cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Concise Review: Androgen Receptor Differential Roles in Stem/Progenitor Cells Including Prostate, Embryonic, Stromal, and Hematopoietic Lineages

Stem/progenitor (S/P) cells are special types of cells that have the ability to generate tissues throughout their entire lifetime and play key roles in the developmental process. Androgen and the androgen receptor (AR) signals are the critical determinants in male gender development, suggesting that androgen and AR signals might modulate the behavior of S/P cells. In this review, we summarize the AR effects on the behavior of S/P cells, including self-renewal, proliferation, apoptosis, and differentiation in normal S/P cells, as well as proliferation, invasion, and self-renewal in prostate cancer S/P cells. AR plays a protective role in the oxidative stress-induced apoptosis in embryonic stem cells. AR inhibits the self-renewal of embryonic stem cells, bone marrow stromal cells, and prostate S/P cells, but promotes their differentiation except for adipogenesis. However, AR promotes the proliferation of hematopoietic S/P cells and stimulates hematopoietic lineage differentiation. In prostate cancer S/P cells, AR suppresses their self-renewal, metastasis, and invasion. Together, AR differentially influences the characteristics of normal S/P cells and prostate cancer S/P cells, and targeting AR might improve S/P cell transplantation therapy, especially in embryonic stem cells and bone marrow stromal cells.
A Crowd of Your Own: Crowdsourcing for On-Demand Personalization

Personalization is a way for computers to support people’s diverse interests and needs by providing content tailored to the individual. While strides have been made in algorithmic approaches to personalization, most require access to a significant amount of data. However, even when data is limited online crowds can be used to infer an individual’s personal preferences. Aided by the diversity of tastes among online crowds and their ability to understand others, we show that crowdsourcing is an effective on-demand tool for personalization. Unlike typical crowdsourcing approaches that seek a ground truth, we present and evaluate two crowdsourcing approaches designed to capture personal preferences. The first, taste-matching , identifies workers with similar taste to the requester and uses their taste to infer the requester’s taste. The second, taste-grokking , asks workers to explicitly predict the requester’s taste based on training examples. These techniques are evaluated on two subjective tasks, personalized image recommendation and tailored textual summaries. Taste-matching and taste-grokking both show improvement over the use of generic workers, and have different benefits and drawbacks depending on the complexity of the task and the variability of the taste space.
University Timetabling Using Constraint Logic Programming

A timetable is a temporal arrangement of a set of meetings such that all given constraints are satisfied. A timetabling problem can be suitably modelled in terms of a set of constraints. We use Constraint Logic Programming and develop methods, techniques and concepts for a combination of interactive and automatic timetabling of university courses and school curricula. An exemplary application of such a timetabling system was developed for the CharitE Medical Faculty at the Humboldt University, Berlin. The timetabling system is flexible enough to take into account special user requirements and to allow constraints to be modified easily if no basic conceptual change in the timetabling is necessary. An essential component is an automatic heuristic solution search with an interactive user-intervention facility. The user will, however, only be able to alter a timetable or schedule such that no hard constraints are violated.
Semantic query optimization in an automata-algebra combined XQuery engine over XML streams

This chapter discusses the semantic query optimization (SQO) in an automata-algebra combined XQuery engine over XML streams. The schema knowledge is used to rewrite a query into a more efficient one. The SQOs in XML focuses on techniques that are either generally regardless of persistent or streaming XML sources or specific to persistent XML sources such as query tree minimization. It eliminates a pattern from the query if the pattern is known to exist always. Since the pruned query involves less computation than the original one, it is more efficient to evaluate it, regardless of the nature of data sources. Another technique, the query rewriting using state extents, requires indices on the data. Applications on the persistent XML can usually afford the preprocessing of building indices, while this is often not the case for XML stream applications due to the on-the-fly arriving nature of their data. Therefore, this technique is more suitable for persistent XML.
Impact of routing lags on internet routing failures

Studies have shown that the Internet has experienced the widespread failures such as router crash, fiber cut, or scheduled maintenance. Ideally, routing protocols should be able to quickly find alternate paths to reroute around failures. In this paper, we consider one important factor that prevents routing protocols from achieving this goal: the delay of finding and obtaining alternate paths, defined as routing lag. We show that a significant number of routing failures in the Internet are caused by routing lags, and they can last for a significant period of time.
Disseminated intravascular coagulation in rabbits induced by administration of endotoxin or tissue factor: effect of anti-tissue factor antibodies and measurement of plasma extrinsic pathway inhibitor activity

