cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Genome scanning methods

Recently introduced methods can allow an entire genome to be scanned at one time for sequences linked to trait loci. Representational difference analysis and genomic mismatch scanning are designed, respectively, to isolate and map sequences that differ between genomes discordant for a trait, or that are identical between genomes concordant for a trait. Other methods allow the whole genome to be scanned for regions of increased or decreased copy number, or for differentially methylated sequences.
Similarity of fibronectins isolated from human plasma and spent fibroblast culture medium

Fibroblasts contain a major surface glycoprotein, fibroblast surface antigen [l] or fibronectin, which is secreted by cultured fibroblasts into the medium [2]. Immunological evidence indicates, that a protein similar to fibronectin is present in human plasma [3] . We describe here the isolation of the fibronectin antigen from human plasma and spent fibroblast culture medium by use of chromatography on immobilized antibody to fibronectin followed by isoelectric focusing. The two forms of fibronectin were found to have the same amino acid, carbohydrate, and polypeptide compositions. This and their previously known immunological identity strongly suggest that the circulating fibronectin is identical to the one secreted by cultured fibroblasts.
B74-4 Minicomputers in Data Processing and Simulation

The stated purpose of Branko Soucěk's book Minicomputers in Data Processing and Simulation is to present the theory and application of digital simulation and measurement of data with emphasis on the use of minicomputers. The title is somewhat misleading, however, because the book is of interest to an even wider audience, including those interested in data acquisition, monitoring, industrial process and manufacturing control, and others. In particular, the section concerned with minicomputer hardware organization and interfacing collects information of great interest in a very readable fashion and fills a long existing void.
Review of immunosuppressive drug therapy in uveitis.

Purpose of reviewUveitis is an important cause of functional visual loss and blindness in the developed world. Immunosuppressive drugs may be required to treat severe noninfectious uveitis successfully, but the efficacy and safety of such treatments are often limited by the small numbers of patients
Identification with cellular microtubules of one of the co-assembling microtubule-associated proteins

Abstract In this paper we describe a procedure for detecting proteins associated with cytoplasmic microtubules in vivo. Detergent-extracted cytoskeletons of NIL8 hamster cells are prepared under conditions which preserve the microtubules. The cytoskeletons are then extracted in the presence of calcium, which depolymerizes the microtubules and quantitatively releases the tubulin. At the same time, detergent-extracted cytoskeletons are prepared from cells that have been incubated with colchicine. The cytoskeletons from these cells contain no microtubules or tubulin. Electrophoretic analysis of the calcium extracts of the colchicine-treated and un treated cells reveals several radioactively labeled polypeptides. There is, however, no apparent quantitative or qualitative difference between the two extracts other than the tubulin polypeptides. Each of the extracts is mixed with an excess of unlabeled calf brain microtubule protein and carried through cycles of temperature-dependent microtubule assembly. Distinct species from each extract co-assemble at a constant ratio, but only one polypeptide is uniquely derived from cells containing intact microtubules. The molecular weight of this polypeptide is similar to that proposed for the tau species detected in brain microtubule preparations.
Interaction of Solutes with Raw Starch during Desorption as shown by Water Retention

The objective was to study interaction of salt and sucrose with raw starch as determined from water retention at a given aw. NaCI-starch mixtures were 5:95, 10:90, 15:85, and 25:75. Sucrose-starch mixtures were 1:9, 2:8, 1:1, and 9:1. Equilibration was against salt slushes over the water activity range 0.33 to 0.97. At each aw, as the solute concentration increased above zero, the amount of interacted solute rose to a maximum and then, in contrast to previous findings with protein, declined to zero. For each solute, saturation aw showed the highest amount of interaction at any solute concentration; the interaction decreased with increasing aw. At maximum, 87.2% of total NaCl and 56.3% of the total sucrose interacted with starch. These desorption data showed less interaction than previously found for absorption.
A Key Agonist-induced Conformational Change in the Cannabinoid Receptor CB1 Is Blocked by the Allosteric Ligand Org 27569

Allosteric ligands that modulate how G protein-coupled receptors respond to traditional orthosteric drugs are an exciting and rapidly expanding field of pharmacology. An allosteric ligand for the cannabinoid receptor CB1, Org 27569, exhibits an intriguing effect; it increases agonist binding, yet blocks agonist-induced CB1 signaling. Here we explored the mechanism behind this behavior, using a site-directed fluorescence labeling approach. Our results show that Org 27569 blocks conformational changes in CB1 that accompany G protein binding and/or activation, and thus inhibit formation of a fully active CB1 structure. The underlying mechanism behind this behavior is that simultaneous binding of Org 27569 produces a unique agonist-bound conformation, one that may resemble an intermediate structure formed on the pathway to full receptor activation.
Extraribosomal functions of ribosomal proteins

The discovery of DNA-binding motifs in ribosomal proteins has led to the conjecture that the transition of the ribosome from an RNA to an RNP machine occurred by adding pre-existing proteins. Supportive, but circumstantial, evidence for the hypothesis is adduced from the finding that many ribosomal proteins have a second function apart from the particle. These extraribosomal functions are enumerated.
Slowly adapting type I mechanoreceptor discharge as a function of dynamic force versus dynamic displacement of glabrous skin of raccoon and squirrel monkey hand.

