cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Endothelial function and proinflammatory cytokines in patients with ischemic heart disease and dilated cardiomyopathy

Abstract Background : Proinflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) are important mediators of immune response, associated with endothelial dysfunction in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) or heart failure. We compared endothelial function and levels of IL-6 and TNF-α between patients with ischemic heart failure, dilated cardiomyopathy, CAD and healthy controls. Methods : The population consisted of 20 patients with dilated cardiomyopathy, 48 patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy, 26 patients with CAD and normal left ventricle function and 14 healthy controls. Forearm blood flow was measured using venous occlusion strain gauge plethysmography. Forearm vasodilatory response to reactive hyperemia (RH%) or to nitrate were considered as indexes of endothelium-dependent and endothelium-independent dilation, respectively. Results : Levels of IL-6 were significantly higher in ischemic cardiomyopathy compared to CAD patients ( P P P P P P P P Conclusions : Impaired endothelial function and increased inflammatory process were found in both types of heart failure. A greater endothelial dysfunction was observed in patients with ischemic heart failure compared to those with dilated cardiomyopathy, implying that the underlying atherosclerosis may participate in this process.
Solar retinitis, photic maculopathy and the pseudophakic eye

The pseudophakic retina is shown to be at greater risk than the normal retina to photochemical damage from solar observation because current polymethylmethacrylate intraocular lenses allow greater ultraviolet retinal irradiances and higher retinal temperature increases than crystalline lenses. The implications of this finding are presented in terms of mechanisms for photic retinal damage, and relationships between photic maculopathy and degenerative retinal diseases are discussed.
Adaptive learning technologies for bioengineering education

Learning technologies employed both inside and outside the classroom are increasingly influencing the nature of teaching and learning. Web-based learning technologies are enabling powerful possibilities for learning activities outside the classroom, both in preparation for in-class activities and in following them up. Of particular importance among these possibilities is the opportunity to address learners as individuals, assessing their strengths and weaknesses and adapting learning activities in response. Over the past few years we have been developing and maturing learning technologies that target these aims in the context of the National Science Foundation's VaNTH (Vanderbilt University; Northwestern University; University of Texas at Austin; and Health, Science and Technology at Harvard/MIT) Engineering Research Center (ERC). In this article we describe these technologies and discuss their roles in bioengineering education. In pursuing adaptive learning technologies for VaNTH, our primary motivation has been to make the means for authoring such activities accessible to bioengineering educators while providing enough expressive power to enable ambitious applications and the ability to incrementally acquire the needed skills. To address this aim we have created an authoring technology called the courseware authoring and packaging environment (CAPE).
Methyl viologen-linked sulfite reductase from spinach leaves: A hemoprotein

Abstract The pyridine nucleotide-linked sulfite reductase from yeast ( Yoshimoto and Sato, 1965 ) and E. coli ( Siegel and Kamin, 1967 ) have an absorption maximum at 587 mμ, in addition to the maxima due to flavins. The methyl viologen-linked sulfite reductase from Allium odorum also has an absorption maximum at 587 mμ ( Tamura, 1965 ). These observations suggest the occurrence of a functional group in sulfite reductase common to a number of organisms and irrespective of the electron donor employed. This communication deals with the chromogen of the methyl viologen-linked sulfite reductase from spinach leaves. From the absorption spectrum, metal analysis, carbon monoxide sensitivity, and light reversibility of CO inhibition, we conclude that the spinach sulfite reductase is an unusual hemoprotein and that the heme is involved in catalysis of the reduction of sulfite to sulfide.
Numerical solution of the coupled Dirac and Maxwell equations

Abstract The Dirac and Maxwell equations are treated classically and solved numerically to simulate the nonlinear self-interaction of a fermion. The symmetry which linear analysis predicts between ‘electronic’ and ‘positronic’ states appears to be broken dynamically, resulting, on average, in the emergence of matter-antimatter asymmetry.
A comparison of solutions to the minimal design problem

Two of the recent algorithms for solving the minimal design problem in an efficient and apparently stable manner are presented in a common setting. It is shown that the resulting algorithm maintains attractive features of both earlier algorithms, including efficiency, ease of use, flexibility, in selecting criteria of closeness, as well as, apparently, numerical stability.
Comparative analysis of mental health legislation in forty-three countries: a discussion of historical trends

The examination of trends in any field requires perspective over time. This dimension was offered to me in this past year by the opportunity to work with the World Health Organization (WHO) at the headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, in an international comparative legislative review of the mental health legislation of over forty nations of the world. The time perspective was provided by the fact that WHO had conducted a somewhat similar review of the mental health legislation of the world in 1954. It happens that this time span is also a personal one. I conducted my own first review of mental health legislation in the United States in 1951 and I have had an interest in the field ever since.’ The perspective I will offer is therefore a relatively limited one, a quarter century in the modern history of man, but yet important and significant years, I believe, in the international development of mental health legislation. The 1954 international survey by WHO included thirty-seven countries, largely drawn from Europe and the Americas, though its scope was worldwide. The world being observed was that of the first decade after World War II; not the most immediate years with their problems of rebuilding after the devastation and disruption, but the first years of hope and development in the early 1950s. In 1955 when the survey was published, there were eighty-four members and associate members in WHO. At the time of the second survey in 1976. the world was quite different. The political revolution of the so-called developing nations had taken place in these intervening years. The membership of the WHO had grown to 151 members and associate members with forty-nine 01 these on the continent of Africa. Methods of the Current Survey Initial planning for the current survey began at WHO in 1972. The decisior was made in 1975 to go ahead with an extensive, worldwide up-dating of the work done in the 1950s. A questionnaire was drafted by the Office of Menta Health in consultation with the Regional Offices around the world. English French and Spanish versions were prepared and distributed to over fifty coun
Mode of action of sulfoxides in preventing loss of activity of 11β-hydroxylase in cultured bovine adrenocortical cells

