cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Probing Soil Moisture Up to Root-Zone by Using Multiple Signals of Opportunity

Routine, repeatable radar measurements of soil moisture are expected to be achievable through the use of frequencies with penetration depths that reach the root-zone of given vegetation structures within soil. Due to the size, weight, power, cost, and legal constraints of creating spaceborne radar transmitters, the practice of reutilizing existing satellite navigation/communication systems for spaceborne radar applications is gaining attention from research communities under the title "Signal of Opportunity" (SoOp). The use of SoOp transmitters as a free source of illuminators is expected to be a viable tool for the remote sensing of soil moisture at depths below 5 centimeters. However, the returns of a radar signal can be representative of many types of soil moisture profiles, and the returned radar signals do not indicate the depth of the contained soil moisture. To this end, this paper is intended to better understand the various effects that radar parameters have on a returned radar signal given a known, simple soil moisture profile in order to help determine the feasibility of using multiple (SoOp) transmitters to determine soil moisture profiles. In order to accomplish this, the recently developed SoOp Coherent Bistatic (SCoBi) scattering model is used to determine the relative permittivity of a given soil moisture profile as well as determine the complex reflection coefficients of the incident signals upon the surface.
Structure and Function of ras and Blym Oncogenes

The biologic activity of tumor DNA, detected by transfection of NIH 3T3 mouse cells, has led to the identification of transforming genes which are activated in a variety of human, rodent, and avian neoplasms (see [5] for recent review). The transforming genes of some neoplasms are cellular homologs of the ras genes of Harvey and Kirsten sarcoma viruses. Other neoplasm transforming genes, such as Blym-1, are unrelated to ras or to other retroviral transforming genes. In this article, I will discuss recent work related to functional analysis of the ras and Blym-1 gene produets.
Sphingosine-1-Phosphate - A New Lipid Signaling Molecule

Sphingolipid metabolites have been suggested to play an important role in cellular signaling. Branching pathways of sphingolipid metabolism may regulate either apoptosis or mitogenic effects depending on the cell type and the nature of the stimulus. Ceramide produced by sphingomyelinase activation has been shown to induce apoptosis and cell growth arrest, whereas further metabolites of ceramide, sphingosine and sphingosine-1-phosphate (SPP), induce mitogenesis in many cell types and have been implicated as second messengers in cellular proliferation induced by PDGF and serum. Mitogens such as PDGF and serum, but not EGF, increase levels of sphingosine and SPP and also activate cytosolic sphingosine kinase activity. Dihydrosphingosine, an inhibitor of sphingosine kinase, reduces DNA synthesis induced by PDGF and serum but not by EGF. Thus elevation of sphingosine and SPP levels and activation of sphingosine kinase may have important biological roles in signal transduction pathways activated by specific growth factors. SPP mobilizes calcium from internal stores in an inositol trisphosphate-independent manner, increases phosphatidic acid levels by activation of PLD, and also activates extracellular signal regulated kinases (ERK), which are all prominent events in the control of cellular proliferation. SPP-induced activation of the transcription factor AP-1, one of the transcription factors activated by the ERK pathway, is the first link between the effects of sphingolipids metabolites on cellular proliferation and gene expression. Recently, we found that SPP prevents the appearance of the hallmarks of apoptosis, such as intranucleosomal DNA fragmentation and morphological changes, that result from elevations of ceramide. Our results suggest that the balance between intracellular levels of ceramide and SPP determines the fate of the cell.
Beyond Return: Genre and Cultural Politics in Contemporary French Fiction

In the aftermath of the efflorescence of experimental literature and theory that characterized the Trente Glorieuses (1945-75), 'contemporary' French literature is often said to embrace more traditional or readable novelistic forms. This rejection of the radical aesthetics of mid-century French literature, this rehabilitation of fictional forms that have been called sub-literary, regressive, or outdated, has been given a name: the 'return to the story'. In Beyond Return, Lucas Hollister proposes new perspectives on the cultural politics of such fictions. Examining adventure novels, radical noir, postmodernist mysteries, war novels, and dystopian fictions, Hollister shows how authors like Jean Echenoz, Jean-Patrick Manchette, Jean Rouaud, and Antoine Volodine develop radically dissimilar notions of the aesthetics of 'return', and thus redraw in different manners the boundaries of the contemporary, the French, and the literary. In the process, Hollister argues for the need to move beyond the nostalgic, anti-modernist rhetoric of the 'return to the story' in order to appreciate the potentialities of innovative contemporary genre fictions. 'Beyond Return is a rich, intellectually vigorous, and persuasive study of contemporary French fiction and its presumed return to subject, story, and world. Entertainingly written and well-documented, it focuses on four major writers of the past forty or fifty years, each representing a different take on how such returns can be situated in terms of modernist and postmodernist stances or beyond them, on what they can consist of, and on what they can mean.' Gerald J. Prince, University of Pennsylvania 'This book will be an original contribution to scholarship on contemporary French fiction. Hollister's significant achievement here is to demonstrate how innovative French takes on genre fiction may provide important insights on literary history and cultural politics.' Ruth Cruickshank, Royal Holloway, University of London
What Do Editors Maximize? Evidence from Four Economics Journals

