cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
481 MATERNAL SMOKING MAY IMPAIR EETAL NUTRITION

Cigarette smoking by pregnant women is known to significantly reduce birth weight of their babies. The effect appears dose-related. The mechanism is uncertain. We have shown previously that maternal plasma nutrient & amino acid levels, & some polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMNL) enzyme & metabolite levels at midpregnancy are closely related to, predictive of, & account for, about 20% of the variance in birth weight of the baby. In a prospective study of ~600 mother/baby pairs who had complete demographic & biochemical data, 294 mothers were non-smokers, 285 smoked. Birth weight, adjusted for gestational age & sex of the baby, & for race, age, prepregnant height, weight, & parity of the mother, was significantly reduced in proportion to the number of cigarettes reportedly smoked daily. A two-tailed t test showed that smoking mothers had significantly decreased PMNL G6PDH activity, ATP & ADP levels. Hair root protein content was reduced, as were plasma total protein, albumin, β & γ globulins, & cholesterol. The levels of plasma free amino acids ALA, CYS & LYS also were significantly reduced. Analysis of variance showed significant differences between standardized scores for nonsmokers & those who smoked 1-10, 11-20, 21-30, > 30 cigarettes/d for education, hematocrits, diet calorie & protein intakes (recall), PMNL G6PDH & ATP, hair root protein & DNA, plasma total protein, α 2, β & γ globulin, & the amino acids: GLU, LYS, HIS, & ORN. We conclude that smoking during pregnancy alters maternal plasma nutrient levels, protein stores & cell PMNL metabolism. These nutritional effects might account for the reduced birth weight.
Molecular profiling of multiple human cancers defines an inflammatory cancer-associated molecular pattern and uncovers KPNA2 as a uniform poor prognostic cancer marker.

Background Immune evasion is one of the recognized hallmarks of cancer. Inflammatory responses to cancer can also contribute directly to oncogenesis. Since the immune system is hardwired to protect the host, there is a possibility that cancers, regardless of their histological origins, endow themselves with a common and shared inflammatory cancer-associated molecular pattern (iCAMP) to promote oncoinflammation. However, the definition of iCAMP has not been conceptually and experimentally investigated.
Nonpharmacologic Techniques for Distress Reduction During Emergency Medical Care: A Review

When pain is effectively managed, distress in children undergoing Emergency Department procedures is often due to anxiety and fear. This distress can be caused by many factors including being in an unfamiliar environment, exposed to strangers, not knowing what to expect or anticipation based upon previous painful experiences. This article reviews some of the many non-pharmacological developmentally-based strategies that can be implemented in the emergency department to reduce a child’s distress. These techniques can help improve treatment and procedural success, and ultimately create a more satisfying experience for the patient, family and medical team.
Depressant effects of topical morphine on self-stimulation-related units in hypothalamus.

Abstract This study investigated the effects of locally injected morphine on hypothalamic unit responses correlated with self-stimulation behavior. Adult male rats were implanted with probes for self-stimulation in the posterior lateral hypothalamus and in the substantia nigra. Each rat was also implanted chronically with a combination cannula-recording unit assembly in the lateral hypothalamus at the level of the ventromedial nucleus. Animals were selected for tests if they self-stimulated for shock, applied either in the hypothalamus or in the substantia nigra, and if the spontaneous rate of firing of units anterior to the hypothalamic reward site was reduced or inhibited during self-stimulation. In a test, three needles connected to polyethylene tubing filled with test solutions and individually controlled were inserted into the cannula guide. Two of the needles were used to inject morphine at two different concentrations (5 μg and 10 μg/μl artificial cerebrospinal fluid) and the third to inject naloxone (1 or 2 μg/μ1). Morphine at the 5 μg dose had small and variable effects. Repeated applications of this low dose tended to increase the number of units that became excited. Morphine at the 10 μg dose consistently depressed the rate of firing of the neurons. Repeated injections potentiated the depression. Simultaneous application of morphine and naloxone blocked or attenuated the depressant action of morphine at the 10 μg dose and sometimes even produced excitation. Naloxone by itself also produced excitation in a number of units. These results are taken to indicate a direct and specific action of morphine on neural activity in the hypothalamus related to a central positive-reinforcing mechanism. The action of morphine at this level may be part of a process that mediates the reinforcing effects of opiates on behavior.
Expansion and colonialism on the eastern frontier: views of Siberia and the Far East in pre-Petrine Russia

This essay is an examination of the nature of Russian colonial expansion into Siberia and the Far East in the seventeenth century. The argument is made that this expansion was essentially mercantile in nature, and occurred as a result of the quest for furs, which for the Muscovite state represented a reliable and highly lucrative source of revenue. Russian occupation of the Amur basin was additionally stimulated by the hope of establishing a food base for the fur trappers in the desolate regions to the north. The significance of all these regions for the government in Moscow, therefore, rested solely on their ability to supply a colonial commodity. Beyond this, they had no value, and the Russians were even willing in the case of the Far East to surrender territorial claims, if with this Chinese markets could be made more accessible for Russian furs. This interpretation counters both Western views of Russian expansion overall as an undifferentiated, indeed organic process, and some recent Soviet interpretations, which maintain that the Russians in this period had overriding territorial interests on the Amur lands.
Vico's Wilderness and the Places of Humanity

