cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Investigating XQuery for querying across database object types

In addition to facilitating querying over the Web, XML query languages may provide high level constructs for useful facilities in traditional DBMSs that do not currently exist. In particular, current DBMS query languages do not allow querying across database object types to yield heterogeneous results. This paper motivates the usefulness of heterogeneous querying in traditional DBMSs and investigates XQuery, an emerging standard for XML query languages, to express such queries. The usefulness of querying and storing heterogeneous types is also applied to XML data within a Web information system.
Endomorphism rings of essential extensions of a noetherian module

Nil subrings of the ring of endomorphisms of the rational completion of a noetherian module are nilpotent. If the quasi-injective hull of a noetherian module is contained in its rational completion, then the ring of endomorphisms of the former is semi-primary.
Endocytosis in the epithelium of the mouse oviduct

We studied the pathway of serum protein transport into the lumen of the mouse oviduct by localizing several tracer proteins in the oviduct after intravenous injection on days 1, 5, and 11 of pregnancy. Fluorescent proteins were observed in the lamina propria and in vesicles in the lumenal epithelial cells mainly in the preampulla segment on days 5 and 11 of pregnancy. In the isthmus, there was much less fluorescence in the lamina propria and no fluorescent vesicles in lumenal epithelial cells. This is similar to previous observations on day 1 and indicates that the uptake of serum proteins into lumenal epithelial cells in the preampulla is not limited to the time when embryos are present in the oviductal lumen. Horseradish peroxidase (HRP) was present in the lamina propria of the preampulla on days 1 and 5, but direct tracer movement into the oviductal lumen was blocked by the epithelial junctional complexes. Within the epithelial cells, HRP was localized in endocytic vesicles along the basolateral membrane, multivesicular bodies (mvb), elongated dense bodies below the nucleus (bdb), and many small vesicles near the apical surface of the cells. Ferritin was also used as a tracer and was observed in the same locations as HRP. Acid phosphatase in the epithelial cells of the preampulla on day 1 was localized in mvb and bdb, indicating that these structures are lysosomes. It appeared that HRP and ferritin followed two pathways after basolateral endocytosis by the epithelial cells in the preampulla: (1) they were transported to apical vesicles that may release their contents into the oviductal lumen, or (2) they were transported to lysosomes. These observations suggest the occurrence of an intracellular vesicular transport system in the preampulla for the transfer of serum proteins to the oviductal lumen in mice.
Confronting the Politics of Multicultural Competence

Too often, political liberals are automatically assumed to be multiculturally competent. Dafina Lazarus Stewart's students grappled with the possibility that this assumption could be flat wrong.
Saccadic eye movements following injection of lidocaine into the superior colliculus.

Ablation of the superior colliculus (SC) has generally produced limited deficits in the initiation of saccadic eye movements, usually an increase in the latency of saccades. However, recent studies using muscimol, a GABA agonist, to block afferents to the SC showed deficits in not only latency but in amplitude and velocity of saccades as well. These greater deficits might be dependent upon the testing of saccades shortly after the damage of SC before any compensation for the deficits could develop. The present experiments tested this hypothesis by injecting a local anesthetic into SC. The anesthetic inactivated the cells entirely rather than just deafferenting them, but still allowed testing immediately after the injection. Clear deficits were observed following injection of lidocaine into the SC. The amplitudes of saccades to visual targets were shortened, and the peak velocities of the saccades were reduced even if the reduced amplitude of the saccades was taken into account. Latency of saccades usually increased. The deficits were limited to the area of the visual field that overlapped the movement fields of the cells near the injection site. If the movement fields were in the periphery, saccades to the periphery were shortened following the injection of lidocaine. If the movement fields were near the center of gaze, saccades into the area were shortened, but the monkey was able to make saccades over the visual field related to the affected area to more peripheral targets. These experiments support the view that the SC normally conveys information on the amplitude and velocity of saccadic eye movements, but that gradual compensation can be made over time by other pathways when damage to the structure occurs.
Expression, purification, and in vitro biological activities of recombinant bovine granulocyte-colony stimulating factor.

Abstract Neutrophils are essential components of the innate immune system and they play a critical role in the defense of host against bacterial and fungal infections. The colony stimulating factors are a class of glycoproteins that are required for proliferation, differentiation, and functional activation of hematopoietic progenitor cells. Granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) is a member of this regulatory family of cytokines that specifically stimulates proliferation and maturation of precursor cells in the bone marrow into fully differentiated and functional neutrophils. G-CSF also modulates the biological activities of mature neutrophils in circulation. A bovine G-CSF (bG-CSF) cDNA clone (previously isolated and sequenced in our laboratory) was expressed in Escherichia coli and the biological activities of the solubilized protein from purified inclusion bodies were examined. Flow cytometric analysis of membrane antigen density of neutrophils activated with bG-CSF revealed an upregulation in the expression of CD11a (>114%), CD11b (>148%), CD11c (>87%), and CD18 (>109%). Expression of l -selectin was decreased by more than 43%. There was no change, however, in the expression of CD14. These findings indicate that recombinant bG-CSF (rbG-CSF) expressed in E. coli is biologically active and exerts the same type of effects on neutrophils in vitro as those of human G-CSF (hG-CSF).
Recent advances in haemostasis and thrombosis.

