheres to the nanopatterns with adhesions that are much smaller and more evenly distributed than on a glass control. The nanopattern influences cellular proliferation only at longer times, but influences spreading at both early and later times, indicating adhesion size and adhesion density play a role in controlling cell adhesion and signaling. However, the overall density of fibronectin on all patterns is far lower than on homogeneously coated control surfaces, showing that the local density of adhesion ligands, not the average density, is the important parameter for cell proliferation and spreading.
The US Government's Evolving Role in IT Energy Management

This review of the government's role in supporting green initiatives explores how US federal, state, and local energy-related regulatory approaches, policies, and incentives encourage firms to take the lead in conserving energy and reducing their carbon footprint.
Zen and the art of network architecture

1 ABSTRACT Network architectures are a unique artifact of computer science. They are shaped by both technical and non-technical forces. When well-crafted, they define fixed points that catalyze innovation. And they ultimately suffer from entropy and need to be reinvented. Drawing on my experiences building and operating network research testbeds, designing and deploying experimental network services, transferring research prototypes to the commercial sector, and witnessing fundamental shifts in the networking industry, this talk explores the nature of network architectures. It also attempts to extract a set of general lessons, and apply them to the emerging cloud.
Spring melt patterns in the Kara/Barents Sea: 1984

Ice-atmosphere interactions in the Seasonal Sea Ice Zone undergo rapid changes during the spring melt period with the transition from winter to summer conditions. The nature of these interactions is strongly dependent on the characteristics of the surface, which also experiences large changes during this same time period. This paper describes a methodology, based on Extended Principal Components Analysis, which is used to categorize the spatial and temporal patterns of surface change that occur in the Seasonal Sea Ice Zone during the spring/early summer. The methodology is demonstrated for the Kara/Barents Sea in spring 1984 using data from the Nimbus-7 Scanning Multichannel Microwave Radiometer. The analysis shows conditions in the Barents Sea to be largely controlled by ice advection, while the variance in the Kara Sea is dominated by surface melt.
Liberal Education: Its Conditions and Ends

Abstract This article describes liberal education as it comes to light not historically but philosophically, taking the word liber (free) as its chief distinguishing feature. It considers what liberal education presupposes of those who pursue it, and it enumerates several outcomes or “ends” that are likely to ensue. Through liberal education, I argue, the mind is liberated from the here and now, freed by exposure to diverse kinds of character, released from the tyranny of the practical mode of thought, and, at the same time, freed by certain careful habits of reflection that take years to acquire.
Mimesis and rivalry: European empires and global regimes*

This article places empires as interlocking parts of a broader global regime, a term invoked as an alternative to a world system. By focusing on connective processes and political contingencies, it presents a strategy that avoids rendering empires as radial hubs of a European-centred arrangement. Two features lie at the core of the approach: the way in which empires competed with each other, and the way in which they imitated, borrowed, and learned from each other. Instead of looking at the cyclical rise or fall of great powers, the accent here is on the tensions and intervisibilities between the parts that make up a whole. The regime was, therefore, inherently unstable and integrative at the same time. The article looks in particular at European empires embedded in the broader, unstable, yet increasingly integrated global context that shaped them. The period at stake covers the fifteenth century to the nineteenth and concludes by pointing at some longer-term legacies. It suggests an alternative political economy to the familiar models of ‘European world system’.
Risk of transmission of herpesviruses through cord blood transplantation

Cord blood (CB) progenitor cells are increasingly used for transplantation in children because of the lower risk of graft-versus-host disease compared with unrelated bone marrow and comparable rates of disease-free survival. There is concern that CB might carry a higher risk of opportunistic infections. Human herpesviruses (HHV) are common pathogens in transplant recipients. CB donors are routinely tested for the presence of anti-cytomegalovirus (CMV) immunoglobulin M to reduce the risk of collecting CMV-infected CB. To assess the incidence of β and γ HHV infection of CB collected under standard procedures, we tested 362 CB samples for the presence of CMV; HHV-6, -7, and -8; and Epstein-Barr virus DNA by polymerase chain reaction. HHV-6 DNA was found in 2 samples, yielding an incidence of 0.55% (95% confidence interval, 0.1%-2%). None of the other viral DNAs was found, resulting in a 95% confidence interval of 0% to 1% for the incidence of CMV, Epstein-Barr virus, HHV-7, and HHV-8. Because the seroprevalence of HHV-8 among the CB donors in this study was only 4%, these findings cannot be extended to HHV-8-endemic areas. Our data show that screening prospective CB donors with anti-CMV immunoglobulin M practically eliminates the risk of CB CMV transmission, but HHV-6 warrants CB testing by polymerase chain reaction.
Streams that compose using macros that oblige

