cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Chloride Intracellular Channel Protein-4 Functions in Angiogenesis by Supporting Acidification of Vacuoles Along the Intracellular Tubulogenic Pathway

Endothelial cells form capillary tubes through the process of intracellular tubulogenesis. Chloride intracellular channel (CLIC) family proteins have been previously implicated in intracellular tubulogenesis, but their specific role has not been defined. In this study, we show that disruption of the Clic4 gene in mice results in defective angiogenesis in vivo as reflected in a Matrigel plug angiogenesis assay. An angiogenesis defect is also apparent in the retina, both in the decreased spontaneous development of retinal vasculature of unstressed mice and in the dramatically decreased angiogenic response of retinal vessels to an oxygen toxicity challenge. We found that endothelial cells derived from Clic4−/− mice demonstrated impaired tubulogenesis in three-dimensional fibrin gels compared with cells derived from wild-type mice. Furthermore, we found that tubulogenesis of wild-type cells in culture was inhibited by both an inhibitor of CLICs and an inhibitor of the vacuolar proton ATPase. Finally, we showed that vacuoles along the endothelial tubulogenesis pathway are acidic in wild-type cells, and that vacuolar acidification is impaired in Clic4−/− cells while lysosomal acidification is intact. We conclude that CLIC4 plays a critical role in angiogenesis by supporting acidification of vacuoles along the cell-hollowing tubulogenic pathway.
IGlasses: an automatic wearable speech supplementin face-to-face communication and classroom situations

The need for language aids is pervasive in today's world. There are millions of individuals who have language and speech challenges, and these individuals require additional support for communication and language learning. We demonstrate technology to supplement common face-to-face language interaction to enhance intelligibility, understanding, and communication, particularly for those with hearing impairments. Our research is investigating how to automatically supplement talking faces with information that is ordinarily conveyed by auditory means. This research consists of two areas of inquiry: 1) developing a neural network to perform real-time analysis of selected acoustic features for visual display, and 2) determining how quickly participants can learn to use these selected cues and how much they benefit from them when combined with speechreading.
FoxP3 + regulatory T cells promote influenza-specific Tfh responses by controlling IL-2 availability

Regulatory T cells (Tregs) are mainly known to suppress effector T cell and B-cell responses. Here, the authors demonstrate that Tregs are able to promote T follicular helper and germinal centre B-cell responses to influenza by sequestering IL-2, the negative regulator of T follicular helper cell differentiation.
Political allocation of US agriculture disaster payments in the 1990s

Legislation passed during the 1990s attempted to move US agriculture disaster relief to a more market oriented process. The failure of this legislation has been attributed to the political system behind agricultural disaster relief. This paper explores the impact of political influence on the allocation of US direct agriculture disaster payments. The results reveal that disaster payments are not based solely on need, but are higher in those states represented by public officials key to the allocation of relief. The effectiveness of legislation aimed at promoting more efficient disaster payments systems, such as crop insurance, over direct cash payments is also examined.
Immunotherapeutics for autoimmune encephalopathies and dementias.

The timely implementation of immunotherapy is key to successful treatment of autoimmune encephalopathies or dementias (from here on will be referred to as autoimmune encephalopathies). There are different levels of diagnostic certainty which should guide the immunological treatment of autoimmune encephalopathies. There is a high level of diagnostic certainty for patients who have classic limbic encephalitis and have a neural antibody detected in serum or CSF (such as potassium channel complex antibody). For these patients, initiating high-dose corticosteroids or IVIg is indicated, with plasma exchange, rituximab or cyclophosphamide used as second-line therapy if first-line therapy proves only partially beneficial. There is a lower level of diagnostic certainty in patients with non-limbic atypical phenotypes (though rapidly progressive) when no neural antibody is detected in serum and CSF. A trial of corticosteroids or IVIg (or both sequentially) may be undertaken in these patients, but if no objective improvements occur, further immunotherapy is unlikely to be beneficial. Antiepileptic treatment also plays a critical role in those who have seizures as well as cognitive symptoms. Evaluation for and treatment of any underlying cancer is another component for those patients with a paraneoplastic cause of encephalitis. An individualized maintenance regimen needs to be designed for patients who do improve with immunotherapy. Individual factors that need to be considered when formulating a program of maintenance treatment include disease severity, antibody specificity and proclivity for disease relapse. Azathioprine and mycophenolate mofetil are frequently used for the purpose of remission maintenance, and should permit gradual withdrawal of steroids, IVIg or more toxic immunosuppressants. The duration of maintenance therapy is uncertain, but this author typically recommends 3–5 years of relapse-free maintenance treatment before discontinuing immunotherapy altogether.
Optimization of the multiple retailer supply chain management problem

