cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Interfacial resistive anomaly at a normal-superconducting boundary.

We have observed an anomalous peak ({similar to}5% of the normal-state resistance) in the resistive transition of a thin-film aluminum system consisting of regions of different, but comparable, transition temperatures. The peak occurs at slightly above the transition temperature of the lower {ital T}{sub {ital c}} section. The magnitude decreases with the distance of the voltage probes from the normal-superconducting ({ital N}-{ital S}) interface with a characteristic length scale of a few {mu}m and is sensitive to a magnetic field. This anomaly appears to be consistent with a nearly constant superconducting potential near a {ital N}-{ital S} interface.
Differentiating myalgic encephalomyelitis and chronic fatigue syndrome: a response to Twisk (2015)

Twisk (2015) first suggested that there was an assumption in the article by Jason et al. (2015) that myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) are identical illnesses. This ...
Participatory Mapping Approaches to Coordinate the Emergency Response of Spontaneous Volunteers After Hurricane Sandy

This article demonstrates the potential of participatory mapping approaches to coordinate spontaneous volunteers and assist government agencies and humanitarian organizations in emergency contexts. The research focuses on one case study of a volunteer mapping project in the Rockaways in New York City to help communicate the needs reported by community members to outsiders after Hurricane Sandy. The map proved to be helpful in the coordination of relief efforts by volunteers and in understanding the variety of groups involved in emergency response. However, the map could not be sustained for long-term community recovery. The research offers new evidence of the potential contributions of spontaneous volunteers that can be leveraged, replicated and improved upon for future disaster planning and response. It also highlights the importance of volunteered geographic information in ensuring that emergency response is guided by the needs reported by citizens themselves, even if they do not have access to technology.
Properties of the degree of cross-polarization in the space–time domain

Abstract A definition of the degree of cross-polarization in the space–time domain is introduced which is based on considerations of the correlations of intensity fluctuations of an electromagnetic beam at two points. Some general properties of this quantity are discussed. For the special cases of fully coherent and fully polarized light it is shown that the degree of cross-polarization exhibits a relationship between the states of polarization at the two points.
A new mouse model to explore therapies for preeclampsia

Background Pre-eclampsia, a pregnancy-specific multisystemic disorder is a leading cause of maternal and perinatal mortality and morbidity. This syndrome has been known to medical science since ancient times. However, despite considerable research, the cause/s of preeclampsia remain unclear, and there is no effective treatment. Development of an animal model that recapitulates this complex pregnancy-related disorder may help to expand our understanding and may hold great potential for the design and implementation of effective treatment. Methodology/Principal Findings Here we show that the CBA/J x DBA/2 mouse model of recurrent miscarriage is also a model of immunologically-mediated preeclampsia (PE). DBA/J mated CBA/J females spontaneously develop many features of human PE (primigravidity, albuminuria, endotheliosis, increased sensitivity to angiotensin II and increased plasma leptin levels) that correlates with bad pregnancy outcomes. We previously reported that antagonism of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) signaling by soluble VEGF receptor 1 (sFlt-1) is involved in placental and fetal injury in CBA/J x DBA/2 mice. Using this animal model that recapitulates many of the features of preeclampsia in women, we found that pravastatin restores angiogenic balance, ameliorates glomerular injury, diminishes hypersensitivity to angiotensin II and protects pregnancies. Conclusions/Significance We described a new mouse model of PE, were the relevant key features of human preeclampsia develop spontaneously. The CBA/J x DBA/2 model, that recapitulates this complex disorder, helped us identify pravastatin as a candidate therapy to prevent preeclampsia and its related complications. We recognize that these studies were conducted in mice and that clinical trials are needed to confirm its application to humans.
Probing Intermolecular Forces and Potentials with Magnetic Feedback Chemical Force Microscopy

Magnetic feedback chemical force microscopy (MF-CFM) was used to map the complete force profile between hydroxyl- and carboxyl-terminated self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) in aqueous solution. The snap-to-contact and snap-out instabilities intrinsic to force-displacement measurements made with weak spring constant cantilevers were eliminated by using a cantilever with an attached magnetic particle and a solenoid in a servo loop to balance the tip-sample interactions. The interaction between hydroxyl-terminated surfaces in deionized water was well fit by a van der Waals model to short distances. The Hamaker constant that was determined from experiment, 1.0 10 -19 J, is similar to that expected for a gold-gold interaction and shows that the underlying gold support dominates the attractive interaction over a large range of separations. The interaction between a carboxyl-terminated tip and a sample in 0.010 M phosphate buffer at pH 7.0 was fit with a model that includes both van der Waals and electrostatic terms. The Hamaker constant, 1.2 10 -19 J, which is similar to that obtained for hydroxyl-terminated surfaces, confirms that the gold -gold interaction dominates the attractive part of the interaction. In addition, the Debye length, 2.9 nm, surface potential, -1.5 10 2 mV, and charge regulation parameter, -0.71, obtained from analysis of the data are consistent with previous work (Vezenov et al. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1997, 119, 2006-2015. Hu; Bard. Langmuir 1997, 13, 5114-5119). The implications of these results and applications of MF-CFM are discussed.
Anomalous Magnetic Moments