Purpose:To review recent advances in hemostasis and thrombosis.Methods:A review of recent studies that have changed our understanding of hemostasis and thrombosis.Results:The cascade model of coagulation divided coagulation into extrinsic and intrinsic pathways. Factor VIIa/tissue factor complex of
Cyclosporin A attenuates increased prostaglandin and thromboxane production in response to various stimuli in human decidua

Problem This study was undertaken to evaluate the effects of cyclosporin A on prostanoid (prostaglandin and thromboxane) production by human decidua. Method Decidual cells were isolated from term placentae obtained at elective cesarean section before the onset of labor. Cells were grown to confluence and then incubated for 16 h with cyclosporin A (0.1-100 ng/ml) in the presence and absence of interleukin 1 beta (IL-1 beta, 10 ng/ml), phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA, 10(-7) M) and ionomycin (0.5 micron). Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and thromboxane B2 (TXB2) were measured by radioimmunoassay, and cellular protein was determined. Results IL-1 beta, PMA, and ionomycin all stimulated decidual PGE2 and TXB2 production as expected. However, these stimulatory actions were attenuated by 20% when cells were coincubated with cyclosporin A (100 ng/ml). All concentrations of cyclosporin A tested were within the therapeutic range. Conclusions Our results indicate that cyclosporin A does not stimulate decidual prostanoid production and is probably unrelated to preterm labor and delivery in allograft recipients.
High-speed low-power short-reach optical interconnects for high-performance computing and servers

High Performance Computing and High-end Servers make use of optical interconnects today and future design points for these systems are pushing for higher speeds and lower power simultaneously. This paper will review the use of embedded optical interconnects in HPC and cover the latest research records for speed (56Gb/s) and energy efficiency (1pJ/bit) of short reach (<50m) links.
Formulation and solution algorithms for highway infrastructure maintenance optimisation with work-shift and overtime limit constraints

Abstract This paper deals with the issue of highway infrastructure maintenance which is indirectly related to city logistics since for efficient city logistics, operation highway infrastructure must be kept in good functioning condition. Roadside appurtenances such as guardrails, signs, and luminaries perform major functions in the utilisation and overall safety of the highway throughout their life-cycle. As a consequence, their maintenance is very critical to maximise life of the highway and promote safe mobility. However, budget and personnel constraints make it difficult for urban cities and other local government authorities to meet highway maintenance inspection challenges. As a result, they must prioritize as well as maximise the use of manpower to keep pace with the inspection demands maintaining their highway assets. Highway assets such as guardrails, signs and luminaries become secondary priorities and are often neglected, resulting in poor maintenance and corresponding reduction in their life-expectancy. Consequently, local authorities must find the right balance between available resources and efficient use of time in order to achieve their highway maintenance objectives. In this paper, a cost minimization problem considering work-shift and overtime constraints is presented. An algorithm using Floyd's shortest path method is developed to optimize the time and paths for efficient inspection of highway assets. An illustrative example from real-life applications is presented and discussed.
Periacetabular osteotomy for acetabular dysplasia in patients older than 40 years: a preliminary study.

The functional outcomes of periacetabular osteotomy (PAO) and factors predicting outcome in the older patient with acetabular dysplasia are not well understood. We therefore retrospectively determined the functional outcome of 70 patients (87 hips) over age 40 treated with PAO in three institutions; we also determined whether preoperative factors, particularly the presence of osteoarthritis, influenced the survival of the hip or time to total hip arthroplasty after PAO. The average age at surgery was 43.6 years. The minimum followup was 2 years (mean, 4.9 years; range, 2-13 years). Twenty-one hips (24%) had undergone total hip arthroplasty (THA), at a mean of 5.2 years after PAO (range, 1.9-7.6 years). Surviving hips had a mean improvement in Harris hip score from 60.7 to 90.3 and in total WOMAC pain score from 8.7 to 3. We observed no differences in preoperative or postoperative radiographic measurements or preoperative clinical function scores (HHS, WOMAC) in hips surviving and hips having THA. The risk of THA at 5 years after PAO was 12% in hips with preoperative Tonnis Grade 0 or 1 and 27% for Tonnis Grade 2. Our preliminary study suggests that PAO will give satisfactory functional and pain scores in patients over age 40 having dysplastic hips with mild or no arthrosis.
Vaso-active factors in pregnancy

