cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mechanism of butylated hydroxytoluene-associated modification of diethylnitrosamine-induced squamous stomach carcinoma

The metabolism of butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) and the effect of BHT on the metabolism of diethylnitrosamine (DEN) was studied in male and female BALB/c mice to further understanding of the selective protection of BHT on the incidence of DEN-induced squamous-stomach carcinomas in female (but not in male) mice. Following intragastric administration of [14C]BHT, the antioxidant was covalently bound to tissue macromolecules. The relative distribution of this bound BHT varied with time; 8 hr after [14C]BHT administration, most of the covalently bound BHT was associated with the protein components; at 96 hr the nucleic acid components bound more BHT than did the protein components. Animals pretreated with BHT and given [14C]DEN intragastrically had lower blood levels of radioactivity and eliminated a larger percentage of DEN and/or its metabolites in the urine and as carbon dioxide than animals given [14C]DEN alone. The binding of DEN and/or its metabolites to cellular macromolecules of the squamous stomach of female animals was decreased following pretreatment with BHT. However, the BHT-associated decrease in DEN binding was also observed in the squamous stomach of male animals and in the liver of both sexes, although the tumour incidence in these target organs for DEN carcinogenesis is not modified by BHT. These results suggest that the BHT-associated decrease in the binding of DEN to DNA is of a generalized rather than a selective nature, and may be insufficient to account for the protective effect of BHT. Two parameters that were found to parallel the susceptibility of DEN target tissues to the anticarcinogenic effects of BHT were the relative degree of inhibition of DEN bound to RNA species and the relative amount of BHT bound to DNA. Thus the anticarcinogenic properties of BHT may be more complex than an induction of enzymes that detoxify the carcinogen and/or an inhibition of enzymes that activate the carcinogen with a resulting decrease in the quantity of carcinogen available for electrophilic reactions.
What's in your mind?

Previous 'mind-reading' studies have differentiated patterns of brain activity without understanding the underlying processes. A new study in Nature uses a model of neural encoding mechanisms to identify brain activity patterns.
Beetles and Butterflies: Language and Learning in a Dual Language Classroom.

Welcome to the classroom of Jill Sontag and her 19 young bilingual collaborators. Join them as they simultaneously explore the world of insects and the world of language. These curious and energetic second graders are easily drawn into the realm of bugs. Encouraging them to speak in Spanish, however, is a bit more complicated. Jill uses her professional judgment to make choices about when and how to reinforce second language acquisition and literacy in Spanish in this two-way bilingual immersion classroom. Creativity and humor are cornerstones of her pedagogical style and are maximized throughout this inquiry-based curriculum. Content and literacy are authentically interwoven as the teacher skillfully promotes bilingualism. [Please note that as the children in the story are in the process of developing their second language skills, grammatical and syntactic errors inherent to their speech occur. I have tried to reflect their speech as accurately as possible and therefore have not corrected their errors.] JOURNAL OF LATINOS AND EDUCATION, 6(1), 81–92 Copyright © 2007, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.
Perspectives on the International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction

Abstract Disaster preparedness and disaster mitigation are the goals of nations throughout the world during the 1990's. The United States will lead this cooperative effort and marshall its national resources to reduce the disaster potential of earthquakes, floods, windstorms, landslides, volcanic eruptions, tsunamis, and wildfires. These natural hazards cause annual losses of approximately $10 billion in the United States and many times that throughout the world. The type and severity of the hazard varies from State‐to‐State in the United States. All States are at risk from flooding from sources such as precipitation, snowmelt, thunderstorms, and, along the coast, the storm surges generated in hurricanes. No State is free from the potential impacts of ground shaking induced by earthquakes, although the frequency of damaging earthquakes is much greater in Alaska and California than in the remainder of the Nation. Landslides also occur in all the States and Territories. The Western States are potentially vu...
Characterization of L-type voltage-gated Ca2+ channel expression and function in developing CA3 pyramidal neurons

Abstract Voltage-gated calcium channels (VGCCs) play a major role during the development of the central nervous system (CNS). Ca 2+ influx via VGCCs regulates axonal growth and neuronal migration as well as synaptic plasticity. Specifically, L-type VGCCs have been well characterized to be involved in the formation and refinement of the connections within the CA3 region of the hippocampus. The majority of the growth, formation, and refinement in the CNS occurs during the third trimester of human pregnancy. An equivalent developmental time period in rodents occurs during the first 2 weeks of post-natal life, and the expression pattern of L-type VGCCs during this time period has not been well characterized. In this study, we show that Ca v 1.2 channels are more highly expressed during this developmental period compared to adolescence (post-natal day 30) and that L-type VGCCs significantly contribute to the overall Ca 2+ currents. These findings suggest that L-type VGCCs are functionally expressed during the crucial developmental period.
Estimating the effects of excess nutrients on stream invertebrates from observational data

