cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Immunity to Trichinella spiralis infection in vitamin A-deficient mice

Vitamin A-deficient (A-) mice make strikingly poor IgG responses when they are immunized with purified protein antigens. Previously, we showed that A- T cells overproduce interferon gamma (IFN-gamma), which then could inhibit interleukin 4 (IL-4)-stimulated B cell IgG responses. To determine if the altered IFN-gamma regulation pattern and its immunological consequences would extend to a natural infection, we studied mice infected with the parasitic helminth Trichinella spiralis. The course of the infection was similar in A- and A-sufficient (A+) mice. These mice did not differ with respect to newborn larvae/female/hour produced in the intestine, or muscle larvae burden 5 wk postinfection. They also did not differ in the intestinal worm expulsion rate until day 15, when A- mice still harbored parasites, whereas A+ mice had cleared intestinal worms. Vitamin A deficiency reduced both the frequency of B lymphocytes secreting IgG1 antibodies to parasite antigens, and the bone marrow eosinophilia associated with helminth infection. The cytokine secretion patterns in infected mice were consistent with these observations and with previous studies. Mesenteric lymph node cells from infected A- mice secreted significantly more IFN-gamma, and significantly less IL-2, IL-4, and IL-5 than infected A+ controls. A- splenocytes secreted significantly more IFN-gamma, and equivalent amounts of IL-2, IL-4, and IL-5 compared with A+ controls. Interestingly, CD4-CD8- cells secreted the majority of the IL-4 produced in the spleen. The IL-2, IL-4, and IL-5 steady-state transcript levels correlated with secreted protein levels, but IFN-gamma transcripts did not. Although they secreted more protein, A- cells contained fewer IFN-gamma transcripts than A+ cells. These results suggest two vitamin A-mediated regulation steps in IFN-gamma gene expression: positive regulation of IFN-gamma transcript levels, and negative regulation posttranscriptionally. The essentially unaltered outcome of T. spiralis infection in vitamin A-deficient mice probably reflects a balance between cellular and humoral responses. The IFN-gamma overproduction might have a positive effect on the gut inflammatory response, but the decrease eosinophilia, cytokine production in mesenteric lymph node, and IgG1-secreting cell frequency might have a negative effect on T. spiralis immunity.
Synthesis and chemical structural analysis of nitroxyl-radical-incorporated poly(acrylic acid/lactide/∈-caprolactone) copolymers

The goal of this research is to synthesize biodegradable polymers that would have nitroxyl radical biological functions. Linear aliphatic polyesters were chosen as the starting materials. The hydroxyl-terminated polylactide/ϵ-caprolactones (PBLC-OHs) were first synthesized by melt ring-opening copolymerization in the presence of benzyl alcohol and stannous octoate. PBLC-OHs were used as the precursor for the synthesis of double bond-functionalized polylactide/ϵ-caprolactones (PBLC-Mas) by reacting the hydroxyl end groups of PBLC-OH with maleic anhydride in melt at 130 °C. Acrylic acid/lactide/ϵ-caprolactone graft copolymers (PBLCAs) were then successfully carried out by the radical copolymerization of acrylic acid and PBLC-Ma initiated by azobisisobutyronitrile. Finally, nitroxyl radicals [4-amino-2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxy (TAM)] were incorporated into the carboxylic acid sites of the acrylic acid/lactide/ϵ-caprolactone copolymer (TAM-PBLCA) by reacting TAM with PBLCA in the presence of N,N′-carbonyl diimidazole. A high content of TAM was incorporated into the PBLCA copolymer. The polymers synthesized were characterized by 1H and 13C NMR, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and electron paramagnetic resonance spectra. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 39: 4214–4226, 2001
The reaction of tellurium (IV) halides with sulfoxides

Abstract TeCl4 and TeBr4 have been found to react with sulfoxides in several different ways. Most alkyl sulfoxides form stable adducts of the type, TeX4 · 3R2SO. I.R. spectra indicate that tellurium-oxygen bonding is present in the adducts. TeCl4 reacts with (CH3)2SO to produce H2TeCl6 · 4(CH3)2 SO if a trace of water is present. Chemical, NMR, and i.r. evidence is given to support the product formula. If water is not present in the TeCl4(CH3)2SO reaction mixture, then a violent reaction may occur producing free tellurium, TeO2, and organic sulfides. (CH3O)2SO was found to react with the tellurium tetrahalides to produce CH3(SO)OCH2TeX3.
Acetaminophen poisoning and the use of intravenous N-acetylcysteine.

Acetaminophen (N-acetyl-p-aminophenol) is the most widely used antipyretic and analgesic in the United States. Acetaminophen, a combination agent in approximately 125 medications, has been deemed safe and effective when used within the recommended dosage. In 1998 and 1999, however, 203,930 cases of acetaminophen overingestion were reported to U.S. poison centers, making it the leading pharmacologic agent associated with toxicity.
Factors Affecting Nurses' Decisions to Administer PRN Analgesic Medication to Children After Surgery: An Analog Investigation

Investigated postoperative PRN analgesic medication decisions regarding children in 113 hospital nurses, using analog stimuli. Nurses with greater narcotics knowledge and comfort indicated they would provide significantly more medication. Nurses provided more analgesics to children showing higher pain, and on the first than on the third postoperative day. Seriousness of child's condition also affected medication decisions. On the first day, nurses gave less medication to the child with than without permanent sequelae, whereas on the third postoperative day nurses provided more analgesics to the child with than without sequelae. These findings were consistent across high and low pain conditions. Nurses' ratings of children's pain were also affected by seriousness and time since surgery. Findings are discussed with reference to problems of undermanagement of children's pain.
Network vascular communication initiated by increases in tissue adenosine.