Rabbits were given polyclonal anti-tissue factor (TF) immunoglobulin G (IgG) before an injection of endotoxin to test the hypothesis that TF triggers disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) after endotoxin. The rabbits had been prepared with cortisone to develop DIC after one injection of endotoxin. Anti-TF IgG substantially reduced the falls in fibrinogen, factors V and VIII, and platelets noted in control rabbits given preimmune IgG before endotoxin. At autopsy 24 hours later, fibrin was present in glomerular capillaries of 4 of 5 control rabbits, but in none of 11 rabbits given anti-TF IgG. DIC was also induced in a second group of rabbits by the infusion, over 4 hours, of 1 microgram/kg of purified, reconstituted rabbit brain TF. This resulted in striking falls in plasma fibrinogen, factors V, and VIII that were diminished, but not prevented by prior treatment with anti-TF IgG. Circulating activated factor VII, induced by either TF infusion or endotoxin, could not be detected after DIC. Mean plasma extrinsic pathway inhibitor (EPI) activity did not fall significantly after endotoxin, and only to about 65% of the preinfusion after infusion of TF. Thus, DIC induced by both agents proceeded despite nearly normal plasma EPI levels. Because EPI neutralizes factor VIIa/TF in vitro only after a short lag period, the DIC that persisted for up to 6 hours after injection of endotoxin suggests that TF activity continued to be generated during this period on cells to which the circulating blood was exposed. All animals given endotoxin became ill with cyanosis, tachypnea, cold ears, and diarrhea, regardless of whether they had received anti-TF IgG to attenuate DIC. Infusion of TF caused some animals to die acutely with pulmonary arterial thromboses, but surviving animals did not appear ill. The findings support the hypothesis that exposure of blood to TF triggers DIC after endotoxin, but is not important for the pathogenesis of endotoxin-induced shock.
Validating procedures for selecting social work personnel

This article reviews techniques for validating procedures of personnel selection, including construct, content, and empirical validation. An actual validation study of a procedure designed to select workers for social service positions is presented to demonstrate the feasibility and utility of this approach for the social work field.
Interpreting data from randomized trials: the Scandinavian prostatectomy study illustrates two common errors.

Statistical analysis is an essential part of clinical practice, since the very concept of evidence-based medicine hinges on sound interpretation of clinical data. Using the Scandinavian prostatectomy versus watchful waiting study as a practical example, Andrew Vickers presents two common errors: accepting the null hypothesis and misinterpreting the lower statistical power of overall versus cancer-specific survival, and warns of the dangers of forgetting these basic principles.
RELIGIONS OF WESTERN ANTIQUITY

This collection of Funk's work, extending over the past 15 years, presents a kaleidoscope of his interests and abilities. There are two distinct forms of writing in this collection: technical studies on parables and letter form and meditations on language and theology. Among the studies of particular note is Funk's work on the Apostolic Parousia in the Pauline letters. This is a classic study which will now be readily available. Likewise the formalistic studies of participant and plot in the narrative parables continue Funk's pioneering efforts in this area of research. But what I have called the meditations are perhaps the most striking. Three stand out for their clarity and importance. "Introduction: Language as Perception, Problem, Promise" is a suggestive study of Early Christianity as the beginning of a language tradition and how language creates event. The careful balancing of the dimensions of history and story deserve careful consideration. The final essay, "The New Testament as Tradition and Canon," is both a careful historical study and also an exposition of the implicit significance of the canon as it emerged. The essay questions the relation between canon and inspiration, and in turn Scripture and Tradition as authority. The other meditation that strikes this reviewer as important is "Myth and the Literal Non-Literal." For those who believe that Bultmann's program of demythologizing is now irrelevant this is must reading. Funk reclaims the Bultmannian position by reformulating it in contemporary linguistic and literary theory. Finally, since these essays reach back some fifteen years, it would have been helpful for Funk to take cognizance of advances or changes in positions since the original writing.
Envelopes and nonconvex Hamilton–Jacobi equations

This paper introduces a new representation formula for viscosity solutions of nonconvex Hamilton–Jacobi PDE using “generalized envelopes” of affine solutions. We study as well envelope and singular characteristic constructions of equivocal surfaces and discuss also differential game theoretic interpretations. In memory of Arik A. Melikyan.
Translation of messenger RNA fractions extracted from free and membrane bound rat forebrain ribosomes in a rabbit reticulocyte cell-free system.

Abstract Messenger RNA fractions were obtained from free and membrane bound rat forebrain ribosomes by alkaline phenol extractions. These RNA fractions stimulated protein synthesis in a cell-free rabbit reticulocyte system partially dependent on the addition of exogenous mRNA. The polypeptide products of protein synthesis with RNA fractions derived from free and membrane bound brain ribosomes and reticulocyte ribosomes were compared by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and found to have different distributions.
Test Anxiety and High-Stakes Test Performance Between School Settings: Implications for Educators

With the enactment of standards-based accountability in education, high-stakes tests have become the dominant method for measuring school effectiveness and student achievement. Schools and educators are under increasing pressure to meet achievement standards. However, there are variables which may interfere with the authentic measurement of student achievement, such as test anxiety. In addition, test anxiety has risen with the use of test-based accountability. This study investigates the prevalence of test anxiety among high school students on a high-stakes test and potential differences on the basis of socioeconomic status. Results indicated significant correlations between anxiety subscales and test performance. Implications for management of anxiety, academic achievement, educational practice, and issues of efficacy are considered.
Agonist-stimulated Cyclic ADP Ribose ENDOGENOUS MODULATOR OF Ca2+-INDUCED Ca2+ RELEASE IN INTESTINAL LONGITUDINAL MUSCLE