The Dirac equation explained why the gyromagnetic ratio, g factor, is equal to 2 for fundamental spin particles. Quantum loop effects were subsequently shown to induce a small shift or anomaly, a≡(g-2)/2. Anomalous magnetic moment effects have been calculated and measured with extraordinary precision for the electron and muon. Here, the Standard Model's predictions for al=(gl-2)/2, l=e, μ are described and compared with experimental values. Implications for probing "New Physics" effects are also discussed.
Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor 2 Direct Interaction with Nephrin Links VEGF-A Signals to Actin in Kidney Podocytes

The transmembrane protein nephrin is an essential component of slit diaphragms, the specialized cell junctions that link podocyte foot processes. Podocytes are epithelial cells that surround the glomerular capillaries in the kidney and are necessary for the organ-filtering function. Nephrin signaling complex transduces extracellular cues to the podocyte cytoskeleton and regulates podocyte shape and function. Vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A) is a required growth factor produced and secreted by podocytes. Accumulating evidence suggests a cross-talk between VEGF-A and nephrin signaling pathways. We previously showed that in vivo nephrin associates with VEGF receptor-2 (VEGFR2), the signaling receptor for VEGF-A. In the present work, we characterized the interaction between nephrin and VEGFR2 in cultured cells and in vitro. We demonstrate that nephrin-VEGFR2 interaction is direct using mass spectrometry, immunoprecipitation, GST-binding assays, and blot overlay experiments. This interaction occurs through VEGFR2 and nephrin cytoplasmic domains. Nephrin-VEGFR2 interaction is modulated by tyrosine phosphorylation of both cytoplasmic domains. Furthermore, the nephrin-VEGFR2 complex involves Nck and actin. VEGF-A signaling via this complex results in decreased cell size. We provide evidence that this multiprotein interaction occurs in cultured podocytes. We propose that the nephrin-VEGFR2 complex acts as a key mediator to transduce local VEGF-A signals to the podocyte actin cytoskeleton, regulating the foot process structure and glomerular filter integrity.
Prager Frühling: das internationale Krisenjahr 1968

2 vols, vol. 1: Beitrage, vol. 2: Dokumente, Cologne, Bohlau Verlag, 2008, 1296 and 1589 pp These two huge volumes, amounting to nearly 2,900 densely printed pages and weighing together nearly five...
Distinguishing allogenic from autogenic causes of bed elevation change in late Quaternary alluvial stratigraphic records

Abstract Allogenic and autogenic mechanisms both cause changes in the bed elevation of rivers and thereby influence the characteristics of alluvial stratigraphic records (ASRs). Allogenic forcing mechanisms can be grouped into five categories whose relative influence varies with timescale: climate, tectonism, base level, land use/land cover and direct human modification of channels. Late Quaternary ASRs are influenced by the greatest range of allogenic forcing variables with climate among the most important. Autogenic mechanisms of bed elevation change are ubiquitous throughout fluvial systems and are always time-transgressive. Autogenic bed elevation change propagates through drainage networks at predictable rates and results in a time-space envelope within which its effects are capable of operating. ASRs that can be correlated over geographical areas large enough and time intervals small enough to exist outside this envelope most likely result from allogenic forcing. This formulation represents a quantitative and geographic set of threshold criteria for distinguishing between autogenic and allogenic mechanisms. Over late Quaternary timescales (10 2 to 10 5 years) in tectonically stable regions climate change is the dominant allogenic mechanism and, therefore, the first-order control on the morphology, sedimentology, pedologic characteristics and chronology of alluvial stratigraphic records that meet or exceed the threshold criteria for demonstrating allogenic causality.
Scalar interactions between parallel jets measured using a two-channel PLIF technique

A two-channel PLIF technique that simultaneously quantifies two scalar fields is presented. The technique consists of two independently operated single-color PLIF systems that synchronously image a common region. Two dyes (fluorescein sodium salt and oxazine 725) are excited by two lasers (argon-ion and krypton-ion), and the resulting fluorescence is imaged by a pair of cameras. The two-channel system is used to study mixing between two parallel jets, each transporting a different scalar species. Time-averaged and instantaneous mixing statistics are calculated and used to show the effects of turbulent structure on scalar mixing. In particular, the existence of positive spatial correlations between the two scalar fields is demonstrated in off-axis mixing regions.
The structural connectome of the human brain in agenesis of the corpus callosum

