cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Early detection of biomarkers for circulating tumor cells in Bone marrow and Peripheral blood in a fast-progressing gastric cancer model

Abstract Helicobacter pylori poses one of the greatest risks for development of gastric cancer. We previously established a crucial role for myeloid differentiation primary response 88 (MyD88) in the regulation of Helicobacter-induced gastric cancer. Mice deficient in Myd88 rapidly progressed to neoplasia when infected with H. felis, a close relative of H. pylori. For this study we examined circulating tumor cells (CTCs) by measuring expression of cytokeratins, epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) and cancer stem cell (CSC) markers in in the bone marrow and peripheral blood of gastric cancer models we termed fast (Myd88-/-)- and slow (WT)-“progressors”. We detected cytokeratins CK8/18 as early as 3 months post infection in the fast “progressors”. In contrast, cytokeratins were not detected in slow “progressor” gastric cancer model even after 7 months post infection. Expression of MUC1 was observed in both bone marrow and peripheral blood at different time points suggesting its role in gastric cancer metastasis. Snail, Twist and ZEB were expressed at different levels in bone marrow and peripheral blood. Expression of these EMT markers suggests manifestation of cancer metastasis in the early stages of disease development. Lgr5, CD44 and CD133 were the most prominent CSC markers detected. Detection of CSC and EMT markers along with cytokeratins does reinforce their use as biomarkers for gastric cancer metastasis. This early detection of markers suggests that CTCs leave primary site even before cancer is well established. Thus, cytokeratins, EMT, and CSCs could be used as biomarkers to detect aggressive forms of gastric cancers. This information will be important in stratifying patients for treatment before the onset of severe disease characteristics.
28.4 A CMOS Multimodality In-Pixel Electrochemical and Impedance Cellular Sensing Array for Massively Paralleled Synthetic Exoelectrogen Characterization

Electrochemically active bacteria (exoelectrogens) are a class of microorganisms capable of transferring electrons between intracellular and exocellular environments, which generate or consume electrical currents via multiple biochemical redox reactions. This unique attribute allows exoelectrogens to interface between biological environments and electronics for a myriad of hybrid “abiotic-biotic” systems and applications, such as small molecule sensing, bio-computation and energy harvesting [1]. However, natural exoelectrogens typically exhibit insufficient electron-transfer capabilities. Therefore, synthetic biology tools are widely used to create new exoelectrogen species whose natural and engineered capabilities are genetically optimized for target applications.
Abnormal pathology seen on appendectomy in patients with predominant right-sided pelvic pain:

Introduction:Previous studies have linked chronic pelvic pain (CPP) to appendix pathologies. However, few studies have investigated appendix pathology specifically in the context of CPP that is rig...
Trends in Hospital-Acquired and Ventilator-Associated Bacterial Pneumonia Trials.

BACKGROUND New drug development for hospital-acquired bacterial pneumonia (HABP) and ventilator-associated bacterial pneumonia (VABP) is critical. Challenges remain in the conduct of HABP/VABP trials, especially in the contexts of enrollment, endpoints, nonstudy antibacterial drug therapy, and antimicrobial resistance. METHODS Four Phase 3 noninferiority trials (n = 2433 participants) submitted to the Food and Drug Administration after 2015 were analyzed for enrollment statistics, participant characteristics associated with 28-day all-cause mortality (ACM), microbiology, and receipt of nonstudy antibacterial drugs. All trials primarily enrolled patients with gram-negative bacterial infections. RESULTS The mean trial length was 2.7 years and the mean recruitment rate was 0.17 participants/site/month. ACM at 28 days was 17.1% and was higher among participants diagnosed with ventilated HABP (31.9%) or VABP (19.0%) than nonventilated HABP (9.9%). VABP participants tended to be younger, less likely to have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and more likely to have previously sustained an injury. Age, South American residence, diagnosis of ventilated HABP or VABP, and Acinetobacter baumannii infection were all associated with 28-day ACM in a multivariate logistic regression model. Infection by A. baumannii was most common in Eastern European and Asia/Pacific participants, and Eastern European isolates exhibited the highest levels of meropenem resistance. Concomitant nonstudy antibacterial drug therapy most commonly included beta-lactams and was initiated earliest in Western Europe. CONCLUSION This analysis of recent trials may assist in trial considerations for HABP/VABP development programs and promote needed antibacterial drug development for patients with serious infections.
Case Report of Thrombosis of the Distal Aorta with Occlusion of Iliac Arteries in COVID-19 Infection