Vascular communication of vasomotor signals appears to coordinate the distribution of tissue blood flow. This study was performed to determine whether elevated tissue concentrations of adenosine or ni
Enforcing the Law of One Price: Nonlinear Mean Reversion in the ADR Market

This work presents evidence that cross‐isted stocks (ADRs) are traded in markets that are not completely integrated, and it is the presence of high frequency arbitrage activity that forces these stock pairs to be most commonly in relative equilibrium. A Threshold Autoregressive (TAR) model tests the hypothesis that the reversion to equilibrium of the price discrepancy series is a nonlinear function that has nontrivial thresholds, and that large price discrepancies are relatively short‐lived. The TAR specification models the neutralization of arbitrage forces with thresholds that separate outer regions where large discrepancies have a strong reversion to equilibrium from a central region where transaction costs significantly mitigate this reversion.
Effects of oxidative modification of carbon surface on the adsorption of sulfur compounds in diesel fuel

Abstract This work examines the effects of modification of activated carbons (ACs) by HNO 3 oxidation and gas-phase O 2 oxidation, respectively, on the liquid-phase adsorption of sulfur compounds in diesel fuel. The adsorption characteristics of the oxidized and the original AC samples were evaluated in a fixed-bed flow system by using a model diesel fuel containing 400 parts per million by weight (ppmw) of sulfur as thiophenic compounds and 10 wt% of aromatics in a paraffinic solvent. The pore structure and surface properties of the AC samples were characterized by N 2 adsorption, SEM, FTIR, XPS and surface pH measurements. The adsorptive selectivity factor of the AC samples increases in the order of benzothiophene (BT) ≈ naphthalene (Nap) 3 oxidation was an efficient method in improvement of the adsorption performance of the AC for sulfur compounds. The improved adsorption performance upon the HNO 3 oxidation can be attributed mainly to an increase in the acidic oxygen-containing functional groups. However, the improved adsorption capacity upon oxidation is unlikely due to an increase in mesoporous or microporous surface/volume, although such attribution might have been inferred from the literature. An excellent correlation between the concentration of the surface oxygen-containing functional groups and the adsorption capacity per unit area as well as a good relationship between the adsorption capacity and the surface pH value were observed in this work, which suggest that the adsorption of the sulfur compounds over AC from the liquid hydrocarbon fuel may involve an interaction of the acidic oxygen-containing groups on AC with the sulfur compounds.
VILLAGE GOVERNMENT AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT IN INDONESIA: THE NEW DEMOCRATIC FRAMEWORK

The political reforms that began in Indonesia in 1998 have created new opportunities for a revised relationship between state and community, replacing the New Order's centralistic and uniform framework with local-level institutions that are strong and responsive. This paper presents the new legal framework for the democratisation of local-level politics and village institutions. Representative councils have been elected in all Indonesian villages, and the village head is no longer the sole authority in the community. Village governments are provided with far-reaching autonomy and do not need the approval of higher authorities to take decisions and implement policies. However, decentralisation and democratisation are necessary but not sufficient preconditions for developing the countryside and alleviating poverty. An active government and civil society engagement must ensure that regulations are not distorted during implementation, and that ordinary people are included in public policy making and local gov...
Trichinella spiralis: Role of non-H-2 genes in resistance to primary infection in mice

Abstract Two strains of mice which share identical H-2 genes but differ in their genetic backgrounds were compared for their ability to resist infection with Trichinella spiralis . The two strains of mice, C3HeB/FeJ and AKR/J, share the H -2 k haplotype which is associated with susceptibility to primary infection with T. spiralis in H-2 congenic strains of mice. AKR/J mice, infected with 150 infective muscle larvae, harbored significantly fewer muscle larvae 30 days postinfection than did mice of the strain C3HeB/FeJ. Approximately equal numbers of worms establish in the small intestine of AKR and C3H mice, but the AKR mice expelled adult worms from the gut more rapidly than did mice of the C3H strain. By Day 9 postinfection, 50% of the worms had been expelled by the AKR mice whereas expulsion of worms from C3H mice was delayed beyond Day 9 and occurred primarily between Days 10 and 12. Over this same experimental period (Days 6–12), fecundity of female worms from AKR mice, measured as the mean newborn larvae/female/hour, was approximately one-half that of worms taken from C3H mice. These results support the conclusion that genes outside of the mouse H-2 complex regulate expulsion of adult worms from the gut. These background genes also markedly influence the fecundity of female worms.
Smallholder timber sale decisions on the Amazon frontier