Adopting a network perspective, the structural connectome reveals the large-scale white matter connectivity of the human brain, yielding insights into cerebral organization otherwise inaccessible to researchers and clinicians. Connectomics has great potential for elucidating abnormal connectivity in congenital brain malformations, especially axonal pathfinding disorders. Agenesis of the corpus callosum (AgCC) is one of the most common brain malformations and can also be considered a prototypical genetic disorder of axonal guidance in humans. In this exploratory study, the structural connectome of AgCC is mapped and compared to that of the normal human brain. Multiple levels of granularity of the AgCC connectome are investigated, including summary network metrics, modularity analysis, and network consistency measures, with comparison to the normal structural connectome after simulated removal of all callosal connections ("virtual callostomy"). These investigations reveal four major findings. First, global connectivity is abnormally reduced in AgCC, but local connectivity is increased. Second, the network topology of AgCC is more variable than that of the normal human connectome, contradicting the predictions of the virtual callostomy model. Third, modularity analysis reveals that many of the tracts that comprise the structural core of the cerebral cortex have relatively weak connectivity in AgCC, especially the cingulate bundles bilaterally. Finally, virtual lesions of the Probst bundles in the AgCC connectome demonstrate that there is consistency across subjects in many of the connections generated by these ectopic white matter tracts, and that they are a mixture of cortical and subcortical fibers. These results go beyond prior diffusion tractography studies to provide a systems-level perspective on anomalous connectivity in AgCC. Furthermore, this work offers a proof of principle for the utility of the connectome framework in neurodevelopmental disorders.
In vivo abrogation of serum C3 and C5 by administration of cobra venom factor and heterologous anti-C3.

Abstract In this study, the effectiveness of cobra venom factor and heterologous anti-C3 in depleting the various components of complement in guinea pigs was compared. Although C5 was abrogated in vivo after injection of cobra venom factor alone, circulating C3 could only be completely abolished by injection of heterologous anti-C3 subsequent to cobra venom factor treatment. Because of the need to fully abrogate C3 in order to study the role of this component in various immunopathological mechanisms, data relating to the use of both cobra venom factor and anti-C3 are presented.
A distributed knowledge-based approach to flexible automation: The contract net framework

This article applied distributed artificial intelligence to the real-time planning and control of flexible manufacturing systems (FMS) consisting of asynchronous manufacturing cells. A knowledge-based approach is used to determine the course of action, resource sharing, and processor assignments. Within each cell there is an embedded automatic planning system that executes dynamic scheduling and supervises manufacturing operations. Because of the decentralized control, real-time task assignments are carried out by a negotiation process among cell hosts. The negotiation process is modeled by augmented Petri nets —the combination of production rules and Petri nets—and is excuted by a distributed, rule-based algorithm.
Observations regarding assumed‐stress hybrid plate elements

Edge displacement of assumed-stress hybrid plate elements are commonly chosen as either linear, quadratic or cubic functions of the edge co-ordinate. The present paper examines the effect of this choice on the acceptability, accuracy, and possible zero energy modes of elements based on a linear stress field. It is concluded that triangular elements may be preferable to quadrilaterals, and that linear edge displacements are not desirable.
Foliar free polyamine and inorganic ion content in relation to soil and soil solution chemistry in two fertilized forest stands at the Harvard Forest, Massachusetts

Polyamines (putrescine, spermidine, and spermine) are low molecular weight, open-chained, organic polycations which are found in all organisms and have been linked with stress responses in plants. The objectives of our study were to investigate the effects of chronic N additions to pine and hardwood stands at Harvard Forest, Petersham, MA on foliar polyamine and inorganic ion contents as well as soil and soil solution chemistry. Four treatment plots were established within each stand in 1988: control, low N (50 kg N ha-1 yr-1 as NH4NO3), low N + sulfur (74 kg S ha-1 yr-1 as Na2SO4), and high N (150 kg N ha-1 yr-1 as NH4NO3). All samples were analyzed for inorganic elements; foliage samples were also analyzed for polyamines and total N. In the pine stand putrescine and total N levels in the foliage were significantly higher for all N treatments as compared to the control plot. Total N content was positively correlated with polyamines in the needles (P ≤ 0.05). Both putrescine and N contents were also negatively correlated with most exchangeable cations and total elements in organic soil horizons and positively correlated with Ca and Mg in the soil solution (P ≤ 0.05). In the hardwood stand, putrescine and total N levels in the foliage were significantly higher for the high N treatment only as compared to the control plot. Here also, total foliar N content was positively correlated with polyamines (P ≤ 0.05). Unlike the case with the pine stand, in the hardwood stand foliar polyamines and N were significantly and negatively correlated with foliar total Ca, Mg, and Mn (P ≤ 0.05). Additional significant (P ≤ 0.05) relationships in hardwoods included: negative correlations between foliar polyamines and N content to exchangeable K and P and total P in the organic soil horizon; and positive correlations between foliar polyamines and N content to Mg in soil solution. With few exceptions, low N + S treatment had effects similar to the ones observed with low N alone for both stands. The changes observed in the pine stand for polyamine metabolism, N uptake, and element leaching from the soil into the soil solution in all treatment plots provide additional evidence that the pine stand is more nitrogen saturated than the hardwood stand. These results also indicate that the long-term addition of N to these stands has species specific and/or site specific effects that may in part be explained by the different land use histories of the two stands.
Factors Affecting the Efficient Production of Boar Sperm.

