cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Renal xenograft prolongation by suppression of natural antibody

Abstract Porcine renal xenografts were prolonged ten to twenty times longer than controls by specific suppression of the dog's antipig erythrocyte antibody. Depression of antibody levels was achieved by techniques involving either multiple xenografting or intravenous administration of pig stroma. Depletion of up to 95% of the dog's antipig erythrocyte antibody was achieved without affecting normal levels of antibody against sheep erythrocytes. Addition of the dog's own pretreatment serum, given while xenografts were doing well, caused immediate rejection. Since the same canine antibody involved in rejection is also directed against the pig erythrocyte, it is likely that at least one “transplantation antigen” is common to both erythrocytes and kidney cells of the pig.
Non-histone chromatin proteins from an insect cell line: Preferential affinity for single-strand DNA of a high molecular weight protein

Abstract Nuclei and chromatin were isolated from cell line (TN-368) derived from the ovary of the cabbage looper, Trichoplusia ni. The chromatin proteins were examined by sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The non-histone proteins extracted with 0.35 M NaCl from T. ni chromatin were subjected to sequential chromatography on columns containing immobilized double-strand and single-strand DNA. A protein with an apparent mol.wt of 7 × 104 was found to bind preferentially to single-strand DNA.
Surge Suppressors for the Protection of Solid-State Devices

Semiconductor devices are sensitive to overvoltages and must be protected against such potential sources of damage. Typical devices used for this purpose are capacitors, selenium diode suppressors, and avalanche diodes. In many industrial applications, however, switching overvoltages contain so much energy that these devices are inadequate, not in terms of voltage limiting capability, but in terms of energy absorbing capability. Some high energy overvoltages are described and methods of calculating both their magnitude and energy content are presented. The difficulties of protecting semiconductor devices against these overvoltages are discussed, particularly for those cases where it is desirable to have the surge suppressor on the dc side of the installation for economic reasons or for protection against possible surges generated from the dc side. A surge suppressor developed specifically for high energy overvoltages is then described, and typical test results are presented.
The time it takes to switch attention.

An experiment is reported that measured the time it takes to switch attention from one set of locations to another in response to a cue that indicates the relevant locations. The experiment compared sequences of trials in which the same locations were cued in succession with sequences in which different locations were cued in succession in order to separate cue-encoding time from attention-switching time. Same-location sequences require cue encoding but not attention switching. They were substantially faster than different-location sequences, which require both cue encoding and attention switching. Formal models were fitted to time-course functions generated by presenting the cues 0, 100, 200, 300, or 400 msec before the target displays. The model fits suggest that cue encoding took 67–74 msec and attention switching took 76–101 msec.
Explanations of a Changing Landscape: A Critical Examination of the British Columbia Bark Beetle Epidemic:

This paper focuses on an unprecedented bark beetle epidemic in British Columbia, Canada. The epidemic has killed vast areas of forests, with significant impacts to ecosystems and timber-dependent communities. Explanations of this outbreak continue to overlook or underemphasize important actors and relationships. This paper offers a more detailed explanation of the actors and processes involved in the outbreak and associated responses. Political ecology was applied to guide this analysis, emphasizing both the ecological and social factors involved. Research methods entailed an extensive literature review and over seventy interviews with scientists, policy makers, land managers, and elected officials. Findings illustrate how the outbreak involved many actors, beyond bark beetles and trees, and resulted from complex interactions between ecological and social factors. This study also reveals how actors that prioritized short-term economic gains shaped the conditions that fostered the outbreak and continue to ...
Does exercise truly enhance sleep

Two recent studies support the commonsense view that exercise improves sleep in individuals with insomnia, but questions still abound. Do patients have to be fit to reap the benefits of exercise? Does exposure to bright light during exercise enhance sleep? Is shorter, more intense exercise more helpful than longer, more moderate activities? Does exercising too close to bedtime inhibit sleep? In considering recent research on sleep and exercise, this article addresses such questions and also looks at the relationship of exercise and sleep to anxiety, depression, circadian rhythms, and age-associated problems, such as sleep apnea.
Changes in stratospheric ozone and temperature due to the eruptions of Mt. Pinatubo

The paper investigates the impact of the Mt. Pinatubo eruptions on the total column ozone measured from the Nimbus 8 TOMS and the NOAA-11 SBUV/2 spectrometers. Within a few months after the eruptions, the total column ozone decreased by 5-6 percent in the tropics, 3-4 percent at midlatitudes, and 6-9 percent at high latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere. After the effects of quasi-biennial oscillations and interannual variability are taken into account, the decrease in the column ozone attributed to volcanic eruptions at these latitudes may not be more than 2-4 percent. The most noticeable effect on the Pinatubo eruptions, as observed during the El Chichon period, is the breakdown of the phase relation between ozone and temperature. This is attributed to additional heating in the lower stratosphere caused by volcanic aerosols.
Fractional neural network approximation