Previously, loss of 11β-hydroxylase activity when adrenocortical cells are incubated with the pseudosubstrate cortisol was found to be reduced when the concentration of oxygen was lowered, or when butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) or dimethyl sulfoxide (Me2SO) were included in the medium. In the present experiments, we tested the hypothesis that Me2SO protects 11β-hydroxylase by scavenging OH• radicals. Substances known to react with OH• at high rates and non-toxic enough to be used at concentrations of 10–100 mM, including several alcohols, benzoate and radioprotectant thiols, did not prevent loss of activity of 11β-hydroxylase in the presence of 50 μM cortisol. Two of the alcohols, ethanol and glycerol, as well as Me2SO, were radioprotective in cultured bovine adrenocortical cells. Therefore free OH• radicals do not appear to be involved in loss of 11β-hydroxylase activity. When sulfoxides other than dimethyl sulfoxide were tested for their ability to protect 11β-hydroxylase in the presence of cortisol, several aryl sulfoxides, particularly dibenzyl sulfoxide, as well as dipropyl sulfoxide, were active at concentrations to 1200 of that required for Me2SO. Previously, we have demonstrated that 11β-hydroxylase inhibitors, particularly metyrapone, effectively protect against loss of 11β-hydroxylase activity in the presence of pseudosubstrates and therefore we examined whether sulfoxides may act by directly inhibiting 11β-hydroxylase. Me2SO showed an ED50 for inhibition of 11β-hydroxylase activity of > 1 M, in contrast to its ED50 for protection of 34 mM. For metyrapone, however, the ED50 for inhibition of the enzyme (250 nM) was close to that for protection of activity (270 nM). The other sulfoxides showed ED50-values for inhibition of 11β-hydroxylase that were substantially higher than the ED50-values for protection. Sulfoxides may have a mixed mode of action in protection of 11β-hydroxylase activity, as previously shown for phenols; they may protect by radical scavenging, but may also need to bind close to the active site of the enzyme where destructive radicals may be formed.
Ovine placental and fetal arginine metabolism at normal and increased maternal plasma arginine concentrations.

Arginine (A) may play a significant role in fetal growth, by stimulating insulin secretion and as a precursor for both polyamine synthesis and nitric oxide production. To determine whether increased maternal plasma A concentrations can enhance delivery of A to the fetus, uterine, umbilical, and net uteroplacental (UP) A uptake rates were measured in 12 pregnant ewes at 129.6 +/- 0.4 d gestation (mean +/- SEM) during normal and after 3 h of increased maternal plasma A concentrations. With a 2.7-fold increase in maternal plasma A concentrations (p < 0.001), there were significant increases in uterine A uptake (13.8 +/- 1.0 to 41.3 +/- 7.7 micromol/min, p < 0.005), umbilical A uptake (3.3 +/- 0.5 to 5.2 +/- 0.8 micromol.min(-1).kg(-1) fetus, p < 0.005), UP A uptake (17.8 +/- 6.2 to 89.2 +/- 20.3 micromol.min(-1).kg(-1) placenta, p < 0.01), fetal arterial A concentration (98.7 +/- 6.3 to 137.1 +/- 9.9 microM, p < 0.001), maternal A disposal rate (143.7 +/- 9.4 to 217.0 +/- 6.7 micromol/min, p < 0.001), fetal A disposal rate (7.9 +/- 0.8 to 9.9 +/- 1.1 micromol.min(-1).kg(-1), p < 0.05), fetal A oxidation rate (1.31 +/- 0.24 to 1.84 +/- 0.36 micromol.min(-1).kg(-1), p < 0.05), and plasma insulin concentration in both fetus (16 +/- 2 to 20 +/- 2 microU/mL, p < 0.001) and mother (24 +/- 3 to 32 +/- 4 microU/mL, p < 0.001). Thus, increased maternal plasma A concentration increases maternal, UP, and fetal A net uptake, and increases insulin secretion in mother and fetus. The 4.2-fold larger increase in UP than net fetal A uptake could represent preferential UP A metabolism relative to fetal A metabolism, relatively limited placental-fetal A transport capacity compared with uterine A uptake capacity, or both; responsible mechanisms remain unknown.
The RecA/RAD51 protein drives migration of Holliday junctions via polymerization on DNA

The Holliday junction (HJ), a cross-shaped structure that physically links the two DNA helices, is a key intermediate in homologous recombination, DNA repair, and replication. Several helicase-like proteins are known to bind HJs and promote their branch migration (BM) by translocating along DNA at the expense of ATP hydrolysis. Surprisingly, the bacterial recombinase protein RecA and its eukaryotic homologue Rad51 also promote BM of HJs despite the fact they do not bind HJs preferentially and do not translocate along DNA. RecA/Rad51 plays a key role in DNA double-stranded break repair and homologous recombination. RecA/Rad51 binds to ssDNA and forms contiguous filaments that promote the search for homologous DNA sequences and DNA strand exchange. The mechanism of BM promoted by RecA/RAD51 is unknown. Here, we demonstrate that cycles of RecA/Rad51 polymerization and dissociation coupled with ATP hydrolysis drives the BM of HJs.
Pockels cell voltage probe for noninvasive electron-beam measurements.

