cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Ion Channel Trafficking and Control of Arterial Contractility

Ion channels control many cellular processes, including neuronal excitability and arterial contractility. Vascular smooth muscle cell (myocyte) plasma membrane ion channels regulate membrane potential and extracellular calcium (Ca2+) influx, which alters regional blood flow and systemic blood pressure. Ion channels can be homomers or heteromers of several pore-forming subunits and may associate with auxiliary subunits that can modify channel properties, including activity and surface expression. Recent studies have investigated pathways that control the surface expression of some plasma membrane ion channels in myocytes. These findings have also found that vasoregulatory stimuli can control the number of plasma membrane ion channels to regulate contractility. Here, we review current literature describing mechanisms of trafficking of voltage-gated K+ (Kv), voltage-gated Ca2+ (Cav1.2), large-conductance Ca2+-activated potassium (BKCa) and transient receptor potential (TRP) channels in arterial myocytes. These studies indicate that regulated ion channel trafficking is a functional mechanism to control vascular contractility.
Osteoblast Ablation Causes an Imbalance of the HSC Population

The hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) niche is composed of many different types of support cells including endothelial cells, stromal cells, and osteoblast. Studies that ablated mature osteoblast showed that they might be important to support maintenance of HSCs. These studies used Col2.3ΔTK to ablate differentiated osteoblast with daily treatments of ganciclovir after which the samples were analyzed immediately. Two opposing studies have been done using this system one showing a decrease in HSC and another showing an increase thus the role of osteoblast in HSC maintenance is still unclear. We have used a different method of ablating cells using Osteocalcin (Oc) and Osterix (Osx) Cre to drive expression of a diphtheria toxin receptor (iDTR), in mature osteoblast and osteoprogenitors, respectively. We injected eight week old mice with three doses of diphtheria toxin and analyzed the LSK and LT-HSC populations a month after cell ablation. There was no effect when the osteoprogenitors were ablated using Osx-Cre; suggesting ablation at postnatal stages is likely necessary to see an effect using Oxs-Cre. On the other hand, we found that a month after ablation of the Oc expressing cells the osteoblast population had recovered but the LSK and LT-HSC populations were still affected with an increase in both populations, suggesting that being exposed to a defective niche might have long-term effects on the HSC population. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Regulation and Targeting of Eg5 in Blast Crisis CML: Overcoming Imatinib Resistance.

Imatinib (STI571), a tyrosine kinase inhibitor, is becoming the new standard of care for patients with chronic and advanced phase CML. However, the treatment for blast crisis (BC) CML is less effective. Resistance to Imatinib develops in all phases, particularly in BC CML emphasizing the need for alternative therapies. Eg5, a microtubule-associated motor protein plays an important role in establishing a bipolar spindle during mitosis and is essential for cell cycle progression. Eg5 was recently found to be highly expressed in BC CML by microarray analysis (Oncogene 22:3952–3963, 2003). In this study, we examined the regulation of Eg5 by Bcr-Abl tyrosine kinase signaling and tested Eg5 as a potential therapeutic target in BC CML and Imatinib resistant CML. We found that Eg5 is expressed in all Philadelphia chromosome positive (Ph+) CML cell lines and in BC CML patient samples. Inhibition of Bcr-Abl activity by Imatinib downregulated Eg5 expression in Imatinib sensitive KBM5 cells (a cell line derived from the blasts of a BC CML patient) and HL-60p185 cells (HL-60 cells transfected with Bcr-Abl fusion protein p185), but not in Imatinib resistant KBM5-STI571 cells and Bcr-Abl negative HL-60 cells suggesting that Eg5 is a downstream effector of Bcr-Abl and is regulated by Bcr-Abl tyrosine kinase signaling in Ph+ cells. Blocking Eg5 expression by its antisense oligonucleotide (Eg5-AS) induced G2/M cell cycle block, and subsequent cell death in both Imatinib sensitive KBM5 cells and Imatinib resistant KBM5-STI571 cells. At 48 hrs, 15.8±5.5% of KBM5 cells and 22.7±10.7% of KBM5-STI571 cells were blocked in G2/M in Eg5-AS treated cells compared to 3.5±1.9% and 7.6±1.4%, respectively, of the mismatched oligonucleotide (Eg5-NS) treated cells. Induction of cell death was observed at 72 hrs (29.1±1.9% in KBM5 and 29.4±1.1 % in KBM5-STI571 cells in Eg5-AS treated compared to 12.5±0.28% and 13.7±1.6% of Eg5-NS treated cells). Metaphase arrest due to disruption of bipolar spindle formation, loss of mitochondrial membrane potential, and caspase activation were observed in both cell lines. Similarly, inhibition of Eg5 activity by a small molecular inhibitor, S-trityl-L-cysteine, induced cell cycle block and cell death indistinguishably in Imatinib sensitive KBM5 and Ba/F3Bcr-Ablwt cells and in Imatinib resistant KBM5-STI571, Ba/F3Bcr-AblE255K, and Ba/F3Bcr-AblT315I cells. Treatment of Scid mice starting 7 days after injection of KBM5 cells with Eg5-AS, 25 mg/kg, 3 times a week for 3 weeks, significantly prolonged the survival of the animals (64 days vs. 49 days of Eg5-NS treated mice, p=0.0344). The effect of Eg5 inhibition on survival of Scid mice harboring Imatinib resistant KBM5-STI571 cells is currently under investigation. Our studies suggest that Eg5 is a downstream target of Bcr-Abl tyrosine kinase. Inhibition of Eg5 expression or its activity blocks cell cycle progression and induces cell death regardless of cell response to Imatinib. Eg5 could be a potential new critical therapeutic target for the treatment of Imatinib resistant CML and BC CML.
Elevated Wall Tension Initiates Interleukin-6 Expression and Abdominal Aortic Dilation.