We study editorial decisions using anonymized submissions matched to citations at four leading economics journals. We develop a benchmark model in which editors maximize the expected quality of acc...
Whole-brain MEG decoding of symbolic and non-symbolic number stimuli reveals primarily format-dependent representations

Abstract The human brain can rapidly form representations of numerical magnitude, whether presented with symbolic stimuli like digits and words or non-symbolic stimuli like dot displays. Little is known about the relative time course of these symbolic and non-symbolic number representations. We investigated the emergence of number representations for three stimulus formats - digits, words, and dot arrays - by applying multivariate pattern analysis to MEG recordings from 22 participants. We first conducted within-format classification to identify the time course by which individual numbers can be decoded from the MEG signal. Peak classification accuracy for individual numbers in all three formats occurred around 110 ms after stimulus onset. Next, we used between-format classification to determine the time course of shared number representations between stimulus formats. Classification accuracy between formats was much weaker than within format classification, but it was also significant at early time points, around 100 ms for both digit / dot and digit / word comparisons. We then used representational similarity analysis to determine if we could explain variance in the MEG representational geometry using two models: a GIST feature model capturing low-level visual properties and an approximate number model capturing the numerical magnitude of the stimuli. Model RSA results differed between stimulus formats: while the GIST model explained unique variance from 100-300 ms for all number formats, the performance of the approximate number model differed between formats. Together, these results are consistent with the view that distinct, format-specific number representations, moreso than a single “abstract” number representation, form the basis of numerical comparison.
Imaging of Vaping-Associated Lung Disease.

Imaging of Vaping-Associated Lung Disease A sampling of imaging findings in patients with lung disease associated with electronic cigarette use is provided.
Pandemic Ponderings on the Limited Lens of Our Age Stereotyping Research: Considering Privilege and Racism

In this commentary, I observe the assumption of privilege of many of the age stereotypes that emerged to characterize both older and younger age groups at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. This leads to a reflection of how much extant age stereotype research may be limited by the typical centering of a white and a middle- or upper-class perspective. I make acknowledgment of strides toward intersectional research and suggest some further research questions to move this work forward.
Just what do we think we are doing? Learning outcomes of leader and leadership development

Abstract The scientific advancement of leader and leadership development has offered various conceptualizations and operationalizations of evaluation criteria. However, because the complex learning that occurs during leader and leadership development is typically ignored, current leader and leadership development evaluation criteria do not fully capture the multidimensional and temporal nature of learning which serves as a critical mediating mechanism between training and more distal outcomes. Further, evaluations of leadership programs tend to focus on individual (i.e., leader development) outcomes without consideration of collective (i.e., leadership development) outcomes. Thus, we present a comprehensive typology of leader and leadership development learning outcomes that elucidates the multidimensional and multilevel nature of such outcomes and provides greater construct definition and precision. Our purpose is to integrate multiple theoretical perspectives, generating a more precise classification to provide researchers and practitioners assistance in 1) designing and evaluating the effectiveness of leader and leadership development, and 2) clarifying the limits of generalizability of both conceptualizations and empirical research across learning outcomes.
Exploring Social Business Pathways: Green Map System as a Case in Point

ABSTRACT Objective: social entrepreneurship holds promise as a way for organizations to create value for both individuals and communities. The objective of this paper is to observe and analyze the ways Green Map System, a not-for-profit social venture, supports sustainable community development and local leadership by sharing tools, icons, and technology for mapping eco-sites around the world. The role of technology and digital networks, as well as the impact of global linkages, is also observed and emphasized. Methods: the research approach used for this paper is qualitative in nature and uses the case study methodology. Evidence was based on data collection methods, such as archived documents, interviews, questionnaires, and direct observations at formal and informal settings. Results: using the example of Green Map System, I demonstrate that creating local partnerships, as well as including and collaborating with a wide range of stakeholders, is key to fulfilling the organization’s mission-driven vision. Conclusions: I use the example of Green Map System and describe how the organization went about creating social and business pathways by outlining the growth, evolution, and social innovation of the organization. I also layout the challenges and decision dilemmas the organization faces as it continues to grow as a social business.
Local Norms for Gifted and Talented Student Identification: Everything You Need to Know