AbstractThe origins of humanity for Vico take place in the pre-historical 'fabulous times' when the emerging human mind and language were in deep, interwoven contact with nature. The trauma provoked by the lightening of the sky introduced into the human consciousness not only the first idea of the divine but also the alterity of nature, and an awareness of the places of humanity. In the importance he attributes to the forests as original places of humanity, Vico anticipates some aspects of later environmental writers and philosophers such as Henry David Thoreau. For Vico, the first emergence of human conscientia really began with the 'contemplation' of the sky. The 'theologian poets' conceived the first sky as no higher than the summits of mountains, where the proto-human bestioni were halted in their feral wanderings by Jove's first thunderbolts. Therefore, for Vico the mountains, the forests, and the sky were the constitutive places of the first human beings and still remain a special resource for the p...
The Production of Finite and Nonfinite Complement Clauses by Children With Specific Language Impairment and Their Typically Developing Peers

The purpose of this study was to explore whether 13 children with specific language impairment (SLI; ages 5;1–8;0 [years;months]) were as proficient as typically developing age- and vocabulary-matc...
Bone morphogenetic protein 2 functions via a conserved signaling pathway involving Wnt4 to regulate uterine decidualization in the mouse and the human.

A critical role of progesterone (P) during early pregnancy is to induce differentiation of the endometrial stromal cells into specialized decidual cells that support the development of the implanting embryo. The P-induced signaling pathways that participate in the formation and function of the decidual cells remain poorly understood. We report here that the expression of the bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP2), a morphogen belonging to the TGFβ superfamily, is induced downstream of P action in the mouse uterine stroma during decidualization. To determine the function of BMP2 during this differentiation process, we employed a primary culture system in which undifferentiated stromal cells isolated from pregnant mouse uterus undergo decidualization. When recombinant BMP2 was added to these stromal cultures, it markedly advanced the differentiation program. We also found that siRNA-mediated silencing of BMP2 expression in these cells efficiently blocked the differentiation process. Gene expression profiling experiments identified Wnt4 as a downstream target of BMP2 regulation in stromal cells undergoing decidualization. Attenuation of Wnt4 expression by siRNAs greatly reduced stromal differentiation in vitro, indicating that it is a key mediator of BMP2-induced decidualization. We also observed a remarkable induction in the expression of BMP2 in human endometrial stromal cells during decidualization in vitro in response to steroids and cAMP. Addition of BMP2 to these cultures led to a robust enhancement of Wnt4 expression and stimulated the differentiation process. Collectively, our studies uncovered a unique conserved pathway involving BMP2 and Wnt4 that mediates P-induced stromal decidualization in the mouse and the human.
On the Elastodynamic Theory of Thick Circular Plates

Considering elastodynamic deformation of circular plates, this paper presents a generalization of the method of initial functions in cylindrical coordinates. The governing equations of the theory are derived from the three dimensional elastodynamic equations. The method is applied to the free vibration of the clamped circular plate. Numerical results are obtained and displayed in figures. They are compared with the foregoing results. Besides, the variations of the characteristic quantities of the plate are given along the plate thickness. Fur elastodynamische Deformationen der Kreisplatte legt diese Arbeit eine Verallgemeinerung der Methode der Anfangsfunktionen in Zylinderkoordinaten vor. Die Hauptgleichungen der Aufgabe werden aus den Gleichungen der dreidimensionalen dynamischen Elastizitatstheorie hergeleitet. Die Methode wird auf die Untersuchung der freien Schwingung der eingespannten Kreisplatte angewendet. Numerische Ergebnisse werden ermittelt und in Abbildungen veranschaulicht. Sie werden mit den bekannten Losungen der Aufgabe verglichen. Ferner wird der Verlauf der charakteristischen Grosen der Platte langs der Plattendicke angegeben.
Effects of clearcutting and site preparation on herpetofauna of a North Florida flatwoods

Abstract Drift-fence sampling for 1 year yielded information on effects of clearcutting and site-preparation intensity on flatwoods herpetofauna in northern Florida. Sampling occurred in a naturally regenerated 40-year-old slash pine forest and two adjacent 3–4-year-old clearcuts subjected to different site treatments. Four drift-fence array (16 fences) in the forest captured totals of 6266 amphibians (15 species) and 230 reptiles (21 species). From an equal number of arrays in both the minimum- and maximum-treatment clearcuts, amphibian captures totalled 592 (9 species) and 758 (11 species), respectively, and reptile captures totalled 196 (19 species) and 85 (14 species), respectively. Clearcutting and site-preparation treatments did not affect amphibian species richness, but reptile species richness was lower in the maximum-treatment clearcut, due to the absence of some arboreal lizard and snake species. Clearcutting reduced amphibian abundance tenfold by affecting reproductive success. Reptile abundance was reduced by maximum site preparation but not by minimum site preparation. Arboreal lizard populations were severely reduced by clearcutting. Herpetofaunal biomass was not affected by clearcutting and site preparation, but the biomass was apportioned differently among taxonomic groups. The minimum-treatment clearcut had higher snake biomass and lower anuran biomass than the other two sites, whereas the maximum-treatment clearcut had lower lizard biomass than the other two sites. Reptile communities in flatwoods would be favored by site-preparation practices that minimized site disturbances and maximized presence of logging debris. Responses of amphibian communities seemed to be dependent upon availability of water. Overall herpetofaunal diversity would be greatest in an area containing a mosaif of small clearcuts, cypress domes, and different-aged pine stands.
Recent observations in the study of asthma due to food allergy