Background Hypertension (HTN) has long been associated with abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) development, and these cardiovascular pathologies are biochemically characterized by elevated plasma levels of angiotensin II (AngII) as well as interleukin-6 (IL-6). A biologic relationship between HTN and AAA has not been established, however. Accordingly, the objective of this study was to evaluate whether elevated tension may initiate IL-6 production to accumulate monocyte/macrophages and promote dilation of the abdominal aorta (AA). Methods An IL-6 infusion model (4.36 μg/kg/day) was created utilizing an osmotic infusion pump, and after 4 weeks, AA diameter was measured by digital microscopy. The AA was then excised for CD68 immunostaining and flow cytometric analysis with CD11b and F4/80 to identify macrophages. Aortic segments from wild-type mice were suspended on parallel wires in an ex vivo tissue myograph at experimentally derived optimal tension (1.2 g) and in the presence of elevated tension (ET, 1.7 g) for 3 hr, and expression of IL-6 and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) was evaluated by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (QPCR). Isolated aortic vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) were subjected to 12% biaxial cyclic stretch or held static (control) for 3 hr (n = 7), and IL-6 and MCP-1 expressions were evaluated by QPCR. Results Four-week IL-6 infusion resulted in an AA outer diameter that was 72.5 ± 5.6% (P Conclusions An IL-6 infusion model can initiate macrophage accumulation as well as aortic dilation, and under conditions of elevated tension, this proinflammatory cytokine can be produced by aortic VSMCs. By activation of STAT3, MCP-1 is expressed to increase media macrophage abundance and create an environment susceptible to dilation. This biomechanical association between HTN and aortic dilation may allow for the identification of novel therapeutic strategies.
Efficient Certificate Verification for Vehicle-to-Grid Communications

While public charging stations are typically used for Electric Vehicle (EV) such as charging, home microgrids that may act as private charging stations are also expected to be used for meeting the increased EV charging demands in the future. Such home microgrids can be accessible through their smart meters, which makes advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) a viable alternative for vehicle-to-grid (V2G) communications. However, to ensure secure V2G communications using public-keys, smart meters will need to maintain certificate revocation lists (CRLs) not just for the AMI network but also for large number of EVs that may interact with them. For resource-constrained smart meters, this will increase the storage requirements and introduce additional overhead in terms of delay and CRL maintenance. To eliminate this burden, we propose keeping merely non-revoked certificates that belong to EVs, which are usually driven within the vicinity of that particular microgrid. The motivation comes from the fact that it is inefficient to distribute and store a large CRL that has revocation information about all EVs in the whole system as most of these EVs will never come to the geographic vicinity of that home microgrid. The approach ensures that any status changes of these certificates are communicated to the smart meters. We implemented the proposed approach in a realistic V2G communication scenario by using IEEE 802.11s mesh as the underlying AMI infrastructure using ns-3 simulator. The results confirmed that the proposed approach significantly reduces the certificate verification time and the storage requirements on smart meters.
All-at-once approach to multifidelity polynomial chaos expansion surrogate modeling

Abstract A new approach to multifidelity, gradient-enhanced surrogate modeling using polynomial chaos expansions is presented. This approach seeks complementary additive and multiplicative corrections to low-fidelity data whereas current hybrid methods in the literature attempt to balance individually calculated calibrations. An advantage of the new approach is that least squares-optimal coefficients for both corrections and the model of interest are determined simultaneously using the high-fidelity data directly in the final surrogate. The proposed technique is compared to the weighted approach for three analytic functions and the numerical simulation of a vehicle's lift coefficient using Cartesian Euler CFD and panel aerodynamics. Investigation of the individual correction terms indicates the advantage of the proposed approach is that complementary calibrations separately adjust the low-fidelity data in local regions based on agreement or disagreement between the two fidelities. In cases where polynomials are suitable approximations to the true function, the new all-at-once approach is found to reduce error in the surrogate faster than the method of weighted combinations. When the low-fidelity is a good approximation of the true function, the proposed technique out-performs monofidelity approximations as well. Sparse grid constructions alleviate the growth of the training set as root-mean-square-error is calculated for increasingly higher polynomial orders. Utilizing gradient information provides an advantage at lower training grid levels for low-dimensional spaces, but worsens numerical conditioning of the system in higher dimensions.
Estimating Leaf Water Status from Vis-Nir Reflectance and Transmittance

Remotely sensing the water status of plant canopies remains a long term goal of remote sensing research. Established approaches involve measurements in the thermal infrared and the 900-2000nm reflective infrared. Less popular UV-visible-NIR techniques presumably deserve research attention, because photochemical changes linked to plant water status manifest spectral light scattering and absorption changes. Here we monitored the visible and NIR light reflected from the leaf interior as well as the leaf transmittance as the relative water content of corn (Zeamays L.) leaves decreased. Our results highlight the importance of both scattering effects and effects due to absorption by leaf pigments.
A diplomatic failure: the Mexican role in the demise of the 1940 Reglamento Federal de Toxicomanías

In 1940 Mexico implemented a new revolutionary strategy in its fight against drug trafficking and addiction with a policy that legalized the sale of morphine to opiate addicts. While this approach ...
Transgenerational inheritance of chronic adolescent stress: Effects of stress response and the amygdala transcriptome.

