cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Selective hydrogen purification through graphdiyne under ambient temperature and pressure.

Graphdiyne, a recently synthesized one-atom-thick carbon allotrope, is atomistically porous – characterized by a regular “nanomesh” – and suggests application as a separation membrane for hydrogen purification. Here we report a full atomistic reactive molecular dynamics investigation to determine the selective diffusion properties of hydrogen (H2) amongst carbon monoxide (CO) and methane (CH4), a mixture otherwise known as syngas, a product of the gasification of renewable biomass (such as animal wastes). Under constant temperature simulations, we find the mass flux of hydrogen molecules through a graphdiyne membrane to be on the order of 7 to 10 g cm−2 s−1 (between 300 K and 500 K), with carbon monoxide and methane remaining isolated. Using a simple Arrhenius relation, we determine the energy required for permeation on the order of 0.11 ± 0.03 eV for single H2 molecules. We find that addition of marginal applied force (approximately 1 to 2 pN per molecule, representing a controlled pressure gradient, ΔP, on the order of 100 to 500 kPa) can successfully enhance the separation of hydrogen gas. Addition of larger driving forces (50 to 100 pN per molecule) is required to selectively filter carbon monoxide or methane, suggesting that, under near-atmospheric conditions, only hydrogen gas will pass such a membrane. Graphdiyne provides a unique, chemically inert and mechanically stable platform facilitating selective gas separation at nominal pressures using a homogeneous material system, without a need for chemical functionalization or the explicit introduction of molecular pores.
A Study of Parallels Between Antarctica South Pole Traverse Equipment and Lunar/Mars Surface Systems

The parallels between an actual Antarctica South Pole re-supply traverse conducted by the National Science Foundation (NSF) Office of Polar Programs in 2009 have been studied with respect to the latest mission architecture concepts being generated by the United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) for lunar and Mars surface systems scenarios. The challenges faced by both endeavors are similar since they must both deliver equipment and supplies to support operations in an extreme environment with little margin for error in order to be successful. By carefully and closely monitoring the manifesting and operational support equipment lists which will enable this South Pole traverse, functional areas have been identified. The equipment required to support these functions will be listed with relevant properties such as mass, volume, spare parts and maintenance schedules. This equipment will be compared to space systems currently in use and projected to be required to support equivalent and parallel functions in Lunar and Mars missions in order to provide a level of realistic benchmarking. Space operations have historically required significant amounts of support equipment and tools to operate and maintain the space systems that are the primary focus of the mission. By gaining insight and expertise in Antarctic South Pole traverses, space missions can use the experience gained over the last half century of Antarctic operations in order to design for operations, maintenance, dual use, robustness and safety which will result in a more cost effective, user friendly, and lower risk surface system on the Moon and Mars. It is anticipated that the U.S Antarctic Program (USAP) will also realize benefits for this interaction with NASA in at least two areas: an understanding of how NASA plans and carries out its missions and possible improved efficiency through factors such as weight savings, alternative technologies, or modifications in training and operations.
Circular dichroic probes for aspects of chromatin structure: Aromatic polycationic ionen probes

Abstract Two ionens (II and X) formed complexes with DNA and chromatin with extrinsic CD bands and reduced intrinsic bands. The salt and urea sensitive, AT-specific probe (II) gave Δe > 100 L-(residue II)−1-cm−1 with DNA and Δe=0–14 with chromatin; II reduced the intrinsic bands from Δe≈0.7 to Δe≈0.5. Ionen X gave Δe345=30 with DNA, and Δe345=15–20 with chromatin. X reduced the intrinsic band to −1.6. X show less base specificity. Extrinsic Δeλ of X increased linearly to r (residue/phosphate) = 0.5 for DNA and only 0.3 in chromatin. DNA in chromatin may have ∼10% of the II and 50–60% of the X binding sites and those in an altered conformation.
“Keep Cyprus Clean”: Littering, Pollution, and Otherness

This article has its origins in an incident that was related to me by a friend during fieldwork in Cyprus. It involved an Austrian United Nations officer stationed on the island and his interpretation of littered village streets as a sign of the Greek Cypriots' inability to "de-Ottomanize" themselves. "If you Greeks want to show that you are better than the Turks," the Austrian officer pointed out to my friend, "you must learn to respect the environment and keep your country clean."' A case of ethnocentric bias, one might say. But what is one to make of the following slogan, repeatedly broadcast in the summer of 1994 by the local radio station O Logos? "A clean Cyprus means a civilized Cyprus, [a] European [Cyprus]. Let's always keep it clean" (Kipros kathari simeni Kipros politismeni, Evropaiki. As tin kratisoume panda kathari). The antilitter campaign in Cyprus had always seemed to me to be about the environment, even though the official establishment made no secret of its concer with the impact of litter on the tourist industry.2 The radio slogan and the UN officer's comments provoked me to examine how discourse about the envi
Differential secretion of dimeric inhibin in cultured luteinized granulosa cells as a function of ovarian reserve.