Since the end of frequency scaling, the programming languages community has started to embrace multi-core and even distributed systems. One paradigm that lends itself well to distribution is stream processing. In stream processing, an application consists of a directed graph of streams and operators, where streams are infinite sequences of data items, and operators fire in infinite loops to process data. This model directly exposes parallelism, requires no shared memory, and is a good match for several emerging application domains. Unfortunately, streaming languages have so far been lacking in abstraction. This paper introduces higher-order composite operators, which encapsulate stream subgraphs, and contracts, which specify pre- and post-conditions for composites. Composites are expanded at compile time, in a manner similar to macros. Their contractual obligations are also checked at compile-time. We build on existing work on macros and contracts to implement higher-order composites. The user-visible language features provide a consistent look-and-feel for the streaming language, whereas the underlying implementation provides high-quality static error messages and prevents accidental name capture.
Involvement of lymphocyte mediators in the rejection of a murine tumor allograft

Abstract Macrophage migration inhibition by peritoneal leukocytes was studied in BALB/c mice bearing intraperitoneal allogeneic EL-4 lymphomas to explore the role of this immune effector function in allograft rejection. The nonadherent peritoneal leukocyte population harvested between 8 and 10 days after allograft inoculation inhibited migration of nonimmune murine macrophages as demonstrated by both direct and indirect migration assays using the agarose droplet method. This host response also contained large numbers of adherent macrophages which others have shown to be cytotoxic to EL-4 target cells. These findings provide direct evidence for lymphokine activity in allograft rejection and suggest that lymphocyte mediators may attract and activate the cytotoxic macrophages observed in this response.
Effect of gap junction uncoupling on spatial dispersion of action potential duration at sites of abrupt tissue expansion

Spatial dispersion of action potential duration has been linked to arrhythmogenesis in the diseased heart; however, the complex dynamic between repolarization dynamics and microstructural heterogeneity in critical regimes is largely unknown. The objective of this study was to use microstructural computer models of adult monolayers to study the effect of abrupt tissue expansion and gap junction uncoupling on dispersion of action potential duration (APD) during premature stimulation. Two-dimensional discrete and equivalent continuous computer models (dx=10 μm, dy=10 μm) of ventricular monolayers with isthmus strands connected to a load region were generated. In the discrete model, gap junctions (gj) with a value between 0.005 μS and 0.50 μS were uniformly distributed around individual cells. In strands with a width of 300 μm, decreasing gap junction coupling in the discrete model increased variation in APD at the site of abrupt expansion by as much as 6 ms and changed the APD profile at the expansion site from an elliptical to a bipolar configuration. In narrow strands with a width of 60 μm, uniformly decreasing coupling in both the strand and the load increased variation in APD by as much as 14 ms and facilitated propagation at the expansion site. The equivalent continuous model could not reproduce microstructural variations in APD, the pattern of conduction block observed in moderately coupled tissue or the conduction delay observed at the site of abrupt expansion.
Loss of nNOS inhibits compensatory muscle hypertrophy and exacerbates inflammation and eccentric contraction-induced damage in mdx mice

Approaches targeting nitric oxide (NO) signaling show promise as therapies for Duchenne and Becker muscular dystrophies. However, the mechanisms by which NO benefits dystrophin-deficient muscle remain unclear, but may involve nNOSβ, a newly discovered enzymatic source of NO in skeletal muscle. Here we investigate the impact of dystrophin deficiency on nNOSβ and use mdx mice engineered to lack nNOSμ and nNOSβ to discern how the loss of nNOS impacts dystrophic skeletal muscle pathology. In mdx muscle, nNOSβ was mislocalized and its association with the Golgi complex was reduced. nNOS depletion from mdx mice prevented compensatory skeletal muscle cell hypertrophy, decreased myofiber central nucleation and increased focal macrophage cell infiltration, indicating exacerbated dystrophic muscle damage. Reductions in muscle integrity in nNOS-null mdx mice were accompanied by decreases in specific force and increased susceptibility to eccentric contraction-induced muscle damage compared with mdx controls. Unexpectedly, muscle fatigue was unaffected by nNOS depletion, revealing a novel latent compensatory mechanism for the loss of nNOS in mdx mice. Together with previous studies, these data suggest that localization of both nNOSμ and nNOSβ is disrupted by dystrophin deficiency. They also indicate that nNOS has a more complex role as a modifier of dystrophic pathology and broader therapeutic potential than previously recognized. Importantly, these findings also suggest nNOSβ as a new drug target and provide a new conceptual framework for understanding nNOS signaling and the benefits of NO therapies in dystrophinopathies.
Conducting Interorganizational Research Using Key Informants