Author(s): LaFree, Andrew; Lenz, Alexis; Tomaszewski, Christian; Quenzer, Faith | Abstract: Introduction: The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which is responsible for the coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, has been associated with a variety of prothrombotic sequelae. The pathogenesis of this hypercoagulability has not yet been fully elucidated, but it is thought to be multifactorial with overactivation of the complement pathways playing a central role. There is emerging evidence that the resulting complications are not confined to the venous circulation, and even in patients without typical respiratory symptoms or traditional risk factors, there is a significant rate of arterial thromboembolic disease in patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection.Case Report: We describe a patient presenting with bilateral leg pain without any respiratory symptoms or fever who ultimately was found to be COVID-19 positive and had thromboembolism of the aorta and bilateral iliac occlusion. This report reviews available evidence on the prevalence of arterial thromboembolism in COVID-19 patients and some proposed mechanisms of the pathophysiology of COVID-19-associated coagulopathy.Conclusion: It is important that the emergency physician maintain a high degree of suspicion for arterial thromboembolic disease in patients who are infected with COVID-19 even in the absence of typical respiratory symptoms. Additionally, COVID-19 should be considered in patients with unexplained thromboembolic disease, as this may increase the detection of COVID-19.
Brain Metastases: Intact and Postoperative Radiotherapy and Radiosurgery

For patients with brain metastases, radiotherapy management with stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) and whole brain radiotherapy (WBRT) has evolved over the years, guided by results from randomized controlled trials. These prospective data support the increasing utilization of SRS, with deferral of WBRT, for most patients with a limited number of brain metastases and good performance status, in both the definitive and post-resection settings. We highlight the general principles of SRS target delineation, dosing, and constraints to organs at risk.
Metamodeling of constitutive model using Gaussian process machine learning

Abstract A method based on Singular Value Decomposition (SVD) and Gaussian process machine learning is proposed to build a metamodel of a constitutive model that models time dependent and nonlinear behavior. To test this method, we apply it to determine the material parameters of a nonlinear viscoelastic (poly(vinylalcohol)) hydrogel (PVA). Using the metamodel, we are able to rapidly generate the stress histories for a large set of data points spanning a wide range of material parameters without solving the constitutive model of the PVA gel explicitly. To determine the material parameters, we compare the stress histories predicted by the metamodel with the observed stress histories from laboratory experiments consisting of uniaxial tension cyclic and relaxation tests. The efficiency of the metamodel allows us to determine the material parameters of the constitutive model governing the time-dependent behavior of the PVA gel in a short time. The proposed method shows that there exist many sets of material parameters that can faithfully reproduce the experimental data. Further, our method reveals important relationships between the material parameters in the constitutive model. Although the focus is on the PVA gel system, the method can be easily transferred to build a metamodel for any material model.
Constitutive expression of Steroidogenic factor-1 (NR5A1) disrupts ovarian functions, fertility, and metabolic homeostasis in female mice

Steroid hormones regulate various aspects of physiology, from reproductive functions to metabolic homeostasis. Steroidogenic factor-1 (NR5A1) plays a central role in the development of steroidogenic tissues and their ability to produce steroid hormones. Inactivation of Nr5a1 in the mouse results in a complete gonadal and adrenal agenesis, absence of gonadotropes in the pituitary and impaired development of ventromedial hypothalamus, which controls glucose and energy metabolism. In this study, we set out to examine the consequences of NR5A1 overexpression (NR5A1+) in the NR5A1-positive cell populations in female mice. Ovaries of NR5A1+ females presented defects such as multi-oocyte follicles and an accumulation of corpora lutea. These females were hyperandrogenic, had irregular estrous cycles with persistent metestrus and became prematurely infertile. Furthermore, the decline in fertility coincided with weight gain, increased adiposity, hypertriglyceridemia, hyperinsulinemia, and impaired glucose tolerance, indicating defects in metabolic functions. In summary, excess NR5A1 expression causes hyperandrogenism, disruption of ovarian functions, premature infertility, and disorders of metabolic homeostasis. This NR5A1 overexpression mouse provides a novel model for studying not only the molecular actions of NR5A1, but also the crosstalk between endocrine, reproductive, and metabolic systems.
Saving and Distribution

Until the 1930s parsimony was considered a virtue. In the standard Keynesian system, saving became a socially undesirable activity in industrial countries. In recent years saving has, once again, become a highly desirable national objective. Notwithstanding these ups and downs in attitudes toward saving, the theory of saving remains one of the less-developed areas in economics.1 Saving’s relationship with the distribution of income and wealth is even more hazy. The main reason for the absence of a well-developed theory of saving is the intertemporal nature of multiple, interrelated choices involved for saving and the difficulty in finding the right kinds of data for empirical tests.2 The problems in the development of a dependable relationship between saving and distribution are created, in addition, by a parallel lack of a coherent general theory of personal distribution of income (Sahota, 1978; Sahota and Rocca, 1985) and a relative inattention to this topic among economists.
Cause to Believe What?: The Importance of Defining a Search's Object -- Or, How the ABA Would Analyze the NSA Metadata Surveillance Program

Courts and scholars have devoted considerable attention to the definition of probable cause and reasonable suspicion. Since the demise of the “mere evidence rule” in the 1960s, however, they have rarely examined how these central Fourth Amendment concepts interact with the “object” of the search. That is unfortunate, because this interaction can have significant consequences. For instance, probable cause to believe that a search “might lead to evidence of wrongdoing” triggers a very different inquiry than probable cause to believe that a search “will produce evidence of criminal activity.” The failure to address the constraints that should be imposed on the object of a search has particularly acute implications in the context of records searches. This article explores the ramifications of this gap in Fourth Amendment jurisprudence both generally and in connection with the NSA’s metadata program, with particular attention to how the American Bar Association’s Standards on Government Access to Third Party Records, the topic of the symposium for which this article was written, resolve the relevant issues.
Cinnoline Chemistry. VIII. α-(ω-Dialkylaminoalkyl)-α-phenyl-4-cinnolineacetonitriles and Related Compounds.

