cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Hydrogen peroxide activation of multiple mitogen-activated protein kinases in an oligodendrocyte cell line: role of extracellular signal-regulated kinase in hydrogen peroxide-induced cell death.

Oxidative stress is known to induce cell death in a wide variety of cell types, apparently by modulating intracellular signaling pathways. In this study, we have examined the activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascades in relation to oxidant-induced cell death in an oligodendrocyte cell line, central glia-4 (CG4). Exposure of CG4 cells to hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) resulted in an increased tyrosine phosphorylation of several protein species, including the abundantly expressed platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) receptor and the activation of the three MAPK subgroups, i.e., extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), p38 MAPK, and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK). Dose-response studies showed differential sensitivities of PDGF receptor phosphorylation (>1 mM) and ERK/p38 MAPK (>0.5 mM) and JNK (>0.1 mM) activation by H2O2. The activation of ERK was inhibited by PD98059, a specific inhibitor of the upstream kinase, MAPK or ERK kinase (MEK). H2O2 also activated MAPK-activated protein kinase-2, and this activation was blocked by SB203580, a specific inhibitor of p38 MAPK. The oxidant-induced cell death was indicated by morphological changes, decreased 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide reduction, and DNA fragmentation. These effects were suppressed dose-dependently by the MEK inhibitor PD98059. The results demonstrate that H2O2 induces the activation of multiple MAPKs in oligodendrocyte progenitors and that the activation of ERK is associated with oxidant-mediated cytotoxicity.
Digital fountains and their application to informed content delivery over adaptive overlay networks

We study how to optimize throughput of large transfers across richly connected, adaptive overlay networks, focusing on the potential of collaborative transfers between peers to supplement ongoing downloads. First, we make the case for an erasure-resilient encoding of the content, using the digital fountain paradigm. Such an approach affords reliability and a substantial degree of application-level flexibility, as it seamlessly accommodates connection migration and parallel transfers while providing resilience to packet loss. We explain the history of this paradigm, focusing on recent advances in coding that allow efficient implementations of digital fountains. We also describe our previous work showing the effectiveness of digital fountains for reliable multicast and parallel downloading. In the setting of collaborative transfers on overlay networks, there is an additional consideration since sets of encoded symbols acquired by peers during downloads may overlap substantially. We describe a collection of useful algorithmic tools for efficient estimation, summarization, and approximate reconciliation of sets of symbols between pairs of collaborating peers, all of which keep messaging complexity and computation to a minimum. Through simulations and experiments on a prototype implementation, we demonstrate the performance benefits of our informed content delivery mechanisms.
Otorhinological Bone Diseases

This chapter describes pinhole bone scintigraphic features of some commonly occurring diseases of the paranasal sinuses, nasal cavity, nasopharynx, and mastoid. The discussion is limited to the diseases whose diagnosis can be made or suggested by bone scintigraphy aided with the pinhole technic. These include inflammation, granulomatous disease, carcinomas, fibrous dysplasia, and Paget’s disease. Of these the last two conditions have already been presented under the individual titles, and trauma is excluded since obviously it is one of the primary objectives of radiography and CT.
Alcohol use associated with cervical spinal cord injury.

OBJECTIVES: To determine whether alcohol use at time of spinal cord injury (SCI) is more common with cervical injury than with lower levels of spinal injury. METHODS: Veterans and nonveterans with SCI were assessed at a Veteran's Affairs Medical Center from 1994 through 2002 and completed a health questionnaire that included information on alcohol use at time of traumatic injury. RESULTS: Of 362 men, 45% had neurologically complete or incomplete cervical injuries. Participants with cervical injury were more likely to have used alcohol when injured (62/162, 38%) compared with participants without cervical injury (45/200, 23%). Adjusting for age at injury and accident type, participants with cervical SCI had an increased relative odds of having used alcohol at injury compared with participants without cervical SCI (2.06, 95% confidence interval = 1.24-3.43). CONCLUSION: Alcohol use at time of SCI is a risk factor for cervical injury. This finding is of public health concern and should be included in alcohol educational programs. Language: en
Zinc destabilizes DNA Watson-Crick pairs at AGCT

Abstract Zinc, a component of a large number of enzymes and an abundant and essential trace metal, alters the structure of AGCT sites in negatively supercoiled DNA. Related sequences show little or no effect. Cobalt and cadmium show reactivities similar to zinc. The conformational change in DNA was fine mapped with haloacetaldehydes using chemical cleavage or primer extension methods. Since a many fold excess of zinc to AGCT sites is required to saturate the reaction, we propose that the zinc-AGT complex is preferentially accessible to the haloacetaldehyde probes due to a conformational deformation. Hence, zinc is the smallest ligand (by approximately 500-fold) that causes a perturbation of a specific DNA sequence.
A Strategy for Dealing with Change: Regional Development in Switzerland in the Context of Social Capital

For decades regional development in Switzerland was characterized by preserving a traditional spatial structure dealing with change more as a threat than an opportunity in the sense of modern renewal. By promoting innovation, spatial reorganization, and strong, future-oriented, sustainable regions this unsatisfying situation is approached by the Swiss ‘Neue Regionalpolitik’ (NRP). For this purpose a knowledge management system understood as a strategy of social learning has been designed to link social capital-based regional development with elements of sustainability.
Elucidating the evolutionary relationships of the Aiptasiidae, a widespread cnidarian-dinoflagellate model system (Cnidaria: Anthozoa: Actiniaria: Metridioidea).

