cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Induction of apoptosis in myocardial infarction and its possible relationship to nitric oxide synthase in macrophages

Activated macrophages produce nitric oxide through the inducible form of nitric oxide synthase (iNOS). Previously, a significant increase of iNOS activity in macrophages in infarcted rabbit heart tissue was observed. The present study is concerned with the induction of apoptosis in macrophages and cardiomyocytes in infarcted rabbit heart tissue. The left anterior descending artery of rabbits was ligated. The heart was excised five hours, one, two, three, ten and twenty days later, and DNA was extracted from infarcted and non-infarcted region and subjected to electrophoresis. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labeling (TUNEL) was carried out, and iNOS activity was measured by conversion of L-[14C]-arginine to L-[14C]-citrulline. Positive staining by TUNEL was seen in some cardiomyocytes five hours after coronary ligation and on postoperative day (POD) 1; internucleosomal DNA fragmentation was not noted. On POD 2 and 3, many infiltrating cells, immunohistochemically identified as macrophages, were positively stained by TUNEL; DNA fragmentation was also present. Apoptosis was not found on POD 10 and 20. The peak activity of iNOS was noted on POD 3, which corresponded with the induction of apoptosis. It is tempting to speculate that a causal relationship exists between increased iNOS formation and induction of apoptosis in macrophages in infarcted rabbit heart tissue.
Appendicular metastatic prostate cancer simulating osteosarcoma, Paget's disease, and Paget's sarcoma

Skeletal metastases from prostate cancer is common and usually do not pose a diagnostic dilemma. This study reviews radiographic appearances of prostatic metastases to the appendicular skeleton in four patients where the appearances simulated osteosarcoma, Paget's disease and Paget's sarcoma. Prostatic metastases to long bones can produce appearances considered characteristic of other lesions and suggest misleading alternative diagnoses.
Control limits for building energy end use based on frequency analysis and quantile regression

For buildings designed to meet aggressive energy goals, there is a need for tools to assist in the monitoring and maintenance of performance once the building is in operation. In particular, dashboard visualizations that show real-time and historic end use energy consumption alongside expected performance are powerful tools for both occupant engagement and the identification of operational issues. This article focuses on two related approaches to calculating upper and lower control limits for acceptable ranges of end use, which use a combination of modeled and measured usage data to generate realistic energy-conservative control limits. The first approach centers on the analysis of frequency distributions for end use consumption as functions of a main effect variable, while the second approach uses multivariate quantile regression based on principal components to generate control limits from all available measured variables.
Only a Subset of Trauma Patients with Depressed Mitogen Responses Have True T Cell Dysfunctions

Abstract Many studies have demonstrated depressed mitogenic responses in trauma/burn patients’ peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). However, data attributing the relative contribution of secreted inhibitory factors versus a true T cell dysfunction to these depressed mitogenic responses have been conflicting. We have characterized the T cell dysfunctions in posttrauma mitogen depression by simultaneously assessing patient T cell proliferation in the phytohemagglutinin-stimulated PBMC and in the purified T cell population induced with anti-CD3 + anti-CD4. Patients’ samples showed three distinct patterns or progressive phases of T cell responses: (i) normal or elevated T cell proliferation in both the whole PBMC and the isolated T cell population (phase I); (ii) depressed T cell proliferation in the PBMC but normal, or even elevated, proliferation in the isolated T cell population (phase II); and (iii) depressed T cell proliferation in both the PBMC and the isolated T cell population (phase III). Patients whose T cells exhibited only a phase I response experienced no major complications with a positive clinical outcome. Patients whose T cell alterations progressed to phase II experienced infectious episodes and some complications, but all had positive clinical outcomes. In contrast, patients whose T cells progressed to phase III dysfunction had severe clinical complications (multiple organ failure), with a negative clinical outcome (80% mortality). Patients whose T cells had a phase I or phase II response pattern had no true T cell dysfunctions in the absence of monocytes. However, patients whose T cells had a true T cell dysfunction (phase III) response pattern were at high risk for mortality. Thus, a true T cell dysfunction, though occurring in only a minority of trauma patients, is predictive of clinical outcome.
Analytical Methods for Mycotoxins