Day 3 serum FSH is an indirect assessment of ovarian reserve and has been shown to be prognostic of outcome in ovulation induction and assisted reproductive technology programs. The precise physiologic basis for day 3 serum FSH screening is unknown. We tested the hypothesis that dimeric inhibin is differentially secreted from luteinized granulosa cells collected from women in preparation for in vitro fertilization with low vs. high day 3 serum FSH levels. This prospective study consisted of luteinized granulosa cells harvested from 7 women with low day 3 serum FSH levels ( or = 10 IU/L) in preparation for in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer. Following retrieval, cells were isolated and then pooled within each individual patient and plated at 50,000 cells per well. Media was removed at 24 and 48 h and analyzed for dimeric and total inhibin concentrations by immunoassay as well as estradiol and progesterone concentrations by RIA. Dimeric inhibin was ...
Cow's milk protein induced changes in the expression of HLA-DR antigens on colonic epithelial cells.

Background Normal colonic epithelial cells do not express HLA-DR antigens unless they become inflamed. It is possible that colonic epithelial cells may function as antigen-presenting cells once HLA-DR is induced by infection or inflammation. Objective The aim of this study was to investigate whether cow's milk protein (CMP) is capable of inducing changes in HLA-DR expression on colonic epithelial cells, providing indirect evidence that CMP may activate cell-mediated immune mechanisms within intestinal mucosa. Methods HLA-DR expression was evaluated by flow cytometry on cultured human colonic epithelial cell line (HT-29) before and after treatment with bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or recombinant γ interferon (IFN-γ). Untreated and LPS- or IFN-γ–treated HT-29 cells were then cultured in the presence of CMP. The changes in epithelial HLA-DR expression induced by CMP on untreated and LPS- or IFN-γ–treated HT-29 cells were examined. Results Untreated HT-29 cells expressed very little HLA-DR molecule. Bacterial LPS or IFN-γ induced a significant HLA-DR expression on HT-29 cells. When untreated HT-29 cells were cultured in the presence of CMP, there was little induction of HLA-DR expression. Culture of LPS- or IFN-γ–treated HT-29 cells in the presence of CMP induced a significant increase in HLA-DR expression, which was much greater than on HT-29 cells treated with bacterial LPS or IFN-γ only. Conclusions Our results suggest that CMP initiates an immune response in the intestinal mucosa and may be responsible for the activation of cell-mediated immunity after enteric infection or inflammation.
On the perpendicular anisotropy of Co/Pd multilayers

Abstract The two principal mechanisms for explaining the perpendicular anisotropy in Co–Pd multilayers were investigated. These mechanisms are the broken symmetry at sharp Co surfaces, and the magnetostriction of interfacial Co–Pd alloys under stress due to epitaxy with Pd. The approach was to examine multilayers in which the Co component was intentionally alloyed with different amounts of the Pd, keeping the total amount of Co and Pd constant. These multilayers were deposited both at room temperature, at which thermally activated interfacial intermixing augmented the intentional alloying, and at 77 K where sharper interfaces reflecting the intentional alloying were expected. Comparison of the properties of these two sets of multilayers clearly indicated that stressed interfacial alloying is the dominant mechanism. Low-temperature measurements supported the alloying model, and the presence of polarized Pd. Furthermore, the hard-axis magnetization was modeled with a distribution of local perpendicular anisotropies which reflect local composition variations.
Purification, crystallization and preliminary X-ray analysis of Drosophila melanogaster ferrochelatase.

Ferrochelatase (protoheme ferrolyase, E.C. 4.99.1.1), the terminal enzyme in the heme biosynthetic pathway, catalyzes the insertion of ferrous iron into protoporphyrin IX to form protoheme. In eukaryotes, the protein is associated with the inner surface of the inner mitochondrial membrane, and in higher animals the enzyme contains a [2Fe–2S] cluster. This cluster is highly sensitive to NO and is coordinated by four Cys residues whose spacing in the primary sequence is unique. Ferrochelatase from Drosophila melanogaster has been expressed in Escherichia coli with an amino-terminal six-histidine tag and purified to homogeneity. The protein has been crystallized with the [2Fe–2S] cluster intact. The crystals belong to space group I422, with unit-cell dimensions a = b = 158.1, c = 171.2 A and two molecules in the asymmetric unit, and diffract to 3.0 A resolution.
A Meta-Analysis of Cost of Community Service Studies

Cost of community service (COCS) studies, which compare the ratio of expenditures-to-revenues for different land uses, are increasingly popular and influential in debates about municipal landuse planning. In this paper, we conduct a quantitative meta-analysis of COCS studies that focus on three land-use categories: residential, commercial/industrial, and agricultural/open-space. The dataset consists of 125 studies that take place across the United States. Using data from the studies themselves and the U.S. Census, we estimate models to investigate underlying patterns regarding the effect of different methodological assumptions and the geographic and financial characteristics of communities. Many of the results have implications for the conduct and interpretation of COCS studies in particular and the fiscal impacts of land use in general. * This paper was written in honor of Roger Bolton and presented at the colloquium “Understanding Place and the Economics of Space: The Career of Roger Bolton” at Williams College in April 2008. We are grateful to colloquium participants for many helpful comments. We are also grateful to Elizabeth Brabec for useful feedback at the very early stages of this project. † Please address correspondence to Matthew Kotchen, 4420 Bren Hall, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106. Tel: (805) 893-8668. Fax: (805) 893-7612. E-mail: kotchen@bren.ucsb.edu.
Orbital Express Advanced Video Guidance Sensor