Increased nutrient concentrations in streams and rivers have altered biological structure and function. Manipulative studies have provided insights into different mechanisms by which changes in nutrient concentrations influence aquatic biota, but these studies are limited in spatial scope and in their quantification of nutrient effects on aggregate measures of the invertebrate assemblage. Observational data provide a complementary source of information to manipulative studies, but these data must be analyzed such that the potential effects of spurious correlations are minimized. Propensity scores, a technique developed to analyze human health observational data, are applied here to estimate the effects of increased nutrients on the total taxon richness of stream invertebrates in a large observational data set collected from the western United States. The analysis indicates that increases in nutrient concentration are strongly associated with and cause decreases in invertebrate richness in large, but wadeable, open-canopied streams. These decreases in invertebrate richness were not mediated by periphyton biomass, a commonly proposed mechanism by which nutrients influence invertebrates. In smaller, closed-canopied streams, increases in nutrients were associated with small increases in total richness that were not statistically significant. Using propensity scores can greatly improve the accuracy of insights drawn from observational data by minimizing the potential that factors other than the factor of interest may confound the results.
Characterization of lactate dehydrogenase, malate dehydrogenase, pyruvate kinase, and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase in Romanomermis culicivorax postparasitic larvae and adults☆

1. 1. Romanomermis culicivorax postparasites 48 hr after emergence had high malate dehydrogenase (MDH) and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) but relatively low pyruvate kinase (PK) and very little lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activities. 2. 2. The pH optima, coenzyme, cofactor, and ionic requirements of the enzymes were similar to those of other helminths. 3. 3. MDH had a tenfold greater affinity for oxaloacetate (OAA) than malate and was 9 times more active for OAA reduction than malate oxidation. 4. 4. PK and PEPCK did not differ in their apparent Kms for phosphoenolpyruvate (0.9 × 10−3M and 1.1 × 10-3M, respectively), but PEPCK had a greater affinity for IDP (Km = 1.2 × 10−4M) than PK for ADP (Km = 5.8 × 10−4M. 5. 5. The low activities of LDH and PK but high activities of MDH and PEPCK suggested that anaerobic carbohydrate catabolism followed the fumarate reductase pathway. 6. 6. PEPCK had a lower pH optimum (5.25) than PK (7.25) suggesting that pH may be an important factor in regulating the PK/PEPCK branchpoint.
A Proposed Model of Lifestyle Balance

The concept of lifestyle balance seems to have widespread acceptance in the popular press. The notion that certain lifestyle configurations might lend to better health, higher levels of life satisfaction and general well‐being is readily endorsed. However, the concept has not been given significant attention in the social and behavioral sciences literature and, as a result, lacks empirical support, and an agreed upon definition. This article presents a proposed model of lifestyle balance based on a synthesis of related research, asserting that balance is a perceived congruence between desired and actual patterns of occupation across five proposed need‐based occupational dimensions seen as necessary for wellbeing. It is asserted that the extent to which people find congruence and sustainability in these patterns of occupation that meet biological and psychological needs within their unique environments can lead to reduced stress, improved health, and greater life satisfaction.
Interactions between Keggin-Type Lacunary Polyoxometalates and Ag Nanoparticles: A Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering Spectroscopic Investigation

Interactions between two Keggin-type lacunary polyoxometalates (POMs), PW11O\(_{39}^{7-}\) and SiW11O\(_{39}^{8-}\), and pre-formed citrate-protected colloidal Ag nanoparticles (NPs) were studied by surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) and UV-Vis spectroscopies. Clear SERS evidence of displacing the originally surface-bound citrate ions by the subsequently added POMs indicates a stronger metal–ligand interaction between the POMs and the Ag NPs. Accompanied red-shifts in the surface plasma peak position of the Ag NPs were also observed for both POMs. The simultaneous presence of a number of SERS vibrational bands which can be assigned to vibrational modes of the POM molecule suggests that its overall structure is intact upon adsorption. Based on the SERS observations, a bonding between the penta-dentate aperture of the POMs and the Ag NP surface was proposed.
Stimulated Brillouin Scattering With A Multimode Laser

The dependence of stimulated Brillouin gain on the pump laser mode structure is studied both theoretically and experimentally. It is found that under conditions that are often fulfilled in practice, the gain and reflectivity are independent of the number of modes in the pump laser even for the case of strong pump depletion.
LONG-TERM EVALUATION OF CHLORAMBUCIL, INCLUDING EFFECTS OF DOSE, IN FREQUENTLY RELAPSING NEPHROTIC SYNDROME

The course of 50 patients (34 male, 16 female) who received 56 courses of chlorambucil together with prednisone (1.5-2mg/kg/d) for steroid responsive but frequently relapsing or steroid dependent nephrotic syndrome has been evaluated over a period of 0.3-15 yrs (mean 3.2 yrs). All but 2 (both 5 yrs; one failed to respond to both high dose courses. Life table analysis shows the chlorambucil response to be more permanent than that reported with cyclophosphamide. Actuarial analysis of two dose schedules of chlorambucil ( 0.3 mgAg/d or > 14mg/kg total dose) shows low dose treatment to be as effective as higher doses; at 5 yrs, 85% of low dose and 77% of high dose patients were still in remission. Immediate side effects were not dose related and included herpes zoster (3), seizures (2), and gastric symptoms (2). The results suggest: 1) continual use of high dose chlorambucil is unwarranted; 2) in terms of immediate response, immediate toxicity and long-term effect, chlorambucil has advantages over cyclophosphamide.
Summer ice and carbon dioxide.