Sea anemones of the family Aiptasiidae sensu Grajales and Rodriguez (2014) are conspicuous members of shallow-water environments, including several species widely used as model systems for the study of cnidarian-dinoflagellate symbiosis and coral bleaching. Although previously published phylogenetic studies of sea anemones recovered Aiptasiidae as polyphyletic, they only included a sparse sample in terms of its taxonomic diversity and membership of the family had not been yet revised. This study explores the phylogenetic relationships of this family using five molecular markers and including newly collected material from the geographical distribution of most of the currently described genera and species. We find a monophyletic family Aiptasiidae. All the currently proposed genera were recovered as monophyletic units, a finding also supported by diagnostic morphological characters. Our results confirm Bellactis and Laviactis as members of Aiptasiidae, also in agreement with previous morphological studies. The monophyly of the group is congruent with the morphological homogeneity of the members of this family. The obtained results also allow discussing the evolution of morphological characters within the family. Furthermore, we find evidence for and describe a new cryptic species, Exaiptasia brasiliensis sp. nov., based on molecular data, geographical distribution, and the identity of its endosymbiotic dinoflagellate.
Augmented Cognition as Rehabilitation: Facilitating Neuroplasticity?

Different types of brain injury are associated with deficits in working memory, executive functioning, and information processing speed, which can impact performance at work. Augmented Cognition (AugCog), a technology developed to improve human performance in complex tasks, may have potential for optimizing cognitive functioning in the context of work for those with mild to moderate cognitive deficits. AugCog is a way to accommodate or augment function thus improving the performance of the operator. This approach may facilitate neuroplasticity that can occur following injury to the brain. The authors will provide the rationale, operational structure, and potential application to occupational rehabilitation.
Relativistic elastic differential cross sections for equal mass nuclei

Abstract The effects of relativistic kinematics are studied for nuclear collisions of equal mass nuclei. It is found that the relativistic and non-relativistic elastic scattering amplitudes are nearly indistinguishable, and, hence, the relativistic and non-relativistic differential cross sections become indistinguishable. These results are explained by analyzing the Lippmann–Schwinger equation with the first order optical potential that was employed in the calculation.
Author Meets Critics: Roundtable on Sisters in the Statehouse: Black Women and Legislative Decision Making

This session sets out to examine the core themes of race and gender in American electoral politics with the author of Sisters in the Statehouse: Black Women and Legislative Decision Making. While scholars have long advanced the notion that Black women as a group exhibit specificities informed by the intersection of race and gender that provide them with a unique worldview, it is necessary to further explore differences among Black women. Linking personal narratives to political behavior, Brown elicits the feminist life histories of African American women legislators to understand how their experiences with racism and sexism have influenced their legislative decision-making and policy preferences. Descriptive studies of women in office have well documented the ways in which the gender and race of legislators affects policy preferences. However, descriptive studies of female legislators tend to treat identity as constant over time and context and so fail to account for the substantive work of legislators. Panelists - Pearl Ford Dowe; Melanye T. Price.
Suicide Ideation, Depression, and Stressful Life Events among Gifted Adolescents:

Differences in life-change events, life stress, depression, and suicide ideation were investigated in a mixed-ethnic sample of gifted (n = 34) and nongifted (n = 38) urban junior high school studen...
Crystallization kinetics of pure and binary melts

An absolute rate theory based on a plausible model of the activated state, was developed for the interfacial kinetics of crystal growth from the melt. Except for liquid metals the theory predicts the growth rates of pure materials within about an order of magnitude. A microinterferometric technique was employed to observe liquid compositions near the faces of crystals growing from binary melts. For the simple eutectic system composed of salol and thymol, the theory represents the composition and temperature dependence of the growth rate.
A motivational model of leadership: Predicting long-term management success from TAT measures of power motivation and responsibility

Abstract In an AT&T longitudinal study of managers, managerial success after sixteen years is predicted by “responsible power,” which is a combination of TAT-based measures of power motivation and responsibility. These results are consistent with previous theory and research on leadership, and are similar to those obtained with the leadership motive pattern, on the same sample, by McClelland and Boyatzis. The theoretical basis and independently established empirical validity of the new measure of responsibility increases our understanding of how power motivation is channeled into responsible “leadership” behavior instead of exploitative dominance strivings.
Measuring Economic Benefits from Gentrification

Gentrification of our older cities results in a stream of costs and benefits for these cities and their residents. One of the major assumptions by city officials is that genlrification can help lead their cities back to fiscal health by directly and indirectly increasing the tax base as affluent newcomers enter urban markets. Whether new tax flows resulting from gentrification are sufficient to offset any increased demand for city expenditures by the newcomers is the central research question in this paper. The utilization of such revenue flows is also examined.
Genetic studies on amebocytic accumulations in Biomphalaria glabrata.