Pregnancy results in profound physiological changes in the cardiovascular system, yet these changes are completely reversible. It is apparent that vaso-active factors, some as yet probably unidentified, which act as humoral or local autocrine or paracrine regulators of vasular resistance, play a major role in these cardio-vascular changes. This role may be heightened in pregnancy when there has to be a large increase in blood flow to the uterus and placenta while maintaining adequate flow to other vascular beds. Our knowledge of the mechanisms of action of these vaso-active factors and their interactions with each other still remains incomplete. Alterations in synthesis and action of these vaso-active factors may occur in pregnancies associated with pregnancy-induced hypertension, pre-eclampsia or intra-uterine growth retardation. Investigation of such alterations may help to elucidate the roles of vaso-active factors in both normal and pathological situations. The gestational hormones oestrogen and progesterone, are obviously prime candidates as overall regulators of the cardiovascular changes of pregnancy and as agents which alter the synthesis or action of other vaso-active factors. Currently, much attention is being focused on the role of local autocrine or paracrine vaso-active factors which may be produced by the endothelium or by the underlying vascular smooth muscle cells and alterations in their production or action in the hyptertensive disorders of pregnancy. The endothelium forms the largest endocrine organ within the body and so its importance in the mediation of vascular events should not be under-estimated. The principal objective of this review is to examine the roles of these many autocrine and paracrine vaso-active factors during pregnancy and their relation with the overall regulation of the vascular system. Changes which may occur and be involved in the aetiology of pre-eclampsia and growth retardation will also be examined.
Conceptual and Selection Bias Issues in Deterrence

Three critical issues involved in quantitative analysis of deterrence are addressed: the criteria for identifying deterrence cases, the problem of selection bias, and understanding the nature of de...
TU-G-BRB-09: The Effective Depth of Cylindrical Ionization Chambers in Water for Clinical Proton Beams

Purpose: In this study, we have developed an explicit analytical model to compute the effective depth of cylindrical ionization chambers in water for clinical proton beams. We have compared our explicit analytical model with an existing series expansion model. We have calculated the shift of water equivalent depth for different cylindrical ionization chambers and have compared our results with the IAEA recommendations and series expansion model. Methods: We have developed a method to compute the elliptic integral in an explicit analytical form. Using this integral form, the shift of water equivalent depth has been computed by accounting for individual contributions of ionization chambercavity, wall, central electrode and sleeve for proton energies ranging from 1.0 Kev to 1.0 Gev for thirty four commercially available ionization chambers. Results: The comparison of explicit analytical expression with series expansion reveals that integrations calculated by series expansion fail to converge when the ratio of radii of cylindrical ionization chambers is greater than 0.5. For all the ion chambers selected in this study, our results vary at maximum of 0.5 mm from the IAEA recommendations, whereas the maximum variation for the series expansion model is 1.5 mm. Conclusions: The findings of this study suggest that the developed analytical model is reliable for calculation of the effective depth in water. Further, verification of these results with Monte Carlo calculation may suggest the need for review of the standards for all commercial ionization chambers.
Synthesis by ribosomes of viral coat protein containing ester linkages.

Peptidyl transferase, the ribosomal enzyme which synthesizes peptide bonds, can catalyse the formation of ester linkages between α-hydroxyacyl-tRNA and aminoacyl-tRNA when ribosomes carry out a specific translation of phage R17 RNA in vitro.
XIV—A Merleau-Pontyian Critique of Husserl's and Searle's Representationalist Accounts of Action

Husserl and Searle agree that, for a bodily movement to be an action, it must be caused by a propositional representation. Husserl's representation is a mental state whose intentional content is what the agent is trying to do; Searle thinks of the representation as a logical structure expressing the action's conditions of satisfaction. Merleau-Ponty criticises both views by introducing a kind of activity he calls motor intentionality, in which the agent, rather than aiming at success, feels drawn to reduce a felt tension. I argue that Searle can account for Merleau-Ponty's kind of coping only by broadening his notion of propositional representation to include indexicals, but that, in so doing, he covers up the way representational intentionality depends upon motor intentionality.
Spherical Infall in G10.6–0.4: Accretion through an Ultracompact H II Region

We present high-resolution (012 × 0079) observations of the ultracompact H II region G10.6-0.4 in 23 GHz radio continuum and the NH3 (3, 3) line. Our data show that the infall in the molecular material is largely spherical and does not flatten into a thin disk at radii as small as 0.03 pc. The spherical infall in the molecular gas matches in location and velocity the infall seen in the ionized gas. We use a nondetection to place a stringent upper limit on the mass of an expanding molecular shell associated with pressure-driven expansion of the H II region. These data support a scenario in which the molecular accretion flow passes through the ionization front and becomes an ionized accretion flow onto one or more main-sequence stars, not the classical pressure-driven expansion scenario. In the continuum emission, we see evidence for externally ionized clumps of molecular gas and cavities evacuated by an outflow from the central source.
Tear evaporation from the human eye: The effects of contact lens wear

Abstract Tear evaporation rates were measured by resistancehygrometry in a group of five subjects wearing contact lenses of various materials (38 and 70% hydrogel, silicone elastomer, PMMA and modified PMMA). Tear evaporation rates were significantly increased during contact leans wear compared to the evaporation rate from the naked eye. No consistent differences in evaporation rates were attibutable to specific lens materials. It is suggested that the wear of any contact lens disrupts the tear film sufficiently to increase evaporation.
Arrhythmias on ambulatory electrocardiographic monitoring in women without apparent heart disease.