Abstract The effects of dynamic force and dynamic displacement on single unit discharge rate during ramp stimulation were examined in 10 raccoon and 8 squirrel monkey slowly adapting Type I (SAI) mechanoreceptive afferent fibers, all having receptive fields on glabrous skin of the hand. In all 18 cases, power function exponents were higher for effects of dynamic displacement than for effects of dynamic force on discharge frequency. Thus, these SAI mechanoreceptors are more sensitive to variations in dynamic displacement than to variations in dynamic force. This differential sensitivity may be explained by the fact that the relationship between dynamic force and dynamic displacement is, itself, nonlinear, dynamic displacement being a power function of dynamic force, with exponents
Inhibition of adenosine metabolism increases myocardial interstitial adenosine concentrations and coronary flow

Abstract We employed an isolated guinea-pig heart model perfused at constant pressure (70 cmH2O) to test the hypothesis that inhibition of adenosine metabolism increases interstitial adenosine concentrations (as measured with epicardial discs) and coronary flow. Iodotubercidin (ITU, 1 μ m ) and EHNA (erythro-9-[2-hydroxy-3-nonyl] adenine, 5 μ m ) were used to inhibit adenosine kinase and deaminase, respectively during control conditions and during metabolic stimulation with 1 μ m isoproterenol. The adenosine receptor blocker 8-phenyltheophylline (8-PT) was used during control conditions to assess whether the response seen was adenosine specific. ITU plus EHNA decreased heart rate (202 ± 10 to 136 ± 11 beats/min) and increased coronary flow (8.2 ± 0.3 to 12.4 ± 0.9 ml/min/g) without a change in MVO2, developed pressure or d P d t . ITU plus EHNA increased adenosine concentrations in epicardial fluid (0.24 ± 0.07 μ m to 1.02 ± 0.09 μ m ) and venous effluent (40 ± 3 n m to 262 ± 32 n m ) during control conditions, and adenosine release increased from 389 ± 96 pmols/min/g to 3480 ± 365 pmols/min/g. 8-PT infusion reversed the effects on heart rate and coronary flow and resulted in a persistent elevation of epicardial fluid adenosine concentrations. During metabolic stimulation with 1 μ m isoproterenol, ITU plus EHNA significantly limited the increase in heart rate and ventricular developed pressure and d P d t while coronary flow increased to a significantly greater extent. Myocardial oxygen consumption was similar during metabolic stimulation between the two groups (vehicle vs. ITU plus EHNA). Epicardial fluid adenosine concentration in the vehicle-treated group increased from 0.17 ± 0.3 μ m to 0.34 ± 0.02 μ m at 15 min of isoproterenol stimulation whereas it increased from 1.10 ± 0.02 μ m to 2.90 ± 0.46 μ m in the ITU plus EHNA-treated group. Inhibition of adenosine metabolism during metabolic stimulation significantly increased venous adenosine concentrations and adenosine release and reduced inosine and hypoxanthine release proportionately. The release of adenosine + inosine + hypoxanthine was unchanged. Inhibition of adenosine metabolism provides evidence supporting the hypothesis that adenosine plays a role in regulating coronary vascular resistance as well as influencing heart rate and ventricular inotropy.
Development Of A Three-Dimensional Circuit Integration Technology And Computer Architecture

This paper is the first of a series 1,2,3 describing a range of efforts at Hughes Research Laboratories, which are collectively referred to as "Three-Dimensional Microelectronics." The technology being developed is a combination of a unique circuit fabrication/packaging technology and a novel processing architecture. The packaging technology greatly reduces the parasitic impedances associated with signal-routing in complex VLSI structures, while simultaneously allowing circuit densities orders of magnitude higher than the current state-of-the-art. When combined with the 3-D processor architecture, the resulting machine exhibits a one- to two-order of magnitude simultaneous improvement over current state-of-the-art machines in the three areas of processing speed, power consumption, and physical volume. The 3-D architecture is essentially that commonly referred to as a "cellular array", with the ultimate implementation having as many as 512 x 512 processors working in parallel. The three-dimensional nature of the assembled machine arises from the fact that the chips containing the active circuitry of the processor are stacked on top of each other. In this structure, electrical signals are passed vertically through the chips via thermomigrated aluminum feedthroughs. Signals are passed between adjacent chips by micro-interconnects. This discussion presents a broad view of the total effort, as well as a more detailed treatment of the fabrication and packaging technologies themselves. The results of performance simulations of the completed 3-D processor executing a variety of algorithms are also presented. Of particular pertinence to the interests of the focal-plane array community is the simulation of the UNICORNS nonuniformity correction algorithms as executed by the 3-D architecture.© (1981) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Microwave-sensitive faraday rotation in the magnesium oxide F band