We have previously shown that agonist-induced Ca2+ mobilization in intestinal longitudinal muscle is mediated by ryanodine-sensitive, inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate-insensitive sarcoplasmic Ca2+ channels. Ca2+ release via these channels is triggered by agonist-stimulated Ca2+ influx and results in Ca2+-induced Ca2+ release. The present study examined whether cyclic ADP-ribose (cADPR) is synthesized in response to stimulation of longitudinal muscle by agonists and modulates the activity of Ca2+ release channels. Cyclic ADPR bound with high affinity to dispersed longitudinal muscle cells (IC50 1.9 nM) and induced Ca2+ release (EC50 3.8 nM), increase in [Ca2+]i(EC50 2.0 nM), and contraction (EC50 1.1 nM); cADPR had no effect on circular muscle cells. The effects of cADPR were blocked by ruthenium red, dantrolene, and the specific antagonist, 8-amino-cADPR, and were augmented by caffeine but not affected by heparin. The binding of cADPR and its ability to stimulate Ca2+ release were dependent on the concentration of Ca2+. Cyclic ADPR was capable of stimulating Ca2+ release at subthreshold Ca2+ concentrations (25-100 nM) and of enhancing Ca2+-induced Ca2+ release. Longitudinal muscle extracts incubated with β-NAD+ produced a time-dependent increase in Ca2+-mobilizing activity identified as authentic cADPR by blockade of Ca2+ release with 8-amino-cADPR and ruthenium red. Ca2+ mobilizing activity was increased by cholecystokinin octapeptide (CCK-8) in a concentration-dependent fashion. The increase induced by CCK-8 was suppressed by the CCK-A antagonist, L364,718, nifedipine, and guanyl-5′-yl thiophosphate. The study shows that ADP-ribosyl cyclase can be stimulated by agonists and that cADPR can act as an endogenous modulator of Ca2+-induced Ca2+ release.
Risk-adjusted outcomes in elderly endometrial cancer patients: implications of the contrasting impact of age on progression-free and cause-specific survival.

Abstract Objective To reexamine the tenet that advanced age independently impacts progression-free and cause-specific survival in patients with endometrial cancer (EC). Methods Patients undergoing surgery for stages I–IIIC EC between 1999 and 2008 were stratified by age ( Results Of 1182 eligible patients, 822 (69.5%) were P Conclusion When risk-adjusted for the higher prevalence of adverse prognostic factors in elderly EC patients, progression-free survival after primary therapy is not age dependent but the less favorable cause-specific survival in this cohort may reflect age-related postrecurrence treatment differences.
Particle size, volume fraction and matrix strength effects on fatigue behavior and particle fracture in 2124 aluminum-SiCp composites

The effects of particle size, volume fraction and matrix strength on the stress-controlled axial fatigue behavior and the probability of particle fracture were evaluated for 2124 aluminum alloy reinforced with SiC particles. Average particle sizes of 2, 5, 9 and 20/~m and volume fractions of 0.10, 0.20 and 0.35 were examined for four different microstructural conditions. Tensile and yield strengths and fatigue life were substantially higher in the reinforced alloys. Strength and fatigue life increased as reinforcement particle size decreased and volume fraction loading increased. The frequency of particle fracture during crack propagation was found to be dependent on matrix strength, particle size and volume fraction and on maximum crack tip stress intensity. Particle fracture can be rationalized, phenomenologically, by the application of modified process zone models, originally derived for static fracture processes, and weakest link statistics which account for the dependence of matrix yield strength and flow behavior and particle strength on the probability of particle fracture during monotonic fracture and fatigue crack propagation.
The use of positively charged leaving-groups in the synthesis of α-D-linked glucosides. Synthesis of methyl 2,3,4-tri-O-benzyl-6-O-(2,3,4,6-tetra-O-benzyl-α-D-glucopyranosyl)-α-D-glucopyranoside

Abstract Quaternary ammonium and triphenylphosphonium salts of 2,3,4-tri- O -benzyl-6- O -( N -phenylcarbamoyl)- D -glucopyranosyl bromide were readily prepared by reaction with tertiary amines and triphenylphosphine under anhydrous conditions. Methanolysis of these salts was studied to determine the conditions of solvent and temperature that would produce the highest yields of α- D -glucosides. The quaternary ammonium salts gave the highest yields with solvents of low dielectric constant and room temperature. The phosphonium salts gave moderate yields with diethyl ether at 50°. The synthesis of methyl 2,3,4-tri- O -benzyl-6- O -(2,3,4,6-tetra- O -benzyl-α- D -glucopyranosyl)-α- D -glucopyranoside by treatment of the quaternary ammonium salt of 2,3,4,6-tetra- O -benzyl-α- D -glucopyranosyl bromide with methyl 2,3,4-tri- O -benzyl-α- D -glucopyranoside was studied as a model for the synthesis of oligosaccharides. The anomeric composition of the disaccharide product could be easily determined from the optical rotation since the specific rotations of both the final product and of the gentiobioside analog are known. Under the best conditions, the yield of disaccharide was low (50%) and the reactions were not completely stereoselective.
The effect of spontaneous seizures on pentylenetetrazole and maximum electroshock induced seizures in the Mongolian gerbil