Conversations over who should be identified as gifted continue perpetually both within the field and in the popular media. In this article, we focus on the use of local norms as one approach to gif...
A Latent Class Analysis of Prevention Approaches Used to Reduce Community-Level Prescription Drug Misuse in Adolescents and Young Adults.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s Strategic Prevention Framework Partnerships for Success (PFS) program supports community-based organizations (CBOs) across the United States in implementing evidence-based prevention interventions to reduce substance use in adolescents and young adults. Little attention has been paid to how CBOs combine interventions to create comprehensive community-specific prevention approaches, or whether different approaches achieve similar community-level effects on prescription drug misuse (PDM). We used PFS evaluation data to address these gaps. Over 200 CBOs reported their prevention intervention characteristics, including strategy type (e.g., prevention education, environmental strategies) and number of unique interventions. Evaluation staff coded whether each intervention was an evidence-based program, practice, or policy (EBPPP). Latent Class Analysis of seven characteristics (use of each of five strategy types, use of one or more EBPPP, and number of interventions implemented) identified six prevention approach profiles: High Implementation EBPPP, Media Campaigns, Environmental EBPPP, High Implementation Non-EBPPP, Prevention Education, and Other Information Dissemination. All approaches except Media Campaigns and Other Information Dissemination were associated with significant reductions in community-level PDM. These approaches may need to be paired with other, more direct, prevention activities to effectively reduce PDM at the community level. However, similar rates of change in PDM across all 6 prevention approaches suggests only weak evidence favoring use of the other four approaches. Community-based evaluations that account for variability in implemented prevention approaches may provide a more nuanced understanding of community-level effects. Additional work is needed to help CBOs identify the most appropriate approach to use based on their target communities’ characteristics and resources.
Quantitative dual-energy CT techniques in the abdomen

Advances in dual-energy CT (DECT) technology and spectral techniques are catalyzing the widespread implementation of this technology across multiple radiology subspecialties. The inclusion of energy- and material-specific datasets has ushered overall improvements in CT image contrast and noise as well as artifacts reduction, leading to considerable progress in radiologists' ability to detect and characterize pathologies in the abdomen. The scope of this article is to provide an overview of various quantitative clinical DECT applications in the abdomen and pelvis. Several of the reviewed applications have not reached mainstream clinical use and are considered investigational. Nonetheless awareness of such applications is critical to having a fully comprehensive knowledge base to DECT and fostering future clinical implementation.
Fiction 102: Create a Portal for Story Immersion

As lawyers we know that stories persuade audiences, even if we are unaware of the cognitive processes that stories activate. But understanding the science of story cognition can lead us to tell better stories on behalf of clients. Legal stories, at their most effective, are nonfiction narratives that organize facts in a cause-and-effect flow; the flow seamlessly leads the audience to a natural story ending (i.e., a legal outcome) that favors the client. As part of the associated cognition, legal stories are effective because they create a response in the audience: changing or reinforcing the audience’s current attitudes, beliefs, or behaviors. This Applied Legal Storytelling article explores and applies to written legal communication the cognitive psychology concept of “narrative transportation.” Narrative transportation happens when the author creates a story portal through which the audience travels and becomes immersed in the story’s world. You experience this when you become “lost in a story.” Narratively transporting the audience into the story is critical to persuasion via storytelling. Taking the audience through that portal can reinforce or even change audience responses. Becoming immersed in a story employs cognitive processes that differ from the way we comprehend rhetorical arguments—in fact, some of the psychology studies demonstrate that story cognition is a more effective way of managing and overcoming audience resistance to the messages compared to rhetorical argument. The article also takes a granular look at the science and applied studies of key storytelling elements associated with narrative transportation. Readers should take away the central idea that scenes drive the creation of the story portal and the audience’s sensation of transporting into the story. A scene is a combination of setting and action. Thus, the lawyer’s strategic description of action and setting are key to the story-based cognitive processes leading to audience persuasion.
Metal–organic coordinated multilayer film formation: Quantitative analysis of composition and structure

Abstract Metal–organic coordinated multilayers are self-assembled thin films fabricated by alternating solution–phase deposition of bifunctional organic molecules and metal ions. The multilayer film composed of α,ω-mercaptoalkanoic acid and Cu (II) has been the focus of fundamental and applied research with its robust reproducibility and seemingly simple hierarchical architecture. However, internal structure and composition have not been unambiguously established. The composition of films up to thirty layers thick was investigated using Rutherford backscattering spectrometry and particle induced X-ray emission. Findings show these films are copper enriched, elucidating a 2:1 ratio for the ion to molecule complexation at the metal–organic interface. Results also reveal that these films have an average layer density similar to literature values established for a self-assembled monolayer, indicating a robust and stable structure. The surface structures of multilayer films have been characterized by contact angle goniometry, ellipsometry, and scanning probe microscopy. A morphological transition is observed as film thickness increases from the first few foundational layers to films containing five or more layers. Surface roughness analysis quantifies this evolution as the film initially increases in roughness before obtaining a lower roughness comparable to the underlying gold substrate. Quantitative analysis of topographical structure and internal composition for metal–organic coordinated multilayers as a function of number of deposited layers has implications for their incorporation in the fields of photonics and nanolithography.
Influence of Pacific Sea surface temperatures on seasonal precipitation over the western plateau of the United States

