cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Genetically Engineered Mouse Models of Brain Cancer and the Promise of Preclinical Testing

Recent improvements in the understanding of brain tumor biology have opened the door to a number of rational therapeutic strategies targeting distinct oncogenic pathways. The successful translation of such "designer drugs" to clinical application depends heavily on effective and expeditious screening methods in relevant disease models. By recapitulating both the underlying genetics and the characteristic tumor-stroma microenvironment of brain cancer, genetically engineered mouse models (GEMMs) may offer distinct advantages over cell culture and xenograft systems in the preclinical testing of promising therapies. This review focuses on recently developed GEMMs for both glioma and medulloblastoma, and discusses their potential use in preclinical trials. Examples showcasing the use of GEMMs in the testing of molecularly targeted therapeutics are given, and relevant topics, such as stem cell biology, in vivo imaging technology and radiotherapy, are also addressed.
Breaking the top-k barrier of hidden web databases?

A large number of web databases are only accessible through proprietary form-like interfaces which require users to query the system by entering desired values for a few attributes. A key restriction enforced by such an interface is the top-k output constraint - i.e., when there are a large number of matching tuples, only a few (top-k) of them are preferentially selected and returned by the website, often according to a proprietary ranking function. Since most web database owners set k to be a small value, the top-k output constraint prevents many interesting third-party (e.g., mashup) services from being developed over real-world web databases. In this paper we consider the novel problem of “digging deeper” into such web databases. Our main contribution is the meta-algorithm GetNext that can retrieve the next ranked tuple from the hidden web database using only the restrictive interface of a web database without any prior knowledge of its ranking function. This algorithm can then be called iteratively to retrieve as many top ranked tuples as necessary. We develop principled and efficient algorithms that are based on generating and executing multiple reformulated queries and inferring the next ranked tuple from their returned results. We provide theoretical analysis of our algorithms, as well as extensive experimental results over synthetic and real-world databases that illustrate the effectiveness of our techniques.
The Evolution and Role of the Saharan Air Layer during Hurricane Helene (2006)

The Saharan air layer (SAL) has received considerable attention in recent years as a potential negative influence on the formation and development of Atlantic tropical cyclones. Observations of substantial Saharan dust in the near environment of Hurricane Helene (2006) during the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) African Monsoon Multidisciplinary Activities (AMMA) Experiment (NAMMA) field campaign led to suggestions about the suppressing influence of the SAL in this case. In this study, a suite of satellite remote sensing data, global meteorological analyses, and airborne data are used to characterize the evolution of the SAL in the environment of Helene and assess its possible impact on the intensity of the storm. The influence of the SAL on Helene appears to be limited to the earliest stages of development, although the magnitude of that impact is difficult to determine observationally. Saharan dust was observed on the periphery of the storm during the first two days of development after genesis when intensification was slow. Much of the dust was observed to move well westward of the storm thereafter, with little SAL air present during the remainder of the storm's lifetime and with the storm gradually becoming a category-3 strength storm four days later. Dry air observed to wrap around the periphery of Helene was diagnosed to be primarily non-Saharan in origin (the result of subsidence) and appeared to have little impact on storm intensity. The eventual weakening of the storm is suggested to result from an eyewall replacement cycle and substantial reduction of the sea surface temperatures beneath the hurricane as its forward motion decreased.
Formation of strontium template on Si(1 0 0) by atomic layer deposition

Abstract The formation of ordered Sr overlayers on Si(1 0 0) by Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) from bis(triisopropylcyclopentadienyl) Strontium (Sr(C5iPr3H2)2) and H2O has been investigated. SrO overlayers were deposited on a 1–2 nm SiO2/Si(1 0 0) substrate, followed by a deoxidation process to remove the SiO2 layer at high temperatures. Auger electron spectroscopy, Rutherford backscattering spectrometry, spectroscopic ellipsometry, and low-energy electron diffraction were used to investigate the progress of both ALD and deoxidation processes. Results show that an ordered Sr/Si(1 0 0) surface with 2 × 1 pattern can be obtained after depositing several monolayers of SrO on Si using ALD followed by an anneal at 800–850 °C. The (2 × 1) ordered Sr/Si(1 0 0) surface is known to be an excellent template for the epitaxial growth of SrTiO3 (STO) oxide. The present results demonstrate that ALD is a potential alternative to molecular beam epitaxy methods for the fabrication of epitaxial oxides on semiconductor substrates.
Moisture and temperature balances at the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Southern Great Plains Site in forecasts with the Community Atmosphere Model (CAM2)

