cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mast cell and T cell communication; amplification and control of adaptive immunity

Recent advances in understanding the physiological role of mast cells (MCs) point to an important regulatory role for these cells in adaptive immunity. MCs express a diverse array of molecules that can promote their interaction with T cells as well as with other immune cells. New evidence demonstrates that mast cells can directly and indirectly communicate with T cells. They can control both effector and regulatory T cell responses and their activity can in turn be modulated by these interactions. Here we briefly summarize these advances and discuss some of the major challenges in understanding the communication of MCs and T cells.
THE QUALITY REVOLUTION

Our understanding of quality has undergone great changes over the last decade, propelled forward by the quality paradigm that has evolved in Japan. This paradigm has rendered obsolete the traditional quality-cost trade off model. I outline the key elements responsible for forcing a new understanding of quality-cost relationships.
Clinical significance of negative and equivocal urinary bladder cytology alone and in combination with DNA image analysis and cystoscopy

BACKGROUND. We evaluated the individual and combined ability of cytology (CYT), image analysis (1A), and cystoscopy (CYSTO) to predict the presence of transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) at 6 months of follow-up in patients with or without a prior history of urothelial carcinoma and negative (NEG) or equivocal (atypical or suspicious) urinary CYT. METHODS. Fifty-one patients (43 with prior TCC) provided 57 urinary samples that were evaluated by CYT and DNA IA. Forty-nine patients were evaluated by CYSTO. Disease status was reassessed at 6 months by a combination of clinical, CYSTO, CYT, and histologic follow-up. RESULTS. At 6 months' follow-up, the incidence of recurrence for patients with diploid, broad diploid, or aneuploid DNA histograms was 38%, 73%, and 100%, respectively. In the same group of patients, 43% of patients with NEG and atypical CYT recurred compared with 83.3% of patients with suspicious CYT. The predictive value (PV) of a positive (+) CYSTO evaluation was 100%; however, a NEG CYSTO examination was correct in only 73% of cases. Sensitivities of CYT, IA, and CYSTO to predict recurrence were 54%, 59%, and 62.5%, respectively, whereas the combined sensitivity of all three modalities was 72%. The +PV of combined CYT and IA in patients with prior TCC was 90% with aneuploidy 100% specific for malignancy; the NEG PV of combined CYT, IA, and CYSTO was 70%. CYT, IA, and CYSTO were highly significant in predicting recurrence (P = 0.0017, P = 0.0026, and P = 0.0002, respectively) whereas tumor grade and degree of invasiveness as assessed on initial biopsy were not significant. However, 11% of patients recurred between 6 months to 1 year who had NEG CYT, NEG CYSTO, and NEG IA. CONCLUSIONS. Diagnostic accuracy increases in patients with NEG or equivocal CYT if supplemented by DNA IA and CYSTO. In patients with no history of TCC, equivocal urine CYT and/or abnormal DNA IA can occur after chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or viral infection. In these patients, the combined approach together with accurate history is essential for correct diagnosis. For the small subpopulation of patients who recur but demonstrate no abnormalities on combined testing, more sensitive diagnostic tests, such as chromosomal abnormalities by in situ hybridization, need to be developed.
Cancer-related health worries and psychological distress among older adult, long-term cancer survivors.

While long-term survivors (5 years+) do not face the stressors of diagnosis and treatment, they continue to face the uncertainties that survivorship brings: recurrence, other cancers, late effects of treatment, and the potential of a shortened life expectancy. This research focuses on the cancer-related health worries of older adult, long-term cancer survivors, the factors that predict these worries, and their link to traditional measures of psychological distress. Specifically, a model is proposed that identifies the personal (including race and gender) and illness/treatment characteristics of survivors that are significantly associated with cancer-related health worries and their effects on anxiety and depression. Descriptive and multivariate analyses of a random sample of 321 long-term survivors in a major cancer center tumor registry are used to address these issues. About one-third of survivors continue to report worries about recurrence, worries about a second cancer, and worries that symptoms they experience may be from cancer. The regression analyses show that cancer-related health worries is a significant predictor of both depression (beta=0.36) and anxiety (beta=0.21). Race is a significant predictor; being African American is related to fewer cancer-related health worries (beta=−0.22). Having more symptoms during treatment is also a predictor of having more cancer-related health worries (beta=0.20). The most consistent predictor of psychosocial distress is dispositional optimism/pessimism, with more optimistic individuals reporting fewer cancer-related health worries (beta=−0.27), lower levels of both anxiety (beta=−0.16) and depression (beta=−0.23). Overall, for many older adult, long-term survivors, the legacy of cancer continues in terms of cancer-related health worries. In spite of these, for most survivors, their quality of life is not dramatically compromised either physically or psychologically. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Acute stimulation of ornithine decarboxylase in neonatal rat brain regions by nicotine: a central receptor-mediated process?