Abstract Cardiac arrhythmias were evaluated in apparently normal women by randomly selecting within the age decades of 20 to 60, 200 of the 788 women employees of a company. After exclusions for cardiac and medical reasons and refusals to participate, 101 subjects underwent 24-hour ambulatory electrocardiographic monitoring. The mean heart rate was 82 beats/min, but was higher in smokers (p
Microphase separation in bioerodible copolymers for drug delivery.

This research examines the microstructure of bioerodible polyanhydrides with an eye towards precise design of drug delivery devices. Our main hypothesis is that the bioerodible copolymer poly(1,6-bis-p-carboxyphenoxyhexane-co-sebacic anhydride) (CPH : SA) undergoes micro-phase separation at certain copolymer compositions due to differences in relative hydrophobicity of the co-monomers, resulting in thermodynamic partitioning of drugs incorporated into these copolymers. We investigate the thermal properties, degree of crystallinity, and surface microstructure of several compositions of CPH : SA using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD), and atomic force microscopy (AFM). We observe that the degree of crystallinity decreases, while the crystal lamellar thickness increases with CPH content. Phase-imaging using AFM indicates the presence of micro-domains in 20 : 80 and 80 : 20 CPH : SA, while poly(SA) and 50 : 50 CPH : SA show no micro-phase separation. Finally, drug-polymer interactions are studied by loading the polymers with different amounts of brilliant blue (hydrophilic) and p-nitroaniline (hydrophobic). DSC and WAXD analysis shows that loading hydrophobic drugs into relatively hydrophobic polymers (poly(SA)) lowers melting point that becomes more pronounced with increased drug loading.
A Four-State Survey of Secondary Administrators' Perceptions of Foreign Language Supervision.

This study investigated the attitudes of secondary school administrators toward the supervision of foreign language teachers and gathered information about administrators' own foreign language backgrounds. The results indicate a limited knowledge of foreign languages among secondary teacher supervisors and widely varying opinions on the consequences of this limited understanding. The survey also identified the instructional strategies deemed most important and the areas of supervision considered most difficult by these administrators.
What's it going to cost you?: Predicting effort vs. informativeness for multi-label image annotations

Active learning strategies can be useful when manual labeling effort is scarce, as they select the most informative examples to be annotated first. However, for visual category learning, the active selection problem is particularly complex: a single image will typically contain multiple object labels, and an annotator could provide multiple types of annotation (e.g., class labels, bounding boxes, segmentations), any of which would incur a variable amount of manual effort. We present an active learning framework that predicts the tradeoff between the effort and information gain associated with a candidate image annotation, thereby ranking unlabeled and partially labeled images according to their expected “net worth” to an object recognition system. We develop a multi-label multiple-instance approach that accommodates multi-object images and a mixture of strong and weak labels. Since the annotation cost can vary depending on an image's complexity, we show how to improve the active selection by directly predicting the time required to segment an unlabeled image. Given a small initial pool of labeled data, the proposed method actively improves the category models with minimal manual intervention.
Necessary and sufficient qualitative axioms for conditional probability

In a previous paper (Suppes and Zanotti, 1976) we gave simple necessary and sufficient qualitative axioms for the existence of a unique expectation function for the set of extended indicator functions. As we defined this set of functions earlier, it is the closure of the set of indicator functions of events under function addition. In the present paper we extend the same approach to conditional probability. One of the more troublesome aspects of the qualitative theory of conditional probability is that A [ B is not an object in particular it is not a new event composed somehow from events A and B. Thus the qualitative theory rests on a quaternary relation A [ B 2 CI D, which is read: event A given event B is at least as probable as event C given event D. There have been a number of attempts to axiomatize this quaternary relation (Koopman, 1940a, 1940b; Aczel, 1961, 1966, p. 319; Luce, 1968; Domotor, 1969; Krantz et al., 1971; and Suppes, 1973). The only one of these axiomatizations to address the problem of giving necessary and sufficient conditions is the work of Domotor, which approaches the subject in the finite case in a style similar to that of Scott (1964). By using indicator functions or, more generally, extended indicator functions, the difficulty of A I B not being an object is eliminated, for AZ IB is just the indicator function of the set A restricted to the set B, that is, AZ IB is a partial function whose domain is B. In similar fashion if X is an extended indicator function, X I A is that function restricted to the set A. The use of such partial functions requires care in formulating the algebra of functions in which we are interested, for functional addition X IA + Y [ B will not be well defined when A +B but A n B =t= 8. Thus, to be completely explicit we begin with a nonempty set Q, the probability space, and an algebra F of events, that is, subsets of Q, with it understood that 9 is closed under union and complementation. Next we extend this algebra to the algebra F* of extended indicator functions, that is, the smallest semigroup (under function addition) containing the indicator functions of all events in F. This latter algebra is now
Cytokines of the human reproductive tract

