cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Direct relationship between levels of TNF-α expression and endothelial dysfunction in reperfusion injury

We previously found that myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) initiates expression of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF) leading to coronary endothelial dysfunction. However, it is not clear whether there is a direct relationship between levels of TNF expression and endothelial dysfunction in reperfusion injury. We studied levels of TNF expression by using different transgenic animals expressing varying amounts of TNF in I/R. We crossed TNF overexpression (TNF++/++) with TNF knockout (TNF−/−) mice; thus we have a heterozygote population of mice with the expression of TNF “in between” the TNF−/− and TNF++/++ mice. Mouse hearts were subjected to 30 min of global ischemia followed by 90 min of reperfusion and their vasoactivity before and after I/R was examined in wild type (WT), TNF−/−, TNF++/++ and TNF heterozygote (TNF−/++, cross between TNF−/− and TNF++/++) mice. In heterozygote TNF−/++ mice with intermediate cardiac-specific expression of TNF, acetylcholine-induced or flow-induced endothelial-dependent vasodilation following I/R was between TNF++/++ and TNF−/− following I/R. Neutralizing antibodies to TNF administered immediately before the onset of reperfusion-preserved endothelial-dependent dilation following I/R in WT, TNF−/++ and TNF++/++ mice. In WT, TNF−/++ and TNF++/++ mice, I/R-induced endothelial dysfunction was progressively lessened by administration of free-radical scavenger TEMPOL immediately before initiating reperfusion. During I/R, production of superoxide (O2·−) was greatest in TNF++/++ mice as compared to WT, TNF−/++ and TNF−/− mice. Following I/R, arginase mRNA expression was elevated in the WT, substantially elevated in the TNF−/++ and TNF++/++ mice and not affected in the TNF−/− mice. These results suggest that the level of TNF expression determines arginase expression in endothelial cells during myocardial I/R, which is one of the mechanisms by which TNF compromises coronary endothelial function in reperfusion injury.
Increased conformity to a fellow deviant as a function of prior deviation

Abstract A subject was induced to publically report his opinions on a variety of issues. A group of confederates disagreed with the subject; one confederate agreed with him. Thus, the subject deviated from the majority of the group, but received social support from one other individual. Each subject was then paired with one individual from the previous group, and regardless of his pairing, was subjected to a constant amount of conformity pressure from the confederate on a new set of judgments. Deviant subjects conformed more to the confederate who had previously given them social support than they did to a previous majority member. This increased conformity was found in two studies, (1) females judging physical realities and, (2) males reporting their opinions on attitudinal issues. Ratings taken in the second study demonstrated that the deviant subject felt increased liking for and similarity to the confederate who initially provided him with social support, but comparisons between various experimental groups indicated conformity to a confederate was not completely predictable from the subject's liking for that confederate. Instead, conformity was greatest following an experience of deviation from the majority.
Parallel solution of sparse linear least squares problems on distributed-memory multiprocessors

Abstract This paper studies the parallel solution of large-scale sparse linear least squares problems on distributed-memory multiprocessors. The key components required for solving a sparse linear least squares problem are sparse QR factorization and sparse triangular solution. A block-oriented parallel algorithm for sparse QR factorization has already been described in the literature. In this paper, new block-oriented parallel algorithms for sparse triangular solution are proposed. The arithmetic and communication complexities of the new algorithms applied to regular grid problems are analyzed. The proposed parallel sparse triangular solution algorithms together with the block-oriented parallel sparse QR factorization algorithm result in a highly efficient approach to the parallel solution of sparse linear least squares problems. Performance results obtained on an IBM Scalable POWERparallel system SP2 are presented. The largest least squares problem solved has over two million rows and more than a quarter million columns. The execution speed for the numerical factorization of this problem achieves over 3.7 gigaflops per second on an IBM SP2 machine with 128 processors.
Antigenic peptides containing large PEG loops designed to extend out of the HLA-A2 binding site form stable complexes with class I major histocompatibility complex molecules.

Abstract Recognition of peptides bound to class I major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules by specific receptors on T cells regulates the development and activity of the cellular immune system. We have designed and synthesized de novo cyclic peptides that incorporate PEG in the ring structure for binding to class I MHC molecules. The large PEG loops are positioned to extend out of the peptide binding site, thus creating steric effects aimed at preventing the recognition of class I MHC complexes by T-cell receptors. Peptides were synthesized and cyclized on polymer support using high molecular weight symmetrical PEG dicarboxylic acids to link the side chains of lysine residues substituted at positions 4 and 8 in the sequence of the HLA-A2-restricted human T-lymphotrophic virus type I Tax peptide. Cyclic peptides promoted the in vitro folding and assembly of HLA-A2 complexes. Thermal denaturation studies using circular dichroism spectroscopy showed that these complexes are as stable as complexes formed with antigenic peptides.
Space Station Payload Accommodation

