cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Huntington's disease--like 2 is associated with CUG repeat-containing RNA foci.

Objective Huntington's disease–like 2 (HDL2) is caused by a CAG/CTG expansion mutation on chromosome 16q24.3. The repeat falls, in the CTG orientation, within a variably spliced exon of junctophilin-3 (JPH3). The existence of a JPH3 splice variant with the CTG repeat in 3′ untranslated region suggested that transcripts containing an expanded CUG repeat could play a role in the pathogenesis of HDL2, similar to the proposed pathogenic role of expanded CUG repeats in myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1). The goal of this study, therefore, was to test the plausibility of an RNA gain-of-function component in the pathogenesis of HDL2. Methods The presence and composition of RNA foci in frontal cortex from HDL2, Huntington's disease, DM1, and control brains were investigated by in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry. An untranslatable JPH3 transcript containing either a normal or an expanded CUG repeat was engineered and expressed in human embryonic kidney 293 and HT22 cells to further test the toxic RNA hypothesis. The formation of RNA foci and the extent of cell death were quantified. Results RNA foci resembling DM1 foci were detected in neurons in HDL2 cortex and other brain regions. Similar to DM1, the foci colocalize with muscleblind-like protein 1, and nuclear muscleblind-like protein 1 in HDL2 cortical neurons is decreased relative to controls. In cell experiments, expression of a JPH3 transcript with an expanded CUG repeat resulted in the formation of RNA foci that colocalized with muscleblind-like protein 1 and in cell toxicity. Interpretation These results imply that RNA toxicity may contribute to the pathogenesis of HDL2. Ann Neurol 2007;61:272–282
Evaluation of protocol before transplantation and after reperfusion biopsies from human orthotopic liver allografts: considerations of preservation and early immunological injury.

Light microscopic, immunohistochemical and ultrastructural analysis of protocol before transplantation and after reperfusion biopsy specimens from 87 randomly selected patients was performed to assess the contribution of preservation and immunological injury to early graft failure. Most biopsy specimens were essentially normal by light microscopy before transplantatio, and no particular feature could be relied on to predict function after transplantation. Ultrastructural examination of biopsy specimens before transplantation demonstrated preferential degeneration of sinusoidal lining cells, but no strict correlation was seen between ultrastructural sinusoidal integrity before transplantation and function after transplantation. The presence of zonal or severe focal necrosis and a severe neutrophilic exudate in biopsy specimens after reperfusion presaged a poor early postoperative course in most, but not all, patients. The presence of preformed lymphocytotoxic antibodies had no effect on the early clinical course, but was associated with Kupffer cell hypertrophy in needle biopsy specimens taken after transplantation. No definite evidence was seen of hyperacute rejection as a result of preformed lymphocytotoxic antibodies as detected in conventional assays. These findings suggest that preservation injury accounts for only a subset of grafts that fail to function after transplantation. Other perioperative or “recipient” factors may be of equal or greater importance in early graft dysfunction or failure.(HEPATOLOGY 1990;11:932-941.).
[Comment on “There is No Magnestophere nor is there a plasmasphere!”] There is no magnetosphere

I am surprised that A.C. Fraser-Smith is only aware of the geometric meaning of the word "sphere." According to Webster's New Universal Unabridged Dictionary (2d edition, Simon and Schuster, New York, 1979), the word also has the meaning "the place or range of action or existence."
Nocturnal asthma: Understanding chronobiology and chronotherapy

ABSTRACT The field of chronobiology and chronotherapy in medicine is in its relative infancy. However, important knowledge has been gained so as to better understand both the pathophysiology of diseases and the corresponding therapeutic interventions. Asthma is one of the disease entities that has been studied in detail in regard to both time related alterations in pathophysiology and treatment. This article reviews the nocturnal worsening of asthma.
Superresolution by structured matrix approximation

The bearing estimation problem is formulated as a matrix-approximation problem. The columns of a matrix X are formed by the snapshot vectors from an N-element array. The matrix X is then approximated by a matrix in the least-square sense. The rank as well as the partial structure of the space spanned by the columns of the approximated X matrix are prespecified. After the approximated X matrix is computed, the bearings of the sources and, consequently, the spatial correlation of the source signals are estimated. The performance of the proposed technique is compared with two existing methods using simulation. The comparison is made in terms of bias, mean-squared error, failure rates, and confidence intervals for the mean and the variance estimates for all three methods at different signal-to-noise ratios. When the sources are moving slowly and the number of snapshot vectors available for processing is large, a simple online adaptive algorithm is suggested. >
Residue Management Practice Effects on Soil Surface Properties in a Young Wheat-Soybean Double-Crop System

