cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Elevated Viral Restriction Factor Levels in Cortical Blood Vessels in Schizophrenia

Background Higher tissue transcript levels of immune-related markers—including the recently discovered viral restriction factor interferon-induced transmembrane protein (IFITM), which inhibits viral entry and replication—have been reported in the prefrontal cortex in schizophrenia. Interestingly, mouse models of neuroinflammation have higher IFITM levels and deficits in γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-related markers that are similar to findings in schizophrenia, suggesting that a shared pathogenetic process might underlie diverse cortical pathology in the disorder. However, the cell types that overexpress IFITM messenger RNA (mRNA) in schizophrenia are unknown, and it is unclear whether higher IFITM mRNA levels are associated with lower GABA-related marker levels in the same schizophrenia subjects. Methods We used quantitative polymerase chain reaction and in situ hybridization with film and grain counting analyses to quantify IFITM mRNA levels in prefrontal cortex area 9 of 57 schizophrenia and 57 healthy comparison subjects and in antipsychotic-exposed monkeys. Results Quantitative polymerase chain reaction and in situ hybridization film analysis revealed markedly elevated IFITM mRNA levels (+114% and +117%, respectively) in prefrontal gray matter in schizophrenia. Interestingly, emulsion-dipped, Nissl-stained sections from schizophrenia and comparison subjects revealed IFITM mRNA expression in pia mater and blood vessels. The IFITM grain density over blood vessels was 71% higher in schizophrenia. The IFITM mRNA levels were negatively correlated with GABA-related mRNAs in the same schizophrenia subjects. Conclusions The finding that schizophrenia subjects with higher IFITM mRNA levels in cortical blood vessels have greater disturbances in cortical GABA neurons suggests that these cell-type distinct pathological disturbances might be influenced by a shared upstream insult that involves immune activation.
Structure and Conformation of Rhizoferrin and its Fe3+ Complexes

Rhizoferrin is a simple but efficient siderophore and is potentially important for medical applications. The aim of this investigation is to determine the molecular structure of free rhizoferrin as well as its Fe3+ complexes, and to understand the mechanisms of cation (Fe3+)-binding specificity of rhizoferrin, using first-principle methods. The optimized molecular structures, and the calculated Nuclear Magnetic Resonance properties, such as chemical shifts for 13C and 1H and indirect dipole dipolecouplings for 1H, will be presented and compared with the experimental data. The nuclear quadrupole interaction parameters will be discussed as an attempt to understand the charge distribution and electric field gradient. Possible influence of deprotonation of citrate carboxylate groups on Fe3+-rhizoferrin complex formation will be discussed. This is, to the best of our knowledge, the first theoretical study of rhizoferrin and its metal complexes, and it provides a critical insight and guidance to the structural basis of metal chelation by rhizoferrin.
Stable hydrogen isotopes record the summering grounds of eastern red bats (Lasiurus borealis)

Bats face numerous threats associated with global environmental change, including the rapid expansion of wind-energy facilities, emerging infectious disease, and habitat loss. An understanding of the movement and migration patterns of these highly dispersive animals would help reveal how spatially localized the impacts from these threats are likely to be on bat populations, thus aiding in their conservation. Stable hydrogen isotope ratios (δ2H) can be used to infer regions where bats have foraged during the summer molt season, thus allowing an assessment of summering location and distance of movement of bats sampled during other times of year. However, a major impediment to the application of δ2H for inference of bat movements is that the relationship between δ2H of bat hair and precipitation tends to be species specific and is still unknown for some key species of conservation concern. We addressed this issue by using geo-referenced museum specimens to calibrate the relationship between δ2H of hair (δ2Hhair) and long-term δ2H of growing-season precipitation (δ2HGSprecip) at the site of collection for eastern red bats (Lasiurus borealis), one of the main species of bats experiencing large numbers of fatalities at wind-energy facilities in North America. Based on comparison of δ2Hhair and δ2HGSprecip values for males we estimated a period of molt of June 14–August 7. Within this period, male and female red bats exhibited a significant positive relationship between δ2Hhair and δ2HGSprecip. These results establish the relationship between δ2Hhair and δ2HGSprecip for red bats, which is necessary for the use of δ2Hhair to infer the movement and migration patterns of this important species. These results provide a critical resource to conservation biologists working to assess the impacts of environmental change on bat populations.
The accuracy of the Conference Board's buying plans index: A comparison of judgmental vs. extrapolation forecasting methods

Abstract This paper compares the Conference Board's buying intentions for consumer durable goods with forecasts constructed using simple time-series extrapolation over 177 months. The results show that simple time-series extrapolations provide more accurate forecasts than the judgmental approach. Very little support is found for using buying intentions as a forecasting tool for predicting the sales of durable goods.
Preliminary characterization of the hemolysin of Rhizopus Nigricans.

