cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Immunosuppressive effect of graft-versus-host reaction.

Abstract GVHR was elicited in adult F 1 hybrids by iv injection of parental spleen cells. The F 1 hybrids were then immunized with θ-AKR antigen. Plaque-forming cells (PFC) producing antibodies lytic for AKR thymocytes were enumerated in spleens of experimental animals using the method of cytolysis in agar-gel. The number of PFC found in spleens of animals grafted with parental cells was significantly lower than the number in spleens of animals grafted with syngeneic cells. The degree of suppression of immune response to θ-AKR depended on: (1) the duration of GVHR at the time of immunization, (2) the parental strain and the number of parental cells grafted to evoke GVHR, and (3) the source of cells grafted. Thymus and bone marrow cells when grafted together showed a synergistic effect in suppression of the host's immune response. Immunosuppression of the response to θ-AKR seems to be a more sensitive indicator of GVHR in adult F 1 hybrids than splenomegaly, which is commonly used as a means of assessment of GVHR. The possible role of immunosuppression in the pathogenesis of GVHR is briefly discussed.
Design of Limit-Switch Sensors Based on Discontinuity-Induced Nonlinearities

Limit-switch sensors are input-output devices that switch operating state in reaction to the crossing of a threshold value of their input. These are used to monitor and control critical values of temperature, voltage, pressure, etc. in both consumer and industrial settings. This paper argues for exploiting nonsmooth fold bifurcations in the design of ultrafast and robust, resettable, electromechanical limit switches. Specifically, the discussion emphasizes the dramatic changes in system response associated with the onset of near-grazing, low-velocity contact in vibro-impacting systems. These include rapid transient dynamics away from a pre-grazing, periodic, steady-state trajectory following the onset of impacts and post-grazing steady-state trajectories with distinctly different amplitude and frequency content. The results reported here include an experimental and computational verification of the ultrafast transient growth rates that show a significant potential for dramatic improvement in sensor performance. Moreover, two novel candidate sensor designs are discussed that rely on the post-grazing response characteristics for device function. In the first instance, transduction of a change in the response periodicity following grazing in a mechanical device is detected in a coupled electromagnetic circuit. In the second instance, a snap-through post-grazing response forms the operating principle of a capacitively-driven circuit protection device.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
MAP3Ks as central regulators of cell fate during development.

The cytoplasmic serine/threonine kinases transduce extracellular signals into regulatory events that impact cellular responses. The induction of one kinase triggers the activation of several downstream kinases, leading to the regulation of transcription factors to affect gene function. This arrangement allows for the kinase cascade to be amplified, and integrated according to the cellular context. An upstream mitogen or growth factor signal initiates a module of three kinases: a mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase kinase kinase (MAPKKK; e.g., Raf) that phosphorylates and activates a MAP kinase kinase (MAPKK; e.g., MEK) and finally activation of MAP kinase (MAPK; e.g., ERK). Thus, this MAP3K-MAP2K-MAPK module represents critical effectors that regulate extracellular stimuli into cellular responses, such as differentiation, proliferation, and apoptosis all of which function during development. There are 21 characterized MAP3Ks that activate known MAP2Ks, and they function in many aspects of developmental biology. This review summarizes known transduction routes linked to each MAP3K and highlights mouse models that provide clues to their physiological functions. This perspective reveals that some of these MAP3K effectors may have redundant functions, and also serve as unique nexus depending on the context of the signaling pathway. Developmental Dynamics 237:3102–3114, 2008. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Delayed cellulitis associated with conservative therapy for breast cancer.

Background and Objectives: Delayed breast cellulitis is an infrequently reported entity after conservation therapy for breast cancer. We describe our experience with this entity at Naval Medical Center, San Diego. Methods: Eight patients who presented with delayed cellulitis after wide local excision/axillary dissection and breast radiotherapy (RT) are presented. Their clinical characteristics and therapy are described and possible causative factors are analyzed. Results: The latency of breast cellulitis is variable after breast conservation therapy, although most cases in our experience and in the literature occur within a year post-RT. These infections are frequently refractory to a single course of antibiotics (n = 4 cases in our experience). Some patients suffer multiple episodes separated by months. Conclusions: Breast cancer patients are at risk for delayed cellulitis after conservative surgery and RT. The mechanism of such events probably involves lymph stasis, however. therapy is no different from the more frequently occurring cases of cellulitis presenting perioperatively.
Our ancient heritage in blood clotting and some of its consequences.

