cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Differential effects of hydroxyurea and zileuton on interleukin-13 secretion by activated murine spleen cells: implication on the expression of vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 and vasoocclusion in sickle cell anemia.

Abstract Background Interleukin-13 (IL-13), a TH2 cytokine, upregulates the expression of vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 on endothelial cells, a factor involved in vasoocclusion in sickle cell disease (SCD). Hydroxyurea improves clinical status of SCD patients in part by induction of fetal hemoglobin. Its effect on IL-13 secretion has not been investigated. Objective To determine whether hydroxyurea and zileuton, a hydroxyurea derivative with antiinflammatory properties, affect IL-13 secretion. Methods We measured IL-13 in the supernatant of murine spleen cells incubated without and with hydroxyurea, zileuton (10 μg/ml), concanavalin A (2.5 μg/ml), and anti-CD3 (50 ng/ml) ( n = 8). Results Hydroxyurea and zileuton do not affect baseline IL-13 secretion. Unexpectedly, hydroxyurea increases IL-13 levels above baseline (120%, 216.5%, [ p p p p Conclusion Data suggest that hydroxyurea up-regulates IL-13 secretion in anti-CD3-activated lymphocytes through gene activation but not by altered cell proliferation. Increased IL-13 secretion may contribute to unresponsiveness of certain SCD patients to hydroxyurea. The potential benefit of zileuton in the management of vasoocclusion is discussed.
A satisfactory benefit cost indicator from contingent valuation

Abstract Standard economic concepts are used to develop a model of individual behavior when subject to the constraints of the contingent valuation choice context. The model yields refutable consequences that are consistent with previously reported empirical findings, including some that have been thought to be anomalous. The model is used to show that different contingent valuation formats have predictably different performance characteristics. Notably, the Hicksian compensating measures are satisfactory benefit cost indicators when elicited using any one of several formats identified in the text. Of the formats examined, one form of a policy referendum appears to have the most satisfactory characteristics. Overall, we conclude that contingent valuation is a progressing research program.
Integrating bathymetry, topography, and shoreline, and the importance of vertical datums

NOS/NOAA has developed a vertical datum transformation tool, VDatum, which allows transformation of bathymetric and topographic elevation among 28 different orthometric, ellipsoid/3-D, and tidal datums. This tool is based on the latest geoid, ellipsoid, and tidal hydrodynamic models. A national vertical datum transformation database ("National VDatum") is being developed and populated by NOS, and a major effort remaining is the tidal modeling of every bay and estuary in the US, plus some refinements of the geoid model in Alaska. The use of VDatum will be a cornerstone of the new way that NOS will acquire, handle and process bathymetric and shoreline data and efficiently use these data to produce NOAA nautical chart and electronic vector products and to support coastal resource managers. Some applications for which National VDatum is critical include: (1) the sharing of geospatial data among NOAA, USGS, FEMA, NIMA, and other federal and state agencies, which datum incompatibilities have limited in the past; (2) the implementation of a full National Bathy/Topo Program with the U.S. Geological Survey, VDatum being required for the blending of NOAA's bathymetric data with USGS's topographic data; (3) the measurement of consistently defined MHW shoreline from RTK-GPS-referenced Lidar elevation data from the intertidal zone, transformed with VDatum to the MHW datum, with the zero line then being the shoreline; (4) meeting local coastal user needs for being able to blend their bathymetric and topographic data with that obtained by other groups; local users are requesting a National VDatum for this reason; (5) the implementation of a seamless National Bathymetric Database, using VDatum to transform all historical data sets to a common datum (MLLW); (6) improving the efficiency and accuracy of RTK-GPS-referenced hydrographic surveys by eliminating the need for simultaneous tide installations, settlement/squat corrections, and time-consuming post processing; (7) the ability to use high-quality 3/sup rd/-party bathymetric data in NOAA nautical chart products, with VDatum solving the datum incompatibility problems that have prevented this; (8) marine boundary applications; and (9) the ability to link with creation of GIS layers and digital elevation models required for habitat restoration projects.
Public Computing - Challenges and Solutions

Yi Pan is the chair and a professor in the Department of Computer Science and a professor in the Department of Computer Information Systems at Georgia State University. Dr. Pan received his B.Eng. and M.Eng. degrees in computer engineering from Tsinghua University, China, in 1982 and 1984, respectively, and his Ph.D. degree in computer science from the University of Pittsburgh, USA, in 1991.
Low-contrast lesion detection in tomosynthetic breast imaging using a realistic breast phantom