In May 2007 the first US-sponsored fully autonomous rendezvous and capture was successfully performed by DARPA's Orbital Express (OE) mission. For the following three months, the Boeing ASTRO spacecraft and the Ball Aerospace NEXTSat performed multiple rendezvous and docking maneuvers to demonstrate some of the technologies needed for satellite servicing. MSFC's advanced video guidance sensor (AVGS) was a near-field proximity operations sensor integrated into ASTRO's Autonomous Rendezvous and Capture Sensor System (ARCSS), which provided relative state knowledge to the ASTRO GN&C system. AVGS was one of the primary docking sensors included in ARCSS. This paper provides an overview of the AVGS sensor that flew on orbital express, a summary of the AVGS ground testing, and a discussion of AVGS performance on-orbit for OE. The AVGS is a laser-based system that is capable of providing bearing at midrange distances and full six degree- of-freedom (6-DOF) knowledge at near ranges. The sensor fires lasers of two different wavelengths to illuminate retro- reflectors on the long range target (LRT) and the Short Range Target (SRT) mounted on NEXTSat. The retro- reflector filters allow one laser wavelength to pass through and be reflected, while blocking the other wavelength. Subtraction of one return image from the other image removes extraneous light sources and reflections from anything other than the corner cubes on the LRT and SRT. The very bright spots that remain in the subtracted image are processed to provide bearing or 6-DOF relative state information. AVGS was operational during the Orbital Express unmated scenarios and the sensor checkout operations. The OE unmated scenarios ranged from 10 meters to 7 kilometers ending in either a docking or a free-flyer capture. When the target was pointed toward the AVGS and in the AVGS operating range and field-of-view (i.e. along the approach corridor of the NEXTSat), the AVGS provided full 6-DOF measurements. The AVGS performed very well during the sensor check-out operations, effectively tracking beyond its 10-degree Pitch and Yaw limit-specifications. AVGS also provided excellent performance during the unmated operations, effectively tracking its targets, and showing good agreement between the SRT and LRT data. The AVGS consistently exceeded the tracking range expectations for both the SRT and LRT. During the approach to re-mate in scenario 3-1 recovery the AVGS began tracking the LRT at 150 m, well beyond the OE specified operational range of 120 meters, and functioned as the primary sensor for the autonomous rendezvous and docking. For all scenarios, the AVGS was used while ASTRO was in the approach corridor to NEXTSat, and during close proximity operations and docking.
Dietary α-Tocopheryl Acetate Enhances Beef Quality in Holstein and Beef Breed Steers

The effect of long-term feeding (252 days) of three supplemental levels of α-tocopheryl acetate (actual 0, 360 and 1290 IU/head/day) on meat quality was evaluated in Holstein and beef breed steers. Tissue vitamin E concentrations were increased by each increment of supplementation. The color display life of fresh beef under simulated retail conditions was extended 2 to 5 days by vitamin E and lipid oxidation was markedly reduced. Microbial population was not affected by level of supplementation. No deterioration in sensory quality occurred for steaks from supplemented steers that were displayed until the time steaks from unsupplemented steers discolored.
Material modeling and solid phase forming of polycarbonate sheet

The Maxwell-Voigt type mechanical model proposed by Haward and Thackray was further modified to describe the strain rate dependent stress-strain behavior of polycarbonate under the uniaxial loading condition. Major modifications included effects associated with different hardening components of inelastic resistance and the related temperature dependent material behavior. The modified analytical model was shown to describe some of the important features of the stress-strain behavior of polycarbonate specimens tested over the range of strain rates and temperatures. Using the stress-strain relationship as input data; several finite element analyses were made to predict the behavior of polycarbonate sheets under a simple solid phase cup forming process. The computed strain distributions agreed reasonably with the measured values obtained from the gridded polycarbonate sheet that was formed at an elevated temperature. Some of the key assumptions that were used in the analysis are discussed.
Synaptic organization of cholinergic neurons in the monkey neostriatum.

Cholinergic neurons in the monkey neostriatum were examined at the light and electron microscopic level by immunohistochemical methods in order to localize choline acetyltransferase (ChAT), the synthesizing enzyme for acetylcholine. At the light microscopic level a sparse distribution of cholinergic neurons was identified throughout the caudate nucleus. Neurons had large (25–30 μm) somata, eccentric invaginated nuclei, primary dendrites of unequal diameters, and varicosities on distal dendritic branches. Ultrastructural study showed that the cholinergic cells had a cytoplasm abundant in organelles. Within dendritic branches, mitochondria and cisternae were localized primarily to varicosities, Synaptic inputs were distributed mostly to the dendrites and at least four types that formed symmetric or asymmetric synapses were observed. Immunoreactive fibers were relatively numerous within the neuropil and exhibited small diameters (0.1–0.15 μm) and swellings at frequent intervals. Cholinergic boutons that formed synapses were compared to unlabeled terminals making asymmetric synapses with dendritic spines. Results showed that ChAT-positive axons had significantly smaller cross-sectional areas, shorter synaptic junctions, and a higher density and surface area of mitochondria than the unlabeled boutons. Cholinergic axons formed symmetric synapses mostly with dendritic spines (53%) and the shafts of unlabeled primary and distal dendrites (37%). A relatively small proportion of the boutons contacted axon initial segments (1%) and cell bodies (9%) that included medium-sized neurons with unindented (spiny) and indented (aspiny) nuclei. The majority of dendritic spines contacted by cholinergic axons were also postsynaptic to unlabeled boutons forming asymmetric synapses. The results suggest that cholinergic neurons in the primate neostriatum belong to a single morphological class corresponding to the large aspiny (type II) interneuron identified in previous Golgi studies. Present results along with earlier Golgi-electron microscopic observations from this laboratory suggest that neostriatal cholinergic cells integrate many sources of intrinsic and extrinsic inputs. The observed convergence of ChAT-immunoreactive boutons and unlabeled axons onto the same dendritic spines suggests that intrinsic cholinergic axons modulate extrinsic inputs onto neostriatal spiny neurons at postsynaptic sites close to the site of afferent input.
Neocortical neurons lacking the protein-tyrosine kinase B receptor display abnormal differentiation and process elongation in vitro and in vivo.