Adolescent stress can impact health and well-being not only during adulthood of the exposed individual but even in future generations. To investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying these long-term effects, we exposed adolescent males to stress and measured anxiety behaviors and gene expression in the amygdala-a critical region in the control of emotional states-in their progeny for two generations, offspring and grandoffspring. Male C57BL/6 mice underwent chronic unpredictable stress (CUS) for 2 weeks during adolescence and were used to produce two generations of offspring. Male and female offspring and grandoffspring were tested in behavioral assays to measure affective behavior and stress reactivity. Remarkably, transgenerational inheritance of paternal stress exposure produced a protective phenotype in the male, but not the female lineage. RNA-seq analysis of the amygdala from male offspring and grandoffspring identified differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in mice derived from fathers exposed to CUS. The DEGSs clustered into numerous pathways, and the "notch signaling" pathway was the most significantly altered in male grandoffspring. Therefore, we show that paternal stress exposure impacts future generations which manifest in behavioral changes and molecular adaptations.
Spectra of expansion graphs

We replace certain edges of a directed graph by chains and consider the effect on the spectrum of the graph. We show that the spectral radius decreases monotonically with the expansion and that, for a strongly connected graph that is not a single cycle, the spectral radius decreases strictly monotonically with the expansion. We also give a limiting formula for the spectral radius of the expanded graph when the lengths of some chains replacing the original edges tend to infinity. Our proofs depend on the construction of auxiliary nonnegative matrices of the same size and with the same support as the original adjacency matrix.
Rash and Hypotension During Transfusion

A 16-year-old female with suspected autoimmune liver disease requires liver biopsy. Her platelet count is 38 × 109/L. On the day of planned intervention, she is transfused a unit of platelets. Ten minutes into the transfusion, she became short of breath and wheezy, developed a widespread rash and abdominal pain, and became hypotensive (BP 96/48 mmHg). Transfusion was stopped, with about one-half of the bag content transfused. She had no previous history of allergic reactions or blood transfusion.
Thermoelectric properties of plasma sprayed of calcium cobaltite (Ca2Co2O5)

Abstract The thermoelectric properties of calcium cobaltite deposits produced by the plasma spray process are investigated from room-temperature to 873 K. Synthesis of Ca3Co2O6 and Ca2Co2O5 powders were prepared by the solid-state reaction from CaO and CoOx starting powders. During their subsequent plasma spray Ca particles experience preferential evaporation within the plasma, resulting in a complex interplay among process conditions, stoichiometry, and resultant phases. The as-sprayed material predominantly contains amorphous and secondary phases. Upon annealing, the deposits show sensitivity to phase evolution and therefore thermoelectric properties. Through screening studies, optimal annealing conditions were identified which show a p-type Seebeck coefficient value of 180 μV K−1, electrical conductivity of 1.09 × 104 S m−1, thermal conductivity of 1.16 W m-1 K-1 at 873 K. The resultant figure of merit value reached 0.266 for this combination of processing and thermal treatment and is in line with data reported from other techniques for this system.
Rhomboid intercostal and subserratus plane block -a case series-

Background The rhomboid intercostal and subserratus plane (RISS) block is a new interfascial block technique that has shown promising results for abdominal and thoracic surgeries. Our objective was to describe the improved analgesia and dermatomal coverage in patients who received bilateral RISS blocks after a major abdominal surgery. Case Twenty-one patients who underwent abdominal surgery received the rhomboid intercostal component of the block at the T5 to T6 levels, and the subserratus component block was performed at the T6 to T9 levels.The RISS blocks provided effective postoperative analgesia. There was a variation in the dermatomal coverage ranging from T3 to T12. Patients reported a high satisfaction rate from pain management. Conclusions The RISS block in abdominal surgery seems to have an important role in perioperative pain management, complementing the multimodal analgesic regimen. To determine the efficacy of the RISS block for abdominal surgery, we need further randomized control trials.
Molecular analysis of FMR1 alleles for fragile X syndrome diagnosis and patient stratification

Fragile X syndrome (FXS), a neurodevelopmental disorder, is the leading form of heritable cognitive disability and autism, affecting approximately 1 in 5,000 males and 1 in 4,000 to 8,000 females [...
RECONSIDERING AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION RECOMMENDATIONS TO PERFORM FETAL ECHOCARDIOGRAM FOR ALL IN-VITRO FERTILIZATION PREGNANCIES: IS THERE A LOW-RISK GROUP?