[1] We compare the balance of terms in moisture and temperature prediction equations during short forecasts by the Community Atmosphere Model (CAM2) with observed estimates at the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Southern Great Plains site for two intensive observing periods (IOPs). The goal is to provide insight into parameterization errors which ultimately should lead to model improvements. The atmospheric initial conditions are obtained from high-resolution numerical weather prediction (NWP) analyses. The land initial conditions are spun up to be consistent with those analyses. Three cases are considered: (1) June/July 1997 when the atmosphere is relatively moist and surface evaporation corresponds to 90% of the precipitation with advection accounting for the remainder; (2) rainy days in April 1997 when the atmosphere is less moist and horizontal advection accounts for much of the precipitation with a small contribution from surface evaporation and the balance being derived from the water already present in the column; and (3) nonrainy days of the April 1997 when the moist process parameterizations are inactive and the planetary boundary layer (PBL) parameterization is dominant. For the first case the Zhang-McFarlane deep convective parameterization drives the model to a wrong state. For the second the Hack shallow convective parameterization appears to be not acting deep enough. During both periods inconsistencies between CAM2 and ARM surface fluxes, land surface conditions and the net surface radiative fluxes indicate that the exchange parameterizations should be examined further. For the third case the PBL parameterization does not appear to create the correct vertical structure. In addition, the individual components of the dynamical tendency are very different between CAM2 and ARM, although the total dynamical tendency is similar in the two. Although these observations do not imply that those components are themselves wrong since they may be responding to other errors, each of these components should be examined further to determine the cause of their behaviors.
Hydrogen‐Atom Transfer Reactions of Transition‐Metal Hydrides

Many reactions of transition-metal hydrides involve H* transfer. With olefins such transfer gives a radical cage, from which escape and collapse lead to product formation. Inverse isotope effects, second-order kinetics independent of ligand concentration, and CIDNP are diagnostic for this mechanism. Many other reactions of transition-metal hydrides occur by radical chain mechanisms, in which H* is abstracted by carbon-centered radicals or by metal radicals. Reasonably accurate values are now available for the M-H bond strengths of most of the common hydrides, and these values help rationalize the known H* transfer reactions of these hydrides. While the rates of certain H* transfer reactions have been measured by radical clock methods, the measurement of H* transfer rates to a substituted trityl radical has provided the first general comparison of the H* donor abilities of the various hydrides. These relative H* transfer rates are significantly affected by steric factors.
Intrahippocampal LPS injections reduce Aβ load in APP+PS1 transgenic mice

Abstract Multiple lines of evidence indicate that inflammatory processes are involved in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is widely used to induce inflammation in experimental systems. Consequently we injected LPS or saline intrahippocampally in 11 and 16 months old APP+PS1 transgenic mice to induce brain inflammation, then used immunocytochemistry to examine amyloid pathology 7 days later. As expected, LPS activated microglia as indicated by a significant increase in the area covered by major histocompatibility complex-II (MHC-II) immunostaining in the mice injected with LPS compared to the saline injected. Simultaneously, Aβ immunostaining showed an unexpected reduction of the Aβ load in the mice injected with LPS compared to the saline injected. This effect of LPS on the Aβ load in APP+PS1 mice strengthens the hypothesis that moderate amounts of microglial activation may be beneficial in Alzheimer’s disease, by increasing the clearance of Aβ.
The fetal membranes of Pedetes capensis, and their taxonomic significance

Implantation in Pedetes capensis is superficial and antimesometrial with the embryonic disc mesometrially oriented. As the blastocyst expands, the embryonic pole trophoblast proliferates and penetrates the epithelium at the mesometrial side to establish a massive trophospongial preplacenta. Maternal blood lacunae form in this, and a preplacental maternal circulation is soon established. Amniogenesis is by folding. A choriovitelline placenta develops on the preplacental surface. Yolk sac inversion is late. The bilaminar omphalopleure is permanent. Syntrophoblastic tongues penetrate the preplacenta and surround maternal spaces lined with an attenuated trophospongial cell layer, thus providing a hemodichorial barrier when the vascular allantoic mesoderm invades these tongues to form the lobular labyrinth. A typical countercurrent bloodflow occurs. A small allantoic diverticulum persists to term. Several fetal membrane characters, known to be evolutionarily “conservative,” are alike in Pedetes and the more primitive sciuromorphs. These are the type of implantation, amniogenesis, yolk sac inversion, and allantois. The massive trophospongial preplacenta (Trager) suggests affinity with the Myomorpha and Hystricomorpha, but this is a highly variable character within the Rodentia. Therefore, it is concluded that on the basis of the fetal membranes the Pedetidae are somewhat specialized sciuromorphs.
Thermospin effects in a quantum dot connected to ferromagnetic leads

We study a system composed of a quantum dot in contact with ferromagnetic leads held at different temperatures. Spin analogs to the thermopower and thermoelectric figure of merit are defined and studied as a function of junction parameters. It is shown that in contrast to bulk ferromagnets, the spin-thermopower coefficient in a junction can be as large as the Seebeck coefficient, resulting in a large spin figure of merit. In addition, it is demonstrated that the junction can be tuned to supply only spin current but no charge current. We also discuss experimental systems where our predictions can be verified.
GEOMETRICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF NUCLEAR STATES AND THE THEORY OF ANGULAR CORRELATIONS

Degenerate states of nuclei, atoms, or radiations are identified by their tensor properties, that is, by the mean values of a set of multipole operators. A treatment is outlined which serves to construct angular correlation functions on a geometrical basis and provides a geometrical interpretation of known correlation formulas; the dynamics of specific nuclear reactions influences only a final averaging procedure.
Habit of Fe2O3 grown from Na2B4O7