Tomosynthesis mammography is a potentially valuable technique for detection of breast cancer. In this simulation study, we investigate the efficacy of three different tomographic reconstruction methods, EM, SART and Backprojection, in the context of an especially difficult mammographic detection task. The task is the detection of a very low-contrast mass embedded in very dense fibro-glandular tissue - a clinically useful task for which tomosynthesis may be well suited. The project uses an anatomically realistic 3D digital breast phantom whose normal anatomic variability limits lesion conspicuity. In order to capture anatomical object variability, we generate an ensemble of phantoms, each of which comprises random instances of various breast structures. We construct medium-sized 3D breast phantoms which model random instances of ductal structures, fibrous connective tissue, Cooper's ligaments and power law structural noise for small scale object variability. Random instances of 7-8 mm irregular masses are generated by a 3D random walk algorithm and placed in very dense fibro-glandular tissue. Several other components of the breast phantom are held fixed, i.e. not randomly generated. These include the fixed breast shape and size, nipple structure, fixed lesion location, and a pectoralis muscle. We collect low-dose data using an isocentric tomosynthetic geometry at 11 angles over 50 degrees and add Poisson noise. The data is reconstructed using the three algorithms. Reconstructed slices through the center of the lesion are presented to human observers in a 2AFC (two-alternative-forced-choice) test that measures detectability by computing AUC (area under the ROC curve). The data collected in each simulation includes two sources of variability, that due to the anatomical variability of the phantom and that due to the Poisson data noise. We found that for this difficult task that the AUC value for EM (0.89) was greater than that for SART (0.83) and Backprojection (0.66).
Urethral catheter removal prior to hospital discharge following radical prostatectomy

Abstract Objectives To investigate the feasibility of early catheter removal following radical prostatectomy. Methods Fifty-eight consecutive patients underwent radical prostatectomy, with intent of early catheter removal. Catheter removal was based on postoperative cystograms performed on postoperative day (POD) 3 or 4. Charts were retrospectively reviewed and patients were contacted by phone and specifically questioned regarding continence and bladder control. Results Fifty-one patients (87.9%) had a cystogram performed on POD 3 or 4. In 43 patients (74.1%), the catheter was successfully removed prior to hospital discharge. Eight patients experienced either early or late complications (excluding incontinence); these included 3 patients with a superficial wound infection, 2 patients with hematuria requiring reinsertion of a urethral catheter, 1 patient with a spontaneous pneumothorax, 1 patient who developed a deep vein thrombosis and lymphocele, and 1 patient with a bladder neck contracture. Urinary continence was reported as excellent to good in 86% of the patients at a mean followup of 17.4 months. Three patients (5%) underwent placement of an artificial urinary sphincter. Conclusions Catheter removal prior to hospital discharge after radical prostatectomy is feasible without any increase in morbidity.
Effective constitutive parameters for anisotropic and compressible media

It is shown that the macroscopic electromagnetic properties of an anisotropic and compressible medium can be described by an effective permittivity tensor and an effective ‘compressivity tensor’. A new set of three governing equations can be written, which put the solution of electromagnetic problems in such a medium on a systematic basis. A new ‘pressure-displacement current’ is also defined.
A new hybrid quadratic/bisection algorithm for finding the zero of a nonlinear function without using derivatives

Abstract A new algorithm for finding the zero of a nonlinear function without using derivatives is presented here. The algorithm starts after an initial interval bracketing the zero has been established. We start with an initial bisection step. Using the two new interval points and the point just discarded, conditions for the applicability of inverse quadratic interpolation are checked. These conditions are systematically developed and derived in the paper. Inverse quadratic interpolation is used if applicable and bisection is used otherwise. The algorithm has been tried on several test functions and compared with Brent's algorithm for the same convergence criteria.
Ion Beam Irradiation Modifications of a Commercial Polyether Sulfone Water-Treatment Membrane

Environmental Context.The demand for more efficient and effective water-treatment processes is increasing. A popular method is the use of membrane filtration, to separate water from contaminants such as ions and microorganisms, however more selective membranes have a lower flux (permeate produced per unit area of membrane per unit time) and are more susceptible to fouling (an accumulation of surface-blocking materials). To aid flux and limit fouling, and thereby make membrane processes competitive with conventional technologies, a post-synthesis treatment is applied to alter the microstructure and surface of the water-treatment membrane. Abstract.A commercial polyether sulfone (PES) water-treatment membrane was modified by ion beam irradiation. Bench-scale cross-flow filtration experiments were conducted to investigate the transport properties and fouling potential of the modified membrane with respect to the four major constituents of raw water: monovalent cations, divalent cations, natural organic matter (NOM), and bacterial presence. Results indicated modification led to a reduction in the charge of the membrane, as observed by lower rejection of monovalent cations and increased cross-linking of divalent cations on the membrane’s surface, along with a hardening of membrane pores, as observed by increased organic matter removal. The most significant result was with respect to NOM fouling, which was shown to become more reversible.
Phosphorus addition reverses the positive effect of zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) on the toxic cyanobacterium, Microcystis aeruginosa