Five new (ω-dialkylaminoalkyl) phenylacetonitriles were prepared and these and other similar nitriles were condensed with 4-chlorocinnoline in the presence of sodium amide to produce seven new α-(ω-dialkylaminoalkyl)-α-phenyl-4-cinnolineacetonitriles. All of these condensed nitriles were hydrolyzed and decarboxylated to seven new 4-[(1-phenyl-ω-dialkylamino) alkyl] cinnolines. These latter two classess of compounds were prepared for pharmacological screening.
Endowment and Inequality

Neither income, consumption, nor wealth is an "ideal" tax base, or one that plausibly identifies what one really should want to tax. Rather, they are best justified as imperfect stand-ins for some underlying (but unobservable) metric of inequality that may be relevant to distributive justice under a variety of normative views.This paper examines a more fundamental inequality measure that we might call "endowment," "ability," or "wage rate," and explores its relevance to distribution policy under welfarist and liberal egalitarian approaches to distributive justice. It argues that, while endowment taxation is not practically feasible, conventional rejections of it as an orienting idea, sometimes explained on the ground that it would require enslaving a beachcomber who could have been a Wall Street lawyer, are in key respects confused.
Kontrolle der Genexpression bei Prokaryoten

Viele der bedeutendsten und faszinierendsten Bereiche der modernen Biologie und der Medizin, wie die Stoffwechselwege, die fur die Entwicklung vielzelliger Organismen notwendig sind, die Eigenschaften, die gesunde Zellen von Krebszellen unterscheiden, und auch die Veranderungen, die im Verlauf der Evolution zur Entstehung neuer Arten fuhrten, umfassen ganze Netzwerke aus genregulatorischen Signalwegen. Bei Eukaryoten ist die Genregulation in mehrfacher Hinsicht erheblich komplizierter als bei Prokaryoten. Erstens ist das Genom, das reguliert werden muss, betrachtlich groser. Das E. coli-Genom ist ein einzelnes, ringformiges Chromosom von 4,6 Mb, das rund 2 000 Proteine codiert. Dagegen enthalt schon die Backerhefe Saccharomyces cerevisiae, einer der einfachsten Eukaryoten, 16 Chromosomen mit einer Grose von 0,2 bis 2,2 Mb. Insgesamt besteht das Hefegenom aus 12 Mb und codiert ungefahr 6 000 Proteine. In einer menschlichen Zelle verteilt sich das Genom auf 23 Chromosomenpaare. Die Grose der Chromosomen reicht von 50 bis 250 Mb und in den insgesamt 3 000 Mb der menschlichen DNA befinden sich ungefahr 23 000 Gene.
The scent of symmetry: A human sex pheromone that signals fitness?

Abstract A previous study by the authors showed that the body scent of men who have greater body bilateral symmetry is rated as more attractive by normally ovulating (non-pill-using) women during the period of highest fertility based on day within the menstrual cycle. Women in low-fertility phases of the cycle and women using hormone-based contraceptives do not show this pattern. The current study replicated these findings with a larger sample and statistically controlled for men's hygiene and other factors that were not controlled in the first study. The current study also examined women's scent attractiveness to men and found no evidence that men prefer the scent of symmetric women. We propose that the scent of symmetry is an honest signal of phenotypic and genetic quality in the human male, and chemical candidates are discussed. In both sexes, facial attractiveness (as judged from photos) appears to predict body scent attractiveness to the opposite sex. Women's preference for the scent associated with men's facial attractiveness is greatest when their fertility is highest across the menstrual cycle. The results overall suggest that women have an evolved preference for sires with good genes.
Lattice-matched Al/sub 0.95/Ga/sub 0.05/AsSb oxide for current confinement in InP-based long wavelength VCSELs

InP-based active region is the material-of-choice for long wavelength VCSELs. In order to develop low threshold VCSELs, it is essential to have lateral current- and optical-confining apertures. The use of AlAs oxide-defined apertures has resulted in reduced optical loss of short wavelength VCSELs grown lattice-matched to GaAs. On the other hand, the InP lattice-matched analogue, namely AlInAs (TA,), is not an ideal candidate for oxide apertures because of its slow oxidation rate and high oxidation temperature. Though the efforts to increase the oxidation rate by using strained (T/sub As//AlAs) and strain-compensated (AlAs/InAs) superlattices have shown improvement in the oxidation rate and current confinement, it would be desirable to have a lattice-matched confinement layer which can be oxidized at much lower temperatures to increase the process reliability and yield. In this paper, we have studied the InP lattice-matched Al/sub 0.95/Ga/sub 0.05/AsSb (Q/sub Sb/) oxide layer for current confinement.
Social and developmental biology of the myxobacteria.