Efficient sperm production in boars has developmental and functional components. Factors affecting the developmental phase influence Sertoli cell mitosis, appear to be mostly stimulatory and have permanent effects on production of sperm. Birthweight appears to hold promise as a prospective screening tool as it appears to have a strong positive relationship with adult sperm production. Strategic cross-fostering shortly after birth and socialization to humans between 4 and 9 weeks of age are strategies during the developmental phase that have been shown to increase spermatogenesis in adults. Factors affecting the functional phase influence the release of sperm by Sertoli cells and their subsequent maturation in the epididymi, appear to be mainly inhibitory and have temporary effects on spermatogenesis which can be corrected. The most common of these include exposure to elevated ambient temperature, nutrition, photoperiod, collection frequency and housing. Multiple deficiencies in several of these areas are common in commercial studs and have additive, negative effects on sperm production. However, there also is evidence that enhancements in one of these areas may be capable of offsetting deficiencies in others.
Reducing surface-wave excitation from microstrip antennas by using a cavity filling

A theorem for designing planar microstrip antennas with reduced surface-wave excitation has been given and validated by using patches printed on multi-layered substrates. The theorem states that the excitation of the TM0 surface wave is eliminated if the patch cavity is filled with a material having an effective relative permittivity that satisfies.
Phosphorylation of the α Subunit of Eukaryotic Initiation Factor 2 Is Required for Activation of NF-κB in Response to Diverse Cellular Stresses

Nuclear factor kappaB (NF-kappaB) serves to coordinate the transcription of genes in response to diverse environmental stresses. In this report we show that phosphorylation of the alpha subunit of eukaryotic initiation factor 2 (eIF2) is fundamental to the process by which many stress signals activate NF-kappaB. Phosphorylation of this translation factor is carried out by a family of protein kinases that each respond to distinct stress conditions. During impaired protein folding and assembly in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), phosphorylation of eIF2alpha by PEK (Perk or EIF2AK3) is essential for induction of NF-kappaB transcriptional activity. The mechanism by which NF-kappaB is activated during ER stress entails the release, but not the degradation, of the inhibitory protein IkappaB. During amino acid deprivation, phosphorylation of eIF2alpha by GCN2 (EIF2AK4) signals the activation of NF-kappaB. Furthermore, inhibition of general translation or transcription by cycloheximide and actinomycin D, respectively, elicits the eIF2alpha phosphorylation required for induction of NF-kappaB. Together, these studies suggest that eIF2alpha kinases monitor and are activated by a range of stress conditions that affect transcription and protein synthesis and assembly, and the resulting eIFalpha phosphorylation is central to activation of the NF-kappaB. The absence of NF-kappaB-mediated transcription and its antiapoptotic function provides an explanation for why eIF2alpha kinase deficiency in diseases such as Wolcott-Rallison syndrome leads to cellular apoptosis and disease.
Intestinal Somatostatin Function

Somatostatin is present throughout the intestine, both in D cells at the luminal surface and in neural elements. It inhibits the release or action of many gut hormones known to regulate gastrointestinal function and undoubtedly has a wide range of actions. In the intestine, available information indicates that somatostatin may have an important regulatory role for water and electrolyte absorption and secretion. The peptide affects both the epithelial transport function and the intestinal motility function. The outcome associated with administration of somatostatin is inhibition of water and electrolyte secretion. Somatostatin has been shown to effectively reduce stool output in diarrheal syndromes associated with endocrine tumor and other conditions. Clinical application of somatostatin in diarrhea still awaits development of an orally active and/or gut-specific analog. Some preliminary results indicate that this may be possible in the future.
Amazonian horticulturalists live in larger, more related groups than hunter–gatherers

Abstract The relatedness of human groups has important ramifications for kin (group) selection to favor more collective action and invites the potential for more exploitation by political leaders. Endogamous marriages among kin create intensive kinship systems with high group relatedness, while exogamous marriages among nonrelatives create extensive kinship with low group relatedness. Here, a sample of 58 societies (7,565 adults living in 353 residential groups) shows that average group relatedness is higher in lowland horticulturalists than in hunter–gatherers. Higher relatedness in horticulturalists is remarkable given that village sizes are larger, harboring over twice the average number of adults than in hunter–gatherer camps. The relatedness differential between subsistence regimes increases for larger group sizes. Large and dense networks of kin may have favored an increased propensity for some forms of in-group cooperation and political inequality that emerged relatively recently in human history, after the advent of farming.
Gene expression profiling in the HSV-1 latently infected mouse trigeminal ganglia following hyperthermic stress.