Analysis of the long-term variability of interseasonal correlations between various climatological data for the western United States indicates that the transient aspects of these correlations are linked to trends in Sea Surface Temperatures (SST) in the Pacific Ocean. Stratifying climatological data by the dominant modes of Pacific SST anomalies seems to enhance interseasonal correlations between various climate parameters for the western plateau area. For example, when warm SSTs occur in the equatorial eastern Pacific, summer precipitation anomalies in peripheral areas of the plateau are highly correlated with thermal and precipitation anomalies over the plateau during the prior spring. When we selectively examine portions of the data set representing extreme SST anomaly conditions, the inferred associations become systematically stronger. The observations suggest that much of the variance typically encountered in computing interseasonal correlation statistics for climatological data may be due to variable influences associated with ocean temperature anomalies in remote locations. Although no comprehensive explanation is offered for the observations, there is a general consistency with prior studies of the relationships between various SST anomalies and weather trends in western North America. With additional refinement and extended scope these results may provide the basis for improved forecasts of seasonal weather trends, both in the western United States and elsewhere.
Scale-up and modeling of forced chemical vapor infiltration

The forced flow-thermal gradient chemical vapor infiltration (FCVI) process has been scaled-up from a maximum of 7.6 cm dia. disk to fabrication of 24 cm dia. disks, 1.6 cm in thickness. The components are turbine rotor subelements produced from polar weave Tyranno fibers preforms. The disks were subjected to non-destructive testing and spin-tested to high rpm. The processing conditions were modeled with the GTCVI code to aid in optimization.
Near Hartree-Fock relative energies of cis- and trans-1,2-difluoroethylene : The insignificance of electron correlation

Abstract The difference in energy between cis- and trans-1,2-difluoroethylene is accurately computed at the SCF level with near Hartree-Fock wavefunctions using either of two internally consistent sets of optimized geometries. The inaccuracy of calculations with smaller basis sets is attributed in part to an overestimation of C-F bond dipole-dipole repulsion in the cis isomer.
Social Cognitive Predictors of Dietary Behavior Among African Americans

Background: This study examined the extent to which social cognitive theory is involved in dietary behavior changes among a sample of African Americans in Georgia. Purpose: We examined whether outcome expectations, barriers, and self-efficacy mediate changes in fruit and vegetable intake behavior. Methods: To accomplish this, we used change scores from the time of baseline (T1) to follow-up (T2). Using self-efficacy as an example, mathematically this is represented by the equation: Self-efficacy T2 − Self efficacy T1 = Δ Self-efficacy. A total of 1011 individuals were recruited across the 14 churches (20% of total population). Three measures of dietary intake were obtained to provide an estimate of actual intake. Participants completed a 7-item fruit and vegetable food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) measuring consumption behavior in the past month, based on the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. Regression analysis was performed using the fruit and vegetable values from the FFQs and 24-hour recall...
A novel structure to compensate for frequency-dependent loudness recruitment of sensorineural hearing loss

A simple structure that compensates for frequency-dependent loudness recruitment of sensorineural hearing loss is presented. The non-linear structure estimates total input signal energy, and then weights and combines the output of two parallel filters based on this energy estimation. Preliminary evaluation of this structure with noise-masked normal hearing listeners, and speech recorded in naturally noisy environments, shows a 15-20% performance increase in word recognition scores when compared to a linear structure.
MOLECULAR GAS AND THE YIELD OF YOUNG STARS IN GALAXIES

Recent results regarding the global gas properties of spiral galaxies are reviewed, with special emphasis on the systematic trends in the ratio of molecular to atomic gas and in the yield of high-mass stars per unit mass of molecular gas as a function of galaxy morphology, bar type, and environment.
Accumulation of [131-I]triiodothyronine in neurons and other tissues following intravenous injection of the labeled hormone.

Abstract The accumulation of 131 I in motor neurons, liver, muscle and spinal cord grey matter after intravenous injection with 131 I-labeled triiodothyronine was determined by liquid scintilattion counting procedures. It was observed that the thyroid hormone which accumulates in the brain (spinal cord) was largely present in the neurons, which had significantly higher accumulations than did masses of spinal grey matter which would contain comparable motor neurons. The nerve cell 131 I activity was also significantly higher than that seen in striated muscle. Liver, which takes up thyroid hormones very rapidly, had levels of radioactivity which were significantly higher than muscle, spinal grey matter, plasma or ventral horn motor neurons at most time intervals investigated. A chromatographic analysis of unfixed, ethanol (pH 8.5) extracted neurons revealed that most of the 131 I detected in the motor neuron samples was associated with triiodothyronine, which is comparable to what has been previously reported for whole brain after intravenous injection of [ 131I ]triiodothyronine.
On the sequence of bond formation in loline alkaloid biosynthesis.