Abstract Nicotine exposure during development alters central nervous system structure and function. In the current study, we examined the acute effects of nicotine (3 mg/kg) on developing rat brain by monitoring ornithine decarboxylase (ODC), a marker for perturbed cell development; ODC controls polyamine biosynthesis and thus regulates cell differentiation. Three brain regions were selected that differ both in their timetables for maturation and in nicotinic receptor concentrations: midbrain + brainstem (earliest development, highest receptor concentration), forebrain (intermediate profiles) and cerebellum (latest development and lowest receptor concentration). Nicotine caused stimulation of ODC within 1 h after drug administration, an effect that displayed both age- and region-dependence corresponding to the development of central nicotinic receptors: effects appeared earliest and were largest in magnitude in midbrain + brainstem and forebrain, and appeared last and with smaller magnitude in the cerebellum. Central receptor involvement was confirmed at 8 days postpartum by demonstrating desensitization of the response after repeated nicotine administration, and by evoking equivalent effects with direct introduction of a small dose of nicotine into the central nervous system. Later in development, acute stimulation of ODC by nicotine became less selective, reflecting secondary actions mediated through systemic hypoxia caused by the drug; this conclusion was confirmed by the absence of desensitization after repeated nicotine administration, and by the failure of centrally administered nicotine to evoke a full stimulatory response. Nicotine-induced ischemia did not contribute to stimulation of ODC seen at the 1 h time point: pretreatment with chlorisondamine, a ganglionic nicotinic antagonist, failed to alter the central stimulatory response. In light of the role of ODC and the polyamines in cell differentiation, axonogenesis and synaptogenesis, receptor-mediated and hypoxia-mediated effects of nicotine on this enzyme are likely to contribute to nervous system alterations associated with developmental exposure.
Analysis of oblique shock waves in solids using shock polars

Graphical solutions of shock reflections in gases have long been used to gain insight into such phenomena. These shock polar solutions provide a simple means of visualizing the complex nonlinear nature of shock wave interactions. This methodology, however, is not limited to the treatment of an ideal gas. While the framework can be extended to a completely general equation of state, the emphasis here will be on the description of oblique shocks in a hydrodynamic Mie–Gruneisen solid. The oblique shock relations for the principal Hugoniot, second shock Hugoniot, and release isentrope are presented and used to solve two different shock reflection problems. First, the oblique shock reflection from an inclined interface is examined using the shock polar methodology. Specifically, the shock interactions at a copper and beryllium oblique interface are addressed to compare the shock polar methodology with a recent study which utilizes a Lagrangian analytical approach in conjunction with numerical simulations. The second problem examined is the so-called Mach lens configuration, which can be used to generate a steady Mach reflection. Shock polar solutions are generated for a copper target using various confinements and compared to numerical simulations. Similarly, an iron target is examined in which the resulting polymorphic phase transition can also be described through the shock polar methodology.
Experimental Evaluation of Catalytic Flame Stabilization for Aircraft Afterburners

Catalytic flame stabilization encompasses the use of a porous catalytic surface to initiate, stabilize, and provide a continuous pilot for flame propagation. A preliminary assessment of the feasibility of employing catalytic flame stabilization to the design of flameholders for aircraft afterburners has been completed. Initial testing has demonstrsted that catalytic flame stabilization in aircraft afterburners can be achieved. For the non-optimal catalytic flameholders evaluated, smooth light-off and stable operation were obtained; higher combustion efficiencies were measured and higher pressure losses were observed. During the course of the experiment a significant number of design aspects were determined to require further investigation. These design aspects along with other results of this study are discussed in this paper.Copyright © 1980 by ASME
A new integral representation for quasi-periodic scattering problems in two dimensions

Boundary integral equations are an important class of methods for acoustic and electromagnetic scattering from periodic arrays of obstacles. For piecewise homogeneous materials, they discretize the interface alone and can achieve high order accuracy in complicated geometries. They also satisfy the radiation condition for the scattered field, avoiding the need for artificial boundary conditions on a truncated computational domain. By using the quasi-periodic Green’s function, appropriate boundary conditions are automatically satisfied on the boundary of the unit cell. There are two drawbacks to this approach: (i) the quasi-periodic Green’s function diverges for parameter families known as Wood’s anomalies, even though the scattering problem remains well-posed, and (ii) the lattice sum representation of the quasi-periodic Green’s function converges in a disc, becoming unwieldy when obstacles have high aspect ratio. In this paper, we bypass both problems by means of a new integral representation that relies on the free-space Green’s function alone, adding auxiliary layer potentials on the boundary of the unit cell strip while expanding the linear system to enforce quasi-periodicity. Summing nearby images directly leaves auxiliary densities that are smooth, hence easily represented in the Fourier domain using Sommerfeld integrals. Wood’s anomalies are handled analytically by deformation of the Sommerfeld contour. The resulting integral equation is of the second kind and achieves spectral accuracy. Because of our image structure, inclusions which intersect the unit cell walls are handled easily and automatically. We include an implementation and simple code example with a freely-available MATLAB toolbox.
Urinary and serum metabolites of di-n-pentyl phthalate in rats