(1972). Analytical Methods for Mycotoxins. Clinical Toxicology: Vol. 5, No. 4, pp. 465-494.
Lipid and lipoprotein profiles, cardiovascular fitness, body composition, and diet during and after resistance, aerobic and combination training in young women.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of various modes of training on the time-course of changes in lipoprotein-lipid profiles in the blood, cardiovascular fitness, and body composition after 16 weeks of training and 6 weeks of detraining in young women. A group of 48 sedentary but healthy women [mean age 20.4 (SD 1) years] were matched and randomly placed into a control group (CG, n=12), an aerobic training group (ATG, n=12), a resistance training group (RTG, n=12), or a cross-training group that combined both aerobic and resistance training (XTG, n=12). The ATG, RTG and XTG trained for 16 weeks and were monitored for changes in blood concentrations of lipoprotein-lipids, cardiovascular fitness, body composition, and dietary composition throughout a 16 week period of training and 6 weeks of detraining. The ATG significantly reduced blood concentrations of triglycerides (TRI) (P < 0.05) and significantly increased blood concentrations of high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) after 16 weeks of training. The correlation between percentage fat and HDL-C was 0.63 (P < 0.05), which explained 40% of the variation in HDL-C, while the correlation between maximal oxygen uptake (V˙O2max) and HDL-C was 0.48 (P < 0.05), which explained 23% of the variation in HDL-C. The ATG increased V˙O2max by 25% (P < 0.001) and decreased percentage body fat by 13% (P < 0.05) after 16 weeks. Each of the alterations in the ATG had disappeared after the 6 week detraining period. The concentration of total cholesterol (TC), TRI, HDL-C and low density lipoprotein-cholesterol in the blood did not change during the study in RTG, XTG and CG. The RTG increased upper and lower body strength by 29% (P < 0.001) and 38%, respectively. The 6 week detraining strength values obtained in RTG were significantly greater than those obtained at baseline. The XTG increased upper and lower body strength by 19% (P < 0.01) and 25% (P < 0.001), respectively. The 6 week detraining strength values obtained in XTG were significantly greater than those obtained at baseline. The RTG, XTG and CG did not demonstrate any significant changes in either V˙O2max, or body composition during the training and detraining periods. The results of this study suggest that aerobic-type exercise improves lipoprotein-lipid profiles, cardiorespiratory fitness and body composition in healthy, young women, while resistance training significantly improved upper and lower body strength only.
Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus: an underdiagnosed cause of congenital chorioretinitis.

Abstract PURPOSE: To elucidate the role and clinical spectrum of congenital lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus infection as a cause of chorioretinopathy, congenital hydrocephalus, and macrocephaly or microcephaly in the United States. METHODS: We performed complete ophthalmologic surveys of all residents at Misericordia, a home for the severely mentally retarded in Chicago, and prospectively evaluated all patients with chorioretinitis or chorioretinal scars during a 36-month period at Children's Memorial Hospital, also located in Chicago. Sera for patients demonstrating chorioretinal scars (a sign of intrauterine infection) were tested for Toxoplasma gondii , rubella virus, cytomegalovirus, and herpes simplex virus and lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus antibodies. RESULTS: Four of 95 patients examined at the home had chorioretinal scars, and two of these patients had normal T. gondii , rubella virus, cytomegalovirus, and herpes simplex virus titers and dramatically elevated titers for lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus. Three of 14 cases of chorioretinitis at the hospital had normal T. gondii , rubella virus, cytomegalovirus, and herpes sim-plex virus titers and elevated lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus antibody titers. (A fourth case, diagnosed in 1996, was reported 2 years ago.) CONCLUSIONS: Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus was responsible for visual loss in two of four children secondary to chorioretinitis in a population of severely retarded children. The six new cases of lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus chorioretinitis identified in these two populations over the last 3 years, compared with the total number ever reported in the United States (10 cases), suggests that lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus may be a more common cause of congenital chorioretinitis than previously believed. Because its consequences for visual and psychomotor development are devastating, we conclude that the workup for congenital chorioretinitis should include lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus serology, especially if T. gondii , rubella virus, cytomegalovirus, and herpes simplex virus titers are negative.
Transforming growth factor-beta1-induced hypertrophy and matrix expression in human bladder smooth muscle cells.

Abstract Objectives To determine whether transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) could activate hyperplasia, hypertrophy, and altered collagen expression in human detrusor smooth muscle cells (SMCs). Methods Human bladder SMCs were treated in vitro with TGF-beta1 and analyzed for changes in both proliferative and hypertrophic responses by cell number and volume measurements, as well as for alterations in extracellular matrix gene and protein expression by Northern blot and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results Proliferation of bladder SMCs was refractory to TGF-beta1, whereas the cells became hypertrophic upon TGF-beta1 treatment. The interstitial collagens, types I and III, were increased significantly in TGF-beta1–treated cultures in a dose-dependent manner. These increases were blocked in the presence of TGF-beta1 neutralizing antibody and also when cultures were treated with the protein synthesis inhibitor cycloheximide, indicating that new protein synthesis is necessary for upregulation of the interstitial collagens. Messenger ribonucleic acid transcripts for both the COL1A1 and COL3A1 genes were elevated at 4, 6, and 24 hours in TGF-beta1–treated cultures, preceding the expression of the collagenous protein, showing that TGF-beta1 effects on bladder smooth muscle occur, at least in part, at the transcriptional level. Conclusions These results indicate that human bladder SMCs have the potential to mediate both a hypertrophic and fibrotic response upon TGF-beta1 stimulation.
Functional determinant and Green's functions for a fermionic gauge theory on the disk.

