cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The effect of vitamin E acetate on ultraviolet‐induced mouse skin carcinogenesis

Despite the benefits of sunscreens, ultraviolet (UV) exposure can still lead to skin cancer. In this study we investigated the effect of topical application of the antioxidant vitamin E acetate (VEA) on the inhibition of UV-induced carcinogenesis. Hairless SKH-1 mice received 5.2 mg of VEA 30 min before (VEA/UV) or after (UV/ VEA) a single minimal erythemic dose of UV light. Vehicle-control animals received acetone 30 min before UV exposure (Ace/UV). After 24 h, cyclobutane dimer repair was twofold and 1.5-fold greater in the UVNEA and VEA/UV groups, respectively. Expression of p53 protein in the UV/VEA group was maximum at 12 h after UV exposure, whereas in the Ace/UV- and VEA/UV-treated mice, maximum p53 immunostaining was statistically higher at 15 h (P = 0.03). DNA synthesis as determined by 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine incorporation was twofold higher after 15 h in all groups but was not statistically different among treatment groups. Protein levels of cyclin D1 and p21 were increased in both VEA groups by 6 h. In addition, VEA treatments delayed tumor formation and yield for the first 20 wk, although this difference was lost by 30 wk. The telomerase activity of carcinomas from the UV/VEA-treated mice was statistically lower than that of the Ace/UV-treated mice (P = 0.05). This study showed that although VEA may mitigate some of the initial events associated with UV irradiation such as DNA damage and p53 expression, it has limited potential in preventing UV-induced proliferation and tumor formation.
Is the Past Prologue? Terrorists and WMD

In the years immediately before and certainly after September 11, many scholarly and policy analyses have focused on the causes and consequences of the “new terrorism.” These analyses have suggested that the new terrorism is caused by the emergence of “religious” and “millearian” terrorists in contrast to the “political” terrorists who dominated the “old terrorism” (see, for example, Lesser et al. 1999; Morgan 2004) and that the consequence is greater lethality. Many have argued that these new terrorists, unlike the old, are increasingly “stateless,” thus removing restraints imposed by their territorially defined supporters. Much of the debate centers on conflicting evaluations of the continuing relevance of Brian Jenkins's (1975:15) observation that “terrorists want a lot of people watching, not a lot of people dead.” Compounding the problem, some suggest that there has been a desensitization of the audience such that greater lethality is required to obtain not only coverage, but the fear, and thus impact, that these new terrorists are seeking (see, for example, Center for Counterproliferation Research 2002:6).3 There is no doubt that many of these new groups do not talk of their use of terrorism in the same ways that the “old” terrorists did. Some explicitly call for not only the defeat of the enemy, but their annihilation. And beyond the events of September 11, there have been a number of additional mass casualty events. However, despite the escalation of the rhetoric (and the increasing silence on particular events), thus far the trend line does not indicate a consistent escalation in death and devastation around the world. An expected utility approach provides useful insights into the process of understanding why oppositional organizations might choose terrorism as a tactic or strategy and …
Transposition effect of adenine (Dam) methylation on activity of O end mutants of IS50.

Abstract The two ends of insertion sequence IS50 (from Tn5) differ in sequence and in activity during transposition: the IS50 I end contains DNA adenine methylation (Dam) sites and is affected directly by Dam methylation, whereas the O end lacks Dam sites. The effect of Dam methylation on the transposition of IS50-derived elements with base substitution mutations in their O ends was assayed to understand better how the divergent O and I ends interact. Of 31 O end mutations tested, ten impaired transposition less, and two impaired transposition more in Dam − than in Dam + cells. These results suggest that the interaction between the two ends in a transposition complex is affected by the sequence or the extent of methylation of one end.
The Study of Calcium Metabolism in the Laying Hen by the Comparative Slaughter Method

Abstract PREVIOUS studies at this station on the calcium metabolism in laying birds by the balance method as reported by Morgan and Mitchell (1938) showed large negative balances of this element following the onset of laying by pullets. The pullets remained in a cumulative negative balance for a period of 200 days or more. Later in the laying year, these birds regained calcium and cumulative positive balances were noted even with continuous egg production. Since extremely large cumulative calcium balances both negative and positive were recorded in these studies as well as other balance trials at this station, a comparison of the balance method with, and a check on, the calcium metabolism in laying birds by comparative slaughter was desired. EXPERIMENTAL A group of Single Comb White Leghorn hens which had completed or nearly completed a year of egg production was used in this study. The entire group was force molted . . .
Is schizophrenia an immunologic receptor disorder

A model is proposed for an autoimmune etiology for schizophrenia. We propose that schizophrenia is a syndrome (not a disease). We suggest that autoantibodies (and/or cell-mediated immunity) directed against autologous neurotransmitter receptors are responsible for the ebb and flow of psychotic symptomatology. The hypothesis is predicated on autoimmune models in other known receptor diseases as well as on the newly emerging recognition that general immune dysfunction exists in certain schizophreniform psychoses.
Effector-independent and effector-dependent sequence representations underlie general and specific perceptuomotor sequence learning

