cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Current-voltage characteristics of metal-titanium dioxide-silicon structures

Abstract Metal-titanium dioxide-silicon capacitors were fabricated using electron- beam-evaporated titanium dioxide as the insulating layer. The effects of the titanium dioxide deposition conditions and post-deposition oxidation on the current-voltage characteristics were investigated. A time-dependent current was observed and modeled. Diffusion of the titanium from the titanium dioxide layer into the p-type silicon substrates during oxidation of the titanium dioxide film resulted in an n-type diffused layer. Leakage current densities as low as 10-9 A in-2 at 10 V applied bias were obtained for a 1000 A film of titanium dioxide.
The organization and genetics of rDNA length variants in peas

There is extensive repeat length variation in pea rDNA. Many lines of pea have more than one repeat length class, and those with two rDNA repeat length classes are the most common. No interspersion of rDNA repeat length classes has been found. The rDNA length classes show simple Mendelian inheritance. Length variation of pea rDNA is organized between long tandem arrays of rDNA repeat. Studies of trisomies have shown that rDNA length class dosage correlates with chromosome dosage.
Peanut lectin binding sites in transitional cell carcinoma of the urinary bladder

Peanut lectin (PNA) binds to D Gal B (1-3) D Gal NAc which is the purported antigenic determinant of the so-called T blood group antigen (TAg). We used PNA in an indirect immunofluorescent technique to study TAg in transitional cell carcinomas of the bladder (TCC). All 14 control tissues failed to express TAg, whereas all controls (100%) expressed TAg on the cell membrane after prior treatment with neuraminidase. Sixty-nine percent of Stage O TCC expressed TAg, whereas 100% of cases expressed TAg after treatment with neuraminidase. Staining patterns noted were: granular intracytoplasmic, intracytoplasmic globular, and membrane. There was no correlation between TAg positivity or negativity and subsequent muscle wall invasion in the Stage O TCC group. Fifty percent of Stage B or greater TCC expressed TAg, whereas 27 of 30 (90%) cases expressed TAg after neuraminidase treatment. TAg-staining patterns noted in Stage B tumors were: membrane, granular intracytoplasmic, intracytoplasmic globular, and glycocalyx. Only 47% of Grade III TCC expressed TAg compared with 72% of low-grade TCC. The authors conclude that the expression of TAg reflects the neoplastic transformation of bladder epithelium. The data also suggest that in TCC, TAg positivity is most likely due to incomplete synthesis of MN blood group glycoprotein, as evidenced by loss of a terminal sialic acid, and that there is also evidence of cytostructural "relocalization" of TAg.
Identification of extracellular matrix ligands for the heparan sulfate proteoglycan agrin.

Agrin is a major brain heparan sulfate proteoglycan which is expressed in nearly all basal laminae and in early axonal pathways of the developing central nervous system. To further understand agrin's function during nervous system development, we have examined agrin's ability to interact with several heparin-binding extracellular matrix proteins. Our data show that agrin binds FGF-2 and thrombospondin by a heparan sulfate-dependent mechanism, merosin and laminin by both heparan sulfate-dependent and -independent mechanisms, and tenascin solely via agrin's protein core. Furthermore, agrin's heparan sulfate side chains encode a specificity in interactions with heparin-binding molecules since fibronectin and the cell adhesion molecule L1 do not bind agrin. Surface plasmon resonance studies (BIAcore) reveal a high affinity for agrin's interaction with FGF-2 and merosin (2.5 and 1.8 nM, respectively). Demonstrating a biological significance for these interactions, FGF-2, laminin, and tenascin copurify with immunopurified agrin and immunohistochemistry reveals a partial codistribution of agrin and its ECM ligands in the chick developing visual system. These studies and our previous studies, showing that merosin and NCAM also colocalize with agrin, provide evidence that agrin plays a crucial role in the function of the extracellular matrix and suggest a role for agrin in axon pathway development.
The Calibration of Amplitude Modulation Meters with a Heterodyne Signal

Errors which may occur in the calibration of peak or average reading amplitude modulation meters with a heterodyne signal are investigated in detail. Relations between the heterodyne-amplitude ratio M and the true modulation factor m of a sinusoidally modulated wave are derived. Using these results, heterodyne calibration of modulation analyzers to read m exactly can readily be carried out.
Achieving Fault Tolerance in Data Aggregation in Wireless Sensor Networks

This paper identifies faulty sensor(s) in a polynomial-based data aggregation scenario, TREG proposed in our earlier work. In TREG, function approximation is performed over the entire range of data and only coefficients of a polynomial (P) are passed instead of aggregated data. Performing further mathematical operations on the calculated P can identify the maximum (max) and minimum (min) values of the sensed attribute and their locations. Therefore, if any sensor reports a data value outside the [min, max] range, it can be identified as a faulty sensor. We achieve the following goals: (1) uncorrelated readings from a specific sensor helps in detecting a faulty sensor, (2) faulty sensors are detected near the source and isolated preventing them from affecting the accuracy of the overall aggregated data and reducing the overall delay. Results show that a faulty sensor can be detected with an average accuracy of 94 %. With increase in node density, accuracy in faulty sensor detection improves as more nodes are able to report the information to their nearest tree node.
The Effective Fluid Bulk-Modulus Within a Hydrostatic Transmission

In this study, the fluid bulk-modulus within a hydrostatic transmission is examined. Specifically, a method for measuring the effective fluid bulk-modulus is proposed based upon the definition of the fluid bulk-modulus and the conservation of mass within the system. Using the measured parameters of flow and pressure, a numerical solution for the effective fluid bulk-modulus is carried out and a closed-form approximation to this solution is presented. Furthermore, the accuracy expectations of this method are discussed and compared with traditional methods of estimating the fluid bulk-modulus and it is shown that significant improvements can be made when the method of this research is employed.
Kinetics of the lethal effect of actinomycin D on normal and leukemic cells.