Abstract A double resonance method combining Faraday rotation and electron spin resonance is used to verify the location of the F center band in MgO at 2500 A. The sign of the paramagnetic fraction of the Verdet constant is shown to be the same as that in alkali halide F centers. An estimate of 30 cm-1 is made for the excited state spin-orbit coupling.
The expansion-undation hypothesis for geotectonic evolution

Abstract A review of the available geological, experimental and theoretical evidence shows that the hightemperature creep of a polycrystalline solid such as the mantle is nonlinear and very close to ideal plasticity. Viscous (Newtonian) convection currents cannot therefore be regarded as a realistic geodynamic process. Thermal considerations indicate that the earth has undergone a radial expansion of at least 100 km (but not more than a few hundred km) since the formation of the oldest datable rocks (3.5·109 years). This expansion has been slowing down in time. The structural unit that has been actively expanding is the interior, where heat accumulates, while the outer shell, a few hundred km thick, has been subject to a tensional deviatoric stress field. Consequently, a condition of plastic instability has developed in the outer shell, which has originated elongated tensile features. This process accounts for the formation of some new crust, but not in the amount required by the continental drift hypothesis. Also, plastic convection can take place in the rheosphere (100–400 km of depth), where the ductility is locally increased by thermal and/or chemical factors. However, the convection pattern indicates that this is a local phenomenon unlikely to affect material outside a few mobile belts in the tectonosphere. Continental drift, accordingly, can be brought about only by a decoupling of the lithosphere from its substratum. The simplest way in which horizontal displacements can be accomplished is by the action of the force of gravity (gravity megatectonics). The required slope at the surface of decoupling is very small (less than 1 4 of a degree), and undations at the lithosphere-rheosphere boundary can be originated by a variety of processes. The equality between oceanic and continental heat flow, which is the main obstacle to the continental drift hypothesis, can be reconciled with it if the continents have a thermal blanketing effect on the underlying mantle. Thus, it appears that lithospheric plate drifting is physically possible. This conclusion, however, merely establishes a possibility, and claims that the problems of global tectonics have been “solved” have not yet been substantiated.
Simulating the impact of regulatory changes on electric utilities

This paper illustrates the use of a computer simulation model of the electric utility industry by examining the model's behavior under different regulatory conditions. The paper describes the model's structure, behavior, and limitations, and examines several ongoing efforts to deal with the limitations. The first of the three models (entitled ELECTRIC1) simulates the planning, financing, operation, and price regulation of the industry. The model assumes that the industry builds and operates a single type of generating capacity to meet the demand for power. In the ELECTRIC2 model, generating capacity is disaggregated into hydro, oil and gas, coal, and nuclear in order to represent substituting one fuel for another. ELECTRIC3 deals with the problems of sulfur dioxide emissions from coal-fired boilers. Since the models build upon one another, the ELECTRIC3 model contains all of the elements of the other two models. For simplicity, however, the description in this paper is limited to the ELECTRIC1 model.
Histologically normal human mammary epithelia with silenced p16INK4a overexpress COX-2, promoting a premalignant program

Breast tissue from healthy women contains variant mammary epithelial cells (vHMEC) exhibiting p16INK4a promoter hypermethylation both in vivo and in vitro. When continuously cultured, vHMEC acquire telomeric dysfunction and produce the types of chromosomal abnormalities seen in premalignant lesions of cancer. We find that late passage vHMEC express elevated prostaglandin cyclo-oxygenase 2 (COX-2), which contributes to increased prostaglandin synthesis, angiogenic activity, and invasive ability. These data demonstrate the existence of human mammary epithelial cells with the potential to acquire multiple genomic alterations and phenotypes associated with malignant cells. Moreover, COX-2 overexpression coincides with focal areas of p16INK4a hypermethylation in vivo, creating ideal candidates as precursors to breast cancer. These putative precursors can be selectively eliminated upon exposure to COX-2 inhibitors in vitro.
Nosocomial candiduria: a review

Fungal infections of the urinary tract, especially those caused by Candida species, are becoming increasingly common. Often the line between Candida colonization and infection is blurred. Diagnosis typically depends on the discovery of pyuria with high colony Candida counts in the urine. To date, there have been few studies to have addressed treatment regimens for patients with candiduria. Fluconazole has become a mainstay of therapy; however, questions regarding when to treat, whom to treat, and how long to treat are still largely unanswered. Asymptomatic nosocomial candiduria does not frequently require treatment intervention, because morbidity is low and ascending infection and candidemia are rare complications. Treatment decisions are driven by an understanding of the anatomic site of infection. For Candida cystitis, the first-line treatment is fluconazole, given orally. Ascending pyelonephritis usually requires the administration of a systemic antifungal agent and often requires correction of the obstruction or surgical drainage. More research is needed to define diagnostic criteria and therapeutic pathways. This review will attempt to summarize the state of the art of diagnosis and management of candiduria.
Effect of Cafeteria Diet History on Cue-, Pellet-Priming-, and Stress-Induced Reinstatement of Food Seeking in Female Rats

