cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Modeling of hydrogel swelling in buffered solutions

In this paper, we present a meshless Finite Cloud Method (FCM) for the solution of time-dependent partial differential equations governing ionic gel swelling. Using a point distribution, FCM constructs interpolation functions without assuming any connectivity between points. A collocation approach enforces the unknowns at every point to satisfy either the governing equation of the boundary conditions. To validate the model, a cylindrical hydrogel was fabricated and subjected to step changes in solution pH to characterize the hydrogel's dynamic behavior. The hydrogel's equilibrium behavior was matched using a thermodynamic model. Numerical results show good agreement with experimental data.
Improved fitting of PIXE spectra: the Voigt profile and Si(Li) detector modeling

Abstract The true emitted X-ray lineshape as measured by a Si(Li) detector is the convolution of the intrinsic Lorentzian X-ray lineshape and the detector response function. We demonstrate the necessity of using the Voigt profile - the convolution of a Lorentizian and a Gaussian - to fit the full-energy peak portion of directly measured X-ray lines. By incorporating the Voigtian in our PIXE spectrum fitting code, PIXEF, we have found consistent improvement in the quality of fit and calculated elemental yields. We have also found that the Voigtian fit is required to give an accurate ratio of tail to peak intensity. We attribute the tail to a surface layer of incomplete charge collection (ICC) at the front of the detector. Although this model is improved by appropriately accounting for the loss of photoelectrons that travel back to the ICC layer after being emitted from the intrinsic region, it appears to fail when the full-energy peak is fit to a Gaussian. On the other hand, excellent agreement between the improved model and experiment is found when the full-energy peak is fit to a Voigtian.
Evaluation of the potential of a bead mill for the release of intracellular bacterial enzymes

Abstract The suitability of bead mills for the release of intracellular bacterial enzymes has been studied using the Dyno-Mill Model KDL. The effect of cell concentration, bead size and agitation speed on the release of beta-lactamase from Enterobacter cloacae P99 was examined. Scale-up considerations included, the best operational values for these parameters were 1 g cell paste suspended in 2.5 ml buffer, 0.25 mm diameter glass beads and 15 ms −1 agitation speed. These conditions proved suitable for the release of enzymes from other Gram-negative bacteria in both batch and continuous processes .
The cardiac conduction system.

The human heart beats 2.5 billion times during a normal lifespan, a feat accomplished by cells of the cardiac conduction system (CCS). The functional components of the CCS can be broadly divided into the impulse-generating nodes and the impulse-propagating His-Purkinje system. Human diseases of the conduction system have been identified that alter impulse generation, impulse propagation, or both. CCS dysfunction is primarily due to acquired conditions such as myocardial ischemia/infarct, age-related degeneration, procedural complications, and drug toxicity. Inherited forms of CCS disease are rare, but each new mutation provides invaluable insight into the molecular mechanisms governing CCS development and function. Applying a multidisciplinary approach, which includes human genetic screening, biophysical analysis, and transgenic mouse technology, has yielded a broad array of gene families involved in maintaining normal CCS physiology (Figure 1). In this review, we discuss gene families that have been implicated in human CCS diseases of rhythm, conduction block, accessory conduction, and development (Table). We also investigate evolving therapeutic strategies that may serve as adjuvant or replacement therapy to current implantable pacemakers. Figure 1. Cardiac conduction system cell. Genes identified in human cardiac conduction system disease are highlighted. View this table: Table. Genetic Basis of Conduction System Disease The human sinoatrial node (SAN) is a crescent-shaped, intramural structure with its head located subepicardially at the junction of the right atrium and the superior vena cava and its tail extending 10 to 20 mm along the crista terminalis.26 The SAN has complex 3-dimensional tissue architecture with central and peripheral components made up of distinct ion channel and gap junction expression profiles.27 Central and peripheral cells have different action potential characteristics and conduction properties (Figure 2).27 Experimental and computational models have demonstrated that SAN heterogeneity is necessary to maintain normal automaticity and impulse conduction.28,–,30 Figure 2. Electrophysiological heterogeneity of the …
BAD Dephosphorylation and Decreased Expression of MCL-1 Induce Rapid Apoptosis in Prostate Cancer Cells

PTEN loss and constitutive activation of the PI3K signaling pathway have been associated with advanced androgen-independent prostate cancer. PTEN-deficient prostate cancer C42Luc cells survive in serum-free media and show relative resistance to apoptosis even in the presence of the PI3K inhibitor ZSTK474. Yet, when ZSTK474 is combined with the translation inhibitor cycloheximide, C42Luc cells undergo apoptosis within 6 hours. We identified dephosphorylation of BAD (Bcl2-associated death promoter) as a main apoptosis-regulatory molecule downstream from PI3K, and loss of MCL-1 (Myeloid cell leukemia -1) as a major target of cycloheximide. The combination of MCL-1 knockdown and expression of phosphorylation-deficient mutant BAD2SA is sufficient to trigger rapid apoptosis in prostate cancer cells. These results establish the mechanism for the synergistic induction of apoptosis by the combination of a PI3K inhibitor and of a protein synthesis inhibitor in PTEN-deficient prostate cancer cells.
Production of Specific Anti-E Autoantibodies in Experimental Iso-immune Hæmolytic Anæsmia in Man