Spleen colony assays were used to quantitate the cytocidal effect of actinomycin D on leukemic cells and normal hematopoietic stem cells. Different doses of actinomycin D were administered to either normal or leukemia-bearing mice, and the surviving fraction of these cell populations was determined. Following single injections of the drug, the killing of both the normal and leukemic cell populations was found to occur over an extended period of time. The kinetics of killing of both cell populations was dose dependent with regard to both the final survival level and the time at which the minimum survival level was reached. The malignant cells exhibited a greater sensitivity than the normal cells. Both this difference in sensitivity and the kinetics of the lethal action of actinomycin D on both cell populations are discussed in terms of the difference in the proliferative states of the two cell populations and the known cellular effects of actinomycin D.
The Jiangnan Complex—A Middle-Late Proterozoic Accretionary Fold Belt in South China

The Jiangnan accretionary fold belt in South China consists of an Archean and Early Proterozoic continental core and a Middle and Upper Proterozoic accretionary fold belt. Dismembered ophiolite and ophiolite melange in the accretionary fold belt are 700 to 1000 Ma in age. The Middle Proterozoic island-arc volcanics are tholeiitic and calc-alkaline types, and those of the lower part of the Upper Proterozoic are calc-alkaline to high-K calc-alkaline. Komatiitic basalt associated with the volcanics, especially in the western segment, implies that the island arc is a primitive one. High P/T metamorphism marked by the mineralogic association aragonite-jadeite-glaucophane and lawsonite is dated as 1024 and 799 Ma. Granitic intrusions evolved from I-type to S-type through time, reflecting maturation of the island arc. Docking of small pieces of continental terrane might have helped to produce a significant island arc. An associated back-arc basin is characterized by turbidite deposits. Subduction ended as the Ca...
Effect of postmortem aging on marination performance of broiler breast pectoralis major categorized by color lightness

The objective was to evaluate the effect of postmortem aging on marination performance of early-deboned chicken breast fillets (pectoralis major) with different color lightness. Effects of marination on muscle shear force were also determined. Early-deboned (2 h postmortem) broiler butterfly fillets were visually selected based on their color lightness (pale, normal, and dark) from a commercial plant. The individual butterfly fillets were separated into left and right fillets. One of them was used for 6-h marination treatment and the other for 24-h marination treatment. Samples were marinated in a vacuum tumbler (-0.6 atm, 16 rpm, 20 min) with 20% wt/wt marinade yielding 0.75% NaCl and 0.45% phosphate in the final product. The effect of aging on salt-induced water gain by breast muscle was also measured using the swelling/centrifuging method. Marinade uptake, marinade retention, raw product yield, and cooked product yield were determined after tumbling, following storage for 24 and 48 h after marination and after cooking. Salt-induced water gain was greater (P 0.05) between 2 postmortem aging times for marinade uptake, overall product yield, cooking loss, final cooked product yield, or meat shear force regardless of initial fillet L* values. However, marinade retention of 6-h samples was significantly better than 24-h samples (P < 0.05). These results demonstrate that with a targeted 15% marinade uptake, postmortem aging of 2-h deboned fillets before marination does not affect marinade uptake and product yield, but significantly affects marinade retention by boneless skinless chicken breast.
Cryopreservation decreases receptor PD-1 and ligand PD-L1 coinhibitory expression on peripheral blood mononuclear cell-derived T cells and monocytes.

The B7-CD28 immunoglobulin superfamily of costimulatory and coinhibitory ligands and their cell receptors play a critical role in modulating immune responses. Imbalances in these immune regulatory signals occur in pathological conditions characterized by chronic antigenic stimulation. Clinical studies often rely on the use of cryopreserved peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) to evaluate cellular immune responses. The impact of cryopreservation on these coinhibitory ligands and their cell receptors is unknown. In our studies, cryopreservation significantly reduced the expression of both PD-1 and PD-L1 on PBMC-derived CD3+/CD8+ T cells and CD45+/CD14+ monocytes obtained from adult control subjects. Blockade of PD-1, PD-L1, and PD-L2 using both freshly isolated and cryopreserved PBMC led to higher levels of phytohemagglutinin (PHA) and Candida-induced gamma interferon (IFN-γ), interleukin-2 (IL-2), and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) with no effect on IL-10 production. Coinhibitory signaling blockade of freshly isolated, PHA-stimulated PBMC from normal adult controls and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected subjects led to increased production of IL-4 and IL-5. Candida-stimulated PBMC preferentially induced IFN-γ and TNF-α production, with reduced production of IL-2 and IL-10. This is in contrast to high levels of IFN-γ, IL-2, and TNF-α production with PHA-stimulated cells. The effects of coinhibitory blockade on PHA and Candida-induced lymphoproliferation were varied, with freshly isolated PBMC from adult control subjects and HIV-infected patients yielding higher levels of lymphoproliferation in response to PD-1/PD-L1 blockade. Immune function studies employing cryopreserved cells may lead to increased T-cell effector cytolytic and regulatory immune responses.
Circumvention of Normal Constraints on Granule Protein Gene Expression in Peripheral Blood Neutrophils and Monocytes of Patients with Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic Autoantibody–Associated Glomerulonephritis