A hemolysin was extracted from fungous mats ofRhizopus nigricans cultured for two weeks in modified Sabouraud broth. Preliminary characterization indicated that the active substance is water soluble, stable after heating to 100°C, not destroyed by proteolytic enzymes, not dialyzable, and not precipitable with ethanol. It is however precipitable with ammonium sulfate and extractable with lipid solvents. Lipid fractionation revealed activity in the non-acidic phospholipid fraction. The cumulative findings suggest that the active hemolytic substance is a lipid perhaps attached to a protein.
Anatomical specificity of regenerated muscle sensory afferents in the spinal cord of the bullfrog

The specificity of central projections made by regenerated muscle sensory fibers in the brachial spinal cord was studied with anatomical tracing methods. Sensory fibers were interrupted by freezing dorsal roots in postmetamorphic bullfrogs. After several months, regenerated sensory fibers were labeled with horseradish peroxidase applied to the triceps brachii muscle nerve, and their arborizations within the spinal cord were reconstructed from serial cross sections. Most of the regenerated projections from triceps muscle sensory afferents ended in or near their normal terminal field. A few branched and appeared to terminate more dorsally than normal, however, sometimes within the region where cutaneous afferents normally terminate. In contrast to the normal pathway followed by muscle afferents within the spinal cord, many regenerated afferents grew along the circumference of the spinal cord, just under the pial surface, and then turned abruptly toward the midline and into their appropriate terminal region. This suggests that regenerating afferents may actively seek out their appropriate targets and are not simply passively guided to them.
A generalized Navier's approach for solution of clamped moderately-thick cross-ply plates

Abstract A novel generalization of Navier's approach to obtain a unique boundary-continuous analytical or strong (differential) form of solution to the hitherto unsolved problem of bending of a moderately-thick rectangular cross-ply clamped plate is presented. The five highly coupled linear second-order partial differential equations with constant coef-ficients, that arise out of the utilization of first-order shear deformation theory (FSDT) into the formulation, are solved using boundary-continuous double Fourier series, that satisfy the prescribed C4-type clamped boundary conditions a priori. Convergence characteristics of transverse displacement (deflection) and bending moment have been numerically established. Other numerical results presented include: (i) comparison with the available boundary-discontinuous analytical solutions based on classical lamination theory (CLT), (ii) variation of displacements and moments with the length-to-thickness and length-to-width ratios, and (iii) spatial variation of these response quantities.
Excess volumes and ultrasonic speeds for (di-n-propylether + n-heptane)

Excess molar volumes VmE, at 288.15, 298.15, and 308.15 K, and ultrasonic speeds at 298.15 K are reported for (di-n-propylether + n-heptane). From the results, the differential coefficients (∂VmE∂T)p and (∂VmE∂p)s were estimated over the entire mole-fraction range.
THE MEASUREMENT OF MICROFORCE-SENSOR THERMAL DRIFT MEASURED BY BALANCE IN CMS

The micro-force sensors were widely used in the areas of micro-assembly, micro-factories, micro-robotics, MEMS characterization, Nano-manipulation, Biological and biomedical research, Material properties, etc. It was also used as a transfer standard in micro-force machine or instrument. The capacitance-type force sensor was used to sense forces with micro-Newton (sub-milligram) resolution. And it was used as a transducer for the micro-force instrument in CMS. In this paper, we will report the preliminary results of thermal drift properties in capacitance-type force sensor.
Anabolic treatment with GH, IGF-I, or anabolic steroids in patients with HIV-associated wasting

Wasting, and particularly loss of metabolically active lean tissue, contributes to increased mortality, accelerated disease progression, and impairment of strength and functional status in patients with HIV infection. A variety of protein anabolic agents, including growth hormone, insulin-like growth factor-I, testosterone, nandrolone decanoate, oxandrolone, and oxymetholone, have been studied in patients with HIV-associated wasting. Overall, these studies have demonstrated that treatment with protein anabolic agents can increase lean body mass (LBM) and in some cases provide functional benefits and improvements in quality of life. Further research is needed to determine whether such treatment prolongs survival or reduces the overall health care burden of HIV infection. The advances in identification of successful treatments for HIV-associated wasting can provide a model for using these therapies in other catabolic states, including end-stage renal disease, cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and cardiac cachexia.
Okadaic acid and vanadate inhibit collagen-induced platelet aggregation; the functional relation of phosphatases on platelet aggregation

The different specific inhibitors for phosphoserine/threonine and phosphotyrosine protein phosphatases were used to study the role of these protein phosphatases in collagen-platelet interaction. The collagen-induced platelet aggregation and the release reaction as measured ATP release were inhibited in a dose-dependent fashion by the addition of okadaic acid, a specific inhibitor of phosphoserine/threonine protein phosphatase 1 and 2A. The inhibition was also observed by the addition of a phosphotyrosine protein phosphatase inhibitor, vanadate. Suboptimal concentrations of both inhibitors together also inhibited collagen-induced platelet aggregation and release reaction in a concentration-dependent fashion. These results suggest that collagen-platelet interaction is modulated by both protein phosphatases.
Infants' Rapid Learning about Self-Propelled Objects.

