cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Stereo pair design for cameras with a fovea

We describe the methodology for the design and selection of a stereo pair when the cameras have a greater concentration of sensing elements in the center of the image plane (fovea). Binocular vision is important for the purpose of depth estimation, which in turn is important in a variety of applications such as gaging and autonomous vehicle guidance. We assume that one camera has square pixels of size dv and the other has pixels of size rdv, where r is between 0 and 1. We then derive results for the average error, the maximum error, and the error distribution in the depth determination of a point. These results can be shown to be a general form of the results for the case when the cameras have equal sized pixels. We discuss the behavior of the depth estimation error as we vary r and the tradeoffs between the extra processing time and increased accuracy. Knowing these results makes it possible to study the case when we have a pair of cameras with a fovea.
High-efficiency expression and solubilization of functional T cell antigen receptor heterodimers

The T cell receptor (TCR) zeta chain was attached to the TCR alpha and beta extracellular domains to induce efficient expression of alpha beta heterodimers that can recognize complexes of antigen with major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules. Chimeric constructs expressed in RBL-2H3 cells were efficiently transported to the cell surface uniquely as disulfide-linked heterodimers. Transfectants were activated by specific antigen-MHC complexes, which demonstrated that the expressed alpha beta was functional and that CD3 was not required for antigen-MHC binding. Constructs with thrombin cleavage sites were efficiently cleaved to soluble disulfide-linked heterodimers. Thus, attachment of TCR zeta domains and protease cleavage sites to TCR alpha and beta induces expression of demonstrably functional heterodimers that can be solubilized.
Representation of limb kinematics in Purkinje cell simple spike discharge is conserved across multiple tasks

Encoding of movement kinematics in Purkinje cell simple spike discharge has important implications for hypotheses of cerebellar cortical function. Several outstanding questions remain regarding rep...
Chronic Administration of Malonic Acid Produces Selective Neural Degeneration and Transient Changes in Calbindin Immunoreactivity in Rat Striatum

Adult rats received chronic dialytic delivery devices that exposed the striatum to a 100 mM, 400 mM, or 4 M solution of the reversible succinate dehydrogenase inhibitor malonic acid (MA). Three weeks of exposure to 100 or 400 mM MA produced no significant reduction in striatal cytochrome oxidase staining, whereas striata chronically exposed to 1 and 4 M MA showed a significant and dose-related reduction in cytochrome oxidase staining. In striata exposed to 1 M MA, analysis of regions radial to the necrotic core revealed significant reduction of nissl cell staining with relative sparing of NADPH-diaphorase-containing neurons. Although 100 and 400 mM MA failed to produce lesions, both of these concentrations significantly decreased the number of striatal calbindin (CALB) immunoreactive perikarya. The reduction in CALB immunoreactivity was partly reversed in animals allowed to survive 4 weeks after cessation of exposure to 400 mM MA. These results indicate that, like striatal lesions produced by quinolinic acid, lesions produced by chronic exposure to MA possess a Huntington's disease-like pattern of selective neurodegeneration. In addition, exposure to subthreshold MA concentrations (100 and 400 mM) produce widespread transient changes in striatal CALB that may be associated with a premorbid state of neuronal dysfunction.
New Political Religions, or an Analysis of Modern Terrorism

In New Political Religions, or an Analysis of Modern Terrorism, Barry Cooper applies the insights of Eric Voegelin to the phenomenon of modern terrorism. Cooper points out that the chief omission from most contemporary studies of terrorism is an analysis of the "spiritual motivation" that is central to the actions of terrorists today. When spiritual elements are discussed in conventional literature, they are grouped under the opaque term religion. A more conceptually adequate approach is provided by Voegelin's political science and, in particular, by his Schellingian term pneumopathology-a disease of the spirit. While terrorism has been used throughout the ages as a weapon in political struggles, there is an essential difference between groups who use these tactics for more of less rational political goals and those seeking more apocalyptic ends. Cooper argues that today's terrorists have a spiritual perversity that causes them to place greater significance on killing than on exploiting political grievances. He supports his assertion with an analysis of two groups that share the characteristics of a pneumopathological consciousness-Aum Shinrikyo, the terrorist organization that poisoned thousands of Tokyo subway riders in 1995, and Al-Qaeda, the group behind the infamous 9/11 killings. Cooper applies the Voegelinian terms first reality (a commonsense goal regarding legitimate political grievances) and second reality (a fantastic objective sought by those whose rationality has been obscured) to show the major divide between political and apocalyptic terrorist groups. Osama Bin Laden's "second reality" was the imaginary goal that the 9/11 attack was supposed to achieve, and the commonsense reality was what truly happened (the deaths of nearly 3,000 people and the United States's subsequent military response). Cooper shows how such spiritual perversity enables a human being, imagining himself empowered by God, to go on a campaign of mass destruction. Cooper concludes with a chapter on the uniqueness of terrorist networks, their limitations, and the means by which they can be dealt with. In the ongoing conversations among specialists in terrorist studies, as well as the ordinary discourse of citizens in western democracies wishing to understand the world around them, this book will add a distinctive voice.
The role of heparin-associated antiplatelet antibodies in the outcome of arterial reconstruction.

