cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The metabotropic glutamate receptors, mGluR2 and mGluR3, show unique postsynaptic, presynaptic and glial localizations.

Glutamate neurotransmission involves numerous ionotropic and metabotropic glutamate receptor types in postsynaptic, presynaptic and glial locations. Distribution of the metabotropic glutamate receptors mGluR2 and mGluR3 was studied with an affinity-purified, characterized polyclonal antibody made from a C-terminus peptide. This antibody, mGluR2/3, recognized both mGluR2 and mGluR3, but did not cross-react with any other type of metabotropic glutamate receptor except for a very slight recognition of mGluR5. Light microscope distribution of the antibody binding sites in the nervous system matched the combined distributions of messenger RNA for mGluR2 and mGluR3. For example, dense staining seen in the accessory olfactory bulb and cerebellar Golgi cells matched high levels of mGluR2 messenger RNA in these structures, while moderately dense staining in the reticular nucleus of the thalamus and light to moderate staining in glia throughout the brain matched significant levels of mGluR3 messenger RNA in these structures. In the rostral olfactory structures, the densest stained neurons belonged to presumptive "necklace olfactory glomeruli." In the hippocampus, staining was densest in the neuropil of the stratum lucidum/pyramidale, stratum lacunosum/moleculare, hilus and middle third of the molecular layer of the dentate gyrus. Ultrastructural studies of the cerebral cortex, hippocampus and caudate-putamen revealed significant staining in postsynaptic and presynaptic structures and glial wrappings of presumptive excitatory synapses; frequently, this staining was concentrated in discrete patches at or near active zones. In the hippocampus, presynaptic staining appeared to be concentrated in terminals of two populations of presumptive glutamatergic axons: mossy fibers originating from granule cells and perforant path fibers originating from the entorhinal cortex. These data suggest that populations of mGluR2 and/or mGluR3 receptors are localized differentially in synapses, i.e. those in and near the postsynaptic and presynaptic membranes and in glial wrappings of synapses, in several regions of the brain. In addition, we provide immunocytochemical evidence of mGluR2 or mGluR3 receptors in presynaptic terminals of glutamatergic synapses. Thus, mGluR2 and mGluR3 are found in various combinations of presynaptic, postsynaptic and glial localizations that may reflect differential modulation of excitatory amino acid transmission.
Supersymmetric completion of the R 4 term in type IIB supergravity

We examine the question of the supersymmetric completion of the R{sup 4} term in type IIB supergravity by using superfield methods. We show that, while there is an obstruction to constructing the full action, a subset of the terms in the action can be consistently analyzed independent of the other terms, and these can be obtained from the superfield. We find the complete type IIB action involving the curvature and five-form field strengths.
Pharmacokinetics of betamethasone in twin and singleton pregnancy.

Objective The aims of the study were to compare the pharmacokinetics of betamethasone in singleton pregnancy with the pharmacokinetics in twin pregnancy and to assess the adrenal suppression produced by betamethasone. Study Design We measured serial betamethasone and cortisol levels in 30 singleton and 21 twin pregnancies after the first dose of betamethasone and calculated the pharmacokinetic parameters for betamethasone including volume of distribution, half-life, and clearance. We also measured cord and maternal blood levels of betamethasone at the birth of infants of 13 singleton and 9 twin pregnancies. Results The half-life of betamethasone in mothers with twin pregnancies was significantly shorter than that in mothers with singleton pregnancies (7.2 ± 2.4 versus 9.0 ± 2.7 hours; P < .017). Clearance of betamethasone in the twin pregnancies appeared greater than in singleton pregnancies (8.4 ± 6.4 versus 5.7 ± 3.1 L/h; P = .06) but did not reach statistical significance. Volume of distribution was similar in the two groups. Because the time between the last dose of betamethasone and birth varied widely (range, 2–158 hours), mothers with a longer interval after treatment tended to have a higher cord–to–maternal betamethasone ratio than did mothers with a shorter interval in both twin and singleton pregnancies. This finding indicated delayed fetal clearance, but the correlation was weak (R2 = 0.29 for twins and 0.08 for singletons). Conclusion The shorter half-life of betamethasone in twin pregnancy than in singleton pregnancy may cause the level of betamethasone to be subtherapeutic for lung maturation in twin pregnancy. Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics (2002) 71, 39–45; doi: 10.1067/mcp.2002.120250
Congau — constrained minimization of least squares objective functions

Abstract A technique for constrained parameter optimization is presented and applied to some test problems. The procedure employs an exterior penalty function to transform the constrained objective function into an unconstrained index of performance which is minimized by Gauss' method. Gauss' method recasts the minimization problem to one of solving simultaneous linear equations with the variation of the parameters as the unknowns. For the special case of a quadratic objective function and linear constraints, the penalized critical value is obtained in one step. The restriction that the objective function be of least squares form results from using Gauss' method. The restriction on each constraint is that first derivatives with respect to all parameters be obtainable.
The rate and activation enthalpy of decomposition of CaCO3