Here, we study the univariate fractional quantitative approximation of real valued functions on a compact interval by quasi-interpolation sigmoidal and hyperbolic tangent neural network operators. These approximations are derived by establishing Jackson type inequalities involving the moduli of continuity of the right and left Caputo fractional derivatives of the engaged function. The approximations are pointwise and with respect to the uniform norm. The related feed-forward neural networks are with one hidden layer. Our fractional approximation results into higher order converges better than the ordinary ones.
David Hull: a memoir

David Lee Hull was born on June 15, 1935 and died on August 12, 2010. Compulsory service in the military was followed by 4 years at Illinois Wesleyan University, where he majored in biology. He then joined the new program in the history and philosophy of science at Indiana University, and was one of the earliest to get a doctorate from that institution. His first job was in the philosophy department at the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee. He worked there from 1964 to 1984. He then moved to the philosophy department at Northwestern University and worked there from 1984 to 2000, when he retired. He garnered a number of honors, including a Guggenheim Fellowship, Membership in the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and Fellowship in the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He had two honorary degrees, from Illinois Wesleyan and the University of Guelph in Canada. He was president of the Society of Systematic Zoology in 1984–1985 and of the Philosophy of Science Association in 1985–1986.
Lactobacillus casei Abundance Is Associated with Profound Shifts in the Infant Gut Microbiome

Colonization of the infant gut by microorganisms over the first year of life is crucial for development of a balanced immune response. Early alterations in the gastrointestinal microbiota of neonates has been linked with subsequent development of asthma and atopy in older children. Here we describe high-resolution culture-independent analysis of stool samples from 6-month old infants fed daily supplements of Lactobacillus casei subsp. Rhamnosus (LGG) or placebo in a double-blind, randomized Trial of Infant Probiotic Supplementation (TIPS). Bacterial community composition was examined using a high-density microarray, the 16S rRNA PhyloChip, and the microbial assemblages of infants with either high or low LGG abundance were compared. Communities with high abundance of LGG exhibited promotion of phylogenetically clustered taxa including a number of other known probiotic species, and were significantly more even in their distribution of community members. Ecologically, these aspects are characteristic of communities that are more resistant to perturbation and outgrowth of pathogens. PhyloChip analysis also permitted identification of taxa negatively correlated with LGG abundance that have previously been associated with atopy, as well as those positively correlated that may prove useful alternative targets for investigation as alternative probiotic species. From these findings we hypothesize that a key mechanism for the protective effect of LGG supplementation on subsequent development of allergic disease is through promotion of a stable, even, and functionally redundant infant gastrointestinal community.
Shifted from Wnt to Hedgehog Signaling Pathways

Two papers in recent issue of Developmental Cell (Glise et al., 2005; Gorfinkiel et al., 2005) have shown that Shifted, a Drosophila ortholog of Wnt Inhibitory Factor (WIF), modulates the distribution of Hedgehog protein in the wing imaginal disc through a Wnt-independent mechanism.
The Activities Of Comets Related To Their Aging And Origin

Two indices have been developed for the purpose of comparing the natures of various classes of comets. The first is the Activity Index (AI), measuring the inherent magnitude increase in brightness from great solar distances to maximum near perihelion. The second, or Volatility Index (VI), measures the variation in magnitude near perihelion. Tentative determinations of these two indices are derived from observations by Max Beyer over more than 30 years for long-period (L-P) and short-period (S-P) comets near perihelion and from other homogeneous sources. AI determinations are made for 32 long-period (L-P) comets and for 14 short-period (S-P). The range of values of AI is of the order of 3 to 10 magnitudes with a median about 6. An expected strong correlation with perihelion distance q, is found to vary as ~ q -2.3. Residuals from a least-square solution (ΔAI) are used for comparing comets of different orbital classes, the standard deviation of a single value of ΔAI is only ±1m.1 for L-P comets and ±1m.2 for S-P comets.
Research Traditions and the Evolution of Cold War Nuclear Strategy: Progress Doesn't Make Perfect

Larry Laudan has recently advanced a philosophy of science that appears to answer both Kuhnian critics of the rationality of science, on the one hand, and interpretive and critical theorists' objections to a naturalistic social science, on the other. Like Lakatos before him, Laudan argues that scientific progress is indeed a rational affair. But Laudan goes one step further, arguing that his analysis yields a set of rational criteria for theory choice. In addition, Laudan explicitly claims that the standard he proposes can be applied in any realm of empirical inquiry. Employing a case study of the development of strategic doctrine during the Cold War period, I show this latter claim to be false. Because Laudan's standard for theory choice depends on an exclusively cognitive calculus, it cannot account for, much less help us weigh, the practical implications of theory choice. I conclude that such an accounting procedure may be appropriate for the natural sciences but can hardly be adequate in the realm of ...
Controllability properties of nonlinear behaviors

This paper proposes a topological framework for the analysis of the time shift on behaviors. It is shown that controllability is not a property of the time shift, while chain controllability is. This also leads to a global decomposition of behaviors.
Glacial Geologic Processes