A discussion of 3 clotting systems 1) the platelet system 2) the cascade system and 3) the transamidase system is briefly presented. Since these systems are interconnected they usually come into operation simultaneously but occasionally 1 or the other dominates. In the horseshoe crab (Limulus) clotting of blood is exclusively by a platelet system. Small amounts of endotoxin break up the cells and permit the clotting material to leak out and aggregate into a clot. It appears that in this situation a dormant clotting system originated perhaps a billion years ago occasionally comes into operation. The cascade system consists of a sequence of events involving clotting factors activated 1 after the other. The first indications that active Factor 13 was a transamidase was reviewed. Available evidence clearly demonstrated that activated Factor 13 is a transglutaminase. Reports indicate that contraceptive therapy and pregnancy increase the activity of the fibrin cross-liking enzyme (transglutaminase). Other observations indicate that in pregnancy and oral contraceptive therapy the enhanced tendency for thrombosis is correlated with an increase in Factor 13.
Ion exchange kinetics in an adsorbed protein film

Abstract The stimulating and active ion fluxes in excitable membranes involve the entry of sodium or potassium ions into a medium where the other ionic species is normally present at a much higher concentration. If some of the cations originally present are bound to anionic sites on the membrane, ion exchange reactions are possible, and may play a role in the process of excitation. To study the properties of surface ion exchange reactions, a polarographic method was used. It was shown that Tl + ions are bound to bovine serum albumin (BSA) at pH-8, and that the complex adsorbs rapidly at the mercury/water interface. When the polarity of the interface is reversed by an anodic pulse, Hg + ions are generated where the BSA-Tl + complex is adsorbed. The newly formed Hg + ions can then exchange with the bound Tl + ions. By pulsing the interface for very short times and then returning to cathodic polarizations where the diffusion currents due to Hg + and Tl + are measured, it is possible to show that there is an additional current due to Tl + ion that arises by an ion exchange process.
Effects of left ventricular assist devices on outcomes in patients undergoing heart transplantation

Abstract Background . Left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) are increasingly being used to "bridge" patients to heart transplantation. Methods . Data from 40 consecutive status 1 heart transplantation patients treated with intravenous inotrope therapy (n = 20) or the HeartMate LVAD (n = 20) were retrospectively analyzed. Results . Baseline clinical characteristics were similar in the two groups. At the time of transplantation, LVAD patients had significantly higher blood pressure and sodium with significantly lower blood urea nitrogen and creatinine. After transplantation, renal failure (52.6% versus 16.7%) and right heart failure (31.6% versus 5.6%) occurred more frequently ( p p Conclusions . Status 1 heart transplant patients treated with an LVAD as opposed to inotrope therapy have improved clinical and metabolic function at the time of transplant and improved survival to 6 months after transplant without major complications. Total costs are higher in the LVAD patients but average daily costs are similar.
Autothermal reforming of tetradecane (C14H30): A mechanistic approach

A computational kinetic study was completed to elucidate the mechanism by which tetradecane is converted to hydrogen in an autothermal reforming process. A reaction mechanism was developed to capture the major autothermal reforming reactions, which was then validated using experimental data. A sensitivity study was performed to identify the reaction classes most influencing product formation. The significance of each major reaction class as the reaction proceeds through the reactor was considered. Our analysis determined the tetradecane reaction sequence starts with oxidation and cracking reactions. While the catalyst serves to initiate the reaction mechanism, a mixture of gas phase and surface reactions occur throughout the reactor. Steam reforming was not found to be a significant reaction. Instead, hydrogen production is primarily the result of partial oxidation and water gas shift reactions. The water gas shift reaction was found to be the dominant reaction consuming of water.
A dowel core technique for multirooted teeth

Abstract A direct technique for fabricating nonparallel dowel core patterns has been described. The technique serves to equate endodontically treated teeth to stressful situations with above normal function and performance. This technique offers maximal use of the surviving tooth structure.
Asplenia in two father-son pairs.

We report on two father-son pairs with isolated nonsyndromal asplenia. This may represent autosomal dominant inheritance of a mutation in a gene involved with spleen development and determination of laterality. The incidence of hereditary isolated asplenia is unknown; therefore, screening for asplenia in first degree relatives of individuals with (poly)asplenia should be considered. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Thermal Management of a Notebook Computer

In this study, simulations are made to resolve a 100 W heat dissipating capacity of a portable PC in (with a CPU IHS size of 31 mm × 31 mm). The problem is investigated via a commercially available software (Icepak version 4.1). The present design incorporates heat pipe to convey heat from the hot spot towards the heat sinks. The heat sinks are optimized subject to heat loads and their locations. The calculated results of a double heat sinks design show a 30 °C less temperature when compared to a single heat sink module. This is because double heat sinks design provides much more uniform temperature and eliminates the edge effect. Moreover, the effect of fin pitches is also examined in this study. It is found that the best performance is at a fin thickness of 0.2 mm and at a fin pitch of 2.4 mm. Depending on the optimal parameters of the thermal module, the chip temperature can be reduced to approximately 75 °C.© 2005 ASME
Children's health and play in rural Nepal

A study of morbidity and mortality in a peasant village in Nepal describes chronic malnutrition and endemic infectious disease. More than one-third of village children between the ages of 1 and 5 die. Those who survive apparently pursue a spontaneous strategy of maximizing their physical growth potential by minimizing the expenditure of energy in play. This raises the possibility that psychological, social and motor development is impaired. It is found, however, that while less time and energy is devoted to play, the pattern of play that does occur is similar to that of healthier peasant children in other times and places. It is therefore probable that maturational levels of attainment are not impaired, but it is urgent that this assumption be further investigated.
Neonatal lupus: Clinical features, therapy, and pathogenesis