The heat balance during steady state decomposition of CaCO3 single crystals in vacuum is analyzed. It is shown that, contrary to the contention of others, the rate of decomposition of CaCO3 can be measured under conditions which make the slowest chemical step of the process, rather than heat transfer or gas phase diffusion, rate limiting. From new experimental measurements and measurements of previous investigators the apparent enthalpy of activation for CaCO3 decomposition (when the CO2 background pressure is negligible) is found to be 50 ± 3 kcal (calculated in terms of pressures equivalent to the CO2 decomposition flux densities), compared to 40.5 kcal for the equilibrium decomposition reaction. The rates of decomposition of single crystals which are measured in different studies differ by as much as a factor of 4, but average only about 10-5 times the flux densities that are theoretically achievable for the reaction.
Preliminary experience with focused abdominal sonography for trauma (FAST) in children: is it useful?

Abstract Background/Purpose: Most pediatric surgeons and pediatric radiologists consider computed tomography (CT) the best radiological test for the evaluation of children with suspected intraabdominal injury. The majority of injured children evaluated with CT will be found to have a normal scan. Focused abdominal sonography for trauma (FAST) has been shown to be a useful screening test in the evaluation of adult patients with suspected intraabdominal injury. Limited data exist regarding the use of FAST in children. Our aim was to evaluate the usefulness of FAST as a screening test in the evaluation of children with suspected intraabdominal injury in an attempt to minimize the number of normal CT scans performed. Methods: Hemodynamically stable children evaluated for suspected intraabdominal injury were prospectively screened with FAST. FAST, real-time sonography at four sites, was performed by staff pediatric radiologists. The average duration of the examination was 2 minutes. Positive and negative FAST scan findings were defined prospectively. The result of each FAST was recorded (positive or negative) and then all patients underwent CT as a control. All management decisions were based on CT results. Results: Forty-six patients were included in the study. FAST identified four children with positive findings (free intraperitoneal fluid), whereas CT showed 13 children with injuries (nine with associated free intraperitoneal fluid and four with only solid organ injury and no associated intraperitoneal fluid). There were nine false-negative and no false-positive FAST scans. The sensitivity of FAST was 0.3 and the specificity was 1.0. Injuries missed by FAST included liver laceration, adrenal hematoma, renal laceration, small bowel injury and splenic laceration. Conclusion: Preliminary results suggest that FAST alone is not a useful screening test in the evaluation of children with suspected intraabdominal injury.
EXAFS study of Br2-graphite compounds

Abstract Extended X-Ray Absorption Fine Structure (EXAFS) measurements have been made on a variety of Br2-graphite compounds including a low concentration residue compound and intercalation compounds ranging from 0.27 mol% Br2 to approximately stage 3. The EXAFS spectra have distinct contributions from both BrBr and BrC distances. This work is concerned primarily with the fate of the Br2 upon intercalation as revealed by changes in the BrBr EXAFS, although a limited analysis is made of the BrC contribution. A unique result of this work is the dicovery that intercalated Br2 takes two forms distinguished by differing BrBr distances, and charge transfers. At high concentrations most of the molecules have a BrBr distance of 2.34±0.02 A , which is slightly larger than the values found for adsorbed (2.31 A) or free (2.28 A) molecules. These molecules lie flat between the graphite layers. The second type have a BrBr distance of 2.53±0.03 A and are randomly oriented with respect to the graphite layers. These expanded molecules predominate in the 0.27 mol% sample, but their number remains fixed as more Br2 is added, and in the high concentration samples they are only a small fraction of the total Br2. From these results it is reasonable to speculate that the expanded Br2 is associated with the edges or defects in the graphite, possibly acting as a “can-opener” in preparing the layers for further intercalation. From a comparison of our results with work function measurements for adsorbed Br2, the charge transferred to the molecules is estimated as 0.16 electrons for the intercalated form and ∼0.5 electrons for the expanded molecules. The existence of these two types of molecules can explain the apparent change of charge transfer with concentration found by some authors at low Br2 concentrations.
An Electric Analog of Friction For Solution of Mechanical Systems Such as the Torsional-Vibration Damper

When the mathematical solution of a problem is so difficult as to be impracticable it sometimes is possible to obtain the desired answer from the behavior of an analogous electric circuit. This article presents an analog of ``coulomb friction,'' and demonstrates the application of this analog to the previously unsolved problem of the torsional-vibration damper.
Utilization of the 1320-nm Nd:YAG laser for the reduction of photoaging of the hands