In this article, we examine the use of the key informant methodology by researchers investigating interorganizational relationships. Authors have advocated the use of multiple informants to increase the reliability and validity of informant reports. However, interorganizational research still tends to rely on single informants. We investigated informant selection and obtaining perceptual agreement among multiple informants, two problems that may have inhibited widespread use of multiple informants. We suggest procedures for dealing with those problems and provide an illustrative application of our proposals.
Propionate Challenge Tests Have Limited Value for Investigating Bovine Metabolism

Two experiments were designed to assess the potential utility of the propionate challenge test (PCT) as an index of gluconeogenic capacity. In Expt. 1, the dose-response to jugular propionate infusion was assessed in a duplicated 4 x 4 Latin square experiment with 8 lactating dairy cows. Sodium propionate (4.5 mol/L, pH 7.4) was infused in an intrajugular bolus at 0 (saline), 0.52, 1.04, or 1.56 mmol/kg body weight (BW), and jugular blood was sampled over the following 2 h. Peak propionate concentration in plasma and area under the curve for plasma glucose both increased linearly with increasing propionate dose (P < 0.01). Plasma free fatty acid (FFA) concentration was elevated by all propionate treatments at 20 min postinfusion (P = 0.03), and plasma cortisol concentration tended to increase (P < 0.10) after propionate infusions. Experiment 2 was designed to study the effect of short-term differences in fed state on responses to propionate infusion. Lactating dairy cows (n = 8) were included in a duplicated 4 x 4 Latin square design with a 2 x 2 factorial arrangement of treatments. Sodium propionate (1.04 mmol/kg BW) or saline was infused either before feeding (0900) or 2 h after feeding (1300). Fed cows consumed 4.4 +/- 1.4 kg dry matter before the PCT. Although fed cows had a significantly higher preinfusion plasma propionate concentration, fed state did not influence postinfusion changes in plasma propionate, glucose, insulin, glucagon, or FFA concentrations. Liver glycogen concentration decreased significantly after propionate, but not saline infusion (P < 0.05). Short-term differences in fed state do not affect the physiological responses to PCT. However, glucagon release after jugular administration of propionate is likely supraphysiologic, and postinfusion lipolysis and glycogenolysis suggest that stress responses may alter PCT measurements. Although the PCT may help to diagnose liver dysfunction, it is not a useful index with which to assess differences in gluconeogenic capacity.
Comparative Assessment of Clinically Utilized CD20-directed Antibodies in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Cells Reveals Divergent NK cell, Monocyte and Macrophage Properties

CD20 is a widely validated, B cell-specific target for therapy in B cell malignancies. Rituximab is an anti-CD20 Ab that prolongs survival of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) patients when combined with chemotherapy. Ofatumumab and GA101 (obinutuzumab) are CD20-directed Abs currently being developed as alternative agents to rituximab in CLL based upon different properties of enhanced direct cell death, NK cell-mediated Ab-dependent cellular cytotoxicity, or complement-dependent cytotoxicity. Despite widespread study, ofatumumab and GA101 have not been compared with each other, nor studied for their interactions with monocytes and macrophages which are critical for the efficacy of anti-CD20 Abs in murine models. In CLL cells, we show that direct cell death and complement-dependent cytotoxicity are greatest with GA101 and ofatumumab, respectively. GA101 promotes enhanced NK cell activation and Ab-dependent cellular cytotoxicity at high Ab concentrations. Ofatumumab elicits superior Ab-dependent cellular phagocytosis with monocyte-derived macrophages. GA101 demonstrated reduced activation of monocytes with diminished pERK, TNF-α release, and FcγRIIa recruitment to lipid rafts. These data demonstrate that GA101 and ofatumumab are both superior to rituximab against CLL cells via different mechanisms of potential tumor elimination. These findings bear relevance to potential combination strategies with each of these anti-CD20 Abs in the treatment of CLL.
Observation Sensitivity Calculations Using the Adjoint of the Gridpoint Statistical Interpolation (GSI) Analysis System