PROBLEM: How is it possible that the female genital tract immunologically does not reject spermatooa nor the preimplantation and nidating embryo? METHODS: Four fluids of the human reproductive tract, i.e., human oviductal fluid (hOF), follicular fluid (FF), amniotic fluid (AF), and seminal plasma (SP) were investigated by specific ELISA for 18 cytokines. The concentrations, presence or absence of these compounds were evaluated for their possible role in the immunology of the reproductive process. RESULTS: Stem cell factor and IL-11 were detected in all reproductive tract fluids examined whereas large amounts of IL-1β and IL-1RA was found in AF and hOF. Follicular fluid revealed IL-2. HOF contained IL 2, IL-6, IL-8, TNF-α, MIP-1α, IFN-γ, and high levels of IL-1β, IL-10, IL-1RA, and sIL-2R. Amniotic fluid contained sIL-2R, IL-8, IL-1β, IL-1RA, IL-6, TNF-α, and MIP-1α. No IL-12 or IL-13 was detected in hOF, follicular fluid, or amniotic fluid. Almost no free TGF-β1 or TGF-β2 was found in any reproductive tract fluid except seminal plasma. Seminal plasma contained large quantities of free TGF-β1 (9,220 ± 3,635 pg/mL) in addition to large quantities of latent TGF-β2 (2,933 ± 2,169 pg/mL) and TGF-β, (71,000 ± 3,240 pg/mL). Furthermore, considerable concentrations of IL-8 (1900 ± 374 pg/mL) and sIL-2R (350 μ/mL) exist in seminal plasma. CONCLUSIONS: HOF contains a high level of IL-10 (588 ± 304 pg/mL), a powerful immune suppressor which probably plays a role in regulating immune responses in the fallopian tube and possibly in the endometrial cavity. Our observations suggest that seminal plasma with its huge content of TGFβ provides immune protection for sperm. Unfortunately, such high concentrations of TGFβ may also inhibit an immune defense in any organ in which semen is deposited.
Matrix Metalloproteinases and Neurotrauma: Evolving Roles in Injury and Reparative Processes

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are involved in a wide range of proteolytic events in fetal development and normal tissue remodeling as well as wound healing and inflammation. In the CNS, they have been implicated in a variety of neurodegenerative diseases ranging from multiple sclerosis to Alzheimer disease and are integral to stroke-related cell damage. Although studies implicate increased activity of MMPs in pathogenesis in the CNS, there is also a growing literature to support their participation in events that support recovery processes. Here the authors provide a brief overview of MMPs and their regulation, address their complex roles following traumatic injuries to the adult and developing CNS, and consider their time- and context-dependent signatures that influence both injury and reparative processes.
Implementation of a New Advanced Graduate Education Program in Oral Implantology

The academic program for the Harvard School of Dental Medicine9s Advanced Graduate Program in Oral Implantology is based on scientific evidence applied to educational quality, translational research, patient care, and service. The objective of the program is to enable highly motivated individuals with proven scholarship and excellence in patient care to achieve academic leadership in the clinical and scientific fields of implant dentistry and tissue regeneration. A detailed curriculum describing the academic program, as well as a business plan (which included a management plan describing the organizational structure, financial implications, and market forces) and implementation and communication plans, were developed before moving forward. With careful academic and business planning, the result was a vibrant implant program, in which all placements and restorations of implants are coordinated with regard to practice management. The program is integrated into the existing clinical care model and has been financially self-sustaining from its inception. Six students have participated in the last two years. On average, each student performed seventy-nine procedures on twenty-nine patients, generating over $46,000 in production. The curriculum includes didactics, hands-on clinical learning, and research activities. Research is a critical component as well. The results demonstrate that the time taken to develop a detailed curriculum and business plan for a new academic program, which anticipated and resolved potential barriers to success, was instrumental in the successful implementation of an oral implantology residency program.
Neural circuitry underlying affective response to peer feedback in adolescence

Peer feedback affects adolescentsbehaviors, cognitions and emotions. We examined neural circuitry underlying adolescents� emotional response to peer feedback using a functional neuroimaging paradigm whereby, 36 adolescents (aged 9-17 years) believed they would interact with unknown peers postscan. Neural activity was expected to vary based on adolescentspercep- tions of peers and feedback type. Ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (vlPFC) activity was found when adolescents indicated how they felt following feedback (acceptance or rejection) from peers of low vs high interest. Greater activation in both cortical (e.g. superior temporal gyrus, insula, anterior cingulate) and subcortical (e.g. striatum, thalamus) regions emerged in response to acceptance vs rejection feedback. Response to acceptance also varied by age and gender in similar regions (e.g. superior temporal gyrus, fusiform, insula), with greater age-related increases in activation to acceptance vs rejection for females than males. Affective response to rejection vs acceptance did not yield significantly greater neural activity in any region. vlPFC response suggests cognitive flexibility in reappraising initial perceptions of peers following feedback. Striatal response suggests that acceptance is a potent social reward for adolescents, an interpretation supported by more positive self-reported affective response to acceptance than rejection from high- but not low-interest peers.
A Mutation in the Human Norepinephrine Transporter Gene (SLC6A2) Associated with Orthostatic Intolerance Disrupts Surface Expression of Mutant and Wild-Type Transporters