Background. Nonablative laser resurfacing has been shown to improve the appearance photoaged skin. Clinical improvement has been associated with dermal collagen remodeling. Objective. The objective was to determine the efficacy of a 1320-nm Nd:YAG laser for the treatment of photoaging hands. Methods. Seven patients with photoaged hands received six monthly treatments with a 1320-nm Nd:YAG laser. Improvement in skin smoothness was evaluated by objective and patient assessment using a 6-point improvement scale: 1=no improvement and 6=80% to 100% improvement. Results. Mild to moderate improvement was achieved as determined by both objective and patient assessment. Mean improvement by objective assessment was 2.4 points. Objective improvement was noted in four of seven patients, and these patients demonstrated a mean improvement score of 3.5 points. The mean improvement by patient assessment was 3.1 points. Conclusion. This case series demonstrates that the 1320-nm Nd:YAG laser with cryogen cooling can be effective for rejuvenation of photoaged hands.
Evidence that transduction of electromagnetic field is mediated by a force receptor

Low-strength magnetic fields triggered onset and offset evoked potentials, indicating that the detection process was a form of sensory transduction; whether the field interacted directly with an ion channel or indirectly via a signaling cascade is unknown. By analogy with electrosensory transduction in lower life forms, we hypothesized that the evoked potentials were initiated by a force exerted by the induced electric field on an ion channel in the plasma membrane. We applied a rapid magnetic stimulus (0.2 ms) and found that it produced evoked potentials indistinguishable in latency, magnitude, and frequency from those found previously when the stimulus was 50 times slower. The ability of the field-detection system in human subjects to respond to the rapid stimulus supported the theory that the receptor potentials necessary for production of evoked potentials originated from a direct interaction between the field and an ion channel in the plasma membrane that resulted in a change in the average probability of the channel to be in the open state.
Climate-Growth Relationships for Native and Nonnative Pinaceae in Northern Michigan's Pine Barrens

Secondary growth responses of native and nonnative trees exposed to the same climatic conditions can elucidate sensitivities and thus adaptability to a particular region. A long-term mixed-species planting in the pine barrens of northern lower Michigan presented an opportunity to discriminate responses from species commonly planted in this region. Mean ring-width chronologies from living native Pinus resinosa Ait. and P. strobus L. and nonnative P. sylvestris L. and Picea abies (L.) Karst. at this plantation were generated, standardized, and analyzed by correlation analysis against mean monthly climatic variables. The native pine chronologies had the highest mean ring widths and signal-to-noise ratios (SNR), were highly correlated to each other, and exhibited positive responses to years with above-normal April temperatures but no significant relationships to variations in precipitation. The P. sylvestris chronology was highly correlated to the other two pine chronologies and responded similarly to April temperatures but exhibited negative correlations to January and April precipitation and positive correlations to September precipitation. The P. abies chronology had the highest mean sensitivity and was correlated with the P. strobus chronology but only responded positively to precipitation from the previous December. The low SNR (P. sylvestris, P. abies), high mean sensitivity (P. abies), and larger number of significant correlations to variations in monthly climatic variables (P. sylvestris) suggest that these nonnative species are more sensitive to this local climate. These results provide insights to the adaptability, establishment, and geographic distribution of the nonnative Pinaceae.
Measurement of planktonic bacterial production in an oligotrophic lake1

Planktonic heterotrophic bacterial production in Mirror 1,ake (New IIampshirc) was cstimated by several different methods. Production ranged between 3 and 8 g C * m 2* yr-’ based on organic C fluxes and the sum of bacterial losses. The close agreement with the estimate of 6.5 * 1.8 (X ? SE) obtained by the ssSOa method (in which bacterial S uptake was multiplied by a C:S ratio of 50) supports the validity of using this method in aerobic freshwaters. Only 16% of the total SO4 uptake was dlle to bacteria as determined by differential filtration with Nuclepore filters. Production was overestimated (20 g C * rn+ * yr -I) if bacterial dark COY-C uptake (58% of total dark CO,-C uptake) was taken as 6% of heterotrophic bacterial production. Doubling times for heterotrophic planktonic bacteria ranged from 1.2 days (Scptembcr) to >I00 days (February). The annual C flux through planktonic bacteria, including respiration, represented ll-31% of the total autochthonolls plus allochthonous organic C inputs to the lake.
Regulatory T cells reversibly suppress cytotoxic T cell function independent of effector differentiation.