The extent of Antarctic pack ice in the summer, as charted from satellite imagery, decreased by 2.5 million square kilometers between 1973 and 1980. The U.S. Navy and Russian atlases and whaling and research ship reports from the 19309s indicate that summer ice conditions earlier in this century were heavier than the current average. Surface air temperatures along the seasonally shifting belt of melting snow between 55° and 80°N during spring and summer were higher in 1974 to 1978 than in 1934 to 1938. The observed departures in the two hemispheres qualitatively agree with the predicted impact of an increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide. However, since it is not known to, what extent the changes in snow and ice cover and in temperature can be explained by the natural variability of the climate system or by other processes unrelated to carbon dioxide, a cause-and-effect relation cannot yet be established.
Dual band coupled floating element PCB antenna

Recent progress in wireless technology for mobile computing, such as IEEE 802.11a/b/g and Bluetooth, has lead to the requirement for the size of an antenna to be smaller and smaller. At the same time, frequency bandwidth for wireless communication is being expanded from 800 MHz up to 10 GHz, including new UWB (ultrawideband) technology. An antenna intended for use in such devices needs to cover a very wide frequency band in a very small size. A newly designed dual band coupled floating element antenna is proposed and its gain and VSWR performance, in the wireless LAN (801.11a/b/g) bands and up to 8 GHz, are presented.
Investigation of Self-Assembly upon Formation of an Electrostatic Complex of Congo Red and a Helical Peptide

We have performed a detailed investigation of the solution-phase properties of the electrostatic complex formed between the sulfonated azo dye congo red (CR) and the peptide acetyl-YAAAKAAAAKAAAAKA-amide (YAK123). In contrast to amyloid, this complex had good solubility. Aqueous solutions of mixtures of YAK123 and CR at varying molar ratios n(YAK123)/n(CR) = R were prepared and characterized by UV/vis, CD, fluorescence, Raman, and CE techniques. End points in spectroscopic titrations of YAK123 into CR solutions identified two stoichiometries: YAK123*CR2 and YAK123*CR, designated as “1−2” and “1−1”, respectively. When YAK123 was added to a CR solution, the UV/vis spectrum of CR underwent hypochromism and a blue shift characteristic of H aggregate formation. The UV/vis end point identified a 1−2 complex. In contrast, the fluorescence intensity of CR increased to an end point characteristic of a 1−1 complex. The Raman spectrum of CR had small decreases in the CN and NN stretch frequencies with increasing R ...
Many-body theory of charge transfer in hyperthermal atomic scattering.

We use the Newns-Anderson Hamiltonian to describe many-body electronic processes that occur when hyperthermal alkali atoms scatter off metallic surfaces. Following Brako and Newns, we expand the electronic many-body wave function in the number of particle-hole pairs (we keep terms up to and including a single particle-hole pair). We extend their earlier work by including level crossings, excited neutrals, and negative ions. The full set of equations of motion is integrated numerically, without further approximations, to obtain the many-body amplitudes as a function of time. The velocity and work-function dependence of final-state quantities such as the distribution of ion charges and excited atomic occupancies are compared with experiment. In particular, experiments that scatter alkali ions off clean Cu(001) surfaces in the energy range 5--1600 eV constrain the theory quantitatively. The neutralization probability of ${\mathrm{Na}}^{+}$ ions shows a minimum at intermediate velocity in agreement with the theory. This behavior contrasts with that of ${\mathrm{K}}^{+}$, which shows virtually no neutralization, and with ${\mathrm{Li}}^{+}$, which exhibits a monotonically increasing neutral fraction with decreasing velocity. Particle-hole excitations are left behind in the metal during a fraction of the collision events; this dissipated energy is predicted to be quite small (on the order of tenths of an electron volt). Indeed, classical trajectory simulations of the surface dynamics account well for the observed energy loss, and thus provide some justification for our truncation of the equations of motion at the single particle-hole pair level. ${\mathrm{Li}}^{+}$ scattering experiments off low work-function surfaces provide qualitative information on the importance of many-body effects. At sufficiently low work function, the negative ions predicted to occur are in fact observed. Excited neutral Li atoms (observed via the optical 2p\ensuremath{\rightarrow}2s transition) also emerge from the collision. A peak in the calculated Li(2p)\ensuremath{\rightarrow}Li(2s) photon intensity occurs at an intermediate work function in accordance with measurements.
Cramér—Rao Type Bounds for Random Set Problems

Two lower bounds on the error covariance matrix are described for tracking in a dense multiple target environment. The first bound uses Bayesian theory and equivalence classes of random sets. The second bound, however, does not use random sets, but rather it is based on symmetric polynomials An interesting and previously unexplored connection between random sets and symmetric polynomials at an abstract level is suggested. Apparently, the shortest path between random sets and symmetric polynomials is through a Banach space.
Cortical ultrastructure and chemoreception in ciliated protists (Ciliophora).