Loline alkaloids are saturated pyrrolizidines with an oxygen bridge between carbon atoms C-2 and C-7 and an amino group on C-1. They are bioprotective alkaloids produced by Epichloe and Neotyphodium species, mutualistic fungal endophytes that are symbiotic with cool-season grasses. The sequence of bond formation in loline alkaloid biosynthesis was determined by synthesizing deuterated forms of potential intermediates and feeding them to cultures of the endophyte Neotyphodium uncinatum. These cultures incorporated deuterium from labeled N-(3-amino-3-carboxypropyl)proline and exo-1-aminopyrrolizidine into N-formylloline. The first result suggests that N-(3-amino-3-carboxypropyl)proline is the first committed intermediate in loline biosynthesis, and the second result demonstrates that the pyrrolizidine rings form before the ether bridge. The incorporation of these two compounds into lolines and the lack of incorporation of several related compounds clarify the order of bond formation in loline alkaloid biosynthesis.
Refinement of docked protein complex structures using evolutionary traces

Detection of protein complexes and their structures is crucial for understanding the role of protein complexes in the basic biology of organisms. Computational methods can provide researchers with a good starting point for the analysis of protein complexes. However, computational docking methods are often not accurate and their results need to be further refined to improve interface packing. In this paper, we introduce a novel refinement method that incorporates evolutionary information by employing an energy function containing Evolutionary Trace (ET)-based scoring function, which also takes shape complementarity, electrostatic and Van der Waals interactions into account. We tested our method on docked candidates of three protein complexes produced by a separate docking method. Our results suggest that the energy function can help biasing the results towards complexes with native interactions, filtering out false results. Our refinement method is able to produce structures with better RMSDs with respect to the known complexes and lower energies than those initial docked structures.
Complex world sheets from N=2 strings

Abstract We study some properties of target space strings constructed from (2,1) heterotic strings. We argue that world-sheet complexification is a general property of the bosonic sector of such target world-sheets. We give a target space interpretation of this fact and relate it to the non-gaussian nature of free String Field Theory. We provide several one-loop calculations supporting the stringy construction of critical world-sheets in terms of (2,1) models. Using finite-temperature boundary conditions in the underlying (2,1) string we obtain non-chiral target space spin structures, and point out some of the problems arising for chiral spin structures, such as the heterotic world-sheet. To this end, we study the torus partition function of the corresponding asymmetric orbifold of the (2,1) string.
Simultaneous Heat and Mass Transfer From a Two-Dimensional, Partially Liquid-Covered Surface

Simultaneous heat and mass transfer from partially liquid-covered surfaces is examined experimentally using a surface made of cylinders with the voids filled with liquid. The steady-state evaporation rate, surface temperature of the liquid and exposed solid, and location of meniscus are measured for various ambient air velocities and temperatures. Using these, the authors examine the effect of the extent to which the liquid covers the surface on the evaporation mass transfer rate resulting from the convective heat transfer from the ambient gas to this surface. The results show strong Bond and Reynolds number effects. For small Bond and Reynolds numbers, the presence of dry (exposed solid) surface does not influence the mass transfer rate. As the Bond or Reynolds number increases, a critical liquid coverage is found below which the mass transfer begins to decrease. Heat transfer from the exposed solid to the liquid is also examined using the measured surface temperature, a conduction model, and an estimate of the liquid and solid surface areas (using a static formation for the liquid meniscus). The results show that at the liquid surface an analogy between heat and mass transfer does not exist.
Projective Texture Mapping with Full Panorama

Projective texture mapping is used to project a texture map onto scene geometry. It has been used in many applications, since it eliminates the assignment of fixed texture coordinates and provides a good method of representing synthetic images or photographs in image-based rendering. But conventional projective texture mapping has limitations in the field of view and the degree of navigation because only simple rectangular texture maps can be used. In this work, we propose the concept of panoramic projective texture mapping (PPTM). It projects cubic or cylindrical panorama onto the scene geometry. With this scheme, any polygonal geometry can receive the projection of a panoramic texture map, without using fixed texture coordinates or modeling many projective texture mapping. For fast real-time rendering, a hardware-based rendering method is also presented. Applications of PPTM include panorama viewer similar to QuicktimeVR and navigation in the panoramic scene, which can be created by image-based modeling techniques. Categories and Subject Descriptors (according to ACM CCS): I.3.3 [Computer Graphics]: Viewing Algorithms; I.3.7 [Computer Graphics]: Color, Shading, Shadowing, and Texture
Using multimedia learning modules in a hybrid-online course in electricity and magnetism