Six experiments investigated 7-month-old infants' capacity to learn about the self-propelled motion of an object. After observing 1 wind-up toy animal move on its own and a second wind-up toy animal move passively by an experimenter's hand, infants looked reliably longer at the former object during a subsequent stationary test, providing evidence that infants learned and remembered the mapping of objects and their motions. In further experiments, infants learned the mapping for different animals and retained it over a 15-min delay, providing evidence that the learning is robust and infants' expectations about self-propelled motion are enduring. Further experiments suggested that infants' learning was less reliable when the self-propelled objects were novel or lacked faces, body parts, and articulated, biological motion. The findings are discussed in relation to infants' developing knowledge of object categories and capacity to learn about objects in the first year of life.
Re-thinking balanced bilingualism: The impact of globalization in Catalonia

Traditionally, Catalonia is seen as a successful example of language revitalization, through the achievement and maintenance of a fairly stable Castilian/Catalan bilingualism for the last thirty years or so. Recently, however, Catalonia has experienced significant immigration in the context of globalization. The autonomous government is now supporting an agenda in which Catalan alone is presented as the national language, the language of convergence, while Castilian, despite its long historical presence in the region, is portrayed as one of three hundred languages spoken there today. We examine how this policy interacts with everyday linguistic realities and with a preservationist agenda. Catalan speakers are divided between those who feel liberated from the imposition of Spanish identity and culture and those who fear an exclusivist nationalism which they feel would be anachronistic in the globalized world of today. Spanish speakers, in turn, feel threatened and targeted. New immigrants, coming from all corners of the world, are caught in a climate in which official language policies hardly reflect their own needs. Linguistic policies have to be re-thought to tend to the needs of immigrants while also ensuring the survival of Catalan.
A Thermal Decarbonylation of Penam β-Lactams

Penam acids 6−8 [i.e., (2S,5R,6R)-, (2S,5S,6R)-, and (2S,5R,6S)-isomers of 6-(1,3-dihydro-1,3-dioxo-2H-isoindol-2-yl)-3,3-dimethyl-7-oxo-4-thia-1-azabicyclo[3.2.0]heptane-2-carboxylic acid] were prepared by deesterification of the corresponding methyl esters 2−4. The same methodology applied to ester 1 did not lead to the (2S,5S,6S)-isomer 5 but rather a 72% yield of the thiazoline derivative 9. High-resolution mass spectrometry analysis of the reaction headspace gases indicated that a stoichiometric amount of carbon monoxide is produced during the deesterification of 1. A mechanism for this decarbonylation reaction is proposed. This appears to represent a new type of fragmentation reaction for a penam carboxylic acid. The free energies of various reaction species along viable decarbonylation reaction coordinates for acids 5 and 7 were computed by using the density functional theory method IEFPCM/M06/6-31+G(d). Anionic and zwitterionic (neutral) variants of the proposed mechanism were considered, but each...
But i don’t have anything to write about

Sometimes librarians new to the profession and especially to the subprofession of acquisitions ask me for advice about how to get started in publishing. I used to buy them a copy of Strunk and White [1], talk to them about what they are interested in knowing more about, and describe different paths that people might choose to take to get started. After a couple of years of giving this kind of advice, it is becoming clear to me that people can get such guidance from numerous printed sources, both within and outside the library literature; what people really need is information about how to gather ideas for potential topics. So lately, while I have not given people specific ideas for topics, I have been pointing them in one of two directions to get their own ideas:
Forest Spices Market in Anambra State, Nigeria

The markets for different category of spices were compared in rural and urban markets of Anambra State, Nigeria. Forest spices command low prices and is affected by seasonal price fluctuations. Imported and processed spices command higher and relatively constant seasonal prices. Evidence therefore suggests that the rapid deforestation and the open access problem would not provide sufficient price market incentives for the sustainable exploitation of forest spices, unless the enabling technological improvements are provided. Key Words: Forest spices, imported and processed spices, rural and urban markets, and deforestation. Int. J. Agric. Rural Dev. , 2003, 4: 110-119
Vorticity, Rossby number, and geostrophy in the atmosphere of Jupiter

Abstract Recent observations of spots moving around the Great Red Spot are used to calculate circulation, vorticity and a Rossby number at this scale of atmospheric motions. The results are quite comparable to values applying to large-scale atmospheric systems on Earth and indicate that geostrophy obtains on Jupiter.
Diepoxybutane interstrand cross-links induce DNA bending

Abstract The bifunctional alkylating agent 1,2,3,4-diepoxybutane (DEB) is thought to be a major contributor to the carcinogenicity of 1,3-butadiene, from which it is derived in vivo. DEB forms DNA interstrand cross-links primarily between distal deoxyguanosine residues at the duplex sequence 5′-GNC. In order for the short butanediol tether to span this distance, distortion of the DNA target has been postulated. We determined that the electrophoretic mobility of ligated DNA oligomers containing DEB cross-links was retarded in comparison with control, uncross-linked DNA. Our data are consistent with DNA bending of ∼34° per lesion towards the major groove.
Characteristics of alpha-adrenoceptors in two human colorectal cancer cell lines