Abstract We use data from a survey of 2401 households living along the Transamazon highway to study timber sales decisions of smallholders settling in Amazon native forests. We develop an econometric approach, to study both the decision to harvest timber and the volume of timber sold, that corrects for limited access to loggers leading to possible selection bias, incomplete labor markets, and differences in property rights regimes that characterize the area. We find that, irrespective of distance to markets, smallholders that have either been settled by INCRA or have access to credit are more likely to sell wood, but those with outside income sources are less likely to sell. Higher timber prices decrease the likelihood of timber sales. The results suggest that timber sales are viewed only as a means for smallholders to reduce immediate cash constraints. With some exceptions these results hold across property rights regimes.
Diagnosis of de novo localized thrombotic microangiopathy by surveillance biopsy

Thrombotic microangiopathy has been reported in association with calcineurin inhibitors and less frequently with sirolimus in renal transplant patients. The diagnosis of thrombotic microangiopathy is typically made by diagnostic biopsy in the setting of allograft dysfunction. The finding of thrombotic microangiopathy on surveillance biopsy without a significant elevation of baseline serum creatinine is unusual. The optimal treatment of this disorder remains controversial. Treatment strategies have included dose adjustment, drug substitution, plasmapheresis, and intravenous immunoglobulin G. We report a case of de novo thrombotic microangiopathy diagnosed by surveillance biopsy in a patient without hematologic abnormalities or elevated serum creatinine. This patient had resolution of the renal lesion following conversion from tacrolimus to sirolimus-based immunosuppression.
Selective inhibition of pyruvate and lactate metabolism in bovine epididymal spermatozoa by dinitrophenol and α-cyano-3-hydroxycinnamate

Abstract The disparity between the effects of the uncouplers, 2,4-dinitrophenol (DNP) and carbonyl cyanide- p -trifluoromethoxyphenylhydrazone (FCCP) on pyruvate metabolism in bovine spermatozoa has been characterized. In bovine epididymal spermatozoa metabolizing pyruvate, the uncouplers of oxidative phosphorylation, DNP (100 μm) and FCCP (0.4 or 5 μm), decreased the intracellular ATP concentration from 30 to ∼10 nmol/10 8 cells. Both uncouplers decreased, but did not abolish, sperm motility. DNP strongly inhibited pyruvate metabolism and stimulated the appearance of free carnitine from the acetylcarnitine pool. In contrast, FCCP enhanced the oxidation of pyruvate, diminished the reduction of pyruvate to lactate, and permitted the maintenance of the normal amount of acetylcarnitine. The effects of DNP and FCCP on mitochondrial pyruvate metabolism were examined in spermatozoa treated with filipin, which renders the plasma membrane permeable to small molecules. In these cells, DNP inhibited metabolism and respiration with pyruvate or lactate, but did not affect respiration supported by acetylcarnitine. Similarly, the pyruvate translocase inhibitor, α-cyano-3-hydroxycinnamate, markedly decreased the rate of metabolism of both pyruvate and lactate. With maximally inhibitory concentrations of DNP or α-cyano-3-hydroxycinnamate, the rates of pyruvate use and lactate use were the same. Metabolism of both lactate and pyruvate and production of ATP were inhibited by similar concentrations of DNP ( I 50 ⋍ 7 μM ). A common mitochondrial translocase for pyruvate and lactate in bovine spermatozoa is posited. This translocase is inhibited by minimally effective uncoupling concentrations of DNP.
Bounding the number of circuits of a graph

Letc(G) denote the number of circuits of a graphG. In this paper, we characterize those minor-closed classesG of graphs for which there is a polynomial functionp(.) such thatc(G)≤p(|E(G)|) for all graphsG inG.
Modulation of the Excitatory Synaptic Transmission in Isolated Rat Hippocampus by Direct Current Stimulation

Transcranial direct current stimulation (DCS) is a noninvasive method for changing cortical excitability. When applied to the scalp over the human cerebral cortex, a cathodal direct current stimulating electrode induces a lasting decrease in excitability, whereas an anodal stimulating electrode enhances excitability. However, mechanisms of the DCS effect at cellular and molecular levels are not well understood. To elucidate the DCS mechanisms, we developed methods for DCS in isolated hippocampal slices and tested the effects of current magnitude and polarity on the CA1 field excitatory post-synaptic potential (fEPSP). METHODS: 400 ∈μm hippocampal slices were prepared from rat pups (P18 - P24). Baseline CA1 fEPSP slope and amplitude were obtained by stimulation of the Schaffer collateral fibers while recording from the CA1 region. DCS (range: −400 to +400 ∈μA) was applied for 5 minutes via two silver-chloride pellet electrodes located outside of the slice and 1 mm away from CA1 and CA3 regions, respectively. RESULTS: The fEPSPs persisted during DCS (−400 to +200 ∈μA) and were modulated by current amplitude and polarity. Maximal reduction (by 30%) of fEPSPs amplitude and slope by DCS was achieved with 400 ∈μA DC directed toward the CA1 region (−400 ∈μA). Maximal facilitation of fEPSPs (by 18%) was achieved with 100∈μA DC in opposite direction. The dependence of fEPSP amplitude on DCS amplitude was non-linear with the maximum of the first derivative at 0 ∈μA. DISCUSSION: We demonstrate for the first time that (1) external DCS can modulate EPSP amplitude and slope, and (2) that the magnitude and direction of the EPSP change is dependent on the magnitude and direction of the direct current. Our data support the hypothesis that DCS effect on EPSPs is due to polarization of the postsynaptic membrane.
Multiple delivery methods for an interdisciplinary audience: Assessing effectiveness

Recent federal legislation has provided guidelines for intervention services for infants and toddlers with handicaps, birth to age three, and their families. Many disciplines, including nursing, will be involved in providing these services. Serving on an interdisciplinary team or acting as a consultant requires appropriate preparation. Many professionals are not comfortable with their roles in serving this new population, due in part to the limited emphasis on the handicapped infant and toddler in most basic preservice professional education programs. The project described here was useful in helping an interdisciplinary audience develop knowledge and skills needed for intervention services for infants and toddlers.
Adrenocortical underpinnings of children's psychological reactivity to interparental conflict.