Neonatal lupus is a disease characterized by one or more of the following findings: congenital heart block, cardiomyopathy, cutaneous lupus lesions, hepatobiliary disease, and thrombocytopenia. Accumulating evidence indicates that the disease is probably caused by maternal autoantibodies, particularly autoantibodies of the Ro family. While often initially asymptomatic, mothers tend to develop symptoms of connective tissue disease. This review discusses the recent advances in the understanding of neonatal lupus, its clinical features, therapy, and pathogenesis.
WE‐A‐217A‐02: The Impact of Fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography (FDG‐PET) Variability on the Assessment of Treatment Response in Head‐And‐Neck Cancer Patients Undergoing Chemoradiotherapy

Purpose: To compare intrinsic, temporal variability of tumor glucose metabolism versus early treatment‐induced change. This assessment is necessary to use changes in imaging parameters during therapy to properly segregate metabolic responders from non‐responders Methods: As part of an IRB‐approved study, 12 patients underwent 2 baseline PET scans (mean separation: 11 days) prior to chemoradiotherapy (70 Gy, 2 Gy/fraction). The intra‐RT PET scan was acquired at 10‐20 Gy (mean 14 Gy) into therapy. For each patient, the two baseline scans were analyzed using Bland‐Altman analysis to determine the PET repeatability coefficient as a function of average baseline voxel SUV (repeatability coefficient for any voxel is the treatment‐induced SUV change from the average baseline value required for the change to be deemed significantly higher than baseline variation). Using the repeatability coefficient, the intra‐treatment PET nodal/GTV volume was divided into 3 groups of voxels: significantly reduced SUV, no significant difference, significantly increased SUV. A volume difference metric, defined as the difference in the percentages of node/GTV voxels with significantly decreased and increased SUV, was matched against each patient's post‐RT assessment of residual/no‐residual disease. Results: The PET repeatability coefficient decreased from 49–17% as the baseline voxel SUV increased from 2–12. The repeatability coefficient identified large volumes of the nodes (mean:52;std:35%) and GTV (mean:49;std:26%) as not having significant change. One patient had clinically‐assessed residual disease. The node/GTV volume metric for this patient was positive (22%/46%), compared to an average node/GTV volume metric of −36%/– 40% for patients without residual disease. Among the patients with no residual disease, only one had a positive nodal volume metric and one other had a positive GTV volume metric. Conclusions: The repeatability coefficient can be used in future head‐and‐neck studies with only one baseline PET. A positive volume metric on an early intra‐treatment scan may identify patients with residual disease post‐RT.
Periodic Motion along a Solar Filament Initiated by a Subflare

A type of mass motion in solar filaments, not previously reported, is studied with high-cadence (1 minute) Hα observations made at the Big Bear Solar Observatory on 2001 October 24. This oscillatory motion is along the filament and extends over a long distance (~1.4 × 105 km) with a period of ~80 minutes and a very high velocity amplitude of ~92 km s-1. Another significant property of this oscillation is that it is triggered by a subflare that occurred near its footpoint. The oscillation completes three cycles before it damps out over a timescale of ~210 minutes. We mainly discuss whether this oscillation is an extreme form of the recently discovered counterstreaming flows in filaments or is a form of the large-amplitude filament oscillations (known as a "winking" filament) discovered a half-century ago.
Toxicity of zinc and cygon, applied singly and jointly, to zebrafish embryos.

The zinc 24, 48 and 72 hour Tlm and the Cygon 48 and 72 hour Tlm were determined for zebrafish embryos. In addition, zinc, at low doses, was found to be antagonistic to the toxic action of Cygon on these embryos. At other levels tested, zinc and Cygon may interact additively.
Effect of interleukin-8 on glomerular sulfated compounds and albuminuria

To evaluate the effect of interleukin-8 (IL8) on glomerular basement membrane (GBM) sulfated compounds and albuminuria, we infused IL8 in 1% bovine serum albumin (BSA) for 5 days into the left renal artery of Holtzman male rats at the rate of 10 μl/h using an osmotic pump. Control rats received 1% BSA. A significant increase in urinary albumin/creatinine ratio was seen on the last day of IL8 infusion (0.38±0.11, mean ± SEM) when compared with albumin/creatinine ratio prior to infusion (0.19±0.04, P = 0.04). No significant differences in urinary albumin excretion prior to and after infusion of 1% BSA were observed. On the last day of infusion, rats were injected with 35sulfate (1.0 mCi/200 g body weight) intraperitoneally and killed after 8 h. Glomeruli were isolated and GBM obtained. After 5 days of IL8 administration, there was a significant increase in 35sulfate uptake by GBM of the infused kidney (76±10 cpm/dry glomerular weight, mean ± SEM) compared with the uptake seen in the contralateral kidney (53±9, P = 0.05). The in vivo infusion of IL8 increased the 35sulfate uptake by GBM and augmented the urinary albumin/creatinine ratio, suggesting that IL8 may induce albuminuria by altering the metabolism of the GBM sulfated compounds. This hypothesis needs to be confirmed by studies on glomerular charge selectivity and GBM anionic sites during the course of the infusion. Moreover, the persistence of the effect needs to be evaluated by prolonging the infusion for more than 5 days.
Solution Structure of a DNA Decamer Containing the Antiviral Drug Ganciclovir: Combined Use of NMR, Restrained Molecular Dynamics, and Full Relaxation Matrix Refinement‡