IN 1961 we reported the results of studies on a case of acute, iso-immune haemolytic anaemia experimentally induced in a CwDe/Ce(R1wR1) volunteer transfused with plasma containing exceptional anti-CD antibodies1. Antibody sensitization of the recipient's erythrocytes was detected by the direct antiglobulin test (Coombs) up to day 133 following the plasma transfusion. Positive tests for antibody-coated red cells were obtained in the serum + albumin (a mixture of equal parts of human serum and 30 per cent bovine albumin) slide sensitization test through the 98th post-transfusion day. The study of the recipient's post-transfusion serum specimens for free, circulating antibodies in titration procedures employing serum + albumin revealed three distinct periods of antibody activity especially with the cDe/ce(R0R0) primary test cells. The first of these appearing between the first hour and the ninth post-transfusion day was interpreted as surplus antibodies remaining from those transfused in the anti-CD plasma, the second between post-transfusion days 14 and 98 as indicative of eluted or released antibodies and the final between days 105 and 140 as possible auto-immune antibodies representing the product of active immunization by the recipient himself. The peak titres of the free, circulating antibodies in the second and third periods of increased antibody activity were definitely higher than those obtained in the first, immediate post-transfusion one. In view of the Rh genotype of the recipient (CwDe/Ce), the serologic specificity of the transfused antibodies (anti-CD) and the observation that the antibodies in the third peak were reactive against the C and D antigens in the Rh system, no conclusive proof of the auto-antibody nature of these antibodies could be established on the basis of blood group specificity.
Vortex pinning by cylindrical defects in type-II superconductors: Numerical solutions to the Ginzburg-Landau equations

We numerically integrate the one-dimensional, cylindrically symmetric Ginzburg-Landau equations to calculate the spatial variation of the order parameter and supercurrents for a vortex trapped by a cylindrical defect. We use the resulting field distributions to estimate the pinning energy, and make use of the vortex/two-dimensional boson analogy to calculate the depinning temperature. The microscopic behavior oi the fields depends on the size, and the conductivity of the cylindrical defect appears to be important for the pinning.
Separate mRNAs code for tubulin subunits.

MICROTUBULES are a common feature in eukaryotic cells. They have been implicated in several functions including neurite growth, axoplasmic flow, cell division and excretion1. They are polymers of a 110,000 molecular weight heterodimer, tubulin2,3. The subunits, α and β tubulin, seem to have the same molecular weight, 55,000, but their amino acid compositions, although similar, are not identical3,4. Furthermore, the first 25 residues at the N terminus have been sequenced, and the α and β chains differ at 14 (ref 4). α Tubulin has been resolved into two components by hydroxylapatite chromatography5,6 and electrophoresis in polyacrylamide gels containing SDS and urea7. Mitotic microtubules and ciliary doublet A tubules from the sea urchin contain both forms of the α subunit, but flagellar doublet microtubules from the same organism contain only one form7. The α forms seem to differ in charge rather than size. In view of this heterogeneity of the tubulin subunits, it is reasonable to expect that eukaryotes have more than one tubulin gene. Here we present evidence that there are at least two tubulin genes. We have isolated two tubulin mRNA fractions from chick embryo brain. One codes for two α subunits, and the other codes for the β subunit.
The contribution of gas expansion to peak width in gas chromatography

Abstract The effect of gas expansion upon peak width is estimated for the “rate model” formulation of the transport processes in chromatograph. The retention parameter is reduced by gas expansion, and the peak variance is increased. The rate model is useful for a priori estimates of column performance.
Distinguishing Features of Leucine and α-Ketoisocaproate Sensing in Pancreatic β-Cells

Culturing rat islets in high glucose (HG) increased 1-14C-α-ketoisocaproate (KIC) oxidation compared with culturing them in low glucose. Leucine caused insulin secretion (IS) in low glucose but not in HG rat islets, whereas KIC did so in both. Pretreatment with HG for 40 min abolished leucine stimulation of IS by mouse islets and prevented the cytosolic Ca2+ rise without inhibiting IS and Ca2+ increments caused by KIC. When islets were pretreated without glucose and glutamine, aminooxyacetic acid (AOA) markedly decreased KIC effects. When islets were pretreated without glucose and with glutamine, AOA potentiated leucine effects but attenuated KIC effects. AOA stimulated glutamine oxidation in the presence but not the absence of ±2-amino-2-norbornane-carboxylic acid, a nonmetabolized leucine analog. Pretreatment with HG and glutamine partially reversed AOA inhibition of KIC effects. Glucose increased intracellular ATP and GTP, whereas it decreased ADP and GDP in βHC9 cells. Glutamate dehydrogenase activity...
Pattern and field in cortical structure: the rabbit.