Di-n-pentyl phthalate (DPP) is used mainly as a plasticizer in nitrocellulose. At high doses, DPP acts as a potent testicular toxicant in rats. We administered a single oral dose of 500 mg kg(-1)bw of DPP to adult female Sprague-Dawley rats (N=9) and collected 24-h urine samples 1d before and 24- and 48-h after DPP was administered to tentatively identify DPP metabolites that could be used as exposure biomarkers. At necropsy, 48 h after dosing, we also collected serum. The metabolites were extracted from urine or serum, resolved with high performance liquid chromatography, and detected by mass spectrometry. Two DPP metabolites, phthalic acid (PA) and mono(3-carboxypropyl) phthalate (MCPP), were identified by using authentic standards, whereas mono-n-pentyl phthalate (MPP), mono(4-oxopentyl) phthalate (MOPP), mono(4-hydroxypentyl) phthalate (MHPP), mono(4-carboxybutyl) phthalate (MCBP), mono(2-carboxyethyl) phthalate (MCEP), and mono-n-pentenyl phthalate (MPeP) were identified based on their full scan mass spectrometric fragmentation pattern. The ω-1 oxidation product, MHPP, was the predominant urinary metabolite of DPP. The median urinary concentrations (μg mL(-1)) of the metabolites in the first 24h urine collection after DPP administration were 993 (MHPP), 168 (MCBP), 0.2 (MCEP), 222 (MPP), 47 (MOPP), 26 (PA), 16 (MPeP), and 9 (MCPP); the concentrations of metabolites in the second 24 h urine collection after DPP administration were significantly lower than in the first collection. We identified some urinary metabolic products in the serum, but at much lower levels than in urine. Because of the similarities in metabolism of phthalates between rats and humans, based on our results and the fact that MHPP can only be formed from the metabolism of DPP, MHPP would be the most adequate DPP exposure biomarker for human exposure assessment. Nonetheless, based on the urinary levels of MHPP, our preliminary data suggest that human exposure to DPP in the United States is rather limited.
L∞ estimates for the\(\bar \partial \) problem in a half-planeproblem in a half-plane

L'approche de dualite pour trouver des solutions de ∂F=μ est suffisante pour plusieurs problemes apparaissant en theorie H P . On donne des operateurs solution qui permettent de resoudre des problemes non resolubles par la dualite
Differential potassium buffer behavior of individual soils related to potassium corrective treatments

Abstract Although the basic chemistry and behavior of potassium in the soil is well understood, little of this knowledge is used in soil testing and practical soil fertility mangement. In this study the K buffer behavior of three individual soils (Hagerstown silt loam (Typic Hapludalf), Gatesburg sand (Entic Haplorthod) and Gilpin channery silt loam (Typic Hapludult)) was investigated. The buffer relationships determined indicated very different K behavior for these soils even though exchangeable K soil tests indicated similar K levels. It was also determined that for these soils the buffer relationship was apparently independent of previous K management, indicating that the K buffer behavior could be included as part of soil characterization data. The role of nonexchangeable K in determining K buffer behavior was also investigated. It was found that the levels of solution K where the release of nonexchangeable K becomes measurable (0.27 ‐ 0.83 × 10‐4 M) are similar to solution K levels reportedly require...
Distribution of dynamic loads for multiple cooperating robot manipulators

For the situation of multiple cooperating manipulators handling a single object, a formulation is presented which allows load distribution of the combined system to be made while taking manipulator dynamics into account. First, object dynamics are used to transform the motion task. An integrated procedure for modeling arm dynamics are used to transform the motion task. An integrated procedure for modeling arm dynamics is detailed. Then, a method is introduced which transforms the object load to the joint level. At this level, various methods of load distribution that allow subtask performance are proposed. These methods allow desired object motion while selecting loads desirable to alleviate manipulator dynamic loads.
High-gain high-speed low-noise single-avalanche-stage APDs

ionized essentially anywhere within the avalanche region. This causes a large gain fluctuation; therefore, it becomesanother source ofnoise in an APD in addition to the shot noise. The excess noise has been studied by McIntyre [5,6] andPersonick [7,8] for the case that the ionization coefficients of electrons and holes are different. However, their theoriesare based on a continuous ionization process, characterized by ionization probabilities per unit length, a(x) for electronsand 3(x) for holes. These theories assume that the avalanche region is very long, or, equivalently, the number of ionizingcollisions per primary carrier transit, N, is nearly infinite. On the contrary, in many state-of-the-art devices the number Nof possible ionizations is finite and perhaps even very small (N=1-5). The smaller the multiplication region, the smaller
Vitamin D and adaptation to dietary calcium and phosphate deficiencies increase intestinal plasma membrane calcium pump gene expression