Accurate measurements of beam position and current are critical for the operation of the high-energy electron accelerators used for radiographic applications. Traditional short-pulse (e.g., 70 ns) machines utilize B-dot loops to monitor these parameters with great success. For long-pulse (e.g., 2 µs) accelerators, beam position and current measurements become more challenging and may require new technology. A novel electro-optic voltage probe has been developed for this application and provides the advantages of complete galvanic isolation, excellent low-frequency performance, and no time integration requirement. The design of a prototype sensor is presented along with preliminary accelerator test data.
Perceptual characteristics of delinquent girls.

Delinquent and non-delinquent girls were classified into the three perceptual types of Reducer, Augmenter, or Moderate according to whether they tended subjectively to alter perceived size. Results...
Catalytic Nitrile-Alkyne Cross-Metathesis

The first catalytic cross-metathesis reaction of an alkyne with a nitrile is described. The nitride complex N⋮W(OC(CF3)2CH3)3(DME) undergoes reversible triple-bond metathesis reactions with alkynes (RC⋮CR; R = Et, 4-C6H4OMe), forming the alkylidyne complexes RC⋮W(OC(CF3)2CH3)3(DME) (R = Et, 4-C6H4OMe) along with the corresponding nitrile RC⋮N. This has been exploited to effect catalytic cross-metathesis of nitriles with alkynes, in which the organic CR fragments of two nitriles are coupled to yield an alkyne. A simple “sacrificial” alkyne (3-hexyne) acts as the N-atom acceptor, forming two equivalents of nitrile byproduct (propionitrile).
Subwavelength metal optics and antireflection

Over the past decade or so, research in metamaterials has opened up new ways in which to control, manipulate, and utilize electromagnetic radiation. One of these new applications is anti-reflection, or unity absorption, primarily achievable through using thin metamaterial films/surfaces (meta-films) incorporating subwavelength features. This review discusses the theoretical and experimental designs for thin metallic-films, with emphasis on absorption in the infrared and visible wavelengths, as well as future endeavors in a host of applications.
The Psychology of Leadership: New Perspectives and Research

The article reviews the book “The Psychology of Leadership: New Perspectives and Research,” edited by David Messick and Roderick Kramer.
Responding to acoustic startle during chronic ethanol intoxication and withdrawal

Ethanol (EtOH) withdrawal is characterized by a hyperexcitable state that includes anxiety, tremor, muscle rigidity and seizures. The present three experiments examined the effects of EtOH dependence and withdrawal on the acoustic startle response, an easily quantifiable measure of behavioral reactivity to exteroceptive stimuli. Two intensities of startle stimuli, 105 and 120 dB pulses, were presented to rats during chronic EtOH exposure and during EtOH withdrawal. Prepulse inhibition, which is a sensitive measure of sensorimotor gating processes associated with filtering sensory stimulation, was also assessed during chronic EtOH exposure and withdrawal. Prepulse inhibition was induced by the presentation of a weak 80 dB acoustic stimulus 100 ms prior to a 120 dB stimulus pulse. After 14 days of EtOH liquid diet administration the magnitude of responses elicited by 105 and 120 dB startle stimuli was less in ethanol-treated subjects during continued EtOH access than in animals fed a control liquid diet. When EtOH liquid diet treatment was continued for an additional 3-day period and animals were tested 8 h after withdrawal from EtOH, withdrawn animals were more reactive to startle stimuli at both intensities than were animals maintained on the EtOH liquid diet. A time-course experiment with repeated startle testing at 4, 8, and 12 h post-EtOH exposure revealed significant increases in responding to the 105 dB startle intensity at 8 h post-EtOH exposure. The ability of animals to respond to a prepulse stimulus was not affected during chronic EtOH treatment, but was reduced during withdrawal. At 8 h post-EtOH exposure, chronically treated EtOH animals showed less prepulse inhibition that animals maintained on EtOH and control liquid diet. Decreased prepulse inhibition was apparent as early as 4 h post-EtOH exposure. These results suggest that the central nervous system hyperexcitability during EtOH withdrawal may be reflected in an activation of the neural circuitry involved in the acoustic startle response.
A demonstration of energy transfer from photosystem II to photosystem I in chloroplasts.