Abstract An allergic individual responding to the ingestion of codfish with an asthmatic reaction was kept under close observation for a short time and the following was revealed: 1.1. When the patient was on a ketogenic diet with a fair amount of fluid intake, no protection against the asthmatic attacks was obtained. A high carbohydrate diet gave very little protection. 2.2. When the water intake was low in connection with the ketogenic diet, the reaction was worse and the same is true in case of the high carbohydrate diet. 3.3. When the patient was on a high fluid intake in connection with the relatively high carbohydrate diet, full protection was obtained while the patient was up and about indoors, but this failed when the patient became quite active outdoors, and later developed an upper respiratory infection. The administration of a solution of glucose was just as effective in controlling the allergic reactions in this case as adrenalin. Severe asthmatic attacks required intravenous glucose, while the mild attacks could be taken care of with glucose which was given orally. The effect of glucose is most interesting in that adrenalin which has long been used to control allergic reactions also raises the blood sugar. No definite conclusions can be drawn from the observations in this one case, but the results are significant enough to warrant further study in a more extensive way with other cases of food allergy. Further work will soon be in progress.
Native protein-initiated ATRP: a viable and potentially superior alternative to PEGylation for stabilizing biologics

Comparison of in vitro serum stability and enzyme activity retention for PEGylated chymotrypsin and structurally different, biocompatible vinyl polymer grafts of chymotrypsin was performed. These polymer grafts were synthesized by atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) initiated by chymotrypsin covalently modified with 2-bromoisobutyric acid, the ATRP initiator. The maximum number of ATRP initiators attached to chymotrypsin was adjusted to be as close as possible to the maximum number of polyethylene glycol chains attached to chymotrypsin for better comparison and then polymerizations were conducted. In mouse serum, native and PEGylated chymotrypsin deactivated within 24h, whereas chymotrypsin-graft-poly(N-2-hydroxypropylmethacrylamide) retained >50% of its catalytic activity even after 5 days of incubation. In human serum, PEGylated chymotrypsin deactivated within 4 days of incubation, whereas native chymotrypsin and chymotrypsin-graft-poly(N-2-hydroxypropylmethacrylamide) and chymotrypsin-graft-poly(2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine) retained >25% catalytic activity after 5 days of incubation. Biocompatible vinyl polymer grafts of chymotrypsin synthesized by protein-initiated ATRP had higher catalytic activity retention and molecular weights and lower polydispersity than PEGylated chymotrypsin. In summary, studying the effects of structures of conjugated polymers on the stability and activity retention of modified proteins can lead to identification of a polymer-protein conjugate having superior pharmacological properties than conventionally PEGylated protein. Also, since vinyl monomers that form biocompatible polymers are easily polymerizable by ATRP, protein-initiated ATRP can become a viable and potentially superior alternative to PEGylation for stabilizing biologics.
Nitrogen Immobilization and Mineralization Kinetics of Cattle, Hog, and Turkey Manure Applied to Soil

Nitrogen mineralization and immobilization following manure application are critical processes influencing plant N supply and offsite N losses. We conducted laboratory experiments to examine the influence of these two processes in addition to N oxide gas production on N availability for 180 d following manure addition. A Tara loam (fine-silty, mixed, superactive, frigid Aquic Hapludoll) and a Webster clay loam (fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Typic Endoaquoll) amended with liquid dairy (Bos taurus) manure (LD) were incubated at 25 and 10°C, while Tara soil amended with solid dairy manure (SD) and turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) manure (T), and Webster soil amended with liquid hog (Sus scrofa) manure (H), were incubated at 25°C. Maximum net N immobilization was 14 and 40% of the initial NH 4 + concentration in H and LD, respectively, and persisted for 35 to 180 d. In LD-, H-, and T-amended soils, net manure N mineralization was not apparent, and there was good agreement between initial NH 4 + content and available inorganic N from the manure. These data suggest that, for these manure types, estimates of first-season available N would be improved by measuring manure NH 4 + . In contrast, in soil amended with SD, which had the lowest initial NH 4 + content, 22% of organic N was mineralized. Gaseous N losses were <1% of the added N in all treatments. The previously developed model NCSOIL was used to predict plant N availability and NO 3 - leaching potential with various manure incorporation dates. Under climate conditions typical of the Upper Midwest, no clear advantage of late fall compared with spring incorporation of manure with regard to N availability could be shown, but NO 3 - leaching potential seemed high with early fall incorporation.
Higher prevalence of chronic kidney disease and shorter renal survival in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection

Background The role of hepatitis C virus infection (HCV) in the etiology and progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD) is controversial.
Effects of feeding the repartitioning agent L644,969 on growth and body composition of blue catfish, Ictalurus furcatus, fed diets containing two protein levels reared in cages

Juvenile blue catfish with an average initial weight of 110 g, were stocked into 3.5-m3 floating cages at a rate of 200 fish/cage and fed one of four diets. Diets contained either 27 or 36% protein and either 0 or 3 mg/kg of the beta-adrenergic agonist (BAA) L644,969. There were three replicates per diet. Fish were fed all they would consume in 40 min for 94 days. There was no significant effect of protein, L644,969, or their interaction (P > 0.05) on final individual weight, percentage weight gain, survival, and specific growth rate (SGR). No difference (P > 0.05) in whole body composition was found between protein levels; however, fish fed diets containing L644,969 had a higher (P < 0.05) fillet dressout and a lower (P < 0.05) percentage of abdominal fat than fish fed control diets. The fish fed 3 mg L644,969/kg diet had 15% more protein and 28% less lipid in the fillet than fish fed control diets (P < 0.05). Fish fed diets containing L644,969 also had a significantly higher (P < 0.05) percentage of protein and a lower percentage of lipid in viscera than fish fed diets without the BAA. These results indicate that blue catfish reared to 485 g in cages can be fed as much as they will consume of a diet containing 27% protein without adversely affecting growth, and that the addition of 3 mg L644,969/kg to diet containing either 27 or 36% protein reduces lipid deposition in muscle and visceral depots while increasing protein accretion in muscle.
MD recognition by MDR gene regulators.

Multidrug resistance (MDR) mechanisms provide responses that sense and extrude arrays of diverse drugs from cellular environments. To do this, MDR functions rely on two linked features — multidrug recognition (MD) and allosteric linkages to drug binding. Crystal structures of drug-bound BmrR and QacR complexes offered the first insights into the details of drug recognition and the canonical view of MD recognition. Recent structural reports provide further support for the canonical theme as well as variations thereof. Multiple drug-bound TtgR and BmrR structures facilitate proposals of binding models, which agree with promiscuous binding and drug-binding profiles. Significantly, the canonical view may be a useful framework to guide future structural interpretations and model proposals. This will be important as alternative depictions of MD recognition become available through more structure determinations.
Bronchocentric Granulomatosis with Glomerulonephritis

Bronchocentric granulomatosis is a chronic pulmonary disease treated with short-term therapy with corticosteroids, and the disease has an excellent prognosis. We describe a patient, and review an additional case from the literature, in whom bronchocentric granulomatosis was accompanied by glomerulonephritis. A misdiagnosis of Wegener's granulomatosis was made, and therapy with cyclophosphamide was either considered or given in each of these cases. We emphasize the need for careful histopathologic evaluation of open lung biopsies in patients suspected of having Wegener's granulomatosis in order to rule out the possibility of bronchocentric granulomatosis with concurrent renal disease, and thus avoid the unnecessary use of cytotoxic agents.
Molecular Orientation in Electrospun Poly(vinylidene fluoride) Fibers

Electrospun poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) nanofibers were collected on aluminum foil across a 10 mm gap. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images showed that fibers in the gap were macroscopically aligned and those off the gap were macroscopically randomly aligned. Polarized Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra and single fiber selected area electron diffraction (SAED) patterns demonstrated that fibers deposited in the gap were highly aligned at the molecular level with the polymer backbones oriented along the fiber axis. SAED patterns of fibers deposited off the gap were also oriented at the molecular level, but the degree of orientation was lower.
Effect of Dietary Calcium Level and Ingredient Composition on Plasma Calcium and Shell Quality in Laying Hens

Abstract Three experiments were conducted with White Leghorn laying hens to study the effect of changes in ingredient composition of diets varying in calcium level on various parameters. Calcium at 2.75 and 3.5% were compared in a corn-soy diet (CS) or diets containing alfalfa meal, distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS), torula yeast, fish meal, or a combination of fish meal, alfalfa meal, and torula yeast. Egg breaking strength in two of three experiments was significantly improved by higher calcium while rate of egg production was improved only in one. Egg shell quality was not significantly affected by changes in ingredient composition. However, calcium in plasma in hens fed the CS diet was significantly higher than for hens fed all of the more complex diets except the one with DDGS. Both diffusable and nondiffusable calcium were affected. Plasma calcium was elevated by the higher dietary calcium in only one of the three experiments. No significant differences were observed in tibial ash, plasma estradiol, plasma phosphorus, or egg weight.
Profitability and Nitrogen Rate Optimization Associated with Winter Cover Management in No‐Tillage Cotton