Abstract The effect of vitamin D and other variables on the synthesis of the chicken intestinal plasma membrane calcium pump (PMCA) mRNA was assessed. The DNA probe for Northern analysis was obtained by reverse transcription and PCR with intestinal poly(A)+ RNA, using two 20-mer oligonucleotide primers homologous to the 3' coding region of the human teratoma PMCA. An EcoRI restriction fragment of the PCR product was cloned into the pBluescript II KS(-) phagemid vector, and the chimeric plasmid was used to transform Escherichia coli. The amino acid sequence deduced from the nucleotide DNA sequence of the PCR product and the cloned DNA were 96% homologous with the teratoma sequence. Northern blots of intestinal poly(A)+ RNA with 32P-labeled DNA showed the presence of three major species of chicken PMCA mRNAs at about 6.6, 5.4, and 4.5 kb. Northern analysis with the chicken PMCA DNA indicated that repletion of vitamin D-deficient chickens with vitamin D increased PMCA mRNAs in the duodenum, jejunum, ileum, and colon. After injection of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 intravenously into vitamin D-deficient chickens, duodenal PMCA mRNA tended to increase by 2 hr, reached a maximum at about 16 hr, and returned to baseline levels at 48 hr. Adaptation of chickens to either a calcium- or phosphorus-deficient diet resulted in a 2- to 3-fold increase in duodenal PMCA mRNA. These results indicate that vitamin D and specific variables that affect calcium absorption through the vitamin D-endocrine system increase intestinal PMCA gene expression.
The mode of action of catecholamine depleting agents in the rat

Abstract These studies demonstrate that the depletion of norepinephrine (NE) in the hearts of rats caused by α-methyl-meta-tyrosine (α MMT) can be reversed in part by the subsequent administration of 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (dopa) or dopamine. This treatment immediately increased the levels of NE from 20 per cent to 60–70 per cent of normal. These levels were maintained for two days after which they were indistinguishable from those of the control group that had received only α MMT. Thereafter the levels of both groups increased at the same rate and the normal range was reached by both groups 24 hr later, a total of four days after the injection of α MMT. This treatment did not increase the NE content of the brains of the rats that had been depleted with α MMT. These data support the hypothesis that the depleting agent is present during the period that NE stores remain in the depleted state. The CA depleting action of reserpine was found not reversible by this technique.
In situ assessment of erythrocyte membrane properties during cold storage.

Membrane fluidity and overall protein secondary structure of human erythrocytes were studied in situ using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Erythrocyte membranes were found to have weakly cooperative phase transitions at 14°C and at 34°C, which were tentatively assigned to the melting of the inner membrane leaflet and the sphingolipid rich outer leaflet, respectively. Cholesterol depletion by methyl- &#103 -cyclodextrin (M &#103 CD) resulted in a large increase in the cooperativity of these transitions, and led to the appearance of another phospholipid transition at 25°C. Multiple, sharp membrane phase transitions were observed after 5 days cold storage (4°C), which indicated phase separation of the membrane lipids. Using fluorescence microscopy, it was determined that the lipid probe 1,1'-dioctadecyl-3,3,3',3'-tetramethyl-indocarbocyanine perchlorate (dil-C 18 ) remained homogeneously distributed in the erythrocyte membrane during cold storage, suggesting that lipid domains were below the ...
Patterns of melastatin mRNA expression in melanocytic tumors.

The melanocyte-specific gene Melastatin (MLSN1) shows an inverse correlation of mRNA expression with metastatic potential in human and murine cell lines in vitro. Melastatin mRNA expression in primary cutaneous melanoma also has been found to correlate with disease-free survival. The histologic patterns of Melastatin mRNA expression in nevi, primary melanoma, and melanoma metastases have not been described previously. Using in situ hybridization with 35 S-labeled probes, we examined Melastatin mRNA expression in 64 cases of normal skin, benign melanocytic nevi, primary cutaneous melanomas, and melanoma metastases. Ubiquitous melanocytic expression of Melastatin mRNA was observed in all benign melanocytic proliferations (14 of 14), although some nevi showed a gradient of reduced Melastatin expression with increased dermal depth (3 of 14). Uniform expression of Melastatin mRNA was observed in 49% of primary cutaneous melanomas (18 of 37 cases, including 1 case of in situ melanoma). Melastatin mRNA loss by a portion of the melanoma was identified in 53% of the invasive melanoma samples (19 of 36) and 100% of the melanoma metastases (11 of 11). Primary melanomas without mRNA loss ranged in thickness from 0.17 to 2.75 mm (median, 0.5 mm; mean, 0.73 mm), whereas tumors that showed Melastatin mRNA down-regulation ranged in thickness from 0.28 to 5.75 mm (median, 1.7 mm; mean, 2.13 mm). A focal aggregate or nodule of melanoma cells without detectable signal was the most commonly observed pattern of Melastatin loss (13 of 19 cases), whereas complete loss of Melastatin mRNA expression by all of the dermal melanoma cells was observed in only 4 of the 19 cases. Two invasive melanomas displayed a scattered, nonfocal pattern of Melastatin mRNA loss. Of the 11 melanoma metastases examined, 64% displayed focal Melastatin mRNA loss, and 36% had complete loss of Melastatin mRNA expression. We observed several patterns of Melastatin mRNA expression in primary melanoma that may be distinguished from expression in benign melanocytic nevi. Melastatin mRNA expression appears to correlate with melanocytic tumor progression, melanoma tumor thickness, and the potential for melanoma metastasis.
Risk factors for treatment failure of anisometropic amblyopia