ABSTRACT. Granulopoiesis-related genes are distinctively upregulated in peripheral leukocytes of patients with antineutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibodies (ANCA)-associated glomerulonephritis. Affymetrix microarrays identified the upregulation of nine neutrophilic primary granule genes, including myeloperoxidase (MPO) and proteinase 3 (PR3), plus five secondary granule genes. Coordinate expression of granulocyte maturation marker CD35, measured by TaqMan PCR, and positive in situ staining for PR3 transcripts in polymorphic neutrophils and monocytes indicate that these genes are expressed in “mature” cells. Increased transcripts correlated with disease activity and absolute neutrophil values but not with “left shift,” drug regimen, cytokine levels, hematuria, proteinuria, ANCA titer, serum creatinine, gender, or age. Upregulation of PR3 and MPO transcripts was specifically associated with ANCA disease ( n = 56) as these changes were not detected in patients with ESRD ( n = 25) or systemic lupus erythematosus ( n = 17), as determined by TaqMan PCR. This is the first report of this phenomenon in nonneoplastic cells. The data raise the hypothesis that, in addition to the presence of anti-MPO or anti-PR3 autoantibodies, a second critical component in the cause of this disease is the reactivation of once-silenced genes leading to increased antigen availability.
Does treating obesity stabilize chronic kidney disease

Background Obesity is a growing health issue in the Western world. Obesity, as part of the metabolic syndrome adds to the morbidity and mortality. The incidence of diabetes and hypertension, two primary etiological factors for chronic renal failure, is significantly higher with obesity. We report a case with morbid obesity whose renal function was stabilized with aggressive management of his obesity.
Persistent spectral hole burning induced by ion motion in CaF 2 :Pr 3+ :D − and SrF 2 :Pr 3+ :D − crystals

We have observed persistent spectral hole burning in a family of centers in CaF2:Pr3+:D− and SrF2:Pr3+:D− crystals in which the Pr3+ ion has multiple D−-ion near neighbors. The hole burning is caused by light-induced D- motion that leads to persistent changes in the local crystal field of the Pr3+ ion. Depending on the center and the temperature, side-hole or antihole structure is observed that has its origin in the second-order hyper-fine interaction. The variation in the hyperfine splittings between centers is consistent with the separation between the ground state and the first excited state.
SPONTANEOUS ARTERIOSCLEROSIS IN REPEATEDLY BRED MALE AND FEMALE RATS.

Summary Repeatedly bred male and female rats of several strains develop arteriosclerosis spontaneously. The arterial lesions in the male breeder rats remain microscopic while the arteriosclerosis becomes grossly recognizable in the female breeder. The incidence and severity of the arterial damage is enhanced with each breeding. The lesions appear first in the abdominal aorta and spread to the arch and thoracic portions. Later, as arteriosclerosis becomes well established the coronary, renal and cerebral arteries also develop arterial lesions. A large variety of degenerative arterial changes have been found which are believed to represent early and advanced lesions as well as various stages of repair and degeneration. It has also been found that there are specific morphological reactions peculiar to certain segments of the aorta. The most frequent lesion encountered, in both sexes, is a focal subintimal accumulation of mucopolysaccharide followed by scarring. In these same sites the media shows pooling of mucopolysaccharide and swelling and eventual fracture of elastic fibers. This type of lesion is also found in male breeders. However, the male breeder frequently develops an additional lesion consisting of intense focal mesenchymal cell infiltration of the intima. These cells become enlarged and intensely basophilic, develop a resemblance to cartilage cells, and ultimately may undergo cartilaginous metaplasia. The gross and histological aspects of the pathogenesis of this type of arteriosclerosis is identical in breeder rats of all of the strains examined thus far. Virgin rats of comparable age do not develop arterial lesions. Repeated breeding is the one outstanding factor which appears to be best correlated with the development of the arterial disease.
Carbon allocation, root exudation and mycorrhizal colonization of Pinus echinata seedlings grown under CO2 enrichment