Abstract Purpose: This study was designed to determine the incidence rate of heparin-associated antiplatelet antibodies (HAAb) in patients who require major vascular reconstruction and to determine whether the HAAb were associated with perioperative thrombotic events. Methods: One hundred six patients who underwent elective arterial reconstruction for cerebrovascular occlusive disease (n = 48), aortoiliac occlusive disease (n = 13), aortoiliac aneurysm (n = 17), mesenteric arterial occlusive disease (n = 1), or infrainguinal arterial occlusive disease (n = 28) prospectively underwent evaluation from July 1, 1996, to June 30, 1997. Heparin-associated antibody tests (with a two-point platelet aggregation assay) and platelet counts (via Coulter counter) were performed before surgery and on or after the 4th day after vascular reconstruction. Arterial reconstruction thromboses were established by means of duplex ultrasound scanning or angiography. Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and venous thromboses were diagnosed with clinical criteria and duplex ultrasound scanning, respectively. A significant decrease in platelet count was defined as a platelet count of less than 100,000/mm 3 or as a more than 30% drop in the platelet count. Results: Twenty-two patients (21%) had at least one positive HAAb assay: one assay was positive before surgery only (after angiography), six were positive both before and after surgery, and 15 were positive after surgery only. There were three perioperative deaths—one in the HAAb-positive group and two in the HAAb-negative group. Ten thrombotic events occurred in the perioperative period. Four thrombotic events (three operative site thromboses and one AMI) occurred in the HAAb-positive group (18.2%). All of these patients were undergoing heparin therapy. Of the six patients (with three operative site thromboses, two deep venous thromboses, and one AMI) in the HAAb-negative group (7%; P = .21), three were undergoing heparin therapy. No patient who was HAAb positive with a thrombotic event had thrombocytopenia or a significant decrease in platelet count. Conclusion: The frequent exposure to heparin by patients with peripheral vascular disease is associated with a high incidence rate (21%) of HAAb formation, which makes it one of the more common hypercoagulable conditions in these patients. The patients who were HAAb positive had a 2.6-fold increase in perioperative thrombotic events. Thrombocytopenia or decreasing platelet counts were not reliable clinical markers for identifying patients who were HAAb positive. It is suggested that all patients who have undergone heparin therapy and who have an unexplained perioperative thrombotic event develop should undergo testing for HAAb. (J Vasc Surg 1999;29:779-86.)
USEFULNESS OF CA 125 AS A PREOPERATIVE PROGNOSTIC MARKER FOR TRANSITIONAL CELL CARCINOMA OF THE BLADDER

ABSTRACTPurpose: We evaluated the role of CA 125 as a prognostic marker in patients with transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) of the bladder undergoing uniform radical cystectomy with bilateral pelvic iliac lymphadenectomy.Materials and Methods: From April 1996 to March 2001, 287 patients with a median age of 68 years (range 34 to 89) had preoperative CA 125 serum assays performed. All patients had high grade or invasive TCC and were scheduled to undergo radical cystectomy. Preoperative CA 125 was evaluated according to tumor grade and pathological subgroups (organ confined, extravesical and lymph node positive) as well as recurrence-free and overall survival.Results: Of the 287 patients 31 (10.8%) demonstrated increased serum CA 125 (greater than 35 U/ml). No significant association was found between increased CA 125 and recurrence-free survival or tumor grade. However, a statistically significant association was found among pathological tumor subgroups, namely 4.9% for organ confined, 11.3% for extravesica...
The Impact of Industrial Offsets on the US Machine Tool Industry

This paper examines the extent to which industrial offset agreements affect US exporters of computer numerically controlled machine tools. Evidence from a sample of 48 export-intensive firms suggests that compensatory conditions vary directly with unit selling prices (i.e. expensive machines are subject to tougher offsets than low-end products). The evidence also suggests that the most stringent offset agreements involve a degree of international technology transfer, as well as job-displacement within the US. On balance, however, the commercial benefits of industrial offset agreements appear to exceed the costs. Specifically, it would seem that US employment in the machine tool industry has become increasingly export-dependent, and that offset agreements represent relatively minor irritants in the light of the industry's growing need for international sales. The study concludes with a brief discussion of the implications of the empirical findings for future research on compensatory trade in technology-int...
Mast cells and tumor angiogenesis.