The seizure sensitive Mongolian gerbil, a genetic model of epilepsy, has been used to investigate the effects of prior spontaneous seizures on the threshold for pentylenetetrazole (PTZ) and maximum electroshock (MES) induced convulsions. In animals which had spontaneous epileptic seizures prior to testing the threshold for PTZ induced convulsions was raised compared to non-seized animals. This inhibitory effect of a spontaneous seizure was not observed for MES convulsions. Pretreatment with naltrexone, an opioid antagonist, attenuated the post-ictal inhibitory effect on PTZ induced convulsions. It is concluded that a spontaneous seizure in the epileptic gerbil leads to non-specific post-ictal inhibition of seizure sensitivity. Endogenous opioids may exert a modulatory action in mediating this phenomenon.
Sheath-assisted controlled deployment technique for Excluder bifurcated main body

The W. L. Gore Excluder bifurcated device uses a single-action deployment mechanism with an expanded polytetrafluoroethylene string that is stitched to an outer jacket constraining the nitinol self-expanding stent-graft. Under certain anatomic conditions of the proximal neck, the deployment angle of the proximal stent-graft can be difficult to predict and result in the device being seated caudal to the intended landing site just below the lowermost renal artery. This article describes a technique of controlled deployment of the Excluder device where the top of the main bifurcated device is "flowered" by slowly pulling the deployment string while being buttressed by an introducer sheath to prevent premature deployment and allow longitudinal positioning of the device. This technique could be used when a more gradual deployment of the Excluder device is desired in angulated or short proximal necks.
Surface morphology of human mononuclear phagocytes during maturation and phagocytosis.

Scanning electron micrographs revealed marked variations in surface morphology and size of mononuclear phagocytes cultured for short (4 hour) and long (7–45 days) durations. Soon after isolation from blood, monocytes showed only a few filopodia but extensive ruffled membranes. During culture, they increased greatly in size as they matured into macrophages. The macrophage surface showed large numbers of microvillous projections and elongated radiating filopodia. Intercommunication of filopodia between adjacent cells was observed. Addition of Candida spores and latex particles allowed sequential photographic documentation of the phagocytic process. Filopodia attached to the particle and subsequently became confluent to form a continuous membrane which enveloped the particle and eventually interiorized it. When a maximum number of particles had been engulfed, the macrophages appeared bloated with only a thin membrane, devoid of cytoplasmic extensions, surrounding the ingested particles.
Time and Space in Play: Saving and Pausing With the Nintendo DS

The Nintendo DS has been, given its huge popularity, relatively understudied. This article is a small step toward correcting that and, in doing so, contributes to game studies in general. Using Goffman’s and Benjamin’s theories of play and Innis’s analysis of media, this article explores the nature of play on a handheld videogame system as an illuminating case of the tension between time-based storage media and space-based transmission media. Storage, transmission, space, and time are intertwined and made complicit in the ways in which the Nintendo DS is used and played. By engaging with non-diegetic aspects of the video game experience, such as saving and pausing, we can begin to address the materiality of handheld video gaming systems as objects with which we play with and rework time and space. In turn, mobile play itself is highly contingent and spatial–temporal practices take on special significance in this light.
Wind-tunnel investigation of surface-pressure fluctuations associated with aircraft buffet

Fluctuating pressures and forces that cause aircraft buffeting have been measured on a semispan rigid-wing model of a typical variable-sweep fighter-type aircraft at transonic speeds. The rms spectral and spatial correlation characteristics of wing fluctuating pressures, fluctuating pressure summations, and structural responses are presented and discussed for a Mach number of 0.85, wing sweep angles of 26 and 72 deg, and angles of attack up to 12 deg. The fluctuating pressure characteristics beneath wing shock waves and leading-edge vortices and in regions of attached and separated flows are presented. Results indicate that: (1) the mean and fluctuating static pressure characteristics are related; (2) a circulation oscillation exists for attached flow conditions below buffet onset; and (3) a significant coupling exists between the wing shock-wave oscillation and the wing first torsional mode when shock-induced separation is present.
Chemically sensitive devices