Abstract The spatial and temporal expression of the protein-tyrosine kinase B (TrkB) receptor and its ligands has been correlated with the development of the neocortex. Activation of the receptor has been associated with neocortical neuronal survival, differentiation, connectivity and neurotransmitter release. Although such findings suggest an important role for TrkB signaling in corticogenesis, conclusive evidence from targeted gene deletion (“knockout”; TrkB −/−) mice has been limited, due in part to the neonatal lethality of most of these mutant mice and the confounding variables associated with the poor health of those few surviving slightly longer postnatally. In the present study, the effects of TrkB signaling on the survival, differentiation and integration of neocortical neurons was directly investigated in vitro and in vivo. First, we conducted a neuron-specific immunocytochemical analysis of TrkB −/− mice to determine whether early cortical structure and patterns of histogenesis were normal or perturbed. We then employed in vitro and in vivo approaches to extend the life of TrkB −/− neocortical neurons beyond the period possible in TrkB −/− mutant mice themselves: (i) dissociated cell culture to directly compare the developmental potential of TrkB −/−, +/− and +/+ neurons; and (ii) neural transplantation into homochronic wild-type recipients to investigate the cell-autonomous effects of the receptor knockout on the differentiation, growth and integration of neocortical neurons. These latter experiments allowed, for the first time, study of the survival and differentiation potential of TrkB −/− neocortical neurons beyond the initial stages of corticogenesis. Direct comparison of brains of TrkB −/−, +/− and +/+ littermates immunocytochemically labeled with antibodies to microtubule-associated protein-2, neurofilament and β-tubulin III revealed subtle anatomical anomalies in the mutant mice. These anomalies include abnormally diffuse microtubule-associated protein-2 positive neurons just dorsal to the corpus callosum, and heterotopic aggregations of postmitotic neurons in the subventricular zones of the ganglionic eminences, both suggesting delayed neuronal migration and differentiation. Cell culture experiments revealed substantially reduced survival by TrkB −/− neocortical neurons, and a significant reduction in neurite outgrowth by surviving TrkB −/− neurons. In experiments where prelabeled embryonic or neonatal TrkB −/− neocortical neurons were transplanted into the cerebral cortices of neonatal wild-type recipients, a similar quantitatively significant defect in the formation of dendrites, as well as reduced integration of TrkB −/− neocortical neurons, was also evident. These findings demonstrate cell-autonomous abnormalities in the development of neocortical neurons from TrkB −/− mice, and the subtle, but potentially critical, role of protein-tyrosine kinase B signaling in neocortical neuronal survival, differentiation and connectivity.
Neuroendocrinology of Avian Reproduction, with Special Emphasis on the Reproductive Cycle of the Fowl (Gallus domesticus)

The neuroendocrinology of reproduction of the fowl (Gallus domesticus) is considered from the point of view of the reciprocal relationship between the endocrine and the nervous systems.During embry...
A belated 80th birthday celebration for the Brazilian bryologist, Daniel Moreira Vital

Abstract The 80th birthday of Daniel Moreira Vital, born on October 2, 1924, is celebrated by remembrances by Paulo Câmara, a former student, and William Buck and Ronald Pursell, colleagues. A short biographical sketch and a bibliography of Daniel Vital is provided.
Women's Heritage in Psychology: Past and Present:

The American Psychological Association's Centennial provides a unique opportunity to celebrate, preserve, and interpret women's heritage in the origins and development of psychology. This special issue documents women's contributions to, and the impact of feminist critiques on, the discipline of psychology and its organizations. The articles in this special issue demonstrate how psychological theories and practice, research methods, and interpretation of data are embedded in social, political, and historical contexts. Moreover, they document how feminist critiques have challenged traditional assumptions about knowledge and served as a catalyst for the transformation of psychological theories, methods, and practice—a transformation that has just begun.
A multi-timescale adaptive threshold model for the SAI tactile afferent to predict response to mechanical vibration