ABSTRACT Approximately 25% of the soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] grown in the mid-South is produced in a wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)-soybean double-crop system. Pre-soybean field preparations often consist of removing wheat residue by burning followed by conventional tillage (CT). However, crop residue burning has serious negative environmental consequences and will likely be outlawed in the future. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the short-term effects of alternative wheat-residue management practices, tillage [no-tillage (NT) and CT], burning (burn and no burn), and wheat-residue level (low and high), on soil surface properties after two full cropping cycles in a wheat-soybean double-crop production system on two silt-loam Alfisols in east-central Arkansas. Soil bulk density increased over time, but the increase was unaffected by imposed treatments. Changes in soil pH and electrical conductivity (EC) were generally unaffected by tillage or burning, whereas soil EC increased by ...
Single‐shot dual‐z‐shimmed sensitivity‐encoded spiral‐in/out imaging for functional MRI with reduced susceptibility artifacts

Blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) functional MRI (fMRI) can be severely hampered by signal loss due to susceptibility-induced static magnetic field (B(0)) inhomogeneities near air/tissue interfaces. A single-shot spiral-in/out sequence with a z-shim gradient embedded between the two acquisitions was previously proposed to efficiently recover the signal. However, despite promising results, this technique had several limitations, which are addressed here as follows. First, by adding a second z-shim gradient before the spiral-in acquisition and optimizing both z-shim gradients slice-by-slice, a significantly more uniform signal recovery can be achieved. Second, by acquiring a B(0) map, the optimal z-shim gradients can be directly, efficiently, and accurately determined for each subject. Third, by complementing the z-shimming approach with sensitivity encoding (SENSE), the in-plane spatial resolution can be increased and, hence, susceptibility artifacts further reduced, while maintaining a high temporal resolution for fMRI applications. These advantages are demonstrated in human functional studies.
Depressive Symptoms and Suicidal Ideation among Mexican-Origin and Anglo Adolescents

ABSTRACT Objective To examine the prevalence of depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation, their comorbidity, and associated risk factors in adolescence. Method A self-administered questionnaire was completed in class by students in three middle schools (grades 6 through 8) enrolling more than 3,200 students. Usable questionnaires were obtained from 2,614 (81.5%), of which 924 were Anglo and 1,354 were of Mexican origin. Depression was measured using the 20-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale and suicidal ideation using four items on thoughts of death and suicide. Results The minority adolescents reported significantly higher crude prevalence rates of symptoms of depression and thoughts of suicide than their Anglo counterparts. Prevalence rates were highest for females of Mexican origin. There was a strong association between depression and suicidal ideation in both ethnic groups. Multivariate logistic regression analyses indicated significant correlates of depressive symptoms were suicidal ideation (adjusted odds ratio = 10.9), loneliness, and use of English, in that order. Significant correlates of suicidal ideation were depression (adjusted odds ratio = 10.6), loneliness, two-parent household, use of English, and being of Mexican origin. More than 80% of those with high ratings on suicidal ideation scored as depressed in both ethnic groups. Conclusions Results are consistent with other studies suggesting rates of suicidal ideation among adolescents are in the 10% to 20% range, while rates of depressive symptoms are in the 35% to 50% range using standard caseness scores. Mexican-American youths appear to be at higher risk than Anglo youths, particularly for suicidal ideation. In addition, it appears that youths who are lonely are more likely to report higher rates of both depression and suicidal ideation. The data also indicate that youths who spoke only or mostly English reported lower rates of depression and suicidal ideation, suggesting that acculturation may play a role as well.
Gender Differences and Offender Reentry: A Review of the Literature

Historically, men have been incarcerated at rates far greater than women. As a result, reentry and reintegration programs have focused mainly on men's needs. The Second Chance Act of 2007 authorized funding for offender reentry programs and research on special populations—including about women and parents acknowledging the importance of identifying gender differences to improve offender rehabilitation efforts for successful reintegration. This article reviews literature about offender demographics, incarceration statistics, barriers to reintegration—both individual and social/structural, and gender-responsive strategies, and posits policy and program recommendations. We suggest that recognizing needs and trends for both men and women will result in more effective interventions, during incarceration as well as during the reentry and reintegration process.
Effects of two amine reducing agents on the degree of conversion and physical properties of an unfilled light-cured resin.

Abstract The influence of varying concentrations of two amine reducing agents commonly used in commercial light-cured composites, N,N-dimethyl-p-toluidine (DMPT) and 2-(N,N-dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate (DMAEMA), on the degree of conversion (DC), Knoop hardness, and compressive and transverse strengths of an unfilled light-cured resin was investigated. The DC obtained from employing two different internal standard peaks, carbonyl (C= O ) at 1730 cm −1 and urethane (N-H) at 3350 cm −1 , was compared. The resin consisted of 50 wt% triethyleneglycol dimethacrylate (TEGDMA) and 50 wt% 1,6-bis (methacryloxy-2-ethoxycarbonylamino)-2,4,4-trimethylhexane (UDMA) activated with 0.5 mol% camphorquinone (CQ) and varying concentrations of either DMPT or DMAEMA. The DC calculated by use of either C= O or N-H absorption peak as an internal reference showed similar values. For both amines, the physical properties were directly related to DC and appeared to reach maximal values at an amine/CQ molar ratio of 4.0. The DC, however, appeared to reach a maximum at an amine/CQ molar ratio of 3.0. Generally, for the same amine/CQ molar ratios, the polymers formulated with DMAEMA, had greater DCs and better physical properties than those formulated with DMPT.
Nanomechanical Characterization Effect of Mica and Aging on Asphalt Binder