Summary Mechanisms of dominant tolerance have evolved within the mammalian immune system to prevent inappropriate immune responses. CD4 + CD25 + regulatory T (T reg ) cells have emerged as central constituents of this suppressive activity. By using multiphoton intravital microscopy in lymph nodes (LNs) of anesthetized mice, we have analyzed how cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) interact with antigen-presenting target cells in the presence or absence of activated T reg cells. Nonregulated CTLs killed their targets at a 6.6-fold faster rate than regulated CTLs. In spite of this compromised effector activity, regulated CTLs exhibited no defect in proliferation, induction of cytotoxic effector molecules and secretory granules, in situ motility, or ability to form antigen-dependent conjugates with target cells. Only granule exocytosis by CTLs was markedly impaired in the presence of T reg cells. This selective form of regulation did not require prolonged contact between CTLs and T reg cells but depended on CTL responsiveness to transforming growth factor-β. CTLs quickly regained full killing capacity in LNs upon selective removal of T reg cells. Thus, T reg cells reversibly suppress CTL-mediated immunity by allowing acquisition of full effector potential but withholding the license to kill.
In vitro oocyte culture‐based manipulation of zebrafish maternal genes

In animals, females deposit gene products into developing oocytes, which drive early cellular events in embryos immediately after fertilization. As maternal gene products are present before fertilization, the functional manipulation of maternal genes is often challenging to implement, requiring gene expression or targeting during oogenesis. Maternal expression can be achieved through transgenesis, but transgenic approaches are time consuming and subject to undesired epigenetic effects. Here, we have implemented in vitro culturing of experimentally manipulated immature oocytes to study maternal gene contribution to early embryonic development in the zebrafish. We demonstrate phenotypic rescue of a maternal-effect mutation by expressing wild-type product in cultured oocytes. We also generate loss-of-function phenotypes in embryos through either the expression of a dominant-negative transcript or injection of translation-blocking morpholino oligonucleotides. Finally, we demonstrate subcellular localization during the early cell divisions immediately after fertilization of an exogenously provided maternal product fused to a fluorescent protein. These manipulations extend the potential to carry out genetic and imaging studies of zebrafish maternal genes during the egg-to-embryo transition.
Undergraduate student attitudes and perceptions toward low- and high-level inquiry exercise physiology teaching laboratory experiences

The purpose of this investigation was to compare student attitudes toward two different science laboratory learning experiences, specifically, traditional, cookbook-style, low-inquiry level (LL) ac...
Congestion-aware, loss-resilient bio-monitoring sensor networking for mobile health applications

Many elder patients have multiple health conditions such as heart attacks (of various kinds), brain problems (such as seizure, mental disorder, etc.), high blood pressure, etc. Monitoring those conditions needs different types of sensors for analog signal data acquisition, such as electrocardiogram (ECG) for heart beats, electroencephalogram (EEG) for brain signals, and electromyogram (EMG) for muscles motions. To reduce mobile-health (m-health) cost, the above sensors should be made in tiny size, low memory, and long-term battery operations. We have designed a series of medical sensors with wireless networking capabilities. In this paper, we report our work in three aspects: (1) networked embedded system design, (2) network congestion reduction, and (3) network loss compensation. First, for networked embedded system design, we have designed an integrated wireless sensor network hardware / software platform for multi-condition patient monitoring. Such a system integrates ECG/EEG/other sensors with Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) into a Radio Frequency (RF) board through a programmable interface chip, called PSoc. Second, for network congestion reduction, the interface chip can use compressive signal processing to extract bio-signal feature parameters and only transmit those parameters. This provides an alternative approach to sensor network congestion reduction that aims to alleviate ?hot spot? issues. Third, for network loss compensation, we have designed wireless loss recovery schemes for different situations as follows. (1) If original sensor data streams are transmitted, network congestion will be a big concern due to the heavy traffic. A receiver-only loss prediction will be a good solution. (2) If the signal parameters are transmitted, the transmission loss mandates a 100% recovery rate. We have comprehensively compared the performance of those schemes. The proposed mechanisms for m-health system have potentially significant impacts on today's elder nursing home management and other mobile patient monitoring applications.
Economy of Spectrum Access in Time Varying Multichannel Networks

We consider a wireless network consisting of two classes of potentially mobile users: primary users and secondary users. Primary users license frequency channels and transmit in their respective bands as required. Secondary users resort to unlicensed access of channels that are not used by their primary users. Primaries impose access fees on the secondaries which depend on access durations and may be different for different primary channels and different available communication rates in the channels. The available rates to the secondaries change with time depending on the usage status of the primaries and the random access quality of channels. Secondary users seek to minimize their total access cost subject to stabilizing their queues whenever possible. Our first contribution is to present a dynamic link scheduling policy that attains this objective. The computation time of this policy, however, increases exponentially with the size of the network. We next present an approximate scheduling scheme based on graph partitioning that is distributed and attains arbitrary trade-offs between aggregate access cost and computation times of the schedules, irrespective of the size of the network. Our performance guarantees hold for general arrival and primary usage statistics and multihop networks. Each secondary user is, however, primarily interested in minimizing the cost it incurs, rather than in minimizing the aggregate cost. Thus, it will schedule its transmissions so as to minimize the aggregate cost only if it perceives that the aggregate cost is shared among the users as per a fair cost sharing scheme. Using concepts from cooperative game theory, we develop a rational basis for sharing the aggregate cost among secondary sessions and present a cost sharing mechanism that conforms to the above basis.
Retention of plasmid bearing cells by immobilization