The nucleoside analog 9-[(1,3-dihydroxy-2-propoxy)methyl]guanine (ganciclovir, DHPG) is an antiviral drug that is used in the treatment of a variety of herpes viruses in immunocompromised patients and in a gene therapy protocol that has shown promising activity for the treatment of cancer. To probe the structural effects of ganciclovir when incorporated into DNA, we determined and compared the solution structure of a modified ganciclovir-containing decamer duplex [d(CTG)(ganciclovir)d(ATCCAG)]2 and a control duplex d[(CTGGATCCAG)]2 using nuclear magnetic resonance techniques. 1H and 31P resonances in both duplexes were assigned using a combination of 2-D 1H and 31P NMR experiments. Proton−proton distances determined from NOESY data and dihedral angles determined from DQF-COSY data were used in restrained molecular dynamics simulations starting from canonical A- and B-form DNA models. Both the control and ganciclovir sets of simulations converged to B-type structures. These structures were subjected to ful...
Neuropeptide stimulation of thyrotropin secretion in the larval bullfrog: Evidence for a common neuroregulator of thyroid and interrenal activity in metamorphosis

The effects of several neuropeptides on in vitro thyrotropin (TSH) secretion by pituitaries of the frog Rana catesbeiana were studied at two stages of development. The relative concentration of TSH secreted into the medium was determined by bioassay using in vitro thyroxine (T4) production by thyroids from adult grass frogs, Rana pipiens. Pituitaries from tadpoles in Taylor-Kollros stages 17–19 responded to doses of ovine corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) ranging from 10 to 1,000 ng/ml; the same glands did not respond to doses of thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) between 10 and 1,000 ng/ml. A single dose of 1,000 ng/ml rat growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) had no effect on TSH release. Pituitaries from postmetamorphic frogs (stage 25) exposed to 1,000 ng/ml ovine CRH secreted concentrations of TSH that were higher on average than controls (four of seven responded), and two of seven responded to 100 ng/ml TRH. These observations raise the possibility for a common central regulator of the thyroid and interrenal axes in metamorphosis in which a CRH-like molecule might act as an important neuroendocrine stimulus for both corticotropin and thyrotropin secretion. Furthermore, these and previous results with several species of adult anurans (R.J. Denver: Gen. Comp. Endocrinol., 72:383–393) suggest that pituitary TSH responsiveness to TRH develops in frogs after metamorphic climax.
DESUSPENSION OF GROUP ACTIONS AND THE RIBBON THEOREM

action of a group G on a sphere, it is natural to ask if the action can in some sense be realized as a single or multiple suspension of an action on a lower-dimensional sphere. In many cases the answer to such questions have extremely far-reaching implications for problems of independent interest. For example, the entire classification theory of free involutions on spheres is built around the desuspendability question (compare Lopez de Medrano [25], Browder-Livesay
CP violating phases, nonuniversal soft breaking, and D-brane models

The question of $\mathrm{CP}$ violating phases and electric dipole moments (EDMs) for the electron ${(d}_{e})$ and the neutron ${(d}_{n})$ for supergravity models with nonuniversal soft breaking is considered for models with a light $(\ensuremath{\lesssim}1\mathrm{TeV})$ mass spectrum and R-parity invariance. As with models with universal soft breaking (MSUGRA) one finds that a serious fine-tuning problem generally arises for ${\ensuremath{\theta}}_{0B}$ (the phase of the B soft breaking parameter at the GUT scale), if the experimental EDM constraints are obeyed and radiative breaking of ${\mathrm{SU}(2)}_{L}\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{U(1)}_{Y}$ occurs. A D-brane model where ${\mathrm{SU}(3)}_{C}\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{U(1)}_{Y}$ is associated with one set of 5-branes and ${\mathrm{SU}(2)}_{L}$ with another intersecting set of 5-branes is examined, and the cancellation phenomena is studied over the parameter space of the model. Large values of ${\ensuremath{\theta}}_{B}$ (the phase of B at the electroweak scale) can be accommodated, though again ${\ensuremath{\theta}}_{0B}$ must be fine-tuned. Using the conventional prescription for calculating ${d}_{n},$ one finds the region in parameter space where the experimental EDM constraints on both ${d}_{e}$ and ${d}_{n}$ hold is significantly reduced, and generally requires $\mathrm{tan}\ensuremath{\beta}\ensuremath{\lesssim}5$ for most of the parameter space, though there are small allowed regions even for $\mathrm{tan}\ensuremath{\beta}\ensuremath{\gtrsim}10.$ We find that the Weinberg three gluon term generally makes significant contributions, and the results are sensitive to the values of the quark masses.
Coronary Artery Left Ventricular Fistula

A patient with left coronary artery fistula (septal branch) to left ventricle with aneurysm formation during its course in the interventricular septum is presented. Surgical management using the right ventricular approach is discussed.
Innovative Planning and Financing Strategies for a Downtown Circulator Bus Route: Ann Arbor, Michigan