The DiFi and HT-29 human colorectal cancer cell lines were characterized and compared with respect to binding properties of alpha adrenoceptors present on the cell surface. Both cell lines possessed alpha-1 and alpha-2 adrenoceptors of high affinity; however, DiFi cells were rich in alpha-1 adrenoceptors, whereas HT-29 cells were rich in alpha-2 adrenoceptors. In each cell line, specificity of radioligand binding to alpha-1 or alpha-2 adrenoceptors was proved via competition studies using non-tritiated drugs. We believe this to be the first characterization of alpha-1 adrenoceptors in cell line HT-29 and of alpha-1 and alpha-2 adrenoceptors in DiFi cells. Differences between these cell lines in alpha adrenoceptor expression are discussed in relation to colon carcinogenesis. The high level of alpha-1 adrenoceptors seen in DiFi cells should make this cell line useful in studies of the function and regulation of this adrenoceptor subtype.
Tensile creep behaviour of a fibre-reinforced SiC-Si3N4 composite

The tensile creep behaviour of a SiC-fibre-Si3N4-matrix composite was investigated in air at 1350 ‡C. The unidirectional composite, containing 30 vol % SCS-6 SiC fibres, was prepared by hot pressing at 1700 ‡C. Creep testing was conducted at stress levels of 70, 110, 150 and 190 MPa. An apparent steady-state creep rate was observed at stress levels between 70 and 150 MPa; at 190 MPa, only tertiary creep was observed. For an applied stress of 70 MPa, the steady-state creep rate was approximately 2.5×10−10 s−1 with failure times in excess of 790 h. At 150 MPa, the steady-state creep rate increased to an average of 5.6×10−8 s−1 with failure times under 40 h. The creep rate of the composite is compared with published data for the steady-state creep rate of monolithic Si3N4.
The effect of zirconium on the strength of thorium

The flow stress of thorium-zirconium alloys containing up to 12 at. pct zirconium was studied over a range of temperatures and strain rates. It was found that the flow stress could be analyzed as the sum of a thermally activated and an athermal component. The thermally activated component was nearly the same in the base metal and the zirconium alloys. The major effect of zirconium was a considerable increase in the athermal component. The magnitude of this increase was directly proportional to the zirconium content. Zirconium also retarded the recovery and recrystallization processes.
Effects of gender and age on heart rate variability in healthy individuals and in persons after sudden cardiac arrest

The purpose of this study was to describe the effects of gender and age on heart rate variability (HRV) in healthy volunteers (n = 111; 40 men and 71 women) and in persons after sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) (n = 95; 79 men and 16 women). Frequency-domain measurements and six time-domain measurements of HRV (SDANN, 24-hour SD, SD, RMSSD, RR50, and %RR50) were taken. Two-factor analysis of variance was performed. In general, HRV was significantly lower in healthy women compared with healthy men in all the time-domain and frequency-domain variables except for the high-frequency components, RMSSD, RR50, and %RR50. There were no significant gender differences in the SCA sample. All the time-domain and frequency-domain measurements decreased with age in the healthy sample, but only the frequency-domain measurements decreased with age in the SCA sample.
Optimum synthesis of multiport systems containing modulators with periodic carriers

THIS PAPER describes the development of a theory of optimum synthesis for a class of linear multiports, which are characterized by the presence of one or more periodically actuated switching elements (with finite dwell times), which multiplex the transmission channels, and by input signals that are generated by stationary random processes. The theory presented is also applicable to the problem of optimum synthesis of linear multiports in which periodic carriers of arbitrary waveshape are amplitude-modulated by the signals being processed; however, the multiplexing problem, in which the carriers are described by
School Board Members' Responsiveness to Constituents:

School members intervene more or less often depending upon political considerations and the nature of their school districts.
Dynamic Measurements of Membrane Insertion Potential of Synthetic Cell Penetrating Peptides

Cell penetrating peptides (CPPs) have been established as excellent candidates for mediating drug delivery into cells. When designing synthetic CPPs for drug delivery applications, it is important to understand their ability to penetrate the cell membrane. In this paper, anionic or zwitterionic phospholipid monolayers at the air–water interface are used as model cell membranes to monitor the membrane insertion potential of synthetic CPPs. The insertion potential of CPPs having different cationic and hydrophobic amino acids were recorded using a Langmuir monolayer approach that records peptide adsorption to model membranes. Fluorescence microscopy was used to visualize alterations in phospholipid packing due to peptide insertion. All CPPs had the highest penetration potential in the presence of anionic phospholipids. In addition, two of three amphiphilic CPPs inserted into zwitterionic phospholipids, but none of the hydrophilic CPPs did. All the CPPs studied induced disruptions in phospholipid packing and ...
A method for predicting the cranio-caudal position of secondary embryonic structures