ABSTRACT Perceptuomotor sequence learning could be due to learning of effector-independent sequence information (e.g., response locations), effector-dependent information (e.g., motor movements of a particular effector), or both. Evidence also suggests that learning of statistical regularities in sequences (general-regularity learning) and specific sequences (specific-sequence learning) are dissociable. The authors examined the degree to which general and specific-sequence learning rely on effector-independent and effector-dependent representations. During training, participants typed sequences that followed a construction rule with a subset of sequences repeatedly processed. At test, effector-independent and effector-dependent learning was examined with respect to general-regularity and specific-sequence learning. Results suggest that general-regularity learning is subserved by effector-independent sequence representations, whereas specific-sequence learning is subserved by effector-dependent sequence r...
Accelerated parathion degradation in soil by inoculation with parathion-utilizing bacteria

The use of microorganisms for the decontamination of pollutants in the environment is only a recently acknowledged feasibility, even though sewage and certain industrial liquid wastes are routinely treated biologically. Nearly all of the research has been directed toward the use of microbial preparations for the cleanup of oil spills (BERNER et al., 1975; MIGET, 1973; STEWART, 1975); several oil-degrading microbial preparations are commercially available (ANONYMOUS, 1970; ATLAS and BARTHA, 1973). Potential problems involved with the use of microbial inocula in the environment have been discussed in reference to oil cleanup (COBERT et al., 1973; ZOBELL, 1973). Only in the past decade have investigators shown that soil undesirably contaminated with a pesticide could possibly be decontaminated by inoculation with specifically adapted microorganisms. This idea perhaps was first embodied in the experiments of AUDUS (1951), who inadvertantly showed that bacteria, acclimated to utilize the herbicide 2,4-D, could acelerate its disappearance from soil when applied as an inoculum. Probably not for another 15 years did anyone attempt to use acclimated microorganisms for the purposeful detoxication of pesticides in soil. MACRAE and ALEXANDER (1965) attempted to protect alfalfa seeds from the herbicide 4-(2,4-DB) by inoculation with a heavy suspension of 4-(2,4-DB)-utilizing Fiavobacterium sp. prior to planting. ANDERSON et al. (1970) inoculated soils containing 1 ppm DDT with spore suspensions of a DDT-degrading fungus. BOYCE THOMPSON INSTITUTE researchers (1971) inoculated soil containing the herbicide Bromacil with Penicillium paraherquei which could degrade 20 ppm Bromacil in liquid culture. LEHTOM~KI and NIEMELA (1975) added large inocula of axenic oil-degrading bacterial cultures to oil-contaminated soils. All of these studies were under laboratory conditions, and results were negative for nonsterile soils inoculated with the various microorganisms. On the other hand, there have been positive results from the inoculation of non-sterile laboratory soil. KEARNEY et al. (1969) showed accelerated DDT disappearance from flooded soils inoculated with DDT-acclimated Enterobacter aero~enes. CLARK AND WRIGHT (1970) showed that the phytotoxicity of isopropyl N-phenylcarbamate (IPC)-fortified soils was decreased by inoculation with IPC-utilizing Arthrobacter sp. SETHUNATHAN (1973) reported that 26.5 ppm parathion in flooded soils could be hydrolyzed at a rate
Molecular dynamics studies of brittle failure in silica: effect of thermal vibrations

Abstract The brittle failure of amorphous and crystalline structures of SiO2 is examined by molecular dynamics (MD) calculations. A number of structure-dependent effects are observed which appear to be associated with the non-crystalline state and relatively insensitive to the exact form of the modeled interatomic potentials. Brittle failure (fracture) is observed as a peak in the resultant stress from strains applied at a variety of strain rates. The maximum stress of the amorphous structures is strongly strain-rate dependent and nearly independent of total strain. An observed 60% decrease in strength at lower strain rates indicates that the dynamic lattice, due to structural rearrangements from thermal vibrations of the atoms, is much weaker than the static lattice (lattice strained within an acoustic vibration period). At very high strain rates, the glass undergoes failure by an extension of interatomic bonds. At lower strain rates, the rearrangements correspond to a rotation of (SiO4)4− tetrahedra in order to increase the SiOSi bond angle in the direction of the applied strain. The crystalline lattice stays near equilibrium at all strain rates beyond the initial straining period; therefore, the stress maximum is nearly independent of strain rate and total strain. In the initial straining period, at low strain rates, the cubic phase of the high cristobalite lattice undergoes a change to tetragonal symmetry through a displacive transformation.
Should Child Support Obligations Continue for Children Attending College

Abstract Beliefs regarding nonresidential parents' obligation to assist with college expenses were examined using a factorial vignette design with a random sample of 407 participants. Obligations to assist continue providing child support for children beyond the age of majority were contingent upon children attending college. However, only 52% of respondents believed that the nonresidential parent should continue paying child support for children in college. Differing obligation beliefs were largely rooted in divergent childrearing philosophies. This suggests that college support laws may interfere with what the U.S. Supreme Court has repeatedly asserted is a fundamental parental right to direct children's upbringing, including education, without undue governmental interference.
Estrogen Blockade Reduces Auditory Feedback in CBA Mice

