cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Regulation of transcription functions of the p53 tumor suppressor by the mdm-2 oncogene

Mdm-2, a zinc finger protein, negatively regulates the p53 tumor suppressor gene product by binding to it and preventing transcriptional activation (16). Assays for p53 mediated transcription, repression and activation by mutant and wild-type p53 proteins were used to measure the ability of mdm-2 to block each activity. Mdm-2 was able to inhibit all three functions of the wild-type and mutant p53 activities; transcriptional activation by the wild-type protein, transcriptional activation by the mutant p53 protein, and repression by the wild-type protein. The mdm protein binds to the amino terminal portion of the p53 protein and, in so doing, blocks the ability of p53 to interact with the transcriptional machinery of the cell (23). The mdm-2 protein binds to both leucine-tryptophan residues at amino acids 22 and 23, from the amino terminal end of the protein, and in so doing, prevents all p53 functions. The ability of a mutant p53 protein to transactivate a multidrug resistance-1 gene promoter is blocked by mdm-2 and the ability of the wild-type p53 protein to repress transcription of some genes is also blocked by the mdm-2 protein. Thus, all three functions of the p53 protein—transcriptional activation, repression and mutant protein activation—require the p53 amino terminal domain functions and are regulated by the mdm-2 protein in a cell. When mdm-2 is overproduced, resulting in a tumor or transformation of a cell, all of the p53 activities are inactivated.
GINGIVAL MICROCYSTS IN INFANCY

A congenital, developmental abnormality of the gingiva, in the form of clinically visible, multiple microcysts, appearing in an infant of 3 months of age, is described. Their duration and eventual disappearance beyond a period of 12 months was noted. Familiarity with this condition is helpful in formulating a favorable prognostic evaluation.
SWELL OF WYOMING MONTMORILLONITE AND SAND MIXTURES

Eight blends of silica sand and Wyoming montmorillonite clay (volclay) at varying proportions by weight were tested at three different temperatures (24 deg C, 38 deg C, and 66 deg C) to investigate their swell characteristics. The study showed that the mixtures with liquid limits below 35 percent are not susceptible to expansion. An analytical equation and a general procedure are shown for estimating the percent of swell these soil mixtures exhibit as a function of time and their liquid limits. A general procedure and an illustrative example are presented to acquaint the reader with the use of laboratory swell test data to evaluate the swell behavior of in-situ field soils. (ASCE)
Antiaging Medicine and Mild Cognitive Impairment: Practice and Policy Issues for Geriatrics

The claim that aging itself is treatable or even preventable has repeatedly been made over the centuries. Antiaging medicine is the current leader of approaches that even claim that geriatrics as a discipline will become increasingly unnecessary. The concept of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) as a condition intermediate between normal cognitive aging and Alzheimer's disease highlights the conceptual and practical difficulty of differentiating aging from disease. What should geriatricians and their organizations make of scientifically mainstream attempts to decelerate, arrest, or compress aspects of the normal human aging, including the brain aging process? This article reviews the political, philosophical, practice-related, and economical implications of antiaging medicine for geriatrics using MCI as a practical example. It concludes by suggesting actions that geriatricians should consider to strengthen their profession and to improve patient care in response to the challenges of longevity medicine.
The Solubility of Amino Acids and Two Glycine Peptides in Aqueous Ethanol and Dioxane Solutions ESTABLISHMENT OF A HYDROPHOBICITY SCALE

The solubilities of amino acids, diglycine, and triglycine have been measured in water and aqueous ethanol as well as dioxane solutions. Free energies of transfer of amino acid side chains and backbone peptide units from water to ethanol and dioxane solutions have been calculated from these data. The results show the similarity between the effects of ethanol and dioxane on the stability of those side chains and peptide units. In particular, the free energies of transfer of hydrophobic side chains to 100% ethanol and dioxane are essentially identical, and have been used to establish a hydrophobicity scale for hydrophobic side chains.
Moiré interferometry strain measurements in elastic thin membranes

The strain in thin flexible membranes representing human skin has been studied using moire interferometry. A method of using a flexible coating of photographic emulsion was developed. The equations for use in differential interferometry were also derived for very large deformations. The method was applied to two types of cases: rectangular membranes subjected to a uniform axial strain, and membranes containing strain concentrators that represent bandages placed on the surface of the skin. Results for the former case were within 3% of exact results, while results near the concentrator indicate strain concentration factors ranging from −1.25 to 1.75.
Detection-Controlled Prediction of Accounting Irregularities: Channel Stuffing as an Illustrative Case