Abstract The interaction between electronic device structures and specific chemical species, such as H2, O2, H+, Na+ and K+ is receiving increased study while the device structures are drawn from the current class of diodes, field effect type transistors, and resistors, there has not been a general model presented to guide either the selection of device structures or the type of chemical reactions that would be good candidates for chemical transducers. We present an optical analogue which serves as a general model and examine some of the specific consequences of this model. We begin by noting that in photoconductivity, the specific chemical reaction involves a photon-hole/electron generation recombination process which changes the quasi-Fermi levels, i.e. e + p ⇌ hv 0 . Recombination is a vital aspect of the reversibility of the photoconductive process. Excessive trapping of electrons or holes would induce a long term drift that would be highly undesirable. A similar argument applies to a chemical species A that causes a shift in the electrochemical potential. If there is an electrically inert species B that can combine to produce a volatile product C, or A can adsorb/desorb easily, then A + B ⇌ C↑ , A(s) ⇌ A(g) , and we can make a direct analog tot the photoconductive case. By a similar argument one can compare photovoltaic response to the Nernstian response of ion sensitive feild effect transistor (ISFET) type structures with reference electrodes. The specific types of chemically sensitive device structures will be reviewed against this background model. The PdSiO2Si system has been studied at several laboratories in different forms, i.e. MOSFETs, Schottky diodes and MOS capacitors. The mechanism of response had been assumed to be a change in work function of the Pd. More recent studies point to the injection of hydrogen into the SiSiO2 interface. All of these studies clearly show that exposure to gaseous oxygen will reversibly remove the excess hydrogen and return the devie structures tot heir original electrical state. Aside from the usefulness of such detectors, this simple system is a good choice for examining various sensor concepts. The ISFET and ion sensitive diode (ISD) employ a liquid gate contacted by a reference electrode. The polarization induced by the flow of ions into the ion selective region is the key to the response of this class structures. One important question under current study at various laboratories is the role of hydration on the properties of the ion selective region. To operate properly, the ISEFT and ISD have to be essentially blocking electrodes relative to the solution. Thus, both Nernstian (due to bulk indiffusion) and non-Nernstian (due to site specific adsorption) response could occur. Furthermore, if there is a reduction process in the bulk which frees a neutral species (H+ + e− H), a super-Nernstian response can occur.
Materials and Processing Impacts on Flip Chip Assembly using Pre-applied Underfill

Summary form only given. Pre-applied underfill materials for eutectic tin lead flip chip solder attach have been developed to produce void free, reliable assemblies. Lead free flip solder attach presents a number of challenges for quality assembly using pre-applied underfill. Factors that effect fluxing, yield, and voiding will be addressed
Keynote address: Moving a science workload to exascale computing

Summary form only given. With the huge amount of networked video cameras installed everywhere nowadays, there is an urgent need of embedded intelligence for automated tracking and event understanding of video objects. The scope of intelligent surveillance and analytics systems includes access control, crowd flux statistics analysis, intelligent transportation, abnormal event detection, and automated home and health care, etc. To accomplish this task, we have to integrate several research efforts, including automated video object segmentation for various indoor and outdoor condition, multiple video object tracking under various kinds of occlusion and segmentation errors, tracking of video objects across multiple cameras with overlapping or non-overlapping camera field of views, human object modeling using monocular videos to systematically create informative 2D or 3D motion trajectory descriptions of body parts, and finally the inference of events and behaviors of moving objects for automated event detections and human behavior understanding through 2D or 3D motion trajectory analysis. This talk will present some of our persistent efforts on these research topics in the past years and share some perspectives of future research and development directions.
Hitting the right note

Our ability to predict events shapes the way we listen to and appreciate music. Why is music enjoyable? What are its mental attractions? Those are the themes tackled by cognitive researcher David Huron in Sweet Anticipation: Music and the Psychology of Expectation. Our reviewer calls the book “a fascinating journey into the inner workings of music”. Why not read the review with Huron's test melodies (find them on http://tinyurl.com/lmjwl ) playing in the background?
Effects on lethality of toxins in venom from the scorpion Centruroides sculpturatus by group specific reagents.

Abstract Venom from the North American scorpion, Centruroides sculpturatus, was treated with reagents group-specific for proteins. Lethality in albino mice was used as the criterion for inactivation. The toxins in the venom are inactivated by a variety of chemical reagents. Those reagents which reduce disulfide bonds decrease lethality as does O-methylisourea, a reagent for e-amino groups. The toxins are also inactivated by a non-specific reagent, diazobenzenesulfonic acid. On the other hand, reagents which react with sulfhydryl and free carboxyl groups do not affect the lethality of the venom. The significance of these results in relation to chemical structure of the toxins is discussed.
Transparency, Intentionalism, and the Nature of Perceptual Content

Moore's idea here is often summarized by saying that experience is transparent: when we try to examine the features of an experience, we end up 'looking through' the experience and examining features of what the experience is an experience of.2 Though there is widespread agreement that the transparency of experience shows something important about perception, there is little agreement about what it shows. Many have argued that we can use it to decide questions about the objects of experience whether they are sense data, propositions of some sort, or external particulars and their properties. I agree that there is something important to be learned from Moore's observation: but I think that it concerns the contents, not the objects, of perception. These two topics are not the same. To ask whether perceptual experiences have objects is to ask whether the having of a perceptual experience is a matter of instantiating a certain monadic property or of
Observation of quantum confinement effect away from the zone center in a spectroscopic ellipsometry study of the dielectric function of single Al 0.3 Ga 0.7 As/GaAs/Al 0.3 Ga 0.7 As square quantum wells

The dielectric response of molecular‐beam epitaxially grown single Al0.3Ga0.7As/GaAs/Al0.3Ga0.7As square quantum wells with thicknesses in the range 14–59 A is examined via spectroscopic ellipsometry in the energy range 1.6–5.7 eV. Shifts in the E1 transitions are observed and found to be consistent with the shifts calculated within a simple square well model with finite barrier height using appropriate L‐point parameters of the bulk materials.
Identification of Prostanoid Receptors in Rabbit Non-pigmented Ciliary Epithelial Cells