Objective To examine the effects of estrogen suppression on age-related changes in distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs) and contralateral suppression (CS) of DPOAEs in CBA mice. Study design and setting Young CBA mice received a slow-release shoulder implantation of either tamoxifen or placebo. Serial DPOAEs and CS of DPOAEs were obtained at 3-week intervals over a period of 9 weeks. Results Although DPOAEs were maintained over the study interval, CS of DPOAEs decreased significantly with age in the experimental group. No such declines were observed in either the control animals or the untreated male mice. Conclusions Estrogen suppression negatively affects the MOC efferent feedback system. Significance Our results support the hypothesis that estrogen plays an important role in the maintenance of auditory integrity. Additionally, our findings raise intriguing questions about auditory effects of hormonal shifts in humans resulting from menopause, hormone supplements such as oral contraceptives, and hormone replacement therapy as well as antiestrogens.
Risk and the Performance of Real Estate Investment Trusts: A Multiple Index Approach

This paper analyzes the returns of a sample of Real Estate Investment Trusts and examines their risk-adjusted performance using both single index (i.e., CAPM) and multiple index (i.e., APT) models. It is shown that while the performance rankings of the investment trusts are not very sensitive to the risk-adjustment model, the actual performance measures do sometimes differ substantially. Unfortunately, because of the high volatility of these real estate investments, the differences in investment performance across trusts generally are not statistically significant.
Morphology and oxygen sensor response of luminescent Ir-labeled poly(dimethylsiloxane)/polystyrene polymer blend films.

Polymer films consisting of a linear poly(dimethylsiloxane) end-functionalized with a luminescent Ir(III) complex (Ir−PDMS), blended with polystyrene (PS), function as optical oxygen sensors. The sensor response arises by quenching of the luminescence from the Ir(III) chromophore by oxygen that permeates into the polymer film. The morphology and luminescence oxygen sensor properties of blend films consisting of Ir−PDMS and PS have been characterized by fluorescence microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. The investigations demonstrate that microscale phase segregation occurs in the films. In blends that contain a relatively small amount of Ir−PDMS in PS (ca. 10 wt %), the Ir−PDMS exists as circular domains, with diameters ranging from 2 to 5 μm, surrounded by the majority PS phase. For larger weight fractions of Ir−PDMS in the blends, the film morphology becomes bicontinuous. A novel epifluorescence microscopy method is applied that allows the construction of Stern−Volmer qu...
Electrophysiological demonstration that cockroach tibial tactile spines have separate sensory axons

Abstract The eighteen tactile spines of the left mesothoracic tibia of Blaberus craniifer were tested for axon fusion by comparing their individual action potentials and by observing their interactions. The test criteria were that sensilla sharing a common axon should produce action potentials identical in amplitude, waveform, and conduction velocity. They should also occlude one another when stimulated in pairs, whereas separately innervated sensilla could produce dissimilar action potentials and should sum rather than occlude. We found that action potentials of different sensilla on the same leg generally did differ appreciably but usually fell into a few groups with similar characteristics. However, all pairs of sensilla showed summation whether their action potentials were similar or not. Occlusion never occurred. We therefore conclude that all eighteen mesothoracic tibial tactile spines give rise to separate sensory axons. Thus axon pooling cannot account for the relatively high conduction velocities of these sensilla. Moreover, topographic representation of individual tactile spines in the central nervous system is possible.
Multiscale computational analysis of Xenopus laevis morphogenesis reveals key insights of systems-level behavior

Tissue morphogenesis is a complex process whereby tissue structures self-assemble by the aggregate behaviors of independently acting cells responding to both intracellular and extracellular cues in their environment. During embryonic development, morphogenesis is particularly important for organizing cells into tissues, and although key regulatory events of this process are well studied in isolation, a number of important systems-level questions remain unanswered. This is due, in part, to a lack of integrative tools that enable the coupling of biological phenomena across spatial and temporal scales. Here, we present a new computational framework that integrates intracellular signaling information with multi-cell behaviors in the context of a spatially heterogeneous tissue environment. We have developed a computational simulation of mesendoderm migration in the Xenopus laevis explant model, which is a well studied biological model of tissue morphogenesis that recapitulates many features of this process during development in humans. The simulation couples, via a JAVA interface, an ordinary differential equation-based mass action kinetics model to compute intracellular Wnt/β-catenin signaling with an agent-based model of mesendoderm migration across a fibronectin extracellular matrix substrate. The emergent cell behaviors in the simulation suggest the following properties of the system: maintaining the integrity of cell-to-cell contact signals is necessary for preventing fractionation of cells as they move, contact with the Fn substrate and the existence of a Fn gradient provides an extracellular feedback loop that governs migration speed, the incorporation of polarity signals is required for cells to migrate in the same direction, and a delicate balance of integrin and cadherin interactions is needed to reproduce experimentally observed migratory behaviors. Our computational framework couples two different spatial scales in biology: intracellular with multicellular. In our simulation, events at one scale have quantitative and dynamic impact on events at the other scale. This integration enables the testing and identification of key systems-level hypotheses regarding how signaling proteins affect overall tissue-level behavior during morphogenesis in an experimentally verifiable system. Applications of this approach extend to the study of tissue patterning processes that occur during adulthood and disease, such as tumorgenesis and atherogenesis.
Ablation of Go α-Subunit Results in a Transformed Phenotype and Constitutively Active Phosphatidylcholine-specific Phospholipase C