A number of prior studies use a sample of detected accounting irregularities, e.g., SEC’s enforcement actions and class-action lawsuits, to predict the likelihood of accounting violations. The ability of these models to correctly identify potential violations is inhibited by the fact that all violations that occur are not observed. We demonstrate that using a partial-observability bivariate probit model to jointly estimate the probability of commission and the probability of detection of an accounting violation helps to improve the classification accuracy of the prediction model when not all violations are detected. As an illustrative example, we use a sample of firms that engaged in accounting irregularities associated with a particular form of revenue manipulation – channel stuffing. Channel stuffing is an ideal setting for this purpose because it is difficult to detect without the help of whistle-blowers and provides multiple ex post indicators that can help validate the model’s identification of potential violators. Our results show that the power and specification of the bivariate probit prediction model is superior to that of the simple probit model. We find that a sub-sample of the population of firms identified as having a high likelihood of channel stuffing by the bivariate probit model has similar industry representation and exhibits future reversals in sales, production and profitability that closely parallel those of the detected channel stuffing sample. The same is not true for the sub-sample identified by the simple probit model. In fact, the sub-samples identified by the two models do not exhibit significant overlap. Our results highlight the need to control for the probability of detection to minimize misclassification in studies predicting accounting irregularities that are hard to detect.
Revisit of AASHTO Effective Flange-Width Provisions for Box Girders

The nonuniform normal stress distribution along the flange of thin-walled flexural members, such as box girders, is recognized as shear lag effects. Effective flange width is widely used to consider shear lag effects in bridge design. The existing provisions for effective flange width in AASHTO LRFD Specifications can be unconservative compared with this study and other design regulations worldwide. An energy-based variation analysis was used in the study to evaluate the AASHTO provisions. With extensive parametric studies, equations were proposed to calculate the effective flange width for box girders. The new provisions consider the critical factors for the shear lag behavior: geometry of the girder, loading pattern, material properties, and the existence of longitudinal stiffeners.
CAF: Community aware framework for large scale mobile opportunistic networks

The fundamental challenge in opportunistic networking is when and how to forward a message. Rank-based forwarding, one of the most promising methods for addressing this challenge, ranks nodes based on their social profiles or contact history in order to identify the most suitable forwarders. While these forwarding techniques have demonstrated great performance trends, we observe that they fail to efficiently forward messages in large scale networks. In this paper, we demonstrate using real mobility traces, the weakness of existing rank-based forwarding algorithms in large scale communities. We propose strategies for partitioning large communities into sub-communities based on geographic locality or social interests. We also propose exploiting particular nodes, named MultiHomed nodes, in order to disseminate messages across these sub-communities. We introduce CAF, a Community Aware Forwarding framework, which is designed to be integrated with state-of-the-art rank-based forwarding algorithms, in order to improve their performance in large scale networks. We use real mobility traces to evaluate our proposed techniques. Our results empirically show a delivery success rate increase of up to 40%, along with 5% to 30% improved success delivery rates compared to state-of-the-art rank-based forwarding algorithms; these results are obtained while incurring a marginal increase in cost which is less than 10%. We finally propose an extension of the original framework called Community Destination Aware Framework (CDAF). Assuming that the source node can determine the destination's community, CDAF further reduces the cost of CAF by a factor of 2 while maintaining similar success rates.
Growth stage scheduling criteria for sprinkler-irrigated soybeans

Soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] producers in the Great Plains region usually employ either a seasonal soil water balance approach, or a growth stage sensitivity approach, relative to scheduling sprinkler irrigation events. We conducted an empirical evaluation of the response of six soybean cultivars to three irrigation strategies. One was an irrigation scheduling (IS) system based solely on maintaining a soil water content in the root zone between 50% and 80% of the total plant available soil water capacity. The other two strategies involved the same depletion criterion for triggering irrigation events, except that the first irrigation was intentionally delayed until the flowering (FL) stage, or the mid-pod elongation (PD) stage. The total water amount applied during each season was approximately similar for the IS, FL, and PD strategies. Thus, the primary difference among the three strategies was the time frame during which irrigation events were scheduled. In the 1983 test, the yields attained in the IS, FL, and PD treatments were not significantly different from each other (i.e. 4.08, 4.08, and 4.04 Mg/ha, respectively), and were nearly double the yield obtained in the nonirrigated (NI) check treatment (2.29 Mg/ha). In the 1984 test, the yields of the IS, FL, and PD treatments were again not significantly different (2.02, 2.05, and 2.22 Mg/ha, respectively). However, the 1984 yield response to irrigation was also not significant relative to the NI check (1.90 Mg/ha), primarily because of low plant populations and a shorter growing season. Thus, this two-year experiment indicated that delaying irrigation until the FL or the PD stages of soybean reproductive development could be just as effective (i.e. 1983 data), or at least no more ineffective (i.e. 1984 data), in enhancing soybean yield compared to the IS strategy (Fig. 1). The soil water balance and soybean growth stage sensitivity approaches, when combined, could thus constitute an effective strategy of soybean sprinkler irrigation management in the Great Plains region.
Effectiveness of Nasal Sumatriptan in 5- to 12-Year-Old Children