The AHA recommends a fetal echocardiogram in all in-vitro fertilization (IVF) conceived pregnancies citing increased rates of congenital heart defects (CHD) in this group. Retrospective review of all fetal echos January 1, 2004 to December 31, 2018 at a single center were reviewed and categorized
Analysis of Surgical Trends for Axillary Lymph Node Management in Patients with Ductal Carcinoma In Situ Using the NSQIP Database: Are We Following National Guidelines?

For patients with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), multiple national cancer organizations recommend that sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) be offered when treated with mastectomy, but not when treated with breast-conserving surgery (BCS). This study analyzes national surgical trends of SLNB and axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) in DCIS patients undergoing breast surgery with the aim to quantify deviations from national guidelines. A retrospective cohort analysis of the American College of Surgeons’ National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP) database from 2005 to 2017 identified patients with DCIS. Patients were categorized by their primary method of breast surgery, i.e. mastectomy or BCS, then further categorized by their axillary lymph node (ALN) management, i.e. no intervention, SLNB, or ALND. Data analysis was conducted via linear regression and a non-parametric Mann–Kendall test to assess a temporal trend and Sen’s slope. Overall, 43,448 patients with DCIS met the inclusion criteria: 20,504 underwent mastectomy and 22,944 underwent BCS. Analysis of DCIS patients from 2005 to 2017 revealed that ALND decreased and SLNB increased in every subgroup, regardless of surgical treatment modality. Evaluation in the mastectomy group increased overall: mastectomy alone increased from 57.1 to 65.8% (p < 0.01) and mastectomy with immediate reconstruction increased from 58.5 to 72.1% (p < 0.01). Increases also occurred in the total BCS population: partial mastectomy increased from 14.0 to 21.1% and oncoplastic surgery increased from 10.5 to 23.0% (both p < 0.01). Despite national guideline recommendations for the management of ALN surgery in DCIS patients, approximately 20–30% of cases continue to not follow these guidelines. This warrants further education for surgeons and patients.
Quantitative electroencephalogram and event-related potential in neonatal cognitive function study

Cognitive function is the advanced features of brain and neonatal cognitive function has its own development characteristics.Quantitative electroencephalogram can reflect the state of brain function directly and objectively and can be used in cognitive research.Event-related potential, induced by stimulation, is the neuroelectrophysiologic of brain cognitive processing and time-locked to cognitive events.In recent years, researchers have made great progress in exploring the neonatal cognitive function with the help of quantitative electroencephalogram and event-related potential.This review summarizes the progress of these two technologies in neonatal brain cognitive function. Key words: Newborn; Cognitive function; Quantitative electroencephalogram; Event-related potentials
Evaluating peak inspiratory pressures and tidal volume in premature neonates on NAVA ventilation.

Neurally adjusted ventilatory assist (NAVA) ventilation allows patients to determine their peak inspiratory pressure and tidal volume on a breath-by-breath basis. Apprehension exists about premature neonates’ ability to self-regulate breath size. This study describes peak pressure and tidal volume distribution of neonates on NAVA and non-invasive NAVA. This is a retrospective study of stored ventilator data with exploratory analysis. Summary statistics were calculated. Distributional assessment of peak pressure and tidal volume were evaluated, overall and per NAVA level. Over 1 million breaths were evaluated from 56 subjects. Mean peak pressure was 16.4 ± 6.4 in the NAVA group, and 15.8 ± 6.4 in the NIV-NAVA group (t test, p < 0.001). Mean tidal volume was 3.5 ± 2.7 ml/kg. Conclusion:In neonates on NAVA, most pressures and volumes were within or lower than recommended ranges with pressure-limited or volume-guarantee ventilation.
High-Fat Ketogenic Diets and Physical Performance: A Systematic Review.

Use of high-fat, ketogenic diets (KDs) to support physical performance has grown in popularity over recent years. While these diets enhance fat and reduce carbohydrate oxidation during exercise, the impact of a KD on physical performance remains controversial. The objective of this work was to assess the effect of KDs on physical performance compared with mixed macronutrient diets [control (CON)]. A systematic review of the literature was conducted using PubMed and Cochrane Library databases. Randomized and nonrandomized studies were included if participants were healthy (free of chronic disease), nonobese [BMI (kg/m2) 0.5 mmol/L) compared with CON (fat, 12-38% of total energy intake) diets for ≥14 d, followed by a physical performance test. Seventeen studies (10 parallel, 7 crossover) with 29 performance (13 endurance, 16 power or strength) outcomes were identified. Of the 13 endurance-type performance outcomes, 3 (1 time trial, 2 time-to-exhaustion) reported lower and 10 (4 time trials, 6 time-to-exhaustion) reported no difference in performance between the KD compared with CON. Of the 16 power or strength performance outcomes, 3 (1 power, 2 strength) reported lower, 11 (4 power, 7 strength) no difference, and 2 (power) enhanced performance in the KD compared with the CON. Risk of bias identified some concern of bias primarily due to studies allowing participants to self-select diet intervention groups and the inability to blind participants to the study intervention. Overall, the majority of null results across studies suggest that a KD does not have a positive or negative impact on physical performance compared with a CON diet. However, discordant results between studies may be due to multiple factors, such as the duration consuming study diets, training status, performance test, and sex differences, which will be discussed in this systematic review.
On the nonpathological nature of ST‐segment elevation in lateral leads in patients with CRBBB