Modulation of the components involved in mitogenic signaling cascades is critical to the regulation of cell growth. GTP-binding proteins and the stimulation of phosphatidylcholine (PC) hydrolysis have been shown to play major roles in these cascades. One of the enzymes involved in PC hydrolysis, a PC-specific phospholipase C (PC-PLC) has received relatively little attention. In this paper we examined the role of a particular heterotrimeric GTP-binding protein, Go, in the regulation of cell growth and PC-PLC-mediated hydrolysis of PC in IIC9 fibroblasts. The Go alpha-subunit was ablated in IIC9 cells by stable expression of antisense RNA. These stably transfected cells acquired a transformed phenotype as indicated by: (a) the formation of multiple foci in monolayer cultures, (b) the acquisition of anchorage-independent growth in soft agar; and (c) an increased level of thymidine incorporation in the absence of added mitogens. These data implicate Goalpha as a novel tumor suppressor. Interestingly, PC-PLC activity was constitutively active in the Goalpha-ablated cells as evidenced by the chronically elevated levels of diacylglycerol and phosphorylcholine in the absence of growth factors. In contrast, basal activities of PC-phospholipase D, phospholipase A2, or phosphoinositol-PLC were not affected. These data demonstrate, for the first time, a role for Go in regulating cell growth and provide definitive evidence for the existence of a PC-PLC in eukaryotic cells. The data further indicate that a subunit of Go, is involved in regulating this enzyme.
Pediatric Palliative Care Research Comes of Age: What We Stand To Learn from Children with Life-Threatening Illness

This issue of the Journal of Palliative Medicine includes three publications providing evidence to inform the provision of palliative care for children with life-threatening illness (LTI) and their families. The authors of these pieces are to be commended for sharing their experience with the larger palliative care community in an effort to advance knowledge and understanding in the field. These works highlight innovative strategies to reduce suffering and improve the well-being of seriously ill children and families. Nevertheless, it is worthwhile noting the nature of these studies: they are case studies or reports. Such descriptive studies, based on a limited sample, are emblematic of the current state of the science in pediatric palliative care research. Whereas the numbers of children living with serious illness are notably smaller than those of adults, they are still considerable. In 2010, 45,000 children died in the United States; over 25,000 children are living with a serious illness at any given time; and nearly 17 million adults are serving as caregivers to a seriously ill child.1 In the absence of evidence on which to base pediatric palliative care practice, too often decisions are made based upon anecdote; and experience or knowledge gleaned from the study of adult populations is extrapolated and applied to children. Whereas in a few instances the latter strategy may be acceptable (e.g., opioids for dyspnea, strategies for treatment of chemotherapy induced nausea), in most it is unacceptable, and research focusing specifically on children is imperative. Reasons for this are many, and include the distinct patterns of pediatric life-threatening conditions and developmental and physiologic considerations specific to children. In sum, as trainees entering pediatrics learn early on, “children are not small adults.”
Collective Motion in Nuclear Collisions and Supernova Explosions

Motivated by the success of kinetic theory in the description of observables in intermediate and high energy heavy-ion collisions, we apply kinetic theory to the physics of supernova explosions. The algorithmic implementation for the high-density phase of the iron core collapse is discussed.
Social life and the single nucleotide: foraging behavior in C. elegans.

Will lessons learned by studying npr-1 in C. elegans be relevant to sociobiology in other animals? Speculation about social behavior is premature, but there are hints that npr-1 regulation of food responses may be general. The NPR-1 protein is most closely related to the neuropeptide Y/pancreatic polypeptide receptor family from mammals. Major functions of this family include regulation of feeding, obesity, locomotory activity, and gastrointestinal function (for example, see 5xMarsh, D.J, Hollopeter, G, Kafer, K.E, and Palmiter, R.D. Nat. Med. 1998; 4: 718–721Crossref | PubMed | Scopus (336)See all References, 7xPedrazzini, T, Seydoux, J, Kunstner, P, Aubert, J.F, Grouzmann, E, Beermann, F, and Brunner, H.R. Nat. Med. 1998; 4: 722–726Crossref | PubMed | Scopus (302)See all References). The finding that a nematode member of the family regulates foraging behavior suggests the possibility of a deep phylogenetic origin for the function of these receptors. Along similar lines, it was recently reported that an insulin receptor homolog regulates energy metabolism in C. elegans (Kimura et al. 1997xKimura, K.D, Tissenbaum, H.A, Liu, Y, and Ruvkun, G. Science. 1997; 277: 942–946Crossref | PubMed | Scopus (1311)See all ReferencesKimura et al. 1997). Perhaps these parallels with mammals are coincidences, but an evolutionary perspective suggests not. Regulation of foraging, appetite, activity levels, and energy metabolism must surely be among the most ancient functions evolved by the complex metazoans that predated the divergence of mammals, insects, and nematodes. The C. elegans genome project has revealed an impressive number of putative neuro- or neuroendocrine peptide genes and candidate receptors that can be expected to regulate a wide range of such behavioral and physiological processes.
The inertial regime of drop impact on an anisotropic porous substrate