Objective.—To assess the tolerability and effectiveness of nasal sumatriptan in the treatment of migraine in 5- to 12-year-old children. Background.—Although headaches are a common disorder and occur in up to 10.6% of children, many of the new migraine abortive agents have not been well evaluated in this population. It has recently been reported that nasal sumatriptan is effective in the treatment of migraine in adolescents. In younger children, it is yet to be characterized. In addition, many children have significant amounts of vomiting with their migraines, limiting their use of oral medications. Design and Methods.—Children with headache were evaluated by a child neurologist, child psychologist, and pediatric nurse practitioner. Clinical and International Headache Society diagnoses were established for each child. Patients with headaches that were either unresponsive to oral medications or had significant vomiting were treated with nasal sumatriptan. Initial administration and tolerability were performed in the Headache Center at Cincinnati's Children's Hospital Medical Center. Patients or their parents were contacted to assess the overall effectiveness of nasal sumatriptan after home administration. Results.—Ten patients aged between 5 and 12 years (mean, 9.9 years) received either a 5-mg (n = 2) or 20-mg (n = 8) dose of sumatriptan. All 10 patients had a clinical diagnosis of migraine; 7 met the International Headache Society criteria for migraine. The mean age of headache onset was 6.6 years. A total of 57 headaches were treated; 47 (82.5%) responded to sumatriptan. Of the patients who treated headaches, the mean number of headaches treated was 5.2, while the mean number of responsive headaches was 4.3. One patient had no response, 2 patients had a 50% response, and 6 patients had 100% response to the nasal sumatriptan. Three patients reported persistent “bad taste.” Conclusions.—This report demonstrates that nasal sumatriptan may be effective in aborting migraine in young children (aged 5 to 12 years). It also suggests that there may be subgroups for which it works well. This information suggests that double-blind, placebo-controlled studies are necessary to determine the overall effectiveness of nasal sumatriptan in this age group.
Design, synthesis and evaluation of carbamoylmethylphosphine sulfide (CMPS)-based chelates for separation of lanthanides and actinides

Abstract C3-symmetric triphenoxymethane platforms were substituted with carbamoylmethylphosphine sulfide arms and these tris-CMPS compounds were evaluated as extractants for f-element metal ions from 1 M nitric acid solution. Their properties were compared to the carbamoylmethylphosphine oxide derivatives on the same triphenoxymethane platform (tris-CMPO). The terbium complex of tris-CMPS was crystallized and examined via X-ray structural analysis to provide valuable insight into the binding properties of the soft tripodal chelate.
Some aspects of detectors and electronics for X-ray fluorescence analysis

Abstract This paper present some of the less recognized and potentially important parameters of the electronics and detectors used in X-ray fluorescence spectrometers. Detector factors include window (dead-layer) effects, time-dependent background and excess background. Noise parameters of field-effect transistors and time-variant pulse shaping are also discussed.
Operational modal analysis of a multi-span skew bridge using real-time wireless sensor networks

A large-scale field deployment of high-density, real-time wireless sensors networks for the acquisition of local acceleration measurements across a medium length, multi-span highway bridge is prese...
Normal Pubertal Development: Part II: Clinical Aspects of Puberty

1. Brian Bordini, MD* 2. Robert L Rosenfield, MD* 1. *Section of Adult and Pediatric Endocrinology, The University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine, Chicago, IL. After completing this article, readers should be able to: 1. Describe the usual sequence of pubertal development in boys and girls. 2. Describe how linear growth during puberty is related to pubertal stage. 3. Identify pubertal abnormalities that require further evaluation. Part I of this article, which deals with the endocrine basis of puberty, was published in the June 2011 issue of Pediatrics in Review. Sexual Maturity Rating (SMR) staging of sexual development, also known as Tanner staging, provides a means of discretely documenting a child's progression through puberty by inspection. Separate scales are used for breast (female), genital (male), and pubic hair (both sexes) development (Figs. 1 and 2). (1)(2)(3) By definition, SMR stage 1 is prepubertal. Pubertal development of the gonads is indicated specifically by thelarche (breast stage 2) in girls (Fig. 1) and testicular enlargement (genital stage 2) in boys (Fig. 2). Pubertal development is ongoing at stage 3, nearly complete by stage 4, and complete and adultlike at stage 5. Figure 1. Stages of breast and pubic hair development. Stage 1 is prepubertal. Breast stages (left panel): 2–a subareolar breast bud, 3–elevation of the breast contour and enlargement of the areolae, 4–the areolae form a secondary mound above the contour of the breast, 5–mature female breast with recession of the secondary mound and a dependent breast contour. Pubic hair stages (right panel): 2–sparse, fine, straight pubic hair; 3—long, dark, curly hair; 4–pubic hair resembles adult pubic hair in quality but not distribution, having not yet spread to the thighs; 5–pubic hair has adult quality and distribution, with spread to the medial thighs. Males go through the same …
High temperature properties of bipolar cascade lasers

Summary form only given.Bipolar cascade lasers (BCLs) are capable of demonstrating voltage, incremental resistance, and differential slope efficiencies that are ideally the sum of the individual laser junctions in the cascade. The first room temperature (RT), continuous wave (CW) performance a BCL was recently reported with a record demonstrated differential slope efficiency of 99.3%. We have determined the characteristic temperatures of bipolar cascade lasers and found them to compare well with published data for conventional devices of similar material composition.
Solving fuzzy equations