Background Relapse to unhealthy eating habits is a major problem in human dietary treatment. The individuals most commonly seeking dietary treatment are overweight or obese women, yet the commonly used rat reinstatement model to study relapse to palatable food seeking during dieting primarily uses normal-weight male rats. To increase the clinical relevance of the relapse to palatable food seeking model, here we pre-expose female rats to a calorically-dense cafeteria diet in the home-cage to make them overweight prior to examining the effect of this diet history on cue-, pellet-priming- and footshock-induced reinstatement of food seeking. Methods Post-natal day 32 female Long-Evans rats had seven weeks of home-cage access to either chow only or daily or intermittent cafeteria diet alongside chow. Next, they were trained to self-administer normally preferred 45 mg food pellets accompanied by a tone-light cue. After extinction, all rats were tested for reinstatement induced by discrete cue, pellet-priming, and intermittent footshock under extinction conditions. Results Access to daily cafeteria diet and to a lesser degree access to intermittent cafeteria diet decreased food pellet self-administration compared to chow-only. Prior history of these cafeteria diets also reduced extinction responding, cue- and pellet-priming-induced reinstatement. In contrast, modest stress-induced reinstatement was only observed in rats with a history of daily cafeteria diet. Conclusion A history of cafeteria diet does not increase the propensity for cue- and pellet-priming-induced relapse in the rat reinstatement model but does appear to make rats more susceptible to footshock stress-induced reinstatement.
Guaranteed fillet weld geometry from heat transfer model and multivariable optimization

Abstract Numerical heat transfer models of gas metal arc (GMA) fillet welding do not always predict correct temperature fields and fusion zone geometry. The inaccuracy results, to a large extent, due to the difficulty in correctly specifying several input parameters such as arc efficiency from scientific principles. In order to address this problem, a heat transfer model is combined with an optimization algorithm to determine several uncertain welding parameters from a limited volume of experimental data. The resulting smart model guarantees optimized prediction of weld pool penetration, throat and leg-length within the framework of phenomenological laws. A boundary fitted coordinate system was used to account for the complex fusion zone shape. The weld pool surface profile was calculated by minimizing the total surface energy. Apart from the direct transport of heat from the welding arc, heat transfer from the metal droplets was modeled considering a volumetric heat source. The Levenberg–Marquardt and two versions of conjugate gradient method were used to calculate the optimized values of unknown parameters. An appropriate objective function that represented the difference between the calculated and experimental values of the penetration, throat and leg-length was minimized. The calculated shape and size of the fusion zone, finger penetration characteristic of the GMA welds and the solidified free surface profile were in fair agreement with the experimental results for various welding conditions.
Abstract 583: Physiological concentrations of genistein reduced ER-α promoter methylation and increased ER-α expression in prostate cancer cells

Proceedings: AACR 103rd Annual Meeting 2012‐‐ Mar 31‐Apr 4, 2012; Chicago, IL Prostate cancer is the most common malignancy and the second leading cause of cancer death among men in the United States. The lower incidence and mortality rates of prostate cancer in Asian population were correlated to the high dietary consumption of isoflavone-rich soy. One of the most abundant and potent isoflavones in soy is genistein which has an estradiol like structure and high affinity to estrogen receptor-α (ER-α). It has been suggested that genistein exerts its anti-cancer effects through binding to ER-α, the later has anti-proliferative and pro-apoptotic effects in prostate cancer. ER-α is mainly expressed in prostate epithelial cells and is downregulated in localized prostate cancer with increasing grade from Prostatic Intraepithelial Neoplasia (PIN) through low to high Gleason grade. This expression pattern supports the notion of a tumor suppressor role of ER-α. Therefore, ER-α agonists may be potential chemopreventive and therapeutic agents for prostate cancer. One of the mechanisms by which ER-α is suppressed in prostate cancer is promoter methylation, the extent of which correlates with the ER-α expression level which in turn may be linked to the degree of aggressiveness of prostate cancer. We examined the effects of physiological range of genistein concentrations (0.5, 1, and 10µM) on ER-α promoter methylation and ER-α expression in LNCaP, LAPC-4, and PC-3 prostate cancer cells that exhibit various basal levels of ER-α expression. We demonstrated for the first time that genistein caused a significant dose-dependent reduction in ER-α promoter methylation in LNCaP and LAPC-4 cells, using methylation specific PCR. There was a corresponding dose-related increase in ER-α mRNA and protein levels in these two cell lines assayed by quantitative RT-PCR and immunoblotting, respectively. However, ER-α expression levels and ER-α promoter methylation were not changed in PC-3 cells, which could be attributed to the low basal level of ER-α promoter methylation and the high basal level of ER-α expression in this cell line. These findings suggest that physiological concentrations of genistein is capable of reactivating tumor suppressor pathways by reversing ER-α promoter methylation with a subsequent restoration of the level of ER-α expression in prostate cancer cells that have higher basal levels of methylation. (Supported in part by Grant No. CA116195) Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 583. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-583
A role of GABAA receptors in hypoxia-induced conduction failure of neonatal rat spinal dorsal column axons.

GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) depresses axonal conduction in neonatal dorsal columns. GABA released by injured spinal neurons may diffuse to white matter and contribute to secondary axonal damage. We studied the effects of hypoxia and GABAA receptor blockade on dorsal column conduction in vitro. The experiments compared the effects of hypoxia on longitudinally hemisected spinal cords and isolated neonatal dorsal columns. Before hypoxia, electrical stimulation elicited robust conducted compound action potentials in both isolated dorsal columns and hemicords. The tissues were superfused for 120 min with a hypoxic Ringer's solution saturated with 95% N2 and 5% CO2, followed by oxygenated Ringer's solution for 90 min. Isolated dorsal columns were remarkably insensitive to hypoxia. Response amplitudes fell by only 11 +/- 7% (n = 5) during hypoxia. In hemicords, however, hypoxia reduced response amplitudes by 56 +/- 16% (n = 5, mean +/- S.E.M.) and re-oxygenation did not restore response amplitude. We applied bicucullin (10(-5) M) to block GABAA receptors in the hemicords during hypoxia. Response amplitudes in bicucullin-treated hemicords fell by only 3 +/- 9% (n = 5) during hypoxia but declined 31 +/- 5% during re-oxygenation. These results suggest that endogenous GABA released from gray matter contributes to hypoxia-induced dorsal-column conduction failure.
On-site hospital helipads: resource document for the NAEMSP position paper on on-site hospital helipads.

AbstrastThe purpose of this article is to address the question of helipad location for hospitals using helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS). A helipad is defined as off-site, or remote, if a ground ambulance is required for patient transport between the helicopter and the hospital's patient care area. On-site helipads are those for which no ground ambulance transport is required between the hospital and the helicopter. The article describes the attributes of on-site helipads, which include elimination of the inherent risks of additional patient transfers, enhanced availability of emergency medical services (EMS) resources that would otherwise be used for extra transfer, and decreased time to arrival at the receiving treatment site. It is acknowledged that helipad placement decisions are informed by non–patient care issues and a paucity of research. Nevertheless, when the choice is viewed from a patient care perspective, there is a clear preference for on-site helipad location.
DNA synthesis in isolated resting nuclei: evidence for protease-dependent nonreplicative nucleotide incorporation.

Abstract We have used an in vitro assay to study the induction of DNA synthesis by cytoplasmic extracts from the actively growing cell line Molt 4 in nuclei isolated from quiescent human lymphocytes. The TTP incorporation which takes place in these nuclei has been shown to be inhibitable by serine protease inhibitors, particularly aprotinin. This DNA synthesis has also been proposed to reflect the initiation of true DNA replication; however, we find evidence that much, if not most, of this incorporation is due to nonreplicative synthesis initiated on primer templates formed by calcium-dependent activation of the nuclear chromatin substrate. The principal DNA polymerase supplied by the Molt 4 extract appears to be polymerase α and the results show that the activated chromatin is a substrate for purified bacterial DNA polymerases. DNA synthesis is significantly enhanced by preincubation at 37 °C in the presence of calcium, and the almost complete inhibition of DNA synthesis induced by extracts or bacterial polymerases in the presence of T4 ligase suggests that this chromatin activation involves calcium-dependent endonucleases. Nevertheless, DNA synthesis in the isolated nuclei, with both Molt 4 extracts and bacterial polymerases, is substantially inhibited by addition of serine protease inhibitors, with aprotinin the most potent of those tested on a molar basis. Thus, the results suggest that specific proteolytic activity is required before nicked or damaged nuclear DNA can serve as an acceptable substrate for DNA polymerase activity.
Influence of Non-Functionalized and Functionalized MWCNTs on Mechanical and Thermal Properties of Epoxy Composites

In this work, SC-15 epoxy resin was modified using 0.1–0.3 wt. % of non-functionalized and functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) using conventional and solvent based methods. A high-intensity ultrasonic liquid processor was used to disperse MWCNTs in solvent and to obtain a homogeneous molecular mixture of epoxy resin and MWCNTs. Viscosity, dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA), tensile and flexure tests were performed on unfilled and 0.1–0.3 wt. % MWCNTs filled SC-15 epoxy. Preliminary results indicate increase in viscosity with increase in MWCNTs wt. % loading and 0.2 wt. % MWCNTs epoxy samples showed the highest improvement in tensile and flexural properties as compared to the neat system. DMA studies also revealed that 0.2 wt. % doped system exhibit the highest storage modulus and Tg as compared to neat and other loading percentages. TGA results show that amino functionalized MWCNTs samples are more thermally stable.Copyright © 2010 by ASME
Modeling metacognition for learning in artificial systems

Evidence suggests that metacognition—the ability to monitor the cognitive processes and regulate them—exists not only in humans but also in some animals. In nature, humans and animals use metacognition to self-regulate their learning process. This paper gathers evidence of metacognition in nature from research in various disciplines. It also shows how metacognition can be modeled in artificial systems and how the model is applied in an Air Traffic Control Simulator system.
Sparc Protein Is Required for Normal Growth of Zebrafish Otoliths