Tumor angiogenesis factor (TAF) elicits a strong vasoproliferative response when implanted upon the chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) of the chick embryo. This response is first observed stereomicroscopically 2–3 days after implantation. A 40-fold increase in mast cell density is observed within the vicinity of this implant by 24 h. Mast cells that have been isolated from retired breeder Sprague-Dawley rats fail to evoke a vascular reaction when implanted on the CAM. An intermediate role for the mast cell in tumor angiogenesis is suggested. Mastocytes Et Angiogenese Tumorale Le facteur d'angiogenese tumorale (TAF) declenche une forte reponse vasoproliferative lorsqu'il est implante sur la membrane chorio-allantoidienne de l'embryon de poulet. On observe d'abord cette reponse en stereomicroscopie deux a trois jours apres l'implantation. En 24 h, la densite des mastocytes devient quarante fois plus forte au voisinage de l'implant. Des mastocytes qui ont ete isoles a partir de rats Sprague-Dawley n'ont pas declenche de reaction vasculaire lorsqu'on les a implantes sur la membrane chorio-allantoidienne. Les auteurs estiment que les mastocytes jouent un rǒle d'intermediares dans l'angiogenese tumorale.
Jittery , a Mutator Distant Relative with a Paradoxical Mobile Behavior: Excision without Reinsertion

The unstable mutation bz-m039 arose in a maize (Zea mays) stock that originated from a plant infected with barley stripe mosaic virus. The instability of the mutation is caused by a 3.9-kb mobile element that has been named Jittery (Jit). Jit has terminal inverted repeats (TIRs) of 181 bp, causes a 9-bp direct duplication of the target site, and appears to excise autonomously. It is predicted to encode a single 709-amino acid protein, JITA, which is distantly related to the MURA transposase protein of the Mutator system but is more closely related to the MURA protein of Mutator-like elements (MULEs) from Arabidopsis thaliana and rice (Oryza sativa). Like MULEs, Jit resembles Mutator in the length of the element's TIRs, the size of the target site duplication, and in the makeup of its transposase but differs from the autonomous element Mutator-Don Robertson in that it encodes a single protein. Jit also differs from Mutator elements in the high frequency with which it excises to produce germinal revertants and in its copy number in the maize genome: Jit-like TIRs are present at low copy number in all maize lines and teosinte accessions examined, and JITA sequences occur in only a few maize inbreds. However, Jit cannot be considered a bona fide transposon in its present host line because it does not leave footprints upon excision and does not reinsert in the genome. These unusual mobile element properties are discussed in light of the structure and gene organization of Jit and related elements.
A 'conservative' approach to parallelizing the Sharks World simulation

The authors describe how they parallelized a benchmark problem for parallel simulation, the Shark's World. The solution obtained is conservative, in the sense that no state information is saved and no rollbacks occur. Knowledge and exploitation of lookahead in the simulation model can lead to excellent performance. The search for lookahead in Sharks World led to a completely different solution approach. The advantages of the approach are manifold: on a serial workstation problems are solved over 20 times faster than with the usual discrete-event approach: the approach is easily parallelized and achieves high speedups. Also, excellent performance achieved by exploiting lookahead can be easily thwarted by relatively minor changes in problem specification. Any modification to the model rules that affects lookahead exploitation may require a great deal of modification to the solution approach. This fundamental problem will be suffered by any conservative synchronization method whose performance depends on lookahead. >
Competition and Intraguild Predation Among Three Species of Coccinellids (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae)

ABSTRACT The establishment of exotic coccinellid species may be related to the decline in native coccinellid species within the United States. Coccinellids may interact indirectly by competing for shared resources and directly through intraguild predation. Prior studies have examined pairwise interactions among species and although several coccinellid species typically co-exist within habitats, multi-species interactions have rarely been investigated. To examine how aphid prey levels influence interspecific interactions among a multispecies assemblage, the exotic coccinellids, Harmonia axyridis (Pallas) and Coccinella septempunctata (L.) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), and a native coccinellid species, Coleomegilla maculata (DeGeer) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), were paired or placed in groups containing three heterospecific larvae and fed 2.4, 12.0, or 24.0 mg of aphids per larva daily. Larval survival, developmental time, and adult weight of individuals were measured. Greater amounts of prey typically resul...
Kinetics and Mechanisms of Action of Drugs on Microorganisms XVI: Effect of Oleandomycin and its Combinations With Tetracycline, Chloramphenicol, Erythromycin, Lincomycin, and 1′ -demethyl-4′ -depropyl-4′ -(r and s)-n-pentylclindamycin on Microbial Generation of escherichia coli

The steady-state generation of Escherichia coli culture is inhibited by oleandomycin to a new initial steady state with a new generation rate constant, Kapp, which is linearly related to drug concentrations in the low concentration range. At higher concentrations, a saturation model is implied in which drug molecules bind to a limited number of receptor sites and the Kapp asymptotically approaches zero with infinite concentration. Oleandomycin demonstrates another subsequent action in that cell division is inhibited and the oleandomycin-affected cells show increased size with generation rates that are less than the initial effect. The antimicrobial activity of oleandomycin decreases with the nutrient concentrations of Medium 3 USP or casamino acid-glucose-buffer salt medium (Anton' s medium), probably because of the binding of drug molecules to the proteins and casamino acids in the broth media. The activity of the drug increases with the pH of the media. This is consistent with the postulate that only the unprotonated fraction of the drug concentration contributes to the activity. Combinations of oleandomycin or erythromycin with tetracycline are synergistic while those with chloramphenicol, erythromycin, or lincomycin are indifferent. These phenomena are evidenced by the decreased or invariant kapp values of a priori equipotent concentrations.
On Some Tests of the Covariance Matrix Under General Conditions