Sustainable cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) production will require systems that maintain or augment yields without degrading the soil. Our study was undertaken to determine profitability and fertilizer N rate optimization associated with winter cover management in no-tillage cotton. This study was conducted beginning the fall of 1988 and continued through the 1992 growing season in a producer's field on a Caledonia loam (fine, loamy, siliceous, thermic, Typic Paleudalfs) soil with 0 to 2% slope. Winter cover treatments were fallow, rye (Secale cereale L.), and hairy vetch (Vicia villosa Roth), each combined with 0, 45, 90, and 135 Ib N/acre. Profit maximizing N rates as influenced by varying fertilizer N and lint prices ranged from 81 to 94 Ib/acre for winter fallow, 105 to 117 Ib/acre for rye, and 54 to 68 Ib/acre for hairy vetch. Lint yield at the profit-maximizing N rate varied only slightly in response to changes in fertilizer N and lint prices for each winter cover treatment. Both cover crop systems were found to be more profitable at all fertilizer N and lint prices, with rye averaging $24 to $44/acre and hairy vetch $33 to $51/acre greater returns than for winter fallow. Marginal profitability of rye compared with winter fallow was greatest at a fertilizer N-to-lint price ratio of 0.125, while for vetch it was at 0.375. Inclusion of cover crops in no-tillage cotton production systems can result in greater profitability as a result of increased lint yield and in the case of the legume lower fertilizer N inputs, but yearly variability in yield as well as profit may increase.
Hall effect analysis of high purity p -type GaAs grown by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition

Variable temperature Hall effect and low temperature photoluminescence measurements have been performed on high purityp- andn-type GaAs grown at atmospheric pressure by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition. These high purity epitaxial GaAs layers were grown as a function of the arsine (AsH3) to trimethylgallium (TMG) ratio (V/III ratio). The accurate quantitative assessment of the electronic properties of thep-type layers was emphasized. Analysis of the material focussed on the variation of the concentration of the shallow impurities for different V/III ratios. Surface and interface depletion effects are included to accurately estimate the concentration of impurities. The model of the merging of the excited states of the acceptor with the valence band is used to include the dependence the activation energy of the impurity on the acceptor concentration as well as on acceptor species identity. The characteristicp- ton-type conversion with increasing V/III ratio was observed in these samples and the reason for thep- ton-type conversion is that the background acceptor concentration of carbon decreases and the germanium donor concentration increases as the V/III ratio is increased.
Use of Sodium Polyanethol Sulfonate in the Preparation of 5% Sheep Blood Agar Plates

An alternative method to defibrinating sheep blood for use in bacteriological media is described. The new procedure incorporates sodium polyanethol sulfonate in a concentration of 0.05% (vol/vol). In testing 117 bacterial and fungal isolates, no significant differences were found with respect to adequate growth, pigment production, hemolytic reactions, and other physical attributes. Further tests demonstrate that the sodium polyanethol sulfonate in sheep blood agar plates does not cause any aberrations in zone sizes around disks used in antibiotic susceptibility tests. Consequently, the method represents a suitable alternative to the use of defibrinated sheep blood in the preparation of bacteriological media.
Antialiasing filters for continuously varying sampling rate conversion

This paper discusses digital antialiasing filters for continuously varying, digitally implemented conversion of a digital signal from one input sampling rate to another output sampling rate. The scope of this paper includes cases where all sampling intervals of the output signal may differ from each other. A conversion factor which gives the number of input samples per one output sample might be a function of time or sample number, and may have a range which includes both integer and non-integer values. As a time function, a conversion factor may be discontinuous or continuous (if quantization is ignored). There is a limited degree of freedom in selecting structures for antialiasing filters for continuously varying rate conversion. A class of low-pass FIR filters for that purpose is described here. The filters provide a specified antialiasing rejection in a stop-band, and have an impulse response which tracks the output. sampling rate. This tracking means that the continuously varying rate conversion, while being a translation-variant system in the time domain (time-variance) or in the input sample number domain, is translation-invariant in the output sample number domain.
The c-jun kinase/stress-activated pathway : Regulation, function and role in human disease

c-Jun N-terminal kinases (JNKs), also referred to as stress-activated kinases (SAPKs), were initially characterized by their activation in response to cell stress such as UV irradiation. JNK/SAPKs have since been characterized to be involved in proliferation, apoptosis, motility, metabolism and DNA repair. Dysregulated JNK signaling is now believed to contribute to many diseases involving neurodegeneration, chronic inflammation, birth defects, cancer and ischemia/reperfusion injury. In this review, we present our current understanding of JNK regulation and their involvement in homeostasis and dysregulation in human disease.
Analytical goals in therapeutic drug monitoring

The practice of therapeutic drug monitoring is based on several disciplines, including pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and chemical analysis. The impact of the analysis on the determination of pharmacokinetic parameters is not well appreciated. Analytical goals in therapeutic drug monitoring should be established by determining the nature of the problem to be solved, selecting the appropriate matrix and methodology to solve the problem, and developing valid analytical schemes that are performed competently with appropriate quality and interpreted within the framework of the problem.
A blind adaptive TEQ for multicarrier systems