AbstractAsphalt concrete (AC) consists of approximately 95% aggregate, by weight. Of this 95%, about 6% is smaller than 0.075 mm in size (passing the #200 sieve and called filler). The fillers often contain mica, which is a formation of silicate minerals having perfect basal cleavage. Mica has been shown to reduce the strength of AC. This study evaluates the effects of mica on asphalt materials subjected to aging. Mica is combined with asphalt binders to make mastics. Mastics are aged at four different levels and tested by nanoindentation to determine modulus and hardness values. It is shown that mastic with no mica becomes much harder after long-term aging. Aged mastic with no mica is shown to be harder than the aged mastics with low concentrations of mica. Mastic with less than 5% mica in the fillers behaves similarly to binder. However, with a mica content of 7.5%, the modulus decreases after long-term aging. A mastic sample containing 5% mica is shown to have the highest modulus value. Therefore, low-...
Food Proteins: New Sources from Seeds: Fortified and processed seed proteins have a role in satisfying human protein needs

Adequate protein nutrition is possible at lower cost without the undermining of man's satisfaction with his food. This potential requires the upgrading of the proteins of cereals by supplementation with amino acids and the development of new protein foods from low-cost sources such as the oilseeds; infant malnutrition can be eliminated by such means. The more sophisticated new foods such as protein beverages and textured products are proving acceptable to man and will supplement meager supplies of animal protein.
Biometric Authentication for Intrusion Detection Systems

Most of the currently available intrusion detection systems do not provide any authentication functionality in order to identify the users who access a computer system. In particular, insiders are able to misuse their privileges without being detected. Some intrusion detection systems aim to authenticate legitimate users once they log in to the system, as well as to prevent access to unauthorized people who try to impersonate other users. The main goal of this paper is to introduce and implement a novel approach that uses the fingerprint technique to complement a host-based intrusion detection system in order to improve its level of authentication, which would allow us to detect more effectively any misuse of the computer system that is running it.
Antibody-based immunotherapy in high-risk neuroblastoma

Although great advances have been made in the treatment of low- and intermediate-risk neuroblastoma in recent years, the prognosis for advanced disease remains poor. Therapies based on monoclonal antibodies that specifically target tumour cells have shown promise for treatment of high-risk neuroblastoma. This article reviews the use of monoclonal antibodies either as monotherapy or as part of a multifaceted treatment approach for advanced neuroblastoma, and explains how toxins, cytokines, radioactive isotopes or chemotherapeutic drugs can be conjugated to antibodies to enhance their effects. Tumour resistance, the development of blocking antibodies, and other problems hindering the effectiveness of monoclonal antibodies are also discussed. Future therapies under investigation in the area of immunotherapy for neuroblastoma are considered.
High-temperature enthalpy and critical property measurements using a differential scanning calorimeter

Abstract Recent research at the National Institute for Petroleum and Energy Research (NIPER) into the design of a fast, accurate, and precise method to determine the liquid-phase enthalpy for organic compounds is discussed. The apparatus employed consists of a commercial Differential Scanning Calorimeter (DSC) and specially designed sample cells capable of withstanding both high temperature and pressure without rupture. Critical properties (T c ,P c ,ϱ c ) derived from these measurements are also discussed. Results obtained for benzene and decane were used to validate the method. The temperatures at which conversion to a single phase occurs for several different cell fillings were used to map out the two-phase domain for each compound. Critical pressures were estimated via a simultaneous fit of available high-precision, low-pressure (p
Environmental influences on growth of L and ERK mammalian cells in shake-flask cultures

Abstract In shake-flask cultures, without renewal of the atmosphere, populations of L cells grew from 0.1 to about 0.8 million cells/ml in 4 days; ERK cell populations grew from 0.1 to about 0.5 million/ml in 4 days. The optimum tonicities for growth of L cells and ERK cells in shake-flask cultures were 363 and 289 m osm (ideal)/l respectively. Tonicity was more critical for the growth of ERK cells in suspension than in monolayer culture. Optimum concentrations of vitamins and serum were determined. Addition of bovine serum albumin (Fraction V) in the presence of serum had an irregular growth-promoting effect. Addition of a trace of MnCl 2 stimulated growth of ERK cells. Catalase (1 μg/ml) had a growth-promoting effect on ERK cells when the inoculum size was less than about 50,000 cells/ml.
Precision in the numerical integration of the Thomas–Fermi–Dirac kinetic‐energy and exchange‐energy functionals using a modeled electron density