Summary Increased exudation of carbon compounds from roots may provide a mechanism for enhancement of nutrient availability to plants growing in a CO*-enriched atmosphere. Therefore, the effect of atmospheric CO2 concentration on carbon allocation and root exudation was investigated in Pinus echinata Mill. (shortleaf pine) seedlings. After 34 and 41 weeks, seedlings growing in 695 ~11~’ CO2 allocated proportionately more Y-labeled photosynthate to fine roots than did seedlings growing in ambient air. This was associated with greater fine root mass and mycorrhizal density in CO?-enriched plants after 34 weeks. Exudation of soluble, Y-labeled compounds from roots also was greater in these plants at 34 weeks, but the effect of CO, concentration on exudation did not persist at 41 weeks.
Effects of a caregiver intervention on negative caregiver appraisals of behavior problems in patients with Alzheimer's disease: results of a randomized trial

Behavioral problems are among the most challenging aspects of caring for a person with Alzheimer's disease. A sample of 406 spouses-caregivers of patients with Alzheimer's disease was randomized to an active multicomponent counseling and support intervention condition or to a usual care condition. Caregivers reported on the frequency of troublesome patient behaviors and their reactions to them at baseline and at regular follow-up interviews. Random-effects regression models over the first 4 years after randomization revealed that, although the intervention did not affect the frequency of patient behavioral problems, it did significantly reduce caregivers' reaction ratings. Because caregiver appraisals have been found to mediate the impact of caregiving stress on depression and to predict nursing home placement rates, they deserve greater attention as an important target of intervention services.
A Critical Review of Rural Poverty Literature: Is There Truly a Rural Effect?

Poverty rates are highest in the most urban and most rural areas of the United States and are higher in nonmetropolitan than metropolitan areas. Yet perhaps because only one-fifth of the nation's 3...
Model syndromes for investigating social cognitive and affective neuroscience: a comparison of autism and Williams syndrome

Autism and Williams syndrome are genetically based neurodevelopmental disorders that present strikingly different social phenotypes. Autism involves fundamental impairments in social reciprocity and communication, whereas people with Williams syndrome are highly sociable and engaging. This article reviews the behavioral and neuroimaging literature that has explored the neurocognitive mechanisms that underlie these contrasting social phenotypes, focusing on studies of face processing. The article concludes with a discussion of how the social phenotypes of both syndromes may be characterized by impaired connectivity between the amygdala and other critical regions in the ‘social brain’.
Association Between Length of Residence and Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors Among an Ethnically Diverse Group of United States Immigrants

BACKGROUND Although differences in cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors between immigrants and nonimmigrants have been examined previously, the effect of acculturation on CVD risk factors in immigrants has been less well studied.
The Poles, the Jews and the holocaust: reflections on an AME trip to Auschwitz

Two trips to Auschwitz (in 1989 and 2003) provide a context for reflection on fundamental issues in civic and moral education. Custodians of the Auschwitz historical site are currently aware of its responsibility to humanity to educate about the genocide against the Jews, as a morally distinct element in its presentation of Nazi crimes at Auschwitz. Prior to the fall of Communism in 1989, the site's message was dominated by a misleading civic narrative about Polish victimization by, and resistance to, Naziism. In this article, I discuss the attempts of many Polish intellectuals during the past twenty‐five years to engage in an honest and difficult civic project of facing up to their history, as it is entwined with anti‐Semitism, with the centuries‐long presence of Jews in Poland, and with their current absence. An interaction with a tour guide who took me to be criticizing Poles for their failure to help Jews during the Holocaust prompts further reflections on the difficulties of grasping the moral enormi...
Room Temperature Nickel(0)‐Catalyzed Suzuki–Miyaura Cross‐Couplings of Activated Alkenyl Tosylates: Efficient Synthesis of 4‐Substituted Coumarins and 4‐Substituted 2(5H)‐ Furanones

Room temperature nickel(0)/tricyclohexylphosphine [Ni(0)/PCy3]-catalyzed Suzuki–Miyaura cross-couplings of 4-(p-toluenesulfonyloxy)coumarins and 4-(p-toluenesulfonyloxy)-2(5H)-furanone with arylboronic acids are described in this communcation. Our study shows that activated alkenyl tosylates possess higher activities than aryl tosylates in the Suzuki–Miyaura cross-couplings. The mild reaction conditions and the high efficiency of the Ni(0)/PCy3 catalyst make it very useful in the synthesis of 4-substituted coumarins and 4-substituted 2(5H)-furanones, two families of biologically important molecules.
Polarized gas jet targets

Abstract A polarized neutral hydrogen gas jet produced by an atomic beam source has been used as a nuclear target for the first time in a crossed beam experiment. The nuclear polarization in the gas jet was measured by elastic scattering of α particles and found to be 37%, which is 74% of the maximum possible value. Polarized beams of nitrogen and fluorine have also been produced.
CT and MRI in the Evaluation of Thoracic Aortic Diseases

Computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are the most commonly used imaging examinations to evaluate thoracic aortic diseases because of their high spatial and temporal resolutions, large fields of view, and multiplanar imaging reconstruction capabilities. CT and MRI play an important role not only in the diagnosis of thoracic aortic disease but also in the preoperative assessment and followup after treatment. In this review, the CT and MRI appearances of various acquired thoracic aortic conditions are described and illustrated.
Razumikhin-type small-gain theorems for large-scale systems with delays