With stock surpluses and shortages representing one of the greatest elements of risk to wholesalers, a solution to the multiretailer supply chain management problem would result in tremendous economic benefits. In this problem, a single wholesaler with multiple retailer customers must find an optimal balance of quantities ordered from suppliers and acceptable lead time costs, while taking into account limiting factors such as the time each retailer will wait for a backorder. The following four evolutionary computations (EC) are utilized to find a solution: evolutionary programming (EP), genetic algorithms (GA), particle swarm optimizers (PSO), and estimation of distribution algorithms (EDA). In addition, problem-specific modifications to each are created. Of the 32 attempted algorithms, the following proved to be best with respect to the client-mandated test-suite: Probabilistic Dual-Topology Full-Model PSO, Star-Topology Full-Model PSO using dynamically-adjusting learning rates, Out-of-the-Box Star-Topology Full-Model PSO, and a Gaussian-based Star-Topology Full-Model PSO with the Constriction Coefficient. A secondary test-suite was also developed to test the effectiveness of the best algorithms on the problem. With respect to the client-mandated and the developed test suite's fitness threshold and maximum number of function evaluations, the best algorithm had an 87% and 90% success rate, respectively. Considering the flexibility and high performance of the solution and the generality of the problem, these results represent a significant contribution to commercial wholesaling.
Hydrocarbon geochemistry of the Puget Sound region—I. Sedimentary acyclic hydrocarbons

Hydrocarbon compositions have been determined for 210Pb-dated sediment cores collected at 23 sites within the inland marine waters of northwestern Washington State, U.S.A. Concentrations of total aliphatic hydrocarbons (TAH) and an unresolved complex mixture (UCM) are significantly higher in surface sediments near urban areas than at all other locations with a chronology that indicates a predominantly anthropogenic origin. Concentrations of chromatographically resolvable alkanes are comparatively uniform; the major constituents are plant wax n-alkanes and a naturally-occurring suite of fossil isoprenoid and n-alkanes. Pristane concentrations decrease sharply near the sea-sediment interface suggesting rapid degradation of a plankton-derived component. A saturated multibranched, but nonisoprenoid, C20 hydrocarbon and two novel mono-olefinic analogs have been isolated along with a previously unreported suite for four acyclic multibranched C25 polyenes. Structural and distributional similarities between the C20 and C25 multibranched hydrocarbons suggest that they may be structurally homologous and share a common source.
BLOOD LIPIDS OF THE HYPOPHYSECTOMIZEDTHYROIDECTOMIZED DOG1

THE THYROID GLAND exerts a definite control over lipid metabolism. The concentration of blood lipids, especially esterified cholesterol and neutral fat, is elevated after thyroidectomy (1). Although the mechanism whereby these changes are produced is still obscure, it has been shown in this laboratory that the thyroidectomised dog differs from the normal in the degree of response of its blood lipids to alterations in nutritional state (2). Wide variations in the dietary regime of the normal dog produce no marked changes in the concentration of blood lipids (3). Thus, acute fasting for as long as 30 days failed to produce much alteration in the levels of total fatty acids, total cholesterol or of phospholipids of the blood in the normal dog. The experimental production of obesity by which normal dogs were made to increase their weights by as much as 50 to 80 per cent in periods as short as 90 days also failed to produce striking changes in the lipid concentration of the blood (4).
Adaptive foci in protein evolution.

THE willistoni group of Drosophila consists of several species, subspecies and semispecies endemic to the New World tropics1. We have used electrophoretic techniques to study allelic variation at gene loci coding for enzymes in this group of species. Some 40 gene loci have been assayed in scores of natural populations belonging to 14 different taxa2–11. Two remarkable patterns have emerged. First, within a given taxon the populations (sometimes geographically separated by thousands of kilometres) have quite similar configurations of allelic frequencies at nearly all loci; and second, the allelic configurations observed in different taxa show that any two species have quite similar genetic configurations at about half the loci, but very different configurations at (nearly) the other half. A similar situation obtains when infraspecific taxa are compared, except that the proportion of loci at which the two taxa are similar is more than half, and the proportion of loci at which they are totally different becomes much less than half.
Optimal Taxation: the Mix of Alcohol and Other Taxes:

This article compares the effects of two policies aimed at promoting efficiency in the taxation of alcoholic beverages. One policy is to set alcohol tax rates at a level that corrects for excessive social costs of alcohol consumption. The second is to view alcohol taxes as a substitute for other taxes and apply the prescriptions of optimal tax theory to attain the efficient mix of tax revenues. Estimates of the differential effects of the two policies suggest that the second policy requires a higher tax rate on alcohol and produces a greater welfare gain.
The effect of auditors’ internal control opinions on loan decisions