Abstract Single crystals of hematite (Fe 2 O 3 ) grown from Na 2 B 4 O 7 occur as plates, rods, hoppers, and equidimensional solid crystals. The habit was found to correlate with the growth rate and crystal defects. Plates and rods occured for the highest growth rates used with the plate size controlled by rapid growth perpendicular to the 〈0001〉. The rods are the result of twinning on the {01–12}. The hoppers and solid crystals grow in slow-cooled melts and are typical of crystals grown from high-viscosity melts.
The role of physiological markers of health in the association between demographic factors and periodontal disease

Background and Objective Age is highly related to oral health status. The higher prevalence of oral disease within subgroups of the population may reflect a tendency towards “early aging” and dysregulation of multiple physiological systems. This study examines whether the association between periodontal disease and demographic factors is mediated by physiological measures of health. Material and Methods Logistic regression was used to examine whether biomarkers and demographic factors, such as socio-economic status (SES) and race/ethnicity, were associated with periodontal disease, and then whether the strength of these relationships could be attributed to associations between demographic variables and physiological measures of systemic health. Results Periodontal disease was associated with measures of SES and race/ethnicity. Furthermore, 1-unit increases in cytomegalovirus (CMV), optical density, C-reactive protein (CRP) and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) were associated with a 25% [odds ratio (OR) = 1.25; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.14–1.36], 13% (OR = 1.13; 95% CI = 1.03–1.24) and 19% (OR = 1.19; 95% CI = 1.12–1.27) increased likelihood of periodontal disease, respectively. However, when biomarkers and socio-demographic variables were both included in the model, their associations with periodontal disease were significantly reduced or eliminated. Conclusions The risk of periodontal disease is higher among black and/or low-income individuals; however, these associations appear to be partly due to the greater probability of elevated levels of CRP, CMV or HbA1c among these groups.
GUIDED READING IN POETRY: COMBINING AESTHETIC APPRECIATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF ESSENTIAL SKILLS

Reading and sharing poetry fosters richness in languages and encourages understanding of ideas presented through a beautiful form of expression. Poetry takes the reader through expression of emotion and the ideas that these emotions inspire in the poet. Further, the poet stimulates the reader to explore his or her own feelings and ideas. Discussion of what a particular poem means to individual students provides opportunities to share ideas and feelings which the poem evokes. The use of poetry invites students to read lines or particular phrases which are appealing to them or about which they have a question. Furthermore, teachers should be encouraged to combine the aesthetic dimensions of poetry with skills development. A poetry guide for encouraging basic language skills is presented herein.
The partition region of plasmid QpH1 is a member of a family of two trans-acting factors as implied by sequence analysis

Abstract Sequencing analysis revealed that the partition region of the Coxiella burnetii plasmid QpH1 contains a putative operon, designated qsopAB. The two open reading frames (ORFs), qsopA and qsopB, specify the QsopA and QsopB proteins, with deduced molecular masses of 45.7 and 37.6 kDa, respectively. Maxicell analysis demonstrated that although qsopB was located downstream from qsopA, it had its own promoter that was active in Escherichia coli. Several direct or inverted repeats were found around this operon. The most distinct was a 20-bp long imperfect palindrome in the promoter region of qsopA, with homology to a palindrome in the promoter region of P1 parA. Structurally qsopAB was similar to parAB of the P1 plasmid. However, at the amino acid (aa) sequence level, QsopA and QsopB were closest to the F plasmid SopA and SopB proteins, respectively. QsopA shared 58.0% homology and 32.7% identity with SopA, but only 45–50% homology and 22–26% identity with other members of the protein A partition family. QsopB had even lower (41–45%) homology to other members of the protein B partition family, with the highest homology and identity to SopB. Despite lower homologies, both QsopA and QsopB did share conserved aa sequence regions and invariant residues with other members within each family.
Snow Size Distribution Parameterization for Midlatitude and Tropical Ice Clouds

Abstract Many microphysical process rates involving snow are proportional to moments of the snow particle size distribution (PSD), and in this study a moment estimation parameterization applicable to both midlatitude and tropical ice clouds is proposed. To this end aircraft snow PSD data were analyzed from tropical anvils [Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission/Kwajelein Experiment (TRMM/KWAJEX), Cirrus Regional Study of Tropical Anvils and Cirrus Layers-Florida Area Cirrus Experiment (CRYSTAL-FACE)] and midlatitude stratiform cloud [First International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project Research Experiment (FIRE), Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Program (ARM)]. For half of the dataset, moments of the PSDs are computed and a parameterization is generated for estimating other PSD moments when the second moment (proportional to the ice water content when particle mass is proportional to size squared) and temperature are known. Subsequently the parameterization was tested with the other half of the dataset t...
Translating the Devil: Religion and Modernity among the Ewe in Ghana

Translating the Devil: Religion and Modernity among the Ewe in Ghana. Birgit Meyer. Edinburgh: University of Edinburgh Press, 1999. ix. 265 pp., maps, tables, appendix, notes, glossary, bibliography, index.
Hydrology and hydraulic properties of a bedded evaporite formation