Abstract We tested the hypothesis that zebra mussels ( Dreissena polymorpha ) have positive effects on the toxin-producing cyanobacterium, Microcystis aeruginosa , at low phosphorus (P) concentrations, but negative effects on M. aeruginosa at high P, with a large-scale enclosure experiment in an oligotrophic lake. After three weeks, mussels had a significantly positive effect on M. aeruginosa at ambient P (total phosphorus, TP ∼10 μg L −1 ), and a significantly negative effect at high P (simulating a TP of ∼40 μg L −1 in lakes). Positive and negative effects were strong and very similar in magnitude. Thus, we were able to ameliorate a negative effect of Dreissena invasion on water quality (i.e., promotion of Microcystis ) by adding P to water from an oligotrophic lake. Our results are congruent with many field observations of Microcystis response to Dreissena invasion across ecosystems of varying P availability.
Local linear regression for estimating time series data

Predicting future performance based on past performance history is a task often undertaken by business process managers. Various statistical and analytical techniques, such as time series and neural network modeling, are available. However, these techniques require the availability of a long time series for the development of a predictive model. Local linear regression (LLR) is an additional nonparametric statistical method that can be used to estimate a time series response variable. The LLR technique does not require a long time series for the development of a predictive model. In fact, the LLR technique can be utilized for prediction once three data points have been collected from the business process. In this work, LLR was evaluated as a tool for predicting future values of process parameters based on historical values. If successful, the LLR technique could be applied in start-up conditions or used as an alternative in some situations to time series modeling. The LLR procedure outperformed traditional time series techniques for the example stationary data sets and had comparable results to the ARIMA model for the example seasonal data set. In addition the LLR technique uses the data that is currently available from a process as its basis for prediction, thus providing a dynamic predictive technique that can continue to function in the presence of process changes.
Mutually opposing forces during locomotion can eliminate the tradeoff between maneuverability and stability

A surprising feature of animal locomotion is that organisms typically produce substantial forces in directions other than what is necessary to move the animal through its environment, such as perpendicular to, or counter to, the direction of travel. The effect of these forces has been difficult to observe because they are often mutually opposing and therefore cancel out. Indeed, it is likely that these forces do not contribute directly to movement but may serve an equally important role: to simplify and enhance the control of locomotion. To test this hypothesis, we examined a well-suited model system, the glass knifefish Eigenmannia virescens, which produces mutually opposing forces during a hovering behavior that is analogous to a hummingbird feeding from a moving flower. Our results and analyses, which include kinematic data from the fish, a mathematical model of its swimming dynamics, and experiments with a biomimetic robot, demonstrate that the production and differential control of mutually opposing forces is a strategy that generates passive stabilization while simultaneously enhancing maneuverability. Mutually opposing forces during locomotion are widespread across animal taxa, and these results indicate that such forces can eliminate the tradeoff between stability and maneuverability, thereby simplifying neural control.
Evaluation of renal function in children with mitochondrial respiratory chain complex defect: usefulness of cystatin C.

Aim: Mitochondrial disorders with respiratory chain complex defect are known to show a broad spectrum of clinical phenotypes, though their contribution to renal disease has not received much attention. The aim of this study was to evaluate renal function using different markers of the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) in children with mitochondrial respiratory chain complex (MRC) defects. Methods: Twenty-two patients with MRC I defect confirmed by biochemical enzyme assays using muscle tissue, were evaluated for renal function with diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA) renal scintigraphy, urine creatinine clearance, serum creatinine (Scr) and cystatin C (Cys C) levels. Results: All patients showed lower levels within normal range of Scr (0.4–0.7 mg/dL, mean 0.47 mg/dL), and with no significant correlation with DTPA–GFR. Cys C showed significant correlation with DTPA–GFR (p < 0.01) providing higher diagnostic accuracy than creatinine in patients with MRC defect. Conclusion: In mitochondrial disorder with MRC defect, Scr could not fully reflect renal function due to the relatively small body mass of patients. Considering the limited clinical availability of DTPA renal scintigraphy, Cys C should be taken as the first step to evaluate GFR in mitochondrial disorders.
Intracellular pattern of nucleic acid in virus infection.

SummaryThe nucleic acid content per cell of chick livers was found to be unaltered as a consequence of infection with herpes virus. The distribution of the nucleic acid between ribosenucleic acid and deoxyribonucleic acid is the same in normal and infected tissues. The intracellular distribution of nucleic acids was determined and the data suggest a remarkable stability of the nucleus of the infected cell. Within the extent of the investigation, the nucleic acid pattern of the Ehrlich ascites tumor after infection with influenza virus was found to parallel that of the herpetic liver cell.
Structural organization and biological relevance of oscillatory parathyroid hormone secretion