Previous attempts at classification of cortical neurons have been based on a number of anatomical characteristics, some of doubtful physiological significance. In seeking a functionally more relevant scheme, we have based our classification on three neural attributes; (a) size and shape of the dendritic domain, (b) presence or absence of dendritic spines, and (c) intra or extra-cortical trajectory of the axon, as revealed in Golgi stained material. Our data indicate that neurons with extra-cortically projecting axons (long axons) invariably possess spine-rich dendrites forming domains with remarkably regular horizontal parameters (i.e. modular domains). Cells with axons limited to intra-cortical paths (short axons) are characterized by spine-poor or spine-free dendrites forming domains which are highly variable in size and shape. These two categories appear dependant on structural characteristics related both to input and output functions of cortical neurons, and are called Class I and II, respectively. The significance of synaptic arrangements along horizontal and vertical components of Class I dendritic modules are compared with those for Class II cells, and possible relationships between dendritic structure and temporo-spatial activity patterns are considered.
Role of artificial burrows in Hexagenia toxicity tests: Recommendations for protocol development

Hexagenia are an important component of fish and waterfowl diets, provide an ecological link in the conversion of detritus to usable nutrients and are useful test organisms for monitoring trends in aquatic contaminants. Consequently, Hexagenia bilineata were used in toxicity tests to determine their sensitivity to leachate from spent shale oil and to evaluate the influence of including artificial glass burrows in exposure chambers. Gill beat frequency and mortality were significantly higher (p = 0.01) in nymphs that were not afforded an opportunity to burrow than in those exposed to the toxicant but that had access to artificial burrows. Molting frequency was depressed in Hexagenia lacking burrows, and it was further decreased as the amount of toxicant increased. Thus, thigmotactic stress accentuated by the presence of shale oil leachate was relieved by including artificial burrows in the exposure chambers. The resulting toxicity data are more ecologically meaningful because the burrowing life history characteristic of the Hexagenia was addressed and incorporated into the test protocol.
Isoductile strengths and strength reduction factors of elasto‐plastic SDOF systems subjected to simple waveforms

The inelastic response of elasto-plastic SDOF oscillators subjected to 24 simple waveforms was studied. The waveforms contain linear, quadratic, sinusoidal, and triangular acceleration components that repeat for not more than several cycles. Similarities and differences in oscillator response characteristics are presented, organized by a characteristic period. The strengths and corresponding strength reduction factors required for constant ductility responses are discussed. Response data are compared with expectations based on the concepts of equal energy, equal displacement, and preservation of force. Limitations on the applicability of the equal energy concept are identified. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
2,3-Dimercaptosuccinic acid as an antidote for lead intoxication.

2,3-Dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA) is an orally effective drug more specific and with a wider therapeutic index than currently available drugs for lead intoxication. Eighteen men with elevated blood lead (BPb) concentrations received either 30, 20, or 10 mg/kg DMSA for 5 days in three divided daily doses. The mean BPb level decreased 72.5%, 58.3%, and 35.5% of the pretreatment values, with a simultaneous elevation in urinary Pb excretion. Clinical symptoms and biochemical indices of lead toxicity also improved. Red blood cell d-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase activity increased, while urinary excretion of d-aminolevulinic acid and coproporphyrin fell. DMSA was well tolerated; the only observed adverse drug reaction was a mild, transient elevation of serum SGPT levels in two subjects. DMSA appears promising and may greatly simplify the treatment of lead intoxication. Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics (1985) 37, 431–438; doi:10.1038/clpt.1985.67
Leap segmentation for recovering image surface layout

High-level vision applications often incorporate image segmentation techniques into their preprocessing stages to reduce image data and to improve overall execution efficiency. Traditional segmentation approaches often focus on creating homogenous, connected regions of pixels to roughly correspond with image object boundaries. These methods tend to blend or remove important image details and are often computationally expensive. We describe a new, highly efficient image segmentation technique - called leap segmentation - that builds a new image representation where individual pixel data is replaced with a map of chromatic- and illumination-similar regions that are adjacent but not necessarily contiguous. We show that applying this novel view of image segmentation can significantly improve the overall performance of a high-level image labeling task. We provide a detailed comparison of the leap segmentation approach with related, existing segmentation methods. We find that leap segmentation is able to achieve high accuracy results in the task of single-image labeling for surface layout reconstruction, while exhibiting execution time improvements of 10x – 15x over existing segmentation approaches.
Bcl-2 Expression Identifies an Early Stage of Myogenesis and Promotes Clonal Expansion of Muscle Cells

We show that Bcl-2 expression in skeletal muscle cells identifies an early stage of the myogenic pathway, inhibits apoptosis, and promotes clonal expansion. Bcl-2 expression was limited to a small proportion of the mononucleate cells in muscle cell cultures, ranging from ∼1–4% of neonatal and adult mouse muscle cells to ∼5–15% of the cells from the C2C12 muscle cell line. In rapidly growing cultures, some of the Bcl-2–positive cells coexpressed markers of early stages of myogenesis, including desmin, MyoD, and Myf-5. In contrast, Bcl-2 was not expressed in multinucleate myotubes or in those mononucleate myoblasts that expressed markers of middle or late stages of myogenesis, such as myogenin, muscle regulatory factor 4 (MRF4), and myosin. The small subset of Bcl-2–positive C2C12 cells appeared to resist staurosporine-induced apoptosis. Furthermore, though myogenic cells from genetically Bcl-2–null mice formed myotubes normally, the muscle colonies produced by cloned Bcl-2–null cells contained only about half as many cells as the colonies produced by cells from wild-type mice. This result suggests that, during clonal expansion from a muscle progenitor cell, the number of progeny obtained is greater when Bcl-2 is expressed.
Interplay of various loss mechanisms and ultimate size limit of a surface plasmon polariton semiconductor nanolaser