Abstract Photosystem I activity of Tris-washed chloroplasts was measured at room temperature as the rate of photoreduction of NADP and as the rate of oxygen uptake mediated by methyl viologen in both cases using dichlorophenolindophenol plus ascorbate as the source of electrons for Photosystem I. With both assay systems the rate of electron transport by Photosystem I was stimulated approx. 20 % by the addition of 3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1, 1-dimethylurea which caused the Photosystem II reaction centers to close. Photosystem I activity of chloroplasts was measured at low temperature as the rate of photooxidation of P-700. Chloroplasts suspended in the presence of hydroxylamine and 3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1, 1-dimethylurea were frozen to −196 °C after adaptation to darkness or after a preillumination at room temperature. The Photosystem II reaction centers of the frozen dark-adapted sample were all open; those of the preilluminated sample were all closed. The rate of photooxidation of P-700 at −196 °C with the preilluminated sample was approx. 25 % faster than with the dark-adapted sample. We conclude from both the room temperature and the low temperature experiments that there is greater energy transfer from Photosystem II to Photosystem I when the Photosystem II reaction centers are closed and that these results are a direct demonstration of spillover.
Serial quantitative image analysis and confocal microscopy of hepatic uptake, intracellular distribution and biliary secretion of a fluorescent bile acid analog in rat hepatocyte doublets.

To characterize the poorly understood mechanisms of intracellular transport of bile acids, fluorescein isothiocyanate—glycocholate was synthesized and its ring-OH—linked structure established by fast atom bombardment, mass spectroscopy and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance. Biliary secretion of fluorescein isothiocyanate—glycocholate and [14 C]-labeled glycocholate in rats was similar, in contrast to the biliary secretion of sodium fluorescein and methylamine-conjugated fluorescein isothiocyanate, which are nonbile acid organic anions. After incubation of cultured hepatocyte doublets with fluorescein isothiocyanate—glycocholate, serial quantitative image analysis of fluorescence was performed in the cellular cytoplasm, perinuclear zone and bile canaliculus. Uptake of fluorescein isothiocyanate—glycocholate into the cytoplasm was inhibited by removal of sodium from the medium and by addition of glycocholate or taurocholate. After preincubation with colchicine, but not lumicolchicine, the proportion of perinuclear to cytoplasmic fluorescein isothiocyanate—glycocholate increased during incubation with fluorescein isothiocyanate—glycocholate. Neither fluorescein isothiocyanate—glycocholate uptake nor canalicular secretion was affected. By confocal microscopy the perinuclear zone containing fluorescein isothiocyanate—glycocholate was identified as the Golgi apparatus by fluorescent colocalization with C6-NBD-ceramide, which specifically identifies the Golgi apparatus. We conclude that colchicine inhibits fluorescein isothiocyanate—glycocholate transfer from the Golgi apparatus to the bile canaliculus. These results suggest that intracellular bile acid transport involves microtubule-dependent vesicular movement from the Golgi apparatus to the bile canaliculus. The role of this process in normal physiology is uncertain. (HEPATOLOGY 1990;12:1358–1364).
Anisotropy of the critical temperature of a superconducting niobium thin film with an array of nanoscale holes in an external magnetic field

We report on magnetotransport experiments investigating the effect of a regular array of nanoscale holes on the anisotropic response in the transition temperature of a superconducting niobium thin film. We find that the angle dependence of the critical temperature exhibits two strong anisotropic effects: Little-Parks oscillations whose period varies with field direction and a smooth background arising from one-dimensional confinement by the finite lateral space between neighboring holes. The two components of the anisotropy are intrinsically linked and appear in concert with one superimposed on top of the other.
Fusion of acoustic measurements with video surveillance for estuarine threat detection

ABSTRACT Stevens Institute of Technology has established a research laboratory environment in support of the U.S. Navy in the area of Anti-Terrorism and Force Protection. Called the Maritime Security Laboratory, or MSL, it provides the capabilities of experimental research to enable development of novel methods of threat detection in the realistic environment of the Hudson River Estuary. In MSL, this is done through a multi-modal interdisciplinary approach. In this paper, underwater acoustic measurements and video surv eillance are combined. Stevens researchers have developed a specialized prototype video system to identify, video-capture, and map surface ships in a sector of the estuary. The combination of acoustic noise with video data for different kinds of ships in Hudson River enabled estimation of sound attenuation in a wide frequency band. Also, it enabled the collection of a noise library of various ships that can be used for ship classification by passive acoustic methods. Acoustics and video can be used to determine a ships position. This knowledge can be used for ship noise suppression in hydrophone arrays in underwater threat detection. Preliminary experimental results of position determ ination are presented in the paper. Keywords: Passive acoustic detection, ship noise, video surve illance, cross-correlation, underwater sound attenuation
Family Therapy with Adolescents: Treatment of a Teenage Girl with Globus Hystericus and Weight Loss

Abstract Family therapy has emerged in recent years as an effective modality of treatment for adolescents as well as for children. Three major orientations within family therapy are described: insight-oriented, structural and strategic. Developmental considerations relating to adolescence are discussed in relation to each type of family treatment. The treatment, including the successive use of these distinct styles of family therapy, of an adolescent girl suffering from a somatic symptom and weight loss is presented.
Unfolding and retiming data-flow DSP programs for RISC multiprocessor scheduling