We start in the next Section 10.2 with looking at possible solutions to the simple fuzzy linear equation \( \overline{A} \cdot \overline{X} + \overline{B} = \overline{C}\). We discuss three different types of solution which we have studied before in solving fuzzy equations. Then we present a fourth type of solution, based on our fuzzy Monte Carlo method, in Section 10.2.2. This new solution is based on random fuzzy numbers. In Section 10.3 we look at only “classical” solutions to the fuzzy quadratic equation and apply our fuzzy Monte Carlo method to obtain new solutions. Then in Section 10.4 we consider the fuzzy matrix equation \(\overline{A} \cdot \overline{X}=\overline{B}\) and a number of solution types for \(\overline{X}\) and then another solution based on fuzzy Monte Carlo techniques. The last section contains a brief summary and our conclusions.
Comparative involvement of dopamine and noradrenaline in rate-free self-stimulation in substantia nigra, lateral hypothalamus, and mesencephalic central gray

Previous research has shown that self-stimulation (SS) is found in substantia nigra (SN) and that SS in other loci is altered by drugs preferentially influencing dopaminergic neurotransmission. In the first part of this investigation the effects of pimozide (0.35 and 0.5 mg/kg), apomorphine (0.25, 0.5, 0.75 and 1.5 mg/kg), d-amphetamine (0.1, 0.25, and 1.0 mg/kg) and L-amphetamine (0.25, 1.0, and 2.5 mg/kg) on SS in lateral hypothalamus (HL) and SN were separately determined. To reduce possible confounding of drug effects on SS with non-specific changes in motor activation, a rate-free test of SS was employed. Pimozide (0.5 mg/kg) reduced SS more strongly in SN than in HL, confirming the existence of a dopaminergic substrate of SS in SN, but HL SS was also reduced by this drug. Low doses of apomorphine (0.25 and 0.5 mg/kg) elevated SS in HL while not influencing or slightly reducing SS in SN. Higher doses of apomorphine reduced SS in both regions. The enhancing effect of 0.1 mg/kg d-amphetamine on SS was greater in HL than in SN. However, d-amphetamine tended to increase SS more strongly than did L-amphetamine in SN as well as HL. It was concluded that HL SS may be mediated by both noradrenergic and dopaminergic substrates.
Evidence that efferents from the basolateral amygdala innervate the dorsolateral neostriatum in rats

Abstract The dorsolateral precommissural caudate-putamen complex has been characterized recently as a ‘nonlimbic’ region of the neostriatum. In the present study, however, it was found that numerous neurons in the basolateral amygdala were labeled retrogradely following infusions of Evans Blue into that neostriatal region. Control infusions demonstrated that such labeling could not be attributed to the spread of the red fluorescent tracer into surrounding neocortical areas. On the basis of these data, it is proposed that: (1) the amygdalo-neostriatal pathway may be more extensive than previously believed, and (2) the basolateral amygdala may serve as an important link between the limbic and extrapyramidal motor systems.
Demonstration of remote steric differentiation of cis/trans alkene coordination in copper(I) complexes of aryl-substituted bis(2-pyridyl)amine

Complexes of the type [Cu(R-dpa)(η2-olefin)]BF4 (R = Mes and 2-iPrC6H4) for cis- and trans- isomers of 3-octene, as well as those for cis- and trans-4-octene (R = 2-iPrC6H4) have been prepared and characterized by 1H and 13C NMR, FTIR, and TGA. The crystal structure of [Cu(Mes-dpa)(η2-trans-3-octene)]BF4 (2) has been determined via X-ray crystallography. The asymmetric unit in the crystal lattice of 2 contains two unique conformations of the complex cation related by a pseudo center of symmetry, which differ primarily in the orientation of the olefin with respect to the rest of the molecule. The 1H and 13C NMR spectra of [Cu(Ar-dpa)(η2-olefin)]BF4 exhibit olefin resonances shifted upfield with respect to free olefin. The difference in Δδ(13C) relative magnitudes between cis- and trans- complexes, i.e., the binding, correlates with the degree of substitution at the amine nitrogen. The identity of the remote ligand substituent (Ar) controls the differentiation of binding between cis and trans isomers as a consequence of increased folding of the Ar-dpa ligand along the Cu⋯N axis.
3H-cortisol radioactivity in hepatic smooth endoplasmic reticulum.

Abstract After a lag of 15 minutes, the microsomal fraction of liver rapidly accumulates injected cortisol radioactivity at a rate parallel to the liver homogenate. The hormone binds mainly to the smooth membrane fraction, poorly to the rough membrane fraction and virtually not at all to the ribosomes. The bound radioactivity is not released by extensive water washing of either membrane fraction but can be extracted with n-butanol. Anionic metabolites, electrophoretically similar to those found in the cytosol, are formed with time on the smooth membrane. The data suggest hormone binding to metabolizing enzymes of the smooth membrane and possibly to other structural sites which may be obscured by ribosomes in the rough membrane.
Effect of random noise on a mode-locked system

We have experimentally added white noise to an analog Josephson-junction simulator in the mode-locked state. The Poincar\'e sections and power spectra of the analog simulator have been reconstructed from the resultant time-series data. A classical form of noise squeezing is observed. In addition, the power spectra associated with noisy motion about the subharmonic fixed points in the simulator's Poincar\'e section are found to be Lorentzian in shape. These observations are well accounted for by a theory of noisy mode-locked dynamics recently developed by Wiesenfeld and Satija.
Error-tolerant non-binary error correction code for low power wireless sensor networks