The issue of an ultimate size limit of a surface plasmon polariton (SSP) nanolaser is investigated by a systematic simulation study. We consider a prototypic design of a metal-insulator-semiconductor multi-layer structure with finite, varying lateral sizes. Our focus is on the design of such lasers operating at room temperature under the electrical injection. We find that there is an interesting interplay between the facet loss and the SPP propagation loss and that such interplay leads to the existence of a minimum-threshold mode in each mode group. The red-shift of the minimum-threshold mode with the decrease of device thickness leads to a further reduction of threshold gain, making the threshold for the SPP nanolaser achievable for many semiconductors, even at room temperature. In addition, we find that the threshold can be further reduced by using thinner metal cladding without much exacerbated mode leakage. Finally, a specific design example is optimized using Al0.3Ga0.7As/GaAs/Al0.3Ga0.7As single quantum well sandwiched between silver layers, which has a physical volume of 1.5 × 10-4λ03, potentially the smallest semiconductor nanolasers designed or demonstrated so far.
The genetics of human hypertension

Human hypertension is a common and complex disease and is associated with diabetes, cardiovascular, and renal disease. Therefore, it is important to understand the genetic basis of this disease. Specific genetic mutations leading to monogenic forms of hypertension have been identified in Liddle's syndrome and glucocorticoid-remediable hypertension and in some syndromes in which blood pressure is lowered. Because essential hypertension is a polygenic disease, elucidating a genotype that is causally related to essential hypertension will be difficult. To date, no genotype has been conclusively linked to essential hypertension except in certain populations. However, there has been progress in finding genetic variations that are associated with hypertension in patients with components of the metabolic syndrome (or Syndrome X). Future discoveries in this area should enhance our ability to intervene earlier and more effectively and therefore lessen the complications of this common disease.
Oxygen-Dependent Depolymerization of Sickle Cell Hemoglobin Polymers in the Lungs: Kinetic Mechanisms and their Significance for Pathogenesis and its Prevention

Our kinetic studies have characterized the mechanisms of deoxyhemoglobin S polymer depolymerization when exposed to CO (used as a model for oxygen because rates can be controlled photolytically). Fibers dissolve slowly, losing monomers from their ends at low partial pressure, and very rapidly at higher partial pressures that induce fiber fracture and therefore many new ends. Slow dissolution that is not complete in the time red cells traverse the pulmonary microvasculature will generate residual arterial polymers (RAPs), enhancing pathogenesis by seeding nucleation of new polymers, accelerating repolymerization and increasing its extent.We now demonstrate, to the best of our knowledge for the first time by direct observation, that anaerobically drawn arterial blood of sickle patients shows birefringence in many red cells and therefore RAPs exist, which we confirm by EM observation of aligned polymers. RAPs exist not only under hypoxemic conditions, when they can be explained by limited solubility due to the presence of deoxyHbS, but also when hypoxemia is absent. RAPs without hypoxemia imply that slow depolymerization kinetics are responsible. One minute of voluntary hyperventilation and (separately) brief nasal oxygen greatly decrease RAPs. RAPs increase during sleep. We attribute these results to accelerated depolymerization at increasing levels of oxygen that cooperatively induce polymer fracture (fracture, using CO, exhibits a 4.7 power dependence on pCO). These results and the interdependent progress of oxygen saturation, partial pressure, fracture rate and remaining polymer that we model bear on pathogenesis and particularly on vaso-occlusive crises, which result from red cell rigidification and from cellular adhesion due to polymer-dependent cellular damage. Under these mechanisms, the lungs may play an important role in initiating pathology; and remediation of dysfunction by breathing assists is potentially prophylactic.
Adaptive RLS filtering under the cyclo-stationary regime

We present a methodology for adaptive filtering and system identification under the cyclostationary regime. Our technique is based on a deterministic periodic least-squares criterion, and gives rise to adaptive periodic recursive-least-squares (P-RLS) algorithms. Furthermore, we show that every adaptive RLS algorithm has a P-RLS counterpart, which has exactly the same architecture and the same performance attributes, and differs only in the length of the delay used in its time-update recursions.
Asymptotic performance of vector quantizers with the perceptual distortion measure

Gersho's (1979) bounds on the asymptotic performance of vector quantizers are valid for vector distortions which are powers of the Euclidean norm. Yamada, Tazaki, and Gray (1980) generalized the results to distortion measures that are increasing functions of the norm of their argument. In both cases, the distortion is uniquely determined by the vector quantization error, i.e., the Euclidean difference between the original vector and the codeword into which it is quantized. We generalize these asymptotic bounds to input-weighted quadratic distortion measures and measures that are approximately output-weighted-quadratic when the distortion is small, a class of distortion measures often claimed to be perceptually meaningful. An approximation of the asymptotic distortion based on Gersho's conjecture is derived as well. We also consider the problem of source mismatch, where the quantizer is designed using a probability density different from the true source density. The resulting asymptotic performance in terms of distortion increase in decibels is shown to be linear in the relative entropy between the true and estimated probability densities.
Measurement of leukemia inhibitory factor in biological fluids by radioimmunoassay

Leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) exhibits multiple biological activities in various tissues, and we have shown that LIF activates POMC gene transcription in response to immune signals. As higher serum levels of LIF have been reported in septicemia, we measured LIF values in biological fluids by RIA. Immunoreactive LIF was detected in 303 of 428 human serum samples. Circulating LIF detection rates were 69% in acute inflammatory diseases, 83% in chronic inflammatory diseases, 61% in noninflammatory diseases, and 90% in cancer patients. Serum concentrations of human LIF was higher in patients with inflammatory disease than in noninflammatory disease (0.80 +/- 0.10 vs. 0.53 +/- 0.02 ng/mL; P < 0.05) or in cancer patients (0.44 +/- 0.06; P < 0.05). Higher serum human LIF levels were found in septicemia (0.78 +/- 0.14 ng/mL), pneumonia (0.80 +/- 0.10 ng/mL), acute bronchitis (0.88 +/- 0.09 ng/mL), other infections (1.01 +/- 0.17 ng/mL), and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE; 0.79 +/- 0.06 ng/mL). In 7 septicemia patients, Gram-negative infection was associated with higher LIF levels (1.06 +/- 0.16 ng/mL) than was Gram-positive infection (0.58 +/- 0.14 ng/mL). In patients with acute inflammatory disease, serum LIF levels decreased within several days after hospitalization. To test circulating mouse (m) LIF changes in response to inflammatory stress, lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was injected ip to mice. LPS increased serum mLIF values concordantly with ACTH levels. After i.p. injection of 80 microg LPS, serum mLIF increased by 144% (P < 0.05), 173% (P < 0.05), and 134% at 30, 90, and 120 min respectively. In vitro, however, LPS did not increase ACTH and mLIF secretion from dispersed mouse primary pituitary cells. These results suggest that LIF is an important participant in the pathogenesis of the acute inflammatory response. The elevated serum LIF levels observed in inflammation do not appear to originate from the pituitary.
Biological agents for the treatment of uveitis

Introduction: The conventional treatment of uveitis includes corticosteroids and immunosuppressive agents, which are highly efficacious, but can be associated with serious systemic side effects. Over the last two decades, advances in the understanding of the pathogenesis of inflammatory diseases, as well as improved biotechnology, have enabled selective targeting of the chemical mediators of diseases. Recently, a new class of drugs called biologics, that target the various mediators of the inflammation cascade, may potentially provide more effective and less toxic treatment. Areas covered: This article is a review and summary of the peer-reviewed evidence for biologic agents in the treatment of various forms of ocular inflammation and it focuses on the potential use of other biologic agents that have been tested in experimental autoimmune uveitis. Pubmed was used as our main tool for our literature search. Some additional references were taken from books written on the subject. Expert opinion: There are a...
Acute myocardial infarction mortality before and after state-wide smoking bans

Rapid declines in hospital admissions for acute myocardial infarction (AMI) following smoke-free ordinances have been reported in smaller communities. The AMI mortality rate among persons age 45 + years (deaths per 100,000 persons, age-standardized to the 2000 US population) in the 3 years before adoption of the smoke-free ordinance (the expected rate) was compared with the rate observed in the first full year after the ban (the target year) in six US states. Target-year declines were also compared to those in states without smoking bans. Target-year declines in AMI mortality in California (2.0%), Utah (7.7%) and Delaware (8.1%) were not significantly different from the expected declines (P = 0.16, 0.43 and 0.89, respectively). In South Dakota AMI mortality increased 8.9% in the target year (P = 0.007). Both a 9% decline in Florida and a 12% decline in New York in the 2004 target year exceeded the expected declines (P = 0.04 and P < 0.0002, respectively) but were not significantly different (P = 0.55 and 0.08, respectively) from the 9.8% decline that year in the 44 states without bans. Smoke-free ordinances provide a healthy indoor environment, but their implementation in six states had little or no immediate measurable effect on AMI mortality.
Smooth Muscle—Specific Expression of CYP4A1 Induces Endothelial Sprouting in Renal Arterial Microvessels