We study a theory of Dirac fermions on a disk in the presence of an electromagnetic field. Using the heat-kernel technique we compute the functional determinant which results after decoupling the zero-flux gauge degrees of freedom from the fermions. We also compute the Green's functions of the remaining fermionic theory with the appropriate boundary conditions. Finally we analyze the coset model associated with this gauge theory and compute all its correlation functions.
Antiplatelet therapy in type 2 diabetes mellitus.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW Patients with diabetes mellitus are characterized by a prothrombotic status. Since platelet reactivity is key to the development of atherothrombotic complications, antiplatelet therapy has a pivotal role in reducing ischemic risk, especially in diabetes mellitus patients. This review summarizes the current knowledge on how antiplatelet therapy affects this high-risk patient population. RECENT FINDINGS Numerous studies have shown the clinical benefit of antiplatelet agents in reducing ischemic events in diabetes mellitus patients. Despite the clinical benefit achieved with antiplatelet agents, however, patients with diabetes mellitus continue to have an increased risk of ischemic events compared to non-diabetes mellitus. Recent observations suggest that this may be in part due to inadequate platelet inhibition achieved in diabetes mellitus patients compared to non-diabetics, exposing these subjects to an enhanced ischemic risk. SUMMARY Whilst antiplatelet therapy has been clearly shown to reduce morbidity and mortality in patients with diabetes mellitus, there are accruing data demonstrating that in these patients the degree of platelet inhibition achieved with standard treatment regimens may be inadequate. This supports the need for specific antiplatelet drug regimens, with either different dosages of current medication or development of novel antiplatelet drugs, which are more specific to tackle the hyperreactive diabetic platelet.
Delivery of radiofrequency energy to the lower esophageal sphincter improves symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux.

Background. The Stretta procedure has been proposed as a novel therapeutic alternative to antireflux surgery for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Early reports indicated improvement in GERD symptoms overall, but improvement in patients who have poor outcome after surgery remains unclear. Methods. Patients with reflux who did not have a hiatol hernia were offered the procedure. All were administered a GERD Health Related Quality of Life survey at preprocedure and at greater than 3 months postprocedure. Differences in pre- and postprocedure responses were deemed significant with the use of the Wilcoxon rank sum test with P 30, it improved from 4.11 to 1.56 (P =.0024). Four patients went on to have antireflux surgery after having the Stretta procedure. Conclusions. Stretta improves heartburn symptoms both overall and in patients with poor outcome after antireflux surgery, with a low procedural risk. It may have a role in the treatment of patients with primary reflux and in those who have failed antireflux surgery or who are a high risk for surgery.
A Kinetic Model of Lubricant Deposit Formation Under Thin Film Conditions

In some high-temperature applications, it is desirable to deliver the lubricant as a thin liquid film without recirculation. For these conditions, the buildup of the deposit on the hot surfaces outside the actual bearing contact area can be a problem. In this study, a mathematical model is developed which incorporates several chemical and physical processes which are taking place when a thin liquid film of lubricant is converted to a deposit at elevated temperatures. Specifically, the model utilizes kinetic studies of the degradation of tricresyl phosphate and the evaporation of this lubricant at modest temperatures, <280°C, and modest levels of TCP degradation to predict the final or terminal amount of deposit which will be produced over a broad range of temperature. The key to this model is incorporating the influence of the evaporation of the liquid lubricant on the diffusion of oxygen in the gas phase. The diffusion of the evaporated lubricant molecules away from the liquid phase inhibits the diffusio...
Poverty among households in Estonia

Estonia was occupied by the Soviet Union for 50 years. Now she has restored her independence and extensive transformation has started, creating acute social problems. The economic survival of the whole society has become a main goal. The authors examine different poverty lines using the family budget data of 239 households surveyed in May and August 1992 for comparison. The analysis reveals that, whereas the wages and expenditure are low compared with unregulated prices, the share of households living under the poverty line does not reflect the real situation. The poverty among Estonian households reveals a skewed structure of expenditure that indicates exclusion from the consumption-centered way of life. Empirical evidence is given that single-earner households and households with 3 or more children face the danger of falling into deep poverty.
Modeling self-trapped propagation in media with cubic nonlinearity

Summary In the framework of a variational approach, a mathematical model is developed of the self-trapped soliton propagation in an optical fiber with cubic nonlinearity. This approach allows me to explain mathematically polarized soliton oscillations in weakly birefringent fibers.
Imagine No Possessions: The Socialist Objects of Russian Constructivism

Christina Kiaer frames her reinterpretation of Constructivism as an argument against several related accounts of the twentieth-century avant-gardes, the most important of which is Peter Burger's se...
Role of β/δ101Gln in Regulating the Effect of Temperature and Allosteric Effectors on Oxygen Affinity in Woolly Mammoth Hemoglobin