Axisymmetric droplet impact on a hydrophilic substrate with one pore of relatively large radius is numerically studied using diffuse-interface methods. The flows above the substrate and in the capillary are fully resolved by a Navier–Stokes solver that accounts for contact-angle hysteresis. Upon impact, the infiltration of the drop into the capillary is seen to follow one or more of the three regimes identified in recent experiments (Delbos, Lorenceau & Pitois, J. Colloid Interface Sci., vol. 341, 2010, p. 171): complete penetration, partial penetration as a slug, and re-entry with bubble entrapment. The agreement on experimentally measured quantities, such as transition criteria and slug lengths, is quantitative. On this basis we reveal previously unidentified flow phenomena, investigate flow details that are not accessible experimentally, expand the parameter space considered previously, identify the key asymptotic regimes in the penetration transient, generalize the results in terms of relevant dimensionless groups, and provide a further step (using a multi-capillary arrangement as an idealization of a porous substrate) towards the ultimate purpose of such work, which is the understanding of inertial effects with porous substrates, including eccentric impacts. The significant effect of impact inertia is revealed as a spatial anchoring of a stagnation region, formed and persisting for most of the transient. As a consequence, fluid within an upright cylinder is destined to enter the capillary, and this is in agreement with the hypothesis of Delbos et al. in interpreting the amounts of liquid found inside the capillary, except that the radius of the cylinder is 30 % greater than the capillary radius. The remainder of the liquid spreads laterally on the substrate surface, and the slug regime is a consequence of this partition. Numerical experiments also indicate that after reaching the maximum-spread area, the lamella on the substrate tends to refill the capillary and entrap a bubble, unless contact-angle hysteresis hinders the radially inward motion of the lamella.
Rationale for ureteral tapering

With two to three weeks of obstruction, marked ureteral dilatation develops in the presence of relatively low intraluminal pressures. The low pressure and increasing dimensions primarily reflect alterations in intrarenal hemodynamics and the viscoelasticity of the ureteral wall, respectively. Associated with these changes, the ureteral muscle hypertrophies, and this is accompanied by an increase ability to contract, as evidenced by an increase in contractile force and stress. Despite muscle hypertrophy and increased contractility, the dilated ureter is less able to generate the contractile intraluminal pressure waves that are required for urine transport. This paradoxical decrease in intraluminal pressure with increasing contractile force and diameter is explained by the Laplace relationship which also provides a rationale for ureteral tapering. Ureteral tapering by decreasing diameter allows the obstructed ureter's ability to generate contractile forces to be translated into higher contractile intraluminal pressures which provide for more efficient urine transport.
An inner core equivalence theorem

We extend the notion of the inner core of a finite economy to a large economy. We prove that competitive allocations and the core coincide with the inner core.
Hydrodynamic effects of eroded materials of plasma-facing component during a Tokamak disruption

Loss of plasma confinement causes surface and structural damage to plasma-facing materials (PFMs) and remains a major obstacle for tokamak reactors. The deposited plasma energy results in surface erosion and structural failure. The surface erosion consists of vaporization, spallation, and liquid splatter of metallic materials, while the structural damage includes large temperature increases in structural materials and at the interfaces between surface coatings and structural members. Comprehensive models (contained in the HEIGHTS computer simulation package) are being used self-consistently to evaluate material damage. Splashing mechanisms occur as a result of volume bubble boiling and liquid hydrodynamic instabilities and brittle destruction mechanisms of nonmelting materials. The effect of macroscopic erosion on total mass losses and lifetime is evaluated. The macroscopic erosion products may further protect PFMs from severe erosion (via the droplet-shielding effect) in a manner similar to that of the vapor-shielding concept.
Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii)—spruce budworm (Choristoneura occidentalis) interactions: the effect of nutrition, chemical defenses, tissue phenology, and tree physical parameters on budworm success

Measurements of foliage quality, physiological, and phenological condition of sample trees were used as independent variables in multiple correlation analyses to determine their effect on female and male spruce budworm larval dry weights. Female budworm from trees high in foliar concentrations of beta-pinene, myrcene and total nitrogen weighed less than those from trees lacking these characteristics. Male budworm from trees high in foliar concentrations of alpha-pinene, myrcene, terpinolene, citronellyl acetate, and bornyl acetate weighted less than those from trees lacking these characteristics. Additionally, relatively vigorous and productive trees tended to be less susceptible (as evidenced by reduced larval weight) to budworm of either sex.
Pressure dependence of the ferroelectric properties of rochelle salt