The Leaky Integrate and Fire (LIF) model of a neuron is one of the best known models for a spiking neuron. A current limitation of the LIF model is that it may not accurately reproduce the dynamics of an action potential. There have recently been some studies suggesting that a LIF coupled with a multi-timescale adaptive threshold (MAT) may increase LIF's accuracy in predicting spikes in cortical neurons. We propose a mechanotransduction process coupled with a LIF model with multi-timescale adaptive threshold to model slowly adapting type I (SAI) mechanoreceptor in monkey's glabrous skin. In order to test the performance of the model, the spike timings predicted by this MAT model are compared with neural data. We also test a fixed threshold variant of the model by comparing its outcome with the neural data. Initial results indicate that the MAT model predicts spike timings better than a fixed threshold LIF model only.
Breast-feeding and maternal smoking in the etiology of Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis in childhood

Abstract Medical records concerning pediatric or adolescent patients first diagnosed with Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis in two New York hospitals during a 5-year period (1986 to 1990) were abstracted, and information concerning sex, age, race, birthplace, sibship size, birth order, maternal age at birth, month of birth, duration of breast-feeding, and maternal smoking was recorded. Medical records of patients presenting at the respective pediatric gastroenterology departments immediately before or after the patients with inflammatory bowel disease were seen were also abstracted in order to generate a control series. Data concerning 68 patients with Crohn's disease, 39 patients with ulcerative colitis, and 202 control patients were analyzed through multiple logistic regression. Breast-feeding was negatively associated with Crohn's disease ( P ∼ 0.04) and ulcerative colitis ( P ∼ 0.07), with relative risk point estimates around 0.5 and with evidence of duration-dependent trends in both instances. There was no evidence of association of either disease with maternal age at birth, birth order, maternal smoking, or season of birth.
The Effective Number of Parameters: An Analysis of Generalization and Regularization in Nonlinear Learning Systems

We present an analysis of how the generalization performance (expected test set error) relates to the expected training set error for nonlinear learning systems, such as multilayer perceptrons and radial basis functions. The principal result is the following relationship (computed to second order) between the expected test set and training set errors: 〈etest(λ)〉ξξ′ ≈ 〈etrain(λ)〉ξ + 2σeff2 peff(λ)/n (1) Here, n is the size of the training sample ξ, σeff2 is the effective noise variance in the response variable(s), λ, is a regularization or weight decay parameter, and Peff(λ) is the effective number of parameters in the nonlinear model. The expectations 〈 〉 of training set and test set errors are taken over possible training sets ξ and training and test sets ξ′ respectively. The effective number of parameters peff(λ) usually differs from the true number of model parameters p for nonlinear or regularized models; this theoretical conclusion is supported by Monte Carlo experiments. In addition to the surprising result that peff(λ) ≠ p, we propose an estimate of (1) called the generalized prediction error (GPE) which generalizes well established estimates of prediction risk such as Akaike's F P E and AIC, Mallows Cp, and Barron's P S E to the nonlinear setting.
Identification of novel small molecule antimicrobials targeting Mycoplasma bovis

Objectives: To screen novel small molecule compounds for inhibition of Mycoplasma bovis growth and to characterize their activity in terms of dose-dependency and ability to function in milk. Methods: Using a tetrazolium salt cytotoxicity assay, 480 natural compounds were screened to determine which of the small molecules have the potential to become therapeutic options for M. bovis prevention and treatment. The dose response was determined in broth culture and in fresh quarter milk for a subset of compounds shown to be capable of inhibiting M. bovis growth. Results: Data suggest that 32 of the 480 compounds tested were able to inhibit growth of M. bovis using a tetrazolium salt assay. Methanesulphonic acid, 3-[(2E)-3-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)prop-2-enoyloxy](1S,3R,4R,5R)-1,4,5-trihydroxycyclohexane carboxylic acid, S-carboxymethyl-L-cysteine, L-aspartic acid, dihydrotachysterol, eriodictyol and (+)-α-tocopherol acid succinate were selected for further concentration-dependent studies and testing in fresh quarter milk. Each compound demonstrated a dose response in broth culture and at 3 h and 24 h in fresh quarter milk. Conclusions: Small molecule natural compounds are capable of inhibiting the growth of M. bovis in both a pleuropneumonia-like organism (PPLO) medium and in fresh quarter milk. Results suggest that the compounds are mycoplasmastatic in a dose-dependent manner. By inhibiting M. bovis, small molecule natural compounds offer the potential for prophylactic or therapeutic use on organic and natural farms as a viable alternative to traditional antimicrobial agents.
Analysis of meniscal degeneration and meniscal gene expression