This project concerns a model plasmid/host system in yeast that produces a wheat α-amylase. 14 The Mc16 strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae was transformed with the vector pMA230 (2 μm based) which contains the inserted coding region for the amylase. The authors have found that plasmid loss can occur in both nonselective and selective media during continuous culture. Since this loss cannot yet be prevented by genetic means while maintaining high expression the authors have attempted to use immobilization to prevent the loss of productive cells from the culture. Beads of gelatin were used as the carrier and the yeast cells were covalently coupled to the surface using glutaraldehyde.
Leakage control with efficient use of transistor stacks in single threshold CMOS

The state dependence of leakage can be exploited to obtain modest leakage savings in CMOS circuits. However, one can modify circuits considering state dependence and achieve larger savings. We identify a low leakage state and insert leakage control transistors only where needed. Leakage levels are on the order of 35% to 90% lower than those obtained by state dependence alone.
Antibiotic Use in Premature Infants After Discharge From the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

Using a retrospective cohort of premature infants, we constructed multivariable Poisson models to determine factors associated with the receipt of antibiotics during the first year after discharge, N = 891. Black race (incidence rate ratio 1.80 compared with White infants, P = .008), male gender (incidence rate ratio 1.44; P = .007), bronchopulmonary dysplasia (incidence rate ratio 1.47; P = .04), and each additional child at home (incidence rate ratio 1.21, P = .002) increased the receipt of antibiotics for any reason. Male gender and additional children at home increased the receipt of nonrecommended antibiotics, while Black infants received care at facilities that prescribed more nonrecommended antibiotics. Even in a high-risk population of children, factors other than the medical history and presentation of the child may alter antibiotic prescription patterns and result in variations in care.
High efficiency traveling-wave tube power amplifier for Ka-band software defined radio on international space station — A platform for communications technology development

The design, fabrication and RF performance of the output traveling-wave tube amplifier (TWTA) for a space based Ka-band software defined radio (SDR) is presented. The TWTA, the SDR and the supporting avionics are integrated to forms a testbed, which is currently located on an exterior truss of the International Space Station (ISS). The SDR in the testbed communicates at Ka-band frequencies through a high-gain antenna directed to NASA's Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS), which communicates to the ground station located at White Sands Complex. The application of the testbed is for demonstrating new waveforms and software designed to enhance data delivery from scientific spacecraft and, the waveforms and software can be upgraded and reconfigured from the ground. The construction and the salient features of the Ka-band SDR are discussed. The testbed is currently undergoing on-orbit checkout and commissioning and is expected to operate for five years in space.
Newer experience with CPAP.

Abstract Progress in neonatal intensive care is closely linked to improvements in the management of respiratory failure in small infants. Current modalities of ventilatory assistance range from more benign continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) to various modes of mechanical ventilation (including high frequency ventilation). The advent of less invasive methods of delivering CPAP has permitted earlier treatment of infants with respiratory distress syndrome and avoided the need for mechanical ventilation. Children's Hospital of New York (Columbia University) places all spontaneously breathing infants on nasal prong CPAP as the first mode of respiratory support. The early initiation of nasal prong CPAP in combination with a tolerance to elevated PCO 2 levels has reduced the incidence of chronic lung disease to
Approximate Posterior Distributions

Abstract This paper proposes the use of approximate posterior distributions resulting from operational prior distributions chosen with regard to the realized likelihood function. L.J. Savage's “precise measurement” is generalized for approximation in terms of an arbitrary operational prior density, including mixed-type prior distributions with positive probabilities on singular subsets. A new approximation is also given relating such distributions to absolutely continuous distributions with high local concentrations of density. Mixed-type distributions constructed from the natural conjugate prior distributions are proposed and illustrated in the normal-sampling case for unified Bayesian inference in testing and estimation contexts.
Pseudotachylite from the Vredefort Ring, South Africa, and the origins of some lunar breccias

Pseudotachylite veins in the Vredefort impact structure occur in rocks of widely varying composition, and in stratigraphic units as thin as 10 m. The compositions of the pseudotachylites, however, are the same as those of the rocks in which they occur, with some systematic variations, thus indicating in situ formation. The textures of the pseudotachylites indicate that they formed predominantly by mechanical processes, but temperatures were locally high enough to cause thermal metamorphism and possibly fusion. The host rocks of the pseudotachylites are extensively mylonitized and show selective crushing of different mineral species. Greater resistance of quartz and feldspar to crushing partly, but not entirely, explains the systematic differences in composition between host rock and pseudotachylite. Shock features in the host rocks are generally of a low order but indicate pressures far in excess of those reasonably to be expected in crustal rocks deformed by terrestrial processes. Characteristics of the pseudotachylites, breccias formed by one impact, provide simple models for lunar breccias that may have undergone more than one cycle of brecciation.
Comparison of formation of reactive conformers (NACs) for the Claisen rearrangement of chorismate to prephenate in water and in the E. coli mutase: the efficiency of the enzyme catalysis.