We consider the problem of testing the hypothesis about the covariance matrix of random vectors under the assumptions that the underlying distributions are nonnormal and the sample size is moderate. The asymptotic expansions of the null distributions are obtained up to n −1/2. It is found that in most cases the null statistics are distributed as a mixture of independent chi-square random variables with degree of freedom one (up to n −1/2) and the coefficients of the mixtures are functions of the fourth cumulants of the original random variables. We also provide a general method to approximate such distributions based on a normalization transformation.
Varenicline-Associated Acute Renal Failure

Objective:To report an association between acute renal failure and varenicline.Case Summary:A 53-year-old white male with preexisting moderate renal insufficiency was admitted to the hospital for acute renal failure following a change in serum creatinine from 4 mg/dL at baseline to 10.6 mg/dL upon admission. One week prior to admission, the patient started taking varenicline (dose undetermined) for smoking cessation and had been stable on all other medications for 2 months prior to admission. All hospital workup tests were negative for prerenal azotemia, postrenal obstruction, and intrinsic renal disease. Varenicline was discontinued on admission. With no other changes in therapy, the serum creatinine level decreased each day of the patient's 5-day hospitalization to 8.6 mg/dL upon discharge, and it was 6.4 mg/dL at a follow-up appointment 2 weeks after discharge.Discussion:Varenicline is a novel medication that is effective for smoking cessation. Adverse effects are generally mild and self-limiting, with...
A demonstration of DBWipes: clean as you query

As data analytics becomes mainstream, and the complexity of the underlying data and computation grows, it will be increasingly important to provide tools that help analysts understand the underlying reasons when they encounter errors in the result. While data provenance has been a large step in providing tools to help debug complex workflows, its current form has limited utility when debugging aggregation operators that compute a single output from a large collection of inputs. Traditional provenance will return the entire input collection, which has very low precision. In contrast, users are seeking precise descriptions of the inputs that caused the errors. We propose a Ranked Provenance System, which identifies subsets of inputs that influenced the output error, describes each subset with human readable predicates and orders them by contribution to the error. In this demonstration, we will present DBWipes, a novel data cleaning system that allows users to execute aggregate queries, and interactively detect, understand, and clean errors in the query results. Conference attendees will explore anomalies in campaign donations from the current US presidential election and in readings from a 54-node sensor deployment.
A comparison between in vitro fertilization and microinjection of immobilized spermatozoa from bulls producing spermatozoa with defects.

The objectives of this study were to compare the fertilization rate of bovine in vitro matured oocytes by in vitro fertilization (IVF) and by microinjection of a single spermatozoon (MI) and to relate these rates with fertility reported for these bulls in artificial breeding. Bull A (Holstein) had a nonreturn rate of 75%. Semen from this bull is routinely used in our standard IVF procedure. Bull B (Ayrshire), used regularly in artificial breeding and related to bull D, had a nonreturn rate of 69.2%. Bull C (Brown Swiss), with a chromosomal translocation and trisomy, achieved a nonreturn rate of 42%. Bull D (Ayrshire) produced nonmotile spermatozoa (SPZ) and had an abnormality described as “tail stump defect.” No pregnancies sired by bull D have been reported. Oocytes were either fertilized in vitro by capacitated SPZ or by microinjection of a single immobilized SPZ into the ooplasma. SPZ were treated with 0.1 μM A23187 and used for IVF. For microinjection SPZ were cocultured for 5 h with bovine oviduct epithelial cells (BOEC) and then immobilized by freezing and thawing twice without cryoprotectant. A single batch of killed SPZ (stored at – 25°C) was used for all microinjections. All oocytes were cultured in Medium 199 for 22 h at 39°C and subsequently fixed, stained, and examined for evidence of fertilization (i.e., female and male pronucleus formation, SPZ decondensation). Fertilization rates following IVF with semen from bulls A, B, C, and D were 80%, 54%, 1%, and 2%, and following microinjection were 39%, 22%, 21%, and 34%, respectively. © 1992 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Characterisation of osteoarthritis in a small animal model of type 2 diabetes mellitus

Objectives Our objective in this article is to test the hypothesis that type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a factor in the onset and progression of osteoarthritis, and to characterise the quality of the articular cartilage in an appropriate rat model. Methods T2DM rats were obtained from the UC Davis group and compared with control Lewis rats. The diabetic rats were sacrificed at ages from six to 12 months, while control rats were sacrificed at six months only. Osteoarthritis severity was determined via histology in four knee quadrants using the OARSI scoring guide. Immunohistochemical staining was also performed as a secondary form of osteoarthritic analysis. Results T2DM rats had higher mean osteoarthritis scores than the control rats in each of the four areas that were analysed. However, only the results at the medial and lateral femur and medial tibia were significant. Cysts were also found in T2DM rats at the junction of the articular cartilage and subchondral bone. Immunohistochemical analysis does not show an increase in collagen II between control and T2DM rats. Mass comparisons also showed a significant relationship between mass and osteoarthritis score. Conclusions T2DM was found to cause global degeneration in the UCD rat knee joints, suggesting that diabetes itself is a factor in the onset and progression of osteoarthritis. The immunohistochemistry stains showed little to no change in collagen II degeneration between T2DM and control rats. Overall, it seems that the animal model used is pertinent to future studies of T2DM in the development and progression of osteoarthritis. Cite this article: Bone Joint Res 2014;3:203–11
Increased Phosphorylation of Akt Substrate of 160 kDa (AS160) in Rat Skeletal Muscle in Response to Insulin or Contractile Activity