The oxygen affinity of woolly mammoth hemoglobin (rHb WM) is less affected by temperature change than that of Asian elephant hemoglobin (rHb AE) or human normal adult hemoglobin (Hb A). We report here a biochemical-biophysical study of Hb A, rHb AE, rHb WM, and three rHb WM mutants with amino acid substitutions at β/δ101 (β/δ101Gln→Glu, Lys, or Asp) plus a double and a triple mutant, designed to clarify the role of the β/δ101 residue. The β/δ101Gln residue is important for responding to allosteric effectors, such as phosphate, inositol hexaphosphate (IHP), and chloride. The rHb WM mutants studied generally have higher affinity for oxygen under various conditions of pH, temperature, and salt concentration, and in the presence or absence of organic phosphate, than do rHb WM, rHb AE, and Hb A. Titrations for the O2 affinity of these mutant rHbs as a function of chloride concentration indicate a lower heterotopic effect of this anion due to the replacement of β/δ101Gln in rHb WM. The alkaline Bohr effect of rHb WM and its mutants is reduced by 20-50% compared to that of Hb A and is independent of changes in temperature, in contrast to what has been observed in the hemoglobins of most mammalian species, including human. The results of our study on the temperature dependence of the O2 affinity of rHb WM and its mutant rHbs illustrate the important role of β/δ101Gln in regulating the functional properties of these hemoglobins.
Hyperacute treatment initiation in neuroprotective agent stroke trials

Abstract Background: Late treatment start may be an important cause for the repeated failure of neuroprotective agents in acute ischemic stroke trials. Animal models suggest the optimal therapeutic window for neuroprotective intervention is the first 1 to 3 hours after ischemia onset. No prior study has analyzed the frequency of treatment initiation within the first 1, 2, and 3 hours in human neuroprotective stroke clinical trials. Methods: A total of 30 phase 3 neuroprotective trials published in English between 1990 and 2001 were identified by systematic literature review. A 1-page, 4-field data questionnaire was mailed to the principal investigators of identified trials, asking them to specify the number of patients enrolled in their trial or trials within the following epochs: 0 to 60, 61 to 120, 121 to 180, and 181 to 360 minutes. Results: A total of 6 trials, enrolling 5345 patients, provided detailed data. In all, 4 trials, enrolling 4166 patients, used a maximum permitted time enrollment window of less than 6 hours, whereas two trials allowed enrollment beyond 6 hours. Across all trials, the number and proportion of patients enrolled in early time epochs were: 0 to 60 minutes, 10 (0.2%); 61 to 120 minutes, 66 (1.2%); 121 to 180 minutes, 340 (6.3%); and 181 to 360 minutes, 3723 (69.7%). Even in trials with less than 6-hour time windows, fewer than 2% of patients received study agent within 2 hours of onset. Conclusions: Only a very small proportion of patients in recent neuroprotective acute stroke trials have been enrolled in hyperacute, under 3-hour time epochs, when treatment effect is likely to be most substantial. New treatment delivery and trial design strategies are suggested that could accelerate agent initiation in neuroprotective treatment trials.
Syntheses and characterization of polymer-supported organotrifluoroborates: applications in radioiodination reactions

A novel strategy combining the advantages of polymer-supports and organotrifluoroborate chemistry for radiotracer preparation is reported.
Aggression, Exclusivity, and Status Attainment in Interpersonal Networks

This paper engages two core ideas: first, that status mobility is facilitated through connectivity, or having a large number of ties to others, as suggested by theories of social capital and social networks; and second, that aggression is an expressive or irrational reaction to frustrations, humiliations, or social pathologies. In contrast, I argue that in certain contexts, both of these propositions are reversed: status is attained through selective bridging rather than high network connectivity, and aggression is instrumental for social climbing, particularly when it is directed toward high status, aggressive, or socially close targets. The argument is expected to hold only in contexts that are small (in terms of the number of participants), bounded (in terms of the ease and frequency with which they are entered and exited), and flat (in terms of formal hierarchy). Data from a longitudinal survey of adolescents combined with information from their high school yearbooks provide a unique opportunity to test these propositions, which are supported. High connectivity decreases the likelihood of attaining high status, while selective bridging increases it. Status is further enhanced by reputational, as opposed to physical, aggression, and decreased by victimization. Moreover, aggression toward aggressive, high status, or socially close peers provide additional status boosts. These effects hold regardless of the extent to which status is desired.
User-Based CPU Verification Scheme for Public Cloud Computing

In this paper, a user-based CPU verification scheme is proposed for cloud cheating detection. In this scheme, a predefined computational task is constructed for the cloud to execute in our cheating detection process. Then we compare the difference of the actual execution time (recorded by the user) and the theoretical execution time, as to determine whether the cloud is cheating or not. A time-lock puzzle is introduced to construct the predefined computational task, so that the predefined computational task is guaranteed to be executed by the cloud. Our cheating detection process has a higher probability of detecting cloud cheating if using a larger predefined computational task, which in turn costs more time. Further analysis shows that, if the total detection time is limited, it is better to detect cloud cheating using small-scale and short-length cheating detecting processes multiple times, as opposed to large-scale and long-length processes a few times. Finally, the feasibility and validity of the proposed scheme is shown in the evaluations.
The influence of the interphase on composite properties: Poly(ethylene‐co‐acrylic acid) and poly(methyl vinyl ether‐co‐maleic anhydride) electrodeposited on graphite fibers