The creation, redefinition, and success of a downtown circulator bus route, the Link, in Ann Arbor, Michigan, are examined. Many in Ann Arbor had long wanted a circulator bus route to connect its diverse downtown business districts with the University of Michigan campus. These desires came to fruition in September 2003, with the launching of the Link by the Ann Arbor Transportation Authority (AATA) with funding from a Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality grant following a comprehensive planning process that engaged local stakeholders. The route suffered from low ridership and operational problems soon after entering service, prompting many to question its future. However, by implementing an ongoing planning process that continued to engage stakeholders, AATA was able to obtain new ideas that ultimately led to the successful redesign of the route: improving its usefulness and encouraging the formation of new partnerships to finance its ongoing operation.
The diamond city: The case for rectangular grid models

Abstract This paper makes the case for a diamond-shaped city with a rectangular grid street network as an alternative to the circular city with radial roads. It considers the allocation of land to transportation, the expansion of the road network via the development of expressways, the assignment of commuter traffic given alternative configurations, the corresponding rent and density surfaces, and the implications of these road networks for subcentering.
The Regulation of Progesterone Receptor by 17β Estradiol and Tamoxifen in the ZR-75–1 Human Breast Cancer Cell Line in Defined Medium

AbstractThe regulation of progesterone receptor by 17β estradiol and tamoxifen in the ZR-75–1 human breast cancer cell line in defined medium is described. ZR-75–1 cells maintained in serum free hormone supplemented medium minus estradiol lack progesterone receptor activity. Readdition of estradiol to these cells leads to a marked stimulation of progesterone receptor activity (0 to greater than 100 fmols of specifically bound progesterone per million cells). Tamoxifen (10-6M-10-8M) does not stimulate progesterone receptor activity in this cell line. The presence of progesterone receptor activity is not directly related to growth. Withdrawal of insulin in the continued presence of estradiol has no effect on progesterone receptor concentration although net cell growth ceases. Conversely, withdrawal of estradiol in the continued presence of insulin induces a cessation of net cell growth accompanied by a loss of all progesterone receptor activity within 3–5 days.
Military Applications of Fiber Optics and Integrated Optics

A general discussion of military applications of integrated optics and fiber optics is presented. Specific applications discussed are: 1) a multiterminal multiplexed data highway for aircraft and shipboard use; 2) optical fibers as tethers; 3) a 10.6-/spl mu/m heterodyne detector; and 4) integrated optical phased arrays.
Lie Triple Systems, Restricted Lie Triple Systems, and Algebraic Groups

We define a restricted structure for Lie triple systems in the characteristic p > 2 setting, akin to the restricted structure for Lie algebras, and initiate a study of a theory of restricted modules. In general, Lie triple systems have natural embeddings into certain canonical Lie algebras, the so-called “standard” and “universal” embeddings, and any Lie triple system can be shown to arise precisely as the −1-eigenspace of an involution (an automorphism which squares to the identity) on some Lie algebra. We specialize to Lie triple systems which arise as the differentials of involutions on simple, simply connected algebraic groups over algebraically closed fields of characteristic p. Under these hypotheses we completely classify the universal and standard embeddings in terms of the Lie algebra and its universal central extension.
Integrating Design Education, Research and Practice at Carnegie Mellon: A Multi-disciplinary Course in Wearable Computers

The Engineering Design Research Center (EDRC) at Carnegie Mellon University has created a two-semester design course that integrates research and education through industrially-sponsored design projects. Over the six semesters that the course has been taught, teams of undergraduate and graduate students have designed and fabricated five new generations of wearable computers. These computers have been delivered to industrial and government customers for use. The Wearable Computer Design course at the EDRC is cross-disciplinary and inter-departmental, drawing students from four colleges in nine disciplines including five engineering departments (chemical engineering, civil and environmental engineering, electrical and computer engineering, mechanical engineering, and engineering and public policy), architecture, computer science, industrial administration and industrial design. Students in this course learn about design theory and practice, participate in research, and successfully deliver products to sponsors. The students are exposed to the design cycle from concept, to multi-disciplinary design tradeoffs, to manufacturing, and finally to customer satisfaction and user feedback. This class also serves as a testbed for learning about the needs of a multi-disciplinary design team, for anticipating the needs of geographically-distributed design teams, for reflecting on the interplay between product design and design process, and for evaluating the design tools and design methodologies that have been developed at the EDRC.
Effects of gender and cigarette smoking on reactivity to psychological and pharmacological stress provocation

We examined the influence of gender and smoking status on reactivity in two human laboratory stress paradigms. Participants were 46 (21 men, 25 women) healthy individuals who completed the Trier Social Stress Task (i.e., performed speech and math calculations in front of an audience) and a pharmacological stress provocation (i.e., administration of corticotrophin releasing hormone (CRH)) after an overnight hospital stay. Approximately half (53%) of the participants were smokers. Cortisol, adrenocorticotrophin hormone (ACTH), physiologic measures (heart rate, blood pressure), and subjective stress were assessed at baseline and at several time points post-task. Men demonstrated higher baseline ACTH and blood pressure as compared to women; however, ACTH and blood pressure responses were more pronounced in women. Women smokers evidenced a more blunted cortisol response as compared to non-smoking women, whereas smoking status did not affect the cortisol response in men. Finally, there was a more robust cardiovascular and subjective response to the Trier as compared to the CRH. Although preliminary, the findings suggest that women may be more sensitive than men to the impact of cigarette smoking on cortisol response. In addition, there is some evidence for a more robust neuroendocrine and physiologic response to acute laboratory stress in women as compared to men.
Uptake of Antibiotics by Human Erythrocytes