Stable ST-segment elevation (STSE) in the lateral electrocardiogram (ECG) leads (i.e., I, II, aVL, V5, and V6) are frequently encountered in association with stable and transient complete right bundle branch block (CRBBB). These STSE in the lateral ECG leads in patients with CRBBB, represent parallel changes to the ST-segment depression seen in the V1-V3 leads, and both represent secondary ECG changes expected in patients with intraventricular conduction delays, and they are opposite in polarity to the latter part of the QRS complexes. Proprietary automated ECG interpretation algorithms provided by the different electrocardiographs associate such ECG changes in the lateral leads in the presence of CBBB to "lateral myocardial infarction, ischemia, or injury," "pericarditis," or "early repolarization," which results in inappropriate concern among clinicians, and leads to costly unnecessary diagnostic testing. This piece strives to reassure clinicians about the nonpathological nature of lateral STSE in ECGs with CRBBB.
New Rulemaking Approaches to Improve Federal Tax Administration Through Use of Precisional Substitutes that Avoid Valuation Uncertainties

Property transfers create a variety of valuation problems that complicate tax planning and compliance efforts. For decades, valuation issues have been addressed under a vague "willing buyer and seller standard" that has caused a great deal of audit activity, litigation, and uncertainty. The American Jobs Creation Act of 2004 very modestly moved away from this vague valuation standard in the context of charitable contribution deductions for vehicles and intellectual properties. This new legislation effectively creates precisional substitutions for true economic value using hindsight based on subsequent uses, dispositions, or income realizations involving the designated donated properties. This approach is part of a long tradition of precisional substitutions that have worked well to add workability and certainty for a variety of tax analyses involving determinations as disparate as depreciation allowances, applicable interest rates, split-interest gifts, and business expense deductions. Precisional substitutions create artificial systems that take the place of actual economic determinations too complicated and contentious for efficient tax administration. Using many examples and setting forth several technical ideas, this article argues that the precisional substitution concept should be extended to a whole range of valuation issues that now inordinately complicate tax administration and planning throughout the Internal Revenue Code.
Of Pirate Drivers and Honking Horns: Mobility, Authority, and Urban Planning in Interwar Accra

Throughout the 1930s, the Accra Town Council complained repeatedly of the presence of “pirate passenger lorries”, which were said to be plying the roads between central Accra and the eastern suburb of Labadi. A heavily traveled route, the road between Labadi and Accra was used to seeing lorry traffic. However, the drivers that caught the attention of colonial officials were troublesome because they blurred the distinctions of colonial urban space and order. They were mobile, urban “pirates” who skirted around the established order and subverted the authority embodied in state-run urban bus services. The dominance of African owner-operators in the motor transport industry of the Gold Coast enabled African drivers and passengers to assert control over how and where they moved. However, in defining their movement within the city, these drivers and passengers also found themselves in direct conflict with representatives of the British colonial state, whose attempts to regularize and rationalize the city had created an alternative framework of laws and practices. Through motor transportation, Africans in Accra spoke to and interacted directly with British colonial officials - in debating how the road should be used, these two means of “enframing the city” came into conflict and conversation.
Physiologic effects of electrical stimulation leg cycle exercise training in spinal cord injured persons

The purpose of this study was to assess the physiologic training effects of functional electrical stimulation leg cycle ergometer (FES-LCE) exercise in persons with spinal cord injury (SCI) who were previously untrained in this activity. Ten persons with quadriplegia (C5 to C7) and eight with paraplegia (T4 to T11) performed FES-LCE training on an ERGYS I ergometer 10 to 30 minutes per day, 2 or 3 days per week for 12 to 16 weeks (36 total sessions). Training session power output (PO) ranged from 0.0W (no external resistance) to 30.6W. Each subject completed discontinuous graded FES-LCE and arm crank ergometer (ACE) tests before and after training for determinations of peak lower and upper extremity metabolic, pulmonary, and hemodynamic responses. Compared with pretraining, this SCI group exhibited significantly (p less than or equal to .05) higher posttraining peak PO (+45%), oxygen uptake ([O2], + 23%), pulmonary ventilation (+27%), heart rate (+11%), cardiac output ([Qt], + 13%) and significantly lower total peripheral resistance ([TPR], - 14%) during FES-LCE posttests. There were no significant changes in peak stroke volume (+6%), mean arterial pressure ([MAP], - 5%), or arteriovenous oxygen difference ([a-vO2diff], + 10%) during posttraining FES-LCE tests. In addition, no significant differences were noted for the peak level of any monitored variable during ACE posttests after FES-LCE training. The rise in total vascular conductance, implied by the significant decrease in posttraining TPR during FES-LCE tests, denotes that a peripheral circulatory adaptation developed in the persons with SCI during FES-LCE exercise training.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Simultaneous identification and torque regulation of permanent magnet synchronous machines via adaptive excitation decoupling