Cytochrome P450 (CYP) 4A1 has been characterized as the most efficient arachidonic acid omega-hydroxylase catalyzing the formation of 20-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (20-HETE), a potent constrictor of the renal and cerebral microcirculation and a mitogen for smooth muscle cells. We constructed adenoviruses expressing the CYP4A1 cDNA or LacZ under the control of the smooth muscle cell-specific promoter SM22alpha (Ad-SM22-4A1 and Ad-SM22-nLacZ, respectively). Beta-galactosidase expression was detected in Ad-SM22-nLacZ-transduced vascular smooth muscle A7r5 and PAC1 cells, but not in Ad-SM22-nLacZ-transduced 3T3 fibroblasts or vascular endothelial cells. Likewise, CYP4A1 mRNA and protein were detected in Ad-SM22-4A1-transduced A7r5 and PAC1 cells. Ad-SM22-4A1-transduced A7r5 cells metabolized lauric acid to 12-hydroxy-lauric acid at a rate 5 times greater than that of cells transduced with Ad-SM22-nLacZ (4.79+/-1.77 versus 0.97+/-0.57 nmol 12-hydroxy lauric acid/10(6) cells per h). Smooth muscle-specific LacZ expression was also detected in microdissected renal interlobar arteries transduced with Ad-SM22-nLacZ. Arteries transduced with Ad-SM22-4A1 produced higher levels of 20-HETE (4.04+/-0.29 and 13.43+/-2.84 ng/mg protein in Ad-SM22-nLacZ-transduced and Ad-SM22-4A1-transduced arteries, respectively) and demonstrated a marked angiogenic activity measured as the total length of sprouting neovessels (12.63+/-3.66 mm in Ad-SM22-4A1-transduced vessels versus 1.79+/-0.89 mm in Ad-SM22-nLacZ-transduced vessels). This angiogenic activity represented endothelial cell sprouting and was fully blocked by treatment with HET0016, a selective inhibitor of CYP4A-catalyzed reactions. The inhibitory effect of HET0016 was reversed by addition of a 20-HETE agonist. We conclude that Ad-SM22-4A1 drives a smooth muscle-specific functional expression of CYP4A1 and demonstrates increased angiogenesis, presumably via increased production of 20-HETE.
Broadcasting delay-constrained traffic over unreliable wireless links with network coding

There is increasing demand for using wireless networks for applications that generate packets with strict per-packet delay constraints. In addition to delay constraints, such applications also have various traffic patterns and require guarantees on throughputs of packets that are delivered within their delay constraints. Furthermore, a mechanism for serving delay-constrained traffic needs to specifically consider the unreliable nature of wireless links, which may differ from link to link. Also, as it is usually infeasible to gather feedback information from all clients after each transmission, broadcasting delay-constrained traffic requires addressing the challenge of the lack of feedback information.We study a model that jointly considers the application requirements on traffic patterns, delay constraints, and throughput requirements, as well as wireless limitations, including the unreliable wireless links and the lack of feedback information. Based on this model, we develop a general framework for designing feasibility-optimal broadcasting policies that applies to systems with various network coding mechanisms. We demonstrate the usage of this framework by designing policies for three different kinds of systems: one that does not use network coding, one that employs XOR coding, and the last that allows the usage of linear coding.
A stochastic immersed boundary method for fluid-structure dynamics at microscopic length scales

In modeling many biological systems, it is important to take into account flexible structures which interact with a fluid. At the length scale of cells and cell organelles, thermal fluctuations of the aqueous environment become significant. In this work, it is shown how the immersed boundary method of C.S. Peskin, The immersed boundary method, Acta Num. 11 (2002) 1-39.] for modeling flexible structures immersed in a fluid can be extended to include thermal fluctuations. A stochastic numerical method is proposed which deals with stiffness in the system of equations by handling systematically the statistical contributions of the fastest dynamics of the fluid and immersed structures over long time steps. An important feature of the numerical method is that time steps can be taken in which the degrees of freedom of the fluid are completely underresolved, partially resolved, or fully resolved while retaining a good level of accuracy. Error estimates in each of these regimes are given for the method. A number of theoretical and numerical checks are furthermore performed to assess its physical fidelity. For a conservative force, the method is found to simulate particles with the correct Boltzmann equilibrium statistics. It is shown in three dimensions that the diffusion of immersed particles simulated with the method has the correct scaling in the physical parameters. The method is also shown to reproduce a well-known hydrodynamic effect of a Brownian particle in which the velocity autocorrelation function exhibits an algebraic (?-3/2) decay for long times B.J. Alder, T.E. Wainwright, Decay of the Velocity Autocorrelation Function, Phys. Rev. A 1(1) (1970) 18-21]. A few preliminary results are presented for more complex systems which demonstrate some potential application areas of the method. Specifically, we present simulations of osmotic effects of molecular dimers, worm-like chain polymer knots, and a basic model of a molecular motor immersed in fluid subject to a hydrodynamic load force. The theoretical analysis and numerical results show that the immersed boundary method with thermal fluctuations captures many important features of small length scale hydrodynamic systems and holds promise as an effective method for simulating biological phenomena on the cellular and subcellular length scales.
A study of uranium adsorption to single-crystal tungsten

Abstract In this study we explore the adsorption of uranium to the (110) plane of tungsten. Potential functions were constructed to describe the interaction of adsorbed uranium atoms with the tungsten surface and the lateral interaction between adsorbed uranium atoms. Next, the behavior of the uranium adlayer under different conditions was studied through a Monte Carlo simulation of the grand canonical Hamiltonian in an off-lattice model. Our results are consistent with available studies in the literature. The simulation results indicate that the temperature and dipole–dipole interactions play an important role in governing the adsorption process.
Vertical structure of MJO-related subtropical ozone variations from MLS, TES, and SHADOZ data