Abstract We examine the effect of internal control reports on lending officers’ assessments of a company’s creditworthiness. We suggest that an adverse internal control opinion can undermine the assurance provided by an unqualified opinion on financial statements taken as a whole and have a negative affect on lenders’ assessments. In addition, we investigate whether auditor size plays a role in determining the effect on lenders’ judgments. We gather data from 111 loan officers and find that their judgments are affected by the auditor’s report on the effectiveness of internal controls. The lenders’ assessment of the risk of extending a line of credit and the probability of extending the line of credit are negatively affected when the company receives an adverse internal control opinion as compared to an unqualified one. We do not find any evidence that the effect is lessened by the use of a Big Four auditor. Additional analyses suggest that an adverse internal control opinion weakens the importance assigned to the balance sheet and income statement in lending decisions and reduces lenders’ confidence that financial statements are presented fairly in conformance with generally accepted accounting principles.
Toward a Coherent Multicore Memory Model

With exascale multicores, the question of how to efficiently support a shared memory model is of paramount importance. As programmers demand the convenience of coherent shared memory, ever-growing core counts place higher demands on memory subsystems, and increasing on-chip distances mean that interconnect delays exert a significant effect on memory access latencies.
Enkephalin, PPE mRNA, and PTS-1 in alcohol withdrawal seizure-prone and -resistant mice

Abstract Inbred animal strains provide an opportunity to study genetic factors in alcoholism in the absence of environmental factors. Although the concentration of methionine enkephalin (Met-enkephalin) in whole brain has been implicated in the consumption of ethanol, it has not been studied in the brains of alcohol withdrawal seizure-prone (WSP) and withdrawal seizure-resistant (WSR) mice. We compared these concentrations with the levels of preproenkephalin (PPE) mRNA and with the activity of peptide transport system-1 (PTS-1), a brain-to-blood transport system for Met-enkephalin that is affected by ethanol. The concentrations of Met-enkephalin were significantly greater in WSP mice than in WSR mice, whereas synthesis of Met-enkephalin, as reflected by PPE mRNA levels, and transport out of the brain by PTS-1 was not different. These results support a direct link between elevated concentrations of Met-enkephalin in whole brain and proneness to withdrawal-induced seizures. We suggest that the inverse relationship between the consumption of ethanol and proneness to seizures in inbred mice can be explaimed through their opposite relationships to Met-enkephalin.
Absolute frequency stabilization of an injection-seeded optical parametric oscillator.

A method is described that provides absolute frequency stabilization and calibration of the signal and idler waves generated by an injection-seeded optical parametric oscillator (OPO). The method makes use of a He–Ne stabilized transfer cavity (TC) to control the frequencies of the cw sources used to seed both the pump laser and OPO cavity. The TC serves as a stable calibration source for the signal and idler waves by providing marker fringes as the seed laser is scanned. Additionally, an acoustic-optic modulator (AOM) is used to shift the OPO seed laser's frequency before locking it onto the TC. The sidebands of the AOM are tunable over more than one free spectral range of the TC, thereby permitting stabilization of the signal and idler waves at any frequency. A±25-MHz residual error in the absolute frequency stabilities of the pump, signal, and idler waves is experimentally demonstrated, which is roughly 30% of the 160-MHz near-transform-limited linewidths of the signal and idler pulses.
A unique Rab GTPase, EhRabA, of Entamoeba histolytica, localizes to the leading edge of motile cells.

Abstract Entamoeba histolytica, an enteric protozoan parasite, infects 10% of the world’s population leading to 50 million cases of invasive amoebiasis annually. Parasite vesicle trafficking and motility, which relies on vesicle trafficking to deliver membrane and membrane components to the leading edge, are important for virulence however little is known about the molecular mechanisms regulating these functions. Since Rab GTPases are known modulators of vesicle trafficking we have characterized a Rab GTPase of Entamoeba, EhRabA. Sequence analysis revealed that EhRabA shared limited homology with any known Rab suggesting that it is a novel member of this protein family. Immunofluorescence microscopy using EhRabA-specific antibodies demonstrated that EhRabA did not colocalize with markers for the Golgi apparatus, endoplasmic reticulum, pinosomes, or phagosomes. These data suggest that this Rab may not play a role in vesicle trafficking between these organelles. In quiescent Entamoeba cells, EhRabA localized to vesicles throughout the cytoplasm consistent with a role in vesicle trafficking, however, in motile cells this protein localized to small vesicles in the leading edge. In addition, when E. histolytica trophozoites were exposed to an N-formyl peptide (N-formylmethionylleucylphenylalanine) cell polarization, the formation of membrane extensions, and the translocation of EhRabA to these membrane extensions was observed. Taken together, these results suggest that EhRabA may function in the formation of membrane extensions perhaps by regulating the delivery of membrane and/or cell surface molecules to the plasma membrane.
Adaptive robust control of a class of dynamic delay systems with unknown uncertainty bounds

In this paper, a robust adaptive controller is developed for a class of uncertain dynamic systems with time-varying delays and subject to uncertainties whose bounds are unknown but their functional properties are known. It is shown that if a constraint on the norm of the matrix associated with the delayed state is met, then the adaptive controller designed guarantees that all solutions of the class of systems considered converge to a ball with any prespecified exponential convergence rate towards it. Finally, an example is included to illustrate the results developed in this paper. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
An Essay on the History and Future of Reliability from the Perspective of Replications