In this work, small-gain theorems for large-scale time-delay systems are developed using a Razumikhin-type approach, both in terms of ISS and IOS. In the spirit of the Razumikhin theorem, the state variables with delays are treated as disturbances to the system. This approach converts the problem of stability analysis for functional differential equations to the more tractable problem of stability analysis for delay-free systems with disturbances.
Invisible Businessman: Undermining Black Enterprise with Land Use Rules

This Article is an attempt to better understand and address the feeble rate of self-employment in African-American neighborhoods. My animating thesis is that black business lags, at least in part, because commentators have overlooked a key constraint on African-American entrepreneurship: land use regulation. In both the legal academy and in the halls of government, scholars have failed to understand how land use rules restrict commercial development in minority communities. More specifically, the literature has never acknowledged that zoning - the process of dividing an entire municipality into districts and designating permitted uses for each area - sharply limits the formation and expansion of entrepreneurship in black neighborhoods. Drawing on both sociological and empirical evidence, this paper begins by providing a brief recap of the importance of entrepreneurship in black places. The Article then contends that land use fees, municipal zoning board decisions, and the general insistence on separating residential from commercial uses all impress unique and disproportionate harms on African-American merchants, making it difficult to find affordable business space in suitable locations. The final section of the manuscript lays out a policy proposal that could spark a revival of inner-city entrepreneurship. I argue, in short, that transferring government-owned abandoned buildings to fledgling entrepreneurs would provide black merchants the space they need, without raising the ire of local homeowners.
The Public Policy Response to Surrogate Motherhood Agreements

Commercial surrogate motherhood arrangements are where a woman agrees to bear a child for a man who is not her husband for a fee. The issues involved in such arrangements came to a head in 1987 when Mary Beth Whitehead contracted to bear a child and changed her mind and decided not to surrender the child. The result was a call to legislatures to reform the law to address the matter, whether by upholding such contracts or by outlawing them. This article addresses the proposals in New York and their efficacy based on the law of contracts, and adoption law.
Natural Disasters and the Supply of Home Insurance

The purpose of this briefing paper is to assess the implications of natural disasters for the supply of home insurance. We focus on the risk of hurricanes and earthquakes. Our analysis begins with a review of the challenges that catastrophes pose for the insurance mechanism and how insurers seek to overcome these challenges. We then examine insurance market conditions in selected jurisdictions in the U.S. and identify problems and areas of concern. Five jurisdictions were selected: California, Florida, North Carolina, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. In each jurisdiction, we examine the cost and availability of home insurance, hazard mitigation efforts, regulatory actions, and state government insurance mechanisms. We conclude with an evaluation of policy options to increase the supply of insurance and better manage catastrophe risk. These options and their pros and cons are summarized in Box E.1.
Factors Influencing Seasonal Burrowing Activity in the Pocket Gopher, Thomomys bottae

Data on the food habits and reproductive patterns of Thomomys bottae were gathered concurrently with climatic data over a 1-year period to determine the relative importance of each in influencing burrowing activity. High levels of fall burrowing activity in both sexes coincided with the increased use of preferred foods. Burrowing activity of females continued to reflect patterns of food preference during the winter and spring, while the significantly higher levels of male activity at those times appeared to be directed at searching for mates. Precipitation, although possibly seasonally important, was not a major factor influencing burrowing activity.
Using a bank of negative effects when designing drying units

Constitution d'une banque de donnees contenant tous les facteurs affectant le rendement et la fiabilite des sechoirs et les facteurs induisant le vieillissement et les pannes des unites de sechage. Definition et exemples de ces facteurs. Utilisation de cette banque en parallele avec une banque de donnees comprenant des informations physiques et technologiques pour la conception d'unites de sechage
Genital ulcer disease. Management in the HIV era.

Preview What are the main causes of genital ulcer disease in the United States? Why is clinical diagnosis so difficult? What role will molecular diagnostics have in the future? The authors answer these questions and provide a functional approach to successful management of three common types of sexually transmitted genital ulcers.
Alendronate and risedronate: what you need to know about their upper gastrointestinal tract toxicity.

Adverse upper gastrointestinal (GI) tract events can occur with alendronate or risedronate therapy. Although the short-term, non-placebo-controlled comparisons of alendronate and risedronate indicated that risedronate therapy may be associated with a lower risk of upper GI toxicity than alendronate therapy, the placebo-controlled comparison shows no difference in the risk of upper GI toxicity between the two drugs. The risk of an adverse upper GI event increases when these drugs are used concurrently with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) therapy, but this incidence is no more than that observed with concurrent placebo and NSAID therapy. Also, the risk of these adverse GI tract events can be decreased by following the dosing instructions (e.g., avoid lying down for 30 minutes after taking the drug and take the drug with a full glass of water) and may be decreased with once-weekly dosing.
Novel action of pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide: Stimulation of extracellular acidification in rat pituitary GH4C1 cells