The morphogenetic events that give rise to a specific body pattern have to date avoided extensive elucidation. Extant models of pattern formation have dealt almost exclusively with the “primary patterning” of structures in the embryo. These “universal” models fail to explain many morphological conditions, such as the simultaneous change in position of the limbs, celom, mesonephros, and umbilical artery relative to the somites as a result of a single mutation. In the present paper, we propose that the relation between two non-periodic waves may function to determine the position of “secondary structures”, such as the limbs, in the embryo, relative to primary structures such as the somites. We propose that if two morphogenetic events are initiated at different times from the same region of the embryo, and are progressing in a cranio-caudal sequence at different rates, then the location of a given structure along the body axis can be described as a function of the two events. Applications and predictions based on the proposal are presented. Evidence from observations of morphogenetic events in the chick embryo, which tend to support the model, are also presented.
Wirkung von Hohen Stilbendosen auf den Schwangeren Organismus

1. Es wird uber die Wirkung von sehr hohen Cyren B-Dosen (von 20–210 mg), entsprechend bis 5000000 ME., auf den schwangeren menschlichen Organismus, berichtet. 2. Bei Verabfolgung von solchen Dosen treten subjektive Beschwerden auf, die man wohl der Wirkung des Praparates zuschreiben mus. 3. Blutkorperchensenkungsgeschwindigkeit erfahrt wahrend der Behandlung eine wesentliche Erhohung. Diese wird auf eine nicht pathologische Beeinflussung des reticuloendothelialen Systems im Sinne einer funktionellen Steigerung zuruckgefuhrt. 4. Cyren B ist kein abortauslosendes Mittel. 5. In der Placenta der behandelten Frauen findet sich eine gewisse Vermehrung der fibrinoiden Nekrose und Hyperamisierung. 6. Es wird eine Verschiedenheit in der biologischen Wirkungsweise zwischen den synthetischen oestrogenen Substanzen und den naturlichen Follikelhormonen als wahrscheinlich angenommen.
Production and Nutritive Value of Grazed Simple and Complex Forage Mixtures

Sustainability of forage production in the Northeast USA is affected by environmental and climatic variability. Complex forage mixtures may be better adapted than simple mixtures to variable environments and produce greater dry matter (DM) yield more evenly throughout the growing season, thereby increasing sustainability of forage production. A grazing trial was set up to evaluate forage production, nutritive value, and botanical composition dynamics of well-adapted and commonly sown forage species. The forage treatments consisted of simple mixtures (two and three species) and complex mixtures (six and nine species). The experiment was mob-grazed with cow–calf (Bos taurus L.) pairs five times each year. Dry matter distribution during the growing season was independent of mixture complexity; it was, instead, influenced mainly by the weather. When averaged across all 3 yr, mixtures containing six species produced greater (P , 0.001) forage yield (9900 kg DM ha 21 ) compared with two-species (8700 kg DM ha 21 ) or three-species mixtures (8400 kg DM ha 21 ). However, forage production varied within species richness groups. In general, regardless of the initial botanical composition, the predominant species in most mixtures by the end of the experiment were orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.), tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.), and white clover (Trifolium repens L.). Variation in nutritive value among mixtures was explained mainly by variation in the proportions of grasses and legumes. We conclude that when it comes to large yields and top nutritive value, the most important consideration is the individual species, not the complexity of the mixtures.
Turkish political parties and elections: Half a century of multiparty democracy

Competitive politics in Turkey began in 1950 and has since developed in an environment of rapid socioeconomic change. It has been characterized by polarization and increasing party fragmentation. The system has manifested an intertwining of elite factionalism with religious and ethnic cleavages among the masses, producing electoral volatility. The military retains a significant role in the wake of several past interventions.
Connections between the summer east African and Indian rainfall regimes

[1] Rainfall over parts of east Africa and India is observed to be positively correlated and associated with variations in the low-level height field over the northern Indian Ocean and the Arabian Peninsula. A regional climate model is used to understand the mechanisms of this covariability. SST anomalies in the Arabian Sea are imposed to generate anomalies to analyze. Variations in the monsoon trough, which is located over east Africa extending eastward to southeastern Asia, regulate the connection between east Africa and India and mediate the precipitation covariability in the model. When the monsoon trough is weak, northern Ethiopia and western India are dry, in association with a weaker Somali jet, but rainfall is enhanced over southern Ethiopia. Over east Africa, rainfall decreases over northern Ethiopia are related to increased dry air advection from the north. The atmospheric response when the monsoon trough is strong is not the opposite of the weak trough simulation as conditions are wetter over West India, but drier over all of Ethiopia. Hydrodynamical processes including latent heating are more influential in the vicinity of the western Indian Ocean when the monsoon is perturbed by warm Arabian Sea SSTAs.
Effect of dietary adherence with or without exercise on weight loss: a mechanistic approach to a global problem.

Context: Weight loss using low-calorie diets produces variable results, presumably due to a wide range of energy deficits and low-dietary adherence. Objective: Our objective was to quantify the relationship between dietary adherence, weight loss, and severity of caloric restriction. Design and Setting: Participants were randomized to diet only, diet-endurance training, or diet-resistance training until body mass index (BMI) was less than 25 kg/m2. Participants: Healthy overweight (BMI 27–30) premenopausal women (n = 141) were included in the study. Interventions: An 800-kcal/d−1 diet was provided, and the exercise groups were engaged in three sessions per week. Main Outcomes: Dietary adherence, calculated from total energy expenditure determined by doubly labeled water measurements and dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry body composition changes, and degree of caloric restriction were determined. Results: All groups had similar weight loss (∼12.1 ± 2.5 kg) and length of time to reach target BMI (∼158 ± 70 d)...
Evolving therapeutic options for type 2 diabetes mellitus: an overview.