This study examined interrelationships among children’s cortisol reactivity and their psychological reactivity to interparental conflict in a sample of 208 first graders (mean age = 6.6 years). Assessments of children’s psychological reactivity to conflict distinguished among their distress, hostile, and involvement responses across multiple methods (i.e., observation, questionnaire) and informants (i.e., observer, parent). Relative to other forms of conflict reactivity, children’s distress responses to interparental conflict were consistent, unique predictors of their elevated cortisol reactivity to interparental conflict even after inclusion of demographic factors as moderators and covariates. Moderator analyses further revealed that associations between distress and elevated cortisol levels in response to interparental conflict were particularly pronounced when children exhibited high levels of involvement in conflicts.
Thermal denaturing of mutant lysozyme with both the OPLSAA and the CHARMM force fields.

Biomolecular simulations enabled by massively parallel supercomputers such as BlueGene/L promise to bridge the gap between the currently accessible simulation time scale and the experimental time scale for many important protein folding processes. In this study, molecular dynamics simulations were carried out for both the wild-type and the mutant hen lysozyme (TRP62GLY) to study the single mutation effect on lysozyme stability and misfolding. Our thermal denaturing simulations at 400−500 K with both the OPLSAA and the CHARMM force fields show that the mutant structure is indeed much less stable than the wild-type, which is consistent with the recent urea denaturing experiment (Dobson et al. Science 2002, 295, 1719−1722; Nature 2003, 424, 783−788). Detailed results also reveal that the single mutation TRP62GLY first induces the loss of native contacts in the β-domain region of the lysozyme protein at high temperatures, and then the unfolding process spreads into the α-domain region through Helix C. Even th...
Doing Justice to the Law

First, let us dispense with the issue of whether Tobler’s First Law of Geography (TFL: Tobler 1970)—everything is related to everything else, but near things are more related than distant things— is indeed a law. While logicians and philosophers of science define ‘‘law’’ strictly and precisely, physical geographers—and, I daresay, most other practicing scientists—have a much looser, more flexible, and more catholic definition of what constitutes a law. In Quantitative Geography, for example, Cole and King (1968) give six definitions of ‘‘law’’ used in geography, several of which would apply to TFL. The more relevant question, at least to the geoscientist, is the extent to which TFL helps us understand landscapes, climates, ecosystems, soils, and the other spatial phenomena we deal with.
Trajectory mining from anonymous binary motion sensors in Smart Environment

One of the key applications of Smart Environment (which is deployed with anonymous binary motion sensors [1,2]) is user activity behavior analysis. The necessary prerequisite to finding behavior knowledge of users is to mine trajectories from the massive amount of sensor data. However, it becomes more challenging when the Smart Environment has to use only non-invasive and binary sensing because of user privacy protection. Furthermore, the existing trajectory tracking algorithms mainly deal with tracking object either using sophisticated invasive and expensive sensors [3,4], or treating tracking as a Hidden Markov Model (HMM) which needs adequate training data set to obtain model's parameter [5]. So, it is imperative to propose a framework which can distinguish different trajectories only based on collected data from anonymous binary motion sensors. In this paper, we propose a framework - Mining Trajectory from Anonymous Binary Motion Sensor Data (MiningTraMo) - that can mine valuable and trust-worthy motion trajectories from the massive amount of sensor data. The proposed solution makes use of both temporal and spatial information to remove the system noise and ambiguity caused by motion crossover and overlapping. Meanwhile, MiningTraMo introduces Multiple Pairs Best Trajectory Problem (MPBT), which is inspired by the multiple pairs shortest path algorithm in [6], to search the most possible trajectory using walking speed variance when there are several trajectory candidates. The time complexity of the proposed algorithms are analyzed and the accuracy performance is evaluated by some designed experiments which not only have ground truth, but also are the typical situation for real application. The mining experiment using real history data from a smart workspace is also finished to find the user's behavior pattern.
DNA identification of commercial ginseng samples.