In the Hohenberg and Kohn formulation of density-functional theory of an electronic system, such as the nondegenerate ground state of an atom, the basic variable is the electron density. This quantity, however, is not known. For this reason, in an actual calculation of the ground-state energy, one may resort to a modeled electron density. This poses the question: what is the accuracy beyond which one cannot penetrate in the numerical evaluation of certain integrals when using the modeled electron density and an integration technique? The present work attempts to provide an answer to this question by considering the Ne atom as an example, by using the Thomas–Fermi–Dirac energy-density functional, a modeled electron density, and Simpson's (three-point) rule for the numerical integration. © 1992 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Über die Reaktion von γ‐Nitroketonen mit Hydrazin und Hydroxylamin

Die Reaktion von γ-Nitroketonen mit Hydrazin liefert 4,5-Dihydro-3(2H)-pyridazinon-oxime 2a-c. In ahnlicher Weise reagiert das γ-Nitroketon 1a mit Hydroxylamin zum 4-Hydroxyimino-2,2-dimethylpentanamid-oxim (7). Als Zwischenstufen der Reaktion werden Nitril-oxide vermutet. On the Reaction of γ-Nitroketones with Hydrazine and Hydroxylamine Reaction of γ-nitroketones with hydrazine yields the 4,5-dihydro-3(2H)-pyridazinone oximes 2a-c. In a similar manner, the nitroketone 1a reacts with hydroxylamine to give 4-hydroxyimino-2,2-dimethylpentanamide oxime (7). As intermediates of the reaction nitrile oxides are supposed.
Reference Services Review: content analysis, 2006‐2011

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present a retrospective analysis of the content published in Reference Services Review from 2006 through 2011.Design/methodology/approach – The author manually reviewed the content of all journal issues from 2006 through 2011 using the Emerald web site. The information reviewed was number of articles per issue; author affiliations; article format; and article titles, abstracts, and keywords. The type, size, and location of author institutions were confirmed using institutions' official web sites as necessary.Findings – The paper finds that Reference Services Review has published an average of 40 articles per year. The majority of articles focus on topics in information literacy and reference services, with consistent coverage of emerging technologies, working with diverse populations, library space, and management. The majority of contributors are affiliated with large academic institutions in the USA, with some representation from liberal arts colleges, public li...
Perceptions of Communication in a Family Relationship and the Reduction of Intergroup Prejudice

From a contact theory perspective, links between variation in young adults' perceptions of communication with their grandparents and attitudes towards older adults are examined. The analysis pays particular attention to variation in communication with multiple grandparents, and finds links between that and perceived variability in the older adult population as a whole. More variation in perceptions of communication with grandparents is associated with perceptions of older adults as more heterogeneous. However, variation in grandparent relationships is associated with more negative attitudes towards older adults on measures of attitudinal central tendency. The results are discussed in terms of intergroup communication processes, contact theory and possible interventions to reduce prejudice in this and other contexts.
The Multiple Resources Questionnaire (MRQ)

The Multiple Resources Questionnaire (MRQ) is an easily-administered 17-item measure for subjective workload assessment. It is based on an expansion of Multiple Resource Theory as guided by factor analytic studies of lateralized processes, and aims to provide high diagnosticity by identifying the load on specific resources. Here the full questionnaire is reproduced and reliability data from two studies are reported. Across a number of computer-based games and laboratory tasks, interrater reliabilities (r) are found to range from +.57 to +.83, with reliabilities expected to approximate 0.9 when data are aggregated over 8 or more raters. Validity data are reported in a companion article.
Quantum logic as superbraids of entangled qubit world lines

Presented is a topological representation of quantum logic that views entangled qubit spacetime histories (or qubit world lines) as a generalized braid, referred to as a superbraid. The crossing of world lines can be quantum-mechanical in nature, most conveniently expressed analytically with ladder-operator-based quantum gates. At a crossing, independent world lines can become entangled. Complicated superbraids are systematically reduced by recursively applying quantum skein relations. If the superbraid is closed (e.g., representing quantum circuits with closed-loop feedback, quantum lattice gas algorithms, loop or vacuum diagrams in quantum field theory), then one can decompose the resulting superlink into an entangled superposition of classical links. Thus, one can compute a superlink invariant, for example, the Jones polynomial for the square root of a classical knot.
Introduction to Zooarchaeological Method and Theory : a Special Issue Honoring R. Lee Lyman

The Society for American Archaeology presented R. Lee Lyman with the Fryxell award for Interdisciplinary Excellence in Zooarchaeology in 2011. Lyman has produced over 120 journal articles or book chapters, and four single-authored books on the topic, and this issue honors his contributions to zooarchaeological method and theory with six original pieces by his peers. Arguably, his greatest impact has been in the field of vertebrate taphonomy and the development of a means to measure density-mediated bone attrition, but of equal importance was emphasis in the discipline that unit selection, or what one measures, should be linked to a particular research question. Lyman's work has also stressed the importance of making zooarchaeology relevant to modern issues of conservation biology.
Synthesis and characterization of electron-rich nickel tris-carbene complexes.