Human erythrocytes have been used as a model system for the study of uptake and release of antibiotics. Penicillin G, dicloxacillin, tetracycline, and minocycline were all taken up by the cells, but each showed a characteristic ratio of distribution between the extracellular and intracellular compartments. Comparison of the penicillin analogues indicated that dicloxacillin, the more lipid-soluble compound, reached higher intracellular concentrations than did penicillin G. Use of human plasma as the incubation medium markedly decreased antibiotic uptake and enhanced antibiotic egress from preloaded cells. These effects were related to the binding of drugs to serum proteins. In vivo studies in which penicillin G was injected intravenously by bolus and was then given by constant infusion showed that intraerythrocytic concentrations of drug after 2 hr approached or exceeded those in plasma. These results can be explained, in part, by the fact that the slower rate of efflux of penicillin G from the cells than of clearance from plasma serves to maintain the high initial levels of drug for a longer period.
Extensional tectonics in the Death Valley area, California: Transport of the Panamint Range structural block 80 km northwestward

In the hypothesis presented here, the Panamint Range is a structural block that was detached during late Cenozoic time from underlying rocks that now form the Black Mountains and was transported tectonically an estimated 80 km to the northwest. Transport occurred along a single low-angle westward-dipping detachment fault, or perhaps along a system of such faults. The estimate of 80 km of transport distance is based on the apparent right-lateral offset of late Precambrian and Paleozoic facies and thickness trends along the Furnace Creek fault zone that bounds the detached block on the northeast. The Death Valley turtleback surfaces are considered to be gigantic mullions related to the detachment surface.
ArgR-independent induction and ArgR-dependent superinduction of the astCADBE operon in Escherichia coli.

For Escherichia coli, growth in the absence of ammonia is termed nitrogen limited and results in the induction of genes that assimilate other nitrogen sources, a response mediated by σ54 and nitrogen regulator I (NRI, also called NtrC). The astCADBE operon, which is required for growth with arginine as the sole nitrogen source, is moderately expressed during general nitrogen limitation and maximally expressed in the presence of arginine. The operon is also induced in stationary phase. Primer extension analysis of E. coli revealed the presence of a σ54-dependent promoter utilized in exponential phase during nitrogen limitation and a σS-dependent promoter active during stationary phase. We used an ast-lacZ fusion to show that arginine stimulates expression, that ArgR, the arginine repressor, enhances expression from both promoters but is not essential, and that transcription by the two forms of the RNA polymerase is competitive and mutually exclusive. We demonstrated the binding of RNA polymerase holoenzymes, NRI, and ArgR to the promoter region in vitro. We also reconstituted transcription from both promoters with purified components, which confirmed the accessory role of ArgR for the σ54-dependent promoter. Thus, the ast operon exhibits nitrogen source-specific induction that is unique for an NRI-dependent gene. The transcriptional regulation of the ast operon in E. coli differs from that in Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium, in which ArgR is required for ast operon expression.
Delta routing: improving the price-performance of hybrid private networks

Large enterprises connect their locations together by building a corporate network out of private communication channels, such as leased lines, frame relay and ATM links, called physical private networks or PPNs. PPNs provide good quality of service, but they are expensive. On the other hand, Internet-based virtual private networks (VPNs) can provide speedy deployment of multisite corporate networks at a small fraction of the cost of private lines. However, Internet-based VPNs do not offer the same accountability and predictability as PPNs do, since the Internet is not administrated by a single provider. In order to build a hybrid network that is both reliable and affordable, we have developed the delta routing protocol, which allows nodes on a corporate network to communicate with each other using both PPN and Internet-based VPN. The delta routing protocol works with the existing routing protocol on the PPN and allows each node to determine the best routes on the hybrid network using local information only. We have simulated and compared the delta routing protocol and the alternatives using the ns-2 simulator. The results show that the delta routing protocol outperforms the alternatives in a variety of scenarios.
Hydrodynamic Simulations of Tilted Thick-Disk Accretion onto a Kerr Black Hole

We present the first results from fully general relativistic numerical studies of thick-disk accretion onto a rapidly-rotating (Kerr) black hole with a spin axis that is tilted (not aligned) with the angular momentum vector of the disk. We initialize the problem with the solution for an aligned, constant angular momentum, accreting thick disk around a black hole with spin a/M = J/M{sup 2} = +0.9 (prograde disk). The black hole is then instantaneously tilted, through a change in the metric, by an angle {beta}{sub 0}. In this Letter we report results with {beta}{sub 0} = 0, 15, and 30{sup o}. The disk is allowed to respond to the Lense-Thirring precession of the tilted black hole. We find that the disk settles into a quasi-static, twisted, warped configuration with Lense-Thirring precession dominating out to a radius analogous to the Bardeen-Petterson transition in tilted Keplerian disks.
Alice Frenzy: an interactive group activity

Participants will be given 15 minutes of instruction on programming in Alice. Then, working in small groups, participants will attempt to develop a program in 30 minutes from one of several given starting scenarios.
Analysis of RNA synthesized by an isolated rat brain synaptosomal fraction.