There has long been a need for a book that assembles the diverse information about the processes by which glaciers deposit sediments and create and modify landforms. Drewry has succeeded in compiling much of this material in a very accessible format in Glacial Geologic Processes. In addition, instead of limiting himself strictly to the action of glaciers on their substrates, he has included detailed coverage of processes occurring in preglacial streams, lakes, and fjords. The final chapters are devoted to glacimarine processes related to ice shelves, glacier tongues, icebergs, and sea ice. As he states in the preface, Drewry wrote this book in an attempt to bridge the sizable gap between purely glaciological texts, such as H. Paterson's excellent introduction Physics of Glaciers (Pergamon Press, New York, 1981) and the rather descriptive texts currently used by geologists and geomorphologists interested in the products of ice activity on Earth's surface. Drewry does fill much of this important gap by providing a detailed, coherent, and comprehensive overview of the primary processes that manifest themselves in glacial landforms and deposits. However, geologists are likely to experience some slight frustration with Glacial Geologic Processes because no attempt is made to connect the independent treatments of individual processes within a general framework that is conducive to improving our understanding of large-scale glacial landforms and deposits. I must stress that this shortcoming is largely a reflection of the very limited nature of our understanding of the connections between glacial processes and landforms. Nevertheless, it is surprising that Drewry seldom outlines the path between process and form.
Shallow plumbing and eruptive processes of a scoria cone built on steep terrain

Abstract Dark Peak (Lunar Crater Volcanic Field, central Nevada, USA) is an eroded Pliocene, monogenetic basaltic volcano that exposes intrusions while preserving some pyroclastic deposits and lavas, allowing reconstruction of the shallow magma feeding system and its relation to eruptive processes. Variably welded agglomerates record Strombolian and Hawaiian fountaining. Dikes fed degassed magma to a bocca on the lower cone slopes and fed a small lava field. The cone was built on the side of a steep ridge with small side drainages, had a maximum diameter of about 1 km, and was ~ 125 m high above the highest point on the paleotopography. The eruption was fed by an ~ 1 km long, narrow (1–3 m) feeder dike that locally flared in the upper tens of meters to form an ~ 30 m wide conduit around which the cone was built. The conduit shape and the transition depth from feeder dike to conduit are consistent with data from other exposed plumbing systems of small volume basaltic volcanoes that were dominated by magmatic volatile-driven eruption styles, supporting inferences that their conduits are relatively shallow features (upper ~ 150 m).
Using Spatial Analysis to Improve Health Care Services and Delivery at Baystate Health

Baystate Health has been recognized by the industry for its innovative and wide-ranging use of geographic information systems (GISs) to address problems in health. Spatial analysis is a key component in the effective use of GISs in health care for data exploration, hypothesis testing, and modeling. This paper describes GIS applications by the Health Geographics Program at Baystate Health. These applications include direct patient care, epidemiologic research, disease prevention and intervention, strategic planning, and marketing. We directed particular attention to the spatial analytic methods used in these applications. Finally, the challenges faced in obtaining and using health data for our analysis are discussed.
Application of the finite element iterative method to the eigenvalue problem of a crack between dissimilar media

The finite element iterative method is applied to the eigenvalue problem of a crack between dissimilar media. In this case the transfer matrix is non-symmetric, which leads to complex eigenvalues. The singularity obtained agrees with the analytical results of r(−1/2+ie). The method of evaluating the eigenfunctions is general and can be applied to more complex cases of material and geometry, which are frequently encountered in composite materials. A powerful method for evaluating stress intensities in dissimilar media is given in the Appendix. The method is also reduced for homogeneous media to give stress intensity factors for modes I, II and III.
Clay fixation of metal chelates as a factor in their usability by soil application to correct micronutrient deficiencies

Abstract Yolo loam and Hacienda loam soils were extracted with 10‐2, 10‐3, and 10‐4 M solutions of the three chelating agents, DTPA, EDTA and EDDHA, to further evaluate quantities of iron, zinc, manganese and copper that can be fixed in soil after chelation. Aliquots of the extracts were analyzed after 4, 24, 95 hours and 11 and 25 days. EDEHA was only effective in maintaining iron in solution for 4 days with calcareous Hacienda loam (fine‐loamy, mixed, thermic Aquic Natrargid) while it was effective for up to 21 days with Yolo loam (fine‐silty, mixed, thermic typic Xerorthents). All chelating agents resulted in an increased concentration of iron in solution throughout most of the test except that FeEDDHA peaked at 4 days. Manganese seemed to be readily lost from solution with time. Zinc and copper had little tendency to disappear from the solutions especially with. the calcareous Hacienda loam soil.
Comparison of tetrazolium colorimetric and 51Cr release assays for cytotoxicity determination of dental biomaterials