Introduction: Many oral antidiabetic drugs (OADs) are available for patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). However, it is recognized that additional therapies are needed and several new com...
A statistical signal processing approach to image fusion for concealed weapon detection

A statistical signal processing approach to multisensor image fusion is presented for concealed weapon detection (CWD). This approach is based on an image formation model in which the sensor images are described as the true scene corrupted by additive non-Gaussian distortion. The expectation-maximization (EM) algorithm is used to estimate the model parameters and the fused image. We demonstrate the efficiency of this approach by applying this method to fusion of visual and non-visual images with emphasis on CWD applications.
Protein surface representation and analysis by dimension reduction

Protein structures are better conserved than protein sequences, and consequently more functional information is available in structures than in sequences. However, proteins generally interact with other proteins and molecules via their surface regions and a backbone-only analysis of protein structures may miss many of the functional and evolutionary features. Surface information can help better elucidate proteins' functions and their interactions with other proteins. Computational analysis and comparison of protein surfaces is an important challenge to overcome to enable efficient and accurate functional characterization of proteins. In this study we present a new method for representation and comparison of protein surface features. Our method is based on mapping the 3-D protein surfaces onto 2-D maps using various dimension reduction methods. We have proposed area and neighbor based metrics in order to evaluate the accuracy of this surface representation. In order to capture functionally relevant information, we encode geometric and biochemical features of the protein, such as hydrophobicity, electrostatic potential, and curvature, into separate color channels in the 2-D map. The resulting images can then be compared using efficient 2-D image registration methods to identify surface regions and features shared by proteins. We demonstrate the utility of our method and characterize its performance using both synthetic and real data. Among the dimension reduction methods investigated, SNE, LandmarkIsomap, Isomap, and Sammon's mapping provide the best performance in preserving the area and neighborhood properties of the original 3-D surface. The enriched 2-D representation is shown to be useful in characterizing the functional site of chymotrypsin and able to detect structural similarities in heat shock proteins. A texture mapping using the 2-D representation is also proposed as an interesting application to structure visualization.
Dasheng: a recently amplified nonautonomous long terminal repeat element that is a major component of pericentromeric regions in rice.

A new and unusual family of LTR elements, Dasheng, has been discovered in the genome of Oryza sativa following database searches of approximately 100 Mb of rice genomic sequence and 78 Mb of BAC-end sequence information. With all of the cis-elements but none of the coding domains normally associated with retrotransposons (e.g., gag, pol), Dasheng is a novel nonautonomous LTR element with high copy number. Over half of the approximately 1000 Dasheng elements in the rice genome are full length (5.6-8.6 kb), and 60% are estimated to have amplified in the past 500,000 years. Using a modified AFLP technique called transposon display, 215 elements were mapped to all 12 rice chromosomes. Interestingly, more than half of the mapped elements are clustered in the heterochromatic regions around centromeres. The distribution pattern was further confirmed by FISH analysis. Despite clustering in heterochromatin, Dasheng elements are not nested, suggesting their potential value as molecular markers for these marker-poor regions. Taken together, Dasheng is one of the highest-copy-number LTR elements and one of the most recent elements to amplify in the rice genome.
Adult Cleft Lip Repair Under Local Anesthesia: An Effective Technique in Resource-Poor Settings

Objective: In developing countries there are many adults with unrepaired cleft lip deformities. These countries often lack the equipment and personnel to provide general anesthesia for all patients; therefore, a technique for repair under local anesthesia would be useful. Method: A retrospective review was performed of 22 adolescent/adult patients on whom primary cleft lip repair was performed under local anesthesia in Bamako, Mali, in 2008 and 2009. Inclusion criteria for this technique were age greater than 12 with unilateral or bilateral deformity and ability to understand and tolerate the procedure under local anesthesia alone. Exclusion criteria included cardiopulmonary disease or inability to tolerate the procedure while awake. Demographic information and outcome data were collected including total time in the operating room, surgical time, and day of discharge. Results: Twenty-two primary cleft lip repairs were completed in 12 male and 10 female patients. Mean age was 22.3 years and mean weight was...
A built-in self-testing approach for minimizing hardware overhead

A built-in self-test (BIST) hardware insertion technique is addressed. Applying to register transfer level designs, this technique utilizes not only the circuit structure but also the module functionality in reducing test hardware overhead. Experimental results have shown up to 38% reduction in area overhead over other system level BIST techniques. >
Use of monoclonal antibodies specific for the a determinant of K88 Pili for detection of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli in pigs

Monoclonal antibodies directed against the a determinant of K88 pili from porcine enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli which react with all three K88 variants have been produced. These antibodies have been used for diagnosis of porcine enterotoxigenic E. coli in a direct enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay with sensitivity to 50 ng of pilus protein per ml.
Application performance on the Direct Access File System