Abstract Four types of spontaneous amebocytic accumulations have been reported in Biomphalaria glabrata . Results of crosses involving snails with and without accumulations suggest that the formation of the amebocytic accumulations is controlled by a polygenic system of inherited factors.
Four Factor Response Surface Experimental Design for Evaluating the Role of Processing Variables Upon Protein Denaturation in Heated Whey Systems

Abstract Computer analysis of a response surface experimental design evaluated the role of four factors, e.g., temperature, 60 to 90 C; time of heating, 1 to 30 min; pH, 4.5 to 8.5; and total solids, 6 to 60%, upon protein denaturation in Cottage and Colby cheese whey. Response surface plots were generated by the computer for protein denaturation as functions of time versus temperature, pH versus temperature, and total solids versus temperature. Ranking of the equation's linear term coefficients indicated that the order of decreasing importance of the different parameters upon protein denaturation in heated Cottage cheese whey was temperature, total solids, time, and pH, whereas, for Colby cheese whey the order was temperature, total solids, pH, and time. Maximum protein denaturation was at intermediate heating from 15 to 25 min for Colby and from 12 to 20 min for Cottage cheese whey.Minimum protein denaturation was intermediary between pH 6 to 7 for all total solids and heating times. An inverse relationship was generally observed between extent of denaturation and total solids. The relative amount of denaturation of individual whey proteins at selected experimental conditions was shown by polycrylamide gel electrophoresis. A protective effect against denaturation of β-lactoglobulin was at high total solids.
Modeling Hermissenda: II. Effects of variations in type-B cell excitability, synaptic strength, and network architecture

Because the Hermissenda eye is relatively simple and its cells well characterized, it provides an attractive preparation for detailed computational analysis. To examine the neural mechanisms of learning in this system, we developed multicompartmental models of the type-A and type-B photoreceptors, simulated the eye, and asked three questions: First, how do conductance changes affect cells in a network as compared with those in isolation; second, what are the relative contributions of increases in B-cell excitability and synaptic strength to network output; and third, how do these contributions vary as a function of network architecture? We found that reductions in the type-B cells of two K+ currents, IA and IC, differentially affected the type-B cells themselves, with IC reductions increasing firing rate (excitability) in response to light, and IA reductions increasing quantal output (synaptic strength) onto postsynaptic targets. Increases in either type-B cel excitability or synaptic strength, induced directly or indirectly, each suppressed A-cell photoresponses, and the combined effect of both changes occurring together was greater than either alone. To examine the effects of network architecture, we compared the full network with a simple feedforward B-A pair and intermediate configurations. Compared with a feedforward pair, the complete network exhibited greater A-cell sensitivity to B-cell changes. This was due to many factors, including an increased number of B-cells (which increased B-cell impact on A-cells), A-B feedback inhibition (which slowed both cell types and altered spike timing relationships), and B-B lateral inhibition (which reduced B-cell sensitivity to intrinsic biophysical modifications). These results suggest that an emergent property of the network is an increase both in the rate of information acquisition ("learning") and in the amount of information that can be stored ("memory").
The Harvey Mudd Engineering Clinic Past, Present, Future

“Am I describing an impossible dream? Can one structure an engineering education about practice-oriented team experiences without depriving students of needed analytical skills and knowledge of the engineering sciences?” Nearly thirty-five years ago, Harvey Mudd College began to practice this “impossible dream.” That was when the Engineering Clinic was first launched. This paper describes how the Clinic program came into existence, including how faculty and administration were convinced to accept it. In addition, the response of the industrial community, both initially and over the years, is related. The current Clinic operation is described. Assessment of the Clinic program includes a discussion of both its impact on student preparation for engineering practice and the value of the program to industry.
AGGRESSIVE SURGICAL AND MEDICAL MANAGEMENT OF AUTOSOMAL RECESSIVE POLYCYSTIC KIDNEY DISEASE

The treatment of autosomal recessive polycystic kidney disease (ARPKD) is evolving. Overall prognosis is difficult to determine, but most neonates without severe pulmonary hypoplasia will survive. It is difficult to predict which neonates with ARPKD requiring immediate ventilatory support have pulmonary hypoplasia incompatible with survival. Massively enlarged kidneys restricting diaphragmatic excursion can cause respiratory distress in addition to pulmonary hypoplasia. Three infants with ARPKD underwent bilateral nephrectomies and institution of peritoneal dialysis in an attempt to improve ventilatory status and assess long-term pulmonary function. Two children are alive at twelve and thirty months postoperatively and awaiting renal transplantation. One infant died of acute cardiorespiratory complications.
Aortic hiatus gastric hernia.