Parameter identification and output regulation are generally conflicting objectives. However, in the case of overactuated systems, there is an opportunity to achieve these objectives simultaneously. This paper presents a simultaneous identification and adaptive control design methodology for overactuated systems which is applied to the torque regulation problem for permanent magnet synchronous machines. Excitation and control inputs to the system are first designated. The excitation input is then treated as a disturbance which is decoupled from the regulated output via an excitation decoupling control law. Machine parameters are estimated with a normalized gradient-based algorithm, and necessary conditions for parameter convergence are established. Simulation results confirm the necessary conditions for parameter convergence, as well as the effectiveness of the resulting closed-loop torque regulator.
Res Judicata Claim Preclusion of Properly Filed Citizen Suits

There is currently no consensus amongst courts about under what circumstances government action can preclude properly filed citizen suits enforcing environmental laws. This Comment prescribes a standard for res judicata analysis that focuses on the interests represented by each party rather than on the diligence with which the government has ensured future compliance. Through an analysis of privity and the identity of claims between the two parties, it is possible for the courts to identify those consent decrees that should preclude citizen enforcement and those that should not.
Parent-to-Progeny Transfer and Recombination of T4rII Bacteriophage

Transfer of parental, light (not substituted with 5-bromodeoxyuridine) (32)P-deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) from rII(-) mutants of T4 bacteriophage to heavy (5-bromodeoxyuridine-substituted) progeny in Escherichia coli B was less homogeneous than in wild phages. The net transfer was 5 to 20% of the value for wild T4 phage, and the parental contribution per progeny DNA molecule amounted to 7 to 100% of the genome. Three classes could be distinguished, based on the density distribution of parental label in CsCl analysis of the progeny phages. "Far recombined" phages contain parental material only in semiconservatively replicated subunits covalently attached to progeny DNA, amounting to 5 to 10% parental contribution per genome. "Intermediate recombinants" contain, aside from conventional recombinant DNA, parental DNA banding at the original, light density. This DNA may be unattached to heavy progeny DNA or attached by weak bonds which are very sensitive to shearing during the extraction procedure. The parental contribution is 10 to 50% per progeny DNA molecule in this class. "Conservative" phages band close to the parental, light density in CsCl; their DNA is purely light. When the parental phage is labeled with both (3)H-leucine (capsid) and (32)P (DNA), the specific activity of (3)H/(32)P in the "conservative progeny" is 10 to 40% of that in the parental, showing that at least some of the (32)P in this area belongs to phages with parental DNA as the sole DNA component inside an unlabeled capsid, i.e., parental DNA which has been injected into the host and matured in a new capsid without replication or recombination. This phenomenon occurs to about the same extent in both single and multiple infection.
THE ACTION OF 5-HYDROXYTRYPTAMINE AND ACETYLCHOLINE ON THE RECTUM OF THE VENUS CLAM, MERCENARIA MERCENARIA.

1. 1. An isolated preparation of the rectum of Mercenaria mercenaria has been developed and tested with a variety of componds/ 2. 2. 5-Hydroxytryptamine excites the rectum. Low doses often induce rhythmical activity; higher concentrations inhibit the beat while increasing tone.5-Hydroxytryptamine is mimicked by tryptamine and lysergic acid diethylamide and antagonized by methylsergide. Benzoquinonium chloride, d-tubocurarine and morphine, the latter to a slight extent, antagonize the tone increase while augmenting the beat induced by 5-hydroxytryptamine. Atropine potentiates the tone increase; its effect on beat is related to its tonotropic effect. 3. 3. Acetylcholine produces both a phasic and a tonic response. The first is a transient tension increase. The tonic effect is bimodal; low concentrations diminish, and high concentrations augment, rectal tone. The tone, amplitude and frequency of recta stimulated to beat by 5-hydroxytryptamine are decreased by low concentrations of acetylcholine, while large doses increase tone and obliterate the beat. Low doses of benzoquinonium (10−5 M) augment the acetylcholine tone increase; higher doses are usually antagonistic, depending also upon the acetylcholine concentration. Atropine (5 × 10−5) is a more effective antagonist than an equimolar dose of benzoquinonium. The effect of acetylcholine apparently depends on the rectal tension prior to the dose. 4. 4. 5-Hydroxytryptamine appears to stimulate cholinergic nerves as well as directly exciting the rectal musculature. Multiple sites of action of acetylcholine are suggested.
Multi-parameter local semi-groups of Hermetian operators

Abstract It is proven that if a weakly continuous multi-parameter family of Hermetian operators in a Hilbert space whose domains are not necessarily dense but whose union is dense and which has the semi-group property for the parameters belonging to an open convex set in Euclidean n-space with 0 a limit point, then the operators have self-adjoint extensions which have a joint spectral representation.
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PLAYGROUNDS: SAFE PLAY AREAS OR INHERENT DANGERS

57 elementary schools in two suburban counties near Philadelphia were included in this investigation of playground safety. A safety inspection was completed at each playground. The content of the safety inspection was based on selected standards for slides and climbers published in two volumes of playground safety handbooks by the US Consumer Product Safety Commission in 1982. Since these public playground standards primarily addressed the physical dimensions of playground equipment and the selection of soft force-absorbing surfaces below the playground equipment, an additional aspect, supervision, was assessed during noon recess. Most elementary school playgrounds have been installed on unsafe hard surface materials, and many had equipment which does not meet the current playground guidelines. The noon recess is frequently supervised by aides who have inadequate preparation for guiding children's play and classroom teachers with limited preparation in physical education. The classroom teachers are usuall...
Gold and Silver Nanoparticles Functionalized by the Adsorption of Dialkyl Disulfides.