The Permian Salado Formation in the Delaware Basin of New Mexico is an extensively studied evaporite deposit because it is the host formation for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant, a repository for transuranic wastes. Geologic and hydrologic studies of the Salado conducted since the mid-1970's have led to the development of a conceptual model of the hydrogeology of the formation that involves far-field permeability in anhydrite layers and at least some impure halite layers. Pure halite layers and some impure halite layers may not possess an interconnected pore network adequate to provide permeability. Pore pressures are probably very close to lithostatic pressure. In the near field around an excavation, dilation, creep, and shear have created and/or enhanced permeability and decreased pore pressure. Whether flow occurs in the far field under natural gradients or only after some threshold gradient is reached is unknown. If far-field flow does occur, mean pore velocities are probably on the order of a meter per hundreds of thousands to tens of millions of years. Flow dimensions inferred from most hydraulic-test responses are subradial, which is believed to reflect channeling of flow through fracture networks, or portions of fractures, that occupy a diminishing proportion of the radially available space, or through percolation networks that are not ''saturated'' (fully interconnected). This is probably related to the directional nature of the permeability created or enhanced by excavation effects. Inferred values of permeability cannot be separated from their associated flow dimensions. Therefore, numerical models of flow and transport should include heterogeneity that is structured to provide the same flow dimensions as are observed in hydraulic tests. Modeling of the Salado Formation around the WIPP repository should also include coupling between hydraulic properties and the evolving stress field because hydraulic properties change as the stress field changes.
Thermally stable heterocyclic imines as new potential nonlinear optical materials

In the course of a search for new thermostable acentric nonlinear optical crystalline materials, several heterocyclic imine derivatives were designed, with the general structure D-pi-A(D'). Introduction of a donor amino group (D') into the acceptor moiety was expected to bring H-bonds into their crystal structures, and so to elevate their melting points and assist in an acentric molecular packing. Six heterocycle-containing compounds of this type were prepared, single crystals were grown for five of them, and these crystals were characterized by X-ray analysis. A significant melting temperature elevation was found for all of the synthesized compounds. Three of the compounds were also found to crystallize in acentric space groups. One of the acentric compounds is built as a three-dimensional H-bonded molecular network. In the other two compounds, with very similar molecular structure, the molecules form one-dimensional H-bonded head-to-head associates (chains). These chains are parallel in two different crystallographic directions and form very unusual interpenetrating chain patterns in an acentric crystal. Two of the compounds crystallized with centrosymmetric molecular packing.
Simultaneous Sizing, Reference Voltage and Clamp Voltage Biasing for Robustness, Self-Calibration and Testability of STTRAM Arrays

Spin-Torque Transfer Random Access Memory (STTRAM) is a promising technology for high density on-chip cache due to low standby power and high speed. However, the limited sense-margin poses challenge towards applicability of STTRAM. Reference voltage (Vref) biasing and clamp voltage (Vclamp) biasing are possible techniques to balance '0' and '1' sense margins for improved robustness. In this paper, we show that Vref and Vclamp biasing are more effective when employed on appropriately sized sense circuit. Our investigation also reveals that these two techniques can be used for meeting two different objectives namely, self-calibration and improved testability. We show that the proposed sizing and biasing technique can improve both robustness and testability while sacrificing minimum sense margin compared to conventional sense circuit that is designed to provide best sense margin.
ZZ and the art of practical BFT execution

The high replication cost of Byzantine fault-tolerance (BFT) methods has been a major barrier to their widespread adoption in commercial distributed applications. We present ZZ, a new approach that reduces the replication cost of BFT services from 2f+1 to practically f+1. The key insight in ZZ is to use f+1 execution replicas in the normal case and to activate additional replicas only upon failures. In data centers where multiple applications share a physical server, ZZ reduces the aggregate number of execution replicas running in the data center, improving throughput and response times. ZZ relies on virtualization---a technology already employed in modern data centers---for fast replica activation upon failures, and enables newly activated replicas to immediately begin processing requests by fetching state on-demand. A prototype implementation of ZZ using the BASE library and Xen shows that, when compared to a system with 2f+1 replicas, our approach yields lower response times and up to 33% higher throughput in a prototype data center with four BFT web applications. We also show that ZZ can handle simultaneous failures and achieve sub-second recovery.
Molecular analysis of natural leaf senescence in Arabidopsis thaliana

We have analyzed macromolecular changes that are associated with natural leaf senescence in Arabidopsis thaliana. The loss of chlorophyll that is characteristic of leaf senescence is accompanied by a specific pattern of decline of total RNA and protein levels. We have constructed two cDNA libraries representing mRNAs from Arabidopsis leaves at different senescence stages. Six cDNA clones corresponding to mRNAs that substantially increase in abundance during senescence were isolated. The levels of these mRNAs remain elevated into the late stages of senescence when most of the chlorophyll and protein of the leaf has been degraded. Sis cDNA clones that correspond to mRNAs that exhibit contrasting behavior were also identified: the levels of these mRNAs decrease to undetectable levels during senescence. The changes in the levels of these specific mRNAs during the course of senescence are presented. The results indicate that major changes in gene expression occur in Arabidopsis leaves during the process of senescence.
Defect Structure in Quenched and Deformed Gold Single Crystals