Congenital diaphragmatic hernias are a relatively common anomaly that can present with significant respiratory morbidity and mortality. We report on a case of an aortic-hiatal gastric hernia that initially presented with repeated episodes of respiratory distress, which was diagnosed as asthma. The diagnosis of a diaphragmatic hernia was made at 18 months of age. In the operating room, it was noted that it was an aortic hiatal hernia, which was surgically repaired. Subsequently, there has been improvement in daily respiratory symptoms. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2004; 37:279–282. © 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
The safety factor for conduction in cardiac muscle.

A method is described for measuring the safety factor for transmission of excitation in mammalian cardiac muscle.Dog trabecular muscle fibers were used. Urethane and cocaine were applied to the perfused fibers and the progressive changes in threshold (T) and action potential (A) recorded.The ratio between these values in their normal (n) and depressed state (b) just as block occurs was used to determine the safety factor: An/Ab×Tb/Tn=Safety Factor. The values thus obtained in trabecular muscle were 1.5 to 3.5.When anelectrotonus and catelectrotonus were used vary thresholds and action potential amplitude, the factor of safety found was somewhat higher: 2 to 7. It is concluded that the factor of safety varies in the same tissue and that in certain anatomical situations it is much less than in large diameter parallel fibers.
A new double focusing beta spectrometer, II

Abstract The results of four sets of measurements of the performance of a high-aperture double-focusing spectrometer are presented. The high-aperture double-focusing spectrometer of the University of Colorado has been described in a paper (referred to hereafter as I) that contains a detailed discussion of the empirical method of optimizing its performance 1 ). The following four sets of abservations have been made in the period since the earlier work was completed. These are a continuation of the type of study presented in I.
Bacteriostatic and Bactericidal Activities of Various Antibiotics Against Bacteroides fragilis

The minimal inhibitory concentrations and minimal bactericidal concentrations of seven antibiotics were determined by broth dilution tests for 50 clinical isolates of Bacteroides fragilis . Chloramphenicol, erythromycin, lincomycin, clindamycin, and rifampin inhibited 80 to 100% of the strains at concentrations attainable in the serum. Penicillin and tetracycline were less effective, inhibiting 4 and 40% of the strains, respectively, at concentrations attainable in the serum. The strains exhibited a bimodal distribution with tetracycline but a very narrow pattern of susceptibility with chloramphenicol. Bactericidal concentrations were 4- to 128- fold higher than minimal inhibitory concentrations for all antibiotics; only clindamycin showed bactericidal activity at levels attainable in serum. Clindamycin was significantly more effective than lincomycin as determined by tests of inhibitory and bactericidal activity. The distinct patterns of susceptibility of B. fragilis may be used for the preliminary selection of antimicrobial therapy.
Single-Molecule Study of Transmembrane Protein Transport

The double-membrane nuclear envelope (NE), consisting of the outer and inner nuclear membranes (ONM and INM), separates the cytoplasm and the nucleus in eukaryotic cells. Transport of transmembrane (TM) proteins from the ONM to the INM after synthesis in the endoplasmic reticulum plays a critical role in the maintenance and organization of the nucleus as well as in the regulation of gene expression. Dysfunction in this transport process has been associated to many human diseases. However, the transport mechanism of TM proteins across the NE remains debated. To shed light on this mechanism, here we utilize an innovative single-molecule approach to elucidate the transport kinetics and actual passageway for TM proteins in live cells.
Defining post-stroke recovery: implications for design and interpretation of drug trials.

Measurement of stroke recovery is complex because definition of successful recovery is highly variable across measures and cut-off points for defining successful outcomes vary. The purpose of this paper is to describe patterns of recovery in stroke patients of varying severity when different measures are used and when different cut-off points are selected. 459 individuals enrolled in a prospective cohort study were assessed within 14 days post stroke and re-evaluated at 1, 3, and 6 months. Recovery was assessed using the NIH Stroke Scale, the Fugl-Meyer Assessment of Motor Recovery, the Barthel Index of Activities of Daily Living, the Physical Function Index of the SF-36, and the Modified Rankin Outcome Scale. Subjects also defined their preference (utility) for their current health state with a time-trade off question. We compared patterns of recovery using the different measures and varying the cut-off points for defining successful recovery. The percentage of patients who are believed to have recovered depends on how recovery is defined. If recovery is defined at the disability level (Barthel > 90), the majority 57.3% of stroke survivors experience a full recovery. Fewer individuals are considered to be fully recovered if impairments are measured (NIH 90, 36.8%. Less than 25% of stroke survivors are considered recovered if recovery is defined relative to reported prior function in higher levels of physical activity. Shifting the definition of recovery on the modified Rankin scale from </= 1 to </= 2 shifts the percentage of those deemed recovered from </= 25% to 53.8%. In designing drug trials the methods for defining stroke recovery should be carefully considered. If recovery is defined in terms of disability, a higher proportion of the placebo group will achieve the outcome than if impairments are used to define recovery. The benchmarks for recovery in minor strokes must include measures of higher functioning (e.g. the SF-36 physical functioning index or a Rankin 0 (no symptoms).
Special quasirandom structures of alon