Retiming and unfolding are two useful techniques which have been effectively applied in many fields. These two techniques are combined to solve the problem of rate-optimal scheduling for unit-time data flow graphs (DFGs). A rate-optimal retimeable graph is a DFG such that after a legal retiming a rate-optimal schedule can be obtained. For the case of unit-time DFG, which is applicable to RISC multiprocessors, the best known upper-bound for an unfolding factor which produces a rate-optimal retimeable DFG is improved, and it is shown that the result is the minimum possible unfolding factor for rate-optimal schedules. Moreover, for any unfolding factor, the corresponding minimum rate is given by a simple criterion. Since it is proved that the order of retiming and unfolding is irrelevant, efficient polynomial-time retiming algorithms are obtained. >
Soil carbon pools and fluxes after land conversion in a semiarid shrub-steppe ecosystem

Worldwide soil carbon (C) losses associated with agricultural expansion and intensification have contributed significantly to increased atmospheric CO2. Soil distur- bances resulting from land use changes were shown to modify the turnover of C and the formation of soil organic matter. A native semiarid shrub-steppe ecosystem recently converted into an irrigated agricultural development in the Columbia Basin of Washington State was evaluated for several abiotic indicators that might signal changes in an ecosystem during the initial stages of conversion and disturbance. Soil samples were collected in March of 2003 and 2004 from nine sites that included native shrub- steppe and agricultural fields converted in 2001 and 2002. Disturbance from conversion to irrigated crop production influenced total organic C and nitrogen (N) storage, C and N mineralization, and C turnover. Cultivated fields had greater concentrations of total organic C and N and higher cumulative C and N mineralization than native sites after 3 years of cultivation. Soil organic C was divided into three pools: an active pool (Ca) consisting of labile C (simple sugars, organic acids, the microbial biomass, and metabolic compounds of incorporated plant residues) with a mean residence time of days, an intermediate or slow pool (Cs) consisting of structural plant residues and physically stabilized C, and a resistant fraction (Cr) consisting of lignin and chemically stabilized C. Extended laboratory incubations of soil with measurements of CO2 were used to differentiate the size and turnover of the Ca and Cs functional C pools. The active pools were determined to be 4.5 and 6.5% and slow pools averaged 44 and 47% of the total C in native and cultivated fields, respectively. Cultiva- tion, crop residue incorporation, and dairy manure compost amendments contributed to the increase in total soil C.
Cardiovascular Malformations Associated with Extracardiac Anomalies and Malformation Syndromes Patterns for Diagnosis

Infants with extracardiac anomalies or malformation syndromes frequently have associated cardiovascular malformations. Knowledge of these predictable patterns of associations allow rapid diagnosis and treatment of these infants.
The unique N-terminal sequence of metallothionein-3 is required to regulate the choice between apoptotic or necrotic cell death of human proximal tubule cells exposed to Cd+2.

This laboratory has shown that MT-3 expression determines the choice between apoptotic or necrotic cell death in Cd +2 -exposed human proximal tubule cells. Human proximal tubule cells that express MT-3 undergo necrosis when exposed to Cd +2 , while cells that have no basal expression of MT-3 undergo apoptotic cell death. It was also shown that cells which express MT-3 were more sensitive to Cd +2 -induced cell death than those having no basal expression. In the present study, site directed mutagenesis was used to determine if the unique N-terminal sequence of MT-3 was required for these activities regarding toxicity and cell death. The results demonstrated that HK-2 cells stably transfected with MT-3 that had been modified by converting the 2 prolines at amino acid positions 7 and 9 to threonines was no longer active in promoting necrotic cell death at lower levels of Cd +2 exposure. This was shown in comparison to cells containing the wild type MT-3 sequence and blank vector controls as regards the % of DAPI-stained fragmented nuclei, DNA laddering, LDH release, caspase-9, and caspase-3 activation. This study demonstrates that the unique N-terminal sequence of MT-3 is required to elicit an effect on the mechanism of Cd +2 -induced death of the proximal tubule cell. This is the identical sequence that has been shown to be responsible for the growth inhibitory activity of MT-3 in the neural system.
Are corresponding points fixed

Several investigators have claimed that the retinal coordinates of corresponding points shift with vergence eye movements. Two kinds of shifts have been reported. First, global shifts that increase with retinal eccentricity; such shifts would cause a flattening of the horopter at all viewing distances and would facilitate fusion of flat surfaces. Second, local shifts that are centered on the fovea; such shifts would cause a dimple in the horopter near fixation and would facilitate fusion of points fixated at extreme viewing distances. Nearly all of the empirical evidence supporting shifts of corresponding points comes from horopter measurements and from comparisons of subjective and objective fixation disparity. In both cases, the experimenter must infer the retinal coordinates of corresponding points from external measurements. We describe four factors that could affect this inference: (1) changes in the projection from object to image points that accompany eye rotation and accommodation, (2) fixation errors during the experimental measurements, (3) non-uniform retinal stretching, and (4) changes in the perceived direction of a monocular point when presented adjacent to a binocular point. We conducted two experiments that eliminated or compensated for these potential errors. In the first experiment, observers aligned dichoptic test lines using an apparatus and procedure that eliminated all but the third error. In the second experiment, observers judged the alignment of dichoptic afterimages, and this technique eliminates all the errors. The results from both experiments show that the retinal coordinates of corresponding points do not change with vergence eye movements. We conclude that corresponding points are in fixed retinal positions for observers with normal retinal correspondence.
Estrogen or the AT1 Antagonist Olmesartan Reverses the Development of Profound Hypertension in the Congenic mRen2.Lewis Rat