This article provides a review of some important milestones in the history of reliability, some current issues concerning reliability, and some likely prospects for reliability, from the perspective of one central question: “What constitutes a replication of a measurement procedure?” Special attention is given to the fixed/random aspects of facets that characterize replications.
Assembly of Nanowires by Contact-Line Deposition

The post-synthetic assembly of nanowires into desired configurations presents a unique challenge. Through the use of a microscope we observed the behaviors of different nanowires during the drying of their solutions. In addition, we also viewed the resulting dried patterns on substrates by AFM and SEM. We found that nanowires are deposited and aligned along the contact line. The evaporation-induced capillary flow carries the nanowires to the contact line and their alignment there is due to self-assembly directed by solvent evaporation. Based on our observations, we developed a contact-line-deposition process and successfully assembled aligned nanowires in proper patterns on substrates.
A Pd-PdO Film Potentiometnc pH Sensor

Palladium-palladium oxide film formed by the RF reactive sputtering technique was used for pH measurement. The potentiometric mode of operation was employed and an Ag/AgCl electrode was used as the reference electrode. The Pd-PdO film was formed on both alumina and polycrystalline silicon, and sputtering conditions to produce Pd-PdO film with good pH response characteristics were empirically defined. The Pd-PdO showed good pH response, ~54 mV/[pH] at 25 °C over the pH range of 3-9. The temperature dependency and dissolved oxygen effect on the film when used as a pH sensor were investigated and discussed.
Strophanthidin sensitive electrogenic mechanisms in frog sartorius muscles exposed to barium.

Barium did not depolarize frog skeletal muscle unless the Ringer solution was deficient in Cl− (Sperelakiset al., 1967; Henderson and Volle, 1972). However, when [K+]0 was reduced to 0.5 mM in isotonic chloride-containing Ringer solution Ba++ (0.05 mM) caused a 55±1 mV depolarization of frog sartorius muscles. Removal of Cl− from the low [K+]0 solution or elevation of [Ca++]0 to 10 mM did not modify the depolarization. Substitution of Tris-Cl for NaCl in the 0.5 mM [K+]0 solution reduced the Ba++-induced depolarization to 21±3 mV. When [K+]0 was elevated to the normal value (2.5 mM) in the presence of Ba++ the muscles repolarized 20±2 mV in the Cl−-containing solutions and 36±3 mV in the Cl−-free solutions. Strophanthidin (10−5 M) did not modify the Ba++-induced depolarization in the low [K+]0 solution but completely prevented the repolarization when [K+]0 was elevated to 2.5 mM. Ba++ caused a strophanthidin-sensitive stimulation of22Na-efflux in the 0.5 mM [K+]0 solution and in the 2.5 mM [K+]0 solution on elevation from 0.5 mM [K+]0. Ba++ has been shown to competitively block42K-exchange (Henderson and Volle, 1972). Therefore, reduction of [K+]0 enhanced the depression by Ba++ of the potassium permeability coefficient (P K ). The depolarization caused by Ba++ in low [K+]0 solutions could be explained by a relative increase in the ratioP Na/P K . The repolarization on elevation of [K+]0 in the presence of Ba++ was probably caused by a 2-3-fold greater stimulation of22Na-extrusion over the increase of42K-uptake.
Potent matrix metalloproteinase inhibitors: Amino-carboxylate compounds containing modifications of the P1 residue

Abstract A series of amino-carboxylate inhibitors of matrix metalloproteinases containing different P1 modifications have been synthesized. It was discovered that a toluenesulfonamide-type substituent at the P1 position considerably enhances the binding affinity of inhibitors for stromelysin. Replacements of the P2′–P3′ residues with nonpeptide components result in loss of inhibitory activity.
Potential impacts of highway median barriers on wildlife: state of the practice and gap analysis.

Median barriers separate lanes of traffic moving in opposite directions on multilane highways. Such traffic safety devices can reduce head-on collisions but also have the potential to reduce landscape permeability by impeding wildlife movements across highways. Median barriers may also increase the risk of wildlife–vehicle collisions if an animal becomes trapped or confused amid barriers searching for a place to cross. A 2002 Transportation Research Board report highlighted the need to better understand the potential impacts of highway median barriers on wildlife. This lack of information can cause significant project delays and increase transportation project costs. This study represents the first attempt in North America to bring together information about highway median and roadside barriers and wildlife and provide preliminary guidelines to balance the needs of motorist safety and wildlife movements.
Speed-related changes in hindlimb intersegmental dynamics during the swing phase of cat locomotion