Abstract The crystal structure of Al 23 O 27 N 5 , which is an ideal stoichiometry of aluminum oxynitride (or alon), is a defect spinel in which a vacancy is present in the unit cell. Despite the lattice positions being fixed, the location of the vacancy and the positions of the five nitrogen atoms are not unique, presenting a challenge to the prediction of the crystal structure. This problem is analogous to random alloys, for which a technique has been developed to identify small scale simulation cells called special quasirandom structures (SQS). We present SQS for alon, and discuss the unique features of these structures for this material. We also modified the SQS methodology to identify the first cubic crystal structure for alon with the above stoichiometry.
Effect of cell-substratum interaction on hemicyst formation by MDCK cells.

On impermeable substrate MDCK cells, a cell line derived from normal dog kidney, forms a confluent monolayer that is studded with numerous hemicysts. Previous studies with this cell line suggest that these hemicysts develop as a result of active fluid accumulation between cell sheet and substratum. However, the formation of hemicysts as a multifocal phenomenon is still unexplained. The results presented here show that the hemicysts are not only expressions of active transport of solutes and water, but also of cell-substratum interaction. The increase in number and size of the hemicyst produced by dbcAMP may be explained by a decrease in the adhesive strength to substrata produced by this compound. Moreover, when the strength of the cell-substratum adhesion was increased the number of hemicysts was reduced or abolished. On the contrary, when this strength was reduced, larger hemicysts occurred, covering practically all the area available for growth. Results from cinematographic time lapse studies, showing that 90% of the area of the monolayer is able to produce hemicysts, also suggest that hemicyst formation as a multifocal phenomenon is more an expression of local variations in cell-substratum interaction than of regional changes in transepithelial active transport.
Association between ankle blood pressure and central arterial wave reflection

There is an increasing recognition that central aortic pressure is more relevant than brachial measure for the prediction and pathophysiology of cardiovascular disease. Central pressure is influenced by the phenomenon of arterial wave reflections returning from the peripheral vasculature, which can be quantified by augmentation index. Accordingly, the primary aim of this study was to determine the association between central augmentation index and arterial blood pressures (BPs), recorded in both the upper and lower limbs. A total of 833 apparently healthy adults of varying ages were studied. All of the BP (brachial and ankle, systolic, mean, diastolic and pulse) measurements were significantly associated with carotid augmentation index. Among them, ankle mean arterial pressure was the strongest correlate of carotid augmentation index (r=0.51, P<0.0001). This relation remained highly significant even after the influence of potential confounders was accounted for by the partial correlation analyses. Stepwise regression analyses revealed that ankle mean arterial pressure was the strongest independent predictor of carotid augmentation index. Ankle BP is strongly associated with the augmentation of central BP, and this relation is independent of other BP measures (brachial BP).
Insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1) expression in rat brain

IRS-1 is phosphorylated on tyrosine residues after insulin stimulation and participates in the early events of signal transduction in peripheral insulin-sensitive tissues. This study determined whether neuronal populations in the rat olfactory bulb and hippocampus (brain regions which have very high concentrations of insulin receptors) also express IRS-1 and contain phosphotyrosine, using in situ hybridization, receptor binding, and immunocytochemistry. IRS-1 mRNA was colocalized with insulin receptor mRNA in neuron cell bodies of hippocampus and olfactory bulb. Similarly, IRS-1 immunoreactivity in hippocampus and olfactory bulb was concentrated in layers that contain synapses of these neurons and have both high insulin binding and phosphotyrosine levels. Thus, IRS-1 and insulin receptors are coexpressed in discrete populations of neurons, suggesting a signal transduction mechanism by which insulin may influence metabolism and gene expression in the brain.
Leukocyte infiltration into spinal cord of EAE mice is attenuated by removal of endothelial leptin signaling.

Leptin, a pleiotropic adipokine, crosses the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and blood–spinal cord barrier (BSCB) from the periphery and facilitates experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). EAE induces dynamic changes of leptin receptors in enriched brain and spinal cord microvessels, leading to further questions about the potential roles of endothelial leptin signaling in EAE progression. In endothelial leptin receptor specific knockout (ELKO) mice, there were lower EAE behavioral scores in the early phase of the disorder, better preserved BSCB function shown by reduced uptake of sodium fluorescein and leukocyte infiltration into the spinal cord. Flow cytometry showed that the ELKO mutation decreased the number of CD3 and CD45 cells in the spinal cord, although immune cell profiles in peripheral organs were unchanged. Not only were CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes reduced, there were also lower numbers of CD11b+Gr1+ granulocytes in the spinal cord of ELKO mice. In enriched microvessels from the spinal cord of the ELKO mice, the decreased expression of mRNAs for a few tight junction proteins was less pronounced in ELKO than WT mice, as was the elevation of mRNA for CCL5, CXCL9, IFN-γ, and TNF-α. Altogether, ELKO mice show reduced inflammation at the level of the BSCB, less leukocyte infiltration, and better preserved tight junction protein expression and BBB function than WT mice after EAE. Although leptin concentrations were high in ELKO mice and microvascular leptin receptors show an initial elevation before inhibition during the course of EAE, removal of leptin signaling helped to reduce disease burden. We conclude that endothelial leptin signaling exacerbates BBB dysfunction to worsen EAE.
A global optimal approach to facility location in the presence of forbidden regions