Myxobacteria are soil bacteria whose unusually social behavior distinguishes them from other groups of procaryotes. Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of their social behavior occurs during development, when tens of thousands of cells aggregate and form a colorful fruiting body. Inside the fruiting body the vegetative cells convert into dormant, resistant myxospores. However, myxobacterial social behavior is not restricted to the developmental cycle, and three other social behaviors have been described. Vegetative cells have a multigene social motility system in which cell-cell contact is essential for gliding in multicellular swarms. Cell growth on protein is cooperative in that the growth rate increases with the cell density. Rippling is a periodic behavior in which the cells align themselves in ridges and move in waves. These social behaviors indicate that myxobacterial colonies are not merely collections of individual cells but are societies in which cell behavior is synchronized by cell-cell interactions. The molecular basis of these social behaviors is becoming clear through the use of a combination of behavioral, biochemical, and genetic experimental approaches. Images
Modulation of immune function by UV radiation.

In addition to its carcinogenic activity, ultraviolet (UV) radiation is capable of modifying certain immunologic reactions. Immunologic alterations induced in mice by UV radiation include both local and distant effects. Local alterations result from a direct effect of UV radiation on an immune reaction that takes place at the site of irradiation. Distant alterations are those in which exposure of the skin to UV radiation at one site modifies an immune reaction occurring at a distant, unexposed site. Based on recent studies, we propose that there may be two types of distant alterations. One is nonspecific, may be due to accumulation of leukocytes at the site of UV-induced inflammation, and is exemplified by the suppression of delayed hypersensitivity and local graft-versus-host (GVH) reactions. The second may result from DNA damage, may involve a soluble mediator, and is manifested by the systemic suppression of contact hypersensitivity and the formation of antigen-specific suppressor T lymphocytes. These immunologic effects of exposure to UV radiation may be important in the pathogenesis of skin cancer and other cutaneous diseases.
MitoTracker labeling in primary neuronal and astrocytic cultures: influence of mitochondrial membrane potential and oxidants.

Abstract MitoTracker dyes are fluorescent mitochondrial markers that covalently bind free sulfhydryls. The impact of alterations in mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨ m ) and oxidant stress on MitoTracker staining in mitochondria in cultured neurons and astrocytes has been investigated. p -(Trifluoromethoxy) phenyl-hydrazone (FCCP) significantly decreased MitoTracker loading, except with MitoTracker Green in neurons and MitoTracker Red in astrocytes. Treatment with FCCP after loading increased fluorescence intensity and caused a relocalization of the dyes. The magnitude of these effects was contingent on which MitoTracker, cell type and dye concentration were used. H 2 O 2 pretreatment led to a consistent increase in neuronal MitoTracker Orange and Red and astrocytic MitoTracker Green and Orange fluorescence intensity. H 2 O 2 exposure following loading increased MitoTracker Red fluorescence in astrocytes. In rat brain mitochondria, high concentrations of MitoTracker dyes uncoupled respiration in state 4 and inhibited maximal respiration. Thus, loading and mitochondrial localization of the MitoTracker dyes can be influenced by loss of ΔΨ m and increased oxidant burden. These dyes can also directly inhibit respiration. Care must be taken in interpreting data collected using MitoTrackers dyes as these dyes have several potential limitations. Although MitoTrackers may have some value in identifying the location of mitochondria within cultured neurons and astrocytes, their sensitivity to ΔΨ m and oxidation negates their use as markers of mitochondrial dynamics in healthy cultures.
COMPASS: A Framework for Automated Performance Modeling and Prediction

Flexible, accurate performance predictions offer numerous benefits such as gaining insight into and optimizing applications and architectures. However, the development and evaluation of such performance predictions has been a major research challenge, due to the architectural complexities. To address this challenge, we have designed and implemented a prototype system, named COMPASS, for automated performance model generation and prediction. COMPASS generates a structured performance model from the target application's source code using automated static analysis, and then, it evaluates this model using various performance prediction techniques. As we demonstrate on several applications, the results of these predictions can be used for a variety of purposes, such as design space exploration, identifying performance tradeoffs for applications, and understanding sensitivities of important parameters. COMPASS can generate these predictions across several types of applications from traditional, sequential CPU applications to GPU-based, heterogeneous, parallel applications. Our empirical evaluation demonstrates a maximum overhead of 4%, flexibility to generate models for 9 applications, speed, ease of creation, and very low relative errors across a diverse set of architectures.
A New Technique for Preparing Films on Cell Window for Infrared Absorption Spectroscopy

The preparation of films for infrared spectroscopy has previously been accomplished by adding dropwise a solution of the desired compound in a volatile solvent to the cell window. The difficulties encountered with this technique are: 1) during solvent evaporation the solute is concentrated along the edge of the film and consequently the film is not uniform in thickness; 2) the process of preparing the film is time-consuming and tedious; and 3) the compound is difficult to recover from the cell window. A new method was developed to eliminate these difficulties.
Effects of hormones and of ethanol on the fructose 6-P-fructose 1,6-P2 futile cycle during gluconeogenesis in the liver