The adjoint of a data assimilation system provides an efficient way of estimating sensitivities of analysis or forecast measures with respect to observations. The NASA Global Modeling and Assimilation Office (GMAO) has developed an exact adjoint of the Gridpoint Statistical Interpolation (GSI) analysis scheme developed at the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP). The development approach is unique in that the adjoint is derived from a line-by-line tangent linear version of the GSI. Availability of the tangent linear scheme provides an explicit means of assessing not only the fidelity of the adjoint, but also the effects of nonlinear processes in the GSI itself. In this paper, the development of the tangent linear and adjoint versions of the GSI are discussed and observation sensitivity results for a near-operational version of the system are shown. Results indicate that the GSI adjoint provides accurate assessments of the sensitivities with respect to observations of wind, temperature, satellite radiances, and, to a lesser extent, moisture. Sensitivities with respect to ozone observations are quite linear for the ozone fields themselves, but highly nonlinear for other variables. The sensitivity information provided by the adjoint is used to estimate the contribution, or impact, of various observing systems on locally defined response functions based on the analyzed increments of temperature and zonal wind. It is shown, for example, that satellite radiances have the largest impact of all observing systems on the temperature increments over the eastern North Pacific, while conventional observations from rawinsondes and aircraft dominate the impact on the zonal wind increments over the continental United States. The observation impact calculations also provide an additional means of validating the observation sensitivities produced by the GSI adjoint.
Imaging of Fetal Tumors

Fetal tumors have appearances in utero that differ from those seen in neonates and children. Knowledge of these differences is important when assessing a potential fetal neoplasm. Tumors are typically found during routine obstetric ultrasound or in a patient large for dates, either because of the size of the tumor or associated polyhydramnios. After diagnosis, ultrasound is used to follow fetal growth, tumor growth, and any associated abnormalities. Doppler examination is important for differential diagnosis of masses and prediction of outcome. Magnetic resonance imaging frequently adds additional information regarding tissue characterization and organ involvement. The purpose of this review is to describe and illustrate the appearance of fetal tumors with suggestions for differential diagnosis when a fetal mass is visualized.
A combination of derepression of the lac operator-repressor system with positive induction by glucocorticoid and metal ions provides a high-level-inducible gene expression system based on the human metallothionein-IIA promoter.

We and others have introduced the use of the lac operator-repressor system as a method for providing inducible gene expression for gene transfer experiments in animal cells (M. C.-T. Hu, and N. Davidson, Cell 48:555-566, 1987; J. Figge, C. Wright, C. J. Collins, T. M. Roberts, and D. M. Livingston, Cell 52:713-722, 1988). To improve the dynamic range of such an inducible system, we have investigated the effects of combining the relief by isopropyl-beta-D-thiogalactoside (IPTG) of negative control by the lac system with positive induction by the natural inducers glucocorticoids and cadmium ion for a system based on the human metallothionein-IIA gene promoter. We used the chloramphenicol acetyltransferase gene as a reporter gene and inserted a lacO sequence into the promoter between the GC box and metal-responsive element 1, between metal-responsive element 1 and the TATA box, or between the TATA box and the transcription start site. Surprisingly, all of these insertions had a significant inhibitory effect on promoter activity even in the absence of repressor. However, with these lacO-containing constructs, the levels of gene expression after induction by glucocorticoid, Cd2+, or both were considerably reduced in cells engineered to express the lac repressor. Derepression by IPTG, coupled with induction by both dexamethasone and Cd2+ ion, then provided a high level of induced expression, i.e., by a factor of approximately 100 over the basal level of expression. However, inserting the lacO sequence well upstream just before the glucocorticoid-responsive element had much smaller effects on expression levels in both repressor-negative and repressor-positive cells. This study describes a new, high-level-inducible promoter system for gene transfer experiments. The observed effects are discussed in terms of current models of the mechanisms by which transcription factors control gene expression.
Continuum- and particle-based modeling of shapes and dynamics of red blood cells in health and disease