Abstract Objectives. The purpose of this study was to compare a methylthiazole tetrazolium (MTT) dye colorimetric method with the standard 51Cr assay as methods of assessing cytotoxicity of dental materials. Methods. Two MTT-based colorimetric formats, test tube and 96-well microplate methods, were compared to the 51Cr release assay. A series of eigth dental materials were evaluated. Cytotoxicity profiles were determined for each test material. A TC50 value (Toxic Concentration required to kill 50% of the cells) was determined for each biomaterial, and these results were used to make statistical comparisons between the methods. Results. The three methods were statistically correlated (p Significance. The MTT assay was found to have several advantages in comparison to the current standard 51Cr release assay. Optimized in the 96 well format, complete dose response curves and greater sample comparisons can be made rapidly, making the MTT method more economical in time and cost. Furthermore, the MTT method is based on intracellular biochemical changes, measuring cell viability rather than cell morbidity, and has lower detectable limits than the 51Cr release method. There is also less detector chemical binding interference than encountered in the 51Cr release method.
Hierarchically distributed processing for psychology

The advantages of loosely coupled hierarchical computer networks for psychological research are discussed. Hardware methods for interconnecting computers are considered, and software communication protocols are detailed. A hierarchy of interconnected computers is formed: (1) large campus computer for statistical analyses, (2) medium scale computer for data concentration and program development, and (3) laboratory computers for data collection. This hierarchy provides efficient computing at all levels and insures maximum computing power at minimum cost.
Clinical trial in post-addicts with oxilorphan (Levo-BC2605): A new narcotic antagonist

Oxilorphan (levo-BC-2605) is a new, long-acting, narcotic antagonist that has agonist properties. Twenty-one (21) heroin addicts in Los Angeles were detoxified and given at least one oral dose of oxilorphan. Only three (14.3%) patients took daily doses for 14 days, which was the maximal time allowed for oxilorphan administration in this study. The remainder discontinued oxilorphan because of subjective side effects or for unknown reasons. Side effects most responsible for dropouts were dysphoria, insomnia, weakness, hallucinations, nausea, drowsiness and anorexia. Oxilorphan provided 24-hour protection with a single, oral dose, but subjective side effects encountered during inductiolinical trials with oxilorphan should be attempted with other addict populations to fully determine its potential therapeutic value.
Two modes of pathogen recognition by plants

More than 50 years ago, J. B. S. Haldane (1) presciently predicted that polymorphism in proteins governing host–pathogen interactions was driven by the rapid rates of microbial evolution. He suggested that slowly evolving host species could only manage to dodge microbial infection by generating high levels of polymorphism in the relevant immune system genes. These ideas were in part inspired by observations of variability in resistance of wheat to the wheat rust pathogen Puccinia graminis . Soon thereafter, H. H. Flor (2) published seminal studies delineating the genetic basis of resistance in flax to the rust fungus Melampsora lini . Flor documented genetic polymorphism and recognition specificity. Flor (3) also proposed the widely accepted “gene-for-gene” theory of disease resistance, which predicted that successful disease resistance is triggered only if a resistance ( R ) gene product in the plant recognizes a specific “avirulence” ( Avr ) gene product from the pathogen. An evolutionary corollary of this model is that pathogens are under evolutionary pressure to evolve diverse Avr proteins that no longer interact genetically with the cognate R proteins but presumably maintain their core function in the furtherance of a successful parasite life cycle. Conversely, natural selection favors evolution and maintenance of allelic diversity at plant R loci to expand recognition specificity. In this issue of PNAS, Dodds et al . (4) provide evidence for direct, allele-specific interaction between alleles of a particular R protein and the corresponding pathogen-encoded Avr proteins. In a remarkable arc of history, they do so by using cloned alleles from flax and flax rust loci that were defined genetically five decades ago by Flor (2, 3, 5, 6). Combined with other recent breakthroughs, this work suggests that plant R proteins can function either by directly detecting … ‡To whom correspondence should be addressed at: Department of Biology, University of North Carolina, CB# 3280, 108 Coker Hall, Chapel Hill, NC 27599. E-mail: dangl{at}email.unc.edu
Relationships among Impulsiveness, Locus of Control, Sex, and Music Practice

This study is an investigation of relationships among impulsiveness, locus of control, sex, observed practice behaviors, practice effectiveness, and self-reported practice habits in a sample of 40 college brass players. Practice effectiveness was defined by the amount of change in pretest and posttest performance achievement scores over one 23-minute practice session. Each subject's practice session was analyzed for frequency of practice behaviors. Measures included the Eysenck Impulsiveness Questionnaire for Adults (1985), the Nowicki-Duke Locus of Control Scale for Adults (1974), and a researcher-designed practice questionnaire. Results indicated (a) a significant interaction effect (p .05) in impulsiveness, locus of cont...
Naturally occurring fibromas of grey squirrels related to Shope's rabbit fibroma.