The ciliated protists (ciliates) offer a unique opportunity to explore the relationship between chemoreception and cell structure. Ciliates resemble chemosensory neurons in their responses to stimuli and presence of cilia. Ciliates have highly patterned surfaces that should permit precise localization of chemoreceptors in relation to effector organelles. Furthermore, ciliates are easy to grow and to manipulate genetically; they can also be readily studied biochemically and by electrophysiological techniques. This review contains a comparative description of the ultrastructural features of the ciliate cell surface relevant to chemoreception, examines the structural features of putative chemoreceptive cilia, and provides a summary of the electron microscopic information available so far bearing on chemoreceptive aspects of swimming, feeding, excretion, endocytosis, and sexual responses of ciliates. The electron microscopic identification and localization of specific chemoreceptive macromolecules and organelles at the molecular level have not yet been achieved in ciliates. These await the development of specific probes for chemoreceptor and transduction macromolecules. Nevertheless, the electron microscope has provided a wealth of information about the surface features of clliates where chemoreception is believed to take place. Such morphological information will prove essential to a complete understanding of reception and transduction at the molecular level. In the ciliates, major questions to be answered relate to the apportionment of chemoreceptive functions between the cilia and cell soma, the global distribution of receptors in relation to the anterior-posterior, dorsal-ventral, and left-right axes of the cell, and the relationship of receptors to ultrastructural components of the cell coat, cell membrane, and cytoskeleton. © 1992 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Modeling 1/f noise using a simple physical model based on vacancy motion *

A computer model is presented and used to simulate the motion of vacancies in a crystalline lattice. The lattice is modeled as a resistive array connected in series/parallel with vacancies represented as elements of high resistance in the array. Time series and spectra are generated by allowing the vacancies to move and these are consistent with actual waveforms produced by thin metal films. Simulation of temperature change yields dependencies similar to those predicted by Dutta and Horn (1979). By varying the density of vacancies the model predicts a variable Hooge parameter that saturates to a constant beyond a critical value.
Intensive voice treatment (LSVT®LOUD) for Parkinson's disease following deep brain stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus.

Purpose Intensive voice therapy (LSVT®LOUD) can effectively manage voice and speech symptoms associated with idiopathic Parkinson disease (PD). This small-group study evaluated voice and speech in individuals with and without deep brain stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus (STN-DBS) before and after LSVT LOUD, to determine whether outcomes for surgical subjects were comparable to non-surgical cohorts.
Sex differences in the behavioral response to methylphenidate in three adolescent rat strains (WKY, SHR, SD)

Methylphenidate (MPD) is the most widely used drug in the treatment of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). ADHD has a high incidence in children and can persist in adolescence and adulthood. The relation between sex and the effects of acute and chronic MPD treatment was examined using adolescent male and female rats from three genetically different strains: spontaneously hyperactive rat (SHR), Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) and Sprague-Dawley (SD). Rats from each strain and sex were randomly divided into a control group that received saline injections and three MPD groups that received either 0.6 or 2.5 or 10mg/kg MPD injections. All rats received saline on experimental day 1 (ED1). On ED2 to ED7 and ED11, the rats were injected either with saline or MPD and received no treatment on ED8-ED10. The open field assay was used to assess the dose-response of acute and chronic MPD administration. Significant sex differences were found. Female SHR and SD rats were significantly more active after MPD injections than their male counterparts, while the female WKY rats were less active than the male WKY rats. Dose dependent behavioral sensitization or tolerance to MPD treatment was not observed for SHR or SD rats, but tolerance to MPD was found in WKY rats for the 10mg/kg MPD dose. The use of dose-response protocol and evaluating different locomotor indices provides the means to identify differences between the sexes and the genetic strain in adolescent rats. In addition these differences suggest that the differences to MPD treatment between the sexes are not due to the reproductive hormones.
Modal matching for correspondence and recognition

Modal matching is a new method for establishing correspondences and computing canonical descriptions. The method is based on the idea of describing objects in terms of generalized symmetries, as defined by each object's eigenmodes. The resulting modal description is used for object recognition and categorization, where shape similarities are expressed as the amounts of modal deformation energy needed to align the two objects. In general, modes provide a global-to-local ordering of shape deformation and thus allow for selecting which types of deformations are used in object alignment and comparison. In contrast to previous techniques, which required correspondence to be computed with an initial or prototype shape, modal matching utilizes a new type of finite element formulation that allows for an object's eigenmodes to be computed directly from available image information. This improved formulation provides greater generality and accuracy, and is applicable to data of any dimensionality. Correspondence results with 2D contour and point feature data are shown, and recognition experiments with 2D images of hand tools and airplanes are described. >
Moraxella bovoculi sp. nov., isolated from calves with infectious bovine keratoconjunctivitis.