Purpose: This study sought to explore factors which might predict the lack of vision improvement following therapy of anisometropic amblyopia. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the records of 104 children aged 3 to 8 years who had anisometropic amblyopia with a difference in the refractive power between the two eyes of at least 1 diopter, a difference in corrected visual acuity between the two eyes of at least 3 logMAR units, visual acuity in the amblyopic eye of 20/50 or worse, and no ocular structural abnormalities. Patients were treated with either patching or atropine penalization therapy. Patients with strabismus were included. Treatment failure was defined in two ways: (1) functional failure indicating a final visual acuity in the amblyopic eye worse than 20/40 and (2) relative failure indicating less than three lines of logMAR visual acuity improvement regardless of final vision. Results: Failure risk factors were as follows: age above 6 at the onset of treatment (adjusted odds ratio [OR] (95% confidence limits [CL] = 4.69 [1.55, 14.2]), the presence astigmatism of more than 1.50 diopters in the amblyopic eye (adjusted [OR] (95% CL) = 5.78 [1.27, 26.5]), poor compliance with treatment (adjusted [OR] (95% CL) = 5.47 [1.70, 17.6]), and initial visual acuity in the amblyopic eye of 20/200 or worse (adjusted [OR] (95% CL) = 3.79 [1.28, 11.2]). Strabismus was not found to be a significant risk factor. Neither the type or amount of refractive error nor the difference in the refractive power between the two eyes was a significant risk factor for treatment failure. Conclusion: Eyes with poor initial visual acuity, the presence of significant astigmatism, and age over 6 years were less likely to achieve successful outcome. The clinical profile of patients with anisometropic amblyopia may be useful in predicting response to therapy, but compliance with treatment has a major effect on response to therapy.
Coarsening-Upward Tidal Sequences in Wilcox Group in East Texas: ABSTRACT

Most exploration concepts for the Wilcox Group are based on paleogeographic reconstructions derived from maps of net sand or sand percent. Coarsening-upward tidal sequences exposed in the highwalls of two lignite mines in east Texas show the shortcomings of these reconstructions. In the past, the coarsening-upward sequences have been interpreted as prograding floodplain splays because they occur in an area of supposed fluvial sedimentation (conventional paleogeographic reconstructions show a large river system occupying the East Texas embayment during the deposition of the Wilcox Group). Recognition of the tidal origin of the coarsening-upward sequences suggests an embayed coast or a shoreline within the East Texas embayment at the time the coarsening-upward sequences wer deposited--information which has exploration implications. Paleogeographic reconstructions based on maps of net sand or sand percent show time-averaged conditions. The search for the subtle trap requires paleogeographic maps based on smaller stratigraphic intervals than present reconstructions provide. These intervals can be defined by using the principles of sequence stratigraphy and tracing unconformities in the subsurface. End_of_Article - Last_Page 142------------
Experimental study of the ultimate limit of flux pinning and critical currents in superconductors

Abstract The effectiveness of planar surface and grain boundary pinning structures in films and multilayers has been determined from measurements of the critical temperature, Tc, critical magnetic field, Bc2, and critical current density, Jc. The effects of these were separated using a Kramer-like analysis near Bc2. The dramatic increases in Jc of the multilayers of NbN over single NbN films, measured at 4.2 K and 20 T parallel field, are found to be a result of both increased Bc2 and increased pinning due to the alternating barrier layers. Both pinning structures exhibited strong pinning forces, which were significantly reduced for defect spacings smaller than the flux core diameter, and in an optimized multilayer the pinning force reached ∼22% of the theoretical maximum. A large anisotropy, similar to that observed in high-temperature superconductors, is found in the critical properties of the NbN multilayers, and an anisotropic model is developed. This model predicts a maximum potential Jc value of at least 2 x 108 A/cm2 in YBa2Cu3O7 at low reduced temperature and 20 T field. This would be reduced to ∼4 x 107 A/cm2 if a pinning strength equal to the highest effectiveness found in NbN could be realized in YBa2Cu3O7.
Anonymous yet accountable access control

This paper introduces a novel approach for augmenting attribute-based access control systems in a way that allows them to offer fully anonymous access to resources while at the same time achieving strong accountability guarantees. We assume that users hold attribute certificates and we show how to exploit cryptographic zero-knowledge proofs to allow requesting users to prove that they hold suitable certificates for accessing a resource. In contrast to the commonly taken approach of sending all possibly relevant certificates to the access control system, our approach hence does not release any information to the access control system except for the presence of a set of certificates satisfying the access condition. This constitutes the minimal amount of information that has to be released for coming up with a correct access decision, and our approach is the first to achieve this. Additionally given a trusted third party for identity escrow, we furthermore show that a concise application of zero-knowledge proofs offers the access control system the capability to hold a requesting user accountable for her actions under specific, well-defined conditions. All the employed cryptographic techniques are highly efficient, and an architecture for exploiting our approach in practical scenarios is already in place.
ATP-induced morphological changes in supporting cells of the developing cochlea