The influence of estrogen on the regulation of cardiovascular function remains a controversial and complex area of investigation. We assessed the effects of estrogen depletion in the congenic mRen(2). Lewis rat, established from the back-cross of the original (mRen2)-27 transgenic onto the Lewis inbred strain. Ovariectomy of heterozygous mRen(2). Lewis at 4 to 5 weeks resulted in a progressive increase in blood pressure compared with the sham surgery congenics at weeks 6 to 11. At 11 weeks, the ovariectomized mRen(2). Lewis (OVX) systolic blood pressure averaged 195+/-3.7 mm Hg versus 141+/-4.0 mm Hg for sham. Plasma Angiotensin (Ang) II, serum ACE activity, plasma renin concentration, as well as urinary excretion of Ang II, 8-isoprostane F2alpha, and endothelin-1 were elevated; however, renal mRNA levels of eNOS were suppressed after ovariectomy. Estrogen replacement reduced blood pressure below both the sham and OVX by 11 weeks (125+/-2.9 mm Hg, n=7, P<0.01 versus OVX and sham). Moreover, the AT1 receptor antagonist olmesartan (CS866; week 12 to 16) essentially normalized blood pressure to 113+/-5.4 mm Hg (n=6, P<0.01 versus OVX and sham). The attenuation of the hypertension was still evident 7 weeks after complete withdrawal of treatment (124+/-4.1 mm Hg at week 23). In summary, the OVX mRen.2. Lewis exhibited a rapid and sustained increase in blood pressure. Estrogen or olmesartan lowered pressure by a similar extent. We conclude that the ovary exerts considerable influence on the regulation of the blood pressure in the mRen2. Lewis strain, possibly by limiting activation of the renin-angiotensin system.
The hidden cost of wildfires: Economic valuation of health effects of wildfire smoke exposure in Southern California

There is a growing concern that human health impacts from exposure to wildfire smoke are ignored in estimates of monetized damages from wildfires. Current research highlights the need for better data collection and analysis of these impacts. Using unique primary data, this paper quantifies the economic cost of health effects from the largest wildfire in Los Angeles County's modern history. A cost of illness estimate is $9.50 per exposed person per day. However, theory and empirical research consistently find that this measure largely underestimates the true economic cost of health effects from exposure to a pollutant in that it ignores the cost of defensive actions taken as well as disutility. For the first time, the defensive behavior method is applied to calculate the willingness to pay for a reduction in one wildfire smoke induced symptom day, which is estimated to be $84.42 per exposed person per day.
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and risk of venous thromboembolism: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Objective The aim of this study was to integrate and examine the association between NSAID use and venous thromboembolism (VTE). Methods We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies that reported odds ratios, relative risks, hazard ratios or standardized incidence ratios for VTE among NSAID users compared with non-users. Pooled risk ratios and 95% CIs were calculated using a random effects generic inverse variance model. Results Six studies with 21 401 VTE events were identified and included in the data analysis. The pooled risk ratio of VTE in NSAID users was 1.80 (95% CI 1.28, 2.52). Conclusion Our study demonstrated a statistically significant increased risk of VTE among NSAID users. This finding has important public health implications given the prevalence of NSAID use in the general population.
Chromophore Orientation in Bacteriorhodopsin Determined from the Angular Dependence of Deuterium Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectra of Oriented Purple Membranes

The orientation of prosthetic groups in membrane proteins is of considerable importance in understanding their functional role in energy conversion, signal transduction, and ion transport. In this work, the orientation of the retinylidene chromophore of bacteriorhodopsin (bR) was investigated using 2 H NMR spectroscopy. Bacteriorhodopsin was regenerated with all-trans-retinal stereospecifically deuterated in one of the geminal methyl groups on C1 of the cyclohexene ring. A highly oriented sample, which is needed to obtain individual bond orientations from 2 H NMR, was prepared by forming hydrated lamellar films of purple membranes on glass slides. A Monte Carlo method was developed to accurately simulate the 2 H NMR line shape due to the distribution of bond angles and the orientational disorder of the membranes. The number of free parameters in the line shape simulation was reduced by independent measurements of the intrinsic line width (1.6 kHz from T2e experiments) and the effective quadrupolar coupling constant (38.8-39.8 kHz from analysis of the line shape of a powder-type sample). The angle between the C1-(1R)-1-CD3 bond and the purple membrane normal was determined with high accuracy from the simultaneous analysis of a series of 2 H NMR spectra recorded at different inclinations of the uniaxially oriented sample in the magnetic field at 20 and -50 °C. The value of 68.7 ( 2.0° in dark- adapted bR was used, together with the previously determined angle of the C5-CD3 bond, to calculate the possible orientations of the cyclohexene ring in the membrane. The solutions obtained from 2 H NMR were then combined with additional constraints from linear dichroism and electron cryomicroscopy to obtain the allowed orientations of retinal in the noncentrosymmetric membrane structure. The combined data indicate that the methyl groups on the polyene chain point toward the cytoplasmic side of the membrane and the N-H bond of the Schiff base to the extracellular side, i.e., toward the side of proton release in the pump pathway.
Sustained petaflop and beyond: can parallel computing systems meet the challenges?