This paper addresses the planar 1-median problem with convex polygonal forbidden regions. A new facility is to be located to minimize the sum of weighted distances to a set of existing facilities such that the new facility is not located within any forbidden region, and no travel occurs through forbidden regions. A solution procedure using the 'Big Square Small Square' branch-and-bound method is developed, and used to find a global optimum.
Presynaptic proteins involved in exocytosis in Drosophila melanogaster : A genetic analysis

Neuronal communication involves the fusion of neurotransmitter filled synaptic vesicles with the presynaptic terminal. This exocytotic event depends upon proteins present in three separate compartments: the synaptic vesicle, the synaptic cytosol, and the presynaptic membrane. Recent data indicate that the basic components of exocytotic pathways, including those used for neurotransmitter release, are conserved from yeast to human. Genetic dissection of the secretory pathway in yeast, identification of the target proteins cleaved by the clostridial neurotoxins and biochemical characterization of the interactions of synaptic proteins from vertebrates have converged to provide the SNARE (soluble NSF attachment protein receptor) hypothesis for vesicle trafficking. This model proposes that proteins present in the vesicle (v-SNAREs) interact with membrane receptors (t-SNAREs) to provide a molecular scaffold for cytosolic proteins involved in fusion. The hypothesis that these mechanisms function at the synapse relies largely uponin vitro evidence. Recently, genetic approaches in mice, C.elegans and the fruitfly,Drosophila melanagaster, have been used to dissect thein vivo function of numerous proteins involved in synaptic transmission. This review covers recent progress and insights provided by a genetic dissection of neurotransmitter release inDrosophila. In addition, we will provide evidence that the mechanisms for synaptic communication are highly conserved from invertebrates to vertebrates, makingDrosophila an ideal model system to further unravel the intricacies of synaptic transmission.
INFECTIOUS CATARRH OF MICE : II. THE DETECTION AND ISOLATION OF COCCOBACILLIFORM BODIES.

Small Gram-negative cells resembling the so called coccobacilliform bodies of fowl coryza were regularly found in the nasal and middle ear exudate of mice naturally and experimentally infected with catarrh. These bodies were successfully isolated from exudates and cultivated in tissue cultures. There was no microscopic evidence, however, of their multiplication in ordinary nutrient media enriched with blood. They were filterable through collodion membranes with an average pore size of 640 mmicro and, hence, separable from secondary bacteria. The size of the bodies in stained films averaged between 0.3 and 0.4micro. A second organism cultivable in fluid blood media with the formation of compact clumps and similar to the X bacillus of chickens was also isolated from infected mice.
Arterial Vasospasm During Mechanical Thrombectomy for Acute Stroke

OBJECTIVE AND IMPORTANCE Mechanical maneuvers are being utilized more frequently to treat large artery occlusion responsible for acute ischemic stroke. Vasospasm due to vessel irritation during interventions may represent an etiology of poor recanalization in some patients. CASE REPORTS This report describes 2 patients who developed arterial vasospasm at the site of deployment of the L5 Merci retrieval device. The vasospasm was significant in nature and occlusive to one division of the middle cerebral artery. Both patients were treated with infusion of calcium channel antagonists with resolution of the narrowing. CONCLUSIONS Vasospasm after mechanical thrombectomy may represent a potential etiology for poor recanalization particularly if this is severe enough to cause complete occlusion. The use of pharmacological agents to treat suspected vasospasm should be considered during endovascular revascularization procedures for acute ischemic stroke, but care must be taken in monitoring decreases in blood pressure.
The role of DNA repair in development

Several pathways of DNA repair are essential for maintaining genomic integrity in mammalian cells. Mismatch repair is the final line of defense against polymerase errors during normal cellular replication. Base excision repair removes endogenous DNA damage resulting from normal cellular metabolism. Nucleotide excision repair removes bulky, transcription blocking, lesions resulting from endogenous and environmental insults to the DNA. The role of DNA repair in mammalian development is not well understood. Nevertheless, clues to the essential nature of these processes are evident in the human DNA repair syndromes, in the nature of the interactions between DNA repair and other proteins, and in the phenotypes of genetically engineered, knockout mice lacking functional repair genes. Questions remain: what is the relative importance of endogenous vs. environmental DNA damage and is repair itself critical for normal development or are transcription-repair interactions more crucial?
GRAIN ALIGNMENT INDUCED BY RADIATIVE TORQUES: EFFECTS OF INTERNAL RELAXATION OF ENERGY AND COMPLEX RADIATION FIELD