To determine speed-related changes in hindlimb motion that might account for the mutability of bifunctional (hip extensor/knee flexor) muscle activity during the E1 phase of swing, we studied hip and knee joint kinematics and kinetics during swing over a ten-fold increase in locomotor speed (0.35 to 3.5 m/s). Three cats were filmed (100 frames/s) while locomoting on a motorized treadmill; kinematics were analyzed for the entire step cycle and kinetics for the swing phase. During swing, angular excursions at the hip and knee joints were similar for walking and trotting, but hip flexion and extension were significantly less after the transition from trot to gallop, while knee-angle range of motion increased during gallop phases E1, E2, and E3. During swing, knee-extension velocity peaked early in E1 and increased linearly with speed, while hip-flexion velocity peaked late in the flexion (F) phase and also increased linearly, but decreased precipitously at the trot-gallop transition and remained constant as speed of galloping increased. Muscle torque directions during E1, flexor at the knee and extensor at the hip, were consistent with the proposed role of bifunctional posterior thigh muscles to decelerate thigh and leg segments for paw contact. At the knee joint, muscle torque during E1 counteracted a large interactive torque due to leg angular acceleration; the magnitudes of both torques were speed related with maximal values at the fastest speed tested (3.5 m/s). At the hip joint, muscle torque during E1 also counteracted a large interactive torque due to leg angular acceleration; the magnitudes of these two torques were speed related during the walk and trot, and like hip flexion velocity, decreased at the trot-gallop transition. Our data on speed-related changes in hindlimb dynamics suggest that the E1 burst amplitude (and perhaps duration) of posterior thigh muscles will be speed related during the walk and trot. After the trot-gallop transition at about 2.5 m/s, the recruitment of these bifunctional muscles may decline due to the changes in hindlimb dynamics. Because activity of these muscles counteracts interactive torques primarily related to leg angular acceleration, we suggest that motion-related feedback decoding this action may be important for regulating recruitment during E1.
Complexation of Np(V) with oxalate at 283–343 K: spectroscopic and microcalorimetric studies

Thermodynamic parameters including the equilibrium constants and enthalpy of complexation of Np(V) with oxalate at variable temperatures (T = 283–343 K, ionic strength = 1.05 mol kg−1NaClO4) were determined by spectrophotometric and microcalorimetric titrations. The results show that the complexation of Np(V) with oxalate is moderately strong and becomes weaker at higher temperatures. The complexation is exothermic and driven by both enthalpy (negative) and entropy (positive) in the temperature range from 283 K to 343 K. As the temperature is increased, both the enthalpy and entropy of complexation increase (ΔH becomes less negative and ΔS becomes more positive), having opposing effects on the complexation. Because the increase in the enthalpy (ΔH) exceeds that of the entropy term (TΔS), the complexation of Np(V) with oxalate becomes weaker at higher temperatures. The effect of temperature on the complexation is discussed in terms of the energetics of ion solvation and hydrogen bonding involved in the complexation.
Dimensions of urine loss among older women with genuine stress incontinence

The specific maneuvers that cause women to be incontinent can become important diagnostic aids and major factors in differentiating the effectiveness of the current pharmacological, surgical, and behavioral treatments for urinary incontinence. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether meaningful dimensions could be identified within the multiple movements that produce urine loss in stress-incontinent women. The Stress Incontinence Questionnaire (SIQ) was constructed from items derived from a compilation of studies and reports of urinary incontinence experts. An exploratory factor analysis using maximum likelihood method of extraction and a varimax rotation procedure identified four dimensions: active maneuvers, passive maneuvers, planned maneuvers, and unplanned maneuvers. The alpha coefficients for the four identified factors were acceptable and ranged from .71 to .79, with 8-week test-retest correlations for the active (r = .87), passive (r = .87), planned (r = .85), and the unplanned maneuvers (r = .60) all highly significant. The four factors also showed differential patterns of relationships with various gynecologic and urologic measures. These latter findings suggest that the factors identified in this study may be acknowledging different types or components of stress incontinence. In either case, the findings may have implications for treatment approaches to stress incontinence. Further research is needed to substantiate the various components of stress incontinence found in this study and the implications these findings may have for treatment of incontinence.
Evidence for an Influence of the Ovary on Circulating Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate Levels

Circulating dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DS) declines in old age, falling to almost undetectable levels after the seventh decade. Since an accelerated decrease occurs after the menopause, we sought to determine whether ovarian factors may influence adrenal DS secretion independent of chronological age. DS, cortisol, and estradiol levels were compared in subjects grouped according to age, ovarian function, and estrogen replacement. Our data show that premature ovarian failure and ovariectomy in young as well as in postmenopausal subjects precipitate an earlier decline in DS levels. There were no accompanying changes in cortisol levels and no correlations among levels of DS, cortisol, and estradiol. Long term estrogen replacement (over 10 yr) in postmenopausal women over age 65 had no beneficial effect on the age-related DS decline. We suggest that ovarian factors separate from estrogen-mediated effects significantly influence the reduction of DS levels independent of age. (J Clin Endocrinol Metab 54: 10...
A stochastic model for the distribution of HIV latency time based on T4 counts