We have been piloting web-based multimedia learning modules (MLMs), developed by the Physics Education Research Group at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign (UIUC), as a ``prelecture assignment'' in several introductory physics courses at California State Polytechnic University at Pomona. In this study, we report the results from a controlled study utilizing modules on electricity and magnetism as a part of a blended hybrid-online course. We asked students in the experimental section to view the MLMs prior to attending the face-to-face class, and to make sure this would not result in additional instructional time, we reduced the weekly class time by one-third. We found that despite reduced class time, student-learning outcomes were not hindered; in fact, the implementation of the UIUC MLMs resulted in a positive effect on student performance on conceptual tests and classroom discussion questions.
Real time decision based multiple mode SEM review imaging solution

Embedded defect types continue to be a challenge for scanning electron microscopes (SEM) review solutions. Though high energy beams can be used to image these defect types, they cause damage to the reviewed sites. Also, imaging all review sites at higher electron energy has often resulted in low topography surface defects to be non-visible due to high penetration depth. In this work we present a method in which defects are reviewed at non-destructive lower electron energies and only the non-visual review sites are reviewed at higher electron energies to image any potential additional defect types. The non-visual defects are identified inline during review using automatic defect classification attributes.
Epidermal growth factor receptor-mediated proliferation of enterocytes requires p21waf1/cip1 expression.

Background & Aims: Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-mediated increase in enterocyte proliferation following massive resection is a major mechanism by which the small intestine adapts to the loss of its mucosal surface area. In addition, expression of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p21waf1/cip1 is required for resection-induced enterocyte proliferation. This study sought to establish a mechanistic link between EGFR-mediated intestinal epithelial cell proliferation and p21waf1/cip1 expression. Methods: EGF was used to stimulate IEC-6 and HCA-7 cells. P21waf1/cip1 messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein expression were measured by real-time polymerase chain reaction and Western blot, respectively. P21waf1/cip1 promoter studies were performed using p21waf1/cip1 promoter-driven luciferase assay. Pharmacologic inhibitors of PI3-kinase and mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) were used to block these pathways downstream of the activated EGFR. Constitutively active Ras, Raf, or MEK-1 constructs were transfected into cells for overexpression studies. Cell proliferation was measured by bromodeoxyuridine incorporation following p21waf1/cip1 silencing with RNAi. Finally, Cyclin D1/Cdk interaction was evaluated by immunoprecipitation. Results: EGFR activation in intestinal epithelial cells induced the expression of p21waf1/cip1 mRNA and protein This event was transcriptionally regulated via a 50-bp segment of the p21waf1/cip1 promoter as a result of MAPK activation. Exogenous EGF failed to induce proliferation in p21waf1/cip1-silenced cells and adaptive proliferation after intestinal resection in p21waf1/cip1-null mice. Functionally, p21waf1/cip1 up-regulation was required for stabilizing Cyclin D/Cdk 4 complexes and intestinal cell proliferation. Conclusions: EGFR-mediated induction of enterocyte proliferation requires MAPK-dependent increase in p21waf1/cip1 expression in intestinal epithelial cells. These studies elucidate an important mechanism for resection-induced enterocyte proliferation during intestinal adaptation.
Lossy-feed networks in multiple-beam arrays

Using a lossy-feed network in a multiple-beam array antenna, particularly a receiving system without active amplifying components embedded in the network, has generally been avoided. Attention is called to certain antenna pattern characteristics that should be evaluated with respect to the system application involved. Lossless-feed networks often possess one or more of these pattern characteristics which can possibly be enchanced when the capabilities of a lossy network are properly traded off. Maximizing available antenna gain at the beam crossover points, for example, is shown to be one possible advantage for employing a lossy network instead of a lossless design. Near-in sidelobe levels can readily be controlled with a lossy network.
Personal disciplinary history and views of physical punishment: implications for training mandated reporters

Many nations, including the US, Australia, and Canada, have developed legislation at the local or national level to require selected professionals to report all cases of suspected child abuse as part of the system to prevent serious injuries or fatalities. In many states of the US, including New York, child service professionals must take a training course to ensure that they are aware of their legal obligations as mandated reporters. Completion of the course is often a prerequisite to obtain certification to practise in one's field. Despite this rudimentary training, many cases of suspected abuse are not reported. Moreover, many child abuse professionals experience confusion and emotional distress in dealing with the reporting process (Buckley, 2000). While training that considers potential influences on reporting can be effective in addressing some of these issues (Hawkins et al., 2001), there are few studies of the effectiveness of current training curricula (Alvarez et al., 2004). This preliminary investigation was conducted with 80 nursing and education students, an identified group of prospective mandated reporters. We examined the potential influence of childhood disciplinary experiences and their appraisal as these factors may relate to views of discipline and abuse. The findings revealed that history of childhood experiences with discipline, in conjunction with appraisals of rejection, accounted for a small, but significant amount of the variance in students' current beliefs about appropriate discipline. The findings are considered in the context of findings about training for professionals who are in a position to report suspected child abuse. When considered with that literature, these findings suggest that disciplinary history should be considered in the context of evaluations of the effectiveness of training curricula for mandated reporters. Language: en
Price–Quality Trade-Offs in Choice Versus Matching: New Insights Into the Prominence Effect