The norepinephrine transporter (NET) mediates reuptake of norepinephrine released from neurons, and, as such, it is an important regulator of noradrenergic neurotransmission. Recently, our laboratory reported a polymorphism in the human NET (hNET) gene A457P in an individual with the autonomic disorder orthostatic intolerance (OI). The presence of the hNET-A457P allele tracked with elevated heart rates and plasma NE levels in family members. hNET-A457P lacks >98% transport activity in several heterologous expression systems. In the present work, Western blot and biotinylation analyses performed in transiently transfected COS-7 cells revealed impairment in processing of hNET-A457P to the fully glycosylated form and a decrease in surface expression to ∼30% of hNET-wild type (hNET-wt). Because the hNET-A457P mutation is carried on a single allele in OI subjects, we examined the influence of cotransfection of hNET-wt and hNET-A457P and found that hNET-A457P exerts a dominant-negative effect on hNET-wt uptake activity. Experiments to determine oligomerization as a potential mechanism of the dominant-negative effect demonstrated that hNET-A457P coimmunoprecipitates with, and diminishes surface expression of, hNET-wt. These results reveal that hNET-A457P causes a conformational disruption that interferes with transporter biosynthetic progression and trafficking of both the mutant transporter and hNET-wt. These results elucidate a molecular mechanism for the disrupted NE homeostasis and cardiovascular function evident in OI patients with the hNET-A457P mutation.
Late Devonian “Kellwasser Event” mass-extinction horizon in Germany: No geochemical evidence for a large-body impact

The hypothesis that the Late Devonian (Frasnian-Famennian) mass extinction was triggered by an asteroidal impact has received renewed attention with the discovery of a Late Devonian Ir anomaly in Australia. In Europe, the mass-extinction event corresponds stratigraphically to the geographically widespread Kellwasser black-shale and bituminous limestone units, and the biological crisis itself has been alternatively designated the Kellwasser Event. The authors report here the results of an extensive geochemical analysis of the Kellwasser stratigraphic interval in a section with exceptional conodont zonal control in the Federal Republic of Germany. No Ir anomaly was found, neither at the biological crisis horizon recognized in Europe nor at the conodont horizon that corresponds to the Ir anomaly zone reported in Australia. No shock-metamorphosed quartz, sanidine spherules, or siderophile-rich magnetic spherules were found, which might have been indicative of a cometary impact. Oxygen-isotope ratios show little variation across the mass-extinction horizon, though carbon-isotope data suggest a sudden increase in phytoplankton activity. They further note that the Australian Ir anomaly (1) is most likely not associated with a large-body impact because no equivalent Ir signature occurs in Europe and (2) is stratigraphically above the European biological crisis horizon, thus postdating the Kellwasser mass-extinction event.
Large-conductance Ca2+-dependent K+ channels regulate basal uteroplacental blood flow in ovine pregnancy.

The mechanisms regulating basal uteroplacental blood flow (UBF) and the greater than 30-fold increase observed in normal pregnancy remain unclear. Although vascular growth contributes in early gestation, vasodilation accounts for the exponential rise seen in the last third of pregnancy. Large conductance potassium channels (BKCa) are expressed in uterine vascular smooth muscle (VSM), but the extent ofl their role in regulating UBF in pregnancy is unclear. Therefore, we determined if BKCa regulate basal UBF during ovine pregnancy. Studies were performed at 113 to 127 days and 135 to 150 days of gestation in eight pregnant ewes instrumented with uterine artery flow probes and uterine arterial and venous catheters. Tetraethylammonium chloride (TEA), a BKCa-speciflc inhibitor at less than 1.0 mM, was infused intra-arterially into the pregnant uterine horn over 60 minutes to achieve levels of 0.001—0.35 mM while continuously monitoring UBF, arterial pressure (MAP), and heart rate (HR). Uterine arterial and venous blood was collected simultaneously to measure uterine cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) synthesis. Intra-arterial TEA dose-dependently decreased basal UBF in the early (R = 0.81, n = 36, P <.001) and late (R = 0.72, n = 31, P <.001) study periods without altering contralateral UBF, MAP, and HR. The IC50 was 0.2 mM and basal UBF decreased ≥80% at 0.35 mM in both periods. Although UBF fell greater than 40% at estimated plasma TEA levels ofl 0.3 mM, uterine arterial cGMP was unchanged, uterine venous cGMP rose, and uterine cGMP synthesis was unchanged; therefore, upstream events associated with BKCa activation were unaffected by blockade. These are the first data demonstrating that BKCa are essential in the maintenance ofl basal UBF in the last third ofl ovine pregnancy.
Low daytime pulse oximetry reading is associated with nocturnal desaturation and obstructive sleep apnea in children with sickle cell anemia