SUMMARY A mathematical model is proposed for the description of the T4 level, as a function of the time since initial infection, in the blood of an HIv-infected individual. Two random variables are defined for each infected individual, the time T from the moment of infection to the moment when the infection is first discovered, and the level R of T4 cells in the blood at the time of the discovery. Here T is the length of the latency period, and is not typically observable. On the basis of a stochastic model employing a stationary Gaussian process, the joint density of these two random variables is derived, and hence the conditional distribution of T, given R. It is shown that if T has an exponential marginal distribution, then the conditional distribution of T is a censored normal distribution. The theory is applied to data collected from intravenous drug users in New York City.
A method of measuring information in language, applied to medical texts

Abstract In this study, quantitative measures of the information content of textual material have been developed based upon analysis of the linguistic structure of the sentences in the text. It has been possible to measure such properties as: (1) the amount of information contributed by a sentence to the discourse; (2) the complexity of the information within the sentence, including the overall logical structure and the contributions of local modifiers; (3) the density of information based on the ratio of the number of words in a sentence to the number of information-contributing operators. Two contrasting types of texts were used to develop the measures. The measures were then applied to contrasting sentences within one type of text. The textual material was drawn from narrative patient records and from the medical research literature. Sentences from the records were analyzed by computer and those from the literature were analyzed manually, using the same methods of analysis. The results show that quantitative measures of properties of textual information can be developed which accord with intuitively perceived differences in the informational complexity of the material.
Hormone receptors. I. Activation of rat liver plasma membrane adenylyl cyclase and fat cell lipolysis by agarose-glucagon.

Summary Glucagon was diazotized to an agarose derivative via the N-terminal, single histidine residue of the hormone. The product activated rat liver plasma membrane adenylyl cyclase, stimulated fat cell lipolysis, and was resistant to inactivation by liver plasma membrane “glucagonase”. An agarose-norepinephrine derivative was synthesized which also stimulated fat cell lipolysis.
Next generation modeling III - agents: Spades --- a distributed agent simulation environment with software-in-the-loop execution

Simulations are used extensively for studying artificial intelligence. However, the simulation technology in use by and designed for the artificial intelligence community often fails to take advantage of much of the work by the larger simulation community to produce distributed, repeatable, and efficient simulations. We present the new system known as System for Parallel Agent Discrete Event Simulator, (SPADES), which is a simulation environment for the artificial intelligence community. SPADES focuses on the agent as a fundamental simulation component. The thinking time of an agent is tracked and reflected in the results of the agents' actions by using a Software-in-the-Loop mechanism. SPADES supports distributed execution of the agents across multiple systems, while at the same time producing repeatable results regardless of network or system load. We discuss the design of SPADES in detail and give experimental results. SPADES is flexible enough for a variety of application domains in the artificial intelligence research community.
Bound coefactor/dual enzyme electrode system for l-alanine

A dual enzyme-bound coenzyme electrode system for quantifying l-alanine is described. Commercially available dextran-bound NAD was incorporated into an l-alanine dehydrogenase (E.C. 1.4.1.1)/l-lactate dehydrogenase (E.C. 1.1.1.27) enzyme system and held at the surface of a potentiometric ammonia gas sensor. Using this system, l-alanine calibration curves with a slope of 45 mV/decade and 10−5 M detection limit were obtained with a sensor lifetime of at least 10 days. This system is potentially useful for the clinical determination of l-alanine in serum.
Pathogenesis of Acute Aortic Dissection: A Finite Element Stress Analysis

Background Type A and type B aortic dissections typically result from intimal tears above the sinotubular junction and distal to the left subclavian artery (LSA) ostium, respectively. We hypothesized that this pathology results from elevated pressure-induced regional wall stress. Methods We identified 47 individuals with normal thoracic aortas by electrocardiogram-gated computed tomography angiography. The thoracic aorta was segmented, reconstructed, and triangulated to create a geometric mesh. Finite element analysis using a systolic pressure load of 120 mm Hg was performed to predict regional thoracic aortic wall stress. Results There were local maxima of wall stress above the sinotubular junction in the ascending aorta and distal to the ostia of the supraaortic vessels, including the LSA, in the aortic arch. No local maximum of wall stress was found in the descending thoracic aorta. Comparison of the mean peak wall stress above the sinotubular junction (0.43 ± 0.07 MPa), distal to the LSA (0.21 ± 0.07 MPa), and in the descending thoracic aorta (0.06 ± 0.01 MPa) showed a significant effect for wall stress by aortic region (p Conclusions In the normal thoracic aorta, there are peaks in wall stress above the sinotubular junction and distal to the LSA ostium. This stress distribution may contribute to the pathogenesis of aortic dissections, given their colocalization. Future investigations to determine the utility of image-derived biomechanical calculations in predicting aortic dissection are warranted, and therapies designed to reduce the pressure load-induced wall stress in the thoracic aorta are rational.
Seasons of Death: Aspects of Mortality in Imperial Rome*