The formation of three-dimensional self-assembled monolayers (3-D SAMs) generated by the adsorption of n-octadecyl disulfide onto colloidal gold and silver nanoparticles is described. The functionalized nanoparticles were characterized by solubility, transmission electron microscopy, ultraviolet−visible spectroscopy, 1H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. On gold nanoparticles, this new functionalization method affords crystalline 3-D SAMs that are indistinct from those prepared by the analogous adsorption of n-octadecanethiol. On silver nanoparticles, however, the films derived from n-octadecyl disulfide appear to be somewhat less crystalline than those prepared similarly from n-octadecanethiol. The origin of this difference is briefly explored and discussed.
NETs: the missing link between cell death and systemic autoimmune diseases?

For almost 20 years, apoptosis and secondary necrosis have been considered the major source of autoantigens and endogenous adjuvants in the pathogenic model of systemic autoimmune diseases. This focus is justified in part because initial evidence in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) guided investigators toward the study of apoptosis, but also because other forms of cell death were unknown. To date, it is known that many other forms of cell death occur, and that they vary in their capacity to stimulate as well as inhibit the immune system. Among these, NETosis (an antimicrobial form of death in neutrophils in which nuclear material is extruded from the cell forming extracellular traps), is gaining major interest as a process that may trigger some of the immune features found in SLE, granulomatosis with polyangiitis (formerly Wegener’s granulomatosis) and Felty’s syndrome. Although there have been volumes of very compelling studies published on the role of cell death in autoimmunity, no unifying theory has been adopted nor have any successful therapeutics been developed based on this important pathway. The recent inclusion of NETosis into the pathogenic model of autoimmune diseases certainly adds novel insights into this paradigm, but also reveals a previously unappreciated level of complexity and raises many new questions. This review discusses the role of cell death in systemic autoimmune diseases with a focus on apoptosis and NETosis, highlights the current short comings in our understanding of the vast complexity of cell death, and considers the potential shift in the cell death paradigm in autoimmunity. Understanding this complexity is critical in order to develop tools to clearly define the death pathways that are active in systemic autoimmune diseases, identify drivers of disease propagation, and develop novel therapeutics.
On a Real-Time Walsh-Hadamard/Cosine Transform Image Processor

A real-time image processor which is capable of video compression using either the sequency-ordered Walsh-Hadamard transform (WHT)W, or the discrete cosine transform (DCT), is considered. The processing is done on an intraframe basis in (8 X 8) data blocks. The (WHT)W coefficients are computed directly, and then used to obtain the DCT coefficients. This is achieved via an (8 X 8) transformation matrix which is orthonormal, and has a block-diagonal structure. As such, it results in substantial savings in the number of multiplications and additions required to obtain the DCT, relative to its direct computation. Some aspects of a hardware implementation of the processor are also included.
Photoinduced excited state electron transfer at liquid/liquid interfaces.

Several aspects of the photoinduced electron transfer (ET) reaction betweencoumarin 314 (C314) and N,N-dimethylaniline (DMA) at the water/DMA interface areinvestigated by molecular dynamics simulations. New DMA and water/DMA potentialenergy surfaces are developed and used to characterize the neat water/DMA interface.The adsorption free energy, the rotational dynamics and the solvation dynamics of C314at the liquid/liquid interface are investigated and are generally in reasonable agreementwith available experimental data. The solvent free energy curves for the ET reactionbetween excited C314 and DMA molecules are calculated and compared with thosecalculated for a simple point charge model of the solute. It is found that thereorganization free energy is very small when the full molecular description of the soluteis taken into account. An estimate of the ET rate constant is in reasonable agreement withexperiment. Our calculations suggest that the polarity of the surface “reported” by thesolute, as reflected by solvation dynamics and the reorganization free energy, is strongly solute-dependent.
Landing Radar Technology at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory: Mars Science Laboratory and Beyond

Safe landing on planetary bodies has traditionally been accomplished via radar systems, which have advantages of performing independent of lighting conditions, and of being far less susceptible to dust and other contaminant interactions than optical systems. At the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, we have an active program in the development of landing radar systems for both current missions (i.e. the Mars Science Laboratory) and for future mission concepts (hazard detection and avoidance, pinpoint landing). This article gives an overview of these systems and their driving technologies, including the key microwave circuit developments necessary to enable a future class of sensors.
C. elegans CAND-1 regulates cullin neddylation, cell proliferation and morphogenesis in specific tissues