The unique characteristics of the Space Station are changing the ways payloads are designed and accommodated for orbital flight. Station accommodations need to be versatile and operationally flexible to permit integration of many types of equipment in a variety of modes; and autonomous to render each payload independent or invisible to the rest of the system and other mission equipment. This paper presents the various categories of Space Station payloads, the user facilities that are being designed to accommodate them, illustrates through scientific and commercial scenarios the utilization of those facilities, and identifies the factors that must be considered to make the Space Station an effective tool for the users.
Inappropriate ICD discharges due to “triple counting” during normal sinus rhythm

Objective To describe the clinical course of a patient with multiple ICD shocks in the setting of advanced renal failure and hyperkalemia.
Heuristic evaluation of programming language features: two parallel programming case studies

Usability is an important feature for programming languages, and user evaluations can provide invaluable feedback on language design. However, user studies which compare programming languages or systems are often very expensive and typically inconclusive. In this paper, we posit that discount usability methods can be successfully applied to programming languages concepts such as language features. We give examples of useful feedback received from applying heuristic evaluation to two language features targeted at parallel programming.
Equality for X Chromosomes

In many species, females possess two X chromosomes and males have one X chromosome. This difference is critical for the initial determination of sex. However, the X encodes many functions required equally in males and females; thus, X chromosome expression must be adjusted to compensate for the difference in dosage between the sexes. Distinct dosage compensation mechanisms have evolved in different species. A common theme in the Drosophila melanogaster and Caenorhabditis elegans systems is that a subtle alteration of chromatin structure may impose this modest, but vital adjustment of the X chromosome transcription level.
Test of scaling in muon-pair production by hadrons

We have measured the inclusive production of massive dimuons ($7l~{M}_{\ensuremath{\mu}\ensuremath{\mu}}l~11$ ${\mathrm{G}\mathrm{e}\mathrm{V}/\mathit{c}}^{2}$) by 200-, 300-, and 400-GeV protons incident on Cu in order to check whether the dimensionless cross section ${{M}_{\ensuremath{\mu}\ensuremath{\mu}}}^{3}{[\frac{d\ensuremath{\sigma}}{d{M}_{\ensuremath{\mu}\ensuremath{\mu}}\mathrm{dy}}]}_{y=0}$ is a function of $\frac{{{M}_{\ensuremath{\mu}\ensuremath{\mu}}}^{2}}{s}$ alone, where $s$ is the square of the c.m. energy. The results support the scaling hypothesis.
The Strength of Job Attitudes: A Multi-Study Test

Integrating theory in the social psychology literature with the job attitudes literature, we position job attitude strength as a missing yet crucial moderator in many of the job attitude questions ...
Plastic deformation of protein monolayers.

Globular proteins are peculiar solids that display both local stability of their conformation and the ability to undergo large cooperative changes of shape (conformational changes). If one forces a large deformation of the molecule, such that the structure is necessarily changed, it is not obvious whether the deformed globule can still remain a solid or whether it will melt. Is it possible to plastically deform a protein? Here we investigate this question with a micro-mechanical experiment on a small region (approximately 10 molecules) of a protein monolayer adsorbed on a rigid surface. For the two proteins studied, albumin and myoglobin, we observed that the molecules can be substantially deformed (approximately 1-2 nm deformation) by comparatively small stresses applied for sufficiently long times. The deformation is irreversible, and the protein remains in the solid state (i.e., displays a nonzero shear modulus). The dynamics of the deformation is approximately logarithmic in time, similar to creep in solids. These results show that globular proteins adsorbed on a surface can be plastically deformed.
Wavelength-dependent photochemistry of Diazo Meldrum's acid and its spirocyclic isomer, Diazirino Meldrum's acid: Wolff rearrangement versus isomerization.

Photoreaction of diazo Meldrum's acid (1) shows a unique wavelength selectivity. At 254 nm it results in efficient (φ254 = 0.34) Wolff rearrangement, while irradiation with 355 nm light leads to a completely different process, isomerization into corresponding cyclic α,α'‘-dicarbonyl diazirine 2 (φ350 = 0.024). UV photolysis of diazirine 2 is accompanied by two competing processes: loss of nitrogen followed by the Wolff rearrangement and isomerization into diazo compound 1. Thermal decomposition of 1 leads to clean Wolff rearrangement, while heating of 2 causes quantitative conversion into diazo isomer 1.
3D treatment planning for heavy charged particles.