An investigation was performed with the objective of developing a DNA-based protocol for the identification of commercial samples of the herbal compound ginseng. There are currently two major herbal products referred to as ginseng. They are Korean or Chinese ginseng (Panax ginseng) and American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius). The market for ginseng in the United States is estimated to be approximately $300 million annually. Current tests for ginseng species identification rely on expert botanical identification of fresh plant/root specimens or on biochemical characterization of active and marker compounds (e.g., ginsenosides). For the determination of the feasibility of ginseng identification by DNA analysis, a strategy based on the direct DNA sequence analysis of the nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer region was developed. Other genetic tests included sequence analysis of the chloroplast ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase large subunit gene and DNA fingerprinting by the rapid amplification of polymorphic DNA technique. To confirm the results, each ginseng sample was identified using high-performance liquid chromatography. All methods were successful in distinguishing American from Korean ginseng. In addition, the protocol was improved for the isolation of genomic and plastid DNA from commercial ginseng preparations by incorporating an impact homogenization step into the standard column chromatography purification procedure.
Rapid activity‐dependent sprouting of optic fibers into a local area denervated by application of beta‐bungarotoxin in goldfish tectum

The retinotectal projection is known to be capable of extensive long-term expansion of connections, but it is not known how fast such changes can occur or what triggers sprouting of terminals. We studied sprouting of optic fibers into an area denervated by local microinjection of beta-bungarotoxin (beta-BTX), a specific presynaptic neurotoxin with phospholipase A2 activity that destroys nerve terminals at the neuromuscular junction. After injection of 0.1 pmol of beta-BTX, the optic terminals fired spontaneously with decreasing amplitude and became silent within 1 to 2 h. Outside the injection zone, the retinotectal map was normal, so the silent zone was associated with a scotoma in the visual field. Horseradish peroxidase (HRP) staining of the entire optic nerve showed a denervated region at the injection site with beaded, degenerating fibers at its edge. Between 3 and 9 days later, optic units were recorded within the injection zone whose receptive fields lay just outside the scotoma in the visual field, indicating that intact surrounding terminals had sprouted into the area. These sprouts made functional connections, as indicated by field potential recordings and current source-density analysis. At this time, HRP staining also demonstrated retinal innervation within the injection zone. By 12 days, normal maps with no scotoma were recorded and HRP staining was normal at the injection site, indicating that the beta-BTX-damaged fibers had regenerated to reclaim their tectal sites. The results show that the retinotectal projection of goldfish is very dynamic, since intact optic fibers can sprout into adjacent vacant postsynaptic territory within 2 to 3 days, much faster than previously reported. In a final experiment, we showed that this sprouting is activity-dependent, since it could be prevented by blocking retinal activity with intraocular tetrodotoxin (TTX) during the first 2 days postinjection, even though TTX block of activity does not block regeneration in this system. One possible mechanism for this rapidly triggered sprouting is that arachidonic acid liberated by beta-BTX acts as a sprouting factor to attract surrounding healthy fibers into the denervated region but requires activity at the terminals to be effective.
The hydrolysis of phosphate diesters in cyclohexane and acetone

The hydrolysis of phosphate diesters is one of the most difficult reactions known. Here we show that in acetone or cyclohexane, at 25 °C, phosphodiesters undergo hydrolysis 5 × 105 and 2 × 109-fold more rapidly than in water, respectively, and that this rate enhancement is achieved by lowering the enthalpy of activation.
Blood utilization and hemoglobin levels in cancer patients after label and coverage changes for erythropoiesis-stimulating agents

A comprehensive literature search was performed to examine the influence of changes in erythropoietin-stimulating agent (ESA) label and reimbursement policies on utilization of red blood cell transfusions and patient hemoglobin levels in US cancer patients receiving chemotherapy or anemia management. Studies conducted in ESA-treated patients showed an increase in transfusion rates when comparing the post-intervention period with pre-intervention period (range of relative change: 15–125%). Results from studies conducted in patients receiving chemotherapy irrespective of anemia treatment were variable; single-institution-based studies tended to show a decrease in transfusion rates (range of relative change: −3.2 to −24.1%), while multiple-institution-based studies suggested an increase in transfusion rates (range of relative change: 12–182%). Studies showed decreases in hemoglobin levels during chemotherapy or at ESA initiation, and decreased ESA utilization.
Just add water dimers

Alkenes constitute a large fraction of the natural and human-made volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that are emitted into the troposphere. Their oxidation products degrade air quality and contribute to climate warming. Alkene oxidation is thought to involve Criegee intermediates (CIs), highly reactive molecules that form when ozone reacts with alkenes. However, the impact of CIs may be limited if they react rapidly with water. Modelers have found it difficult to quantify the effect of CIs on atmospheric composition, because laboratory data on CI reactions with water have been contradictory. On page 751 of this issue, Chao et al. (1) show that the simplest CI, formaldehyde oxide (CH_2OO), reacts rapidly with the water dimer, (H_2O)_2. Similar results are reported by Lewis et al. (2).
THE SPECTRUM OF INCREASED PULMONARY VASCULAR RESISTANCE IN THE NEWBORN