Abstract Pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) is a member of the vasoactive intestinal peptide/secretin family. Using microphysiometry, we have found that PACAP acutely (1 min) increased the extracellular acidification rate (ECAR) in GH4C1 cells approximately 40% above basal in a concentration-dependent manner. ECAR, maximally induced by PACAP, can be increased further by thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH), indicating that the signalling pathways for these two neuropeptides are not identical. In studies on the mechanism of PACAP-enhanced ECAR, we found that maximum stimulation of the cAMP/PKA pathway by treatment with FSK, or the PKC pathway with PMA, did not inhibit the ECAR response to PACAP. The PKC inhibitor calphostin C and the MAP kinase inhibitor PD98059 had no effect on the ECAR response to PACAP. Furthermore, PACAP induced little or no change in cytosolic Ca2+ ([Ca2+]i), while TRH induced a large increase in [Ca2+]i. However, the tyrosine kinase inhibitor genistein completely blocked PACAP-induced ECAR, suggesting involvement of tyrosine kinase(s). We conclude that PACAP causes an increase in ECAR in GH4C1 rat pituitary cells, which is not dependent on the PKA, PKC, MAP kinase or Ca2+ signalling pathways, but does require tyrosine kinase activity.
Derangements and Tensor Powers of Adjoint Modules for \frak s\frak l n

We obtain the decomposition of the tensor space \frak s\frak li>n⊗i>k as a module for \frak s\frak li>n, find an explicit formula for the multiplicities of its irreducible summands, and (when i>n ≥ 2i>k) describe the centralizer algebra \cal C e End_{\frak s\frak l_n}(\frak s\frak li>n⊗i>k) and its representations. The multiplicities of the irreducible summands are derangement numbers in several important instances, and the dimension of \cal C is given by the number of derangements of a set of 2i>k elements.
Race, Ethnicity, and Lay Explanations of Poverty in the United States Review and Recommendations for Stratification Beliefs Research

In this review, the author considers research on race/ethnicity and stratification beliefs, with special focus on beliefs about the causes of poverty in the United States. Stratification beliefs re...
Periscoping as a Feminist Methodological Approach for Researching the Seemingly Hidden

This article proposes the metaphor of the periscope to guide an innovative approach to researching topics obstructed from view or out of range of more traditional approaches. Periscoping, it suggests, combines a feminist focus on the everyday with the recognition that no space, even those intentionally obscured, can be fully contained. Drawing on research on U.S. immigration enforcement policies, the article explores how feminist geographers can think creatively about how to arrange the “prisms” and “mirrors” at their disposal to obtain an image of what was previously thought to be unknowable. It then explores potential problems inherent to a periscopic strategy alongside tools it offers to researchers.
Rapid evidence review of the comparative effectiveness, harms, and cost-effectiveness of pharmacogenomics-guided antidepressant treatment versus usual care for major depressive disorder

This study aims to conduct an evidence review of the effectiveness, harms, and cost-effectiveness of pharmacogenomics-guided antidepressant treatment for major depressive disorder. We searched MEDLINE®, the Cochrane Central Registry of Controlled Trials, and PsycINFO through February 2017. We used prespecified criteria to select studies, abstract data, and rate internal validity and strength of the evidence (PROSPERO number CRD42016036358). We included two randomized trials (RCT), five controlled cohort studies, and six modeling studies of mostly women in their mid-40s with few comorbidities. CNSDose (ABCB1, ABCC1, CYP2C19, CYP2D6, UGT1A1) is the only pharmacogenomics test that significantly improved remission (one additional remitting patient in 12 weeks per three genotyped, 95% CI 1.7 to 3.5) and reduced intolerability in an RCT. ABCB1 genotyping leads to one additional remitting patient in 5 weeks per three genotyped (95% CI 3 to 20), but tolerability was not reported. In an RCT, GeneSight (CYP2D6, CYPC19, CYP1A2, SLC6A4, HTR2A) did not statistically significantly improve remission, and evidence is inconclusive about its tolerability. Evidence is generally low strength because RCTs were few and underpowered. Cost-effectiveness is unclear due to lack of directly observed cost-effectiveness outcomes. We found no studies that evaluated whether pharmacogenomics shortens time to optimal treatment, whether improvements were due to switches to genetically congruent medication, or whether effectiveness varies based on test and patient characteristics. Certain pharmacogenomics tools show promise of improving short-term remission rates in women in their mid-40s with few comorbidities. But, important evidence limitations preclude recommending their widespread use and indicate a need for further research.
A numerical study of the impact of hurricane-induced storm surge on the Herbert Hoover Dike at Lake Okeechobee, Florida

Hurricanes Frances, Jeanne, and Wilma passed over Lake Okeechobee, Florida, in September 2004 and October 2005, respectively. Strong winds caused a large surface seiche on the lake during all three storms. These storms resulted in erosion damage to the Herbert Hoover Dike (HHD) on Lake Okeechobee. In this paper, we use the Fully Adaptive Storm Tide (FAST) model (Kelly et al. in Coast Eng J 57(4):1–30, 2015, Nat Hazards 83:53–74, 2016) to study the response of the lake (in terms of the water level fluctuations and induced currents) to hurricanes Frances, Jeanne, and Wilma. Comparisons of the modeled surface water level with the observations are in overall good agreement for all three hurricanes. The modeled results suggest that the strong currents induced by the storm winds may be the dominant factor controlling the dike erosion observed at the lake side. The locations of erosion damage to the dike are consistent with the modeled high velocity zones during these three storms. In addition, numerical experiments have been conducted with eight hypothetical category 5 hurricanes approaching from different directions to investigate the erosion-prone zones related to high velocities in the vicinity of the dike. The results of the study should help to provide insight into vulnerable reaches of the HHD and inform flood control in the Okeechobee region.
Determining organizational readiness for an ILS migration—A strategic approach

