LARCRIM user's guide, version 1.0

LARCRIM is a relational database management system (RDBMS) which performs the conventional duties of an RDBMS with the added feature that it can store attributes which consist of arrays or matrices. This makes it particularly valuable for scientific data management. It is accessible as a stand-alone system and through an application program interface. The stand-alone system may be executed in two modes: menu or command. The menu mode prompts the user for the input required to create, update, and/or query the database. The command mode requires the direct input of LARCRIM commands. Although LARCRIM is an update of an old database family, its performance on modern computers is quite satisfactory. LARCRIM is written in FORTRAN 77 and runs under the UNIX operating system. Versions have been released for the following computers: SUN (3 & 4), Convex, IRIS, Hewlett-Packard, CRAY 2 & Y-MP

The Formal Underpinnings of the Response Functions used in X-Ray Spectral Analysis

This work provides an in-depth mathematical description of the response functions that are used for spatial and spectral analysis of X-ray data. The use of such functions is well-known to anyone familiar with the analysis of X-ray data where they may be identified with the quantities contained in the Ancillary Response File (ARF), the Redistribution Matrix File (RMF), and the Exposure Map. Starting from first-principles, explicit mathematical expressions for these functions, for both imaging and dispersive modes, are arrived at in terms of the underlying instrumental characteristics of the telescope including the effects of pointing motion. The response functions are presented in the context of integral equations relating the expected detector count rate to the source spectrum incident upon the telescope. Their application to the analysis of several source distributions is considered. These include multiple, possibly overlapping, and spectrally distinct point sources, as well as extended sources. Assumptions and limitations behind the usage of these functions, as well as their practical computation are addressed.Comment: 22 pages, 3 figures (LaTeX

Perturbations in Lineage Specification of Granulosa and Theca Cells May Alter Corpus Luteum Formation and Function

Anovulation is a major cause of infertility, and it is the major leading reproductive disorder in mammalian females. Without ovulation, an oocyte is not released from the ovarian follicle to be fertilized and a corpus luteum is not formed. The corpus luteum formed from the luteinized somatic follicular cells following ovulation, vasculature cells, and immune cells is critical for progesterone production and maintenance of pregnancy. Follicular theca cells differentiate into small luteal cells (SLCs) that produce progesterone in response to luteinizing hormone (LH), and granulosa cells luteinize to become large luteal cells (LLCs) that have a high rate of basal production of progesterone. The formation and function of the corpus luteum rely on the appropriate proliferation and differentiation of both granulosa and theca cells. If any aspect of granulosa or theca cell luteinization is perturbed, then the resulting luteal cell populations (SLC, LLC, vascular, and immune cells) may be reduced and compromise progesterone production. Thus, many factors that affect the differentiation/lineage of the somatic cells and their gene expression profiles can alter the ability of a corpus luteum to produce the progesterone critical for pregnancy. Our laboratory has identified genes that are enriched in somatic follicular cells and luteal cells through gene expression microarray. This work was the first to compare the gene expression profiles of the four somatic cell types involved in the follicle-to-luteal transition and to support previous immunofluorescence data indicating theca cells differentiate into SLCs while granulosa cells become LLCs. Using these data and incorporating knowledge about the ways in which luteinization can go awry, we can extrapolate the impact that alterations in the theca and granulosa cell gene expression profiles and lineages could have on the formation and function of the corpus luteum. While interactions with other cell types such as vascular and immune cells are critical for appropriate corpus luteum function, we are restricting this review to focus on granulosa, theca, and luteal cells and how perturbations such as androgen excess and inflammation may affect their function and fertility

Business process reengineering : a study in theory and practice

Thesis (M.S.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Architecture, 1994.Includes bibliographical references (leaves 108-109).by John S. Fleischli and J. Brinton Davis.M.S

TGFB1 disrupts the angiogenic potential of microvascular endothelial cells of the corpus luteum.

Cyclical formation and regression of the ovarian corpus luteum is required for reproduction. During luteal regression, the microvasculature of the corpus luteum is extensively disrupted. Prostaglandin F2α, a primary signal for luteal regression, induces the expression of transforming growth factor β1 (TGFB1) in the corpus luteum. This study determined the actions of TGFB1 on microvascular endothelial cells isolated from the bovine corpus luteum (CLENDO cells). We hypothesized that TGFB1 participates in the disruption of the microvasculature during luteal regression. TGFB1 activated the canonical SMAD signaling pathway in CLENDO cells. TGFB1 (1 ng/ml) significantly reduced both basal and fetal-calf-serum-stimulated DNA synthesis, without reducing cell viability. TGFB1 also significantly reduced CLENDO cell transwell migration and disrupted the formation of capillary-like structures when CLENDO cells were plated on Matrigel. By contrast, CLENDO cells plated on fibrillar collagen I gels did not form capillary-like structures and TGFB1 induced cell death. Additionally, TGFB1 caused loss of VE-cadherin from cellular junctions and loss of cell-cell contacts, and increased the permeability of confluent CLENDO cell monolayers. These studies demonstrate that TGFB1 acts directly on CLENDO cells to limit endothelial cell function and suggest that TGFB1 might act in the disassembly of capillaries observed during luteal regression