The electrodeposition of saturated copolymers onto carbon fibers is investigated, focusing particular attention on improvement of shear and impact properties of the corresponding composites. Carbon fibers are electrocoated with poly(ethylene-co-acrylic acid) and poly(methyl vinyl ether-co-maleic anhydride) from aqueous media, and fabricated into epoxy composites. The results of interlaminar shear strength (ILSS) tests, initially employed to assess fibermatrix adhesion, are vitiated by the occurrence of mixed-mode failure. Interfacial shear strength (IFSS) is hence evaluated by stressing single-fiber composite specimens to obtain ultimate aspect ratios of the fiber fragments. The data are combined with fiber strengths by a recently developed statistical theory (1) to yield a distribution for IFSS. Both copolymer interphases improve fiber-matrix bonding to an extent greater even than that obtained with commercial fiber surface treatment. Good fiber-matrix adhesion is further apparent from SEM studies of fractured ILSS test specimens. A key to this improved adhesion is the interpenetration of matrix resin and interphase polymer, revealed by electron microprobe analysis (2). Notched Izod impact strength is also increased over uncoated-fiber composites. These copolymer interphases behave as deformable interlayers, absorbing impact energy and blunting the growing crack tip. Further energy is absorbed in deflecting the crack through a more tortuous path. Simultaneous improvements in impact and shear strengths are thus obtained, which may be further enhanced by optimizing the electrodeposition parameters and the coating thickness. The influence of the interphase on composite properties is better understood from this study, paving the way for refinement in interphase design.
Rostral pores in turtles.

Rostral pores are epidermal invaginations which occur on the internarial region of most chelonians. Representatives of all Recent chelonian families and 67 of the 74 extant genera were examined grossly and/or histologically. Pores are absent only in the families Carettochelyidae, Cheloniidae, and Dermochelyidae. The number and microscopic structure of pores vary markedly within and between taxa. Morphological data suggest that rostral pores could function in mechanoreception. The possible origin and evolution of rostral pores are discussed in the context of other chelonian integumentary speializations.
Local inclination angle: a key structural factor in emission from chiral sculptured thin films

Abstract Sculptured thin films (STFs) are unidirectionally nonhomogeneous, anisotropic, porous, nanoengineered materials possessing morphological features of optically significant dimensions. Light emission efficiencies of chiral STFs are examined to establish the role of a key structural factor: the local inclination angle χ of the morphology. The centrality of its so-called pseudo-isotropic value χ pi is identified. When the source configuration has the same handedness as the chiral STF, the emission spectrum is spread over the Bragg regime if χ is in the neighborhood of χ pi ; otherwise, the emission spectrum is highly localized in the short-wavelength (resp. long-wavelength) vicinity of the Bragg regime for χ > χ pi (resp. χ χ pi ). In contrast, the emission spectrum is spread over the entire Bragg regime for the contra-wound source configuration, regardless of the value of χ . High emission efficiencies require that χ be considerably less than χ pi .
A consistent baroclinic quasigeostrophic ocean model in multiply connected ocean domains

Abstract The Harvard ocean baroclinic quasigeostrophic model is further extended to enable the treatment of multiply connected domains with arbitrary coastal boundary geometry. A set of sufficient quasigeostrophic boundary conditions at physical boundaries are determined by requiring consistency with a regular asymptotic expansion in the Rossby number of the primitive equations. To take advantage of fast Helmholtz solvers in regular domains, the physical multiply connected domain is embedded in a regular grid, and boundary conditions are imposed by using a variation of the capacitance matrix method. The accuracy of the method is exhibited by comparison with exact solutions.
A Sensitivity Study of the SeaWiFS Atmospheric Correction Algorithm: Effects of Spectral Band Variations

With the success of launch and initial data processing of Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS), there is a great interest in ocean color community to intercompare ocean color data between different ocean color sensors. It is well known that the atmospheric correction, which removes about 90% of sensor-measured signals contributed from atmosphere in the visible, is the key procedure in ocean color imagery data processing. Therefore, it is useful to evaluate the SeaWiFS atmospheric correction algorithm applying to various ocean color sensors. The SeaWiFS atmospheric correction algorithm uses lookup tables which were generated with over ∼25,000 radiative transfer model runs for different aerosol optical and microphysical properties, solar and viewing geometries, and, in particular, at the eight SeaWiFS spectral bands. Since different ocean color sensors usually have different band spectral characterizations, it is rather difficult to apply the SeaWiFS atmospheric correction algorithm to other sensors if one needs to regenerate lookup tables at spectral bands different from SeaWiFS. In this article, we evaluate the accuracy of the SeaWiFS atmospheric correction algorithm for various ocean color sensors using the current SeaWiFS lookup tables. The focus in on the following satellite ocean color sensors: the Modular Optoelectronic Scanner (MOS), the Ocean Color and Temperature Sensor (OCTS), and the Polarization and Directionality of the Earth’s Reflectances (POLDER). These sensors have a slightly different spectral bands compared with the SeaWiFS. It was found that, with an appropriate calculation of the Rayleigh scattering contributions at each sensor’s spectral band and a simple modification in computing the diffuse transmittance of the ocean-atmosphere system, the SeaWiFS atmospheric correction applied to other sensors is as accurate as for SeaWiFS for the solar zenith angles θ0⩽60°.
Reflections from the Bottom of a Brillo Box: A Theological Inquiry into the End(s) of Art