The effects of hydrostatic pressure, up to 20 kb (kilobars), on the ferroelectric properties of Rochelle salt were investigated. The changes in the hysteresis loop with increasing pressure at constant temperature resemble closely the changes caused by decreasing temperature at atmospheric pressure. At room temperature (19°C), the spontaneous polarization, Ps first increases with pressure, reaches a broad maximum at ~ 3.5 kb and finally decreases to zero by 10 kb. At the maximum, Ps has about the same value as the maximum value obtained at ~ 5°C at atmospheric pressure, thus indicating no large changes in the dipole moment and the electronic and ionic contributions to the total polarization. In the vicinity of the Curie points, P2s is a linear function of pressure in agreement with the prediction of the thermodynamic theory. The shifts of the Curie points are in close agreement with Bancroft's results obtained below 10 kb; however, the shift of the lower Curie point deviates slightly from linearity toward a larger slope at the higher pressures. Above 5 kb the upper Curie point occurs above the dissociation temperature. In the paraelectric phases, the reciprocal dielectric constant, 1ϵa, is, within small ranges, a linear function of both temperature and pressure. The results are discussed in terms of the available theories.
Internalization and cellular processing of somatostatin in primary culture of rat anterior pituitary cells

Somatostatin (SRIF) binding, internalization, and intracellular processing in primary culture of anterior pituitary cells have been studied using somatostatin coupled to an electron-opaque marker, colloidal gold. Initially, after 2 min of incubation (37 C), gold-conjugated SRIF is localized on the cell surface, with 38% of the marker being found around microvilli, 10% at the junction of secretion vesicles with the plasma membrane, and 51% distributed over the remaining areas of the cell membrane. There was no internalization of SRIF at this time. After 20 min of incubation, distribution of the cell-surface bound hormone was similar to that at 2 min (40.6% at microvilli, 12% at the junction with the secretion vesicle, and 47.4% over the rest of the plasma membrane). However, 12% of the electron-opaque markers were found intracellularly in association with coated vesicles, intermediate-sized vesicles, lysosomes, and Golgi structures. SRIF did not enter pituitary cells at 4 C. To study the role of coated vesicles in internalization of SRIF, we have measured somatostatin binding to isolated coated vesicles before and after various treatments and sonication. SRIF binding to sonicated vesicles (3.46 +/- 0.36 fmol/micrograms protein), was much greater than to intact ones (0.75 +/- 0.16 fmol/micrograms protein), suggesting intraluminal localization of SRIF receptors in the coated vesicles. Approximately 80% of SRIF-binding sites were recovered on the intraluminal surface of the coated vesicles. The results of these experiments suggest that internalization of SRIF is a time- and temperature-dependent process. Within the cell, SRIF is routed to either lysosomes or the Golgi apparatus. Coated vesicles participate in intracellular translocation of SRIF-receptor complexes. It appears that the receptor for SRIF being internalized is located on the intraluminal surface of the coated vesicle.
Effect of a solar flare on a traveling atmospheric disturbance

[1] It is known that the sudden injection of energy during geomagnetic storms can excite atmospheric gravity waves (AGWs) or traveling atmospheric disturbances (TADs). Together with large-scale circulation, these AGWs/TADs transport energy and momentum away from their sources. In this paper, we investigate possible involvement of AGWs/TADs during solar flares. Model simulations of an X17 flare that occurred on October 28, 2003 shows that AGWs/TADS contributed to flare energy transport from the sunlit South-Pole region to the nightside equatorial region in 3–4 h, resulting in ∼10% nightside equatorial neutral density enhancement in the upper thermosphere. These nightside AGWs/TADs have a phase speed on the order of ∼750 m/s and a horizontal wavelength on the order of 4000 km. Enhanced solar heating to the thermosphere through enhanced ionization during flares occurs on the entire dayside, with the spatial scale of the increased solar heating being too large to excite AGWs/TADs. Further analysis revealed that strong localized enhancement of Joule heating was produced during the October 28, 2003 flare. This sudden injection of the localized heating, together with preexisting AGWs/TADs excited by moderate geomagnetic activity prior to the flare, produced intensified AGWs/TADs, which propagated energy and momentum to the equatorial region. On the other hand, model simulations showed that, under assumed geomagnetically quiet conditions, strong localized enhancement of Joule heating and AGWs/TADs were not produced during the flare. This interplay between geomagnetic activity and solar flares can be a challenge to space weather monitoring, specification, and forecasting.
Determination of cocaine and heroin vapor pressures using commercial and illicit samples

The establishment of drug vapor pressure reference values provides valuable information in the development of vapor sensing devices for drug detection. The purpose of this work was to determine equilibrium headspace vapor pressures for commercial and illicit drug samples for use in such applications. Samples of cocaine, both free base and hydrochloride forms, and heroin hydrochloride were evaluated. The procedure used to measure the vapor pressures was a modification of a previously published method. Vapor pressure values at 20 degrees C previously reported for cocaine free base range from 0.37 x 10(-7) to 1.20 x 10(-7) Torr. The vapor pressure value determined in this study was 2.96 x 10(-7) Torr. It is likely that the discrepancies are due to differences in experimental conditions, varying sources of samples, and uncertainty in the methodologies. When the values were compared for commercial (99% purity) and illicit (unknown purity) sources of cocaine free base, there were no statistical differences in the projected room temperature (20 degrees C) vapor pressure values. However, the commercial and illicit samples of cocaine hydrochloride did show statistical differences. Although no comparison was made with the vapor pressure values for a pure, commercial sample, the vapor pressures of heroin hydrochloride (81% purity) at various temperatures were determined using the method developed for cocaine and are reported in this paper.
STUDY OF FLUORIDE INDUCED DISSIMILAR METAL CORROSION IN A MICROELECTROMECHANICAL SYSTEM