Purpose. To assess gene expression in herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) latent mouse trigeminal ganglia (TG) at 6 and 24 hours after hyperthermic stress. Methods. Uninfected and HSV-1 latently infected mice were heat stressed (43°C, 10 min). TG from six groups of mice were studied: 1) uninfected, not stressed, 2) uninfected, heat-stressed, sacrificed at 6 hours after hyperthermia, 3) uninfected, heat-stressed, sacrificed at 24 hours after hyperthermia, 4) latently infected, not stressed, 5) latently infected, heat-stressed, sacrificed at 6 hours after hyperthermia, 6) latently infected, heat-stressed, sacrificed at 24 hours after hyperthermia. Poly A + mRNA from the TG of each group of mice was reverse transcribed, labeled with 32 P, and incubated on a nylon gene array membrane. The genes showing the largest signal-to-control changes (varying by a factor of at least 1.27-fold) were considered to have undergone significant change in expression. Results. Six hours after heat stress the genes whose express...
Behavioral responses to burial in the hermit crab, Pagurus samuelis: Implications for the fossil record

article i nfo Article history: Received 5 November 2009 Accepted 18 March 2010 The intertidal hermit crab, Pagurus samuelis, was subjected to various treatments analyzed to determine behavioral responses to the ecological stress of burial. Hermit crabs were buried at varying depths (2, 4, and 6 cm), and in two orientations (shell aperture up and aperture down). Hermit crab weight, shell weight, shell shape, aperture orientation, and depth of burial were analyzed to determine their influence on shell abandonment and survival. We found a significant number of hermit crabs that abandoned their shells when compared with the control group. Aperture orientation strongly influenced shell abandonment, with 73.2% of hermit crabs that abandoned their shells doing so from an aperture up position. None of the other variables significantly affected shell abandonment behavior. However, shell weight, shell abandonment, aperture orientation, and depth of burial were all found to be significant factors in the survival of P. samuelis when buried. Although abandoning the shell significantly increases the chances of surviving a sedimentation event, such as flooding, this behavior likely puts the crab at increased risk of both predation and being buried in a subsequent event if flooding persists in the short term. Hermit crabs are underrepresented in the fossil record. Especially rare are in situ specimens. We suggest one possible reason for this paucity is that, whether the hermit crab survives the burial event or not, if it abandons the shell, the body and shell are less likely to be found fossilized together.
Solution structure and backbone dynamics of an N-terminal ubiquitin-like domain in the GLUT4-regulating protein, TUG

The GLUT4-regulating protein, TUG, functions to retain GLUT4-containing membrane vesicles intracellularly and, in response to insulin stimulation, releases these vesicles to the cellular exocytic machinery for translocation to the plasma membrane. As part of our on going effort to describe the molecular basis for TUG function, we have determined the tertiary structure and characterized the backbone dynamics for an N-terminal ubiquitin-like domain (TUG–UBL1) using NMR spectroscopy. A well-ordered conformation is observed for residues 10–83 of full-length TUG, and confirms a β-grasp or ubiquitin-like topology. Although not required for in vitro association with GLUT4, the functional role of the TUG–UBL1 domain has not yet been described. We undertook a limited literature review of similar N-terminal UBL domains and noted that a majority participate in protein–protein interactions, generally functioning as adaptor modules to physically associate the over all activity of the protein with a specific cellular process, such as the ubiquitin–proteasome pathway. In consistent fashion, TUG–UBL1 is not expected to participate in a covalent protein modification reaction as it lacks the characteristic C-terminal diglycine (“GG”) motif required for conjugation to an acceptor lysine, and also lacks the three most common acceptor lysine residues involved in polyubiquitination. Additionally, analysis of the TUG–UBL1 molecular surface reveals a lack of conservation of the “Ile-44 hydrophobic face” typically involved in ubiquitin recognition. Instead, we speculate on the possible significance of a concentrated area of negative electrostatic potential with increased backbone mobility, both of which are features suggestive of a potential protein–protein interaction site.
Seasonal variation in serum testosterone, testicular volume, and semen characteristics in the coyote (Canis latrans)

The coyote is a seasonally breeding mammal, with most copulations occurring between December and April (depending on location). The objective of this study was to characterize seasonal changes in serum testosterone concentrations, testicular volume, and ejaculate quantity and quality in captive male coyotes. There were seasonal differences in testicular volume, with the greatest volume (20.2 5.4 cm 2 , mean S.E.M.) in February, corresponding with peak breeding season. Circulating serum testosterone concentrations peaked (3.31 0.9 ng/mL) during January and were positively correlated (P 0.001, r = 0.413) with testicular volume. Ejaculate volume (1.67 0.4 mL) and sperm concentration (549.2 10 6 297.7 spermatozoa/mL) both peaked during Januaryand February, consistent with the height of the breeding season. Ejaculatevolumeand sperm concentrations were positively correlated with testicular size (r = 0.679, P 0.001 and r = 0.499, P 0.001, respectively) and with serum testosterone concentrations (r = 0.368, P 0.01 and r = 0.208, P 0.05). Progressively motile, viable, and morphologically normal spermatozoa fluctuated seasonally, peaked (90.4 4.5, 84.8 4.1, and 87.9 2.9%) during the breeding season, and then subsequently declined (period of aspermatogenesis). All three of these end points were positively correlated with testicular size (r = 0.589, P 0.001; r = 0.586, P 0.001; and r = 0.469; P 0.001) and serum testosterone (r = 0.167, P 0.05; r = 0.190, P 0.05; and r = 0.221, P 0.01). In conclusion, therewere intricate relationships among testosterone concentrations, testicular volume, and the production of both functionally intact and morphologically normal spermatozoa.
A geometric database for gene expression data