Right ventricular systolic tine intervals have been measured from pulmonary valve echograms and ↑ right pre-ejection period/right ventricular ejection time (RPEP/RVET) correlated with ↑ pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) in children with cardiac disease. In the postnatal period two groups of infants with ↑ PVR were identified by ↑ RPEP/RVET: (a) term infants with hypoxemia, evidence of right to left shunting and minimal pulmonary parenchymal disease--persistent fetal circulation (PFC, N=20) and (b) preterm infants with respiratory distress, diffuse reticulogranular mottling on chest radiograph and requiring assisted ventilation-severe respiratory distress syndrome (RDS, N=23). Mean RPEP/RVET in PFC was significantly elevated (p<0.01) when compared to values in 38 normal neonates less than 96 hours of age (12 hours 0.67 to 0.39; 96 hours 0.47 to 0.28). In severe RDS, RPEP/RVET was significantly increased (p<.005) when compared to 22 preterm infants without respiratory distress during the first 24-48 hours (12 hours 0.58 to 0.33; 48 hours 0.39 to 0.28). Preterm infants with severe RDS were a heterogenous group, 12 having ↑ RPEP/RVET and 11 normal ratios. Those with ↑ RPEP/RVET had a mortality of 5/12 while those with normal ratios had a mortality of 1/11. Echocardiography non-invasively identified ↑ PVR in newborns with PFC and severe RDS and may identify neonates who would benefit from therapy aimed at reducing PVR.
UV photoaffinity labeling of Tn3 transposase–DNA complexes: identification of DNA binding domains

The prokaryotic transposon Tn3 requires the transposase protein, as well as the cis-acting terminal inverted repeats (IRs), for transposition. The first step in the transposition process requires transposase binding to the IRs, as well as target site selection for element insertion. The primary aim of this study is to define the relationship between the structure of Tru3 transposase and its DNA binding functions. We have defined, by UV cross-linking, two broad regions of transposase that interact with DNA: a 70-kDa N-terminal domain and a 30-kDa C-terminal domain. The 70-kDa N-terminal domain encompasses the IR sequence-specific binding domain, as well as a nonspecific DNA binding domain that has been previously described. We have also defined, by UV cross-linking, a region in the nonspecific DNA binding domain centered at amino acids 376 and 381 that is in contact with DNA. We have used site-directed mutagenesis of amino acids 376 and 381 to help delineate the function of this region of the transposase p...
Nuclear Polarization of Spin-Polarized Hydrogen

The nuclear relaxation rate has been measured in spin-polarized hydrogen. The rate is so low that a gas composed of atoms initially in the two nuclear spin states spontaneously acquires a high nuclear polarization as one of the states recombines. The remaining state is stable against recombination, but decays slowly by nuclear relaxation. Nuclear polarization greater than 99% has been achieved. We have also measured the absorption energy and the recombination rate of hydrogen on liquid /sup 4/He.
Impression creep of Sn3.5Ag eutectic alloy

Abstract The creep behavior of Sn3.5Ag eutectic alloy was investigated by using impression technique in the temperature range of 333–453 K and under the punching stress range of 3.4–67.1 MPa. Using a power law between the steady-state impression velocity and the punching stress, it was found the activation energy increases with the punching stress from 44.7 kJ/mol at 6.7 MPa to 79.2 kJ/mol at 46.9 MPa and the stress exponent changes from 1.03 (3.4–13.4 MPa) to 5.9 (20.1–40.2 MPa). However, by using a hyperbolic sine function between the steady-state impression velocity and the punching stress, a single activation energy was found to be 51.0 kJ/mol, which is close to the activation energy for grain boundary diffusion in pure Sn. This suggests that a single mechanism of grain boundary fluid flow is likely the controlling mechanism for the time-dependent plastic flow of Sn3.5Ag eutectic alloy under the testing conditions.
Energy-precision tradeoffs in mobile Graphics Processing Units

In mobile devices, limiting the Graphics Processing Unitpsilas (GPUpsilas) energy usage is of great importance to extending battery life. This paper focuses on the first stage of the graphics processor pipeline - the vertex transformation stage - and introduces an approach to lowering its switching activity by reducing the precision of arithmetic operations. As a result, the approach enables a tradeoff between energy efficiency and the quality of the rendered image. This paper makes the following specific contributions: 1) a transition-based energy model for quantifying energy consumed as a function of arithmetic precision, and 2) detailed simulation results on several real-world graphics applications to evaluate the tradeoff between energy and precision. In most examples, over 23% of the energy can be saved by lowering arithmetic precision while still maintaining a faithful reproduction of the full-precision image. Pushing the idea further, over 36% energy can be saved by further lowering the precision while preserving acceptable result accuracy. We assert that this represents a significant energy savings that warrants further investigation and extension of our approach to the remaining stages of the graphics processor pipeline.
Pathways between acculturation and health: Does the measure matter?

The purpose of this study was to assess the association between acculturation and functional health using multiple proxies of acculturation to examine explanatory pathways to clarify disparate health findings. A population-based cross-sectional, multistage probability sample from the Hispanic Established Populations for the Epidemiologic Studies of the Elderly (N = 3,050) was used. The dependent variables of neuropsychiatric function were depressive symptoms (Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale [CES-D]) and cognitive function (mini-mental state examination [MMSE]) examined in separate multivariable regression and structural equation models to examine the pathways between acculturation proxies and neuropsychiatric function. Findings indicated that three acculturation proxies were associated with cognitive function but none were associated with depressive symptoms. English proficiency fully mediated the associations between other acculturation proxies and cognitive function. The findings sugge...
Beyond Bellman's principle of optimality; the principle of "real-time optimality" (RTO)

Bellman's principle of optimality and his dynamic programming technique for computing optimal sequential-decisions may not apply to problems involving uncertain, non-noisy exogenous-variables. In this paper, we show that if the uncertain behavior of non-noisy exogenous-variables can be modeled by a class of spline-expressions, with known basis-functions and unknown, "stepwise-constant" weighting-coefficients, one can introduce a pseudo state-vector and a generalization of the principle of optimality, called real-time optimality, which enables rational, real-time sequential-decisions that, are "optimal" in a certain practical, causal sense. The results have wide applications in business, engineering, defense, competitive sports, etc.
Combined biologic therapy for the treatment of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis: A case report.