This paper reports a study of microscopic on-chip corrosion on a 17 μm × 17 μm microelectromechanical device. The active atmospheric corrosion occurred only on the Al−Si−Ti components which were connected directly to the TiW components. Adsorbed fluoride ionic species on the microelectromechanical device were found to activate the observed bimetallic corrosion on the Al−Si−Ti/TiW contacts. Water rinse or replacement of TiW by TiAlx completely eliminates the active corrosion. Electrochemical potential data confirm the dissimilar metal corrosion mechanism. Effective prevention of on-chip corrosion was achieved by the judicious design of the device components to avoid dissimilar metal contacts with large galvanic potential differences.
Insulin resistance syndrome blunts the mitochondrial anabolic response following resistance exercise.

Metabolic risk factors associated with insulin resistance syndrome may attenuate augmentations in skeletal muscle protein anabolism following contractile activity. The purpose of this study was to ...
Assessing writing style in engineering courses through a dynamic data collection method

At Carnegie Mellon University, collaborators in engineering, English, and design are piloting a novel method for integrating writing instruction, assessment, and feedback in the context of a junior-level Civil and Environmental Engineering course. Specifically, we developed a series of technical communication modules, which couple short instructional videos with interactive assessment activities, accessible via students' computers or smartphones. The modules supplement rather than supplant the course's embedded writing instructor, and are presented to the students as just-in-time, self-study aids to their drafting and revision processes for major assignments. Through this combined approach, we aim to explore the strengths and limitations of integrated, digital/human writing instruction techniques for engineering classrooms. In this paper, we discuss the instructional design of the online learning environment, the technological affordances the environment supports, and the research questions it generates as a dynamic data collection method.
LC-MS/MS Analysis of Apical and Basolateral Plasma Membranes of Rat Renal Collecting Duct Cells

We used biotinylation and streptavidin affinity chromatography to label and enrich proteins from apical and basolateral membranes of rat kidney inner medullary collecting ducts (IMCDs) prior to LC-MS/MS protein identification. To enrich apical membrane proteins and bound peripheral membrane proteins, IMCDs were perfusion-labeled with primary amine-reactive biotinylation reagents at 2 °C using a double barreled pipette. The perfusion-biotinylated proteins and proteins bound to them were isolated with CaptAvidin-agarose beads, separated with SDS-PAGE, and sliced into continuous gel pieces for LC-MS/MS protein identification (LTQ, Thermo Electron Corp.). 17 integral and glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-linked membrane proteins and 44 non-integral membrane proteins were identified. Immunofluorescence confocal microscopy confirmed ACVRL1, H+/K+-ATPase α1, NHE2, and TauT expression in the IMCDs. Basement membrane and basolateral membrane proteins were biotinylated via incubation of IMCD suspensions with biotinylation reagents on ice. 23 integral and GPI-linked membrane proteins and 134 non-integral membrane proteins were identified. Analyses of non-integral membrane proteins preferentially identified in the perfusion-biotinylated and not in the incubation-biotinylated IMCDs revealed protein kinases, scaffold proteins, SNARE proteins, motor proteins, small GTP-binding proteins, and related proteins that may be involved in vasopressin-stimulated AQP2, UT-A1, and ENaC regulation. A World Wide Web-accessible database was constructed of 222 membrane proteins (integral and GPI-linked) from this study and prior studies.
Differential effect of the cytolethal distending toxin of Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans on co-cultures of human oral cells.

The periodontal pathogen Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans expresses a cytolethal distending toxin (CDT) that typically arrests the growth of eukaryotic cells at either the G0/G1 or G2/M phase of the cell cycle. It was previously found that CDT failed to arrest the growth of human periodontal ligament fibroblasts (HPLFs) when grown in pure culture. In contrast, proliferation of an oral epithelial cell line was rapidly inhibited by the toxin. In this study, the feasibility of using mixed-cell cultures and cell-specific markers to evaluate the response of oral cells, when in heterogeneous populations, to CDT was established. Proliferation of epithelial cells was rapidly inhibited and the cells were selectively eliminated in co-culture with HPLFs or cementoblasts by 24–48 h post-intoxication. Epithelial cells and HPLFs were detected and counted in co-cultures following cell-specific immunolabelling with antibodies against simian virus 40 large T antigen and the Ab-1 surface antigen, respectively. These results demonstrated that the activities of potential virulence factors, such as CDT, from periodontal pathogens can be successfully examined in mixed-cell cultures. This approach is especially relevant to infectious diseases that affect tissues with a diverse cellular composition, such as the periodontium.
Septal Perforator Anatomy and Variability of Perfusion Bed by Myocardial Contrast Echocardiography: A Study of Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Patients Undergoing Alcohol Septal Ablation