The comments herein describe, at a necessarily superficial level, a number of issues which must be addressed in developing plans for heavy charged particle therapy. Programs now exist which provide the needed capabilities. The challenge now is to make the planning process easier and faster- and possibly more efective. It seems likely that this will be achieved in the next few years.
Effects of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor inhibitor SU5416 and prostacyclin on murine lung metastasis

The majority of patients with a diagnosis of cancer die from metastatic disease. Targeting specific steps in the metastatic process has the potential to improve patient outcomes. In this study, a novel lung metastasis model was developed by injecting DiI (1,1'-dioctadecyl-3,3,3',3'-tetramethylindocarbo-cyanine perchlorate)-labeled Lewis lung carcinoma cells into the tail vein of mice. The temporal development of tumor metastases was studied in the lung, liver and spleen. Additionally, the effects of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor inhibitor SU5416 and platelet activation inhibitor prostacyclin were tested in this metastasis model. Systemically injected Lewis lung carcinoma cells present in the lung at 15 min slowly accumulated in the liver and spleen reaching a peak at 4 days. After 8 days, tumor development was only evident in the lung. Use of SU5416 or prostacyclin lowered the initial density of Lewis lung carcinoma-labeled cells in the lung by a factor 1.8 and 2.3, respectively (P<0.05). Furthermore, treatment with prostacyclin or SU5416 decreased lung weight by over 50% and the number of visible metastatic nodes by over 90% (P<0.05). Combined treatment resulted in grossly normal lung tissue. Additionally, systemic treatment with prostacyclin reduced harvested metastatic cell adherence to endothelial cells by a factor of 10 and treatment with SU5416 attenuated vascular formation (P<0.001). In conclusion, SU5416 and prostacyclin effectively attenuated metastasis formation in this model. DiI labeling is an effective technique to monitor the temporal and spatial distribution of metastatic cells.
Nondestructive evaluation of glued joints in nonmetallic samples using THz waves

The quality of glued joints in nonmetallic samples was evaluated using a standard THz-TDS system in the transmission configuration. Our results show that THz waves can indeed become a powerful tool for NDE of nonmetallic industrial equipment.
Efficacy in Letter-Writing to an Entertainment-Education Radio Serial

The influence of efficacy, both self and collective, in the adoption of prosocial behaviors has not been examined in the context of large-scale communication campaigns that use mass media interventions. Our purpose is to identify efficacious dimensions in letter-writers' communication to an entertainment-education radio drama serial in India. An entertainment-education program can influence audience members' sense of efficacy, an effect that can lead them to reconsider their values and behavior. We argue that audience letters represent a possible approach to measuring efficacy. Letters written by listeners can help us understand how they know what they hear and with what psychosocial consequences.
Subtleties and episodes in the early life of fishes

Fluctuations in the abundance of fishes may be caused by episodic mortalities or by more subtle variability in the daily growth and mortality rates of eggs and larvae. Survival response surfaces are used to illustrate the relative effects of episodic and subtle mortality during early life. It is the subtle variability associated with small changes in growth or mortality rates that may exert the greater effect on recruitment. Massive advective losses of eggs or larvae, failed egg production, and acute contaminant mortalities are examples of episodic events that may impact recruitment significantly but which need not be catastrophic. Stabilization of recruitments through density-dependent growth rate variability in early life is demonstrated to be potentially important. Whether this mechanism actually is important in the sea remains to be determined.
Mapping Splicing Quantitative Trait Loci in RNA-Seq

Background: One of the major mechanisms of generating mRNA diversity is alternative splicing, a regulated process that allows for the flexibility of producing functionally different proteins from the same genomic sequences. This process is often altered in cancer cells to produce aberrant proteins that drive the progression of cancer. A better understanding of the misregulation of alternative splicing will shed light on the development of novel targets for pharmacological interventions of cancer. Methods: In this study, we evaluated three statistical methods, random effects meta-regression, beta regression, and generalized linear mixed effects model, for the analysis of splicing quantitative trait loci (sQTL) using RNA-Seq data. All the three methods use exon-inclusion levels estimated by the PennSeq algorithm, a statistical method that utilizes paired-end reads and accounts for non-uniform sequencing coverage. Results: Using both simulated and real RNA-Seq datasets, we compared these three methods with GLiMMPS, a recently developed method for sQTL analysis. Our results indicate that the most reliable and powerful method was the random effects meta-regression approach, which identified sQTLs at low false discovery rates but higher power when compared to GLiMMPS. Conclusions: We have evaluated three statistical methods for the analysis of sQTLs in RNA-Seq. Results from our study will be instructive for researchers in selecting the appropriate statistical methods for sQTL analysis.
Financial market efficiency in an Agrarian economy: Microeconometric analysis of the Pakistani Punjab

The shadow price of capital in production is a useful indicator of the efficacy of the rural financial system. Using data on participants and non‐participants in a small farm credit programme from the Pakistani Punjab, this article estimates the shadow price of capital. Endogenous switching regressions techniques are employed to control for the likely heterogeneity of borrowers versus non‐borrowers. Results indicate that an individual selected at random from the population of small farmers would experience a 200 per cent rate of return on the first rupee borrowed from the small farm credit programme, indicating a high shadow price of capital and a prima facie case for small farm credit programmes.
Homophobic attitudes and AIDS risk behavior of adolescents