Parathyroid gland secretory activity exhibits seasonal and circadian fluctuations, which are in synchrony with changes in serum calcium, phosphate, and bone turnover. In addition, an ultradian rhythm exists, which comprises seven pulses per hour, accounts for 30% of basal parathyroid hormone (PTH) release, and is highly sensitive to changes in ionized calcium. Acute hypocalcemia induces a selective, severalfold increase in pulse frequency and amplitude, whereas hypercalcemia suppresses the pulsatile secretion component, as does prolonged calcitriol therapy. Chronic renal failure is associated with a GFR dependent decrease in metabolic PTH clearance accounting for a two- to threefold increase in plasma PTH concentrations, a consistent increase of PTH burst mass and frequency, and a markedly reduced capacity to counteract changes in ionized calcium by modulation of pulsatile PTH release. Continuous PTH excess destroys bone, whereas intermittent administration of pharmacological doses of PTH improves bone morphology and strength in experimental and clinical settings. The molecular mechanisms of the exposure pattern dependent, contrasting biological effects of PTH may involve differential regulation of osteoblastic G protein signaling feedback circuits. In this context, calcimimetic and calcilytic agents are promising new therapeutic tools allowing for tight control of plasma PTH and restoration of circadian PTH rhythmicity.
Structural and optical properties of multi-stack InAs/GaAsSb quantum dots with different Sb composition

The impact of the Sb composition on the structural and optical properties of ten-stack InAs/GaAsSb quantum dots (QDs) were investigated using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high-resolution x-ray diffraction (XRD), and photoluminescence (PL). The TEM images demonstrate that the Sb composition affects the change in the QD density and morphology. From analysis of XRD reciprocal space maps (RSMs) of the (224) asymmetrical reflection, it is found that as the Sb composition increases the relaxation of the initial elastic stress of the GaAsSb increases up to 23 %. In addition, the Sb composition influences the interband optical transitions such as the PL peak redshift and carrier lifetimes.
Impact of trimester on morbidity of acute pyelonephritis in pregnancy

Objective We sought to compare maternal and neonatal morbidity as well as obstetric outcomes associated with pyelonephritis in pregnancy during the first compared to the second/third trimester. Study Design A retrospective cohort analysis was performed of all pregnant women admitted to a single tertiary care hospital between January 2004 and June 2007 with pyelonephritis. The primary outcome was length of hospitalization. The study had 80% power to detect a 1-day difference in length of stay. Results In all, 219 cases of acute pyelonephritis were identified: 23 diagnosed in the first trimester and 196 in the second/third trimester. Women were hospitalized for a median of 4 days in both the first (range, 2–7) and second/third (range, 2–9; P = .6) trimesters. Neonatal and obstetric outcomes were not statistically significant. Conclusion Maternal morbidity and obstetric outcomes do not differ between first- and second-/third-trimester pyelonephritis. First-trimester pyelonephritis should be aggressively treated to prevent adverse outcomes.
Career Awareness and Self‐Exploration (CASE) Groups: A Self‐Assessment Model for Career Decision Making

A small group program (CASE groups) for self-assessment is described and advantages to education undergraduates and counseling student group leaders are detailed.
Communication across Boundaries: Work, Structure, and Use of Communication Technologies in a Large Organization

Recent popular and theoretical literature emphasizes the significance of communication technology for collaboration and information sharing across organizational boundaries. We hypothesize that due to the collaborative nature of their work and the way they are organized in work groups, technical employees, as compared with administrative employees, will communicate laterally, and will use the telephone and email for this purpose. We studied technical and administrative employees in seven departments of a large telecommunications firm. From logs of communication over two days, we examined vertical and lateral communication inside and outside the chain of command and department, and the use of telephone, email, and voice mail for this communication. Technical employees did have more lateral communication than administrators did, but all lateral communication not just that of technical employees tended to be by telephone. Over 50% of employees' communication was extradepartmental; extradepartmental communication, like lateral communication, tended to be by telephone. When employees used asynchronous technology, technical employees used email whereas administrators, especially those at high levels, used voice. Differential boundary-crossing by technical and administrative employees could be explained in part by the flatter structure of the technical work groups. Our results are consistent with Powell Powell, W. W. 1990. Neither market nor hierarchy: Network forms of organization. Res. Organ. Behavior12295--336., Barley Barley, S. 1994. The turn to a horizontal division of labor: On the occupationalization of firms and the technization of work. National Center for the Educational Quality of the Workforce, University of Pennsylvania, available from author. and others who have argued that the rise of technical work and the horizontal organization of technical workers increases collaboration and nonhierarchical communication. Organizations can encourage communication flows across organizational boundaries by strengthening horizontal structures for technical workers, especially and supporting old and new technology use by all employees.
Neuronal basis of behavior in Tritonia. II. Relationship of muscular contraction to nerve impulse pattern

Recordings were made of the movements elicited in the body of Tritonia diomedia by direct intracellular stimulation of identified brain neurons, which have a motor command function. It was shown that the latency of a movement response decreases as the frequency of stimulation is increased in the range 1 Hz to 20 Hz. Over the same range, the speed of the response increases. The extent, and also the speed, of a movement are proportional to the total number of stimuli, but response speeds and magnitudes vary greatly at different times. The minimum latency, after deduction of conduction time, is 160 ms at 11 °C. It is concluded that the identified brain cells, which cause discrete movements, do so indirectly, by activating a peripheral nerve net which in turn excites the muscle fibers. The nerve net is the site of independent excitatory, inhibitory, and local reflex action.
Perturbation of orthonormal bases with an application to diagonalization

Given an orthonormal basis {e n } ∞ in a Hilbert spaceH, and a dense linear manifoldD⊂H, we show that there exists a unitary operatorV onH such thatI-V is a trace-class operator with arbitrarily small trace norm, andVe j∈D for allj. This result can be used to simplify certain arguments of J. Xia concerning the simultaneous diagonalization of operators on a space of square integrable functions.
Evaluation of innate immunity and vector toxicity following inoculation of bovine, porcine or human adenoviral vectors in a mouse model.