IT is genera l ly be l ieved that the defect s t r u c t u r e produced in a quenched me ta l is s t rongly inf luenced by the nucleat ion of vacancy c lu s t e r s . The nuc lea t ion a lso depends sens i t ive ly on quenching condit ions and the pur i ty of the m a t e r i a l . In addit ion to the random d is t r ibu t ion of defects , the rows of defects along (110) d i rec t ions have been found in a wide var ie ty of m a t e r i a l s ; such as a l u m i n u m , ~ a luminum a l loys , 2-5 s i l v e r , ~'4 s i l v e r t i n a l loys , 6 and gold. ~'v-~~ This a l ignmen t of the defects is a t t r ibu ted to the plas t ic deformat ion dur ing o r a f te r quenching. ~'~~ Since the inves t iga t ions so fa r were confined to po lyc rys t a l l i ne m a t e r i a l s , the r e l a t ionship between the a l igned rows and the c rys t a l l og raphy of plast ic deformat ion were not obta ined. In this communica t ion , some r e su l t s of the study of s ingle c r y s t a l s to identify such re la t ionships a r e p re sen ted . The procedure of obta in ing quenched and deformed s ingle c rys ta l s has been desc r ibed e l sewhere , n'~2 In o r d e r to avoid uncon t ro l l ed c lus te r ing of v a c a n c i e s , the spec imens were quickly t r a n s f e r r e d f rom the quenching bath (-40~ to the liquid n i t rogen bath in which the plast ic deformat ion was pe r fo rmed by extending the spec imens to about 5 pct. The s t r e s s s t r a i n curves indicated that the plast ic de format ion was within the easy glide reg ions . The equivalent w a r m u p t ime was a lways less than 9 sec at room t e m p e r a t u r e . Af te r deformat ion , the spec imens were immedia te ly taken to 100~ and aged for 1 hr . The procedure employed for the ident i f ica t ion of the t ens i l e axis d i rec t ion on the e lec t ron m i c r o g r a p h was as follows: an optical m ic rog raph of the spec imen was taken and the angle between the tens i le axis and the p r i m a r y slip l ine was de te rmined . Specimens of s ize 2.5 by 2.5 m m were cut f rom this paren t spec i me n , and the upper right hand c o r n e r of a l l these spec i m e n s were marked with respec t to the paren t spec i men . They were then jet indented ~ for e l ec t ron m i c r o seopic examinat ions . Opt ical mic rographs of the hole and edge of this s m a l l spec imen were compared with the e a r l i e r opt ical m i c r o g r a p h in o rde r to m a r k the d i rec t ion of the t ens i l e axis and slip l ine on the second
Characterization of the 3' end of the leucine operon of Salmonella typhimurium.

The nucleotide sequence of the leuD gene of Salmonella typhimurium and of the downstream flanking region are presented. S1 mapping experiments identified 3′ endpoints of leu mRNA 140 and 285 nucleotides downstream of the UAA stop codon of leuD mRNA. Experiments employing pulse-labeled RNA suggest that these endpoints result from transcription termination rather than RNA processing. Our results indicate that the organization of the 3′ non-translated region of the leu operon from S. typhimurium resembles that of the trp operon of Escherichia coli. Further, our results suggest that the leu operon of S. typhimurium does not contain structural genes other than those identified by genetic experiments, i.e. leu,A,B,C and D.
In Vitro and In Vivo Biological Activities of Iron Chelators and Gallium Nitrate against Acinetobacter baumannii

We investigated the ability of compounds interfering with iron metabolism to inhibit the growth of Acinetobacter baumannii . Iron restriction with transferrin or 2,2-bipyridyl significantly inhibited A. baumannii growth in vitro . Gallium nitrate alone was moderately effective at reducing A. baumannii growth but became bacteriostatic in the presence of serum or transferrin. More importantly, gallium nitrate treatment reduced lung bacterial burdens in mice. The use of gallium-based therapies shows promise for the control of multidrug resistant A. baumannii . Acinetobacter baumannii has emerged as a major cause of both community-associated and nosocomial infections worldwide. Infections have become increasingly difficult to treat because of its rapid development of antibiotic resistance. Counteracting the action of virulence factors represents a novel strategy of infection control with potentially high specificity and low impact on the host. Hence, identification of the critical factors necessary for the in vivo success of the pathogen might reveal novel therapeutic targets.
Thermal monitoring of flash setting in portland cement clinkers

Abstract Flash setting behavior of a Type I Portland cement clinker with and without the presence of gypsum (calcium sulphate dihydrate) used as a set regulator has been studied by using thermogravimetry and differential thermal analyzing techniques. The effect of sulphate addition in controlling the flash set is monitored over the critical initial period of hydration and its consequences on the ultimate setting properties of clinker are discussed. A correlation between degree of hydration and flash setting, caused mainly by a rapid reaction between water and the phase tricalcium aluminate present in the clinker, is also established by estimating the amount of chemically bound water and free calcium hydroxide incorporated in the hydration products formed from clinker-water and clinker-calcium sulphate-water systems. It is shown that the addition of sulphate ions effectively controls the early clinker hydration possibly by reacting with tricalcium aluminate to form ettringite that shields it from further rapid hydration.
Dental glass-reinforced composite for caries inhibition: Calcium phosphate ion release and mechanical properties