SummarySix grey squirrels collected in Maryland were found to have multiple small cutaneous nodules which histologically resembled Shope's rabbit fibroma. The squirrel fibroma was carried through 2 intracutaneous passages in grey squirrels, 4 consecutive passages in woodchucks, and from woodchucks for 2 passages in domestic rabbits. Cross-neutralization tests provided immunological evidence that the squirrel and Shope fibromas are related.
Estimation of the Yield Strength of Metals from Crystal Defect Energies

The room-temperature, quasi-static yield strengths of several high-purity, annealed metal specimens were estimated from the elastic strain energy introduced into a lattice by crystal defects which act as barriers to dislocation motion. In the specimens considered in this study, the main contributions to the total defect energies came from dislocations and grain boundaries. The energy contributions of solute atoms, self-interstitials, annealing twin boundaries, and stacking faults were negligible because of the relatively low volume fractions of these defects. The estimated yield strengths are compared with experimental data available in the open literature.
A New Technique for Contact Mechanics and Friction in Microstructures: Controllable Electrostatic Repulsive Forces From Capacitive Coupling to Electret

The use of the electrostatically repulsive force from the capacitive coupling with electret polymer film is demonstrated experimentally. The repulsive forces can be utilized in controlling contact mechanics and friction in microstructures, and serve as an alternative MEMS actuation mechanism to overcome the limitations by the attractive forces. Simple parallel cantilever beams patterns are used to illustrate the magnitude of the repulsive forces and the associated static charge density from the electret polymer films coupling.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
Effects of chirality in 9-(2-hydroxy-3-nonyl)adenine upon deoxyribonucleic acid synthesis in herpes simplex virus-infected cells

Abstract The antiherpes activities of erythro - and threo -9-(2-hydroxy-3-nonyl)adenines (EHNA and THNA) have been determined. All isomers inhibited the replication of herpes simplex virus (HSV) and inhibited DNA synthesis in HSV-infected cells. The two enantiomers of EHNA, (+)-EHNA and (−)-ENHA, displayed equal antiviral activities. This is in contrast to their activities as inhibitors of adenosine deaminase (ADA); (+)-EHNA is a 250-fold more potent inhibitor of ADA than (−)-EHNA [Bessodes et al . Biochem. Pharmac . 31 , 879 (1982)]. The antiherpes activity of (+)-THNA was only slightly less than that of the EHNA isomers, whereas (−)-THNA was somewhat less active. The abilities of the four isomeres of EHNA and THNA to inhibit DNA synthesis in HSV-infected cells correlated with their abilities to inhibit virus multiplication. EHNA failed to inhibit HSV DNA polymerase activity in extracts from infected cells. Moreover, addition of EHNA to infected cells at 6 hr post-infection resulted in no inhibition of DNA synthesis. These results are inconsistent with a direct inhibition of macromolecular DNA synthesis by EHNA. Treatment of HSV-infected cells with EHNA produced a 2- to 4-fold decrease in levels of the four DNA precursors, deoxyribonucleoside 5'-triphosphates (dNTPs). This treatment had much less effect on dNTP levels in uninfected cells.
A retrospective analysis of severe intraoperative respiratory compliance changes during ophthalmic arterial chemosurgery for retinoblastoma.

Summary Background and Objectives Ophthalmic arterial chemosurgery for retinoblastoma has been associated with intraoperative decreases in respiratory compliance. Through the analysis of data from computerized records, we objectively defined severe respiratory compliance events and correlated them with demographic and clinical information in patients undergoing this procedure. Methods Data were collected from ophthalmic arterial chemosurgery cases from 2006 to 2013. Intraoperative PIP, PEEP, TV, SpO2, and EtCO2 were analyzed. Compliance changes, desaturations, decreases in EtCO2, and clinical outcomes were assessed. Results Respiratory compliance decreases with a bimodal distribution. Severe events were defined as exhibiting a minimum compliance decrease of 40%. Seventy-eight of 122 children (64%) experienced a severe compliance event during at least one treatment, and it occurred in 137/468 cases (29%). A subset of 94 children had complete or at least the first three records. The incidence of a severe respiratory compliance event in this subgroup was 17/94 (18%) on the first and 84/261 (32%) on subsequent procedures. The probability of developing a severe respiratory compliance event on a subsequent procedure was 0.40 if the child developed it on the first procedure, 0.30 if he did not; this difference was not significant. The incidence of desaturation below 90% with severe respiratory compliance events was 0.20; the incidence of a 30% drop in EtCO2 was 0.34. No morbidity, no extended recovery, and no admissions were associated with intraoperative severe respiratory compliance events. We found no correlation between history, age, sex, weight or allergies, and intraoperative severe respiratory compliance events. Conclusions Here, most patients experienced a severe respiratory compliance event during at least one of their procedures. Overall incidence was 29% and was more likely on subsequent procedures. A severe respiratory compliance event at the initial procedure was poorly predictive of its occurrence on subsequent procedures. No morbidity was associated with intraoperative severe respiratory compliance events.
3-D Laser Anemometer Measurements in an Annular Seal

The flow field inside an annular seal with a 0.00127 m clearance was measured using a 3-D laser Doppler anemometer system. Through the use of this system, the mean velocity vector and the entire Reynolds stress tensor distributions were measured for the entire length of the seal (0.0373 m). The seal was operated at a Reynolds number of 27,000 and a Taylor number of 6,600.
Ribonucleotide reductase subunits M2 and p53R2 are potential biomarkers for metastasis of colon cancer