Abstract Nonhuman adenovirus (Ad) vectors derived from bovine Ad serotype 3 (BAd3) or porcine Ad serotype 3 (PAd3) can circumvent pre-existing immunity against human Ad (HAd). We have previously reported differential transduction of human and nonhuman cells by these Ad vectors, and their distinct receptor usage and biodistribution. To compare the induction of innate immunity, vector toxicity and vector uptake by Kupffer cells (KCs) following intravenous administration of PAd3, BAd3, or HAd5 vectors in mice, we determined mRNA expression levels of proinflammatory chemokines and cytokines, and Toll-like receptors (TLRs) in the liver and spleen. Tissue toxicity of these vectors was assessed by comparing serum levels of liver-specific enzymes, histopathology and Kupffer cell (KC) depletion. Compared to the HAd5 vector, PAd3 and BAd3 vectors were more potent stimulators of innate immune responses as indicated by enhanced mRNA expression of TLRs and proinflammatory chemokines and cytokine genes. Histopathological changes in the liver were most pronounced in HAd5-inoculated mice while BAd3- or PAd3-inoculated mice revealed mild histologic changes that were confined to early time points. Inoculation with HAd5 or PAd3 vectors resulted in a significant ( P
A game theoretic approach for modeling optimal data sharing on Online Social Networks

Today, Online Social Network (OSN) services have evolved as the highest-growing medium, enabling various online activities on one platform. However, they also bring new threats and privacy issues to the community. In a reliable OSN service, a user should be able to set up his or her desired level of information sharing with a certain group of other users. Unfortunately, there are attackers that may attempt to expose OSN users' private information or conceal the information that the user would like to share with other users. Therefore, in this paper, we propose a game theoretic approach for helping OSN users determine their optimum policy on OSNs in terms of data sharing, based on a two-player (i.e., agent and opponent) zero-sum Markov game model.
Heat, moisture transport, and induced stresses in porous materials under rapid heating

High temperatures and other severe thermal conditions cause release of significant amounts of water in porous materials, and induce pore pressure and temperature gradients under which water is transported through pores. A mathematical model that simulates the coupled heat and mass transfer in heated porous media as well as the resulting stress are discussed. A finite element analysis for the solution of such a model is developed and used to study the temperature and pore pressure distribution and the resulting stresses. A comparison of predicted temperature distribution with experimental data is made, and sensitivity of the coefficient of shrinkage on the induced stress is investigated.
Comprehension and study strategies reported by university freshmen who are good and poor readers

Self-report ratings of the use of fifteen text-learning strategies were obtained from college freshmen who are good and poor readers. The data were factor analyzed, and factor scores of the two groups were compared. A factor which had heavy loadings from certain comprehension strategies was a powerful discriminator. Other factors which had heavy loadings from study strategies, however, failed to discriminate the good readers from the poor readers. The results suggest that poor readers in the present study may rely heavily on study strategies without first having completely understood the text materials to be studied. Based on this difference between the strategy profiles of good and poor readers, it is suggested that an emphasis in remedial reading instruction on study strategies may not apply the correction where it is most needed. Instead, an emphasis on certain comprehension strategies which have in common an active search for meaning-enhancing relationships, and which clearly discriminated the good from the poor readers, is recommended.
General Visualization Abstraction Algorithm for Geographic Map-based Directable Interfaces

Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Vanderbilt University Nashville, Tennessee USA 37235 Emergency incident response, including Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and Explosive (CBRNE) a.k.a. weapons of mass destruction incidents, is evolving from a response involving humans with equipment to a response system combining humans and thinking machines (e.g. robots). The robots, along with possibly other deployed sensors, will generate and capture volumes of information that will be presented in directable visualizations. This paper presents a novel approach to performing information abstraction (i.e., selection and grouping) and determining how each information item should be presented (i.e., its shape) in directable visualizations. This new approach employs the General Visualization Abstraction (GVA) algorithm to make salient and direct attention to the most relevant information items by determining an importance value for each information item based on the item’s relationship with two classes of information: historically relevant and currently relevant information, and novel and emerging information.
Samuel T. Gladding on Creativity

Abstract In a lively, spirited, and humorouswhen appropriate-interview, Howard Rosenthal interviews well known textbook author and counselor educator Samuel T. Gladding about the nature of creativity in psychotherapy and counseling.
Soil insects alter fine root demography in peach (Prunus persica)