The synthesis and characterization of the first nickel(0)/(I) tris-carbene complex with a nitrogen anchored tripodal N-heterocyclic carbene ligand are described.
Religion, World View, and Community Development Practice

Community development responses to problems that threaten the lives of people around the world have not always been successful. Some argue that an obsolete vision of development emphasizing the provision of assistance rather than the facilitation of community change is the cause. A survey of 1,230 people engaged in intercultural programs with Christian agencies reveals conflicting conceptions of development. Those with an assistentialist approach see poverty as being caused by individual failures, and define development as the intervention of outside agents. Those with a facilitatory approach tend to view development as a transformative process through which people solve their own problems. Understanding these differing sets of assumptions among individuals and responding appropriately within agencies can increase the effectiveness of community development efforts.
Distinguishing significant from false copper and nickel anomalies in soil overlying the Gladesville norite, Jasper County, Georgia

Abstract Distinct anomalies of Cu and Ni in stream alluvium and soil are associated with the Gladesville norite, but are generally not related to significant mineralization. The origin of one of the soil anomalies was investigated by determining partitioning relationships of Cu and Ni in outcrop samples, B-horizon soil samples, and a soil profile sample utilizing selective leaching techniques and electron microprobe analyses. Silicate minerals and spinel are important controls of both Cu and Ni distribution in the outcrop samples. Sulfides are a minor residence site of Ni but an important residence site of Cu. In soil, scavenging of Cu by montmorillonite has been important. Disintegration of montmorillonite in the B-horizon leaves residual minerals as an important and probably dominant control of Cu distribution in the upper part of the soil. Iron oxide particle coatings contain more Ni (46%) than any other single material in the B-horizon soil samples but contain only 21% of the Cu. Certain characteristics of the investigated Cu and Ni soil anomaly may be significant in future exploration as indicators of “false” anomalies. These include areal anomaly distribution patterns, soil/bedrock metal ratios, and the tendency of each metal to reside principally in a single soil component.
Functional topographic mapping of the cortical ribbon in human vision with conventional MRI scanners

THE human brain has anatomically distinct areas in which processing is laid out in space at the millimetre level with substantial variation across individuals. Activity occurs along a cortical ribbon 1.5–3 mm thick1 in response to specific stimuli2,3. Here we report the first use of cortical ribbon analysis on humans using non-invasive functional magnetic resonance imaging techniques performed with a conventional 1.5 T MRI scanner. Changes in activation were detected using T2*-weighted, gradient echo imaging sequences. Subjects observed partial field, flashing checkerboard patterns (left–right, top–bottom, half rings, and wedges). Stimuli produced magnetic resonance signal changes in the 1–8% range, varying at the millimetre scale, which showed contralateral vertically reflected patterns of activation in the visual cortex. To compare the spatial topographies across subjects, computer algorithms were used to control for the subject-unique folding of cortex, providing a flattened cortical ribbon identifying four topographically distinct areas.
Effect of Sertraline on Protein Binding of Warfarin

The effect of sertraline on the plasma protein binding of warfarin was investigated in a nonblinded randomised placebo-controlled parallel trial in 12 healthy male volunteers. The study participants received single doses of warfarin before administration of sertraline or placebo and again after sertraline or placebo had been administered for 22 days. Treatment with sertraline for 26 days increased the area under the mean prothrombin time vs time curve by 145 sec *h (7.9%), compared with a decrease of 17 sec *h (-1.0%) in the placebo group. Although statistically significant (p = 0.02), this difference was not felt to be clinically meaningful. There appeared to be a slight delay in the normalisation of the prothrombin time in the sertraline-treated group after the second dose of warfarin, which also would not be expected to be clinically significant. After 22 days, a statistically significant (p = 0.02) increase in unbound warfarin was observed in the sertraline group compared with the placebo-treated individuals. Neither the change in prothrombin time nor the change in plasma protein binding were considered to have any clinical relevance; however, good clinical practice dictates that prothrombin time should be monitored in patients treated concurrently with warfarin and sertraline to ensure that the integrity of coagulation response is maintained. The metabolism of warfarin is principally mediated by the cytochrome P450 (CYP) isoenzyme CYP2C9/10. Thus, sertraline appears to have a minimal effect on the CYP2C9/10 isoenzyme.
Taguchi methods: linear graphs of high resolution

An important reason behind the success of the Taguchi methodology in qual- ity assurance has been the use of statistical methods, presented in a way that is accessible to the nonexpert user. Among the tools used to simplify the sta- tistical design of experiments has been the linear graph, apparently introduced by Taguchi. However, he did not consider the resolution of the corresponding designs (the higher the resolution, the more accurate the conclusions). For example, it will be shown that half of the linear graphs given by Taguchi for the L16(215) orthogonal array correspond to designs of resolution III, when designs of resolution IV are available (with the same lines in the linear graphs but with different assignments to the columns of the orthogonal array). A nontraditional but very straightforward method is presented for obtaining the alias chains and the linear graphs corresponding to an orthogonal array. The procedure can be easily understood and employed by nonstatisticians to find an experimenta...
The Electrolytic Effects of Licorice Preparations in the Adrenalectomized Rat