Wireless sensor networks have emerged as revolutionary technology, where hundreds or thousands of small sensor units are distributed over an environment to monitor a certain phenomenon and achieve a certain functionality. These small sensor nodes are capable of sensing, computing, and communicating. Even though their capabilities are limited, their overall behaviour is complex. For decades researchers all over the world have been working on realizing many applications for wireless sensor networks and trying to overcome their issues. As in any new technology several challenges stand as a barrier to the advancement of wireless sensor networks. One important challenge is power consumption since the expected life of a wireless sensor network is determined by the lifetime of its components. In this paper we propose a modification to the Reed-Solomon decoder algorithm in order to reduce its power consumption and thus improve the lifetime of wireless sensor networks. The proposed modification exploits the fact that there exist applications that tolerate errors without totally jeopardizing the integrity of the data. This opens the door for new type of error control codes, namely error-tolerant non-binary error correction codes. Here we explore the performance of the proposed algorithm in terms of bit error rate and symbol error rate in comparison to the original algorithm and uncoded data. Also we provide a power saving estimate resulting from implementing such an algorithm.
Role of telomeres and telomerase in genomic instability, senescence and cancer

Telomeres are ribonucleoprotein structures that protect the end of linear chromosomes from recognition as DNA double-stranded breaks and activation of a DNA damage response. Telomere-associated proteins also regulate telomerase, the protein responsible for maintaining telomere length. Loss of telomere function results from either alteration in the capping function at telomeres, or from progressive loss of telomeric repeats necessary to maintain proper telomeric structure. Dysfunctional telomeres activate p53 to initiate cellular senescence or apoptosis to suppress tumorigenesis. However, in the absence of p53, telomere dysfunction is an important mechanism to generate chromosomal instability commonly found in human carcinomas. Telomerase is expressed in the majority of human cancers, making it an attractive therapeutic target. Emerging anti-telomerase therapies that are currently in clinical trials might prove useful against some forms of human cancers.
Ambient Air Quality and Automotive Emission Control

This paper is concerned with uncertainties involved in projecting ambient air quality. Ambient air quality was projected by assuming a linear dependence on estimated future emissions. Future automotive emissions were estimated by a method recommended by EPA. Projections were made for the locations reported to have the highest ambient air concentrations of each pollutant; Chicago for carbon monoxide and the California South Coast Air Basin for hydrocarbon and oxidant. The sensitivity of the projections to several input parameters was determined. The uncertainty in projection of air quality due to the use of a maximum, once-per-year concentration is large. For example, the reduction in total CO emissions in Chicago in 1975, necessary to meet the air quality standard, was as high as 68% or as low as 26%, depending on whether the historic high, 8 hr average concentration of 44 ppm or the 1970 maximum of 21 ppm was used. The effects of uncertainties in growth rates and fraction of emissions attributed to the a...
Sources of Variability in Children's Drawings.

An experiment involving 90 students in the 1st, 3rd, and 5th grades investigated how visual examples and grade (our surrogate for age) affected variability in a drawing task. The task involved using circles as the main element in a set of drawings. There were two examples: One was simple and single (a smiley face inside a circle); the other, complex and dual (a fishbowl extending outside a circle and a bicycle using two circles). There were significant effects of both example and grade on variability. Between-grades, 3rd and 5th graders were more variable than 1st graders with the complex (but not the simple) set of examples. Within-grades, 3rd and 5th graders were more variable with the complex (compared to the simple) set of examples. First graders' variability levels did not change with examples. The discussion focuses on how examples have and should be used to increase variability in drawings of both younger and older children.
MATERNAL ACQUAINTANCE WITH ADOPTED AND BIRTH INFANTS

The purpose of this study was a) to investigate the effects of teaching mothers unique behavioral cues of their adopted infant and b) to learn if there is a difference between mothering of adopted and birth infants. A pretest, post-test experimental prospective design was used with random assignment of mother-adopted infant dyads. Dyads were randomized into experimental and non-experimental groups. Infants were tested using Massie's “Mother infant Attachment Indicators During Stress”. A teaching session of specific behavioral cues was given to only the experimental group. Post-test scoring was evaluated by a blind observer; interrater reliability agreement was 0.90. Mean age of the 17 adoptive mothers was 33±4 years; of the adopted infants was 11±9 weeks. Age matched birth mothers formed the control group. The mean age of the 13 birth mothers was 31±5 years; of the birth infants was 8±9 weeks. Differences demonstrated between birth and adopted dyads were: affect (p<.07), holding (p<.03), infant gazing (p<.05) and maternal gazing (p<.002). Differences between adoptive and birth mothering were reflected in holding (p<.08), touching (p<.05), and vocalizing (p<.03). All mothers were interviewed and the qualitative analyses demonstrated seven themes. We have found a difference in the maternal-adopted infant dyad when compared to birth mother-infant dyads. Mothering of adopted infants may also be changed temporarily by a specific teaching intervention.
On syntactic edge detection in noisy pictures

Syntactic methods for the extraction of meaningful edge information in noise-distorted pictures are reported. The relational structures of the pictures under processing are considereda priori information known to the edge detector. Several digital line and picture description grammars are used to illustrate the proposed edge detection scheme. Line-drawing programs, primitive recognizing mechanism methods, and picture parsing methods are employed to process two sample picture classes — the equilateral triangles and the stacked blocks. Advantages and applications of this “syntactic” global approach to edge detection are presented and compared with the conventionalad hoc methods using local operators.
Influence of donor and recipient sex mismatch on heart transplant outcomes: analysis of the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation Registry.