Minirhizotrons were used to assess the effects of soil insect suppression on the demography of peach fine roots (<1 mm diameter) over two growing seasons. The experiment was conducted at the USDA-ARS Appalachian Fruit Research Station in Kearneysville, WV, USA using six 15-year-old peach trees. Clear butyrate minirhizotrons were installed beneath each tree in April 1996. Soil drench treatments were applied around individual minirhizotron tubes at monthly intervals and consisted of 1 L of water or 250 μL of a broad-spectrum insecticide in 1 L of water. Roots were videotaped at 2- to 4-week intervals during the 1996 and 1997 growing seasons. Insecticide application was associated with a significant increase in fine root longevity: the median lifespans of insecticide-treated roots were 46-125 d longer than those of control roots. In addition, the development of brown pigmentation was significantly delayed in insecticide-treated roots. Insecticide application did not appear to increase soil fertility, as accumulation of NO 3 -, NH 4 +, and PO 4 2- on mixed bed ion-exchange resin was similar in treated and untreated soil. These results suggest that interactions with below-ground insects can significantly influence root longevity and may alter the rate at which roots undergo developmental changes in anatomy and physiology.
Effects of milk enriched with ω-3 fatty acid, oleic acid and folic acid in patients with metabolic syndrome

Summary Background & aims Patients with metabolic syndrome (MS) have increased cardiovascular risk factors. Dietary modifications mainly polyunsatturated fatty acids intake, can improve them. The present study was performed to assess the effects of enriched milk with ω-3 and oleic fatty acids, folic acid and vitamin E, in these patients. Methods We performed a randomized, placebo-controlled and open clinical trial, among 72 patients with MS for 3 months. Thirty-six of them consumed 500 cm3 per day of semi-skimmed milk (control group), and the others consumed 500 cm3 per day of enriched milk (test group). Daily supplements in this group were 5.7 g of oleic acid, 0.2 g of ω-3 fatty acid, 150 μg of folic acid and 7.5 mg of vitamin E. Serum for total and HDL cholesterol, triglycerol, Apo B, glucose, insulin, hs-CRP, homocysteine and fatty acids contents in serum phospholipids, was obtained at the beginning and at the end of the study. LDL cholesterol was calculated by Friedewald formula. Results Four patients in the test group, and two in the control group dropped out. In the test group a decrease in serum total cholesterol (−6.2%, P = 0.006 ), LDL cholesterol (−7.5%, P = 0.032 ), triglycerol (−13.3%, P = 0.016 ), Apo B (−5.7%, P = 0.036 ), glucose (−5.3%, P = 0.013 ), and homocysteine (−9.5%, P = 0.00 ) was observed. Any of these parameters changed in the control group. Conclusions Dietary supplementation with 500 cm3 of enriched milk with ω-3 fatty acid, oleic acid and folic acid, reduces serum tryglicerides, total and LDL cholesterol, Apo B, glucose and homocysteine in patients with MS. This milk is well tolerated and accepted by the patients.
THE RELATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL TEMPERATURE TO THE ACTION OF THYROXINE

There have been few reports (1-4) dealing with the relation of environmental temperature to the tolerance to and toxicity of thyroxine, although it appears to be common knowledge that, both clinically and experimentally, the tolerance to this hormone is markedly affected by environmental temperatures. Our attention was directed toward this problem by the results of an experiment performed during a heat wave in July 1933; 4 of 5 guinea pigs that had ingested small amounts of thyroxine developed acute gastric ulcers. Prior to this time we had sacrificed 123 pigs treated with the same or larger amounts of thyroxine without finding a single lesion in the gastric mucosa. These observations were difficult to reconcile, since the guinea pigs were of the same stock and the diet and thyroxine preparations were unchanged. The only obvious differences were in the season of the year and the environmental temperature.
Release of the recombinant proteins, human serum albumin, β-glucuronidase, glycoprotein B from human cytomegalovirus, and green fluorescent protein, in root exudates from transgenic tobacco and their effects on microbes and enzymatic activities in soil

We determined the release in root exudates of human serum albumin (HSA), beta-glucuronidase (GUS), glycoprotein B (gB) from human cytomegalovirus, and green fluorescent protein (GFP) from genetically modified transgenic tobacco expressing the genes for these proteins in hydroponic culture and non-sterile soil. GUS, gB, and GFP were expressed in the plant but were not released in root exudates, whereas HSA was both expressed in the plant and released in root exudates, as shown by a 66.5-kDa band on SDS-PAGE and Western blot and confirmed by ELISA. Root exudates from GUS and gB plants showed no bands that could be attributed to these proteins on SDS-PAGE, and root exudates from GFP plants showed no fluorescence. The concentration of HSA in root exudates was estimated to be 0.021 ng ml(-1), whereas that in the plant biomass was estimated to be 0.087 ng ml(-1). The concentration of HSA in soil was estimated to be 0.049 ng g(-1). No significant differences in the number of microorganisms and the activity of selected enzymes were observed between rhizosphere soil of non-modified and HSA tobacco.
Plant conserved non-coding sequences and paralogue evolution