Abstract Carbon-14 was incorporated into C-6 of glucose from [1- 14 C]galactose during gluconeogenesis from dihydroxyacetone in liver cells from fasted rats, proving the existence of a futile cycle between fructose-6-P and fructose-1,6-P 2 under the conditions used. Using a steady-state model and assumed values for the rates of aldolase and glucose-6-P isomerase, the rates of phosphofructokinase were estimated, ranging from about 15% to nearly 40% of the net rate of gluconeogenesis. Glucagon depressed the rate of phosphofructokinase by as much as 85% and increased the rate of gluconeogenesis by up to 45%. l -epinephrine in the range from 10 to 100 μ m also depressed phosphofructokinase, being nearly as effective as glucagon only at high concentrations. The effect of epinephrine was only partially reversed by 10 μ m dl -propranolol. Ethanol (10 m m ) depressed phosphofructokinase flux nearly as well as glucagon, but had no significant effect on the rate of gluconeogenesis from dihydroxyacetone.
Sound and spelling in spoken word recognition.

Abstract In several experiments, lexical decisions about spoken words were shown to be influenced by the spelling of an immediately preceding item. Specifically, lexical decisions to one-syllable words were faster when part of the preceding word shared both the same sound and spelling. Thus, a lexical decision for “mess” was faster following “message” than following “letter”. Facilitation was not observed when words were related by sound alone (e.g., “definite”-“deaf”) or by spelling alone (e.g., “legislate”-“leg”). Analogous effects of spelling were obtained for nonwords; a decision about a nonword was facilitated only when preceded by a word with shared sound and spelling (e.g., “regular”-“reg”). The implications of these results for the role of spelling in the segmentation of speech and in lexical decisions are discussed.
Relationship between Toy and Material Use and the Occurrence of Social Interactive Behaviors by Normally Developing Preschool Children.

The purpose of this naturalistic study was to identify the kinds of social behaviors that normally developing preschool children exhibit while manipulating various toys and materials found in most preschool settings. One hundred fifteen 3-, 4-, and 5-year-olds in four day-care centers were observed during free play periods. Thirty-eight available toys and play materials were rated as to whether they were used in an Isolate, Parallel, Sharing/Cooperative, or Physical Assistance context. The resulting data on toy/material use are discussed in terms of selecting physical stimuli in social behavior modification efforts that clearly set the occasion for positive social interaction.
Modeled ground magnetic signatures of flux transfer events

The magnetic field on the ground due to a small (not greater than 200 km scale size) localized field-aligned current (FAC) system interacting with the ionosphere is calculated in terms of an integral over the ionospheric distribution of FAC. Two different candidate current systems for flux transfer events (FTEs) are considered: (1) a system which has current flowing down the center of a cylindrical flux tube with a return current uniformly distributed along the outside edge; and (2) a system which has upward current on one half of the perimeter of a cylindrical flux tube with downward current on the opposite half. The peak magnetic field on the ground is found to differ by a factor of 2 between the two systems, and the magnetic perturbations are in different directions depending on the observer's position.
Self-Control, Violent Offending, and Homicide Victimization: Assessing the General Theory of Crime

Criminologists have long recognized that offending and victimization share common ground. Using Gottfredson and Hirschi’s general theory of crime, with its emphasis on self-control as a theoretical backdrop, we examine the extent to which self-control is related to both violent offending and homicide victimization. To examine this issue, we use 5-year post-parole data on violent offending and homicide victimization from a sample of parolees from the California Youth Authority. Using rare-events logistic regression models, results indicate that self-control is related to each outcome, but that other risk factors are also uniquely related to each outcome. The implications of this study for theory and future research are addressed.
Systematics of Coupling Flows in AdS Backgrounds

We give an effective field theory derivation, based on the running of Planck brane gauge correlators, of the large logarithms that arise in the predictions for low energy gauge couplings in compactified AdS}_5 backgrounds, including the one-loop effects of bulk scalars, fermions, and gauge bosons. In contrast to the case of charged scalars coupled to Abelian gauge fields that has been considered previously in the literature, the one-loop corrections are not dominated by a single 4D Kaluza-Klein mode. Nevertheless, in the case of gauge field loops, the amplitudes can be reorganized into a leading logarithmic contribution that is identical to the running in 4D non-Abelian gauge theory, and a term which is not logarithmically enhanced and is analogous to a two-loop effect in 4D. In a warped GUT model broken by the Higgs mechanism in the bulk,we show that the matching scale that appears in the large logarithms induced by the non-Abelian gauge fields is m_{XY}^2/k where m_{XY} is the bulk mass of the XY bosons and k is the AdS curvature. This is in contrast to the UV scale in the logarithmic contributions of scalars, which is simply the bulk mass m. Our results are summarized in a set of simple rules that can be applied to compute the leading logarithmic predictions for coupling constant relations within a given warped GUT model. We present results for both bulk Higgs and boundary breaking of the GUT gauge
Microinjections of carbachol into the phrenic motor nucleus inhibit phrenic nerve activity in the rat