Abstract This article asks after the theological import of the two end of art theses proposed by Arthur Danto and Donald Kuspit respectively. In tribute to the coming thirtieth anniversary of Arthur Danto’s essay “The End of Art” and the tenth anniversary of Donald Kuspit’s book The End of Art, I take up here their respective theories in an attempt to go beyond the surface of their ideas and to ask after the depth of the end(s) of art. Their theses point to a crisis of reflexivity in the respective artworlds they describe and that this crisis is the result of the loss and failed recovery of spiritual depth. Danto’s end of art thesis offers a truth that tells a lie—that there was never depth there to begin with—while Kuspit’s offers a lie that tells the truth—that that depth can be recovered. Danto’s thesis speaks to early postmodern art’s loss of spiritual depth while Kuspit’s addresses late postmodern art’s failure to recover that depth. Taken together, their ends of art present the lying-truth of an irretrievably lost sacred and the true-lie that the sacred in the arts can be recovered.
Numerical evaluation of the quarter‐point crack tip element

This paper attempts to answer two commonly raised questions during the preparation of a finite element mesh, for the linear elastic fracture analysis of cracked structure: how to set up the finite element mesh around the crack tip, and what level of accuracy is to be expected from such a modelling. Two test problems, with known analytical expressions for their stress intensity factors, are analysed by the finite element method using the isoparametric quadratic singular element. The modified parameters were the order of integration, aspect ratio, number of elements surrounding the crack tip, use of transition elements, the singular element length over the total crack length, the symmetry of the mesh around the crack tip. Based on these analyses, a data base is created and various plots produced. The results are interpreted, the accuracy evaluated and recommendations drawn. Contrary to previous reports, it is found that the computed stress intensity factor (SIF) remains within engineering accuracy (10 per cent) throughout a large range of l/a (singular element length over crack length) for problems with a uniform non-singular stress distribution ahead of the crack tip (i.e. double edge notch), and l/a should be less than 0·1 for problems with a non-singular stress gradient (i.e three-point bend). Also, it is found that the best results are achieved by using at least four singular elements around the crack tip, with their internal angles around 45 degrees, and a reduced (2 × 2) numerical integration.
Development of (S)-N6-(2-(4-(Isoquinolin-1-yl)piperazin-1-yl)ethyl)-N6-propyl-4,5,6,7-tetrahydrobenzo[d]-thiazole-2,6-diamine and its analogue as a D3 receptor preferring agonist: Potent in vivo activity in Parkinson’s disease animal models

Here we report structure−activity relationship study of a novel hybrid series of compounds where structural alteration of aromatic hydrophobic moieties connected to the piperazine ring and bioisosteric replacement of the aromatic tetralin moieties were carried out. Binding assays were carried out with HEK-293 cells expressing either D2 or D3 receptors with tritiated spiperone to evaluate inhibition constants (Ki). Functional activity of selected compounds in stimulating GTPγS binding was assessed with CHO cells expressing human D2 receptors and AtT-20 cells expressing human D3 receptors. SAR results identified compound (−)-24c (D-301) as one of the lead molecules with preferential agonist activity for D3 receptor (EC50 (GTPγS); D3 = 0.52 nM; D2/D3 (EC50): 223). Compounds (−)-24b and (−)-24c exhibited potent radical scavenging activity. The two lead compounds, (−)-24b and (−)-24c, exhibited high in vivo activity in two Parkinson’s disease (PD) animal models, reserpinized rat model and 6-OHDA induced unilat...
Simultaneous multilingual search for translingual information retrieval

We consider the problem of translingual information retrieval, where monolingual searchers issue queries in a different language than the document language(s) and the results must be returned in the language they know, the query language. We present a framework for translingual IR that integrates document translation and query translation into the retrieval model. The corpus is represented as an aligned, jointly indexed "pseudo-parallel" corpus, where each document contains the text of the document along with its translation into the query language. The queries are formulated as multilingual structured queries, where each query term and its translations into the document language(s) are treated as synonym sets. This model leverages simultaneous search in multiple languages against jointly indexed documents to improve the accuracy of results over search using document translation or query translation alone. For query translation, we compared a statistical machine translation (SMT) approach to a dictionary-based approach. We found that using a Wikipedia-derived dictionary for named entities combined with an SMT-based dictionary worked better than SMT alone. Simultaneous multilingual search also has other important features suited to translingual search, since it can provide an indication of poor document translation when a match with the source document is found. We show how close integration of CLIR and SMT allows us to improve result translation in addition to IR results.
Tetraether lipids of Methanospirillum hungatei with head groups consisting of phospho-N,N-dimethylaminopentanetetrol, phospho-N,N,N-trimethylaminopentanetetrol, and carbohydrates.