A retrospective medical record review was established to test the hypothesis that in children with sickle cell anemia (SCA), a daytime oxygen saturation (SpO(2)) </=94% is associated with nocturnal desaturation with or without obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Twenty children had a resting SpO(2) </=94% and an abnormal polysomnogram (PSG). Seven patients had OSA and thirteen patients had nocturnal desaturation. The average daytime SpO(2) correlated with the average nighttime SpO(2) (Spearman correlation coefficient = 0.453; P = 0.045). Our results indicate that in children with SCA, a daytime SpO(2) </=94% is a reasonable threshold to recommend a pulmonary evaluation, including a PSG.
The Influence of Topography and Ambient Stability on the Characteristics of Cold-Air Pools: A Numerical Investigation

AbstractA high-resolution numerical investigation of a cold-air pooling process (under quiescent conditions) is carried out that systematically highlights the relations between the characteristics of the cold-air pools (e.g., slope winds, vertical temperature and wind structure, and cooling rate) and the characteristics of the topography (e.g., basin size and slope angle) under different ambient stabilities. The Advanced Regional Prediction System model is used to simulate 40 different scenarios at 100-m (10 m) horizontal (vertical) resolution. Results are within the range of similar observed phenomena. The main physical process governing the cooling process near the basin floor (<200 m in height) was found to be longwave radiative flux divergence, whereas vertical advection of temperature dominated the cooling process for the upper-basin areas. The maximum downslope wind speed is linearly correlated with both basin size and slope angle, with stronger wind corresponding to larger basin and lower slope ang...
Mathematical Analysis of Cardiovascular Function

This paper identifies several published models of cardiovascular function, and attempts to analyze them in terms of the physiological processes which are embedded in their structure. It appears that representative models have increased in size and complexity in direct proportion to increases in the power and suitability of available computing machinery. An early focus on pulsatile hemodynamics within a single vascular compartment has evolved into analyses of ventricular filling and ejection, the function of the circulatory system as a closed system, longterm cardiovascular control, and the interaction of the circulatory system with other organ systems.
Soybean nodule fly, Rivellia quadrifasciata (Diptera: Platystomatidae): aspects of overwintering and adult seasonal abundance

The soybean nodule fly, Rivellia quadrifasciata (Macquart), survived the winter in North Carolina as a last instar in the soil beneath soybean stubble. Overwintering larvae moved vertically in the soil, but showed little horizontal displacement. Spring emergence began in May and continued into July, occurring mostly in late June and early July. Spring emergence from plots that were disked and planted was comparable to emergence from plots that were planted in a zero-tilled system. Adults were present in soybean from May through October and emergence from new production sites was recorded from mid-June through early September. Although analysis of seasonal data on adult abundance suggested that two generations per year may be typical for this species in eastern North Carolina, an overlap in generations occurred due to the long spring emergence period.
Some Limits to Apply Chinese Med-Arb Internationally

Recently combined arbitration and mediation processes have been gaining in appeal as parties seek to resolve disputes more expeditiously and at reduced costs. Issues relating to confidentiality, procedural due process and the effectiveness of the mediation step in such a hybrid process have been the subject of several law review articles. Cross-cultural differences relating to such mixed processes have been noted. We have gathered in this issue reflections on med-arb and arb-med from jurisdictions around the world. We hope that this sharing of perspectives on the efficacy and fairness of med-arb and arb-med will assist ADR specialists and parties in designing their dispute resolution process.
Principles and Applications of P2P SIP

Session Initiation Protocol(SIP) is a fundamental protocol to initiate multi-media conversation such as Instant Messaging(IM) and Voice over IP(VOIP). P2P technologies realize P2P communications to spread in distributed networks. The P2P network architecture undergoes centralized directory network architecture, pure P2P network architecture, mixed P2P network architecture, and structural P2P network architecture. By incorporating P2P technologies, SIP network can be improved. There are two kinds of key operations for P2P SIP network: operations on P2P nodes and operations for users.
The social value of candidate HIV cures: actualism versus possibilism

A sterilising or functional cure for HIV is a serious scientific challenge but presents a viable pathway to the eradication of HIV. Such an event would be extremely valuable in terms of relieving the burden of a terrible disease; however, a coordinated commitment to implement healthcare interventions, particularly in regions that bear the brunt of the HIV epidemic, is lacking. In this paper, we examine two strategies for evaluating candidate HIV cures, based on our beliefs about the likelihood of global implementation. We reject possibilist interpretations of social value that do not account for the likelihood that a plan to cure HIV will be followed through. We argue, instead, for an actualist ranking of options for action, which accounts for the likelihood that a cure will be low cost, scalable and easy to administer worldwide.
Protein Composition Determines the Effect of Crowding on the Properties of Disordered Proteins.