Background Prior studies have presented contradictory results after analyzing associations between donor and recipient sex on survival after heart transplantation and causes of death such as acute rejection (AR) and cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV). We used the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation (ISHLT) Registry, the largest repository of heart transplant outcomes worldwide, to comprehensively address these questions. Method We studied 60,584 adult recipients of heart transplants performed between 1990 and 2008. Outcomes of interest were overall survival, death-censored allograft survival, AR, and CAV, which were studied using regression models. To assess whether donor/recipient sex mismatch affected outcomes, the experience of male recipients with female vs male donors was compared with that of female recipients with female vs male donors through inclusion of an interaction term between donor and recipient sex. Results Significant differences were observed between male and female recipients in overall survival and death-censored allograft survival for female vs male donors. Male recipients of female allografts had a 10% increase in adjusted mortality relative to male recipients of male allografts, whereas female recipients of female allografts had a 10% decrease in adjusted mortality relative to female recipients of male allografts ( p Conclusions Analysis of the ISHLT data set has demonstrated a strong association between donor/recipient sex mismatch and reduced survival after heart transplantation.
Production of an aromatic aldehyde oxidase by Streptomyces viridosporus

Streptomyces viridosporus strain T7A, when grown in liquid media containing yeast extract and aromatic aldehydes, oxidized the aromatic aldehydes to the corresponding aromatic acids. Benzaldehyde, m-hydroxybenzaldehyde, p-hydroxybenzaldehyde, and protocatechualdehyde were catabolized further via the β-ketoadipate and gentisate pathways. Dehydrodivanillin, isophthalaldehyde, salicylaldehyde, syringaldehyde, terephthalaldehyde, vanillin, and veratraldehyde were oxidized only as far as the corresponding aromatic acids. Phthalaldehyde and aliphatic aldehydes were not oxidized. The aromatic aldehyde oxidase, which was produced by cultures grown in either the presence or absence of aromatic aldehydes, was partially purified by ammonium sulfate precipitation and ion-exchange chromatography. It consumed molecular oxygen, oxidized aromatic aldehydes to aromatic acids, and produced hydrogen peroxide all in equimolar amounts.
Effect of dopaminergic drugs on processing and degradative neuropeptidase mRNA in rat frontal cortex and caudate-putamen

Abstract Drugs which act upon central dopamine receptors alter the level, mRNA expression and in vitro degradation of neuropeptides associated with dopamine neuron regulation. Changes in the degradation of certain neuropeptides are correlated with significant alterations in the activity of specific neuropeptidases, namely aminopeptidase N (APN) and neutral endopeptidase 24.11 (NEP 24.11). In the present study, we sought to examine the molecular mechanism of neuropeptidase activity changes in response to dopaminergic drug treatment. The effects of dopaminergic drugs on the mRNA level of APN and NEP 24.11 were determined by RNase protection assays of RNA extracted from rat frontal cortex and caudate-putamen. Additionally, the effects of dopaminergic drugs on the mRNA expression for the neuropeptide processing enzymes, prohormone convertase 1 (PC1) and PC2, were determined. After 7-day administration of the dopamine receptor antagonist, haloperidol (1 mg/kg), no effect on the mRNA expression of APN, NEP 24.11, PC1 or PC2 was observed in either of the rat brain regions studied. Administration of the dopamine receptor agonist, apomorphine (5 mg/kg, bid), altered only the expression of APN mRNA in rat caudate-putamen, where the greatest effect on APN activity has been previously observed. These results suggest that alterations in other post-transcriptional events, such as mRNA translation or insertion of neuropeptidase protein into the membrane, likely play a larger role than changes in mRNA expression in the modulation of neuropeptidase activity. © 1997 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Cross Linking in the Radiolysis of Some Enzymes and Related Proteins

In non-covalently bound complexes of serveral serine proteases and of ribonuclease with DNA the enzymes were protected against the effects of ionizing radiation. No scavenging by the nucleic acids was observed. Similarly, complexing trypsin with silica protected the enzyme from radiolytic destruction.
Simplification of objects rendered by polygonal approximations

Abstract Current technology provides a means to obtain sampled data that digitally describes three-dimensional surfaces and objects. Three-dimensional digitizing cameras can be used to obtain sampled data that maps the surface of three-dimensional figures and models. Data obtained from such sources enable accurate renderings of the original surface. However, the digitizing process often provides much more data than is needed to accurately recreate the surface or object. In order to use such data in real-time visual simulators, a significant reduction in the data needed to accurately render the sampled surfaces is required. The techniques presented were developed to drastically reduce the number of data points required to depict an object without sacrificing the detail and accuracy inherent in the digitizing process.
Expression of the developmental mutant bz-m4 Derivative 6856 in maize seedlings