In 3T3-L1 adipocytes, insulin-stimulated GLUT4 translocation requires phosphorylation of the protein designated Akt substrate of 160 kDa (AS160). Both insulin and contractions activate Akt in skeletal muscle. Therefore, we assessed the effects in skeletal muscle of each stimulus on phosphorylation of proteins, including AS160, on the Akt phosphomotif. Isolated rat epitrochlearis muscles were incubated with insulin (for time course and dose response), stimulated to contract, or incubated with 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide-1-beta-d-ribofuranoside (AICAR) and used to assess the following: serine-phosphorylation of Akt (P-Akt), immunoreactivity with an antibody recognizing the Akt phosphomotif (alpha-phospho-[Ser/Thr] Akt substrate [PAS]), and PAS immunoreactivity of samples immunoprecipitated with anti-AS160. P-Akt peaked at 5 min of insulin, and PAS immunoreactivity subsequently peaked for proteins of 250 kDa (10 min) and 160 kDa (15 min). P-Akt, PAS-160, and PAS-250 increased significantly with 0.6 nmol/l insulin. Contractile activity led to increased P-Akt and PAS immunoreactivity of proteins of 160 and 250 kDa. The 160-kDa protein was confirmed to be AS160 based on elevated PAS immunoreactivity in AS160 immunoprecipitates. Wortmannin inhibited insulin (120 nmol/l) and contraction effects on AS160 phosphorylation. Incubation with AICAR caused increased phosphorylation of AMP-activated protein kinase and AS160 but not Akt. Our working hypothesis is that phosphorylation of these putative Akt substrates is important for some of the insulin and contraction bioeffects.
Lead distribution throughout soil, flora, and an invertebrate at a wetland skeet range.

Lead pellets from a skeet range impart Pb to the local soil, plants, and animals. Concentrations and distributions of Pb in the various media were studied at the now-abandoned skeet range bordering a cordgrass marsh at the Naval Weapons Station Seal Beach in Southern California. The concentrations of Pb in soil (maximum = 16,200 ppm, dry mass) are significantly correlated to the shot pellet densities. Lead concentrations in plants vary according to species' abilities to inhibit Pb uptake from soil. Horn snails had a mean Pb concentration (1987 ppm, dry mass) over 100 times greater than the leaves of the plant species with the highest mean concentration (18.1 ppm, dry mass) at the same site. Avian predators of gastropods may receive minimum exposure to Pb due to calcium in the shells, but incidental ingestion of soil in addition to direct ingestion of shot pellets may provide significant exposure to birds. Because shotgun pellets may persist in wetland soil for 300 yr, reduction of wildlife exposure to Pb ...
Entrapment Processes and Immigrant Communities in a Time of Heightened Border Vigilance

In processes of entrapment, police and other state agencies impose significant risk to moving around, while people themselves exercise various forms of agency by both limiting themselves and covertly defying movement controls. Recent US immigration and border enforcement policy has entrapped undocumented immigrants, in particular on the United States side of the USMexico border region. We explore how to operationalize this “macro” pattern in ethnographic research, making the conceptually and methodologically significant point that political-legal forces are only one among many elements leading to entrapment and immobilization; other factors include transportation constraints, poor health, etc. The concept of “morality of risk” is also introduced to help us understand how and why trapped people would take severe risks to defy immigration policing. Three ethnographic cases are examined, noting the complex mix of movement and barriers found in them. We conclude with the significance of entrapment for applied and basic social science: first, for the analysis of spatial mobility, enclosure, and inequalities of movement; second, for public policy; and third, for the methods and ethics of researching trapped and hidden populations.
Educational-Entertainment as an Intervention With Black Adolescents Exposed to Community Violence

Witnessing violence is one adverse childhood experience (ACE) associated with living in impoverished Black urban communities. Youth with higher violence avoidance self-efficacy and positive coping are more likely to avoid violence. This study evaluates educational entertainment (edutainment) as an intervention with Black adolescents exposed to community violence. Edutainment has shown success in increasing self-efficacy and positive coping skills in other domains. Self-administered scales were used to measure stress, anxiety, violence avoidance self-efficacy, and coping strategies. Data were collected pre- and nine days post-interventions/no intervention from 20 subjects receiving the edutainment intervention, 19 subjects participating in a group discussion about violence, and 21 subjects receiving no intervention (N = 60). Edutainment and no intervention were more effective than group discussion alone in increasing violence avoidance self-efficacy. Violence avoidance self-efficacy was found to have an in...
Interactive effects of the ACE DD polymorphism with the NOS III homozygous G849T (Glu298-->Asp) variant in determining endothelial function in coronary artery disease.