Menisci play a vital role in load transmission, shock absorption and joint stability. There is increasing evidence suggesting that OA menisci may not merely be bystanders in the disease process of OA. This study sought: 1) to determine the prevalence of meniscal degeneration in OA patients, and 2) to examine gene expression in OA meniscal cells compared to normal meniscal cells. Studies were approved by our human subjects Institutional Review Board. Menisci and articular cartilage were collected during joint replacement surgery for OA patients and lower limb amputation surgery for osteosarcoma patients (normal control specimens), and graded. Meniscal cells were prepared from these meniscal tissues and expanded in monolayer culture. Differential gene expression in OA meniscal cells and normal meniscal cells was examined using Affymetrix microarray and real time RT-PCR. The grades of meniscal degeneration correlated with the grades of articular cartilage degeneration (r = 0.672; P < 0.0001). Many of the genes classified in the biological processes of immune response, inflammatory response, biomineral formation and cell proliferation, including major histocompatibility complex, class II, DP alpha 1 (HLA-DPA1), integrin, beta 2 (ITGB2), ectonucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase 1 (ENPP1), ankylosis, progressive homolog (ANKH) and fibroblast growth factor 7 (FGF7), were expressed at significantly higher levels in OA meniscal cells compared to normal meniscal cells. Importantly, many of the genes that have been shown to be differentially expressed in other OA cell types/tissues, including ADAM metallopeptidase with thrombospondin type 1 motif 5 (ADAMTS5) and prostaglandin E synthase (PTGES), were found to be expressed at significantly higher levels in OA meniscal cells. This consistency suggests that many of the genes detected in our study are disease-specific. Our findings suggest that OA is a whole joint disease. Meniscal cells may play an active role in the development of OA. Investigation of the gene expression profiles of OA meniscal cells may reveal new therapeutic targets for OA therapy and also may uncover novel disease markers for early diagnosis of OA.
Web People Search via Connection Analysis

Nowadays, searches for Webpages of a person with a given name constitute a notable fraction of queries to web search engines. Such a query would normally return Webpages related to several namesakes, who happened to have the queried name, leaving the burden of disambiguating and collecting pages relevant to a particular person (from among the namesakes) on the user. In this article we develop a Web People Search approach that clusters Webpages based on their association to different people. Our method exploits a variety of semantic information extracted from Web pages, such as named entities and hyperlinks, to disambiguate among namesakes referred to on the Web pages. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach by testing the efficacy of the disambiguation algorithms and its impact on person search.
Expansion of CD25+ Innate Lymphoid Cells Reduces Atherosclerosis

Objective—Innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) are a newly discovered subset of immune cells that promote tissue homeostasis and protect against pathogens. ILCs produce cytokines also produced by T lymphocytes that have been shown to affect atherosclerosis, but the influence of ILCs on atherosclerosis has not been explored. Approach and Results—We demonstrate that CD25+ ILCs that produce type 2 cytokines (ILC2s) are present in the aorta of atherosclerotic immunodeficient ldlr−/−rag1−/− mice. To investigate the role of ILCs in atherosclerosis, ldlr−/−rag1−/− mice were concurrently fed an atherogenic diet and treated with either ILC-depleting anti-CD90.2 antibodies or IL-2/anti-IL-2 complexes that expand CD25+ ILCs. Lesion development was not affected by anti-CD90.2 treatment, but was reduced in IL-2/anti–IL-2-treated mice. These IL-2-treated mice had reduced very low–density lipoprotein cholesterol and increased triglycerides compared with controls and reduced apolipoprotein B100 gene expression in the liver. IL-2...
Axillary bud proliferation and organogenesis of Euphorbia pulchurrima winter rose

Abstract Protocols for both axillary bud proliferation and shoot organogenesis of Euphorbia pulchurrima Winter Rose™ were developed using terminal buds and leaf tissues. Greenhouse-grown terminal buds were placed on Murashige–Skoog (MS) basal medium supplemented with various concentrations of either benzlyaminopurine (BA) or thidiazuron (TDZ). Explants produced the greatest number of axillary buds on media containing between 2.2 and 8.8 μM BA. The number of explants that produced axillary buds increased with increasing BA concentration. TDZ at concentrations between 2.3 and 23.0 μM caused hyperhydricity of shoots and were not effective in promoting shoot proliferation. The most calluses and shoots were produced from leaf midvein sections from in vitro grown plants placed on the medium containing 8.8–13.3 μM BA and 17.1 μM indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) for 1 mo. before transferring to the medium containing only BA. Adventitious buds were produced only from red-pigmented callus, and explants that produced call...
Kinematic diversity suggests expanded roles for fly halteres

The halteres of flies are mechanosensory organs that provide information about body rotations during flight. We measured haltere movements in a range of fly taxa during free walking and tethered flight. We find a diversity of wing–haltere phase relationships in flight, with higher variability in more ancient families and less in more derived families. Diverse haltere movements were observed during free walking and were correlated with phylogeny. We predicted that haltere removal might decrease behavioural performance in those flies that move them during walking and provide evidence that this is the case. Our comparative approach reveals previously unknown diversity in haltere movements and opens the possibility of multiple functional roles for halteres in different fly behaviours.
Toll-Like Receptors in Ischemic Stroke and Other Acute Brain Injuries

Each year a substantial number of Americans suffer from hypoxic injury to the brain due to diminished blood flow and few effective treatments are available. A fruitful area of current investigation involves toll-like receptors (TLRs), which are a family of highly conserved receptors that play a key role in the pathology of brain injury. Studies in animals deficient in specific TLRs as well as genetic data from patients with altered TLR biology suggest that the activation of TLRs exacerbates damage in the setting of ischemia. Paradoxically, the stimulation of TLRs prior to injury is known to induce a state of tolerance to subsequent ischemic injury or “preconditioning”. Such preconditioning results in a profound neuroprotective effect and the mechanisms involved are under intense investigation. Understanding these divergent roles of TLRs in brain injury and neuroprotection offers great promise in the discovery of new therapeutic targets and the mitigation of ischemic brain injury in “at risk” patients through the use of prophylactic TLR stimulation as a therapeutic strategy. This chapter focuses on these two divergent roles of TLRs—one role that promotes and another that prevents ischemic injury in the brain in the context of stroke and other acute brain injuries.
When is a centromere not a kinetochore