Eighteen isolates of a Gram-negative coccus (strain 237T) were cultured from the eyes of dairy and beef calves affected with infectious bovine keratoconjunctivitis (IBK; ‘pinkeye’) in northern California, USA, during summer 2002. These isolates had near full-length (1397 bp) 16S rRNA gene sequences that clustered into three groups with 99.9 % sequence similarity. On the basis of 16S rRNA gene sequence, the isolates were most closely associated with Moraxella bovis and Moraxella ovis in clade I of the classical moraxellae. Biochemically, the novel isolates could be distinguished from the other members of the genus Moraxella isolated from animals on the basis of phenylalanine deaminase activity. The results of partial sequence analysis of six housekeeping genes, the 16S–23S rRNA gene interspacer region and partial 23S rRNA gene provide strong support for the inclusion of these isolates in a novel taxon, for which the name Moraxella bovoculi sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is strain 237T (=ATCC BAA-1259T=CCUG 52049T).
Temporal Profiling of Rat Transcriptomes in Retinol-Replenished Vitamin A-Deficient Testis

At least in mammals, retinoic acid is a pivotal factor in maintaining the functionality of the testis, in particular, for the progression of germ cells from mitosis to meiosis. Removal of dietary vitamin A or a targeted deletion of retinoic acid receptor alpha gene (Rara), the receptor for retinoic acid, in mice, led to testicular degeneration by a dramatic loss of germ cells and a loss of control of the spermatogenic cycle. The germ cells that remained in the vitamin A deficient (VAD) rat testis were spermatogonia and a few preleptotene spermatocytes. Spermatogenesis can be reinitiated by injection of VAD rats with retinol, the metabolic precursor of retinoic acid, but to date, the functions of retinoic acid in the testis remain elusive. We have applied DNA microarray technology to investigate the time-dependent transcriptome changes that occur 4 to 24 h after retinol replenishment in the VAD rat testis. The retinol-regulated gene expression occurred both in germ cells and Sertoli cells. Bioinformatic analyses revealed time-dependent clusters of genes and canonical pathways that may have critical functions for proper progression through spermatogenesis. In particular, gene clusters that emerged dealt with: (1) cholesterol and oxysterol homeostasis, (2) the regulation of steroidogenesis, (3) glycerophospholipid metabolism, (4) the regulation of acute inflammation, (5) the regulation of the cell cycle including ubiquitin-mediated degradation of cell cycle proteins and control of centrosome and genome integrity, and (6) the control of membrane scaffolding proteins that can integrate multiple small GTPase signals within a cell. These results provide insights into the potential role of retinoic acid in the testis.
Egg Shell Color in Crosses Between White- and Brown-Egg Breeds

Abstract THE fact that certain breeds of fowl lay only white eggs, others lay brown or tinted eggs, while still others lay blue eggs, suggests that the color of the egg is determined by hereditary factors. The extreme variation observed in the color of hens’ eggs makes this character one of considerable interest to the biologist. Egg color is also of interest to the economist as preference on the part of consumers for white or for brown eggs leads to price differences which may affect the returns to poultry producers. This results in the so-called white or brown egg markets. Klose and Almquist (1937) report that the pigment in egg shell membrane was identified as a natural porphyrin and that it was identical with protoporphyrin which Fisher has indicated as the porphyrin pigment occurring in all pigmented egg shells. REVIEW OF LITERATURE Observations on shell colors have been made by several . . .
Analytic provenance: process+interaction+insight

Visual analytics is the science of analytical reasoning facilitated by interactive visual interfaces. One key aspect that separates visual analytics from other related fields (InfoVis, SciVis, HCI) is the focus on analytical reasoning. While the final products generated at from an analytical process are of great value, research has shown that the processes of the analysis themselves are just as important if not more so. These processes not only contain information on individual insights discovered, but also how the users arrive at these insights. This area of research that focuses on understanding a user's reasoning process through the study of their interactions with a visualization is called Analytic Provenance, and has demonstrated great potential in becoming a foundation of the science of visual analytics. The goal of this workshop is to provide a forum for researchers and practitioners from academia, national labs, and industry to share methods for capturing, storing, and reusing user interactions and insights. We aim to develop a research agenda for how to better study analytic provenance and utilize the results in assisting users in solving real world problems.
Toll-Like Receptor 2-Dependent Extracellular Signal-Regulated Kinase Signaling in Mycobacterium tuberculosis-Infected Macrophages Drives Anti-Inflammatory Responses and Inhibits Th1 Polarization of Responding T Cells

Mycobacterium tuberculosis survives within macrophages and employs immune evasion mechanisms to persist in the host. Protective T helper type 1 (Th1) responses are induced, and the immune response in most individuals is sufficient to restrict M. tuberculosis to latent infection, but most infections are not completely resolved. As T cells and macrophages respond, a balance is established between protective Th1-associated and other proinflammatory cytokines, such as interleukin-12 (IL-12), interferon gamma (IFN-γ), and tumor necrosis factor alpha, and anti-inflammatory cytokines, such as IL-10. The mechanisms by which M. tuberculosis modulates host responses to promote its survival remain unclear. In these studies, we demonstrate that M. tuberculosis induction of IL-10, suppression of IL-12, and inhibition of class II major histocompatibility complex (MHC-II) molecules in infected macrophages are all driven by Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2)-dependent activation of the extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK). Elimination of ERK signaling downstream of TLR2 by pharmacologic inhibition with U0126 or genetic deletion of Tpl2 blocks IL-10 secretion and enhances IL-12 p70 secretion. We demonstrate that M. tuberculosis regulation of these pathways in macrophages affects T cell responses to infected macrophages. Thus, genetic blockade of the ERK pathway in Tpl2(-/-) macrophages enhances Th1 polarization and IFN-γ production by antigen-specific CD4(+) T cells responding to M. tuberculosis infection. These data indicate that M. tuberculosis and its potent TLR2 ligands activate ERK signaling in macrophages to promote anti-inflammatory macrophage responses and blunt Th1 responses against the pathogen.
Site‐resolved stabilization of a DNA triple helix by magnesium ions