This letter exploits the cyclic prefix to create a blind adaptive globally convergent channel-shortening algorithm, with a complexity like least mean squares. The cost function is related to that of the shortening signal-to-noise solution of Melsa et al. (see IEEE Trans. Commun., vol.44, p.1662-72, Dec. 1996), and simulations are provided to demonstrate the performance of the algorithm.
Orbit Design for Ground Surveillance Using Genetic Algorithms

T HE orbits of remote sensing systems usually dictate the ground resolution, area coverage, and frequency of coverage parameters. Lower altitude orbits enable a spacecraft to provide higher resolution measurements, but orbital perturbations are nonnegligible due to atmospheric drag [1]. Electric propulsion systems can be used to compensate for atmospheric drag [2]. However, low altitude orbits lack wide coverage. Strategies to overcome the lack of coverage, by maneuvering the spacecraft using electric propulsion, were proposed in the literature [3]. In this case, the thrusters are not only used to compensate the perturbations, but are also used to continuously maneuver the spacecraft to achieve given coverage requirements over a given set of sites in a given time frame. One example is to visit a set of 20 sites within a time frame tf of 50 days. However, this solution complicates the satellite system. The motivation then is to find a lower cost solution for this kind of mission. This note proposes a new solution in which the spacecraft is placed in a natural orbit such that it visits all the sites within the time frame without maneuvering. An advantage is the short time for visiting all sites. Performing continuous thrust transfers to maneuver the satellite from one site to another often takes more time. The disadvantage is that some sites may not be visited accurately. A tradeoff between the accuracy and the revisit time for all the sites is needed when planning a mission. To find this natural orbit, we use a genetic algorithm (GA) to perform a directed search among all possible orbits. Implementing a genetic algorithm does not guarantee an optimal orbit, however, it has been shown that in subsequent iterations, better solutions will be sampled at exponentially increasing rates [4]. This issue will be discussed in the section titled Genetic Algorithms. GAs have been adopted in the literature to solve several orbital mechanics problems. We chose to solve the ground surveillance problem using genetic algorithms because this problem is characterized by many local minima. Conventional optimization methods (e.g., gradient methods) are not suitable for this kind of problem. GAs use random choice as a tool to guide a highly exploitative search in the design space [5]. Enumerated methods scan the whole domain andfind the optimal solution. Enumeratedmethods can provide good solutions to the problem.However, the efficiency of these algorithms is very low compared with genetic algorithms [5]. TheGA solution is used as a starting point to find a local minimum solution through traditional optimization methodologies. The final solution will be a local minimum in the neighborhood of the GA solution. Two types of constraints are considered. Thefirstmission searches for maximum resolution for each site for a given imaging sensor. The second mission tries to maximize the observation time.
Transition Step during Assembly of HIV Tat:P-TEFb Transcription Complexes and Transfer to TAR RNA

Transcription factors regulate eukaryotic RNA polymerase II (Pol II) activity by assembling and remodeling complexes at multiple steps in the transcription cycle. In HIV, we previously proposed a two-step model where the viral Tat protein first preassembles at the promoter with an inactive P-TEFb:7SK snRNP complex and later transfers P-TEFb to TAR on the nascent transcript, displacing the inhibitory snRNP and resulting in Pol II phosphorylation and stimulation of elongation. It is unknown how the Tat:P-TEFb complex transitions to TAR to activate the P-TEFb kinase. Here, we show that P-TEFb artificially recruited to the nascent transcript is not competent for transcription but rather remains inactive due to its assembly with the 7SK snRNP. Tat supplied in trans is able to displace the kinase inhibitor Hexim1 from the snRNP and activate P-TEFb, thereby uncoupling Tat requirements for kinase activation and TAR binding. By combining comprehensive mutagenesis of Tat with multiple cell-based reporter assays that probe the activity of Tat in different arrangements, we genetically defined a transition step in which preassembled Tat:P-TEFb complexes switch to TAR. We propose that a conserved network of residues in Tat has evolved to control this transition and thereby switch the host elongation machinery to viral transcription.
Partially circumventing peripheral tolerance for oncogene-specific prostate cancer immunotherapy.

BACKGROUND. Failure of cancer immunotherapy is essentially due to immunological tolerance to tumor-associated antigens (TAAs), as these antigens are also expressed in healthy tissues. METHODS. Here, we used transgenic adenocarcinoma of mouse prostate (TRAMP) mice, which develop lethal prostate cancer due to prostate-specific expression of SV40 T antigen (Tag), to evaluate effects of prostatic transformation on oncogene TAA-specific tolerance and to test the possibility of breaking such tolerance using a modified recombinant vaccinia virus. RESULTS. We showed that Tag expression in TRAMP mice is uniquely extra-thymic, and levels of prostatic Tag expression positively correlate with malignant transformation of the prostate. Yet, young tumor-free TRAMP mice were tolerant to Tag antigen. We therefore attempted overcoming such peripheral oncogene-specific T cell tolerance through immunization with a vaccinia construct encoding Tag immunogenic epitopes. This vaccination modality showed that oncogene-specific tolerance was successfully overcome by effective in vivo priming of Tag-specific cytotoxic T cells (CTLs). However, this was restricted to young TRAMP
[99mTc]TRODAT-1 SPECT imaging correlates with odor identification in early Parkinson disease.