Summary form is only given. Breakthrough-quality scientific discoveries in the new millennium (such as those expected in computation biology and others), along with optimal engineering designs, have created a demand for High-End Computing (HEC) systems with sustained performance requirements at a petaflop scale and beyond. Despite the very pessimistic (if not negative) views on parallel computing systems that have prevailed in 1990s, there seems to be no other viable alternatives for such HEC systems. In this talk, we present a fresh look at the problems facing the design of petascale parallel computing systems. We review several fundamental issues that such HEC parallel computing systems must resolve. These issues include: execution models that support dynamic and adaptive multithreading, fine-grain synchronization, and global name-space and memory consistency. Related issues in parallel programming, dynamic compilation models, and system software design will also be discussed. Present solutions and future direction will be discussed based on (1) application demand (e.g. computation biology and others), (2) the recent trend as demonstrated by the HTMT, HPCS, and the Blue-Gene Cyclops (e.g. Cyclops-64) architectures, and (3) a historical perspective on influential models such as dataflow, along with concepts learned from these models.
The hisP Protein, a Known Histidine Transport Component in Salmonella typhimurium, Is Also an Arginine Transport Component

Abstract The hisP protein is an essential component of the high-affinity histidine transport system in Salmonella typhimurium. Our present studies demonstrate that this protein is also an essential component of an arginine transport system. Strains with a mutation in the hisP gene are unable to transport arginine for use as a sole nitrogen source. However, such strains have normal high-affinity transport of arginine, indicating that the hisP protein is not required for all arginine transport systems. Histidine does not appear to compete with arginine for transport through the hisP system, suggesting that the hisP protein may not be a “carrier” for these amino acids. The hisJ protein, a periplasmic histidine-binding protein, is known to function in conjunction with the hisP protein in the transport of histidine. The hisJ protein does not function with the hisP protein in arginine transport.
DSS theory: a model of constructs and relationships

Abstract A theoretical framework for DSS research is developed in terms of the key elements of theory: domain boundaries, constructs, and relationships among constructs. Eight broad DSS constructs (environment, task, implementation strategy, DSS capability, DSS configuration, user, user behaviour, and performance) are identified. Based on a review of the literature, 17 relationships among these constructs are examined. The most frequently studied relationships in the model are the influences of: (1) DSS capabilities on user behaviour; (2) user behaviour on performance; and (3) DSS capabilities on performance. Studies regarding these relationships use a wide variety of measures and present generally divergent results. Although studied less frequently, fairly consistent relationships were observed, suggesting: (1) the strategy used for DSS implementation influences both user behaviour and DSS performance; and (2) environmental factors such as top management support and user training influence DSS performance. Conclusions include: (1) there has been some progress toward understanding DSS based on the accumulation of research to date; (2) past research has examined less than half of the possible relationships among constructs, creating opportunities for new insights; and (3) divergent results on key pairs of constructs may result from interaction with other constructs, necessitating the simultaneous examination of fuller DSS research models to understand the contingencies influencing these relationships.
Broadband neighborhoods: connected communities

This paper addresses concerns that home-computing and Internet use damage social capital and contribute to a loss of community. Based on survey and ethnographic data from "Netville", a wired neighborhood equipped with a broadband local network, this paper concludes that the Internet can be used to increase neighborhood social capital and the connectivity of local social networks.
TREATMENT WITH THYMOSIN ALPHA-1 INCREASES FERTILIZING CAPACITY OF SPERM OF INFERTILE MEN: A MULTICENTER TRIAL

Thymosin alpha-1 (T alpha 1) significantly enhances the fertilizability of sperm from fertile men by increasing capacitation and/or acrosome reaction. The present study was conducted to investigate the effect of T alpha 1 on fertilizing capacity of sperm of infertile men using the sperm penetration assay (SPA) in a multicenter clinical trial. T alpha 1 significantly (p = .0006 to < .0001) increased (31 to 45%) fertilizing capacity of sperm of 76% (50/68) of infertile men as defined by the sperm penetration index in SPA. The enhancing effect of T alpha 1 and the degree of enhancement depended on the T alpha 1 concentration in the seminal plasma, since these parameters showed a significant intercorrelation (r = .65 to .74, p = .039 to .01). It would appear that T alpha 1 may have clinical application in the diagnosis and treatment of male infertility especially mediated through defective sperm function.
Melatonin Effect on the Hamster Pituitary Response to LHRH

Previous studies from this laboratory showed that, in the rat, melatonin can suppress the neonatal pituitary luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) responses to LH releasing hormone (LHRH). Since melatonin is a more potent antigonadotropic hormone in hamsters than in rats, the present study examined the action of the indole on the hamster LH response to LHRH. The following systems were used: 1) neonatal pituitary cells in culture, 2) cells from adult males maintained in long or short photoperiods, and 3) adult males early and late in the light phase of a long photoperiod. For in vitro studies, anterior pituitary glands from neonatal and adult Syrian hamsters were dissociated with collagenase and hyaluronidase. After overnight culture in serum containing medium, the cells were washed free of serum, distributed to culture dishes, and incubated for 3 h with LHRH (10�2 to i0’ M) emtheralone or in the presence of melatonin (10-’ to 106 M). For in vivo experiments, animals were injected s.c. in the nape of the neck with LHRH and melatonin. They were decapitated 15 mm later, and trunk blood was collected. Medium, cell lysate, and serum LH concentrations were measured by double antibody ovine;ovine RIA. Hamster anterior pituitary cells prepared by this procedure retained good viability and responsiveness. With both neonatal and adult cells, LHRH induced a dose-related release of LH with a
Costs and benefits of interspecific dominance rank: are subordinates better at finding novel food locations?