Abstract The bronze ( bz ), locus encodes a flavanoid glucosyltransferase (UFGT) which is required for anthocyanin biosynthesis. Enzyme accumulation in the primary root and coleoptile were compared for the wild-type Bz-McC allele and the regulatory mutant bz-m4 Derivative 6856 . UFGT levels are quantitatively reduced in bz-m4 plant tissues as compared to that of Bz-McC , however both alleles had similar developmental profiles.
Petrology and chemistry of a Columbia River basalt section, Rocky Canyon, west-central Idaho

Field characteristics, petrography, and major-element analyses are given for 17 of the 19 flows of the Columbia River Group present in a canyon in the southeast corner of the Columbia Plateau. The 17 flows are divided into 4 flows of Imnaha Basalt at the base, 12 flows of lower Yakima Basalt above, and 1 flow of middle Yakima Basalt at the top. The 4 Imnaha Basalt members are feldsparphyric with lower SiO 2 (48.0 to 52.0 percent) and lower K 2 O (0.60 to 1.14 percent) than the lower Yakima Basalt. They may be subdivided into the upper two flows of Rock Creek chemical type that have less SiO 2 (48.8 to 50.5 percent) than the other two members. The Rock Creek flow has uniquely high values of Al 2 O 3 and MgO associated with high modal olivine. The lower two members may be distinguished from each other by their TiO 2 contents. The lower Yakima Basalt flows are fine grained and nonporphyritic with an intergranular to intersertal texture, SiO 2 varies from 52.0 to 56.6 percent and K 2 O varies from 1.14 to 2.00 percent. The earlier nine members show an increase in SiO 2 and K 2 O and a decrease in MgO upward; the top three members show a reversal of this trend. The less siliceous flows contain small subhedral olivine crystals or their pseudomorphs, and the more siliceous contain a pigeonitic in addition to an augitic clinopyroxene. Each member has a unique set of properties that is consistent vertically through the thickness of a flow and laterally between two sections 4 km apart and separated by a major fault. The top flow exposed, with phenocrysts of plagioclase and olivine, falls within the Pomona chemical type previously recorded only from upper Yakima Basalt. Flow-by-flow correlation can be made of the lower Yakima Basalt with the Whitebird section 20 km to the south. Thinning and cutting out of flows from north to south suggests that many flows are local in origin. Similar types of Imnaha Basalt occur at Rocky Canyon and Whitebird, but flow-by-flow correlation is less convincing.
Dopamine autoreceptor mediation of the effects of apomorphine on serotonin neurons

The effects of direct apomorphine (APO) infusion to the dorsal raphe and the substantia nigra on serotonergic neurons were examined in male rats. The results showed that APO infusion to the dorsal raphe failed to produce a significant effect on serotonin (5-HT) neurons in the dorsal raphe or 5-HT and its metabolite 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) in the corresponding projection site, the striatum. Conversely, direct APO infusion to the substantia nigra mimicked the effects of systemic APO, namely, elevated 5-HT fluorescence in the dorsal raphe and increased 5-HT and 5-HIAA concentrations in the striatum. Serotonin neurons in the median raphe and its projection site, the hippocampus, were unaffected. Furthermore, horseradish peroxidase injection to the dorsal raphe resulted in specific cell labelling in the substantia nigra and fiber labelling in the ventral tegmental area. Together with previous findings that the serotonergic actions of systemic APO were antagonized by haloperidol or intraventricular 6-hydroxydopamine pretreatment; and the selective dopamine (DA) autoreceptor agonist 3-3-hydroxyphenyl-N-n-propyl-piperidine mimicked the effects of APO on 5-HT neurons, these results suggest that the observed effects of APO on the mesostriatal serotonergic system are probably mediated through DA autoreceptors in the substantia nigra and possibly by a direct nigroraphe pathway.
Reorientation of MA centers in KCl

Abstract M A centers reorient indirectly below 125°K by absorbing light in the F -spectral region forming M A + centers which then absorb the same light and rotate. This rotation occurs with high efficiency during the radiationless transition, 2 pπ → 2 pσ . At higher temperatures, M A + centers reorient mostly through thermal activation.
Touching the Language of Citizenship in Ondaatje's Anil's Ghost

Sandeep Sanghera, in her paper "Touching the Language of Citizenship in Ondaatje's Anil's Ghost" discusses questions which make Ondaatje's novel a text about postmodern identity: who is this woman Anil who lives mostly in the West, travels on a British passport, works for an international organization, and no longer has any real ties to her first home? In the paper, these questions are examined via the languages Anil adopts and abandons in the novel. Sanghera elaborates on the question of foreign-ness represented by the protagonist of the novel; however, this foreign-ness is examined in the particular context concerning the substance of family and kinship as well as language and nation. Sanghera's analysis represents the questions and thoughts of readers who are themselves migrants between languages and homes. Sandeep Sanghera, "Touching the Language of Citizenship in Ondaatje's Anil's Ghost" page 2 of 7 CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture 6.3 (2004):
Fever and Aging: Central nervous system prostaglandin E2 in response to endotoxin