Centromere and kinetochoreThe terms 'centromere' and 'kinetochore' were originallycoined to describe the region(s) of each chromosome withwhich the spindle microtubules become associated (Riegeret al. 1976). In recent years, the term 'centromere' haslargely come to be used by morphologists to describe theprimary constriction of mitotic chromosomes. The termTunetochore' has been used to refer to the circular plaquestructure that rests on the surface of the centromericchromatin and into which microtubules are inserted(Jokelainen, 1967; Brinkley and Stubblefield, 1966). Thiscommentary is concerned with development of a rationalefor assignment of newly identified antigens to specificcentromere domains and, in particular, to the kinetochoredomain.The distributions of a number of centromere-associatedantigens that have been described in recent years are mostconveniently classified if the centromere is subdivided intothree principle domains, which we have previouslydesignated the kinetochore, central and pairing domains(Earnshaw and Rattner, 1989). Under this nomenclature,the kinetochore domain consists of both the kinetochoreand the subjacent chromatin upon which it rests (Earn-shaw and Rattner, 1989). The kinetochore is a small(0.4-0.6 urn diameter in PtKl cells; Roos, 1973) button-like structure that rests on the surface of the centromericchromatin. The most extensive mammalian kinetochoresare seen in the fusion chromosomes of the Indian muntjac,where they may be up 1.45/a to inn length (Comings andOkada, 1971).At metaphase, the kinetochore consists of a denseosmophilic outer plate 0.025-0.040 ^m thick that isseparated from the surface of the centromeric chromatinby an electron-lucent zone of similar thickness (Roos,1973; Rieder, 1982). The surface of the subjacent chroma-tin is often compacted into a second dense plate. A fibrouscorona is seen to radiate outward from the outer platewhenever microtubules are absent (Rieder, 1982).Much recent interest has been focussed on the kineto-chore outer plate, since this is where the majority ofmicrotubules are inserted. The detailed structure of thisplate is not known, although a variety of evidence suggeststhat it may contain a special form of chromatin. Thisevidence includes the presence of a fibrous substructureseen by electron microscopy (Ris and Witt, 1981; Rattner,1986; Rattner and Bazett-Jones, 1989), the susceptibilityof the structure to digestion with DNase (Pepper andBrinkley, 1980) and the presence of phosphate as revealed
IMPACT PREEMPTION: A NEW THEORY OF FEDERAL ARBITRATION ACT PREEMPTION

The United States Supreme Court has expanded its arbitration preemption jurisprudence to unprecedented and unexplained bounds, ultimately creating a new type of preemption, herein coined “impact preemption.” As applied by the Court, the scope of impact preemption is broader even than field preemption. The future policy implications of impact preemption are significant. Impact preemption shifts the balance of regulatory power in the dual federal-state arbitration system toward the federal courts and away from state regulatory authorities, contrary to the language and legislative history of the Federal Arbitration Act (FAA). In addition, impact preemption has the potential to undermine the stability of the national arbitration system for consumers and contracting parties who utilize arbitration agreements in commerce. This Article traces the history of three fundamental flaws in prior Supreme Court rulings that ultimately resulted in the creation of impact preemption. First, the Court failed to define arbitration for approximately ninety years, and when it finally did so, the Court defined arbitration with a pro-business bias. Second, the Court failed to conduct a preemption analysis or to specify the type and scope of preemption it applied to arbitration. Third, as a result of the first two failures, the Court allowed the preemptive effect of the FAA to expand dramatically over time, notwithstanding its statutory language and legislative history, a failure that culminated in the creation of impact preemption.Impact preemption raises serious federalism issues because it does not require a conflict between federal and state law. Taken to its logical conclusion, the Court’s impact preemption analysis may prohibit states from regulating any aspect of arbitration that potentially “impacts” the arbitration process. This Article urges the Supreme Court to return to the classic roots of conflict preemption analysis under the FAA. A return to these conflict preemption principles would restore the balance of regulatory power between the states and the federal government, and would restore a measure of predictability for consumers and contracting parties who use the national arbitration system to conduct commerce.
The First Step: Sexuality Education for Parents

Experts recommend that ideally parents should be sexuality educators for their children. This notion is based on two assumptions. One is that adults have a foundation of adequate knowledge enabling them to communicate competently, confidently, and comfortably about sexuality with their children. The second assumption is that adults choose to become sexuality educators. Both assumptions are often unfounded. Before stressing the need of sexuality education for youngsters, it is essential to focus on the need of sexuality education for parents. The challenges of educating parents about sexuality are unique. A program combining a correct knowledge base and techniques for communication will enable parents to educate their children, promote sex positive attitudes and enhance communication between parents and children.
Thermodynamic Stability of Low- and High-Index Spinel LiMn2O4 Surface Terminations