Adolescents in the United States are increasingly knowledgeable about acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), yet they are notoriously resistant to behavioral changes that would reduce their personal risk, such as practicing abstinence, using condoms, or careful selection of sexual partners. For the present study, we asked 80 heterosexual adolescents about their sexual behavior and intentions to avoid risky behavior, in conjunction with assessing their knowledge and attitudes concerning AIDS and AIDS-related issues. The results suggest that many adolescents do not feel vulnerable to AIDS because they still see AIDS as a Gay disease. Those who are most prejudiced against Gays are, on average, five times more willing to engage in indiscriminant sex as are the least prejudiced group; among males, this effect is even greater. In addition, highly prejudiced adolescents are twice as willing to have sex without using a condom. This study indicates the importance of dealing with homophobic attitudes in the context of AIDS education.
THERAPISTS' PERSONALITIES AND THEIR EVALUATION OF THREE FAMILY THERAPY STYLES: AN EMPIRICAL INVESTIGATION

This study examined the relationship between beginning therapists' personalities and their evaluations of three divergent family therapy styles. Sixty clinical and counseling psychology students completed the Adjective Checklist (Gough & Heilbrun, 1983) and rated videotaped therapy sessions conducted by Bowen, Minuckin, and Whitaker. Adjective Checklist ratings of each subject were also obtained from three friends/family members. Self-rated personality factors of dominant-masculinity and, to a lesser extent, nurturant-femininity were significant predictors of subjects' ratings of the tapes. Gender was a factor in ranked ratings of the tapes. Other-rated personality traits were not significant predictors. Implications for therapy training and supervision are discussed.
Can Social Role Theory Explain Gender Differences in Facebook Usage

Social networking sites (SNS) such as Facebook are now a primary communications medium used to connect individuals and businesses worldwide. Businesses can profit by interacting with consumers through these platforms and therefore have a vested interest in consumers continued usage of SNS technologies. To date published research on SNS usage largely assumes males and females evaluate the sites in a similar manner. Drawing from social role theory, our study investigates the neglected context of gender differences using constructs that are theoretically and empirically linked to IT continuance. Our results confirm that gender differences exist. For the sample and context perceived risk and perceived enjoyment had a greater impact on Facebook continuance intention for males. Different antecedents, perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and reputation had a greater influence on Facebook continuance intention for females. The results support the assertions of Social Role Theory. Theoretical and practical contributions are discussed.
Pulmonary functional impairment and symptoms in women in the Los Angeles harbor area

Spirometric measurements of vital capacity and flow rates, thoracic gas volume, and single-breath diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide were obtained in 360 white women, 238 wives age 58 years and 122 daughters age 32 years of shipyard workers from the Long Beach area of southern California. The values for nonsmokers, exsmokers, and current smokers were compared with smoking-specific mean values, age- and height-adjusted, from a reference population in Michigan. The wives from Long Beach had significantly lower mid and terminal flows, single-breath diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide, and alveolar volume, except that single-breath diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide was not significantly lower in current smokers. Nonsmokers and ex-smokers showed significantly different values for one-second forced expiratory volume in addition to flow rates and single-breath diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide. Daughters showed significant reductions in single-breath diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide and alveolar volume, which are attributable to maldistribution of inspired gas. These data showed that a powerful factor has affected expiratory air flow and distribution of gas, resulting in altered single-breath diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide and alveolar volume in this population. The factor is additive with and resembles the effect of cigarette smoking, and it is postulated that this factor is oxidant air pollution.
Searching Human Behaviors using Spatial-Temporalwords

This paper proposes an approach to searching human behaviors in videos using spatial-temporal words which are learnt from unlabelled data with various human behaviors through unsupervised learning. Both the query and the searched videos are represented by codewords frequencies, which capture the intrinsic information of motion and appearance of human behaviors. This representation further enables us to make use of integral histograms to accelerate the searching procedure. The performance also benefits from our feature representation that, through a MAX-like operation, may simulate the cortical equivalent of the machine-vision "window of analysis"(M. Riesenhuber and T. Poggio, 1999). Examples of challenging sequences with complex behaviors, including tennis and ballet, are shown.
The use of a cell filter for state estimation in closed-loop NMPC of low dimensional systems

Abstract Combining variants of the Kalman filter and moving horizon estimation (MHE) with nonlinear MPC has been studied before. The MHE is appealing due to its ability to impose constraints and demonstrated superiority over extended Kalman filter. However, nonlinear MPC based on MHE requires solutions to two back to back nonlinear programs. In this paper we propose to use the cell filter (CF) to provide state feedback to the MPC regulator. The cell filter is a piecewise constant approximation of the conditional probability density of the states, whose temporal evolution is modeled by an aggregate Markov chain. Since the CF is based on discretized state, input and output spaces, the curse of dimensionality limits its application to low dimensional and constrained systems. In this paper we present simulation examples of closed-loop MPC for a nonlinear reactor and agricultural pest control based on state feedback from both CF and MHE.
Dietary fatty acids, luminal modifiers, and risk of colorectal cancer