As the logical next step after sequencing the mouse genome, biologists have developed laboratory methods for rapidly determining where each of the 30K genes in the mouse genome is synthesizing protein. Applying these methods to the mouse brain, biologists are currently generating large numbers of 2D cross-sectional images that record the expression pattern for each gene in the mouse genome. In this paper, we describe the structure of a geometric database for the mouse brain that allows biologists to organize and search this gene expression data. The central component of this database is an atlas that explicitly partitions the mouse brain into key anatomical regions. This atlas is represented as a Catmull-Clark subdivision mesh with anatomical regions separated by a network of B-spline crease curves. New gene expression images are added to the database by deforming this atlas onto each image using techniques developed for fitting subdivision surfaces to scatter data. Due to this partitioning of the subdivision mesh, user queries comparing expression data between various genes can be restricted to anatomical regions without difficulty while the multi-resolution structure of the subdivision mesh allows these queries to be processed efficiently.
Reducing Intergang Violence: Norms from the Interstate System

We maintain that the norms guiding interstate behavior offer a point of departure for the reduction of violence among territorial urban youth gangs. Gangs have been a part of the American urban landscape far too long to assume that they can be eradicated simply by arresting and incarcerating more youths (although this function remains important) without addressing the larger issues that compel individuals to join gangs. Since the relations that exist among territorial urban gangs bear some important structural similarities to the decentralized interstate system, we contend that the expansion of the norms that already appear in both systems, such as respect for spheres of influence, reciprocity in cooperative exchanges, and the observance of treaties, can serve as the basis for moderating intergang conflict. We suggest intervention and mediation strategies that seek to institutionalize the conflict-dampening norms within the intergang system.
Role of N-linked glycosylation in biosynthesis, trafficking, and function of the human glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor

The family B G protein-coupled glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) receptor is an important drug target for treatment of type 2 diabetes. Like other family members, the GLP-1 receptor is a glycosylated membrane protein that contains three potential sites for N-linked glycosylation within the functionally important extracellular amino-terminal domain. However, the roles for each potential site of glycosylation in receptor biosynthesis, trafficking, and function are not known. In this work, we demonstrated that tunicamycin inhibition of glycosylation of the GLP-1 receptor expressed in CHO cells interfered with biosynthesis and intracellular trafficking, thereby eliminating natural ligand binding. To further investigate the roles of each of the glycosylation sites, site-directed mutagenesis was performed to eliminate these sites individually and in aggregate. Our results showed that mutation of each of the glycosylation sites individually did not interfere with receptor expression on the cell surface, ligand binding, and biological activity. However, simultaneous mutation of two or three glycosylation sites resulted in almost complete loss of GLP-1 binding and severely impaired biological activity. Immunostaining studies demonstrated receptor biosynthesis but aberrant trafficking, with most of the receptor trapped in the endoplasmic reticulum and golgi compartments and little of the receptor expressed on the cell surface. Interestingly, surface expression, ligand binding, and biological activity of these mutants improved significantly when biosynthesis was slowed using low temperature (30 degrees C). These data suggest that N-linked glycosylation of the GLP-1 receptor is important for its normal folding and trafficking to the cell surface.
A sequenced hypercube topology for a massively-parallel database computer

The architecture of a massively parallel multiprocessor and multi-disk database computer is presented. The interprocessor communication network has a hypercube topology. The architecture requires selection of linear ordering of the nodes of a network of processors. A method is developed and presented which can arrange the nodes in sequences efficient for management of data. Among the features of the produced sequences is that the size of the sequence can grow as the size of the hypercube grows, without changing the existing subsequences. >
Intense piano training on self-efficacy and physiological stress in aging:

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of an intense piano training program on general self-efficacy, musical self-efficacy, and physiological stress in older adults. Self-efficacy refers to perceived beliefs regarding the performance of domain-specific tasks or activities, which contribute to psychological and physical health. A key challenge is to identify activities that promote self-efficacy in the aging population. Seventeen healthy community-dwelling older adults (60-85 years) with little to no previous musical training participated in a within subjects experimental design. Measures of self-efficacy and cortisol levels were administered over three time points: an initial pre-testing session, a second pre-testing following a two-week no treatment control period, and a post-testing session upon the completion of piano training. Intense piano training consisted of 30 hours of training (3 hours per day) in which high levels of achievement were required. Results of a three-way Repeated Measures ANOVA over all time points with pairwise comparisons revealed significantly (p < .05) enhanced musical self-efficacy post-training, F (2, 32) = 11.5, p < .001, d = .79. No significant changes in general self-efficacy or cortisol levels were found. These results suggest that domain-specific self-efficacy may increase as a result of short-term intense music training; however, short-term music training may not be sufficient to transfer to general self-efficacy.
Survey of Physician Leadership and Management Education