We review recent advances in multiscale modeling of the mechanics of healthy and diseased red blood cells (RBCs), and blood flow in the microcirculation. We cover the traditional continuum-based methods but also particle-based methods used to model both the RBCs and the blood plasma. We highlight examples of successful simulations of blood flow including malaria and sickle cell anemia.
SOI CMOS front-end technology: options and tradeoffs

There is general agreement that SOI CMOS has the potential of becoming a mainstream technology for future high performance and low-power logic applications. For this to be fulfilled, SOI CMOS technology should be able to support the design and manufacturing of complex future microprocessors. Then, from the design standpoint, SOI CMOS should be nearly identical to bulk CMOS, so that design tools, methodologies, and functional blocks can all be transferred with minimal perturbation. From the manufacturing standpoint, SOI CMOS should produce acceptable yields in circuits with 10 to 100 M transistors which will require process robustness latitude, scalability, and cost equivalent to or better than bulk. From the circuit design standpoint it is generally acknowledged that fully-depleted (FD) MOSFET's will provide the easier transfer path, because of their lack of significant floating-body (FB) effects under normal operation. However, scaled FD-MOSFET's require very thin SOI films which pose several technological challenges. On the other hand, partially-depleted (PD) MOSFET's are easier to make; indeed, their front-end technology can be imported from bulk with minimal perturbation. However, they display prominent FB effects which can pose problems in circuit design. The choice between the FD versus PD option is then recognized as the main SOI front-end technology tradeoff.
Limiting of signals in random noise

The effect of ideal bandpass limiting on a signal lying in narrowband Gaussian noise is analyzed. General analytic expressions for the limiter output components are derived using an integral representation for the limiter characteristic. This method allows retention of the phases of all the signals and the intermodulation products at the limiter output, which are destroyed in the characteristic-function method generally used in limiter studies. Expressions for the desired signals and intermodulation product amplitudes are obtained for the case when the limiter input consists of three angle-modulated sinusoids and noise. The analysis is extended to n modulated sinusoids plus noise, and approximate expressions for the signal, intermodulation product, and noise terms are derived. Numerical results are presented for the signal suppression and the limiter output signal amplitudes for the case of three input signals, two of equal amplitude.
Transmission of streptomycin from maternal blood to the fetal circulation and the amniotic fluid.

ConclusionStreptomycin appears in the cord blood and in the amniotic fluid following intravenous administration to the mother at term.
Paradoxical effects of iodine-125 decays in parent and daughter DNA: a new target model for radiation damage.

Abstract Hofer, K. G., Lin, X. and Schneiderman, M. H. Paradoxical Effects of Iodine-125 Decays in Parent and Daughter DNA: A New Target Model for Radiation Damage. Chinese hamster ovary cells were synchronized at the G1/S-phase boundary of the cell cycle and were pulse-labeled with 125I-iododeoxyuridine 30 min after they entered the S phase. Cell samples were harvested and frozen for accumulation of 125I decays during the first and second G2 phase after labeling. Cell aliquots that had accumulated the desired number of decays were thawed and plated for evaluation micronucleus formation and cell death. Cells subjected to 125I decays during the first G2 phase after labeling exhibited single-hit kinetics of cell killing (n = 1, D0 41 decays/cell). In contrast, decays accumulated during the second G2 phase killed cells with dual-hit kinetics (n = 1.9, D0 81 decays/cell). A similar divergence in the action of 125I was noted for micronucleus formation. These findings indicate that the effects of 125I varied de...
Clarence Walton as Academic CEO: A Fine Mind on a Fine Line

This essay will be organized around themes available to readers of two books: The Moral Manager, by Clarence C. Walton (xcBallinger, 1988), and The Catholic University of America: A Centennial History, by former CUA provost C. Joseph Nuesse (xcCUA Press, 1990). Walton, widely regarded as the model of a “moral manager,” put his fine mind on the fine line of the presidency of The Catholic University of America in 1969, and served that institution, which is chartered by both the Vatican and the Congress of the United States, and sponsored from the beginning by the American Catholic hierarchy, for 9 years. He was CUA’s tenth president, the first lay person to hold that position.
Ultrafast time-domain optical networks using solitons

We have designed the architecture and demonstrated some of the components for a 100- Gbit/s, time-division multiplexed, soliton ring network (SEN). This is a self-routing, packet switched, local or metropolitan area "light-pipe" network where optical/electronic conversions are pushed to the boundaries of the system (source and destination).1 Time-domain networks permit an all-digital, system that is simpler for implementing packet switching.
Phase separation of signaling molecules promotes T cell receptor signal transduction