The Direct Access File System (DAFS) is a distributed file system built on top of direct-access transports (DAT). Direct-access transports are characterized by using remote direct memory access (RDMA) for data transfer and user-level networking. The motivation behind the DAT-enabled distributed file system architecture is the reduction of the CPU overhead on the I/O data path.We have created an implementation of DAFS for the FreeBSD platform. In this paper we describe the performance evaluation study of DAFS that we have performed using this software. The goal of this study is to determine whether the architecture of DAFS brings any fundamental performance benefits to applications compared to traditional distributed file systems, such as NFS. We perform comparison of DAFS to a version of NFS optimized to reduce the I/O overhead. In order to thoroughly understand the impact of DAFS on application performance, we consider a diverse range of applications workloads.We conclude that DAFS can accomplish superior performance for latency-sensitive applications, outperforming NFS by up to a factor of 2. Bandwidth-sensitive applications do equally well on both systems, unless they are CPU-intensive, in which case they perform better on DAFS. We also found that RDMA is a less restrictive mechanism to achieve copy avoidance than that used by the optimized NFS.
Biventricular Defibrillator Patients Have Higher Complication Rates after Revision of Recalled Leads

Background: Since the 2009 revised advisory statement regarding Sprint Fidelis® Defibrillator Lead failure rates (Medtronic Inc., Minneapolis, MN, USA), there has been a significant increase in revision of these leads. We sought to establish the frequency of major procedural complications and determine what patient characteristics were associated with these outcomes. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the charts of 621 patients with Fidelis® leads being followed in the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center through January 1, 2010. The population was then examined for rates of lead malfunction, revision, and complication. Results: The average time from implantation of Fidelis® lead to endpoint was 32 ± 16 months. Overall lead survival rates were 89% at 41 months and were lower in biventricular implantable cardioverter defibrillator (BiVICD) as compared to standard implantable cardioverter defibrillator patients (log rank P = 0.053). Prophylactic revisions increased dramatically during 2009 (9.4% vs 1.4%, P < 0.001). Among the 131 patients who underwent revision during the entire time of follow-up, 11 patients had postoperative complications (8.5%). The only significant variable found between patients who did and did not have complications was the presence of a BiVICD (81.8 vs 48.7%, P = 0.036). Of the 40 total patients who underwent lead extraction, all three complications occurred in patients with BiVICDs. Conclusion: The number of prophylactic Fidelis® lead revisions has increased dramatically since 2008, and procedure-related complications have been higher than anticipated. Major procedural complication rates are greater among patients with BiVICDs. Overall, lead extraction does not appear to increase procedural risk as compared to abandonment. (PACE 2012; 35:665–671)
Design of novel hexahydropyrazinoquinolines as potent and selective dopamine D3 receptor ligands with improved solubility.

Abstract We have recently reported hexahydropyrazinoquinolines as a new class of dopamine 3 (D3) receptor ligands with high-affinity to the D3 receptor and excellent selectivity over the closely related D1-like and D2-like receptors. However, our previously reported most potent and selective D3 ligands have poor aqueous solubility, which greatly hinders our in vivo studies aimed at evaluation of their therapeutic potential in animal models. In this study, we wish to report the design, synthesis, and evaluation of a series of new hexahydropyrazinoquinolines as D3 ligands with improved solubility. Among them, compound 4g has a Ki value of 9.7 nM for the D3 receptor and displays a selectivity of >5000 and 466 times over the D1-like and D2-like receptors, respectively. Importantly, the hydrochloride salt form of compound 4g has a good aqueous solubility (>50 mg/mL) and represents a promising D3 ligand for further in vivo evaluations of its therapeutic potential for the treatment of drug abuse, restless legs syndrome, schizophrenia, Parkinson’s disease, and depression.
Early diversification of the avian brain:body relationship

Scaling of avian brain:body mass throughout the diversification of the class was investigated by analysis of a large collection of adult brain and body masses. Linear regression model analysis of whole-class brain:body scaling resulted in scaling exponents ranging from 0.574 to 0.609, values which exclude several prior empirical and theoretical estimates. Taxonomic level-specific analysis of brain:body scaling was performed by major-axis regression of trait variances partitioned among levels of taxonomic distinction. Brain:body scaling exponents varied markedly among avian orders, but were not easily related to ecological differences among taxa. Avian brain:body scaling exhibited a partial taxon-level effect, in that scaling exponents vary with the taxonomic level of investigation. However, scaling exponents were greatest at the family level, a pattern not consistent with prior ontogenetic or genetic covariance models of trait diversification. Instead, it is suggested that initial diversification among birds was largely through body size diversification, while later diversification of families within orders contained a relatively greater degree of brain size diversification. Avian developmental mode, known to influence avian brain size at hatching, was associated with relatively little variance in adult brain mass. Avian brain:body diversification has occurred relatively uniformly in precocial taxa, while diversification within altricial taxa is marked by a relatively high degree of brain mass diversification among families within orders.
Double Victimization in the Workplace: Why Observers Condemn Passive Victims of Sexual Harassment