Abstract Microinjections (50 nl) of carbachol (2.5–500 μM) into the phrenic motor nucleus (PMN) of anesthetized rats caused a dose-dependent decrease in the phrenic nerve (PN) burst-amplitude. Prior microinjections of pirenzepine and methoctramine (1 mM, each) into the PMN, in separate experiments, significantly attenuated the carbachol-induced inhibition of PN activity. These results suggest that inhibition of PN activity induced by microinjections of carbachol into the PMN is mediated via M 1 and M 2 receptors. Since pirenzepine and methoctramine microinjections into the PMN did not alter the control PN activity, it was concluded that in anesthetized rats cholinergic inputs to the PMN, if any, are not tonically active. It is possible that muscarinic receptors in the PMN come into play only under specific conditions such as activation of a reflex mechanism which alters PN activity. These hypotheses remain to be tested.
Do Christian Denominations Exhibit Higher Rates of Alcohol Consumption? A Study of Korean American Women in California

Although Korean American women show high levels of involvement in religious practices and high prevalence of alcohol consumption, no studies have assessed the association between religious denomination and alcohol intake among this group of women. This cross-sectional study examined the associations of religious denomination and religious commitment to alcohol consumption among Korean American women in California. Polychotomous regression models were used to provide estimates of the associations between religious denomination and religious commitment to alcohol consumption. Catholic Korean American women (OR 5.61 P < 0.01) and Independent Christian women (OR 4.87 P < 0.01) showed stronger associations to heavy alcohol consumption when compared to Conservative Christian Korean American women. Path analysis suggested that specific denominations had both direct and indirect effects on the outcome of interest, and that religious commitment and drinking models served as moderators for this phenomenon.
Bures geometry of the three-level quantum systems. II

For the eight-dimensional Riemannian manifold comprised by the three-level quantum systems endowed with the Bures metric, we numerically approximate the integrals over the manifold of several functions of the curvature and of its (anti-)self-dual parts. The motivation for pursuing this research is to elaborate upon the findings of Dittmann in his paper, "Yang-Mills equation and Bures metric" (quant-ph/9806018).
Alcohol Ingestion Does Not Cause Sleep‐Disordered Breathing in Premenopausal Women

Ingestion of 2 ml/kg of 100 proof vodka before bedtime did not cause sleep-disordered breathing or nocturnal oxygen desaturation in 20 premenopausal women. These findings are opposite to the results of earlier studies of men, in which ingestion of the same amount of alcohol significantly increased these findings. Protection of young women from sleep-disordered breathing or oxygen desaturation may be related to the respiratory stimulant effects of circulating progesterone.
Mitral valve replacement versus mitral valve repair. A Doppler and quantitative stress echocardiographic study.

BACKGROUND Standard mitral valve replacement (MVR) in patients with chronic mitral regurgitation results in consistent reductions in resting postoperative ejection fraction. This has been attributed to removal of the low-impedance ejection pathway into the left atrium or to disruption of the chordal apparatus. Mitral valve repair (MVP) does not reduce ejection fraction at rest. However, whether MVP confers any advantages with regard to dynamic left ventricular performance has not been investigated. The aim of this study was to directly compare standard MVR with MVP and to determine their respective influences on ventricular ejection performance during bicycle exercise. METHODS AND RESULTS Ten consecutive patients with pure chronic mitral regurgitation who underwent MVP and 10 patients matched for age, sex, and preoperative ejection fraction who underwent standard MVR for pure chronic mitral regurgitation performed symptom-limited, graded upright bicycle exercise with simultaneous Doppler and quantitative two-dimensional echocardiography. Patients with MVP had significantly greater rest (55 +/- 12%) and exercise (63 +/- 11%) ejection fractions than matched patients with MVR (40 +/- 13% [P < .0001] and 42 +/- 17% [P < .005], respectively). End-systolic circumferential wall stress was significantly lower at rest (190 +/- 36 versus 244 +/- 46; P < .03) and at peak exercise (231 +/- 46 versus 300 +/- 52; P < .02) in patients with MVP. At peak exercise, left ventricular shape was significantly more spherical in patients with MVR than those with MVP (1.84 +/- 0.31 versus 2.45 +/- 0.59; P < .02). CONCLUSIONS MVR with chordal transection resulted in significant reductions in rest and exercise ejection fraction. This was caused in part by a significant increase in end-systolic circumferential wall stress. MVP resulted in improved rest and exercise ejection indexes, primarily due to a marked reduction in end-systolic stress and maintenance of a more ellipsoidal chamber geometry.
Investigation of cloud condensation nuclei properties and droplet growth kinetics of the water-soluble aerosol fraction in Mexico City