Proton exchange and NMR spectroscopy have been used to define the effects of Mg 2+ ions upon the stability of individual base pairs in the intramolecular parallel triple helix formed by the DNA oligonucleotide d(GAAGAGGTTTTTCCTCTTCTTTTTCTTCTCC). The rates of exchange of individual Watson‐Crick and Hoogsteen imino protons in the DNA triple helix were measured in the absence and in the presence of Mg 2+ ions. The results reveal that Mg 2+ lowers the exchange rates of most imino protons in the structure by stabilizing the corresponding base pairs in their native closed conformation. Comparison of the DNA triple helix containing Na + counterions to the same helix containing Mg 2+ counterions shows that these stabilizing effects result, in large part, from Mg 2+ ions closely associated with the DNA. Moreover, the effects are site-specific and depend on the number and location of protonated cytosines relative to the observed base. These findings provide new insights into the molecular roles of C+ ·GC triads in determining the stability of DNA
Old World monkeys are more similar to humans than New World monkeys when playing a coordination game

There is much debate about how humans' decision-making compares with that of other primates. One way to explore this is to compare species' performance using identical methodologies in games with strategical interactions. We presented a computerized Assurance Game, which was either functionally simultaneous or sequential, to investigate how humans, rhesus monkeys and capuchin monkeys used information in decision-making. All species coordinated via sequential play on the payoff-dominant Nash equilibrium, indicating that information about the partner's choice improved decisions. Furthermore, some humans and rhesus monkeys found the payoff-dominant Nash equilibrium in the simultaneous game, even when it was the first condition presented. Thus, Old World primates solved the task without any external cues to their partner's choice. Finally, when not explicitly prohibited, humans spontaneously used language to coordinate on the payoff-dominant Nash equilibrium, indicating an alternative mechanism for converting a simultaneous move game into a sequential move game. This phylogenetic distribution implies that no single mechanism drives coordination decisions across the primates, while humans' ability to spontaneously use language to change the structure of the game emphasizes that multiple mechanisms may be used even within the same species. These results provide insight into the evolution of decision-making strategies across the primates.
Effect of reversible ischemia on the activity of the mitochondrial ATPase: relationship to ischemic preconditioning.

Abstract The mitochondrial ATPase enzyme accounts for roughly 35 –50 % of the overall energy demand that leads to ATP depletion under conditions of severe myocardial ischemia. In larger mammalian hearts, this energy squandering action of the ATPase is modulated by an endogenous inhibitor protein. The present studies were undertaken to characterize the time course of inhibition of the mitochondrial ATPase in canine myocardium under conditions of severe regional ischemia in vivo . In addition, we determined if the energy sparing effects of ischemic preconditioning (PC) can be explained by persistent inhibition of the mitochondrial ATPase enzyme. The circumflex coronary artery was ligated for 1.5 min ( n =4), 5 min ( n =6), or 15 min ( n =5). In a separate group ( n =7), hearts were preconditioned by four 5-min periods of ischemia each followed by 5 min of reperfusion. Sub-mitochondrial particles were prepared from the sub-endocardial zone of the ischemic and non-ischemic regions and were assayed for oligomycin-sensitive ATPase activity. ATPase activity was reduced to about 79 % at 1.5 min and to approximately 55 % at 5 and 15 min of ischemia, relative to non-ischemic tissue from the same heart. The rate of HEP utilization slowed concurrently with the development of ATPase inhibition. In preconditioned myocardium, ATPase activity was not significantly different from control myocardium from the same heart. We conclude that the early inhibition of the mitochondrial ATPase activity slows the utilization of high energy phosphate and thereby serves as an important endogenous cardioprotective mechanism. Nevertheless, altered activity of the ATPase is not the explanation of the energy sparing effect of ischemic preconditioning.
Improved nonlinear predictive control performance using recurrent neural networks

Recurrent neural networks are known to have better multi-step predictive capability compared to feedforward neural networks, with the disadvantage that they are more difficult to train. This paper develops a novel recurrent neural network architecture, the structure of which allows formulation as a time varying linear model. Based on a quadruple tank challenge problem, the proposed recurrent neural network is shown to have superior performance compared to a similarly designed feedforward neural network.
BT1, a possible adenylate translocator, is developmentally expressed in maize endosperm but not detected in starchy tissues from several other species