The pathophysiology of the blunted febrile response often seen in elderly individuals with infection is not well understood. In this study, we attempted to determine the impact of aging on prostaglandin E2 release from the brain in response to endotoxin (LPS) stimulation. Eight young (4–6 month) and eight old (24–28 month) BALB/c mice were studied. Right and left half brains from old and young mice were either stimulated with LPS or control solution. Each mouse provided a stimulated and a control value. Results were reported for each mouse as the difference (stimulated minus control) in picograms of PGE2 released per milligram tissue and as the percent of baseline (control). Significant stimulation was demonstrated in the young mice, mean difference being +3.7 pg/mg, SD=2.2 (Student's paired t, p < 0.01) or +44% of control. In the old mice the mean difference was +2.9 pg/ml, SD=6.7, or +22%, which was not statistically significant. Moreover, in three of eight old mice, there was a lack of PGE2 stimulation. The authors conclude that in a select group of old mice (“nonresponders”), the failure to mount a febrile response to an infection may be related to diminished release of PGE2 from the brain.
An evaluation of bone growth into porous high density polyethylene

The purpose of this investigation was to study bone growth into porous polyethylene rods as a function of time and pore structure. Previous studies have indicated the biocompatibility of solid polyethylene materials which are currently being used clinically. Porous polyethylene rods were implanted in the femurs of mongrel dogs which were sacrificed four, eight, and 16 weeks postoperatively. The implants were then sectioned and examined histologically and microradiographically. Quantitative techniques were employed to determine the amount of bone ingrowth as a function of time and pore size. The pore structures of the materials were evaluated using optical microscopy and mercury intrusion porosimetry. The results of this investigation have demonstrated that porous polyethylene is capable of accepting bone growth into pores as small as 40 μm. The optimum rate of bone ingrowth was observed in pore sizes of approximately 100 to 135 μm, with no increase in the rate of bone ingrowth observed in samples possessing larger pore sizes. No adverse tissue response was found at implant times up to 16 weeks in pore sizes of 100 μm or larger.
Quantitative effects of using compressed sensing in dynamic contrast enhanced MRI

Dynamic contrast enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) involves the acquisition of images before, during and after the injection of a contrast agent. In order to perform quantitative modeling on the resulting signal intensity time course, data must be acquired rapidly, which compromises spatial resolution, signal to noise and/or field of view. One approach that may allow for gains in temporal or spatial resolution or signal to noise of an individual image is to use compressed sensing (CS) MRI. In this study, we demonstrate the accuracy of extracted pharmacokinetic parameters from DCE-MRI data obtained as part of pre-clinical and clinical studies in which fully sampled acquisitions have been retrospectively undersampled by factors of 2, 3 and 4 in Fourier space and then reconstructed with CS. The mean voxel-level concordance correlation coefficient for Ktrans (i.e. the volume transfer constant) obtained from the 2× accelerated and the fully sampled data is 0.92 and 0.90 for mouse and human data, respectively; for 3×, the results are 0.79 and 0.79, respectively; for 4×, the results are 0.64 and 0.70, respectively. The mean error in the tumor mean Ktrans for the mouse and human data at 2× acceleration is 1.8% and −4.2%, respectively; at 3×, 3.6% and −10%, respectively; at 4×, 7.8% and −12%, respectively. These results suggest that CS combined with appropriate reduced acquisitions may be an effective approach to improving image quality in DCE-MRI.
Formation of homogeneous cross-linked lattices between oligomannose type glycopeptides and concanavalin A

Summary Certain oligomannose type glycopeptides have previously been shown to be bivalent for binding to concanavalin A, and to give quantitative precipitation profiles with the protein that consist of single peaks which correspond to the binding stoichiometry of glycopeptide to protein monomer (1:2) (Bhattacharyya, L., Ceccarini, C., Lorenzoni, P., and Brewer, C.F. (1987) J. Biol. Chem. 262 , 1288–1293). In the present study, equimolar mixtures of two oligomannose type glycopeptides, a Man-6 and a Man-9 glycopeptide, gives a quantitative precipitation profile which shows two protein peaks. Each glycopeptide was radiolabelled with 3 H or 14 C, and the the precipitation profiles of the individual glycopeptides in the mixture determined. The results show that the radioactivity profile of the Man-6 glycopeptide corresponds to the first protein peak, while the radioactivity profile of the Man-9 glycopeptide corresponds to the second protein peak. The results indicate that each glycopeptide forms a unique homogeneous cross-linked lattice with the lectin which excludes the lattice of the other glycopeptide.
A functional view of artistic evaluation

I develop and defend the following functional view of art: a work of art typically possesses as an essential feature one or more points, purposes, or ends with reference to the satisfaction of which that work can be appropriately evaluated. This way of seeing a work’s artistic value as dependent on its particular artistic ends (whatever they may be) suggests an answer to a longstanding question of what sort of internal relation, if any, exists between the wide variety of values (moral, cognitive, aesthetic, etc.) that may be possessed by works of art and their value qua works of art.