The products of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) and angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) play a critical role in determining vessel wall structure and function. Polymorphisms in both genes have been independently demonstrated to influence propensity to cardiovascular events. The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of the homozygous G849T(Glu298 Asp) polymorphism in NOS III on peripheral conduit artery endothelial function and to elucidate the modifier role, if any, of a common ACE polymorphism.Three hundred and ninety-seven consecutive subjects presenting to the cardiac catheterization laboratory of the University of Michigan over a period of 18 months were recruited. DNA was extracted and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis for ACE and NOS polymorphisms performed. Patients with homozygosity for G849T at both loci (TT) who belong to DD and II ACE genotype (groups 1 and 2) and those who are negative for this polymorphism (GG) and belong to either DD or II genotype (groups 3 and 4) were ide...
Patriarch Nikon and the Subjection of the Russian Church to the State

Patriarch Nikon is undoubtedly one of the most important figures in Russian church history. A zealous, although needlessly harsh and domineering, reformer of the church, forceful to the point of being dictatorial in the exercise of his patriarchal office, his endeavor to make the church independent of the state precipitated a struggle which in the days of Peter the Great culminated in the abolition of the patriarchate and the subjugation of the church.
Colonialism and Migration in the Ancient Mediterranean

People and their material culture have moved across the Mediterranean since early prehistory. By the early first millennium BC, a crucial change occurred when people began to establish permanent settlements overseas and migrated in substantial numbers. This review focuses on the critical centuries of the Iron Age to examine how thinking about colonialism and migration in the Mediterranean has changed in recent decades. Because Mediterranean and Classical archaeology have always paid more attention to the colonial settlements founded than to the people who migrated, this review begins with an examination of colonial terminology to assess its conceptual roots and the influences of modern colonialism and nationalism. This leads to a discussion of approaches to migration and colonialism in recent decades and consideration of present postcolonial views of colonial situations and (material) culture. The review concludes with a brief survey of potential connections between migration studies and Mediterranean col...
A Kinetic Model of Benzoylecgonine Disposition after Cocaine Administration in Humans

Cocaine (C) and benzoylecgonine (BZ) plasma levels and urinary excretion rate data from a series of intravenous cocaine studies were used to develop a kinetic model for C and BZ, with the main objective of characterizing BZ disposition. Kinetic analyses were made with the CONSAM 30 computer program. Under assumptions of the model, calculated parameters indicated a BZ distribution volume of 50 L, a half-time for BZ formation of 1.9 h and a BZ excretion half-time of 4.7 h. The model may eventually provide a basis for interpretation of analytical data on isolated samples of plasma or urine.
The Satellites of Jupiter and Saturn

The nature of the Jovian and Saturnian satellites as places, and their probable history, are discussed. Orbital data on the satellites are presented, including the radius, period, eccentricity, inclination, mass, density, albedo, and surface composition. The relationship between cratering and geologic time scales is reviewed. The major and intermediate satellites are categorized as giant, rocky, or icy, and their surface topography, internal heat sources, geologic activity, and impact crater density are discussed. The characteristics of Titan's atmosphere are covered. What is known of the small satellites of Saturn, the inner satellites of Jupiter, and the irregular outer satellites of Jupiter is assessed.
Oral Cancer in a Patient Receiving Mercaptopurine for Ulcerative Colitis.

Dear Editor We would like to comment on the article titled ‘Oral Cancer and Precancerous Lesions in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases: A Systematic Review’ by Katsanos et al.1 The article summarizes literature on oral cancers in patients with inflammatory bowel disease taking azathioprine, infliximab and adalimumab. Oral cancer progression has also been reported with therapeutic doses of methotrexate and etanercept used for management of rheumatoid arthritis.2 We would like to describe a case of oral cancer associated with mercaptopurine therapy for ulcerative colitis. A tissue sample taken from the right lateral tongue of a 24-year-old female was submitted for histopathological analysis to the oral …
The oral health of upper income Americans.

Background Limited information is available on the oral health status of upper income Americans (>400 percent of the FPL). They constitute 33 percent of the population and account for 53 percent of dental expenditures. Methods Using 1999-2004 NHANES data, we examined differences in the mean number and percentage of decayed and filled permanent surfaces and missing teeth among age and family income groups. Results For upper income Americans, across age groups, the mean number of untreated decayed surfaces and missing teeth ranged from 0.2 to 0.5 and 2.6 to 3.3, respectively. The mean number of restored surfaces was low in children but extensive in adults. Income disparities increased with increasing age. Discussion Overall, upper income Americans have good oral health. Relatively few have untreated decayed surfaces or missing teeth. The reasons for the large number of restored surfaces in upper income adults require further research. Conclusion Most upper income Americans are in good oral health, especially the 12-18 year cohort. As this group ages, the oral health of upper income adults is expected to improve.
Temporal Patterns of Ultrastructural Alterations in Hepatocytes of Chimpanzees with Experimental Non-A, Non-B Hepatitis