The Claisen rearrangements of chorismate (CHOR) in water and at the active site of E. coli chorismate mutase (EcCM) have been compared. From a total of 33 ns molecular dynamics simulation of chorismate in water solvent, seven diaxial conformers I-VII were identified. Most of the time (approximately 99%), the side chain carboxylate of the chorismate is positioned away from the ring due to the electrostatic repulsion from the carboxylate in the ring. Proximity of the two carboxylates, as seen in conformer I, is a requirement for the formation of a near attack conformer (NAC) that can proceed to the transition state (TS). In the EcCM.CHOR complex, the two carboxylates of CHOR are tightly held by Arg28 of one subunit and Arg11* of the other subunit, resulting in the side chain C16 being positioned adjacent to C5 with their motions restricted by van der Waals contacts with methyl groups of Val35 and Ile81. With the definition of NAC as the C5...C16 distance < or =3.7 A and the attack angle < or =30 degrees, it was estimated from our MD trajectories that the free energy of NAC formation is approximately 8.4 kcal/mol above the total ground state in water, whereas in the enzyme it is only 0.6 kcal/mol above the average of the Michaelis complex EcCM.CHOR. The experimentally measured difference in the activation free energies of the water and enzymatic reactions (Delta Delta G(++)) is 9 kcal/mol. It follows that the efficiency of formation of NAC (7.8 kcal/mol) at the active site provides approximately 90% of the kinetic advantage of the enzymatic reaction as compared to the water reaction. Comparison of the EcCM.TSA (transition state analogue) and EcCM.NAC simulations suggests that the experimentally measured 100 fold tighter binding of TSA compared to CHOR does not originate from the difference between NAC and the TS binding affinities, but might be due to the free energy cost to bring the two carboxylates of CHOR together to interact with Arg28 and Arg11* at the active site. The two carboxylates of TSA are fixed by a bicyclic structure. The remaining approximately 10% of Delta Delta G(++) may be attributed to a preferential interaction of Lys39-NH(3)(+) with O13 ether oxygen in the TS.
Neural mechanisms of the testosterone-aggression relation: The role of orbitofrontal cortex

Testosterone plays a role in aggressive behavior, but the mechanisms remain unclear. The present study tested the hypothesis that testosterone influences aggression through the OFC, a region implicated in self-regulation and impulse control. In a decision-making paradigm in which people chose between aggression and monetary reward (the ultimatum game), testosterone was associated with increased aggression following social provocation (rejecting unfair offers). The effect of testosterone on aggression was explained by reduced activity in the medial OFC. The findings suggest that testosterone increases the propensity toward aggression because of reduced activation of the neural circuitry of impulse control and self-regulation.
Empirical analysis of LIBS images using the nonlinear diffusion method

We are investigating the use of the laser induced breakdown spectroscopy, (LIBS), on blood samples of mice to detect the earliest stages of epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). A laser changes a blood samples to plasma state and the images produced thereby are analyzed. By comparing LIBS images of blood from EOC positive mice to those of cancer free mice, our goal is to identify differences by which we can detect those in early EOC stages. We apply an improved nonlinear diffusion filter to enhance relevant image edges and to remove noise and irrelevant texture.
Implantable cardioverter defibrillator therapy for life-threatening arrhythmias in young patients.

Objectives: This study examined the indicat- ions, efficacy and outcomes of implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) use in the pediatric population. Background: ICDs are first-line therapy for adults re- suscitated from sudden cardiac death (SCD) or at high risk for life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias. Use of ICDs in children and young adults is infrequent and there are few data regarding this group. Methods: We abstracted and analyzed data for all patients in whom ICDs were implanted.
Stochastic linear model predictive control using nested decomposition

We begin with a traditional model predictive control problem using the l/sub 1/ norm in the objective function, and then allow the model parameters to be stochastic, with discrete distributions and finite support. We apply the nested decomposition algorithm for multistage stochastic linear programming to the resulting problem. The result is an algorithm for model predictive control that features the realism of model uncertainty, the potential speed of linear objective functions, and can be implemented in parallel.
Jackknife empirical likelihood confidence regions for the evaluation of continuous-scale diagnostic tests with verification bias.