[1] We present hygroscopic and cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) relevant properties of the water‐soluble fraction of Mexico City aerosol collected upon filters during the 2006 Megacity Initiative: Local and Global Research Observations (MILAGRO) campaign. Application of � ‐Kohler theory to the observed CCN activity gave a fairly constant hygroscopicity parameter (� = 0.28 ± 0.06) regardless of location and organic fraction. Kohler theory analysis was used to understand this invariance by separating the molar volume and surfactant contributions to the CCN activity. Organics were found to depress surface tension (10–15%) from that of pure water. Daytime samples exhibited lower molar mass (∼200 amu) and surface tension depression than nighttime samples (∼400 amu); this is consistent with fresh hygroscopic secondary organic aerosol (SOA) condensing onto particles during peak photochemical hours, subsequently aging during nighttime periods of high relative humidity. Changes in surface tension partially compensate for shifts in average molar volume to give the constant hygroscopicity observed, which implies the amount (volume fraction) of soluble material in the parent aerosol is the key composition parameter required for CCN predictions. This finding, if applicable elsewhere, may explain why CCN predictions are often found to be insensitive to assumptions of chemical composition and provides a very simple way to parameterize organic hygroscopicity in atmospheric models (i.e., � org = 0.28"WSOC). Special care should be given, however, to surface tension depression from organic surfactants, as its nonlinear dependence with organic fraction may introduce biases in observed (and predicted) hygroscopicity. Finally, threshold droplet growth analysis suggests the water‐soluble organics do not affect activation kinetics.
Malleable Property Rights and Smooth-Pasting Conditions

In their classic paper on the evolution of property rights in the American West, Anderson and Hill take a historical view of the changing costs of defining and enforcing property rights, and show that "...by expressing the amount of property rights definition and enforcement activity as a function of marginal benefits and marginal costs, and by specifying the shift parameters for each function, it is possible to explain the existing structure of property rights in a society and provide a vehicle with which we can analyze changes in property rights over time." The authors show convincing historical evidence for their marginal adjustment hypothesis applied to land and livestock on the Great Plains from 1850 to 1900. In this paper the same viewpoint of endogenous institutional evolution is taken, but it is specified as malleable, changing in discrete jumps due to nonconvex transaction costs and uncertainty in water supplies and property rights rather than through a smooth marginal evolution. Despite a gradual increase in the expected value marginal product of water in the West, this study shows that institutional change is influenced by nonconvexities in costs and the inherent stochasticity in water supply. Because of these conditions, the economically optimal development of water property rights will continue to follow the historical precedence of discrete switches rather than smooth changes in property rights. Discussion of the changes facing water allocation and development in the West has moved from the topic of whether water markets can aid in the reallocation of water to questioning why there are so few examples (Young, Colby, McCormick). Implicit in this question is the assumption that, given the gains from trade based marginal value differences between regions or uses of water and a physical connection between the two locations, trade should occur. Commentators on this subject all recognize that the existence of gains from trade is a necessary but not sufficient condition for trade. The costs
SECTOR SPECIFIC MINIMUM WAGES AND THE THEORY OF CUSTOMS UNIONS

The purpose of this paper is to examine the welfare implications of traditional customs unions in a Harris-Todaro type of economy. In this context, the authors show, among other things, that, in the Harris-Todaro type of economy, the welfare implications of trade diversion I is ambiguous, while trade creation I and trade creation II are welfare improving. Copyright 1990 by Scottish Economic Society.
Derivation of Atmospheric Gust-Forcing Functions for Launch-Vehicle Loads Analysis

A methodology is developed to derive gust-forcing functions from the turbulent components of measured wind pro les. Several large sets of forcing functions were developed by extracting the short-duration, random component of measured Jimsphere wind pro les. A database consisting of Jimsphere wind soundings measured over the past three decades at the Eastern and Western Ranges of the United States was used to derive the forcing functions. Validity of these forcing functions for heavy-lift and medium-lift launch vehicles was established by examining the error contributions from various sources within the wind measurement system and the application of a noise-reducing  lter. A unique aspect of the method is the extraction of the relatively rapidly changing turbulent component associated with the nonpersistent wind features, which are expected over a given observation time period. The gust-forcing functions can be used in a Monte Carlo analysis to determine launch-vehicle loads for the Eastern and Western Ranges.
Dependence of Cyclin E-CDK2 Kinase Activity on Cell Anchorage

Most nonmalignant cells are anchorage-dependent; they require substrate attachment for growth and, in some instances, survival. This requirement is lost on oncogenic transformation. The cyclin E-CDK2 complex, which is required for the G1-S transition of the cell cycle, was activated in late G1 phase in attached human fibroblasts, but not in fibroblasts maintained in suspension. In transformed fibroblasts the complex was active regardless of attachment. The lack of cyclin E-CDK2 activity in suspended cells appeared to result from increased expression of CDK2 inhibitors and a concomitant decrease in phosphorylation of CDK2 on threonine-160. Suppression of cyclin E-CDK2 activity may thus underlie the anchorage dependence of cell growth.
Lymphomatoid papulosis expresses immunophenotypes associated with T cell lymphoma but not inflammation