Non-A, non-B hepatitis was transmitted to eight chimpanzees by intravenous inoculation with antihemophilic materials (factor VIII) that had been implicated in transmission of the disease, with acute-phase liver homogenate from an infected chimpanzee, with acute-phase from an infected chimpanzee, or with chronic-phase plasma from infected chimpanzees. All eight animals developed elevated alanine aminotransferase activity, and all demonstrated unique hepatocyte cytoplasmic tubules at some time during the acute phase of disease. The temporal patterns for tubule appearance in hepatocyte cytoplasm, however, were highly variable, even between chimpanzees given similar inocula. Convoluted membranous structures were found occasionally in early or pre-acute-phase liver biopsy specimens. Aggregates of microtubules were also found in hepatocyte cytoplasm in some acute-phase biopsy specimens. No disease-specific nuclear changes or structures, including clusters or crystalline arrays of virus-like particles, were found in any of the serial liver biopsy specimens from chimpanzees with experimental non-A, non-B hepatitis.
Enhancement of lysozyme activity by anodal tear protein.

SummaryAnodal tear protein is a constituent of human and rabbit conjunctival fluid. This protein has not been identified in other body fluids. Rabbit anodal tear protein enhances the lysis of M. lysodeikticus by human and egg white lysozyme. Neither human serum albumin nor an acidic derivative of serum albumin enhanced the activity of lysozyme. The enhancing action of the acidic tear protein was noted when the assay was performed in 0.01 M phosphate buffer, pH 7.0, but was not noted when 0.1 M phosphate buffer was used.
Pioneers in Optics: Pavel Alekseyevich Cherenkov and John Frederick William Herschel

The son of Russian peasants, Pavel Cherenkov faced a significant amount of adversity in his life, but he persevered admirably. He was born in the village of Novaya Chigla in the Vornezh province and grew up in a tumultuous time when Russia was engaged in war and revolution. At the age of two, Cherenkov lost his mother, and his father soon remarried, consigning much of his and his sister's upbringing to a stepmother. Later in his life, in 1938, he would also prematurely lose his father, who was killed under Stalin's regime for political reasons. As a child, Cherenkov reportedly exhibited a curious nature, was an avid reader, and performed well in school. In college, he studied mathematics and physics, graduating in 1928 from Vornezh University. Subsequently, in 1930, he married Marya Putintseva, with whom he would have two children. He relocated to Leningrad (now known as St. Petersburg) to embark on postgraduate research at the P.N. Lebedev Institute of Physics in the Academy of Sciences.
Algebraic Properties of Classes of Functions

(1956). Algebraic Properties of Classes of Functions. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 63, No. 9P1, pp. 636-638.
Dairy-Impacted Wastewater Is a Source of Iodinated Disinfection Byproducts in the Environment

Iodinated disinfection byproducts (DBPs) are among the most toxic DBPs, but they are not typically measured in treated water. Iodinated DBPs can be toxic to humans, and they also have the potential to affect aquatic communities. Because of the specific use of iodine and iodine-containing compounds in dairies, such livestock operations can be a potential source of iodinated DBPs in corresponding receiving water bodies. DBPs [trihalomethanes (THMs), including iodinated THMs] were measured within dairy processing facilities (milking and cheese manufacturing) and surface waters that receive dairy-impacted effluents [either directly from the dairy or through wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs)] in three areas of the United States (California, New York, and Wisconsin). Iodo-THMs comprised 15–29% of the total THMs in surface water near WWTP effluents that were impacted by dairy waste and 0–100% of the total THMs in samples from dairy processing facilities.
E-047 hemorrhagic complications in patients with dual antiplatelet therapies

Background Antiplatelet use is common during endovascular treatment of cerebral aneurysms as it prevents thromboembolic complications. P2Y12 receptor antagonist, Clopidogrel, as well as cyclooxygenase inhibitor, aspirin are used in combination for patients undergoing stent coiling or flow diversion. Periprocedural hemorrhage with the use of dual antiplatelets continues to be of significant concern and is reported to occur in 2–24% of patients undergoing endovascular occlusion of cerebral aneurysms. We have utilized dual antiplatelets (aspirin and clopidogrel) for all patients undergoing endovascular treatment of unruptured cerebral aneurysms. We aim to report the rate of periprocedural hemorrhage for patients undergoing endovascular treatment of unruptured aneurysms and its relation to platelet function analysis based upon aspirin and clopidogrel (P2Y12) assays performed preoperatively. Methods We conducted a retrospective review of patients who underwent elective intracranial aneurysm coiling between January 2005 and August 2014. These patients were either placed on dual antiplatelet agents for 6 months in instances where stents were used or the clopidogrel was discontinued postoperatively and the aspirin continued indefinitely in cases of uneventful coil embolization. The primary outcome of interest was the occurrence of a clinically significant hemorrhagic event from the periprocedural time period up to 6 months post treatment. We also evaluated other risk factors which contributed to hemorrhagic complications in our population including the role of super therapeutic (aspirin VerifyNow 50%) platelet inhibition as measured with VerifyNow assays. Results During the study period, 412 patients underwent elective aneurysm coiling and had been placed on dual antiplatelets. Among this population, 24 (2%) systemic hemorrhage events and 5 (1%) CNS hemorrhage events occurred. Super therapeutic platelet inhibition was present in 8 of the 24 patients with systemic hemorrhages and 2 of the 5 patients with central nervous system (CNS) hemorrhages (p = 0.68). Nine (2.2%) patients were identified as clopidogrel non responders and placed on prasugrel. Of these 9 patients one presented with systemic hemorrhage. In the 148 patients who had dual antiplatelet therapy continued for 6 months after placement of a stent, 10 patients had systemic hemorrhage events and 4 had CNS hemorrhage events. All five patients with CNS hemorrhage had a decline in clinical functioning with 2 patients at mRS 2 and three patients were deceased (mRS 6). Conclusions Use of dual antiplatelets did not lead to a high incidence of hemorrhages and hemorrhagic complications were not related to super therapeutic platelet inhibition. Those patients with CNS hemorrhagic complications did have significant decline in clinical functioning. Disclosures R. Shastri: None. A. Pandey: None. T. Wilson: None. W. Stetler: None. D. Giles: None. M. Davis: None. N. Chaudhary: None. J. Gemmete: None. B. Thompson: None.
Analysis-Based Fast Numerical Algorithms of Applied Mathematics