Lower Extremity Strength and Mechanics During Jumping in Women With Patellofemoral Pain

Context: Lower extremity (LE) weakness might be associated with altered mechanics during weight bearing in subjects with patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS). Objective: To analyze LE strength, mechanics, and the association between these variables among women with and without PFPS during a simulated athletic task. Design: Case control. Setting: Motion-analysis laboratory. Subjects: 20 women with PFPS and 20 healthy women. Main Outcome Measures: Peak isometric lateral trunk-flexion, hipabduction, hip external-rotation, knee-flexion, and knee-extension strength, as well as hip- and knee-joint excursions and angular impulses during single-leg jumps. Results: PFPS subjects produced less hip-abduction, hip external-rotation, and trunk lateral- flexion force than the control group. The PFPS group also demonstrated greater hipadduction excursion and hip-abduction impulses. The association between the strength measurements and LE mechanics was low. Conclusions: Women with PFPS demonstrate specific weaknesses and altered LE mechanics. Weakness is not, however, highly correlated with observed differences in mechanics. ABSTRACT FROM AUTHO

EPICYSTIC SURGICAL FISTULA, FOR THE RELIEF OF VESICAL CATARRH.: Read by Title in the Section of Surgery and Anatomy, at the Fortieth Annual Meeting of the American Medical Association, June, 1889.

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Molecular manipulation of keratin 8/18 intermediate filaments: modulators of FAS-mediated death signaling in human ovarian granulosa tumor cells

Background: Granulosa cell tumors (GCT) are a rare ovarian neoplasm but prognosis is poor following recurrence. Keratin intermediate filaments expressed in these tumors are a diagnostic marker, yet paradoxically, may also constitute a target for therapeutic intervention. In the current study, we evaluated keratin 8/18 (K8/18) filament expression as a mechanism of resistance to apoptosis in GCT, specifically focusing on regulation of the cell surface death receptor, Fas (FAS). Methods: The GCT cell line, KGN, was transiently transfected with siRNA to KRT8 and KRT18 to reduce K8/18 filament expression. Expression of K8/18, FAS, and apoptotic proteins (PARP, cleaved PARP) were evaluated by fluorescence microscopy, flow cytometric analysis, and immunoblotting, respectively. The incidence of FAS-mediated apoptosis in KGN cells was measured by caspase 3/7 activity. All experiments were performed independently three to six times, using a fresh aliquot of KGN cells for each experiment. Quantitative data were analyzed by one- or two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), followed by a Tukey’s post-test for multiple comparisons; differences among means were considered statistically significant at P \u3c 0.05. Results: Control cultures of KGN cells exhibited abundant K8/18 filament expression (~90 % of cells), and minimal expression of FAS (\u3c25 % of cells). These cells were resistant to FAS-activating antibody (FasAb)-induced apoptosis, as determined by detection of cleaved PARP and measurement of caspase 3/7 activity. Conversely, siRNA-mediated knock-down of K8/18 filament expression enhanced FAS expression (\u3e 70 % of cells) and facilitated FasAb-induced apoptosis, evident by increased caspase 3/7 activity (P \u3c 0.05). Additional experiments revealed that inhibition of protein synthesis, but not MEK1/2 or PI3K signaling, also prompted FasAb-induced apoptosis. Conclusions: The results demonstrated that K8/18 filaments provide resistance to apoptosis in GCT by impairing FAS expression. The abundance of keratin filaments in these cells and their role in apoptotic resistance provides a greater mechanistic understanding of ovarian tumorgenicity, specifically GCT, as well as a clinically-relevant target for potential therapeutic intervention

The design and evaluation of grazing incidence relay optics

X-ray astronomy, both solar and celestial, has many needs for high spatial resolution observations which have to be performed with electronic detectors. If the resolution is not to be detector limited, plate scales in excess of 25 microns arc/sec, corresponding to focal lengths greater than 5 m, are required. In situations where the physical size is restricted, the problem can be solved by the use of grazing incidence relay optics. A system was developed which employs externally polished hyperboloid-hyperboloid surfaces to be used in conjunction with a Wolter-Schwarzschild primary. The secondary is located in front of the primary focus and provides a magnification of 4, while the system has a plate scale of 28 microns arc/sec and a length of 1.9 m. The design, tolerance specification, fabrication and performance at visible and X-ray wavelengths of this optical system are described

Shoot dieback during prolonged drought in Ceanothus (Rhamnaceae) chaparral of California: a possible case of hydraulic failure

Journal ArticleProgressive diebacks of outer canopy branchlets of Ceanothus crassifolius were repeatedly observed after rainless periods up to 9 mo in duration in the Santa Monica Mountains of southern California. Mean xylem pressures of branchlets near the end of drought were as low as -11.2 MPa (N = 22) with a mean of about 60 dead branchlets per shrub