— A synaptosomal fraction derived from rat brain, when incubated in an appropriate medium. incorporates [5-3H]uridine into RNA. On the basis of sedimentation analysis, RNA-DNA hybridization and metabolic inhibitor studies, mitochondrial RNA species appear to be the major, if not sole, RNA products synthesized by the isolated synaptosomal fraction. Electronmicroscope autoradiographic analysis showed that about 50% of the incorporation of [5-3H]uridine into RNA by this fraction occurs in the presynaptic endings. The capacity of mitochondrial RNA synthesis in isolated nerve endings declines as the age of the animal increases from 10 to 30 days, and by 60 days of age discrete mitochondrial RNA species are barely detectable.
Sensing Salt Intake

The long-term regulation of blood pressure rests on renal and nonrenal mechanisms and depends on a delicate balance between vasoconstrictor and vasodilator hormones and humoral agents, as well as those factors that act to increase or decrease renal sodium transport. Hypertension develops when this balance is disrupted and abnormalities in the regulation of ion transport intrinsic and extrinsic to the kidney have been proposed to cause essential hypertension. Pressure natriuresis is a key component in the regulation of body fluid volume. In all forms of hypertension, there is a shift of the renal pressure natriuresis curve that requires increased arterial pressure to maintain normal sodium and water balance. The genetic causes of essential hypertension have been difficult to identify. More than one gene is undoubtedly involved because Mendelian dominant and recessive traits are not readily discernible in hypertensive subjects, except in those rare cases of monogenic hypertension. Moreover, in hypertensive persons, it is likely that risk-predisposing genes are engaged in a complex network of gene-gene and gene-environment interactions.1,2 High salt (NaCl) consumption contributes to the development of hypertension and is considered to be an independent risk factor for vascular remodeling, cardiac hypertrophy, …
Role of Heme Oxygenase–1 in Morphine-Modulated Apoptosis and Migration of Macrophages

We examined the role of heme oxygenase (HO)-1 in morphine-induced decrease in macrophage migration. Morphine promoted expression of HO-1 in murine macrophages. Morphine-receiving mice (MRCs) showed decreased (P<.001) macrophage migration and increased (P<.001) occurrence of macrophage apoptosis. In in vitro studies, peritoneal macrophages harvested from MRCs also showed decreased (P<.001) migration, compared with those from control mice. Bone marrow cells isolated from MRCs showed not only decreased (P<.001) migration but also increased apoptosis. Pretreatment of MRCs with hemin not only decreased migration of macrophages further but also enhanced the apoptosis of peritoneal macrophages. On the other hand, pretreatment of MRCs with zinc protoporphyrin attenuated the effect of morphine on both macrophage migration and the occurrence of apoptosis. In in vitro studies, pretreatment of macrophages with hemin exacerbated morphine-induced apoptosis, whereas pretreatment with zinc protoporphyrin attenuated morphine-induced macrophage apoptosis.
Rapid Feature Space Speaker Adaptation for Multi-Stream HMM-Based Audio-Visual Speech Recognition

Multi-stream hidden Markov models (HMMs) have recently been very successful in audio-visual speech recognition, where the audio and visual streams are fused at the final decision level. In this paper we investigate fast feature space speaker adaptation using multi-stream HMMs for audio-visual speech recognition. In particular, we focus on studying the performance of feature-space maximum likelihood linear regression (fMLLR), a fast and effective method for estimating feature space transforms. Unlike the common speaker adaptation techniques of MAP or MLLR, fMLLR does not change the audio or visual HMM parameters, but simply applies a single transform to the testing features. We also address the problem of fast and robust on-line fMLLR adaptation using feature space maximum a posterior linear regression (fMAPLR). Adaptation experiments are reported on the IBM infrared headset audio-visual database. On average for a 20-speaker 1 hour independent test set, the multi-stream fMLLR achieves 31% relative gain on the clean audio condition, and 59% relative gain on the noisy audio condition (approximately 7 dB) as compared to the baseline multi-stream system
Tracking of TV and video gaming during childhood: Iowa Bone Development Study

Background Tracking studies determine the stability and predictability of specific phenomena. This study examined tracking of TV viewing (TV) and video game use (VG) from middle childhood through early adolescence after adjusting for moderate and vigorous physical activity (MVPA), percentage of body fat (% BF), and maturity.
Evaluation of healthcare resource utilization and costs in employees with pain associated with diabetic peripheral neuropathy treated with pregabalin or duloxetine