Abstract Background Ribonucleoside diphosphate reductase plays a key role in converting ribonucleoside diphosphate to 2′-deoxyribonucleoside diphosphate, which is necessary for DNA repair and replication. To determine if human ribonucleotide reductase small subunit M2 (hRRM2) and p53-dependent human ribonucleotide reductase small subunit R2 (p53R2) play roles on invasion ability of cancer cells, the gene transferring technique was used to construct stable hRRM2 and p53R2 overexpression transfectants. Increase of hRRM2 dramatically enhanced the cell migration in KB and PC-3 cells, but p53R2 overexpression reduced cellular invasion potential to 50% and 40% in KB and PC-3 cells, respectively. Furthermore, hRRM2 enhanced cancer cells to induce the cell migration of Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells, but p53R2 reduced this ability in transfectants. Patients and Methods To further determine the role of human ribonucleotide reductase subunits on cancer metastasis, a tissue array, including 59 primary and 49 metastatic colon adenocarcinoma samples, was used. Immunohistochemistry was used to evaluate the relationship between human ribonucleotide reductase subunits and metastasis. Results Univariate and multivariate analysis revealed that p53R2 is negatively related to the metastasis of colon adenocarcinoma samples (odds ratio, 0.23; P Conclusion The expression level of ribonucleotide reductase small subunits could serve as biomarkers to predict the malignancy potential of human cancers in the future.
Friction control in automotive seat belt systems by piezoelectrically generated ultrasonic vibrations

Active control of friction between sliding surfaces is of significant interest in automotive applications. It has been shown that the friction force between sliding surfaces can be reduced by superimposing ultrasonic vibrations on the sliding velocity. This principle can be applied to systems in which solid state lubrication is advantageous. This paper investigates ultrasonic lubrication for creating adaptive seat belts with controllable force at the interface between the D-ring and webbing. By precisely controlling the seat belt force during a crash event, superior restraint can be achieved relative to existing systems which are designed as a compromise for various occupants and loading conditions. Proof-of-concept experiments are conducted in order to experimentally determine the performance limits and mechanics of a seat belt webbing subjected to macroscopic sliding motion and superimposed out-of-plane ultrasonic vibrations. The experimental setup consists of a high-capacity ultrasonic plastic welder and an apparatus for creating controlled relative motion between the welder tip and seat belt webbing. Analytical modeling using LuGre friction is presented which characterizes the parametric dependence of friction reduction on system settings in the presence of ultrasonic vibrations.
Expression of transforming growth factor beta isoform mRNA in injured peritoneum that healed with adhesions and without adhesions and in uninjured peritoneum

Abstract Objective To compare the mRNA levels of transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) isoforms 1, 2, and 3 among surgically injured peritoneum that healed with adhesions, surgically injured peritoneum that healed without adhesions, and uninjured peritoneum. Design Prospective experimental study. Setting University vivarium. Animal(s) Fourteen sexually mature female Sprague-Dawley rats, 226–250 grams. Interventions(s) Standardized cecal abrasion was performed on 120 Sprague-Dawley rats. The areas of abrasion and any resultant adhesions were harvested at necropsy 7 days later. Total RNA was then extracted from the serosal adhesions of four rats, from the serosa of five rats that healed without adhesion formation, and from analogous areas of cecum from five rats that did not undergo abrasion and served as controls. Main outcome measure(s) Quantification of the expression of the TGF-β1, TGF-β2, and TGF-β3 mRNA transcripts in peritoneal adhesions, normally healed peritoneum, and fresh, uninjured peritoneal tissue through the use of multiplex reverse transcriptase–polymerase chain reaction analysis. Results(s) Peritoneal adhesion TGF-β1 and TGF-β3 mRNA expression was 3.7-fold and 8.6-fold higher, respectively, than in abraded tissues that healed normally; and 5.6-fold and 4.6-fold higher, respectively, than in nonabraded tissues. While TGF-β2 mRNA levels were also higher in serosal adhesions compared with normally healed and uninjured peritoneum, this rise was not statically significant. Conclusion(s) Peritoneal adhesions resulting from surgical abrasion of a serosal surface have statistically significant increased levels of TGF-β1 and -β3 mRNA transcripts compared with both uninjured and normally healed peritoneum.
Politicians and bankers: The political origins of two local banking crises

This paper analyzes the role that political corruption played in banking crises in two states, Rhode Island and Maryland, where, in the 1980s and 1990s, private deposit insurance funds collapsed and state governments were forced to intervene to bail out member institutions. The argument is made that the collapse of these funds was not the result of abstract economic forces but rather was the outcome of structural weaknesses in the two banking systems, weaknesses that ultimately derived from close relationships and overlapping interests among bankers, politicians and regulators. These structural weaknesses are examined and the implications of these two case studies for private deposit insurance and self-regulation among financial institutions are considered. *** DIRECT SUPPORT *** A8806012 00002
Vesicular Stomatitis Virus Polymerase's Strong Affinity to Its Template Suggests Exotic Transcription Models

Vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) is the prototype for negative sense non segmented (NNS) RNA viruses which include potent human and animal pathogens such as Rabies, Ebola and measles. The polymerases of NNS RNA viruses only initiate transcription at or near the 3' end of their genome template. We measured the dissociation constant of VSV polymerases from their whole genome template to be 20 pM. Given this low dissociation constant, initiation and sustainability of transcription becomes nontrivial. To explore possible mechanisms, we simulated the first hour of transcription using Monte Carlo methods and show that a one-time initial dissociation of all polymerases during entry is not sufficient to sustain transcription. We further show that efficient transcription requires a sliding mechanism for non-transcribing polymerases and can be realized with different polymerase-polymerase interactions and distinct template topologies. In conclusion, we highlight a model in which collisions between transcribing and sliding non-transcribing polymerases result in release of the non-transcribing polymerases allowing for redistribution of polymerases between separate templates during transcription and suggest specific experiments to further test these mechanisms.
Nitrous oxide cooling in hybrid rocket nozzles

Abstract The Department of Mechanical Engineering at the California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, has developed an innovative program of experimental research and development on hybrid rocket motors (where the fuel and the oxidizer are in different phases prior to combustion). One project currently underway involves the development of aerospike nozzles for such motors. These nozzles, however, are even more susceptible to throat ablation than regular converging–diverging nozzles, due the nature of their flow expansion mechanism. This paper presents the result of a recent development project focused on reducing throat ablation in hybrid rocket motor nozzles. Although the method is specifically targeted at increasing the life and operating range of aerospike nozzles, this paper describes its proof-of-concept implementation on conventional nozzles. The method is based on a regenerative cooling mechanism that differs in practice from that used in liquid propellant motors. A series of experimental tests demonstrate that this new method is not only effective at reducing damage in the most ablative region of the nozzle, but that the nozzle can survive multiple test runs.
Automatically analyzing a steadily beating ventricle's iterative behavior over time

The full analysis of complicated dynamic systems has yet to be automated. Fortunately, a steady-state analysis is often still quite useful. This paper describes AIS, a program written to analyze (sub) systems that at steady-state are iterating a fixed sequence of actions. Such systems are too complicated to directly describe using something like electrical circuit analogies. An example of such a system is the ventricle of the heart. AIS takes in a system description in terms of its detailed behavior during the time scale of a single sequence iteration (such as a single heart beat), and outputs a system description in terms of the system's net behavior during the time scale of many iterations. Single iteration descriptions are often easier for people to give, but average behavior descriptions are often more useful.
Women And Culture: Between Malay Adat And Islam

Gender, culture, and history women and the state in early Malay history adat and Islam as ideology and social organization women in party politics, voluntary movements, and the formal construction of power contemporary adat and Islam in a Malay village - gender relationships, status and power education, Islamics revivalism and industrialization cultural splitting among the younger generation adat and Islam in contemporary Malay society and the principle of syarat.
Lithography budget analysis at the process module level

A simple experimentally characterized lumped-parameter budget model is developed with the goal of quantifying the most significant components of critical dimension (CD) variation through an integrated process module. Tracked components include mask fabrication budgets, mask error factor, scanner field variation, optical proximity correction error, CD errors over chip topography, wafer-to-wafer and lot-to-lot variation. The components of variation are quantified for lithography and etch where appropriate and are fed into a simple interaction model to construct an overall patterning module CD budget. Normalized experimental results for this budget analysis are presented for 65 nm technology node contact patterning processes.
Leo Strauss's Restatement on Why Xenophon 1

Abstract Leo Strauss, often considered a critic of modernity, is famous for his claim that Machiavelli, in turning away from the classical tradition, is its originator. Yet his “Restatement on Xenophon's Hiero” presents a concise indictment of that tradition and a remarkably sympathetic account of the political and philosophic motives that led to the rupture. In light of this tension, Strauss's interest in Xenophon appears as a useful counterweight to both.
Age and Breslow depth are associated with a positive sentinel lymph node in patients with cutaneous melanocytic tumors of uncertain malignant potential.

Background Atypical melanocytic neoplasms present a therapeutic dilemma. Current consensus is to perform a sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy as part of management. However, it is unclear whether this is required in all patients. We present our experience with sentinel lymphadenectomy in these patients and examine the clinical and pathologic variables associated with a positive SLN. Study Design A prospectively maintained melanoma database was queried for patients with controversial melanocytic lesions. All patients between January 1997 and January 2009 were included. Demographic and pathologic information was collected and correlated with results of SLN biopsy. Results Thirty-one patients underwent SLN biopsy. Median patient age was 19 years (range 5 to 59 years) and median tumor Breslow depth was 1.35 mm. Five patients (16%) had a positive SLN. Those with a positive SLN were younger (median 11 vs 23.5 years, p=0.02) and had a greater Breslow depth (median 1.90 vs 1.09; p=0.03) than those who were SLN negative. Median follow-up was16 months for patients with at least 6 months of follow-up time and there have been no recurrences identified. Conclusions We report an SLN positive rate of 16% in patients with atypical melanocytic tumors. Younger age and greater Breslow depth are associated with having a positive SLN. These results confirm earlier work demonstrating the importance of SLN biopsy in this disease and highlight the need to measure Breslow depth in these lesions so that they can be appropriately stratified as to the need for SLN biopsy.
Pest-suppression potential of midwestern landscapes under contrasting bioenergy scenarios.