Inconsistent observations in epidemiologic studies on the association between total fat intake and colorectal cancer may be ascribed to opposing effects of individual fatty acids and the presence of other dietary constituents that modify luminal or systemic lipid exposure. We analyzed the data from a population-based case-control study that included 1,163 cases and 1,501 controls to examine the effects of individual fatty acid groups on colorectal cancer risk as well as their interactions with calcium and fiber intake. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated by unconditional logistic regression model according to quartile levels of energy-adjusted fatty acid intake. In the bivariable analyses, the risk of colorectal cancer increased with trans fatty acid (TFA) intake (OR for top vs. bottom quartile =1.46, 95% CI 1.17-1.59, p-value for a trend <0.001), but the associations was substantially attenuated in multivariable analyses (p value for a trend = 0.176). However, a significant linear trend in the multivariable OR (p = 0.029) for TFA was present for subjects with lower calcium intake. Furthermore, multivariable ORs progressively decreased with increasing both omega-3 and omega-6 poly- unsaturated fatty acid intake (p-values for linear trend: 0.033 and 0.011, respectively) for subjects with lower dietary fiber intake. These interactions were also significant or marginally significant (p = 0.085 for TFA, 0.029 for omega-3 and 0.068 for omega-6). Our results suggest that populations with lower intake of luminal modifiers, i.e., calcium and fiber, may have differential risks of colorectal cancer associated with dietary fatty acid intake.
Safety implications of transferring the oral contraceptive from prescription-only to over-the-counter status

The idea of making oral contraceptives available without prescription has a long history, and has been recently revived in the US and the UK. High dose oral contraceptives have generally been replaced by low dose formulations and, subsequently, most cardiovascular risks have been reduced and a protection against ovarian and uterine cancers has been consistently demonstrated. Oral contraceptive compliance, however, continues to be a problem, but there is no reason to assume that wise practice would be any more or less if oral contraceptives were available over-the-counter (OTC). Some countries have introduced alternatives to prescription-only oral contraceptives, whereby nurses, midwives, social workers and/or pharmacists are incorporated into the distribution process. This article concludes that the balance of risks and benefits is in favour of OTC access for oral contraceptives.
Damage and recovery of tree species after two different tornadoes in the same old growth forest: a comparison of infrequent wind disturbances

Abstract Catastrophic wind disturbances in natural forests remain poorly studied, and the literature allows few comparisons of damage and recovery in the same forests disturbed by distinct wind events. Thus, it is still uncertain whether published findings are idiosyncratic or representative. Here I describe damage and recovery patterns in a large, primary hemlock–hardwoods forest in Pennsylvania, USA, which was struck by two separate tornadoes in 1985 and 1994, roughly 3 km apart. The damage from the 1985 event was nearly complete, while the 1994 event left nearly two-thirds of the trees standing. The relationship of risk of damage to size of tree was very different between events, rising very steeply and achieving 100% around 40 cm DBH in the intense 1985 event, and more linearly in the 1994 event. Interspecific differences in amount of damage within a given size class were significant in the less intense 1994 event, but were not detectable in the 1985 event. In both events, uprooted trees created root pits proportional to the size of the tree, and the pit size–tree size relationship did not differ between events. Although amount of damage differed between events, both sites showed a pattern of greater uprooting in intermediate size classes, considering only fallen trees. Sprouting by damaged trees was not abundant after either event, with 25% of snapped trees sprouting after the 1985 event, and 15.5% of damaged or down trees sprouting after the 1994 event. Survival of sprouted trees appeared similar between events: 68% were alive 4 years after the 1985 event, and 78% were alive 2 years after the 1994 event. Regeneration in the more severe 1985 blowdown was dominated by mid-successional Betula species, while recruitment of new seedlings after the 1994 event was more modest. Future forest composition will shift dramatically after the very severe 1985 blowdown, while the forest area affected by the 1994 event will be a mixture of surviving canopy trees, sprouts and seedlings that survived in the understory, and some newly-established individuals, which will slightly increase the representation of Betula in the canopy.
Confining the ghost in the machine: using types to secure JavaScript sandboxing

The commercial Web depends on combining content, especially advertisements, from sites that do not trust one another. Because this content can contain malicious code, several corporations and researchers have designed JavaScript sandboxing techniques (e.g., ADsafe, Caja, and Facebook JavaScript). These sandboxes depend on static restrictions, transformations, and libraries that perform dynamic checks. How can we be sure that they work?We tackle the problem of proving the security of these sandboxes. Our technique depends on creating specialized type systems to characterize the properties of the sandboxes, exploiting the structure of the checks contained in the libraries. The resulting checkers work on actual JavaScript code that is effectively unaltered; I will focus on our application to Yahoo!'s ADsafe. We establish soundness using our semantics for JavaScript, which has been tested for conformity against real implementations.Joint work with Arjun Guha, Joe Politz, and Spiros Eliopoulos.
Some Current Research In Far Infrared Fourier Transform Spectroscopy