AbstractObjective:To evaluate changes in healthcare resource use and costs after initiating pregabalin or duloxetine in employees with pain associated with diabetic peripheral neuropathy (pDPN).Methods:Employees (18–64 years old) with a DPN diagnosis and at least one pDPN-related pain medication claim were identified using the MarketScan Commercial Database (2005–2008). Propensity scored matched pregabalin and duloxetine new starts were evaluated in the 6-month pre- and 6-month post-initiation periods. Study outcomes including imputed medically-related work loss, prescription and healthcare utilization, and associated expenditures were analyzed using univariate statistics and multivariate models in a difference-in-difference approach.Results:A total of 473 employees in each treatment group were identified. Mean age was 53.6 (SD 7.0) years for pregabalin and 53.5 (SD 7.4) years for duloxetine. There were no pre-index differences between groups. Adjusted marginal effects were not statistically significant f...
MAGNETOSTRICTIVE PHENOMENA IN MAGNETORHEOLOGICAL ELASTOMERS

A host of fascinating and useful magnetic phenomena are found in composites containing magnetizable particles in viscoelastic solids. Embedding magnetically soft iron particles in natural rubber produces a class of magnetostrictive composites sometimes termed magnetorheological (MR) elastomers. We have previously shown that these materials can exhibit viscoelastic moduli that increase substantially in an applied magnetic field. In this paper, we incorporate MR elastomers in a simple resonant structure called a tuned absorber to measure the complex dynamic shear moduli of these materials at high frequencies. We find that the fluid-induced modulus increase in MR elastomers is substantial even at kilohertz mechanical frequencies. As in previous measurements at low frequencies, the moduli are generally found to decrease with strain amplitude. We also report preliminary measurements of the relatively large elongation of these materials in applied magnetic fields.
Treatment of Low-Grade Bulbar Transitional Cell Carcinoma with Urethral Instillation of Mitomycin C

A 63-year old man was referred to us after three rapid recurrences of low-grade urethral papillary transitional cell carcinoma of the bulbar urethra, after repeated primary excision. Cystoscopy confirmed 3-4 low-grade urethral transitional cell carcinomas, which were subsequently fulgurated. After urethral healing, a solution of Mitomycin C (40 mg/80 cc) was instilled into the urethra for fifteen minutes and held in place with a penile clamp. Urethral instillations were repeated weekly for six weeks. The patient is currently disease-free more than one year and three months posttreatment. This case highlights the successful treatment of urethral carcinoma with topical chemotherapy, which is usually reserved for the bladder, using a slight modification of standard technique.
Cardio: Adaptive CMPs for reliability through dynamic introspective operation

Current technology scaling enables the integration of tens of processing elements into a single chip, and future technology nodes will soon allow the integration of hundreds of cores per device. While very powerful, many experts agree that these systems will be prone to a significant number of permanent and transient faults during their lifetime. If not properly handled, effects of runtime failures can be dramatic. In this work, we propose Cardio, a distributed architecture for reliable chip multiprocessors. Cardio, a novel approach for on-chip reliability is based on hardware detectors that spot failures and on software routines that reorganize the system to work around faulty components. Compared to previous online reliability solutions, Cardio provides failure reactivity comparable to hardware-only reliable solutions while requiring a much lower area overhead. Cardio operates a distributed resource manager to collect health information about components and leverages a robust distributed control mechanism to manage system-level recovery. Our architecture operational as long as at least one general purpose processor is still functional in the chip. We evaluated our design using a custom simulator and estimate its runtime impact on the SPECMPI benchmarks to be lower than 3%. We estimate its dynamic reconfiguration time to be comprised between 20 and 50 thousand cycles per failure.
Formal Institutions, Culture, and Venture Capital Activity: A Cross-Country Analysis

Why does the level of venture capital activity vary across countries? This study suggests that the variation can be attributed to the different levels of formal institutional development. Further, this study proposes that venture capitalists respond differently to the incentives provided by formal institutions depending on different cultural settings. Analysis of VC activity for 68 countries during the 1996-2006 period shows that formal institutions have a positive effect on the level of venture capital activity, but this effect is weaker in more uncertainty-avoiding societies and in more collectivist societies. This study has useful theory and policy implications for venture capital and entrepreneurship development.
Identification of Xenopus CENP-A and an Associated Centromeric DNA Repeat

Kinetochores are the proteinaceous complexes that assemble on centromeric DNA and direct eukaryotic chromosome segregation. The mechanisms by which higher eukaryotic cells define centromeres are poorly understood. Possible molecular contributors to centromere specification include the underlying DNA sequences and epigenetic factors such as binding of the centromeric histone centromere protein A (CENP-A). Frog egg extracts are an attractive system for studying centromere definition and kinetochore assembly. To facilitate such studies, we cloned a Xenopus laevis homologue of CENP-A (XCENP-A). We identified centromere-associated DNA sequences by cloning fragments of DNA that copurified with XCENP-A by chromatin immunoprecipitation. XCENP-A associates with frog centromeric repeat 1 (Fcr1), a 174-base pair repeat containing a possible CENP-B box. Southern blots of partially digested genomic DNA revealed large ordered arrays of Fcr1 in the genome. Fluorescent in situ hybridization with Fcr1 probes stained most centromeres in cultured cells. By staining lampbrush chromosomes, we specifically identified the 11 (of 18) chromosomes that stain consistently with Fcr1 probes.
Strategic Planning As an Effective Tool of Strategic Management in Public Sector Organizations: Evidence From Public Transit Organizations

This study determines the effectiveness of strategic planning as an effective tool of strategic management in public transit agencies. It finds that an effective strategic planning requires top man...