Abstract Cullin-RING ubiquitin ligases (CRLs) are critical regulators of multiple developmental and cellular processes in eukaryotes. CAND1 is a biochemical inhibitor of CRLs, yet has been shown to promote CRL activity in plant and mammalian cells. Here we analyze CAND1 function in the context of a developing metazoan organism. Caenorhabditis elegans CAND-1 is capable of binding to all of the cullins, and we show that it physically interacts with CUL-2 and CUL-4 in vivo. The covalent attachment of the ubiquitin-like protein Nedd8 is required for cullin activity in animals and plants. In cand-1 mutants, the levels of the neddylated isoforms of CUL-2 and CUL-4 are increased, indicating that CAND-1 is a negative regulator of cullin neddylation. cand-1 mutants are hypersensitive to the partial loss of cullin activity, suggesting that CAND-1 facilitates CRL functions. cand-1 mutants exhibit impenetrant phenotypes, including developmental arrest, morphological defects of the vulva and tail, and reduced fecundity. cand-1 mutants share with cul-1 and lin-23 mutants the phenotypes of supernumerary seam cell divisions, defective alae formation, and the accumulation of the SCFLIN-23 target the glutamate receptor GLR-1. The observation that cand-1 mutants have phenotypes associated with the loss of the SCFLIN-23 complex, but lack phenotypes associated with other specific CRL complexes, suggests that CAND-1 is differentially required for the activity of distinct CRL complexes.
Enhanced life ion source for germanium and carbon ion implantation

Germanium and carbon ions represent a significant portion of total ion implantation steps in the process flow. Very often ion source materials that used to produce ions are chemically aggressive, especially at higher temperatures, and result in fast ion source performance degradation and a very limited lifetime [B.S. Freer, et. al., 2002 14th Intl. Conf. on Ion Implantation Technology Proc, IEEE Conf. Proc., p. 420 (2003)]. GeF4 and CO2 are commonly used to generate germanium and carbon beams. In the case of GeF4 controlling the tungsten deposition due to the de-composition of WF6 (halogen cycle) is critical to ion source life. With CO2, the materials oxidation and carbon deposition must be controlled as both will affect cathode thermionic emission and anti-cathode (repeller) efficiencies due to the formation of volatile metal oxides. The improved ion source design Extended Life Source 3 (Eterna ELS3) together with its proprietary co-gas material implementation has demonstrated >300 hours of stable contin...
Charge-remote and charge-driven fragmentation processes in diacyl glycerophosphoethanolamine upon low-energy collisional activation: a mechanistic proposal

A mechanistic study of diacyl glycerophosphoethanolamine fragmentation under low energy collision-activated dissociation with electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry is reported. The fragmentation pathways leading to the formation of carboxylate anions (RxCO2−) (x = 1, 2) and the formation of the ions representing neutral loss of ketene ([M − H − R′xHCO]−) are charge-driven processes, which are governed by the gas-phase basicity and the steric configuration of the molecules. The fragmentation pathway for the formation of the [M − H − RxCO2H]− ions, reflecting neutral loss of fatty acid, is a charge-remote process, which involves the participation of the hydrogens at C-1 and C-2 of the glycerol, resulting in [M − H − R2CO2H]− > [M − H − R1CO2H]−. The preferential formations of R2CO2− > R1CO2−, and of [M − H − R′2CHCO]− > [M − H − R′1CHCO]− are attributed to the findings that charge-driven processes are sterically more favorable at sn-2. The observation of the abundance of [M − H − R′xCHCO]− > [M − H − RxCO2H]− is attributed to the fact that the [M − H]− ions of GPE are basic precursor ions, which undergo preferential loss of ketene than loss of acid. The major pathway for the formation of RxCO2− ions arises from the nucleophilic attack of the anionic charge site of the phosphate on the C-1 or C-2 of the glycerol to render a charge transfer. The sterically more favorable attack on the C-2 than C-2 of the glycerol results in the abundance of R2CO2− > R1CO2−. These features of tandem spectra readily identify and locate the fatty acid substituents of GPE in the glycerol backbone.
Persistence of spores of Pleistophora schubergi (Cnidospora: Microsporida) in the field, and their application in microbial control

Abstract Spores of Pleistophora schubergi , when applied to oak trees in the field at 2 × 10 8 spores/ml with a uv protectant, “Shade,” infected 88% of Anisota senatoria larvae at 4 days after spray application. Spores without the uv protectant infected only 10% of the larvae at 4 days after application. When the spores were applied at the rate of 2 × 10 8 and 2 × 10 7 spores/ml in the field, 96 and 72% of the A. senatoria larvae and 100 and 100% of the Symmerista canicosta larvae were infected 14 days after spray application.
Stimulus-dependent, reciprocal up- and downregulation of glutamic acid decarboxylase and Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II gene expression in rat cerebral cortex.

Long-train tetanic stimulation of the cerebral cortex induces long-term changes in the excitability of cortical neurons, while short-train electrical stimulation does not. In the present study, we show that both forms of stimulation when applied to rat motor cortex for 4 h enhance c-fos expression, but only tetanic stimulation, when imposed upon short-train stimulation, modulates gene expression for 67-kDa glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) and alpha Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKIIα). Gene expression for beta Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II is not affected by either stimulation mode. GAD messenger RNA (mRNA) is increased from 1 h after the end of tetanization to the longest poststimulus survival time investigated (14 h). CaMKIIα mRNA is decreased 1–3 h after the end of tetanization but thereafter returns to prestimulus levels. These results imply not only that mechanisms underlying neocortical plasticity are stimulus-dependent but also that they involve reciprocal changes in molecules regulating the balance of excitation and inhibition.