Health-care organizations have recognized the need to prepare physicians for various leadership and management positions within their own institutions. In the past, those who desired further education had to search beyond the boundaries of their practice to fulfill this need. The demands of a dynamic and changing health-care environment have created increased pressure on organizations to develop a larger cadre of physician leaders and managers among their staff and to accomplish this outcome in a cost-effective, efficient manner. This article examines the results from a survey of leading medical institutions on the existence of in-house leadership and management educational programming. It also documents the approaches used by the responding organizations and the content of their course work. Numerous institutions are accepting the challenge for increased physician expertise in leadership and management by developing their own in-house programs. Future directions for Mayo initiatives in succession planning will be obtained from this benchmark survey.
Blind Patriotism or Active Citizenship? How Do Students Interpret the Pledge of Allegiance?

One of the main goals of the social studies curriculum and public education in general is citizenship preparation, and one aspect of citizenship education is the recitation of the United States Pledge of Allegiance. Using a case study methodology, high school students completed a questionnaire and participated in follow-up interviews regarding their interpretation of the Pledge. The themes derived from this study included the development of loyalty and patriotism, the view that the Pledge is a meaningless series of words, and a limited commitment to active participation. Although the majority of the students advocated blind patriotism, the results speak to a need to restructure public school instruction on the Pledge to emphasize the importance of active participation in our democratic society.
Subunit and frequency-dependent inhibition of Acid Sensing Ion Channels by local anesthetic tetracaine

Extracellular acidosis is a prominent feature of multiple pathological conditions, correlating with pain sensation. Acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs), a family of proton-gated cation channels, are distributed throughout the central and peripheral nervous systems. Activation of ASICs, particularly ASIC3 and ASIC1a channels, by acidic pH and the resultant depolarization of nociceptive primary sensory neurons, participates in nociception. Agents that inhibit the activation of ASICs are thus expected to be analgesic. Here, we studied the effect of local anesthetic tetracaine on ASIC currents. Tetracaine inhibited the peak ASIC3 current in a concentration-dependent manner with an IC50 of 9.96 ± 1.88 mM. The degree of inhibition by tetracaine was dependent on the extracellular pH but independent of the membrane potential. Furthermore, 3 mM tetracaine also inhibited 29.83% of the sustained ASIC3 current. In addition to ASIC3, tetracaine inhibited the ASIC1a and ASIC1β currents. The inhibition of the ASIC1a current was influenced by the frequency of channel activation. In contrast to ASIC3, ASIC1a, and ASIC1β currents, ASIC2a current was not inhibited by tetracaine. In cultured mouse dorsal root ganglion neurons, 1–3 mM tetracaine inhibited both the transient and sustained ASIC currents. At pH4.5, 3 mM tetracaine reduced the peak ASIC current to 60.06 ± 4.51%, and the sustained current to 48.24 ± 7.02% of the control values in dorsal root ganglion neurons. In contrast to ASICs, voltage-gated sodium channels were inhibited by acid, with 55.15% inhibition at pH6.0 and complete inhibition at pH5.0. These findings disclose a potential new mechanism underlying the analgesic effects of local anesthetics, particularly in acidic conditions where their primary target (i.e. voltage-gated Na+ channel) has been suppressed by protons.
Engaging the Discourse of International Language Recognition through ISO 639-3 Signed Language Change Requests.

Linguistic ideologies that are left unquestioned and unexplored, especially as reflected and produced in marginalized language communities, can contribute to inequality made real in decisions about languages and the people who use them. One of the primary bodies of knowledge guiding international language policy is the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 639-3 Registry of Languages. I explore the impact of international language recognition through a Critical Discourse Analysis of proposed registry change requests related to a specific type of minority language: signed language. I describe key social actors involved in the international discourse of signed language recognition, types of knowledge used to promote distinct signed languages, naming strategies for those distinct entities, and ways that these processes are creating current social reality for signed language users around the world. Ultimately, I argue for deeper exploration of intersecting “deaf” and “sign language” identities,...
Very low voltage operational amplifiers using floating gate MOS transistor

A threshold voltage tunable operational amplifier (op-amp) structure that can be operated with a very low power supply is presented. The use of floating gate MOS transistors as the basic op-amp circuit elements makes it possible to obtain a very low voltage op-amp because of the threshold voltage adjustability of the floating gate transistors. Good matching can also be achieved by tuning the threshold voltages. A two-step threshold voltage tuning scheme is presented. Due to the long term charge retention property of the floating gate transistors, threshold voltage tuning does not have to be done frequently, and near continuous-time operation of the op-amp can be achieved. >
THE POLITICAL ECONOMIES OF SECESSION