Preliminary ligand binding studies demonstrated that the membrane preparations of the rabbit non-pigmented ciliary epithelial cell line have3H-prostaglandin E2binding sites. The binding sites were specific for3H-prostaglandin E2as demonstrated by competition with unlabeled prostaglandin E2. The IC50of prostaglandin E2for the inhibition of3H-prostaglandin E2binding was 435nm. The stimulation of adenylyl cyclase and phospholipase C by prostanoid receptor agonists, in rabbit non-pigmented ciliary epithelial cells resulted in the formation of either cyclic AMP or inositol phosphates. Prostaglandin E2and 16-16-dimethyl prostaglandin E2(both are EP1, EP2, EP3and EP4receptor agonists), 11-deoxy prostaglandin E1(EP2, EP3and EP4receptor agonist), butaprost (EP2receptor agonist), and prostaglandin D2(DP receptor agonist) stimulated the formation of cyclic AMP in a dose-dependent manner. Maximal stimulation occurred between 1.25 and 2.5μmfor prostaglandin E2and 16,16-dimethyl prostaglandin E2and between 10 and 20μmfor 11-deoxy prostaglandin E1and prostaglandin D2. Prostaglandin E2and 16,16-dimethyl prostaglandin E2were more potent (EC50of 0.25μmand 0.42μmrespectively) than 11-deoxy prostaglandin E1, butaprost or prostaglandin D2. The formation of cyclic AMP by prostaglandin D2was inhibited by BW868C, a highly selective DP receptor antagonist. 17-phenyl trinor prostaglandin E2, prostaglandin F2αand U46619, the EP1, FP and TP receptor agonists, respectively stimulated phospholipase C (as measured by the formation of total inositol phosphates) in a dose-dependent manner. The agonists 11-deoxy prostaglandin E1and butaprost coupled to adenylyl cyclase via guanine nucleotide binding protein, Gs, did not increase the turnover of inositol phosphates. The results of the present study suggest that rabbit non-pigmented ciliary epithelial cells express EP1, EP2, DP, FP and TP receptors.
Investigative diagnostic toxicology and the role of the veterinarian in pet food-related outbreaks.

Although most commercial pet foods are safe, there have been a few instances in which chemical or bacterial contamination have caused outbreaks of illness in animals. Because of concerns regarding cases of contaminated commercial pet food that have been reported over the past several years, some pet owners may be choosing to feed noncommercial, home-prepared diets. When pet food contamination is suspected, pet owners often seek advice from their veterinarian regarding its health impact and subsequent diagnosis. This article addresses the role of the veterinarians in pet food contamination and highlights recommended approaches to handling pet food outbreaks or recalls.
Light-Modulated Cell Adhesion to Control Cell and Tissue Morphogenesis

Cell adhesion through integrin receptors to the extracellular matrix is essential for pattern formation during tissue morphogenesis. For example, cell adhesion differences correlate with epithelial branching, and stem cells often reside in microenvironments essential for stem cell maintenance and differentiation. Tissue engineering relies on the ability to replicate in vivo pattern formation to grow complex multicellular tissues in vitro, a largely unresolved challenge. Although cell growth can be patterned by immobilizing matrix proteins by photolithography or microcontact printing, such techniques are not easily adaptable to a physiological 3D environment and most importantly do not allow dynamic control of cell adhesion during in vitro organogenesis. To address this challenge, we started to develop a system by which cell-matrix interactions can be reversibly modulated by patterned 470 nm illumination utilizing a novel short peptide, Zdk, that binds to the dark-state of oat LOV2 with high affinity. Aminosilane-coated coverslips were reacted with NHS-PEG-biotin conjugates, and a biotinylated LOV2 domain attached through neutravidin. As proof-of-principle, we bound mCherry-Zdk-RGD fusion proteins to biotin-LOV2-coated coverslips, and demonstrate rapid, reversible and patterned light-induced release of mCherry-Zdk-RGD from the surface. We are investigating how light-triggered release of cell matrix attachment controls focal adhesion dynamics and cell migration. Rapid rebinding of mCherry-Zdk-RGD is due to the photochemical properties of LOV2, which rapidly reverts to the dark state after photoactivation. Because this may be too fast to manipulate cell-matrix adhesions that turn over at a substantially slower timescale, we carried out a mutagenesis screen of LOV2 variants generated by error-prone PCR. Using fluorescence recovery of the LOV2-bound flavin molecule as readout, we identified numerous novel mutations near the flavin-binding site that revert to the dark state at much slower rates, presumably by stabilizing the flavin-cysteinyl adduct.
Quality of life when living with heart failure

Heart failure is a chronic condition and consumes a huge portion of health care expenditures. Increased life expectancy combined with increasingly effective treatments for coronary artery disease and hypertension will increase the number of patients with heart failure. Efforts are aimed at helping patients better care for themselves. Nurses can design interventions that focus on education and self-management of complex treatments, spiritual support, and clinical relationships based on trust. It is essential that health care providers direct and evaluate interventions that promote improved QOL for patients and families. Nurses also need to continue to study the effects of education and self-care interventions so that care for heart failure patients is evidence based.
Interplay between fluorescence and morphology in composite MEH-PPV/PCBM nanoparticles studied at the single particle level