Earlier studies of grain alignment dealt mostly with interstellar grains that have strong internal relaxation of energy which aligns the grain axis of maximum moment of inertia (the axis of major inertia) with respect to the grain's angular momentum. In this paper, we study the alignment by radiative torques for large irregular grains, e.g., grains in accretion disks, for which internal relaxation is subdominant. We use both numerical calculations and the analytical model of a helical grain introduced by us earlier. We demonstrate that grains in such a regime exhibit more complex dynamics. In particular, if initially the grain axis of major inertia makes a small angle with angular momentum, then radiative torques can align the grain axis of major inertia with angular momentum, and both the axis of major inertia and angular momentum are aligned with the magnetic field when attractors with high angular momentum (high-J attractors) are available. For alignment without high-J attractors, beside the earlier studied attractors with low angular momentum (low-J attractors), there appear new low-J attractors. In addition, we also study the alignment of grains in the presence of strong internal relaxation, but induced not by a radiation beam as in earlier studies but instead induced by a complex radiation field that can be decomposed into dipole and quadrupole components. We found that in this situation the parameter space q max, for which high-J attractors exist in trajectory maps, is more extended, resulting in the higher degree of polarization expected. Our results are useful for modeling polarization arising from aligned dust grains in molecular clouds.
Brothers, Sisters, and Chainsaws: The Slasher Film as Locus for Sibling Rivalry

To miss out on the importance of the sibling is to miss out on the place of death. Even without a sibling death, the wish to kill siblings or the sense of being annihilated as a unique subject by t...
Kidney disease and African ancestry.

Mapping by admixture linkage disequilibrium (MALD) leverages differences in disease frequencies among ancestry groups to map disease-susceptibility loci on the basis of genetic admixture. Two new studies use MALD to identify variation at the MYH9 locus as a major factor for the increased risk of nondiabetic kidney disease in African Americans.
A Novel Sequential Photoinduced Living Graft Polymerization

A novel sequential ultraviolet (UV)-induced living graft polymerization method has been designed and investigated to modify polymeric materials. This method consists of two steps. In the first step...
Optimization of parameters for the detection of cerebral aneurysms: CT angiography of a model.

PURPOSE: To optimize parameters with computed tomographic angiography for the detection of cerebral aneurysms. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Model aneurysms were placed randomly at various branch points and scanned multiple times with spiral technique. The final analysis included 63 branch points and 22 aneurysms. Each spiral scan used a different parameter combination. Collimation ranged from 1.5 to 4.0 mm and pitch ranged from 1:1 to 1.5:1. Images were constructed with shaded surface display (SSD) and maximum intensity projection (MIP) algorithms and were interpreted by three readers for the presence or absence of aneurysm. RESULTS: The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve area for 1.5-mm collimation was greater than those of 3- or 4-mm collimation (P < .01 and P < .001, respectively). There was no statistically significant difference in the ROC curve areas between 3- and 4-mm collimation (P = .37). There was no statistically significant decrease in ROC curve area when increasing pitch from 1:1 to 1.5...
CNTFET 8T SRAM cell performance with near-threshold power supply scaling

In this study, we present a Carbon Nanotube (CNT) FET based 8T SRAM cell and its performance in near threshold voltage region. Metallic CNTs (M-CNTs) grow alongside semiconductor CNTs in current synthesis process, but they can be removed using novel techniques. This in turn creates open circuit and degrades the performance and functionality of SRAM cells. In this paper we apply a removed metallic CNT tolerant approach. The near threshold performance of the 8T SRAM cells with the tolerant approach is simulated and optimized to obtain best performance under the supply voltage from 0.4V to 0.9V. An evaluation of energy delay product and SNM shows a favorable tradeoff for the 0.6V power supply. The energy savings for cells with 0.6V power supply are 56.5% and 10.0% for average and worst case, respectively, compared with 0.9V; on the other hand, it has about 58% longer max delay and 25.8% lower static noise margin. The average and worst case values of EDP for 0.6V is 34.0% and 27.8% lower than that of 0.9V, with only 0.09% more invalid cell.
Subtelomeric CTCF and cohesin binding site organization using improved subtelomere assemblies and a novel annotation pipeline