Genome duplication is a powerful evolutionary force and is arguably most prominent in plants, where several ancient whole-genome duplication events have been documented. Models of gene evolution predict that functional divergence between duplicates (subfunctionalization) is caused by the loss of regulatory elements. Studies of conserved non-coding sequences (CNSs), which are putative regulatory elements, indicate that plants have far fewer CNSs per gene than mammals, suggesting that plants have less complex regulatory mechanisms. Furthermore, a recent study of a duplicated gene pair in maize suggests that CNSs are lost in a complementary fashion, perhaps driving subfunctionalization. If subfunctionalization is common, one expects duplicate genes to diverge in expression; recent microarray analyses in Arabidopsis thalinia suggest that this is the case. Plant genomes are relatively complex on a genomic level because of the prevalence of whole-genome duplication and, paradoxically, subfunctionalization after duplication can lead to relatively simple regulatory regions on a per gene basis.
Assessment of final product dosing accuracy when using volumetric technique in the preparation of chemotherapy

BackgroundStudies have compared gravimetric and volumetric dosing accuracies in chemotherapy agents, finding high accuracy in gravimetric measurements with a mean deviation of ± 0.06%, while volume...
Electrical engineering education: On being an AIEE student branch counselor

SO THEY HAVE ASKED YOU to be the AIEE Student Branch Counselor at your school? I wonder why they picked you. I hope you don't think it was because nobody else would take the job. No, the boys chose you because they like you and because they think that you are a capable person. Or perhaps you are being directly appointed rather than selected by the students. In either case, what are you in for? Is this going to mean the assumption of considerable responsibility, quite a bit of work, signing membership applications and seeing that they are forwarded to headquarters; telephoning prospective speakers who will come to address your branch; seeing to it that your branch will be effectively represented at prize paper competitions and at other District meetings, that your student officers are on the job, helping and advising them when they need you; checking to see that your chairman and vice-chairman are really learning how to manage the branch efficiently, that your secretary is keeping accurate records of meetings and sending in his reports to headquarters promptly, that your treasurer is keeping his accounts in such good order that the financial status (if any) of the branch is available at a moment's notice? Yes, it is probably going to mean all this and more.
Lower-cost architectures for large arrays of small antennas

Future plans for NASA's Deep Space Network (DSN) call for the construction of arrays of small antennas to compliment and eventually replace the existing network of large single antennas. The motivation for this transformation is the need to support much higher downlink data rates in the future, along with the realization that the most cost-effective way to do this is though a large increase in total collecting area on the ground. As currently designed, the DSN arrays will consist of approximately four hundred 12-m diameter antennas at each of three longitudes, operating at X and Ka bands (8 and 32 GHz). A possible near-term option is the construction of large arrays operating at X-band only. Such an array could be built more rapidly and less expensively than an X/Ka band array, and would be able to support the majority of space missions planned for the next 20 years, which will not require bandwidths wider than the 50 MHz X-band allocation. Cost-saving advantages of an X-band only array include the use of COTS antennas much smaller than 12 m in diameter, uncooled receivers, and direct optical transfer of signals from antennas to a central signal processing area.
N-(3-Pyrene)maleimide: a fluorescent probe of acetylcholine receptor-Triton X-100 aggregates.

Abstract Acetylcholine receptor (AcChR) contains a disulfide bond which upon reduction can be labeled with a cholinergic analog, 4-( N -maleimide) α-benzyltrimethylammonium (MBTA) ( Karlin, A. and Cowburn, D., 1973, Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. USA 70 , 3636–3660 ). A fluorescent reagent, N -(3-pyrene)maleimide, which reacts preferentially with protein thiols ( Wu, C. W., Yarbrough, L. Z. and Hsiuch, Y., 1976, Biochemistry 15 , 2863–2868 ), has been introduced into solubilized preparations of Torpedo californica AcChR. Both freshly isolated receptor and N -ethylmaleimide (NEM) (to protect exposed SH groups) and dithiothreitol (DTT) (to reduce the cholinergic site disulfide) treated receptor can be labeled with N -(3-pyrene)maleimide (PM). The attachment of the fluorescent probe to AcChR does not perturb the binding of α-bungarotoxin (α-Bgt) or of a cationic site ligand, propidium ( Sator, V., Raftery, M. A., and Martinez-Carrion, M., 1977, Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 184 , 95 ); it does, however, prevents labeling with MBTA. After treatment of AcChR with NEM and DTT, α-Bgt affords some protection against PM labeling. The PM probe inserted after reduction of the disulfide appears to rest on a cationic region(s) of the protein. Scrutiny of the fine vibrational structure, the total fluorescence or lifetime of the singlet excited state of bound PM show that binding of cholinergic ligands to AcChR does not alter the probe's environment. Fluorescence polarization parameters of bound PM gauge the extent of detergent receptor interaction in solubilized preparations. From the calculated correlation times a molar volume of 9.57 × 10 5 is obtained for AcChR Triton X-100 complexes which correspond to average Stokes' radii of 72A. The latter values provide an explanation for the large discrepancy between the molecular weight of the receptor protein (270,000) and its anomalous behavior in gel filtration columns.
Phosphorylation and interaction of Myopodin by Integrin-Link Kinase Lead to Suppression of Cell Growth and Motility in Prostate Cancer Cells