The two main challenges facing dental composite restorations are secondary caries and bulk fracture. Previous studies developed whisker-reinforced Ca-PO(4) composites that were relatively opaque. The objective of this study was to develop an esthetic glass particle-reinforced, photo-cured calcium phosphate composite. Tetracalcium phosphate (TTCP) particles were incorporated into a resin for Ca and PO(4) release, while glass particles provided reinforcement. Ion release and mechanical properties were measured after immersion in solutions with pH of 7, 5.5, and 4. For the composite containing 40% mass fraction of TTCP, incorporating glass fillers increased the strength (p < 0.05). Flexural strength (Mean +/- SD; n = 6) at 30% glass was 99 +/- 18 MPa, higher than 54 +/- 20 MPa at 0% glass (p < 0.05). Elastic modulus was 11 GPa at 30% glass, compared to 2 GPa without glass. At 28 days, the released Ca ion concentration was 4.61 +/- 0.18 mmol/L at pH of 4, much higher than 1.14 +/- 0.07 at pH of 5.5, and 0.27 +/- 0.01 at pH of 7 (p < 0.05). PO(4) release was also dramatically increased at cariogenic, acidic pH. The TTCP-glass composite had strength 2-3 fold that of a resin-modified glass ionomer control. In conclusion, the photo-cured TTCP-glass composite was "smart" and substantially increased the Ca and PO(4) release when the pH was reduced from neutral to a cariogenic pH of 4, when these ions are most needed to inhibit tooth caries. Its mechanical properties were significantly higher than previous Ca, PO(4), and fluoride releasing restoratives. Hence, the photo-cured TTCP-glass composite may have potential to provide the necessary combination of load-bearing and caries-inhibiting capabilities.
Career Barriers Experienced by People with Chronic Illness: A U.S. Study

This paper examines the career barriers and attitudes of people working in the U.S. with chronic illness. Chronic illness is distinct from disability, with often variable symptoms; symptoms may also be invisible or ambiguous. Social cognitive career theory and illness studies provide the theoretical framing for the specific career barriers of this population. Data comes from interviews with 23 working individuals with chronic illness. The results show that career barriers come from the illness itself (its symptoms and uncertainty), other’s reactions to illness, and institutional rules. Misconceptions about illness, pity, and perceptions that people with illness either can’t handle challenging work or that they will soon exit the workforce due to their illness were frequently mentioned. Peoples’ career paths are influenced in characteristic ways, with patterns of plateauing, redirecting, retreating, and self-employment. They also report a reprioritization of career and personal goals. The findings aim to distinguish the chronic illness experience and its career barriers to help people with illness and their employers develop effective approaches and strategies for working with illness.
Carboxylate polyanions accelerate inhibition of thrombin by heparin cofactor II

Abstract The heparin cofactor II (HCII)/thrombin inhibition reaction is enhanced by various carboxylate polyanions. In the presence of polyaspartic acid, the HCII/thrombin reaction is accelerated more than 1000-fold with the second-order rate constant increasing from 3.2 × 10 4 M −1 min −1 (in the absence of polyAsp) to 3.6 × 10 7 M −1 min −1 as the polyAsp concentration is increased from 1 to 250 ug/ml. This accelerating effect was observed for HCII/thrombin, though to varying degrees, with other carboxylate polyanions. In contrast to HCII, the rate of antithrombin III inhibition of thrombin was decreased in the presence of polyAsp. The HCII/thrombin complex is rapidly formed in the presence of 10 ug/ml polyAsp when 125 I-labeled-thrombin is incubated with plasma. It is possible that at physiological sites rich in carboxylate polyanions, thrombin may be preferentially inhibited by HCII.
The apoptotic action of the retinoid CD437/AHPN: diverse effects, common basis.

Retinoids, such as all-trans-retinoic acid (RA), have found applications in several different types of (cancer) therapies. The synthetic retinoid 6-[3-(1-adamantyl)-4-hydroxyphenyl]-2-naphthalene carboxylic acid (CD437 or AHPN), an RA receptor (RAR)γ agonist, not only induces RARγ-dependent differentiation, but in contrast to RA, it also induces RARγ-independent apoptosis in many tumor cells. This observation makes this and similar new retinoids very interesting from a clinical perspective. Several genes have been associated with CD437/AHPN-mediated apoptosis, but the multiple activities of this compound and the apparent cell-type-specific responses to treatment have made it difficult to discern a common biochemical basis for the mechanism of its apoptotic action. In this brief review, we present a model which links all CD437/AHPN-associated apoptotic effects. CD437/AHPN rapidly induces DNA adduct formation through an as-yet unknown reaction which is independent of cell type. This is followed by a cell-type-specific, largely p53-independent DNA damage response which can result in engagement of multiple cell death pathways and activation of caspases as a common endpoint. At the same time, the RARγ-dependent pathway leads to regulation of differentiation-associated, cell-type-specific genes. CD437/AHPN, with its simultaneous differentiation and apoptosis-inducing activities, is a good prototype for new drugs which may be clinically more efficacious than those with a single activity.
Reduction of aryl bromides with lithium aluminum hydride: Evidence for a radical mechanism