Seemingly equivalent preference assessment procedures (e.g., choose between a 40¢ Safeway brand cola and a 55¢ Coke) and matching (e.g., a Safeway brand cola costs 40¢; at what price would a Coke be equally attractive to you?) generate systematically different estimates of consumers’ price–quality trade-offs. This result appears consistent with the prominence effect, whereby choices tend to weigh the prominent attribute more heavily than matching answers. Whereas prior accounts of prominence effect phenomena focused on characteristics of the choice task, we propose that the manner in which respondents match options is a major determinant of the choice–matching discrepancy. We suggest that matching answers tend to rely on proportional matching , superficial matching of attribute value intervals, rather than the attribute value at which the considered options are equally attractive. We also identify the attribute and alternative to which matching is applied, as moderators of its difference from choice. Based on our analysis we demonstrate how the large choice–matching preference discrepancy can be significantly reduced and even reversed. We discuss implications of this research for our understanding of task effects on consumer price–quality trade-offs and mechanisms that underlie the prominence effect.
Inflation and dollarization in a dual-currency search-theoretic model

Abstract We examine the effect of an inflation tax in a dual-currency economy, where a weak domestic currency circulates alongside a strong foreign currency. We show that in a domestic hyperinflation, the foreign currency actually loses value but becomes the dominant medium of exchange.
(S)-norepinephrine in the tissues of mice and rats given racemic erythro-3,4-dihydroxyphenylserine (DOPS).

Abstract The administration of racemic erythro-3, 4-dihydroxyphenylserine (DOPS) to mice resulted in increased concentrations of chemically determined norepinephrine in the hearts and brains. However, radioactive norepinephrine in the brains, resulting from the administration of [2- 14 C]DOPA, was decreased after the administration of erythro-DOPS. The pressor response to tyramine was attenuated in rats which had received this amino acid. It is concluded that in vivo the βS:αS isomer of DOPS, present in the racemic-erythro mixture, yields unnatural (S)-norepinephrine which replaces part of the natural (R)-norepinephrine in central and peripheral adrenergic tissues.
Optimization of parameters for the analysis of triglyceride by reverse phase HPLC using a UV detector at 210 nm

Factors affecting the quantitative analysis of triglycerides from natural oils were investigated on reverse-phase HPLC columns. The organic solvent used to dissolve the triglycerides greatly determined the extent to which the solute molecules interacted with the mobile phase and hydrocarbonaceous ligand. Chloroform-dissolved triglycerides resulted in better resolution and detection of the solute matrix of all the organic solvents used. Also, ethanol was superior to methanol as the polar organic modifier in the mobile-phase composition. Ballistic temperature programming significantly reduced analysis time and column temperature, when raised high enough, can reverse the elution of some solutes, Possible mechanisms of triglyceride solute retention on reverse-phase columns are advanced in conjunction with the various parameters used in the investigation.
Sodium phenylbutyrate reverses lysosomal dysfunction and decreases amyloid-β42 in an in vitro-model of inclusion-body myositis

Sporadic inclusion-body myositis (s-IBM) is a severe, progressive muscle disease for which there is no enduring treatment. Pathologically characteristic are vacuolated muscle fibers having: accumulations of multi-protein aggregates, including amyloid-β(Aβ) 42 and its toxic oligomers; increased γ-secretase activity; and impaired autophagy. Cultured human muscle fibers with experimentally-impaired autophagy recapitulate some of the s-IBM muscle abnormalities, including vacuolization and decreased activity of lysosomal enzymes, accompanied by increased Aβ42, Aβ42 oligomers, and increased γ-secretase activity. Sodium phenylbutyrate (NaPB) is an orally bioavailable small molecule approved by the FDA for treatment of urea-cycle disorders. Here we describe that NaPB treatment reverses lysosomal dysfunction in an in vitro model of inclusion-body myositis, involving cultured human muscle fibers. NaPB treatment improved lysosomal activity, decreased Aβ42 and its oligomers, decreased γ-secretase activity, and virtually prevented muscle-fiber vacuolization. Accordingly, NaPB might be considered a potential treatment of s-IBM patients.
A rapid method for the determination of guanosine 5'-diphosphate-3'-diphosphate and guanosine 5'-triphosphate-3'-diphosphate by high-performance liquid chromatography.