Mapping genome-wide data to human subtelomeres has been problematic due to the incomplete assembly and challenges of low-copy repetitive DNA elements. Here, we provide updated human subtelomere sequence assemblies that were extended by filling telomere-adjacent gaps using clone-based resources. A bioinformatic pipeline incorporating multiread mapping for annotation of the updated assemblies using short-read data sets was developed and implemented. Annotation of subtelomeric sequence features as well as mapping of CTCF and cohesin binding sites using ChIP-seq data sets from multiple human cell types confirmed that CTCF and cohesin bind within 3 kb of the start of terminal repeat tracts at many, but not all, subtelomeres. CTCF and cohesin co-occupancy were also enriched near internal telomere-like sequence (ITS) islands and the nonterminal boundaries of subtelomere repeat elements (SREs) in transformed lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCLs) and human embryonic stem cell (ES) lines, but were not significantly enriched in the primary fibroblast IMR90 cell line. Subtelomeric CTCF and cohesin sites predicted by ChIP-seq using our bioinformatics pipeline (but not predicted when only uniquely mapping reads were considered) were consistently validated by ChIP-qPCR. The colocalized CTCF and cohesin sites in SRE regions are candidates for mediating long-range chromatin interactions in the transcript-rich SRE region. A public browser for the integrated display of short-read sequence-based annotations relative to key subtelomere features such as the start of each terminal repeat tract, SRE identity and organization, and subtelomeric gene models was established.
Calibrated exposure and focus test patterns for characterization of optical projection printing

Special parameter isolating test patterns have been designed, calibrated and tested for monitoring exposure and focus in optical projection printing. The test structures consist of a sequence of square areas filled with process-parameter sensitive pattern types whose dimensions systematically change area to area. For exposure monitoring sub-imageable (period < λ/(NA∗(1+σ))) features as described by Arden and Widmann were used. For monitoring focus small opague lines and squares with a large period were used. The feature shapes and sizes were selected through two-dimensional aerial image simulation with SPLAT and tested through projection printing in an exposure-focus matrix. The exposure monitor patterns showed good sensitivity and after correcting for bias in mask making were calibrated via a sample algebraic model. The 2D focus targets were considerably more sensitive than 1D targets and both were less sensitive than predicted from aerial image behavior owing to non-vertical resist dissolution phenomena.
23-keto-25-hydroxyvitamin D3 and 23-keto-1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3: Two new vitamin D3 metabolites with high affinity for the 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 receptor

23 S ,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D 3 is converted into at least five metabolites by kidney homogenates prepared from vitamin D 3 -treated chicks. One of these has been identified as 23-keto-25-hydroxyvitamin D 3 by absorbance spectroscopy and mass spectrometry. 23-Keto-25-hydroxyvitamin D 3 was converted into a more polar metabolite by kidney homogenates prepared from vitamin D-deficient chicks. This metabolite has been identified as 23-keto-1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D 3 by mass spectrometry. 23-Keto-25-hydroxyvitamin D 3 has 4-fold higher affinity than 25-hydroxyvitamin D 3 for the tissue 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D 3 -specific receptor. Thus, it is the first vitamin D metabolite, without a 1-hydroxyl group, that has a higher affinity for this protein than does 25-hydroxyvitamin D 3 . 1-Hydroxylation of 23-keto-25-hydroxyvitamin D 3 increased its binding potency 20-fold, producing a compound 50% as active as 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D 3 itself. These metabolites could be important components of vitamin D 3 toxicity.
A new strategy for the synthesis of pillared clays with super galleries: Direct intercalation of metal oxide sols (DIMOS)

Abstract The direct intercalation of metal oxide sols (DIMOS) is a promising new route to pillared clays with highly expanded super galleries, as judged from the properties of products obtained from the reaction of silica sols with Na + -montmorillonite. Silica-clay compositions in the range 1:1 to 10:1 (wt./wt.) were prepared by allowing mixtures of positively charged sol ( pH =3.0) and clay to evaporate in air at room temperature. A stabilized commercial sol (Nalco 1115, ∼40 A) and a sol freshly prepared by tetraethylorthosilicate hydrolysis gave products with similar XRD, thermogravimetric, and N 2 BET surface area properties. Although regular intercalation was not observed for any of the products, complete segregation of the clay and silica into separate phases was precluded by surface area values (250–460 m 2 /g) that were substantially larger than those from the pure silica (176–259 m 2 /g) and clay (50 m 2 /g) components. Thus, specific sol-clay interactions stabilize the sol particles against further particle growth during reaction. Such interactions are essential for the successful implementation of DIMOS routes to pillared clays with very large gallery heights. Additional pre-requisites for efficient DIMOS pathways to new generations of super gallery clays are identified and discussed.
Concentration-Dependent Orbach Relaxation Rates in Nd-Doped Lanthanum Magnesium Nitrate

Electron-spin-resonance linewidth data, taken between 6 and 23 K, are compared with pulse-saturation-recovery times, measured between 2.5 and 3.5K, for three samples of Nd-doped lanthanum magnesium nitrate. Both types of measurements indicate a dominant Orbach relaxation process. The relationship between the two types of data in the presence of a phonon-limited Orbach relaxation process is discussed. The fact that the linewidth data were uniform among the different samples, whereas the pulse-saturation-recovery data were concentration dependent, is interpreted as evidence that the Orbach relaxation process in this salt is phonon limited.