Within the last decade significant advances have been made towards a better understanding of the fundamental demographic regimes that characterized the Mediterranean world of Graeco-Roman Antiquity. Coincident with this improvement in our knowledge has come a renewed interest in the rituals and cultural practices associated with death and burial in the societies that were part of the Roman Empire. These divergent interests are reflected in two distinct approaches to the analysis of death in Roman society. The cultural method, which finds significance in reading the quality of a given death and burial, has tended to concentrate on eliciting connections between the archaeological remains of burial, the ritualistic celebration of death, and the social values of the living. The other approach to the phenomenon of death is more directly concerned with the crude biological facts of life and death: the historical demography of human mortality that has emphasized the analysis of quantitative data. In almost any consideration of death, however, the two approaches are pragmatically inseparable. This interdependence of the evaluative and quantitative aspects of death is apparent from the fact that it was a dramatic shift in cultural values that produced the consciousness and the recording of the temporal ‘quantity’ that made the writing of this study possible. What I propose to do is to track the seasonal variations of mortality in Roman society. Pronounced seasonal fluctuations in the demographics of any given human population are one of the most fundamental and enduring aspects of its characteristic profile. This applies not only to crudely biological processes such as birth and death, but also to practices, like marriage, that are apparently culturally driven. These annual oscillations rarely alter very much over the long term; they are one of the ‘deep structures’ that identify the main environmental and cultural factors that form a given population. As such, they mirror the interplay between the bare biological forces and the human decisions that give any population its peculiar shape. The delineation of a central diagnostic feature of a given population, in this case that of a vanished population of one and a half millennia ago, is something that will enable us better to understand its basic demographic structure.
Tricarballylate and hydroxycitrate: substrate and inhibitor of ATP: citrate oxaloacetate lyase.

Citrate cleavage enzyme shows atypical kinetics at low chloride concentrations, but normal kinetics at high chloride concentrations. Tricarballylate is a substrate for citrate cleavage enzyme. The reaction with tricarballylate can be demonstrated both by the disappearance of CoA and, in the presence of hydroxylamine, by the appearance of a hydroxamate. This indicates that tricarballylyl-CoA is formed in the reaction. When hydroxamate formation is used to assay activity, the apparent Km for tricarballylate is about three times greater than that for citrate, while the maximum reaction velocity with tricarballylate is about 90% of that observed with citrate. One of the stereoisomers of hydroxycitrate is a powerful inhibitor of citrate cleavage enzyme.
What works when: Rational-choice theory and offender rehabilitation

Abstract The currently fashionable statement that “nothing works” overstates the case against rehabilitation. Rehabilitation efforts may be effective if addressed to specific offender populations delineated on the basis of causal theory. Causal theory can specify the mechanisms and conditions under which treatment can work. The utility of rational-choice theory in improving the effectiveness of rehabilitation efforts is discussed. Rational-choice theory describes an “economically motivated offender” to whom income-enhancing treatment, such as skills training, can be most effectively applied. The mechanism by which income-enhancing treatment works is through improving the offender's taste for income or his/her taste for work.
Tyrosine hydroxylase inhibition by cycloheximide and anisomycin is not responsible for their amnesic effect.

Abstract It has been reported that the administration of cycloheximide, a protein synthesis inhibitor, depresses brain tyrosine hydroxylase activity as measured in vitro . This finding raised the possibility that the amnesic effect of this drug could be due to reduction of norepinephrine synthesis rather than to inhibition of protein synthesis required for long-term memory. We have found that (1) amnesic doses of cycloheximide and anisomycin, two protein synthesis inhibitors, produced measurable depression of tyrosine hydroxylase activity although much of the depression may be due to isotope dilution rather than true inhibition, and (2)α-methyl- p -tyrosine a competitive inhibitor of tyrosine hydroxylase, in doses which depressed tyrosine hydroxylase activity as much as or more than either cycloheximide or anisomycin, did not affect memory. Therefore the effect of protein synthesis inhibitors on brain tyrosine hydroxylase activity is not sufficient to explain their amnesic effect.
Structural characterization of isolated rat epididymal epithelial cells

An enriched suspension of rat epididymal epithelial cells was prepared by sequential enzymatic removal of connective tissue and peritubular cells from the epididymal tubule. The viability, structural characteristics, and pattern of polypeptides synthesized by the isolated cells were determined. Electron microscopic analysis revealed that the isolated principal cells were intact and retained their polarized morphology. Several light microscopic protocols were employed to evaluate the percentage of epithelial cells in the suspensions. These included (1) the visualization of the pattern of FITC-lectin binding in which the principal cells could be identified by their polarized fluorescence; (2) the visualization of prominent autofluorescent granules in the cell cytoplasm which appeared to be characteristic of only epithelial cells; and (3) immunochemical staining with an antikeratin antibody which was reactive only with cells of epithelial origin. These structural probes indicated that between 80% and 90% of the isolated cells were epithelial in nature. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis revealed a complex pattern of polypeptides synthesized by the epithelial cells; these results are compared to those of earlier studies utilizing minced whole epididymis.
Temporal Change and Sexual Difference in Moral Judgments