Density functional theory calculations are performed within the generalized gradient approximation (GGA+U) to determine stable terminations of both low- and high-index spinel LiMn2O4 (LMO) surfaces. A grand canonical thermodynamic approach is employed, permitting a direct comparison of off-stoichiometric surfaces with previously reported stoichiometric surface terminations at various environmental conditions. Within this formalism, we have identified trends in the structure of the low-index surfaces as a function of the Li and O chemical potentials. The results suggest that, under a range of chemical potentials for which bulk LMO is stable, Li/O and Li-rich (111) surface terminations are favored, neither of which adopts an inverse spinel structure in the subsurface region. This thermodynamic analysis is extended to identify stable structures for certain high-index surfaces, including (311), (331), (511), and (531), which constitute simple models for steps or defects that may be present on real LMO particl...
Physicians’ gut feeling is useful in diagnosing serious infection in children

Commentary on: Van den Bruel A, Thompson M, Buntinx F, et al. Clinicians’ gut feeling about serious infections in children: observational study. BMJ 2012;345:e6144.[OpenUrl][1][Abstract/FREE Full Text][2] With the advent of effective vaccinations, serious infections (SI) have become rare among children presenting to primary care settings, yet when not diagnosed promptly, such infections, especially meningitis and septic shock, can cause substantial morbidity and mortality. Hence, researchers continue to search for new diagnostic methods; the present study by Van den Bruel and colleagues investigates the basis and value of gut feeling or intuition in addition to clinical assessment for diagnosing SI in children. This is a secondary analysis of a prospective, observational study that enrolled 3890 children aged 0–16 years old presenting to general practitioners or community paediatricians in Flanders, Belgium. ‘Gut feeling’ is defined as a positive response to the statement, ‘something is wrong’.1 Clinical impression is … [1]: {openurl}?query=rft.jtitle%253DBMJ%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Adoi%252F10.1136%252Fbmj.e6144%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Apmid%252F23015034%26rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx [2]: /lookup/ijlink?linkType=ABST&journalCode=bmj&resid=345/sep25_2/e6144&atom=%2Febmed%2F18%2F4%2Fe36.atom
Greece and rome in America

The classics appear conspicuously in the pamphlet wars of the American Revolution, though in the opinion of Bernard Bailyn (written many years ago), their presence is “window-dressing” and their influence “superficial.” They are “everywhere illustrative, not determinative, of thought” (my italics). Up the scale in influence comes Enlightenment rationalism, also “superficial” but only “at times”—that removes the foreigners, ancient and modern. Then, further up the scale are English common-law writers, “powerfully influential” though still insufficiently “determinative”; above them, a “major source,” New England Puritan thought and culture; and finally, at the top, seventeenth-century British “heroes of liberty” and the “early eighteenth-century transmitters of this tradition,” e.g. Commonwealth men, Bishop Hoadly. Who would have thought that the bishop of Winchester weighed in the balance more heavily than Plato and Aristotle? Only once in passing does Bailyn even mention Machiavelli, to whom J. G. A. Pocock, Quentin Skinner, and Harvey C. Mansfield would grant large prominence in the development of Revolutionary thought.
Socialist Initial Stage Is the Logical Development of the Theory of Neo-domocratism

In dealing with the issue on the developmental stage of China抯 socialistic construction, Mao Zedong first put forward the theory of neo-democratism on the basis of his insightful perception of China抯 semi-feudal and semi-colonial situation. However, after the foundation of the People抯 Republic of China in 1949, people inside CCP began to throw doubt on whether there should be a neo-democratic developmental stage in new China抯 socialistic construction. As time went by, people turned to deny it rather than to keep their previous positive view on it, and made a hasty decision and pursued in vain the absolute public ownership in the socialist transformative periods. It was not until 1978 when the CCP抯 Assembly was held in China that Deng Xiaoping, based on his life-long exploration of and his sharp insight into China抯 situation, put forth the theory of socialistic initial stage and developed the theory of Marxism on the developmental stage of socialist construction to an unparalleled level. Deng抯 Theory, on one hand, absorbed all the reasonable research achievements made in the accomplishment of China抯 neo-democratic construction, and rectified the faulty practice conducted by the leftists in CCP who ignored China抯 prematured condition in taking up socialistic construction and tried to make China a communistic country overnight.
Isolation, Identification and Drug Resistance of Foodborne and Pathogenic Staphylococcus aureus

Objective To investigate the distribution and drug resistance of foodborne and pathogenic Staphylococcus aureus, and provide a scientific basis for clinical treatment of food poisoning. Methods The food samples and the specimens of infection patients were collected randomly. Staphyphoccocus aureus was isolated and identified. And drug susceptibility test was performed using minimal inhibitory concentration(MIC). Results Among the food samples, 15.14% of salad were Staphyphoccocus aureus positive. 56.84% isolates of pathogenic Staphyphoccocus aureus were separated from patients with respiratory infection. The drug resistance rate of MRSA was significantly higher than that of MSSA. And the drug resistance rate of pathogenic Staphyphoccocus aureus was also higher than that of foodbrone Staphyphoccocus aureus. Conclusions Monitoring foodborne Staphylococcus aureus should be strengthened, and using antibiotics to treat Staphylococcus aureus infection should be based on the results of susceptibility test.