Psoriasis has both cutaneous and systemic manifestations. Psoriatic pathogenesis is driven by chronic, immune-mediated inflammation.1, 2 Multiple cormorbidities of psoriasis, such as obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and dyslipidemia predispose to cardiovascular disease. Furthermore, psoriasis alone may represent an independent cardiovascular risk factor.3 Biologic therapies specifically targeting inflammatory pathways have emerged in the management of psoriasis. Given the role of chronic inflammation in both psoriasis and cardiovascular disease, the impact of these therapeutic agents on cardiovascular risk has been of research interest. To date, the data suggest an overall reduction in risk for cardiovascular events with tumor necrosis factor–alpha inhibitors and a neutral effect for ustekinumab, an IL-12/23 inhibitor.1, 4, 5 Fewer data exist to corroborate the relationship between ustekinumab and cardiovascular risk, and concern still exists for an increased susceptibility to major adverse cardiovascular events.1, 6, 7, 8 There are limited data guiding the combination of biologic agents in the management of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis.
Aqueous Flow is Reduced by the Alpha-adrenergic Agonist, Apraclonidine Hydrochloride (ALO 2145)

Apraclonidine hydrochloride (ALO 2145), a clonidine derivative that does not cross the blood-brain barrier, was applied topically to one eye of each of 20 normal human subjects. The rate of aqueous humor flow and the permeability of the blood-aqueous barrier were measured by fluorophotometry. Four hours after administration, the flow rate in the apraclonidine-treated eyes was 35% lower than that measured in the control eyes. Three hours after instillation, the intraocular pressure (IOP) was 34% lower in the apraclonidine-treated eyes when compared with control eyes. Both these differences were statistically significant. The drug had little, if any, effect on blood-aqueous permeability.
Optimal multicasting in a Multi-Line-Rate Ethernet over WDM network

Ethernet is the dominant transport technology for Local Area Networks. Efforts are now under way to use carrier-grade Ethernet in backbone networks of different service providers. With the advent of applications such as IPTV and Video-on-Demand, there is need for techniques to route multicast traffic over the Ethernet backbone networks. Here, we address the problem of Routing and Wavelength Assignment (RWA) of a set of multicast requests in a Multi-Line-Rate Ethernet backbone network with the objective of minimizing the cost of setting up the network, in terms of the Service Provider's Capital Expenditure (CAPEX). We present an Auxiliary Graph based heuristic algorithm that routes each multicast request on a light-tree structure, and assigns minimum cost wavelengths along the route. We compare the properties of the algorithm to the optimal solution given by a mathematical model formulated as an Integer Linear Program (ILP), and show that they compare very well. We also find that the algorithm is most cost-effective when the incoming requests are processed in descending order of their bandwidth requirements.
Recent changes in the age composition of drivers in 15 countries

Objective: This study examined the recent changes in the percentage of persons with a driver's license in 15 countries as a function of age. Method: The countries included were Canada, Finland, Germany, Great Britain, Israel, Japan, Latvia, The Netherlands, Norway, Poland, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United States. Results: The results indicate 2 patterns of change over time. In one pattern (observed for 8 countries), there was a decrease in the percentage of young people with a driver's license, and an increase in the percentage of older people with a driver's license. In the other pattern (observed for the other 7 countries), there was an increase in the percentage of people with a driver's license in all age categories. A regression analysis was performed on the data for young drivers in the 15 countries to explore the relationship between licensing and a variety of societal parameters. Of particular note was the finding that a higher proportion of Internet users was associated wit...
Blood Levels of Cadaverine and its Metabolites Monoacetylcadaverine and Monopropionylcadaverine in Psychotic Subgroups of Schizophrenics

Cadaverine (1,5-diaminopentane) has been the least studied biogenic diamine in mammals. The presence of other polyamines in animal tissues in much higher concentrations than cadaverine was one reason for this preferential attention (1). In addition to the reported absence of cadaverine in the brain (2) it has been assumed that if detected, the presence of cadaverine was the result of either microbial metabolism in the intestine (3) or of tissue putrefaction (4).
A New Approach to Stable Optimal Control of Complex Nonlinear Dynamical Systems

This paper gives a simple approach to designing a controller that minimizes a user-specified control cost for a mechanical system while ensuring that the control is stable. For a user-given Lyapunov function, the method ensures that its time rate of change is negative and equals a user specified negative definite function. Thus a closed-form, optimal, nonlinear controller is obtained that minimizes a desired control cost at each instant of time and is guaranteed to be Lyapunov stable. The complete nonlinear dynamical system is handled with no approximations/linearizations, and no a priori structure is imposed on the nature of the controller. The methodology is developed here for systems modeled by second-order, nonautonomous, nonlinear, differential equations. The approach relies on some recent fundamental results in analytical dynamics and uses ideas from the theory of constrained motion.
Modulation of the tumor microenvironment and inhibition of EGF/EGFR pathway: Novel anti-tumor mechanisms of Cannabidiol in breast cancer