Spanish licorice extract, ammoniated glycyrrhizin, monoammonium glycyrrhizinate and glycyrrhetinic acid were tested for electrolytic effects similar to those of desoxycorticosterone acetate. All the compounds tested, except glycyrrhetinic acid, produced electrolytic changes when administered orally to adrenalectomized rats. All fractions, except glycyrrhetinic acid, produced a K/Na ratio which with increased drug dosage resembles that of desoxycorticosterone acetate.
An Intermediate Level of BMP Signaling Directly Specifies Cranial Neural Crest Progenitor Cells in Zebrafish

The specification of the neural crest progenitor cell (NCPC) population in the early vertebrate embryo requires an elaborate network of signaling pathways, one of which is the Bone Morphogenetic Protein (BMP) pathway. Based on alterations in neural crest gene expression in zebrafish BMP pathway component mutants, we previously proposed a model in which the gastrula BMP morphogen gradient establishes an intermediate level of BMP activity establishing the future NCPC domain. Here, we tested this model and show that an intermediate level of BMP signaling acts directly to specify the NCPC. We quantified the effects of reducing BMP signaling on the number of neural crest cells and show that neural crest cells are significantly increased when BMP signaling is reduced and that this increase is not due to an increase in cell proliferation. In contrast, when BMP signaling is eliminated, NCPC fail to be specified. We modulated BMP signaling levels in BMP pathway mutants with expanded or no NCPCs to demonstrate that an intermediate level of BMP signaling specifies the NCPC. We further investigated the ability of Smad5 to act in a graded fashion by injecting smad5 antisense morpholinos and show that increasing doses first expand the NCPCs and then cause a loss of NCPCs, consistent with Smad5 acting directly in neural crest progenitor specification. Using Western blot analysis, we show that P-Smad5 levels are dose-dependently reduced in smad5 morphants, consistent with an intermediate level of BMP signaling acting through Smad5 to specify the neural crest progenitors. Finally, we performed chimeric analysis to demonstrate for the first time that BMP signal reception is required directly by NCPCs for their specification. Together these results add substantial evidence to a model in which graded BMP signaling acts as a morphogen to pattern the ectoderm, with an intermediate level acting in neural crest specification.
The entropy curves for interacting dimers on a square lattice

Abstract We report the presence of cusps in the curves of the entropy versus the coverage for nearest neighbour interacting dimers on a semi-infinite square lattice.
Spectral stability of small-amplitude shock profiles for dissipative symmetric hyperbolic-parabolic systems

We prove one-dimensional spectral stability of small amplitude shock profiles for degenerate viscosity conservation laws that are dissipative symmetric hyperbolic-parabolic in the sense of Kawashima [Ka.1], generalizing well-known results of Matsumura and Nishihara [MN] and of Kawashima, Matsumura, and Nishihara [KM,KMN] for the case of compressible gas dynamics. The proof follows an approach different from that of [MN,KM,KMN], instead combining the weighted energy method of Goodman [Go.2] with the auxiliary derivative estimates of Kawashima [Ka.1].
Risk of Precancer Determined by HPV Genotype Combinations in Women with Minor Cytologic Abnormalities

Background: Studies suggest that testing for individual human papillomavirus (HPV) genotypes can improve risk stratification in women with minor cytologic abnormalities. We evaluated genotyping for HPV16, HPV16/18, and HPV16/18/45 in carcinogenic HPV-positive women with atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASCUS) and low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (LSIL) cytology. Methods: For women enrolled in the ASCUS–LSIL Triage Study (ALTS), we calculated the age-stratified (<30 and 30+ years) positivity and cumulative risk over two years of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 3 or worse (CIN3+) when testing positive or negative for three genotype combinations: HPV16, HPV16/18, and HPV16/18/45. Results: Among women with ASCUS cytology, HPV16 positivity was 17.1% and increased to 22.0% ( P < 0.001) for HPV16/18 and 25.6% ( P < 0.001) for HPV16/18/45. Among women with LSIL cytology, HPV16 positivity was 21.1% and increased to 30.0% ( P < 0.001) for HPV16/18 and 34.0% ( P = 0.017) for HPV16/18/45. Regardless of cytology and age group, the greatest risk difference between test positives and test negatives was observed for HPV16 with decreasing risk stratification for HPV16/18 and HPV16/18/45. However, testing negative for any of the three combinations while being positive for another carcinogenic type still implied a two-year risk of CIN3+ of 7.8% or more. Conclusions: Although genotyping for HPV16, 18, and 45 provided additional risk stratification in carcinogenic HPV-positive women with minor cytologic abnormalities, the risk among genotype-negative women was still high enough to warrant immediate colposcopy referral. Impact: HPV genotyping in HPV-positive women with minor cytologic abnormalities will likely not alter clinical management. Adding HPV45 to genotyping assays is not warranted. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 22(6); 1095–101. ©2013 AACR .
Equal G analysis of ternary liquid-crystalline systems