Myopodin is a tumor-suppressor gene that suppresses growth of prostate and urothelial carcinomas. However, the mechanism of myopodin tumor-suppressor activity or signaling that leads to activation of myopodin remains unclear. In this report, we showed that the N-terminus of myopodin binds integrin-linked kinase (ILK) both in vivo and in vitro. An ILK interaction motif of 78 amino acids (amino acids 82–157) was identified in the N-terminus region of myopodin. Induction of ILK-dependent kinase activity by integrin α7 led to phosphorylation of myopodin both in vivo and in vitro. Knocking down ILK dramatically reduced the inhibition of cell growth and motility mediated by myopodin. A mutant of myopodin lacking the ILK interaction motif is inactive in suppressing the growth and motility of PC3 cells. As a result, this study showed a novel and critical signaling pathway that leads to activation of myopodin.
A study of diastereoisomerism of oxovanadium schiff base chelates by gas chromatography-atomic emission spectroscopy, and high performance liquid chromatography

Capillary gas chromatography with atomic emission detection (GC-AED), and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) have been employed to characterize isomerism of oxovanadium N,N'-propylenebis(trifluoroacetylacetoniminate). Other tetradentate Schiff base chelates of nickel, copper and palladium are also included in this study. Element-specific detection for metal and nonmetal elements in the chelates provides a means of identifying eluted peaks. Picogram detection limits for metals by GC-AED facilitated study of kinetic behavior at low concentration.
Neuronal current imaging using MRI: a feasibility study

Current functional MRI techniques are essentially based on detection of hemodynamic changes induced by neuronal activation. This study is an exploration of the feasibility of direct detection of neuronal current induced NMR phase and/or magnitude changes. Our analysis was based on the approximation that neurons exist in an infinite homogeneous conducting medium, and are represented by an infinitely long cylindrical conductor, carrying uniform current. Neuronal activation was modeled by a current dipole. Simulations were performed to evaluate the effects of the local neuronal magnetic fields on the MRI signal at 3T. The magnetic field changes and the corresponding phase changes induced from a current range of 2 nA to 100 (mu) A were estimated. The conductor diameter was varied from 10 micrometer to 1 mm corresponding to the sizes ranging from that of a single axon to that of a patch of functionally similar cortex. Current induced magnetic field effects were assessed as resolution and neuronal orientation with respect to Bo were modulated. Simulation results were compared with measurements obtained from a current phantom at 3T, for a current range of 10 - 100 (mu) A. Based on the dipole model formulated we found that neuronal currents can produce magnetic fields on the order of 1.3 pT; 0.0006 degree(s) to 9 nT; 4 degree(s) depending on the neuronal bundle diameter, orientation, and current capacity. The mechanism for signal changes is that of Bo shifts. This is fundamentally similar to that of BOLD contrast, but caused by current changes rather than susceptibility changes from changes in blood oxygenation. If the bundles are of random orientations within a voxel, the estimated fields and NMR magnitude changes (decrease in T2*) are on the order of present system detection levels of approximately 1nT; 0.5 degree(s) or 0.01% signal change. Conversely, if the bundle orientation is homogeneous, then neuronal current effects are above system detection levels. The spatial scale of the current distribution also determines the net phase shift and magnitude change. The simulation and phantom experiment results demonstrated the feasibility of using MRI to directly detect local magnetic field perturbations that can result from neuronal currents on the order of a few (mu) A. This study provides a simple model for the evaluation of the feasibility to directly measure neuronal currents with MRI. Additionally it gives a starting point for the design of appropriate imaging methods towards detecting low signal level neuronal currents. A more extensive modeling of cortical and neuronal geometry, tissue inhomogeneity, timing mechanisms, and current distributions, will provide further insight in the development of MRI experimental techniques.© (2001) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Processor-embedded distributed smart disks for I/O-intensive workloads: architectures, performance models and evaluation

Processor-embedded disks, or smart disks, with their network interface controller, can in effect be viewed as processing elements with on-disk memory and secondary storage. The data sizes and access patterns of today's large I/O-intensive workloads require architectures whose processing power scales with increased storage capacity. To address this concern, we propose and evaluate disk-based distributed smart storage architectures. Based on analytically derived performance models, our evaluation with representative workloads show that offloading processing and performing point-to-point data communication improve performance over centralized architectures. Our results also demonstrate that distributed smart disk systems exhibit desirable scalability and can efficiently handle I/O-intensive workloads, such as commercial decision support database (TPC-H) queries, association rules mining, data clustering, and two-dimensional fast Fourier transform, among others.