One of the principal problems addressed by applied mathematics is the application of various linear operators (or rather, their discretizations) to more or less arbitrary vectors. As is well known, applying directly a dense (N x N)-matrix to a vector requires roughly N2 operations, and this simple fact is a cause of serious difficulties encountered in large-scale computations. For example, the main reason for the limited use of integral equations as a numerical tool in large-scale computations is that they normally lead to dense systems of linear algebraic equations, and the latter have to be solved, either directly or iteratively. Most iterative methods for the solution of systems of linear equations involve the application of the matrix of the system to a sequence of recursively generated vectors, which tends to be prohibitively expensive for large-scale problems. The situation is even worse if a direct solver for the linear system is used, as such solvers normally require O(N3) operations. As a result, in most areas of computational mathematics dense matrices are simply avoided whenever possible. For example, finite difference and finite element methods can be viewed as devices for reducing a partial differential equation to a sparse linear system. In this case, the cost of sparsity is the inherently high condition number of the resulting matrices.
Using the Recording of Event-Related Brain Potentials in the Study of Sentence Processing

Publisher Summary This chapter explores the use of recording of event-related brain potentials in the study of sentence processing. Communication is essential to humans. Humans communicate emotions, thoughts, and intentions through several types of nonverbal mechanisms like facial expressions, gestures, body language, and signals, etc. However, it is through oral or written verbal communication that humans manage to transcend the limits of time and space. In the absence of any neurological deficit, every child acquires language in his/her first years and continues to use it productively all throughout his/her life. It has also been proposed that the positive wave termed P600 component might reflect a recomputation routine to rescue the meaning of the sentence once the reader/listener encounters a grammatical error. A strategy used to investigate this possibility involves getting rid of semantic information leaving the grammatical information intact. The rationale behind it is that in the absence of semantic information, there is no meaning to be rescued. Consequently, if the P600 is a reflection of such semantically based recomputation processes, then it decreases in amplitude or disappears under these conditions.
Hormone-Sensitive Adenylate Cyclase: Mutant Phenotype with Normally Regulated Beta-Adrenergic Receptors Uncoupled from Catalytic Adenylate Cyclase

Adenylate cyclase in H21a, a recently isolated S49 mutant cell line, fails to synthesize cyclic AMP in response to hormones, cholera toxin, guanine nucleotides, and NaF. H21a membranes contain M r = 42,000 and 52,000 peptide subunits of the guanine nucleotide-binding regulatory component ( N protein) of adenylate cyclase. These peptides are ADP-ribosylated by cholera toxin in H21a, as in wild-type S49. Nonetheless, extracts of H21a membranes do not complement the functional defect of N -deficient cyc - S49 membranes in vitro [M. R. Salomon and H. R. Bourne, Mol. Pharmacol. 19 :109-116 (1981)]. We asked whether N in H21a can perform functions observed in wild-type S49 but absent or deficient in cyc - and in another S49 mutant, unc . The N lesion in unc is thought to prevent interaction with receptors and allow normal interaction with the catalytic unit. Like wild-type, but unlike cyc - and unc , membranes of H21a contained beta -adrenergic receptors that exhibited high affinity for binding an agonist (isoproterenol) in the absence, but not in the presence, of GTP. In addition, exposure of H21a cells to isoproterenol for 16 hr caused an 85% decrease in density of beta -adrenergic receptors. Agonist-induced down-regulation of beta -adrenergic receptors occurred to a similar extent in wild-type, but not in unc . These results suggest that the N protein in H21a can interact with hormone receptors, but not with catalytic adenylate cyclase. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis showed that the size and charge of the M r = 42,000 and 52,000 cholera toxin substrates are similar in wild-type and H21a membranes. The H21a and unc lesions appear to affect the same protein, because extracts of each type of mutant membrane failed to complement the adenylate cyclase defect of the other in vitro.