Background: In vivo imaging of the dopamine transporter with [ 99m Tc]TRODAT-1 (TRODAT) and olfactory testing have both been proposed as potential biomarkers in Parkinson disease (PD). Objective: To evaluate the relationship between TRODAT SPECT imaging, odor identification skills, and motor function in patients with early PD. Methods: Twenty-four patients with a clinical diagnosis of early-stage PD (mean Hoehn & Yahr stage = 1.4) underwent TRODAT imaging, Unified PD Rating Scale (UPDRS) ratings of motor function, and administration of the University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test (UPSIT). Brain images were obtained using a standardized processing protocol and specific uptake ratios for striatal regions of interest were calculated. Partial correlations between the imaging indices, disease duration, UPSIT scores, and UPDRS motor scores were then calculated. Results: UPSIT scores were correlated with TRODAT uptake in the striatum as a whole (r = 0.66, p = 0.001). The putamen showed the strongest correlation with the UPSIT (r = 0.74; p p = 0.11), but was not significant. Conclusions: Olfactory function is highly correlated with dopamine transporter imaging abnormalities in early Parkinson disease (PD). Further studies are warranted to determine whether changes over time in these two measures are also correlated in early PD.
Phase stability and elastic moduli of Cr2Nb by first-principles calculations

The phase stability and elastic moduli of Cr2Nb are investigated by first-principles calculations. Heats of formation are calculated and compared for the three Laves phases (C15, C14, and C36). It is found that the C15 phase is the ground-state structure with the lowest energy and the C36 phase is an intermediate state between C15 and C14. These three phases, however, are very close in energy, indicating low stacking fault energies in this system. For the ground-state C15 phase, we calculate three elastic constants from which the shear and Young’s moduli are obtained. It is found that these calculated moduli are smaller than the experimental values obtained from polycrystals.
MÜllerian Duct Maintenance in Heterotypic Organ Culture after in Vivo Exposure to Diethylstilbestrol

Prenatal exposure to diethylstilbestrol (DES) results in the persistence of Mullerian ducts in male offspring. The influence of DES on Mullerian duct regression was studied using an organ culture system in which DES-treated or control indifferent ducts (embryonic reproductive tracts) were cocultured along with treated or control embryonic testes. Prenatal DES exposure was by sc injection of the mother (100 μg/kg BW) on days 9 through 12 of gestation. Embryonic tissues were removed on day 13 of gestation and cultured for 72 h. In organ culture, Mullerian duct regression, comparable to that seen in vivo, occurred when control reproductive tracts were associated with control testes. However, maintenance of the Mullerian duct was observed in 100% of the tissues when DES-treated testes and DES-treated reproductive tracts were cultured together. When recombinations were formed by the association of control reproductive tracts and DES-treated testes, there was regression of the Mullerian duct (87%). However, in ...
Vascular Absorption of Local Anesthetic Producing Systemic Toxicity

Local anesthetic toxicity is an infrequent but potentially life-threatening complication of a medication we use commonly in day-to-day practice. There is a wide array of presenting signs of toxicity that we should recognize when using high volumes of local anesthetics. There are many contributors to the eventual plasma concentration of local anesthetics including but not limited to dose, concentration, and block site. In addition to identifying the presence of local anesthetic toxicity, we should be able to quickly treat the symptoms to prevent escalation of events that may lead to more devastating consequences.
Mammalian bite marks on juvenile fur seal bones from the late Neogene Purisima Formation of central California

Fossils of extinct fur seals and walruses (Carnivora: Pinnipedia) occur within rich vertebrate fossil assemblages recovered from the shallow marine Mio-Pliocene Purisima Formation, central California. Two isolated postcranial bones—a humerus and a radius—belonging to a juvenile fur seal (Pinnipedia: Otariidae) exhibit circular depressions. These bone modifications are associated with radial and circular fractures, and are characterized by inward displacement of the cortex. These depressions lack features typical of erosive invertebrate borings, trampling damage from media ( = substrate) interaction, puncturing by another object during diagenetic compaction, such as a clast embedded or associated with the modification, or pathologic bone modification. These features are best interpreted as tooth marks. These tooth marks lack certain characteristics of commonly reported marks inflicted by shark teeth, such as linear gouges and subparallel scrapes formed by xiphodont and serrated teeth. These bone modifications instead exhibit a circular shape and inward displacement of the cortex, consistent with puncturing by a conical mammal tooth. The size and distribution of the tooth marks, in concert with the known vertebrate assemblage from the Purisima Formation, indicate several possible producers of the bone modifications: a pilot whale or beluga-like cetacean, a terrestrial carnivore, a dusignathine or odobenine walrus, or a case of infanticide by a conspecific otariid.
A de-identifier for medical discharge summaries