The development of interferometry and Fourier transform interferometry with its application to many problems shall be discussed by several of the lecturers; however, it should be noted that the first chemical applications of FT-IR spectroscopy were made in the far infrared region of the spectrum (approximately 400-10 cm-1) because the instrumentation required to study this region was much simpler than that needed for the mid-infrared or near infrared regions. The instrumental advantages in the far infrared region included a lower tolerance for the mirror drive of a Michelson interferometer, a smaller dynamic range of the interferogram, and a longer sampling time which resulted in a reduced number of data points. However, far infrared spectroscopy also had its apparent difficulties such as low-energy sources, poor detectors, a lack of suitable optical materials, and spectral interference of water. Researchers in this area have overcome most of these difficulties and therefore investigations in the far infrared spectral region have become widespread. In this presentation some of the applications of Fourier transform far infrared spectroscopy will be examined. The three areas in which research was initially carried out using Fourier transform far infrared spectroscopy were investigations of pure rotational spectra, studies of molecules in the solid state, and studies of heavy atom vibrations and skeletal bending modes. These initial studies did not show a significant departure from the mainstream of far infrared research since a majority of them could be carried out utilizing dispersive instrumentation, but in the field of solid state research, the interferometrically obtained spectra provided data which were not easily obtained by grating instruments. Thus, physicists have put interferometers to use in the study of the solid state to determine optical constants such as the index of refraction, complex indices, phase angle transmission coefficients, and the electronic processes in insulating crystals, as well as the intermolecular vibrations of molecular crystals. Such studies have been important in the development of interpretative theories of solid state behavior. For the sake of brevity I shall mainly discuss current uses of far infrared interferometry for the study of molecules in the gas phase which contain very anharmonic vibrations, such as torsional vibrations and ring-puckering motions in some small ring compounds, and for conformational analyses by the spectral assignment of the asymmetric rotor transitions. The interpretation of the far infrared data for several molecules will be illustrated and many examples will be provided.
Expanding uses of high-dose factor VIIa

Recombinant FVIIa is approved in many countries as a “bypassing” agent that promotes hemostasis in patients with congenital or acquired hemophilia with inhibitors (Hedner, Adv Exp Med Biol. 2001;489:75-88). In addition, FVIIa has now been used off label in a range of conditions including
Incorporation of crop phenology in Simple Biosphere Model (SiBcrop) to improve land-atmosphere carbon exchanges from croplands

Abstract. Croplands are man-made ecosystems that have high net primary productivity during the growing season of crops, thus impacting carbon and other exchanges with the atmosphere. These exchanges play a major role in nutrient cycling and climate change related issues. An accurate representation of crop phenology and physiology is important in land-atmosphere carbon models being used to predict these exchanges. To better estimate time-varying exchanges of carbon, water, and energy of croplands using the Simple Biosphere (SiB) model, we developed crop-specific phenology models and coupled them to SiB. The coupled SiB-phenology model (SiBcrop) replaces remotely-sensed NDVI information, on which SiB originally relied for deriving Leaf Area Index (LAI) and the fraction of Photosynthetically Active Radiation (fPAR) for estimating carbon dynamics. The use of the new phenology scheme within SiB substantially improved the prediction of LAI and carbon fluxes for maize, soybean, and wheat crops, as compared with the observed data at several AmeriFlux eddy covariance flux tower sites in the US mid continent region. SiBcrop better predicted the onset and end of the growing season, harvest, interannual variability associated with crop rotation, day time carbon uptake (especially for maize) and day to day variability in carbon exchange. Biomass predicted by SiBcrop had good agreement with the observed biomass at field sites. In the future, we will predict fine resolution regional scale carbon and other exchanges by coupling SiBcrop with RAMS (the Regional Atmospheric Modeling System).
Molecular magnetic resonance contrast agents for the detection of cancer: past and present

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a powerful diagnostic tool with unsurpassed spatial resolution that is capable of providing detailed information about the structure and composition of tumors. The use of exogenously administered contrast agents allows compartment-specific enhancement of tumors, enabling imaging of functional blood and interstitial volumes. Current efforts are directed at enhancing the capabilities of MRI in oncology by adding contrast agents with molecular specificities to the growing armamentarium of diagnostic probes that produce signal by changing local proton relaxation times as a consequence of specific contrast agent binding to cell surface receptors or extracellular matrix components. We review herein the most notable examples, illustrating major trends in the development of specific probes for high-resolution imaging in molecular oncology.
Progesterone Facilitation and Inhibition of Estradiol-Induced Sexual Behavior in the Female Goat

The effect of progesterone (P4) on estradiol (E2)-induced sexual behaviors in ovariectomized French-Alpine goats, during both the breeding (fall) and the nonbreeding (spring) seasons, was examined. Progesterone facilitated E2-induced attractivity and receptivity in the nonbreeding season when P4 treatment occurred 48 or 72 hr prior to treatment with E2. During the breeding season, P4 facilitated attractivity when treatment occurred 72 hr prior to E2 injection. In contrast, P4 inhibited all sexual behaviors when treatment occurred 12 or 24 hr prior to injection of E2. Progesterone did not facilitate E2-induced proceptivity in either the breeding or the nonbreeding seasons. These findings demonstrate that both season and temporal sequence of P4 and E2 administration affect sexual behavior in ovariectomized French-Alpine goats.
Parathyroidectomy-induced thyroiditis.