Biomass crops grown on marginal soils are expected to fuel an emerging bioenergy industry in the United States. Bioenergy crop choice and position in the landscape could have important impacts on a range of ecosystem services, including natural pest-suppression (biocontrol services) provided by predatory arthropods. In this study we use predation rates of three sentinel crop pests to develop a biocontrol index (BCI) summarizing pest-suppression potential in corn and perennial grass-based bioenergy crops in southern Wisconsin, lower Michigan, and northern Illinois. We show that BCI is higher in perennial grasslands than in corn, and increases with the amount of perennial grassland in the surrounding landscape. We develop an empirical model for predicting BCI from information on energy crop and landscape characteristics, and use the model in a qualitative assessment of changes in biocontrol services for annual croplands on prime agricultural soils under two contrasting bioenergy scenarios. Our analysis suggests that the expansion of annual energy crops onto 1.2 million ha of existing perennial grasslands on marginal soils could reduce BCI between −10 and −64% for nearly half of the annual cropland in the region. In contrast, replacement of the 1.1 million ha of existing annual crops on marginal land with perennial energy crops could increase BCI by 13 to 205% on over half of the annual cropland in the region. Through comparisons with other independent studies, we find that our biocontrol index is negatively related to insecticide use across the Midwest, suggesting that strategically positioned, perennial bioenergy crops could reduce insect damage and insecticide use on neighboring food and forage crops. We suggest that properly validated environmental indices can be used in decision support systems to facilitate integrated assessments of the environmental and economic impacts of different bioenergy policies.
Nonlinear dynamics of torsion–rotation interactions: A model study of toluene

The internal rotation, or torsion, of a methyl group has been implicated in the acceleration of intramolecular vibrational redistribution (IVR) in numerous experimental studies. In the present work, we investigate its interaction with overall molecular rotation. To isolate the effects of torsion–rotation coupling, a simple two-degree-of-freedom model, including only torsion and three-dimensional rotation, is constructed and its dynamics at j=45 for several energies are studied. Investigation of other values of angular momentum indicate that the results reported are largely independent of j. Two primary effects are observed: (i) a shifting of the stable and unstable axes of rotation due to free methyl torsion, and (ii) a limited degree of weakly chaotic dynamics for trajectories whose torsional energy is near the top of its barrier. Chaos is first observed at the lowest energy at which torsion can surmount its barrier, but then disappears from the system at higher energies. Model toluene exhibits only narrow, high-order nonlinear resonances due to the frequency disparity between torsion and rotation, and these resonances are reduced in number by “selection rules” that arise in part from the symmetry of the Hamiltonian. These observations are analyzed in depth and simple, but quantitative, models are proposed to explain the magnitude of the rotational axis shift, the limited extent of chaos, and the resonance selection rules.
Embodiment and Experience: The Existential Ground of Culture and Self

Embodiment and Experience: The Existential Ground of Culture and Self. THOMAS J. CSORDAS, ed. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1994. xii + 294 pp., contributors, illustrations, notes, references, index.
Effects of glutamine-enriched parenteral nutrition on the exocrine pancreas

Total parenteral nutrition (TPN) is associated with intestinal and pancreatic atrophy and pancreatic exocrine insufficiency. Recent investigations have demonstrated that the addition of glutamine to intravenous feedings attenuates TPN-associated intestinal atrophy. However, the effect of glutamine-supplemented intravenous feedings on the pancreas of intact animals is unknown. This study compared the effects of an intravenous infusion of a 2% glutamine-enriched diet (GLN) with an isonitrogenous, isocaloric diet without glutamine (CONT) on the composition and structure of the exocrine pancreas in laboratory rats with and without a 60% small bowel resection. In nonresected, TPN-fed animals, pancreatic weight was significantly increased in the GLN group when compared to CONT (645 +/- 33 g vs 554 +/- 20 g, p less than 0.05). Nonresected GLN animals also had increased pancreatic DNA (3.82 +/- 0.19 mg vs 2.91 +/- 0.49 mg, p less than 0.005) and protein contents (93.0 +/- 5.9 mg vs 76.6 +/- 7.0 mg, p = 0.08) compared to control. Similar significant increases in pancreatic weight, DNA, and protein were observed in intestinally resected animals fed the glutamine diet. When data from CONT and GLN animals were pooled and analyzed together, glutamine significantly increased total pancreatic trypsinogen and lipase contents (p less than 0.05). The increase in trypsinogen in resected GLN animals was significantly greater than in CONT animals (283 +/- 22 vs 139 +/- 23, p less than 0.005). Biochemical and morphometric observations demonstrated that the trophic effects of glutamine on the exocrine pancreas were manifest by acinar hyperplasia and not hypertrophy. Glutamine appears to be an important nutrient for pancreatic exocrine tissue during TPN.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)