Twelve skin biopsy specimens of lymphomatoid papulosis from nine patients were studied immunohistologically. The large atypical cells morphologically resembled Reed-Sternberg cells in six cases and large cerebriforrn mononuclear cells in three cases. These cells expressed pan-T cell antigens (Leu-4 and/or Leu-5) and helper T cell antigen (Leu-3) in each case. They also expressed activation antigens: HLA (human lymphocyte antigen)-DR, HLA-DQ, Tac, and T9. Reactivity of many nuclei with Ki-67 indicated a high proliferative index. Phenotypic abnormality of the large atypical cells was evident by their deficiency of T cell antigens Leu-1 and/or Leu-9 in eight of nine cases. Neither Ki-1 nor Leu-M1 were reliable markers for lymphomatoid papulosis in this series, since large atypical cells were Ki-1-positive in only three of eight cases and were Leu-Ml-negative in all eight cases tested. The remainder of the cutaneous infiltrate consisted of small T cells, macrophages, Langerhans cells, and granulocytes. The small T cells expressed a normal phenotype except in some cases associated with mycosis fungoides in which they were deficient in various T cell antigens. Comparison of concurrent lymphomatoid papulosis and mycosis fungoides skin biopsy specimens in two patients revealed that they were composed of phenotypically distinct T cell subpopulations. These results indicate that the large atypical cells of lymphomatoid papulosis are a proliferating population of activated helper T cells that are deficient in certain T cell antigens. Such abnormal T cell phenotypes are common in T cell lymphoma but are rarely, if ever, observed in cutaneous inflammation. In conjunction with the cytologic atypia, aneuploidy, and association with other lymphomas documented in this or previous reports, these data suggest that lymphomatoid papulosis represents a T cell lymphoproliferative disorder rather than an inflammatory disorder.
Query processing of streamed XML data

We are addressing the efficient processing of continuous XML streams, in which the server broadcasts XML data to multiple clients concurrently through a multicast data stream, while each client is fully responsible for processing the stream. In our framework, a server may disseminate XML fragments from multiple documents in the same stream, can repeat or replace fragments, and can introduce new fragments or delete invalid ones. A client uses a light-weight database based on our proposed XML algebra to cache stream data and to evaluate XML queries against these data. The synchronization between clients and servers is achieved through annotations and punctuations transmitted along with the data streams. We are presenting a framework for processing XML queries in XQuery form over continuous XML streams. Our framework is based on a novel XML algebra and a new algebraic optimization framework based on query decorrelation, which is essential for non-blocking stream processing.
Modeling and Minimization of Extinction in Volterra–Lotka Type Equations with Free Boundaries

Abstract An equation of the distributed Volterra–Lotka type, with free boundary of the obstacle type, with possible applications in ecology, when extinction of the biological species is of particular concern, is introduced and solved. An optimal control problem for such an equation, and in particular the problem of minimization of the area of extinction of the species, is introduced and to some extent solved.
The development of monoclonal antibodies against the cytokinin zeatin riboside

Seven monoclonal anti-zeatin riboside antibodies were characterized by radioimmunoassay (RIA) and found to measure femtomole (10−15 M) quantities (∼20 pg) of this cytokinin. The antibodies had different measuring ranges defined by the linear portion of the logit/log plots; slopes and intercepts of the line varied considerably between the antibodies. Competitive binding trials againstcis-zeatin riboside (cZR), dihydrozeatin riboside (diHZR), zeatin (Z), and isopentenyl adenosine (iPA) showed differences among the seven antibodies in their cross-reactivities towards these structurally related cytokinins. It was possible to combine selected antibodies to provide a mixture with a predictable measuring range and cross-reactivity; the ability to prepare a highly specific reagent in this manner with well-defined reactivity was noted and differences between monoclonal antibody and polyclonal antiserum probes for measurement of cytokinins were discussed.
Splenocyte plaque assay for the detection of murine leukemia virus.

SummaryA modified XC assay for murine leukemia virus (MuLV) employing splenocytes taken directly from the animal is described. This modification can be more than 1000 times more sensitive than XC plaque assays employing tissue extracts. This technique should lend itself readily to the quantitation of infectious MuLV in defined populations of lymphoid cells.This research is supported by USPHS Grants CA 10018 and AM 07937, and a Grant from the Damon Runyon Memorial Fund for Cancer Research.
Visualization of the failure of quartz under quasi‐static and dynamic compression

[1] Quasi-static and dynamic compression experiments were performed on natural α quartz single crystal specimens at strain rates ranging from 10 ―3 to 10 3 s ―1 using a high-speed camera for visualization of failure. In one set of experiments, the specimens were compressed until catastrophic failure occurred, shattering the specimen into many small pieces. The results of the experiments show little strain rate dependence of the compressive strength of quartz for the range of strain rates applied in this study. In a second set of experiments, referred to here as interrupted compression, the specimens were compressed to a stress level of about half of the failure strength and then unloaded. For times up to when the peak load is achieved, images of the specimen recorded during the experiment show no crack initiation or propagation. However, in these experiments, the growth of large planar cracks was observed during (and only during) the unloading phase. The real-time visualization demonstrated that behavior of failure during unloading occurs in both the quasi-static and dynamic interrupted compression experiments. The crystallographic indices of the failure planes were identified to be of the {1101} and {1010} families, indicating cleavage failure on the positive and negative rhombohedral surfaces, respectively.
Chronic methamphetamine exposure suppresses the striatal expression of members of multiple families of immediate early genes (IEGs) in the rat: normalization by an acute methamphetamine injection.

Rationale Repeated injections of cocaine cause blunted responses to acute cocaine challenge-induced increases in the expression of immediate early genes (IEGs).