Brittle 1 protein (BT1), the major protein in amyloplast envelope membranes of wild-type maize endosperm, is required for normal levels of starch accumulation in maize kernels. To gain information about the Bt1 locus in control of starch synthesis in plants, we examined Bt1 expression in kernels from different ages and from different genotypes of maize as well as in starchy tissues from different species. Both BT1 protein and Bt1 transcripts were detected in kernels from about 10 days post-pollination (DPP) and increased up to 14 DPP. BT1 protein level was similar in kernels after 14 DPP. Furthermore, membranes from amyloplasts containing larger starch granules contained more BT1 protein than those containing smaller starch granules from the same age of kernels. These results indicate that Bt1 gene expression was developmentally regulated and that BT1 protein level was correlated with starch accumulation in normal maize endosperm. Unexpectedly, except for a weak band at a higher molecular mass in microsomal proteins extracted from spring barley grain which reacted with maize BT1 antibody, no BT1 protein was observed in starchy tissues from several other species, including grains of sorghum, wheat, winter barley and oats, potato tubers, pea roots and cauliflower buds. Thus either the BT1 antibody raised against a fusion protein including the 56 amino acid residues in the carboxyl terminal sequence of maize endosperm BT1 protein does not recognize BT1 homologues in amyloplasts from other tissues or species or amyloplasts from different tissues or species have alternative membrane transporters.
Medicaid Increases Emergency-Department Use: Evidence from Oregon's Health Insurance Experiment

In 2008, Oregon initiated a limited expansion of a Medicaid program for uninsured, low-income adults, drawing names from a waiting list by lottery. This lottery created a rare opportunity to study the effects of Medicaid coverage by using a randomized controlled design. By using the randomization provided by the lottery and emergency-department records from Portland-area hospitals, we studied the emergency department use of about 25,000 lottery participants over about 18 months after the lottery. We found that Medicaid coverage significantly increases overall emergency use by 0.41 visits per person, or 40% relative to an average of 1.02 visits per person in the control group. We found increases in emergency-department visits across a broad range of types of visits, conditions, and subgroups, including increases in visits for conditions that may be most readily treatable in primary care settings.
Interaction Between Dislocations and NiFe2O4 Precipitates In A NiO Matrix

Three different types of dislocation interactions with NiFe2O4 (spinel crystal structure) precipitates in a NiO matrix have been studied. In the first, the movement of dislocations introduced by room temperature deformation is impeded by the spinel precipitates. Glide dislocations in the NiO with ½ Burgers vectors and {011} glide planes cannot pass through the spinel precipitates without forming stacking faults because the perfect NiO dislocations are partial dislocations in NiFe2O4. Many dislocation loops but no stacking faults were observed in the deformed samples indicating that the gliding dislocations formed the loops when they moved past the precipitates. In the second type of interactions, cusps were formed in the spinel-NiO interface at close to the dislocation loops when the sample was heat treated; the cusps indicate preferential dissolution of the spinel. In the final interaction, the dislocations were shown to act as preferential nucleation sites when spinel was precipitated from the NiO matrix. At slow nucleation rates, NiFe2O4 precipitated only on the dislocations; when the nucleation rate was increased, precipitation occurred both on and away from the dislocations. Precipitates which form at a dislocation may contain a stacking fault extending from the partial dislocation to a cusp in the spinel-NiO interface. When this occurred, the stacking faults were observed to be faceted parallel to either {111} or {011} planes.
The Social and Legal Construction of Suspects

▪ Abstract DNA profiling and searchable databases enhance the ability of policing organizations to search for criminal suspects. In many respects, these technologies are incorporated within traditions of police work, supplementing familiar “subjective” methods of constructing suspects. In other ways, however, the construction of DNA databases in Britain, the United States, and elsewhere shifts criminal investigation toward suspect populations and statistical suspects. Not only is DNA evidence used to confirm that a criminal suspect is the source of crime scene evidence, it can be used to search freely through a suspect population for a possible source of such evidence. This method, commonly known as database trawling, comprises a new way of constructing suspects, one that bears close connections with new data mining technologies for prospectively identifying terrorist suspects.
The effect of intravenous ethanol on serum enzymes in patients with normal or diseased liver.

Summary After 15 hours of overnight fast, 0.5 ml. per kilogram of ethanol was administered intravenously to 42 patients with active hepatocellular injury and 22 patients without liver disease. One milliliter per kilogram of ethanol was given to an additional 8 patients. Glutamic oxalacetic transaminase (GOT), glutamic pyruvic transaminase (GPT), lactic dehydrogenase (LDH), and sorbitol dehydrogenase (SDH) were determined 24, 17, and 0 hours pre- and 0, 2, 4, 8, and 24 hours postinfusion. These were higher in patients with liver disease than in persons without liver injury; also the diurnal variation of the four enzymes was much higher in patients with liver disease than in those with normal liver. However, the intravenously administered ethanol had no significant effect either on the mean enzyme levels or on the variability of the enzyme activities in the serum of groups of patients with or without liver injury. When the effect of ethanol was analyzed for each case and for each enzyme separately, in 26 instances significant differences (at the 5 per cent level) were found in the postalcoholic serum enzyme activities; of these 7 showed an increase and 19 a decrease. If the above four enzyme activities in the serum are capable of reflecting acute hepatocellular injury, then our study failed to demonstrate such injury after the administration of this ethanol load in patients with active liver injury.
Growing a list