ABSTRACTIn 2013, University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) Libraries embarked on a strategy to determine its readiness for a migration from its existing Integrated Library System (ILS) to a new cloud-based Library Services Platform (LSP). This article discusses a process for determining whether the time is right for an organization to move to a cloud-based LSP, and it will focus on the process undertaken at UNLV Libraries, describing the outcomes and lessons learned.
Using Linear Agarose Channels to Study Drosophila Larval Crawling Behavior

Drosophila larval crawling is emerging as a powerful model to study neural control of sensorimotor behavior. However, larval crawling behavior on flat open surfaces is complex, including: pausing, turning, and meandering. This complexity in the repertoire of movement hinders detailed analysis of the events occurring during a single crawl stride cycle. To overcome this obstacle, linear agarose channels were made that constrain larval behavior to straight, sustained, rhythmic crawling. In principle, because agarose channels and the Drosophila larval body are both optically clear, the movement of larval structures labeled by genetically-encoded fluorescent probes can be monitored in intact, freely-moving larvae. In the past, larvae were placed in linear channels and crawling at the level of whole organism, segment, and muscle were analyzed1. In the future, larvae crawling in channels can be used for calcium imaging to monitor neuronal activity. Moreover, these methods can be used with larvae of any genotype and with any researcher-designed channel. Thus the protocol presented below is widely applicable for studies using the Drosophila larva as a model to understand motor control.
Teaching Neuro Images: Acute infarction of the left medial lemniscus masquerading as a peripheral neuropathy

A 58-year-old woman with hypertension and bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome presented with acute paresthesias in her right hand and foot. She had decreased sensation to vibration and pinprick in a right-sided stocking-glove distribution. MRI of the pons confirmed an acute infarction of a paramedian branch of the basilar artery in the left medial lemniscus (figure). In the posterior column pathway, sensory projections from the face, arm, and leg are somatotopically arranged medially to laterally within the medial lemniscus.1,2 Although strokes classically present with numbness, both thalamic and medial lemniscal infarcts can explain acute hemidysesthesias.
Short-term high-fat diet primes excitatory synapses for long-term depression in orexin neurons.

Key points High-fat diet consumption is a major cause of obesity. Orexin neurons are known to be activated by a high-fat diet and in turn promote further consumption of a high-fat diet. Our study shows that excitatory synapses to orexin neurons become amenable to long-term depression (LTD) after 1 week of high-fat diet feeding. However, this effect reverses after 4 weeks of a high-fat diet. This LTD may be a homeostatic response to a high-fat diet to curb the activity of orexin neurons and hence caloric consumption. Adaptation seen after prolonged high-fat diet intake may contribute to the development of obesity. Abstract Overconsumption of high-fat diets is one of the strongest contributing factors to the rise of obesity rates. Orexin neurons are known to be activated by a palatable high-fat diet and mediate the activation of the mesolimbic reward pathway, resulting in further food intake. While short-term exposure to a high-fat diet is known to induce synaptic plasticity within the mesolimbic pathway, it is unknown if such changes occur in orexin neurons. To investigate this, 3-week-old male rats were fed a palatable high-fat western diet (WD) or control chow for 1 week and then in vitro patch clamp recording was performed. In the WD condition, an activity-dependent long-term depression (LTD) of excitatory synapses was observed in orexin neurons, but not in chow controls. This LTD was presynaptic and depended on postsynaptic metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 (mGluR5) and retrograde endocannabinoid signalling. WD also increased extracellular glutamate levels, suggesting that glutamate spillover and subsequent activation of perisynaptic mGluR5 may occur more readily in the WD condition. In support of this, pharmacological inhibition of glutamate uptake was sufficient to prime chow control synapses to undergo a presynaptic LTD. Interestingly, these WD effects are transient, as extracellular glutamate levels were similar to controls and LTD was no longer observed in orexin neurons after 4 weeks of WD. In summary, excitatory synapses to orexin neurons become amenable to LTD under a palatable high-fat diet, which may represent a homeostatic mechanism to prevent overactivation of these neurons and to curtail high-fat diet consumption.
Big Data Meets the Food Supply: A Network of Cattle Monitoring Systems

The beef cattle industry generates $78.2 billion of revenues from nearly 100 million head each year in the U.S. alone. Cattle feed efficiency is a measure of animal growth. Animals with better efficiency may grow at the same rate as animals with lower efficiency, but will eat less to do so. This paper introduces a network of sensors in a cattle production operation designed to measure and report feed efficiency to the farmer. The sensors provide data that is used to monitor and control feed rations to the animals and help the farmer make informed decisions regarding animal grouping, control and genetic line building to improve beef stock quality over time. While cattle feed control and monitoring is itself not a new concept, the system described here adds some automated components to enhance and better control the operation that have not yet been done.
A Re-examination of the Synthesis of Monolayer-Protected Co x(SCH2CH2Ph) m Nanoclusters: Unexpected Formation of a Thiolate-Protected Co(II) T3 Supertetrahedron.