Recently, Wang and Qin proposed various bias-corrected empirical likelihood confidence regions for any two of the three parameters, sensitivity, specificity, and cut-off value, with the remaining parameter fixed at a given value in the evaluation of a continuous-scale diagnostic test with verification bias. In order to apply those methods, quantiles of the limiting weighted chi-squared distributions of the empirical log-likelihood ratio statistics should be estimated. In order to facilitate application and reduce computation burden, in this paper, jackknife empirical likelihood-based methods are proposed for any pairs of sensitivity, specificity and cut-off value, and asymptotic results can be derived accordingly. The proposed methods can be easily implemented to construct confidence regions for the evaluation of continuous-scale diagnostic tests with verification bias. Simulation studies are conducted to evaluate the finite sample performance and robustness of the proposed jackknife empirical likelihood-...
Parkin increases dopamine uptake by enhancing the cell surface expression of dopamine transporter

Mutations of parkin, a protein-ubiquitin E3 ligase, are linked to Parkinson's disease (PD). Although a variety of parkin substrates have been identified, none of these is selectively expressed in dopaminergic neurons, whose degeneration plays a critical role in PD. Here we show that parkin significantly increased dopamine uptake in the human dopaminergic neuroblastoma cell line SH-SY5Y. This effect was accompanied by increased Vmax of dopamine uptake and unchanged Km. Consistent with this, increased binding sites for dopamine transporter (DAT) ligand were observed in SH-SY5Y cells overexpressing parkin. The results were confirmed when parkin was transfected in HEK293 cells stably expressing DAT. In these cells, parkin enhanced the ubiquitination and degradation of DAT, increased its cell surface expression, and augmented dopamine uptake. The effects of parkin were significantly abrogated by its PD-causing mutations. Because the cell surface expression of functional DAT requires its oligomerization, misfolded DAT, induced either by the protein glycosylation inhibitor tunicamycin or by its C-terminal truncation, significantly attenuated cell surface expression of native DAT and reduced dopamine uptake. Expression of parkin, but not its T240R mutant, significantly alleviated these detrimental effects of misfolded DAT. Thus, our studies suggest that parkin increases dopamine uptake by enhancing the ubiquitination and degradation of misfolded DAT, so as to prevent it from interfering with the oligomerization and cell surface expression of native DAT. This function of parkin would enhance the precision of dopaminergic transmission, increase the efficiency of dopamine utilization, and reduce dopamine toxicity on neighboring cells.
The Municipal Wage and Employment Effects of Public Infrastructure

We empirically examine the relationship between public capital and municipal employment levels and changes using a sample of 48 large US cities during the 1970-80 period. We find greater stocks of public capital are associated with a higher demand for and supply of municipal workers. Holding all other factors constant, the effect of a 10 per cent greater level of per capita public capital stock is a 0.6 and 12.9 per cent higher demand for and supply of municipal workers in the short run. Reduced form estimates indicate a net positive effect on municipal employment but no net effect on municipal wages. These findings are supported by a fixed-effect model estimation.
Lessons learned from recent STAP experiments

This paper summarizes personal lessons learned so far from some space-time adaptive processing (STAP) radar experiments and data analysis, which include the nonhomogeneity effects, channel calibration, and STAP with conventionally designed antenna beams. Based on these lessons, a general STAP configuration is presented for affordable airborne systems of practical aperture sizes to be operated in real environments.
Determination of mechanical and electronic shifts for pinhole SPECT using a single point source

The effects of uncompensated electronic and mechanical shifts may compromise the resolution of pinhole single photon emission computed tomography. The resolution degradation due to uncompensated shifts is estimated through simulated data. A method for determining the transverse mechanical and axial electronic shifts is described and evaluated. This method assumes that the tilt of the detector and the radius of rotation (ROR) are previously determined using another method. When this assumption is made, it is possible to determine the rest of the calibration parameters using a single point source. A method that determines the electronic and mechanical shifts as well as the tilt has been previously described; this method requires three point sources. It may be reasonable in most circumstances to calibrate tilt much less frequently than the mechanical shifts since the tilt is a property of the scanner whereas the mechanical shift may change every time the collimator is replaced. An alternative method for determining the ROR may also be used. Lastly, we take the view that the transverse electronic shift and the focal length change slowly and find these parameters independently.
Surface Air Temperature Changes over the Twentieth and Twenty-First Centuries in China Simulated by 20 CMIP5 Models

AbstractHistorical temperature variability over China during the twentieth century and projected changes under three emission scenarios for the twenty-first century are evaluated on the basis of a multimodel ensemble of 20 GCMs from phase 5 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5) and two observational datasets. Changes relative to phase 3 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP3) are assessed, and the performance of individual GCMs is also quantified. Compared with observations, GCMs have substantial cold biases over the Tibetan Plateau, especially in the cold season. The timing and location of these biases also correspond to the greatest disagreement among the individual models, indicating GCMs’ limitations in reproducing climatic features in this complex terrain. The CMIP5 multimodel ensemble shows better agreement with observations than CMIP3 in terms of the temperature biases. Both CMIP3 and CMIP5 capture the climatic warming over the twentieth century. However, the magnitude o...
Statistical-Mechanical Analysis of Enzymatic Topological Transformations in DNA Molecules