Abstract A method is described for the rapid analysis of the nucleotides, guanosine 5′-diphosphate-3′-diphosphate (ppGpp) and guanosine 5′-triphosphate-3′-diphosphate (pppGpp), by high-performance liquid chromatography. It has been found that the inclusion of magnesium acetate in the potassium phosphate buffer facilitates elution of these highly phosphorylated compounds from the Partisil strong anion-exchange resin and allows their determination under isocratic conditions. The application of this methodology to formic acid extracts of bacterial cells is demonstrated.
Abstract 3246: TMS1 / ASC is critical for primary ciliogenesis and participates in cell migration

Proceedings: AACR 103rd Annual Meeting 2012‐‐ Mar 31‐Apr 4, 2012; Chicago, IL TMS1/ ASC encodes a bipartite signaling protein that functions in programmed cell death and proinflammatory response. Loss of function of TMS1/ASC through epigenetic silencing has been implicated in the pathogenesis of several malignancies, including breast and prostate cancer, although the precise mechanism by which TMS1 loss promotes tumorigenesis remains unclear. Recently, we showed that, in breast epithelial cells, TMS1/ASC silencing promotes resistance to detachment induced apoptosis or ‘anoikis’ through a mechanism that involves the inhibition of procaspase-8 cleavage and Bim upregulation. Here, we further characterized the role of TMS1 in breast epithelial cell adhesion and motility. We found that while TMS1 was dispensable for adhesion to fibronectin, it was necessary for efficient migration across a transwell chamber towards a chemoattractant and in wound-closure. siRNA mediated silencing of TMS1 inhibited breast cell invasion through a Matrigel matrix. Subcellular localization studies showed that adhesion of breast epithelial cells to a fibronectin substratum induced the aggregation of TMS1 into barrel-like structures that formed at the apical cell surface. Primary cilia are solitary, sensory organelles that serve as platforms for multiple signaling pathways. Signalling from these organelles plays an important role in linking environmental cues to cell growth control. Interestingly, primary cilia are observed at much lower frequencies on cancer cells. Physical and temporal similarities between the observed TMS1 barrel-like structures and the basal structures of primary cilia suggest that TMS1 may be linked to adhesion and migration activities by regulating the function and/or biogenesis of primary cilia. To test this hypothesis, we used HEK293 kidney epithelial cells expressing an inducible myc-tagged TMS1 and TMS1-/- MEFs to explore the role of TMS1 in primary ciliogenesis. We found that in the absence of TMS1, HEK293 cells were unable to produce primary cilia, but cilia formation could be induced upon TMS1 induction. Taken together, our studies provide evidence of a novel non-apoptotic, inflammasome-independent role for TMS1 in epithelial cell biology. Furthermore, TMS1 silencing may contribute to carcinogenesis by conferring a tumor suppression disadvantage resulting from primary ciliogenesis deficiencies. Supported by Department of Defense/CDMRP Breast cancer grant W81XWH-08-1-0390 and NIH Institutional Research and Academic Career Development Award (IRACDA) K12GM000680. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 3246. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-3246
Regulation of Intracellular Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type-1 Protease Activity

The maturation of HIV-1 virions is accomplished through the proteolytic cleavage of Gag and GagPol precursor polyproteins by the viral-encoded protease (PR). Since virions are assembled from unprocessed polyproteins, the intracellular activation of PR must be limited. An experimental system was established that allows the investigation of the intracellular regulation of PR activity. By expressing Gag in trans with the GagPol precursor, downregulation of the intracellular PR activity associated with GagPol was demonstrated. Inhibition of PR activity was dependent upon the context of PR expression. Sequences capable of mediating this inhibition were localized to capsid. A mechanism through which Gag regulates PR activity is proposed whereby the disproportionate synthesis of Gag inhibits the activation of PR in the cytoplasm. Further elucidation of the mechanism of intracellular inhibition of PR activity may facilitate the development of novel PR inhibitors capable of inhibiting viral replication in vivo.
Development of cortical neuronal activity in the neonatal cat.

Abstract The development of spontaneous activity and of responses to flash has been studied in single neurons of marginal gyrus in kittens from birth to age 8 weeks. No spontaneous or evoked activity was found in cortical neurons in the immediate neonatal period. In subcortical fibers, spontaneous activity was present already at birth. The first recordable spontaneous activity in cortical neurons consisted of brief, synchronous bursts, followed by prolonged periods of silence. Maturational changes in spontaneous neuronal activity consisted of a decrease in synchrony of neuronal discharges, an increase in rate of spontaneous discharges, and the appearance of tonic discharges in a large number of cortical neurons. Flash responses in cortical neurons were prominent in the more immature animals, but diminished as maturation progressed.
Heterogeneous Regulation of Steroid Hormone Receptors in the Brain

The ovarian steroid hormones, estradiol and progesterone, act in the guinea pig brain to regulate the expression of sexual behavior. In studies of the cellular mechanisms of steroid hormone action, we have used an immunocytochemical technique to study the regulation of these receptors in different neuroanatomical regions. We have observed that progestin receptor-immunoreactivity in cells in certain neuroanatomical regions are more responsive to particular steroid hormone treatments than are cells in other regions. Similarly, we have observed selective regulation of progestin receptor-immunoreactivity in neurons identified on the basis of their neuropeptide content