Herein, we report a re-examination of the synthesis and characterization of monolayer-protected Cox(SCH2CH2Ph)m nanoclusters. These clusters were reportedly formed by the reaction of CoCl2 with NaBH4 in the presence of HSCH2CH2Ph and were suggested to contain between 25 and 30 Co atoms. In our hands, however, we found no experimental evidence to support the existence of these large clusters in the reaction mixture. Instead, this reaction results in the relatively clean formation of the cobalt(II) coordination complex [Co10(SCH2CH2Ph)16Cl4] (1). Complex 1 has been fully characterized using a wide variety of techniques, including single-crystal X-ray crystallography, NMR spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, and magnetometry. This complex represents the first example of a thiolate-protected Co(II) T3 supertetrahedral cluster.
The Importance of Metallurgical Process Phenomena

Metallurgical processes can be manipulated by changing both thermodynamic and kinetic factors. This chapter considers factors which affect the kinetics of fluid-based reactions.
Mouse Mutagenesis with the Chemical Supermutagen ENU

The generation and analysis of germline mutations in the mouse is one of the cornerstones of modern biological research. The chemical supermutagen N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea (ENU) is the most potent known mouse mutagen and can be used to generate point mutations throughout the mouse genome. The progeny of ENU-mutagenized males can be screened for autosomal dominant phenotypes, or they can be used to generate multigeneration pedigrees to screen for autosomal recessive traits. The introduction of balancer chromosomes into the breeding scheme can allow for the selective capture of mutations in a specific chromosomal region. More recent work has demonstrated that the use of animals that already have a mutation of interest can lead to the successful isolation of additional mutations that modify the original mutant phenotype. Further, modern molecular techniques ensure that mutations can be readily identified. We describe here the procedures for mutagenizing male mice with ENU and explain the various types of screens that can be performed for different kinds of induced mutations. The currently published research on ENU mutagenesis in the mouse has only scratched the surface of what is possible with this powerful technique, and further work is certain to deepen our knowledge of the role of the individual components of the mouse genome and the myriad relationships between them.
Classical and quantum noise transformations produced by self-phase modulation

There is now considerable interest in the generation of squeezed-state light beams. Based on simple coupled-mode theory, such beams should be obtainable from nearly degenerate forward four-wave mixing using self-phase modulation (SPM) in a single-mode optical fiber. Indeed, experiments to date have successfully verified coupled-mode predictions for the squeezing of classical excess noise1 and the squeezing of vacuum-state quantum noise.2 It has long been known that the SPM interaction will produce enormous spectral broadening when pumped sufficiently hard. Such behavior is beyond the purview of coupled-mode theory, and its quantum noise characteristics have only recently been addressed in a single-temporal-mode treatment.3
Structure of the Chloroplast

The mechanism by which an organelle such as the chloroplast carries out its functions is understood only to the extent that the physical, chemical, and topographical properties of the organelle are known. The actual mechanisms are, of course, described by chemical reactions, which are determined by the physical- chemical properties of the reactants. For reactions in free solution, a knowledge of these properties is usually sufficient. However, a chloroplast is foremost a system of membranes, and a membrane adds another feature to chemical reactions. The end result of a reaction between components of a membrane is determined not only by the inherent properties of the reactants, but also by their locations within the membrane. The physical existence of a membrane can profoundly affect the course and consequences of a reaction. Of importance in this regard is the fact that a membrane acts as a barrier separating two compartments and also provides a means to achieve vectoral reactions between the compartments, in which products are separated from substrates. Therefore, a nonequilibrium distribution of substances, a state containing potential free energy, can occur. Such conditions have great importance in the overall function of the membrane system.
Naming and Reclaiming

This special issue of the Journal of African American Studies is an interdisciplinary collection of original research manuscripts, which contextualize Black girls and women’s experiences from Black feminist perspectives. Naming and Reclaiming seeks to achieve several goals: (1) discuss and critique intersectionality and the complexities of Black girls and women’s identities; (2) adopt a strength-based approach to exploring the assets, resiliency, resistance, and agency of Black girlhood and womanhood; and (3) draw upon interdisciplinary scholarship that reflects historical, sociological, psychological, and legal perspectives within African American Studies. The first section of the special issue consists of three articles that explore the representations of Black girls and women and their internalization and resistance of these representations. The second section relies on social science research to examine ways that Black women cope with daily gendered-racial oppression. We end our special issue with a Black feminist theoretical model designed to reclaim power for Black girls and women. Through this special issue, we decidedly focus on Black women’s resistance and agency with the hope of highlighting ways that Black girls and women attempt to successfully navigate a sociopolitical reality that places them at significant disadvantages economically, physically, educationally, and socially.
Use of next-generation sequencing (NGS) panels to predict recurrence in low-grade, early-stage endometrioid endometrial carcinoma.

5580Background: Predicting recurrence in low grade, early stage endometrial cancer (EC) is both difficult and important, as recurrence outside the pelvis is typically incurable. We sought to determ...