Unlike dilute experimental conditions under which biological molecules are typically characterized, the cell interior is crowded by macromolecules, which affects both the thermodynamics and kinetics of in vivo processes. Although the excluded-volume effects of macromolecular crowding are expected to cause compaction of unfolded and disordered proteins, the extent of this effect is uncertain. We use a coarse-grained model to represent proteins with varying sequence content and directly observe changes in chain dimensions in the presence of purely repulsive spherical crowders. We find that the extent of crowding-induced compaction is dependent not only on crowder size and concentration, but also on the properties of the protein itself. In fact, we observe a nonmonotonic trend between the dimensions of the polypeptide chain in bulk and the degree of compaction: the most extended chains experience up to 24% compaction, the most compact chains show virtually no change, and intermediate chains compress by up to 40% in size at a 40% crowder volume fraction. Free-volume theory combined with an impenetrable ellipsoidal representation of the chains predicts the crowding effects only for collapsed protein chains. An additional scaling factor, which can be easily computed from protein-crowder potential of mean force, corrects for the penetrability of extended chains and is sufficient to capture the observed nonmonotonic trend in compaction.
Your New Best Frenemy: Hello Barbie and Privacy Without Screens

Hello Barbie, a "smart toy" that uses voice recognition and wifi to interact with children, has raised significant privacy concerns among commentators. She represents not only a new type of toy but is also a device categorized in the Internet of Things. This Critical Engagement investigates what privacy means and how it is effectuated when there is no screen to provide notice and consent by asking how one knows if Hello Barbie can keep a secret.
Western Blotting of the Endocannabinoid System

Measuring expression levels of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) is an important step for understanding the distribution, function, and regulation of these receptors. A common approach for detecting proteins from complex biological systems is Western blotting. In this chapter, we describe a general approach to Western blotting protein components of the endocannabinoid system using sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and nitrocellulose membranes, with a focus on detecting type 1 cannabinoid (CB1) receptors. When this technique is carefully used, specifically with validation of the primary antibodies, it can provide quantitative information on protein expression levels. Additional information can also be inferred from Western blotting such as potential posttranslational modifications that can be further evaluated by specific analytical techniques.
DNA polymerase θ specializes in incorporating synthetic expanded-size (xDNA) nucleotides

DNA polymerase θ (Polθ) is a unique A-family polymerase that is essential for alternative end-joining (alt-EJ) of double-strand breaks (DSBs) and performs translesion synthesis. Because Polθ is highly expressed in cancer cells, confers resistance to ionizing radiation and chemotherapy agents, and promotes the survival of homologous recombination (HR) deficient cells, it represents a promising new cancer drug target. As a result, identifying substrates that are selective for this enzyme is a priority. Here, we demonstrate that Polθ efficiently and selectively incorporates into DNA large benzo-expanded nucleotide analogs (dxAMP, dxGMP, dxTMP, dxAMP) which exhibit canonical base-pairing and enhanced base stacking. In contrast, functionally related Y-family translesion polymerases exhibit a severely reduced ability to incorporate dxNMPs, and all other human polymerases tested from the X, B and A families fail to incorporate them under the same conditions as Polθ. We further find that Polθ is inhibited after multiple dxGMP incorporation events, and that Polθ efficiency for dxGMP incorporation approaches that of native dGMP. These data demonstrate a unique function for Polθ in incorporating synthetic large-sized nucleotides and suggest the future possibility of the use of dxG nucleoside or related prodrug analogs as selective inhibitors of Polθ activity.
Long-term (13 Years) decomposition rates of forest floor organic matter on paired coniferous and deciduous watersheds with contrasting temperature regimes

Two sets of paired watersheds on north and South facing slopes were utilized to simulate the effects of temperature differences that are on the scale of those expected with near-term climatic warming on decomposition. Two watersheds were pine plantations (Pinus strobus L.) and two were mature deciduous forests established at similar elevation ranges and precipitation at the Coweeta Hydrologic Laboratory, but they differed in slope aspect (north vs. South facing), solar radiation, and litter temperature by about 2.0 °C. Nylon netting was placed on plots each year for 13 years and litterfall was measured. This time span in which decomposition rate was measured encompassed the time until less than 8% of the initial C remained. Decomposition rates of foliar litter were significantly faster on the slightly warmer watersheds, in both the coniferous and deciduous forests (Analysis of Variance). The turnover rate (year−1) was 0.359 (±0.006) for the South facing vs. 0.295 (±0.011) for the North facing coniferous watersheds, and 0.328 (±0.011) vs. 0.297 (±0.012) for the corresponding deciduous watersheds. Turnover rates of pine vs. deciduous broadleaf litter over 13 years were not significantly different because of the high proportion of relatively refractory Quercus spp. in the deciduous litterfall and because of a trend towards convergence of the rates after two years. After a greater decomposition rate in the first year or two, years 2–13 fit a negative exponential curve well (a timespan not well represented in literature) and there was only a small accumulation of humus older than 13 years. The fate of C in litterfall in the South facing deciduous forest was as follows: 14.3% was lost as leaching of dissolved organic C, 2.2% was lost as downward fine particulate matter flux from the bottom of the forest floor, 78.2% was mineralized (by mass balance), leaving only 5.4% of foliar litter after 13 years of decomposition. In these soils with a mor type O horizon, there was evidence that translocation of DOC and in-situ root production must be more important sources of mineral soil organic matter than downward migration of particulate humus.