Activation of various cell surface receptors triggers the reorganization of downstream signaling molecules into micrometer- or submicrometer-sized clusters. However, the functional consequences of such clustering have been unclear. We biochemically reconstituted a 12-component signaling pathway on model membranes, beginning with T cell receptor (TCR) activation and ending with actin assembly. When TCR phosphorylation was triggered, downstream signaling proteins spontaneously separated into liquid-like clusters that promoted signaling outputs both in vitro and in human Jurkat T cells. Reconstituted clusters were enriched in kinases but excluded phosphatases and enhanced actin filament assembly by recruiting and organizing actin regulators. These results demonstrate that protein phase separation can create a distinct physical and biochemical compartment that facilitates signaling.
The Curative Effect Analyze of Curing Children Chronic Nasosinusitis by Helium neon Laser Ancillary Drug

Objective To approach curative effect of curing children chronic nasosinusitis by helium neon laser ancillary drug. Methods To analyze 60 cases clinical data of chronic nasosinusitis children in our hospital,which was to be divided into control group 30 cases and detection group 30 cases. Results The clinical total effective rate of treatment of detection group chronic nasosinusitis were higher than control group,χ2=22.22,P0.05,the difference were statistical significance. Conclusion The curative effect of curing children chronic nasosinusitis by helium neon laser ancillary drug is good and clinical symptom is obviously ,which was to be used.
The Construction of a Segmented and Part-of-speech Tagged Archaic Chinese Corpus: A Case Study on Huainanzi

In this paper,we present a segmented and part-of-speech(POS)tagged Archaic Chinese corpus along with its construction process,which is performed by automatic segmentation and tagging with manual correction as post-processing.We use both Modern and Archaic Chinese labeled data for training word segmenter and POS tagger,which are further improved by domain adaptation techniques,as well as by adding linguistic and morphological features derived from the characteristics of Archaic Chinese language.The experimental results showed the effectiveness of our approach.In particular,the domain adaptation techniques and the added features significantly improve POS tagging performance.During our manual correction,we categorize the errors resulted from the automatic segmentation and POS tagging process,and investigate the sources of those errors.Finally,we give the statistics of the resulted corpus on the distributions of words and POS tags.Our work is a preliminary study that could be easily extended to annotating other Archaic Chinese text,and the resulted corpus is a valuable resource for research on Archaic Chinese language.
Development of Function Test System of Electrical Control Box for Mining Equipment

For existing status of multi functions and complex structure of electrical control system of mining equipment,a function test system of electrical control box was developed.The system tests output response of electrical control box through simulating control commands and working status signals,and has testing functions of action control,fault diagnosis performance,protection performance,action performance and so on.Moreover,compared with handheld testing equipments,the system can realize monitoring function of multi-signal composition input and output signal,and simulate more control results caused by incorrect operation in application.The test result showed validity of the system.
Adjuvants and in vitro antibody production.

Many recent data suggest that three cell types may be involved in antibody formation: a thymus-derived lymphocyte, a bone-marrow-derived lymphocyte, and probably a macrophage. In the classical hapten-protein systems it is obvious that two different specificities are involved, one, carrier-specific governed by the T-cells, and another, hapten-specific, controlled by the B-cells. In the experiments reported here we tried to extend these principles to ask whether a similar kind of cooperation is operating in the action of potent adjuvants, specifically B. Pertussis vaccine and tubercle bacilli in mice, Taking advantage of the primary response of mouse spleen cells obtainable in vitro by the Mi shell and Dutton’s technique, we could ask whether the response to sheep red blood cells (SRBC) was increased when cells previously primed in vivo to an adjuvant were restimulated in vitro with the same adjuvant in the presence of an irrelevant antigen, SRBC, In our work this adjuvant effect will be shown to be mediated by a soluble factor.
Repeatability of measurements on human, rabbit, and bull sperm by computer-assisted sperm analysis when comparing individual fields and means of 12 fields.