Otoliths and the homologous otoconia in the inner ear are essential for balance. Their morphogenesis is less understood than that of other biominerals, such as bone, and only a small number of their constituent proteins have been characterized. As a novel approach to identify unknown otolith proteins, we employed shotgun proteomics to analyze crude extracts from trout and catfish otoliths. We found three proteins that had not been associated previously with otolith or otoconia formation: ‘Secreted acidic cysteine rich glycoprotein’ (Sparc), an important bone protein that binds collagen and Ca2+; precerebellin-like protein, which contains a C1q domain and may associate with the collagenous otolin-1 during its assembly into a framework; and neuroserpin, a serine protease inhibitor that may regulate local protease activity during framework assembly. We then used the zebrafish to investigate whether Sparc plays a role in otolith morphogenesis. Immunodetection demonstrated that Sparc is a true constituent of otoliths. Knockdown of Sparc expression in morphant zebrafish resulted in four principal types of defective otoliths: smaller, extra and ectopic, missing and fused, or completely absent. Smaller size was the predominant phenotype and independent of the severity of otic-vesicle defects. These results suggested that Sparc is directly required for normal otolith growth.
Diagnosis of Right Atrial Metastatic Melanoma by Transesophageal Echocardiographic-Guided Transvenous Biopsy

Traditionally, tissue diagnosis of malignant melanoma metastatic to the heart necessitated thoracotomy or was done at autopsy. More recently, right or left ventricular endomyocardial biopsy under fluoro-scopic guidance has been used to confirm metastatic involvement of the heart by various neoplasms including malignant melanoma; results have been excellent, and morbidity has been low. High-quality images of intracardiac masses with excellent anatomic details can be obtained by transesophageal echocardiog-raphy. Herein we describe a 73-year-old man with a history of malignant melanoma in whom cardiac metastatic involvement was documented by percutaneous transesophageal echocardiographic-guided transvenous biopsy of a right atrial mass; thus, the need for a more invasive approach to tissue documentation was avoided.
Measurement of prompt neutron fission yield (v̄p) in thermal neutron fission of 232U, 238Pu, 241Pu, 241Am, 242mAm, 243Cm, 245Cm and in spontaneous fission of 244Cm

Abstract The prompt neutron fission yield (v p ) has been measured in thermal neutron fission of 232 U, 238 Pu, 241 Pu, 241 Am, 242m Am, 243 Cm, 245 Cm and in the spontaneous fission of 244 Cm. A coincidence method yielded ratios to the v p values of the standards 233 U, 235 U, 239 Pu and 252 Cf, with fission fragments detected in an ionization chamber at close to 100 % efficiency, and with fission neutrons detected using four ZnS(Ag) methyl methacrylate discs (Hornyak buttons). The small variation of neutron detection efficiency with fission neutron spectrum differences was calibrated with the four standard nucleides.
Modeling ionization and recombination from low energy nuclear recoils in liquid argon

Coherent neutrino-nucleus scattering (CNNS) is an as-yet undetected, flavor-independent neutrino interaction predicted by the Standard Model. CNNS is a flavor-blind interaction, which offers potential benefits for its use in nonproliferation (nuclear reactor monitoring) and astrophysics (supernova and solar neutrinos) applications. One challenge with detecting CNNS is the low energy deposition associated with a typical CNNS nuclear recoil. In addition, nuclear recoils are predicted to result in lower ionization yields than those produced by electron recoils of the same energy. This ratio of nuclear- and electron-induced ionization, known as the nuclear quenching factor, is unknown at energies typical for CNNS interactions in liquid xenon (LXe) and liquid argon (LAr), detector media being considered for CNNS detection. While there have been recent measurements [1] of the ionization yield from nuclear recoils in LAr, there is no universal model for nuclear quenching and ionization yield. For this reason, a Monte Carlo simulation has been developed to predict the ionization yield at sub-10 keV energies. The local ionization yield of a recoiling atom in the medium is calculated first. The ejected electrons are subsequently tracked in the electric field resulting from both the local electric charges and the externally applied drift field. The dependencemore » of the ionization yield on the drift electric field is obtained by combining the calculated ionization yield for the initial collision cascade with the electron escape probability. An updated estimate of the CNNS signal expected in a LAr detector operated near a nuclear power reactor is presented.« less
Vertical distributions and diel migrations of Euthecosomata in the northwest Sargasso Sea

Vertical distributions and seasonal variations in abundance of nine abundant or frequent pteropod species or subspecies in the northwest Sargasso Sea are described. Factor analyses yielded two groups, diel migrators and non-migrators. In terms of water column abundances, tows taken in August and November are similar, as are tows in December and April. Most species show significant within-species agreement in depth distribution over the year but high variability in abundance. Regression analyses using environmental parameters as independent variables show significant correlations of species abundances with temperature.
Equilibrium particle morphologies in elastically stressed coherent solids