Abstract Acyclic, standard tetraether and diether lipids each account for about 50% of the total ether lipids found in Methanospirillum hungatei. Sixteen ether lipids were purified and defined according to relative weight percentage and staining reactions on thin-layer plates. Structures were elucidated for six previously uncharacterized tetraether lipids. Four of these lipids had as one head group either α-glcp -(1–2)-β-galf-, or β-galf(1–6)-β-galf, in glycosidic linkage to the first glycerol of the lipid backbone, and either a N,N-dimethylaminopentanetetrol or a N,N,N-trimethylaminopentanetetrol moiety in phosphodiester linkage to the second glycerol of the backbone. A fifth lipid was a tetraether structure novel in having carbohydrate moieties at both head group positions; namely α-glcp-(1–2)-galf- and β-galf Two other lipids, a diether and a tetraether, had a single head group consisting of α-glcp-(1–2)-β-galf- modified by O-acetylation of the galf residue at C-6. In addition to the seven new lipids described above, diether and tetraether analogs of phosphatidylglycerol were found.
Students Take Flight with Daedalus: Learning Spanish in a Networked Classroom

While incorporating computer technology is time-consuming and may be challenging for the language instructor, there is no need to reinvent the wheel when using computers in the classroom for the first time. Teachers in the second language classroom can benefit from the advances made in Writing Across the Curriculum (WAC) programs. Leaders in this field encourage instructors to incorporate writing in all disciplines in order to develop critical thinking skills and prepare students for the workplace. Using computers as a medium for teaching a second language increases the amount of writing and trains the students to use computers in their discipline. Current research in composition theory maintains that students learn a grammatical structure more effectively when it is used in context. Bringing technological innovation to the second language classroom will enhance student interest and learning. This article describes the use of Daedalus Integrated Writing Environment (DIWE) in the networked computer classroom to teach Spanish grammar and composition.
Speciation without chromatography. Part 2. Determination of tributyltin by chloride generation flow injection atomic absorption spectrometry

An analytical procedure was developed for the determination of tributyltin in aqueous samples. The relatively high volatility of the organometal halide species confers suitability for their headspace sampling from the vapour phase above natural waters or leached solid samples. Tributyltin was collected from the sample headspace above various chloride-containing matrices, including HCl, sodium chloride solution and sea-water, by passive sampling using a polydimethylsiloxane/divinylbenzene (PDMS/DVB)-coated solid-phase microextraction (SPME) fiber. Inductively coupled plasma time-of-flight mass spectrometry (ICP-TOFMS) was used for detection following thermal desorption of analytes from the fiber. A detection limit of 5.8 pg ml−1 (as tin) was realized in aqueous samples. Method validation was achieved using NRCC PACS-2 (Sediment) certified reference material, for which reasonable agreement between certified and measured values for tributyltin content was obtained.
GM-CSF PROMOTES PROLIFERATION OF HUMAN FETAL AND ADULT MICROGLIA IN PRIMARY CULTURES

Proliferation of microglia/macrophages is a common finding in many central nervous system diseases. To identify mitogenic signals for human microglia, we examined primary cultures of human fetal and adult microglia after stimulation with cytokines, colony stimulating factors (CSFs), or LPS, using proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) expression as an index of cell proliferation. The results showed that both M-CSF and GM-CSF induced microglial proliferation in fetal and adult human cultures, but that GM-CSF provided a much stronger stimulus. At 96 h post-stimulation, the mean PCNA labeling index was 2.4 for M-CSF and 13.3 for GM-CSF in fetal microglia; in adult microglia, the PCNA labeling index was 4.7 for M-CSF and 9.0 for GM-CSF. The effect of GM-CSF on fetal microglia was dose dependent and synergistic with M-CSF. LPS abolished the basal level of PCNA labeling in adult microglia, but in fetal microglia, caused a slight increase in PCNA labeling (1.9) at 96 h and consistently enhanced microglial cell survival and differentiation into highly branched cells. The production of GM-CSF in purified human fetal astrocyte and microglial cultures was examined after stimulation with LPS, TNF-alpha, or IL-1 beta. Unlike M-CSF, neither cell type produced GM-CSF in unstimulated cultures; however, when stimulated with IL-1 beta, astrocytes expressed GM-CSF mRNA and protein, which accumulated in the culture through 72 h. In microglia, LPS was the only effective inducing agent. An immunocytochemical study performed to identify in vivo sources of GM-CSF revealed selective labeling of reactive astrocytes in active lesions of multiple sclerosis and senile plaques of Alzheimer's disease. Our data demonstrate that both fetal and adult human microglia are capable of proliferation in response to CSFs, GM-CSF being the more effective stimulus.
Optimising radiation treatment decisions for patients who receive neoadjuvant chemotherapy and mastectomy.