Abstract Dominance status in birds may involve a trade-off in foraging costs and benefits. This study tested the hypothesis that the cost of being a subordinate species may be offset by the benefit of being better at finding novel food locations compared to their dominant competitors. In a pair of flight-cage experiments, the ability of two tropical hummingbird species to find novel locations of food was measured. A dominant species (steely-vented hummingbird, Amazilia saucerottei ) and a subordinate species (fork-tailed emerald, Chlorostilbon canivetii ), tested both as solitary birds and in competing heterospecific pairs, did not differ significantly in (1) the time required to first discover novel food locations, (2) the number of feeding visits made to such sources or (3) the number of novel food locations one bird could discover before its cage-mate. The dominant Amazilia , however, was twice as fast as Chlorostilbon at finding novel food locations previously discovered by a competing heterospecific cage-mate. This behaviour pattern could facilitate the pre-emption of newly found food sources from Chlorostilbon in the wild. Other possible mechanisms that could confer an advantage on the subordinate species are discussed: (1) ability to locate cryptic food sources, (2) ability to recognize as food a novel item that has never been used before and (3) specialization on finding food sources that dominant species cannot pre-empt.
Age-related changes in the neural mechanisms supporting emotion processing and emotional memory

Older adults process emotional information differently than young adults, placing more emphasis on pleasant information. Age-related changes in emotional processing have downstream effects on the types of information that are remembered best; whereas young adults remember negative information well, older adults often show greater mnemonic benefits for positive information. Although these cognitive changes have been discussed previously (Mather, 2006; Mather & Carstensen, 2005), here we review the neural changes that may mediate these age-related changes. We suggest that changes in older adults’ recruitment of prefrontal regions during emotional processing may reflect not only age-related changes in emotion regulation but also changes in self-referential processing. Because little research has examined the links between the neural networks supporting older adults’ emotional and cognitive functioning, we conclude with a discussion of avenues meriting further research.
Three-Dimensional Flow around a Bottom-Mounted Short Cylinder

The flow characteristics around short, bottom-mounted cylinders were examined with a three-dimensional nonhydrostatic model for Reynolds numbers of 300-3,900 and different obstacle geometries. Simulations using a large-eddy simulation closure scheme reproduce the vortex shedding in the wake, with reasonable Strouhal number comparisons to available laboratory data. The length of the recirculation region is also in good agreement with the data. The sensitivity of the flow to obstacle cross section and length is investigated for a Reynolds number of 500 with square and circular cylinder geometries for nondimensional lengths of 1-15. Model predicted upstream separation was found to be most sensitive to cross section. The predicted downstream recirculation lengths reproduced the nondimensional length dependency of available observations. To highlight the processes relevant to scour, the time-dependent bed shear was evaluated with the mean and peak Shields parameters. Significant wake variability was found which would not be described by the mean alone, indicating that sediment transport models assuming a mean shear will underpredict the transport in the wake.
Modification of the Composition of polycystin-1 Multiprotein Complexes by Calcium and Tyrosine Phosphorylation

Abstract Mutations in the PKD1 gene are responsible for >85% of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD). The protein product of PKD1, polycystin-1, is a large, modular membrane protein, with putative ligand-binding motifs in the extracelluar N-terminal portion, 9–11 transmembrane domains and an intracellular C-terminal portion with phosphorylation sites. A role for polycystin-1 as a cell surface receptor involved in cell–matrix and cell–cell interactions has been proposed. In this study, we have analyzed polycystin-1 and associated protein distribution in normal human epithelial cells and examined the role of cell–matrix versus cell–cell interactions in regulation of the assembly of polycystin-1 multiprotein complexes. Immunocytochemistry, sucrose density gradient sedimentation, co-immunoprecipitation analyses and in vitro binding assays have shown that polycystin-1 associates with the focal adhesion proteins talin, vinculin, p130Cas, FAK, α-actinin, paxillin and pp60c-src in subconfluent normal human fetal collecting tubule (HFCT) epithelia when cell–matrix interactions predominate. Polycystin-1 also forms higher S value complexes with the cell–cell adherens junction proteins E-cadherin, β- and γ-catenins in confluent cultures when cell–cell interactions are predominant. Polycystin-1 multiprotein complexes can be disrupted by cytochalasin D but not by colchicine, suggesting involvement of the actin cytoskeleton. Although inhibition of tyrosine phosphorylation by tyrphostin inhibits polycystin-1–FAK interactions, E-cadherin interactions are enhanced. High calcium treatment also increases polycystin-1–E-cadherin interactions.