Abstract We determine the three-dimensional equilibrium shapes of particles with a purely dilatational misfit in an elastically anisotropic medium with cubic symmetry. We have identified a succession of cuboidal shapes with four-fold rotational symmetry that minimize the total energy of the system. In the process of determining these equilibrium morphologies, we have also developed a computationally efficient approach to determine the equilibrium shape which is many orders of magnitude faster than a standard implementation of Newton's method. For small elastic stress a (100) cross-section of the three-dimensional equilibrium shape agrees well with the two-dimensional calculation. However, for larger values of the elastic stress, the agreement is not as good. Elastic-stress-induced configurational forces are identified as the reason for the non-spherical equilibrium shapes.
Perspectives on anti-CD47 antibody treatment for experimental cancer.

In PNAS, an article by Tseng et al. continues to examine an important and unique therapeutic manipulation that controls the growth of tumor cells in mice (1). This manipulation consists of using a monoclonal antibody specific to the membrane protein CD47 to block its biological activity: blocking CD47 reduces tumor growth by enabling macrophages to phagocytose the cancer cells (2⇓–4). In this study, a previously undescribed effect of the anti-CD47 antibody treatment is reported, which is that it results in the activation of the CD8 set of T lymphocytes, a set important for the killing of tumor cells.
U.S. women physicians' residential radon testing practices.

Abstract Introduction: These analyses were designed to elucidate U.S. physicians’ perception of residential radon risk, as measured by the prevalence of residential radon testing using a representative sample of U.S. women physicians from the Women Physicians’ Health Study database. In addition, characteristics of women physicians who were more likely to have conducted a residential radon test were identified. Methods: A random sample ( n = 4,501 respondents) of U.S. women physicians aged 30 to 70 was obtained in the Women Physicians’ Health Study. Analyses were conducted using SUDAAN. Results: The overall prevalence of residential radon testing among respondents was 18%, 2- to 6-fold higher than any estimate of residential radon testing in the general population. The strongest relationship with radon testing observed through logistic regression was with marital status; age, ethnicity, and region of residence were also related. Conclusion: This study demonstrates that although U.S. women physicians are more likely to have conducted a personal residential radon test than the general population, 82% report not having done so. Increasing the awareness of physicians about the health risks associated with prolonged radon exposure will be essential if they are to play a role in addressing this important public health problem.
Autonomic Innervation and Regulation of the Immune System (1987-2007)

Since 1987, only a few neuroanatomical studies have been conducted to identify the origin of innervation for the immune system. These studies demonstrated that all primary and secondary immune organs receive a substantial sympathetic innervation from sympathetic postganglionic neurons. Neither the thymus nor spleen receive any sensory neural innervation; however, there is evidence that lymph nodes and bone marrow may be innervated by sensory neurons located in dorsal root ganglia. There is no neuroanatomical evidence for a parasympathetic or vagal nerve supply to any immune organ. Thus, the primary pathway for the neural regulation of immune function is provided by the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) and its main neurotransmitter, norepinephrine (NE). Activation of the SNS primarily inhibits the activity of cells associated with the innate immune system, while it either enhances or inhibits the activity of cells associated with the acquired/adaptive immune system. Innate immune cells express both alpha and beta-adrenergic receptor subtypes, while T and B lymphocytes express adrenergic receptors of the beta2 subtype exclusively, except for murine Th2 cells that lack expression of any subtype. Via these adrenergic receptors, NE is able to regulate the level of immune cell activity by initiating a change in the level of cellular activity, which often involves a change in the level of gene expression for cytokines and antibodies.
Single-particle oxidation state and morphology of atmospheric iron aerosols

Sixty-three iron-containing particles from five field campaigns (PELTI, ACE-Asia, MILAGRO (urban location and aloft on NCAR C-130), INTEX-B) were characterized with scanning transmission X-ray microscopy and near-edge X-Ray absorption fine structure L-edge spectroscopy (NEXAFS-STXM). Particle sizes ranged from 0.2 to 4.5 mu m and were found in many types of morphologies. Iron was found to exist in many different oxidation states with average Fe(II) to Fe( II) + Fe(III) ratios ranging from 0.0 to 0.73. Twenty-two inclusions and six agglomerations were found. For 29 particles, concurrent (spatially resolved) carbon K-edge absorption spectra were collected; X-ray images suggest that in some instances, there are clear phase barriers between iron and carbonaceous regions in agglomerations and irregular particles. Occurrences of Fe(II) fractions and organic functional group abundances among particles appeared primarily in two clusters, one group high in both values and the other low in both, though consistent correlations between the two variables within each particle were not observed. The reduced form of iron on particle surfaces was observed in 16 particles, possibly suggesting atmospheric processing. For this limited set of particles, neither inferred particle source nor surface processing was by itself a strong predictor of overall Fe(II) fraction, indicating that both are important for variables contributing to the observed Fe(II) fraction in the atmosphere. In addition, seven spherical particles from the ACE-Asia campaign showed an iron shell with an absence of iron toward the core. These particles have carbon spectra characteristics consistent with tarballs described by Posfai et al. (2004), Hand et al. (2005), and Tivanski et al. (2007), which were previously identified as homogeneous carbon spherules. In this work, NEXAFS-STXM has detected heterogeneities in iron distribution and redox state over individual particles, showing the existence of a variety of types of iron particles in the atmosphere. Such information can be useful in improving models of iron particles, including deposition and fate in seawater.
THE IMPACT OF AUTHORITY STRUCTURE, INCENTIVE STRUCTURE, AND COMMUNICATION MODE ON GROUP DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEM USE