There are two classes of enzymes, DNA topoisomerases and site-specific recombinases, which change DNA topology. Many details of the enzyme action remain unknown, and therefore different models of the reactions require critical testing. A great help in such testing comes from computer simulation. The computational approach, described in the review, allows simulating the distribution of the reaction products for a chosen model of the enzyme action. Comparing the simulated distribution with corresponding experimental data serves as a model test. The major principles and assumptions of the approach, which is based on the simulation of an equilibrium set of DNA conformations, are discussed. The general consideration is illustrated by two specific examples, models of type II DNA topoisomerases and tyrosine family of site-specific recombination.
Customizable engineered blood vessels using 3D printed inserts

Current techniques for tissue engineering blood vessels are not customizable for vascular size variation and vessel wall thickness. These critical parameters vary widely between the different arteries in the human body, and the ability to engineer vessels of varying sizes could increase capabilities for disease modeling and treatment options. We present an innovative method for producing customizable, tissue engineered, self-organizing vascular constructs by replicating a major structural component of blood vessels - the smooth muscle layer, or tunica media. We utilize a unique system combining 3D printed plate inserts to control construct size and shape, and cell sheets supported by a temporary fibrin hydrogel to encourage cellular self-organization into a tubular form resembling a natural artery. To form the vascular construct, 3D printed inserts are adhered to tissue culture plates, fibrin hydrogel is deposited around the inserts, and human aortic smooth muscle cells are then seeded atop the fibrin hydrogel. The gel, aided by the innate contractile properties of the smooth muscle cells, aggregates towards the center post insert, creating a tissue ring of smooth muscle cells. These rings are then stacked into the final tubular construct. Our methodology is robust, easily repeatable and allows for customization of cellular composition, vessel wall thickness, and length of the vessel construct merely by varying the size of the 3D printed inserts. This platform has potential for facilitating more accurate modeling of vascular pathology, serving as a drug discovery tool, or for vessel repair in disease treatment.
Partial Information Framework: Aggregating Estimates from Diverse Information Sources

Prediction polling is an increasingly popular form of crowdsourcing in which multiple participants estimate the probability or magnitude of some future event. These estimates are then aggregated into a single forecast. Historically, randomness in scientific estimation has been generally assumed to arise from unmeasured factors which are viewed as measurement noise. However, when combining subjective estimates, heterogeneity stemming from differences in the participants' information is often more important than measurement noise. This paper formalizes information diversity as an alternative source of such heterogeneity and introduces a novel modeling framework that is particularly well-suited for prediction polls. A practical specification of this framework is proposed and applied to the task of aggregating probability and point estimates from two real-world prediction polls. In both cases our model outperforms standard measurement-error-based aggregators, hence providing evidence in favor of information diversity being the more important source of heterogeneity.
Physical Metallurgy and Mechanical Properties of Materials: Fatigue of Structural Materials

At Symposium on Physical Metallurgy and Mechanical Properties of Materials, held by Eng Mechanics Div for summarizing current state of knowledge and some most recent developments in understanding of materials behavior, following paper covers Fatigue of Structural Materials.
Efficient construction of 18F labeled TRC105-Fab based on tetrazine trans-cyclooctene ligation

117 Objectives CD105 (endoglin) is expressed on the proliferating tumor vasculature and is a poor prognostic marker in many solid tumor types. The goal of this study was to develop an 18F labeled positron emission tomography (PET) agent for non-invasive imaging of CD105 expression, which may have clinical application in cancer diagnosis. Methods TRC105-Fab was generated by enzymatic papain digestion of the anti-CD105 monoclonal antibody TRC105. Thiolated TRC105-Fab was obtained through reaction with TCEP or Traut9s Reagent, and was further functionalized with tetrazinyl-maleimide. 18F labeling of TRC105-Fab was performed using the newly developed tetrazine trans-cyclooctene ligation. The resulting probe 18F-TRC105-Fab was evaluated by PET imaging, biodistribution, blocking, and ex-vivo histology studies. Results Both TCEP or Traut9s Reagent efficiently introduced SH groups into TRC105-Fab. However, TCEP caused fragmentation of the TRC105-Fab, which was not observed with Traut9s Reagent. The fast rates of tetrazine trans--cyclooctene ligation enabled efficient labeling of TRC105-Fab with 18F-trans-cyclooctene (18F-TCO) at low micromolar concentrations within minutes. 18F-TRC105-Fab demonstrated prominent tumor uptake in HT29 tumor xenografts in our initial PET study. At 1 h p.i., majority of the tracer circulated in the blood. The tumor uptake reached 4.2 %ID/g at 4 h p.i.. Conclusions We have demonstrated that tetrazine trans-cyclooctene ligation is a robust labeling method for 18F-labeling of large biomolecules, including antibody fragments. Based on this method, a CD105 targeted PET imaging agent was synthesized and visualized HT29 human tumor xenografts. Research Support This work was supported by the NIBIB (1R01EB014354-01A1).