The anti-tumor role and mechanisms of Cannabidiol (CBD), a non-psychotropic cannabinoid compound, are not well studied especially in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). In the present study, we analyzed CBD's anti-tumorigenic activity against highly aggressive breast cancer cell lines including TNBC subtype. We show here -for the first time-that CBD significantly inhibits epidermal growth factor (EGF)-induced proliferation and chemotaxis of breast cancer cells. Further studies revealed that CBD inhibits EGF-induced activation of EGFR, ERK, AKT and NF-kB signaling pathways as well as MMP2 and MMP9 secretion. In addition, we demonstrated that CBD inhibits tumor growth and metastasis in different mouse model systems. Analysis of molecular mechanisms revealed that CBD significantly inhibits the recruitment of tumor-associated macrophages in primary tumor stroma and secondary lung metastases. Similarly, our in vitro studies showed a significant reduction in the number of migrated RAW 264.7 cells towards the conditioned medium of CBD-treated cancer cells. The conditioned medium of CBD-treated cancer cells also showed lower levels of GM-CSF and CCL3 cytokines which are important for macrophage recruitment and activation. In summary, our study shows -for the first time-that CBD inhibits breast cancer growth and metastasis through novel mechanisms by inhibiting EGF/EGFR signaling and modulating the tumor microenvironment. These results also indicate that CBD can be used as a novel therapeutic option to inhibit growth and metastasis of highly aggressive breast cancer subtypes including TNBC, which currently have limited therapeutic options and are associated with poor prognosis and low survival rates.
APPROXIMATION, ADAPTATION AND AUTOMATION CONCEPTS FOR LARGE-SCALE STRUCTURAL OPTIMIZATION

Approximation, Adaptation and Automation (AAA) concepts have been developed in this paper for sizing large-scale structures modeled using finite elements. Four main constituents of AAA concepts have been suggested and described in this paper which can be potentially very effective in reducing the number of analysis cycles. They are based on several innovative principles and considerations which increase efficiency and/or promote independency of the design iteration cycles with respect to one or more of the following: (i) number of design variables; (ii) number of active constraints; (iii) forms of design variable linkings; (iv) types of constraints; (v) types of finite elements used in modeling; and (vi) size and types of structures involved.
Do Shared Goals Really Make a Difference

The study of organizations has been dominated since its inception by the conceptualization of organizations as goal-attaining entities. However, the degree to which goals are consensually shared an...
Terror, torture and democratic autoimmunity

Shortly before his death in 2004, Jacques Derrida provocatively suggested that the greatest problem confronting contemporary democracy is that ‘the alternative to democracy can always be represente...
Imaging of Sports-Related Midfoot and Forefoot Injuries

Sports-related injuries of the foot are common and may result in significant morbidity, particularly if inaccurate or delayed diagnosis leads to improper management. While less common than injuries of the ankle, sports-related foot injuries account for 2% to 18% of athletic injuries. Injury may occur as a result of acute trauma or chronic overuse, and high-impact sports that involve running, jumping, or contact place the athlete at higher risk for injury. Accurate and timely diagnosis of injury is the key to proper management, and diagnostic imaging studies often play a critical role in this regard. While radiographs, computerized tomography scans, and ultrasound are useful in the evaluation of the foot, magnetic resonance imaging provides superior tissue contrast as well as the ability to detect stress reaction in bone that precedes discernible fracture line on radiographs, allowing accurate detection of both osseous and soft tissue pathology. This review focuses on imaging of common sports-related injuries of the midfoot and forefoot, including osseous, ligamentous, and tendinous pathology, with emphasis on magnetic resonance imaging diagnosis.
On the Use of the Posterior Crame´r-Rao Lower Bound for Damage Estimation in Structural Health Management

The use of the posterior Cramer-Rao lower bound (PCRLB) as a lower bound for the mean-squared estimation error (MSEE) of progressive damage is investigated. The estimation problem is formulated in terms of a stochastic dynamic system model that describes the random evolution of damage and provides measurement uncertainty. Based on whether the system is linear or nonlinear, sequential Monte Carlo techniques are used to approximate the posterior probability density function and thus obtain the damage state estimate. The resulting MSEE is compared to the lower bound offered by the PCRLB that is obtained from the implied state transition probability density function and the measurement likelihood function. The progressive estimation results and the PCRLB are demonstrated for fatigue crack estimation in an aluminum compact-tension (CT) sample subjected to variable-amplitude loading.© 2009 ASME
Nonlinear magnification fields

We introduce nonlinear magnification fields as an abstract representation of nonlinear magnification, providing methods for converting transformation routines to magnification fields and vice-versa. This new representation provides ease of manipulation and power of expression. By removing the restrictions of explicit foci and allowing precise specification of magnification values, we can achieve magnification effects which were not previously possible. Of particular interest are techniques we introduce for expressing complex and subtle magnification effects through magnification brushing, and allowing intrinsic properties of the data being visualized to create data-driven magnifications.