In today's virtual organizations, the type of communication mode that individuals use to interact with others may influence their decision outcomes and the information they exchange with others. The information that the individuals exchange is often influenced by their incentive structures, the type of communication mode, and the nature of the authority structure in their group. This paper reports the results of a set of experiments in which the groups work on a mixed-motive negotiation task under different types of incentive structures, authority structures, and communication modes. The experimental study consists of a 2 × 2 × 2 factorial design. The results suggest that proper design of incentive structures and embedding these incentives into Group Decision Support System (GDSS) features is critical to the successful utilization of GDSS for virtual groups engaged in a mixed-motive negotiation task.
Structures located at the levels of the Z bands in mouse ventricular myocardial cells.

Abstract Within ventricular myocardial cells of the mouse, the myoplasmic regions located immediately adjacent to the Z lines of the sarcomeres contain a variety of structures. These include: (1) transversely oriented 10 nm (‘intermediate’) filaments that apparently contribute to the cytoskeleton of the myocardial cell; (2) the majority of the transverse elements of the T-axial tubular system; (3) specialized segments of the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) that are closely apposed to the sarcolemma or T-axial tubules (junctional SR); (4) ‘extended junctional SR’ (‘corbular SR’) that exists free of association with the cell membrane; (5) ‘Z tubules’ of SR that are intimately apposed to the Z line substance; and (6) leptofibrils. In addition, fasciae adherentes supplant Z lines where myofibrils insert into the transverse borders (intercalated discs) of the cells. The concentration of these myocardial components at the level of the Z lines suggests that a particular specialization of structural and physiological activities exists in the Z-level regions of the myoplasm. In particular, it appears that the combination of intermediate filaments, T tubules, and Z-level SR elements forms a series of parallel planar bodies that extend across each myocardial cell to impart transverse rigidity. The movement and compartmentation of calcium ion (Ca 2+ ) would seem especially active near the Z lines of the myofibrils, in view of the preferential location there of Ca 2+ -sequestering myocardial structures such as T tubules, junctional SR, extended junctional SR and Z tubules.
Input Admittance of Cathode-Follower Amplifiers

General expressions are derived for the input admittance, conductance, and susceptance of a cathode-follower amplifier, and curves are given that show the effect of frequency and circuit parameters upon the input conductance and the effective input capacitance for typical values of plate resistance, transconductance, and interelectrode capacitances. The analysis shows that a capacitance shunting the load resistance of a cathode-follower amplifier may result in a negative input conductance. If the load capacitance is of the order of magnitude of the interelectrode capacitance or greater, this negative conductance is of the order of 5 × 10-4mho at frequencies at which ωC gk is of the order of 2 × 10-3mho and above. For typical values of C gk this value of ωC gk corresponds to frequencies of the order of 50 megacycles and above. Negative conductance of this magnitude may readily cause oscillations in the input circuit unless preventive measures are taken. A number of such measures are discussed.
Management of Coronary Heart Disease Risk Factors and Progression with Calcium Channel Blockers

The death rate from coronary heart disease (CHD) declined by 25% in the United States during 1987-1997, but the actual number of deaths fell by only 9%. Modifiable risk factors for CHD include hypertension, elevated low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, reduced high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, cigarette smoking, and diabetes. Several randomized clinical trials demonstrated that calcium channel blockers reduce the frequency of strokes in patients with hypertension, with particular benefit observed in patients with both hypertension and diabetes. Results of a meta-analysis suggest that calcium channel blockers are similar to beta-blockers in preventing death or myocardial infarction and in improving exercise tolerance among patients with established CHD. In addition, amlodipine, a long-acting dihydropyridine, was reported to reduce nonfatal vascular events and major vascular procedures in patients with angina. Ongoing clinical trials are comparing amlodipine with an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor for slowing the onset and progression of coronary artery plaque and cardiovascular events.
In situ studies of the effect of silicon on GaN growth modes

Abstract We present real-time X-ray scattering studies of the influence of silicon on the homoepitaxial growth mode of GaN grown by metal-organic vapor-phase epitaxy. Both annealing of Si-doped GaN and surface dosing of GaN with disilane are shown to change the mode of subsequent growth from step-flow to layer-by-layer. By comparing the growth behavior induced by doped layers which have been annealed to that induced by surface dosing, we extract an approximate diffusion coefficient for Si in GaN of 3.5 ×10 −18 cm 2 / s at 810°C.