(1942). Temporal Change and Sexual Difference in Moral Judgments. The Journal of Social Psychology: Vol. 16, No. 1, pp. 29-38.
On the Hot Seat: Mike Wallace interviews Marcel Duchamp

Marcel Duchamp (1887–1968) attained fame early in his career due to the succes-de-scandale surrounding his painting, Nude Descending the Staircase, No. 2 (1912), when it was exhibited at the 1913 New York Armory Show. Seemingly derisive of all Western aesthetic canons, the work came to embody the general public’s outrage and confusion about modern art, which seemed to them merely a shameless hoax, while it achieved an iconic stature for modern art’s defenders and supporters. Similar polar sentiments persisted in mid-century. Concurrent with Duchamp’s re-emergence as an art celebrity, the then new medium of television broadcast art-based programmes directly targeted at a burgeoning American middle class (mostly white, Eastern, suburbanites), who were themselves fuelling an ever-expanding and high-priced art market. With inflated prices, the nagging question was whether consumers were being bilked by the so-called ‘crook-and-swindle’ business of art. In Duchamp’s television interview with Mike Wallace that aired in New York on 18 January 1961, which is transcribed for the first time in English in this article, the ‘crook-and-swindle‘ business of art, especially about modern art, takes centre stage, as the artist comments on numerous artists and critics, and reflects on his own artistic production, relationship to the art market and celebrity status.
Gene signature critical to cancer phenotype as a paradigm for anticancer drug discovery

Malignant cell transformation commonly results in the deregulation of thousands of cellular genes, an observation that suggests a complex biological process and an inherently challenging scenario for the development of effective cancer interventions. To better define the genes/pathways essential to regulating the malignant phenotype, we recently described a novel strategy based on the cooperative nature of carcinogenesis that focuses on genes synergistically deregulated in response to cooperating oncogenic mutations. These so-called ‘cooperation response genes’ (CRGs) are highly enriched for genes critical for the cancer phenotype, thereby suggesting their causal role in the malignant state. Here, we show that CRGs have an essential role in drug-mediated anticancer activity and that anticancer agents can be identified through their ability to antagonize the CRG expression profile. These findings provide proof-of-concept for the use of the CRG signature as a novel means of drug discovery with relevance to underlying anticancer drug mechanisms.
Sex‐biased natal dispersal and inbreeding avoidance in American black bears as revealed by spatial genetic analyses

We tested the hypothesis that sex-biased natal dispersal reduces close inbreeding in American black bears, a solitary species that exhibits nearly complete male dispersal and female philopatry. Using microsatellite DNA and spatial data from reproductively mature bears (>or= 4 years old), we examined the spatial genetic structure of two distinct populations in New Mexico from 1993 to 2000. As predicted, relatedness (r) and the frequency of close relationships (parent-offspring or full siblings) decreased with distance among female dyads, but little change was observed among male or opposite-sex dyads. Neighbouring females were more closely related than neighbouring males. The potential for inbreeding was low. Most opposite-sex pairs that lived sufficiently close to facilitate mating were unrelated, and few were close relatives. We found no evidence that bears actively avoided inbreeding in their selection of mates from this nearby pool, as mean r and relationship frequencies did not differ between potential and actual mating pairs (determined by parentage analysis). These basic patterns were apparent in both study areas despite a nearly two-fold difference in density. However, the sex bias in dispersal was less pronounced in the lower-density area, based on proportions of bears with male and female relatives residing nearby. This result suggests that male bears may respond to reduced competition by decreasing their rate or distance of dispersal. Evidence supports the hypothesis that inbreeding avoidance is achieved by means of male-biased dispersal but also indicates that competition (for mates or resources) modifies dispersal patterns.
Consumers' views of direct-to-consumer genetic information.

In this report, we describe the evolution and types of genetic information provided directly to consumers, discuss potential advantages and disadvantages of these products, and review research evaluating consumer responses to direct-to-consumer (DTC) genetic testing. The available evidence to date has focused on predictive tests and does not suggest that individuals, health care providers, or health care systems have been harmed by a DTC provision of genetic information. An understanding of consumer responses to susceptibility tests has lagged behind. The Multiplex Initiative is presented as a case study of research to understand consumers' responses to DTC susceptibility tests. Three priority areas are recommended for accelerated research activities to inform public policy regarding DTC genetic information: (a) exploring consumer's long-term responses to DTC genetic testing on a comprehensive set of outcomes, (b) evaluating optimal services to support decision making about genetic testing, and (c) evalua...
The role of approximation and smoothness spaces in compression and noise removal

A brief discussion is given of the role of approximation and smoothness spaces in algorithms for noise removal and compression. The discussion is limited to cases where approximation takes place in a Hilbert space although the theory applies in far greater generality.