Abstract We report the study of the photoluminescence properties of composite conjugated polymer (MEH-PPV)/fullerene (PCBM) nanoparticles as a function of PCBM doping level. The emission properties of individual nanoparticles were studied by Single Particle Spectroscopy (SPS), and distinct changes in vibronic structure with nanoparticle composition were observed. These changes are found to be due to the presence of domains in the nanoparticles with two distinct types of optical signatures, one with molecular and one with aggregate character, for which the abundance and morphology is found to change with PCBM doping levels. Interestingly, highly delocalized structures with a large extent of exciton migration are formed at low PCBM doping levels, while at high PCBM doping levels the exciton collapses into highly localized structures. Furthermore, at very high doping levels phase separation within the MEH-PPV/PCBM nanoparticles is found, even though the reported nanoparticles are only a few tens of nanometers in diameter.
Array adsorbent-coated lead zirconate titanate (PZT)/stainless steel cantilevers for dimethyl methylphosphonate (DMMP) detection

Abstract Piezoelectric cantilever sensors consisting of a piezoelectric layer bonded to a non-piezoelectric substrate are sensitive to minute mass changes at the cantilever tip. With simple electrical actuation and sensing, they can be easily miniaturized for array detection. We demonstrated room-temperature detection of dimethyl methylphosphonate (DMMP), a simulant of the nerve agent, sarin, using array lead zirconate titanate (PZT)/stainless steel cantilevers coated with different metal oxide adsorbents. Binding of DMMP molecules to the adsorbent surface at the cantilever tip increases the cantilever mass and decreases the cantilever resonance frequency. Detection of DMMP is achieved by monitoring the cantilever resonance frequency shift. Exposed to DMMP, a microporous-SiO2-coated cantilever exhibits a sharp resonance frequency decrease that saturates within minutes. A mesoporous-Al2O3-coated cantilever shows a sluggish resonance frequency shift that does not saturate after an hour. An uncoated PZT/stainless steel cantilever shows no resonance frequency shift when exposed to the DMMP vapor. The combination of the three vastly different DMMP adsorption behaviors on silica, alumina, and stainless steel offers a unique pattern for DMMP recognition, which was demonstrated by the present array sensing using PZT/stainless steel cantilevers. In addition, the microporous SiO2 coating can be regenerated at room temperature for repeated use and the sensor system can be easily portable.
National Expert Validation of COACH: Congruence with Exemplary Practice and Suggestions for Improvement:

The content and social validity of an educational planning tool named COACH (Choosing Options and Accommodations for Children) were explored through two studies. Study 1 presents questionnaire feedback from six groups of experts (N = 78) in the field of deaf-blindness and multiple disabilities regarding the purpose, philosophy, content, process, and presentation of COACH. Study 2 presents social validation feedback from parents whose children are deaf-blind and have multiple disabilities regarding a set of valued life outcomes included in COACH. The combined results of these studies provide initial validation that COACH is congruent with exemplary practice and offer consumer-based suggestions for its potential improvement.
Synthesis of amino allenes via reaction of α-aminoalkylcuprates with propargyl substrates

Abstract α-Aminoalkylcuprates prepared from carbamates via sequential deprotonation and treatment with CuCN·2LiCl react with propargyl bromides, mesylates, tosylates, acetates, and epoxides to afford amino allenes via a SN2′ substitution process. Propargyl bromides and sulfonates give good yields of amino allenes while the acetates afford low yields. Substrates undergo regiospecific SN2′ substitution and the use Sc(OTf)3 affords improved yields of amino allenes from propargyl epoxides. The Boc protected α-amino allenes can be cyclized to oxazolidones or deprotected to afford the free amines.
Search for Small-Scale Anisotropy of Cosmic Rays above 1019 eV with HiRes Stereo

We present the results of a search for small-scale anisotropy in the distribution of arrival directions of cosmic rays above 10 19 eV measured in stereo by the High Resolution Fly's Eye (HiRes) experiment. Performing an autocorrelation scan in energy and angular separation, we find that the strongest correlation signal in the HiRes stereo data set recorded between December 1999 and January 2004 is consistent with the null hypothesis of isotropically distributed arrival directions. These results are compared to previous claims of significant small- scale clustering in the AGASA data set.
The ocular pulse

A recording applanation tonometer was used to examine the ocular pulse in normal subjects and patients with ocular hypertension, open angle glaucoma, and low tension glaucoma. The mean pulse amplitude of right eyes of normal subjects was 2.84 mm Hg ± 1.16 and 2.83 mm Hg ± 1.18 for left eyes. Only 2% of subjects showed an interocular difference in pulse amplitude of more than 0.5 mm Hg. There were significant differences in pulse amplitude with refractive errors. Hypermetropic eyes had the largest pulse amplitude and myopic eyes the smallest. There was no significant correlation between pulse amplitude and intraocular pressure or age in normal subjects.The mean pulse amplitude of eyes with open angle glaucoma was significantly higher than that of normals. The mean pulse amplitude of a small number of eyes with ocular hypertension was significantly higher and eyes with low tension glaucoma had significantly lower pulse amplitudes than normal subjects.
A study of the 11B(3He, p)13C reaction at 12, 10, 8, 6 and 4 MeV