Objective: Clinical records contain significant medical information that can be useful to researchers in various disciplines. However, these records also contain personal health information (PHI) whose presence limits the use of the records outside of hospitals. The goal of de-identification is to remove all PHI from clinical records. This is a challenging task because many records contain foreign and misspelled PHI; they also contain PHI that are ambiguous with non-PHI. These complications are compounded by the linguistic characteristics of clinical records. For example, medical discharge summaries, which are studied in this paper, are characterized by fragmented, incomplete utterances and domain-specific language; they cannot be fully processed by tools designed for lay language. Methods and results: In this paper, we show that we can de-identify medical discharge summaries using a de-identifier, Stat De-id, based on support vector machines and local context (F-measure=97% on PHI). Our representation of local context aids de-identification even when PHI include out-of-vocabulary words and even when PHI are ambiguous with non-PHI within the same corpus. Comparison of Stat De-id with a rule-based approach shows that local context contributes more to de-identification than dictionaries combined with hand-tailored heuristics (F-measure=85%). Comparison with two well-known named entity recognition (NER) systems, SNoW (F-measure=94%) and IdentiFinder (F-measure=36%), on five representative corpora show that when the language of documents is fragmented, a system with a relatively thorough representation of local context can be a more effective de-identifier than systems that combine (relatively simpler) local context with global context. Comparison with a Conditional Random Field De-identifier (CRFD), which utilizes global context in addition to the local context of Stat De-id, confirms this finding (F-measure=88%) and establishes that strengthening the representation of local context may be more beneficial for de-identification than complementing local with global context.
A Test of Biosocial Models of Adolescent Cigarette and Alcohol Involvement

We tested biosocial models that posit interactions between biological variables (testosterone, estradiol, pubertal status, and pubertal timing) and social context variables (family, peer, school, and neighborhood) in predicting adolescent involvement with cigarettes and alcohol in a sample of 409 adolescents in grades 6 and 8. Models including the biological and contextual variables and their interactions explained significantly more variance in adolescent cigarette and alcohol involvement than did models including only the main effects of the biological and contextual variables. Post-hoc analyses of significant interactions suggested that, in most case, moderation occurred in the hypothesized direction. Consistent with dual hazards models of adolescent antisocial behaviors, the relationships between the biological and substance use variables became positive and stronger as the context became more harmful. Considerations of adolescent substance use, and perhaps other problem behaviors, should recognize the possible role of biological variables and how their influence may vary by social context.
Danazol Administration to Females with Menses-Associated Exacerbations of Acute Intermittent Porphyria

Acute intermittent porphyria (AIP) is a disorder of porphyrin metabolism in which the basic defect is a partial deficiency of uroporphyrinogen I synthase. The clinical disorder is more common in women, and some experience acute attacks before menstrual periods. Oral contraceptives have prevented menstrual-associated attacks in some cases, but exogenous estrogens and progestins are otherwise contraindicated in this disease. Danazol, a new synthetic steroid with weak androgenic activity, was thought to be of potential therapeutic benefit in AIP because of its effect of decreasing gonadotropin secretion without exposure to estrogen or progesterone. The drug was administered at a dosage of 200 mg t.i.d. to two adult females with AIP who were experiencing frequent exacerbations of their disease in association with their menstrual periods. Symptomatic and chemical evidence for exacerbation of porphyria occurred within 10 days of commencing danazol treatment in both patients.
Moraic Feet in Prakrit Metrics: A Constraint-Based Approach: MORAIC FEET IN PRAKRIT METRICS

The traditional description of the gaṇacchandas family of metres of Sanskrit and Prakrit literature, of which the āryā metre is the best known, refers to gaṇas or ‘groups’ of mātrās. Mātrās correspond to the ‘moras’ of modern phonology. In this paper the āryā is given a detailed analysis on the basis of the traditional description and the empirical data provided by its use in an early Prakrit anthology, the Sattasaī. Several new metrical phenomena are identified, and the incidence of syllabic patterns, rhythmic structures, word boundaries, and stress are considered. The prosodic foot is shown to play an important role in the regulation of the āryā’s categorical and gradient patterns. This analysis uses Optimality Theory to account for both kinds of patterns and supports recent research that holds partially ranked constraints responsible for gradient patterns in metrical corpora. Other theories, which derive metrical structure by bottom-up rules, fail to account for the āryā’s characteristic patterns.
Inhibition of hyperglycemia-induced angiogenesis and breast cancer tumor growth by systemic injection of microRNA-467 antagonist

Abnormal angiogenesis in multiple tissues is a key characteristic of the vascular complications of diabetes. However, angiogenesis may be increased in one tissue but decreased in another in the same patient at the same time point in the disease. The mechanisms of aberrant angiogenesis in diabetes are not understood. There are no selective therapeutic approaches to target increased neovascularization without affecting physiologic angiogenesis and angiogenesis in ischemic tissues. We recently reported a novel miRNA-dependent pathway that up-regulates angiogenesis in response to hyperglycemia in a cell- and tissue-specific manner. The goal of the work described herein was to test whether systemic administration of an antagonist of miR-467 would prevent hyperglycemia-induced local angiogenesis in a tissue-specific manner. We examined the effect of the antagonist on hyperglycemia-induced tumor growth and angiogenesis and on skin wound healing in mouse models of diabetes. Our data demonstrated that the systemic...