Objective To compare repeatability of measurements of human, rabbit, and bull sperm on two Hamilton Thorne Integrated Visual Optical System (IVOS) units, software version 10. Design Semen samples from seven normal human subjects, six rabbits, and eight bulls were obtained at regular intervals. The samples were diluted, two chambers were filled, and 12 fields were recorded, using high resolution recorders. Computer-assisted sperm analysis (CASA) was performed nearly simultaneously with two Hamilton Thorne IVOS units. Setting Reproduction Research Laboratories, Cornell University and Hamilton-Thorne Research, Beverly, Massachusetts. Results Optimal settings were established for evaluating by CASA sperm from three species. Fifteen variables were analyzed. The correlation coefficients for most variables characterizing sperm motion and concentration, when means of 12 fields were calculated, were 0.95 to 1.00. There were too few hyperactive sperm to obtain a reliable correlation for human sperm (r = 0.63) and repeatability of elongation was lower only for human sperm (r = 0.75). Conclusions Two units of Hamilton Thorne IVOS, software version 10, were capable of providing nearly identical estimates of many CASA variables of human, rabbit, and bull sperm. Correlations for the paired estimates of many motion characteristics and sperm concentration usually exceeded 0.97.
A Conservative Approach to the Management of Blunt Renal Trauma

AbstractA review of 85 cases of blunt renal trauma confirms that management is best guided by clinical findings and not solely by radiologic demonstration of renal injury. A conservative non-operative approach is advocated in the clinically stable patient if renal pedicle injury can be ruled out.
Abstract 1206: Preclinical evaluation of targeting Notch-3 in breast cancer

Introduction: Notch-3 overexpression has been implicated in the development of breast cancer (BC) and is associated with poor outcomes. A critical challenge to eliminating treatment resistance in breast cancer likely relates to the presence of cancer stem cells (CSCs) that maintain the ability to differentiate and divide indefinitely. We postulate that targeted eradication of CSCs is possible using a Notch3 antibody drug conjugate (ADC) without irreversibly reducing stem cell viability in vital normal tissues. PF-06650808, is an ADC comprised of a humanized anti-Notch-3 antibody linked to an auristatin-based cytotoxic agent. To better understand the therapeutic index of targeting Notch-3, we evaluated PF-06650808 across a large panel of BC lines and normal cells and correlated response with Notch-3 levels. PF-06650808 was also evaluated in a murine BC xenograft model. Methods: Response to PF-06650808 and control ADC was evaluated across a panel of BC and normal cell lines by a 2D proliferation assay. Notch-3 mRNA expression was measured by flow cytometry (FC) and RPPA. MDA-MB-468 (triple negative BC, TNBC) tumor bearing mice were randomized into 4 arms of 8 mice and treated with 3 mg/kg PF-06650808 or control-ADC (days 0, 4, 8 & 12), 10 mg/kg docetaxel (q week) or vehicle control. Results: High expression of Notch-3 was detected in multiple BC cell lines by RPPA and FC. BC cell lines with elevated levels of Notch-3 were sensitive to PF-06650808 (HCC1187, MDA-MB-468, HCC1143, HCC70, EFM-19, HCC202). Responders were also enriched for TNBC. All normal cell lines were resistant to PF-06650808 ADC. When treated with a control ADC against a non-relevant target, all cell lines exhibited IC50s between 5-50ug/ml, indicating that the sub-0.5ug/ml responses seen with the Notch-3 ADC were target-dependent. Durable complete tumor regressions were observed in PF-06650808-treated mice bearing MDA-MB-468 TNBC cell line xenografts. Conclusions: Sensitivity to a novel anti-Notch-3-ADC is associated with high expression of Notch-3 in BC cell lines. Normal cells are resistant to PF-06650808, possibly predicting a better therapeutic index than seen with other Notch inhibitors. Xenograft studies evaluating the in vivo efficacy of PF-06650808 in a panel of xenografts with varying levels of Notch-3 expression will be presented. Ongoing experiments are exploring the potency of PF-06650808 on CSCs. Our data will help identify breast cancer subtypes most likely to respond to a Notch3-ADC based on high tumor/normal target concentration as well as its effects on CSCs. Citation Format: Sara A. Hurvitz, Erika von Euw, Neil O’Brien, Dylan Conklin, Chuhong Hu, Jiaying Zhuo, Alice Zhao, Frank Calzone, Hsiao-Wang Chen, Judy Dering, Ken Geles, Puja Sapra, Dennis J. Slamon. Preclinical evaluation of targeting Notch-3 in breast cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 1206.
Femtosecond Infrared Spectroscopy of Complex Molecules Using CW IR Lasers

Recent applications to vibrational relaxation, protein (hemoglobin) dynamics and molecular motions of the CW-IR laser gated detection method are described.