Abstract Angular distributions for eight proton groups corresponding to states in 13 C have been measured at incident 3 He energies of 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12 MeV. These states are p 0 (ground state), P 1 (3.09), p 1 (3.68), p 3 (3.85), p 4 (6.86), p 7 (7.68), pio(9.50) and p 11 (9.90). The angular distributions have been fitted with DWBA analyses using a zero-range approximation. No radial cut-offs were used. In general the data are reasonably well fit at incident energies of 10 and 12 MeV.
Pyrethroid insecticides: Isoform-dependent hydrolysis, induction of cytochrome P450 3A4 and evidence on the involvement of the pregnane X receptor

Pyrethroids account for more than one-third of the insecticides currently marketed in the world. In mammals, these insecticides undergo extensive metabolism by carboxylesterases and cytochrome P450s (CYPs). In addition, some pyrethroids are found to induce the expression of CYPs. The aim of this study was to determine whether pyrethroids induce carboxylesterases and CYP3A4, and whether the induction is correlated inversely with their hydrolysis. Human liver microsomes were pooled and tested for the hydrolysis of 11 pyrethroids. All pyrethroids were hydrolyzed by the pooled microsomes, but the hydrolytic rates varied by as many as 14 fold. Some pyrethroids such as bioresmethrin were preferably hydrolyzed by carboxylesterase HCE1, whereas others such as bifenthrin preferably by HCE2. In primary human hepatocytes, all pyrethroids except tetramethrin significantly induced CYP3A4. In contrast, insignificant changes were detected on the expression of carboxylesterases. The induction of CYP3A4 was confirmed in multiple cell lines including HepG2, Hop92 and LS180. Overall, the magnitude of the induction was correlated inversely with the rates of hydrolysis, but positively with the activation of the pregnane X receptor (PXR). Transfection of a carboxylesterase markedly decreased the activation of PXR, and the decrease was in agreement with carboxylesterase-based preference for hydrolysis. In addition, human PXR variants as well as rat PXR differed from human PXR (wild-type) in responding to certain pyrethroids (e.g., lambda-cyhalothrin), suggesting that induction of PXR target genes by these pyrethroids varies depending on polymorphic variants and the PXR species identity.
Nocturnal rhabdom cycling and retinal hemocyte functions in crayfish (Procambarus) compound eyes. I. Light microscopy

In addition to the previously known photoreceptor membrane cycle coupled to light and dark adaptation, detailed study of the late-night period (24:00 to 06:00 h) in Procambarus compound eyes demonstrates that a second cycle of degradation (about 14% decrease in maximum rhabdom diameter) and resynthesis takes place completely in the dark between midnight and dawn. Invasive granular hemocytes are present in the retina throughout the latenight period in winter. Their distribution around the retinulas during the degradative phase (24:00 to 02:00 h) of the turnover cycle differs significantly from that characteristic of both the synthetic (02:00 to 04:00 h) and resting (04:00 to 06:00 h) phases. This correlation provides an important way of identifying retinal areas in the process of net photoreceptor membrane degradation. Retinal hemocytes are highly significantly more numerous in the resting stage than in either of the other two. Certain associated changes differ between winter and summer series. Total hemocyte numbers in our winter experiments show a positive linear correlation with rhabdom diameters. In the summer series, retinal hemocytes are rare or absent, and rhabdom diameters are significantly smaller than in winter. No hemocytes are associated with the smallest (June) rhabdoms. Yet the latter do show the late-night breakdown and regeneration. Correlation between hemocyte numbers and rhabdom size becomes almost perfect if our summer and winter series are pooled.
Neurocognitive deficits are associated with unemployment in chronic methamphetamine users

Abstract Background Unemployment rates are high among chronic methamphetamine (MA) users and carry a significant economic burden, yet little is known about the neurocognitive and psychiatric predictors of employment in this vulnerable population. Methods The present study examined this issue in 63 participants with recent MA dependence and 47 comparison subjects without histories of MA use disorders. All participants completed a comprehensive neurocognitive, psychiatric and neuromedical evaluation. Individuals with HIV infection, severe neuropsychological or psychiatric conditions that might affect cognition (e.g., seizure disorder, schizophrenia), or a positive Breathalyzer or urine toxicology screen on the day of testing were excluded. Results Consistent with previous research, a logistic regression revealed MA dependence as a significant, independent predictor of full-time unemployment status. Within the MA-dependent sample, greater impairment in global neurocognitive functioning and history of injection drug use emerged as significant independent predictors of unemployment status. The association between worse global cognitive functioning and unemployment was primarily driven by deficits in executive functions, learning, verbal fluency, and working memory. Conclusion These findings indicate that neurocognitive deficits play a significant role in the higher unemployment rates of MA-dependent individuals, and highlight the need for vocational rehabilitation and supported employment programs that assess and bolster cognitive skills in this population.