Abstract The equal Gibbs energy analysis of binary liquid-crystalline systems can predict, to a high degree of accuracy, the phase diagram of the binary system. We extend this analysis to ternary systems. Two systems of homologous dialkyloxy-azoxybenzenes were studied. In particular we studied the mixtures 6-1-5 and 6-4-5, where the number denotes the number of carbon atoms in the terminal alkyl chain. The experimental temperature-composition phase diagrams were determined by differential scanning calorimetry and by optical microscopy using a ternary contact method as well as individual compositions. Both the crystal-nematic and nematic-isotropic phase regions were studied. The first mixture is highly non-ideal, whereas the second is almost ideal. The form used for the excess Gibbs energy was This particular form, where x, y and (1 - x - y) are the molar fractions of the three components and Aijk are the interaction parameters, either binary or ternary, looks at the origins of the excess Gibbs energies fr...
Study of Effects of Transverse Deformation in BSCCO-2212 Wires

Viability of BSCCO-2212 round wires for high field magnet applications is being investigated within the Very High Field Superconducting Magnet Collaboration (VHFSMC). Three BSCCO-2212 wires of different designs were homogeneously flat-rolled to decreasing sizes to study the effect of deformation as a function of the precursor used and of the architecture parameters of the wires. After heat treatment at Oxford Superconducting Technology (OST), size variations of round and deformed samples were measured, and their transport properties characterized at 4.2 K and at magnetic fields up to 14 T. The wire made with granulate precursor was the most homogenous. The wires made with powder precursor showed instead non-monotonic behavior in Ic and even more so in the n-value.
Robotic vehicles for planetary exploration

A program to develop planetary rover technology is underway at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) under sponsorship of NASA. Developmental systems with the necessary sensing, computing, power, and mobility resources to demonstrate realistic forms of control for various missions have been developed, and initial testing has been completed. These testbed systems and the associated navigation techniques used are described. Particular emphasis is placed on three technologies: Computer-Aided Remote Driving (CARD), Semiautonomous Navigation (SAN), and behavior control. It is concluded that, through the development and evaluation of such technologies, research at JPL has expanded the set of viable planetary rover mission possibilities beyond the limits of remotely teleoperated systems such as Lunakhod. These are potentially applicable to exploration of all the solid planetary surfaces in the solar system, including Mars, Venus, and the moons of the gas giant planets. >
Numerical analysis of extracellular fluid flow and chemical species transport around and within porous bioactive glass

Modeling of the physical phenomena present at the biomaterial-tissue interface provides a valuable tool for examining the underlying mechanisms which influence the overall behavior of the implant-host system. Based on histological data from a previous implantation study (E. Schepers, M. De Clercq, P. Ducheyne, and R. Kempeneers, "Bioactive glass particulate materials as a filler for bone lesions," J. Oral Rehab.; 18, 439-452, 1991, Ref. 1) which documented the differentiation of mesenchymal cells to cells expressing the osteoblastic phenotype in porous bioactive glass, a finite element momentum and mass transport model was constructed. In this analysis, the extracellular compositional variations and fluid flow conditions around and within porous bioactive glass granules were determined. Numerical simulations demonstrated that the interstitial fluid flow around these granules (300-360 microns) is viscosity dominated (low Reynolds number flow) and that the fluid inside the granules remains stagnant. This velocity field results in shear stresses proportional to the velocity gradient at the granule-fluid interface outside the particles and no shear stresses inside the particles. A parametric study on the effect of interstitial fluid flow on chemical species (Na+, Ca+2, HPO(4)-2) transport outside the granules revealed three domains. At low velocities (0-0.1 micron/s), the transport of species is diffusion controlled. At intermediate velocities (1.0-10 microns/s), diffusion and convection contribute to the species transport. The concentration of chemical species is nearly uniform at high velocities (100-800 microns/s). For all three cases, the transport of chemical species within the granules is diffusion controlled. The differences in transport mechanisms and interstitial fluid flow conditions lead to variations in concentrations, reaction rates, and shear stresses between the inside and the outside of the glass granules. These differences may influence cellular migration, attachment, differentiation, and the overall response to these bioactive materials.
RDOCK: refinement of rigid-body protein docking predictions.

We present a simple and effective algorithm RDOCK for refining unbound predictions generated by a rigid-body docking algorithm ZDOCK, which has been developed earlier by our group. The main component of RDOCK is a three-stage energy minimization scheme, followed by the evaluation of electrostatic and desolvation energies. Ionic side chains are kept neutral in the first two stages of minimization, and reverted to their full charge states in the last stage of brief minimization. Without side chain conformational search or filtering/clustering of resulting structures, RDOCK represents the simplest approach toward refining unbound docking predictions. Despite its simplicity, RDOCK makes substantial improvement upon the top predictions by ZDOCK with all three scoring functions and the improvement is observed across all three categories of test cases in a large benchmark of 49 non-redundant unbound test cases. RDOCK makes the most powerful combination with ZDOCK2.1, which uses pairwise shape complementarity as the scoring function. Collectively, they rank a near-native structure as the number-one prediction for 18 test cases (37% of the benchmark), and within the top 4 predictions for 24 test cases (49% of the benchmark). To various degrees, funnel-like energy landscapes are observed for these 24 test cases. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of binding funnels starting from global searches for a broad range of test cases. These results are particularly exciting, given that we have not used any biological information that is specific to individual test cases and the whole process is entirely automated. Among three categories of test cases, the best results are seen for enzyme/inhibitor, with a near-native structure ranked as the number-one prediction for 48% test cases, and within the top 10 predictions for 78% test cases. RDOCK is freely available to academic users at http://zlab.bu.edu/ approximately rong/dock.
IP multicast resource and topology discovery using a fan-out decrement mechanism