The developing cochlea of mammals contains a large group of columnar-shaped cells, which together form a structure known as Kolliker’s organ. Prior to the onset of hearing, these inner supporting cells periodically release adenosine 5′-triphosphate (ATP), which activates purinergic receptors in surrounding supporting cells, inner hair cells and the dendrites of primary auditory neurons. Recent studies indicate that purinergic signaling between inner supporting cells and inner hair cells initiates bursts of action potentials in auditory nerve fibers before the onset of hearing. ATP also induces prominent effects in inner supporting cells, including an increase in membrane conductance, a rise in intracellular Ca2+, and dramatic changes in cell shape, although the importance of ATP signaling in non-sensory cells of the developing cochlea remains unknown. Here, we review current knowledge pertaining to purinergic signaling in supporting cells of Kolliker’s organ and focus on the mechanisms by which ATP induces changes in their morphology. We show that these changes in cell shape are preceded by increases in cytoplasmic Ca2+, and provide new evidence indicating that elevation of intracellular Ca2+ and IP3 are sufficient to initiate shape changes. In addition, we discuss the possibility that these ATP-mediated morphological changes reflect crenation following the activation of Ca2+-activated Cl− channels, and speculate about the possible functions of these changes in cell morphology for maturation of the cochlea.
Ordinary and asymptotic stability of noncompact sets

Abstract There is presented a stability concept (para-stability) which, for compact sets, coincides with ordinary stability, and for closed noncompact sets has better properties than stability. Namely, it is preserved under intersections and products, and can be characterized in terms of continuous functions with a Liapunov-like property. A second concept, asymptotic parastability (related similarly to asymptotic stability) is also treated.
Micro-tattoo guided OCT imaging of site specific inflammation

Epithelial biologists studying human skin diseases such as cancer formation and psoriasis commonly utilize mouse models to characterize the interplay among cells and intracellular signal transduction pathways that result in programmed changes in gene expression and cellular behaviors. The information obtained from animal models is useful only when phenotypic presentations of disease recapitulate those observed in humans. Excision of tissues followed by histochemical analysis is currently the primary means of establishing the morphological presentation. Non invasive imaging of animal models provides an alternate means to characterize tissue morphology associated with the disease of interest in vivo. While useful, the ability to perform in vivo imaging at different time points in the same tissue location has been a challenge. This information is key to understanding site specific changes as the imaged tissue can now be extracted and analyzed for mRNA expression. We present a method employing a micro-tattoo to guide optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging of ultraviolet induced inflammation over time in the same tissue locations.
Austrian Economics and the Market Test Reexamined

The efficacy of the decentralized market process is perhaps the foremost contribution of Austrian economics. But if Austrians are correct about the performance of spontaneous order processes, the paucity of Austrian economists in academic positions seemingly undermines their methodological critique of neoclassical economics. Whether Austrian economics has faced a valid market test remains an issue of continuing controversy, as the exchange between Rosen (1997) and Yeager (1997) illustrates. 1 In this paper I examine when a market can be appropriately said to offer a “test” of products and whether Austrian economics has faced a meaningful market test. In essence this paper explores the question of inefficiency in spontaneous orders. Do all spontaneous order processes perform well? Economics catalogues causes of “market failure,” but the catalogue is based on end state or equilibrium theorizing, that is, comparing the end state attained by the market with Pareto efficient states. The theory of market failure has been criticized by many; from an Austrian perspective, end state welfare economics is irrelevant when the economy does not reach an equilibrium. But this leaves unanswered whether all spontaneous order processes perform well. If spontaneous orders necessarily perform well, the conclusion that the profession has judged Austrian economics inferior to neoclassical economics seems unavoidable. I begin by discussing when markets offer a test, since as Yeager (1997) points out, markets have never been defended as arbiters of truth or beauty. 2
Chest imaging protocol for a kinestatic charge detector: the effect of patient density distributions on kinestatic settings

Kinestatic charge detector (KCD) systems have potential uses in all fields of digital radiography including chest, abdominal, vascular, peripheral, dual energy subtraction and mammography. The purpose of this study was to investigate the development of a chest imaging protocol for a full field of view KCD system with regard to the effect of significant variations in patient chest thickness and its possible influence on kinestatic electric field settings. This was investigated by optimizing the kinestatic setting for a 5 lp/mm bar pattern imaged with 0, 5, 10, 15, and 20 cm of added Lucite to simulate varying patient chest thickness. Preliminary results demonstrate that variation in kinestatic settings due to variations in patient thickness affects the kinestatic electric field setting. Since only one field setting is available per image scan it becomes necessary to either optimize kinestatic settings for an estimated average patient thickness or for the density function of the expected region of interest (ROI).
Monte Carlo Simulations of Locally Melted Supercoiled DNAs in 20 mM Ionic Strength