Tian et al. (2007) found that the MJO-related total column ozone (O3) anomalies of 10 DU (peak-to-trough) are mainly evident over the subtropics and dynamically driven by the vertical movement of the subtropical tropopause layer. It was then hypothesized that the subtropical total column O3 anomalies are primarily associated with the O3 variabil- ity in the stratosphere rather the troposphere. In this paper, we investigate the vertical structure of MJO-related subtrop- ical O3 variations using the vertical O3 profiles from the Aura Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) and Tropospheric Emission Spectrometer (TES), as well as in-situ measure- ments by the Southern Hemisphere Additional Ozoneson- des (SHADOZ) project. Our analysis indicates that the subtropical O3 anomalies maximize approximately in the lower stratosphere (60-100 hPa). Furthermore, the spatial- temporal patterns of the subtropical O3 anomalies in the lower stratosphere are very similar to that of the total col- umn. In particular, they are both dynamically driven by the vertical movement of subtropical tropopause. The subtrop- ical partial O3 column anomalies between 30-200 hPa ac- counts for more than 50 % of the total O3 column anoma- lies. TES measurements show that at most 27 % of the to- tal O3 column anomalies are contributed by the tropospheric components. This indicates that the subtropical total col- umn O3 anomalies are mostly from the O3 anomalies in the lower stratosphere, which supports the hypothesis of Tian et al. (2007). The strong connection between the intraseasonal subtropical stratospheric O3 variations and the MJO implies that the stratospheric O3 variations may be predictable with similar lead times over the subtropics. Future work could involve a similar study or an O3 budget analysis using a so- phisticated chemical transport model in the near-equatorial regions where the observed MJO signals of total column O3 are weak.
Incorporating Shrub and Snag Specific LiDAR Data into GAP Wildlife Models

Abstract The U.S. Geological Survey’s Gap Analysis Program (hereafter, GAP) is a nationally based program that uses land cover, vertebrate distributions, and land ownership to identify locations where gaps in conservation coverage exist, and GAP products are commonly used by government agencies, nongovernmental organizations, and private citizens. The GAP land-cover designations are based on satellite-derived data, and although these data are widely available, these data do not capture the 3-dimensional vegetation architecture that may be important in describing vertebrate distributions. To date, no studies have examined how the inclusion of snag- or shrub-specific Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) data might influence GAP model performance. The objectives of this paper were 1) to assess the performance of the National GAP models and Northwest GAP models with independently collected field data, and 2) to assess whether the inclusion of 3-dimensional vegetation data from LiDAR improved the performance of...
Infrared degenerate four-wave mixing spectroscopy of polyatomic molecules: CH 4 and C 2 H 2

We apply infrared degenerate four-wave mixing (IR DFWM) spectroscopy to the investigation of CH4 and C2H2, making use of C—H stretching rovibrational transitions near 3000 and 3300 cm−1, respectively. The spectrum of C2H2 is fitted quite well by a two-level stationary-absorber model in the low-saturation limit, I ≪ Isat. The spectrum of CH4 is not accurately described by this model in the low-saturation limit, but it is described well by the same model in the high-saturation limit, I ∼ 10 Isat. The reason for the disagreement at low intensity is not clear, but the results indicate that approximations made to account for spectroscopic line broadening may be inadequate for the ν3 vibrational band of CH4. IR DFWM provides a sensitive diagnostic, ∼10 molecules/cm3 per quantum state, for the molecules investigated here, and we believe that it holds great promise for the investigation of polyatomic molecules that have IR active rovibrational transitions, in general.
Modern approaches to incompatible kidney transplantation

The presence of human-leukocyte antigen (HLA)-antibodies and blood group incompatibility remain a large barrier to kidney transplantation leading to increased morbidity and mortality on the transplant waiting list. Over the last decade a number of new approaches were developed to overcome these barriers. Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) remains the backbone of HLA desensitization therapy and has been shown in a prospective, randomized, placebo controlled trial to improve transplantation rates. Excellent outcomes with the addition of rituximab (anti-B cell) to IVIG based desensitization have been achieved. There is limited experience with bortezomib (anti-plasma cell) and eculizumab (complement inhibition) for desensitization. However, these agents may be good adjuncts for patients who are broadly sensitized with strong, complement-fixing HLA antibodies. Excellent short and long-term outcomes have been achieved in ABO incompatible transplantation with the combination of antibody removal, B cell depletion, and pre-transplant immunosuppression. Kidney paired donation has emerged as a reasonable alternative for programs who cannot provide desensitization or in conjunction with desensitization. Future therapies directed toward cytokines that alter B cell proliferation are under investigation.
VELOCITY MEASUREMENTS IN A SYNTHETIC JET