Summary Whereas randomised clinical trials have established which patients might benefit from postmastectomy radiation therapy after upfront surgery, no such data exist for guiding decisions on who might benefit from postmastectomy radiation therapy after upfront chemotherapy. Insight must be drawn from non-randomised data to provide such guidance. Early data suggest that both extent of disease at presentation and response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy predict the risk of locoregional recurrence, and can be used to tailor recommendations for postmastectomy radiation therapy. Randomised clinical trial data are needed to assess whether postmastectomy radiation therapy can be safely omitted in selected women with good response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy.
Feline sarcoma virus-specific transformation-related proteins and protein kinase activity in tumor cells

Abstract Polyproteins (gag-fes) encoded by the Snyder-Theilen (ST) and the Gardner-Arnstein (GA) strains of feline sarcoma virus (FeSV) were previously shown to be associated with mink or rat cells that were nonproductively transformed in vitro . In the present study we demonstrated that the same gag-fes proteins were found in cat cells transformed in vitro . Of greater importance, these transformation-related proteins were also in cells taken from fresh biopsies of FeSV-induced tumors. Cells from fibrosarcomas induced with ST-FeSV had gag-fes proteins that were characteristic of this strain. Fibrosarcomas and melanomas were induced with GA-FeSV and both types of tumors contained the protein that is characteristic of cells transformed in vitro with this virus. Expression of these proteins in cultured tumor cells appeared to be independent of the passage level. Based on two-dimensional tryptic peptide analysis, the gag-fes proteins of cat tumor cells appeared to be indistinguishable from those found in cells transformed in vitro . The polyproteins of the cat tumor cells have a closely associated protein kinase activity, as demonstrated in the in vitro assay, and phosphorylated tyrosine residues. Gag-fes proteins of either the ST or GA class were not present in cell cultures initiated from five spontaneous cat tumors.
A radiation tolerant Phase Locked Loop design for digital electronics

With decreasing feature sizes, lowered supply voltages and increasing operating frequencies, the radiation tolerance of digital circuits is becoming an increasingly important problem. Many radiation hardening techniques have been presented in the literature for combinational as well as sequential logic. However, the radiation tolerance of clock generation circuitry has received scant attention to date. Recently, it has been shown that in the deep submicron regime, the clock network contributes significantly to the chip level Soft Error Rate (SER). The on-chip Phase Locked Loop (PLL) is particularly vulnerable to radiation strikes. In this paper, we present a radiation hardened PLL design. Each of the components of this design — the voltage controlled oscillator (VCO), the phase frequency detector (PFD) and the loop filter are designed in a radiation tolerant manner. Whenever possible, the circuit elements used in our PLL exploit the fact that if a gate is implemented using only PMOS (NMOS) transistors then a radiation particle strike can result only in a logic 0 to 1 (1 to 0) flip. By separating the PMOS and NMOS devices, and splitting the gate output into two signals, extreme high levels of radiation tolerance are obtained. Our PLL is tested for radiation immunity for critical charge values up to 250fC. Our results demonstrate that over a large number of radiation strikes on a number of sensitive nodes in our design, the worst case jitter is just 18%. In the worst case, our PLL returns to the locked state in 16 cycles of the VCO clock, after a radiation strike.
Interaction between Na/K ATPase and Bcl-2 Proteins BclXL and BAK

In silico analysis predicts interaction between Na-K-ATPase (NKA) and Bcl-2 protein canonical BH3- and BH1-like motifs, consistent with NKA inhibition by the benzo-phenanthridine alkaloid cheleryth...
Complexity of domination-type problems in graphs

Many graph parameters are the optimal value of an objective function over selected subsets S of vertices with some constraint on how many selected neighbors vertices in S, and vertices not in S, can have. Classic examples are minimum dominating set and maximum independent set. We give a characterization of these graph parameters that unifies their definitions, facilitates their common algorithmic treatment and allows for their uniform complexity classification. This characterization provides the basis for a taxonomy of domination-type and independence-type problems. We investigate the computational complexity of problems within this taxonomy, identify classes of NP-complete problems and classes of problems solvable in polynomial time.
a-Si:H Thin-Film Transistors on Rollable 25-µ;m Thick Steel Foil

We report the first amorphous silicon thin film transistors (TFTs) on flexible, ultra-thin substrates of 25 µm thick stainless steel foil. The transistors remain operational under convex or concave bending down to 2.5 mm radius of curvature. Taking advantage of the flexibility and resiliency of these devices, we have successfully fabricated TFTs using only xerographic toner masks printed directly on to the steel substrate and using mechanical alignment in the laser printer to obtain the necessary overlay accuracy. The goal of our work is to develop a foldable active-matrix transistor backplane, at low cost and high throughput, for use in highly rugged and portable applications such as foldable intelligent maps. Our results suggest that such foldable backplane circuits are feasible.
A comparison of the spectrum of chronic hepatitis C virus between Caucasians and African Americans

Abstract Background & Aims: Differences in hepatitis C virus (HCV)-related liver disease between Caucasians and African Americans remain controversial. Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of 302 consecutive inmates in the Virginia Department of Corrections evaluated for HCV between October 1998 and July 2002. All subjects were anti-HCV positive, HCV treatment naive, human immunodeficiency virus and HBV negative, and had compensated liver disease. Results: The mean age of the cohort was 41 years; they were 91% male and 51% Caucasian. The mean ALT level was 94 U/L, 49% had a normal ALT level, and 80% were genotype 1. The mean Knodell histologic activity index (HAI) was 7.03, with bridging fibrosis in 18% and cirrhosis in 6%. When analyzed by race, the mean ALT level (106 vs. 79 U/L; P = 0.01), proportion with normal ALT level (46% vs. 57%; P = 0.06), and proportion with genotype 1 (67% vs. 94%; P