Objective: To highlight the possibility of development of thyroiditis after parathyroidectomy.Methods: Clinical and laboratory findings in 2 cases are presented, and the relevant literature is reviewed.Results: In 2 women (84 years old and 55 years old) with no history of thyroid disease in one of them and a remote history of excision of a follicular adenoma in the other, thyrotoxicosis developed a few days to a week after parathyroidectomy for primary hyperparathyroidism. The first patient underwent bilateral cervical exploration with removal of a right inferior parathyroid adenoma, whereas the second patient had excision of 3 1/2 parathyroid glands for 4-gland hyperplasia and 2 benign nodules from the left thyroid lobe. Both surgical procedures were uncomplicated. Neither patient had received any iodinated contrast agents or medications such as lithium or amiodarone before presentation. Laboratory results showed elevated levels of free thyroxine, suppressed thyroid-stimulating hormone levels, very low r...
Optimization of time-domain storage density in the presence of excitation-induced spectral diffusion

We present a technique to reduce the loss of storage capacity in time-domain optical memory in the presence of excitation-induced spectral diffusion. We applied this technique to a Eu3+:Y2SiO5-based memory that utilizes frequency chirp for recording-retrieval and successfully stored 860 bits of data in a 40-MHz data channel. In comparison with the conventional chirp method under identical experimental conditions, the present technique offers an increase of a factor of ∼2 in storage capacity with no measurable loss of signal fidelity. The results are interpreted in terms of the phase error accumulated during dephasing-rephasing and spectral diffusion on excited-state relaxation. © 1997 Optical Society of America.
Numerical design of bidirectional surface plasmonic polaritons wave coupler

We have investigated the Bragg gratings for surface plasmonic polaritons modes in the metal-dielectric-air waveguide and proposed a bidirectional coupler which is capable to guide the incident light at different wavelengths along two predetermined directions.
College Access, K-12 Concentrated Disadvantage, and the Next 25 Years of Education Research

Race-inclusive admissions policies are important tools for attaining equitable access to selective colleges and universities. However, access to such institutions does not begin at the point of admissions. Rather, it depends on an interaction between the K-12 system and university admissions policies that may either mitigate inequalities or propagate them. Using data from California, we use cluster analysis as a starting point to explore how disadvantage can be concentrated in our K-12 system and how that disadvantage can further compound racial/ethnic disparities in college access
Kolmogorov's law of the iterated logarithm for Banach space valued random variables

Abstract : Kolmogorov's version of the law of the iterated logarithm (LIL) for random variables taking values in a real separable Banach space is established. This result has several corollaries dealing with the LIL for independent, identically distributed (i.i.d.) sequences and, in particular, extends some of the recent work of G. Pisier.
Borrelia burgdorferi-Induced Expression of Matrix Metalloproteinases from Human Chondrocytes Requires Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase and Janus Kinase/Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription Signaling Pathways

Elevations in matrix metalloproteinase 1 (MMP-1) and MMP-3 have been found in patients with Lyme arthritis and in in vitro models of Lyme arthritis using cartilage explants and chondrocytes. The pathways by which B. burgdorferi, the causative agent of Lyme disease, induces the production of MMP-1 and MMP-3 have not been elucidated. We examined the role of the extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2), c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and the Janus kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription (JAK/STAT) pathways in MMP induction by B. burgdorferi. Infection with B. burgdorferi results in rapid phosphorylation of p38 and JNK within 15 to 30 min. Inhibition of JNK and p38 MAPK significantly reduced B. burgdorferi-induced MMP-1 and MMP-3 expression. Inhibition of ERK1/2 completely inhibited the expression of MMP-3 in human chondrocytes following B. burgdorferi infection but had little effect on the expression of MMP-1. B. burgdorferi infection also induced phosphorylation and nuclear translocation of STAT-3 and STAT-6 in primary human chondrocytes. Expression of MMP-1 and MMP-3 was significantly inhibited by inhibition of JAK3 activity. Induction of MMP-1 and -3 following MAPK and JAK/STAT activation was cycloheximide sensitive, suggesting synthesis of intermediary proteins is required. Inhibition of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) significantly reduced MMP-1 but not MMP-3 expression from B. burgdorferi-infected cells; inhibition of interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) had no effect. Treatment of B. burgdorferi-infected cells with JAK and MAPK inhibitors significantly inhibited TNF-alpha induction, consistent with at least a partial role for TNF-alpha in B. burgdorferi-induced MMP-1 expression in chondrocytes.
Diarrhea Induced by Enteral Feeding