Abstract Reduction of 0 -bromophenyl allyl ether with LiAlH4 yields phenyl allyl ether and 3-methyl-2,3-dihydrobenzofuran, thus suggesting the involvement of radical intermediates in the reduction.
A method for constructing maximum parsimony ancestral amino acid sequences on a given network

Abstract A solution is presented for the problem of how to find ancestral codons which minimize the number of mutations over a given network of species for which character-states of aligned amino acid sequences among the contemporary species are known. Three theorems which allow this “maximum parsimony” problem to be solved are proved; then the use of these theorems in finding maximum parsimony ancestral codons is illustrated on a network of chicken and mammalian alpha globin amino acid sequences at two alignment positions.
Genetic Removal of Smad3 from Inhibin-Null Mice Attenuates Tumor Progression by Uncoupling Extracellular Mitogenic Signals from the Cell Cycle Machinery

Inhibin and activin are members of the TGFbeta family that perform mutually antagonistic signaling roles in the anterior pituitary, gonads, and adrenal gland. Unopposed activin signaling in inhibin-null (Inha-/-) mice causes the formation of granulosa cell tumors in the gonads and adrenal cortex, which depend upon FSH for efficient growth and progression. In this study, we demonstrate that Smad3, a key effector of activin signaling, is expressed at high levels and is constitutively activated in tumors from these mice. Removal of Smad3 from Inha-/- mice by a genetic cross to Smad3-null (Madh3-/-) mice leads to a significant decrease in cyclinD2 expression and a significant attenuation of tumor progression in the gonads and adrenal. The decrease in cyclinD2 levels in compound knockout mice is related to a reduction in mitogenic signaling through the phosphoinositide-3-kinase (PI3-kinase)/Akt pathway, which is required for normal cell cycle progression in tumor cells. Loss of PI3-kinase/Akt signaling cannot be attributed to alterations in IGF expression, suggesting instead that signaling through the FSH receptor is attenuated. Gene expression profiling in the ovaries of Madh3-/- and Inha-/-:Madh3-/- compound knockout mice supports this hypothesis and further suggests that Smad3 is specifically required for FSH to activate PI3-kinase/Akt, but not protein kinase A. Together these observations imply that activin/Smad3 signaling is necessary for efficient signaling by FSH in Inha-/- tumor cells and that interruption of this pathway uncouples FSH from its intracellular mitogenic effectors.
Using platform level telemetry to reduce power consumption in a datacenter

The modern datacenter has significantly changed the way we need to consider managing the resources of power, space, cooling and compute. The traditional methods based on static deployments is no longer adequate. In order to address this transformation, a dynamic management methodology is required. This methodology can be greatly enhanced through the use of platform level telemetry. This paper will review the underlying technology instrumented in x86 based server platforms that enables real time monitoring of power, thermal and compute and how this data can be used to make optimization decisions.
Heterogeneous expression of four MAP kinase isoforms in human tissues

Mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAP kinases) are a group of closely related enzymes implicated in signal transduction pathways. We report the molecular cloning of four human proteins (p40mapk, p41mapk, p44mapk and p63mapk, with high homology to members of the MAP kinase family. Sequence analysis demonstrated that p44mapk and p63mapk were the products of distinct genes. However, the p40mapk and p41mapk were found to be related, and are likely to result from alternative processing of transcripts from a single gene. The heterogeneous expression of these human MAP kinase isoforms in different tissues may reflect the diversity of signal transduction pathways in differentiated cells.
The Mediating Role of Affective Commitment in the Relation of the Feedback Environment to Work Outcomes.

Abstract The Feedback Environment, as opposed to the formal performance appraisal process, is comprised of the daily interactions between members of an organization ( Steelman, Levy, & Snell, in press ). Relations between the feedback environment and work outcome variables such as Organizational Citizenship Behavior (OCB) were examined through the mediating effects of affective commitment. Results indicate that affective commitment mediates the relation between the feedback environment and organizational citizenship behavior, and this mediated relation is stronger for OCBs directed at individuals than directed at the organization as a whole. Conclusions and implications are discussed.
Cerebral ischemia caused by obstructed superior vena cava cannula is detected by near-infrared spectroscopy.

Abstract Objective : Bicaval venous cannulation is being used with increasing frequency in neonates and infants to avoid circulatory arrest. However, superior vena cava (SVC) cannula obstruction may result in cerebral ischemia with no change in blood pressure or mixed venous O2 saturation. The authors hypothesized that near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) would allow noninvasive detection of SVC cannula obstruction. Methods : Fifteen Yorkshire piglets (9.07 ± 0.20 kg) underwent total cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) (100 mL/kg/min, pH-stat strategy, hematocrit of 20%) with ascending aortic and bicaval cannulations. Femoral arterial and SVC pressure were monitored as well as mixed venous O2 saturation. NIRS monitoring of tissue oxygenation index (TOI) as well as oxyhemoglobin and deoxyhemoglobin (HHb) was undertaken. Animals were cooled to an esophageal temperature of 25°C over 20 minutes. CPB flow was reduced to 50 mL/kg/min for 20 minutes. Animals then underwent a 60-minute study period of continuous CPB at 50 mL/kg/min with manipulation of the SVC cannula: group 1, open; group 2, partial occlusion; and group 3, complete occlusion. Animals were rewarmed to 37°C at full flow with the SVC cannula open. Cerebral blood flow was assessed at onset of CPB, at end of cooling, at end of low flow, at end of SVC manipulation period, and at end of rewarming using radioactive microspheres. Results : CBF decreased to 27.9 ± 1.5 mL/min/100 g with complete occlusion (p Conclusion : SVC cannula obstruction causes cerebral ischemia with no change in blood pressure or venous oxygen saturation. In view of the difficulties and risks of CVP monitoring in babies, it is recommended to use other monitoring modalities such as NIRS to assess adequacy of cerebral perfusion if bicaval cannulation is used in neonates and infants.
Glial Cell Line-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Supports Survival of Injured Midbrain Dopaminergic Neurons