Economic analyses of American Civil War causation typically focus on longue duree structural arguments neglecting specific context and contemporary observers’ predictions about disunion’s effects. This article suggests secession heightened concern about government solvency and intensified a conversation about the nature of American inter- and intra-national trade, one hinging on ideas about relative dependence and positioning within the world economy. Deep South secessionists rested their claims on a cotton-centric economic worldview, trusting that their coveted commodity could finance independence and attract foreign partners. Pro-compromise northerners greatly feared that possibility. Less compromising Republican political economists countered that secession would reveal northern economic superiority and the South’s underlying weakness, eventually leading to voluntary reunion. Though competing sides envisioned peaceful pathways towards their ends, the actions of insolvent central governments—who feared that any compromise on contested forts and revenue ports would undermine the confidence of underwriters—militated against these imagined peaceful ends.
A graph based method for depicting population characteristics using Genome Wide Data

Abstract Genome Wide Association (GWA) studies associate genetic variants to clinical phenotypes using statistical tests which are based on assumption of random mating. Populations having history of consanguineous marriages, especially from Middle East, can violate this assumption. Here we present, use of averaged weighted clustering coefficient of undirected graphs to quantify cryptic relatedness between individuals from a random cohort. This measure can be used to understand pattern of relatedness in populations to choose between removing related samples and using mixed linear models correcting for relatedness while performing GWA studies.
Abstract TMP93: Level of Renal Function and Short-term Risk of Recurrent Stroke

Introduction: Renal insufficiency is an established risk factor for first-time vascular events including stroke. There is a paucity of data on the relation of renal function to recurrent stroke risk, especially in a population-based setting. We evaluated the associations of different levels of renal function with short-term recurrent stroke risk. Methods: Our cohort included patients admitted to 12 hospitals in a Northern California healthcare network with acute ischemic stroke between 2004 and 2007. Records from the index hospitalization and for 6 month follow ups were reviewed. Estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate (eGFR) in mL/min/1.73 m 2 , calculated using the MDRD equation, was categorized by modified National Kidney Foundation stage: 1 (≥90), 2(60-90), 3(30-60), 4 ( Results: Of 2,882 patients with eGFR, mean age was 73±13 ; 66% were Caucasian, 14% African-American, 11% Asian and 52% were female. On admission, renal function was stage 1 in 693 (24%), 2 in 1341 (47%), 3 in 706 (25%), and 4 in 142 (5%). An inverse relationship between age and eGFR was observed (p Conclusions: Decreased renal function is an independent predictor of short-term recurrent stroke in a graded dose-dependent manner. Even among those with “normal” renal function (eGFR 60-90), recurrent stroke risk was 60% greater than in those with higher eGFR.
FNM: An Enhanced Null-Message Algorithm for Parallel Simulation of Multicore Systems

As multicore computer systems become increasingly complex, parallel simulation is becoming an important tool for exploring design space and evaluating design tradeoffs. The key to the success of parallel simulation is the ability to maintain a high degree of parallelism under synchronization constraints. In this article, an enhanced Null-message algorithm called FNM is presented that uses domain-specific knowledge to improve the performance of the basic Null-message algorithm. Based on their runtime states, the components of the simulation model can make a conservative forecast of future interprocess events. The forecast information is carried in the enhanced Null-messages, and, by combining the forecast from both sides of an interprocess link, FNM can achieve a dynamic system lookahead that is much greater than what the static system structure provides. This improved lookahead allows better exploitation of the simulation model's inherent parallelism and leads to better performance. Compared with the basic Null-message algorithm, FNM greatly reduces the amount of Null-messages and improves parallel simulation performance as a result, while at the same time it guarantees simulation correctness as the basic Null-message algorithm does. In tests on cycle-level models with up to 128 cores, FNM shows good scalability and proves to be an effective method.
Is More Information Better? Social Learning with Confirmatory Bias

Confirmatory bias can lead to persistent divergence of opinion regarding matters of fact. Greater availability of information can foster greater agreement, but only if the degree of confirmatory bias is small; otherwise divergence is more likely when information is more easily obtained.
Variation in response of syrian hamster lung cells to complete or defective SV40 (PARA).

SummaryAdult Syrian hamster lung cells were exposed to six clonal lines of PARA (defective SV40) as well as to parental SV40. All the exposed cultures transformed. SV40 T and S antigens were synthesized in all the cells transformed by PARA, but could not be detected in the culture which transformed following exposure to SV40.
Studying orientation relationships in heteroepitaxial systems

To date, the crystallography of deposits on single-crystal substrates has been studied by the use of linear transformation theories, and the results of the two-dimensional invariant line criterion are quite successful in rationalizing the epitaxial orientation of most metal/metal systems. In this article, however, we describe the use of a lattice potential-energy model (LPEM) to duplicate the results of the invariant line criterion by examining the case of silicides on (001) Si. Unlike geometric models that ignore the chemical nature of atoms and look only for strain energy, the LPEM has the potential of simulating real chemical bonding by altering the nature of the Fourier series used to generate the potential surface.