Five studies explore observers' condemnation of passive victims. Studies 1 and 2 examine the role of observers' behavioral forecasts in condemning passive victims of sexual harassment. Observers generally predicted that they would engage in greater confrontation than victims typically do. More importantly, the more confrontation participants predicted they would engage in, the more they condemned the passive victim, and the less willing they were to recommend the victim for a job and to work with her. Study 3 identifies the failure to consider important motivations likely experienced by victims-and that contribute to their passivity-as an important driver of behavioral forecasting errors. Having forecasters reflect on motivations normally experienced but not typically forecast produced behavioral predictions that were more consistent with the actual passive behavior of sexual harassment victims. Studies 4 and 5 reduce condemnation of passive sexual harassment victims by highlighting important motivations likely experienced by those victims Study 4 and by having participants recall a past experience of not acting when being intimidated in the workplace, a situation related but distinct from sexual harassment Study 5. The results from these studies add insights into the causes and consequences of victim condemnation and help explain why passivity in the face of harassment-the predominant response-is subject to so much scorn.
A ZONE PHENOMENON AND A PROGRESSIVE REACTION OCCURRING WITH A RADIOACTIVE HEMOLYSIN, SODIUM ERUCATE-I131

Sodium erucate reacts progressively (i.e., once the reaction is started in a time which is so short that the lysin is in contact with the red cells for 30 seconds, it cannot be stopped even by being diluted 10-fold) with human red cells at pH 7. At the same time, systems containing the lysin and human red cells show a zone phenomenon, lysis occurring most readily in a certain concentration of lysin but more slowly in larger or smaller concentrations. Sodium erucate-I131 can be used to investigate both the zone phenomenon and the progressive character of the reaction. As regards the former, large concentrations of the lysin react relatively poorly with the red cell surfaces and the resistance of the red cells is relatively high. This may be due to the presence of an admixed inhibitor or to the development of an inhibitory state. The lysin is taken up and fixed by material in the red cell surface, so that the "internal phase" of lysin attached to the cell surfaces is so firmly fixed that a 10-fold dilution has no effect on it. It follows that lysis in these systems is progressive, as it is found to be.
Performance of Bridgman furnace operating under projective control

We present the performance of a vertical transparent multizone furnace operating under the projective control algorithm. This Bridgman type furnace is designed for crystal growth applications and can deliver thermal gradients within the range of 2-45/spl deg/C/cm at the maximum temperature of 750/spl deg/C. A multivariable projective control algorithm is used for the temperature control. The control system maintains desired thermal profile despite the effects of thermal loads due to a growing crystal.
Inter-Gateway Cross-Layer Handoffs in Wireless Mesh Networks

Wireless mesh networks (WMNs) have recently emerged to be a cost-effective solution to support large-scale wireless Internet access. One important component of realizing large-scale WMNs is mobility management. Although a considerable amount of research on handoff management for cellular and Mobile IP networks has been proposed, handoff management for IP-based WMNs remains largely unexplored. Conventional handoff mechanisms can cause significant performance degradation when directly applied to WMNs due to overlooking the key features of WMNs. They also do not address the special design challenges in WMNs. In this paper, a new architectural design is proposed to facilitate inter-gateway handoffs in WMNs. The proposed Planned Multicast Group (PMG)-based architecture can facilitate cross-layer handoffs and hence reduce the total handoff delay caused from multiple layers. Extensive simulations are conducted to evaluate the feasibility and efficiency of the proposed PMG approach. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed PMG-based cross-layer handoff scheme outperforms the conventional WMN handoff schemes and is suitable for real-time multimedia applications in WMNs.
Genetic and nongenetic sources of variation in phospholipid transfer protein activity

Phospholipid transfer protein (PLTP) belongs to the lipid transfer/lipopolysaccharide-binding protein gene family. Expression of PLTP has been implicated in the development of atherosclerosis. We evaluated the effects of PLTP region tagging single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) on the prediction of both carotid artery disease (CAAD) and PLTP activity. CAAD effects were evaluated in 442 Caucasian male subjects with severe CAAD and 497 vascular disease-free controls. SNP prediction of PLTP transfer activity was evaluated in both a subsample of 87 subjects enriched for an allele of interest and in a confirmation sample of 210 Caucasian males and females. Hemoglobin A1c or insulin level predicted 11–14% of age- and sex-adjusted PLTP activity. PLTP SNPs that predicted ∼11–30% of adjusted PLTP activity variance were identified in the two cohorts. For rs6065904, the allele that was associated with CAAD was also associated with elevated PLTP activity in both cohorts. SNPs associated with PLTP activity also predicted variation in LDL-cholesterol and LDL-B level only in the replication cohort. These results demonstrate that PLTP activity is strongly influenced by PLTP region polymorphisms and metabolic factors.
The Importance of Autonomic Innervation of the Heart in the Genesis of Cardiac Arrhythmias

In this report we present recent findings from our laboratory on vagal modulation of adrenergic cardiac effects, and the functional pathways of afferent and efferent autonomic innervation of the ventricle. Understanding these phenomena may be important in the genesis of some cardiac arrhythmias.