Mesoscopic models of unmelted and locally melted supercoiled DNAs in 20 mM ionic strength are simulated over a range of linking difference from D' ¼ 0t o� 26 turns, or superhelix density from s ¼ 0t o� 0.062. A domain containing m ¼ 0, 28, or 56 melted basepairs (out of 4349 total) is modeled simply by a region of suitable length with substantially reduced torsion and bending elastic constants. Average structural properties are calculated from the saved configurations, and a reversible work protocol is used to calculate the supercoiling free energy, DGsc. The cross-writhe between duplex and melted regions (defined herein) is found to be negligibly small. The total writhe, radius of gyration, and ordered elements of the diagonalized inertial tensor are found to be nearly universal functions of the residual linking difference (AED'rae) associated with the duplex region, independent of m. However, deformability of the tertiary structure, as manifested by the variance of those same properties, is not a universal function of AED'rae, but depends upon m. DGsc varies with AED'rae more strongly than AED'rae 2 due to the low ionic strength. The twist energy parameter, ET, obtained from the simulated DGsc, AED'rae, and net twisting strain of the melted region,AETDae, is found to be independent of m, hence also of the torsion and bending elastic constants of the melted region. However, ET increases linearly with � AED'rae, which leads to 1), a small overestimation of ET for any given AED'rae, when ET is determined from the observed D' and AED'rae by the protocol of Bauer and Benham; and 2), a significant enhancement of the apparent slope, � dET=dT , obtained via the protocol of Bauer and Benham, relative to the actual slope at fixed AED'rae. After taking these two effects into account, the theoretical and experimental ET values anddET=dT values agree rather well. For the larger D', the melted regions are found preferentially in the linker domains between interwound arms, rather than in the apical regions at the ends of interwound arms.
Oral cocaine self-administration: relation of locomotor activity to pharmacokinetics.

Abstract Rats were exposed to daily schedule-induced polydipsia sessions in which solutions of cocaine HCl were available. Both cocaine solution concentration (0.08–0.32 mg/ml) and session duration (0.25–3 h) were varied to determine their effects on locomotor activity rate. Additional animals were used to determine the effect of session length on serum cocaine and metabolite levels when drinking 0.32 mg/ml cocaine solution. Changes in locomotor activity rate were related to serum cocaine concentration by a linear concentration-effect model. By estimation from the linear model, the serum cocaine concentration threshold for increasing locomotor activity was about 0.01 μg/ml. Under these schedule-induction conditions, there was no evidence for the development of acute tolerance to the locomotor-stimulating activity of cocaine.
A comparison of the Rescorla-Wagner and Pearce models in a negative patterning and a summation problem

In two experiments, we examined two related conditioning problems previously investigated by Red-head and Pearce (1995a) and Pearce, Aydin, and Redhead (1997). Experiment 1 involved an A+, B+, C+, AB+, AC+, BC+, ABC2 discrimination. The Rescorla-Wagner model predicts that response to AB, AC, and BC will be greater than that to A, B, and C at asymptote, whereas the Pearce model makes the opposite prediction. In Experiment 2, we investigated the responding to a novel ABC compound in groups trained with either A+, B+, C+ or AB+, AC+, BC+. The Rescorla-Wagner model predicts greater response to ABC in the group trained with A+, B+, C+ than in the group trained with AB+, AC+, BC+, whereas the Pearce model makes the opposite prediction. In contrast to the findings of Redhead and Pearce (1995a) and Pearce et al. (1997) in pigeon autoshaping, our findings in rabbit eyelid conditioning support the Rescorla-Wagner model.
Numbers of regenerating axons in parent and tributary peripheral nerves in the rat

This study is concerned with numerical parameters of axonal regeneration in peripheral nerves. Our first finding is that the number of axons that regenerate into the distal stump of a somatic nerve at a particular time after transection is partially dependent on the type of lesion used to interrupt the axons. The second question concerns the proportion of axons that regenerate into the distal stump of a parent nerve compared to the proportions that regenerate into tributary nerves that arise from the parent. The proportions of regenerated myelinated axons in the nerve to the medial gastrocnemius muscle and myelinated and unmyelinated axons in the sural nerve are the same as the proportions of myelinated and unmyelinated axons that regenerate into the distal stump of the sciatic nerve for the crush, 0 and 4 mm gap transections. Proportionally fewer axons regenerate into the tributary nerves following the 8 mm gap transection, however. This implies that the length of the gap has an influence on whether or not axons in tributary nerves regenerate in concert with axons in the distal stump of the parent nerve. The unmyelinated fibers in the nerve to the medial gastrocnemius muscle are different because they do not regenerate in proportion to those in the distal stump of the sciatic nerve. We also provide evidence to indicate that myelinated axons branch whereas unmyelinated fibers end blindly when they enter the distal stump after crossing a sciatic nerve transection. Finally the normal arrangement of perineurial cells seems to be disrupted after the sciatic nerve regenerates across a gap.
Does Advertising Influence Investors? Evidence and Research Propositions