It is easy to find expert knowledge on the Internet on almost any topic, but obtaining a complete overview of a given topic is not always easy: information can be scattered across many sources and must be aggregated to be useful. We introduce a method for intelligently growing a list of relevant items, starting from a small seed of examples. Our algorithm takes advantage of the wisdom of the crowd, in the sense that there are many experts who post lists of things on the Internet. We use a collection of simple machine learning components to find these experts and aggregate their lists to produce a single complete and meaningful list. We use experiments with gold standards and open-ended experiments without gold standards to show that our method significantly outperforms the state of the art. Our method uses the ranking algorithm Bayesian Sets even when its underlying independence assumption is violated, and we provide a theoretical generalization bound to motivate its use.
Ultimate Strength of Over-Reinforced Beams

Flexural strength of rectangular reinforced concrete beams controlled by compression is investigated analytically, using stress distribution derived from experimental stress-strain curves; empirical expression for ultimate bending moment is presented and calculated moments of 59 test beams that failed in compression are compared with ultimate test moments.
Charge-trapping Metastability in p-Type Hydrogenated Amorphous Silicon: Meyer-Neldel Rule and Entropy Change

Measurements of capacitance transients due to charge carrier emission from metastable defects in p-type hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) p/n junction structures, show that both holes and electrons can be metastably trapped in the p layer. At 350 K electrons and holes are emitted at the same rate defining the isokinetic temperature (Tiso) for the Meyer-Neldel rule. The enthalpy changes for hole and electron emission are 0.94 and 0.51 eV, respectively. The entropy changes for hole and electron emission are 31 and 16 Boltzmann constant, respectively. Charge emission rates are measured, for the first time, above and below Tiso. Below Tiso electrons are emitted faster than holes and above Tiso the reverse is true. These relative changes in emission rates are a direct consequence of the large entropy changes in the defect reactions. Tiso, within experimental error is the same as the H glass equilibration temperature (360 K) measured by others in p-type a-Si:H, suggesting that the defect reactions measured here are involved in H glass equilibration. Activation and deactivation of B atoms with accompanying charge emission likely govern both processes.
New Treatments for Renal Cell Carcinoma: Targeted Therapies

Systemic treatment options for advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC) have expanded considerably with the development of targeted therapies. Clear cell RCC commonly features mutation or inactivation of the von Hippel-Lindau gene and resultant overexpression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). The first drug to validate VEGF as a target in the treatment of clear cell RCC was the monoclonal antibody bevacizumab. Since then, anti-VEGF receptor therapy with multitargeted kinase inhibitors also has shown substantial efficacy. Sunitinib is now a standard first-line therapy for advanced disease and sorafenib is among the second-line treatment options. Other kinase inhibitors are in development. Mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) is a second validated therapeutic target as the mTOR inhibitor temsirolimus has been shown to prolong survival in first-line treatment of poor prognosis RCC of all histologies. Everolimus is an oral mTOR inhibitor and has been shown to prolong progression-free survival when used in second-line treatment. Non-clear cell and sarcomatoid RCC are both underrepresented in completed trials but are the subject of active research. Ongoing and planned studies will also evaluate the use of combinations of targeted agents, a strategy that is not advisable outside of clinical trials. Finally, postnephrectomy adjuvant treatment with targeted agents is not yet standard but is under investigation in phase III trials.
A method for determining blood volume of the rat using radioactive phosphorus.

Conclusion1. A method for the determination of blood volume of the rat by radioisotope dilution is described. 2. In 34 normal adult white rats, average blood volume was 6.3% of body weight, with a stand, dev. of 0.7. 3. In 7 rats, the determination was repeated with a maximum error of ±1% body weight. 4. These results are in agreement with those reported in the literature using different methods.
Responses of cell cultures to insecticides. IV. Relative toxicity of several organophosphates in mouse cell cultures.

SummaryMouse liver NCTC #1469 and mouse skin L-929 strain cells vary markedly in their susceptibility to organophosphorus insecticidal compounds. In mouse liver cells, the 50% growth inhibitory level of cytotoxicity was measured as 1804 μg/ml of medium for malathion, 310 μg/ml for Cygon®, 11 μg/ml for DI-Syston®, and 2 μg/ml for Dipterex®. The low toxicity of malathion to mouse liver cells correlates well with its low toxicity to the mouse but contrasts with its high toxicity to human liver Chang strain cells. Mouse liver cells were more susceptible to malaoxon than to malathion, but human liver cells were almost equally susceptible to malaoxon and malathion. Differences in cell susceptibility are largely due to the rates of malathion biotransformation to malaoxon, a more toxic and more potent acetylcholinesterase inhibitor. When tested at concentrations below acute toxicity levels, malathion, Cygon, and DI-Syston stimulated mouse liver cell growth.