Glial cell-lined derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) has been shown to promote survival of developing mesencephalic dopaminergic neurons in vitro. In order to determine if there is a positive effect of GDNF on injured adult midbrain dopaminergic neurons in situ, we have carried out experiments in which a single dose of GDNF was injected into the substantia nigra following a unilateral lesion of the nigrostriatal system. Rats were unilaterally lesioned by a single stereotaxic injection of 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA; 9 micrograms/4 microliters normal saline with 0.02% ascorbate) into the medial forebrain bundle and tested weekly for apomorphine-induced (0.05 mg/kg s.c.) contralateral rotation behavior. Rats that manifested > 300 turns/hour received a nigral injection of 100 micrograms GDNF, or cytochrome C as a control, 4 weeks following the 6-OHDA lesion. Rotation behavior was quantified weekly for 5 weeks after GDNF. Rats were subsequently anesthetized, transcardially perfused, and processed for tyrosine hydroxylase immunohistochemistry. It was found that 100 micrograms GDNF decreased apomorphine-induced rotational behavior by more than 85%. Immunohistochemical studies revealed that tyrosine hydroxylase immunoreactivity was equally reduced in the striatum ipsilateral to the lesion in both cytochrome C and GDNF-injected animals. In contrast, large increments in tyrosine hydroxylase immunoreactivity were observed in the substantia nigra of animals treated with 100 micrograms of GDNF, with a significant increase in numbers of tyrosine hydroxylase-immunoreactive cell bodies and neurites as well as a small increase in the cell body area of these neurons. The results suggest that GDNF can maintain the dopaminergic neuronal phenotype in a number of nigral neurons following a unilateral nigrostriatal lesion in the rat.
Use of a mechanical model to convey the idea of energetic coupling

I deal here with a severe deficiency that readily arises in the understanding of the coupling between two chemical reactions, or between a chemical reaction and a transport across a membrane. This difficulty occurs mainly among biologists who have taken only a course or two in biochemistry with a minimum of physical chemical preparation, although one has to suspect an occasional defect in the clarity with which the matter is perceived by more experienced biochemists. Let me illustrate the difficulty in its most absurd form in this way: The student may get the idea that an energy-requiring reaction can receive its energy if only ATP is being hydroiyzed in the same solution. Or more likely he gets the idea that a discrete package of energy and nothing else is delivered to the reaction on the hydrolysis of ATP. Mitchell calls attention to a statement by a prominent enzymoiogist that the endergunic reaction may receive only energy and no material from the exergonic one, even though we are restricted to isothermal conditions at the ground state. Gregoria Weber has chosen to bring the matter to attention by challenging audiences with his sentence:
Historical versus Contemporary Climate Forcing on the Annual Nesting Variability of Loggerhead Sea Turtles in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean

A recent analysis suggested that historical climate forcing on the oceanic habitat of neonate sea turtles explained two-thirds of interannual variability in contemporary loggerhead (Caretta caretta) sea turtle nest counts in Florida, where nearly 90% of all nesting by this species in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean occurs. Here, we show that associations between annual nest counts and climate conditions decades prior to nest counts and those conditions one year prior to nest counts were not significantly different. Examination of annual nest count and climate data revealed that statistical artifacts influenced the reported 31-year lag association with nest counts. The projected importance of age 31 neophytes to annual nest counts between 2020 and 2043 was modeled using observed nest counts between 1989 and 2012. Assuming consistent survival rates among cohorts for a 5% population growth trajectory and that one third of the mature female population nests annually, the 41% decline in annual nest counts observed during 1998–2007 was not projected for 2029–2038. This finding suggests that annual nest count trends are more influenced by remigrants than neophytes. Projections under the 5% population growth scenario also suggest that the Peninsular Recovery Unit could attain the demographic recovery criteria of 106,100 annual nests by 2027 if nest counts in 2019 are at least comparable to 2012. Because the first year of life represents only 4% of the time elapsed through age 31, cumulative survival at sea across decades explains most cohort variability, and thus, remigrant population size. Pursuant to the U.S. Endangered Species Act, staggered implementation of protection measures for all loggerhead life stages has taken place since the 1970s. We suggest that the 1998–2007 nesting decline represented a lagged perturbation response to historical anthropogenic impacts, and that subsequent nest count increases since 2008 reflect a potential recovery response.