Detailed measurements of the velocity field in a synthetic jet emanating from a piezoelectric actuator are conducted. A two-dimensional, steady, turbulent jet is synthesized from the ambient air by periodically deflecting a piezoelectric-driven disk, enclosed in a cavity. The cavity is sealed all around, with only a two-dimensional slot, 0.5 mm wide and 30 mm long, on one side. The actuator is excited with square and sinusoidal waveforms, and the time-dependent velocity is measured with a hotfilm anemometer over a wide range of excitation frequencies and spatial locations. Time-averaged values and useful statistics are then computed from these data. It is found that two distinct regions exist in the flow-field created by the actuator. Close to the slotexit, the mean centerline velocity accelerates to a maximum at a distance of approximately 12 slotwidths. The flow is unsteady, and is dominated by large velocity fluctuations induced by the oscillating membrane. At axial distances larger than approximately 12 slot-widths, the flow pattern changes. At greater distances it appears as a steady jet where the flow is no longer affected by the oscillating membrane. The jet exhibits properties that are indicative of a fully developed, twodimensional, turbulent jet. * Visiting Researcher, on Sabbatical from the Israeli Armament Development Authority ^ Research Engineer, Senior Member AIAA # Assistant Professor, Associate Fellow AIAA This paper is declared a work of the U.S. Government and Is not subject to copyright protection in the United States. Measurements of the centerline velocity, at various excitation frequencies, show that there are two resonance frequencies at which the mean exit velocity is maximized. The two resonance frequencies are 700 Hz and 1160 Hz. When the actuator is excited with a square wave, the corresponding mean velocities are 8.7 m/s and 7.0 m/s. When excited with a sinusoidal wave at the same frequencies, the actuator produces mean velocities of 7.7 m/s and 5.0 m/s. Nomenclature b D d E f ma T t U(t)
Abstract 5205: Selectively high Wnt pathway activity in subpopulations of colon cancer cells and its significance for tumor initiation

Several cell surface markers that are reported to enrich for tumor-initiating colon cancer cells are presumed targets of the canonical Wnt/beta-catenin pathway. Furthermore, colon cancers typically express the Wnt-effector beta-catenin in a heterogeneous pattern, with strong nuclear expression detected only in a small fraction of tumor cells. We therefore hypothesized that high beta-catenin expression and Wnt pathway activity mark a tumorigenic subpopulation. To label viable tumor cells according to the level of Wnt pathway activity, we constructed lentiviral vectors that express GFP under control of an optimal, beta-catenin-responsive TCF/LEF1 promoter (TOP-GFP). We transduced primary colon cancer xenografts and two well characterized colon cancer cell lines with these vectors, used flow cytometry to isolate cell subpopulations with differential GFP expression, and examined these subpopulations for tumorigenicity and gene expression. High GFP expression accurately marked tumor cells with nuclear beta-catenin immunostaining in Caco2 but not SW1222 cells and in a fraction of primary colon cancer xenografts. Gene expression analysis in the concordant cases was consistent with increased Wnt-pathway activity within the GFP-high cell population, including high expression of the putative stem cell markers CD133, CD44 and LGR5. In SW1222 cells and some primary tumor xenografts, the GFP-high fraction correlated poorly with nuclear beta-catenin localization and GFP flow cytometry did not separate cells with a gene expression profile suggesting Wnt pathway activity. Among these various sources, only Caco2 cells showed increased tumorigenicity of GFP-high cells in immunodeficient mouse xenografts. The utility of TOP-GFP and related reporters to identify tumor-initiating colon cancer cells with high Wnt activity thus varies among primary human colorectal tumors and established cell lines. Furthermore, Wnt pathway activity might fluctuate substantially within individual tumor cells. We conclude that high Wnt activity among tumor cell subpopulations does not necessarily signify tumor-initiating potential. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 5205. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-5205
Helical guided waves in liquid-filled cylindrical shells subjected to static pressurization stress

Helical guided waves in pipelines are studied under the effects of pressurization stresses from a contained liquid. The pipeline is approximated by an “unwrapped” plate waveguide, and a transfer matrix method is used to solve for guided wave velocity and attenuation dispersion curves in a multilayered plate waveguide subject to an arbitrary triaxial state of initial stress. The matrix-based model is able to incorporate both elastic and viscoelastic solid materials, as well as approximate non-uniform distributions in initial stress through the thickness of a waveguide. Experiments on a steel pipe filled with pressurized water are carried out to validate the modeling approach.
High Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy of PbTe/Pb1-zEuxSeyTe1-v, Heterostructures.

High resolution transmission electron microscopy has been used to study the structure of PbTe/Pb1-zEuxSeyTe1-v semiconductor superlattices and heterojunctions grown on BaF2 substrates by molecular beam epitaxy. The objective of this study is to analyze the interface sharpness and the structural perfection of the samples at their interfaces. In the PbTe/Pb1-zEuxSeyTe1-v system, we have observed misfit dislocations and even amorphous regions for high Eu concentrations. We have also observed two directions of growth of the superlattice film. The interface appears to be sharp to approximately three monolayers. A model for the superlattice structure is suggested and used to obtain simulated images using computing methods. The simulated images are compared with those obtained experimentally.
The Pharmacokinetics of Intravesical and Oral Oxybutynin Chloride

In 8 children with cystometric evidence of bladder instability and marked systemic side effects to oral oxybutynin we investigated the efficacy of intravesical instillation and compared the pharmacokinetics of both routes of delivery. In addition, 4 healthy dogs underwent intravesical instillation for pharmacokinetic studies. Intravesical oxybutynin was well tolerated, efficacious and rapidly absorbed, resulting in plasma concentrations markedly higher than after oral administration. In only 2 patients did this method of instillation result in side effects, and both had previously undergone bladder augmentation. This lack of significant systemic side effects despite high plasma concentrations suggests that a metabolite may be generated after oral administration that is responsible for the side effects. These studies demonstrate that the mode of administration affects the mechanism of action, side effects, pharmacokinetics and metabolism of oxybutynin, and that intravesical instillation is clinically effective and results in minimal side effects.