Objective To characterize the perfusion bed of the first septal perforator by myocardial contrast echocardiography (MCE) in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy undergoing alcohol septal ablation (ASA). Background MCE is used to define the septal perforator anatomy prior to ASA. Occasionally, ASA cannot be performed due to unfavorable septal anatomy or perfusion outside the interventricular septum. Despite the standard use of MCE for septal mapping, there are no reports describing the territory of septal perforator perfusion. Methods Forty-seven consecutive patients underwent ASA between 1/1/2004 and 12/30/2012. Blinded individuals retrospectively evaluated patients for septal perforator anatomic findings. Patients were divided into 2 groups based on presence or absence of extra-septal perfusion (ESP) as visualized by apical views after intracoronary contrast injection. The groups' procedural outcomes were compared, including infarct size, new conduction abnormalities, and major adverse events. Results Over 25% demonstrated ESP, of which 83% predominantly involved the right ventricular (RV) moderator band. The first septal perforator (FSP) was statistically larger in ostial diameter (1.69 mm vs. 1.23 mm, P = 0.04) and numerically more likely dominant in patients with ESP (63.6% vs. 47.2%, P = 0.22). In those with ESP, the odds ratio comparing FSP diameter of 2.0 mm to the mean was 1.96 (95% CI: 1.01–3.80). Conclusions Downstream capillary perfusion may be discordant from epicardial territory and this study emphasizes the importance of MCE prior to ASA. Over 25% of our patients demonstrated ESP, most commonly involving the RV moderator band. The size of the FSP was the strongest predictor of ESP.
Comparing robust regression lines corresponding to two independent groups

Let X and Y be random variables, and for two independent groups, suppose that for the jth group where E(∈j) =0, j=1,2. Suppose that the β's are estimated with Welsch's robust procedure, and that the goal is to test Hoβ01 =β02 and Hoβ11 =β12. A solution to this problem is to use the influence function estimate of the standard errors of the estimates of the β's, and attempt to control the probability of a Type I error via the percentile - t bootstrap procedure. This paper uses simulations to assess the small - sample performance of this procedure. A few results are also reported on a procedure for testing Ho: E(Y1|X) =E(Y2|X).
bZIP Transcription Factors in the Oomycete Phytophthora infestans with Novel DNA-Binding Domains Are Involved in Defense against Oxidative Stress

Transcription factors of the basic leucine zipper (bZIP) family control development and stress responses in eukaryotes. To date, only one bZIP has been described in any oomycete; oomycetes are members of the stramenopile kingdom. In this study, we describe the identification of 38 bZIPs from the Phytophthora infestans genome. Half contain novel substitutions in the DNA-binding domain at a site that in other eukaryotes is reported to always be Asn. Interspecific comparisons indicated that the novel substitutions (usually Cys, but also Val and Tyr) arose after oomycetes diverged from other stramenopiles. About two-thirds of P. infestans bZIPs show dynamic changes in mRNA levels during the life cycle, with many of the genes being upregulated in sporangia, zoospores, or germinated zoospore cysts. One bZIP with the novel Cys substitution was shown to reside in the nucleus throughout growth and development. Using stable gene silencing, the functions of eight bZIPs with the Cys substitution were tested. All but one were found to play roles in protecting P. infestans from hydrogen peroxide-induced injury, and it is proposed that the novel Cys substitution serves as a redox sensor. A ninth bZIP lacking the novel Asn-to-Cys substitution, but having Cys nearby, was also shown through silencing to contribute to defense against peroxide. Little effect on asexual development, plant pathogenesis, or resistance to osmotic stress was observed in transformants silenced for any of the nine bZIPs.
FMC: The Convergence of Networks, Devices and Services

As communications services are evolving, users are increasingly faced with a confusion of devices, subscriptions and numbers. Consumers are growing to expect ubiquitous, constant connectivity and access to all manner of information applications. Service providers, large and small, must simultaneously find ways to offset the declines in traditional sources of revenues while drive top-line growth. Fixed Mobile Convergence (FMC) solutions are promising to offers advantages for both consumers and service providers and is gaining momentum in the marketplace as operators are realizing the market opportunities for creating new revenue-generating services. FMC solutions are promising to deliver the long awaited hand off of calls/calling features between wire-line and wireless networks. This article first defines the concept of FMC and it then several prominent concepts in the fixed mobile-convergence are analyzed. The article l addresses the business model, architecture, competitive and technological issues and summarizes the progress being made toward this network evolution.
Automated adaptive two-dimensional system for the hp-version of the finite element method

This paper presents an automated, adaptive finite element modelling system based on the hp-version of the finite element method. Error estimation and correction indication procedures with an automatic mesh generator and a p-version analysis code are combined to provide a computationally efficient modelling environment. Error prediction techniques are employed to find the best combination of finite element discretization, h-, and overall polynomial order, p-, needed to achieve the prescribed level of accuracy. The automated adaptive modelling results demonstrate the capability of the modelling system of predicting discretizations to perform a p-version finite element analysis to achieve prescribed levels of accuracy in the most efficient manner.