Abstract Event studies and market analyses provide ample evidence that companies' advertising tactics affect their share prices. However, we have little understanding of the specific mechanism(s) through which advertising might influence investors or how investors may differ from one another in the degree of advertising's effect on their choices. This study synthesizes findings from advertising studies with those from the field of behavioral finance. A model for future research is offered in which investing expertise, access to company information, and motivation affect perceptions of a company's advertising efforts, which in turn drive perceptions of management quality, management optimism, and company value.
Turkey at the United Nations Security Council: ‘Rhythmic Diplomacy’ and a Quest for Global Influence

An important component of Turkey's ‘pivotal regional power’ status was its non-permanent seat at the UN Security Council in 2009–11. By focusing on two cases – the 2010 flotilla incident and the Iranian nuclearization – this study examines (1) Turkey's regional and global leadership role at the UN Security Council and (2) how the ‘rhythmic diplomacy’ principle of Turkey's foreign policy is exercised internationally. This paper also demonstrates that Turkey's policy of cooperation with other pivotal states signals possible future alliances among rising middle powers that might challenge western preferences on important issues. This study is timely as Turkey is seeking, again, non-permanent membership in the Security Council for the 2015–16 term.
Crystal and Solution Structures of an HslUV Protease–Chaperone Complex

Abstract HslUV is a "prokaryotic proteasome" composed of the HslV protease and the HslU ATPase, a chaperone of the Clp/Hsp100 family. The 3.4 A crystal structure of an HslUV complex is presented here. Two hexameric ATP binding rings of HslU bind intimately to opposite sides of the HslV protease; the HslU "intermediate domains" extend outward from the complex. The solution structure of HslUV, derived from small angle X-ray scattering data under conditions where the complex is assembled and active, agrees with this crystallographic structure. When the complex forms, the carboxy-terminal helices of HslU distend and bind between subunits of HslV, and the apical helices of HslV shift substantially, transmitting a conformational change to the active site region of the protease.
Potential Implications of Supply Management Policies for the Northeast Dairy Sector

Abstract Effects of supply management programs on a group of farms or farmers in a region must be evaluated on a case-by-case basis with the parameters of the program clearly spelled out. An analysis demonstrates that when supply management becomes a broad agricultural policy, dairy farmers must consider how milk production relates to the production of grain or other commodities. Various criteria for determining quota allocations among farms or across regions can be supported by reasonable arguments. The criteria chosen can have a substantial impact on the cutbacks any one farmer might be required to make.
Modular typestate checking of aliased objects

Objects often define usage protocols that clients must follow inorder for these objects to work properly. Aliasing makes itnotoriously difficult to check whether clients and implementations are compliant with such protocols. Accordingly, existing approaches either operate globally or severely restrict aliasing. We have developed a sound modular protocol checking approach, based on typestates, that allows a great deal of flexibility in aliasing while guaranteeing the absence of protocol violations at runtime. The main technical contribution is a novel abstraction, access permissions, that combines typestate and object aliasing information. In our methodology, developers express their protocol design intent through annotations based on access permissions. Our checking approach then tracks permissions through method implementations. For each object reference the checker keeps track of the degree of possible aliasing and is appropriately conservativein reasoning about that reference. This helps developers account for object manipulations that may occur through aliases. The checking approach handles inheritance in a novel way, giving subclasses more flexibility in method overriding. Case studies on Java iterators and streams provide evidence that access permissions can model realistic protocols, and protocol checking based on access permissions can be used to reason precisely about the protocols that arise in practice.
Approximate nearest-subspace representations for sound mixtures

In this paper we present a novel approach to describe sound mixtures which is based on a geometric viewpoint. In this approach we extend the idea of a nearest-neighbor representation to address the case of superimposed sources. We show that in order to account for mixing effects we need to perform a search for nearest-subspaces, as opposed to nearest-neighbors. In order to reduce the excessive computational complexity of this search we present an efficient algorithm to solve this problem which amounts to a sparse coding approach. We demonstrate the efficacy of this algorithm by using it to separate mixtures of speech.
North Korea: 20 Years of Solitude

© 2008 World Policy Institute 75 With the American people thirsting for a new foreign policy, transcending the aggrieved, insular doctrines of “regime change,” “pre-emptive war” and the “global war on terror,” a breakthrough might be found in a most unlikely place—the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. North Korea’s alienation from the world community is a grave threat to peace in East Asia. But with the right kind of American leadership, North Korea can be coaxed back into concord with its Asia-Pacific neighbors. The new Obama administration has a chance to make history by ending the 60-year conflict that divides the Korean peninsula, and reversing the two decades of solitude that has exiled an entire nation from the global community. After 20 years, it is time to acknowledge that the conventional strategies— belligerent quarantine and ambivalent engagement—have failed to achieve positive outcomes for the United States, East Asia, or the North Korean people. America is now at a crossroads of opportunity to reformulate our basic political strategy and alter the underlying nature of U.S.-North Korean relations—as opposed to repeating the pendulum swings of the Bush-Clinton-Bush years. However disagreeable, the leadership in Pyongyang is a reality. Diplomatic progress will only take place once the reality of the Kim Jong-il regime is accepted as the starting point of change.