As the use of IP multicast sessions becomes widespread, the potential benefits derived from currently unavailable topological information on multicast distribution trees may become increasingly critical. In this paper we propose a framework for discovering the topology of shared multicast trees based on a novel fan-out decrement mechanism analogous to time-to-live (TTL) decrementing in IP. We propose an algorithm for topology discovery based on the matrix of path/fan-out distances among a set of E session members––the algorithm’s computational complexity is OðjEj 2 Þ. We exhibit sufficient conditions for topology discovery based on a reduced distance matrix, and propose a practical protocol to acquire this information requiring the exchange of 2jEj multicast messages of size OðjEjÞ. Finally, we show how the same approach permits nodes to discover the multicast distribution tree associated with members within their fan-out/TTL scoped neighborhoods. This permits one to reduce the computational costs while making the communication costs proportional to the size of neighborhoods. � 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Indian Gaming and Tribal Sovereignty: The Casino Compromise

Indian Gaming and Tribal Sovereignty: The Casino Compromise. By Steven Andrew Light and Kathryn R. L. Rand. Lawrence: University Press of Kansas, 2005. 240p. $29.95.Is gambling the answer to reservation poverty—the “new buffalo,” as some Native Americans have called it? In some places, such as the Pequots' Foxwoods in Connecticut, small groups of American Indians have been enriched. In other places, such as the New York Oneida Nation in Upstate New York, gambling has provided a rather vaguely constituted polity the means with which to hire police who force dissident antigambling traditionalists from their homes. Among the Mohawks at Akwesasne, people have died over the issue.
Zircon U-Pb and Whole-Rock Rb-Sr Ages and Early Crustal Development near Rainy Lake, Ontario

Early Precambrian rocks near Rainy Lake, on the Ontario-Minnesota border, are comprised of a thick section of metasediments and paragneisses (Coutchiching) overlain conformably by metavolcanics (Keewatin) and intruded by Laurentian Igneous rocks. Eight of ten zircon samples from these units lie within experimental error (±30 m.y.) of a 2750-m.y. Concordia chord. We conclude that the zircon ages are primary and not a result of metamorphic resetting. There is thus no evidence for an older sialic source region from which the detrital Coutchiching zircons were derived. It is probable that these detrital zircons were derived locally from contemporaneous volcanics and shallow intrusives within the geosyncline. There is little recorded time difference ( The Rb-Sr isochron for the volcanics gives an age of 2770 m.y. (initial Sr 87 /Sr 86 = 0.7010) which is not statistically different from the Coutchiching isochron age of 2690 m.y. (initial ratio = 0.7002). Both isochrons are in agreement with the zircon intercept age of 2750 m.y. (using λRb 87 = 1.39 X 10 −11 yr −1 ). At least some of the paragneisses are shown to be open to strontium migration during regional metamorphism. The Coutchiching isochron age of 2690 m.y. probably represents an early stage of metamorphism during the Algoman orogeny. Samples of one Laurentian intrusive give an isochron age of 2520 m.y., which is distinctly younger than the ages of the Laurentian zircons. This intrusive has been highly sheared and the rocks have probably been reset during the shearing event.
Assessing Post-ADA Employment: Some Econometric Evidence and Policy Considerations

This article explores the relationship between the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the relative labor market outcomes for people with disabilities. Using individual-level longitudinal data from 1981 to 1996 derived from the previously unexploited Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID), we examine the possible effect of the ADA on (1) annual weeks worked; (2) annual earnings; and (3) hourly wages for a sample of 7,120 unique male household heads between the ages of 21 and 65, as well as for a subset of 1,437 individuals appearing every year from 1981 to 1996. Our analysis of the larger sample suggests the ADA had a negative impact on the employment levels of disabled persons relative to nondisabled persons but no impact on relative earnings. However, our evaluation of the restricted sample raises questions about these findings. Using these data, we find little evidence of adverse effects on weeks worked but strong evidence of wage declines for the disabled, albeit declines beginning in 1986, well before the ADA's passage. These results therefore cast doubt on the adverse ADA-related impacts found in previous studies, particularly Acemoglu and Angrist (2001). The conflicting narratives that emerge from our analysis shed new light on, but also counsel caution in reaching final conclusions about, the impact of the ADA on employment outcomes for people with disabilities.