Diarrhea is reported as a major complication of enteral feeding. Recent studies show that there is a staggering amount of confusion in defining diarrhea in this setting. This causes major problems both in estimating the incidence of diarrhea, as well as determining its clinical impact. In many cases, careful review of the patients' records and evaluation of the diarrhea may lead to its accurate diagnosis and treatment. The frustration involved in the management of these patients may lead investigators to measure quantitatively the patient's fecal output and to come up with a standardized definition of diarrhea. We describe here three cases that show various forms of enteral feeding-induced diarrhea. Subsequently we will review the important issues regarding the definition of related diarrhea and attempt to understand its pathogenesis.
Is propagule size the critical factor in predicting introduction outcomes in passeriform birds

Influential analyses of the propagule pressure hypothesis have been based on multiple bird species introduced to one region (e.g. New Zealand). These analyses implicitly assume that species-level and site-level characteristics are less important than the number of individuals released. In this study we compared records of passerine introductions with propagule size information across multiple regions (New Zealand, Australia, and North America). We excluded species introduced to just one of the three regions or with significant uncertainty in the historical record, as well as species that succeeded or failed in all regions. Because it is often impossible to attribute success to any single event or combination of events, our analysis compared randomly selected propagule sizes of unsuccessful introductions with those of successful introductions. Using Monte Carlo repeated sampling we found no statistical support for the propagule pressure hypothesis, even when using assumptions biased toward showing an effect.
System Reliability: Computational Algebra Methods

Computer algebra systems are useful in calculating system reliability. We use several diverse examples to illustrate how a computer algebra system can be helpful in determining system reliability. The examples presented here are (a) analyzing a k-out-of-n system; (b) determining the mean time to failure of a parallel system with symbolic parameters; (c) determining the conditional survivor function for a system with a piecewise survival distribution; (d) determining the probability of mission success for a unit and two cold standby units; (e) determining a lower confidence bound on the system reliability from binary failure data collected on each of the independent components in a coherent system via bootstrapping; and (f) determining the exact distribution of a popular goodness-of-fit test statistic. Keywords: bootstrapping; coherent system; computer algebra system; exponential distribution; lifetime distributions; survival analysis; Weibull distribution
Susceptibility of MT-Null Mice to Chronic CdCl2-Induced Nephrotoxicity Indicates That Renal Injury Is Not Mediated by the CdMT Complex

Chronic human exposure to Cd results in kidney injury. It has been proposed that nephrotoxicity produced by chronic Cd exposure is via the Cd–metallothionein complex (CdMT) and not by inorganic forms of Cd. If this hypothesis is correct, then MT-null mice, which cannot form CdMT, should not develop nephrotoxicity. Control and MT-null mice were injected sc with a wide range of CdCl2doses, six times/week for up to 10 weeks, and their renal Cd burden, renal MT concentration, and nephrotoxicity were quantified. In control mice, renal Cd burden increased in a dose- and time-dependent manner, reaching as high as 140 μg Cd/g kidney, along with 150-fold increases in renal MT concentrations, reaching 800 μg MT/g kidney. In MT-null mice, renal Cd concentration (10 μg/g) was much lower, and renal MT was nonexistent. The maximum tolerated dose of Cd in MT-null mice was approximately one-eighth that of controls. MT-null mice were more susceptible than controls to Cd-induced renal injury, as evidenced by increased urinary excretion of protein, glucose, γ-glutamyltransferase, andN-acetyl-β-d-glucosaminidase, as well as by increased blood urea nitrogen levels. Kidneys of Cd-treated mice were enlarged and histopathology showed various types of lesions, including proximal tubular degeneration, apoptosis, atrophy, interstitial inflammation, and glomerular swelling. These lesions were more severe in MT-null than in control mice, mirroring the biochemical analyses. These data indicate that Cd-induced renal injury is not necessarily mediated through the CdMT complex and that MT is an important intracellular protein in protecting against chronic Cd nephrotoxicity.
Proxying: The Next Step in Reducing IT Energy Use

Proxying is a simple and effective means of allowing network hosts to sleep while maintaining network presence. It is the use of a low-power entity to maintain presence on the network for a high-power device like a PC. The component that does this, the proxy, can be internal to a device (for example, in the network interface chip within a PC), in an immediately adjacent network switch or router, or even another PC on the subnet. The proxy enables a host to transition into and out of sleep transparently to the network. Use of a proxy requires no infrastructure changes such as changing existing protocols, or maintaining state in routers or switches. Network connectivity proxying offers a chance to both save large amounts of energy and add functionality, at very low cost.